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— Chapter Three —

Realitas

Either you deal with what is the reality, or you can be sure
that the reality is going to deal with you.

– Alex Haley

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The lack of knowledge of the language and the way Isadora felt out of place after her emotional outburst earlier had embarrassed her in more ways than one. For starters, despite the three of them noticing her outburst only to then go back to talking amongst themselves as if nothing out of the norm happened, had really made an impact on her more than she cared to admit. Not only was she dealing with a situation she wasn't one-hundred percent sure could possibly be real despite the existence of an eerily look-alike Erwin who so happened to look like the fictional character but an actual human, but also with... herself. That... that is something that should definitely not have been possible but here she was in her childish form.

Between the moment she had awoken to this instant where she found herself pressed against Hange's back with her right arm firmly grasping onto Hange's waist, Isadora wasn't too trustful of the makeshift rope-belt they tied her onto Hange as a precautionary measure. There was no time for her to really absorb the situation at hand. Fleeting thoughts she had previously pondered on earlier served as a bookmark for her to revisit once she was tied onto Hange, and with the running horse beneath her, the situation wasn't really suited for her to sit and ponder on the events that transpire between then and now.

After that little fiasco, things started to move — literally. With Hange leaving her behind with Erwin and the older man who seemed to command respect from everyone who walked by, she was left to stand next to them.

Feeling like a lost child, unsure of what to do next other than to stand there and watch others stroll either by horse or on foot, Isadora simply fidgeted with the helm of her loose shirt. Of course she stood out like a sore thumb amongst them; with them wearing their prim and proper uniform, she on the other hand was wearing something loud amongst them even if it was just the print of tiny black outlines of walking cats. Between the moment Hange left and her return, it felt to her as if time had slowed down. Fidgety by just standing there and thrumming her fingers against her collarbone, she admittedly was glad when Hange reappeared. Unlike the last time she had seen her, she returned wearing the familiar cloak and fitted with the mechanical pieces that laid around her thighs. Words were exchanged and she watched on as Erwin spoke and the other man walked away. Even with the lack of knowledge of their language, she still felt the need to watch them speak — at least then she would be able to gauge someone's mood based on their facial expressions.

Isadora hadn't said much since then; there was really no need for her to open her mouth and express herself and remembering the embarrassment from earlier, she had chosen to remain quiet for the time being. Of course, given the situation at the moment, talking would been pointless. Holding tight against Hange with her free arm and hearing the loud gallops of the dozen horses around her, shouting would had been a better way to communicate.

Had the circumstances been different, she knew she would had enjoyed the horse ride; as it was, this was literally her first time she had ever ridden at horse. With the strong animal running underneath her as well as the strong chilly wind that whipped her hair around this sensation would have served as a perfect, freeing moment. Granted, she was uncomfortable as she wasn't feeling so secure by holding onto something with a single hand and relying on a single rope to keep her from falling. Admittedly, more than once she had pondered what it would have been like had she actually fallen off from the horse. More focused on the potential pain than Hange not sensing her; with plenty of men and women surrounding them, they would have surely noticed her slip off.

Isadora had no way of knowing how long it had been since they left the base but she knew they had been riding for a while and surprisingly at the same speed. The scenery around her did not change much either and considering she couldn't view what was ahead, all she had to look was either the passing trees or the people that were riding next to them. Neither of those riders paid any attention to her, their expressions firm as if in concentration and while riding a horse did require to pay attention to your surroundings, she felt as if there was more — in case they were to…. what?

In case a titan appears, the thought pops into her head.

There it was again.

Within the short albeit hectic time she had been awake, she had realized there been a few occasions where she had seemingly answered her own question. Questions, she seemed to have answers for and answers to questions she shouldn't really know but did. Clearly, she knew her thoughts and "inner voice" was all hers but where did the knowledge behind those answers come from? Even though that in itself was a mystery of many so far, why was she being — for a lack of a better word — slow to realize the things she already knew about? For instance, how did she know she was nine but couldn't grasp the scouts uniforms or why it took her a bit to even figure out about faux Erwin?

