Y/N's fist smashed into Eren's jaw, causing electricity to spark out of their bodies. The yellow energy coursed around the cavern before their surroundings instantly changed and they were standing on the wall where Eldians were transformed into Titans. Eren quickly glanced around to see Eren Kruger and Grisha talking, but Y/N paid them no attention.
He socked Eren in the gut before the memory changed again. After a flash, they were standing in a forest where Eren and Annie's Titan were fighting and the corpses of Levi's old squad decorated the trees. Eren swung back, but Y/N ducked under it before punching again.
Another flash. Eren and Y/N stood beside Erwin and Levi as they discussed how to fight the Beast Titan. Y/N roared as he slammed an elbow into Eren's ribs.
Then they were in Marley surrounded by younger versions of the Warriors. Marcel held back a furious Porco so he didn't punch Reiner, but there was no one to hold Y/N back. He swung at Eren again and they teleported again.
Now they were on Wall Rose. Behind Eren, Reiner was confessing to being the Armored Titan. After Mikasa flew by and sliced his and Bertholdt's necks, lightning appeared. Y/N winced as the bright light appeared, so Eren swung at him. Y/N sidestepped it and grabbed him by the shirt before pulling him down to his level and uppercutting as hard as he could.
Eren fell on his back and by the time he opened his eyes, they were outside their old training grounds and Y/N was on top of him. Y/N screamed, "Die, you bastard!" He punched Eren's face over and over, each hit changing the scenery. "I trusted you!"Eren screamed as he tried to push Y/N off, but he wouldn't budge. "I thought you could change! I believed in you!"
After beating Eren's face into a bloody mess, Y/N stopped. He gazed at his blood-covered knuckles and let out a long, shaky exhale. While he paused, Eren jerked up and punched Y/N in the chin.
The world flashed. Then Y/N was alone. He rubbed his temple and groaned as he looked around. He was in a familiar bedroom in the middle of the night. He sighed before turning around to see Frieda knitting a doll at a desk. He walked behind her and gazed over her shoulder as she slipped a syringe inside its cotton guts.
When the door creaked, he continued watching Frieda, who spun around in shock. She whispered, "Y/N?! What are you doing?"
The door fully opened, revealing an eight year old Y/N, who responded, "S-sorry. I couldn't sleep." Frieda slightly smiled even as she noticed his eyes staring at the syringe sticking out of the doll. "What are you doing?"
Frieda hid the doll under the desk before saying, "Come here." When he did so, she hugged him and started bringing his forehead toward hers. "I'm sorry, Y/N. This has to be done..."
Meanwhile, adult Y/N kneeled beside her, whispering, "Frieda, I don't know what to do... Please help me..." At the same time Frieda touched foreheads with young Y/N, the adult one wrapped his arms around both of them. And at that moment, a powerful spark coursed through adult Y/N's head. He gasped before falling backwards. He tried to rub a sudden, throbbing headache away while wondering what happened.
Then he noticed that the child version of himself had a blank stare. Frieda blinked tears away and murmured, "Thank you. Now go back to sleep."
After Y/N watched his younger reflection leave, everything went black. The shackle on his wrist started burning his skin as a deep voice called out, "You're finally here."
Y/N gasped, "What?"
"I've been waiting so long for you to awaken your true power."
Y/N stood up in the vast void, trying to ignore the searing pain on his wrist. "Who are you?!"
"I'm the reason you were born."
The hairs on the back of Y/N's neck stood up. He turned around to see a man with a thick, graying beard and dark eyes. Y/N muttuered, "What do you mean?"
The man walked closer until he was towering over Y/N and explained, "I am the true King of Eldia. The perfect combination of Titan powers. I am your ancestor: King Fallon."
"From the story Zeke showed me..." Y/N gulped as he said, "You're the son who took the special Titan serum and the Attack Titan. The one who was defeated by Leif Ackerman..."
"Don't speak that man's name," snarled the king.
"So it was all true?"
King Fallon nodded. "How ironic that the only way to bring me back was to combine the two bloodlines that had forsaken me."
Y/N shook his head and asked, "Why are you here and what do you want from me?"
Fallon chuckled before saying, "I'm here to finish what I started: I'm going to take over the world." Y/N's eyes widened. "However, this Eren Jaeger is in my way. So what I want from you is to take care fo him."
