Eren stared down at her tearfully. "Take your power back, and use it to save humanity. It's all up to you."

He bowed his head and closed his eyes.

"Eren." Historia whispered.

She glanced down at the syringe in her hand. Knowing that Eren wanted her to do it, she felt her uncertainty lessen.

She tightened her grip on the syringe, pushed her doubts aside, steeled her resolve, and injected the serum into her arm.

A massive flash of light illuminated the cave.

Levi's eyes widened. "We were too late."

"No…" Mikasa whispered.

After consuming Eren, Historia's Titan collapsed to the ground and began to dissolve.

Rod approached the Titan carcass carefully, and watched as Historia emerged from the nape.

She opened her eyes, and he could see that they looked just as Frieda's had.

Rod let out a sigh of relief. "It worked. God has been reborn."

Historia's eyes flashed, and suddenly she screamed and clutched her head tightly.

"Historia!" Rod cried. "Are you alright?"

After a moment of silence, during which her eyes were wide and her teeth gritted in a horrified grimace, she slowly relaxed. She lowered her hands, and the glow in her eyes faded slightly.

She looked at Rod, her gaze cold.

"You bastard."

Rod recoiled. "What?"

Her eyes remained cold, devoid of all emotion except loathing. "You slimy, cowardly bastard."

She stood up and walked away, refusing Rod's attempts to help her stand.

She raised her voice. "Kenny, kill him."

Rod gasped in shock. "What?!"

Kenny grinned. "With pleasure, your majesty."

"No, I-"

Before Rod could finish his sentence, Kenny swooped down and slit Rod's throat.

While the ripper was distracted, Historia bit her hand and partially transformed. A second later her Titan hand materialized out of nowhere and crushed Kenny and her father against the wall.

Kenny glanced back at her.

Well…it looks like this one's got a bit more fire in them then the last two…curious…

He slumped over, and before long breathed his last.

Historia walked away from the two dead men and made her way through the cave, her eyes glowing.

When she reached the net blocking the way, she addressed the members of Kenny's squad who were standing nearby.

"Open this up at once."

Caven bowed. "Of course your majesty."

The others obeyed her orders without question, and a moment later the net was raised.

Historia began to walk through. "Wait here for a moment."

Caven bowed again. "Of course."

Levi looked at his comrades uneasily. They'd been unusually quiet, and something about their faces seemed off, though he couldn't say why exactly.

But before he could ponder this, he saw who had come through the opening.

"Historia!"

Historia looked at them stoically. "It's over. There is no need for any more conflict within our walls."

Mikasa walked forward. "Where is Eren?"

Historia looked at her coldly. "He is in here, with us."

Mikasa stiffened, and her eyes grew murderous. "You killed him?"

Historia's expression didn't change. "His father slaughtered my family and stole our power. I was simply reclaiming what was rightfully ours."

Mikasa clenched her fist, but said nothing, unsure of how to respond to that.

Historia walked past Mikasa. "Let's go."

Jean, Connie, and Sasha all bowed. "Yes your majesty."

Levi looked at them sharply. "What the hell?"

A moment later the Scouts and the former members of the Anti Personnel Control Squad all began to exit the caves together, with Historia leading the way. Levi noted that all of them had the same slightly vacant expression. The only exception was Mikasa.

The two Ackermans looked at each other in confusion, not sure what was happening, but deciding it was safest to play along for now.


As the days went by, it soon became apparent that it was not really Historia anymore. It was as if she had been replaced with a different entity that wore the same face but carried a very different personality.

It also became clear that this personality was using the power of the Titans to control people's minds.

Before long 'Historia' had asserted herself as the true queen of the walls, and began issuing new mandates. She allowed the military coup to stand, and allowed the fake king and all of the nobles and officials of the old government to take the fall for all of the bad things that had happened recently within the walls, leaving most of them to rot in jail for the rest of their lives. And she had instituted some minor reforms that were very much needed.

But at the same time she proclaimed that Wall Maria had fallen as punishment for their sins, and that as long as they repented and returned to the path of righteousness and peace Wall Rose and Wall Sina would be spared. In addition, she had suspended any and all future expeditions or missions beyond the walls, making it clear that humanity wouldn't be allowed to fight back against the Titans.

