Thank you all for waiting so long for this final chapter. I really wanted to finish this one before the final episode of SnK last month and I nearly succeeded. It feels weird to say goodbye to it again after finishing the manga.
I hope you will like the ending of this fic, I'm glad I managed to finish it.
Sayonara, Shingeki no Kyojin
Hours on horseback passed by. They had to be careful with the horses they had, or they'd get injured or exhausted. They had no spare one and transportation was crucial in their situation. They would pass tiny villages on their way through the burned-out woods. Not a single building was still standing. The only remains were piles of splintered, ash-covered, wood and crumbling bricks and mortar. They would enter every village in the hopes of finding canned goods or animals roaming. So far they were out of luck. The villages must have been long abandoned before the titans came.
Saskia took a deep breath to let the smell of fresh flowers fill her nose and lungs. All of the bodies trampled by the titans had turned to ashes by the heat they were exposed to and by the fires that kept burning after they had left behind their scorching footsteps. All those ashes had allowed plants to come back in plenty, with most of the trees gone, flowers and bushes had taken the upper hand.
A simple, yet beautiful purple flower caught her eye and she bent over to pluck it. She tugged it between her horse's mane and took a moment to take it all in. As cruel as this event must have been, it had created such a beautiful new world. How could death and anguish sprout something so tender and beautiful?
''These must have been hunter villages,'' Saskia said, mounting her horse again. ''They all left their villages to become farmers and horse breeders when the refugees entered Wall Sina. There was a horrible shortage in food and they knew changing their way of life would help not only them but also those in need.''
''People changing their lives to help others?'' Ivar questioned. ''That is unlike anything I've ever heard.''
He obviously had a hard time mounting and dismounting his horse. Saskia made sure he moved as little as possible. She kept a watchful eye over him, making sure he showed no signs of exhaustion. He had gained a lot of strength, but still was vulnerable.
Saska smiled. ''I guess the people of Eldia were so used to living simple lives, empathy was just an emotion that came naturally.''
Before he could respond, she was caught off guard by an unfamiliar sight. Through the last, thin line of trees before them, she could make out the misty outline of hills. Very high hills.
She pointed towards the skyline. ''Is that where you came from?''
Ivar turned his head and narrowed his eyes to see what she was pointing at. ''I can't recall climbing over mountains, it was just dusty plains. I think we traveled too far West first before reaching the route South.''
Saskia kept her eyes locked on the magnificent hills he had called mountains. She never would have imagined nature could take on this form. What else was there she had never known about? She asked her horse to go forward and Ivan's horse followed.
''We need a higher point to orienteer,'' she said. ''We're both as helpless when it comes to navigating it seems.''
''Good luck finding a building, the entire landscape has been flattened like bread under a roller.''
They kept going until they both started to notice a change in the sounds that came from their horses' hooves. So far it had mainly been the sounds of cracking charcoal and snapping branches. Just the soft crunching of sand was the only sound that filled the air now.
''We're here,'' Saskia stated, ''This is where wall Maria once stood. All that remained was a giant circle lacking any vegetation whatsoever.
She felt a lump in her throat form. All those years of staring up at a wall that had an even higher wall behind it had always felt like a prison. Now she was standing where only the survey corps had preceded, where people had died in vain to taste a bitter bit of temporary freedom.
She lifted her head high. She was now literally following her son's footsteps. Reaching the edge of the island was her only hope of seeing him again.
''We should be able to reach the ocean if we keep traveling South from here for a few days.''
''Do you think there are people there?'' she asked. ''In the harbour, I mean.''
''The only time I have been there was when I among others was thrown over the wall. I think that was the only thing the harbour was used for.''
She could sense the dread he was experiencing from recalling those painful memories. ''You don't need to talk about it. I'm sorry for making you remember.''
''Saskia,'' he said with a warm smile, ''I haven't talked to anyone in 22 years. I won't miss an opportunity to talk ever again.''
She reached out her hand for him to grab. As soon as he did, she held it tight and locked her gaze with his. ''Whether we find other humans there or not, promise me we'll never be alone again.''
He gently squeezed her hand back. ''I promise. And I promise we're going to find Connie.''
Tears welled up in her eyes and she nodded with determination. He was out there. Somewhere in the unknown.
