N.B : If you'd like to get early access to Universal hope chapters, why not consider supporting me at Patreon.com/Weeb Fanthom. Your donations will be very much appreciated. On my Patreon, supporters get the complete, uninterrupted chapters in full.
"-ake up."
"Kid, still there?"
Green eyes opened to the sight of blurry trees. Eren…didn't remember falling asleep.
One moment he had been clinging to Grandpa Arlet's waist, the next, every senses around him had simply... softened. The adrenaline that had kept him upright for hours finally drained away, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion that no amount of willpower could overcome. His eyelids had grown heavy and the feeling of the horse rhythm rocking him lolled him to sleeps perhaps.
Now he was awake, and it seems they were in another territory. A familiar one at that.
Up ahead, the refugee camp appeared as a smudge of flickering lights from torches. It was a sight Eren thought he wouldn't have missed.
The horse, long since running on fumes; stumbled on a loose stone and nearly fell, making the brunette instinctively hold on to the old man.
"Easy now, easy. Don't give up on me." Arlet murmured, patting the horse's mane. "We're almost there Eren."
The camp's outer perimeter came into view; tents and shacks, the familiar sprawl of humanity's displaced from the lost of wall Maria. A few night owls moved among the treelines hooting out loud.
Not a single person in the camp had stopped them. No one questioned really. Not like there were any MPs around doing their guard duties. The garrisons assigned here were likely elsewhere.
Grandpa Arlet glanced down at his broken leg, the makeshift splint he'd fashioned from his belt and a sturdy branch doing little to dull the constant grinding ache. Every jostle of the horse sent fresh spikes of pain through him, but he ignored it. Pain was a familiar companion, one he'd learned to carry decades ago.
He thought of Enoch. Once, they had been brothers in arms in all but blood. Once, while stranded on this island coerced to the king's servitude; they had shared dreams and thoughts of home.
Once.
The word tasted like ash in Arlet's mouth.
He may have escaped all those years ago, but his partner had decided to pledge is alliance with the Order; choosing to change sides over going into hiding. And still committing things in the name of them. He wouldn't be lying if he said he wasn't angry…
…But he'd meant what he said on not giving up on Enoch. Not yet. But the man he'd left in that ravine... that wasn't the man he'd known. The decades had twisted him, hardened him, turned him into something cold and cruel. The Forever Knights had offered him survival, and he'd paid for it with his soul.
'Was it worth it, old friend?' Arlet wondered. 'Was any of it worth it?'
He didn't have an answer. Maybe there wasn't one.
Speaking of the devil, The Yeager shack appeared ahead, a candle light glowed behind the shuttered window.
'She's still awake,' Arlet realized. 'Of course she is.'
He reined in the horse a few yards from the door, his broken leg screaming in protest as he dismounted. He nearly collapsed, catching himself on the saddle horn with a grunt of pain. For a moment, he took his time to collect himself, before asking for Eren to help bring in a nearby water bucket for the horse. The animal instinctively diving its head into the bucket drinking every last drop.
"Now that's settled with. Let's go meet your worried mother."
Eren for some reason even with the relief; felt his stomach drop.
Oh…She's going to skin me.
______________________
Inside the shack, the silence was a like a second living company.
Carla sat in her wheelchair by the window, her eyes fixed on the darkness beyond the shuttered pane. She had lost track of time hours ago; from seconds to minutes to hours; all blurring together into an endless agony of waiting. The candle on the table had burned down to a stub, its little fire flickering with the energy it had left.
Armin and Mikasa were asleep.
They had tried to stay awake. Gods, they had tried. The two children had sat vigil with her for hours, their young faces trying their best not to show worry had broken Carla's heart. They had eaten dinner some while ago, but even the food felt bland.
But eventually, exhaustion had claimed them. Armin had slumped against Mikasa's shoulder, his pencil he was using to scribble on his note fell off rolling away to the floor. Mikasa had held out longer, her grey eyes fixed on the door, but even her impressive stamina had limits. She had drifted off with her hand still wrapped around the helm of her red scarf, her head resting against Armin's.
Carla had watched them sleep.
'They're just children.' she thought. 'They don't deserve to be put in this stressful of worry.'
Even with the amount of positive thoughts to distract herself, her mind kept going back to the sinking reality. Arlet had left hours ago, with the only assurance that he has his 'ways' and some strange device. If everything went well—if some beast didn't find him, if those Knights didn't catch him, if Eren was still alive—
If. If. If AND IF.
