Chapter 16: Ymir's Past

Ymir unlocked the door to her apartment and ushered Krista in. She quickly shut the door behind her and slid the locks into place. Krista shivered and sighed when Ymir hugged her tight and pulled her over to the couch. They laid together, simply staring into each other's eyes. Ymir traced her thumb over the blonde's wrists and frowned at the flinch. She sat up and pulled her to her lap. Immediately, she ran her fingers over the girl's body and frowned even deeper at the bruises.

"What the hell is this?" she nearly shouted.

"I tripped?" Krista answered meekly.

"Krista." Ymir warned.

"Seriously! I got into another fight with my parents and I ran away. I scraped my body on the way to the bus stop," the blonde explained nervously, fidgeting in Ymir's lap.

"You're such a klutz," Ymir sighed, "but I suppose I should treat your wounds, again. Jesus, Krista, don't you ever learn?"

Krista smiled warmly and giggled at Ymir's annoyed expression. Ymir blushed just the tiniest bit and Krista giggled once more as she tilted her head. She reached her hands to pinch the brunette's cheeks but pulled back at the sound of a growl. Ymir bumped their foreheads together and slid her hands down the smaller girl's arms. The blonde gasped when the brunette lifted her wrists to her lips to kiss them.

"Ymir! What are you doing?" she scolded.

"Nothing," she whispered, looking straight into her eyes, "but we should shower and get into warm clothes before we die of pneumonia."

Krista couldn't find her voice, so she opted to nod instead. Ymir smirked and pulled her up. When they reached the bathroom, Krista dug her heels in and cried out in shock.

"Are we going to shower together?"

Ymir chuckled and opened the door.

"What? We're both girls, it doesn't matter, right?" Ymir teased, smirking.

"Y-Ymir, no, just – you go first, I can wait."

"No."

"No?"

"You go first, then if your scrapes still hurt I'll take care of them."

"But Ymir you've been in the rain for longer than me!"

"Doesn't matter, just go before I change my mind."

"O-okay."

Krista waited until Ymir left the bathroom before stripping and entering the shower. The knob was a bit rickety, but a few nudges and then she was immediately engulfed by warm water. It felt blissful against her cold skin and she shivered in relief. In this time, she decided to think.

It seemed that Ymir loved her, just like Krista loved her. It was a nice thought, and it warmed Krista to her heart and made her grin like mad. They kissed! And it was so beautiful and romantic, just as Krista had hoped. Sure, Ymir was almost hit by a bus and sure, Ymir nearly ran away at the sight of her, but it was the end that justified the means, right? She dearly hoped they could talk about this development further, but another pressing thought occurred to her.

Ymir should definitely be suspicious now, especially because of her running away. She needed to confess as soon as possible, if only to remove the pressure on her chest and the weight on her shoulders. Ymir would understand, she was sure of it, but she already knew exactly who she was, didn't she? Nack had probably told her, but Krista held on to the belief that Ymir would think highly of her for confessing on her own. She might be a bit upset, however Krista truly thought that Ymir deserved to know the truth.

She finished lathering her hair and rinsed it. She then turned off the shower and exited, looking for a towel. She found one placed on the covered seat of the toilet and blushed. When did Ymir come in here? And did she sneak a peek without her knowledge? Krista shook her head to dismiss such thoughts – Ymir may not be a kind individual, but that didn't mean she had no morals or integrity.

She wrapped the towel around her small body and exited the bathroom. Ymir was leaning against the wall beside the door, one leg bent and heel pressed to it while her head was tilted upward, eyes closed. Her arms were crossed and her hair was loose; she appeared restless, if the incessant tapping of her foot was any indication.

At the sound of the door opening, she pushed off the wall and smirked at Krista, looking her up and down. Krista blushed and hurried away to her bag, almost stumbling. However, before she could get her trembling hands to lift the flap of her book bag open, Ymir grabbed her hand and pulled her up against her lithe frame. Krista's heart leaped to her throat and she swallowed to clear her suddenly dry throat.

"Wear my clothes for tonight. I don't know if you've realized this yet, but clothes can still get soaked through a bag," Ymir murmured huskily.

Krista turned her head to look into the taller girl's eyes and closed hers. She sighed and nodded, making Ymir bark out a laugh and carry her. Ymir threw her over her shoulder and ignored her indignant shouts. She carried her to her room and set her down, turning to place her hand on the doorknob. The brunette turned her head and fixed Krista with an amused look.

