Well I'm glad you all liked the previous chapter even though it was nearly 3 months late! Same with this one sadly! So you guys and gals more or less can guess what a good portion of this chapter will be like. Well drop a review, tell me your thoughts and theories as well. Let us begin.
Ps, sorry this is out SUPER late, things have been a bit harder for writing so do forgive me, I'll give a full explanation at the ending of the chapter along with my thoughts on where the manga is right now which is at the very least to say, crazy (frustrating yet satisfying). Well I've rambled enough, lets get onto the chapter you've all been waiting six (possibly 7 by now) months for. Hopefully it's good enough.
Well a second author's note is in order since this story went on not updated MUCH longer than I initially tried to avoid. So I'm super SUPER sorry for everyone who's been waiting. Things have just been very hectic in my life as of late, my writing in particular since I've been writing bits for all my stories but unable to update since none of the chapters are as good or long as I want them to be. Call it writer's block which is hard to say since I'm full of the ideas, just unable to properly get it typed out. But since your reading this then obviously I've gotten the chapter finished and out. I'll explain more at the very bottom of the chapter.
The World The Boy Saw
Year 845
He sat on the hard ground on both his hands and knees, panting from the long distance he'd run in order to get away from the Mindless Titan which just ate Marcel. A friend of his and an important warrior to Marley was dead, and the blame was completely on him. Marcel sacrificed himself to save him, the person he claimed the night before really shouldn't have been chosen for this.
'I'm not good for anything, I messed up and now Marcel's dead. Because I didn't do a damn thing he was eaten, and now Marley's lost one of it's powers!! I screwed up!! I'm FUCKED!!!!' He thought, panicked and full of fear as he noticed Annie and Bertoldt too had run to the same place he was now, both of them looking winded.
He heard Annie saying something to him, something about being the fastest at running. She'd kicked him right in the stomach when they arrived initially, and her face had held a good amount of anger direcred towards him, but for good reason. He cost Marley a warrior, and they all lost a friend. Then he began to see that she was nearly on the verge of tears over their loss as she said "...You bastards... Marcel... he'll never come back..."
Her usually stony expression broke and it made Reiner feel even more horrible because of his fuck up. He's NEVER seen her show any sort of emotion other than anger, but this chilled him to his bone. But her next words surprised him, and so did the tone she spoke them with.
"C'mon, let's go back. We have to retrieve the Jaw, and clean up your failure." Her cold face was back as she went on glaring ar him from over her shoulder. That titan must've returned to human form somewhere. We can't execute the plan to retake the Founding Titan's power without Marcel's command anyways. This plan...has already failed." He heard her say almost to herself, but as she walked away Reiner noticed Bertoldt get his breathing under control and began to follow her as well.
Reiner saw his mother's face before him, telling him that she had confidence in him completing his mission. The very mission He had ruined before it could even be put into effect. They had just arrived on this island of devils Last night for gods sake, why did things go so horribly so fast?!
"So that's how it was from your perspective that day Reiner." Eren said as he, Reiner, and the two younger warrior cadets watched the tragic scene play out before them from Reiner's memories.
When Eren had used the Founding Titan's ability to see memories in a method similar to how he spoke with Annie, the four of them were transported into Reiner's mind as spectators, seeing and even hearing his thoughts of that day. The two young ones felt sympathy and pity for a man they'd always seen as a sort of pillar, unshakable and steady. Ever the leader and support for the team when they needed it. Seeing him at what might've been the first of his lowest moments shook them up inside, and the two younger Eldians found themselves thinking the same thing. This was not right.
Children should not have to be sent to war, even worse they shouldn't crave it or want to take part in it. But being raised in the Liberio internment zone all their lives with Marleyean propaganda telling them of the devil people they are apart of plotting to a overthrow the world made things worse. Because of their environment they couldn't do anything to fight against it. Yes they saw the inequalities they faced compared to the people of Marley, but they never dared say anything in retaliation. Retaliation of any sort in Marley's eyes meant rebellion, and rebellion meant punishment. The ultimate punishment: Taken to Paradise.
Reiner knew this, he'd known all of this as a child growing up in the area, and was feed the delusions and grandeur of the Marleyean race by his mother. Back then he took every word his mother and the Marleyean government told him as absolute truth, with no room for dispute or question. It's what most Eldians did in the camp, even if they held no respect for their Masters. They did what they had to in order to survive, simple as that. Reiner sighed at this, knowing they were far from over with what Eren was going to show them.
