"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
Seneca
Chapter 13: What's Old is New
"Ugh, this is taking forever."
"So what? I for one like being up in the air."
"Me too. It just feels so peaceful."
"Speak for yourself."
"I told you to bring headphones, dingus."
"I'll buy some on the trip back."
"Guys, shh. Mom's trying to sleep."
"It's okay, Cinder. I'm just resting my eyes for a minute."
Seven seats of a passenger airship were filled by Eren and his friends, along with Dina and Vernal. After their talk about taking a vacation from Kuroyuri, everyone began making plans to go to the city of Vale. Cinder convinced Dina to come with them, and Vernal decided to extend a visit she paid to Kuroyuri when she heard there was an attack.
The packing, buying airship tickets, and the flight all seemed to be complete. All that everyone was doing was waiting for the pilots to land the airship. And Mercury was the only one who wanted to get off the airship. Luckily, having Vernal helped cool him down.
"Hey, I never noticed that tattoo before," Mercury said as he pointed to the back of Vernal's left hand. It was a picture of a black spider on a web.
"Oh, yeah," Vernal said as she rubbed her hand. "It's new. Remember that job opening I told you about?"
"Yeah, the one you said was up your alley. Something you said you were good at." Mercury gave her a quick wink.
"This is just a perk I get with the job. Free tattoo." Vernal looked just ahead of her to see that nobody was looking at her in a suspicious way. So she gave Mercury a wink back.
Just then, a soft electronic bell sounded. Everyone looked up to see that the light to fasten the seatbelts were on. So all the passengers followed the instruction.
But Eren wasn't paying attention, just looking out the window.
"Eren, we need to fasten our seatbelts," said Cinder.
"..."
Cinder nudged his shoulder. "Hey, Eren!"
This time, Eren looked away from the window and back to Cinder. "Huh? Wha?" he asked in confusion.
"Didn't you hear me? We need to put our seatbelts on."
"Oh, right."
Eren quickly fastened his seatbelt and looked up to see Dina and Cinder giggling to themselves.
"What?" he asked.
"So you finally mastered the art of fastening a seatbelt, have you?" Cinder asked.
Eren simply sighed in annoyance, knowing that Cinder was referring to the first time he tried to put a seatbelt on in an airship. The incident was years ago, when he and Cinder first arrived at Kuroyuri. And Eren had no idea what a seatbelt actually was. Given that he never rode any vehicles that required them back home, his first attempt to put one on resulted in him struggling and almost breaking the cord.
Unfortunately, Cinder and Dina witnessed the whole thing. And could never erase the memory from their minds.
Rather than indulge the two of them, Eren simply looked out the window again. The airship suddenly began to descend, causing Mercury to thank whatever god was watching over him and Nora to slightly jump in her seat in excitement.
But if anyone was looking forward to the trip, it was Cinder. Today felt like a dream come true, given that she always wanted to go to Vale. At first, the idea of seeing a beach made her smile. Now. She wanted to see a more modern city, filled with all sorts of sights to behold and much diversity. And she was confident it would be better than Atlas.
Once they landed and got their luggage off the ship, everyone made for the nearest bus at the landing terminal. Cinder could finally see the city, from top to bottom. Everything looked just as she dreamed it would, from all the buildings to the dozens of shops. The sight warmed her heart so much that she began to cry.
Everyone else was enjoying what they saw too, and all had their own opinions of the city.
"There's so much room here."
"The streets are bigger than back home."
"Wow. I've never seen so many Faunus and humans in one place."
"Eren, don't you say that about every place we go to?"
"Well, this time it's true. The diversity here is a good change of pace."
"Agreed."
"I wonder what our hotel will look like?"
Instead of joining the conversation, Dina was looking at a pamphlet the bus offered. Flipping through it, Dina showed the pictures to Cinder. Seeing her daughter dry her eyes and smile as she took in the sights of the city made Dina feel happy herself.
"Cinder, what would you like to see first?" Dina asked as she showed her daughter the pamphlet.
Cinder turned and looked at all the pictures with Dina. "I think we're going to the beach first," Cinder said. "After that, I think-Oh, let's go there!" She pointed to a page for a jewelry store, specifically at a set of earrings.
"Oh, now these look beautiful. Though I don't think Eren will want to go there. How about we meet up with him for lunch after we explore?"
"Sounds great. What else do you want to do?"
"There's an antique shop here. And a bookshop."
"Mom, look at this." Cinder pointed to a column that had a list of job offerings. "We should see if we can list the farm here before we leave. You said we needed some more help."
"Let's not worry about that now, sweetheart. We're here to have fun for a little while. And I for one could use a break from work."
"Yeah. Me too."
After unpacking in the hotel rooms, which consisted of two beds, a couch, a window with a grand view of Vale, and a TV slightly smaller than the wall, everyone knew where they wanted to go first: the beach.
Fortunately, the nearest beach was close to the hotel. Dina made sure to pack the essentials, such as sunscreen and towels. Everyone else simply packed clothes to swim in, which is what most of them were doing.
But Mercury found himself sitting on a towel while staring out towards the ocean.
"Aaaahhh," he sighed in pleasure with a smile. "This is awesome."
Ren found himself following Mercury's gaze. "What are you doing, Mercury?" he awkwardly asked.
"Just taking it all in," the youthful teen replied.
"...You're staring at Vernal and Nora. In their swimsuits."
"It doesn't get any better than this." Mercury smiled even wider at the sight of Vernal and Nora in the water, who were currently wrestling competitively.
"Well, I'd appreciate it if you didn't look at Nora like that."
"Come on, Ren. Can't a guy enjoy the sight of his girlfriend wearing something I rarely see her in? Besides, it's not my fault she's with Nora."
"..."
Ren had to admit that Mercury's logic was flawless, even though he still wasn't comfortable with what he was seeing. And yet, a part of him had to admit that Nora looked sort of cute in her pink swimsuit.
"I still can't help but feel we should stop staring," Ren said after a few seconds of silence.
"Too late."
Ren and Mercury turned around to see Cinder in sunglasses and a black robe. Lowering the sunglasses, Cinder glanced at Nora for a second before looking back at the boys. "You two are weird," she bluntly declared.
Mercury gave Cinder a slightly surprised look while Ren flustered and tried to explain himself. But all he could do at the moment was say random nonsense out of embarrassment.
Cinder simply laughed as she walked to a spot Eren and Dina were sitting at. Cinder joined them and saw Eren looking at what appeared to be different kinds of rocks he had found while in the water.
"Whatcha got there, Eren?" Cinder asked as she moved closer.
"Seashells," her brother explained as he held up one. "I stepped on one when I was in the water, thought I'd take a closer look."
Cinder picked up a small white seashell and looked at it in awe. "I've seen pictures of them before, but I never knew how beautiful they were."
"Put it against your ear."
