A Legend's Journey

Disclaimer: I don't own attack on titan, all copyrights go to the creator, not sure what his name is but I'll find out and put it in the future chapters. Anyways…. Yeah I don't own the series please don't sue me, and have a nice day.

A/N: Chapter 11 The City of Lightning. Enjoy.

Year 846 September 9th

It had taken nearly two more weeks for Eren to get out of that desolate hell on earth. He found sanctuary in a forest of giant trees, the third he has ever found outside the walls.

The trees would provide more than enough height for him to escape any titan that he may yet still encounter. Using the trees to hunt high above the forest floor it had been all but too easy for Eren to kill the various creatures within the forest.

He had even taken the time to make himself clothing from the skin of the deer and rabbits he had killed.

The deer hide was used in making the build of clothing, while the rabbit's thick fur was used to make Eren's clothing as warm as any jacket he could have gotten back home. His timing couldn't have been better, since in a few months the winter would coat this entire forest in a teeth clattering chill.

Now, within the peace of a forest of giant trees, Eren mercilessly attempts to control the powers he had briefly held during his moment of desperation in the desert.

'Faster' thought Eren as he pounded his fists against the thick bark of a giant tree. And as he continued to bloody his hands his body retaliated with an onslaught of healing.

Looking down at his bloodied hands Eren saw his healing abilities accomplishing what they have always done in Eren's life.

But healing abilities alone would not guarantee his survival in this place.

Not against the Titans that roamed outside the walls.

"Grow" Eren commanded to his hands, willing not just the crystal claws on his fingers to emerge but for his entire hand to be encased in a protective crystal layer. The results of such a command was beyond anything that Eren could have imagined himself.

Segments of the same black crystal that encased the tips of Eren fingers now covered his hand like armor. All but the palm, and the palm sides of his fingers, were encased in an armor far superior to any steel armor that blacksmiths within the walls were capable of forging.

Curling his fingers to the point where the tips of his fingers touched the bottom of his palm, Eren created the best fist he could with his new crystal encased hand.

Bringing his hand back Eren punched the tree with all his might. Creating an indent larger than that of all his previous punches combined.

Taking a step back to examine his work Eren smiled in the satisfaction of accomplishing his first goal.

"I was right" Eren said smugly to himself.

"Pain does cause my powers to manifest themselves for the first time"

Licking his dry lips Eren could also feel his throat had become devoid of moisture as well, when only seconds ago it had felt fine.

'So this is their drawback' Eren thought before heading over to his bag and grabbing his water sac. Gulping down its contents Eren replenished the water he had lost in the creation of his crystal covered hands.

"That would explain the steam after all" Eren mused as he placed his water back into his bag.

Lifting both of his hands up and into the air Eren willed the crystals to remove themselves from his hands. And in a cloud of hot steam the crystals evaporated off Eren's hands in the same way Titan blood would evaporate into the air.

'What is the difference between us?' Eren thought.

'What is the difference between me and the Titans?'

Sitting down on the forest floor Eren pondered this question thoroughly.

He compared his indiscriminate slaughter of the Titans to their unrelenting hunting of him, the nature defying abilities to heal that he shared with them, as well as the pleasure they must experience when they end a human life. And with each comparison Eren found himself believing that he was on equal footings with the beasts who had decimated his family's race.

'How long has it been since I've slept for an entire night?' Eren thought before laying down on the forest floor and covering his eyes to envelope his vision in darkness.

Thinking back to the desert battle that had occurred only weeks ago Eren longed for the power he had wielded in that one moment. For all the power that he possessed to finally be under his control. And to finally gain a part of the humanity he had lost so many years ago.

"To sleep like Mikasa and Dante do" Eren thought out loud. His voice filled with both the longing of one day returning to his family and the wish to become as human as he once was when he was young.

"Then I'll be ready to leave this place"

Pushing himself onto his feet in a burst of strength Eren ran towards the tree that he had previously been punching.

'But until then'

Kicking the tree with such force that bark splintered into his foot Eren took a step back and let his healing abilities deal with the injury he had sustained. But not before repeating the process to his left foot.

He would continue to kick with both of his feet until the pain and the healing had meet their match. Allowing him to activate the next tier of his abilities.

'I will never stop'

Year 846 September 18th

Atop one of the tallest trees in forest of giant trees Eren lay atop the thick canopy of branches and leaves. Using them as a makeshift bed that floated more than sixty meters in the air.

Aligning the stars with his astrolabe Eren made out todays date.

"The Eighteenth of September. Hm."

Setting the astrolabe next to him Eren looked back towards the sky.