"Yeah, it is. Back then I didnt really know what good and bad were, I only thought I did. If I could change what happened then I would've Eren, believe me." He said and saw the odd look of understanding on the natured Jaeger's face, and then looked to see how the two candidates for the Armored Titan inheritor were doing.
Falco seemed to be alright, but Gabi was the one Reiner was most concerned about. He knew she was just as passionate about serving Marley in the miniscule hopes of making things better for Eldians as a whole, but if she could be persuaded to see how Paradise could actually save them all much more effectively than she ever could, then she would be on board with whatever Eren might be planning to do. And from what Reiner remembered of the hot headed boy from back then to what he was seeing now, it was definitely going to be an eye opener.
Eren spoke then to the rest of them "Let's continue to that moment." The scene before them changed until they stood in a grassy field area, Reiner in his Armored titan form carrying a blonde girl who appeared to have passed out from overexertion while in titan form. Before him however was a massive wall, as tall as the Colossal titan Marley once held in it's roster of Eldian monsters.
Reiner had a pretty good guess about what they'd be seeing next, but that fact didnt make it any easier to watch. It was something that Reiner secretly had a few nightmares of happening in Liberio, of retaliation from Paradise Island with a hurricane of fury and destruction in it's wake. Something that he now was conspiring with the one person who could do it in an instant if he wished it from what he's witnessed in the last half hour.
CRAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!
A massive bolt of yellow lightning struck a spot perhaps a dozen meters from the massive wall. In the area now stood a massive humanoid, devoid of skin and steam blowing in the wind. A gruesome sight to the people on the inside of the walls. Something they never expected, and never prepared for. A grim reminder that they were trapped in a cage, and that the cage was about to be broken.
Gabi and Falco watched with wide eyes as the former Colossal Titan holder kicked a enormous hole near the bottom of the wall, in an area where a gate for some reason seemed to be constructed at. Not that it had been used in over 100 years aside from the Scouting expeditions, but the young warriors of Marley couldn't have known that. Behind them the small pair saw a horde of titans, easily triple and quute possibly quadruple the number they had seen dropped on Fort Salva weeks earlier. And these titans weren't stumbling about walking mindlessly like the dead come back to life. No, these Titans charged and sprinted with clear intent, Gabi and Falco quickly deduced that the blonde girl in Reiner's hand mustve been the Female Titan holder and had used the scream which could drive Titans into a frenzy.
The Colossal Titan began to fall to its knee, massive amouts of steam billowing out into the air around a dark haired, lanky boy. Reiner was nearly mobbed by the group of Titans that came for the gate, and much to his shock one managed to get past him and was approaching where Bertoldt was, still near the gate. Reiner felt fear as he dreaded losing another of his friends right in front of them. To his surprise, the titan seemed to ignore Bertoldt in favor of the wide open hole with hundreds of people on the other side. Finally Reiner caught a break when he managed to get free of the titans swarming about and grabbed Bertoldt with his free hand before scaling the wall before him a bit.
"I remember this as one of the worst days of my life, and it's what made me what I was for a long time. If only I knew then what I do now." Reiner said as he watches himself crawl down the other side and land inside Shinganshina.
He walked and steadly made his way further into the city, trying to avoid seeing the mindless transformed Eldians eat more of their own kind in a sick act of desperate cannibalism. After all, every titan created sought the chance to return back from the living nightmare they would endure till the end of tine itseld if they were not killed. To find one with a piece of Ymir and take it into themselves, even if they would die only a mere 13 years later. It was a horrible cycle that would never end, not that Reiner was thinking this at the moment. No, Reiner thought of other more selfish things as he spotted the inner gate and the handful of soldiers who seemed to be guarding it.
He thought of Marcel, his now dead friend having been the real reason he was selected as a warrior. He thought of his mother back in Liberio awaiting his return and success, sp he and she could become honorary Marleyeans and reunite with his father. A man who hated him and his mother simply because of their blood and wanted nothing to do with either of them or any of his race, like all Marleyeans did. A man Reiner no longer actually cared if he made proud or not, but he still wishes to bring his mother happiness.
Reiner stood for a moment as he saw the soldiers and what little civilians remained look at him in shock and astonishment. Many backed up a few steps because of the raw aura of power he must have been giving off to them, despite him feeling nothing like that in this moment. He leaned back and then forward into a running stance, one arm in front of him and pne slightly behind him. The same went for his legs, bent to hive him grip into the soil and dirt shoved down beneath his enormous and heavy frame.
