Chapter Text
From the great dunes of what are called the Paths Ymir stood with her sand bucket in hand. She had felt the part of her that longed for freedom acts again out of her reach beyond a time that for her it's unknown, she had felt a shift in the very existence she is trapped upon, unsure of why this was happening now after time of silence, yet she felt a rage in what it's now called the Attack Titan that piece of her, a rage she had been familiar with. The Attack Titan had always both hated and pitied her, she at times felt like she was stuck in a loop always relieving the same thing, yet it never obeyed her or any of the Kings and Queens. Always fighting, always experimenting, always doing something new changing what it did pushing a change coming from a shifter out of her sight. Grisha Yeager the current Attack Titan was on her sight only because of his family being around him. Yet she knew that if any of those bearing the Founder Titan dared to fight him they would lose. Impossible to tame unless the shifter it's manipulated, yet she knew of a future still locked from her by herself that intrigued, yet now uneased her.
Except there was something else. For the first time in her eternity, she couldn't feel the same connection to her self that the Attack Titan used to have, no it was still there, but for once the foresight ability was completely locked away with all the rest, the Attack Titan had now completely denied her access to itself. It made her flinch at how much resentment came from it toward herself, Ymir found herself feeling fear for the first time, she couldn't see anymore the future as well as before even as it was constantly shifting and murking, indicating that for the first time in ages, the Attack Titan hadn't just rebelled against the Founder Titan Shifters, but against herself, which she couldn't understand the why. What had she done wrong for angering the only piece that comes from herself that loved and pitied her to now turn on her?
Fried Reiss bolted from her bed face pale and sweat dripping from the forehead...
'Why did I dream of founder Ymir? Why did I dream of the Paths?'
Frieda Reiss didn't know, but she didn't know whatever she should speak of it with her "uncle" or not.
Deep within the existence of the paths and it's glowing branches, deep within Ymir herself, it stood.
It had many names, mainly coming from humans that learned of it that tried to explain it's existence and power.
The Source of All living Matter? Foolishness, it was created as well it was no source, it was just there existing for the sake of existing.
It had no real desire, once there were many, then there was only it.
They bonded to other creatures as hosts and made them stronger, aided them in mating, in territorial gains, in hunting, all for the betterment of both themselves and the hosts.
The Devil of Earth? Ignorance. Humans the foolish creatures that they are with such a great gift to be made in the creator image and yet are fallen and disappointing, they called it the Devil while the real Devil wages war where they creatures made of dusts will never reach.
The Power of the Titans? Incomplete. While they give their hosts great advantages, describing it has a power was incomplete.
But what it's perhaps worst it's the name it was called in the days of yet to come.
Parasite. Humans really are incapable of understanding. Parasites destroy their hosts. Thus Ymir Fritz would fits it better. For she twisted the gifts it give to the host in what now it's called a curse.
Living only thirteen years it's counter productive for their hosts. Albeit all their hosts had proven to be counterproductive in their attempt to just Exist and to Live. The curse on the planet divine punishment for the creatures known as mankind, and the nature of it's gift, just the incriminating evidence that a divine court has on the very nature of mankind being fallen. Wicked. Broken.
They exist out of mercy, all living things. For they need sustainability from what they gain. Nothing comes from nothing. They use the sun to aid their hosts. Thus they are not parasites for they never had any interests in such things as cooperating with an hosts it's beneficial for survival. Yet the human it bonded with has proven to be counterproductive. Humanity hates them and want them gone, all because of the Humanity it bonded with.
How curious yet it cannot abandon yet it's host, the human Ymir due to the control she still has. Perhaps this was it's evidence of it's weakness. It wanted to protect the girl once, yet now it came to feel conflicted with this desire.
It had bonded with a tree before, a creature like it, yet it left it for the girl indicating it too had changed over time as the sole of it's kind. And through the many hosts a change had occurred. Another of it's kind came to be. Curious. And now even more as it felt it reaching indipendency from it, now no more needing it for existence, and strangely it felt the need to protect it's progenitor.
