Aaand here we are, the FINAL chapter! Can't believe it's actually all done, and this time round I feel a lot better about how it's all panned out. Thank you for reading along with me as I retreaded this story that has meant so much to me and my own personal writing journey. I hope you've enjoyed the ride as much as I have. It's quite the CHONKY chapter for the final one, so get a cuppa and settle in!

As for future projects - I don't think I'll be returning to the AOT universe anytime soon. I won't rule it out! But it's not likely for the time being. I'm still (VERY SLOWLY) updating my MHA project, but atm my focus is really on a wee Baldur's Gate fic I'm having fun with. Dark Recollections is the title, anyone that's interested is welcome! Thanks again!

3RD POV

Over the next thirty years, the world continued around those crystal figures. Villages grew into towns, and towns into cities. The open plains of the island were partially tamed to these newfound settlements, or left open for raising cattle and other such necessities. The island flourished. The island connected with Marley across the sea, their endeavour for peace cemented by the moment all Eldians had felt the connection to Ymir broken. Every single one of them had felt that cold sensation, that moment of lightheadedness, and no one could deny something had changed. Those within the Marlean government that had been in contact with Eren had spoken true, they sought peace, the endless conquests of their past having reduced the world to only their two settlements.

And so they had peace.

As the people combined, and Marlean folks travelled to Paradis to live, as so Paradis folks travelled to Marley. And many went beyond that. Old human settlements were rediscovered with the Marlean fleet now becoming a tool of exploration rather than a weapon.

The curse of Ymir was broken.

And all Shifters felt that power fade, but also that ticking clock.

Eren, now free of his Shifting entirely, spent a decade or so travelling with Mikasa and Armin alike, seeing the world via the many ships, finding new places for people to thrive, new parts of the world to marvel at. And he wrote it all down, with each return to Paradis he would visit the monument built around where the Source used to be. The trees remained, as did the pale sands within, but around the podium and their crystalised figures, a small structure had been built. Usually locked up, away from the public, but on the anniversary of their victory, opened for all to come and give their thanks. A few, like Eren, had a key to visit whenever he liked. And he did. He would bring his tales of the new lands, new parts of the world, new sights, and read them to Robyn and Levi alike. He would thank them all over again, and then he would leave them to rest.

Hanji, still Commander, led the Scouts on their new mission; to follow the path forged by Mikasa, Eren and Armin and help settle the new spots. Their scouting went far beyond Paradis, and the regiment became highly respected in both Marlean and Eldian society – to the point that sign ups were at their highest ever. She led with as much tact and grace as she could, but whenever the anniversary drew near, she would recede to her office and let her assistant Jean take over. In those days, when the pain grew too much, he was essentially the Commander. The loss of Robyn and Levi had hit Hanji hard, and with every improvement to the cities they had known within the walls, and the growth of those outside and beyond the sea, she felt that bittersweet sensation. Wonderful to see humanity thriving, enjoying its hard fought peace, but loathing that so many that strove to create it, were no longer around to enjoy it. Especially those two. She had been right there, so close, and yet she could not save them.

Still, with each anniversary for those thirty years, the pain was a little dulled – many Scouts had families now, they enjoyed a normal life not simply one built on survival. She had never married, but was Aunt or Godmother to several children; Connie and Sasha had three little ones, and Jean had settled down with a lovely Marley girl to have a charming little boy together, Mikasa and Eren had married and their two kids, a boy and girl, became proud Scouts as well. Armin had married a Marlean Scout sign up, his name was Jason and he was quite possibly the purest person Hanji had ever met. They had no children, Armin considered himself far too busy for such complications, but they frequented the Orphanage often to help out all the same. So their family had grown, thrived, and healed as best it could. And both Eren and Armin especially were grateful for their extra years, both marking the days when they should have been claimed by Ymir's curse, having been saved, in so many ways, by what Levi and Robyn had done.

And still Robyn and Levi sat in their crystal state, heads together, eyes closed, smiles in place, as if they were only sleeping.

Annie had seemingly died within her crystal, when the connection was broken, a crack had appeared in her encasement, and gradually she had faded to nothing, the crystal clouded. When it finally broke open one day they found nothing but dust. Like the sand by the podium to which Robyn and Levi were fused. They couldn't be sure why it had happened, but they buried her all the same.

Time rolled on.

Humanity strove forwards.

New Horizons had been found.

