Chapter 3: Beginnings Part 2

It wasn't a short ride to get to Mikasa's house. After all, she and her family lived in a forest outside of Shiganshina District. Once they got there, Grisha opened the carriage's door and stepped out, where two soldiers from the Military Police were waiting for him. Licht and Takashi were about to get out to, but Grisha stopped them.

"You two will stay here while we search the area." Grisha said with authority.

"But-" Licht tried to protest but it was pointless.

"No buts, the kidnappers must be close. It's too dangerous for you to come out." Grisha explained, causing Licht to sit back and cross his arms. He wasn't here to stay in a carriage, he was here to save his brother.

Satisfied that his son settled down, he closed the door of the carriage and left.

"What now?" Licht asked.

"I mean, we can't do anything. You heard your father." Takashi said, but he wasn't happy either with the situation.

The two boys then sat in silence. They were worried and anxious, hoping that Eren and Mikasa were safe or at least alive. After a while though, the carriage became too hot for the two and they needed some fresh air.

"Hey Licht. Open that window please." Takashi politely asked his friend.

"Sure." The young Saiyan replied before he opened the window. The breeze that came in from the window was refreshing.

"That's better." Takashi commented, he was enjoying the refreshing fresh air.

But just then, Licht's nose picked a familiar smell and it was Eren's smell! He started sniffing, trying to pinpoint its location.

"What are you doing?" Takashi asked. He was both weirded out and shocked by what his friend was doing.

"I can smell Eren's scent."

"What? There's no way you can do that." Takashi couldn't believe what was Licht saying.

"But it's true. I don't know how, but I can smell him. It's coming from over there."

"Y-You can't be real." Takashi was still not convinced.

"I'm going to escape from here through the window. Wanna come with me?" Licht asked.

Takashi hesitated for a moment, "Fine, I'll go with you."

The two kids then got out of the carriage through the window. Licht started to sniff around, sensing that the faint smell was getting stronger and stronger, so he started to follow it. And although Takashi still didn't believe this whole thing, he just decided to roll with it and follow his friend.

"Takashi look!" Licht excitedly said while pointing at something.

"No way… It's Eren's footsteps!" Takashi exclaimed in shock. Licht actually managed to sniff Eren's scent and follow it. "I can't believe this! What are you? A dog?" Takashi questioned, still having a hard time processing all of this.

"That's mean." Licht pouted.

"Sorry, sorry. I meant that it's a cool." He said with a sheepish smile.

"You two, what are you doing here?" Grisha angrily asked. He was already frustrated because they didn't find any hint to where Eren and the kidnappers went, so the boys disobeying his order only made him angrier.

"Dad, wait! I can explain, look, we found footsteps." Licht quickly said before his father could scold them.

Grisha's eyes shifted to the footsteps and after inspecting them, he was sure that these were Eren's footsteps. Seeing this, his eyes widened in surprise, "Those are Eren's footsteps."

"Yes!" Licht cried out in excitement.

"I see… I'll inform the Military Police soldiers, so that we could track them. You two should go back to the carriage since we're moving again." Grisha exclaimed, before he went off to call the soldiers, leaving a very disturbed Licht.

That's it… H-He didn't even praise me or asked me how I found them… But I did something good, so why? Why is he treating me that way? Is it because I don't want to join the Survey Corps? Licht thought.

"Is something wrong, Licht?" Takashi asked. He was concerned about his friend who suddenly became sad out of nowhere.

"It's nothing. We should just go." Licht said, not wanting to talk about how his father has been treating him for the past two years. He didn't want to waste time to find Eren and Mikasa and he thought that there's nothing Takashi could do anyways.

The two boys went back to the carriage and never got out after that. Nightfall quickly came, but Grisha and the soldiers kept their search and didn't give up until they finally reached a small cabin.

"Eren! Are you alright?! Are you hurt?!" Grisha ran to his son's side and pulled him in a hug.

Hearing his brother's name, Licht decided to see for himself and open the cabin's door, but Takashi beat him to it. The older boy practically jumped out of the carriage, "Mikasa!" He shouted before the girl ran into his hug. Takashi was overwhelmed by so many emotions right now. On one hand he was happy that Mikasa was safe. He didn't lose her. But on the other, he was pretty sad about Mikasa's parents' deaths. He loved his aunt and her husband. They were very good people and he enjoyed the times when he would come over and spend time with them. And his aunt… she was the one that showed him a mother's love, and what a bond between a mother and child is like. A bond that he never had the chance to experience with his own mother…

Takashi couldn't help it and teared up a little, but he tried his best not to show it in order to not upset Mikasa.

Meanwhile, Licht had already ran to his brother as he was worried about him, but was quickly relieved once he saw that his brother was okay.

