Attack On Titan Changes (last two chapters coming soon!)

by Creative Tree

Telling this story has been a true healing process, my own personal therapy. Thank you for sticking around and reading it to the end! -Tree. This fan fiction takes AoT into a completely new direction throughout time. Introducing new characters and reintroducing forgotten storylines, Changes brings up new mysteries in a search to solve old ones. "I'll see you in 2000 years!"

22. Chapter Twenty: Fight! -2 of 5-

The Titan Realm

Somewhere, sometime, in that cursed dimension

The Titan Shifters all opened their eyes in that dimension, they had been summoned there.

"Annie?" Reiner asked in pure surprise. And they both immediately looked to the side to see Marcel standing there, still a teenager, just as he was. The three of them hugged each other very tight. Pieck walked over and messed around Porco's hair, and they both smiled at each other, sweetly. He brought her close and kissed her on the side of the head.

All of them were greeting each other very joyfully, Annie and Marcel were amazed to see Falco so big, especially Marcel. The other Warriors brought the twelve-year-old closer to their huddle, all playing and laughing quite happily.

"It's so odd seeing him older than you," Reiner noted to Marcel with a small chuckle, talking about Porco.

"Well, I've lasted longer," Porco joked.

"You are all older than me now, Reiner, technically," Marcel pointed out, smiling and Reiner scratched his head. "True," he conceded.

Annie couldn't help but stare at Marcel, she was completely lost in her old friend's eyes.

"Well isn't all of this lovely?" Eren ironically questioned, crossing his arms, a little further away.

"Did you call us here?" Armin asked, by his side.

"No," Eren replied. "Did you?" he asked.

"The kid did," Maria interjected, next to them. She nodded, showing them Falco.

"Huh," Armin let out, thinking. He turned to see all the Titan Shifters from all the ages in the distance, and immediately became very intrigued.

"We decided to huddle a little further away from them, just so we could all talk," Maria explained.

"It's nice to see you," Eren sincerely told Maria. "I'm sorry we couldn't save you," he apologised quietly.

"It's okay, I ran off myself," Maria replied, to ease his mind.

"And I still don't understand why," Eren complained, admonishing her.

"I didn't want them to get in trouble," she explained, turning to the Warriors.

"Yes, but why would you want to help them?" Eren loudly questioned her while pointing at the group.

"Settle down, Yeager," Reiner also loudly - and sternly, advised. Braun crossed his arms.

"Eren, when are you going to understand that we are all in the same boat?" Maria questioned him.

"Indeed," Annie concurred.

"Where are you now?" Reiner turned to ask Leonhart, curiously.

"With him," she replied in complaint, nodding forward, showing him Eren.

"In the dungeon?" Armin swiftly asked.

"Dungeon?" Reiner questioned.

"Well, he was climbing out of the dirt when I found him," Annie told the others with arms crossed.

Armin turned to Eren. "You climbed all the way out?" he asked, baffled. "You could have died!" he admonished with deep concern.

"Do you care?" Eren challenged his best friend. "You left me there to rot."

"I am kilometres away!" Armin argued back. "I was going to rescue you as soon as I could."

"Would you?" Eren questioned.

"Why are you with Eren?" Reiner quietly questioned Annie.

"That's a good question," she noted. "And a better one is: why are we all here?" Leonhart asked.

"Yes, I'm assuming we were all summoned to discuss how we are going to take this Titan creature down," Pieck supposed and the former Jaw Titans nodded.

"Sure, let's discuss our plan right where our enemy can hear it," Reiner complained, still with crossed arms.

"Considering we know who our enemy is," Eren let out, staring Reiner and the others down.

"We know who our enemy is, Eren," Armin sternly affirmed, by his side.

"Ymir won't know you're here. She won't hear you," the apparition suddenly told them. "Don't worry, I'll make sure of it," she affirmed.

They were all startled.

"What is that?" Pieck questioned with strong concern, pointing at the strange figure.

"That's Falco's little fairy," Porco joked by her side.

"Who are you?" Armin curiously asked, completely mesmerised.

"Oh, no one important," Sunny replied with a small smile.

"Are you one of the previous Titans?" Reiner also asked, also curious. But Sunny ignored him.

"The Queen is giving birth right at this moment and she is in grave danger," the apparition told the Titans.

And Eren immediately interrupted her. "Danger?! Why?!" he questioned with extreme concern.

Sunny turned to him. "Because there's going to be an attack where she is," she explained.

"There are airships going there," Pieck informed. "Yes, to bombard the area," Reiner added.

"What?!" Eren exclaimed in anger. "I knew it!" he shouted and turned to Armin in pure anger. "I told you! And you want to trust them?!" he challenged.

"Eren, settle," Maria complained, next to him. "Just let the star creature speak," she advised.

"She is giving birth to the next Founding Titan," the apparition informed. "The baby is being born today and must be protected."

"Oh, so that's how you lost it," Annie noted, coldly mocking Eren.

Armin thought about it. "Wait, I thought you said they are twins," he pointed out to Eren, by his side.

"Yes, it's the girl," the father softly told Armin and looked down, proudly thinking about his precious Ymir.

And Sunny tilted her head, she corrected him. "No, the boy," the apparition said and Eren looked up in surprise.

The apparition continued to explain. "The girl is being born first and the boy will be born last. He is being born as the Founding Titan holder and he has Fritz blood," she reminded the Titan group. "And as soon as he is born, Ymir will sense his power. All she needs is to reach him to gain control over all the Titans," she warned.

Eren couldn't help but let out a small smile. He couldn't wait for all his Wall Titans to destroy the whole world, he was extremely proud of Ymir.

Sunny stared sternly at him and at that small grin on his face, she reiterated. "And when I say all Titans, I mean all Titans. Including you." She revealed.

"How could she control us? We are not Pure Titans," Pieck hastily asked, challenging this fairyland creature.

"Because all of your powers come from her," Sunny explained, she continued. "And all of her powers come from the Devil itself, and that thing has been playing with all of you from the start. It has been playing with all of us," she sternly affirmed. "The first thing that will happen will be the destruction of this very island and the rest of the world is next."

Sunny then hovered closer to Eren, continuing her warning while staring him down sternly. "So let me make this very clear: Ymir can not reach that child. And she must die."

She looked around at all the Shifters. "Now it's your time to play," she proposed. "Your move."

The apparition then disappeared into millions of stars.

"She's feisty," Reiner commented with a small chuckle. He then turned to address Maria. "Ok, so first things first: we need a new name for you."

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"It's kinda complicated calling you 'Ymir' when our enemy and target is also Ymir," Porco explained, walking closer to her.

"We could come up with a nickname for her," young Falco suggested.

"My name is Maria," she revealed.

"Oh, hey! You figured it out!" Porco exclaimed happily and put his arms around her shoulders, hugging her. "I'm proud of you," he sincerely told her. "She was having trouble remembering the name her parents gave her. Before, you know, she ended up in a bunch of orphanages," he explained to the others.

"No need to expose my sad story," Maria complained, jokingly.

"Sorry, Maria," he replied, bumping her shoulder affectionately. "And sorry I couldn't really help you there. How did you figure it out, Maria?" he questioned, joking but curious.

"Maria… I like it," Marcel added. "Why haven't you told us before?" he also questioned.

"It wasn't crucial before," she firmly explained and turned to the others. "No confusions needed here. My name is Maria," she declared.

"Unless of course we might confuse you with the giant wall," Reiner joked.

"That wall doesn't exist anymore," Pieck reminded him and the others.

Armin was lost in his own concentration, puzzled, still thinking about that apparition. It had warmed his heart somehow.

"Don't you think she sounded just like Mikasa?" he quietly asked Eren.

"Ergh," Eren let out.

"And she looked like…" Armin trailed off, still mesmerised and staggered.

"Armin, you're just delirious," Eren noted, clasping his shoulder. "Drained. We both completely spent all of our energy in the past few hours," he reminded him.

"But-" Arlert was about to argue when Pieck interrupted him. "How could you tell what a bunch of little stars looks like?" she challenged.

"Well, it was clearly a person," Marcel defended him. "I think," he added in uncertainty.

"It could be a collective illusion, we are all in Paths," Pieck pointed out and Eren looked down, conflicted.

He then took Maria to the side. "You know who Ymir is, don't you?" he questioned, whispering.

"Yes," she whispered back. "And I can see how difficult this must be for you, but she's evil and you just need to accept that. I know I have," she quietly admonished her close friend.

Maria had been his own personal conscience for most of Eren's adolescent years. And he did miss talking to her. But just as he would do all those years ago, he just quickly dismissed her warning.

"She's here in flesh and blood, right?" Eren asked back, trying to reach to a conclusion.

"Of course, she's dead." Maria replied coldly, speaking loudly again. She continued. "But she returned to the real world and so will we apparently."

Eren looked to that crowd in the distance. "All those people out there, they're all past Shifters…" he trailed off.

"Yes…" Maria confirmed.

"But what about the other dead? The eldians? The regular people I mean," he questioned.

"Eren, what exactly are you asking?" Maria questioned back.

"Well, aren't they here?" Eren asked.

Armin looked at him with concern, he could tell his friend was upset. "Eren, this isn't a form of afterlife, this is a cursed dimension," he softly explained.

"Exactly, there are only Shifters here," Marcel also clarified.

"It does feel like a very cursed afterlife if you ask me," Porco joked, by his side.

"So there aren't any regular people here, right?" Eren then quietly asked Maria again, sounding like a small, lost child.

Maria sighed. She looked around, to all those stars and to that strange purple energy above them. "This place can really mess with your mind, it will give you the most horrific illusions," she explained to him. "It makes you see people you cared about deeply during life, but they're not real: just illusions.

"Have you seen someone?" Eren promptly asked her.

Maria only tilted her head. "Who do you think?" she asked and Eren soon understood.

She continued. "I've seen my parents as well, and others from my past. But my parents are far the most frightening because I could never hear them speak," she confessed brokenly. "Exactly because I was too young to remember their voices. This thing, it uses our own memories to hurt us. Who have you seen?" she questioned, curious.

Eren looked down, upset. "My mother," he replied.

Armin soon looked away, heartbroken after hearing all that. He had been so happy to see Azzy as an adult, that wish had been a secret very deeply guarded inside his heart. But Eren was right, he was delirious after spending so much energy. He immediately dismissed that encounter completely, Armin felt angry for letting this creature mess with his mind as well. Unfortunately, he was very wrong and his encounter with his son had been real.

He slightly scratched his eye. The father couldn't help but feel emotional. "That was a perfect illusion," he angrily lashed out, with one tear running down his face.

