So, originally this was one chapter but it became too long and I ended up splitting it into two. So, yeah, two chapters today with a final big twist at the end of the third chapters. Thank you for your support and enjoy.


Chapter 2: Beginnings Part 1

Seven years have passed now, since Aikon or better known as Licht arrived to Earth. Being seven years old now, Licht's features became more defined. For one, he stood at 4' 1.2 feet (125cm), making him two centimeters taller than his twin brother, Eren. He had medium, spiky, black hair with choppy bangs that hanged over his eyebrows, something natural considering that he's a Saiyan. And of course, his eyes were still black, but were now more hooded and his skin was still light-pale. Finally, another thing to notice were the medium, pronounced tear-troughs that were under his eyes (Kinda like Itachi's from Naruto when he was a kid). All in all, he looked like a mini version of his biological father. At first, people had their suspicions about Licht since he looked nothing like his adoptive parents. However, Grisha and his wife who Grisha had already told the truth, told them that Licht took more after his grandparents. A lie that managed to satisfy the people…

… For now.

Speaking of Eren, he changed a lot too during the past seven years. His facial features strongly resembled his mother's, and had a reasonably long, rounded face and sizable, expressive, green eyes. His hair was short and brown, and his bangs fell in a natural, middle-parted, curtain-type style.

The four Jaegers were now sitting at the table and having breakfast. No matter how many times they've seen it, the Jaeger family was always surprised to see Licht eating the share of five adults at every meal. Eren used to get jealous of his brother, thinking that his mother loved his brother more and that it was the reason why she would make him so much food. So one day, he challenged him and tried to eat as much as Licht, who gladly accepted his brother's challenge. But, it's pretty safe to say that it ended badly for him. He really got familiar with the toilet that day. Since then, he understood that Licht had an abnormal appetite one that should never be challenged, ever again. The young Saiyan's appetite was truly extraordinary.

Grisha was glad to see that there was some kind of solid proof that showed that his adoptive son was indeed out of this world. However, aside from that, the young boy never displayed any other superhuman feat. Something that bothered Grisha, especially since he had high expectations for the boy.

Maybe his powers didn't awaken yet… Grisha thought as he ate his breakfast.

"Hey dad." Eren called his father, grabbing his attention. "Why can't we go outside of the walls?" Eren asked.

"Because there are a lot of Titans who would eat you if you go outside." His mother quickly replied with a serious tone. She didn't want Eren to even think about going outside.

"But Eren and I often see some adults going outside. So, why can we go outside too?" Licht asked, confused why some people had such privilege.

"And did you ever see them when they come back? Their numbers are always less than what they were, and they come back injured because the Titans got them." Carla exclaimed as she tried to make her kids understand the dangers of going outside of the walls.

"Then why do they still go outside?" Both Licht and Eren asked. The two boys didn't understand why would people willingly go out of the walls only to be eaten by Titans.

"They are the Survey Corps." Grisha finally spoke. "Their mission is to go out there, kill the Titans and if possible, discover their secret. That's why they go outside. They put their lives in danger to save humanity and make them able to live outside of the walls once again." Grisha proudly explained, showing his respect for them. In fact, he admired of the Survey Corps. They were the ones who were still fighting after all.

"That's so cool!" Both boys excitedly said as their respect and admiration for the Survey Corps grew.

"No, it's not! Do you know how many times the Survey Corps won against the Titans? Zero time. They never won!" Carla shouted causing both boys to flinch as she angrily glared at Grisha too. She didn't want her boys to join the Survey Corps and die a meaningless death, but it seemed like her husband was indirectly encouraging them to do so. If only she knew the truth…

Grisha then adjusted his glasses and decided not to say anything else about this matter…

…For now.

"Well, I'll go to work now. You two make sure to help your mother and don't cause her any troubles." Grisha said before he put on his hat, grabbed his bag and left the house.

"Yes. Good luck with work." Both boys said before their father left, but were still looking down because of what happened earlier.

Seeing this, Carla pulled both of them in a warm hug. "I'm sorry for getting mad at you two. It's just that I deeply care about you, and I want you two to be safe and sound from any danger. The idea of you two going out there and getting eaten by Titans makes me so sad. You wouldn't want to make Mommy sad, would you?" She apologized and both boys returned the hug.

"I don't want to make Mommy sad." Licht was the first one to speak.

"M-Me neither." Eren added.

"Besides, we're well protected by the walls and living happily together." Carla pointed out, making sure that the boys understand that there are more important things than going outside of the walls.

Licht strongly agreed with what his mother said because he was indeed pretty happy here. He had a loving family, a twin brother who he considered his best friend too and he ate his mother's delicious cooking every day. Eren however, had different thoughts. It's not like he was depressed or anything here, but he wanted to go outside and explore the world. He wanted to see new things.

