Snow was slowly beginning to melt when a flare painted the sky green.
The overcast weather that haunted the area for the past few weeks was finally gone. Laure Garnier squatted on the branch of a Giant Tree, scouting the open fields from the edge of the forest using her scope. For the past few months she had worn her scout cape with her hood up, the same cape she was using during the mission to Shiganshina. It was filled with holes and cuts, even if the blood and dirt had been washed away and some damage had been sewn. The green deeply contrasted with the all black uniform of the Extermination Unit.
The Forest of Giant Trees was a massive area that was, from the start, always going to be the hardest area to clean of titans. The Scout Regiment, alongside support from the Engineer Corps of the Garrison Regiment, set a huge barricade surrounding the entire forest. Its purpose was simple: stop every single titan trying to get in or out until Command gave the all clear for the rest of Wall Maria.
A soldier landed on the branch by Laure's left side. She kept scouting the east as she had been doing for the past few minutes.
"Ma'am, we just spotted a green flare coming from the west. It's the all clear signal", the soldier said as he saluted the Section Commander.
"Very good, Herman", she replied while keeping her focus entirely on her scoped view. "Go ahead and tell Commander Erwin i will be joining him soon."
Laure lowered the scope moments after the scout left, letting out a sigh of relief.
"It's finally about to end."
Erwin Smith got off his horse at the main entrance of the forest. He was accompanied by Levi, Hange, Mikasa, Eren and several other scouts. Laure landed on the road near the entrance and approached him, saluting him as soon as the Commander caught eye of her.
"We have received news from Pearce Squad that the last titan in the forest near Krolva has been exterminated", the Commander said as he picked up a water canteen from his pack. "The final stage of the operation is ready to commence."
"Yes, sir! We have everything ready for the final push", she replied with a serious, resolute tone.
"Then let's waste no time. The other nearby squads are already on their way here. We'll regroup on Outpost Miche in one hour and begin. Dismissed."
Laure stood down and quickly ran towards her friends, giving Mikasa and Eren a huge, tight hug, each one of them wrapped around one of her arms. They both let out a surprised, shy look. Eren had been very depressed ever since the ceremony, so it was pleasant for all to see his face change even if just for a moment.
"It's been a long time since i've seen you all", she said as she took a step back and ran towards Hange, who joyfully opened her arms in anticipation for the hug. Levi stared at her with his usual tired face, although he also carried a faint smile.
"Don't even think about it, kid", he said in an oddly sarcastic tone before warming up for a handshake.
The scouts took a few minutes to catch up on what had happened for the last two months since they had contact.
"Levi Squad and Hange Squad being responsible for the estabilishment and security of our supply routes was the right choice... but i'm not going to lie, i missed you all so much", Laure said as she drank some water from her canteen.
"I'm surprised you actually managed to keep everything working, kid. You have done Erwin proud. All of us, for that matter. We're glad you haven't become food", Levi said as he crossed his arms, still faintly smiling.
"And the DCK Method has certainly helped a lot with that. We have never been so efficient at killing... them", Eren said as his tone slowly changed to a sad one. Laure's happiness faded as she remembered the true nature of the giants she was killing. Hange quickly started speaking in an attempt to salvage the good mood everyone was in.
"You know, the experiments with Erwin's titan have been fantastic", she said as she rubbed her horse's head. "He now understands how to transform into a massive explosion. There's still a long way to go with the stealth transformations and disappearances, though."
The second biggest news from the scouts' return from Shiganshina was Erwin Smith. His near-death surprised everyone, and the harness of the Colossal Titan's power was a very divisive subject. Although the majority of the Scout & Garrison regiments supported it, most of the Military Police was concerned, specially Nile Dawk. Erwin's "sacrifices for the greater good" could reach unthinkable levels of dangerous if he carried the power of the God of Destruction. Still, it was a strong weapon for humanity inside the walls against their newly discovered nemesis.
However, it certainly wasn't all good.
"Thirteen years", Eren said. He had been reliving his father's memories as he slept the night prior and, after waking up, called for the presence of Erwin, Hange and a few other scouts. "Kruger said it's called 'The Curse of Ymir'. Apparently Ymir Fritz only lived for thirteen years after acquiring the power of the titans... so everyone who inherits a titan can't live for longer than that."
