Changes: I'll see you in 2000 years (ch 21 - You Are Free - 6 of 6)

by Creative Tree

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

29. Chapter Twenty-One: You are free- 5 of 6

To you, after two thousand years

The twins had gone up to the roof of the Palace, to appreciate the night sky together.

The princess took the cold breeze in while the young King admired the constellations. They were seated on the cold floor, close together. "I kept dreaming I was here, growing up, as I should have been," Ymir confessed, dropping her face over her knees and admiring the garden and forest view down below.

"I feel like I stole your life," Ezra also confessed, turning to her brokenly.

"Don't say that," Ymir turned to him in light admonishment. "You were in my dreams, always," she told her brother sweetly.

"You were always in my dreams as well," Ezra replied with a serene smile.

"So there you go, we grew up together, in our own way," Ymir made him realise.

Ezra tilted his head, considering. "Do you think we would hate each other? Or drive each other mad, if we were actually brought up close together?" he questioned.

"Of course we would hate each other! Especially in the teenage years," she told him with a smile as they both wondered. "We would certainly drive each other mad. Are you kidding me? In a loving way, of course," Ymir added and they laughed.

The two exchanged a playful look.

The twins then drew closer, reaching out for each other's hands and gently approaching their pinkies close together, letting that incredible purple energy quickly build up in a swirl as their small fingers touched one another. They both admired that surge for a quick moment, both smiling and then they let go.

Ezra looked up to the starry night again and Ymir looked down to the garden.

"You were born first, I shouldn't have your crown," Ezra told her. "Not now that you're here again."

Ymir only looked down, still concentrated on the forest down below. "You should be queen," he insisted.

She shook her head. "I had my turn, and I didn't do very well with it," his sister explained, she then turned to him. "It's your turn now, I know you'll be very good at it," Ymir said with a smile.

"You'll be a great king," she solemnly told him, "a Good King."

Ezra looked away, clearly upset and angry. "Things shouldn't have happened the way they did. Your life was here, this is all wrong," he let out, frustrated.

Ymir approached closer, with love and concern. "If things didn't happen the way they did we wouldn't exist. Neither of us," she calmly explained. "Titans wouldn't exist. The world would be so different… there's no telling who would have lived or died over the centuries… there's no telling if we would ever be born," Ymir maintained.

"This is a curse," Ezra let out confirming it, still frustrated.

"Yes it is," Ymir concurred. "But it's all over with," she reminded him.

Ezra looked down at his hands. "I'm still a Titan," he reminded her. "I guess it will die with me," he mumbled.

The brother still felt incredibly frustrated. "Still, I wish I could have helped you somehow. You lived in that horrible, violent world. I'm not saying our world is any better now, but," he sighed. "You didn't deserve all that suffering, all that savagery-"

"No one does," Ymir interjected with her own argument. "I lived my life and now that is all over with. It's all in the past and I just want to bury it," she firmly maintained. "Bury it and move forward." The princess looked down, reflective. "There's no changing the past," she wisely said and then looked towards him, "we can only learn from it."

She continued. "I know now that we can't change the world. And destroying it is certainly not the answer. Humanity is sick but there's nothing we can do about it, we can't change other people, we can't control them into our will. The only thing we can change is ourselves. We can choose to become better."

Ymir looked ahead, thinking of the future. "We can choose to be better and hope for the best." She concluded.

Ezra smiled, he was happy to learn her mindset. Happy and curious to see her so determined. He tilted his head. "So, what now? Your life is starting again… If you don't want to be queen of your people, then what are you going to do with it?" he questioned his sister.

Ymir only shrugged slightly, and continued admiring all the tree silhouettes in that moonless night.

"You're running off with him again, aren't you?" Ezra cleverly asked. And was filled with annoyance while realising he guessed right. His relationship with his cousin and now brother-in-law would never be fully repaired. The young King scratched his hair, clearly annoyed and upset.

"We belong together," Ymir replied soothingly, hoping her brother could understand.

"What about Mum and Dad?" Ezra questioned.

"I'll come and visit from time to time," she replied, shrugging again, hoping he wouldn't be too mad.

"Visit? After all these years? Seriously, Ymir? Are you really just gonna take off again?" Ezra asked, clearly upset. He looked away. "I'll miss you," he quietly let out.

"Well, not now," Ymir began to explain, holding his shoulders affectionately. "I'll be here a few months, and once you're sick of me, then I'll take off."

"I won't get sick of you, Ymir. What are you talking about?" Ezra complained.

"Of course you will, we are not kids anymore, Ezra. We are adults. You have your life and I have mine," Ymir argued, letting go of him. "Well, I want to build mine again, and I want you to be a part of it, of course. Mum and Dad too-"

"But your life is with him," her brother interjected, concluding it.

"Yes," she confirmed with a small smile. Ymir was very much in love.

"I won't ever understand that. He ruined your life," her brother complained. He turned and held the side of his face, upset.

She tilted her head. "Well, all of that was an accident really," Ymir explained, making light of it.

"Like we were?" Ezra quickly turned with the joke and they both laughed out loud.

They both knew very well that their parents' relationship had gotten out of control fairly quickly and that they had been the unexpected result. The whole story that was set in motion solely by their existence was quite a tragic one, but it had also had its happy moments. And the 'accident' element of it all was far too amusing for the twins, so they couldn't help but laugh.

Ymir cleared her laughing tears, feeling quite happy. "Maybe we weren't that much of an accident after all. Considering everything that surrounds our existence," the princess cogitated.

"I guess History plays games like that," Ezra cleverly replied.

Ymir sighed, longingly. She thought about that day. It was clear in her mind, for she had recently lived through it; while her brother had no memory of those events, as he was still only a newborn at the time.

"I shouldn't be planning a future really," Ymir let out.

"What do you mean? After everything you went through?" Ezra swiftly questioned, he shook his head in disbelief, "you should have the best life you possibly can now!" her brother sweetly advised.

Ezra then shrugged slightly. "Who you choose to spend that life with, now that's on you," he continued. The brother was trying his best not to complain but he couldn't help it. "…I could only advise you to pick a better person or just be on your own, honestly-"

"Bap…" Ymir slightly admonished him, calling him by childhood nickname. And Ezra continued to give her a look, but he dropped it.

"What I was saying is that… Well, I caused too much destruction while coming back," Ymir proceeded with her realisation. "Shouldn't you arrest me? It's not fair, so many people died that day… I-I should pay for all that-"

"Are you talking about the day we were born?" Ezra questioned.

"That was the day I was able to come back, yes," Ymir confirmed. "And I transformed on purpose-"

"Are you saying you want to stand trial?" Ezra interjected, he let out a small chuckle. "Ymir, that is not a good idea," he told her firmly.

The brother could tell she was feeling confused and conflicted.

Ezra began to argue. "Sure, you transformed while coming out from the portal-"

"And that caused the earthquakes," Ymir added.

"Just the first one, and that was nothing compared to the destruction the many other earthquakes caused - and the volcanoes. That's what killed most of the people that day," her brother explained.

"I still fought against the Eldian and Marlean forces, that caused a lot of destruction and killed a lot of people," Ymir reminded him.

"Mostly in self-defence. And, Ymir, there's no proving that was you," Ezra argued.

"But you know that was me. Mum and Dad know and-" Ymir countered.

"Only our family knows." Ezra interjected. "And I'd rather keep it that way."

"So you think I shouldn't pay for it?" his sister questioned.

"I think you already have, we both know that," Ezra argued.

Ymir looked down, she became reflective and quiet.

Ezra approached the broken woman with much love and care. "That Devil creature caused this, it used you to try to break into our world," he told her softly. Ezra then became more cheerful. "Now go try to explain that to a jury," he joked. "Or time-jumping!" Ezra added and laughed.

"Ymir, you were just a baby then, a newborn baby," he continued softly again. "And even if we could single out your personal death-count somehow, we could never prove it was you. 'Your honour, this newborn baby caused all this destruction… and then used her newborn baby brother to cause even more'," he joked, cogitating what the argument would sound like in a court of justice.

But Ymir didn't laugh. "So are you saying we should just forget all about it?" she asked, confused and very conflicted.

"You said it yourself: it's all over with," Ezra argued. "You said you want to bury it, so let's bury it," he told her more seriously.

"Do you think that's right?" she questioned him.

Ezra sighed. "I'm not bringing attention to you, Ymir. I'm your brother, my job is to protect you," he began to explain.

"If we make a statement declaring who you are; and somehow people even believe all that: how you came back from the distant past, or how you're the reason Titans exist..?" he cogitated and proceeded to illustrate. "That would only make you an easy target, and the island an easy target as well," the young King cleverly explained.

"Azzy said he wants us to see the world," Ymir let out, naively and concerned.

"I thought that was the case. If you do want to travel around, then keeping all this family secret, well, as it stands: a family secret, is the best thing for you and for this whole kingdom." Ezra explained.

"You're right," Ymir finally agreed.

The young King looked to the stars again. "Ymir, managing people is not easy," he confided in her. "Keeping the peace requires real political juggling. It's stressful, I'll give you that. But much better than falling into an endless war once again."

Ymir leaned back for a moment. "That's right, we are at peace," she realised.

"Yes, since Mum's reign," Ezra noted. "Well, actually ever since the day we were born. Some Eldians consider us to be the cause and make us symbol of it, which is quite ironic don't you think?" he asked humorously then noticed how reflective his sister suddenly was.

"I never lived in peace before," Ymir confided in him.

"Welcome to the future then," Ezra tried to humour her again, but soon noticed how she was still sad.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

"You are right, it is ironic. And Mum was wrong, I did cause all of this. I created this mess," Ymir let out, almost crying.

"Ymir, come on," Ezra interjected soothingly, trying to help her.

"I never felt so much regret in my life!" she let out in deep anguish, and already wanting to cry. Her brother then brought her close to his chest and hugged her tenderly. Briefly kissing the top of her head while Ymir sobbed faintly.

Ezra checked around quietly, making sure their skins weren't touching. It was a cold night and they were wearing many layers, which made it a little easier. Still, Ymir's Founder eyes still shone brightly during that small kiss to her head. The sudden activation only made her drown in her buried memories faster. She hugged her brother tight, Ymir was in deep grief.

"It was only when he died. Only when I watched Azymondeus dying right in front of me that I realised," Ymir began to confess. "I realised I had done it before. I killed him! If I had let Fritz die, if I had let Az kill him. Maybe Torin and the others would have come after us, perhaps. Or maybe Torin would just be thankful… so many others hated Fritz as well," she continued to cogitate in between tears. "Either way we would just run away. We would leave with the girls, just like he wanted. Just like they wanted," she let out brokenly. The mother thought of her beautiful girls; she remembered them running around that last day, all cheerfully playing, with the hope of leaving that horrible place.

