Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Attack on Titan. They are owned by Rooster Teeth and Hajime Isayama respectively.
The episode opens with the opening sequence.
Some members of the audience hummed along with the song.
"Hey, Ruby joining the Training Corps is in the opening!" Nora excitedly pointed out.
"I guess Blahk was right about the foreshadowing part." Weiss mused.
"Am I the only one worried that Ruby is going to face off against the giant Titan again?" Blake asked worriedly.
They all looked nervous at that piece of information.
A Dim Light in Despair/Restoration of Mankind, Part 1
"Hey, you!" Oobleck called out.
Winter and Ironwood unconsciously snapped to attention, before relaxing and chuckling.
"Yes, sir!" Oscar gave the salute, left arm behind him, right hand balled up into a fist and resting on his heart.
"Who are you?!"
"I'm Oscar Pine from Shiganshina District, sir!"
"That so?" Oobleck stood in front of Oscar. "That's a stupid name. Your parents give you that?"
Oscar's eye twitched but he kept watching.
Ozpin tried and failed to keep the look of amusement off his face. "Your counterpart is quite intimidating, Bart."
Oobleck lightly cleared his throat but didn't say anything.
"It was my grandfather, sir."
Leaning forward intimidatingly, Oobleck continued questioning him. "Pine, what are you doing here?"
"To aid humanity's victory, sir!"
"How admirable." Oobleck had a crazed look in his eyes. "You'll make first-rate Titan feed! Third row, about-face!"
He walked up to a bushy-haired blonde. "And who the hell are you?"
"Sir!" The young man saluted. "I'm Thomas Wagner from Trost, sir!"
"I can't hear you!"
The trainee flinched and spoke again with a raised voice. "I'm Thomas Wagner--"
"I told you to speak up! Go practice sounding off properly in the barracks!" Oobleck interrupted.
"Professor Oobleck is scary." Jaune murmured to his teammates.
"'Dr. Oobleck', Mr Arc." The man corrected, somehow hearing them from his seat.
A grey-haired man walked a few steps ahead of his subordinate. "There he goes again." The older one said.
"Next! Who are you?"
"You went through that as a trainee, right?" The older man asked.
"Mina Carolina, from Trost, sir!"
"Sure brings back memories." The young subordinate replied.
Winter absently nodded along, as she remembered her days as a trainee in the Atlas Military.
"Wrong! You were born in a pigsty, inferior even to swine!" Oobleck yelled in Mina's face.
The girl sweated nervously, closed her eyes and agreed with her instructor. "Yes! I'm inferior even to swine, sir!" That was the wrong thing to say because he yelled again.
"Wrong! I tell you what you are and what you aren't!" "Yes, sir!"
The students shivered at the sight of this Oobleck. Sure, theirs was scary as well but the one on the screen was another level of crazy.
"S-So scary," said Ruby.
"Agreed," Weiss said with a shaky voice.
"What's he trying to accomplish by humiliating them like that?" The subordinate asked.
"You next!"
"It's a rite of passage," the older man explained. "Their prior identities as forcibly discarded, leaving only blank slates from which true soldiers can be produced."
Ironwood agreed with the explanation. It was a method similar to what Atlas' military employed. It helps get rid of any preconceived notions and beliefs so they can be shaped into true soldiers.
"Yes, sir! Samuel Linke-Jackson, from Shate Village!"
"That's a dipshit name!" Oobleck yelled at a trainee. "What are you doing here?!"
"It's a necessary step along the path laid out before them."
"To devote myself to humanity's cause, sir!" The trainee replied, his hand in salute.
"Fourth row, about-face!"
The subordinate noticed Oobleck walk past Weiss."But why is he skipping a few recruits?" He asked.
"Those who already underwent a rite of passage need not repeat it." The older man replied.
"I'd bet they walked through Hell itself two years ago." Shots of Pyrrha, Jaune, Ren, Ruby and Salem were shown. "It's written all over their faces."
The aforementioned students frowned at the looks on the faces of their counterparts that had already experienced the horror of the Titans.
Nora held Ren's hands comfortingly, same with Pyrrha and Jaune. Blake sent a sympathetic glance Weiss' way while Yang held her sister close.
The teachers frowned when they saw the looks on their students' faces. The look of someone who had gone through hell and back. Winter especially, was concerned for Weiss and would've walked over to hug her sister but seeing their other two teammates surround her and Ruby protectively stopped her.
"Well, let's go." They left while the rite of passage continued.
"Who the hell are you?!" Oobleck's scary face yelled at the screen.
Some members of the audience jumped at the sudden shout.
"I'm Sun Wukong from Trost, sir!"
The monkey Faunus perked up.
"What are you here for?!"
