"Hey, hey, hey, just a damn minute!" Kenny propels down to the father and daughter. I see blood soaking his shirt. It's a wound caused by the blades of a Scout.
"Kenny," Rod looks at him.
"Sounds like you said that if someone who isn't a Reiss eats those twins, they won't get the powers of the king."
"Yes, that's right," Rod confirms.
"So then, what? Even if I do turn into a Titan and eat this kids, it ain't gonna do me any good?!" Kenny shouts.
I look out in confusion... was Kenny planning on taking the shot and eating us? Eren looks and me, also having curiosity in his eyes. I just shrug.
"What are you saying?" Rod looks at Kenny.
Kenny takes the man by his collar and lifts him in the air, pointing his gun at his head.
"Let him go!" Historia shouts.
"What the hell's gotten into you? Do you think I'm lying?" Rod's voice shakes.
"No, I don't," Kenny growls. "I waited a long time for this day because I knew if there was one thing you weren't lying about, it was the succession ritual. Damn. You prick. You knew what I was after this whole time. And you knew I didn't have a chance in hell of getting it. But you went ahead and used me, huh?!"
"I'm very grateful," Rod says softly. "When my brother first brought you into his service, I thought it was just one of his foolish whims, but you-."
"You keep on talkin' shit about Uri and you can kiss this half of your head goodbye!" Kenny has his gun pressed against the mans head.
"Stop it!" Historia grabs onto Kenny's gun, holding it down. "Get away from my father!"
"Come on. This is pitiful. Don't you get it,Historia?" Kenny looks at the girl. "Your daddy doesn't give a damn!"
Kenny throws the girl down and she falls with a thud. As much as I hate this Kenny guy, he's about to tell her exactly what Eren and I have been trying to.
"He brought you here so he can turn you into a monster. And after that he's gonna make you eat your friends Eren and Sophie," Kenny points up at us.
"If that's my future then that's what I'll do," she stands up.
I'm sorry...what? That's not exactly how I thought she would take the news... but she doesn't quite know about her dad just wanting her old daughter back.
"Yeah?" Kenny stares at her.
"Yeah," Historia glares. "I've decided. I'll eat them and bring my sister back! I'll inherit the worlds history... and exterminate every last Titan! If that's my duty, then... I'll do it!"
I stare at the girl I once called my friend. The girl who would braid my hair back in the cadet corps. The girl who was kind to everyone, no matter what. Her dad really has brain washed her, thinking this is the right choice.
I still don't understand the whole exterminating Titans things though. Something happens when a Reiss takes the founding power. They change their minds about saving humanity...
Tears fall down, thinking this is how I'll die. I look at Eren, his ocean eyes meeting mine. At least we're together for this. I never wanted to lose the last of my family, but I guess I'm not on this case.
Sure Armin and Mikasa will still live on, but they have each other and the rest of the scouts. They're strong and they'll push through.
Jean, Sasha and Connie, Levi... they'll all be okay.
"Damn it, Historia, think about this," Kenny growls and I snap my attention back down to the main level. He sticks his knife the mans mouth. "What the hell has this guy ever done for you? Only reason he picked you up is cause of that royal blood of yours. This piece of trash is too scared to turn into a titan himself. That's why he forced his brother and daughter to do it for him! That's the kind of man your daddy is!"
"He's wrong. Historia. That isn't the truth." Rod takes the knife his his hand, cutting the skin. "It's essential that I don't become a Titan myself. You mustn't believe him. I'm the only man alive you can trust."
I thrash against the chains, trying to tell her that's not true. She can trust us! The scouts! We're the ones who protected her and accepted her as who she was when that piece of trash tossed her away.
"Is that so?" Kenny drops Rod.
"Father!" Historia runs to his side.
"Kenny. You served me well up to this moment. You're free now. Go find another purpose for your life, and live out your years," Rod stares at the man above him.
"This is boring me to death, so..." Kenny begins walking up the stairs towards us. I watch him closely. He won't kill us because then they can still eat our bodies...what's his plan.