"Eren, I told you to wait at the base of the mountain. Do you understand what you've done?!" His father scolded him. What Eren did was pretty reckless after all. Going after three kidnappers wasn't something a kid should ever try. They could've killed him.

"I killed some dangerous animals. They were beasts that just happened to look human!" Eren angrily said, clearly not realizing the weight of his actions. Thankfully, he was lucky to survive this time, but if he tries something like this again, he may not.

Hearing that his brother killed the kidnappers, left Licht aghast. He couldn't believe what his brother did. He killed two human souls and doesn't even regret it. It was just unbelievable. It was true that his brother was becoming more and more aggressive, but this, this was too much. He understands that Eren had no choice but to kill them, but having no regrets whatsoever was something he never imagined his brother doing. He for one knows that if he ever kills anyone, he would at least feel bad about it, because in the end they were humans too despite being bad guys.

"Eren!" His father shouted. He was getting mad at him.

"They've would've been long gone if we'd waited for the Military Police Brigade to arrive. It would've been too late!" Eren shot back, trying to justify his actions.

"That's no excuse! You were just lucky, Eren! I'm scolding you for thoughtlessly risking your life like that!"

"But… I wanted to save her quickly." Eren shakily said and Grisha realized how shaken his son was. Even if he tried to act tough, it was obvious that the 9 years old boy was quite shocked and shaken up by this whole thing. Grisha then calmed down and gently patted his son's shoulder before getting back on his feet again.

"Mikasa. Do you remember me? We met a few times when you were younger." Grisha greeted the young girl. He was also now sure that the Mikasa the Owl spoke of was definitely the young girl in front of him, and that the next Attack Titan was for sure his son, Eren.

"Dr. Jaeger, which way… should I go to return home? It's cold. There's nowhere… for me to go home to." She said as she felt quite lost. And no one could blame her. She was a 9 years old girl who just lost both of her parents, a pretty cruel fate indeed. One that only Takashi understood.

"Come with me Mikasa. You can live with me and Uncle Johann. You remember him, right? And Big Sister Maria too?" Takashi offered as he wanted to take care of Mikasa. The girl who was practically one of the last three of his family members.

Mikasa gave him a nod. Takashi was the last family member she had left, so it was definitely the best option.

Eren then approached the girl and stared at her for a moment, inspecting her. Mikasa was just a little bit shorter than Eren, but still pretty close to his height. Her skin was pale, and she had gray eyes, and long shaggy black hair. And he couldn't help but think that she was kinda cute.

"You can have that." Eren said as he wrapped his red scarf around her head. "It's warm, right?" He continued with a blush on his face.

Mikasa squeezed the scarf tight, enjoying its warmth. She felt safe and relaxed in it. "It's warm." She responded.

"You're not alone Mikasa. Eren, Licht and I, we can all be your family." Takashi pointed out as he tried to make Mikasa feel better. After all, it was the same group of friends that helped him move on after his father's death, so maybe having some friends could help her too, just like it did for him.

Licht felt a bit awkward because it was his first time meeting the girl and he had to say something too now. "Well, there's also Armin, he's pretty cool and smart, but yeah, we can all be your family." The Saiyan said with a gentle smile.

"Let's go to our home." Eren added and took Mikasa's hand while Takashi took the other, and together they guided the young girl who began to tear up due to the intense emotions she was feeling right now.

One Year Later:

One year has passed ever since Mikasa's parents were killed and she started living with the Wolffs. At first, Mikasa wouldn't socialize with anyone since she was still mourning over her parents' deaths. Losing her parents at such a young age, was definitely a huge blow, so Takashi who had gone through the same experience tried his best to cheer her up by telling her stories about what he did with Eren, Licht and Armin. Thanks to that, after a few weeks, Mikasa began to go out more, especially with the group of four boys that consisted of Armin, Takashi, Licht and Eren. Hearing their adventures and such picked the young girl's interest, but what picked her interest the most was Eren. Ever since he saved her life from the kidnappers, Mikasa developed a crush on Eren and always wore the scarf that Eren gave her. Something that both Takashi and Armin were easily able to notice, unlike Licht who was too dense and was only focusing on getting stronger than both Takashi and Mikasa, after the girl totally demolished him in a friendly spar.

Grisha's attitude towards Licht remained the same, which still bothered the Saiyan boy. However, during his and Eren's tenth birthday, Grisha's attitude towards Licht softened again. In fact, he was the first one to wish him a happy birthday and it made Licht so happy. He felt like his old caring father that he knew was back. However, things went back to normal the next day. Licht got frustrated, he asked his father why he treated him that way? What did he do wrong that made him stop loving him? But his father told him that he had no idea what he was talking about, and that he shouldn't bother him because he'll be working in the basement. And ever since that day, Licht decided to never join the Scouts and to never discuss this matter with his father ever again. Besides, he was now busy with his friends anyway and his father was busy with his work.

