A few minutes had gone by when the Nineteen-year-old Eren Yeager learned that he had disappeared for three whole months within the current timeline. He and his fiance, Frieda Reiss had sat side by side on the throne in individual royal red and golden chairs.
"All hail Lord Eren! All hail Lady Frieda!" Floch Forster and the Yeagerists soldiers that were also present in the throne had saluted toward Eren Yeager and Frieda Reiss.
"My apologies, for not speaking so formally, earlier. Lord Eren." Floch Forster had apologized to Eren.
"You can forget that." Eren had brushed the formalities aside. "Tell me what's happened since I've left." Eren asked of Paradis' current state.
"Right." Floch Forster had cleared his throat a bit. "As you know, Lord Eren... we, the Yeagerists are in charge of Paradis. But if you're asking what on that day..."
As Eren stared at Floch and watch his mouth run... his mind had taken back down memory lane. He thought of what happened a few months prior.
As the battle within Shiganshina District had pressed on, the Survey Corp. soldiers such as both Connie Springer and Jean Kierstein whom were battling Reiner Braun in his Armored Titan form-were standing on top of a house roof a few yards from the Shiganshina outer gate. And both Armin Arlert and Mikasa Ackerman whom were both battling Marleyean soldiers and Titan Shifters such as Pieck Finger in her Cart Titan form had somewhat witnessed Eren Yeager disappear from thin air from on the side of the inner Shiganshina wall.
Jean Kierstein and Connie Springer had stood on top of a house roof close to the Shiganshina outer gates had watched in horror.
Connie's mouth had formed a crazy smile. "Hey, Jean. Tell me I'm not dreaming, but..." Connie who stood on Jean's left had raised his right hand and lied his hand onto Jean's left shoulder. "But is Eren..."
Reiner Braun, whom was in his critically damaged Armored Titan form was on his Titan hands and knees. He had looked on and witness Eren Yeager vanish from thin air a few miles away. "Dead?"
Gabi Braun moaned in a bit of pain after using a large Anti-Titan rifle with no proper training. She had gained a bit of an concussion and blood dripped from her nose. She had slowly sat up and looked toward where Zeke Yeager was lying. She saw a black circle of soot right in front of Zeke Yeager. "Eh?"
Floch Forster, whom had survived Pieck's Cart Titan had stood on top of the Shiganshina wall a few dozen yards away from Pieck and Theo Magath. He stared over a dozen meters downward at where Zeke was standing. He is face had a great look of shock as he had depended his whole future on Eren.
"N-no... It can't be real..." Armin grunted and his eyes had watered in sorrow.
Mikasa Ackerman could not believe her eyes as she had watched Eren disappear. Her eyes watered a bit in horror while standing horizontally on the wall. Memories of her and Eren together had flooded her mind. "Eren!" Mikasa screamed as loud as she could.
Flashback
On the day when Marley had attacked Shiganshina District...
Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert were currently battling Marley with their vertical maneuvering gear. Pieck Finger whom is currently in her Cart Titan form was fighting back by swinging at Mikasa and Armin with her Titan arms and also attempted to bite at them with her Titan teeth. She had also carried a massive tank on her Cart Titan's back. Theo Magath was maneuvering the tank on top of Pieck.
"This way, Eren!" Zeke screamed as he was immobilized. He reached his hand
Eren did not say a word as he ran toward Zeke as fast as he could. He was a few dozen yards away from reaching an injured Zeke, but he then glanced to his right to see a young Gabi Braun holding a large Anti-Titan rifle and aimed it toward him.
When a single tear had fallen from Gabi's face after losing her friends... she pulled the triggered and fired a single bullet. The Anti-Titan gunfire severed Eren Yeager's head-completely erasing his neck from his shoulders.
Zeke gasped in horror as his eyes had grown big when he spotted Eren's severed head flying in the head.
The force of firing an Anti-Titan rifle had pushed Gabi Braun a few yards backward.
For six seconds, Eren Yeager's severed head had flown in midair toward Zeke for six seconds, until his head was caught by Zeke Yeager's right hand. And the moment when Zeke Yeager made contact with Eren's head, something mysterious had happened.
A long blue spinal-like creature had quickly emerged from Eren Yeager's body and had attached to Eren's severed head. The moment it had... Eren's eyes and mouth begun to glow a shining bright color. Within the next ten seconds, a lightning bolt had struck Eren's body. Causing Eren Yeager, himself, to vanish from thin air. Leaving nothing but a small circle of soot left of Eren.
Zeke Yeager gauged as he couldn't believe what happened. One second, he caught Eren's severed head. And the next second, Eren had disappeared. And so was Eren's body and the spinal-like creature. "E-Eren?"