Ymir raised herself again, away from her brother's arms. "But I couldn't. I just couldn't. I didn't just let Fritz die. I let myself die instead," she continued in anger and self-loathing. "And that led to Azymondeus' death… his horrible death. I killed him," Ymir said again. "When I saw him disintegrate in that light, when I saw his eyes completely filled with pain, I realised I had killed him before and I was doing it again; out of my own selfishness," she continued her confession.

"If I hadn't protected Fritz, to protect my crown, Az wouldn't have died a horrible death as he did; and- and-" she choked, unable to form the next words out. Ymir breathed exasperatedly, she tearfully thought of her children dying, "and the-" she tried again, but the words wouldn't come out.

"The girls?" Ezra asked softly, realising what she was trying to say, and his sister nodded quietly.

She looked away, the mother was in deep pain. Ymir still had the image of her daughters' gruesome deaths embedded deep inside her memories.

"I'm sorry. It is like I said, I wish I could have prevented all of this from happening. You suffered far too much," Ezra let out, very upset to see her that way.

Ymir was very saddened, but she also felt glad to finally be able to talk to him, after all those years apart.

She turned to her brother again with a small, sad smile, "I don't mind my suffering, it is all my own doing," she told him.

"Please stop saying that," Ezra admonished her.

"But it is. That's my point," Ymir maintained. "The only thing I wished was to have prevented their suffering," she explained.

"I suppose there's nothing we can do about that," he quietly commented, deeply upset for his sister.

"I was a horrible mother," she let out.

"Ymir," Ezra let out, again in a grave and admonishing tone.

"I was," she maintained it. Ymir began to clean her tears. "You don't have children yet, but when you do you'll understand this overwhelming love we can have for our own little ones. When I think about all that I can't even breathe. I hope you'll never have to experience this level of absolute horrifying grief," she wished.

"I'm not having children," Ezra mindlessly commented and that took his grieving sister off guard.

"What do you mean?" Ymir asked in pure confusion.

"I mean exactly that: I'm not having children," he replied with a small chuckle. It was clear his sister was not following it, and he was slightly amused. Ezra was used to that.

"Aren't you and Sonnen happy?" she asked, quietly and concerned, already naturally filling her role as a big sister.

"We are very happy. Doesn't mean we want children though," he brother explained.

Ymir tilted her head, still trying to understand it, and Ezra was becoming even more amused. "Are you afraid of how your children would be born? Because my girls were born completely normal if that's your concern. And you and I are in a very similar situation considering our partners," she cogitated more logically. Trying her best to advise him.

"I'm not really concerned for that. We just like our life the way it is, just the two of us," her brother simply replied. Ezra shrugged.

His sister thought about it.

"Is that because of that first reality? Az told me you died in it," Ymir questioned. "It seems you died even before we were born," she informed.

"What?" Ezra asked back, bewildered and confused.

"Yes," Ymir confirmed, to her brother's further bewilderment. "He said you were never born before, that you died before our birth."

"That is all very odd," Ezra let out, holding the side of his face with his right hand again.

"He said he thinks that's the reason you are all odd," Ymir added with some humour.

Her brother turned to her again. "Really? I wonder if he'd say that to my face," Ezra challenged his cousin.

Ymir cogitated, tilting her head lovingly. "Perhaps that's also the reason you might not want to leave any progeny," she gently supposed, "since in our original reality you were never able to."

Ezra turned to her yet again, now slightly more annoyed. "Ymir, come on, I already told you the reason. We are happy as we are," he reiterated.

"Maybe it's unconsciously-" she insisted.

"Ymir," Ezra interjected, again in a grave and admonishing tone.

"But you are a King! What happens after you die?" she questioned, rightfully so.

"I die." Ezra simply replied. "I'll be the last Titan and the last King."

His sister let out a small smile. "Then you'll have to make sure to die after me, considering I'm still a Titan too," Ymir joked, reminding him.

Ezra chuckled.

"What will happen with our kingdom then?" She inquired more seriously.

"Paradise doesn't need to be a kingdom. There are other forms of government out there, Ymir. I'll make sure to steer the island in a good direction and let them pick their next leader," Ezra explained very politically.

Ymir chuckled, baffled. "That already sounds messy. You shouldn't be this naive, brother. Or someone cleverer and meaner will take your place, and then what? It will destroy everything we built!" Ymir argued, turning to Ezra very seriously. The former Queen of Eldia wanted to share her wisdom with her younger twin.

"Well, let's see," Ezra let out, very calmly.

Ymir continued to question, quite rattled. "Does Mum know you think like that? Does she know you want to end the kingdom? Does she even know you don't intend to leave any heirs?"

Ezra only shrugged. "It's my life," he placidly argued back, "mine and my wife's business. And no one else's."

Ymir hastily turned back to staring at the tree silhouettes, a bit shocked to learn Ezra's way of thinking. The older twin didn't expect they would be so different from one another.

Ezra tilted his head. "Mum didn't grow up in a palace, you know that, right?" he questioned calmly.

"Yes," Ymir simply replied, resting her face over her knees again.

"She couldn't care less about the Fritz bloodline. She is not really attached to monarchist ideals," the young King continued with his argument.

"Have you ever considered that Mum might want her line, her family, to continue in power? To take care of the island," Ymir swiftly argued back. "To continue her dynasty," the princess added.

"This family has been in power long enough," Ezra seriously responded. "For two thousand years!" he added more fervently.

The young King then let out a small smile.

"You were there in the beginning of it, and I'll be at the end," he gently noted.

"I didn't mean the Fritz. I mean the Reiss," Ymir insisted in her argument. "Don't you think she would want that? I mean, have you even asked her?"

"It's just a name change, Ymir," Ezra soon countered. "Behind that we are still the same, the same blood, cursed blood," the King let out. "It's time to end that," he declared.

"A king without an heir. You truly live backwards," Ymir hastily noted, crossing her arms.

"Or maybe I'm living in the future," Ezra argued back cleverly.

Ymir looked to the dark forest once again, she watched the tree silhouettes gently dancing in the winds. The princess sighed, with her head resting on her knees once more. It was strange to her, to meet her brother. He was nothing she could have expected him to be. Not that she had expected anything. After all, Ymir had never thought she would one day meet him.

Ezra looked to the stars again, the young King felt very hopeful.

"And about that," he proceeded, turning to his sister again. "Now that you're back, we can unite our powers again." Ezra looked at his sister very lively. "We can free the Wall Titans," he proposed to her. "I could never do it by myself before, but I bet we can do it together."

"Free them in what sense?" Ymir asked back, clearly uncertain.

"Knowing me, what do you think?" her brother questioned.

"Honestly you've been a box of surprises so far, so I'm not really sure," Ymir told him sincerely.

"I want to turn them human again," the young King explained, clearly very hopeful.

Ymir looked at him stunned.

"The Wall is our main defence," she immediately began to fight back, "the one security Eldia still has. People fear them, it keeps war away."

"Those are people Ymir," Ezra argued. "Our people. And they have been trapped in that horrible curse for a hundred and thirty-four years," he reminded her gravely.

Ymir only looked away, clearly vexed.

"What is your plan? To keep them trapped in the Wall for all eternity? Because if we both die without solving this then no one else will be able to," Ezra reminded her.

"If we take down the Wall, invaders will come," Ymir argued. "Those people sacrificed their lives for all future generations. They are our guards."

"No," Ezra firmly told her. "I won't claim slaves in my kingdom, Ymir. That's what they are: millions of enslaved people, just like the millions upon millions our family used over the centuries." The King continued passionately. "These people had no choice. It's shameful. I don't think the curse bestowed upon us will ever end if we don't grant them the freedom they deserve. The freedom every human deserves," Ezra argued.

"Life is not as simple as this, Ezra," she countered. "I won't take my defences down. I recreated that last Wall for a reason," Ymir told him firmly.

She looked at him more maliciously. "If you're so against having slaves working for you, then free them yourself," she suggested.

Ezra leaned closer, "we can only do it together. You know that." He replied with eyes filled with fury. Ezra wasn't enjoying meeting this side of his sister. But he was beginning to understand what she was famous for.

"Then I suppose you'll just have to lose this battle," she commended nonchalantly.

"And I don't want to hear anything else about it," the former Queen reprimanded him very regally.

"Oh, you were right before. It turns out we would definitely not get along if we had grown up together," Ezra complained. "I can't believe you. How can you think like this?" he questioned, baffled.

"How can you think like this?" his sister asked back hastily. Ymir looked up and down at the Royal. "You lived a very sheltered life, Ezra. Protected and pampered. Clearly fed absurd illusions from countless tutors that forgot to teach you about the real world," she admonished him quite passionately. "You live a much easier life exactly because of my protection. Because of the Wall that I created."

Ymir shook her head. "You don't have any idea of how cruel people can be," she continued. "You live in a bubble, Ezra. A literal bubble made by your older sister." Ymir laid down her law, staring deep into his eyes, "I'm not risking the protection of my people on your romanticised ideals."

"Our people. And those Eldians inside the Wall are people too," Ezra immediately countered, vexed with her as well. "They are our people too," he reiterated strongly. "Millions of people! Living in hell because you said so," he continued, pointing at her.

"All I want is to set them free," he added more calmly but still passionately.

"Don't be naive, brother, this won't end well," Ymir warned.

"Are you threatening me?" Ezra asked in the same grave tone.

"I left this Wall to make sure our people could live in peace, you are the one threatening that," Ymir argued back firmly.

Ezra only shook his head, vexed.

"You didn't create that Wall alone, Ymir. You used me. And I was just a baby then, I had no say in it. I had no say even in being cursed by you!" Ezra let out, firmly reminding his sister of the truth.

Ymir blinked for a moment, the princess then looked down, conflicted and with her mind swirling with thoughts. She looked up at her brother again, ready to continue to fight him.

"And you are the King now. Are you going to force me to undo my own creation? After all, we can only do it together," she questioned Ezra in a very challenging tone.

"You're an adult, Ymir," Ezra firmly replied, standing up. The young King felt disappointed and upset. "A breathing, living, free adult. I can't force you to do anything. It's your decision. I was just hoping I could change your mind." He declared and walked away.

Ezra left his sister alone on that cold roof. Both twins were extremely upset. Ymir put her hands on her face and sighed deeply, almost screaming. Her anger was still boiling, only slowly going away. The lost princess didn't know how to feel.

Ymir looked up to the stars. Like she would, during her days in that cursed dimension. This much awaited reencounter didn't go nearly as well as she had hoped. They had drastically different minds.

.

Ezra walked around the palace, hoping to wear out that high rush of anger. His emotions were clearly all over the place. He felt like crying, but he also felt like hurting something. Like randomly punching something - a feeling he hadn't had since he was a teenager. So the young man just walked around, hoping for that adrenaline to dissipate.

