Part 72
Beyond
/ The final chapter for the Season 3 events!
Phew! My fingers hurt from all the typing, but we're nearly to Season 4 now!
With everything I have planned for Fury to go alongside the canon story, S4 of this fanfic will be a whirl of emotions.
Anyone rooting for Levi and Fury? Or do we still have Erwin and Fury lovers in here? (I know I'm one!)
Thank you, to all the reviews left, to those who come and talk more to me about all this and Fury in DMs, or over on Twitter, just thank you, seriously!
The support really keeps my muse going. I hope when this all ends, it will be bittersweet for us all.
But for now, enjoy the outing for the 3rd Season. Hope it was enjoyed and I hope Fury still has the interest of you all. Soooo much more will be revealed from here on out.
I'll be back in January to keep this story going, where I will write a few fanfictional chapters beforehand to usher in S4..
Stay safe out there, everyone!
- JaydeChan /
"Our enemy… Is the world?" Zackly hummed, stroking at his beard. The council room left in silence. "If this becomes public knowledge, there'll be chaos."
"Are you asking that we deceive the people once again?" Stood Pyxis. "That we keep our innocent citizens as blind as the false King did? If we were to do that, then what ideals did we oppose? What right did we have to remove that crown?"
"We are going to announce it." Historia ushered, stunning the room. "This is information that everybody in this world once knew before memories were stolen. And as we are also citizens of these Walls, all of us will share the fate. Which is why we need to unite and stop all the fighting among ourselves."
Standing from her own chair, Fury wanted to speak out herself. To put reality into perspective and even try to believe it.
"So Titans are human… Or they were, once. Subjects of Ymir, or from what we know, Eldian's. When some old King built these Walls 100 years ago, he altered his subjects memories using some form of Titan power. So to make his people think that beyond these Walls… was nothing. To have them forget about the Blood Purge he also initiated, something worse than any mass murder. Even seemed to take the fight to this place called Atheria.
But… People still exist out there. I can say that is true, for that is how I met Isaah. But beyond that water, they see us all as the real enemy. I wonder… If other places exist… do they have Titan's too? And walls? I can't help but feel… we've all been so blind to this truth for so long that those distant people may yet still attack again, one day…"
"It certainly addresses some doubts we've had this whole time…" Sighed Hange. "Not the truth I was excited for, but truth nonetheless."
"... what would they do to Historia and Fury?" Eren continued to ask himself, having both Armin and Mikasa gaze worryingly at his own distant stare, his eyes even landing over at Levi in some occasions. "Is it an answer I already know? They'd want more Bloodborn's, that's for sure.
Fury, on her own, seems to be able to maintain control over a handful of Mindless Titans. And then there's me who can amplify that control with my own power tenfold.
If the Military could combine such powers together, Bloodborn and Titan, it would become power that the old King feared of becoming reality.
But... I'm not of Royal Blood. So it's not like they could force anything there. However, Historia is. Could they be really that desperate to ask for a royal child from Historia, and that of a Bloodborn from Fury, that when both children grow, they will be paired to create something with royalty, also a Bloodborn, and then given a Titan Serum?
Even then... We know for more Bloodborn's to be made, Fury would have to lay with a pure Eldian... Or from what she has expressed through past reports... An Ackerman.
Hm... Only Ackerman's I know is Mikasa and Captain Levi. And surely there's no way the Captain would bow to that. Not with how I've seen him look at her...
But if all this became a reality, both Fury and Historia being forced to have children... I can't let that happen to them. The Military can't have this information."
3 days later -
"You guys…" Fury's hand lifted, a small wave among her solemn approach.
"Squad Leader Fury!" Floch saluted, the others next to him sighing. He didn't know her at all.
Jean stood straight. "Fury. I didn't expect you to be here today."
"You all fought bravely out there." She lifted some of her hair behind her ear. Eyes appeared heavy. Tired? Or from her grief? Most likely both. "You deserve the medals you're all getting today."
"You're being nice!" Sasha then abruptly spoke aloud, stunning Conny, who stood next to her. "Why are you being nice?!"
"Who knows…" Came Fury's muttered reply as Jean then cleared his throat.
"Floch rode alongside Commander Erwin out there." He then nudged the named one by him. "Go on, tell her."
Fury's eyes lifted further to Floch's direction, only wanting to hear more of Erwin's brave suicide charge against the Beast Titan. "T-That's right. I joined the Scouts as an urgent recruit for this battle. But… Unlike me, the Commander was brave and a natural leader.
We all felt… Hopeless. It seemed the Scouts were on the verge of being wiped out. Just as our fear was giving way to despair, he stepped in with his final idea.
He gave us inspiration to push on. To fight for the memories of those previously fallen."
