The Year of 838- Nat's POV:

Pain. Pain everywhere. Pain was all I could feel. I saw my parents, then looked at the swords that were in their cold hands-well, hand. I picked it up, it heavy and uncomfortable for me to hold. I dropped it, and trembled as the Titan cocked its head to the side, his chest; the Titan's fingers and mouth were dyed red with my parents' blood.

I bit my lip, my figure trembling as I slowly waited for him to turn around; to follow the faint sound of horses galloping. Wait-horses. I looked frantically to the stables, which-to my dismay- had been torn open, blood pooling out of it like a wave of scarlet drops crashing onto the shore of tread grass. I knew that they hid the foal in the bottom stable, but there would be no way that she would survive.

Not here.

Not outside of the wall.

We weren't supposed to be here. My family was supposed to be safe; we were supposed to live inside of the wall- Wall Maria. We were supposed to be merchants that sold goods to passerbys, not soldiers who fought and lived outside of the walls. I didn't understand. Why did we deserve this?

I watched the Titan scoop up the slightly twitching form of my mother, who started to reach her left hand-the only hand she had- to my father's sword, but the Titan easily snapped her wrist back, causing her to scream out in pain. I winced, my frame huddled in the corner that I had cowardly scurried into. I looked at the Titan with horror and pleading in my eyes; only to cover my mouth of its muffled cries as it bent her back, her amber eyes staring into my golden flecked green ones.

"O-Okaa-san…" I whisper, and feel myself sob quietly into my hand, my tears tracing over the lines etched on my fingers and the skin on the back of my hand, the other gripping my mother's blade tightly. I see the Titan lick his lips, seeming to enjoy the feel of my mother's soft-yet brittle- curls against his teeth and tongue, or the feel of her smooth skin enticing his tongue.

He turned to my father, who was slowly itching his way to his sword that was next to him, slowly getting up on his leg, stumbling and jumping into the air, his maneuvering gear glistening like a faint star in the air as he now clung to the Titan, stabbing his blade into the nape of the neck, only a half of a meter in. I look at him wide eyed, his moss green eyes connecting to mine as he tilted his head to the side lightly, as if he was scolding me-like when I would accidentally spill the water onto the hay of the stall of one of their horse's, or when I refused to eat the vegetables that were to make me strong in my eyesight and frame.

I let out a soft cry as the titan slams itself onto the wall, hearing the crack of my father against it. I start to sob harder, my hands now trembling as I drop the blade, it clattering to the ground with a soft thunk, repeating a few times until it stayed still. Luckily, this was enough for the Titan to stop, turning to me curiously and hungrily as I stare at where my father was, his smile a little haunting as he sliced the skin out of the Titan's neck, it giving a rear that smashed his bones, crippling him. Satisfied, my father dropped to the ground, like a topping of smoldering titan guts that were burning in the early sunlight.

Crawling to me, he slowly pressed his blood-dyed lips to my forehead, whispering words of love to me; but I only looked at him, blinking a few times, confused and concerned. He smiled a little, his other hand covering his abdomen, that was now a scarlet color. I let out a gasp, the sound of hoof against the grass louder and louder, until it rang in my ears. I wrapped my tiny arms around his head, crying as he kept kissing my head and uttering words of encouragement to me as he fell limp, his grass-colored eyes staring glazed up at the sky.

"Otou-san!" I wail, shaking his shoulders meekly as I started to bawl again. "Otou-san, wake up!" I plead, rocking myself as I hear the drop of someone's boots on the ground, then the pitter patter of feet walking into our destroyed house.

"Hmph. Looks like they survived for five years without dying out here alone." A familiar voice rumbled, bending down to sniff the blood. "The female got eaten. The male is over there." The man pointed to my figure, and so I only look up at him, scurrying back to the corner. Another figure comes in front, and I recognize him immediately. He was the leader of the Recon Corps; Father told me about him and his adventures with the Commander.

"Be quiet, Max. Their child is here." He scolded, letting out an annoyed sigh. He knelt down in front of me, after Max picked up the body of my father, wrapping it in a white cloth that soon became a crimson. I looked at the man-Erwin, I think- and curled my legs to my chest, starting to let the tears race down my cheeks like raindrops on the window when there were storms.

