Eren and Floch sat silently across from each other in Eren's bedroom. The meeting with Yelena they'd had earlier in the day was still fresh in their minds.

Floch looked at the ground dismally. "So, are we just going to go along with Zeke's plan?"

Eren didn't say anything, his face expressionless.

Floch looked at him with a frown. "Eren?"

Eren glanced out of the nearby darkened window, and it was another minute before he finally spoke.

"Back then, you said that only a devil would be able to save us. And I fear that you may have been right."

Eren returned his gaze to Floch. "We could go along with Zeke's plan, or we could simply let Zeke think that we're going along with his plan. We do need him to unlock the full power of the Founding Titan, but once the power has been awakened it will be up to me to determine how it's used."

"And how are you going to use it?"

Eren's eyes darkened. "To destroy everything outside of this island. Every city, every nation, every last man, woman, and child. Nothing and no one will be left."

Floch's eyes widened, his face going slack with shock.

Eren leaned back with a sigh. "At least, that's one possibility I've seriously been considering. Hange, Armin and the others keep going on about trying to find a diplomatic solution, but everything I've seen so far indicates that that's a futile endeavor. The hatred the outside world harbors toward us is too deeply ingrained for them to ever hear us out. So that really only leaves us with two options. Either we follow Zeke's plan, or we go with my plan."

Floch remained silent. The shock had faded from his face, and he was waiting to hear Eren explain himself.

Eren grimaced. "It's true that Zeke's plan is the most humane, and would result in the least death and suffering. But it would restrict our freedom and rob us of our ability to have children, and at a certain level it's conceding to the world's belief that we are monsters who deserve to die out, something I fundamentally reject. On the other hand, if I use the rumbling to eliminate everything outside of this island, the safety and prosperity of our people would be guaranteed in both the short and long term. But the price for our freedom would be much higher, and the amount of death and suffering would be far greater."

Eren let out another sigh. "So that's where we are. Two terrible options, each with radically different outcomes. I hate the idea of arranging for our own extinction, and validating the world's belief that we are devils, but if I did the full scale rumbling I would also be validating their belief, though in a different and far worse way. I just... I don't know what I should do. I'm at a crossroads, and I know I have to decide which path I will follow before much longer."

Eren thought back to his conversation with Historia several weeks ago. He'd almost confessed his plan to her, but in the end his nerve had failed him. But he wanted someone to know and carry this burden as well, and Floch seemed the most likely to keep his secret.

Eren glanced at Floch, trying to gauge his reaction.

After contemplating Eren's words for a few minutes, Floch quietly spoke.

"Perhaps we are devils. But, if that's what it takes for us to survive, then so be it. Whichever plan you decide to go with, I will help you see it through, no matter the cost."

Eren bowed his head. "...thank you Floch."

As Floch left for the night, Eren mulled over his future memories, the one secret he still hadn't told anyone. So far everything that had happened had matched up perfectly with what he had foreseen. He was still waiting for a sign that the future was not set in stone, and that at least some of his future memories were wrong or changeable. But if such a sign didn't come soon, he would abandon this small hope, and accept that the full scale rumbling was the only way to save his people.

Mikasa jogged toward the edge of the camp, feeling both relieved and annoyed.

"Eren." She called out, unable to hide her exasperation. "Don't you know that you're the enemy's prime target? Everyone has been searching for you."

Eren didn't turn around, his gaze still facing forward. He wiped his sleeve against his face before walking toward the nearest tent.

As they got closer, Mikasa saw two people, an older man and a young boy, and her eyes widened as she recognized the latter.

"Is that the boy from the market? Did something happen?"

"Nothing yet." Eren said quietly, his voice slightly hoarse.

Mikasa glanced at him in confusion. "What do you mean? This is…"

Eren gestured at the line of tents spanning the length of the camp. "This is where those who lost their homes from the war are living. The same as we were. One day, our everyday lives suddenly ended, and everything was taken away. All of our freedom was stolen from us."

Mikasa didn't say anything, still not understanding why Eren was drawn to this place.

Eren slowly turned toward her. "Mikasa...why do you...concern yourself so much with me?"

Mikasa blinked. "Huh?"

Eren looked at her, his eyes sadder than she had ever seen them.

"Is it because you were saved by me as a child? Or is it because I'm family? What am I to you?"

Mikasa felt an involuntary blush coming onto her cheeks. The unexpected question had taken her completely by surprise, and her first instinct was to say he was family.

But as she thought it all through, and considered how her feelings for him went beyond just familial love, how he only had a short time left, and how he seemed to be unusually sad about something, she realized that she owed him an honest answer, even if it was rather embarrassing to be suddenly put on the spot like this.

"...um...you are…"

She took a deep breath. "You are the most important person in my life. I... I can't imagine a world without you in it…"

Eren's eyes widened in shock, and he appeared stunned by her confession.

But before either of them could respond to Mikasa's confession, the older man came up to them carrying two drinks, and spoke to them cheerfully in his native tongue.

"What?" Mikasa asked uncertainly.

"Looks like he's trying to make us feel welcomed." Eren said with a small smile.

A moment later Armin, Jean, Connie, and Sasha arrived, and the six of them ended up joining the refugees inside of their tent, and a night of merriment and much booze drinking followed.

As the night progressed Mikasa found it harder and harder to think straight, but during her last few moments of lucidity she couldn't help but notice that Eren seemed far happier then he had during the rest of the trip.

