He had no idea what happened, not really. Eeverything after that scream, and that instance of his body glowing? All a blur. But it was terrible; A feeling, a sensation without memory. A state of knowing that he wasn't who or what he had been, and the thing that remained was trying to do something horrible.
Then he started to...be. To feel, to hear, to taste, to smell, and finally to see. Then came things far more abstract, far more important. He could think. He could remember. He was almost starting to comprehend what had happened to him and what was happening now.
And finally...
Like a newborn babe, he instinctively ripped himself out from the flesh that surrounded him, breathing deep and ragged breaths as he looked up to the glorious sun and the vibrant sky.
He took a moment to savor it before he finally reached the final state: Understanding.
He had been turned into a Titan.
He had turned back, somehow.
And now he had pulled himself from the nape of the Pure Titan he had become.
His eyes, sharp and focused, turned to scan his surroundings. He was in a city, yes. Next to the headquarters and surrounded by soldiers
The Yeagerists.
His eyes stopped on one in particular, one he recalled well with his auburn hair. Floch Forster.
The Second-in-Command of the Yeagerists was the only one not holding a weapon right now, watching him with a stern, but impassive look. "Dot Pixis," Floch greeted.
"That is still my name," Pixis acknowledged idly as he began to pull himself out of the fleshy tethers binding him to the Titan, only now beginning to dissolve. "It seems I am human again," he mused, sliding down off the Titan carefully. He was pleasantly surprised his bones ached less.
The Yeagerists shifted warily, but Floch waved them off.
"I was under the impression one had to become one of the Nine to accomplish that," Pixis mused, rubbing his joints. "But I don't foresee any reason why you would grant me such a boon."
"You'd be right. If it was up to me, you'd either be a mindless Titan, or dead," Floch answered truthfully. "But Eren decided to spare you after all this time."
"Eren?" Pixis repeated with a frown before he glanced up at the balcony and saw the young man staring down at him. Like a king over his subjects, one might say.
"It needed to be done, but he didn't exactly like the infighting that resulted from us tricking Zeke," Floch supplied.
Pixis furrowed his brow, turning to Floch. "I see. Eren Yeager had no intention of that strange sterilization plan, but needed his brother's aid to unlock the Founding Titan's power, among other things."
"Among other things, yes," Floch agreed. "Consider this goodwill on his part. Try not to waste it."
"Oh, I have no intention to," Pixis mused, looking to Floch again. "So, would that mean I'm a prisoner?"
"You're either a Holdout of the Old Regime or a civilian," Floch offered as an ultimatum.
Pixis rubbed his chin, eyeing the many soldiers around him. They were all dedicated to their cause, true, but it was obvious that many of them didn't want to harm him out of respect. "A very interesting choice. I think I might need a drink to think it over. Preferably with a young man who once helped me save a city just north of here years ago."
Floch narrowed his eyes before glancing up at Eren. There was a tense pause before Floch relented. "Very well. You'll have an audience with Yeager, soon. Right now?" he nodded behind Pixis meaningfully.
Pixis glanced back and saw another Pure Titan lumbering towards them. None of the Yeagerists seemed alarmed or concerned as they moved out of its path. Which meant Pixis was just the most recent of those turned back.
"Would it be alright if I watched this happen, just once?" Pixis inquired, losing his usual demeanor for open fascination.
Floch hummed in consideration. "Very well. Just don't try anything."
Pixis didn't ask aloud, but he wondered how many had caused trouble upon being retrieved by the Yeagerists?
Eventually, Eren called for a break in the Detitanification process. The Yeagerists didn't question it, many of them hoping to find some food, now that the danger and adrenaline of the battle had completely worn off.
Levi and Hange, however, very quickly realized the break wasn't for the soldiers' sake as Eren rubbed his head. "This tire you out?" Levi asked with a frown.
"No," Eren denied. "But I need to check on the Wall Titans occasionally."
That reminder hung heavy on both of them. Hange grimaced but Levi didn't react at all other than staring at Eren.
"Captain, I frankly don't give a damn about your disapproval anymore," Eren said, pulling his hand away to give Levi a look. "If you had an alternative, you would have offered it already."
It went unstated that Hange's approval had already been somewhat devalued to Eren.
"So, did you bring us here just to show off your benevolence then?" Levi asked dryly.
"Somewhat, if you mean I wanted to show I was genuine. I was also sure Hange wanted to see it," Eren answered.
"It is amazing, Eren, I can't deny that," Hange admitted with a weak smile. "But Levi's right, I doubt that's the only reason we're here."