Cinder was confused as to why Eren would make such a request, but decided to see what would happen. Once she did, her jaw dropped as she heard the sound of some sort of echo. "Wow," she said in amazement. "What is it?"
"I don't know. A kid told me you could hear the ocean if you put it on your ear. I'm sure Armin would find some way to explain it." Eren smiled at the sound of his best friend's name. "I told you about Armin, right?"
"You never had to. 'You-know-who' showed me your whole life, remember?"
"Oh, yeah." Eren chuckled. "So you already know about him, huh?"
"He was the blonde one, right? The one you were always with?"
"That's right. The one who always talked about seeing the ocean." Eren picked up a blue seashell with multiple bumps on it. "We did it... but we never got to enjoy it."
Before Cinder could say anything, Dina walked over to Eren and kneeled down. "Oh, Eren. Ever since I met you, you always seemed to live in the past. I think after everything we saw, everything we lost... we've earned a chance to enjoy the present." Dina took Eren's hand and stood up. "Here. I'll show you how."
Dina walked over to Nora, who came out of the water with Vernal. After having a small conversation that Cinder couldn't hear, Eren walked deeper in the water with everyone else. Which left Cinder and Dina to watch him get tackled by Nora and everyone else.
"She's such a ball of energy, that one," Dina said as she was laughing with Cinder.
"You should have seen her fight back home," Cinder said as she wiped her forehead free of sweat.
"Ugh, I'm hot too." Dina took off the sunhat she was wearing and wiped her brow. "I think I might go buy some water in a minute."
Cinder looked to her left and saw a group of large, shirtless boys walking towards her and carrying a water cooler. "Hold that thought, Mom," she said as she she stood up. "You should see if anyone else needs something."
"Oh, okay." Dina stood up and walked over to the salty water. But given that everyone was distracted by the sight of Nora running around with Mercury's stolen swimsuit, Dina decided to go buy some water for herself and Cinder.
As she did, Dina turned to see her daughter being surrounded by the group of boys. She had removed her black robe to reveal a red bikini and was smiling as the boys were staring at her in awe. Dina, on the other hand, was less than happy to see those vultures hovering over her daughter.
"What is going on here?!" Dina demanded to know as she got back to her spot. "Cinder, you put that-!"
"Oh, this was who I was talking about," said Cinder, who sat up and moved her sunglasses again. "Would you be so kind?"
One of the boys immediately ran over to the cooler and took out multiple bottles and cans of drinks. "Pick your favorite!" he said with a wide smile.
"Huh?" Dina looked down at all the drinks, confused as to what was happening.
"Mom, these boys were hoping to take the spot next to us. After talking for a little bit, they said we were welcome to anything we need." Cinder tapped her hand on the towel next to her. "Sit down. You're gonna love this."
Dina quickly looked back to her daughter and decided to try disciplining her again. "Young lady, you put that robe back on this instant!"
Cinder put her robe back on, but didn't tie it. "Will you sit down now?" Dina wordlessly sat down and prepared to tell the boys to leave. But Cinder had one other thing to say. "She needs shade."
Another boy quickly moved next to Dina while standing up straight. "How's this, ma'am?" he asked.
"Well, I-" Dina began to calm down as she began to feel the shade cool her down.
"They said as long as they sit next to us, they'd be happy to do anything for us."
Dina couldn't stop staring at the young man standing in front of her. He was probably around eighteen, a little older than Cinder. And Dina was having a hard time taking her eyes off him.
"Um... Would you mind moving a little to the-?"
The boy took one giant step to the left, leaving Dina completely covered in a cool shadow.
"Need anything else, Mom?"
"...Maybe this isn't so bad," Dina thought to herself. "As long as I keep an eye on Cinder, it should be fine." So Dina laid back down on her towel and closed her eyes, leaving Cinder to talk to her company while removing her robe once again.
The rest of the beach day was enjoyable for everyone. When the afternoon finally came around, Eren suggested they explore the city for a while and meet at a restaurant for lunch. While the majority of the group went with Eren, Dina and Cinder decided to explore on their own.
After walking around the city for a few minutes, Dina's eyes fell on a small jewelry shop. Remembering that Cinder saw something like it in the brochure, Dina suggested that the two of them go inside.
The bell on the door rang as soon as they walked inside, alerting the salesman behind the desk. "Hello, ladies," he said with a smile. "Can I help you find something?"
"We're just looking, thank you," Dina replied before looking down at the merchandise.
"Mom, you gotta see these."
Dina looked up to see Cinder holding two golden earrings with a clear diamond hanging on each end. "These would look great on you," Cinder said as she brought them closer to Dina's ears.
Dina simply laughed as she took out another set of earrings. "I don't know, I was never good with jewelry," she said. "But I think we can find something here for you."
"Oh, I'm not gonna buy anything here."
Dina looked up. "Are you sure? You were practically shoving that pamphlet in my face on the ride here."
"Right... sorry about that."
Dina began to notice a shift in Cinder's attitude. The excitement she had about this surprise trip seemed to have disappeared when the jewelry came into view. Saddened to see her daughter not enjoy the city she always talked about, Dina decided to see what was going on.
"Cinder, are you okay?" Dina asked calmly.
Cinder looked up from the jewelry to see the salesman minding his own business by cleaning the glass cases. Seeing that they wouldn't be bothered, Cinder turned back to her mother. "Mom, this might sound weird, but... can I ask you something about your past?"
Dina had a feeling that Cinder was talking about her time in Marley, which was something she rarely talked about. But now didn't seem like the time to avoid the subject. "Of course, dear. What is it?"
"Well... do you remember your husband? You know, Eren's father?"
"You mean Grisha?" The name brought a smile to Dina's face, given that he was responsible for some of her best memories in Marley. "Yes, I remember him. Why do you ask?"
"What was he like?"
Nobody had ever asked that question before, but Dina was happy to answer it. Talking about her late husband seemed like a good idea to relive some of her best times.
"Well... he was definitely a romantic. His head was filled with imagination and passion, mainly about how we all deserved freedom. If he were a Faunus, I would have no doubt he would have fought with them back in the day, during the Faunus War. Perhaps even with the White Fang."
"The White Fang? But I thought they became more of a terrorist group."
"Grisha was very hard-headed. When he had an idea about gaining freedom and equality, he would fight with that idea with all of his heart and soul. Sometimes... it didn't work out. But there were other times where his attitude won him friendship. And... my heart." Dina felt a tear come down her right eye, which she quickly brushed away.
"Wow."
Dina turned back to Cinder, who was smiling and touching her heart. "He sounds like the perfect man for you," she said.
"He really was. He loved me, and I loved him."
"So it was just that easy?"
"I wouldn't say 'easy,' I would say-" Dina saw that this wasn't answering her earlier question. "Cinder, why do you ask?"
Cinder spun her finger on the glass case beneath her. "Well... I was hoping the trip would be a little different for me."
"Different? How?"
