Ymir's Legacy

Ch. 40; Demise

Armin began to shout, "EREN! PLEASE LISTEN! STOP NOW! NO ONE WILL TOUCH PARADIS FOR CENTURIES AFTER THIS! YOU'VE SHOWN ENOUGH TERROR AND DESTRUCTION! WE CAN SIGN A NEUTRALITY PACT WITH THIS! NO ONE HAS TO DIE ANYMORE! THE ISLAND IS SAFE!", he shouted into the seemingly empty realm. The others watched him, hoping his words would be enough to stop him, but Armin wasn't finished until he got a response, "WE'RE AT FAULT HERE! WE DROVE EREN TO THIS END!". Jean clenched his teeth, "EREN! PLEASE LEAVE THE REST TO US! PLEASE DON'T MURDER FOR OUR SAKE!", he shouted with sweat of desperation dripping down his face. Aila's eyes filled with tears, "EREN! I HATED YOU WHEN YOU SAID YOU HATED MIKASA! BUT YOU DIDN'T MEAN IT DID YOU! BUT I ONLY THOUGHT OF WHAT WE WERE FEELING!", she openly admitted as she clenched her fists. Mikasa, didn't shout, but she made sure he heard her, "Eren I... want to share your burden. I committed the same crimes as you, so.. please stop ignoring us... please.. come back" "Yeah Eren... I'll only kick your ass if you don't stop now", Levi said, surprising everyone. Ymir kicked a bit of the sand before her, "Hey.. say something!", but even with all their shouts and pleads, there was no response. Then, suddenly Armin turned around, "EREN?!", he shouted, feeling his presence, "I can't stop the rumbling, I can't gamble Paradis's future, I'm going to keep moving forwards", Eren finally replied. Armin and the others stood in shock, Levi then pointed over to a glowing tree with branches spreading about the sky, "There", he said. Everyone but Levi, Pieck, Ymir and Nanaba began to run towards him, "EREN!", Mikasa shouted as they ran. But as they got closer to him, they realized it was Eren when he was a child, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T?! YOU DON'T TRUST US!?", Jean shouted, "WHY DID YOU LET US USE OUR TITANS?!", Aila followed suit. Armin insisted that they could talk there, "TELL US! WE WERE ALWAYS TOGETHER! I DON'T WANT TO BE FURTHER APART! EREN?!", he shouted one last time, but Eren replied this time, "I took the world's freedom... to achieve my own. But I won't steal yours, you are free. Your freedom to save the world.. my freedom to keep moving forward", they all stopped running as they approached him, seeing another girl stand next to him. "If neither steps down... we would collide.. there is only one option, to fight", they all stood before him, shock and confusion filled their eyes.

But even with his words, Armin slowly walked towards him, "No... so.. why... why did you bring us here?" "To tell you, that there is no need to talk. The only way to stop me, is by ending my life.. you are free to do so", with Eren's response, they were suddenly ejected back into the real world. Aila however, stayed behind, "Huh? Where did everyone go" "They were sent back to the real world", a voice said from behind her. She spun around and saw Ymir before her, all grown up and with eyes that had light, "Aila, my descendant, I cannot tell you why Eren is choosing to do all of this, however, I will tell you one thing", Ymir said as she snapped her fingers, taking her and Aila to a memory of Aila, Mikasa, Armin, and Eren as children. They were out in the field near the wall, reading a book on the outside world, "Ah, you were all such wonderful children. If I had been there with my daughters at the time, I would've loved for all of you to become friends" "You took me to this memory... why?", Aila asked, confused as to why they were there. Ymir pointed to Mikasa, showing how she was always with him, being the best older sister she could for him, "Yeah, his sister, my friend Mikasa, what about her" "She is the key, to everything, protect her with your life if you have to, that is what the guard titan is for to begin with", Ymir said as she embraced Aila. She backed away and looked at her in the eyes, "And Aila, I will always be there for you, along with the rest of your family", she said as she continued to back away. But as she did, members of Aila's family dating all the way back to Ymir's secret daughter appeared, smiling at her, and saluting her. They all began to fade away with her surroundings, she knew she was returning, but before she faded completely, her parents were the last thing she saw standing in front of her. Suddenly, she jerked awake, gasping as she opened her eyes to see the roof of the plane, "Ail! Oh thank god you're ok, what happened?", Sasha frantically asked as she knelt down next to her. Aila slowly sat up, and looked around her, at Mikasa, "Nothing... Ymir and I just.. needed to talk", she lied. Even though Ymir didn't say anything about keeping it to herself, she felt it was right. Onyonkapon began to shout however, "Guys! We're here!", Aila stood up and looked out the window, seeing that they were now at fort Slava, where the remaining survivors of Marley stood in crowds, watching as death closed in on them.