End Flashback
"I'm happy that you made it back okay, Lord Eren." Floch said.
"What happened with Marley?" Eren had asked.
"After you disappeared, Lord Eren. Marley's army-or what's left of it. Had all retreated from the walls and went straight back to Marley. Ever since then, we hadn't had any attacks from them. We've just been focusing on rebuilding Shiganshina and maintaining order within the walls." Floch had stated.
'I see. Marley thinks that they've won the battle, now that they assume that I'm dead.' Eren had thought. He then clasped his left hand onto his left neck. 'It was a close call, though...' Eren had suddenly thought of the moment when Gabi had fired an Anti-Titan rifle and decapitated his head. 'If Zeke hadn't caught my head...' Eren had stopped his thought process for a moment. He then looked at Floch. "Where is Zeke now?"
Floch had stopped moving for a moment. "About Zeke... he..." He then grabbed his own shirt collar and yanked on it a bit. "Was taken by Marley."
Eren's eyes did not gain a reaction as he learned that Marleyeans had taken Zeke captive. "Taken, huh? When?"
"Right after you... disappeared."
"I see." Eren said.
"Instead of executing Zeke on the spot, the Marleyean general had ordered Zeke to be captured and taken back to Marley to answer for his crimes. Some of us are clinging onto hope that he's still alive today. And others think that..."
'Zeke is already done for. It doesn't matter whether I come for him or not. His fate is sealed. The whole world thinks I'm dead.' Eren Yeager slowly leaned his upper back forward and placed his hands over his eyes. He had depressingly sighed.
Frieda Reiss and Ymir of the Jaws had glanced toward Eren as he had sighed in depression.
"To be honest, Lord Eren. There were times when I felt powerless." Floch told Eren.
Eren uncovered his face. "Why?"
"Because... you and Zeke were-and still currently the key to protecting Paradis. And without both of you and Zeke and the less manpower that the Yeagerists have... Paradis can't protect itself from another invasion. This nation is currently standing on its last legs. Right now, without the Rumbling... it is impossible to protect this island from the outside world from any and all threats. I also feel that the outside world could corner us and attack at any day now. Potentially wiping us all off the map." Floch said as he had thought of an image of Paradis Island on a map.
"Do you have any plans in mind?" Eren asked Floch.
Floch shook his head no. "Not at the moment. Since Zeke is gone, we can't think of anyone else who has royal bloo-" Floch had suddenly paused as he then thought of something... or someone. It had taken him five seconds to think of Historia Reiss. He glanced down at Eren's feet. "That's it. Why didn't I think of it, before?" Floch had chuckled a bit to himself.
"Hm?" Frieda had raised both her eyebrows a few centimeters.
"Lord Eren. I just thought of a potential candidate..." Floch had begun to smile.
"Who is it?" Eren had asked.
"We can have Queen Historia come and help us!" Floch had thought of Historia Reiss.
Frieda ha silently gasped. Her face had looked visibly horrified when Floch had mentioned her half-sister.
"Are you sure you want to involve Historia?" Eren asked Floch. He then thought of the look on Historia's face when he once told her of his plans on activating the Rumbling. Months prior.
"Yes. I do. Why didn't I think of it before? Historia is a member of the Reiss Family and she is also a part of the royal bloodline. If we can convince her to help activate the Rumbling... then we can save Paradis from total chaos and destructio-"
"No, you can't!"
"Hm?" Floch had turned to where the shout had came from. He looked at Frieda Reiss who stood from her royal chair next to Eren. Everyone's eyes were locked onto her.
"You can't use Historia as a weapon! Especially when it comes to take many innocent lives!" Frieda yelled and objected against the Rumbling plan.
"But, Frieda..." Floch said had taken a step forward toward Frieda.
"Lady Frieda." Eren had informed Floch.
"L-Lady Frieda. My apologies. But if we don't resort to the Rumbling, then everyone who is left within Paradis walls will die. All life will be lost if we don't act now."
"I know that. But... killing millions of innocents of people won't end the world's hatred toward us Eldians. There has to be a way another than just resorting to the Rumbling." Frieda had said in a sad tone.
The room had remained quiet for ten seconds.
'I don't know what this Rumbling is, but it sounds very hardcore.' Ymir had thought.
"Again, Lady Frieda but we have no options at this poi-"
Eren then cut Floch's speech. "Give us some time to think about it." Eren had told Floch.
"Yes, Lord Eren." Floch had saluted toward Eren. "Take as much time as you need."
Later That Night...
Frieda Reiss stood outside on top of the Capital roof with her head glancing upward at the black night sky and stared at the tiny white stars. She had stood outside during a cold weather.
