Attack On Titan: Wings Of Crystal

Chapter 89: The Meaning of Life

After being dropped off ages ago, the first thing Annie did was approach the Eldian and Marleyan standoff and try to put a stop to it, only to discover that it had already been stopped by Secretary Muller, the commanding officer of Fort Salta. Enough blood had been spilt from both sides; he'd be damned to let more be shed.

"At least some people are aware of the bigger threat we're facing." Annie thought as she pushed past some of the people. She was looking for her father. Truth was she wasn't even sure if he was still alive or not. But if the Eldian citizens were able to catch a train here surely he can too. Her father was a fighter, there was no way he'd give up so easily. Not even the injury she bestowed on him would be enough to keep him down.

"Annie?" She heard a familiar voice call out behind her, one that sparked a sense of solace and joy within her.

She immediately turns around and runs to her father with her arms stretched out to embrace him, one he would never turn away. Once again father and daughter were reunited and it was just as touching as it was the first time when the Omega Unit finally returned home from Paradis. Both were overjoyed to be in the arms of the other again.

"I never stopped holding to the hope that you made it." Annie started tearfully.

"Nor I you," Leonhart responded softly, stroking the back of his daughter's head. They held the embrace for a solid two minutes before breaking it off and looking one another in the eye. "As happy as I am to see you here, shouldn't you be out there stopping The Rumbling? They're gonna need the Female Titan's help."

"I don't have the Female Titan anymore, Father." She interrupted, forming a look of confusion on her father's face.

"What?! But- But how? You're still alive."

"Lazarus has the power to transfer the power of the Nine from one Eldian to another. I asked him to give my Titan to Gabi. She's the one using it to help stop The Rumbling."

Leonhart didn't bother asking for specifics on how Lazarus possessed such an ability nor an explanation of how it works. Instead, he had a more obvious question to ask her. "Why would you give up The Female Titan? You are a gifted fighter in the field. Gabi is still a candidate with no experience controlling such a power."

"Because I'm pregnant, Dad." She blurted out without warning, stunning Leonhart into silence. This wasn't how she wanted to break the news to him, but she wasn't given many chances to ease into it. Should something unexpected happen to either of them it would be smart to let the cat out of the bag now rather than come to regret it in their final moments.

"You- You're serious?"

"Dead serious," Annie assured him.

"Is it-

"Yes, it's Lazarus'. You know he and I were a thing." She sighs deeply as she looks away from him out of embarrassment. "It wasn't planned, it just sorta happened. I first found out about it during the festival. I wanted to tell you after it concluded, but then Eren attacked and I was captured by Zeke… When I heard that The Rumbling had reached Liberio I- I lost the will to carry on the fight. All that mattered to me was keeping this baby safe."

"Annie". Leonhart raises his hand, asking her to stop talking for a moment so that he can voice his thoughts on this development. "I'm… very proud of you."

"You are? I thought you'd be furious about this."

"Had it been anyone else I would have been. But Lazarus is a good boy. He's the one who showed me that you are more than just a ticket to an easier life in Marley. That I should treat you as my daughter and not a weapon. He's also taken good care of you on Paradis. He even prioritised your rescue over the mission, something no soldier would ever do. I'd say he's earned my blessing."

Annie smiles and hugs her dad once more and he returns it equally as happy. He couldn't believe it; he was going to become a grandfather. Never in all his years of being a soldier and a ruthless trainer could he have predicted this would happen to someone like him. Part of him felt unworthy of such an honour.

That intrusive thought prompted him to open his eyes and focus on the army of Colossal Titans in the distance ahead of him. They were getting closer to the point where he could feel the earth beneath his feet tremble. As he tightens his hold on his only daughter he vows to himself to be a positive influence on his grandchild's life if they all manage to survive this crisis. More than anything he wanted to make up for all the wrongs he's committed in the past, much like his daughter and future son-in-law.


In the end, Armin decided to take the stairs leading up to the top of the stronghold. Part of him wondered if that was what Ludwig was hoping for or if he was expecting him to predict it to be an obvious trap and go downstairs instead, going in the wrong direction. Trying to outsmart Ludwig is like trying to play chess with yourself; it just can't be done right.

But sometimes going down the obvious route ends up being the right one. As he climbed up the seemingly endless staircase, Armin strategised the best way to apprehend the mad Marleyan. His intelligence rivalled his own and Hange's because he had one thing they didn't. Experience. Ludwig had almost an entire lifetime to increase his intelligence whilst he wasted four years of his life as a mindless Titan chained to a wall in a deep, dark room. There are still things that have happened within those missing years he has yet to adapt. Once Lazarus restored him, he hadn't had the time to be reacquainted with the world and how much it changed since the Battle of Shiganshina.

But he and Erwin know deep down he was the best one to confront Ludwig. Brute force isn't the solution to taking him down, not when he has control over the past Crystal Titans and can manipulate the very city they're all fighting in. The only way to defeat him is with a war of intelligence and beat him at his own game. The worst-case scenario is he'll kill him, but Armin is betting he wouldn't on the count that he is - or was - Eren's childhood friend. Whatever their partnership was, he held onto the hope that Eren wasn't fine with it.

He was so deep in thought that he only just realised he only had three flights of stairs left to climb until he reached the top. Assuming he made the right decision, Ludwig is waiting for him. Or he could be in some other part of the fortress far away from his location and gave him that choice for no reason.

"This is it. The moment of truth." He thought to himself as he scaled the last set of stairs.

When he reached the archway at the top, he rested his hands atop his knees to take a moment to get his breath back. He underestimated how many stairs he'd be forced to climb to get here. He wouldn't put it past Ludwig if he'd set it up this way with the anticipation of him being too tired to put up much of a fight for whatever he'd have set up for him.

Standing in front of him was a massive empty, perfectly symmetrical room with walls that stretched about fifteen meters high before converging with the ceiling. Each wall had five barred windows as their only exposure to the outside world. Ludwig was standing at the far end of the room in a composed manner with both hands resting on the head of his cane. He'd been waiting for his arrival like he'd been expecting it.

