The Guardian's Tale (AOT fanfiction)

-The Other Side of the Wall pt.2-

All ten of us knelt before Historia with a hand on our heart. She handed me my medal but didn't reach out her hand for me to kiss as she knew that this was as far as I would go. As she handed out the rest of the medals, my hands started shaking and when I looked down, my eyes widened when I realized that I had burnt the marble floor. After Historia placed a medal around Eren's neck, he kissed her hand and lightning coursed through my veins as new flashes of memories appeared. 

The Reiss family was gathered in the underground chapel as Grisha announced that he was an Eldian who had come from outside the Walls. Grisha asked a woman named Frieda to kill the Titans attacking them before his wife, children and the rest of the people of the Walls were killed. 

Eren and I reeled back and the rest of the Scouts turned to us, noticing that something was wrong. I stared blankly at the ground, shocked at what I had just seen, until Jean lightly tapped my back, making me snap back to reality.

"My brother's slaughter...could've been stopped."

(..............)

Now, a full six years after the Colossal Titan first appeared, Wall Maria was finally cleansed of Titans and we were finally able to explore the land outside of Wall Maria. As we rode off, I saw someone riding a white horse just a bit ahead of me and when the rider turned his head, Commander Erwin was smiling warmly at me.

"F-Father..." I faltered as a smile formed on my face and tears filled my eyes. "Just you watch father...we're going to accomplish your dream and that's a promise."

Suddenly, a signal flare was shot up and set our whole regiment on alert as we went to take a look. When we got there though, we noticed that the Titan was immobile due to the size of its limbs. We noticed the trail behind it but its movements had been so slow that grass ans small shoots had grown behind it. Eren and I got off of our horses and placed out hands on its head. 

"It was shipped to Paradise...which means it's a fellow Patriot." Eren spoke up.

As I looked into its eyes, I saw a strange glimmer of sadness and regret in its eyes. We left the Titan without killing it and followed its trail until we got to the dunes from Grisha's memory. There, I spotted the wall where the Restorationists had been pushed off and transformed into Titans. Hange led us around the wall and there, we came face to face with the sea. It was so...beautiful. The water was so blue and it shined so brightly.

"Marco...Father...Brother...Reiner...look." I thought as a small tear ran down my cheek. "It's so beautiful...I wish you could see it too."

We went down to the shore and I tackled Armin, hugging him tightly before he let out a small laugh and gave me a warm hug. I ran over to Jean and he immediately picked me up and hugged me tightly. He then let go and scooped up some water in his hands as Connie splashed Sasha.

"PWAH THAT'S SALTY !" He yelled as he spit the water out.

"Huh ? Here let me see." I drank the water he had in his hands but immediately spit it back out. "EW THAT'S DISGUSTING ! Hehe like your face." I mocked before noticing a small grin on his face.

"OH YEAH ?! C'MERE YOU LITTLE SHIT !" He shouted as he ran after me.

"Hehe try it horse face. You'd have to catch me first." I teased as I ran away. "EEH !" I let out a small squeal as he wrapped his arms around my stomach. "WAIT JEAN NO NO NO !"

"Too late pipsqueak." He grinned before throwing me into the water. "Huh ? Yuki ? Where'd you go ? Hey short stack !"

I grabbed his leg and pulled him down into the water before resurfacing and running to Mikasa and Armin. She gave me a hesitant smile before I smiled right back at her and hugged her. A bit after, I let go and ran off to the Captain who was standing on the shore. I tugged his sleeve and brushed my wet hair out of my face, making the Sun hit my ring.

"Hey father look !" I exclaimed before handing him a strange crystal. "It's for you."

I gave him a small kiss on the cheek before heading back to Eren, Mikasa and Armin. Clearly delighted, Armin turned to Eren and told him that it was just like he had said. The sea was a salt lake that merchants could spend their whole lives harvesting and still not get all of the salt out. However, Eren seemed pensive rather than excited.

"Yeah...the sea. It's so damn big." He simply said. 

"Hey !" Armin called out. "It's like you said too. On the other side of the Wall-"

"There's a sea." Eren interrupted. "And just across that sea, freedom's waiting. That's what I always believed at least. But I was wrong...I know what's waiting across this sea now. It's our enemies. Everything we've seen..." He turned to us. "Has been exactly how it was in my father's memories. Hey..." He turned back to the horizon and pointed straight ahead. "If we DID cross the sea, and we killed our enemies...after that...would we finally be free ?"

"Eren..." I placed a hand on his shoulder before he pulled me into his arms.

Jean then pulled me away from Eren and him, Sasha and Connie all pulled me into a big hug and I let out a small laugh before hugging them right back. On the other side of the wall...awaited Reiner...would I be able to face him again ? I let out a small squeal as Jean placed me onto his back and after a bit, I relaxed and rested my chin on his head.

"Hey Jean..." I called out.

"Hmm ?" He hummed. "What is it Yuki ?"

"Thank you...for everything." I wrapped my arms around his neck. "For being my best friend, for saving my ass more than once...thank you. This is the start of a new chapter in all of our lives...probably the most difficult yet...but I'm glad I'm starting it with you guys."

Then, I realized something. It didn't matter how much we tried to save the world or humanity...because we'd never be able to save what had died inside of us while we lived. We were born in Hell...we were raised in it and we went through it...and Hell is where we were going to stay no matter how hard we tried to claw our way back up. 

TO BE CONTINUED !