//------------------------------//
// The Major 
// Story: School Days 
// by Dai Kirai 
//------------------------------//

	Stormy padded up to the oddly designed Covel Commons. He passed the little sitting area and passed through the twin glass doors. Inside, the floor was covered by a deep blue carpet hiding years of use and wear, an elderly human male with skin like leather was vacuuming. The area he stood in was large, at least twenty feet to a side. In front was a set of solid cream metal double doors, they looked heavy, beyond them stood a curving stairwell long with more doors and the same carpet. To his right another money machine like the one in Ackerman separated a lounge from the rest of the lobby, two humans sat on the couch pouring over the same book. The light cream walls were broken up with a tall counter to his left just like the one in Reiber Hall, with another person behind the counter. 
From where he stood Stormy saw a sign past the metal doors “Majors, Minors, and Other Programs meetings held on the second floor.” Followed by an arrow indicating the left-most portion of the staircase, in what had to be the start of it. But, before the pegasus was even halfway to the doors, the human called out to him.
“Hey little pony. I think you’re in the wrong place.” The voice was neutral and flat giving no indication of the gender; this feel went through the entire person.
Maybe humans are still too alien? Stormy wondered, even though he hadn’t had any trouble differentiating between men and women before. “Isn’t this where the,” He tried to remember what word was used to describe these events. “Workshop. Isn’t this where the workshop is held?” The pegasus noticed “Breckin” was written on the human’s nametag, a slip of silver in the sea of blue shirt.
“Some yes.” Breckin replied, rounds eyes looking the pony over. “But the only ones here are the engineering workshops.	Everything else is in Reiber. It should be in your orientation packet, on the last page.”
“Thank you.” Stormy turned around, opening back up the glass doors.
“Would you like direction?” Breckin called, leaning over the counter to the point his feet had to have left the floor.
“No thank you.” Stormy replied morosely. That’s where I came from. 
Once he got outside Stormy pulled his orientation packet back out. Sure enough, while the basic information had been on the second page, the locations were on the fifth page. There was no general course, they all seemed specialized. Humanities, physical sciences, social sciences, life sciences? Which one? The pegasus looked more at each one. Each workshop had multiples titles under it. Like life science had cognitive science, microbiology and molecular genetics. These make no sense. Each one is so specialized. 
Physical Sciences II – 9th FloorWest Lounge Reiber Terrace
(Atmoshperic Sciences, Earth and Space Science,  Environmental Science, Computational and Systems Biology, Math, Statistics) 
Maybe I should just check this one out to be safe. Get an idea of how much it differs. Stormy trotted off back to the four flights of stairs needed to get back to Reiber, wishing his wings were better. Feeling had fully returned with only a slight tingling sensation along the tips. He flapped them once to see how they reacted, and nearly jumped when his hooves left the ground. 
Not enough lift. But if I run, like they teach foals…
Stormy broke into a gallop, hooves clopping over grey concrete. With a few flaps he started to fly, another and he gained altitude enough to fly over the table. Another flap though and his chin met the ground. “Ow!” he huffed, his wings splayed along the ground. Can’t fly yet. But they do feel better.
A quick ruffle straightened out his wings but left them on the ground while he caught his breath. The concrete was nice and cool on	Stormy’s belly, for some reason he still felt tired. 
With a groan Stormy pulled himself up and folded his wings. Looking around, several people were watching as the pony stood. His cheeks reddened. 
The people moved along. “Have a nice trip?” A random voice jeered, quiet enough the pony wasn’t quite sure if he even heard it. 
It didn’t take long to ascend the steps but in his embarrassment Stormy took the steps faster than he normally would have. He was slightly out of breath but the short walk back to Reiber was more than enough to catch it from the running, the crash, and the steps.  
There was no need for him to pull out his room key to open the door into Reiber Terrace though as the constant stream of people going in and out meant it was open more than it was closed. The same was happening over at Reiber Hall where he picked up his orientation packet. Although the third building, Reiber Vista had almost no one even near it. The herds of people reminded the pony of the weekend market, with its multicolored hues mingling and the only way to tell where each was. 
Stormy followed the herd through the door, careful to avoid the people leaving. He also didn’t have to push the elevator button. It was several minutes before the elevator arrived at the bottom floor. It was packed, completely filled, with each person getting off the elevator having to force their way through the crowd wanting in. The crowds turned into three lines with the middle one leaving while the other two tried see who could get in. Only one line made any progress getting into the elevator. 
