Welp first off, whoopsies, badly messed up my words in the last chapter at the start, but yeah sorry, what I meant was if it were easier to read in general if I posted a chapter of that length as two parts (like 7.I and both at the same time) or if it were fine to get it all in one heap, but yeah… my fault on how I worded it, but there won't be more lengthy chapters on a regular basis I'm afraid, since it all really just does depend on how much time I can get in which I'm in the zone to write it, but yeah… sorry if anyone got the impression chapters will be longer, though it's not like I have a set limit either, like with his chapter… it ended up being way, way too long…
Also damn, I've realised that I've made an annoying error… yeah… for some reason I got it into my head that Utopia district was the northern outlier of Wall Sina, but no that's Orvud district… of course it is, ugh, got carried away when planning the concept of 'Utopia' later on, which can get scraped now but oh well. Yeah Utopia district is the northern outlier of Wall Rose, not Wall Sina, and yeah I've gone back to change those now, but sorry for the confusion!
But yeah, 2 mishaps there on my part, gomen'nasai!
Guest/unPMable Reviews:
cell : Although it technically isn't be confirmed, the Founding Titan user would as you imagine have memories of everyone, and even if it didn't first-hand access them, as in the case of a certain nutcracker (quality censoring code words to keep anime onlies safe) the same connection would apply between Historia and Frieda and Eren's memories would sort of be inherited that way, or so I would imagine. And I have a Mikasa chapter planned more or less with how their relationship goes, but thanks for mentioning that point of saving her, if possible, I will move that forward but rest assured, I'll have Historia thanking her properly in a relatively soon chapter!
Zeee4520 : Lol, don't worry, there's going to be a hella of a lot of that in the future, since I myself wish to just explore possible lore alternatives that could have been done (and that I sort of myself was expecting) and of course, we have Eren and a Reiss to do that, and not just any Reiss of course. Lol, Kenny sips his milkshake filled with EreHisu drugs "this is getting good!"(Kenny secretly a EreHisu shipper)And yeah, thanks for the advise on boldings… which I didn't end up following in the end… gomen'nasai! Next chapter, I swear though, less bolds!
Guest : Great to hear you enjoyed, and yeah basically much of it as is in much of the manga, just a few additional bits here and there, since really… it's already perfect as is for me, but felt like adding a few subtle strokes to ground things in some more and to me as well, it probably the chapter I'm the most pleased about… maybe just because I knew for certain what I was doing lol
Discord invite: discord .gg/csQFFUC (delete the space right after the "discord", no need for the triple 'w')
"speech"
'thoughts'
Chapter 8 – Blutsbande
Early Fall of the Year 850 – After Rod Reiss turns into a Titan
"I may be an enemy of humanity..."
Historia could happily take on the name.
It didn't matter anymore if everyone thought that it had been better if she were never born.
"But I'm your friend, Eren!"
Being there… for someone like her…
"I can't be a good girl… and I don't want to be a God."
She was not Krista.
And she never would be.
She couldn't be like the girl which Frieda might have wanted her to be like.
"But… when I see someone crying, saying… no one needs them…."
Whoever it might be.
Even someone whom she didn't know the secrets of like Ymir.
"I want to tell them… it's not true..."
She twisted the key after fitting it properly into the hole at last.
The first shackle opened.
The first part.
"No matter who! No matter where! I'll come to the rescue!"
Historia had already began.
"So, just wait for me!"
And Eren could never bring himself to stop someone like her.
- What Eren wanted… was to see her reach the end of her path… just as he reached the end of his own…
He was lost. Destroyed.
- But seeing Historia like that… to him, taking several steps at a time, while he couldn't even muster up one...
Walking her own path...
– The path to the destruction of emptiness itself.
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"You're feeling just how I felt for the entirety of my life… that's why, I need to make sure you don't – " Historia kept drying to gasp out, the hot air starting to burn her throat and make her lungs tremble in pain.
Keeping a firm hold around Eren's waist, Historia pulled herself around, trying not to slip from the build-up of sweat as a result of the heat that Eren's body was being subjected to.
"– AH!" Another sudden gust of hot wind was added in, and Historia was blown back before she was unable to open the his left ankle restraint, sent tumbling backwards away from Eren as she clutched the keys tightly.
"Historia!" Eren yelled as he saw her rolling back dangerously, panicking as he found himself unable to do anything but pull against the chains again, this time with great strength flowing through his arms.
The metal screeched. The chains began to unbelievably crack from his strength, but resiting all the same as Eren frantically pulled in panic to get to her, time slowing down as if he could process his thoughts abnormally quickly.
The contents of Rod's bag spilled over on the ledge, the various serums rolling away as they were pushed back.
Eren's mind didn't spare any concern, only the realisation that he would be too –
"Ugh..." Her head was about to hit the cavern wall, at the very least she would receive a severe concussion, and at worst have her head damaged severely.
But just before she hit it, instead of the hard and untouched wall, her head was grasped strongly, cushioning her from the impact she would have received.
"Are you okay?" said the young woman who had flown in, just at the right time using ODM gear.
"Mikasa?!" Historia yelled in surprise, finding Mikasa's hand was at the back of her head, protecting Historia from the hit.
"Gimme the keys," Levi called, swooshing down and landing on the ledge, having shot out of the waves of boiling steam just after Mikasa, followed by Jean, then Sasha and Connie, who were pushed back and landed vertically off the walls.
"Captain!" Eren called out in relief both for Historia and that everyone else was safe, "Everyone!"
Mikasa held out the keys to the captain, which instead were taken by Connie who was closer, as he and Jean followed the captain hurriedly to the chains which Eren was bound in.
"Dammit, which one of these keys is it?!" said Connie, frantically thumbling around the keys, as he had difficulties
"Hurry up, Connie," Levi urged, hair blowing backwards and irritating his eyes.
"It's – one of the two smallest ones opened the lock to Eren's right leg!" Historia yelled frantically, as she managed to stand up on her own and try to help, wishing to rush over herself and back to Eren's side.
She was naturally unable to do so against the intense heat when she lacked the weight of the ODM gear and footwear to stop her from slipping backwards. Her words just managed to reach Connie however, as he immediately switched to trying the two ever so smaller keys.
"You hear me, shirtless wonder?!" Jean filled Eren in, latching against the opposite length of shackles, "It's not just that Titan! Guys with guns 're flying this way too!"
"Well… first of all… the roof's going to collapse," Levi considered as he looked up to see the falling rocks, easily large enough to crush them.
This wasn't good. Eren's mind instantly began processing the moment the captain mentioned it. If anything happened which caused the burning mass of the growing Titan to incline itself even slightly forward, then the ceiling right above them would fall before he would be freed.
"Hurry!" Jean called as Connie made a random noise in affirmation, switching to the second of the smaller keys.
Eren looked up, mouth ajar as he began to notice the Titan's size for the first time. Big, far too big. 'Everyone… please get back...' Eren begged in his head, just as he noticed –
The great mass seemed to lunge ever so slightly forward as if feeling Eren's wishes and choosing to oppose them out of spite, causing a particularly massive piece of stonework to fall earlier than it should have had.
Click. The sound of the chain restraining his left ankle sounded as his legs were freed again, allowing him the ability to stand once more.
His legs however had been aching from the constant kneeling at an uncomfortable position for the past hour, and he had trouble bringing himself to crouch all of a sudden.
"AH!" Someone yelled, likely Connie as he tried to pass the keys up to the captain. "No..."
It was too late. The boulder was right on top of him. Eren was about to be crushed head on by the early descent of it, both hands still bound in chains.
"Move!" The captain yelled, pulling Jean away in shock, as if seemingly abandoning Eren himself. Eren noticed how all of a sudden he was alone, still shackled. The decision was the most sensible after all. The rock was massive, if the captain and everyone else were crushed by it, death was instantaneous.
It was a massive risk to leave Eren like that, however their options were few. Either all four of them would get crushed, or they would bet everything on Eren's regenerative ability, making the decision in the blink of an eye.
So long as his body survived…
No, it seemed that a key to this was what resided in his own human nape if Rod had been telling the truth, so long as that survived…
Eren's back was exposed completely to the falling rock. He wasn't going to make it, and only he and Historia had learnt that moments prior.
He wasn't going to make it… unless…
Something struck the chain just at the connection to his left arm, which had already began cracking from the constant strain that had been put on it over a century.
Blood, sweat and the back and forth stretching of it had worn it down without the proper cleaning of it, and it had been screeching from being pulled to its limits at this very moment.
The effects of it had caused the chains to rust over the century after soaking up the uncleaned results from the previous inheritors at one particular spot near the wrists.
The chain shackling his left arm broke. The unexpected action caused Eren's whole body to lurch to the right, making him fall over the edge just as the large peace of stone crushed him.
Eren was sent swinging right ways, still hanging by the chain on his right arm as he heard the distant cries of his name.
What was that? He could have sworn he caught something being thrown at the chain out of the corner of his eye just before it snapped.
The hot air hit him again, causing his whole body to be pushed backwards towards the wall as he continued hanging, before –
The final change snapped. It had likewise been pulled to its limits now, yet Eren only noticed how he had subconsciously pounded the shackle several times instinctively, when the pain being flooding through the pulsing left hand, closed into a fist.
"Eren!" His name was shouted by several people once again, as he found himself flying back as he landed against the ledge floor towards the back, the impact recoiling through his whole body as it kicked out his breath.
Jean had appeared at his side, with the captain soon after, as they pulled him up and dragged him back away, towards the wall.
"Eren… thank god..." He found himself leaning against the centre, in the middle of everyone as he began to take in his surroundings once more and trying to catch his breath from the strained action that had caused his wrists to swell slightly, blood and tissue squeezed improperly around.
"You're safe now..." The little spectacle had caused everyone's breath to hold as they had all feared for his safety as he appeared to be thrown around like a rag doll, unable to do anything but watch his struggle.
But Eren was safe… for now. Everyone's attention turned back to their next impeding concern, all covering their face as they became dried up and burning quickly from the maliciously glowing being that was crouching before them.
"Are you alright?!" Eren heard the voice of the girl directly to his left. Historia, who was trying to cover her eyes mimicking everyone else.
The blue eyes of what would be soothing, rolling waves of the ocean hitting its limits. Eren nodded helplessly as he trailed, "what… the chain… something broke i–"
"… Really, just how shitty can this day get?" Levi's voice snapped him away from his question, as they all risked another glance at the growing Titan, now partially visible, "that thing looks bigger than the Colossus Titan..."
The Titan which began it all, face looking over the wall 5 years ago.
This being's leg however, alone reached over twice the height from the ledge to the bottom of the crystal cavern floors. It was crouching, yet its spine was easily grinding up against the ceiling of the halls, continuing to collapse the roof above them.
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On the other side of the thick fumes of smoke, Kenny had managed to reset his anchor and set his trajectory away from the man he had formerly been serving while working behind his back for the whole time.
"… Hold on," Kenny yelled, narrowing avoiding another set of falling rocks, as he gazed up at the unbefore "whoa, whoa, whoa! Rod!"
He refired his anchor again, intending to return back into the cave until the Titan decided to stop moving or the rocks would hopefully restrain it.
"You've screwed up the pooch this time!" he cursed the Reiss's name in vain, "I finally see you didn't know any more about the Titans than the rest of us! Damn it!"
"!" The sound of gas being expelled and the approaching shapes of several people caught his attention. A total of about seven. Was that it? Of his remaining squad, only seven had survived the past couple of days?
"Captain Ackerman!" Traute Caven, his second in command, shouted as she led the group. Leading them closer to the falling –
"You idiots!" the eldest Ackerman tried to warn them, "Don't come any clo– "
The sounding of the cracks travelling across the ceiling, like breaking ice in the spring. What fell from above however, was not ice sinking in water at a leisurely pace.
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The crack continued across the entirety of the cavern to were the entrance was from the stairs on the other side, and all the way to just above the other end, were Eren was bearing the scolding heat along with everyone else.
The last of the pillars before them all crushed, no longer having a stable support from the top, they fell from the pressure of the hot wind from the Titan.
A similar ability that the Colossus Titan had displayed. An ability that they had not found any method to fight against since last time.
"This is bad!" Jean expressed the fears going through everyone's minds, "there's no way out!"
'Why…?' Eren thought as he examined the titanized form of Rod Reiss, 'wasn't he going to eat me...?!'
If he had been asked of his wishes a few moments ago, he'd be saying this as his wish to die at last and be freed from it all.
But things had already changed. In that moment… when he saw her… what he felt in that moment as he looked up at her…
That wasn't the problem, the fear that hammered in his head was an undeniable conclusion at this rate. 'Everyone's going to die…!'
After coming all this way to save him, to help him, it was truly going to be the end for them at this rate. His sore back, scraped as he slid down onto the floor, one knee up, as he helplessly tried to sooth the pain and throbs of every one of his limbs and head.
