-full chapter-
[this chapter is now complete]
ps: I'm sorry for the length, it really got out of hand. 😅
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- January, 29th - Year 877 - The Lighthouse
Sunrise
Mikasa walked down to the shores of the Lighthouse. It was a sad day for the old mother, and the foggy, cold morning only completed her gloom. She walked alongside the shores, only getting further away from her gigantic and magnificent, but old, house. She stopped for a moment, to appreciate the ocean and to let the cold waves wash upon her feet. Mikasa looked down and to the side, to a patch of seaweeds that had washed against the large rocks. She could almost make out a small trinket in there, intertwined within the weeds. The Ackermann got curious.
She walked closer and leaned over, to examine what looked to be made of pure gold. 'Only gold plated,' she could hear Armin's voice in her head as she picked up the small item. As he would often remind her whenever she showed concern about his carelessness with that precious family heirloom. Mikasa had recognised that pocket watch instantly.
The old thing had seen better days. The muddy and corroded piece no longer shimmered like before, the gold that encased it was dingy and the inscription was now hard to read. The small pocket watch had been made to last and it had been made with precision. And impressively enough, even after almost a decade swimming deep in salt water, even after years rocking with the waves, it still 'ticked'.
Mikasa couldn't believe it: the small pocket watch was right there. It felt like an illusion. She turned it over and analysed it with much care. The inscription was there, all the small medallions, it still even counted the day of the year, together with the hour of the day. The date and time were wrong, of course, but she was still impressed that the dingy thing was still working somehow. Mikasa stood up, cleaning the watch on her shawl graciously and carefully, for she was afraid she could damage it further. The mother felt very cold and anxious to be holding that, for this was the day of her son's birth, and finding this watch didn't feel like a coincidence.
"Were you here?" She softly let out, questioning to the waves.
Armin had given that family heirloom to their son a few weeks before the tragedy. So she knew it was in the boy's possessions when he ran away. It had been almost ten years since all of that happened and Mikasa hadn't lost hope to see her boy again, but her hope had dwindled over the years. She held the pocket watch closer to her heart, holding it with both hands underneath her shawl, for it was a very cold morning. Mikasa closed her eyes and deeply wished to see her son again. Her anguish echoed across the dimensions. She then heard a strange motor sound in the distance, which she recognised right away.
Mikasa turned to see the headlights in the foggy distance as the car crossed the bridge, going towards the Lighthouse. The mother had a visitor, quite a familiar visitor in fact.
"Mum, what are you doing walking on shore? It's freezing out here," Sonnenblume complained with slight admonishment as she stepped out of the vehicle.
"What are you doing here?" her mother roughly questioned while approaching. Mikasa's expression didn't show her worry, but the mother was genuinely concerned. For it was in fact the middle of Winter and she knew this had been a long and perhaps dangerous journey.
"Nice to see you too, mother," Sunny replied with a small smile, she was quite used to her mother's cold and dry tones. She then became more serious while looking towards Mikasa. "I didn't want you to be alone today," the Queen let out.
"What is all this?" Mikasa questioned further while Sonnenblume removed quite a few bags out of the car.
"Food," the daughter simply replied.
The old mother looked annoyed.
"I don't need any of that. I can hunt, I have my plants, my parents taught me well," Mikasa complained as the younger Ackermann took upon herself to hold all those paper bags with only her two arms.
"Well, my parents taught me to take care of others, so…" Sonnenblume replied while walking towards the Lighthouse.
"And I go to the harbour constantly, whenever I need a few things; or to the villages nearby, which I'm sure your spies keep you well informed of," the mother continued her protest as she followed Sonnenblume up the porch steps.
"They are not my spies, Officer Ackermann," Sunny replied with a giggle, reminding her mother of her own army days. "They are just regular guards, Military Police," she continued while going towards the kitchen. "And excuse me for checking up every now and then with our military to be sure that you're still well and safe, and haven't died all alone in this big house," the daughter complained.
"I'm doing very well here, as you can see," Mikasa kept up her protest while looking at her daughter from across the large table. But then decided to help her unload all the goods.
"You'd be doing much better if you were living with me," Sunny suggested, as she had done many times before. But this time only under her breath.
"No, I would not," Mikasa quickly countered. "I already left Hizuru to be near you. What more do you want? This is as far as I go. This is my home," she told Sunny quite firmly.
There was a small silence as Sunny continued to unload the bags, but her mother could see her judging eyes just staring down; so Mikasa proceeded. "You can always build a Summer home near me and spend holidays here when the grandkids start to arrive," the older Ackermann joked in a tone as dry as ever, staring her daughter down.
'Alright, you win,' Sonnenblume thought, but said nothing. Her eyes however, said everything. Her mother knew her very well.
Mikasa let out a small victory smile. She then took her right hand from underneath her shawl and placed the old pocket watch over the kitchen table.
"Do you remember this?" She softly questioned her daughter with eyes full of nostalgia.
Sonnenblume walked over and reached to grab the small gold-plated item. "Of course I do, it's Dad's old watch," Sunny replied as she held the pocket watch up and began to inspect it. The young soul was amazed.
"It was not your Father's, it had been in his family for many generations. He gave it to your brother that Summer, do you remember that?" Mikasa explained and asked.
"Yes," Sunny confirmed and laughed. "He was so annoying about it, he took this thing everywhere. I was just waiting for him to finally break it, I knew it wouldn't take long," the young woman joked, thinking of their lovely childhood. She then took a small piece of seaweed from the golden piece, from between the links of its long chain.
"I just found it on shore," her mother explained.
"Now? Today?" Sunny questioned, a little taken aback by that.
Mikasa affirmed with her head. "I walked past those rocks yesterday and it wasn't there. It arrived this morning," she told Sunny with certainty.
"Maybe it was always there and you just overlooked it," her daughter cogitated. That was clearly more plausible.
"I always go by the same path, everyday. I know it was never there before," Mikasa affirmed, maintaining her account.
Sunny was still sceptical, but she decided to question. "What do you think that means?"
"I'm not sure," Mikasa replied. "But perhaps he was here, after he ran away," she cogitated.
"Knowing Azzy, he probably threw it in the ocean," Sunny theorised, analysing the piece closer.
"Yes," Mikasa confirmed. "It hurts my heart to think of the amount of frustration he must've been feeling to throw away something he loved so much," she let out, quite upset.
Sunny looked at the piece, contemplative. "Yes, he wished Dad would give this watch to him for so long, ever since we were very little… he was so happy to finally get it," she added while contemplating the amount of pain her brother must have been under during those times. "Why would he come here? Did he even know how to get to the Lighthouse?" she questioned her mother.
"I don't think it was on purpose, Azzy was very connected to this place," the mother explained. Mikasa became even more nostalgic and somehow happy. "He was born here after all, twenty-five years ago. Well, it will be twenty-five years after nightfall," she explained. "Your brother was born almost at midnight."
"It's three years off," Sunny let out, which made her mother a little confused. "The watch," Sunny explained. "It's three years off, but other than that, it seems in good condition."
-.-
- Over Two Thousand Years Ago -
[ the death of Ymir ]
Axl was suddenly pinned against the stone wall with much force as he walked nonchalantly through the corridors of Fritz Castle. "You monster! You killed my mother?!" Elke questioned him with fury as she pushed him even further against the wall.
He looked down at her quite lustfully, enjoying her roughness. "It's been a little while since we've been this close," he softly responded, approaching her neck; while his brothers ignored them completely in that common area. They were more interested in sharpening their weapons and checking their armours and fun gadgets.
"Don't play with me Ackermann," she firmly warned while holding a small dagger against his neck.
"What happened to pookie?" he questioned, a little indignant. This was the nickname the princess had given him when they were still small children and she had never called him anything else since then.
"You killed her? You killed my mother?!" Elke questioned him again, absolutely bewildered and still holding the blade against his throat, expecting her old friend to confess.
Axl seemed a little conflicted as the woman stared into his soul, he could see her anguish. The Ackermann had successfully avoided this confrontation for those past nine years, and he had hoped to avoid it for the rest of their lives. So he was naturally looking for a way out of that questioning.
"Where are you getting this from?" He asked.
"We went to the mountains, there was nothing there," Dorian told him as he entered that hall with Torin and the rest of the Fritz brothers soon followed.
"What's this, a fair?" Erik questioned as all the Fritz children joined the Ackermann soldiers in that small stone hall.
Axl turned to face Elke again. "I didn't," he denied, grunting a little humorously. "Dad killed her," he added, quite coldly.
"We only killed the other ladies and the coach," Erik further explained. "And burned everything down," Tyr complemented. "That was so long ago," he added.
"Seriously, you had to travel that far to figure out the obvious?" Klaus asked the Fritzs, also very coldly and humorously.
"To be fair we all knew her fate, deep down," Osmond replied, he and most of the other siblings were convinced that the Queen had been killed on that very day of her exile, or perhaps soon after.
"But it took these three travelling all the way up to that haunted monastery to finally confirm it," Torr added, also a little humorously; talking about Elke, Dorian and Torin. The three siblings had travelled up those mountains to find the building completely empty and abandoned.
"All this time? How could you hide this from me?" Elke questioned Axl with deep pain and frustration. It had been nine years since the Queen had been murdered by the Ackermanns, by the orders of the King, of course.
He sighed, still eyeing that blade very close to his throat. "Some truths are better never spoken out loud," the Ackermann began to justify. "What good would've done you? It would only bring you pain," he argued.
"You think she's gonna kill him?" Erik humorously questioned Ivar on the side, ready to set their bets. "Finally," the younger Ackermann added and they laughed.
"Nah, she's too much of a softy," Jari commented from the other side of the room.
All the brothers were there watching, both Fritzs and Ackermanns, being quite the spectators.
"Come on, Elke! Just cut his throat already," Klaus shouted, rousing the fight. They were all very amused.
Axl side-eyed the bunch disapprovingly as he softly took her hand down. He turned to Elke. "You know that's what your Dad wanted," he softly told the Fritz Princess. "Our Dad was just following the King's orders." Axl then softly took the small dagger away from her and held her hand affectionately.
But the princess let go of his hand abruptly. "What are we supposed to tell the boys when they ask about their grandmother?" she questioned him angrily.
"Nothing like that, hopefully, they're too little," Axl soon replied.
"So, 'keep the lie' is your only answer," Elke hastily concluded, still vexed with her partner.
"We can let them know the full truth once they are old enough, don't twist my words," the Ackermann complained back to her.
Axl and Elke had already been together for many years. They had grown up together and their families closeness made them couple in an early age, to the revel of their fathers. General Ludvík's firstborn and King Fritz's second born already had six boys of their own. Out of those, only two had met their grandmother when she was still alive, but they were too little then to remember her. Still, Elke was horrified to confirm that the father of her children was partially responsible and had witnessed her mother's death.
The Princess was currently expecting yet another child from the Ackermann. It was only in early stages and still a secret between the couple. And the father hoped this one would finally be a girl, after so many boys. And he wouldn't be wrong, but that was only the beginning of their problems, and of their curse. After all, all of their lives, Ackermanns' and Fritzs', would change forever in that very same day, and in the next.
"I can't believe you just stood there and watched my mother die, knowing full well how much it would affect me," Elke told him in pain. "Did she suffer?" she asked.
Axl sighed, angrily. He ignored her sentimental question and proceeded with his cold logic. "If it hadn't happened that way, your father would have found a different way to kill her. Would you rather it had been in the darkness of the night, like it was, or in the brightness of the day, right in front of you?" he coldly questioned the princess.
"Dad knew if he had ever done that, we would have killed him on the spot. That's why he had you execute her in the faraway darkness. He's a coward," Torr, Fritz and Tara's third born, proceeded with much logic as well.
"And your Dad is even more of a coward. He's just the King's lapdog. He'll do anything Dad says," Tait added in anger. The youngest of the Fritz siblings was very upset about having his mother taken from him at such an early age.
That rattled the Ackermann brothers greatly and all of Ludvík's and Fritz's sons began throwing insults at each other. The whole situation was turning into a brawl as the young men began to fight one another.
"Enough!" Axl yelled in the centre of the room. Taking charge as the oldest of the bunch. He looked towards Torin, who was just sitting in the corner. "Our father was just following orders, you know that." he told the Fritz Prince.
Torin looked to the side, the man seemed reflective. But more calculative than contemplative.
"They both have to pay for it, don't you think?" Torin replied quite coldly.
Axl promptly took out Erik's sword from its scabbard as the younger Ackermann was standing the closest to him and he had no weapons of his own. Ludvík's oldest then walked closer to Torin, threateningly. "If you are suggesting we execute my father, just say it here and now so I can kill you on the spot," Axl threatened him gravely.
Torin looked at the sword and then up to his friend in annoyance. He gently moved the sharp edge away with two of his fingers. "I have no intention of killing Ludvík," he replied, and look to the rest of the room very politically. "We here all know how he has been much more of a father to us than our father ever was," he reminded the other Fritz children.
He turned to Axl again. "I'm just saying it's time for the oldies to go," the eldest prince proceeded. He finally stood up and put his hand around Axl's shoulders. "One day, I'll be King and you'll be my General," he reminded his brother-in-law. "There's no reason this day can't arrive sooner rather than later. Your father can of course retire. He's getting too old for his job as it is-"
"But we all know what has to happen for you to officially take charge," Torr interrupted his older brother, curiously crossing his arms as he completed Torin's line of reasoning.
"Are you going to kill Dad?" Elke promptly questioned her twin. She looked concerned on the outside, but actually joyful on the inside. "Finally," Tait let out, just expressing how all the Fritz siblings were feeling.
"I don't have to do that necessarily," Torin cleverly responded. "Not after all the fuss of yesterday. We have a feral dog in our troops and he's vexed with the King. I'd say we just have to sit and wait," the prince concluded while sitting down again.
"The foreigner?" Elke asked.
"Yes, the alien who is obsessed with the wench," Raleigh confirmed, also following Torin's line of reasoning.
"Oh, he's not just obsessed with her," Elke sharply commented.
"Wasn't he fighting with her yesterday? All those loud yells. Wasn't that the quarrel Dad told you to break off?" Axl asked the princess.
"What were they fighting about?" Osmond asked, curiously.
"What matters is: Dad decided he needs a dressing-down," Torin interjected, leaning back. He put his arms around his head, quite nonchalantly. "He's calling the alien to the throne room later this afternoon for a much needed reprimanding. And we all know Azymondeus' temper," the prince chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "That is not going to go well." He concluded.
Axl turned to the prince in concern. "What happens if he goes haywire? Like that day on the battlefield?" he questioned. "That weird alien might not only kill your Dad, he could wipeout this entire city!" the Ackermann added in alarm.
Torin leaned forward again, pointing down firmly. Laying down their plan. "That's why you have to be there. You and the boys, not your father - he's gone too soft. But you five need to be there, just in case. Be prepared to trap him," the prince cleverly explained. "But please, only after he has gotten rid of my father," he emphasised and laid back again. Torin looked up to the ceiling and sighed in pure happiness and wonder. "It will open the ways for my glorious empire."
"And then what? We're supposed to trap him and that's it? I don't think we can just keep a thing like that trapped for long," Tyr raised the concern. They all knew they were dealing with a creature they couldn't understand. Azymondeus was absolutely unpredictable.
"We eat him," Torin swiftly and coldly replied. It was the Eldians ancient tradition to cannibalise their enemies after all. Especially those more powerful. "I bet we can consume those powers somehow, maybe not completely but at least partially," the prince proceeded. "We can feed him to our army, bit by bit, he ain't regrowing from that," Torin suggested and chuckled with much confidence.
"Not the whole army," Torr interjected. "I bet that odd energy is only good when concentrated," he cleverly remarked.
"And then we eat her too," Elke also suggested, ready for revenge on that wench. "We can't let those powers go to waste."
"What about the little girls?" Ivan naively asked. He was the one in that bunch with the least ruined soul, at least at that point. The Ackermann was still very young.
"Yes, are we supposed to eat them too?" Ralph asked.
"Aren't they your sisters?" Erik promptly questioned, showing some concern. "Or half-sisters," Tyr added, trying to help after his brother's comment was clearly not welcomed by the Fritzs.
But it didn't help much. All the Fritz siblings looked utterly disgusted with that suggestion, and were all immediately mumbling curses about it.
"Oh no, please," Elke voiced their sentiment louder. "Those poor, weird creatures are the devil's children," she explained mid-laugh.
The princess continued quite ambitiously, "those little demons will be ours. They are young and we can raise them as we like. Once they're thirteen they'll finally manifest those powers and turn into monsters like their mother," Elke stated, quite pleased with herself and her plan. "And at that point, well, I'll make sure they'll be much easier to control than that infuriating little whore that gave birth to them."
"Well, lads, I believe our plan is mostly settled," Torin began, standing up again and putting his arms around Axl and Torr. "Today my father will revel with all honour and glory in his conquests in this stupid little ceremony he has thrown for himself. And later, well, let chaos ensue," he hoped.
-.-
High up in the castle's tower, Ymir was brushing her hair unhurriedly, the second Fritz Queen seemed a bit lost. She looked at her reflection in that mirror, feeling exhausted and also vainly worried about the bags under her eyes. Ymir hadn't slept that night, she had only cried. She cried for hours and hours until the sun finally rose again. The woman felt broken, and she also felt angry.
The girls had all slept through most of their mother's desperation. They had all eventually fallen asleep in her arms as she continued to cry. And Ymir then proceeded to cry very quietly, to make sure she wouldn't disturb her precious girls' sleep. So the three girls had woken up with much energy and were all running around the tower. Maria and Rose were playing tag, while Sina just stumbled around trying to catch up with the other two.
"We are leaving today! We are leaving today!" Rose shouted very cheerfully as the girls all ran around and laughed.
Ymir was fixing up her precious jewels and trying to concentrate on the finishing touches of her regal look. And the girls' naive happiness was beginning to infuriate her. She turned to Rose with much annoyance.
"I already told you a million times. We are not going anywhere." She affirmed in pure intensity while standing up from her vanity. "Stop that," she ordered the girls.
"Oh," Maria let out as they stopped running. "I thought we were just waiting until morning, so we don't leave in the dark," the girl timidly relayed. All the three girls looked confused.
"Where's Dad gone? He hasn't come up yet," Rose naively noted.
"I'm sure he'll be here any second," Maria replied to her younger sister, looking towards the balcony, as that was the place where Azymondeus always jumped to when arriving to see them.
"Yes, Dad always comes in with the sun to kiss us good morning," Rose concurred, as Sina clumsy ran towards the balcony.
The toddler giggled, hoping to see her father appearing in the open garden, like always. But Ymir stood in front of her and Sina stopped on her tracks, looking up. The mother ignored those big and confused blue eyes and hastily picked her up. The Queen looked extremely annoyed.
"Stop it already," she complained to the other two girls as they were about to resume their game of tag. She held Sina more firmly in her arms. "That man is not your father," Ymir angrily hissed, deeply regretting the freedom she had given those girls. They could all hear the bolts and latches turning and clicking.
"She's lying. Of course he is," Maria whispered to Rose. She whispered quietly but in full confidence. She knew that was the last thing her mother would want those gossipy ladies to hear.
The seven-year-old could read their mother well, but she also felt worried, for she had never seen Ymir so broken and angry before. And there was only so much a child's mind could comprehend when watching their parents' complex emotions. Maria tilted her head, confused by Ymir's anger. Their mother was breathing heavily, the Fritz Queen seemed quite determined.
The many ladies finally walked into the room after the two guards successfully opened the giant wooden doors. Ymir walked forward with much authority and hastily gave Sina to one of the nannies; and two other women soon held Rose and Maria by their hands. They waited for the Queen to take her distance, so they could all follow her in that flight of stairs.
The two older girls looked up at those giant doors and all the large metal locks as they passed through, they both felt saddened. It seemed they would not leave their prison today, unfortunately. Sina looked ahead, feeling deeply upset to see her mother turn her back to her and walk away. The toddler yearned to be in her mother's arms. She felt neglected, just like her sisters before her.
"You are never making me cry again," Ymir quietly, but angrily whispered as she began to climb down all those stairs. She was feeling very angry and shamed. "Never. You won't ever make me cry." She told herself with pure determination. "Never again."
-.-
"Ah, Christa, an early riser as always," Fritz joked as she climbed down the last steps of the tower.
"Don't call me that," Ymir hastily replied. She walked closer to her husband and stood next to him, to also observe what he was observing in that hall. "It's ten in the morning," she quietly added, complaining about his joke. Ymir crossed her arms.
Fritz had been watching the painter finishing that stunning mural since dawn. "You are my anointed goddess," he replied, still in his joking mood. He knew very well how that title annoyed her.
Ymir rolled her eyes. She looked to the side, as the ladies took the girls to their customary playing corner. Ymir then turned to the mural again, very contemplative.
"Every Eldian who enters the common hall will see the beauty of our expansion," the King declared in triumph.
The mural depicted an intricate map of that great ancient continent and showcased with all glory the vast lands the King had conquered so far. Well, that his Titan had conquered so far. Fritz could tell the slave girl's eyes were fitted on the blue borders of the mural. Ymir was dreaming with the ocean.
He walked a couple of steps forward, to one of the corners where the painter was still adding the finishing touches. "Just a few more campaigns, hopefully, and we reach the coast," the old King noted, and walked all the way to the other side of the wall. "And in the near future we will also hopefully have this kingdom reach from one sea to the other. Coast to coast," the King also declared with eyes full of greed.
Ymir was lost in her thoughts, she had paid no attention to what Fritz was saying. She suddenly noticed Axl walking through the corridors. "Axl!" She called his attention and walked to him.
The Ackermann gently bowed. "Your Majesty," he respectfully replied.
Ymir stopped regally in front of him. "I'm putting you in charge of the young princesses' security for now on. They need a new guard," she informed him with grace and looked to the corner where her children were playing. Axl followed her eyes. The three girls were cheerfully playing while supervised by the countless ladies.
"I thought that was Az's job," he swiftly replied while turning to her again.
"Not anymore," she firmly told him. "I don't want him anywhere near my children. Do you understand?" Ymir asked loudly and firmly in that busy hall. For she knew Azymondeus could hear her from the distance. Her lover looked towards them, completely vexed, but Ymir quickly looked away.
"Alright," Axl concurred. "Why me?" he asked, trying not to chuckle. This whole situation was getting better by the minute. The quarrel between the two creatures would make Torin's plan much easier to execute. Axl was already planning his first actions as General; dreaming about power. The Ackermann was incredibly excited with his prospects.
"Because you're a father, and I trust you," Ymir explained. "But only you. Not Klaus or the others, they all seem like unreliable drunkards to me," the Eldian Queen proceeded scornfully. "And although I shun your questionable choice of wife," she added. Ymir never missed a chance to insult Elke, whom she despised. "You do know what it's like to love one's children. And I can only hope you'll protect them as your own," Ymir solemnly told him. She then proceeded to follow Fritz outside.
"Yes, Ma'am," Axl replied, bowing again and watching the court leave.
All the servants and courtiers were following the King and Queen outside, and both Ackermanns watched them go. Azymondeus soon sped up towards the corner where the girls were as the hall was slowly becoming empty. And Axl swiftly stood in front of his comrade, stopping Az on his tracks.
"You heard well what Her Majesty said," Axl told him in a quiet but deeply reprimanding and condescending tone.
"Don't do this," Az firmly warned.
"Oh, I'm following my orders, like any soldier should. Do you even know what that is?" Axl maintained, with a hint of mockery. Which as he expected, only angered that devil more. He looked the foreigner up and down, condescendingly. And continued the scorn. "Rules? Do they even have those in your country? Or whatever you come from..?" he questioned.
Az only stared him down. "Move," he gravely ordered.
"Or what? Are you going to kill me too?" Axl questioned with a chuckle. "Isn't that what you do to anyone who crosses you?" he teased.
Azymondeus tried to walk forward but Axl stood on his way again. "The Queen said she doesn't want you near her children," he insisted. "And you heard that well." Axl tilted his head, he knew he could take this further. "The King wants to speak to you this afternoon," he reminded the soldier.
"Yes. I have already been informed of that," Az replied through gritted teeth.
Axl did his best to hold his laughter, he was enjoying that far too much. He walked even closer and made himself look more serious. "You better hear what His Majesty has to say and adhere to every word," he advised. Axl looked at his former friend sternly. "You have been here what? Eight years? And you still haven't learned how we Eldians do things? You are not in Marley anymore." The Ackermann firmly affirmed while pointing at Azymondeus' chest. "You better learn to respect authority." Axl gravely schooled him.
Azymondeus only gave him a stern look in return, absolutely beside himself. The time traveller then walked away, completely vexed. Axl let out a small grin while watching him go, happy to have successfully angered Azymondeus further. 'I can't wait to watch you kill him,' the Ackermann thought joyously. Like many others close to the King, he hoped Fritz would have a very violent death.
Azymondeus walked through the campsite full of anger. He reached to grab his prize spear from the stack when Ludvík held his hand hastily.
"No long-range weapons will be needed in this event," he shouted at the battalion. "Put on your best - less dingy - armour and sword and enjoy yourselves in the parade through the old city." He laughed charmingly. "And let us enjoy our feast after the sunset!" He added with humour and made a signal for the army to give him their war salute. And the thousands of soldiers responded quite loudly. Their war cry was gradually echoed through the entire campsite.
Ludvík lost his smile and turned seriously to Azymondeus again. "The King wants to talk to you after the ceremony," he also reminded the younger Ackermann.
"I know," Azymondeus replied, clearly vexed.
Ludvík was aware of what his young pupil was going through. "Be prepared and humble," he fatherly advised. He held the young soldier's shoulder for a tender moment and then let go, leaving the campsite to lead the parade.
Az looked down, breathing heavily, and then turned towards the spear again. 'There will be no meeting this afternoon,' he affirmed in his thoughts. 'He won't be alive after this ceremony.'
The time traveller was determined: he was going to kill Fritz. The Ackermann was planning a public execution; he knew the whole town would be watching. It would be the perfect moment.
The entire parade went on as planned, the villagers rejoiced to see the army cruise so imposingly through their old town. The new Fritz Castle stood further away from where that village first began, so a dais was put together in the centre of the town. In the very same spot where Fritz and Tara's main tent stood and where they would throw all the village feasts over the years. It was a sentimental place for the older villagers, quite the special spot.
Fritz was already sitting on his throne, up the dais, comfortably watching all the proceedings. The Army solemnly made way for the young Queen to make her entrance. She carried her progeny with her: the three small girls who the Eldians hoped to one day become monsters just like their mother.
Ymir was mere seconds away from her doom as she walked up that dais.
Her reflexes were quick and she was suddenly bleeding all over the wooden floor, as the realisation hit she became completely disheartened. He had actually proven to her. In that unexpected way, Azymondeus had proven to her how she valued that crown over the ones who loved her. She valued her power over her family, over her own blood.
All the six Ackermanns jumped quickly into action and immobilised the rogue soldier. Ludvík hit him with all his strength and he fell unconscious as they all restrained him. The three girls were completely confused with all that was suddenly happening. They looked down at their mother, all absolutely terrified to watch her bleeding on that dais. They felt very lost.
Ymir didn't want to live anymore. She gave up. The slave girl closed her eyes and hoped for eternity, she hoped for final peace. But, unfortunately, she opened them again in a cursed nightmare.
- In the pure darkness -
[ the remnants of the Titan Realm ]
Ymir was crying in pure darkness. There was nothing left in that haunted dimension. There was only her soul. She cried inconsolably. "I killed him," she muttered. "I killed him."
The image of his body disintegrating into that light wouldn't leave her mind. She had purposely thrown him away and into that light tree, just to avoid her own death. Now she was alone in her own nightmare.
The light tree had gone out and so had all the stars in the sky, so there was nothing to cast light onto her. Ymir couldn't see anything in that now pitch black dimension.
"I killed him," Ymir muttered. "I killed them," she had also realised, or had finally admitted.
She was thinking about their first deaths and of how much her children had suffered. Ymir had regretted from the start, she regretted allowing herself to die that day. The mother had considered that many times, she had thought about it over and over again. If they had run away the day before, if they had left Eldia even before that. If she had allowed Az to kill Fritz or if she had regenerated from that spear wound. Any of those scenarios could have avoided the death of her loved ones.
Ymir had witnessed how her children were forced to eat her decaying body, she had witnessed how the Ackermanns had butchered and eaten her beloved. All in that dark night. And come sunrise she had to watch as her children were also cruelly slaughtered, also cut into pieces, and eaten by those horrible cannibals.
She could see it all in that light and all that imagery fed her grief and her grief fed that dimension. Ymir's grief had created the Titan Realm and had cursed all of the cannibals who had eaten her loved ones. It cursed them to serve her in life, and cursed their souls to be trapped there in death.
In truth, the witch blamed herself, but she buried her grief and her own guilt deep within that sand. Now all of that guilt flooded her consciousness as she witnessed Azymondeus dying by her hand yet again. Her realisation, acceptance and deep accountability were breaking the dimension apart and making it disappear.
"I killed him," Ymir muttered over and over. "No," she continued. "Please don't leave me, never leave me! I can't lose you," she pleaded brokenly in her muttering, sobbing quietly but uncontrollably. "I love you, please be with me, always be with me, I love you."
"Be with me," she wished.
Ymir suddenly saw small specks of blue light mixed with her transparent tears, illuminating the sand below her again as her tears dropped down from her face. That was the first thing she was finally seeing after the light tree had gone out and all the dimension had turned pitch black. She reached up with her hand, to wipe the tears and analyse them. Ymir became confused but hopeful, for some reason those small sparks of pure light blue made her smile among her sobbing.
That light soon illuminated her heart from the inside out. And her whole nervous system then lit up as well. The sparkles rose up from her spine, like stardust. Spreading out and illuminating the dimension again. There were millions and more millions of those tiny pieces of blue light that were detaching from her spine, almost forming two large light wings and then vaguely resembling a butterfly as they made their way out.
The creature that had once attached itself to her was now freeing itself from her body. Ymir had almost lost her life in that small pond, inside the ancient tree. And that had haunted her lover for all his life, so in his death, his last wish was to save her. Azymondeus wished to save her from drowning, and save her from drowning he did.
The time traveller finally rematerialised completely, forming from the dust right in front of her eyes, still made of pure light. Ymir smiled. She was elated to see him again. They held each other very tenderly as he lit up her body in pure otherworldly energy and they both disappeared from that grief dimension. For good this time.
- October, 31st - Year 854 - Paradise
[ amidst the volcanoes' eruptions ]
The sun was setting in the island of Paradise and the immense Titan was suddenly falling from the sky.
The Phoenix Titan, the Jaw Titan and the Survey Corps soldier were looking for the Armoured Titan, who had been lost somewhere in the goddess' flaming body. They all felt very desperate and deeply concerned. So they were relieved when they finally spotted the small thing falling a little slower than the giant monster, and the two Titans soon dove down to reach their friend.
The gigantic creature was already arriving close to the ocean surface. So by the time the Phoenix was close to grabbing the Armoured by the shoulders, Ymir's Titan hit the waves with immense impact. And all that heated force immediately evaporated much of the water all around the enormous Titan, creating a lot of steam.
All that heat and all that evaporating water made the two smallish Titans lose their senses and all of them dropped to the ocean as well. The Armoured Titan began to drown faster, Reiner was clearly unconscious inside of his Titan. Pieck was feeling quite lost but she soon regained her senses and noticed the Survey Corps soldier swimming towards their friend as fast as he could. Jean hoped to reach the Armoured Titan before it fell too deep into the hot ocean waters. And the Phoenix Titan followed fast behind him. The soldier took out his crystal swords and quickly slashed through the nape. Removing Reiner and holding him in his arms as the Phoenix grabbed them both with her claws and began to rise to the surface.
The Jaw Titan saw it all from up above, as he shook his wings, hoping to dry them. He began to fly higher again, moving away from the evaporating heat. The Phoenix also flew up from the waves, feeling heavy because of her wet Titan body. She flew low, heating herself up and evaporating some of the water away from her feathers. She flew towards shore and gently dropped Jean and the unconscious Reiner over the beach sands. As the soldier was doing his best to resuscitate the Warrior. Jean was hitting Reiner's chest with much force, hoping to restart his heart.
The water was still rising up from the impact of the immense Titan with the waves. A lot of it had evaporated but a lot was also raining down again. The Titan had fallen in the middle of the sea, about two hundred metres from shore and had made a large crater on the ocean floor. Ymir's crystal had cracked open with the impact and she was slowly waking up, completely hazed.
She slowly opened her eyes to see that image of a rainy and colourful sunsetting sky high up above her. An image very different from the starry darkness of the dimension she was accustomed to. She could also see the foggy image of a familiar face becoming clearer right in front of her. Ymir immediately recognised that charming smile and Azymondeus soon hugged her very tightly. And she hugged him back in an equal manner. Well, not as tightly for she was feeling quite weak and tired. He began to build up his customary energy while Ymir's green eyes turned purple one last time. The Original Titan had one last wish to be fulfilled.
Falco could see the gigantic Titan's green eyes turning purple and shining very brightly all of a sudden, which deeply frightened and concerned the small Warrior. He then flew fast towards the Titan's open chest, to look for that witch in her crystal cocoon, imagining she still needed to be finished off. The Jaw Titan then stopped abruptly, and began to hover, witnessing the two lovers hugging each other tightly and suddenly disappearing in all that light. The young boy was incredibly confused and he soon noted that the immense Titan began to disintegrate as soon as those two disappeared. And the carcass was now being covered by the heated waves.
The Jaw Titan then flew to shore. He saw how afflicted the Phoenix Titan was as she hovered above their friends. Jean had been successful in helping Reiner breathe again, but the Warrior was still deeply unconscious and had also been deeply burned.
None of them were paying attention to the Wall Titans as they proceeded with their march. But they soon turned to those giant creatures as they heard them running. All of them. Thousands upon thousands of absolutely gigantic Wall Titans were now running back towards the island.
The Phoenix Titan, the Jaw Titan and the Survey Corps soldier were all very frightened.
-.-
Mitras
The couple reemerged in that small forest again, in the vast lands inside of the Royal Palace walls, in the ancient city of Mitras. In the very same spot from where they had left. From where they first jumped from, over twenty-one years before. Well, twenty-one years in their own physical perspective, of course. For that jump would still happen in the future, it would only happen in the year 859, so they were four years early and over twenty-one years older.
Ymir looked into his eyes with a sweet smile. She then looked up to admire the sky again, and the setting sun that shone through the tree leaves. Azzy turned and also looked up, following her wondering eyes as they still embraced each other. She then raised up her arm, analysing it.
"It feels so… strange," Ymir noted while looking at her hand and arm, confused and contemplative. "I feel so-"
"Alive?" Az asked, sweetly, while still on top of her. "Well you haven't been that for a long time, so it must feel a little odd," he argued with a charming smile while moving to the side. "And you're naked," he noted with some alarm while looking down at her uncovered body.
The soldier then sat up, and immediately began to remove his upper armour and strip out of his long, black undershirt. "Right, we should cover you up," he said while removing and giving her the shirt.
"Calm down, there's no one here," she replied, while putting his large shirt on. Az stood up and then helped her to stand up as well. "There's no one here," Ymir repeated, now with some concern. "Where are we?" she asked, feeling scared.
She had no idea where they had ended up. Ymir's heart soon started racing, filled with concern. Her lover didn't exactly have the best track record with his Jumpings.
"Remember when we played hide-and-seek?" he asked with some charm and much nostalgia.
Ymir was still feeling very lost, but she understood his meaning. So she ran back to the garden, toward her lovely castle, the sand playground that had remained in her dreams for all those years.
"No sandbox," Ymir noted as she arrived at the edge of the small forest. "Where's my castle?" the princess asked while searching around the beautiful garden with her eyes. The palace looked a little different, and it was clearly completely empty, it even had cracks in some places. After all, it had recently been through quite a few earthquakes.
Azzy scratched his head while standing behind her. "We are still in '54," he explained. "No kids' stuff here yet I suppose."
Ymir looked up at him confused.
"I just didn't want to risk time-jumping so soon," he justified.
"Are you saying I'm older than my parents now?" the reborn witch asked with some alarm.
"Well, technically you were born only a few hours ago," Az cleverly replied, joking of course. He looked up at the giant clock in the palace garden. "About seven to eight hours ago, actually. If that thing is still working," he added to the joke.
Ymir stared into his lovely face as he looked at the clock. She tilted her head, concerned for him.
"Where did you go?" she asked more seriously and he turned to face her again. "What happened to you?"
Az was already lost in her beautiful bright green eyes. He was just glad to see her again. She was there and she was real, made of flesh. This was neither a dream nor a nightmare. He couldn't help but feel extremely happy. The man was in an enamoured trance.
"What is the last thing you remember?" she insisted, asking more timidly, Ymir still felt extremely guilty. "I thought I had killed you. I thought you were gone forever," she confessed quietly, looking down to the green grass. She looked up into his blue eyes again. "What did you feel? What did even happen?" she questioned.
He looked away, reflective.
"It was like I died," he tried to explain. "But I just woke up in that field again, same as always. And my first thought was to find you. So I jumped again and found you unconscious in that cracked crystal, I was just happy to see you were still breathing. And I became elated once you opened your eyes."
They smiled at each other and he reached out to hold her hands. "I just wanted to get you out of there," he continued, "to bring you home." He looked up at that garden and at the small forest. "To finally bring you back here."
"Is that all that you remember? Waking up in a field?" she questioned, Ymir was feeling confused. She was worried about what that tree of light had done to him, and concerned as to what extent it had changed the fabric of his being. The witch hadn't realised yet that in her attempt to kill her lover and protect her own existence, she had caused this entire mess.
Az tilted his head. "What do you mean?" he asked, oblivious.
They suddenly heard a noise. It broke the silence of that quiet afternoon in that garden. It sounded like old leaves cracking and moving with the wind. And they both turned in alarm, trying to see if there was someone walking through the woods. The sound came from quite further away from where they were, but it still frightened the couple in that moment.
That was when they saw Ludvík's ghost appearing to them on the edge of the woods. The old man smiled at them from the distance and his five sons also appeared behind him, among the forest trees. He waved goodbye at the couple and became very bright all of a sudden, and so did his boys. They all shot up fast into the sky like six bright stars. The Ackermanns were finally free from their curse, after two thousand years. And Tybur Lake was also now free from crying souls.
Azzy suddenly felt very dizzy, his mind became foggy after all that and his heart was racing. He felt faint and he lost balance, almost falling. Ymir held him in place so he wouldn't fall. "Are you all right?" she asked, very concerned.
"I'm good," he replied, quickly recomposing himself. "It feels strange to be alive again, doesn't it?" Az asked her. "But it feels stranger to not be cursed," he explained.
Ymir looked up to the skies. "I'm just happy they're free," she replied, smiling. She leaned her head fondly onto his shoulder and held his arm with both of her hands, embracing it. And Azzy leaned down and kissed her forehead, and then smiled at her.
The cold forest winds raced around them in that late afternoon. Az then looked down at that old and ragged shirt. It looked like a small dress on Ymir, it wasn't covering much and she was starting to shiver as the night was already falling. Azzy tilted his head. "Aren't you cold?" he asked.
"Yes," Ymir confirmed, still smiling. "But you are very warm," she added, hugging his strong arm even tighter.
He smiled at her and then turned back towards the palace, thinking. "I wonder if your mother's clothes would fit you," he considered, and quickly jumped in and out of the palace.
Ymir was frightened for that quick moment but he soon came back, she barely had time to process what he had said.
Azzy came back with a bundled dress in his hands. "Ah, I see," Ymir understood what he had said as she saw that piece of clothing. Az looked around the empty garden, considering a few things. He was a grown man now, and he was so much better at space-jumping than when he was just a small child. He looked down at Ymir again. "You know, there's somewhere I promised I would take you," he reminded her and hugged her tight.
They jumped again.
Ymir felt a little dizzy as they reappeared, especially because the sun was shining much brighter now. It was actually morning where they had ended up.
"Here," Azzy gave her the Queen's dress that he had 'borrowed' from the palace.
"It looks like a wedding dress," she noted laughing while unfolding the bundle. Ymir was exaggerating a bit, it was one of Historia's white summer dresses.
Azzy shrugged. "It's probably a regular gown for a queen," he presumed.
"Quite fitting then," Ymir joked while returning his shirt and putting the gown on. She was glad that he had grabbed a summer dress, for Ymir was already feeling the tropical heat. The temperature was clearly much higher now, than what it was in the palace garden.
Azzy crossed his arms as he watched her fixing up the dress and then her long hair. "We never got married," he pointed out, "not properly."
"Well," Ymir was about to argue when she looked down to see all that sand in between her feet. "Where are we?" She asked with much alarm. For a moment she was worried they were trapped in that cursed dimension again.
Azzy gave her a wide smile and gently lifted up one of the large tropical leaves of the sumptuous tree standing right next to them, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
"Mrs. Arlert, meet the Pacific," he joked while presenting her to the largest ocean on Earth.
He had finally gotten her there.
Admittedly, Ymir had already flown over the large oceans many times in those past couple of days, while in Titan form. But this was extremely different. Ymir's human eyes were seeing those vast waters for the very first time. Her mind was also much clearer now. She felt lighter and much happier. Ymir had actually unintentionally blocked a lot of those past two days from her memory. Her subconscious didn't want her to focus too much on her guilt and the pain she had caused. But it would all come back to her eventually.