He launched forward and tore the earth up with his feet, thunderous stomps signalling his imminent arrival to the eldians watching his approach in horror.
Some of the soldiers tried to slow him down with their cannons, firing a shot directly at him which shattered into nothingness against his collarbone and didn't slow his pace in any way. The next shot missed his shoulder and face entirely and he began to pick up more speed the closer he got to the gate.
'I can't die now... because I don't understand a damn thing!!'
"Thats the problem. I've been here to long for my own good." He said as his head hurt, and he began to see things as he used to and not as he wanted to.
The scene before them was much different than before, and a few years seemed to have passed from the fall of the great wall they had just seen. Eren and Reiner knew this moment well, but to Falco and Gabi have no idea what the significance of this moment was to the older warrior and the rebel.
They all stood atop of one of the great walls, and in this place many a people stood waiting. There were people who stood wearing a strange uniform and set of equipment, and most of them wore green cloams with a symbol of blue and white wings crossing one another. Reiner stood close to Eren, with his arm in a sling from some sort of injury. "The man who opposed peace" looked much different as well, since he too wore the uniform and equipment and his hair was nowhere near as long as it was now. The same dark haired asian woman who came with Eren stood close by with her hand on a trigger of sorts connected to the large boxes, her face tense and eyes narrowed. A much taller boy with black hair stood near Reiner and Eren, sweating and looking at the blonde with his face full of anxiety and fear. He must've been the holder of the Colossal, since Reiner never intentionally brought him up in conversation because of bad memories associated with the failed mission on Paradise. Reiner began to speak again, either to himself or to the people around them.
"3 years of this madness, surronded by idiots. We were kids, what did we know about anything?" He asked himself as his personalities began to clash, with the warrior winning.
"I didn't know a damn thing, just like that day at Wall Maria. But this is where things came to a head." Reiner said with a grimace on his face as he stared at his younger self struggle with deciding to do what he thought then was the necessary course of action, where now he saw it as foolish and rash.
Falco asked the blonde "What do you mean Braun sir? Do you mean they figured out who you were?" with surprise in his voice. Reiner nodded and gestured back to the scene before them, hearing the next words of Reiner's declaration of sorts. "Yeah, they did and planned to capture us without making it aware to us, but then... I started to lose it."
"Why... why did I devolve into such a half assed piece of shit?! It's too late now, dammed if I don't know what's right anymore! Who cares, it is what it is! As a Warrior, no road left but the one that leads to the end!!" Reiner finished yelling as he held his steaming and healing arm high to see, much to the shock of everyone else except the taller boy who took a few steps back.
"Reiner! Right now, here?! We're doing this?!" He half yelled in anticipation and the other half in fear, as he watched his friend stalk towards Eren who could only watch in disbelief.
Gabi and Falco could see that this sudden reveal was as dramatic as the first Wall having been attacked in the first place. They listened on and saw what was about to happen next with eyes as wide as the younger version of Eren in Reiner's mind.
However while Eren stood in place, Mikasa already began her counterattack for whatever Reiner was going to try, and spun with both of her blades in full motion. She aimed for his neck, to sever his head before he could transform but unluckily he manged to get his right arm up to take most of the damage, although it severed his wrist completely from his arm and sliced lightly into his cheek. Still his head was on his own shoulders. But the dark haired boy was nearly decapitated when her other blade sliced right through his esophagus, making him fall back and choke on his own blood.
Seizing her chance to kill the greatest eneny of humanity, Mikasa aimed her blade downward towards his head while yelling for her brother to run. But before she could plunge the blade down she was rammed from behind, courtesy of Reiner's brute strength and determination to save his fellow warrior and friend. "Bertoldt!!"
Falco could feel the hairs on his arms rising in tension from the scene before him as he saw the electricity that signalled a transformation began to gather around the two injured boys. He gave a sideways glance towards Gabi and saw she had some goosebumps on the small bit of skin he could see under her plain clothes, and her eyes were just as wide as his. Out of the corner in the other direction Falco could see the yellow haired man, Mr. Arlert, from earlier running and shouting for Eren to flee just as the storm struck.
"RUN AWAY!!!!!"
