When you Came Back ( Yumikuri / Ymir x Historia )

Chapter 21: Our Destinies' End

- 6 years ago -

"No, that couldn't be it", she thought.
It was like an unfinished story. Was Ymir really going to leave it her? Was Ymir really never going to come back to her?
She refused to believe it. She thought back to all the times Ymir had stuck with her and wanted to protect her from all harm. There was no way it was all just going to end with Ymir leaving her forever.

"Is that all there was?", she asked Hange, looking up.
"I'm sure she wasn't able to write down any information that would be useful to us, but...", Hange replied, "was there a message that only you could understand? A code or something..?".

Historia leaned back onto her chair and let out a sigh.
"I don't know", she replied, "I don't think she'd do something like that".

Historia felt her eyes growing watery but, deep down, she knew that Ymir would come back for her. She still dreamt of growing old and living a quiet life in the countryside with Ymir by her side. Before, it seemed like an achievable dream but now it felt a million miles away.

"Ymir, you really were an idiot", she mumbled to herself. She still couldn't believe that Ymir had left her.
The tears started to spill out her eyes but she wiped them away, trying to control her emotions.

***

Over a year had passed since their wedding day and every bit of it had been spent in freedom and happiness. The past year would forever go down as the best year in their lives but perhaps that was a bad thing as their lives consisted of many other years and many to come - for Historia, at least.

It was such a normal early autumn morning. The trees were coated with leaves of thousands of shades of auburn, amber and cayenne, but they had not yet managed to flood the ground, as it was only the start of the season.

Hands clenched together - the same way they had clenched on the way back from training and when Ymir received her memories back and when they had to approach the market of judging citizens and when they walked back to their quarters on their wedding night - Ymir and Historia walked. What a short yet eventful story it had been. It was certainly a very short amount of time, before their hands parted, as they had arrived at their destination - A seemingly ordinary building.

"You're here then", Zackly's voice spoke, "not that I doubted that you'd come, although if this day had been two years ago, I probably would have".
"I would have probably come, even if it was two years ago", Ymir replied, "although I'm sure Historia wouldn't have. I'm actually glad she's changed".
"Yes. I'm glad that both the Queen and I have changed", Zackly agreed.

"Please", Historia requested, speaking for the first time, "...call me Historia. I regard you a friend".
Zackly was slightly taken aback.
"As you wish, Historia", he replied.
"Also, may I chain her?", Historia asked.
"Of course", Zackly told her, "we better go down there then".
They nodded and then entered the house, opening a trap door which revealed a staircase, leading deep underground.

This place was new. It had specially been built for this occasion. It had specially been built for Ymir. She would be the first, of many, to die here. The pleasure of taking her life would be Historia's.

Despite being new, the place had a nostalgic aura, as the crystal walls and the ledge Ymir would kneel on, looked almost identical to a place from Historia's past - a place that no longer existed. Historia led Ymir up to the ledge before gently putting the chains around her wrists. Not a word came out her mouth but Ymir could feel Historia's body growing feeble as she did so.

"You're completely sure you want to be the one to do this, right?", Ymir whispered, looking into those drained out sapphire eyes.
"Yes. I decided that I wanted to do it a long time ago", Historia stated, "I just... Are you okay with it?".
"Of course. I have no right to tell you not to do it anyway", Ymir smiled.

"It's just... Loosing you is a terrible feeling and I wish I could just not feel it again", Historia explained.
"At least this time I'm sure I haven't left any words unspoken. This time you should know that this was always going to be the end of our story. I'll get to die without regrets and you'll get to live on, carrying our story", Ymir smiled.
Tears started to flow down Historia's cheeks.

"Ugh you made me cry, you idiot. I was going to try not to", Historia sniffled.
"Just get down there and get it done", Ymir instructed, "oh, and just one thing. After I die, please don't think about what I want every time you do something and please don't think that things you do could make me unhappy, regardless of what people say. Even if I'm able to see what you're doing, I won't be unhappy with you".
"Okay", Historia nodded, placing one final warm kiss on Ymir's lips.

"I love you".
"I love you too".

Historia made her way down the stairs at the side of the ledge, where Zackly handed her the injection. He then stepped away, so that he wouldn't be caught in the blast. The Queen stood below the ledge, where she could clearly see her lover's face, as she edged the needle closer and closer to her skin. She had been here before, except this time the one to be killed would be someone who she loved dearly. This time, there were no arms around her, forcing her to inject herself and the only thing causing the needle to edge closer and closer to her skin was her own free will.

This time, the needle actually pierced through her skin, allowing the serum to flow into her blood.

And that was it.

That was all Historia could remember. That was the end of her story with Ymir, although her story as Paradis' Queen hadn't even come close to it's climax. Of course, at the time, Ymir's death ate away at her soul, but after a while, Historia stopped considering it a tragic ending; Historia felt that the time she had had with Ymir had been more than enough, as it had been the happiest part of her life. It had also set her up for a future without Ymir.

There was one thing that she knew for certain, though.
As idiotic as Ymir was, she had always been selfless. She went against her own morales of living for herself. She had broken her promise to Historia - they were never going to grow old, living for themselves. Everyone that she had done had been for Historia and for others.

Perhaps if Ymir hadn't been so idiotically selfless, then Historia wouldn't have held her in her heart, even after her death.