'Should I turn into a Titan?' He considered, trying to measure out the distances and chances. They were obvious. 'No… the ceiling's caving in… my Titan's not big enough to be hold it back… everyone's gonna get crushed...'
He could picture it so easily. Feebly crushed in a futile last struggle along with himself.
He had no intention of dying here or letting Rod consume him anymore…
However…
That didn't change reality.
Eren could not possibly use his Titan to protect everyone from the collapsing ceiling.
Blood that was still seeping down his forehead prickled his eyes as a bit slid into his eyelids uncomfortably.
He could feel it now. The looks of several people looking expectedly to him, pushing all their hopes on him once more, as they were prepared to entrust him with their lives.
Eren looked left.
To Historia.
To Mikasa.
To Levi.
Historia stared back.
He felt… something special bubbling within him as he did…
An abnormal content of strength, like a horn call reminding him of the most important things…
Mikasa gazed at him.
Levi stared at the enemy.
He looked right.
To Jean.
To Connie.
To Sasha.
All three of them met his eyes, looking at him expectedly.
Just like before, just like they would surely do again. Their one and only hope to change the tide of battle.
"… GH!" Eren's cry startled everyone as they witnessed the unexpected scene of a crumbled feeling to the person who had always been so sure of himself, "I'm sorry everyone..."
He clenched his teeth as he seethed upwards, droplets of water fighting back against the evaporating heat as they continued to trouble him as they stuck defiantly to his eyelids.
Eren was crying. Had it not become something he was accustomed to doing now? It wasn't an unusual sight for people faced with hardships to have.
"I was..." Eren trembled.
What was he going to say…
That he was useless?
That he had always been… from the beginning?
Had it been but 10 minutes ago, he would very well have continued on the same track of thinking, but –
' "But… when I see someone crying, saying… no one needs them…." '
Historia's words which instantly had clasped around his empty husk that his soul had departed from.
' "I want to tell them… it's not true..." '
Her wish at that point… the simple will that she possessed, commanding him…
It was far too strong for him to resist.
Historia… she looked… no, she was… she is…
"Hey!" the voice of the person on his mind called out to him, as he looked up at her, leaning against the wall, his shoulders to her ankles.
Historia's face was certain, unchangeable and strong against the pressure threatening her. She seemed to take no notice of it and instead her eyes had ironclad determination seizing them.
"… Armour?" The light glinting off the metal hit his eyes, distracting him as he read the label which he could see, not obscured by the rest of Historia's gentle and fair hand.
Eren inclined his head back upwards at her, looking at her questionably. 'Is this… from the bag her father had… just before...' he thought, examining her closely.
"I grabbed this from the floor just earlier, I don't know what good it will do, but..." Historia spoke, attracting the attention of the other five people who took notice of the metal cylinder Historia was holding in her right hand, offering to Eren who was trembling next to her feet.
"Historia! What's that?!" Jean inquired across from Eren, uncertain as to what the blonde had picked up from where.
"It's… something which I noticed earlier in my father's bag…" Historia answered hesitantly. Back earlier, just as her father had laid down to take out the first syringe, she noticed it residing in his bag, a metal cylinder that caught her eye by the name written on it.
Before she had any time to think of it further, her gaze had been captured by the syringe which her father was opening up for her.
"I… ended up throwing the other at your chain just before you got crushed…" Historia admitted to her having picked up the bottle on instinct when she had seen that the keys would not fix the locks in time.
'So just then… that was...' Eren thought back to something which had hit the shackle to his left hand. There had been the sound of strongly colliding metal, then a splashing sound, as if the lid had been opened just before, which lubricated the chains to fall apart just in time.
Eren brought up his left hand. The shackle was still around it, but the first bind right off of it was pulled open yet seemingly dry, despite some signs of fizzing, as if it had been hit by the last straw of corrosion.
Which meant…
"Eren," his saviour called to him, offering out the serum again to him, "I don't know what good it will do… but I feel as though you should take it!"
Her declaration combined with the resolution in her eyes, as if foreseeing the events of a prophecy coming to reality.
A feeling of knowing exactly what she wanted to do, what she needed to do, and as if already knowing what will happen…
Historia's existence… was so alien yet familiar to him.
Mikasa's eyes peeled around from behind her, looking uncertainly at what Historia was urging him to take, examining it quickly before warning, "no… we don't know what that might do to him."
What was he to do with it?
Was a syringe required, an injection?
He didn't know. Eren didn't know… yet he felt a desire to consume this… as if he had done this many times before in the past…
As if Historia was looking at him once again, having seen him consume the liquid residing within on many previous occasions already.
"I…" Eren's thoughts became more en-caved, as a thick headache took refuge within him.
"What, now you want to play things indecisively?" Jean exclaimed, unimpressed at the unusual state that Eren was in, "you've been able to settle everything on your own before, haven't you?"
"Quit soppin'!" Connie picked up, reminding himself of how short their luck had always fared, "this isn't the first time it's been this bad!"
"Not saying I'd like to get used to it, of course!" Sasha added, fully in agreement with Connie.
"It'd be hard enough to escape even if we didn't have to carry Eren and Historia as we flew..." Levi enforced, concluding the options they were limited to.
"The heat from that Titan…" Mikasa included, finishing off the captain's thoughts "we'll probably be burnt to death if we get any closer."
Levi nodded in accordance and he turned to Eren and Historia, eyes scrutinising the serum she held, "unless..."
"No..." Eren mixed in his own assuredness at their inescapable situation, "there's nowhere left to run..."
"So you just want to wait here and hold hands until we either get crushed or burnt to death?!" Historia cried back at him, trying to urge him up just like everyone else was.
She had pushed away his thoughts of giving up on his life. And as a result, she had chosen the course which continued humanity's hell.
"Because we're… enemies of humanity?"
His heart beast seemed to pulse once and rest, then begin racing again.
A light unique to the two of them seemed to travel between the two of them, passing the might from Historia to Eren.
"… I'm sorry for always doing this to you, but… Eren," Levi's heavy voice drilled in once more, turning to Eren, "you have to make a choice."
Just like… back then…
When he chose to put his faith in his comrades…
He had lost them all.
He then put his faith in his own power.
And he lost as well.
Because Annie had been the one to take advantage of her superior power.
What was it that made this situation any different?
The extent of his powers was limited.
His options were either to take a gamble at gaining more power, or choose to back away from it.
The metal container was still held out in Historia's hand, her eyes never breaking contact from him, waiting patiently. Not doubting the choice he would make in the slightest.
An object she picked out partially out of interest, primarily on intuition.
Eren took hold of the serum in her hand, scraping his finger nails a little on her palm, causing a little static that felt good to him.
"AAAAAAAH!" Eren's agonising yell sent shivers down Historia's spine, along with everyone else's for various reasons.
Frantically running forward, Historia watched him in wonder after he had taken the metal cylinder.
Someone who always knew what they wanted to do. A few days ago, she had been certain, that out of everyone else, Eren would surely fit under such a description the most.
Yet now…
'I'm sorry...'
Eren thought, waving his arms furiously as he propelled himself, bending his leg dangerously close to slipping as he fought back against the steam.
… Historia's opinion of him had been uprooted unrecognisably.
'I want you to let me do it…'
He looked at this metal container once more in the fraction of a second, feeling the cool surface in comparison to the hot winds.
The label was just like he first read it on one side. The bit curling around it to its opposite side, was what had caught Historia's eye when she first saw it in Rod's bag.
'… Just once...'
He tossed it into his mouth, straining all of his jaw muscles as he caught it in his teeth and crushed down upon it. The metal was likewise rusting, suggesting it was created around a hundred years ago and been left to slowly corrode.
The liquid spilled into Eren's mouth, and the taste of iron of both the metal and his own blood filled his mouth.
His last thoughts lingered on what he could have sworn was written on the bottle's label.
What the full label read… 'Armour – Braun'…
His family name… Reiner Braun…
The light exploded, not nearly matching the intensity of the larger Titan's transformation next to it. The Titan's spine erupted out, swirling round akin to a fetus's curved shape.
'Let me believe in myself…'
ᛖaᚱly ᚠaᛚᛚ oᚠ tᚺe ᛃeᚨr ?
He was floating, yet unmoving.
All alone in the darkness.
At least that was the only way he could describe it, though it was too overwordly to be assigned with a single description from everything he had seen.
Eren was looking at someone. It seemed to appear into existence before him, or perhaps it had always been there.
It's face was covered by something, concealed from existence. He couldn't identify whether it was male or female. But surely… that thing was a human…
"Who… are you?" It said.
Its words were phrased strangely. A very different accent, pronunciation and tongue from what Eren was used to.
As if… it was trying to speak a different language from one which it was used to. Or maybe just not spoken a single word for hundreds of years.
"I … am subject… F-88. Who are you?" It introduced itself and asked again.
"… Wh… what? You're name is Ef… Efateyate?" Eren replied, trying to catch were the words were spoken from the mouthless face.
"No. I am… subject F-88. Who are you?" It repeated again.
Eren didn't reply. He stared back in confusion, feeling that he didn't want to just give out his that easily for some reason.
"... No matter if you don't know. It shouldn't be your time yet anyway... It's much too soon... She'll see to you soon enough… unless you get discarded before then..."
"...What are you?" Eren glared, the level of knowledge being kept from him getting on his nerves, "tell me everything you now! Whose this 'she' you're referring to?!"
It seemed to shrug, not knowing the answer. "It's odd… that you do not know how things happen here… you're the first I encountered with no knowledge about it… no matter… I have to right nor reason to converse any longer..."
There it was again. Something spoken with a completely different sound again.
"I'll bid you not to panic... until our next meeting..."
And then it was gone, and he was left all alone again.
"... What's going on right now..." Eren tried to move his body, yet was unable to do so.
He focused his eyes down, trying to examine his body.
Long… so long…
Intense shivering and fear began to set in as he looked at his fleshless body.
There was no muscles, nor drops of blood o any other signs of organs he would naturally need to live.
There was only a skeleton, the shape of it at least seemed an accurate size of his own. Except he was missing the legs present in his bones. And the arms. And the lower body.
His rib cage was in one piece, and he couldn't see his face. He tried to whimper on reflex, the fear of not being able to move. He couldn't even scream. His mouth was sewed shut now.
And then there was his spine... extending out at an impossible length.
Columns after columns of it. Only then did he notice it.
His bones were not made of bone, but a cold metallic crystal shimmering brightly in the darkness.
The structure looked unbelievably fragile, like the soft breeze of the whispering wind would cause it to shatter instantly.
He looked down trying to revert the excruciating pain at holding back tears, begging to be formed, yet under permitted to form.
Eren's eyes followed the length of his spine over extension, uncomprehending what he saw until he saw something at the spot where it traveled to thousands of leagues away.
Down there... or up there? Over there, to where his spine continued to in the darkness...
A web...
Extending to the depths…
Early Fall of the Year 850 – About half an Hour After Eren eats the Armour Serum
"Eren– "
A distant shout. Female. Desperate sounding could be heard from somewhere in the distance, combined with the heavy thudding between metal and hard stone.
"Eren!"
A male this time, equally shouting in deep concern. The sound of crystal cracking drew near.
And then a light emerged from what he only registered, had been total darkness.
"Eren!" Mikasa shouted as he was pulled out of something, hot steam following him out.
Eren immediately began gasping for breath, as if only just remembering the necessity of breathing. He tried to breath in, but his whole body seemed to only partially respond to his command.
He desperately tried to get his lungs working, yet it felt only a quarter of the amount he was usually accustomed to, was working its way in. Eren felt dizzy, only noticing Mikasa's panicked expression to his right, and Jean's troubled one as they both pulled him out the rest of the way.
Eren's entire Titan body had crystallized all over, and extensive ropes of the same crystal had been discharged from various spots of the Titan body.
The rocks that had been falling down from the ceiling of the cave, had been caught outside in a massive web like structure that Eren's Titan had created.
The crystal, ethereally icy blue and unnatural, was just like the material which the caverns was made out of.
Its glow however was much duller, seemingly only reflecting the light rather than producing it itself. The same time of crystallization which Annie herself had displayed.
Except this time, Eren had been the one to do this.
"Hey, I found a way out!" Connie called from a ways above, informing Sasha from the surface outside.
"Thank goodness!" the brunette girl responded in turn. She leaped down through the whole on the surface, leading down to the recently formed cave in which Eren's Titan form had created with the fallen rocks forming the walls.
"Captaaain!" Sasha called, as she attached a hook to the top, and began her descent to the rest of the group, "we've secured an exit!"
"Good job," Levi replied, having sent Connie and Sasha up to find a way out, while he had gone to search in vain for any other remains of the content from Rod Reiss's bag.
"Oh… Eren..." Sasha muttered, noticing her shirtless comrade, as she set her feet on the ground and slipped out the wire, "so they managed to dig you out okay!"
