"A Cat Most Curious"[1] is the fourth episode of Volume 9 and the 110th episode of RWBY. It premiered on Crunchyroll on March 11th, 2023.
Summary[]
After the events of the previous episode, Ruby Rose searches for the Curious Cat. She finds the tail of the Cat, and eventually finds its head, before the upper and lower halves of their body reconnect. Ruby then asks what the the cat is, and they reply saying they are 'a cat most curious'. Ruby asks about how to reach the tree, and the cat explains that they are they only one that can reach the tree, while Team RWBY is unable to. The Curious Cat explains that they previously been at the tree, and that it would be pointless to return to it. Ruby decides to explain to the cat that they helped Alyx escape the Ever After. This intrigues the cat, and they ask how they know about Alyx. Weiss Schnee explains that Alyx made an autobiography on the Ever After.
The cat asks many questions about the book and 'a mouse'; prompting Blake Belladonna to step in for Little and ask the cat for some space. Weiss is annoyed by the cat, and Yang Xiao Long jokingly says that the cat has been 'roasted'. Blake then explains what the Curious Cat did in the book; highlighting the fact that they helped Alyx in the book. She also suggests the idea to lure the Cat to the giant tree with information. This is unfortunately interrupted when they lose sight of the cat yet again. The group quickly find the cat and offer to tell the Curious Cat that they can answer all of their questions. To get the Curious Cat interested, Ruby shows her scroll to them to keep their attention, leading to the group also explains the history of Remnant to the Cat off-screen.
The cat is intrigued by the different answers, and asks many questions right after each other. Team RWBY have become exhausted of the cat's non-stop questions, leading them to take turns on who has to answer. The Curious Cat realizes that they went off track, and figures out their 'original question' about the lore of Remnant. This cat finds the summary of Remnant's history amusing; causing the Curious Cat to explain that Team RWBY knows more about Remnant than Alyx ever did.
The group arrives at the "Garden's Acre" and is confused about why the acres seem like 'puzzle pieces'. The Curious Cat explains that all acres are made for the purpose of it's inhabitants. Weiss decides to change the subject; asking how long it would be until they return to normal size. The cat explains that a "Growgurt Parfait" is the answer, and will revert their size. They also warn the group about meeting anyone in the acre. The group along with the cat talk to each other, and the Curious Cat asks about how to stop Salem, especially since she already had obtained two of the Relics. This causes Ruby to pause for a moment, and reminds her of how she came into the Ever After. They realize that they lost sight of the cat. Little explains that the cat went after a bug. Weiss bemoans that the group is stuck with the Curious Cat and not the "Lively Carpenter" or the "Rusted Knight".
They hear a 'humming' sound emanating from somewhere in the forest. They track it down to some leaves in the middle of the garden, and three cyan eyes appear from inside of the leaves. This creature asks what Ruby is, and the question annoys Ruby. The creature rises up from the leaves; revealing itself to be a caterpillar-like creature, holding a rake and a trash bag. The creature frightens team RWBY, and reveals himself to be the Herbalist. The group asks if the Herbalist can help them to the tree. The Herbalist enters a large mushroom. Ruby asks if the Herbalist is able to make the Growgurt Parfait for them, and this annoys the Herbalist, but he acquiesces.
Ruby enters the house; causing the door to condense into a wall. The Herbalist asks what the group is; prompting them to say that they are Huntresses. Ruby thinks the question is pointless, and the Herbalist explains what he is. They ask what a huntress is, to Team RWBY and the group explains to the Herbalist what a huntress does. The Herbalist asks if they are 'good huntresses', and Yang quickly changes the subject; asking if the Herbalist is able to help them. He explains to the group that he's trying their best to help Team RWBY. The Herbalist shares that the group needs to have more of an understanding of what huntresses are, and asks Team RWBY to follow him. He suggests the group to sit down, and they try to leave. The wall closes behind Team RWBY.
The Herbalist pours some leaves into his pot of stew, and asks the question "what... are... you?" The fumes rise of causing Ruby to choke and drop the other members of her team. They cough up past illusions of themselves; telling them to return to their old and simpler times. The Yang, Blake, and Weiss refuse to listen to their illusions, and decide that they are huntresses. Ruby is then shown; struggling to deal with her past illusion. She isn't sure if she is a huntress, and her past illusion torments her. The illusion asks if she is a huntress, although this is interrupted once the Curious Cat waves away the toxic fumes.