Both boys gave their mother a nod before they all broke out of the hug. Licht and Eren continued to eat their breakfast, before they decided to go outside and have some fun.

"Oh, it's Licht and Eren!" An old merchant greeted the two boys. That said merchant was tall and had dark grey hair, not because of his age but natural dark grey hair. His eyes were also dark grey and his face had four freckles in a diamond shape on each cheek. Finally, another thing to notice was his short moustache and beard.

"I can't believe how much they grew up too! They're so cute together!" The assistant of the old merchant added, who also happened to be his daughter. She looked so much different than her father. The assistant was a 19 years old, tall young woman and had long brown hair and blue eyes. Only thing she shared with her father was the freckles.

"Hello Mr. Wolff and Big Sister Maria!" Eren said while Licht was drooling at the food in front of him.

"You want an apple?" Mr. Wolff asked, to which Licht excitedly nodded. "Here you go then! This one is on the house!" The man cheerfully said as he gave Licht the apple. "Also, I already told you two, just Uncle Johann is fine." He continued.

Eren sighed at his brother's antics and facepalmed. "Licht! We just had breakfast at home! Plus, it's not okay to take something without paying for it." He chastised his brother.

"It's okay. Licht is a growing boy, so he needs to eat a lot." Maria said as she patted the Saiyan boy's head.

"Maybe if you eat more, you could become as tall as me." Licht teased his brother with a smirk, which in turn made Eren angry.

"You eat even more than Dad! I'm sure that if you go out of the walls, you'll end up eating the Titans, you creepy monster!" Eren angrily shouted. He hated the fact that he was a tad shorter than his twin brother.

"We're twins, so if I'm a creepy monster then you're a creepy monster too!" Licht shot back as the two began bickering like any siblings.

"Now, now you two. Twins should not fight among themselves. Eren, Licht can eat as much as he wants and Licht, don't be mean to Eren." The old merchant sternly said.

"Sorry." Both boys apologized for their behavior.

Seeing this, Johann smiled at them. "Good, now have fun you two and have a nice day." The old merchant exclaimed.

"You too Uncle Johann and Big Sister Maria." Both boys said, before leaving.

"Honestly, those two..." The old man began.

"What's wrong father?"

"They remind me of your uncle and I when we were kids. We bickered a lot but we sure were close and even more than best friends… Well, I guess that is what it means to be siblings." The old man said with a smile. Truth is, his brother recently died during the Scouts' last expedition outside the walls. He was eaten by a Titan. Something that really saddened the old merchant. He always tried to convince his brother in his younger days to not join the Scouts, but he never listened. "I already miss him." The old man added with a hint of sadness.

Hearing this, Maria put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle smile. "I miss him too father, I really do, but we need to cheer up. After all, Takashi is coming today and we don't want to upset him." She said to which her father nodded in agreement.

"You're right. We need to give him a warm welcome and make sure to take well care of him."

"He's only a year older than Licht and Eren, so his father's death must be so hard on him." Maria pointed out. "Which is all the more reason why we need to try and be less gloomy. We have to cheer him up too." Maria exclaimed as she carried a supply box and once again her father agreed. He was also going to do his best to raise his nephew, as he would never like to fail his brother.

Speaking of Eren and Licht, the two boys were currently lying in a garden, where they were able to see a full view of the walls that protected them.

"Hey Licht." Eren called his brother.

"Yeah?"

"What do you think of the Scouts?" Eren asked.

Licht hummed in though, "I don't know, I think they're kinda cool."

"Really? And why's that?"

"I-I think it's cool that they fight the Titans despite being weaker than them. Even if they are weaker, they don't give up and keep fighting till the end." Licht excitedly explained. He didn't know why, but fighting stronger opponents without giving up, made Licht admire the Survey Corps.

Hearing this, Eren scoffed. "Yeah right, I bet you'll cry if you see a Titan. Look at yourself, you're shaking already after you mentioned them." Eren mocked his brother.

"I-I'm not afraid to fight a Titan, even if he's much stronger than me!" Licht said with a lot of determination. In fact, what seemed to Eren as Licht shaking because he's afraid was actually the opposite. He was shaking because he was excited and thrilled to fight stronger opponents. His Saiyan blood was giving him an adrenaline rush that his Saiyan body craved.

"Hmm, I see. Then, do you want to join the Survey Corps with me?" Eren asked.

"Huh?"

"What? I want to join the Scouts and go out of these walls. I want to see what's behind them." Eren said in frustration, he was tired of being caged inside these walls.

"Yes, but Mom said that we should never join the Scouts..."

"I don't care. I still want to join the Scouts and see what's outside the walls. Come on, don't you want to see it too. Think about it, maybe there's food you never tasted before." Eren exclaimed which made Licht heavily swallow as he began to think about the different type of foods he can find outside the walls.

"Still, I don't want to upset Mom... She'll be sad if something happens to us." Licht replied with a frown. He was also afraid that his brother might die in the Scouts.