Zeke glanced at his younger brother, who was leaning against the same wall as him. True to his word, he had come, and had disguised himself, looking very different from how he had looked four years ago. Only by peering at him closely had Zeke been able to tell that he was indeed Eren Yeager.

Zeke cleared his throat. "First of all, Eren...thank you for acknowledging what I had to say and coming all the way here. What Yelena told you is exactly what I think. Since you have understood it, I wonder if you'll comply."

Zeke glanced at Eren. "The plan to euthanize Eldia. Will you approve of it?"

Eren was silent for several moments before speaking.

"Over the past four years I've gained access to all of Father's memories. Everything he saw, everything he felt. I know you didn't have the best relationship with him, but he regretted how he had treated you, and never once blamed you for what happened, not even in his mind."

Zeke looked mildly surprised.

"And he learned from his mistakes. When raising me, he didn't try to force his ideas and plans upon me. It was my mother who would scold me and who tried to keep me in line."

Eren smiled softly. "She certainly had to work hard, I was quite the handful."

His smile faded. "The only thing Father ever forced upon me were the Titan powers he had acquired. The Attack Titan he'd been given by the Owl, and the Founding Titan he'd stolen from the Reiss family. Sometimes I resent him for having done that, but if he hadn't given me the power of the Titans, I probably would have died long ago."

Eren glanced at Zeke. "But as I said, Father didn't treat me the way he treated you. As a result, everything I have done throughout my life has been the result of my own ideas, my own thoughts, and my own decisions."

Zeke looked at him carefully. "And where have your ideas led you?"

Eren shifted his gaze toward the wall that surrounded Liberio district. "Growing up, I hated the fact that we were trapped inside the walls, caged off from the rest of the world. And when Wall Maria fell...my mother was devoured by a Titan right before my eyes."

Zeke frowned.

"I swore to kill all of the Titans, to get revenge for what they had done, and to finally free humanity from its cage. For years I was driven by this goal, by my anger, my hatred. But over time, things changed. While I had been exposed to the brutal cruelty of this world at a young age, there was still much about it that I was ignorant of."

Zeke prompted him. "Such as?"

Eren grimaced. "I believed that people were either good or bad, and that it was easy to distinguish between the two. But after Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt revealed their true colors, I realized it wasn't that simple. I believed that Titans were nothing but evil monsters. But then I found out that they had once been human, and in some ways were just as much victims as the people they consumed. I believed the fate of humanity rested on my shoulders, only to realize that humanity was alive and well outside of the walls, and that everything we had believed for the past 100 years was a lie. At that point, I wasn't sure what I should do. All I knew was that countless people had given their lives for our freedom, and that I had a duty to ensure their sacrifices weren't in vain."

Eren glanced away. "I'll be perfectly honest, when Yelena told me of your plan, my first instinct was to reject it. We had spent all this time fighting for our freedom, and you wanted us to arrange for our own extinction? How could we agree to such a thing?"

Zeke tensed slightly, but waited for Eren to finish.

Eren looked down at his hands. "But then I thought back to the moment when my mother was devoured by a Titan. The Titan that ate her had once been Dina Fritz...your mother."

Zeke's eyes widened.

"And in that moment I realized the horrible truth. On the one hand we had my mother, an innocent human being who had done nothing wrong, eaten alive by a monster. And on the other hand, we had your mother, an innocent human being who had only tried to do what she thought was right, turned into a living weapon, doomed to forever wander the lands as a mindless killing machine until the day she died. I hope that no one will ever have to suffer either of these fates ever again."

Eren closed his hands into fists. "But as long as Eldians exist, Titans will exist. And as long as Titans exist, both of these situations will continue to happen. It's inescapable. And as long as the power of the Titans exist, Eldians will always be feared and exploited, whether by the people of the world, or by other Eldians."

Eren glanced at Zeke. "I have a duty to the people of Paradis, and a strong desire to protect those I love. But I also recognize that, as holder of the Founding Titan, I have a responsibility toward the future generations. The 145th king was a coward. He claimed he wanted peace, but all he really did was make a temporary truce, ultimately trapping the Eldians on the island behind the walls, and abandoning the Eldians on the continent to be oppressed and exploited by Marley. He neither planned nor cared for the future. I will not be like him."

Eren faced Zeke and pressed his hand against the wall. "The Eldians who are alive right now have a right to the life they were given. But ultimately you are right. If we want to free the world from the fear of Titans, and give humanity a chance at a better future, then no more Eldians must ever be born. Promise me that you will enable me to use the Founding Titan to protect my people, and I swear to you that I will bring an end to the two thousand years of history dominated by the Titans. Until that day we will continue to advance. Isn't that so, brother?"

Zeke looked at Eren with pride. While they had lived very different lives, and endured many hardships, they were still able to come to an understanding, and do what needed to be done.

Zeke nodded. "Yes. Let's do it."

Zeke reached into his pocket. "Normally this would be the point when we affirm our promise with a handshake, but if we were to touch now it could be bad. In place of that accept this."

Zeke pulled out a baseball and tossed it to Eren, who deftly caught it. Eren nodded before placing it in his pocket, turning around, and walking away.

Zeke soon followed suit. As he walked away his steps felt lighter than normal, because for the first time in a long time, he didn't feel quite so alone.

Yes Eren. For sure, we will save everyone.

Armin watched Eren warily. Eren, Mikasa, himself, and the girl who killed Sasha were all seated at the same table at Eren's request after his abrupt and unexpected appearance at the restaurant.

