The Wings Of Our Dreams

AN: Surprise, my dear readers! Bet you didn't think I'd give you another one so soon! Well, I wanted to give out at least one more before New Year's so I hope you enjoy it. And a Happy New Year, everyone!


10 Complications


A young Collin took a walk through the grassy field. After a day of helping his parents, he really just wanted to walk around in the fresh air. It felt really calming. Smelled very nice, too.

Then he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. On a nearby tree, there was a young girl leaning on the trunk. She had blonde hair that reached just below her shoulders, a bit of a pale complexion, and she wore a bit rougher dress-like outfit.

Collin raised an eyebrow. He never had never seen that girl before. What was she doing there?

Shrugging, Collin walked over to her to see what was going on. From the way her eyes were closed, she seemed to be sleeping.

Pursing his lips, Collin wondered what to do. Would it be rude to wake her up? But then again, she was alone and nobody else was around as far as he could see, so maybe checking up on her would be justified.

Deciding on the second option, Collin grabbed the girl by the shoulder and gave her a small shake. The girl grumbled as her eyelids quivered before she opened them.

"You alright, miss?" Collin asked. But then he noticed she had a downed expression for some reason. "You look lonely."

She turned her gaze on him and her eyes widened. Probably because she didn't expect to see some stranger in front of her.

"Um, sorry for wakin' ya," Collin said before moving away from her a bit and seating himself on the grass. "I just, well, I've never seen ya before in these parts. And I more or less know everyone from here."

"O-oh," the girl said in a hushed tone. "I was just… Well, I'm not really from here. My parents are in a neighboring village. I just… went for a walk and fell asleep."

"Oh, I see," Collin said. "So, let me introduce myself, the name's-"

"Collin Holt," the girl finished, making Collin look surprised. "I… Um… I saw you when I was visiting. You were protecting that boy from those bullies, and I remember your name being spoken."

"Oh, so you saw me defendin' Ben? Well, how could I not? He was in trouble," Collin said.

The girl gave a smile. "That is very admirable," she complimented, making Collin blush.

"Well, what's your name?" Collin asked.

The girl flinched a bit, before looking away shyly. "Well, it's… It's… Ima. My name is Ima."

"Ima," Collin repeated. "Pretty name."

Ima blushed. "Thank you."

"Say, you said you're from a neighborin' village. Is it Flana?"

"Oh, well, no, it's… I'm… I'm actually from Wall Rose. My parents were… just visiting," Ima explained.

"Oh. So that's it," Collin said, feeling disappointed. Collin wished he could go and visit Wall Rose, but his parents never got outside Wall Maria territory, and they only visited Maria's outer districts rarely. "Well, I was hopin' to hang out with another friend."

Ima blinked in surprise. "F-friend?"

"Yeah," Collin said with a smile. "I'd like to have ya as a friend. Ya seem like a nice girl." His smile somewhat faltered when he saw Ima looking at him like he grew a second head. "What's the matter? Don't tell me ya don't have any friends?"

"I… Well…" Ima started before looking down. "I don't."

Collin looked shocked. "You don't? How can that be?"

"I just… don't," Ima said. "I guess I never got the chance to make any."

"Well, as I said, I'll be your friend," Collin said happily, with Ima looking surprised again. "Hey, gimme a minute! I'll be right back!"

Collin then quickly ran in the direction of his home, with Ima looking at him curiously. She was unsure about it, but still decided to wait for him. She knew he wouldn't just leave her.

And so he did. After a few minutes, Collin came back, holding a small ball in his hand.

"Have ya ever played catch?" Collin asked as he leaned down and showed her the ball. Ima shook her head. "Well, I'm sure you at least get the rules. C'mon, get up," he said as he offered her a hand, which she slowly accepted.

After getting back to her feet, Collin moved further away. "Alright, now catch!" Collin exclaimed before throwing the ball.

Ima was caught off guard for a bit but was able to bring her hands forward and grabbed the ball before it could fall on the ground.

