"History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children."

Nelson Mandela

Chapter 3: Lost and Alone

Eren had been swimming for almost an hour, ever since he escaped Salem's castle. In that time, all Eren could do was reflect on his first failure on Remnant. Of course, his main mission was to stop Salem using his new Titan. But he felt proud to be helping the prisoners who tragically lost their lives. The moment they died made Eren feel disappointed and that he could have done more.

But a part of him felt better when he remembered that his mother was still alive. He still had a chance to save her, and he had no intention of letting that chance slip away.

Eren silently promised himself not to be the reckless child he was back home. Now, he would be as serious as he was when he started the Rumbling. He would grow stronger, and he would go back to avenge the people Salem kidnapped.

But that wasn't the only thing on his mind. Eren was thinking about the first time his Titan felt actual pain. Whoever those prisoners were, they all possessed an unreal power. It was like they were some kind of... magicians or something. Eren understood how that was possible for someone like the God of Darkness, but how was that possible for regular people?

It seemed Eren would have a lot to learn about this world, rather than just focus on his new powers.

After what felt like an eternity, Eren felt his hand hit against rocks He looked up to see that he had finally reached land. He was free.

Once he stood up, Eren remembered he was still in a Titan. As he did, Eren realized that he had a very good feel for this Titan.

It was fast.

It was strong.

And to think the power Eren just displayed was just the tip of the iceberg. It was strange for him to admit, but a small part of Eren was excited to learn more. He couldn't wait to do better. Soon he would make what Salem's followers and prisoners saw seem like child's play.

But first, Eren needed to relieve himself of the hot feeling his Titan was giving him.

"I gotta get outta here," Eren thought. So, he kneeled down and felt the skin on his back open. Eren pushed himself out of the Titan's nape and could feel the flesh on his face and limbs break. He stepped off the body and took his first real steps on Remnant.

"Aaaaahhhh," Eren said out loud as the soft wind cooled him off. Opening his eyes, he looked to the sky to see that it was dusk. The night had started at Salem's home, and it was approaching the land he was on. "Guess I should find a-"

Eren stopped talking. He placed a hand on his throat. He had only left his Titan for a few moments, and he already noticed... something was wrong.

Eren wasn't in danger or anything. And he was actually fully clothed, rather than being naked like his Titan was. But something was different. Something about him was different.

"What's going-?" He stopped speaking again, and he noticed the same thing. His voice was different. He sounded... younger.

Much younger.

He needed to see how much younger he actually looked. So he ran back to the water and kneeled. Looking into the water and concentrating, Eren could make out the image of... a child's face staring back at him.

Earlier

"Me."

"Yes. You will be the final touch."

The God of Darkness had just finished telling Eren his plan for the Founding Titan. And Eren had a good understanding of what would happen if he decided to go to Remnant. And now Eren was going to rephrase what he learned.

"So, if I go, I'll be sent to Salem's Titan," he said. "Then, I'll get strong enough to stop her. All in all, it should take about a few months."

"Actually, there's one more... detail I need to discuss with you," Darkness replied.

"Which is?"

"Your Titan won't be the only thing that will change. You will change as well."

"What? Change how?"

"...Salem will be none the wiser once you inherit the Titan. But my brother poses a problem."

"I thought you said you left Remnant together."

"We did. But as you saw, he can tell when I use my powers to perform feats such as bringing people back from the dead. In order for you to go to Remnant, I must... alter you."

"How?"

"When you arrive, I will turn you into a younger version of yourself. Change you in a way that will make my brother's ability to detect us fade."

Eren took a moment to consider what the deity had just said. He was going to change? Become younger? He was pretty sure that was every man's dream, to turn the clock back a few years. But Eren felt that he was in his prime right now. It seemed to be... necessary, according to Darkness. But he still had questions.

"Like that?" Eren asked. "Are you sure it's safe? And smart?"

"Of course," Darkness replied. "Not only will my brother be oblivious, but it will be a perfect introduction to your powers. And it will show that you have all the time in the world to master them."

Present day

"A kid?!"

Eren continued to stare at his reflection in the water, shocked beyond all belief. "A damn kid?!" he continued to shout. That was when he looked up at the sky. "You didn't say anything about this, you bastard!"

"..."

Eren calmed himself down once he realized how stupid he must look yelling into the sky. And that there was nothing he could do to change his situation. "So this is how it is? Fine." He stood up and began walking into the woods. "Guess I still have a job to do."