"What was?" Eren softly asked, concerned for his friend.

He only shook his head. "It doesn't matter," Armin coldly replied. "I need to get out of this place," he strongly affirmed, still angry.

"We will meet you," Marcel told him sternly, ready for a fight.

The Warrior continued. "Maria, Porco and I, and we will guide you out and then meet with Falco and the others," he firmly explained.

Reiner turned to him quite proud and nostalgic to see Marcel taking charge. He clasped his shoulder. "It's nice seeing you again," Reiner told him very sincerely.

"Yes," Annie complemented, happy but broken as they looked into each other's eyes.

She then looked into that crowd in the distance again, a little upset and concerned. "Where's Bertholdt?" she finally asked, sounding like a small, naive child.

"We don't really know," Marcel replied, upset. "I've looked for him everywhere, he's not here."

"He disappeared a little before all this," Porco softly added. And he then looked down, reflecting on the strangeness of this entire situation.

He looked up again. "What is going to happen to us after all this?" Porco asked his brother, anxiously.

And Marcel held his shoulder, "one thing at a time, Percival. One thing at a time," he advised.

Maria turned to Eren again. "Do you think you can do this?" she quietly asked him.

She could tell he was extremely upset and disturbed with the idea of killing his own daughter.

"I'm not really sure," Eren told her sincerely. The man was broken. "You might have to kill me if it comes to it," he asked of her, more loudly.

"Eren!" Armin admonished him in pure concern.

"I won't be in your team," Maria swiftly told him. "But if it comes to it, Annie can do it," she proposed, nodding at Leonhart.

"It will be my pleasure," Annie replied with cold eyes.

Armin turned to him in pure fatherly admonishment. "Eren, why are you even saying this? Surely you can't still be confused of which side you're fighting for," he gravely said.

"All I want is to protect Historia, and our island," Eren solemnly and sincerely declared to his best friend. "Our children."

"Well I'm glad we are all on the same page then," Reiner concurred.

The Titans then proceeded to plan their attack.

-.-

Somewhere in the east side of Paradise Island

The airships began to arrive as the sun was rising in that cold and last October morning. And they soon spotted that gigantic creature lying on that field. It was completely shielded by its crystal feathers and motionless. The troops soon radioed the two pilots on the ground, asking for information.

"She's been there the whole night," Langley - Agent O-6, reported. "Not moving."

"We tried burning through her feathers with our cannons but it doesn't work," Richmond - Agent O-3, added.

"Whenever we were firing at her before it was around the Titan's body or at the insides of her wings, and that worked after a while, but the outsides of the wings seemed to be made of a much stronger crystal," Langley further explained.

"We just have to bomb it then," Tremblay concluded.

Both pilots chuckled to each other. They knew very well that their iceburst cannons were much stronger than those bombs.

"Alright, sir," Richmond replied. "Just let us move our vehicles first," he joked.

-.-

Queen Historia had been struggling that whole night. The mother was in a delirious mixture of pure pain and pure joy. And as the sun was rising, she got relief. Among all the sweat and tears, Historia smiled in pure happiness. Her deep struggle had been sweetly rewarded: her baby girl was born.

-.-

And in that distant field, to the surprise of all the air troops and the two pilots, the giant Titan began to move again.

Ymir was waking up.

The Reiss Lands

Eren and Annie opened their eyes in the real world again, after all that talk in the Titan Realm. And the two quickly noticed how they had been holding hands that entire time.

"You were holding hands with eyes closed for quite a few minutes, and I thought better not to interrupt, it looked very cute," Hitch noted with a small smile, sitting down a little further away from the two Shifters.

They both looked down. Annie held their hands up. "Lovely," she responded with sarcasm to Hitch and turned to Eren, showing their hands again. "You can let go now," she said, slightly warning him. And Eren suddenly turned to her, he seemed distracted.

"Oh, sorry," he apologised, very embarrassed. Eren immediately let go of her hand and scratched his head. Annie began to walk forward, annoyed, keeping some distance. She looked around the trees and at the open fields, trying to plan their next step, as Hitch stood up and came walking in her direction.

"I'm- I'm sorry," Eren stumbled on his words while still scratching his head. He wanted to find something to say to make the situation less awkward, all while Hitch held her laugh near them.

"I-I know we had a thing before," he let out without much thought. "Thing?" Annie stoically questioned, looking back towards him again with raised eyebrows. Eren continued. "But I'm committed to someone else now…" he trailed off awkwardly while this [other] tiny, blonde and fearsome woman stared him down, unamused.

"Thing?!" Annie asked again, coming closer to him and Eren walked backwards, understandably fearful. Hitch finally laughed out loud.

And she kept laughing. "Honestly, I think it would be a good match, you didn't see how cute you two looked just then, while you were both in a trance," Hitch relayed while wiping her laughing tears.

Annie stared both of them down in admonishment, still unamused. "And here I thought I was the one who hadn't aged in all those years, but you are both just immature teenagers," she hissed in complaint.

"Who says you didn't age? I mean, you clearly have," Eren sharply replied. And both girls looked at him confused and baffled. "I am not saying you look like an old woman-" Eren tried to explain as Annie stared at him with fury. "You- you look good," he tried to justify, awkwardly.

"Just stop talking," Hitch advised.

But Eren kept going. "All I'm saying is that you look our age." He then pointed his hands towards him and Hitch, "our age," he repeated for emphasis. "Just like you should…" he trailed off his voice, feeling absolutely embarrassed and confused.

Annie walked off towards the open fields again, shaking her head, annoyed. And Hitch walked a little faster to catch up with her, while Eren walked slower, yet again scratching his head in his pure embarrassment.

"You are two for two," Hitch whispered in Annie's ear, jokingly.

"What?" Annie asked back, confused. Hitch only winked and smiled, and they kept walking into the field.

"Where are we going now?" Hitch asked, curious.

"To this farm…" Annie trailed off, looking up into the sky. The morning was becoming imminent, the sun rays were already gently appearing.

"Farm?" Hitch questioned. "Oh, the Queen's Farm?" she soon realised. She looked around. "It would be good if our horses hadn't run off," the MP complained.

"Well, they were tired, the poor things ran for hours in the dark woods, I don't blame them for bailing on us," Annie replied, looking around the field.

"Why are we going to that farm?" Hitch questioned.

"To protect Historia," Eren explained, he then looked down at his hand, clearly anxious.

"Who is Historia again?" Annie quietly asked Hitch, she had already forgotten.

"Christa," Hitch replied.

"Right, I can't believe she was the Fritz. That whole time we thought it was you," Annie complained to Yeager.

Eren didn't even pay attention to their comments, he was thinking, staring at his hand. He then abruptly bit his left palm with all his might. And he immediately began to bleed out. And he bit his hand again and again, in different places, already beginning to cry.

He couldn't transform.

Annie walked closer to him and swiftly slapped his hand away.

"Stop it," She told him sternly.

"Historia is in danger! I have to save her," he told her brokenly.

"Well you clearly can't transform now! Save up your energy. Reiner said he was going to Shiganshina and radio the Commander to send us an airship," Annie sternly reminded him.

"Reiner..?" Hitch asked, trailing off in confusion.

"I'm not getting in a filthy Marlean airship," Eren hissed back at the Warrior.

"Well, are you growing wings and flying there then?" Annie questioned him angrily. "You can't even regenerate," she added.

Eren looked down at his bleeding hand. He was still very weak and almost feeling like passing out but he remained standing, he looked up at Annie again in complete determination. "I need to protect Historia," he told her firmly.

"Urgh," Annie let out and walked away. "If anyone had told me six years ago that you would've ended up so obsessed with Christa of all people, I'm not sure I would have believed it," she coldly argued, with a hint of mockery.

Eren stared her down, quite upset and angry. "Well, you don't know her," he pointed out.

"Yeah, you don't," Hitch concurred, with arms crossed. "She's totally a two-faced bitch," she added.

Eren immediately turned to Hitch in complete fury and she looked at him defiantly. The MP let out a small grin as Yeager walked to her in pure anger.

Annie stepped on his path. "Don't," she warned, standing in front of him.

Eren's attention was suddenly taken away, as he saw that rider in the distance.

"There's a horse coming our way," he said and both Hitch and Annie turned to look, "with a rider," Eren added.

Soon they could properly identify the small girl who was on that horse, as she galloped closer and closer.

"Gabi?" Annie asked, confused, as the girl approached. "I just saw Falco today," she added with a small smile. "Do you remember me?" she asked as she helped the young Warrior down from the horse.

"Of course," Gabi replied and hugged her. "I'm so glad you didn't die on this place! We were all worried," she added, hugging Annie even tighter.

Annie kneeled down in front of the twelve-year-old, she fixed up Gabi's hair. "You are both so big now," Leonhart told her with a small chuckle.

"Is he alright?" Gabi asked her promptly. "And the others? Do you know?"

"They all seem okay," Annie replied, "so far," she added.

"Why are you with him?" Gabi then whispered. "He's a monster," the small girl added and Eren rolled his eyes.

"Well, we are on the same side, I hope," Annie explained.

"Oh, I'm on your side, sure," Eren interjected. "But not hers," he added angrily. "This girl shot me! She's the entire reason I lost the Founding Titan in the first place! I almost died!" he lashed out.

"You should have died!" Gabi lashed out back at him and Yeager walked towards her menacingly. And Gabi walked backwards, scared.

Annie stood up again in all her might. "Back off," she warned severally.

"You want my help? Then you're gonna play by my rules," she told him sternly. Annie then turned to Gabi and held her shoulder soothingly. "It's alright," she softly told the girl.

Hitch chuckled. "I've never seen you so friendly with children before," she noted with arms crossed.

"She's Reiner's little cousin," Annie explained.

"Really?" Hitch asked, crouching down in front of the girl.

"I used to hold her in my arms, when I last saw her she was still a toddler," Annie relayed.

"She's so cute!" Hitch exclaimed, as she crouched down.

"Are you our method of transport? You could have brought more horses," she told the small girl. Hitch stood up again. "Why is Reiner sending us a kid?" she whispered, questioning Annie.

"I'm not a kid, I'm twelve," Gabi contested.

"Well, I still think you're a very cute kid," Hitch told her while squeezing her cheek, slightly condescendingly.

"She's the brat who killed Sasha," Eren revealed to her while crossing his arms.

Hitch took a moment in silence, looking at the twelve-year-old very stoically. "Well, not the first psychopath I've hung out with today," she coldly noted, and side eyed Annie very sternly.

"It was an accident!" Gabi exclaimed.

