Chapter 6: Never

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~Eren~

I shot up screaming from the dream I had. Tears trickled down my face, but it was no dream, but a memory. A memory of my father's, I had been getting them at different times since I had the ability to shift into a titan. And because of it, I could get memories from past people who had this power. Slowly I get up out of bed and walk over to the bars. "This is... Why- am I-"

"Eren calm down, this is the disciplinary chamber. You and Mikasa are serving time for violating military rules." Armin explains.

"What is it Eren? Did you have a nightmare?" Mikasa then asks me.

"Yeah... seems so." I answer.

"Are you crying?" I hear Mikasa ask.

Turning around I lean against the bars and slide down until I hit the floor. "I feel like I just had a really long dream... but... no it wasn't a dream... it's a memory." I mutter.

Tears continued to seep from my eyes as I let the words from my father's journals sink in. "That titan... it was you...Dina" I mutter. With the memories fresh in my head I decide to inform Armin. I began telling him.

"The owl called it, the 'curse of Ymir.' it's because they say Ymir, the original, died thirteen years after first awakening to her powers. So when you approach that time, your body begins to weaken... as the vessel finishes serving its purpose." I explain.

"This was one of the memories that matched what your dad wrote right?" Armin asks.

"Yeah." I answer.

"Hmm, and when you consider it, the Reiss family are so determined to have an heir every thirteen years... seems to confirm it. So I have thirteen years... and you?" he asks.

I took in a gulp and stare directly at him. "I have eight years... or less," I answer.

"No... it can't be." I hear. It was Mikasa in the other cell.

"If someone who holds the power of the nine titans dies without anyone inheriting it then the power will suddenly be inherited by a baby belonging to the subjects of Ymir. Distance plays no factor in this whatsoever and neither do blood relations." I inform them.

~Time Skip~

"What are you doing? The Attack Titan, that's what you just said right?" Hanji asks. Crap I must've been speaking out loud again.

"No." I quickly answer.

~Levi~

I unlocked the door to Eren's cell. "Whaa?! Yes, it is, you both saw right?" Hanji asks.

"Yeah, but well he was..." Armin stops.

Hanji then turns to Eren who was standing there with a blank expression. "See! It is what you were doing!-

"No- It's nothing." Eren quickly cuts in.

I roll my eyes and stand there with my hand on the door. "It's the name of the titan you inherited from your father right? Why were you talking to yourself when no one else was in here-

"Haven't you said enough? He's fifteen, everyone has a phase like this." I tell her.

"Huh? What do you mean by that? A phase, I've never had a phase where I mutter to myself alone while glaring at nothing." Hanji then says.

"Please, I'll explain later, so can you stop talking about it in front of him.... I don't even know how well I'll be able to explain it." I mutter towards the end.

"What?" she asks again. I roll my eyes.

"What are you even here for?!" Eren then shouts. Slowly opening the door I watch him calm down a bit.

"Out." I say.

Now confused he pushes himself off the wall. "But I still have about ten days left of my punishment," he tells me.

"You just got all ten days' worth from Hanji," I tell him.

"What could I have said that was so bad Levi?" she then asks.

"It's important to show the members of this organization that punishment awaits everyone that does not abide to the rules. Even if the organization only has 9 members. Still, that doesn't mean we can ignore what's going on around us." I tell them.

Before the meeting, I had taken Hanji away from the brats to privately talk to her. In an empty room I shut the door and lock it. "You gonna explain to me what kinda 'phase' Eren is going through?" Hanji asks.

I let out a 'tch' and shake my head. "I'll let you figure that out on your own. This is about... you know... the whole time thing." I say.

She purses her lips and nods. "I still think it's a bad idea. You could die, or worse be stuck there." she says.

I shake my head and walk past her. "Do you remember what I said 8 months ago? Before everything went to shit? I said I would do whatever it takes, even if it means traveling to her time and dragging her ass back here. I told you I wasn't gonna lose anyone else." I remind her.

"Then when are you going? In case you've forgotten, I'm not the greatest commander." She says.

I turn to look at her, I could understand the weight on her shoulders of having to lead, but she wasn't alone. "Erwin knew what he was doing when he chose you. And you'll have the others to help you, so you're not going to be alone." I tell her.

There was a long silence between us, surely the meeting would be starting any minute but we didn't move. "You won't regret this will you?" she asks.

I turn to her again and shake my head. "Never." 

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