"You told me that you always noticed the boys back home won't stop staring at me. I've noticed that too."
"...Uh-huh..."
"And today at the beach, the same thing happened. And just like back home, it was always the same thing. Those idiots back there only noticed how I looked and what I was wearing."
Dina suddenly felt a heat rise to her face. "Well, Cinder... I did tell you that you've presented yourself once or twice." She wasn't trying to tell Cinder that this was her fault, but warn her of the potential dangers.
"Yeah, I remember. I mean, it was fun at first, but... now it's really starting to get annoying. I just wish I could meet someone like Grisha instead of those guys earlier."
Dina began to understand her daughter's situation. She began to see that Cinder wanted to try and meet someone nice, someone to make a meaningful relationship with. And her first attempt seemed to be a failure. Fortunately, Dina had a good idea what to say.
"Oh, Cinder... you're still young, just like those boys were. Nobody's saying you have to look for someone right now."
"I know, but I'm starting to think that I might have a bad rep," Cinder explained. "It's hard for someone to see past my looks and everything. And wearing jewelry isn't really going to help."
"That's what immaturity does for people your age, sweetheart. In time, people will start to look for qualities like the ones I saw in Grisha. And believe it or not, the first thing he noticed about me was how I looked."
Cinder looked back up at her mother. "He did?"
"That's what he told me." Dina began to laugh. "But he was mature enough to do what you said, to look past physical beauty and see who I was. And I think... that's what made him love me." Dina picked up two earrings with black diamonds and showed them to Cinder. "So don't think jewelry or that pretty head on your shoulders is going to get in the way of finding someone who likes you." Cinder made a small laugh as well. "Whether you fall for a boy or another girl, a human or a Faunus, just make sure they like you for who you are."
Cinder took the earrings and looked at them in front of a small mirror. "...They really look nice, don't they?" she asked with a smile.
"I think you'd be making a mistake if you don't buy them."
Cinder picked up the earrings she showed Dina earlier. "Only if you buy these with me."
"Deal."
Cinder and Dina walked over to the jeweler, who was helping another young girl. This woman had bright green hair and was wearing short pants with a bra.
"I can help you over here," a woman in front of a cash register called over to the duo.
As they walked over to the cashier, Dina whispered in Cinder's ear. "Just promise me you won't be wearing something like that," she said as she gestured to the girl behind them.
"Mom!" Cinder whispered back while holding back a laugh. "She might hear you!"
As Cinder turned around to look at the girl again, ready to apologize in case she heard them, Cinder noticed something off. The salesman had just handed a ring with a ruby on it to the young girl. As he smiled at her, the girl quickly walked to the door.
Dina had just finished paying for the jewelry and turned to Cinder. Just as she saw the girl leave, she heard the first jeweler speak. "A beautiful ring... for a beautiful woman."
Dina didn't see the person he was talking to, and he certainly wasn't holding any ring. "I'm sorry?" she asked. "Are you... talking to me?"
Suddenly, the jeweler made his smile disappear. He looked at his hand to see that the ring was missing, as well as the young girl he was just talking to. "What?!" he asked in alarm. "Impossible! What did-?!"
It didn't take a genius to figure out what had just happened; the salesman had just been robbed of a very expensive piece of jewelry. Fortunately, a few new patrons had witnessed what happened.
"She went that way!" a man said as he pointed towards the left of the window.
"Someone, call the police!" a woman cried.
Dina turned to Cinder, forming a risky idea in her mind. "The police might not arrive in time," she said. "Do you think-?"
"I'll find her," Cinder promised. "If the police come, tell them what happened."
"Just be careful. Thieves like her might have a weapon."
Cinder quickly ran out the door, but lost sight of the thieving girl. Fortunately, a few people to the left were screaming and cursing at someone. Cinder had a good feeling that it was all the people the girl was pushing out of her way. So she turned left and saw the thief running as fast as she could.
However, Cinder was able to run faster.
Just as she was within arm's reach, the girl disappeared. Cinder looked around, trying to figure out where she could have gone. A sound in the alley to her right gave her a clue, and Cinder went inside to find the thief about to scale a wall. Thinking quickly, Cinder used a half-empty vial of Dust from a garbage can and her Semblance to form a giant crystal that hit the young girl and caused her to fall to the ground.
"...How did you do that?" Cinder asked calmly as the girl quickly got back up.
"..."
The girl formed a scowl at Cinder before reaching for her back. Cinder could see what looked like holsters just above her bottom with two hilts sticking out.
"Don't," Cinder ordered, causing the girl to grimace. "Unless, of course, you want them to hear you."
The silence was broken by the sounds of other voices, which Cinder presumed belonged to the salesman and the police. They seemed to have been following the direction Cinder was running in before they ran into the alley. The voices faded quickly, leaving Cinder and the thief alone again.
"What do you want?" the girl asked, finally speaking for the first time.
"I'm mostly curious about how you took that ring in your pocket," Cinder explained, causing the girl to gasp in surprise. "I mean, you technically didn't steal it. You took it right before the jeweler's eyes. And he smiled."
"..."
"But I think it's easy to assume your Semblance helped with that. So instead, I think I want you to return that ring."
"And if I don't?"
Cinder crackled her knuckles. "Once I stop a tired, hungry girl from running or fighting, I'll see that the police take good care of you."
The girl began to pull out her guns again, but Cinder continued to talk. "Don't. Again, there are people here who can call the police, and take that ring from you. So instead of wasting your precious time and bullets..." Cinder slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out her wallet. "How about we trade? My wallet for the ring."
"..."
"Now, a ring like that will definitely make you wealthy. But selling it may be a little difficult. A wallet full of Lien, however, could buy you a nice motel room for the night, a good meal or two... maybe even some warmer clothes. So what do you say?"
The girl's surprise turned into suspicion about the deal. "...Why are you helping me?"
"I know what it's like to be hungry."
The girl took a moment to think about the offer. Deciding to get some food and a place to sleep sounded better than waiting for someone to pawn the ring for more money. So the girl took the better deal and held the ring out.
"Now put it down," Cinder ordered. "And if you think about using your Semblance again, the deal's off."
As the girl put down the ring, Cinder put down her wallet. The two ladies slowly walked past each other while reaching for the wallet and ring. As Cinder picked it up and felt that the ring was real, she turned to see that the young girl had vanished. Not worrying or caring where she had gone, Cinder made her way back to the jewelry store to find two police cars outside.
"Yeah, we've seen something like this before," one officer said as he held out a photograph to the jeweler. "Is this the girl you saw?"
"Yes, that's her," said the jeweler. "We tried to find her, but she got away. One of my customers got a head start on chasing her, but I don't know where-"
"Wait, there she is!"
Everyone turned to see Cinder walking down the street towards the shop. Dina was the first to run over and see if she was okay. "Cinder, are you alright?" she asked. "What happened?"