She walked slowly, making her way in that sand, contemplating the waters. It was a beautiful scenery.
Ymir finally stopped on shore and reached down, like a curious child. She wanted to feel the waves with her hands as they arrived on the sand.
"I told you I was going to show you the ocean," Azzy said while approaching. And laughed, still with arms crossed.
Ymir stood up and turned back to face him. "It only took you two thousand years." She cleverly responded, joking of course.
"Jumping can get a bit messy," he justified while shrugging and scratching his hair. "It takes Time to perfect it," Azzy joked back.
Ymir smiled and looked towards the waves again. "This place is beautiful, where are we?"
"I'd say somewhere in the middle of the ocean, right on the other side of the world." Az supposed.
"So, away from Eldia and everything?" she asked and he nodded. "Thirteen hours away to be exact," Azzy added.
"Perfect," Ymir let out, she wanted to leave all of that trauma behind - her grief and her guilt, at least for that moment.
She turned to him with a beautiful smile. Ymir had never felt this happy before, this free. She was finally away from everything, and she was with her love. This was her true paradise. It was a joyous moment.
Az was looking up to the bright blue sky, with his hands on his hips, taking the sun in. Ymir took the opportunity, she smiled and pushed him gently, and he clumsily fell in the sand. They laughed, like children do. She then ran into the waves so he could chase after her, and chase after her he did. The couple played together in the water like they were young again, swimming together and embracing each other closely. They turned towards the infinity of blues, trying to find where the ocean ended and the sky began.
"This is too beautiful," Ymir noted while staring at that infinity.
"You are beautiful," he told her with much love while staring at her face. She turned towards him with a sweet smile and they finally kissed. The gentle, long and wet kiss they were both yearning for. No malice, no ulterior motives, no savagery, nor vassalage. Just pure and unaltered love.
They floated together, completely embraced, and Ymir rested her head on his chest, peacefully listening to his heart beating. Glad to feel him living. He leaned down once again and kissed the top of her head. They were both alive. Alive and happy.
Ymir turned her head away from the ocean horizon and towards shore. "I could spend an eternity here," she told him.
"Really? I'm already starting to feel cold," Azzy joked back to her. They swam and kissed passionately in those ocean waters for a little longer, then made their way back to shore again.
They sat on that pure white beach for some time, enjoying the moment.
"I can't believe there actually is water in this," Ymir said, completely baffled, as she continued to drink from that little coconut.
"I knew it was going to blow your mind," Azzy replied with a laugh, as he laid on the sand a little away from her. He was enjoying the sunlight with much gusto. He then raised himself up again, sitting upright. "It kills more people than sharks," he added while pointing at the small green fruit in her hands.
"What?" Ymir asked, completely confused.
Azzy laughed. "Just something I read in the library once," he explained. "That book of curiosities was actually one of my favourites when I was little," he reminisced, looking up to the blue sky again.
Ymir looked towards the ocean, a little lost. "What are sharks?" she questioned while tilting her head.
And Azzy chuckled. "Something I'm glad we don't have to worry about here. Which makes this beach a great spot for future vacations," he told her with a nice smile.
"Future…" Ymir mumbled, she turned to the ocean, quite contemplative.
Az reached down to grab some of the sand with his hands as Ymir put her little coconut to the side. He lifted up his hand, letting the sand grains fall through his fingers, just like when they were little. "Now, this is real sand," he joked. Finally finishing the point of that first conversation they had had, as small children, back in that artificial sandbox.
Ymir giggled and turned to watch the waves again. "This place is truly magical. Thank you for bringing me here," she said while turning to him again.
"Oh, this is only the beginning," he told her, already getting more excited. He approached closer. "There are so many places on Earth I want to show you! You're gonna love it," he continued, but sat back again for a moment. "But we should probably just travel by boat like normal people. I really need to cut on all that jumping," he admitted.
"Agreed," Ymir replied, truthfully.
She smiled, looking down, and passed her hands through the sand grains as well, she became more reflective and melancholic. "I bet the girls would have loved this," she finally said what they were both thinking. Ymir's grief was finding its way back to her consciousness again.
"Yes, I know they would," the father agreed.
Ymir looked to the side as the grief creeped up on her, she began to feel cold and very guilty. They both felt guilty. And silence suddenly fell upon them after the mention of their three deceased children.
"Perhaps we should only be friends now," he quietly suggested, finally breaking the silence, and she turned back towards him. "I wouldn't mind if you preferred that away," Az told her very respectfully. "We already lived our lives."
"Because risking having more children would be wrong?" She asked, trying to confirm his meaning.
The couple hadn't actually copulated yet, not since they had met in flesh again, in these new bodies. Azymondeus and Ymir had made a pact, many many years before, to leave any possibility of conception to fate and not to any devices or medicines. And it seemed unlikely for them to break that pact now.
"It would feel like betrayal, at least that's what I feel. It would feel like betraying them," the father confessed. "How do you feel?" he asked the mother.
"I don't know." She told him sincerely. "I spent so long avoiding thinking about them, I don't know how I feel. I haven't allowed myself to feel or think about any of that."
She took a moment, Ymir became very reflective.
"We began to have sex out of lust," she said. "Agreed," Azzy quickly concurred, nodding his head. Ymir continued. "And I made sure we would conceive out of my thirst for power," she admitted. "I wanted to leave a legacy and I knew our children would be different and special-"
Ymir stopped herself, she was feeling like crying, so she took a deeper breath. "And they were the ones who paid the price for my greed," she relayed, broken.
Azymondeus remained quiet, he agreed with her assessment, and he also carried much guilt himself. He felt like he had failed to protect Ymir and the girls. And he also felt deeply responsible for their deaths. He was very aware that if he hadn't taken Ymir so far into the past, they perhaps would have actually fallen in love in their own time. And perhaps even would've ended up having children in their own time.
But it was impossible to know now, and he didn't want to dwell too much on what could have been. The important thing for the grieving father now was that they were back in their own time, and that they were happy. And his guilty conscience filled him with fear of betraying his three lovely girls. That's why he felt that he and Ymir shouldn't have any more children. That was the root of his sentiment.
Ymir looked to the ocean. "We couldn't even bury them," she added quietly.
Az reached for her hand and kissed it. "But we can keep their memory," he told her softly.
They watched the waves for a little longer.
"You're my best friend, you know that right?" he asked her.
"And you don't mind being only that?" she asked back.
"No, I don't mind," he solemnly confirmed, and kissed her hand again.
"Actually, come to think of it, I'm not your best friend, Azzy. I'm your only friend," she joked.
"That's not true," he contested.
"Name another one," she challenged him and he became a little silent.
"Damn it, seriously?" he complained, he actually couldn't think of anyone else.
"I was always more sociable than you," Ymir added, chuckling.
"Are you saying I'm not your best friend?" he questioned her more seriously.
"Don't be so jealous, I'm saying I'm easier to make friends with. Of course you're my best friend, you idiot," she replied and leaned in to kiss him.
They kissed quite passionately once again.
"Do you think lust will get in the way of our first pact?" she asked after pulling away, Ymir was genuinely concerned.
Azzy was a little lost in her gaze after that kiss but he came back into his senses. "We're too old to be lustful," he joked back at her.
She quickly patted his shoulder, "we're not that old," Ymir complained.
They smiled again at each other.
"Wanna get out of here?" he asked, leaning in for yet another kiss. She smirked at him and they kissed once again.
Ymir noticed Azzy's eyes lighting up as she pulled away from the kiss. She became confused, they had just gotten there. "Why do you want to leave so soon?" Ymir asked, hoping to stay longer in her paradise.
"It's time to go, I'm sure we'll come back here again at some point," he told her.
She was hesitant as Az continued to build his energy. "We have jumped twice in the past few minutes don't you think this is dangerous?" she questioned him.
"This will be the last one, I promise," he told her. "Where we're going we won't ever have to jump across time and dimensions again. We'll stay there until the end of our lives." Az promised.
"Where are we going?" Ymir asked, confused and curious.
"Back to reality, my love," Az replied as he involved her in pure light, and they disappeared from that beach.
-.-
Paradise
Those three mighty volcanoes had erupted with all their glory in the island of Paradise, after sleeping for many millennia. The island was now covered in pure red lava that swam down like living blood through the mountains. After Forster's sacrifice, the Devil had lost contact with Earth's dimension and all of its creatures were immediately undone. And the lava cauterised any malformation left behind. The island was full of corpses and wreckage. And at the moment, was also full of Titans. Pure Titans that had been called to existence by the Founder; and Wall Titans that had been created over a hundred years before and awakened in the previous morning.
Most of those Wall Titans had already left the island, however, and were making their way to the Great Continent via the large ocean. After the goddess Ymir's final relinquishment and after she finally disconnected herself from her enormous Titan, the Pure Titans that were infesting the island ceased to exist. All those Eldians became human again, very confused and disoriented humans.
Ymir had decided to give those Eldians their humanity back. But the goddess had a completely different plan in mind for her Wall Titans. It was Ymir's last wish for her people, before she left that reality, and her powers, behind.
She wanted her children to be protected forever.
Armin's flesh had been slowly eaten away inside of his titan form. After over a day and a half of exerting so much power, his human body had begun to melt away with the heat and fuse with his Titan. His mind was deeply confused and fatigued and he could no longer keep control. And he got his orders.
The Colossal Titan let out an incredibly deafening scream. Mikasa startled while on the creature's shoulder. She frantically tried to close her ears, while kneeling down. The Ackermann swiftly carved one of her crystal swords deep into its muscles. For the whole area around her was reverberating that scream and she was trying not to fall. The Colossal Titan started to run inland and all the other gigantic creatures began to follow it. They were running fast and actually in a seemingly organised fashion.
The Phoenix Titan, the Jaw Titan and the Survey Corps soldier were all very frightened. They could not understand what was happening. All of the Wall Titans that had crossed the ocean towards the other continents were now returning to the island, and they were returning quite fast. And the others still left in Paradise were also running inland. All following the Colossal Titan. The Phoenix Titan soon held the two humans again in her claws and took flight, quickly followed by the Jaw Titan. They watched the madness from up above, completely clueless as to what was happening.
The giant creatures all behaved like one hive mind. The ones that were still marching through the Sina and northern Rose regions began to run in the opposite direction. They were all forming only one gigantic circle: a new Wall. As this formation contained Titans from the three previous Walls, it was turning out much larger than Wall Maria ever was. This one Wall would cover a much larger section of the island. Ymir wanted to give Paradise the best protection possible. That was the Original Titan's final wish, her last order as the Founder. And all the Wall Titans obliged in an instant, they all ran in unison, following the Colossal Titan's lead.
The Wall was slowly formed from the sides. Titans began joining their raised arms and recrystallising their bodies from the extreme points on East and West at the same time, and the formation of this new Wall continued going up North and down South simultaneously. The coordination of the seemingly mindless creatures was unfathomable.
The Colossal Titan proceeded running, coordinating the other creatures like they were its own herd. The Ackermann was absolutely confused and baffled. She jumped across from the creature's shoulders and up to its head, doing her best to try to communicate with her beloved, but she was clearly unsuccessful.
"Please. Can't you hear me in there? What is going on?! Why are you acting so mindless?" Mikasa asked in screams while leaning closer to the nape. But the creature only ignored her and continued to run. "Please! Armin, come on. Talk to me!" she insisted, feeling very anxious and upset. "Talk to me!" the Ackermann continued, but she got no response. She then went up to its shoulder with the help of her ODM gear, Mikasa was almost out of gas in her equipment but she didn't care. She arrived at the Colossal Titan's shoulder again and began to look forward with much attention. Mikasa was trying to determine where it was so fervently and mindlessly running to.
The Ackermann could see the Wall slowly forming in the very long distance. It was quite far away still, but the formation was so big, and those kinds of walls were so familiar to the young Ackermann that she understood what was happening right away. "Oh, no." She let out with determination. "They are not taking you away from me," she affirmed while climbing down again.
The Colossal Titan began to run even faster, mindlessly eyeing the very centre of the forming Wall. But Mikasa was not just going to give up, she had dealt with too much distress in those past couple of days alone. Now, their troubles were finally over and she was determined that she would not just survive all this ordeal alone. No. They would survive it together. "I'll go grab you in hell if I have too," she let out under her breath while cutting through all that flesh, trying to find the Titan Shifter inside that gigantic nape.
The Ackermann cut through much flesh, the Titan was burning hot and she was being burnt all over. Fortunately, Mikasa's pregnancy had given her regenerative capabilities. And her burns were the last thing on her mind. The experienced Survey Corps soldier was more than determined: she was going to take Armin out of there.
She jumped out with her ODM gear from side to side, making skilful manoeuvres and cutting deep through the flesh. She jumped in and out over and over again, as fast as she could, before the creature could begin to regenerate again. Her target was very deep inside that hideous and extremely hot creature, and Mikasa was starting to get angry. Her anger only fuelled her determination further. Mikasa had always hated the Colossal Titan. From the moment it destroyed Shiganshina, to the day it killed Armin. And hated it even further when Armin himself had to be turned into the thing. "You are not taking him away from me," she told the Titan, breathlessly. She hated the creature and she hated the curse. Mikasa was done with it all.
The Ackermann thought of their good moments, of their happy childhood and now happy family. She thought of their wedding and of the day they finally saw the ocean together. She thought about their Lighthouse. 'We'll grow old together there,' she wished with all her heart. And continued to cut through until she finally found the human inside all that flesh and heat. The Ackermann swiftly cut him out from all those titan fibres and pulled him out with all her might.
She was right on time. The Wall was already being crystallised right in front of them. She yanked Armin out and the Colossal Titan's carcass immediately fell with the inertia, right in front of where it should have stood. The new Wall was not completely sealed as a result of that.
Mikasa jumped out high in the air with the last propulsion of her ODM gear, as the unconscious Armin fell away from her arms and down in the other direction. The Ackermann quickly reacted and released one of her grappling hooks towards him. The hook lodged in Armin's right side with much force and that pain immediately brought him back into consciousness. He woke up with the startle, to see that sunsetting sky high above him. Armin immediately realised that he was seeing the sky with his human eyes: he was finally out of his Titan. The Ackermann swiftly pulled him by the hook that was firmly lodged in his insides; guiding them towards the forming Wall as the two last Titans were crystallising the area where the Colossal Titan should have been.
They landed on the top of the newly formed Wall, in that sunset. The Ackermann landed firmly on the freshly formed grey crystal, while Arlert's body slid then rolled to the side, almost falling on the edge. But the Ackermann swiftly held the hook so he would stop before that precipice. She then naturally pulled the grappling hook back again, and the pain of that metal object now leaving his insides woke up Armin even more.
He slowly reached towards the edge and looked down, his skin and much of his muscles still regenerating in all that signature Titan steam. Armin was slowly coming back to his full conscience, and he stared deeply down below, very reflective. He raised himself up slightly and kneeled, reaching down to his stomach, to make sure all his organs were still intact down there. His internal organs were not in the best shape and he could feel it. But he was quickly regenerating, so he didn't mind Mikasa's brutality with that sharp grappling hook. It had saved him after all, she had saved him. If she hadn't been so hell-bent on rescuing him, he would have been trapped in that Wall for the foreseeable future; so Armin was eternally grateful.
Mikasa stood up, she was glad to see that he was breathing, and moving. The steam of his regeneration rose up in the air and into the sunset. The fight, all that war, it was finally over. Mikasa was still shaken, that had all been a lot. Especially those last moments. She stared at the sunsetting horizon, and at the Paradisian shore in the far distance. The Ackermann removed her crystal helmet as she slowly kneeled down on that Wall, concentrating on the sunset. She rested the tiny remains of her last blade over her knees and took a deep breath.
Armin looked towards her. He could see a lonely tear falling down her worried face as he reflectively touched and analysed his wounded side. Arlert tilted his head. "I'm sorry about that, I don't know what came over me," he timidly expressed, and looked down at the hole left in the new Wall again. He held his head, still feeling confused. "I was supposed to be the door, that was the witch's last command." Armin relayed.
"And you had to obey it?" Mikasa swiftly questioned while turning towards him.
Armin shrugged, still timidly. "I couldn't stop myself, I don't know why. It was like I couldn't think," he tried to explain. "Thank you for not giving up on me," he told her with a sincere smile. "I owe you my life."
"You are my life," Mikasa replied.
"You are my life," Armin repeated, reciprocally.
Mikasa turned to the small blade over her knees again, and continued staring at it reflectively. It was what was left from the sword she had used to cut him out of that cursed Titan: her last blade. Her heart was still beating extremely fast. That amount of desperation was a feeling she never wanted to have to feel again. Never again.
"No more," Mikasa said, she stood up and swiftly threw the blade to the side. Armin followed it with his eyes as it slowly made its way down the gigantic wall. "I'm done fighting." Mikasa relayed quite firmly.
The mother had decided, she no longer wanted this life for herself. She had never wanted it in the first place. All she wanted was to protect her brother and then her friends. The soldier had made a pledge to protect the citizens of the Walls and she had felt fulfilment in her duty. But the emotional stress of those last few years had crushed her fighting spirit. All she wanted now was to arrive back at her Lighthouse and enjoy a sunny day with her husband and their small son and unborn daughter. Mikasa wanted peace.
The young Ackermann stood firmly on that Wall and began to remove all of her crystal armour, also throwing those pieces down below; as Armin observed her arms quickly regenerating the burns. The Ackermann's regenerating capabilities were much faster than a Titan Shifter's. He tilted his head, confused for a moment, but he quickly remembered her current state. "That's right," he mumbled. They were about to have their second child.
Armin tried to stand up to walk closer to her, but he was still extremely weak, so he contorted in pain instead. Mikasa startled and immediately came towards him. "I'll be alright, just give me a couple of minutes," he told her charmingly, but clearly in pain as she rushed over and held both of his muscle-bared hands. Armin was also regenerating fast, but his entire body had been severely injured.
They were both tired of all that mess and they were both glad it was finally over. Armin looked up for a moment. "Can you see that?" He asked her, pointing upwards, towards the thin layer of energy that was colourfully shining while reflecting the orange sunset light.
"Yes," Mikasa replied while she followed his eyes. "Faintly," she added.
"I wonder what that means," Arlert cogitated, confused but also very curious.
The new Wall of Paradise was seventy metres tall, and much larger and longer than the previous three ones. It had been made taller by the Wall Titans raising their arms up while holding hands to crystallise themselves. The supposed door was now open, for where the Colossal Titan should have stood now only laid thinner layers of grey and white crystal spiking around like icy spears into a spiderweb. But that didn't mean that anyone could just pass, for Arlert and Ackermann could both see that thin layer of otherworldly energy covering that door like a veil. It was almost completely invisible, but not quite, at least not for Eldians. The sons and daughters of Ymir could all see the thin veil, and they were also the only ones who could pass through that magical barrier without losing their lives. Something the Marlean troops still inside of the Wall were about to find out.
The immense and invisible dome covered all of the area within the Wall like it was a true sanctuary. That force field also protected the area below from any airborne attacks. The only things able to pass through besides Eldians were animals and the rain. Just nature and nothing else.
The three volcanoes were all inside of the Wall, and they were still spewing lava everywhere. A lava that would soon turn all that land into incredibly fertile fields. Paradise Island was on its way into a new era, it was becoming truly that: a paradise.
Armin stared at Mikasa's face as she confusedly analysed that strange dome. He was admiring her beauty. While she, on the other hand, was clearly distracted by those three bursting volcanoes in the far distance. She was quite curious to know what all that was, quite frankly. But Armin was more focused on her ingenuous and angelical face. She finally turned towards him again and was surprised to see his dumbfounded stare. Mikasa smiled. And leaned in to kiss him.
They happily and passionately kissed on top of the Wall, and later turned to watch that sunset. Both quite delighted and serene, watching the sun go away and the moon quietly beginning to shine more and more.
And in between the night-falling clouds, they saw that gigantic bird. The Jaw Titan was cruising the skies in that area, probably looking for them.
Armin finally turned to Mikasa again, after all those minutes of pure elated silence. "Let's go home," he told her while looking deep into her eyes.
Mikasa tilted her head, "we need to-" the mother began to say and he completed her sentence: "get Azzy first. I know."
She stood up slowly and the father took that moment to kiss her stomach. Armin smiled, looking up at her while standing up as well. "Do you think these two will get along?" the father asked, quite curious about the future and wondering what their son and daughter's relationship would be like.
"Oh, I know they'll be best friends," the mother swiftly replied, while also smiling. "Or I'll make them be," she added more seriously, with a dash of her dry Ackermann humour.
Armin chuckled and looked up to the sky. He followed the flying Jaw Titan with his eyes and whistled quite loudly, calling Falco's attention. The Warrior turned and finally sighted the two Survey Corps soldiers. So he began to fly towards them.
Mikasa looked down, Armin was still regenerating slowly but most of his skin was back. Except for the larger wound on his side and that strange gash full of Titan Crystal running all across his right hand and arm. She lifted up his arm and looked at it closer. The tiny specks of crystal were slowly coming out from the wound as it healed, like stardust raising up in the night air.
She looked quite confused while staring at it. "Oh, right," Armin let out as he noticed her curiosity. He lifted the arm even closer to his face. "I'm glad this is finally fading away. I hope it will disappear completely once I finally regenerate," he expressed while opening and closing his right hand and analysing the cursed wound.
"How did you get your arm damaged like that while inside the Titan?" his wife questioned, quite confused and worried about that strange wound. It made her feel eerie.
"Not inside the Titan per se," Arlert began to explain. "But in the Titan Realm. I made a blood pact with Eren while we were there and it transcended into the real world, it seems," he continued while still analysing the deep gash in his hand.
"You made a what with who?" Mikasa asked in pure alarm.
"It was for us to combine our powers so we could produce enough crystal to hold the island together," he tried to justify it but Mikasa still looked baffled. She knew any type of deal with Eren could not be a good thing. And a blood pact sounded horrific to her.
"Well, it's all over with now," Armin insisted.
The Jaw Titan finally landed next to them. "The witch is dead," he informed, sounding quite relieved.
"It is over," Mikasa let out, also relieved but perplexed at the same time.
"Truly over," Armin firmly added, confirming it while looking deep into her eyes.
She reached and held his right hand very tightly, hoping that horrid gash would go away as soon as possible. Mikasa took a deep and worried breath.
Arlert looked up to the Jaw Titan again. "Are you alright in there?" he questioned the boy.
"I feel just fine. You don't look very good, sir. But I can see you're regenerating so it's clearly fine too," Falco commented.
"I'm regenerating because I left my Titan before the Wall was formed. And hopefully for the last time," he added while turning to Mikasa, feeling very grateful. "It seems the Eldian curse has been broken," he continued firmly. "We should get you out of there soon, and hope your human body is not too damaged after all this," Arlert insisted.
"Like I said, I feel just fine, sir," Falco insisted. "And I was tasked with finding you both, so-" he added.
"Where are the others?" Mikasa questioned the boy.
"They went looking for a hospital to take Mr. Braun, he was not doing so good. I hope he'll recover." Falco expressed.
"Alright, so now you found us. You should leave the Titan-" Armin began to argue but stopped himself. He looked down from the edge. "As soon as you take us down from up here, of course," Armin added with a nervous smile.
"Wait." Mikasa interjected while holding his arm. She turned to Falco. "Do you think you can take us to the farm?"
"What farm?" the boy questioned.
"The Queen's farm. It's all the way in the Rose region," Arlert explained further.
The Jaw Titan shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure," he agreed, and leaned down so the couple could climb onto him.
They flew away, and Arlert could then see the full extension of that immense Wall. The Colossal Titan's carcass was still disintegrating away at where the 'door' should have been. Where he should have stood. That made Armin extremely reflective and a little uneasy.
-.-
It was all over with.
In the crystal dimension the toddler was still holding newborn Ymir in his arms. Azzy looked down after silence finally fell upon them. The newborn baby had stopped crying. The hideous tree roots had finally left her. Those strange roots had fallen on the ground and were now disintegrating into crystal dust, rising up in the air.
Azzy looked down in love and childhood innocence as he cradled the tiny baby. Ymir seemed exhausted, and she had again fallen asleep in his safe arms. So he held her even closer.
-.-
It was truly all over with.
Eren was being choked by the goddess' own hand. Her Titan's fingernails beginning to cut through his own human neck, inside of his titan form. When suddenly everything stopped. Hitch was aiming the rifle closely, looking straight at that newborn baby boy. Terrified about what she was about to do, but assured by the baby's own mother that this was the only way to end all that evil. Hitch was ready to pull that trigger, when everything stopped. The odd flying Titan that was crushing Yeager's chest stopped moving and was beginning to steam out and the tiny baby also stopped emitting all that evil purple energy all around them. Ezra's eyes ceased to be blackened, and turned clear blue once again. And the baby started to cry, he cried quite loudly for his mother. This had been a difficult day for that small human, and it was only his first day on Earth.
Historia was very weak, the Queen still had red marks around her neck and arms; from the evilness that had taken over that tree and had made it hold her down. She looked towards the crystallised, but now disintegrating Titan hand that had trapped her newborn baby son. Historia clearly wanted to hold him. So Gabrielle quickly jumped into action and ran to fetch the tiny baby for his mother to hold. Although the baby was wrapped in all that crystal, Gabi didn't have any trouble picking him up. For the crystal was turning into glassy dust as the Titan disintegrated. The odd Titan Fibres that also held Ezra into Ymir's hand, connecting the twins through their spines, had also fallen away. In the very same way and at the very same time as the light roots had fallen out from the newborn Ymir in the crystal dimension.
The Eldian Queen reached out to hold her precious baby son as the small girl offered the boy to her. Historia was finally at peace. She cradled Ezra tenderly in her arms and he eventually stopped crying.
Both the War-Hammer-Attack Titan and the Female Titan stood up once again. Eren took a moment to see the other Titan's reaction, worried that it might still be possessed. But the Female Titan seemed to behave normally. So he looked down, to assess the situation with his daughter Ymir. He gently removed the Titan's hand out from his own Titan's chest cavity and Ymir's Titan's arm disintegrated and crumbled in his Titan's hand. The sudden and odd crumbling disturbed and saddened Eren unexpectedly. The Titan was clearly steaming out completely, meaning she was no longer in control of it. Eren wondered what had happened to her. It seemed his angel was gone forever. Yeager felt deep grief in that moment. The War-Hammer-Attack Titan gently kneeled down and caressed the disintegrating Titan's blonde hair. He looked at those lifeless green eyes quite tenderly and closed them gently. Eren stayed there for a moment, deeply grieving. But also happy to see how serene Historia was as she could finally hold Ezra again.
Eren then turned his attention towards the now crystallised orphanage. The building had lost two floors in those bombings but the floor where the Queen's quarters resided was still there, and that was all that mattered to him. The father hoped his newborn baby daughter was there, still in Historia's room, in her lovely crib. 'I wonder how long I'll have you with me, my angel,' Eren thought. He had no idea when Ymir would fall into the past. He just knew it would eventually happen and that there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it.
The War-Hammer-Attack Titan then stood up, ready to aid the others.
Annie was feeling quite confused. She woke up again while still in her Titan and was now slowly coming back to her senses. The Female Titan looked around those fields. She noticed that there were no Wall Titans marching in that area anymore. And that the marlean fleet was nowhere to be seen, apart from those dirigibles that had already fallen. The Warrior then turned to watch the volcano erupting in the distance, quite contemplative.
Levi ran across all that wreckage. He was covered in cinder and dust and was desperately looking for Hange. He finally saw what he believed to be part of her uniform so he lifted up a whole beam and many other wooden poles and burnt bricks to reach her. Digging deep into that debris until he finally reached her hand. It was clearly warm, so he was relieved.
The Commander came out coughing and completely covered in dirt. "Are you alright?!" Levi asked her, extremely worried. Hange looked up and into his eyes, and just hugged him very tight. The Ackermann was stunned for a moment, but he soon hugged his dear old friend back.
It was over.
-.-
Maria was staring into the sunset. Peacefully watching and admiring the beauty of those orange rays. The previous Jaw Titan holder had had quite an eventful day. Her ghostly figure sat on top of that freshly created Wall, quite reflective. She looked down, into her translucent hands, a little amused. The elders of the church used to tell stories about the last day of October. And how it was a deeply spiritual day: the day when Heaven met Earth. They believe it was the goddess Ymir's birthday and that this was the reason for the dimensions to touch. "And as it turned out, those crazies weren't completely wrong," Maria mumbled in pure amusement as she admired the Paradisian sunset. She dangled her legs on the dangerous heights and enjoyed the dusk.
She was amused to somehow be in that situation: now being a ghost herself. Her amusement was quickly gone however, and she began to feel saddened and a little empty. For she could feel that she had lost the connection with the Titan Realm completely. And she had no idea of what would be of her existence next. The lonely orphan sighed. Taking the dusk in, and hoping to keep it in her memory.
"How did I find myself in this mess?" she then let out, thinking of how crazy her life on Earth had been, and how even crazier her existence in the Titan Realm was.
"Hi!" she suddenly heard that childish voice right next to her. It eerily sounded like a young Historia, so it really startled her. "I'm Maria," the small ghostly girl continued, presenting herself very cheerfully.
The woman tilted her head. "So am I," she cleverly replied and the small ghost smiled even wider.
"Do you want to come with me?" the girl asked, offering her hand.
That lonely orphan looked down, staring deeply into that tiny translucent hand. She looked up at the girl and smiled back. "Yes," the older Maria confirmed, and held the small girl's hand.
They both immediately turned into pure white light and shot up into the sky like beautiful stars.
-.-
The sun was setting.
The young orphans in that farm were still very frightened. They were still there: trapped in pure darkness. All of the available torches had gone out, and the rarefied air was difficult to breathe.
They suddenly saw sunlight again as the War-Hammer-Attack Titan and the Female Titan lifted the wreckage of the burnt building that was on top of that basement. The night was already falling but it was still vastly better than being trapped in complete darkness. All the children came out, happy to breathe all that pure air in, feeling much more hopeful.
Eren immediately kneeled his Titan down and began to remove himself from it, also finally breathing the fresh dusk air with his own human lungs. All the children were seeing hero Titans for the first time, and they were mesmerised. "It's Eren Yeager!" A few of them shouted and they all ran towards him, all very cheerful and happy. They all surrounded him and hugged him while the three nuns tried her best to count and make sure the orphan children were all there. Eren was a little lost and discomposed with all the naive attention but it deeply warmed his heart after that sudden rush of grief. He looked at Historia with Ezra under that tree and at the third floor of the building, where he hoped Ymir to be. He smiled, the father was enjoying that sudden rush of love from those impressionable kids, but he wanted to hug his own children. His newborn twins.
Annie finally removed herself from her Titan as well and immediately looked a little scared after that wave of children also came her way; all very dazzled by those giant creatures and the humans inside.
"They are all here, fifty-two," one of the surviving nuns informed the others in relief. It was easier to count as they were all closed together, surrounding the two Titan Shifters.
"Fifty-two?" an older nun questioned the counting. There were fifty-two children enrolled in the Queen's main orphanage at that time, but only a couple of days before, one more child had been added to the counting. "Not fifty-three?" the old woman asked.
The two other surviving nuns seemed confused. "The small boy Officer Ackermann brought us, that makes fifty-three," she further explained, reminding them.
The women looked around, searching among the children. "Do you think he's the one missing?" the younger nun asked, they all seemed very worried.
The children were soon escorted to the great hall of the main building, so the nuns could analyse all of them better and make sure everything was in order. They didn't make any fuss about having one child possibly missing. The experienced and stern women wanted to be completely sure first. And they also secretly hoped that the boy was hiding somewhere in the building and not dead - which was more probable.
"Very good. This was all very well handled. You almost seem human now," Hitch joked while walking towards Annie, applauding and laughing. She was surprised to see the Warrior carrying so much, even for the children. All the orphans were running towards the building now, after being called to assemble in the main hall.
Annie watched the children leave, secretly happy for them having survived. She turned to Hitch in pure annoyance. She did not seem very amused, but Hitch just kept laughing.
"Do I get a pardon yet?" She asked very coldly and in deep irony; while tilting her head and finally removing her left arm from her Titan's fibres completely.
Only then the giant thing began to disintegrate. She felt dizzy for a brief moment, and very cold. Leonhart looked up to the sunsetting sky and down to the steaming out Titan. She wondered if this meant she was finally free from it, and from her curse. The Warrior then began to walk away from the carcass.
Hitch crossed her arms. "Well, we'll see about that, for now-" she proceeded with her joking tone.
"You'll take me back to prison?" Annie interrupted her with the question.
"I wonder if there's any prison left standing on the island. I wonder if there's anything left standing, really," Hitch then argued, reflective.
Annie walked closer towards her, seemingly quite vexed. "You shouldn't have added Marlo to that list," she told her old friend. Annie still remembered the list well and thought it was completely unfair for Hitch to blame her for Marlo's death. His name would sting the most whenever Hitch recited the list back to her over the years.
Hitch stopped laughing, this had caught her off guard. All those years she was never really sure if Annie was listening, but she clearly was.
Leonhart just walked away, taking quite a distance from the MP.
"Where are you going?" Hitch shouted from the distance.
"I don't know, maybe I'll walk into a volcano," Annie shouted back in annoyance. The Warrior just felt like walking, so she kept going.
"What?" Hitch questioned, confused. She had no idea what a volcano was.
The volcano in question was still slowly erupting in the distance. It was the closest one to the Reiss Lands and it was beautifully illuminating the sunsetting sky. Mixing a flaming red into all the oranges, pinks and light and dark blues. And also heating up an otherwise cold evening in Paradise.
Eren watched as the children ran towards the now crystallised building. He smiled, feeling very light. The nuns were shouting for the orphans to rush inside and promising them a hot dinner. Luckily the basement where they were hiding all that day was now opened again and there was where the orphanage's pantry was located; meaning all their food was intact. The children felt very happy and safe as they watched the nuns lighting up the fireplace to bring them heat and to later prepare them soup.
All the children were inside and had once again been counted: only fifty-two. The Ackermann boy was still missing.
Yeager turned to the fields again, contemplative. "You did good, my boy," he suddenly heard. Eren immediately turned to see his mother Carla standing next to him.
"Very good," she said. The ghostly mother looked quite happy and proud.
"Is it really you this time? A-Are you really here?" He asked, confused and worried. Eren felt like a small boy once again.
Carla tilted her ghostly head. "Of course, I've been watching you from the start," she revealed.
"Now I should gather my girls and get going," the mother said as they turned to watch Sina and Rose cheerfully playing tag around the bright green grass. They laughed joyously, a laugh that warmed Eren's heart. "They surely have enjoyed this outing," Carla commented with her son, smiling.
"Will I see you again?" Eren asked his mother, sounding very naive and small.
Carla smiled warmly at him. "Yes, I hope so," she replied and chuckled. "But let's hope it takes many, many years," she wished. Carla hoped her son would live a very long life on Earth.
Eren smiled, he looked down, reflective. He could feel how different it was to actually talk to his mother instead of that awful, devilish illusion he had experienced before. This was real and he could finally say goodbye to her. Something he had wished for since that dreadful day.
"You are free, Eren," his mother told him. "Free to live."
Carla turned to watch Historia lovingly cradling that newborn baby under that tree. "Have a good life, my son," she wished. "A very long one."
She held Eren's face tenderly. Her physical structure was quite different from any earthly flesh, but Eren could still feel his mother's hand warmly touching his face. "Be happy, that's all I ask," Carla softly said and Eren nodded, holding her hand close to his cheek. "Goodbye, my boy," she wished.
Carla smiled at him and then disappeared, shooting up into the sky very brightly, and followed by the two small girls. All looking like pure stars.
"Goodbye, mother," Eren whispered, staring longingly into the sunsetting sky. The lost boy finally let his mother go. After many years lost in his grief, Eren felt as if a weight had been lifted. He felt happy and genuinely free.
He stared at that sunsetting sky for a moment longer, then walked towards the tree. He stopped to admire Historia being so tender with their newborn. Eren felt lighter, he felt free, and hopeful for the future.
Eren became intrigued to see that once bushy but small tree now so dry and strangely scorched and still burning, he tilted his head, observing it.
The evening was falling and the cold was setting in. Gabi had come over and had given the Queen a blanket, the young girl was still concerned with that shaken and tired mother and what she had been through.
"Scram," Eren told the girl, pointing backwards. Yeager was still annoyed with that small Warrior's mere existence.
Gabi quickly ran off, back towards the nuns and the orphanage children and Historia looked up at him with a small smile.
"I think she looks a lot like you," the Queen commented, while fixing up the blanket with one hand and holding the newborn baby with the other. Historia gently shivered. The night was arriving and the temperature was quickly dropping.
"Ergh, don't say that," Eren complained back to her while looking towards Gabi running in the distance.
Historia looked down with much love, holding the baby in her arms very tenderly. "Do you think he looks like you?" she softly asked.
Eren kneeled down gently in front of her, also looking down and admiring the tiny child. He reached to hold Ezra's tiny hand. "I think he looks very red," the father commented with a small chuckle.
"Well, he had a difficult first day on this Earth," Historia defended the tiny boy. "We all had a difficult day today," she added, looking around her destroyed home.
The orphanage building was completely scorched, even with all the crystal surrounding the structure. And the side building was nothing but shambles now. It was a mixture of black bricks, scorched wood and waves of transparent glass that reflected the night sky and the burning vegetation surrounding the Queen's childhood farm.
Alma's favourite tree was also scorched and had lost most of its leaves, the tree burned small flakes of fire instead. And the volcanic ash was slowly falling down on the region, like black snowflakes.
The volcano closest to the Reiss Lands was still on fire and it was illuminating the dusk sky beautifully, almost competing and clearly winning from the still arriving, but full, moon.
"How are you feeling?" Eren asked his love.
"Alive," Historia replied with a small chuckle. "That's what matters," she said, smiling brokenly.
Yeager gently leaned in close and she brought the boy closer to him, so the father could take a better look. Eren seemed deeply concentrated as he watched his baby son sleeping soundly in Historia's arms. He felt truly elated.
Ezra began to wake up again and make small crying sounds.
"It's okay, baby, it's okay. I'm right here," Historia softly comforted him, cradling the baby gently. "It's all over now, I will never let anything cause you any harm ever again." She softly promised as the baby slowly opened his clear blue eyes.
"Ezra, meet your father. He's been protecting you all this time," Historia softly told him, smiling purely. Eren smiled as well and caressed the tiny boy's head. The father giggled, he never thought he would feel this much love for such a tiny piece of living flesh before.
He looked up at Historia smiling and kissed her very passionately. And his lover kissed him back in equal measure - with much love and relief. That evil and traumatic day was finally all over with.
They were locked on each other's gaze for a while as Eren reflexively played with Ezra's tiny fingers. They both looked down, to admire their baby son.
Eren felt quite proud. He was a father now. "Thank you for choosing me over the witch," his beloved sweetly commented, clearly very grateful as she cradled their boy.
"What?" Eren lifted up his head and asked her with pure confusion.
Historia looked at him very lovingly. "You could have gone with her and destroyed the entire world, like you told me you would," she reminded him. "But you decided to come back here and protect me instead, and our son."
Eren had no idea what had happened with that Rumbling, especially now that Ezra and Ymir had been separated again.
"And now the immense Wall will protect us. It will protect the island forever," Historia added, looking down to their son. "We'll never have to worry again," she softly added.
"What wall?" Yeager asked the Eldian Queen, still extremely confused and also curious.
"The new Wall. The witch told me all about it," Historia naively explained. "She left it with a magical barrier that will protect us from any outside threats. And we are free to come and go as we please, at least those with Eldian blood."
"You talked with the… witch..?" Eren asked her, still confused and even more curious now. "How?"
"She came to me in a dream… or a vision, I don't know how to explain really. The goddess Ymir," Historia fumbled. "Not our baby Ymir of course, or our old friend Ymir, whom my Ymir is named after. But the one from the past."
"She talked to you?" Eren asked with a small smile, he raised his eyebrows in light amusement.
"Yes," Historia replied. "Do you think that's too strange?" she asked.
"Well, not really," Yeager replied. "You are a Fritz," he noted. Eren curiously tilted his head. "What does she look like?" he asked.
"Honestly? A lot like my mother. But I don't want to get into that," Historia relayed. "It was probably just my exhausted brain making a blender out of everything."
She looked up to that scorched tree and its now fiery leaves, thinking of her mother, contemplative. They both turned to see the volcano exploding yet again, it had been doing that for a few hours now, and it would keep doing it for a few days.
The ashes began to fall in greater quantities now, like a light black snowstorm.
"What is that?" Historia questioned while holding her hand up and letting some of the black flakes fall into her palm.
"Ashes from the volcano," Eren replied.
"How do you know? We've never seen anything like it before," Historia asked.
"I haven't, but someone in my Attack Titan line must've at some point," Eren explained. He became worried as the ashes began falling heavily, carried by the strong dusk winds. "We should get you inside," he noted and motioned to carry her up.
"Inside? The roof of that building is gone," Historia noted humorously.
"Yes, but it's getting too cold out here," Eren replied and stood up firmly, carrying her in his arms.