She looked at the ball in her hands for a moment before looking at Collin, who waved at her to throw. Glancing one last time at the ball, she threw it back and Collin quickly caught it. Letting out a chuckle, Collin threw it back, and Ima caught it, before throwing it back as well. A faint smile graced her face.

This continued on for several more minutes, Collin and Ima just playing catch, with Collin laughing a couple of times and Ima smiling.

Eventually, they stopped and Collin quickly ran up to her.

"Did ya have fun?" Collin asked expectantly.

"Yes, I did," Ima said. "Thank you."

Collin gave her a toothy grin as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, no problem," he said. "So, wanna do it again? At least while you and your folks are still here."

Ima's smile dropped when he said that. Her lips then began quivering as a tear fell from her eye. She brought her hands up to her face and started loudly sobbing.

Collin was caught completely off guard by that he dropped the ball out of shock. What was going on?

"I-Ima?" he said, still confused. Did he do something wrong? "Ima, are you alright? What's wrong?"

Ima choked back a few sobs before looking at him with her teary eyes. She surprised him further by hugging him and crying into his shoulder. Collin got over his surprise and wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back, similar to how his own mother comforted him.

After a minute or two, they separated as Ima's crying subsided, only being a few more sobs.

"Ima, please, tell me what's wrong," Collin said. "Did I do something?"

"Oh, Collin. No, you didn't do anything," Ima insisted as she wiped her eyes. "It's just that… I… You're such a nice person, and I don't think I'll ever see you again."

Collin tilted his head in confusion. "What do ya mean?"

"I… I have to go," Ima said, wiping several more tears. "And… I'm sorry, but I think this is goodbye."

"So, your folks are goin' already?" Collin asked. "Oh, well, that's a shame." His head hung low for a few moments in disappointment. "Well, it was fun while it lasted."

"I'm so sorry, Collin," Ima said as she lightly grabbed Collin by his arms. "But… there just wasn't enough time."

She then stood on her toes and gave Collin a kiss on his forehead.


Collin's eyes flew open as he took a sharp intake of air. He rubbed his head as he felt a slight headache. He rose from his infirmary bed and checked on his arm.

Taking a deep breath, Collin began thinking about that dream he had. 'That girl. Ima,' Collin thought as memories flooded back to him. 'I honestly forgot about 'er. Man, I feel bad.'

He rose from the bed, and with some struggle, put his regular clothes back.

'Wonder how she is doin' these days,' Collin thought. Then he remembered something. 'Wait, she said her folks are from Wall Rose, and considerin' where they visited, there was a high possibility that they are from Trost.' He then mentally berated himself. 'Damn it, why didn't I remember sooner? Could've at least asked around for her.'

Letting out a sigh, Collin began walking out. 'Well, maybe I'll get a chance another day.'


It was lunchtime in the mess hall, and many cadets chatted on how graduation was soon upon them. They'll be full-fledged soldiers in about a month, which was an exciting prospect.

Collin, unlike others, actually didn't eat and only sat at one of the tables, writing on a piece of paper with his left hand. Currently, he was doing a fairly good job in having his handwriting actually be understood as he repeated sentences.

"Why are you doing that?" Eren asked. "Your arm should heal in a little while. There is no point learning to write with your other hand."

"'Cause I got nothin' better to do," Collin said. "'Sides, I want to write in my journal as quickly as possible."

"Um, Collin," Armin began. "I was just wondering, about that journal…"

"Ya mean why I use it?" Collin spoke instead of him. "My gramps used one when he was a Scout. Said he liked to actually keep some of his memories recorded. Also, he found it to be calmin'. I still had some money before I got into the military so I bought mine."

"Oh, I see," Armin said before looking at his plate, his mind going back to his own grandfather. "I understand."

"But why don't you eat?" Eren wondered. "You haven't touched any food during the whole meal break."

"Can't train, means I can't burn calories," Collin simply said. "I mean, I tried to train, but Annie was quick on my case about it."

Eren raised an eyebrow. "Really? Annie was?"

