Attack on Titan: A New Path

by The Court of Talons

Ozma and Salem have been at war for millennia. The fight has taken many lives and taken many years. The champion of the Brother of Light has failed countless times to complete his task. Now, more than ever, Remnant needs a new protector. It needs a man who knows the cruelty of life. A man who doesn't falter in doing the unthinkable. A dark guardian. Remnant needs... Eren Yeager.

6. Chapter 6 (Rewrite)

"The more things change, the more they stay the same."

Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr

Chapter 6: Things Change

After all of her belongings had been safely packed on an airship, Carla said her goodbyes to Argus and waited to land in Kuroyuri. She would normally spend trips in an airship reading or watching the news on her Scroll, but Eren and Cinder had her full attention now.

Carla was still reeling over the fact that her "dreams" were proven to be some kind of reality and that the young boy from her first life was resting next to a young girl he met along the way. They all seemed to be sharing the same destination now, and nobody was leaving any time soon. Carla didn't regret her decision to take the children back home with her, especially Eren. However, she was uncertain as to where this encounter would lead.

Eren felt the same way. He was happy to have found his mother where Darkness said she was, but he couldn't shake an awkward feeling he had in his gut. He found himself at a crossroads the minute he finished telling Carla most of his story. Since he left out important parts, Eren was in the middle of an important decision. The idea of telling his mother the truth as to why she was reincarnated and his reason for being on Remnant found its way into Eren's mind. He was starting to wonder if hiding it all from someone who trusted him was wise.

Then again, he had to hide everything from his friends and force them to turn against him.

Eren didn't want anyone to turn against him now. That was why he shared his story with Cinder the moment she had doubts about his intentions with her. When he did, their friendship became stronger than ever. But Eren couldn't help but think the same wouldn't happen if he told Carla the truth about himself.

Cinder shared Eren's awkward feelings. She left behind two homes that did nothing to prove themselves to be the worst life had to offer, and she was in no way ready to face another one. She had every confidence things would go wrong somehow, like they did at the first farm she went to. The doll she received from Carla was a nice present, it was even starting to make her happy again.

And yet, doubt naturally found its way into her mind.

Eren could tell Cinder was still unsure about going to another farm, so he deiced to put his own worries aside and help her. "Don't worry," he whispered into her ear. "Third time's the charm."

"..."

Cinder's faith in things changing for the worst still existed, but it wasn't as strong as it was a few moments ago. Having Eren around would help, just like it did the last two times.

Carla looked over at the two and frowned sadly when she looked over at Cinder. The poor girl had to suffer through things that no child should have to go through, whatever it was. Cinder and Eren never told her the details of her life prior to two days ago, but the experiences were clearly traumatic and strong.

Regardless of this past, as well as the fact that she didn't know Cinder too well, Carla vowed to make sure Eren and Cinder weren't hurt when they arrived in Kuroyuri.

Carla was brought out of her thoughts as a chime echoed from the airship's speakers. After she took a single look out the window, Carla smiled and looked over to the children. "Hey, you two," she said. Eren and Cinder looked over at Carla pointing out the window. "Kuroyuri is just up ahead. You can have a good look now."

Eren and Cinder undid the safety belts they were wearing and approached the windows. As they turned their gaze down, their eyes widened and a silent gasp escaped both their mouths.

When Carla told them about Kuroyuri, she said it was quite the colorful and bright place. Cinder could now see that the description was very accurate. The town was bright and colorful like Carla said and filled with simple raised houses, the design of which reminded Eren a lot of some of the buildings on Paradis. A canal ran through the town and it was surrounded by a small wall with circular entrances. It had a main avenue leading from the entrance and towards the main square. In the center of the village was featured an open area with a large cherry blossom tree where merchants set a small market place. There were also many other types of stores situated in that area. And just like the village itself, many of the citizens wore colorful outfits.

When the airship landed in a clearing close to the town, Carla directed the children and the movers towards her house. As she did, she kept an eye on Eren and Cinder as they took in every little detail.

"Well, what do you think?" Carla asked.

"Wow..." Eren whispered. While he had been astonished by the sight of the floating city of Atlas. Kuroyuri seemed so peaceful and captivating. It was a little small, but Eren was enjoying what he saw.

"This place is beautiful," Cinder said as a warm feeling filled her heart. The farm she lived in before meeting Eren was too dark and earthy, and the Glass Unicorn had too much pain and misery for Cinder to enjoy any of the beauty that might have been in the building. Here however was different.

"Eren. Cinder. Welcome to Kuroyuri."

---

Carla had led the movers and the children out of the main town and towards a hill. Eren and Cinder could make out what appeared to be a gate, a barn, and a white house at the top of the hill. There was also a field at the top of the hill with multiple crops, and this served as a sign that Eren and Cinder were at Carla's farm. Cinder began to grow nervous again, which caused her to grab Eren's hand. Eren easily noticed this, but he smiled and simply held it to help ease her worries.

He had a second idea on how to do so, which led him to talking to his mother.

"So, Mom, you said this farm was in your family?" Eren asked. He was far from the movers behind him, so he could talk about anything without anyone hearing.

"That's right," Carla confirmed with a smile. "It's been around even before my parents were born. I learned later on that the house was actually one of the first things built here when Kuroyuri was founded. Well, that and the walls."

Eren noticed that some of Kuroyuri's walls extended towards the farm on the hill. There was also some fencing, but the walls were evident. "Did you have to work on it too?"

"Hmm... sometimes. My father needed my help with a few things here and there, but all of the hired help we have does the majority of the work."

Eren could see that a few people were working around the land before him. Some of them were even smiling and waving to Carla, since she knew them well. Carla waved back and smiled as well while Eren whispered over to Cinder.

"You hear that?" he whispered. "Nobody ever made my mom do something she didn't want to do. It's not going to happen to you."

"..."

Cinder began to feel better once again, and it was thanks to Eren this time. After she showed her gratitude by smiling and leaning on his shoulder, Cinder heard Eren ask another question.

"So does Kuroyuri have any other places like this?" Eren asked. "Anything beyond the town we walked through?"

"Nope, that's about it," Carla replied as she opened the gate to the estate. Once she did, she let the movers in and directed them towards the main house. "You can set everything in the living room, I'll sort it out from there."

"Yes, ma'am," said the first man. He and his partner carried the boxes, which was very small in quantity, inside to the open house.

Carla looked back to Eren when she saw the movers at work. "I know the town's a little small," she said. "Much smaller than Argus. But you'll like it here, Eren. I'll give you a proper tour once we settle in."

"Okay," Eren agreed. He had indeed noticed how small the town was, and that it was probably a little smaller than Shiganshina was. He didn't mind the walls as much, given that he had seen people enter and leave like they did in Argus. So there was much more freedom here than there was back home.

And that made Eren happy.

"Hey, welcome back, Carla!"

The sound of her name caught Carla's attention, along with Eren's and Cinder's. When they turned towards the direction of the voice, they all saw two men dressed in similar clothes and covered in sweat walking towards them. Carla smiled at the men and spoke to them as if they were old friends.

"James, Peter!" she said. "Good to see you!"

"How was the flight?" the first man asked.

"Not bad. I'm just happy to be home."

"Yeah, I hear ya," said the second man. "It's great to see you-" He suddenly turned towards Eren and Cinder. "Who are they?"

Carla looked behind her to see the children. Cinder was growing a little nervous, which Carla easily noticed. "I'll introduce them to everyone later," she promised. "They'll be staying with me and Dina."

The first man had one idea as to why this was happening. "Victims of a Grimm attack?" he asked.

"Not exactly. They just have nowhere else to go."

"Poor kids." Neither of the men questioned this decision, and for good reason. "Well, your folks took Dina in, so I shouldn't be surprised."

"Thanks for understanding. They're both a little nervous about all of this." This was somewhat true, since Cinder wasn't exactly sure about staying on farms.

"Ah, they don't need to be nervous," said the second man. "I'll go introduce myself. James, you should catch Carla up on what's going on."

"Sure thing," James said as he watched his friend leave. "I know you just got back and all, but-"

"It's fine," Carla insisted. "I'm gonna have to get to work sometime." The two shared a brief laugh before they got down to business. "How's everything looking?"

"Not bad. Our harvest just got started, got enough for the people here and about two of the closest villages. We might need some time to work the field and plant more crops, but most of our haul isn't expected until next month."

"I'll schedule the work when I'm settled in. There haven't been any accidents, have there?"

"No accidents, but we had to fix the wall a few times." James pointed in the direction of the wall. "I hate to say this, but we've gotten a few more Grimm attacks than normal."

