Jean
It's been almost an hour since the death of Commander Erwin, everyone present now knows the truth of our world. Well, everyone minus one recovering redhead. With what horses there are left, the remaining Scouts of the Battle of Shiganshina begin their journey back to Trost. But first...
"Levi," Hange speaks up. "We should rest for the night. We'll leave for Trost at first daybreak."
"Where exactly can we rest, Four Eyes? This place isn't exactly a comfortable residence."
"And most of these houses are reduced to rubble thanks to the Beast Titan's barrages," Petra adds.
"We'll camp in the forest, take shifts keeping watch. We don't know if the enemy will return, or any other Titans."
As the superiors continue their conversation, the members of the 104th have their own. Mainly conversing about the truth of the world. Eren was mostly quiet but answered any question asked, Mikasa as well. Armin was loaded with questions being the curious one of all. Jean and Connie silently listen. Floch said nothing. Sasha, being the injured one was unaware of the conversation and just rested as she was carried on Connie's horse. As for Elijah...
Elijah is trailing behind the others, not too far behind but far enough that he can't hear the others. They look back to him every so often, he's barely said a word since the commander's passing.
"You think he's alright?" Connie asks Jean in concern.
"I don't know. I hope so..." Jean has been thinking, mainly about the letter Elijah showed to him just before he was close to killing Reiner. Elijah lost so much five years ago. He... His mother was pregnant...I can't even imagine what he was feeling when he found out. No, I probably can. It's not the first time I've seen him lose himself. Jean looks back to his friend, only to see him stop in his tracks as he stares...at a nearby boulder.
"What is he doing? Hey! Elij-" Jean squeezed Connie's shoulder firmly, stopping Connie from calling out to his friend. "What?" Jean solemnly shakes his head, then it finally clicks with the bald boy as he remembers the story of Elijah's parent's fate. "Oh..."
"We really need to keep moving before it gets too dark." Armin points out.
"I know, but let's give him a second." Jean orders.
The boy...now kneeling down in front of the boulder that has remained his parent's grave for the past five years, places his right hand on the side of the rock. The others may not be able to hear what he's saying, but they can make a good guess as to what. Either saying a simple greeting...or finally saying a proper goodbye that was taken away from him.
"...They meant everything to him," Mikasa says.
"Well... Wherever they are," Armin adds. "They can rest easy now."
"Yeah..." Eren solemnly says.
Now standing to his feet...and finishing one long, last goodbye, Elijah makes his way back to the others. He knows the others are watching him, but his mind is now on...another important matter.
"Come on..."
Just on the outside of the area of the households outside the inner gate...lie nearly a hundred bodies of fallen soldiers and their horses. Floch was already too aware of this horrific sight, and so was the Captain, but everyone's eyes widened in shock at the valley of dead comrades and animal companions. There would be no victorious feast...nor song that night. The death of their fellow Scouts...were beyond the count of grief. They few...had survived.
WHISTLE!
As for Elijah, he was already aware that his beloved horse, Spirit hadn't come back, but he couldn't help but hope...no, he was begging in his heart that somehow the animal was out there somewhere. If not alive...then...
"Can't he just give it up already?" Floch whispers but everyone ignores him. Even though Floch has somewhat of a point, Elijah's not one to give up so easily.
He whistles one last time, letting it echo through the valley, and just when he thought it would be pointless...the boy heard the sound of a weak, pained neigh. Faster than the others could react, Elijah runs as fast as he can to the source.
"Elijah! Wait!" Jean calls out as he follows him on his horse. Eren, Armin, Mikasa, and Floch soon follow.
The sounds of the animal in agony grow louder as Elijah gets close...he knows it's a long shot that it could be the same horse that's been by his side ever since his first mission as an unofficial Scout. If Spirit can survive this long, then there's the hope he could still be alive...it may not be a lot, but there's still a sliver of hope.
But that hope...turns to desperation as Elijah finds the source of the pained neighing. Spirit...lies on the ground of the valley...his body riddled with blood...his breath faint and raspy as he can barely move his legs. He's alive...but just on the brink of death.