"Find some clothes to wear in my drawers. I'll be back." She slunk away from the room and closed the door behind her.

Krista inhaled a shuddering breath and nodded to herself. She didn't know what was going on with her, how Ymir could have such a drastic effect on her own emotions. Maybe she was feeling ill from the rain.

The blonde bit her lip and rummaged through the doors to find something decent to wear. She came across many pairs of boxers, but they were simply too loose to wear or smelled funny. She had half a mind to tell Ymir to do her laundry but decided against it; she could just do it herself. The thought of doing housework for the brunette made her smile gently, and she giggled at the happy images dancing in her mind. How nice would it be if Ymir let her live with her? It would surely be loads of fun.

Ymir was definitely having an effect on her, for her coy voice resonated within Krista's mind and the blonde gasped as she stumbled back, face red. She put a hand to her face when her innocent imagination was flooded with provocative daydreams instead, things that would make even Ymir blush. Quickly, she grabbed the smallest set of clothes she could find and tried putting them on. She failed, miserably, since she ended up tripping over the still-too-large pair of boxers and landed flat on her face.

A door slamming open was heard as well as a rapid tapping of footsteps.

"KRISTA! ARE YOU OKAY?!"

"DON'T COME IN, YMIR!"

When they were both finally showered and dressed warmly, they lied back on the couch, Krista laying on half of Ymir's body. Her head rested on her shoulder and her body was tucked snugly into the side of the couch. The brunette buried her nose into her blond locks and inhaled deeply. Krista tightened her fists in Ymir's shirt when the taller girl wrapped her arms around her and slowly traced her spine with delicate strokes. Krista shuddered, closed her eyes and grimaced - it was now or never.

"Ymir?"

"Mm?"

"We need to talk. About our relationship."

"What's there to talk about? I love you, and you love me. It's that simple."

Krista blinked her eyes rapidly at Ymir's rather casual confession. "W-what?"

"Dumbass, did the rain screw up your ears or something?"

"That wasn't very nice–"

"How many times do I have to–"

"–but I still love you just the same."

Ymir sighed and closed her eyes, turning on her side and pulling Krista up so they were face to face. The blonde smiled gently and traced the contours of her darling's mouth with the pad of her thumb. She went over her freckles lovingly and couldn't resist the urge to lean over and peck her lips the slightest bit. Ymir opened her eyes and blue clashed with brown. However, Ymir leaned back and Krista just barely caught the flash of pain that appeared in her orbs before blanking like the rest of her expression.

"You have something you want to say, don't you?" Ymir started suddenly.

Krista sighed and nodded, nuzzling her throat. The brunette waited as patiently as she could and nearly shouted at her to hurry the hell up when the blonde lifted her head and stared into her eyes.

"My name is not Krista Lenz. Truthfully, it's Historia Reiss and Krista was added on as a nickname, then eventually changed to my common name. My full name is Krista Historia Reiss, daughter of William Reiss, and heiress to Reiss Incorporate, the biggest stockholder and the richest company in the world."

Ymir did not react at all to her admission, and it made her sigh and lower her eyes. "I know I've been lying to you all this time, and if you hate me for this, I understand. I just want you to know that you're the first person I've told willingly about this, and the one who, in my opinion, deserves to know the most."

"I already knew."

"Huh?"

"I knew exactly who you were from a long time ago. It happened when I went to the school library to get some books for a research essay, and I overheard two of your father's servants talking about you. At first, I didn't think it was you, but when they said 'blonde', 'Trost' and 'Rose Academy', it all clicked in my head. I decided to do my own research and you know what? Your life is pretty much open for anyone to discover. It's just that your father keeps a tight leash on these documents and testimonies, and it was only with my connections that I managed to pull them out.

"Anyway, I know your whole story, from birth 'til now. You're the illegitimate daughter of a billionaire, the result of an affair he had sixteen years ago. He loved your mother, but unfortunately for him she died in childbirth, leaving you in his wife's care. She owned a huge part of Mr. Reiss' fortune, so they decided to live together and pretend that you were their biological daughter, if only to avoid the bad press. His wife didn't want you, but she needed an heiress. But you weren't good enough: you were meek, cowardly, kind and you hated business and preferred the arts instead. You wanted to try music, but you had no means to pick up an instrument, so you studied music sheets on your own. You don't do that anymore, because one day your mother caught you and burned all of the sheets you worked so hard to gather in front of your eyes.

