//------------------------------//
// Introduction: Part 2 - A Little Bit of Acknowledgement 
// Story: Earth's University of Precedence 
// by Arioch Starr 
//------------------------------//

Nick looks up to inspect the stone statue of a human and pony standing on top of a short cylindrical platform, both facing towards the entrance. The man held aloft his left hand clenched in a fist as his right hand rests on the head of his companion, while the stallion wore a bandana around his neck. Both beings had the expression of pride etched onto their faces. Surrounding them were decorative flowers neatly arranged in an equilateral isometric pattern, before them lay benches occupied by a filly conversing with an older human student.
Nick walks past the statue and heads up the staircase behind and to the left of it. Two ponies were descending them at the same time; a unicorn coated bright blue with her mane and tail a similar colour with a white streak flowing through, and a regular pony coated cream which superbly matched her blue and pink curled mane and tail.
He also recognises the Cutie Marks on their rears. Every Equestrian pony at a young age earns one of these so called ‘Cutie Marks.’ The reasoning behind these obscure marks are unknown and only relevant to the individual it belongs to. The regular pony’s Cutie Mark consists of three pieces of candy wrapped in yellow and blue striped wrappers. The unicorn’s was of a golden stringed instrument he identifies as a lyre, or at least a simplistic variation. He wonders what they represent.
As they walk by, he overhears the conversation between them.
“‘… too busy to go’, he says.” The unicorn says.
“What does he mean, ‘too busy’?” The other asks. “When has he ever been busy?”
“I know, right? I doubt he’ll even finish before the deadline. Can you believe he even…”
She cuts off as they walk out of earshot. He reaches the top of the stairs and turns around to find them walking towards the entrance and leave. He continues following Vicky’s directions, taking a right at the top of the stairs and through the set of double doors which leads him onto a balcony enclosing a courtyard. He immediately turns left and enters through another set of doors onto a corridor.
The corridor was occupied with pots of plastic tropical plants from far off regions of the world and paintings of historical figures and ancient landmarks alternating between the doors. One painting in particular catches his eye; an archaic castle surrounded by a lustrous lake and luxuriant grassy fields. The plaque underneath entitles it ‘Fort William – Isle of Skye, Scotland.’ Off to the side, the sun is seen shining through broken clouds onto three pillars of rock peaks as if indicating something rich and unique had been buried between them. He could imagine four Hobbits and a ranger camping between the three spires of rock, shielding themselves from view of pursuing dark riders.
He grins at his mind’s ability to reference a century old novel before heading down the corridor to room J-6. Finding the room on the left, he knocks on the door and waits patiently for an invitation to enter. He didn’t have to wait long.
“Come in!” He hears an elderly woman sing from inside.
He places a hand on the bronze handle and pushes it. The door slides a few inches before stopping suddenly as if being blocked by something. He places his shoulder to the door and pushes with might. The sound of scraping could be heard as he opens it to its fullest. He steps into the room to realise its size is larger than the viewpoint depicts on the outside with it only being three or four feet away from the doors at either side.
The dusty scent of cardboard immediately penetrates his nasal cavities despite the windows at the back being open. There was a slight breeze entering through them as indicated by the blinds gently flailing. Everything that had been decorating this room was now placed in cardboard boxes scattered about the floor and piled on top of each other. A cluttered desk near the back is the only conspicuous object.
The walls were plain and stained; no wallpaper hung on them, only bricks gave the wall form as the only barrier between this room and the outside. The half carpeted floor, covered in dust piles, had rips in it showing the bare wooden planks keeping the floor stable. The ceiling was becoming discoloured in patches and leaking. The pendant lamp merely hangs by a loose wire in the centre of the room, swinging ever so slightly with the breeze from the open window covered by mucky blinds behind the desk, cooling the room in the blazing summer heat.
Nick looks over to the desk to find it full of unorganised papers upon papers and folders within folders. An old fashioned desk lamp is placed at the corner of the desk, while at the other side sat a world globe. Further in sat an idle fan, its blades now a dust collector, pointing toward the back. He glances over the desk and makes eye contact with a woman seated behind it. She stares back over her half-circular spectacles before addressing him.
“Please excuse the mess.” She says, waving an arm around indicating the boxes. “Take a seat. I’ll be with you shortly.” She adds before continuing to write on a sheet of paper.