They stocked up on the last food they could find before leaving the outer wall. There were no human settlements beyond Wall Maria to plunder, they had to survive on all they could bring to the harbour.
On their way to their final goal, they encountered nothing. Absolutely nothing. For miles on end, it was ash and flowers that formed the now eerily silent landscape. Saska and Ivan talked during their entire travel. They slept out in the wide open, for there were no predators nor people that could harm them. They would just stare up at the stars until sleep took them and woke by the early morning light. The sunsets were something Saskia would still fawn over. And the thought she would see this sight for the rest of her life filled her with hope.
On the third day, their rations started to deplete and they had started picking edible flowers and plants along the way. Their horses could find fewer plants too now, as the landscape had turned sandier.
''Do you hear that?'' Ivan said as he rose up from picking flowers. He stared up at the sky in disbelief. ''I haven't heard that sound in such a long time.''
Saskia looked up. All she could see were the silhouettes of birds. She had never seen birds with this shape of wings before. The sounds they let out were high-pitched shrieks. ''What are they?''
Ivan looked at her in bewilderment. ''You have never seen a seagull before?''
She shook her head.
He laughed to himself. ''Of course, how could I have forgotten, they only live near the sea.''
''The sea, you say?''
They locked gazes and their eyes widened.
''We're almost there,'' Saskia said, her voice breaking down as she shed a tear of happiness.
As they drew closer and closer to the sea, the landscape turned sandier and drier, and they decided to get off their horses to let them walk easier through the loose sand. The air had changed and turned their skin rough and sticky. Ivan told her to lick the back of her hand and when she did she was surprised to taste salt. He explained that the sea was a huge body of salt water and the air flying over it took some of the vapor that came from the sea with it.
Aside from the seagulls, it was also no longer quiet. A low, rattling sound washed through the air in a steady rhythm. Ivan told her it was the waves of the sea crashing into each other and into the shore. The more she learned about the sea, the more she wanted to see it.
Ivan took in a deep breath of salty air and narrowed his eyes to take a glance at the sunlit horizon.
''It's glistering,'' he murmured, ''can you see it?''
She gave him a puzzled look. ''What is?''
''The sea...''
She felt her heart jump up and without a second thought, she climbed on her horse.
''Saskia, wait! It's still further away than you think!''
''I don't care,'' she said as she commanded her horse to go faster. ''My son is there!''
With a cry of joy, she stormed off into the distance. Groaning, he reluctantly got on his horse and cantered after her.
Saskia had to close her eyes to shield herself from the sand her horse was dusting up and the wind blew into her. Going at a speed she had never experienced before and the wind blowing in her hair she felt even more free than being outside the walls. It didn't take long before her horse took a sudden stop and she opened her eyes again.
Before her stretched the biggest body of water she had ever seen. Ivan had tried to explain it, yet still, she couldn't believe it took up the entire horizon. The waves indeed crashed into the shore just below her. She was standing on top of a steep hill and was grateful her horse had warned her.
''It's just as beautiful as I remember,'' she heard Ivan say behind her.
''We have to follow the shoreline, I don't see any remains of a harbour here,'' she said.
He nodded in agreement.
After a few more hours they found a place to descend towards the shore, though Ivan had warned her that they had to leave it as soon as the water rose. Tidal floods are what he called them.
They made a small fire from the dry driftwood and flintstone that littered the beach and cooked seashells and seaweed on them. Saskia had tried to drink the water but learned the hard way how undrinkable it was. Ivan had laughed, despite her telling him not to make fun of her lack of knowledge of the outside world.
They boiled the water to catch the steam that came from it with another bowl and let that drip down a flask. It wasn't much, but they had to create drinking water to survive at this point. Until it rained, this was all they could do.
Every day they moved their camp and scavenged the beach and dunes for edible things. They would take turns looking at the horizon, looking for ships or any sign of life. Saskia could have sworn she saw lights one night, just faintly. Not from the sea, but from the land. It made her wonder if the royal palaces in the center of the inner wall might have been spared and they weren't alone after all. Just the only ones who dared to wander. They had only traveled away from the center. It wasn't unthinkable people might have made it if they were behind the inner walls.
The next morning she was shaken awake by Ivan.
''I see something on the horizon!'' he let out.
