*flails around*
Hi, yes sorry for the long delay but a lot of stuff happened irl.
Hopefully this chapter will be okay and I hope you'll like it.
Next chapter is hopefully the final one. Hope you're ready!
Also yes this chapter has a... Very interesting song in it.~
Hope you like what I did there. Enjoy!
The sun was setting slowly behind the mountains, and the Forest became silent around the tower. The two lovers swore that time would be frozen just for them, so they could reunite, but fate wasn't this merciful.
After sharing a deep and loving kiss, pulling back and chuckling happily, Eren and Historia found themselves relaxing in each other's arms. Both were sitting against the wall facing the plaques, Historia was curled up against Eren, who had his two arms around her.
For quite a while, they just sat there, silent, exchanging looks and smiles that meant more than words.
But after a while, Eren broke the silence:
"Frieda's left town," he said lowly, his words causing Historia to freeze, and then sit up to look at the brunet with wide eyes. Eren's eyes softened, and he reached out to pat her head gently. "She's taking control of her fate… And you can do too."
Historia's expression thawed into softness, and she looked at Eren with nothing else but adoration. She then looked back to the threads and plaques, hesitant. Eren noticed that, and he straightened up a little, eyes on the plaques too.
"But what about tonight? It's the Winter ball…"
Historia's words sent a huge electroshock through Eren, who suddenly jolted up, remembering why he was here in the first place.
"SHIT! The ball!"
He looked back at Historia, taking her hands in his.
"Story. There's going to be an attack. Your father made deals with the Eldinons, an illegal group of bad guys, and he hasn't paid their debt, so they set up bombs all around the Reiss Castle. You need to leave, and warn as many people as you can!"
Historia stood there astonished, blue eyes staring at Eren with shock. She took a moment to process all this.
"How… How do you-"
"You died, Historia," Eren said sadly, looking at her intensely. "On that day, three years ago for me… Present day for you."
To that, Historia suddenly grabbed Eren's wrist, holding them dearly, as if she was afraid that he'd disappear any moment.
"C-Can't you warn everyone with me?" she asked in a breath, feeling her breathing heaving. Eren looked down sadly, and this was enough to answer Historia's question. She let out a shaky sigh, and looked down as well. They just both realized that their timeline, their only moment together… Won't last long.
Eren reached out to cradle Historia's cheeks gently in his hands, cupping her face tenderly as he looked down on her with a soft, and longing smile.
"Historia," he said, voice soothing and calm. "No matter in which timeline you are, or where you are on this planet, I'll always find you…"
Those words managed to calm Historia down, but also make her even more emotional. She sniffed, feeling tears appearing in her eyes. She put her hands on top of Eren's, nodding slowly.
"Me too… I promise," she said in a low, shaky voice.
Eren's eyes softened, and he moved his hands back to pull Historia into a warm hug, which she returned. They both knew their moment wouldn't last, and that whatever fate had in store for them, they were going to face it, and find each other.
After a moment of silence and hugging, the two broke away, and Eren started explaining the situation clearly to Historia, and what she had to do.
"So what you're saying is… That father knew somehow about the Reiss' powerful threads, and that the moment I, the last female Reiss, had a thread tied to another…. It would reveal the family Reiss' fate… My father always indicated that great fortune awaits us once I will be tied… I guess he didn't fully know…"
Historia said, gaze diverting to the portraits and threads hanging on the wall. All these sealed lives, for a treasure that didn't exist. This was what made the Reiss grand? Their divine and golden prisoned lives? This wasn't a treasure, nor a blessing, this was a curse.
She frowned deeply, anger and determination rising in her as she stood up. Eren watched her carefully, but stayed silent.
Historia moved to the portraits, standing in front of it silently… And suddenly, her two hands grabbed the different threads, and yanked them off the plaques, detaching them from the wall. She did that with every portrait, he breathing heaving as she liberated her family from this deadly entanglement.
Panting, she looked down on the pile of threads and portraits on the ground, and carefully picked them up, looking at Eren softly.
"This had to stop…"
Eren smiled to those words, and stood up, his eyes showing nothing but pride as he walked over to Historia.
"And you're the only one who can," he said genuinely. It wasn't his fate to save Historia, or her family, it was hers all along. "What are you going to do after that?"
Historia smiled, perking up. "What are WE going to do after that?" she corrected playfully, before her eyes softened with sincerity. "I'll leave the town, find you, and we can both run off somewhere…"
Eren blinked to this very enthusiastic, and changing decision. But he welcomed it. He really wanted to leave, see what was beyond his village, with the girl he loved. "Where?" he asked curiously.
