The Wings Of Our Dreams

AN: Hi there, my dear readers! Here's another chapter for you from dear ol' me. I hope you enjoy!

Now to reviews.

Yoyon586: Thanks a bunch!

Scipias: Well, I thought that focusing on that friendship had some potential so I thought to give that some focus. And thanks for enjoying my story.


12 The Second Breach


Year 850

Forty-seventh entry

Well, I have to admit the last night was… truly something else. Our training days were finally behind us, and it was a good time to party. Though the mood was kinda ruined when I decided to sneak out with Annie for a little bit, only for Bertholdt to see us. Which in turn led to pretty much everyone else finding out about us, which also included Sasha. Yeah, that was a real doozy.

Boy, I really hope to get to talk to them. Having them hate me is honestly the last thing I want. What a way to officially start my military career, eh?


The next morning the cadets of the 104th Cadet Corps were sent to do some maintenance on the cannons stationed atop Wall Rose, specifically in the Trost District.

Despite yesterday's shenanigans, they woke up relatively early. Though some definitely had nasty headaches.

Collin looked around among the crowd of cadets, but he couldn't find the one he was looking for.

"Hey, Armin," Collin called getting the young blond's attention. "Have ya seen Annie around by any chance?"

Armin shook his head. "No, I've only seen her last night," he said. "What about you guys?"

"No, me neither," Eren answered.

"I haven't," was Mikasa's simple response.

Collin let out a sigh. "Man, where could she be? We were s'posed to meet again last night, but she was nowhere in sight."

Jean then wrapped his arm around Collin as a large grin was plastered on his face. "What's the matter? Miss your girlfriend?"

"Please, Jean, I ain't in the mood."

"Well our dear Casanova, she was probably annoyed with how much attention she got because of that little stunt you pulled yesterday," Jean teasingly suggested. "Or maybe she doesn't want to talk to you because she saw you carrying Sasha away like a princess last night. Hell, Annie may have dumped you already."

Jean then felt his blood freeze. Looking up, he saw that Collin was glaring at him with a look in his sliver-shined eyes that promised a whole lot of pain if he uttered another word.

"B-but, you know, I'm just joking around," Jean said with a strained smile and a bead of sweat falling down his head. "I'm sure everything will turn out fine."

Collin then grinned at him. "I'm glad ya think that, Jean-boy," he said before moving away Jean's arm from him as the younger man grumbled about his nickname. He then reached into one of the inner pockets of his jacket, only for his eyes to widen when he found nothing there. Collin began frantically looking through his jacket pockets, hoping not all of them were empty.

Seeing his friend's behavior Eren asked. "Collin, what's wrong?"

Collin grumbled under his breath. "Bloody hell, after all this time…" He stopped looking through any of his pockets as they held nothing. "Guys, look, my journal ain't here."

"Oh? Maybe you just left it at the barracks," Armin suggested.

"No, I know I took it with me," Collin said before looking behind him. "Guys, don't wait for me. I'll catch up to y'all."

"Hey, wait a-!"

Ignoring Eren's call, Collin hurried off back the way his group came. He avoided people that walked through the street as he looked around for any place his journal could have fallen. He couldn't lose it. Not now.

Brown eyes moved frantically across the tiled road as he desperately searched. He almost crashed into one of the passerby's but stopped himself just in time. He really hoped the trail didn't lead him all the way back to the barracks.

"Hey, is something wrong?"

Collin stopped his search as he looked at the person who addressed him. It was a tall man, actually matching his height, with short blond hair, golden eyes, and a thin mustache. From the uniform he was wearing, Collin could tell he belonged to the Garrison.

"Oh, sorry. I just lost somethin'."

The man raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That wouldn't happen to be this, now would it?" he asked as he pulled a brown leather-bound book.

Collin's eyes lit up. "Yes, that's it!" he said as he took the journal back before pocketing it. "Thanks very much. This little thing means a lot to me."

"Yeah, I can tell," the man said. "I hope you don't mind, but I actually took a peek inside."

