The next couple of days were stressful. Sasha was trying to figure out what was happening. She still didn't understand, and she refused to see anyone, not even Connie. She kept pinching herself and pulling at her hair trying to wake herself up from this dream... this dream of simpler times, when it was only Humanity against Titans...
The medics would check up on her every now and then, ask her questions, and give her a check-up before leaving her alone again.
Connie would come now and then, but she would just turn so her back was facing him and pretend to be asleep. Connie would try to 'wake her up' and try to tell her about his day in training or the pranks he pulled, but Sasha would act as tired as she could before going back to 'sleep'. Connie understood after a while, but he got really worried for her when he found her with tears in her eyes one day when he came to visit. She told him that she wasn't feeling well and to leave her alone.
Marco would come and visit her too, along with Jean, who would wake her up and hand her her food every day. They would try to talk to her, only to have her try to move away from them. She would stare at Marco, and whenever he asked her why she was staring, she would look away with a look of pain on her face. Jean had been trying to get to know her more to become closer to her.
They would ask her if she needed anything after she was done eating, but she would just shake her head at them before turning and going back to 'sleep'. They would leave shortly after, realizing that she really wasn't going to try and talk to them.
Mikasa came in at one point with Eren and Armin. Sasha couldn't even look at Eren when he walked into the room. He tried to talk to her, but she would only shake or nod her head whenever he asked her something. When Eren asked her why she was acting like that with him, all she would say was that she was tired. They knew she was lying, but didn't push it. She might have been stressed after what happened. Eren walked out after an hour, with Mikasa following, both wishing her well. Armin stayed and ended up talking to her for a little bit before leaving as well after she showed no sign of movement.
Reiner came too, with Bertholdt following behind him in a shy manner. Sasha instantly tensed as they walked in, but she didn't let them see her tense. Reiner acted so happy to see her feeling better and said he hoped to see her in training soon. Bertholdt gave her a couple of flowers before walking out with Reiner. Sasha could only let out a breath as she felt their presences disappear before glaring at the door.
She still had the good instincts she had always had.
She still wasn't sure what was happening, or if this was a dream or not... She didn't really know what to do at this point. If this was a dream, it could be either the best dream of her life, back in the simpler days, or the worst dream she could ever have, of not knowing anything about beyond the walls, back when they could have been attacked at any moment by some unknown enemies.
But if this wasn't a dream and this was her reality... what should she do... what COULD she do?
She shook her head to try to get the thoughts out. She was hoping it wasn't just a dream, but at the same time, she didn't want this to be real. She didn't want this to be like last time... all the deaths and betrayal from many people she considered friends.
"What is happening?" she asked herself as she laid down. After a couple days of this, she was getting tired of waiting for something to happen. Anything that could make this any better.
"Braus," Sasha heard. She turned her head and saw Shadis standing at the door. He had a glare on his face.
"Yes, sir," she asked as she sat up and saluted from her bed.
"You will be joining training in three days. I expect to see you back here every day for the next month after training and dinner. Do I make myself clear?" he said. She nervously nodded her head as he nodded and walked back out. Sasha let out a sigh. Even after years of her being in Squad Levi and having to deal with all of Levi's nagging and cleaning habits, Shadis still scared her shitless.
A couple of days later, Sasha was set free from the infirmary and was allowed to rest in her room while everyone trained. She did so as she continued to try and process what was happening. She looked over all of her belongings and found that everything was like it used to be. She had clothes that smelled of home that she never wore just for that reason, small food packets in her hiding spot, a bag of supplies, and other things she would need for her 3 years in training. She also found letters from home from her father and mother; she smiled slightly at them, remembering how her mother died when the Titans invited Trost because she was there visiting her close friend.
She looked through the letters and remembered she never sent any back. She was petty after their last conversation before she left and didn't want to seem weak, but with all her old memories, she felt bad that the only time she got to talk to her father was during the Beast Titan's attack, after they retook Wall Maria, and before she left to Marley for the 4 years.
