As Hange sat down on a couch alone in one of the Scout Regiment headquarters, she was still lamenting over the death of Sawney and Beane. She hung her head low, sniffled a few times, and continued to let some tears drop from her face. She would have to wait for another chance to capture brand new specimens for further experimentation, but it was not a total loss since she was able to learn a few new things from Sawney and Beane before they were killed.

She heard the sound of a door opening and when she looked up, she saw Twilight walk into the room with her saddlebag on her carrying a few things inside.

"Hey, Hange," Twilight greeted with concern. "I was just wondering how you were holding up."

"Not very well," Hange sobbed. "Sawney and Beane were completely defenseless and were massacred like... a bunch of caged animals. I had so much more planned for them, but now... I won't be able to run more experiments now that they're gone."

"I'm so sorry about what happened," Twilight apologized. "but I'm sure we'll find whoever did this. In the meantime, I brought you something that I'm sure will make you feel better."

Hange lifted her head up and wondered what it was Twilight wanted to give her. When she saw the books Twilight brought with her from Equestria along with a scroll wrapped in a red ribbon and gold seal, she gasped and ceased her crying while also wiping her tears away.

"Are those...?" Hange stumbled.

"Mhmm," Twilight hummed. "The books that I brought with me from Equestria, and a message from the princess herself."

Hange gasped when she heard Twilight say that the princess replied back to her. Twilight gladly gave Hange the scroll to let her read the princess' response. Hange did not hesitate to grab the scroll and untied the ribbon to read the message.

Dear Hange,

It's nice to know you along with everyone in the Scout Regiment and I'm glad you're getting acquainted with my pupil, Twilight Sparkle. I just wanted to say that I am truly grateful for the good people for keeping my little ponies safe from any harm. Though I am quite interested in these experiments you've been working on, I have my own duties back in Equestria. I'm sure you have more important tasks at hand as well.

I hope we meet personally someday,
Princess Celestia

Hange's anguish melted away completely and shuddered in joy after reading through the scroll that was signed by the princess of Equestria herself.

"Thank you, Twilight!" Hange yelled, hugging the alicorn tightly in surprise. "I don't know how to repay you."

"You could start by letting me breathe, maybe?" Twilight chocked.

Hange blushed and let the pony go from her hug to give her some air. Afterwards, she looked at one of the books describing Equestria and scrolled through a few pages.

"I don't even know where to start!" Hange said in excitement. "Should I start at the founding of your land, or maybe I should read special traditions celebrated annually, or maybe I-"

Hange was disrupted once Twilight pressed her right hoof on Hange's lips to cease her babbling.

"One thing at a time, Hange," Twilight stated with a slight giggle. "What matters now is finding the culprit responsible for killing Sawney and Beane."

Hange nodded in agreement, yet she could hardly wait to read what knowledge those books held.

"Fair enough," Hange answered with a smile.

Meanwhile, Levi stood in the courtyard to see the fine work of a certain earth pony. He saw that there was no weed in sight thanks to Applejack's help around the castle yesterday. Afterwards, he inhaled deeply and exhaled to relax for a while until dinner came tonight. However, his peace and tranquility was short lived when he heard the sound of hooves clopping on the ground.

"Excuse me, Levi?" asked Starlight's voice.

Levi turned his head slightly to see Starlight Glimmer walking his way to ask him a few questions.

"What is it?" Levi said firmly. "I'm trying to have some peace and quiet, you know?"

"Sorry, I just needed to ask. When do we start training? Don't we need our very own special gear? Plus, how are we gonna be equipped with ODM gear meant to be used for bipedal creatures like you guys?"

"Mmm..." Levi hummed, looking back at Starlight brightening up his glare slightly. "You're a perceptive one, are you?"

"I learned from the best," Starlight replied, implying about Twilight.

"I'll answer all of your questions at dinner tonight. Now leave me in peace."

"Yes, sir," Starlight responded.

As Starlight trotted back inside the castle, she couldn't help but have a strange feeling for Levi, as if they shared something in common. She remembered Eren telling her something about Levi being a criminal in an underground city he used to like before the Scout Regiment, specifically Commander Erwin, found him. She snapped out of her thoughts to meet up with her pony friends.

As the evening came, the members of the Scout Regiment helped themselves with unseasoned potato cheese soup and a sliced half of loafed bread. While the soldiers sat with their friends discussing the next expedition and the culprit behind the killing of the test subjects, Eren, Hange, and the ponies sat with each other. Levi, Petra, Oruo, Eld, and Gunther sat on their own table thankful that the ponies talked to Hange to avoid her constant chattering.

"They could at least add some salt in this soup," Rarity murmured, taking a few small sips of her soup.

"Sorry, Rarity," confessed Hange. "Food supplies are low thanks to the land that we lost during the fall of Wall Maria; and with salt being a valuable affluence, this is all we can afford."

"It's fine, Hange," Applejack replied, glaring at Rarity. "The fact that we're all bein' served with food is mighty kind of y'all of the Scouts."

"Well," Rarity defended. "It is quite generous of you all, but still..."

"This soup is actually yummy!" Pinkie declared, slurping the entire soup clean off the bowl. "If only we could have seconds."

"These meals are rations, Pinkie," Applejack mentioned. "There are no more helpings here, luckily Erwin gave me the approval to plant apple seeds right outside the castle in the back. So we'll have more to eat soon."

"Huh?" Hange asked. "Trees take years to become fully-grown trees, and maybe more to bear any fruit to eat."

"Well, these seeds are kinda' special. They're enchanted so that they grow much quicker than an ordinary apple tree. So we'll have fresh new apples in less than a few days."

"Really?! If only you guys could do that for the rest of what crops we have left..."

"Oy!" Levi shouted, bringing their attention to the captain as he took a seat next to Eren. "I have to explain something to you ponies."

The ponies stopped talking amongst each other and listened closely to what Levi had to say.

"As you already know," he proclaimed. "You'll all be training to become proper soldiers in the Scout Regiment, however, you'll be traveling to Yarckel District west of Wall Sina."

"What's there exactly?", Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow.

"If you'd stop interrupting me, I'll explain."

Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs and huffed in reply.

"Starting tomorrow, you ponies will be properly fitted into your Scout Regiment garments and harnesses. Considering the fact that some of you have wings, you won't need mobility gear since you can fly on your own so you'll only need the sheaths for your blades. The rest of you without wings will be tested on your aptitude to determine if you're qualified to be soldiers or not like any other cadets."

The ponies gave each other concerned looks hoping that they were qualified to become soldiers in the Scout Regiment. Eren thought back to how he almost failed to become a soldier when he first started his aptitude test with a ridged brow on his face.

"However," Levi continued with a more dread expression. "This test requires all of you to stand on your hind legs, which is a problem for quadrupedal creatures such as yourselves. Not only that, but the earth ponies who can't use magic like unicorns only have the stumps on your hooves to use, so we need to find a way to modify your gear for you to properly use your ODM gear."

"And how are we gonna do that?" Rainbow questioned.

"Dolphus," Levi simply answered.

"Who now?" asked Starlight.

"How's a sea animal gonna help us?" Pinkie asked, greatly puzzled.

Levi gave the pink pony a sinister look in annoyance before coming to his point.

"Dolphus Spannagel," Levi clarified. "He's the main developer of Omni-Directional Mobility Gear manufacturing and modifications in Yarckel District. He'll help equip you ponies with ODM gear and adjust them for your needs. We sent him a message ahead of time right after the verdict during the trial and he's honored to work with all of you and better train you to fight against titans. Afterwards, you'll be sent to the Cadet Core Training Grounds where Eren and the other soldiers of the 104th Cadet Core trained to become soldiers."

"Cool!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "I can't wait to see Eren's old days where he used to train."

"That is if some of you can pass your aptitude test"

"Huh?" Rarity, Starlight, Applejack, and Pinkie said simultaneously.

"I see no point in wasting a trip to Yarckel if you ponies can't learn how to use your gear correctly. Not only that, we'll need some time to take proper measurements for your apparel-"

"I can help with that!" Rarity interjected while raising her hoof.