Sun smiled slightly. "To join the Military Police and live in the Interior, sir." Ruby glanced at him.
"That's his reason?" To be honest, most of the audience was expecting something a bit more, selfless than his answer.
"I'm guessing their Interior is located in Wall Sina, farthest from the action." Ironwood stated. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed in the boy's answer but he could understand it. Not everyone could be selfless and have noble goals.
Many of the students and teachers frowned at that. "So he wants to live the easy life?" Weiss huffed in disappointment.
"And what's so wrong with that?" Roman suddenly said. "Not everyone is so willing to throw their lives away for others. At least he's honest about being selfish, unlike others who I can bet are making up shit to look good."
"I see..." Oobleck replied. Sun's face was frozen stiff. "So you wanna live in the Interior, huh?"
"Yes, sir!" Sun smiled. He was immediately headbutted by Oobleck, knocking him to his knees in pain, and clutching his head.
"Who gave you permission to sit?!" Oobleck yelled. "If you can't even handle that, you'll never make it into the Military Police."
Laughter rang out at that. Sun blushed in embarrassment.
Oobleck rounded on his next victim. "And who the hell are you? What did you come here for?"
"I'm Neptune Vasilias from Jinae, in Wall Rose's Southern District sir!" The boy replied eagerly with a smile. "I came to join the Military Police and pledge my life and body to the King!"
Sun slapped his best friend on his back, hard. "Hey man, we get to join the Military Police together!"
The blue-haired boy coughed at the hard-hit but chuckled at his friend's excitement.
"Is that so? Noble objective." Oobleck said, looking down at Neptune. The boy smiled at his reply but the commandant was quick to grind his hopes to dust. "However," his voice lowered as he leaned close to the boy's face, "the king doesn't want your body." Neptune was shaken.
Neptune shivered in his seat. That was scary.
"Next, you there! Who the hell are you?!"
The boy saluted. "I'm Yatsuhashi Daichi from Ragako, in Wall Rose's Southern District, sir!"
They'd only seen it a handful of times but even they knew he did the salute wrong.
"Oi Yatsu, you've got the salute backwards!" Coco said, chuckling. The hefty boy scratched his head sheepishly at his counterpart's mistake.
"You have it backwards, Yatsuhashi Daichi!" Oobleck squeezed Yatsu's head and lifted him off the ground, his legs dangling mid-air.
There were some chuckles at how easy the boy was lifted off the ground. Coco's laughter was loudest.
"This was one of the first things you were taught! That salute expresses your resolve to give your heart to the people!"
So that's what it means, Ironwood thought. That was good to know and he liked what it stood for.
The camera panned to the left— a few rows behind Yatsu, showing the girl with the biggest balls in the 104th. "Is your heart on your right side, shithead?!"
The audience was dead silent as they stared at the girl in surprise.
Ironwood's mouth opened and closed multiple times like a fish, trying and failing to rationalize what he's seeing. Winter looked down at the bottle of water she'd summoned, thinking it might have been drugged.
Oobleck wiped his glasses three times to ensure they weren't fogged up.
A crunch echoed. Oobleck saw Nora eating a potato, oblivious to his attention. He could hardly believe his eyes, as did the recruits. She was oblivious to the dead silence that permeated the camp— and viewing theatre— and kept on chewing.
You could hear a pin drop in the theatre. Their faces mirrored the looks of surprise and horror on that of the trainees. Even Salem tried and failed to keep her look of shock off her face.
"Hey, you." He called out, dropping Yatsu. The recruits stared at the scene with wide eyes. "What the hell are you doing?"
Nora, still somehow oblivious to her environment, took another bite from the damn potato to the horror of the guy behind her.
Ren looked on in horror while Nora began to cackle at the sight. They all waited for Oobleck to burst a blood vessel.
He was in her face in an instant. "I'm talking to you! Who the fuck are you?!"
She quickly swallowed and saluted. "Nora Valkyrie from Dauper, in Wall Rose's Southern District, sir!"
"Why does she still have the potato?!" Weiss shrieked.
"What's she supposed to do now, throw it away and pretend they all just didn't see her eating it?" Coco said in surprise.
"Nora Valkyrie..." He towered over her. "What's that you're holding in your right hand?"
"A steamed potato, sir! I came across it in the kitchen, so I picked it up!"
Huh? Wha–Wh–Huh?" Ironwood tried and failed to articulate his words.
Yang's insides were bursting with laughter but she held it in. Coco and Sun were not too far behind.
"You mean you stole it? Why? Why are you eating a potato right now?"
"I wanted to eat it while it was still warm, so I figured it was now or never, sir."
They could not hold back their laughter any longer.
"That's a real genius right there." Roman was in stitches. Neo was leaning on him, holding her sides.
