Shoot for the Stars

In the Flesh?

The calmness permeated through everything, and for a moment she was tempted to sigh in content. Then in an instant the peace was shattered, and the void shifted around her on a steady yet erratic climb. A new tune sent the void into a spiral, and caused it to fall. The pulsing stillness that settled afterward was eerie and foreboding, like the ocean in the eye of a storm. It shifted gradually around her before setting into an grand rhythm that emerged from the chaos. The rhythm strained itself before a true peace once again settled, and a voice began to fill the air with it’s mocking lyrics. When it finished speaking the rhythm from before settled in once more. Then a hoof tapped on her shoulder, and the illusion was broken.

Luna lowered the bulky headphones she had been wearing off of her head, Pony Floyd music still blasting away in them, and turned to face the large white alicorn with a mane of faded blue, pink, purple, and green beside her. “We’re here.” She smiled before stepping out of the car.

Luna reached down with a foreleg, and unbuckled herself. Stopping the music on her pPod, she stepped outside, and trotted after her sister. “You look chipper Celestia.” She stated.

The white alicorn from before responded, “Of course, it’s my last semester.”

Celestia had been aiming for a doctorate at the Equestrian International University, and this would be her eighth year. “Good for her.” Luna thought, rolling her blue eyes. “I have still have three more years of this place before I can leave it behind.”

“What about yourself, hm?” Celestia asked. “No longer a freshmen. Now you don’t have to put up with all those jokes.”

“They’ll have other ones prepared.” Luna responded blandly.

“Well, I hear there’s an even number of students this year, so you’ll have a room mate this time around. Excited?” Celestia persisted.

“Mmm.” Luna grunted.

Celestia frowned, and lapsed into silence as they trotted into the entrance hall of the grandly designed university. They weren’t the only ones arriving for the beginning of the semester. Other students and faculty members filled the hall as they milled about the place. A good many of them stole glances or outright gawked at Celestia. Luna wasn’t surprised. Her sister was considered beautiful. She herself wasn’t unattractive. In addition to being an alicorn, a tall and rare race of pony, her star-filled mane was unique. Her deep-blue fur complimented it well, and her cutie-mark, a crescent moon over a black blot, completed the nocturnal theme her body seemed to possess. Still, she was certain all the looks were for her sister. She was used to being outshined by her. Luna snorted. Outshined. An appropriate term considering Celestia’s cutie-mark was a sun. Of course, the younger alicorn wasn’t bothered by her sister receiving all this kind of attention. The last thing she wanted was to be hit on by some dumbass jock, so if she could use her sister as a distraction for that then she wasn’t complaining. “Ah, Celestia, ‘tis your final year. I hope it has cause to bring you great cheer.” An accented rhyming voice interrupted Luna’s thoughts.

A zebra emerged from the crowd of students, and trotted up to the sisters smiling. Despite the rebellious tone of her mohawk mane she wore a simple brown dress shirt. “Professor Zecora, how wonderful to see you.” Celestia smiled down at the smaller faculty member.

“Do you mind coming to speak in private? I wish to discuss something not meant for public climate.”

Luna frowned. This was the kind of attention that aggravated her. Prof. Zecora, who was normally polite as can be, completely ignored her presence. Not even a single word of greeting. “Of course.” Came the predictable answer from Celestia, and Luna ground her teeth.

Her sister just ate the attention up. “Luna, could yo-” The older alicorn began, but Luna cut her off with her headphones.

The blue alicorn turned her music back on, and began trotting away with her eyes closed. It was fine. Perfectly fine. She knew where the dorms were. She didn’t need her sister to hold her hoof. If Celestia wanted to leave her for some special assignment, or whatever Prof. Zecora wanted, why should she care? She drowned her aggravation, as she always did, in the appropriate music. Lighting up her horn, she used her magic to go through her pPod’s library in a manner so practiced it was almost instinctual. Soon one of Sliptrot’s more violent songs burst into her ears. Satisfied, Luna opened her eyes as she reached the courtyard beyond the university’s entrance hall.

