1st Pov

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"So these are the brats joining this year. There's a lot more than I thought." Levi uttered as he observed us through the window. Next to him stood Erwin who was doing the same. His face immediately scrunched up, "Tch, what the hell are they putting in their brains? Do they think being a scout's a joke?"

"hm...if I reckon right, it must have something to do with Eren and Colith's presence in our ranks. After all, it is thanks to them that we managed to retake Trost. Their huge contribution to the battle must've had a major influence on their choices." The commander concluded. "Although I must admit that this is a first, almost all the top 10 graduates joined our ranks. I am...curious to know why...or perhaps Colith must have a hand in it."

"Tch, Still calling her by her name? Why would they join because of her ?"

Erwin had an amused smile on his lips. "That is her wish, of course. I'm merely humoring her." the commander answered before redirecting his attention toward us. "It is obvious that her sole presence here is enough to boost their morale up and it seems like most of them are revolving entirely around her person, seeking her attention or approval."

"Maybe they're just interested in what she can do?" Levi uttered absentmindedly.

"Perhaps, though I don't think that's the only reason, this looks more like camaraderie, they all seem to regard her highly and she doesn't seem like the kind to use it to her advantage. She has that thing that makes her reachable despite a moniker saying otherwise. She'd make a good leader with the way she keeps people's attention on her."

"Huh, so you think she's trustworthy?"

Erwin nodded, "Yes, after all, she hasn't done anything to deserve our caution, quite the opposite, she seems more invested in our battle than some despite being an outsider. Perhaps it has something to do with them." he motions to Armin, Mikasa, and Eren who were keeping people from overwhelming me with food requests, mainly Sasha. Levi followed the direction he was pointing with a blank look. "as long as they're safe, I do not think she'd turn on us."

Levi grunted, "I guess I'll trust your judgment then. You're good at discerning people."

"Hm,"

There was a beat.

"Though, You said that 'almost' all of the top 10 is here, who's missing?" Levi asked suddenly.

The commander hummed, "According to the records, it appears that only one, Annie Leonhardt decided to join the Military Police, she was placed 5th."

" 'Annie' you say?"

The blond turned to the raven-haired male with a questioning look, "An acquaintance of yours?"

"No, not really. Just heard the brats mention her name earlier, that's all." he responded. "Weird eyes looked nervous for some reason, fuck if I know why. Anyway, a clue on the culprit? Did you notice anything sketchy last night?"

'weird eyes..?'

"Unfortunately, no. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except, well..." he gestured to the unusual number of cadets outside.

"Tch, at least they were shit enough to miss one." the corporal scowled.

"Hm." There was a pause as they watched the crowd being dispersed by some irate squad leaders, "It came to my notice that you seem...much more attentive toward her than Eren, is there a specific reason why?" The blond questioned suddenly.

Levi's eyes narrowed "what are you implying?" Somehow, he oddly felt the need to feel defensive about this issue.

Erwin noticed the shift in his comrade's behavior, as small as it was. "Oh no, don't fret. It's just an innocent question, you don't have to answer it." He clarified, earning a 'tch' from Levi who

glanced back outside. "Perhaps, it has something to do with the way she seems to enjoy your presence, could it be that it is mutual?" His lips twitched upward, quirking an eyebrow at the smaller male.

Levi's head slowly turned to the blond with that eerie Ackerman stare, "You know what, Erwin, I might continue that pig Lovof's mission if you don't shut that mouth of yours." The corporal hissed, which only got a chuckle out of the taller man who held his hands in surrender.

"I am but teasing you, friend. No need to feel defensive"

"I.am.not."

"Of course of course." The blond shook his head, "I heard she was in charge of dinner yesterday, I'm surprised that you allowed her today as well. This is...quite unlike you. But I wouldn't be surprised if she successfully won you over. After all, it seems to be a natural talent of hers." his eyes returned to my figure dragging a protesting Eren with me inside as our friends watched us in bewilderment.

Levi growled, "She didn't! Tch, Shouldn't you be in that office of yours instead of standing here spouting nonsense?"

Erwin chuckled, finding his comrade's unrest quite amusing. It was honestly funny to see the usually stoic corporal show this much agitation when it comes to me, though he decided to stop with the teasing. "You're right. Well then, see you later." the blond nodded then strode toward his office with a smirk, leaving an irritated Levi behind who could do nothing but glare daggers at the blond's retreating back. Dickhead.