"Her genius is beyond our understanding." Ozpin choked out, wheezing.
Nora stood on her chair, hands on her waist. "Bow before my infinite wisdom!" Ren could barely get her down, laughter threatening to split his sides.
Jaune and Pyrrha held each other to keep from falling to the floor.
"Please— Make it stop!" Yang and Sun were rolling on the floor in laughter.
"No... I don't get it. Why are you eating a potato?" He looked genuinely confused.
Salem chuckled at the complete and utter confusion on Oobleck's face.
"Are you asking why people eat potatoes in general, sir?" The other recruits continued to stare at her in shock.
The laughter was harder now.
"Does she have a death wish?" Emerald gaped at the girl, barely managing to burst.
Nora broke off a piece and reluctantly held it out to Oobleck. "Take a half for yourself, sir..."
Cinder snorted. "Half? That's barely a third."
"Half...?"
Oobleck shook his head in pity for his counterpart.
"She's sooo dead," said Blake, smiling.
Nora smiled, thinking she was in the clear.
"Hey, that potato girl's still running."
"Wow... She's been at it for five hours." A group of recruits including Ruby, Oscar, Yatsu, Mina and Neptune watched her run.
"Five hours?!" Jaune's eyebrows shot up. That's insane!
"Her reaction when he told her to run until she dropped was nothing compared to when he told her she won't get any dinner."
"The fact that she's still alive is a miracle, in and out of itself." Hazel snorted.
"Dauper's a small hunting village up in the mountains, right?" Yatsu asked.
"What's that?" Ruby asked, looking to the side to see a horse-drawn carriage full of people heading out of the training camp.
"Dropouts. They requested a transfer to the reclaimed lands."
"Already? It's only the first day!" Oscar said, surprised.
"That's just how it is... The weak have no choice but to leave." Ruby said. The rest turned to him. "Hard to believe they'd rather pick up rocks and pull weeds."
Ruby's words stung Jaune. He remembers when he first joined Beacon and how he was the weakest member of their year. Probably still am. Pyrrha had helped him get stronger and turn him into an okay and capable fighter although she still kicked his ass.
The teachers and soldiers sighed in disappointment at her statement. Just because those people wanted to do different things or had different methods for achieving their goals didn't make them weak. It was the height of arrogance to look down on others for being unable to handle the pressures that they knew were beyond their capacity.
Roman raised an eyebrow. "Pretty high and mighty for someone who hasn't made it past the first day of training and thinks she wouldn't end up in the same category as them."
Yang rounded on Roman to defend her sister but Ruby grabbed her shoulders and shook her head. "He's right. My counterpart is being pretty arrogant right now." Yang's shoulders slumped but kept watching.
"That reminds me. We never heard where you're from or anything." Neptune said curiously.
Ruby smiled and placed her hand on Oscar's shoulder. "I'm from Shiganshina, same as him."
They stared at the two of them with wide eyes. "I see... That's..."
"You were there on that day?" Yatsu asked in surprise
"Hey!" Neptune tried to stop him.
"Did you see it? The Colossal Titan?!" The short-haired boy asked excitedly.
Yatsuhashi shook his head at his counterpart's tactless question.
"Yeah..." Ruby replied.
In the mess hall, a small crowd of recruits gathered around Ruby as she ate. "I already told you I saw it."
They gasped in surprise.
"Really?" gasped Thomas.
"How big was it?"
"Big enough to look right over the wall."
"What? I heard it stepped right over them!" Daz said.
"Pretty sure humanity would've been wiped out if the Colossal Titan was that big," Ren chuckled.
"Me too!"
"I heard the same in my village!"
"Stories tend to get warped and exaggerated over time," Ozpin chuckled. All the Beacon students snuck glances at Professor Port.
"No, it wasn't that tall."
"What did it look like?" Mina asked.
"It barely had any skin and it had a huge mouth."
"What about the Armoured Titan that broke Wall Maria?"
"Even though people call it that, it looked like a normal Titan to me." At another table, Jaune listened with half an ear as he drank from his mug. Recruits at other tables were also listening in.
Cinder's eyebrow rose when she said that. "I recall you looking just as scared as the other civilians when the Armoured Titan broke through the wall."
"Th-Then what are normal Titans like?" Samuel asked fearfully.
Ruby froze and the memory of her mother getting eaten flashed through her head. She dropped her spoon and covered her mouth as if she were about to puke.
Yang had gotten used to the sight at this point. It didn't lessen the feeling of loss but it was getting easier to deal with. Just focus on calming Rubes whenever that scene pops on TV again.
"They really should learn some tact," Cardin said. "Some experiences are just too personal to ask about."
The recruits fell silent. Neptune was the first to notice her distress. "Guys, that's enough questions. I'm sure she'd prefer to forget some things."