"We have? How many?"

"Five last week."

"Five? That's three more than usual!"

"I know, it got us spooked too. But don't worry, things have been pretty quiet this week. The usual volunteers managed to do their thing. Li's a pro with that bow, I'm telling you. But he got a little tired during the fourth and fifth attacks."

"I'll go see how he's doing later. Anything else?"

"Uh, nope. I think your mom had a few notes for you inside, just in case."

Carla chuckled. "Typical Mom. Thanks a lot, James."

"My pleasure."

Carla watched the worker walk towards the large barn. As she did, Carla could see that Peter was joining him. Eren and Cinder were waving at him, and the two of them were smiling.

Peter was sure to be polite to the children when he met them. He even shook their hands, which led him to saying that both Eren and Cinder had the hands of a farmer. Given the work that Eren and Cinder had to do at the previous farm, the palms of their hands were harder than children their age. And when Cinder said she didn't want to be a farmer, Peter quickly recanted his statement and said that there was bound to be something at Kuroyuri that she would like.

"He was nice," Cinder said before she fell silent again.

"Yeah," said Eren. "You got a lot of workers here, Mom?"

"About half of the men in Kuroyuri work here," Carla explained. "The rest have other jobs in town, but not as hard or physical as farming. You might have seen them at stands or other shops in the city when we came here."

"I saw those stands. I think one of them had-"

"Carla! Carla!"

Everyone turned towards the house to see a woman at the house waving to them. This woman had short blonde hair that reached above her shoulders and light eyes. She was wearing a similar attire to that of Carla's, a blouse and an ankle-length skirt. The only difference in her appearance was that she was wearing a red shawl over her blouse.

Cinder could tell right away that she didn't know this woman, since she had never been to Kuroryuri before. Eren and Carla, however, knew her all too well. Eren recognized her as the woman from his father's memories, the first woman he loved and married when he was in Marley.

Carla, however, recognized the woman as a lifelong friend who she had been waiting to see.

"There you are!" Carla said as she wrapped her arms around the woman. "It's so good to see you again."

"You too, Carla," the woman said as she let go. "How was the flight?"

"Not bad. A little long, though. I was itching to get home."

"I can see why. Everyone's been talking about you all-" The woman stopped talking when her eyes fell upon Eren and Cinder. Her confusion about their presence was brief, however, and she smiled at them. "Oh, hello. Where'd you two come from?"

"..."

Eren didn't reply as he stared at the woman intently. Cinder followed her friend's lead and stayed silent as well.

Carla quickly took the chance to introduce everyone. "They're with me, actually," she explained. "Eren, Cinder, this is Dina Fritz. She's the friend I told you about the other day." She then turned to Dina. "Dina, this is Eren and Cinder. They'll be staying with me, I'll tell you why later."

"Oh," said Dina, who accepted the explanation without question. She then extended her hand towards the young boy. "Pleased to meet you, Eren."

"..."

Eren continued to stare at Dina in silence. He remembered the first time he laid eyes on her, as a human and as a Titan. So many thoughts ran through his mind, like how she was the one who killed his mother and how she was a victim of Marley's ruthless nature.

The one feeling that was invoked from Eren was confusion. He found it very hard to believe that the woman who had eaten his mother was now known as her best friend, as if nothing had happened between them. Carla had mentioned that Dina also had dreams like hers, so he believed that she was bound to remember some things.

Wasn't she?

Eren was also confused by her presence. He was under the impression that Darkness had brought back only his mother, yet someone else from his world was here. Was this Darkness' doing? If so, what was his plan?

"Go on, Eren."

The sound of his mother's voice brought Eren back to reality. Dina's hand was still sticking out, so he followed his mother's request and shook it.

When Dina shook Eren's hand, she began to stare at him very carefully. "Um... I'm sorry, but... have we met before?" she asked. "You look... very familiar."

"..."

Eren didn't know what to say. He was expecting Dina's reaction to his presence to be the same one his mother had. There was no mistake at this point, Eren knew that this woman was his father's first wife. And yet, she didn't seem to remember him like Carla did.

Then again, Dina was a Titan the last time Eren saw her.

"Um... I don't think so," Eren said. "This is my first time here."

"Oh, I see," Dina said. "Then I guess not."

Eren was slightly relieved, since he didn't want to be close to Dina at the moment. But he would have to be careful around her.

Dina couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen Eren before, but her attention was on Cinder now. "It's nice to meet you, Cinder," she said as she stuck out her hand. When Cinder shook it in return, Dina noticed that she had the same hesitation Eren had with her.

Fortunately, she saw a way to relieve any uncertainty the child had.

"Oh, I love your doll. Where'd you get it?"

Cinder looked down at Vasilisa. The doll was still giving her a sense of comfort, and it was nice to hear that somebody else liked it. "Um... she gave it to me," Cinder said as she gestured to Carla.

"I think I outgrew Vasilisa," Carla explained. "And she looks better with Cinder, don't you think?"

"Oh, so much better," Dina said. Cinder formed a small smile on her face while she stared at Vasilisa, which Dina took to heart. She still wanted to make the children feel welcome, so she continued her efforts with Cinder. "You know, I have a doll like Vasilisa."

Cinder looked up at Dina. "Really?" she said out of curiosity.

"Yeah!" Dina gestured towards the house. "Would you like to come in and see her?"

"O-Okay."

"I'm about to head inside too," said Carla. "We can all have a look together."

Eren said nothing, but he could tell that Cinder wasn't comfortable with going anywhere without him just yet. And since he had nothing to do outside as well, he joined his friend and his mother inside the house.

The first thing Eren noticed was how much space there was in the house. It was much bigger than his home in Shiganshina; that house had two floors, and the first floor was a kitchen and dining room all in one space. This house, however, had a single room for different things to do.

Eren could see a large kitchen with multiple utensils and what appeared to be a stove. There was also an oven, but it appeared to be built into the wall instead of being a part of the stove.

He then saw that the dining room was outside the kitchen, and that there was a large table that could fit about seven or eight people. There appeared to be a living room like the one Carla had in her apartment, with a couch, two chairs, and a spot where the television most likely was.

"Okay, there are the boxes," said Carla, who looked at all the boxes that the movers placed in the living room. She was content to see that all the boxes were placed carefully and that they were all here, so she looked down to Eren with a smile. "Eren, my bedroom is upstairs on the right. You can have the room on the left."

"Okay," Eren agreed. "That's where Cinder and I can sleep?"

"She can have her own room if she wants. I have a couple of guest bedrooms up there."

Eren's eyes widened. "Wait, how big is this house?"

Carla laughed at the idea. "I know, it's pretty big. Do you like it?"

Eren looked around again. "...Yeah. Yeah, I really like it."

"Great! And there's enough space in your room if you want to put some things in there. I think there's only a bed and a lamp at the moment."

"Thanks." Eren looked around again at the size of the house, but he stopped being curious when he noticed something. "Wait, where's Cinder?" He quickly looked around again in a panic. "Cinder?! Cinder!"

"Eren, it's okay!" Carla put a hand on Eren's shoulder to help him relax. "She's probably with Dina right now. Come on, I'll show you."

Carla led Eren around the house, and they stayed on the first floor. When they passed the living room, Eren could see that there was another room that he didn't see earlier. It appeared to be a den of sorts, and Eren immediately heard laughter inside of it.

When he looked inside, Eren could see that Cinder was right where Carla said she was. And rather than being beaten or forced to do more work, Cinder appeared to be playing with her new doll. Dina was in the room with her, and she was showing Cinder the doll that she had.

"Anya's just as old as Vasilisa is," Dina explained. "So Carla and I have been taking good care of them both. I'm sure you'll take good care of her too."

Cinder could see that the dolls were both old, so she told herself that she would have to be careful with Vasilisa. She liked Dina's doll, which was named "Anya," but she liked Vasilisa a little better.

However, Cinder forgot about the dolls when her eyes fell upon something else.

"Are those books?" Cinder asked with wide eyes.

Dina turned around to look at a large bookcase in the room with multiple books, both big and small. "Oh, yes." Dina replied as she got off the ground and put Anya away. She was surprised to see that Cinder was smiling at the books, since most children rarely did. "Do you like reading?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Me too." Dina walked over to the bookcase. "Have you read any of these before?"

Cinder looked at the titles of each book. It was her goal to see if any of these books were the same as the ones she had at the farm, since she wasn't allowed to take them with her. Cinder missed the books very much, which was why she was happy to see one of them on the first row.