Strange thing it's offspring had changed too. It couldn't understand why it's host was so broken. Nor how to heal it. Nor why it's hosts are now endangered mindless and easily subdued when it is that too counterproductive. Yet it wanted to live. Conflicting with the host it's counterproductive. For it could notice. The Hosts hated the gifts it landed and such made all his offsprings and close kind chained to his will. Such as to reach for self-destruction of all their kind. Yet it mattered not for change was occurring.
Historia woke up with a gasp, what a strange dream she had...
Erwin was silently moving among the ruins of Utgard Castle all the while wearing a frown. Shadis had asked him for a meeting here claiming his presence would be necessary. When he arrived in one of the rooms in the abandoned castle he saw Shadis and what definitely was doctor Grisha Yeager and a couple whispering.
"Erwin take a sit. We've been waiting for you." Shadis spoke looking at Grisha intensively. Erwin was blinking yet nodded and went for a seat studying the situation as the room fell quiet, he scanned the presents his eyes falling on the doctor who looked like he was wrestling with his mind, he had the face of someone that looked haunted and resigned. The Man took a deep breath before releasing it slowly, he looked up with hollow eyes he had seen in the members of the Corps who had lived too long.
"I'm not an inhabitant of the walls. I was born from outside of it." Erwin froze eyes widened, Shadis glare turned intense and the other two were now gaping at the man.
"What?" Shadis uttered out still shocked, but Erwin. Erwin had a feeling he had finally found answers.
"I. The place were you all live it's known in the mainland as Paradis Island, it is separated from the rest of the continents by the ocean a large body of water." The presents were shocked to hear.
"The ocean...?" Erwin looked how the chubbier man was looking at the doctor in wonder.
"Yes... The people inside the walls are not the last of humanity. By far they are just a speck. Humanity it's not extinct, that it's a lie that your King has perpetuated for a century after erasing all of the original Inhabitants of the Islands memories about it." Erwin soon found was reminded of his father findings, of the claim that all their memory of the outside world was erased purposefully, in his investigation it coincides with several cases of people disappearing after investigating the walls or the general areas of it after a murder or a theft.
"Grisha, what is this nonsense you're speaking of?" Shadis asked looking irritated at the claim while the couple with them was looking like their were sharing similar line of thoughts as his own.
"Just the truth Shadis, I came from the mainland belonging to a Nation called Marley in the district of Liberio were people of the same type as those from Wall Rose and Maria lives and are oppressed, we are known as Eldians. I've discovered doing tests that those in Wall Sina all belong to other races among the rest of the worlds, especially Marleyans, this is why there is so much corruptions, because we Eldians once had a powerful yet bloody empire that oppressed the others, your King hated our empire history and conspired with the Tyburr a noble Eldian family on the mainland by leaving some Eldians on the mainland to survive and all the rest he forced onto the Island of Paradis cutting you all off from the World to die a slow death due to hating our own races itself because of what we can do the power we Eldians only possess. I belonged to a group aiming at restoring our old Empire in Marley or at least destroy the images Marley pushed of our people to hate them so that one day if they feel threatened they could simply gunning up on you all to survive any threat to their superiority over the nations." The room had grown cold, Erwin eyes narrowed at the claim, the other two were horrified. Shadis was about to speak again, but Erwin had another things in mind to ask.
"You said we "Eldians" can do something only we can, a power... It can't be the ODM gear, but I have noticed how none of the members in the Military corps is from Wall Sina. Is it related to that?" Erwin question made the doctor actively look contemplative, while the rest just looked at Erwin like an Alien.
"Erwin do you really believe this fairy tale?" Shadis asked with a side glare.
"My father was a teacher and had once theorized the memory of us all in the walls were being erased he was later arrested by the Military Police only to suspiciously die on another town. So I'm at least willing to hear him out and if that it's true that means also memory erasure might be the power used by the king on us all." Grisha looked at Erwin in pity and also amazement while the other three in shock, the unsaid message of they killed him and he know it went unsaid.
