The night moon was over his head, and the light of the city was on the horizon as Berna's horse trotted forward. Berna himself was holding the rope, binding the Marleyan captain and other seven thousand captives, marching a long and thick train, shepherded by his 'mounted knights', one of whom held the flag of the nobility. A fancy name, the Nobel families would bestow upon its faithful warriors. The battle of the ships was easy; subduing the population was easy; maintaining that was a different task.
The victorious men entered the city, leaving the subjected population at the outskirts, only to find wailing and mourning everywhere. People were crying like they were infants. The streets, despite being lit up by electric streetlights, were gloomy, gloomy orange streets. Berna, puzzled, continued on his path as the mourning started morphing into anger.
"Death to the queen!" One cried loudly in his anguished voice.
"What the hell?" Berna thought to himself, what was happening? Did something happen? He got the answer when he stood at the entrance of the fort. Eren's corpse was lying next to the buggy, bathed by the orange light. People were surrounding the body on the border of the light while wailing, though they were several steps away, as Uriah, soaked with blood from head to toe, was by the body's leg, kneeling and praying. A bloody sword and his shotgun were next to him.
Berna's men made way for him to the buggy; the wailing irritated his ears, but Eren's death took him by surprise. Who could kill someone who just destroyed the entire world? Berna stood at the buggy, peeking inside to see a stunned Gustav looking out the window.
"Mithaus, what the hell happened? Why is Eren Yeager dead?" Berna asked in a hushed tone, not wanting anyone to overhear.
"Uriah is a monster; there is no way he sliced a man in half with a sword." Gustav looked at Berna and said, "We are fucked, Berna. When we reached her, the queen stopped us. Those two bastards have defected to her. We were talking when a maid screamed, 'Eren Yeager is dead' and Uriah lost his screwbolts, and then..." Gustav held his head. "That carnage, he retrieved the body, Berna. I had to spend hours in this buggy with that body. Berna, we will be executed for treason."
"SNAP OUT OF IT!" Berna shouted at Gustav, surprising him. "We knew a war was possible; that is why we allowed Firhan to let those people settle on this island. We have superior weapons. I will call everyone to war. You maintain yourself." Berna grabbed Gustav's shoulders. "Think of an act; we need people's sympathy." Gustav, still fazed by Uriah's lust for violence, nodded.
Historia was sitting on her bed, crying, as she read Eren's letter. Gunshots and bomb blasts filled up the cityscape outside. The buildings nearby were burning, while the palace's hall was filled with mutilated body parts.
"Your majesty." Historia looked up, and Joel, her last bodyguard, limped in. His uniform was stained with blood, and his face held a huge, fresh scar. His eyes were shutting down for a few seconds before opening up.
"Joel, what are you doing here? Go back to your bed and wait for the doctor; you need attention." Historia cried.
"It's nothing," Joel shrugged his wounds off, standing upright against the pain in his spine. "Damn, these Yeagerists are nuts. Why did anyone even allow them to enter?"
"What is happening?"
"We have driven those bastards out of the capital, but they are rioting everywhere."
"My daughter and my husband." Historia asked with worry.
"They are safe. I have sent them back to the safe house and doubled the security there."
"Thank you, Joel." She said it with teary eyes. Joel only replied by saluting her, a smile all over his face. "Call an emergency meeting, quick." A soldier rushed into the room, panting while giving a salute to Historia.
"Your majesty, Singhashina, has fallen!"
"WHAT!" Joel cried out in disbelief. "We sent forces to take over the city; what happened to them?"
"They got ambushed in Trost. Singhashina has fallen. Nedlay's mayor, Mithaus Gustav, has assumed control of the city. The Yeagerists are preparing for a civil war. They say that you killed Eren Yeager."
"Nonsense; after Floch's death, they are nothing but an armed mob. We should take every garrison soldier and attack Singhashina."
"No, attacking Singhashina's home will only cause more bloodshed; they will get support from the whole country." Historia told him before showing him the papers in her hands. "This is proof that I am innocent." Joel tried to read the sentences from the distance, though his weary body inhibited this endeavor.