ROBYN POV

It was all sand. When I'd closed my eyes to the world, accepting that this was it, I opened them again to find a starry sky above and sand below. As beautiful as it was daunting. On my knees, auburn hair stripped back to white except a couple of strips where the colour remained, my skin bruised and torn, I drew a long breath. Was I alone? I wanted to call out, to anyone really, but most of all to Levi. Had he come to this place too? Wherever it was. But fear held me back, afraid of the idea of lingering here alone like Ymir had, like I'd swapped places with her. But what did that mean? Was I the new problem? Would I corrupt things and–

"Robyn?"

I jolted and turned on my knees, finding him stood behind me, his uniform blotched by my blood and his skin dusted in grime. Levi. He stepped towards me, feet unsteady on the sands, but hand stretched towards me all the same. I reached and took hold. Warm. He was warm. I got to my feet, my own uniform a mess by this point, scraps clinging to me really.

He pulled me into a kiss, slow and lingering. And for now, that was fine, I had him beside me, holding me. My fingers laced into his hair and I breathed him in gladly. It hadn't had to be goodbye, after all. We were there together. It didn't matter where I guess, we had both made it and now I could hold him close. His lips were soft. My hands clung to him, never having him close enough. And we laughed as we parted for air.

"You're here." I breathed.

He gave a small nod, eyes then looking around as he held my hands tight. "So we're uh… Shit where the hells are we?"

"It looks like where Ymir was. Except it's not a blinding white, there's no tree and no… Well no connection to the Eldian people. But still… It feels the same, I think. Except at peace."

"So why're we here?"

"I dunno." I looked again but there was nothing around us. A little light flickered at the horizon, but otherwise the sky was completely still in its star-studded darkness. Purples and blues swathed across in great waves, gently shifting, but always dark.

We sat in the sand and considered what we knew; we were both still seemingly worn down in this place, but neither of us felt tired, or hungry, or anything really in terms of normal 'needs'. We sat for a long time watching the stars after that, and eventually realised the light on the horizon had grown a little. Just a little. It wasn't dawn, more like a new colour entering the scope of the night sky, a lighter purple joining the deep plum and velvet navy.

I had no idea how long we were there.

Time didn't really register.

We talked, we laughed, we slept, and we made love. Then we would talk some more, wander the endless sands, and watch the sky. On and on. For days maybe, or weeks? Time swam around our minds like the stars above as that purple swirled into the sky's palate, soon joined by slivers of gold and turquoise green. Beautiful. And as we saw those colours appear, we realised our bruises were faded. My skin's tears were sealing. We were both healing it seemed, and both gaining more energy bit by bit, till we no longer needed to sleep at all.

And in that stillness I let myself think of it. Think of her. Keza. She had died to save me, to let me complete my task. Wherever she was, I hoped she was at peace. I begged anything that would listen that she had found Erwin. That they were enjoying even a slice of this peace that me and Levi were. Please. Please. And Levi let me talk of it endlessly, of my memories with Keza, of all those wayward dreams we had had as kids. Of our plans, our ridiculous stories we would tell each other. Our childhood. Bit by bit I recalled it all, and he listened. It helped. The wound of her loss was soothed with each story, each laugh, each tear-filled recollection. My Keza. How I adore you.

Our bruises continued to fade.

I hoped our real world also healed…

Eventually even the colour of my hair began to return, and one 'day' as Levi was braiding it, we felt a breeze. For the first time since we had been there, a breeze drifted against our skin.

As if this place had finally taken its first breath after all that had happened.

Then we had rain.

Light, warm, refreshing; it fell against our skin like gentle kisses, and we laughed as it turned the sands around us to lush grass. We held our tongues out and drank it, like the sweetest wine. And as our minds fizzed with these new things, we looked to one another and found that pull stronger than ever. More. Now. We fell together, rolling in the grass, clasping at each other, moaning each other's names, open in our pleasure and peace. We never tired, never needed anything more than what we felt in each moment, only to have it answered by the strange tranquillity of this place.

But where were we?

The question would always drift to the surface in our conversations – my own theory being that we were dead and this was some kind of afterlife for us to enjoy. But Levi refuted that, where was everyone else if that was the case? He wondered if we'd simply ended up in that pocket of reality Ymir had existed in, and when the door closed, we had still been inside. Which meant we were trapped. But that initial dark thought was soothed by our lack of hunger, or want of anything. So truth be told, neither of us had a damned clue what was going on, but between the peace all around, the gentle changes washing over the land, and the fact we could simply laze our way through days, or fuck our way through the hours to our hearts content, it didn't really matter.