Eren's walk through the woods helped him calm down a little more. The solitude gave him time to comprehend his situation and believe that things wouldn't be so bad. The first thing Eren realized was that this would be for the best when he met his mother again. If he were to show up to her as a grown man, she might not recognize him. So being a child again, the same age as he was when he lost her, would make it easier for his mother to realize that Eren had returned to her.

Logic aside, Eren saw that this might be better for him as well. His childhood... well, his first childhood, was nothing but despair and confinement. The walls of Paradis kept him trapped like a rat in a cage. But now, he was free to explore. No walls, no Titans, and soon... no Salem. He could go wherever he wanted, and nobody could stop him. It was Eren against the world.

"..."

He suddenly stopped walking. Repeating that idea in his head made Eren see that it was him against the world. However, it was just him.

No friends, no family... nothing.

This realization caused Eren to start crying. His arrival to this world was filled with the need to survive and fight, Eren couldn't even comprehend the idea that he was all alone.

Eren sat down against a tree and continued to bawl. He gained everything he could want before he died. He even gained everything he wanted after he died. But he couldn't share this with Mikasa.

Or Armin.

Or Connie.

Or Jean.

Or Reiner.

Or Historia.

Or... anyone.

He wasn't scared of being alone when he was watching Reiner in Marley. Because he knew he could always return home when he needed to.

But now... Eren had no home to go to. He had no idea where "Argus" was or how to even get there. He was lost on a strange new world, and he was all alone.

And the thought scared him beyond belief.

His hands suddenly began to grow darker. It was becoming harder to see them. Eren was confused at first, but then he turned to the sky. The dusk had disappeared, and the darkness of night was coming down upon him. So the boy dried his tears and began to walk again. He needed to find a place to spend the night, he could worry about his friends later.

When Eren pondered the idea of sleeping in a tall tree to avoid any nighttime predators, the trees he was walking through suddenly turned into tall grass. He hit a fence when he took a closer look. So Eren merely climbed the short fence to see where he was. That was when he realized the grass was actually a large field of crops. He was on a farm.

And if Eren was on a farm... there might be a barn for him to spend the night in.

When he found his way out of the field, Eren discovered that his luck was starting to change. He was indeed on a farm, as he could see a large, red barn and a white farmhouse close to it. There was even an open gate as well, with what appeared to be a sign on it.

"Nettle Bank Hill"

Eren looked at the metal sign carefully, but he didn't step forward. He wasn't afraid of entering, but he was confused. The more he stared at the sign, the more trouble he had deciphering what he believed was supposed to be text.

"What is that?" Eren asked himself as he continued to look up. "Is that supposed to be... writing?"

Eren tried to make sense of the sign, but he couldn't. He wasn't illiterate, Eren had learned how to read and write back on Paradis. However, he never saw writing like this before. It was new and different, something that Eren couldn't read no matter how hard he tried.

Eventually, Eren gave up and walked towards the open barn waiting for him to come. So he walked inside, found himself a nice bale of straw to sleep on, and began to relax. Eren could leave in the morning if the need arose, but now it was time to get some much-needed rest.

Eren began to wake up, and the first thing he could hear was laughter. He opened his eyes wider to see three boys around his... new age... standing around and talking. All three wore various clothing, nothing that really stood out. The sun filled the entire room through the open windows and door. And in the frame of that door was a brown haired man wearing overalls over a white shirt. The sound of creaking floorboards caught the boys attention as the man walked up to them.

"I take it you're all accounted for?" he asked calmly.

"Just like every other day," said one of the boys. He pointed to one door close to Eren. "She just started cleaning."

"Alright, then. Get started in the field." The man walked away from the boys and moved towards the door. He slammed his fist on it twice before speaking again. "Hurry up in there!" Just as he turned heel and moved back to the front door, the man's eyes landed on Eren. "Oh. New kid, huh?"

"Me?" Eren asked.

"You're the only one here."

"Umm... okay." Eren stood up and brushed pieces of straw off himself. That was when he noticed the black jacket he was wearing over his white shirt and gray pants. The man began to walk towards the door again, but Eren stopped him. "Listen, I'm not from around here, and-"

"Well, welcome to Mistral, boy." The man didn't bother turning around as he spoke. "Looks like you're staying here a while."

"What is this place?"

"Nettle Bank Hill. My farm. Though I guess you could say it doubles as an orphanage."

"Orphanage?"

"Yep. Like I said, you'll be staying here a while." He turned around and stared at Eren. "You're a short one. Let me see your hands."