"It took some hard work, though," Jean mentioned, letting his fractured blade slip out of his handles.
"Everyone's safe thanks to you!" Sasha waded over and immediately bowed down on her knees sincerely, as if she had been witness to a life-saving miracle, "but to me honest, that moment when you leaped forward bawling and running all creepy… I thought 'It's all over! There's no way this freak can save us!' I was all teary-eyed and sniffling like this, and..."
Sasha wiped the sweat of her face, remembering how moments ago she had all but accepted her impending demise, leaving her life in the hands of a person stumbling over.
But in the end, her faith had not been misplaced this time.
"Is this…" Eren began without finding a response to give Sasha. He looked up in wonder at the structure above him.
The face of a Titan.
His Titan.
It was odd when he thought about it… but this was the first time which he actually could see the fully formed features of his Titan shifter form.
He could remember fearfully, the shapes of the face of his mindless Titan as a child, yet this was his first time seeing the face which others always looked up at whenever they saw him in his Titan body.
Frankly… he felt as it was quite unrecognizable…
As if this Titan was not completely his own…
Oddly shaped jaw. Elongated and pointed ears. Hair considerably enough longer than his own.
… But it was undeniably his.
Like some sort of wild beast. He had naturally been able to witness the shape of his Titan body, and only its face had remained hidden until now.
The shape of a well built 15m class Titan.
Aside from… that face… that stood out from most… that seemed to contrast his own features…
"Yes. It hardened," Levi answered, strutting over to Eren, with Historia following him as well.
Eren's heart seemed to immediately strike an unsatisfied beat, kicking his whole body awake again. Historia's face had returned to just like before.
There was a much bigger issue that should be at the forefront of his mind. But he could only think how he hated that expression she was making once again.
Empty, distant and lifeless.
Like a doll being put on strings once again.
A deep sense of dissatisfaction was what first rolled through him.
"We cut you out of this Titan, but it hasn't disappeared," the captain spoke, distracting Eren's thoughts away, "I'd say this is pretty big news."
"..." Eren did not reply, trying to remember back and chase away thoughts, about the vacant feeling Historia had gone back to putting off, for later, "..."
"Oh…!" Eren exclaimed, his memory thumbing as he recalled the serum which he had consumed. "Where's that bottle?!"
"I've got it! I happened to drink from this bottle labeled 'armour', and then I turned into a Titan… " Eren began reciting everything to remember but the burnt fabric that Historia held in her hands caught his eye.
"We found Rod Reiss's bag, but..." the blonde trailed off, bits and pieces of the charred black remains of the bag falling to the floor.
Rod Reiss. Historia called him Rod Reiss. Alienating herself from addressing him as 'father'.
"Oh..." Eren realised the loss of further valuable contents.
"Everything else in the bag, along with the other containers that flew out of it… " Historia continued, looking down a bit annoyed with herself for not thinking of them sooner, "… either were crushed or evaporated. There's nothing left."
"..." Eren finished, "so it's..."
Historia had noticed the containers earlier, yet she had thrown one away, though she had at least successfully managed to save Eren himself from being crushed.
"No.. they could still be somewhere… though it's unfortunate that Historia ended up throwing another away, it was a good course of action that she took," commented Levi. "And you used whatever was inside of that second bottle…"
Eren inspected the caverns around them that had formed – that he had formed.
"… And your Titan hardened, something that you were never able to do all this time. You supported the roof, kept it from caving in, and protected us from both the heat and the rocks," listed the captain as he continued.
A web.
"Obviously, no one taught you how to do this, yet… you created this huge structure in the blink of an eye… it's an absurd thought, but this must be how the walls were made, too."
The Ackerman had said that, yet… some distant memory suggested the opposite.
"In other words, it's now possible to seal the hole in Wall Maria," Levi leaned down on his knee, emphasizing the significance of what had happened, "we took the long way, and our path is littered with corpses of enemies and comrades… we're poor navigators, but… we finally made it to our destination."
The group took in what their leader had said, their focus now returning to the thought of recovering Wall Maria at long last.
'Recapturing Wall Maria… if we can do that, we'll be able to see what's in the basement at my house,' Eren thought. The squashed forms of children and a family. 'Then again… if that was who my father really was...'
"By the way," Sasha broke the silence, remembering an important detail, that Titan– "
"Oh..." Jean interrupted, looking up to the sounds of scraping movements of hurrying wires from above, at the entrance which Connie and Sasha had unearthed.
Connie's face soon popped up afterwards as he held on by a wire from the gap in the ceiling.
"Captain, bad news!" the bald soldier yelled, "please come up here now!"
His voice reached them all clearly as Levi issued their next directions, "yeah… for now, let's work on getting out of here."
It was time to get moving again.
Eren felt truly spent already, exhaustion reaching new limits as he clutched his head in agony at everything that had happened.
Historia noticed his struggle. She just knew what was in his head instantly.
The struggle of comprehending one's father.
"I gotta say, even for you..." Levi added as he aimed his gear upwards, "… your face looks terrible."
No-one could bring themselves to argue.
Levi shot out his anchor and propelled himself upwards with the compressed gas, leading everyone out.
Historia watched Eren get up onto his legs unsteadily while Mikasa assisted him.
He was okay… he was going to be okay now… they both were going to be… surely they would be… the worst was surely behind them now…
Historia watched Eren pass her, being supported by the Ackerman soldier.
"… Historia?" Sasha had called her name, indicating her after them and signaling her ODM gear which she would help the smaller blonde ascend with..
Historia nodded as she trailed on, passing Sasha who made a comforting and knowing smile.
Sasha was often put alongside Connie with how aloof and unfocused she could be, despite her talents as a soldier.
And the huntress had fine intuition from her long years of observation in the forest.
?5? of the Year 8?0
The battlefield was like so many others. Corpses mangled, blood splattered, screams crushed. Being on the losing side for so long might make it seem like it was impossible to win.
"Eren… please..." Armin begged his friend. The person whom he was the closest with, slumped down in defeat, "… wake up..."
The gap power between the Titans and humanity was immense, it was like a school of fish trying to fight back and change the direction of the vast river they lived in.
"Remember when we were kids?" said the boy to the Titan beneath him.
It was surely impossible. In no world could a group of animals, born to swim through the currents as they chose, possibly change the course of the river.
"All we could talk about was the world outside."
If only they had the power of the enemy. Another river which opposed the direction that theirs flowed. That way, they could swim through that river instead, in the direction of a changed future.
But the Titan Shifter below him had collapsed, unable to spark the creation of a new river to travel down.
He wouldn't move for the sake of humanity. His will wasn't carved out like that.
His flames did not originate from a wish for humanity.
Focusing on such a wish was what had caused hi to crumble from the start.
What sparked the flames within him was…
"Beyond the walls..."
The desire to reach the destination from whence the first river flowed.
"Tell me… honestly… even though you knew the first step beyond the walls was the difference between a warm hearth, and hell on earth. Even though you knew it meant risking your life, gambling against the possibility of dying like my parents…"
To go to where the river travels, they need to travel through a different river.
"Why? Why through caution to the wind and venture outside?!"
The direction had to be changed accurately.
"What… sort of question is that?"
Lost. Otherwise the schools of fish would become lost. They needed to avoid getting lost at all costs first.
"Because –"
Which way did they want to go again?
Early Fall of the Year 850 – At the discovered Exit of the Collapsed Cave
"Eren," Armin called up from him, leaning over an extending a hand to him.
He was comforted instantly by the sight of his best friend looking unscathed.
Eren had been able to climb out progressively on his own yet he happily took Armin's hand.
They connected. The two hands basking in the darkness, held a glow of their own in defiance. The glow seemed to be created by itself, not a reflection of light from the glowing caverns beneath.
A unique and original shine formed by the two of them.
Equally sharing the light.
He grasped the hand offering to pull him up.
"Thank goodness," said Armin, "you're both all right?"
"Yeah..." Eren muttered in response. He turned to face his other comrades who were climbing up from the last stretch of the collapsed cavern, a struggling blonde tuft of her catching his attention.
Historia was next, walking in right behind him without Eren noticing until now. Connie was about to offer his hand to her from the surface.
"Historia, here," Eren said. He had reached down quickly catching her attention in surprise at his approach.
Connie gave him a strange look nut shrugged it off quickly before turning to Jean who had been scaling the steep incline of collapsed rocks after Historia.
The ocean blue eyes seemed to sparkle for the first time, with a bit of amusement. She nodded in appreciation, moving around so she was vertically below him and took his hand, and emitting yet another spark before his eyes.
Eren had to reach down a little more, compensating for her short stature, They clasped their hands together, both of theirs rough and gentle at the same time.
They could feel each others warmth in contrast to the colder night air, the sense of comfort they seemed to have formed by some invisible path only being amplified.
Eren moved his arm up, easily lifting Historia's lightweight body out and towards him. No memories seemed to come at first, until Historia pulled her hand away –
?4? of the Year 8?3
The two boys were lounging by the river side, peacefully staring it to the book together. Both of the resting on there elbows, heads supported in their palms.
"Hey Armin…" the brunet looked up eyeing the direction which the river was flowing, "… where does the river go…"
"Oh, well that would be the ocean," the blond replied, flicking through the pages forward a little since he had guilty read ahead at home.
"It say here 'All rivers meet the sea'," he pointed to what the book said.
"All… rivers?" his friend said sceptically.
"Mhm," the blond nodded, "if you don't believe it, then we will go find the truth for ourselves!"
"Alright… we'll just follow the river downstream to the ocean…"
"Yep, we'll see the whole for ourselves!"
"Okay… we just need follow down… the same direction which the river flows…"
"That's right… the river flows downhill… so that's… south… to… the direction that… the first river flows… not any river we cause to be created…"
"Eh? What second river? There is no second river…"
"The river which you made of course!"
"… Huh? No… I didn't make that river… I… that doesn't matter! We don't need to worry about who made the river. You said to follow the first river right?"
"Yeah, the great big river."
"So, the bigger one is… this one… so that means… this… is the… first…river…"
But already they could not tell which was which…
Early Fall of the Year 850 – At the discovered Exit of the Collapsed Cave
Things that he was certain he had already seen somewhere. Nothing new this time. Yet the memories did not cause his whole spine to shiver any less so.
"Um, thanks Eren..." standing before his shirtless body, Historia called him again, "… Eren…?"
"...Yea… oh, sorry," realising that he was still holding her hand, already having instinctively pulled her up, he let go frantically.
Historia gave a troubled look, but hid it immediately from him.
She turned round, seeing that Connie had now pulled Jean up, and was reaching out to Sasha and the captain directly behind them.
She only then noticed how the warmth from moments ago seemed to vanish as she turned back to look over at Eren again.
"What about the Titan?" Eren had returned to Armin's side again, asking him about what should be their first concern, "what happened?"
The abnormally large Titan had clearly left the caverns somehow and ascended above ground, but surely… it should be coming after Eren himself.
"?!" Eren's body jolted, causing Historia to turn her attention to what had likewise caught his.
Vast. It was unnaturally vast and glowing in the night, extending not even half a kilometer in length, and a hundred meters in width, yet it evoked the absolute vastness of the unnatural creation.
The land in this area before them had collapsed, leaving a massive hole to the caverns below in which they were just in. The pillars, the ground that hall fallen into it, and everything in the opened up chasm was shining an incomprehensible argent.
The luminescent stone lit up the entire area, the countryside trees and sightings visible all around. The caverns were only partially uncovered, leading anyone to wonder how much they actually extended out under the land.
"..." Eren built up a cold sweat as he processed the sights around him, finding the fact that it had been night all the time, equally perplexing.
"I thought the world was coming to an end," Armin replied, recalling how simply moments prior he had been helping the section commander away from the battle, before they themselves had been about to get caught in it, "the ground broke apart, and just when it was all about to collapse… that thing came crawling out."
And...
There. In the distance, approximately one and a half kilometers away.
"?!" The massive abomination of flesh could be perceived in the distance easily. It was emitting a glow of its own, steam storming out with unmatched pressure.
The trees that it had passed were torches in comparison to the slow moving mess of meat. Straining his eyes, Eren could see the crawling bug-like posture of the enormous being dragging itself across the ground away from him.
"Is that… a Titan?" he let his doubt fall out, trying to fix the images of this thing and Rod Reiss together.
"Like none we've ever seen," Armin responded, "it's about twice the size of the colossus Titan. And it seems to be extremely hot… all the trees around it are catching fire."
The group had all gathered to examine the new threat, baring little similarity to the aforementioned Colossus Titan beyond the steaming presence it could be seen giving off in the form of a tower of smoke.
Were it not night, the great torrent could have been seen from likely around this half of the remaining human territory within Wall Rose.
It's hind legs were improperly small, and it's match more skinned down and elongated arms seemed to be doing all the dragging of the deformed mass of its torso, blown up like a slug. The belly itself was leaving a long, continuous track as its massive proportions were destroying the grassland it passed over.