The two gifted minds stood at the end of the room and looked intensely at each other. Both individuals had the other right where they wanted them. Ludwig was cornered, the only way out of that room was behind him and Armin had no intention of letting him slip through his fingers. But the same can be said of Doctor Oppenheimer as well. He's not just stuck in there with Armin, he's also stuck in there with him.

"You've finally reverted to your human form." The Marleyan scientist started what may be an interesting discussion before the conflict. "Except you didn't inherit one of the Nine as originally intended. Subject 14 was the one who changed you back, wasn't he?"

Armin kept his mouth shut and continued to scowl at him. He'd only heard stories of the things he's done. He never actually saw how destructive his Atomic Bomb was during the Liberio Raid. The horrific details behind the lives it claimed. It is the work of a madman. That's all the convincing he needed to know what kind of person he was up against. One who'd lay back and eat a snack as he watched the world plunge into anarchy.

"Your silence says it all. If you did inherit The Colossal Titan you would've used it by now… Eren spoke highly of you, as did Hange. They say your intelligence has gotten them out of a couple of rough patches since the fall of Wall Maria. This is the first time I can put a face to the name."

"I could say the same about you." He finally addressed the old scientist.

"From Subject 14?"

"From everyone you've hurt in your pursuit for "evolution". You killed thousands of innocent people with your Atomic Bomb. Betrayed Hange and Yelena. Kept me in chains, all so you could stand tall and watch The Rumbling destroy the very world I've dreamed of visiting one day"

Ludwig crossed his arms and shook his head in denial. "The people I killed in Liberio were only Marleyans."

"You're Marleyan, or have you forgotten that?"

"Not anymore I'm not, and I have this to prove it." He lifts his shirt, exposing his bare chest. Armin was disturbed by the sight of the Focusing Crystal embedded in his flesh with glowing blue veins spreading outwards from it, pumping its energy throughout his elderly body. "Ymir recognised me as her ally and has gifted me with the piece of The Crystal Titan that came to this world many centuries ago, along with the Coordinate itself. I have become a Subject of Ymir, just as I've always dreamed of."

As he ran his mouth, Armin was thinking up the best plan of attack to close the gap between them and cut the crystal out of him. Oppenheimer's frail old body could never outrun him if he tried to get away on foot, but he still had the Ace Barrel ODM gear he stole from one of the WOC soldiers. He could still win by putting a bullet between his eyes, assuming he would dare go down that route. When it comes to aerial combat Armin had the advantage. Armin's not the best when it comes to Omni directional manoeuvrability, but he's had years of training whilst Ludwig had none.

"… Do you have any idea how lucky you Eldians are?" The emptiness of the room carried his last statement towards the farm boy in the form of an echo, snapping him out of his strategising. "I would've given anything to have even a fraction of what you have. The power to transform into giants with abilities that can build, destroy, and evolve. Your race is always changing whilst Marley is stuck in a loop of senseless violence and greed. War fuels them. They need enemies to fight so that they can crush them and stand at the top as the strongest nation in the world. But deep down they know they will never be better than Eldians. So they decided if they couldn't have your power then no one should. That's why they deserve to be wiped out along with others like them! Eren knows it. I know it. And so does everyone else on Paradis."

"Lucky?" Armin responded with a hint of anger in his voice, insulted by his philosophy. "We never asked to be made the way we are! And when we first learned the truth about our connection to the Titans we never sought conflict with anyone! You're right about Marley, but that doesn't mean every individual person among them shares the same beliefs as the motherland itself. And a lot of us back home never wanted THIS to be our response to their hostility! You can't overcome hatred with more hatred. All it will accomplish is collateral damage… The only way to end this nightmare is to eradicate the very thing that you think makes us "special"." He concluded.

Ludwig sighs and lowers his head in defeat. "… And I thought you were the smart one. But you still can't see the obvious, can you? …It's alright, Armin. I am willing to educate you on why the power of the Titans should not only remain in this world but must also become the new dominant force on the planet."

"I'm not interested in a lecture from you. I've only come to take that from you!" He declared as he pointed at the crystal before blasting towards him at top speed.

Ludwig smiles and just stands there, prompting Armin to start pulling back, expecting some kind of counterattack. What he didn't see coming was a huge crystal wall suddenly rising out of the floor and climbing to the ceiling, blocking the Marleyan from him.

But that wasn't the only one. More walls started erecting all around the room in various positions, forming what appeared to be a huge mirror maze. The walls then started shifting about, much like the city outside, further hiding Ludwig's location. Armin's reflection appeared on every wall, adding more confusion to his eyes. He couldn't tell which way he'd just come from and where he needed to go.

In a state of panic, he swung one of his katana blades at the mirror wall, hoping to shatter it. But the blade ended up breaking instead. He briefly forgot that Titan crystal is almost completely indestructible.

"It's pointless to resist," Ludwig spoke out as his reflection started appearing on every wall alongside Armin's, all of them looking down on him with sinister grins on their faces. "Eren was your friend. Why are you and Mikasa fighting against him?"

Armin attempted to pinpoint which Ludwig was the real one by following his voice. He lashes out at the reflection of him further right but ends up breaking his other sword. Luckily, he had spares.

"Extinction is inevitable. It always has been, and it always will be. So why fight it? All you're doing is prolonging Humanity's end for another hundred years or so. The Rumbling wasn't the first cleansing this world faced, and it won't be the last… Allow me to reacquaint you."

As he says this the reflections of Armin and Ludwig vanish and the whole room turns pitch black. The light that had been absorbed into the crystals fades out, darkening the room. Armin scans the area but everywhere he looked was darkness, no signs of life to be seen.

"You think I'm afraid of the dark? I've seen nothing but darkness for four years trapped in that Titan body, locked in that underground vault." Armin shouted out, his voice echoing all around him.

But Armin soon figures out that the darkness was not part of a scare tactic, but instead was the start of some kind of visual storytelling. The black, empty crystals started to light up with thousands of bright dots, imitating a night sky. But there was more to it than a sky full of stars. He also saw planets and what he could only describe as cosmic dust clouds.

