A gift from Popola brings Nier back to the garden, pulling out weeds and getting rid of the dried-up husks of dead plants that were left behind after months of neglect. In his haste to fill in the hole his mother's absence had left, Nier had forgotten about the garden until it was too late.

Even now, it's just as difficult as he remembers it being, whenever his mother asked him to help her out in the garden. The digging, the weeding, the eventual planting…

It's a completely different experience without her around to guide him. Not helping is the fact that Yonah was completely content with playing in the dirt, not caring how it stains her white dress with such an unsightly color.

"Era!" As for Era—Nier had to rush to her side almost at once, upon seeing her head submerged in the small pond surrounding their house. He pulls her out at once, his eyes going wide at the fish she has in her mouth. How in the— "S-Spit that out right now!"

Era only blinks, the fish in her mouth flopping weakly before going limp when her teeth suddenly clamp down on it with a sickening crunch. Blood trickles down the sides of her lips, her eyes disturbingly blank as she stares at Nier.

Nier bites his lip, feeling somewhat unsettled as he holds out his hand.

"Spit it out," he says again in a firmer tone.

Smack!

A full body shudder runs through his body the exact moment the dead fish lands in his hand, his palm soon growing sticky with blood. It's…It's not a pleasant situation whatsoever, and Nier can't help but go increasingly still when Era's hand tousles his hair. It's an affectionate gesture, but coming from someone so incognizant, it's…

Well, it's just strange. He has no idea what is going on in her head, but…he supposes that they all now have something to eat for lunch.

(Not that they were out of food to begin with, but oh well.)

The hardest part about cooking the fish is the gutting process. Even now, it still makes Nier gag. It makes him wonder about his mother—how she managed it all with a smile on her face.

The more he thinks about her, the more he realizes that he misses her. And with that, tears begin to prick the corners of his eyes.

"Crap!" Nier struggles to blink back the tears. It's far too difficult, and he considers himself fortunate that Yonah is currently asleep. She doesn't need to see him like this…

But Era can still see him, and despite her incognizance, she surprises Nier when she wraps her arms around him in an embrace. The tears drip down his face without much resistance after that. His vision blurs, and soon, his body heaves with silent sobs.

And for the first time, since his mother had died, Nier cries. He cries and cries, stifling his voice as best as he can. He resents the sudden flood of emotions, the way he wants to yell at Era for making him like this.

He's gotten this far on his own, taking care of Yonah. And he could have continued doing so, without ever letting Era into his life. It hasn't even been a week since she's been placed into his care. How had she managed to make him so weak?

"I hate you." He doesn't really. Sure, he knows next to nothing about her and is as wary of her as the next stranger that so much as looks in his direction. She's disconcerting as hell to have around…but he doesn't hate her.

He's just angry.

Angry that all of his hard work had gone to waste in the span of a few days. It means he'll have to work even harder to stay strong. It's why he pushes Era away, not really caring much when she falls to the floor…except he does care. He feels terrible for treating her like this, but he refuses to break his resolve.

He returns to his previous task and focuses on his work, even as it gets messier and messier. By the time Yonah wakes up, Nier is halfway through cooking the fish he so messily fileted. He is nowhere near skilled as his mother was, but he managed to salvage as much meat as possible. The leftovers will be used as fertilizer for the garden.

If all goes well, then they'll soon have a steady supply of fruits and vegetables. Nier doesn't expect much, but he prefers to take his chances instead of doing nothing. Until then, he focuses on serving lunch. He places the cooked fish filets on a plate and sets it on the table. As he waits for it to cool down, he helps Era off the floor.

"Hey, about what I did…" the words leave Nier's mouth before he even has a chance to think about it. He stammers, not knowing what to say as he struggles between the guilt he feels and his desire to maintain his resolve. A soft touch to his face snaps him out of his thoughts, and without meaning to, he meets Era's gaze. It's as though she's staring right through him, which is why he's so quick to say, "Never mind."