"What happened here, kid?" He asked with a surprising gentle-yet rough and scratching- voice, and so I only looked down at my toes, my eyes watering all over again.

"A-A Titan came. I don't know what it was, but-but it wasn't normal. It was different than the others Okaa-san and Otou-san fought. It-It was smarter, and-it could see through their moves. It beat them easily, somehow." I whisper, and let out a soft sigh. "It seemed...human, in some way. But-but it smelled-" I only shake my head, my mind spinning.

I feel a calloused hand pat my head, and so I only look up to see a girl who looked about 23. "W-Who are you?" I whisper, and wipe my eyes against the back of my sleeve, it being one of my father's that went over my frame like a blanket. She only laughed, and gently ruffled my hair, much to one of the men's disgust; one who was leaning against the doorframe, bored.

"Let us go, before more Titans come to these ruins." Erwin suggests, starting to get up, helping me up with him. Setting me on the horse, another faint, weak whinny was heard from the stables. I turned, to see a blonde man holding a foal; one that had dark fur with lighter flecks along its flank.

"L-Lolita." I whisper, and start to try to get off the horse, only to see it get set down gently on a space in the carriage. I was reassured by the girl- her name, I learned, was Hanji Zoe- that she was safe and they were going back inside the walls. Clutching onto the man, Erl, as he galloped on a chestnut stallion, I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

1 Year Later- Nat's POV:

I sat impatiently on the bench, looking up at the 24 year old brunette, who was brushing the fluff of bundled feathers over the walls and vases that surrounded the eating area. "Onii-San, it's already clean enough." I protest as Levi only shook his head, frustratedly started to pull his mask down. Petra was bickering with Olou, and Erl was eating next to me, his back hunched and his scruffy beard was coated with syrup that topped his porridge.

"Nat, you do not grasp the meaning of 'clean'." Levi announced, patting my head once before starting to sit down after wrinkling his nose, pushing away his bowl of porridge, then slowly taking a few bites of the yellow and white scrambled eggs on his circular plate.

"Everyone, get ready to depart at noon, we'll be doing another go to the outside." We turn and so I wave at Max, him giving a sniff to my head then grinning, patting my head reassuringly. "I'll be fine, I've been doing this for years. Don't worry about me, kiddo; worry about the idiots of Levi's team." He teased, and grinned cheekily as Günther flung a spoonful of porridge his way, catching most in his mouth with a glub, the other small specks splattering beside him against the wall. Stifling a laugh, he just licked his finger after swooping a finger over the chunks of porridge.

Levi made a strangled noise at the back of his throat, making me giggle as I looked back at the man, who Petra was now trying to comfort instead of arguing with Olou. "H-heichou, it'll be okay, I'll go wash it off..." She tried, her cheeks flaming when he nodded and patted her head, flattening it. Standing up, her maneuver gear made soft clinks against her waist as she got up, padding over to the nearby wall, taking an emergency sponge and towel from her belt, scrubbing off the brown stain the breakfast made on the wall.

"Er-chan, why can't I come?" I pout adorably as I look up at him as he shuffles to gather his composure, but sigh in annoyance when he only chuckled, patting my head as he readjusted his maneuver gear and blades, holding up his bag.

"Because you're only four and can barely hold a blade. You're Titan food outside. But we'll make a man of you, don't worry!" He smiles, and ruffles my hair, kissing it again before turning, letting me watch as he and the others of the team start to abandon their breakfasts that were now only empty plates, starting to get up and towards the door.

I pout, and swing my legs off from the inside of the bench, hopping off and stumbling to the group, getting caught by Gunther and giggling cheekily. "Onii-san, Pe-chan, Er-chan, promise you'll come back?" I offered, and smiled a little when they only nodded, Petra kissing my forehead and hugging me, Levi nodding curtly and stalking out of the room to the horses, and Erl kissing my head. Olou ruffled my hair, punching my shoulder playfully, and Gunther put me down, patting my head.

"We'll come back as soon as we can, kiddo." He said, waving to me as they left me for the Titans waiting outside the walls.