"What is this? Why is it so dark?" Armin thought to himself.

"… In the beginning, it was always dark." He heard Ludwig's voice echoing all around him. "For a long, long time, the universe was a chaotic mess of light and matter."

The crystals show him various worlds and stars burning up and dying endlessly while something small was flying past it all. Many space rocks were flying through the endless void, but one specific rock stood out. A rock that was smaller than the others yet shined the brightest. A stone that emitted a bright white light that almost lit up the entire maze. Armin followed the strange comet's course as it moved from one mirror to another.

On closer inspection, Armin realised that the shining rock was actually a pure crystal flying through space with a strong light emanating from its core. The strange crystal eventually crash-landed on a strange blue world covered only in water. The walls show the meteor sink into the depths of the vast ocean until it hits the empty, sand-covered bottom. It is unknown how long the crystal remained there until something new started to happen.

"From that mess came insignificant things into and out of being… Till eventually, something survived… Something now known as life."

The crystal started to crack as a strange alien lifeform was forcing its way out of its protective shell. Armin's eyes widened, thinking back to what Erwin said to him and the others on the Flying Boat. He described seeing a bizarre creature that matched the appearance of the one climbing out of the meteor as the Coordinate of The Founding Titan itself.

"I think I understand now. What Ludwig is showing me are the memories of this thing. The Focusing Crystal in his chest came from that meteorite. Through that piece, he can see into its memories, dating back to what the world was like before humans existed."

"Wrong, Armin." Ludwig interrupted. Before Armin could ask how he was able to hear his thoughts, the Marleyan continued his lecture on the origins of life. "What you are seeing are the memories of life itself, and how it changed our planet into the world it is today."

All the walls started showing many different images revolving around life. Various images include the continents forming, the first plants that covered them, the first animal lifeforms, and how they all lived in perfect harmony.

"Life survived for one reason. It had the ability to multiply, to spread itself far and wide…"

Other crystals started showing the farm boy the evolution of life on Earth and expanding itself all over the world.

"In order to multiply, life had to continuously change its form, to adapt to different environments. It's why we are as we are now. Constantly spawning and expanding and grasping at more. The sole objective of life is to multiply. Sand. Pebbles. Water. They don't seek to multiply, yet life will never stop struggling to do so. Extinction runs counter to the goal of multiplying, so to make us run from death, life cursed us with fear. Like anyone, she did what she could to escape the suffering that fear brings."

The "she" that Ludwig was referring to was none other than the Founder, Ymir, herself, which came as no surprise to Armin. The crystals change once again, displaying the giant tree Ymir found the Hallucigenia under and where Joseph found the meteorite it came to Earth in at its peak.

"Ymir created a stronger, larger, seemingly immortal body, and then she escaped into a world where death doesn't exist. That's the truth of the Founder, Ymir, and this…" The crystals all change once more, displaying the realm of The Paths. "…is the world she escaped to."

"If that's the case then what's Ymir's objective now? What drives her?" He asked. His question causes the walls to return to the mirror maze it was before. The sudden brightness from the outside reflected off their surfaces blinded him temporarily. "How is it you even know all this?"

"Through this piece of life's shell, Ymir shared with me all its memories. I have seen things no living thing would ever think possible. I have obtained knowledge from beyond this world… And yet, until now I wasn't able to fully understand her. She possessed a power that most had never dreamed of, yet she still couldn't defy King Fritz as Joseph did. But his power was never strong enough to dethrone him alone. I know what kept him in The Paths, but what was it that made her stay there for 2,000 years? Obeying that long-dead man… Clearly, there was something she couldn't let go of. Eren and I managed to figure out what it was while Joseph failed, and so she sided with him. She gave Eren the power over the Titans whilst I controlled the power of the Ackermans."

Ludwig's reflection reappeared on the mirrors, looking down at the young Arlert, wondering if he'd finally gotten through to him.

"Do you see now, Armin? Throughout all of life's memories, you've seen it repeatedly die and reincarnate itself over and over throughout the ages. All the mighty civilisations being born, living, and dying, knowing their time had come. The Rumbling may appear like the end of the world, but it isn't. Life always finds a way to continue to multiply. This world isn't big enough for all forms of life to exist simultaneously. The old world has to die in order for the new one to begin."

"And you think you deserve to be a part of it?" Armin questioned.

"No, but my knowledge does… My only desire is to ensure all that I've learned in my lifetime is passed on throughout the new stages of life. Eldians alone won't be able to thrive without a little push. And thanks to this crystal, I have obtained knowledge beyond your comprehension. Knowledge of what was, what has been… And what is yet to come."

Ludwig was so enthralled in his speech that he was unaware that Armin was secretly scheming to try and pinpoint his exact location. With every step he took in the maze, he'd lightly tap his newly equipped blade against the wall, letting loose a small vibration. This was the same tactic he employed to uncover Reiner's location within the walls. It worked well for him in the past, hopefully, it will again.

"You saying the crystal can show you the future?" He asked as he concentrated on picking up the slightest change in tune of the vibrations.

"Amongst other things, yes." It was still difficult to pinpoint, but Armin started to sense that he was wandering somewhere southwest of his current position.

"And what did you see? If you've seen the future, then you know what becomes of Eldia in a hundred years or more… I want to know."

Ludwig comes to a stop upon hearing that request and turns to Armin or rather his reflections. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because I need to know if the world will truly change if Eren succeeds. I want to know if we as a species will ever get the chance to experience true peace and unity with one another."

"If I told you that it will, would you join us?"

Armin paused momentarily, making it look like he was thinking carefully about whether he would agree or not, but in actuality, he was continuing his pursuit of the real Oppenheimer. The density of the vibrations sounded like they were getting deeper the closer he was getting.

"…Yes, I would. I wanted to stop The Rumbling because I thought you and Eren only wanted to wipe out all our enemies at once and ensure our survival. But if all this genocide is a gateway to a better life, I wanna know what kind of world we're heading towards. Please, Ludwig, tell me!" He pleaded with him.