"Sorry for asking--" Yatsu began to apologize but was cut off by Ruby.
"That's not it!" Ruby replied, taking a bite out of her bread. "The Titans aren't all that tough. Once we master the 3D Maneuver Gear, they'll be no match for us!"
Yang wasn't the only one to notice her attempt to mask her fear with bravado.
"We finally have the chance to be soldiers." Sun half-listened to her spiel, head resting on his hand in boredom. "I just swallowed wrong earlier. I'm joining the Survey Corps to purge the world of the Titans! I'll kill them all--"
"Dude, are you nuts?" Sun interrupted. "Did you just say you wanna join the Survey Corps?"
"Damn straight." Ruby gave him a look. "And you're planning to join the Military Police to live the easy life, right?"
"I'm all about being honest, you see. I'm a straight talker, unlike someone who pretends to have balls of steel, even when she's about to piss herself." He said with a smirk.
Roman was conflicted. "I want to agree with him but his smug face makes me wanna punch him."
"He's not wrong about Ruby pretending to be fearless," Hazel said. "I agree with you on wanting to punch his face, though."
Sun sweatdropped at that.
Ruby stood up challengingly. "You got something to say?"
"H-Hey, stop it!" Neptune tried to diffuse the situation.
Winter nodded. "Fighting on your first day will not endear you to your superiors."
"Oh, I wasn't really..." Sun walked over to her and the two entered a stare-off. The ringing of a bell in the distance interrupted them.
Sun simply sighed. "My bad. I wasn't trying to judge the way you think." He held his hand out to Ruby. "Let's just let it go."
As someone who was a professional liar, Sun's apology was hilarious to Roman.
"That's the fakest apology ever," Cardin said.
She frowned at him. "Yeah, same here. I overreacted." She 'shook' his hand and walked out of the mess hall.
"Followed by another fake apology," Blake stated bluntly.
Yang snorted in laughter. "That 'handshake' was more like slapping his hand away."
Pyrrha moved to follow, walking past Sun. Time moved in slow motion for him as he stared at Pyrrha. "H-Hey there..." He blushed when she turned to look at him.
"Well, well," Yang said, smirking. "Looks like you have competition, Blakey."
Blake's bow twitched but she kept mute, though she briefly glanced at the monkey Faunus.
Pyrrha and Sun were blushing in embarrassment.
"W-w-well, uh...it's just that I've never seen you around, so..." He stammered out. "S-Sorry... Your red hair is very gorgeous."
"Thanks." She said blankly and walked out.
They all laughed at the bland reply. Sun covered his face in his hands, trying to ignore his best friend's teasing.
Pyrrha could only sweatdrop at her counterpart's blunt reply.
He stared for a while before he ran out. He stepped onto the porch just in time to see her fall in step with Ruby.
This isn't going to end well. Salem chuckled silently.
"Whatever. Give me a break."
"You're always so impulsive when you get emotional."
"Not this again," Ruby complained. "Shouldn't you be worrying more about your hair and less about me?" She said, reaching up to flip Pyrrha's hair. "It's long enough to get tangled when we're practising 3D Maneuver training."
"She has a point," Winter stated. "If not managed properly, long hair is more of a hindrance in a fight."
Yang gasped in horror at the thought of her precious locks being cut. It just seemed impossible to her, no matter the universe. Ruby laughed at her sister's expression.
"Fine, I'll cut it," Pyrrha said, pinching a few strands.
Sun listened from the porch, looking like his soul had been drained from him. "How short should I make it?" Pyrrha asked, unknowingly adding to his pain.
"Poor boy," Glynda tried to sound sympathetic but she couldn't disguise the humour in her tone.
Yatsuhashi walked by, humming cheerily to himself. Sun wiped a hand on his shirt.
"Hey!" Yatsuhashi yelled in indignation. "What are you doing?! What did you just wipe on me?!" He asked, grabbing at his back.
"My faith in humanity."
They couldn't disguise their laughter anymore. Neptune was the most vocal and did not let up on teasing his friend.
Pyrrha was torn between laughter at the scene or pity for the boy whose heart her counterpart had broken.
Outside the sleep quarters, Nora finished with her running.
"Looks like potato girl is done running," Neptune said.
"I'm finally finished..." She collapsed to the ground.
Velvet approached her carrying bread. Nora's nose twitched, smelling the bread before she jumped and nabbed the bread from her.
"You're a food demon!" Cardin yelled, trying to calm his racing heart.
Nora cackled and delighted in her ability to scare people, no matter the universe.
Nora, coming out of her hunger-induced haze, noticed the bread in her mouth. "This is... bread?!"
"That was all I could save you." Velvet said. "But... You should drink some water first." She held up the waterskin, the background glowing in a mesmerizing light.