"Hm? You know how to sew?" Levi asked without changing his expression.

"I'm a fashionista back in Equestria, darling," Rarity revealed. "I can acquire those measurements and have those uniforms done in no time."

Judging by the look on the unicorn's face, Levi can already tell that she wasn't bluffing. Due to the fact that she had magic on her side, it didn't cross his mind that he would be obligated to give such a task to someone as neat as himself.

"Alright then, Hange!"

"Yes?" Hange replied.

"Tomorrow morning, bring Rarity to the tailoring room and give her specific instructions on what to make and how to make it. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Hange replied, saluting the captain with her fist on her heart.

"If anyone needs me, I'll be back with my peers enjoying dinner," Levi concluded, walking back to the other table with his squad.

The ponies looked at each other with worry and excitement for the day ahead of them tomorrow. Hange walked to where Rarity was sitting and placed her left hand on the table.

"So tell me, Rarity," Hange said. "Do you believe you can make seven Scout Regiment uniforms in one day?"

"Without a doubt, darling," Rarity responded with confidence. "Creating seven of the exact same kind of outfit should be a walk in the park. It's nothing compared to what I had to design back in our world."

"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, appearing right next to Hange. "She owns three boutiques in three different parts of Equestria. She also made us seven dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala!"

"Grand Galloping Gala?" wondered Hange. "Isn't that some special kind of ball?"

"Totally! We celebrate it pretty much every year in Canterlot!'

"Canterlot is the capital of Equestria, right?"

"You're right," Twilight replied. "Looks like somepony's putting those books to good use."

"I just can't seem to put them down! They have so many interesting things to share about your world! I wonder what else those books have in store?!"

Levi, Oruo, Petra, Eld, and Gunther heard the excitement of Hange's reading of the books Twilight gave her.

"Well," Oruo spoke. "at least she isn't bothering us anymore with her chattering over her experiments."

Later that night, Twilight relaxed in her bedroom with Starlight entering the room. Twilight had an amble candlelight on the small table next to her bed as she was writing a message to the princess.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Tomorrow my friends and I are going to train for the next expedition outside the walls. Rarity will be making our uniforms and have us suited up before then. There is also an aptitude test that Starlight, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie will be tested on to determine if they are suited to be soldiers or not. Although we are probably light years away from each other, I just wanted to send some words of reassurance.

One more thing, I ask that you send us 105 bits; 15 bits for each of us. We will be traveling to one of the districts of Wall Sina that contains the upper class of humanity. They will expect us to wear a shirt underneath our harnesses that will better suit us. Also, this may sound strange, but I'd also ask that you send fifteen pounds of salt. From what I have heard, salt in this world is an indulgence and the Scout Regiment would really appreciate it as a gift from us.

Thank you so much, and tell Spike and the others I said hello,

Your pupil,
Twilight Sparkle

Twilight rolled the scroll and wrapped it in a red ribbon. Using the spell the princess gave her, she sent it back to Equestria for Celestia to respond sometime tomorrow.

"Hey, Twilight?" Starlight called to her. "Do you think Levi likes or respects any of us?"

"Huh?" baffled Twilight. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, he's always acting like a brute to us even though we try to get on his good side. Not even Pinkie Pie can get him to smirk even a little. We do everything he tells us to do and he doesn't seem to express his gratitude."

"True," Twilight nodded in agreement. "He never does show any feelings, kind of like Pinkie's sister, Maud."

"Exactly, but he did acknowledge the cleaning Rarity did around the castle. So do you think that maybe he even sees us as friends?"

"Of course, he does have very high criteria and expectations for us so I wouldn't say that he's a bad guy. He didn't become the captain of the Scout Regiment for nothing. The best thing we can do to get on his good side is to obey his orders and not question them and maybe one day, he'll see us as true friends."

"Yeah, I suppose. It's kind of funny though."

"What is?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow.

"From what I've heard from Eren, Levi used to be a criminal in an underground city and listened to nopony. Then the Scout Regiment found him and Erwin said they would grant him citizenship to live on the surface. In a weird way, he and I are the same. We both had some dark history in the past and chose to do things for our selfish desires."

"Wow," Twilight exclaimed in a quiet tone. "I had no idea Levi was a convicted criminal, and living in an underground city sounds pretty cool."

"It does," Starlight agreed. "But from what Eren told me, living underground too long without sunlight can result in your legs becoming unhealthy and not working properly and paying your way to the surface or even buying medicine is expensive, which is no wonder he chose the path of a criminal."

"I see," Twilight mused. "I wonder if he had friends that he cared about just as much as we care for each other?"

Starlight yawned while placing her right hoof over her mouth. Twilight yawned in response to seeing Starlight's tired state.

"Starlight," Twilight said trying to sound angry. "You gave me yawn."

Twilight and Starlight giggled in response to Twilight joking around. Seeing that they had a long day tomorrow, both of them went straight to bed to get a good night's sleep.

"Goodnight, Starlight," Twilight said before blowing out the candle to darken the room.

They both tuckered in their blankets to stay warm and drifted off to sleep.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack went to the room that they were sharing and settled there for the night. Rainbow Dash grabbed one of the books she brought with her from Equestria to read before going to sleep. However, remembering that Eren was forced to sleep in the dungeon down in the basement, she couldn't help but feel bad for him being left down there alone with no pony to talk to. After glancing down at the book she held, she tucked it under her right wing and started to walk out of the bedroom.

"Rainbow?" Applejack spoke in her bed. "Where are ya going?"

"I think I'm gonna bunk with Eren tonight," Rainbow Dash replied. "I feel bad for him that he has to be treated like a prisoner."

"But, aren't ya afraid that he may turn into a titan in his sleep?"

"I think I'll take my chances," Rainbow responded with a smirk. "If the girls ask, tell them I'm sleeping with Eren."

"Uh, alright then."

"Thanks, AJ," Rainbow Dash appreciated.

Once Rainbow Dash left the room, Applejack turned to where the candle was lit and blew it out to darken the room. Applejack tuckered in her blanket and smiled to know that Rainbow Dash was getting along with someone new, even though Eren had such dangerous powers that many people feared. Applejack could see that Rainbow Dash's loyalty wouldn't stop her from connecting to someone who had been accused of being a monstrosity.

Miche was guiding Eren to his cell down in the basement where a few torches were lit. However, Eren did not have his hands cuffed, seeing that he was slowly gaining the Scouts' trust with his titan powers. Once they reached Eren's cell, Miche grabbed a key out of his pocket to unlock the cell and allowed Eren inside. Eren gladly let himself inside the cell and went straight to bed to rest up for tomorrow. He didn't care if he slept in a cold dungeon since he was exhausted after Hange's constant ranting last night.

"We saw no point in cuffing you since you may turn into a titan in your sleep and that wouldn't have proven useful," Miche said.

Eren nodded in agreement as he settled himself in bed.

"We'll see you tomorrow morning, so get plenty of rest," Miche stated.

As Miche went back upstairs to rest for the night, Eren made himself comfortable and wanted some much-needed rest. Before he could drift asleep, he heard someone else enter the dungeon and talk to Miche from upstairs before he could leave the dungeon. The voice sounded female and gravelly that was just too familiar and easy to identify.

"Rainbow Dash?" Eren exclaimed.

Their discussion did not go for much longer as Eren heard them heading back downstairs to his cell. Miche came back with Rainbow Dash right beside him with a book held in her right wing.

"Well, it appears you have a roommate for tonight, Eren," Miche declared opening his cell to let the pegasus inside. "Goodnight you two."

"Night, Miche," Rainbow Dash replied.

Miche let himself out and walked back upstairs to sleep in his bedroom. After wishing Miche a good night sleep, Rainbow Dash hopped on the left side of Eren's bed with a smile on her face.

"Rainbow, what are you doing here?" Eren asked in confusion.

"I'm bunking with you tonight, Eren," she answered. "No way I'm gonna let you sleep in a cold dungeon all by yourself."