"And that's another victory for me!" Takashi shouted as he flipped Licht over his shoulder and slammed him to the ground.

Licht began taking some heavy breaths as he was exhausted from his sparring match. He lost to Takashi, again.

"Not fair, you always win because of our height difference." Licht said in frustration. He has been trying to defeat Takashi for the past three years now but he never succeeded, which deeply frustrated him.

"Hey, you can't blame me for being older and taller. Besides you grew up too and you're definitely stronger than before." Takashi replied while extending his hand to pull up Licht, and he was right.

Licht was now ten years old, standing at 140cm (4'7 feet), still making him taller than his twin brother Eren. Overall, his appearance was still the same, except for his tear-throughs that grew a bit longer. Meanwhile, Takashi didn't change all that much either. He just grew up to 154 cm (5'0 feet), which was tall considering he was just 11 years old.

"Yeah, but I'm still weaker than you, and then there's still Mikasa." Licht shakily said and flinched for a second. He remembered the first time he saw Mikasa saving Eren from other kids that were ganging up on him. She defeated them single handedly, which caught his interest so he decided to challenge her. But till that day, he still regrets his decision as Mikasa proved to be stronger than even Takashi. After that, he decided to focus on Takashi. Maybe one day, they could have a rematch, but definitely not now.

"Huh? Are you saying that Mikasa is stronger than me?" Takashi questioned while raising an eyebrow.

Licht jerked his head towards him and looked him dead in the eye. "Do I have to say it for you?"

Takashi let out a sigh, "No, I already know the answer. Man, I miss the times when I was the strongest kid in Shiganshina." He said with a flat expression. Ever since he saw how Mikasa completely destroyed Licht, he knew that the girl was much stronger than him. Because, even though he's stronger than Licht, Licht isn't that far behind him and lately Takashi has been having a harder time dealing with the Saiyan boy. He even had a hunch that the boy might really surpass him one day. If only he knew how soon that day was.

"Now you know how I felt when you first came here, and now I have to deal with Mikasa." Licht replied, before the two boys started to laugh.

Shortly after, the two boys noticed Eren and Mikasa coming back. "What took you so long?" Takashi asked as the two have been away for a while.

Licht took a closer look at Eren and noticed his teary eyes. "Seems like Eren was crying. Did Mikasa hit you or something?" He teased his brother and laughed about it.

"Sh-Shut up! I was taking a nap that's all! Besides, you're the one who got his ass beaten by Mikasa. I bet you couldn't even defeat Takashi today." Eren shot back and this time, it was Takashi's turn to laugh.

Licht raised his hand to object but after thinking about it, Eren hit the nail in the coffin. He was absolutely right. "Just wait! One day, I'll become strong enough and defeat Takashi and Mikasa!" Licht proudly exclaimed.

"That will never happen." Eren exclaimed in a very serious tone that caught everyone off guard. "I don't know about Mikasa, but you'll never defeat Takashi nor me once we join the Scouts. We'll be trained to take on Titans, so a human like you will never stand a chance." He added. Once again, the Saiyan boy realized that his twin brother was right. But for some reason, the idea of falling behind, the idea of never surpassing Takashi who was like his rival now, it felt wrong to him. It shook him off and it was as if his body was yelling at him to get stronger too.

"I don't care. Even if you get the power to kill ten Titans, I'll get strong enough and get the power to kill one hundred Titans!" Licht shot back with a lot of determination that was oozing from his eyes.

"Then does that mean you'll join the Scouts if you get that kind of power?" Eren seriously asked.

"He's kinda right Licht. Becoming strong is definitely something great, but what's the meaning in getting stronger if you don't have a purpose, a goal?" Takashi questioned too.

The Saiyan boy was taken back by surprise, he didn't know how to answer those questions but he definitely didn't want to join the Scouts. "I-I… I'll become the strongest kid in Shiganshina." He hesitantly said.

"Licht that's not an end goal buddy, and we won't stay kids for long either." Takashi pointed out.

"Th-Th-Then, I'll become the strongest and help people. Yes, that's what I'll do!" Licht declared.

Hearing this Takashi sighed, "Licht, people don't need the strongest man to help them in their everyday life. They need him to fight the Titans."

"If you want to become the strongest so badly, why don't you join the Scouts? Don't you want to help people?! What's wrong with you? You even heard Dad, he said that the walls won't stand for long! Honestly, it's because you're so selfish and childish that Dad had enough of you! If-" Eren began but was interrupted by a punch to the face from Licht. A punch that managed to knock him away a few feet.