The Curious Cat helps the Herbalist by giving him a piece of their heart, which causes him to apologize. A hole in the ground suddenly opens up, which he descends into before the hole closes. Team RWBY is shocked by this; prompting Little to wake up as they don't react to the situation in the same way.
Transcript[]
Outside the premises of the Crimson Castle…
Ruby: Kitty! Kitty! Kitty! Wait! No, no! Uh… Here kitty, kitty, kitty! Here kitty, kitty, kitty! Oh… c’mon, kitty.
Little: (yelps) Eek! (cowers in Ruby’s hood, whispering) The cat’s hindquarters!
The Curious Cat’s tail can be seen sticking out of the tall grass on the side of the path.
Ruby: Um… Excuse me?
Curious Cat: (pops out) You’re excused!
Ruby gets startled and notices the Curious Cat is behind her. Little gets scared and hides inside Ruby’s hood. Team RWBY watches the Curious Cat walking without their hindquarters.
Ruby: Uh… Hello, uh, cat.
The Cat then joins both of their body parts together.
Ruby: (shakes her head) Curious Cat? Which one do you go by?
Curious Cat: Oh! I don’t go by. That belongs to the days and the years. But if you are asking what I am, I am indeed a cat, most curious.
Ruby: Of course. (slightly laughs) Look, my friends and I really need to get to that giant tree, and so far, nothing we tried has gotten us any further.
Weiss: It looks to me like we’re even farther!
Yang: Yeah, I think that’s because we’re six inches tall.
Weiss: It could be both.
Curious Cat: The tree… Tree, tree, tree, tree… (gasps) Of course. That is most definitely impossible. You do not go to the tree, the tree goes to you. Unless, of course, you're me, you see.
Yang: (unimpressed) Not even a little bit.
Curious Cat: Well, that’s your problem. It’s a matter of perspective, I’m afraid.
Ruby: But, uh, couldn’t you take us then? You’d been there before.
Curious Cat: So why would I ever want to go back? Yes, I’m glad we understand one another. No sense in seeing a sight seen.
The Curious Cat notices a yellow butterfly and pounces at it.
Blake: Please. You helped Alyx when she was--
Curious Cat: Alyx? ‘’Alyx’’ Alyx? How do you know her? Are you friends of hers? Lifelong nemeses? Wait. Don’t tell me. (short pause) Okay. No, tell me.
Ruby: Oh, well, we don’t know her personally. Just uh…
Weiss: She wrote a book about her entire adventure in the Ever After.
Curious Cat: (surprised) A book? Is it well-liked?
Blake: It’s kind of a childhood favorite of everyone’s, where we’re from.
Curious Cat: Yes. Oh, please. I simply must know more. What did she write about? How was I portrayed? And… (sniffs) Do I smell a mouse?
Little quickly cowers behind Yang. Blake quickly shields Little from the Curious Cat.
Blake: Umm… From one cat to another, could you give us a minute, please?
Curious Cat: Oh… so they’re spoken for. Well please, please hurry, I have so many, many questions.
The Cat proceeds to chase after the butterfly into the grass again.
Weiss: Are we sure they’re not called the “Constantly Annoying Cat”?
Yang: Got ‘em, totally roasted. (points finger guns)
Weiss: (smugly smiling) Thank you.
Blake: Guys, the Curious Cat was described as an ally, with an appetite for information. Just because they don’t want to go back to the tree, doesn’t mean we can’t lure them there.
Yang nods in agreement.
Ruby: Okay, yeah! We just need to keep their attention along the way. That shouldn’t be too hard. We know all sorts of--
Yang: The cat’s gone.
Hearing this, Ruby panics.
Ruby: WHAT?! No! No! No!
Ruby frantically looks around, but manages to find the Cat when they pounce on the butterfly.
Ruby: Whoa, wait up! Didn’t you have questions for us? We’ll be happy to answer them.
The Cat pops out from the red grass. Ruby gives a big sigh of relief.
Curious Cat: I sense a “but” approaching.
The Cat’s hind legs then rejoin their front half.
Ruby: No, no! Uh, I mean… we do still need to go to the tree, but that’ll take ages, right? Plenty of time to tell you all the stuff from our world. (chuckles nervously) Look! (pulls out her Scroll) Ever seen a Scroll before? Oooooh!