"But what if I turn into a Titan in my sleep?" Eren questioned in worry. "Aren't you afraid that I might kill you by accident?"

"Don't worry about it," Rainbow answered without a hint of anxiety. "I doubt that'll happen. Besides, I think I'll take my chances. Some people may say that you're a monster, but I think you're just misunderstood. No matter what everyone thinks of you, I'll always be at your side, Eren."

Eren was totally surprised by the pony's loyalty towards him. He was shocked to hear Rainbow Dash say that she saw him as a normal human being, even though she knew about his Titan powers. Rainbow Dash opened her right wing and then tossed the book she brought with her in the middle of Eren's bed. He grabbed the book and read the title with it written 'Daring Do and the Quest for the Saffire Stone.'

The artwork of the book had a pegasus with a light gold coat and mane with a grayscale rainbow color. She also had a compass on her flank as her cutie mark with moderate rose eyes and wore a green collared shirt and a dark olivine helmet with a dark olive band. She appeared to be swinging on a red vine while carrying a blue crystal in her left hoof while also avoiding the jaws of a crocodile.

"Is this a novel?" Eren asked the pegasus.

"Yeah," Rainbow said in excitement. "Her name's Daring Do! She's like one of the coolest ponies ever known, aside from me, obviously."

Eren shared a small giggle to see the pony's enthusiasm. Even though her character was similar to Oruo's, her loyalty and compassion compensated it.

"Is she a real pony back in your world?" Eren asked.

"I didn't think so at first," Rainbow answered. "but it turns out that the author, A. K. Yearling, is actually Daring Do herself and she writes about her adventures! We even have a bond with each other and sees me as a good friend!"

"No kidding!" Eren replied in astonishment.

Eren grabbed the book to start reading only to be halted by Rainbow's hoof before he could read the first page.

"Not so fast," Rainbow said, grabbing the book with her hooves. "I'll be the one reading the story. No one does a better impression of Daring Do than me."

"Oh...", Eren responded. "Okay then."

Afterwards, Rainbow Dash opened the book to start on the first chapter of the story and cleared her throat before she read out loud.

"Daring Do and the Quest for the Saffire Stone, Chapter One," Rainbow read to Eren. "As Daring Do tread through the tropical jungle, the wet heat sapped her energy and slowed her every step. If only she could escape this oppressive atmosphere and fly up into the blue, cool sky, but her crash landing in the jungle had injured her wing and she was grounded for a few days..."

Even though Eren was exhausted, he couldn't fall asleep after hearing Rainbow Dash read an exciting book that had intrigued Rainbow Dash so much to make her love the series.

"...and so with Ahuizotl defeated and the Saphire Statue secured, the world was safe and sound once again, thanks to Daring Do!"

After finishing the last chapter of the book, she closed the book in a dramatic way as a kind of climax for the story. Eren was smiling at the fact that such an adventurer back in the ponies' world that traveled to many exotic places to save the world from villains such as Ahuizotl. Saying that the story wasn't gripping would be an incredible misconception.

"Well?" Rainbow requested. "Pretty cool story, huh?"

"Totally!" Eren confessed. "And you know what? Maybe someday my friends and I will be just like her! Travelling to places around the world to see exotic places!"

Eren was talking about the places he remembered Armin mentioning in his book about the outside world.

"Mountains of ice, snowfields of sand, burning water. One day we'll get to see the outside world after we defeat the titans."

"Yeah," Rainbow agreed. "Like I said, my friends and I will help you guys win this fight. It's sad to see some of your friends gone after being eaten by titans, but one day we'll help you guys rise out of the ashes and help you reclaim your rightful place in this world."

"Thanks, Rainbow Dash," Eren acknowledged, petting Rainbow Dash on the head while messing her hair.

Afterwards, Rainbow Dash yawned audibly as she forgot how exhausted she was from today. She tuckered in bed beside Eren and rolled on her side while placing her leg over Eren's torso like a massive stuffed animal.

"Night, Eren," she whispered, shutting her eyes. "Got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Eren placed his left arm under Rainbow's neck to let her use his shoulder as a makeshift pillow for the pegasus. He then placed his hand and forearm on Rainbow's back to comfort her and nestle her closer to his side.

"Yeah, you too," Eren replied.

Thanks to Rainbow Dash's presence, Eren wasn't as cold as he thought he would be while sleeping in his cell. Not only that, the ponies softness and warmth lulled him to sleep more peacefully.

The next day inside the mess hall for the cadets, the soldiers were lined up with the main housing of their ODM gear set on different tables along with documents laid in front of them for inspection after the titan subjects were killed. Many soldiers from the Military Police were inspecting every soldier to see if their maneuvering gear was in check. Most of the soldiers were on edge during the procedures since the ceremony to choose which branch to join will happen tonight.

Two Military Police soldiers were currently examining Sasha's gear and asked her some questions. One of the soldiers reading the document was male with short, dark grey hair and a grey T-shirt underneath his uniform. The other soldier was female with fairly long brown hair and wore a beige turtleneck underneath her uniform. She held a clipboard and took notes of Sasha's answers to confirm if she was responsible for killing the test subjects or not.

"When did you last replace your shaft?" the male soldier queried.

"Six days ago," Sasha answered. "after the mop-up operation."

"Records confirm," the female soldier declared.

"All right," said the male soldier, turning to Christa. "You're next."

"Christa Lenz of Squad 42!" she clarified.

"Equipment check," he said to the female soldier.

Two male soldiers lined up for inspection muttered amongst each other about the events that unfolded after the test subjects were killed.

"So killing Titans can actually get you in trouble, huh?" said a male soldier with short black hair.

"Yeah," replied a male soldier with gold hair. "it's crazy, but they were valuable test subjects."

"Even so, why are they searching for the culprits among us cadets?"

"Yeah, we're worn out enough as it is, cleaning up the battlefield all this time..."

Armin stood in line waiting for his gear to be inspected as well. Conny was standing on his left side while Annie was on his right both of them with their maneuvering gears as well. They were all void of sensibility with the circumstances happening now and later for the ceremony.

"Whoever it was really hates Titans," Conny spoke.

"Mm..." admitted Armin. "But they pretty much helped the Titans, if anything. Maybe it helped quench their thirst for revenge, but it was also a big setback for humanity."

"I'm not too bright, so I think I can relate. Before I actually saw a Titan, I seriously planned on joining the Scouts. Now I never want to see another one again. But today's the day we hafta pick a regiment to join..."

Conny glanced to his left where Jean was standing next to him. He looked down and saw him clenching his fist meaning that something was getting to him.

Is Jean seriously going to...? Conny thought.

The night after the clean-up operation at one of the plazas in Trost, there were three square bonfires burning the last corpses to destroy any bacteria or contaminants that could infect anyone. Everyone stared at the fires in despair as they saw their deceased comrades be devoured by the flames. Jean, Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie stood on the left side of the bonfires while Conny, Sasha, Ymir, and Christa stood on the right side.

Conny sat down on the hard courtyard unlike everyone else with his hands on the side of his head. He sobbed over the loss of his dear friends with tears flowing from his eyes. Jean looked at him with pity as everyone else felt the same way, even though they didn't show it.

Everyone's having regrets... Jean said in his head. They never would've chosen to be soldiers if they knew this hell awaited them... Now that they're utterly drained, that's the only thing they can think about...

Jean walked closer to the bonfires to grab one of the many burnt pieces of bones that flew away from the flames on the ground. He went down on his knees and picked up a piece and looked down at it.

"Marco..." he muttered to himself. "I don't know which bones are yours anymore..."

The memories of seeing Marco's lifeless body crawled through his mind. He then remembered some encouraging words Eren said to him before the invasion of Trost telling him that he planned to join the Scout Regiment to eradicate the titans.

"If I hadn't become a soldier, I never would've had to worry about who's next..."

Jean and the graduated soldiers were looking at Eren while he shot back some remarks about joining the Military Police opposed to the Scout Regiment.

