Prologue: Ragnarok
Two thousand years later was humanity's true downfall. Forced from the three walls, all who survived scattered to different areas outside and became game for the titans. Some still lived in the walls, in the underground passages created thousands of years before. It wasn't a home so much as it was a safe place to carry out research on the Titan pandemic, convenient now in that humans could still roam outside at night to gather materials. Some brave men and women would grow crops still, a desperate attempt to feed their dwindling numbers.
But, today it would all come to an end.
She was sure of it, feeling both hope and dread for the events that would transpire next and before.
Glancing out from under thick lashes, her stormy grey eyes caught the flickering lights of the candles all around. The room was dark, and despite the candle light it seemed that the dark grey of the walls would swallow up all light. In the corners, she saw empty cobwebs and dust bunnies. All around her, people were rushing to and fro. She flicked her gaze from scientist to soldier, watching as they all began to operate on a machine that would, hopefully, send one of them back in time. The lights of the machine flickered on, blinding each of them momentarily.
"It's almost ready," one of the scientists told her. The machine hummed to a start, its engines vibrating the floor. It was long, a tube with a child-sized bed inside meant for a single specific passenger. Computers surrounded the capsule, with grim-faced scientists standing around them, programming the machine. Rapid clicks were heard as each of them went about their own tasks, typing with old, dusty keyboards.
The woman closed her eyes with a nod, and a tear fell from her cheek.
"Mom?"
She looked down at her son, a fierce-eyed boy who would become humanity's last hope. Her tears had fallen onto his forehead, and watching as they trailed their way down his nose pained her. Kneeling, the woman wiped her tears from the boy's face and forced a reassuring smile. The boy stared at her, green eyes wide – he had never seen his mother cry before in all nine years of his life.
"Mom? What's wrong?"
The woman shook her head, brushing her long fingers through his thick brown hair. Even now, knowing what was to happen to him next, the boy would worry for her. Her voice was a whisper when she told him, "Nothing, sweetheart."
"Don't lie," he mumbled, glaring. "Don't worry about humanity."
I'm worried about you, she whispered in her mind, but she could not say that. She didn't have it in her to burden him with her feelings.
"I'm not," the woman told her son slowly, pulling the boy into a gentle hug. Little arms wrapped around her shoulders as he hugged her back, burying his face into the nape of her neck. She rested her chin on his shoulder and whispered to him, "I know you'll save us."
And she did. She truly did have faith in the boy. In all nine years of raising him, her son was the most stubborn and strong person she had ever known – except for maybe his father. Every stupid mistake and every selfless decision was one she had the honor of being a part of. She was so proud. Even when he ventured out of the tunnels during the daylight to face the Titans, she was so proud. The woman admired her son's bravery and spirit, something that had died for the rest of humanity in the two thousand one hundred years of the Titan pandemic.
If anyone could save them, it was her son.
Eren.
The boy pulled back and fixed her with his fiery green-eyed stare. She could feel the intensity in the boy then, the same intensity that wouldn't allow her to keep him from this dangerous journey. Intensity was not the only thing there, however. She could also see her own hurt and loneliness reflected in those large green orbs, and seeing those feelings in him made her heart squeeze painfully.
"It's ready," a scientist called out.
Those weren't the words she wanted to hear. The machine was ready to sweep her boy away from her, and back thousands of years into the past. But, she wasn't ready. She wouldn't be ready for such a good bye for as long as she lived.
Quit your nonsense! The angry voice of a man screamed in her head.
Eren began to pull away, but she pulled him into another tight hug. "Mom," he gasped, taken unaware. It was a moment before the boy hugged her as tight as he could. She could hear him sniffing and holding back sobs. Rubbing his back, the woman gave her child one last squeeze before releasing him. She rested her hands on either one of his shoulders, her sad but hopeful eyes meeting her child's miserable ones.
His face was twisted with the pain, but he didn't close his eyes, and he fought with all his strength not to cry. She brushed his bangs from his forehead and planted a tender kiss there, just above his nose. They stayed there for a moment, both willing time to stand still at that very instant.
"Miss-"
"I know," she said to the offending scientist, but didn't spare him a glance. Instead she pulled back to look at her son's face one more time. The last time. His jaw was clenched, lips pulled back over grinding teeth as he stared toward the floor. Tears leaked from his eyes then, falling quickly to the brick floor. She brushed them gently from his face, using her maroon scarf to clean him. He would not be consoled so easily.
"I love you," she told him softly, presenting him with a smile.
Eren's breath hitched in his throat before he managed to inhale deeply. He took two more slow breaths, willing his sobs to stop. He managed somehow, and looked at his mother's face one last time. He etched every detail of his face into her memory, her stormy grey eyes that seemed to reflect the light in the most beautiful of ways, the elegant oval shape of her face, her short black hair and the maroon scarf that adorned her neck for as long as he could remember. Her smile was enough to still his quivering lip.
He nodded. "I love you, too."
Standing, the woman brought the boy to the capsule. The machine raised the capsular part of itself on metal arms, and once vertical, the see-through glass window swung open. With the help of his mother, the boy climbed into the machine and turned to watch the door close behind him. Subconsciously, he pressed his left hand to the glass. His mother pressed her hand into the glass where his hand was, and said softly, "See you later, Eren."
His last image of her was her smiling gently, before the machine shone brilliantly and disappeared altogether an instant later.
A moment later, one of the scientists turned his gaze to the woman. "Ma'am?" he asked, surprised to see tears falling down her face in great quantities. She put her face in her hands, hoping to God and back that he would be as safe as possible on his mission.
Save us, her voice begged within herself. Stop the Ragnarok project.
Within the capsule, Eren slumbered. Images flashed through his mind at the speed of light. His breathing became shallow, labored.
A woman, broken and bloodied, pulled up from the rubble with giant hands. Tears made clean lines along her dust-ridden cheeks.
The skin-less face of a Titan, eyes gazing with a sort of smug triumph at a man standing atop the wall.
The zipping sound of wires as soldiers hurtled towards their foes.
The face of a woman, expressionless, as she told a man, "Don't die."
Clinking and clacking of hooves as horses raced across fields, hills and forests.
A guttural roar, so powerful it shook the earth.
Love so strong, not even the world could destroy.
Looking through rubble to find some precious thing but finding only a note.
See you later, Eren.
Eren.
Gasping, Eren was dragged forcefully from his sleep. He winced as light poured into his eyes, closing his eyes tight. Where was he, he wondered? Why was there so much light? The harder he thought, the more the information of memory began to flee from him. His breathing was quick and shallow, his body sweaty from the dreams. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and was greeted with the image of a young girl with stormy grey eyes.
AN:
To clarify, this is going to be a rather long Fan Fiction, and I will not be posting more of these author notes unless I am asked questions that won't spoil my story if I were to answer them. I apologize for any grammatical or spelling errors.
Also, I want everyone to know that there will be romance in the story.
I hope you all enjoy the next chapter. From this point, it will be mostly canon…with a twist!