"Your teachers said you were bright, but you lacked confidence in your abilities. Your father was always taking care of business for your mother, so you didn't get to see him often. At some point, you grew so lonely you started to purposefully fail class so your mother would hire a tutor. It worked – until she realized what you were doing and fired the man. You were in despair for a bit, and finally, something good happened to you. You started to help others, whether it be help with class chores, an assignment, giving them lunch – whatever it took, you helped them, and you realized that helping others filled that void in your heart, so you did it. But, no matter how hard you tried, no one wanted to be your friend. They were simply too afraid of your father and you couldn't do anything about it. So, after much begging and pleading, you were moved to Rose Academy, the farthest thing from Trost, and assumed this new identity."

Krista sat in shock, wondering how Ymir knew every single little detail of her life. How did she know about her fascination with the arts? And music to be precise? How in the world did Ymir find out about her entire life story? And why was she so interested?

"Ymir, why did you take such an interest in me? I don't understand!"

"Maybe it's because," Ymir paused, "because we're exactly alike."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe it's time I told you what happened to bring me to where I am now."

"No– Ymir, you don't have to."

"I want to. I need to get this off my chest. You're nothing but my venting tool, you hear?"

Krista hid her smile in Ymir's neck and nodded. "Okay."

"Here goes..."

A woman lay on a bed, chest heaving and body trembling. Her figure was covered by a warm sheet designed to keep the cold out, and she flicked her eyes to another figure approaching. A man stopped at her bedside and gently handed the bundle in his arms to the woman. The room was dark, but it was clean, sterile and – most importantly – empty.

The woman looked down at the infant in her arms and smiled. She looked up at the man and her smile faltered at his dark look. She bit her lip and looked down once more, feeling the question she wanted to ask escape her lips before she could stop it.

"Is it a boy?"

Her question pervaded the silence and the man beside her clutched the bed sheets tightly as he sat down on a stiff chair next to her.

"No, it's a girl."

His answer brought dread to her heart, but she simply sighed in response.

"Oh..."

"It's fine, we can always try again."

His answer made her tremble slightly, but she swallowed and nodded.

"That's true, but what do we do about her?"

"We get rid of her, it's that simple."

"Are you sure this is okay?"

"Dear, she will never be of any use to us anyway, so why not give her away?"

The woman clutched the bundle to her chest tightly, mouth quivering. "I just don't feel this is right."

"It's just your motherly instincts coming into play. Watch, soon enough, you will be just as repulsed as I am."

"I–"

"As her parents, we should at least bless her with a name before giving her away. This way, we'll be able to pinpoint her whereabouts should she ever get into trouble."

She could do nothing but watch as her husband stole her daughter's name from her, and now ripped her first child away from her embrace. He grabbed the bundle and held it delicately in his arms, though his mouth pulled down in a grimace. He struggled to keep his tone light, so as to not wake the baby.

"Alright."

"I say we give her the name of Ymir. What do you say, dear?"

The name tugged at the heartstrings of the woman, but she said nothing to antagonize the man.

"I say it's just fine. Honey, where did you come up with this name?"

Briefly, she saw a ghost of a smile on his face, and felt her heart lighten a bit. Maybe this name would bring joy to the infant's life.

"Ah, well, I came across a book of mythology a few days ago, Norse mythology to be precise. The giant Ymir is the unintentional creator of the world, to put it simply. However, it was ruthlessly killed by other gods. It birthed man and woman, land, streams, life, ocean and nature thanks to its body. However, according to tradition, Ymir was by no means a kind giant."

Her heart dropped to her toes instead, and she felt her lips turn downward. She pursed them and clenched her fists tightly.

"Ymir... such a sad name. The beginning of the world, yet the manifestation of terror. Why would you name our daughter so?"

"Because she has broken my heart."

Ymir played with the other children in the foster home, often pushing them to get to the ball and laughing when they cried. A blond man with fierce green eyes came out of the house just in time to see Ymir snatch the ball from another child and stomped over to her, anger filling his features. He was tall, bordering on six feet, but he crouched and took the ball from her, looking into her eyes and scowling.

"YMIR! How many times do I have to tell you – play nice, or you'll get fed to the mice!" he shouted.

"I don't believe you, Dad," Ymir retorted, crossing her arms. She rolled her eyes when his scowl faded and he pouted instead.

"You're quite the smartass for a five-year-old," he muttered, standing up.

"Maybe my real parents were incredibly smart and had nice– hey, what does smartass really mean, Mom?"