Countless students could still be seen milling about the utterly massive square field created by the large white walls surrounding it, but it was far less packed than the entrance hall thanks to its size. The whole of the university grounds were located within the field, all fraternities, dorms, and the like. It was an odd set up, but then EIU wasn’t a normal university either. It was, put simply, the best. The Equestrian International University had a record of producing the best and brightest in society, and ponies, as well as other creatures, flocked from all over the world to attend. The students alone numbered nearly ten thousand, and the sheer size of the university reflected it. The “courtyard” Luna was in, while mostly green pasture near the walls of the university, was literally filled with four-story buildings of frighteningly uniform appearance. Most of them were dorms, but many were also used for other purposes. Some even held restaurants that rented their location on the grounds. Despite its size and student population EIU was a very controlled university, though. This was mostly attributable to the vast size of the staff.

As Luna approached the entrance to one of the many identical buildings she scowled slightly. Not one iota of difference from the others. No change. It was one of the things Luna hated about the university. Though, there was one thing in it she hated far more. Pushing her thoughts to the back of her head, the dark blue alicorn turned off her music. She would need to be able to hear for this. Luna opened the door to the building, and wasn’t surprised to find it packed with ponies attempting to register for a dorm room. She didn’t wait to be told they had no room left, and immediately closed the door. Luna sighed, and began making her way over to one of the other structures, the hunt for her dorm beginning.
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“So you see, we require your specialty.” Zecora said in he rhyming accent.

Celestia nodded with a smile. This was a curious turn of events. Someone so young at EIU was very special indeed. Not taking into account the parents were technically sending their foal to live alone in something akin to a town, the university itself wouldn’t normally take someone so young. True, it had a very large attendance, the largest of any university or college, but that was largely because ponies and other creatures from all over the world would come to attend. They didn’t regularly take in students of a substantially young age, and especially not from a family that couldn’t afford the fee for EIU. This filly Celestia had just been told about must be astounding, and, while it might be the alicorn’s last year, she would certainly do everything she could to help this pony. It warmed her heart to hear of such an astute young filly. “Will you accept, or do we need to fetch someone less adept?” The zebra professor asked.

“Oh, no.” Celestia replied eagerly. “I’ll gladly help. Do you know if she’s arrived yet?”

“Sadly, no. Too many students are arriving for us to right away know.” Zecora answered.

“I see.” Celestia looked towards the ground in slight disappointment, but perked up quickly. “I guess I’ll just have to meet her later. For now, I think I should go find Luna. She seemed upset earlier, and if I let these things stew she just hides behind her headphones.”

“Ah, always with the music, that one. She should try to have more fun.” Zecora responded.

“And associate with others more.” Celestia added in exasperation. “But I’ve gone on for long enough. It was nice speaking to you again Professor, and I look forward to meeting this prodigy.”

“It was nice speaking to you, as well. I hope that in your studies you continue to excel.” Zecora said.

“Thank you professor.” Celestia replied before leaving the zebra’s office.

The alicorn cantered down the hall, set on finding her sister, and happily pondering the student she had been told about. Her mood, however, was ruined when she spotted a specific professor walking down the hall towards her. Now, Celestia was fine with most all the professors in the university, and she had always been fine with teachers when she was in school. Everypony had that one, though. The one teacher that they couldn’t stand, and, for Celestia, this was him. The one and only draconequus in existence. A creature of such mishmash that it would wrong to even call him a chimera. His torso was much like a pony’s, but it was elongated and serpentine at the same time. His brown fur turned into feathers on the upper part of his left arm, which was a gryphon’s claw. His right arm was a lion’s paw, and it’s color was typical of that of a lion, defying his brown coat. Tucked on his sides were two wings that should’ve been far too small to enable flight. One was black, leathery, and bat-like, and the other was a normal feathery blue wing like a bird’s, or pegasus’. His right leg was a green-scaled one similar to a dragon’s, but scaled down to size. His left was a white goat’s leg. His serpentine body also stretched into a red serpent’s tale with an odd tousle of fur at the end. Yet the most striking part of this piecemeal of a creature was his head. It was grey and like a donkey’s, but admittedly more handsome. His black mane was cut short, nearly cropped, and a large fang, which Celestia knew did not match his other teeth, stuck out the side of his mouth. A white goatee fell straight from his chin, and bushy brows of the same color sat atop crazed-looking red eyes with yellow sclera. Completing the ensemble was a single deer antler and a long twisted and gnarled unicorn’s horn both stretching from his temples. “Ah, my dear Celestia. How are you this fine morning?” He said with an exaggerated bow and overly sweet tone.

