Summary:
The fight against the Military Police and the royal court took a turn for the worse, and with the Titans converging upon humanity, it is a losing battle. Being the last of the Survey Corps, Levi Ackerman now had been given another chance to go back in time to change everything and also to save the love of his life before she takes her final breath. Levi/FemEren
Pairings: Levi/Eren
Warnings: AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Character deaths
Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me
Chapter One: To Live
"When you choose to live, you also choose to die." - Unknown
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~Year 853~
Levi Ackerman picked up the cold still body of Eren Jaeger, for once in his life not caring in the least about the blood that got onto his clothes and even his usually pristine cravat. His cheek muscles twitched, and he ignored the urge to rub at the bruise that he is sure is forming on his right cheek after getting punched by a hysterical Mikasa Ackerman just an hour earlier.
Oh, how he wished that he had kept Eren by his side just so that he can keep her safe, rather than ignoring his instincts, and banking on Eren's Titan ability to save her should things get dire. He kept forgetting, making the mistake that most of the higher ups does—that even though Eren had the ability of a Titan Shifter, she is still as human as the rest of them.
The fight that the Survey Corps had taken to the Military Police and the royal court themselves after the death of Pastor Nick awhile back had taken a turn for the worse, with one after the other dropping like flies.
The 3DMG Gear had originally been developed for the Survey Corps to fight the Titans outside the walls. To have a new type of 3DMG that they have never seen before that had been developed to kill humans, well… Let's just say that that is all that Levi could take when it comes to his rule of no senseless killing (for humans).
The first few deaths in the Survey Corps when they have chosen to stage a rebellion have been Hanji's entire squad when Kenny had attacked them out of the blue, and Levi just managed to escape by the skin of his teeth. After that, things only seem to get worse for them, with soldier after soldier of the Survey Corps dropping like flies.
Just a few hours ago, a surprise attack launched by the Military Police, led by Kenny Ackerman had nearly wiped out half of whatever is left of the Survey Corps. Sasha Blouse and Connie Springer have been the first to fall, buying the rest of the Survey Corps enough time to retreat when they saw that they were severely outnumbered.
Having felt that Kenny had been his responsibility right from the start, Levi had chosen to face off against his old mentor, trusting Hanji to lead the remainders of the Survey Corps to safety. But apparently, he had clearly overestimated his own abilities against Kenny's. What the hell was he thinking in the first place anyway, thinking that he could defeat Kenny when the man had been the one to train him in his youth?
Levi had thought that he is dead for sure when Kenny had shattered his blade all the way up to the hilt. He definitely didn't anticipate Eren taking the blow for him with a blade to the chest, while stabbing Kenny himself in the eye with her own blade, easily ending his life.
Even Titan regeneration couldn't heal an injury to the heart, and as a result, Eren had died in Levi's arms as the rest of the Military Police fled when Kenny Ackerman had died.
Mikasa had lost it and had gone hysterical on Levi when he had turned up at the Survey Corps' safe house with Eren in his arms, looking as if she is merely asleep had it not been for the blood soaking through her uniform, and the lack of colour in her cheeks. Levi didn't even attempt to protect himself, letting Mikasa pummel away on him until Armin, Jean and the remainder of the 104th Squad dragged her off him.
Hanji was waiting for Levi with his faithful horse standing next to her, already tethered and harnessed, a solemn look on her face. She handed the harness to Levi quietly, watching as he placed Eren's body on the horse before getting on his faithful Valeska behind her.
"I'm leaving the rest to you." Levi told Hanji who nodded solemnly.
Hanji laid her hand over Eren's cold hand, looking on with sad eyes. She knew what Eren's death is doing to Levi right now. She had been good for him—both Erwin and Hanji have seen just what Eren had done for Levi ever since she'd came into his life. The once cold soldier had learned to live once more—something that he'd seemed to have forgotten ever since Isabel and Farlan have died, and he had slowly gained his reputation as 'Humanity's Strongest'.
Hanji bit on her lower lip, wondering if she should tell Levi a piece of information that Eren had made her keep to herself when the younger girl had approached Hanji for a short examination just a few days prior.
"She didn't want me to tell you—Eren knew that you will keep her out of the battles to come if you knew." Hanji said at last, looking up to meet Levi's eyes. "Eren started feeling sick roughly about two weeks ago, and I did a check up for her a few days ago."
Hanji looked at Levi whose eyes widened a slight fraction—the first sign of emotion from him that Hanji had seen ever since he'd walked into the safe house carrying Eren's dead body, and Mikasa had beat the crap out of him. Levi is in no way stupid—he understood what Hanji is trying to tell him, and her next words then confirmed his suspicions.
"She had been carrying your child."
Levi carried Eren almost effortlessly as he walked towards the giant oak tree—almost like she didn't weigh anything at all.
He tightened his grip on Eren, resisting the urge to just break down then and there.