"I'm okay, Mom," Cinder replied as she walked towards the detectives and the jeweler. "I'm sorry, she got away before I could hold her down." Cinder reached into her pocket and took out the expensive piece of jewelry. "But I got your ring back."
"Holy crap!" the jeweler yelled as he rushed over to Cinder. "I think you just saved my job! Thank you."
"That was really brave kid," one of the officers commended Cinder.
The jeweler and some of the customers turned to Dina. "Your kid has guts, ma'am," one of them said.
"You've raised her well," said the jeweler.
The words were very inspirational to Dina, who could only say 'thank you' to the people who commended her for something she didn't even do. But the fact remained that she was glad everyone seemed to think she had become a good mother, as well as a good person.
The rest of everyone's time in Vale was spent together. From exploring to shopping, everyone seemed to see Vale from top to bottom. Once they did just about everything they wanted to do before returning home, everyone started to prepare for the long flight back.
Eren finished his packing quickly, and planned to spend the rest of the night in his room. But Cinder was determined to spend her time with Eren, so she walked into his room and found him looking out the window.
"How's it going?" she asked as she joined her brother.
"Fine," Eren replied as he made some room for Cinder to join him. "Nice night."
"Nice few days. I'm really gonna miss Vale."
"Was it everything you hoped for?"
"Everything and then some."
"Good. I'm glad."
"What about you? You've seemed kinda docile today. Sad that we're leaving?"
"A little. I really like this place."
"Just a little? Never knew that would make you so quiet."
Eren felt a heat rise to his face, causing him to open the window. "Well, I've been trying to do something new today."
"Aw, jeez." Cinder moved to Eren's bed and lifted the covers to look underneath. "Alright, where are the magazines?"
"The what?"
"The magazines." Cinder looked under the pillows. "I walk in to see you alone, seems like you have a good time to... Actually, I'm starting to get nauseous at the idea."
Eren was suddenly starting to see what Cinder was thinking. "No!" he screamed as he moved Cinder from his bed. "No, no, not that! I was just... thinking about something Ms. Fritz told me."
"You mean how great I am for dealing with that thief?" Cinder asked as she flashed a grin and moved her hair confidently.
Eren rolled his eyes and smirked. "What's so great about not catching her?"
Cinder's smile left as she formed a scowl at him. "What, really?" she asked with sarcasm. "At least I'm faster than you."
"Let's find out when we get back home." Eren turned to the window again. "Actually, it was something she said at the beach. About me living in the past."
"Um, you kinda do."
Eren turned around to see Cinder sitting on his bed. "I mean, all you usually like to talk about is your life back home, and mostly your friends," she explained. "Unless it's something that's important at the given moment, it's usually about your old life."
"I guess I can't really help it," Eren said as he looked out the window again. "I mean, everyone usually said I had my head in the clouds. You know, with seeing the ocean and exterminating the Titans. But now, all of that's done. And Remnant opened a lot of doors for me. More than... I can really handle."
Cinder stood up and leaned against the wall. "Is that so bad? You can choose what you want to do once we're done with... you-know-who."
"And I think I know what I want to do. With some help from Darkness, I think it's possible. I just... don't know if it's gonna make people feel better or not."
Cinder knew where this was going, and now realized how hard Eren was thinking about the matter. To lighten the mood, Cinder decided to share her feelings in a more comedic manner. "Oh, no, don't leave," she said with sarcasm. "I'll be so miserable without you."
"You really need to cut back on how much time you spend with Nora," Eren said after he stopped laughing. "But really, do you mean that?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
Eren walked closer to Cinder. "I just need to know something. Cinder... why is it that you care so much about me? What... am I to you?"
"...What do you mean?"
"I already know what you are to me. You, Ren, Nora, Ms. Fritz, Mercury... you're just as important to me as everyone back home. When I asked that question before, I saw how what I wanted... what I needed to do was going to affect someone important to me." Eren moved even closer. "So tell me... what am I to you?"
"..."
Cinder knew that this question was arguably the most serious one Eren had ever asked her. And it deserved more than just a safe, close-ended response. So after considering the idea for a minute, Cinder spoke from her heart.
"Eren... you're the reason I am who I am, that I have what I have." Cinder took out her Scroll to pull out a picture she once took of their group of friends. "I once heard that history would judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children. You might have been a kid back then too, but you changed my life."
"..."
"If you never became my friend, the closest thing I've ever had to a brother, I'd probably be like that thief I met. Alone, hungry... unloved."
"..."
"Eren Yeager, you're my family, my best friend. But you're also more than that. To me, you're a godsend. You're the reason I want to live young, wild, and free."
Eren had no idea Cinder held him in such high regard. Which caused him to ask one more question. "Would you feel the same way if I weren't here?"
"I think so. But... I know there's more you can do after we beat Salem. You can make people feel like I do, show what it means to be free. I... don't know if I..." Cinder quickly wrapped her arms around Eren. "Don't go."
"..."
As Eren returned the hug, Cinder began to realize how selfish her request had sounded, and how it would impact his decision about leaving. "Sorry."
"For what?"
Cinder let go of Eren and saw him smiling. "Thanks for being honest with me," he said sincerely. "I think... I really needed to hear that."
Cinder smiled again. "Good. I'm glad." She then moved to the door. "See you in the morning." As she began to close the door, her head was filled with thoughts about Eren and the idea of being without him.
But those thoughts were put aside when Cinder recognized someone at the end of the hall. Standing at a door about twenty feet in front of her was the thief she met before, the girl she let escape. And she had just walked into another room.
Quickly running back into Eren's room, she immediately made eye contact with him. "What is it?" he asked, slightly worried. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Not a ghost," Cinder clarified. "I just saw that thief from the other day. She's here, in the hotel.
Eren quickly walked over to her while talking. "What's she doing here?" he asked. "You don't think she's trying to rob someone else, do you?"
"I don't know. She went into a room at the end of the hall, nowhere near Mom or everyone else."
Eren looked down the hall to the door that Cinder was pointing at. "She might be using that money you gave her to rent this place. Or she's trying to rob someone else."
Either way, Cinder and Eren had the same idea and spoke simultaneously.
"We better check it out."
"Hmm... this isn't lookin' good."
"I'm sorry, Joe. I really am."
A man in his early forties, wearing a torn jean jacket over his white T-shirt, was counting Lien while standing over a table in his hotel room. Sitting on the bed behind him was a younger girl with green hair, wearing short pants and high heels under a bra. And neither of them were very happy.
"Yeah, this is way less than what I was hoping for, Emerald," said the older man.
"I swear, that's all of it," said Emerald, who was rubbing her arm. "It's been... a really slow day."
The man turned around as he put down the rest of the Lien. "Oh, yeah? Well, I guess it's no big deal. I've worked with enough thieves and girls to know that everyone has a slow day every once in a while."
Emerald stood up and sighed. "I'll do better tomorrow. I might even try using my cut to scam people like you do," she promised.