He says nothing more after that, focusing on Yonah instead as he helps her eat. A smile spreads across his face when he sees her eating so eagerly. It's her first time eating fish in such a long while. He was almost worried that she wouldn't like it…but she's eating it, and that's all that really matters to him.

It's why he fails to notice Era as she's walking out the door. And once he notices, he immediately starts to panic. Just what kind of trouble has she gotten herself into while he wasn't paying attention?

Nothing really, as Nier finds out the exact moment he steps outside of the house. Era hasn't gone anywhere, beyond the garden. She stares at him with that same, unwavering gaze, her gloved hands now full of dirt, blood, and fish guts. He heaves out a sigh, both relieved to see that she's okay, and also frustrated, because that's the second time this week that he'll have to wash her clothes.

(It's not like he's doing any better.)

Well…it's better than having her completely disappear from his sight.

"C'mon, Yonah." He might as well plant these seedlings now, especially since Yonah doesn't want to eat any more. She's had her fill of fish, and Nier could always eat later. The same goes for Era, who continues to make a mess of the garden as she fills the holes in the field with fish guts.

Thanks to Era's assistance, it takes a lot less time to plant the seedlings that Popola had given them. As Nier plants the seedlings, Yonah dips a small cup into the pond and carries it over to the seedlings to water. It's a tedious task, but to Yonah, it's means everything to her. She enjoys making the trip to and from the pond, especially when Era joins her.

It's as Nier is planting the last seedling that he gets a bucket of water poured over his head. He turns to Era, who continues to hold out an empty bucket over his head as though it was still filled with water.

"Well…you've watered it." And then Yonah pours water over his head, too, laughing afterwards. "Okay, we're done—back in the house."

They are all in need of a bath…like, right now.

There's plenty of soap to go around this time, so Nier goes all out as he washes out every trace of dead fish that's left on his clothes. He works on Era's clothes right after that, closing his eyes just in time as another bucket of water is poured over his head.

"Thanks, Era," he says, trying not to sound too sarcastic. At least the water is warm…

Era only blinks before going over to the tub to refill the bucket with more water. She carries it over to Yonah, and unlike with Nier, she's a lot slower and gentler when she pours water over Yonah's head. The sight alone pisses off Nier, but he says nothing.

Instead, he waits until he's done washing their clothes before getting up and taking the bucket out of Era's hands. She stares at him, her gaze following him as he refills the bucket and carries it back to Era. And just like that, she gets water poured over her head.

She closes her eyes this time, at least…though her reaction could use some work. As she is now, she's unemotive as ever.

"Or maybe that's how she usually is?" Hard to say, when Nier knows nothing about her. She's as much of an enigma as the Shades he often hears about, but has never seen before.

A part of him wants to admit that Popola and Devola were right when they said she was harmless…but he also watched Era kill a fish before his very eyes, using only her mouth. Clearly, he needed far more time to assess her and come up with his own conclusion.

She's not an immediate threat, though that doesn't make him any less wary of her. He has his reasons…

And then Era continues to move across the floor like a worm, despite being wrapped up so tightly in a blanket.

"Can I really consider her a threat?" Yonah sure as hell doesn't, from the way she laughs and claps her hands. That still isn't going to stop Nier from hesitating—he can and will do something, the instant that Era proves herself to be a threat. Sighing, he decides to eat his fish. It's gotten cold by now, but he doesn't care…and neither does Era when he offers her some.

Devola shows up in the evening to check up on them, likely making her way back to the library from the tavern. She smells faintly of alcohol, her cheeks flushed red and her disposition far more cheerful than usual. It is very clear to Nier that Devola is drunk, but he refrains from saying anything. Rather, he just keeps a close eye on her, in the event that she passes out on him.

(It wouldn't be the first time that it's happened.)

Sure enough, Devola passes out on the floor, right next to Era, having wondered what it was like to move around like her. She never got a chance to find out, because she conked out almost immediately.