Of the four of them, Eren was the only one who appeared calm. Mikasa looked rather anxious, and Armin knew he probably did as well, while the girl looked terrified, her eyes glued to Eren's bleeding hand.

Eren tried to smile reassuringly. "I just wanted to talk to you guys in a quiet place. We can solve Eldia's problems without any further conflict. Hange and the others will be fine, we're just moving them."

Armin smiled uncertainly. "We were the ones who wanted to talk to you. We just wanted to know what you were thinking. What made you decide on your own to attack Marley, and if Zeke and Yelena have really gotten you on their side."

Eren shook his head. "I'm not on anyone's side. My concern is the safety and well-being of the people of Paradis."

"Then why?" Mikasa asked. "Why did you attack Marley? Why are you going along with what Zeke wants? You're not the kind of person who would involve innocent civilians, even if they're from an enemy nation."

Eren looked at her sadly. "I wish that were true, but you've seen firsthand that isn't the case."

Mikasa glanced down, nervously fiddling with her scarf.

Armin leaned forward. "Eren, by attacking Marley, don't you realize that you've put this island in danger? If we had tried to talk things out…"

Eren sighed impatiently. "Armin, you're being unbelievably naive. You saw at that press conference how the world views us. Even the organizations speaking on behalf of the Eldian people view us as devils. What we have to say doesn't matter. They don't want to listen."

"…maybe, but…"

Eren turned toward the table's fourth occupant. "You, what's your name?"

The girl jumped, her eyes still wide with fear. "G-Gabi."

Eren inclined his head. "You were there when Willy Tybur gave his speech to the representatives of the world, correct?"

"Y-yes."

"He went over the Great Titan War, and the key events of 100 years ago. He talked about the 145th king and his vow of pacifism. But did he tell you that King Fritz took away the memories of the people within the walls, making them forget about their Eldian heritage and the outside world, and leaving them to believe they were the last of humanity in a world overrun by Titans?"

"N-no...he didn't…"

"Did he tell you that when Marley's Warriors broke down the wall, hundreds of thousands of our people died because of the Titan onslaught?"

"No…"

"And did he tell you that the coup within Paradis and the stealing of the Founding Titan only occurred after Marley's attack?"

"No…"

"No, he didn't say any of that. What did he say about us?"

"...h-he said that y-you were devils, and that you w-would destroy the world with the r-rumbling if you weren't stopped."

"And what was the last thing he said before I killed him?"

"...h-he said...I declare war...on the enemies of Paradis island…"

"And what was the audience's response to this declaration?"

Gabi swallowed nervously. "...thunderous applause…"

Eren nodded grimly. "There, you see? Peace was never an option. The world has decided that we are devils, and that we must take the fall for the crimes of the Eldian empire. Our only option is to fight."

Armin frowned. "Even so, do you really think we can trust Zeke?"

"I do. In any case, I'm placing my faith in Zeke because I have no other choice."

Mikasa frowned. "What do you mean?"

Eren lowered his eyes. "Each of the nine Titans has their own distinct qualities. Four years ago, I discovered what the unique ability of the Attack Titan is. It has the power to see the future."

Armin, Mikasa, and Gabi were stunned by this revelation.

"Huh?" Mikasa said.

"What?" Armin exclaimed.

Eren folded his arms, and for the first time looked rather nervous.

"Four years ago, I saw a glimpse of the future. What I saw in that future filled me with horror and despair. I absolutely did not want to do what I had seen my future self doing. But as time went on, I slowly began to accept that pursuing that future was the only way to protect Paradis. However, when we were in Marley, I saw more of the outside world for myself, and met people like that little boy and his family. I know there's millions of innocent people out there like them, just trying to live their lives."

He turned toward Mikasa. "And then...Mikasa, do you remember that question I asked you?"

A blush crept onto her cheeks. "Y-yes."

"I asked you that question partly because I wanted to know the answer, but mostly because I wanted to see if what you said matched up with what I had foreseen. Up until that point, everything I had seen had matched up with the future I had glimpsed four years ago."

A small smile appeared on Eren's face. "But...your answer was different from what I had seen. It made me realize that the future isn't fixed, it can change based on the choices we make. I had two options going forward. I could either pursue the horrific future I had seen, or I could abandon it and follow Zeke's plan instead."

Eren reached out and gently grasped Mikasa's hand with his own. "More than anything, I want to build a future where you can be happy...where we can be happy...and I know that if I followed the future I had seen, that could never happen."

Mikasa's blush intensified, and a small red hue appeared on Eren's face as well.

Armin glanced at Mikasa uncertainly before returning his gaze to Eren.

"What did you see in that future?"

Eren's smile faded. "I... I saw myself using the rumbling to destroy the rest of the world."

Gabi froze, while Armin stiffened in shock.

Mikasa's blush faded at once, and her face became pale. "No. You can't have. You wouldn't."

Eren squeezed her hand. "In order to protect the people I care about, I could have. And I did seriously consider going through with it. But in the end, I...I chose to abandon that path and instead trust in the only viable alternative, which was Zeke's plan."

Eren looked at Armin seriously. "Do you understand what I mean when I say I have no other choice?"

Armin swallowed nervously. "What is Zeke's plan?"

"I'll tell you once you tell me where Zeke is."

Armin shook his head. "I don't know, only Hange does."

"I see." Eren let go of Mikasa's hand and stood up. "Well, let's go."

"Where?"

Eren smiled softly. "The place where it all started. Shiganshina. You too."

Gabi flinched and looked at the ground.

As Eren headed for the door, he looked back at his two childhood friends fondly.

