Power to Strive IV

The Final Chapters (Part 1)

Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan.

Previously: They watched their last happy moment together, and Maria came back with... news.

A/N: Please point out the grammar and spelling mistakes. Thank you, @ChiryMax for writing the transcript. And @astre_flowers for the help in writing the chapter.

Important:

I changed a few details about Candy's illness and Maria's story in the previous chapters. In case you're wondering why things are different now.

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Erwin's and Levi's eyes widened when they heard it.

"Gone?" Historia asked in shock, tears were gathering in her eyes.

"What?!" Eren stood up, his eyes wide in shock.

"But...Why?" Connie stammered. "She was okay before this happened... and she is just..."

Maria took a deep breath. "She wasn't. She was internally ill."

"Internally ill?" Petra asked, still in disbelief from the bad news.

Maria agreed. "She got the diagnosis almost two months ago... The news hit all of us very hard... She kept to herself for a few weeks until one day I saw her watching your show..."

Some of them flinched when she said that, she noticed that.

"I'm sorry... But then I saw she got happier and was always excited when she started a new episode. She could forget about her being sick and that she would die one day..."

They were silent as they listened to Maria. "We watched it together because I was curious what it was about... At some point, I stopped watching, and then she finished it and wished she could help you... and I told her about the theory..."

Erwin's eyes widened. "So you're the friend Candy told us about."

Maria agreed. "Yes, it was me. I told her about this because I knew it wasn't just a theory but the truth."

"How did you know?" Armin asked, frowning.

Maria tried to stand, but her knees gave way under her, and Hange helped her to stand up and sit her down on the couch, where Sasha made room for her.

"I know about it because I remembered. When I watched the episode about how Founder Ymir got her powers... I saw myself... and got my memories back..."

Ymir's eyes widened in shock. "Memories back...? Are you saying you're Maria? The Maria? Founder Ymir's daughter?"

Maria nodded, and it became silent for a while, they were too shocked to say anything.

"But how is this possible?" Mikasa asked with wide eyes.

"I don't know if this applies to anyone who dies, but... apparently after I died, I got reborn into Candy's world without any memories from my previous life." Maria explained, her voice shook slightly.

"Didn't Candy say that her world has magic?" Connie asked, frowning.

"Yeah, with magic they surely could have helped her." Sasha declined.

Maria shook her head. "I know hearing about magic sounds like one could do anything with it, but even magic has its limits. The doctors did what they could, but in the end they told us she should enjoy the time she had left."

It was silent for a moment until Jean broke the silence. "If she was so ill, why did she make that room here? Surely, it would have exhausted her."

"I helped her. I didn't want her to use too much of her magic because it would only have worsened her condition. When I got her message that she needed my help here, I came as quickly as I could."