Yes, she was a fan of the series and just like any other fan she also followed and kept up to date with both the manga and anime though the latter served more as a cherry on the top to an already amazing story. While not hardcore as others who collected merchandise or participated in cosplay, she considered herself well-informed. So why in the world did she have a hard time coming up with Erwin's name or realizing the scouts logo? What's curious though, she mused to herself as she side-eyed the scouts wings embedded on the back of Hange's olive green cloak, that after realizing who was who, a slew of readily available information was easily accessible to her. Like a dam breaking through, she was now able to easily recall old information. Information that had previously naturally evaded from her despite feeling a vagueness of an answer. It was, frankly, as if she took hold of a forbidden key and unlocked memories that she shouldn't have been able to.

Which was bizarre, really.

Her memories where her own and while she was currently experiencing something that shouldn't be possible, that shouldn't erase who she was — or is, right?

'Of course not', she thought to herself firmly.

Deep within, she had a strong feeling about it.

Isadora tried to ignore it at first by throwing facts and rationality, things that better made sense than what she felt because frankly, that shouldn't have been possible. Oh, she knew, she definitely knew that when it came to her the word impossible was not a word that fit perfectly into her present; naturally, such a term was a positive concoction but not to her statement. By now, if she could, she would had thrown her arms in the air and just give in to the present. But as it were, Isadora stubbornly still held into the littlest rationality that it shouldn't be possible. So while she sat behind Hange who blocked her view from the front, that did not prevent her from seeing where they were heading.

Despite being far in the distance, she could see walls.

Dark grey and small at first, it slowly grew towards the sky as they continued running forward and as they did, a picture was slowly beginning to reveal itself to her, shockingly so.

Isadora hadn't coincidentally been found by a group of awesome cosplayers who had a keen eye to details in the middle of some national park. It was nerve wracking to say the least seeing those imposing dark grey masonry stones reaching up towards the sky that she knew could be none other than one of the three walls. Had it not been that Hange shouted something over her shoulder to her, Isadora would unknowingly continue to dig her grasp onto Hange — which she thought wouldn't have been possible considering the childish size of her arm, but there she was. Wording an apology, she loosen her hold on her as she scrunched up her face in worry at this final revelation.

Impossible was not part of her language but... this... this was it.

Like the straw that broke the camel's back, the sight of the imposing wall grew nearer and within seconds they were riding under its immense shadow. Flipping her head to her right, she saw about five riders, young and old, male and female and none who paid any attention to her. Returning her sight to her left, she saw more of the same... with the exception that the Erwin Smith was riding next to them, throwing her an unreadable look as he sped forward but not before he shouted something to Hange who shouted out her response.

Erwin and Hange... two of the many characters that shouldn't really exist but actually did was not a thrilling thought even if one of them was (or is) one of her favorite characters. One of them was made to be stoic and regal, poised and filled with rationale while the other was more on the excitable side and while interesting in character, seeing them in person was not really giving her a warm feeling. That and the knowledge that Paradis is real was also not a comforting thought.

None of this was comforting, really.

Because this meant one thing which was quite important, quite vital to her very existence.

The fact that Isadora knew she was no longer in the 21st century was emotionally daunting to the point where it had shaken the core of her being; even as she held tightly onto Hange, she felt the overwhelming feeling of a strange uncertainty she had never experienced before. Growing up where life was easy and though not from a privilege household, she had known her life fared better from those less fortunate ones from third world countries. Though she had visited her ancestral lands down in Mexico where even the basic necessities weren't easily available, she always knew it would be a temporary discomfort before she returned back home and live the life she was accustomed to.

Seeing Paradis with her very own eyes and seeing some of the very people she had rooted and admired in the flesh was never a dream, but seeing it all in the flesh in this twisted sickening manner was actually a nightmare. Because she had always known had she existed in their world, she honestly believed she wouldn't be able to make it. Though the thought of living amongst her favorites in a world-turning event would had been an exciting fantasy, she knew that as herself, she would never amount to anything in it. She had daydreamed herself being this strong, adventurous and ambitious heroine that would been able to handle anything that came her way but that would had been just another fictional character; she was honestly nothing like the person she wanted to be.

Facing facts, there was no way she could see herself surviving in their world.