We were happy.

We were content.

We wished to see our loved ones, of course, and those left on the other side, we hoped they had managed to do all that was planned. But we also accepted we were powerless to do anything more. We had given everything that we had to give. And that was enough.

"You're down to one strip of it." He murmured, us lying in the now silken grasses of the land, only a few patches of pale sand remained. Trees had also been growing, but small and widespread instead of one gargantuan thing in the centre – and small rivers had appeared too, along with warm pools where they gathered in their opal shades. We bathed in them, swam in them, and drank deeply from the rivers themselves, the wine-like effect the same as the rain. But as we laid there after our bath, on the soft banks of a warm pool, naked as we dried, him running a hand along my shoulder, down my arm and skimming my hip as I lay on my side, his words rumbled through the otherwise uninterrupted quiet.

"Mm?" I hummed in question.

He chuckled. "The bleached hair, you're almost entirely back to auburn." He kissed my shoulder. "I swear it's growing longer as well."

"Mm, I guess." I yawned and rolled towards him, his hand skimming to the other hip and kneading softly. I traced the line of his lips, sensing more bubbling behind those steel eyes – the bruising under his eyes was entirely gone, and they shone so much brighter in this peaceful existence.

He kissed my fingertips. "Just seems like you're healing. Strange for an afterlife…"

I rolled my eyes and leaned in to kiss him properly. "Very true, but we've had this debate before. And it's as pointless now as it was then."

"Whenever 'then' was." He murmured, kissing me again, laying on his back and pulling me on top of him. "I'm just glad to see you healing, that's all."

"You sure? Nothing else going on in there?" I tapped between his brows and kissed over his heart. "Not much point keeping it to yourself, remember?"

"True. I just wonder how much more this place will change, and now that I see we're changing with it… I'm not sure what it means, but I guess it means it won't be eternity."

"Not sure whether you sound happy about that or not." I tilted my head and shifted so I could see his eyes again properly. "Are you–"

"I'm happy, Robyn." He smiled, running a hand through my hair. "I'm just thinking out loud. And I suppose I want to ask you something."

"Mm?"

"If we got the chance to return, would you want to?"

I looked around our haven, our patch of true paradise, our home for the past however long it had been. It was beautiful. It was peaceful. But it was also empty beyond our own wants – a gift in many ways, but it did leave that itch in my mind for what else I had lived for. People. My friends, my family. This place had allowed us to simply be us, but within the concept of ourselves and us as a couple. But we went beyond that. I as a soldier, a friend, a confidant. Levi as a Captain, a comrade and a friend also.

I nodded. "Yes, I would. I'm not yearning for it or anything, but sure, I'd want to see them again. I'd want… I'd want to visit Keza's grave. That kind of thing. You?"

"I agree." He laid back and closed his eyes. "Sorry if it seemed like a foolish–"

"Not at all." I tapped the end of his nose. "No foolish questions here, remember?"

"Mm, good point." He sighed, and I laid my head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart and breathing alike. We drifted. The weight of sleep landing on us both I think as his hand stilled in my hair, and my mind sunk that little further into the tranquil darkness behind my eyelids.

Sleep…

We hadn't slept in that place for such a long time…

Why now…?

A new sound entered my mind, like the breaking of glass.

It was such a sharp sound compared to everything else we had heard recently; the babble of a gentle stream, the whirl of a gathering pool, the drift of grass in the soft breeze, our voices merging in soft moans and gentle sighs. No sharp edges. And yet now I heard that crackling. Was it glass? Or was it crystal?

Oh.

Crystal breaking.

Right…

I breathed deep and tried to move, finding my arms and legs so heavy all of a sudden, no longer laying there on Levi's chest. Panic simmered at the edge of my thoughts, but then I realised I could still 'feel' Levi nearby. He wasn't far. I tried to turn my head to find him, but then found my head pressed against something, at the front. Oh yes. That was how we had been, hadn't it? Head to head, on our knees, at the podium.

Shit. Were we really coming back out of the crystal? How long had it been? Was the peace we had been hoping for what we'd find? Were our friends still alive? I tried to move again, the crystal breaking faster now, that weight leaving my limbs, and my head now able to wriggle. My eyes still wouldn't open. I tried harder.

Crackle.