Collin shrugged. "Probably so I don't hurt myself further so she could go back to kickin' my ass," he jested.

Eren couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, she just might do that."

"Hey, Collin!"

They turned to see Bertholdt approaching the table with a few papers in hand, which he extended towards Collin.

"Here. I have a few notes for you from today's class," Bertholdt said smiling. "The highlighted parts are what we are being graded on."

Collin put his pencil down and took the notes. "Thanks, Bert," he said as he returned the smile. "Don't know what I'd do without ya."

"Don't mention it," Bertholdt said. "You need the help in your condition."

Collin amusingly rolled his eyes. "C'mon, stop talkin' like I'm permanently crippled."

Bertholdt chuckled. "Like I said, I'm just helping a friend," he said. "And sorry if I don't stay for too long, but I have to also help Ymir."

"Fine then," Collin said. "Tell 'er I said 'hi'."

"Sure," Bertholdt said before leaving.

"Do you think you'll be able to catch up?" Eren asked. "I mean, you missed quite a lot over the past few weeks."

"I'll be fine, Eren, doncha worry 'bout it," Collin assured. "I'll get back to in no time."

"I hope you do. The Scouts need someone as skilled as you," Eren said.

Collin teasingly waved his hand. "Oh, stop it. You're makin' be blush."

"No, I'm serious," Eren said determinedly. "To properly fight against the Titans, we need as many able-bodied people as possible." Eren smiled. "And I'm more than happy to have a comrade like you on the battlefield."

Collin paused for a moment, actually feeling touched by what Eren said. "Thanks, buddy. Means a lot."


Stretching his good arm, Collin leaned back into his chair near the barracks and watched the sunset. He decided to take a break from his writing practice and just enjoy nature's beauty.

Although he didn't really like how he had to stop training because of a blunder he made, he was glad to be able to appreciate such things.

"Well, aren't you busy?"

Collin turned his gaze to Annie as she stood next to him, her arms crossed as she had her usual stoic expression.

"Not much for me to do these days," Collin said. "I assume your group is finished for today."

Annie just nodded.

"Good," Collin said before motioning to the chair next to him. "Have a seat?"

"Hmm, what for?" Annie asked.

"To sit next to me and watch the sunset, shortcake," Collin said with a smile.

"That's it?"

"That's it," Collin confirmed. "It may not seem like much, but I used to do this with my ma several times. Trust me, it's very calmin', and it can nourish your soul with its beauty. It'll feel like your troubles are meltin' away." He once again motioned towards the chair. "C'mon, give it a try."

Annie shrugged before seating herself and focused her blue eyes on the orange ball of light in the distance. Collin was quiet for a while, leaving Annie without any distractions.

She wasn't sure about this at first, as she was just watching the sunset and not doing anything special. And yet… As she took in the sun's rays, feeling the tingling on her face, she felt the tension in her muscles slowly lessen.

Silently taking a deep breath, Annie could feel her back ease into the chair. She was honestly surprised at how effective this was. The more she looked, the more she relaxed.

The calmness of the situation, the colors pleasing to the eyes, Annie never felt such serenity since… ever. It truly felt like all her doubts, all her troubles, all her worries were just… melting away.

"Feelin' better?" Collin asked just loudly enough for her to hear, but not loudly enough to disturb her peace.

"Yes," she said as a small smile graced her lips. 'Thank you.'

So they sat there for a while, simply enjoying one of the wonders of the world.


"Oh, man," Connie said as he laid back in his bed. "These last few days have been hard."

"Well, what do you expect?" Jean asked. "We're getting near the end of our time in the training camp. It only makes sense we will be put the wringer the hardest."

"Indeed," Marco agreed. "Still, we're doing pretty well all things considered. I'm certain you two will be in the top ten."

"Hey, hey, you give yourself way too little credit there, Marco," Jean commented. "You're definitely one of the best I've seen. The two of us will be in the Military Police in no time."

Marco blushed at the praise and scratched his cheek. "Well, thanks."