"What?"

"Your hands." The man motioned for Eren to move his hands forward. "Let me see 'em."

"..."

Eren didn't know why the man wanted to see his hands, but he wasn't looking to start another fight. And so, he slowly opened his palms and held them out. The man took hold of his left one and began to rub it, which made Eren draw back.

"Hmph," the man grunted. "They don't feel like a farmer's hands."

Eren rubbed dirt off of his palm before he replied. "Like I said, I just got here," he said.

"Well, you're still gonna be here a while. You'll do well in the fields, I guess. You can-"

"Forget it."

Eren began to walk away, towards the exit of the barn. He felt refreshed and well rested, so he was planning on leaving as soon as possible.

"Hey," the farmer said as he grabbed Eren's shoulder. "Where do you think you're going?"

Eren was starting to lose patience, but he still answered. "I'm getting out of your hair," he said. "If you could point me towards wherever Argus is, I'll be out of here faster than-"

"Argus?" The farmer began to laugh as he let Eren go. "You kidding?" He pointed out to the exit of the barn. "Argus is miles from this place. You wouldn't last a day among the Grimm and bandits."

Eren knew that the man was wrong. His Titan had already surpassed the Grimm, and he was confident that he could hold his own against whatever "bandits" were outside.

But there was one problem.

"Where is it?" Eren asked.

"Like I said, it's miles," the man said. "You'll be wasting your time."

"..."

Eren and the farmer made eye contact with each other in silence for a few moments. In that time, Eren did nothing but show how serious he was about leaving. He would turn into a Titan and run if he had to, but nothing was going to stop him from leaving.

The man seemed to realize this as he looked deep at the look on Eren's face. It was a look one would normally see on adults, but the man still underestimated Eren's ability to survive.

On the other hand, it would look bad for him if a child died on his watch.

"Boy, I'll tell you what," he said. "Last thing I need is more smart asses around here. And since you'll be going my way pretty soon, I'll make you a deal."

"..."

Eren remained silent as he listened.

"I'll be selling whatever I make here to Argus in about a week," the man said. "If you're willing to work around here in the meantime, I'll take you with me and leave you wherever you need to be."

Eren knew he didn't need a guardian or anything like that on Remnant. What he did need was someone to guide him to Argus so he could find his mother. He vaguely remembered the building Darkness had showed him, so it was a good lead.

And now that he had a way to get there, things were looking better.

"...Alright," Eren finally agreed. "I'll stay for the week."

"Good," said the man as he finally walked away. "Get freshened up if you need it. I'll find you some work."

"..."

Eren didn't really need to "freshen up" or anything like that. But he decided to have a few seconds alone before he walked outside.

While he was annoyed at being treated like that, Eren realized that the caretaker was the best way to get to Argus. He would also have a roof over his head in the meantime, so it would be better when compared to sleeping in the woods.

In the meantime, whenever he would find it, Eren had an idea on what he could do on his own. But first, he made his way to the main door of the barn.

*SPLISH*

Looking down, Eren saw that he was standing on a watery floorboard. And to the left of his foot was a brush with two hands on it. He followed the hands to see a little girl with amber eyes. She was covered in dirt, and her clothes were all dirty too.

"Oh," Eren said as he realized what he was doing. Stepping out of her way, Eren watched the girl push the brush back and forth. "...Sorry."

"..."

The girl didn't seem to care what he did, not even that he was sorry. She just continued to clean the floor without a word.

"The strong and silent type, dead serious about cleaning," Eren thought to himself, a small smile forming on his face. "She's gotta be related to Captain Levi." He turned away from the girl and walked out the barn door.

Just as he promised, the farmer found some work for Eren to do. For the rest of the day, Eren found himself working in the fields of the farm. He worked in silence with more boys his age to dig up rows in the ground, plant new seeds into the ground he dug up, and harvesting crops.

The work was hard, but not unfamiliar to Eren.

When Wall Maria was breached, when Eren was forced to flee from the Shiganshina district, he became a refugee along with Mikasa and Armin. Before he enlisted in the military with them, Eren was put to work at a farm under the watchful eyes of the Military Police Brigade. There, he did the same exact work he was doing now. It was hard at times, especially during the winter and when the food needed to be fed to more refugees like him. But over time, Eren got into a rhythm and managed to do what was expected of him.

Of course, Mikasa would always surpass expectations and help him and Armin along the way. She wasn't here anymore, but Eren was able to do what was expected of him at this farm.