"About that..."
Joe suddenly took a bottle and smashed it against a table, leaving a deadly weapon in his hand. "I said that everyone has a slow day," he began. "But tell me if I'm wrong, but ever since you became a part of my club... you've had a slow day once a week."
"..."
Emerald took a step back as she reached for her weapons. But the man quickly grabbed her throat and pushed her against the wall, making it impossible to pull out her weapons.
"You think I'm the only one you're holding out on?" Joe asked dryly. "I got friends in the city, who I make cuts to just like you do with me. If I don't give them enough, we have a problem. And when we have a problem, you have a problem."
Emerald could feel more force applied to her neck, the pain making the use of her Aura more difficult. She knew that the only chance she had of saving her life was trying to reason with her new boss. "I'm... not... holding-"
Just as she was about to choke out another word, Emerald felt something fall out of her bra. Joe saw it fall and quickly looked to the ground. Laying at his feet was a wallet with Lien, something that Emerald had been saving for a rainy day.
"Well, how about that?" Joe asked as he squeezed Emerald's throat even tighter. "So much for not holding out, huh?"
"..."
Emerald couldn't even respond, she could only feel herself become more and more lightheaded. She would be using her Semblance to create some kind of distraction, but her new boss had a Semblance of his own; he was able to make someone not use their Semblance, no matter how hard they tried. He always called the ability "Can't Get It Up" as a joke, but Emerald wasn't laughing at the moment. Now she was praying for some kind of miracle.
"So if you were taking a cut from me... I'd have to cut you back, you know?" Joe asked as he moved the bottle closer to Emerald's face. "Then all you'd have would be slow, lonely nights... for the rest of-"
"Your life?"
Joe quickly turned around to see a girl a couple of years older than Emerald standing behind him. Realizing that she had just witnessed an attempted murder, Joe knew that he couldn't let this second girl leave. Acting quickly, he used his free hand to swing the bottle at her face. But the girl dodged and sent a fist at his jaw, causing him to let go of Emerald and fall to the ground.
Emerald quickly grabbed her throat and gasped for breath. Once she found her ability to breathe, she saw a foot hit Joe's face and knock him unconscious. Looking up at her savior, Emerald gasped to realize that it was the same girl who helped her before, the one she gave the ring to. Thinking that her kindness wouldn't come twice, Emerald backed away as far as she could.
"Hey, hey, it's okay!" the girl said as she put her hands up to show her empty palms. "We're not gonna hurt you." Just as she said that, the girl turned to see a boy her age standing behind her. "Eren, did you see all of that?"
"Yeah, I did," the boy replied. "I'm calling the cops now. But you might wanna think of a way to explain the picked lock, Cinder."
The girl nodded as she turned back to Emerald, who had a scowl on her face. "They'll be here for your... friend," she said to calm Emerald down. "You might wanna hide."
The police came to pick up the man in less than five minutes. One of the detectives was giving Eren and Cinder the rundown of who he was.
"Yeah, this guy's Joe Byrd," he said. "Local pimp, gangbanger, and a three time loser. You say he was strangling a girl?"
"That's right," Cinder confirmed. "She ran off before we stopped that guy."
"We don't know what it was about, but there was some kind of money involved," Eren said.
"Probably a thief or girl not giving him a good cut. He's been known to work with thieves, give them a place to sleep and eat for the right price. Alright, I think we're good here."
As the police dragged the man away, Cinder saw Emerald being more than careful to hide from the officers. Despite the good job she was doing, Emerald wasn't doing a good job hiding how tired and hungry she was. The sight of the younger girl grabbing her stomach made Cinder's heart ache. So she decided to take a risk.
"Eren, you can head back to the room," she said as she walked towards the hotel's walk-in dining room. "I'm gonna get something to eat before going to bed."
"Alright, goodnight," Eren said as he made his way back to his room. Just as he was out of sight, Cinder took some food and put it right where she wanted it.
*CLINK*
Emerald looked up from the table she was sitting at to see a grilled cheese and a drink in front of her. Looking up a little more, she saw Cinder move to the chair across from her. She quickly put her hands on the table, preparing to push her chair out and run.
"Don't worry, I come in peace," Cinder said with a smile as she pointed to the chair. "Mind if I sit down?"
"..."
Emerald didn't answer, but she didn't leave the table either. So Cinder sat herself down and pushed the pate of food closer to the hungry girl. "You should really try the food here. Doesn't look like much, but it's good."
"..."
Emerald slowly picked up the sandwich. Watching Cinder closely to make sure she wouldn't do anything, Emerald took a bite. Once the flavor kicked in, the girl took another bite. Right after that, she took another.
"Just as I thought," said Cinder. "Your friend back there didn't really take care of you, did he?"
Emerald continued to eat, but slightly shook her head. Once she finished eating, Cinder said one other thing. "You're welcome."
"...Huh?" the thief asked
"It's what people say after hearing 'Thank you.'"
Emerald lowered her head. "I'm not sure I should be thanking someone who's thinking about turning me in."
"No... I wouldn't do that either. But what makes you think I'm going to call the police? I let you go a few days ago, didn't I?"
"...Yeah." Emerald put her hands on the table again. "But... you could change your mind."
"I could... if I had good reason."
"I could run."
"You could."
"I could hurt you."
A small laugh escaped Cinder's throat. "You could try."
Emerald was starting to grow annoyed by this game. "So why are you here?! What do you want from me?!"
"...I just want to know more about you. Starting with your name."
"..."
"Come on. You don't think you could get hurt just by talking, do you?" The sound of a stomach grumbling again gave Cinder an idea. "The rest of dinner's on me. All you have to do is tell me your name."
The younger girl took a minute to think about everything. Turning around, she saw that the police were gone, so there wasn't a good chance they would catch her now. And she could use her Semblance to get away if the need arose.
But right now... all she wanted was more food. So she took a risk of her own when she turned back to Cinder. "My name's... Emerald."
After Cinder brought some more food over, the two of them spent time talking about themselves and each other. Cinder talked about how her current life was spent with family and that it didn't require her to steal. This caused Emerald to open up about how her entire life was spent alone and on the streets. She was unwanted, no better than rats in the alley. This was why she needed to steal, to have a fraction of what Cinder had.
"It seems most people wouldn't understand," said Cinder. "They would feel people steal out of greed or get some kind of rush. But you... you need to steal. I understand that now."
"It's what I'm good at," Emerald said as she finished another bite of her food.
"You could be good at other things too."
"Like what?"
"Have you... ever considered honest work? I need to do some backbreaking chores around my home, but it's worth it if it means I get paid. As well as have a place to sleep."
"It... must feel nice." Emerald wasn't expecting herself to be so vulnerable at the given moment, but she didn't seem to mind. Cinder was the only person she met who treated her with so much kindness, more than she was used to. And if being honest about some things meant the kindness would last, Emerald would take that chance.