Eren stared for a moment before continuing. "I removed the Beast Titan from Zeke."
A pin drop couldn't have been heard by the shock that briefly overtook them.
Hange's mouth gaped while Levi furrowed his brow. "That kill him?"
"No," Eren answered. "You still get that honor."
Levi hummed in acceptance. "When?"
"A few months."
Levi scowled. "What?"
"Wait," Hange said, blinking. "I get it. You want to see if Zeke is still affected by the Curse of Ymir. But...wait...you think it's lifted!? How?! Why did that curse exist if it wasn't just part of the power!? I need answers!"
Eren almost smiled at that…almost. "It's a long, almost absurd story. But I can give you the simplified version for now."
"I'll take anything!" Hange said quickly.
Eren was definitely trying not to smile. "The Founder Ymir? The legends that the Titans are based on her and her life in almost...abstract ways, I suppose? That part of the story is true. We die after having the power for thirteen years because she gave up on living thirteen years after bonding with the Power of the Titans."
Levi's brow furrowed and it was clear now even he wanted the full story one day.
"As far as I can tell, the creature mistook that desire to give up as a desire for how long all Shifters should live with the power," Eren summarized.
"Huh. So this Curse was a mistaken command or limitation put on by our ancestor due to the nature of her death. That certainly means the power of the Titans is less based in the physical realm of reality," Hange said, mostly to herself. "But how did it get lifted?"
"I usurped Ymir as the Founder," Eren answered vaguely, too vaguely for their liking. "The Power, as a result...I'm not sure how to explain it. It's like it was reset to how it was before Ymir died, or even before she bonded with it. Except it is still connected to all Titans and Eldians."
Levi hummed in consideration. "You inherited the power without the debts and problems the original Founder accrued. Don't know how all that works, but that's the easiest way I can think of it."
"But, what does that mean for the Nine then?" Hange asked curiously.
"I'm not sure, to be honest," Eren admitted. "I think you're starting to understand why I wanted to speak to you."
"You're trying to unravel the mystery of the Titans, and you want Hange's input," Levi said bluntly.
"Really?!" Hange asked in surprise and obvious excitement.
"Would you rather I do this alone?" Eren countered pointedly.
"...Okay, I'm too interested to say no, but...why Levi?" Hange asked curiously. "Are you worried you'll lose control of the Titans or something?"
"No, I'm more concerned with Levi not trusting me around you," Eren answered flatly. "So I decided to involve him and cut off that set of problems.
"Hmm. Perhaps you are smarter, Eren," Levi mused with half praise.
Hange hummed. "Do you have any of the normal fatigue problems of Titan Powers right now?"
"Physically? No, not from controlling other Titans," Eren admitted. "That's more of a mental endurance."
"I see," Hange said thoughtfully.
"Eren."
The trio turned to see Floch arriving with a very familiar Commander.
"Pixis," Hange greeted in relief. "I'm glad to see you're back."
"Hmm, I suppose I should congratulate you on being able to see me so well now," Pixis said in amusement, noting Hange's restored eye. After coming back from Titanization, that didn't surprise him much.
"I brought the former Commander, like you wanted," Floch said, trying to ignore the look Levi was giving him.
It felt very much like the captain was considering the pros and cons of beheading him right here and now.
"So you did," Eren said, glancing at Levi and Hange. "I'll meet up with you two later."
Hange's expression dampened, rememebering Pixis wasn't the only former commander in a sense.
Floch watched them leave before looking at Eren. "So, what is this about?"
"Commander Pixis has been with us through Trost, the Civil War, and this," Eren said simply before turning to Pixis. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to join us, knowing that we were never truly with Zeke?"
"What?" Floch asked in surprise. Eren gave him a blank look, and the Yeagerist stood straighter and fell silent.
"Yes, I was able to figure that out mostly. I did find it strange to imagine you going along with a plan like that, my boy," Pixis said, keeping his tone neutral and his lips a firm line. "But I would like to hear from you, why this needed to happen."
Eren hummed as he looked up at the sky. "If I'm being honest, gaining the True Power of the Founder? That was a stroke of luck. It could have happened without the Yeagerist Usurpation. But by that same token, the Yeagerists would have risen against you all regardless."
"I see," Pixis mused, glancing beyond Eren for a moment. To the vast open horizon, devoid of walls. "That is a wonderful view, I will admit."
"Yes, it is," Eren agreed freely, his voice tinged with tiredness and yet, something more.