He eventually met with his father around the dark corridors and Eren immediately read his face completely.

"You already had a fight with your sister, didn't you? Ezra, she's been here five minutes," Eren began to complain, crossing his arms.

"What did you expect? She's just like you!" Ezra angrily threw back at his father. The young King then took a deep breath, calming himself down.

He looked at Eren again, more politically. "Let's hope things will be better in the morning," Ezra solemnly said, and left his father's presence.

.

- A stolen life -

Ymir went down from the roof. She walked straight to her quarters, the princess knew the way well, even after so many years.

The young woman arrived at her old room. She hadn't even noticed that her mother had caught her walk, and was now following her. Ymir looked around, she felt very small. Her childhood passed through her eyes. She'd had many memories in that place, but not nearly enough. Her whole life had been stolen from her, she could only think of how happy she would have been. And of how tragic everything suddenly became, when her future was taken from her.

Historia stood quietly by the door, watching Ymir's eyes and noticing all that realisation coming through.

Ymir broke down.

She began to cry. And she cried. And cried.

Historia immediately rushed into the room, to catch her precious girl. She held her daughter tenderly, letting her cry out all that trauma. Ymir held her mother very close as they were seated over that large bed. She cried over her mother's chest. Historia caressed her hair softly and gently cleaned her tears, passing her hand lovingly through her daughter's cheeks. "It's okay, I'm right here," she said soothingly. "It's all over now. You're home, you're with me," the mother said, "my beautiful girl, you're safe."

Ymir looked up at her, still feeling very lost. And Historia looked her in the eyes, filled with reassurance. "Everything will be better in the morning," she softly said.

-.-

Sunrise

Mikasa could hear the motor. It wasn't six in the morning yet, but she could already see a few sun rays coming through the bright curtains of the kitchen window, as she prepared her morning tea. The mother was slightly surprised. She knew the only person who could be driving to her home would be her daughter Sonnenblume. But Sonnenblume usually called ahead.

The mother put her tiny kettle down and went towards the door of her lighthouse. Already putting on her shawl, for it was a cold morning.

Throughout the fog, the mother could see the headlights shining, and soon later the entire car appeared, eventually stopping close to the Lighthouse.

Mikasa was stunned and so was her son as he stepped out of the car. He felt like a small boy again.

His mother hadn't changed a bit.

She slowly let out a very loving smile. Her boy was home. Finally.

Azymondeus walked to her, still feeling very stunned. Sonnenblume also got out of the car, but she walked slower, to give them a moment.

The young man stopped, right in front of his mother. She raised up her hand and held the side of his face tenderly. "You look like my father," Mikasa disclosed with a small chuckle, for the clear resemblance was her first impression. She smiled.

The mother then turned to the side, as Sunny walked closer to them, and soon pulled her daughter in. Mikasa held both her children very close, hugging them very tight. The mother was extremely happy.

Azzy and Sunny tenderly enjoyed that embrace. Their family was complete; almost.

Mikasa then pulled the two of them by the hand, just like she would, when they were little.

"Come on inside and let's have some tea," she told the children cheerfully.

"Tea? Come on, mum. How about some coffee?" Azzy immediately joked back to her as he was being pulled by the hand.

And Sunny immediately flickered his forehead with the hand that wasn't being pulled by her mother.

Azzy then massaged his forehead, also with the hand that wasn't being pulled by his mother.

Mikasa turned back to them, "I might have some," the mother conceded with a small smile.

The three of them spend the whole day together. Cheerfully talking, telling stories, enjoying the moment. It was all very special. Mikasa was beyond elated. She still missed her husband deeply, now even more as the conversations about the past were inevitable. But even in that deep grief, her children made her extremely happy.

They were both safe, both alive and well. And that was all she wished and all she wanted.

Night fell and the family eventually withdrew to their quarters, but Azymondeus couldn't sleep. He then decided to go up to the tower, to watch the high tides during the dead of night.

He eventually heard steps, in the early hours of the morning. His sister was coming up.

"It's four in the morning, did you sleep here?" Sunny asked as she arrived in the light tower.

"I tried," Az replied, looking back for a moment, then turning to watch the waves again.

"It's freezing," Sunny noted, holding her shawl close and her brother swiftly threw her a blanket.

She approached and stood beside him, to watch the waves as well. Cosying herself up in that blanket and bracing down over the sill.

It was indeed a cold night, of pure silence, the siblings could only hear the strong waves and the violent winds rushing down on the far shore.

"How do you know how I got my powers?" Az solemnly asked, thinking about a moment when she had joked about it on their car journey.

By Sonnenblume's tone in that previous argument; and her insistence on saying how Ymir was evil, Az concluded that she somehow knew that Ymir had thrown him into the light. Thus killing him and infusing him with those cursed powers at the same time.

"I felt it, in a way," Sonnen tried to explain. "It's strange. Do we have to talk about it?" she asked, hoping to change the subject.

"I'm sorry, it mustn't have been easy for you," Azzy commented, "being trapped there."

"I'm still trapped there, Azzy. It's part of who I am," Sunny soon told him.

"No, you told me-" the time traveller was about to say, but he stopped himself.

Sunny sighed. "Don't tell me the things I told you," she warned with a complaining tone. "I haven't told you them yet."

"Okay," Az conceded, and quickly thought of another way to make his argument. "But when Ymir and I left, that dimension was destroyed. It was completely breaking apart," he explained. "Can you still reach it?" Az asked.

"Yes," Sunny simply replied.

"How?" Az asked.

"You tell me," Sunny replied, shrugging. She turned to the waves again, holding the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

"Well, you are my sister," Azzy tried to conclude as he scratched his head. "You're like a different version of me... maybe the light gods got confused," he joked, shrugging, "and decided to give you some of their powers too."

"When will this end, I wonder," Sunny let out, she took a deep breath, and continued. "You said I talked to you-"

"Yeah-" Azzy was about to interject. "Just sit right there," Sunny told him, while directing her brother to the window bench.

She sat right in front of him. "Right, let's see," Sunny let out while holding both sides of her brother's head. She closed her eyes, concentrating; and Azzy also closed his eyes, slightly curious.

"I haven't used this in a few years, so this might take a wh-" Sunny was about to say. "Oh, never mind, your brain is pretty easy. Wow, your emotions are all over the place," she continued in a playful tone.

"Get to the point, Sonnenblume," Azzy complained, still with eyes closed.

A strong yellow energy surge flowed through and around the time traveller's head, as his empath sister travelled through his memories.

.

Sonnenblume found herself on the top of a house, in the city of Shiganshina. She looked down to the roof where she was standing and up to the city falling apart all around her. She could see the Wall Titans walking, destroying everything on their path. Paradise was falling.

She looked ahead, and smiled. Sunny saw her brother, she smiled because he still looked like a teenager. That innocent imagery of him gave her soul sweet warmth. Sonnen then rummaged more around his memories, to know exactly where she was now, and what she was dealing with. Sonnenblume had found herself in the first version of their reality.

"It's horrible, isn't it?" She noted. "Especially when you know what comes after this."

Az was taken by surprise; the young boy had been certain he was completely alone. He was immediately curious to know who was the owner of that voice. Azzy turned himself to look.

The woman seemed young, but she was certainly an adult. Azzy was mesmerised: she was truly beautiful. She was tall and well composed. She stood there with grace in a long, ravishing blue dress, like royalty. Her long and wavy caramel hair extended to her sides and her eyes were hypnotic, a yellow as bright as the sun. Her beauty was undeniable, but that wasn't what the boy's attention was centred on. He was staring at the woman's face: she looked very familiar.

"Who are you?" her brother asked, clearly confused.

"Oh." Sunny was hesitant. "No one important," she said. The sister smiled, looking at her brother in a loving way. "You look funny like that," she teased him.

.

"Like what?" Azymondeus asked back confusedly, still with eyes closed, as his sister rummaged through his mind.

"So young," Sunny answered with a sweet smile, also with eyes closed, deeply concentrated on her mission.

.

"I'm fifteen," the boy complained. Azzy was tired of all those adults belittling him. The teenager was annoyed.

"I know, I remember," his sister told him lovingly.

.

Sunny went through many of her brother's memories. Because of his powers she was able to reach and talk to him through many different points in time. It took a few minutes and much of her powers, but she eventually delivered all the messages necessary to get to the point in time in which they now were. Sonnenblume felt extremely fatigued, she had never exerted this much power before.

"Why did you insist on me killing Ymir when you knew it would be the very opposite?" Azzy immediately began to inquire, slightly annoyed, as he opened his eyes again. "Oh, your eyes are bleeding," he then noted to his sister in alarm.

Sonnenblume's eyes were still shining a very bright and hypnotic yellow, and they were in fact bleeding. They slowly dimmed as blood dripped down through her cheeks as if they were tears.

The young woman then quickly held up the blanket corner and began to wipe her eyes gently. Sonnenblume was very tired.

"Because I knew she would kill you," Sunny explained, quite simply, as she wiped the blood from her face. "Ymir has a very heightened sense of self-preservation; while you, Zizi, have no sense at all. If you were not immortal, you'd be dead ten times over," the sister complained. "And we both know it."

She looked up to her brother more seriously, Sunny then continued. "You needed to end up inside that light regardless, otherwise this story would never start."

Sonnenblume let out a long exhale, quite annoyed. "She's so selfish," the sister also complained, under her breath.

"I don't think I'm immortal," Azzy commented confusedly while scratching his hair. "I was clearly killed by that light," he simply argued.

"Well, are you dead?" Sunny asked back dryly.

"Can you still reach that dimension?" Az asked back curiously, changing the subject.

Sunny held her face with both of her palms, and slightly scratched her still healing lacrimal glands. "Yes, I believe so, unfortunately," she let out reluctantly.

"So it's not over yet?" Az concluded, upset and also confused.

"Or perhaps that dimension will never not exist," Sun vaguely supposed, almost shrugging.

Azzy exhaled longingly, he leaned back on the bench and looked up to the giant crystal light. The fixture was extremely grandiose; there was currently no flame to light it up to all its glory, but the immense crystal still shimmered dimly in the dark of the night.

"Maybe it will only end when all the Titans die," the time traveller considered. "Ymir and Ezra are still Titans," he added, still very longingly.

Azzy then turned to his sister more cheerfully. "Or maybe we'd even have to wait until all the Ackermanns die too," he told her in a joking tone, and Sunny gave out her shoulders slightly, conceding to his theory.

He stood up and walked to the other side of the large and round balcony, to now watch the island, instead of the waves. The young man thought about the place he'd been born into. "And there's also the Walls," Az let out, reminding himself, and Sunny.