"It's wonderful, Emerald," said Cinder, who was still willing to lend a friendly ear to the young girl she saw so much of herself in. "There's more to life than doing just one thing to survive. Even if you're good at it."
"But... who would hire me? Who wants to work with a thief?" Emerald suddenly felt her heart harden as she realized something else. "Besides, I don't need anyone's charity."
"Yes, you do." Cinder stood up. "You know, it's funny. When my family came here, I told my mom we could look for people to work at our farm, where they'd be welcome to stay as long as pull their own weight."
"..."
"Come on, Emerald. Can you look me in the eye and honestly tell me that having a place to stay and work is worse than moving from place to place, sleeping in alleys, and fearing for your life?"
Emerald found herself staring at the table. "...No."
Cinder took Emerald's hand and guided her away from the table. "Then come with me. You're gonna need all the help you can get to have my mom hire you."
Two weeks had passed since Emerald had arrived at Kuroyuri. In that time, she had proven to be a valuable asset to Dina's team. The blades and chains of her weapons made reaping the farmland much faster and easier. And despite her stature, Emerald's physical strength was incredible. She was capable of lifting three large crates of produce at a time.
Best of all, she had developed a liking from most of the town. Dina always had something good to say about her work and found her to be a pleasure to have around the house. Ren found Emerald to be someone to have pleasant conversations with, mainly about everyday life and the rest of the Kingdoms. Nora and Mercury, however, found her to be a good victim of practical jokes and pranks.
But Emerald found her most meaningful relationship with Cinder. Wherever Cinder went, the young girl wasn't too far behind. Whether it was helping with farm work or spending time with friends, Emerald stuck to Cinder like glue. Cinder thought it was almost cute, in a funny way. Nobody seemed to mind.
Nobody... except Eren.
He was also with Cinder, wherever she went. He saw everything that Emerald did, heard everything she said. To say that she worshiped Cinder was a complete understatement. It wasn't that he found her to be a nuisance, it was that Eren saw her as something else.
"She's a what?"
"You heard me."
"Um... okay. Eren, don't you think that's taking it a little too far?"
"I don't think that's taking it far enough, Cinder. Emerald does everything you tell her to without asking why. She's been doing more and more of your chores, even things you don't normally do. Don't tell me that doesn't sound like-"
"Eren, Emerald is not a slave!"
Eren finally had the chance to talk to Cinder about his feelings towards Emerald. At the moment, they were supposed to be bringing produce to the rest of Kuroyuri, to newer food shops rather than a convenience stand. But when Eren opened his mouth, they were standing on a path talking.
"Well, what would you call her, then?" Eren dryly asked.
"Um, do the words 'good friend' ring any bells for you?" Cinder asked back, growing more amazed and disgusted with every word Eren was saying.
"A good friend is what Ren and Nora are. They're here for us and we're always there for them in return. Name one nice thing you've done for Emerald ever since she started living here!"
"Well, I-! Uh... Hang on..."
Cinder was surprisingly having a hard time thinking of something she'd done for Emerald ever since she moved to Kuroyuri. Not that she wasn't willing to do so, but Emerald passed up every opportunity Cinder gave her. When she asked to pick up some of her chores, Emerald would always refuse Cinder's gesture. When Cinder would bring out something to drink on a hot day, Emerald would always insist that Cinder should drink it.
It was hard to admit, but Emerald seemed to be doing more and more for Cinder, whether she liked it or not.
"I'm waiting."
Cinder snapped back to reality to see Eren patiently waiting for a response from his sister.
"This... This doesn't prove anything!" Cinder said as she picked up the handles to the carriage she was pulling and walked down the path.
"Cinder, this proves everything." Eren walked with Cinder. "Don't you remember everything we had to do for that spoiled family in Atlas?"
"That's not the same thing! That woman tortured us, and I haven't laid a finger on Emerald!"
"It's not the exact same thing, but she's been doing most of your work, with her only reward being a place to sleep."
Cinder was having a very difficult time finding a good response to Eren, to form any valid argument against his claim. And the idea of having a slave, something that she used to be, wasn't sitting well with her. In fact, it was making her angry.
"So what, you're saying that I have total control over Emerald?! That I should be getting her some kind of collar?! Punish her whenever she steps out of line?!"
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Eren asked. "That's the exact opposite of what I'm saying!"
"No, it really isn't!" Cinder stopped walking again and turned to Eren. "Because it sounds like you're making me look like that woman in Atlas, some kind of sadistic taskmaster!" Cinder began to cry. "Is that... Is that how you've seen me all this time?"
Eren was so focused on proving his point, so angry that Cinder wasn't seeing the truth before her, that he had no idea how he was sounding. Realizing that his point wasn't being made in a good way, Eren felt nothing but remorse for everything he said. "No," he said softly. "No, Cinder, I'm... Cinder, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, you're nothing like that family. I-I was just-"
"Shut up." Cinder dried her tears and walked once more. "I don't wanna hear it."
"Cinder, I wasn't-"
"No, you know what?!" Cinder dropped the handles of the carriage and pushed past Eren. "I'm a slaver, aren't I?! I tell people what to do?! Well, I say you do this yourself!" She began walking up the path they originally came from.
"Cinder, wait!" Eren moved past the carriage. "Where are you going?!"
"Home!" Cinder turned her head as she continued to walk. "Talk to me when your head's screwed on straight!"
"..."
Eren had no idea that this mistake would happen, that he would get under Cinder's skin like this. And he knew that there was nothing else she had to say to him. So he decided to rethink the whole thing while making the deliveries himself.
Fortunately, the time gave Eren a chance to think things over and make a better argument. And that's what he was planning to do once he got back home. But carrying all of the crates off the carriage on a hot day proved rather difficult for him. So difficult that Nora decided to help out once she saw him.
"Whoa, there!" the eager girl said as she caught a falling crate of food. "Easy, butterfingers!"
"Thanks, Nora," Eren said. "I've been at this all day."
"Yeah, I can tell." Nora looked at his sweaty clothes, then looked around the carriage and food store. "Where's Cinder? Why isn't she helping you?"
"She's, uh... at home. I'm doing this myself today."
"Not anymore. Take a break, I'll bring these inside for you." Nora eagerly took two crates and brought them inside, coming back for the rest faster than Eren could.
And when she ran out of crates, Nora came back with the Lien the shopkeeper owed Dina. "Here's your money, Eren," she said as she turned the corner and looked up. "Don't worry, I promise I didn't-"
Nora dropped the plastic cards when she saw an unexpected sight. Rather than sitting or resting against the wall, Eren was standing in the middle of an alley while violently punching himself in the face.
"Eren! Eren, stop!" Nora grabbed his fists and pushed Eren against the wall. Looking at the blood on his face and hands made Nora want to throw up. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"Beating the shit... out of a... dumb brat..." Eren replied between breaths.
