Chapter 5: A Saiyan's Vow

Licht was woken up by the dim light coming through a window. His vision was a bit blurry at first, but soon enough, everything became clear. The first thing he saw was an unfamiliar brown ceiling, different from the one in his house. Then he felt something cold on his forehead. He reached it with his hand, it was a piece of cloth wet and cold.

"Where am I? What happened?" He asked as he moved to sit down but quickly winced in pain as a sudden headache hit him. He began to remember it all. The destruction of Shiganshina by the giant Titan, the fight with the blonde Titan, that other Titan with the weird jaw and… his mother! Where was she? What happened to her?

"Licht!" Takashi entered the room. He set aside a bucket of water and some bandages before he ran to his friend. "How are you awake? The doctor said that you'll stay unconscious for a week, and you had a high fever this morning."

"I don't know… I feel fine. Maybe even better than I ever did." The Saiyan boy said in his own confusion. For some reason he felt stronger than ever, but now wasn't the time to think about that.

He tried to get out of the bed but was stopped by his friend.

"Hold on. Let me clean your wounds and change your bandages first. We also need to call the doctor." Takashi undid the bandages around Licht's chest and gasped in shock at what he saw. "Gone… Licht, your injuries are all gone!"

Licht didn't really understand what the big idea was and shrugged, "I told you I'm fine."

But Takashi shook his head. Were his eyes playing tricks on him? He didn't sleep since the attack after all. "No Licht, you don't understand. A Titan attacked you yesterday. Two from what Eren and Mikasa told me. So how is that possible? The fact that you're still alive is a miracle in itself, but this…"

Licht took a good look at himself. He was as good as new. And he felt stronger, he knew it. Not as strong as yesterday, but stronger nonetheless. Yesterday he fought a Titan and knocked it down. That was weird. No normal human can do that, right? However, he couldn't get distracted by the new capabilities of his body as there was something more important that he should be worried about right now.

He gulped, "Takashi… Where's Mom?" Licht asked with a hint of worry.

At this, the older boy's shoulders slumped, and he couldn't look at his friend's eyes as he uttered his next words, "I'm sorry, Licht… The Titan took her body."

The Saiyan boy tightened his grip on his covers and bit his lip to stop himself from crying, "Tell me everything that happened."

"After you passed out, the Titan took your mother's body and ran away… I then had to carry you to the evacuation center but the boats were already leaving, so I stole an ODM gear and used it to escape while carrying you. But then, an Armored Titan appeared and destroyed Wall Maria. We almost got crushed by the chunks of debris but we escaped and made it to one of the boats. I met Eren, Armin and Mikasa there. They were thankfully safe."

Licht processed every word he just heard and closed his eyes. He was sad, heartbroken, and most importantly angry, especially at the Titan that took his mother away. But there was still one thing he needed to ask.

"Have you seen, Dad?" Licht asked, surprising Takashi who thought that the boy would break down after hearing all that. Little did he know that Licht was just one step away.

"No. I didn't see him."

"I see…" Licht got up from his bed.

"Where are you going?"

"To see Eren and the others."

"But we're not sure you're fine yet." Takashi protested. He wanted a doctor to check on his friend first.

"I told you already, I'm fine. Now let's go."

Takashi sighed, knowing firsthand how stubborn his friend could be. "Here are some new clothes I got you. I'll be waiting outside."

"Thanks." Licht took the new set of clothes and began to change. Once he did, he went downstairs and met up with Takashi outside. "Lead the way."

Takashi nodded, "Okay." And with that the two went on their way. They didn't notice the four kids that were observing them from a distance.

"That's him? That's the Founding Titan?" A kid with short blond hair and hazel eyes whispered to the other three.

"Yes, it's him." Another kid with short brown hair swept back, large hazel eyes and an upturned nose whispered back.

"But he is just a kid, Marcel. I thought that the Founding Titan was with the royal family." The blond boy addressed the brown-haired kid.

"I don't know, Reiner. But I saw him yesterday fighting another Titan and they were somewhat equal. He also took some hits from me yesterday, trying to stop me from taking his mother's dead body and look at him now, he's completely healed." Marcel replied.

"Wait, why did you take his mother's dead body?" Reiner asked, confused by the other boy's actions.

"Because he wouldn't let it go and would've been eaten by a Titan or worse killed. His survival was crucial to our mission."