She let out a sigh as she quickly put everything away and went to her bed to lay down. She didn't want to be laying down, but it was recommended whenever she wasn't training or doing her other duties.
"Are you alright?" someone asked as they walked into the room. It was Krista, but she couldn't just see her as Krista... she could only see her as Historia... her queen.
"I'm fine thank you for asking," Sasha said as she nodded her head. "I'm sorry I scared you. When I woke up, everyone told me that you were the first one to check on me."
"You don't remember?" Krista asked. "Well, it was a stressful night... if you need anything you can always ask me."
"Thank you."
"Are you sure you're okay? Normally you would ask me for food."
"Yeah... just tired my Q- Krista." Krista paused as she wanted to ask Sasha what she was going to say. She didn't really hear her, but she wanted to ask.
"Krista," Ymir called, coming up from behind her. "Yo, Sasha," she called as she saw the girl. "How you doing?" she asked as she walked in, pushing Krista to go in.
"I'm okay... just thinking."
"Oh, well that's a shock!" Ymir laughed, only to be told off by Krista. "Well anyway, you feeling better for training tomorrow?"
"Yeah, Shadis said I have to go to the infirmary every day for the next month after training and after dinner, though."
"Would you like for us to join you so you won't be alone?"
"If you want, I don't mind," Sasha said as she got up from her bed. Just then, Annie walked into the room. Sasha nodded at her in greeting as she passed. She didn't trust Annie, but she didn't want her to know that. She made her decision then and there.
Krista needed to be queen...
Ymir needed to live for Krista to be happy...
She needed to save her friends...
All the betrayal that happened... in her past life... in a dream... she is not sure, but it won't happen again... never again.
"Pick up the pace you laggers!" everyone heard Shadis yell as the cadets ran in the rain with all their gear on their backs. Shadis was riding his horse as he continued to yell at everyone. " Boots waterlogged, Arlert? Let's see some hustle!" Shadis yelled as he brought his horse to run next to Armin, who was lagging behind everyone else. "Gear too heavy for you, son?" he mocked him. "Well then, drop it, leave it in the mud!" he snapped. "Titans will have an easier time digesting you without all the extra baggage." he said as he made his horse go faster and closer to the other cadets.
Armin was slowing down as Reiner started to talk to him, snapping at him before taking his bag from his back.
Sasha, who was in the middle of the group, looked back slightly, sending Armin and Reiner a look. She slowed down slightly, just to listen to what they were saying.
"Focus on staying upright," Reiner ordered Armin as they ran. "We are being graded on this you know."
"Thanks... but won't they... take away points from you for helping me?" Armin asked.
"Yeah, if they find out," Reiner said to him. "Just make the cut and we are even, alright?" Reiner yelled at Armin through the rain.
"Reiner Braun, he possesses great mental and physical fortitude. Most of his comrades trust him deeply." Shadis thought from the top of his horse, watching Armin and Reiner like Sasha was.
After a moment, Armin started to run faster and ran behind Reiner, grabbing his gear back from him. He quickly ran to the front of the group, making Sasha smile slightly.
"Armin Arlert, what he lacks in physical strength, he makes up for with extraordinary academic aptitude." Shadis thought as he watched Armin run. He also noticed that once Armin was away from Reiner and further ahead, Sasha ran faster and made it to the front as well.
A couple of days later, they were in a forest 'killing' fake Titans. Jean, Bertholdt, and Annie were all going for the same one at the same time. Annie and Bertholdt got a perfect kill, but Jean only got a small slice of the Titan's nape.
"Annie Leonhart. While her fighting skills are outstanding, she doesn't work well as part of a team. A lone wolf."
"Bertholt Hoover. He is highly talented, but lacks initiative."
"Jean Kirstein. His 3DMG control skills are top class, but his overly blunt personality causes friction." thought Shadis as he watched them from high in the trees, taking notes.
"I can't fight like them. I need to find my own Titan first," Jean said as he moved on to find another Titan. "I will be accepted into the military police!" Jean called as he flew through the trees with his maneuver gear, but just as he found a Titan to kill, he heard a voice.