Coco nudged the rabbit Faunus playfully, while said girl blushed at the way Nora viewed her.
"A Goddess? Are you a Goddess?!" Nora asked the small girl.
"She certainly fits the bill," the fashionista did not let up in her teasing.
Salem walked up to the two. "Hey, what are you two doing?"
"It's you, Coco," Yatsuhashi pointed out.
"I'm not blind, Yatsu," she deadpanned at him. "No offence, Fox."
"None taken."
Nora speedily ate the bread while Velvet answered the tall girl. "Well... She's been running all day long..."
"So you're trying to do a good deed?" Velvet gasped at her statement. Nora passed out in the small girl's thighs.
"What's wrong with trying to do a good deed?" Jaune asked. Coco simply shrugged, also curious as to what her counterpart meant by that.
"Did you do that for the potato girl?" Salem asked. "Was the effort worth what you got out of it?"
"I believe that Miss Adel is implying that her reasons for helping Miss Valkyrie may not be coming from a place of altruism," Ozpin said.
Velvet didn't know what to think about that.
The smaller girl was unable to answer. Salem sighed. "Well, it doesn't matter... Let's just carry her back to her bed." She said, picking Nora off the ground.
"Are you doing a good deed, too?" Velvet asked.
"I'm just doing her a favour to put her in my debt. Her stupidity could come in handy later."
Roman nodded at that. Nothing came free in this world; everything had a price, including seemingly "free" acts of goodwill.
The next morning, the recruits started their first day of ODM gear training.
"First, your aptitude will be tested. Those who fail aren't even worthy to serve as bait." Oobleck said.
Those that expressed interest in the 3D Maneuver Gear perked up and eagerly watched to see how they were trained to use the equipment. Ruby and Winter prepared their pens.
Multiple trainees worked on their balance as they were monitored by their superiors and peers. "Failures will be sent to the reclaimed lands!"
"They appear to be performing some form of balance training," Ironwood said. "Its purpose could be to learn how to properly orient one's body in a 3D environment."
Qrow nodded in agreement. "Perfect body coordination must be necessary to perform the kind of stunts they do."
"This exercise is the most basic of the fundamentals," the grey-haired man from the day before said to his subordinate as they watched the trainees. "Yet even at this stage, you can ascertain their potential with the Maneuver Gear."
He nodded to a trainee, smiling. "Look at her. Completely steady." Pyrrha was balanced perfectly. "She intuitively knows what she's supposed to do. That's the definition of talent."
"I called it," Yang said. "Pyrrha will be the best in the class."
Pyrrha's cheeks flushed lightly. "It's only been the first day of training, Yang." She was secretly impressed and proud that her counterpart got the exercise down on her first try.
The teachers were also impressed. "It appears that even in another world, Ms Nikos is a prodigious student," Glynda commented.
Shots of Yatsuhashi, Nora and Sun also balanced were shown. Nora, in particular, was lazily swinging in one spot. "Looks like we have a lot of talent this year."
The students were proud of their ability to perform the exercise without fail.
"Um, what about her?" The subordinate pointed to a recruit. The older man smiled.
"She's talented in her own way. Sometimes, no matter how hard people try, they're incapable of success." Ruby hung upside down.
Ruby gawked at her counterpart's failure to stay balanced. "Oh come on!" She groaned.
Yang was torn between laughing at her funny position and comforting her. She settled for the latter.
"What the hell are you doing, Ruby Jaeger?! Raise your upper body!" Oobleck ordered her.
The surrounding recruits taunted, whispered and looked surprised. What? How do I do this? You've gotta be kidding me. She thought, horrified.
"Serves her right for mouthing off on the first day of training," Roman stated unforgivingly.
Ruby smacked her face at the way her counterpart's words had come back to bite her in the ass.
Currently Disposable Information
3D Maneuver Gear Training (Part 1)
Extremely challenging training is required to use the 3D Maneuver Gear so that humans who are used to moving in two dimensions become accustomed to moving in three.
3D Maneuver Gear Training (Part 2)
Strong body and legwork, good spatial perception, and mental strength to withstand panic are essential.
"That makes sense," Weiss said. They absorbed and analyzed the new information presented to them.
"A strong body to withstand the forces on their bodies as they move through the air, even make sudden stops, spatial perception to orient their bodies in 3D, analyze situations and make quick turns as well as withstanding panic," Winter mused, humming approvingly. "They covered all their bases."
"There is a reason they are taught at the academy for three years, before graduation." Blahk said. "Of course, 3D Maneuver training isn't all they are taught but that's a talk for another time."
In the evening, after training was done, Pyrrha and Oscar were coaching Ruby.