"Wall," Sunny quickly corrected him.

The young woman was still cleaning up her face and wondering if she should try to wash that blooded blanket or just cut and throw that corner away. 'I sure hope this doesn't have too much sentimental value to her,' the daughter thought.

Azzy braced down over the crystal sill, sighing as he watched over his island. He then slightly turned to his sister. "Maybe that plays a factor too," he noted.

"Good luck with that one," Sunny let out jokingly, and incredulously.

"Why?" Az asked, now turning to her completely and leaning back on the sill.

"Because I know that would be the first thing Ezra would ask Ymir. And I know she won't ever do it," the sister explained. "And they will definitely fight over it," she added, shaking her head. "She won't ever budge."

Az crossed his arms. "Maybe I can convince her," he proposed. "I mean, between the four of us the island is pretty much safeguarded," Az began to argue. "I alone can dismantle hundreds of warships or attacking airplanes in a matter of minutes; the twins are Titans. And you can control Eldians, so," he argued very confidently.

"I can't control Eldians," Sun countered, annoyedly and reluctantly.

"Well," Azzy shrugged, "my point is: we can protect the island. I'm sure Ymir knows that," he confidently said. "I'm sure I can convince her."

Sunny only shook her head. "Ymir would only change her mind if it were something very personal to her," she countered and noticed how Azzy was reluctant to accept her point.

"Come on, with that personality?" Sunny further argued. "Those millions of people might be that: people; to you, or me, or Ezra, because we have hearts and emotions in the right place. For Ymir they are just tools."

Sunny then held her head, clearly feeling pain and fatigue.

"Are you alright?" Azzy asked in pure concern, he uncrossed his arms and walked slightly forward. "This whole thing clearly drained you," he noted worriedly.

"I'll be fine," Sun told him firmly and nonchalantly, to ease his mind. She stood up. "Let's go make some breakfast," the sister proposed, fixing up her blooded blanket again and walking towards the large doors of that top storey.

"Sure, but we can't be too noisy, or we'll wake Mum up," Azzy agreed and also advised, with a small smile. It wasn't five in the morning yet. The young man then motioned to begin following his sister.

"Are you kidding?" Sunny turned to him with a jokey smile. "I'm confident I can already hear her banging pots and kettles from up here," she cheerfully said as she was approaching the high doors.

Her expression suddenly changed, however. Sonnenblume was having a stroke. And she immediately dropped to the floor, right then and there, before she could reach the doorway.

"Sun!" her brother exclaimed, terrified. Azzy rushed to aid her, but he was too far away to arrive in time to prevent her from dropping down fast on the cold floor. The brother held his sister up from the tiles, holding her unconscious body over his knees. "Sun?!" he called her again.

"Sonnenblume!" he shouted, exasperated, shaking her, but there was no response. Sonnen was clearly dying, and fast. Her brother didn't have much time to act, so he had to think quickly.

Azymondeus looked around, trying to think of a solution. And he finally saw the light. Or rather a light fixture. Not the giant one which named the building they were currently in, but one of the smaller ones that lit that round balcony. It was quite close to them and it had given the Original Ackermann an idea.

He reached up and yanked a sharp piece of metal out of it. Azymondeus looked down at the metal, thinking things through as he tried to control his fast paced breath. His heart was almost jumping out of his chest as he felt his sister dying in his arms. He could regenerate, so maybe he could trigger some form of regeneration on that younger Ackermann. 'This better work,' he thought.

The brother took the sharpest point of the light fixture piece and made a gentle, but deep laceration on Sonnenblume's right arm, and she began to bleed out. So he immediately made an even deeper cut into his left palm, leaving the metal in, to avoid his quick regeneration. He then held her arm with his bleeding palm, pressing down firmly on her wound. Hoping his blood would mix with hers into her bloodstream. He kept his arm up straight, hoping his blood could drip down fast into the laceration.

For a moment, it seemed like Sonnenblume wasn't responding to this hastily thought medical procedure. But her brother persisted, gashing the metal a little further into his palm to make sure his odd transfusion wouldn't stop and also holding her arm very closely, so her own blood wouldn't flow out. A couple of minutes eventually passed and Azymondeus was beginning to feel lightheaded himself. But he pressed on, he wouldn't give up. 'I'm not losing you,' Az thought, trying to assure himself and chase away his desperation.

He then began to notice his sister's body steaming, like a Titan would.

Sonnenblume slowly opened her eyes to meet her brother's wide and relieved smile.

She reached out with her left hand and touched the wound in her right arm. Sonnen looked up to see her blood steaming out from her hand, disappearing into the air. She looked to her brother as he was removing that sharp metal piece from his palm, to see how his blood was steaming out in the same manner. She then watched as the wound in his palm healed fast. Sonnen tilted her head as she watched his skin quickly sewing itself together. She then raised herself up and watched the wound in her arm also closing in rapidly and in the same manner.

"I guess the light gods were right," Azzy joked. "You and I are very much the same," he told his sister with a smile. He then tilted his head, noticing how she looked very confused, Sonnenblume was staring into nothingness still. "I think you had a stroke. How do you feel? What is the last thing you remember?" Az asked her.

Sunny held her head with the recently regenerated arm. "Talking about Mum and pots and kettles," she replied. "My entire body feels like it's burning."

"I'm glad it worked," her brother said cheerfully. "That's what regeneration feels like. Welcome to the clan."

"What even gave you the idea?" Sunny asked, confused and baffled with the happenings of the last few minutes. She struggled to sit up right, trying to find her bearings.

"I vividly remember Mum and Dad arguing once, when I was very little," Az began to explain as he helped her sitting up straight. "Mum was afraid I would be in danger if people found out how my blood can regenerate others. But Dad argued it only worked with Ackermanns, so I would be fine. And how that wasn't the real reason they should be worried about me," he continued while fiddling with the metal piece. "Wanna keep it?" He offered the distress souvenir to his sister.

"That clearly marked you, I'm glad," Sonnen commented, receiving the metal piece from his hand. She watched small specks of her brother's blood - and possibly hers as well - steaming out from the broken object.

"I remember it well because it was the first time I felt I was weird," Az confessed while scratching his hair, a bit embarrassed. He then shrugged while supposing, "you were just a baby then, I wonder if Dad ever tested this theory on you before."

Sonnen was still recovering, her mind still healing slowly as she stared into that yanked light fixture piece.

Her brother tilted his head. "How are you feeling?" he asked sweetly.

She suddenly looked up at him, his question had removed her from that small trance. "Odd," Sonnenblume replied, sincerely. She smiled at him. "But alive and that's what matters. Thank you," she said.

Az smiled back lovingly. "Well, I couldn't let you die," he replied. "Not now that I'm finally home. I wanna see you grow old and cranky," the brother wished. And shrugged comically as he took the already blooded blanket to clean some of her blood that remained on the tiles. "Well, grow old. You can't grow crankier," he joked, cleaning the floor expertly. Azymondeus was used to dealing with bloodstains.

Sunny sighed. "Mum is not going to like that." she warned.

"What? This is nothing," her brother argued.

"Well, are you going to wash it?" she questioned as she tried to stand up.

"This comes out real easily, the trick is to wash it right away," he noted as he balled up the cloth and began to help her stand up. "You don't know how much blood I had to wash from my clothes over the years," Az also commented, almost chuckling.

"And I don't want to know," Sunny commented back as she gently fixed up her long and quite regal night robes.

Az held up the balled blanket. "I wash it, you make breakfast," he proposed.

She used her now cherished souvenir metal piece to tie up her long and wavy hair. Sunny straightened herself up, putting her hands on her back, considering how she could take that proposition further.

They began to walk through the high doors.

"And whoever accidentally wakes Mum up has to run three laps around the entire lighthouse terrain," his sister proposed back a challenge, just like they would do when they were younger. "Only in a bathing suit," she added humorously, as the weather was clearly very cold that day, colder than usual.

Azzy stopped. "Make it four laps," he increased the challenge as they stood in the next room. "I wash like a ninja. But can you boil water that quietly?" he asked humorously.

Sunny only raised her eyebrows charmingly as they continued to walk. She stopped in front of the elevator and watched confusedly as her brother kept walking. Azymondeus was going towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Sunny asked, almost laughing.

Her brother gestured down towards the stairs. "Downstairs," he simply replied.

Sunny looked at him mockingly. She raised her eyebrows once again. "Did you climb all those stairs to come up here?" she questioned dubiously. The Queen was very amused with the thought.

"Of course not, I just jumped." Az immediately replied, and shrugged. He then turned to the endless stairs once again. "But I'm sure just going down will be easy," he commented.

Sunny switched the lever effortlessly. "You think Dad would build this fifty-five metre tower without a lift?" she questioned her brother, also effortlessly.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot about those things," Az embarrassedly noted as those doors opened automatically. He approached and stepped into the modern contraption, following his sister.

Sonnenblume pushed the small lever inside and the doors closed. "You're not in the Stone Age anymore, Zizi," she joked.

"I wasn't in the Stone Age," he hissed back annoyedly, but also humorously, as they began their automatic descent. "Bronze," he quietly corrected his sister and she turned to him with a small smile.

Sunny looked down, contemplative, she gently looked up again, observing her brother's profile. Thinking about all the things he had gone through as they slowly made their descent through the tower.

"How did it feel?" she quietly asked, "being inside that light?"

Azzy looked down, reflective. He decided to divulge.

"Painful," he said, "unbearably painful."

Az had distant eyes as he thought back to that torturous moment.

Sunny looked away, unsure of what to say next. She held her right arm with her left hand, right where her wound had been, quite upset and reflective.

-.-

- Year 880

Edan

Ymir held her baby boy close to her, cuddling him sweetly. She then kissed the top of his head with much love.

The toddler was playing over a straw mat, in their cosy - and temporary - hut, in that bright and charming Summer morning. The boy motioned forward, wanting to go back to playing with the many artisanal toys in front of him, so Ymir let him go. Edan stayed seated, clearly concentrated on his play; and Ymir slid down over the mat, lying with her hand holding her head. The mother observed the boy, contemplative. Ymir reached with her other hand towards the limits of that playing mat, she reached for the sand; as their hut was built over one of many thin and clear white sand beaches in a small and very secluded island.

She took some of the sand on her hand and let it go in between her fingers. Ymir then turned to watch her toddler again, to observe him as she reflected on her past, and wondered about Edan's future.

Edan had been born two winters before. For his parents he was a symbol of a new beginning, of a new life. And his birth in no way diminished the existence of his three, now deceased, older sisters. Ymir gave birth to her youngest child and only son in the palace of Mitras. This time being accompanied by her mother, which the princess took great comfort in. Ymir was home, and her mother was right there: beside her.