"And Mikasa...thank you for stopping me."

A short time later Armin, Mikasa, and Gabi were escorted to a carriage by some of the Yeagerists. As the carriage began to move, Armin felt a strange mix of emotions within him. Part of him felt relieved that he finally knew Eren's motives, and it was moving to know how much he and Mikasa meant to him. At the same time, he felt a chill in his stomach as he considered just how close Eren had come to carrying out a global genocide.

As he watched Mikasa, Armin could tell she also had mixed feelings about their talk with Eren, though in her case it was clear that the feelings of happiness and relief were winning.

Gabi, meanwhile, didn't say a single word during the ride, and she looked both unsettled and troubled.

Onyankopon dashed into the room, a set of keys dangling from his shaking hands. Jean, Connie, Armin, Mikasa, Niccolo, and the Braus family watched him uncertainly from inside the spacious cell.

"Onyankopon, what's going on outside?" Jean asked.

"The Marleyan army attacked from the sky with their airships!" Onyankopon exclaimed as he cycled through the keys, trying to find the right one. "They brought about 500 soldiers, along with the Armored, Jaw, and Cart Titans! And Eren's taking them all on by himself!"

Mikasa's eyes widened in horror. "What?!"

Onyankopon nodded grimly. "He's fighting hard, but he can't last forever! If this keeps up, Marley will steal the Founding Titan from us!"

He found the right key and promptly unlocked the cell door. "Please, you've got to help us defend Eren!"

Connie grabbed Onyankopon by the collar and slammed him against the wall opposite the cell.

"You can't be serious!" Connie spat angrily. "You want us to help you after everything you've done?! This is YOUR battle! Do you really think we're going to take orders from a traitor like you?!"

Onyankopon swallowed nervously. "I-I'm sorry. B-But-"

Connie tightened his grip. "You guys were acting all nice with us, when all along you were just plotting to take over Paradis!"

Tears appeared in his eyes, though the anger remained. "I'm tired of being betrayed! By Reiner, Bertolt, Annie, Eren, I'm sick and tired of it damn it! Why the hell should we help Eren just so none of us can ever have kids?!"

Jean gently pulled Connie's arms off of Onyankopon. "Connie, stop. Let him speak."

After getting his breath back, Onyankopon looked at them seriously.

"I honestly didn't know about the wine or the euthanization plan. I truly didn't. I wanted to help the people of Paradis develop so that we could destroy Marley together."

He spread his hands out. "That's why I abandoned everything and came here, because I believed in this island's future! Children are the future! If the euthanization plan were carried out, what would all of our efforts have been for?!"

Connie said nothing, but the anger in his face had faded slightly.

"Please believe me." Onyankopon pleaded.

Jean stepped forward. "I think you're telling the truth. But, if we help Eren and Zeke, we'll be enabling their euthanization plan."

Onyankopon grimaced. "We can find a way to stop their plan, but without those two we have no way of defending this island from the world."

Connie scowled. "Then what are you saying we should do?!"

"We must show the world the power of the rumbling at least once!" Onyankopon said anxiously.

Jean turned toward Armin and Mikasa with a frown. "You know, you two have been unusually quiet ever since we got here. You said you talked to Eren, but you haven't told us anything about what he said. From what I know of Eren, it would be extremely unusual for him to agree with this euthanization plan. Yet all the evidence indicates that Eren is complicit with what Zeke wants. Why is that?"

Mikasa remained silent, and fiddled nervously with her scarf.

Armin looked at the ground, carefully considering his words.

"Well...under normal circumstances I don't think Eren would go along with the euthanization plan. But...I think...given the circumstances...I think Eren feels he has no other choice."

"But why?!" Connie burst out. "Why the hell would he think it's a good idea for us to never have kids?!"

Armin swallowed nervously. "Part of it might be the fact that the Titans and the Eldians are inescapably linked, and Zeke may have convinced Eren that the gradual extinction of the Eldian race is the only way to free humanity from the Titans. But the real reason Eren is going along with Zeke is because of something he saw after we visited that basement."

Jean blinked. "Oh?"

Armin frowned. "He didn't go into many details, but four years ago he discovered the Attack Titan's secret ability. Apparently it has the power to see the future."

Onyankopon's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"What?" Connie gasped.

"Are you serious?" Jean exclaimed.

Armin nodded. "Yes. And...the future he saw...was one in which he used the Founding Titan to destroy everything outside of this island."

Jean and Connie were stunned into silence, and the Braus family also had looks of shock on their faces.

"What?!" Onyankopon shouted in disbelief.

"Eren then spent the next few years tormented by what he had seen, hoping it wouldn't come to pass. But as things unfolded, and the situation with the outside world seemed more and more hopeless, he started to believe that the future he had seen was the only way to protect this island. But then...something happened when we visited Marley."

Mikasa blushed involuntarily, and lifted her scarf up to try to hide part of her face.

Armin hastily continued. "Um...anyways, Eren realized that the future wasn't actually set in stone, and that maybe he didn't have to destroy the outside world. So I'm guessing that Eren latched onto Zeke's plan because he thinks it's the only alternative to...what he was originally going to do."

Jean glanced at Mikasa curiously before shaking his head.

"Damn."

"Shit." Connie muttered. "I mean...I still think the euthanization is kind of fucked up...but compared to that…"

Onyankopon looked visibly shaken. "Well...I-I'm really glad that Eren changed his mind about...that...but does he honestly think that the only choices are between destroying the outside world and euthanizing the Eldian race?"

