TEN YEARS, The Kenny Ackerman Story BOOK TWO~ FUTURES, by Melly O'Hara

POWER

CHAPTER 16 POWER

It was only much later that I'd discovered the truth of what happened that night in the underground Cavern of Rod's rebuilt Chapel.
And that Chapel....That was exactly what gave the Survey Corp the clue they needed: The fact that the destroyed Chapel had been rebuilt, after Eren's father had demolished it, the night he had killed all but one member of the Reiss Family.
The questions of who had rebuilt the Chapel and why, led them to believe that it must have been Rod. That, if a refugee from Wall Rose could be the true Queen, then maybe the dead could come to life and Rod Reiss survived. Of course they were right.

It was Hange who supposed that the Chapel was the most obvious place to take Eren and Historia, assuming that Rod lived. His most obvious plan would be for Historia to turn into a Titan and retake the Founding Titan from Eren; righting the wrong that Eren's father had committed, when he'd stolen it from Queen Frieda, that night. Consuming her and destroying the Reiss family line.

As a precaution, Kenny had organised the remaining thirty-six members of his Anti Personnel Control Squad into position, guarding the underground entrance and stairwell that led from the trapdoor hidden in the floor of the Chapel, into the Cavern; while he approached the the open presbytery. There stood Rod and Historia, looking up at the altar that contained Eren, his mouth gagged with a wire bit between his teeth, his arms outstretched, bound by chains that were attached to the Cavern walls. He sat kneeling, his feet held in iron stocks, as he gazed in bewilderment at his surroundings.

The blue glow of the enormous, crystalline Cavern awoke within Eren, a memory, although he was sure he hadn't been there before. His green eyes widened as Rod and Historia approached him, climbing the smooth, spiral staircase that led up to his altar. Struggling hard against the thick iron of his restraints, his slim, muscular torso writhing in his futile effort to escape, before they reached the top. Rod watching his fear and confusion with understanding.

"No. You haven't been here before. But let's just try a little experiment, shall we?" he murmured to himself.

And taking Historia's hand he placed both their palms on Eren's back. Immediately the past flooded Eren's mind; exploding with memories that weren't his. His father; a Titan. Devouring Frieda from the nape of the Founding Titan she'd transformed into. Murdering the Reiss family. Injecting Eren with a blue serum. Eren becoming a titan, consuming his father and inheriting the stolen Founding Titan.

At the same time, Historia's lost memories of the visits from her sister Frieda, returned. The beautiful young girl, with shining dark hair, that had taught her to read, that had been the mother, her mother should have been.

Rod explained that Historia had remembered her sister, Queen Frieda. And that her lack of memory was because Frieda had erased her memories at the end of each visit, as she left; in order to keep Historia safe. And Rod explained Eren's memories to them both. How Eren's father had stolen the very thing that would have kept Paradise safe, from Historia's beloved sister, with her murder.

Interrupting them, Kenny announced that there had been a Coup, and that Military could now no longer be counted on, as it had switched sides; supporting the Scouts. Telling Rod to move it along and start the Ceremony. Begging for just a little more time with his daughter, Rod sent Kenny to check on his Squad, ensuring that they were prepared for a battle, should they be interrupted.

Leaving, Kenny muttered," Sure. Sure. I trust ya".

Once out of Rod's sight, Kenny silently used his ODM gear to transport him onto one of the small platforms that lined the great, glowing columns that surrounded the entire Cavern; giving it the appearance of an enormous diamond cave, the hardened columns appearing as giant stalactites.