"Sure, tell yourself that," Eren replied.

"I didn't know she was a good person!" the small girl continued to defend herself. "There shouldn't be good people here," Gabi added more quietly, reflecting on it herself.

"What?" Yeager asked in pure annoyance. He was bewildered to have to deal with that small preteen.

"She's not our method of transport," Annie told Hitch. "How did you get here?" she then questioned the girl.

"Were you looking for us?" Hitch added, crouching down again.

"I just followed this butterfly the whole night, and it got me here," Gabi explained.

"A butterfly?" Annie questioned.

"I- I think it was some sort of an apparition," Gabi tried to explain. "A few times, it felt like it was a little girl."

And both Hitch and Annie then turn to look at Eren. Annie raised her eyebrows.

"It disappeared right before I got here, and then I saw all of you," Gabi relayed, she then looked at Eren's mangled hand as the blood dripped down.

"Your hand is bleeding," the child softly said, showing her concern. Gabi reached down to her pockets, she took out a few clean bandages that she had brought with her from the hospital. And she offered them to him.

Eren looked at her, still in disdain. He hastily took the bandages from her, and began to wrap them around his hand.

They all looked up to the sky, the whole region began to lit up with those orange rays. The sun was rising.

Annie could see all those Colossal Titans in the distance. She looked at Eren sternly as he wrapped up his hand with the bandages.

"You better recover," she warned. "I'm not fighting a bunch of Titans alone."

-.-

Maria Region - Somewhere deep underneath the odd crater

The Colossal Titan opened its eyes again. Armin was a little surprised as he realised he was completely inside the Titan and not partially out from the nape as he first was. Maybe he hadn't ever left it in the first place.

He cogitated it all as he looked around, still searching for Azzy, a little hopeful that it hadn't been all an illusion. But he soon gave up once he was sure that he was alone in that odd crater. The Titan looked down, this whole situation had left Armin extremely upset.

The Jaw Titans came growling in the distance, all running very fast upwards through the crater. And he eventually could hear them approaching. They walked over to him and climbed up to his shoulders and back. The Colossal Titan then began to make its way back out, taking Maria's Jaw Titan, Porco's Jaw Titan and Marcel's Jaw Titan with him.

-.-

Up on the mouth of the crater the rest of the team looked downwards, all very disturbed at all that strange matter. The Phoenix Titan hovered above, looking down with deep concentration. Pieck was glad to fly light, as they had left all the supplies secured somewhere near the area.

The Phoenix Titan growled as she finally spotted them and the rest of the group was then finally relieved, and also more excited.

The three Jaw Titans climbed out quite rapidly and greeted the rest of the team as the giant hand of the Colossal Titan slowly reached out, confirming that the ground was firm so it could pull itself up and out from that hole.

Jean, Connie and Reiner brought the Jaws to where Falco and the supplies were, while Mikasa swiftly jumped into the crater. She aptly slid down the back of the Colossal Titan as it was making its way up into the sun again. She skilfully stopped near the nape, expertly securing herself with her grappling hooks.

"Are you all right?" she softly asked, hoping Armin would come out and talk to her as it customary for them.

ϟ "Yes." ϟ The Colossal Titan turned to her and replied, quite sternly.

Mikasa looked at it with some confusion and concern. She blinked for a moment, hazed. The Colossal Titan then turned its face frontwards again and finished climbing up. Mikasa stared at the nape with concern and passed her hand over it softly, hoping she could reach Armin in there. "I hope so…" she quietly let out, worriedly.

"He's still unconscious," Connie told the group as the others approached. Falco was lying in a shadowy spot, still in deep sleep. Connie then reached down and opened his eyelids. "They're not white," he informed the others.

"He should wake up then, right?" Jean asked Reiner.

"Well, here goes nothing," The Phoenix Titan let out, flying down towards them.

"You should all probably stand back," Marcel's Jaw Titan informed Jean, Connie and Reiner.

The Phoenix Titan scratched its own claw and it began to bleed out. It then reached out and made a small cut on Falco's arm. Well, small in Titan proportions - it actually cut open most of Falco's forearm, to the bewilderment of the others watching. The Phoenix then positioned its claw on top of the bleeding arm and let its own blood drip on top of it - mixing their bloods.

-.-

Falco was in a deep dream, feeling the nothingness of a purely white dimension, when a small blue butterfly suddenly appeared in front of him. To the boy's amazement, more and more blue butterflies appeared all around him. Falco smiled, he then saw himself in a bright greeny field, he could hear laughter so he turned to see those three small girls playing around in the distance.

The smallish one suddenly revealed her beautiful crystal wings and came gracefully flying towards him. Sina smiled, hovering right in front of him. She reached down and touched his forehead. And Falco finally woke up.

-.-

The current Jaw Titan exploded in transformation, revealing its majestic crystal wings, to the amazement of the others watching.

It seemed a little disoriented for a moment but it eventually looked focused, trying to move around its limbs and flap its wings. The young Titan Warrior looked up at its fellow Shifters with childish happy eyes. It was clear that Falco was finally in control again and the team was relieved to see it trying to take flight.

"Alright, let's see if you can really do this," the Phoenix playfully challenged Falco as Reiner climbed and secured himself on her back. "Race you to Shiganshina," she proposed. And both Titans flew off.

The Colossal Titan watched them flying away, it then looked around to see all those Wall Titans dormant near the area. The sun was already rising.

'I hope they don't take long,' Armin thought.

It then reached down to grab all the supplies with only one of its hands - and the giant took a lot of dirt and even two small trees as well in the process.

"We will wait for them at Shiganshina's gates," Maria's Jaw Titan informed Jean and Connie as all of them, both the Jaw Titans and the two soldiers, climbed up the Colossal Titan's back. The Jaws used their claws and the soldiers used their ODM gears, of course.

The Colossal Titan then set off, returning to Shiganshina.

-.-

Flying somewhere above the Rose Region

"I'm sorry for your loss," Onyankopon commented. He had cleverly noticed how the agent had said 'late' mother, Onyan was determined to know more about this curious stranger.

"Nice try," O-7 replied. "As I already said, I'm not getting personal with you," Danso warned, lightly. "Especially about my mother," he added, opening his eyes wide.

"Okay, I understand," young Onyan conceded. "How about Ninua?" he asked.

"What?" Danso asked back, trying to concentrate on the controls, as he was doing most of the flying.

"Well, you said you're from Marley. But have you ever been to Ninua?" Onyan questioned. "I mean, your father must be from there, or maybe other ancestors further down the line?"

Danso chuckled, awkwardly. "There are tons of countries in the south, Ninua is not the only one with black people in it," he cleverly reminded young Onyan, trying to get away from the personal ancestry topic.

"Yes, but it is the oldest," Onyan replied. "And the best one," he added with a charming smile. And Danso couldn't help but smile back at him.

There was a moment of silence between them as they cruised across the skies.

"It's a bomb, isn't it?" Danso asked. "The package," he added.

"You don't want to answer my questions, why should I answer yours?" Onyan cleverly argued.

"It's an iceburst bomb," Danso correctly guessed, and that took Onyankopon completely by surprise. He turned to the pilot a little staggered.

"I know Eldia already has the technology at this point," Danso added.

"How?" Onyan asked, baffled.

And the pilot quickly fired up the rays from the plane, staggering Onyankopon even more. "Iceburst stones are a very good energy source, very strong and reliable but also quite dangerous. I'm not surprised that Paradise has already figured all that out," Danso explained.

He continued. "This entire aircraft, the cannons, the engine - it's all powered by one single stone." Danso then showed him the blue lever. "If I pull this one all the way to here," he showed. "It will overwhelm the stone and this entire plane would eventually blow up. And it would be quite a big explosion, well it will be quite a big explosion."

Down in the tiny crawl space of that engine room, underneath their feet; the stowaway was attentively listening to their entire conversation. And waiting for the right moment to strike.

"It will be?" Onyan asked, confused.

"Don't worry, after we get this 'package' I'll drop you down somewhere safe," Danso promised. "You don't wanna be here when this engine overheats, trust me," he chuckled. "That plus whatever power the Eldian iceburst stone has, well, it's gonna be a big explosion. Hopefully big enough to kill that monster once and for all."

"And I assume you're planning to parachute out?" Onyankopon asked, gravely.

"Parachuting? The plane will be going too fast for that," he replied, shaking his head.

"So you're planning to die?" Onyan asked, and the man didn't reply. Danso just stared ahead, stoically.

"No way, I'll do it," Onyan proceeded. "You already showed me how," then held onto the lever. "I'm sure you have a lot to live for," he solemnly said, completely disregarding Hange's advice for him to not try to be a hero.

Danso reached out and took Onyan's hand away from the lever. "My plane, my rules. You're not dying today," he firmly told his young copilot.

"But you are?" Onyan protested. "I won't allow it."

"You won't allow it?" Danso chuckled. He then became more serious. "That's what I came here for," he solemnly revealed.

"You came here to die?" Onyankopon questioned.

"I came here to give you all a future," Danso replied. 'A better chance,' he thought.

Onyan became stunned, completely speechless.

They then received a message through the radio. "Onyankopon, I got an update about Arlert," Commander Hange informed.

"They found him?" Onyan asked, apprehensively.

"Yes, Reiner radioed from Shiganshina to confirm it, and they are going ahead," Hange explained.

"Good, I was starting to worry," Onyan replied, relieved.

"There's more, I will need you to do a detour," Hange informed.

"A detour?" Agent O-7 asked.

Hange then proceeded to explain in more detail all the changes to their initial plan.

-.-

The Queen's farm

Her sacrifice had been rewarded. Historia could still feel pain, but it had decreased significantly. The morning had finally arrived, and with it: Ymir.

There were quite a few people in that large room, at least five nurses and the one experienced, but young doctor. Also the guards by the door and three or four servants coming in and out to serve Her Majesty in anything that was needed.

"Bring her here so I can hold her," Historia told one of the nurses as they finished cleaning the small newborn. She positioned herself better on the large bed, and extended her arms so the nurse could give her the baby.

But the doctor raised his hand, stopping the nurse. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but not just yet," he firmly said, but somewhat condescendingly. And Historia side eyed him, quite annoyed. "We need to be sure that both babies will arrive safely, so just rest as much as you can. It will all begin again soon," he explained.

Historia tilted her head as she stared ahead, thinking she might be delirious again. Through the high windows of that room, right in front of her, she could see these odd forms flying in the sky. Coming closer and closer, those things certainly weren't birds. She started to hear commotion on the floors beneath them, and then even more commotion with the guards outside.