And everybody had gone along with this without question, including all of the Scouts, even people like Erwin.

For Mikasa these days were absolute misery, because she had effectively lost the two people she cared about the most. Eren was dead, and the Armin she knew was gone, replaced by someone who looked, talked, and acted almost like him, but not quite. The Armin she knew would never have meekly accepted the dictates of a ruler without question or protest.

The only people who were seemingly unaffected by 'Historia's' power were Mikasa and Levi. But they didn't know why, and alone there wasn't much the two of them could do.

About a week after Eren's death, Mikasa, Levi, and Hange were summoned to the throne room. To their surprise, Historia was the only one there.

Hange bowed. "It is an honor to be in your presence, your majesty. What can we do for you?"

Mikasa and Levi watched Hange uneasily, deeply disturbed by her behavior.

Historia walked up to them, and grasped Hange's hand.

A small spark emanated from the point of contact, and Hange suddenly gasped.

She looked around wildly. "What? What…happened?"

The absent, vacant look Hange had had was gone, and it was clear that the old Hange was back.

Historia turned away and walked back toward the throne. "I just restored your memories to what they were."

Hange looked at her sharply. "What? But…wait…does that mean…the reason why everyone has accepted your rule without question…"

Historia nodded without looking at them. "...is because I altered their memories."

Hange frowned. "But why?"

Historia bent over, resting one hand on the arm of her throne, while using the other to clutch her head.

Levi looked at her in concern. "Historia?"

"Mikasa." Despite whispering, Historia's voice could be clearly heard from the other side of the room. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. My father…he tricked me…he made me think…that eating Eren…was the right thing to do…his words were convincing enough…that even Eren…told me I should do it…"

Mikasa's eyes widened in shock.

Hange gaped. "What?"

Historia's grip on her head tightened. "But…we didn't know the truth…until it was too late. 100 years ago…the King of the walls made a vow of pacifism. And he ensured that this vow would be inherited by his descendants. So while the Founding Titan has the power to control all Titans, has the power to free humanity, it can't be used. Because the King's will still lives on…through the royal bloodline."

Levi frowned grimly. "And I'm guessing it was the Founding Titan that made us all forget everything about the outside world?"

Historia nodded and groaned. "The only reason we're even able to have this conversation…is because…Eren's spirit…is giving me a little bit of strength to resist the King's will. But…I can't openly defy him…he's too strong…"

Mikasa froze. Hope began to well up within her. Maybe Eren…

Historia turned around and faced them, though her gaze was still on the ground. "I'm sorry. If the Founding Titan had stayed with Eren, we would have had a better chance. But it's too late."

Hange rubbed her chin. "So, I'm guessing the King is the one who made you alter everyone's memories, in order to keep the peace within the walls, while also stripping away our ability to fight back against the Titans."

Hange thought back to the uncharacteristically submissive attitude Erwin had displayed during the past few days, and also reflected on her own submissive thoughts and actions. It was deeply unsettling.

"Yes."

Mikasa and Levi glanced at each other.

Levi looked at Historia, his expression puzzled. "But why didn't you change our memories?"

Historia looked at him anxiously. "The Ackerman clan is immune to the Founding Titan's power to alter memory. And that's why I've summoned you three. You're my last hope. As Ackermans, you're the only ones the King can't control, you're the only ones who are still free. I want you to go to Shiganshina, reach that basement, and learn what Grisha left for us. It's a long shot, but maybe he left behind information on how to undo the King's will."

Mikasa frowned. "But how are the two of us supposed to reach Shiganshina? As strong as we are, without help it's impossible."

Historia shook her head. "You're right. In order for you to reach that basement, you'll need the power of a Titan. And that's where you come in Hange."

Hange blinked. "Me?"

Historia walked up to them carrying a small bag.

She reached into the bag and handed a vial to Hange. "This vial contains a mixture of my blood and spinal fluid, and is imbibed with some of the Founding Titan's power. If you smear it against the crystal Annie is in, it should shatter."

She reached in and handed a small wooden case to Hange. "This is one of the Titan serums the Reiss family has kept in secret. As soon as the crystal shatters, inject this into your body. You'll turn into a Titan, eat Annie, and inherit the power of the Female Titan. Once you have the power of a Titan, you will be able to help them reach Wall Maria, and you'll also be immune from the Founding Titan's ability to alter memories."