"And it's ignoring nearby humans," Armin continued, turning to Eren, "us, I mean."
"…!" Eren remembered considering the same thoughts when below the cavern, as the group was trapped against the wall by this Titan itself.
"So… it's an abnormal?" Jean asked Armin.
"If it's not being controlled by the will of a former human, then yes, but..." he clarified, "what happened down there?"
Historia narrowed her eyes, looking back at what she had been the prime cause of. She had defied her father and rejected him. She had accepted Ymir's last wish and gone to free Eren.
If there was anyone with whom the blame would lie for causing such a being to appear, then…
"We're going after that Titan," Levi appeared from behind everyone, having left last after only checking the cave again, "the interior squad could be nearby. Stay on guard."
It wasn't the time for that. Historia shook the thoughts of, as she took to following the group as the captain led them back to wear the former entrance to the chapel had been.
"Eren, here," Armin called him as well, holding out an important item.
"Ah… thanks… Armin…" Eren took it.
The key to the basement.
He had entrusted it to Armin shortly before the infiltration for safekeeping.
The weight felt far greater than last he held it.
Instead of putting it around his neck, Eren decided to pocket it for now, feeling unable to look upon it.
They temporarily turned away from the direction which the Titan was heading, and began a swift march to the horses and wagons that the squad had stationed away from the now destroyed private church.
Section commander Hanji was lying there, in one of the wagons, laying on her back with her head on a cushion. The wound she had sustained in the battle had been bandaged up, but the present pain and soreness in her body was evident.
"Section commander!" Eren called as he quickly hopped in, and knelt down to Hanji, who much to relief was still conscious.
Eren also noticed an unfamiliar person at the front of the carriage. The unicorn symbol of the military police.
The bowl cut soldier seemed to be around his age, perhaps slightly older, and looking nervous yet prepared to help.
"Ah… thank goodness..." Hanji gasped out, struggling to speak properly, "good to see you're alright, but what about Historia?"
"His-" Eren immediately turned to face behind him, stepping backwards on reflex. Only to end up knocking his chest into Historia's little form once again.
"A-Ah!" the blonde let out a silent little cry as she waved her arms from getting knocked back a little and losing her balance.
Eren caught her by her back, as he leaned her in to stead her. Electricity seemed to fly through his whole body as soon as soft delicate hands touched his bare and refined chest.
Her left hand was touching directly above his heart, which felt like it stopped for a moment.
"S-sorry, Historia!" Eren moved back as soon as he could. Almost stepping on Hanji as he accidentally brushed his feet beside her.
"I-it's okay," she replied reassuringly, refusing to look at him for some reason, "just don't scare me like that…"
"Yeah, sorry Historia," Eren said again, choosing to stand awkwardly up, feeling the section commander watching the exchange.
"It's okay…" she replied once more, beginning to feel a weird stare being directed at her from somewhere aside from Eren.
"I mean… sorry… about that..." Eren trailed off once again, scratching his head slightly as he felt awkward.
The space of the wagon was small, and they were still only about a foot apart, and Eren's well endowed chest was literally exposed before her.
"I said… it's okay…." Historia stated firmly, her stomach doing a little twist as she felt the eyes of most of their comrades on them right now.
"Yeah, but… sorry…" Eren said once again, realising the circle they were going in yet unable to break it.
Historia fell silent then instead.
"…"
No-one spoke for a while, while Historia and Eren remained standing motionless before each other in a wagon with the section commander at their feet, feeling only being gazed at curiously from the corners of their comrade's eyes.
'Someone… someone please say something else...?' they both thought simultaneously.
"Well… at least you're both alright," Hanji broke the silence, "so could you both start telling as everything that happened there?"
Their prayers were answered… somewhat.
"We'll talk on the way," Levi ordered just as Eren was about to speak, bringing his horse to a stop with his reins as he quickly checked to see everyone ready, "we need to get moving now."
The group nodded, as everyone got seated and ready. The group kicked off immediately, and the wagon was sent off by the driver, following the captain's lead.
"Eren..." Historia called again just as the horses began moving. Eren looked at the black shirt she held out to him, "you'll get cold..."
Eren gaped at her odd attitude, hiding her face for some unknown reason as she held the clothing out to him. She had picked it up from the storage cart next to her, containing what seemed like civilian disguise clothing.
"Oh right, thanks Historia," he said, taking it from the hands and swiftly pulling it over himself.
Historia sighed in relief to herself as soon as he did, feeling the daggers aimed at her visually feeling less intense.
Anyone would probably get their curiosities piqued by seeing the "conversation" which Eren and Historia just had, but it wasn't difficult to guess who it was continuing staring at her even as they were moving at a higher speed.
It's not like she had been feeling up even a little of his body or anything. She was just… lost in the comfort of genuine intentions he would move reflexively with.
There was nothing, nothing more she had been doing all the while.
"We'll be following this road for now, it should be a safe distance away from that thing as we approach it," Levi shouted from the front, signaling the course they would follow for now.
Eren looked out, to the fuming smoke in the distance. Their next destination.
Then there was the sound of wood being lightly brushed over.
Historia had just scooted over to Eren, now sitting exactly to the left of him, arms touching despite the relatively large amount of room they had in the wagon.
Her face was purposefully averted, staring at the ground without any indication that she would explain the seemingly pointless reason for such a closing of distance.
Eren didn't need one. He didn't want one. The instant he saw her next to him… a feeling of peace took him.
And… he knew Historia was telling him that there were no hard feelings from the little bump between them earlier.
The action had gone unnoticed by everyone else who were right now, focusing on the round as they began to take the turn, curving left and north-westwards. They all made the turn effortlessly, only slowing down a little bit for the carriage to be curved round.
There was nothing unusual about two fellow soldier sitting side by side together. They were just 2 friends close in each others company. Yet her presence took an unusual lingering in Eren's head.
His focus felt unnaturally taken to keep verifying that Historia was right there, sitting next to him.
Something… between them felt… so comforting, like –
"So… what exactly happened to you both since you got captured two days ago?" Hanji's voice almost caused Eren to jump unexplainably, rustling against Historia who seemed to likewise be snapped out of a daze.
"Ah, well…" Eren began his version of events.
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The rattling of the wagon wheels and horse saddles accompanied the detailings of the everything which had happened, exchanged between Eren and Historia with the rest of the group's.
Without hiding anything, the two filled Hanji in on everything the pair had learnt from Rod during the succession ritual.
"Umm… so..." Hanji wished to clarify the key issue in this whole ordeal, "say we call the Titan power inside Eren as the Progenitor Titan… only those descended from the Reiss bloodline can use the true power of the Progenitor Titan."
Bump. The wagon once again dipped into a large hole on the road, causing Eren and Historia's arms to lean into each other's a bit for the 6th time in the past few minutes, neither of them thinking much of it.
"However, even if a Reiss gains its power… they'll be controlled by the first King's ideology… which won't let them free humanity from the Titans." Hanji reviewed the information again, "… Huh, that's really interesting."
Eren and Historia's faces set into identical frowns. A cursed situation regardless of the choice.
Hitch stared back at the cart, at the odd group that composed the Survey Corps. She was herself, lighting up the group's front with the lantern at her side, revealing the edges of the road.
The Survey Corps… were truly an odd bunch.
"So the first King would call this true peace?" the section commander smirked sardonically, "what a funny way to look at things."
A world in which people lived in fear, starving slowly day by day, as their age slowly seemed to come to an end, their numbers dwindling.
'That means… we still have options,' Eren began thinking carefully. He resisted saying the words aloud on account of his recent growing objection to the line of thinking he was on, 'if we let that Titan eat me… then Rod Reiss will go back to being a human… and then we will bring back a full progenitor Titan. But...'
She was looking at him. Eren could tell. She was telling him to cast aside such thoughts. She wasn't going to let someone like him go out in such a way.
"So in other words..." Levi repeated what had been going through Eren's head, "if Rod Reiss turns back into a human and we can successfully restrain him… then undo the first King's brainwashing, that could be a way to save humanity..."
"!" Mikasa instantly became on guard as she rode alongside the captain, "… but that's– We can't – !"
Historia held her breath, worrying that the captain might ask that of her new friend. Or worse, give him the order to do it.
"So, Eren… are you willing to do this?" Levi asked the dreaded question.
To sacrifice himself.
One last sacrifice to save humanity.
The sworn oath of a soldier.
There was noway a true soldier or someone who put the interests of humanity first.
"No."
"..."
A rejection.
An absolute rejection to act in the benefit of mankind.
The one who spoke defiantly was not Eren, neither Mikasa nor Armin, but Historia.
"Let's not forget that we have one other option."
Historia stood her ground with an overwhelming presence, that seemed to dwarf the starless night sky. Her words were practically commands at humanity's strongest soldier.
Telling him to back off and refusing such a question's existence.
She had seen it. The glance Eren had given her, saying that he was sorry for what he had been about to say.
Historia would not allow it. She would never allow it.
Her words were aimed more at Eren than anyone else, trying to kill the source of hose sort of thoughts.
"First off… there are a lot of problems with this plan of turning Rod Reiss into the Progenitor Titan. You talk of undoing the brainwashing, but the Reiss family has apparently tried to do that for decades and failed," she began her justified argument, improvising on the spot with ease.
She waved her hands emphatically, cutting down any interruptions.
"And once he gets that power, you won't be able to restrain him if he can alter humanity's memories. We should assume that there are other factors we can't see from our position," Historia continued laying out all the points, "in fact, these circumstances could be the one hope humanity has. The Progenitor Titan has been taken away…"
"!" Eren immediately noticed the implication Historia was making.
"… from the people who would use it to propagate their ruinous ideas about peace." She emphasized, pointing to Eren.
The only person that they needed.
Historia refused to back down when the question of Eren's existence was on the line.
"Eren, that's right… your father…" Historia turned to him, eyes devoid of any ill intent and doubts, "… was trying to save humanity from the first king."
The begging face of his father before he transformed.
"He stole the Progenitor Titan from my sister and murdered the Reiss family, including the women and children… because that was the only option he had."
Eren remembered it all.
The key wrapped closely around his hand.
The injection being loaded as his father seemed to bite back tears for an unknown reason.
"If you want to save Mikasa, Armin and the others… then you have to learn… how to control this power!"
Boiling smoke and the remaining fractured glasses which he always wore.
"Dad..." Eren clutched his head with one hand, pulling his knees in. He felt the key that would usually be tied around his neck in his pocket, as he pulled it out.
The burden was already so much lighter.
"That's right!" Armin added in, "there's no way anyone like Dr Jaeger would do something like that for no reason!"
"Yeah!" Mikasa joined in, "there has to be a way to save humanity without the Reiss family's blood! That's why he entrusted you with the key to the basement."
Eren and Historia shared a stare, both looking down at the key which Eren held.
"The basement? Oh… that?! So it's important?" Sasha commented, only remembering it now after all that had happened.
"? Uh, yeah..." Connie emphasized, himself remembering it at least.
"It finally looks like we can plug the hole in the wall," Jean picked up on the original topic, "I think we only have one choice."
They all continued riding together, their minds already made up.
"..." Levi confessed, unable to argue any further, "I guess things have gotten a little easier."
"I agree with that option, too," the section commander approved "but… are you sure about this, Historia?"
"Unless we have some use for it, we can't let that Titan just stroll around inside the wall. And I don't think we can restrain one of that size..." the elder women pointed over at the massive deformation traveling through the fields as it burnt out "I'm saying… we're going to have to kill your dad."
She looked at it.
The remains of her father.
A father that she even in the end, did not know well.
A man whom she had chosen to reject, yet felt guilt for playing along with him again.
The massive being stretched out its arm once more, continuing to crawl.
An embrace first filled with warmth… only from a day ago…
"… Eren, I'm sorry," Historia instead said, directing her conversation to Eren alone, "when we were back there… I really did intend to become a Titan and kill you."
Mikasa's startled gaze flickered on. Pondering other Historia more carefully.
"… And not for humanity's sake," she confessed "it was because I wanted to think my father was right."
Her own selfish desire for a dream from long ago.
"I didn't want him to hate me..."
She hugged her knees, bringing them together as another bump in the road caused her body to knock gently against Eren,, still sitting exactly next to her.
"And on the spur of the moment when I said that I would get you out somehow… " she remembered back to that.
She had been mistaken to think Eren could be left to go free, and made an impulsive promise that she forgot instantly at the thoughts of seeing her sister again.
"I cast that aside promise like nothing… I'm sorry…" she apologized.
She caught sight of his face. Surprised but accepting.
That wasn't enough for her.
Historia was determined now.
She was going to make good on her sin and promise.
"But now… I have to say goodbye."
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"IT'S NO GOOD! GET BACK!" the scout shouted, sending the message back to the rest of his comrades.