"You'll catch a cold out here."
Frieda had heard a familiar voice from behind and turned her head to see that it was Eren. She saw that Eren had removed his black jacket from his shoulders and carried it in his arms.
"Don't worry. No one's out here but the two of us." Eren walked toward Frieda and offered to place his jacket around Frieda's shoulders.
"Thanks. But I'll be fine." Frieda had kindly declined. She had continued to glance up and stare at the black night sky.
Eren stared at Frieda's backside for a more than just a moment. He knew that Frieda wasn't happy with the discussion earlier on and had felt kind of... distant. "Listen. I know how you feel."
"Feel? About what?" Frieda asked.
"About the conversation that we had with Floch earlier, today. About you not wanting to use Historia as a source to help activate the Rumbling. And if you're wondering if I'm thinking... the answer is no. I don't plan to use the Rumbling at all."
Frieda had looked toward Eren. "You mean it?"
Eren had nodded toward Frieda. "Promise."
Frieda's eyes watered a bit as she has Eren's word. She quickly jumped into Eren's arms. "Thank goodness. I thought I would have to slap you again."
"Trust me. Your slaps hurt more than Levi's kicks." Eren said as he recalled being kicked by Levi in a courthouse. "And also..."
Frieda looked up at Eren's green eyes.
"When I introduced you to my parents... my dad made me promise to never activate the Rumbling. And that is a promise that I tend to keep." Eren said as he had leaned his lower back on the castle rooftop balcony.
"I'm so glad." Frieda said as she tugged onto Eren's yellow long-sleeved shirt.
Eren remained silent as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He looked at the night sky and thought of something. "Do you mind if I tell you something?"
"What is it?"
"Time travel." Eren said.
"But... you already told me how you could travel through time, though." Frieda said as she looked up at him.
"I know. But I never really told how I discovered the ability to travel through time." Eren had added.
Frieda gasped, surprisingly.
"It all started on the night before Marley had attacked Shiganshina. I had used the Attack Titan's foresight ability to foresee into the future. And what I saw... was... a massive skeleton version of me. Thousands of meters high..." Eren raised his right hand in the sky as high as he could. "Leading millions of Colossus Titans all across the world and trampling billions of people to death that lived outside Paradis Island."
Frieda had gasped in horror. 'A massive Titan... like Ymir's?' She had envisioned that Eren's Titan would look similar to that of Ymir Fritz's Titan. But with a masculine body with long black hair.
"To be honest, that visualization terrified me. Back then, or what would've been now... I was what Willy Tybur had described me to be. A devil." Eren had then thought of the moment when he had attacked and killed Willy Tybur by breaking the stage in half in Liberio. Causing Willy Tybur's body to be split in two.
"I have tried to avoid that option of using the Rumbling as best as I could and think of another solution. But I just couldn't find one. Not until the moment when..." Eren had then thought of the moment when Gabi Braun had fired an Anti-Titan rifle at him. "That moment when the girl who killed Sasha had shot my neck off."
"Really?" Frieda gasped.
Eren had then visualized the moment when he ran toward Zeke. "I was busy running away from Reiner and trying to make contact with Zeke. As I was running... I looked to my right and saw the girl who killed Sasha pointing an Anti-Titan rifle directly at me." Eren thought. "What I noticed about her was the facial expression she made before firing. She was crying. Crying that I had taken everything away from her. Her home. Her friends. Her family. Her comrades. And right before she pulled the trigger... I just thought to myself, "What if I had started all over and undid everything that's happened?" Eren had placed his thumb and index under his chin as he asked. "And that's when it hit me." Eren rubbed his neck with his left hand. "And I'm not just talking about the Anti-Titan bullet... I'm talking about the possibility to travel through time. And luckily... it worked."
"That is amazing, Eren. But, how did you know that time traveling was a thing?" Frieda asked Eren.
"To be honest... I didn't at first, then. But when I had met Ymir Fritz, I learned that I could do it. So I ended up convincing Ymir to lend me the ability to time travel to whenever I want. And I chose to travel back to the day before Shiganshina had fallen when I was a kid." Eren stated.
"Uh?" Frieda had stood still for a moment.
"Hm?" Eren had saw the bit of confused look on Frieda's face.
Suddenly, Frieda started giggling in front of Eren Yeager.
"Eh? What's funny?" Eren asked as he raised his right eyebrow.
"You discovered time travel when you almost lost your head." Frieda continued to giggle.
"Uh, yeah. If you put it like that..." Eren didn't smile nor frown.
As Frieda continued to giggle, she gently grabbed his head from behind his ears. "I'm happy that you still have your head, though."
Eren smiled. "So am I."