"Why, no, I don't mind at all some complete stranger looking into my private life," Collin said unimpressed.

The said stranger laughed. "Sorry, about that. My curiosity got the better of me. The name's Hannes, by the way," the man introduced himself. "I saw that you're friends with Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. Is that correct?"

"Um, yeah. What about it?"

"I actually happen to know them. We were in the same district before, well, you know what happened," Hannes explained.

Collin was silent for a moment as he let the information sink in. "Oh, I see."

"Well, don't mind that. Just be careful with that thing if it means so much to you," Hannes said before scratching his chin. "Hey, would you mind taking me to them? I haven't seen those three in a while."

Collin gave him a smile. "Oh, I ain't got a problem with that. Follow me."


So the Shiganshina trio had their reunion with Hannes, something which Collin decided to keep his nose out of since it wasn't his business.

Soon after, they ended up stationed atop the wall where the cannon cleaning began. Collin was currently cleaning the cannon's tube as he listened to the others talk.

"What do you mean you're joining the Scouts?!" Eren exclaimed at Connie. "I thought getting into the MPs was your whole thing!"

"Don't worry," Connie dismissed as he polished the cannon. "A guy is allowed to change his mind."

Mina chuckled as she approached the two. "I think that little speech you gave inspired him."

"Hey, nobody's talking to you. That temper tantrum had nothing to do with it," Connie denied, though his flushed face made it hard for them to believe it.

"It's alright, you're not the only one," Thomas said smiling.

"Are you serious?" Eren asked, stunned at the sudden interest of his fellow cadets to join the Scouts.

Collin couldn't help but chuckle. It looked like Eren underestimated just how convincing he could be.

"Hey, can you guys keep a secret?"

Perking up from his work, Collin saw Sasha approaching Eren and the others, her hand hidden in her jacket as her face showed the excitement she held back.

"Cause I totally helped myself to the officer's pantry," she said as she revealed she was hiding a chunk of meat.

Everyone gasped at what she had just shown.

'Sasha, I swear…' Collin thought. Stealing bread? That was one thing. Stealing meat? Well, that's a whole other beast.

"Are you crazy?" Eren asked. "They can throw you into the slab for that!"

"Seriously, what's wrong with you?" Another cadet asked, Samuel if Collin recalled correctly.

"Oh, it's fine. I'm willing to share," Sasha said as the flushing on her face intensified with slight drool on her lip. "Can you just imagine the sandwiches?"

'If I didn't know 'er any better, I would've sworn she's still boozed from last night,' Collin thought as he stopped his cleaning for a moment. It appeared that she didn't notice him yet. And with how she was focused on the meat, she probably wouldn't for a little while longer.

"Sasha, put that back," Connie said.

"Yeah, do you have any idea how rare meat has been these past couple of years?" Mina tried reasoning.

"A bit, yeah," Sasha said before walking over to the nearby crate and putting the meat inside. "Think of it this way, pretty soon we'll reclaim more than enough room for livestock."

Collin coughed from behind her, making Sasha jolt before looking back at him. Pregnant silence prevailed for a few moments between them, making the others feel a bit awkward.

"Hey there, Sash. Sorry of interruptin' your meaty high, but," Collin said before leaning down. "I think the two of us should… talk for a bit."

"Uh?" Sasha tried her best to formulate a proper response. But after remembering everything that happened last night, it was kind of hard to. "Um, don't we have cannon duty?"

"True, but if ya can steal from the pantry on cannon duty, I'm sure ya can have a lil' chat with me," Collin countered. "Sasha… please."

The girl from Dauper stared at him for a few moments before giving a sigh. "Alright, fine."

Collin turned to the others. "Give us a few moments, we won't be long."

Collin and Sasha then moved some distance away, just enough for them to not be heard by everyone else there.

"Look, I'm sorry for takin' ya here so suddenly," Collin said. "But I think we should talk 'bout last night. At least now that you're, ya know, not as knackered as before."

Immediately Sasha's cheeks reddened, though this time out of embarrassment as she remembered what happened.