A brown-haired woman walked to them briskly as she stepped outside of the house. She gasped and shoved her husband away from the little girl and turned to him with a fiery look in her navy eyes.

"NIKLAS! How dare you swear in front of Ymir? Come, Ymir, let's leave these primitive men to their foul language."

Ymir sneered at her foster dad as her foster mom tugged on her small hand. She pulled the skin under her eye down as she stuck her tongue out. Niklas fumed and punted the ball far into the air, sighing and smiling when the other children squealed in delight and chased after it. She was just too clever for her own good.

Ymir sat on the kitchen counter and swung her legs, watching her foster mother's peaceful expression as she prepared lunch for the family. She always liked watching her cook, since it made her feel like this was her real family and not just an illusion to be ripped away at the end of each day, when another child was taken in for a different set of parents and a different life.

No one wanted Ymir, it seemed, for after every interview with the parents they would rush out, stumbling in fear whenever Ymir tried to join the conversation. She had a knack for saying inappropriate things and sometimes bluntly told her potential adopters what she thought of them. Clearly, they didn't like that, and refused to take her away from the home she'd been in all her life.

Sometimes, she dreamt about her parents. She imagined them to be a king and a queen, who had to leave her behind in order to take care of their kingdom. However, within her little childish mind, she held on to the belief that one day they would come back for her, and she would be a princess in that very same kingdom. Then, she'd stick her tongue out in disgust, because she never really liked dresses or make up, and she certainly did not want to get married to a stupid boy.

With every passing day, it was that little firm belief that kept her grounded, that made her endure every failed interview. Mr. and Mrs. Freud, also known as Niklas and Kirsten, were extremely kind people. Niklas worked as a carpenter and Kirsten stayed at home, sometimes taking up cleaning jobs at various other households. They ran the foster home with love and care, and never made Ymir feel alone or unwanted, but that didn't stop her mind from wandering and picking out her own conclusions.

She'd been living here for half a decade now, and though Ymir was just a year or so into school, she understood that this wasn't normal, and it wasn't easy for her foster parents to take care of her. She knew she had a temper and she wasn't the nicest girl – or rather, person – in the home, but she tried. She tried to be better for Niklas and Kirsten. She did well in school and made pictures of her entire family every time for art class. On occasion, she'd have to make a new one, because not every child stayed as long as she did, and there were always other children who needed homes, like her.

A hand waving in front of her face broke her out of her thoughts and she lifted her brown eyes to smile at Kirsten, who pulled her up into her arms and set her down. Ymir waited for Kirsten to say something, as she always did, but Kirsten seemed keen on simply staring at her with an amused smile. Finally, she crouched to the shorter brunette's level and ruffled her hair gently.

"What are you thinking about, little one?" she asked softly.

"You," Ymir answered honestly, rocking back and forth on her heels.

Kirsten giggled and straightened. "Alright, my blunt warrior, I require your assistance. Are you prepared to accept this quest?"

Ymir's eyes sparkled and she pumped her fist up. "Oh boy, am I!" She fumbled suddenly and bowed low, "what do you need me for, my lady?"

"I need you to get your lazy father in here and help me with the lunch. It seems he forgot that I can't work the stove without him, again."

Ymir performed a salute with her fist to her heart and nodded her head. "I'll get that lazy ass for you!"

"Ymir!"

"Happy birthday to you!"

"Blow out the candles, Ymir!"

"Yeah, do it already before you use up all the wax! Candles can get expensive, ya know!"

"Ymiiirrr... let's go! Blow out the candles!"

"Alright already, I'm gonna do it! Shut up! Geez."

Ymir inhaled deeply, closed her eyes tightly and gently blew on all seven candles. Kirsten and Niklas cheered while the other children clapped and squealed in joy. It wasn't often that they could afford a cake, and the foster parents were determined to have at least one proper celebration for the little brunette, since she'd been doing very well in school. The Maria Academy district was very strenuous and harsh, but Ymir constantly came out on top of the other Titans. She always made sure to show her skill and excellence in her studies, as well as sports whenever she was interested.

Niklas pulled out the candles and wrapped them in a tissue before placing them in his shirt pocket. Kirsten brought a knife out and told her children to line up with plates for their piece. The ruggedly dressed kids held their mismatched plates in their hands – as well as tiny forks and spoons – and eagerly awaited a slice of the delicious chocolate cake. Ymir had the right to the first slice, as per tradition, and she gleefully ate it in front of the other children, sticking her tongue out at their whines of displeasure. Niklas flicked the centre of her forehead and she glared up at him in annoyance.

