A/N: Hello, readers! This will be the last chapter until Part 3 comes out! Enjoy!

edited on september 4th, 2023 @ 10:06pm

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚂𝙸𝚇𝚃𝚈-𝙾𝙽𝙴,
𝓣𝙷𝙴 𝙳𝙰𝚆𝙽 𝙾𝙵 𝙷𝚄𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙸𝚃𝚈.

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"Everyone says Eren has changed. I've thought that, too. But... maybe all of us were wrong." Josiah thinks to himself.

Eren was looking out towards Marley as Josiah walked up to Eren's side.

"Maybe Eren was this way from the start. And if this is the real him... I... I wonder what I saw in him..."

THE SURVEY CORPS WERE CURRENTLY on a boat heading towards Marley as Jean, Connie and Sasha were together.

"There's really cities full of people outside the walls..." Connie commented.

"Don't talk about the walls in public." Jean reminded him.

"Ah, right." Connie said.

"The world outside the walls... And we're the first people from inside to step foot in it!" Sasha exclaimed.

"Did you not hear me?!" Jean scolded.

Hange and Levi were standing next to each other with Armin behind the two. "You could say this expedition takes us back to our original mission." Hange stated.

"Let's go scout."

The group soon got off of the boat and stared in amazement.

"Welcome to the continent of Marley! I'll guide you to the Azumabito estate." Onyankopon greeted them.

"Onyankopon!" Hange exclaimed.

Onyankopon laughed. "I'm glad you all made it! What do you think of Marley's biggest port?" He asked.

A vehicle soon drove by. "Wha—?! That horse! Or... is it? Huh?" Connie pointed at it.

"It's some sort of cow! It has to be!" Sasha exclaimed.

"It's a car! I've heard about 'em before!" Hange blushed. "Hello there, car!"

"People are staring!" Armin informed.

"Ugh! They think we're bumpkins now." Jean lowered his hat in embarrassment.

"Eh?"

"Pretend we're not with 'em." Jean said.

"Hey! Car!"

"Hey, wait! Wait for me!"

"Please, come back!"

Hange, Connie, and Sasha began chasing after the car. "If we don't stop 'em, they'll try to feed it carrots." Levi said.

"Don't be silly... They're buying carrots!" Onyankopon announced.

Josiah was trying to move through the sea of people. "So many people... Eren, we don't know what to expect, so stay close to me." He informed.

Eren didn't respond to him. "Eren?" Josiah called out his name, getting him out of his trance.

"Right." Eren said as Armin and Mikasa soon joined them.

"Quit spacing out, Eren! We're in the outside world!" Armin told him.

"Yeah... This is the other side of the sea... isn't it?" Eren questioned as Armin, Mikasa, and Josiah just stared at him.

"Hey! Stick with the group. Especially you." Levi said.

"Be right there!" Armin stated as Josiah looked back at Eren.

Sasha was standing in front of an ice cream vendor as she held out her money. "I'd like one, please." Sasha said.

"Sure thing!"

The vendor handed her the ice cream cone. "Here you are." He said.

"Jeez, Sasha! Not again..." Jean complained.

Sasha takes a lick of the ice cream. "This is flippin' cold!" She shouted as the vendor laughed.

"Lemme try!" Connie said.

"First time having ice cream?"

"Whoa! The hell?!"

"That done hit the spot!" Sasha claimed.

"One for me, please!"

"Me, too!"

"I told 'em not to stand out." Levi muttered.

"Nobody's gonna see that and think they're island devils." Hange informed.

"Hey! You guys gotta try this!" Jean said.

"Hey there, sonny. Can I interest you in some sweeeet candy?" A clown from behind Levi asked, handing him a lollipop. "I'm talkin' to you."

"Cool outfit. You in a kiddie gang?" The clown continued to question.

"I smell something good!"

"The thing Niccolo told us about?!"

"Three more, please!"

"Thanks."

Josiah was holding an ice cream cone before noticing that Eren was staring at nothing. "Eren. You should try this." He handed the cone to him.

"Ice cream, huh?" Eren questioned, taking the cone.

"You know it?" Josiah asked.

"Just through my dad's memories. Eldians in the zone rarely get to have it... Even though the outside world's so big." Eren responded.

"But none of us realized it. Or maybe we just didn't want to." Josiah thought.

"Hey! That ain't your purse." Levi announced, stopping a kid from stealing Sasha's money which gained her attention.

"Thief!"

"It's another enemy migrant!"

"How'd you get here?"

"Snuck aboard a ship, I bet! He doesn't understand us."

"Let's toss him in the sea."

"Nah, let's smash his hand so he can't pickpocket anymore."

"Tie him up where everyone can see. That'll cut down on crime."

"That's taking it too far! I already got my purse back!" Sasha argued, holding up her purse.

"This isn't about you. We've gotta punish him to set an example. We're trying to make a living here."