The Ackerman huffed. He wasn't about to admit that he felt strange every time I was around. The male now knew it had nothing to do with our shifting ability since he felt nothing around the brat, just me, which threw him off.

There was something...weird, unlike the other brat that he couldn't pinpoint exactly. It was as if, something in him was pushing him toward me which left him wondering if he was losing his mind or not. At first, he thought I was doing it on purpose, which was hard to believe, yet, through his observations, it didn't seem to be the case since it looked like even I wasn't aware of it. However, when I came to him and ask if we could talk later- when? He didnt know-, it was as if I finally took notice of it. So he was right! There was definitely something! he couldn't explain what or why, but at that moment when we shook hands, a strange wave of comfort, something he's ever felt before washed over him. That was the cherry on top! Could it be that I was affecting him in any way? How? More precisely, why? Did it happen with the others or was it just him? Tch! How could he know? It's not like he could just go and ask everyone about it. They might get the wrong idea and he wasn't stupid enough to do so.

This situation was starting to frustrate him, although he'd have to be patient and wait for me to shed light on this whole ordeal since he had no idea what to do.

"She seems to enjoy your presence"

"..." As much as he hated to admit it, Erwin was right on this one, and the most puzzling thing about all this shit was that I didn't straight up act obnoxiously. Sure I'd taunt him once or twice but that was something I apparently tend to do with anyone in the general vicinity and that's it. Nothing cruel.

Not to mention the way I looked at him as if I knew him personally-which wasn't possible because Levi's sure he never met me before- or like he was...the most precious thing in the world, doesn't add up. Levi was no expert relationship-wise, but even he would recognize signs of infatuations directed toward him. The question now was, what does it have to do with those strange protective feelings he felt now and then? They seemed to grow the more he was exposed to me and he could do nothing about it, which annoyed him.

He couldn't even explain why he rushed to my rescue so fast or why he felt horrified when he almost beheaded me. And the fact I didn't resent him for it troubled the Corporal.

Levi didn't particularly dislike me actually. He was simply puzzled if a bit wary as he uses to be with strangers but nothing more. I didn't seem like a bad person...far from it, it was just these weird feelings that made him wary of me...however, he'd be a liar if he said that a small part of him...wasn't craving this comforting presence if mine.

The more he thought of it, the more it got complicated. It wasn't like he understood it enough to put words on it. Tch.

"We must get off a good start, so yeah!"

Maybe...just maybe he'll entertain that idea.

Never in my life would I have thought that people would react this way to my cooking. Who am I kidding, I'd go apeshit too, ight, IT'S GOOD. Anyway, our friends went to receive their uniforms while I bullied Eren into taking a short nap in our cell- remind me to ask for a room later, before going to the kitchens to start my magic.

Night approached rapidly and my anxiety grew as it did, though I shoved it away to instead focus on feeding the scouts. I dunno, I just love to see them taste my food. Guess I got it from ma. This time the main dish was a specialty from the Ivory Coast called Attieke with braised fish and the fact they didn't even question where I got the fish says a lot about how hungry they were. Welp works well for me ight.

The mood in the mess hall was overall rowdy since we had a Sasha on the loose who was practically devouring anything that came under her grasp, and the cadets were smart enough to protect their plates from her which as you may guess got noisy really fast to the point where our superiors were too stunned to stop the mess. Those who had yet to taste my food watched with barely concealed shock all the newcomers clean their plates with gusto, accustomed to yours truly's cooking.

I stood at the side watching the main cast interact with each other like normal teenagers, smiling and laughing, fooling around while our superiors ate at a more leisurely pace, enjoying this new dish. The sight was...endearing but I knew that things would go south in a month so I took the time to bask in the moment while formulating future plans.

I had a vague idea of what to do, so I wasn't that stressed, just hoped it would go as planned.

Before dinner could end, I approached Erwin to inform him of what I was about to do, naturally, this got their table's attention but I was in no mood to answer anyone's question so I focused more on the blond. He nodded, permitting me to go before I sighed, gathered enough courage, and walked to my beans. As soon as I got there, everyone's eyes turned to me.

"All right guys, I'm borrowing these three with me, you don't mind?" my hands came resting on Mikasa and Armin's heads who blinked up at me curiously while my chin was atop Eren's head who probably did the same. Sasha who was on her 6th serving asked.