Historia held the newborn closer, securing him safely as Eren carried her in his arms. The puerperal woman was still bleeding away, a lot of it staining her nightgown, but also a lot staining the bright green grass. Before she was carried back to the warm and clean safety of her Royal Quarters, the Eldian Queen had left a pool of blood and also her newborn son's afterbirth over that grass; all which would serve as good fertiliser for her mother's favourite tree. It would soon revive it completely and the small, bushy tree would soon grow into a large and exuberant wonder.
Yeager walked carefully, carrying the Queen and the newborn boy all the way to the orphanage building, hoping to keep them both warm and to finally check on the newborn girl. He hoped Ymir would be sound asleep, safe in the Queen's private quarters. But unfortunately, he would not find her there.
Ymir was still in a completely different dimension.
.
All the dirigibles near the farm had fallen. They had been taken down by those odd flying Titans that were wreaking havoc all over the island. Onyankopon saw when that one dirigible went down, the one commanded by the good old man who had helped them greatly. The pilot then decided to fly in that direction and try to rescue anyone he could. He touched down near all the flaming wreckage and tried to walk through all the fire and debris. It wasn't easy, all the dirigibles were very similar and so far, he had only found dead, burnt bodies. But the man didn't give up, he walked around the burning field shouting, calling for survivors. It was difficult for his voice to be heard, for all the Wall Titans were still trampling nearby.
He finally found the one dirigible that did not have a Marlean insignia on the side. Onyankopon was suddenly confident that this was the one. There was a large explosion at the centre of the island, followed by many loud tremors and the sudden eruption of the three ancient volcanoes. All the odd flying Titans were gone, and so were the Pure Titans. And the Wall Titans were gathering together to create the new Wall. All while the pilot was looking for survivors, trying to navigate the large and burning wreckage of that dirigible. He felt upset to see so many burnt bodies. What Onyankopon didn't know was that the surviving Marlean soldiers had run to the woods after their dirigibles went down. They wanted to protect themselves from the Titans. The frightened men were scared of that island in general. They had grown up with many awful legends about that place; and so far, Paradise had shown itself to be as dangerous as they thought. Those men would only be found in those woods days, even months later.
The only survivor left behind was Quail. The old man saw no reason for running, he had come to the past to die anyway. He just hoped he had succeeded. The young pilot walked on that burning deck to find the old captain still seated on his chair. The man had burns all over, and cuts as well, for the large glass windows had shattered right in front of him. Old Onyankopon was having trouble breathing, he knew he was finally going. So he closed his eyes and thought of his love, and of their precious son. The man was ready to find peace.
The much younger Onyankopon immediately rushed to his aid and began to carry the man out of that wreckage, to the sudden surprise of his older and otherworldly counterpart.
"Don't worry, I'm gonna get you some help, just stay with me," the young pilot told the old captain as he gently dragged him out of the burning wreckage. "You'll survive this."
"I'll make sure you'll survive this, don't worry. Just keep breathing, stay with me, come on," young Onyankopon kept giving the old, injured man words of reassurance as he carefully dragged him through the green grass. Trying to find a safer spot where they could stop and he could check the extent of the old man's wounds.
He gently laid the old captain against a large rock, away from danger. The old man was breathing heavily, his face and upper body were deeply burned and filled with large lacerations from the glass. The young man kneeled in front of him, deeply concerned but trying not to show. "Don't worry. You'll survive this, I'll make sure. Just stay conscious. I know you'll survive this," he continued with his words of reassurance.
Old Onyankopon smiled. "I already have," he told his younger self. The old man looked up to the sunsetting sky.
"That sky is so beautiful, this whole world is breathtaking. I'll miss it," he disclosed.
"Don't say that, we'll get you through it," young Onyankopon reassured the dying man.
"You already got me through it," old Onyankopon replied, breathing heavily. He seemed in peace with his fate.
The young man seemed confused and extremely upset to see this old man dying in front of him. Tears fell down his cheeks, this was a difficult moment.
"I didn't live in the best of worlds, but I made the best of it," the old man said, and reached out with difficulty, pointing at the young man's heart then reaching for his hand. "I lived a good life, even with all the troubles. Now you need to promise me you'll live a good life too, so I can go out in peace."
The young pilot held the old man's hand, he was lost for words.
Time finally changed.
The old man slowly began to disintegrate into speckles of blue dust. He was ceasing to exist, at least in that form. It was a strange feeling, certainly different from dying but equally cold. Regardless, the man was extremely happy: it had worked. Time had changed and the reality that he had come from, that he had been born in, was no more. Time had begun anew. Old Onyankopon smiled.
"This sacrifice was worth it," he declared with a slurred voice but quite triumphantly.
"Don't say that, we'll get you help. You can give up on your life now," the younger man tried to counter him.
"Listen to me. You have to keep living," the old man advised. "I'll be gone soon, but now it's up to you. My life is over but your life is only beginning. Live a good life now, will you? Go around this big world and enjoy seeing it, all the colours, all the beauty, all the life. Just live, for the both of us."
The old man disappeared from existence, he was completely gone like brightly blue stardust floating through the wind. And the young pilot was staggered, just completely lost for words. He couldn't really understand what he was witnessing, but he would never forget the old man's last words, his last advice.
Onyankopon looked confusedly at all that otherworldly dust floating away and slowly fading, he looked down a held his head. "I must've hit my head hard and got a concussion," he quietly cogitated. He then thought about it and quickly reached for O-7's gun. He took out the futuristic-looking pistol and was completely shocked to see it disappearing as well. It was disintegrating into Time, just like the old man was.
It crumbled completely on his hand, to the young pilot's complete bewilderment. All of the people and things Azymondeus had brought with him from that broken timeline were now disintegrating in this new one. All the pilots' corpses and all the future machinery, anything that had been left. It was all gone. All crumbled into that otherworldly stardust.
Onyan was flabbergasted and very confused, he turned and slowly rested his back on that large rock, sitting down with his hands on his spread out knees, he held his head in confusion, and also sadness. He stared down intently at the green grass around his feet and at those tiny golden flowers dancing with the wind, reflecting on the old man's last and wise words.
"You're bleeding," Annie noted, and he startled. Onyankopon was so lost in his thoughts and so bemused that he hadn't noticed her standing right in front of him. The pilot looked up. "Your forehead," the Warrior added, signalling with her small handkerchief.
He reached up to check the blood. "I didn't even notice it," Onyan replied gently, and with a nervous chuckle; while wiping some of the blood and checking it with his hand. "I was right about the concussion then," he mumbled as he took the handkerchief she was offering and began to pressure the wound with it.
She sat down next to him, also leaning on the large rock. Annie looked up to the beautiful skies.
"What a day," Onyan commented next to her.
"That's an understatement," Annie replied, cold but sarcastically.
He let out a small smile while checking to see if the blood had stanched. The small, white piece of cloth was covered in red. "I guess I'll keep this," he told her humorously.
"Are you hurt?" Annie asked, concerned, "beyond the small wound in your forehead," she added.
"I'm not sure, probably not," he replied and began to stretch his rigid and tired arms. "But I'll certainly feel all of it tomorrow," he noted, also humorously.
Annie let out a small laugh and he turned to her with a smile. "At least there will be a tomorrow," she commented. Annie looked again to the sunset, feeling relieved.
The Warrior felt different, she felt lighter and she hoped this feeling meant she was finally free from that horrible curse. For the first time in all those years, she wanted to live. Annie was glad to be alive. She was happy. Genuinely.
"What a beauty. Isn't it?" Onyankopon noted while staring into the horizon as well. The imposing volcano was spewing fire and lava in all its might.
Annie smiled.
They stayed there a little longer, enjoying the view.
-.-
Levi methodically washed his arms and face. "I'm glad all the explosions didn't stop the running water," he let out from near one of the building's sinks. Levi hoped for a nice shower, but they still had much to do, so it would have to wait.
"Captain Ackermann," one of the nuns called his attention, coming his way as Levi, also methodically, dried his hands and face.
"Just 'Levi' is fine," he told the woman.
"I'm sorry, sir, but your son is missing. We have looked everywhere. He's the only child unaccounted for," she told him, looking quite desperate while delivering those news.
Levi let out a small smile as he finished drying his hands. "He's my nephew, and I'm not surprised," the uncle relayed, looking a little amused. "I'm sure he'll show up eventually. He's quite clever, that little one. And a true wayward."
"But, sir, shouldn't we be worried? Considering the circumstances," the nun questioned.
The consequences of that erratic day were still all over the farm. The few soldiers left were hiding away the corpses, they were all doing their best to shield the children from that war scenario.
"He only disappeared now. I can assure you: the Ackermann boy was accounted for when we evacuated the children this morning," the younger nun interjected, hoping the boy was lost only after all that battle and terror. "I counted him with all the others after we had already shielded ourselves in the basement," she firmly argued.
Levi looked away, considering that information. He knew well that doors didn't necessarily stop his nephew and he began to wonder where he could have gone. "I'll help you look," he replied, ready to take action.
-.-
Eren arrived at the Queen's Royal Quarters and carefully placed Historia over her large bed. She gently kissed him on the cheek as a thank you and better positioned the baby boy in her arms.
Historia joyfully held the newborn Ezra, while lying on that bed. And the two parents smiled at each other. Eren then gently sat on the bed as well and kissed her passionately.
Ezra was sleeping peacefully once again. The father smiled in relief while looking at this newborn baby son: his second child. He was safe and sound. Yeager then looked up and scanned the room, he was feeling quite confused. He stood up again and went over to the already prepared and quite beautiful royal crib. It was empty.
"Historia, where's Ymir?" he asked the mother in complete alarm.
"She is… safe, somewhere else," Historia replied firmly but still without being able to hide her own concerns.
"What does that even mean?" Eren asked bewildered. "Where? Who took her away?"
Historia looked away from him, clearly concerned but quiet.
"Where is she, Historia?" Eren asked her again, approaching her closer.
"I already told you she is safe. Now stop with all this shouting or you'll get Ezra all rattled up too," the Queen complained in a firm whisper.
"Does that mean you don't know… where she is?" Eren asked more quietly now, trying to sound calm and understanding. He was afraid the labour had impaired Historia's judgement. Her eyes seemed a bit lost and confused.
He sat on the bed again, tilting his head with much love, hoping she could find reason and explain it further.
"I gave her to Azzy, he is looking after her for me at the moment," Historia gently relayed.
Eren immediately felt extremely cold, absolutely sick to his stomach.
"You left our newborn baby in the care of a two-year-old?" He asked, trying to remain calm but failing miserably at it. His heart was racing just with the thought.
"He is not an ordinary two-year-old," she whispered back.
"Exactly!" Eren shouted. Raising himself from the bed with much anger.
"I won't have you shouting in my ro-" Historia regally threatened as she prepared to stand up as well. Ready for a fight, still with the newborn in her arms. But was interrupted when seeing the hurt Commander slowly making her into the Queen's private quarters, with the help of Captain Levi.
"…room," Historia completed her sentence quietly while sitting down on the bed again.
The couple felt embarrassed and then awkward as they watched the Commander struggling and limping across the room. Trying to make her way to one of the armchairs, guided by Levi, of course.
"Do you want me to leave?" Eren asked the Queen, more quietly now.
"Might as well," Hange interjected while limping, "he is not a part of the military anymore," she reminded the Queen.
"Don't," Historia softly asked him as he was about to walk out, so Eren stayed in the room.
"I hope you don't mind me sitting here in your fancy chair, Your Majesty. I did my best to get my uniform all cleaned up, but I'm afraid I'm still covered in dirt," Commander Hange told the Queen. She had been buried alive after all, and eaten by a Titan prior to that. So it would be difficult to wash all that away.
"And my clothes are covered in blood. Blemishing this room should be the least of our concerns, Commander," Historia replied, quite politically. "Please," she motioned for the wounded woman to sit down.
"Careful, careful," the Captain warned while helping Hange to the chair. She held her torso, clearly in pain as Levi helped her sit down.
"Are you feeling alright?" Historia asked, concerned.
"I think I broke a few ribs, probably all, but I can't really count for sure and the doctor is dead," Hange replied with some cold humour.
"You shouldn't have climbed all those stairs," the Queen noted, still clearly concerned.
"It's fine, I needed to talk to you," Hange replied, finally enjoying some comfort in that big and cosy chair. The Commander began tapping on the large, cushy armrest, clearly calculating a few things in her head.
"We should get you to the nearest hospital," Eren said, also concerned. "You and anyone else who might be injured." Yeager suggested, he hadn't known that the doctor had been killed in that battle.
"There is no one else hurt," Captain Levi interjected, standing next to his Commander. "At least not like her. Most of them are dead," the Ackermann coldly explained.
"How many of our soldiers survived?" The Queen questioned to the Commander.
"Five," Hange relayed. "All of them guards that were already here with you, veterans. All of the soldiers I brought with me are gone. All young cadets," she informed, upset.
"And Commandant Shadis as well, unfortunately," Hange lamented, turning to Eren to solemnly inform him. And he looked down, clearly upset. Shadis was the last connection he had to his father, so that stung quite a lot.
"How come they found the farm?!" Eren burst out. "It doesn't make sense. There must have been an informant within our ranks. This should have been contained in Shiganshina."
Hange tilted her head and the Captain interjected. "If your plan was to contain the fight with the Marleans in Shiganshina then you and your brother shouldn't have broken down the Walls," Levi sharply argued.
"It will be very difficult to ascertain the amount of damage and casualties all these Colossal Titans have caused around the island," Hange added in deep admonishment.
"We didn't-" Eren fumbled while trying to argue back. "That's not what happened-"
The Captain crossed his arms. "Are you saying you're not responsible for creating all this mess?" he questioned.
"You are the Founding Titan holder and your brother is the only Royal left who is a Titan Shifter. How could there possibly be any other way to control the Wall Titans?" The Commander questioned in a grave tone and Eren looked down, clearly confused.
"I-I… I'm not sure… We triggered something, but I died… and I came back," Eren let out, clearly a little lost.
"And you brought hell back with you," Levi sharply replied.
"All those creatures, they looked quite frightening," Historia noted, the mother was still very disturbed by it all.
"The important thing is that they are gone," the Commander interjected. "The island has descended into chaos, we need to pick up the pieces."
"What do you suggest we do now, Commander?" Historia solemnly asked her.
"That is my question to you, Your Majesty," Hange replied.
Historia looked down, she began to caress her newborn baby's hair affectionately, reflecting on everything. Ezra was now sleeping soundly again.
"My first question is about the foreigners downstairs," Hange continued.
"The surviving Marleans?" Eren interjected.
"Eldians," Levi corrected him. "They are all Eldians," he affirmed.
"How can you know that?" Historia asked, curious.
"Because they are the ones you turned into Titans, Ma'am," Hange explained. "That's how they survived. Now they're back into human form again."
"I don't remember doing that," the Queen replied, contemplative. "It's been a long day," she noted.
"Still, they are war prisoners," Eren firmly argued. "They were still fighting for the Marleans-"
"Are they cooperating?" The Queen interrupted him, asking the Commander.
"They are clearly confused since they turned human again," Hange explained. "But so far passive and helpful. And I would advise to not rattle them up with the suggestion of prison, at least not while we're here. They outnumber us by quite a lot."
"Except when counting the children, of course," Levi joked, still with arms crossed.
"What is your plan, Commander?" Historia asked.
"The nuns are serving all of them dinner, all these men helped the few surviving guards to carry the bodies of the deceased to the edge of your property, Your Majesty. And the five guards are taking turns in vigil of the fallen soldiers," Hange explained and continued. "I suggest we rest this night and leave first thing in the morning. We'll bury the corpses away from your land, as I don't think it would be appropriate to have a graveyard inside an orphanage."
"I agree," The Queen concurred.
And the Commander proceeded. "Onyankopon and Leonhart have arrived after sundown, carrying a functioning radio from one of the fallen dirigibles; which I found was quite clever of him. We'll carry on after the burial and gather resources in Reiss village, to also see the state of the place. From there I plan for us to head towards Trost and try to establish communication from there with Shiganshina and Mitras, through the radios we already have in those Compounds. And the radio here will help us keep in contact with you, Ma'am. As I assume you won't be able to leave the farm in the next couple of weeks at least, maybe the next month, not only because of your medical situation but also for your safety. So it is best that we communicate solely through the radio from now on."
Historia sighed. "I believe the focus now is finding survivors, taking care of the wounded and burying the dead," she noted.
"That's what I'm thinking," Hange concurred.
"Only then we can rebuild," the Queen added, contemplative. Historia had no idea of the state of her island. She had no idea what had happened beyond the limits of her farm, but she could imagine it had been devastating.
"Hopefully the situation outside is not as bad as it feels," Levi commented.
"It's probably worse, but let us not concern too much with that. Let's take it one day at a time," Hange advised.
"I suppose you are my new Minister now. I believe you are the only higher-ranking military officer left," the Queen solemnly noted as a couple of maids appeared at the door. They solemnly curtsied and entered the room, to aid the Commander.
Historia turned to them, quite joyful and relieved. "You survived! I'm very glad to see you both unharmed," she sincerely told the women.
The two young maids acknowledged the Queen's glee a little awkwardly, as the only reason they had survived was by being turned into Titans. And that had been an awful experience, quite difficult to recover from. Still, all the Eldians saved by the Queen in that unexpected way were very glad to still be alive.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," the Commander replied, about the Queen's offer. "We can discuss this after all the citizens are all accounted for, and when most things have been settled," Hange said while standing up with the maids' help. "Who knows? I might decide to retire early after this," she joked while holding her ribs, trying not to laugh.
The Commander gently bowed her head and Historia nodded back, she then limped towards the large doors, with the maids' help and followed by the Captain.
"You became very quiet," Historia commented to Eren while looking down, to her sleeping baby. But then looked up to see he had ignored her and was following the others out of the room. Eren was deeply worried about Ymir.
Yeager gently grabbed the Ackermann's shoulder before he could leave the antechamber and Levi turned to him aggressively, pushing his hand away. "What?" the Captain whispered hastily.
"Is Azzy downstairs with the other children? Have you seen him?" Eren asked in another whisper, quietly but clearly concerned.
Levi sighed and scratched his hair for a moment. "He's missing, I already looked everywhere," he told Yeager sincerely.
"Missing?!" Eren whispered hastily, he was dumbfounded.
"I'm sure we'll find him," Levi replied, trying to ease his mind. "Come on," he added, calling Yeager to action.
The two uncles began looking around on that same floor, in all the little corners, small cabinets or any crawl spaces a toddler could fit in. Levi started to recall his previous fight with that stranger as he walked around that messy area and looked at all the turned furniture around those rooms. He began to remember all that had happened in that same morning; and how many of the things the stranger said and did, the way he fought, all of it was just: odd. Levi looked intently at the turned wardrobe, feeling quite perplexed.
He then walked outside of that room again to see Yeager looking firmly through the high windows. It had been where Levi and the stranger had fallen through during their fight, landing on the grass below - only about twelve hours before. The beautiful large window had been completely shattered, but it was now externally protected by Yeager's own Titan Crystal.
Eren looked firmly to the moon and the stars and Levi joined him in that apparent wonder.
"A Titan?" Eren let out, confused and worried. And Levi then finally noticed what Yeager had been observing intently: the creature flying through the night clouds.
"Great, another flying one," Levi mumbled as Yeager rushed down the stairs.
The group of Eldian soldiers was all huddled together outside of the large building, all surrounded by many large torches, there to illuminate the area and to fight away the cold. They were standing together with the surviving Royal Guards, as Onyankopon explained to the Paradisian men how that radio worked. Most of the Eldian recruits, who had been raised in the much more technological Marlean society, were a little amused to see how the Paradisians had no idea how to work a simple radio. While some of the others were showering Hitch, the only Military Police Officer there, with all kinds of questions. Questions the MP was having trouble answering, mostly about the island and about their future. Hitch was getting a little overwhelmed, she was just wishing the Commander would come back downstairs.
Leonhart was sitting on an old wooden crate, very near the orphanage's large doors. She was clinically checking Gabi from head to toe as the small girl stood in front of her. She held the girl's shoulders tenderly. "Are you alright?" Annie asked her, the small twelve-year-old looked very preoccupied.
Gabi gave her a half-smile. "I'm glad to see you survived," the girl said and turned to the skies again. "I'm just worried about the others… do you think they're okay..?" she asked, nervous and concerned.
"I'm sure they're fine," Annie replied, gently fixing the small girl's hair back behind her ear. Annie then held one of the girl's shoulders more firmly, to comfort the girl, and continued. "We'll soon leave here to meet with them," she said.
Annie couldn't wait to see her friends again, the Warrior had been alone, completely isolated, for the past four years. For four years she yearned to be free from that cursed place.
"Falco!" Gabi yelled in pure joy as she sighted that enormous bird cruising through the clouds. And Annie's eyes met Eren's as he reached the last steps of the staircase.
The Warrior had been facing the open doors of the orphanage - and enjoying the heat coming from inside. But she now stood up and turned to face towards the fields, where Gabi had already rushed to. And Yeager soon joined her outside.
"What is that?" Eren asked, clearly rattled.
"The Jaw Titan, it seems," Annie coldly noted as they both looked up. She too was surprised Gabi had recognised the Shifter.
"Flying?" Eren questioned.
The only Titans Yeager had seen which possessed wings had been the ghostly ones, and Ymir. He hadn't seen any Titan Shifter with that ability, so he was on high alert as the creature approached.
"You're flying," Gabi graciously mumbled, with eyes full of wonder as the Jaw Titan flew down in their direction.
The Titan touched down fast, landing quite close to the crystallised building and Mikasa swiftly slid down from the feathers. Gabi rushed in, and the Shifter soon recognised her, it gently moved its head down to greet her and she hugged it tightly. The girl felt relief, Falco was the only friend she had left, so she was glad to see he had survived.
"Azzy is missing," Eren immediately said as Mikasa walked towards him, his tone filled with urgency. He looked at his sister with eyes full of worry, but with also a hint of blame.
Eren was angry, he was bitter. But his resentment for his nephew was only starting.
"Missing?!" Mikasa questioned back in pure alarm, immediately rushing into the building.
Armin slid down from the Titan's back as well, not as gracefully. Arlert had finally finished regenerating - apart from his Titan marks and the scar in his arm - but he still felt faint, quite frankly, he felt beaten.
"I'm sure he'll turn up, you know he always does this," he commented while leaving all those feathers behind.
"He's got Ymir with him," Eren explained further, with arms crossed. That was the real reason why the father was so worried.
"Who's Ymir?" Armin asked, while clumsy walking towards Yeager, and while the Jaw Titan sat down, still being hugged by Gabi, clearly quite happy and relieved as well.
"My daughter," Eren gravely explained as Armin walked towards him. He then stopped. "Oh, right, the baby," Arlert realised. "Well, I'm sure we'll find them in no time," he added, trying to comfort Eren with a gentle clasp on his shoulder.
"What if he jumped?" Eren asked back bitterly as he stared threateningly into Armin's eyes and removed his old friend's hand from over his shoulder.
"I'm sure he didn't. He's probably hiding in a cupboard somewhere," Armin swiftly affirmed. "Come on, let's look for them," he added as he walked forward, towards the orphanage's large doors.
Arlert lied of course, but quite confidently, as always. He knew very well that his son had space-jumped to wherever they were fighting, earlier that same day; and that Mikasa had convinced the toddler to hide somewhere safe. Armin was secretly hoping that 'somewhere safe' in Azzy's mind would mean a nice hidden spot in that orphanage building, or perhaps in the Lighthouse. What the father wasn't accounting for was the possibility of Azzy ending up with that baby in a different dimension, and that was exactly what had happened.
Armin was walking into the building as Eren followed behind him, when he turned. "And get out of there! You've been in that Titan for too long, it's dangerous!" he shouted back to Falco, who was still inside the Jaw Titan. The boy was proudly showing Gabi his feathered wings while Annie approached confusedly, she hadn't expected the Jaw Titan to look like that, Marcel certainly didn't. She was followed by Hitch and Onyankopon, as they all admired the gracious beast.
"Now!" Arlert shouted again from the orphanage's large doors, as he and Yeager entered the building.
Eren stopped to watch that beast from afar as well, as Falco came out of the thing. This was the last Titan Shifter leaving their Titan's body after all the Island conflict. And it would be the last Titan Shifter to do so for many, many years. Yeager looked down reflectively, he stared at his cursed wound as it gradually healed; and turned to Arlert, as the man was worriedly passing his hands through his hair, to confirm how their wounds were exactly the same. He then walked inside of the building as well.
Armin had been right. Falco shouldn't have stayed that long inside that Titan. The boy passed out as soon as he was disconnected from all those Titan Fibres. Annie rushed to hold him as he fell from the beast. Gabi was paralysed. Falco was bleeding profusely.
The many Titan Marks around his body - the places where he had been deeply connected to his Titan - should simply regenerate, releasing that signature Titan steam, like always. But that did not happen, the boy just began to bleed out instead. The marks had become open wounds. Annie looked down at all that blood in extreme confusion, this was something she certainly wasn't expecting. For the Female Titan Shifter herself had already regenerated completely since she had disconnected from her exterior Titan form.
"That is just a kid," Hitch mumbled while standing next to Gabi, she turned to the girl flabbergasted and also noticed how helpless Gabi looked. Annie's clothes were gradually being soaked with that overflow of red. And so did her hands and arms as she held that small and unconscious twelve-year-old boy.
"Is there anyone among you who has some form of medical training?" Onyankopon bellowed to the crowd of soldiers while standing on that old wooden crate. He looked around the crowd of Eldians in that dark night, hoping to find help for the boy.
-.-
"He is probably hungry, it's been a whole messy day," Armin let out, cogitating, as he was huddled together with Eren and the approaching Levi.
"You must be the boy's father," the older nun noted while approaching as well, she could tell how the toddler looked like a miniature version of Arlert. "I'm so sorry about this, sir. We had our eyes on him the whole time. I don't know how this happened," she lamented, quite guilty as the father and the uncles all looked at each other.
"It's fine, I'm sure we'll find him," Arlert softly replied to the old woman.
"You're right, he must be starving, just like the other children," she concluded. "But if that's the case why hadn't he shown up here in the main hall?" the old nun questioned, as all the other children were already having their dinner there.
"Perhaps he's too shy?" another nun approached, suggesting it.
"Or perhaps it's soup," Eren noted, quite rightly, he knew his nephew hated any sort of healthy food, especially soup.
Levi crossed his arms. "Do you have any jars of cookies unattended around the building?" he asked the women.
"The kitchen is gone," the old nun noted. "Maybe in the servants' rooms..?" she considered it.
"We have one full of candy in the toddlers' playroom," the younger nun told them while finally approaching the group.
"Then he has probably seen that," Armin concluded.
"Oh, absolutely," the younger nun confirmed with raised eyebrows.
"So that's a start," Eren let out, already approaching the first steps of the staircase. He was visibly worried, quite agitated. The men all climbed up the large stairs, to start looking.
Mikasa was miles ahead from the three men in her family. The mother was going by instinct, not by deduction. She had found out, very early into the boy's strange development, that Azzy could hear her, whenever he disappeared into a different realm.
"Azzy! Azzy?!" she shouted softly while walking around the many corridors. "I'm here," she told him. "Like I told you I would be."
The mother continued to walk, very attentive to every corner and any small armoires she could see. "You are not in trouble. We are going to go home and mummy is going to bake you your favourite pie. And we are going to play by the fireplace together," she told him lovingly. "Come on, Azzy, it's all safe now, I'll give you all the cookies you'd like-"
Mikasa immediately stopped by the door of that storage room, as she had just seen the boy's signature blue light flashing in the small cupboard by the corner. The mother then smiled in relief.
She rushed into the room, and Arlert caught a glimpse of her doing so. Armin could see that happier and excited gaze in her eyes, and her gentle, motherly smile. He turned to Eren, who was standing much further away in that corridor and called his attention with a cheeky stare and a charming grin and Yeager followed him apprehensively. Mikasa kneeled in front of the cupboard and opened the small doors to see her boy immediately look up at her. He seemed tired, but very happy and relieved to see his mother. Mikasa then looked down to his arms and gently moved the cloth from the baby girl's face. And was relieved to see she was breathing, Ymir was just quietly sleeping.
"Let me hold her," the mother softly ordered and the boy offered the baby for his mother to hold. Mikasa gently held the girl, and began analysing the newborn. She was glad to see her niece was healthy and warm. The experienced mother saw no issues with that baby, 'she might be hungry though,' Mikasa thought. She then brought Azzy closer to her with her left arm as she held the baby on her right arm and over her knees. She caressed the boy's hair. "You did good, my boy. Well done, you protected your cousin from this whole mess. I'm very proud, sweetheart," she softly praised him, for she could see her boy was still very scared and apprehensive. Mikasa hugged him with one arm while holding the baby with the other.
Armin soon showed up at the door and Azzy turned to him in surprise, he ran fast and hugged his father's knees affectionately and the father leaned over and picked him up. Armin hugged him in relief, there were many times during that day, and the day before, when he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to hug his son again. So Arlert enjoyed that sweet moment to the fullest. Azzy leaned his head on his father's shoulder and smiled softly, closing his tired eyes.
Mikasa stood up, fixing the baby's blanket very motherly, she walked in the direction of the door again as her niece slept soundly in her warm arms. Ymir felt safe and cared for, she trusted her aunt's essence. The newborn would forever keep that jasmine smell with her, together with her own mother's lilac scent, as they both brought her peace.
The Ackermann showed up outside of that storage room and locked eyes with her brother right away. "She's fine," Mikasa immediately relayed.
Eren was clearly shaken and deeply concerned, the father became paralysed, he was lost for words. Mikasa approached more softly and carefully placed the baby girl in his arms and Eren looked down. Still apprehensive and seemingly unprepared, but happy to see his daughter breathing and sound asleep. Eren smiled. It was a sweet moment, but it soon started to become awkward between those three life-long friends, as no one was saying a word.
"See, I told you they'd be in a cupboard somewhere. Safe and sound now," Armin let out, finally breaking the awkward silence, as the toddler hugged his shoulders tight. Azzy hid his face beside his father's neck. "No harm done. No jumping," Arlert added.
Mikasa gave him a look of admonishment and also confusion. She knew Armin was lying again, but she soon realised this lie would be for the best, considering Eren's very probable reaction otherwise. So she turned to her brother again, seemingly unfazed.
Ymir began to cry in Eren's arms, faintly at first, but those decibels soon began to increase. The inexperienced father was completely stupefied and beginning to panic. And Ymir was only crying louder.
Armin couldn't help but to let out a small smirk. "I guess she only cries in your arms, huh?" he noted in a quiet but almost vicious tone. Reminding Eren of how he had endlessly teased Armin when he went through the exact same situation with a newborn Azzy. But those were different times between those two friends, they had changed greatly since then.
Eren looked up at him, clearly not amused. While Armin was now busy kissing his son's head very fatherly.
"Come on," Mikasa quietly told her brother while gently gesturing his shoulder towards the long corridor. "She needs her mother," she softly added. And Eren began to walk towards the stairs, as the Royal quarters were on the third floor, and they were currently on the second.
The other two followed behind a little more leisurely, they waited for Eren to finish climbing the stairs with the small baby, so they could begin to talk.
"He named her Ymir," Armin quietly commented. Wondering if the purpose was truly to pay homage to their lost friend, or if it was just Eren's obsession with Eldia's grandiose past. Or perhaps both.
"Where do you think Azzy ended up this time?" Mikasa interjected, turning to him. "Where did he take her?" she questioned in a whisper as they both looked up those stairs.
Armin sighed while caressing the boy's hair. Azzy was very quiet, still with his head lying on his father's shoulder. The boy was clearly confused and tired.
"Probably the Titan Realm, but we can't be sure. The important thing is that he came back, and the baby is thankfully unharmed." Armin argued while giving the sleepy toddler for Mikasa to hold.
The mother held him tenderly and fixed up his hair and jacket while the boy only scratched his eye. Azzy was beyond worn out after that crazy day in that strange land. Armin continued, looking down to the floor below. "We should go help Hange and the others. I'm sure they-"
He stopped as he noticed Mikasa had begun climbing up the stairs. He held her arm firmly, stopping her in her tracks in the third step. Mikasa turned back to him, absolutely confused.
"We are not going up there," Armin firmly told her as he held her arm.
"Yes we are," Mikasa firmly countered.
"Fine, you go and-" Armin began to concede and Mikasa interrupted him abruptly.
"You are coming with me," she declared.
Armin climbed up one step, looking at her very vexed. "You know very well I won't stand being in a room with Eren right now. We got the baby back to him, she's fine, that's done with. Now we should gather our things and leave with the others," he firmly affirmed.
"Armin," Mikasa let out in a downhearted tone.
So Armin climbed one more step, he began to whisper hastily. "You were flying on the Jaw Titan's back with me for the past few hours, you saw everything that I saw. You have been fighting this endless battle with me from the start. You have seen all the same destruction and all the death, same as I have. Eren is responsible for all of it, Historia too. They planned this from the start. A bad plan that backfired completely and almost destroyed the whole island and killed so many people in the process." He then angrily pointed up the stairs. "They are responsible. So don't expect me to go up there to make up smiles and congratulate them on the premature birth of their bastard child."
Mikasa opened her eyes wide, she looked down at his arm still holding hers. The Ackermann swiftly switched their wrists and held his arm instead, pulling him closer to her as the toddler hid his face in her chest, clearly scared.
"Yes, we are going upstairs," she told him gravely, looking Armin in the eyes. She began to pull him further by the arm, while holding the toddler as well. They climbed up the stairs and Mikasa continued in a whisper. "You don't know if this is all Eren's fault. You just suppose it is," she argued as she continued to pull him behind her.
"He released the Devil and its monsters!" Armin immediately argued back in another angry whisper. Mikasa looked back down at him. "And don't call the baby a bastard that is very unkind," she admonished him.
"But it is the truth," Armin replied with a small, almost faint chuckle. And Mikasa only pulled his wrist with more force as they reached the top of the stairs, Armin was still clearly reluctant. He sighed, looking at the hall and all the corridors. "I don't want to fight him," he told Mikasa gravely.
"Then don't," she replied firmly.
"So there you are," Levi cheerfully said, coming from the main balcony of the third floor. The uncle was relieved to see the boy unharmed, lying in his mother's arms. He had been very afraid something bad had happened to Azzy during that awful battle.
Azzy immediately stood to attention once he heard Levi's voice. He looked at his mother very lively and smiled widely for the first time, clearly ready to play and have fun again. He began to move his legs very energetically and she finally put him down, so he went running to hug his uncle.
Levi crouched down to receive him and Azzy jumped on his arms very happily. And the uncle held the boy tenderly.
"I guess he's not tired anymore," Armin noted.
-.-
Historia had heard the baby crying from the start, and was elated and extremely relieved. The mother was also very happy once the cry started to move closer to her direction. The Queen was up on her feet, the maids had helped her clean herself from most of the blood and dirt and were now helping her change into clean robes.
"She woke up Ezra again," Historia joked with a small smile while side-eyeing the baby boy in the crib as Eren showed up at the door.
The two maids curtsied and left their presence. Taking away the blooded clothes as Historia finished fixing her braided hair.
"Are you feeling better?" Eren immediately asked, happy to see her in her feet. Ymir was still crying loudly but more sparsely and her brother had joined in the choir.
"Well, I slept for fifteen minutes, it seems," Historia replied, again with a small smile, as she walked to the cribs.
Eren followed in the same direction and they both stopped near the beautifully crafted bassinets. The father then gently put Ymir in Historia's arms.
"I knew you would come back to me, my angel," she told her baby daughter very softly and kissed Ymir's forehead. The baby began to cry more softly as Historia cradled her while walking to her large Royal bed. And she eventually stopped once her mother made themselves very comfortable on those cosy sheets. All while Ezra still cried loudly in his father's arms.
"You must be magic then," Eren told Historia while trying his best to cradle the boy in his arms, and failing miserably at it.
Historia let out a small, joyous laugh and gestured for Eren to bring the boy to her as well, while she was already preparing to feed her firstborn. Eren walked towards her and sat in front of her on that large bed. He helped place the second baby in Historia's arms, and also helped to secure both children better under their mother's breasts.
"They are just hungry, sugar," she told him with a smile as the father was making sure the twins were both cosy and warm. Adding more pillows under the mother's arms and adjusting a nice blanket over the now feeding babies.
"Well, they were eating my eardrums," Eren quietly commented while finishing up the feeding babies' little stronghold. Enjoying how the silence had fallen again in that room. He finally turned to kiss her once again. He hoped for a surprise kiss, as the mother seemed distracted in her elation over her babies. So he leaned forward.
She looked up at him abruptly, stopping Eren on his tracks.
"You better get used to that," she abruptly replied, "unless you'd rather go visit Marley again instead," Historia suggested jokingly, but also looking at him spitefully.
Eren looked down, scratching his hair. "I don't think they want to see me now," he quietly joked back. "I don't even want to think of all that," he commented, looking away.
"Then we better stay in our Paradise a little longer," Historia replied, also hoping to keep those problems away. She leaned to kiss him. The joyous parents kissed happily and for quite some time, while their babies enjoyed the warmth and safety underneath. Eren then looked deeply into Historia's clear blue eyes. "I'll make sure we'll stay here forever," he promised her, and she smiled.
And, in a way, they both kept that promise; throughout the rest of their lives, neither Eren nor Historia ever left Paradise.
They were both very joyous as they watched their children feeding frenziedly. Their energy and eagerness while receiving their precious milk almost made the parents laugh. "They clearly are your children," Historia joked and Eren gave her a small, side-smile. It had been a very messy and difficult day for all of them, including the twins, and the poor babies hadn't been fed yet. They hadn't had a single drop of milk since they had arrived on Earth, so their extreme eagerness was excused.
"How does it feel?" Eren curiously asked Historia.
"Odd. That's probably the best word to describe it," she replied, looking down at her feeding babies. "But also special, in a way," the new mother added.
"You should probably eat something too," Eren noted.
"Oh dear, what happened to you?" Historia exclaimed, looking towards the antechamber and Eren turned to see Mikasa and Armin under the open, large wooden doors.
Armin looked down, he had completely forgotten that large wound on his chest from the previous day. The wound had healed of course, but most of the front of his shirt was missing and the edges of the hole were completely burned and blackened.
"I was shot by Marlean forces in Shiganshina," he relayed. Almost having to remind himself of it as well, as most of the day before was already a blur in his mind.
"Well, it makes sense they would immediately aim to attack you," Historia noted, in a tone almost backhanded. She turned to Eren. "I imagine the situation in Shiganshina was a bit of a disruption," she inquired from her closest confidant.
"A bit of a disruption?!" Armin immediately questioned the Queen's choice of words and Eren also immediately stood up to argue. Already planning to complain about Armin's raised tone while walking forward.
But Mikasa quickly defused the friends' tension as she walked towards the bed. "Look at you," the Ackermann happily noted and the Queen immediately smiled. "I didn't know there would be two of them," Mikasa added, clearly surprised and a little confused about that.
"Well, that was our little secret." Historia told her, looking towards Eren for confirmation, while Mikasa gently sat near her on that bed. The slightly more experienced mother admired her friend's small newborns, caressing them very lovingly and gently.
"Where's my brave little hero?" Historia questioned their friends while looking around the room again.
"He's with Levi," Mikasa explained with a small smile.
"I knew Ymir would be safe with him," Historia affirmed happily. "He's so clever! I can't imagine how he'll be once he's older," the Queen added with praise.
Armin looked to his old friend with arms crossed, as Eren stood closer next to him. "You should go back to jail and await trial. It is the least you could do if you respect the laws of this Kingdom and of the Army you once served. But of course: you don't," Arlert admonished him with a clear hint of disdain in his tone.
"Nonsense," Historia interjected. "That was absolutely unnecessary," the Queen complained and looked down at her babies again. "I was very upset with Zackly, he wouldn't even let Eren come down here to see me, absolutely ridiculous," she continued to disclose her distaste.
"Well, he's dead. So you don't have to worry about him anymore," Armin sharply replied and Historia looked up again.
"That's right, I almost forgot about that for a moment. So much has happened in the past few days," Historia commented and noticed Armin was eager to sharply argue once more. "And before you say anything else: no, I had no hand in his death," the Queen firmly relayed.
"There's no stopping a crowd once they set their minds into something," Eren commented next to Armin, he seemed almost amused while uttering those words. Yeager secretly enjoyed the protestors' praise, he was their King after all. Even if he could never be it officially.
"So are you saying you had no hand in it either?" Armin questioned, clearly doubtful. He walked even closer towards Yeager, "most of those kids grew up here. You practically raised them," Arlert noted, talking about some of the more rowdy Yeagerists. "It's very hard to believe you haven't indoctrinated them in your ways," he affirmed.
"That's one big word," Eren replied, amused and clearly not taking Armin seriously. Which Arlert, of course, didn't take very well.
"You really need to blame me for everything, don't you?" Yeager then questioned, now more agitated. "Why? Does it make things easier..? To remove your own blame?"
The two women looked at each other. The level of animosity between the two old friends had gradually increased over the last few years, and they were upset to see it had reached its breaking point. Armin and Eren's long-life friendship seemed irreparable.
"You boys mind taking this nonsense outside?" Mikasa interrupted the argument. "Historia can't afford to be stressed right now, you are only rattling the babies too."