"SHUT UP!" Licht shouted. For the first time, the usual friendly and kind Licht got angry. For the first time, Licht actually hit Eren without holding back.

"EREN!" Mikasa shouted in distress and ran by his side.

Licht stared at his injured brother who was currently holding his cheek in pain for a few seconds. He didn't mean to do that, he didn't want to do that, "I'm sorry…" He said before he ran away, feeling guilty about punching his brother.

Meanwhile, Takashi was just standing there, frozen in his place. How… How did he move that fast? One moment he was right next to me, and the other Eren was getting what could probably be the hardest punch he ever took. Takashi thought in confusion and utter shock.

"That bastard…" Eren began.

"He has every right to be angry." Takashi said, sounding irritated. "I don't know what's the deal between him and his dad, but a father who doesn't love his son just because his son doesn't want to join the Scouts sounds wrong to me. As for you, you shouldn't have told him that."

"I-I didn't know he was upset. I mean he always smiles and seems okay."

"Because he's always smiling and appears to be happy, doesn't mean he is. In this world, you'll meet a lot of people who hide their pain behind their smile." Takashi explained.

"Then why do they smile?" Eren asked, confused by what was Takashi saying.

"They do it for us. They do it so that we could keep smiling, so that we would feel good." Takashi further explained as this was something he knew very well. When he first came, his uncle smiled to hide his pain of losing his brother, his cousin smiled to hide her pain of losing her uncle. Even he had to smile with Mikasa to hide his pain of losing his aunt.

"When did you become that…" Mikasa trailed off as she couldn't find the right word.

"Wise?" He said, earning a nod from her. "I don't know. My father always used to tell me that life is the greatest teacher. Perhaps he was right." He said as he extended his hand to Eren, who took it and pulled himself up. "Let's go and try to find Licht. You must apologize to him."

"Will he forgive me? I never saw him that angry before."

"He will, he's not the type to hold a grudge. Your brother is very kind and I'm sure he'll forgive you if you apologized."

"Alright then, let's go and find him." Eren said with a blush as he was embarrassed before picking up the stack of wood he collected, while Takashi picked up Licht's share. The three kids then began walking, going back to their district.

"Weird, how could someone cry while they're sleeping?" Takashi asked out of nowhere. It was the first time he has ever heard of something like this happening.

"I don't know, just don't tell anyone I was crying." Eren replied.

"Only if you apologize to Licht." Takashi said as he wasn't going to let Eren off the hook that easily.

"I promise I will. Once I find him, I will."

"But for you to start crying for no reason… Why not ask Uncle to take a look at you?" Mikasa suggested. She was worried that there might be something wrong with Eren.

"Don't be stupid! As if I could tell Dad." He shot back, thinking how embarrassing it would be to tell his father about this.

"What're you crying over, Eren?" A grown-up man asked. He was a tall, well-built man with short blond hair, a thin dark mustache, and golden hazel eyes. He wore the typical uniform of the Garrison Regiment along with a gray v-neck shirt underneath.

"Hannes." Eren said as he recognized the soldier.

"Did you get scolded by Mikasa?" Hannes teasingly asked.

"More like by Licht." Takashi replied with a chuckle.

"Wait, you cried because Licht scolded you?" Hannes asked in confusion. Did the two siblings fight? That was unusual.

"Huh? No, I didn't cry because Licht scolded me. What even makes you think I'd cry?" Eren shot back in embarrassment, before he quickly covered his nose. "You reek of booze!" He remarked at the old man's smell. After a quick look, he realized that Hannes and his comrades we're drinking and playing cards, instead of doing their job.

"Why don't you guys join us?" The old man offered.

"No thanks, old man. Unlike you, I have more important things to do." Takashi replied. He hated it when he saw soldiers having it easy. His father didn't die by the hands of Titans so that the other could slack off on their job.

"What about work?" Eren asked.

"Ah, we're wall guards today." Hanned replied to Eren. "Having been here all day, hunger and thirst were bound to catch up to us. The fact that alcohol happened to be in our drinks is but a trivial matter." Hannes came up with excuses like he usually does, which angered the two boys. But well, Takashi knew more how to control his temper.

"But will you be able to fight when you need to?" Eren angrily asked.

"And when would that be?" Hanned replied with a question in his confusion.

"Isn't that obvious?! When they break down the wall and storm the city!" Eren shouted, clearly pissed off.

"Oh, damn. Hey, Eren, don't start yelling so suddenly." Hannes said before another Garrison soldier joined the conversation.

"You're really lively, doctor's son. If they ever manage to do that, you bet we'll get the job done-" The soldier began.