Nick squeaks the door shut, finding sealed boxes behind the door, and walks towards a steel folding chair placed in front of the desk, stepping over the boxes in his path. He removes his rucksack and places it on the floor at the side of the seat. As he sits down on the torture-device of an excuse for a chair, the steel seat gives him a sharp shock as if he’d sat on a pin. He sits upright and waits patiently for the woman, who he presumes is Norma, to finish her deeds. He occupies himself by further examining the desktop globe.
The globe itself was coloured differently to that of a common Earth globe. It had a single large island coloured deep red with the rest in crystal blue. The stand it rests on bears the name ‘Nibiru – The Twelfth Planet’. From what Nick could remember, Nibiru is inhabited by a race of beings known as Nibirans; tall, human like beings with no acknowledgement of anything outside their home planet, being classed as a ‘pre-warp species’ by their discoverers almost a hundred years prior to today.
“Sorry about that,” Norma says, interrupting his thoughts, “we’ve just started packing.” She ducks under her desk and pulls out a drawer. She removes a modern laptop, sufficiently named H2, places it on the table and opens it up. “You must be Mr. Galluver, correct?”
Nick cringes at her mispronunciation. “Gal-you-ver, ma’am.” He corrects her. “Prolong the U.”
“That’s right.” She says, typing on the laptop. “I’m Norma Hook.” She announces. “I’m the deputy headmistress here at the University of Earth. But you already know that, I’m sure.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Nick answers.
She waves her hand in front of her screen. “Useless garbage.” She mumbles under her breath before furiously slamming the laptop shut. “Can’t get nothing to work.” Nick tries not to chuckle at her misfortune but can’t help a cheeky grin. She firmly places the laptop back into the drawer and closes it. “So, Mr. Galluver,” she starts as if nothing happened, picking up sheets of paper and sorting through them, “allow me to recap what we already know.” Nick nods. “You chose the University of Earth to become a musical producer apprentice, correct?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And you understand that the course will be for two years minimum, beginning and ending with the semesters?” Nick nods. “Alright, now that we’re on the same wave of thought, allow me to remind you about some university policies. The university’s curfew begins at eleven and ends at six thirty. You must be inside your living quarters during curfew. Anyone caught wandering the corridors or grounds by our prefects during these times will be escorted immediately to their rooms and given a written warning. Get caught a second time and you’ll be dealt with suitable disciplinary action.”
“Understood.” Nick nods.
“Right. Like in the more respectable provinces of the States, the university has no tolerance for any antisocial behaviour towards students or teachers of any race. This includes bullying, harassment, unfriendly banter and injury from both first and third parties. Any such disturbances will result in an immediate temporary suspension and further discipline depending on the impact on the victim. Do you understand?”
Nick nods again. “I have no problems with any race.” He states.
“Good. Glad to hear. Moving on to uniforms, they will be provided courtesy of the university: this includes shirts, trousers and shoes which must be worn at all times during studying hours and an optional jumper for the wintry seasons. The rest you will have to provide yourself. Any questions?”
“When will I receive the uniform?” Nick asks.
“It will be ready for you when you enter your room.”
“And my room…?”
“Is on the west side of the building.”
“It’s all ready available?”
“Not quite. We still have to input you into our systems which shouldn’t be too long, usually an hour or so after accepting.”
“Great. I believe that’s all for now.”
“Okay.” She skims through a sheet of paper. “Before we address you, do you know anything the university?”
“Only what I’ve read, ma’am. Beginning construction in twenty fourteen by one man and his Equine companion, the now university’s main focus was to bring humanity and the Equestrians closer together with the main result focusing on peace between the two species. Since its opening a year later, all mannerisms of creatures have been housed here, from humans to Equestrians and buffalos to griffons. The university wasn’t arranged until years after the passing of the idealists, who heart-numbingly passed away hand in hoof.”
“You’ve certainly done your homework.” She chuckles. “Alright, now about you. From what I understand, you’re one of the, forgive me if I pronounce this wrong, ‘Tuatha dé Danann’?”
“Twa’ha day Dannah, ma’am,” Nick corrects her, “and yes, I am.” He pauses before adding, “But I don’t expect any special treatment because of it.”