She then reached into the bag one last time, and handed Hange an envelope. "Here's a letter to give to the MPs, this should make it easier for you guys to access the chamber where Annie is being kept."

Historia walked away with the now empty bag, clutching her head.

She sighed. "I'm afraid that's all I can do. Even this small act of rebellion is taking all of my strength, and I won't be able to resist the King much if at all going forward. Go, quickly now. I'm counting on you."

She glanced back at them, her eyes desperate. "Please…save us from Him."

As Mikasa looked into Historia's eyes, she came to believe that Eren might still be alive, at least in some way. And in any case, she knew he wouldn't want her to give up.

"Let's go." Mikasa said quietly, and the three of them left to carry out Historia's plan.


Wind whistled through the abandoned district of Shiganshina. Despite the lack of human presence, most of the houses were still standing.

One of them, however, was not, because a Titan had fallen on top of it.

The Armored Titan's battered form lay collapsed in a heap, steam pouring out from its injuries.

"Reiner!" Bertolt cried.

Bertolt climbed up and pulled Reiner out of the nape.

The Beast Titan stared down at them. "I won. Which means that we'll wait to rescue Annie. Retrieving the coordinate is our priority, as it should be."

Bertolt scowled, but didn't respond.

Near the outer gate, three Scouts watched the enemy Titans from a distance.

Hange looked thoughtful. "Huh, looks like we've got some internal squabbling between the enemy."

Levi frowned. "Didn't last very long though."

Mikasa eyed the Beast Titan grimly. "Still, it could be worse. When they transformed I thought it meant that they knew we were here, but apparently not. I doubt they would be stupid enough to fight each other if they knew about us."

The three of them had followed Historia's plan, and had Hange take the power of the Female Titan. After stealing some supplies from the Scouts and giving Hange a few days to practice with her Titan form in a remote region of Wall Rose, they made the journey to Wall Maria. They didn't head straight for Shiganshina, since that's what the enemy would be expecting them to do. Instead they went slightly southwest, so that they could climb Wall Maria and approach Shiganshina from the opposite side of what the enemy would have been expecting.

So far this strategy had paid off. With only three soldiers in their group gathering enough supplies had been relatively easy, and while they had seen quite a few Titans on their way to Wall Maria, once they were on the other side of the Wall they hadn't seen any, indicating that most of the Titans had already entered Wall Maria, leaving the lands beyond at least mostly Titan free.

Levi shifted. "So now what?"

Mikasa's eyes roamed over the abandoned district she had once called home. "Our house wasn't too far from the outer gate. We should probably wait for them to leave. Based on the smoke we saw last night, I'd say they've set up a campsite directly above the inner gate. Once they go back there, we should wait until the sun starts to set before we go to our house, so that way we'll still have enough light to be able to see and move any debris out of the way, but it'll be dim enough that it'll be practically impossible for them to spot us, especially from so far away."

Hange shrugged. "Sounds like a plan."

The three of them waited for sunset, and then did exactly as Mikasa had suggested. After removing the debris blocking their way they made their way down to the basement, wondering what Grisha Yeager had left for them.


The three books lay on the desk in front of them. They had just finished the last page of the final book, and closed it.

They were silent for a few moments as they processed everything they had read.

"Shit." Levi said.

Hange smiled ruefully. "Well, I suppose it's a relief to know that humanity isn't actually on the verge of extinction. But for the rest…"

Mikasa fiddled with her scarf. "Eren…"

Levi sighed. "Eren really was our best hope. What the hell are we supposed to do now?"

Hange ran her hand through her hair. "I don't know. As long as the Founding Titan was out of the hands of the royal family we had a shot. And we know from experience that Eren could in fact use its power. But with the Founding Titan back in the hands of the royal family, it's hopeless. Even if the three of us somehow managed to transfer the Founding Titan back to someone who isn't a member of the royal family, we'd be considered traitors by everybody within the walls. The only way for us to win would be if I ate Historia, and then immediately used the Founding Titan's power to revert everybody's memories back to what they were before Historia became queen. But we don't know what it was that enabled Eren to use the Founding Titan that one time. Was it because of the near death experience? Was it because of the intense emotional experience with someone close to him? Was it because of some odd trait about the Titan he touched? We don't know, and we can't just blindly guess."

