Year In Review
As year went on the group of mares adjusted to the academy life, some better then other. Twilight, Applejack and Fluttershy adjusted the best out of the group each having reasons through out their lives to be early risers. Rainbow Dash did the worst of the group in adjusting having a preferred preference to sleeping in everyday. Pinkie Pie and Rarity adjusted decently much faster they they would have normally thanks to the help of their significant other.
Studies went differently for each in different ways as well. Twilight being the scholarly mare she was quickly rose to top in the first year science program and her years as a potions scientist made understanding chemistry much easier being closely related.
"And that is the basic creation of a bio synthetic adhesive capable of bonding damaged hull in space until repair crews can properly seal it," Spoke the lavender Alicorn whom at some point in the class had actually taken it over from the teacher. She had in the span of an hour of lecture covered several of the basic properties of several chemical formulas.
Most of the class including the professor got sucked into the lecture and mass of information given in a short amount of time. It took only a moment after the equine mare had finished her talking did he remember he was supposed to be teaching.
"Well, not sure how that happened but it will not be happening again," he commented. He had merely asked her for information on proteins used for more common formulas and she went and turned it into a lecture something he expected only a third year student capable of understanding let alone writing down the equations.
"Please return to your seat Cadet Sparkle," she ordered the mare as he moved back toward his podium. As they passed he stopped her for a second and spoke to her in a soft voice so only she could hear. "After that little performance I expect great things from you Sparkle. Do not prove me wrong."
Applejack didn't stand out in her academic classes, but classes like hand to hand and other physical courses her Earth Pony strength, durability and her natural endurance set her apart from other cadets.
The hand to hand instructor walked around the grappling cadets. The instructor a veteran Vulcan security officer had parried them up with another cadet to see what each of them were capable of. He was forced to come to a sudden halt as he watched the smallest of his students preform a toss on her opponent. The 147 cm orange equine had tossed the much taller female a good 10 feet where she landed with a crack. He had observed how little effort she seemed to put into the throw. As the medics stationed near the training grounds rushed over to repair the obvious broken hip of the other cadet, he made a mental note to only pair her up with the strongest members of the class.
Off to the side as the medics worked on the whimpering human female Applejack was off to the side apologizing profusely.
"Ah'm, sorry, ah didn't mean to use that much strength," she bowed her head in apology.
Pinkie Pie excelled in her courses but drove each of her professors to near madness with her constant antics. Her sudden appearances in random locations did not help either.
"The next important tool used by Starfleet engineers is called a coil spanner. It will be...,"The professor was interrupted by a sudden appearance right behind her.
"Ohh, that's really neato. But if used as a weapon could really hurt some pony," came a loud exuberant voice right behind her making her jump and collapse on her podium. She had been paying attention to her class as she showed off the tool and the pink mare who was now behind her had been on the other end of the room. This left her wandering where in the heck she came form.
"Cadet Pie, why are you behind me," she asked with a measured tone trying to keep calm to get her now racing heartbeat back down. She had felt it was better to ask the oddity on hooves why instead of how figuring the answer would be less of a headache.
"I just wanted a better look at the tool, it really is kind of neato by the way," the party mare answered with innocent obliviousness.
"Well in the future please raise you hand and ask to see it closer up. Now Cadet Pie would you be so kind as to SIT BACK DOWN," she screamed the last of it.
'Okie dokie loki," Pinkie answered with a grin before vanishing back to hear seat leaving behind a pink smoke cloud in her shape. After a moment of looking at the oddly colored and shaped cloud she poked it curiously. She face palmed at her self with a sigh thinking of the headache she was going to get as she watched the cloud dissipate. Taking a deep breath and counting to 10 she turned back around and continued the lecture watching Pinkie with closer scrutiny.
Rarity, having run her own fashion empire for more then a life time or two coordinating resources; This experience made the information on how to perform Starship Operations a breeze.
"Excellent work cadet, I doubt anyone short of a long term veteran operations officer could have solved the problem in that amount of time," stated the professor as her went over her assignment.
"Thank you sir, I ran a very successful business and a massive charity organization for a very long time. Operations just feels so similar in duties that it's like old hat, Rarity replied with a undertone of pride in her voice and a large smile on her face.
"Well it is very similar that usually many operations officers become business managers if they ever leave the Federation. Never had one do it the other way before, most cadets start in the academy as soon as they are old enough so haven't that much real universe experience."Keep at it, I can see you excelling in this field." Finished off the smiling professor as he got up ending class.
While Fluttershy tried not to stand out in her classes her race drew a little attention. But what got her the most was when observing a procedure at Starfleet medical she was forced to help with an unruly patient that had many eyes on her, much to her chagrin.