The elevator filled up as quickly as it emptied out. No matter how many people got in, more seemed able to squeeze on until there wasn’t room for an apple to fall. About a third of the people made it into this elevator including the pony. As the doors closed the ping of the other elevator arriving sounded. Legs pressed all around the pony, his nose practically at someone’s rump. 
The numbers ticked by slowly in the tight confines, twenty creatures shoving themselves into a small metal box. Everyone was pressed in tight yet tried to keep up their personal space by dragging in an arm here or a leg there. Stormy for his part lifted up his tail so it couldn’t get stepped on again; which was also why he stood. 
The tang of metal was buried under the strong fragrance of thirty humans. Not just pungent humans, but also the faux flowery scent of their shampoos and body washes; the powder of cologne and deodorant. It was an overpowering menagerie of scents. It became hard to breathe through all smells for the pony in the confined space.
5.6.7. No one was getting off. Finally the number ticked to 9, a moment later the doors parted and the box disgorged its passengers like a cloud releases lightning. With slow movement at first as people figure out who leaves first, then a type of order set in and people flooded out, headed in either direction. Once in the hallway some tried to pass others while some just took their time. 
Stormy took a chance and turned left, following the crowd and hoping someone knew where they were going. The group turned left with a few going right. As they walked several more split off and entered rooms. Forcing the pony to wonder if he should have dropped his bag off first. I can still drop my saddlebag off before lunch. He realized, stopping at a room that said: “West Lounge.”
The plaque rested on a single wooden door, one of the humans had trouble opening it. The first human to enter though turned around and just as quickly exited. “Heh. Wee bit early.” 
“Guess they could be late.” His friend replied, as the two moved to a side wall.
The rest of the small group of seven that remained found spots along the wall to wait. Breaking off into their own little groups. Stormy found a nice spot to sit and thought about why he crashed.
It was a weird feeling. What most pegasi don’t talk about is how magic assists in flight, they don’t even think about it; it just happens. The magic is used to help move the air, it can allow for tighter turns and to hover while barely having to flap. And it gave out midair. Not even all at once though, it started at the front of his wing and moved backwards, forcing his head down and causing it to collide with the ground first. 
Back in Equestria it wouldn’t have been the biggest deal as the air was saturated with more than enough magic. But Earth? As Stormy fell he had grasped for that ambient magic only to find too little to help, he could have sworn there was enough earlier. He was just happy the fall was such a short distance. That crash could have really hurt. Like slamming into the side of a mountain without brakes hurt. 
Stormy took the time now to preen his feathers. A few were sticking out at odd angles which was bad for the health of the feathers. One or two had to be removed due to the damage. With a swift tug and a wince of pain they came free, his eyes watered and the feathers went into his bag. No need to litter.
The minutes dragged on as Stormy waited to be able to enter. Dragged on so long he pulled out the book to help pass the time. He opened it up to the last page he was on, but before he could finish the first sentence the door opened and people slowly left the room. The person who had first tried to enter held it open as people left, entering as soon as the other filed out. A brown unicorn with a mop of brilliant orange hair walked out deep in conversation with a human whose skin was darker and shape rounder. 
Stormy was near the last to enter, realizing more people had shown up to wait while he took care of his wings. Inside one wall was completely filled with windows, opposite a white board. The walls were off-white like so many of the others had been and accompanied a grey floor. At least 40 grey padded metal chairs sat in rows facing the white board. 
At the board stood a shorter human maybe five and a half feet tall, removing green marks from the board. This human was dressed more casually than any of the other teachers or staff covering orientation. He wore the same denim as many of the students, a green shirt with a button up collar left unbuttoned and shoulder length hair. 
“Please take a seat and get acquainted with each other. I want to wait to see if any late comers show up.” The man said without turning around. 
Stormy eyed the chairs, these were definitely too short for the pony and the floor worked just fine for his purposes. He picked a spot in the aisle near the back of the four rows where he could still see the board. A moment later the long haired guy at the board turned around.
“My name is Miles Anderson. I am an advisor for the Physical sciences department so this is all I do.” For a relatively short person, his sonorous voice resonated around the room, easily heard by everyone. “My specialty is in the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, specializing in coastal weather patterns.”