"Stick to the basics and you'll be fine. Don't worry about being perfect for now." Pyrrha explained. "Pay attention to keeping your balance centred. Slowly rest your weight on the belts attached to your hips and feet."
Ruby and Winter noted that down.
"Stay calm and you can pull it off. Even I managed to do it." Oscar said.
"If the kid that's built like a noodle could pull it off, then it shouldn't be too hard," Roman said.
Oscar glared at the thief but kept silent.
"Okay, I think I've got it this time. Lift me, Oscar."
He raised her. She was barely in the air for a second before, slamming her head on the ground.
Yang knew she shouldn't laugh at her sister's misery but she couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her before she tried to cover it up as a cough. Ruby was far from fooled and levelled her sister a deadpan look.
That didn't stop the likes of Roman and Cardin from letting out a "Ha!" at her expense.
In the mess hall that night, other trainees mocked her.
"Hey Daz, isn't she the one from yesterday, saying she'd kill all the Titans?"
Daz laughed. "She'll be working at the reclaimed lands after tomorrow. We don't have enough food to feed worthless rejects."
Ruby's friends levelled the recruit with a glare.
Ruby looked stunned. Bandages wrapped around her forehead, steam rising out of her head. "Ruby?"
Salem raised an eyebrow at the steam but didn't question it. Best to leave it be... For now.
"There's no point in worrying," Oscar said. "You just have to figure it out tomorrow ."
"I'm so pathetic... At this rate, I'll never be able to kill them all."
"You should just forget about that," Pyrrha said all of a sudden. Oscar and Ruby gaped at her.
"What?"
No one was surprised that Pyrrha hadn't given up on dissuading Ruby from joining the Military. She'd expressed her worry for the shorter girl's goals back in episode 1 and it appeared nothing had changed.
"I said you should give up on being a soldier. There's more to fighting than throwing your life away."
Ozpin nodded in agreement. Fighting did not always have to be of the physical kind.
Ruby looked annoyed. "Have you forgotten all the anguish I endured that day? Do you seriously think I'll give up that easily?"
"It's got nothing to do with how determined you are."
"What? Why?"
"Because whether you can become a soldier or not isn't your decision."
"She's right." Ironwood agreed. "At the end of the day, if she shows no improvement, the commandant can choose to expel her from the academy."
Jaune flinched and wondered if that was where he was headed had he continued to refuse Pyrrha's help. After all, a team is only as strong as its weakest link, and if his performance remained poor and dragged his teammates down, he could have been expelled. Good thing I accepted her help, he thought, looking fondly at his partner.
The bell rang in the distance. The recruits began to pack up their dinner.
"I'm not telling you to leave for the reclaimed lands on your own." Pyrrha continued speaking, oblivious to Ruby saying "let's go, Oscar". They left the table. "Don't worry... If that happens, I'll come with you." She noticed that Ruby and Oscar were gone and Nora was staring at her.
Pyrrha sweatdropped and Ren simply shook his head at his partner's antics.
The two were the only ones still seated in the mess hall.
"Um, anyway... So can I take this?" Nora pointed to an unfinished loaf of bread on the table.
Pyrrha picked it up, seemingly about to hand it to the food demon but ate it instead.
"Meanie..." Nora grumbled good-naturedly. Pyrrha patted her head in apology.
"You came from the girl's dorm to ask for tips? I'm flattered." Yatsuhashi said. "What, did the other girls reject you?"
"C'mon Yatsuhashi, work with me here," Ruby begged.
Yang nudged her sister playfully. "Sneaking into the boy's dorm? I'm so proud of you, sis." She wiped a fake tear from her eye.
Ruby simply rolled her eyes at her sister.
Winter frowned at the breach of rules but kept silent on the matter.
"Sorry dudette, I'm naturally gifted. I think you just gotta 'feel' it."
"Lose the ego, baldy." Coco snorted. Yatsuhashi's eye twitched in his counterpart's defence.
"How about you give me a tip... On how to stay sane after completely humiliating yourself like that?" Sun looked smug.
"Your counterpart's a real asshole, Sun," Blake said in a straight tone. "No offence."
"None taken." The teen could hardly disagree.
"Guys... I'm literally begging you here." Ruby pleaded once again, looking desperate.
Oscar was mentally panicking and hoping the instructors don't notice that Ruby was not in her dorm.
"But didn't you say just yesterday, 'people who aren't strong should leave'?" Ruby looked mortified as her own words were thrown back at her. "Or was it 'if you have no talent, you have to leave'? Which was it?"
They winced when her own words were thrown right back at her. "Oof. Now that's just kicking her when she's down." Roman said.
"Not cool, man," Coco said, glancing at her teammate. The buff teen shrugged helplessly.