Ludwig smiled and happily began to describe what kind of world humanity was heading for after The Rumbling extinction event concluded. He described a world inhabited only by Subjects of Ymir, all able to transform into Titans and control them at will. The city on Eren's back was the beginning of what kind of civilisations they could build with The Crystal Titan's power. Every man, woman and child would have stronger, seemingly immortal bodies that freed them from the fear of death, from hunger, disease and dispute. Everyone would live happily, and when they do die their souls would be sent to The Paths to live in eternal paradise with loved ones they'd once lost. It was true freedom.

Armin was shocked by what Ludwig was describing. It sounded like a fairytale, too surreal to be true. How could the annihilation of the entire planet, its inhabitants and its ecosystem possibly lead to that? He had to be lying. Nothing that good can emerge from the ashes of a worldwide flame. But for the sake of the mission he needed to pretend to feel inspired.

Mustering all of his courage in acting, Armin started breaking into fake tears, forming an unexpected look on Oppenheimer's face. "It… It's sounds so unbelievable, and yet… so beautiful." He replied tearfully, acting touched.

"It does indeed. It may not be exactly that, but the path we're going down now has the highest percentage of the future I described to you becoming a reality. Unfortunately, Erwin and his Wings of Crystal wish to prevent that future from happening." Ludwig's reflection slowly raises his left hand and places it against the mirrored wall. "But with your help, we can beat them. Join us, Armin Arlert. Let us end this old world with its pointless wars and hatred and pave the way for a new world of honest, kind people blessed with the power of gods." He encouraged him.

Armin tiptoed his way around every corner of the maze, following the change of vibration whilst the egotistical maniac talked nonstop. "He must really love the sound of his own voice", he thought. A flaw he will exploit once he locates him.

"So, what do you think?"

"How did someone like you become a scientist?" He questioned, buying himself just a little more time to close in on him.

Ludwig chuckles. "Well, unlike the idiots who ran the motherland, I learned to use my gifts to fight for something I believed in. You should do the same thing, Armin. Not for the Scout Regiment, or the Wings of Crystal, or anyone else… You've stalled enough, it's time to give me your answer. Are you in or out?"

And there he stood around the next left turn. The mad scientist had his back turned to him, looking at the reflection of Armin who made himself appear to be thinking over his proposal. He had him right where he needed to be, now he must go in for the kill.

"I was wrong about you, Ludwig. You're not greedy…" He places his hand atop of Ludwig's reflection and looked into his eyes. Oppenheimer was pleased with himself. He started to believe he may have finally done what Eren could not and convinced him to lend his intelligence to their cause, unaware that Armin was standing right behind him.

"… You're completely insane!"

With no time for the older man to react, with a yell of pure fury, the young Scout landed a hard punch onto Ludwig's cheek, knocking the deranged man on his elderly ass. His discarded cane hits the floor first, letting out a loud metallic clink. The stunned scientist starts scurrying backwards to get out of range of Armin's left blade pointing directly at him.

Remembering he still had the Ace Barrel, Ludwig attempts to shoot Armin, only for the farm boy to swat it out of his hand and close the gap until the tip of the blade was inches from piercing his flesh.

"How-How did you find me?!"

"A true genius knows when to keep his mouth shut, something you seemed to lack in your old age." He mocked, triggering an angered reaction out of the old man.

Ludwig continued to scurry backwards until he hit the end of the wall right underneath one of the windows. He was cornered. There was no way out of this. Normally when someone is in this particular predicament they start to panic. But Ludwig showed Armin that he was keeping a level head and even had the audacity to smile mockingly at him.

"You think you have me beat because you were able to find me? Don't forget that I built this maze! I can easily deconstruct it and build myself an escape-

Armin silenced his mockery by swinging his blade to the side, slashing at his chest and exposing the Focusing Crystal. And with a second slash, cuts it out of his body, sending it flying up into the air before landing in the palm of his left hand.

"NO! My Crystal! My knowledge! Give it back!" He desperately tries to snatch it back from him, only to be forced back onto the floor by Armin pressing the tip of the blade against his chest, pushing it in deep enough to draw blood.

"It was never yours to begin with. And the fate of this world isn't yours to decide, nor Erens!"

"Then go ahead and kill me. I accepted my fate long ago. Taking away the crystal won't stop The Rumbling. Eren can keep moving forward without me." He stated, putting on a smug act to show Armin he wasn't a sore loser.

"If we wanted you dead, we would've had Lazarus destroy the entire citadel with you in it. Commander Erwin ordered that you be taken alive so that you can stand trial for your crimes against the world, as well as tell us all that you know."

Ludwig, unaffected by his threats, starts to laugh again, prompting Armin to raise an eyebrow at him. "What's so funny now? It's over. You've lost."

"You expect me to believe you're going to carry me out of here on ODM gear without resistance? I've designed this city to change its form every hour to prevent intruders from locating me or escaping. The last change occurred fifty-five minutes ago. You only have five of them left, nowhere near enough time to search for the exit. The crystal will continue to follow its last directive until a new host Ymir chooses to possess it."

Now it was Armin's turn to laugh in the face of the narcissistic sociopath lying at his mercy. "Who said I was the one carrying you out of here?"

Moments before Ludwig was about to utter his response for clarification, he noticed out of the corner of his eyes that the light coming from the window under him had been covered up by something big. The Marleyan gulped nervously as Armin took a couple of steps to the right, allowing him to get back up.

"I was just buying some time for him to home in on my location." Armin points him in the direction of whoever is lurking behind him at the window.

Ludwig slowly turned around and was beyond horrified to see a large, piercing red eye peeking in through the window, narrowing its pupil on him specifically. There was only one Titan who could physically reach them from this height. The one he created.

"Oh shit!" He uttered. Fear consumes him as he tries to make a break for the exit.

The Winged Titan roared as it punched its left arm through the wall of the stronghold and reached out for its creator, wrapping his long claws around his tiny, fragile body. Ludwig flailed about and reached for his Ace Barrel machine gun, immediately emptying its clip into Lazarus' face, only for the bullets to simply bounce off his armoured mask.