"I don't understand. Why didn't he transform yesterday?" A taller kid with short, black hair and pale green eyes asked in confusion.

Marcel turned to look at him and shrugged, "I think he doesn't know how to use his powers yet."

Hearing this, Reiner's face lit up, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's capture the devil and escape from this place."

"No, we can't." Came the stoic voice of a blonde girl with blue eyes, causing all three boys to look at her. "The fact that the royal family does not have the Founding Titan is disturbing." She continued.

"What?" Reiner exclaimed in shock.

"I agree. I think we should stay and investigate more about this. Besides, gathering information about Paradise and the devils was also part of our mission Reiner." Marcel spoke, seeing the reason behind Annie's thinking.

"Bertholdt?" Reiner turned to ask the taller boy and know his opinion.

"I agree with both Marcel and Annie."

"Fine, we'll keep an eye on this boy and do some investigation then." Reiner replied.

Speaking of Licht and his friend, the two boys walked in silence, neither uttering a single word during the whole walk. It wasn't until they reached a small cabin that Takashi decided to break the silence.

"We're here. They're keeping everyone other than those with grave injuries in the food storehouse"

Licht nodded and entered a corridor filled with doors everywhere. His expression turned to surprise once he saw his father inside too. "Dad… You're here."

"Licht, I'm so glad you're okay. Your Mom, where is she? Is she here with you?" Grisha asked, slightly hopeful…

…but he was met with silence.

"L-Licht… Where's Carla?" He repeated, this time nervously.

The boy looked down in shame. The tears he was trying so hard to hold back were coming out. What was he supposed to say to his father? That the Titans took her away because he was too weak to protect her?

"Mom died… a T-Titan took her away." He finally answered but his father didn't say anything back. He waited for a moment, but his father was still silent. Growing tired of the silence, he lifted his head up and looked at this father who wasn't looking at him now. "I-I tried to save her… There was this Titan that tried to catch her when she was trapped under our house, but I fought it Dad. I was able to fend it off, but when I tried to free Mom it shot a strange beam at us, throwing us away… And then another Titan came and took her away." Licht explained with shaky voice and his father's eyes shifted back to him. "I-I tried my best but I couldn't save her Dad. I gave everything I've got, but… b-but why wasn't it enough? Why wasn't I able to save her? Why did she die?" He continued and at this point he was openly sobbing.

He didn't notice the dark look in his father's eyes and what happened next was something no one expected. Something that was going to haunt Licht for years to come.

"Because you're not special." Came the simple yet harsh reply.

"Huh?" Licht tilted his head in confusion. What did his father mean by not special?

"Now excuse me because I must see Eren and give him something." He quietly said as grabbed the door's handle.

"Why…?" Licht whispered but the older man was able to hear him. "It has always been Eren. You never looked at me the same way! You never bothered with me and always ignored me! Why?! Why is it always Eren!" He shouted. He had enough with his father's attitude now and was downright angry at the older man. "Mom just died and I got attacked by two Titans and all you say back is that I'm not special. What… W-What kind of sick and twisted reply is that?! And what does it mean?! I'm your son, too!" He finished, scowling at his father.

But the older man shook his head, "You and Eren are different. Eren is special and I know that he'll succeed and complete his mission. You, on the other hand, are a failure just like him." He bitterly said and Licht had the impression that his father was seeing someone else in his place. "Yes, you're just like him. Both with a great amount of potential yet impassive and carefree to the danger around us. I placed my faith and hopes on both of you and yet the two of you failed dramatically when it really counted. So, what I see is that you, Licht, are nothing but a failure like him. Another mistake." He sighed to himself. "Different approach, yet the same results."

At this point, Licht was done listening to his father- no that man in front of him. He didn't even care to ask about who was his father comparing him to. All he had in him right now was sadness and anger. "You… I hate you!" He yelled at him before running away. Takashi who immediately saw his best friend bursting out of the cabin and running away in blinding speeds, rushed after him.

Meanwhile, Grisha didn't bother and went to fetch Eren. It was time for him to pass on his mission to his son.

He opened the door and found his son sleeping soundly next to Mikasa and Armin and made his way to him…


"Licht!" Takashi cried out as he ran after his friend. "Wait!"

Unfortunately for Takashi, his words fell on deaf ears as Licht continued to run and get farther away.