Eventually, work in the field ended and the children enjoyed a brief time of freedom. The rest of the boys were huddled at a tree near the barn, minding their own business. When he saw the opportunity before him, Eren walked to the other trees behind the barn and moved deep into the adjacent woods.

He continued to walk in a straight path with his head in the clouds. He knew that he had much to discover about Remnant, but he was a little more concerned about Paradis. The girl he saw not only reminded Eren of Levi, but it caused him to remember the last time he saw his former Captain.

One of the last things he saw through the eyes of the Founding Titan was Levi and Mikasa flying towards him. He knew what was going to happen, he had seen it all before. His guilt of betraying Mikasa weighed on Eren more than gravity could, and it only increased when he saw Levi scarred, bandaged, and missing fingers. Eren had no memory of hurting Levi like that, but he had one idea of why he looked like that.

"Zeke really put up a fight, didn't he, Captain?" he wondered. His thoughts immediately turned to his half-brother from Marley. He felt Zeke die before he did, and a part of him hoped it was quick. He still couldn't forgive him for thinking of a plan so twisted as preventing the birth of future Eldians, but things would have been different for Zeke if he wasn't raised in Marley.

...Would they?

Eren stopped thinking about his past when he realized just how far he walked. He turned around to see nothing but more trees, but he wasn't lost. As long as he walked in a straight path, Eren could go back whenever he wanted.

But now, he would start practicing.

He took a look as his hand and bit into his flesh. Normally, he expected to see flashes of yellow and white, but all he saw was red lighting. But when he felt himself transform normally, Eren wasn't worried.

He suddenly felt himself rise above the trees, and heard a mighty explosion. The explosion might cause the farmer and the other children to see what happened, so Eren ducked back into the forest to make sure nobody could see him. He would only take a minute to perform his test, and head straight back to the farm.

When he first discovered his new body, Eren could tell their would be major differences in his powers. But now, he wanted to focus on finding similarities between his Titans rather than tapping into new powers he had no idea existed. The similarity he wanted to focus on was something he believed could help fight Salem. So he looked at his fist and began to tighten it even harder.

Once he did, the skin on his fist began to change from black to purple. Not only that, the purple slowly spread, making some of his fingers immovable. It looked different than before, but Eren knew that he possessed a Hardening ability.

"Yes!" Eren yelled to himself. But to make sure this was what he thought it was, Eren punched the ground, the rock on his skin making a deep, familiar impact. Eren stood triumphant over the hole as he just rediscovered his ability to harden his skin. This would be useful once he trained with it more.

But there would be another time for that. Now, he had to get back before anyone noticed he was missing.

"GAH-OOF!"

"Ha ha ha!"

The boys at the farm had gotten bored after a little while. Once they saw a dirty little girl come out of the barn for air, they all realized they found an opportunity to pass the time.

The tallest one had just grabbed her arm and threw the defenseless child against a tree. His friends laughed at the act, their approval pushed their boredom away instantly.

It wasn't the first time the girl had to suffer at the hands of the man and boys at the farm. She wasn't like the other children, and it wasn't just because she was the only girl. She was also the weakest of the group, which was why she spent her time cleaning the farmhouse and barn. The chores were long and arduous, and they inadvertently caused a rift between the girl and the rest of the children. Given that she was always inside rather than outside, she became isolated and lonely.

Rather than pity her, all of the boys took her quiet demeanor and filthy look as reasons to pick on her rather than befriend her. And today was no different.

But the girl was ready to defend herself. She pounced on the tallest boy and they fell to the ground. She threw a punch to his gut, but he didn't feel much pain. Before she could repeat the violent action, one of the other boys grabbed her and threw her to the ground.

Laughter filled the air again, and the boys walked closer to the girl. One of them kicked her gut, which caused the girl to roll across the harsh ground. They all laughed even harder when they saw her cry.

"Watch this," one of the boys said to his friends. He lifted his right foot just above the girl's face. He lifted even higher and prepared to send it down as hard as he could.

The child didn't bother to defend herself. She knew it was pointless now. All she could do... was watch.

*BAM*

The boy flew past his friends and fell to the ground as something hard hit his face. After a few seconds, he looked up to see Eren standing in front of the girl with an extended fist. The boy's friends immediately retaliated, where they were met with Eren's wrath.

*BAM*

*BAM*

Eren sent two more fists to the other boys, and they fell down as well. Once they did, he turned to the girl he just saved, who was staring at him with widened eyes and a dropped jaw. Her savior wasn't as dumbfounded as she was, and he extended his hand to her.