“Oh, nonono, of course not.” She replies, flailing a hand flamboyantly. “Every intellectual being here is treated with equality. I just need reminding which race that is.” Norma rests her head, placing her chin in her dovetailing hands. “Would you mind elaborating for me?”
“Of course not. The Tuatha dé Danann,” he begins, “are a race of human-like beings from the planet Pinga Ra-Tan, situated within the neighbouring solar system, Aos-Sí.”
“Ayth-She?” Norma pronounces. “The system that’s home to the inhabitable dwarf planet Inrahma?”
“Imrahma, ma’am, with an ‘M’. Inrahma is the satellite that circles Imrahma.”
“Ah, my mistake, carry on.”
“Naturally born,” Nick continues, “we’re nurtured into believing our whole existence is provided to us by our deity, Mother-Goddess Danu, who will one day, if we’ve proven our worth, send a horse rider, Niamh, to retrieve us from our mortal embodiment and lead us to Tír na nÓg where we’ll spend the rest of our time under Danu’s adoring reign. Our civilisation wasn’t as technologically advanced until humanity so called ‘discovered’ us. We combined our expressed knowledge of construction and advancement to build many structures that are still in use today.”
“That’s right.” Norma says. “If I recall correctly, you’re the race that can control magick, right?”
“Yes, but only a selective few can wield the force of magick. Similar to the Equestrian ponies how only unicorns can produce magick and pegusi can fly.”
“Are you one of them?”
“A pegasus? No.” He jokes, laughing out loud. Norma, impassive from his little quip, removes her hands from her chin. Still retaining his grin, he says, “Yes, I can control magick.”
“Interesting, interesting indeed.”Norma says with a hint of excitement in her voice. “Can I get a preview?”
“I should inform you that using magick for showmanship and selfishness is frowned upon by our bestower, Morrigu,” he explains, “and reduces our chances of being accepted into the afterlife. Not to mention it mentally drains us if we use too much.” He pauses for a bit. “But I suppose a quick example couldn’t hurt too much.”
He extends his arm, giving it a quick shake, and holds out his hand. His palm facing upwards, he concentrates. The pendant lamp above turns itself on and starts pulsating dimly in a steady rhythm. Norma watches with anticipation. After a brief moment, a crack of energy shoots from the lamp into his palm followed by a quick crash of thunder making Norma jolt in surprise. Nick smiles at her reaction as he holds up his hand. In his hand swirls a single stroke of blue electricity entrapped inside a transparent ellipsoid every few seconds shooting out short lengths of itself in order to escape. Intrigued at seeing pure electricity up close, Norma leans in and holds her glasses to her eyes.
“Fascinating!” She exclaims. “Never in my fifty-six years have I seen something this remarkable.”
Nick nods, agreeing with her statement.
“Just watch yourself, ma’am.” He says as he withdraws his hand. “This part can be unpredictable.”
Norma leans back into the chair as Nick readies to release the bolt. He takes a deep breath before swiftly closing his hand breaking the encasement. Luckily for Norma the charge finds its way into the palm of its beholder. He jerks for a second, stiffening up, and clenches his fist tighter before returning to his previous state.
He flicks his head from side to side, rubbing his neck. “Ugh, I hate when that happens.” He says.
“Are you all right?” Norma concerns.
“I’m fine, no need to worry. There wasn’t enough charge to do some damage but it still hurts.”
“I’m sorry to have to put you through that.” She adds in earnest.
“It’s fine, really.”
“Alright, shall we move on?” Nick nods. “There’s something else I’m fascinated about, this ‘tear na noog’ place, what is it exactly?”
“It’s similar to the Christian Heaven,” Nick answers, “but our belief is far more practical than a mystical place above the clouds. It roughly translates to ‘Land of Youth’ which is a highly accurate statement.” Nick leans back and stares at the corner of the ceiling. “Tír na nÓg is a vast, exhaustive land of green plains, mountainous regions, sparkling lakes, hazardous wasteland, scorching hot deserts, abysmal caves and limitless blue skies. Its rich and exuberant land is plenty bountiful and generous. The fruit on the tree never run out. The lakes and rivers never run dry. The festivals held are tremendous and last for days on end. It’s a wondrous place to relieve one’s self after living a mortal life.” Nick sighs at the beauty of the imaginative land.