I don't understand. How is he running so fast? I'm out of breath myself. At this rate, I'll lose him.

"Licht, stop! What's wrong with you?!" The boy continued. And luckily for him, Licht finally stopped as his path was blocked by a river. Takashi panted, tired from all the running and once he relaxed, he decided to speak. "Licht?" He called his friend again who slowly turned to face him, showing the tears that were pouring from his eyes.

"…Takashi?" He asked in a shaky voice before he gripped his shirt tightly and started to cry.

"Licht…" He slowly approached the younger boy. It was obvious to him that he was in pain and that was trying to hold everything back. And Takashi knew that this wasn't healthy, so he put a hand on his friend's shoulder, opting him to look at him in the eyes. "It's okay… Let it all out." And with that, Licht started to cry his eyes out.

He kept crying for a few minutes until he finally calmed down. But even still, Takashi knew that the boy was still depressed about something as it showed all over his face. And so, he took a seat by the river.

"Sit down, let's watch the sunset together."

Licht complied without a word and sat next to the older boy. Neither were bothered by the awkward silence as they watched the sunset.

"Uncle Johann and Big Sister Maria died during the attack." Takashi was the first one to speak, his words earning a gasp from Licht. "Right now, you, Eren, Mikasa and Armin are the only family I have left… I know that family should take care of each other, that's why I want to be there for you, Licht. I want to know what's making you sad."

He was met with silence, and he noticed that Licht was avoiding his gaze.

"I know that you're the type that prefers keeping everything inside but trust me it's not the best thing to do… Something happened back in the storehouse, so please give me the chance to help you deal with it."

Once again, he was met with silence. And he was about to give up and return to his sunset gazing when...

"Fine… I-I was never the best at dealing with emotions. For some reason, they always felt foreign to me. I only know anger and excitement, and I know that other than anger, right now I'm feeling other emotions. Emotions that I don't fully understand." And with another breath he began to tell his friend what happened back in the storehouse with his father. Needless to say, Takashi was furious.

"What?! How can he say that?!" He seethed. "Did he hit his head or something during the attack?!"

"He's right about me." Licht replied and then flinched in shock at how fast Takashi's neck moved towards him. He almost thought that it snapped.

"You… Are you crazy?! How can you believe such thing?!" The boy shouted in disbelief. He couldn't even begin to understand how a father can tell his kid such things or even how easily Licht was accepting them.

"But it's true. I mean, I wasn't able to save Mom."

To say that Takashi was pissed would be an understatement. In his anger, he grabbed the Saiyan boy by his shirt and lifted him up until they were face to face. "Who are you and what did you do to Licht?"

"Takashi are you crazy, it's me? Put me down!" Licht struggled in the older boy's grip.

"No! You're not him! The Licht I know is someone who would never let anyone, no matter who, walk all over him like that! The Licht I know is someone who's not pitiful or pathetic like you! The Licht I know would never let anyone trample on his pride!"

Licht froze and ceased his struggle at the single word, pride. He didn't understand but it triggered something inside of him. Out of all the words, it was this one that resonated in his mind.

"Because that's who Licht Jaeger is, damn it!" Takashi continued as he finally let go of Licht. "You're not the only one who failed yesterday. We all did. The entire population of Shiganshina failed including the Garrison. So, if you're a failure and a weakling, then so are we. Everyone including me, Eren, Armin and Mikasa. But unlike you, I'll train and join the Survey Corps to defeat the Titans because I refuse to stay a weakling."

Licht stood there frozen as his mind processed every single word his friend told him. And he realized that in his words, he was acting like a wimp, and Licht Jaeger is not wimp. Never was and never will be. And so, he raised his fist and punched himself in the face leaving a purple and nasty bruise to his cheek.

"You're right that's not who I am. And I promise that I will never let myself act like that ever again. Never! And I will also make a vow. I vow that I will never let myself stay a failure. I too will get stronger and join the Survey Corps so that no one would ever go through what we did. If people see and fear the Titans as the darkness of this world. The impending doom. Then I Licht Jaeger will become the light and beacon of hope that will erase said darkness. Upon the death of my mother, I vow to defeat all the Titans!"