Curious Cat: Luminous rectangle! (takes the Scroll from Ruby) Ooh! What does this button do? (the light from Ruby’s Scroll flashes, and they take a few more selfies) Why is it painting tiny flat versions of me? Is that what I look like when smiling? I've so many more questions, how exciting!
Weiss: Hook, line, and sinker.
Ruby smiles.
Later…
Curious Cat: So the old man and the boy share a body now? Ooh, that’s got some uncomfortable implications. Who thought that was a helpful way to reincarnate? The same people who put a city in the sky? Ooh, speaking of Atlas, did that Ciel girl from the Vytal Festival ever come back in a notable way? Hoo hoo! There’s just so many characters to keep track of! Wait, what was my original question?
Team RWBY all have tired looks on their faces.
Yang: (exhausted) Blake… It’s your turn.
Blake: (exhausted) You asked about the origins of Remnant.
Curious Cat: That’s right! Ooh, those two Brothers! Talk about a god complex, am I right? (sighs) All in all, a rather entertaining summary, though I felt some of the character voices were a bit uninspired. (to Weiss) Looking at you, Wise Huntress.
Weiss: Again, it’s Weiss. Just Weiss.
Curious Cat: (chuckles) Apologies. To your credit, you lot certainly know more about the beginnings of Remnant than Alyx did, and that girl could barely see past her own nose.
Ruby: Oh, what do you mean?
Curious Cat: Don’t you know? Just hilariously concerned with trivial things.
Blake: Yeah, but she learned her lesson in the end, right?
Curious Cat: I’d certainly say so. Oh, would you look at that. The edge of the Garden's Acre.
Multiple leaves fall from the night sky. Ruby becomes amazed as she continues walking. The Cat plays with one of the leaves.
Yang: This entire world is put together like a bunch of mixed-up puzzle pieces. How does everyone make sense of this?
Curious Cat: Each acre is made specifically for its inhabitants and their roles. Is it not like that on Remnant?
Yang: N… No?
Curious Cat: How strange. It never even occurred to me to ask that before.
Weiss: I have a question I’d like to ask. How much longer before we’re back to regular size?
Curious Cat: Not long at all. The Garden is just down this path, and is sure to have all the ingredients we need for a lovely Growgurt Parfait. Just don’t go talking to anyone without me. If you’re not careful…
Blake: We might get our heads cut off.
Curious Cat: That is how we met, isn’t it? (chuckles) Ooh, you Remnant folk are such troublemakers.
Weiss: (putting her fingers on the bridge of her nose) Well, I’m sure we’ll cause a lot less trouble once we’re back to normal.
Curious Cat: Bah. I don’t see what all the fuss is about. Some of my best friends are six-inches tall. If I were you, I’d be more worried about… Oh, who was that scary sorceress you mentioned? Uh… Saleem? Salem? How many more Relics does she need to end the world again? (chuckles) How are you even supposed to stop her now that Atlas is gone?
Ruby stops walking. Ruby looks at the Gardens path and shuts her eyes.
Yang: Uh, hey, Rubes?
Ruby: I… uh…
Blake: Maybe we shouldn’t worry about home right now. We got enough problems to--
Yang: The Cat!
Ruby: What?! (yelps) Oh no, I wasn’t paying attention! (sighs) Where did they go now?
Little: Oh! They saw a bug.
Yang: And you didn’t say anything?
Little: It was a very interesting bug?
Weiss: (sighs) Of all the characters from the book, why did it have to be the Cat? Why couldn’t we have gotten help from the Lively Carpenter or the Rusted Knight? One was sweet, one was handsome, and neither of them had the attention span of a goldfish!
Little: You know, I bet you could find a goldfish in one of these ponds.
Weiss sighs and facepalms at the comment. Suddenly, a deep humming can be heard.
Yang: Hey… Do you hear that?
Ruby turns to the direction of where the humming is coming from. They walk further into the forest, approaching a large, blue glowing mushroom. There’s a garden in front of it.
Ruby: Is this… the Garden?
Blake: It certainly looks like a garden, but… where’s that humming coming from?
A pile of leaves rustles in front of Ruby, and she stops cautiously. Three eyes can then be seen opening inside the pile.
Three-Eyed Creature: What are you?
Ruby: (sighs) I’m getting really tired of that question.
The creature then emerges from the pile of leaves, revealing themselves to be a caterpillar-like being. They are holding a sack and a rake in each hand.