Historia sighed. "I'm sorry about Shiganshina," she told the trio, for she knew their hometown was a soft-spot from them. "It was good that the place was evacuated before the worst," the Queen also commented.
"Well, I knew they would attack us. And it was only logical Shiganshina would be their first target, I even bet it was Reiner's idea," Eren proudly relayed, for he had been the one who took charge in the evacuation and much of what happened afterwards.
"Of course they would attack us," Armin firmly interjected. "After you personally went there to wage war against them."
Eren couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "You caused a lot more damage there than I did," he noted, friendly hitting Armin's exposed chest with the back of his hand.
Armin looked down, clearly not amused. He looked up at his old friend with eyes filled with reproof. Armin was appalled to see how Eren could take all those deaths so lightly, he was appalled, but not surprised.
He sighed out his disapproval and turned to Historia. "I'm glad to see your children are safe and unharmed," he told her. "I'll go down to see what Hange needs for now," Armin added to the group, and walked away from the Queen's room.
Mikasa and Eren then began a small and silent, eye-only communication while Historia turned to concentrate on the feeding babies again. The sister's eyes admonished her brother's, clearly telling him he had to go after Armin. Eren was reluctant, trying to fight back, but he eventually caved. So he left the room and went after his best friend.
"Do you think I pushed Eren into this? Armin certainty does," Historia quietly questioned Mikasa once they were alone in that room.
"I've known Eren long enough to know he can't be pushed into anything," the sister replied. "He makes his own decisions."
Mikasa sighed as both mothers admired the little newborns. "And don't mind Armin, this has all been very difficult and stressful for him, for all of us. And Eren is right about one thing: he needs to put the blame somewhere," she softly explained her point of view, perhaps trying to ease her good friend's mind.
"I supposed that's only natural," Historia replied, while playing a little with Ymir's tiny fingers.
"It is," Mikasa concurred.
The Queen looked ahead, thinking. "All of our people will be doing that, and the world outside of the Wall too," she noted.
Historia had realised they needed a good explanation for all that madness and destruction. So the clever Fritz woman began to concoct one in her mind. Something that would leave Eren, herself, all the other Shifters - all the Eldians in fact, completely: blameless.
"I believe so, we all need answers," the Ackermann distractedly commented while she caressed Ezra's dark hair. The aunt could already tell how much her little nephew looked like her brother, and she was heart-warmed and even a little amused by it.
"I still want him on my side, I need you both on my side," the Queen told her good Ackermann friend. "There's a world outside we need to deal with, and I can't leave the Island. I don't want to leave," Historia told Mikasa, quietly disclosing the latter.
"And you shouldn't," the Ackermann began to advise. "It's too dangerous for you out there, even more dangerous for the Kingdom while the children are still so young," she noted, considering Historia and her newborn twins were now the only Fritzs left. And her death would cause disarray among the Paradisians. "Perhaps when they are older-" the Ackermann considered but the Queen interrupted her.
"Even then. All my life I wondered what lay beyond the Walls, but now that I know-" Historia stopped herself, she continued. "Paradise is all I need. There's nothing for me out there." the Queen declared.
-.-
Levi walked around the corridors, and back to the open balcony with the small toddler in his arms. They looked up to the bright clouds in that dark night, the boy seemed very quiet again while leaning on his uncle's shoulder. The Ackermann was watching the soldiers' vigil on the edge of the farm. It was quite far away, but he could see all the lighted torches in the distance. Most of the surviving soldiers had already left the orphanage grounds and were making camp there, resting and guarding the many corpses of the fallen. They planned to bury them at dawn. And leave soon after.
In the orphanage, the children were already being sent to their beds. Many of them had been improvised by the nuns, since almost half of the building was now missing, including many of the children's rooms. But the three surviving nuns and the four surviving servants were doing their best to accommodate all the kids and make sure they all felt safe.
Azzy was gently leaning on Levi's shoulder. The boy seemed lost in his own time. He had been staring at that nasty wound on his uncle's other shoulder and upper arm for quite some time. It made him feel saddened. The toddler couldn't comprehend why, at least not completely. But he knew that somehow it had been his fault, his own doing. Or rather it would one day be his fault. It would be his own doing. But that linear concept sometimes got lost in the toddlers' swirling thoughts. An unfortunate affliction that would follow the cursed boy throughout his whole life, no matter the time or dimension.
He finally lifted his small fingers and reached towards it. Azzy gently passed his tiny hand around Levi's wounded upper arm and the Ackermann looked down as he felt it. He could see how Azzy seemed puzzled but also regretful. The boy looked up at him with sorrowful eyes and then hid his face in his uncle's chest. Levi only kissed the top of his head and fatherly caressed the boy's honey coloured hair.
The uncle then took the toddler inside again, for it was a cold night.
-.-
Armin's mind was distant. He had been concentrating on that river of flaming lava for a while; the stream was flowing down vividly from the higher mountains and passing through the fields of the Reiss farm. Arlert was enjoying the heat provided from that hot lava steam, for it was a very cold night. And he was also enjoying the solitude, Armin wanted some time to gather his own thoughts, that was the reason he was so distant from the orphanage and the soldiers' vigil. His concentration was broken as he began to hear steps coming in his direction, and turned to see Eren arriving.
Yeager swiftly threw a piece of clothing his way, and Armin also swiftly caught it. Eren had brought him a shirt from the Royal Guards uniform. And also a coat, also from the same uniform kit that he had fished while searching through the guards' armoury; a hidden location in the building's basement.
"Thank you," Arlert said, a little reluctantly, he then removed his ragged and burned out shirt and threw it in the flowing lava. And they both watched as the piece of cloth immediately caught on fire.
"Don't put your hand in there," Eren joked with a small chuckle as the piece of cloth was consumed into smithereens.
"Of course that is the first thing you'd think to do," Armin replied while putting that almost brand-new Royal Guard shirt on.
"I mean it looks pretty innocent," Eren argued, defending his known impulsiveness. He then threw Armin the military coat, so he could be better protected from the cold.
The hot lava was everywhere, flowing vividly like fresh blood. Not showing any signs of cooling down, and it wouldn't, not any time soon anyway. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. That hot, flowing lava actually helped heat the Eldians in the next few cold nights, as most people had been left without shelter after all the earthquakes that destroyed countless buildings and levelled entire cities. Paradise had been reduced to shambles, now covered in volcanic ash. The intense earthquakes and the awakening of the three ancient volcanoes had changed the topography of the land drastically, the whole island was being reshaped at that very moment. Paradise had begun anew.
Armin and Eren were standing close to only one of the flowing lava streams, as there were many more around the Reiss lands. The two old friends were actually standing in a slightly higher ground; and they could see the three main fissures on the farm fields, where Grisha, Zeke and Frieda's Titans had emerged from, earlier that afternoon. Those remnants of the Devil's caves were also being filled with lava, as the Earth cauterised itself. The light red coming from the three fissures only accentuated the power of nature, as it healed Paradise's wounds.
"I imagined lava would be blue," Armin commented, thinking back to those days when their knowledge of the outside world was limited to that one colourless atlas. "I didn't even understand it was supposed to be hot and related to fire," he added, slightly amused. "I never stopped to consider what the insides of the Earth were made of."
He finished putting that warmer army coat on and sighed, putting his hands on its pockets. Secretly glad he could finally hide that large wound on his arm, and deeply hoping it would soon heal.
Eren also put his hands on his jacket pockets, also intentionally hiding his matching one. He chuckled. "It's funny how we never talked about that," the friend noted.
Armin gently raised his eyebrows, to concur.
"What about the ocean?" Eren curiously asked.
Armin chuckled, letting his guard down and feeling more comfortable with his friend again. Despite his anger and disappointment; it was just too easy to go back to his old ways. They had been friends for a long time. "I pictured it yellow in my head," he disclosed, "well water is transparent of course. But since the book said there was sand underneath it, it made sense to me," he further explained.
"It does make sense," Eren concurred. "I thought it would be green so I guess I was closer," he said, gloating slightly.
"Green?" Armin asked.
"Well, most rivers are green, so," Eren explained, shrugging, still with his hands inside his pockets.
"Good point," Armin concurred.
"Not this one," Eren noted as they turned to the flaming stream near them.
"This is not water," Armin replied, with a small smile and a smaller chuckle.
"It looks like blood," Eren commented back.
"I've seen a lot of blood, Eren," Armin swiftly replied, already changing his facial expression. "It's all over the island," he added, starting to feel angry again. Eren looked down, avoiding those blue, admonishing eyes.
Armin then reached down, near his feet, and picked up a small pebble. He rolled it inside his hand for a moment, then threw it into the river of fire. Just like they would play when they were little, but this time, to let out some of his own steam, as that anger began to boil inside. He turned to Eren again and began his admonishment. "It will take a while to know the extent of the damage all this caused. The entire island is destroyed, we still have no idea of how many Eldians were killed in all this mess." Arlert walked forward, closer to him. "Your mess," he gravely added.
"I didn't expect this would happen," Eren replied, sincerely. Yeager felt confused and conflicted. He wished to destroy the world outside, but his decisions had led to the destruction of the world within.
"Of course you didn't!" Armin exclaimed. "You never account for anything! You never think things through," he continued, angry and upset. "Seriously? Trusting Zeke of all people?" he questioned, vexed.
"He's my brother-" Eren justified and was immediately interrupted.
"No!" Armin exclaimed. "He is not. I am!" he continued passionately. "I'm your brother, Eren."
Armin stopped for a moment and looked away, to that river of lava once again. "I was," he added quietly and sighed. "I was there for you from the start, we always did everything together," he reminded his best friend.
"I know you," Eren interjected. "You wouldn't do this together," he argued, almost humorously. "You would try to get me out of it-"
"Because I know you. And I know none of that is you," Armin immediately rebuked.
Eren sighed, "prhh… people change, Armin," he argued back, sounding frustrated. He had been down the same road with Arlert one too many times.
"People never change, Eren," Armin countered him once again. "Especially not to this degree. Your so-called brother is a psychopath and he blatantly manipulated you," Armin told him firmly. "Who knows? He was probably being manipulated himself by that awful witch-"
"Ymir is not a witch," Eren soon interrupted him, rushing to defend his precious angel. "You don't know what I know, you don't know what she went through. She was extremely hurt and she was the one who was manipulated all her life-"
Armin then interrupted to maintain his own argument. "She is a psychotic, evil monster who did all of this!" Arlert shouted with his arms opened wide. "And you let her," he added, pointing firmly into Yeager's chest with his still wounded arm. "You set the monster free."
Eren looked down and back towards the orphanage. "I think we should go back inside," he noted gravely.
Yeager was tired of arguing and their argument was getting into points he could never discuss with Armin, or anyone else for that matter. So he began to walk away.
"What are you going to do about the boy?" Armin asked, putting his hands back inside his pockets.
Eren turned to him again defiantly. "Which boy? Yours or mine?" he cleverly asked back.
"Yours," Armin soon replied. "As long as the Founding Titan is around-"
"What are you even suggesting?" Eren questioned him in alarm.
"That you conceal that information," Armin replied. "Only we, the Shifters, know and we better keep it that way," he further explained. "Now that the curse was lifted we can finally negotiate some level of peace with the other nations-"
"If he inherited that power from birth, that means the curse is still in effect," Eren interjected.
"That was before we killed the witch for good," Armin reminded him, for Eren had inadvertently passed those powers down to his son the day before, twenty-six hours before Ezra was finally born.
All the Titan Shifters had felt their powers waning after the goddess' two Titans began to disintegrate and after the new Wall was completely solidified. Armin walked closer to Eren again. "Unless you feel any different than I do, I'd say this curse is effectively over," Arlert noted, looking up, to wait for Yeager's reaction.
Eren scratched his neck, considering it. "We'll only know for sure when one of us dies," he joked, almost ingenuously.
Armin swiftly took out his prized dagger from his trouser holster while pushing up Eren's sleeve and holding his arm firmly down at the same time. He slashed Eren's lower arm all the way to his palm, and Eren looked down, paralysed and absolutely confused. "Tell me in how long you're healed, and we'll know for sure," Armin told him with threatening eyes and let his arm go. Putting the dagger to the side, with Eren's blood dripping fast from the blade down to the grass.
Eren held up his arm, surprised and upset that he couldn't make it regenerate immediately. Arlert had made only a thin cut, almost too superficial but enough to bleed out right away, and Eren was almost annoyed that it kept on bleeding for the next few seconds: no Titan steam to be seen.
That thin cut would eventually change the scar forming in Yeager's arm. At this point, their matching wounds had lost all the Titan Crystal inside, all the crystallic dust had flown away in the last passing hours. But their wounds hadn't healed so far, they had been cut too deep and their Shifter regeneration had waned after sundown. It had waned faster than the cursed wounds could heal.
Arlert and Yeager would permanently keep the scars from the deal they had made the day before. But Yeager's now also had that thin line across it, that would forever remind him of this moment.
Eren sighed, putting his arm back down again, as his blood slowly dripped to the ground. Completely stunned. He then realised he truly had nothing left to say, so he left. Yeager turned away and walked back towards the building in the distance.
Armin stared at that image upsettingly, he was saddened about many things, and seeing his old friend walk away embodied them well. He then turned to watch the flowing lava again, contemplative, but also admiring it.
He eventually looked down to that blooded dagger once again. He cleaned it softly with a piece of leaf from a nearby shrub. Admiring his precious and well-crafted instrument. It was a beautiful and ancient piece, gold and bright silver, with a dark amber stone encrusted in the handle. This was the weapon Armin always used to transform, it had been a wedding gift. This was Cillan's dagger.
Arlert eventually left the area as well, noting Eren's blood was still sprayed everywhere. But that cursed, Titan blood would eventually evaporate and completely dissipate into the atmosphere, just like it should. It would just take many more hours. And no one would be there to witness it.
The curse had not been lifted, it had just shifted, and all their Titan powers were now dormant, and would stay dormant for the next thirteen years. The curse and its powers would be awakened on Ezra and Ymir's thirteenth birthday.
-.-
Azzy was now sitting on his mother's lap, over that large bed. He tilted his head, a little confused to see those two very similar looking babies, as the small toddler thought the one he was given to babysit was the only one in existence. The twins were sleeping soundly on the centre of the large Royal bed, surrounded by Historia, Mikasa and the toddler. The mothers were very joyful, showing the toddler his new cousins.
"That one is Ymir, and the other is Ezra," Mikasa softly explained as she pointed at the babies, speaking very quietly, so the tiny things wouldn't wake up.
"They're very little now," Historia added, also whispering, quite lovingly. "But in a few years, I'm sure you will have fun playing together."
"They're pink," the toddler mumbled. He looked up at his mother, a little confused, and Historia let out a small laugh.
Mikasa also smiled, she brought him closer to her, hugged him and kissed his head very lovingly. Azzy looked up to her again. "Sun..?" the boy mumbled to his mother.
"Is he afraid of the dark?" Historia asked Mikasa, thinking the boy had asked when the morning would arrive, for it was very dark outside.
"No," Mikasa replied, letting out a small, timid laugh. "It's- he's just tired," she was about to explain, but became hesitant.
What she was about to explain was that she was pregnant again, and that the boy had probably associated those newborn siblings with his own unborn sister. But Mikasa decided to keep it to herself.
The boy climbed further into Mikasa's arms, looking for comfort. Azzy was indeed very tired, so he was looking for the best way to sleep in his mother's arms. He was clearly having difficulty positioning himself so she began to help him. The boy then found his perfect, customary spot, and closed his eyes. Ready to fall asleep in the best and truly safest place he knew, ready to hear that heartbeat that he was so accustomed to.
"You know this is not going to be easy, right?" The Ackermann then asked her friend, with her precious boy in her arms. "I haven't slept in almost three years," Mikasa added with some humour.
"I know," Historia replied, gently caressing her babies, clearly happy but also slightly conflicted.
Mikasa tilted her head. "Is this what you wanted?" she asked.
"Yes, but not now," Historia explained, deciding to disclose. "I was fourteen when I took my crown, and ever since then my life has been an incessant mayhem. And now this has happened," she said, pointing at the babies. "And then all of that happened," she then pointed outside, sighing.
"You're not alone, you know that," Mikasa interjected, gently holding her hand.
"Eren left me alone," Historia suddenly let out, turning to her again. She looked down. "There were moments I thought he would never come back," she timidly disclosed and looked up again. "And when he finally did, he brought all this chaos back with him," she complained bitterly.
"You told me yourself, you said he didn't want your children to be born cursed," Mikasa calmly reminded her, as she could clearly see her friend was very rattled after a ghastly labour. They both looked at the babies again. "And he succeeded, the curse was broken," the Ackermann also quietly argued.
'At what cost?' Historia thought. She sighed, admiring her newborns "I suppose he has succeeded," she conceded. "Do you think he'll leave me again?" she then asked, looking very conflicted.
"Why would you think that?" Mikasa asked back, the sister was completely taken aback by that question.
"Well, this wasn't what he wanted, or what I wanted," Historia disclosed a little brokenly. "It just happened," she added. "Just like all the mayhem before and after it."
"Eren never knows what he wants," Mikasa replied, shrugging slightly. "He's the kind of person who just lives day by day."
"That's exactly my point," Historia said.
Mikasa sighed. "But you know he loves you, right?" She argued, and almost chuckled. "He loves you to death! He's been absolutely infatuated by you ever since we were twelve," she argued further.
"Yes, but this is different," Historia soon argued back. "This is way more than either of us ever asked for," the young Queen disclosed, she then held her stomach, upsettingly. "I remember when I found out-" Historia stopped herself, almost amused. "You weren't there when I told him," she disclosed with humour, but clear vexation inside her eyes.
"We all react differently to having children," Mikasa replied, hoping to defend her brother. "You are right, it's a big life change."
"How did Armin react when you told him?" Historia asked, curiously.
"He built the Lighthouse," Mikasa replied, she couldn't help but smile. "He wanted our baby to be born in a safe place, the safest place possible," Mikasa almost laughed, thinking of that impenetrable fortress. "And he was obsessed with it being near the ocean," she added with a sweet smile, reminiscing about those days while caressing Azzy's hair.
Historia let out a small, irritated sigh. "Golly, they are very different," she noted, almost sarcastically.
"They're not that different." Mikasa tried to counter. "Eren is just a bit-"
"Too much?" Historia interjected with her own suggestion.
"Unrestrained," Mikasa finished her sentence, while holding Azzy better in her arms. Fixing his position, so the boy could sleep better.
"What's wrong with their arms? What caused those ghastly wounds?" Historia asked Mikasa in an even quieter whisper, very curiously and also fearfully. "Why do they match like some ghoulish branding?"
"Good question, you should ask Eren about it, because I don't understand it very well," Mikasa replied.
"What did Armin say?" Historia insisted.
Mikasa shrugged, holding Azzy even closer, for her own comfort now. "It seems to be some form of a curse they got in the Titan Realm," she quietly disclosed. "Because of a pact they made to save the island."
"Urrrghh," Historia let out, almost rolling her eyes. "I'm very tired of all these curses," the Queen disclosed, clearly annoyed.
-.-
The sun was finally rising and the soldiers started digging. They had rested long enough. Most of the corpses were lying over cloths on the grass. Only Commandant Shadis' body had been lifted on a makeshift stand, lying on a makeshift box. Hange had been staring at it intently through the night, while all the others slept. Her soul was broken. When the time came, she stood up from that small wooden chair, with the help of Levi and Onyankopon. She limped slowly, with the help of the two men, and finally arrived near that box. To say goodbye to one of her old-time friends.
Mikasa gently passed her hand through that old scarf. It had been Carla's before being hers. And now it laid enveloping that deceased girl's body. Hitch kneeled down in front of her and watched as the Ackermann gently fixed the scarf around Louise's neck, with a small tear running down her face. "I'm sorry, I know it's yours, we thought about removing it-"
"No," Mikasa soon interrupted. She sighed, reaching out to fix the scarf again. "Nonsense," Mikasa let out lovingly.
"She looks peaceful this way," she continued, fixing up the girl's hair, very motherly. Mikasa then turned up to Hitch again, very tearful. "I watched her grow up," she disclosed, almost unable to utter those words. And Hitch held her shoulder affectionately, as the sun began to appear on the horizon.
"Is he really okay?" Armin asked, observing Falco sitting quietly in one of the carts. The boy was wrapped in bandages but he was conscious and seemed to be recovering rapidly.
"He scared me a lot, but he seems to be getting better," Annie replied, her shirt completely red from Falco's blood.
"This is my fault," Armin let out. "He should have left his Titan right away, but we insisted on coming here," he noted, regretfully.
"It's not your fault," Annie soon countered. "If you hadn't come here right away Eren might have launched another rumbling just because of that damn baby," Leonhart complained coldly.
Armin let out a small smile. "Don't even worry about it, he can't do that anymore," he said smugly.
"I hope you're right about that," Annie replied, almost ominously.
Armin looked over to the distance for a moment, the father was like a hawk, constantly watching Azzy. The boy had been left in the care of the younger nun, just during that early morning. And she carried him around the fields, cheerfully showing him the small shrubs and any bugs crawling around them, as they knew how the boy was obsessed with insects. All that to distract the clever child while his parents dealt with this military burial. Which would not be an adequate place for any child to be.
Arlert turned to Annie again. "Can you regenerate?" he soon asked, to make his point.
"No," she quickly replied.
"Falco clearly can't either," Armin noted, to maintain his point: the curse was in fact over.
He then looked down, noticing how Annie was constantly tapping her foot, with arms crossed. She had stayed up all night and was eager for this burial to be over.
"We'll leave soon," Arlert noted, hoping she would calm down.
Annie shook her head slightly, clearly full of apprehension. "I need to know if Reiner is still alive," she let out.
"I understand but-" Armin tried to argue, but Annie cut him short.
"No, you don't," she firmly said.
Armin sighed, looking away from her. 'Yes, I do understand. I understand it very well,' he thought. He still had no idea where Connie's body was, they were currently witnessing the burial of many young cadets, just like they all once were. Not to mention the amount of friends he had to bury over the years. A lot of them indirectly, but also many directly killed by her, and Reiner, and Bertholdt. His mind was rushing with those arguments, almost fuming with pure anger. But he decided to keep it all to himself. Arlert was tired of dealing with so many enemies. He saw no point, and in a strange way, he felt for her. Reiner was the last connection to the world Annie yearned deeply to see again. And she didn't want to lose it.
He looked up to the horizon, watching the sunrise as he reflected about it all. And turned to her again. Annie was now mindlessly fidgeting with her now useless ring and its small retractable spike. Armin held her hand down and she looked up at him.
"It will take at least three days for us to get to Shiganshina," he told her calmly. "But we can try to get information about him through the radio once we get to Trost tomorrow," Armin solemnly said, offering assistance to one of his old enemies, hoping to ease her mind.
-.-
"You have to admit it's quite pretty," Gabi noted as she stood near Falco. The two young souls were still at awe, admiring the deep red lava shooting up in the sky. Still coming out violently from the volcano, and now mixing with all the pinks and oranges of that slow sunrise.
"It is beautiful, but deadly," Falco replied, sitting in that cart, wrapped in bandages. He continued. "And after everything that has happened, we should be glad to still be alive. It's been erupting for hours now, I wonder when it will finally stop."
Gabi turned to him, to fix up some of the fallen bandages and put some medicine on his face. She noticed how his face wounds were still the same, exactly the same as the night before. Falco was still full of unhealed Titan marks all over his body.
"You still have your Titan marks," she quietly noted.
Falco shrugged. "I'm just taking much longer to heal," he explained to her sweetly. The boy didn't want her to worry.
"Maybe something is wrong with your Titan," she cogitated, also quietly.
"I don't think I have a Titan at all, not anymore," Falco told her. He let out a small, and relieved laugh. "I'm just regenerating at a normal person's speed," the boy added humorously and looked down, raising up his bandaged arms and legs. "At least I didn't lose any limbs, or that would be permanent," he disclosed, also humorously.
Gabi looked down, she stared reflective at that small bowl of homemade medicine.
Falco moved and firmed his hands back on his sides and leaned slightly backwards on that cart, looking up at the sun-rising sky. He then closed his eyes. "I'll get to live," Falco quietly let out, in his own personal wish, while taking the sun in.
-.-
The burial didn't take long, and that small procession soon organised themselves to leave. Yeager watched it all from that large, now shattered and posthumously crystallised, window. He had a contemplative look on his face and arms crossed as he watched them all go. Eren then looked back into the building. Everything was quiet, all the children were sleeping, and so were the surviving nuns and servants. Peace was reigning on that crystallised building.
Historia was in bed with the babies, feeding them again, as she looked up to see Eren by the door, arriving back into the room. The mother was secretly relieved. She breathed more freely, almost showing her happiness, but still incredibly tired. "I suppose my life is only this now," she said, almost complaining. "But I don't mind," Historia added, and smiled.
Eren smiled back at her and walked in, he sat on the bed and deeply exhaled. And Historia maintained her side-smile as she checked the babies again. He leaned down on the end of the bed, slightly over her lower legs. Eren was finally allowing himself rest. For the first time since he learned he would be a father.
He then turned and looked towards Historia again, he was glad to see how the babies were covered in so many layers of clothes and blankets. It seemed Historia hadn't witnessed the evilness produced by those two babies touching, otherwise the mother wouldn't be so peaceful and cheerful.
'Good,' Eren thought. He wasn't rested enough to deal with that yet. But the father knew that he would eventually have to show it to her, and try his best to explain what this energy was. Even if he couldn't understand it too well himself. Eren knew Historia was clever enough to connect all the dots the moment she saw this energy again. He knew she would be quick to realise how Ezra had produced all that evil energy capable of controlling all those Wall Titans, solely because he was in direct connection with his sister.
Eren was dreading the mother's realisation, for he didn't know how she would react.
But it was inevitable, Historia would eventually know who Ymir truly was, and who Ezra could have become.
He sighed, looking up to the ceiling. Eren sat upright again and began to take his ragged clothes off, the dirty jacket and shirt, the torn trousers. He threw them away from his sight, leaving himself with only his undergarments on. He turned to Historia as she looked at him almost amused. "Did you get to sleep?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied.
"And eat?" he also asked.
"Yes," she also replied.
Eren looked content. He then leaned down again and slowly moved up on the bed, to his side, looking up at the ceiling intently. Eren sighed.
"Oh dear, I hope no one walks in," Historia joked about Eren's state of undress as she looked towards the open wide doors.
Eren looked up at her, smiling. He sat, almost upright again next to her, he caressed one of the babies and then the other. And then kissed her right cheek. "Give me five minutes, and I'll do whatever you want," he told her, sliding down again into the many, fancy pillows.
"What an indecent proposition," the Queen joked while Eren was looking up, he turned his green eyes towards her blue ones. Eren let out a small grin. "I mean anything you need me to do," he corrected himself and Historia only raised her eyebrows, which made him smile wider.
Yeager buried his face and then himself lazily into the pillows. "Five minutes," he muffledly repeated.
Historia went back to admiring her precious little newborns while they fed from her, still intently but clearly less frenzied now. The babies were peaceful, they felt warm and safe. She could see the time passing on the large clock, it had been five, now almost ten minutes and Eren hadn't been able to shut an eyelid. Yeager had tossed and turned, he was now just staring up intently at the wound in his arm, and at the thin cut Armin had made through it more recently. Eren seemed very reflective.
"What's bothering you?" Historia finally asked and he looked up at her.
"Do you blame me?" He asked sincerely, with sorrowful eyes.
"No," she soon replied.
Eren sat upright again, facing her. "So many of our people are dead," he brokenly said. "That's not what I wanted," Eren disclosed upsettingly.
Yeager sat more comfortably, with his right arm leisurely resting over his raised right knee. In his customary nonchalant figure-four stance. He rested his head on his left arm, over those many pillows and continued to argue. "I was supposed to protect them," he told Historia, clearly frustrated with himself and hoping for some advice. "I was supposed to protect you," Eren added, gesturing at her with even more self-loathing.
"You did protect me," Historia soon countered.
Eren sighed, almost humorously and unbelievably. "I ruined your life," he replied.
"Don't say that," she reprimanded him deeply.
"I wonder how much better things would have been if you had eaten me in that cave," Eren told her, still in deep self-loathing.
"Eren, stop saying stupid things," she hissed at him.
"That's how it should have been and you know it," Eren proceeded. He deeply wished he was never given the powers of the Founder, or any Titan powers at all for that matter. 'Why did my father do this to me?' he brokenly questioned, only inside his mind.
"They wouldn't be here," Historia soon replied and he turned to her. They both looked down to those peaceful, feeding babies. "And I can't imagine a world like that," she told him firmly. "I don't want to."
The young Queen continued, "I can't imagine a world where I would have killed you," she stopped and sighed, almost annoyed. "Hhmph… Eren, you're just tired."
Eren looked down, clearly still extremely downcast. "I love you," Historia said. "And I love our children, even more than I can comprehend," she declared to him.
"Even after I caused you so much harm?" Eren asked.
"You haven't caused me any harm, Eren," she replied.
"I destroyed the island," he insisted, still very broken.
Historia looked away, the Fritz Queen was ready to plant the seeds of her own elaborate concoction. She turned to Eren again. "It's a curious day for our children to be born, don't you think?" she cleverly questioned.
"What do you mean?" Eren asked her back, confused. Yeager buried himself a little deeper into the bed again.
"Of course, that was all a coincidence. Hell was already breaking loose, quite literally. And it's only natural for any heavily pregnant woman to go into labour in such circumstances," Historia continued and Eren looked at her confused.
"Our children-" Eren was about to say but he was interrupted by Historia. '-caused all this,' the father finished his sentence, only in his mind.
"The last day of October has long been regarded as a devilish day. It's surrounded with eeriness and superstition. Supposedly the birthday of the goddess Ymir herself," the Queen continued to argue.
Eren looked up dubiously at her, with tired green eyes; he was too exhausted to expose the irony. So he simply decided to question her. "What are you getting at?"
"You didn't cause any of this," she gladly arrived at her manufactured point. "I didn't cause any of this." The Queen said, pointing first at him and then at herself.
Eren almost lifted himself up again. "How would explain the Marleans coming to attack us right before all those demonic Titans were set free? Coincidence?" He questioned her newfound logic.
"They already knew this would happen," she quickly supposed, "and they came here to help us battle it. Am I wrong about that? Isn't that exactly what happened?" Historia questioned him back.
"Yes, but-" Eren was about to argue, but she interjected once again.
"Eldians and Marleans fighting together. Taking down the biggest otherworldly threat this Earth has ever faced, and permanently stopping it from spreading to the rest of the world! Saving millions, billions of lives!" she told him gloriously. "Winning a real war against the Devil itself, together." Historia said, and repeated, "together."
She smiled, cunningly. "Doesn't it sound beautiful?" Historia questioned him cleverly.
The Queen had written her own History.
"Damn," Eren let out, leaning down next to her again. "You are a politician," he said among the pillows. "No wonder your people stayed in power for so long," Eren added muffledly.
"Not a politician, darling. I'm a queen," she gently corrected him while caressing his dark hair. And Eren lifted his head again, slightly. "My Queen," he said, leaning up to kiss her.
He finally felt peace in that moment, after so many months of anguish and restlessness. "And you are my King," she sincerely told him after pulling away from that warm and gentle kiss.
Eren then reached out, embracing her lower torso; passing and firming his right arm underneath the pillows that supported the two feeding babies, and meeting his left hand on the other side. He gently leaned his head on her side, hugging her closely and feeling the warmth of the three most important people in his life. Historia continued to caress his hair very lovingly as Eren watched over the twins intently, he was incredibly happy just to see them breathing, and to see how calm they were. Historia could see his eyelids slowly shutting down in the next few minutes.
Eren finally fell asleep.
-.-
Reiner woke up suddenly, he felt extreme confusion and pain. It took a while for his mind to adjust. He only saw Pieck hovering over him.
"You've been in a coma for thirty years," she told him seriously.
Reiner was first alarmed but soon came back to his full faculties. The Warrior raised himself slightly from the hospital bed. "Then how come you still look exactly the same?" he questioned her.
"I just happen to have flawless skin," Pieck joked.
"It's been thirty days," Annie divulged, with arms crossed, staring straight at him from across the room. Reiner turned to her and she walked closer to the bed.
"Now you look even younger than I remember," Reiner noted, exaggerating his tone a little.
"That's impossible," Annie replied with a gentle eye-roll. She stood next to the hospital bed. "You just hit your head really hard," she explained.
The two comrades hadn't seen each other, in that dimension, in over four years.
"I think she looks a little taller," Pieck joked, humorously trying to measure Leonhart's height.
Reiner sat up straight, still trying to make sense of it all. And Annie rushed to hug him, she hugged him tight.
"Settle, settle," Reiner told her. "Don't break my ribs," he pleaded almost out of breath and voice, but actually pleased.
"Careful, Leonhart, he ain't got many of those left," Jean joked, standing on the end of the bed. Kirstein had his arms crossed, but he looked at Reiner smugly. He was happy to finally see him fully conscious.
Reiner looked around, he was glad to be alive, and glad to be surrounded by his friends. So he hugged Annie back tenderly.
"Don't go dying on me," she told him quietly, "you're the only one left."
"Excuse me?" Pieck asked with eyebrows raised high, almost offended.
"Well, you were never very close to our group," Annie told her, shrugging slightly as she finished that hug. "How are you feeling?" she then turned again to ask Reiner.
He sighed. "Like a building fell on top of me," Reiner explained sincerely.
"Well you broke quite a lot of bones," Pieck explained. "And your regeneration slowed down significantly, but you're still healing well it seems."
"You took quite a dive, man, it was scary," Jean relayed, uncrossing his bandaged up arms.
"He saved you," Pieck disclosed to her fellow Warrior, gently pointing her head towards Kirstein, and Reiner turned to him.
"It was a team effort. And I wasn't about to let another one of my friends drop to his death," Jean solemnly said.
Reiner looked down, clearly feeling very lost. "Thirty days?" he asked while scratching his head. "I was out this whole time?"
"You would wake up from time to time. We took turns looking after you," Annie explained. "You were hallucinating a lot."
"You kept calling out for Bertholdt, and your mother," Jean told him, the soldier then squinted slightly. "And who's Heidi?" he asked very curiously and Pieck slightly bumped him on the shoulder with a light admonishing side-eye. But Jean couldn't help but smile.
Reiner looked down again, searching those missing memories deep inside his consciousness. "I don't remember any of it," he confessed, holding his head. He still felt very confused.
"The doctor said it will still be a couple of months until you fully recover, but it seems you're in the clear," Pieck told him.
"You scared us a lot, the first few days were tough," Annie added.
"Most of the staff wasn't confident you would make it, but the doctor told us you would," Pieck continued. "That you were quite the fighter."
"Did it work?" Reiner inquired, hoping for the best. "I mean, if you're all alive here…" he trailed off.
"Oh, yeah," Jean told him confidently. "You slaughtered that monster, alright. You're going to be quite famous once you leave here. You already are."
"I don't think I did, I only remember falling," Reiner replied, scratching his head again, very confused.
"After the witch stopped moving, remember? She plummeted down to Earth," Pieck tried to help him.
"But what made her stop flying?" Reiner questioned. "I know it wasn't what I was doing."
"Oh, you're gonna love this. Floch used the petals to destroy the weird portal. The Marleans guided him to it," Jean told him more excitedly. "It weakened her."
"Who's Floch?" Reiner asked, still very lost.
"The weird ginger kid, who talked nonsense nonstop during training," Annie tried to jog his memory.
"Oh, I don't remember him," Reiner noted, he then looked down. "I don't remember anything, it seems," he added more quietly, and sighed. His brain was swirling in confusion.
"Don't worry, you'll recover," Pieck assured him more softly, gently grasping his shoulder.
"You two will have to share the glory," Jean continued. "Well, and Falco too. If you and him hadn't removed that witch from her Titan she would have probably survived that fall," he explained.
"Congratulations, you killed a nasty two-thousand-year-old witch," Pieck added.
"And Falco. I mean he's the Jaw, that helped a lot," Jean noted again.
Reiner's memory was jogged with the mention of the young Warrior. He looked around the room again. "Where's Gabi?" he asked.
"With Falco," Annie soon replied. "Probably galavanting somewhere in this damn island," she added annoyedly and with arms crossed.
"Galavanting?" Reiner questioned.
Annie sighed, also annoyedly. "I can't wait for you to be given the clear so we can finally leave. I'm sick of this awful place," she let out.
"You would be, you have been here long enough," Reiner noted with a small smile. He then laughed. "To be completely honest, I wasn't sure if you were still alive," he told her more joyously. Reiner was slowly returning to his natural charm as his mind gradually cleared.
"Didn't you come back here to take me back home?" she questioned him, with arms crossed.
He chuckled. "I came back here to kill Eren. But possibly taking you back home sure was an extra incentive," he commented with her.
-.-
Eren Yeager was in that same building. He had gone down to Shiganshina to visit a different patient. A patient who he had been very curious about through those passing four years. He went down to the basement to see "Frank" - the last Pure Titan they had encountered all those years ago, right before the Survey Corps expedition reached the ocean.
Commander Hange had not only named him, but she had also made sure to bring the motion-impaired creature back to this very Military Complex, outside of Shiganshina, to be thoroughly studied. After all the dust settled and the volcanoes stopped spewing lava, the Eldians finally were able to begin rebuilding their lives. And the Military soon discovered that not only the - alive - Paradisians who had been turned to Titans that day had gone back into human form. But also all the Pure Titans that they had been studying in those past four years had reverted to human form as well.
Falco had asked Arlert to go on the small expedition to the remains of Ragako, as he felt he owned Springer that much. The young boy assisted the small group of soldiers in finding the lost woman through the rubble of the city and in bringing her back to that very Military Complex. And the young Warrior was currently there, also in that basement - still assisting the confused woman, who insisted on calling him her son. But not necessarily in the same area as Yeager had gone down to, for all those frightened and confused people had been separated into different, pitch-black rooms.
Those Eldians were very lost since many of them had been Pure Titans for years, even decades. Contrary to the hundred thousand ones who had only become Pure Titans for less than a day and presented little side effects afterwards. A particular side effect that had intrigued Hange and the other scientists greatly was how much difficulty these older Pure Titans were having in getting accustomed to sunlight.
Connie's mother was slowly getting accustomed to it, and to the outside again. She had gone out of her room for a few strolls with Falco and Gabi, but only at night. She greatly enjoyed the company of those two young and lively souls. They reminded her of her own children.
But not "Frank", the man was still very lost and sunlight bothered him immensely. He stayed only in his dark room, trying to read the books Hange had given him only with the assistance of one small candle.
"No, I do not know my name yet," he immediately warned Yeager as he saw him approaching from the stairs. The lost man had been interrogated daily by the scientists, and he expected Eren was yet another curious inquisitor.
"Do you like 'Frank'?" Eren asked back charmingly as he climbed down the stairs, he smiled, hoping to ease the stranger into a good conversation.
"Not really," he sincerely told Yeager, with a small smile as well. "It doesn't feel like me."
The man looked down, feeling saddened with the thought, he then looked up to his visitor again.
The room was quite dark, but he could see Yeager was in formal military get-up. All tidy-up and serious-looking. Eren had even cut his hair shorter again, which made him look more like his father. Yeager was doing his best to look older and more mature, hoping it would help others respect him best in the new role he had taken on.
"I can leave if you want," Yeager suggested, noting how the man was perhaps a little bothered by being disturbed.
"No, please," he gestured to the opposite chair, inviting Eren to sit down. And Yeager reached to greet him.
"Eren Yeager," he presented himself and the man reached out to shake his hand.
"Oh, you're the boss," the man quietly commented.
Eren let out a small smile. "What are you reading?" he curiously inquired while sitting down, noting the many books in the corner of the table.
"Just some old tales, the glasses lady wants to see if it will help me remember from when and where I come from," the stranger told Eren, and he tilted his head. Eren had begun to notice how he truly had a very different accent, like the others had said. And it was almost too difficult to understand.
Yeager turned over to the pile of books and began to analyse them, picking them up and checking the titles near the small candle flame.
The man continued. "She wants to see if I recognise any of the old stories, if I have read or heard of them before. The thing is, I don't recognise any of them, at all. And it's getting frustrating."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Eren replied, he felt for the man.
Yeager had noticed how many of the books were very old. A couple of them were tales from five centuries before, and one was even from eight centuries before. Written in a version of Eldian that would be very difficult for a contemporary Paradisian to read. Eren immediately began to wonder why Hange had given him those. 'What is she looking for? What is she hoping to find here?' he questioned in his mind.
"Can you read this one?" He asked the man, picking up the oldest book in the pile.
The man picked it up from Yeager's hand and began to leaf through the pages. "It's a little better than these other ones," the man responded, pointing at some of the others in the pile. "But I don't recognise the story. I don't recognise any of these stories," he continued. He then looked up to see his visitor completely stunned.
"Yes, they always make this exact same face," he noted to Yeager with a small smile. "When is it from? They don't want to tell me," the man inquired and Eren looked down, scratching his slicked back hair.
"Maybe you were a scholar," Eren cogitated, hoping it to be a good explanation as to why the man could understand Middle Eldian so easily.
"Oh no, I was a soldier," the man replied firmly. "That I remember. Your outfit seems a little different from what I'd call a uniform but it clearly shows you are a soldier too," he noted to Yeager.