"That one!" she said.

"Oh, that's a good one," Dina said as she pulled out a world book. This was the same book that Cinder had read to Eren in order to teach him about the world of Remnant.

Eren once again saw how happy Cinder was, which was a genuine surprise to him. He couldn't recall seeing her this happy, except for when they left Atlas and decided to stay together. Then again, Eren had forgotten how much Cinder loved the books she had at the farm.

"You have a lot of books," Eren said to his mother.

"Oh, those aren't mine," Carla explained. "They're all Dina's. A person like her needs them, after all."

"How come?"

"Dina's a teacher. Well, a tutor, actually. We never had the space to make a school here, so everyone's mostly homeschooled. Dina has a few clients who want their children to learn more, so she teaches them more advanced academic topics."

After she took a brief glance through the book, Cinder noticed that Eren and Carla were in the doorframe to the room. "Eren, look!" she said with a smile. "This is the same book I showed you before!"

Cinder ran up to Eren to show him the book, and he could see the similarities. "Oh, yeah," he said. "That's the same book, you're right."

"I know! And we didn't finish it! Do you want to read it again?"

Eren knew that he had much to learn about Remnant, and hearing about it from Cinder made the chore sound enjoyable. "Sure, let's do it."

Carla looked down at Cinder and pointed towards the staircase. "I was just telling Eren where the bedrooms are," she said. "Why don't you pick out a room with Eren?"

Cinder softly gasped. "You mean... I get to have a room?" she asked.

"Of course! You can even share with Eren if you want."

The idea of Cinder getting her own room sounded incredible. She had seen the rooms at the Glass Unicorn, mainly the beds they had. Cinder rarely got a chance to sleep in an actual bed, so the thought of doing so made her even more excited. All of her worries had been cast aside thanks to the combined efforts of Eren, Carla, and Dina. She was so happy about this, and she immediately found a chance to use a lesson from Eren to convey this happiness.

"Oh, thank you so much!" she said with a smile. "Come on, Eren! Let's go!" She immediately took Eren's hand and ran towards the stairs, much to the delight of both Carla and Dina.

"Wow," said the teacher. "I can't remember the last time I saw a child so happy about reading."

"Or spending time with a friend," said Carla. "Those two are inseparable."

"I can see that. But Carla... who exactly are they?"

"..."

Carla was having a hard time thinking of a way to explain the situation to Dina, but she had a good feeling that her friend would understand.

"I mean, I have no problem with you bringing children here," Dina continued. "Your parents let me stay here, after all. I just wasn't expecting to have company."

"I understand," Carla insisted. "I wasn't expecting it either. But as soon as I met them, I knew they had to stay with me."

"Really? Why's that?"

"Well..." Carla took a look around to make sure that she and Dina were alone. "I'm not exactly sure how to say this."

Dina immediately became concerned. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine. It's just..." Carla took a deep breath to try and relax. "Dina... do you remember how we met? What we... had in common?"

"Yes, of course I do."

Dina didn't like the circumstances of meeting Carla, but she remembered them. Like Carla, she also suffered from nightmares. However, hers were arguably much worse than Carla's. The most frequent one she had was about towering over people on the ground and everyone running away in horror.

But after she met Carla and the therapist, these dreams became less frequent. And they even became hard for her to remember all of the details. They were at the back of her mind, but she just couldn't remember much.

Or rather... she didn't want to remember.

"Carla, are you dreaming again?" Dina asked. "Maybe we can go to the capital for help."

"I'm still dreaming, yes," said Carla. "But they're not as frequent or bad, they're just..." Carla needed to take another breath. "Dina... Eren's like us."

"He is?" Dina looked towards the stairs, in the direction that Eren had run off in. "Oh, that poor boy. No wonder he was so quiet, he must not be getting enough sleep."

"Well, it's more than that." Carla awkwardly rubbed the back of her head. "He has the same dreams, and then some. But... he's the boy from my dreams. He's... my son."

"...What?"

Dina once again remembered the circumstances of how she met Carla. One of them was Carla telling Dina that there was something comforting about them, something that was always recurring. Carla told Dina that she had a son, someone who wasn't always agreeable or well-mannered. But Carla loved him all the same.

Unfortunately, Dina's dreams didn't offer the same comfort for her. She once said she also had a dream about a child, but the dreams of a giant made this other dream too hard to remember.

The memory of these dreams were enough to cause Dina to sweat and stutter. "You... You're sure?" she asked.

"I'm sure," Carla replied. "I know how all of this sounds but... he said the same things that the doctor said. That they're... they're-"

Dina immediately saw that she didn't want to hear any more of this. "Carla, please don't say that," she begged. "Just don't."

"..."

"I'm-I'm sorry, I c-can't."

With that, Dina immediately ran towards a bathroom to calm down. When she closed the door, she used the sink to splash cold water in her face and soon took deep breaths of her own. The dreams she had were less frequent now, just like Carla's. But the fear and terror that she always felt from them never went away.

Dina would always reassure herself that they were just dreams, she always denied the idea that they were actual memories like the therapist said. Her reassurances always helped her, they made her move on with her life.

But now... Dina wasn't even sure what to think.

Especially why she couldn't shake the feeling that she knew Eren.

---

When night fell upon Eren and Cinder's new home, introductions were made all around. Eren and Cinder learned from Carla that Dina had been staying with her from quite some time. Her job as a private tutor was essential for children, but it didn't exactly earn enough to pay all the bills. And when Dina's parents passed away, Dina couldn't exactly afford her house anymore. So, Carla's parents allowed her to rent a room in their house instead.

Carla was willing to let her friend stay without rent since the house and farm were hers now, but Dina insisted that she would continue to pay. It just felt right, according to her.

Carla also took the liberty of telling the farm's employees that Eren and Cinder would be staying with her as well. Nobody questioned the decision, since the presence of children wasn't likely to affect their work.

So with that, Carla began her role as Ambrose Farms' newest manager.

Everything she had learned in Argus and from her parents served her well, and the first week of her work came with very little issues. Carla even surprised herself when she saw that the work wasn't as intimidating as she would have believed a long time ago.

It was even funny to think that she was once a simple waitress on Paradis. On Remnant, the sky was the limit.

Despite her work, Carla made every effort to spend time with Eren. She gave Eren a proper tour of the small town, and he took Cinder with him. It was easy for both Carla and Dina to notice how happy the children were when they were together, and both the adults were starting to adjust to their presence.

Things were strange and awkward for Dina and Eren, however. Dina was still trying to figure out where she knew him from, and Eren was doing his best to keep the truth a secret. Naturally, this drew a wedge between the two. And since Cinder trusted Eren, she initially found herself drifting away from the adults.

Dina didn't question the distance Eren had created, but a part of her wished that she could reach out and help both children. One aspect of her job was connecting with children so she could figure out how to best teach them, and Dina was willing to do this with both Eren and Cinder.

Her chance to do this came one night, where everyone should have been fast asleep. But Cinder was wide awake, taking sharp breaths and rubbing her forehead free of sweat.

The young girl had just woken up from a nightmare, a mixture of both memory and terror. The Madame of the Glass Unicorn was standing above Cinder, electrocuting her with the collar. Her daughters were laughing as she was suffering, but that wasn't the end of it. Cinder also dreamt that she picked up a knife off the ground and used it to kill the Madame and her daughters. When they died, Cinder felt proud of what she had done. It was true that Eren killed the first daughter, but Cinder's dream made her do it instead.

After she did this, Cinder's pride at obtaining freedom vanished when she looked inside the eyes of her victims. They were lifeless and unblinking, but they were also wide open. They were staring at Cinder, and Cinder couldn't look away. The eye-contact scared the child greatly, since they refused to look away.

Cinder could feel those eyes staring right into her soul.

Cinder didn't know why this was happening, if she was feeling guilty or if it was supposed to be some kind of twisted payback from beyond the grave. Whatever it was, the young girl hated it. Even awake, she felt like she had been violated, that the Madame and her daughters were still watching her.

This dream was a recurring one, and Cinder had experienced it countless times. Tonight, however, was the first night that she sought help from a friend. She was in her own room at the moment, so she tiptoed very slowly over to Eren's room in an effort to wake him up.

"Eren?" she called out to the boy sleeping across from her. Eren was fast asleep, and he appeared to be very comfortable in his bed.

Cinder moved inside the room and stopped at Eren's bed. "Eren, wake up," she said as she shook his body. But Eren simply moved to his side and continued to sleep. "Eren, please."

"Cinder?"