"His suicide note?" Joel asked instead.
"No, it is his letter to me and the people of Paradis." She handed it over to Joel, and he began to read it with difficulty as she sniffed. She felt helpless. Eren trusted her to run the island for him, and she failed just after his death. No, she would never let it happen, no matter what. "Ask the press to print it."
"Ok, your majesty," Joel saluted again as he turned around and walked to the door.
"Joel, also get healed." Historia said as he left the room. She looked down as the sound of blasts started receding away from the palace, the gunshots following it. She was in tears, betrayed. "Captain, why did you leave me? At this time, I needed you the most."
The sun of the next morning was already above the horizon. The mourning subjects of Singhashina stood outside Eren Yeager's home. Some are harboring anger after reading the morning newspaper. Inside, Eren's body was placed inside a coffin as Yeagerists surrounded him.
"Our saviour, you gave us freedom, a world without hate, and you could not even savour it." Gustav cried as others were also crying. Berna to shed a tear for the sake of acting. He always knew that Gustav was a bad actor, but still, this was a good enough act to convince people to join them. "You were so good; we will never have any other leader like you." Berna wished that he could fast forward to the time when Historia would be on her knees, at his mercy, giving back all the estates the Von Hoffmann family lost after her ascendance.
"Gustav, Sir Gustav!" A girl, nearly thirteen, rushed inside, evading the guard. She was holding a newspaper. "The queen has printed this newspaper."
"What?" Gustav said, wiping tears from his eyes before taking it from her as he began to read it. He read it halfway. "I am ending the titans... I need to die for that. Historia is your one true queen. OUTRAGEOUS!" Gustav threw the paper on the floor before stomping it. "WHO WRITES SUCH SHAMELESS LIES?" He rushed out of the house, standing on the stairs. The public looked at him. "PEOPLE OF SINGHASHINA, YOU READ THE NEWSPAPER?"
"YEAH!"
"DO YOU BELIEVE IT?"
"NO!"
"SO JOIN ME; LET'S FIND THAT BITCH, HISTORIA, AND HANG HER. THAT LYING BITCH IS SAYING THAT EREN, OUR SAVIOR, COMMITTED SUICDE. IS THE POWER SO DEAR TO HER THAT SHE WILL LIE TO THE PUBLIC?"
The public, riled up, said in unison, "DEATH TO HISTORIA, TRAITOR OF ELDIA."
"Not only Singhashina." Gustav looked to his right as Johannes arrived with hundreds of men and women behind him. "Maria and Rose are with you, Sir Gustav. Lead us, sir, and execute that traitor."
"SO BE IT. DEVOTE YOUR HEARTS." Gustav shouted as everyone repeated after him.
It was the time of winter, and a year after the war, known as the Civil War, started, both Falco and Gabi remained hidden inside their home. The terrorism done by Yeagerists, the murders of some Marleyian POWs, and the continuous gunshots and bomb blasts scared them, even though they themselves had fought wars before. The uncertainty of the war added to their troubles, and both sides continued to push in and out of the Rose region.
Both kids were inside their room as they were for a year. Gabi was reading a book as she tried to become familiar with the paradisian script, while Falco was looking outside through the cracks as their windows were covered with planks.
"Is something happening outside?" Gabi says.
"No, everything is clear," Falco says.
Gabi looked down as she opened the drawer as her eyes fell on the 'Paradis newspaper', the Yeagerist mouthpiece, published seven months ago. On the second page, there was a big sketch of her with a few lines written below.
'Gabi Braun and Falco Grice, two Marleyan warrior candidates, the enemies of Paradise, if anyone brings their heads, they will be awarded 5000 silver coins.
Note: Gabi Braun is the cousin of Reiner Braun, the armored titan, the devil of Marley, the traitor of Eldian blood, and the archenemy of our savior. If anyone brings her alive for trial, they will be awarded 5,000 more.'
She was always terrified reading this, fearing anyone would attack their home one day to kill them or, worse, take her alive for the money. Eventually driving them to stop talking to anyone except Braus' family. They even locked themselves inside whenever someone came.