Hearing his words, Takashi scoffed, "I highly doubt that."

"Hey, watch it kid or you'll get in trouble." The soldier shot back.

"Hmph, don't try to act like a soldier when you won't if a Titan attacks." Takashi murmured to himself.

"In any case, there's nothing to worry about. It's been nothing but peace and quiet these 100 years." The soldier pointed out. Just like most people, he was content with life inside the walls and felt safe behind them.

"Even so, my dad said it's the most dangerous when everyone lets their guard down like that!" Eren yelled. Nothing irritated him more than people who were happy to be caged inside the walls, and be happy with it.

"Dr. Jaeger, huh? Come to think of it, Doc was the one who saved this town from an epidemic, and we're all greatly indebted to him. However, they're an entirely different matter. If you're a soldier, there'll be times when you see them wandering outside while reinforcing the wall. Still, I can't imagine them being able to do anything about this fifty-meter-tall wall." Hannes explained.

"W-Wait… So you're saying you don't even have the resolve to fight them to begin with?" Eren asked in disbelief.

"Pretty much." Hannes simply replied.

"Seriously? Quit calling yourselves the Stationed Army Corps, and go by Wall Construction Corps instead!" Eren angrily shouted again.

"That doesn't sound bad." Hanned laughed. "But you know, Eren, to see soldiers working wouldn't be bode well for us all. It's when we're criticized by people who call us useless freeloaders that everyone's living in peace." Hannes added, saying that living like this was much better for everyone than fighting Titans and getting out of the walls.

"Even if we're confined within these walls, we can keep on living, just eating and sleeping. But… That would be as if… As if we're just cattle." Eren said in disappointment. He was disappointed of the world he was living in. Hearing this, the soldiers laughed and made fun of him, while Hannes, Takashi, and Mikasa couldn't help but ponder more on his words. Hannes was especially shocked to hear these words.

"Let's go you guys." Takashi said as he began leading the way, having enough of this.

After a while of walking in silence, Mikasa decided to speak her mind. "Eren, Takashi, you two should give up on joining the Survey Corps."

"What? You're gonna look down on them too?" Eren questioned in disbelief while Takashi remained silent.

"It doesn't have anything to do with how I see them-" Mikasa began but was interrupted by the sound of the bell ringing. The bell that meant one thing.

"The Survey Corps is back! The front gate in gonna open soon! Let's go, you two! It's the triumphant return of the Heroes!" Eren excitedly said, before he ran away and went ahead.

"I'm sorry Mikasa, but I have to join the Survey Corps. I have a mission, one that I'm already prepared to sacrifice my life for." Takashi said before he followed Eren.

"That bell means that the Survey Corps is back…" Licht said to himself. He was currently lying down on the grass where he and Eren used to lie on and stare at the walls and talk. "I know what Eren said was mean, but he's right. Dad stopped caring about me because I don't want to join the Scouts like Eren… I hate them, I'll never join them…"

"The walls aren't going to protect us for long."

"They will fall one day, and the Titans will eat us. They'll kill us all."

Licht remembered his father's words that echoed in his mind ever since. "But the walls, they might fall one day…"

"He's kinda right Licht. Becoming strong is definitely something great, but what's the meaning in getting stronger if you don't have a purpose, a goal?"

He then remembered Takashi's words. "I want to protect those who're precious to me. I don't want to lose anyone…"

"It's because you're so selfish and childish that Dad stopped loving you!"

He let out a sigh as Eren's words came to his mind. "The Survey Corps are good people. I shouldn't hate them. But if the only way for Dad to care me is to join them, then I can't join them. I'm his son after all, there shouldn't be a reason for him to care about me… What should I do? I want to protect those precious to me, but I can only do that if I join the Survey Corps, but I don't want to join AAAHH!" He yelled before relaxing on his back again. "I hate to think a lot. Takashi and Armin are good for that and since Takashi already knows everything, I'll ask him when I see him…. Whatever, I should go back home."

Licht began to walk in the streets of Shiganshina district. The streets were still empty, probably because everyone was still at the gate to meet the Survey Corps, so the whole walk was quiet and peaceful.

"What's wrong, heretic? If you don't like it, why don't you fight back? Oh right, those bastards, Takashi and Licht aren't here to protect you." A bully said before he and his two lackeys laughed. He was currently holding Armin by this shirt's collar and pinning him to a wall of a building.

"As if I'd ever do that!" Armin shot back.

"Wait a second, that voice!" Licht said as he was sure that just heard Armin's voice.

"The last thing I'd do is stoop to your level." Armin added which only added fuel to the bullies' anger.

"What was that?!" The leader asked.