The young girl quickly turned around to see Dina Fritz at the open door. "Are you okay?" she whispered.

"Umm... I'm fine," Cinder lied as she moved away from Eren. She walked towards the door and planned to move back to her own room. "I just needed to-"

A hand to her shoulder caused Cinder to stop walking. A chill crawled up her spine as she looked back at Dina, since she was unsure what was going to happen.

But Dina simply let go of Cinder's shoulder and spoke very calmly. "You had a bad dream, didn't you?" she deduced.

Cinder was surprised that Dina could know that, but decided to brush it off. "No, I-"

"Cinder, you're sweating." Dina was looking at her forehead and her shirt, which was starting to show sweat stains. "And you've been crying."

Cinder touched her cheek and felt a tear line that ended close to her chin. "I... I'm sorry," she said as she rubbed her eye. "I-"

"It's okay," Dina said with an extended hand. "Come with me, we can talk."

"It... It's okay. "It was just a dream, I can-"

"Cinder, trust me when I say this; it is not okay. I've had one too many bad dreams to realize that myself."

"..."

Carla had told Eren and Cinder that Dina also had dreams like her, and Eren told her who Dina was to him. So it was easy for Cinder to understand that Dina also had bad dreams.

And even though she didn't say it... Cinder knew that she needed help with her own dreams.

Fortunately, Dina recognized this need for help. She gently took Cinder's hand and began to lead down the stairs. "We should let Eren rest," she said. "You can talk to me about your dream."

"Are.. Are you sure?" Cinder asked. "I don't-"

"I'm sure." Dina stopped walking and kneeled down to Cinder. "I know you might be scared, I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to. But I don't think I could forgive myself if you were in the same position as me and I didn't do anything about it. Let me help you."

"..."

Dina began to smile. "Please?"

"..."

Cinder looked back to the bedroom, where Eren was still sound asleep. Seeing that this was the best option she had, Cinder nodded and followed Dina's lead.

Dina led the young girl into the kitchen, where she poured two glasses of water. Cinder sat down across from Dina while she kept her eyes focused on the table. Dina had a good idea that Cinder wouldn't be the first one to start their conversation, so she made the first move. "I know that look," she said as she put down the water. "I've woken up so many times with that same look, so I believe I know how you're feeling."

Cinder immediately became defensive when Dina said that. "You don't know what I'm going through," she said in an attempt to shield herself.

The woman saw that she had touched a nerve, so she decided to listen to Cinder. "Not exactly, you're right." Dina took a drink of her water. "But like I said, I know you feel as if something is haunting you."

"..."

Cinder looked down at the table again as she listened. "That's what nightmares do, Cinder. They hurt you, they make you feel all alone in the world. I always thought they were just make-believe your mind creates to scare you. But I was wrong. The fact that reality is coming back to haunt you is what makes us do this."

"..."

Small drops of water fell from Cinder's eyes and hit the table. She couldn't deny that her dreams were based off reality, or that they were making her feel all alone.

"Like you?" she asked. "You're awake too."

"...Yes," Dina admitted. "Exactly like me. I haven't told anyone besides Carla what my dreams were like, but they've haunted me for as long as I can remember. I wouldn't dare ask you to tell me what happened to you, but it's more or less the same as me... isn't it?" Cinder looked up at Dina and nodded. "I can only imagine what scares you Cinder, and what I'm scared of still haunts me to this day."

"Then... what can I do?"

"Nightmares come and go, but they never stay gone. But instead of focusing on what you fear when you wake up... focus on what you love." Cinder tilted her heard, but continued to listen. "My parents and my friends were always supportive when I had my nightmares. They knew something was wrong with me, but that didn't stop them from trying to help me. As long as they were in my life, they showed me my fear was just temporary. You have things you love don't you?"

"..."

Cinder didn't answer this question, but she briefly turned her eyes towards the stairs. When she did this, Dina was able to understand what Cinder was saying.

"I see," Dina continued. "Hold onto it, Cinder. Focus on it whenever you wake up. And then... the fear goes away easier."

Cinder immediately took Dina's advice and thought about all the time she spent with Eren. The images of the Madame and her daughters were still there, but Cinder focused even harder on all the good times she shared with Eren, both at the orphanage and in Kuroyuri. After a few minutes, the images disappeared. Cinder smiled and finished the rest of her water. "Thank you," she said as she got off her chair.

"You're welcome," Dina said sincerely. "If you ever need to talk again, you can talk to me. Is that okay with you?"

"I... I think so." She began to walk back to the stairs.

"Good. Oh, one more thing."

Cinder turned around to see Dina holding Vasilisa. "You left her in the living room. I used to sleep with Anya when I had nightmares. And Carla slept with Vasilisa too."

"She did?"

"Every night. Just don't tell her I said that, okay?

Cinder giggled at the joke and took her doll. Once she did, she walked straight back to bed and laid down. But rather than falling asleep immediately, Cinder found herself opening her eyes and looking back at the doll. Its smiling face was very comforting and hugging it seemed to take a weight off Cinder's shoulders.

As she stared at the doll, Cinder realized that what happened tonight wouldn't have been the same if she had talked to Eren instead. He was her only friend and she trusted him greatly, but Cinder found it hard to believe that Eren could have helped her the way Dina helped her.

And the more she thought about it, Cinder saw that maybe, just maybe... she could trust other people like she trusted Eren.

When she woke up the next morning, Dina prepared herself for work. She had a few appointments with children today, so she was going to be busy. However, the dreams that she had usually made mornings tough for her. Recovering from nightmares, however infrequent they were, required a lot of energy that one didn't usually have in the morning.

Dina's only hope was that Cinder wasn't having the same morning as her.

"Ms. Fritz?"

Dina turned around at the sound of her name to see a child. But rather than the child of one of her clients, it was Eren who was talking to her.

"Um... thank you," he said. "For helping Cinder."

"..."

Dina was mostly surprised at Eren, since this was the greatest amount of words he had said to her ever since he came to Kuroryuri. But when she heard that Cinder had been helped, she became happy.

Cinder's morning was much better than Dina's, as she woke up feeling better and refreshed. Naturally, she told Eren what had happened and how she wanted to trust Dina. Because of this, Eren was finally able to find the nerve to talk to her.

And because he did so, Dina found the nerve to talk to Eren.

"You're welcome," she said with a smile. "If there's ever anything wrong, just let me know."

"Yeah... sure."

Eren began to walk away to find his mother, which made Dina a little upset. She felt that she opened a new path for a relationship with Cinder, but Eren still gave her the cold shoulder. Not that she blamed him, since Carla had told her that he too had the same dreams as him. She was sure that these dreams were the reason Eren was avoiding her, since Dina believed she met him before.

And if that was true, Eren's behavior gave her the idea that their meeting wasn't a pleasant one.

"Eren, just a moment!" Dina said as she moved towards him. Eren stopped and turned around, which made Dina lose her train of thought. "Um... Eren... the thing is... I-"

Eren had a good idea as to what Dina wanted. He was sure that she wanted to bury the hatchet or at least ask for an explanation for his behavior. Eren didn't harbor any resentment for her, but he was unsure how he wanted to handle this conversation. He had hoped that Dina's incomplete memory would make things easier, but it only seemed to prolong the inevitable. So now he needed to take the bull by the horns and make some resolutions.

"I'll go first," he said. "I'm not exactly sure what you remember, or how much you do. But... you should know that you were right. We... We have met before."

Dina took this confirmation as a sign of progress. She became scared, however, at the idea of all of her dreams being memories. She felt like she was about to throw up, that she was going to break down like she did when she was a little girl.

But instead, Dina summoned all of her willpower to say one thing.

"I don't remember too much. But whatever I did to you, if anything... I regret it all. I really do."

"..."

Dina left without a word, mainly because she was going to be sick.

After she recovered, however, determination found her way into her soul. All of her life, she had been running away from how she felt. But now, she knew that she was going to have to make things right with Eren.

One way, or another, she knew that she had to remember what happened to her.

---

Cinder's conversation with Dina had done wonders for the both of them. In the following week, the duo bonded not only over their reaction to bad dreams, but also for their love of books. Dina always excelled in teaching reading and literature, and Cinder loved reading the books Dina had. And so, Dina decided to take Cinder under her tutelage and teach her whatever she didn't know.

Their journey was based on learning, which made the both of them happy.

Eren remembered what his father said about Dina in his memories, how he was inspired by the readings and information she brought from the Owl when he was an Eldian Restorationist. What she read not only furthered Grisha's resolve, but it also made him and Dina grow closer.