Armin sighed. "Those aren't the only two options, but they are the only two options that would solve the cycle of hatred once and for all in the immediate future. Any other options would carry at least the risk of the cycle repeating in future generations."

"Are you saying you agree with Zeke?" Onyankopon asked incredulously.

"No. But it's clear that Eren does. I don't like it, but...I can understand why Eren is doing what he's doing."

Armin looked at them anxiously. "In any case, we can't let the Founding Titan fall into the hands of Marley."

Mikasa fiddled with her scarf. Eren had said that he wanted to build a future with her, something she'd always dreamed about. But whenever she imagined a future with Eren, she had always pictured having at least one or two kids with him, something that wasn't compatible with the euthanization plan. However, she knew that having children wasn't necessary to having a happy and fulfilling life, and given the choice between the two plans she had to admit that Zeke's was preferable. As much as it moved her to know how far Eren was willing to go to protect them, she didn't want the blood of millions of people to be shed just to ensure their safety, and she was immensely glad that she had persuaded Eren to back off from his radical plan, albeit in an indirect way.

She looked at them all seriously. "Let's go."

Eren and Zeke looked around the vast sandy realm uncertainly.

"What is this place?" Eren wondered.

Zeke looked around thoughtfully. "I think this is what others have called 'paths'. I saw it once before, when I was close to death…"

Zeke glanced at Eren with a frown. "Speaking of which, why didn't Gabi shoot you? I mean, I'm glad she didn't, but she had a perfect shot, and I know for a fact that her aim is excellent."

Eren shrugged. "Yesterday I revealed my true intentions to Armin and Mikasa, and Gabi happened to be in the same room. I guess something I said must have caused her to hesitate."

"I see. Well, if I had to guess, I'd say that over there is the coordinate."

Zeke pointed toward the main feature of the otherwise desolate landscape, a massive pillar of light that reached up into the sky and splintered off into countless smaller branches.

Standing next to the pillar was a short figure that appeared to be a young girl in rags.

Eren frowned. "Who is that?"

Zeke looked at her curiously. "It must be the Founder Ymir."

"Really?"

"Who else could it be?"

Eren took a step forward. "Well, there's only one way to find out."

He walked a few paces before realizing that Zeke hadn't moved from his initial position.

Zeke looked down. "I can't move."

"Huh?"

Zeke tried lifting his feet again to no avail. "It must be the vow renouncing war that restricts those with royal blood."

Zeke looked at Eren seriously. "As I suspected, only you can move here freely. So, it's up to you Eren. You must ask the Founder to implement our euthanasia plan."

Eren frowned. "Sterilizing...all Eldians…"

"Eren…"

Eren shook his head. "Not yet."

Zeke's eyes widened. "What?"

Eren began walking toward the pillar. "Don't worry brother. I will keep my promise. But there's something I need to take care of first."

Zeke glanced at the pillar anxiously. "What is it?"

"It's something I saw in my father's memories. I just need to make sure that the past plays out the way it's supposed to."

Zeke felt slightly uneasy, but in the end he decided that he could trust Eren.

A short time later, Eren stood before the girl in rags.

Eren held out his hand. "Founder Ymir, please lend me your power."

A tendril of light shot out of the pillar, and a moment later Eren found himself inside his father's memories. He sped through most of them until he got to the most important part, and made sure that his father went through with the plan to kill the Reiss family.

After it was over, Grisha slowly walked away from his Titan and the ruins of the chapel.

Grisha fell to the ground. "I...I killed them all...even the little children...are you satisfied with this Eren?!"

"Yes." Eren said quietly.

Tears appeared in Grisha's eyes. "Was there really no other way?"

Eren shook his head helplessly. "I don't know. All I can tell you is that this is what happened, and in order for me to get to where I am now, I needed to make sure that the past played out the same way it did before."

Grisha bowed his head. "With this...will the Eldian people really be saved? For something that terrifying to happen…"

"You can relax, dad. I won't let that future come to pass. Zeke and I have found another way."

Grisha's eyes widened. "Zeke? You've met Zeke?"

"Yes."

"Does...does he hate me?"

"No. Not anymore."

Grisha looked immensely relieved. "Well...best of luck to you both. Goodbye."

With that done, Eren left his father's memories, and found himself back in the paths.

Eren looked down at the young girl in concern. "Founder Ymir...have you been here since 2000 years ago?"

She remained silent, her eyes closed.

Eren knelt down in front of her. "Why won't you say anything?"

She still said nothing.

Eren reached out and grasped her hand, and all at once felt a spark of electricity shooting up his arm. The next moment, a large number of Ymir's memories poured into his mind like a torrent of water. Most of them were from her life in the real world, while the rest were a random patchwork of the vast amount of time she'd spent in the paths realm.

Ymir stiffened, as the connection had worked both ways, and she had seen most of Eren's memories as well.

Eren looked at her sadly. "All this time...you've been suffering here all alone. You poor thing. But it's okay now. You don't have to be a slave any longer. There's one thing I need you to do for me, and after that, you are free. You don't have to stay here any longer. You don't have to follow orders anymore. Lend me your strength, and help me end it."

Ymir began to cry, and all at once the pillar started to glow. A beam shot out from it that connected Ymir, Eren, and Zeke.

Hange looked down at Levi in disbelief.

"What?" She whispered. "Levi's wounds..."

She'd gone to the trouble of treating Levi's injuries as best as she had been able, even though she'd had her doubts that he would live for very long. But now, all of the wounds had mysteriously vanished without a trace.

