Let this be our prayer
Chapter 6
Nothing bad can come from waking up from a dream with the same wound you dreamed about, right?
Eren laid on the couch for quite a while, still staring at the bite mark that was on his left hand, right on the junction of his thumb and pointer finger.
The brunet dreamed about his captain wanting him to shift into a titan. When he couldn't, Eren saw his hand was coated in blood, and then, Levi kissed him.
Flushing, the young man wondered how far his dreams would take him.
No one had dreams quite like this, no such thing was possible. Hell, maybe he was reading way too much again.
Sighing, the brunet got up and went to the bathroom to clean up his wound.
After receiving a call from his mother and father, letting him know their trip would take longer because there was an offered course, and they would send him more money in two days.
Eren decided to take the Attack on Titan book series to the downstairs living room, spreading it out on the coffee table.
Now, everything started the moment he began reading these books, so, what about this?
Let's say, the brunet stops reading them for some time, would the dreams stop completely? Maybe not right away, no.
Eren had been reading them every day for the past two weeks, yet the dreams only occurred a week ago.
So, what if he stops reading the books for a week?
Wait, then what about his spin-off story for the series? Should he leave that alone for a while to see what happens with the dreams?
The brunet groaned, falling back against the couch, "Fuck my life."
Then again, it's not like he didn't have other things to do. He could hang out with his boyfriend Jean, have a sleepover and game night with Armin, go to the arcade with Connie and Reiner, go shopping again with Krista, seeing as Ymir would rather shit a knife, go to a buffet with Sasha, take up yoga again with Annie, or watch movies with Bertolt, and maybe go to Isabel's house and see what they could so.
See? He had plenty of things to do. And yet, here he is worrying and getting gray hairs about dreams that probably mean nothing.
Gathering the books together, Eren plated them all in a small box he had purchased some time ago to keep the series in, and went upstairs, putting them in the storage room.
"Well, this is a rare treat that you invite me over, Eren."
The brunet pouted, "You know I invite you over a lot, Armin."
Armin laughed, poking his friend's side, "I know, dork. Just wanted to mess with my best friend."
Eren called up the blonde asking him if he wanted to hang out, since it had been a while. Armin immediately agreed, letting his grandfather know and came over.
"So, coconut, what do you want to do first?" Eren had laid out some of their favorite games and movies they watched together when they hung out like this.
"Before we begin, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, shoot."
"Why aren't you reading the book series I gave you? I would have thought you would have been reading it when I got here." The blonde was eyeing in a strange manner. It made shivers run down Eren's back.
The young man rubbed the back of his head, a bit uneasy, "Well, I kinda wanted to take a break from it."
"We told you that a while ago and yet you kept reading. Why now?" For some reason, Armin didn't seem like himself in this moment. But Eren pushed the thought to the back of his head.
"Not quite sure. Kinda just wanted it to be us."
"You're lying."
"What? No I'm not."
Armin pointed to his ears, "Your ears get red when you lie." Damn him for knowing him so well.
The brunet cursed under his breath.
"Eren, do you not like the books I gave you?" The blonde set down his drink, paying even more close attention to his friend.
Shaking his head frantically, Eren placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, "No, no, I do really like them, Ar. I just wanted us to spend some time together without me reading and making you feel left out or alone."
The blonde kept eyeing him, making Eren wonder what he did for Armin to behave this way around him.
"There's something more you're not telling me." Why was he so persistent? D-Did he know about his dreams? Only one way to find out.
Eren sighed, "Well, there is something."
Hearing those words seemed to have made Armin relax a bit, why though?
"You know you can tell me, Eren."
More like you were such a persistent and weird shit, you kind of forced it out.
"Armin, ever since you gave me that book series, I've been feeling, well, more insecure about myself."
The blonde raised a brow, "Why?" He already knew Eren didn't have the most self-confidence, but why would a book series lower it more?
"When I read about the protagonist, Eren Yeager, I feel like I'll never come close to him. He's so confident, certain, brave, courageous, and yet here I am, nothing like that."
Armin silently nodded his head, paying close attention to what the brunet was saying. He'd get his turn to speak very soon.
