In the early afternoon, Grisha was at the front door of their home, briefcase in hand and preparing himself to leave for his work trip. His wife and kids stood before him to send him off.

"I'll be back the next morning at the earliest. Don't give your mother too much trouble, and remember what we spoke about yesterday; try not to kill each other, alright?"

"Yeah yeah, we get it, don't worry," Eren yawned unamused.

"Glad to hear. Here, take some pocket money, you'll need it while I'm gone. You'll both get five coins each. Now behave yourselves."
Grisha kissed the top of their heads and turned to Carla.

"I'll miss you, dear. Please be safe and return as soon as possible," she spoke with a tinge of worry.

"You know I will, I always am. There's no need for you to worry, I'll be back before you know it." Grisha gave her a small smile before pulling her into a hug.

He then pulled away to open the door and bid his family farewell.
"Bye dad, have a safe trip!" Y/n stepped out to wave her father goodbye with Eren and her mother  following behind:

"See you tomorrow, Dad!"

"Goodbye, Love!"

And he was off, becoming a small dot in the distance.
Eren then turned to Y/n and gave her a knowing smirk. "Y/n, it's time to do your part of the deal".

Her smile was wiped almost immediately at the realization and Y/n groaned in annoyance.
"Ugh, do we have to do this now? It's just us two anyway, we don't have any other friends to play with. It will be so boring!"

"A deal is a deal and this is what you signed up for," Carla spoke up from behind them, hands on her hips.
"Even if you sometimes regret making a promise in life, you still have to honor your commitment and follow through. Now go out and play. Don't stay out too long though."

"But-"

And without another word, Carla shooed her children away and shut the door.

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Y/n sighed, desperate to at least somewhat try and enjoy her day. "You can't be serious, Eren... You really plan to spend your entire afternoon taking a nap? Is this all you do every day?"

They sat beneath a tree on the hill Eren spent most of his time at either sitting in thought or napping when he had nothing else to do. The grass was a bright, lush green and the sky a vibrant, vast expanse of blue. The purple campanula flowers swayed with the gentle breeze of the late spring wind, a stark contrast to the giant, grey wall towering over everything in the distance.

"Obviously not! I mostly come here to relax. And you're kinda to blame since you never play with me!"

"Well I am today. Pick a game to play then".

"Hide and seek?"

"Please, not that. I always end up getting lost somehow."

"What about tag?"

"Nooo, I always trip and hurt myself".

"Catch? I can go get our ball from-"

"Not that! I always get hit in the face."

"Is there a game you CAN actually play? Seriously what's the matter with you and your clumsiness? I'm starting to think that 'good luck charm' you always wear isn't doing much", Eren pointed at the golden necklace around Y/n's neck, it was shaped like a four-leaf clover.
The rare four-leaf clover, being particularly harder to find than its three-leaf counterpart, is said to bring good fortune and blessings to those who find it. Each leaf represents one thing: faith, hope, love and luck, or so Y/n's mother told her.
"How did you even find the necklace? No one usually just lets gold sit around."

"I didn't. I guess I've always had it? Mom told me a friend of hers gave it to me when I was a baby."

For a while they sat in silence with nothing but the cheery twitter of birds and the blow of the wind, staring at the grey, jarring wall that was so hard to miss. It demanded attention, almost constantly reminding them they were trapped in a cage like the birds chirping in the tree above them.

Eren broke the silence: "Sometimes I wish these walls would just crumble."

"And for us to be eaten by titans?"

"No, of course not! I mean I just wish I could see what's beyond them, y'know? I'm tired of being caged in here-"

"Shhhh! Don't say that out loud, you don't know who could be listening in."

"As if I care! Those who are afraid to go out are a bunch of small-minded idiots. I'm tired of seeing the same sight every day. I wanna know what's out there in the world, what we're missing out on."

"Look, I'm curious just as much as you are, but what will you do? You're just a kid."

"Yeah, I may be one right now, but when I'm older I'll join the Survey Corps."

Wide-eyed, Y/n took some time to process her brother's words. "Y-you're joking right? You can't be serious," her lips curved into a slight smile.

"I'm not, is it so hard to believe? I'm not scared of any titans. In fact, they'll all be scared of me!"

Y/n was now giggling, this had to be another phase or fantasy of her brother's. "Right, sure, you'll kill every last one of them."