Miles turned to a table setting against the wall next to the white board, grabbing a plethora of colored papers off the top. “Here are the sheets describing the different majors, what is required to get into each and what is required for the degree, you can get these on your way out. You will be meeting with an advisor individually to help later.”
Mr. Anderson looked around the room, his eyes settled on the pony. “Ah, someone who understands the weather. Am I right?”
Stormy nodded, not liking where this was going. Several sets of eyes from around the room stared at him, others seemed happy to whisper to each other. He did not want to be the center of attention or an example.
“Great!” Mr. Anderson enthused. “Let’s look at the AOES major then.” He picked a lime-green colored paper off the desk, handing some out to students, including the lone pegasus. “You will see along the top a list of classes, these must be done in addition to your gen ed classes and before you start the classes for your major. The specific pre-requisites for the AOES major are: AOS 1, which covers climate change and policy or AOS 2 and 3 Which are air pollution and intro to atmospheric environment respectively. Each along with their respective labs. I’m sure you’ve all been told that double digit numbers mean a class is lower division.” Heads around the room nodded. Mr. Anderson didn’t stop moving around the room, gaze shifting from student to student, not severe, he actually looked jovial, this was his passion. 
“Those are the fun classes if you ask me, as for the following sequences, as they should be taken in order, if you have ANY interest in graduate school the physical science version cannot be recommended enough. And don’t feel like you have to write any of this down, it’s all on the information sheets. You have to choose one of two calculus sequences, the one for physical scientists and engineers or the one for life scientists. The first would be math 31A, 31B, 32A, 32B, 33A and 33B. Now those may sound tough but the biggest thing is to remember to take them as soon as possible because you cannot graduate until you have finished all of them. The life science one is math 3A, 3B, and 3C.”
To Stormy the numbers meant nothing but an order. The students around him reacted rather negatively, especially as the list of classes just to start the major went on and on. Some of the students looked excited, some bored, but a good deal looked nervous. It reminded the pony of the horror stories about the Guard. 
Chemistry and Biochemistry 20A (Chemical Structure) and 20B (Chemical Energetics and Change). Engineering Physics 1A (Mechanics), 1B (Oscillations, Waves, Electric and Magnetic Fields), and 3C (Electrodynamics, Optics and Special Relativity) in addition to labs 4AL (Mechanics), 4BL (Electricity and Magnetism). The final prereq being Programming 10A. Those were the suggested tracks. The paper and the teacher went on, not explaining more than just the names; it seemed enough for the other students.
 “You will be surprised by how many of these classes are actually useful when you get into your upper division classes. You will have to take seven upper div AOS classes and two from another physical science. The hardest part will be your lower div classes. Which can easily delay you a year if not more.”
The green shirted advisor took a few seconds to look at the crowd and let everything sink in. “Any questions?”
“Are all the majors that intense?” A pale skinned lad near the front asked.
“If it’s too much you could always major in English.” The tense feeling permeated the room vanished in an instant. Chuckles peppered the room. 
Stormy just realized something else, in the entire room there wasn’t a single female; human or pony. He was also the only pony present. 
“Now, I will let you out early, grab a paper for any major that interests you and feel free to stick around and ask questions. These really are some amazing fields. And Mr. Pony, I look forward to seeing you in my office. Had a few come through and you guys are always a delight to work with, you come so prepared for weather.”
As the assembled mass of males went up to grab papers and talk to the advisor, Stormy used their assembled height to slink out of the room. He grabbed and twisted the door handle with his mouth and pulled. Just like for the human it failed to budge at first. The pegasus ground his hooves into the floor and pulled again to no avail. 
“You have to twist more. I made the same mistake.” The voice came from behind the unaware pegasus. 
Stormy took the advice and twisted his head further, still apply pressure, nothing. Another twist until his head was practically upside down and the door came open, bowling the pony onto his back. Use your hoof next time. Humans use hands exclusively. Think like a human. The pony reminded and warned himself.
The human grabbed the door before it could close again.
A smile greeted the pony as he righting himself. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.” A mildly high pitched voice, it seemed to pop like it was new.
Stormy took a look at the human, this one stood out. Tall and gangly, his movements like a foal that just had a growth spurt and was still getting used to new longer limbs. Scraggly black hair covered his head, the front streaked with a vibrant red under a fedora. His face looked like he was in a wind tunnel; a device used to teach pegasi how to fly in high speed winds by having them fly down a tube with a dozen pegasi at the other side flapping up a gale; his eyes were swept back into slants with his mouth mirroring his eyes in a thin, wide lineA red plaid button-down shirt tucked into trousers finished off the look. He stood out. 