"Are you-?"

*BAM*

Eren stumbled back as a fist collided with his face, leaving a bruise on his cheek. He looked back to the two boys who had gotten on their feet. The tall boy joined them, but not before stepping hard on the girl's stomach. "Huh," he chuckled. "Looks like the new kid's a fighter."

Eren didn't worry about the pain on his face. Instead, he looked back at the boy who was hurting the girl again. "Is that what you're looking for?" he asked. "Let her go and you'll have one."

The boys rushed towards Eren as he raised his fists. Just as they all crashed into each other, the farmer came out of the woods with a rifle. Eren's hunch was right, someone had heard his transformation. But luckily, the caretaker went to find his rifle before seeing what was going on. And by the time he reached a large crater, the Titan had already turned to dust. So all the caretaker could do now was go home and see the children fight each other.

"Alright, break it up," he said as he walked up to everyone. The caretaker pushed everyone aside and looked at the aftermath. The trio of older boys were panting and bleeding while Eren had some bruises on his face and was also panting. While the caretaker normally didn't involve himself in matters like this, he looked back to Eren with a scowl. "First rule, new kid. You shouldn't expect to stay here and try to kill one another."

Eren caught his breath while his anger was returning to him. "I have a name you know," he said. "It's Eren."

The boys forgot about their pain and burst out into laughter. "ERIN?!" the leader yelled, mistaking the sound of his name. "Who the hell gave you a girl's name?!"

"Shut up!" Eren yelled as he charged towards the boys again. But a large arm grabbed his shoulder and threw him to the side.

"That's enough!" the caretaker yelled. He turned back to the other children. "Head on back inside, dinner will be ready soon." He then looked down to the young girl, who had just started to recover from her unnecessary beating. "You get back to work. That barn's as dirty as you."

The girl said nothing as she got up and limped back to the barn. Eren, having enough of all this, joined her inside. He pushed past the older boys as they all looked at him.

"Oh, man," said one of the smaller ones. "I think he's right, let's leave him alone."

The taller one looked down at his friend. "What's the matter?" he asked. "You scared of a guy with a girl's name?"

"Didn't you see his head smoking? He looks like he's literally about to explode."

Eren's powers were healing himself from the bruises he got earlier, so he made sure nobody was watching him. The bruises on his face and torso weren't that bad, but the real injuries were on his hands. They were still sore after throwing a few punches, like his body wasn't used to fighting.

Then again, a kid's body still has a lot of growing to do.

Eren was still reeling over the fact he had to be brought back as a child and go through a second childhood. He knew it would be helpful when he saw his mother again, but not so much for his mission. All Eren wanted to do was use his new Titan to stop Salem, but he knew that was impossible right now. As Darkness said, his Titan was new and not very powerful. It still needed training.

Then again, so did his body. Maybe he could kill two birds with one stone.

"Alright, make sure you share."

Eren turned to the entrance of the barn to see the caretaker place a tray of food in the middle of the room. As he left, the boys from earlier all ran over and took their pick. Eren simply walked over, feeling a little hungry. When he saw a piece of bread, he took it without hesitation. But he grabbed one other thing as soon as he saw it. A baked potato.

Chuckling, Eren looked over the baked potato as he walked back to his spot in the barn.

"It's best when eaten warm."

He sat down and put his bread on his lap, remembering the first time he saw Sasha attempt to eat a baked potato. "Well, I'll hold you to that, Potato Girl."

He took a bite. And then another. As he continued to eat, Eren once again thought back to his time on Paradis. Remembering Sasha was both fun and depressing for the boy, given their friendship and her untimely passing. What happened to her was something he had expected, given the powers of the Attack Titan. However, it was also unfortunate and unfair. She fought just as hard as everyone else did, she deserved to have lived after the Rumbling.

Sitting and reflecting didn't make Eren neglect his surroundings, he knew he was still on Remnant. But thinking about it all made Eren wish someone familiar would attempt to steal his potato and gobble it down.

Oddly enough, Eren got exactly what he wished for.

"F... Food?"

Eren stopped eating and looked to his right. Standing behind him wasn't Sasha, it was the little cleaning girl he saved from the boys. She was familiar to Eren, even though this was the first time he actually heard her speak. Then again, with the way she was being treated, who could blame her for not interacting with anyone else?