"No... it can't be possible... there must be a mistake..." Mikasa said as her expression changed to pain.
"I only have thirteen more years, then", Erwin said, his expression composed as usual.
"And i have barely eight years left...", Eren said as he sadly looked at Mikasa and Armin. He continued. "If someone dies without passing on their powers, it will be suddenly inherited by a Subject of Ymir baby."
"So it's a good thing that we didn't kill the Armored or the Beast", Hange replied. "No one could know who would've inherited it."
"It could have been a baby on the island or an enemy", Erwin added.
An enemy, he said. His words echoed through the room as everyone digested them. They were Eldians, Subjects of Ymir just like the people on Paradis, the sea being the only thing separating both groups. Yet, they were enemies. They weren't on the same side. The people from the continent viewed the Paradis Eldians as demons, the most evil disgrace to have ever lived, even if they had no clue about any of it until a few days earlier, their memories having been wiped by the old king. Humanity on the other side hated them so much. The question that would haunt many for the following years was a single, simple one: would there ever be room for peace?
Outpost Miche was located in the exact center of the forest, the same place where the Female Titan had been temporarily captured during the 57th Exterior Scouting Mission. Hundreds of the soldiers enlisted to operate during Operation Spring Water were there, the goal being to expand like a shockwave towards the edges, killing off every titan in the forest that never ventured towards the edge or the small bases within the forest. A cocky Connie was right besides Laure, being part of Jean Squad.
"Maybe i'll get my own promotion if i do it fast, too", he said as he smiled at his friend.
"Good luck with that, baldie", she replied as she winked at him.
"W-what do you mean baldie? Do i have a bald spot on my head?", he panicked as he put his hands on his head. Sasha laughed at him, making him get his act together. Jean spoke before it all began.
"It's been a long time... but this is finally it, isn't it?", he said.
"Not exactly", Laure replied. "After this is done, we'll have to venture outside Wall Maria, remember?"
"Yeah... for the first time in God knows how long, huh?"
Commander Erwin stood atop the center of the base, his swords as sharp as ever. He raised his once lost right hand to the air. Everyone looked at him. He started a speech.
"When the last titan inside this forest is killed, Wall Maria will officially be free from their presence. The enemy will finally have been defeated for good inside the walls and humanity will have achieved the utmost success! The victory at Trost District was the first step towards this moment, and the mission to Shiganshina was the first leap towards our supremacy. The last five months have all been for this! DEDICATE YOUR HEARTS, MY SOLDIERS! CLEAN THIS FOREST!"
Section Commander Hange fired a black flare to the sky, signaling the beginning of the last phase of the operation. The hundreds of scouts all zipped towards every single possible direction in a 360° radius, the sounds of ODM gear flooding the area. The outpost was slowly emptied, save for the usual twenty or so soldiers that were to operate it at all times.
"Wait!", Laure yelled as she ordered her squad to stand down. "I see a harmless one", she said as she landed on ground floor. In front of her laid a deformed 5 meters titan- his arms were too small, his hands oddly big, his head wnearly twice the size of his body, his torso stuck under three tree branches, his eyes so big they almost fell from their sockets. It had short, white hair, his face surprisingly wrinkled for a titan. It was probably a very, very old man when it was transformed.
Laure approached the titan, who turned his head towards her and attempted to reach her. Her team kept their guard as she stared at him, silent. She pulled out her blades with a look of sadness in her eyes.
The sunset's orange bath engulfed all of Paradis Island by the time the last team fired their green flare and returned. The last titan inside the walls had been killed just as winter had come to an end. Operation Spring Water was a success.
A week later, every Section Commander, Officer and Squad Leader that took part in the operation was convoked to a meeting with the high ranking members of the Military and Queen Historia in the capital, Mitras. It was a room not very different from the one Eren Yeager had been tried in after the Battle for Trost District. Moments after Dhalis Zachary officially started the meeting, Commander of the Scout Regiment Erwin Smith walked to the center of the room.
"Operation Spring Water was a complete success". Erwin's eyes had fire in them.