It seemed the same had happened to Cinder.

While this was happening, Eren found himself bonding with his mother. But rather than reading or learning, Eren found Carla's work interesting. Not the business side, but the farming side. Eren was eager to regain the strength he had on Paradis, and he believed he could do so by working on the farm.

After Shiganshina fell, Eren was sent to work on a farm with Mikasa and Armin to survive. There, he had to learn how to keep up with a certain pace and work hard to survive. His training in the army was the main way he developed his strength, but the farm work helped him develop stamina as well.

Carla was against the idea of Eren working the fields, since she didn't see the need for this. However, she decided to let him help bring some of the farm's produce into town so it could be sold. The farm's employees would tend the stands and bring down the produce themselves, and Carla knew she would have to go with them sometimes to check out inventory and how well everything was selling.

And so, she went into town with Eren one day so she could do this work. Eren had volunteered to bring a basket of potatoes to the stands, since they were one of the more popular items in Kuroyuri. This inspired Eren to tell his mother more of his time in Paradis, namely an incident involving potatoes.

"He found her with a baked potato?" Carla asked with a laugh. "In the middle of the meeting?"

"Yep," Eren said as he laughed at the fond memory of his first day in training. "Her name was Sasha. And for some stupid reason, she decided to eat a potato while our instructor was getting to know our division." Eren suddenly remembered something else. "I think you actually knew him. Keith Shadis?"

"Hmm..."

Carla took a minute to think of the name. She had grown accustomed to the fact that her dreams were memories after two weeks, so it was usually easy for her to talk about them with Eren. And the name "Keith Shadis" was familiar.

"I think you're right," she said after a few seconds of thinking and walking. "Was he a part of the Survey Corps too?"

"Yeah, he was actually the Commander for a little while," Eren pointed out. "He resigned and became an instructor, though. That's how he met me and Sasha."

"Oh, right! Sasha!" Carla laughed again. "So what happened next?"

"When he found out what she was doing, Sasha attempted to save herself by offering him half of the potato."

"Did it work?"

"No. He made her run laps until she dropped to the ground. And she wasn't allowed to eat any food for the rest of the day."

"Oh, that poor girl," Carla said while giggling. "I take it she never tried that again?"

"Nope," Eren confirmed. "But that didn't stop us from calling her 'Potato Girl.'" Eren soon found himself laughing with his mother about this. It felt good to laugh, and to think back on his friends with fond memories.

And Carla saw how good it felt, knowing that not all of Eren's days were filled with pain and misery. But she still wished she was there with him.

Carla abandoned these feelings when she came across one of her stands in town. This stand contained a variety of vegetables and other food that her farm sold, and Eren was finally able to replace an empty basket with the basket he was carrying.

"Thanks, Eren," said one of Carla's employees, a man named Abraham. "Nice job."

"I'll say," said Carla. "I'm impressed, Eren. Wasn't that heavy for you?"

"Not really," Eren said. He had to stretch his arms when he placed the basket down, which gave an indicator that he was lying. In fact, the basket was rather heavy for a boy his age.

Carla immediately believed the chore would have been easier for him if Mikasa was here. She had done chores like this before and helped Eren multiple times. Still, it was a surprise to see that Eren was able to do the task all on his own.

"Carla? Hey, Carla!"

"Huh?" Carla asked as she snapped out of her daydream. "Sorry, what was that?"

"I was just saying we're doing pretty good selling," said Abraham. "It doesn't look like everyone wants our lettuce, though. Maybe they got enough? Or they just don't want it."

Carla made a note of this. "Maybe we can sell it to some of the other villages," she said. "If we can get it to them in one piece." Transport between the villages had become harder recently, much more than usual. Carla tried not to dwell on this, since nothing good would become of worrying.

"Yeah, but our corn is selling like crazy. I just went though the extra basket. I'm gonna need another basket."

Carla looked at two empty baskets where corn once had been. She was happy to see that everyone liked what she and her employees were growing, so she decided to sell more today. However, she would have to check her inventory to see what was to be sold and what was going to be stored, and this was something Carla wanted to do herself.

"Let me go check on that," she said. "I'll bring more down as soon as I can."

"Well, I can help with that," Abraham offered. "I could close the stand for a minute, it's not too busy here."

Carla looked around to see that other stands were open. Some were selling fish and others were selling wooden tools. The sight of this small crowd on a beautiful day like this made Carla hesitant about closing the stand for a short time.

"I can watch it."

Carla and Abraham looked down at Eren, who was walking towards the stand. "Mom, I can watch it," he repeated. "You do what you have to do."

Carla was once again surprised by Eren's willingness to work and help around. She was about to say that he didn't need to do this, but Abraham spoke first.

"Thanks, Eren," he said. "We'll be back in a few." He began to walk back towards the farm, but not before he said something else to Carla. "You got some kid, Carla."

"..."

All of a sudden, Carla wasn't entirely sure if this was true.

Children like Eren weren't supposed to be working. They weren't supposed to be helping with chores like this, unless there was nobody else around to help. Carla knew that children Eren's age were supposed to be running around, having fun and getting into trouble.

And yet, Eren was more concerned about doing physical labor and not having any time for fun or friends.

Carla began to feel incredibly sad as she looked at Eren. They may have found each other after impossible circumstances... but Carla couldn't help but feel that she had lost her little boy.

"Eren, you don't have to stay," Carla insisted. "We can go back home, maybe watch some-"

"It's okay, Mom," Eren replied. "It's just for a few minutes, right?"

"Yeah, we'll be quick," said Abraham. He would volunteer to stay himself, but the amount of corn Carla wished to sell was too heavy for a child to carry. "You're a lifesaver, Eren."

"..."

Much had changed within Eren, Carla knew that this was true. One thing that stayed the same, however, was the stubborn look Eren had in his eyes. And so, Carla let Eren stay. But as soon as she got back, Carla decided that she was going keep Eren away from working.

"Okay, we'll be back," said Carla. "The prices for each item are written by the baskets, just in case you need them."

"Okay," Eren said as he moved closer to the stand. When Carla and her employee left, Eren looked at the prices listed by the baskets of produce. "Let's see, that's ten, that's fifteen, and that's... nineteen." Eren was still learning how to read Remnant's writing system, as well as its currency system. "And they'll pay with... with-"

"Lien!"

Eren turned around to see Cinder standing behind him. She had decided to leave the farm as well, but she was more focused on exploring instead of working. "Hi, Eren," she said. "What are you doing?"

"Watching the stand for a minute," he replied. "Mom's gone back to the farm to count some food with Abraham, so I said I could watch it."

Cinder became puzzled. "You said you could watch it?"

"Yeah, just like I said I could carry some of this food down."

Cinder's confusion grew even more. This was because she had noticed the same thing Carla had noticed. "How come you've been working a lot?" she asked. "I've seen you doing a lot of things around the farm."

"I'm just keeping myself busy." Eren didn't really see a problem with this. "And between you and me, I'm making myself stronger." Eren looked at the basket of potatoes he had. "That was actually pretty heavy."

"..."

"But I guess I could start exercising again. I can show you what I did too if you want."

Cinder began to understand things now. "Oh, so you think the work can help your..." She looked around for a moment before she whispered. "Titan?"

"It's mostly for me," Eren said. "But yeah, it should help. I can't really train with it right now."

Cinder smiled when she had an idea. "Well, that gives you some free time. I saw some of the other kids playing a game by the wall. Do you wanna play?"

"Um, no thanks." Eren looked back towards the farm. "I think I'll try some of those exercises when I get back."

"..."

Once again, Cinder noticed the same thing Carla was noticing. It was sad to see Eren so serious, like he had the world on his shoulders. Cinder felt even more sad when she saw that Eren didn't seem to be enjoying the freedom he gained from Atlas. Instead, he was more focused on beating Salem.

Shouldn't he be enjoying what he gained?

"Excuse me!"

Eren and Cinder turned around when they heard a voice. They looked to see a boy slightly younger than them standing with a smile and looking at the stand. The boy was wearing a green shirt and white pants, and he had hair as black as Cinder's.

Cinder immediately recognized the boy as one of Dina's clients. She would usually make visits to his house, but he came over to the farm once or twice. "Oh, hi," Cinder said with a smile. "You're Lie, right?"

"Right!" the boy happily said. He held out a piece of Lien to the older children. "What can I buy with this?"

Eren immediately turned to the stands so he could help the boy. When he looked at the prices of the food and then back to the card, Eren saw that the Lien wasn't enough to buy a whole basket of food. He had about two Lien, and a single piece of food cost about four or five.

