The walls weren't supposed to fall. The titans weren't supposed to invade. She wasn't supposed to be a soldier. Yet, all the above happened.
Eliora Smith wasn't set to follow her father's footpath as a soldier, content to being a midwife like her mo...
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"Watch out for the projectiles!" Reiner tells Falco as we head back towards Eren. Leaning forward, I realize what he's talking about. Ahead, the previous inheritors are shooting bows at us. Is this really the best Ymir can do?
"Go help retrieve Armin! Reiner, Jean, and I will get the attention of the War Hammer Titan!" I shout as we continue closer to Eren, almost upon his grotesque boney structure now.
"Please! Don't die on us!" Connie shouts and I salute him as I drop down. Reiner transforms next to us. Jean eyes the detonator that I failed at doing earlier.
"Go! I'll cover Reiner!" I tell him. He nods, speeding off. I go the other direction, taking down a Titan on the way. Reiner makes eye contact with me briefly in his transformed state before we are fighting alongside each other. It reminds me of training all those years ago. Except for this time, it counts for all of humanity.
Soon, we're both overwhelmed and I'm grabbed mid-air. When I turn to see the culprit, it's Reiner. His hand covers my body completely, pulling me to his chest tightly. He's protecting me, it seems. Even after all this time.
Reiner's hand opens and another figure grabs me, this time my husband. "You're supposed to be on Falco!" I scream at him. He was somewhere safe and now he's not.
"I can't let you touch Eren! I killed Zeke and now the rumbling has stopped, for now. I don't know if it'll start again with another royal touching him."
I nod, feeling myself drop down onto the soft feathers of Falco. There's an explosion behind us and I realize that Jean was successful. Looking over my shoulder, I spot a long spidery creature trying to reconnect with Eren's head. Reiner comes out from nowhere, grabbing it. Last I checked on him, he was pinned by Titan Shifters.
To my surprise, it looks like some of the old inheriters are fighting for us, not against. What changed?
The others drop-down next to us, out of breath. "We need to get away quickly! Armin's going to blow those bones to bits!" Connie says.
"What about Reiner?" Jean and I say in unison.
"The Armored Titan should be able to withstand the blast of the Colossus Titan," Pieck replies. "But most of all, he's prepared for the consequences."
I look back to my old friend, finding myself worrying for his safety. Oh, how the tables have turned.
There's a flash of blinding light behind us and I know that the deed is done.
Falco lands near a group of Marleyans. Gabi is the first to run into the arms of what I assume is her parents. Pieck is next, then Falco. Quickly, everyone is in the arms of their family. I turn to Levi, wrapping my arms carefully around him. He squeezes me back with his good limb.
"Reiner!" Gabi exclaims, running past us. We turn, spotting him pierced badly by the bones. Armin's Titan form is heading towards us slowly.
"He's okay," Jean says, trying to calm her down. His eyes dart to something else moving. "Hey, look over there!"
"It got hit by that explosion and survived? What the hell is that thing?" I ask, walking closer.
"All I know is that we can't let it live!" Jean replies, determination on his face.
"You can't let that shiny thing touch Eren!" Gabi cries out.
I pat her head. "We won't." Reiner runs over to the creature, seemingly recovered from the explosion. In the distance, behind Armin, I see him. He's in his Titan form, the one we're familiar with. My body lets out an involuntary gasp.
"What's this smoke?" I cough, shielding my face.
"The smoke is coming from that shining thing!" Gabi alerts, pointing at it.
"No, that's not the smell of a dead titan," Connie says, his own face covered. "Isn't this the same thing they did in Ragako?"
"Mikasa, Pieck, and Eliora, get on Falco! Get away from here!" Levi shouts at us. No, this can't be what I think it is!
"Why me?" I ask him, knowing I'll transform as well. He's being selfish.
"Just get on! I'll explain it later!"
I turn to Connie and Jean, tears welling up in my eyes. "I love you both! You have been the best godfathers and friends I've ever had!" I embrace them before turning away, climbing onto Falco.
My eyes stay trained on Connie and Jean, my heart twisting painfully. Soon, they transform, running straight towards Reiner. I turn to my husband, wanting answers. "Tell me now!"
"Back in the forest with Zeke, you drank the wine alongside the rest of the troops but you didn't transform. I've been thinking about it, and how your grandfather knew about life outside the walls. The Smith family is like the Ackermans. You're resistant to transforming! Even if I had chosen Erwin four years ago, it wouldn't have worked!"
My head spins at the news. How did I not put this together earlier? I'm such an idiot! "Why didn't you say anything earlier?!"
"There was never really a right time to tell you, but now is the time to focus on the task at hand!"
With a determined expression, I nod. "I'm going to make both my father and mother proud!"