"hm? Wheer aw yhou gonniig"

"Sasha, swallow before speaking or you'll choke" I chuckled. She quickly did as told while Eren stared for a second before shrugging and standing up, followed by Mikasa and Armin. "Was tonight's meal up to your expectations?"

"You're kidding me?! THIS IS THE BEST THING I'VE EVER EATEN!" Sasha cried in pure joy.

"you say that every time she cooks." Jean deadpans before sending me a soft look that didn't go unnoticed by Eren who proceeded to growl like a dog.

"is it fake tho?" she shot back with a proud look.

Amused, I waved, "Alright, good night guys, see you tomorrow!"

"Huh? What do you mean, not sleeping in the girls' quarters with us?" Ymir asked in confusion. I shook my head.

"Nope, Titan, remember? They think I might shift in my sleep or something so they put Eren and I in the dungeon-No Mikasa I don't mind it." I stopped the girl before she could ask. "Anyway! Sleep tight!"

Before anyone could inquire more, I did a peace sign and went toward the exit with my beans closely following me. I felt the two warriors' gazes on my back, probably debating whether or not to follow us but decided against it. Heh, it's not like they'd be able to hear whatever we're about to discuss where we're going.

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3rd Pov

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It's been 5 minutes since they were walking, aimlessly following Colith through the empty corridors of the castle. The ruckus from the mess hall got fainter as they strolled. It didn't seem like they were moving toward a specific place since they walked past the stairs to the dungeons which had been the first place they thought of going, knowing they were to have that discussion she promised days ago.

She looked nervous, Armin noted. Nervous for what, he didn't know..maybe it had something to do with the upcoming conversation they were about to have. Yeah, he and Mikasa, ever since Trost attack, had so many questions trotting in their head about her. Was she really an outsider? Why didn't she tell them about it? He exchanged a look with Eren and Mikasa before focusing his attention on her back.

"so hum... where are we going exactly?" He inquired.

"somewhere private. Don't want people to eavesdrop on our conversation." Colith responded simply as they suddenly stopped in front of a door.

Eren made a sound, "A... Door?"

"Yep."

It looked plain. A simple...wooden door with nothing particular to note.

"And it leads to where...?" Eren insisted, "Don't tell me we're gonna have an important discussion in a broom closet! What are we? Captain Levi?!"

"haha nice one, but no!" Colith chuckled before slowly turning to them with a tired smile. "I'm just going to ask you three to simply follow after me, okay? Don't panic!"

"Why would we panic-" Armin didnt have time to finish his sentence as she turned the knob and entered. The teens looked at each other before Mikasa followed suit without an ounce of hesitation, this alone spoke volumes of her trust in the woman. Without anything more to add, the boys headed in. Honestly, a closet? Were they really going to-

The moment they all entered, the door closed shut behind them, immediately plunging them into darkness.

"huh? I can't see a damn thing!" Eren said, flailing his arms around, bumping into someone, "Ah! My bad!"

"it's okay Eren." Mikasa answered plainly.

"Ah, sorry guys, lemme fix this." Colith laughed. They didn't have time to blink as wall candles lit up right after they heard a finger snap, immediately brightening their surroundings and enabling them to see where they stood. And the moment they did, they all froze in shock.

"here we go! OH would you look at that! Nothing seems out of place! Except, maybe, two or three broken pots-anyway, didn't like them- After all, we're, like, far away from the gate- "

"Colith-"

"-I'll fix tea, meanwhile you guys wait for me in the living room by the time I finish, then we can have that super-duper conversation I promised you three! oh, shoot! it's a Lil bit dusty-"

"Colith!"

"hm?"

"H-how...?" the blond stuttered, stumbling as he blinked quickly while Mikasa and Eren's jaws dropped, totally stupefied. "How is that-wha-" he pointed behind him only to freeze upon seeing that the previous door, with which they entered, was no more, which urged the blond to gasp and scramble to check if everything was real by opening the 'front door' of their home only to fall on his butt the moment he was greeted by the sight of their front yard and the empty street of Trost. "WHAT-"

"aw, Armin, I told you not to panic!"

The trio slowly turned their disbelieving gaze on the woman. The blond shrieked.

"N-N-NOT PANIC!? THIS ISN'T-HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!"