"It took me more than a week but I finally did it" chuckling to himself Eren made dug himself deeper into the canopy bed. Letting the branches and leaves partially cover his body.

"I finally have the power to take back what we lost Angel" whispered Eren before he closed his eyes to take a nap that was long overdue.

Year 847 October 2nd

Deep within the countryside of Wall Rosa twelve rows of young men and women, who have been pressured by society, stand tall as they await their first orders as military trainees.

The facility that these cadets were currently stationed at was an old quarry that had been repurposed as a military training ground. Here the cadets would be taught all the latest techniques and skills that the military could possibly demand of them.

The facility had eight barracks, a large mess hall, a lanky guard tower, a private quarter for the instructors, a storage building, and separate bath houses.

Walking out of his private quarters, and towards the trainees that were lined up, a man with amber eyes slowly made his way to the trainees. This man was the former Survey Corps commander and current head instructor of the one hundred and fourth trainee squad.

Keith Shadis

"You!" he yelled out as he pointed to a blonde teenager that looked to be the age of eleven.

"Yes sir" responded the trainee as he saluted to his commanding officer.

"Who are you? Where are you from?"

"Armin Arlert, from Shiganshina District"

"I see. That's a ridiculous name! Did your parents give you that name?" asked Shadis in a voice loud enough for all the other trainees to hear.

"My grandfather did sir" answered an afraid Armin.

"Arlert why are you here?"

"To help humanity achieve victory!"

"That's wonderful to hear Arlert! We can feed you to the Titans as bait when we head to battle!" yelled the commander as his piercing amber eyes bore themselves into Armin's psyche.

Five rows back Dante silently watched as the instructor belittled his best friend. Knowing that all though he didn't like it, Armin would have to make his own way through training camp. This place was not one for the weak.

"Why are you here?"

"To devote myself to humanity"

"Excellent! We need someone to clean the toilets" Mocked Shadis

"Fifth row, about face" commanded the instructor as he walked past the fifth row and towards the sixth row.

Dante's and Shadis' eyes meet for only a moment before he passed him by, just as he did for Mikasa and some of the other trainees.

"Who are you?" asked Shadis as he stopped his walk in front of a teenager with light ash-brown hair, with his sides and back trimmed shorter and of a darker hue.

"Jean Kirstein, from Trost District" said the teenager while his light brown eyes meet the amber eyes of the instructor.

"Why are you here?" Shadis asked before taking a step closer to Jean.

"To join the Military Police and live in the interior" answered Jean.

"Oh. You want to live in the interior, do you?" replied Shadis, as if he found the answer acceptable.

"Yes sir"

Smiling in the satisfaction of supposedly making a good impression with his instructor Jean never saw how wrong he truly was. Because a moment later the instructor slammed his forehead into Jean's face. Causing the teenager to fall to the floor in pain as he clutched his bleeding nose.

"If you can't handle this than you can forget about the Military Police"

Walking past another row Shadis picked out the weakest link he could find in the chain of trainees.

"You're next! Who the hell are you?"

"Connie Springer, I'm from Ragako Village on the south side within Wall Rosa" answered the boy before saluting with his arms in opposite positions.

Showing that he was more than just a loud voice Shadis lifted Connie into the air by grasping his skull with both hands.

"You have it backwards, Connie Springer" Said Shadis with malevolence in his voice.

"That salute was the first thing you were taught here. It expresses your resolve to give your heart to the people. Is your heart on your right side? Connie. Springer."

Powerless to say anything as the instructor lifted him into the air Connie was unable to respond. And unwilling to let the boy off easy Shadis continued to make him squirm in pain.

Never taking his eyes off of Connie until the sound of munching made him turn his head to the left.

And what he saw took his breath away from both him and the trainees that followed his powerful gaze. Words could not describe what Shadis was witnessing, reality itself seemed to playing a joke on the instructor.

For less than four meters away from him a girl with dark red hair and dark amber eyes was eating a luscious yellow potato.

Dropping Connie to the floor Shadis made his way over to the eating girl. While her fellow trainees watched on in fear, of her life, as Shadis slowly approached her.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Shadis before he took in a shuddering breath that hid his fury. But whether it was from sheer stupidity or brilliant acting the girl eating the potato looked unfazed by the instructor's presence. And instead chose to continue consuming the potato in her right hand.

"I asked you. What do you think you're doing?!" yelled Shadis, whose voice echoed across the entire training field.

With wide eyes the girl finally noticed the presence of her instructor and quickly got into a salute. Potato still in hand.

"Who are you?" asked Shadis.