Fortunately for her, Eren didn't see any reason to treat the poor girl like everyone else did. So he broke his potato and gave her the larger half, which she quickly took and began to eat. She was so hungry that she forgot to say "Thank you." But Eren didn't really mind. Such mannerisms were typical of Sasha, so he smiled fondly as he lingered through his memories once again.

But he stopped smiling when the girl began to walk away.

"Wait, don't go," Eren asked. The girl turned around to see Eren tapping his hand on the floor next to him, asking her to sit.

"...Work," she responded before she turned around.

Unlike the rest of the children's chores, cleaning the barn took practically the entire day. The girl missed plenty of mealtimes as she cleaned, so eating for her was rare. She was happy to have eaten something, but she knew that her work was far from over. She was just about to pick up a brush and a bucket of soapy water, but another hand gently picked them up before she could. The sight caused her to look back at a smiling Eren.

"If I help you, will you stay and talk with me?" Eren asked calmly.

"..."

The girl softly gasped and titled her head in confusion. This was certainly an abnormal day for her. First, this boy saved her from the older children. Then, he willingly gave her some food. And now, he wanted to do her chores for her? That was the last thing she was expecting to hear.

But she was really tired and still sore from what happened earlier. So, she sat down on a box and nodded before she watched Eren clean the floor.

"The way you were doing it is difficult," he said. "If you move with the floorboards rather than against them, it'll look cleaner." Eren never thought he would see the day when he would be sharing Levi's cleaning lessons with someone, but the past few hours hadn't really been... normal for him.

The same could be said for Eren's new acquaintance.

"Um..." the girl began. But she quickly closed her mouth.

Eren looked up from the ground. "What was that?" he asked politely.

The girl hardly spoke to anyone, and the farmer even said that she wasn't allowed to speak unless she was spoken to. But now that she was, the girl asked a question. "Who... Who are you?" she asked.

"Oh. Uh, my name's Eren. Eren Yeager. And no, it's not a girl's name." The girl slightly smiled, finding some humor in the coincidence. Eren saw this and looked back at the floor. "Alright, how about this? Tell me your name and let's see which sounds more like a girl's name."

The girl's smile disappeared. "Cin... Cinder."

Eren stopped cleaning and looked back up. "Cinder?" he asked. "That's... special."

"..."

Eren didn't know how else to describe someone having a name like "Cinder." It was actually the first time he heard someone be called that.

Cinder could see Eren's confusion, so she pointed to a fireplace that had a makeshift mattress next to it. She then rubbed her cheek and showed her hand. Eren looked at what he thought was dirt, but the girl corrected him. "Cinders," she explained.

Eren looked back at the fireplace, then her hand. He started to understand. "Wait, you sleep in front of the fireplace? You know that's how you're getting dirty, right?"

Cinder shrugged as she looked down. "It's... warm."

"..."

First it was bullying, and now it was sleeping in front of a fireplace on a poor excuse for a bed. Enough was enough.

Eren put the brush down and put his hand in the water. Seeing it was soapy, he took Cinder's hand and started to rub it. She quickly pulled back, confused about what he was doing. "It's okay," he said. "Forget about the floor. Let's get you cleaned up."

"..."

Cinder showed him her hand, and he began to clean it again. Taking a rag he saw on the ground, Eren made it wet and began to clean her face. The water almost got in her eye, so Cinder moved her head. "I'm almost done, Cinder."

After a few seconds, Eren put the rag down. Once he did, Cinder began to rub her face. She quickly discovered how smooth it felt, since it was free of any ash or cinders. It was a good feeling, and now she wanted to know how she looked. So, she decided to go find a mirror in another room. She was smiling, but she walked away from Eren without a word.

"...You're welcome," Eren said.

Cinder turned around. "...What?" she asked.

"It's what people say after you say 'Thank you.'"

"Say... what?"

"..."

Eren thought he understood just how bad Cinder's situation was at this place. But now he believed that things were even worse than before. "Sorry," he said as he moved back to the floor. "Just... forget I said anything."

"..."

Cinder went into a different room that had a mirror. Looking through the glass, she could see that Eren did a good job washing the dirt off, and she felt that her hands and arms were just as soft as her face. She smiled at this since she really liked her new look. It was a strange thing to think, but Cinder believed that she looked like a completely different person.

And she really liked that new person.

Suddenly, Cinder remembered that it was Eren who made her this way. She also remembered what Eren said earlier, about saying something to him. So she went back to the hall to see him still continue to clean the floor. "E... Eren?" she called to get his attention. Once he looked up, Cinder smiled. "...Thank you. For cleaning my face."