“Do you believe in such tales?”
Nick faces back to her, insulted that she would think otherwise. “Of course I do. We all do, just like the Norse believe in Valhalla or the Buddhists in their Nirvana.”
“I see.” She says, oblivious to his sour tone. She reaches into her drawer once more and pulls out a folder jam-packed of papers. She places the folder on her desk and opens it. “So, Mr. Galluver, we already stated that you’ve applied to become an apprentice here. May I ask why that is?”
“It was actually recommended by my previous tutor who told me this is the place to go.” Nick answers, losing his negative attitude. “I also heard it’s a university that provides excellent educational services for its students. Not to mention it’s highly regarded as the best by Equestria Daily. You don’t earn that status for nothing, especially by E.D.”
“Now that you mention it, I do remember receiving an e-mail from the professor. He spoke highly of your… you know, stating you were one of the best in class.”
“Thank you.” Nick says, his confidence boosting a little. “I’ll have to thank him next time I see him.”
She picks up half the pile of papers and places them at the side. She then looks at her watch and gasps at the time.
“Is that the time? I’m afraid we’ve lingered a little too much in this meeting. I have other important tasks to attend. We’ll just skip to the end, if you don’t mind?” She flicks through the rest of the papers until she finds the sheet she needs. “Ah, here we are.” She says. She quickly scans the paper before handing it over to Nick. “Just need you to sign at the bottom for me.”
“What is it?” Nick asks as he takes it.
“It’s just confirmation that you agree to our terms and conditions and that you understand the rules and regulations provided to ensure a safe and stress free environment.” She explains. She holds out a pen for Nick to use. “Usually we do this on the computer, but the hopeless thing’s not working. I’ll have to redirect it to the IT technician later.”
Nick reaches over and takes the pen. He scans the paper but finds the words blurred. He’d equip his reading glasses but remembers he forgot them at his parents’ house. He clicks the pen and places the point on the dotted line where it needed to be signed. Before he’s able to do so, he hears a knock from behind him. He turns around as Norma answers it.
“Come in!” She sings.
They watch as the door creaks open to a young mare standing in the doorway waiting for an invitation to enter.
“Please, come in.” Norma calls over.
The mare enters and walks towards them, manoeuvring around the boxes. As she nears, Nick identifies her as a purple coated unicorn, her straight mane and tail coloured dark blue with a purple stripe down the middle. Around her body hangs a strap bag with pockets on either side, empty from the way it moves.
As she passes he catches a glimpse of her Cutie Mark on her flank which consists of a light purple hexagonal star surrounded by five smaller stars coloured white. Again, he’s curious as to what it represents.
“Princess Celestia has asked me to retrieve her parcel.” She says upon reaching the side of Norma’s desk.
Norma nods. She stands up from her chair and walks towards the blind covered window, her white flowery dress flowing behind her. Her sparkling silver high heels give her a height advantage. It’s a wonder how she misses the gaps between the floorboards without looking. She holds the blinds out of the way and picks up a small box placed on the windowsill before returning with it in hand. She glances over to Nick.
“Twilight, this is Nick.” She introduces, holding the package before Twilight. “He arrived this morning. He’ll be studying here as an apprentice under Anita.”
Twilight doesn’t acknowledge him. Instead, she uses her horn to take the parcel out of Norma’s hand. Nick watches as her horn and the parcel glow dark pink and float towards her. She unbuttons her satchel and places the box within it.
“The Princess sends her regards.” Twilight says before curtsying hesitantly and turns to leave. She makes eye contact with Nick who smiles amiably back, her eye level a little lower than his own while seated.
“Twilight.” He tips his imaginary hat. “It’s a pleasure to meet you in person.”
Twilight replies with a grunt and grudgingly walks past him. Nick turns to watch her tread around the boxes. She makes it to the door and, without a glimpse back, closes it behind her. The door clicks shut, leaving Nick and Norma alone once more. Nick turns back to face Norma.
“I’m sorry for Twilight’s behaviour.” she says. “She doesn’t–”
“Like humans?” He cuts her off, already knowing the answer.
Norma nods “I’m not entirely sure why. She doesn’t talk to me. Practically has nothing to do with me. That’s the most interaction I get from her, when she needs something.”
“So the Princess is here too?”