"You're right, I don't want to upset Mom too. But I'm also tired of being trapped inside of these walls. If only we had the power to fight the Titans..." Eren added in frustration. But even if they didn't have the power to fight the Titans, he was still going to try. He was going to fight for his freedom.

Both boys then gazed at the walls in silence, thinking about this whole thing, and if they can really one day go outside. However, a few moments later, they were startled by the sound of someone in trouble.

"Let's go!" Licht shouted as he started to run towards the area where the sound came from. Eren quickly stood up and followed his brother.

Once they arrived, they noticed three kids bullying another one, who was completely beaten up and down on the ground. The kid who was getting bullied was a scrawny little boy with large hazel eyes and a small pointed nose which was distinctly a bit red. His blond hair was styled in a long undercut with bangs over his entire forehead, and had noticeable defined eyebrows and sideburns.

One other thing to notice, is that one of the bullies, who also seemed their leader, was holding a book and held it over a river. It seemed like he was going to throw it in any second now.

"Get of him!" Licht yelled as he punched the kid who was kicking the helpless blonde boy, right in the face.

"What the? Who are you?" The leader questioned, clearly surprised by the appearance of the two boys, but was quickly tackled to the ground by Eren, who immediately took the book out of his hand.

However, just then, the third kid kicked Eren in his side, knocking him off their leader.

"Eren!" Licht shouted in both anger and distress. Licht then gave the kid who hit Eren a solid punch right to his cheek. He then tried to follow by another punch, but the kid he punched earlier managed to grab him in a hold and restrained him by his arms. After that, the third kid began to relentlessly punch Licht in his stomach.

"You jerks! Leave him alone!" Eren angrily said as he tried to stand up again, but the leader kept kicking him in his abdomen.

Seeing his twin brother getting hurt in front of him and not being able to do anything, only served to fuel his fury. Since the boy who was holding him in place was a bit taller than him, Licht decided to use this to his advantage and jerked his head forward before pulling it back with a strong force, hitting the boy right in his nose. The boy then shrieked in pain and held his bloody and injured nose.

"Take that!" The third kid angrily yelled as he tried to kick Licht, but the Saiyan boy caught his leg and pushed him off balance, effectively knocking him on the ground.

"You bastard!" The leader angrily said as he tried to attack Licht, but Eren caught his feet, making the boy stammer, before falling face first on the ground. After that, the three boys decided to just run away.

"Got him." Eren said with a smile and gave his brother a thumbs up.

"Of course, no one can stand against the Jaeger twins, especially weaklings like them!" Licht proudly replied. It was his Saiyan pride kicking in after winning this fight. Something that would always surprise Eren. Usually, his brother was a carefree and cheerful boy with a good sense of justice, as he would always help those in need. However, when it came to fights, Licht hated the idea of losing and would always be proud of coming on top. He would also get insanely competitive whenever the two of them play fight together.

Eren then shrugged his thoughts and proceeded to wipe off the dust on his clothes, before doing the same for his twin brother. "That's for sure, but we don't want Mom to know that we got into a fight or she'll scold us." Eren said with a hint or worry, causing both boys to flinch at the image of their angry mother.

"T-T-Thank you. You guys saved me." The blonde boy exclaimed his gratitude.

"It's fine, but are you okay?" Licht asked, making sure that the boy wasn't severely hurt or anything. He outstretched his hand to help the boy back on his feet.

The blonde boy nodded as he grabbed Licht's hand and stood up on his feet. "Yeah, but more importantly we need to run, now!" The blonde boy with a hint of worry. Something was scaring him.

"We need to run? Why?" Licht asked in confusion. Why did they need to run? From what did they need to run?

"The kids you guys just beat them, they'll bring two more kids that are much stronger than them. They'll crush us." The blonde kid said as he was beginning to panic.

"You can run if you want, but I'm not the type who would ever run away from a fight." Licht shot back, a bit ticked off by the idea of running away.

"He's right Licht. We already helped the boy, so there's no reason to fight again and we can't win two versus five. Let's just go back home." Eren tried to reason with his brother.

"No, if they want to fight me, then I'll wait for them." Licht argued back. He was always stubborn and reckless when it came down to fighting.

"Please, just listen to me. We need to run away-" The blonde tried to reason with his savior once more, but his words fell on deaf ears. After that, it was too late since the three boys noticed five shadows approaching them.

"Those two are the ones who ruined our fun Boss." The one who Licht and Eren had presumed him earlier as the leader spoke. It seems like this new guy was the real leader.

"They're here." The blonde boy nervously said as the new kid was looking them up and down, inspecting both Eren and Licht.

He then turned his head slightly to the right and spat. "Pathetic, you got beat down by those two wimps." The leader belittled both Licht and Eren while also scolding the other three boys. "I'll be able to take care of them just fine by myself." He boasted as he approached Licht, who was at the front of the group.