"He keeps his head held up high even when a situation looks bleak, he manages to encourage his squad members, and still live to see another day. When things get tough for me, I want to give up instantly. Had it not been for you, I would have given up many times before."
Eren sighed, continuing on, "What I find odder is that most of the characters are named exactly like our friends."
"Some of our names are common."
"Yeah, but to get an exact description of our friends in the book, that's kind of weird, Armin." It had creeped him out at first. But then he thought about how the author might have wanted normal looking people, and thus, his characters came to be.
"Kind of. But in all books you might see the same personalities in the characters in people you know. Not really all that weird."
"If you say so."
The blonde moved from his spot across from Eren to sit right beside him, both leaning on the side of his bed on the floor. "Anything else?"
"Actually, yes,"
"Do you mind sharing?"
What reason did he have not to share this with Armin? The blonde was his best friend and another person he really trusted, why not?
"Yeah. For a week now, I've been having dreams about being that world. The characters refer to me as Eren Yeager."
The brunet thought he saw a flash of light in Armin's eyes, but it might have been his imagination.
"Oh yeah? What goes on in your dreams if you don't mind sharing?"
"Well, in the dreams, I met Corporal Levi and squad leader Hanji Zoe. They keep telling me that we're criminals who are currently on the run after failing from a most recent mission." Eren lifted up his left hand, taking off his bandage and revealing the bite mark on his hand.
The blonde's eyes went wide at seeing the injury.
"They tell me that I'm humanity's last hope, and when I don't shift, time is running out. The 104th squad depends on me, whoever they are, I don't know yet, haven't seen them. That I'm not a monster, and I have to shift into a titan or humanity will go extinct. Corporal Levi told me that I need to shift if we want a single chance against the titans."
The brunet turned to face his friend, "Armin, I get really made when they call me Eren Yeager. They keep telling me that's who I am. But that's not me, I'm Eren Jeager. They told me everything would make sense soon enough. Hanji said it would take time, but I would know myself as Eren Yeager." He laughed, "Weird, right?"
"You are Eren Yeager whether you like it or not."
Eren's eyes widened, "What?" Came out as his breathy response.
The light in Armin's eyes returned, "Eren, those dreams aren't just dreams. They're real memories. You really were Humanity's last hope. People relied on you so much, Eren. Those are not dreams, they actually happened."
"Armin, quit messing with me." He didn't want to believe what his best friend was telling him.
"Eren Yeager. That's who you are. Remember Eren. Don't you remember Mikasa? Your sister? You and her watched as your mother was eaten by a titan when you were only ten years old. Hannes, you remember Hannes, right?" Armin moved to place his hand on Eren's shoulder, only for the other to flinch away from the touch.
If Eren didn't know his friend better, he would have thought Armin lost his mind.
"Everyone we know, they were also in that world. Do you remember, Levi? Not captain. The real Levi, the one you married."
Married? Him? And to Captain Levi?
"Armin, quit spatting so much bullshit! I am me!" His breathing began to pick up.
The blonde's blue eyes narrowed, "Eren, remembering your past is important. You may be Eren Jeager, but you are also Eren Yeager. In our other life, you were the very reason people kept hope. You're the reason why we can even be here in peace and not fighting those creatures outside the walls right now. Eren, you're my best friend, but you also need to accept that the dreams you are having are not simply dreams. They are the very memories we went through."
So, everything he had been dreaming about was really memories? How can that be?
Wait, so then…how did Armin know all this?
"By that look, you're wondering how I can say all this and be certain?"
Eren silently nodded.
"The series, Attack on titan, I wrote that in my previous life. Everything in there, I know it happened. Eren, I lived throughout all that, everyone did. I feel very sad that people believe it was something I wrote because my imagination got the best of me, but it didn't. It's all history, and Eren, you need to remember everything."
Eren felt his body tremble. Armin…wrote the book he was reading? No, no, he was more than likely messing with him. There was no way they were really reincarnated into this world. Armin was fucking with him here.
He let out a light chuckle, surprising the blonde.
"Something funny?"