The prince's birth was completely normal, unlike his sisters before him. Ymir didn't produce any lightning, nor crystal during that birth. And she took it as a great sign. The only unusual thing about Edan's entrance into the world was the fact that his birth had been premature. Like all Ackermanns before him. The small prince was born of seven months. But even with that detail, his parents were very confident that their boy had been born free from any curse.

Ymir looked intently into the toddler's eyes, she loved to watch his concentration. Edan's eyes were a brighter, greenish blue, exactly like his father's. It distinguished Edan from his predecessor's in the Fritz line, as his uncle Ezra, his grandmother Historia and his maternal great-grandfather Rod, all had the traditionally Fritz's 'purplish' blue eyes. The boy's hair was very dark, the same tone as his uncle Ezra's hair; he'd inherited directly from his maternal grandfather Eren's hair colour. Which contrasted deeply with the palish skin he had inherited from his paternal grandmother, Mikasa. Ymir caressed the toddler's hair very softly. The boy had very gentle features, and a very serene spirit which transpired through his placid facial expressions.

The proud mother tilted her head as she watched the boy playing over that straw mat. Edan was very concentrated. She brought him up, into her arms again, holding him up over her knees and the boy reached up cheerfully, hugging his mother very sweetly. Edan was full of love.

Azymondeus showed up at the hut's entrance. He leaned comfortably on the makeshift wooden door frame and tried to better open one of four large maps he was holding under his arms. "Ok, I think I found the better route to the mountain," he noted, looking through the paper. "And before you say anything. We can just take the pouch and I can carry Edan on my back," the father suggested.

The boy smiled cheerfully as his father pointed at him with one of the rolled up maps.

"I thought we were going uphill on horse-cart," Ymir interjected.

"Yes," Azzy confirmed, and continued. "But not in the last three hundred metres or so… or maybe four hundred…" he added, holding the map up again. He turned to look at Ymir again as she was raising her eyebrows. "Don't worry I got this," he immediately assured her.

Ymir let out a small smile. "I know. We haven't gotten lost so far," she joked in response. "Not in the last three years at least."

"Exactly," Az concurred with a charming smile.

He continued, rolling the map down again. "If we leave now we can really enjoy the sunset over there, the locals say it's the most beautiful view of the island. And they also said it's okay to camp there overnight; and then we can climb downhill in the morning…" Azzy trailed off, he'd begun to notice how Ymir was very reflective and a little upset as she stared intently at their son.

Az raised up his arm, to check his wristwatch. "I think we can still spare one hour or so… how about a second breakfast?" he cheerfully proposed, with his hands holding his hips. But he had no response, it was clear Ymir was lost in thought while watching over Edan. "Are you alright?" Az finally asked, putting his hands back down again, still holding his new maps.

"I want to talk with my brother," Ymir disclosed longingly.

"Now?" Az asked as he approached, putting his maps aside. "Today?" He continued while picking Edan up from Ymir's arms. The boy jumped into his father's arms very cheerfully. "Ymir, we'll be back there in three months." Az reminded her.

"Today." Ymir firmly confirmed as she stood up. "I want to call him, it's important."

Ymir caressed the toddler's back as he played cheerfully on Az's arms. "We can make the trip up the mountain tomorrow," she gently proposed.

Azzy scratched his head, thinking. "Ymir, it's probably going to take us at least two days to find a telephone," he began to explain, hoping they could postpone the call. But noticed how she was contemplative and somewhat concerned.

"What do you need to talk to him about?" Az asked while letting Edan jump back into her arms again.

"It's important," Ymir solemnly repeated, maintaining it.

Az looked out from the hut, thinking, trying to plan a route. He turned to Ymir again, almost sighing. "I'll see if I can get us a car," he told her, "and a boat," Azymondeus added.

-.-

The Queen of Eldia was enjoying that bright, Summer day with her mother in the palace's rose garden. Sonnenblume was always happy whenever Mikasa came to visit, and she constantly asked her mother to stay there permanently. Hoping one day it would finally work.

"You know how I get worried about you all alone in that house," the daughter complained, "it's so far."

"Don't start," Mikasa warned, looking over from her cards. The two of them were enjoying a game over one of the garden's tables.

"Mother, I'd rather you stay here with me," Sonnen insisted while looking to choose her next card. "What if something happens? You are getting older…" she trailed off, hoping her mother would consider.

Mikasa put her cards down. "Sonnenblume, I am very capable. And I'm barely forty," the mother argued, looking to her cards again.

"Barely? You're forty-five, that's almost half a century," her daughter contested and Mikasa only gave her a quick look, clearly full of reproof. Sunny looked down, she continued to draw her cards with a small smile. "Ymir mailed us pictures of Edan," she gently commented with the grandmother.

"Oh, did she? Where are they? I wonder if that is the only way we'll see him now," Mikasa complained, deciding what card to play next.

"I believe Aunt Historia has them, Ezra sent it over to her," Sunny noted. "We can mail them to the Lighthouse later," the young Queen suggested while observing her cards.

"I can just pay her a visit," her mother considered. "I haven't been at the farm in a few months."

"You should go there more often," Sunny gently suggested as they continued to play. "I'd rather know you're there with Aunt and Uncle than alone in that big house."

"Well, I'm not half a century yet, Sunflower," her mother retorted jokingly as she drew her cards. "I only go there when I need some amusement," she continued playfully, "there's nothing more ironic than your uncle herding cows." Mikasa disclosed with a small smile, thinking of their childhood.

"Oh, how much life changes," she let out, exhaling happily and leaning back more comfortably on her chair. Mikasa looked up to the sunny sky, taking the gentle breeze in. She then placed her last two cards quite gently over the garden table. "And I win," she said, smiling.

But Mikasa soon noticed how her daughter was clearly lost in thought. "You're a little slow today sweetheart," she gently noted. "Sonnen?" She called her attention. "Sonnenblume?" the mother called her again.

"Oh, I apologise," her daughter said, finally looking up again. She had been truly lost in thought. The Queen then began to draw in the cards and shuffle the deck again.

"What has you so distracted, Sunflower?" Mikasa asked, slightly tilting her head.

"Well, just that…" Sunny began to say as she proceeded to deal the cards, she was slow to select her words. "It's good that you're planning to go visit the farm…" she proceeded sluggishly. "Aunt Historia is… sick… maybe you should talk to her," Sonnenblume gently revealed.

Mikasa gave her a look of surprise and oddness. "What do you need me to say?" she asked her daughter with worry but also almost curiously.

Sunny looked around the garden, they were clearly very much alone, but she still felt the need to whisper.

"It is a fatal illness," she told her mother very quietly. "According to the doctor this odd affliction is slow to grow and it might take many years. It might even take a few years to start to show. But it will eventually take her. There is no cure," Sunny revealed through whispers.

Mikasa only looked stunned as she stared through Sunny, unsure of what to think as she took those words in. The old mother put her cards down as a daunting feeling began to overtake her. Historia meant a great deal to Mikasa, they had been friends for over three decades, three quarters of their lives so far. She was the only friend Mikasa still had, her best friend. And in many ways, a sister.

Sonnenblume continued, still speaking very quietly. "She won't tell Ezra, or Ymir, or Uncle Eren for that matter-"

"Then what are you telling me for?" Mikasa interjected with her own whisper.

Sunny leaned back on her chair again. She sighed, putting the cards away, it was clear that their play was over. There was no mood for it anymore.

"Well, I don't know what to do, mother," Sunny let out, hoping for some advice. "I don't even know why she trusted me with this information in the first place," she whispered once more, leaning close to her mother again.

"Because she trusts you," her mother immediately replied. Mikasa reflected on it, "well, let's keep this between the three of us then. It's clear she is still having trouble dealing with these awful news herself and is not ready to share with her loved ones yet."

"I know, I'm sorry," the daughter apologised. "I should have kept quiet."

"It's quite alright," Mikasa told her, and considered on how to proceed. "I'll pay her a visit at the farm. If she wants to share it with me, she will. If not, we'll say nothing more about it. At least for the time being."

"Agreed," the young Queen solemnly conceded. Sunny then approached closer to the table again. "Don't let Uncle Eren become suspicious," she warned.

"Don't worry about that," her mother soon replied. "Leave my brother to me. Your Uncle Eren is absolutely clueless about most things most of the time," Mikasa explained simply. "All of the time," she reiterated almost humorously.

Mikasa then stood up, and gestured sweetly towards her daughter, inviting her to walk around the garden and watch the blooming roses together. Mother and daughter then began to walk arm-in-arm. It was clear now to Mikasa why Sonnenblume had been so anxious in those past few days, the mother had noticed since she'd arrived in Mitras the week before. The older Ackermann thought about it all, and she agreed with Sonnen, the Queen Mother shouldn't keep this illness a secret from her children and her husband. 'What if death comes sooner than expected?' Mikasa thought.

She sighed, walking arm-in-arm with Sunny through the bright grass. "It would be good if her daughter would stay closer to her then," Mikasa quietly commented with her Sunflower. "We never know what the future will bring."

"Yes, but we don't know how long it will take," Sunny explained back to her mother. "The doctor told her it is in very early stages, it could be years. Let's hope it takes many years."

"Regardless, that one should try to spend a little more time with her mother and her family," Mikasa complained back, the grandmother was clearly upset.

Sonnen smiled. "Mum," she let out with playful eyes, almost admonishing her mother. "You're just saying that because you miss Azzy," Sunny argued quietly.

"Well, that too!" Mikasa replied, confirming it. "And I haven't seen my grandson in almost a year! I'm beginning to forget what he looks like," the grandmother continued her complaint.

"They'll be here in three months, Mum. And they'll stay until Edan's birthday," Sunny reminded her, almost amused by her mother's pouted looks.

Mikasa turned away as they stopped near a shrub, she decided on focusing on the flowers instead. The grandmother was clearly upset and annoyed.

"They have their own family now, Mother," Sonnen argued softly, hoping to appease her. "Aren't you happy for them?" she questioned.

"Of course I'm happy," Mikasa immediately replied, turning to Sonnen again. "I'm happy for both my children," she added, holding Sunny's arm closer to hers. Still sounding bitter and with quite a strong grip; but her daughter knew well how there was an abundance of softer tissue underneath all that thick Ackermann crust.

The daughter took in that side hug very lovingly. Hugging her mother back strongly as well and her mother smiled, closing her eyes for that sweet moment, taking in her daughter's affection. Mikasa reached up and kissed Sonnenblume's cheek, a smallish and quick motherly kiss.

Sunny smiled back, she then decided to pry. "And what about your own personal happiness… how is that?" she questioned as they continued to walk; almost making herself sound disinterested. Sonnenblume was tired of telling her mother she shouldn't be alone. She hoped her mother could make friends again, and perhaps even find love once more.

"I'm happy." Mikasa simply replied, cutting her short.