If she had dreamed up a character that was to be the better version of herself, if she was actually the character she dreamed up, then she would have probably had a chance in this new world. But, as life would have it, she was nothing like the person she wanted to be and because of it, she was damned the moment she knew she was no longer in her world. Growing up with fresh running warm water and electricity, she knew she wasn't made for this world in more ways than one; back to a world that had reverted to the 19th century, she would have to forego all the natural and worldly comforts for a life that was about survival. As cliche as the last statement was, it fit and resonated so well with the world she now lived in and she wasn't referring about the titans.

Perhaps, just... perhaps her situation would be a bit more bearable had she been herself — as in, her actual twenty-one years old self. Surely, the people she had met would had treated her differently, bit more adult-like and with respect or at least that's what Isadora would like to believe. Being an adult would give you more leeway and a chance to actually explain yourself though in this case it could differ due to communication but it would still stand that someone would try to communicate with her and not lead her around like a lost puppy, which is what she felt was happening with her. Despite Hange trying to communicate with her, she never really showed that she wanted to know more about her; by the looks of the others, with the exception from Erwin, no one really paid her attention —- and being looked at as strange didn't count either.

Of course it made sense from a logical standpoint a child wouldn't be able to govern themselves as easily as an adult would; with their childish naïveté there was no reason for an adult to take a child's word seriously unless they had a reason to do so. Which would explain what was happening — she was nothing but a child to them, found and taken to their camp and despite receiving some strange looks from some, most kept their distance. Being a child in the 19th century was no joke, she knew that well-enough based on the books and movies she had read. Though not a historical buff, she had some knowledge of how life was back then and that's taking into consideration how normal the world was then compared to the one in her present; even so, life back then was not a smooth ride and she had a gnawing feeling from within that hers was no exception.

Had she remained as she… once was, she could possibly have made herself to be of good use whether in the form of housekeeping or the generic skills she had learned as a nursing student; by making herself be useful, she would be able to manage surviving and fend on her own. But as a child, as a freaking nine year old child — what good was she here? She would be seen as a burden and with poverty being the norm, no one would want to extend a hand and take her in would they?. So not only would she literally be an orphan, but someone who would stand out from the rest due to the fact that she had no clue about the language; if the reactions she had received from adults was any indication, she was in trouble.

Closing her eyes in deep thought, she tried to recall if the people spoke differently here; though there were accents, she remembered that fact correctly, there were no true differences in languages here — on this specific place, on this island at least. 'Am I… really doing this?' She thought to herself as she sensed the speed of the horse beneath her slow down to what felt like a trot. Opening her eyes, she looked onto the empty space Erwin had previously occupied and in its place was the hostile woman she had met from earlier; with her eyebrows furrowing at the sight of her in what could only be a sign of disgust, she said something to Hange who in turn responded before the blonde hurried forward. Had it not been that Isadora noticed the riderless horse that trotted alongside the woman's own horse, she would have ignored the rudeness. Of course there was nothing out of the norm seeing someone holding the reign of another horse, after all, it could have been an extra they brought along but once the woman left, two more men followed after her; with the exception of one of them glancing her way, neither of them held onto another horse.

Though she couldn't tell if they were riding at the front of the pack or the back, Isadora had enough opportunities seeing different people riding past them and none of them held an extra horse with them. 'That doesn't mean anything,' she told herself despite feeling there's more to it. That… if it was that… it would explain why the woman was hostile towards her but even if that were to be the case, how could someone's death even be her fault when she hadn't even done anything?

Isadora knew about the world she was in and what transpired both within and outside the walls; death was a common occurrence in this time of age whether venturing outside said Walls or living amongst the streets, this world wasn't for the faintest of heart and definitely not made for people like herself. Though she hated to think what could happen to her, she definitely knew she hadn't done anything to warrant someone's scorn. So the bizarre idea that she was at fault for someone's death was beyond ridiculous— why the hell did she even allowed such thought to take hold of her anyway?

"Everything is crazy as is, you don't need to add onto it, you idiot," she said to herself with a huff.

"Isadora," Hange called out to her over her shoulder; as the horses were no longer running, there was no reason for her to shout. "▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ."