"Yeah." The brunet looked at his friend, grinning, "You're messing with me again, huh? Come on, Armin, we're not kids anymore. You can cut the act."
"It's not an act, Eren. I'm being serious."
"Armin, come on." His head started hurting.
"I'm not kidding, Eren Yeager."
"Armin, stop." The dull throb began to get worse.
"You were once humanity's last hope…"
"Stop…"
"Eren Yeager."
"Please…stop…" It began to hurt more and more as he heard that name.
"You and humanity's strongest saved us."
"I'm begging you….stop." It felt like something was slicing across the back of his neck.
"The first titan shifter. You were thought to be a monster, but you were the very reason we all lived through that hell."
"Armin…"
The blonde kept talking, "You died giving your life for humanity."
"P-Please…" His neck was on fire.
Armin gazed down at his friend, who was in quiet agony, "People died along the way. But because of you, none of them died in vain."
Eren's hand, where the bite mark was, began to sting. He…he had to bite it again…
"Eren Yeager and Levi Ackerman saved us all. You died in your lover's arms. He lived on for you, Eren. Levi went on to see everything you wanted to. The first place he went to was the ocean."
Finally the dam broke.
Eren stared up at his friend in hatred, "Stop! I said shut up! My name is Eren Jeager! I am no titan shifter! I have no past life like that! Shut up, Armin! You're nothing but a liar!"
The brunet felt as his head began to get lighter and lighter, until finally, he felt everything go black.
Before he completely blacked out, he heard Armin sigh.
"I'm no liar. You just haven't accepted what is."
"Eren! Eren!" There was someone tugging on his arm.
The brunet turned and saw a raven haired girl. She was in a pink dress, pink jacket over, and a red scarf around her neck. She was looking at him in panic.
"What?"
"Come on, run! We have to save mom!" She began to pull him towards what he believed was the house where his mother was at.
Eren began to run beside the girl, avoiding the people that were running their opposite direction, "What's happening?"
The girl turned to him scared, "What do you mean? A titan just broke through the wall! Some of the wall landed on the house! We have to save mom before it's too late!"
Both children stopped by the house, Eren's eyes widening in horror as he saw his mother pinned under the destroyed house.
"Mom!" Eren and the girl ran up to her.
Carla looked at her two children, relieved that they were alive. "Eren, Mikasa…"
"Mom, we're gonna get you out of here! Help me!" He turned to the girl, Mikasa, who nodded. Both tried lifting the roof off their mother's body.
The woman looked at her two children, "Both of you, leave."
Eren looked at his mother desperately, "No, mom, not without you!"
"My legs were crushed, Eren. Leave."
"But, mom-"He was cut off when his mother shouted.
"Just do what I say this once, Eren. Leave!"
Before either child could protest, a blonde haired man came flying down towards them.
The blonde grinned at them, "No need to worry, kiddos, I'll save you."
Their heads snapped to the direction of loud footsteps coming their way. A tall, blonde titan with an unpleasant smile was approaching them all.
Hannes thought he could kill it, but was frozen in fear. Instead, he followed Carla's order, picked up the two kids, and began running.
Eren was still faced in the direction where his mother was, Mikasa turning away, her eyes filled with fear.
Carla held her hand out to the three moving figures, "Eren, Mikasa, live on!" The woman covered her mouth with her hand, sobbing out 'help me, save me, please.'
The brunet watched as his mother was easily picked up, her legs kicking, as she was eaten top half first, blood going everywhere.
"Mom…"
In Wall Trost, there were mobs of people rushing to get onto the ships that were to lead into Wall Rose. Many of them fell to their deaths as they went into the water.
Hannes managed to get the two horror stricken children onto one of the ships where their blonde friend was.
"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough." The blonde bowed his head as he left the three alone.
Eren and Mikasa were completely silent as Armin came up to them, smiling in relief that his friends were still alive.
"Eren, Mikasa, I'm so glad you're alive. Grandpa and I made it aboard…" He trailed off as he noticed the dimmed look in their eyes.
What had happened during the time that they were separated?
The brunet sat in an alley with his two friends, both snuggled into his sides. They had a thick blanket, once which they stole, to keep them warm through the cold nights.