"You're only resorting to physical abuse because you can't prove that I'm wrong. Doesn't that mean you admit I'm right?!" Armin tried to reason and use words. After all, he always thought that words were more powerful than barbaric ways like violence and oppression.

"Shut your trap, you rambling nitwit!" The leader shouted and pulled his fist back, preparing to punch Armin.

However, just then, another hand grabbed his wrist. The three kids looked back began to nervously sweat, once they saw that it was Licht. His menacing gaze alone was enough to make them terrified of him.

"I thought I made it clear with you guys to never get close to Armin again." Licht said in a menacing voice. His intimidation clearly worked as the three kids were shivering in their place.

"Li-Li-Licht. Y-You… don't understand we were… just saying he-hello. Yeah, that's right, we were just saying hello, that's all. Believe me!" The leader nervously stuttered. He was definitely terrified of the young Saiyan.

Hearing his lies and pathetic excuses, Licht tightened his grip on the leader's wrist, causing him to wince from the pain.

"Hey, you chose the wrong day to try to take me for a fool buddy. You better be prepared because I'm in a very bad mood today." Licht added, promising pain for those who dared to hurt his friend. After that, only screams could be heard along with meaningless pleas that were quickly shut down by Licht. Shortly after, Licht took a seat next to Armin, while watching the three kids running away in fear.

"Don't you think you went a little overboard just now?" Armin asked as he pitied the three bullies.

"They've been going after you for the last three years. I think Takashi and I gave them enough chances as it is." Licht replied in a tone that suggested that he was clearly pissed off.

"You're angry." Armin simply said.

"And?"

"That's unusual. Did something happen?" The blonde boy asked.

"Just a little fight with Eren." Licht quietly answered.

"I don't think it was a little fight given how much you're angry but I won't pry."

"What did they bother you again anyways?" Licht asked, curious about the reason why the three kids were bullying Armin again.

"The usual…" Armin frowned.

"I see…"

"There you are Licht." Takashi said, happy to have finally found his friend. " Oh, Armin is here too and he's… hurt?" Takashi trailed off and pondered as he wondered what happened to Armin.

"He was being bullied, but I took care of them." Licht explained.

"Again?" Takashi deadpanned. Those three kids were sure persistent.

Licht then noticed Eren and decided to leave as he didn't want to be near his twin brother right now. " Well, I'll be going back home for today." The Saiyan boy stood up and started to walk away.

"Licht, wait!" Eren called his brother, who in turn, turned around and faced him.

"I-I'm sorry… I shouldn't have said the things I've said back there." Eren apologized and blushed because he was too embarrassed.

Licht let out a sigh, he couldn't stay mad at Eren after he apologized. "It's okay. I forgive you, and I'm sorry for the punch." Licht apologized too. The two brothers then bumped their fists together and smiled at each other, along with everyone who was watching this scene.

"Wait! The stack of wood I collected! I left it back there!" Licht shouted in distress.

"Don't worry, I picked it up for you. Here, see?" Takashi turned around and showed the Young Saiyan that he was indeed carrying the stack of wood. After we went to see the return of the Survey Corps, we were heading back to your house, but we ran into you first." Takashi reassured the Saiyan that everything was fine.

"That's a relief. Did you guys had a great time watching the Scouts coming back?" Licht asked, but Takashi, Mikasa and Eren gave him uneasy looks.

"Actually, they got utterly crushed, and apparently…" Takashi sighed, as the news frustrated him more than anything. "All this time, they didn't accomplish anything." The dark grey haired boy delivered the harsh news.

"Huh?" Licht questioned in disbelief. Did he hear that right?

"What I'm trying to say Licht, is that the Scouts never accomplished anything. They made zero progress towards saving humanity from the Titans. They uncovered nothing!" Takashi shouted in frustration.

"That means…" Armin began but quickly shut his mouth. It means that Takashi's father died in vain. His efforts and death didn't accomplish anything either. He must be taking this very hard. Armin said in his mind, in order to not upset his friend.

Licht didn't know how to react at all. He didn't know how to. The news only managed to prove that his mother was right all along, but if the Titans were to attack them one day. They would be helpless. No one would be able to stop them or do anything. His loved ones will be killed. It didn't feel right to him.

The news was more than enough to confirm that humans were powerless beings who can't control their destiny, let alone fight the Titans. And the idea of being powerless made him furious, and he felt like something in his body was screaming at him to fight, to get stronger and fight. But how?

"Eren, Takashi, did that change your mind about joining the Survey Corps?" Mikasa asked. After what she saw, she didn't want her crush or cousin to join the Scouts. She didn't want them to die a meaningless death.