"Thanks, Jean!" Connie called, following him. Jean looked shocked, not realizing he was being followed. "I knew following you would work!" Connie yelled as he hopped from tree to tree to get the kill, only to look at the Titan in shock as Sasha laughed when she cut it before him, falling to the ground before using her gear to pull herself back up to the trees.
"I did it!" she yelled as she almost touched the ground.
"Sasha Braus. She's talented at operating unconventionally, but that mentality makes her unfit for organized activity."
"Connie Springer. He is skilled at making sharp turns, but his mind is nowhere near sharp enough."
Mikasa and Eren quickly attacked their own Titans. Mikasa killed two in a matter of seconds, with Eren following, but not cutting deep enough.
"Mikasa Ackerman. Her performance is exemplary in every subject. She is truly a genius of historically-unprecedented significance."
"Eren Jaeger. While he lacks any outstanding talents, he improved his grades through outstanding diligence. Also, he possesses an exceptional sense of purpose." Shadis thought as Eren flew through the trees killing more titans, with everyone else following him.
Many days later, they were outside training their hand to hand combat. Sasha was 'training' with Connie, who made up the most ridiculous pose ever. Sasha could see Reiner and Eren talking before Reiner pushed Eren to Annie, and that ended up with them fighting and Eren on the ground a moment later with his butt in the air. She could tell Reiner was mocking Annie, and he as well ended up on the ground with his butt in the air. Sasha choked back a laugh, but covered it with a cough as she continued to mess around with Connie.
Sasha had one leg in the air as she stood on her toes with the other leg. She also had her hands in the hair held high like wings as she cried out. Connie was doing something with his arms and had his legs very far apart with the knife in his mouth, acting like he was going to punch Sasha. Neither realized that Shadis was walking up behind them until it was too late. They both turned with shocked expressions as a second later Shadis had grabbed Connie by the ears and lifted him up. Sasha put both her feet on the ground, quivering, but still had her hands in the air. Even after a year, she was still afraid of Shadis.
Shadis made them run laps for a couple of hours before dinner. When they got there, they got their food as they giggled amongst themselves and sat down at the table in front of Eren's. The only seats that were available where the people weren't that annoying were right next to Reiner and Bertholdt. Sasha didn't feel comfortable, but sat there anyway because she didn't feel like hearing Eren or Jean.
They were halfway done with their meal when Eren started to pick a fight with Jean.
"Five years ago, this place was also part of the interior," Eren snapped at something he heard Jean say, before taking a sip of his water. That got everyone's attention.
"What's your point, Eren?" Jean snapped at him, turning to face him from the table across from them.
"Jean, you're such a simpleton, you'd be comfortable wherever you go," Eren said as he placed his water down on the table. Connie and Reiner started to laugh, knowing it might as well be true. Jean saw that and turned his head to glare at them, only to turn back to Eren.
"Damn you!" he snapped.
"Don't you think it crazy?" Eren started. "Learning how to kill titans, just to run away from them?"
"You bring that up now?" Jean asked. "This farce should be kept going, for my sake if nothing else."
"You damn bastard!" Eren snapped as he bolted up from his seat, making Jean follow his example.
"Fuck off and face reality!" Jean snapped as they got closer to each other.
"Eren, stop it," Armin said, getting up from his seat.
"Stop this," Mikasa said, getting up as well. She grabbed Eren's hand from Jean's shirt before placing it at his side. Eren looked guilty for a moment before Jean grabbed his shirt in jealousy.
"Dammit, you asshole!" he yelled.
"Fuck you, I backed off!" Eren yelled back.
"Who cares! I'm so jealous!" Jean snapped back.
"What the hell are you even talking about?" Eren snapped at him, confused and angry, only to look back at everyone behind him, shocked. Reiner was sipping his drink, staring at him. Annie was looking at him from the corner of her eye. It looked like he was thinking of something before he got angry again and grabbed Jean's arm. He then did Annie's move that she showed him earlier. Sasha looked at Annie, who looked slightly shocked to see him use that move on Jean.