The forms flew closer and soon became clearer. The first dirigible quickly arrived and hovered on top of the building, completely shadowing the whole area. And that was when the first bomb was launched.

Somewhere in the east side of Paradise Island

Ymir opened her eyes, a little scared and startled. And she became even more scared once she saw nothing. Confused by the odd blindness, she tried to recompose her thoughts.

'Where am I?' she questioned.

She could feel her heart beating, her lungs breathing. She even felt a little hungry, a sensation she hadn't felt in a very long time. Ymir tried to move her arm and in doing so, she could hear tremors and the earth immediately felt a little loose beneath her.

The young woman finally recognised what was blocking her vision, at least of her human eyes. What was attached not only to her entire face, but also to all her limbs and torso, to her whole body: Titan fibres. That extra muscle tissue that had been grown in surpass of her human skin was obviously key to her Titan's movements, which made Ymir finally understand that she was in fact inside of her Titan form.

The haziness in her mind was finally going away. 'I'm alive,' she thought. 'It worked.'

Ymir's human body had regrown inside her Titan once her soul arrived into Planet Earth, just as it had happened to Azymondeus before her. What had been just a supposition had now come to fruition and Ymir was absolutely amazed and joyous by it.

She was indeed alive once again, and it didn't take long for her to realise what that meant: she could be killed.

The expert Titan Shifter immediately crystallised herself inside that enormous titan nape. Ymir pressed her eyes tight, concentrating. She then opened her Titan form's eyes - taking full control of that extraneous body, now from within.

'I'm home,' Ymir thought. She felt like that small toddler again, dreaming of going back to Paradise. The princess simply could not believe she was actually there, Ymir was extremely joyous.

The Titan began to rise again in the middle of that field. And her joy soon turned to anger and stress as the airships began to bombard her nonstop.

'You are not going to kill me!' She thought. 'I've come this far, and I will live.'

The Titan growled extremely loudly.

"Stay out of range and throw at this thing everything you got!" Tremblay told the troops over the radio.

Ymir swiftly grabbed one of the airplanes with one of her Titan's hands. And completely crashed the small thing inside her palm as she tried to spread out her wings among all those bombs blasting on top of her. The pilot didn't even have time to react. In less than a second, Richmond was gone.

The airships continued to bombard away, hovering above her quite high, and Ymir couldn't wait to take flight and crush them all. But she knew she had to destroy that other airplane first. She knew those rays could actually destroy her. She had more trouble reaching the second plane as Langley tried to take flight. The pilot was vexed. He had seen that monster kill all his close friends and he had had enough.

He moved that blue lever up, knowing the amount of destruction he would cause, he didn't care anymore. The pilot evaded all the Titan's lunges and flew right into its torso, the engine was overwhelmed and the iceburst stone exploded in that collision. The massive explosion took out over two hundred of the airships above it and all the vegetation of the surrounding fields.

Tremblay watched everything from his own airship, horrified. Neither he nor his soldiers had ever seen an electric explosion before, it was a terrifying sight. The old army man deeply hoped this had worked, for he had just lost almost half of his entire battalion in only one go.

But through all the fire, the Titan began to move again.

Old Onyankopon's airship was also not so far from all that action. And he felt a strange sense of relief and also immediate regret. He began to grieve those two pilots deeply after witnessing them perishing so violently. And he felt ashamed for the relief he had felt while watching all that.

He had felt relief for knowing that O-7 was not in that region anymore, as he had decided, against Onyankopon's wishes, to go help the Paradisian team. And the old man had then felt immediate regret for instinctively putting Danso above his other pilots.

The old man looked down, thinking what the best course of action would be now, after all this. Old Onyan pressed down one of the buttons of his control panel. "Alright boys, this party doesn't seem very welcoming. Let's turn around," he ordered the crew through the speakers. And the airship turned, leaving the site.

-.-

Princess Ymir wasn't the only person in that island to have their corporeal imprint duplicated: two versions of the same self, from two different points of their timestream now in proximity with one another. For the Princess was her only minutes old self in that crib, about to be bombarded by Marlean airships and her much older version, inside that enormous flying Titan.

For Azymondeus was an almost three-year-old toddler, also in the same about to be bombarded building and again, a much older self roaming somewhere in that island. For Onyankopon was his older self: a life that had seen a lot, from a very different timeline, now grieving the loss of the men he had brought over to fight with him in this battle. And hoping all this would be worth it. And a much younger man, fearful for the end of the world, of course. But also secretly enjoying an interesting adventure with a curious stranger.

There was another anomaly in that island however, someone who hadn't been born yet. And it wouldn't be born for over eleven years. Danso, like the other young pilots, had come from almost five decades in the future, hoping to change the course of history. Hoping to give their lives so they could then be born again into a better future. Running the risk of not being born at all.

Old Onyankopon could hear Danso cheerfully talking with his younger self over the radio, which was an extremely odd experience all together. He decided not to interrupt of course, he was just checking and glad to confirm that Danso was in fact still alive.

The two young men were now flying above the Reiss Lands, looking for the humans down below. And hoping not to call the attention of the Wall Titans around the area, as they slowly began to move.

"What is that?!" Gabi exclaimed, running fast towards it as she saw that strange object flying across the sky.

"It doesn't look like an airship," Annie noted. "At least not the ones around in my time."

"It looks like those air machine prototypes," Hitch pointed out. "Just much better," she added.

"Well, at least it looks like a fast vehicle," Eren noted in small complaint, but in secret relief. He was anxious to get to Historia as fast as possible.

The small group watched the airplane smoothly land across the field, then rapidly walked towards it. And they were clearly welcomed as the automatic cargo door began to open.

As they walked in, Danso's heart sank, but he quickly recomposed himself. He looked towards Onyankopon and then looked forward again. 'This mission just keeps getting more difficult,' the agent expressed in his thoughts.

He then decided to deflect a probably difficult topic, into a lighter one as he analysed the people in that group. "Why is there a kid with them?" Danso asked Onyankopon, comically, as Hange hadn't informed them of that.

"I suggested leaving her in the field," Eren Yeager explained. "But I was outvoted," he crossed his arms. "Apparently 'the Titans could try to eat her'," Eren imitated, gesturing the air quotes. "Bet they wouldn't want that," he added bitterly.

"Oh, she's coming with us," Annie firmly told them, laying down the law.

"Yes, ma'am," Danso promptly obeyed, firmly nodding.

Hitch looked at the men, quite curious. "Yes, I remember you," she addressed Onyankopon. "You're one of the defectors," she added, walking closer, very interested.

Annie looked towards him in pure disdain and crossed arms. "Why anyone would give up their country's information and their own personal freedom to help and live here in this backwards island is beyond me," she sharply expressed. And Eren side eyed her disapprovingly.

Onyankopon gave her a charming smile. "Oh, I'm not from Marley, so I was happy to share as much information as I'd like," he told the Warrior, then pointed at Danso. "He's a Marlean though."

"Yes, I like your friend," Hitch replied with a smile. "He's even more exotic than you," she added, flirting a little.

"For fuck's sake, Hitch," Annie admonished her, rolling her eyes.

Hitch smiled again, with little content, pressing her lips together. She reached out to shake their hands.

"I'm Hitch," she presented herself and pointed at Annie. "This is my best friend, or she used to be before she destroyed a whole city fighting this other idiot," she explained. "Idiot?!" Eren interjected. "But you know how Titans are like," she continued. "So destructive," she added, looking Annie in the eyes.

"Yes, I'm well aware," Danso coldly replied and proceeded. "Annie Leonhart, the Female Titan and Eren Yeager, the Attack Titan," he said. The pilot then didn't look particularly happy to have to carry those two in his plane.

"You've done your homework," Eren noted.

"He's Marlean Special Ops," Onyan explained.

"I never said I was Marlean, just Special Ops," Danso clarified.

"You said you were born there," Onyan protested.

"I mean I don't work for them, I'm a private contractor," the agent explained.

"Well, that's more reassuring," Eren noted.

And Danso turned to him. "It doesn't make me your compatriot, or friend," Danso firmly clarified. He then looked around the room. "Now, there are rules to be in my ship," he warned. "The main one is take a seat and the second one is: shut up."

He showed them the seats, walking around the plane in pure military fashion as the others sat down and fastened their seatbelts. "This won't be a long flight, as soon as we pick up this package I will drop all of you in this farm," he explained while pressing the button to close the automatic cargo door.

"No! We need to go to the farm straight away-" Eren began to argue but was soon stopped by the Special Ops agent.

"Our mission is a priority. You'll be there shortly, believe me," Danso reassured Yeager as he climbed on his pilot seat, next to Onyan's. "I can drop all of you off much faster than if you'd been going on foot," he truthfully noted.

"All? Including me?" young Onyan asked with concern, by his side.

"We've discussed this, I'm doing it alone," Danso stoically replied as he began to turn on all the gadgets.

"What are you doing alone?" Annie questioned from her seat, curiously.

"None of your concern, ma'am," he sternly replied.

"Ooh, he's a hot head," Hitch joked.

"I'm just sick of dealing with teenagers," Danso complained.

"How old are you? Forty?" Eren asked from his seat, annoyed.

"I'm thirty-four," the agent replied, coldly. He was in fact the oldest from that bunch, which Danso thought quite ironic.

Gabi turned her head sideways, looking into the cockpit. "You're looking good for your age," the twelve-year-old noted.

"What was the second rule to be on my plane?" the agent firmly questioned.

"Shutting up?" Hitch asked.

Agent O-7 nodded firmly at the group in the cabin and turned to Onyankopon. "Do you want to take off?" he proposed.

Young Onyan put his hands on the yoke excitedly. "I'm beginning to enjoy this," he noted, under his breath.

They ascended at full speed, climbing higher and higher, in the direction of Mitras.

-.-

The Queen's farm

Historia opened her eyes again, in deep confusion after that bomb had hit. She looked around seemingly alone in that large room. She looked up and the roof was still over her head. It seemed that it all had, perhaps, been just a warning. The explosion had been smaller than expected and not on the building itself. Regardless, the Eldian soldiers in that farm had no way of fighting back.

The Queen could see a small girl next to her baby's crib, the girl looked attentively inside, smiling. Historia was a bit delirious, and incredibly fatigued. She couldn't recognise the girl as being any of the ones lodged at the orphanage at that time. Historia had no idea who she was, just that she looked extremely familiar.

The girl looked at the Queen after admiring the newborn quite endearingly for a little while. "She looks very sweet," Maria sincerely told her grandmother, smiling.

And Historia smiled back at her, confused.