"No, I can't give up." Takashi replied, as everybody else looked at him in disbelief. "If I run away, then I'm no better than a coward. I'll fight for humanity till my last breath. Because if I run, I won't be able to face my father properly." He added before walking away.

"Takashi, where are you going?" Licht asked.

"To visit my father." He answered as he kept walking away.

"Today isn't really our day, huh?" Licht said to himself before his stomach growled. "Hehe, I guess I'm hungry." Licht said with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah, let's go back home. Mikasa, Armin, do you guys want to come over and eat with us?" Eren offered his two friends to eat with him and Licht.

"Sorry, I have something to take care of, so I'll be seeing you later." Armin replied.

"What about you Mikasa?" Eren asked earning him a few nods from the girl. She was happy to spend more time with Eren.

"Alright, let me carry this stack of wood…, and let's go." Licht said as he started to walk in front of the two. A couple of minutes later, and they found themselves at the Jaeger Household.

"Welcome back home you two." Carla greeted her kids before she noticed Mikasa. "Oh, hello Mikasa, I didn't see you there. Are you going to have lunch with us?" She asked.

"Yes, if it isn't too much trouble." The girl politely replied.

"Not at all. You don't need to worry about that…, especially when we have Licht." Carla gave Mikasa an uneasy smile, not knowing how will she react when she sees the Saiyan's appetite.

Mikasa tilted her head in confusion and looked at Eren, who also gave her an uneasy smile. "Just try not to be surprised." He said.

"Hey, Dad." Eren greeted his father, as he sat on the table.

"Hello, Eren. I see Mikasa is here today too." Grisha responded as he packed some books in his bag. He then looked at Licht who was staring at him in silence, and then continued packing his stuff, ignoring the Saiyan boy. Licht then sat at the table too and immediately started to eat his food.

"Are you heading out, Dad?" Eren asked his father, curious about where he was going.

"Yes. Medical examinations within the inner walls. It should take around two to three days."

"Eren says he wants to join the Survey Corps." Mikasa bluntly said, hoping that his parents may be opposed to the idea and try to stop him.

"M-Mikasa, I told you that's a secret!" Eren shot back as he was keeping this a secret from his mother.

"Eren! Didn't you tell me that you weren't going to join them anymore? What are you thinking?!" Carla ran to his side and held him by his shoulders. "Do you know how many people have died outside the walls?!" She angrily said.

"I do!"

"Then why-" She began but was interrupted by Grisha.

"Eren. Why do you wish to venture outside?" His father asked, grabbing his attention.

"I want to know… what's become of the outside world. I don't want to simply live out my life within the walls like this! Besides, if nobody follows in their footsteps… the sacrifice of all those who lost their lives would be in vain!" Eren said with a lot of determination. He was talking about how it would be an offense to those who sacrificed their lives in the Scouts, if people stop following in their footsteps.

"I see. The ferry will depart soon. I'll be off now." Grisha said, ready to leave.

"Hey, Dear, wait a minute! Say something to Eren!" Carla hopped that Grisha could somehow reason with Eren and convince him to not join the Scouts.

"Carla, a human's spirit of inquiry isn't something that can be talked down." Grisha replied, basically telling her that there's nothing he could do to stop Eren. "Eren. When I return, I'll show you the basement that I've always kept a secret." He added and showed him the key that was tied to his neck.

"Really?" Eren questioned. He was so happy to believe that his father was finally going to show him the secret basement, but then his thoughts went to Licht who had finished ten plates in silence. "What about Licht? Can't he come too?" Eren asked, hoping that his father would accept. Licht's eyes then shifted to his father's. He was hoping that his father would at least show him the secret basement too.

"No, he can't." Grisha dryly said, causing Licht to look away in disappointment.

Eren looked back at his brother, then steeled his resolve. "If you won't show it to Licht, then I won't see it too. We're twins, so either we see it together or we don't." Eren exclaimed in munity.

"My answer if final. Only you will see it." Grisha said before he exited through the door.

"Wait-"

"It's okay Eren. You don't have to concern yourself with me. Hope you're excited to see it." Licht said with a hint of sadness before he went back to eating. He shouldn't have expected anything from his father. However, it doesn't mean that he wasn't a bit happy that his brother stood up for him. He was happy to know that he has such a caring brother.

Eren let out a sigh, "Fine, let's finish eating and meet with Armin." Eren replied before he noticed that Mikasa didn't touch her food yet. "Mikasa, no need to be shy, eat all you want."

He was met with silence.

"Mikasa?"

"Eren. Licht finished fifteen plates and he's still eating." She simply said but everyone was able to see that was quite shocked.

"Yeah, that's normal. Licht has a great appetite." Eren responded.

"How is he able to eat all of that, and how is that normal?"