Some months had passed since the fall of Shinganshina. Many people died because of the lack of nourishment, sickness, or were ones who were sent out of the walls to try and find food.
Eren, Mikasa and Armin had been struggling over the time with staying alive.
They would politely ask the solders that were in town if they could spare them some food. The men would always turn them down, telling them they weren't worth the trouble.
So what were they reduced to? Stealing.
The three children would often have to hide out for days on end if they stole too much, and often times had to steal more just to make it through the cold nights.
Eren looked down at his sleeping friends. These two were beginning to get sick, and if he didn't do something soon, they would die.
Carefully removing himself from the two, Eren wrapped the blanket tightly around them, hugging his thin cardigan around himself as he began to search for anything that might help them.
"Hey, kid, what are you doing out here?"
The child turned his head towards the source of the voice. He saw a short red head with green eyes staring back at him, six bags in her hands.
"Why do you want to know?"
The girl shrugged her shoulders, "Just wondering. I haven't seen too many kids around here. Aren't you supposed to be inside with your mom or something?"
Eren felt a stab of sadness and loneliness at the mention of his dead mother, "My mother died when Shinganshina came down."
"Ah, sorry to hear that kid. Hey, come on inside with me." She pointed to a still open coffee house.
The boy was reluctant to do so since Mikasa and Armin were still outside and he would be warm.
"You've got someone or two out here with you, right? I'll buy you something and you can take it to them. I promise not to do anything." The red head patiently waited for him.
"Alright."
The two sat in a booth, the girl drinking tea, and Eren with a hot chocolate. Such a luxury he hadn't had in months.
"So, tell me kid, don't you have a dad to take care of you or something?" The red head had ordered him some loaves of bread, milk, and other things he could eat with his friends.
"I don't know where he is. He was a doctor. He left on a trip before the wall was destroyed." Eren was very worried his father was also killed.
"Ah, that sucks." She eyed the boy as he ate his food. "Make sure you eat all of it."
"Okay." The brunet savored each bite as if it would be his last.
"Those friends of yours, um…"
"Mikasa and Armin."
The girl nodded, grinning, "Yeah, those two, you say they're sick, right?"
"Yeah."
She reached into her bag and pulled out three medicine bottles, handing them to him, "Give them a teaspoon from one bottle, they're all the same medicine, and they should get better real soon." The red head paid for the food as soon as it arrived at their table.
Eren finished his meal and stared at her, "Why did you help me?"
The girl stood up, "Because I was exactly like you. Now, now I have two big brothers who take care of me. I want to show the same kindness they showed me to you. It's a nice thing to do." She gathered her things, preparing to leave.
"Wait! What's your name?"
She turned around and grinned at him, "Isabel Magnolia. Pleasure to meet you, uh."
"Eren Yeager."
"Pleasure to meet you, Eren Yeager." The girl then turned her head back around and walked out of the coffee house.
After gathering his things together, Eren also left.
With the medicine and food Isabel gave him, Mikasa and Armin got all better in three days' time. When they asked him where he got the food and medicine, he simply smiled.
"I got it from my new friend, Isabel."
They didn't question him anymore.
…He never saw her again.
Eren gasped as he sat up in his bed. His heart pounded in his chest as he looked around his room. The brunet sighed when everything was the same.
He glanced down and saw Armin asleep on the floor. He jumped down and shook him awake, "Armin, Armin!"
The blonde groaned as he was woken up from his sleep, he opened one eye, "What Eren?"
Eren was still rather upset at his friend from all the things he told him last night, and he needed to know more, "Was everything you told me true?"
"What did I tell you again?" The blonde yawned into his hand.
"That I'm the reincarnation of Eren Yeager, and you were the one that wrote the book series."
He watched stunned as the blonde shook his head, "What are you talking about? We stayed up late playing games and watching movies. You passed out mid-way through a movie."
So, was that also part of the dream?
End of chapter 6.
I thought, since it was my birthday today, I'd be nice and update both chapters today. Hope you enjoy them. Also, check out my new fire emblem story, fates intertwined.