AUTHOR'S POV:
It was night time when the scouts arrived at Paradise.
They arrived at the port which was already lighted by the Yeagerists.
One by one, all of them hopped off the Beast-Jaw titan.
"We are home!" Faye exclaimed, inhaling the air of Paradise, eyes closed.
"What a exhausting day." Connie said and fell to his knees.
"Yeah... I am hungry now." Jean said.
Falco got out of his titan's nape.
"Guys, we have to walk- oh look, a cart is over there!" Hange exclaimed, pointing at a cart.
"Huh?" Jean said, looking at the Cart. "Did the Yeagerists do that for us?"
"I guess so." Faye said.
"Let's go to Niccolo's restaurant." Connie said, standing up.
Suddenly, a figure appeared behind them.
All of them felt their presence and turned around.
Upon seeing him, they gasped.
"Eren?" Reiner said with wide eyes.
"How did you... Get here?" Connie asked with wide eyes.
"Stay back, guys!" Jean said, holding out his hand.
Reiner and Pieck quickly brought their hand towards their mouth while Falco froze in shock.
Hange stepped forward. "Stop! stop! Let's hear him out first!" She turned to Eren. "Eren?"
"I don't know if I should be happy that Eren is still alive or angry for what he did." Jean said.
"Same..." Connie said with furrowed eyebrows. "Eren, why did you do that?!"
"Did you guys really think that I was going to destroy the world?" Eren calmly asked.
All of them except, Levi, Hange, Armin, Faye and Mikasa's eyes widened.
"What do you mean?" Connie asked.
"Didn't you say it youself that you'll trample all the surface of land outside of Paradise?" Pieck asked.
"Yeah. I did. But that was just a threat." Eren said.
"Threat?" Reiner asked, confused.
"More likely, a gamble." Eren said.
"A gamble? What are trying to say, Eren?" Jean asked.
"As I said earlier, I am the same as you." Eren said and Reiner's eyes widened. "I would let the Wall titans kill everyone outside of Paradise If it was necessary. But, it wasn't." He turned to Pieck and Reiner. "As you were 'saving the world' nine years ago..." Reiner, Pieck and Falco looked down. "I were saving Paradise."
"By killing everyone outside of Paradise in Rumbling?" Jean said with furrowed eyebrows.
"Well, that wasn't even Rumbling." Eren said and his eyes began to glow. "This is Rumbling."
Suddenly, their surroundings changed to Hizuru where thousands of Wall titans were crushing people.
The group just stood in the middle with wide eyes while people were running through them in panic.
Some of the people got crushed behind them.
"Eren..." Armin trailed off, looking around with a frightened expression.
"This is... Hell." Connie exclaimed.
Suddenly, a giant foot crushed some people beside them.
"Eren? What is this?" Faye asked.
"This is what Founder Eren did in his universe." Eren replied.
"All these people..." Hange trailed off, looking at red strain on the ground.
"Did that brat-" Levi said.
"Stop it! Please!" Falco pleaded with teary eyes, holding his head.
Suddenly, their surroundings changed to a beautiful garden of Campanula flowers.
The group fell to their knees, breathing heavily.
Falco vomited in the distance.
.
"That was the... Rumbling?" Pieck asked, still frightened. "But, it didn't happen. Does that mean it's just a fake reality created by the Founding Titan?"
All of them looked at Eren hopefully.
"No. That really did happen in Founder Eren's universe." Eren said. "He crushed 60% of people outside of world."
Their jaw dropped.
"60%?!" Hange exclaimed with wide eyes.
"But, why?" Faye asked, still horrified.
Eren looked away. "To save Paradise from everyone. It's not like he had a choice."
"What do you mean he didn't have a choice?" Jean asked. "Wasn't there any other ways?"
"And what is 'universe'?" Pieck asked, standing up.
"Well, we live in a multiverse which consists of unlimited worlds like ours." Eren explained, turning to them. "Universes are similar yet different from one another."
"Really? That's interesting." Hange said with a wide smile.
"Yeah. It's also confusing." Eren said. "Founder Eren is from a universe where in Rumbling, 80% of world population died. After his death, he teleported here and replaced Ymir Fritz and became the Founder."
"Did he died when Armin transformed?" Faye asked.
"No. After Armin's transformation, Founder Eren transformed as a Collosal Titan and fought with Armin." Eren said.
The group gasped.
"Then how did he die?" Mikasa asked, a bit sad.
Eren looked down. "Captain Levi launched a thunder spear at his Collosal Titan's exposed teeth. And then... Mikasa went inside his mouth and... decapitated him."
The group's jaw dropped.
Tears started to roll down Mikasa's face and she chocked on a breath.
"Did she... really?" Faye asked with disbelief.
"I refuse to believe it." Jean declared.
"Yeah. Me too. I mean, we are talking about Mikasa here." Connie said. "How could she kill Founder Eren?"
"Eren? Is that really true?" Hange asked with wide eyes, looking at him.
Eren looked away. "Unfortunately, yes."
They gasped.
"But why? Why her?" Levi asked with sadness.
