Eren's last meeting with Historia.

The night sky was clear enough to see the great many stars across it, the air was chill and Historia could see her breath condense into vapor under the light of the moon, while she sat outside her farm resting from the day activities with her growing family of orphans and queenly duties. It reminded her of the steam she had seen rising from her titan shifter friends whom she could rarely meet those days.

She missed them and hoped that they remain strong and prepared for what would surely be a grim future. They had enjoyed a few quiet years of growth and discovery, but now their time was running out and they would have to take action towards defending their people before the inevitable return of their enemies, that is why the current objective of the Survey Corps was to find a way to make peace with their enemies.

It would be a last ditch effort to avoid their last recourse, the fifty year plan devised by none other than Eren's brother Zeke the holder of the Beast titan. But it mattered not to her who was the brains behind the plan, what weighed on her conscience was the fact that their last option needed her to take on the curse of Ymir and pass it down to all her descendants. Just like her family had done for centuries under the pacifist rule of the vow of war renunciation, effectively making her children's lives short and bound to the same fate as their predecessors.

It was the memory of that promise she once made to her beloved friend Ymir that night in the snowy mountain during their training.

Live your life with pride…

"A life you are proud of." She repeated out loud. Would Ymir be proud of her sacrifice for the sake of Eldia?...She was certainly willing to do it if there was no other way, but if the choice was hers...would she chose herself over her people? But it wasn't just her people, right?

It was Mikasa, and Armin, and everyone of the 104th that had become her family when she had no one but her death-wish. Historia thought right there that maybe she would sacrifice her people for the sake of her friends. Luckily their fate was tied…

Further ahead a slight movement in the dark caught her attention, someone was crossing the fence surrounding her property under the cover of the shadows. She looked around for any sign of her military security, but found out with dread that they were nowhere to be seen.

Did they retreat on purpose? Were they killed?. She thought in fear as she stood up, getting ready for anything.

But her fear passed as the figures in the dark grew bigger and closer, and she identified Eren and someone else walking towards them calmly, both with hoods to cover their identities from any onlooker. She could recognize the tall figure of Eren from afar now, he had grown so much since training, and the sure pace of his steps that erased the doubts from her heart.

"Eren." She called once they came closer. But before he answered her, Eren turned towards his companion and whispered something, to which they nodded with deference and walked away towards the further aside.

"Historia, I hope we didn't scare you too much. Everything is fine, I wanted to talk to you." He said with a deep low voice filled with purpose.

"Eren, what is this? Do the others know you are here?" She asked, thinking about what Mikasa would say about Eren traveling at night like this.

They were standing almost face to face now, the silver light of the moon illuminating their faces.

"Hopefully no one knows, I asked Floch to help me talk to you without the military's knowledge…" Eren said gently placing his hands on her shoulders. "Historia, we are running out of time, and I'm afraid that peace talks are not going to go well."

"Why? Did they hear from Kiyomi? They are purposefully keeping me out of the loop here, please tell me, what did she say?" She begged him, urging him with her hands on his chest.

"We heard from her, she believes our chances are slim, and our friends are almost non existent." He declared with sadness.

"So it's true, I will have to be part of the fifty year plan. Is that it?" She said with resignation, casting her eyes down on the ground beneath their feet. Suddenly she felt a gentle push on her chin and realized that it was Eren's hand asking her to look him in the eyes.

She did. There was a deep sadness in them, she recognized the eyes of a man that saw the reality of their world and had accepted his role in it. But there was strength in them, and fight, Eren had been fighting for them always and she knew in her heart that he would do it until his death.

"There is more…" He said quietly, their closeness helping to the privacy of their conversation. "Historia, since that time at the ceremony...I have known of another option. I never wanted it to get to that point, but now I fear it will be our only choice."

"Another option?" She repeated in disbelief, what could they possibly do to save their people, their friends and family?

"That day. I kissed your hand." He started, placing her hand in between his, even then she was sure he too felt the sheer electricity that their touch generated.