The word was a torture device, each repetition a fresh turn of the screw.
She thought about Grisha. About the day he had left, heading off for his work and promising to be back as usual. Then…the colossal titan happened. Everything spiraled upside down, her son going back against her wishes and coming back badly wounded broke her far than the broken bones of her legs. Fortunately he was well again, if Eren could survive, surely her husband was alive. He had left out for wall Rose, he had to still be alive, free of the danger...Right?
She thought about the weeks after, the endless waiting, the slow, crushing realization that he wasn't coming back. Missing, or the grim reality. Her husband was killed. Maybe he had arrived to Wall Maria far earlier and on his way got gobbled by those titans from the breach.
And now, Arlet felt painfully like how Grisha left. What if he ends up killed or dead before he could reach where Eren was. What if her son was killed by that demon dog already.
Not again, Che prayed, though she wasn't sure who she was praying to anymore. Please, not again.
The candle stub was dying out reaching its purpose end. Carla reached for it, her hand trembling, intending to extinguish it before it burned out entirely. But something made her pause.
A sound.
Her breath caught in her throat. She went utterly still, her ears straining against the silence. For a moment, she thought she'd imagined it; just the wind, just her desperate mind conjuring hope from nothing.
Then she heard it again.
Hoofbeats.
Galloping. Real, real, real.
The sound was unmistakable now, a horse was approaching this area with its hoof steps getting louder. Then a neigh. Carla's heart lurched, her hands gripping the arms of her wheelchair so tightly her knuckles went white.
Mikasa stirred, her eyes snapping open at the sound of the continuous neighing. Armin jerked awake a second later, blinking in confusion.
"What—?" Armin gibbered as he cleaned the drool on his mouth.
Mikasa was already on her feet. "Someone's coming."
Carla wanted to scream at her to wait, to be careful and close the door until they knew who it was. But the words wouldn't come. She could only sit there, frozen, as Mikasa reached for the latch.
The undeniable sound of Armin's grandfather voice muffled and the unmistakable sound of-
-Her son.
The door swung open.
And there, framed against the darkness, stood Grandpa Arlet.
To say he looked terrible was an understatement. His face looked pale beneath the grime and dried blood, his clothes torn and singed, and one leg tied with some branch, it looked broken. He leaned heavily against the doorframe, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Evening lads. Brought someone along."
Arlet giving way to reveal a small very familiar face.
"Eren." Carla whispered.
"…Hi mom."
Carla's composure shattered at hearing his voice. Immediately wheeling herself past Mikasa and being in front of Eren.
"You—" she started, her voice cracking. "You absolute—how could you—"
She was checking him frantically, her hands running over his face, his arms, his chest, searching for injuries. Her fingers found the tattered remains of his shirt, the fabric shredded and stained, and his pants.
It looked like it was sliced half way by something.
Carla let out a choked sound that was half-sob, half-gasp.
"Your clothes—what happened to your clothes—by the walls—where does it hurt—Eren, answer me—!"
"Mom, I'm fine. No need to worry—" Eren started, trying to gently remove Carla inspecting hands.
SMACK.
Eren's head snapped to the side, his cheek stinging with the force of the slap. For a moment, he was too shocked to react. His mother had never—she'd never—
Carla's voice rang out, raw and shaking and filled with a fury born of pure, unadulterated terror.
"NOT WORRY, DID YOU HEAR YOURSELF?! HOW COULD YOU MAKE YOUR MOTHER WORRY SO MUCH, EREN JACOB YEAGER?!"
The mention of his full name hit him like a second slap. Eren stared at his mother, his hand pressed to his stinging cheek, and saw the tears finally spilling over, streaming down her face. She was beyond pissed.
"I thought you were dead!" Carla sobbed, her voice breaking on the word. "I thought—I thought I'd lost you—I thought you were gone and I'd never—I'd never see you again—"
"I didn't mean-"
Eren yelped as he was cut shut of any talk as all of a sudden, he found himself pulled into his mother's arms, crushing him against her chest with a strength born of desperation, and Eren felt the fight go out of him entirely.
"Don't you dare say anything. For once in your just listen to your mother." Carla choked out, her arms tightening around him. "Don't you ever—just—just let me hold you—"
Eren buried his face in his mother's shoulder and felt his eyes sting.
