I'll make a man out of you

The next morning Will was sound asleep in her poorly put together tent, which was away from all the other soldier's. Blunk was snoring peacefully in Will's show when Irma picked him up. The small girl held Blunk right up to Will's nose and Will shot up from the horrible smell.

"Come on rise and shine Sleeping Beauty. Come on! Up, up, up!" Irma cried.

Will groaned and fell back covering her face with her blanket. Irma grabbed the blanket and jerked it away from Will. "Get your clothes and get ready. I have breakfast for you!" Irma said happily.

As Will sat up, Irma help up a large bowl of porridge with eggs and bacon making a smiley face. "Check it out. You get porridge and it's happy to see ya!" Irma giggled.

Blunk jumped on the rim of bowl and scooped up a handful of porridge. "Get it out of there!" Irma said, picking up Blunk and throwing him to the side. "You're going to make people sick, you smuggler!"

"Discount importer!" Blunk retorted.

"Am I late?" Will asked sleepily.

Irma didn't answer she just shoved porridge in Will's mouth and gave her instructions. "No time to talk, Will. Now remember it's your first day of training. You have to listen to your teacher and no fighting. Play nice with the other kids, unless of course the other kids want to fight, then you gotta kick the other kids' butts!"

"But I don't wanna kick the kids' butts," Will protested with a full mouth.

"Don't take with your mouth full," Irma ordered. "Now let's see your war face!"

Will looked up her cheeks bulging with the food. Irma raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I think my bunny slippers just ran for cover. Come on scare me girl!" Irma cried.

Will swallowed before letting out a loud growl that sent Irma flying with the half eaten porridge. "Yeah! Now that's my tough looking warrior. That's what I'm talking about. Now get out there and make me proud!" Irma laughed.

Then Huggles pocked his head in the tent. He neighed.

"What do you mean the troops just left?" Irma asked.

"They what?!" Will half screamed. She hurriedly dressed, pulling her hair in a topknot on her head and knocking her tent down.

Irma ran out after her carrying Will's sword. "Wait you forgot your sword!" She cried. Then she began to lightly tear up. "My little baby going is off to destroy people!"

In the camp Cedric was trying to calm down the men. "Order. People order!"

"I'd like a plate of chicken!" Caleb called.

"And I'll have a shrimp platter!" Eric added.

The men burst out laughing while Cedric scowled. "That's not funny."

Then Caleb turned and saw Will running up. He nudged Nigel's shoulder. "Looks like our new friend slept in this morning, Nigel." Then he smiled at Will. "Hello Ty. Are you hungry?"

Nigel nodded. "Yeah because I owe you a knuckle sandwich!" He said grabbing the front of Will's shirt.

"Soldiers!" Matt yelled.

Immediately all the men stood in a straight line, including Will, as Matt walked in front of them. "You will assemble swiftly and silently every morning" Matt ordered. "Anyone who acts otherwise will answer to me."

"Oh, what a tough guy," Nigel laughed.

"Nigel," Matt said holding up a bow and arrow.

All the soldiers stepped back except Nigel. Matt pointed the arrow to the top of a high pole and shot the arrow. Matt turned back to Nigel. "Thank you for volunteering. Now retrieve the arrow."

Nigel clenched his fists and walked toward the pole. "Oh, I'll get that arrow pretty boy," He grumbled under his breath.

Just as he was about to jump on the pole, Matt walked over with Cedric, who was carrying a box that he seemed to have trouble holding. "One moment, Nigel. You seem to be missing something," Matt said.

Then he pulled two heavy gold disks out of the box and tied them Nigel's wrists. He held one up for the other soldiers to see. "This represents discipline," Matt said, letting go the disk and causing Nigel's arm to drop with it. Matt held up the other one. "And this represents strength." He dropped it again and caused Nigel to go face first in the ground.

Eric and Caleb laughed silently as Matt kept talking. "You need both to reach the arrow."

Nigel looked up at the tall pole and began to climb. He didn't get very far before he started to slip. He tried to hold on by biting the pole with his teeth, but that didn't help and he slid to the bottom. Eric, Caleb, and Will couldn't climb up either.

Matt sighed. "We've got a long way to go." Then he grabbed a bunch of poles and threw them at the soldiers. Before Will could catch hers, Nigel grabbed it and then tripped her with it as Matt began to sing.

Matt: Let's get down to business

To defeat the huns

Matt picked up two pots with his staff and flung them in the air before breaking them. The troops' eyes widened and their jaws dropped, very impressed with Matt's major skill. "Hua!" The all shouted, raising their staffs.

Did they send me daughters?

When I asked for sons

Caleb smirked as he put a beetle down Will's shirt. Will began to move around spastically knocking people down with her staff. Up on a hill Irma slapped her forehead as she and Blunk watched the training.

You're the saddest bunch

I've ever meet

Matt used his staff to launch himself in front of Will

But you can bet before we're through

Matt grimaced as 'Ty' hit him in the stomach. He finally took away her staff and held Will up by her collar.

Mister I'll make a man out of you

Irma tried to go after Matt in anger, but Blunk held her back. Cedric wrote some stuff down on his clipboard.

In another training area, the recruits were armed with bows and arrows. Matt stepped down on a lever that sent three apples into the air. He shot them with three arrows and they hit a tree in a straight line.

Tranquil as a forest

The men tried to do the same, but they kept missing. As Will was about to shoot, Irma suddenly jumped up and slammed an apple onto her arrow, before hiding again. Matt frowned at Will as she gave him a really cheesy grin.