The burning heat of the massive Titan next to them was far too intense for blades to approach its skin. Artillery attacks became the next logical explanation, provided they were powerful enough to break through the nape.
"You'll be burnt to a crisp!" A second soldier warned. The small trees close to the Titan erupted in flames like torches.
The short, low nutrient filled grass meant that a fire spreading further across the commonly grazed fields was unlikely.
"Give the order to evacuate the civilians nearby" commander Erwin ordered, having been the one to lead the scouting of the malformed and exceptionally massive Titan. "Hurry!"
The behemoth extended its long arm across the fields, collapsed it down after stretching as far as it could, and then pulling its body forward.
"It's heading…" the commander read its movements ahead,"it can't be!"
"Commander Erwin!" a Survey Corps soldier suddenly rode in from the road, rushing to their leader's side, "it's squad Levi! They've successfully rescued Eren and Historia!"
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"HEY, STOP!" Eren shouted at the titanized Rod Reiss.
He was standing up, still in the wagon as it continued being pulled. Hanji had similarly leaned herself up and observed from over the rail.
"Can't you hear me?! I'm talking to you, stupid!" He tried again, trying to grasp at something to antagonize him with.
The crawling Titan did not stop.
"Stop right now!" He yelled once more, careful as to where he stood as to not hit either Historia or the wounded section commander by accident, he yelled at the top of his lungs. "yeah! You, Rod Reiss! You tiny old man – "
Nothing.
Apart from Levi's darkened gaze piercing the back of Eren's face at the mention of what he was often described as.
"… Ah!" Eren gasped.
The Titan was mindless.
It was not going to stop from leaving a trail of devastation as it continue to where it was heading.
"Hmm.. I don't see him reacting at all," Hanji noted from the "back when you called the Titans, did you do anything other than scream?"
"I was… at my wit's end, and..." Eren tried honking back to the encounter. The Smiling Titan. "Oh..."
He had thrown a punch at it. Instead of biting himself and transforming, he had instinctively thrown a punch and his the grinning devourer's giant palm.
"STOP, TITAN!" He shouted at it again, imitating the punch he threw. Historia watched on likewise, already having a feeling it wasn't going to be this simple.
"He's… not reacting," Hanji pointed out once again.
"Stop!" One swing after another, Eren yelled again as he tried, "stop!"
"!" Levi, who was riding his horse beside the wagon, noted the outline of a large man from up ahead on a horse.
"Levi," a familiar voice came from the approaching as he rode closer to the moving group.
"Is that you, Erwin?" the captain called, riding in conjunction with his superior. He saw the man, his bruised face mostly healed with exception of a swelling near his eyebrow.
"How is everyone?" Erwin promptly checked over them all.
"Only Hanji is hurt," Levi reported, in contrast -
"Heya, Erwin!" The section commander in question enthusiastically waving her hand happily.
"Doesn't look too bad," said Erwin.
"Commander!" Eren called greeting his superior.
"Well done, all of you," the commander nodded after seeing Eren and Historia recovered.
The whole group's attention was unspoken lay turned to the threat at hand.
"Eren's scream isn't working… I have a long list of things to tell you, but first – " Levi made his mount clott along with the commander.
"What about that Titan?" Erwin interrupted, getting immediately down to the point.
"That's Rod Reiss," the captain answered. "I think we need to ask your opinion… commander."
The other Survey Corps members joined them as they continued down the road, what few civilians that lived in the earlier had been promptly moved away.
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1 hour later…
Orvud district. The northern outlier district of Wall Sina.
Even from a distance, the Titan looked massive. The pillar of smoke signaled it's approached from leagues away, yet the thing could still visibly be seen from the near horizon.
"There..." the garrison lookout on top the wall detected the first signs of the flaming giant crawling directly towards them, several kilometers away. "It's headed straight for us..."
The Survey Corps arrived, their horses being collected and led to the stables by the guards posted there. The wagon they had with them was likewise pulled up, and Hanji was first taken immediately to treatment.
A council was immediately called for to discuss the looming threat and the Survey Corps were all required to attend. All except for –
"Historia," Levi called her name as he approached the wagon. Another young garrison member, seemingly a recent recruit, was shuffling nervously behind the captain.
The girl in question had just hopped down from the wagon and seemed to almost reach out for some unknown reason to Eren who had gotten out just before her.
"This district is hardly safe right now," the captain explained, before then presenting his young follower, "but it will have to do right now. This rookie will escort you to a safe house. Stay there until the battle is over or one us comes to evacuate away if we fail."
Levi turned away immediately ignoring the complaint Historia was about to make and leaving no room for discussion.
"Um… right this way?" the recently recruited garrison soldier hesitated, before then pointing the way into the hallway to Historia.
"Let's go, they will be starting soon," Jean gestured, turning to leave on his own, with the rest of the former 104th trainees following him, "we can at least get something to eat quickly."
Eren saw the whole squad nodding gently, evidently having not eaten recently, yet not exactly in the mood to do so either.
He followed them, subconsciously moving to pace alongside Armin. Eren looked back, scanning the surroundings for the blonde locks that took themselves in his mind with a curious interest.
She had already disappeared.
They all walked by the meeting room in the city's military headquarters which they had arrived in. The plan was not to evacuate the citizens and instead use them as bait.
It was after all, far worse to move the population to Mithras at the capitol of all the walls, for Rod Reiss would then turn his target there.
Or so someone of the Survey Corps branch was discussing. But Eren could not take any notice.
His mind was at siege from far too many thoughts as it were already.
'Historia… are you really…' Eren thought, hearing the last words she said under her breath before they both fell silent on the road here.
'But now… I have to say goodbye…' Historia had said, naturally answering Hanji that she wasn't going to stand with her father. But then – '… myself…'
The muttering had only been caught on by Eren, only because he was sitting shoulder to shoulder with her.
He could have sworn she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. As if asking him his opinion.
He hadn't answered.
Eren concluded how she was bent to be the one to kill her father.
Just like… he had had killed this…
Only this time… she was doing it with the intent of killing the mindless remains, rather than crashing the skin and bones of the planner against his will.
What was she thinking then?
Eren breathed out, turning to the door once more. He realised there was no way Historia was going to stick to wherever she was getting put.
"Eren…?!" Armin stopped, calling him out. Mikasa likewise who had been walking slightly ahead of them with Sasha stopped and looked back, "where are you going?"
Eren halted, thinking of an excuse, "Armin, tell the section commander that I'm just going to get ODM gear."
The rest of the group had already been equipped before they arrived, having spent the last couple of days on the run without changing.
The only ones who were missing gear had been Eren and Historia.
Armin nodded wordlessly, seemingly accepting the logical reason, as he watched his hurrying back.
Mikasa furrowed her eyebrows slightly but nonetheless continued alongside Armin down their original direction.
It was fine. Eren was surely fine, only plagued by the looming battle. He seemed weaker than usual, but that surely just because he was tired.
He was… surely just the same as in the past…
Eren had quickly asked a senior officer to point him the direction to the storehouse, which was attached just through the wing nearby.
He slid his shoes, rotating the direction his feet were facing as he stood by the doors.
Eren hadn't seen the shoulder length blonde hair nor the small yet pure delicate white cloth she had been wearing for the ritual, while he had been traversing around.
He opened the wooden doors to the store room, looking inside carefully.
It was completely empty. There was no signs of Historia at all in the room as Eren walked in.
He steadily moved deeper inside, searching all over the shelves for anyone's presence.
Nobody.
Eren let out breath that he didn't realise he was holding as he moved along to search for an average body's gear, since he would require one after all.
Had he been wrong? Was Historia not going to bother with ODM gear. The thought seemed ridiculous, of course she would turn up here. Unless –
The door was creaked open once again, as Eren instinctively shuffled to hide behind a shelf for some reason, like a kid about to be caught by his mother for looking at stuff he wasn't supposed to.
Eren peeked over, trying to see who entered. The person had already moved inside. He didn't see who it was but heard the soft padding footsteps that he knew belonged to hers.
Eren took quieter steps forward, sneaking around to the side of another shelving unit behind which her feet were tapping.
"AH!" Historia yelped again as Eren appeared before her, causing them both to stumble uncertainly backwards, "I said to not scare me like that! What are you doing here?"
"Sorry! I just… needed gear as well," Eren looked at her slightly nervous expression. She had evidently sneaked out somehow and likely immediately to come here. She had also already changed out of her white robes quickly and as wearing a more typical plain shirt and trousers. "Historia… are you really sure…"
She blinked and responded easily. "Yes."
Eren looked down, wishing to doubt her for such a thing. Trying to find a reason to, he asked "… why?"
She looked down, and then over her shoulder and all around the room, realising for the first timer that it was just the two of them.
"Because… it's my fault, and I'm going to make it up to y– everyone for getting dragged into what I caused…" Historia looked down remembering the cave below. "I'm sorry for… for everything back then…"
"Huh?" Eren lowered his mouth slightly. She had already apologized after all.
"For… for just…" Historia tried to form the words she actually wanted to say unsuccessfully, "… for… just… jumping to conclusions… and…"
"… No… it's… not your fault for jumping to conclusions of anything," Eren frowned, trying to reassure her as he felt the key still in his pocket. He pulled it out in front of him, the rope curled around it as he held it up for himself, "what… what he did… after just finding out you had someone there for you… finding out who killed her so soon…"
Eren had seen it. Perhaps only fragments but far too many of them. The elder sister crossing the boundary to see the precious and weeping child always happy to see her… to see the one person who cared for her.
The person who was wiped out half a decade before she learnt of it.
"You're father didn't do it with no reason," Historia said and pressed on, "but more importantly… you're not your father. And I'm not… mine."
"… But…" Eren struggled, Historia past ill intent against him expelled.
There was simply nothing he could see in her when she pierced through his eyes, searching for the teeth of his father within him.
Eren clucked his tongue against the back of his teeth.
"And that's why…" she trailed on, looking at him, "… I will be the one to deal the last blow."
She made the oath to cut the final blood tie.
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Eren and Historia were walking side by side. After she made the promise, Eren could do nothing to question her further. He simply couldn't do it.
Historia had then gone and quickly started strapping on the belts to her ODM gear, while Eren watched slowly, turning to his and doing much the same.
His thoughts went from being clouded with conflicts to being empty with uncertainty. He was struggling to think up anything to say right then. So he didn't.
They walked silently to the meeting room, standing before the large doors as they confirmed the voice of commander Erwin explaining the plan.
Eren put his arm at the door handle and stopped. Historia was just next to him, staring patiently.
"Eren," she called him again, "… my father was the one who tried pushing a burden onto me because he wanted to manipulate me… right?"
"… Well..." Eren didn't know what to answer. Yes? Maybe?
"If your father truly wished to just use you…" Historia continued, "… he could have forced you to do a task you didn't want you to do… but instead he gave you the power immediately… so… I don't think you should hold any contempt at that key he gave you."
The Basement.
Eren's father, Grisha had promised his son that he would find the truth there.
Eren struggled, pulling his hand away from the door and pulling out the key he had stuffed back into his pocket.
A heavy and cold metal, just like it always was. Yet… it felt at least lighter than it had earlier…
"…" Historia observed it as well. She had seen him just pull it out from under his shirt and just stare at it.
The reason why Frieda, her half sister, the only person who had been there, wishing her blessings, existing to prove that she hadn't been unwanted like she thought, was killed…
"… You should keep hold of it carefully, right?" Historia clarified, "so… long as its not too heavy… you can go there… and find out why…"
Eren continued facing her perplexed, before nodding gently.
The answer to the question why Frieda had been killed rested with him. Historia would be lying if she said she didn't want to find out desperately why.
But… she also wanted Eren to stop that painful expression…
She told him to wear it around his neck and hold onto some hope that his father was not like her own.
He did.
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The garrison commander seemed to calming down, seemingly having just been livid over something, seemingly having a rare argument with commander Erwin of all people, who himself remained completely collected.
"I guess… we have no choice," the middle aged man complied,
At that moment, Eren pulled the doors to the room as quietly as he could. The meeting seemed to be practically over.
He quietly walked over to stand with the rest of his group, in between Armin and Mikasa but seemingly leaving a small gap in between both as well.
He attracted a few stares however they all turned back to the commander as he explained again. Armin nodded a wordless gesture which Eren returned as they stood next to each other. And then –
Historia popped, as if out of thin air. She had been moving right at the back of Eren, the Titan shifter being key to any operation naturally being the most attracted to, and with her small frame she had remained unnoticed by everyone.
She popped in as if out of nowhere, and then…
Took the gap exactly next to Eren's right, in the spot between Eren and Mikasa.
The Ackerman blinked in surprise. Her focus being on Eren, she had not once noticed Historia herself.
The gap between her and the one who gave her the scarf she always wore, had seemingly be filled up with the appearance of the now unrecognizable blonde girl.
