Chapter 1: That Night

The sun was beginning to set, and Historia had already complete her job as queen for the day. She decided to spend the rest of the evening back at the orphanage. However…

"Hey you two get back here!" Historia shouts at the boys sprinting across the open grass as she chases after them. "I said get back here!" The boys continue to frolic. One of them were soon caught by her while the other proceeds to run. Before she could catch up to the other kid, a tall figure in a black hoodie reaches out pulling the boy to him as he passes by. "Ah Eren!" Historia says as her eyes lit up.

"Hey," he grins.

"Thank you for stopping him," she smiles. Eren releases his hold on the boy. Historia scolds the kids before allowing them to go back to their rooms. "So Eren, what brings you here?" She asks as she focuses her gaze at his calm countenance. He didn't respond. Eren look lost in thought while he peers at the luscious red-orange, pink, and purple sky. There was a stillness in the air and a light breeze. She continues to stare at him as his hair sways with the wind. The only people besides them were the guards, but they had already went somewhere else temporarily. His eyes blink after he heard her call his name the second time with a concern voice.

"My bad..."

"It's alright..." The two look at each other for a moment then he turns back at the horizon again.

The past few days Historia and most likely everyone they know had notice how distant he became. It was like he was in his own world. A world in which no one had a clue about. A world where no one could enter no matter how much they try. A world that left him looking from afar. There came a small gust of wind while they stood there silently until Eren finally spoke up. "Sorry..." For some reason the way he said that struck her heart. When he faced Historia again, there was a sign of remorse across his face. Their shadows slowly began to blend in with the growing darkness so she suggested that the two should talk indoors.

They sat on opposite sides of a table next to a window. There was one tall candle that rested on the center of the table and gleamed inside the dark and chilly room. Eren tried not to make eye contact with her. Historia watched him, but no matter how long she looked at his face, she couldn't tell what his blank expression meant.

"I never got a chance to tell you this but thank you," Historia says. He finally glances at her then cocks an eyebrow.

"For what?"

"For stopping us from following through with the plan that Mrs. Kiyomi told us about..."

"Ah..." He averts his eyes away from her. "I did that because I didn't want to have you go through something like that. Plus, I would prefer it if you lived a happy and long life. Except..." Eren pauses noticing her eyebrows scrunch tightly. "We don't have much time left, nor do we have any other options other than..." He took a deep breathe before speaking with a grim voice. "You'll need to become pregnant." The candle flickers. Her eyes widen, and her head moves down.

The answer she had just receive was one she never look forward to hear especially coming from him.

"I see..." came her tight-lip reply.

"Sorry, but this was the only thing I could think of to buy us more time, and to keep them from turning you into a titan so you can eat Zeke..." He gave a forceful exhalation before he resumed.

"I've been keeping contact with him, Zeke." She peers up at him. "He said he wants to free the Eldians." Before Eren could finish, he sees her raise an eyebrow. "Don't worry, it's not like I trust him either. However, we don't have any other person of royal blood to activate the rumbling, and like I said I'd rather you live a long life. Which is why I have no other choice but to go along with him..."

"No way..." A look of anguish crosses her face.

"Ever since we received the message from Hizuru that they weren't going to help us, I realized that we needed to activate the rumbling no matter what." He thought about it for a little before he continues. "Because they'll be coming to Paradis at some point, I plan to invade Marley before that happens. This way we can stall them... Well besides that, we need to bring Zeke here." Historia becomes speechless. Tears were beginning to form from the corner of her eyes. She knew that what Eren said meant he is going to put his life at risk which reminds her of someone else who already left this world. The room fell silent for a moment.

"But, Mrs. Kiyomi said we need to keep the rumbling for 50 years from now," Historia exclaims. Eren ponders for a bit.

"When I talked with Yelena in secret..." She raises both of her brows and blinks. Eren hesitates then proceeds. "I found out that the plan Mrs. Kiyomi discussed with us weren't Zeke's true intentions. Apparently, he's got something else in mind. But whatever it is..." Eren stops again. "I'm going to end this 2000 years war." She gives him the worried eyes.

"Do you think they'll accept Zeke?" She asks in a small voice.

"Whether they do or not, I will still pretend to go along with him. Even if it means I have to make myself look like an enemy to everyone else..." She opens her mouth only to close it again. "That's all I have to say..." When he got up from his chair to head to the door, Historia seizes him with both hands on to his lower right arm. "Historia?" Eren glances down at her grip then to her face. Realizing what she meant he whispers, "do you… have someone who you'd be willing to do it with?" Historia shakes her head. "Someone you know?"