Colith grinned before effortlessly pulling his frantic form up, "Now now, I think it's best if we go to the living room first hm? I'll explain later." she swiftly closed the door, removed her boots then walked inside while the three stood there like deers caught in the headlights before Eren sighed while muttering something after a long silence.

"This is not real, I'm dreaming, yep, still asleep, oh yeah logic doesn't apply with Colith, yep there is absolutely no reason to freak out-" he mechanically removed his boots and slowly went for the living room, leaving the two friends to question reality.

What in the name of Maria just happened?!

Once in there, the three teenagers, still stunned by what just happened, found themselves sitting on the couch, waiting for Colith who was currently in the kitchen doing god knows what.

Armin, who didn't really know what to think, turned to a dazing Eren with a sweatdrop. The teen looked so done with everything that he nearly hesitated to ask the next question. "So, Hum...since you're the one who's been with her the longest, what just happened?"

Eren snorted, "why you asking me? I'm as lost as you two. My brain's too tired for this shit." he groaned, dragging his hands down his face.

"Eren, no curse words"

"Huh? Not you too Mikasa-"

"ARE YOU TWO NOT GONNA QUESTION HOW WE GOT HERE?!" the blond cried out, finally addressing the elephant in the room.

"That's the thing, Armin, stop questioning things when it comes to her, you'll hurt your brain trying to piece things together." the brunette chuckled tiredly. "and I tell you, things happened." he trailed off, successfully getting the blond's attention.

"What kind of things?"

"dunno, like things getting cleaned by themselves or some-Hmpf! what the hell Mikasa!"

The blond ignored the one-sided bickering happening next to him to instead ponder on the brunette's words. This rose more and more questions than he already had about her. Ever since Trost Attack and the discovery of their titan powers-even if it seemed like Eren didn't know about it- the way Colith spoke of it with confidence, easily explaining Eren's lack of control was an obvious indication that she knew much more than all of them. Armin had many questions he wanted answered, but now this? This was too much for him to handle. See, the blond never believed in magic, even the idea of titans' existence seemed...wrong...and ridiculous until Maria's fall proved him wrong. He had no other choice but to accept it since he witnessed first-hand how dangerous they were. Aside from that, Armin realized that...he didn't know much about Colith. Don't get him wrong, there's no way he'd harbor any ill feelings towards her after everything she's done for him and his friends over the years, heck she's the best thing that ever happened in his life and he's sure Eren and Mikasa agree, but to just...travel from HQ to their home in the span of a second wasn't something he expected-

"SO! Kiddos!" Colith announced as she stepped in, startling the trio. She had a tray of tea in hand, this was serious. Colith only brought tea when she's stressed. The trio watched silently as she placed the tray on the table with a large smile before sitting on a chair right in front of them. "What do you wanna know?"

There was a pregnant silence as they stared at each other, befuddled.

'that's it? Just like that?' the blond thought in disbelief.

"I...hum-"

"back in the trial, they said that you weren't from the walls, is it true?"

"Damn, Mikasa, straight to the point as always!" the woman let out a cheerful chuckle that sounded too forced to be genuine. "But yeah, as I said before, I'm an outsider."

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"H-how? How is that even possible...? I thought there were no humans outside..." the blond finally found his words after a long silence, Eren and Mikasa leaned in with confused looks.

"What about your family? Was it a lie...?" Mikasa's eyebrows creased, an unreadable expression on her face. This caused the boys to look at the woman who immediately grabbed a cup and downed it before releasing a heavy sigh.

"I guess...I do own you explanations." she chuckled weakly. "after all we've been living together for what, five years and I know a lot about you three. It's natural for you to want to know about me as well. Okay." something flashed through her eyes, they noticed, it looked like...pain. "I did lose them, but not the way you guys think". She ushered them to have tea as well.

"What do you mean?" Eren asked with a tilt of the head, his tea in hand. It was mint-flavored.

Colith observed them before letting a silent sigh bypass her lips. This is it. "Alright, let's start from the beginning, shall we?" she clapped her hands, jolting the three into focus before her lips stretched into a crisped smile, "so hum, six years ago...I kinda...woke up in a forest outside wall Maria."

Another silence engulfed the room as they stared at her with wide eyes, processing what she just said. Six years ago?! Though before any of them could inquire she went on.