It was possible that Hange heard her speak and while it was obvious Hange had no clue what she was saying, it was enough to catch her attention — or it was just a coincidence. Either way, the lack of knowledge when it came to speaking didn't bother Hange the slightest as she continued telling her something Isadora had no clue about. Clearly they were in the shadows of the great outer walls and with her view being blocked by Hange's torso, Isadora wondered if what Hange was saying had anything to do with them arriving. Sensing their horse coming to a complete stop, Isadora craned her neck around Hange. Up ahead, she could see from the short distance a large double wooden door that was reinforced with a black metal lattice grille. More shouts were coming from the front before the doors slowly started opening up.

"▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ Shiganshina!" Hange called out, startling her by her sudden outburst.

'Did she really say Shiganshina?' Isadora pondered to herself as she readjusted onto her seat. At this point, she shut out Hange as she droned on about whatever it was she was talking about; it was totally pointless for her to listen on but she was certain she heard that name. That infamous town; the one place where everything literally started.

And just like another nail hammered into the coffin of certiainty, this proved once and for all where she really was. "No freaking way," she said with a soft gasp as she gawked up at the gigantic wall they were fast moving towards. Of course, little by little evidence of where she really was was mounting all-together to the point where doubt had no place to claim as the truth was being shown. But for some unknown reason, actually seeing the wall and hearing where they were about to walk into was the real thing that sealed everything.

She was physically inside the world of Shingeki no Kiojin and literally staring up at the very much intact Wall Maria. A wall that looked strong enough to withstand centuries, strong enough to withstand attacks.

'Has it….' Isadora wondered as she stared up at the huge stones that marked the entryway into the town. She wanted to believe that no, the events haven't transpired yet and based on the youthful appearance of Hange and Erwin, they won't be happening any time soon. Loudly scoffing at herself for the most innopportune thoughts , she refocused her sights on her ever changing scenery.

Long gone was the natural scene of trees and grass; in its place was the uneven stone walls that would lead to the opening of the town and the loud echoes caused by the horses hoofs tramping through the short entryway. Shouts from people could be heard coming from the front and Isadora felt herself grasping tight against Hange's side.

"Oi, Isadora ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ."

Isadora loosen her grasp once more but not due to Hange's cautionary tone but more so at what she was seeing. Despite being partially flanked by riders on either side of them, she somehow, without meaning to, locked eyes with someone. Based on his uniform and without needing to look at his patch, Isadora knew he was one of the Garrison; people stationed within the walls and entrances and surely part of the group that allowed them in. Despite having experience seeing the varied reactions from those around her, the perplexed look the man held as he stared at her hit too close to home. Feeling her face suddenly flush, Isadora looked away only for her eyes to land on more of the same people. Though it seemed that none had noticed her, surely focusing on speaking with the passing soldiers, she knew it would be a matter of time before they did; after all, it wasn't a common occurrence for the survey corp to return from the titan infested fields with a child in tow.

Of course people would have questions.

Of course they would bear the same expression as that man from the entrance.

How on earth did a child end up on the other side of the wall and a live one at that?

Curiously, Isadora looked over shoulder; she halfway knew what to expect but even then seeing it confirmed didn't sit well with her. With the exception of the man, no one had noticed her due to Hange shielding her from the front — and there was no one to shield her from the back. It was to be expected that as they departed, those stationed soldiers would see them leave and in doing so they would seen her. Still wearing her white shirt, a contrast to Hange's olive green cape, she must have stuck out like a sore thumb.

Though not many, a few stared curiously after as she had known they would, that did not stop her from feeling out of place — which wouldn't be far from the truth.

Had she been the outsider, the viewer of the story that was unfolding, she would had been curious about the child Hange found; soldiers who only ventured outside of the walls to accomplish one goal and even when Eren was involved, neither of their goals included finding humans living on the outside. Not only would that had been a curious point to the story telling but it would had made for an interesting subplot, an extra oomph to the already riveting story of Attack on Titan; but, that was only coming from the perspective of the outside, the reader and the viewer who had the foreknowledge before the characters themselves.

But to the people in this world?

'I'd be nothing but a curiosity to them, and rightfully so,' Isadora thought to herself as she noticed a few civilians lining up the streets, their curious faces looking on at the passing brigade.