"Don't do that to your brothers and sisters; it's not nice to brag or show off when you did nothing to deserve this."

Ymir pouted and glumly returned to her cake. Kirsten sighed and gave her husband a look, but he simply shrugged and stood in line with the other children. It was getting quite common for Niklas to scold Ymir more often than the others, though that mainly had to do with her nasty attitude and her rudeness towards her foster siblings. Ymir wondered if it was because she hadn't been adopted yet, and suddenly lost her appetite. She gave her half-eaten cake to a rather gluttonous boy and stomped out of the house and out onto the patio of their home.

It was a rickety thing, the wooden beams barely holding it into place and a rocking chair sat against the wall of the house. She occupied the seat and pulled her knees to her chest, glaring at the horizon from above her kneecaps.

It wasn't fair, it just wasn't fair for Niklas to treat her like this just because no one else wanted her. What was she supposed to do? Act like someone she wasn't, and have them adopt her? No, Ymir loved who she was, and was proud of herself for standing up for what she thought was right. She did not want to be fake, or live like many other kids she'd seen at school – the kids who pretended to be something they weren't, and ultimately fell apart in the end. She may have been young, but having no one else to guide her but herself has taught her the basics of life – you stick to who you are, and people will respect you.

The wooden door creaked open and Ymir turned her eyes to see Niklas shuffling outside. He coughed into his fist and rubbed the back of his neck, but Ymir really did not feel like making her foster father comfortable. She turned her nose up and glared in front of her. The blond man sighed at this and leaned against the railing in front of the brunette. She pointedly ignored him and fixed her gaze to the last light of the sun.

"Ymir, I just wanted to apologize for saying what I said. I know it's been hard on you, but I don't want you to spend your first celebrated birthday in misery. Please, come back inside. We saved you another piece of the cake."

Ymir shook her head stubbornly and grit her teeth. "No. I don't want to go. Leave me alone."

"Ymir–"

"Niklas, nobody wants to adopt me. I really don't deserve that cake. Jeff's gonna have new parents in two days and Katie's leaving next week with her future parents on a special vacation trip. They deserve that cake – not me."

"Firstly, young lady, you do not address me with my first name! I am your father and–"

"But you're not my father! You're just some guy who took me in, away from my real parents! I want them! I want Mom and Dad back, not Niklas and Kirsten!"

Niklas allowed the hurt to consume his features and clenched his fists in anger. "You! You're so ungrateful, Ymir! Kirsten tries her hardest to find a kind, loving family to take you in and every time you just–"

"GO AHEAD! SAY IT!"

"YOU SCREW EVERYTHING UP!"

Ymir sucked in a harsh breath and bolted out of the rocking chair. Niklas tried to catch her but to no avail – Ymir was long gone.

She ran away from that house, that loving family who she'd taken for granted. Why did she run? Was it because of her own guilt? Was it because she felt like an unwanted burden placed upon their shoulders? Or did she really hate them and desired her true parents? Ymir knew nothing, all she really knew was that she was hurting, deep in her chest, and running away seemed like the best idea. She dashed down the streets, past the flickering street lights and closing shops. She knew not where she was going, but she did know where she wanted to be – far away from the family that gave her everything.

She didn't like it – she didn't like how they were so generous, how they sacrificed so much for her. The people at Maria Academy were all selfish bastards, and Ymir learned that to survive in this life, you needed to be selfish and help only yourself. It was this thought that gave her courage to run away from Niklas and Kirsten, because now they didn't need to sacrifice anything for her anymore.

Ymir ran into an alley and crouched between two dumpsters to control the trembling of her hands. She knew that Niklas would probably be out searching for her, but she didn't care – she needed to get away before she lost it and ruined her life forever. The little girl bit her bottom lip harshly and winced at the rivulet of blood that streamed down her chin in response. It hurt, but it didn't hurt as much as the uncomfortable swelling of the rock in her chest.

Happy memories flooded through her consciousness, and all she could do was grip her head and shut her eyes. She shook her head, muttering obscenities she'd heard from Niklas' mouth and the older kids at school.

"No, goddamn it, no! GO AWAY!"

"Hey, you okay?"

Ymir lifted her eyes to see a pair of bright blue orbs staring down at her in concern. They belonged to a young boy with slicked back onyx hair. He had a hand extended out, the other arm around a brown paper bag that smelled like the Sunday mornings back at the house. It reminded Ymir of the delicious bread Kirsten would bake, its scent wafting in the air and around her senses.

