The Dream

Wall Maria, Shiganshina - Year 845

Eren Jaeger was falling. The early morning sky around him was striped with pink and purple clouds, the floating masses parting as his body plunged through them. The wind roared in his ears, tearing at his black hair and causing it to whip about in a frenzy as fell voices raced past him. Screams of agony and terror echoed in the air as the sky grew dark; tendrils of brilliant white lightning crackling all around him as the very heavens themselves were shattered. Mikasa's face flashed before him, her features bloody and broken; staring forwards with eyes that could no longer see.

The young boy panicked and reached out towards his adopted sister; but in the blink of an eye she vanished, Eren's outstretched hands grasping nothing but dust which were quickly scattered by the howling tempest that rent the air around him. His emerald eyes glistened with tears as he cried out in anguish, his voice lost amidst the crashing of thunder. He continued to fall, his body plummeting through a seemingly endless void, gaining speed as he raced through the raging storm.

Soon a wall of heat crashed against Eren's body as the dark sky suddenly came alight with searing blue flame. Amidst the raging firestorm, he could hear the terrified screams of his mother; begging for him to flee, to escape from this hellscape. Despite his best efforts though, Eren could see nothing amidst the towering walls of blue fire that engulfed him from all sides. Distantly, he could make out the booming of heavy cannon and the terrifying sound of walls crumbling. Screams echoed in the hellish sky as the distraught young man opened his mouth to let out a single, solemn cry.

"Help!"

A shadow appeared amidst the seething mass of blue flame and a heavy hand shot out and gripped Eren's wrist, arresting his fall and bringing him to a screeching halt. The walls of fire parted, revealing a massive, heavily armored figure. Thick, green metal plates encased the giant's body, forming an uncomfortably alien suit of armor that looked completely foreign in the young man's eyes. Eren stared upwards, searching for his rescuer's face; but only a bright, polished gold surface greeted his eyes, reflecting his own visage back unto him. The giant held Eren's gaze for a moment before calling out to him.

"Eren..." Came the giant's voice, deep and gravelly as it echoed through the fiery abyss with an almost ethereal chime.

"Eren...Eren…

"Eren!" Mikasa barked sharply, slicing through the hazy cloud that had settled over Eren's mind as he slowly came back to consciousness. He groggily began to sit up, his eyes returning to the reality of everyday life. He blinked uncomprehendingly for a moment at the sight of his sister standing over him, her long dark hair drifting in the wind beneath the whispering branches of the oak tree he had fallen asleep under.

"Wh-wha?" Eren stammered, obviously confused and caught off guard. The last whispers of his dream slowly began to vanish from his mind. The feelings of terror and anguish rapidly receded, leaving the startling image of the armored giant burnt into his mind. Then it too blurred into nothing but an empty void that the young boy struggled to make sense of.

Mikasa's thin lips turned upwards into a small smile; a rare expression for the oriental girl. She was an unusually somber child; without the fiery drive and passion of her adoptive brother. However, something else was always lurking under the surface; a cold steel will that refused to give or break under any circumstance. Many local children had learned the hard way not to mess with Eren, as Mikasa was a natural and terrifying combatant, even at such a young age. Even older boys quickly learned to treat her with respect, lest they find themselves landing face first against the cold ground.

"Come on, we need to get back, it'll be dusk soon." Mikasa said, slowly reaching out a hand towards her brother, the branches of the oak casting long dappled shadows across both their bodies.

Eren stared at the offered appendage, his mind still struggling to recall his dream...but it was no use. He cast his eyes back towards the sky, watching the light of the sun filtering through the roof of leaves. After a few moments, he cast a glance upwards at his adopted sibling; a question forming on his lips.

"…Do you ever wonder what's up there Mikasa?" He asked, wiping drool from the corner of his mouth. Mikasa blinked once before affixing him with her ever present neutral visage, pondering his question for a few moments..

"You must still be half asleep if you can ask that sort of question. What do you mean by up there?" She asked, taking a seat beside her brother for a moment.

"I meant the stars Mikasa…"

"It's just the night sky Eren. There's nothing out there but the moon and stars."

"I mean, what if there's someone up there wondering what it's like down here?"

"Like some sort of god? I don't know, I've never really thought about it. Has Armin been talking about philosophy with you again?" Mikasa asked, slightly raising a single eyebrow.

Armin was a natural scholar and philosopher; often saying things that got both him and Eren into more trouble than they could handle. Mikasa had been forced more than once to intervene on their behalf; seeing off bullies who did not like the views that the young blonde boy espoused, or the truth that often resonated within his words. Even so, the three of them maintained a strong friendship despite it almost being more trouble than it was worth.

"I'm not sure, perhaps there are beings in the sky, or other people out there among the stars..."

"You've definitely been listening to Armin…" Mikasa said, shaking her head for a moment before looking at her brother once more. Such a question didn't seem like the sort of thing that would enter Eren's mind on it's own; she'd have to talk with Armin about it later…

"Do you think we'll ever meet them if they do exist?" She asked, glancing curiously at Eren.

"I hope so, don't you?"

Mikasa shook her head before looking to the sky. "What did you dream about Eren? Why would you ask such a question?"

Eren blinked. "I can't really remember. It's strange...like there's a hole where it should be…"

"Are you okay Eren?" Mikasa asked, staring into his emerald eyes with her steely blue ones. The boy blinked again, feeling rather confused.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Eren asked, cocking his head to the side slightly. Mikasa stood a bit straighter, shifting her weight onto her other foot.

"Why are you crying?"

Unbeknownst to the two children on the planet below, Eren's question had already been answered. The vast expanse of space held many secrets far beyond the capability of the humans inhabiting this primitive world. Astronomy was a fledgling science at best, but even the most well educated individual would not even be able to conceive the sheer breadth and width of the galaxy that they inhabited. Nor could they ever hope to anticipate the force that was about to arrive.

The cold darkness of space was rent asunder by a bright flash of blue light as a massive wormhole tore through the vacuum, regurgitating the remains of a derelict warship.

The starship's titanium heavy hull was scarred by plasma, drawing scattered debris to float about it. The aft portion of the ship was all that remained, split from the bow right down the middle, its edges still glowing in the aftermath of the disaster. The slipspace rupture soon collapsed behind it, leaving the dead vessel caught in the planet's gravity well.

Within the bowels of the aft section, the greatest weapon ever devised by mankind slipped into peaceful slumber, ready to awaken at a moment's notice. It would take four and a half years, but eventually the grizzled veteran of a war spanning over 2 decades and half the galaxy would be able answer Eren's question personally. With any luck, he could give this new humanity a fighting chance against the greatest threat that they have ever known; the Titans.

If only that was the greatest threat they would ever face...