3RD POV

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The gorgeous orange sky marked the sun's slow descent, promising a breathtaking view.

It could have been a delight for anyone eager to appreciate it if not for the massive yellow flash and the ensuing thunderous roar that rudely interrupted the scene.

All of Shiganshina's residents looked up, rattled and bewildered, directing their gaze toward the origin of the commotion, collectively wondering what on earth was going on.

Steam billowed behind their so-called 'safe haven,' a massive hand slamming heavily onto the wall, bringing with it the menacing head of the creature it belonged to.

Terrified cries echoed through the district as the monstrous being observed the humans, treating them as mere insects. In the blink of an eye, a colossal kick obliterated one of their sole defenses against the Titans.

[845, The fall of Wall Maria had begun.]

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1ST POV

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Well, seeing it firsthand is even more messed up.

People were running around like crazy, screaming their heads off, normal, considering the man-eating giants doing their favorite activity : Eating.

I was hopping from roof to roof, trying to prevent any Titans I encountered from chowing down on the locals.

Yep, my not-so-bright self told them to spare the scouts, not the regular humans.

"I'm so fucking stupid! Dammit!" I growled, more angry at myself than at them. Honestly, it wasn't even their fault but fuck! I interrupted another titan's snack time by shooting it the most menacing glare I could muster. It shuddered in fear upon seeing my furious figure in the distance.

"You feeling clever now? Brace yourself for an ass-whooping next time our paths cross, now Scram! " I said telepathically, narrowing my eyes with a steely edge.

The titan promptly dropped its meal, itself away by wetting its nonexistent pants, and then sprinted towards the entrance. The other titans, bewildered, turned to look at him, but confusion turned to apprehension as they caught sight of my furious gaze. They, too, backed away, wanting no part of the impending wrath.

Soldiers observed the scene, their faces a mix of confusion and surprise, but they pressed on with rescuing the survivors.

Thanks to my active stealth, only the Titans could track my movements. No human contact meant a bit of peace of mind, given the circumstances! I swiftly dispatched a few clones as soon as I realized my mistake; otherwise, this mess would've been even worse!

After intimidating yet another titan, I hurried toward the Jaeger household, or what remained of it, only to witness the lifeless form of Carla being devoured by Dina. My eyes went blank.

Fuck.

I didn't have a concrete plan for her survival, but some instinct told me this moment was crucial for the story. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to find composure amidst the chaos.

'Alright, you know what caused this; it can be fixed. Hopefully. I'll let future Colith handle it. Already know how to put a person into stasis, shouldn't be hard to fix this. Right now, I've got to ensure the kids' safety.'

Though I harbored no personal feelings for her, the guilt of knowing I could've prevented this gnawed at my gut. I sighed in dejection before pushing forward.

'I can't just stay on the sidelines anymore. No more indirect involvement. I'm a... Egh...goddess, I guess, for fuck's sake. Motherfucking time loop reality nonsense—'

So, after the second wall went down, Titans flooded Wall Maria's interior, throwing humanity into jeopardy for the first time in a century. Thankfully, my involvement helped a lot more people survive.

Karl's a real piece of work, huh? Letting folks perish without a clue, playing the guilt card, and deciding to hide on some random island forever. What a jerk move. And guess who's gotta clean up this mess? Yep, yours truly! I'm all for pacifism, but condemning the whole race? That's taking it a tad too far, don't you think? Might have to raid the royal library for more context though.

It's been a while since I landed in Trost, and now I'm on the hunt for the gremlins in the new refugee camp.

If my memory serves right, Grisha's set to meet Eren one last time today, and if my timing's on point, tonight's the grand finale where bombastic turns into a shifter.

I took a deep breath, gave a determined nod, and then made my way toward the forest.

Time to pull off something incredibly stupid.

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3RD POV

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After hours passed, a man and his son ventured into the woods. The boy, feeling a bit drowsy, questioned their presence there . Despite his inquiry, the father stayed quiet. The son, Eren, persisted, and his father reassured him.

Confusion clouded his expression as his father released his hand, producing an object from around his neck—a key. The observant boy watched as his father tightly wound the key around his small hand.