Their voices were loud enough to be heard and while she would had liked to had known what they were speaking, there was no way for her to pick out their language. Both men and woman stared on, both curious and puzzled? And that's taken into consideration that it seemed no one had noticed her yet. It was common practice, so it seemed to her, that people would line up and wait for the passing of the Scouts, their return from the outside would, most often than not, be looked upon as a failure for those who were waiting for their return. Though it was a mystery to her, they all seemed to know when the group would return, so they would be waiting patiently on a schedule. So was it safe to say their expression was related to the brigade suddenly appearing before schedule?

Though the show wasn't heavily invested in the general population, there had been glimpse into how the people lived and looked before Marley came into the scene. Seeing the comparison from 2d to reality was quite jarring; based on their clothing style and overall appearance, the people looked quite simple. If anything, their style borderlines "peasant-ly" with a shade of earthly tones; though royalty was shown, their royal life wasn't heavily focused on but she assumed they would have been the kind of people to wear bright, rich colors to showcase their status amongst the civilians.

Not only did most shared the same "simple and homely appearance", but they also had something else in common: they looked quite European. 'Well, that is if Europe actually existed here...' she thought to herself as she noticed a mother and a blonde haired girl standing next to each other, the mother stared somewhere ahead of the group. The people here, to no fault on their own, where shielded from the rest of the world and Isadora knew that once Marley came to play, their worldview would change but until then and from what she knew and seen so far, whites was the predominant ethnicity on this island. So even if there were other ethnicities, they would had been rare just like Mikasa's mother was and considering that story point, that was very rare to the point the Ackemans' had to live in solitude.

"Mama, mama! ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ ▢ !

Isadora heard the girl cry out excitedly and she couldn't help but turn and looked to see the blonde young girl pointing directly at her as the mother looked on, suprirsed. Had the girl been an alarm, she would have done a good job based on the reaction of the people that surrounded them.

Of course it was a matter of time before someone other than the military would be aware of her but it wasn't as if the Scouts were trying to hide her either.

'And to think we have a couple more villages to go through before reaching the headquarters,' Isadora thought to herself as she felt her face flush once again at the unwanted attention she was receiving.

Isadora knew the concept of time existed here and she was sure that without a physical clock to tell you exactly what time it was, the people here probably relied on the sky to tell them; though, when she thought about it, she couldn't help but wonder if it was the day's light that actually told them. If it were a clear day, looking up to the sky to seek out the sun would be sufficient enough in letting you know whether it was closer to midday or reaching the evening. Though it was natural to expect rain, she really wondered how the people manage time? She regretted not watching more real survival shows to get the answer but one thing was certain and that was she would have to eventually learn it herself.

Though they had departed from the camp in the morning and been riding for what felt like hours, it was already dusk by the time they reached the headquarters— or at least she assumed it to be the headquarters. Though she had previously seen a map of what Paradis looked like from a bird's view, she had grossly misjudged the size of it and how far distance everything really was. Passing from one village after another and through the second wall, the trajectory from Shigashina to this point felt like a lengthy trip compared to when they were outside considering they trotted through the villages versus running through the plains, That and the fact that people took notice of them and eventually of her in which case she wished for them to speed up.

With Hange being her unofficial babysitter, she followed after her and Erwin through the entrance leaving their respective horses to be tended by others. Though Hange had "spoken" to her earlier, probably being asked that she should stick close by, Isadora managed to still lag behind them. Thankfully there weren't many people in the halls for her to get lost and lose track of the two people as they made way to what felt like a maze within the building. It wouldn't be after she turned a corner that she stopped on her tracks. She couldn't remember how many closed doors they walked past but none really caught her attention as much as the one Hange and Erwin walked into.

Isadora had no real clue what would happen to her once they arrived wherever it was that everyone was heading before she found out. Would they kick her out in the streets once they reached their destination? She knew that as a child, she was useless to them so there really was no point for them to "hold onto her." Even with the mystery of being found outside the walls, that wasn't enough to garner their attention and give her shelter. If she remembered correctly, Yeager was incarcerated once he was found outside and unlike him, she knew she wouldn't be jailed. Seeing the familiar sight of the (and daresay) international symbol etched onto a small wooden board that hanged above the door told her they were preoccupied more about her health over her future in this new world — though she hadn't expected her arm to be that interesting. Other than the awkward way of holding onto Hange that made her regret not being able to use her two arms while riding, she honestly didn't expect it to be the main focus of her check-up.