"I took some of Lazarus' spinal fluid before we arrived so that he could track my movements inside the fortress. Your little maze provided all the time he needed to pinpoint my exact location." Armin explained as The Winged Titan pulled him out into the open.

Ludwig tried to regain his composure as Lazarus brought him up to level with his face. His intense crimson death glare pierced the frail Marleyan's soul. Now he knew how all those slain by The Winged Titan felt when gazing into his eyes. Never had he imagined he'd be on the receiving end of it.

"Subject-

Lazarus denied him the opportunity to get inside his head again as he did back in Shiganshina by tightening his grip around him, forcing a loud, pain-filled yell to escape out of his mouth. He would've crushed him to death in that moment of weakness - and nobody would've blamed him for it - had Armin not shouted "Stop!" to him. "Remember that we need him alive, Lazarus!"

"Exactly how "alive" are we talking?" The Winged Titan replied venomously, his demonic, booming voice sending a shiver down Oppenheimer's spine. "Erwin never specified what condition to bring him back in."

"I understand how much you want to hurt him for the way he's been hurting you and Annie, but one moment of vengeance isn't worth the risk of crushing him to death without learning all that he knows!" Armin replied.

"Listen to him, Sub- I mean Lazarus!" Ludwig fearfully added. "I'm too valuable to your cause to lose. Don't do something you'll regret."

"I regret many things… Killing you will not be one of them!"

"Don't… do it… Laz!"

Armin and Lazarus direct their attention towards the entrance to the staircase and are surprised to see Michael standing there out of breath and his hands on his knees.

"Ugh, so… many… fucking… stairs! Hang on...!" He pauses to take a couple more deep breaths until he is capable of forming full sentences again. "Phew… Listen Laz, I want him dead as much as you do but not yet. Not until he's told us all his secrets. We'll bring him back to Paradis. Torture the information out of him. Put him on trial for crimes against humanity. And then we'll execute him, so we can show the world that we don't have to fear people like him anymore!"

"But as long as he lives my suffering will never end." The Winged Titan quietly muttered.

"He is the only one who knows the secret behind the Atomic Bomb. He can't tell us if he's dead." Armin pointed out with his hands raised slightly, attempting to calm the albino beast and listen to reason. "Just bring him back to Fort Salta. Willy and Onyankopon can keep him locked up until we've ended The Rumbling. He's the only reason we've let it drag on this long. Drop him off so you can finally end it with the Hellfire Force… Please, Lazarus."

The temptation to make the man who caused so much suffering to himself and others was so strong that Lazarus could practically hear a little voice inside of him saying "Do it!" All he'd have to do was squeeze and it would be all over. But he told his friends that he's trying to change, to prove to them that he is not the monster Ludwig designed him to be. His common sense eventually wins over his personal vendetta, and he loosens his grip on Oppenheimer but not enough to allow him to escape.

"Thank you," Armin muttered under his breath as he sighed with relief. "Bring him to Fort Salta nice and calmly and be quick about it. The Rumbling is closing in on the people."

"Understood… Thanks Armin." He muttered that last part, thanking him for talking him out of doing something he'd grow to regret. "And Michael? Do what you can to even up the fight."

"Like I need convincing."

With that said, The Winged Titan leaps off the side of the stronghold and flies back to Fort Salta. Ludwig, who'd mostly been cool and collected after getting beaten at his own game, started freaking out in Lazarus' grip.

"Wait! My cane! Where's my cane?! I need my cane!"

"You're gonna be locked up in a dirty cell once this is over, you don't need a cane. You're not gonna be walking anywhere." Lazarus responded in a deadpan manner.

"Please! That cane is all I have left to remember Felix by! He was the only person I cared about more than my research!"

"Really?" The Winged Titan glanced down at him. "Good… Now you'll know what it feels like to lose everything precious to you. I wanted to kill you so bad for what you did to me, but this is so much better." He started chuckling to himself, further upsetting Oppenheimer. He was finally getting what he deserved, and that was only the beginning.

As soon as they were out of the way, Michael walked over towards Ludwig's discarded cane and picked it up. Without hesitation, he snaps it in half and tosses the pieces out through the hole, and Lazarus makes sure Ludwig watches as he does so, which leads to the deranged scientist screaming in despair.

Now that they are completely out of view, Michael turns to Armin and holds out his hand. "I'll take that back now please." He said softly

Armin scoffed as he placed the Focusing Crystal into Michael's palm. The moment it touched his skin he could feel its immense power coursing through his blood. His eyes glowed a deep blue as he could feel the power of hardening restoring itself to The Crystal Titan within him.

"How do you feel?"

Michael stares at his right hand and immediately channels his Titan energy into it to construct a survival knife. His face lit up with joy seeing it come into existence exactly as he imagined it with no flaws. He then tests its endurance by slamming it into a wall.

"It didn't break! It worked! My powers are back to full strength!" Michael yelled triumphantly.

"That's good, because the way things are looking down there, we're gonna need you at full strength." Armin points out the hole Lazarus made earlier and down at all the battles still going on below. Reiner, Levi and Mikasa were starting to get tired in their fight against Joseph's Crystal Titan. Jean was being chased by the Galliard brothers' Jaw Titans. Gabi and Falco's Titans were fending off Lucia's Female. Pieck, Connie and Sasha were getting overwhelmed by Noah and the other Crystal Titans, and Erwin was running on fumes trying to maintain a safe distance from Dante and Lydia's Titans.

"We better get down there and let them know we got Ludwig. Falco can carry us all out of here and give Lazarus the all-clear to destroy The Founding Titan."

"But Jean hasn't reached the detonator yet. Laz can't blow this place up with Eren's head still attached. He still needs to eat him and obtain the Founder for all this to be over… I have a better idea. You go down there and deliver the news. I'm gonna stay up here and tap into the hidden power Joseph had been holding back for centuries. The power to command all those Crystal Titans and get them on our side." Michael declared proudly.

"Can you even do that?"

"If Ludwig, a Marleyan, can build all this, imagine the things I could do. I'll be fine, now go."