Dammit. What's with him and crying today.
Mikasa and Armin the entire time stood frozen by the door, watching the tense drama unfold.
Grandpa Arlet had moved past them, dragging his broken leg to collapse onto the small stool by the table. Armin immediately went to side of his grandfather.
"Grandpa!"
"I'm fine Armin. Just need rest."
Mikasa hadn't realize how stiff her body was brimmed with tension till she watched Eren and Carla, her grey eyes soft with an emotion she rarely showed. Her hands were shaking though. He wanted to go to Eren, to hug him, to make sure he was real and alive and here. But she couldn't intrude on this moment, this sacred reunion between mother and son.
'He's back. He's…actually back this time.' The thoughts felt less like relief and more prayer of gratitude.
Carla finally pulled back, her hands cupping Eren's face, her tear-streaked eyes searching his.
"Are you hurt?" she demanded, her voice still trembling. "The truth, Eren. Don't you dare lie to me."
Eren shook his head weakly. "I'm... I'm tired," he admitted. "And I'm hungry. And my back hurts a little. But I'm okay…I guess."
Thanks to being a titan of some kind. he didn't dare say. Thanks to the Omnitrix. Thanks to…
…Ember.
The thought of Ember sent a fresh wave of pain through him. He'd left him behind. He'd left him behind—
"Eren?" Carla's voice was sharp with concern noticing Eren's expression turning sour. "What is it? What's wrong?"
Eren opened his mouth to answer, but the words wouldn't come. He didn't even know how to put it; they don't really know Ember like he does. Tears were still falling, and he couldn't seem to stop them.
"I'm sorry," he whispered again, and he wasn't sure if he was apologizing to his mother, or to Ember, or to everyone he'd failed. "I couldn't save him. I left him behind. It's all my fault—!"
Carla pulled him back into her arms, holding him tight.
"Shh," she murmured, her hand stroking his matted hair. "Shh, my love. It's okay. You're safe now. You're home."
This made Armin and Mikasa curious, looking at each other.
Him?
"Grandpa…" Armin slowly turned to the veteran wrecker. "What happened?"
The old man's jaw tightened. He glanced at Eren, still wrapped in his mother's arms still crying. Kid's way out of his depth to talk right now. It just made him all the more guilty. He should have done better.
"The Vulpimancer; Ember; got cured…and it formed a bond with Eren. But…It stayed behind," the old man spoke with a low voice. "It stayed behind, to give us time to escape from knights that trailed us. I…don't really know if he's still alive."
Everyone absorbed this in silence. Mikasa's grey eyes flickered to Eren, then back to Arlet.
"The demon dog-Ember…Did he survive?"
A long pause.
"I don't know," Arlet admitted. "I hope so. But... I don't know."
Mikasa nodded slowly. She didn't say anything else. There was nothing else to say.
Armin actually got a closer look at his grandfather's leg, making his face pale. How did he break his leg.
"Grandpa," he said, his voice small. "Your leg..."
Arlet waved a dismissive hand. "I've had worse. It'll heal."
"But—"
"Armin." The old man's voice was gentle but firm. "I'm fine. Your friend is fine. That's what matters. Everything else is... secondary."
Armin wanted to argue. He wanted to fully understand what had happened. But looking around him—he knew that now wasn't the time.
Later. There would be time for questions later.
"We'll talk tomorrow." Carla whispered. "All of us. There's a lot we need to discuss." Throwing a pointed glare at Arlet most especially.
"Alot in full details."
"…Understood."
Eren felt his eyelids growing tired again as he basked in the embrace of his mother, taking in her familiar scent.
Only one thought crossed Eren's mind.
He was home.
_____________________
Deep in a cave outside Wall Rose. A certain orange furred alien lied inside cleaning its wounds with its tongue. He had ran far away as possible from the golden faced two legged. Two legged won't be stupid enough to come after him this far up in a mountain. Or else big two legged would attack him.
Ember rested his head on the floor getting to a resting position. He didn't know if he would ever see the small cub again.
But he knew one thing with absolute certainty:
He had done what he had insitictively promised.
Cub pack saved him, and he saved cub pack back. And cub pack…was now safe.
That was enough.
Early access to chapters/uninterrupted chapter 32 is already available on Patreon.com/Weeb Fanthom.