As she had come to expect being the background character in this bizarre story, she watched and stood idly on the side as Hange, Erwin and who she assumed to be a doctor conversed, peppered in with glances by the doctor throughout their short talk. It didn't take a genius to figure out their main conversation was about her and it didn't take her long to figure out he wasn't really a family doctor who dealt with children either. That or he had a bad case of bed mannerism.

With Erwin leaving the room and Hange staying behind, the doctor went on what Isadora considered to be the preliminary checkup; though she was the patient, the way he spoke about her and never to her was strangely concerning to her as he went through the routine of checking her health. Even if he knew that she couldn't understand a word he said, he could had at least made eye contact with her when he spoke. It wasn't until he untied the sling to see her arm that the old man furrowed his brows and asked something out loud. Hange, who was standing in the back near an open window responded in a matter-of-factly tone.

With a humph coming from his throat, the doctor gingerly took her arm and stretched it out towards him not minding the fact that there was some distance between them which in turn pulled her towards him through her arm. Now with her outstretched arm facing upwards, he held onto it with a firm grip. Other than feeling a soreness below her elbow where the white bandages were freed from the tight grip, nothing looked out of the norm for her. It was here when he spoke again, quietly at first as if he was in deep thought before he raised his voice. This in turn caused Hange to say something before she joined his side and if Isadora wasn't mistaken, she believed Hange sounded annoyed.

With Hange scuttling next to the doctor, she peered down on Isadora's outstretched arm before she noticeably reeled her head back as if taken by surprise by what she was seeing. Her reaction was soon followed by a quick succession of words before she leaned over once again; with one hand she gingerly feathered her fingers across Isadora's exposed arm before letting out what sounded like a whistle.

"Isadora," she directed to her and unlike the doctor, she was sure to make eye contact with her. "—?" With no way to really respond to her question, Isadora looked at her and then at the doctor — who was now looking at her directly, clearly showing interest in her all of a sudden. With a knowledgeable nod as if Hange received the answer she wanted, she knelt before her and took Isadora's arm from the doctor. With one hand Hange held Isadora's arm towards her and with her free hand, she placed pressure near her elbow.

The soreness she had felt before the sling was released multiplied to the point where she let out a gasp as a painful burning sensation shot through her arm causing her to automatically yank her arm away from Hange's grasp. It was clear to her that her arm was still recovering from the accident and though she had no clue why in the world Hange would do that to her, she cradled her arm firmly against her chest as she looked up to the two of them, annoyed but her feeling was soon swept away when she saw how perplexed the two of them looked.

'Now what else is wrong,'she thought to herself as she looked away from their gaze.

Author's Note:

Well, well well — hello there!

Can I say that even though I'm the author, I'm still curious to see what these people are talking about in regards to her. Sure, sure — I Know but still, seeing it out there versus knowing is a bit different. But things are happening and she has no clue how it'll be impacting her, hahaha. Also, I'm very much aware of how the series had ended (I intentionally spoiled myself in regards to it) and that doesn't really change this story. Remember the butterfly effect? {"A phenomenon wherein a small change in starting conditions can lead to vastly different outcomes"} Yeah, that's still happening, mhmm! Also, I came across a couple of songs that fit so well to the theme of this story to the point where it actually gives you a glimpse of what's going to happen — for her and those potential connections to others. If interested, here's the songs: Uncover by Zara Larsson, Courage to Change by Sia, Another Life by Afrojack, In The End by Tommee Profitt and You Say by Lauren Daigle - the last one better fits with another character.

This might not be a big deal for most but I really outdid myself with this chapter. Before the AN's, this chapter stood at a whooping 5.5k words — the most I ever written for any story. There's just so much I want the OC to experience before moving onto the next scene. This leads me to say that this story —for the time being — will be slow moving for some. Like I said, there are scenes I want her to experience and not just breeze through it with a sentence or two just for the sake of moving on. Naturally, once I hit the meatier part of the storyline, the pace will change.

Last but not least, I'm really excited for the next chapter. Mainly because I'll be switching perspective with one Mr. Yeager. *insert sunglasses emoji*

Thank you for reading!