Levi let out a low groan. "Ugh...what...where are we?"

Hange let out a small smile. "I'm not entirely sure."

Levi slowly sat up. "That bearded bastard...he set off the thunder spear...but…"

Levi looked down at his body as if expecting to see some grave injury, an expectation that Hange knew was justified, which made their sudden absence all the more baffling.

"You were in pretty bad shape, but a moment ago your wounds mysteriously healed."

Levi looked at her sharply. "What? How is that even-"

Hear me, subjects of Ymir.

Hange and Levi jumped, and looked around in shock.

"Eren?" Hange said uncertainly.

My name is Eren Yeager. I am using the power of the Founding Titan to speak to you all. The hardening of Wall Maria has come undone, and all the Titans trapped within have begun to march. My objective is to protect the people of Paradis island, the place where I was born and raised. However, the world longs for the annihilation of the people of Paradis. I reject this wish. And so, the Wall Titans shall trample every coastline in the world, eliminating every village, town, and city that exists near the sea as a warning to those who seek to destroy us. Those who flee inland will be spared. But if anyone interferes with Paradis at any time in the next fifty years, I will release the Titans within Wall Rose and Wall Sina, and they will trample all land outside of this island underfoot until all humans living out there have been eliminated from this world.

Mr. Leonhart fell to the ground in astonishment, completely oblivious of the groceries he had dropped.

The nearby stall owner was looking around wildly. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes. I did." Mr. Leonhart murmured.

He frowned, his mind racing.

That message...so Willy Tybur was partly right. But it's strange. My body feels rather...odd. And my leg...the pain's gone...how is that possible?

The long line of Wall Titans were slowly marching their way south, accompanied by the gargantuan figure of Eren's Founding Titan form, which was using its ribs to slowly crawl along the ground like a giant skeletal centipede.

This spectacle was currently being observed by Magath and Pieck, the latter still in her Titan form, from a reasonably safe distance.

Magath's gaze was on the airships in the distance. "Looks like the airships have left without us after seeing the rumbling. All things considered, they probably made the right call."

Magath glanced at Pieck. "That vision you saw, you think that every Eldian in the world saw it?"

Pieck nodded. "Yeah."

Magath scowled. "Then it appears that Gabi's intel was correct. Eren backed off from doing a full scale rumbling thanks to Zeke. But it's because of that traitor that this partial rumbling is still happening. Damn it."

Pieck shrugged. "Well, at least the world isn't actually ending. We'll live to fight another day."

"Yeah." Magath frowned. "But the question is, what is their plan? Surely they must know that the rumbling won't diminish the hatred the world feels toward this island, it will only increase it. Granted, it will buy them time, but time for what?"

Suddenly on their right they saw a fifteen meter Titan slowly jogging toward them, two people in the palm of its hand. It took Magath a moment to realize that he was looking at the Armored Titan, except that its armor was missing.

"What the…?" Magath exclaimed.

The Armored Titan collapsed to the ground, and Reiner emerged from the nape. Gabi had been supporting an unconscious Falco, and now that he had exited his Titan Reiner came over and picked up the young man. Reiner then carried Falco over to the Cart Titan, with Gabi by his side.

Pieck looked at them in relief. "Thank goodness you're alright."

Magath looked around grimly. "Where's Galliard?"

Reiner looked down at Falco. "He's dead. After Zeke screamed, Falco was turned into a Titan. Porco let himself be devoured so that Falco could resume his human form."

Pieck's face wilted in sadness, while Magath bowed his head.

Reiner closed his eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop Eren."

Magath let out a long sigh. "Well, we did our best, and things aren't as dire as we feared. We fought well, and given the circumstances I don't think we could have done any better."

Gabi was silent, thinking back to that last crucial moment, when Eren was sprinting toward Zeke, and she'd inexplicably hesitated despite having a gun.

Why? Why didn't I take the shot?

Pieck frowned. "Do you know what happened to Zeke?

Reiner nodded. "Yeah. He and Eren have taken control of the Founding Titan. Eren is controlling the Wall Titans, while Zeke is controlling the pure Titans he created. He could have captured us, but he let us go."

"How generous." Pieck scoffed.

She glanced at Magath. "What should we do sir?"

He looked at the Founding Titan, which was now further south but still very visible.

"Let's head south. We'll lay low for a while, and once the rumbling is over, we'll use the Cart Titan to cross the sea."

Reiner, Falco, and Gabi got on board the Cart Titan, while Pieck reentered the nape, and the subdued Warrior unit slowly made their way south, being careful to stay out of the way of the rumbling.

Levi and Hange arrived back at Shiganshina several hours after the battle had ended.

As they neared the military headquarters, they soon spotted a familiar face.

Floch looked at them in shock. "Oh. So you guys are still alive. Well that's good I suppose."

Floch appeared nervous, and Levi had to admit he wasn't very happy with the young Yeagerist, but he wasn't going to let himself get distracted.

"Where's Zeke?" Levi asked coldly.

Floch shrugged. "Not here. Commander Pixis is inside, he can probably answer your questions."

A moment later, Hange and Levi met with Pixis and Niles on one of the upper floors.

"What happened here?" Hange asked.

Pixis sighed. "What didn't happen? Marley used their airships to launch a surprise attack, and attempted to capture the Founding Titan using the Jaw, Cart, and Armored Titans. However, Zeke arrived, and with his Beast Titan turned the tide against the enemy."