"Always keep that key with you," Eren stared at it, puzzled. "And engrain this in your mind: You Must Reach The Basement!"

His eyes widened in fear when he saw his father grabbing a bottle containing an unknown mixture along with a syringe.

"This injection will lead to some memory loss..." Grisha spoke as he filled the syringe, "So explaining now would be pointless," turning to his son, his eyes welled with tears. "Remember this... Reclaim Wall Maria and reach the basement at any cost!"

He advanced, closing the gap with his son, who retreated, visibly frightened.

"At that moment, this power will be your aid!" He stifled a sob before adding, "I'm confident their memories will guide you on how to wield it! Eren! The truth awaits you in the basement!" He firmly gripped his son's panicked arm.

"W-what are you doing, Dad?!" Tears welled up as Eren recoiled in horror.

"It's a challenging journey, but you must see it through!" The needle neared the tightly clutched limb. "IF YOU WANT TO SAVE MIKASA, ARMIN, AND EVERYONE ELSE," he drove the needle home, "YOU MUST MASTER THIS POWER!" injecting the liquid into Eren's arm.

A scream tore from his throat as he collapsed to his knees, convulsing abruptly.

Grisha swiftly put some distance between them, a blinding yellow flash followed by an explosion erupting where the boy had been. In his place stood a giant figure.

A titan.

The creature surveyed its surroundings until its gaze fixated on the terrified man—the first meal of the day.

Grisha observed as his son, now morphed into a titan, swiftly charged at him, seizing him, and drawing him close.

"I'm so sorry... Eren..." The anguished man shut his eyes, resigned to his fate, believing his mission was accomplished—

"Put him down, Child."

They both froze.

'w...what..?'

The man's eyes snapped open, both he and his son turning toward the source of the voice. A cloaked figure emerged from behind a tree, moving toward the two with keen scrutiny.

Grisha's eyes widened, baffled by the unexpected turn of events. 'This is not what I saw...?'

The figure chuckled—

'A woman?!'

—and calmly spoke:

"You must be Grisha Jaeger. I've heard about you. A highly regarded doctor, they say."

"Wh-who are you...?!" He shifted his gaze to his son, wondering, 'She managed to stop him?! How?! I thought only the Founding Titan could command titans...'

She simply smiled before removing her hood. Two stunning golden jewels locked onto the man and the titan, her eyes gleaming in the darkness, a serene smile gracing her freckled face, capable of soothing even the most enraged creature.

Grisha found himself engulfed in a sea of gold—serene yet ominously powerful. He sensed an overwhelming grandeur, akin to an ant confronting the Gods. The mere notion of winning against such entities didn't even dare to cross his mind.

Who was that woman? No... What was that woman? He questioned himself.

Suddenly, he felt released from the titan's grasp and watched in abject horror as his son darted toward her.

"WATCH OU-!" Grisha cried out, alarmed, thinking she was in grave danger.

But she just stood there, gazing affectionately at the beast as it... scooped her up in its hand, proceeding to... hug her, or at least, something resembling a hug.

Grisha's mouth fell agape as he bore witness to the most extraordinary scene of his life.

A person being embraced by a titan.

A MAN-EATING BEAST.

Grisha believed he had officially lost his mind.

The woman chuckled gleefully, tenderly cooing and patting the 'baby titan,' as she referred to it. The beast attempted a smile, lacking lips and only managing to open its mouth, eyes closed in what seemed to be mirth.

Grisha stood there, perplexed, uncertain of what to make of the situation or how to articulate his thoughts. He managed to weakly clear his throat, capturing both her and Eren's attention.

"Huh...w-who might you be..?"

She blinked before casually responding: "My name is Colith Tobe, pleased to finally meet you." She offered a polite smile as Eren whimpered, requesting head pats, which she readily provided.

Grisha lost it.

"T-THERE..! How are you doing this?! Taming him..?! I've never seen this happen... I-I... what are you... Exactly..?"

The titan grunted unhappily as [Mother] diverted all her attention to him. "How rude of me to interrupt your little tête-à-tête with your beloved son... But I couldn't resist my curiosity! The creation of new titans is always amusing to witness every time! Little Ymir really has quite the imagination," she chuckled.