Lightning and sparks encased and flashed over the two bleeding warriors, and in the flash of brightness two dark shapes of faces were visible but for a moment. One armored and plated while the other appeared fleshless even if it were only a shadow on the respective faces of both titan shifters. A massive crackle of more lightning struck the spot on the wall from the heavens above throught the bit of gloomy cloud cover keeping the sun away for the most part.
CRRRAAAAAA-BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!
An enormous explosion marked the area where the warriors once stood, and everyone who wasn't attached to the wall with ODM Gear was thrown back by tornado strength winds. Multiple loud crashings sounds followed one another as gigantic ribs snapped onto both sides of Wall Rose, holding a massive torso that was still forming and growing flesh. Eren still looked towards the center of the hurricane with shock in his eyes as the Colossal Titan reared it's head and gave a great roar with it's eyes glowing yellow. The Armored Titan was silent as his jaw plate slid up to protect it's jaws, but grabbed onto Eren when the boy was finally blown loose from the portion of wall he had been holding onto for dear life.
Reiner saw Bertoldt grab Ymir in one of his huge hands and pull her back while he went over the outer side of the wall with Eren still in his left hand. He used his other ha d and part of his upper back's armor to slow his descent to a safer speed, even though he was still heavy enough to drop faster than anything else falling from the wall at the moment. Suddenly his hand exploded as he hears Eren shout out in an anger he only ever expressed this loudly when facing the titans.
"YOU FUCKING TRAITORS!!!!!!"
Reiner watched with his set expression of grim acceptance and resolution as Eren transformed and sent his fist right for his face, a beastly roar eminating from his predatory jaws and heard clear as day by the Armored titan. The dust smashed into half of his face and although it did little to no damage, it sent the other half grinding into the unforgiving hardened skin of the walls titans. A mere moment later they both smashed into the ground with as much speed as he had the inner gate of Shinganshina that day 5 years ago.
The Clash Of The Titans had begun.
"Well we're almost finished here, but I think there's just one more memory to show them Reiner, although this one will be new to me as well." Eren said and Reiner was confused as to which he might be referring to. It could vary from after the battle agaunst the Scouts and Titans Commander Erwin had led to stop him from escaping directly to Zeke, or it could be somewhere in his time back here in Marley. Reiner decided to ask so he could remember and show the two young ones. "What memory are you thinking of? Was it here in Liberio or when we were still on Paradise?"
Eren tilted his head to the side a small bit and scratched his left ear with his right hand. For a brief moment Reiner was reminded of how Zeke would do something similar with the way he scratched an itch, either out of habit or when he was deep in thinking. He knew that Eren and Zeke shared the same last name, which meant they were related by some way other than both just being Eldians. He also remembers that both of their titans though different had pointed ears for some reason. Perhaps members of their family had been left here in Marley while the rest were taken with the king over a century ago to the island. He would ask after this reminising was over.
"Well sometime after we took the district back, involving Ymir. You said that it was her words that got you to become who you are now. I'm curious about what she of all people could've told you in order to sway you to the truth." Eren said and Reiner had to think of just which memory would be best. Either their talk on the boat back or the very last time he saw her in the cell underground. Swallowing a bit of bile that threatened to surface in his mouth for leading the girl to her fate, He nodded and said "Fine, I'll take us there."
Reiner closed his eyes for a few moments and began to vividly remember the environment of that horrible jail. Eren looked around in interest as more things became detailed and appeared while Falco and Gabi also took it all in, noticing that it appeared to be underground in order to keep a shifter trapped even if they were to attempt escape by using their powers.
"Ymir? Are you awake?" Reiner called out gently into the cell where what apoeared to be a girl around his age slept on a horrid looking bed in deplorable conditions even for Eldians of Libero. Receiving no answer, Reiner believed her to be asleep, and would leave her be of that was her current desire. However before he could depart from the cell block completely a voice stopped him. Since there was only one occupant in the place, it was fairly obvious who it came from.
"Aw coming to say goodbye to little old me? I'm touched Reiner. Some lucky girl you'll meet will appreciate that kind of personality... or should I say: personalities." The woman spoke, and it seened her voice had a naturally sarcastic tone to it, or one that held some smug even if mild sense of superiority to those around her. She sat up so her face could be seen, and honestly even to those who knew nothing of her or seen the woman at her best, could see this person was nearly dead in every way short of being devoured or exhaling a final breathe. Whatever Reiner had been preparing to say died in his through
"So... how are you?" He asks, unsure what to say in this situation. The way he says it apparently amuses Ymir, as a smile begins to tug it's way onto her face. She starts to chuckle low, before it starts to turn into full blown insane laughter. Tears actually come from her eyes as he watches, and he gets a momentary chill of fear run down his spine. Even the sarcastic laughter he always heard her give sounds broken, lost to a void that the girl must've felt. She finally stops and wipes her face a little, but a few tears come down from her face.