"Yeah. Right then," Sasha said as she struggled to look Collin in the eyes. "So… You an' Annie really are a thing."

Collin sighed at her defeated tone, which was quite a contrast to what she showed just a few moments ago. "Yeah, we are. And we've been for a while now. It started when I got my arm busted."

"Ah, I see," she simply said. "And why didn't ya tell anyone?"

"She… wanted to keep it a secret for a little while. How long exactly I ain't sure, but it was a while."

"So, all that teasin' and you actin' flirty, that was all just so ya could cover for 'er and yourself?"

"Yup, pretty much," Collin said as he nervously rubbed the back of his head.

Sasha breathed out of her nose. "Alright. I get it."

Collin then gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Sasha, look, I… I'm sorry. I… went overboard, and I shouldn't have. I thought that if I acted like usual it would really… No, that was a bad idea." He rubbed his eyes, frustrated how he couldn't properly find the words. "Sorry, Sasha. I acted like a bastard, and I fully admit it. I thought about how Annie would feel, but I never thought about how others would."

Her lips quivered for a bit. She honestly wasn't sure how to respond. Should she berate him? No, she couldn't bring herself to. Sasha knew he was being genuine. She spent enough time around him to know he was. But then again, she couldn't just assure him it was fine since what he did still hurt. In the end, Sasha didn't say anything.

Silence hung in the air, somewhat dashing Collin's hopes before Sasha lightly chuckled. "So… I ended up spillin' my guts last night?"

Collin nodded. "Yeah, ya did."

"Heh, what a weird way to find out a girl likes ya, ain't it?"

"Actually… I already knew."

Sasha blinked. "Whu-what? Wait, how?!"

"Sasha, I ain't an idiot despite what many may think. Yes, I knew ya liked me. Which… pro'ly makes my behavior look worse, actually. And truth be told, I liked ya as well." Sasha was about to ask, but Collin spoke before she could. "I know, you're wonderin' why I ended up with Annie? Ya asked me that yesterday. But... 'spite how she carries 'erself, she's a good girl and she does care. And, well, she came to me first. And I… decided to give it a shot."

Sasha's lips were slightly parted as he spoke before she closed them. "So… if I came to you first then…" Collin's nod was a confirmation, and for some reason, she couldn't help but smile. "Hm, damn."

"Sasha, ya may not be my girlfriend, but I still care about ya," Collin said before he surprised her by wrapping her in a gentle hug. "I don't want any bad blood between us. Not a drop. You're very dear to me in spite of everything. I… hope you understand."

She bit her lip as she held back some tears before wrapping her arms around him as well. "It's alright, Collin. I understand."

Collin smiled. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that," he said before unwrapping his arms from her. "Thanks, Sash. I know this ain't easy for ya, but… I'm glad ya don't hate me."

"Well, after knowin' ya," Sasha said with a slight smile. "It's impossible to hate ya."

He shook his head in amusement. "One more thing," Collin said, making Sasha curious at what else would he have to say. "Ya don't have to worry. You'll find yourself a good guy. Ya may be a weird girl, but you're still a great girl. Pretty too. You'll find someone I'm sure." He then clicked his tongue. "At least… someone who'll be honest with ya."

Sasha resisted the urge to kiss him right there and then. Even now, she could feel the guilt in his words. If she ever did find someone, they probably wouldn't think of her the way Collin did. In the end, she only nodded. "Thanks for the confidence boost," she said. "So… how 'bout we return?"

"Yeah, we pro'ly should. C'mon, Sash."

The two of them walked back to the others who expectantly waited for them. They tried to focus on their work on the cannons, but they couldn't help but be curious about how the conversation between Collin and Sasha would turn out.

"So, are you two…?" Samuel asked though he let the question linger as he couldn't find a proper finish for it.

"We're good," Collin said. "No hard feelings between us, eh Sash?"

"Yeah, we're good," Sasha confirmed as she gave Collin a smile.