"I didn't know where I was, heck even thought someone kidnapped me or something. Remember when I told you how I panicked after seeing a tiny deer, Eren?" the teen blinked before nodding slowly, "Well, that's how."

"wait...you mean to say that you woke up as...a titan ?" the brunette asked incredulously, the question surprising the two who didn't know what she was referring to.

Colith grimaced, "kinda yeah. I don't know how but I was suddenly a giant and let me tell you that I freaked out. I didn't know how I got there when the last thing I remember was going grocery shopping with my mom." Mikasa noticed the painful look in her eyes at the mention of her mother. Seeing that it was a sore spot for Colith, she reached and squeezed her hand, a gesture the woman wasn't expecting, though she thanked the girl with a small smile before continuing. "Later on I discovered that I could shift back into normal and began wandering around. Sure I crossed path with these weird naked giants-" the trio gasped in horror, but were quickly reassured by her. "don't worry, they didn't try to attack me, hell they even left me alone." she shrugged.

Armin gasped, likely remembering something, "this is why they kept ignoring you and focused more on Eren! I see!" this earned him a confused "Huh" from the boy in mention which pushed him to elaborate. "Hear me out, during Trost's invasion, we noticed that titans weren't interested in Colith, opting instead for attacking you. You couldn't remember since you apparently weren't in control." Armin muttered, unknowingly shooting invisible arrows through Eren's chest.

"and I'm working on it." the boy mumbled.

"Yeah, whatever-" this earned the blond a whack on the head from the brunette. Armin glared at Eren who acted like he hadn't done anything. He rubbed his head before continuing "...point is, how does that even work?"

Mikasa nodded, agreeing with the blond "Aren't titans attracted to humans? What does that make you then?"

Colith cringed, not sure if she should reveal her status before going for the clueless approach, it wasn't time yet. "dunno, all I know is that I had no problem living outside for a while, even got to goof around, discovering some tricks! OHOH I can grow plants too!"

Eren perked up, "Yeah, that's how we got good food apparently, she can grow stuff from nothing!"

Armin awed, that was...amazing! Though He shook his head "then, how do you explain this ?" the boy then gestures to their surroundings, causing the woman to sweatdrop.

"...magic?" she tried pitifully, getting deadpans from the trio. She snorted, "Okay no need to make these faces, I'll get to it."

And thus began...the explanation. They learned that basically, well, she had titan powers like Eren, thank you captain obvious, though there were other sets of abilities that came naturally to her, therefore explaining most if not every trick Colith has been doing which was...difficult to believe, after all, how could that be?

Yet, their friend could literally become a titan so maybe it wasn't that unbelievable? After all, they knew next to nothing about them, and she was the only one with enough experience and knowledge on the subject so maybe it was possible? Eren was right, this was a brainwreck.

Colith still told them about her powers whilst avoiding the fact that she knew where and why she had them. There was no way she'd reveal her [Goddess] status, heck if she knew why, she still felt uncomfortable with the title and was afraid their attitude toward her might shift. Yeah, she didn't want to risk it. At least they were open-minded enough to believe her, though it might have something to do with the fact that she made a chair float, bamboozling the trio.

"I can't believe you had these kinds of powers all this time! Although it might explain a lot of things actually!" Armin theorized, finally calming down after his initial freak out. Who could blame him? He just saw a chair float!! He was referring to all the weird things he couldn't explain when she was around.

"Heh, yeh, sorry I didn't tell you sooner...I was figuring things out myself y'know..." she scratched her head, glad that they weren't reacting negatively for now.

"Ah! Didn't you say not to tell anyone about...'that thing'?" Eren gasped suddenly, referring to the 'ordering titans around'. He briefly glanced at the two who looked at him in confusion.

Colith was about to speak but the blond interrupted with an awkward chuckle, "it's...a little bit late for that-"

"There's this rumor going around that you can communicate with titans." Mikasa bluntly said.

They all waited for her reaction, expecting panic or-

"Is that so? Well oops." she blinked, seemingly unfazed.

They stared at her blankly before sighing in unison. 'why do we even try'

Things were going smoothly as they spoke of theories about titans which Colith avoided delving into too much in fear of saying too much. Thankfully they didn't catch up on it, still floored over the whole power thing. An hour eventually passed until the family part came up, which Colith dreaded, though she took it upon herself to tell the truth and least to say she dreaded their reaction. In panic, she began frantically rambling, scared that they might start loathing her which was highly unlikely, yet logic seemed to have fleed her brain for it gave place to a massive anxiety wave.