"Spirit..." Elijah kneels down to his injured friend. He knows he can't save him, but the one thing he can do...is offer Spirit the slightest bit of comfort before he joins the rest of his fallen comrades.
"Elijah.."
"Just give me a second!" Elijah snaps at Mikasa, but she knows he's hurting. She saw that tear escape from his eyes. The boy gently rubs the horse's head while the animal's breathing is getting weaker by the second. "Good boy..."
"..." I never did understand the loyalty between a boy and his horse...but now... I can see how much that animal means to Elijah.
"Thank you," Elijah says as Spirit lets out one last, gentle neigh. The boy rises to his feet, looking to the others.
"I'm sorry, Elijah." Armin is the first to speak up.
"He was such a beautiful horse," Mikasa adds.
"And loyal to the end..." Elijah says with his head lowered. "Come on, let's go."
"Hey! Stop messing around, you brats. We need to find a place to stay for the night. We leave for Trost at first daylight."
"We don't need to look, Captain," Elijah points out. "...I know a place."
Despite the Captain's reluctance, everyone follows Elijah as he guides them through the forest on the outskirts of Shiganshina. Though it's been five years, the land is still the same, and the boy still knows it like the back of his hand.
"We're here..." The group comes to a clearing where a lone cabin sits, and though it has been five years, other than the foliage taking over the woodwork, it looks completely untouched. To the back, there's the forest where a much younger Elijah would hunt with his mother. To the left, there was a medium-sized wooden fence, mostly for keeping a horse inside. To the front, there lay a beautiful sight. Although the valley was riddled with death and destruction, the setting sun still managed to bring a sense of tranquility. In the eyes of one Scout, this place will always be... "...My home."
"...It's filthy."
"You'll live, Levi. It's just for one night."
The Captain may be overexaggerating, but the only noticeable filthy thing is all the dust that's gathered over the years. Other than that, it's the best place where they can stay for the night. While Elijah carried Sasha to a separate room, the other members of the 104th couldn't help but gawk at the boy's home interior. It wasn't too different from Eren's, having a few wooden chairs surrounded by a table of the same material, a fireplace with a built-in chimney, and a couch. Above the fireplace, there hung a bow along with a few wooden arrows.
"That's right..." Armin inquires "Elijah's mother, she was a hunter."
"That's enough staring," Levi orders. "Pick a place and get rest. We leave at first daylight." The others nod, then see as Elijah comes back.
"Sasha will be alright. I set her in my... My old room." A few of the boys snicker but Elijah ignores it. "I'm gonna head out, get some firewood."
"Will you be alright?"
"Don't worry about me..." Elijah answers Mikasa dismissively. But before he reaches the front door, he notices the hanging weapon above the fireplace. If standing in his home wasn't enough, then seeing his mother's bow will for certain fill the young man with pure nostalgia. "...Mom," Elijah whispers to himself, taking the bow off the wall. Elijah doesn't plan to hunt, but he is for sure not leaving it behind. In fact, there are a few things he wanted to grab before they return to Trost.
"Elijah?"
"I'll be back with firewood soon." the boy ignores Jean as he slings the bow around his torso.
"Hold up, Everett."
"Yes, Captain?"
"When you get back, you're on first watch. Kirstein will take over the next."
"Yes, sir."
Elijah takes his leave as his friends remain concerned for him, and the superiors are as well. Well, more Hange than Levi. He simply wishes the brat would get his head right.
Hours later...
"Kirstein," The captain kicks the boy awake. "It's time, go switch shifts with Everett."
Jean reluctantly yawns as he stands up. "Yes, sir." He leaves the cabin, his ears filled with the ambient sounds of the night along with the faint sound of the fire from inside the house. "Hey. Elij-" Jean looks around in confusion as he doesn't see his friend on watch. Where the hell did he go?
"Up here."