"Tell me, what is the plan, if you would allow me to know? To my understanding, it doesn't sound too different from the fifty-year plan," Pixis requested.
Floch glanced at Eren, wondering what he might say…if he might say anything new.
"In the simplest terms, perhaps it is the same. Fend off the world, strive to improve Paradis. In spirit?" Eren said with a frown. "I think the only way to explain why the Yeagerists rose up, is to make clear the difference between the old regiment and ours."
"I'm listening," Pixis granted.
"Accepting the fact that we're at war," Eren said simply.
Pixis raised an eyebrow. "I don't follow?"
"The World hates us, Commander," Eren said with a glare. "Some of them might be willing to stop. To leave us in peace. Maybe even be allies. But many will remain our enemies. Marley definitely. And if we want to survive, we must be willing to fight for our right to exist and be free in this world."
"And you don't think we were willing to fight?" Pixis questioned accusingly.
"The people didn't," Eren said frostily. "We were brought here because people were tired of feeling like the government was going nothing, of years being wasted sitting on their hands while letting opportunities slip by."
"If this was a civil war, it was finished without a single true battle," Floch said, perhaps a bit too smugly. "We took control of the entire island with barely firing a bullet."
"Yes, and by Detitanizing us, you can say it was almost entirely bloodless," Pixis said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Tell me, Eren Yeager? Do you think you can do this? Save Paradis and hold it together?"
"I won't pretend to have natural talent in anything like that," Eren said as he slowly lifted his hand, pointing a finger at his own head. "But the collective knowledge and experience of two thousand years of Kings of Eldia proves to be a useful guide."
Pixis was surprised by that, if only momentarily. "I suppose one can't argue with that. Regardless, I don't think I'll be joining you, Eren. Even if I was willing, I still wouldn't."
Eren nodded. "I figured as much. If you did, it would only cause problems. People would look to you as someone to potentially rally to and plot against us."
Floch's eyes widen. "You offered him the position back...to see what his intentions were," he realized in surprise.
"I told you, the memories of the Founder make for an excellent teacher," Eren said, not looking away from Pixis. "I know it's a bit unorthodox, but I'd like to consider you a retired commander instead of a former one."
The bald man nodded gratefully. "I can accept that. I can only hope others can as well," he said before frowning. "Niles?"
"One of the last ones I turned back," Eren answered, nodding over his shoulder.
"Good," Pixis said with a smile. "I'm sure his family will appreciate his retirement as well."
Eren nodded, glancing behind Pixis to two Yeagerists standing at the balcony door. Feeling his gaze, both approached swiftly. "Both of you, take the Retired Commander to the others."
"Yes, Yeager!" they saluted, one turning to Pixis. "Come with us, Sir."
Pixis accepted the order with some old amusement.
Eren suddenly chuckled as they left.
"What's wrong?" Floch asked with a head tilt.
"It just dawned on me, the irony," Eren said nostalgically. "Years ago, someone yelling out "Yeager!" usually meant they thought I did something stupid. Now?"
"I would have been one of them, probably," Floch admitted with a sigh. "...Two Thousand Years of Experience?"
"Contrary to popular belief, Titans alone weren't enough to hold the Eldian Empire together for all of history," Eren said with a snort. "Tell me, Floch? Are you disappointed? That I'm not using the Full Rumbling?"
"Are you willing to use it?" Floch countered.
"Yes," Eren admitted, his tone heavy but true.
"You said it before, time is on our side now," Floch said, placing a hand on Eren's shoulder in support. "The Yeagerists follow you, Eren. And we all know this might all end in hell. But you're the Devil we need. Our best shot at getting out the other side."
"Commander Erwin said something like that about me too, back then," Eren recalled absently.
"There is a difference, Eren," Floch said firmly. "We're not just relying on you and using you. We're supporting you. Every Yeagerist would gladly fight and die for you."
Supporting him? Or at least the idea of him. Either way, the haze of time and memories he had been under hadn't allowed him to truly appreciate the difference. Ever since the start, people had put the fate of Walls on his shoulders but there was always the constant promise that if they ever saw him as a threat, they would put him down like a dog.
And they had been planning to do just that before he broke out of prison. They would have failed, yes, but the Yeagerists had been the ones to assassinate Zachley for even considering it.
It was a strange thing to notice. Instead of so many swords ready to be aimed at his throat, they were now aimed to defend him.
That weight was still there, but it was different; heavier in some ways, more bearable in others.