"Sasha Braus from Dauper village on the south side of Wall Maria"

"Sasha Braus…" whispered Shadis as he practically hovered over the girl, covering her in his shadow.

"What is that you're holding in your right hand. Sasha Braus?"

"A steamed potato sir" Sasha stated shamelessly.

"And where did you find this potato?"

"I found one in the mess hall that was ready to eat, so I couldn't help myself"

"You stole it. But why. Why did you eat in now of all times?" asked a dumbfounded Shadis.

Looking around at the other trainees to see their looks of astonishment Shadis confirmed to himself that he wasn't trapped in some terrible dream.

"I felt it would be a waste to let it get cold, so I decided to eat it now"

"That's not what I was asking"

Confused by the instructors words Sasha licked her lips as she thought of how to respond.

"Are you asking why people eat potatoes sir?" she asked.

Silent gasps of astonishment spread throughout the one hundredth and fourth trainee class. Not a single soul could believe what they had just heard.

But most importantly their instructor, Keith Shadis himself, could not believe what he was hearing. It left him speechless in front of the girl, and was embarrassing him in front of the class that he was assigned discipline.

Swiveling her head to look at her shocked classmates Sasha gasped in realization.

Taking her potato in both hands she split the soft flesh in half and held out one of the pieces.

"Here's half for you" Sasha said as she smiled.

Genuinely amazed Shadis shakingly grabbed the potato that had been offered to him.

"Half…" he whispered in amazement.

'By Rosa' Thought Dante from three rows away as he tried to contain his laughter.

Biting down into the potato Shadis was left in awe.

"It tastes so real" he whispered.

"I buttered it to" Sasha stated before she took another bite of her own potato.

"I see" Shadis said before snatching Sasha's potato away from her.

"Hey you already have your own!" she cried out.

Unfazed by her yelling Shadis put both pieces of the potato in his coat pocket before looking down at the girl.

"Sasha Braus. Soldiers are only given three meals a day. And since you already had dinner you will not be allowed to enter the mess hall tonight."

"No! Please anything but that!" Sasha yelled out as she fell onto her knees and wept.

"Now start running until you can't run anymore or I'll make sure that you never see another potato for the rest of your life!" Shadis both threatened and commanded.

Still crying Sasha stood up and began running around the field, tears spilling out her eyes like a fountain.

Year 848 February 7th

Exploring a vast mountain range for any signs of possible hideouts that human's may have used to escape the Titan's. Eren was currently climbing one of the larger mountain in search of any signs of a settlement.

Pushing against the howling winds of the mountain Eren fought against the bone numbing chill that threatened to end his existence. Never failing to produce step after agonizing step through the thick white snow.

Knowing that this test of endurance would end in due time and that he would not be claimed by the mountain.

Having climbed throughout the night and with the sun rising in east, while he was currently climbing the west side of the mountain, the mountain cast a dark shadow that kept the air as cold as the night.

Reaching the last challenge in his climbing of the mountain Eren found himself in front of a large ice covered rock face.

Tightening the straps of his bag in preparation Eren then exploded into the air and used his sharp crystal claws to climb the last twenty meters of the jagged mountain.

Pulling himself higher and higher Eren made short work of the icy cliff and finally entered the warm light of the sun.

Sighing in the tingling warmth that the sun always brought him in the cold mornings Eren was unknowingly feeling his body return to full power.

Looking down at the base of the mountain, and away from the bright rising sun, Eren was grateful to finally see trees sprouting their leaves and flourishing in the sun's life giving rays.

Peering down the mountains surface Eren saw that where the west side of the mountain had been jagged and rough, the opposite was true for the east side of the mountain. A seamless layer of snow covered this side of the mountain, making the mountain as smooth as could be.

"How do I get down?" Eren mused as he searched for a walkable path to take down the mountains.

Taking careful steps down the mountain Eren only walked thirty yards before he was forced to stop.

With his right foot Eren was trying to determine whether or not the ground was truly safe to walk on, and every time the snow would compress further and further down into the mountain.

Tired of the anomaly Eren slammed his foot down into the snow and was greeted by the shaking of the snow in front of him.

Before Eren's own eyes the snow covering the top of the mountain seemed to peel off and slide all the way down said mountain. Creating a massive cloud of snow that revealed all the rocks and hidden trees on the mountains surface.

And so caught up in the natural wonder Eren was unprepared for the snow that crumbled around him, creating a miniature avalanche in the wake of the massive avalanche.

Stumbling uncontrollably down the mountain Eren eventually righted himself and slide belly down on the leftover snow covering the mountain.

But with the rocks and trees swiftly approaching, and no way for Eren to stop himself, he rolled over as he slide to avoid the painful collisions.