She growled and turned her head. "Leave me alone!" she cried. She refused to let this boy see her like this, so she held back her tears and grit her teeth. The boys at her school always teased her for her freckles and her somewhat masculine looks, and she loathed to appease them by standing down. Many times, she cracked their nose with her fists and threatened them to keep quiet, to which they eagerly complied as they scampered off. This boy would be no different if he ticked her off.

Instead of teasing her, however, he flinched and pulled his hand back. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you. Um, here! Have some of this bread– it's fresh out of the oven!"

Ymir kept her head to the side but allowed her eyes to peek from the corner. Her stomach rumbled slightly – she had saved her appetite for the unfinished cake all day – and she found it hard to say no. She nodded her head once and turned it slightly, relaxing her body when the boy tore off a piece of the loaf and handed it to her. She bit into the crispy surface and her mouth was flooded with the heavenly taste. She wanted more, but one look at the boy's clothes and complexion stopped her. He dressed in rags, and his cheeks appeared hollow. Bags built up under his eyes and he looked so bony Ymir could snap him in half if she wanted to. He was pale and he seemed to be in a constant state of shivering.

"My name is Berik," he introduced, smiling toothily. He had a few teeth missing from the front but he looked radiant, "what's your name?"

Ymir looked down at the remainder of bread in her hand, smiled, and stood up. Berik was just a bit taller than her, but not by much. "Ymir," she answered. She extended her hand and he laughed as he shook it.

"Ymir. Ymir! I like it! It's a nice name!"

"Yeah? You think so?"

"Uh huh! So, Ymir, can we be friends?"

Ymir shoved the rest of the bread in her mouth and crunched on it thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "I'll have to think about it!"

"Aw, that's no fair!"

Ymir grinned and put her arm around Berik's shoulders. "We'll be the best of friends!"

The two sat and talked, and Ymir eventually learned that Berik was a fugitive who had run away from his parents when they kept making decisions for him. He hated their lifestyles and their treatment of him, so he stole as much money as he could, packed what little clothes and food he could carry, and left the village he was born in. A few friends followed him later on, but they didn't live with him. He attended the same school as her, but he was in a different class which was why she never saw him – or his friends.

Hours passed, and eventually, the sun peeked slightly over the horizon. Berik sighed and stood, clutching his brown paper bag to his scrawny chest.

"I'll see you later!" he called out as he ran down the alley.

Ymir bid her new friend goodbye and silently trudged back to her home. She knew she was fortunate after seeing the mess Berik was in, so she decided to go back and apologize to her foster parents. It wasn't right of her to assume their intentions without them knowing, not to mention she was being rude to the people who took care of her for seven years while her own real parents did nothing. She owed them, and it was that thought that made her lock her jaw and kick a pebble away in frustration. This was why she hated selflessness, because now she owed somebody a favour, and she suddenly regretted complying with Berik.

What would Berik have her do when she saw him again? Would he make her do something stupid while holding another piece of bread over her head? It wasn't a pleasant thought, and it ruined her mood as she hesitantly climbed up the patio steps. When she raised her hand to knock on the door, the lights turned on and it was pulled open in a flash. Kirsten looked down, eyes wide and hands trembling. She sank to her knees and pulled Ymir to her body. Ymir kept her arms to her sides, eyes cast down, when she felt tears on her scalp.

"Ymir, Ymir! I'm so glad you're okay! I missed you so much–" she sobbed, tightening her arms.

Ymir closed her eyes and clenched her fists. "I missed you too, Mom."

A few days after that incident, Ymir decided to venture out again at the same time – without telling her foster parents. They were still busy tending to the other children and organizing a farewell party for Katie and Jeff, who had come back to visit. She slunk out into the shadows and tread down the pavement. She trailed her fingertips against the windows of the various shops, peeking through the transparent surfaces. Her big brown eyes watched the men and women move around, cleaning the dust from the floors and shutting the lights off. It was peaceful, other pedestrians running down to run last-minute errands and chatting. Many citizens of this district were extraordinarily tall and had the strangest facial features. Ymir found it weird that her foster parents didn't resemble them, but guessed that the Freuds were not originally from here.

She walked down to the same alley as before and stood in the centre. She fidgeted and shoved her hands in her pockets, eyebrows slanting low. She looked for Berik, but when the boy failed to pass by, she sighed in disappointment and turned to leave. Her little body carried her out of the alley in dismay and she reluctantly walked back home.