Mikasa's eyes dimmed. "The Attack Titan…I bet that's why Historia was able to rebel against the King's will. It was Eren's Titan, not his spirit…"

"It could have been both." Levi remarked.

Hange grimaced. "The question is, can we count on the Attack Titan to enable Historia to engage in further small acts of rebellion going forward? Or was that meeting we had with her her last chance to do anything even slightly against the King's will? As informative as Grisha's books have been, as far as I can tell there wasn't anything that might help us undo the King's will and enable Historia to use the Founding Titan uninhibited."

She glanced at the others. "Unless you guys spotted something I didn't?"

Mikasa shook her head miserably. "No."

Levi frowned. "I think it's possible Historia might be more resistant to the King's will than we think. I mean, we pulled off a military coup, and she let it stand. True, she asserted herself as the queen and modified everybody's memories to make the transition as smooth as possible, but she could have modified everybody's memories to make everything go back to the way it was before the coup. Instead, she allowed the military to take control and had all the nobles and officials associated with the old regime thrown in prison."

Hange sighed. "But the real issue is how much influence the King's will had on her decisions. I mean, the King died a long time ago, and his vow was about pacifism, not loyalty to any particular government or individual. So while it's possible Historia allowed the coup to stand because she didn't want to undo our hard work, at least not completely, it's just as possible that the King let the coup stand because it was just simpler that way."

Levi glanced down at the books. "Whether Historia is able to resist the King's will is kind of a moot point anyway. We have no choice but to return, hope that Historia is able to resist the King's will at least a little, and hope that the four of us can use the information we've uncovered here to come up with some sort of plan."

Hange shifted. "Well, that's not entirely true."

Levi eyed her uncertainly. "What are you talking about?"

Hange rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "Well…considering that we're already in enemy territory…and we now have a much better idea of who they are and what they want…we could at least try talking to them."

"What?" Mikasa exclaimed.

"Are you crazy?" Levi asked incredulously. "Why the hell should we talk to the people who have been trying to kill us? What are you even hoping to accomplish? Do you want to try to negotiate or something? We have nothing to negotiate with."

Hange raised her hands defensively. "I know it's risky, but I think we should at least try to talk to them, for a few reasons. One, we might be able to come to some sort of understanding. If they've been acting out of fear of the Wall Titans coming to kill them all someday, knowing that the Founding Titan is back in the hands of the pacifistic royal family should help assuage these fears, and make them more likely to hear us out."

"Or, once they learn that we're basically helpless, they'll take this opportunity to kill us all." Levi said pointedly.

"Perhaps." Hange conceded. "But another problem is that Grisha's information about the outside world is more than a decade out of date, so it would be useful to try to fish for more recent information. If we honestly admit the truth about our desperate situation, I think they'll be more likely to be open with us. And, well, if the talks don't go so well, or if it becomes clear that they aren't really listening, we do have one final card to play."

Levi looked confused. "And what would that be?"

Hange looked down at her hands. "They don't know that we have the power of the Female Titan. If we can get close enough to them, one quick transformation should be enough to kill them before they can react."

She looked at Levi seriously. "Of course, that would be a last resort."

Levi let out a long sigh. "Alright. I suppose it's worth a shot. It's not like we have any good options at this point."


It was early in the morning, and Zeke, Reiner, and Bertolt were sitting at their campsite, drinking coffee and slowly but surely waking up.

As the sun gradually rose into the sky, Bertolt suddenly stiffened.

Zeke looked at him. "Something wrong?"

"Is that…"

Bertolt stood up, peering at the walls of Shiganshina.

Reiner looked too, and his eyes widened.

"There are people on the wall." He exclaimed. "And they have ODM gear! It must be the Scouts!"

Zeke eyed the Scouts curiously. "Interesting. And yet it looks like they're just walking along the wall, slowly making their way toward us."

Reiner grimaced. "How the hell did they get here without us or Pieck noticing?"

"They must be planning to attack!" Bertolt said anxiously.