"No! I won't let anyone take over or destroy the world!"
Fallon tilted his head. "Don't worry, you'll get your fair share of accolades for playing your part."
"I don't want your accolades! Let me out of here!"
"But you're the one who brought youself here."
"Huh?"
"When you touched your sister and your past self, it acitvaited a temporary connection between us and erased the memory of your past self."
Y/N's jaw dropped. "How?"
"With this," said Fallon, raising his arm to reveal an identical, disintegrating shackle. Y/N also noticed slight burn marks. "I've always felt your presence, and ever since you obtained the Jaw Titan, I've been connected to you through this chain. I've tried reaching you many times, but it only worked now. I assume it had something to do with Frieda being there. Erasing your own memories, that was my power you used."
Fallon continued, "Unfortunately, this is only temporary. But once you have control of the Founder, I'll be free again." A wicked grin appeared on his face. "After all these years... The world will once again know my power."
Y/N grit his teeth and said, "I don't care. I won't let you. I'll kill Eren and myself, and then you'll never be connected to this world again."
Fallon smirked. "You sure about that? Because our connection is going to end soon and you have to use my power to save yourself."
"Save... myself?"
Fallon busted out into hearty laughter. "You need my power to override the Founder." Y/N gasped. "What? Did you think this chain was disappearing all on its own? You know, talking with you is getting tiring. And if you try to go against me, who knows? I might just stop erasing the chain."
Y/N glared at the king. "Bastard..."
"Now, if you want to live long enough for me to actually erase our shackles, you better save yourself." Fallon pat Y/N on the shoulder as the void began to fade. "And remember: My powers include that of the Attack Titan, so you're able to directly interact with Attack Titans and yourself from the past, since you've always been a part of me."
"What are you talking about?"
"You'll see soon enough."
~~~~~~~~~~
Y/N blinked and he was in the cavern again. He spun around as he heard the Attack Titan's roar, followed by Urklyn's last words. But when Y/N's eyes landed on himself, he wasn't moving. In fact, ten year old Y/N was on the floor, trembling and unable to move. Grisha turned to him with a glare and raised his monstrous foot.
"You better save yourself."
Right before Y/N would've died, someone sprinted between the Titan's legs, scooped him up, and rolled out of the way of the kick. Child Y/N cried, "Wh-who are you?!"
Holding his younger self, adult Y/N sprinted towards the ladder where Rod had already escaped without answering. Grisha stomped towards Y/N before diving at him. Y/N slid to the side, barely dodging the attack. Then he got up and ran to the ladder again. He reached it while Grisha was still getting up. He held his younger self towards the ladder, but the child hesitated.
Y/N snapped, "Cimb, dammit!" The boy yelped before following orders and hurrying up the ladder.
Y/N turned to see the Attack Titan furiously charging at him. Grisha reeled back to punch him, while Y/N took a deep breath. Grisha launched his fist forward, but Y/N simply held his hand out, causing his palm to touch the massive knuckle.
While Y/N's eyes were closed, he saw hundreds of memories that didn't belong to him. Grisha's Titan froze as Y/N focused on certain memories: Faye's death, Zeke's betrayal, Kruger's mission, and Grisha's own bloody massacre. Once Y/N opened his eyes, the Attack Titan lurched backwards and pulled at its own face while screaming in pain.
Y/N tilted his head up to see his younger self reach the trapdoor, so he followed. Once inside the chapel, he saw himself cowering in the center. Y/N walked by him to one of the seats and grabbed Frieda's doll. He grabbed himself and pushed the doll into his hands saying, "Take it."
The front door slightly opened revealing Rod's head. His eyes couldn't see the adult version of the boy, so he shouted, "Hurry! Before he comes up!" But then the ground shook. As Rod turned and ran, Y/N grabbed his child self and tried to dive out of the way.
The chapel exploded as the roaring Attack Titan broke through the ground. While the monster groaned and fell to its knees, two Y/Ns crawled out of the rubble. The older one helped the younger stand before grabbing him by the shoulders. He started, "Listen to me. Keep this doll with you at all times..." He hesitated. "You'll... remember what's in the doll when you most need it, I promise. But listen, listen. You want revenge, right?"