"You think I'm joking now but just wait and see."

Y/n's grin curved deeper, amused at her brother's oh so heroic dream. Yet her smile faltered just a smidge when she saw Eren hadn't returned the energy. He got rather quiet, casting his gaze down to his hands in deep thought.

"Can you promise me something though?" His tone suddenly switched to seriousness, catching her attention. "Don't tell mom or dad."

"Why? I don't think they'll take it seriously either-"

"Just don't."

"Okay, geez. Fine. I get it... dumbass..." Y/n murmured.

"What did you just say?!"

"Nothing. C'mon, I'm bored of sitting around and doing nothing. Let's play something now," she got up quickly. "How about, uh, hide and seek? I'll even count. Go on, start hiding."

Skeptical, Eren did so nonetheless and ran off into town. Sighing, Y/n thought how tedious this game was now going to be, the town market was huge, there's no way she'd find him. Oh well. She turned to the stump of the tree and began:

"One.."

"Two.."

"Three.."

10 minutes had now passed. Y/n was searching relentlessly, yet there was still no sign of Eren. Bored out of her mind, her legs began to ache as she kept plodding through the bustling marketplace, occasionally bumping into a man or woman and being told off. It was unusually busy today, vendors at their stalls were shouting their wares, buyers were bargaining aggressively for better deals, drunken soldiers lazing away sitting on crates and playing card games and children zoomed through the crowd, nearly trampling her. It was all so exhausting.

"That idiot, how does he expect me to find him in the heart of Shiganshina?"

If one thing was certain though, Y/n wouldn't give up so easily. She could play normal games many kids her age played all the time, right? Even more so, she was sick of Eren making fun of her and calling her clumsy all the time. Sure, she might be a little uncoordinated at times but she was no oaf.

Even more irritated at her brother, she was determined to prove him wrong, but now she had to think. 'If I were Eren hiding from me, I would purposely try to get myself lost. He must be deeper in town.'

Feeling a little uneasy, she brushed it off. She wouldn't get lost this time right? She'll be cautious and remember the path.

Cut to 20 minutes later and Y/n was being mercilessly chased by a guard dog. So much for being cautious. Sweat trickled down her forehead and her heart was pounding, managing only sharp, painful breaths.
This didn't seem to be the case for the dog as it galloped briskly on the rugged trail. It was catching up and she needed to run faster.
Her legs burned as she dashed through the never-ending neighborhood, corner after corner, she hoped for a chance of escape or a hideout at the least, only to be met with the disappointment of more locked houses and streets.
Y/n knew her legs would collapse from underneath her at some point now.
As the realization sunk in, her fear tore at her and her feet grew numb. 'Just how hopeless can this get?'
She turned another corner.

Just then, as if like a gift sent from the heavens,  Y/n spotted a shed with a flat roof. She practically flung herself at the ladder and began to frantically climb up, her heart stopped as she missed a step here and there. The dog eventually came to a halt beneath her, barking violently at her, snapping its jaws at her feet.

She pulled herself up carefully, noticing the roof was undergoing repair. In that moment a man angrily stormed out of the shed with a broom to scare the dog away before turning to Y/n, scowling. "What are you doing up on my shop? Get your ass down here kid! It's just a fucking dog."

Panting she struggled to speak: "Sorry sir.. I didn't know better, I'll come down now. I'll even buy something to make up for it." It was then she noticed she actually sat atop a small, dingy bakery and not a large shed.

She fell down and picked herself back up, staggering while dusting off her raggedy, muddy skirt. She and the man then walked in as he was still cursing her under his breath. The bakery was empty and looked run-down.
"Could you tell me what part of town we're in? I'm kind of lost", Y/n asked nervously with a dry mouth, dying of thirst and hunger.

"Oh you're lost alright, you're in the poorer, filthy neighborhoods of Shiganshina. Stay here any longer and you might just get eaten alive. Anything I can get for ya?" He walked behind the counter grumpily.

A little puzzled, Y/n scanned the baked goods behind the glass. Almost everything was too expensive for the five coins she was given by her dad earlier today. Oh, how she missed home right now.
A batch of freshly baked bread rolls with cheese melted on top caught her eye from behind the man. She was practically drooling at the mouth.
"I'll take two of those, please", Y/n pointed.