He stared down at the Saiyan boy who was shorter than him, showing his superiority and trying to intimidate him. However, Licht was completely unfazed by the act of intimidation. "You'll have to go through me first, if you ever hope to hurt anyone." Licht confidently said as he stared directly at the leader's eyes.

Hearing this, the leader burst out laughing, thinking about how funny was this little kid acting all high and mighty. "You really are a cocky one, shrimp. I'll definitely have a lot of fun today beating you, but try to make it fun as much as possible." He mocked the Saiyan boy as he patted his head.

The leader then tried to knee Licht in his stomach, but the Saiyan boy was quick to punch him in his chin first, landing a devastating uppercut. But little did they know, that the hit caused the kid to accidently bite his own tongue, causing the boy to shriek in pain as a few tears left his eyes.

"You talk a lot for a weakling." Licht looked down at the kid who was currently on his knees and in pain.

Seeing this, everyone was in shock except for Eren. While Eren knew that his brother got lucky with that punch, he also knew how strong his twin brother was. He hated to admit it but his brother had the strength to even put 8 years old and maybe 9 years old kids to shame.

"Unbelievable, he got him with one hit!" The blonde kid commented as he stared in awe at the Saiyan boy.

"Don't celebrate just yet. The battle has just started." Eren added as he knew what was the leader going to do now.

The leader pulled himself together and gritted his teeth in anger caused by the humiliation Licht just gave him. He jerked his head towards his lackeys. "Let's get this bastard!" He shouted.

The five kids then prepared to dash towards Licht, and knowing that his brother has no chance in a one versus five fight, Eren prepared to fight too. But just then, a new kid appeared and punched the leader right in his face, knocking him down and making everyone stop in their places.

Everyone eyed this new person who just appeared out of nowhere. He was super tall, standing at 137.5 cm (4'6 feet). He had sizable, expressive, dark gray eyes that matched his dark grey hair. His hair was medium, and his bangs fell in a natural, curtain-type style. One bang in specific, that was in the middle reached below his eyebrows before sticking more to the left beside his left eye. Lastly, another thing to notice, was the four diamond shape freckles on each cheek.

"You know, ganging up on one person really just shows how coward you all are, but what would I expect from pathetic little brats like you." The new kid said as he approached the knocked down leader and stared at him coldly. "So how about we make things fairer? How about you take on the two of us right here and right now? But let me tell you this, if you take that option, I'll make sure myself that each and every one of you goes back to his mommy crying like a little girl. Oh, sorry that's an offense to girls -like a little baby." He continued and intimidated the bullies and it seemed like it was working because they were all nervously looking at each other.

They were hesitant and if his words were not enough to put fear in their hearts, his height was enough. They didn't know his age, but judging from his height alone, he had to be at least 10 years old, making him much older than them.

The new kid then brought his fist to his other hand and gave them a cocky smirk. "So, you want to stay and fight, huh? Then prepare yourselves!"

As soon as these words left his mouth, the five kids immediately scrammed and ran away, not wanting to get in a fight with the new kid.

"Hmph, what a bunch of cowards." The new kid scoffed.

"Thank you for saving us…" The blonde boy trailed off as he didn't know the dark grey haired boy's name.

"Takashi, Takashi Wolff." He replied as he turned towards the other three.

"Then, thank you for saving us Big Brother Takashi." The blonde boy said. He was grateful that this older kid came to help them.

Hearing this, Takashi laughed which left everyone around him confused. They didn't understand what was funny.

"There's no need to call me Big Brother. After all, I'm barely older than you guys. I'm 8 years old." He said with a smirk. Everyone's eyes widened in surprise. They couldn't believe how an 8 years old kid was that tall.

"EH?! B-B-But how?" Licht questioned as he inspected the boy while moving around him.

"Wait a second? Your last name is Wolff, you're tall, you have dark grey hair and freckles. Could it be that you're related to Mr. Johann?" Eren asked as he was trying to piece everything together.

"Oh, you know my uncle? Yeah, he's my uncle and if you guys know him then I'm glad that I was able to help you." Takashi explained his relation with the old merchant.

"I see so that's why you're tall, but why do you have a weird name?" Licht bluntly asked, which embarrassed his twin brother who facepalmed at his brother's rudeness.

Takashi laughed again, "It's alright. I know that I have… well, a different name compared to you. But that's because my mother was Oriental and my father decided that they should go with an oriental name. So, don't worry I'm used to being asked about it." He reassured the embarrassed Eren. "What about you guys? What are your names?" He asked.

"I'm Licht Jaeger."

"Eren Jaeger."

"Armin Arlert." The blonde kid finally revealed his name, but both Armin and Takashi were more interested in the Jaeger brothers.

"Are you two, brothers?" Takashi asked.

"Yes, we're actually twins." Licht replied.