Young Y/N sniffled. The adult continued, "That man killed everyone you ever loved. You will get revenge." Y/N's face contorted with anger as he leaned closer towards his younger, terrified face. "Eren Jaeger. That's the name of the man you will kill. No matter what it takes to get the power you need to defeat him. Even if you have to kill someone you love, you will do it. Eren will regret what he did for the last moments of his pitiful life. You and I will make sure of that, okay?"
"I... I..."
Y/N sighed, "Alright, I just need you to remember one thing for now." He leaned down and ran his finger through the wet dirt until it said a name. "Ymir. Remember that name. Without her, none of this will be possible." He gulped before looking himself in the eyes again. "Now, I'm going to alter your memory..."
Young Y/N mumbled, "No... No, please don't..."
Y/N ignored him and brought their foreheads together before a spark transferred between their brains. When the adult let go, the child's eyes went blank before he fell over and threw up. Then he passed out.
Y/N turned around as he heard footsteps and panting. Grisha walked towards him before suddenly screaming, "I killed them!" He stared at his hands as he stumbled in circles. "Even the little kids! With my own hands!" He dug fingers through his hair as he hyperventilated. He fell to his knees and cried, "Eren! I killed the Reiss family!" He stared at the sky with tear-filled eyes. "All but the father and Y/N! Are you happy now?! Is this what you wanted?! Will Eldia really be saved because of this?!" Then he gave up and lowered his head. He mumbled, "Why won't you show me everything? The wall being destroyed... The day it happens... If Carla is safe... Was this really the only way?" He paused. "You're there, aren't you, Y/N?"
Y/N stared at him with a mixture of pity and shock as he continued, "From here on, things won't go your way. Only Eren will get what he wants."
Y/N's heart dropped as he mumbled, "What? You can't know that..."
"I saw Eren's memories of what comes next," said Grisha, raising his head. "But I never imagined it would be so terrible." When his eyes locked on Y/N's he gasped. "Y/N... Please tell me. You met Zeke, didn't you?"
"Y-yes."
"All I wish is that I could've told him... I'm so sorry for being a terrible father... The things I put him through were so cruel. And in the end, he got killed because of it all." Tears poured down Grisha's face as he cried, "If only I had spent more time with him..." After a minute, he mumbled, "Y/N... You're the only one left who can do it... Please, stop Eren." Y/N gasped as he noticed a shadowy figure behind Grisha: Eren.
Everything went dark for a moment before Y/N and Eren were in the Paths again. Eren, held down by two chains, said, "We still haven't seen the part where I eat him."
Y/N grimaced before saying, "It was all you... It was always you. Grisha said you showed him something in the future. What was it?"
"I'm grateful, Y/N. This was only possible because you brought me into my dad's memories."
"He said things wouldn't go my way—that only you would get what you want."
"Yeah. I saw it four years ago: I saw my own future through my dad's memories. What a sight it was."
"So you're just following what you already saw? Like a slave?" Eren glared at Y/N, who raised his arm to show that the shackle was completely gone. With a hardened expression, he said, "You're not the only one with power here... Founder Ymir, take control of Falco's Titan and have him eath both me and Eren."
Ymir wordlessly turned and walked towards the glowing tree, where Falco's unconscious body had suddenly appeared. Eren turned with wide eyes, growling, "The Coordinate! What are you doing?!" He glared at Y/N. "There's no time for any Titans to move! We'll die before then!"
"Grisha told me, 'Please, stop Eren.' Even he regretted listening to you." He calmly took a step to be side-by-side with Eren as he explained, "My last order to Falco's Titan was to get ready to eat me. Did you really think I came here without a backup plan?" He tilted his head to meet Eren's rage-filled gaze. "By now, he should be mere inches away from me, and in turn, your head as well. One bite and both of us are dead."
Eren pulled against his chains, snarling, "But we'll lose! We won't have a Titan of royal blood anymore and Paradis will be open for attack! Everyone will die!"
"Erwin's Titan has features eerily similar to my own, and I don't just mean the sharp claws and face covering. He instantly knew how to best use the Beast's throwing techniques on his first transformation. Who's the only other person you've seen control a Titan so quickly?" After a pause, Y/N answered, "Me."