No, she had been unrecognizable the first time, 2 weeks ago. Yet now the little blonde girl looked yet another world apart.
Mikasa decided that she didn't like it.
"This Titan is bigger than anything we've seen before, but that means it's also a big, slow target," Erwin assured the garrison regiment, along with everybody else, "the cannons mounted on top of the wall should be extremely effective against it, but… if somehow that still doesn't defeat it..."
Erwin turned to Eren, signaling the late arrival out as he stood next to the one person who should have been resent in safe quarters.
"We will have to make full use of the power of the Survey Corps," the commander assured.
The attention was all absolutely on Eren.
Everyone's eyes bore onto him, the pressure reminding him of the burden he had to shoulder. The burden which he had missed his chance to escape from – or at least been denied it by Historia.
Nothing had changed.
He was still the one who was playing the role as the hope of humanity.
Historia tentatively tried to reach out, with her own hand and try to hold Eren's dangling right hand. She reaches halfway, before pulling back.
No-one had taken notice of it,
She tried again.
But the crowd was dispersing, and people were moving all around now, some trying to move past her, seemingly noticing the presence of the Queen-to-be and being none too comfortable about her appearance here.
Surely she could still… no… she'll tell him later…
She cursed herself lightly for not taking the chance when they were alone, but decided it wasn't the right occasion for it either.
She would tell him later… because… there had to always be a 'later'…
Early Fall of the year 850 - At Dawn of That Same Day
The sunrise arrived only an hour later.
The east facing side of the wall of the northern Orvud district, was manned fully with cannons and garrison soldiers. Almost a thousand men were up there and ready.
Historia walked up after ascending onto the wall on her own, when she knew the time was near.
She saw her comrades in her squad, grouped up together and seemingly discussing various serious topics.
She walked towards them, instantly grabbing their attentions at the certainty behind every stride. They were naturally exhausted and unhappy at their new enemy, her father.
"Historia… that equipment you're wearing… wait, you can't be here!" Jean tried to pressure her, while Eren looked on, knowing Jean of all people wasn't enough for her to even worry herself.
Eren was more concerned right now about -
"Hey," captain Levi walked over to the rest of his squad after looking over the preparations, "he's right."
Historia seemed to sweat a little, prepared to match her steel against the same person who had easily demonstrated the futility of any struggle against.
"You can't take part in this battle," humanity's strongest soldier gave her an unimpressed yet light glare, "I thought I ordered you to wait in a safe place. What are you thinking?"
Historia did not buckle nor stutter one bit this time.
"I'm here for a showdown with my own fate."
Historia made her declaration.
"… Huh?" Levi responded, unexpecting her to be so resolute in any form before him given their last encounter.
"Captain Levi. You're the one who told me…" she began explaining, "...I needed to choose whether to run or fight."
"…" The former members of the 104th all held their breaths.
The powerful soldier grimaced, caught up by having his own orders used against him. "Agh, damn it. There's no time for this…"
Levi turned the discussion away.
The massive target entered into range.
"It's coming," he said, proceeding to address the Orvud garrison commander once more.
Historia was not refused. The former trainees all proceeded as a group to their assigned lookout post, Historia following behind.
The battle started almost instantly after.
"FIREEE!" The Orvud district head officer waved his arm down, signalling the start as she shouted.
The resounding cannon fire of 228 cannons exploded out, both from on top of the wall and from below, as all the garrison soldier cupped their ears to stop the ringing of the blast.
The explosive shells were fired, about a quarter of them missing the target and hitting the grasslands around it, while about half struck at the nape and head region, while the remaining quarter struck different parts of the Titan's body in a collective bombardment.
Levi soon wandered over to join them, with commander Erwin also showing up. They all stood nervously, the group all awaiting to see the result once the smoke cleared.
The cannons in the meantime were already being reloaded, having anticipated the need for further attacks.
"..." Eren wordlessly awaited, directly behind Historia whom he saw had not a single sign of wavering.
"How'd he like that?" Erwin commented.
The whole regiment all stood in anticipation while they proceeded about their job.
The soldiers on the ground, directly in front of the wall sweated uncomfortably, being in the direct line of sight of their target,
A target which they had never had experience of fighting. They had hardly heard the tales in such a spot within the walls, never once seeing the true appearance of Titans.
The ground shook, the massive abnormal having thrown out his arm forward again, resuming its task of moving forward despite the massive wholes left in its head and throughout its entire body.
It regenerated slowly, but the attack had not been deep enough.
"Ngh..." The ground soldiers began to panic at the sight.
"FIREEE!" One of the groups issued their order on their own, without waiting for support from above the wall as they were subject to the horrifying vitality of this being.
"The ground cannons seem to have even less of an effect," Erwin summed up, the Survey Corps members having witnessed the undelayable threat approaching once more.
"Of course..." Levi explained, "the cannons on the wall have a much better angle, and they didn't do shit. What's going on?"
The commander began walking off, followed by captain Levi as they continued discussing the issue of the battle. Troops, weapons, command structure. All of it was far from ideal.
Eren stood watching at the approaching giant bug-like shape.
The next enemy which he now would undoubtedly have to face.
The father of the girl who stood right in front of him just to his right, no more than a foot away.
What kind of expression was she making now? He couldn't see her face at all, yet her presence gave off the impression that she was completely calm and collected.
But was that really true?
"Erwin! I brought it!" Everyone turned their attention to Hanji's approaching form, her arm now tied in a sling as she enthusiastically run over, followed by several Survey Corps members rolling a barrel tied into a small freight wagon, and carrying ropes, nets and gunpowder barrels. "All the gunpowder I could get, ropes, and a net. We still need to put it together."
The former 104th trainees all turned to her as she approached, preparing to begin the plan that they had reserved to fight against this Titan.
Historia turned her head instantly, intending to follow everyone else who was moving to join Hanji. She halted, noticing Eren staring at her curiously.
He saw her face clearly.
It wasn't just how determined she was. It was as if she was fighting back the emptiness she had temporary returned to once he had left his hardened Titan form.
The loneliness which he had seen 2 weeks ago, was all gone.
No… it wasn't. She was just hiding it. Behind another mask.
Eren knew it.
The instant he looked, he knew it.
He could tell so many things just by looking at her eyes.
She was… so easy for him see through… just like she'd always been...
"Eren… let's get going," Historia began, taking another step forward to Hanji's group before stopping and looking back at him again.
Jean, Sasha and Connie had already began following Hanji's instructions after they sprinted off immediately. Armin and Mikasa had followed quickly after them, beginning the preparations in the short amount of time they had left.
The only ones who were still left at the outcropping buttress, from which they had been overlooking the cannon attack, were Eren and Historia.
"Eren… " Historia faced him fully, likewise able to see through his eyes.
… It wasn't just Eren that could see through Historia the moment he looked into her eyes…
She breathed in and out silently, and faced him again with a stern expression, "… you're wrong, if you think that – "
"Hey! You two, get over here and help us, would you?" Hanji noticed them at last, calling them over before she turned again to gesturing about the barrel-and-wagon device to Armin.
Historia jumped slightly, "U-understood, section commander!"
"A-ah, His… right," replied Eren weakly, immediately beginning his strides after her, casting aside the question of what she was about to say.
He honestly felt like he didn't need to hear what she would have said.
Because the cogwheels of his head were already turning once more, bringing his bearings back.
Every time, so it seemed.
Every time they looked in each other's eyes, there was something causing an anomalous force burning within him.
A fire that would flicker off and on in the wind, relighted by the burning gazes of two orbs crossing once more.
Historia stooped down near to where one end of the net was laid out, a long pile of rope needing to be sorted and tied back.
Eren knelt down to another pile of rope as well, smaller than the one Historia was at, one to strip all the barrels together and prevent them from falling out too much.
He picked up one end of the rope in his hands. Stretching it out, he looped it round his elbow and arm, before pulling it tightly to prevent it from falling apart. What was he supposed to do with this?
Eren glanced over to Historia who was just stretching out another length, and looping another bit around her elbow.
"How to make this…? Well..." Hanji tried to explain, after she walked over to where the workings of the ammunition was being collected, "try to imagine we're wrapping up a nice gift for someone special."
Flop. The rope he had been trying to wind up slipped off his elbow, becoming messed up again. 'Dammit,' Eren thought, 'stupid wind messing it up...'
The breeze right now was hardly strong enough to make even bits of his hair to wobble, though there was a feeling in the air that it would pick up soon.
Erwin, who had just sent off Levi along with a trio of their comrades to the other end, appeared behind the small blonde working diligently.
"If I may… Historia… in the event we survive this..." the commander spoke, getting her attention, along with Eren who looked up, "… you're going to be the queen who rules the world inside the walls. Naturally, it's a problem for you to be on the front lines like this."
Armin, who was realigning a barrel nearby, glanced from just past Eren. The commander had naturally raised one of the biggest concerns.
Historia had ignored her orders to stay behind and away from the battle, taken her gear up without authorization and managed to avoid captain Levi's refutation.
Now however, the commander was standing before her, the person who had issued this order from the start.
But the only person whom Historia needed to convince.
"I have a question for you," she stood her ground. She didn't say it disrespectfully, only as a challenge to the experienced soldier, "do you think the people are so naive they'd obey a ruler in name only?"
Historia had never spoken directly to the man before, and though she had been given the impression of his tenacity on several occasions, she also knew the man was very reasonable.
"..." Erwin wordlessly answered her rhetoric.
"I have my own thoughts on that," Historia explained, setting aside the robe carefully as she rose to face the man determinedly, "I've assigned myself a mission I have to carry out."
To cut the ties of the last person to whom she was connected by blood.
To cut the ties of an old dream that was just weighing her down now.
– "That's why I'm here now."
"FIRE!" The command was shouted from across the wall once again.
The reloaded cannons exploded in response, digging deeper holes into the fast approaching target crawling closer before them.
It did not stop the Titan.
Nor did it faze either the commander nor the girl who was standing up for herself and questioning him.
Nor did it register within Eren as he watched that scene.
He stared in wonder, the little girl standing her ground and refusing to budge.
Eren released his breath, just as his hair rustled from a brief wind that traversed across the top of the wall with a gentle whooshing tune.
'Historia...' he thought as he looked at her once more, 'you've become so strong...'
Dwelling back into his memories, he remembered all the things he would associate with her.
Whether it was Krista or the empty eyed Historia, far different from this one.
Fragile. Feeble. And Frail.
'I thought that you were weak, but…'
Unable to hold her ground. Unable to hold herself.
'… It was the other way around.'
Always knowing what to do, no matter how tough it got.
Letting others prey on you, instead of fighting back.
Being used by others.
'I was the weak one...'
Eren gazed down.
Into the memory of the one whose name was written upon the tombstone.
'Somewhere along the line, I started to think that I was special...'
Laying down the flowers onto yet another grave.
Then another and another.
In another graveyard.
The names were far too many to be remembered.
'That's why I accepted it as being "unavoidable" when other soldiers died for my sake...'
Choosing to sacrifice themselves for him.
Whether he had faith in their power or not, the mangled and torn apart body pieces would keep dropping from the mouths of Titans.
'It's the same way with my Titan powers… I hated the Titans so much, but I accepted a Titan body as my own without a second thought...'
Entrusting everything to the power he had.
A power which didn't belong to him.
A power which he didn't earn or pay the price for.
'And it was because I thought that its power was my own… that's truly how a weak person thinks…'
The rope in his hands fell, bringing him back to reality. The pieces hadn't messed themselves up together this time, however they would need to be re-wrapped again.
He began carefully, slowly lift the ends up once more, beginning the loops a third time.
'What should I do?' He thought.
Not to the present which was already pre-determined from last night.
But to the future.
'Sure, maybe now I can plug the hole in the wall...'
His mind was not on the train of thought of 'it would be better if I had never been born', however…
'Does that mean I can save humanity? Me, an average, nobody?'
And then what?
Even if he worked out some way to accomplish a feat like that.
What was going to happen then…
What was it… that he wanted to do…
'And it's humanity as a whole that's the unluckiest of all...'
His mind turned down, looking below to the city in the midst of the evacuation drill.
"… For having someone like me as its secret weapon…" Eren concluded. The wind whooshed past him again, just as he turned his eyes to several specks in the city below.
Three children. Two boys, one girl.
One of them pointing his finger upwards, towards the loud cannon sounds which must have caught his attention.
"Wait..." he muttered beneath his breath, "that kid..."
Light brown hair combed to the sides.
Trying to prove himself by bravely leading his two friends over there while ignoring the drill.
1 year ago…
Late Spring of the Year 849 – Orvud District: Morning of the 4th Day after Departure
Eren's hand was curled in a first, about to knock onto the door of the female barracks.
He didn't know what h was going to say to her. Why was it that Krista just had to always be… like that?
She made things so difficult for Eren to deal with when everyone else seemed ignorant of her stupid act.
