3rd POV

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The next day:

The sound of the bells echoed in the background as young Eren slept peacefully on a straw bed until he suddenly heard something in the distance.

"Er... n... Wa... Up... now... ." His face scrunched up in discomfort

"huh..?"

"...ren..!" someone started shaking him gently. After a moment, He cracked an eye open, blinking disoriented before sitting up slowly, seeing Mikasa's worried gaze.

"Are you alright..? I've been trying to wake you up for a while now," she said quietly.

He blinked drowsiness apparent on his face. "...Huh weird...I feel..refreshed...and I think I saw dad.."

The raven-haired child looked down. "He's not there. It was probably a dream.."

"You think ..?" He said, looking down as he noticed something hanging around his neck.

'a key..?'

"Come on, the garrison is giving food outside." She stood up.

He put the key under his shirt and got up before following her out of the barn.

"This warehouse used to store food before. This is where they gathered everyone who came by boats." She explained to him.

The brunette looked around, noticing shocked, crying and haunted people queuing for food as two men fought.

"Line up like everyone else, motherfucker!"

"SHUT UP! I haven't eaten since last night! I'm starving!"

Mikasa continued, looking at the scene impassively, "It's too early to say that we are safe yet, this is just the start of our struggle...", she muttered until a familiar voice beamed.

"KIDDOS!!", Their eyes widened when someone suddenly glomped them, squeezing the living shit out of them. "YOU TWO ARE OKAY!!" She kissed both of their flustered faces.

"W-who..?" Eren bashfully started before recognition flashed through his teal eyes. "Ah! IT'S YOU !! The mysterious girl!!" he could've said 'Weird' but he thought that it would be mean since she was nice to him that day.

Armin came behind the girl who was hugging his friends, carrying three loaves of bread in his hands. "Mysterious..?...!! Ah! You're the one Eren was talking about!" He exclaimed suddenly!

She released them, looking curiously at Eren who stuttered. "I-I... Huh! ... I mean.. yes it's her!" A sly look grazed her features.

"Oh~? I didn't know I was that interesting." She chuckled teasingly making the three flush.

The blond suddenly looked down at his hands, "Ah yes ! Here's Bread! My grandfather told them it was for his grandkids!", he said giving them each, one, before realizing there was nothing left for the girl.

"It's alright, I don't need it." the cloaked girl said warmly reassuring the little blond who hesitantly nodded.

A garrisonsoldier who followed Armin 'tched' before walking away. Eren having noticed him, asked

"What's his problem?"

"It's not against you, it's the food. There's not enough for everybody. And we've already exhausted their reserve."

Eren looks down at the bread with a thoughtful expression, listening to the blond's explanation.

"There are too many refugees, they were already struggling and...", he trailed off while taking a look at some guys fighting over food before adding. "You know how precious food is to those who live between wall Rose and Maria..."

1ST POV

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Listening to Armin's explanation, I nod my head dejected, " He's right tho, the more refugees there are, the less food there will be unless we hunt outside the walls or raise a lot of cattle, there won't be enough for everyone."

I say rearranging my outfit.

"In any case, these solutions will require a lot of energy and patience." I took a look at them, seeing that they were listening attentively "...What ?"

The three gremlins blinks before Mikasa spoke quietly. "Nothing...We think that what you said makes sense..."

I smile at them but before I could speak, the same garrison soldier from before, who seriously made me think of a nasty praying mantis, spoke distastefully while watching the men brawl over food.

"I can't believe we're giving our bread to strangers"

We all froze.

'Damn! I fucking forgot about that praying mantis look-alike bastard.'

"Too bad the Titans didn't eat more." A vein emerged on my forehead. "That wouldn't have given us more mouths to feed, ain't I right?" he told his friend as he had THE AUDACITY to look smug.

I was about to go beat the shit outta him because seriously, 'I did my FUCKING Best to Save MORE People not for You to say that they should've Died?! Ight imma throw these hands-' but Eren beats me to it.

"Eren, wait !" Armin said alarmed while watching as his friend went to the bastard, fist held tightly and expression fierce.

"We were already cutting everything, and now, thanks to them there will be a shortag-"

Eren kicked his knee with all his might, which made the bastard curse painfully.

"Hey! What the hell you brat!" He shouted raising his fist. But before he could land a hit on the boy, my leathered hand gripped his wrist, stopping it near the boy's face.