Eren scratched his hair again, almost completely ruining his serious, slick-back look. He turned to the side again, to that large book pile. "Why do you think Hange gave you all these books?" he questioned the man.
"I'd say to pass the time but that ain't just it, is it?" he questioned Yeager back, leaning back on his chair. The man began to cogitate. "Because of how I sound," he suggested. He himself could tell his Eldian accent was very different from the current Paradisian dialects he had heard from his visitors so far.
He then leaned forward on his chair, closer to the table and to Eren. "And because they asked me about 'The Walls' and I laughed," he relayed. "There were never any walls in Paradise! That is something I also know for sure." He told Eren confidently, the man then began to leaf through the many papers he had drawn himself. "I tried to draw what I remember from the island, but I'm not very good at that. It has all been very frustrating," he let out while grasping his many doodles.
"I'm sure things will come back to you eventually," Eren assured him, trying to give the lost man some hope.
He stopped. And calmly stored his drawings again into their leather binder. The man sighed earnestly, looking up again. "Thank you," he said. "For not killing me when I was in that state," he earnestly thanked Eren. "I have no idea how long I was like that for, but I know I always wanted to get out of it," he disclosed.
Eren tilted his head again, filled with compassion. "How do you remember you were a soldier?" he gently questioned.
The man scratched his head. "I don't, I just know I was," he told Eren. "I don't even remember my name, where I was born, I don't remember the age I was when I was turned into that thing. But I remember that." The man laughed. "That's military training for you," he said more cheerfully, "no matter the circumstances, it will never leave you."
"Was there a war going on then?" Eren then curiously asked.
"Yes. There's always a war going on," the stranger replied. "I was in a battle, I remember that. But my memories of it are still very vague," he disclosed. "I know I turned into that thing and then I woke up again-" The man stopped and looked to the stairs with dread.
He continued his account. "I saw the moon and it hurt me. It was just moonlight and it was so painful, so I buried my face in my hands and hid inside that black tarp they had used to cover the Titan I was in," he told his visitor. "I just cried, terrified the sun would eventually rise and the pain would be much worse, I actually wished to go blind," he sorrowfully disclosed.
"I'm sorry to hear it," Eren earnestly replied, quite upset by that retelling.
The man looked around the dark room. "Now they accommodated me nicely here, and I slowly got used to this little one," he told Yeager while pointing at the small candle.
"It's nice to see you're getting better," Eren replied more cheerfully. "One day you might see the outside," he hoped.
The man gave him a small, broken smile. "I'm sorry for being of little help. I'm sure you're all very curious, and so am I," he told Yeager.
"You've clearly been through hell and over," Yeager replied. "The least we can do is help you. I hope Hange wasn't too harsh with her experiments on you before."
"I don't remember any of that either," the man disclosed. "And I don't blame you. You just wanted to understand your enemy better."
"But you were never the enemy," Eren soon replied. "None of you ever were."
"In my experience anything that can eat you alive is an enemy," the man told him humorously. "Even if unintentionally."
"You were just used to others' gains," Eren maintained, "just weapons of war. I understand that now. I finally understood when I saw you," he disclosed.
The man was taken aback. "So is that why you're here?" he asked, realising his meaning to Eren.
"Well," Eren looked down, reflective. He looked up to the man again. "I guess I was just curious to know you, just like everyone else," he timidly disclosed.
"I'm sorry for not being so helpful in that, yet," the man earnestly replied. "I'm still trying to know myself as well."
Yeager smiled again and stood up. "I know you'll get there," he told the man while shaking his hand again. "It was nice to finally meet you."
"Thank you," the man told him solemnly. "For not giving up on me when I was a monster."
-.-
"You need to stop giving the others all the glory," Pieck gently commented with Jean as she cleaned his grafted burns so as to change his bandages. Both Kirstein's hands and much of his wrists had been badly burned during their last encounter with the witch. "You cut her limbs," Pieck added more cheerfully.
They were sitting in the Complex's garden, enjoying the cold morning among the trees and flowers. That table was a nice spot, still close enough to the medical wing and also well illuminated. Pieck was already used to changing Kirstein's bandages; she had done it a few times after the nurses taught her how to.
He sighed, staring at his burned hands. "All I did was mark the spot for you," he noted. "A beast that size? I wasn't even making a dent with my tiny swords! You were the one who yanked her limbs off," Jean insisted. "Aarhg!" he let out as Pieck gently pinched his palm.
She looked up at him annoyed. "It is what you said: it was a team effort, now stop selling yourself short," she complained.
Jean looked to the side, reflective. "Any news from Arlert?" she asked while bandaging his hands up.
"No, nothing yet," Jean replied. "It might be like Levi said in his last telegram, they might never find him," he complained upsettingly. "I should be out there looking too."
"So it can go as well as last time?" Pieck questioned. Kirstein had collapsed in high fever in the first expedition after the battle with the witch. He had insisted on going to look for Connie's remains, but collapsed early in the journey. "You need to let yourself heal, Jean," she reminded him.
"I just want to find him," he told Pieck brokenly. "He deserves a proper burial."
"At least you get to bury your friends," she commented while finishing binding his new bandaging. "I never had the luxury to."
"I'm sorry about Porco. I know I don't say it enough," Jean told her sincerely.
"It's fine," she replied. "I'm sure he was happy in the end, he was happy it was Falco," Pieck told him more cheerfully, but still a little broken. She looked up at Jean to see him still saddened and too reflective. "Now stop with all this survivor's guilt," she sternly advised.
"It's not survivor's guilt," he soon argued. "It's logic. I should never have survived-"
"Stop saying that," Pieck was quick to admonish him.
"You are all Shifters!" Jean maintained his argument.
"So? It shows your resilience and your skill," Pieck insisted.
"It shows my luck," Jean soon countered.
Pieck leaned back in her garden chair and looked up at him more inquisitively. "I don't believe in luck. I know all things happen for a reason," she told him.
Jean let out a small laugh. "What?" Pieck asked indignantly.
"I remember being at your end," he began to explain, "back when we battled, well- you. And the others; all those years ago. Floch was the sole survivor, among hundreds. He struggled with it a lot," Jean reminisced. "I remember wanting to help, even though we weren't very close. I wanted to get him out of all that darkness and depression and I had no idea how to," Jean disclosed, staring intently at the lovely garden, he then turned to Pieck. "Now I know exactly how he feels… and you assumed my place," he told her quietly.
"Would you ever have thought I would?" Pieck asked back, she leaned closer to the garden table. "That I would be the one here trying to console your sorrows?" She held his bandaged hands gently.
"I collected all those rocks," the Warrior reminded him, gently playing with his fingers, she was quite contemplative while she divulged. "I made sure they would be good enough to slaughter all those soldiers once the Beast threw them. And now I am here," she told Jean, then looked down at their hands as she grasped his softly.
"Now we are here…" she said quietly. Pieck looked solely to their hands, avoiding his eyes, she too felt very guilty. "I'm sorry," she told him in a whisper. 'I certainly paid the price for my sins,' she thought.
"We are here," Jean repeated, also grasping her hands. "And we stopped an evil being from destroying our entire Planet!" he reminded her. "Together."
Jean let out another small laugh. "Lord knows, all I wanted to do once I got to Marley was to kill you," he told her among his chuckling. He sighed, Jean was now a little more cheerful.
"Perhaps you're right about Fate and Reason," he began to realise, staring intently at the trees dancing in the calm winds. "Somehow Floch survived that day," Jean noted. "Despite the mercilessness Yeager showed and your mercilessness in helping him. Floch still survived and no one else."
Jean laid back on his garden chair. "I don't think I could have been as brave as he was," he told Pieck sincerely. "He saved us. All of us. I hoped he realised that at the end, he was a hero after all." Jean then gave Pieck a small smile. "He survived all those rocks for a reason," he told her cleverly.
'So perhaps I'm still here because I'm destined for something more,' Jean then wondered in his mind. That thought gave him peace.
He looked towards Pieck again, he could tell she was lost in thought, that conversation had clearly brought up her own guilt. "Are you all right?" he gently asked her.
She looked back at him with broken but also slightly mocking eyes. "I killed your people. You killed my people-" she began to say and Jean interjected.
"Hey, all is fair in love and war," he told her charmingly.
"Love?" Pieck soon questioned with eyebrows raised.
"Why not?" he questioned back, still charmingly.
"I do not love you, Kirstein," she firmly affirmed.
"You don't?" he questioned her, lifting up the bandage hands she had just treated so carefully. "My hands still smell like pure putrefaction and you still change my bandages daily," he cleverly argued.
"That doesn't mean I love you," she maintained, with arms crossed, shaking her head full of certainty.
"Love doesn't need to mean romance, Finger," Jean argued back. "It comes from caring about others."
Pieck leaned back on her chair again, still with arms crossed. "All right, I care about you," she conceded. "Are you satisfied?"
He gave out a small smile and looked down, reflective but gleefully. So she decided to surprise him with a kiss. He kissed her back in pure delight and they both laughed and continued kissing each other joyously.
It was a precious moment for the two of them, so after quite a few kisses they stared intently at each other, in the joy of that garden. Jean leaned in closer, resting his forehead on hers gently and they both closed their eyes, both in deep elation.
"Argh," Eren let out, standing next to their table. "You can't keep it in your pants, can you, Kirstein?" he let out in annoyance.
Jean opened his eyes and slowly turned to look up at Eren. "You are the one to talk," he sharply replied.
Pieck looked away, slightly embarrassed but also annoyed by Eren's presence. She began to organise all the medical supplies over the table, tucking everything away, into the medical kit. Hoping to leave.
Jean stood up with authority, firming his bandaged hands on the garden table. "What are you doing here, Eren?" he firmly questioned Yeager. "And why are you even dressed in uniform? You shouldn't be allowed to."
Kirstein himself was only wearing his brown civilian coat, for he was off duty, still recovering.
"I'm just doing my rounds. Checking if everything is in order," Eren explained.
"Order? You should be in prison. You shouldn't be allowed in this Complex, this is Military ground," Jean firmly replied, pointing at the table with his bandaged finger.
"This is my Military Complex, just as all the others," Eren soon told him. "And I would advise you to lower your tone, soldier," Yeager firmly said.
Jean looked down to see all those new stripes and a couple of medals on Eren's uniform.
"Argh," he let out. "Historia shouldn't be allowed to make decisions while in that state," Jean complained.
"The Queen is very wise and she follows her people's wishes," Eren told him in full authority.
"Her people's wishes?" Pieck questioned, deciding to join in that argument. She leaned back on her chair. "I always thought Paradisians were stupid but now I know for sure." She told Eren, crossing her arms in pure mockery.
"She just doesn't want her children growing up with a deadbeat rebel, foot soldier for a father." Jean argued, looking Eren straight in the eyes. "But something tells me all this makeup won't last for very long."
Eren looked away, sighing in annoyance. He ignored Jean and turned to Pieck. "When are you leaving?" he questioned the Warrior.
"We are just waiting for Reiner to recover. Believe me, I do not want to stay a minute longer on this damned island than I ought to." Pieck firmly replied, still with crossed arms.
"He can go on a ship later on his own," Eren argued back. "The sooner you are out of here the better." He told Pieck threateningly.
"Don't talk to her like that!" Jean warned him firmly. "She helped us finally defeat that monster. What did you do to stop the world from ending?" he questioned Yeager, staring him down. "You have done nothing apart from protecting your own spawn."
Eren just ignored Jean's authoritative slander once more. He turned to focus on Pieck again. "You killed my brother," Eren said to her in pure anger.
"Yes," Pieck replied, she tilted her head. "Considering the nature of your relationship I wouldn't think you'd have a problem with that," she noted.
"He was still my brother," Eren maintained in anger.
"So what?" Pieck asked. "I did the entire world a great service in doing so," she argued. "I thought it would upset me but in the end it didn't," Pieck disclosed. "He should know well not to betray me," she added and Jean only raised his eyebrows. "He deserved to die and he knew so himself in the end."
"You don't get to make that call," Eren argued in anger. "It wasn't your place."
"Why are you so upset over it? The two of you were never even close," Pieck questioned the younger Yeager, then thought about it. "Was that what took away your Founding Powers?" she cogitated, and laughed joyously. "I should get a medal for that," Pieck then joked.
"That was not what happened," Eren countered her.
"Wasn't it?" Pieck questioned. "You both died together. Only he was not so lucky as you were to transform again before too late," Pieck argued.
"Reiner should have eaten you. Or perhaps Falco, the world would be much better. Especially if it had been Falco," she told Eren sternly. Pieck then turned to Kirstein. "And you think you don't deserve being here, Jean? This one only deserved to 've been locked away in hell," Pieck said, turning to Eren again. "You should never have come back," she told Yeager, staring firmly into his eyes.
Eren's eyes were drenched in pure fury. He leaned in towards her very threateningly and Jean pushed him away. "Hey!" Kirstein warned. "You better get out of here before I throw your fake medals in the gutter."
"One more word and I'll discharge you," Eren threatened back in full authority.
"Oh, I'll gladly give the Army my resignation," Jean rebuked. "I won't ever serve under your rule."
The two old friends stared at each other intensely, getting ready for a brawl.
"Stop it!" Reiner firmly warned the two, standing in between them. Their conversation had been so intense that none of them had noticed the recovering man approaching with his crutches.
"What are you doing walking?" Eren immediately asked, clearly worried. "You broke forty-three bones."
"How do you even know how many bones I've broken when even I don't?" Reiner asked back.
"He's called everyday to check up on you," Jean told Reiner reluctantly.
"Reiner, you need to go back to bed," Pieck warned him while standing up, also filled with concern.
"I'm tired of lying down," Reiner complained back. "I wanted to see the outside."
Reiner's presence had strangely calmed down Eren and Jean's nerves. It brought their spirits back into their regiment days.
Eren sighed. "Any news on Connie's search?" he calmly asked Jean.
"Why don't you ask Armin?" Jean asked him back, clearly still annoyed and hoping to provoke. "He's been leading that."
Reiner let out a small smile, and asked Eren. "He's not talking to you, is he?"
Eren sighed annoyedly. "Just go back to bed, Reiner." He told his old friend.
"Not a chance," Reiner refused. "I'm going for a walk," he added, walking further into the garden.
"Reiner, wait!" Pieck let out. "Put that back for me, will you?" she asked Jean, giving him the medical kit.
"Yes, ma'am," Kirstein soon replied, nodding gently at her. And he and Yeager then watched her go after their recovering friend.
Eren looked down to that medical kit and to Jean's bandaging. "I'm sorry about your hands," he genuinely told his old friend.
"Yeah, it's a bummer that I can't regenerate," Jean began to joke. "But it's funny to think that now: neither can you."
Kirstein left the garden, going back into the building again and Eren stayed there, observing Reiner and Pieck for a moment. It was quite comical watching Pieck trying her best to convince Reiner to sit down in one of the benches. Eren let out a small smile, strangely feeling amused about them. And secretly happy that they were all fine.
-.-
Annie could hear Hitch's loud laughter faded from afar, and it made her curious. She couldn't find the source of the sound so she began to climb down the stairs in that Military Complex, going in the direction of the basement. The Warrior found the origin of all the gleeful noise. She curiously watched her friend cheerfully conversing with one of the old experiments. Annie let out a small smile and went back upstairs, to wait until Hitch came back up with that empty food tray.
"You do love fraternising with your prisoners," the Warrior commented, surprising her MP friend.
Hitch was first startled, but she soon had a response. "I usually do better with the ones who are not mass murderers," she sharply replied.
"How do you know he's not?" Annie questioned. "No one knows anything about this man," she noted. "He might as well be."
"Lars is a good person," Hitch countered, annoyedly putting the empty food tray to the side. "He's not like you or any of your murderous friends," she argued back.
Annie raised her eyebrows. "I thought the scientists had named him Frank," she immediately noted.
Hitch opened her eyes widely for a moment, realising her slip. But soon replied. "I decided to call him Lars."
Annie crossed her arms with a clever smile and Hitch sighed, realising her quick lie had been unconvincing. "How old is he?" The Warrior questioned.
Hitch was annoyed, she had been caught. But she decided to divulge. "If you are referring to the age he is from, then you should know he lived over three hundred eyes ago." She told Annie very quietly.
"That's a lot." Annie noted. "Why are you keeping that from Hange and her team?" she questioned.
"Because I respect him. It's not my life, not my secret to tell," Hitch soon replied. She continued, crossing her arms and legs and leaning sideways on the stone wall. "He doesn't want to tell anyone here yet. He doesn't trust anyone in this place, which is fair if you consider the amount of torture he had to endure. When he's ready he'll come forward with his truths, he just wants time to heal."
"Okay, I understand, it must not have been easy living in hell for that long," Annie conceded. "Why are you telling me then?" she asked the MP.
"You're the only friend I have," Hitch replied with a slight shrug.
"Fair," Leonhart conceded with a small eyebrow raise. She thought more about it. "How old is he really? I can't really tell," she decided to probe.
"When he, well, died - for lack of a better word. He was twenty-seven," Hitch relayed.
"That is… sad," Annie genuinely noted. "I wasn't a Pure Titan for long, but I don't wish that on my worst enemy. Three hundred years must have felt like an eternity."
"He's very glad to be back, and I just want to cheer him up," Hitch told her sincerely.
"Must be quite a change then, warden," Annie joked coldly. "You spent four years only pestering me with your hate."
"Not my fault," Hitch rebuked. "Lars is a good person and he didn't choose his curse," the MP argued. "You're a cold-hearted murderer who quarantined herself on purpose-"
"I did not," Annie immediately countered, stopping her friend in her tracks.
Hitch dropped her joking tone. "What will you do now? Now that you're free?" she genuinely questioned her friend.
"What do you think? I need to see my dad," Annie soon replied.
"Sure, but that's it? What are your life plans beyond that?" Hitch asked further.
"I don't know," Annie replied coldly.
"Seeing your dad can't be your only plan," Hitch proceeded. "You're free now and there's so much you can do."
"Meeting my father is the priority," Annie maintained.
"What about after that? Will you go explore the world like 'you know who' invited you to?" Hitch questioned more cheerfully, giving the Warrior a gentle side-bump.
Annie only side-eyed her, deeply annoyed.
"Come on! It sounds so romantic," Hitch insisted.
"He didn't invite me to do such a thing," Annie told her off more seriously. "And even if he had, it wouldn't be romantic," she maintained.
"Oh, yes it would. Don't be a bummer, come on," Hitch complained. "Why can't you just enjoy life a little?"
But her protests were of no avail. Annie only rolled her eyes and turned away. She walked off, in the direction of the large garden.
"Send me a postcard from Ninua!" Hitch still cheerfully yelled as she waved her hand goodbye. But Annie only ignored her and went outside.
-.-
Captain Levi led this particular excursion, he was being accompanied by Onyankopon and a few dozens of veterans from the Survey Corps and other military branches. They were in a particular section of the Maria Region, analysing the fallen villages and taking notes. No survivors found so far, not even bodies to bury. The Ackermann supposed that the people in those regions had run off into the open fields during the intense earthquakes, like most Paradisians did. And since a month had passed and they hadn't returned, it probably meant they had died elsewhere.
The expedition was about to leave the region when they saw a large group of soldiers coming out from the open woods. The group seemed quite beaten, it was clear they had been living in all that wreckage for a while. The Ackermann and the others soon raised their rifles, for the men were wearing Marlean uniforms.
"We're Eldians!" Carlisle frantically shouted, and repeated, with arms raised high. "We're Eldians! Please don't shoot."
-.-
The Ackermann went over to the Trost Region, to relay that information to his Commander. And was surprised to find Hange seemingly having a nice afternoon tea with none other than Tremblay himself.
She invited the Captain to join them.
"I can't believe you ordered them to jump out," she commented with the old army veteran while Levi took a seat.
"Hey, I gave them all parachutes," Tremblay argued back. "I just didn't want my airships destroyed. We knew they becoming Pure Titans was inevitable. It was just a matter of time."
"Well, most of your ships were still destroyed regardless," Hange reminded him while drinking some of her tea. "By the force field."
"Oh, so is that what we are calling it?" Levi asked while pouring himself some tea.
"Makes sense, doesn't it?" Hange asked him back with a smile.
"We didn't know what that barrier was, it took a few tries to understand it and finally stand down," Tremblay explained, fixing up his few hairs with some confusion. "Not that I'll ever understand all this Eldian magic anyway."
"We found over five hundred men so far, all from the fallen Marlean battalion," Levi relayed to the Commander. "Counting mine and Arlert's expedition findings."
"All Eldians regardless," Hange soon reminded him. "They can choose to return to the wider continent if they desire. An option that is not available for Mr. Tremblay here and the rest of his men. But I'm sure we can come to a pleasurable agreement," she noted, turning to Tremblay.
"If you want to absorb my men into your Army-" Tremblay began to offer but Hange interjected.
"That is not quite what the Queen has in mind," the Survey Corps Commander noted. "I received a letter from her just yesterday. It seems she has no intention in expanding the Paradisian Army. She wants the refugees to receive pardon and to be able build their lives here. After all, they have no other option."
Tremblay was a little taken aback by that. "Am I included in this pardon?" He questioned in disbelief, after he had made killing Queen Historia his personal vendetta for those past three years.
"You guided Forster to the portal," Hange reminded him. "I believe none of us would be here otherwise. You could have refused to help, but you didn't. You sensed the right path and chose it. And I commend you for that."
Tremblay looked down, feeling conflicted, but also relieved. He knew growing old in the ultimate enemy territory wouldn't be easy. But he was glad to have kept his head intact and still attached to his neck. He also had a promise to fulfil, the promise he had made to Floch. And that memory made the old army veteran even more reflective.
"So the Marleans are all pardoned, and the Eldian-Marleans can leave if they want?" Levi asked, crossing his legs and leaning back on that sofa. "Do you think they will?" he asked Hange.
"Some of them might," she conceded. "But from the stories we heard so far, they didn't have the best life in the continent. So it wouldn't surprise me if most of them decide to stay, to begin new lives here." Hange thought about it. "And don't forget the Queen's big announcement that is soon to happen," she added.
The Commander turned to Tremblay again.
"I had news that the Warriors intend to leave," she relayed. "I hope you won't be opposed to that," the Commander commented.
"They can do whatever they want," he soon replied, "come and go as they please. I'm stuck on this Island, so I better make the best of it." Tremblay added.
-.-
A few days passed and Queen Historia made her first world-wide announcement. The recording was circulated through many radio stations and was the first time the world was hearing her young voice. But certainly not the last.
She relayed the situation in the island, thanking the Marlean forces who helped the Eldians combat such Evil. The Queen also asked for the countries to not object to any Eldian citizens who might want to come to their island. She solemnly invited all the children of Ymir to come live in their paradise for it had been built for them. And not long after many started coming in droves, looking for refuge. The Army was in charge of organising the new citizens who now doubled the previous population of the Island, despite all the dead.
The other countries were glad to send off those citizens, especially now that it had been proven that they could no longer become Pure Titans and were of no use to them. And they were too busy with their own internal turmoils to worry about that strange race of humans. Marley had lost power and control over most of their current empire; the wars and revolutions were spreading all over the great continent. It was mayhem and the Eldians were glad to be given a way out of that.
The Island was in peace, and prospering. The people were struggling but feeling brightened and inspired to rebuild their lives. The next harvests were the best Paradise had even seen, after the volcanoes had fertilised their lands intensely of course.
There was a happy sense of life-rebuilding going through all the Paradisians that was represented by the birth of the Queen's two children. The babies became a symbol of survival and the tales of Queen Historia giving birth and fiercely defending her small newborns from the invaders spread like wildfire through all the regions. "I expected nothing less from her," most of the Eldians said. "She cut off her own tyrant father's head."
"That's our Queen!" All of them rejoiced.
-.-
The Lighthouse
[ Mid-January, 855 ]
Mikasa was happily taking care of her sunflowers in her vast garden. The Ackermann had removed herself from that chaotic aftermath, she retired her swords and went in search of tranquillity. She rejoiced in her sumptuous fortress. Mikasa smiled as she watched over her toddler. Azzy was cheerfully playing with a very colourful kite. He ran fast across the sand, the toddler was very cheerful, looking up to his kite and admiring how high that paper could fly in those strong shore winds.
The boy was getting closer to his third birthday. Mikasa reached down, to feel Sonnenblume growing inside of her. The mother was now five months pregnant.
"You'll be born in Spring, my sunflower," Mikasa gently whispered.
She then began to hear the motor sound. Coming through the sand, getting louder. "Don't run to the edge!" she firmly shouted to Azzy and the boy stopped in his tracks. The mother then extended her hand for the boy to come to her instead. Mikasa was afraid he would go towards the large - and deep - trench at the edges of their home.
Azzy came rushing towards her excitedly, cheerfully bringing his kite with him. They held hands and walked towards the tunnel, to wait for the father's arrival.
Armin went down one of his many large tunnels with that brand-new car. That entrance, like all the others, had been concealed before. But he had now left it wide open, for Armin had no intention of concealing his Lighthouse anymore. He and his family had no intention of living there for much longer, and they didn't see any threats coming their way in the few weeks they still had left in Paradise Island. The large trench was also of no use anymore, since Pure Titans had ceased to exist. But Armin couldn't do anything about that, since he also couldn't turn into a Titan anymore. So the large, empty space had to remain empty.
The deep tunnel was made out of pure Titan Crystal and it beautifully illuminated his way as he passed through with that fast machine, reflecting its headlights. Armin was thinking about his precious construction as he passed through all that glimmering crystal. He was cogitating closing off the tunnel entrances permanently. So their home could be isolated and protected from invaders, in case they one day decided to return. "But that is highly unlikely," he let out under his breath, and sighed. Arlert was now emerging from the tunnel, arriving at his home.
Azzy promptly gave Mikasa his colourful kite, for safekeeping of course, and the mother put it to the side. The boy was shaking and jumping up and down with his little legs. He was extremely excited as the big machine emerged, coming out on their side of the crystal tunnel. The toddler rushed towards his father as soon as he stepped out of the big metal thing.
"You need to learn how to drive this thing," Armin commented with Mikasa as he held the boy in his arms. Azzy was curiously looking inside the vehicle from over his father's shoulder.
Arlert could note her disinterest while he closed the car's door. "Kiyomi sent it to you," he soon reminded her.
"Perhaps after Sonnenblume is born," she conceded.
He gave her a small smile and turned to their boy. "So, are you ready?" he cheerfully asked Azzy.
"Ready for what?" Mikasa questioned warily.
"We've discussed this," Armin replied seriously.
"And I said I don't agree. I don't think we should try this," Mikasa soon argued, clearly upset and worried. "I won't let you put him in this position. What if he kills someone?" she questioned in a wary whisper.
"He won't. We'll guide him through it," Armin insisted.
"I don't think it's right," Mikasa maintained.
"Mikasa, we are still trying to understand what that barrier is," he told her calmly. "But if it works the way it seems to, then we need to see if Azzy can really trump it. He might be the only way out for the regular folk. I'm not intending to make our child a method of transport. You know that. But we need to know we can have his help if it is ever needed."
"This is madness," Mikasa insisted. "And you promised you would never run experiments on him," she hastily whispered. All while Azzy was already climbing out of his father's arms and through the fancy car's window.
Armin looked back for a moment as the boy was already playing around on the leather seats. "Don't break anything," he warned, turning to Mikasa again. "It's not an experiment and he has done this before. On this very beach, with Connie," he argued with opened arms. "I know you remember that."
Mikasa looked down, she still seemed upset and reluctant.
He reached for her hand. "Hange won't be there, it will be just us and the Warriors-" Armin gently said, to comfort her, for he had promised from the start that he wouldn't let Hange and her team of scientists anywhere near Azzy, let alone know of his abilities.
"The Warriors are all Eldians, what would be the point?" Mikasa hastily interjected.
"And our volunteer," Armin finished his sentence.
-.-
"This seems absolutely unnecessary," Reiner grumpily commented while sitting on his wheelchair again. He was beyond tired of it.
"Settle down, Braun, your femur still needs some time," Onyan joked with him. "It's not fully healed yet."
"Are you ready?" Annie turned to ask him.
"Not really. I could die," Onyankopon replied, clearly nervous, but trying to maintain the humour. "Do you have my bucket?" he asked.
She took the small, wooden bucket and placed it on Reiner's lap. "It will be ready for you," she told Onyan. "See you on the other side!" Annie added more cheerfully, and began to push Braun's chair.
Reiner raised up the little bucket. "Good luck!" He wished to Onyan, also very cheerfully, as they began to move.
"Are you sure the chair will pass through?" Braun briefly cogitated while Annie pushed him forward on the chair.
"I mean, we know we can pass through with our clothes," she noted, still moving. Leonhart didn't even consider slowing down after his comment, and they soon crossed through the enormous gate.
They both looked up for a moment, as they passed through that barrier. The intertwining of all those crystals in that giant gateway was a breathtakingly beautiful sight. The many crystals reflected the light of that early morning entrancingly.
"Wood, cloth, even metal have been proven to pass through," Armin immediately answered Reiner's doubts as they emerged on the other side. "Projectiles and explosives definitely cannot," he continued to tell them the new findings. "We also know now that what looks to be a semi-sphere is actually a full sphere. The barrier goes down, clearly very deep underneath the earth. Paradise is completely isolated from the outside world."
"Any theories as to why projectiles and explosives can't pass through?" Reiner questioned Arlert. "It seems very war-specific," he commented.
"Not yet," Armin replied. "But I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually. I refuse to blame it on magic," he told the Warrior reluctantly.
"You refuse?" Reiner immediately asked back, baffled. "Have you been through all the same things I have? You're not just an Eldian, you're a Titan Shifter, and yet you refuse to believe in magic?" he questioned.
"Magic is just a lazy way to explain things. I believe everything has a true, logical explanation," Armin argued while holding up his little son.
Reiner turned to him with one eyebrow raised. "What is your kid about to do again?" he questioned, trying to hold in his laughter.
"He is just going to jump for a quick stroll in the Titan Realm with our friend," Armin said, nodding to Azzy and the small boy nodded back. Azzy was gently scratching his ear and hair. The toddler was a bit confused, but he understood the assignment.
Armin turned to Reiner again. "And came back here," he added, then turned, pointing at Mikasa. "To mummy," he said, nodding again and the boy also nodded back.
"And that's not magic?" Reiner asked, leaning back on that wheelchair with a wide grin, he was extremely amused.
"All of us Shifters can do that walk mentally, Azzy just has the extra ability to walk there physically; and to also use that to move differently in there within correlation with our world. Thus reappearing in a different place from where he first left," Armin calmly explained.
"Oh, is it just?" Reiner asked, still very much amused.
"Can we just get on with it?" Annie interjected, annoyed. "We have a boat to catch."
Armin nodded and went with the boy across the gate.
"You seem more nervous than I am," Mikasa gently commented with the Warrior.
"What?" Annie slowly turned to ask her in surprise, for she was previously lost in thought.
.
Azzy immediately noted a small insect across the grass as he left his father's arms. "A cricket!" he shouted excitedly, pointing at the animal.
"Yes, small Azymondeus, it is a very green cricket," Onyankopon told him cheerfully. He gently kneeled down in front of the boy. "You know, in my land we call you 'The Wanderer'," he softly told the boy.
"The character, you mean?" the father gently asked as Onyankopon stood up again. "I didn't know you also had those books," Arlert commented.
"Yes, I used to read them as a child," Onyan told him with a small smile. He turned and held the small boy's tiny hand.
"Now, are you ready-" Armin was about to ask, but Azzy had already built up all his otherworldly energy and Arlert turned to already see those two on the other side of the gate. "You are getting better at this," the father quietly commented, secretly concerned.
Azzy reappeared with the foreigner right in front of his mother, and rushed towards her. Onyankopon only dropped down on his knees, feeling completely dizzy, his entire world was turning.
"It works!" Reiner shouted from his chair, with arms raised high.
Annie rushed to aid the man, carrying the little bucket. "How are you feeling?" she asked Onyan as he threw up intensely, trying to aim on the thing. "Glad to not have died," he eventually told her, still feeling completely hazed.
Azzy opened up his small hand and showed the foreigner the green cricket that they had seen hopping on the grass on the other side of the Wall.
"Now it's free too," the toddler told Onyankopon, letting the small insect hop away. Onyan was at awe as he witnessed the small creature hop away from the boy's hand - covered in bright blue dust. The cricket disappeared into the bushes.
Azzy smiled at him.
"No, my darling," Mikasa gently corrected her boy. "The cricket is free to go wherever it wants," she softly told him while fixing up his hair. The mother then picked her boy up in her arms again.
"Indeed it is," Onyan agreed, standing up again. Still dizzy, but clearly much better. "But it was noble of you to bring the small creature on this journey with us, Small Wanderer," he told the toddler fatherly and more cheerfully. For he could see the boy looked confused and almost afraid he had done something wrong. Onyan wanted to appease him.
"Was it? I feel bad for the cricket," Annie quietly commented, immediately throwing Onyan's efforts away. He turned to her with some reprove but she only smiled at him cleverly.
But it didn't matter, Azzy was already distracted. He had forgotten about the cricket as soon as it disappeared into the bushes. The boy was now focusing on the flock of birds flying high up in the morning sky.
"So, how was it?" Armin shouted cheerfully as he nonchalantly walked back through that barrier. Arlert was of course an Eldian so the force field had no impact on him whatsoever.
"Not as bad as I expected. But I am never doing this again," Onyan replied, putting his hands on his hips. "I'm glad I don't have to," he added, and turned to the toddler again. "Thank you," he said, sincerely.
"So you never want to go back to the island? Even if the kid can give you a lift?" Reiner asked curiously.
"Thank you," Onyan repeated, "truly, my boy, thank you." The foreigner turned to Reiner. "But no. If I ever come back here, I'd rather just stay outside of the Wall."
Onyan then turned to Armin, who was now arriving closer to the group. "Arlert, I don't think this is a good idea," he relayed, "for anyone. It was harrowing, I do not recommend you try again with others."
"Good, because that was never the plan," Mikasa immediately said, holding her baby boy closer. "You were the exception." she revealed.
"Oh," Onyankopon let out, surprised. "Thank you," he gently told the mother. "I could never have spent my entire life here, without seeing my homeland again," he told Mikasa and turned to see the rising sun. "Without seeing the world again," the man added solemnly.
"I understand," Mikasa replied. She felt similarly.
Armin gently grabbed the foreigner's shoulder. "Good luck out there," he wished him sincerely.
"Where's Pieck?" Reiner asked, looking around the area.
"Argh," Annie grunted, going towards their coach. "If she wants to stay I couldn't care less," Leonhart let out as Onyankopon approached, pushing Reiner's wheelchair.
"I thought you two were friends," the foreigner noted gently.
"It's her life, it's on her if she wants to stay in this backwards place," Annie soon replied as they readied themselves to carry Reiner up.
"Ok. Enough of this," Reiner complained, trying to push them away. "I'm not a child."
Annie leaned closer to his face, very threateningly. "If you break your healing leg again trying to play tough, I'll gladly break the other one," she seriously whispered. "Let him help you," she added, pointing with her chin at Onyankopon.
Reiner sighed reluctantly as Leonhart opened the coach door and the foreigner carefully helped him up to his seat.
"You're one tough cookie, aren't you?" Onyankopon gently told Leonhart as they closed the coach door. Annie only grunted and rolled her eyes. And walked away, to the other side of the coach, so she could enter through the other door.
Reiner charmingly leaned on his open window. "Why do I have a feeling you like tough cookies?" he gently whispered.
Onyan only looked away, he turned, with no reply. "Finger! We'll leave in five minutes!" he shouted and went to check on the horses, taking on his driver's seat.
.
"I think they're leaving," Jean noted, looking from a small corner, on the other side of the Wall.
"They won't leave without me," Pieck objected, and kissed him again. She then turned, "oh, but did it work?" she wondered, looking from that small corner as well, into the large gate.
"I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention but it seems it did," Jean noted then turned to kiss her again.
"When are you coming to see me really?" she asked, looking up at him as Kirstein hovered over her.
"I need to spend at least a couple of months with my folks, I need to help them rebuild their house," he told her sincerely.
"Why don't you bring them with you?" Pieck asked, hoping he was willing to build his life with her, away from the Wall.
Jean scratched his head. "I don't think it would be very easy, but I'll see if I can convince them," he conceded. Jean too didn't see a future inside that Wall. "Can I write to you?" he asked.
Pieck crossed her arms, "I'd rather see you in person," she told him seriously.
"Don't worry about it, I can come and go. I'm not trapped here," Jean told her and leaned in closer. "I'll be there soon enough," he told her in a gentle whisper.
"How are you going to find me?" Pieck wondered.
"Oh, I have my own spy skills," he charmingly told her, leaning in to kiss her again.
"Finger! We'll leave in five minutes!" They both heard Onyankopon shout from the other side of the Wall.
"Well, he survived," Pieck joked. She turned to kiss Jean on the cheek. "Please come find me," she whispered romantically in his ear.
"I will," he replied, looking deep into her eyes. He caressed her long, jet-black hair one last time, watching it dance in the wind as she ran off.
Pieck crossed the barrier.
.
"Well, she's happy," Arlert commented as they watched Finger rush by, in the direction of the carriage.
She cheerfully sat beside Onyankopon. "Sail away!" Pieck joked with him.
"This is a coach," Reiner replied annoyedly from the back, he had his arms crossed. "We are still on land."
"Don't be so grumpy, plaster boy," Pieck joked, looking back.
"You're a mess," Annie noted, about Pieck's clothing and hair.
Finger only winked charmingly at her as they began to move.
The travellers were making their way to the harbour, to sail away from Paradise.
.
"She kick me, mum!" Azzy suddenly told Mikasa, a little scared and slightly offended. "Again!" he shouted, with his blue eyes opened wide in surprise.
Mikasa laughed. "Well, maybe Sunny is only letting you know you're too heavy, baby boy," she told him as Armin reached to grab the toddler from her arms.
Armin smiled widely at him. "I'll carry you for now on." he told the boy. "Don't worry about it."
"But I like mummy more," Azzy immediately protested. He was incredibly sincere.
"Azzy!" Mikasa soon reprimanded him.
"Let me tell you a secret," Armin told him gently, bringing the boy closer and Azzy became curious. "I do too," Armin whispered to him.
Azzy laughed and hugged him closer.
Armin turned to see Mikasa's look of disapproval as the boy hugged him tenderly. "What? We understand each other," the father explained.
-.-
Eren looked around in the hospital wing of the Military Complex - outside of Shiganshina. He was analysing the place again, like he began to do to all of his regiments, every two months. He wanted to see the recovering of the soldiers and the progress the kingdom was slowly making in rebuilding itself. For it was his kingdom after all, his Paradise.
He looked out of the window to see 'Frank' walking slowly, but happily in the garden, accompanied by Hitch. Eren smiled. He was happy the man could see the sun and the outside again.
Yeager then continued to make his way across the medical wing, he then saw Mikasa, which completely took him by surprise. He hadn't seen his sister in those past three months and she had made no effort to contact him. But there she was, happily making conversation with some of the bedridden soldiers who once had served with them.
Mikasa looked up and noticed him approaching slowly, so she immediately rushed towards him. She smiled and he then felt confident to smile back at her. Eren then opened his arms cheerfully. "Sonnenblume," he almost shouted, noting how his sister was more heavily pregnant now. So Mikasa laughed joyously and hugged him tight.
"I know she'll be precious," her brother told her, gently holding her stomach. "She already is!" Eren added cheerfully.
"How are your precious ones?" his sister asked back with a sweet smile as he cheerfully caressed her stomach.
Eren looked up and into her eyes again, he took a small step back and scratched his hair. "It's alright, a little less crying now. They're finally holding their necks up… most of the time." he sighed. "I love to watch them sleeping, it gives me peace. It truly is the best time." the new father relayed.
Mikasa smiled. She then noticed Eren looking around the large hall of bedridden soldiers. "If you're looking for Reiner and the others they left yesterday," she soon relayed. "We personally sent them off."
"I know, I was informed," her brother told her more seriously. "There's nothing on this island I'm not informed about."
"So I heard," his sister concurred, reaching out so they could walk arm-in-arm, as they passed through the many beds of the medical wing.
Eren scratched his head again. "Where's Armin," he timidly asked.
"At his office, grabbing a few things so we can leave," Mikasa explained.
"And Azzy?" Eren also asked, looking around.
"With him," Mikasa soon replied. "I wouldn't let him see this," she noted, about the bedridden soldiers, for many of them had ghastly wounds.
The sister then began to pull him out of the medical wing and into the office area of the large complex.
"I'm happy to see you," she commented, "before we leave."
Eren stopped. "Why are you leaving?" he asked his sister in anger. "You shouldn't. You know your place is here." he told her indignantly.
"I'm not going to discuss this with you," Mikasa soon told him off. "We are leaving and that's final."
"We?" Eren began to challenge her, now that they were in an isolated corridor, away from witnesses. "Armin wants to leave," he spat out in anger. "Let him. You belong here in the place you were born, with your family," Eren told her seriously. "I'm your family."
"You are not my only family, Eren," she argued back, equally seriously. "And I'm not leaving because of Armin. Armin is leaving because of me," Mikasa revealed. "If it were for him, he'd stay in his precious lighthouse, he loves that place. But I suppose he loves me more."