Meanwhile
Connie didn't know what brought him down here exactly. Morbid curiosity? Genuine concern? Maybe he just needed to see it to know this was real?
Regardless, he found himself wanting to see and talk to the prisoners. Unlike Reiner and the others, the Detitanized people were kept in a meeting room, several Yeagerists guarding the inside and outside.
"Why should we let you through?" one of the guards asked with a suspicious look.
"Easy, Jace," another said with an understanding look. "It's just Connie."
"Thanks a lot, Daz," Connie said, feigning humor.
"Wait, Connie? Springer?" the other recalled, his suspicion receding. "You're the one with a-"
"My mom is a Titan, yeah," Connie answered. "I...don't really know why I'm here. Maybe if I talk to them, I'll know what to expect. Or maybe I just want to make sure Eren didn't fuck this up somehow. I don't know."
Daz nodded. "I can't imagine how you feel, but I understand your meaning. Just be careful. If anyone starts something, I'd hate for you to get blamed for it."
Connie nodded as they let him in, allowing him to lay his eyes on people who had once been Titans.
Some still looked bitter about the entire Yeagerist situation, others were just happy to be human again. Most appeared mentally exhausted though.
"Connie Springer?"
The bald soldier turned sharply, laying eyes on a familiar face. "Commander Niles?"
"Former Commander, I imagine," Niles commented as he sat at the end of the table, furrowing his brow. "You weren't turned into a Titan, but you weren't part of the Yeagerists."
"Probably just spying for their little despot," someone muttered far too loudly.
Connie wasn't really sure what despot meant but assumed they were talking about Eren. "I'm not here for anything like that. I just...wanted to see how you all were."
More of them were paying attention to him now.
"So, umm, were there any problems with...changing back?" Connie asked awkwardly, eyes darting from Niles to the rest of the room.
Niles sighed. "Your mother should be fine, Connie."
"Mother?"
"Oh, right, he's the child of that village woman."
"Bet you that's why he's working for Yeager."
"Why did we even let them keep that one alive?"
"SHUT UP!" Connie yelled suddenly.
The Yeagerists at the doors eyed him pointedly but made no move otherwise.
"I didn't come here to help Eren deal with you or help you start shit with him. If you don't want to talk to me, just fuck off!" Connie said with a glare, fists balled in frustration. "But if something went wrong from turning back, you better tell me now, 'cause I'll probably be the only one that'll scream at Eren to fix it."
They all stared at him, some in surprise and others unbelieving.
"Your entire life happens before your very eyes."
Everyone turned to see an older man, some official Connie didn't remember the name or rank of.
"Minister Kron?" Niles said with a frown.
"My memory has been slipping in my old age, and my bones ache more than I like," Kron mused, staring off to the wall with a strange look like he was trying to remember if he had forgotten something. "But after I came back, my body felt like I was ten years younger, and I remembered...everything, all of it. Clearly, but all at once. I sometimes get lost in my own memories. Every now and then, some of us start to worry we're just still in our Titans, and just imagining all this."
Connie listened more intently than he ever had. More than he had in training, more than he had to Armin or Erwin, or anyone.
"It gets better. I think. But she'll need help remembering when and where she is, and reassurance that she is really back," Kron elaborated, finally turning to Connie, his face full of white hair that his scalp lacked. "If Eren Yeager can make that better, I'd welcome it. If not, I'll learn to live with it."
Connie nodded. "Thank you, Sir."
He turned and left, the Yeagerists escorting him out. But he was surprised to find someone approaching, escorted by Yeagerists. Another bald military man.
"Commander Pixis?" Connie recognized in surprise. "I was just-"
"You don't have to explain anything, Soldier," Pixis assured with a knowing look as he smiled at Connie. The soldiers escorting him and the ones guarding the room said nothing and allowed the small delay.
Connie supposed he shouldn't be surprised Pixis already knew why he was here. "Are you...going to be okay, sir?"
"I hope so. I'm retired now," Pixis said with mirth.
"Retired?" Connie repeated in confusion. "What do you...?"
Pixis smiled, very tired and accepting. "My generation helped lead us out of the walls. Most of us weren't ready to accept that whatever fight we had with the outside realm might need to be handled by younger, more adaptable hands. Some of us just clung to our power, our ways, and our arrogance. Some of us..." Pixis shook his head, looking around at the young Yeagerists around him. "Some of us just hoped we'd leave you something besides more war and death to deal with."