"Are we just going to throw away all the advances in fighting techniques that costs us tens of thousands of lives so we can be titan fodder?!", Eren criticized.

I know I have to fight, Jean thought. But not everyone can be a suicidal maniac like you...

Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him on his right. He also noticed a bright light that he imagined in his head which no one else seemed to notice. When he looked to his right, he saw an apparition of Marco smiling down at him with confidence and reassurance.

"You might be mad, but listen," Marco said, bringing back a memory of Jean's back in the HQ of Trost. "You're not a strong person, Jean, so you can't sympathize with the feelings of the weak. Nevertheless, you excel at looking at things objectively. So you have a clever idea of what needs to be done, don't you? Like when you comforted Fluttershy when she was witnessing people being devoured by Titans?"

After hearing those words of encouragement, he then noticed Fluttershy standing on his left with tears in her eyes expressing a happy smile as she walked closer to Jean. Relieved to see her in one peace, Jean opened his arms to embrace the pegasus in a warm hug.

"Thanks for saving us, Jean," wept Fluttershy. "I'm so happy I met-"

Right before he was about to hug Fluttershy, the illusions of Marco and Fluttershy vanished right before him. Jean opened his eyes as he was put back into reality kneeling in front of the bonfires with the piece of burnt bone in the palm of his hand. With Marco's and Fluttershy's words still flowing in his mind, he clenched the burnt piece of bone in his palm right before standing on his feet. He finally realized his intention.

What needs to be done now..., Jean concluded.

"Hey, guys," Jean called to his friends bringing their attention to him. "Have you decided which regiment you're going to join? I have."

Conny was slightly stunned to see Jean in this case as he looked up at him.

"I'm..." Jean stammered clenching his right fist and grabbing his wrist with his other hand. "I'm... going to join the Scouts!"

Once he finally made his decision, Jean began to choke and weep to himself since he missed Marco and hoped deep in his heart to see Fluttershy once again.

After remembering the declaration Jean made that night, Conny knew that Jean must be terrified over the idea of joining the Scout Regiment once the ceremony came.

"Damn..." Conny whispered. "Hey, Annie. What do you think? Jean says he's gonna join the Scouts."

"Huh?", Armin quietly uttered. "Jean is?"

"Don't really care," replied Annie.

"Yeah," Conny recognized."you're joining the Military Police. Maybe I should too after all?"

Annie did not even glance at him before asking him something.

"Tell me," Annie asked him. "if someone told you to die, would you?"

"What? No," Conny answered.

"Then do what matters most to you. What about you , Armin?"

"Huh?" Armin wondered. "I... I think I might, if the situation called for it and I understood the reason why. Not that I'd want to."

"I see," Annie responded. "So you've decided."

"Mm. Although it was always my plan anyway."

"Oh, man," Conny asserted quietly. "Not you too, Armin?"

"For as weak as someone as you," Annie admitted. "you've got guts."

"Th-Thanks," Armin replied, somewhat surprised by Annie's words. 'You, know, you're actually pretty nice, Annie."

"Huh?" she said while looking at him.

"I mean, you seem apprehensive about us joining the Scouts, plus I assume you have a reason for joining the Military Police, right?"

"Not really," Annie answered, looking away. "I just want to stay alive."

While Armin looked down in slight disappointment, he noticed something odd about Annie's maneuvering gear like he saw it somewhere before.

At the Scout Regiment headquarters' stables and courtyard, Eld and Gunther were having a mug of water to quench their thirst while they were discussing who the culprit was for killing Sawney and Beane. At the same time, Eren was feeding the horses with a bucket filled with oats. Twilight and her friends were standing near him to accompany him. Eren, Eld, and Gunther were dressed in their uniforms and gear.

"Ugh," Rarity scoffed in disgust. "To think that this is how equines eat in this world. So revolting."

"In the end, it seems they never found whoever used the ODM gear without permission," Gunther told Eld. "Who could it have been?"

"Beats me," Eld replied after taking a sip of water. "Right now, I'm more worried about the upcoming rookie solicitation. How many rookies will be willing to join us just for the hell of it?"

"Hey, Eren," called Gunther. "Is there anyone in your class who's thinking of joining us?"

"There are," he answered until he wasn't entirely sure if his friends made their final decisions. "Well, there were. I'm not sure about now."

"I sure wish that Jean joins the Scouts," said Fluttershy. "I actually like him."

"I wouldn't get your hopes up," Eren gravely replied. "Besides, you should have seen him back in our trainee days."

Fluttershy was genuinely interested in Jean's past as how he behaved towards his friends before graduating. At the moment, Levi arrived on the back of a dark-grey horse with his gear and apparel equipped. Gunther and Eld saw him arrive and took declaration.

"Assemble!" Eld ordered.

Without hesitation, Gunther and Eld placed their mugs down and gave the captain their salute.

"Make ready at once!" ordered Levi. "We're going on patrol!"

"Yes, sir!" they both answered.

Eren came running next to Gunther and Eld to give out his salute likewise.

"Good morning, Captain Levi!" Eren greeted.

"Listen, Eren," Levi informed. "Don't fall more than two lengths behind. You're only allowed to wander because I'm watching you. Don't forget that."

Out of nowhere, a bright flash appeared in the middle of the courtyard. Eren, Gunther, and Eld ducked for cover while the ponies covered their eyes from the blinding light. The flash spooked Levi's horse as it tossed its forelegs. Regardless of the unexpected shock, Levi calmed his steed down eventually and maintained emotional balance. Eren, Eld, and Gunther readied themselves by drawing out their blades for the worst to befall.

"What the hell was that?!" Eld shouted. "A Titan?!"

"No," Twilight reassured before walking to where the flash occurred. "they're just supplies I ordered from the princess back in our world."

Sure enough, there was a small wooden crate placed in the center of the courtyard. The four soldiers were left certainly confused, lightly from Levi, to see that the flash did not cause any burnt marks on the patio. After Twilight reached the chest, she opened the lid with her magic to see a small sack and a few rolls of bits wrapped together.

"Looks like they arrived!" Twilight declared joyfully.

"And what are those things that 'arrived' exactly?!" Levi demanded skeptically.

"Just a few things that I thought my friends and I needed before we left for Yarckel."

The doors leading out to the courtyard slammed open with Hange running out the doors along with Petra and Oruo right behind her. Erwin and Miche looked from inside the castle out the doorway to see what had transpired just now.

"What was that sound?" Hange exclaimed. "Did Eren turn into a Titan or something?"

"No," Levi answered while glaring at Twilight. "Apparently, Twilight ordered a few things from her world without a lick of permission from us."

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Rainbow objected. "I thought that bearded guy from the trial said we had the privilege to do whatever we want!"

"He did, and although you ponies have much more rights than Eren does, you're all still soldiers in the Scout Regiment that heed my orders."

"I'm sorry," apologized Twilight. "Since you're allowing me to send letters back to Princess Celestia, I thought-"

"Sending something as simple as letters are more tolerable rather than ordering an entire package of supplies. This is my only warning: anything sent from your world besides letters must be approved by me or Erwin."

"My apologies, sir," Twilight replied. "I'll let the princess know as soon as possible."

"Good. Now, what is it that you ordered?"

"Well," Twilight clarified, taking out the sack and rolls of bits. "Since we're going to Yarckel in Wall Sina, I thought maybe we could buy a few things while we're there to make ourselves more orderly in our garments. So Princess Celestia gave us fifteen bits for each pony."

Everyone excluding the ponies was in utter shock to see the ponies have such an abundance of gold from their world. All of the soldiers' eyes and mouths were agape aside from Erwin and Levi who barely made a shift in appearance, even though they were about as shocked as everyone else. It was a breath of fresh air for everyone except the ponies, of course.

"Uh...", Starlight sounded. "Are you guys okay? It's only fifteen bits for each of us. It shouldn't be that much, right?"

"Starlight," Hange quivered. "gold is an immensely precious valuable here within the walls. With all of those coins combined, you guys can buy yourselves part of an entire district within Wall Sina!"