"Those aren't for sale, the only goods that are, are in front of you."

"Please, how much would they cost?"

"What's so hard to understand about 'not for sale', kid? If you can't buy anything, leave before I throw you out!" The man yelled.

"I've got five coins, two silver and a gold one." She tried to bargain, knowing she'd be overpaying, but that wasn't important to her.

He contemplated for a moment before giving up.
"Fine, only if it means you get out of my sight immediately. Do you know how much trouble you're causing me?"
While she was setting the coins on the counter, he went to grab the bread rolls before roughly handing them to her. "Now, piss off."

Y/n stepped out of the shop without another word, rolling her eyes at the harshness of the man, carrying each bread roll in one hand. They were still very warm. Without a second thought she began to tear into one of the bread rolls, the crust crackling under her fingers. She chewed eagerly before taking another big bite.
In that moment, that was the best piece of bread she'd ever eaten in her life.
The fleeting moment of satisfaction went as quickly as it came, as it was replaced by a creeping sensation of unease. Y/n scanned her surroundings. She really had no idea where she was, smack-dab in the middle of nowhere, far, far away from her home or even the marketplace. A gnawing awareness of her loneliness settled in. Technically, anyone or anything lurking in the shadows could attack her right this moment, and no one would be able to see, hear or help her.

'Stay here any longer and you might just get eaten alive', the voice of the grumpy man echoed in her head. She quickened her pace, a worried expression crept on her face.

'It's fine, nothing will happen, I'll just have to find a way out. Every problem has a solution, every problem has a solution, right?'
Her attempts at calming herself down proved to be useless. She was walking in circles passing the same house again.

'Why does this always happen to me? Why does the situation, no matter what, always mess up for me? Am I really that useless at everything I do?'
Tears threatened her eyes. But then Y/n remembered how this all started.
'Eren. And his stupid hide and seek game. This is all his fault. Did he have to make the game so hard for me? He did it on purpose didn't he? Knowing I would struggle. I swear, if I find him again I'll beat the ever-loving shi-', her thoughts were interrupted by the shrill laughter and loud shouts of children nearby.

For a second, a glimmer of hope flickered within Y/n. She thought they could maybe help her if they were kind enough. Only one way to find out. Y/n made her way over past the worn-out houses to investigate.

As Y/n approached, her initial spark of hope was put out immediately at the scene unfolding before her: a group of about four older kids circled around the smaller figure of a young, blond boy, terrorizing him by grasping and pulling for the small loaf of bread in his hand.

Y/n quickly retreated out of sight to hide in the shadows with her back against the cracked wall of a house, clutching her mouth with her free hand so as to not be heard. The air thickened with tension as their laughter was tainted with cruelty.

Eventually, from what she could hear, the boys were successful in snatching the bread roll. They celebrated by beating, kicking and hitting the blond while calling him names and cursing him. Her stomach churned at his cries.

After they were done, they walked off laughing heartily and the boy was left alone to sob quietly.
When she thought the coast was clear, she stepped out and walked over to him.
"Hey, are you alright, are you hurt badly?"
The blond, curled up in a ball, looked up at her sniffling.

"Why didn't you try to fight back or run away? Are you really okay with losing like that?"

He paused, eyes sparkling with tears, before replying: "I didn't lose.."

"Huh?.." Y/n blinked at him, now intrigued by the boy and drawing closer.

He looked away and stared at the ground before continuing: "..because I didn't run away."

She stared at him for a few moments, perplexed at his response. Her eyes then moved to the second bread roll she was still holding in her hand and back to the blond. "What's your name?"

The boy turned to face her, his piercing, blue eyes meeting Y/n's with a twinkle.
"Armin."

"Armin", she repeated, "do you want this? I mistakenly bought two and now I'm full", Y/n said holding the baked good out.

Bewildered, he slowly reached for the bread roll and wolfed it down after thanking her. He must have not eaten in a while.

"I guess you really liked it", she said to somewhat lift the tense mood.

"S-sorry", Armin wiped the crumbs from his mouth with his sleeve. "I never asked for your name."

"It's Y/n, don't worry about it though."

Armin picked himself up and dusted his clothes off.
"I don't think I've seen you around here before,  Y/n. Do you live elsewhere?"

"I do, and I'm actually lost," irritation bubbled within her yet again. "I was playing hide and seek with my brother and I wandered off too far."

