Welcome to Gaia! ::

The scent of warm, moist earth filled Zin’s nostrils as she dug into the soil by the side of her house. It had rained the previous night and she was certain that she would find some interesting things underground, despite the summer sun baking the back of her neck.

Just as she managed to pry free an earthworm, a voice called shrilly, “ZINNIA! You’re absolutely FILTHY! Get out of that dirt at ONCE!”

“It’s Zin, Mom,” Zin corrected impatiently. She stood up with a mischievous grin and held out the worm, which she held dangling between two fingers. “Look what I found!” she announced proudly. The worm squirmed futilely.

“That disgusting,” Zin’s mother, Jasmine, replied. “Put it down and come inside at once—but take off your shoes first! For once I’m glad you’re wearing those ridiculous shorts; if you’d gotten one of your dresses dirty… I said come, at once!” she snapped when Zin did not react. “You need to take a bath, put on something ladylike, and come eat lunch.”

“Fiiine…” Zin said angrily. She placed the worm carefully back inside the hole that she’d dug and buried it. She got back up, deliberately wiped her hands on the T-shirt, and trudged back indoors after her mother.

Life was not unpleasant for the Hayes family. Clement Hayes, Zin’s father, was a moderately successful merchant, while his wife Jasmine was a stay-at-home mother to Zin. Although the family had begun to struggle financially to maintain their place as upper-middle class, they had never been in any danger of losing their home nor of running out of food. Clement was under the strong impression that a woman best served the community by marrying a husband and bearing children; this was where he and Zin strongly disagreed, and was a common point of contention. As Zin’s parents struggled to make her act more ladylike, she endeavored to accomplish the exact opposite. She became bullheaded and refused to touch dresses or anything remotely girly. Therefore, there was plenty of tension in the Hayes household, but it wasn’t until Zin’s fourteenth birthday that things finally reached the boiling point.

“Happy birthday, Zinnia!” Zin’s parents happily cheered together.

Zin was in such a good mood that she forgave her parents using her full (and girly) name without complaint. With an excited grin, she tore open her present, and pulled out…

“A dress. Um… Thanks, Mom, Dad,” she said, her grin freezing in place. She hadn’t asked for anything—her parents were constantly warning her that they were being stretched thin financially—but she certainly had not asked for yet another dress. It didn’t look used, though; that meant her parents had bought it new, so at least, in their own funny way, it did show that they truly cared for their daughter.

“Excellent, moving right along,” Zin’s father began, “You are to wear that this evening. Mr. White is coming to eat supper with us.”

“Again…?” Zin pouted. Why did that old business guy have to come on her birthday? All he and her father talked about were things she couldn’t understand.

“Yes, and this time, you must look absolutely beautiful,” her mother gushed, then added with a sharper tone of voice, “So don’t slouch or pout. It isn’t becoming.”

“Why do I have to be there?” Zin whined. “He’s so old and boring.”

“Zinnia—”

“It’s Zin.”

Her father continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted, “—Zinnia, you’re already fourteen years old. That means you are an adult, and it’s time that you started to behave like one. Mr. White is a very successful businessman, and we are lucky to be on friendly terms with him. He has expressed an interest in your hand—”

“My what?!” Zin asked shrilly.

“Of course you’re still too young for that,” Zin’s mother explained, “But in a few years, a union between you and one of Mr. White’s sons—that would put us in a very comfortable place financially.”

“Y—you’re not serious,” Zin said, a sick feeling emanating somewhere deep within her stomach.

“This is very serious,” her father said sternly. “You’re an adult, and we’ve provided for you your whole life. It’s time that you started to earn your keep! Do your part for this family and for Shiganshina!”

Bitter tears of anger sprang into Zin’s eyes. “But that isn’t fair!” She’d said it many times in the past, and she knew that the answer would be:

“Life isn’t fair.”

And it wasn’t. Zinnia, at barely fourteen years old, felt that her parents had just sentenced her to death. If she married any of Mr. White’s spawn (though she had never met them), she was sure that that would spell the end of her life. But so long as her parents had control over her, there was nothing she could do about it.

She had to get out.

“I’ll serve Shiganshina in my own way,” she said coldly, dropping her new dress to the floor. “I’m joining the military.” She stood up and pushed her chair away so quickly that it tipped over and fell to the floor with a loud crack, but Zin was too numb to register it. She turned away and made for the door, but her father caught her by the wrist.

“I ought to beat you,” he growled. “Your insolence has gone too far. You will obey me, or so help me, I’ll—”

“Wait, Clem,” Zin’s mother interrupted. “I know it’s not ideal, but think about it… All children her age are encouraged to join the military. We’d gain a lot of prestige if she made it into the Military Police, or even the Stationary Guard. Give her a few years to cool down and live as she chooses—as an adult. It will teach her some humility and appreciation for what we’ve done for her. She won’t be in any danger; they can’t come inside the walls, and so long as she doesn’t join the Survey Legion—”

“But what would we tell James?” Clemont asked in an undertone, referring to Mr. White.

“We’ll tell him the truth. Say that our daughter is brave and wanted to serve Shiganshina right away. Give her a few weeks in military training, and she will be begging to come back home anyway.”

Zin continued to strain against her father’s grip; she was quite used to her parents discussing her as if she weren’t there.

“Fine…” Zin’s father acquiesced with a sigh. He carefully released his daughter so that she wouldn’t fall over, then turned on her sternly. “I'll take you to the recruitment center tomorrow,” he announced, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “You will live to regret this decision. You’ll come back, and then you will marry the man we choose.”

Zin drew herself up to her full and unimpressive height. “I won’t.”

***

“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!” the drill sergeant roared.

“Zinnia Hayes, sir!” Zin shouted back.

“WHY ARE YOU HERE?!”

“To choose my own path in life, sir!”

“I’M SURE YOU’LL HAVE A GREAT LIFE IN A TITAN’S STOMACH!”

“Yes, sir!”

Military training was not easy for her. She was one of the smallest trainees in her class, and she was not particularly strong. However, the promise of marriage if she failed gave her all the incentive she needed to power her way through any challenge. She often pushed herself to the verge of collapse, but the will to carry on motivated her. She had no natural talents nor gifts; she was not particularly strong, nor fast, nor intelligent—but she did have the willingness to practice until she perfected what had to be done. She worked just as hard as, if not harder, than any of her peers. Through this, she trained with her class for months. Every day she grew a bit older, stronger, and more experienced.

It was extremely difficult, but she fiercely enjoyed this life over the one she’d left behind.