“She is. I haven’t had a chance to give her a greeting yet. Finished with the papers?” She asks, moving the subject along.
Nick looks down at the sheet to find it unsigned. He quickly jots his signature down and hands the pen and paper back. Norma takes them and nods as she places the sheet on top of the pile of papers. She picks up the papers and places them in the folder with the rest and closes it before placing it back in the drawer.
“Just one more thing.” She holds out a wired electronic device with a black touchpad. “Just place your thumb on the pad. In the middle.” He does so and it scans his print, beeping when it ends. She places it back on the desk.
“There, all done.” She announces sitting back up again. “Welcome to the University of Earth, Mr. Galluver. We hope your stay will feel welcomed and enlightened as you study in our wake. Do you have any questions before you go?”
“Just one more.” Nick answers. “You said my room is available when I accept. When will I receive information about it?”
She clicks her fingers and points to him. “That reminds me.”
She stands up and walks around the table and towards a box near the entrance. She rummages through it murmuring to herself before withdrawing a miniscule quadrate object and returning to her seat. She pulls on the adjacent metal corners to extend its screen size and turns it on. The transparent screen flickers and beeps before retaining the familiar home screen. She taps the pad and the common interface flicks on screen. She then holds it over the desk and entices Nick to take it.
“This is a portable multifunctional touchpad.” She explains as Nick takes the device. “It’s customary to accustom students over a certain age who start their first educated year here with one of these provisional devices. It’s easily operable and capable of being stored on your person, which I suggest you do at all times. The pad has various applications which you’ll find most useful such as a navigational map, a call directory and emergency services. I would suggest you take note of your schedule when received via message. This will only be provided for the first six months, however. At the start of the new year it will be returned.”
“I understand.” Nick confirms. He looks down at the pad and, holding it at a certain distance, navigates around the home screen.
The common design of the screen has everything Norma had listed plus more. From intranet access to customization settings, media players and social networking, the pad has everything one could desire. The price of this device must have cost an arm and a leg.
While Norma quickly scribbles on a sheet of paper, Nick finds the map application by its symbol and taps it which opens up to a three-dimensional grid of the university’s interior design. Three buttons to the side indicate which floor can be viewable. He taps and slides his fingers across the screen in experimentation to the limits of the map. He slides it, scrolls it, tilts it and enlarges it. The map is pretty accurate as far as he could see, from the reception on the ground floor to Norma’s office on the first. He spots an arrow pointing to a room which he recognises as Norma’s office; his current location. He taps the arrow and the screen smoothly glides the office to the centre of the screen. How technical to know your location at any given time. He taps the close option at the top of the screen and looks up at Norma.
“You never did answer my question.” He says, breaking the silence. “When will I receive information about my room?”
“You have our pad, so we should be able to contact you when your apartment is available which should be, as I said earlier, before too long.” She quickly scribbles some more. “In the meantime,” she continues, “why don’t you introduce yourself to the headmistress of the Equestrians, Miss Mayor Mare? I’m sure she’ll appreciate your greeting. She’s in the eastern wing of the university, room number Q-13. Return to the courtyard and head straight across the balcony through the double doors, down the corridor and take a left at the end. Miss Mare’s room is halfway down the corridor. If you get lost you can use the map on the pad. Just tap the room and it’ll tell you the number.” She looks at Nick who stares into oblivion trying to contain the information. “You got that?”
Nick nods. “Thank you, ma’am.” He stands up, minimizes the pad and places it in his jeans pocket. He grabs his rucksack and brushes off the dust clinging to it.
“You can leave that here if you like; take some weight off your shoulders. I’ll have my assistant take it up to your room once it’s ready.”
“Thank you again, ma’am.” He leans his bag on the side of the desk. “With your permission, I take my leave.” He bows before turning and heads for the door, stepping over the boxes.
Norma watches as he exits the room, shutting the door behind him. She scribbles the rest of what she needed to before placing them back in the folder and into the drawer. She picks up her mobile from the desk and spins in her chair to face the window. She inputs the number for her assistant and places it against her ear.
As the phone rings, she feels an unusual sensation as if someone had just entered the room. She swivels back around, shifting her eyes around the room. Finding she’s alone, she shakes her head and turns back around.
“What a strange ambience.” She whispers to herself as her assistant answers the call.