And then the ringing like bells as the crystal fell away and hit a stone floor. Stone. Not sand then? Not anymore at least, apparently. My head was free and I gasped at the fresh air, my eyes bleary as I struggled to blink into the real world once more. My hands came free in the meantime, and I was able to brush away the rest of the crystal. My eyes adjusted. Levi was still encased partially, but the cracks had begun to show, and parts had already fallen away from his arms and shoulders. He would be free soon.

I looked around. We were in a small room, gently lit by pale blue light, but it didn't look like the crystal from the cavern. No, it almost buzzed? I shook my head, one thing at a time. The room was clean, and we were on a raised platform of sorts. Like the podium and some surrounding sand had been partially dug out for this gleaming marble floor to be put in place instead.

My legs were stiff, but gradually I managed to come out of my kneeling position and step onto the floor. I found a small plaque reading me and Levi's names, and a small note beneath – The heroes of our peace who gave their hearts so our wings could fly. Well that sounded grandiose didn't it? On the walls were large paintings, and as I peered closer I found echoes of our loves ones staring back at me; Erwin, Petra, Oluo, Gunter, Eld, Mike, Nanaba. Keza was stood next to Erwin in the picture, both smiling, both looking proud. And on the other paintings were etched names, countless names, and I could only assume it was the masses of Scouts who had fallen in our time.

Another crackling came and I turned back to help Levi. Gently I eased the crystal from him, and I held him up as he wavered on the spot. Breaths puffed out his paled lips, and I think the panic had set in for him more as he woke. He leaned into me though, and I let his eyes adjust.

"You're safe, Levi. We uh… We seem to be back. It's alright. Just breathe."

"We're back?" He croaked, coughing a little before clearing his throat and the strength returning to his arms and legs. He sat up. He blinked hard and looked around. "Shit… We really are back. Wait how're yo–" He turned and looked me up and down, something lighting in his gaze before a smile beamed into place. His hand landed in the middle of my chest, over my heart. "You really are healed."

Of course. I looked down and found no darkened veins, no hard crystal over my heart, no wounds to speak of at all. "I am. Completely."

He got up and cupped my face, looking around briefly before back to me, putting his forehead to mine. "We're home."

"We are."

And for a moment we just stood there in the dim light, hearing our breaths, aware of the solid ground beneath our feet.

"So then," I hummed, stepped back and taking his hand in mine. "Shall we see what's become of it all?"

He nodded, holding tight. "Any idea how long it's been?"

"Considering the state of this place? A few years at least." And as I turned to the doorway, he paused, holding still for a moment. "Levi?"

He pursed his lips. "It could have been a lot of years, Robyn. We might not… They could be…" He sighed and shook his head. "I realise we haven't aged, but that doesn't mean much. I just think we should be prepared for–"

The door slammed open, and we both jumped back.

Hanji stood before us, braced between the open door and the frame, staring at us with her one wide eye, hair in disarray, smile as broad as it was deranged. And then I looked closer. In the seconds pause I saw the grey in her hair and the lines along her face – mainly around her eyes and the corners of her mouth. A few years indeed.

She stepped closer, looking us over, slowly reaching out. "You're actually back. Right? I'm not having some dumbass dream again, am I?"

"H-Hanji?" I laughed, throat thickening with a happy sob soon after.

Hanji beamed. "I knew those sensors were a good idea – they called me daft, you know? So silly to put them in here. There was no reason to think– and yet here you are! Ha! I knew it! Jean will have to eat his words now, won't he? Oh he'll be so pissed, but I told him, I bloody told him!"

"Hanji!" I laughed, stepping closer. "What are you talking about? Sensors? The fuck does that mean?"

She pulled me into a tight hug and started crying. I guess explanations could come later…

It was everything we had hoped for, and more.

Eventually Hanji managed to explain all that had happened in our absence, and got in contact with those that she could. To see them all thirty years older, with families of their own, and their own fruitful lives, was a gift. Part of me wished we might have been able to watch from that strange sanded place – but then I realised that might have tainted what we had enjoyed there too. Just us. And seeing everyone else progressing in life, we may have grown despairing. So no, this was kinder. For once, the world had been kind.

Eren burst into tears when seeing us, and in all honesty, I was right behind him. I had been so afraid he and Armin might still be claimed by Ymir's curse, but no. Freed of those powers they had lived their lives, explored, loved, been happy.

And now we could do the same.