A small and yet timid curve to her lips, Fury nodded. "Yeah… Sure does sound like the Commander…"
"… But in the end…" Floch continued. "I bet even the Commander regretted doing what he did…"
Her eyes widened. Soon narrowing to then avert back into the facade of maintaining little emotion. But even Fury wondered where her bite had gone to…
"I won't let any of you live it down if you mess up at this ceremony…"
With a nod, Fury turned her back. She struggled to be among the crowd today. And Floch's latter words certainly began to linger.
"Hey!" Eren hissed from behind Floch, as he stood with Armin and Mikasa. "Why did you say that to her for?!"
Floch frowned. "Somebody had to stop the sugar coating around here. And she's our Bloodborn, right? She has to stay strong and focused. Lying to her, of all people, will hold her back."
Armin then stepped forward. "You fought with the argument to revive Erwin, right Floch? I can't imagine how difficult this all is for you right now, after the charge you went on…"
"That's right!" He hissed. "You should be dead. And I should be looking at Erwin in your place. And trust me, I'm not alone in thinking that. Even Fury begged for his life, instead of yours. In fact, we all think the same as she does. Everyone who read the report had the same reaction as she did on that roof."
"What do you know about Armin to justify saying that?" Eren countered. "Nothing!"
"Haha! Right." Floch laughed. "I'm not a childhood friend of his. I'm not even his friend at all. But even I can tell you why it's him standing here now! It's because you and Mikasa got all emotional and Captain Levi gave in to it! It was an irrational choice, all because you didn't want to lose a friend. Instead, we lost someone who was familiar with this hell and was better suited to lead us through it.
You all treated that syringe like you owned it and wasted it! He's alive because you think your friends are more important!"
Hissing, Eren charged forward, his glare deep into Floch's own. "I think it's time you shut that damn mouth! Besides, wasn't Fury arguing for Erwin's life out of selfish emotions too?! We all did what needed to be done, and a choice was made from that by Captain Levi!"
Standing his ground, Floch inhaled. "Eren… I bet even at your core, you're always certain that you're in the right. That's why you didn't give up. You're like a little child who never listens to facts.
At least Fury reacted in the right out there. Even she knew Erwin was the more logical choice, even if it was her emotions talking for her. But even she gave up for your friend, in the end…"
"What's done is done. Now's not the time to go back and forth about it." Conny interjected, a nod also coming from Sasha.
Floch's eyes rolled. "You three as well. Jean, Conny, Sasha. You may not have acted against your superiors, but you didn't try to stop them either. All you did was watch as Fury was the only one loud enough to fight to bring Erwin back.
Yet she thinks we're all deserving of medals? For what? A memorial for who? When you all start building the Scouts back up, you better tell the recruits the truth, or you'll just end up with people like me in the ranks.
What the hell are we supposed to do now that we've lost our Commander?! I know I was just fodder out there… But I should still get to call it like I see it."
"He's right…" Armin muttered. "Erwin was the one who should've been revived… He could've turned this situation around."
A hand landed hard upon Armin's shoulder. "How can you be so sure?" Eren asked. "I don't think any of us knows what choice was right… So I'm not going pretend that I do. None of us knows what the future has in store for us. I mean… We can barely imagine thinking about it.
If we ride in a straight direction from Wall Maria, what would we even find?"
Armin's eyes lifted. "The… Sea?"
Eren nodded. "That's a place we've only ever been able to dare dream about. Water, fields of ice, giant rocks that might take a while to climb. How can we be sure of anything when there's a lot we have yet to see? On the other side… Freedom is…"
"Alright, that's enough…" Spoke Levi as his hand then gestured the way they should go. "Time to line up."
Several months later -
The chirping melodies of the gulls above them played back and forth in their communication. The heavy smell of salt over the approaching cliff line. An open breeze swiftly passing through as water crashed against rock.
Sat atop their horses, every eye was stunned and in awe.
A vast view of open water.
The Sea.
Other than Levi, Hange, Fury and Isaah, they hurried down there. Boots taken off to dip their feet into the cool water, sand beginning to bury them with each step they took upon it.
A nearby splash was made as Conny threw some of the sea water to Sasha's direction, coughing and rubbing her eye from the unusual sting it gave to her.
Fury made her own way down, her hair, just as Eren's had grew longer over the last several months of awaiting for this view, swayed in one direction as the wind was focused by the shore of this open water.
But her boots remained on.
"…Fury?" Armin would speak to her. She hadn't been quite herself in some time. And he hadn't spoken to her much since the fight against Reiner and Bertholdt.
"Your dream, right..?" She spoke, and yet she appeared so distant. "I wonder what it is you'll do now… now that you've achieved it…"
He was unable to answer as he gazed down to a shell in his hands, belonging to the sea, as Fury stepped aside to stand alone, enjoying such a simple breeze that flowed through her silver locks.
"You see, Eren…" Armin then spoke onward, as his friend too stood gazing out to the vast distance. "Just like I told you… A body of water so big that merchants could spend their whole lives here and still not get all the salt out of it.