"It was just destiny. His Mikasa was chosen by the Founder Ymir Fritz herself. Mikasa's choice of killing the Founder Eren was what freed Ymir and made his world free of titan powers." Eren explained. "But, Founder Eren's promise to his Mikasa was what brought him here."
"What promise?" Pieck asked with a sad expression.
"Before his death, Founder Eren showed Mikasa a vision where the two of them ran away, abandoning everything behind." Eren said. "Founder Eren wanted her to forget him but, Mikasa just could never. So, Foudner Eren promised her that he would come back to wrap her scarf around her. That promise."
"Did he... fulfilled his promise, Mr. Yeager?" Falco asked with sadness.
"Eren looked down. "Unfortunately, no..."
The group sighed in irritation and tears kept rolling down Mikasa's face as she couldn't even imagine her another version's pain.
Eren slowly approached her and wiped her tears. After that, he embraced her in a tight hug and felt her melting in his arms.
"I will never leave you, Mikasa." Eren whispered in her hair. "I promise you that I will always be by your side even after my death."
The group smiled at them.
After a moment, both of them pulled away and turned to others.
"We should be grateful that we are not a part of his universe." Connie said after a moment of silence.
"What are the similarity and difference?" Hange ask with a wide smile.
"That's for another day." Eren said and turned to others. "This small Rumbling was what made you guys friends. That's what I wanted. Forgetting past conflicts, you guys worked together and stopped me."
"Yeah... But we almost died too." Jean said with a frown.
"No, I wouldn't have let you guys die anyways." Eren said and looked down. "I know I have done horrible things which cannot be forgiven. But, I had no choices." He looked away. "Four years ago, Founder Eren showed me the future."
The group gasped except for Faye, Armin, Hange, Mikasa and Levi.
"The future?" Jean exclaimed with wide eyes.
"So, that's why you were so certain about your victory." Pieck said.
"Yeah. Also, you guys would have done the same after seeing the future." Eren said. "So, I am not saying to forgive me. I am saying that, let's leave the hatred behind."
Pieck and Reiner nodded.
"You don't have to apologize, Eren." Reiner said. "All of these started after we breached the wall."
"Yeah. So, basically, we led you to this path, Eren." Pieck said. "You could have destroyed our hometown but you didn't. So, thanks Eren." She smiled.
"Falco?" Eren called out.
"I understand, Mr. Yeager." Falco said with a smile. "You have suffered much."
"We forgive you too, Eren." Connie said. "Afterall, you did that for our sake."
"Same for me, blockhead." Jean said.
"Well, we had faith on your from the beginning. So, we weren't mad at you." Faye said with a smile.
"Mikasa?" Eren called out.
Mikasa smiled. "Well, I knew you were lying anyway. So, I was not even mad at you."
"I am sorry, Mikasa." Eren said, looking down.
"Wait, didn't Mikasa at Niccolo's restaurant say that she already has confessed her love to Eren?" Faye asked.
Mikasa hid her blushing face in her scarf while Eren just smiled.
"Yeah. She did." Armin said with a smile.
"So, when did that happen?" Connie asked with a smirk.
"Well, at Marley." Eren replied with a smile. "Just a few minutes before we got drunk."
"I see." Faye said with a wide smile. "Finally, you two are together now. You don't know how much I have waited."
"Ok. But, what about you and Armin?" Mikasa asked with a smile.
Faye blushed and looked away. "Well..."
"Um... We already have..." Armin said, looking away in embarassment.
"I am glad you mustered the courage, Armin." Jean said with a smile.
"Well, am I the only one single here?" Reiner asked with fake sadness.
"Hey! Me, captain, Hange-san and Connie are single too." Jean said.
.
"Brat-" Levi said but got interrupted when Hange covered his mouth.
"Let them have fun, Levi." Hange whispered with a smile.
Levi nodded.
.
"And possibly, Pieck is single too." Faye said with a smile.
Pieck looked away in embarassment.
"Too bad Historia is pregnant." Connie said with a smirk.
"Uhh..." Reiner said with a sad expression.
"Well, she isn't." Eren said with a smile.
Everyone looked at him with a surprised expression except for Faye, Armin, Hange, Mikasa and Levi.
"What?" Jean asked.
"What do you mean by she isn't?" Connie asked.
"Well, I told her to pretend to be pregnant." Eren said.
"But why?" Reiner asked.
"The MPs were planning on turning her to a titan to eat Zeke. That's why." Eren said.
"That means..." Reiner said with wide eyes. "I still have a chance!"
The group giggled.
"We'll see." Jean said.
"Quit your love stories, brats." Levi said. "Let's head back. We have to deal with the MPs."
"Not necessarily." Eren said.
"Huh?" Hange said, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Well, they don't have memories of Rumbling and stuff as they were turned to Titans before that." Eren said. "But still, let's discuss with Commander Pixis, Historia and Premier Zachary first." He turned around. "The Yeagerists already have filled Commander Pixis with informations. So, before anything else, let's go to his office. Mr. Smith must be there too."