"you know, I never wanted to lie about my origins." she said suddenly.

"wha-?"

"In fact, I thought it'd be a good cover story on the spot, so people won't question where I was from. After all, who would've believed me?" she quickly refilled her cup, staring at it for a while, deliberately avoiding their gaze, causing her to miss their startled look, "I'd...understand if you guys wished to have nothing to do with me anymore, after all, who like liars?" she scoffs, downing her cup once more to the teens' growing worries.

"Colith-" Eren attempted to say but it was useless as she went on.

"I mean, I wouldn't forgive someone who straight up lied to my face for five years. Psh, and I had the gal to say that they died! Isn't that crazy? They're probably healthy as I speak and likely forgot about me, after all, who'd remember this?" she points to herself with a scoff, each word shocking the teens. "I tell you what, all of you are amazing and I'd die again just to see you guys happy! It's funny how you took over my heart in a blink! Who would've thought? I feel whole every time y'all are around? Heh, what am I saying, a scumbag like me doesn't deserve-"

*SLAP*

Armin and Eren's eyes went comically wide at what they just witnessed while Colith brought a hand to her cheek. She slowly turned her head, the impact having made it swivel to the left, toward a scowling Mikasa. She blinked, equally dumbstruck as the boys.

"Mika...?"

The girl in mention stood right in front of her with a raised hand, glaring harshly at the woman, her pale hands slightly trembling. How could she..."I will not sit here and listen to you insult yourself this way!"

"... Eh ?"

Her eyes narrowed, startling the woman. It was the first time that the Asian ever showed anger toward her.

"How can you say those things? Do you really think we'll suddenly hate you because of this? So what if you're an outsider? So what if you lied? Were those five years meaningless? Besides, you could've left us and gone your way!" Mikasa said, placing her hands on the stunned woman's shoulder. "but no...you didn't! You didn't even think about that and choose to make us happy, to make us feel loved!" She declared, "And even if this was all an act, a 'scumbag' wouldn't bother showing support for our beliefs! A 'scumbag' wouldn't even think of our feelings! A 'scumbag' wouldn't have made us forget what it is to feel unwanted! I'll never, ever give up on you! Don't act as if you mean nothing to us, Colith!" She squeezed, gaze softening as she spoke, "You're the best thing that ever happened to us, right boys?"

Both Eren and Armin nodded as they stood up, disregarding their initial shock, replacing it with determination and resolve as they agreed with every word Mikasa pronounced. They approached them.

"she's right Colith..!" Armin exclaimed with a sad smile. He hadn't realized that she had these thoughts all this time. He...should've been more careful...

"y-yeah! I don't know what I would've done if I were you-" Armin nudged his side, "I mean- you mean a lot to us than you can imagine." Eren muttered with a slight blush, still having trouble expressing his feelings, though he knew she needed this right now.

Mikasa wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly, showcasing her affection for the woman as she was never one to initiate hugs, before softly uttering, "I will not allow you to think less of yourself! I...I don't know what would've happened to us if you weren't here...so please...don't talk about yourself that way. You're family! no matter what happens, we will never give up on you." and to prove her point, she was shortly joined by the boys, and together, they all embraced her.

It was silent for a while as no one spoke until they heard a strange noise from the woman. They carefully pulled back only to freeze in shock upon seeing her face.

After all, it wasn't every day that they witnessed her cry.

Wait

COLITH'S CRYIN-

"Holy-hey, you're crying...?" Eren stated the obvious in disbelief, a tinge of panic laced in his tone.

"ohnonono nononononono nonono" she said quickly, though the tears and snoot were an obvious giveaway. Her lips quivered. Before any of them could say a thing, the dam broke.

"UWWWAAAAAAAH!!" She wailed suddenly, startling the trio who yelped in surprise as she caught their waists in an embrace because she could, while wild tears flowed from her eyes. She was so relieved-"I'M SORRY!! I-I didn't mean it...! Ugh...I was so scared...! I thought you guys would hate me...!" She sobbed, wildly shaking her head like a child as she desperately clung to them afraid that if she didn't, they might change their minds and push her away. Allah, that would break her.

It was so out of character that they could do nothing but stare down at her, gobsmacked.

"I didn't w-want to lose you...gosh- I love you guys!"

