Chapter Twenty Four:

The Medal Ceremony

Armin felt a sudden surge of electricity within his body, it was overbearing as he hissed in pain. In seconds it ends, allowing Armin to shoot open his eyes to see Eren remaining in front of his younger self in the exact same pose of kissing Historia's hand. But they were no longer in the ceremony hall, but in a empty space of black nothingness. Everyone and thing had disappeared. Younger Eren's eyes were wide, spitting sparks of electricity. The current Eren's eyes turned purple sighing,

"When I kissed Historia's hand. I saw something... I saw everything. However I don't you to see it, I can stop all of this right now and return to the Paths. Unless this is truly what you want Armin."

It was like the air in Armin's lungs were disappearing, he knew deep down what Eren meant by 'everything.' All of Eren's futures memories becoming exposed to him. But Armin wasn't feared, the outcome of it all was already done through the Rumbling. Therefore, the worst of the worst is already known to Armin. In response to Eren's question of consent, Armin nodded. There Eren's eyes lowered, wishing it was the opposite as he inhaled deeply and looked to his younger self,

"Very well then."

Suddenly the electricity from Younger Eren is released wildly everywhere around them. Bursts of blue, purples and greens surrounds them all from the blank darkness. It was like a vicious portal. In disbelief Armin's eyes widened. There the gold surge of electric from younger Eren sparks into and right through older Eren forming behind him the paths tree. Armin starts seeing Eren's perspective of him standing at the ocean for the first time in front of his younger self and Mikasa saying,

"If we destroy our enemies? Will we finally be free?"

Current Eren is standing next to Armin, watching beside him as more snippets began to form. It was all so fast and hard to make out, but Armin was able to hear from all the commotion an echo of Eren's haunting voice from the Paths tree saying,

"For your fellow restorationists, for Dina, for Kruger. You Have to avenge them. And keep moving forward. Even if you die, and even after you die."

"Eren... Who were you talking to?" Armin asked the Eren next to.

"You'll see."

"This is... The story... That you started...Didn't you?"

Then suddenly a certain blast appeared, showing more and more of Eren's memories no long in the shape of a tree but now shards upon shards in front of them. Everything became so scattered Armin didn't know where to look. Memories of Reiner, Bertholdt, faces he never knew, titans, himself and Mikasa in clothes he never wore before.. Even with glasses? Mikasa too looked really gothic...That couldn't be them. Historia then appeared to then little Mikasa as a girl turning round with purple flowers surrounding her. Then just like that, the past child Mikasa then transformed into vicious Colossus titans. Armin gasped as he realised memory shards of rumbling began. He could feel the souls of thousands of bones crushing, hearing it faintly the terrors of screams and cries surrounding the atmosphere. The buildings towering and crumbling beneath them. It was like a horrible storm of death continuously. But what confused him was he wasn't able to see this tragedy, that's when he realised. Armin knew that if those are memories, he would've been able to see them, well, if Eren did that is. But he knew Eren didn't He wanted to close his eyes, the memories were so dark, grim and traumatising. Armin looked to the corner of his eyes to Eren, whose eyes were closed throughout it right now as he was back then. It was as if his actions were so horrible, Eren was never and still isn't brave enough to face them. Then all of a sudden a thunder spear explodes into the memories, shortly revealing the 19 year old Mikasa shooting in and and landing in with her blade and shoots up to the memory perspective. Armin's heart sinks, seeing Mikasa's broken face with her beautiful smile come closer, the echoing of her sweet voice within their minds saying,

"See you later, Eren."

A sudden thumb hits Armin's body, forcing him to close and open his eyes back to the Medal cermony in the exact position as before like current Eren, the new appeared Historia and younger Eren within the hall. Armin was truamatised, but nothing compared to the younger Eren who remained stilled as everyone watching him.

"Eren?" Historia asked, looking stunned.

Another moment later, Mikasa whispered ; "Eren?"

Eren, 16 now, blinked rapidly into consciousnes and straightens his head and lets go of Historia's hand. Everryone in the hall was confused by the sudden pause, but Eren stuttered to Historia quietly realising what was going;

"I'm... I'm ok. Go on ahead."

Hesitating, Historia finally continued the cermony. When everyone was talking amongst each other, many of Erens friends were surrounding him.

"What the hell happened to you?" Jean raised his eyebrow down to Eren, not giving him a chance to speak as Connie agreed;

"Yeah what the hell man? Armin said you looked completely out of it?"