Cinder was unsympathetic to her plight. "Maybe next time, try not to mouth off before you've begun training." Yang glared at her but said nothing. She could hardly disagree that her sister's counterpart had it coming but she'd never say it out loud.
"Take this as a valuable lesson, student," Glynda lectured. "Pride comes before a fall. And in this case, she fell; hard."
"Please! I heard both of you are really good! Ren, Jaune!"
Both boys perked upon hearing their names.
Jaune crossed his arms before speaking. "Sorry, but I don't think there's a trick to hanging still. I don't have any helpful advice to give you, either."
"Okay..." Ruby looked dejected.
"Sorry, Ruby..." Jaune apologized.
Ruby waved off the apology with a smile.
"Then you'll just have to bet it all on tomorrow," Oscar told her. He was about to get up to see her out when Ren called their attention.
"Um... Both of you are from Shiganshina, right?" Ren asked.
Wonder why I'm asking about that... Ren thought.
"Yeah. Why?" Oscar answered.
"Then you should know first-hand how terrifying the Titans are." The raven-haired boy continued. "Why would you want to become soldiers?"
"Because they're bat-shit crazy." Cardin snorted lightly.
Ruby and Oscar glanced at each other. "Unlike Ruby, I haven't seen the horror of the Titans with my own eyes." The timid boy replied. "But after witnessing the monarchy's insane attempt to retake Titan territory, I just couldn't stand by and do nothing."
The mood dropped when they were reminded of the government's decision to sacrifice its own people to solve the issue of food shortage. Oscar's fists clenched in anger and hurt.
"I see."
"Where are you two from?" Oscar asked.
Ren's eyes looked downcast. "Jaune and I are from a small mountain village southeast of Wall Maria."
They perked up at that. "But...that means..."
"Yeah," Ren replied. "Unlike the bustling riverside towns, our village didn't get word quickly. The Titans themselves arrived before the news did."
He bowed his head. "It was around dawn. The livestock started getting agitated, and the ground began rumbling most strangely. Soon, I realized what I was hearing was footsteps. When I rushed to open the windows..." An image of a Titan smiling creepily at young Ren through a window filled the screen.
Many in the audience shivered at the sight.
"That's a scary sight..." Qrow said, gulping nervously at the creepy smile.
Ren and Jaune looked down, hands shaking, trying to imagine how terrifying it must have been for their counterparts. Nora and Pyrrha held their hands, providing comfort for their partners.
Oscar nervously gulped.
"After that, I don't remember what happened. It was all very chaotic..."
"Who would? I wouldn't want to remember that either." Velvet muttered.
"It is pretty terrifying..." Coco agreed.
"Hey, why are you dredging that back up?" Jaune interrupted him.
"Can't say I blame him for not wanting to remember such a horrible event," Jaune said.
Ren apologized. "Anyway, my point is that you guys aren't like the others."
"The others?"
"Those here who've never experienced the horror of the Titans firsthand," Ren explained.
"Enough." Jaune placed an arm on his friend's arm. Around the boys' cabin, others were smiling, goofing off, or lounging around.
"Most of them are here to protect their social status," Ren said. The four had cloaks draped over themselves and held a lantern to see through the night. "In these times, choosing to work in a factory after turning twelve is considered cowardly, so many join the Training Corps instead."
His words impacted them greatly.
Societal pressures were nothing new to them. The expectations of others for them to meet up with a particular standard set for them.
For the Schnees, it was to act the part of a dutiful heiress and someday, inherit their father's company. Even after they had abandoned that course of action, the weight their last name carried was enough for people to see them in a certain light and expect them to behave in a certain way.
Pyrrha could also empathize. Her history and title as the "Invincible Girl" meant that people had preconceived notions about her and an image they expected her to see and meet up with, no matter her thoughts on it. What was once a fun activity for her became a chore, as she strived to maintain that image of the undefeatable girl that was in everyone's minds.
They hiked through a forest.
"Not that we're much different from them," he continued. "We enrolled to join the Military Police so we could live safely within the Interior. If that goal proves unattainable, we may just give it all up. I don't have any will of my own..."
"There's no shame in valuing your own life," Oscar assured him.
They stepped over a barbed-wire fence. "I just want to return to my abandoned homeland. That's all I care about. I'll do it, no matter what." Jaune vowed.
I believe in you, other me Jaune thought.
"And you?" Ren asked, turning to Ruby. "Why did you enlist?"
"I..." Her mother's death flashed on the screen. "I decided I have to kill them. I decided I had to slaughter all the Titans myself. That was what I decided."
"So your encounter with the Titans didn't break your will?" Ren asked.
What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger Blake thought.
"No. For now, I'm just worried about becoming a soldier."