Just as she was about to take a step forward, a voice made her freeze in her tracks. "Ymir? Is that you? It is! Ymir! It's so nice to see you again!"

The brunette whirled in her tracks and grinned when she spotted Berik jogging to her. He didn't have a brown paper bag with him this time, but instead he had something even better – a subway sandwich. It was wrapped in paper and was nearly a foot long. Ymir couldn't help the rumble of her stomach. Berik laughed and pulled her into the alley. The brunette scoffed and pulled her wrist away, ignoring Berik's hurt look, and leaned against the wall. He sighed and unwrapped the sandwich, splitting it in half and handing one to Ymir. She shook her head, remembering what she promised herself, and he tilted his head in confusion. The black-haired boy shrugged in indifference and started to eat his half, sitting with his back against the wall parallel to Ymir's.

"My friends want to meet you," he said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Yep! Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie are really eager to see you. Well, I wouldn't say Annie is, but Reiner for sure!"

"Uh huh."

"What's wrong? Don't you want to meet them?"

"I could care less."

"What's up with your attitude? I'm trying to be nice and–"

"I didn't ask for you to be nice!"

Berik hiccupped and flinched away. "I'm sorry."

Ymir sighed and shuffled around. "No, don't be – I'm just being stupid, that's all."

"Can I ask why?"

"I don't want to owe you any favours for that bread you gave me!"

Berik tilted his head and suddenly giggled boyishly. "Huh? You don't owe me anything – I gave that to you because I wanted to, not because you asked or anything."

Ymir crossed her arms and lowered her chin in thought, then grinned toothily. "Berik, we're gonna be great friends!"

Berik smiled and pushed the other half of the sandwich into Ymir's hands. "I'm glad."

"So this is Ymir, huh? She's not that great."

"What'd you say, punk?"

A tall, blond boy named Reiner and Ymir butted heads from the start, hands gripping onto each other's shoulders. They snarled and spit into each other's faces, and Berik was hard pressed to pull them apart. Ymir crossed her arms and glared up at Reiner's tall figure, hating that he was so tall. He glared down at her smugly, mentally thanking his genes. Ymir opened her mouth to say something but a softer voice interrupted them.

"Please don't fight anymore, please."

Ymir gazed at the black-haired boy with short hair – who was taller than Reiner, even – as he wrapped his long fingers around Reiner's bicep. The blonde blew air from between his teeth in annoyance and crossed his arms.

"I don't like her – she's full of crap," he muttered.

Ymir took a threatening step forward, fists clenched and jaw locked. "Yeah, but I bet even a girl full of crap can kick your sorry white ass!"

"Why I ought to–"

"STOP! Reiner, Ymir, stop! Geez, you guys are crazy!" Berik shouted, coming between them and pushing them back with his palms. Ymir scoffed and rolled her eyes while Reiner pulled his upper lip between his teeth in a sneer. The boy with the slicked black hair sighed and stood next to the tallest boy in the group.

"Hey, Bertholdt, have you heard from Annie?"

Bertholdt shook his head and fidgeted a bit. He was extremely insecure about his height – since the children at their school often made fun of him for it – resulting in plenty of fights with Reiner defending his friend. "No, I haven't, sorry."

"Don't apologize – if she's late it's her fault."

"Okay, sorry."

"Bert, stop, seriously."

"Yeah, ya big wimp!" Ymir shouted in aggravation.

"Watch your mouth, you big meanie!" Reiner exclaimed, stalking toward the brunette dangerously. Ymir tensed her body in preparation for a fight. Berik was about to interfere when a shadow rapidly flipped both aggressors onto their backs. Reiner and Ymir groaned in pain as a short, blonde girl crossed her arms and rolled her blue eyes from above.

"Berik, I thought you had this under control."

"Well, you remember what we learned in science, Annie, don't you? You put the same ends of a magnet together and they're gonna push each other like crazy!"

"That is true," Annie sighed.

Ymir and Reiner sat up and the blond boy grinned in pride. "Dang, Annie, you keep getting better every time!"

Annie pointedly ignored him and turned her eyes to Bertholdt, who blushed. "Are you okay? That girl didn't make you feel bad or anything, right?"

Bertholdt shook his head and smiled slightly. Annie pulled the corner of her lip into a genuine smile. Ymir gagged and snorted in disgust.