Eren growled as he pulled against the chains. Blood spilled down his shaking hands. Y/N continued, "It's possible that Erwin and Falco will have a bit of royal blood in them, since they transformed with my spinal fluid, meaning the Founding Titan will still be accessible." Eren screamed as his body slowly leaned forward. "After everything I've seen here, I realize that neither of us can save the world. It's time to pass that dream on to someone better suited."
While Eren let out an animalistic roar, Y/N sighed, "There's no point. I control the Founder. You're powerless here." Eren continued his deafening scream until he ripped his own thumbs off by pulling so hard. He slipped out of the chains and fell down before standing and darting towards Ymir.
Y/N was frozen for a second before he started running too. He shouted, "You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Eren was almost there, but Y/N was catching up. "Don't try it Eren! Once she starts moving, no one can stop her!" Eren dove at Ymir and grabbed her, while Y/N did the same to Eren.
~~~~~~~~~~
Ymir walked through her village carrying a bucket. She reached a well and used the bucket to collect water. As she did this, a couple children and a friendly old lady watched. But after a while the old lady pointed at something on the horizon. Several spears were poking out overtop a hill. After a minute, the spears reached the top, revealing the cavalry soldiers holding them.
The village was burned and ransacked in no time at all. They pillaged goods, killed the oldest and youngest, and captured everyone else. Ymir walked in a line connected by ropes around their necks and wrists. She stepped over the corpse of the old lady she was talking with moments ago. Then the line stopped. One by one, Ymir watched as her fellow villagers had their tongues cut out before she too was shoved towards the man doing the brutal deed.
Flaming ash turned to flower petals as the seasons and scenery changed. Now Ymir was working as a slave in the home of the soldiers that kidnapped her. Sometimes she would stop to watch happy crowds or even the occasional marriage ceremony before being harshly reminded to get back to work.
But one day, King Fritz gathered all the slaves before his throne. He said, "One of you let a pig escape." A warrior flaunted an axe beside him. "If nobody fesses up, every one of you loses an eye. Slaves have no need for two." After a few seconds of thinking, every hand in the group pointed at Ymir. Fritz asked, "You're the one who let it escape?"
As she kneeled before him, she looked around at the others. They were once villagers together. She still recognized some of their faces from a more peaceful time, yet every single one of them pointed at her without hesitation. Without a voice or friends, Ymir simply bowed lower. Fritz said, "Very well. You are 'free.'"
Later, Ymir was limping through a thick forest as fast as she could. Blood covered her face and an arrow stuck out of her shoulder. She heard the clopping of hooves and drawing of a bow before a sharp arrow stabber her calf. She collapsed and rolled down a small hill into some bushes. The hooves stopped, but the growling of a dog got closer as she cried on the ground. She picked her head up and saw a white lily with blood splattered over one of its nine petals. Tears fell down one side of her face.
She looked past the flower and saw a massive tree with a large opening at the base of its trunk. She stood and stared at it. At the sound of a horse whinny, she gasped and turned around. She looked over a bush and saw the heads of her hunters, so she walked into the hole in the tree.
Once inside, she heard water dripping. It was dark, so she didn't see the ledge as she walked right off it. She fell far underground before splashing into a body of water. Unmoving, she sank to the bottom. Bubbles escaped her open mouth as she flailed her head around. But then, seconds after her body went limp, a long, glowing parasitic creature swam towards her. It's legs connected to her spine and her body started glowing.
The tree exploded into a divine pilalr of light. The soldiers stared in awe as a massive creature appeared and roared. It had a skull for a face, its ribs poked out of its sides, and its body was covered in undetailed skin.
"You've done well, my slave, Ymir," said King Fritz, now wearing more expensive clothing. Ymir continued being a slave after becoming a Titan. She didn't even regenerate her tongue. "You've built roads, cultivated the wilds, and bridged mountains. My tribe, Eldia, has grown quite large." Ymir bowed her head as she remembered all the armies she'd wiped out in the last years. Fritz continued, "As a reward, I shall give you my seed. In the name of Fritz, annhilate the vile people of Marley!"
Nearly a year after massacreing the Marleyan army and enslaving their people, Ymir gave birth to a baby girl. Mere days after labor, she returned to the battlefield to wipe thousands of people from existence. Years later, she had two more girls, and all the while, Eldia developed their conquered land with advanced structures the world had never seen before.