Zeke shook his head. "I'm not so sure of that. If they were going to attack, they would have taken us by surprise and attacked us before we knew they were here. Instead, they've chosen to walk along the wall in such a way that we're guaranteed to see them coming."

Reiner frowned. "Maybe they're trying to distract us?"

Zeke shrugged. "Perhaps, but I doubt it. Why would they put us on our guard instead of just attacking us when we were unaware of their presence? It doesn't make any tactical sense."

Bertolt eyed the approaching Scouts warily. "So, why are they here?"

Zeke took another sip of his coffee. "If I had to guess, they're going to try to talk to us. About what I couldn't say, but I think we should at least hear them out."

Reiner looked at him sharply. "What? But why?"

"They could have attacked us without warning but chose not to. I think we can extend them the same courtesy, at least until we know why they are here."

Reiner and Bertolt don't like it, but comply with Zeke's order.

As the Scouts drew near, they could see that there were only three of them, Hange, Levi, and Mikasa.

Hange raised her hand and her voice. "Hello Warriors of Marley!"

Zeke, Reiner, and Bertolt froze in shock.

Hange smiled widely. "I know we got off on the wrong foot before, but maybe we can start over fresh and try to come to an understanding. What do you say?"

"How the hell do you know about Marley?" Reiner shouted.

Hange grinned. "Oh, we made it to Dr. Yeager's basement, and found lots of useful information about the outside world. We used to think that you guys were just a bunch of evil monsters who were trying to wipe out humanity, but we can now see that that clearly isn't true. I mean, contrary to the lies our government told us, the people of the walls aren't actually the last of humanity, far from it. You guys attacked us because you wanted to retrieve the Founding Titan. And the reason was because you were terrified that we would one day awaken all of the Titans within the walls and use them to destroy the world, am I right?"

Zeke, Reiner, and Bertolt looked at each other uncertainly, once again taken aback by how much the Scouts now knew.

"And it's true that awakening the Wall Titans was a distinct possibility as long as Eren had the Founding Titan, as it would be our best means of defending ourselves."

Hange's grin faded. "But you'll be happy to hear that that's no longer something you have to worry about, because Eren is dead."

Reiner's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

Zeke gasped. "Eren's dead? Why? How?"

Levi frowned, noting that Zeke seemed oddly concerned about Eren.

Hange grimaced. "Eren's father stole the Founding Titan from the royal family. And after they found out that Eren had the Founding Titan, the royal family took it back. For the past century the royal family has been bound by the will of the first king, forced to submit to his vows of pacifism and nonintervention. After the royal family took back the Founding Titan, they altered the memories of everybody in the walls, rendering them unable and unwilling to fight back against our enemies."

Hange gestured at her comrades. "The three of us were the only ones in the Scouts who were unaffected, apparently because we come from bloodlines that are immune to the Founding Titan's power. So, we came here looking for answers, and we found them, but unfortunately learned nothing that could fix our situation. It's not like the three of us stand a chance against everybody else in the walls."

She looked at the Warriors with a sigh. "So now here we are, hoping that you guys are feeling generous and are open to negotiating."

Bertolt couldn't help but think that this was suspiciously convenient, and apparently Reiner was in agreement.

"Why the hell should we believe you? You honestly expect us to believe that you three are the only ones left who aren't affected by the Founding Titan?

Hange coughed. "Well, strictly speaking, no, we weren't the only ones who were unaffected by the Founding Titan, but like I said we were the only members of the Scouts who were."

Bertolt frowned. "How did you guys make it here?"

Hange adjusted her glasses. "We stole some horses and supplies from one of the Scout depots, left at sunset, and hoped that for once that luck would be on our side. Which it was in the sense that we made it here, but unfortunately nothing we learned in the basement would really help improve our situation."

"What exactly did you find in the basement?" Zeke asked.

"Three books left by Grisha Yeager." Hange answered.

Zeke took a step forward. "May I see them?"

Hange seemed surprised, but handed them over. "Uh, sure."

Levi eyed Zeke coldly. "But if you damage or destroy them, I'll cut your head off."

Zeke chuckled. "Understood."

Zeke, never having met Levi, clearly thought he was joking. Reiner and Bertolt knew that he wasn't.