Three-Eyed Caterpillar-like Creature: What question?
Ruby yelps.
Yang: What are you?!
Herbalist: Oh… That question. Isn’t it obvious? I am an Herbalist, the Herbalist. At least… Hmm… Until I’m not anymore…
The Herbalist is raking the multi-colored leaves.
Yang: (sarcastically) Oh good. Well, all questions answered then…
Ruby: Um, sorry to bother, but uh, my friends and I could use some help. See, we’re trying to get to that giant tree, but…
Herbalist: Help getting… to the tree? Ah yes, everyone needs help these days. (ominously) Everyone…
A door leading inside the giant mushroom then opens up, and the Herbalist enters, wiping his hands in the process and putting the sack down. Ruby looks up at the giant mushroom.
Herbalist: Well? Are you coming in? Or aren’t you?
Ruby: You can make us a Growgurt Parfait, right?
The Herbalist sighs. Ruby then enters the mushroom, and the door closes behind her.
Herbalist: (grinding some herbs in a bowl) Mm, I must say, you all seem a bit, uh… hesitant. What did you say you were again?
Ruby: We’re… Huntresses.
Herbalist: And what exactly does a Huntress do?
Ruby: Fight… monsters, I guess? I’m sorry, I don’t understand why this matters.
Herbalist: I don’t understand how you don’t understand! (takes out a scale, placing it on the counter) I am an herbalist. I make medicines and remedies to help others on their journeys. (takes out some leaves from a jar) It is what I am. So… (places a weight on one scale, and the leaves on the other) Do you know what a Huntress is, or do you guess?
Blake: Huntresses are heroes. We protect those who can’t protect themselves.
Herbalist: Thank you. Now… (takes the leaves and wraps them in a paper) Would you say you’re good Huntresses?
Ruby tries to answer, but hesitates.
Yang: Look, can you help us, or not?
Herbalist: (putting their hand on their head) I am trying…
Ruby gasps.
Herbalist: … But you are making this far more complicated than it needs to be. We all have our titles, our roles to play, but in order to help you become whatever it is you need to become, you should really have a better understanding of what you are now.
Weiss: Okaaay. How do we open mushroom… door.
Herbalist: (groans) This is how a king winds up a prince… Follow me. My work is never done…
The Herbalist goes through a beaded curtain into the next room. Ruby follows. There are shelves of bongs all around the room. The Herbalist is seen smoking from a large hookah. Ruby carries Weiss, Blake, and Yang in her hands.
Herbalist: Please… take a seat.
Blake: Actually, I think… Maybe we should be going! (nervously smiles) Right, Ruby?
Herbalist: This won’t take long.
Ruby: Umm… (turns around)
Suddenly, the door behind them closes, and Team RWBY gasps in shock.
Herbalist: Just… answer the questions.
Ruby turns around. The Herbalist inhales another puff of smoke from the hookah.
Herbalist: (echo) What... are... you?
The Herbalist drops the leaves in their hands into the fire pit in front of them, causing a large amount of black smoke to surround Team RWBY. Ruby starts to cough violently, falling to her knees. Her shrunken teammates fall out of her hands.
Ruby: No! (coughs again)
Herbalist: (echo) Are you sure you know? You have to be sure what you are, and of what you’re going to be…
Weiss, Blake, and Yang get up, but the smoke is too thick for them to see, and they are separated.
Yang: Blake! Ruby! (coughs)
Black smoke comes out from Yang’s mouth and it takes the form of her own past self.
Yang: (confused) What?
Past Yang: (smiling) You don’t have to go forward, y’know? You can go back, back to before.
Yang stares down at her prosthetic arm and holds it.
Yang: What? What are you talking about?
In another space…
Past Blake: (smiling) It’s simple, really. You could just be human, or just a cat, if you wanted. Really, it’s up to you.
Blake: Why would I do that?
Past Blake: Like I said, it’s simple, much simpler than trying to be a bridge between Humans and Faunus. Why struggle with that responsibility?
The current Blake frowns. Meanwhile, in another space…
Past Weiss: (smiling) The Schnee name. Why bother, anymore? What even stands for now? Instead, you could be a nobody. Could you imagine? Not even a single bit of baggage on your shoulders. Isn’t that what you want? To be free?
Past Blake: To be something simpler?
Past Yang: To be whole again?
Yang gives a serious, yet determined look on her face.