"Gabi, stop reading this," Falco said as he snatched the paper from her. "This propaganda will do no good to you."
She didn't resist as he threw it on the bed. She looked at his face as she saw the horizontal scar he got when a bullet managed to pierce the window and brush against his right cheek. Gabi held his hand. He looked at her as she took her finger and traced the scar.
Falco replied by holding the shoulders of Gabi, pulling the dress slightly down as the wound from that bullet was still fresh on her shoulder, the wound disfiguring her otherwise perfect skin. It still pinched Gabi.
The siege of Yrackel was the worst time in their lives, as Yeagerists occupied Draper and used it as a launch pad to attack. They used ODM gear to drop bombs from the sky, while the government used anti-personal gear with thunder spears to hunt them. Every day was like Liberio for them. Even worse was that both sides used unethical means during their occupations; she could not even think of it.
Falco sighed and retired to the bed, laying down. He was in distress for a long time, especially since the bounty was announced. Both knew the Braus family would go to any length to save them, but they themselves didn't want that. They had enough blood on their hands; they could bear no more.
"Are you okay?" Gabi put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Falco, in an instant, got up, weary and tired of his situation.
"I can't sleep for some time. So much has happened in less than a year. We lost Udo and Zofia, Librieo was raided, Colt died, the world was destroyed, and mom and dad died. And when I thought everything would be fine, Mr. Yeager died and hell broke."
Gabi put her finger on Falco's lips as soon as he uttered that name. Anguish took over.
"Stop taking his name; that devil is the cause of our suffering. While alive, he turned the world into hell, and even after death, he gave us this hell." She says this as her eyes suddenly fall on the red scarf around Falco's neck. "What did Miss Mikasa even see in him? I don't know."
"They were childhood friends, and don't judge the dead." He sighed, "When will this end?"I can't take it anymore. I don't think we will ever be able to live normally."
"We have survived a worse situation than this; we will survive this," Gabi tried to comfort him.
"But I don't want to survive; I want to live. I want to live freely." He held Gabi's hand, nearly in tears. "I want to spend my life with you without being trapped in this room, under the fear that someone will kill me for that stupid bounty."
"Falco.." Gabi softly took his name as suddenly they heard shouting from outside the house. Both went to the window, pressing their ears against the board.
"MITRAS HAS FALLEN!" A man screamed as his voice at first grew stronger and stronger before becoming weaker and weaker. Both kids looked at each other in utter disbelief. It has to be a lie; if the Yeagerists had won, their lives would be over. It was only a matter of days before they would come and execute them.
"Gabi, we are done." Falco started sobbing. "We are dead."
"No, don't say this." Gabi hugged him, pressing his head against her chest. "We will make it out alive."
"No, Gabi, they will kill us." Falco started sobbing harder. Gabi tried to console him, but she herself barely held back. He was right; the time they had now was borrowed, and soon enough, the Yeagerists would find them and kill them. Falco dug his head deep into her shoulder, patting his back.
It was night as the Braus family was sitting around the table, food on their plates, but no one was eating. Falco was still sobbing, while Gabi was just silent. Mr. Braus broke the silence first.
"Nikolai told me that Nedlay is safe. Folks 'ere overthrew the queen and the Yeagerists and formed some workers' states. They are taking Marleyian refugees; he said you both have a future here." He took a deep breath before continuing, "You both can stay 'here; I will protect you both, no matter whoever comes for you."
"No, we will go to Nedlay." Gabi said, "We will take our chances there rather than endangering you all." She looked at Kaya and others, "especially our friends."
"Gabi is right; we will leave for Nedlay." Falco said as they both got up. "I don't think we can eat today, sorry, Mrs. Braus." Both went upstairs, back to their rooms, as Falco lay on the bed, followed by Gabi.
"So, we need to change our names; they only know us by our names." Gabi said.
"I think Ben and Mia will suffice, surname." Something clicked in his mind, something in a faraway corner of his memory: "I think Galliard will be fine, Ben and Mia Galliard." Falco's eyes went down. "What will we do there, though?"