One of the nurses came rushing into the room. "Your Majesty, it's all going to be alright," she explained, trying to keep the Queen, and herself, calm. The woman proceeded. "We are moving everything to the basement, and you and the children, you will be all safe there."

"Did you see the small girl?" Historia asked, curiously searching around the room again. The girl had disappeared. She wondered if the small child had run off because of the woman.

"What small girl?" the nurse asked, confused.

"She looked like my mother," Historia noted, under her breath.

There were three Marlean airships on top of that building, shadowing it completely. And now one more arriving.

Historia could see a shadowy figure in the next room, as she looked through the door that the nurse had left wide open. The man approached, wearing a strange armour, but the Queen didn't have much time to think about it as she was then completely startled. He walked behind the nurse and promptly shot the woman on the back of the head.

The nurse fell to the floor, bleeding out. Dead.

"So is that how these things work?" Az wondered, looking through the barrel. Speaking in Old Eldian, not only because it came more naturally to him at this point. But also because the broken man didn't want to be understood by the people of his own time.

"Get out of my room!" Historia firmly warned. The mother's heart was beating almost out of her chest as she looked towards the crib, her small newborn was peacefully sleeping inside.

Azymondeus ignored her, and walked closer to the crib.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Historia warned him gravely. The man approached and looked down at the small baby, Ymir was indeed sleeping deeply.

"I will kill you." The Queen further warned, looking around the room for a weapon. Historia was forcing herself to stand up, but after giving birth, such act was very difficult.

Az stood there for a moment, and she couldn't understand what he was doing. He was looking intently at the baby as well, just as the small girl was. He seemed very peaceful, almost as if the peace of Ymir's sleep had reached him.

The father could immediately recognise his three precious baby girls in that newborn's face. And that had stunned him completely.

'I guess all three of you looked just like your mother when you were little,' he thought, sweetly. Az reached out soothingly, to caress Ymir's face. And Historia became more apprehensive as his hand reached down into the crib.

The Queen looked up to the high windows again, she could see that dirigible coming their way, it was coming in high velocity and at a much lower altitude than the ones that came before it. The airship was suddenly very close to the building and a man came crashing down through the glass window.

The Ackermann landed on the floor smoothly, to Az's genuine surprise. Levi launched out one of his ODM grappling hooks and it lodged into the time traveller's chest before he could even react. Levi pulled the grappling hook back to him, bringing the man with it. He then elbowed the side of his face with much strength and swiftly kicked down his legs to begin to immobilise him.

It took a few seconds for Azzy to decide what to do, it took a few seconds for him to completely process who he was about to fight with. But he finally concluded that he had to get his uncle out of his way somehow, without hurting him. Which as he knew very well, was going to be extremely difficult.

Az punched him in the stomach with one hand and threw him across the room with the other. Hoping Levi wouldn't break any bones after that fall. He then side eyed Historia angrily.

"Right, you're here to protect the Queen," he firmly said. "Why am I not surprised?"

He looked at both of them in disdain. The man was wearing a helmet, but his dark blue eyes were visible and so was the anger inside of them.

"I bet you two can smell each other's blood," he said, and shook his head. "Cursed blood," he affirmed.

Levi swiftly stood up and rushed towards him with a gun, hoping to shoot the intruder at close range. And he did so, shooting him on the chest that had already been injured by the grappling hook, but the man didn't even move.

Az took the gun from him and hit Levi's face with the back of it. 'Sorry,' he thought, genuinely conflicted.

Levi then kicked his lower leg with much strength, clearly breaking it into two parts. But the man only straightened it back together. Levi looked up at his chest to see that steam rising up, he was regenerating like a Titan Shifter.

The Survey Corps veteran was stunned. He quickly thought about all the Titan Shifters in his head, there was no way this man was one of them as well. It didn't make any sense. Levi couldn't understand how he was regenerating. The uncle then quickly looked to the corner of the room where the intruder had just thrown him over. And he finally realised it would take more than just regular human strength to throw someone that far.

"You are all my clones," Az joked, and Levi looked at him confused.

Kneeling down on that floor, Levi quickly pulled out his two swords, ready to fight. And the intruder quickly pulled out the gun he had been given. Again, conflicted about firing it or not. He was now holding both his gun and the one he had just taken from Levi.

His conflict didn't last even a second, as Levi quickly disarmed him and began to attack him with both ODM swords. His nephew then expertly took one of the swords from him and they continued to fight.

Historia mustered all of her strength to stand up from that bed. She then swiftly ran out of the room, carrying Ymir in her arms. As the two Ackermanns continued to fight intensely.

-.-

Up on that rogue dirigible, Shadis ushered all of the cadets out and jumped right after them. All flying down to the building with their ODM gears, all ready for a fight. Hange stayed there on her own, and began to speed up to then turn the immense aircraft. She placed the dirigible in a collision course with two Marlean crafts and then jumped out of it as well. Flying down into the building as the three dirigible exploded into one another.

Hange looked up, watching the explosion and many soldiers jumping down to their deaths or holding onto the ladders and ropes for dear life. The crafts all crashed together into the fields, immediately catching all the vegetation on fire.

"Only one to go," the Commander thought, looking up at the one Marlean craft that was left. She quickly started to organise a plan in her mind to invade and take over that one aircraft.

It all had happened quite fast, the Marleans had no idea that this new craft coming over was not part of their troops, so at first they thought it all had been just a freak accident. But as soon as they saw the Eldian soldiers fighting their soldiers using those strange acrobatic contraptions they realised it had been an attack.

They immediately radioed for backup, and Tremblay didn't hesitate to send them seven more crafts. A second wave of attacks was now coming their way.

-.-

The nuns and the servants quickly rushed the orphan children into the basement, as the soldiers did their best to protect them. The medical team had partially been killed, with now only two nurses and the doctor remaining. The Marleans had blocked the stairs and had begun to storm the higher floors, looking for the Queen.

Historia was on her own, delirious, tired and still feeling strong contractions. She struggled to walk and she was terrified by all the noise and all the commotion. She roamed the upper corridors, holding Ymir closer and tightly into her arms. And Ezra even closer, still inside her stomach. The mother felt beyond desperate.

She stopped for a moment, feeling very weak and about to pass out. This was all too much for her. "No, I won't let them kill us," she whispered to herself. "I won't let them kill my children," she declared more firmly. The mother knew she had to find strength, she had to keep going. She turned, and saw that little girl again.

The small girl smiled at her at the end of the corridor, and gestured for the Queen to follow her. And Historia immediately stood up again and kept going, trusting this ghost to be a good omen.

-.-

The two Ackermanns continued to fight violently. Levi had lunged at and stabbed that man multiple times, but it was of no avail. While Az was doing his best not to hit Levi, or at least not to hurt him too badly, which was difficult considering how thirsty for blood his uncle was.

Another problem for the time traveller was his fighting style. Although it had been a novelty all those two thousand years ago, among those savages. It certainly was not helping him now, as he was fighting with the one man who had taught him everything he knew. Levi could predict every move, block every lunge. This was truly the most complicated and most conflicting fight Az had ever faced.

The nephew was trying his best to just evade him. But that was clearly difficult as Levi choked him with the thin, but strong wire of his ODM gear. The thin metal was slashing through his skin, and he began to bleed out. Az looked across that room, trying to figure out a next move. He then mustered his strength, and swiftly threw the older Ackermann high and over, in the direction of a wooden wardrobe. Levi hit and broke those wooden doors with much force and as he fell to the ground, the whole wardrobe fell on top of him.

There was finally silence. Az was relieved as he stood up again, still breathing heavily but finally glad to have taken Levi out. He then rapidly left the room - as his neck and other wounds quickly regenerated, and went into the corridors. Looking around frantically, the time traveller knew he couldn't fail, the entire world was depending on it. But the Queen and the newborn were nowhere to be seen.

He could hear laughter, of a much older child. And he could almost recognise it, which slightly disturbed him. Az then caught a glimpse of a small shadow running across the corridors and he immediately followed it. Almost in a trance, the man walked around trying to follow and discover the origin of that sweet sound of laughter.

The girl revealed herself to him with a very lovely smile, right next to the high windows, at the open end of one of the large corridors.

Azymondeus froze. "Baby girl?" he softly asked, feeling completely lost and delirious.

He had never thought he would one day see Maria's face again. The father was staggered.

The child's figure was clearly translucent, but the man only confirmed it once the sun rays came through those stained glasses of the high windows and passed right through her. What made that whole experience a true spiritual encounter. Az stood there, just motionless and reactionless, lost.

Levi then came rushing in, out of nowhere, and pushed the man like a freight train. They fell together through the glass window, all the way down below.

A small toddler was now coming up the stairs, curiously. Little Azzy saw half of the action and rushed to look down from that high window. A Warrior soul, he was curious to watch it all unravelling, the small boy enjoyed fights far too much.

Maria's apparition stood right next to him and the toddler looked up excitedly towards her. She smiled and patted him on the head affectionately. She then called him over, almost as if to play, and the almost three-year-old followed her excitedly.

-.-

Somewhere in the east side of Paradise Island

Ymir was trying to rebuild herself. That large iceburst explosion had damaged her Titan greatly, and if she hadn't crystallised her human self, it would probably have killed her. The Titan growled loudly as it rebuilt its crystal coat and crystal wings again. The airships were hovering high above it, and Tremblay was considering it all, thinking of what to do next. The man considered retreating, as he had now confirmed that this beast was almost impossible to kill.

The army man then saw his hope rushing fast towards the area. "Finally," Tremblay let out as he confirmed those were his Warriors running in the distance. He then ordered his troops to fly even higher and keep as much distance as possible. 'This is going to get messy,' he thought.

The goddess was still reorganising her thoughts. She could see the Wall Titans walking aimlessly in the surrounding areas, which made her frustrated. For although she really wanted it, she knew she didn't have control over her precious children yet.

'Ezra,' Ymir thought. 'I need to get to him.'

The Titan then looked forward in confusion, she not only saw what looked like two Titan birds in the far distance, but she also saw something very very tiny flying fast in her direction. The brave Warrior had been strongly catapulted by his Colossal Titan friend. Reiner took out his knife as he flew across the sky. Concentrating deeply to conjure a powerful transformation, he slashed his palm.

The whole odd attack caught the goddess completely by surprise. And Ymir now found herself inside of yet another powerful explosion.

-.-

Mitras - The Royal Palace

The airplane was landed on the great garden, as Danso had cleverly used the large main path as an airstrip. The whole area was absolutely empty, as the entire city, including the palace, had been evacuated during the night in fear of more tremors.