She stood there silently for a bit then replied. "There is someone I know from my childhood but..."

"But?" She exhales before resuming.

"I don't think they would want to do it with me..."

"Why do you say that?" She purses her lips.

"No never mind," she then releases her hold. "It's just that they used to throw rocks at me. So, I always assumed they hated me, but it's probably fine now because they've been helping me out at the farm. I'll go try aski–"

"No sorry, it was already bad enough to ask you to do this so suddenly even though I was against using you in the first place..."

"Its fine..." The room became quiet again with only the sounds of crickets outside.

"Are there any other guys that you know of?" He asks in a gentle voice. She lowers her head.

"The only other guys I know of that I trust are Jean, Armin, and you..." The two stands still for a while. Eren then breathes in and out.

"If your fine with me... I'll do it." Her mouth fell open a little with her eyes glinting. After that, the atmosphere between them becomes awkward.

Days after Eren and the others were constructing the railroads for their island—

Levi, Hange, and Eren were in a wide room inside the capital city of Eldia, Mitras. They were discussing about what they plan to do in the future. Hange sat on a couch that was across from Eren with a coffee table in between them. Levi was leaning against the wall a few meters from the doorway with his arms crossed.

"Zeke will die soon. Therefore, we need to make sure that everyone agrees to have Historia turn into a titan for her to eat Zeke. That way we can bring him over here before Marley chooses to pass the beast titan over to someone else." Eren's eyes were down the entire time as he broods. "Eren, as much as I don't want us to force our problems on to Historia, we don't know of any other way other than to have her transform into a titan so she can eat Zeke," Hange spoke in a low voice.

Eren raised an eyebrow. "I won't accept it."

"Eren..." Hange looked at him as she lowered her eyebrows with sorrowful eyes. Eren gritted his teeths then slammed his hand on the table which caused Hange to flinch, and Levi cocking an eyebrow at him.

"How could you even ask that Hange? You and me both know how wrong it is!" He shouted.

"Although its wrong..." Hange peeked over her shoulder and Eren glanced up. Their eyes were focused on Levi. "We really don't have any other ideas unless you have something else in mind?" Levi questioned. She turned back to Eren and saw that he became quiet. Levi continued on. "Not only that, didn't Historia already agree to it? Its her choice if she lets us use her or not. If she still accepts her fate, then we shouldn't even complain..." Hange noticed Eren clenching his fists. He was the first to storm out the door while slamming it shut from behind him. Hange and Levi listened as his stomping grew quieter. When it was finally silent, Hange exhaled.

"Why did this have to happen?" She asked in a small voice as she held her head with both hands.

"In the end..." She turned her head to Levi when he spoke up again. His eyes lowered. "Not everyone will be able to live happily." Her face darken with her eyes casted down. Both of them peeked up when they heard a creak at the door.

"Ah, Armin what brings you here? Are you perhaps looking for Eren?" Hange questioned.

"Yes. Do you happen to know where he went?" He watched as Levi and Hange gave eachother the troubled eyes.

"He left the room just a few minutes ago. He's probably further down in the hallway," she responded.

"Ah thanks..." Right when Armin was about to open the door again, Hange called out to him to wait.

"Would you mind doing us a favor," she asked in a low voice. Armin looked at her perplex.

Armin rushed down the corridor searching for Eren. At some point he saw a man few meters ahead of him in the hallway. He immediately recognized the guy from behind.

"Eren!" Armin called out as he ran in the hallway to catch up to him. "Where were you?" Eren didn't look at him instead he continued to walk. "Mikasa is worried about you. So is everyone else." He remained quiet as they walk side by side. Armin studied his visage. "I heard from Hange that you still refuse to go along with the plan that Mrs. Kiyomi mentioned." Eren furrowed his eyebrows and quickens his pace. "Is it because of Historia?" He finally halted then turned to look at him.

"Armin, do you think we should sacrifice her?" He asked in a low voice. Armin knitted his eyebrows with his eyes down from him.

"I- I don't want us to, but we don't know what else to do." He paused then glanced up at Eren. "We just need some time for us to show them that we aren't a threat, and that we truly just want peace with everyon-"

"We don't have time," he said with frustration.