Jean follows the voice, now seeing Elijah lying on the roof of the Cabin. His arms resting behind his head as he stares up to the full moon in the night sky. "Why are you up there? Wait...how did you get up there?"
"There are a few crates to the left of the house, I climbed them."
"Well, why are you up there?"
He shrugs. "We've had a long day, Jean. I think we deserve some time to ourselves, even for just a few hours."
"...I guess you're right. Mind if I join you?"
Elijah gestures to his right, silently saying yes to his friend. After a few attempts, and nearly falling off the roof, Jean joins Elijah and sits to his right. "So you're a master at ODM gear, but you can't climb a roof?"
"Shut up."
The pair laugh as they look up to the moon. Hardly had Elijah and Jean ever spent any time with just themselves, other than the time Elijah gave some advice to Jean that he should write to his mother. After the Battle of Trost, Jean had a difficult time deciding whether or not to join the Scouts after seeing the reality of the horror of what the Titans were capable of. Soon after joining, Jean was more worried that he might die and his mother would never hear from him again, so he asked Elijah what he should do. Of course, Elijah suggested that the boy should write to his mother, knowing that he would regret it if he didn't.
"...I hate what this war is doing to me."
"Huh?"
"There's been a few times where I was willing to take a person's life with no hesitation. In fact, you all saw what I did to that woman back when we saved Eren and Historia. Then there was today... I wanted him dead, I wanted to hear him scream in agony as he died, for five years...I wanted nothing more than to destroy that...monster."
"..."
"But I saw the way you looked at me... It was the same as when I was covered in that woman's blood. It was like you weren't looking at me...but...a monster."
"Elijah..."
"This war is turning me into the very thing I swore to destroy. How many more lives am I willing to take just to get to that specific one?"
"Elijah!" Jean manages to shake the boy out of his self-deprecating state. "Look, I won't lie to you and say you're wrong. I've seen you turn into someone I know you're not, you're right. But I know that's not who you are. I've seen how you fought for every single one of us with no regard for your own life. In war, sometimes we just have to take lives because we have no choice and we have no control over that, I see that now. The only thing we can control is how we let it change us. You are not a monster.
Elijah wants to believe him...he knows he's better than what he thinks. A lot is weighing on the boy's mind, and he doesn't even know where to start, or if he even should. Maybe giving it a few days of thought will help, but for now, all he can offer is an accepting nod to his friend.
"Just...don't put yourself down like that, alright?" Elijah nods once more with Jean understanding his silence.
I've never seen him so...lost. I can't imagine what exactly his thoughts are like, but I know with all of us here, we can get through this.
"Did you hear that?"
"Huh?"
Elijah sits up, focusing his attention on the forest. "...Something's there."
Jean listens intently, but still only hears the ambient night sounds. "Are you sure?"
He nods. "Definitely," Elijah draws his mother's bow. "Watch my back, could be a wild animal."
"Right."
The boys lower themselves from the roof and slowly approach the forest. For Jean, he's never experienced a life in these kinds of conditions so he doesn't know what to expect. As for Elijah, this was nothing new to him. Ever since he was a child, he witnessed his mother and father defend their home from wild animals before. From wild dogs to even wild boars. Sometimes even he took out a few wild dogs alongside his father.
SNAP!
Elijah draws an arrow at the sound of a snapping twig, ready for whatever comes. But nothing could prepare him for what was really there. Once the animal was revealed in the moonlight, it was in fact...
"...A horse?"
"..." It was a horse, a normal-sized one with a black coat. This animal was slightly alarmed at the sight of humans, but he did not run. Elijah...couldn't help but feel drawn to it. As if...he was familiar with this particular creature. He lowers his bow, slinging it around his torso, then slowly approaches the horse.
"Elijah?" Jean whispers.
"Easy..." Elijah, showing no form of threat to the animal, slowly raises his right hand, waiting for the horse to come to him. "It's okay," It hesitates, but only for a moment. The horse slowly approaches, and once he's close enough to smell Elijah's hands, its ears perk up, and put its head right on Elijah's right shoulder. "...Goliath?" Elijah says, his voice nearly breaking.