"Oh I'm just peachy big brother Braun. Only a few more days till I'm free from this curse they call life. I guess I'm just... waiting for it to come. But enough about me, how are we doing Reiner? Have you finally decided what to do with yourself? What you can live with, or who to live for? Because I know you don't have that much time left, just like me. So what's it gonna be?" The then current Jaws holder asked, and Reiner appeared to be deep in thought as to how he should answer.
Watching the flash back, Reiner told the other three present " It was this conversation that made me switch completely to doing the right thing. That made me see through all the bullshit and joined my personalities back into one. It made me Me. And it's all thanks to Ymir for giving a shove in the right direction. I owe her a debt I cant actually repay." Reiner finished, sounding depressed once again over causing the death of the girl when she helped him so much.
"I'm... I'm alive. That's what I am. I don't know who I am anymore, and I don't think I ever did, not really. I'm just doing what I have to to live on. That's the best I can word it." He looks up to see her giving him a warm smile, and he gives her a confused face in return. He's never seen this given to him from her before, and it's almost surreal to see it.
"So I guess you finally get it, you see the point I'm trying to make. You understand why I went with you now, don't you?" She asks him and he shake shis head, more confused than ever. She shakes her head and rolls her eyes at his ignorance, and he sees now the familiar face she always had back in the cadet days. She huffs and gives him a look that he takes as "important words time".
"Reiner, I can say this only so many ways before it gets tiresome. You need to be who you are, but to do that you need to decide. Be the Warrior for Marley and suffer till you die for a cause you know is a lie. Or be the soldier you know you enjoyed being and fight for what matters to You, when the time comes. I'm not gonna be here to help you decide what to do, but at least I can know that I tried to save someone else who lived a lie all their lives because it's all they knew."
He looks at her, and asks a question he's been itching to ask since she came with them when she knew she could've been free. "Ymir... why did you come with us, even after you saw Eren use the coordinate? You could've stayed with Historia and the rest, and told them the truth about the outside world. I know what you said to me and Bert about being a goddess, but it still doesn't make sense to me."
She gives Reiner a sad smile, and chuckles a little as she lies back on her bed, as if to look at the stars. She reaches her hand up to grab the pearly lights like she had done atop Wall Maria. But the only thing she sees before her is the dull brick of the underground cell, no freedom this time, nothing to look for and run towards. "You saw what I wrote in my letter, my past right? What I was before I went into that nightmare?"
Reiner's memories drew him from the cell and he saw many things at once. A short dark haired girl with freckles living on the streets. Starving, no parents or siblings, not even a name to call herself. Dirt covering his freckly face, rags and torn clothes barely keeping her from being exposed. They weren't even actually hers, she had found them from another person's laundry and taken them for warmth.
A man coming by dressed very nicely in ornately designed clothing, talking about taking her away and giving her a better life, and a new name as well. People in white robes bowing before her after she had been cleaned and bathed and fed probably the most ever in her short lifetime. Growing up and feeling needed by these people, even if she wasn't this goddess figure they kept referring her to.
Marleyean officers raiding the home she had for a time now, rounding all the people up and aiming a rifle directly in her face. Her foolish attempt at saving the worshippers by taking the blame unto herself. Being dragged through the internment zone in chains as rocks and curses were thrown at her and the people who took her in, still being punished as she was. And finally...
A massive wall nesr the sea, on her knees like all the rest. Hands bound from behind, and injected with a serum that would make them into monsters. Screams and cries "Like I wrote, I went along with the lie to save others, to matter to them. And when it backfired on me, when I was sentenced to Paradise, I thought it was a punishment for lying to myself into thinking I mattered to anyone. But than you came, and I was free, free to make the right choices now that I had a second chance. Eventually I met Historiaand saw myself in her. I tried to save her, by telling her to stop trying to please others for lies.
I wanted her to be herself, to be real, to be what I wasn't for so long. And finally she did, she took back her name, she confessed to me after I showed my secret to you 4. And I guess I wanted you to do the same, because I saw you were like me in that regard as well. You believed a lie all your life, only to find out the lie you lived there was in fact the only truth you've actually known. It's hard I know, but I guess I just wanted to be the good person again, even with all the shitty things I've said and done.