"If you're asking me," Jean said with his hands behind his head. "This graduation can't come soon enough."

"I'll be happy for it to come soon, even if it's just so we stop all this training," Connie said.

Reiner listened from above as he sat on his bunk along with Berhtoldt. His arms crossed as he thought of what the future would bring for them.

"You know, Reiner," Bertholdt said, getting his friend's attention. "Up here feels a bit… well…"

"Boring?" Reiner asked to which Bertholdt gave a nod. "Yeah, without Collin the late-night talks aren't nearly as interesting." Reiner then grinned. "And now I'm the one who has to bear your feet falling on my head."

"Come on, it's not that bad, is it?"

The door of the barracks suddenly flew open, letting a cool breeze inside. At the door stood Collin with a large grin on his face.

"Guess who's back, everybody!" Collin exclaimed as he spread both of his arms wide.

The cadets looked surprised at this for a moment before talking amongst each other.

Reiner grinned before hopping down from his bunk. "Well, look who the cat dragged in," Reiner said as approached Collin. "So that means that you've been discharged with a clean bill of health?"

"You bet," Collin said before tapping his right forearm. "As good as new."

"Glad to hear that," Reiner said. "I was honestly getting tired of Bertholdt constantly ruining your jokes." The said cadet inaudibly grumbled some protests on his bunk. "Also, all that free space just didn't feel right."

"Really? Didn't ya complain about it bein' cramped up there?" Collin asked.

"Yeah, but I got used to it," Reiner said causing them to chuckle.

"Honestly, I just can't wait to come back to practice," Collin said as he gave a few stretches with his right arm. "Though I'm still surprised Ymir ended up healin' sooner than I did. She'll end up catchin' up faster than I will."

"Heh, knowing you, you'll still end up ahead of her."

"Well, whatever the case," Collin said as he brought his right hand up. "We keep movin' forward…"

Reiner then soundly clasped Collin's hand with his own as they gave it a good squeeze.

"…Because that's all we can do," Reiner finished.


Over the course of the next several weeks, Collin was put through the most grueling training he experienced yet. But he hardly complained. Even in his head. He was glad to feel the familiar muscle aches.

Though the studying part of it he was a lot enthused about. He was glad he had Bertholdt help him, otherwise, he would be more lost than Connie with only half of his brain cells.

Plus, there were several times he took some of his buddies out to hang out past curfew so he could properly catch up. One of which they ended up caught and got into trouble. Sasha honestly regretted being a part of the group at the time.

Now one of the last training exercises was in the morning, with the cadets having to run through the woods as rain poured on them, all the while carrying heavy baggage. The sounds of footsteps on wet mud and some horse trots permeated the area.

"Pick up the pace you led-heeled laggards!" Shadis shouted as he followed the cadets on his horse. He then looked at one particular cadet. "Your boots waterlogged, Arlert?"

Armin panted heavily as he tried to keep with others. He felt that without Collin's help he might have ended up even further behind.

"C'mon, let's see some muscle!" Shadis exclaimed. "Is the bag too heavy for you, son?! Then drop it and leave it in the mud! The Titans will ingest you easier!"

Shadis then moved further forward as Armin tried to go faster. Then he suddenly felt the bag leave his back. He looked shocked to see Reiner next to him, now carrying two bags.

"Armin, focus on staying upright!" Reiner said, once again in his big brother persona. "We are being graded on this you know."

Armin then got a determined look before grabbing his bag back, surprising the larger blond. "Thank you, Reiner! But I won't let myself be anyone's burden!" he exclaimed as he ignored the aching. "Besides, you'll only lose points if they see you helping me!"

Reiner looked at Armin for a few moments before smiling. He then nodded and the two resumed their run.

Unbeknownst to them, Shadis was keenly paying attention.

'Reiner Braun. The mind and constitution of a grass-fed ox. Respected by his comrades.'

'Armin Arlert. Hardly has the best constitution. But academically brilliant.'