"What?!" Nora had no idea what made Eren want to call himself something like that or want to hurt himself, but she wasn't ready to leave until she found out. "Eren, what's going on?"
Eren sighed as he walked towards the empty cart. Picking it up and making his way home, Eren told his new companion what happened earlier that day. He told her his feelings about Emerald and how he tried to explain them to Cinder, and how his mistake made him want to beat some sense into himself.
"Eren... why would you say something like that?" Nora asked, unable to believe what she had just heard. "That's a terrible thing to call someone."
"I didn't mean... That's not how I wanted to put it," Eren said. "I'm not saying Cinder wants to make Emerald a slave, and she's not treating her like one. But Emerald's doing it to herself."
"I don't follow."
"Do you know what a slave is, Nora? Someone who isn't free. Someone who can't think for themselves, whose first instinct is to do what their master thinks is best."
"So Cinder's the master in this case. Isn't that what you told her?"
"I didn't mean it like that. Slaves are taken in by people, with no way to chose for ourselves. Cinder didn't do that to Emerald, but she's doing it to herself."
"You don't mean..."
Eren took this time to go in for the kill. "You get it now? Emerald chose to be like this. She chose to do what Cinder thinks she would want. But the worst part is, she wouldn't want it any other way. That's what I was trying to say. Doesn't that bother you?"
Nora took a minute to think about the idea. And she only had one thing to say. "...Go on," she demanded.
"If Emerald keeps doing this, she won't be able to think for herself. Choose for herself. And that's something I hate more than anything. And it's something that's not on Cinder. I just need her help to make Emerald see that this kind of life isn't good."
"...Oh."
Nora thought back on all the times she was with Emerald, mainly with Cinder being around. And it was really hard to think of an argument against Eren's idea. And she could even relate it to herself. While she could think for herself, it was hard to think of what she would do without Ren.
So when they got back to the Fritz farmhouse, Nora decided to make Cinder see this idea for herself. "Can I come in with you?" she asked Eren. "I can talk to Cinder if she doesn't want to talk to you. And I really think she should hear this."
"I think I'm gonna need all the help I can get," Eren confirmed. So after putting the carriage away and seeing Emerald outside, Eren and Nora walked inside and made their way to Cinder's room. "Cinder?" Eren called out as he knocked on the door. "Listen, I really need to talk to you."
"Are you alone?" Cinder called out.
"Um... Nora's with me, she wanted to-"
The door quickly opened and two hands reached out to grab Eren and Nora by their collars. Once they were pulled inside the room, Cinder closed her white door and locked it. She then turned around to see her friends.
Eren quickly stood up and brushed himself off. "I deserved that," he said. "Listen, I'm sorry about earlier-"
"No, Eren," Cinder cut off her brother. "I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
Cinder opened her door once again and looked down the hall. Seeing that they were alone, Cinder closed it and turned back to Eren and Nora. "Eren, I am such an idiot," she said as she dried her eyes. "You were right. You were right about Emerald. Nora, did he tell you-?"
"Yeah, Eren said... Wait, have you been crying?" Nora asked, seeing that Cinder's eyes were red and puffy. Eren saw this too, which made him feel even more sorry than he was before.
"It's just... How could I have been so blind?" Cinder asked, tears continuing to pour down her cheeks.
"So... you thought about what I said?"
"I didn't have to. As soon as I talked to Emerald, I knew you were right."
"Wait, you talked to Emerald? What happened?"
"After we had that fight, I came straight here."
Ten minutes ago
Cinder's walk back home led her to slamming the front door and her bedroom door shut. She spent a lot of time walking back home, but that time was spent thinking about how angry she was with Eren. She was still reeling over the fact that he had the nerve to say those terrible things.
*KNOCK*
*KNOCK*
*KNOCK*
"Cinder, is that you?"
Dina's voice rang out from the other side of the door, and it seemingly had a soothing effect on Cinder. Once she heard the slight worry and confusion in her mother's voice, Cinder calmed down.
"Yeah, Mom," she said without opening the door. "I'm sorry, I wasn't feeling good when walking into town."
"Do you want me to get you some medicine?"
"No, I think it was just the heat. I'll just get some water before starting my chores."
"Well, you better hurry up. Emerald just finished her chores and decided to start on yours. I swear, I'm gonna have to start paying that girl double her normal pay."
Cinder smiled as she calmed down even more. Quickly grabbing a plastic cup of water from her bathroom, Cinder made her way downstairs and outside. Sure enough, Emerald had started cleaning the stables with a bucket and brush.
"I'm pretty sure that's my job you're doing," Cinder said as she got Emerald's attention.
"Oh, Cinder!" Emerald shot up and dropped her brush. "Sorry, I didn't know you were here."
"It's fine." Cinder looked at the stable floors, seeing that they were as clean as ever. "Wow. Good job."
"Thank you. I've seen how you clean them, I thought it didn't seem that hard."
"Well, you don't have to do this, you know. Cleaning the stables is what Mom thinks I do best."
"It's no problem. I finished all my chores, thought you could use some help."
"I appreciate that. But listen, you really shouldn't over work yourself. Especially with my chores."
"I really don't mind. If it's for you, I'd do anything."
"..."
Cinder had heard a lot of things Emerald had said about her. But today was the first day in which what she had said seemed to have... unnerved her. A hint of what Eren had said slipped its way into her mind, but Cinder was ready to prove that what he said wasn't true.
"Um... thank you," Cinder said. "But, do you mind if I show you a little trick I learned?"
"If you'd like," Emerald said as she stepped aside.
Cinder got on her knees and picked up the hand brush. "You're doing good cleaning, but try to move with the boards rather than against them. It'll look cleaner and take less time."
"Oh, I see. You got it." Emerald quickly tried to grab the brush, almost ripping it out of Cinder's hands. This action caused Cinder to not only be caught off guard, but to see something on Emerald's hands.
"Whoa, are these splinters?" she asked in bewilderment. "Emerald, these could get infected. Let me get you some gloves." As soon as she got up to get a pair of gloves, Cinder heard the sound of the floor being scrubbed behind her. And sure enough, she turned to see the sight of Emerald cleaning the floor.
Cinder was starting to get a strange sense of déjà vu, that she had experienced this before. Back in Atlas, Cinder made sure to work harder when the Madame was watching her. And Emerald seemed to be doing the same thing. This made her mission even more complicated, but Cinder had one last thing she wanted to try.
"Listen, Emerald... I really appreciate you working hard around here," Cinder began. "But you don't have to take all my chores, you know. I mean, Mercury and Eren could use some help from time to time." She picked up Emerald's bucket and began to fill it up again.
"Yeah, I guess so," Emerald said as she continued to clean. "But they're not you, Cinder."
"...What do you mean?"
"I wouldn't be here if you never found me. I owe you more than doing your chores."
"No, that's not true. You don't owe me anything, I'm happy that we met and that you're here."