Takashi smirked at the determination and fire in his friend's eyes. His friend has changed. He was no longer the same kid who used to depend on the walls' protection like the others and play around in Shiganshina's streets. He's now a warrior. A torch that will one day grow to become a shining beacon to its allies and the fierce blazing flames of Hell to the enemies.

"Big words, but can you prove them?" He challenged the boy with a cocky grin to which his friend returned with one of his own.

"My actions alone will speak for themselves." He replied before he rushed at Takashi with a roundhouse kick.

Takashi ducked down, barely dodging the kick and was surprised at how fast it came. He then saw an incoming fist that was fast approaching towards his face. He safely caught it but was shocked at how strong the punch was as it managed to push him back.

So strong! He winced in pain and shook his hand to ease the burning sensation.

"What's that? Is that all you've got? Or could it be that the big and strong Takashi is losing right now?" Licht mocked his friend with no real ill intention behind his words.

Takashi scoffed, "Please, I was just going easy on you. After all, I was afraid that you might cry again." He replied before he dashed towards Licht. He pulled his fist back, aiming to punch Licht in his stomach.

His fist almost made contact with its target, but then Takashi was surprised by how fast Licht dodged his attack with and came at his side. The next thing he knew, a strong and firm grip caught his hand and pulled it towards the same trajectory it was going to. And before he knew it, something swept him off his feet and he fell.

Licht didn't wait for the boy to recover and pined his hands behind his back, securing his victory. He saw Takashi turning his head to face him and smiled at the mix of shock and awe on his face.

"I won." He proudly said as this was the first time, he ever defeated the older boy.

"You… You did." Takashi replied, shocked by how stronger Licht became since yesterday. But it didn't make any sense. How can someone become so much stronger in just a day. He was so shocked that he didn't realize that Licht had already released him.

As for Licht, the boy was laughing like a madman. He finally won against Takashi. After years of failures, he finally won against his best friend. And then he started to think about other strong people that he could try to match his strength to. He didn't know why he wanted to do this, but it was as if his blood was screaming at him to do it.

Maybe I should fight Mikasa now. I'm sure I can take her on with this new strength of mine. He thought as he grinned like an idiot.

Snapped out of his shock and confusion, Takashi shook his head at his friend's antics. It doesn't matter how he got stronger. I'm just glad he's back to his old cheerful self now.

After that, the two friends went back to the storehouse. Licht didn't want to see his father, and surprisingly he wasn't there. Eren, Mikasa and Armin were sleeping and the Saiyan figured out that it was because they didn't sleep since yesterday. And so, he left Takashi as the boy had to sleep too and decided to find some food. And to his surprise…

"What? Only a piece of bread? Sir please, I-I'm hungry." Licht asked with a hint of worry. He knew that his body would not survive if this is all he eats.

"I'm sorry kid. There's not enough food for everyone. This is all we have." The man replied.

Licht frowned, but he understood there wasn't enough food for everyone to survive after the breach of Wall Maria, and so he left.

Will I survive like this? Licht thought to himself as he ate his bread.


The Next Day:

Eren woke up at the sound of the church's bells. He looked frightened and worried but then he noticed Mikasa by his side.

"Eren are you okay? You were tossing around and turning." Mikasa in her usual stoic voice asked him.

Eren held his head. He didn't know if what he saw was a nightmare or not. He saw his dad acting weirdly, giving him something and telling him to go to the basement of their house. He couldn't quite remember, his memory felt weird. All he could recall is seeing his father.

"I feel like I saw my dad…" He answered.

"That can't be. It was only a dream." Mikasa said as she hadn't seen Grisha anywhere since she woke up.

"Was it?" Eren asked himself before he noticed a key hanging by a string like a necklace around his neck.

"Let's go. They said they're going to distribute food." Mikasa announced and walked away as Eren hid the key in his shirt and followed her.

When they went outside, they first noticed the large crowd that was gathered in the area. They were all lined up in queues, waiting their turn to get their food. And due this new stressful life, people were angry and bickering among themselves.

"It isn't certain yet that we'll survive." Mikasa commented as she observed the situation.

"Eren! Mikasa!" Armin called for them as he ran towards them, followed by both Licht and Takashi.

"You guys…" And then his mind clicked and noticed something. Licht was here. "Licht!" He ran to check on his twin brother. "You… You're all healed… How?" He muttered in surprise.