Tentatively we stepped out into this new world, a world we had created the foundation for and then been passed by for thirty years.

But no more. We were out, we were free and we were eager to know it all.

We decided to live on the road for a while, exploring the island like we had on our honeymoon, staying in the various new towns, visiting the farms, and enjoying the now tailored beaches and their various hotels or inns. The trip to Marley was a daunting one, and thankfully Hanji came along for that ride – she had visited before but not for long, finding herself a little detached from the progress of the world with us still stuck. I wished she had been able to enjoy it more without us, but her pain was valid as well. Now at least, she could bask. Seeing her in her late sixties was quite something. To see any Scout live so long was madness in some ways, other than those that miraculously made it to retirement that is. And those lines on her face were as much a reward as anything else. She had lived a life. Enjoyed the peace as much as she could.

The world was vast.

The ocean was huge.

The sky was endless.

Everything I had dreamed of, everything I had read of, everything I had been told of – we saw it and so much more. Armin and Eren regaled us with their tales of early exploration, and Mikasa filled in any blanks along the way. She still had that red scarf. Jean had gone into a stunned silence when we appeared in his office at first, only finally jolting out of his episode when Hanji smacked his shoulder and told him to pay up for their bet. Poor man. He was always going to be on the wrong end of a joke, wasn't he? Connie and Sasha looked so strange as fully-blown adults, but as their own grown kids came into view, there was no denying it. A lifetime had gone by. And our friends and done it, they had lived.

And as our explorations concluded, we found a little house on the outskirts of Shiganshina, on the outside of the wall. It was in a small town named Kezarina, which obviously brought a tear to my eye. She had a monument in the middle of town; her stood tall with one hand on her hip and the other with a basket of treats raised high, her hair slightly flowing, her skirts doing the same, and her smile as broad as it had ever been in life. A quote from her read on the plaque, provided by Queen Historia (who was still ruling with as much grace as one might expect. She had several heirs now and was happy to know we had re-emerged). The quote read: Laugh about it, because the world certainly will. And as I read it, hearing her voice in my mind, I followed orders immediately. I laughed. It poured out of me like my tears.

My friend was gone, but her legacy was a solid one.

Our house was a couple of streets away from the train station, but the line was a quiet one, mainly built to allow folks a direct line to the seaside. So me and Levi would sit out in the front garden and listen to the odd engine rumble by, taking people on their holidays or even on a commute. And then peace would return, the birds would chirp, the grass would sway. A small cottage with its own garden that went right down to a nearby stream. We would enjoy tea by the water, listening to it burble, watching it glitter in the sunshine. And then we would go inside as the day drew to evening, light a fire in the hearth and start cooking dinner. No basement. Neither of us had any want for an underground space, but we did have a spacious attic and a couple spare rooms for when loved ones came to stay. But really it was just us, our day-to-day, our peace.

We opened a tea shop that was just across the road – Brewed Horizons we called it. At first it was only locals that came, but as we gained reputation more and more people came to visit. Soon enough we were a hot spot and had folks coming in from the train, having arrived directly from Marley. Levi liked to think it was the tea being so darn good – but I suspected someone had let slip that we were in fact the Levi and Robyn that had mysteriously been removed from their podium. It was a terribly kept secret, but everytime someone came in to buy tea, then made a point of saying 'thank you' in the sincerest way I'd ever heard, I knew it wasn't really about the tea. Maybe. But not likely.

I wished them well and sent them on their way.

About a year after we had come back to the world and restarted our lives, I was in the shop as it began to rain. We had a quiet few hours each afternoon, before locals tended to come in on their way home from work, so I sat at the large window and blew steam from my tea. Levi was sorting inventory in the back, and the radio was playing a soft tune which I believe Hanji called 'jazz'. We were still learning about this new world and all its new discoveries, but I still found such simple pleasure in sitting by the window and watching the rain fall.

They say you're only a real Scout once you return from a mission still alive.

Well… I guess I could finally consider myself a real Scout, but also, not at all. No longer was I a little kid scrambling between puddles, hiding under boxes. I wasn't a soldier either, grasping onto rain slicked reins, gasping against the torrent as I saw the walls and begged for safety. No, I'm just Robyn, sat in her tea shop that she runs with her husband, getting the chance to sip her tea and smile.

I might not be a Scout anymore, but I'd returned from my missions.

And I am truly alive…

The End

Thanks for reading! It's been fun!