Eren only looked at her confused. "Why do you want to leave?" he questioned her as they proceeded to walk.
"Lady Azumabito invited me-" Mikasa was about to explain.
"That's it?" Eren hastily interrupted her. "You're going to leave everything behind just because some old lady is trying to be diplomatic?" he questioned annoyedly.
The two siblings continued to argue as they walked through the empty complex corridors.
"I'm not leaving anything behind. I'm taking my everything with me," Mikasa countered. "And it's not just from some old lady being diplomatic. It's my mother's heritage and I want to meet it."
Mikasa continued with true passion. "I want to finally meet it. I want to know all about it," she said, holding her stomach gently and thinking of her own mother. "I want to see that land with my own eyes. I want to live there. It might just be for a few years but I want to do it," she told her brother with a smile. "I want to try it. I want to have the experience, to live it."
"Why?" Eren still questioned.
"Because it makes me feel closer to her, to my mother. And it makes me feel complete," Mikasa told him sincerely. "I'm sure you can understand that."
Eren crossed his arms. "And Sonnenblume is going to be born there? Not here, on our island?" he hastily questioned.
Mikasa looked down, and continued to caress her stomach, thinking of her baby girl inside. "I suppose so, we don't have a problem with that," she replied, shrugging.
"You know people are going to treat you like crap there," Eren continued harshly. "You can play the Asian all you want, but you're still Half-Eldian and there's no hiding that. They'll never respect you or treat you as equal. And they'll treat your husband and your kids even worse."
Eren became more frustrated, scratching his eyebrow. "Mikasa, why are you doing this? You're going to ruin your life!" he almost shouted, more agitated. 'After everything I built just to protect us, all of us!' he also thought, equally rattled.
They stopped once again and his sister only crossed her arms, undefeated. "You are not going to convince me not to go, Yeager." Mikasa declared. "I'm all set. I have decided." She maintained.
"Yeager? Seriously?" her brother immediately complained, she had never called him that before, and it felt very impersonal. "Aren't you a Yeager too?" he questioned.
"Oh, I'm an Ackermann, and we both know that very well," Mikasa soon replied, still with arms crossed. She then tilted her head and looked at him more lovingly, uncrossing her arms. "But I still loved your parents very much, and you know that. And I still love you, and I always will," Mikasa solemnly declared.
"Really? You love me?" her brother challenged her.
"Eren, of course I do," she maintained, almost confused.
"So you were just going to leave? Without even saying goodbye? Mikasa you haven't talked to me ever since that day," Eren complained, clearly still very hurt.
They proceeded to walk and Mikasa only sighed. "Eren, I'm pregnant," she began to explain. "And these past few months have been too stressful. Partially- No, not partially," she corrected herself. "Mainly because of you." Mikasa let out in emphasis. She continued. "So I decided to spend some time away in the Lighthouse, so we could rest," the mother explained, caressing her unborn child once again. Mikasa held her stomach tenderly.
"I want my baby girl to be born healthy," she said. And then looked up at her brother again. "I was going to write to you, hoping you would meet us at the harbour," she explained, "to see us off."
"I'm never going out to the harbour again," Eren spat out in anger, he crossed his arms. "In fact, I'm never leaving the Wall," he told Mikasa more seriously.
The Ackermann blinked slightly, after that uncharacteristic statement. "Now, would you ever have thought you would be saying that?" Mikasa complained to her brother.
Eren had truly hated those previous Walls, and the sense of entrapment he had felt throughout his young years. But after all he had been through; after finally knowing the outside world, he had found comfort in the safety of Ymir's barrier. And in the belief that his world would never be destroyed. Yeager believed all his children were finally safe in the confinement of his Paradise.
"This island is my home. It's where I belong," he told his sister with certainty.
"It's good that you know that," Mikasa told him, understandingly, "that you feel that way… I don't feel that way," she tried to explain. "I want to see the outside world, Eren. I want Azzy and Sunny to play in the gardens of Hizuru. I want them to meet my ancestral home," Mikasa smiled sweetly. Eren only looked down, he seemed very quiet and contemplative. "I hope you can understand that," she gently asked.
Her brother only sighed, he was finally admitting defeat. "Well, I'll send Azzy many kites," he told Mikasa more cheerfully, holding her hand gently and with a small smile. "The most colourful ones," Eren added.
"Oh, I'm sure he will love that," Mikasa replied, smiling back very sweetly too.
They had finally arrived at their destination, so the siblings stopped a little further away from the office door.
Eren looked more cheerful again. "He needs to know his uncle is always thinking about him, I don't want to lose my throne there," he told his sister.
"Don't worry, Levi never put enough effort," Mikasa joked back at him as Armin suddenly opened his office door. The toddler immediately came rushing out, and as soon as the boy saw his uncle he rushed to Eren's arms. "Uncle Eren!" Azzy shouted, full of joy.
"You're so big!" Eren immediately noted as he was about to hug him. The toddler had grown a lot in those past three months. He kneeled down and received the boy's affections with much love, hugging him and raising up again with Azzy in his arms.
Armin only gave Yeager a look as he left his office. 'Of course you're here,' he thought, clearly annoyed.
Mikasa then rushed to help him with the heavy boxes he was carrying. They divided the work in half.
"Please don't be too mad," she gently whispered as Arlert locked the door.
"You need to stop treating him like he's a child. And he needs to stop acting like one," Armin hastily whispered back at her as they divided the boxes.
The couple proceeded to their coach as the uncle followed behind, cheerfully carrying the boy and playing with him.
They arrived at the entrance of the Complex and Eren was surprised to see a regular carriage. "I thought you were going to bring the car all the way up here," he noted, almost joking as they all walked down the many entrance steps.
Mikasa turned back to him. "You do know everything," she noted to her brother.
"Told ya," he cleverly replied.
"We wouldn't risk passing it through the barrier," his sister explained as he approached with the toddler in his arms.
"Fair. But we'll soon test those materials too," Yeager told her, excitedly. "I'm sure we're all curious to know more about that gate and the force field."
He gave Azzy to Mikasa and she helped the toddler into the carriage while Armin was organising the boxes inside.
"That's everything," Arlert noted, finally securing all his boxes on the coach.
Mikasa stopped, thinking for a moment. "Oh, just give me a moment," she realised, taking the office keys from Armin's hand. "There's something I need to check in my office," she hastily explained and quickly left.
"I can-" Armin was about to say. 'Go,' he finished the sentence in his mind. But Mikasa had already taken off. "Your office is the same as mine," he mumbled, closing the coach door with the toddler inside. Azzy looked at him from the open window, he could tell his father was frustrated, but he couldn't understand why.
Armin was sure Mikasa just wanted to leave the two of them alone. He sighed, Arlert only gave Eren a side-eye, walking towards the driver's seat.
"You really won't talk to me, will you?" Yeager challenged and Armin stopped.
He turned to Eren again, "367.953, and counting," Armin told him, dryly.
Yeager crossed his arms and looked at him seriously. "I know our death toll so far, there is no need to remind me," he replied in the same dry manner. "Is that all you have to say to me?" He challenged Arlert again, as he was about to walk away.
Armin turned once more. Clearly beyond vexed. "Congratulations," he told Eren sarcastically, walking threateningly in his direction. "You were able to kill more people in two days than the amount Rod killed in a year," Arlert let out very seriously.
"Stop blaming for everything," Eren spat back, staring into his eyes. "I didn't cause all this!"
Azzy hid under the coach window, with only his eyes watching that heated discussion.
"You set that monster free! And it caused it all! All the destruction! And you knew it would," Armin argued back, pointing at Eren's chest with his scarred hand.
"I - I didn't. I thought-" Eren was about to argue back when Armin interrupted him.
"You thought you would be in control, didn't you?" Armin questioned, knowing Eren's true plan was to destroy the outside world. "You are so naive sometimes," he added, sighing. Arlert put his hands on his hips.
"That wasn't what I was going to say," Eren replied, very serious.
"What were you going to say?" Armin challenged him.
"You- You know, right? You know who caused all this?" Eren asked back, almost confused. He gently turned his eyes to the toddler. And Azzy only hid further into the leather seat. Eren turned his head to Armin again, trying to catch his eye.
Yeager couldn't understand completely, but Armin was clearly not on his same wavelength. Arlert only walked forward and hastily grabbed Eren's scarred arm from Yeager's coat pocket. To his surprise. Eren was slightly startled.
Armin looked intently into it, very glad to see that thin scar was still there, stretching across the larger one. It meant Eren hadn't regenerated, he had just healed like any other human. So he looked up, smiling, relieved and also ready to tease.
"Good," Arlert let out and Eren pulled his hand back hastily, hiding it back in his coat pocket again. "It's a relief knowing you can't be harm to others anymore," Armin told him in full fatherly authority. "And to yourself."
"Horace!" Azzy shouted excitedly, suddenly jumping on the coach seat, and they both looked at the toddler confused.
They hadn't noticed Mikasa coming down the Complex's front staircase, she held the small toy soldier happily in her hand, to the boy's cheer.
"Oh, right," Armin let out. He finally understood why the mother had gone back, this was one of their son's favourite toys.
She finally arrived near the coach, standing in between the two. She could clearly tell they were fighting before. Mikasa expected they would, she knew them both extremely well. But she only ignored those two, she leaned on the window and gave Azzy the toy, glad to see her son smiling so happily. Mikasa caressed his hair and turned to her brother. Caressing his hair and shoulder gently as well. She held the side of Eren's face very motherly.
"You know this isn't goodbye - goodbye, right?" she asked.
Eren held her hand sweetly. "I know," he replied, looking in her eyes.
"Good," Mikasa said, and nodded.
She then entered the coach.
Eren only watched Armin going up to the driver's seat, upset his once best friend was now refusing to say goodbye to him.
Azzy appeared on the window again. The toddler could see the sadness in his uncle's eyes, so he gave him the small toy soldier.
Eren grabbed the toy, a little confused. He looked towards Mikasa and she only shrugged. It seemed the boy had decided to gift him his favourite toy. Azzy looked up at him from the window with those big, round blue eyes. They seemed full of con-solidarity.
"I'll keep him safe with me until you return," the uncle softly promised and Azzy smiled. The toddler then crawled into his mother's lap and Eren walked a couple of steps back.
Arlert pulled the leashes, calling the horses and they began to walk. Eren watched the carriage slowly making its way out of the complex and into the broken road. He looked down at that toy soldier, upset.
-.-
A few weeks passed and Eren took that same toy soldier from his mantle, thinking about them. The father was softly cradling Ymir to sleep.
"You know there isn't much I can do for them," Historia noted to him in concern, after noticing him staring intently at the toy Azzy had given him. They had just received news that the Arlerts had left the island in the latest boat.
They were in their favourite drawing room, out of many in that luxurious palace. In the safety of their kingdom's capital.
Historia stood up, still feeding Ezra in her chest. "I can't protect them so far from the Island. They're on their own out there, completely out of my reach or control," the Queen relayed. She knew Eren was very concerned for their safety, out there in a world who hated Eldians so much. And she was very concerned too.
"They know that," Eren replied seriously, putting the toy back into its cherished spot. He looked down into the flames of the fireplace, contemplative. Holding Ymir very close to his chest, she was very quiet, already falling asleep. "They are not children," he continued.
Eren turned to Historia. "They know the risks. And as much as I would like to, I can't trap them in the safety of the island," he argued maturely.
Yeager looked very contemplative at his queen, while she caressed their boy, who was feeding intensely from his mother.
"The safety of Paradise is for those who want it," the father declared very solemnly. Reflecting about it, "in a sense, there is a beauty in that." He concluded.
-.-
The passing years
Eldians from all over the world began to arrive in Paradise Island over the next few years, those who had decided to seek refuge, of course. While many Paradisians also decided to travel, to learn more about the outside world and to know other cultures and wonders. All of those who were children of Ymir could come and go as they pleased. They could cross the Wall Barrier with no issues, but any other human would die in immediate contact with that otherworldly force field. So the Military Police officers were very diligent about the rules and gave multiple warnings to the coming refugees, but even then some people ended up dying on the titanic Paradisian Gate.
Queen Historia still granted permits from those who couldn't cross the gate, to live in the large fields outside of the Wall and in the large island coast. But only for a select few and after a thorough investigation on the families' backgrounds, political affiliations and their intentions on Paradise Island. It wasn't an easy process and it wasn't a priority for the Eldian Kingdom, as the regions outside of the Wall were reserved for the Military. Especially the coastline, to protect the thriving island from any possible invasions.
The Survey Corps operations to safeguard the island coast were all spearheaded by the Chief Colonel of the Eldian Army: Eren Yeager. Eren had once passionately told his sister that he would never leave the safety of the Wall, but he did so regularly, leading expeditions multiple times a year to check the coastline and make sure the area outside of the Wall Barrier was safe from possible invaders.
He would always take a day to go alone on horseback to the furthest regions of the southwestern bay, on sunrise. Eren had created a personal ritual to check the Lighthouse from afar, perhaps subconsciously hoping to see movement inside. He watched the giant construction from the far distance as the sun rose, upset to see it slowly decaying, after he and his best friend had built it so arduously.
It had been four years since the Titan Mayhem and the crumbling of the previous Walls, and the formation of the sole new one. And Eren would personally go on outside expeditions at least three times a year, and would still carefully follow the many other expeditions that happened without his presence. He wanted to make sure the island was truly safe at all times.
The new Wall hadn't completely eradicated the severe economic and social division of the three main regions of the Kingdom, but it still created many bridges. And it helped to unite the people. The island was thriving economically and it still maintained a moderated contact with the outside world. All the abundance of resources and the Queen's clever diplomacy helped to keep the peace within and outside of the Wall.
Historia took very good care of her people and extra care with international affairs. She made sure to administer the rebuilding of the island carefully, and solemnly honoured the dead. She honoured not only the many martyrs who died that day. But also the living heroes who risked themselves greatly to keep the island, and the world, from being destroyed. Historia ordered many monuments to be built, in and out of the island, in honour and remembrance of those horrifying twenty-nine hours.
The young Queen took her administrative duties very seriously. And she had delegated the island's defence to her equally young husband; who was a very popular figure among most of the Paradisian population. But was still a very controversial figure nonetheless, in and out of the Wall.
Yeager had come back from the latest expedition, arriving with all his might at Mitras, and quickly riding back to his home. He climbed up the stories of the palace, to meet his queen at her more secluded, personal office. He gently kissed her on the cheek and went towards the large, crystal windows. Eren stood by the window very seriously, in clear military fashion.
He watched his children cheerfully playing in the garden down below. They were quite happy and energised, enjoying the breezes of that cold afternoon. Eren stared intently at the twins, thinking about the future. Ezra and Ymir had just turned four years old, only a couple of weeks before. 'Only nine to go,' the father thought.
Eren was tired of constantly worrying about the island. He knew they would never be truly safe until all humans out there had been completely eradicated, so he was counting down the days until his children turned thirteen.
The father knew how powerful his twins would finally become. They would finally be able to reactivate his precious Wall Titan Army, and destroy the humans once and for all. Eren was secretly very joyful with the thought.
"I got another letter from Marley," Queen Historia relayed from her table, breaking her husband's concentration.
Eren turned to her. "What do they want?" he asked.
"You," Historia cleverly replied, looking up at him from all her papers with those big blue eyes.
Eren only gave her a quick look and walked towards the wall, to pull the cord. To remind the servants, and by extension the governess, to bring the children to them. The afternoon was quite cold and the sun was almost setting.
Historia gently laid the letter over the shining wood and leaned back more comfortably on her large chair.
"They still insist you should stand trial for your actions. For the damage, and more importantly: for all the souls you took in your incredibly flashy declaration of war you decided to pull four years ago," she further explained.
"It wasn't 'flashy'," Eren complained about her choice of words as he walked and sat down on the sofa, gentlemanly crossing his legs just like his father would, without even noticing. He leaned back, giving Historia his full attention as she continued to speak.
"Their new military is offering the Warriors as war prisoners to us, in exchange for taking you captive," she explained and Eren raised his eyebrows.
"Are they aware of that?" he questioned.
"Possibly, but we could check," the Queen conceded. "If needed, they could go into hiding, or just move to the island permanently," she suggested.
"They won't," Eren interjected. "We both know that."
"Regardless, they know they'll always have my protection here," Historia maintained. "I should write to Reiner, and make sure they're all okay," she added.
"Better to Pieck or perhaps even Annie," Eren suggested, slightly scratching his hair.
"Why can't I write to Reiner?" Historia playfully challenged him.
"Don't start," Eren warned her with a small smile.
The small doorbell rang and the large office doors were opened by the guards outside. And the children came running cheerfully into the room. Yeager only gave the servants a small look, it was clear that this was a private conversation, so the doors were immediately closed again.
Ezra rushed straight towards his mother's table, running to sit on Historia's lap. He immediately began to play with the statuettes on top of it, and tried to grab some of the papers as his mother hugged him closer to her very lovingly. She sweetly kissed the boy's large cheeks.
Eren watched as Ymir rushed towards the large windows, the small toddler seemed concerned, for it had started to rain. "Don't worry, my angel, your castle won't crumble, it's just a thin rain," he sweetly told her as Ymir's green eyes were fixated on the playground outside.
The father hoped she would come back to sit next to him on the sofa, but the princess just walked towards the warmer spot on the carpet and began to play with some toys near the fireplace. So Eren turned to Historia again.
The Queen continued to make her case as the toddler played on her lap. "I will politely refuse their offer, of course. I have already publicly pardoned all the Warriors so I do not understand what their game is here," she told Yeager.
"Oh good, for a moment I thought you were going to throw me to the wolves," Eren joked.
"Not just yet," Historia joked back, flirtatiously. The Queen was gently organising her documents back into her purple box, so the boy wouldn't ruin them, while he was distracted with a small paperweight.
"Bap!" Ymir called out and Ezra came down smiling from Historia's lap and rushed to play with his sister.
The Queen stood up regally and fixed up her dress. She then walked towards the sofa and laid comfortably with her husband, and Eren soon passed his arm around her shoulders.
"I'll send them a verbose reminder," Historia proceeded as Eren gently caressed her long, blond hairs. "Of how I am very much aware that Annie and Reiner were only teenagers and had been heavily indoctrinated into warfare since childhood. Also that they have no proof of Pieck's involvement in the decimation of Ragako. And even if so, she was raised in the same inhospitable environment as the other two. And I will also remind them that I considered, in my public pardon, both conflicts in Shiganshina as aggravated war scenarios, and they should consider the festival conflict in the same manner," she proceeded cleverly. "And since all of the Shifters were crucial in helping to stop the island's destruction, I have no intention to trial them or persecute them, in any way whatsoever."
Historia slightly raised herself up. "I have issued an official letter of forgiveness over three years ago. I do not understand why they are pestering me now," the young woman complained as she laid on her husband's lap. Historia looked up at the highly decorated ceiling while crossing her arms. She then looked up into Eren's eyes - as he continued to caress her hairs.
"I suppose they will continuously think of ways to get to you," she told him.
Eren looked down at her and sighed reflectively, turning to look at their children again. The twins were cheerfully playing near the fireplace. 'I'll get to them first,' the father thought.
Historia also turned to check on the toddlers. "Gloves on," she immediately reminded Ymir after seeing the four-year-old playing with bare hands.
The toddler mindlessly put her highly decorated gloves back on again, obeying her mother. Ezra looked up from the toys, staring at his sister for a moment. He remembered what had happened the last - and only - time he had held his sister's hand. While Ymir didn't seem to remember. The boy tilted his head for a moment but then continued to play.
Historia looked up again, the young mother then playfully caressed her husband's ears and nose; and then raised herself up once more. Giving him a small and quick kiss on the lips. "I should send Armin a letter," she commented, sitting up and gently laying her head on Eren's shoulder.
"The reason being..?" He asked, mistrustfully.
"I'm considering making him our ambassador officially, what do you think?" Historia asked, as she now played with Eren's hair, looking into his eyes.
Eren thought for a moment, he tilted his head. "Do you think the Marleans know he was the one who destroyed the harbour?" he asked.
Historia stopped playing with his hair. "They definitely do not know that," she soon noted.
Eren only raised his eyebrows, slowly letting out a smug smile, and a small laugh afterwards. But Historia ignored his tone and continued. "I'll invite them here to stay with us for a while. My birthday is coming soon. And Azzy's is right after."
"Yes, he's turning seven," the uncle realised. "Time flew by."
Historia smiled, she gently rested her head on his shoulder again. "Soon those two will be teenagers," the young mother commented as they watched their small twins play.
"Then adults, and they won't care about us," she let out almost comically, then turned to her husband again. "And we will be old," Historia added with a small smile.
Eren looked to the side for a moment and sighed, staring at her again. "Armin won't accept the post," he soon told her. "He won't even accept your invitation to come here."
"Argh," Historia let out annoyedly. She crossed her arms. "You two are ridiculously stubborn. I'll talk to Mikasa then; she agrees with me. We are a family. One family. And things shouldn't be this way," Historia argued.
"So you not only are exchanging letters with Reiner, but with Mikasa as well?" Eren joked.
"Oh, we don't need to write letters, we talk over the telephone," Historia soon informed him.
"Regularly?" Eren asked, raising his eyebrows once more.
"I would say frequently, yes," Historia replied.
"About what?" he inquired.
"None of your business," the Queen sharply told him.
Eren let out a smug smile once again. "Fritzs and Ackermanns. It never stops, does it?" he joked.
"Don't be annoying," Historia complained.
Eren gave her a look, and she knew he wouldn't drop it. "Yes, we talk about you two," she informed. "And about the children, and the island and the world outside," Historia continued. "Come on! She's your sister," she argued.
"She's not my sister," Eren complained, rolling his eyes.
He turned again to see his wife only staring at him with clear admonishment. "Fine, she is my sister," Eren conceded as Historia prepared herself to stand up. "But she still has a much deeper blood connection with you," he reminded the Queen jokingly and she gave him a small slap on his shoulder while standing up.
Historia went over to play with their toddlers, she sat over the carpet with her long dress and cheerfully grabbed Ymir in her lap. Gently caressing the girl's hair and kissing her on the back of the head as Ymir mumbled, trying to explain to her mother what was the play. Ymir was very imaginative and Historia enjoyed her made up scenarios. So the Queen concentrated on the toys the princess was holding up to show her and on everything Ymir had to say. Or better yet, what she could make out from the toddler's mostly unintelligible mumbling. Ymir was only four-years-old after all. But the small girl was quite articulate and very serious about her play.
Eren slid down on the sofa. He looked up to the highly decorated ceiling for a moment then closed his eyes slowly, holding his hands together. The military man was ready for a nap after the endless travels. He was suddenly surprised by all the weight pushing down his stomach and chest. Ezra had rushed to the sofa and had jumped on top of him.
Historia and Ymir both laughed out loud as they watched. Eren opened his eyes in shock. But soon realised it was just his small son, he held the boy and Ezra climbed closer, readying himself to take a nap with his dad. Eren held him very tenderly and they both eventually fell asleep while Historia held Ymir up in her arms.
The Queen walked with her little princess in her arms towards the high windows and they watched the rain and the night fall, together.
-.-
A little over two months passed and there the Queen was: crying on her own, up on that rooftop in the middle of the heavy rain.
"Historia! What are you doing up here?" Eren shouted through the heavy raindrops as he arrived on the roof.
It was the middle of the night and he had woken up to see Historia's side of the bed empty. So he immediately went up to the roof, knowing he would find her there.
Historia had gone up there multiple times over the past few days. She still hoped, in her lost mind, that she would eventually spot her small daughter walking somewhere down in that forest. Just as she had stood there hoping, with her small binoculars, on the day Ymir had disappeared.
"Come on, we need to get you inside, you're gonna get sick," he told her while approaching carefully. Eren slowly began to envelop her in a warmer blanket. Hoping to protect her from the cold rain, and already knowing he would have to take his wife back down to the safety of the palace by force.
Historia immediately fought him off. "Stop treating me like I'm crazy!" she shouted. "I'm not crazy!" the mother turned to face the dark woods. "She's out there, and it's raining. It's freezing and she's out there alone!" she argued desperately.
"She's not there, Historia," Eren told her softly. "We looked, you know, she's not," he continued, trying to hold her again. But Historia only fought him off again. "Stop it!" she warned, hitting him away. "Stop it!"
Historia continued to protest as they were both dropping to the floor. "Fine," Eren conceded, almost angry, but trying his best to understand and take care of her. "Do you want to stay here? Then we'll both stay here," he told her as he held her on the floor, putting the blanket over her, to protect her from the cold rain.
"She's gonna come back to me, she's gonna come back to me, she's gonna come back to me," Historia repeated over and over again, as Eren held her close in that cold and heavy rain.
.
The rain was only getting worse and the small prince eventually woke up with all the thundering noises. Ezra went over to the door of his large room and peeked through it, looking down the corridor. There were three guards outside. Even at such a young age the boy could understand that he would now be guarded for twenty-four hours a day, every day, for the rest of his life, after what had happened so suddenly to his twin sister.
Ezra turned to face the door of Ymir's room, he knew it was empty, and that thought broke the young boy's heart.
.
Azzy was lying very quietly next to his mother. The family was on that ship, now almost arriving back to Hizuru. And he had been absolutely silent throughout the whole trip back home. Azzy only thought about that strange crystal dimension and of how hurt he suddenly was. He remembered being surprised by the amount of pain, and of blood suddenly coming out of him. He remembered how scared the small princess was. He remembered her running, then eventually falling down in that hollow tree. Azzy would never forget her desperate green eyes staring back at him before she fell into obliviousness. Ymir was dead and it was all his fault.
The boy hid himself in his mother's chest and she held him close, caressing his hair gently. Hoping he could eventually recover from this trauma, or at least forget all about it. Mikasa looked up at Armin, clearly worried and the father only sighed. There was nothing they could do. Armin walked to the guardrail, to watch the waves with their small toddler in his arms.
He turned to her, admiring his small girl's innocence. Sunny was distracted, watching the sunrise.
-.-
Eren received a secret letter, a few months after the princess' disappearance and the information in it infuriated the father greatly.
Hange was arriving at her office and was surprised to see Eren standing there, with that jar in hand.
"I'm sorry, Sir, but who gave you authorization to go through my private things?" She immediately asked Yeager.
"Your things?" Eren questioned her back. "I suggest you pack your bags, Commander. I want you out of my island as soon as possible," he told her firmly.
The glass vase on Eren's hand contained the lost princess' afterbirth. The scientist had kept it, preserved it, and had studied thoroughly in those past four years.
Hange gently tilted her head. "Could she regenerate?" the woman bluntly asked. "Before-"
"How dare you?" Yeager bluntly cut her off. "How dare you even take this?" he angrily asked.
"The servants gave it to me that day," Hange soon justified. "They didn't know what to do with it."
"Then as a woman of science you should know well that this is discarded." Eren told her off as he walked past her and towards the office door.
"I suppose you will want to take my research too," Hange noted, before he could leave.
"I have already seen your research," Eren hissed back at her. "There's nothing there that interests me," he declared, holding the jar very carefully.
"So you know that I found nothing out of the ordinary," Hange concluded. "Your daughter was completely normal," she informed him.
"Is." Eren soon corrected her. "She is alive until proven otherwise."
"Yes. I'm sorry, Sir," Hange soon apologised, she could see the pain in Eren's eyes.
Eren looked down at the small vase on his hands for a moment. "If you knew there was nothing out of the ordinary in my daughter's afterbirth then why did you keep it for all these years?" he questioned the scientist.
"Well, I-" Hange was still thinking of an argument when Yeager turned the lights off abruptly and the two of them were suddenly only illuminated by the purplish blue light emitted by the preserved organic matter.
"So you had time to go through all my research while I was gone," Hange concluded as they both stood there in almost complete darkness in that moment.
Eren turned the lights on again, and the small vase ceased to glow. "I assume this was the true reason why the servants felt the need to give this to you instead of just throwing it away," he considered.
"And despite my best efforts, I couldn't find an explanation for the glowing," Hange informed. "There truly is nothing out of the ordinary with this organic tissue."
"Things that are not from this world, cannot be measured by parameters of this world, Mrs. Hange," Yeager declared. "Now I suggest you take your backwards ethics and your researches elsewhere. You are not welcomed in my island anymore."
"What about the boy's afterbirth? What end did it have?" Hange curiously asked, before the father could leave.
Eren turned back to her. "It was obviously discarded, just as this should have been. And none of it is your business," he explained, baffled. But his clear stagger didn't seem to faze Hange's blunt curiosity.
Levi arrived, surprised to see Yeager there.
"Ackermann, please escort the civilian out of the premises," Eren soon ordered.
The Captain only looked at him confused. "You're firing Zoe?" he asked.
"You're free to go too if you desire," Eren soon told him after noticing the look of indignation on Levi's face. He then turned to Hange again. "And I'm sending MPs here for a thorough research," Yeager warned. "I'm not letting you leave the island with any crucial information about this kingdom."
"Look what you have become. I'd say I'm surprised, but I really am not," the Captain told his old pupil, with arms crossed.
Eren turned to him again. "As I said, Mr. Ackermann, you're free to go too if you'd like," Eren reiterated, staring into his old Captain's eyes, he then gestured with his chin towards Hange. "Ask her what she has done," he suggested, then finally left.
Yeager took with him the last piece he had, the last connection to his daughter.
Hange slowly sat down in her office chair, holding her hurting ribs with care in doing so, for they had never healed properly. "I should have left with the others," she let out, "all those years ago."
Levi looked at her, still with arms crossed. "What did you do?" he asked.
-.-
The Reiss-Yeagers went back to their farm, where the twins had been born, over four years before. The grieving parents had decided to bury Ymir's afterbirth in the same spot where Ezra's had been buried, on the day of their birth.
The boy ran across the fields of the orphanage, almost cheerful, but still quite lonely. The toddler wasn't adapting well to life without his twin, and he never would. There would always be that empty spot in his heart, like that empty room in the palace, right in front of his.
He eventually joined his parents again, near that tree. They had dug a smallish grave to place the afterbirth inside, and were now covering it with flowers. Historia looked up amongst her cries. This lustrous tree had been where she had given birth to her second twin, on that hectic day. It was a place of serenity for the Queen, as it had been her mother's favourite spot and it brought her many memories. Both good and bad.
Eren held her and their boy close as they stayed there together in silence. It was a serene morning and a new memory for the grieving family. Eren and Historia then promised each other that they would be buried there, declaring that spot as their own piece of heaven. Their own paradise.
Underneath the earth that piece of organic matter immediately found its long-lost twin. The two amalgamations of old tissue and old blood activated one another, intertwining and uniting; interlacing themselves with the cursed tree roots down below. Completely surrounded by that eerie, purplish energy. It glowed all around them. The Devil was well fed that night.
-.-
Marley - Year 871
"It's all burning! It was all on fire, everything; everything around me, mum, it was all on fire!" the small boy told his mother among his tears. "It was all on fire," he quietly repeated.
Annie held him close. "It was just a nightmare, cookie, nothing more," she told her son soothingly.
Danso looked up at her as she softly dried the tears from his eyes. "But it felt real," he said.
"But it wasn't real, son, it was only a bad dream," Onyankopon told him firmly, but also soothingly. The father was seated further away on the boy's small bed, caressing his legs gently, while Annie held him in her arms. The father was sad to see the boy was still trembling in fear, it made him feel helpless.
The six-year-old was becoming more articulate as he grew older and his nightmares were also becoming more intense. This hadn't been the first time he had woken up in the middle of the night screaming.
Danso was leaning on his mother's chest, clearly very tired, but also very scared to go back to sleep. His parents exchanged a small look. "Let's go back to sleep now, cookie, you need to rest," Annie sweetly suggested to the boy while caressing his arm. But Danso only shook his head, he was too scared to fall asleep again.
"I'll tell you what, if you sleep again, the full night," his mother proposed. "We and Grandpa will take you for ice cream tomorrow morning."
"Ice cream?" the boy asked, more excited now.
"Only if you sleep the rest of the night," his mother maintained, it was a deal.
She stayed a little longer, caressing the boy's head as he slowly drifted into sleep once more. Annie finally confirmed that Danso was in deep sleep again, so she gently kissed his forehead and fixed up his blanket. She then stood up again, to join Onyankopon; who was standing by the bedroom door, also watching over until their boy fell asleep again.
"I'm trying to remember the last time you were this soft with me, probably never," he joked in a whisper as she approached him.
"Do I have to be?" Annie joked back to him. "You are not a child. You are not my child," she said while he uncrossed his arms, to hold her as she leaned on him.
Onyan shrugged. "Still, I like ice cream too, cookie," he jokingly reminded her, and Annie gave him a half-smile.
He held her close, inside his arms as they both watched Danso sleeping again. And Annie leaned her head on his chest. They were both very worried. It hadn't been many months since the parents had realised who their son was. Or rather who he would have been, in a world that now never was.
"I wish I could help him," Onyan quietly let out, "trade places with him so I could take those horrible nightmares away." The father wished.
Annie looked up at him, very sorrowfully. "That day," she began to remind him. "You only disappeared from existence. He died."
Onyankopon held her closer. He sighed. "It is very difficult not to hate Forster, despite everything he did after," the father let out, equally sorrowfully.
"It's very easy to me," Annie coldly expressed, coming out from his arms and walking to the living room.
The parents knew their boy was haunted by a failed existence, in a world that had completely broken apart. Danso saw all that fire and destruction in his dreams, it was that old reality seeping through. Annie only hoped that these nightmares would eventually stop as he grew older, she hated seeing her sweet boy suffering so much. She herself also suffered, ever since she had connected her child to the pilot she had watched die so mercilessly. Annie could see it in his eyes.
The mother knew that deceased version of her son wasn't the same as the one she had birthed. He had come from a different reality, where she herself wasn't exactly the same person either. But all that didn't mean seeing her son die so brutally wouldn't break her spirit. That image stayed engraved in her brain. She would never forget Danso's lifeless eyes. Annie only hoped to never have to see that again in the remainder of her lifetime.
"It's four in the morning," she quietly complained, after looking up at the wall-clock.
"I'm wide awake, how about you?" Onyan asked as she massaged her forehead. "I can't sleep again either," Annie replied, sighing.
"Come on, cookie, I'll make tea," Onyan told her more cheerfully as he walked to the kitchen.
Annie raised her eyebrows, waking up a little more. "Tea it is," she conceded, walking after him.
.
The sun was slowly rising and Leonhart decided to go for a run. She ran across the empty capital streets, very reflective and almost lost. Annie could see from far away that she was approaching the large, main monument in the titanic, central square.
As she drew closer, Annie also noticed the lonely man on the bench, solemnly staring at the Warriors' monument.
"Coming to appreciate your beauty so early in the morning, Braun?" Annie noted to him while approaching and Reiner looked towards her. He leaned back on the bench. "I look like shit in that," he jokingly replied.
"Why are you here?" she stopped and asked, still panting. "Don't you have a thousand kids to take care of?" She maintained the joking tone - still panting.
"And you're about to drop your lungs out," Braun pounced back. "You're getting too old for this Leonhart," he told her between laughs. "You're joining the club!"
Braun was already forty and was constantly joking to Leonhart as she was about to get to that age too.
"It's very cold," Annie justified. "That's why I started running in the first place."
Reiner turned to the monument again, with a smug. "Look at that young girl over there," he joked, about her statue. "Without a care in the world, quite literally."
Annie sat down on the bench next to him. "That girl is cursed," she replied. "I am not, not anymore," she declared, with a very light and genuine expression on her face.
"How is Danso?" Reiner asked, friendly showing his concern. "Is he getting better?"
"No," Annie coldly and sharply replied. "But he's strong, he'll overcome it, I know," she affirmed.
"Do you know what's causing it?" Reiner asked, almost curiously.
Annie only shook her head. "No," she lied. She then turned to the monument again. "Argh, I wish they would remove this hideous thing," Leonhart complained about the large and extremely extravagant thing. "Sometimes I feel like doing it myself."
"The Queen wanted to make a point," Reiner replied. "And the Queen always gets what she wants," he added jokingly. Queen Historia was quite popular, in and out of the Wall.
"Why are you here, Reiner?" Annie insisted. "It's six-thirty. Are you really waiting for the populus to line up for autographs?" she joked.
"Kirstein's lousy humour clearly rubbed off on you," Reiner complained. He sighed, "I came for a walk," the man explained, "to think."
"About what?" Annie asked.
"Life," Reiner let out, sighing, "Heidi is pregnant again," he decided to share.
Annie rolled her eyes. "Seriously?" she began to inquire - and admonish. "Are you building your own country? When are you two going to stop this breeding madness?"
Reiner let out a small smile. "I like the house full," the father divulged. "It makes me happy. I never thought I would ever live this long…" he paused, contemplative. "And it's like you said," he let out and looked at that large monument again.
"That man out there is cursed and I no longer am." Reiner declared. He then looked down, reflective.
"Then why are you like that?" Annie asked, confused, she could see he was conflicted and even a little nervous.
Reiner turned to her again. "There have been rumours that Yeager's boy has been training, transforming and learning how to use his Founding Titan," he told her with clear concern.
Annie rolled her eyes, looking to the side. "Eren is only making all of that up," she quickly countered. "We both know he's not a threat. He's just trying to create fear, don't pay attention, it's not worth it."
"Do you think the curse could be reset? That we could die?" Reiner questioned her in fear. "I don't want to die, Annie. I love Heidi and I love our children," he disclosed passionately.
"That won't happen. It's over," Leonhart replied with certainty, hoping to ease his mind. "You're just freaking out because you're going to be a father again, but quite frankly you should be more than used to the feeling by now," she added jokingly, to lighten his spirit.
Reiner sighed, still nervous. He looked up to the skies. "Do you ever think of going back to Ninua?" he asked his friend.
"Not now, my father is here, and I want to be close to him," Annie divulged. "And Danso loves playing with him…" she paused, thinking about the future. "But once he's gone we will probably move there permanently," she explained, "there will be nothing left here for me."
"What about your friends?" Reiner asked with a small smug.
"What friends?" Annie asked back jokingly while standing up. She gently ruffled his hair and continued running.
.
After going around the empty streets of the still waking up city, Leonhart eventually circled back to her way home.
She passed by her father's shop and waved at him while the old man opened the shop doors. Mr. Leonhart smiled and waved back at his daughter very happily. Annie proceeded down the street and soon saw Onyankopon messing up with his old jeep in front of their house.
"Are you still insisting on getting that back to function?" Annie asked him while opening the small gate.
"Oh, I'm gonna get it to work," he replied with a smile while appearing from underneath the vehicle.
Danso came rushing towards her cheerfully. "Careful, careful," she immediately warned as the boy wanted to climb up to hug her. "Mummy is all sweaty-" Annie paused, "and you are covered in oil," the mother noticed, turning to Onyan.
"He's a good worker," the father immediately replied, smiling as he cleaned his hands with a cloth.
"Come on," he told the boy while gesturing with his chin, reminding him. Onyan turned to Annie again. "He brought it to show us," he explained to her as the boy quickly went inside the house again.
Danso rushed back out with his tiny alarm clock in his hands. He had brought it from his nightstand. "I sleep the full night, mummy!" he told Annie cheerfully.
"Very good," she replied equally cheerfully. "Well done, cookie."
"He remembers," Onyan added.
"Ice cream!" the boy said cheerfully.
"For breakfast?" the father questioned as Annie was holding Danso up. The small boy raised his alarm clock high in the air, feeling the victory. He then looked down to his parents, to wait for their decision.
"We both know Grandpa is gonna give him anyway," she gently whispered to Onyan, and turned to Danso. "Let's just get you showered up first," the mother said.
"Ice cream for breakfast! Ice cream for breakfast!" Danso shouted cheerfully as his mother took him inside.
-.-
Paradise - Year 874
"You are firing me?!" Eren asked his son back angrily.
"I'm extinguishing your post, take that as you will," Ezra calmly replied, looking back down at his fancy office desk, as his father stood right in front of it.
"It means you are firing me." Eren continued in his admonishing tone. "Do you think that's fair? Or even logical?!" Yeager leaned closer to the table. Pressing his finger on top of the shiny wood in pure military fashion. "Your mother's very first act on the throne was to create the orphanages and yours will be throwing your father to the wolves? Is this what you want to be known for?" He asked the young King, gesturing away with his hand.
Ezra looked up from the desk, without feeling the need to stand up. He leaned back on his large chair, nonchalantly. "Don't be so dramatic, Dad," he calmly complained, and sighed; playing with a small stone paperweight, twirling it in his hand.
"Ezra!" Eren exclaimed, still in high admonishment.
"I don't need a babysitter," the King simply replied.
Eren leaned closer to the table again, looking his son in the eyes. "I am not a babysitter. I am the Chief of our entire Army," he gravely informed. "I'm the head of our country's defence!" he let out more passionately.
There was a brief moment of silence and the King then gently put the small stone down again. Ezra leaned closer to his table, looking his father in the eyes as well. "I want to be known for being a strong King, and that won't be able to happen with my father holding my hand every step of the way, will it?" he soothingly but seriously questioned. "I'm sure you can agree with me on that," Ezra added.
Eren calmed down, and became more reflective. "And who will you replace me with?" the father questioned.
"No one," Ezra simply replied, almost shrugging.
"No one?" Eren asked back with raised eyebrows.
"As I said, extinguishing your post. It never even existed before," his son reminded him. "Mother only made it up to make you happy."