His little spitfire had been so different from all the soldiers that he'd known in the military since day one. He had seen that fire in her eyes that day in the cell when Erwin had taken him to visit the rumoured Titan Shifter after the Military Police had taken custody of her after the Trost incident. Levi had seen that spirit and fire in her eyes, and he found that he liked it—hence why he had wanted Eren in his squad.
It didn't take long for those feelings to grow into something more—with the amount of time that they'd spent together.
Petra had been the first one to notice. She had been a woman after all, and had been close to Eren. And for some reason, women are particularly sensitive to things like this. It might also be the same reason why Mikasa had kept glaring at him since day one—not only because he had been the one to beat up her younger sister in court.
Levi had resisted. Oh, he had tried. Their age difference of at least ten years had been one of the reasons why Levi had refused to acknowledge his own growing feelings, or even the feelings that Eren herself seemed to hold for him—according to Petra and Hanji, and it is definitely more than the respect that one has for their direct superior.
Neither one of them acted on their own feelings until the day that the new Levi Squad had moved into their new base. Levi wasn't able to sleep that night, and had walked outside for a breath of fresh air only to see Eren sitting outside the base, looking really sad.
Apparently, she had missed Petra and the members of his old squad, and seeing her classmates messing about in the base earlier that day had brought back those feelings. It was then that Levi realised that Eren had never really properly grieved for his old squad since their deaths during the 57th Expedition. He had never really checked up on Eren's mental state either, more concerned at that point in time to keep her alive, and away from the claws of the Military Police after the failure of the expedition.
"Eren… You're so cold…" Levi murmured, removing his green cloak and draping it around Eren's body, wrapping his arms around her as if it can warm her up. He pressed his nose into her hair, feeling his heart about to break. "I was…going to ask you to marry me…once everything is over…" He tightened his hold around Eren's body. "I never even told you that…I love you."
Levi closed his eyes briefly. "I just wish…that we could have more time together…"
"…Heichou, do you have a dream?"
"…Not really. What about you? Eren, do you have a dream?"
"I…want to see the world outside the walls. I want to see the ocean—like the one that Armin told us about when we were kids."
Levi closed his eyes, feeling a lump in his throat. "I swore that I would protect you… I swore to your siblings that I would make you happy… So why can't I fucking fulfil my promise?" Levi ignored the blood soaking through the sleeves of his uniform. "Eren… Come back to me… I…just wish…that I could have more time with you…"
Levi never even noticed the faint glow emanating from the key around Eren's neck, and then, everything went black.
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When you also choose to live, you also choose to die. So would you call what you're doing right now 'living'? The only way to be alive is to not be dead—or in other terms—to deny death. But that's impossible, isn't it? You have to one day accept the fact that you are but mortal, and that you will, someday in the future, die. That is the way of all things living.
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When Levi opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a bed, facing a ceiling—a strangely familiar ceiling. Levi stared at the ceiling, and then at the surroundings of his room in bewilderment and confusion—for this is a room that shouldn't have existed—not since about two years after Farlan and Isabel's deaths.
And not since he'd made Lance Corporal when he was about twenty.
This is the room that was assigned to him, Farlan and Isabel when they were first 'scouted'—read: forced by Erwin for the Survey Corps when the blonde had first came across them in the underground, and was largely impressed by their skills.
Levi got up from the bed, standing up, only to feel strangely light in his own body. He spied his uniform hanging from a clothes hanger nearby, only to frown in confusion, as he could swear that it's at least two sizes too small than what he usually wears. And it also seemed strangely new—like he'd just gotten it. And that is impossible, for Levi hasn't had to get a new change of uniforms (in size) for nearly six years now ever since he'd stopped growing after he'd turned twenty-two.
What in the name of Rose is going on here?
Scowling, Levi walked over towards where his Survey Corps uniform is hanging, along with the green cape. He then paused and stared, even as he passed the full-length dressing mirror in his room.
He stared for nearly a full minute, almost like he couldn't believe his eyes.
Slanty eyes, check.
Ever eternal scowl, check.
Levi stared and stared again, but the sight that graced him as he stood in front of the mirror in a loose sweatshirt and pants didn't change in the least.
He's seventeen again.
A/N: I honestly have no idea where I'm going halfway into the story—and I've probably written Levi a little too out of character in this story. But bear in mind that this takes place well beyond where the manga currently is, and he'd seen friends and comrades alike fall at the hands of the Military Police.
I'm not all that much clear with Levi's history prior to his Survey Corp days, so I'll appreciate it if someone can tell me more about it. Levi will be meeting Eren a lot earlier in this story, rather than waiting until she joins the Academy and such. I hadn't seen a time travel story done for the SnK fandom before, so forgive me if some things don't add up.
Future chapters will be a lot longer than this one, trust me.
Anyway, I hope that you like this story and chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!