Armin nodded and dove out of the hole and into the fray of battle below. With him out of the way, Michael was now free of any distractions. As Lazarus said, it was time to even up the odds in favour of the Alliance.


The survivors at Fort Salta started to panic as the Wall Titans were closing in on their location. Time was rapidly running out for the Alliance. The soldiers and the citizens at Fort Salta were starting to give into despair, believing there was no time to stop The Rumbling. Maybe it wasn't, but Secretary Muller could never allow himself to throw his life away knowing there was a slim chance he could survive till the end.

And that sliver of hope was on approach to the fort with what looked like a prisoner clutched in his hand. "Cease fire!" He ordered his men to avoid accidentally shooting The Winged Titan out of the sky.

Everyone who wasn't manning the cannons cleared the area, giving The Winged Titan plenty of room to come in with his landing. Lazarus came in slowly to avoid any accidents, landing softly on one knee and tucking his wings into his back. He lowers his hand containing Ludwig down low enough to drop him without causing injury as tempting as it was. The soldiers all looked down at the old man clenching his shoulder in pain and were shocked to see that it was Doctor Oppenheimer. Lazarus wasn't surprised the news hadn't reached this far out. It was only a small outpost. But at least news of The Rumbling got to them in time to set up defences, even though they failed.

"Lock this monster up somewhere until we return. He needs to pay for his crimes." That was all he felt needed to be said as he had to get back to the Founding Titan Citadel as quickly as possible. By now Armin should've told the others that Ludwig had been apprehended and was giving Falco the signal to carry them all back to the fort.

The wisest among the soldiers chose not to demand an explanation from humanity's manmade Titan and followed his order. The soldiers surround Ludwig and aim their rifles down at him.

"Lazarus, wait!" Someone suddenly shouted aloud, stopping The Winged Titan from taking off again. He glances over his right shoulder and spots Secretary Muller approaching him. "It is Lazarus, right? That's your name?"

"It is, not that it's relevant right now." He uttered, urging to get back to the battle.

"You're exactly like how Lucia described in her letter." He said, sparking a reaction from The Winged Titan and forcing him to properly turn around to look down at him.

"How do you know that name? Who are you?" He demanded.

"All in good time, son. But for now, you have a crisis to stop. Hurry!" He informed him, pointing in the direction of the people stranded by the cliff. "Stop The Rumbling before it reaches those people."

The Winged Titan nods and quickly jumps off the edge of the mesa, flapping his huge wings with intensity to gain altitude as fast as he can. He needs to be high above The Founding Titan to give his body time to build up the destructive power he'll soon unleash upon it.

Muller approached Ludwig and cocks his pistol back before pointing it at his head. "Get something to hold him." He ordered the soldier next to him.

"Yes sir!" He responded with a salute before running back to base to find some rope of cuffs to tie him up with. Ludwig only glares up at them and The Winged Titan as it flies away.

"You may have me, but Eren won't be as easy to take down! He'll destroy you all!" He mentally shrieked.


As Lazarus distanced himself further away from Fort Salta he thought about the base leader and wondered how he knew Lucia. However, his thoughts on the subject were interrupted by the unexpected callout of the one person he'd never thought to hear from again.

"Lazarus, it's Zeke… I need to see you one final time."

"Zeke?" He mentally responded in a startled manner but managed to regain his composure immediately after remembering how he betrayed him. "You've got some nerve contacting me again. If you're expecting me to protect you from Levi, then you're dead wrong! I have no desire to save someone who's been against me from the start!"

"I'm not reaching out to you because I want to be saved. I wanted to talk to you in person."

"And why should I listen to you?!"

"Because I want to give you something that will help you and your friends against the Titans Eren and Ymir resurrected." There was no reply from Lazarus which came as no surprise to the former War Chief. He wouldn't want anything to do with him either had their roles been reversed. "… Listen, Lazarus, I'm not asking you to do this because I want your forgiveness, I just want to spend my final hours doing something right for once. My and Mister Xaver's plan has failed, I have nothing left to carry on for other than to do everything in my power to help you succeed with yours. After that, I will accept my punishment."

Within The Winged Titan's nape, Lazarus' mind was filled with conflicting thoughts. "Why am I even thinking about this?" He thought to himself. He has no right to ask him for a moment of his time. Everyone else would understand if he chose to fly away and leave him to die. But what kind of person would that make him, he wondered?

His mind goes back to the night around the campfire he shared with the comrades he'd wronged in the past. It took a while for some of them to start opening up to the possibility of seeing him as an ally again, whilst others held onto their grudges, which he was fine with. If they were willing to hear him out and put their trust in him – if only temporarily – in this mission, he should at least do the same for his former roommate.

The Winged Titan let out an exhausted sigh and changed course for the crystal stronghold. Using his Titan sense, he was able to lock onto Zeke's location and perched on the side of the building. His left eye peers in through the window and catches a glimpse of Zeke still hung up by chains.

Lazarus reels back his left arm before launching a hardened punch on the dungeon wall, allowing sunlight to seep in. Zeke didn't flinch from the impact or the blinding light shining in his eyes. He only reacts to the appearance of The Winged Titan peeking its head through the hole and staring at him with its crimson glare.

"Hello, Lazarus." He uttered without a care in the world. "Mind cutting my arms free?"

The Winged Titan growled as it pulled its head out, its horns breaking through the ceiling as he forced his way back out. Then, using his sharp nail on his index finger, he slices through the chains holding Zeke's arms up. The depressed Yeager brother moaned with relief as he moved his arms about, loosening the joints in his elbows. Lazarus peers his head through the hole once more to properly address his cousin for what feels like the final time.

"Thank you. Michael was in here earlier, you know. He freed my mind yet didn't bother to free my arms." The Winged Titan continued to stare at him, prompting Zeke to change the subject and give him what he was promised. "Sorry Laz, I've been watching the memories of us getting along throughout our training days so many times that I've almost forgotten where we stand now."

"There's no time for this, Zeke!" Lazarus raised his voice, but still, the former War Chief didn't flinch.