"Mother," Sonnen let out, she was about to insist but Mikasa gave her a deep reprimanding look, so she dropped it.

And they soon changed the subject.

Mother and Daughter walked arm-in-arm through the rose garden.

-.-

Ezra was very concentrated. The young King was in his office, reading through endless trading agreements and making sure he wouldn't miss any pesky detail when his secretary entered the room, clearly demanding some attention.

"You have a telephone call, Sir," the man informed solemnly. But Ezra only gestured for him to go away, as what he was doing was clearly more important. The young King wasn't expecting any calls that day.

"It's your sister," the man added, which made Ezra immediately raise up his head. The secretary then solemnly nodded, leaving the room. He closed the high and heavy doors behind him, as he knew the King was about to take a very private call.

Ezra immediately picked up his telephone handset as the doors closed. He was suddenly extremely nervous. "What happened? A-Are you in trouble? Are you trapped somewhere? Is Edan alright? What end of world spot has that idiot taken you this time?" he showered his sister with questions before she could even speak.

"No," Ymir let out after he finally let her speak back. "I mean, yes," she corrected herself, after being dragged into her brother's confusion herself. "Edan is perfectly fine. We are all perfectly fine, including the idiot, you idiot," Ymir proceeded to explain, teasing her brother in the process. The older twin then let out a long sigh. Taking a moment. She could almost hear Ezra's heart rate slowing back down to normal once again. "First of all: hello, brother," she said, still teasing.

"Yes, hello," Ezra replied. "But why are you calling out of the blue? I almost had a heart attack," her brother complained, baffled and confused.

"Yes I heard," Ymir confirmed, maintaining her tease. "I just wanted to talk to you…" she trailed off.

Ymir looked out of the window of that office building. They had finally found a telephone machine on a slightly bigger island. The contraption was installed in a tiny palace-like building that operated as the city council and also as the mayor's house. They had been kind enough to lend that line for a few minutes, in exchange for a few small gold pieces, of course.

"Okay… why?" her brother asked, quite dubiously.

"I'm ready," she replied. Ymir gripped the handset more strongly as she watched Az playing with Edan in the outside garden.

The father was teaching the toddler how to feed the birds. Showing Edan how if they poured seeds and pieces of fruit in that hollowed tree trunk - like the locals had shown them to do - the beautiful and colourful birds would come and feast from the goods, allowing them to observe the creatures quite closely. Edan looked at the majestic birds with eyes full of wonder. While his father was clearly very contemplative. Where Azzy had been born, birds always stayed in cages, so admiring them so closely and so free was new and special for him too.

"Ready for what?" Ezra asked his sister. Still very confused.

"What have you been pestering me about for the past three years?" Ymir asked her twin back, almost annoyed. She played with the telephone cord as she watched Edan smiling cheerfully at all those birds his father was showing him. "I'm ready to take down the Wall," Ymir explained further.

"Oh," Ezra let out, surprised. The young King then leaned back more comfortably on his large leather chair.

"Huh," he also let out, trailing off. He began to cross his legs very comfortably over his large and fancy wooden table. "Honestly, I knew you'd cave eventually but this was much faster than I expected," the clever man noted nonchalantly, also playing with his telephone cord, almost strangling his own fingers.

"This better work," Ymir warned him gravely.

"It will work." Ezra told her full of certainty. He straightened himself again in his chair, becoming more excited. "I've been preparing for this since even before you arrived back," the brother disclosed.

"Of course you have," Ymir replied, clearly not surprised. She knew her brother well. "But you need to promise me that we'll destroy anyone who tries to invade us," she menacingly warned.

"That is not the sentiment, pip," Ezra soon reminded his sister.

"You haven't called me 'pip' in ages, bap," Ymir noted, letting out a small smile. Pip and Bap had been the nickname the twins had given each other when they were still small toddlers. "But we still can," she argued playfully, reminding him. "We can destroy them all."

"Yes we can. But that is not the sentiment," her brother confirmed but also maintained his side of the argument.

"Alright, bap, then prove me wrong," Ymir conceded. "You've got three months."

"I'll gladly do, pip," Ezra replied, again crossing his legs on top of his table and playing around with his favourite paperweight. "Everything will be ready once you arrive back."

The brother took the challenge.

"It better be. The population of the island will triple overnight," his sister warned.

"It will be fine," Ezra replied nonchalantly, "we have more than enough resources. I've been planning all this since we turned thirteen," the brother disclosed. "And talking about that, it will be a great birthday present," Ezra noted, smiling, completely elated. "From you to me, from me to you, and, from us to everyone else," the King declared solemnly.

Ymir looked from the curtains to now see Edan laughing joyously. Az had had the idea to put a piece of fruit over his shoulder to see if it would attract any birds and he now had a gorgeous blue specimen munching happily on it, to the boy's bewilderment and joy.

"What changed your mind?" her brother asked over the phone. Ezra was curious.

"Well, first of all, you're not Torin and I finally see that," his sister began to explain.

"I'm very glad you do," Ezra interjected. "I wouldn't think we'd look alike."

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Ymir disclosed, almost crossing her arms.

"Seriously?" her brother asked, still dubious.

"You have the same eyes," Ymir revealed.

"Oh-" her brother almost interjected, Ezra had been taken by surprise.

"But clearly very different spirits," the sister divulged, to her brother's relief.

"And second of all?" Ezra asked, still very curious.

Ymir shrugged, watching her child's joyful smile from that window. She then proceeded with her explanation. "I want Edan to live in a better world," she said. "And I finally trust my brother enough to believe he can provide us that."

She smiled. "You are not Fritz, nor Torin. You are actually a good man." she told him proudly.

Ezra had no words. He knew his sister was putting a great deal of responsibility over his shoulders, or rather reminding him of the responsibility he had taken on once he decided to wear the Eldian crown.

His sister continued. "I can see where you are coming from, I finally understand your side of the argument and I agree with you," Ymir said.

'Good, since we both know we wouldn't be able to use those powers together without having the same mind,' her brother thought, but said nothing. He didn't want to interrupt Ymir's sweet and clearly hopeful speech.

She continued, elated by the sound of Edan's laughter. But also very regretful about her past life. "I don't want Edan to grow up in a still divided world," Ymir solemnly said. "I don't want for our people to live locked away inside that island. And I understand that it is unjust to keep those souls locked in such a dreadful curse."

Ymir paused.

"Let's take down that Wall. And let their freedom be an example," she solemnly declared, calling her brother to action.

"That is good to hear," Ezra replied, feeling very happy. "That is very lovely to hear, pip."

"You have three months, bap," Ymir reminded him once more. They would meet again on their twenty-sixth birthday.

"I'll see you in three months, pip. Have a safe journey back," her brother wished.

"See you," Ymir replied, ending the call. She would meet her brother again in Paradise.

-.-

"He is turning out to be such a charming boy," Historia noted lovingly as she looked through Edan's pictures with Mikasa. "Look at this!" the grandmother added happily, holding up yet another one of the pictures.

Historia and Mikasa were sitting over a small cloth, underneath the luscious tree. For the it was the old Queen's favourite spot in her property.

"You're just saying that because he looks like Eren, Grandma," the other grandmother argued, truthfully.

"I think he's looking more like you now," Historia argued back. "He certainly doesn't look like me," she added, almost complaining.

"Well," Mikasa then held up one of the pictures again, analysing it more closely. "Levi might have the last laugh here," she noted truthfully, but also with some humour and they both laughed.

Mikasa then gently held her head. She could feel the chiming threatening to start. The Ackermann hadn't had those headaches in quite a few years.

"Are you alright?" Historia asked, tilting her head with clear concern.

"I'm fine," Mikasa replied. 'But I know you are not,' she thought but said nothing.

She looked up to the sumptuous greenery as Historia began to reorganise the pictures. "I don't remember this tree being here," Mikasa commented. She felt quite eerie being near it, almost as if it was causing her to feel sickly.

"Oh, it has always been here," Historia began to explain, quite cheerfully. "Ever since I was a little girl. I remember my mother reading books underneath it." The old Queen then thought about it some more. "It has grown considerably larger in the last twenty years or so. If it keeps going this way it might cast a shadow over my house," Historia joked.

"We are hundreds of metres away from the orphanage," Mikasa noted.

"I wouldn't put it past it," Historia replied, still humorously.

The old Queen then turned to the pictures again, she held up yet another one. "Oh, look this one was on that colder point," Historia noted, also picking up one of her daughter's many letters and looking through it, searching a paragraph.

"Ymir said how they were so further south, they could actually see the pure ice of the white mountains in the distance with their binoculars," she commented cheerfully and curiously. "And look how cosy Edan looks in this big coat, so precious," the grandmother also added proudly.

Mikasa took the picture in her hands. "I didn't even know they had gone this further south," she commented.

"Is Azzy not writing to you?" Historia asked, confused.

"He is," the grandmother explained, "but his letters are never this specific," she added while skimming through Ymir's letter.

"Well, I could tell her to write to you too then," Historia proposed gleefully. "I'm sure she would be delighted to, Ymir is a very good storyteller," she commented proudly.

"No, there is no need," Mikasa politely declined, "but thank you."

"What is the matter?" Historia inquired gently, putting the picture and the letter down, over the cloth again. The old Queen tilted her head naively.

"He is looking so lovely in this one," Mikasa noted while holding up yet another picture of their small grandson, clearly changing the subject. The Ackermann then tilted her head, analysing the picture closer. "This boat doesn't seem very appropriate, does it?" she commented, showing Historia some rusty and dented details that were clear in the picture. "It seems too old and unsafe, especially to be in cold waters," she argued, worriedly.

The other grandmother turned to her, also worriedly. "I told Ymir they needed to be careful with all these odd boats and car rides," Historia began to complain. "But as they decided not to Jump ever since they came back from-" she stopped herself, "from…"

The old Queen trailed off. Historia was thinking of what to say.

"I know," Mikasa told her somberly. "Everything."

"Oh," Historia let out, surprised.

Mikasa looked away for a quick moment, to slightly hide her eyes that were filled with bitterness and anger in that moment; while Historia began to organise the pictures again. The Ackermann turned to her old friend once more. "I've known since their return," she told Historia solemnly.

The old Queen looked around the fields awkwardly for a moment, thinking of how to proceed. "It's getting late," Historia noted, as the sun truly was about to set. "Why don't we start making our way back?" she suggested it to her friend.

The two grandmothers then began to gather their things, in silence. Historia gently placed those precious pictures and her daughter's letters in her small box once again, all quite well safeguarded. While Mikasa folded the cloth back, very quiet but clearly still feeling that hush of anger. The two friends then began to make their way back to the orphanage, also walking in pure silence for quite a few metres.