But on fire within

Later Matt stood with a bucket of water on his head and holding a staff. The recruits tried to knock the bucket of his head, by throwing stones at him, but he deflected them with staff.

Once you find your center

You are sure to win

When it was Will's turn, she had trouble balancing it and holding the staff at the same time. Nigel, and Caleb were grinning evilly and threw stones at Will as fast as they could. She tried to block them, but the bucket flipped over drenching her with water.

You're a spineless, pale, pathetic lot

And you haven't got a clue

A little later Matt, Will, and Nigel were standing in a river. Matt quickly swiped his hand into the water and pulled up a fish.

Somehow I'll make a man out of you

Will tried to do the same thing as Matt, but ended up pulling up Nigel's foot. She quickly dropped it as Irma popped out of the river holding a fish up for Will to take. Will glared at her with a shake of her head.

The next day the troops were running through a field dodging arrows that were set on fire.

Eric: I'm never gonna catch my breath

Nigel fell to the ground and an arrow hit him in the behind. He jumped ten feet of the ground screaming in pain.

Nigel: Say goodbye to those who knew me

Caleb was trying to spilt a slab of stone in half with his chin, but he ended up causing some teeth to fall out before he passed out.

Caleb: Boy was I a fool at school for cutting gym

Matt and Will were having a martial arts fight and although Will was good, Matt was better. He sent her flying into a tree with a punch. Irma tossed some water onto her face as Blunk fanned her.

Irma: This guy's got 'em scared to death!

Will: Hope he doesn't see right through me

Eric and some other soldiers were jumping on some poles sticking out from the water.

Eric: Now I really wish that I knew how to swim

Eric stopped on one which was a big mistake as the other troops crashed into him.

Recruits: Be a man

Later that night, the troops were shooting cannons and a scarecrow that resembled Phobos.

Matt: You must be swift as a coursing river

Recruits: Be a man

Caleb walked by Will whistling innocently as he kicked the stand that held up her cannon.

Matt: With all the strength of a great typhoon

Recruits: Be a man

Will panicked and grabbed her cannon as it went off. It was way off aim and it destroyed Cedric's tent, though, unfortunately, he was just outside it.

Matt: With all the strength of a raging fire

As the troops went to bed that night, Matt sat on a rock with a frown on his face. Training these troops was harder then he thought.

Mysterious as the dark side of the moon

The next day all the troops were marching with poles on their shoulders, heavy sacks on each end.

Time is racing toward us till the Huns arrive

With an irritated scowl on his face, Cedric, who was on a horse, tapped Matt on his shoulder and pointed to Will who was struggling with the weight and then collapsed. Irma and Blunk jumped out to help, but quickly dove back into hiding when Matt approached her.

Heed my every order

Matt grabbed Will's pole and walked away from her. Will buried her head in her arms, ashamed of herself.

And you might survive

Finally Matt had had it with 'Ty' and decided that 'he' just didn't belong. He walked up to Will handing her Mr. Huggles' reins.

You're unsuited for the rage of war

So pack up, go home, you're through

Will sighed thinking that she would have to go home a disgrace to her family. Then she saw the arrow still stuck in the pole. She smirked, an idea coming to her.

How could I make a man out of you?

Will put the weights on and tries to climb the pole. She feel back down and got up again. She refused to be sent home a failure.

Recruits: Be a man

Matt: You must be swift as the coursing river

Will, once again, feel to the ground. She scowled, then looked down at the weights. With a small smile, Will wrapped the weight around the pole. She smirked as her climb went a lot smoother.

Recruits: Be a man

Matt: With all the force of a great typhoon

As the recruits woke up for the day, they were amazed to see 'Ty' climbing the pole to the arrow. The troops, surprisingly including Nigel, Caleb, and Eric, cheered 'him' on as 'he' continued to the arrow.

Recruits: Be a man

Matt: With all the strength of a raging fire

Matt, hearing the commotion, came out of his tent and an arrow suddenly appeared at his feet. He looked and his eyes widened when he saw Will sitting on top of the pole.

"Looks like I was wrong," Matt said with a small smile.

Mysterious as the dark side of the moon

As the weeks continued the troops training increased greatly, thanks to Will's success. During one training exercise they shot the apples with the arrows and into the tree with ease.

Recruits: Be a man

Matt: You must be swift as the coursing river

Later Will ran ahead of all the other troops with a pole on her shoulders.

Recruits: Be a man

Will and Matt had started to martial arts fight again. This time, with her newfound confidence, Will swung her leg in the air and knocked Matt to the ground. He smiled, impressed.

Matt: With all the force of a great typhoon

Eric was once again hopping on poles doing tricks as he went.

Recruits: Be a man

As staff were thrown to the troops again, Nigel grabbed Will's, but instead of tripping her, he handed it to her instead, with both of them exchanging a smile.

Matt: With all the strength of a raging fire

Nigel smirked as he ran through all the blazing arrows with ease.

Troops: Hya!

Caleb smiled as he looked down at the block of stone he cut in half with his chin with no problems at all.

Troops: Hya!

Will emerged from the river holding many fish in her hands and a large smile on her face.

Matt: Mysterious as the dark side of the moon

The scarecrow Phobos was finally destroyed with a cannon.

Troops: Hya!

Finally after weeks of training the troops were indeed ready to take on Phobos and his army in battle. Matt smiled as his fantasy of being the leader of Meridian's finest troops, appeared as if it was becoming reality.