The next training was in the afternoon, this time back with the Titan dummies. Once the instructors moved one of the dummies into proper position, Jean, Annie, and Bertholdt came to the scene with their ODM gear.

One by one they ended up slashing through the fake nape in very short intervals.

Shadis, looking at the cadets from high above, continued his evaluations.

'Annie Leonhart. Gifted with a sword. But does not exactly play well with others.'

'Bertholdt Hoover. Heaps of innate talent. But too mild-mannered.'

'Jean Kirstein. Head of the class in ODM. Also an insufferable smart-ass with a hair-trigger temper.'

Jean then quickly zipped through the tree line, ready to slice through the next Titan he came across. He was going to do his best to get into the MPs.

He grinned when he saw a Titan dummy appear. But just as he was about to strike.

"Hey, Jean!" Connie exclaimed as he flew past his long-faced friend. "You don't mind if I steal your thunder?!"

Jean grit his teeth in frustration as he saw Connie was about to strike, but then to both of their surprises, Sasha swooped in and struck the nape.

"Yaahoo!" Sasha shouted with her arms spread as she let herself hang by her cables for a few seconds.

'Sasha Braus. Unusually fine instincts. Rarely shares them with her teammates.'

'Connie Springer. Agile on the switchbacks. A few sandwiches shy of a picnic.'

Marco, Ymir, and Krista then zipped across the area, trying to find any Titan in their surroundings.

"There!" Marco shouted as he fired his cable down while Ymir and Krista stayed up.

Marco slashed through the heel of the Titan dummy, while Krista and Ymir sliced through the nape.

"Nice going there, Krista!" Ymir compliment to which Krista gave a smile. Marco sighed as he went ignored by her as usual.

'Marco Bodt. Too naïve for his own good. But a good team player.'

'Krista Lenz. Balanced between brain and ODM skill. Though her meek nature may prove a hindrance.'

'Ymir. Very capable with her gear. Her attitude, however, makes it harder for others to work alongside her.'

Mikasa and Eren flew together, with Mikasa in the lead. Two Titan dummies appeared, and Mikasa quickly slashed through the napes of both of them. Eren followed her example but was disappointed when he saw he didn't cut as deep as she has.

Collin flew next to them with Mina in tow. Once a Titan dummy appeared, Collin turned to Mina before extending his two fingers and bending them down.

Mina nodded at the signal as the two went to the opposite sides of the dummy. Both of them dashed to the nape before slashing through it simultaneously. Looking at their success, Mina couldn't help but let out a triumphant laugh while Collin gave her a wink and a thumbs-up.

Collin then joined Eren and Mikasa as they flew. "So, how are you two doin'?!"

Eren looked back at the dummy annoyed. "I didn't cut deep enough back there!"

"Well, try not to keep your arms so close to your chest next time!" Collin exclaimed.

The three then zipped forward to slice through another nape of a dummy, with Eren this time getting a good cut which made him smile.

'Mikasa Ackerman. Model cadet. Excels in everything. In fact, it's no overstatement to call the girl a genius.'

'Eren Yeager. Lackluster in the classroom. Marginally better in the field. But… driven by a sense of purpose that's almost terrifying.'

'Collin Holt. Hardly a brainiac, and also a reckless troublemaker. However, a natural leader and one of the prodigies when it comes to using ODM gear.'

A few more sliced Titan dummies later, and the training was finished.


When noon came, it was time for rest as the cadets gathered at the mess hall and talked about their performances today.

Collin was seated next to Sasha, who was actually the one who invited him over, where they enjoyed their soup.

"Have to admit, Sash," Collin said. "Ya did very well today."

"Oh, you know, I'm just," Sasha said while scratching her neck. "Giving it my all."

"Well, keep it up, and I'm certain you'll end up in the top ten," Collin complimented to which the ponytailed girl blushed.

"Um, by the way," Sasha said. "How are you holding up in the tests?"

"I'm doin' fine," Collin answered as he finished his soup. "But boy does Shadis like to use this opportunity to yell at me more than usual."