She saw that side of me and still fought for me, and I'm sure that if she were to find out about yours, that she would stick up for you in some way as well. I just wanted to be the good person that Historia saw me as, even when she knew I wasn't. And it felt nice... to do that for you and Bertoldt. I know you two had no choice but to go on what you might have not believed, but what your realities were. So before I drag this on much longer just please, please be who you are no matter what."
"Don't let your sins or your situation stop you from running towards your future, your freedom. Just promise me that you'll decide Reiner, even when I finally go. Promise you'll do the right thing when the time comes."
Reiner looks at her and feels ashamed at himself for doing this, for bringing her to this land only to be devoured. He reaches out to her between the bars and she raises an eyebrow at his hand, before walking her way over. She touches his hand after some hesitation and after she does he tells her low "Ymir I promise, to Historia, to them... that I'll do the right thing. It may not be right now, but it will happen. That's the best I can promise you. Again I'm sorry for this."
Hearing these words, Ymir looked down and seemed to have a small smile grow on her face.Reiner felt his eyes water a little as he recalls this too, another soul lost to hatred and ignorance. One who lived in pain and torment, escaping it for but a blink of an eye before her flame was extinguished in a tragic fate of cannibalism.
She looks up and gives another sad smile, and walks to her bed. "Guess thats all I can ask. Thank you Reiner."
"No, thank You Ymir. You really were a goddess." Reiner said this quietly to himself, although Eren managed to catch it.
He was surprised when he gave a more observant look at Reiner and saw that this really was the moment that changed him. Of all things, it was the girl who used to fight him tooth and nail over Historia in their cadet days. The girl who ate his comrade and friend, the reason he became the armored titan to begin with. And one of the reasons he was able to escape back to Zeke and to Marley 4 years ago. The girl named after the Eldian goddess and first titan shifter. The Devil of Marley.
Ymir.
Eren decided there was enough of this reminiscing and told the other three that it was time to go. "Well I think we've all seen just what we needed to. Let's return shall we?"
Gabi, Reiner and Falco and found themselves once again in Reiner's living room with Mikasa standing guard near the window and Eren sitting in front of them in his chair. It felr both surreal and disorienting to be back here after "standing" for so long watching things from Reiner's mind. Eren himself was already moving past it, having done this a few times before during the experiments Hange had him undertake on Paradise. But still as a precaution, none of them tried rising from their chairs.
Eren was the first to break the silence atter a quick nod to Mikasa to reassure her that he was in control and perfectly fine. "Well that was interesting to say the least. I do feel odd but good about saying that I can put my trust in you again Reiner, well done. Gabi and you too, Falco, I would like to know what your two's thoughts are on the situation between Eldians and everyone else. Speak your minds." He finished before giving the two young cadets the floor.
Neither of them wanted to go first, but knew that they weren't exactly free to just walk out of here either. Especially with the man's step sister keeping her cold gray eyes on them, her gaze only broken by the occasional blink or glance outside. Although they could tell it was mostly to keep watch for Reiner's mother Karina, Falco was leaning towards the feeling of more "friends" coming to the house. Looking towsrds Gabi's unsure face in light of such Revelations about Paradise island from the person who she believed suffered the most there, and decided to step up to the task.
"Mr. Kru-Jaeger, I still don't like that you deceived me all this time but I do see the truth from Braun san. I always knew how we were rrested was wrong, but I didn't want to caude ripples that would trouble my family any more. I heard about what happened to my uncle years ago when he was caught as a Restorationist. He was taken to Paradise and became a titan." Falco finished and Eren cocked his head to the side when the boy spoke no more.
"I know that, after all I was the one to kill him." Eren said which made all of their eyes widen in surprise. Eren then went on to explain. "Five years after the first wall fell the second attack began, and before I was aware of my power I charged into battle with the rest of my squad, only to have my leg bitten clean off before I could even land a single slash. Soon after I was swallowed whole and awoke inside of a titans stomach, one I would later break out of by transforming and tearing my way out. Your uncle tried again to attack me... and I ended his pain in my bloodlust." Falco understood and appreciated the wording Mr Jaeger used instead of just saying he killed him.