"I can see you didn't take it very well," Historia solemnly noted, politically rupturing the sour silence.

Mikasa held her head. The eeriness was beginning to fade as they walked further away from the large tree.

"How could I?" she asked Historia. "How did you take it?"

"I'm just glad to have my child home with me," the old Queen replied. "I'm sure you and I can share in that sentiment."

"All that time, for ten long years," Mikasa began to share, upsettingly. "I wondered where he was, where he had gone. I just knew he was ruining his life! And I kept wondering why," she disclosed with her old friend. "It turns out he was ruining his life for her, so I just wonder now if it was worth it."

She looked at Historia, it was clear she had made her friend very uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, but that is just how I feel," Mikasa explained, secretly glad they were finally able to talk about it all.

"It's perfectly fine," Historia replied, shrugging almost miserably. "You are just being a mother."

The old Queen sighed.

The two old friends continue to walk, finally talking out about the difficult subject.

After a few minutes, they approached the farm, the two women arrived as the sun was almost set. And watched as Eren was gently ushering the kids inside, with the help of a few orphanage workers. The children had had a fun field day with their patron. But now the night had arrived, and it was getting cold fast; so Yeager had the idea of gathering all the fifty kids around the fireplace for some storytelling, while the nuns prepared them a hot dinner.

Eren turned to see the two women arriving closer and smiled. He leaned down near the children walking inside the building, closer to one of the smaller girls. "Just go sit by the fireplace and Granny Mikasa will tell you a story," he told them cheerfully, and playfully. "Go there, Lilly, you get to pick it this time," he added to the small girl as all the children entered the facility.

Yeager stood up again proudly, and slightly stretched his back. He turned to his sister as she was walking past him, still with very playful eyes, almost mocking her. Eren knew Mikasa wasn't very used to the terminology yet.

"I'm no one's 'granny,'" the sister immediately rebuked as she walked by him. "Except for my one grandchild," she said, "that is still alive," she further clarified as she walked into the orphanage.

That took Eren by surprise, he stood stunned as Mikasa walked inside. He then turned to Historia, who was now by his side, also walking into the building. "She knows," Historia whispered to him, holding her precious little box very close to her chest.

"About everything?" Eren asked, still stunned.

"Yes, everything," Historia confirmed. "Azzy told her the day they arrived back."

"So is that why she doesn't get along with Ymir?" Eren then questioned, still whispering.

"And I can see her point," Historia commented, sighing.

"Can you? Because I can't." Eren let out, suddenly annoyed.

"Of course you can't," Historia replied, giving him two small and affectionate shoulder taps. She knew her husband very well.

The old Queen then walked into the building, as the nuns and some servants were organising the children inside of the large hall.

Eren then walked towards Mikasa as she stood near the fireplace, waiting for all the children to be seated. The smallish girl had just rushed towards her, to give Mikasa the chosen fairytale for the evening. Yeager approached quietly and curiously as Mikasa turned the pages, attentively skimming through the tale. Historia could tell by his expression that he was about to thoughtlessly say something insensitive, as Eren often did. So the Queen walked in their direction as well.

"So it seems I have a new challenge," Yeager said inquisitively, almost playfully. And Mikasa turned to him in surprise. "My new mission is to get my sister and my daughter to make amends," he proudly declared.

Mikasa closed the book, her eyes filled with reproof. "There is nothing Ymir can do that would ever make any of this right," she told him very seriously.

Eren crossed his arms, still very playful. He was making light of the situation. "Even if I can't eventually convince you to get along with her," he told his sister very confidently. "I know Edan one day will."

"Eren, don't pester her," Historia hissed very quietly, holding him by the arm. The tiny woman's eyes were full of admonishment as she attempted to drag him away.

"What? She knows I'm right," Eren complained back, uncrossing his arms as he looked down towards Historia. He turned to his sister again. "You know I'm right." Eren firmly told Mikasa. "At the end of the day, we are all one family and you can't escape that." He added with a conquering smile.

-.-

Marley - October, 31st - Year 880

The day had awoken lazily after a night of heavy blizzard. Kirstein looked through the window as he was reaching for his jacket, to see the sun rising slowly in the distance.

"We are going to have a harsh Winter this year, it seems," he commented.

The snow had melted and had formed mud puddles all around the yard, which didn't bother the two boys a bit as they ran around playing ball in that early morning. In fact, trying to evade the puddles only added to the fun of the game for the teen brothers.

"Mum is not going to like this one bit," their younger sister noted as she sat nonchalantly over the fence. "You two idiots are going to ruin your uniforms," the thirteen-year-old added as she finished up her small marshmallows and cleaned herself quite properly with a small handkerchief.

The three Kirstein children were all dressed up quite formally. They were wearing their Skein Academy uniforms, ready for the school inauguration ceremony.

"Shut up, Alex," her middle brother let out as he proceeded to run expertly across their yard. The fifteen-year-old then stopped to make funny faces, mocking his sister - and to also catch his breath in that moment.

The smallish girl only stuck out her tongue towards her annoying brother, still seated over the fence. When their oldest sibling came rushing in and stopped expertly near his brother. Slightly kicking a small amount of dirt, which sent some droplets of mud flying up towards the middle brother's brand-new uniform.

The boy leaned out of the way successfully but became extremely vexed. "Are you crazy?!" Civ yelled in pure indignation.

He walked towards his brother, very annoyed as their younger sister laughed out loud. "What? You think you can take me?" Tin asked him back while crossing his arms confidently. The sixteen-year-old also laughed out loud as his younger brother approached him, ready for a fight.

The boys were soon locked in a small scuffle when Alex looked up to see the second floor window opening abruptly. 'This will be good,' the young girl thought.

"Hey! Stop this right now." Their mother yelled from the window. "Percival!" she yelled once more and the middle boy finally stopped attacking his older brother.

"Tin started it!" Civ let out quietly, and indignantly, as both boys stood to attention, fixing up their clothes again.

"Don't strain your voice," Jean calmly advised his wife as he fixed up his jacket, inside their bedroom.

Pieck pointed very threateningly at the boys from the window as they were still miserably fixing their uniforms. "If I see one speck of mud or one wrinkle in your clothes. Forget the Academy because I'll be sending you both to military school," she told them defiantly. But it wasn't true of course, Pieck had not envisioned a military future for any of her children.

Jean sighed, he walked over and opened the other glass window of their bedroom for a moment, leaning charmingly and nonchalantly over the sill.

He gave the children a clear reprimanding look. "What part of 'wait inside the car' was it difficult to understand?" the father asked simply and quietly. Kirstein did not want to strain his voice. Pieck then closed the other window, walking back to her vanity again.

Tin approached closer to the windows. "Can I start the motor?" he asked excitedly. Jean sighed, he then threw his oldest boy the car keys. And Constantine swiftly caught them. Both boys then smiled widely at one another. "We'll be down in two minutes," the father told the trio, closing his window again.

Jean then turned to the mirror again. "This doesn't look right… does it look right?" he asked Pieck while trying to fix up that Marlean uniform. Jean and Pieck were patrons of the new academy. And the couple had decided to comradely wear each other's nation's uniforms in that inauguration ceremony, to teach the young students about diplomacy and unity.

Pieck approached him with a smile. She fixed up his collar sweetly, and then his jacket and some of the medals and stripes. "Oh, right," he noted.

"Now you're a proper Marlean," she joked, passing her hands through his decorated shoulders sweetly.

"You make it look easy," he commented, chuckling at how fast she had fixed up his uniform. "Well, you never wore one of those before," she commented back while caressing his hair, lovingly justifying his small moment of incompetence.

Jean looked down at her. Pieck was dressed in a classic Eldian Survey Corps uniform, wearing her Wings of Freedom with clear grace and style. "I remember when you were one of those," he commented charmingly as they looked through the mirror.

"What? Over two decades ago?" His wife asked back humorously. She laughed. The couple was approaching their fifties and they were both very conscious of that. "Nearing three decades," she added.

He embraced her sweetly and she leaned her head back on his chest. "It was when we met," he commented. "Well, when we properly met," Jean corrected himself humorously and Pieck smiled. They looked at their reflection in the mirror, both reflecting about their lives so far.

The mature woman then reached up and kissed her husband's cheek. "Are you nervous?" Pieck asked him. "I already memorised everything I have to say," she commented.

"I'm a bit, yeah," Jean commented sincerely. He reached out for his small cue cards. "I know my words too but I'll still keep the cards just in case," the husband added as he watched her fixing her hair with charm. He put the cards cheerfully inside his coat and patted them confidently.

"Have you talked to Reiner yet?" Pieck questioned carelessly as they both motioned to leave the room.

"He said he'd give me a definitive answer this morning, that's why I want to get there early," Jean commented back as they approached the staircase.

"And Annie?" Pieck also asked curiously as they began climbing down the stairs. "Will she be there?"

"Leonhart said she'll be in the crowd. But she wants nothing to do with this, she was clear," Jean told her.

"As per usual," Pieck commented, she wasn't surprised.

"Well, in her state…" Jean began to argue but Pieck cut him short.

"Come on, even if she weren't in that state she would want nothing to do with what we are doing here," Pieck argued as they approached their house entrance. "You know how she is."

They walked outside. "Well, Danso is still going to the school," Jean commented back he locked the doors.

The boys then moved to the back of the car as they saw their parents approaching. Pieck skimmed through the children's outfits. "Very well," she noted, giving them her sign of approval.

Their younger child wasn't in the car as Jean had ordered. The girl then jumped down from the fence and inadvertently fell into a small mud puddle right underneath her. The small ripple produced only a small splash, and luckily only her school shoes got slightly mudded. She looked up slowly, surprised and scared.

The boys almost laughed inside the car, but held their laughter once their father gave them a strong reprimanding look.

"You have two minutes," Pieck informed her daughter sternly, standing close to the open car door. And the girl nodded obediently.

Jean unlocked their entrance door once again and Alexandra quickly rushed inside the house to clean her shoes.

The Palace of Mitras - Paradise Island

Ezra held his nephew very sweetly. He walked with the toddler in his arms through the Hall of Kings. The young King had begun the walk on that ancient corridor showing his nephew his own coronation portrait. And then the beautiful portrait of the boy's grandmother, to Edan's gleeful smile. Ezra tilted his head for a moment, curiously. "Do you want to be here too someday?" he quietly asked the small prince. And Edan only leaned his head over his uncle's shoulder longingly.

They then proceed with their stroll down the ancient hall, where the uncle made a bit of fun of old monarchs through the over two millennia old Fritz Dynasty. He laughed and played with the toddler, who understood nothing of what his uncle was saying.

The young King then stopped at the very end of the lustrous corridor, showing the small boy a very old tapestry preserved behind glass. It was a very old portrait of the goddess Ymir herself. She stood at the very entrance of the ancient hall, for there were no surviving images of Fritz, or Torin or any of the early Emperors. Only the image of the Eldian goddess had remained over the centuries.