Shaking his head, Nier unravels Era from the confines of the blanket and uses it to cover both her and Devola. There should be an extra blanket upstairs anyways, which is why he brings it downstairs for him and Yonah.

He expects Popola to show up soon, but she never does until the very next morning, when she drops by to check up on them. That's when Popola herself realizes what it was she had forgotten about last night.

"Nier, I'd like to apologize for not collecting Devola earlier…" Her apology isn't really registered, as Nier is still half-asleep and has a sleeping Yonah sprawled across his chest. He stares up at the ceiling, wondering how someone so tiny can weigh so much. "Are you okay?"

He wants to go back to sleep, but Yonah prevents that from happening when her hand suddenly smacks his face.

"'M fine…" That's a lie, because Yonah just started drooling onto his shirt. "Gross."

Thankfully, Popola decides that Nier is in some need of assistance and removes Yonah from his chest. He breathes a lot more easily after that, though the damp spot on his shirt is distracting enough to keep him awake. He yawns loudly and rolls onto his side, closing his eyes for a brief moment…before immediately opening them back up to the sight of Era staring right at him.

"Hello." When did she get there?

Pat.

Pat.

Does it really matter?

…

…

No. It doesn't.

Yawning again, Nier sits up and rubs his eyes. It looks like he isn't going back to sleep…

"Since you're awake, would you like to assist me at the library today?" Popola asks him. "I have a lot of books to reshelve, and I'd normally have Devola do it, but…"

"Ah…" Devola is still asleep, and it doesn't look like she'll be waking up anytime soon.

"I would do it myself, but I have some very important letters to answer." It's not anything that Popola can put off for any longer. "I'll repay the favor any way you'd like, if that's alright with you?"

"It's fine." So long as Nier has something to do, then he'll do just about anything. More than anything, he knows exactly what he wants. "Just make sure you can find some clothes in Era's size."

It takes far longer for Era's clothes to dry completely, and though Nier has added some lacing to the back of her shirt so that it fits her form better, he'd prefer it if she had something else to wear. That black outfit of hers is a nightmare to help her into…

"Is that all?" Popola tilts her head. "Are you sure you wouldn't like something else?"

"Hmmm…" Nier pauses for a moment. "I guess…I guess a chick would be fine."

He remembers the chickens that he used to help his mother raise. Of course, he had to sell them right after her death, since he couldn't care for them the same way he used to, without his mother around. More than anything, he couldn't afford to feed them anymore.

But with Era around, and the daily payments he's been receiving…now seems like a good time as any to try again.

"I'll see if I can get you a few." Nier may have asked for one, but Popola feels it would be better if he received two more—just in case something happens.

"Then let me get changed!" It's been a while since Nier last did anything else for Popola, beyond just caring for Era, so he welcomes the change of pace.

In fact, he appreciates the normalcy of the task as he's doing it. It certainly helps that he no longer has to worry about whatever Era is doing, though he still has his concerns about Yonah. Regardless, it takes a weight off his shoulders.

Each time he enters Popola's office to pick up more books, he finds Yonah in a different position. Sometimes, she's flopped on the floor with Era. Other times, she's sitting on Popola's desk. His most recent trip finds him staring at Yonah as she sits in Era's lap. The two are looking at a picture book, most likely given to them by Popola, as she writes out a response for her letters.

It's a curious sight, as Yonah is the one who is turning the pages to the book, pointing out things she particularly likes for Era to see. Era says nothing, though her gaze never strays from the book.

"It's a story about a flower," Popola tells him, having caught him staring. "You can check it out later if you want."

Nier blinks a few times and nods his head. "Yeah…"

It keeps the two pretty engrossed in its story, despite neither of them knowing how to read.

…

…

At least, Nier assumes that Era doesn't know how to read. A few times, he catches her staring at the printed words, her fingers delicately tracing the characters. Even Yonah takes to mimicking this behavior of hers, as she shows an interest in them.

It lasts just long enough to convince Popola to take out a card game that she had created in order to help children learn how to read. It's simple enough to start introducing the most basic of concepts to others. Though, it's likely not simple enough for someone as Yonah.