"That's great to hear," Eren said as he approached the two. "I wasn't there to see what exactly happened last night, but I'm glad you're on good terms with each other."

"Trust me, Eren, I am too," Collin said.

"Um, not to be rude," Samuel began. "But we better get to work. We don't need to be caught slacking off. We'll get in trouble."

"He's right, we better get back to these," Thomas said. "I have a feeling we'd have Shadis screaming at us again."

Almost everybody shuddered.

"Hey, Sasha," Mina called. "During lunchtime, you better have some of that meat for us."

"Yeah, definitely!" Connie exclaimed.

"Save some for me," Thomas said.

"Me too!" Samuel added.

Eren crossed his arms as he watched them go back to work. "Jeez, those guys."

"Eren, ya know that you'd be even more shocked if they didn't react like that," Collin said.

The teen from Shiganshina gave a shrug. "I guess."

"Well, I hope I see Bertholdt soon. Still have to patch things up with him, too."

Eren turned to the large teen. "You know, I'm surprised you were actually able to make him angry."

"I'm not. I acted like a jerk by lyin' to 'im like that," Collin said as he looked over the Wall into the vast nature.

"I mean, you and Sasha are on good terms. I'm sure that it'll be the same with Bertholdt. Besides, I don't think that guy could be angry at anyone for long even he tried."

Collin chuckled before turning his head to Eren, a half-grin on his face. "Yeah, that's probably true. Thanks, Eren."

Eren smiled back. "Yeah, no problem."

Collin then looked back into the nature outside Wall, while Eren briefly looked at the Trost District.

The sight over the Wall, it was truly something. It almost makes Collin feel like he was on top of the world. Somewhere over all those trees and grasslands was his home. A home he lost five years ago. He still found it weird how so much time had passed. It seemed surreal.

However, it reminded him of what he was fighting for, and where his goals were set. Now he just needed to-

A giant bolt of yellow lightning suddenly appeared in front of him as a giant skinless face came out of nowhere with a cracking sound, obscuring Collin's entire field of vision.

The young Holt looked in shock, his eyes wide and mouth agape, with his reaction mimicked by his comrades on the Wall. That face, he remembered it from all those years ago as it stood over Wall Maria. The Colossal Titan has returned.

The Titan's eyes stared into Collin's own as it seemed to frown at him, with Collin still being so shocked by the sudden appearance he couldn't properly react. A large shadow then began covering him.

"COLLIN, MOVE!" Eren yelled, snapping his friend out of his shock.

Collin let out a gasp before quickly turning around, running as fast as he could before he jumped over the Wall along with everyone else as the Colossal's giant hand seemingly struck right at the spot where Collin was standing, sending debris from crates and cannons around.

The cadets then fired their cables and hooked themselves to the Wall, stopping their descent as their feet touched the Wall's surface.

A loud crash was then heard beneath them, making them look down and gasp further. Right where the outer gates were supposed to be… was a giant hole.

"Oh, God no," Thomas said.

"They're… they'll get in!" Connie exclaimed.

Eren and Collin had a similar line of thought. 'It's happening... It's happening again!'

Collin himself was immediately reminded of that day when the inner gates were breached and the hurled debris killed his parents. It was all coming back to him as if it happened yesterday. He gripped the pocket of his jacket and almost sighed in relief as he felt his journal still there. He made sure to tighten the pocket closed so the journal wouldn't fall off again.

A giant armored face then formed in Collin's mind, as he remembered those glowing yellow eyes. If the Colossal was here then… the Armored may not be far behind.

"This is it, people!" Eren exclaimed as he took out both of his swords and swung across the wall. "Mounted cannon squad Four, let's take out the Colossal Titan! This is our chance!"

Collin gritted his teeth and immediately fired his other cable at the Wall before swinging himself upward, both blades in hand.

It looked like the wait was over. It was finally time to face the Titan threat head-on.


AN: And that's it for now, my dear readers! This one's a bit on the shorter side, I know. I would have made it longer but this felt like a good place to end. I hope you understand.

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

See you next time!