Pixis grimaced. "But then he was shot by the Cart Titan and severely wounded, and so he ended up screaming and turning those of us who had consumed his spinal fluid into Titans to fight the Marleyan soldiers. Eventually Eren and Zeke reached each other and activated the Founding Titan."

Hange nodded. "Yes, we heard the message Eren sent."

Pixis folded his arms. "Apparently Eren and Zeke both now have full access to the Founding Titan's power. Eren is using it to control the wall Titans, and after getting the battle under control Zeke used it to turn us back into humans."

Levi leaned forward. "Where is Zeke?"

Pixis glanced out a nearby window. "He left about an hour ago with Armin, Mikasa, Connie, Jean, and Yelena for Ragako."

Levi frowned. "Ragako? Why?"

"I guess it's to return Connie's mother to human form."

Levi felt slightly stunned. Maybe all that time he'd spent trying to make Zeke understand the gravity of what he'd done had actually had some effect. And maybe, just maybe, that meant that Zeke had at least a little bit of decency in him after all.

He still planned to kill him though.

Hange glanced back and forth between Pixis and Niles. "What's going on with the chain of command? Who's in charge?"

Pixis smiled ruefully. "That's a good question. Since both Eren and Zeke now control the Founding Titan, we don't really have any choice but to go along with them. However, Zeke didn't express any interest in assuming command, and Eren's gone, so at the moment we've reached an uneasy truce with the Yeagerists. I'm technically in charge at the moment, with the understanding that I'll defer to Eren when he turns up."

At that moment Onyankopon entered the room, and his face lit up.

"Hange! Levi! You're alive! Thank goodness, I thought you two were goners."

Hange smiled. "Well, you can't get rid of us that easily."

Pixis frowned. "The only thing I'm wondering is what Eren and Zeke's secret plan was. They've activated the rumbling, which is obviously key to preventing the world from attacking us in the near future. Beyond that, they seem to have altered the bodies of every Eldian in some way, as all of the soldiers that were injured during the battle have mysteriously recovered."

Hange tilted her head thoughtfully. "Yes, I did notice that. Because of his confrontation with Zeke Levi had some pretty bad wounds, yet when the Founding Titan activated all of his wounds mysteriously vanished."

She stiffened. "Now that I think about it…"

She reached up and removed her eye patch, and discovered that her left eye was good as new.

She blinked a few times in shock. "Wow."

Niles looked at her in disbelief. "Unbelievable."

Pixis rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting. So, the rumbling was the first part of the plan, healing and restoring the bodies of the Eldians must have been the second part. But there must have been something else to it."

Onyankopon grimaced. "I know what it is. Yelena told us about Zeke's plan. He...Zeke's plan was to use the Founding Titan to render every Eldian sterile. That way no more Eldians will be born, and gradually over time the Eldian race will die off, and take the power of the Titans with them without requiring any bloodshed."

A stunned silence followed this proclamation.

"What?" Hange whispered.

Niles scowled. "So I'm guessing our enhanced and newly healed bodies were given to us in order to make up for the fact that we can't have children any more."

Pixis frowned. "But why would Eren agree to something like this?"

"Armin told us why." Onyankopon said quietly. "Apparently the Attack Titan has the power to see the future."

Hange looked at him sharply. "Really?"

"And...four years ago, Eren saw a future where he used the Founding Titan to destroy everything outside of this island. Obviously this future was highly distressing to him, and he ended up following along with Zeke's plan because he came to believe it was the only alternative to the global genocide he'd foreseen."

Hange pressed a hand to her forehead. "Dear god…"

Niles shook his head. "So instead of committing a genocide against the world, he's committing a genocide against his own people. Granted it's much more humane than what Marley would have done, and of course the notion of massacring everyone outside of this island is appalling. But...does he really think it's the best choice for our people? And does he think the people will be happy with the fact that they can't have children anymore?"

Pixis sighed. "Back when we were still ignorant of how the world truly worked, we longed for the day that the Titans would disappear. After all the death and suffering they had caused, who wouldn't wish for the Titans to be gone? Of course, we now know that as long as the Eldian race exists, Titans will also exist. So I suppose there is a certain logic to euthanizing the Eldian race, as that really is the only way to get rid of the Titans for good. At the very least I now understand why Yelena said that Zeke was trying to save the world, when on the surface his plan seemed to only benefit this island."

Levi stood up. "To be perfectly honest, I don't really care anymore. If that bearded bastard is headed to Ragako, that's where I'm going."

Hange stood up as well. "Hold on, I'm coming with you. I have a few things I'd like to ask Zeke and the others."

"Wait, let me come too!" Onyankopon said.

It was about a day later when Hange, Levi, and Onyankopon arrived at the abandoned ruins of Ragako.

As they rode into the town, they soon spotted the others near where the abnormal Titan that had been Connie's mom had been kept.

Connie was talking quietly with his mother, tears of sadness and relief streaming down both of their faces as he explained what had happened, and what she had missed. Armin, Mikasa, and Jean stood a short distance away, their expressions solemn.

And furthest away from the group was Zeke and Yelena, who were the only ones that had noticed the new arrivals.

Levi glared down at the shifter. "There you are."

Zeke turned toward Levi with a resigned look on his face. "So you've come. I can't say I'm surprised, though I would have preferred to never see you again."

Levi unsheathed his swords. "Don't worry, I'll make sure this meeting is our last."

"Wait!" Yelena protested, but Zeke motioned at her to stop before she could get between him and the murderous captain.

Zeke looked at Levi calmly. "Go ahead and kill me if you want. It doesn't matter. I've done what I set out to do. The rest I can leave to my brother."