"I don't know. I woke up yesterday and I was fine. All my injuries are healed and I'm doing better than ever. I even took down Takashi in a fight yesterday." He grinned and gave his brother a thumbs up while Takashi shook his head.

Eren really didn't care how his brother healed so quickly. As long as he wasn't injured anymore then it was fine with him.

"Also, look. Armin's grandpa got these for us." He pointed to Armin's hands that held five pieces of bread.

At this, Armin gave every kid their share. Mikasa thanked him, but Eren kept staring at his own piece, thinking about something. He looked at his brother for a moment before his gaze shifted back to the piece of bread in his hand.

"Tsk." Came a voice from behind the three boys and they noticed a Garrison soldier scowling at them before he walked away.

"What's his problem?" Eren asked, not liking the soldier's attitude.

"There's nothing we can do… I don't think there's enough food for everyone. They say that's all we'll get today." Armin replied and Eren had a worried look on his face. He wasn't worried about himself, but someone else. "There are too many refugees. And not enough food to begin with. You know the farther out you live, the less they care, right?"

"Why do we have to share our food with outsiders? If the Titans were breaking through anyway, they should have eaten more, so there'd be fewer mouths." The same grumpy soldier from before complained. And while the four kids kept their anger in check, Eren as usual couldn't.

"Eren!" Armin tried to stop him, but the boy was stubborn and made his way to the soldier.

"Now there's just that much less food." The soldier sighed to himself before getting kicked in the leg by Eren. "What are you doing, stupid kid?!" He shouted at him before punching him in the face and then the other soldier kicked him, knocking him down on the floor.

"You have no idea… You've never even seen it!" Eren shot back in anger and frustration. "You've never seen the way they eat people…"

"Shut up!" The soldier yelled at Eren and tried to punch him again, but to everyone's surprise his fist was caught by Licht.

This made the soldier even more angry. He tried to remove his fist from Licht's grip, but it was pointless. "What the…?"

"I'm sorry for my brother's actions. He's just upset because of what happened and because he's hungry. I'll take care of him now, so there's no need to hit him again, okay?" Licht said with a fierce glare pointed at the soldier that promised nothing but pain if he tries to harm Eren again in any way.

The soldier gulped and was actually afraid of Licht's strength. But his pride wouldn't allow him to bend to a kid like that, especially not in public. "Jeez… The only reason you aren't starving is because of us, got it? Even a kid should show gratitude!"

"Yes. On behalf of my brother, I thank you for the food." Licht smiled at the older man as he tightened his grip causing him some pain before letting it go. The man frowned at him but decided to walk away with his partner. He had a deep feeling that he shouldn't mess with this kid.

"Damn it." Eren swore as Mikasa helped him up. "No guy like that is looking after me." He continued as his gaze switched back to Licht who suddenly collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

"Licht!" Armin cried out.

"Sorry for worrying you guys, I uh guess I fainted because of the heat." Licht smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

They were back inside the food storehouse after Licht fainted in the middle of the crowd.

"I'm going back to Wall Maria. I'm going to kill all the Titans!" Eren seethed.

"Eren, you aren't serious, are you?" Armin asked with a sweat drop. He was wondering if his friend has finally lost it.

"I am serious!" The angry boy shot back. "I'm not like them, sitting inside the walls and acting tough! I don't need this!" He continued as he threw his piece of bread back to Armin. Licht was sure that his brother lost it as to him it was crazy to say no to food like that.

"Eren, you'll starve!" Armin worriedly exclaimed.

"This doesn't bother you?! We can't win until we can stop depending on stuff from them!"

"It's impossible!" Armin couldn't understand Eren's logic. No one can fight on an empty stomach after all. Something that Licht agreed with. "There's nothing we can do but live within the walls… If you do something dumb, you'll die. Like my mom and dad!"

"So, we should suck up to them instead? Aren't you ashamed?!"

"Right now… Right now, there's no choice!"

"That's just an excuse! Then spend the rest of your life as cattle, weakling!"

It was at this point that Mikasa had enough and punched Eren right in the face, knocking him down on the ground.

"Mikasa?" Armin said in disbelief. He never saw Mikasa hitting Eren before. It was also a surprise to him given her crush on him.