"I don't believe that. You took me in, now I have to pay you back. And trust me, I will."
"There's no need to think like that."
"But it's true. If we never met, I'd be someplace worse. Without you... I'm nothing."
*CRASH*
Emerald quickly turned around to see her bucket on the floor, spilling water on the wooden beams. And right next to that bucket was Cinder, who looked like she had the fear of God in her.
"Why... Why would you say that?" she whispered. Once she found her voice, Cinder asked her question a little louder. "Emerald, why would you say that?!"
"I just thought... Cinder are you okay? You look like-"
"I have to go!"
Cinder took off running back to the house, where she locked herself in her room once again. But this time, she started crying.
Present time
"No way."
"Right in front of me, as clear as day."
Eren sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, unable to believe that Emerald said that of all things. And the fact she seemed to believe it only made the problem worse.
"What have I done?" Cinder asked herself, seemingly forgetting that Eren and Nora were with her. "I didn't mean for this to happen."
Eren quickly walked up and hugged Cinder. "It's not your fault," he assured her. "It's nobody's fault."
"Eren's right," Nora said as she included herself in the conversation. She had heard the stories of Eren and Cinder being slaves, and knew how much that phrase meant to the both of them. "There's no way you could be responsible for how she thinks."
"But I'm responsible for her well-being." Cinder let go of Eren and dried her eyes once more. "When we found her, I knew I was going to have to help her with a few things. Not stealing, doing work around the farm, but I never imagined this would be something I have to do."
"Something we have to do, Cinder." Eren opened the door and began to walk out. "This is something that I'm against too. I'm with you all the way."
"Me too," Nora said as she joined Eren. "There's nothing that's gonna stop us from helping her."
*BUZZ*
*BUZZ*
"Huh?" Nora reached into a pocket in her skirt to pull out a vibrating Scroll. "Sorry, just a second." Nora answered the Scroll and put it to her ear. "Hello?"
The conversation faded out as Eren moved closer to Cinder. "I'm sorry about what I said," he apologized sincerely. "I didn't mean for you to think that you were being like that family in Atlas."
"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you," Cinder said. "Just the idea of thinking back on all that... really sucks sometimes. You know?"
"More than anyone. And it was my fault you wouldn't listen. I guess I need to do better with talking about my ideas."
"The understatement of the century." Cinder punched Eren's arm. "But we can worry about that later. Right now, let's make sure we do what Nora said."
Eren nodded. "Let's make sure nothing stops us from helping Emerald."
As soon as the siblings walked over to the door, Nora stepped in front of them with arms wide open. "Something's stopping us now!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Eren and Cinder were so surprised at Nora's change in attitude that they don't bother asking what the problem was. Nevertheless, Nora explained everything. "That was Ren, he says something big is going on in the town square!"
"What do you mean... 'big?'" Cinder asked.
"I don't know, but he sounded really worried. I don't like it, I gotta see what's wrong with him." Nora quickly ran down the wooden stairs and made her way for the nearest door, leaving Eren and Cinder staring at each other.
"Nothing usually worries Ren," Cinder noted, saying that this seemed to be incredibly important.
"This is giving me a bad vibe," Eren said. "I know we said we'd help Emerald, but this might be something he'll need us for."
"We better get going."
Cinder and Eren followed Nora's lead, but she was too far ahead for them to catch up. So Eren and Cinder simply walked and talked on their way to Kuroyuri.
And Cinder had something she needed to ask Eren. "Eren... about the fight we had-"
"I didn't mean for it to sound like you were like those people in Atlas," Eren repeated himself. Normally, he found having to repeat himself to be annoying, but this was a special circumstance. "I was trying to-"
"No, it's okay. I know you didn't mean it like that. But... now it's easy to see you don't really like the idea of slavery."
"I never did."
"How come you were holding it in all this time? We both had to do things in Atlas that we've come to hate, but I learned to let it all out."
"You mean with Ms. Fritz?"
"There was one night my dreams were bad enough that I had to get out of bed. I saw her standing outside the door, she said she could hear me from her room. That was the night I told her everything. The night I couldn't keep hiding from what I did to the Madame and her daughters."
Eren looked back at Cinder in shock. He never heard her tell this story before, how she risked everything when confiding in Dina. "So... what happened?" he asked.
"She was speechless. It was hard to blame her, really. That she had a murderer living in her house. I decided to go back to bed, but she grabbed my arm."
"What? She didn't... hurt you, did she?"
"Far from it." Cinder looked back at Eren and smiled. "That was the first night she said she loved me. She told me that what I did was wrong... but she didn't care. Despite everything I did, she still loves me."
"Was that... the first time-?"
"The first time I started calling her 'Mom.' And I'm sure you saw that she can be a good mother." Cinder held Eren's hand. "She loves you too, you know. Just like I do. Don't feel that you have to hold everything in for so long."
"...I appreciate that, Cinder." But Eren didn't smile back. "It's not that I'm holding it all in, I've felt like this since Paradis, during my first life. When I was living inside a wall."
"Is that... why you don't like the idea of someone not being free?"
"It helped, yeah. And I can't help but feel that no freedom makes people fail to live up to their potential. Like being able to see the world, or make things the way they want them to be." Eren let go of Cinder's hand and pointed to the wall of Kuroyuri. "And a part of me feels that the same thing might happen here. If we didn't have airships, I would feel the walls would be holding us back."
"I never thought of it like that. You really couldn't leave the walls you had?"
"It was either stay inside or risk getting eaten by Titans. Like with the Grimm."
"I'm surprised with the second wall, people accepted it like the first one."
"I know, right? I felt like there should have been an angry mob or something."
*CRASH*
The sound of something breaking and people screaming got Eren's attention. "What the-?"
In the commonplace of Kuroyuri was a group of people yelling and throwing things. Eren had no idea what was going on, but there was indeed an angry mob in Kuroyuri, charging towards the city hall.
"What the hell is this?" Cinder asked out loud. But nobody seemed to answer her.
"Eren! Cinder!"
The duo turned to the left to see Ren and Nora running towards them. As soon as they stopped running, Cinder repeated her question. "Ren, what the hell's going on?!"
"There are people from Atlas who came out of nowhere!" Ren explained. "They're with the mayor now!"
"Atlas?" Eren asked. "What do they want?"
"We can't say for sure, but there's a rumor going around that-"
Before Ren could explain more, the villagers around them all turned to see the mayor walk out of his office with a man in a white business suit. Every villager moved closer to listen to him, but soldiers made sure to form a line to prevent citizens from moving closer.
"People of Kuroyuri," he began as he cleared his throat. "It has recently come to my attention... that the Council of Mistral has formed a deal with the Schnee Dust Company. In order to expand business, the President of the company has begun to buy out Mistral's land for mining purposes. And it is with a heavy heart... that I must inform you that... the land Kuroyuri rests on is no longer our own."