Sliding and dodging his way down the mountain Eren's adventure would have to come to an end just like any other. And with the rapidly approaching mass of snow, that had deposited itself at the base of the mountain, Eren could only hope that there were no large rocks hidden within its fluffy exterior.

'Sweet Maria' Eren prayed before he hit the snow at his terminal velocity.

Laying ten meters within the snow Eren checked his body for any major injuries, seeing that the snow that covered him had numbed every inch of his body. Even the places that should never feel numb, Eren made sure to check those areas first.

Feeling that his appendages were indeed intact Eren dug his way out of the snow and back to the fresh air of the forest.

Looking around Eren saw that he had missed hitting many of the trees that lined the forest's edge. A fact that he was thankful for.

Shaking the cold away Eren grabbed onto the closest tree before jumping from branch to branch to make his way out of the fluffy mess of snow. Which took no more than ten minutes to accomplish.

Now making his way across the valley walked and walked, never stopping.

Not until he had finally found what he had been searching for his entire life.

It had been a sight unlike any other Eren had ever seen.

A city bathed in the light of the dying day.

A city so large that it could easily fit three districts of Shiganshina inside.

This was the site that meet Eren's eyes when he had traveled over the last mountain range.

It was a city that rested on the edge of the giant body of water that made up the horizon. Its image was blurry from the long distance that separated him from it, but Eren could still make out structures that must have been built by human hands.

After staring at it for only a few mnutes Eren impulsively ran down mountain and sped into a mad dash once he had hit the forest floor below.

With heavy breaths Eren made his way to the wall that encompassed the entirety of the city.

It stood nearly thirty meters tall and looked as strong as Wall Maria.

"Where?" Eren exhaled out as he searched for a gate that would let him enter the city. All the while he cursed the rains from last night, which had made the wall to slippery to climb.

Running around the circumference of the wall Eren eventually found an entrance that he could use. One that had obviously not been there when the wall was first constructed.

'So even this didn't stop them' Eren thought darkly before he walked through the destroyed section of the wall. And all hopes that this city may contain human life was now gone.

"They truly are relentless creatures" whispered Eren as he made his way into the city.

Stepping past the gate of stone Eren could not help but reminded of home as he made his way down the streets of this city, which he had proclaimed old Shiganshina.

The architecture of the houses screamed home to him more than any of the other desolate cities he had found. The layout of the streets and the street lamps that lined them resembled the way Shiganshina was constructed to a tee.

The greatest difference between Shiganshina and this place was the enormous size difference, as well as the vines that covered many of the houses.

And yet there was a surprisingly little amount of vegetation on the roads.

Making his way through the massive city Eren passed what he believed to have been the cities market place. There may be little within the town but shops still seemed to be full of merchandise that had been left on display in the large windows.

While some of the buildings look to have been destroyed Eren was able to find many that were perfectly intact, and some which were sealed off from the outside by wooden panels.

"Did they really believed that this would help them?" Eren thought out loud as he imagined a fifteen foot Titan being stopped by a boarded door.

Walking over to the boarded door Eren pulled the thick vines off the door before ripping off the wooden boards that were nailed into the doorframe. Pulling the door open Eren took a moment to see if any animals were hiding within. It would, after all, be best if he wasn't walking into some wolf den. Like he had so foolishly done six months ago.

Taking his first steps into the home Eren saw that many of the items and possessions of the previous owner were still intact.

Their cabinets and closets were all filled with the essentials that you would need to maintain a house, especially one like this three story house. Their incredibly old furniture may have been eaten by some of the moths in the air, but Eren found that was only to be expected.

This place was completely devoid of human life. And had probably been so for nearly a century, if not more.

After searching the house for clothes Eren had only found a handful of high class dresses that had been sealed in a chest on the third floor.

Utterly useless to him.

Making his way down the creaking stairs of the house Eren Looked down at the bottom of the stairs and took notice of a lock. Which seemed to be attached to some basement entrance that Eren must have missed on his way in.

Gripping the lock in his left hand Eren twisted the metal and broke the hinge that held it in place. Revealing an ominously dark flight of stairs that led to a basement door.

Cautiously, Eren made his way down the stairs before twisting the locked door knob. Frustrated at all the locked doors he was finding Eren kicked open the wooden door, smashing the door knob clean off the door.

Walking inside the pitch black room Eren could barely make out the shapes of skeletons laying on top of the many beds in the room. He squinted his eyes to see that they all had chains attached to their wrists.

"What the hell" whispered Eren as he walked down the length of the basement.

'Why were these people chained to these beds?' Eren thought before another thought occurred to him.