"Then let's talk in the place where we have plenty of time to converse." He replied before stretching his left arm out to touch The Winged Titan's cheek. A spark of electricity passes through the two royal-blooded Warriors and the world around them fades to white from their peripheral vision.

Despite making the journey to The Paths at the same time, Zeke and Lazarus ended up there at different points. By the time Lazarus arrived, Zeke was sitting on the ground with his legs crossed building a sandcastle. On closer inspection, Lazarus noticed that he made an exact replica of Shiganshina and the walls surrounding it. It was perfect down to the last detail. From all the times he's seen the district from the sky he can perfectly memorise its appearance. Zeke's sandcastle matched his photographic memory of it. Nobody can sculpt something this detailed in such a short amount of time. Like before, he must have been here for a long time, waiting for him to show up.

"How long have you been waiting here?" He asked him.

"I already told you that time does not exist in this realm." He replied without taking his eyes off his sand sculpture. Lazarus walks around him and his project and takes a seat across from him.

"You've mastered the ability to travel to and from this place at will I see."

"When you've spent as long as I have in here, you pick up a thing or two." He said calmly as he added a chimney to one of the houses near the centre of the district, taking extra care with it.

"Enough with the small talk, Zeke!" Lazarus shouted, almost tempted to smash his sculpture but decided against it at the last moment. "…You said you had something to turn the tides of the battle in our favour. Tell me what it is so I can end this war once and for all!"

The former War Chief sighed in response to his replacement's impatience. There was no need for it here. He brought them back so that they could talk things out and hopefully right some wrongs. This was Zeke's only chance to do so before his death. He may have accepted his fate, but he was in no hurry to let it happen.

"You really are dead set on following through on this plan of yours, aren't you?"

"So were you." He reminded him. "You mentioned you'd been revisiting memories of our time as cadets. Why? Were you trying to convince yourself that you made a grave mistake throwing away what we had just to pursue some bullshit plan that would kill all Eldians?"

"No… I didn't choose to see those memories; Ymir forced them onto me. She always played it on repeat without end, forcing me to relive that wonderful day of playing catch with you and Mister Xaver."

"The day we first met." Lazarus clarified.

"Yes. At first, I thought she and Eren were torturing me with that memory. But the more I watched it I started to understand what she was trying to do." He stops fiddling with his sand sculpture to properly look up at his younger cousin. "I think she was trying to remind me that the little things we had in life were more important than the Euthanisation Plan."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"While I was stuck in my mind, I started asking myself, "Why don't you just give up? Why is this plan so important to you? Was it worth all those you've hurt along the way?" I imagine those were the questions running through your mind the day we fought. And the answer is… I don't know."

"Originally, I told myself that the plan was so Eldians would no longer suffer at the hands of Titans. To free them of their curse. All those things I did, I did with a clear mind, devoid of any thought or concern for those I was hurting, including you. Just complete one stage of the plan and move on to the next without any thought of consequences. And this was my result."

"Even Ymir to me was just a tool of The Founding Titan. I never thought of her as a person. But Eren did. He was the only one who recognised her for who she was, and so she sided with him." Zeke looks over his left shoulder back at the Tree of Life standing tall behind them, admiring it for a time before directing his attention back to the new War Chief.

"Why are you so determined to save lives, Lazarus? Would it be so awful to lose? We'll all face death in time, why fight so hard to delay it?"

Lazarus hesitated to give him an answer. Before he was telling himself he wanted to save lives to prove himself a hero instead of a monster. But the more he went on with that mindset, the further away from the title he ended up. Now he's unsure why. Was it to make up for the lives he's taken? Did he feel like he owed it to the people who suffered from his actions? He's unsure if he'll ever know.

"You'll never understand, Zeke. I don't think anyone can ever understand. Hell, I don't think even I understand myself. Like you, I've had moments where I act without thinking and when the realisation starts setting in the consequences have already passed. I guess that's just how life is for some people. They feel manipulated by their body's urges and just do whatever it is they do without thinking if there's any point. Death feels like the only thing that can set us free from it, but it is the one thing I can never have while I'm like this… Maybe that's why I want to keep going; so that I can finally know the relief of death."

As Lazarus spoke, he was drawing pictures in the sand using his index finger. He was drawing a picture of himself putting his arm around Annie who was holding a baby in her arms. On his other side, he drew Michael. And behind them, he drew all the other friends he'd made throughout his life. Zeke glanced over at his drawing and was surprised he could tell which person was who despite the poor quality.

"Life may seem pointless to some people. But like Ymir was trying to tell you, it's the memories you make along the way that make it worth living. Most of the things we do in life are pointless from an outside perspective, but to us they're everything. Meeting you and the others, falling in love with Annie, getting to know the people of Paradis for who they truly are, or something as small as buying an ice cream cone with my best friend, Michael. I felt like I was born to experience all those things."

"Even the bad things I've experienced helped shape the person I'd become. But good and bad stuff shouldn't define who you are. Only you can do that. When I first became a Warrior, I defined myself as a hero. On Paradis, I defined myself as a villain. And now, well, I define myself as neither. Just a man who wants to help who is left to obtain new experiences to look back on. The thing that matters most is what you think of yourself, not what others think of you."

"Who told you that?"

"Lucia did. Another important lesson of hers I ended up forgetting as I grew older." His eyes start to drift towards this drawing when he notices a little glimmer in the sand in the middle of his artwork. Curiosity got the better of him as he reached his fingers into the ground and slowly pulled out the object behind it.

Lazarus couldn't believe his eyes. What he found was a pair of glasses, and they weren't just any pair. They belonged to his late mentor. Zeke shared his shocked expression but not for the same reason. In his eyes, he saw Lazarus holding a baseball. The same one he and Tom played catch with.

"Where'd you get that?!"

"This? I just found it buried in the sand."

"But why would it be here?" He asked in confusion.

"Can't say, but even though this isn't useful to me, it was useful to her. That alone makes it a truly precious thing."

"May I?" Zeke asked, holding his hand out. Lazarus nods and gives him the glasses/baseball. Zeke felt a sweet feeling of nostalgia as he felt its smooth texture on his fingertips.