"But you look nothing alike." Armin commented.

"Yeah, apparently Licht takes more after our grandparents." Eren explained.

"I see… It's my first time meeting twins, so I'm kinda glad you two are nothing alike. That way I'll have no problem memorizing who is who." Takashi commented. "And I can assume that it's the first time you guys meet Armin and likewise, right?" He asked, to which all three nodded.

"Hey, Armin." Eren called the blonde boy, grabbing his attention. "I noticed earlier that the kids who were bullying you, wanted to throw that book in the river. Why's that?" Eren asked as he held the book that quickly became the center of attention.

"I-I-It's a book about the outside world… You know the one outside the walls." He nervously said and stuttered, afraid that the three kids might bully him like the others for talking about the outside world.

"That's so cool!" Eren excitedly said. "Can I see it?"

"R-Really?" Armin was taken back by surprise. This wasn't the reaction he expected to see. "It's a very long book though, and I can't let you borrow it since it belongs to my grandpa."

"Not to mention the Military Police Brigade could arrest us all if they found us with that book." Takashi added. He knew that it was illegal to learn things about the outside world. Something that irritated him as he didn't know why there was such a rule in the first place.

Eren was a little bit disappointed after hearing this, as he was really curious to know more about the outside world.

"But I can at least tell you about the things I read in the book and show you some images." Armin excitedly said. He was happy to meet other people that were interested in the outside world like him.

"Really?" Eren asked in disbelief.

"Yes! You see, according to this book, the majority of this world is covered in a body of water called the ocean! What's more, it says the ocean is made up of saltwater!" Armin cried out in excitement.

"Slat?" The three kids repeated. They were surprised to hear what Armin just said. How can water be salty?

"That's definitely something. If my uncle hears about that, he would try to make a fortune out of selling salt." Takashi commented.

"Is it tasty?" Of course Licht would ask a question like this.

"It's not mentioned in the book but I don't think it would be." Armin replied with a chuckle. "But no, the ocean's so large that it'll never run out!" Armin continued. He was really fascinated by the existence of the ocean.

"As if that-" Eren began, not fully believing what Armin just said, but Armin interrupted him.

"And salt isn't even the tip of the iceberg." Armin opened the book and flipped through the pages until he found the one he was looking for. "Look at this! Fire water, land made of ice, fields of sand! The outside world must be way bigger than the lands within the walls!" He continued and the three boys looked at the images in awe. They couldn't help but admire what they were seeing in the book. It was way beyond what they've ever imagined.

"The outside world?" Eren said in fascination. He couldn't keep his eyes off the book.

"You know, it would be nice if we could also explore the outside world someday, right?" Armin commented.

"With what you've showed us, yeah, I definitely want to see those things with my own eyes now." Takashi replied.

"I've decided then. I'm going to join the Survey Corps when I grow up and go outside of the walls!" Eren declared enthusiastically. Licht however, gave him a questioning look. Did he forget what happened this morning?

"That's great to hear because I'll be joining them too!" Takashi said. He was happy to meet someone who also wanted to join the Scouts with him as most people would normally refuse and berate the idea.

"You will?" Eren asked. He too was happy to find someone willing to join the Survey Corps and see the outside world.

"Yes. My father was once a captain of a squad in the Survey Corps and he too told me a lot about the outside world." Takashi proudly replied.

"Cool! I have to meet your father one day and ask him about it!" Eren excitedly commented. He looked up to the Scouts, so it was normal for him to be excited about meeting one.

Hearing this, Takashi's smile turned into a frown for the first time ever since they met him. "Unfortunately, you can't, because both my parents died…" He said and everyone were shellshocked to hear this.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Eren apologized, feeling guilty, but the boy placed a hand on his shoulder.

"There's no need to apologize. My Mom died when I was a baby because of the plague that came a few years ago. And my Dad was eaten by a Titan during the Scouts' last expedition. That's why I came to Shiganshina. It's because I'm going to live with my uncle." Seeing that things were becoming gloomier, Takashi decided to lighten things up. "But that means that the four of us will spend more time together, and who knows, maybe we'll go outside of the walls too once we join the Scouts." He regained his smile and slapped Licht in the back.

"I never really thought about joining the Scouts before. After all, I'm weak." Armin replied. The boy was definitely underestimating himself, not knowing that his true strength lied in his brilliant mind.

"I don't know if I'm going to join or not." Licht added. "Mom said that the walls are protecting us and that if we die, she'll be sad." He didn't forget what happened this morning and he thought that his mother was kinda right. They were well protected in the walls and if they go outside, they might die. Of course it goes without saying, that he was fascinated by the outside world like the others. But after hearing about Takashi's father's death, it further proved his mother's point. It's not like he was afraid, but he didn't want to upset his parents.

"Licht!" Eren angrily called his brother's name. Was he going to accept life in the walls like everyone else now? But just then, Takashi put his hand in front of Eren.