"I received memories from my father and found out about the secret power of the Attack titan...The holder of the Attack titan receive memories from future holders, it has been guiding us to something and I think my dad saw what it was."

"Future? How?...what did you see?" She asked feeling the dread of the revelation.

What could it mean? Who was guiding them?

"I saw the full memory of my father when he killed the Reiss family, your family…" He said, his voice sounded rough and tense. "Historia, I was there in the past, and my father saw me. I had to push him to do it, or he would not have done it otherwise."

"But what does that mean? Couldn't it be just a dream?" She questioned him.

"No, I'm sure of it now. I'm sure it was me from the future, Grisha saw me in the future and I was looking into the past." He concluded resolutely.

"It's impossible to travel in time like that, Eren, why are you so sure this is not all just a misunderstanding?" Historia could not in her right mind believe that he would make such a leap.

"No one else saw me but Grisha, because he was receiving memories from the future. And Kruger, the holder of the Attack titan before him also experienced memories from Grisha's future. And as to how I could have been looking into the past, I think it ties with the vision Grisha received after he killed your family." He finished.

"What did he see?" She asked almost entranced in the sight of Eren's expression when he thought of what he and his father had seen.

"Historia...I saw a way to save everyone from our enemies. I saw all the walls brought down, and an army of colossals rumbling everything beyond this island." He said almost whispering, it was like a great load had been taken from his shoulders just by saying it.

"Rumbling...the world?" She asked in shock.

"You see? At some point in the future, I must get full control of the founder's power. I will be able to explore past memories and command every titan and eldian. I tried to avoid it, but I don't think there is another choice, one way or another I will get there." Eren said.

"But...to kill billions of people...there is innocent victims there too and other eldians. There has to be a way to change the future, if we know what is going to happen, can't we just avoid it?" She tried to argue, it was true that she wanted to find another way but killing the world was...so final.

"That's just it isn't it?...I have been thinking about this for years and...I understand now, that future exist because of who I am and what I am willing to do for the people I love." Eren admitted with a broken voice and his eyes glistening.

"I don't know if I w-" She started to argue, grabbing him by the arms.

"I am not willing to sacrifice you, Historia, or any other of the 104th. I want you to live long lives and in peace. I want you to be safe and free…" Eren explained, cutting her off. "Every day I have less time left, and I can't die until I know that I did everything I could, that is why that future exist." He finished, tears rolling down his cheeks and falling on the ground.

Historia hugged him for she felt his pain, his urgency and desperation and he hugged her back with tender strength. They stayed there sharing a hug under the clear night sky and the light of the moon and stars, both feeling the weight of all the hardship they experienced since their lives had changed the day wall Maria had been attacked, and the pain and struggle that they would shoulder in the future.

After a moment when she felt that time had stopped, Historia pulled on Eren's hand and walked him towards a wooden bench on the front of her porch.

"If it's your choice, I support you." She finally said with a lot of weight in her voice, her throat felt as if made of stone. She knew Eren would not be dissuaded by a mere command from his Queen, Eren had been fighting for their survival harder than anybody else, he had lost as much or more than anyone else and sacrificed too.

Eren looked up finally and she saw a measure of relief on his face.

"This is the first time that you have talked to anyone about this?" She asked.

"Yes… " He said. "I told Floch I had a plan to save Eldia, but I wanted to talk about it with you first, I will tell him about it before we leave for Marley." He explained.

"Leave?" She asked a bit surprised at the news.

"Yes, it was Hange's idea." He said. "There is an international forum and a new organisation calling for the protection of the subject of Ymir is going to give a talk. If it doesn't work, I'll contact Zeke there and use him to get full control of the founder." He explained her.

"And you are certain that this organisation won't be able to help us?" She asked him a bit surprised by the knew of such movement.

"I'm sure of it...They are new and people who associate with subjects of Ymir are looked down among the people of the world." Eren said letting out a big sigh and sitting back.