"We have successfully cleaned the entirety of Wall Maria from titan presence. For the following weeks, the pavement of all roads and routes created by the Extermination Unit will begin, and the refugee population will soon be allowed to return to their old homes and repopulate the area. The Extermination Unit served its purpose much well and is now being officially disbanded. Thank you to every single one that has been a part of this operation, as well as thank you to the dozen soldiers who perished during its course. They are not only a simbol of our will to fight and our strength, but also a showcase of how our new tactics and method of operating is a massive improvement from the past. Titans are no longer a threat to humanity inside the walls, casualties having been the lowest in history. Some of you have already been honored by your services, and some of you will be formally honored in the following days. Those from the Military Police and the Garrison are free to return to their old posts if desired. Otherwise, the Scout Regiment will accept your presence with open arms. You will be welcome when we set out beyond the Walls for the first time in six years."
The meeting concluded hours later and things slowly became peaceful once more. However, a feeling of paranoia haunted most of the higher ranking members of the military. They knew Marley would become an issue sooner or later. The expedition beyond the Walls could become the first direct contact with civilization from the outside world.
Laure Garnier sat alongside her friends as they dined. Sasha enjoyed herself while eating meat, making Laure smile from ear to ear as she watched her eat. None of her friends had been a casualty during the operation. Everyone drowned in a warm feeling of hope and happiness, even Eren. The soldiers on the other tables were singing, laughing, chatting loudly and making a mess. Floch couldn't contain his excitement, hugging some of his comrades.
"I am really glad all of you are here", Laure said with much joy in her voice and eyes. "It means so much to me..."
"It means a lot to all of us, Ms. Section Commander", Jean mockingly said. Connie laughed at him.
"Thank you so much for everything you have done to us, Laure", Armin said with a warming smile on his face. His wounds had completely healed since Shiganshina, small blemishes being all that remained on his hands. "You have been a great friend since day one. I can say for sure that i wouldn't be here if not for you. Not only because of Shiganshina... but before, too."
"I wouldn't be here if not for you too, Armin", she instantly replied. "You have helped me dozens of times. You know that. In fact, everyone in this table has saved my ass more than once. Specially you, Jean."
"Yeah, well... what can i say? I taught you everything you know. Or most of it, at least", he said as he chuckled. Sasha carved her teeth onto a juicy piece of meat, its fluids flying straight into Jean's eyes.
"SASHA, WHAT THE HELL!", he yelled as his eyes were burning. Sasha didn't even listen to him. Everyone laughed.
Laure's smile faded away as she looked down, sad. "I wonder what we will find beyond the horizon...", she said with a hurting voice.
"The sea", Eren replied with a faint smile. He looked tired but was nonetheless happy. Armin looked at his friend with much joy.
"Yes, Eren! We will finally reach the sea!", he said.
"What's the matter, Laure?", Mikasa asked her.
"I'm... tired, Mikasa. I'm just very, very tired". Jean looked at Laure, concerned.
The year was finally 851. Months had passed since Shiganshina was repopulated and the Scout Regiment finally ventured outside the Walls for the first time since 845. After days of travelling, odd birds were sighted by the scouts- they were seagulls. Armin looked at them with wonder, a smile stamped on his face. Eren looked as if he was in a trance, his eyes almost shut as the sun hit his face. Laure, who was further ahead, shot a flare.
"Titan sighed!", Floch yelled.
As they all regrouped at the location of the titan, Laure could be seen staring at it. It was yet another deformed titan, his appearence similar to a maggot. He had been crawling like a worm for miles, leaving a trail behind, one that was now covered in grass. He had been there for a long, long time, his arms too frail to keep him going, his eyes almost expressing sadness. Eren got off his horse and approached the titan, Floch surprised at the scene. Eren's hair had grown, being slightly longer than usual.
"W-watch out, Eren!", he yelled as he readied his swords. Laure stared at Eren's eyes all the time.
"It's another fellow patriot", Eren said as his hand rested on the titan's forehead. Eren's expression was that of pure emotional pain. Commander Erwin, who watched the scene from his horse, spoke to him.
"He is yet another victim of the outside world. We need to put him out of his misery."
Laure held her swords and slowly walked towards the titan.
The horses steadily galloped as the scouts finally reached the sand dunes. A massive white wall could be seen, its presence shadowing the sun. Eren noted that this was the place eldian conspirators were turned into pure titans. No sign of human life was to be seen.