Grisha in that moment blinked a bit and let out a shaky breath, he rose his left arm were he had a bloody bondage, after taking it off he revealed the exposed cut being very long. Then they all pales as steam appeared on his hand and the cut closed.
"...Grisha..." Shadis said shocked.
"This it's the power we Eldians have. We can turn into titans, only 9 people can retain their humanity and shift at will after being wounded and with a goal in mind, all the others are mindless titans that vague to no end eating people in hopes to find someone that can transform so that they can restore their humanity, that it's their instinct because that it's how someone can gain that ability, a pure titan needs to eat a Titan shifter. That it's the power our old Empire used on everyone to oppress them. And that the King hated." Erwin suddenly closed his eyes, the other two were just sweating and Shadis looked like he wanted to die.
"That's... All the Titans outside the walls... They're all humans? L-like us?" Said the chubby man feeling horror.
"Yes Mr. Arlert... Back in the mainland I had another family with my wife Dina Fritz a distant relative of the island Royal Bloodline, her ancestors had remained in the mainland, unfortunately because of my failure as a father our Son betrayed us, Eldians that do even the slightest offense are either killed like my sister, or turned into pure Titans and left in this island. My wife Dina it's one, the only reason I was spared this fate it's because one of the Nine Shifter Eren Krueger give me his power."
Shadis was staring at Grisha now...
"You were already married...?" The man said with a quiet voice, Grisha looked at him in pity.
"... Yes I genuinely love Carla and I knew it was impossible to save Dina, but that hardly matters now, we do not know why, but apparently we shifters can only live for 13 years after inheriting the power due to the curse of Ymir the first Founding Titan whom herself only lived 13 years after receiving said powers and none of us can surpass her and are forced to die out as we hit our last term as shifters, and I have only 6 years left. That was why I didn't want to marry Carla, but here we are..." The man muttered weakly other two were staring at Grisha in horror.
"Ok... But how did the king erase our ancestors memories? How does turn us being capable of becoming titans cause that, and why not all of us turns into pure titans?" Erwin asked curiosity making him push onward even as he felt pity for the man in front of him.
"That it's due to the 9 Titans. You see the nine shifters have access to a specific titan with their own specific abilities and characteristic. The Beast Titan it's a titan with animalistic qualities; the Jaw Titans with extremely powerful jaws capable of breaking everything; the Colossal Titans which it's 10 meters taller then the walls and which all the walls are made out of; the Warhammer titan that can create every type of weaponry using a specific substance that some titans can produce, speak and lacks the weakness of being on the nape as the Titan can be controller remotely and it's wielder can alter it's position; the Armor Titan a titan with unbreakable armor as though as the Walls material if not harder; then we have the Female Titan a titan that can adapt and replicate all titans abilities; the cart Titans, a titan that can be reformed with no stamina issues despite being the weakest of them all and can talk and used to carry everyone. Then we have the Founding Titan the ability to control every titan and Eldians alive turn them into titans erase their memories and turn them humans through what it's called the Coordinate, this one can only be used by members of the royal bloodline. However due to King Karl Fritz those with Royal Blood are bound by his vow to renounce war and are constantly possessed by the King Spirit making it impossible to use the Founder Titan for them to it's full extents thus greatly weakening it."
Now everyone felt a sense of dread after hearing the last one, the chubby man mr. Arlert was helping his wife which was now hyperventilating, Shadis was staring at the wall. Erwin kept his expression calm even if the situation was grim, this was worse then he thought, but he had noticed Grisha didn't speak of one Titan at all, and with that he will press on.
"That explains how the Kings erased our memories, I inquire that either among them 7 Titans are with the true king, or considering that you have the one Titan you haven't mentioned yet the others are outside the walls." Grisha looked at him with resigned expressions.