The ponies were now as appalled as everyone else.

"Oohoohoohoohoo!", Rarity squealed in delighted. "Think of all of the clothing and jewelry I can buy!"

"And what about the sack?", Eld asked.

"I heard Hange's story about salt being a luxury here in this world," Twilight mentioned. "So I asked the princess for some salt as a gift for the Scout Regiment. Is fifteen pounds enough?"

Now there was silence between all of the soldiers. With the exception of Erwin and Levi, they all remained unmovable with profoundly dumbfounded expressions.

"Miche," Erwin said from outside the entrance with a smirk on his face. "Put that salt in the kitchen immediately."

"Yes, sir!", Miche replied.

Miche ran towards Twilight as the alicorn gave him the sack of salt. He then opened the sack to test it to see how fresh it was by dabbing a tiny amount on his index finger, sniffing it, and placing it on his tongue. Once he got the taste, his eyes widened in jubilance from the taste.

"Authentic, sir!", Miche acknowledged.

"Brilliant!", Erwin responded.

Miche walked back inside the castle to place the salt somewhere safe in the kitchen.

"Is that everything?", Erwin asked Twilight.

"Yes, sir!", Twilight answered.

"Good. Hange, Petra. Remember that we depart for the induction ceremony at noon."

"Yes, sir!", the two female soldiers responded.

With full confirmation, Erwin and Miche walked back inside the castle.

"As I was saying," Levi spoke, returning his gaze towards Eren. "you have the privilege to wander around only because I'm keeping a close eye on you."

"Yes, sir!", Eren acknowledged.

"Hange, while I'm gone, be sure to have the ponies fitted with their harnesses and uniforms. Rarity, be sure that you finish those harnesses before we return this afternoon above all else. Once we return, we'll begin your aptitude test and determine if you ponies are qualified to become soldiers, understood?"

"Yes, sir!", Hange and the ponies answered.

"Let's go!"

Levi, Eren, Eld, and Gunther rode on horseback from the castle on patrol out in the fields. Hange and the ponies waved them goodbye while Petra and Oruo rested inside the castle until then.

"Alright, everyone," Hange declared to the ponies. "Follow me. Rarity, I'll be showing you your workspace."

"Ooo! I can't wait!", Rarity cried in excitement.

After walking down a few hallways inside the castle, Hange stopped at a set of wooden doors. Once she opened them for Rarity to examine the tailoring room, she gasped in utter delight. There was a wooden table long enough for her to work on, a desk with outlines and blueprints was presented on a separate desk, and there was yarn, sewing needles, measuring tape, and all the materials needed to make the jackets, cloaks, harnesses, patches, and boots. Everything she needed to work on the uniforms and harnesses was granted to the unicorn.

"This is- I am utterly speechless!", Rarity stumbled to speak.

"I'm not so sure what you have back in your world," Hange said. "But everything you need to make those uniforms and harnesses is right here. I just hope this isn't too much for you to-"

"Oh! No! No! No! This is foolproof, without a doubt! I'm absolutely certain to get those uniforms done in no time!"

Rarity prepared herself by grabbing a pair of glasses with her magic that she brought from her home.

"And you said I didn't need these glasses, Applejack," Rarity taunted to the earth pony while chuckling. "Don't you feel ridiculous?"

Applejack just rolled her eyes in response to Rarity's comeback. Once Rarity put her glasses on, she grabbed the measuring tape from the table using her magic to measure and take note of the lengths and sizes of everypony. Straightening it out, she started with Twilight and scanned around her neck, legs, and waist. Afterwards, she moved on to Starlight and did the same. Hange was trying to keep up as the unicorn moved to each and every pony by looking at the tape as well, but fell short of Rarity's years of experience as a fashionista.

After getting all of the measurements, Rarity placed the tape back on the table and dotted the measurements of everypony.

"Done," declared Rarity.

"There is no way you were able to get all of the measurements that fast," Hange responded.

"I beg to differ, darling," Rarity exclaimed, tapping the side of her head with her hoof. "Steel trap! Many years of experience as a fashionista. Now, please leave me! I must work on these uniforms at once!"

Doing as they were told, Hange and the other ponies left the tailoring room with Rarity closing the doors with her magic, starting her work on the Scout Regiment uniforms for the ponies.

"Well," Hange said. "Someone's got their work cut out for them."

"Don't worry," Starlight reassured. "Making seven exact uniforms with instructions will be as easy as pie for her."

"Then I won't question it any further."

"So," Rainbow Dash questioned. "What do we do in the meantime? Don't you have to go to this ceremony or whatever?"

"I still have several hours until then," Hange answered. "So I have some time to kill."

"Alright then," Twilight noted. "I'm going to write another letter to the princess so that she knows about Levi's rules that way he doesn't have another fit."

"Okay, I need to get ready for tonight so you ponies relax until Levi returns, understood?"

"Okie Dokie Lokie!" , Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing down the hallways.

Everypony else went to their own rooms to enjoy themselves for a bit while Rarity continued to work on the uniforms.

Elsewhere, at the stage with a large open field where the ceremony would commence for tonight, several soldiers were having their own discussion as to which faction they would join. Among those soldiers were Reiner, Bertholdt, Ymir, and Christa waiting in the yard. Furthermore, Armin, Annie, and Sasha laid onto a stone wall of a nearby building whereas Conny sat on the ground while laying on the wall unlike everyone else. While waiting, Jean walked towards the four soldiers to state his presence.

"Jean!", Armin exclaimed. "Are you really joining the Scouts?"

"Yeah," he simply answered with a stern expression.

"Why the sudden change of heart?", asked Sasha. "I mean... aren't you afraid?"

"Huh?", Jean puffed, almost as if he was offended. "Of course I don't like the lousy Scouts."

"Huh?", Conny blurted in confusion. "Then, why are you...?"

"It's not 'cause I'm not scared of the titans or anything like that. Nor am I gonna say that capable people should join the Scouts. I'm not like that suicidal maniac."

"Eren, huh?", Conny clarified, feeling a little down under the weather. "He's already been a Scout for a while now. So have those ponies I'm guessing."

Jean and Sasha suddenly remembered this case and gasped in shock. They realized that joining the Scout Regiment also meant seeing their pony friends again.

"Cadets!", shouted a male soldier in the area. "Fall in! Face the platform! Face the platform!"

All of the soldiers stopped talking amongst themselves and walked closer to the stage as ordered.

"No one's persuaded me into risking my life, either," Jean told his friends. "This is one time where the decision has to be all mine."

With that being said, Jean turned away to walk towards the stage along with everyone else including Reiner, Bertholdt, Ymir, and Christa. Conny stood on his feet to join them for the upcoming ceremony.

With the sun setting on the horizon and the ceremony about to start, Levi, Eren, Eld, and Gunther returned on horseback with Levi leading the way. After crossing a stone bridge over a canal, they reached the courtyard to meet up with the ponies. Sure enough, they were all outside in the courtyard standing in formation next to each other to Levi's respect.

Upon Eren's delight, he saw all of them in their uniforms designed specifically for them. They wore the Scout Regiment cloaks, jackets, and boots made for them in a unique way that fits the ponies. The harnesses around them were altered differently for them to properly equip, plus the cloaks and jackets that Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy wore had slips on both sides for their wings with buttoned straps to keep them in comfortably.

Eren and the others were truly impressed by Rarity's handiwork, even Levi seemed impressed even though he didn't express it. They all looked like true soldiers now that were ready to offer their hearts for humanity. Levi dismounted his horse and walked to the center of the formation to check on their uniforms.

"Looks like you all have your uniforms now," Levi said.

"Yes, sir!", all of the ponies answered.

"Rarity," Levi called to the unicorn. "let me see your cloak, jacket, and boots."

"Yes, captain!", Rarity answered, taking off her apparel using her magic.