Eren returned the smile. "You're welcome," he said as he continued to clean the floor.

Cinder approached closer as she spoke. "And... thank you for the food."

Eren concentrated on the floor, but he paid attention to Cinder. "You're welcome."

"And thank you for... helping me."

"You're welcome."

"..."

Eren continued to clean the floor, and Cinder moved back to her original spot. She began to watch Eren, study him. The first thing she noticed was that Eren was doing a better job of cleaning the floor than she ever did. The tip he gave really helped, and it looked like it was working.

The second thing Cinder noticed was how she was feeling. It didn't take a genius to see that she was happy that something in her life changed for the better. Most changes involved more work or the other children finding new ways to pick on her, but Eren was something Cinder never knew she needed.

But it all left an unanswered question for her.

"Eren?" she asked. The young boy looked up. "Why did you do all of this?"

"All of what?" Eren asked.

"Helping me." Cinder moved closer to him, careful not to step on any of the spots Eren washed. Her question was a risk, since she didn't know if it would be temporary or permanent. But she asked anyways. "Everyone here likes to... hurt me. But you... you don't like to hurt me... do you?"

"No, of course not." Eren gripped the brush tighter as he relived other memories he had. "I just... don't like bullies. I never did."

"..."

"I actually like the people they pick on. Do you know why?" Cinder shook her head. "I learned those people are different from the rest. Special."

"Special?" Cinder immediately became curious. "How?"

"Well..." Eren knew a perfect example of one such person, but he had to choose his next words carefully. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but I'm not from around here." Cinder nodded in understanding. "Where I come from, I used to protect someone else from bullies." Eren chuckled at the memories he was describing. "Well, tried to protect."

"Who was it?"

"His name was Armin. He was my best friend."

"Why did people like to hurt him?"

"Because he was different. Armin was the smartest person I've ever met. He showed me all these books about the world, things that nobody else really cared about." Eren smiled again, fondly recalling the time Armin showed him the book that described the ocean. "His books talked about new places, all sorts of things we could see if we left home. And in a way... we did."

Cinder began to smile as well, since she got the answer to her question. Eren was happy to have answered, since he believed what he said was true. The next question Cinder asked, however, sent chills down Eren's spine.

"Were you... free?"

"..."

Eren's smile slowly faded when he thought about that question. He saw it all, he saw everything Armin described right before his eyes. However, he had to take the world's freedom in order to see it all. But these memories, however tragic, made Eren remember something he once said.

"Anyone who saw those things... would be the freest person in the world," he answered. "So yes, Cinder. I was free."

Cinder smiled even more as she listened. "I... I have books too," she confessed. "Ones that I read at night. I think... I read about all you saw." Her eyes were filled with hope and wonder, as was her final question. "Was it as wonderful as it sounds?"

Eren continued to smile back. "It was. You should see it for yourself." An idea suddenly came to his mind. "I can take you with me sometime. I'll be leaving soon, maybe you can come with me."

Cinder dropped her smile and asked Eren another question. "What do you want from me?" she asked.

"...What?"

"You wouldn't do all this for nothing. What do you want?"

"..."

Cinder suddenly saw that all of this seemed too good to be true. And Eren's silence seemed to confirm it. Hope turned to anger as she prepared to walk away. She didn't care about her chores, her plan was to find a place by herself so nobody would hurt her anymore. Crying was to be expected, but Cinder didn't have any other ideas as to what to do.

But these plans were put to a halt when Eren laughed.

"You're really smart, Cinder," he said. "You know that?" He stopped laughing as he stood up. "You're right, there is something I want. But it's not what you think. I don't want you to work harder or do anything you don't want to." Eren slowly extended his hand. "I... I'd really like to have a friend. That's all I want."

Cinder was angry when she started to reveal Eren's nature behind his kindness. She was expecting him to ask her to do more work for him, or do something that didn't sound very comforting. But when she heard the word "friend," Cinder could feel her anger sink back to the bottom of her heart and joy rise in its place. "A... A friend?" she asked.

"Sure," Eren replied without moving his hand. "All of my friends are... gone, now. I like you, Cinder, and I'd like to be your friend. Do you... want to be mine?"

Cinder took his hand without hesitation. "Yes," she replied. "Friends."

"I think we have what you're looking for."

It had been nearly a week since Eren arrived at the farm. In that time, the farmer made sure to keep to his duties and make sure the children under his watch did the same. But one day, things changed entirely.