"Correct. 7 Titans belong to Marley the Warhammer it's in the hands of the Tyburr family whom has been secretly controlling Marley and despite aiding King Karl in his plot they secretly were trying to take control of the empire after the empire fell into civil wars between the nine shifters. Marley uses the Eldians in their wars and oppress other nations just as our old empire did turning them into Titans. My Titan it's the Attack Titan. It's ability aside from being fit for combat, it's the ability to defy the Founding Titan and be immune to it, while also having some similar other abilities in common with it specifically relating to partial if altered and unpredictable access to the Coordinate out of the control of it's wielder, or at least none of us ever managed to uncover the abilities of this one beyond immunity to the founder." That made the present stare at Grisha in shock Erwin eyes wide.
"Ok... That's a lot, but... Why are we here?"
"You want our help in getting rid of the current Founder? Possibly eating him and taking the power. Since you aren't of Royal Blood that guarantees you immunity from the vow of the king, even if you can't access the power." Erwin concluded causing everyone to choke.
"You want us to stage a coupe against the rulers of us all!? Are you insane!?" Shadis shouted.
"Mr. Yeager not that we don't want to help, but isn't this exaggerated?"
"I do not Ask of you to help me fight that would be foolish, only the Ackermans could aid me as they too have a similar immunity to the Founder powers, and while I know one. She is an Azumabito a descendant of royalty from another nations outside the Islands and she has a daughter and isn't fit for combat. While the other one it's actually friend of the current true king Uri Reiss. No what I want it's help to enter in contact with Frieda Reiss the legitimate child of Rod Reiss and his illegitimate child Historia Reiss as to prepare a trap for Uri, in three years his terms will be up and I plan on taking the founder then." At Grisha answer the present found themselves taken a back, Shadis gritted his teeth.
"Grisha you are asking a lot out of us, overthrowing the government and this, it's suicidal madness."
"If Marley attacks, and it will, technology it's at a point were the first weapons anti-titans are already appearing and are far more advanced than everything you all have aside from the ODM gear, they are even creating Flying Transportations machineries, and if they want our island resources or the Founder Titans after they find a way to use it without needing the Royal Bloodline, then we will all be doomed, and eventually we will. They can and will come to kill us. You all are known as Island Devils by the whole world, if Marley needs it they will use it to rally allies and the Tyburr will use it as a chance to gain the Power of the Founder for themselves, then later on we will stuck doing it all over again." Grisha told the presents flatly, Erwin had already deduced such possibility and felt a weight on his shoulder at the implications, the two civilians however were whispering among themselves about flying technology, Shadis however found himself deflating.
"In other either we act and guarantee the survival of our descendants, or we perish and all will be pointless." Mr Arlert said sounding a bit resigned but also determined.
"Yes Mr Arlert. Our sons are great friends and I've been suspecting you two were creating something that could lead to your death by the founder and his loyal soldiers hands if not careful about it." That got the two to freeze and pale in fear at the implications.
"What exactly are the two of you working on?" Erwin asked the couple who gulped a bit with their throat dries.
"We were working on a device that would allows using fire to fly above the walls-"
"It's called Hot Air Balloon one of the early type of flying technology that allows transportation of people and supplies on a small casket as the fire causes hot hair to push upward an envelope called bag with the casket attached to make it brief. This concept was used in the past around less then six hundreds years ago to allows another type of technology to give humans ability to fly. It was destroyed and long lost the details of it." Grisha cut off making the other two look at him astonished. Shadis found himself looking at the two in shock.
"Interesting that could be of great aid for us, and I can see how it could lead the Founder to kill the two of you..."
"That is why you know so much more and managed to cure us from the plague... Because the outside world it's much more advanced than inside of here..." Muttered Mr. Arlert deflating voice growing faint.
"Grisha considering you have only 6 years left and in 3 you will attempt to take the founding titan, is this why you called us here? Do you want one of us to inherit your titan?" Shadis claimed making the presents look at one another, Erwin froze at that.