"T-thank you. For ending his suffering." Eren nodded and added a few more interesting facts none of them knew aside from Mikasa, who saw something that msde her eyes widen a tiny bit as she looked outside the window. The half asian slowly made her way towards the door, ready to answer without causing a commotion to anyone outside who might be watching. A few more minutes, just to be safe.
"My father was a key member of the same restoration group, he knew your uncle well. Many of the titans who I and my friends fought during the day of the second attack were the Restorationists, and they'd been that way since my half brother sold them out to Marley." Hearing something that caught her attention, Gabi spoke for the first time since leaving Reiner's mind.
"Wait, you have a half brother here? Who sold your father and them all out?" Seeing Eren nod she and Falco awaited for him to reveal the name, but both of them were far from ready as to who it was. After all it was one they knew very well.
"His name is Zeke Jaeger."
Their jaws dropped, and Reiner's suspicions from earlier were confirmed. The two shared the same father, but obviously different mothers. However the father survived the titanizing punishment by Marley, he made his way towards the walls, met Eren's mother and sometime after the Fall, given hin the powers of the Attack and Founding Titan. He didn't know the whole story, but because of his current and delicate position Reiner would wait to ask Eren about it. If he could offer up his memories even for the sake of getting his cousin and another innocent kid on the right side, then eren could humor him with telling him the way he got his powers.
It was something he'd been curious about ever since Commander Erwin's speech upon joining the Scouting legion. All he ever knew about the subject was that the key to the information behind the titans was inside Eren's basement in his hometown, the one he took back after beating his ass with hardly any effort. Other than that, it was a blank slate that could hold a few possibilities-
Knock knock. Knock... Knock.
Everyone turned to stare at the door, where Mikasa gave a knowing look towards Eren which he returned and simply said "Let them in, it's been long enough." Mikasa nodded and opened the door and saw who was on the other side, and gave a rare small smile to the two toned man, the shorter bald one wearing a sun hat to protect his head, the red head wearing her blouse and hair tied up. A nod towards her good blonde friend wire rim glasses carrying a suitcase and a simple indifferent glance to the other short blonde woman with pigtails wearing galsses with a bored look on her face.
"Hi Jean, everyone. Come inside."
One by one they made their way inside, the appearance resembling a family arriving for dinner all at once, happy smiles or simple nods to Eren before taking their spots around the room. All except for the last one who after the door had been closed immediately undid her hair from its disguise and freed it, much to her pleasure. She then stared hard at the blonde warrior she used to train with and against with fierce and damn near unforgiving eyes. The only thing she noted that was positive about the situation was that Eren appeared to be in good spirits, which mattered a great deal to her. Finally she spoke to the stunned man before her who she hadn't seen since the day of the 57th expedition. The last time she wa red to and nearly killed him.
"Hello Reiner."
The Armored titan could only display his shock so much without outright falling out of his chair. The only word he could get out of his mouth was her name.
"A-Annie?!"
.
Authors note 2.
I bit off a little more than I can chew at the moment, but believe me I'm gonna chew until I'm finished and keep on going. Not only do I have my first and main SnK/AoT story Wings Of A Warrior to write for, I have another SnK one (Awakening), and this one which is harder to do than the rest because its almost fully au with manga elements. I have a Tokyo Ghoul story that's just getting fired up (One Rung Up The Food Chain), and I've recently just started a small story into the Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid series which I loved called Goddesses Need Love Too if y'all are interested. And that brings me to the second minor part of my absence.
As soon as I posted the last story I got two very hateful reviews from an anonymous guest whom I've grown a hatred for. Now while that ain't gonna stop me from writing it just pissed me right the hell off that I received those hateful remarks. And I know it's also the same person who leaves similar reviews to other stories like mine in the franchise just because most likely their a sad pathetic person who should learn to chill the fuck out and leave people alone just because their stuff isn't what you want. So I'm gonna keep on writing for ALL my stories, and I will never stop. Even if a story gets no updates for a long time, keep faith because it probably means I'm working on another story that needs some chapters. So rest assured I will keep writing for my stories no matter how long the delays.