Mikasa recovered from the shock and proceeded to pat her head, eyes softening as the woman whimpered. The boys flushed in embarrassment but they didn't try to break off of the embrace and even tried their best to comfort her. It...was the first time that they saw her cry this much. Was she this scared of their reaction to the point of crying like this?

Despite the situation, their hearts warmed immensely. This proved how much she genuinely cared for them to the point of shedding tears because they didn't reject her. They hadn't even entertained that thought. How could they after everything she's done for them?

After a while, Colith finally calmed down to the trio's relief, though she didn't release them, preferring to have them near her, to feel that they were alive and breathing. Allah, they were hers. She'd die for them.

There was a beat as no one moved until the trio felt her shift, wondering if she was going to add something else until-

"Eren called me mom," she mumbled suddenly, catching them all off guard, especially Eren who immediately choked on his spit with a wild blush.

"GAH?! WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?!"

"Heh, Eren, never thought you'd be all mama's boy with Colith! And I here I thought you were a big boy, unlike Jean!"

"Armin, I swear to Maria-"

That was her cue to release them. Colith leaned back with a grin, her face still having leftover tears she wiped away as she watched Eren stutter uncontrollably under Armin's teasing. This apparently was payback for him whacking his head earlier.

Mikasa stood at her side, "I'm...sorry for slapping you."

Colith shook her head, "no... Don't worry, I would've done the same if any of you started doubting themselves. Sorry for worrying you, Mika." she smiled up at the Asian who blushed slightly.

The raven-haired teenager reciprocated a small smile of her own, a comforting hand on Colith's shoulder she squeezed before looking toward the boys. She looked torn between going to separate them before any of them could get hurt and staying next to Colith, though the woman nodded for her to go. Mikasa nodded back then marched to separate the two males who were now wrestling like siblings and surprisingly, Armin had the upper hand, though it must have to do with Eren's exhaustion.

Colith watched them with fondness and love a mother would show to her offspring. She couldn't believe how lucky she was...to be loved this way. Sure it wasn't like she came from a harsh household, even though there were chaotic moments, this...she wouldn't trade this for anything in the world.

In the beginning, she was to simply bring chaos into the main story. Save one or two characters, marry Levi. Or Erwin. Or- and save the day! Nothing pushed her to become a hero, a protagonist, Allah no, that was Eren's job and she had no desire to be one in the first place, too many responsibilities. Interactions with the main cast were simply to ensure their safety all the long, nothing more, nothing less. Right. Right?

Ah...Her guilt for letting the invasion occur and her inability to prevent one key point of the story from happening was what pressed her to check on the trio. She had a glimpse of the three warriors though her focus was more on the Shiganshina trio, after all, she had promised Grisha, a dying man to do her best to help. The decision really came out of nowhere. Initially, it was just the time for them to situate themselves because she was aware of what they were to endure for two years before their enlistment and she was no fan of child labor. So she took them in, providing for them in hope of lowering her guilt.

As time went on, she eventually...grew fond of them to the point where...she got an idea. Why not let them experience a normal childhood? Heh, it wasn't like she was one to talk, as if hers was normal, at least it was better than theirs. And thus she introduced them to a bunch of things from her youth like a playground and board games she'd play with her cousins and damn, Armin was...ruthless.

The more they were together, the more the trio weaseled their way into her heart and she could no longer let things go the way they're supposed to. Things had to change and she would make sure of it! The original ending could go to hell for all she cared because they were hers now and she'd be sure as hell to make them happy!

"Guys." The trio stopped what they were doing and turned to her curiously. They watched as she rose to her feet and proceeded to open her arms. "come here."

They exchanged glances and then approached her without hesitation, assuming she simply wanted another group hug.

"What is it?" Armin asked once he was at arms reach.

Colith simply embraced them, kissing each of their foreheads before glancing softly at them. "I wanna show you something, could you close your eyes for a bit?"

The boys made a sound, a bit confused but they easily complied. They all closed their eyes, missing the way Colith's eyes glowed—

Strange sounds...the rhythmic rise and fall of...water, something they had never heard before reached their ears as the wind blew past them, their clothes flapping from the breeze while a...salty smell entered their nostrils. Their confusion grew more as they felt something coarse...and gritty under the sole of their feet. It wasn't painful, just...unsettling. What the...They felt the woman release an exhale, wanting to just... open their eyes and see but Colith hadn't told them to—

"you can open your eyes now" she says.