Hitch and Gabi were left waiting inside the airplane, as the others left to grab the petals. The two of them sat on the pilots seats, comfortably, waiting for everyone to return. The twelve-year-old was quite curious to touch the panels, but she knew that would not be wise. While the MP was more careless about it all, Hitch sat leisurely, with arms crossed and her legs on top of the console.

She looked around for a moment, and turned to Gabi a little concerned. "Do you also get this feeling that we are not alone here?" she whispered to the girl. The woman could almost hear breathing and that was weirding her out. "Almost like we're being watched?" she whispered even lower and closer.

Gabi looked ahead, out of the large glass window of the airplane; nervously considering all the creepy, gooey matter crawling over the cities and all the odd Wall Titans they had seen as they flew over the Sina Region. "I just want us to leave as soon as possible," the twelve-year-old replied.

The cargo door began to open again and Gabi promptly stood up from the copilot's seat, feeling glad and excited. While Hitch stayed sitting, nonchalantly.

"Well, that was fast," Hitch noted, turning the chair towards them.

"We couldn't get in," Eren complained while Onyan scratched his head.

"Didn't Annie try to kick the doors for all of ya? I bet she's a little annoyed there are no guards for her to punch," Hitch joked back. But she wasn't wrong.

"This is Historia's home, my home. Even if there were still guards around they wouldn't attack any of you. Not while I'm here," Eren reminded them firmly and pompously. As all of the guards and most of the Eldian people considered him as their king.

"Ergh," Annie let out, and rolled her eyes. "The first doors were easy," she explained to Hitch. "But that damn basement is made of pure stone," the Warrior complained, annoyed.

"Yeah, the whole castle is made of iron and stone down there, very difficult to get through," Onyankopon added, holding his schematics. "Hange did not mention that."

"I think this building classifies as a palace," Danso noted. "And I think she expected there would be people here, not that they would have run away and have closed everything down," the pilot theorised. He looked back to that enormous, empty palace. "It's so creepy seeing a big building like this empty," he added.

"We are going to the ruins of the old castle beneath it, so he is not wrong in calling it a castle," Eren explained to the foreign agent.

Annie walked forward. "Come on Gabi, we need you," she told the girl.

"Me?" she asked, confused. "Why?"

Eren crossed his arms and let out a little smile. "Because you can fit," he explained.

The girl went with them, a little confused and anxious.

"Stay and guard my precious bird," Agent O-7 told Hitch and she saluted him back, charmingly as the cargo door closed.

The group went over to the inner gardens of the palace and stopped in a small corner.

"I'm not climbing in there, it's full of shit water!" Gabi protested after they had explained the plan to her. And Yeager couldn't help but let out a side smile, secretly enjoying all that.

"Come on, Gabi, this is really important," Annie told her sternly, kneeling down to her height. "It's just a storm drain," she pointed, explaining it.

"Isn't there any other way?" the girl asked, indignantly.

"Gabrielle," Annie let out sternly and motherly.

"If there was, do you think we would have gone back and called you?" Eren challenged the small preteen, annoyed.

Yeager was anxious, this mission was taking too long and he couldn't take his mind off Historia and their children. He was extremely worried.

Onyankopon also kneeled down, giving her one of the schematics, as he had drawn her the path. He began to explain. "Just go in there and follow this precisely-"

Gabi interrupted him with concern. "What if I get lost?" she asked anxiously.

"You won't," he affirmed, fatherly. "Just keep going west. Once you find the next grid, you'll have to climb up the stairs and open all the iron latches of that big, heavy door, and let us in. We will be waiting for you on the other side."

The girl looked down and gently nodded. She looked towards that small grid and to the darkness inside, knowing this whole experience would be extremely claustrophobic.

"Good," Onyan told her after she had nodded.

"Alright," Annie told the others while standing up. "Help me break this," she proposed, preparing herself.

But Onyankopon only raised his hand, still kneeling down next to Gabi.

"There's no need," he gently informed, while taking out a screwdriver from under his jacket. He gave Yeager all those palace schematics to hold and then proceeded to gently unscrew the iron grid.

"You walk around with a screwdriver in your pocket?" Annie asked while crossing her arms. And Danso looked down with a small, sweet smile. He secretly felt like a child again.

Onyan, shook his head charmingly as he was smoothly unscrewing the grid off. "I got it in the middle of that chaos in Shiganshina yesterday, in the Compound. I was looking for a weapon," he explained.

"You were in an army compound and all you got for a weapon was a screwdriver?" Annie questioned, raising her eyebrows.

He turned to her with the screwdriver at hand, pointing at her. "You weren't there in all that tremors and chaos, so you don't get to judge," he comically pointed out, moving the hand tool up and down. Onyankopon then removed the storm drain grid.

Gabi looked inside, concerned, Onyan then held her shoulder affectionately and fatherly. "Hear my advice: follow the light," he told her and gave the small girl the screwdriver. "See you on the other side," he added, smiling.

"Well, you can still stab someone in the eye with it," Eren noted to Onyan while giving him all the schematics back. "Exactly," Onyan concurred.

"Or even kill someone while stabbing them through the chest," Danso also argued, "if you're close enough," he added.

And Annie looked up at them a little annoyed as she helped Gabi into the storm drain.

The small girl ran fast once she was inside, she kept going left and following the glimpse of light as Onyankopon had told her. Gabi was afraid of the dark so she ran as fast as she could. She eventually found another iron grid and began to unscrew it gently, fortunately her arms were small enough to pass through the iron bars with ease.

She entered the ancient room, all its walls were made of rocks, it looked very old. Gabi had never seen ruins like that before. She then climbed up all the stairs and opened all the ten huge iron latches of that large door. It took all of them to move the heavy thing, they all pushed the large door until it was wide open. And Gabi soon jumped and hugged Annie very tightly. It took a while but Annie hugged her back, a little staggered. Onyankopon gently caressed the twelve-year-old's hair. "See? You didn't die," he charmingly joked with her.

They all went down the stairs, carrying wooden torches. Eren was visibly nervous. "This is taking too long," he quietly let out, under his breath. And the agent side eyed him.

Danso gently passed his hand over his gun, looking around the stone walls, contemplative.

"Can you calm down? Your Commander already said they have a team going to the farm, she's going to be just fine," Annie noted, and sighed with annoyance as they climbed down all those stairs.

"I know that won't be enough," Eren maintained, firmly. "Marleans are just ruthless and violent," he proceeded. "I can't imagine what they will do."

"Yes, because Eldians are the most serene and lovely people, true model of peace," Annie threw back at him stoically.

"You're just brainwashed," Eren replied with a small, angry smile. "And she's even worse," he added, pointing at Gabi.

Danso turned back towards them. "All of humanity is horrible, there's no need for competition. Now can we move on from that stupid conversation?" the agent firmly asked as they reached the end of the stairs.

Onyan let out a small laugh. "They're just in that phase when we philosophise a lot," he told the agent.

"What phase are you at?" Danso asked him.

"Dreading my thirties," Onyan joked. "They're getting closer."

Danso grabbed him by the shoulder. "You'll survive it," he replied jokingly.

They moved into the next stone room and saw another large door, now with a strange puzzle at the centre.

"Alright, this is the vault," Onyan confirmed while looking into his schematics.

Eren looked close into that door handle and let out a small smile. "This all screams Armin," he noted, suddenly missing his best friend. It indeed had been Arlert who had created that vault lock, it was very similar to what his parents used to make.

"It's actually just a simple number code," Onyan explained, even though the lock seemed complicated. He began to move the pieces. "It's the date of the Queen's coronation," he revealed.

"I doubt Historia ever knew about any of this," Eren let out, sceptically.

"Under her own house?" Danso questioned ironically.

"She would have told me about it," Eren maintained.

"Because she tells you everything," Annie joked, under her breath.

"Yes," Eren replied, turning to her. "You know, for someone who was so defensive before," he leaned closer to her face. "You sure seem very jealous."

Annie only chuckled. "Oh, I am only pointing out that she doesn't trust you," she explained, amused.

The vault was finally unlocked and the door was opened. They all walked in and Onyan took out the small key Hange had given him to open that metal case over the stone table. As soon as that case was opened, the three blue stones inside glowed incredibly bright.

"Yep. Those are iceburst stones," Danso confirmed with arms crossed. The three stones were the same as the one in his plane's engine, but they glowed even brighter.

"They're shaped like tears," the small girl noted, coming closer to take a look. "Careful," Eren warned, barring Gabi from getting closer.

"I believe they were shaped like geranium petals," Onyan explained.

"Why are there two missing?" Eren asked.

"Apparently there were tests made," Onyan disclosed. "But you can ask your Commander more about it after all this," he added.

"Or the Queen," Annie suggested and Eren side eyed her, the Warrior was successfully getting on his nerves.

All of a sudden, Danso swiftly took out his futuristic gun and pointed at Yeager, about to fire. And Leonhart quickly kicked him on the stomach with much force. Her reaction was unexpected and the agent now didn't know what to do, as if he fired again in that stone room there was a chance that the bullet would ricochet into the petals.

He'd had a perfect shot but it had been lost, now the Special Ops man was having to deal with Leonhart's unexpected attack. She not only swiftly kicked him on the stomach, making him fall back into the stone wall, but also in the arm. Still, he didn't drop the gun. Even though she almost broke his hand with that kick. Annie then hit his head against the wall once, she kicked his legs and turned him on his back, and down on his knees. Pinning him firmly against the wall. Leonhart knew very well that this was the best way to deal with a man twice her size.

"Drop it!" She firmly ordered, holding his left hand down on his back and his right hand - with the gun - against the stone wall. "Drop it!" she ordered again.

'Unbelievable,' Danso thought. He dropped the gun and Annie reached down to get it, letting him go.

Eren was staggered and so was Onyankopon, who had quickly put Gabi behind him and was protecting her in the corner of the room.

The agent stood up, vexed.

"What was all that?!" Onyankopon asked, baffled. Gabi's heart was beating fast as she hid behind him.

"If you knew half of that man's crimes you wouldn't be defending him, ma'am," Danso told Annie. "He's better off dead."

"I don't care about his crimes. I care about the only other being here that can fight Titans off with me," Leonhart firmly said. "So until we fix this problem, I'm keeping him alive," she told him sternly, walking closer. "Understood?" she asked.

Danso retracted to his usual military stance. "Yes, ma'am," he coldly replied.

"Stop calling me ma'am," Leonhart complained. "How old do you think I am?" she asked, fixing up her hair again.

"Right," Danso conceded. "Miss," he corrected himself, a little unsure.