I know this one will sound a bit silly, but also part of my absence is I've been watching many Anime series I never actually got to finish. And some of the endings kinda messed me up, either mental mind fucks (Neon Genesis Evangelion and End of Evangelion ESPECIALLY.) to Future Diary messing with my feels for the ending, even with Redial Ova making things sweeter. Also Deadman Wonderland, the ending was weak but overall I enjoyed it alot. Probably will read the Manga for that later on. Also have gotten into Overlord and LOVE it. Attack on Titan S3 has also been out and I'm excited that the current arc is coming to a close and one of my favorite ones is soon to be animated. Also My Hero Academia has been getting more intense and I always watch that on Saturdays after Cells at Work! which has been such a fun series and I'm sad that it's coming to a close soon. Also I've been watching Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and absolutely LOVE it, and have finally after hundreds of memes decided to get into JOJO'S. I regret nothing except having little time to write at times. So forgive me, I watch tons of anime and read waaaay more fanfiction. Anyone who's seen my profile or reviews on dozens of stories can attest to that lol. Some of you hopefully understand that one.
Final note, after some persuasion from a great friend and fellow writer, I've thought of also putting my stories on Archive Of Our Own, where my account has the same name as this one. I've already had success putting the first two chapters of my Tokyo Ghoul story on there, so slowly but surely I will be putting the rest of my stories on there as well including a possible remaster and updated version of this one. Also I've gotten Tumblr back where I'll also announce updates, same name as on here. It honestly makes some things easier to just use it for as long as I have. If any of you think or would like to see this story as well as my other works on there, just rell me in your reviews or a PM to me. I always respond to them, usually pretty damn fast.
Hope that cleared some things up, once again I'm VERY VERY sorry for the delay. Now onto more current events since part of the above it copied from another story's secondary author note which was the last story I updated before this. I've finished MANY series, and also gotten into a couple as well. Few of my favorites these seasons have been JoJo's part 5, Rising of the shield hero (I SOOOOOO WANNA WRITE A FIC FOR THIS!!!), the Promised Neverland, Dororo and Mob Psycho 100. Needless to say, this year has been pretty good so far, but we got One Punch S2 and soon Shinganshina arc from AoT S3 part 2!!!!! I myself am hyped beyond bekief for the soundtrack alone, I'm a bit of an audiophile (MAJOR) so i can only imagine the tracks tbeir going to use for all the great stuff we'll see finally animated. As for the manga stop now if you arent caught up completely................YOU THOUGHT THIS WAS THE MANGA DISCUSSION, BUT IT WAS I DIO!!!!!!! JK Keep going!!!!...........I for one am very VERY surprised by a few things (almost everything) going on right now. I mean yeah Eren and Zeke agree to euthanize their own kind to save their race but i doubt whoke heartedly that Eren is actually on board with this. Eren has akways been freedom first, no matter the cost. Zeke's plan completely goes against EVERYTHING he's ever fought for, and if he were to do it, it would make evryones sacrifice be in vain, including his mother's. And zeke i know feel Soooooo good about hating once more. "saving" your race by making sure they can't breed is completely counter productive and exactly what the world wants. He was self genocide so bad? he should've just eaten eren, gain the kings influence wimhich majes him a depressed piled of shit that lets everyone die and thats that. im pretty sjre ere s just using zeke for the right time to take his blood. I sense a rumbling coming one way or the other.Pieck drawing a gun on eren was unexpected but certainly the most interesting thing to me, only overshadowed by one thing.......WAS THAT YMIR FUCKING FRITZ WHO MADE ZEKE A NEW BODY?! I mean I can see why sone would think she would bring him back so that he could do the body modifications to his race, but I think it's more so for Eren to have his tool in prime condition for whatever he's REALLY planning. Overall things have been pretty tense, and levi almost died (damn, not just yet eh?) I still don't like the guy, he's overrated beyond belief and overmarketed. call me biased, but seriously only Ackerman I ever liked was Kenny. Cause he was badass and a great baddie for his arc. now for one complaint about the manga..........WHERE THE HELL IS ANNIE ALREADY? WHEN WILL SHE AWAKEN?! LIKE GEEZ THIS STORY WILL BE FINSIHED BEFORE ISAYAMA EVER FREES HER!!!! Hell i bet one piece will be finished before she gets out of that fucking crystal. seriously author, get her out!!!!...Well I've ranted enough, its about time to finish this chapter. I'm SUPER THANKFUL for eveyone whose sruck with this stoey for this lonv, and i appreciate all the support and reviews along the way. i got nostalgic going back and seeing how things used to be when i wrote more than twice a week. I still can't believe i used to write everyday for all of my stories, but it's that kind of overdrive that sort've almost deove me to no longer write. but boys and girls, ladys and gents, titans and humans, JoJo's and vampires,I. Am. Back.