"Kenny! Just what are you planning to do?" Rod calls out.
"If she wants to turn into a Titan, well, then that's her choice to make," Kenny lifts my head up by my hair. "But I say these two should get a fair shot."
The gag is dropped from my mouth and I feel my teeth ache as I bite down. He does the same to Eren and comes back over to me.
"They can all turn Titan and fight it out. If Historia wins, well, then you'll have your peace. But if these twins take her down, the situation stays the same."
I look up at Kenny, his eyes meeting mine. He takes his knife and slides it over my forehead. The blood trickles down my face and he drops my head. He goes over to ever and does it to him too.
"Go on livin' for the sake of drawin' breath? That doesn't sound like any kinda life to me."
"Historia!" Rod lunges at his daughter and I just watch. Wanting to see how this plays out before I need to turn on my friend. "Take this injection and you'll become a powerful Titan! If you can't remember, it's not enough to just bite them anywhere. You take their powers you have to consume their spinal fluid! To be safe, take both!"
"Reckon I'd better step back," Kenny propels away from us.
"Go on, you have to hurry!" Rod orders.
I watch Historia hold the syringe to her wrist, shaking uncontrollably. She stops and looks up at the two of us.
"Sophie...Eren...why? Why aren't you two transforming?!" She shouts. "You're gonna fight back, aren't you? You can't just let me. Defend yourself!"
I glance at Eren who is looking up with tears in his eyes. He's still messed up over those memories. I am too, but our situation is serious and needs my full attention.
"Would you feel guilty? Is that why you want us to fight back?" I look up and smile weakly at her. "I'm not fighting my friend Historia..."
"Historia!" Rod yells. "This is your chance!"
"It didn't have to be like this..." I hear Erens voice shake as tears fall down his face. "All that death could've been avoided. Five years ago, if dad hadn't done what he did to us... your sister... she would've been able to do something to stop all this. But because our dad chose to steal your families power from the rightful owner, countless people ended up getting killed. Armin's grandpa. Thomas, Nack, Mina, Milieus....Marco...."
The tears mix with my blood and fall on the ground underneath me. Historia watches us intently, tears pricking at her eyes.
"Everyone on Levi squad. The people of Stohess. The soldiers who came to save us. And Hannes... I can never atone for all of their pain. That never should've happened...And me too. I shouldn't have happened. If nothing else, then at least ... let it end at your hand. Take your power back from us then use it to save humanity," he choke on his tears. "That was always our goal, right? As Scouts. It's all...up to you Historia. We are okay with dying if it means you can save everyone else."
"Sophie. I remember," Historia speaks up and I look down at her. "When Eren said I was a normal girl, back in the kitchen a few days ago, I was so happy."
She stares at me and I just give her a smile, accepting my fate. I don't want to to die...truly I don't. But if my father murdered her whole family, I must atone.
No...that isn't right.
My gut feeling comes back, it's like it's telling me my father had a reason for what he did. That there's more to why he killed them.
My gut is telling me to not feel guilty....
I lift my head up, looking at Historia as she holds the syringe to her arm. Even though Eren just told her to kill him and I for the sake of everyone, I want to take it back. I really do. I know I can still do more for this world. I feel it inside me. If this power gets into Rod Reiss' hands, I feel like the world will continue to suffer, even more than it already has.
"Stop," I speak up. "Your father isn't telling us the whole truth. No... Do you think this is what Ymir would've wanted for you? Historia listen to me. Ignore what Eren said, he's just torn up over what our dad did. But I don't believe what our father did was just to kill a family. There's a reason for his sin..."
"What's wrong, Historia?" Her father stands in front of her.
I look at the girls face, her eyes wide and mouth open. Something is running through her mind and I hope it's something telling her to not do this.
I need to trust this feeling inside me. All of my willpower is going to her, praying she doesn't go through with this. But it needs to be her decision... Id she decides she wants to eat us, then who am I to stop her.