It was just as he concluded. Every day he would throw the ball to Tom, he would catch it, throw it back to him, and they'd just repeat the action over and over. There was no meaning behind it. It had nothing to do with multiplying, yet he would've been happy to go on playing catch forever. Just as Lazarus would be happy spending time with his friends doing something as simple as eating ice cream, playing tag, or just being good company with loving people.

That's why Lazarus wanted to keep moving forward, to ensure other people get to have little moments like that to define them. Whether they're good or bad, everyone at least deserves a chance to appreciate the little things life has to offer. The privilege of looking back on the sweet memories you've made as you start to embrace death.

"Zeke…" After a long pause between them, Lazarus decided to be the first to break the silence. "I don't want to go on living thinking only about the bad things you've done. It would erase all the good memories I've shared with you. I can't forgive you, but I would like to remember you as the older brother I never had. That's how I want my children to know you when I tell them stories about you. I'd rather let the person you've defined yourself as die off while the rest of you lives on."

The oldest Warrior was touched by his friend's words and looked back up at him with a heartfelt smile. "I would like that. That's all I've ever wanted to hear the whole time I waited for you." He pauses momentarily to take a deep, calming breath. "I'm ready to give you your final gift now. Look behind you."

Lazarus did as instructed and was beyond astonished by what stood behind him. Standing before the two Warriors were the souls of Titan Shifters they've gotten to know in life. Ymir from the 104th, Porco and Marcel Galliard, Lucia Muller, Tom Xaver, Leonardo Waldenburg, and perhaps the biggest shock to Lazarus of them all, his parents. Other individuals such as Grisha Yeager, Eren Kruger and the rest of the Alpha and Beta units were also present, but they weren't as known to them as the others.

They were all just standing there, watching them with slightly faded eyes, not showing any form of emotion.

"What is this, Zeke?!"

"It is my final gift to you, my old friend. Once I returned to The Paths, I approached your tree and borrowed some of its flames. All Eldians are connected by way of The Paths except you. I wondered if maybe there was some way to reconnect you to it. So, I spread your flames to the Coordinate itself."

Lazarus immediately looks up towards the tree's ever-expanding branches and only now notices something is different about the way they glowed. It was really hard to spot, but he could see the flames of his tree consuming a few specific branches. He counted 18 burning branches in his mind as he counted the number of people present there. But there were only 17 of them, leaving him to wonder, who was the last one?

His body shuddered in response to feeling a hand tap his left shoulder, forcing him to turn around. The eighteenth Titan Shifter turned out to be Bertolt whom he'd lost not long ago.

"Bertolt…" Tears start building up under his eyes as he looks over each of the people he'd formed a strong bond with. "I can't believe you did this… How did you even know this would happen?" He asked Zeke.

"I honestly didn't. I did it thinking you could form a connection on par with Ymir's to the rest of her subjects, but they only linked to the people you knew in life. From there the flames spread to others they knew until it stopped." He turns his head towards the albino one last time. "You wanted to know how I would define myself? Well, I choose to be your friend again in my final moments and bring forth your comrades from beyond to aid your cause as much as they can."

The red-eyed Eldian was so touched that he could no longer contain his emotions and let loose his tears of joy. It was the sight of his parents walking towards him and pulling him into their arms that made him crack. Since the day he was born, he'd dreamed of what it would feel like to be held by them, being smothered by their love. It was the warmest he'd felt in a while.

"Mom… Dad… I know I wasn't exactly what you'd hoped I would be. I wasn't able to accomplish the dream of uniting the world like you wanted, nor do I believe it will ever happen. But I'm still trying to make you proud of me. Become the Warrior you two used to be."

As much as he didn't want to, Lazarus pried himself free from the hug and turned to Lucia. She deserved as much attention as his actual mother and father. She smiled at him and gently placed her right hand on his cheek. The young Averbach closes his eyes and leans his face more into her hand, feeling her warmth.

"And Lucia, you've taught me how to be a great Warrior. I wouldn't be the man I am today if it wasn't for you… I just wish the Curse of Ymir didn't claim you so soon. I felt lost without you during those first few years on Paradis, wishing more than anything that you were by my side. Had you been there, things would have turned out differently… But the point of life is not to hold someone's hand for the entirety of it. I needed to learn to stand on my own two feet, and you believed I was ready when I did not."

Zeke was also communing with the ghosts of his past, specifically his mentor, Tom, and his father, Grisha.

"Mister Xaver, I failed to turn our dream into reality. And I still know we were right. The Euthanisation Plan would've saved countless lives. That said, if it meant I could play catch with you a little longer I wouldn't mind being born again." He glances over at Grisha out of the corner of his eye to his right, acknowledging the role he played in the life he gave him. "So, thank you for giving me this life at least, Father."

Zeke and Lazarus stand together as brothers in arms for the first time in what feels like forever to them and face down the gathering of their comrades of The Paths. The two of them share one final look of respect and admiration for the other.

"You have all lived, fought and died for the happiness you obtained. Shared everything you've experienced with the people you loved…" Lazarus started an inspiring speech. Zeke picked it up from where he stopped.

"You gave your lives so that your friends and loved ones could continue living through similar experiences. Making new memories…"

"Which is why we know you all don't want to just stand by and watch the people we care about lose their lives before getting the chance to save the world!" Lazarus continued.

"All of you…" Zeke added before he and Lazarus wrapped up their motivating speech together as true brothers.

"Please help us end this!"

To Be Continued


Author's Note: This chapter took me longer to write because I had a lot of ideas for Armin's confrontation with Ludwig Oppenheimer. Originally I was gonna have the hallway be filled with suits of armour that Ludwig would bring to life and attack him, but decided against it because I wanted this chapter to be more lore focused before jumping back into the action. Another idea was Armin chasing Ludwig through booby-trapped-filled hallways until he got him to the roof of the stronghold, but couldn't think of a way to write in the origins of life scene. Then I finally settled on the mirror maze idea and had the origin be shown to him in the mirrors. I am very pleased with the final decision and I hope you guys enjoyed it too.