"Nedlay is the hub of those gears soldiers use to fly. I think we can get a merger worker job." A commotion started downstairs as several boots started climbing the stairs. Both immediately got up, Gabi standing on the bed as three guards were standing before them. Gabi took a fighting position. "You Yeagerists, you are not taking us alive or going to leave us alive." Gabi cried, placing herself in front, blocking Falco from them.
"Kid, chill down; we aren't Yeagerists. Fine, technically, I am, but still, we are from the Queen herself." One of them said she was a tall, blonde woman. "Rena Francis, a MP and a royalist.
"How can I trust you? You must be lying to take us and execute us."
"Gabi, trust her." A familiar voice reached her ears. She looked at the door. Nicolo was standing, wearing a blazer and pants with long boots. "We are here to protect you both."
"Mr Nicolo?" Falco looked at him puzzled.
"Nicolo, how can I trust you either?" Gabi asked, concerned. How difficult will it be for the Yeagerists to force Nicolo to take part in this skit? No, she could not trust them. Her heart pounded heavily as she shifted her position some more to shield Falco.
"You can choose not to trust me and stay here. But now that we are here, soon enough some rough Yeagerists will come knocking here." Rena said, angering Gabi.
"So, Braus' family is now in danger! Thanks for coming to save us."
"Ngh, you are hopeless; let's go." Rena and others turned to exit the door, only for Nicolo to block their path. "Seriously?" Rena sighed.
"Her Majesty wants them; let me talk to them." He stepped aside, and Rena and others went downstairs before he looked at the kids. Nicolo looked at Falco and sighed. "We didn't part on good terms, right?"
"Yeah." Gabi sat down, with Falco dragging himself to sit beside her. "Your, no, my stupidity cost him his big brother."
"I…" Nicolo looked down and said, "I can't even apologize; it would mean nothing. But still, I am sorry, Falco."
"The past is past now." Falco said as Colt's face flashed before his eyes, all the time he ever spent with him, from his infancy when Colt for the first time took him on his little lap, pulling his cheek, to when Zeke screamed. Falco wiped a tear from his eyes, taking a deep breath before continuing. "But the queen sent you? We heard that Mitras had fallen; how is she still ruling?"
"Mitras fell, not the Queen. We have captured Singhashina and Gustav, though his condition is critical. The war has reached a stalemate. She bribed Berna, the occupier of Mitras, land. That is what I heard; I dunno what history two had. Pray Gustav survives, or else there will be a whole new escalation."
"I don't think he is lying, Gabi."
Gabi sighed. There was nothing she could do anyway. Either it was to live under the Queen's protection or to live in an unknown place, all by themselves. She thought and thought and finally made a decision. "Fine then." She prayed it wouldn't turn out to be a mistake. "Where will we go?"
"A safehouse until a peace treaty is signed. Now come down; we must have to leave quickly." The trio went downstairs as Mr. Braus was talking to Rena. Others looked at Falco and Gabi. Gabi and Falco went to the other kids, with Gabi hugging Kaya.
"Will you both come back?" Kaya asked her, though Gabi had no answer.
"We hope so. We must hope." Greg said this before hugging Falco. "We will wait at that tree."
"Yeah." Falco said, hugging Greg, his emotions overcoming him. "We will meet again."
"Yeah, we will." Greg patted Falco's back before letting him go.
Both kids followed Nicolo out as the atmosphere slowly became grim. Both looked back at the entrance. The entire Braus family stood there with tears in their eyes. A buggy was parked in the front of the house, and Rena was sitting on a white horse beside it.
"Climb the buggy; I can smell those lunatics riding here."
"But, what about..." Gabi turned back to look at the Braus family one last time, but they were no longer at the entrance; the front door was shut. "Them?"
"Climb." Rena ordered the kids. Both reluctantly climbed the buggy, with Nicolo joining them. The buggy moved, slowly gaining speed. Both kids looked out of the window; the Braus Stables were there. The place they once could call home. The place where they saw their future, now there was only uncertainty.