I send an icy wave of Killing intent which immediately stopped his friend from intervening, planting him in place as he shook like a leaf. I then slowly turned my hooded head, facing the dipshit in front of me.

"I advise you to not raise your hand on this boy, sir.", I say in a dark and stern voice, completely different from its usual tenderness which caused him to shiverin fright, "If you want to keep complaining about the survival of those who have lost everything, I would like to see you in their place, facing the titans.", I intentionally tightened my grip on his wrist, which caused him to whimper.

'ouuu that's gonna leave a bruise lol.'

"W-wha..-" He tried to talk but I wasn't finished.

"Oh, and it reminds me that it will be your job, now, to defend the wall against the titans.", An evil smirk he alone could see appeared on my face. "And whose to says it won't happen again, but this time to Wall Rose?" His eyes widened in cold fear as he tried to get away from me. "We'll see if you get the same speech by then." I let go of his hand as if I was just holding some trash, which caused him to fall on his ass before taking Eren's hand and walked back to his friends as they watched the scene in bewilderment.

A crowd of refugees had formed and seen it all. Some of them thanked me while others whispered curses at the bastard that had almost pissed himself on the ground.

"Tch! Who does he think he is, that asshole! Don't even have the balls to face a real titan." I grumbled to myself, "Bet that bitch won't even last a da-"

"hum..miss..?" a little voice said beside me, causing me to look at Eren's wide teal eyes staring at me intensely.

"Yeah? And- Oh right! My name is Colith", I replied casually. Stopping in front of his two friends.

"Oh huh..then Mine's Eren Jaeger, this is my adopted sister," He pointed at the raven-haired girl who nodded, "Mikasa Ackerman, and this is my friend Armin Arlert." he finished, pointing the Blond who shyly waved.

I nodded "Pleased to meet you guys!" I warmly greeted them, which made them flush in embarrassment even Mikasa, who hid her lower face in her scarf.

'THEY'RE SO GODDAMN CUTE JZVUJZKIZIJZ' I inwardly screeched.

"Huh..Why.. did you defend me..?" the tan-skinned boy hesitantly asked, stealing glances at me before quickly looking away. I merely chuckled at this.

"It's because I wanted to, that bastard deserved a beating for sprouting bullshit from his ugly ass mouth" is what I would've said, but god they're still children, let's wait for when we go to the training camp. Instead, I replied, gaze hardening:

"This kind of people shouldn't even be considered human if they can shamelessly say that kind of thing. It angered me when he said that you, refugees, should've died eaten by titans as if it was nothing. and he had the gall to say it in front of you guys, who already lost too much. It angered me that someone who is supposed to protect citizens is talking about your demise as if he was discussing the weather." I released a long breath, "So yes. I understood your anger Eren, and protected you from harm from something that has the audacity to call himself protector of the walls."

I looked back at where the soldier was and narrowed my gaze at his nasty figure, which made him shudder, before looking back at the kids. "Sorry if you didn't want me to interfere, but I had to." I nod to myself. "And please, next time don't rush in a battle you know you will lose, kid." I ruffled his head affectionately.

He whined, cheeks pink, before slowly agreeing.

I had a point after all.

Mikasa nodded in approval, while Armin timidly giggled.

I clapped my hands together before pushing them gently in the corridor. "Alright, kids! Time to eat!" they looked, confused but a bit curious about what I was gonna do.

Iput my hands in my bag, making it look like I was searching for something while I was making food and three small bottles of milk materialize in it with my powers.

I took the three bottles, handing each one to the kids who gasped in shock.

"H.. How did you get that...?" Armin asked, amazed as tears were picking in his eyes at the sight of fresh milk. The two thought the same, surprised as well.

"I live somewhere in Trost.", and I'm not lying! Because knowing this would happen (foreknowledge goes brr) I bought a little cozy house in the district one month ago. How did I purchase it? Bro I can literally make out of thin air, of course, money wasn't that big of a deal once I got a look at their currency.

"When I saw that, after my visit to Shiganshina, the wall fell, I immediately came here to see if some of my relatives made it..", I know that lying is bad, but it's for work. "... But I didn't find them.." and on my cue, a tear fell from my eye as I quickly wiped it.

Mikasa took one of my hands in hers, showing support. I thanked her sadly.