"I didn't know you get stage fright?" Sasha shrugged, completely inaccurate to what was really happening.

"Common guys." Armin, followed by Mikasa stands in front of Eren. "Give him a chance. Eren, what happened back there?"

Levi and Hange were about to get involved, especially especially after everything. No

"Eren. Did you see something when you made contact with Historia?" Hange questioned, intrigued, "Just like back at the Reiss Chapel?"

Current Armin and Eren who were behind the young Eren just remembered Hange's theory onto why Eren froze. But, of course, young Eren wouldn't open up after what he had seen that easily.

"I'm fine, guys, really!" Eren insisted, scratching the back of the head. "I did feel a shock, but maybe that's expected? Royal blood sort of thing..?"

The past Armin and Mikasa exchanged looks, unsure to believe him. But now, looking back, the present Armin can clearly see the dishonesty in past Eren's face. Why didn't he persist? Current Eren remained silent, peering his eyes to Armin who look saddened but chose to say nothing as they followed the young Eren who hurried out of the medal ceremony.

"Right." Levi answered, a little distafifird not fully convinced with Eren's response. "Head back home then. Maybe after the cell you need rest despite sitting in there all day. You really are going through the teenage phase. Go."

Eren nodded in acceptance, in a way grateful to Levi's dismiss. Not a second to waste Eren's turns his heel and heads his way home.

As they followed, Armin turned his head back to his past self who was standing beside Mikasa. He didn't fully remember if his past self decided to insist on following Eren. But instead it was 16 year old Mikasa, about to follow but was held back by young Armin reassuring her. Current Armin sighed, noting it as a move he wished he changed.

Young Eren in each step just kept walking fast and faster. His surroundings were glitching and changing to the surroundings of grovel and destruction. Armin tried to make out what was going on, he felt it was a completely different place as both current Eren and himself chased after the panicked young man. To then

"This is the remains of a city of Romeon. A country where the rumbling shortly hit after Marley was flattened." Eren explained, walking calmly and whereas his younger self became frantic as he held his palms to his head.

Suddenly the scene returned back to the hallway, Eren falls to his knees and hands.

Armin was broken for the young Eren as he cried out and fell to the floor, "W-what the hell is happening to me?"

"since touching Historia and finding out the truth. It was as if the Founding Titan had awoken and memories were keep surging in. It was as if, from the beginning. My mind kept taken in more and more of these memories unconsciousily. This memory however aren't mine. But the founding, Ymir's. She Would often seek insight through many living things.. Animals like birds, inspects… people. Often through myself and Mikasa at times." Paths Eren explained, standing next to the Eren who pushed himself up to his feet with terror in his eyes.

Eh Eren breath was intense, forcing himself to continue walking. His mind began to play up and both his older self and Armin could see that as their surrounds became in static motion. As the three of them leave the building and begin to talk the streets. There was moments of colloidal titans and dust clouds surrounding them. Armin was in two states of minds as to how he felt was was happening, one side was amazed. The other was stunned and broken for Eren. This was torture for Eren. It took a lot nowadays to fear Eren, now it all makes sense. Fear and horror followed him since the Medal Cermony.

Only 16, seeing his life through hundreds and hundred of memories began to sprint. He just wanted to get to his room. It suddenly began to rain.

Fast forward through paths Eren alongside Armin using his Fouunding abit lites. They found themselves inside Eren's old room, where past Eren sat up against the wall as his head between his knees. All these thoughts were taunting him. Armin and Eren looked at the younger Eren as they listened,

"I… thought… dad killed the Reiss family mercilessly. I was wrong."

Young Eren lifted his hand up into his palm, "I felt their bones break…. I can't believe it.. you may have killed them.. but I made you do it. Why would I do such a thing? What sick twisted bastard will I become?"

Water began to whelmed up, feeling absolute disgust.

"I-I… that can't be. NO! I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN! EVERYTHING I FOUGHT FOR CAN'T END UP LIKE THIS!" Eren's rage punches viciously against the wall, "EXACTLY! THERE AS TO BE ANOTHER WAY!"

Eren's knuckles were fractured. The stone wall and his rage collied. Current Armin and Eren wathced the young eranged boy turn back onto the side of the bed, watching the steam evaporate further and higher into the air. Behind tat smoke, Eren's eyes watered again;

"I have to make this right.. I made them both promises... The ocean... and.."