Eren crossed his arms. "Will you be rearranging the Army to the way it was more than two decades ago then?" he questioned dubiously.
"No," Ezra simply replied and proceeded to explain. "I will take all your commissions in my charge. Momentarily. And gradually make the changes I see necessary in our defences," he told his father very politically. "I won't be creating any new posts but rather extinguishing the unnecessary ones," he added regally.
"So you will be taking my place," his father realised, slowly letting out a smug smile.
"I'm the King. It's my Army," Ezra told him firmly. "And I'll do with it what I see fit."
"What do you see fit?" his father asked curiously.
Ezra leaned back on his chair again. "If you must know, I plan to extinguish the army all together," the young King divulged. "But I'll have to handle that gradually, over a few decades. The process might not even be done after my death, if I live until my old age, that is," he added jokingly.
Eren looked at his son completely stunned and baffled. "I hope you are only joking, otherwise you must be completely insane," the father complained sincerely.
"We don't need any incentives to start more wars, we only need the police to keep order among our citizens," Ezra immediately argued back. "I have no use for an army. I have no intention to conquer anything and I hope to leave a line of successors with the same mindset," he told his father solemnly and sincerely.
Eren began to pace around the room. The father was absolutely staggered and disappointed. "They are going to destroy us," he began to complain under his breath. "They are going to destroy us, Ezra!" he shouted. "Are you even my son?!"
"Unfortunately," Ezra let out, under his breath.
"Don't joke, boy." Eren admonished him gravely. "This is a serious matter."
Ezra stood up firmly. "Don't call me boy." He replied, completely serious. The young King then stared into his father's eyes once again. "I suggest you go back to the farm, to accompany Mother. I won't have you here in my Palace to create problems," he placidly and strongly advised.
"You will create more problems than you can imagine if you take our defences down!" Eren immediately shouted back at him.
"I never said I'm taking our defences down. I'm taking any possibility of attacking down," Ezra immediately rebuked.
"So is that what you want to be known for? As a weak King?" Eren challenged him back maliciously.
Ezra sat down again calmly, holding his hands together near his face and looking at his father serenely. "War is not beneficial in any way," he placidly said.
"Aren't you obsessed with science and technology? You know well those sectors only thrive during war time," Eren argued back, hoping to hit closer to Ezra's interests.
"That is a complete fallacy," Ezra immediately rebuked. "There are many other ways to stimulate the progress of science and technology. Through competition, through Art, through Culture. The human mind is not supposed to be only wired into warfare. That fallacy about thriving science and technology is just an excuse for savagery," the young King declared. "To let evil come through," he added, standing up again. "And I won't follow that path."
"You want me to be a king of wars?" he questioned his father. "I will not be a king of wars. Of attacks and of conquering," he declared. "This might be what you ever wanted to be, but it is not who I want to be. It is what all my ancestors were, and I won't go back to the past. I'm looking to the future," Ezra told his father, with eyes filled with hope. "I'll be a king of peace, of science and enlightenment," he declared. "That's who I am."
Eren looked at him stunned, he was confused and upset. But not disappointed. He was actually proud to see his young boy had grown up to become so articulate and so sure of his personal beliefs. Although not agreeing with his son, Eren still respected him.
The father looked down, reflective for a moment, then looked up again. "What if no one follows you?" he calmly questioned his son, and rightfully so.
"Then I'll fail, and I'll be proven wrong," Ezra conceded. "It will prove to the Earth that humans are only savages after all," he let out, upset. "Just animals," he added, looking down.
He looked to his father again, still with a small glimmer in his eyes. "But I hope that is not the case, of course. I hope to prove that humans are intelligent after all," Ezra still maintained. "I hope that they can be intelligent."
Eren smiled at him, brokenly. He still thought his son to be very naive, but respected him nonetheless. He then turned to leave.
"Dad," Ezra called him, and he turned again. "If I die in six years," he began to ask, because of Ymir's curse. "Would you make it so to keep all my plans going? I don't want the island to fall into madness." The King gently asked his father.
Eren let out a small laugh. "Even if I wouldn't want to, I'm sure Sonnenblume would keep me in check," he joked back, knowing of his niece's supernatural capabilities.
Ezra let out a small smile back. "Well, I hope it doesn't have to come to that," he replied, slightly threateningly.
-.-
Paradise - October, 31st - Year 877
The Queen of Eldia stared into the stars, reflective and upset. Sonnenblume's heart was filled with longing and sadness. She had turned to the stars to admire them in silence, hoping their beauty would distract her from her sad thoughts. Sunny was standing on the Palace's lavish balcony, the stunning marble features were much more grandiose than the balcony of her childhood home. Regardless, that open spot still reminded of her last encounter with her brother. She missed him greatly.
It was a dark and moonless night, but the stars still shone bright. The Queen had taken that small moment to herself, before going down to socialise with her new family. Sunny stood there in silence, watching the stars. She sighed.
"Your Majesty," Azzy said jokingly, walking in from the dark shadows, to her utter and complete surprise. Sunny was absolutely bewildered, she couldn't believe he was there. This was truly unexpected.
He walked into the light, coming in her direction and she ran into his arms, hugging him very tight. The siblings rejoiced in that reencounter. Azzy was finally home.
Their energies briefly mixed once again in that sweet embrace, forming a swirl of light blues, yellows and greens. Sunny hugged her big brother tightly, she hadn't seen him in ten long years. Apart from that one night, seven years ago, in their childhood home's balcony. All that had felt like a vision to her over the years, and so did this. So she slightly pinched him to check if the time traveller was real.
"Aargh!" Az exclaimed. "Why would you do that?" he complained while massaging his sore arm.
"So you're not dead then?" Sunny cheerfully asked.
"I did die, but I came back," he tried to explain.
"You're taller than me now," the sister complained while looking up at him. As the last image she had of her brother in her head was of a teenager, not of a grown adult.
"Of course I am," Az replied, gloating a little. Looking at his little sister from above.
She swiftly punched him on the arm, "you just had to run away, didn't you?" Sunny complained.
The younger Ackermann was quite fast, and he did not expect a punch from her. "Okay, enough with the unsought violence," the brother warned her, again massaging the same arm. "I forgot you were like that," he mumbled under his breath. They both felt like children again.
Sunny tilted her head sweetly. "Where did you go?" she curiously asked. The sister looked quite naive and clueless which threw her brother completely.
"What?" Azzy asked, bewildered.
She smiled. Sunny crossed her arms, "I want to know all about it," she said.
-.-
"Father, you could at least wait until Sonnen comes down," Ezra complained to his old man at their dinner table. It was his birthday after all and he wished to celebrate it with all of them together.
"Well, I'm hungry. We spent the whole day hunting, son," Eren replied while grabbing his juicy steak. He was eager for the spoils of that long hunt. "I'm sure she'll come down soon," he added.
"Happy birthday, dear," Historia told him while touching his shoulder lovingly and then caressing his chin and holding the side of his face.
The mother smiled, and her boy smiled back at her while leaning his cheek into her palm. Ezra closed his eyes, enjoying the softness of his mother's hand under his face.
Their sweet and private moment was then disturbed by one of the guards walking into the room.
"Carlisle," Ezra noted, "why are you here? I told you all to take the day off, it's my birthday," he reminded the guard. The young King smiled happily.
The soldier bowed and approached Historia solemnly and quietly. "Your Majesty, we believe there is a strange woman roaming the palace. Looking for you, Ma'am." He informed the Queen Mother.
"A woman?" Ezra interjected, confused. And Eren looked up from his steak.
"Yes, Sir. We don't really know how she got in, the Royal Guard is still investigating. The Palace gates have been closed since yesterday. As Your Majesty is not holding any audiences due to your birthday, Sir," Carlisle noted. "No one has come in or out of the Palace walls since Tuesday," he informed the young King.
"Find and arrest her," Eren nonchalantly told the guard. "You can interrogate her tomorrow, it's late at night and we are celebrating," he gave out the orders and went back to eating.
"Arrest her? Dad, it's probably just a beggar," Ezra questioned his father's reasoning.
"I'm not jeopardising your mother's safety," the father replied while firmly pointing at Ezra with his fork.
Historia had been looking intently at the doors during that whole altercation. The woman was contemplative, she had woken up that morning with her heart full of hope. She eventually stood up and left the room, to the surprise of her son and husband. They both stopped arguing and watched her go, confused.
Eren became concerned, he immediately stood up and followed her, leaving the room as well.
Ezra sighed. The young King had once again been left behind by his parents on his birthday. "Happy birthday to me," he quietly joked. He then stood up as well, regally signalling the Royal Guard with his thanks and then walking towards the large doors. Ezra too left the dining room, the young King was secretly curious.
-.-
Ymir had found her way into her mother's favourite drawing room, a place she had spent a lot of time in as a child. The princess had dressed from the occasion, it was her birthday after all. She chose a simple but sweet pink dress and wore her hair in a classic waterfall, the same style of hair she remembered her mother wearing when she was little. She wore neither jewels nor gold, Ymir had decided to take away from her life anything that reminded her of her past greed. She looked simple, but incredibly beautiful, as it was expected.
She passed her hands sweetly through the mantle, admiring the small trinkets and a couple of pictures. She then turned gently to a small wooden table by the fireplace, to see a lovely picture of her and her brother, when they were very, very little. Ymir's heart was flooded with emotion. Not in a thousand lifetimes she would ever have thought that she would one day arrive at her home once again.
"I knew you would come back to me," Historia sweetly told her while appearing at the door, she entered the room. Ymir immediately put the picture down again, absolutely stunned. "Mother?" she quietly asked.
Her mother walked fast in her direction and held her face lovingly. "You look absolutely beautiful, my angel," Historia told her with a smile full of love and hugged her very tight. The mother was absolutely elated to finally see her daughter again. Historia's heart was flooded with happiness to finally confirm that her lost girl was alive and healthy, and now, finally in her arms again.
Historia had recognised Ymir in the moment she had seen her, and so did Eren as he entered the room. It was impossible not to, they were her parents after all.
The father also rushed into the room as he saw them hugging, he was also absolutely elated to see Ymir again. The three of them held each other close in that emotional moment, all with eyes full of happy tears. "Happy birthday, angel," Eren sweetly told her while caressing her hair.
"Ymir..?" Ezra let out, confused and stunned while seeing her being hugged by their parents. Amidst all the commotion and the flooding of emotions, they hadn't really noticed the young King walking into the room as well.
The young man stood there, feeling very confused and lost, and so was his sister. They stared at each other intently for a full second, and Ymir finally fell into her senses again.
"Ezra!" she exclaimed with eyes open wide, her brother smiled at her and they rushed to hug each other.
They hugged each other incredibly tight, both unbelievably happy. The twins didn't even notice it. But that evil energy immediately began to form around them, as soon as they touched.
Historia soon rushed to pull them apart as Eren just stared at his children, calculative.
"What was that?!" both twins asked their parents in unison, absolutely bewildered and scared.
Ezra looked down, opening and closing his hand, feeling that energy fade away. He had never felt that power before, at least not in an age when he could remember it.
Ymir looked confusedly to the side as many thoughts ran fast into her mind. The old goddess was looking for an explanation. She turned rapidly to her brother again. "You are a Titan..?" Ymir asked, concerned and confused.
"Yes, I was born a Shifter," Ezra replied, almost shrugging.
"This is all my fault," Ymir whispered to herself, feeling deeply upset. She shook her head in deep disbelief.
Ezra smiled. "Relax, if worst comes to worst, I still have at least three years." He joked, hoping to ease his sister's mind.
"No, this shouldn't have happened," Ymir let out, shaking her head, still upset and guilty. She hoped the curse had ended that day. The day they were born. So she couldn't fathom why it would still be affecting Ezra, why it was still affecting both of them, actually.
"This is all my fault," Ymir repeated quietly and in disbelief. She thought she had been freed, but she had only cursed her brother instead.
"No, darling," Queen Historia interjected, gently holding her daughter's shoulder. "Don't blame yourself, this goes far beyond yours or our control." She told Ymir with much love, caressing the young woman's shoulder and then also her hair. Ymir looked stunned.
Eren swiftly opened one of the drawers and threw his son a pair of winter gloves. The young man sighed as he put them on. This was an annoying thing to have to worry about, but he still wanted to hug his sister again during this precious reencounter.
"It's going to be okay," Ezra softly told Ymir, approaching her with care.
He made sure to hug her only where the fabrics of his jacket and gloves stopped their skins from making contact, as Ymir was wearing a sleeveless dress. She gently rested her head on his right upper chest, the woman was clearly feeling a little broken.
"The important thing is that you're here now," he continued in his reassurance.
Ymir looked up at her brother, still broken but more cheerful now. "Happy birthday," she wished him.
"Happy birthday," he wished her back. And the twins smiled.
The family continued to talk, all a little broken but also joyously. This was a birthday the twins and their parents would certainly never forget.
Az quickly stopped near those large, half-opened doors, to appreciate that sweet moment. And his sister swiftly pulled him away. "Leave them be," she quietly whispered. "I'm sure the last thing those three want to see now is you."
"Oh, I know. Believe me," Az concurred as he followed his sister through the corridor. "I just came here because of you," he also whispered. "I know Uncle Eren is going to kill me the moment he spots me-"
"Really? I thought it was my job to see the future," Eren coldly interjected and the time traveller stopped in his tracks. Azymondeus turned to see his uncle calmly walking in his direction.
"I'll go get the car. See you at the door," his sister quietly told him and walked away. The young and clever woman knew she needed to leave those two alone.
The time traveller sighed, looking down. He was avoiding his uncle's eyes.
"I told you I would bring her back," he told Eren very timidly, almost sounding like a small boy again. "I did everything to keep my promise to you," he said. Az then looked up again, feeling more confident and ready to face him. "You can kill me now, you have all the right to," he told his uncle earnestly.
Eren crossed his arms, looking at his nephew very seriously. "And break her heart again?" the father questioned. "You've done enough of that," Eren complained ominously. He then let out a light laugh. "Enough to last over three lifetimes," Eren cleverly added, hoping it would sting a little.
There was a moment of deep silence in that long corridor. Az seemed very lost, again avoiding his uncle's eyes. Eren looked back to the drawing room again, eager to go back and hug his daughter once more. He looked back at Az again, sternly and with arms crossed.
"Go see your mother, she must be very eager to know you're alive. There's yet another heart you need to mend," Eren told him, fatherly and sternly.
Azymondeus only nodded, aware his admonishment should be much worse. Eren looked at him more analytically for a moment. "You look like your father," he commented, as he was now properly meeting Azzy as an adult.
Yeager then walked back into the drawing room again, leaving his nephew alone in that long and wide corridor.
Az looked down, very reflective.
-.-
"I thought he was going to cut my head off," Az commented with his sister as they walked through the large pathway near the rose garden. He stopped once he saw the many brand-new cars. "I haven't seen those in a while," he quietly mumbled, a little trepidatious.
"What? Do you prefer horses? It's freezing out here," the sister commented back as they opened the car doors.
Sunny looked to her brother as they entered the vehicle, the young man was still very conflicted. "It's been too long for you," she commented. "You're getting Uncle Eren and Uncle Levi confused," Sunny joked with a small grin, about his decapitation suggestion.
"Still, he has all the right to and you know it," Az countered.
"Nonsense," Sonnenblume let out as she turned the engine on. "Uncle Eren knows it's all her fault. That witch." Sunny sighed annoyedly as she began to drive.
"He was just playing it up because-" she stopped for a moment and thought about it. Sunny tilted her head. "Well, to scare you."
"To scare me?" Az asked, absolutely unconvinced.
"To put you in your place, you know?" his sister tried to explain. "I mean you two are… you know," she added, raising her eyebrows for effect. "And that's his daughter."
"Oh, come on. You and Ezra are married." Azzy complained.
"That's different. They all like me," Sunny pointed out, and let out a small laugh. "They hate you," she told her brother with much humour.
"With good reason," Azzy replied, earnestly. "Also, it's not her fault," he was quick to counter his sister and she only rolled her eyes.
"Argh, Azzy, give me a break," Sunny immediately complained. "Think with your brain for once and not with your-" She looked down at him, and up to his face again. "Your feelings," she humorously said while looking to the road again.
Az became silent. It was difficult for him to admit Ymir could have any fault. It was true, he loved her too much.
His sister turned to him cleverly. "Where do your powers come from?" she questioned, to hammer down her point.
Az looked out of the window, clearly bothered by it all. The time traveller decided to change the topic.
"So you can drive, impressive," he noted, ironically.
"Don't tell me you're already bored, we haven't even left Mitras yet," Sunny complained. "And I'm driving as fast as I can."
"I don't care for speed," her brother soon explained. "I'm more of a, 'slowly and deeply concentrates and pops-in whenever/wherever I need to be' kind of guy."
"No," Sunny simply replied.
"Come on, I grew up in that house. I can get back there, no biggie," Azzy insisted. Already bored to death in that car.
"No way! You were a toddler. What if we end up inside a wall or in some ditch? Or in the Cretaceous Period?" Sunny argued and her brother rolled his eyes, she was exaggerating. "I'm just saying if I see a dinosaur, I'll scream." she insisted, humorously.
"I've never been that far," Az complained back, squinting a little, annoyed.
"There's a first time for everything," she argued back with a small grin.
Azzy scratched his hair and positioned himself better on his seat. He became a little excited with the thought. "I wouldn't mind seeing one of those," he divulged, "if I can pop out of there as fast as I have arrived," he conceded, also with some humour.
"Ezra loves dinosaurs," Sunny told him with a smile. "He's completely obsessed with them. I guess that's something you two can bond over," she commented.
Az only rolled his eyes with the mention of his cousin and now brother-in-law.
He said nothing, for approximately two minutes. Azzy only looked through the window, observing those modern buildings in the darknesses of the night. He turned to her again.
"But are you sure you don't want to Jump with me there?" Azzy insisted once more.
"I'm not Jumping with you. Ever." Sunny maintained, opening up her yellow eyes widely for extra effect.
"All right!" Azzy let out. He then buried himself in the seat. "What am I supposed to do during all this time..?" he mumbled with arms crossed.
"Goodness, you are still a child." Sunny complained. "How about we use this time to talk?" She suggested. "We haven't talked in what? Ten years?!"
Azzy turned to her with a small smile. "What do you want to talk about?" he asked.
"It took me a bit longer than it should to figure this out," she told him while giving him the small, silk pouch over the windshield panel. "Careful, it's very old," she added as Azzy took it from her hand.
Azzy was a little stunned to see that small notebook again, and impressed that it had survived all those centuries.
"The Tyburs did everything to preserve this thing," Sunny told him. "It's soaked in all kinds of concoctions. And I don't think it ever saw sunlight again… after you died," she added, having difficulty uttering the latter.
She turned to him, Azzy was very quiet, she could see through the passing city lights that he was extremely contemplative with that small book in his hand.
Sunny then also took her own notebook from the car panel. It was a much bigger one, containing the detailed translation of everything. She handed it over to her brother, quite proudly. "It was wracking my head. For two years. Until I finally realised it was you. Then it only took me about three weeks to figure out and translate everything," she told him smiling.
"I thought I made it more difficult than that to crack," Azzy complained, humorously.
"Well, I'm your sister, I have a little advantage there," Sunny commented.
"I can't believe you read my-" Azzy was about to say and she humorously interjected. "Your diary?" Sunny asked with a small laugh.
"It's not a diary" Azzy soon argued, slightly offended. "It's a notebook... with very personal notes in it."
"That is called a diary, Azzy," Sunny argued back, still laughing.
Azzy put the small book away, and her notes, he buried himself on the seat once again. "So that's how you know everything," he commented quietly, crossing his arms again.
"All that for a woman…" Sunny let out, turning to him.
"It wasn't just that," Azzy soon countered her.
She let out a small chuckle. "You had a pretty messed up life Zizi," she commented.
He scratched his head. "Yeah, perhaps not mentioning that to mum would be best," he gently asked of her.
Sunny tilted her head. "It's your life," she replied, agreeing with him. Sunny chuckled again. "I don't think she'd be the biggest fan of her new daughter-in-law otherwise," she commented.
Azzy turned to her, still with his arms crossed. "What? You think Ymir is evil?" he questioned his sister with a challenging smile. "Do you want to know true world annihilation? Where I truly come from, Ez-"
He stopped himself. Thinking of how awfully gruesome Sunny's death had once been. He then became deeply thankful, for that version of reality had ceased to exist.
The brother didn't want to continue with his argument, for he had just realised it would be better to leave Sunny in her blessed obliviousness.
But it was too late now.
"Ezra what?" Sunny inquisitively questioned him as they drove on.
Azzy turned away. "Anyone can be a monster if pushed too far," he commented more quietly, and wisely. "You read my story," the brother quietly added, clearly broken.
Sunny became a little more stunned. She was clever enough to understand what he was avoiding telling her. "What changed him?" she asked. "What do you think?"
She could never imagine a reality where Ezra could be evil. Much less to the point of world annihilation.
"Different circumstances," Azzy tried to guess, shrugging. "You tell me," he added. "You are the one who always knows everything."
"What are you talking about? All the stuff I know is what's on your little book there," his sister soon argued.
"Come on. What about all the times we talked?" he questioned. "You always knew everything that was going on, and probably more." Azzy argued.
"We talked?" Sunny asked back. "When?"
"Oh," Azzy realised. "Nevermind," he quietly commented.
"That hasn't happened yet, has it?" she understood.
"Clearly not," Azzy confirmed.
The small car ride became quiet after that, and remained that way for a while.
Azzy sighed. "This is going to take forever." he eventually commented, under his breath. The time traveller was bored once again.
"No, it won't," Sunny soon countered. "We'll be there at sunrise."
"At the Lighthouse? From Mitras? In this little car?" Az doubted.
"Who says we are going by car?" Sunny asked him, smiling.
.
They drove a little longer, to the outskirts of the giant city of Mitras. And eventually arrived at the airfield. The Queen had called ahead, to make sure they would have her favourite plane prepared.
"I guess Hizuru has made great deals with Paradise Island," Azzy jokingly commented while putting a much heavier coat on, for the night was extremely cold.
"We need to see what is economically feasible and beneficial to everyone," Sunny replied as they walked through the giant field, towards the small, but clearly highly technological airship.
"Spoken like a true politician," her brother joked with her, just like they would when they were young.
Sunny nodded. "Yes, just a not fake one," she noted, remembering their conversations.
Azzy looked around, he put his hands on his hips. "Where's the pilot?" the young man asked.
Sunny smiled, she turned to him. "I'm the pilot," the sister relayed.
.
Azzy was very trepidatious as they took flight, but the free-spirited soul soon became joyous once they were up in the air.
"You can actually fly!" he said with wonder in his eyes, looking down to the clouds and the beautiful night view of the region.
"I had to learn on my own," Sunny commented quietly.
"Right..." Azzy noted, looking down reflectively.
"We'll arrive at the Lighthouse in a couple of hours," she told him.
"It will be weird to see it from up here," Azzy commented.
"We are not going to see it from above, we are not even passing close to it," Sunny soon explained.
"Why?" Azzy asked, confused.
"Do you really think it would be a good idea for mum to see an airplane arriving and landing near the Lighthouse?" Sunny questioned him. The young woman looked back to the control panel, filled with sorrow. "It would be very upsetting to her," she added.
"Oh," Azzy let out. "You're right. Not the best idea..." he trailed off, contemplative.
"I suppose she doesn't even know you pilot then," the brother concluded, trying to lighten the mood again.
"She would kill me," Sunny immediately replied and they both laughed.
Azzy looked down, reflective again. He turned to her again. "So, where are you landing this thing?" the brother asked, curiously.
"In the nearest aerodrome, then we will take another car and drive there," she explained solemnly, articulating it quite properly.
"There will be another car waiting for us there?" Azzy asked, and she nodded with a small smile. "I called ahead," Sonnenblume explained.
Her brother was impressed, he slowly let out a smug smile, raising his eyebrows. "The Queen can do whatever she wants," Azzy teased.
"Yes, I can." Sunny confirmed, with a smile full of charm.
-.-
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.
-.-
Paradise - The Rose Garden
[ Royal Palace ]
Ymir was playing with her little boy in the garden, she was helping Edan take his steps as they left from a table of sweets towards his grandmother. Historia opened her arms cheerfully and the boy rushed towards her with a wide smile and a small cupcake in hand. Ymir stood up again to see Azymondeus arriving.
"You changed your shirt," she noticed, confused.
"Don't ask," Azzy quietly replied, passing by her while going in the direction of a table full of sweets.
"What happened? Did you get yourself dirty?" she inquired, following Az worriedly as he leaned to choose a pastry.
"Bloodied," Az quietly explained. He straightened himself up again while holding a small tart. "I forgot I had a sister," he added, rather loudly.
Sunny was also arriving, coming towards the garden. The young Queen had stopped in the large corridor facing the party, she gave her brother an annoyed and disapproving look. Ezra passed by him, as he was walking inside the palace, and took the opportunity to playfully hit his brother-in-law on the back of the head.
"Hey!" Azzy complained as he almost had his new nose buried into the jam of that tart. But the Ackermann had quick reflexes, of course, so all was good.
Ezra looked back at him with a charming smile as he walked inside the palace corridor, and turned back ahead to greet his queen. Sonnen had stopped there to wait for a servant who was approaching her. The young King kissed her sweetly on the cheek and Blue smiled, holding his hand and looking up at him with loving eyes. "I'll go get the toys," he told her playfully as the member of the palace staff arrived.
"Sir, there is a package, it has just arrived. It's probably a gift," the man explained awkwardly, considering the King's birthday.
"So? Leave it with the others. Why you felt the need to tell me personally I don't understand," the young King replied with some confusion, still holding the Queen's hands.
"We are not sure if it is for you or for Chief Yeager, Sir," the servant tried to explain further. "Since it is Your Majesty's birthday-"
"Oh, I know what it is," Blue interrupted, almost cheerfully. "Or at least I think I do," she added with a small, awkward smile. And then reached up to sweetly kiss Ezra on the cheek. "I'll handle this," she said. "Go get your toys," Blue added playfully.
Ezra smiled at her and they left in opposite directions.
.
Ymir continued to analyse Azzy's face more attentively as he nonchalantly ate his small tart. "Your nose looks crooked," she noted while tilting her head.
"Argh," he complained as he held it. "Well, it's going to stay that way then," Az let out with some frustration.
"Why must you two insist on those fights?" Ymir questioned, admonishing him. "Is your regeneration still not working properly?" she also questioned, but more quietly.
"I don't think it's going to change, at least not for the better," Az replied. "We're getting old, Ymir."
"One more reason for you to stop playing fighting. You're not children," she complained.
"It's what we do for fun," he justified. "What do you two do for fun? Does Ezra even have that word in his vocabulary?" Az questioned jokingly while putting a full mini cupcake into his mouth.
Ymir shrugged her shoulders. "Well, we have little in common," she let out, and then decided to admit. "Truthfully we have nothing in common."
"Of course you don't. He's the personification of dull," Az responded, maintaining his joke.
"Stop it," Ymir complained, searching around on the table of sweets. "You're just jealous because he's so smart, and sweet, and - and well," she thought about it, almost amused. "There is the other kind of jealousy…" Ymir trailed off playfully while eating a tiny cupcake.
"Just please, stop right there," Az warned her. "Don't even go there. He and I have an agreement never to speak about the sisters' situation," he told her firmly.
"When did you make this agreement?" Ymir asked, almost chuckling with amusement.
"It's unspoken of course," Az explained. "And it'll never be spoken," he firmly added.
"Men are so odd," Ymir let out, bemused.
"You just like to make me uncomfortable," Az replied, rightfully.
He began looking at his nose's reflection in one of the silver bowls. Az was cogitating if it would be worth it to break his nose once more and fix it back in place again.
Ymir could hear her family's cheerful laughs. She turned to watch her parents happily doting on her son.
The reborn witch became reflective.
"Do you ever feel odd in this world, with this new body?" Ymir asked Az.
"No," he replied casually, then turned to pay attention to what she had been observing. They both watched their child being showered with affection by the grandparents. "I feel just fine," Az added, shrugging nonchalantly.
"I'm so glad he has a family, we didn't have that," Ymir noted, lovingly admiring their youngest child surrounded by the doting love of her parents.
She almost felt sad in that moment and Azymondeus could see it. "We had each other," he soon told her. Az reached for her hands and continued. "And all of that, what we've been through, that is in the past, so let it be the past."
"Let it be the past," she repeated with a shy smile, Az then held up her chin softly. "And you are my future," he declared, leaning in for a kiss. Quite a long kiss.
"Hey, hey!" Eren shouted from the corner, while holding the small toddler. "Cut it, this is a family event," the grandfather ordered firmly, covering Edan's eyes with one of his hands.
"Eren," Historia let out quietly, slightly admonishing his outburst.
"Come on, Granddad. How do you think this one got here?" Az joked back at him, about their little son, pointing at Edan on Eren's arms.
"Don't push it," Ymir quietly advised him, she could see her father didn't look particularly pleased with Azzy's joking tone.
They could suddenly hear the sound of dogs cheerfully barking and Edan immediately turned his attention to it, and so did his grandfather.
The young King was arriving back. Coming from the open gardens now, followed by a small procession of his men and also a few hunting dogs.
He stopped. "I don't think we need horses, do you?" the young man asked his father as the helpers set up a table full of weapons.
"What is all this for?" Az asked, slightly baffled as the men checked the weapons and showed them to the King with much dexterity.
"The King and his father are going hunting, as it's customary for his birthday and other family events," one of the men quietly explained to Az.
"No, I don't think so," Eren responded to his son while approaching the table, about the horses. "The weather is good for a walk and I'm not in a hurry, are you?" he added as he checked his favourite rifle. The retired Chief then turned to the helpers. "You are dismissed, we'd like a quiet, private run," he told the men firmly, gesturing breezily for them to leave.
"Hunting?" Azzy asked, unsure of what to think.
Eren ignored him, as he was used to doing. The uncle just continued checking his rifle.
"You haven't spent enough time here, it's clear," Ezra commented to his cousin and turned to his father again. "Agreed," he told Eren, then looked around the garden and the forest on the horizon. "It is still quite early in the morning, the weather is pleasant, we can make a day out of it," he suggested to his father while checking his own rifle.
The dogs were cheerfully playing all around them, and Ymir had moved away, to chat with her mother. The woman was clearly uninterested in that practice. Azzy took a moment to watch the old Queen showing her daughter and grandson those sweet hunting dogs. Historia seemed quite cheerful and Edan even more so as his mother let him pet one of the pups.
"Still, let's cease the hunt early in the afternoon, whatever spoils we have," Eren replied, then pointed his rifle at Ezra. "You need to spend more time with your mother, she barely sees you now," he told his boy.
Ezra shrugged. "Ymir can keep her company," he replied nonchalantly while readying his equipment. Eren looked to Historia for a moment, deeply contemplative and slightly conflicted. When his attention was suddenly dragged toward the young Queen arriving at the garden.
"Uncle Eren," Sunny called him. She was arriving at the garden with the package in hand. Eren put his rifle back down on the table, and walked towards his niece.
.
Ezra turned. "Are you coming?" he asked his brother-in-law. "Sonnen is," he also added.
"I don't hunt animals," Az replied, righteously.
"How noble of you," Ezra replied, putting his rifle down for a moment. "But you eat them, I assume," he cleverly commented. Ezra couldn't avoid the cheeky smile coming out on his face.
"Those are two different things," Az argued back.
"Yes, of course," the young King concurred. "Only one of them requires extra work," he argued back with some amusement. "I'll make sure to tell the kitchens to serve you only a plate of lettuce tonight," he added mockingly as he went back to checking his hunting equipment.
"This is interesting," Azzy noted, ignoring the King's jokey comment. "I suppose we all have our blind spots," he let out, quite pleased with himself and this discovery. "And here I thought you were all perfect. But you're just a sinner, just like the rest of us."
"Don't start philosophising at me Ackermann," Ezra told him, sighing in complaint as he continued to prepare his toys.
"You are a Yeager, alright," Az quietly commented, with a side, clever smile. Ezra turned to him, thinking for a moment. "Yes," he confirmed and then pulled his cousin's nose swiftly.
"Argh," Az let out. He held his nose with the pain, clearly annoyed. But soon noticed how he was breathing better. Azzy grabbed a hunting knife from the table, holding it close to his face to see his reflection. It was clear that Ezra had successfully put his nose back in place again. "How did you manage to do that?" Az asked, almost impressed.
Ezra only raised his eyebrows, he too was surprised that his attempt had worked.
.
"Mum sent this to you, Uncle," Sunny said as Eren approached her. "I believe it is some kind of book," the young Queen added as she gave him the small but slightly heavy package.
"A book?" Eren asked with pure confusion.
"She said she finally found it in one of Dad's vaults and that she thought better for you to have it, so she mailed it here," his niece explained.
Eren had begun unwrapping the book and soon realised what it was. Sunny noticed by his awe expression that he needed a moment to himself. So the niece patted him softly on the back and left to talk with the others.
There it was: that old atlas. Eren hadn't seen or thought about it in many years. Seeing that book again gave him an eerie, but also sweet feeling in his entrails. Yeager finished unwrapping the book and began calmly leafing through the pages, thinking of Armin.
He looked up to see his son and nephew sweetly bickering over the littlest things. Despite neither of them being willing to admit, they clearly enjoyed each other's company. And the father was happy to watch as their unlikely friendship grew.
Eren smiled.
Ymir, on the other hand seemed slightly upset with the bickering, as Sonnen was approaching, the reborn witch took her aside. "I hope they can get along someday, I want us all to be good friends, you know?" Ymir commented with her cousin and sister-in-law.
Sonnenblume had a blunt expression on her face. "Friends?" she whispered back incredulously. "We are all family, and that's one thing. Being friends would be a whole different thing altogether." She sharply told Ymir.
The young Queen then motioned forward, hoping to greet her mother-in-law again and to hug her nephew, who was happily playing with those dogs and with his grandmother.
But Ymir held her attention for a moment longer. "Where's your mother? She's the only one who is not here," she inquired, almost naively.
Sonnen turned to her again. "Mum is not big on these get-togethers, you'll learn soon enough." She told her sister-in-law, still quite bluntly.
"Oh, is she going to the school inauguration? I believe it is today," Historia commented, raising herself up again and fixing her dress with much grace. Edan then ran to his father's arms.
Sonnen only shook her head quietly to Historia. Mikasa had chosen not to go to that event either.
"Today?" Eren asked, holding the book under his arm. "That seems a bit insensitive," he commented, almost defensively. He was unconsciously protecting the book, as if he were protecting Armin somehow.
"I don't think it is," Az countered as he reached down to hold his boy. He stood up again, with Edan in his arms. "I think it's a nice way to honour Dad's memory."
"I agree," Sonnenblume concurred. "Is it today?" she asked.
It had been twenty-six years since the birth of the twins and the near destruction of Paradise. And also thirteen years since Arlert's untimely passing. It was an eerie, almost cursed day and Yeager thought it very inappropriate for the Warriors to choose it for their school opening ceremony.
Ezra, on the other hand, thought it perfectly reasonable. "Yes it is," he confirmed it to Sonnenblume. "I made a substantial donation for that project," he also informed the family, still standing over the table where all his 'toys' were spread out. Which ironically also seemed slightly inappropriate.
"You did? Why?" Eren asked his son, quite baffled. Yeager was now motioning towards the palace corridors.
"I'm a patron of the research centre, I've financed most of their recent projects," Ezra reminded his father. "Just as Mum used to do before me. It seemed only logical to me offering to support the academy project as well." He argued.
"Yes, it is. You have my approval, sweetheart," Historia told him with a loving smile.
"I think it's madness," Eren complained, walking back into the palace with his precious book in hand.
"I think it's a good initiative," his son countered him from the weapons' table.
"Will Reiner really be in charge?" Eren asked, before he could walk in.
"I believe Mr. Braun will be the Headmaster, yes," the young King confirmed. "At least that was the information on the plans I was given."
"Well, just as I said: a recipe for disaster," Yeager maintained his complaint. He walked inside the building. "But that's the Marleans' problem," he loudly and jokingly commented before disappearing into the palace corridors.
Eren had gone up to his private quarters, to make sure that old atlas would be properly stored in his vault. He could have asked to any servant, or even a guard to do so, but he'd rather do it himself. Eren wanted to make sure that precious book, which was the source of so many precious memories for him, was very well safeguarded.
.
Ymir had been contemplative throughout all that exchange about the new school. She walked to the weapons' table, ignoring all that repulsive hunting gear, so as to quietly talk with her brother.
"Are they aware we are taking down the Wall later today?" Ymir asked Ezra.
"They are aware we are taking down the Wall," her brother confirmed. "But not of the date," he informed. "Only some members of the council know it's today and I don't think that information was passed to the Warriors."
"Ezra, they should have been informed, in case they are affected. And you and I know they will be," his sister admonished him sternly.
"Only for a moment. It will pass," Azymondeus interjected, holding the little Edan in his arms.
"But we don't know if it will leave lasting effects," the mother of all Titans argued back, worried about her children, of course.
"That's where the research facility comes in handy," her brother cleverly commented.
Ymir looked down, she seemed worried and conflicted. "It will be alright. We're only taking down the Wall at sundown, the school ceremony will certainly be over by them. Especially if you factor in the time difference," Ezra also argued. "I bet they'll all be at home, or hopefully nowhere public," he added more quietly.
Azzy had removed himself from the twins' conversation. He was now more interested in playing with his little son instead. Ezra turned to watch his cousin and brother-in-law's excitement while playing with the boy, so he thought it would be fun to ruin it for Az, at least just a little bit.
"He looks just like me!" The uncle let out quite happily as he leaned to play with the boy as well.
Ymir laughed joyously, Azzy however, did not look very amused. "Yes, he does," the sister concurred lovingly.
"Of course he does," Az added, uncheerfully complaining.
"He's going to be one handsome fella," Ezra gloated, quite happily.
"He already is!" his sister corrected him and nose-kissed her toddler very sweetly. "Yes he is! Yes he is!" she repeated, for the boy's utter amusement. Edan laughed joyously.
Ymir looked up at Azymondeus again while Sonnen was approaching. "Are you going with them?" she asked.
"You know I don't hunt," Azzy replied, in an almost offended complaint.
"Animals," Ymir complemented, feeling quite amused. She knew well the atrocities Azymondeus was capable of when regarding humans.
"I remember how much you cried when witnessing one of the staff killing a chicken for the first time," Sonnen joked with her brother. She turned to Ezra, "he was twelve," she added and her husband smiled in pure amusement.
"But you still ate it afterwards, I bet," the young King commented.
"Nah," Az rebuked. "I couldn't eat chicken for about a year," he explained while awkwardly scratching his back. "And yet you still went back to eating it eventually," Ezra quietly commented while checking his hunting knife. He gave Azzy a clever side-eye and the cousin only responded with an eye-roll.
Ymir chuckled. "That is so sweet," she told Azzy sincerely, while holding his arm affectionately. She had never heard that story before.
"Don't encourage her," Azzy warned Ymir as Sonnenblume laughed out loud.
"I don't need encouragement, Zizi," his sister told him with challenging eyes and a charming smile. They both knew there were many other stories she was willing to tell. She turned to Ezra once more. "Shall we start without your father?" she proposed while putting her gear on. Sonnen then held up her rifle.
"Yes, I'm sure he won't be long," Ezra concurred.
Ymir then turned and went to sit next to her mother, who had chosen a pleasant leisure chair to lay on.
Az couldn't help but notice his cousin checking his sister out as she went ahead into the woods. Ezra was almost eating her with his eyes, which deeply disturbed the brother.
"Hey! Cut it," Azzy said, slapping the back of Ezra's head - or gladly giving back the slap he had received earlier. "This is a family event," he admonished his brother-in-law, still holding his small son in his arms.
"I'm a married man, Mr. Arlert," the young King protested. He adjusted his rifle. "Now, when you decide to properly marry my sister then I might take reprehensions from you into consideration," Ezra coldly suggested.
Azzy sighed annoyedly while adjusting the boy more properly in his arms. "We don't need a piece of paper, we have nothing to prove to the government," he argued back, shrugging.
"The government is me," Ezra reminded him while gently resting his rifle over Az's nose.
Az gently moved the weapon away. "Well, I'm not a citizen of this island. I'm not a citizen anywhere," he charmingly argued back.
Ezra only rolled his eyes and walked to the woods. "Grow up, Azymondeus," he let out as he was doing so.
Az gripped his child closer into his arms, Edan had been distracted by the dogs that whole time. And was still distracted as he watched the happy pups following his Uncle and Aunt into the woods.
.
Ymir sat down next to her mother, holding her hand while doing so. "I've never walked into those woods again," Historia confessed. "I can't bring myself to it."
"You don't have to, Mother," Ymir told her sweetly, then reached her mother's hand up into her lips, kissing it respectfully and also very lovingly. "I'm right here," Ymir said.
Historia smiled, she brought Ymir in, holding her daughter tenderly inside her arms. "Yes, you are," the mother concurred. "Sometimes it feels like a dream," she commented. Historia then placed Ymir's hair locks back behind her ear, quite motherly. "Happy birthday, my angel," she wished.
Ymir smiled and hugged her mother tightly.