"If all the leaders had been like you, Commander Pixis, we might not have had the heart to rise up," Daz said in solemn apology. "But the only path left for Paradis is to fight."
Connie swallowed. It was so strange. Years ago, people used to scoff at Eren's words. They inspired some, but most just accepted it as part of who he was. It was strange to hear others repeating them like this, making some weird ideology based on him.
Pixis just hummed. "Take care, Connie Springer," he said, patting him on the shoulder as he went into the room with the rest of the prisoners.
Meanwhile
Onyankopon wasn't sure what to expect from a meeting with Eren. He had been escorted by soldiers, but Eren met him partway and led the rest of the walk. They arrived in some kind of office.
He wasn't sure if he should feel less or more concerned that Floch was here.
"Eren, what is this about?" Onyankopon questioned curiously. "You said it was about the world?"
Eren nodded, waving him over to the desk. No one took a seat; they were all standing around it, the surface covered in a map.
"I know all the major ports in the world," Eren stated, leaning over the map. "What I don't know is which ones we shouldn't strike."
Onyankopon furrowed his brow, not sure if he was following correctly.
"I lived among Marley for a short time, Onyankopon," Eren reminded. "I'm very aware that some of its territories are less loyal than some. Like the ones they conquered."
Onyankopon's eyes widen before settling. "I see. You want to show mercy in the right places, to help inspire the chance of others turning against Marley."
"I'm not sure if it's a good idea, given how most people hate us, even other Eldians," Floch said with a frown.
"Despite what Marley teaches, it was once considered a blessing to have the blood of Ymir," Onyankopon stated, smiling at the auburn man. "Swaying that opinion might be hard, but not impossible."
Floch wasn't convinced, but he did seem considerate.
"The problem becomes that there are several locations that, regardless of their stances, need to be attacked," Onyankopon said with a frown, pointing to a canal near the Middle East. "Like here. This port is crucial for the trading of goods and materials. If it falls, it will hamper many countries' ability to rebuild after this."
"So, the question becomes figuring out which ones we can afford to spare and which ones we can't afford to," Eren summarized with a scowl, glancing up. "Perhaps we need another set of eyes."
Both men looked confused at that until a knock on the door came. "Yeager? You have...guests wanting to see you," a guard outside informed.
"Let them in," Eren said expectantly.
It was a bit eerie to Onyankopon, and he was sure that was somewhat true for Floch as well.
They both turned and were far less surprised as in walked Armin and Mikasa.
"Eren, we..." Armin's voice came to a halt as he took in the scene. "Are we interrupting something?"
"You're either interrupting, or you're joining the conversation," Eren offered freely.
Mikasa's eyes drifted to the map and, without needing to know exactly what was going on, frowned as she understood the general meaning.
"Eren asked for my input into locations the rumbling should and shouldn't strike," Onyankopon explained diplomatically.
Armin's eyes dimmed a bit. "I see."
Floch eyed them both, wondering just what they would choose. Leave and have nothing to do with this, stay and try to minimize the targets, or something else?
"...Attacking Liberio would be meaningless, adding insult to injury," Armin remarked steadily as he walked up to the map with an unenthused reaction. "There's this large island, here? It's called Malis. They've been making some of the most advanced warships on the north shores."
"The south should be avoided though," Onyankopon said. "That is where all of its food imports from the mainland come in. Taking out all their ports would also rob them of fishing and condemn them to starvation."
Eren nodded in agreement. "Keeping them to the north won't be a problem. I just have to make sure they reach the island and not the mainland."
Mikasa watched as the four of them discussed the war and military targets.
They were at war. Was this what that meant? That eventually, instead of just defending their own home, they had to go out and strike at others?
She clutched her head. It was a faint headache, much weaker than the ones she had at times.
Why did this have to go on?
End of Chapter
And thus it continues. Pxiis is back, and retired somewhat gracefully. Others...less so. Eren is sharing with Levi and Hange, and making plans with everyone. And desptie everything, Armin seems to have joined the war plans, albiet reluctantly. And Connie has his own subplot going on regarding the eventual return of his mother.
Meanwhile, without the fog of memories making him feel as if he is "going through the motions," Eren is coming to tersm with his new role in things. Which is the same but different. He is still seen as Paradis's greatest hope, but instead of being seen as a dangerous weapon, people are loyal to him and leadership. Which, again, the emmeories from 2K of Eldian Kings makes for a great teacher- both in what to do, and what not to do.
Early viewing of chapters 6-7 avaliable on my pat-reon:
p a treon . com (slash) akumakami64