Eren sighed again for umpteenth time that morning. He readied himself and just decided to get on with it.
He raked against the door twice, then thrice.
"Yes, come on in!" Eren heard the chirpy voice, active with happiness again, much to his distaste. He pulled the door to the small room Krista had been given in the medical wing open.
The cheerful atmosphere practically shattered immediately after.
"Oh… um… morning Eren..." Krista said from where she was by a small desk with her ODM gear, covered with bandages over several places.
The bruises had apparently been very severe in several places, and one of her hands was in a sling since it stressed her shoulder far too much, the spot where she had first been hit by one of the rocks.
"Morning… you're supposed to be in bed," Eren walked in and commented, displeased to see that Krista seemed to be checking her ODM gear as per the maintenance procedures.
'Who does she think she'll fool into thinking she can use it in such a state?' Eren thought, choosing to bite back his tongue. Reiner was right after all. There was absolutely no excuse for bad blood between them.
Eren didn't have to like her, but he needed to at least be able to work with her.
"Um… Eren listen," Krista stood up and walked closer to Eren cautiously, as if scared he would lash out at her, "could you please… re-consider… I know what you said might be true… but please don't leave me behind here… I can –"
"One reason," Eren interrupted her.
"… Eh?" Krista cocked her head uncertainly.
"Give me… one genuine reason why you are so persistent and continuing on with this mission," Eren requested of her, staring st her dead serious.
She was hurt. She was hurt because she let herself be hurt. And she was just going to hurt herself some more.
What did this fake girl before him truly want?
"Well, I w–" Krista had began, giving a lot of thought into her response.
But this time, the door had been opened again, leading to the delicately lit, simple room that Krista was staying in.
"Ah, miss! "I brought the…" a boy had rushed in through the door, carrying something large carefully in his hands, coming to a halt, as he recognized the visitor, "ah! It's you soldier Eren! Who'd have thought we'd see each other so soon!"
"Oh, hey Ludvig," Eren remembered the name of the boy who he had helped from getting beaten in the streets just this morning, "what are you doing here?"
"Ah, my aunt works here as a nurse, so I'm just running errands for her like I usually do from morning till noon," the young boy replied, turning to Krista straight after and giving her an oddly wrapped package that seemed to weigh a lot on his shoulders, "and here you go miss!"
Krista gratuitously thanked the boy with a typical beaming smile that went to the boy's head a little.
"Goodbye then! I'll leave you two to get some private time," the boy cheekily gave an odd smirk before disappearing down the corridor. The implication however went over Eren and Krista's heads however.
"Hey, Krista, what was it that you got that kid to do?" Eren returned, now the two of them alone in the room all of a sudden feeling a lot less tense. He inspected he hastily covered package which Krista moved over to the desk.
"Oh, well… I guess I'll show you now and… I guess it's related to the reason why I want to continue along with this examination..." Krista trailed on, becoming all the more uncomfortable as she tried to think of what to say to convince him.
It didn't hurt to let the truth come out now and then, right?
"Alright… tell me," Eren urged.
Like the boy who he met on one morning, telling him to fight and fight.
The will to fight.
Krista gave Eren and odd response, seemingly failing in logic at first glance…
But it was quite similar to something he understood.
Having the will to fight was just a step towards progress.
Eren wasn't going to stay as someone who people pass off as 'weak' ever again.
Similarly –
"I… want to prove to myself that I can hurt myself for the benefit of others …"
Early Fall of the Year 850
"Hey…" Eren said, calling over to his best friend working behind him.
"Hm?" Armin hummed a response, just as he finished tying the knot around the second layour of barrels.
"The kids in this town… they are..." Eren remembered back to that day, always able to recall it more vividly than anything, "… just like we were on that day..."
"… Yeah…" Armin stopped and glanced over, down to wear Eren had caught sight of the three children, "if they think there's no way that a Titan bigger than that Wall is going to attack them today… then they're probably going to see the exact same thing we saw on that day."
A Titan of impossible proportions, bringing the beginning of the end to their world.
An unbeatable god-like monster in a world with not a single hero.
The only ones who could ever endeavor against such overwhelming odds…
"But… unlike that day, there are soldiers on top of the Wall who can fight back," Armin underlined the key difference from that day, "and we are those soldiers."
Eren's eyes felt it again. A different feeling this time. But a power bubbling inside him.
Armin gripped the ropes tightly, and pulled them with all his might together.
True strength. Never backing down, always trying his hardest.
It was undeniable to Eren.
How could he ever possibly call such people weak?
"Yeah, let's stack them three high," Hanji's voice made Eren turn her direction. Mikasa walked past the section commander, carrying another barrel all by herself, something which would usually have taken 2 or 3 men to accomplish.
She moved steadily and placed down the barrel carefully to wear the section commander was pointing.
Her eyes were steady and determined, holding some compressed light in them.
Just like that day, when the Smiling Titan had come. Mikasa had tried to lift the collapsed remains of the houses.
But she had failed.
And so had he.
"Eren?" Mikasa said, "there's no time to be standing around. Your hands need to be moving."
Her face was resolute, unwilling to fail again this time.
While Eren himself…
He dropped the rope which Mikasa had reminded him to keep working on.
Eren looked around again. It wasn't just them now. It was everyone.
He looked back, to Historia, still unmoving her feet as the commander turned to away, seemingly mumbling over several thoughts.
Everyone here was pulling their worth, wishing to mark yet another change from that day.
Their enemy was known. Their strategy was prepared. Their weapons were out and ready.
But if the foundations of its centre piece was not working… then everything…
Nothing would change.
…
Eren grit his teeth hard.
He curled his right hand into a fist, and smashed it into his own face.
"Huh?!" Armin gasped out. His friend had just punched himself out of nowhere.
Eren stumbled, head disorientated as he readied his left hand into a fist and punched himself in the face again, causing blood to shoot out from his partially broken nose.
"Hey!" Mikasa strode over swiftly, reaching out on reflex, and gripping both of his hands away from his face "Eren?!"
"Did you hurt yourself?" Armin popped in, "it's not time for that yet."
"No… I just wanted to beat the hell out of a useless, pathetic brat… that's all," Eren snarled, blood trickling from his nose a little, "I hope I finished him off..."
Pushing aside his past self, he got ready for the battle.
Pushing it aside, so that he can change the course of the battle this time away from a one sided massacre.
"FIRE!" A final volley of cannonfire hit the Titan now directly below the wall, almost simultaneously.
This time, the being trembled from the direct impact, many of the guns hitting the flesh just above its name, yet unable to fully pierce it.
The smoke of the burnt gunpowder began to collect, along with steam from the damage and the Titan itself thickened.
"All right!" The Orvud garrison commander cheered, "the flesh of its nape is exposed! We'll finish it off with the next round! Hurry and reload!"
The cannon were pulled open, the smoke being cleared out as the final set of explosive shells was being brought forward into it.
"Hm?!" The middle aged soldier who was commanding the garrison forces was directly above the Titan itself, some 35 meters below him. Suddenly the behemoth erupted, hot waves of steam shooting upwards, hitting the man first.
"Ah, hot!" Connie complained, covering himself as the steam reached him on his side of the wall.
"Damn it. This is bad," Levi summed up everyone's thoughts. The steam was traveling everywhere on top of the wall now, blinding every one of the soldiers close to it, "the wind changed direction."
Their group consisting of the captain, Jean, Connie and Sasha, had moved up along the side of the wall, so that they would be positioned to the right of the goliath as it faced the wall.
The rest of the Survey Corps who had remained, ready to start the operation had stayed to the left of the enormous Titan.
And then Eren himself, had been stationed even further back, at a safe distance away from everyone else.
The steam had encompassed the rest of his group as well, though he could just vaguely see the outline of the tall commander who was observing as much as he could from the side, but making sure that Eren could still see him, so that he could be given the signal.
Everyone else, including Armin and Mikasa, had all been hidden by the dense steam.
'We're going to do it,' Eren thought, offering a silent wish for their safety, 'we'll… we'll stop that day from repeating this time...'
Eren couldn't see anything what was going on.
He couldn't see anyone in all the mess.
He could only make out the shouts of panic and struggles before another volley of cannons was fired.
But he knew that they were alright…
It was different from that day.
It was different from the first day of Trost as he fell to his first battle.
The strength he thought with back then was completely different to the strength he flung himself in with back then.
It was the strength… Historia had awakened within him…
Perhaps she wasn't the only one who had such an effect on him… but… if he had to honestly say… the one person who had been the prime cause of this…
'Yeah… it was you in the end who picked me back up from zero… Historia...'
He still hadn't thanked her… for anything…
She was engraved at the front of his mind, for the past several hours… she had been lingering in his mind for the past couple weeks…
It was… odd when he just thought about her…
Odd in so many ways, like he had found her and himself recently.
She was so strong, able to survive, even if distorted all this while.
He couldn't even feel worried for her in the back of his mind, unlike what he felt for Mikasa and Armin right now. There was no way in which she could be defeated by something like this.
Historia. She was frankly, the one and only one who held the reins to everything happening this moment.
Historia.
Surely she –
The wall trembled. The entirety of it, just crushed, causing Eren himself to wobble on his feet.
He cursed under his breath, wishing to know where the impact had come from.
He wanted to hazard a look to the right edge of the wall, to see what the Titan was doing. But Eren didn't. He stuck his ground firmly to the position he had been told to await.
Instead, he looked left, down to he city inside the walls. The three children had stopped on the road which he had seen them on earlier, all of them having felt the impact.
And then –
A massive arm flew all the way above the wall, bursting through the steam, and stretching up straight to the sky.
It then fell, bending itself as it cut through the smoke and crushed down, gripping the top of the wall.
The Titan rose.
Towering at over 120 meters without being able to stretch it's hind legs. It supported itself on the wall as it looked down onto the city.
Just like 5 years ago…
The same feeling as 5 years ago.
It's body lifted vertically, the insides of its body visible after having dragged its body across the ground for several kilometers.
It's face was eroded down into its inner structure, blood leaking down in gallons from its empty eyelids bursting in heat along with some brain matter oozing out.
It's nonfunctional organs, beginning with its lungs and intestines fell out, gravity taking effect, as the massive proportioned innards collapsed downwards to the top of the wall.
Soldiers directly below it run away, some jumping off the wall and falling. Most of them managed to put their ODM gear into effect and escaping the falling organs which crushed in a bloody mess, covering the wall, and sliding down after painting it with a layour of blood.
Panic broke out immediately, the civilians in the evacuation drill scrambling away immediately, along with the garrison soldiers who were trying to flee from the battle.
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Screams mixed with screams, in yet another city of the humans behind the walls.
Eren could hardly listen to it all. He had a role to play. One in which, if successful, would save people from the screams of memories of their future.
There.
Commander Erwin had waved up, and arcing downwards to 90 degrees.
Eren breathed out, and bit down hard against his palm once again.
The same way in which Historia's sister, Freida had done.
The flash of light and striking thunder signaled his transformation, this time, no different than usual.
The three kids in the city below skidded to a halt at the new appearance.
"?! Is that…" the brown haired boy spoke, looking up to the wall again along with everyone else "a Titan?"
The transformation smoke vapourised into the air as Eren got his feet carefully placed on top of the wall.
His Titan hand grabbed along the netting tied up. Before him, Mikasa splashed herself with a bucket of cold water as Armin gripped the handles of the freight wagon on one side.
"Ready on your command!" Armin shouted to the commander. On the other side, Sasha stood prepared, similarly gripping her own set, ready to release the levers.
The commander saw the hand wave from the other side just as the steam traveled upwards from the abnormally giant Titan, the so-called Titan form of Rod Reiss.
Erwin lifted the smoke signal gun, aiming it upwards so that it would certain be seen by all parties.
"Now!" he yelled, firing the trigger as the coloured fume soared, "commence the attack!"
Armin and Sasha pulled simultaneously on the triggers, launching both pairs of anchors from their respective machinery sets.
The carefully aimed wires immediately flew and stuck themselves into their large targets – both outsides of Rod Reiss's left and right Titan hands.
"Go!" Armin shouted after it, watching the gas shoot out naturally as it propelled the loaded barrel within the wagon forward, towards the hands on a steady path.
They both hit at the same time, igniting upon impact on both sides from the overwhelming heat.
The gunpowder exploded, blowing up the outer muscles of both of the massive Titan's hands, as it roared deeply in agony, echoing all across the city.
"All right!" Armin cried, seeing through the steam as he saw the behemoth wall off its arms crushing the walls surface, "it's off balance!"
Its face crushed onto the wall, shaking it once poor and creating another unchangeable dent into it, followed by cracks this time.
If it fell again, a crack of the walls might fall out, awakening yet another threat which dwelled within. However –
"Eren!" Erwin commanded, sending the Titan shifter off, as he swung the collected bag of explosives onto his back before leaping forward on top of the wall, towards the mouth of the monstrosity.