"What, are you his mom or something?" Ymir scoffed, rolling her eyes.

The blond girl fixed the brunette with an icy glare that made Ymir sweat and swallow nervously. "Shut up," she said tonelessly.

Ymir turned her gaze away and instead approached Berik. The boy smiled at her and patted the patch of grass next to him. The children were currently at a park, on a trip organised by Ymir's foster parents for the entire foster house. Ymir invited Berik, and the boy thought it to be the opportune moment to introduce his friends to the brunette. The other foster kids were on the playground, supervised by Niklas and Kirsten, while Ymir, Berik and his friends sat under a tree. Right now, though, Ymir was getting uncomfortable and wanted to leave.

"Sorry, Berik, but I don't think I can get along with your friends – they make me so mad!"

Berik laughed but nodded. "That's okay, I don't mind, as long as we can continue to be friends."

Ymir grinned. "It's a deal."

Two years after the incident, and Ymir was on the run. She was tired – tired of the countless and growing number of parents disliking her and never wanting to adopt her. Niklas and Kirsten tried to console her, but she was simply inconsolable. She had this deep feeling in her gut, a feeling she recently discovered to be dread, because now she knew – she really knew – that no one wanted wanted the girl with temper issues and an upfront attitude. Nobody wanted the girl who claimed independence and who loathed girly things – no, hopeful parents searched for something else, something more feminine, more secure.

She left, without saying goodbye, and ran away, as far as she could with all of her belongings. The first thing that came to her mind was to find Berik and tell him, tell him about her grand plan to escape to a better neighbourhood with nicer residents – not these mean, disgusting Titans. She knew where he lived now – a little shelter between the shrubberies in a nearby forest – and banged on his door. It was the dead of the night, and Ymir never really cared much for luck since even the sky was against her; the moon was nowhere in sight.

Berik opened the wooden slab that served as his door, his hair a greasy mess and his eyes half-opened. He yawned and stretched, then stopped mid-way to gasp in shock.

"Ymir? What the hell?" he gasped.

Ymir smiled shakily and swung her sports bag around. It was a gift from Niklas, and though she loathed to bring it, it was practical and would serve her well.

"I'm running away – far from here, maybe to blend in with the Scouts on the good part of town," she explained, sighing.

Berik shook his head, eyes wide. "No, you can't! Ymir, you can't leave me like this! We can work this out! You can live here, with me, and we'll survive together. Please, Ymir."

"I'm sorry, Berik, but at least you have Reiner, Bertholdt and–"

"Don't. Just don't say it. I can't let you leave alone. You don't know how to survive out here – what you have to do, who you have to be. No, I'm coming with you."

"Berik you don't need–"

"Shut up, Ymir. I've finally decided my own fate, and it will be by your side, as friends and partners in this hellish chaos."

"You take language classes way too seriously."

Berik giggled boyishly and ducked his head. "A side product of being bored. Wait for me; I'll get my stuff and we'll get going."

"Aren't you gonna tell the others?"

"No, they'll figure it out on their own. Annie is very smart, not as smart as you maybe, but smart enough to figure things out by herself."

"Alright. I'll wait for you here, but you better hurry the hell up. I don't know how long I have before Niklas calls the Garrison on my ass."

"How are you going to avoid them, anyway? Even if you're in the Scouts' district, it's still in their… uh, what was the word?"

"Jurisdiction."

"Yeah, that! It's still in their juris-dic-tion, uh huh!"

"I'll just have to make sure they don't find me. Maybe I can blackmail a few people or gather favours with random acts of kindness."

"You and kindness do not fit in the same sentence."

"Hahaha shut it. Just get your damn things before I decide to leave without you."

"Okay, Ymir."

Soon enough, the both of them had gathered their things and left for their new homes. Ymir walked out of the shrub without a second glance but Berik turned around, one final time, and sighed as he followed the brunette.

They walked for hours and took breaks in the forests around them. They nibbled on what little food they had and huddled close together for warmth. After three hours of walking, Berik put a hand to Ymir's shoulder to stop her.

"We need to rest. We'll sleep in that hollow area there and continue when we have enough energy."

Ymir nodded and they both threw their things in a depression at the base of a tree. Ymir climbed in and Berik followed suit, laying back to back. Berik quickly fell asleep, but the brunette kept her eyes wide and alert. Soon, she too succumbed to the inevitable lull of peacefulness, and fell into a deep sleep filled with hope and happy dreams for the future.

She didn't know that this was simply the beginning of the end.