"Ahh, and does that explain?.." Armin pointed at her tattered, sweaty clothes, disheveled hair and dirty face.

"Yep", Y/n confessed. "Long-story-short, I fell down a hill and was chased by a guard dog — anyways, could you please help me find my way back to the town square?" She quickly tried to change the subject, which made Armin chuckle.

As they were walking, Armin and Y/n talked and got to know each other better. She quickly learned they had a lot in common: He was also nine years old, maybe a few months older than her. They both also shared a similar curiosity of the world around them and he was always eager to learn like she was.

"So, Armin," Y/n tried to think of her next question to keep the conversation going. "What are your Mom and Dad like? I'd love for our parents to meet."

But Armin paused, a shadow laden with sadness flickered across his face. "My parents... They died when I was young. It was an accident outside the Walls. I don't remember much, just that I felt lonely afterward."

Y/n's chest tightened at the tone of his voice. She immediately regretted her question, kicking herself for being so insensitive.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for-"

Armin shook his head and gave her a small smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's alright. Really. I live with my grandfather now and he's the best."

She watched him for a moment, unsure whether to say anything else. Then, a small light sparkled in his eyes, like he had remembered something he was excited to share.

"You'd actually really like him," Armin added, a little more cheery. "He tells me stories about the outside world. Before the Titans and the Walls."

Y/n's eyes widened. She perked up, eager to know more. "Wait, how do you mean? Like actual, real stories? How would he even know that?"

Armin hesitated, then lowered his voice like it was a secret the trees might overhear.

"He kept books. Old ones. They're forbidden now, but he hid them. I've read so many..." he leaned slightly forward. "There's so much out there... flaming water, lands of ice... And fields of sand spread wider than your eyes can reach!"

"You have to show me these books! Please, please, please, your grandfather sounds so cool!"

Armin chuckled. His mouth curved in a smile, a genuine one this time. "I have no doubt he'll let us borrow one. I don't have anyone to share this with, so I can't wait to show you."

He then explained with quiet passion as Y/n asked many questions about what exactly he had read. She teemed with curiosity, barely giving Armin time to answer her questions one after the other. Yet he did so eagerly, as the beginning of a friendship grew.

"What's a banana?"

"It was a very sweet fruit, I think it was a berry. But it strangely used to grow upside down on trees in a bunch."

"Huh? How does that work?"

Y/n realized they had reached the town marketplace. Relief washed over her and her mouth curved into a wide grin.
She was practically jumping up and down and exclaimed giddily: "We finally made it, thank you so much, Armin!"

A slight tint of pink blushed his cheeks. "It's not a big deal," he replied shyly.

Just then, Y/n spotted a worried Eren searching for someone, before he looked in her direction and rolled his eyes upon noticing her. He stomped angrily her way.

"THERE you are, I've been looking all over for you."

"Found you. I won the game."

Eren was completely baffled and taken aback by her carelessness, scrunching his brows.
"Wh- huh? No! The game ended an hour ago when I couldn't find you anymore and you were the seeker! And who's this?" He looked over at Armin.

"This is Armin, my new friend. He helped me find my way ba- I mean find you."

"Nice to meet you", Armin gave Eren a sheepish smile, waving awkwardly.

"And Armin, this is Eren, my foolish twin brother, he caused me all this trouble."

Armin stood off to the side and watched the twins argue it away. Eren's face was flushed with frustration, scolding Y/n who had her arms crossed looking purposefully very unamused, which annoyed Eren even more. Armin couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculous scene. He was happy he made not only one, but two new friends in a single day.

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Knock, knock

"Coming!" Carla's voice rang from within the house.
She opened the door, initially cheerful, before her eyes narrowed in on the sight. Absolutely dumbfounded, her jaw dropped.
Her daughter was filthy, skirt torn, hair disarranged and her face streaked with dark, muddy smudges. Next to her stood her son, sour with his arms crossed, impatiently tapping his feet and behind him, a blond, unfamiliar boy with a timid smile.

"Hey, Mom. Are we late for lunch already?", Y/n chirped.

"No... You're just in time", Carla replied, puzzled and still trying to process the oddity. "Had an eventful day, didn't we?"

Brushing past her, Eren snarled: "Oh, you have no idea."

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