The Grey Angel (Attack on Titan x OC)

Chapter 49

-Levi POV-

"They're calling it a victory" said Zeke. "Ignorance is scary, but delusion is even worse"
"I'm going to kill you and ship your corpse back to Marley. They'll know about your little plot, should spell the end for your grandparents" I said. "That said, if that secret plan of yours isn't bullshit. I can wait and chop you up once it's finished. I don't care much either way"

"I seriously don't see what Sarah Silva saw in you" said Zeke and I looked him straight in the eyes. "I remember the day she made those bracelet's you and little Eleanor are wearing"
"You really don't know when to shut up, do you?" I asked.

"What? Not surprised Sarah was a Marleyan?" he asked. "I suppose she always was a mystery. She was a little bit older than me when I met her. She was the daughter of the big shot who created the warrior program. She was a kind girl, who loved to dance. She didn't care much about our blood or what we were. I remember her reading books about our origin and her willingness to learn about us. Her white hair made her very much loved, many proposed to her even though she was only 16. She could insult people who pissed her off so good, it was hilarious sometimes the names she came up with"

"Get over it, clean freak!" I can still hear her insults sometimes...
"So you can imagine the fuss she created when she disappeared. I see Eleanor looks a lot like her, Reiner really is head over heels for your daughter. Just like Sarah, she managed to capture quite the number of hearts. But I guess we'll never know how she got inside the walls" he said.

"Enough" I said.
"Well, I liked this little chat. And I appreciate your willingness to accommodate me" he said. "But hey, I do get to meet Eren soon, do I?"

"There's no need to rush" I said. "We prepared a nice little place for you to stay here. A beautiful hotel where you can relax at"
"So, could I ask you to stop glaring?" he asked.

-Nora POV-

-2 years ago-

The port was finished and it was beautiful.
"Eren" said Yelena. "It's been a year now. I haven't seen you since you picked up our whole ship. I look forward to working besides you"

She held out her hand but my father stepped between them.
"Too bad" he said. "You won't be working with Eren directly. This meeting is as far as we're willing to go"
"More than enough for me" she said.

'Now, why don't I believe that?'
"This is an auspicious day" said Yelena. "The port's complete at last and we're about to welcome our first foreign visitors"

A huge ship was approaching...
"From the soul nation that's friendly to Paradis, Hizuru. Their special envoy is Kiyomi Azumabito" said Yelena.

~

We welcomed them inside the palace of the Queen where Kiyomi took out the symbol of their clan.
"Do you happen to recognize this family crest?" she asked.
Mikasa and Eren gasped while Mikasa took her wrist.
"That shape" said Mikasa.

"Yeah, you should show it to them" said Eren.
"You think?" asked Mikasa. "But mom told me that I should keep it a secret"
"You showed it to me back when we were just kids" said Eren. "This could be the whole reason she gave it to you. Go on"

Mikasa took off the wrapping around her arm that she always wore and revealed her tattoo, the same crest as Kiyomi showed.
"Before she died, my mom gave me this mark to match one she had herself" said Mikasa. "And she asked me to pass it down to my own children"

Kiyomi walked forward and touched Mikasa her shoulders.
"A noble deed befitting your lineage" she said. "Over a century ago, Hizuru Shougan was an ally of the Eldian empire. We Azumabito's trace our lineage back to a son who was on good terms with King Fritz and often visited here. After the great Titan war, our once proud nation was left defeated and in disarray. And admits the chaos and confusion, a child fathered by the Shougan's heir, was somehow left behind on this island. You are the only direct descendant of the family that once lead our nation. Put simply, you are Hizuru's hope"

~

"Hey, so that symbol, why did you only show it to Eren?" asked Historia before we were going to continue the negotiations.
"Yeah, you've always worn that wrist wrap" I said. "We've never seen you take it off"

"That's because... ehm..." began Mikasa.
"You two are in a good mood" said Eren.
"Of course I am" said Historia. "Seems our ancestors were friends! They both left us with heavy burdens to bear. But I couldn't have asked for a more perfect match than you"
"Come on, let's get back inside" I smiled.

"This is a historic day for both our nations" said Kiyomi. "And it's worth noting that this day would never have come if not for the man that brought us together. I'm speaking of course of Zeke Yeager"
"Oh yay" I said silently, but Armin hit me softly under the table.
'Crap, I said that out loud again'

"We conversed with him in secret. And before he agreed to facilitate this meeting, he negotiated with us on behalf of your island" said Kiyomi. "We discussed more than Lady Mikasa. He gave us a device with some fuel for the gear you use to fight Titans and it peaked our interest. Zeke Yeager's proposal was that we ally with and assist Paradis in exchange for access to a rare resource that could restore our nation to it's former glory, it's a rather tempting offer. Thus, we're well aware that he made this offer without surveying your reserves. We suspect that in this modern era, a treasure like ice burst stone could change the world and generate a fortune in the process"

'Well, the cat's out of the bag. That's your real hope, not Mikasa'
"Hold on" said Historia. "So, Zeke Yeager asked you to assist us? What would you assist us with?"

"As I'm sure you're aware, he's concocted a plan to protect Eldia and the world. We're here 'cause this plan can only succeed with Hizuru's assistance" said Kiyomi. "It calls for a 3 point course of action, which would allow you to defend yourself with your so called Rumbling. This will begin with a test run of the Rumbling, you would unleash a fraction of the Titans in your walls. Enough to display the destructive potential for all the world to see. That will buy you time to modernize and strengthen your army so as surrender the Rumbling unnecessary. You're a hundred years behind on the rest of the world. Hizuru will help you catch up. Until then, you must be able to shake the earth by maintaining the Founding Titan and having a Titan of royal blood. That's the third point of this plan, Zeke will pass on the Beast Titan to an individual who has royal blood. And that person must spent the 13 years they'll have left, bearing as many children as possible"

"You're kidding, right?" I asked.
"Nora" said Historia.
"No, Historia. It's not okay" I said and looked Kiyomi in the eyes. "We just broke free of that ritual. You're asking us to depend on it again. There has to be another way"

"Nora, that's enough" said Historia and I sat back down. "I understand. And I'm ready, if the Rumbling is essential to our survival, I'll do my part. I'm willing to inherit the Beast Titan from Zeke Yeager"

Eren stood up angrily.
"If Zeke's plan is to buy our salvation, the price of broken walls, trampled lands, and children brought to be slaughtered like livestock, then I'd say he can go to hell and take his sick little plan with him" he said. "Staking our survival on the threat of the Rumbling is a dangerous move. So before we commit to it, we should try to find another way. Let's use what time we have to look at our options"