"...Well, I'll be damned."
Elijah thought it couldn't be possible, but all this time, there had been someone waiting for anyone to come back home. All he could do...was hug his beloved family animal. He may have lost Spirit, he'll never forget him, but his memory will live on with Elijah.
"...Loyal to a front...right, Goliath?"
Even after everything, he still found hope. It may not be much, but all it takes is a spark to ignite that flame. That's why...we all admire you, Elijah. You give us hope. You may hate being called a hero, but I just hope you can see that part of yourself someday.
Elijah...days later...
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
"Ah!"
"Huh?!"
"Ah! What?! What happened?" I wake up suddenly to the screams of Eren. My heart beats rapidly as I look at him along with Armin and Mikasa. He looks confused about his surroundings.
"Where is this? Who...am I?"
"Eren, relax! You're in the stockades. You and Mikasa are serving time for insubordination."
"Were you having a nightmare, Eren?"
"Yeah... I was..."
"Then why did you just say, 'Who am I,' then?" I question.
"Huh?"
"You did. Are you crying, Eren?"
Walking away from Armin, Eren drops with his back against the steel bars of his cell. "I feel like...I just woke up from the longest dream ever. No... Not a dream... Memories. Just now, I was connected to my dad's memories. That Titan...it was you...Dina."
I turn to Mikasa, nearly dropping my jaw and ignoring how ridiculous her bedhead looks. With only me, Eren, and Mikasa in this corridor having read that book, we know who Dina is. I don't know if Mikasa made the same connection I just did, but I cannot say a word to her or Armin. If Eren wants to tell the truth about the Titan, he will. She's Grisha's first wife...and the mother of the boy in the picture, Eren's older brother and our enemy...the Beast Titan...Zeke Jaeger.
"The Owl called it 'The Curse of Ymir.' The founder Ymir lived that long after her powers awakened, so it's only appropriate we live that long too."
Armin looks up from the desk as he's penning Eren's words. "I've got thirteen years left... And you..."
"Eight years left… Not even."
"You're wrong," Mikasa says. "This has to be...a mistake. It's wrong."
I say nothing, just stare at the wall while Eren continues. "If one possessing the power of the Nine Titans dies without passing it on, the power is inherited by a baby yet to be born by a Subject of Ymir. It's as if all the Subjects of Ymir are connected by something we can't see. One inheritor said they saw paths. The blood and bones that form a Titan, and at times, even memories and thoughts are sent through those paths. All the paths cross at a single coordinate. In other words, that's the Founding Titan…"
"That includes the Titan you will inherit. No matter which era this Titan has found itself in, it has pushed ever forward, seeking out freedom. For the sake of freedom, it fights. Its name is… The Attack Titan."
"What are you doing?" Eren turns around to see me and Armin with Hange, Petra, and Levi dressed in our formal military jackets. The commander leans against the wall, mocking Eren. "'The Attack Titan.' Did you just do that?"
"No."
"Huh? He did that, right? Didn't you three see it just now?"
I nod while Armin looks away. "Yeah, but that was…"
"See?! What was that all about, Eren?"
"No, it's nothing."
"It's the name of your Titan, isn't it? What were you doing talking to yourself?"
I sigh. "Commander, I think that's good enough."
Levi agrees. "Enough, Hange. He's fifteen years old. Everyone goes through a phase."
"Huh? What kind of phase are we talking about?"
"Hange, I'll explain to you later. It's not right with him here."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"What the hell did you come for?" Eren's outburst quiets us while Levi walks in.
"Get out."
"I'm supposed to be disciplined for ten more days."
"It's over. Hange just now was punishment enough."
I nod. "We talked with Premier Zachary, so don't worry about it."
"If we jail the heroes who toppled the Armored and Colossal Titan, it kinda sends a bad message, you know? Plus, you were defying us morons who let the Beast, Armored, and Cart Titan get away." I chuckle at the memory of that part of the meeting.