But Mikasa remained stoic as ever, "If Armin is a weakling, so are we. We didn't even run from the Titans or from the city on our own two feet. We couldn't even get the food we're eating today without help. Anyone so weak couldn't possibly defeat a single Titan… What matters is survival. Just like your mother said." She said before picking back the piece of bread from Armin. She tried to shove it inside Eren's mouth, but he smacked her hand which made Mikasa grow angry. "I will not let you starve. Eat and survive!" She ordered sternly.

"Survive?" He scoffed. "Why does it matter when he's going to die!" He pointed at Licht as tears started to form in the corner of his eyes.

Licht's eyes widened, "Eren…"

"Eren what do you mean?" Takashi spoke, interrupting the Saiyan boy.

"Ever since we were kids, Licht always needed more food than anyone. He usually eats ten times more than Dad. How do you think someone like that will survive with only one piece of bread every day?! He will starve and die! You… You already fainted because you're hungry, didn't you?"

"Eren, I told you already that it was just the heat. I'm rea-" The Saiyan stopped as the sound of growling coming from his stomach made itself known.

"Bullshit, stop lying!" He shouted as he openly sobbed. "If we don't take back… Wall Maria… I'll lose you too. You… Y-You're the only family I have left now… I don't want to lose you, too."

Mikasa and Armin were depressed after hearing Eren's words and Takashi had a grim look on his face. To think that they were going to lose another person. It was just too much for the kids. To think that now their days with their childhood friend were numbered… How and why did it come to this?

"I won't die." Licht announced, grabbing all their attention.

"Huh?" Eren blinked in confusion.

"Yesterday, I made a vow. A vow to defeat all the Titans and free the people from the constant fear they live in. A vow so that no kid would ever go through what we're going through right now. I made it upon Mom's death, and that's why I refuse to die. I will live, get stronger and join the Survey Corps to save us all… But right now, I'm weak and useless. I can't do anything. And that's why I'll depend on them to survive. I'll survive until the day I face the Titans comes."

This earned different reactions from the four kids.

Eren looked at his brother in awe, feeling that his brother grew a bit. And he was also proud to know that his brother was finally joining the Survey Corps with him.

Armin was also moved by Licht's speech but also skeptical. He wasn't confident after what he saw during the attack.

Mikasa was disappointed. Whatever hope she had left to stop Eren and Takashi from joining the Survey Corps was gone. Oh well, at least Eren will shut up and eat now.

And Takashi…

"Of course. And you won't only have to depend on them too, but us." He smiled and split his bread in half before giving one to Licht. "Eat."

"Takashi?" Licht watched as everyone else followed Takashi's example and gave him a piece of their bread.

Eren finally wiped his tears and put one of his halves in his brother's hand. "Eat and… survive."

"You guys…" He was moved to tears by his brother's and friends' actions. "Hai!" And with that they all started to eat their food with no more arguments.

Several days later, refugees were sent in droves to till the wastelands, to bring more food. But even still, there wasn't enough. And the following year, in 846, the central government used many refugees in an operation ostensibly to recover Wall Maria. Two hundred fifty thousand, in all… Approximately 20% of the population. But there were only just over a hundred survivors. Their sacrifice somewhat alleviated the food shortage for the rest of the refugees. And although this event came with many losses, Licht who was always starving and would spend most of his days in a bed, finally recovered. The hunger was still there but didn't hinder his everyday life like before. And he had none other than his friends to thank them. If it wasn't for them, he would've surely died.

Now sitting in the street and curled up like a ball was Armin, who was crying at the death of his grandfather who lost his life among those who tried to recover Wall Maria. The only thing he had left from the man, was his hat. And of course, he was surrounded by his four friends as the five them had already understood that orphans like them must stick together like a family to survive. They had no one else to depend on…

Not anymore.

"It's all because of the Titans." Eren began. "If we destroy them, we can retake our home!" He continued as he sat down next to the crying boy. "Armin… I'm enlisting next year. I'll gain the power to fight Titans!"

"Same for me. It's because of your grandfather and everyone else who went to recover Wall Maria that I'm healthy again. And I'm not going to let their sacrifice go to waste. I'll fight for each of them!" Licht declared with a lot of determination.

"You can count on me too. I'll make my Dad's and my dream come true. I'll create a new world where no one will ever have to lose someone precious to them because of the Titans!" Takashi added with same determination as Licht.

"Me, too?" Armin finally spoke.

"Armin?" They were surprised to hear that Armin wanted to join as he never showed any determination like them.