"It's alright, it's your decision and no one can force you to join. But it really is a shame because you're a strong kid, Licht... When I saw you standing in front of the five kids without any fear and willing to fight them to protect those you hold dear to you, I saw a courage I only saw in my father. I saw a warrior, a perfect soldier." He said with a hint of disappointment. As he said, he won't force Licht to change his mind, but he was definitely going to have a little talk with him later. But for now, he needed to go to his uncle's house.

Takashi then walked a few feet and picked his bag that he had left earlier when he stepped in to help them. "It was nice meeting you all, but I have to go now. Let's all meet again later. The four of us." Takashi said as he waved them goodbye.

"I guess we have to leave too." Eren said while Licht was silent, gazing at where Takashi left. For some reason, Takashi's words made an impact on him and he couldn't help but feel a little bit disappointed in himself, knowing that he didn't meet someone's expectations. Especially if that someone was strong like Takashi, someone who Licht really respected.

Jaeger Household:

"We're back!" Eren announced.

"Welcome back you two, dinner is ready!" Carla greeted both her boys. The two then sat at the table and found their father present too.

As usual, Carla prepared a lot of food for Licht who immediately started to dig in. The Saiyan boy was very hungry, especially after a long day like today. Once everyone was present at the table, Grisha was the first to speak.

"So, anything special happened today, you two?" Every day he would ask this question, in order to know if Licht awakened his powers or anything. The two boys didn't know why he did this, but they got used to it.

"We made new friends." Licht replied, after taking a moment to swallow his food.

"Really? That's new, what are their names?" Carla asked. It was the first time the two boys ever make friends. She knew that the two boys didn't get along with kids their age, well, it was mostly Eren and Licht didn't like to make Eren feel left out. Something that she appreciated. So, hearing that the two boys finally made some friends was definitely interesting.

"Their names are Takashi and Armin." Once the two names left Eren's mouth, his father began coughing because he choked on his food.

"Are you okay, dear?" Carla said with a hint of worry and brought him some water.

"I'm fine." He said after drinking the water. "Did you say that the second boy's name was Armin?" He asked his son.

"Yes, he's a nice kid and he told us things about the outside world." Eren excitedly said. He wanted to tell his parents what he learned about the outside the world.

So, the boy's name is really Armin. Could he be the same Armin the Owl mentioned? Grisha said in his mind, as he recalled the last conversation he had with the Owl.

"And what you guys did today?" Carla asked.

"We talked about the outside world! First there's something call the ocean. It's a body of water that covers most of our world…!" Eren excitedly began explaining what he learned about the outside world, and Licht was getting nervous. He was hoping that Eren didn't forget that the book Armin showed them was supposed to be a secret.

"I see, that sounds amazing. What about you Licht? Is there anything you want to share?" Carla tried to change the subject as she kinda knew where was this heading.

"I like Takashi. He seems strong, but not arrogant. He likes to help people too." Licht commented as he liked the fact that Takashi was a good guy despite his strength. Honestly, he only held respect towards him. But at the same time, it made Licht question who was stronger between the two? He was definitely going to ask him for a friendly fight later. "He's actually uncle Johann's nephew and he's going to live in Shiganshina starting from today." Licht continued.

But if this is true, that can only mean that Eren is the future Attack Titan and that Marley will attack us sooner or later. During the past few years, I managed to locate the Founder Titan, but retrieving it is going to be tricky…

"Yes, and he's also going to join the Scouts one day, just like me." Eren excitedly commented before realizing what he just said. Licht also stopped eating and looked at his brother with wide eyes.

"Did you just say that you want to join the Scouts…? After everything I told you this morning… Eren! Why can't you understand that you'll end up killed if you join the Scouts?!" Carla angrily said. She then jerked her head towards Licht. "What about you? Do you want to join the Scouts too?" She asked.

"No, I don't want to." Licht nervously replied.

"See, even your brother doesn't want to join! The walls are protecting us, there's no reason to go outside! Dear, tell him something!"

"The walls aren't going to protect us for long." Grisha replied, earning him shocked expressions from everyone. "They will fall one day, and the Titans will eat us. They'll kill us all." He added. He now knew that they only have a couple of years left before Marley send their Warriors to retrieve the Founder Titan. Realizing what he just said, he looked at his wife's eyes, who was giving him an angry glare.

"We need to talk, later." She said before leaving the table and storming off.

The three Jaegers then continued to eat their meals in silence, but Grisha's words had already made a huge impact on the two kids. His words were now going to be engraved in their minds for the next couple of years.

The walls will fall soon… B-But if that happens, then Dad, Mom and Eren will get eaten by Titans. What should I do? Licht thought as he was worried about the future of his family.

First, they take our freedom and now they'll kill us…! Unforgivable! I won't let them have their way with us! I will join the Scouts and kill them! Eren angrily said in his mind.