"Besides, he could be a Subject of Ymir."

The man's claim got the Survey Corps attention.

"Countries have been doing blood tests like mad lately. No one can sleep at night knowing devils could be in their midst."

Levi suddenly picked the young boy up in his arms.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

"Who said he's a thief? All I said was, 'That ain't your purse.' It belongs to his big sister here." Levi replied.

His claim took Sasha by surprise. "My! Talk about a nutty family! Right, Big Sis?" Hange asked, knowing what Levi was trying to do.

"Ah...! Sorry about my little brother!" Sasha responded while bowing.

"Yeah?! I smell bullshit!"

"Let's go!" Levi shouted before he took off running with the rest of the Survey Corp members following after him.

"Hey! Wait!"

All of them finally stopped to catch their breath. "Where'd that brat go?" Levi wondered.

"Th-There." Hange replied, pointing at something.

The young boy was waving as he had a purse in his hand, making Levi search his jacket. "Well, it was just some change from the Azumabito." Levi stated.

Josiah took a glance at Eren once more.

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"I'm sorry you went through that. As blood testing has improved, countries across the world are finding they're inhabited by Subjects of Ymir who've fled the zones. Back during the height of the Eldian Empire, being a Subject of Ymir was a sign of status among the world's elite. But as the Empire crumbled, they found themselves being exiled from places. Such is life for Eldians outside the wall. Alas, it will be difficult for Paradis Island to establish friendly relations." Kiyomi explained.

"Even so, giving up on peace means we'll have to go along with Zeke's plan: To leave our fate in his hands, and to sacrifice Historia and her children." Armin pointed out.

"Yeah... But we came here to avoid such a future. And for the Subjects of Ymir Protection Group's debut in tomorrow's forum." Hange added.

"It's still not clear what that group seeks to achieve." Kiyomi informed.

"Indeed. We'll be observing them first. But if they seem promising and agree to speak with us..." Hange trailed off.

"You'll express that Paradis Island seeks peace." Kiyomi finished.

"Yes." Hange nodded.

"Naturally, the Azumabito are happy to help you down that path. Though, are you being realistic about your chances of success?" Kiyomi questioned.

Hange's gaze went towards the ground. "I know... it'll be very difficult. And dangerous, too. But having said that, we have to give it our best shot." They answered as everyone else was silent.

Kiyomi closed her eyes. "I suppose so." She agreed.

Josiah suddenly widened his eyes as he realized Eren had disappeared, standing up. "Where is Eren?" He asked.

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Josiah was running up on a hill as he spotted Eren. "Eren!" He called out, stopping behind him. "Did you forget you're the enemy's primary target? Everyone's been looking for you."

Eren wiped his face with his sleeve as the two stared down in the village below. "The boy from the market? What happened?" Josiah asked.

"Nothing yet." Eren responded.

"What do you mean? This is..." Josiah started to say.

"It's a place for people who lost their homes to war. Just like us: One day, our lives changed, and everything was taken from us. All our freedoms... stolen." Eren said before looking at the brunette. "Josiah, what do you want the most in the world?"

"Huh? Why are you asking a question like—"

"Just answer."

Josiah sighed before looking down at the refugee camp. He closed his eyes, remembering when Wall Maria had fallen. He then reopened his eyes.

"No one's really asked me that question before." Josiah finally said. "Tell you what. When I have the answer to your question, I'll tell you, yeah?"

Josiah sent him a smile. Suddenly, a refugee came up to them holding two drinks while saying something Josiah nor Eren understood.

"Huh?" Josiah looked at Eren.

"I think he's inviting us." Eren stated.

"Hey!"

Eren and Josiah turned to see the others. "The hell you doing, Eren?!" Jean shouted.

"Are you an idiot?!" Connie insulted.

"Good timing." Eren said.

Later, all of the Scouts were in the refugee camp as Eren took the first sip and the others followed. All of them soon started singing and partying.

Soon enough, Levi, Hange, and Onyankopon found them passed out.

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"We seek to aid refugee Subjects of Ymir scattered across the world! They are not Eldians, nor do they believe in the Empire's dangerous ideologies! They're the tragic victims of the Eldian Empire's forced interbreeding! It's the detestable island devils we should hate! Hate the devils who fled to the island 100 years ago! Those island devils are our true enemy!"

Everyone in the room started cheering with the exception of the Scouts and the Azumabito. Josiah looked over to see that Eren was leaving the room.

"That day was the day Eren left us. Later on, the letter he sent said he'd entrust Zeke with everything, and by the next time we saw him, it was too late. I wonder... was there any other choice we could've made? Maybe everything had been decided from the start."

"Still, I can't help but think: Back then, what if I had just answered his question straight out?" Josiah wondered, looking at the smoke. "Would things have ended up the same way?"

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A/N: Another chapter is completed! Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 1708 words.