Sins Deep Beneath Our Histories

Eren awoke a couple of hours before dawn. The young Titan-shifter had shakily sit up and stared with sightless eyes as Mikasa urged him to speak. From her touch, Eren began to shake even more and looked at his sister across from him, fear growing in his eyes. Then he started to sob.

That was what Mikasa told them as Liesel and her comrades stood behind the door leading to Eren's room. The tall young woman was subdued, her red scarf covering most of her face, and her eyes dark with sorrow and confusion. "He's never interacted with me that way before," she whispered. Across from her, Levi stared at the door in distaste, as if contemplating its destruction. Liesel didn't know what he was thinking. She thought back to the surprisingly peaceful expression which had once echoed across his face, and wondered what exactly what was going through his mind. Then, as her mind fully grasped of the situation, Liesel's expression became subdued. How would she not remember? Her very own first memory of this world was waking up in a cell, bound and confused, barely able to speak and deathly afraid. He is worried that Eren Yeager has lost his memory from consuming the Female Titan. This…situation has happened before, me for example…so we have no idea what will happen. Unless… Liesel thought as she observed Levi open the door to find a room seeping with light and a young man looking forlornly at the sheets. Unless…he has memories of the past.

Although Liesel didn't say a word at the mention of Eren's father, she recognized the name. "Grisha!" A little boy was crying and screaming as the Titan clutched him, his pleads falling on deaf ears as his mother was crushed, streams of blood and flesh the only reality as the little child was devoured. Liesel remembered that moment. She remembered of the child with his thin face and his impossibly large glasses against his face. The moment of when she too was devoured echoed in her mind. Even though I only have a suspicion, it is embedded in my chest. I…feel as if this is the truth.

"I remember." Eren's voice was raspy and faint as he slowly peered at his comrades with swollen eyes. "I…remember everything now."

"Explain, Eren." Levi's voice was sharp and yet not unkind. "What did you see?"

For a moment Eren didn't explain. He simply looked at the white sheets clenched in his hands as his breathing became uneven. Mikasa attempted to reach him, but Armin gently barred her way. Suddenly Eren's shaking fingers pointed at Liesel, tears running down his face.

"I saw her." Eyes immediately stared in Liesel's direction, and the dark-haired young woman forced her breathing to stay even as Eren began to haltingly speak. "I saw…so much death and destruction. I saw nothing beautiful in that world. I just wanted to die, looking at it!" Eren continued to stare into Liesel's dark blue eyes, a knowing look appearing within it. "My father…was one of you, wasn't he?" His voice turned into a whisper, and he squeezed his eyes shut to prevent more tears from leaking onto his cheeks. "I remember...seeing his mother's face, pale and thin. Looking so tired. I felt the fear of my father when he was a child, and the hunger he faced." The young man with dark brown hair took a deep breath and his face calmed. "I remember…the language…even though I couldn't understand it. You…you're truly a brave person I see now, Liesel." Eren's green eyes observed Liesel's face, which was somber and grave as someone would be when talking about the tragic past. "The despair of that world was choking me. I could barely breathe. I…was almost grateful to see you."

"Eren…" Armin spoke softly and with an almost breathless voice. His expression was saddened and beside him Jean was grim. "How did your father become a Titan?" When his childhood friend didn't answer, Armin whispered, "Please…in order to make certain that all the sacrifices," he looked at Liesel's bowed head, "aren't in vain."

"My father became a Titan the same way Liesel did." Eren now looked across the room and spoke to his comrades now. "He was eaten…but that was not before he saw a dark-haired girl with dark blue eyes wearing the same uniform she was wearing when we found her. I saw…my father's mother, screaming for her son before he was eaten. I…don't remember anything after that." His eyes closed and his hands were limp. For a moment the others didn't speak. Liesel could see the other's varying expressions. Horror, flabbergasted, grief, and pain. Hanji-san was pensive, and Levi's dark gray eyes darkened as the emotions in his orbs settled deep within him. "My father was found in 818 beyond the Walls with no memory of his past. He only…remembered his name." Just like Liesel…almost exactly like Liesel, was the unspoken statement. Eren's expression weakened, and his voice faltered. "He had no memory of who he was…and lived alone and afraid within the Walls. I thought people were kind to people like us, orphans and who could not defend for themselves, but…"

The dark brown hair shielded his eyes, and his fingers clenched until they were white. "The peace that the fucker Molotov sought for didn't come. We humans were as disgusting and cruel to each other as always. My father was treated like a monster because of where he came from." Liesel was aware of the numbed expressions of her comrades, shock and pity echoing against their faces. Her knowing dark blue eyes sought Levi, and she could see the slight tension in his shoulders from Eren's statement. The Underground…that's the place he is thinking of. "I think my father felt some sort of peace when he met my mother. He was…happy for the first time in his life. I saw through his eyes and felt the tears streaming down his face when I was born." Eren paused and sighed deeply, his expression troubled. For a moment he was motionless and appeared as if he was made out of stone.

"I'm sorry, Armin."

Armin stared at the young man in bewilderment. "Sorry. For what…?"

Eren gritted his teeth and couldn't appear to speak. "Do you remember the day when my father was indisposed and my mother took us to the market? She made us a soup made out of meat and bread." There was longing and deeper, grief, in his voice.

"Yes." Sympathy and regret shadowed the blond's face, marring his formerly gentle features as his voice quieted.

"That day, my father regained his memory. And…a couples days later, he consulted his closest friend and his wife." Armin's face suddenly became pale and his eyes widened as Mikasa glanced at her friend with visible sadness underneath her dark eyes. "Their names were…"

"Ulrich…and Ada Arlert…" Armin swallowed, visibly shaken and unable to stare at the human faces before him. His large blue eyes bored into the floor. "They…tried to tell the truth, didn't they?" Now tears filled from his eyes and trailed down his cheeks, falling like raindrops on the floor. "They…tried to tell the government of the forgotten history…" Armin's shaking hands were against his mouth, the horror and grief burning in his eyes. "And…they were killed."

"My father only escaped from using his Titan form," Eren stated bitterly as tears continued to trail down Armin's face. "For some reason…they let him go. Probably just to…allow him to kill off the Reiss family in hopes that the real history would die with them." Agony was evident in his voice, and his face was constricted with pain. Eren remorsefully tried to meet Armin's gaze but could not. "Armin, I'm so…"

But Armin wouldn't hear him. Instead, the young man who had been told by his late grandfather that his parents had died trying to explore outside of the Walls, turned abruptly away and ran outside, where his sobs could be achingly heard. Jean glared at Eren in undisguised distaste and slammed the door behind him to comfort the broken young man. For a moment the sound of sobs and hushed comforted words was only heard. Then Erwin spoke.

"Your father gave us a weapon to use for humanity, Eren. I thank you for it." No said a word. As Erwin continued to speak, Liesel thought of the words he had stated to the man who had trusted him most as the concealed faces of his subordinates shone against the sun shining through the window. "Now that you have the Female Titan's power…I suspect that humanity's salvation is within our grasp." His words were cool and measured, and the tall and formerly respected leader briefly glanced at the faces in the room. "Thank you."

The solemn expressions across the room were respectfully silent as Eren's sobs echoed dully in the room.

I deeply apologize to anyone who was hoping for amazing battle scenes for the finale. I am not very good at writing scenes such as those. As such, I hope that the description of the aftermath of the battlefield will suffice. I also deeply apologize to anyone who speaks or understands German, as I used Google Translate for such actions. I deeply thank anyone who has favorite, followed, reviewed, or read this story. It has been an adventure, and I was happy to write this story. Thank you for allowing me to write it.