Meanwhile, Grisha's eyes kept shifting between his two sons and the man was immersed in his own thoughts. So Eren wants to join the Scouts… This is promising since there's a high possibility he's the next Attack Titan. No, there's no doubt since I'm going to make him inherit my Titan three years from now. I'll do everything I can to make your path easier Eren because you're the one who'll bring Eldia to its former glory. As for Licht, I'm quite disappointed that he doesn't have the same passion as Eren, but I can't force him to join the Survey Corps… I have no doubt that Eren will try to make him change his mind, but I can't have that. I can't force him to join the Scouts. I can't repeat the same mistake. Licht needs to be kept away from this conflict and live a happy life, just like his parents wanted…

And so, for the next two years, the Jaegers completely stopped talking about the Titans and Scouts. After what happened, it was best not to, in order to avoid any unnecessary fights. However, it doesn't mean that Eren's resolve to join the Survey Corps didn't grow stronger with each day. He started to pick fights with anyone who would talk shit about the Scouts, and would scold the Garrison soldiers if they were not doing their work properly. He even decided to keep the fact that he was going to join the Scouts a secret from his parents. On the other hand, Licht was still hesitant. He never forgot his father's words, but thought that there wasn't any truth behind them, right?

Also, with Eren's new aggressive behavior, Licht always had to make sure to watch Eren and not to let him get in any trouble. That was his job now in their new friends' group, that consisted of him, Eren, Takashi and Armin. The four of them have formed this group two years ago. Initially, the group was formed to protect Armin from bullies, but the four of them quickly became best friends. The Saiyan boy also took a liking to Takashi. He would always spar with him, but every time he did, the older boy would come on top. It pissed him off, always causing him to challenge the boy the next day, but it also made the Saiyan boy admire and respect Takashi even more. He saw him as a big brother figure and looked up to him.

But there's one thing that bothered Licht, his father. For some reason, his father was becoming more distant towards him. Heck, he stopped asking Licht if anything special happened today or ask him about his day like he used to. He also had a weird cold look in his eyes whenever he looked at him, a look of disappointment. At first, Licht wondered if he did something wrong, but nothing came to his mind. Then, he thought that maybe his father was upset and had some trouble with work, but he dismissed it off when he saw his father treating his brother differently. And with each passing day, weak, month and year, it pained him more and more. For the past two years, he never stopped asking. What did I do wrong?

"What's wrong Licht? Are you still upset over the fact that I defeated you again in today's sparring?" Takashi asked with a playful smirk.

"Hahaha, very funny. Just wait till tomorrow. I'll become stronger and defeat you! Eren and Armin will also be there to see it." Licht replied with a lot of determination.

Seeing his friend and little brother figure being cheerful as ever, Takashi was glad. When he learned that Eren was going somewhere with his father and that Licht would be all alone, he decided to invite Licht for a little walk. He immediately noticed that the boy looked a bit sad and knew that he had to cheer him up. And the only way to cheer up a Saiyan aside from food, is to give them a good fight.

"Hey Takashi. Why do you want to join the Survey Corps?" Licht asked. For the last two years, he tried to find out what made him different than his brother in his father's eyes. And as weird as it sounded to him, it was the fact that Eren wanted to join the Survey Corps. It didn't make any sense to him because as far as he knew, his parents weren't favorable of the idea of joining the Scouts. Or maybe his father wasn't. This caused the boy to actually start hating the idea of joining the Scouts. He didn't like the fact that his father would only love him like Eren if he decides to join them.

Hearing the question, Takashi was taken back by surprise. He didn't expect this question to come from the young Saiyan. For the past two years, he never showed any interest in joining the Survey Corps. Just like Armin, he was only interested in the outside world, but even then, he didn't care about it as much as Armin.

Takashi then snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the sky. Licht followed his example and moved his head upwards too. The two boys then saw two birds flying high in the sky.

"I want to save people from this cage and free them..." Takashi said as they watched the two birds fly over the walls. "I want the people to be free of the walls and their fear of the Titans. I want to create a world, where the next generations won't have to fight the Titans and where kids won't have to be orphaned…" The older boy explained with a hint of sadness that was hidden behind his gentle smile. And no one can blame him, he was still a kid after all. A kid who lost both of his parents by the time he was 8.

"Takashi…" Licht said as he stared at the boy in awe. Takashi wasn't someone who wanted to fight the Titans for glory or to prove anything, he wanted to fight them not only to save humanity, but also save the future of humanity. He wanted to end this fight and free everyone. Takashi wanted to fight the Titans out of selfness and self-sacrifice!

Once again, Licht's respect and admiration for Takashi grew, but this time it grew fiercely. But there's something else about Takashi, his words… They were affecting Licht, just like the first time they've met. He couldn't help but admire how noble this guy was.