"I guess that'd be a given," Sasha said before looking to the side for a bit, her cheeks tinted red. "You know, Collin. I was thinking."

"Hmm?"

"It's just that… well," Sasha stammered. Her gaze then slightly went to the next table where Mina was seated, the pig-tailed girl giving her a 'go on' motion several times. When Collin looked curiously at that table, Mina quickly switched positions where she rested her head on her palm.

"Okay, what I'm saying is," Sasha continued. "I just… Well, since we're nearing the end… Um, how about we… How about we do some more training together? You know, so we can better prepare for the end."

Collin raised an eyebrow before replying. "Sure. I don't see why not."

At the next table, Mina shook her head and facepalmed.

"You think you can judge me?!" Jean suddenly shouted as he held Eren by his shirt.

"You rip my shirt you're dead!" Eren shouted back.

Collin rolled his eyes. "These two at it again?"

"Um, yeah looks like it," Sasha said. It looked Jean once again said something about the MPs that Eren disagreed with.

"I don't give a damn about your shirt! You piss me off!"

"What?! Are you crazy?!"

Eren then grabbed Jean by the arm and his shirt before sweeping his leg, causing Jean to fall on his back.

Collin chuckled. "Well, looks like that trainin' with Annie is payin' off."

Jean rose as he rubbed his head in pain. "Damn it! What the hell?!"

"Do you honestly believe that the Military Police are your ticket to the good life?" Eren asked as he glared down at Jean. "You're not a soldier. You're a joke."

Everyone was silent for a moment as they looked at the two of them. A silence which was soon broken by the creaking door as commandant Shadis peeked through it.

"Would someone care to explain that little ruckus I heard just now," Shadis said in a low-key threatening voice. "I do hope everything is alright."

Eren and Jean slowly and awkwardly got back to their seats, hoping that Shadis wouldn't do anything drastic. They remembered what happened to Collin two years ago and they definitely weren't ready to go through something like that.

Salvation then came in the form of Mikasa's raised hand.

"Sasha passed some gas, commandant," Mikasa quickly said.

Sasha gasped in absolute shock at that statement.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Shadis said as he held his nose so he didn't feel the smell that supposedly came from Sasha.

Sasha gasped again, with others trying not to laugh before Shadis left. Glancing at Collin, she was further discouraged when she saw that he was biting his lip so laughter wouldn't escape his mouth.

"For God's sake, learn some self-control," Shadis said before closing the door behind him.

After a few more moments, Collin let out a laugh along with a few other cadets. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry, Sash," he said as he tried to gather himself. "But that was some quick thinkin', Miks."

Sasha quickly ran over to Mikasa and grasped her shoulders. "Mikasa, how could you do this to me?! What have I ever done to you! That was so-!"

And Sasha was silenced when Mikasa put some bread in Sasha's mouth.

Collin couldn't help but chuckle again. Oh, how he was glad to be a part of this quirky group. They really meant the world to him.

Then he remembered what Sasha was talking about earlier, and he became somewhat worried. As he said before, he may be big and strong, but that didn't mean he was dumb. He had a pretty good idea of what Sasha actually wanted.

Collin rubbed his temples a bit. 'Man, I hope this ain't goin' where I think it is. 'Cause if it is, I think I'd rather be devoured by a Titan.'

Just when did his life get so complicated?


AN: And that is it for now, my dear readers! We are finally caught up to canon! Woo! And yeah, I added a few more evaluations to the story as let's be honest, it's a bit weird Marco, Krista and Ymir were left out. And boy, I should really stop ending these chapters like a high school drama.

BTW, I'd like to thank the author RememberShiganshina for helping in writing what Shadis' evaluation of Collin would be. Usually, with OCs, they have evaluations be a bit too long so we kept it at what we think would be a consistent length with the canon. And again, please check out his 'Our Friend' story. It's great

Also, I implore you to check out my other stories. Trust me, they are worth it. And leave a review, they are great motivators.

See you next time!