Levi first inspected the cloak and saw it as an exact model of the Scout Regiment cloak that the soldiers used. Next was the jacket as he gave it a few tugs to test its sturdiness. Sure enough, the jacket held even against Levi's strength. Lastly, he analyzed the boots and noticed that they were changed differently to fit the ponies' rear hooves and legs. After seeing all of Rarity's design, he nodded in approval.

"This jacket is very sturdy, even with my strength," Levi commented. "So I assume that the other uniforms are just about as firm. Nice work on these uniforms, Rarity."

"Much obliged, sir!", Rarity answered, placing her right hoof on her heart to give her salute.

"Now, we begin you're aptitude test that shall determine your fate."

Eren gulped down nervously as he knew what was in store for the ponies. He hoped deep inside that they would pass this test, otherwise, he or his other friends wouldn't see them again.

On the back side of the castle, there was a triangular structure made of three wooden pillars with a bowed, metallic bar along with two pulleys on the top that had wires hung down on both sides of the pulleys. Levi, Eren, Eld, Gunther, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy stood next to each other while Starlight Glimmer, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie stood in front of the strange contraption. Their belts wrapped around their wastes were now equipped with two small metal boxes with latches attached to them.

"This device will determine your aptitude and determine if you ponies are qualified to become soldiers or not," Levi declared. "Due to the fact that Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy have wings and do not require omni-directional mobility gear, they are absolved from the test. The rest of you, however, do not possess the ability to fly and shall be tested on your aptitude right here and now.

"If you pass, then you're certified soldiers of the Scout Regiment. If not, pack up your bags and go home. Another thing that remains is the fact that you ponies are four-legged creatures, which may prove more difficult to pass this test; but I can care less about this. So you either pass this test or this trip of yours wll be all in vain, understand?"

"Yes, sir!", the four ponies answered.

"Good. You each get only two turns if you fail on your first try. Fail the second time, and you're done."

"Uh...?", Rainbow Dash interrupted. "Isn't it three strikes, and you're out?"

"I'm the captain here, so I make the rules," Levi responded harshly while Rainbow Dash shrugged her shoulders in response. "We'll start with Applejack."

"Yes, sir!", the earth pony replied.

Applejack trotted to the structure in the center with Eld readying the latches for him to latch the wires on her sides. Once she was in place, Eld fastened the wires on Applejack's sides where her belt was fastened. Eld stepped away a few paces to give her some room while Gunther waited at the back of the pillar where the crank was attached.

"On your hind legs, Applejack," Levi instructed.

Not needed to be told twice, she stood on her hind legs as ordered with her front legs in the air. She lost some of her balance and wobbled slightly but was able to regain her balance. Despite that, this did not go unnoticed by Levi.

"Not so nimble on your hind legs, huh?", Levi asked.

"No, sir!", Applejack replied, shaking her head.

"You can always give up and go home. Is that what you want?"

"No, sir!", Applejack objected with full confidence.

"Gunther, lift her up!"

Gunther nodded in response and used the crank to pull up the wires. Applejack gulped in anxiety to the idea of failing this test. Regardless, she steadied herself and focused the moment she felt herself being lifted off the ground. The other ponies gave each other nervous expressions to see if Applejack would have enough balance to use ODM gear.

Applejack was now off the ground and in midair. She appeared to be doing fine for one moment, only for her to lose balance, falling forwards and falling on her head. Eren cringed and hissed through his teeth, seeing the pony hit her head brought back some bad memories during his aptitude test. The ponies gasped simultaneously in horror to witness their friend drop. A small injury was the least of Applejack's worries since she only had one shot left to readjust and steady herself in order to pass.

Levi walked up to Applejack and squatted down while the pony tried to straighten herself.

"Set her down, Gunther," ordered Levi.

Gunther used the crank to reel the wires down to let Applejack back on the ground.

"Pitiful," he murmured to the earth pony. "Not that I expected anything else, really. And don't blame your harnesses either. Back in Eren's trainee days, he almost failed his test due to defective fixtures which we had to repair. You lost your balance because you lack the aptitude to do so. This is your final chance, so stand up and do it right this time!"

"Yes, sir!", Applejack grumbled before getting back on her hooves.

"Sheesh!", Rainbow exclaimed quietly to Twilight and the others. "And I thought Spitfire was tough back at the academy."

With Applejack back on her hind legs, Levi backed away into the line.

"Gunther, begin!", ordered Levi.

Gunther turned the crank again, lifting the wires along with Applejack's harness.

C'mon, Applejack, she thought. If y'all can host something as big as an Apple Family Reunion, then y'all can sure pass this here test.

With the wires pulling Applejack up, she was being lifted in the air once again. Now knowing where to shift her balance, she leaned back slightly to better straighten herself up. The ponies watched her in dread with Pinkie Pie biting her hoof nails in suspense as Applejack twitched a little. However, she calmed her mind and was able to steady herself. Levi expected her to fail, yet she remained almost perfectly steady as Applejack found the sweet spot to remain upright.

Eren and the ponies noticed this and smiled to see Applejack keep herself together. The earth pony gave Levi a smirk to tell him that she did it. After about fifteen seconds, Levi saw everything he needed to see.

"Gunther, set her down," he commanded.

Obeying the captain's orders, he used the crank to lower the wires and place Applejack on the ground. Applejack stood back on her feet and waited for Levi's response.

"Well?", Applejack asked. "Did ah pass?"

"You're good to go," Levi answered. "You can join the Scouts."

"Yeehaw!", exclaimed Applejack while kicking her front legs.

She galloped towards Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy to give them welcoming hugs for succeeding.

"Who's next?", Levi asked, glaring coldly at Rarity, Starlight, and Pinkie Pie.

"Me! Me! Me, me, me, me, me!", Pinkie shouted repeatedly while raising her right hoof.

"You seem so confident," Levi commented without expressing himself. "Then you shouldn't have a problem doing this test. You're up!"

"Woohoo!", Pinkie exclaimed before bouncing to the center of the structure.

Eld set up the hooks around Pinkie's waist to fasten her to the device and was ready to take the test.

"You saw how Applejack did it, so stand up!", Levi ordered the pink pony.

"Okie Dokie Lokie, sir!", Pinkie replied, now standing on her hind legs.

Opposed to Applejack's balance, Pinkie's balance was far better opposed to Applejack as if she had been practicing beforehand.

"Gunther, begin."

With a nod of approval, Gunther cranked the device to lift Pinkie Pie off of the ground. Pinkie was now in the air and did not appear to be affected by the shift of balance. Twilight and her friends already knew that she nailed the test with a sigh of relief. As much as Pinkie wanted to do some loops or swings, Levi's piercing stare told her not to do so. After about ten seconds, Levi saw enough to give the green light.

"Gunther, put her down," he ordered.

Gunther used the crank to set the pink pony back on the ground, although she wanted to do more. After setting down on four hooves, Pinkie grinned and waited for a response from Levi.

"That's about as close as perfect as one can get, even for human criteria. You passed."

"Yippee! Totally nailed it!", Pinkie shouted, jumping in the air.

After being detached from the device, she ran to meet up with Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy to welcome her to the Scout Regiment with a group hug. But they couldn't celebrate just yet, that is if Rarity and Starlight could pass. Levi glared at Rarity and wondered how she would manage with a deep examination. He wanted to see if someone as elegant and neat as the unicorn had the obligations to become a Scout, especially with such genteel attitude.

"Rarity! Your turn!", Levi ordered.

"Yes, sir!", Rarity answered, trotting to the device.

Eld strapped her in and she was ready to test herself. Levi was most keen to see Rarity, out of all ponies, to partake in this test. She had the same work integrity as him, but he believed that she may fall short in fighting against giant beings that ate humans. If she did pass this test without a problem, he may even see his peer right in front of him. Rarity was now strapped and Gunther was ready to crank up the wires.

"Gunther, begin!", Levi called to him.

Rarity smiled in confidence and flicked her hair by swinging her head. Afterwards, she turned her attention towards Applejack.

"You see, Applejack," Rarity said. "You accuse me of being a fussy pony, but even a lady such as myself must keep her balance and elegance perfect."