"Besides, Eren told me once that you think the Scouts are cool. He said you admired them because they never give up and fight till the end. So, I want you to watch as your Big Brother becomes a cool person you could be proud of." Takashi continued and gave Licht a cheeky smile as he ruffled the Saiyan's hair.

"I used to think they're cool, but I don't know about now…" Licht admitted, causing Takashi to let out a sigh.

"My Dad once said, that people don't die when they stop breathing. People die when their dreams disappear… My Dad's dream was to create a world where I could live happily and free from the Titans, free from that fight that lasted for a century now… But my Dad stopped breathing, he didn't die because I've decided to take his dream and make it come true, so not only me, but everyone else could be free. And I'm even fully prepared to die for the sake of the dream my father and I share." Takashi exclaimed with a burning inferno in his eyes, that lit with determination.

This time Licht couldn't deny how cool his friend sounded. His respect and admiration for the Scout was being restored again as he couldn't deny how amazing Takashi's father was, but not to the point where he would start admiring them again like when he was younger.

"Well, I guess that's cool and all but we never managed to defeat the Titans. You might even die out there without realizing your dream." Licht pointed out. Despite how inspiring Takashi's words may have been, words were empty if they didn't have actions to back them up.

"Then, I'll make sure to entrust my dream to someone else. I'll share this dream with many people and I'm sure that once we're all united, nothing will be able to stop us. Who knows, perhaps that someone else would be you." Takashi replied, but this time Licht didn't find his words that convincing. Growing up, he saw how people had already given up on fighting the Titans and how they were satisfied with life in the walls. The idea of uniting people to get them out of their comfort zone and fight the Titans sounded more impossible than any other thing he has ever heard in his life.

You don't realize it now, but I can see how hesitant you are, Licht. I'm sure that when the day you join the Scouts comes, it'll be the mark of a new era. The era where humanity became free from the Titans. Because unlike me Licht, you're someone who inspires people with his actions. Just like you inspired me the first time we met…

He never told them about this, but two years ago when they first met, Takashi had actually given up on joining the Scouts. After his father's death, he thought that fighting the Titans was pointless. He thought that humans were weak and they couldn't fight , that's when he saw Licht. A kid not willing to run away from a fight, and to Takashi's surprise it was a five against one. At first, he thought that the boy was all talk, but then Licht proved him wrong as he stood up against the five kids and Takashi was sure that some of them were probably older than Licht. When he saw that scene, it reminded him of his father's story about how he stood up against five Titans without any fear just like Licht. The scene inspired him and reminded of his and his father's dream and what's important. It was at this moment, that he decided to continue his father's legacy and to never give up again.

The two boys then heard some footsteps coming closer, so they look towards the source, only to see Maria running towards them.

"You two come quickly, it's Eren and Mikasa!" Maria shouted in panic. She was heavily breathing because of how far she ran.

"What happened to Eren?! And who is this Mik-" Licht began but Takashi interrupted him.

"What happened to Mikasa? Is she alright?!" Takashi asked in distress.

"I don't know the details, but Mikasa's parents were killed and Mikasa was kidnapped. But then Eren went after her!"

"Where are they now? Are they hurt?!" Takashi asked again.

"I don't know, Dr. Jaeger called the Military Police and they're searching for-" She began but Takashi cut her off.

"Licht, let's go!" He practically shouted before he took off, and Licht quickly followed him.

"Wait you two!" Maria yelled but it was pointless.

"Where are we going?!" Licht asked as he ran.

"To your father, we're going to search for Eren and Mikasa too." Takashi replied.

"And who's this Mikasa?" Licht asked again.

Takashi hesitated for a moment. He gritted his teeth in anger and frustration. "My cousin…"

"Oh…" Licht uttered and frowned.

It happened again. Takashi lost more precious people to him. He lost his aunt and her husband and if nothing is done, he might lose his cousin and friend as well.

After a few minutes, they managed to reach Licht's house where they found a horse carriage along with Grisha and Johann.

"Dad!" Licht yelled, grabbing his attention. "We're coming with you." He continued.

"Dr. Jaeger, please take us with you." Takashi pleaded.

"No, I can't do that. It's too dangerous." Grisha replied, not wanting to put the kids' lives in danger.

"But Dad, I'm worried about Eren!" Licht protested.

"I don't have time for your childish behavior, Licht! My word is final and you're not coming with me!" Grisha said with a hint of anger, causing the young Saiyan to frown.

"Dr. Jaeger! Please, let us come with you! I-I don't want to lose anyone anymore, I don't want to lose precious people to me knowing that I could have done something!" Takashi exclaimed in frustration.

Hearing his words, Grisha began to hesitate. He understood Takashi's frustration and desire to protect those close to him, but he didn't want endanger the two boys.

"Dr. Jaeger, take them with you." Johann nodded.

Finally giving up, Grisha adjusted his glasses, "Get on."