"Anywhere!" Historia chuckled. "Just… Starting a new life… Be somewhere where we can finally be at peace."
Eren smiled softly, his eyes glimmering with hope as he pictured their future like this. They both needed to be free somehow, and away from all this.
"Sounds like a dream," he said, voice low and soothing. "Hey," he took a pen out of his pocket, and then carefully reached for Historia's hand. "Let's write each other's names, so that next time we wake up, we remember each other."
Historia blinked to that, and a wide smile curled on her lips as she let Eren write on her hand, the other busy holding all the threads and plaques.
Once he was done, Eren put the pen in her hand, and smiled down at her, gaze loving. She sniffed tears away, and reached out, writing the beginning of her name…
Then the pen dropped.
And Eren was alone in the room.
He still held his hand out, frozen in shock.
"… Huh?"
He looked down on his hand, reading 'His'. He then looked around, breathing out a small 'Historia?'. The portraits were gone, and the moon was starting to rise outside. What was going on?
"I-It's alright," Eren breathed out, trying to reassure himself. "I-I'll remember! Historia. Historia. His-"
He gasped, eyes wide as he tried to remember something… His-who?
Panicked, he quickly grabbed the pen and was about to write on his hand…. But what did he want to write? 'His' what? No. He couldn't forget. This felt important!
"Why… Why am I here?" He breathed out, looking around with confusion. "I… I've never been here before…. No."
'She said, she gave all her love to me.'
"No! I can't forget!"
Eren went over to the nearest window, and looked outside, panting heavily.
We dreamt a new life, some place to be at peace.
"S-Something important… Someone… What's your name?"
'But things changed... Suddenly
I lost my dreams in this disaster'
Eren shook, feeling the tears roll down his cheeks as he cried out to the darkening sky outside:
"WHAT'S YOUR NAME?!"
'I'm crying, missing my lover.
I don't have the power, on my side forever.'
No…
Eren sniffed, sinking on his knees a she broke into another sob. He felt so empty, so useless. He felt as though… A part of him was missing.
'Ohh, where is my lover?'
He felt as if… He was supposed to do something… But he didn't know what. And it drove him insane. He was alone here, lost, and didn't know what he was supposed to do…
'And I got not power.
I'm standing alone.
No way.'
After sobbing for a few seconds, the brunet left the Tower silently, steps slow and slump. He had no idea what just happened, why he was here… He just wanted to go home.
Somewhere in the woods, Historia was running, holding all the threads tightly. She was panting heavily, tears in her eyes.
I won't forget you! I won't forget you! Eren. Eren!
"Eren!"
'Calling out your name…'
She knew she had to save someone. Herself, and her family. So she kept running towards the Castle where the party was. She stopped on a cliff, panting heavily and looking down on the Castle. The lights were all on, and people dressed like Kings and Queens walked in. It had started.
Historia furrowed her eyebrows, and she started her run again. Once she reached the Castle, she spotted Ymir at the entrance, looking around with confusion. She then spotted Historia, she rushed over to her with relief.
"Historia!" She called out, looking absolutely frazzled. "They're all going in. I can't hold them up. Reiner's trying to talk to his dad, he's inside. Are you absolutely sure about the bombs?"
The blonde took a solid minute to register everything and looked around, trying to think. She needed to find the Eldinons, but how would she recognize them?
'We don't know what is wrong tonight.'
"I think... J-Just uhm… Can you distract everyone?"
"Uh, I'll try."
The two friends then separated and Historia rushed inside the Castle, making a beeline to the main stairs when…
"HISTORIA!"
Rod Reiss was chasing after his daughter, and once she stopped, he did too, breathless.
"Where in the gods' name have you been all day?" He snapped, glaring at his daughter. "Do you even realize what your absence is causing to us? Now you better get that damn red dress on and-"
He stopped in his snapping as he realized what Historia was holding, his eyes widening in fear, and then anger washed all over him as he took big steps towards Historia.
"You foolish girl! How dare you!"
Historia stared at her father with bright blue eyes, appalled by his harshness. She glanced down on the threads before up to her father and frowned. She didn't step away though, even with Rod marching towards her so menacingly. She was done running away.
"Do you even realize what you've done? You've doomed us all!" Rod roared, shaky hands reaching for the threads…
But Historia only then stepped back, glaring up to her father. She had always been small, and delicate looking, but upon seeing that glare… For the first time ever, Rod Reiss was scared of his daughter.