"That's somehow worse," Annie complained while tying up her hair. And Onyan gave out a small chuckle. He was amused by the soldier's stuffiness and that girl's energy.

She then checked the odd looking gun and secured it again in her belt. Danso side eyed Yeager, annoyed.

"Let me guess, you lost people in that festival too?" Eren asked, challenging the agent.

"I don't need that to motivate me, I was just following your Commander's orders," O-7 revealed.

"Her orders were to keep him here, not to kill him," Onyan firmly argued, admonishing him.

"What?!" Eren strongly questioned, confused.

"The Commander's orders were to keep you out of the way," Onyan revealed to Yeager. "To leave you here, stranded in Mitras. You and Leonhart." He turned to Annie, "she doesn't trust either of you," Onyan explained.

Annie and Eren looked at each other. The Titan Shifters were the only ones who knew that the Queen was giving birth to the next Founding Titan and how important it really was to defend that farm.

Eren was absolutely vexed. "You've been purposefully wasting our time?! While the Queen is in danger?!" he yelled at the agent and at Onyankopon in pure anger.

"Well, she's not my queen," Danso swiftly replied. "And your Commander was the one who gave the orders," he added.

"She's not my Commander," Eren firmly replied and Danso walked closer to him.

"Besides, whatever little demons she's having," the agent said. "That isn't our priority. We have a real monster to kill," he reminded the team. And Eren lunged forward towards him, about to pounce.

The father was very angry, not only with that comment, but also with the fact that they had wasted his time.

"Enough!" Onyan finally intervened, standing between them, annoyed. He then walked to the metal case and took the petals. Giving one to Danso and another to Gabi. "Don't drop this," he warned them both. Holding the third one.

He took the flower-shaped metal support where the petals were being held. "And you get to hold this," he told Annie while giving it to her. Onyankopon turned to Yeager. "And you get to hold nothing because you're a loose cannon and quite frankly, I don't trust you. Now let's get out of here," he firmly declared, pointing towards the stairs in the next room.

They all went running up the stairs when they suddenly began to feel tremors again.

"I can't believe the earthquakes will start again now!" Onyan exclaimed, angry and anxious.

Eren looked at the glowing petals on the others' hands, he was feeling a little dizzy, almost as if someone was trying to talk to him.

"Can you hear something?" Annie asked him.

"Yes. But it's not here, it's there," Eren replied, referring to the cursed dimension. And Annie nodded, looking a little scared.

"There?" Danso questioned, as they all rushed out of that stone basement and into the palace corridors.

"The dimension where all Eldians are connected," Eren explained, but Danso just looked more confused.

"It's an Eldian thing, you wouldn't understand," Annie told him as they continued to run.

"Who says I'm not Eldian?" Danso asked back, challenging her with raised eyebrows. And Annie looked forward, a little confused.

As they arrived back into the inner garden they saw a Titan transformation in the distance. A former Titan was climbing from the dirt in the rose garden nearby. Hungry for a fight and ready to chase them. Eren and Annie looked at each other again, they remembered the warnings from that stardust apparition.

"What is that thing?" Gabi asked with much concern, she brought that small tear-shaped stone closer to her, scared. They kept running.

"That's one of the previous Founding Titans," Eren noted while turning back.

It was Karl Fritz himself. And it was chasing them in pure anger, gaining speed fast.

'You will die,' they could all hear the king threatening them inside their minds, over and over again. All except Onyankopon, who did not have Eldian blood.

Gabi began to cry, quietly. The small girl would never forget that voice, it would haunt her for the rest of her days.

"Should we transform?" Annie asked Eren while he himself was already bringing his hand closer to his face, to take a bite.

"No!" the agent shouted as they ran. "We can make it," he firmly told them.

Suddenly other transformations began to happen all around them across that large garden. They were in a Titan minefield.

"We can make it!" Danso shouted again and they kept running.

Hitch was still curious, and still a little freaked out. So she kneeled down near the pilots seats and tried to look through the hatch, to down below. She was almost sure that there was a shadow moving in there. When the cargo door opened suddenly and everyone came rushing in.

"Give the petals to Onyankopon and take your seats," Agent O-7 strongly ordered while pressing the cargo door shut. They all took their seats in the cabin and Onyan gently sat on the copilot seat, firmly holding that plate of iceburst stones on his lap.

Danso swiftly jumped into the pilot seat and fired up the engine. He was about to do what he had been doing all his life until this point. What he had been born to do: kill Titans.

The airplane sped up fast across that garden, taking flight before the former Founding Titan could grab its tail. The futuristic craft then made a long but sharp turn and came back down, facing the Titan again. Danso fired up those bright rays through its neck and cut Fritz's head off. The airplane then proceeded to hit and take down all the other Titans that had appeared as well, all very fast and efficiently. But they all could see through their windows Fritz and the others just rising up again.

"You can't kill them!" Eren shouted in conclusion.

"Then let's just leave," Danso replied. And they flew off, leaving Mitras behind.

Eren looked back to the region through the airplane window. Looking at those ghost Titans and to all the destruction left by this Devil creature so far. Most of the Sina Region was in shambles and the Wall Titans were just roaming around, destroying it even more. Yeager knew the situation all around the Rose and Maria Regions was the same. The Devil's destruction was everywhere. 'I caused all this,' he quietly thought, deeply upset.

-.-

Somewhere in the east side of Paradise Island

The Colossal Titan held Reiner deep inside its hand as it ran quite fast, with the three revived Jaw Titans and the one Ackermann on its back. Followed behind by the two flying Titans, with the two soldiers flying on their backs. As soon as they all finally sighted the giant goddess in the distance they all knew it was time to act. It was time to begin with their plan. Armin slowed down slightly, carefully aiming ahead. He raised his Titan's arm and threw the Warrior quite a distance. And the Armoured Titan exploded in transformation before Ymir could even react.

The explosion was great, and the Armoured also used a secret trick. It threw its own first armour out as shards of crystal in all directions, piercing the goddess' skin and injuring her severely. The Armoured Titan stood on its back, rapidly regrowing a second armour. He held himself firmly on her wings and shoulders as Ymir tried unsuccessfully to shake him off and take flight again.

That simple throw had left Armin in severe pain and rigidness on his left arm. His initial transformation hadn't been ideal and it had happened the day before. Armin had been on this Titan for many hours and he knew that something wasn't right with his human body inside all that. But that was the least of his worries at the moment, so he marched forward relentlessly.

The shards of crystal had flown all over Ymir's body. They had pierced the back of her head, in between her long hairs, and also all over her back and spine. There were even shards in the back of her arms and she was extremely annoyed with that small Titan surfing on her back. Ymir looked up to see the two flying Titans high above her. The soldiers on board of them began to throw down sticks of dynamite into both her wings, making Ymir even more confused. She was having trouble understanding what was happening and how to react.

Ymir growled extremely loudly and tried to take flight, and she was successful for a couple of hundred metres. She flew ahead, moving her wings despite the constant bombing on top of them, and also despite the small Armoured Titan trying to hold her down. She flew in a straight line, without being able to gain altitude. But the Colossal Titan suddenly arrived, he'd finally reached her.

Colliding with her immediately, and pressing her enormous face down into the earth with all the strength he had. Armin pressed both his arms down, despite all of the internal pain he was feeling. Burying her head into the ground in the middle of that inertia, finally managing to slow her down despite Ymir trying to charge ahead. She pushed forward and upwards but the Armoured Titan and the Colossal Titan pushed her down. The gigantic creature eventually stopped. And the three wingless Jaw Titans jumped on top of it.

Marcel's Jaw Titan and Porco's Jaw Titan began to gnaw all over her wings and limbs while Maria's Jaw Titan jumped into the creature's back, carrying Mikasa with her. The Ackermann flew down with her ODM gear. She reached and touched the creature's spine, very close to the nape. She wanted to be as close to the goddess' nervous system as possible. She closed her eyes, concentrating, and opened them again: Mikasa's deep dark eyes had now turned completely yellow.

Mikasa saw herself in a dream: in that beautiful park in Trost, where she had been a few days before. She leaned back on that bench, with her head raised up to the bright skies, Mikasa enjoyed the peaceful breeze. She looked ahead to see her two children playing joyfully in the bright green grass. The small girl looked at her with a sweet smile. "Go," Mikasa softly told her, and Sunny ran off into the stars.

Ymir's concentration was broken yet again in her cursed dimension. As she stared at her precious light tree, the stardust formed all around her.

"I told you, I'll destroy you." Sonnenblume threatened her strongly, placing both hands on Ymir's face. The goddess tried to attack her with her light tree roots again but they couldn't reach the apparition. Ymir suddenly looked thirteen again, and then only four years old again.

The small, lost princess felt overwhelmed, her mind was lost in pure grief and much disturbance. She could see her children being eaten, her lover being cut to pieces, her father's throat being slashed through. Her mother walking aimlessly through the dark woods, calling her name and bleeding out, dying. Herself being eaten by her children, Ymir could feel again the unbelievable physical and psychological pain she had felt as her daughters ate her body. All traumas she had buried deep in all that sand, as she made up that whole dimension to be her own eternal prison. Ymir blamed herself for everything. 'I killed them,' the small four-year-old thought.

Sonnenblume held her face firmly, bringing out all those nightmares to the front of Ymir's mind, hoping to overwhelm her and finally destroy the dimension Ymir had created. Sonnenblume deeply wanted that place gone, as she herself had been trapped there for all eternity and she desperately wanted her mind freed.

The four-year-old seemed broken, weaker and weaker with each passing moment as she felt more and more overwhelmed by all those horrible memories. A true nightmare. Mikasa and Maria looked up, as the dark sky began to crack all around them. It almost felt like the entire dimension was in actuality made of glass and it seemed to be about to be broken. Ymir cried very quietly.

She was about to accept it all, but the four-year-old suddenly raised her head again. "No," she declared to that apparition. "This is my new chance. I won't let you kill me!"

Ymir brought Sonnenblume closer and held her head firmly with both her hands, giving the witch a taste of her own medicine: she pressed Sonnenblume's head with all her might. And the apparition broke apart like shattered glass herself.

"Sonnenblume!" Mikasa yelled, wanting to walk forward but Maria held her back by the arm. Suddenly the two of them were engulfed in flames.

And they both woke up in the real world again to feel the hot flames of Ymir's fire. The goddess had set her Titan ablaze. Fortunately, Mikasa had been wearing a full-body crystal armour. And despite her face and hands having suffered burns, she immediately began to regenerate. Maria's Jaw Titan took the Ackermann between her teeth and began to run off from the hot flames, being burnt herself.