"Me, too!" He repeated, showing everyone that he won't go back on his word.

Mikasa sighed. In the end, she couldn't do anything to stop them. Better join them in order to keep them safe. "I'll go, as well." This came as an even a bigger surprise to the boys as they knew how much Mikasa was against the idea of joining the Survey Corps and fighting the Titans.

"Mikasa, you don't have to… Didn't you say that it's important to survive?" Eren tried to stop her, but it was all futile as she had already made up her mind.

"That's right. So I'll go, to keep you all from dying." She said, challenging anyone of them to protest. And of course, they didn't. They knew better.

"All right. The five of us." Eren announced matching the determination of everyone around him.

"The five of us will kick ass!" Licht grinned, trying to lighten up the mood a bit which worked as everyone smiled at him.

"You bet." Takashi replied with a smirk. This is what he liked about Licht. For the past year, no matter how things got bad, he always had a way to cheer them up. And honestly, ever since Licht made his speech and vow, there was this small hope inside of him that told him that maybe they will finally stop all the Titans, together.


One Year Later:

Now that he was a teenager, Licht's appearance has greatly changed thanks to first stages of puberty. He stood at 152 cm (almost 5 feet). His hairstyle was still the same, but it grew proportionally to his height. Some of the baby fat on his face started to go away. And his figure was slowly but surely developing to become that of a man. He was wearing a dark blue shirt under the light brown vest that everyone enlisted in the cadet wore along with white trousers and brown knee-high boots. The typical uniform. This was his first day in the cadet, and he told his friends to go ahead of him as he had to answer nature's call. But as he made his way back to his friends, he was drawn by a nice smell and followed it.

Eventually, it led him to the kitchen where he found a girl standing at 159 cm (around 5'3). She had light brown eyes and reddish-brown hair kept in a ponytail. Her bangs were parted slightly on the right cascading down each side of her face and stopping around the middle of her neck. And right now, as it appears, she was stealing a potato. Not that Licht knew.

"Are those potatoes?" He asked.

The girl flinched and looked back to see Licht standing behind her. She started to get nervous and was afraid that he might notify a higher up that would come and catch her. And so…

"There're a lot of potatoes here! They're giving them out to everyone for free… Yes. It's not mandatory but you could take one… Would you like to take one?" She grabbed one and raised it to him.

"Really? Awesome! Thanks a lot! I was actually pretty hungry myself, so I'll take ten!" Licht replied with his usual carefree grin.


A/N: And cut. I guess you all know what will happen next. The next scene was one of the first scenes that came to my head when I came up with this story, and I'm glad that I'll be able to write it soon. Anyways, sorry for the delay. To say that I went through shit would be an understatement. But I hope you've all enjoyed this new chapter and make sure to let me know your thoughts in the comments.

PS: I know that someone will ask this. There're always those types of people. I know that the height I gave to Sasha is not the one you would find on the wiki or something, but that's because that's their 12 years old height. Not 15 years old. And I refuse to simply believe that all the kids got this one big growth spurt from 11 to 12 and then stayed at the same height for 3 years. Not that height really matter to the story, but I'm saying this because I met people that would ask such questions. Not that it's wrong through. That's all from me now.


Replies to the comments:

danielsantiago4545: Definitely.

Guest: Well, as you know from dragon ball everyone can use ki. Though I don't think I'll let everyone use ki. However, abnormal Titans, royal blood Eldians, shifters, and royal blood titans of course are able to unlock ki easily and with the right training use it effectively.

industrygilbey: Nah, it's just you.

Funny-Little-Cute White Fox: Yeah, the death of his mother was crucial to his character development. It had to happen. It's something important to the entire story.

kian1974eve: As of right now, I'm not aiming to go beyond ssj2. However, if I ever decided to expand on the story and what happens after the war ends then I'll include other transformations. This Earth is after all universe's 6 Earth that was destroyed by a war, but with Licht's involvement that will not happen. So I might add more arcs such as the Universe 7 vs 6 tournament and the TOP. As for Licht Black, I have no idea how I can write something like that at the moment, given that the technology isn't advanced enough for time machines to exist. Also, Licht was a kid during the last 5 chapters. He just became a teen at the end of this one, so of course I had to make him act like on. His personality will change given time and events.

main882: Sorry for the delay, and hope you've enjoyed this one.