"Sir, calm down ple..., " the nurse on duty was cut off as the man hit her in a fit of panic. Seeing the problem and the amount of injuries the disoriented patient possessed as the medical staff tried to reassure him and their pleads falling on unhearing ears. She slowly trotted up before security was forced to restrain him and force fields to hold him in place. Looking the man in the eyes she stared at hard at him penetrating his crazed state instantly. As she walked to him, her stare intensified making him back up to the medical bed and get back into it without a sound.
"Good, now just be good and the doctors will make you feel better okay?" She stated softly with a reassuring voice while she gently patted him on the head. Then she moved back to her classmates letting the doctor work on the man. While she felt good helping him the looks of wonderment was quite disheartening . As she look her place he lowered her head trying to hide behind her mane.
Rainbow Dash was doing okay at her class work thanks to her friends but was one of three cadets who were top of the class in practical studies like simulators. It was there she made two rivals; one was a friendly rival by the name of Tom Paris, who she worked well with and constantly pushed each other to do better. The other was not friendly, a cadet named Nicholas Locarno who was as ruthless as they came. Despite looking an awful lot like Tom making Rainbow wander if Tom's father wasn't busy on the side some where, the two constantly butted heads over his actions.
The class had just completed another round of shuttlecraft flight simulations, being that it was late in the year it was in a combat situation. Rainbow had been forced to pair up with Nicholas as her wingman. He had used her as a shield against an attack to get a kill shot making her simulation end with a destroyed image appearing on her screen.
"Hey jerk, what the hell was that about," she marched up to the other cadet her fists balled up ready to hit him only to be held back by Tom.
"Winning, if you had been faster you might have not been blown up. Good for me you weren't," Nicholas said with a condescending tone as he looked at her with indifference.
She growled at him struggling to get out of Tom's grasp. "Rainbow come on he isn't worth it. You are the better pilot that's why he he set you up like that. After all your the second best in this class," Tom said reassuringly getting an snort out of both of them for different reasons.
"Only in your dreams there Paris," she quipped as they walked away form the now scowling rival.
Outside of class the four new friends they had made their first day had grown closer. They could often be seen hanging out during meals and after class laughing and joking around. That wasn't to say that the four didn't have moments of silent shock from strange actions the equines would do at times. Two events stood out more then any others.
It was after class and 8 of them were sitting around in the gardens walking with only Rainbow missing.
"So where is Dash anyhow," asked Kaitlin.
"She ain't taken an afternoon nap since we all got 'ere. So be'n' the lazy mare she is, she is doing just that." Stated Applejack pointing up to draw their attention to an oddly low flying rouge cloud. As odd as the it was being that low what was really strange was the cyan colored hooves hanging over the sides with a rainbow colored tail.
"She is sleeping up there? How is she not falling through. Clouds are not solid only visible mass of liquid droplets they shouldn't be able to hold mass," asked Jaden in a loud voice. The question made the others look to Twilight to give an explanation other then 'just something Pegasus can do'.
"Winged ponies like Rainbow, Fluttershy and myself can walk, sit, sleep or even swim in clouds. How it works it the mana in our skin allows us to change the density of the parts of the cloud we have direct contact with. The effect of which is controlled either consciously or subconsciously," Twilight gave as a brief explanation having mostly curbed her lecture mode. Outside a classroom anyhow as her teachers and classmates had the unfortunate pleasure of discovering.
Are they comfortable?" asked Kaitlin with some curiosity.
"Extremely, it is literally like what you'd imagine sleeping on a puffy white ball of cotton would be." she responded making the others picture it in their minds. For the first, and no where near last, time they all knew each other the non equines had a look of slight jealousy over not having magic.
Another time that stood out happened as Twilight and C'halaa, whom shared a biochemistry class together were running later. They had all talked to long and with how much further away the twos class was then the others there was no way they would make it on time at their current running speed limitations.
"We will never make it," the Caitian said who the mares had learned was a female of the race after getting to know her better.
"Yeah we will hold on," Twilight exclaimed reaching out and taking C'halaa's shoulder in her grasp as her horn flared up in a magenta glow. Then in a flash of magenta, Twilight and a disoriented feline appeared right in front of the door making the whole class and professor jump at the flash of sudden light. As the two make their way into the room leaving everyone gaping at them in awe they made it just in time. Though C'halaa spent the rest of the day just staring at the mare in surprise at the ability to teleport them both across campus without any technology.
As the year came to an end, the girls planned for a nice 4 week vacation trip to see Earth's landscape together and prepared for finals. Twilight and Pinkie were awarded with plaques for their exemplary marks in their subjects and a glare to Pinkie from everyone one of her professors.
It was with this happy ending of the year that the mares packed and with a vote choose to have a romantic group trip to Paris. Rainbow wasn't to happy with the idea of a mushy trip at first but Applejack put an end to that with a secretive whisper and a sly grin on the Pegasus' face.