As Levi analyzed the unicorn, he saw her balance upright perfectly like a well-qualified expert. She even raveled her hips back and forth to further prove her point to Applejack, maintaining perfect balance. She was surely fitted to pass the test.

"You just can't seem to stop impressing me, huh?", Levi acclaimed with the same stern look. "You pass."

Rarity responded by giving Levi a bow to acknowledge him with recognition as Gunther set her back on the ground. Once Eld unstrapped her, she trotted to her pony friends with warm hugs excluding Starlight Glimmer. Applejack even frowned in complete embarrassment of Rarity's remark and seeing her do far better on the aptitude test than her, giving Rarity a few pats on her back. All who remained was Starlight Glimmer as she looked at the aptitude device with an anxious expression while biting her lip.

"Last but not least is you Starlight," Levi declared. "Get on."

"Yes, sir!", Starlight answered, trotting over to the device.

"I expect you to pass too since everyone else managed to succeed, but I wouldn't be so confident if I were you."

"Don't worry," Starlight replied. "I still have a lot to learn from them due to my past choices."

"Then I'll take it that what you've learned from them so far will ensure your place in the Scout Regiment, so are you ready?"

"Yes, sir!", Starlight said with her newfound determination.

"Gunther, lift her up!"

"Yes, sir!", Gunther answered, cranking the device.

Rotating the crank, Gunther pulled up the wires latched onto Starlight's harness. After a few more cranks, Starlight was off the ground and into the air. She seemed fine with her balance at first; however, she fell short and fell backward while screaming, hitting the back of her head on the dirt with her hind legs in the air. The ponies gasped seeing their reformed friend stumble to stay poised.

"Put her down, Gunther!", Levi ordered.

Starlight's confidence was slimming down knowing that she only had one shot left to prove herself a soldier in the Scout Regiment. Levi walked to her and squatted down to look at her face to face with a menacing look. This scared Starlight to the point of fainting.

"I'm not really surprised," Levi commented. "If you can't stay straight like everyone else did, you might as well go back home."

"No sir!", Starlight pleaded. "I just need a little more time to readjust, that's all."

"Most soldiers are able to pass this test without needing to 'readjust.' If you want to join your friends in the Scouts so badly, you better pass this test for your own sake, and perhaps even the sake of humanity."

"I won't fail you this time," Starlight returned, standing back on her hooves.

"Then let's go again. Gunther, begin!"

With Levi walking back to give Starlight some room, Starlight stood back on her hind legs to try again. With Gunther winding the crank to raise the wires, she calmed her mind to ready herself this time. Eren looked at Starlight with uneasiness to imagine her fail. He saw Starlight as a nice pony, even though her past indifferences was obscuring the unicorn's focus. Starlight shut her eyes and exhaled slowly to calm her mental state.

I know you can do this, Starlight, she said in her mind. You're a different pony than you were before, and what's in the past won't change who you are now.

The wires attached to her harness began to pull her off the ground. Starlight's sorrow turned into fierce determination.

It's time to prove to your friends that you're a changed pony!

Starlight was no longer touching the ground and was in the air once again with her focusing on nothing but passing this test.

It's time to show everypony what you're really made of!

With her full concentration, she was able to steady herself without tumbling over despite her slight wobbling. Levi expected her to fall again, yet she remained in the air as steady as possible. Starlight glanced over at Eren and Twilight, both of them giving her encouraging nods and smiles, giving her the courage to succeed. The other ponies smiled with joy to see their friend stay upright without falling. Eren now realized that all of his Equestrian friends will be able to fight on his side along with the Scout Regiment.

After fifteen seconds, Levi recognized her ability and nodded in approval.

"Set her down, Gunther!", Levi said.

Gunther lowered the wires to gently put Starlight back on the ground. Starlight used her magic to unhook the wires attached to her harness. She then looked at Levi to get his final answer.

"You passed!" Levi answered. "You've all shown to be official members of the Scout Regiment!"

The ponies cheered with joy and excitement knowing that they were qualified to be members of the Scouts and go out on expeditions together as friends to help humanity fight back from the titans. Levi offered a handshake to Starlight now that she was an official member.

"Welcome to the Scouts, Starlight," Levi addressed rightly.

Starlight's eyes glimmered to see that she had earned Levi's respect while getting her handshake from the captain. Afterwards, she hugged Levi, catching him by surprise. Levi pushed her off by placing his hands on her chest, placing Starlight on the ground.

"Never... do that again," Levi forewarned harshly.

"Sorry," Starlight apologized. "Guess you have a practice for personal space, huh? Anyway, thank you so much!"

"No problem, you all did well," Levi addressed to the ponies. "Tomorrow, the real work begins."

With Eld and Gunther meeting up with Levi, Starlight ran to her pony friends and they all shared a group hug with tears in their eyes. Eren smiled at the warming scene with compassion. He was happy to know that they would fight alongside him, no matter what comes their way. Now he hoped that his human friends would decide to join the Scout Regiment likewise.

"Hey, Eren!", Rainbow Dash called to him, releasing her hug around her friends only to hug him around his neck. "Guess we're all soldiers now, huh?"

"Yeah, seems like it," replied Eren, returning the hug.

Twilight trotted over to Eren to give him a hug too on his left side. Applejack joined them hugging Eren's right side with Fluttershy hugging his waist, Starlight hugging him around his chest and Pinkie Pie on his back. Rarity joined the hug between Applejack and Fluttershy to wrap around the two of them. Eren couldn't be happier to have all of this tenderness from such strange friends.

"Ponies!", Levi called to them, grabbing their full attention. "No time for cutsies! Tomorrow, you ponies will be traveling to Yarckel with Hange to meet Dolphus. You leave at sunrise and no later, understand?"

"Yes, sir!", the ponies answered, placing their right hooves on their hearts to give their salutes.

"Good. As for you Eren, you and the rest of us, along with any new recruits will be studying the formation layout for next month's expedition, got it?"

"Yes, sir!", replied Eren, Eld, and Gunther, giving their salutes as well.

"Excellent. You're all dismissed!"

Levi went back inside the castle with Eld and Gunther following him. Eren and his newly minted pony friends went their separate ways to go into their own bedrooms and get plenty of well-deserved rest. The ponies were excited for what tomorrow will bring.

The sun had already set in the horizon, bringing night time on the stage. Torches were lit on both sides of the stage as many soldiers gathered around for the opening ceremony. The person standing on the podium about to give his speech was the Commander of the Scout Regiment, Erwin Smith. Hange, Ouro, Petra, Miche and a few other Scouts were present off the right of the stage for any necessary obligations. With everyone's attention, Erwin began his motivational speech.

"I am Commander Erwin Smith of the Scout Regiment," he greeted to the soldiers. "Today, you choose a regiment to join. To put it bluntly, this is my invitation for you to join the Scouts. I am sure that, after this recent titan attack, you've already come to know their horror, as well as the limits of your own abilities.

"However! Through this battle, humanity has gained an unprecedented advancement toward victory. I'm referring to Eren Jaeger. He has proven, by risking life and limb, that he is unquestionably on our side. What's more, he has helped us not only foil the titans' invasion, but given us a way to learn the truth behind the titans as well!"

Combined gasps were made upon the soldiers in the ranks after hearing such uplifting news. Erwin saw them being enticed to such facts after opening the can of worms and squinted in reply.

"We have reason to believe that the basement of his home in Shiganshina houses a secret of the titans that even he is aware of. If we can just reach this basement, we may be able to obtain information that will help us break free from the titans' century-long tyranny."

The gasps were even more intense than before. In the back, even Bertholdt gasped at this case as he was standing next to Reiner.

"Basement?", Reiner muttered.

"Things have already progressed this far?", whispered a nearby soldier.

"If we can figure out what the titans are," murmured another. "we can turn the tables on them!"

Armin was uncertain about Erwin's plans as he looked at the commander inherently.

However badly he wants new recruits, Armin thought. going public with this is too much... Or is this part of some sort of plan? Just what is he looking for?!