Zeke ended up reading the book concerning the events of Grisha's life, and soon became absorbed in his task, ignoring any questions or comments from the others. While he did this Reiner, Bertolt, and Levi remained standing, eyeing each other cautiously. Hange leaned against a nearby crate, the two other books in her hands, while Mikasa gazed off into the distance, looking subdued.

Eventually Zeke finished the book and closed it, looking shaken.

Hange was curious about his reaction. "So, was it an interesting read?"

Bertolt looked at Zeke in concern. "Are you okay?"

Zeke gripped the sides of his head. "This man…Grisha Yeager…he was my father."

"Huh?!"

"What?!"

"What?"

"Wait, so you're Zeke?!"

Zeke nodded shakily. "Yes. I always thought…my father never loved me…that he just used me as a tool to bring Eldia back. But…he came to regret his actions…wished he could tell me how sorry he was…and…"

He stood up and looked at Hange desperately. "Tell me the truth. Is Eren really dead?"

Hange nodded sadly. "Yes."

Zeke flinched. "Damn it. I know I never met him, but he was still my brother. I wish I could have spoken with him, at least once. But…"

Zeke took a deep breath. "I know we haven't made the best first impression. We've killed many of your people, and you have every reason to despise us and distrust us. But despite our clashes, we both want similar things. You want to protect your people, and we want to protect ours. We're all Eldian, and if we work together, we just might be able to come up with some sort of solution that benefits us all. Therefore, I'd like you to take me back with you, so that I can speak with the holder of the Founding Titan."


A short while later, the four of them were headed back for Wall Rose. They were being carried by three Titans that Zeke had summoned from the ground, which would be faster and somewhat safer than horses. Reiner, Bertolt, and later Pieck had strongly protested, but he'd shut them down and insisted on going alone with the Scouts, and in the end they had reluctantly agreed.

Levi eyed Zeke suspiciously. "I'll be honest, I'm finding it a little strange that you're deciding to trust us. After all, we're island devils, right? We could be leading you to your death."

Zeke shrugged. "You could be, but my instincts tell me you're not. Besides, I did have my reasons for coming alone. The truth is that I have my own agenda for the Founding Titan, one that my fellow Warriors don't know about. If they had accompanied us, they would have discovered it, and I'm not entirely sure how they would react to it."

Levi tilted his head. "So basically, you don't trust us, but you don't trust your own comrades either."

"Essentially yes."

Hange frowned. "What is this agenda of yours?"

"I'll let you know in time. I'd like to know what the Founder thinks of it first."

"Tell me, are you the Beast Titan?" Mikasa asked flatly.

"Yes."

Levi scowled. "Tch. You really caused us a lot of trouble, you know that?"

Zeke bowed his head. "My apologies. I was just following orders."

Levi scoffed. "I'm sure that'll be a lot of comfort to the people who died because of what you did."

Zeke sighed. "People die. That's one of the harsh realities of this world. I took no joy in it, but if it was necessary to achieve my goals I'd do it again. Though I'm hoping that further bloodshed isn't necessary."

Levi's eyes narrowed. "We'll see."


The following day, Zeke was let into the throne room.

He gave a small bow. "Greetings, your majesty."

Historia frowned. "Who are you?"

"My name is Zeke Yeager. I'm Eren's half brother, and I come from beyond the walls."

Historia's eyes widened. "I see. I'm sorry."

Her eyes glowed and dimmed.

Zeke stepped forward. "They told me about you. How you used to be one of their comrades, before the will of the First King took you over. I believe I can help. My mentor told me a lot about the Founding Titan, and a bit about the Paths. I also have the power of a Titan, and royal blood flows in my veins. I think I might be able to undo the King's extremist vow."

Historia frowned, and clutched her head as if in pain. "And what would you want in exchange?"

Zeke looked at her seriously. "I have a plan to save Eldia from its suffering, and to free humanity from its fear of the Titans. Promise me that you will help me fulfill my plan, and I will do my best to free you from the King's will and give you the power you need to defend your people."

He held out his hand.

Historia looked down at his hand, uncertain if she should accept.

But as the pain in her head grew, she knew she had no choice.

She clasped his hand, and sparks emanated from the point of contact.