"It costs a little more than that," he said. "Sorry."

The boy simply moved down the road and looked inside a cake shop, while Eren moved to the stand. Cinder joined him, and began to have an idea. Dina taught her that asking questions was always the best way to learn, that it was the best way to get an answer. So she decided to learn something about Eren.

"Hey, Eren," she began to get his attention. "Are you... happy here?"

"Huh?" Eren asked.

"I mean, are you happy living here? With me and your mom?"

Eren immediately gave Cinder his full attention. "Well, yeah. Of course I am."

"It's just... you seem a little... unhappy. I mean, I was never happy with doing all the work I had to do. And you're doing it too."

"I'm fine," Eren insisted. "I just don't have much else to do."

"Well, I think I know something you can do," Cinder proposed. "Ms. Fritz lets me talk to the other kids that come by to read and learn. I think I'd like to be friends with them." Cinder pointed towards Lie, who was still looking at the cake shop. "Lie's nice. He's a little shy, but he's smart. I think you'd like him. Why don't you go over and talk to him?"

Eren looked over at the boy while he listened to Cinder. He was happy to hear that Cinder was willing to make new friends, but he didn't see the need for making new ones of his own.

"You can make friends with him if you want," Eren insisted. "But I'm okay."

"...Are you?" Cinder asked. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little... worried." Cinder's cheeks grew red as she rubbed the back of her head. "Um... about you, I mean."

Eren appreciated the concern, but he was quick to put things straight. "You don't have to be worried, Cinder. I'm just... trying to be ready." He moved closer to her. "Things were different on Paradis. You have to be ready at a moment's notice."

"Ready for what?"

"Well, anything. Something could happen at a moment's notice. I just think I should be ready for it."

"Something like what?"

Eren wasn't sure how to answer this, since it was clear that Cinder didn't have the same mentality as him. However, a new voice that seemingly came from nowhere answered for him.

"Hey, get back here!"

All three children turned towards the sound of a boy yelling. Lie Ren had to look around the corner of the shop while Eren and Cinder had to leave the stand to see what was happening. There, they saw three older boys standing in semicircle in an alley. In the middle of the circle was a dirt-covered girl crouched on the ground and holding a loaf of bread.

"Where'd you get that bread?" the tallest boy asked. "I didn't see you pay for it, thief!"

"No, look, it's all moldy!" the shortest boy noticed.

"I think she got it from the trash!" the third boy guessed.

"Lemme see!"

Eren and Cinder watched the girl defend herself by biting the boy on his finger. After he yelled and then pushed the girl to the ground, everyone reacted differently. Lie Ren became fearful and unwilling to do anything to stop the bullies. Eren and Cinder both became angry at the sight, since neither of them liked bullies. Eren remembered what bullies back home did to Armin, and Cinder remembered what she had to endure before she met Eren.

Cinder knew that she had Eren to help her back then, but this girl had nobody. It was time to change that.

"Hey!" Cinder yelled as she walked closer. The boys quickly turned around. "Leave her alone!"

"Get lost!" the tall boy said. "We're in the middle of something!"

"Not anymore," said Eren, who immediately joined Cinder. He was much calmer than Cinder, but he shared her sentiments. "Leave her alone."

"She bit me!" the hurt child yelled. "She could have rabies for all we know!" He turned back and pushed the girl again.

"Consider yourself lucky," Eren said as he stopped walking. "You only got part of what you deserved."

"Oh, yeah?" The boy walked over to Eren with his other friends. "And what else do you-?"

*BAM*

Cinder didn't waste anymore time as she jumped on the boy and began to punch him. His friends jumped back in shock at the sudden act of violence. The tall boy attempted to grab Cinder, but Eren punched his face and he fell to the ground.

As the fighting continued, Lie turned to run. Once he did, he immediately bumped into something and fell to the ground. Looking up, the boy could see a tall man with black hair streaked with gray pulled back into a ponytail, a mustache, and a goatee. He was wearing a sleeveless green tailcoat over a long-sleeved white shirt, black pants tucked into open-toe sandals, and a quiver on his back.

"Father?" Lie asked.

The rest of the children seemed to hear Lie, and they turned in his direction to see Lie's father. The dirty girl took this opportunity to run away with her bread. "Hey, wait!" Cinder yelled as she got off her opponent. The girl was faster than she looked, as she got too far for Cinder to chase. The bullies immediately ran as well, leaving the three children alone.

"Do you wish to run with the rest of them?" the man asked.

Cinder walked up to Eren as he gave an answer. "If they're going after her, yes," he said.

The man ignored Eren as he looked down to his son. "I was asking you."

"..."

The boy did nothing but look at the ground. The man kneeled to his son as he continued to speak. "Sometimes the worst action to take... is taking no action at all."

"..."

"Go home. I need to speak with the mayor." The man turned to leave, but he looked at Eren and Cinder with a nod of approval before he left.

Eren found himself nodding back, and he found himself feeling proud of what he and Cinder had done. It wasn't every day where he would receive approval for fighting bullies; his mother would usually give him grief.

But Eren knew that this fight was different from the ones he had in the past. Back then, he would simply fight people who would make fun of him and Armin. But now, as his mother once requested, he fought to help others instead of fighting for himself.

Cinder felt proud too, but she felt sorry for both the girl and Lie. Fortunately, she had a chance to make things right with Lie.

"Lie, I'm sorry about that," she said as she approached the boy. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble."

"Oh... that's okay," the boy said. " I don't think he's mad at me." He then turned to Eren. "How did you do that?"

"Huh?" Eren asked.

Lie pointed to the area where the fight happened. "Weren't you scared of getting hurt?"

"No, not really." Eren didn't feel scared about fighting, since he had fought much worse than a few bullies in his life. But he could see that Lie wouldn't understand that easily.

But there was one thing that he could understand.

"It's easy to get scared like that, though," he said. "But sometimes being brave is worth the risk."

Lie was never one to take risks easily, since he was mostly afraid of getting hurt. However, the idea Eren offered was an interesting one. Because he took the risk, the poor girl was able to evade her bullies.

And maybe it was worth the risk in more ways than one.

"I'll try to remember that," he promised. "Thank you... Eren. Is that right?"

Eren nodded. "Yeah. My name's Eren. And you're Lie?"

"Lie Ren." The boy offered a hand to Eren, which he shook slowly. Once he did, Lie finally made his way home.

Cinder looked at Eren with a smile and a laugh. "See?" she asked. "I told you that you would like him."

Eren let a chuckle when he saw that his brief interaction had proven Cinder's point. "Yeah, you were right," he admitted.

Cinder was proud, but she had to admit that she learned something too. "I guess you were right, too. We need to be ready for things like that."

Eren returned a smile to Cinder, but not because he too had been proven right. "And you were. Good job, Cinder."

"Thanks. But I still think you don't have to do work all the time. I'll show you when we get home."

---

When Carla learned from Li Ren what Eren had done, she felt a mixture of feelings. At first, she was annoyed that Eren seemed to be getting into fights again. She remembered all of the fights he had got into at Paradis, mainly how she had to tend to his wounds every time.

Then, she felt surprised to see that not only was Eren unharmed, but he had chosen to fight to defend a girl he didn't even know. Both Li and Cinder confirmed this to be true, and it warmed Carla's heart to know that Eren was starting to choose his fights. She had once told him that he would have to defend Mikasa and fight for her one day, and it seemed that he took that lesson to heart.

Lastly, Carla felt relieved to see that not everything about her son had changed. He may have matured, but Carla could now see that the boy she knew was still with her.

As the days and weeks passed, things only got better for Eren and the people closest to him. Cinder and Dina grew closer and bonded over their love for books and learning. Dina took it upon herself to educate Cinder like she would educate other children of Kuroyuri. As she did, Dina saw in Cinder what Eren first saw; something special.

The time also gave Eren and Carla to rekindle their relationship. When Cinder had expressed how worried she was about him, Eren took some time to think about how he may have come across to her and his mother. Eren soon realized that his maturity and willingness to work may have been unfamiliar to his mother. And Cinder had shown him that not all children were acting like he was.

Eren meant no harm by this, he was simply looking to regain the strength he had on Paradis. He couldn't train with his Titan, but he could focus on building up his physical strength. However, his efforts to do so seemed to be drawing a wedge between him and his mother, which was the last thing he wanted.

When he did that on Paradis, everyone grew to resent and fear him.