Celestia smiled glassily, and tried to be pleasant. This professor was doing nothing warrant her scorn at the moment. She should at try to be nice. “Fine, and you Discord?” She choked out as pleasantly as she could.

The draconequus stood up, and towered over Celestia, being one of few creatures taller than alicorns. He gripped his heart, and responded in an obviously fake woeful tone, “Oh I was doing marvelous until a certain student forgot to call me by my title, and now I am wounded.”

“Oh no, I am not about to let you start ranting today.” Celestia thought before she quickly apologized. “I’m sorry professor.”

Discord’s other arm covered his brow as he continued. “And NOW you do not call me by my name! Oh, it is as if you despise me!”

He knew very well that she did, and he loved to pick on her for it. The one student to actually dislike his antics was not something he took lying down. “Once again, I am sorry Prof. Discord.” Celestia stated aggravatedly , “However, I am afraid I have upset my sister, and I have to apologize.”

She wasn’t really that concerned about Luna, only a little, but it made for an excellent excuse. At least she thought so. Discord ceased clutching himself, and leaned down. “Oh with that attitude I am not surprised. You hurt others so easily without even realizing it.” He said in a slightly mopey yet lecturing tone.

“Please, Prof. Discord, I have to go apologize to my sister.” Celestia reiterated.

“OH of course!” Discord said resuming his previous stance. “You must go! Quickly, before you damage her as you have damaged me! O woe is me! Boo hoo!”

Celestia quickly cantered past him, desperate to leave. If there was one thing she hated more than his antics it was the way he mocked her. She wouldn’t lower herself down to his level though. She wouldn’t mock him, and she wouldn’t insult him. She would make it through this final year of hers, and she would NEVER have to deal with him again.
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The rainbow-maned mare sighed as she stared about the dorm room. It was certainly not her style. The cyan pegasus was more of what one would call a tomcolt, and this room was very…filly. At least she thought so. It was a simple dorm room, like most. A bunk bed in one corner. An older computer on a desk against the back wall, and a closet next to the entrance. The decorations, however, are what got to the mare. There were a few posters of supermodels on the walls, and the closet was stuffed to the brim, already, with many extravagant dresses. In the far corner was a dummy of a pony, which the pegasus was baffled by, and on the remaining wall was a sewing machine, of all things, with fabric neatly arranged around it. This was seriously uncool. She really wished she had managed to find her friend Gilda, so they could be dorm-mates again. Sadly, without the gryphon they couldn’t sign up together, and the chances of them ending up dorm-mates was very low. “Oh! You must be my roommate.” A voice said from behind the pegasus.

She turned to see a white unicorn with a professionally styled purple mane and tail. Her cutie-mark, three diamonds, aided in giving the impression she was a wealthy pony. “I am Rarity.” The unicorn introduced herself.

“Uhh…Rainbow Dash.” The pegasus responded hesitantly.

“Oh my! Just look at your mane!” Rarity gasped.

The unicorn immediately rushed up to Rainbow, flustering the pegasus, and began inspecting her mane. “What’s wrong with it!?” Rainbow asked harshly, taking insult.

Rarity did not seem to pick up on the tone as she continued to study the mane and replied. “Why nothing! Well, perhaps a little something. It’s quite messy, but then I suppose that look works for you. What I was remarking about, though, is it’s uniqueness. I’ve never seen anything close to it before! Well, except for a few alicorn friends of my father, but on any other kind of pony? Absolutely not!”

Rainbow Dash realized she was being complimented, and smirked as her ego was stroked. She rubbed a hoof on her chest before inspecting it and responding, “Yeah, I’m one awesome pony.”