As Mikasa steps out, she looks thinner and groggy. She lost weight in a manner of three or four days. Did she...not eat? In any case, she's alive, so we head out of the stockades for an audience with Her Majesty.
Hange and I meet with Historia along with Jean before the audience. In the days between now and then, I have read Ymir's letter along with Hange. It is a short, sweet letter from the mystery that is Ymir Fritz, I don't really believe it possible those were her words, but I read it anyway. So As Historia reads, I sit closest to her, remembering each word of the letter myself.
To my dear Historia,
As I am writing this, Reiner stands next to me. It's pretty obvious that he's sneaking peeks at this love letter. He can be such a creep. No wonder he's single. However, he did promise me he'd deliver this letter to you. He says it's payback for saving them that one time. I'm sorry about then. I never imagined I would end up choosing time over you.
It won't be long before I die. But I have no regrets. That's what I'd like to say, but there is one thing… It's that I wasn't able to marry you. I don't know if he will either, but you better tell him before he does something stupid.
Sincerely, Ymir.
Historia places her hand over the paper, in which I see a small spark of familiar lightning. Nothing drastic happens, but it is enough to shock Historia. "What...was that?" I say nothing to let her know I didn't see anything.
"Something wrong?" Hange says, who definitely didn't see anything.
Historia sets the papers down. "Uh, no. Is that all there was?"
"Yes. Of course, I doubt she was able to write anything beneficial for us."
"Was there any secret message only you would know? Like a code?"
Historia sighs at Jean's question. "I don't know. But I doubt she would do something like that." She looks out the window with a sigh. "Ymir is such a dummy... Such a dummy. You'd play it off the second you're embarrassed. I just never know with you."
A moment later, Levi, Petra, Eren Mikasa, and Armin come in, bowing to Historia, which I find comical because I haven't done it seriously. "So much happened, didn't it? But all I did was stare at the south sky from within the walls."
"It's an important duty of yours to stay alive."
"Yeah, that's right."
Historia smiles. "I glad to see you're acting as usual."
"Well, that's… It just hasn't sunk in for us yet."
I know I may be somewhat important to this meeting, but honestly, if I wasn't here it wouldn't really change anything. I sit in the center column of tables with the rest of the surviving Scouts, Sasha excluded, with my seat at Hange's side in the front along with Levi and Petra. Eren, Armin, and Mikasa sit behind us, Jean, Connie, and Floch behind them. Leaders of the other regiments circle us, with Historia sitting between the Premier and some lady.
"The Early Life of Grisha Jaeger. The Extent of Our Knowledge of Titans and Their History. Information About the World Beyond The Walls. The only people who know about the existence of these books are those in this very room. These were gained by the efforts of ten living Scouts and the 199 others who are not here today. Today, and in the Queen's presence, I would like to assess our situation and establish an agreement in terms of our course of action. Scout Regiment Commander Hange Zoë."
Hange stands up. "Sir. The Scouts have lost a great deal, including Erwin Smith. But in exchange for the many heroes we lost, we have retaken Wall Maria and stolen the Colossal Titan's powers. However, humanity that lives within the walls remains in a precarious situation. It would be a relief if were Titans the only monsters we had for enemies. However, the true identity of the enemies we've been fighting is humans. A civilization. You could even say the world. According to these, we're a special race called Subjects of Ymir who can turn into Titans. There's also a belief that we may rule the world again. That's why the world wishes to eradicate us Subjects of Ymir for good."
No matter how many times that fact has rolled into my head since we hypothesized Connie's village was the Titans inside Wall Rose, it stuns me that our enemy is our own people. Now that we know our enemy is our own race enslaved by another enemy, that the Titans don't consume us to eradicate us, but in search of one of the Nine Titans, it angers me. With Eren's memories of his father, and hopefully soon, Bertholdt's memories in Armin might provide more insight into our true enemy.