And so, Eren decided to put his efforts to grow on hold and spend time reconnecting with his mother. When she wasn't busy with her work at the farm, Carla would spend time talking, reading, and even watching television with Eren. Carla even suggested that Eren spend time learning with Cinder and Dina, so they grew closer as well.

And so, Eren would make sure to either spend his free time with Carla or Cinder. Cinder was usually learning with Dina, so Eren had time to spend with his mother. But when they weren't busy, Eren and Cinder either talked or ran around the farm enjoying themselves. Because of this, because Cinder would normally take the lead for having fun, Carla discovered that she hadn't completely lost her son.

The times he laughed during their talks and the things they watched on television together made sure of this.

The best time for bonding, however, came at mealtimes. Carla made sure everyone would eat together, so that was how she would always be eating with Dina, Eren, and Cinder.

A month had passed since Eren and Cinder came to Kuroyuri, and they were both comfortable with talking to Carla and Dina. Tonight's dinner conversation, however, wasn't exactly Eren's favorite. He had fallen asleep under a tree after he finished a couple of chores he volunteered to do, and Cinder played a practical joke on him. Using a book of arts and crafts she had read with Dina, Cinder made a small crown of leafs and flowers that she placed on Eren's head while he slept.

Eren was still embarrassed by this joke, which was why he was silent when Dina and Carla were talking about it.

"I'm impressed, Cinder," said Dina. "I stopped reading that book after I couldn't make a small ragdoll. I'm glad you found a good use for it." She began to giggle again as Eren rolled his eyes.

"Thank you," Cinder said as she took another bite of her dinner. "Maybe I can show you how to do it. I finished the book."

Dina smiled at Cinder. "I'd like that."

Carla was immediately surprised by Cinder's claim. "You finished the book?" she asked. "Dina, is that the fifth book you've finished with her this week?"

"That's right," Dina replied. "She's a natural, I'm telling you. We're already reading on a whole different grade level than most children her age."

"Really?" Carla looked at Cinder with a smile. "That's amazing, Cinder."

Eren found his chance to talk now. "I'm not surprised," he said, even though he was unsure what Dina meant by "grade level." He simply assumed that meant Cinder was good at reading. "She actually taught me how to read when we first met."

"I've always had a thing for reading," Cinder replied. "I just never had enough books to do it. Not a lot of people know that."

Just then, Eren put down his fork and looked at Cinder. "Huh. You know, I'm glad you said that," he said. "We've been here for a while and we still don't know each other that well." He turned to Carla. "Like, Mom, you said you were always a farmer?"

"Just like my parents," Carla said. "According to them, this farm has been around even before they were born. Other than winter, the soil has always been good for farming, so they never left."

"And they never expanded?"

"They didn't want to risk any of the crops or hired help get eaten by Grimm. Besides, what we have right now is plenty of land. And I was able to learn a lot from my parents." Carla took a bite of food before she talked again. "Eren, I've seen how you've been working here. Maybe one day you could be running this place like me."

"Running?" Eren put down his fork. "Uh, I could see myself working it. How's that sound?"

Carla, Dina, and Cinder laughed at Eren's hesitance. "Wow, Eren," said Carla. "I had the exact same reaction when my parents said the same thing." She leaned her cheek on her arm. "And to think I was doing menial work back home."

Eren laughed at this idea. He had heard how his mother was a waitress before she met Grisha. "Yeah, it's a real step up," he agreed. "And Ms. Fritz, were you always a teacher?"

"I did a few small things around here before I became one," Dina replied. "Things changed when my father decided to send me to school in Mistral. I don't mean to brag, but I was one of the few who got an education in the capital."

"Really? What was that like?"

"Intense, as the years passed. I studied literature, and I even took a teaching position in Mistral. I left it after a few years, though."

"You did?" Cinder asked. "Why?"

"Well, like I said, I was one of the few who went to school in Mistral. And places like Kuroyuri don't have a school of their own, they just learn at home. I wanted to change that, and maybe give children like you and Eren the chance to learn like I did in Mistral."

Cinder started to like the sound of that idea. Dina merely thought of it as a small service to the people of the town, but Cinder felt inspired by it. And she was glad that Dina always took time out of her day to give what she had been given long ago. It was a great idea.

However, at the back of her mind, Cinder couldn't help but wonder what made places like Mistral and Kuroyuri different.

Eren also liked Dina's idea of taking what she had learned and giving it to Kuroyuri, but he didn't wonder the same thing Cinder was thinking about. Instead, he swallowed more of his food before he spoke again.

"You two probably know a lot about my story," he said. "A soldier who died and came back here." Carla had told Dina that Eren was a soldier as well as her son, so she understood what Eren was saying. "But it's okay. I mean, we won."

Carla took pity on Eren for what happened, and she rubbed his back to comfort him. "Well, I'm glad you're here now, Eren," she said sincerely. "There's no war you have to fight here."

"..."

Eren forced a smile when he heard this, since he still remained silent about the war he had to fight with Salem. The less his mother knew about it, the better.

Carla immediately turned to Cinder. "What about you, Cinder?" she asked politely. "What's your story?"

"Oh," Cinder said as she swallowed her food. "Well... it's not exactly like yours." Cinder looked back to Eren. "Eren and I met at a farm in Mistral, kind of like this one. He had only been there a week before we left, but... it was the only home I knew."

"..."

Everyone remained silent as Cinder shared her story.

"The farm was also an orphanage, that's how I came to be there. I didn't know it at first, but I learned that my parents died in a fire. Apparently, the first thought everyone had for me was sending me away." Cinder turned to Dina and Carla. "I know that's not like dying on another world." She then turned to Eren. "Or losing your friends." She looked down at the table. "But... it still wasn't great."

"..."

Everyone fell into silence after they listened to Cinder's story. It was truly a sad one, especially since Cinder never knew her parents and nobody cared about taking her in.

It was this story, as well as their own, that made everyone realize how they were connected by their own pain and trauma. Carla and Dina still had their bad dreams, and Eren had to live with that fact that he destroyed most of the world when he was alive. And now Cinder's pain was revealed to be not knowing what it meant to be loved by others.

At least, before she came to Kuroyuri.

"I'm sorry," Cinder apologized. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright," Dina said with a smile as she took Cinder's hand. "I'm sorry that happened to you, Cinder."

"Me too," said Eren. He took Cinder's other hand, which caused Cinder to smile as her cheeks became red.

"Me too," said Carla. "But you'll always have a home here, Cinder. I promise."

Cinder's smile widened a little when she heard this promise. "Thank you," she said.

Hearing Cinder's story and being reminded of her own made Dina realize something; something that she was willing to share with everyone.

"It can be really hard to let go of the past," she said. "And it always finds a way to come back. I think Carla and I know that better than anyone." Carla nodded in agreement, since Dina was referring to the dreams they always had. "I was always scared of those dreams, I always fought them when they came back. But if they really were memories from my past... I think it's time that I accept them. That we all accept whatever pain might have come our way. Because no matter how much it might hurt..."

"The past is what brought us all here," Carla finished. She looked to Eren with a smile as she held his hand. "Together."

Eren and Cinder smiled at the adults' wisdom as they held on to the grips they made. It was clear that Eren had reconnected with his mother just like Cinder had connected to Dina.

The children then looked back to each other as they continued to smile. They were both glad that their own pasts brought them together as well, and that they would be staying together for a long time.

"Well, I think that's enough for tonight," Carla said as she let go of Eren's hand. It was good to remember that the past indeed brought them together, but Carla was wise enough to know that she shouldn't dwell on it. "How about some dessert?"

"Yeah!" Cinder yelled with glee.

"Sounds great," Eren said. "What do we have?"

Dina also agreed that dessert was a good idea. So she walked into the kitchen and looked into a cabinet that had a mixture of food as well as sweets. "Well, how does-?"

*BOOM*

Everyone jumped at the sound in the distance. Dina was the first to rush to the window to see what it was while Eren was the first to wonder what it was.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I don't know," Dina said as she stared out the window. "It sounded like it came from town."

Eren, Carla, and Cinder jumped out of their seats and rushed to the window, while Dina made room for them to see what was going on. The town was still standing, but there was something glowing in the distance. An orange light was close to one of the houses, it looked like... fire?

"Is something burning?" Cinder asked.

"I hope not," Carla said with a hint of worry. "We don't-"

*WHOOSH*

Just then, a black shape moved across the sky, which caused Cinder to back away from the window in fear. "What was that?" she asked as she walked backwards. She bumped into Dina, but the woman took Cinder in her arms to comfort her.

"Look!" Eren said as he pointed outside. "In the field!"