The Doctor choked on his spit. "Y-Ymir?! As in our ancestor..?! Wh- what...??" The poor man seemed on the verge of a stroke, much to the woman's amusement. 'What is happening...?!'

Seemingly attuned to his thoughts, the dark-skinned woman took pity on him and decided to indulge him seriously: "I wanted to witness the birth of the new wielder of little Ymir's Power if that is what you are asking."

Grisha found himself frozen, overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information.

"And I wanted to extend my assistance for the future of little Eren..."

She looked down, a hint of remorse on her face. "I apologize for not saving your wife in time, but I assure you, I'll do everything in my power to safeguard young Eren and his friends from the harsh future ahead, or perhaps alleviate their suffering," she said affectionately, rubbing her cheek against the titan's. It responded with a purr.

Grisha sensed a weight lifting from his shoulders. Was it relief washing over him? It felt incredible. Despite this person being a complete stranger, she appeared to harbor knowledge beyond what she disclosed. With no viable alternatives left, he found himself more willing to embrace her offer than to witness his son bring about the world's destruction. Perhaps, just maybe, it could work. After all, she wasn't part of the glimpses.

"Alright," he murmured, staring down at his feet before meeting the gaze of the woman comfortably nestled in his son's arms. "I will trust you. I don't understand why or how you're orchestrating all of this, but it feels like the right thing to do." He managed a weak smile.

She nodded solemnly before snapping her fingers, prompting the baby titan to gently set her down, a hint of sadness evident from losing the motherly comfort.

"I guess it is finally time..." She stated grimly. "You're a man who sacrificed everything in the hope of finding freedom. You have all my respect, Doctor Jaeger. Farewell." She offered a slight bow before stepping back from the two. "I shall let you resume what you started," she said, a sad smile playing on her lips.

The baby titan whimpered, clearly missing the kindness he received from Mother, while Grisha regarded him and then the woman before shaking his head in resignation. He walked toward his son, wearing a serene expression.

The baby titan noticed him and hesitantly reached for him. He glanced at [Mother], as if seeking permission, before grabbing a cookie. She simply nodded calmly.

After a gruesome scene and an abundance of steam, only two living beings persisted. She cradled the new shifter's head on her knees, shivering as her nape tingled from the proximity. With a gentle kiss on the forehead, she erased any trace of today's meeting from his memory.

When the time comes, he will only recall the tender gaze his father bestowed upon him before his demise.

"Better than the horrified Grisha in canon," she snickered, more out of nervousness. "I can't believe the whole 'fake it till you make it' actually worked."

Retrieving Grisha's glasses after disposing of what remained of him, she carefully sent them back to her home, feeling an inexplicable need to keep them. Transforming into her 14-year-old form, she donned her hood and proceeded to piggyback the 10-year-old out of the forest.

Lost in thought, she nearly jumped out of her skin when a loud voice startled her.

"Who are you? Where is Grisha? Why are you carrying his son?" accused Shadis, a soldier she immediately recognized, his face displaying evident distrust.

'Damn, chill, bro!' she looked at him blankly, noting the tight grip on his rifle. 'Alright, I'll just have to improvise my way out of this.'

"I...I...my apologies..." she began meekly, "I was just...looking for a place to rest because I felt more comfortable in the woods when I found this little boy lying in a clearing..."

Her lower lip trembled slightly. "I didn't know... It was forbidden to stay in the woods...", she weakly said, her head lowering. "I-I will accept any punishment you decide...b-but please...don't hurt me..". Her voice cracked with haunting fear towards the end.

'There's no way he'll fall for it—he fell for it.'

Caught off guard, Shadis quickly composed himself, a twinge of guilt evident for accusing this seemingly innocent child.

"I-I see...it's alright," he nodded, a hint of embarrassment in his expression. "Let's go back, I'll bring you to the barn." Turning around, he began walking in the direction he came from. The young girl, burdened with her baggage, hastened to follow him.

'... I feel like an asshole, somehow.'

EDITED