One day, Ymir was walking to a grand temple with her three daughters. As she walked by the huge army, she stared at King Fritz, who was surrounded by girls and smiling a wider grin than she'd ever seen. After some time, Fritz started addressing a small group of new soldiers while Ymir and her daughters stood silently and obediently by the throne.
But one of the soldiers suddenly grabbed a spear that was hidden in the dirt and stood up, pointing his weapon at Fritz. The man hurled the spear a fraction of a second before being imapled three times at once. But the spear didn't hit Fritz. Ymir dove in front of him and now the spear was halfway throug her chest. Blood puddled around her while Frizt stared in shock. Eventually, he scoffed, "What are you doing? Get up." Her daughters kneeled besider her body. "I know you won't die from a mere spear, my slave, Ymir." But Ymir gave up and closed her eyes.
When she awoke, she was in her child body and alone in a vast desert of blue sand. She could hear the faded voice of King Fritz demand, "Feast, my daughters! Whatever it takes, Ymir's power must be carried on!"
After chopping up Ymir's body, Fritz had her remains placed on a table in front of his three children. As they struggled to eat their mother, Fritz put his arms around them, ordering, "Eat every last piece of Ymir's body, Maria... Rose... and Sina!"
After the voice disppeared, Ymir gasped as she felt a presence behind her. She turned to gaze at a glowing pillar of light with three branches.
The three duaghters stood by Fritz's deathbed as he said, "My daughters... Bear children and multiply. Ymir's blood must be passed on. If my daughters die, feed their spines to my grandchildren. If they die, feed their spines from child to child!"
After some time, the three branches had branches of their own until their were hundreds and thousands. Whenever her powers were called upon, she would roam the desert and create a Titan from sand. Even the thousand Colossal Titans in the wall were made by her. For 2,000 years, she remained a slave to Fritz's will. His voice constantly rang through her head: "Even after I pass, Eldia will dominate the land with its monstrosities, and our Titans will remain supreme for eternity! Until the world's end! For etern—"
~~~~~~~~~~
"I'll end it!" screamed Eren. Eren's arms were wrapped around Ymir and Y/N was being held just out of reach by a single chain connected to his wrist that had suddenly reappeared. "I'll put an end to this world! Give me your strength! You're not a slave! You're not a god! You're just a person! You don't have to bow to anyone! You can decide! It's your choice! You get to choose! Do you wanna stay here for eternity or should I end this?!"
Y/N pulled against the chain with all his might, screaming, "He's trying to manipulate you, Ymir! Don't listen to it! It was war and violence that started all this to begin with! Is that really how you want to end it too?!"
Eren whispered, "Were you the one who led me here?"
"Falco! Save Falco!" Y/N's wild eyes landed on Falco's body for a second before he tore his teeth into the side of his hand.
"You've been waiting this whole time."
Y/N ripped flesh off his hand, but it wasn't enough to slip out of the shackle. "Ymir don't do it! Don't destroy the world!"
"For 2,000 years... For someone."
Y/N felt something pop and he started getting loose from the chain. His fingers inched closer Eren's back. But it was too late. Ymir grit her teeth and tears welled up in her eyes. A powerful energy surged over Y/N's body before several chains came out of the ground and yanked him back. He closed his eyes and writhed in pain as each chain caused a burning sensation.
~~~~~~~~~~
When he opened them, he was in the otuside world again. The unnatural parasite from Ymir's memories sprouted out of Eren's neck and connected to his severed head. Eren's eyes suddenly moved in Y/N's direction. Falco's Titan was about to crunch and kill both of them, but lightning knocked it back.
A pillar of light shot up past the clouds as the ground shook. Then the wall started cracking. As it crumbled, angry Titan eyes appeared from underneath.
Mikasa was closing in on Pieck's nape when the wall started to fall below her. Magath and Floch fell along with the rubble, while Mikasa tried to back away. Pieck's head nervously shifted back and forth as her footing gave out.
Connie almost dropped Annie as he stood on a rooftop watching the walls fall. Gabi opened her eyes seconds after thinking she had killed Eren. She watched with horror as Wall Maria entirely collapsed. A line of emotionless Colossal Titans stood in waiting. Her eyes moved from that to a giant spine forming from the area where Eren and Y/N were before being swallowed by light. A skull appeared at the end of the spine, then flicked back and forth with glowing green eyes and a deafening roar. Electricity coursed over it as its rib cage grew out and encased Falco's collapsed Titan.