"I don't know. He was born like this."

"Have you ever thought that he can eat the Titans?"

"Everyday." Eren replied.

"I wonder how they taste?" Licht mused trying to lighten the mood and forget about his father.

After they finished eating, the three kids prepared to leave to meet Armin, only to be stopped by Carla before they could.

"I'm against it. Only fools would consider joining the Survey Corps." She said.

"What? Fools?! To me people that are content with living like cattle seem way more stupid!" Eren yelled before storming off.

Seeing her son running away, Carla sighed, "Licht, Mikasa, take care of him please."

"Don't worry Mom, I will." Licht replied before he and Mikasa went after Eren.

"So, when I said mankind would eventually need to go outside, they hit me, saying I was a heretic." Armin explained why he was being bullied earlier today.

"I see. So that's why they called you a heretic." Licht exclaimed as he didn't understand earlier why they called Armin one.

"Damn it." Eren cursed as he through a stone. "Why does simply wanting to go outside turn everyone against us?" He angrily asked.

"Well, it's because it's been peaceful within the walls for the past 100 years. In order to prevent inviting them in through a reckless attempt to go outside, the king's government created a policy that made holding interest in the outside world taboo." Armin explained the reason why people hate those who try to go outside the walls.

"We're risking our own lives. It's our choice to make." Eren argued.

"I won't let you. You can't." Mikasa sternly shot back.

"Oh yeah, I can't believe you ratted me out!" Eren said as felt betrayed.

"I don't remember saying I'd help."

"What did they say?" Armin asked, curious to know what was Eren's parents' opinion.

"Mom wasn't too happy about it." Licht commented.

"I figured." Armin replied as he kinda expected this to happen. "True, I think those who believe the walls will forever provide a life of peace need to face reality. Just because the wall has done its job for the past 100 years, it doesn't guarantee that it won't be destroyed today…"

"I kinda understand her feelings though." Licht said.

"What do you mean?" Eren asked.

"Mom, Mikasa and I. We're worried about you. As your family and friends, we don't want you to die. But…, I don't mind if you join the Survey Corps and fight the Titans if you're strong enough. If you're not, I guess I'll have to join to protect you." Licht announced causing everyone to stare at him in shock.

"You'll join the Survey Corps!" Eren asked in a mix of excitement and disbelief. He was happy to hear that his twin brother was finally going to join him.

"I had some thoughts about it, and I'm not completely in. However, at least I know that I'll join if I have to protect the people I care about." Licht said with a smile. "Besides, it's just like Armin said. Who knows for how long the wall will keep standing…?" Just as Licht uttered those words, a lightning bolt came crashing down from outside the wall. Its sound and power were so fierce that it knocked everyone off their feet. It was as if there was a powerful earthquake.

"Wh-What the? An explosion?" Armin asked with a hint of panic, as he and the others got startled by the sound of the lightning bolt.

However, before anything else could happen. Licht ran towards the source of the explosion. He had a bad feeling about this and couldn't help but feel his body getting heavier and heavier. It was as if there was some kind of weird pressure that tried to freeze him in his place and overwhelm him.

"Hey, Licht!" Eren called his brother before he and the others went after him. They quickly found him along with other people, all staring at something. "What's wrong with you? What are you staring at?!" Eren asked while being worried himself. It wasn't until he looked at what his brother staring that, that fear settled in his heart.

The citizens of Shiganshina all froze in fear as they saw a giant hand gripping the walls that protected them for so long. And then, the next thing they saw was the face of a Titan, but it was a Titan unlike anyone they've seen before. The Titan was taller than the walls, standing at 60 meters. His body had no skin, making his flesh and muscles visible for everyone to see. Lastly, another thing to notice that there was some kind of steam coming out of his body. He was utterly frightening. No one dared to move as the colossal being stared at them and carefully observed them.

Everyone was anxiously waiting to see what he was going to do, despite not wanting to know at the same time. They knew that whatever he came here for wasn't sightseeing.

Next thing they saw, the gigantic Titan opened his mouth and charged some kind of a pinkish energy ball in his mouth. Seeing this, everyone's hearts began to race faster. People started to panic and try to run away as fast as they can, but it was too late. Once the Titan charged the energy ball in his mouth, he shot it out of it in a form of an energy wave. Soon enough the pink energy wave collided with the wall…

…creating the biggest explosion humanity has ever seen.


A.N: I tried to only mention the important events in Licht's past and to not go into super details, since I'll be using the other scenes as flashbacks in other moments in the story. So, I don't know if this was kinda rushed or anything, seeing that this was one chapter to begin with, but well I'll slow the pace a lil starting from the next chapter called: Disaster And Birth Of A Hero.