They did so quickly, curious about their new surroundings since, at this point, they were aware of her...transporta...tele..portation..? Whatever, powers, only to freeze.

"where..." Armin began softly, eyes instantly finding the source of the sound, widening at the sight in front of him.

"...are we..?" Eren continued equally dumbstruck as the blond, eyes darting around. Mikasa brought a hand to rub her eyes, wondering if she was seeing things right while the brunette looked like a lost puppy trying to find his bearings.

"I promised I'd bring you guys here one day, so here we are" she motioned behind her with a soft smile. "this is it."

"..the ocean...!" the blond's eyes blurred, he couldn't believe it. They were here! It..it was like his book...but it wasn't..! It was...far more bigger than his book ever portrayed! He couldn't believe it!! He went to take a step toward it only to jolt in surprise as his foot met something pointy. He blinked, bending down to see what that was, and gently picked it up...

"that's a seashell, 'Min. A previous shell of some sea creature that usually ends up brushed off ashore. There's plenty everywhere. We can collect some if you want! " he heard Colith explain and slowly looked toward her with teary eyes.

"it's..." he didn't get to respond when they heard a yelp and a squawk and proceeded to look toward a startled Eren who jumped backward to avoid a small wave while Mikasa stumbled a little, doing the same as the boy who was gripping her hand. It seemed like the 'couple' went ahead to observe. He heard Colith snort in amusement when the brunette cried a "What is this?!" at the sight of a...strange creature coming out of the...weird ground they were all standing on until he and Colith approached and upon closer look, she explained that it was called a...'sand crab', deducing that the strange ground was called sand...

They made a few O's with their mouths.

Colith stood ashore, watching the teens marvel at their new surroundings, discovering spume and waves for the first time in their life as the moon shone in the sky, allowing them to see around and particularly focused her attention on Eren. To her immense relief and joy, the kid looked amazed and legitimately happy, a big contrast to his canon counterpart who initially didn't even bat an eye at the sight of the sea.

The trio turned to her about to ask her questions about the sea only to once more see the woman in tears. They didn't know for what this time, however, it seemed like tears of happiness instead of sorrow so they reciprocated her beaming grin, truly ecstatic over the situation she brought them in. Even Mikasa couldn't stop the grin from surfacing on her face. They were really at the sea! They...they couldn't believe it! Even if it was nighttime, and they couldn't see really far, though the moon and the clear sky helped greatly, it was still breathtaking and surreal to the point where they disregarded the fact that they were no longer in the confine of the walls but who cares! THEY WERE AT THE SEA-

They all yelped in surprise the moment Colith tackled them, causing them all to topple into the seawater while the woman, released peals of elated laughter.

"AAAAAGH MY EYES?! IT BURNS!!" Eren bellowed.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO OPEN THEM UNDERWATER, IDIOT! THERE'S SALT IN IT!" Armin scolded the brunette who was wildly rubbing his eyes and hissing while Colith and Mikasa's chuckles rang through the night.

This...was officially the moment she broke ties with the main story. For the sake of her kids, she must...continue to do so to ensure their happiness, who cares what happens next! Who cares if she just completely modified an important part of the story? She'd do it again just to see the genuine hope and smiles on their faces, and Allah she knew things wouldn't stay all sunshine and rainbows, that the next months might turn harsh for them, betrayals, realizations...hatred..., yeh Isayama was ruthless. It was all fun and game watching this happen behind a screen but now...they were her kids dammit!

She knew some things had to happen to correlate with her plans, though it doesn't mean she'll let things completely go the way intended. This world seemed dead set on following a path set into stone, unless her direct interference, things would go the way they're supposed to and Colith didn't like that. If changing things meant shouldering everything, well fuck it, she'll do it without missing a beat. It wasn't like she hasn't been toying with the continuity of things. This...this was her resolution. Her new goal. Change things for the better. Not just meddle with things. No. Change the general outcome for the better. If she has to become a true [Goddess]...then so be it. She might as well become one just to strike fear into those wishing to harm her children. Being called a monster by a few will be nothing in comparison to what she'll become if anything happens to 'em kids.

The trio sent weird looks to the woman who now looked like she wanted to strangle someone.

Word count : 7300 something

Jesus christ