The farm doubled as an orphanage, just as the farmer had said. And on occasion, people from villages in the surrounding area would come to adopt a child. Only a couple of villages were familiar with this farm, but the farm welcomed a prospective client from far, far away. And since he had no reason to object, the farmer led his guest towards the barn. At the moment, most of the boys were working the fields as they normally would. Two children, however, were inside today.

The farmer and his client walked into the barn to see Eren and Cinder talking and cleaning the floor. Normally, Cinder would be doing it herself while remaining silent. But Eren being by her side for the past few days had made her job, even her life, change for the better. She was more talkative and more confident to stand up for herself with the other boys than she was before meeting Eren. She didn't win every fight, but she became braver and a little stronger because of Eren.

Eren, on the other hand, was happy he made a friend in the new world. He had been able to help Cinder with her chores as well as the bullies, and he received an interesting reward for his work.

Cinder eventually shared her books with Eren, but he was forced to confess that he couldn't read them. Once again, the writing in the book differed from the writing Eren was used to. It was so strange, since the language of Remnant sounded exactly like the Eldian language. The writing, however, were completely different things.

Even though he could look at the pictures, Eren was frustrated that he couldn't read the written language of Remnant. However, given all he had done for her, Cinder was more than willing to read to him. Eren didn't pay close attention to the fairy tales Cinder read, because he was more interested in the world book she had.

It was this book that taught Eren all sorts of things about Remnant. He learned about the existence of fuel called "Dust," how the world was divided into four "Kingdoms," and a protective kind of power called "Aura." Cinder studied the book in order to unlock her Aura, which was no easy task. So rather than watch Eren struggle to unlock his own Aura, Cinder used the book to unlock Eren's Aura herself.

Eren was amazed by his new ability, as well as the fact that he could unlock something called a "Semblance." According to the book, an Aura was a manifestation of one's soul. A Semblance, on the other hand, was a power that someone could use whenever they needed to. They just had to find out what Semblance they had first.

But Eren was happy to have an Aura of his own. And for that, he showed his gratitude to Cinder by practicing it on the boys who tried to bully her. Cinder used her own Aura to help heal herself from the beatings she would receive, but fighting alongside Eren taught Cinder how to make it stronger as she fought.

So in the past few days, it was clear that Eren and Cinder had become very close friends. While Cinder was appreciative of Eren showing her how strong she was, Eren found himself to be inspired and drawn to Cinder's wisdom. Just as he said, Cinder was incredibly smart. While the farmer and the boys only cared about the place they lived in, Cinder saw a bigger picture of the world and everything in it. Since she couldn't go out into the world, Cinder made it her goal to learn everything about it. The books mainly taught her history and geography, but Cinder confessed that she mostly taught herself to read.

And she was more than willing to share everything with Eren.

The two friends both shared a special bond. Eren really enjoyed Cinder's company, and he didn't really want anybody else's. Of course, Cinder couldn't replace anyone back home, but Eren knew he couldn't spend his entire time on Remnant alone.

Cinder, on the other hand, felt something unique. She was drawn to Eren's strength, courage, and kindness. It was clear that he was one of a kind, someone that Cinder never would have imagined would come into her life.

She couldn't exactly describe how she felt, since she never felt like this before. But whatever it was, Cinder was glad that she felt it.

But nobody really cared about their friendship. The farmer cared more about business.

The farmer's client, a brunette woman in a white blouse and red skirt, walked ahead of the caretaker as she studied Eren and Cinder. The children didn't seem to notice their presence as they cleaned and made playful banter with each other.

"The girl is slow, but she'll eventually get the job done," said the caretaker. "The boy's taught her a couple of things, he knows what he's doing. Not a bad worker, but he won't be missed."

The woman walked closer to the duo, who looked up at the sound of her thunderous footsteps. Once they all made eye contact, the woman made her decision.

"I'll take them."

Update: hey everyone. So AT and I didn't need to fix much of this chapter, we just wanted to include a few things regarding Eren and Cinder. But the next chapter will be very different, we think you'll like it. Make sure to leave your thoughts in the comments, we hope you liked this rewrite!

Author's notes: I'm surprised how well this is already going. Thanks for reading this, and if you haven't please leave a review so we can hear what you think.

Also, I have a message from The Avenging Titan (my idea guy for the story): "I just want to say, thank you all so much for reading and enjoying this story. I didn't expect the story to get this popular in such a short time, and seeing all of you adding the story to your Fav/Follow list really puts a smile on my face."

Thanks again for reading this, hope you're enjoying it. See you next time!