Rarity ceased inspecting the pegasus’ mane, and began staring at her thigh. “What is your cutie-mark?” She asked. “It must be something absolutely fabulous!”

“Heh,” Rainbow’s smirk grew bigger, “Well-”

“A rainbow-lightning bolt coming out of a cloud.” Rarity interrupted bemusedly.

The unicorn ceased invading Rainbow’s personal space and asked, “What is that supposed to mean exactly?”

Rainbow Dash’s grin grew wider as she answered, “It means I’m the fastest pegasus in all of Equestria!”

Rarity stared her over skeptically for a moment, and then proceeded past her into the dorm room. “You’re not a very modest one, are you?” The white mare asked.

“What’s that supposed to mean!?” Rainbow Dash asked as her smugness crashed into ground, and burned up back into insult.
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“I’ll be fine, Shining.” The young filly unicorn said as she took books out of her bags with her magic to place on the desk.

“Are you sure?” A much older white unicorn with a blue mane asked.

“Yes, for the hundredth time!” The younger unicorn said in exasperation.

Shining Armor grimaced. “I’m just concerned. This is a lot for you to take in. A lot for you to handle.”

“Are you saying it’s too much?” The young unicorn asked turning to him.

“Yes.” Shining Armor answered bluntly. “You could come back when your older. Then you’d better prepared for this. Leaving you alone in a place this big is dangerous. Especially with your-”

“Stop, right there.” The unicorn filly interrupted. “I’ll be fine. This is something I have to do. Think of how much I can learn here! Besides, it’s not like I’ll be entirely alone. I’ll still my have dorm-mate, whoever they are.”

Shining sighed, and shook his head. “You can’t count on them to be friendly, Sparkles. You remember how much your graduating class made fun of you for your age, and these ponies are even older. Hell, some of them aren’t even ponies! What if one of those gryphons gets it into their head they want pony for dinner? What stopping them from eating you?”

“How about the fact the faculty wouldn’t allow it?” The filly responded. “Or that gryphons haven’t eaten ponies in five-hundred years? I’ll thank you for not encouraging racial stereotypes, brother.”

Shining looked downcast at the correction. The filly grimaced, and trotted over to her older brother. She place a hoof on his leg saying, “I’ll be fine, Shining. Really. I have my cell phone, and if anything goes wrong I’ll call.”

The older unicorn pulled her into a hug saying, “Just be careful. And call more often than when you need us. And write. And don’t forget to brush your teeth. Or shower. Or eat.”

The filly chuckled as her brother began teasing her. “I love you, Shining.” She said.

“I love you too.” The stallion replied.

Giving her an affectionate noogie, Shining left the room, and the younger unicorn set about unpacking once more.
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Luna had finally managed to sign-up for a dorm. It hadn’t taken too long for her to find one really, but the task was no less monotonous than it had been last year. In other words, it bugged the hell out of her. As she approached her dorm a rather handsome white unicorn stallion walked past her. She hardly noticed, and proceeded to dorm room. She was very surprised, however, when she opened the door. There was a lavender unicorn already in there unpacking. That, however, was not what was surprising. It was her age. Just looking at her Luna could tell she was still a filly. She likely wasn’t even seventeen yet. What was a pony so young doing in the university? Luna furrowed her brows in confusion, and continued to study the filly. Her mane and tail were a dark navy blue, and had a single stripe of pink and purple each running through them. Her cutie-mark was a crimson star surrounded by five smaller stars. The young filly finished organizing her books on the computer desk, and turned around. She jumped slightly at the sight of Luna, but perked up quickly. The filly trotted up to the alicorn, and offered her hoof as she said, “You must be my roommate. I’m Twilight Sparkle.”
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Author's Note: Well, some of my readers have been waiting for this for awhile, and here it is. I hope you all enjoyed it. Sadly, this first chapter is little more than an introduction to setting and main cast. Next chapter, however, will actually start up the plot. I hope to keep you all well entertained with this. The chapter's title is a reference to the Pink Floyd song "In the Flesh?" from the start of their album the wall.

One quick note. In this story I'm using the terms filly and colt not only as replacements for boy and girl, but also as references to teenagerdom. The words teenage and the like do not exist.