"Mr. Jaeger later achieved his mission and entrusted the Founding Titan to his son Eren. In order to wield the Founding Titan's full power, it must be possessed by someone with royal blood. However, even if that person possessed the Founding Titan, they're enslaved by the King's ideals, which only leads them down the path to humanity's downfall. That is the vow renouncing war. However, Eren was able to control Pure Titan in the past to escape a dire situation. So it may be possible even without royal blood for Eren to wield that power as well."
"It can't be!" Eren's sudden outburst, which it doesn't seem he realizes, gains everyone's attention.
"You scared me. What was that about?" Eren seems to stammer in place, but I know him well enough to know he knows something. I follow his eyes, leading straight to Historia… Eren later sits down and Hange assumes it is due to his 'phase' but I realize that he only stood up after Hange mentions the one time he controlled the Titans. If I recall, he told us it happened after he punched the Titan's hands...The Titan that ate his mom and Hannes… "That Titan…it was you… Dina."
I turn back to Eren, he looks at me, and I think in my eyes he sees that I know the truth about that moment. A truth I'll never let happen to Historia.
The truth of the world was made public by Historia's decree. Within 48 hours, every newspaper had the details of the finding of Dr. Jaeger's writings. As expected, chaos did ensue. Some people accepted others laughed it off, and some deemed it a conspiracy. Whatever the people's reaction is, we can attest to the fact it is much better to tell the truth than to keep a secret like the old regime.
Now we gather in the audience hall, awaiting to be awarded our rightful accolades. I don't care much for them since I really don't deserve it. But given the hell the Scouts have been through the last four months, they're the ones who deserve some praise. As my friends chat with each other, I keep to myself as I do my best to listen in, but for the previous two days, something else has been bothering me. Its source is indeterminate. My friends are here, Sasha is finally out of bed, so what's wrong with me? I know Jean is right about me, but why am I still...angry?
"Hey, you heroes of the wall." I look up, seeing Hitch stroll over to us. I haven't seen her in a while...but seeing her without a taller, stern-faced guy with a terrible haircut... It feels wrong. "I just came to see you guys receive your medals."
Jean nods. "I see... Marlo was...brave all the way to the end."
"Yeah..." Sadness rises on Hitch's face. The poor woman. Marlo, how could you leave her alone without saying a word?
"Right, Floch? Tell her."
"Sure... Marlo-"
"Marlo was an urgent recruit, much like many others who gave their life. I'm sure he inspired many others in his short time with us. Their situation was hopeless and they were on the verge of ruin. But I know that he was there to inspire many of his fellow comrades, much like the fallen Commander."
"Yeah?"
I nod. "He was a good soldier...and an even better man."
"I know. That's why... That's probably why he never listened to me."
"But I'm sure...in the end...he was thinking of you."
"...Thank you." That sad smile... It brings me back to my time in Trost with the Captain.
"I'm sure he regretted being there." Floch's words nearly cause me to lash out, but given the situation, I hold myself back.
Hitch turns around, holding back her tears. "Thanks. I'll laugh if you screw up the ceremony." The poor woman walks away, leaving me the opportunity to speak up."
"Hey!" But Jean beats me to the punch. "Why did you do that?"
"Because... Someone has to tell the truth." Floch stares right at Armin standing in between Eren and Mikasa. I know exactly what the boy is thinking. Now is not the time for this.
But the blonde boy speaks up anyway. "I know how desperate you were to revive Commander Erwin."
And Floch didn't want to hear it. "It should have been the commander, not you. I'm not the only one who thinks that. We all do. Everyone who read the report thinks the same thing: Why wasn't Erwin the one picked?"
I noticed the looks on some of the elder officer's faces who just so happened to stare at Armin with the same look of disgust Floch bears. It wasn't his fault that he was chosen, so how dare they blame him? It's over. The choice was made.
"What the hell do you know about Armin? Tell me!" Eren demands.
"Nothing at all. I'm not his childhood friend, and we're not chums, either. But I can still tell you why Armin was chosen. It's because you two and Captain Levi brought your emotions into it. You thought the injection was all yours and made a totally irrational decision! Basically, it was too hard for you to let go of someone important."