That's what I said we'd find. And now it appears I was right…"
"The sea…" Eren whispered. "So damn big… Across it, freedom is waiting… Or… That's what I used to think. It's what I always believed, anyway…
But I was wrong… I know what's waiting across this sea now. Our enemies. Everything we've seen has been how it exactly was in father's memories."
He began to point outwards. Eyes showing a fear yet unseen of Eren himself, a small tremble came from him. "Hey… If we did cross the sea and we kill our enemies… After that, will we be finally free?
Will everything be atoned for what humanity did to the Bloodborn's?"
Fury then looked Eren's way. He was carrying all this burden himself, for only he could see these memories of previous Attack Titan holders.
"The Great Lake!" Isaah burst, laughing as he kicked some of the water around, just as Conny and Sasha dunked Jean under the water out of fun. "Hexis was right!"
He spun around to look over at Fury, who stood apart from the rest of them. His excitement faded. A lot of things came out in that council meeting earlier in the year. Fury hasn't quite been herself since its reveal, further hurt by Erwin's death, who would've loved to see this view.
And Fury wondered… Would Erwin had known how to keep moving if he saw this? His goal reached to the basement of Eren's home. And yet how could she hold hate towards Armin, who too had a dream, all because he replaced him? She felt no animosity, and strangely, no regret.
"You need a haircut!" Isaah scoffed to Fury, who tapped at the bolo tie around her neck. Erwin's. She gave no response. "This is it now, Aya. Out there is your answers too. Sure, there's enemies, but we'll all fight. Just as you fought to come back to my village that night. Out there is people who may even be like you!"
"Atheria…" She mumbled, earning widened eyes from Isaah. "Is that really out there too?"
"Alright, stop playing around!" Then came the bark from Levi, who refused at all cost to go near the sea water. "We need to get back to the Walls by tomorrow.
Go set your damn camps up."
As the others moved, Isaah stayed by Fury's side, teetering closer to her, "The place where Bloodborn's first came from? It has to be… We just have to get past the bad people for you to see it."
"Isaah." Levi sighed. "Did you hear me?"
"Sir! Captain!" Isaah saluted. "… He still as grumpy as ever?" He then whispered with a snigger, sprinting off after the others to set up for the night.
"I haven't heard you speak for a long time." Levi then continued to speak on to Fury, who could not bear to look at him still. "What's the matter with you?"
Still, there was nothing. The man sighed. He was no good at this soft crap. But to Levi, she was somehow still Fury to him.
His hand gripped upon her shoulder, a silent plead to get her to look at him.
"I hurt you…" Fury stuttered, eyes hidden by her longing hair. Did she mean Levi? Her hand rubbed at her temple again.
Voices were returning. They were so loud.
"Why didn't things just stay the way they were?"
Levi did not know how to answer, but his hand remained. For he could listen after all.
"Why? Why? Why?"
"I just don't know…" Her hand moved to be over Levi's, only for her to remove it from her shoulder. Levi's eyes widening slightly. He wished he knew too.
Fury felt as if she'd lost her oldest friend, and he felt the same too. But talking was never a strong point.
"You still wear his bolo tie?" Levi then asked.
Her finger tapped at it. "That I do… We just exist to keep their memories alive now…"
Levi sighed. "I won't be losing you too, Fury." Finally, she was able to peak in his direction, enough so that Levi was able to see it. Was that what she needed? Reassurance? He wanted to promise, but he couldn't… One promise was enough for Levi. "And that's despite what's all been said and done."
"He forgives you? Why does he forgive you?"
"Your little brat is right. There are answers out there. And they're going to be obtained. But you need to continue being able to fight for it."
"Right." She agreed. "The Tybur's. They're out there. And one of them had dealings with Kenny. I wonder how Kenny knew of them. Did he know they were from beyond the walls?"
"Probably not. That man always sought after new things. If he knew life existed beyond, he'd have found his way there, or tried to. Only good thing that man ever did in his life was stopping the Ackerman's from being further hunted, and teaching us how to survive, be it by how he did things."
"Either way, the Tybur's are my answers. I don't doubt we'll be meeting soon. And I'll make sure to get the truth."
/
I listened to a few songs for inspiration for the chapters revolved around Season 3.
Here, I wanted to share them with you; (they were on repeat... a lot! XD)
Novo Amor - Carry You
Novo Amor - Anchor - Just songs I could listen to all day anyway.
Novo Amor - State Lines
Rxdlxst - I Can't Forget You (Listened to this several times to help me amplify Fury's feelings over losing Erwin...)
Chainsmokers - Family (Why hasn't anyone made an AMV of Levi, Farlan and Isabel using this song yet? HUH?)
Daughter - Shallows (Levi and Fury's song? Maybe? Yes? No? Who knows... 0.0 hehehehe.)
I'll list my entire playlist I have that I use to listen to when concentrating for writing. Once the final chapter of this fanfiction is done, which should be next year, I'll make sure to share it with you all!