Reiner, Bertolt, and Pieck sat on the wall, looking anxious.

"I don't like this." Reiner muttered.

"I don't either." Pieck said. "It doesn't make any sense. My Titan would be way faster, yet he insisted on using his own Titans."

Reiner rubbed his head. "Why the hell would he trust these devils just like that? After a single conversation?"

"I don't know. But I've known Zeke for years, and I've got the feeling that he's been hiding some secrets. Big secrets."

Bertolt sighed. "I wish I had asked them about Annie. I should have, but the shock of seeing them, combined with the shock of them knowing about the outside world made me forget. I hope she's okay."

Reiner frowned. "It's kind of mind blowing to think that Eren and Zeke are brothers. Do you think that was the reason he decided to trust them? But he's never met Eren before. I know family is important, but is he really letting familial bonds overrule his better judgment?"

"Possibly, but I don't think so. I have a sneaking suspicion that Zeke has his own plans for the Founding Titan, plans that are more important to him than even his loyalty to Marley. And if he needed to betray us in order to fulfill his plans, I don't think that would stop him."

Reiner smiled nervously. "Come on, that's going a bit too far. I mean, sure, maybe Zeke has his own plans, but that doesn't mean he's going to sell us out, right? He wouldn't."

"I certainly hope not. But…"

A violent vibration began to shake everything around them.

"What the hell?" Bertolt yelled, scrambling to his feet.

"The walls!" Pieck shrieked.

They looked, and could see that all the walls of Shiganshina were cracking and flying apart, exposing the Titans within.

They briefly panicked, but then realized that Wall Maria was still intact, and showed no signs of collapsing.

"Oh no." Reiner breathed. "The Wall Titans have awakened."

Bertolt frowned. "But only some of them. But this shouldn't be possible, I thought the Founding Titan was impotent?"

Pieck scowled. "Unless the Scouts were lying. Or if Zeke betrayed us."

Reiner shook his head. "But that couldn't be possible. Unless Zeke's Titan power could somehow enable the Founding Titan to bypass the vow renouncing war. Which I don't think is-"

Hear me my fellow subjects of Ymir. My name is Historia Reiss, queen of Paradis Island. I am using the power of the Founding Titan to speak to you all. I have taken the power of the Beast Titan, and it has enabled me to break the King's vow renouncing war. Five years ago, Marley disturbed our peace, destroying our wall, and using the Titans to slaughter our people, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands. The pure Titans on Paradis are now dead, and our retaliation against Marley has begun. I have awakened the Titans buried within the outer districts of Wall Maria, and they shall trample all of Marley's military bases. This will be Marley's final warning. If Marley disturbs our peace again, I shall awaken the rest of the Titans within Wall Maria, and they will trample all of Marley underfoot until all life there has been eliminated.


Author's Note: Just to be clear, the title of this chapter was referring to chess pieces, not a racial thing. Probably didn't need to clarify that, but thought I should just in case.

I admit that it would have been slightly out of character of Historia to just agree to eat Eren, hence why she didn't in canon, but hey, that's the point of the What If, to see what would happen if different choices were made. In this case things actually turned out okay. Mostly.

Originally I was going to have this be another story where Zeke basically won, but then I realized that, depending on how things played out in the paths, it could go a number of different ways. We never actually know how Historia felt about Zeke's euthanasia plan in canon, because as far as I'm aware she never found out about it. So it's hard to say if she would be for or against it, as there are compelling reasons to argue for both positions. If she was for it, then Zeke would get his way, but if she was against it, she could do what Eren did and appeal to Ymir directly, and cause Ymir to go with her and leave Zeke in the dust.

So I decided to leave the ending of this story a bit ambiguous and open to interpretation. If you want to think that Zeke won you can, and if you want to think that after Zeke helped her break the King's will Historia rejected his plan and did her own thing, that's okay too.

I didn't have Historia do a full rumbling, because she's not Eren, and I don't think she'd have the will or the stomach to go through with something as drastic as that.

Anyways, be sure to leave a review letting me know what you thought. I can tell from the traffic graph that people are reading my stuff, which is nice to see, but it's just not quite the same as seeing actual written feedback from another human being, and reviews do help keep me motivated.