Reiner pushed against Jean's Titan with all his might as he noticed that Gabi was sitting under falling debris. But he all he could do was reach out and scream, "Gabi!"
Gabi covered her head and shut her eyes but instead of being crushed by rock, she felt two strong arms wrap around her. When she opened her eyes, she was swinging above the ground. She turned her head to see the man holding her and mumbled, "Ackerman...?" Levi silently manuevered around the falling debris and back to the house where Erwin was.
Armin gasped when he saw the wall crumbling behind him. He looked down at himself, seeing the dozens of holes in his Titan body. Then he glanced at the tanks again. The general screamed, "We've got 'em on the ropes! Everyone, fire now!" Armin put his arms up before exploding into a cloud of steam. "Don't let the steam fool you! He's scared!"
The tanks fired in unison. Moments later, the Colossal Titan collapsed and began to dissipate. The general pumped his fists and shouted, "We did it! We killed the Colossal!" Soldiers across the frontline cheered and some cried tears of joy.
But it all stopped when the steam cloud faded. The single Colossal Titan may have fallen, but now there were hundreds, maybe even thousands more turning towards them. And in the center of it all was a behemoth of a skeleton. The general mumbled, "Wh-what the...?"
Armin flew over a Colossal Titan with his ODM gear. He stared at the massive skeleton in shock, muttering, "Y/N couldn't do it..."
Mikasa nearly fell over as she landed on a roof. She stared with a slack jaw at the Colossal Titans as they started their trek to the ocean. Once her eyes landed on the massive, moving skeleton, she whispered, "What is that? It's enormous... It looked like it appeared from where Eren was. That's..."
Mikasa gasped as someone landed next to her. She turned to see Connie with a limbless Annie under his arm and shock on his face. He muttered, "Did we... Did we win?"
Mikasa saw Connie's mouth move, but with all the rumbling of the footsteps and crumbling wall, she didn't hear a thing. "Speak up!"
"Did we win?!"
"Huh?!"
Annie snapped, "Of course you won! Eren's gonna wipe out the world!"
Connie and Mikasa looked down at her. Then, in unison: "Huh?!"
Annie rolled her eyes. "Eren's started the rumbling! He's going to crush the Anti-Paradis Alliance!"
This, they heard. Mikasa mumbled, "Eren was on our side after all?"
Meanwhile, Connie questioned, "Wait, so was Hange wrong?! Is Eren actually our ally or not?!" He leaned closer to Mikasa. "Hey, where is Hange?! Or Levi, or Premier Erwin, or Y/N?!" When Mikasa didn't answer, Connie anxiously looked around. Then he saw it. "Hey, Mikasa!" Mikasa followed his gaze with furrowed eyebrows. Connie pointed and uttered, "Wall Maria... has come down! That... that wasn't part of the plan, was it?!"
Annie let out a short, pitiful laugh, causing the other two to look her way. "Don't you see? It's all over... He's not just crushing the alliance. There's no hope anymore! Because... he's going to—" Annie stopped when the three of them suddenly appeared in a blue desert.
"Hear me, Subjects of Ymir," said Eren's voice from inside their heads.
They flashed back to the real world, where Mikasa gasped, "I heard Eren's voice!" But then another flash and they were in the other dimension again.
"My name is Eren Jaeger." Levi was kneeling with a hand on Gabi's shoulder as Erwin regenerated beside them. "I'm using the Founding Titan's power to address all Subjects of Ymir." Reiner was frozen in a position as if he was pushing something off him. "I've undone the hardening of Paradis Island's walls and the Titans buried within have begun their march." Pieck stared at the pillar of light in awe. "My goal is to protect the people of Paradis Island—the place I was born." Floch was on one knee with blood that was trickling down his face now frozen. "However, the world wants to exterminate my people—and not just on the island." Every single Eldian, even the ones outside of Paradis were scattered across the vast desert. "They will not stop until every last Subject of Ymir is dead." Historia, Marlowe, and Hitch sat together, staring at the starry sky. "I refuse to let them." Armin was staring forward with wide eyes as he realized what his childhood friend was about to do. "The Wall Titans will trample every inch of the world beyond this island until every last life beyond our shores is wiped out."
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I'll be publishing weekly again starting next month.