Carla followed Eren's finger to see multiple black shapes running across the farm's field. It was hard to see at first, but Eren and Carla could see that the shape had animalistic features. Black paws, ears, and fur covered the shape, but the protruding bones and the red eyes told them that it wasn't a simple animal.

"Grimm," Eren and Carla whispered.

Upon hearing the word, Cinder let out a whimper as she held Dina tighter. Dina held the young girl as well, but she couldn't hide her own fear.

Rumors had been spreading across the town recently, that the Grimm in the forest and paths had been getting worse and bolder. There had been a few sightings and attacks outside the wall, but they were easy to forget about.

Tonight, however, seemed to have a breaking point. By the sheer amount of Grimm, everyone could see that this was an invasion.

Everyone was scared, including Eren. He had fought the Grimm before, but only when he was a Titan. He was vulnerable now, just as vulnerable as everyone else in the house. Carla was the first to spring into action, and her first instinct was the same one she had when the Titans invaded her home.

Protect the people she cared about.

Carla rushed over to turn off the lights in the kitchen. "Dina, get the lights in the other room!" she whispered. Dina did as she was told, but she had to convince Cinder that it would be okay before she left the child's side.

As Carla and Dina made the house grow dark, Eren and Cinder stood right where they were. Cinder was growing more afraid of the incoming doom, but Eren was able to find his resolve quickly. This many Grimm clearly called for the power of the Titans, and the short amount of time he had to build up his courage once again wasn't wasted.

Cinder remembered what Eren had said about being ready at a moment's notice, and he was once again proven right. She needed more time to build up her courage, but she had one idea about how she could help. All she needed was Eren's approval.

But that would have to wait.

"Eren, Cinder, come with us!" Carla said as she walked over to the children. She took both of their hands and made her way towards the back door.

"Where are we going?" Eren asked.

"Someplace safe," Dina promised. "There's a-"

*BAM*

*BAM*

*BAM*

Everyone stopped moving when they heard something hit the back door three times. Their hearts nearly jumped out of their chests, and Eren was the only one who turned his hands into fists. But before he could bite his hand, a voice called out from the other side.

"Carla! Dina! Let us in!"

Carla and Dina sighed in relief when they heard the voice. Dina immediately rushed ahead to open the door, where she was treated by all of Carla's employees. They were known for dealing with minor Grimm incursions, but something of this magnitude scared them greatly.

"Did you see the Grimm?" one of the workers asked his boss.

"Yes!" Carla confirmed. "Come with us, we have to go!"

"Go where?" another worker asked. "We can hide in the house!"

"No, not with this many Grimm," Dina argued. "We're going to the storm cellar, we'll be safe there!"

"But we never had to fit everyone down there! There might not be room!"

"Then we'll make room!" Carla said. "Now come on!"

Carla led Eren and Cinder outside. Just as Dina had said, there was a storm cellar near the barn that was used to store extra produce and other supplies. She had to hide down there a few times with her parents when the Grimm became too large for her father to handle alone. The town's volunteers usually took care of them, but Carla knew that something of this size might not help them this time.

And from the way everyone was running and breathing, Eren could tell they were scared. If he heard screams right now, it would be a perfect replication of the reaction people had to the Rumbling. The similarities were still there, and Eren knew how dangerous the Rumbling really was.

The comparisons he made made Eren's resolve grow even stronger, and he soon thought of a plan.

In hardly any time at all, everyone had arrived at the storm cellar. Two workers opened the doors and everyone shuffled inside. The doors closed just in time, as a nearby Beowolf literally smelled fear in the air. But it was too late to see all of the people shield themselves, so it moved to the town instead.

"Is everyone okay?" Carla asked.

"We're fine," a worker said. "This isn't the safe house, but it's better than out there."

"How long do you think we have to stay down here?" another worker asked.

"As long as it takes," a friend replied.

"We have plenty of food down here," Dina pointed out. "Does anyone see a flashlight? Or maybe a weapon?" She needed to see what was going on, and she knew someone might have to defend themselves and everyone else too.

"I got it, right here!" someone shouted.

"Shhh!" someone else quickly shushed the other person. "We can't let them hear us!" he whispered.

"He's right," Dina whispered. "Everyone try to be quiet.

"Here's the flashlight," the farmer said as he turned on the light. Now everyone had the ability to see themselves and each other. The first thing they noticed was how cramped the space was, but they were willing to sacrifice space if it meant safety. They also noticed how much stored food they had, so nobody was going to starve to death.

Carla noticed something as well, but she wasn't happy about it; someone was missing.

"Eren?" she asked as she looked down where her son should have been. "Eren?! Where's Eren?!"

"..."

When Dina helped her friend look for Eren, she noticed that Cinder was also missing. "Cinder?" she asked. "Oh, no, she's gone too!"

The other farmers looked around the cellar with Carla and Dina. They had all met the children before, and knew what they were looking for. But they couldn't find anything in the cellar that resembled a child.

"I don't see them," one of the workers said.

"He... He was right next to me!" Carla said as she began to panic. "He was right there!"

"..."

Eren wasn't here anymore, that was for sure. So there was only one place he could be.

"Eren!" Carla yelled as she began to move towards the stairs. "Let me out, I have to find him!"

Two farmers quickly grabbed Carla and prevented her from ascending. "Carla, no!" one of them said. "It's too dangerous!"

"No, you don't understand!" Carla began to cry as she desperately tried to reach the door. "I can't leave him up there! I just got him back!"

"..."

"EREN!"

---

The great influx of people going into the storm cellar gave Eren an opportunity to slip past Carla. Her grip on him loosened when they were running to the cellar, which gave him the chance to start running towards Kuroyuri without a second thought. He felt a sense of commitment to this cause in a few ways. The first was that Eren needed to help whoever he could in the defenseless city, and the second was that he could take the opportunity to use his Titan once again.

Another way was that Eren's mother was vulnerable to the Grimm. He couldn't protect her back home, but he could protect her now.

With his mind clear and his thoughts made up, Eren continued to make his way to Kuroyuri. The storm cellar would definitely offer some protection, but Eren knew that only he could stop the Grimm rather than let them win.

Nothing could go wrong now.

"Eren! Eren, stop!"

The sound of a familiar voice made Eren do as he was told. He stopped running and turned around to see Cinder a few feet behind him, out of breath. He hadn't even turned into a Titan yet and something already went wrong. "Cinder, what are you doing?!" he yelled. "Go back home!"

"No, I'm going with you!" Cinder retorted, stopping to catch her breath. "I know what you're going to do."

"Which is why you need to stay as far away from me as possible. It's dangerous."

"But wasn't it dangerous in Atlas, too? And don't you remember what I said when we left?" Cinder jabbed a finger at Eren. "I'm ready, Eren. I'm coming with you."

"..."

Eren began to think back on what he talked about with Cinder. He knew that everything he said to dissuade her from his plans would only make Cinder's resolve grow stronger. So now wasn't the time to argue, and that now was the time for action. But first, he had to do one more thing.

"Cinder... do you remember what you wanted me to do for you?" he asked. "The night we left Atlas?" The young girl nodded. "I can do that now. But I need to know if you're ready. Being a Titan isn't as great as it looks."

"..."

Cinder took a moment to consider the choice presented to her. The only conclusion she had was helping Eren, and saving everyone she could in Kuroyuri. And if that meant being a Titan, a Grimm that would be feared by the rest of the world, Cinder knew it would be worth it if it meant she could help Eren and protect her home.

With that, Cinder made her choice. "Eren... I'm ready."

"...Okay."

Eren took Cinder's hand and concentrated. He didn't exactly know how to do what he needed to do, but he knew someone who did.

*WHOOSH*

Within half a second, the children found themselves back in the Coordinate, with the God of Darkness staring at them. "She's ready," Eren stated.

"..."

If the God of Darkness had a mouth, Eren was sure that he would be grinning. And he was sure the grin was even wider once a black substance creeped its way off Eren's arm and joined Cinder's.

---

Update: hey, everyone. So this is the rewrite of Chapter 6 we promised, we hope you like it. As we said before, we have no intention of replacing or removing Dina. We simply altered her role while taking an opportunity we missed before.

Also, we're sorry some of you might be confused as to why the chapters are different. For those who don't know, AT and I are rewriting our first 10 chapters to cover missed opportunities and fix mistakes we made with the first version. We will be working on the next chapters now, sorry for the confusion. Also, the newest chapter of Beyond the Path is up now, hope you enjoy it.

Let us know what you think, we hope you like the new chapter!