His jaw stretching as he pulled himself off at his top speed without becoming dangerously close to falling. Driving his whole body forward as he cried soundlessly within, covering a dangerous distance at a remarkably high speed.
The weight of the gunpowder barrels was nothing compared to the weight of a boulder on his back.
All based on the gamble, that it had a mouth.
It faced the Titan shifter as he came forward, noticing, sensing his presence without even needing eyes.
A mouth, large and completely hanging open after having been dragged across the ground. As predicted.
'Jackpot.' Eren stated to himself. He leaned forward, taking a swing back with the explosives ready to be lit up from the intense pressure within its throat.
Eren flung the barrels straight into the larger Titan's mouth.
Eren watched them, holding his breath. They fell in, straight off towards the end of the Titans mouth.
A fraction of a second felt too long, wishing for them o ignite instantly.
The first of the barrels seemed to fall, disappearing down the throat.
And then the explosion came. All the barrels exploded, causing a chain reaction.
Gasping slightly inside his Titans nape, Eren quickly moved to cover his Titan's face with his hands instinctively, hiding away from the blinding light.
It exploded. The face of Rod Reiss's Titan completely exploded from within.
The piece of its nape, mixed in with various other pieces of its flesh that weren't incinerated by the detonation, were shot outwards at a low angle, vast majority of it, choosing to fall down onto the other side of the wall, towards the city.
The command was given for the troops to engage their ODM gears, and sever the last connecting piece of the surviving nape that would have flown off on its own.
But the Titan shifter had played his part already.
The rest was to be left to the soldiers.
Eren faced off against the flames encovering him.
He hardened his Titan skin once more, though only the front of his body.
It was truly exhausting, covering such a wide area, just focusing and willing it to strengthen.
But this was the last bit of strength he had to spend this time. Survive the blast by shielding himself from an impact dangerously close from the wall.
Falling off would damage him severely though very unlikely to be life threatening, however the bigger problem was crushing onto any civilians or their property.
Eren's head turned right round and peeled through the exploded cloud. The lunks of flesh that had remained intact had taken a sharp dip downwards and falling at fast rates which his comrades attached themselves after.
An extremely dangerous task. You couldn't simply soar through the sky and latch onto the falling pieces of flesh with ease.
It was different from hooking your wires, and building momentum for the best way to fly through the sky.
What this required was careful aiming… for someone who had a good balance on their ODM gear, and did not focus on speed and soaring power.
A weak point, that's 1 meter long and 10 centimeters wide.
Eren scanned the area, noticing captain Levi having little difficulties in aiming his anchors properly. Mikasa likewise seemed to show no fear, yet still moved much slower than usual, partially unaccustomed to such a task.
He saw Jean and Connie as well. The two of them, having a much more difficult time in staying afloat in the air. Once they fell to far down, they would naturally still be able to latch onto the wall or houses in the city, however depending on the distance, it could prove troublesome.
And there –
He saw her. Historia had just swooped around from behind Jean, flying gracefully in the air. She looked to be having no trouble with balancing, and seemed completely one with the wind.
Historia struck her anchors into a relatively large chunk. She knew that it was this piece, the one in which the nape had been condensed into, a control sector.
Too far. Eren tried to turn his heel right round, struggling to turn his Titan body facing towards the walled city after having hardened significant portions of it. Historia was flying too far away from the walls.
His Titan wasn't responding well enough. But he still had his ODM gear.
Eren pulled himself right out of his Titan form's nape at once. The rush to get out was unhindered by the usual grips of the Titan flesh which merged with him the longer he was in his Titan form.
His legs kicked off instantly as he pulled out the handles of the ODM gear, pressing the trigger to propel himself out with gas, not needing to fire his anchors as he predicted the line of the dive he would take.
Historia had closed in on her own target, the remaining piece of her father.
The water splashed over her body still clung to her face, the water particles evaporating as her blades reached forwards in the dual horizontal slash.
She heard Jean call her name, concerned for her appearance in the battle, as everyone was.
The commander before her did not immediately jump to agree with her idea.
"I understand your feelings… but I cannot allow you to fight," Erwin said as he frowned.
"Commander, please!" she had pleaded, "I've finally found the purpose I was meant to fulfill! That's why I'm here right now!"
She begged for the commander to nod in allowance. Erwin sighed, turning to his side as he pondered on it. And then –
"Well in any case," he mumbled, "I doubt there'd be any way for me to stop you, considering this body of mine…"
Historia opened her mouth in surprise.
It wasn't approval.
However, it was what she needed.
'I'm sorry for being so selfish,' Historia thought, opening her eyes again, as she threw her weight into the blades, balancing her body properly as she closed in, 'but… this is the first time… that I've ever… had a fight with my father.'
The blades connected, searing through the bone and the contents inside.
A metal vibrating sound, as she recoiled from the maneuver.
She could have sworn to have seen it. The image of her father with his neck ripped out. A sin of direct patricide she had just committed.
Because… this man… had only intended to use her… that was unquestionable… it was… surely… the only feeling he harbored…
Her eyes burnt, memories springing through them.
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Locked behind bars, she saw the young figure of her father clutching the bars, begging to his own father.
"Listen to me, father!" He had begged, only genuine intentions within as he opposed the man, "we just need to kill every single Titan, right now! Why?! Why won't you understand?!"
Years worth of begging amounting to nothing.
Nothing changed, no matter how much he begged.
"I know I'll be fine, brother," her uncle Uri spoke in reassurance before taking the ritual.
Nothing changed, no matter how much he prayed.
"Alma…" her father clutched at the feet of his favourite maid, pulling upon the ends of her skirt in pain. Her mother stood there, not knowing how to reply, "you're the only one who understands me..."
Nothing changed, no matter how much he sought.
"Leave it to me, father," this time her sister, Frieda said, "I won't let the ghosts of our ancestors get the better of me."
Nothing changed, no matter how much he tried.
The eyes of the monster would always be taken up by the next generation without fail.
And in return…
'… Oh God,' her father had thought as he saw the corpse of her mother, her throat slit and collapsed on the floor in a bloody puddle.
… he kept paying the price of his futile struggles.
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The flesh of the Titan exploded, ending the struggles of Rod Reiss after several decades.
Historia was flung out from an explosion of steam as the Titan flesh dissipated intensely into the breeze.
The townsfolk saw the small body of the blonde soldier escape out of the smoke, as she made a fall in the direction of several roads to the side.
A dangerous fall. She had fainted midway, with the townspeople watching with the belief she was about to fall to her death.
She had lost consciousness as she drifted into the last remnants of her father.
He was gone.
She had cut the connection with the last bit of her past just now.
One might say that she was alone in a certain way again.
The soft cushioning arms which embraced her midfall told her otherwise.
Her eyelids peeled open, light sapphire irises connecting with fiery emerald.
"Eren…?" Historia verified her location, eyes filled in wonder at how she ended up there.
She was caught in a sort of half bridal style, one of Eren's arms around her back, holding her body up, while her legs were put together and the backs of her knees had been caught on one of his thighs.
Her hands were still holding onto the handles of her gear, the blades having fallen out after her attack, but were pushed against his chest and the shirt she had given him to wear not long ago.
Her body was so much smaller than his, and the one who was holding her was indeed Eren.
"Dammit…" the brunet muttered, managing a small smile to her, "if you're going to space out in mid air, at least make it easier for me to catch you."
"Eh?" Historia said, leaning further into his chest, her light weight not bothering him as she looked around.
A small wave of heat assaulted her, and her heart beat seemed to speed up, as if she was already back in the battle, as her pace matched his own fast beat.
They were somewhere, hanging from the wall of one of the houses, in Orvud district. The sky was clear, no signs of the massive behemoth that had been looking over the wall minutes ago.
The wires creaked, as Eren fiddled with the handle in his left hand, as she felt them start to descend. Eren had fired his anchor into the wall of a house somehow, after she seemingly ended up in his arms.
In a second, Eren's feet dropped off from against the wall, and landed on the ground, hers following after not being cushioned anymore.
She stumbled and straightened, arms still pressed against his chest as she looked up at his face again.
A similar shade of colour seemed to be on his cheeks, barely visible yet she was certain it was there.
"E-Eh!" Historia released herself and took a half pace away from him, touching the wall of they had been hanging off with her back,"w-what happened?"
"You did it," Eren replied, smiling fondly at her, "you dealt the last blow, like you said you would. I caught you just when you fell asleep a minute ago."
"O-oh… I… see," Historia breathed out. She felt… conflicted.
'Was that all… my imagination?' Historia thought back to the visions she had seen. What had caused that?
In his final moments, her father seemed to only wail in pain at everything he had struggled through.
"U-um… Eren," Historia looked back at him, a foot in front of her, "just now… I mean… when you caught me… than–"
"No, me first," Eren cut in, shaking his head as he looked down at her seriously. If anyone was to say it first, he thought it should be him. "For everything… back in the cave and when you got me out, and on the carria–"
The area was suddenly filled by various citizens emerging through the alleyways and from down the road, some jogging over.
"Were you the one to finish that Titan off?!" One of the leading townspeople asked immediately, not noticing the conversation between the two soldiers.
"You're the one who saved our town?!" Someone else called as they walked in, turning their attentions to the small blonde.
They had all seen her dealing the final blow, before the brunet soldier had swooped in from above and caught her in his dive, after gritting his teeth in struggle and firing out one of his anchors awkwardly.
Holding their breaths when the boy had seemed to be peril, the wire failing to stay set and having difficulties in maneuvering with the bad position he had caught the girl with.
Thankfully, they had seen Eren repositioning her midair and abandoning one of his arms and the anchor with it, and then firing his remaining one into a much smoother arc while holding Historia's small body into his.
They had landed in a street a few blocks down, and so much of the civilians had rushed over to confirm what they had seen.
The unnamed slayer of the horror and the soldier who saved her were before them now.
Eren turned round and deflated at the sudden crowd that had appeared out of nowhere. He had wanted to spend a moment with his Historia just now, but the chance had already gone.
"Uhm… we'll talk later…" Eren suggested, stepping aside for the people to get to see his smaller friend.
"Yeah… we'll have a better chance later…" Historia nodded in agreement, breathing out and taking a step onto the nearby wagon parked on the side of the road.
'Am I… really making… my own decisions…' she thought back to how all this started.
She hadn't been the one who wanted to be the queen. This was simply the next role she had been given to play.
'Perhaps not… or… I… don't know any more… but...' Historia considered it all. No. It wasn't her choice nor her wish to become a queen.
She had wanted to play no part in such a role. But –
'It certainly would be like me to get swept along by the crowd like this…' She raised herself onto the improvised stage as she turned to face the people, all looking at her expectedly.
It seemed ti be somewhat natural to go along with the wishes of other people by now, whether it was her as Krista or Historia.
"…I am…" She began.
'… But… so long as you are always there to catch me the next time… so long as I have this calming strength… telling me that we're connected together by our paths…'
– She didn't know where exactly it began… but she felt the strength through her newfound friend…
'I feel that I won't lose sight of the signs pointing the directions of this road… no matter in what direction I might let myself be swept away…'
– She had built something from the mess she had gone into in the past…
'I feel that I'll always find my way to the end of the path which I was meant to go down…'
– A path between him and her…
"I am Historia Reiss."
"The true ruler of these walls."
The reign of the tyrant has began! A silence sets in through the crowd as nobody dares to speak out first. Until –
"You know if you wanted to just appear taller, you could have just asked me to lift you up."
Historia's brow twitches, before she sends a blade flying at Eren trying to mix in and hide with the crowd.
Also, it's been way too long now that I think about it… or so it feels like it has been, but more than usual this chapter even when I tried to avoid that… but yeah, the next one should be 2 weeks from now hopefully, and as before, its not like I don't want to write longer chapters, just does make it more difficult when I need an extra days worth to tuck in all the corners after a longer chapter.
Ending Scene: WARNING MANGA SPOILERS - CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR SEASON 4 (OR WHAT WILL BE SEASON 4 AT LEAST)
The massive twin waves of catapulted bricks crushed the foundations of many buildings in the vicinity, easily shattering the glass instantly from the small shockwaves caused.
The Titan of war held the large crystal shell in his right arm as he inspected the battlefield once more, looking through the destroyed debris at the massive ape shaped Titan.
"Eren Jaeger," the Beast Titan spoke making eye contact over to him, extending out his arms after swinging out the rocks he had thrown, "is not my enemy..."
There had been a connection between them as well.
It was truly an odd feeling, to have this sort of person connected to you after everything that had happened.
But this connection was a chain by which they were both tied down to against their will, holding the one of the keys to everything locked below the surface.
One pull in either way would send the other spinning along with the world in between them.
But neither of them had pulled the chain towards themselves even a fraction.
A special connection indeed, that gave hope to the advancing Titans.
It was special…
But it wasn't the same as his connection with her.