"This was for them..", I took the croissants, chicken sandwiches, and Croque-madames which were wrapped in napkins before handing them to the kids. "So here, you can have them!" a sheepish smile graced my lips." I don't think dead people will need it anyway..." I finished quietly.

The three gremlins looked taken aback and thankful to whatever god that is out there for meeting me. Each of them took a napkin containing food and thanked me. I gave one more to Armin, "You can give this one to your grandfather, but be careful! Someone could steal it from you three since you are still small." I warned.

Then thought of maybe waiting for the old man. "Or I could stay with you until you three finish eating, does that sounds good??"

Eren immediately agreed as Mikasa nodded, eyes gentle and thankful while Armin shyly agreed.

I nodded and decided to seat with them on some stairs while they were eating.

Armin's grandfather found us and thanked me for my kindness toward the three. I only smiled when Armin and Eren talked animatedly about our meeting, with the elder Arlert, who was surprised and curious about my skin tone as well.

"It has something to do with the melanin in my skin, which protects me from sunburns. I was born like this." I told them simply.

"Me... Lin?", Old man Arlert asked.

"No." I chuckled " 'Melanin'. Melanin is a dark brown pigment responsible for the coloration of the hair, skin, and iris of the eye in people and animals. It is responsible for tanning the skin exposed to sunlight." I explained, not at all taking this from Wikipedia-

They looked at me, confused. Oh yeah, old times people, of course.

"Melanin is the thing that makes me this color because I have plenty of it." I rectified. "We all have melanin, some more than others. Mikasa and I are a good example." I patted her head as she watched me, curious.

"What do you mean..?" Armin and Eren asked as Old man Arlert listened attentively.

"The more melanin you have in your skin, the darker you get," I pointed at myself. "The less you have, the paler you get." I patted the girl's head. "It is also present in our hairs." I then pointed at Eren" the more you have in your hair, the darker they get." then pointed at Armin who spoke.

".. And the less I have, the brighter they get.." the boy's eyes sparkled.

I close-eye smiled "Yes! This is it!"

They 'Oh-ed' understanding flashing through their eyes.

"How do you know so many things?? "The brown-haired boy asked, happily munching on his Croque-madame.

"I like science" On YouTube "and reading about facts and understanding things everyone would disregard." They nodded. "I can understand that none of you, has ever seen someone like me before. It was actually for safe since my family was careful and avoided human traffickers."

I took an apple from my bag and handed it to old man Arlert who took it after thanking me.

"Which is why I can't show myself to anybody yet and choose to cover myself." I said, playing with my cloak."So I'm waiting to enter the military camp and be stronger, and then, I'll be able to protect myself from them."

'Although I don't need protection, I can't just show my black ass rn, because, meh, I don't want to. I'm reserving this for my canon babies lmao.'

They understood my reasons and left it there.

I smiled at them, thinking.

A moment passed, then:

"You guys could stay in my house if you'd like to.." I suddenly said.

Eren choked on his food as Mikasa immediately helped him by tapping his back, she too looked caught off guard. The two Arlert looked at each other, astonished as their gazes all locked on me.

I just laughed.

" D-don't look at me like that.." l wiped some tears of mirth from my eyes. " I'm dead serious about this, and before you ask why.." I had raised my hand, stopping Armin from talking. "I feel like you guys deserve my hospitality..." I simply stated.

The old man recovered from his shock and said: "Are you sure? We wouldn't want to impose, and you've done enough already, for us. We won't have anything to repay you the favor.."

I shook my head before grinning. "It's alright, I am the one who got the idea and it doesn't bother me. You will have a place to stay and food at will. I've lived alone for a while now and survived thanks to the small fortune my parents gathered. Hosting you will pose no problems, rest assured. I may be 14, but I know how things work!" I gave them a beaming smile.

'is she a Goddess..?' Eren,

'she's so nice...' Armin,

'I'll protect her too..!' and Mikasa Thought, at the same time.

Old man Arlert shook his head, defeated as he added: "If the three of them are okay with thi-"

"WE ARE!" He got interrupted by the three in question as they beamed at different degrees.

I only smiled more at their enthusiasm. Who would've thought that these little rays of sun came out of a nightmare just a few hours ago?

'I promised Grisha I'd do my best, and that's what I intend to do!'