Still, it gives her something else to look at for a good minute before holding the card up for Era. It's a slow and steady progress, and a few times, Popola has to take the cards out of Yonah's mouth. At least once, she's had to do it for Era.

"Era!" Make that twice—Era just won't stop trying to consume the card. The fact that Yonah is only encouraging her with her claps and squeals is what forces Popola to confiscate the cards for later use.

Which is why she shows up at the house in the evening, long after Nier had finished his task and taken Yonah and Era back home with him. Popola wants to try again—this time, with less attempts to eat her cards.

(They are not meant for consumption, and she hopes Era and Yonah grow out of these habits.)

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Nier doesn't want Popola to force herself if she doesn't want to do this. It's getting rather late, and Popola's already had such a long day.

"I am completely fine." Popola is just very, very curious about Era. She's noticed the way that Era's eyes drift over the writing on the cards, the way her mouth moves each time she listens to the sounds that Popola makes for Yonah to repeat. She's not entirely there, but there certainly seems to be a drive to learn somewhere in that haze that makes her so incognizant.

Progress isn't immediate. It takes quite a lot of time to get anywhere. And though Popola doesn't see the full extent of her teachings, due to time constraints, Nier certainly does, each time he wakes up to the repetitive sounds that Era and Yonah are making with their mouths. He stares up at the ceiling, wondering if he prefers the incomprehensible babbling over these coherent, yet semi-cacophonous noises.

He runs his hand through his hair, stopping over the ribbon that Era seemed to have tied into his hair while he was asleep. He still doesn't understand how she can do something so dexterous, when she's as clumsy as ever.

Thud!

She can't even get out of bed without falling flat on her face. It's a miracle that she didn't give herself a bloody nose yet…

"Yonah!" Of course, Nier has to react quickly when Yonah tries copying Era. He has her by the back of her dress, his baby sister's face just centimeters away from the floor. A bead of sweat drips down his face at the sound of laughter that comes out of Yonah. "That was too close for comfort…"

Not that Yonah even comprehends the close call she just had…

"Aaammmm!" Yonah calls out to Era, her arms reaching out towards her.

It takes Era a couple of attempts to pick herself off the floor, but once she gets up, she crawls her way over to Yonah. Carefully, she lifts Yonah into her arms and holds her close to her chest. She stares at Nier, her eyes never once blinking.

It's as creepy as ever, though Nier is sad to say that he is actually getting used to it. He's come to expect it, in the past few weeks—

"Weeks?" Has it almost been a month? "Ah crap…"

It's almost Yonah's birthday. He had nearly forgotten, with how caught up he's gotten with taking care of Yonah and Era, while also keeping a close eye on the garden. Things are going well for them, though he worries that it will all wither up one day without any warning.

They still have another week to go before Popola can get them the chicks that she's promised them. And Era…well, she's managed to keep her new white dress in such a pristine state, despite how often she plays in the dirt with Yonah. It certainly helps that her dress is sleeveless and actually fits her frame. The downside is that it is also rather short, which often catches the eyes of passing guards and travelers.

The staring is concerning, as it makes him wonder if there's something wrong with Era that he can't see himself. Devola says that there isn't anything wrong with her, though that doesn't stop her from yelling at a passing traveler to keep on walking when she catches him staring at Era.

Nier can't even begin to understand what is going on. There's so much to do, and not enough time for him to think clearly.

"I should ask Popola for help." She might know what to do about Yonah's birthday. He can worry about everything else some other time. For now, it's time to water the plants again.

Hopefully, Yonah and Era don't give him too much trouble today.

…

…

Another week goes by, and Devola walks right through the door, carrying a cage full of three fluffy chicks.

"Say hello to your new housemates!" she says cheerfully. "Make sure to keep them inside until they're old enough to go outside, okay?"