Armin watched the two Eren's eyes glimsp over to the vase of Campanula flowers. Armin remembered seeing those flowers loads around Mikasa's home in the future. He was surprised to see young Eren with them too, did they both like that flower? Current Eren lowered his eyes, hearing his younger self try not to break in tears again;

"I made her a promise too... A home, and to wrap the scarf... I don't even know what she sees in me if i;ll die soon never mind being corrupted into mass genocide. I'm sorry... guys... I'll try not let this happen. I'm so sorry... I can't forgive myself... I'm sorry..."

Armin started to tear up, seeing his friend back when he was coming 17 absolutely soul shattered before him as he began to break down again. THis was unfair, unjusitfied and cruel to bring onto someone so young. He couldn't help but think of his own son Kai, being pressured by basically fate and the universe to commit to such inhumane acts. It makes sense, Eren was 16 to find out the truth, and later 3 years did what he had to do. That meant 3 years of continous mental torture to break down his own morals. No wonder, Eren grew to become so drained, dead, lifeless and mature before everything ended and so

"Regardless...I'll be dead, everything I dreamed off.. The life outside the walls, will die before I even get to live to begin with."

Armin, witnesses the past of a broken Eren. Exposed to his fate and sadly never did change. In a way Eren was right, dead before his life even properly began. As the past revealed the young Eren crying into himself again, broken by it all. Current Eren, beside Armin lowered his head. All those past emotions began to feel real again.

"Eren." Armin spoke break, their voices unnoticed by young Eren.

Eren turned to Armin, hearing his voice continue; "I'm sorry."

"Your sorry?"

"For not trying to get you to tell me.. to even tell Mikasa. If only I persisted, or allowed Nikasa to follow. Things.. maybe could've been different."

As Armin faced Eren, tears were already formed.

"Eren. I let you down.. I can't.. bring myself to think differently right now. I just feel like, I could've made the choice to change something."

"Armin you couldn't of. It had to be that way, for Mikasa to reflect the opposite act Ymir did when she was abused by a monster. I had to become a monster. It was the only way." Eren insisted, saddened to his Armin this way.

"No.. I.. I feel like, there's always a way.. Zeke knew about Ymir. If.. if we knew. There could've been an alternative where Mikasa acted upon the choice-"

"Armin.. stop.. it's done now. I'm already dead."

Armin choked by Eren's reply, reminding himself the reality of things and slammed his hand over his mouth to stop himself from arguing. He turned away, muffling tears into his palm to try to stop crying over something that's already done. Who knew grieving would always be so persistent. Eren, feeling sorry for his friend extends his hand to touch Armin's shoulder but stopped as he insisted;

"Let's keep going.. I need to see everything... I.. I still think something could've been done. Even if we don't.. I want to know everything through your eyes... I want to understand why you had to become such a monster to humanity.. "

'Monster to humanity.' Eren repeated to himself, his heart twitching in hurt by Armin's words.

Even though he wasn't wrong.

Well hello everyone!

Author's Note:

I hope you are doing wonderful everyone. It is crazy to me that I have written 5 completed volumes, and I also realised... after 4 months haha. That I have been writing Return of the Titans for the past year. To be fair, I thought I would've written this story a lot more quicker. But, that it totally okie. I am proud that I have remained consistent so far in this piece of work. That I am still attached to this project. I am really happy to be in this Volume. Eren is my favourite character. Now, this chapter is not the largest, but that is because this story isn't just about Eren. It's about many characters. But thank you to everyone giving this story a chance. I am now settled in my new home, so I am taking any opportunity I can to continue writing. I hope you look forward to the following chapter down the road. Fun fact, I have stretched a ligament in my ankle really bad, so I am sofa bound. Good news is, I have loads more time to write my wonderful story. So please, take what you can get and hopefully I can complete a Volume before I return back to normal haha.

Disclaimer:

I do not own the characters of Shingeki no Kyokin, they belong to the rightful owner. Other characters later mentioned in the story will be referenced also as the fanfic progresses. The only characters I have ownership are ones created from scratch. Also, IF YOU ARE ANIME ONLY OR HAVE NOT COMPLETED THE MANGA, PEASE DON'T CONTINUE TO READ THIS STORY. Unless, you love spoilers then that's fine by me!

We are now 2 chapters away from the release of Volume 4. See you soon for the next chapter!

And also, *salutes*

Shinzou o Sasageyo!