Attack On Titan AOE: Alternate Ending

Final: Freedom

"The world is cruel, but I still love you."

***

Eren

"This is my last message...to the remaining Subjects of Ymir..." Erens deep voice announced. Armin and Mikasa's jaws dropped. "As of now...the subjects of Ymir are now free from the shackles of the rest of the world. And those who have wanted to live in peace can finally rest." Eren said. Armin and Mikasa where up now, trying to chase the voice. Screaming for Eren. If Eren was talking now, then what Armin suspected was true. Eren was indeed alive somewhere.
"I do not seek forgiveness, and am willing accept the consequences of my actions, but I couldn't stand by and let my people be exterminated." Eren regretted.
Already most of the Subjects of Ymir had shot up, listening in horror as Eren made his last call. Connie, who was quietly sitting and talking to his mother, catching her up on his life and the world now, only stood in shock. Jean, who had settled down on a chair outside reading a book, had now dropped it and stood up, his face white. Annie, who quietly listened still while outside her new home somewhere in secret. Reiner, Gabby, Falco and Pieck, had stopped there fun activities in thr markets, and could now only wonder what was going to be said next. Somewhere further away, sat Historia, who had been playing with her newborn daughter outside, and now held her tight in fear. And even further away, visiting the gravestone of Erwin Smith, was Levi, beaten and weaker than he'd ever been, felt he could no longer listen, as his face grew darker.
"That is why, I could not let anyone get involved in my plan, why I could not let my friends, my family, follow me down that path. But now, I have carved a new world for my people, a free world, where you can be people again. And that cycle of violence has ended. However, my wish was not just to free my people, but to end the Titans of the world. To end the curse of Ymir, that had befallen our world for centuries. As of now, all Titans have been erased, and returned to normal by my power. And I have taken the Power of the Titan Shifters and with it, the curse that bound them to a short life..."
Armin could barley believe his ears. "The curse is gone..." Armin asked.
"All I have ever wanted was the peace and long life of my family, and I will give it to them now. The Founder Ymir, who has been enslaved for centuries, and bound to exist forever, has been freed. And with her freedom comes the end of Titans. After my life ends, I will be the final Titan to exist in this world. Forever..."
Armin felt a tear roll down his eye. "Eren..." He barley managed to say.
"After all, my goal from the beginning was to end the Titans...now I will fulfil that goal. And I order to make sure that the curse never continues, I will not return. When I go, the Titan curse will not carry on like it would have. You are free." Eren announced. And for all the subjects of Ymir, the message ended. But not for Eren's friends. He still had one more thing to say.
They all appeared together in the Paths, and in front of them stood Eren. But not the older Eren, but the young, teenage Eren from many years before.
"This is goodbye my friends. I realize that some of you may never forgive me, and some of you may not understand but thats okay. I'm just so glad that all of you are doing well." Eren said. He looked at all his friends, he saw there emotional faces stare back at him. "Eren, all of this, was for us..." Jean realised. Eren smiled brightly. "Yes. I want you all now, to live on." Eren responded. Armin approached him suddenly. "I-I can't forgive you Eren. For everything you've done. But...I...I can't deny that thanks to you we get to live. I wish...you could have just stayed with us..." Armin said, wiping away his tears. Mikasa also approached him. "I always knew you'd go someday, I just wish it hadn't been so soon. This world really is cruel." Mikasa said, breaking down. "But I still love you." Eren said, in his familiar adult voice. Mikasa looked up at him in shock. He was his adult self now, fully grown, but with shorter hair. "Armin...Mikasa...I...I love you guys so much." Eren broke. The three hugged. When they parted, Eren looked at everyone else. His best friends, Levi, Connie, Jean, and even Reiner. The last of his friends. Eren first looked to Connie. "You still gonna wup my ass like you said." Eren joked. A tear fell from Connie's face. "Oh you son of a bitch..." Connie said. He hugged Eren, who smiled deeply. Eren then looked to Jean. "Well I guess I take back what I said when I called you a suicidal maniac..." Jean said. "Yeah but your still a horse face." Eren joked again. Jean stuck out his hand, for a handshake. Eren grabbed his hand then pulled him in for a hug. "It's not gonna be the same without you man..." Jean said quietly.
Next Eren approached Reiner. "I guess, I was wrong. I always thought you where the worst person to ever get that power Eren. And I still think so. Don't forget what you did took away my family Eren." Reiner said, looking away. Eren looked down. "I know. I suppose what I said before still holds true. We are the same. But the difference is, I learned to forgive you, for what you did to my mother. I hope one day you will to." Eren hoped. Reiner nodded. Lastly was Levi. "Don't expect a hug from me kid." Levi said angrily. "Sorry Captain, I guess I let you down again huh." Eren regretted. Levi looked up at him, seeing how tall he had grown. "Why the hell are you so damn tall all of a sudden." Levi asked randomly. "Well captain you are sitting down." Eren said. Levi looked up angrily. "The hell is that supposed to mean!" Levi shouted. Eren backed away. "I was just kidding sir." Eren said nervously. "Levi let his head fall down, and a smile build on his face. "I'm sure you where...you little brat..." Levi said quietly. Eren turned to everyone again, but seemed to be looking behind them. "Look." Eren pointed. Behind them, stood a large group of people. "It's them. The ones who brought us here. Our fellow comrads." Eren revealed. All of them had given there hearts for freedom, and now they to where free.
"Well...my times coming soon. I have to go now..." Eren announced sadly. "I hope...all of you can understand..." He said finally. He turned his back, and began walking towards the tree of light in front of them. "Wait!" Mikasa shouted running up to him. Eren turned to face her. "How am I supposed to live on without you Eren...your all I care about...I love you..." Mikasa revealed. Eren gave her a warm smile. "I know you can. I've seen it. Or at least, I've seen someone who has." Eren said, looking to Jean. "You will always be my heart Eren." Mikasa said. "I should have just told you before..." Mikasa regretted. "It's okay. You will live on, and I will always love you. But I must go now." Eren said to her for the last time. He softly kissed her, and then they parted ways. Eren vanished into the light, and with him, the memories of him would one day fade with all his friends. To save them the pain, of ever having known him...

***

"So...you finally did it huh. You finally found freedom." Ymir congratulated Eren.
Eren sat, watching the ocean in the distance, admiring its beauty as if he could finally enjoy it. He now spoke with Ymir, the slave girl, who had finally been freed. "Yeah. But I don't feel like I was freeing myself. But more like I was freeing them." Eren responded. Ymir looked away from him and out to the sea as well. "I'm still not sure why you removed there memories. I'm sure they could have lived with your choice." Ymir wondered. "I guess I couldn't, in a way. So I figured it was best that I tried to remove that guilt in anyway I can. And I know it would be hard for them to move on either way, knowing what I had done to some of them." Eren revealed. He could feel his life fading away, as he leaned his back more into the tree he was leaning against. "You know I think...I saw this before. That day...when I was napping under that tree. Yeah, I saw myself here, dying." Eren said. His words getting quieter and quieter. He wasn't sure if Ymir was even listening or if she had left. His thoughts where answered when she replied back. "Yeah, maybe you did." Ymir said for the last time. Eren's eyes where only slightly open now. Memories of his life flashed. Of his friends, of his when he was younger, of his life in the 104th cadet core. Of his life in the Scouts. He could only muster a few last words. "So...this... is... freedom..." Eren's eyes finally closed.
Then he could hear his father's voice.
"Yes Eren." His father assured. Eren could feel his father holding him warmly. And feel his soothing voice lift him away.
"You are free."

The End