"And look at mummy in all her glory," the uncle said very playfully. The boy only stared up, chewing on his closed fist a bit confusedly. "Doesn't she look a bit evil?" Ezra whispered jokingly. The uncle turned to see his sister approaching, Ymir was looking for them. "Let's face it, she still looks quite evil," Ezra proceeded in his concealed whisper, joking quite close to Edan's ear.

"Don't teach him that word," Ymir immediately reprimanded her brother.

"Oops. Sorry, my bad," Ezra apologised amid laughter as he gave the boy to his mother.

"I have been looking everywhere for you," Ymir complained as they both began to walk together, side by side, through that old and beautiful palace.

"I was just giving the boy a quick History lesson," Ezra justified eloquently.

"He's not even two yet," his sister argued back, holding her toddler more property inside her arms.

"It's never too early to start," the uncle maintained, smiling.

Ymir turned to her small boy. "Do you want cake?" she asked Edan very cheerfully.

"Are we already serving cake?" Ezra inquired.

"Mummy ordered far too many sweets," his sister turned to him with the small comment.

"She probably thinks we are still turning five," Ezra commented back and the twins then both smiled at each other sweetly.

.

Sonnenblume kicked her brother straight on the face, which took him out of balance for a moment. The two siblings were at the palace's large and empty gym, having some fun of their own.

Azzy held up his nose in clear pain as he tried to find his balance again. "Argh!" he let out. He looked down at his hand to realise his nose was bleeding out rapidly.

"You are so out of touch," Sunny complained, going back to her stance again, clearly more energetically than her older brother.

Azzy walked to the side, to look for a handkerchief as his nose continued to bleed out. "First of all, I'm not even Jumping," he began to argue as he proceeded to clean up his bleeding, clearly broken, nose.

"So what? I could very well be using my powers on you too and I'm not," Sunny argued back, retrieving from her stance and walking to the sideline as well. "I've actually never beaten you without using my powers before," the sister also noted, realising it.

"Second, I have been travelling nonstop for quite a while, and I haven't exactly been training," her brother proceeded in his argument as he held the handkerchief up to his nose. Azzy was trying to put his cartilage and small bones back in place so his nostrils could heal correctly.

"Oh, please. This is barely hand-to-hand combat," Sunny complained. She raised up her new camera and took a picture of her brother. Azzy looked away after that long and dizzyingly strong flash. "Argh," he let out in complaint.

Sunny smiled. "Imagine if we were using swords," she commented, still holding the camera.

"I promised Ymir I wouldn't fight with swords anymore," Az soon informed. "Even if it is just training," he added.

Sunny rolled her eyes. "I forgot you were boring now," she joked. And then held up her camera gloriously. "I'm sending this one to Uncle Levi in my next letter," she informed. Sunny couldn't wait to write to her uncle, to tell how Azzy had been too slow to block her kicks and that picture would be her triumphant proof.

Azzy held down the small blooded cloth for a moment. And Sunny was a bit surprised and suddenly scared to see blood still flowing down fast from her brother's still broken nose. Az then reached for his other shirt over the bench, as he clearly needed a better stanch.

"You are still bleeding," Sunny let out, confused. She put the camera down again.

"Clearly," Azzy replied, holding the larger cloth closer to his nose. "I might need a medical kit," he added. Azzy then sat on the bench, as he was feeling slightly dizzy.

Sunny eventually sat down by his side. She opened the medical kit she had just retrieved and handed him a few bandages, turning to him worriedly. Sonnenblume looked up to the large clock on the wall. "It's been almost five minutes," she commented as her brother was still holding the bandages over his blooded nose.

"I've just been taking longer to heal," he commented with her. "But it will stop eventually."

Sunny looked at her brother quite upsettingly, she didn't know what to say.

Azzy smiled, showing off a bit of his blooded teeth in the process. "We all have to die someday, Sun," he commented with her, a bit broken, but also quite charmingly.

Sunny only blinked, unable to hide the daunting feeling rising from within her entrails.

-.-

The Skein Academy

Kirstein walked over towards Braun, taking him aside to talk in one of the many halls of that old castle. They were in the ancient Tybur residence, which had become a research facility many years before, and was now being turned into a formidable school.

"You look a bit funny in this get up, I must say," Reiner humorously commented, about Jean's Marlean uniform.

Braun himself was only wearing a regular black suit, he had hung his army boots a couple of decades before.

"So?" Jean asked, ignoring his silly comment. "You had more than enough time to think about it," Kirstein added.

"Yes, I accept," Braun told him solemnly.

"Good. Thank you," Jean replied in relief. "Because we hope to start classes on the next Monday, and the last thing I needed would be becoming an Interim Headmaster at the last minute," he let out with some complaint.

"I'm assuming none of the oldies wanted the post," Reiner curiously inquired. He still had no idea why he had been offered that position. Braun had zero experience in Education.

"No, actually the whole committee agreed we wanted someone younger," Jean began to explain. "Well, someone not too old," he corrected himself, humorously. "Why did it take you so long to accept it?" he then asked.

"I wasn't really sure if I could do this, it's a lot of responsibility," Reiner explained.

"Are you serious? I think you're perfect for this, that's why I vouched for you," his friend replied, holding his shoulder affectionately. "I mean, half of the school will be just your kids," Jean then joked, making his own self laugh. He just couldn't miss that one.

"I wonder when those jokes will finally stop," Braun complained.

"They certainly won't. Especially now, Headmaster," Jean maintained the joking tone, still chuckling. "Seriously though, are you fully sure you're ready now?" he asked. "You certainly have experience managing multiple kids," Kirstein added, joking again. "Okay, now I'll stop," he promised mid-chuckle.

"Yes. I just wanted to be sure I could do this," Reiner responded sincerely, "it will be a new challenge."

Jean gripped his shoulder affectionately once again. "Just don't act like this is a training camp," he advised his old Army friend. "But some discipline will be welcomed, that's why I thought you'd be a good fit. I know the kids are gonna love ya," he added sweetly.

Reiner smiled. He walked over to one of the windows of the castle, and stopped firmly, in traditional army fashion. He crossed his arms and looked down below, watching over that wave of youngsters, all gracefully standing to attention. Braun then turned to observe all the parents and members of the community sitting on chairs by the side. Adalhaid quickly looked up, immediately meeting his eyes, and smiled. She had been looking for him around the many windows of the castle.

Her bright red hair was shining with that morning sun. At least the parts he could see, as most of her hairdo was hidden underneath her expertly picked pink hat, which went quite well with her fashionable, well-elaborated outfit. Reiner smiled softly and waved modestly at her.

Heidi knew her husband had accepted the post. She looked at him playfully with her amber eyes, signalling with her chin towards their children in the crowd, while their youngest toddler bounced around on the chair beside her. The Braun children weren't aware that their father was about to be named as the headmaster of their new school. So the cheeky mother was gloriously expecting to see their reaction.

The woman was quite tall and very lean, and Leonhart was secretly enjoying the shadow that pink hat had provided her. Annie fanned herself quite intently and almost impatiently.

"I wonder when the ceremony is going to start," Heidi commented quietly, noticing the impatience of the Warrior sitting beside her.

"I hope it ends soon," Leonhart soon replied, still fanning herself, almost annoyed.

Heidi turned to her, slightly confused by Leonhart's comment. "Aren't you staying after the children are done with the school tour? Reiner said you all planned to make a day out of it," she inquired.

"Yes, but that will be inside the castle," Annie explained, irritated with the unexpected heat. The small and ageing woman was feeling heavy and bloated, as she had entered the final stages of an unexpected pregnancy. The old mother caressed her belly gently and sighed, as she continued to fan herself. "The rooms in there are much cooler and much more comfortable, especially the kitchens," Leonhart said.

"Ah, yes," Adalhaid concurred. "I'm sure it won't be long now," she added, hoping to comfort the tired woman.

.

Levi had gone for an early day walk with his old comrade, to avoid all the crowds and commotion of that silly school opening. He and Zoe were already accustomed to those early strolls through the city centre and the market. The city was waking up slowly in that holiday, calm and serene, as most days of their customary strolls. So the old captain sighed once he sighted his home in the distant hill. Levi could already see all the cars parked and possibly even the mound of kids lining up on the yard. He could see it all once he arrived closer, including the annoying parents; that were clearly there accompanying their annoying children in that silly ceremony.

The ageing Ackermann walked leisurely with his cane, not because needed any support on walking, of course. Levi already had whiter than white hair, but the old captain still maintained himself in peak physical condition. He had adopted a cane simply because it was fashionable at the time and he enjoyed the extra charm it added to his walks. And he was now considering it to be a great weapon against any pesky kid who might approach him.

"Argh," Levi let out as they approached Tybur Lake, already in the confines of the castle wall. "Why does Arlert insist on giving me trouble even from beyond the grave?" he complained to Hange.

The Academy had been one of the many projects Armin was developing, but still in early stages preceding his untimely death. So after the grief passed, his friends decided to give life to that dream. It was a sweet way to honour him, and everything he stood for and fervently preached.

Hange laughed heartfully, still with her hands in her coat pockets, as they walked leisurely by the large lake. The ageing scientist was feeling particularly lively that morning. She was excited and very hopeful with the school's prospects.

"Our next expedition leaves in less than a month," she reminded her grumpy friend. "Only four weeks for you to endure until then, not to mention the actual classes only start on Monday."

She then looked up cheerfully to the skies. "Ah, there's nothing better than leaving for the South right before Winter," Hange commented happily.

Her argument wasn't enough to appease the old captain, however. For Levi could already hear the tweens and teens' friendly chatter from afar. He turned to see the 'no swimming or fishing' sign near the ancient lake. Levi sighed again, almost nervously as he thought of the countless unruly children possibly joining the school.

"They better not come near this lake," the old captain warned, pointing with his cane towards the water. "I don't want any funny business at my family's sanctuary." He firmly told Hange.

At that point it was common knowledge that the lake was an ancient burial site for the Ackermanns.

"I'm sure they won't," Hange affirmed as they continued walking. "The school will only operate inside the castle. But you can skip this expedition and stay guard if you so desire," she also joked.

Levi grunted. "I'm looking for an apartment," he grumpily retorted, and considered, "or perhaps a hotel room."

"Come on," Hange told him, smiling. "Don't be so sour, Levi." She tapped his back gently and comically. "They'll only be in the castle during the day. You can spend your last few days here out on the town, and come home after school hours," she suggested. "And only hope these small, sweet children won't haunt you in your nightmares at night." The old Commander joked and laughed out loud.

The old Ackermann was not amused.

-.-

To be continued...