"Hey," I finally speak up, getting in between Eren and Floch before anything breaks out. "Back off, now. Don't give me an excuse."
"...Eren. Deep down inside, I bet you think you're always in the right. That's why you never gave up in the end. Just like a brat that won't listen."
"I said..." I glare at the boy, giving him one final warning. "Back off."
"At least you and Mikasa are the ones who behaved like adults. At least you two gave up in the end."
I fight the urge to punch the living hell out of this privileged little punk so hard that I'd give him a reason to have that raggedy ass haircut. "There's a time and place for this. Let's not do it during a funeral for our fallen Scouts."
"What's done is done," Connie backs me up. "so let's just drop it."
"And none of you others... You didn't stand up to your superiors. You didn't even stop Eren and Mikasa. All you could do was watch. Medals for what? A funeral for who? You guys better start telling the truth when you go to enlist more recruits. That way, you won't get cowards like me joining by accident. What the hell are we supposed to do now with Erwin?! Because...even fodder like me...I get that I'm completely expendable, but... Even fodder like me...has a right to decide if it's worth fighting for!"
"..." I hate that he has a point...but still... "You decided that when you first joined us. When you chose to face the horror, you signed your own tombstone. When you're a Scout, when your commander orders you to die, you do it. That's it. It doesn't matter if you know if it's worth it to fight or not. What matters...is that you know that those fallen after you will take our place, the same goes for them and those after them. It repeats until either we all die, or until we're finally free. Were our fallen comrade's lives meaningless? Was Erwin's life meaningless?! No! They were not! Their memory serves as an example to us all! The courageous fallen. The anguished fallen. Their lives have meaning when we, the living, refuse to forget them! So as you and others rode to certain death, you trusted your successors to do the same. That's what you signed up for. You wanna know what we're supposed to do without Eriwn? I'll give it to you plain and simple. We fight!" The room goes silent, I don't even care if I've drawn a crowd. "Don't take your survivors' guilt out on Armin just because you need someone to blame! It's not his fault he was chosen to live! It wasn't your choice to make, nor was it any of ours! The choice was made. That's it. Now we just figure out from here. It's what we Scouts do. There are moths that throw themselves into the flame, seeking a glimmer of hope in a dark world filled with pain and suffering. The choice is...are you still willing to be caught in the flames for that hope? If not, then just go back home and continue to live in simple bliss like the rest of them."
"..." Floch, finally has nothing to say back and hopefully, he gets a better set of balls after all this. He steps back, seemingly in thought. I don't hate the kid, but he needs to check his privilege before he has any right to look down on us. "...Like one devil to another."
I managed to hear that from under his breath as he walked away. I remember hearing him call Erwin the same thing that day. Don't you fucking dare besmirch his name.
"...Commander Erwin is the one who should've lived," Armin whispers. "I'm not the one who can turn this situation around."
"How can you be so sure of that?" Eren questions as he pats Armin's shoulder. "I really can't say if it was the right decision or not. None of us know what the future holds. For starters, have you ever seen beyond the walls? What is there beyond the walls?"
"The sea."
"That's right. The sea. You haven't seen it, right? None of us really know anything! Fiery water, lands of ice, sandy snowfields! The possibilities are endless out there! On the other side of the wall, freedom is-" Eren suddenly silences himself, his irises shrinking in some sudden realization. Whatever it is, it is never addressed. Levi comes for us and leads us up to the throne.
Once we're there, we bow as Historia walks up with a case of eleven medals. I don't deserve this kind of honor, I let the enemy escape because of my mercy. Maybe I was a fool... But one thing I know for certain, no medal can replace the neckwear that I will bear until the day I leave this world. Slowly, Historia makes her way around Hange and Levi, but there's a moment's pause between her and Eren. But not just any pause, no, I saw it again. The little flash of light around their hands. And from my position, I can see the look on his face... Anguish, pain, the list goes on.
Eren...?