Nier only nods his head as he accepts the cage from Devola. His eyes practically light up with glee as he stares at the chicks. They're rather lively, too, peeping rather loudly enough that Yonah starts squealing in delight. Even Era is rather receptive, her gaze following the cage as Nier sets it on the table.

And then she gets a little too close for comfort, making Nier worry about how she'd treat the chicks. The memory he has of her killing a fish with her mouth is still as fresh as ever. He watches her carefully, observing the way she follows a chick as it moves across the table. Then, without any warning, she pounces on the chick like a cat.

"Era!" he shrieks, his hands shooting outwards and grabbing fistfuls of Era's hair. He tugs harshly on it, with enough force to topple her backwards.

Thud!

She lands roughly on her back, her gaze staring up at the ceiling while her clasped hands remain in the air. She blinks a few times, not at all perturbed by Nier's sudden actions. In fact, it doesn't even look like it hurt her.

That still didn't stop Devola from asking her if she was okay. "Geez—did you have to be so rough?"

"The chick!" Did she not see what Era just did?! "She just…she just…!"

Peep!

Peep!

"Huh?" That sounded too close to be any of the other chicks. "Whoa!"

All too suddenly, Era sits herself up without any assistance. She brings her clasped hands close to her chest and, very slowly, opens them to reveal a tiny, peeping chick.

Predictably, Yonah finds the sight of it to be funny, and starts laughing. Blissfully unaware of the brief distress her older brother had gone through in the span of a few minutes.

"Did you forget that we found her amongst the chickens?" And not a chicken nor chick was missing, if Devola recalls what she's been told by the owners correctly.

Nier blinks twice, his expression going blank as he says, "I saw her kill a fish with her mouth."

"Ah." Now it sinks in for Devola. "Well…it's all fine now."

"I know that now." Sort of—Nier still has his doubts, after all. A month isn't enough time to convince him that he can trust Era.

And Era's actions the next morning do not help her case, whatsoever, when she suddenly just shows up with a dead sheep.

How in the— "Era!"

Nier has to cover Yonah's eyes, because of how distressed she was getting at the sight of the blood staining Era's dress. There is so much that Nier wants to say…so much he wants to yell, but he keeps it to himself as a different thought immediately crosses his mind.

"Guess we're eating mutton today." Food is food, after all, it's just…how? How? "Era, get over here…"

He might as well help her clean up, instead of thinking about the fact that she somehow left the house while they were asleep. That…That's a thought left best for another day.

…

…

…

A/N Hello guys! Here's another chapter, where things are starting to go in a direction of what I liked to call a farming simulator.

It's mostly a joke at this point, but also, I feel like my god damn flower RNG escapades in the garden unlocked something deep within me that brought this on. Then again, when it comes to games like Rune Factory 4, I go fucking nuts with gardening/farming, because it means I can cook more food, and then sell stuff off for profit.

And just in case anyone asks, no, Era did not kill that sheep. She just found it, like I often would when I was wool/mutton farming in the Northern Plains. There be Shades out there, killing sheep…and goats.

She did, however, carry it all the way back to Nier's place, so that's still something to talk about. She's also getting a little too adventurous for comfort…but it's fiiiine.

Hope you enjoyed Popola in this chapter. Thought to give her a few more scenes, after I had Devola around last chapter. It's been fun writing these two.

It's also been fun writing Nier, who keeps trying to act like he isn't ten years old, and is failing spectacularly, the longer he cares for Era and Yonah.

Anyways, gonna update as much as I can before I get dragged away from NieR Replicant and back to Final Fantasy VII Remake, because Intergrade drops in like a month. I have a PS5, and a drive to get back to The Ancient Art of Tomfoolery with Sera. Look forward to that!

In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun. Might doodle another 404 ERROR afterwards, since I promised some leg.

By the by, I now have a public discord up and ready for anyone who wants to join! You can find the link to it on my tumblr!

Let me know what you think! Thank you to everyone for the feedback—I really appreciate it if you can keep it up! ^^

Until next time, everyone! Stay safe!