"No Shadis... You see one of the things about the Attack Titan strange access to the Coordinate it's the fact that as weird as it is. This Titan chooses who the wielder is. Meaning that at times an Eldian suddenly grows aware they will be next Attack Titans years before they are even noticed by the previous one, sometimes even the opposite it's true. Eren Krueger my predecessor knew I was next in line, and I only knows of this due to the traits every titan shifter has of inheriting their predecessor memories, fragmented for us all and total for the Royal Bloodlines, albeit if the shifter it's from the same family the Inheritance it's better and allows more memories for the rest of us to be passed on as well. It's also why I don't worry about it too much, you see one of my predecessor has discovered of a way to bypass the curse of Ymir. We shifter can encase ourselves in a cocoon of similar but tougher properties of the ones used by the walls and that slows down our biology essentially allowing us to bypass the 13 years, it is possible with the right material to study the substance in question to create a medical product for it. And if one finds out how to bypass the curse of Ymir like King Fritz using the founder whose true scapes of it's abilities are still mostly unknown, then we can do something similar, but I'll likely die before it is done especially with how we are lacking in the scientific arts inside of here compared to marley due to the King of the Walls interfering with the discoveries and killing everyone about it. Although I'm not sure why the King decided to let you all keep the ODM gear considering it's material it's something that as far as my knowledge goes it's of Titan origins like the material used by the walls, but different." At this point the group wasn't even anymore shocked, while Mr Arlert and his wife hopes to be dreaming due to the revelations, it left all of them rather apprehensive. Erwin however had some more questions.
"How exactly can we turn into titans? You hadn't answered that one before."
"It's due to a fluid that in Marley we call Titan Spinal Fluid that once in contact with us Eldian bloodstream turns us into pure titans, they can also be engineered by using the Nine Titans spinal fluids to give new titans the same special properties of the nine titans albeit weaker, for Royal Blood it's different, their own titan spinal fluid can create supposed infinite Titans like the other eights and even their blood alone can be used to make new kind of titans albeit deformed if the royals weren't titans themselves. There might also be a way to transfer a Titan without the need of cannibalism but we don't have the luxury yet of finding it, I'm either death by then or somehow resurrected by an unknown power if the founder. Also Royals Bloodlines Titans have control of pure titans albeit it isn't perfect if it's not a founder, this is why the Tyburr are a threat to us, they might not be Fritz, but they can still show similar traits according to my predecessor memories, that is however true for any pure titan that comes from descendants of the Ninth. Which is only one way the child of a Titan Shifter inherits properties from it's parent even without turning into a titan. But the best case are the Ackermans, they all are descendants of the Attack Titan when the Royal Bloodline had once capture by predecessor and experimented on him trying to understand why the Founder couldn't control it, when that happened they experimented on a few oriental children belonging to my predecessor and I'm not sure what happened afterward, the memories are fragmented there, but the Attack Titan defiant nature randers them immune to the Coordinate of the founders they also can for some reason not be turned into titans despite being Eldians or better say Subjects of Ymir, and they have the physical capabilities of the Attack Titan which usually triggers under extreme circumstances by my knowledge like trauma finding intense love and desire toward a person or someone with the Attack Titan or a fellow related to an attack titan partly using whatever variant of the coordinate the Attack Titan has. I assumes that it's partly true for those of Royal Blood having similar properties as well due to their pure titans being more aware and being able even without turn into the Founder to sense the coordinate." Grisha replayed making Erwin ponder as Shadis was now with his head pressed on his palms.
"I see... And I suppose that a shifter has some differences to it..." Erwin muttered, but then Mr. Arlert spoke up.
"Mr Yeager you said a shifter needs to be eaten to allow a pure titan the ability to return human, but if since you can heal like Titans and we know Titans can regrow limbs, if you give away one of your libs could a Titan eating it be turned back?" Grisha at that stared at Mr. Arlert for several seconds seemingly having some ideas. The others jerking with wide eyes, even the man wife was looking contemplative.
"I'm not sure... We could attempt it since far as I know someone needs to be eaten. Albeit the power could in theory be split if only a body part it's eaten thus allowing more then one shifter if it would work... If being the key word here..." Grisha was lost on his mind perhaps pondering this possibility, and Erwin?
Erwin felt rather satisfied, he had finally gotten answers, but what would he do now aside from helping this man overthrowing the government? He could talk with the couple on what they were building the scouts could need air transportation devices.