"Hold on Levi."

Hange looked at the elder Yeager brother seriously. "Zeke...why did Eren go along with this?"

Zeke smiled softly. "When Eren and I made contact, we were flung into the coordinate. While we were there I ended up seeing all of his memories, and the process that led him to agreeing to my plan. It's true that he originally intended to betray me, and use the Founding Titan to destroy everything outside of this island. But in the end his conscience won out, and he did the right thing, both for the Eldian people, and humanity as a whole."

Zeke rubbed the back of his head. "Of course, he's still going a bit further with the rumbling then I originally intended, but he doesn't want to take any chances given how hostile the outside world is. And of course his proclamation that he would trample every coastline was a slight exaggeration, as there are some parts of the world that will be left alone, mainly smaller and weaker nations that pose no real threat, and of course Hizuru will be left untouched."

Onyankopon looked at his leader sadly. "Zeke...do you really think that the euthanization plan is what's best for the Eldian people? Do you really think that eradicating an entire race is justified?"

"I can see where you're coming from Onyankopon, and normally no, I wouldn't think that eliminating an entire race was a good idea. But the Eldians aren't just another race of people, they are a race of people that are intrinsically linked with the power of the Titans, a power that has been used to commit countless atrocities throughout human history. The world understandably fears this power, as this power has been abused, both by Eldia and Marley. Eventually the world will try to eradicate the Eldian race, and even if they don't, Eldians will continue to be both persecuted and exploited for their Titan powers."

Levi scowled. "And I suppose you're just going to gloss over all the exploitation and abuse you've done, are you?"

Zeke sighed. "I understand that you're angry with me Levi, and I can't deny that your anger is justified. But I have achieved my dream, and I have no regrets."

Zeke spread out his hands. "If your petty revenge is so important to you, by all means go ahead."

The next second Zeke's head fell to the ground, severed from Zeke's body with one swing of Levi's blade.

Zeke looked around. He was once more in the paths.

He glanced behind him. "I told you I would be back before long. Run along now Ymir. You're free."

Ymir bowed her head, and promptly vanished, leaving Zeke behind to take her place in the paths.

As Zeke walked back toward the coordinate, he smiled as he contemplated all that had happened. Eren now had the full power of the Founding Titan in the real world, while he had the full power of the coordinate in the paths realm. Eren had fulfilled his promise of carrying out the euthanasia plan, and making it so that from that day onward no Eldian child would ever again be conceived. Now he would fulfill his promise, and do everything he could to ensure that all the Eldian people in the world would live long and happy lives before they died peacefully of old age.

He knelt down in front of the pillar. Ymir had already laid the groundwork, as she had cleansed and healed the bodies of all the subjects of Ymir, which would automatically improve their quality of life.

Now he would expand on it. He would continue to shield the Eldians from harm for as long as they lived, and he had already undone the curse of Ymir, so that those who held the power of the Titans wouldn't die before their time. He would also continue to regulate the Titan powers, and build the Titan bodies as necessary, though he hoped that their use in the future would be more limited.

Above all he would watch over Eren and Mikasa, and do everything in his power to protect them and enable their lifelong happiness.

Zeke smiled. "The hardest part is over now Eren. You can leave the rest to your big brother."

Author's Note: So obviously this was a what if based on the idea of what if Eren actually did agree to Zeke's plan. Now, I know some people will say that Eren would never go along with the euthanization plan, but there's a few things to keep in mind.

While it's true that Eren thought the euthanization plan was messed up, he also thought that his own plan was really messed up, and was torn up with guilt about it. So I don't think it would have been that difficult to push Eren into abandoning his plan and following Zeke's instead. And even if you still disagree, well, that's the whole point of a what if, to explore what might have happened if things had played out differently.

I know I left Annie's fate ambiguous, but you can probably fill in the blanks yourself given what happened in canon. She'll escape and make her way back to her father, possibly with help from Armin and the others.

As for why Eren is destroying everything on the coasts, well, Yelena tried to convince him that just destroying the allied forces would be enough to cause huge financial issues for all the major nations, but Eren isn't convinced, so he's causing massive destruction to their infrastructure in such a way that will cause massive problems for the foreseeable future while also giving a way for most of the civilians to escape. Of course, the loss of all these cities and towns probably would still lead to many people dying even if they got out in time, but hey, it's better than the full scale rumbling.

I don't really like Zeke, and I think his reasons for why he's doing what he's doing are incredibly wrongheaded, since it all basically boils down to a desire to get back at his dad. But setting that aside, it's undeniable that his plan is much more humane then Eren's, and with him now being in paths and healing the Eldian people to ensure they have a good life it's really not too bad all things considered. Though it probably sucks for Reiner.

Reiner: With the curse of Ymir, I can finally die.

Zeke: Sorry, that's not a thing anymore.

Reiner: Shit. Well, our mission is over, so now I can commit suicide.

Zeke: Actually, I can just keep healing you indefinitely.

Reiner: FUCK

Anyways, be sure to let me know what you thought of this story.

Edit: I was slightly surprised by the reception to this chapter, namely how people really didn't like the euthanasia plan and how Zeke basically won. I guess I can sort of understand why, it is a somewhat messed up plan even if it is better than most of the alternatives. But for me personally, I don't know, Zeke's plan never really bothered me that much. But that could just be due to my biased perspective. I don't want kids, to the point that I actually got a vasectomy a few months ago, so I guess the fear of not being able to have kids is just not something I can really relate to.