This is a little different than what I usually write but, hopefully there's a small collection of people who enjoy it!
From the minute Eren was born, he had to fight.
It was all he knew.
Eren allowed his rage to consume him.
He had to, because hatred was the only place the man could drift to avoid his own sadness.
A man had once said, "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. If you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."
Eren knew his rage was an escape.
He was always on the cusp of insanity.
Eren believed in fighting and dying for freedom because it was the only thing keeping him sane.
Until he was told this had always been his fate.
That he was fated to always walk this path because the Gods demanded it so.
The Gods demanded him to suffer.
The Gods demanded him to become a villain.
The Gods demanded him to die.
The Gods demanded his slavery to them.
...
Mikasa and Armin always saw Eren as their hero.
Mikasa saw him as her prince.
She saw him as her island.
Armin saw him as the hero who would always do the right thing.
Now, they see him as villain.
Mikasa does not see her prince.
She see's a villain.
Armin does not see a hero.
He see's a villain.
But, Eren is neither.
He never was.
He is not a hero nor a villain.
He is just a man.
...
"Is there the existence of free will? " Eren would question.
The Gods tell him, "It does not."
He must follow what they have written, what they have foretold.
He can never break free.
He is cursed.
Cursed to be Eren Yeager.
To be Eren Yeager means he must always suffer.
Cursed to never play the hero.
Always the villain.
The Gods demanded this in their play.
They demanded there must always be "a hero" and "a villain."
But Eren is neither.
He is just a man.
...
Eren is just a man.
So he refused.
Eren refused to die.
The Gods demanded him to follow the path they laid out for him.
They demanded him to suffer.
But, Eren refused.
Eren refused to give up and accept his fate.
He is not a hero nor a villain.
He is just a man.
A man who suffers.
A man who will continue to move forward.
A man who is free.
I'm pretty sure everyone knows my stance on the ending of AoT by now, I won't repeat it. This FF was inspired by Berserk and Guts, one of my favorite manga and one of the best written pieces of literature IMO(READ IT). Eren always reminded me of a lighter version of Guts, they had so much in common. They both suffered through life and let their rage consume them. They both used their rage to keep themselves from falling into their sadness and giving up. They are both extremely complex and intricate. There is LOT more to it and they are extremely different in their own way(because let's face it Guts is one the best written protagonists EVER) but, I'll keep it short. They are both broken men. Eren really could have become this generations "Guts" but alas, instead of focusing on Eren and his mental state, we got THAT panel. Then we also had one of the WORST things Isayama did and it was alluding to Eren killing his mother. Eren's rage, the greatest thing about him, was wiped out. Made useless.
I genuinely think Eren was too strong for Isayama to handle so he decided on "it was destiny." as a cop out. Which is why I wrote the ending as I did, Eren would've defied his own destiny (just like Guts constantly has done). But it is what it is.
Also, I wanted people to speculate on who the "Gods" are. It is pretty self explanatory but, I think I'll just say who I am referring to. The Gods are, Isayama(the writer because he dictates how the story goes) & Ymir(for obvious reasons).