As the scouts turned a corner, they found themselves going up a massive hill. The sun peaked as they finally reached the top, the massive sea now in view, its appearance making it look infinite in size. The light reflected on the water, nearly blinding those who looked at it.
"Let's get down there", Erwin said as he got off his horse and looked at the beach. He ordered a few scouts to keep their watch as the others got off their horses.
Erwin stared at the horizon, his eyes expressing an explicit feeling of wonder as he stood still, his feet deep inside the water. Hange squatted, curiously observing everything inside the water. Her hand reached for a seashell, prompting Levi, who was a little far back on the beach, to yell at her.
"HEY, SMART-ASS! DON'T GO TOUCHING EVERYTHING, THAT COULD BE DANGEROUS!", he warned her as if speaking to a child. Hange didn't seem to care as she looked at the seashell, her eye shining.
Eren, Armin and Mikasa were all in the water. The tide splashed on Mikasa's legs, making her gasp as she took a surprised step back. Armin looked at her, his face that of a happy child, and she smiled as her cheeks turned red. He smiled back at her before turning to Eren. Connie and Sasha splashed water on each other. Jean tasted the water, only to spit it all out for how salty it was. Connie and Sasha laughed at him, who looked at them with both annoyance and joy. They then grabbed him and dragged him into the water, the three falling face first.
Armin spoke to Eren.
"What did i tell you, Eren?", Armin said as his words could barely contain his excitement. "A massive body of salt water in which a merchant could spend his whole life taking the salt out... only for it to never end. What i said wasn't wrong". Armin held back tears.
"Yes...", Eren said almost whispering. "It's very big..."
Armin looked at a seashell he had just picked up. "On the other side of the walls-"
"Was a sea", Eren interrupted him. "On the other side of the sea is freedom". Laure, who had been standing in the middle of the water facing the horizon, stuck in a trance similar to that of Erwin, closed her eyes.
"That's what i always believed in. But i was wrong. What's on the other side of the sea... are our enemies. Either way it's all just as i saw in my father's memories". Eren continued as he turned back to face Armin and Mikasa. Tears ran down Laure's cheeks. Both of his friends looked at him with surprised faces, just like Levi, Hange and Erwin.
Eren then pointed towards the sunny horizon.
"If we kill all our enemies on the other side...", he said as his voice cracked. "Will we finally be free?"
Laure suddenly kneeled down, the water splashing all over her, her green cape now wet. Her knees sunk into the sand. She started to laugh, tears still running down her face. Everyone looked at her. Her laugh slowly turned more and more into a sorrowful weep. She cried so much she was sobbing, her voice cracking with much, much pain. Erwin stared at her, his eyes not even blinking.
She stopped crying for a moment, her pained voice barely being able to speak.
"Thomas Wagner... Mina Carolina... Mitabi Jarnach... Ian Dietrich... Marco Bodt... Gunther Schultz... Eld Gin... Petra Rall... Oruo Bozad...". As she kept saying the names, her voice slowly got more and more angry. Everyone looked at her, concerned, saddened. She continued.
"Miche Zacharius... Gelgar... Nanaba... Hannes..."
Each one of the scouts heard a name that would make their heart sink.
"Nifa... Moblit Berner... Klaus... Marlene... Dirk... Marlo Freudenberg..."
Laure then proceeded to name every single one of the recruits and veterans that had served alongside her before and in Shiganshina. She raised her head, once again crying as she spoke, her words still filled with rage.
"Every single one of them fought by my side. Every single one of them has died. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. My mother, Adrienne Garnier... my father, Dima Garnier. All of them are gone because of the titans. For the longest time, i thought they were demons and i hated them with every single part of my body and soul. But turns out... we are the devils. It was all humanity who did this. It's humanity's fault. Humanity outside the walls. Everyone i lost... everything i lost... my family, my comrades... all of my dearly beloved... it was all because of them", she said as she looked at the horizon.
"Why?", she asked as the flow of tears returned once more, her voice barely managing to say that single word. Erwin thought of the pile of bodies that was left behind, his comrades standing behind him, phantoms of all the sacrifices made. His eyes changed, and Levi could see that on his face. He suddenly thought back to what Kenny had told him once more.
They all had something they were drunk on.