-.-
Tybur Castle
"We are here today to begin this new journey," Pieck began her speech, "together." The ageing Warrior emphasised and looked around the crowd solemnly as the children stared up at her, all standing quietly in their organised rows. The adults had also ceased their chatter on the side rows and were giving the opening ceremony their full attention.
Pieck proceeded. "The project for this school was conceived with the idea of unity in mind. Unity, respect and insatiable thirst for knowledge are the three main principles we aim to bestow upon the children of the future," she declared and then continued to present the school's values and the committee that had been organising and preparing everything for the past few years. Most of them were university professors and scientists from the Castle's Research Institute.
.
"Shouldn't you be up there?" Levi questioned Hange. The two old friends were standing much further behind, in the outskirts of the Castle's main garden. The Ackermann crossed his arms and turned to her. He knew Zoe had been very much involved with this project, at least at the start, many years before.
"I decided to stand down for the time being," she explained. Hange stretched herself leisurely and continued. "I'd rather concentrate on our research expeditions for now, while I still have the energy. Maybe when I'm too old to travel I'll teach a class or two," the old woman conceded. She then looked to the rows of well-behaved children in the distance. "See?" she cheerfully patted Levi on the back. "I don't see one unruly child in that crowd," the old scientist argued.
"For now," Levi commented back, still with arms crossed.
.
"This Academy was created to build strong minds for the future," Jean was now finishing his speech, after being given the word by Pieck. "Minds prepared to solve any problem that might arise in their path - in a clever and thoughtful way," Jean paused with a serene smile, thinking of Armin in that moment. "Just like my good friend taught us," he added, as he had already mentioned Arlert in his speech.
Armin Arlert's sudden demise had been a shock for many, not only close family and friends. There had been a slurred quietness for the first few months, as the world waited to see if any unruly nation would claim the kill of the famous pacifist. But no one did, and the mysterious crash officially remained as an unsolved case, ruled as an accident rather than a terrorist attack.
The fear that the event could usher in another age of wars between Eldians and Marleans and other strong nations floated around the planet for the following months. And it eventually made the entire world unite in creating councils and other well established organisations that aimed to maintain the peace. It was what Armin always passionately preached about in his speeches all over the world when he was still alive. So, in a way, his death made his voice finally be heard.
Kirstein proceeded with his speech. "Strong minds full of endurance and mighty will," he said firmly, turning to Reiner, who was seated right next to him on the dais. "Like my other good friend has taught us," Jean said, presenting the old Warrior to the crowd. Jean smiled as Braun was standing up. Kirstein then officially named him as the Headmaster of the Academy.
Reiner walked up the platform to commence his own speech. Jean patted him on the shoulder sweetly before walking back to the dais' seats.
.
"Oh, good. I'm sure that will be fun for us," Danso commented ironically, he sighed, upset.
"We're screwed," Tin quietly commented back, the two friends were standing side by side.
"Yes, you are," Sarah gloated from the row behind them, the Braun girl whispered closer to the boy's necks.
Constantine turned his head slightly. "I don't think you should be this happy about it," he whispered back, advisingly.
They all grew up knowing Uncle Reiner to be a stern army veteran, so Sarah's gloating about her father being in charge might have been very misguided. Mr. Braun didn't seem to be the kind to play favourites, even with his own children.
.
"Indoctrination is a very powerful tool, both good and bad," Reiner began talking. "It can be used for fine, admirable purposes. But in its majority it is used for Evil. Children shouldn't be moulded into narrow-minded, vicious patriotism. They should be taught their History and be free to make their own minds about it," he said with a small, hopeful smile. "They shouldn't be dragged into blame for a bloody past. They should be prepared to build a better future."
Braun continued. "Children should never be used as tools, weapons of war. No human should, truly. They should be taught to respect life, not take it away. I was taught to kill. That was my indoctrination," Reiner paused, almost emotionally. He continued. "I was taught that killing would make me a hero. But killing never made me a hero. It only made me hated, not only by others but especially by my own self."
His eyes met Annie's in that moment. And she looked down in avoidance as this was a sentiment they shared. "I lost too much because of that raising and I don't wish for any of you to ever go through the same," the retired Warrior continued solemnly.
"I hope that all children that come to study in this academy can be indoctrinated into Good. I hope they can learn to love knowledge and to love life. That they can be given all tools they need to view this world in the beauty that it has. And more importantly, that they can be given the freedom to choose their path in it. A freedom that we are all born with," Reiner then turned to the children quite sweetly and charmingly. "Don't ever let anyone convince you otherwise." He told them.
He straightened himself vigorously. "Your path in life is your choice. Your decision," Reiner declared to the children. And they all cheered graciously.
Braun smiled at them solemnly.
-.-
The Yeagers walked across the forest while searching for their prey. They hoped to earn a good dinner. Despite being early afternoon, the Fritz forest was strangely darker and clearly eerie. Sonnenblume walked around quietly with her rifle, in the hopes of finding a deer or at least a rabbit for the night. When she began to notice the small specks of light dancing around the forest. The specks were of all colours and shapes. Blue looked at them confused and also mesmerised. She called Ezra's attention to the phenomenon.
"It's just a case of temporal dilation," Ezra explained as they walked softly through the grass, observing the lights dancing around the area. They both knew what was about to happen that night. Ezra tried to reach for the lights. He then showed Blue how they were converging and diverging from the same spot.
"Now we know where those two disappeared and reappeared from," he also guessed, talking about their siblings.
And Ezra guessed correctly. Azymondeus and Ymir had in fact disappeared in that very spot when they were only children, in the year 859. And reappeared from it twenty-one years later, in the year 854. Ezra supposed the dilation would maintain itself in this level between the dates: 31st of October, 880 and 22nd of January, 881; as Time adjusted itself. He then cogitated if it were only this strong and visible since he and Ymir were about to reactivate the Titan Power to its full potential. Something they had done only once, exactly twenty-six years before. On the day they had been born.
"You should leave that alone, son," Eren advised from a distance. He could tell Ezra was slightly entranced by the anomaly.
"What? It's perfectly fine. See?" He told his father as he walked through the spot.
"Ezra!" Blue quietly reprimanded him. She was terrified for that small moment, as he walked through the odd lights. Fearing he could disappear somehow.
"Only Azymondeus can trigger the dimensional barrier," Ezra pointed out nonchalantly as he walked towards them, with his rifle over his shoulders. He turned back for a moment. "We should probably keep him and Ymir away from that spot," the young King pointed out. "For good," he added, almost comically.
"Or it will send us all into another messy ride," Ezra added from afar, jokingly. He moved away to go hunt in another spot and Blue followed him.
Eren stayed behind. The father walked solemnly to the spot, he reached to grab some of the specks, looking quite upset as all the colours passed through his hand. Eren thought of Ymir's suffering and all the time he had lost with her. It made him very tearful. Her story was something the father could never change. Eren looked up to the skies, filled with agony. Trying to find solace.
-.-
The Founding Titan had used his abilities to create numerous 'safe havens' for the people of the Wall. King Ezra knew they would need peace away from the sun in that first moment of rebirth. So Paradise was now filled with crystal caves that integrated multiple underground cities.
All had been prepared and the main troop was finally arriving at the majestic Paradisian gate. Carlisle came out from his jeep looking at his pocket watch, glad to be on time. He had been chosen by Ezra to lead the mission. He turned to see all the soldiers, medical personnel and many other volunteers taking position. Carlisle then turned again towards the Wall, he could almost see the sun going down, or at least the reflection of it through the large, intertwined crystals of the gate. Quite a beautiful site. Carlisle smiled, slightly anxious. It was almost time.
Lars came out from the other door of the vehicle, nodding at him. He then took out his radio and called Hitch, to confirm her team had arrived on the outskirts of Utopia. The MP veteran picked up her radio and confirmed it. Hitch looked up at the gigantic Wall, quite thoughtfully as her team was also getting everything ready. She shivered for a moment, putting her radio back in her pocket and rubbing her hands together. The northern region of Paradise was very cold and they needed to prepare the new citizens for that.
All the other members of Carlisle's team also radioed the other Captains; there were five hundred rescue teams in this massive welcoming operation. All positioned in strategic points of the Wall. All ready to receive those citizens. And the main troop was receiving confirmation of the others' arrivals one by one. They were all taking position. Their job would be to usher all those new citizens into the crystal caves and eventually to the underground cities that had been prepared for them. They were also prepared to give the people of the Wall medical attention, food or any form of aid that could arise. Ezra had thought of multiple scenarios and he hoped to be prepared for anything and everything. The welcoming teams all hoped none of those poor souls would have some form of an adverse reaction, after being trapped in that curse for so long.
Lars walked away from the jeep, closing his door. He looked up to the giant gate, stretching himself. "Alright, let's meet you all," he let out cheerfully. The old soul felt quite happy, he was the only person on that island who could possibly understand what all those people were going through, and what awaited them.
Carlisle walked towards the jeep again, and opened the back door. He carefully helped his elderly friend to walk out. Tremblay looked up at him nervously as Carlisle helped him out of the car. The old man was very anxious. He had never dreamt that he would live long enough to one day leave the island. Tremblay was anxious to see his continent and his family again. Carlisle smiled at him then ushered the old man to a folded chair Lars was opening and putting over the grainy ground, so the Marlean veteran could sit. "You'll get the best view," Lars joked, holding Tremblay's shoulder affectionately. The uncursed Pure Titan then walked away, to continue performing his duties.
Tremblay looked up to the enormous Wall from his tiny chair, quite contemplative. The old man was thinking of that day, when the Wall was made and the barrier was put in place. He thought of how hectic that battle was. And how he regretted taking leadership position in it.
"Are you ready to go?" Carlisle asked, suddenly taking his old superior from that reflective trance.
The old man smiled sweetly. "I suppose you're not coming with me," he asked back with a broken smile.
"Not now, but I might pay the old land a visit sometime in the future," Carlisle replied to his old superior. He turned to admire the Wall and then looked back to the old man solemnly. "My life is here," Carlisle added, also with a broken smile.
"I'm glad." Tremblay replied, looking ahead, also admiring the gate. "I remember how afraid you were of coming here," the old man began to reminisce. "But you still did, just to follow my orders," Tremblay reminded his once second in command.
"That was a long time ago, Sir," Carlisle commented, a little trepidatious to go back to that memory.
"You're the son I never had, Carl," Tremblay told him solemnly. The old man then turned away from his once pupil, avoiding his eyes. "And still, once the time came I didn't hesitate for a second," the man paused, brokenly. And continued, "to send you to your death."
"You were doing your duty, Sir," the pupil replied. "I knew you would never play favourites with me, or any other. You put the safety of the crew first," Carlisle told him solemnly. "It was a hard decision, but it was the right one."
Tremblay sighed, he only looked away, upset. "I'm glad I don't have to make those hard decisions anymore," the old army veteran let out. "In a way, being trapped here was a blessing," he conceded, turning to his pupil again.
Over the course of the past two and a half decades he had grown fond of his life away from the army and all those meaningless wars. The old man had found solace on Paradise. The only wish left in his heart was to see his family once again. It would be his farewell gift.
Carlisle chuckled. "The Marlean Forces have changed drastically in the past two decades. The entire system fell apart." He noted to his old Commandant, almost amused by how Time had changed things.
"I know," Tremblay replied. The old man then grunted, and turned to look at the enormous gate, thoughtfully. "That's just the way of things," he noted with philosophical eyes. "That's how the Earth turns: empires rise and fall and give place to others…" Tremblay trailed off in thought. "I wonder what will be next," the old man finally added, cogitating.
Lars came walking back towards his Commander. "Sir, all teams have arrived. We're in the clear," he informed.
"Good," Carlisle let out firmly. "Call Mitras, it's time to let these birds fly," he ordered, turning again to the Wall happily.
Lars nodded. "Open the cage," he then gave the signal through the radio, calling the post in Mitras.
The 'Open the cage' signal was heard, not only by the headquarters in the city of Mitras, but also far away on the outskirts of the island of Paradise. There, hovering above the ocean, laid a small, state-of-the-art aircraft. Beautifully crafted and with the Marlean insignia plastered across it.
"It seems the operation is about to start, Sir," Maximilian told his Marlean superiors through the radio.
"Roger," he replied, after receiving more instructions. "I'll keep the base informed," the pilot confirmed. He then turned to watch the sunset over the ocean, waiting for the barrier to finally come down.
-.-
The night had already fallen in the centre of the continent. As they were East from Paradise, a couple of hours ahead in the rotation of the Earth. The opening ceremony, the school tour and all the other fun activities that had been planned to welcome the new students had finished long before sunset. The good, old friends had had a fun day in the Castle together and were now enjoying the fallen night. All while their children explored and played around the ancient halls of the beautiful fortification.
"Sorin, if it is a boy and Dahlia if it is a girl," Onyankopon happily told the others while affectionately holding Annie's shoulders.
The group of friends were finishing their dinner, all seated around the old wooden table, in the smaller hall of the Castle's kitchens.
"It's a girl, I know," Annie immediately interjected. She caressed her stomach tenderly. "I'm sure," the mother added with sombre certainty.
"Ergh," the old captain let out, putting his teacup down again. "Boy or girl, babies are just snot monsters regardless," Levi let out, not appreciating his tea as much as he commonly would.
"But they are such cute snot monsters," Heidi interjected, mocking the captain cutely.
"You'd say that, Dee, of course," Levi replied, and with reason. The Braun mother had more children than he could count. The Ackermann then turned to Onyan and Annie. "Good luck," he wished sarcastically.
"It's not our first time, Ackermann," Onyankopon replied, reminding his friend.
"The first was hundreds of years ago," Reiner commented mid-laugh.
"You'll miss the expedition," Levi reminded his customary travel companions.
"Argh, don't remind me," Annie complained. It would be the first time they'd miss one.
"We can go next year," Onyankopon quietly, and cheerily commented with her. He then kissed her shoulder.
"The baby will still be too little," Annie quietly replied, turning to him.
"We have Danso to babysit," Onyan suggested, only partially joking.
Annie immediately made a reprimanding face towards him. "Of course not," she firmly shut down the ageing father's suggestion.
"Then maybe the year after," Onyan insisted with his joke, cheerfully turning to the others while he sipped some of his - already cold - tea.
They all had small smiles and Reiner then turned to the side, as he noticed the old captain about to pour some alcohol from a flask into his now empty teacup.
"Hey, hey, this is a school," Braun immediately complained to the old man.
Levi put his little flask swiftly over the wooden table. "I'm not your student," he immediately reminded Reiner. "And this is my house."
The Ackermann then gestured offering it to Onyankopon. But his friend declined, in sympathy to Annie's situation.
"Argh," the ageing pregnant woman let out annoyedly. "I can't believe I can't drink," Annie complained as Levi was about to put the flask back under his jacket.
"Well, I can," Adalhaid said cheerfully putting her now empty teacup down, closer to the captain and Levi smiled at her. "This time I'm not the one who's pregnant," she happily pointed out as the captain poured her some of the whiskey.
"Seriously?" Reiner asked her.
"I'm not your student either, Bear," Heidi replied mockingly but also sweetly while caressing his beard.
"You've got no authority here, Braun," the captain said while putting his small flask back under his jacket. "And as I said, this is my house," Levi commented as he was about to take a glorious sip. "Woah, woah!" The Ackermann suddenly yelled while standing up.
He had noticed how Gabrielle was about to put her baby girl down to crawl around the hall. Gabi only raised one eyebrow and did it anyway.
"Please, pick the snot monster up. Pick it up!" he complained firmly, about the tiny baby suddenly crawling on his recently mopped floor. It was as sparkly as ever.
The old captain opened his arms wide, showing the group his spotless hall. "You see how clean this floor is?" Levi questioned the Grices. "You can eat off this floor. Or at least you could, before your little monster got her claws and paws all over it," he complained with his hands on his hips.
"Calm down, Ackermann. Flora is just a baby, she doesn't walk yet. Her knees and elbows are obviously clean," Falco argued back with the old captain mid-chuckle.
"She was crawling and playing on the dirt with the boys seconds ago, we all saw it," Levi argued back as Falco was picking the seven-month-old back up.
"So? I've bathed her since then, Levi. Stop being annoying," Gabi complained back to the old captain.
"Ergh," Levi grunted at her and sat back down again. And in that moment, the older Grice boys rushed through the room quite cheerfully. The three small boys were playing tag and unceremoniously spreading mud all over the ancient, and recently waxed castle tiles.
The Ackermann only turned to Falco with sombre eyes. "You are going to clean all that," he ordered, firmly but also strangely calmly.
"Tomorrow," Falco replied nonchalantly, he continued sipping his tea, leaning on the kitchen bar. "Today we are celebrating," he added, cheering at the old captain. And Levi only rolled his eyes. The old man leaned to watch the three boys rushing away, yelling and laughing joyously as they played. Spreading the mud of their dirty feet all across the gigantic castle halls. Levi only shook his head, bemused.
"You're crankier than usual today," Pieck commented, next to Jean. They were both standing near the younger couple, both also leaning on the kitchen bar.
"He thought the committee would eventually choose another building to host the school," Onyankopon explained from the wooden table. "He's still mad about it," he added, turning to Levi with a savage smile.
The Ackermann only crossed his arms.
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now, is there?" Jean commented back while enjoying a piece of cake over the bar, clearly sarcastically.
"Just give it a year," Levi replied, undefeated. "Once these kids begin to destroy this historic landmark I'm sure the committee will finally see reason," he argued with certainty.
"Not on my watch," Reiner interjected. "Come on, Ackermann. Don't you trust my disciplinarian skills?" the old Warrior questioned his friend.
Levi only looked at him unconvinced and stood up, walking towards the bar. "Who wants more booze?" he asked the group of friends while searching under his counter.
Heidi lifted her tiny teacup cheerfully and Reiner only squinted unbelievably at her. She leaned in and gave him a small and sweet kiss on the lips.
Annie stretched herself gloriously on the wooden bench, putting her feet up and leaning in on Onyankopon as he caressed her hair and her shoulders tenderly. The ageing woman rested her arms over her pregnant belly as she smiled and chatted with the others.
"Urgh, I feel bad for her," Pieck quietly commented over at the kitchen bar. "Can you imagine having a surprise like that so late in the game?"
"What? She seems happy," Jean replied, his mouth full of cake.
"Now," Pieck noted, almost too loudly. "Give it a couple of weeks and she'll be begging for it to end. All bloated and cranky," Pieck continued in a whisper. "She'll be a nightmare to be around for sure, it's the worst time."
"Yep. Worst time," Jean concurred while ceremoniously taking his cherry up to eat. "I remember it well," he added in a comic sigh, clearly reminiscing about Pieck's last trimesters instead.
The small woman swiftly took the cherry from him and ate it instead and then softly hit him on the shoulder, in clear admonishment.
But the ageing couple stayed staring at each other for longer than both of them could keep a straight face so they both just broke into small laughter. And Jean then leaned to grab another piece of cake for them to share.
-.-
Tin walked around the darkish halls, curiously exploring the castle's many rooms; which were mostly closed. He wanted to find out if the labs were perhaps still open, to curiously take a look inside. He could see light coming from one of the many doors in the distance so he approached cautiously.
The old scientist was coming out from it, clumsily trying to lock the doors with a large tray of tiny potted plants on hand.
"Do you need help, Commander?" the Kirstein boy asked.
The warrior children had always called the old professor that, because their parents did so, and they never really questioned why. In their minds Professor Hange was 'The Commander', now of what, they didn't really know.
"Hah! Constantine," Hange said cheerfully as the boy approached to help her. She gave him the tray and proceeded to look for the keys of her laboratory on the large keychain. Hange looked up to notice how Tin was peering inside as she was about to close the doors.
"Do you like Science?" she asked him sweetly as she locked the doors.
"Yes," Constantine told her with a sweet smile as well.
"You had a fun day at the school tour, I bet," Hange noted.
"I'm just glad mum didn't send us to military school," Tin replied while shrugging. That was a threat Pieck constantly made whenever her boys misbehaved.
"Ha!" Hange laughed as she put her keychain back in her coat pockets.
"I think these need more sunlight, so I want to leave them out here," the scientist continued, showing Tin to the balustrade. "Just in case I don't wake up early enough to do that tomorrow, and I certainly won't," Hange proceeded while stretching herself. It had been a long day of much celebration and the old woman was clearly beaten.
She watched as the boy carefully put the mildly heavy tray over the castle balustrade.
"Why plants?" Tin asked curiously, as he knew the Commander's field of study. He leaned in to inspect the tiny buds more closely.
Hange scratched her back, thoughtfully. "It turns out Eldians have more in common with plants than mammals, or any other animal for that matter," she began to explain to the young teen.
"So we are plants?" He asked, straightening himself up again with an incredulous smile.
"Not exactly," Hange explained, leaning in to contemplate her buds. "But the secret to what diverges us from other humans might be in one of these," she commented while staring intently at them.
"Who knows?" Hange laughed again as she straightened herself up. "I might die and never figure it out!" she contemplated.
The old Commander then turned to Constantine more seriously. "It is good to see a new generation so interested in Science," she told him. "There are so many mysteries out there," Hange said, and looked up to the skies contemplatively.
"So much that is unknown in this universe! We can't let that interest, that curiosity fade away." She declared, and then held Constantine's shoulder affectionately. "I'm very glad your mother didn't put you in military school too," Hange told him with a smile. "We can't let it fade away!" she declared cheerfully as she walked away.
"Tell the Captain I've gone to the moon!" She added as she walked off, cheerfully pointing up to the skies.
This was a code for Levi, it simply meant the old scientist had retired to her quarters. But it made the young teen only tilt his head in confusion. Still, Tin laughed at the old woman's infectious enthusiasm.
He watched her as she walked away, eventually disappearing into the darkness of the long corridor. Constantine then leaned to watch the small buds once more. And then raised himself again to watch his siblings and friends cheerfully playing ball in the courtyard down below. The boy was contemplative for a moment and then decided to go down to join them.
-.-
You are free
The family went over together, to the main balcony of the palace of Mitras as the sun was finally setting.
It was finally time to release those millions and millions of souls. It was time to free them from that horrid curse and correct the wrong that had been done to them a hundred and thirty-seven years before.
It was time to start again.
To begin anew.
Ezra and Ymir were both looking intently at that sun. It was slowly going away and leaving a trail of oranges and pinks and light blues behind, that still lightened the dark blue sky beautifully. The stars were also slowly starting to show themselves with their small and angelic flickers.
It was time to write History.
The twins looked at each other and they both smiled. They reached down for one another's hands as they faced each other straightforwardly. The young King held the Princess' right hand with his left and her left hand with his right. The power began showing itself immediately, rising like an uncontrollable storm all around them. They both looked up to the skies, letting the power of the Titans flow through them.
It seemed uncontrollable, but in reality it was not. The twins had linked their minds into that conjoined dimension and were waking up all those souls that were still trapped within it.
It required true mastery. The power was immense but so were their hearts and their joint will. They had been born for that.
It was a beautiful sight, a true concert of many lights. The family was all there, all with shining eyes and souls as well. Eren Yeager's eyes shone green and slightly white, as a signal of his Attack and War-Hammer Titan powers being awakened. Queen Historia's eyes shone a bright but deeply mauve light. Beautifully reflective of the mother's lineage, that went back to Queen Tara herself, and far beyond that.
Queen Sonnenblume's eyes shone the same bright yellow as always. And her soul felt deeply disturbed, for she was able to hear the cries of those Eldians' souls much louder now.
She looked up intently to the lights swirling from the twins and also to the lights coming out from her and the others, and running to join the main swirl. The energy was now not only deeply purple but it had turned into a mixture of all those swirling colours.
The power was coming from all of them. She turned to her brother, who held his small son in his arms. Azymondeus shone the brightest blue, as always. His body illuminated with the curse that had started it all. The curse that Ymir had given him.
He was also staring at the powerful, swirling lights, also quite intently. Az then turned for a moment to look at his son.
Edan was playing with the small flickering lights as they swirled around him, and went on swirling all around the balcony. He seemed quite happy and very much distracted with all those bright colours. Azymondeus was happy, and relieved, to see that his son didn't seem to shine. He was as human as ever. Not cursed. The only thing Az could see was the faint bright amber of the boy's soul from within his eyes. The reason for it was that the father had been given the power to see into human souls, and only for that moment.
The Wanderer could see in his boy's eyes and confirm it: Edan had been born free. Just as all of his three sisters before him, Edan too had been born freed from any curse. That confirmation gave the father immense joy. Azzy smiled and kissed the boy's head very lovingly.
.
Mikasa woke up suddenly. The ageing woman had fallen asleep in the sands of the lighthouse beach. As it was customary for her to enjoy the sunset near the waters. She felt the light power coming from within her. And a terrible pain in her head that was reminiscent of the day when her boy ran away from home. And also very reminiscent to the terrible pain she felt when he had been born. A pain that had been with her for many years, it had surged from the day she had met his father. A pain that confused itself with the joy of knowing and loving him.
All of those thoughts and memories swirled through the mother's mind. And within it: the fear of losing her precious boy again, like that terrible day when he left. It took a moment for Mikasa to remember that her child had returned to her, and that all that evil had passed.
She still felt confused and conflicted as she jerked forward on her comfortable leisure chair. Mikasa dropped to the sand. She held her head with her hands, crouching down to her knees as her eyes, body; her entire soul burned very bright. Mikasa almost lifted herself again, opening her eyes again and tilting her head. There was something else there: within her memories.
It was almost as if her lost boy was trying to talk to her, as he moved in that momentary but eternal lost inside that tree of light.
But there was something else within all those thoughts, deep into that cursed, grief dimension.
Mikasa shut her eyes tightly for a moment; and tried her best to shut her inner ears too, trying to concentrate on her deepest thoughts. She could almost hear another voice within all that. Another voice trying to reach her. She could almost see it, that boy with yellow hair again. He was reaching for her.
.
Deep within the kitchens of Tybur Castle, the powers were shining bright as well. From Pieck's bright red and deep yellow of her Cart and Beast that formed her Phoenix Titan. To Reiner's bright yellow of his Armoured Warrior and Annie's brightest blue of her Female Hero.
They were all shining very bright. It had all happened quite suddenly as the friends were chatting. Falco let go of small Flora in that moment, as he shone the bright yellow and white of his Titan. He tried giving the seven-month-old for her mother to hold, but Gabrielle was too stunned. She just quietly let Flora down while open-mouthed herself.
The energetic baby just sprinted away, crawling in full mastery. Flora was cheerfully following her three older brothers who had passed by the kitchen running so jauntily that they didn't even notice all the light commotion. The small boys were so happy while playing in their own world, so the lack of attention was justified.
The others were just stunned. Jean had seen that before, one day short of thirteen years ago. The day after Armin's passing, when Azymondeus activated the power at his full potential in the hopes of changing the past. But that energy level hadn't been nearly as powerful as what they were witnessing now. Kirstein turned his eyes from Pieck, who was motionless right in front of him, in the kitchen bar. And looked towards Adalhaid and Onyankopon, who were seated near Reiner and Annie over at the large wooden table. The three of them all looked at one another, unsure of what to do.
In truth, the 'former' Titan Shifters had never lost their power, it had just been dormant all those years. And right now, the four of them only looked unresponsive as the power flowed out of them violently and joined together in the air. Leaving away through the high, and now broken, windows.
Gabrielle looked into all that light floating away as a sense of eeriness filled her body. She wanted to shake Falco awake but was too afraid to touch him. She reached gently for a moment and soon noticed how small electric jolts came out from his arms; shocking her hands, when she approached closer.
Kirstein tilted his head for a moment, looking further behind Pieck to see the old Captain in the corner of the bar. Levi was also shining very brightly and his deep scarlet light was uniting with all the others as they left through the broken windows.
.
Hange had heard the loud cracking of the glass windows shattering. The old scientist was on the other side of the castle. She walked to the inner balcony and looked down to all of her friends' kids playing ball in the courtyard. The children were all cheerfully playing and enjoying their game. Hange squinted for a moment, she could almost see how the young boys and girls were all emitting a very faint glow. And the old Scout deeply doubted her eyesight at that moment; for the children, curiously enough, didn't seem to notice their own outward glow.
'Must be the light,' Hange thought, turning to look and exam the gas lanterns that illuminated the castle's courtyard in that dark night. That's when the old woman finally noticed the odd and colourful power surge happening in the far away windows. Hange tilted her head. "Huh," she let out, absolutely dumbfounded.
.
'I hope my heart doesn't give out because of this nonsense,' Levi thought as he held his chest in that moment. The old Ackermann was annoyed and secretly very disturbed. He had never felt this power before.
He looked to the high windows with eyes filled with that bright, scarlet glow. And watched as all that energy within them left violent through the broken windows and flew away through the darkness of the night sky.
The Titan power was being called back to its source, if only for that moment. Their energies flew away violently, crossing the night sky of the continent in unbelievable speed. Swirling around one another in a fast dance.
They were united with yet another light once they reached the middle of the sun-setting ocean. A bright blue and white swirling lightning coming from a source deep within the waves. The lightened colours confused themselves with the high, blue and white tides. The submerged Titan Shifter's power had been awakened, together with the others. He opened his eyes suddenly, for the first time in thirteen years.
.
The powerful light ran across the sky like a shooting star, arriving in Paradise almost immediately. It was united to the power already swirling rhythmically above the Palace of Mitras - the very centre of the island. Ymir finally had the entire power returned to her, and her beloved brother to anchor her in that intricate procedure. They both looked up to the very apex of the dome and it began to dissipate.
The forced field was pulled down from the very top, almost like a very thin curtain fading away, eventually dropping down past the Wall and further down into the earth. It was only visible to Eldians, of course, the Marleans and other foreigners could not see a thing. They could only faintly hear the sounds of a storm as the Titan energy flew across the skies and floated above the island like hovering lightning ghosts.
The Non-Eldian witnesses truly couldn't see the power of the Titans, they could barely even hear it. But one thing they could hear and feel with pure certainty and it was the trembling of the gigantic Wall as it began to be pulled apart by the Founder and the Founding Titan's united forces.
The twins freed the Titans from that concrete, crystal wall. Turning the crystal into steam, so it could faintly rise to the atmosphere; instead of breaking it apart and possibly hurt other humans or nature even more. The slow, crystalline steam would rise and condense again, raining once more and have its nutrients return to bless the paradisian soil.
They then proceeded to free the humans inside of the monsters. The Titan flesh and bones of those millions and millions of Pure Colossal Titans began to melt and steam away as well. Steaming similarly to the crystal, going back to the atmosphere to one day rain once again into the earth.
.
The power stopped as the twins ceased contact. All the light just faded away in an instant. Ymir smiled, then quickly took the opportunity to hug Ezra. She hugged her brother very tight, quickly making the power surge again and disappear as they let go, both laughing. It was a joyous time.
Azymondeus leaned down and let the small boy walk on. The toddler wobbled a little, but managed to walk on the floor, leading the family back inside the palace.
"Come on," Ezra noted, gently grasping Az's shoulder as they followed the boy. "Your plate of lettuce awaits!" the young King joked and the Ackermann only pulled his nose swiftly in response. "Argh," Ezra let out, holding his nose and Az smiled charmingly.
"That was beautiful, darling," Historia quietly commented with Ymir as they walked arm-in-arm. "You are truly my angel," she added. They smiled at each other sweetly, and Ymir then embraced her mother tightly as they walked away from the balcony.
Eren watched them leave, with a small smile; then turned to his niece, noticing a small tear on the young woman's cheek.
"Are you all right?" The uncle asked, worriedly.
"It's all perfectly fine," Sonnenblume replied while wiping the tear and recomposing herself.
She had heard so many loud, desperate cries. So many souls had been suddenly at her reach, but it was over now, and it took a moment for her head to clear. Now the last thing she wanted was to talk about it. And her uncle could see her reluctance in her facial expression.
Sonnenblume smiled dryly. "Shall we go to dinner?" She invited her dear Uncle.
"Yes, we shall," Eren concurred with a small and sweet smile, offering his arm; and the two of them walked arm-in-arm inside the palace.
Eren turned for a quick moment, to admire the stars. It was a beautiful, bright night.
-.-
The humans freed from that concrete and flesh prison were revealed to be of all ages. Men and women from all walks of life. People that were just going by, day after day, and had been suddenly surprised to be incarcerated into that curse.
Some of them were elderly, and some very young, even toddlers and small babies. Something that would deeply disturb the contemporary Paradisians as they were revealed by the steam. But that was already well known by the Fritz family. It hadn't been the first time they had used enslaved labour of the young and old. This was a practice of the Eldians and of other tribes from even before the age of Titans. It was a practice as old as anyone could remember. But it deeply stung the people of the island of Paradise; and the outside world as well. Something the King and his family were prepared to face and correctly address.
The people of the Wall were confused and clearly tired as they were freed. As it was addressed in the reports of the three military branches and all the volunteers that had been selected to prepare for their welcome. The volunteers and soldiers ushered the naked men and women carefully and very parentally as they came out from all the steam. They were all like newborn babies at that first instance; and of course, some of them were actually babies.
They were all ushered to the underground caves that the King had prepared with his Founding power. Hundreds of new underground cities that were meant to keep and protect those souls until they were able to see the sun again.
The doctors and scientists didn't know how long it would take; with Lars it had taken a couple of months. And he was the oldest cursed human of their knowledge. But they couldn't know how this curse would have affected these humans, so they knew they had to be prepared for anything and everything.
.
The aircraft flew dashingly across the skies of Paradise, as the night was falling. It hovered above the now unmade gate and swiftly landed near Carlisle's troop.
From the modern jet came out an equally dashing man, who walked imposingly towards the Eldian Commander.
"Max!" Carlisle cheered as the pilot took off his helmet, the young man had a smile plastered across his face.
He removed his gloves as they greeted each other, shaking hands. "Last time I saw you, you were a toddler!" Carlisle said cheerfully.
"That was a long time ago, sir," Maximilian replied, smiling.
Carlisle turned his head slightly, directing the pilot's eyes to the old man, seated on the small chair. Tremblay was almost falling asleep.
"I've travelled far and wide to find you, Sir Magnus," the young man said jokingly as he stood in front of the old man. He then kneeled in front of his grandfather.
"Maximilian," the old man let out. Tremblay reached up to caress the pilot's face. Thinking of the small boy he once carried in his arms. "You're a grown man now," he noted, and sighed. "How is my dearest?" Magnus asked, referring to his daughter; the young man's mother, of course.
Max stood up again, quite cheerfully. "You can ask her yourself, at dinner," he said. "Come on, Grandpa," Max added, inviting the old man - helping him to stand up.
Many marlean soldiers that had lived entrapped in that island for those past twenty-six years were planning to leave, for good, or perhaps just to pay the continent a visit - for old times' sake. But Sir Magnus Tremblay's family knew he couldn't just take the next boat. It was very possible that he might not be able to wait that long, as the old man's life was clearly fading fast. So, they decided to send his eldest grandchild to bring him home.
The old man stood up, with the help of his young boy. "At dinner? How come?" he asked, confused.
Max looked down at his wristwatch. "We'll be back in less than forty-five minutes," he reckoned.
"Huh, I didn't know these things flew so fast," the old man commented back as they walked together towards the winged vehicle.
-.-
The light had faded. The power had ceased, it was no longer coming out violently from any of the Warriors, or the Ackermann in that smaller hall, in the Castle's kitchens.
All that was left was the broken glass of the high windows, and an air of awkwardness across the group of friends.
Reiner hit his fist on the table, annoyedly. "Well, it seems they decided to take down the Wall today," he let out to the others in complaint. None of them had been informed of when it would happen, they didn't expect it would be on that month, on that year even.
"Are you okay?" Jean whispered to Pieck softly, the woman still looked very stunned.
"I completely forgot what I was talking about," she replied, joking back at him. She'd rather make light of that odd situation.
"Where's Flora?" Falco immediately asked Gabi, as he noticed the baby wasn't in her mother's arms.
"Oh," Gabi let out, still feeling confused. And the parents then left, looking for their fast-crawling child. Gabrielle turned to the side for a moment as they were walking in the next hall. She looked at him worriedly.
"It's fine, I'm fine," Falco told her, so she wouldn't worry.
They could see their four children playing cheerfully in the next room, so Gabi stopped him for a moment. "Are you really?" she asked.
"Yes," Grice insisted.
"But do you feel any different?" she also asked.
"I - I," Falco stumbled. "I don't know," he told her sincerely.
.
"Do you want to go home?" Onyankopon asked Annie in a solemn whisper, quite worried for her.
She nodded quietly, clearly still very shaken and he helped her to stand up, so they could leave the Castle.
The Ackermann said nothing, he only gestured for Kirstein not to approach. The old Captain left the kitchen, still holding his chest upsettingly. That had been quite a scary ordeal.
Reiner walked through the halls, pulled by Heidi, of course. He wasn't necessarily confused, but he had been very contemplative since it all had occurred.
She walked ahead to get their coats, so they could meet their children outside and he stopped, staying behind. Reiner looked to the side, to a knight armour that was embellishing the ancient hall. He then approached it swiftly and used the old sword to make a small cut on his forearm.
He watched as the Titan steam rose and the bloody cut slowly began to heal. Reiner was even more contemplative, unsure of what to make of it. He pulled down his jacket sleeve again and walked to meet with Heidi.
-.-
Levi walked to the next storey, ready to retrieve to his quarters as he knew all the others had already left. He was then suddenly surprised by the telephone. It rang loudly, and the Ackermann held his heart once more, after the quick scare.
It was past ten in the night, and Levi couldn't think who was being so impolite after the horrid day he had already had. He shook his head unbelievably as he walked to answer the call.
"Levi," he simply said, as he picked up the handset.
"Oh good. You're alive, I was just checking," he heard Azzy's cheerful voice on the other side of the line.
Levi's eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you tell me it would be today?" the uncle asked, sounding calm and sombre. Azzy, of course, could hear the threat in his uncle's undertones.
"What, and ruin the surprise?" Azzy joked back jovially and his uncle only rolled his eyes.
Levi immediately put the handset back down, disconnecting the call.
Azzy heard the disconnecting noise and laughed out loud. He knew his uncle was safe and sound and that's all that mattered.
He then put the handset down as well, to rest on its base.
"What happened?" Ymir asked from the bed, as she cradled Edan to sleep in her arms.
They were in the large quarters of the Princess' wing. Azzy walked away from the antechamber and into the large bedroom.
"He's fine," Az noted. "We should probably pay him a visit soon though," the nephew suggested. "After we spend some time with mum, of course," Az also added.
He sat quietly on the bed, so as to not wake Edan and caressed the boy's hair softly; and then kissed Ymir's forehead. The couple then arranged themselves in their cosy bed, sleeping with their boy in between them.
.
Down in the palace's kitchens Eren and Historia were sharing a late night tea and pie. A tradition they had maintained since their youth. They enjoyed the quietness of the spot as all the staff had gone to bed.
Their time was good as always, enjoying each other's company in sweet laughter. Talking about the twins and remembering how little they were; until the father decided to break into a more serious topic.
"You need to tell them, Historia, please," Eren said with broken eyes.
She only shook her head and looked away. "No, not yet," the mother replied quietly.
"I want us to enjoy life as long as possible," she explained sweetly.
"You know they'll do everything they can to save you and they might be able to-" Eren began to argue but Historia interrupted him.
"I don't need to be saved," she said. "I don't want to be saved, I'm at peace, Eren. I'm not afraid of dying," Historia told him sweetly.
Eren only shook his head, and reached across the table, to hold her hand. "I don't want to lose you," he told her sincerely. The man felt broken.
"You haven't lost me yet," Historia reminded him playfully. "And I'm sure we'll meet again someday," she also added, hopefully.
"So you believe in afterlife?" Eren asked, tilting his head.
Historia thought about it. "I suppose I do," she concurred. "Don't you?" she asked.
Eren shrugged. "I never gave it too much thought," he confessed, almost nonchalantly.
Historia reached closer to her dearest. She grasped his hand even tighter. "Sometimes I dream with the girls, our granddaughters," she quietly revealed.
"It's like they're calling me, inviting me to play," Historia added, looking away with a small smile.
"Well, don't go to them yet," Eren replied with small urgency.
"I know." Historia concurred, "not yet."
She shook her head slowly, "it's not time." She declared with loving eyes and leaned in for a kiss.
Eren smiled, and leaned in to kiss her passionately.
.
"I knew you would still be out here," Sonnenblume noted, as she found the young King still sitting on the cold balcony.
"I'm not sleeping until I know they are all okay," Ezra replied with a clear smile as Sonnenblume sat next to him. She leaned on his shoulder, feeling his warmth.
"I know. That's why I married you," she told him sweetly and he kissed her forehead with much love.
The two of them stayed waiting, deep into the night, until they got the confirmation that all of the new Paradisian citizens were safe.
-.-
- November, 2nd - Year 880 - The Lighthouse
Sunset
Mikasa could hear the rumble as the tides rose violently. She was there: standing in her lighthouse. High up in the tower, waiting.
The sea was unusually violent, with the rocky waves crushing briskly onto shore. But the mother was calm, she was peacefully enjoying the winds.
She finally sighted in the distance, as that unmistakable silhouette began to form and rise. She knew: there he was.
She saw her love walking back to her. Coming through the rocky waves.
Mikasa smiled.
—
End of Chapter Twenty-One: "You are free."
End of Arc III: "The Tree"
See you in the Aftermath
-C.T.