Ymir's fire was very strong, its heat incredibly intense. The goddess began to shake them all off her, violently. She continued to burn her own skin in all her might, hoping to melt all of them away.

She reached back with both arms to grab the small nuisances. And threw Marcel's and Porco's Jaw Titans into the distance: both burning up with her flames. She tried reaching to grab the Armoured Titan as well but he evaded her. His armour completely prevented him from getting burnt, and Reiner wasn't even bothered by her flames. He reached down with all ten fingers and firmed himself onto her, gashing down into her skin with his titan crystal. And Ymir growled loudly.

The Colossal Titan was also getting burnt, so he began to use the same trick on her, igniting his own fire. Still pressing her down, and hoping all the heat would melt her off, even if melted both of them off. The Colossal Titan continued to release its fire intensely, together with her, both trapped in a hell of their own making. When Ymir finally raised her head again, absolutely vexed. She reached out with one of her arms and began to choke him while waving her other arm towards one of the flying Titans nearby. She swiftly grabbed Falco and brought him closer to her, to crush him, and Connie as well.

The soldier fell in flames, between her fingers, to a drop of over two hundred metres. Falco bit and gnawed desperately, eventually freeing himself from her hands. He immediately found out he couldn't spread his wings, as they had been crushed. So the Jaw Titan made his way down fast. Speeding downwards through the flames. Trying to reach Connie's body as he fell. The soldier was almost falling unconscious.

The Phoenix Titan saw it all and so did Jean, flying on her back. She immediately sped up towards the fallen soldier, but she was also too far. All of them watched as Connie hit the ground violently, breaking every bone of his body in the process. The bright blue sky was the last thing Connie saw, before nothingness.

The goddess spread out her wings again, still holding the Colossal Titan by his neck. She threw him away violently and began to finally take flight, still with the Armoured Titan lodged on her back. Armin was vexed. He turned and swiftly grabbed one of her legs before she could properly fly away, trying to hold her down. Ymir turned and cut her own lower leg off with her crystallised fingers and the Colossal Titan fell down violently with it. She also grabbed the Armoured Titan with much strength and also threw him off her back violently. She then rose up into the sky.

The Colossal Titan growled very loudly as she flew off, in deep anger. Something he had never done before, which deeply frightened Mikasa and the others. Jean jumped off from the Phoenix before she even got to the ground, running towards Connie's body. The Phoenix Titan then turned to see the goddess flying off, getting away. Pieck was very mad too.

The Armoured Titan was thrown some distance away. Reiner looked up to the skies as he tried to stand up once again, when he saw the Phoenix Titan flying fast, following the goddess. 'Pieck, no,' he thought, knowing this had been a bad decision on her part.

Jean rushed towards his friend's body on the ground, absolutely desolated, the soldier was in deep pain. He could not believe this was happening, he didn't want to believe it. Falco's Titan came over closer, also extremely upset. The boy felt very lost, and guilty.

The Wall Titans that were roaming around the region had already paid attention to them. This amount of Shifters in only one place had instantly attracted the mindless monsters. They came over, ready to feast. Armin was down on his knees, staggered, his brain couldn't even think properly with the amount of anger and grief that he felt. He rapidly stood up again as the first Wall Titan approached. Hitting the thing up on its chin with that enormous leg the goddess had left behind.

Armin began to use it as a weapon, to swiftly take out all those Wall Titans around them. He was tired of losing his friends in an endless and nonsensical cycle of violence. The man was broken and angry. His grief cut deeper when he thought of all those people who had already died on that island in only those past two days.

"This is my fault," Falco's Titan let out, deeply upset.

"No, it's not," Mikasa told him firmly, but softly as she held the side of his Titan's face.

The Titan then softly dragged some earth with its claw, to gently cover the body, showing his respect.

Jean was kneeling near it, sobbing in much pain.

The other two Jaw Titans finally approached again, standing next to Maria's Titan, clearly understanding the significance of the situation. But also rightfully apprehensive about the amount of Wall Titans slowly approaching the area.

"They don't care about us, there's nothing inside our Titans," Porco noted. "But you, Reiner and Arlert are in serious danger here," he told Falco.

"Even the humans are, those things are Pure Titans," Marcel added.

"We need to leave," Maria concurred.

Mikasa gently walked towards Kirstein. "We should take you somewhere safe," she told him softly while holding his shoulder. And he abruptly stood up again. "What?" Jean asked back aggressively.

"Do you think I want to lose you too?" Mikasa questioned, deeply upset, she was avoiding to look at the mangled body. "It hasn't been a month since we buried Sasha!" she reminded him.

Jean walked towards her firmly. "I'm standing my ground and finishing the mission," he strongly affirmed. "We are going to kill that thing."

"Don't be stupid, Jean," Maria's Titan warned him severely.

And he walked towards her. "Ok, do you want to leave me somewhere safe?" he questioned, turning again to Mikasa as well. "Then tell me what place is there on this wretched island that is still safe," he argued and was met with silence.

The Colossal Titan approached them solemnly, he dropped his arm down, positioning it next to Jean.

ϟ "Stab me with your swords." ϟ He said.

Jean looked at him confused, but eventually did as he had been told. Kirstein stabbed the Colossal Titan's arm with both his ODM swords. And was a little startled to see them glowing underneath its skin. He took the swords out again and they were completely coated in titan crystal, just like Mikasa's. He looked down at the swords then up at his friend, and the Colossal Titan nodded at him.

Marcel's Jaw Titan then rapidly climbed up to the Colossal Titan's shoulder. "What now?" Marcel asked.

ϟ "We go again." ϟ He replied.

The Colossal Titan stood up once more, as Maria's and Porco's Jaw Titans also climbed on its back rapidly. Followed by Mikasa and Jean who also climbed up using their ODM gears.

Falco took a moment, he finished burying Connie's body and hoped it wouldn't be disturbed by any of those Titans roaming around. He then climbed on the Colossal Titan as well, as his wings were still regenerating. They then set off, to meet with Reiner and Pieck, and find that monster again.

-.-

The Queen's farm

Levi came crashing down on the side of that building, bringing the stranger down with him after they had fallen off that window. He then jumped up again, securing himself upwards with his ODM grappling hooks, while the intruder kept falling. Az quickly took out a small dagger from under his armour and used it to hitch onto the wooden wall of the building. He pierced the dagger through, slashing down to the ground while also trying to grab onto something. And despite helping slow him down, this act still didn't prevent him from hitting the ground hard.

Before he could recover himself, the Ackermann jumped down on top of him, holding that stranger's face down with his foot. Levi pressed his boot down, almost dislodging his helmet. Az then took Levi's leg with both his hands and threw him off, making the uncle fall completely unbalanced. They both stood up simultaneously and Levi took out his swords again, rushing towards him. The stranger began to defend his lunges with only that small dagger he had, deflecting and trying to steal one of Levi's swords. Or perhaps disarm him completely.

'This is much worse than any training we ever had before,' he thought, secretly feeling like a teenager again. 'I don't think you ever bullied me this much,' Az also thought, trying his best not to permanently injure his favourite uncle.

They continued to fight across that field, while bullets flew inside that building and the fallen dirigibles burned away not far from where they were. The one Marlean dirigible left had retreated slightly, only hoping that their soldiers already inside of the building could finish the mission and bring back the Queen's head once and for all. Inside the orphanage, the Marlean and the Eldians fought in a strong crossfire, both hoping the orphan children wouldn't get caught in it.

Az accidentally slashed through Levi's left arm with the veteran's own sword. The cut was deep and was bleeding out rapidly which left the nephew staggered and the uncle vexed. Levi pounced on him, taking away his ODM sword from that stranger's hands and then trying to decapitate him at all costs. Their struggle was intense, but Az finally overtook him. He pushed the older Ackermann down into the grass, lunging on top of him to finally immobilise him.

They locked into each other's eyes. Face to face over that field, as Az held him down strongly with a sword over his neck. Levi was angry, trying to reach his sword again, struggling. But also confused as that stranger stared deep into his eyes, with clear hesitation and innocence. The Ackermann couldn't understand why that Marlean soldier was suddenly so conflicted.

Levi tried to reach for his sword but Az pressed into that gashing wound in his upper arm and he growled in pain. The stranger pushed him down again, into the grass, bringing the sword closer to his neck as a warning. "You are going to pay for that," Levi strongly threatened.

'I know,' Azzy thought, but he still didn't move. Levi was completely immobilised as they both laid on that grass. The man had successfully pinned him down. But the Ackermann wouldn't give up, he continued to struggle. 'Don't make me kill you,' Az thought, pressing him down harder into the ground.

Suddenly the small boy came rushing out from that screen door, with the newborn baby in his arms. The Queen had met little Azzy in those corridors, and in her deep pain and delirium she gave him Ymir, asking for the boy to use his strange powers to keep her newborn daughter safe. The boy walked towards the two struggling Ackermanns with much excitement. And Azymondeus lifted his head up, in absolute stagger.

The small toddler only tilted his head with much innocence as his eyes stared deep into his much older self eyes. Azzy looked down at the precious small girl sleeping peacefully in his arms with a large smile. He began to build up his bright blue energy, and looked up at his older self again. Still smiling, almost as if giving him a farewell.

Azymondeus could not believe this was happening, he couldn't believe he was about to be defeated by his child self. The toddler began to disappear into his own energy, carrying the baby away with him.

"No!" he exclaimed, but it was clearly too late. The boy had jumped off.

He finally realised while chasing in his deep memories that he knew something like this had happened before. Azymondeus was baffled, he had just been betrayed by his own younger self. He had lost, and he felt lost.

In all his confliction he absolutely forgot that he was supposed to be pinning that Ackermann down, and Levi swiftly took control again. Turning the fight on him: pinning him down and now holding the sword over his neck. Levi was determined to kill that man, he was exhausted and extremely vexed at that relentless Marlean soldier.

Levi pinned his head down with much force and in doing so, the helmet of the stranger finally came off. Those conflicted and innocent eyes looked even more lost while staring straight at his uncle. Levi stopped, confused. For some reason he couldn't bring himself to slash that man's throat.

"I'm sorry," the nephew said and Levi became stunned as he saw all that otherworldly light.

Az built up his energy and swiftly jumped away, making Levi face plant straight into that green grass.

The Ackermann raised himself up with difficulty, absolutely confused after all that madness. That man's face had given him an eerie feeling down his stomach, and that otherworldly energy that had made him disappear made Levi's eerie feeling grow even more. The Ackermann stayed there, in that grass field, completely confused.

[ to be continued... ]