"That hurt!" Jean snapped as he sat up from the ground. "What the hell was thatm" Jean asked, looking up at him
"That was a move I learned while you were slacking off," Eren said. Sasha could see Annies face, and she didn't hold any proper expression as she looked at him. "If you think reality is just living comfortably and following your own whims, can you seriously dare call yourself a soldier?" Eren asked Jean as the room went silent. No one dared move after that, and they all just stared at both boys.
Just then the door opened, making everyone turn to look at Shadis, who was looking in from the crack of the door. His eyes were wide as he spoke.
"I thought I heard some kind of loud noise," Shadis started. "Someone care to enlighten me as to what's going on?" he asked. No one said a word as Eren and Jean sat down at Eren's table, Jean taking Eren's old spot and Eren sitting in front of him.
"Sasha just ripped a giant fart, sir," Mikasa said as she raised her hand. Sasha looked away from Annie and gave a shocked expression at the words. She knew they were coming, but she had to play it as she did before so no one would get into trouble.
"You again," Shadis said as he covered his mouth, looking like he wanted to either laugh or throw up. Reiner smiled and tried not to laugh and Connie covered his face as he laughed silently. She looked in shock as he said those words. "Learn some self-control," he snapped, before turning and closing the door behind him. People either covered their faces in shame or tried desperately not to laugh as he walked out.
Sasha started to ask Mikasa why she threw her into the lion's den, moving from her seat next to Connie to the one next to Mikasa. Eren and Jean continued to glare at each other as Mikasa forced bread down Sasha's throat.
Over the next couple of days, they continued hand to hand combat. They trained almost every day, until it was announced who was going to be graduating.
"Hand upon your hearts!"
"Yes, sir!" Cadets yelled as they did as told.
"For you trainees graduating today, three paths now open before you. You can be stationed at the walls and defend the cities as members of Garrison. You can put your lives on the line to fight the Titans in their own territory as members of the Survey Corps. Or you can serve the king by controlling the crowds and protecting order as members of the Military Police Brigade. Of course, only the ten people with the top scores that we announced earlier are allowed into the Military Police," one of the high ranking commanders yelled to the crowd of trainees.
In front of all of them stood the top ten cadets in order of ranking, starting with Mikasa and ending with Krista. They all held their head high.
Hours later, they were all celebrating their graduation. They were all laughing and talking. Jean was the only one in their group of friends who was upset.
"Why am I below Eren? That bastard," he growled out before taking a drink. He was glaring at Eren, who was talking to the other cadets about not going into the military police. The room became quiet as everyone heard Eren yell before running out of the room, with Mikasa and Armin following him out. Sasha just let out a sigh, before getting up from her seat and going to ask the other cadets for some of their food that they might not have eaten. She didn't end up getting anything, and ended up going outside to get some fresh air. She sat down on a bench that was there and just stared up at the stars.
"SASHA!" Connies voice rang out as he searched for her. He finally walked out to see her sitting on the bench and looking at the stars. "There you are. I was looking all over for you," he smiled at her. Sasha smiled at him slightly before making room for him on the bench.
"What's u" she asked, remembering that she forgot to tell anyone where she was going before she walked out of the dining hall.
"Nothing, just wanted to check up on you," Connie smiled as he sat down. "You've been acting kinda weird the last couple of days," he said, not looking at her and placing his hands behind his head as he looked up at the stars "everyone's noticed it."
"Oh...I didn't realize," Sasha sighed out, looking up again.
"Can you tell me what's bothering you?" he asked her.
"I... don't know," she sighed out again. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Do you trust me?" she asked, not looking at him when he gave her a side glance.
"Yeah... I mean, of course, I know you have the best instincts in the entire trainee corps."
"But if I told you to do something, even if it looks odd, would you do it?"
"I'm not taking or helping you take any food from the kitchen again," he glared before looking up again. "I still have a bruise from last week," he dramatically said.