'Are all the houses like this?'

Spinning around Eren ran up the stairs and out of the house, making a beeline towards the next house he had seen boarded up.

Smashing through the door Eren searched the house for any sign of hidden door, but found none. Instead he continued to make his way up the four story house and eventually reached the fourth floor.

Walking towards the one and only door on the fourth floor Eren was surprised to find words that he could for once understand. Unlike all the other castles, and villages he had visited before.

"No Entry" Eren read as he brushed his fingers against the letters that were carved into the wood.

'No entry…. It's like they wanted me to enter' Eren thought before smashing his hand through the wood and opening the door from the inside.

Pushing the door open Eren walked in to find two skeletons laying side by side in a loving embrace. And captivated by the scene Eren could only stare at them, as he tried to imagine how they meet their end.

'They weren't eaten obviously' Eren thought.

"And I doubt the starved if they had this big of a house" Eren said before noticing a small diary in between the skeletons.

Walking over to the bed Eren reached over and grabbed the diary between their bones. Something that could give him some insight to what happened here and provide him with some reading material for the night.

Turning around to leave Eren was stopped by words that were carved above the door frame.

"No cure"

"No cure for what?" questioned Eren before he decided to head back outside and investigate more of the other houses that were in the same state as this one.

From house to house Eren found the same scene in each.

Skeletons laying down in their final resting place behind locked doors, isolated from society and the horrors the Titan's most have brought.

All the signs lead toward some type of epidemic that must have been plaguing this city before the Titan's finally found it hundreds of years ago.

Walking toward the city's harbor Eren finally found the structure he had been keeping an eye out for.

The castle of the city.

And surprisingly the giant tree that grew on the far end of the island.

The only problem was the expanse of water between him and the island that the castle resided on.

For where once stood a mighty bridge that connected the castle to the mainland now stood a decrepit bridge. Whose legs had been destroyed underneath him, leaving him to sink deep under the water.

Seeing no other option, other than building a boat, to get across to the island in the middle of the vast harbor. Eren set his belongings down on the sand and took with him only his dagger before he plunged himself into the cold ocean water.

The swim over didn't take Eren terribly long but it did leave him steaming once he exited the ocean. As his body worked to keep the temperature of his skin in homeostasis.

Grabbing his wet clothes Eren ringed them out one by one before placing all but his wet t-shirt back on his body.

He did not enjoy the feeling of wet cloth against his chest.

Walking onto the streets of the island Eren made his way towards the castle in the middle. All the while noticing how this center piece of the city seemed to be both the most extravagant and most destroyed section of the city.

From his new perspective, on the island, Eren could see that the giant tree wasn't all too far from the castle itself. Maybe only a hundred meters or so.

'I'll climb it once I'm done.

Finally making it to the castle Eren quickly found the ruined front gates and entered the castle's large courtyard. And with his entrance of the castle an unsettling feeling entered his chest.

The first thing Eren noticed was the large white torch statue that held a blue flame in the ruined courtyard. Curious about the bronze plating that lined the statue Eren walked up to it and read the words inscribed into the bronze.

"We protect the king so that he may rise to help those below, and in the glory of humanity we ask to be remembered"

"A memorial" Eren mused.

"We could definitely use one of these back home" Eren said before childishly thinking of various ways he could move the statue all the way back home. Which would involve a voyage through deserts, mountains, and rivers.

'It can be done' Eren thought as he imagined him building a massive carriage that would be moved by the countless wild horses in the plains of the valleys he had found.

The creaking sound of wheels that grew louder with the pounding of the earth behind him, and within the city, brought Eren's attention back into reality. This was not a sound that could be created by mindless animals, this was a sound that required human hands to produce.

Excitingly Eren waited until the approaching sound came to him. Standing still Eren grabbed the t-shirt on his shoulder and quickly put it on before combing his hair to make himself look as presentable as possible.

'First impressions are the most important' Eren thought, repeating the words his mother had told him so long ago.

Smiling Eren waited until the source of the sound came in through the castle gates.

Replacing his expression with confusion and dread.

'This can't be real' Eren thought as he looked at the monstrosity that had appeared before him.

A Titan just as unique as the city he was in.

And just as ruined.

It was a Titan that once may have been six meters in height, but now stood at four meters in height. Devoid of legs and using a base of a carriage to roll itself around. Its body riddled with scars, and its eyes showing true signs of emotion.

"So humans have won the war have they?" The disfigured Titan asked, its yellow eyes piercing into Eren's red.

A/N: Cliff hanger, hahahaha.

Next chapter starts off right where this one ended.

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