It was a cold day.
Snowflakes gradually fell from the sky. The ground, covered by sleek snow sheets.
Carl adorned a white sweater with tears and holes etched on it, and a pair of worn-out brown boots.
Looking at his side, it seed like Emi had finished her preparations.
Finishing up his shoelace, Carl stood up.
"Let's go Emi."
"Un!"
Creaaaak….
"Huuu…"
Carl rubbed his shoulders from the cold breeze. Despite bundling himself up, it still wasn't enough.
Looking around, the people living in the slums looked at him with pity in their eyes.
He was used to this sight by now. People pitied the two siblings, and yet none would rise to the occasion and help them.
Bunch of hypocrites.
But not all of them were like that.
"Good morning, Carl. Going sowhere?"
There was a kind old man who would always try to give them food.
"Yes, Mister Eren."
"You seem cold, here."
Old man Eren crouched down and wrapped a red scarf around his neck.
"Oh, thank you."
"You're welco, and this is for Emi."
The old man extended his hand.
He offered a flower.
For whatever reason why the old man gave it to him, Carl was unsure.
But it was a beautiful flower.
Emi didn't need the scarf since she was already bundled up enough.
A pink fur coat. New boots, and a similar red scarf draped around her shoulder.
"Thank you."
"Mhm."
Carl accepted the flower and turned towards Emi.
"Here, Emi. Don't forget to say thank you."
"Thwank kyuu!"
Emi accepted the flower and looked at it with stars in her eyes.
"Hm?"
Old man Eren tilted his head.
"What did she say?"
"She said thank you, Mister Eren."
"Oh, it's my pleasure."
Old man Eren flashed the two siblings a warm smile.
"Goodbye, Mister Eren."
Carl strode off while holding Emi's hand.
"Say bye to Mister Eren, Emi."
"Bai… Bai…!"
Carl nodded with pride and the two continued in their steps.
The walk to the gate wasn't far. About a ten–minute walk from the slums.
As soon as they were near, Carl spotted the two familiar rankers, all bundled up and waiting for them.
"Co on Emi."
"Un!"
Carl sprinted, dragging the little girl along.
"Good morning, Mister Cid and Miss Alia."
"Good morning, Carl."
"Good morning."
The two rankers returned his greetings.
The lady nad Alia looked around, eventually, her curious gaze landed on Carl.
"Where's your little sister?"
"Hm?"
Carl looked around, but Emi wasn't by his side.
"Emi?"
He continued to scan his surroundings. There, he could see Emi, hiding behind a lamp post.
He turned to look at Alia.
"Oh, sorry. She always does this with strangers."
Then returned his attention to Emi and called out to her.
"Emi! Don't be rude, co greet the kind people who are willing to help us."
"Sowwy."
Emi ca out of her hiding place and appeared behind Carl.
Clasping on his pants, Emi peeked at the two rankers.
"Say hello, Emi."
"Hewwo…"
The two rankers seed to exchange worried glances with each other.
It was the kind of look Carl was all too familiar with. But he was used to it by now.
'I get it. Everyone pities us.'
The two rankers weren't any different.
But still, Carl appreciated them.
All of a sudden, Alia bent down while holding her knees.
"What did she say?"
And it was another question Carl was used to hearing. Since Emi was still five, and didn't have the proper education, her speech was a little bit impaired.
"She said hello."
Carl responded.
"Oh. Hello, Emi."
Alia flashed a warm smile.
A smile that Carl could describe as a goddess' smile.
Carl could admit that Alia was the prettiest lady he had ever seen.
But he imdiately snapped out of his thoughts.
Alia was way out of his league. An older girl. And it seems like she already had soone.
He looked at the man standing right behind Alia.
Cid.
Carl had still felt a bit intimidated around him.
Despite Cid being kind towards him, his expressions would remain blank after showing a bit of emotions.
He was kind of gloomy. A contrast to Alia's radiant personality.
But it was then when Carl's assessnt of him changed.
All of a sudden, Cid stepped beside Alia. On his arm was a fur coat and so gloves.
He bent down and offered the items to Carl.
"This is for you."
"Oh, thank you."
"I've got so for Emi as well…. But it seems like she's already bundled up enough. But…"
Cid rummaged for his pocket.
"Here, just a spare, whenever Emi needs it."
It was a scarf.
A white scarf.
"Thank you very much."
Cid and Alia exchanged glances again and nodded their heads at each other.
It was as if they were exchanging thoughts.
How peculiar.
Car quickly adorned the new set of clothes Cid had given him.
As soon as he finished, he looked ahead. Cid and Alia were already ahead of him and a wagon was waiting for him and Emi.
"Co on, Emi."
"Un!"
Holding onto her hand, Carl strode off and neared the two rankers.
Carl helped Emi up the wagon and the two siblings sat next to each other.
On the opposite side, Cid and Alia sat next to each other.
Their bags were stowed to the side, and everything seed to be ready for departure.
It was then when the driver turned his head and asked.
"Where to?"
Cid and Alia looked at Carl, giving him the signal to instruct the driver for directions.
Carl was the only one who knew where their village was. And so, he gave the driver proper directions on where to go first.
Just like that, the wagon started to ascend. Carl's gaze lingered on the city gate.
The human domain, Vale City.
.....He didn't have many pleasant mories of the place.
It was a place he would rather not want to rember.
All of a sudden, he felt Emi's head laying on his side.
Imdiately, he rested her head on his lap.
"Pshh… Pshh…"
His little sister was sound asleep on his lap.
Carl gave her a warm smile and caressed her hair.
His little sister was the most important person to him.
Everything he'd done up to this point was all for her.
The siblings couldn't live in the kind of conditions the city had given them.
He wanted to return ho.
Back to their village.
Was he confident the village was still there?
No.
He wasn't.
But still, he didn't want to hope that the village was there anymore.
To hope that there was still a place he and Emi could return to.
If the village wasn't there, then there was nothing to be done.
It was all he really needed.
A confirmation.
And a closure.
Just like that, their journey began.
The start of a long journey.
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