They stopped before a drop. Above them, clouds parted to reveal a lake glistening with moonlight. "Start by re-adjusting the belts. You'll be just fine tomorrow." Jaune advised.
"What if it's not Ruby that is the problem?" Weiss questioned.
Her sister followed her line of thinking. "You're positing that it is the gear that could be defective, right?" Weiss nodded.
"It's possible," Port said, stroking his beard in thought. "We'll have to see the next day."
He turned to her with a smile. "Ruby Jaeger, was it?"
"Yeah, thanks. You're Jaune Arc, right?"
Ruby smiled at her first friend (and crush), silently thanking him for his counterpart's help. The knightly boy smiled back at her.
The next day had come, and so did the moment of truth for her: will she fail and be sent off to the reclaimed lands or pass and remain in the Training Corps?
"Ruby Jaeger, are you ready?" Oobleck asked.
She gave him a nod. "Yes, sir." I'll do it... I have to do it. I might not have the talent but I'm more determined than anyone else here.
They held their breath in anticipation.
"Begin."
Ruby was slowly raised into the air. I don't know the basics... I don't know the theory. But it's all I've got! This is my weapon! The crowd watched in amazement and cheered as Ruby stayed upright in the air. Yes, I did it!
The young audience cheered loudly for her success.
Before she face-planted to the ground.
Their cheers died down at that. Ozpin sighed in disappointment. I guess this is it for her.
"N-No... I can still..."
"Let her down."
Ruby dropped to the ground in despair. "I... I..."
Ruby looked ready to cry alongside her counterpart.
"Wagner, switch belts with Jaeger."
After he did so, Ruby hovered perfectly in the air. "The equipment was faulty." Ruby looked at Oobleck in surprise. "The metal fittings on your belt were damaged. I've never seen damage to these parts before. I suppose we'll need to update the maintenance checklist."
"She managed to hang for a few seconds, even with shitty equipment?" Colour me impressed." Roman whistled.
Yang pulled Ruby into a one-handed hug, nuzzling her face. "I always knew you were amazing, little sis!"
Ruby laughed alongside her sister, happy that she had passed.
The crowd murmured in surprise. "So she succeeded... Even with faulty equipment..."
Ruby puffed her chest slightly at the crowd's awe. Weiss rolled her eyes at her childish partner but didn't stop smiling at her achievement.
"Th-Then...did I pass?" Ruby asked, still suspended.
"You pass. Stay resolute and train hard!"
Loud cheers rang throughout the theatre again.
Ruby pumped her fists in the air. I did it! I actually did it! She honed in on one person in the crowd, still grinning in excitement. See that, Pyrrha? I can do it! I can fight the Titans! I don't need you taking care of me anymore!
Pyrrha's feelings were conflicted in that last part.
Weiss bonked her partner on the head. "Just because you succeeded doesn't mean you should forget about your friends. Teamwork can make the difference in a life and death battle."
"Tell that to my variant, not me," Ruby pouted, rubbing her head.
"I guess it all worked out."
Oscar smiled. "She's looking at us as if to say, 'See!'"
"No... She's relieved because she thinks we won't have to be separated now." Pyrrha said.
Jaune, Ren and Oscar looked at Pyrrha in disbelief.
They all laughed at Pyrrha's answer and the boys' look of disbelief.
Taiyang... Today, your daughter became a soldier. Oobleck thought to himself.
To be continued...
"Wait, he knows Dad?" Yang asked in surprise. "How?"
Oobleck was also curious as to how he knew Taiyang in this world but didn't voice it. I'm sure it'd be answered in time.
And, done!! I was meant to post this chapter on the 21st but I wasn't in the right headspace at the time. Anyway, it's here and that's all that matters. Now, unto my notes:
First of all, do not mistake the Salem in the 104th for the witch's variant. Spoiler alert: Ymir Fritz – Salem. The trainee Salem is Coco/Ymir. Anyone who's reading this story has to be a fan of AoT and knows of Ymir being named after the Founder so you can understand why Coco's counterpart is named differently.
Secondly, many of you have noticed that I added in dialogue about Ruby leaving the girl's side to ask the guys for help. My reason for this is that I wanted Ruby/Eren to meet and befriend Jaune/Reiner and Ren/Bertholdt for the first time. That was when their friendship started in canon and established Jaune/Reiner as the "big brother" of the group (the betrayal is gonna suck )-; ).
Moving on, I had so much fun with this chapter. Potato girl strikes again with Nora Valkyrie! Poor Oobleck, lmao. I laughed so many times as I wrote the scene because I still find it so damn funny. Sun's 'heartbreak' was also fun to write about. Poor guy, lol. There are other fish in the sea.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Once again, leave reviews on your thoughts, opinions and any criticisms you have concerning the story. Happy reading!