"I see." Hange said.
"Wait!" Pieck said, holding out her hand. "How are you using the Founding Titan without Zeke?"
Eren turned to her. "I have the full control of Founder now."
"Well, that was expected." Reiner said.
Then, all of them returned to the real world.
"Hey! What did I miss?" Onyankopon asked.
"Well, I don't think you wanna see it." Connie said, still holding his head.
"Huh?" Onyankopon said, looking at him. "What was that about?"
"People getting crushed by Wall titans..." Faye said.
Onyankopon gapsed. "H-how?"
"Don't worry. It didn't happen." Jean said.
"Well..." Hange said and turned to Pieck. "It will take a while to arrive at Throst." She walked towards Pieck with a smile. "So, why don't you give us a ride?"
Pieck smiled. "Ok, Hange-san."
"After all of this ends, I will take your titan powers away from you guys." Eren said. "You guys have suffered enough already."
Pieck smiled. "You'll do that?"
"Yeah. The Titan powers will be given to some Survey Corps members." Eren said. "Once Paradise will be strong in Military, the Titan powers will be vanished from the world."
"So, we still have to feed humans to human..." Armin said with a frown.
"Well, the curse of Ymir doesn't exist anymore." Eren said.
Mikasa, Faye and Armin's face lit up.
"Really?" Mikasa asked with a hopeful expression.
"Yeah." Eren replied with a smile.
Pieck went far away and transformed.
Soon, all of them got on her back and headed towards Throst district.
.
.
The group, Onyankopon, Falco, Pieck and Reiner were at Pixis's office, having dinner while Pixis just sat on a chair, arms crossed.
Erwin was standing before the window.
"If I understand correctly, Eren saw the future four years ago and did according to what he saw. Correct?" Pixis said.
"Yeah." Eren said. "I am sorry for the inconveniences you have to go through, Commander Pixis. I know you have lost your trust in me. But, I didn't have any choices."
"Hmmm... I can't say I am not mad at you." Pixis said. "The first day we met, you were so uncertain but look at you now. You planned everything on your own." He smiled.
Erwin turned to them. "Commander Pixis. I know what Eren did was wrong. But his actions have ensured the safety of Paradise." He took a seat next to him.
Pixis closed his eyes. "Like everyone, I always believed that we are the last of humanity. So, I let Erwin do a lot of things, thinking it would atleast ensure humanity's future. But, when it came out that there is a whole world out there, it confused me if all those sacrifices were worth it. But, it was." He opened his eyes. "Let me ask you this, Eren Yeager. Were you ready to crush everyone outside of the Walls for our sake?"
Everyone turned to Eren.
Eren looked down. "The moment I came to know that we are not the last of humanity, I was... disappointed. At one point, I saw everyone outside of the Walls as enemies. But then, I slept under the same roof as them, ate the same food. Then I realised that, we are not different. But what makes us different are our situation." He looked up. "They may be innocents but not to their beliefs. They wanted to eradicate all people of Paradise. So, if if necessary..." He looked at his palms. "I am ready to exterminate all people outside of Paradise."
The group gasped slightly.
"Eren... Please..." Mikasa muttered with a sad expression.
Pixis closed his eyes. "I see. You're a man worth keeping words." He opened his eyes and looked at Erwin. "Erwin. What do you say? You are known for your gambles. Now, this boy has done lot more than gamble for our sake." He turned to Eren with a smile. "I know he let us turned into titans but he made us humans again. Even the Yeagerists helped us." He turned to Erwin. "So, what do you say?"
"What he did was wrong. But I believe, it was necessary for our survival." Erwin said. "If he saw future memories then nothing in the could could have stopped them from happening. This is a plan even I would have done. So, I believe, he is actually humanity's hope."
"Hmm... Ok now. I will back him up in the the court of law." Pixis said. "Afterall, he brought world peace and a bright future for Paradise."
Eren nodded.
"Well, as you said earlier, who do you planning on giving titan powers?" Pixis said.
"Definitely one to ex commander Erwin." Eren said.
Pixis nodded. "I see." He turned to Erwin. "It's hard to see someone like him in this state." He turned to Eren. "And what about other two?"
"Hange-san and Connie." Eren said.
Hange smiled big. "Really? I am going to be a titan shifter?"
"That's great. After your eye gets regenerate, I will call you 'Four eyes' again." Levi said.
The group chuckled a bit.
"So, what am I getting?" Connie asked, curious.
"Cart titan." Eren replied.
"Ohhhh... Really?" Connie said with disappointment.
"Why? Got any problem with my titan?" Pieck asked with a glare.
Connie flinched and brought his hands up to surrender. "No! No! Nothing! I will gladly accept it!"
Pieck smiled. "That's good to know."
"So, am I getting the Jaw Titan?" Hange asked with a smile.
"Yeah. It could fly too." Eren said with a smile.
"Really!!!" Hange said with excitement.
"Shut up, soon to be four eyes." Levi said with a smile.
All of them including Erwin and Pixis chuckled.
"I hope we can keep this peace..."
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