Wall Rose (Year 838)

(Year 838) – Mid-Summer – Age 9

Entering Wall Rose, the whispering stares of its residents dug into the flesh of the refugees, creating a separation between the two groups. The expressions on the people of Wall Maria were deathly, ghastly even, these were expressions of people who had witnessed the reminder that humanity was stuck in a birdcage with nowhere to go. No one other than them would understand the fear of being at the mercy of the titans, of the beings whose only goal was to eat humanity from existence. No one would know of the fear of losing a loved one, for losing a neighbor, a friend, a sibling, a child, a father, a mother. No one would understand what they were feeling, being torn from the world they knew only to be thrown into a world where they weren't wanted. These were the refugees of Wall Maria, broken, and unsure if they would ever be put back together.

Entering the Trost district, the three children of the Jaeger household stood near the Arlet family as they were directed into the soldier barracks. Standing in line, waiting to be handed the necessities of blankets and a piece of bread, Armin and Mikasa could only stare at their two friends who were detached from the world. For these two, there was a part of them that would never understand the bond that connected Marco and Eren. Mikasa had also lost a mother just like the two, they had all lost someone they had come to see as a second mother, but unlike them, she didn't have it in herself to watch Carla be eaten by a titan. But they did, if she hadn't turned her back to the horrifying sight, would she be able to stand by their side, feel the same bond as them, and be tied to them in more ways than just being brought into the Jaeger household? Armin, who hasn't felt that sense of loss before, could only watch in silence as he tried to put himself in the place of his three friends, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't do it. He wasn't as confident as them, he wasn't as strong as them, he often wondered why he was even allowed to walk beside them. If he could become strong and confident, would he be able to stand by their side?

To Eren and Marco, their world turned bleak, as they recalled the memories of the person who had become a second mother to them. The silence that filled the air was noticeable, the silence that would have been filled with Carla's worried voice if she were there to fuss over their injuries. But there was no Carla. She was gone, and there was nothing they could do to bring her back to them. The events that transpired in Shinganshina just set as a reminder, that as children, they could do nothing against what was outside of the walls.

Nothing they could do to protect their loved ones.

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Eren couldn't seem to fall asleep no matter how hard she tried. The brunette laid awake staring up at the ceiling of the warehouse some of the refugees were placed in; she could hear the light snores of the others and the tossing and turning of Mikasa beside her. Eren silently sat up as she listened closely to the cries of the refugees as they called for the people they would probably never see again. The child from Shinganshina stared down at her hands before covering her face with them and letting out a sigh of frustration. What was the point of having this power when she couldn't even use it properly? What was the difference between the titans in Shinganshina and the titans she had warded off of the Survey Corps? Why did she have a power that wouldn't even allow her to save her mother?

Eren furrowed her brow in confusion as she began to question the origins of the power. Where had she even gotten it? She couldn't quite remember.

Don't you remember how you got this power Isane?

The girl looked up, searching for the source of the voice, a voice that seemed to constantly be following her. A voice that seemed to be talking to her, but always called her by a different name; who exactly was Isane? It sounded familiar, but she felt her mind too far gone after the event in Shinganshina to make a connection between her and the name. And even if she could, would she even be able to find this girl?

Eren was brought out of her thoughts when she heard her name being called by the freckled boy beside her. Looking to her left, she watched as Marco sat up and scooted closer to her, his light brown eyes focused solely on her. The girl felt jealous of the boy—who had lost his last blood relative—as he worried more over her well-being than his own, how could someone so kind-hearted be so strong? She wanted to be like him, wanted to worry about others before she cared for herself, but there was a part of her that seemed to contradict that feeling. Eren decided she didn't have the time to mull over this thought as Marco tried to get her to lay back down. When she refused this, Marco only mumbled about her hand feeling too warm compared to the rare cool summer night.

"I think you have a fever Eren," he whispered to her after comparing her temperature to that of Armin.

"I'll be fine-," she began before getting interrupted.

"You'll be fine if you lay down and get some rest," he insisted.

The two frowned at each other, and if it weren't for the sound of the warehouse doors opening, they would have stayed just as they were until one of them would have gotten tired.

The children looked over to the warehouse entrance to see two adult figures walking inside, one of them looked around frantically amongst the refugees. Eren would have thought nothing of it, many people come and go between the warehouses looking for family members. However, the bit of light the moonlit into the building allowed Eren to see the familiar figure of her father, with the light shining the rim of glasses, apparently she wasn't the only one to notice, because Marco called out to Grisha Jaeger first. The bespectacled man looked over to their direction and quickly made his way toward them. Eren could see that her father's body was tensed up, he was filled with worry and desperation, and he didn't relax until he held the two in his arms.

The two young children held onto Grisha tightly, not wanting to let him go, too scared of the possibility of losing another family member, and the daunting consequences that could arise from that. The grey-eyed child looked behind her father to see that figure who had accompanied him, Keith Shadis—the man who had helped them enter the walls—looking within their little group with frantic eyes only to meet Eren's and Marco's eyes, looking defeated.

"Marco, where is Carla?" Grisha's strained voice reached the ears of the two children. There was a moment of silence that passed the four, as silent as it could get with the sounds of other refugees.

"She didn't—We couldn't," the two spoke over one other, letting out a sob, not knowing how to finish the sentence. Apparently, there was no need for them to say anything as Grisha held them tighter in his arms, thanking them for trying their best and coming back to him alive. Behind the doctor, Shadis let out a shuddered sigh as he realized that Carla Jaeger was dead.

At that moment, the two men shared one thought over the woman they loved. How?

Grisha swallowed and gently let go of the two brunettes. His gaze first met his daughter whose eyes were filled with regret, and tears were trickling down her cheeks. The pair shared a look before he kissed her forehead. The older Jaeger placed his attention to Marco, whispering his thanks to the boy for keeping Eren and Mikasa safe. The young boy nodded and let his silent cries run down his face.

The young Jaeger looked over at her father and felt something off about the doctor as he went to fix Mikasa's messed up blanket and patted Armin on the head. Almost as if he were saying goodbye.

The two children were then caught off guard once Grisha spoke to them again.

"Avenge Carla."

The two looked over at the doctor in confusion. What did he mean by that?

"You must." He spoke in a soft, dejected voice, a voice so quiet they thought they had imagined his words. "I know you can. You are mine and Carla's children."

Eren and Marco shared a look before meeting Grisha's tired gaze again; however, when he looked at them, he looked at them with contempt. Eren had never seen that expression on her father's face, maybe once upon a time, but never directed at her. She froze up for a moment, as grey met grey. What had Eren done to make her father feel wronged? The man before the children closed his eyes as he replied to Shadis, the young Jaeger had failed to hear what was being said, too caught up in her own thoughts as the two men argued. She didn't even notice when Grisha pulled the children to their feet.

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"Never forget. Your name is Eren Jaeger, and you were born within Wall Maria.

"Marco, when the time comes, have their memories lead you to the truth, but most importantly, I need you to be with them."

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That same evening Marco and Eren would forget of the events that transpired that night, and Eren would forget of life before she entered Wall Maria.

And so Isane slept, and the next morning, only Eren Jaeger existed.