"...Maybe we can try talking with some of them that way they can try to consult with-"

"Armin, it's like I said before. No matter what we say their eyes will remain narrowed at us. They see us as the devils of Ymir, and they aren't wrong about the fact we can turn into titans." Armin went silent for a few minutes. "The only thing we can do is fight even if it means we can't activate the rumbling." He still kept his mouth closed. Just when Eren turned his back to the same direction, Armin spoke up again.

"I have been wondering for a while now, but is Historia perhaps... special to you?" His eyes quickly shifted to Armin with his mouth open a little.

"Why do you ask that?"

"Ah, no particular reason." He quickly replied. "It's just that... you're doing all of this so that we don't have to sacrifice Historia." He hesitated on whether he should finish what he intended to say to Eren. However, a part of him was curious about what his response would be so he carried on. "Even though... we don't know of any other way to keep everyone else on Paradis protected." Eren narrowed his eyes at him. His voice grew cold.

"The plan that Mrs. Kiyomi brought up would mean we would leave all our problems to her and her kids by using them as live stocks. There's no way I would want her to have to go through that kind of life even if that meant-"

"...Eren?" Historia called out to him. He saw that she was inspecting his face closely. Eren peered over her shoulder at the table and noticed the candle had already gone out. The only source of light was the moon that shone through the window. He turned back to Historia. Both of them were half undress. She kept a small distance between them.

"Ah no-" He places a hand over his head. "To be frank with you I..." He hesitates, then notices her eyes looking at him anxiously. Eren sighs, then sits at the edge of the bed with his back arch to her. "I didn't want you to become pregnant, nor did I want you to do it with someone you're not familiar or comfortable with. Actually, I rather you don't do it with anyone..."

"Eren...?" Her eyebrows lowers.

"Sorry, even though I'm the one who told you to become pregnant... I don't know what's wrong with me." She wraps her arms around him from behind with her head rest on his back.

"I know I already told you this, but back when Ymir chose Reiner and Bertholdt over me. Not only did I felt like I had lost all-purpose to fight, I lost someone who was really dear to me. Later on, I stopped pretending to act as someone who I wasn't even if that meant people wouldn't like me or look at me the same anymore but..." Eren peers over his shoulder. "When you accepted my true self, I felt really happy." He feels her grip tighten. "Back in the cave I said I was an enemy of humanity, but I would still be your ally." She stops for a few seconds then resumes. "Honestly, I would not have cared if they were coming to wipe us all out. But because I am Paradis' queen, I have to do what I can to make sure that nothing bad happens to everyone on this island."

"Historia..."

"Which is why, no matter what it is you plan to do in the future as long as you'll keep fighting for everyone on this island's freedom, I won't try to stop you. And, If I have to become pregnant for it to happen..." She presses her lips together into a thin line with the inner corner of her eyebrows angle up. "Then I'll do it."

"Sorry," says Eren. He feels her head shake on his back.

"The only thing I ask of you is that you better not die before your lifespan runs out. I won't accept that. Please... I don't want to know that another person important to me ended up like-"

"I got it..." he answers in a remorseful voice. After that the two did it...

BONUS:

The time when Hange stopped Armin—

She placed her hands on his shoulders then spoke in a serious tone. "Armin, I know that you and Mikasa are the closest to him because both of you have known him since childhood and were friends with him ever since," she said. "Which is why, I'm hoping that you two could convince him to comply as soon as possible..." He didn't say anything. "Armin?" she called anxiously.

"It's like you said, we've known him since childhood. Knowing Eren, he probably won't follow through with it at all. It might just be me, but I think Eren finds Historia as someone irreplaceable or..."

"Don't worry I understand," Hange replied.

"Anyways, I get what you mean, but even I can't say I fully agree to sacrificing Historia. Is there really nothing else we can do? Is this really the only option we have?" Armin stood there uncertain if he should try to do what Hange requested of him. She tilted her head to the floor in front of them and released Armin.

"From the beginning when we first heard about the plan, I questioned whether it was fine to leave our troubles to someone else's hands and to their family. Not once had I thought this was the best solution, but it's also the only solution that we know of. We've tried to come up with another way, but we haven't gotten anywhere these past months. At some point we may not be able to think of anything else..." Hange explained. She stood still with her eyes at the ground. The room was soundless. Levi shifted his gaze away from Armin and Hange. Armin quietly thought about it eventually he broke the silence.

"I'll try..." She looked up and noticed that he still felt conflicted.

"Thank you..." Although she appreciated the response Armin gave, the feelings that were hidden under her gratitude were actually filled with regrets.