“I’m David. You smell funny.”
“Stormy. Nice to meet you.” Stormy ignored the critique, wondering if it was wise to skip the shower in favor of breakfast. The pony knew the next question he would be asked, and he didn’t want to talk about weather, so he decided to ask the questions this time. “Do you study weather too?” Pretty soon he learned it may have been the wrong question.
“Nothing as boring or simple as that. I’m an engineer, but that orientation was boring so I left to see what the others covered. Good to know they cover actual science like wave mechanics.”
Stormy had just passed the elevator, he was stopping off at his room first. Maybe taking a shower before going to his RA’s room at eleven. David didn’t stop at the elevator and kept talking to the pony. After a few more comments about how climate sciences couldn’t prove anything, the weather pony decided to try and change the topic. “Do you like UCLA so far?”
“The only reason I’m here is because my old science teacher bad mouthed me to MIT. I had the highest grades in science back home.” David went on. “No one else even understood science.”
Soon Stormy arrived back at 904b. “It was nice talking to you.” He said through a forced smile, fighting the urge to paw at the carpet. Instead he pawed through his bag with the hoof until he found his room key. 
“One last thing. Do you have any of those gems? The magic ones? Could I get one for a project?” A non-humorous twinkling in his eye.
“Pegasi don’t have much use for those. Bye.” Stormy entered and closed the door on the human. The last thing the pony wanted was humans trying to get things from him for power or other advantages.
Stormy didn’t watch to see which room the human went into as he hurried into his own room. The sound of falling water came from the bathroom, someone was in the shower. The pony set his saddlebag down by the foot of the immaculately made bed. The elevated bed opposite looked even worse with the blankets wrapped in a ball.
Stormy looked at his own bed, a mess from when his leap earlier in the day, was not a tempting target for the ground pegasi. Instead the pony splayed himself out on the floor with his eyes closed. With the bland beige curtain closed and the fluorescent lights above him off, the pony could close his eyes with very little lightbleed; the running water drowning out all others sounds but his own breathing. And Stormy just knew this would be another long day, but for now he was alone.


***


“The shower is all yours.”
The words reached the pony through a haze. He fought against utter blackness. Eyes fighting his will to open. 
“You will want to make it quick however. You only have a quarter hour before we have to meet the NSA.”
Stormy recognized the voice as Edward. And just as quickly decided it wasn’t worth noting. He stretched out all his limbs before comfortably repositioning himself on the floor.
He felt his left wing lifted before flopping back to the ground. Mostly to the ground, it was so long it hit the bed. 
“Oh no. We have an out of control thundercloud headed for the castle!”
By pure reflex Stormy jumped to his hooves, folded his wings and looked around the ceiling for the errant cloud. Realizing all too late it was Edward with a wolf’s grin.
“So that is how you wake a pegasi.” Edward noted, voice back from the higher pitch of a moment before. The human was clad in green shorts-like undergarments, pulling clean clothes out from the suitcase recently placed on his bed.
Stormy took a moment for his heart to stop racing. Errant weather towards the castle could put a weather pony to controlling weather coming in from The Wilds. “Not funny.”
“But it was effective. You don’t have much time before we have to meet with Chevonne.” Edward said, putting on a pair of black pants, part of another suit laid across the bed. “If you want to shower make it quick.”
After all the traveling he had been doing, a bath sounded wonderful to Stormy Skies. Let the water soak into his coat, mane and feathers; taking away all the dirt from the previous days. After so many days a simple cloud wouldn’t be enough.  Dirt bath would be an acceptable alternative but only with pest problems or excessive sweat. There were more than a few pegasi back home who would stand under a natural or artificial waterfall with their wing extended; something Stormy had never been a fan of, too rough on the feathers if you moved wrong. 
But he didn’t have the time for a proper cleaning and preening. So instead, Stormy grabbed his ID and important cards from his saddlebag; so far he hadn’t needed money that often so that stayed in his bag. But he did check his schedule just in case, ripping out the second and third page just in case. Placing all the items under his right wing.
Edward had just put on his coat. Starting the process of tying a blue tie when he headed into the bathroom again. 
Stormy, with nothing else to do and not sure what time it was, left the room for his eleven o’clock meeting with the New Student Advisor.