Yang: No. My losses, my failures. Those more than anything are what have shaped me into who I am, showed me how I need to grow. If there’s something I’m missing, it’s not because I lost it. It’s because I haven’t found it yet. And the only way to do that is to keep going.
Blake: A simple life wouldn’t be my life! (draws Gambol Shroud’s katana) My family, my friends, my culture. I belong to them, just as much as they belong to me. To give that all away wouldn’t be simplicity, it would be betrayal.
Weiss: I don’t know who you think you are, but let me tell you who I am: I am the granddaughter of a hero and a child of a villain. (points Myrtenaster at her past self) I am a citizen of a fallen Kingdom and an heir to nothing. I will not be defined by my name because I will be the one to define it. I am Weiss Schnee, and I am a Huntress!
Blake: I am a Huntress!
Yang: I am a Huntress!
Elsewhere, Ruby is seen despondent and is on her knees while her past self stands over her.
Past Ruby: (smiling) So, are you a Huntress? Like the ones you read about in books?
Ruby: (quietly) I… I don’t know…
Past Ruby: They always saved the day, didn’t they? Always knew what to do. Always won in the end.
Ruby: (lowering her head) But… life isn’t like a fairy tale…
Past Ruby: That’s right! It’s up to you to make things better, isn’t it? Everything all depends on you! Your sister needs you, your friends need you, the whole world needs you to keep fighting, forever and ever, against an invincible monster that took your mother!
Ruby’s eyes widen upon hearing this.
Past Ruby: Mom was the best… (frowning) …but even she failed. That doesn’t seem fair. None of this seems fair.
Ruby: But… What am I supposed to do…?
Past Ruby: You can do whatever you want. Be whoever you want! You don’t even have to be Ruby Rose…
Ruby looks down, seemingly on the verge of despair.
Past Ruby: So, what are you gonna be?
The Cat appears and jumps through Ruby’s past self as it vanishes in smoke.
Curious Cat: Get away from her!
The Cat waves their tail, dissipating the smoke.
Herbalist: (coughs heavily) Oh my! That’s a bit much.
Curious Cat: Oh, Herb. Look at yourself. You’re done. You’re supposed to be helping others find their way. But you’ve lost your own. Please, let me help. And take a bit of my heart. You’ll feel much better.
The Cat places a paw on the Herbalist, and parts of themself go to the Herbalist’s heart.
Herbalist: Oh, I do apologize. I… always was a bit of a workaholic. Huntresses, was it? Hmm. Peculiar things.
A hole appears below the Herbalist and they fall through it. The ground suddenly closes the hole. Team RWBY looks on in shock. Little comes out from Ruby’s hood.
Little: (yawns) Oh! I found the Cat
Characters[]
- Ruby Rose
- Weiss Schnee
- Blake Belladonna
- Yang Xiao Long
- Little
- Curious Cat
- Ozma (Mentioned)
- Oscar Pine (Mentioned)
- Ciel Soleil (Mentioned)
- Alyx (Mentioned)
- Salem (Mentioned)
- Herbalist (First Appearance)
Trivia[]
- The episode title refers to the Curious Cat, who directly calls themself "a cat most curious" in the episode.
- Ciel Soleil is mentioned by the Curious Cat. This marks the first time she has been mentioned since her minor appearance in Volume 3. It also references how many people want to know what happened to her.
- The reference was particularly aimed at MurderofBirds, who is friends with many Rooster Teeth employees and had jokingly created a campaign to bring Ciel back into the series.[2]
- The conversation between Ruby and her past self serves as a parallel to her conversation with Blake from “The Shining Beacon, Pt.2”.
- Weiss, Blake, and Yang declaring themselves as Huntresses serves as a callback to “Search and Destroy”, when Oobleck was asking the three of them why they wanted to become Huntresses, and they couldn’t give a clear answer.
- The conversation topics the Cat brought up were not meant to poke fun at critics, but rather was Miles poking fun at his old writing decisions he regrets.[3]
- The Curious Cat saying "I would certainly say so" about Alyx learning her lesson is meant to come across as more sinister once the viewer has the full picture about what happened to her.[3]
- The conversation between Team RWBY and the Cat were originally split between the King's Acre and the Garden's Acre, but was changed to just be in the former.[3]
See Also[]
Image Gallery[]
- Main article: A Cat Most Curious/Image Gallery
References[]
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