JAEGER WAR (an anime + Avatar fanfiction)

Episode 20 - A Grateful Universe (The Snap - Part 2)

When Eren opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the absence. The Infinity Gauntlet was no longer on his hand, the weight finally vanished.

The second thing Eren noticed was the water he splashed as he moved his feet. He seemed to be in an endless sea, the sky red and in front of him, a tree.

And coming from inside the tree, there was the third thing he noticed: a young version of himself, exactly like he was the day the Colossal Titan attacked Shiganshina. And next to him, Ymir Fritz, the first person wield the power of the Titans. The two children simply stared at him.

'Did you do it?' his younger self asked.

'Yes.'

'What did it cost?'

Eren made a heavy sigh. He took a few seconds to answer, but then, he did so with nothing but a whisper.

'Everything.'

Mikasa stood there, frozen. Eren seemed to snap back to reality, focusing his eyes back on her.

'What did you do?' Mikasa asked, her voice trembling.

Eren looked at the Gauntlet, which was burnt and cracked now, but with the Stones still glowing. Blood was pouring from his torso, Mikasa could smell it, almost taste it. The same way she had tasted Eren's loss for a few seconds.

'WHAT DID YOU DO?' she now yelled, but Eren gave her no answer.

A portal appeared behind Eren, and both him and Mikasa vanished from the destroyed grounds of Ba Sing Se.

Zuko came running towards the place where Mikasa and Eren were a few seconds ago. Panting, he turned to Sasuke, who was still grabbing the side of his face where the Sharingan used to be.

'Where did he go?' he asked the Uchiha, but he gave no answer. 'Sasuke. Where did he go?'

'Zuko?'

Uncle Iroh's voice interrupted as he approached him, walking strangely. Zuko held his breath. Before Iroh said anything else, he dropped to the ground and turned to dust.

Zuko opened his mouth, but no sound came from him. He ran towards the dust, fell to the ground, trying to touch it. But there was nothing.

He turned to face the plains of Ba Sing Se.

'Come on, Potato Girl, time to get up.' Jean muttered as he helped Sasha to stand up.

But with his final pull, the girl was gone. Only dust remained. Jean frowned and turned to ask Connie, who stood next to him.

'Connie?'

There was no one there.

Bakugo heard Jean's screams in the silence of the empty battlefield as he got up from the ground with a painful grunt.

'SASHA?! CONNIE?'

He turned to Toph, a strange feel on his stomach. The girl was staring at some point beyond her, as always, but a concerned look crossed her face.

'What's going on?' She asked with a fragile voice.

Bakugo didn't know why he extended his hand towards Toph. Maybe to hold her, to push her away. But he knew it would've been pointless.

Toph was already gone.

Sasuke held Sakura tightly as both ninjas disappeared in a cloud of dust.

Stumbling and still disoriented, Katara finally saw Sokka a few feet from her among the fallen bodies. She sighed of pure relief and brother and sister smiled at each other.

But then, Sokka's face turned into a strange grin.

'Oh, man,' he muttered.

Katara felt it, could almost taste the death coming to her brother, and started to desperately run to meet him. The exact moment Katara was about to hug him, Sokka disappeared.

The girl fell to the hard ground. She stared at her trembling empty hands, looking for Sokka. She looked up at the sky, tears falling from her shaky eyes.

'Something's happening...' Tanjiro whispered, as he started to smell Shiganshina's air.

Then, Zenitsu felt a sudden push that sent him to the ground. He screamed and turned to face Inosuke, who was just staring at him with a terrified look in his eyes.

And then, he vanished.

Everyone watched in horror. Aang used the nearest debris to stand up, trembling. Deku panted and then turned to face Shoto, whose arm was already vanishing.

'Midoriya-kun...' Todoroki mumbled, just before turning to dust.

Deku suddenly felt it on his skin too, the absence. Even though some part of him knew all along. He looked at Levi in panic.

'Steady, Midoriya,' the captain eased, walking towards him.

Deku turned to Aang. 'There was no other way.'

He disappeared too.

Behind him, Tanjiro and Nezuko held hands as the demon slayer gave Zenitsu a reassuring smile. 'Be brave, Zenitsu.'

Nezuko nodded in agreement, and both turned to dust in front of the boys' shocked, watery eyes.

More silence.

'Aang?' Naruto's voice was weak and scared. 'I don't feel so good.'

Aang shook his head slowly, denying what was happening in front of him. Naruto stumbled toward Aang, his arms outstretched. The Avatar rushed to Naruto.

'It's all right,' Naruto assured him, whispering to his ear. 'I'm all right.'

'I don't know what's happening, I don't know,' Aang cried back, his entire body shaking.

Naruto fell into Aang's arms and he wrapped them tightly around the ninja. Aang held on Naruto and began to cry.

'Please don't go. Please. I don't want you to go.'

Naruto fell to the ground and Aang with him. The ninja's arm was still tight around Aang's neck. He smiled. 'It's okay. I just need you to do one thing.'

Aang nodded as tears started to fell from his face to Naruto's chest. The ninja tightened his grip on Aang. 'Please take Hinata to eat ramen for me.'

Aang grasped Naruto's shoulder, his eyes locked on his as, with a tiny whisper, Naruto Uzumaki turned to dust.

'I'm sorry,' was the last thing he said.

Aang slammed his hand through where Naruto once was. But now there was nothing, just ashes. The last airbender closed his eyes, reading himself to go, to say goodbye.

But nothing happened.

'He did it.' Levi's voice came from behind Aang.

Silence was the only answer.

Somewhere, far away, the sun was rising. Eren stared at the wooden cabin, and the tree. The tree where everything started.

I had the strangest dream.

And now, that dream had been fulfilled.

'It is done,' he said to Mikasa, who was behind him. 'I know you won't understand for a time, but then—'

He turned to face her, but Mikasa was gone. Only dust remained, floating with the coming light.

Eren nodded in acceptance. He then sat on the top of that hill as the rays of the dawn hit his face. The dawn of a grateful universe. Finally.

A single tear ran down Eren's face.