"No, father," Historia said in a stern, but calm tone, maintaining eye contact. "I'm taking charge now."
With this, the Blonde spun around and ran off under her father's bewildered eyes. She could hear him call after her even while she ran up the stairs and disappeared in the halls.
She didn't know where she was going, her legs were moving on their own, but she knew she had to go, there was no time.
For some reason, her legs lead her to her bedroom's door.
She glanced around, her breathing deep and rapid. Why did she land here?
Whispers.
Historia could hear voices from across the hall. Unfamiliar voices, that were never heard between these walls. She stepped slowly towards the sound, and as she reached the corner of the hall, she saw two men in suits setting up something mechanical on the wall, with fuels and even dynamite on it.
The bombs.
Historia suddenly felt anger and determination rise in her. These two belonged to the Eldinons! She stepped forward, as silent as a ghost, unnoticed by the two busy men.
"It's over," she said sternly, causing the two men to jump and look at the girl in shock. Before they could do anything, Historia unhooked her arms and let the threads fall on the ground. She suddenly felt relieved by this one, simple, yet fateful gesture.
The two men eyed the threads curiously, before frowning up to the girl.
"You wanted the Reiss' greatest treasure? Here it is," she said, gesturing to the red pile of fate. "An intertwined, suffocating, determined, red mess."
"You're fucking with us," one man growled.
"I'm not," Historia frowned, unphased by his threatening attitude. "Our fate was suffocating us, and as their last heir, I was supposed to tie our family to a greater future, see through time and… Learn from the past. And I did," she said, hands curling into fists. "I freed us."
The two man looked at Historia as if she was the craziest person on this planet. But they couldn't help but stare down at the threads with wonder. This was supposed to be the treasure they all fought for?
"What about the power?" one asked. "It was said that once the last heir is tied, the Reiss' power awakens. What is it then? Immortality?"
Historia shook her head slowly, sighing softly. "There is no power," she felt as though this was lie, even though… It was true… Right?
The two men groaned in frustration, pacing around angrily.
"Fuck fuck fuck!"
One was so angry, he kicked the metallic box… And soon a ticking noise could be heard.
"YOU IDIOT!"
The other screamed, looking at the box with horror.
"Wha- WHOSE CRAZY IDEA WAS IT TO MAKE THIS WORK WITH RANDOM BUTTONS?"
"SHUT UP!"
Historia stared at the two with shock, before she noticed a counter counting down on the machine. 4:45….4:44…
"RUN!"
The three of them started to run for their lives down the hall, suddenly very aware of what was happening. The bombs were about to explode in less than 5 minutes!
Historia passed her bedroom without hesitation. This bedroom that was her own little world of peace, that comforted her through these years of suffocations.
As she reached the main stairs she found her father at the bottom. And everything suddenly went so fast.
'Everybody's got no place to hide.'
Her screaming. Her grabbing him and others, warning about the bombs, scaring guests away… Her father grabbing her, stopping her from running, Reiner suddenly intervening and managing to break the two apart, before leading them outside…
The explosion was huge, and devastating. Many trees were hit by the flying rocks, burnt by the flames, people injured by the shock.
Historia was laid down on the dirt, eyes closed as the flames kept growing stronger. She opened her eyes slowly, only to close them again. The fire almost blinded her.
She sat up slowly, opening them again to see the scene before her. Her second home, her second cage, her childhood, her fate… Was burning. And it felt… Liberating.
'No one's left and there's no one to go on.'
Historia stared at the giant flames silently, tears slowly running down her cheeks. Then, she let out a breathy chuckle, and a smile curled on her lips.
It's gone… It's over.
'All I know, is my life is gone.'
She closed her eyes with a content smile on her face, not even seeing Reiner, Ymir and Rod just staring at the fire with shock. She felt so free, not caring about anything. It was just her, and her tears.
'I'm crying'
Historia couldn't remember how it was all brought to this, how she knew about the bombs, and the Reiss' secret. But she knew, that deep down, someone had helped her find herself. And this someone, wasn't entirely her, no…
'Missing my lover…
I don't have the power, on my side forever'
She didn't know where this feeling came from, of missing someone she didn't even know the identity of… Why was that someone so special to her?
After the liberating feeling, a new feeling appeared: Emptiness.
'Oh, where is my lover?
And I got no power
I'm standing alone
No way'
"…. What... What's your name?"
'Calling out your name.'
Don't worry. Everything will be fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine. ~
Final chapter should be out tomorrow!