In a half-awake state, she tried to focus and let her eyes adjust to the light. On the light blue and pink morning sky, a dark shape dotted the horizon. It was a black, vertical shape that seemed somewhat blurry.
''It's the steam from a ship.''
She threw her blanket off and walked towards her horse. ''Then we have no time to lose, we have to find what is left of the harbour.''
Ivan could only agree. He too wanted nothing more than to run into other people. Not only had he longed for other humans, but this encounter also came with the possibility of eating something else but seafood. He felt himself getting weaker by the day after they had run out of cans.
''I think I see the ruins!'' Saskia let out as soon as she saw some oddly square structures stick out of the water in the distance.
Ivan felt memories flow back as he recognised some of the docks in the remains. Painful memories, which he tried to shake off.
''Let's see if the harbour buildings somehow have their cellars intact. It would make for a great place to stay.''
She nodded in agreement. ''As we stay there, we should tie the horses on a long rope further away from here so they have enough grass to eat and rainwater to drink. We won't be moving in a while anyway.''
After leaving their horses behind to let them rest for a while, they carefully descended the hills of sand towards the ruins. To Ivan's expectation, some of the buildings were in ruin, but their cellars were intact. To their joy, there was still canned food and even wine stored.
They even had a table in the underground residence and the broken staircase allowed enough light to make up for the lack of lighting. Afer moving all their bags and blankets in they prepared a meal from the food they had just found.
''Do you think the ship will rest its anchor here or are there more harbours?'' Saskia asked as she devoured her canned beans as if she hadn't eaten in days.
''This is the only one I know of. If the people on the ship are from Paradis, they should know there might be resources here.''
Saskia nervously fumbled with her fork. ''And what if they are the enemy?''
''You mean the Marleyans?'' he asked.
She quickly realised what she just had said. ''N-no, it's just-''
''You don't need to feel bad about what you said, I never felt any connection to my home country. I am an Eldian after all.'' He lay his hand on her knee. ''This is where I belong.''
They were both disturbed by a long, bellowing sound from outside that went through skin and bone.
''That was a horn,'' Ivan said as he grabbed a lantern. ''It is getting darker and the ship might be looking for the harbour.''
They lit the lantern on the little fire that had managed to start for their meal and got up the stairs.
Nothing could have prepared them for the sheer size of the ship that was approaching them from the setting sun.
Saskia's jaw dropped and she totally failed to notice that Ivan had already stormed off with the lantern.
''Here!'' He yelled, waving the lantern wildly. ''We're here!''
''We're... here...'' she repeated after him breathlessly. ''and there are people right there.''
''Saskia! Set that pile of driftwood on fire, quickly!'' Ivan screamed and awoke her from her thoughts. She ran off to grab a stick from the pile and set it on fire in their little fire pit. With resolve, she took it to the pile of driftwood and pierced it through the center, from which it easily caught fire.
The flames enlightened the entire ruins and the ship that was closing in should be able to navigate through the rubble. One pier was relatively intact and could still be of use. The ship took a sharp turn and though scratching some rocks, seemed to be able to dock.
''Connie!'' Saskia screamed from the top of his lungs and ran towards the pier.
''Careful!'' Ivan yelled as he took off after her, ''it might still crash into the harbour!''
She felt her lungs burn up as she took the fastest sprint she had ever taken. Before her, she saw the ship stopping and letting its anchor down. A wooden plank was tossed down to make a bridge to the concrete pier.
It was hard to see, but some silhouettes definitely quickly made their way down as she reached the beginning of the pier.
She stared down the pier to come face to face with the people. There was no mistake, even with the setting sun behind them, she would recognise him in an instant.
''Mom!'' One of them cried out.
''Connie!''
They ran towards each other into the tightest hug. Crying tears of relief and hope.
''I knew you were spared,'' Connie said in a shaking voice through his tears. ''Eren said you would.''
''I knew you were still around too,'' she cried. ''You were alive in my heart.''
They kept holding each other tight, as Ivan and the rest of the people gathered around them.
Amidst the ruins of destruction, Marleyans and Eldians welcomed each other and a family was reunited. From the rumble, the nation would rebuild as the flowers had sprouted from the ashes of the fallen. In this beautiful, cruel world they called home.