"So, how are you going to get control of the founder, do you know how it works if you come in contact with Zeke?" She asked him, also reclining back and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know how it works, but I know I will achieve it. It's weird…" He said thoughtfully. "But I have contacted Yelena, and have told her that I will be working with them in favor of Zeke's plan...The way she talked about it, it made me think that he has some ulterior motive, I don't trust them, but I'll play along." He said finally.

Both of them remained sitting there on the bench in the quiet privacy of the night, their closeness keeping them warm and their minds keeping them quiet.

Historia sneaked glances at Eren from his shoulder, his face was really close and she studied his chin and how she could tell that he had probably shaved some time recently, the way his eyes were lost somewhere ahead and felt how his chest rose and fell. It was probably getting late.

"Historia…" Eren said after a while. "When the time comes, they will want you to inherit the Beast, but we will need to keep them from doing it until I come in contact with Zeke here on the island...Otherwise it will be for nothing." Eren told her, and she blushed at the new expression of how much he cared for her.

"Floch will be of help for that if you ask him, he will be working with me secretly. But I don't know how we can make it so they can't feed Zeke to you." He mused.

"Eren…" She started before she knew what she was going to say.

Eren remained silent, waiting for her to speak.

"You would kill everyone in the world for us? So that we are safe?" She asked.

"Yes." He just said, but something felt off to her, it couldn't be just for that. It was too big of a task, too big of a sacrifice just to protect them.

"You need more than that." She came to the conclusion out loud.

"I love you…" He suddenly said and she could see the blush on his face. "I love everyone of our friends, it's enough." He finished and brought her closer to him with his arm.

"You need more...I know it...you need something to come back to, something to look forward to, I know you are going to go at this too brash and suicidal." She concluded and they both laughed at the memory of his nickname during training. When their laugh receded she sat up and watched him closely, searching for his eyes.

Then he found hers too and both held them on each others. The night air felt wonderful on her hot skin.

"I want you to have something to come back to. Something to look forward to, so you try your best to come back. It won't matter to me what you will do, only why you do it and what was in your heart when you choose to do it." She said breathing a heavy sigh, she knew he felt it on his lips and she could feel his breathing caress her lips too.

Everything was leading up to that point in time, that place in space, the moment their lips came together fate was set in stone and they both understood that it was meant to be. It was destiny in the making.

The walked, locked in heated embrace until they somehow found themselves in her bed, and Eren's hand started to clumsily take her clothes off. It felt exhilarating and when she came to herself she realized that she wanted to take his clothes off too, so she did desperately, hastily.

Eren's deep laugh made her blush when he had to help her get his clothes off too, and then suddenly they were standing naked against each other. Their bodies seeking contact with passion, she felt Eren's hand on her bare back and he brought them down her spine hard but oh so satisfyingly and coming to rest on her cheeks, taking greedy handful that pushed her heart to the limit and made her moan helplessly.

For a time, in the midst of their movements Historia thought that they were alone, laying on a beautiful desert with the most colourful night sky with no moon. The sand was soft and warm on their skin, the breeze just right to soothe the heated lovemaking. The shape of their embracing bodies illuminated by a bright bluish light that reached everywhere.

"I love you Eren…" Historia whispered and their bodies tensed with the electrifying feeling encompassing the entirety of their bodies.

They remained together until dawn, when Eren told her he had to leave before the others found out about his absence. She knew that it could be the last time they saw each other and her heart was having trouble keeping strong in the knowledge, but something had changed in her now, they had made something more than love, she felt it in her womb. Destiny.

As the two men left, she saw how curiously her night watch returned to their posts, surely something done by Floch.

Historia couldn't help to place a loving hand on her belly and hope for the best. It had to work out, it was meant to be.

"Floch." Called Eren as they rode back to base.

"Everything will be kept secret, the Queen's security is on our side." He assured him.

"Your job from now on will be to ensure the Queen's safety." He ordered him.

"How are we going to keep her safe from the military's plans?" Floch asked.

"She and I already solved that." He answered.

END.