"Are you scared? All you have to do is inject the liquid into your body," he steps closer.
"Wait. Father," she speaks up. "For a hundred years we had the power, but we didn't use it. Why didn't our family do something? If we could control thenTitans, then why didn't we liberate humanity?"
"That's because the same king who built this world within the walls for humanity, wanted us to live in fear of the Titans for all of time. The first king believed this to be the only path to lasting peace, but I can't tell you why. Because only those who've seen the worlds memories can know! Many years ago, my brother and I pleaded with her father to free humanity from the Titans. We asked him time and time again. However, he would not fulfill our wish. Eventually, the time came for one of us to succeed him. After my brother completed the ritual, when I looked into his eyes, I understood. My brother wasn't there. He had become something greater. An omniscient being, exempt from death, who built and rules over the world we live in. Do you know what such a being is called? God. There is no other world aside from God. So now it's my secret duty to bring God back to this world, and then to offer up my prayers. I'm praying right now, Historia, for God to return and lead mankind once again!"
I was right...if Historia takes the power she won't do anything for humanity. She's sit by and watch the world burn.
I watch Rod Reiss' begin to stick the needle in her arm. I hold my breath, knowing our death is to come soon after. But the more I look at Historia, the more I see her wheels turning in her head.
He pricks her arm and she seems to snap from her chance. She knocks the syringe out of his hand and it crashes to the floor, breaking and the contents of Eren and I's spinal fluid covering the ground.
"What have you done!?" Rod screams in rage and takes his daughter by her collar. I tense up, ready to come to her side, but I don't need too.
Historia tosses the large man over her shoulder. A move she learned from me back in Training Camp. I told her one day a man bigger than her would try to fight and small girls like us need ways to defend ourselves. That was the first move I ever taught her.
"Historia..." I whisper with a smile on my lips.
"God my ass! If it's such an honor to become him, then why didn't you do it yourself?" She screams down at him. "I'm done with your shit, and I'm not gonna let you murder me!"
Historia grabs a bag and runs up the stairs. Eren has now come to his senses and is watching the girl heading towards us.
"That's the spirit! This is gettin' good!" Kenny laughs from above us.
She falls to her knees behind Eren, ripping out keys from the bag. She fumbles around and tries to find the right keys.
"What the hell are you doing, Historia?" Eren gapes at her.
"Setting you guys free," he pants.
"No, stop! You can't!" Eren argues. "If you don't kill us, then everyone else'll keep suffering! Just eat us already, damn it! I can't live like this, so end it!"
"Shut up Eren!" I yell. "She knows what she's doing! I also don't want to die like you do!"
"Yeah shut up dumbass!" Historia hits him in the head. "Stop your crying! I don't care! I don't care about killing all the Titans! And I don't care about freaking mankind either! I'm starting to get sick of humanity! I say let them get wiped out by Titans! And if that makes me an enemy of humanity...so be it! I don't care if I'm the worst girl who's ever lived! You two get the hell out of here. I'll deal with the rest."
She finishes getting Eren unshackled and moves over to me. She starts at my waist and I feel the cold touch of the metal.
"I'm proud of you..." I whisper.
"Thank you for teaching me that move," she mumbles behind me.
"Of course," I hang my head with tears still flowing down. "Us girls have to stick together. Even if we're the worst ones to live."
"We really do-."
Christa gets cut off as an explosion of light erupts below us. The shell of a Titan forms right before our eyes. Down below there is no longer the body of Rod Reiss. He's turned himself into a Titan... the size much larger than Eren and I's. It seems to keep growing.
Christa holds onto my waist as the hot wind plows through us. My arms and feet are still shackled in and it's anchoring me down.
What the hell is going on....
~•~
Hope you all enjoyed. Again, if you're confused or have questions feel free to ask :) It's starting to get harder to include my own story in with AOT haha.
Question: what anime character do you think you're most like?
My answer: Mai (Ghost Hunt) Connie (AOT)