"No," she laughed, remembering how Shadis caught them in the act and grabbed Connie and her by their heads like he normally did whenever Connie did something wrong.
"Then what?"
"If I told you to request to be in the furthest section from the wall in Trost tomorrow, would you do it?" she asked him. He glanced at her, confused.
"Why?" he asked.
"Just... trust me, okay?"
"Okay... hey can I ask you a question, too?"
"Sure," she said as she still didn't look at him.
"Do you sense something... I mean with your instincts and all... is that why you're telling me to go to the back section?"
"... Yeah."
"Do you know what?" he asked her, hoping she would tell him so that he could be more prepared.
"I'm kinda tired... I think I'm going to go to sleep early today..." she said as she got up from her seat as Connie just watched her. "You going to walk me back?" she asked. He just nodded and they walked silently back to the girl's dorm.
"Oh and one more thing," Sasha started before she walked into the empty room.
"Yeah?"
"If you do end up being placed on cannon duty on the wall... be ready... for anything... and don't tell anyone else I told you anything," she said as she closed the door, leaving a shocked Connie standing there... she didn't tell him directly, but... she knew something was coming. She never acts like this unless her instincts are telling her something is wrong.
the Next day"WHAT?" Eren yelled as he was doing his duties on top of the wall. "You're enlisting in the Survey Corps?" Eren asked, shocked. "Connie, you were going on and on about joining the Military Police," Eren said as he cleaned the inside of the cannon.
"Yeah, I know," Connie smiled back at him kindly. He was still nervous about being there because they didn't move him to the back section of Trost like he asked. "But..."
"Seems like he was listening to your lecture yesterday," a girl said, walking up behind Eren.
"Shut up! This is my own decision!" Connie snapped with a blush on his face.
"Don't be shy," another cadet yelled out as he walked closer. "You're not the only one," the boy shyly smiled.
"Are you serious?" Eren asked.
"Um, guys?" Sasha called as she tried to get their attention as quietly as possible. "I borrowed some meat from the officer's morning rations," she smiled softly, trying to lighten the mood. Sasha knew what was coming and knew that this was their only time before things went bad.
Everyone stared at her, shocked at the statement she made. "Sasha," Eren called. "Do you wanna get solitary confinement?" he asked her. "You're a real idiot."
"Real idiocy's scary," Connie said as they all stared at the girl.
"Let's all split it up together; later, we'll slice it up and eat it with bread!"
"TAKE IT BACK!" they all yelled at her.
"Don't worry about it," Sasha waved them off, before going to hide it in one of the crates. "Once we retake the land, we can keep pigs and cows again," she smiled kindly. All the memories she had when they retook Wall Maria... then all the bad ones...
They all started to agree with her, telling her to save them a slice of the small piece of meat. They all smiled and talked, then Sasha's face became serious.
"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" she yelled. Everyone looked at her shocked, not understanding what she was saying. Connie did as told, taking the two male cadets down with him to the ground as lightning was heard and a bright yellow flash shined from behind Eren, who just stared at Sasha and Connie. Two gigantic eyes along with red flesh appeared behind Eren.
Everyone looked at the Colossal Titan in shock as it stared ahead. A gasp was heard from Eren before steam blew out from the titan and a loud bang sounded from below them.
The steam pushed them off the wall, but because Connie was on the ground, he easily grabbed his maneuver gear handlebars and attached himself to the wall. Everyone else did the same, and no one fell over because no one got hurt. Sasha quickly moved into action and ran up the wall with the help of her maneuver gear. She could hear Eren behind her giving everyone else orders.
"Ready the artillery! Four groups! Prepare for battle!" he yelled as he took out his swords and started to follow Sasha up the wall. "The target is right in front of us! It's the Colossal Titan! This is our chance! Don't let it slip away!" he yelled again as he flew past the steam and landed on the wall where he stood before.
Sasha glared at it as it looked at both her and Eren. This was the moment that will determine all future events...
Edited by QueenOfAces