Erwin saw many of the soldiers intrigued by his speech, but he already knew that he couldn't hide the true danger of working in the Scout Regiment any longer. He knew that hiding the truth wouldn't gain him anything in the end, so he decied to be straightforward with the new recruits. After making up his mind, he continued his speech.

"We will head for the basement in Shiganshina District. However, doing so will require taking back Wall Maria. In other words, our goal is the same as it's always been..."

Miche and Petra walked on the stage to open up a huge sheet of paper that was held by Petra and show it to the audience. Erwin looked back at the two soldiers to see them unravel an indecent, yet tolerable map of the walls and districts. A large, red X was placed over Trost District with an arrow that was pointed from the eastern district of Wall Rose to Shiganshina: the southern district of Wall Maria.

"...but now that Trost's gate is unusable, we've no choice but to depart from Calaneth District, further to the east."

Erwin turned back to face the crowd as Petra and Miche rolled the paper back up and walked away from the stage.

"The entire battalion route we spent four years establishing is now useless. During those four years, over 60% of the Scouts died. Sixty percent in four years. Truly unbelievable numbers. In one month there will be an outside scouting mission. New recruits from your class will take part in it, of which I estimate 30% will die, which may include the ponies as well."

The soldiers gasped quietly by this fact and began to tremble in fear. Erwin expected this to happen, but he didn't change his expression and continued from there.

"And in four years, most will be dead. However, whoever prevails will have become a highly skilled soldier who can survive anything."

Seeing that he was digging his own grave, most of the soldiers were reconsidering about joining the Scouts. Clearly, the cadets were horrified by the casualty levels of working in the Scout Regiment, but it did not matter. Erwin had to do what he could if some soldiers were still risking that chance and remained steadfast.

"Knowing this dismal state of affairs," Erwin continued. "whoever still wishes to put their life on the line, remain here. Ask yourself... if you can give your heart for the sake of humankind!"

The cadets were thrown off by surprise once again. Erwin's words were indeed moving and compelling, but they were fiercely true and serious at the same time.

"That is all," Erwin closed. "Those who wish to join other regiments may leave."

A soldier with tan skin and short, black hair walked closer to Erwin from the backstage to speak to Erwin.

"Sir!", he said. "Don't you think that was overly intimidating?! No one's going to stay behind now!"

Erwin didn't even answer him and sure enough, a few soldiers began to walk away from the stage, followed by two more, then three, four, five and much more depart to join the Garrison Regiment.

"But what about those ponies?", asked a male soldier to another. "We'll at least get the privilege to work with them, right?"

"I'm not joining the Scout Regiment with that percentage rate," the other soldier replied. "Even if that means not getting to work with those horses."

The soldier left to join the Garrison, prompting the other to do the same. Annie also decided to leave to join the Military Police instead. Bertholdt, who stayed where he stood, looked back in disappointment to see Annie go. As much as Bertholdt wanted to join her, his decision was final since he was working with Reiner at the very least, who also decided to join the Scouts.

As more soldiers continued to leave, Jean was still standing where he was forcing himself to join the Scouts if it meant seeing Fluttershy again opposed to living a luxurious life within Wall Sina. He looked up to see more and more soldiers leave the area along with Conny and Sasha. Mikasa and Armin weren't prompted to leave for anything else in the world. Since Eren and the ponies were in the Scout Regiment, they had to stay and join the Scouts if they ever wanted to be there with them and protect them no matter what may come their way.

Damn..., thought Jean, grimacing over his position. Please... I've already decided! Don't make me hate myself any more than this...!

Sasha was having the same feeling as she was giving up a comfortable life for a chance to die in the hands of a titan, but deep down in her heart, she wanted to see her friends again, specifically Rarity.

If I don't walk away now, she thought. I'll have to go through that again!

Although Conny was put under great pressure, he remained still while thinking about his early decision back at his hometown.

I originally left my village to join the Military Police..., Conny said to himself. And if I join the Military Police, everyone will finally respect me too...

They still had a chance to leave before it was too late, yet they stayed where they stood while they further evaluated the circumstances.

But now we know it..., Jean thought. Now we've seen it...

How the titans..., thought Sasha, cringing timidly on the verge of tears.

...eat people!, Conny concluded.

They all imagined the same thing happening to them once they stepped outside the walls, being devoured by titans. Sasha having her leg being bitten off, Conny being torn apart by two other titans, and Jean witnessing his friends being devoured while wounded in the process.

In spite of this, they were suddenly reminded of the events that took place during the invasion of Trost, where they first met the ponies as if it was a reminder from God.

"Applejack, hold on!", Conny shouted.

Applejack looked behind and saw Conny about to grab her. She jumped up into the air to allow Conny to catch her successfully. Once Conny got a hold of the pony, he zipped up straight through the window Mikasa broke to get inside and landed safely with Applejack.

"Thanks for the lift, partner," Applejack said, removing her saddlebag and placing it with the others.

"The pleasure's all mine," Conny replied.

"Not today, you ruffian!", Rarity bellowed.

Rarity spun swiftly with the blades in her grasp, matching the movement of her body with the blades. She performed a clean strike directly into the titan's nape, ending its life and sparing Sasha's life. Rarity skidded to a sudden halt on all fours and magically dropped the blades onto the floor. The frantic Sasha jogged towards the pony and hugged her around her neck, weeping in Rarity's mane.

"Rarity!", Sasha cried. "You saved me!"

"Jean, no!", Fluttershy yelled.

She dove straight down towards Jean head first as fast as her wings could carry her. She flipped her body and stretched her right leg, bucking the titan's arm with the back of her hoof. The titan was caught off-guard and lost its grip, allowing Jean to escape and continue towards the HQ. Fluttershy followed him in pursuit before the titan could grab her.

"-somepony like you!", whimpered Fluttershy, wrapping her front legs around his neck, embracing him in a warm hug.

Jean let out a massive cry to release all of his tension and agitations into the starry sky. After hearing no more footsteps, Jean looked to see who remained in the area. Upon the very few soldiers, he saw Mikasa, Armin, Reiner, Bertholdt, Conny, Sasha, Ymir, and Christa plus a few other soldiers he hardly knew. He counted all the soldiers, including himself, and saw a total of two dozen soldiers left.

Erwin scanned the scant number of soldiers that remained with the same conviction he had after his speech.

"If you cadets were told to die," Erwin asked them. "could you?"

"We don't wish to die, sir!", yelled Jean from the tiny crowd.

Erwin saw the conviction in their eyes and smirked in recognition.

"I see," he replied. "You each have an outstanding look about you."

Taking a deep inhale, Erwin made his proper acclamation to the new recruits.

"All of you here are hereby accepted as new members of the Scout Regiment!", he announced, offering a Military salute. "This is a genuine salute! Give your hearts!"

Concurrently, the soldiers placed their left arms behind their backs with their right fists on their hearts.

"Yes, sir!", all of them cried.

Armin looked around him and smiled to see that most of his friends decided to stay.

"Everyone...", he whispered.

"Joining the Scouts...", Jean murmered, looking at the gound below. "Man, this sucks..."

Sasha could hardly hold back her tears whereas Conny was relieved that he stayed, knowing that this was not an easy decision for all of them to make.

"I'm scared!", Sasha squealed. "I wanna go home!"

"I don't care anymore...", Conny exhaled in relief.

Reiner and Bertholdt stood proudly before Erwin offering their hearts, even though Bertholdt was sweating profusely over the idea of losing his life. Christa was also on the verge of tears, which didn't go unnoticed by Ymir as she looked down at her in displeasure.

"If you're gonna cry, then don't stay," Ymir told her.

Erwin was now able to give his ending proclamation to the new recruits.

"You've done well to endure your fear," he said. "You're all brave soldiers. I respect you from the bottom of my heart."

Despite them signing up for a brutal and dangerous task, they knew that they'll see Eren and their pony friends once again. No matter how strong they were or how qualified they are, they were now officialy members of the adventurous and fortified Scout Regiment.