Clearing room, Luna set up a laptop and was pleased to see Thunderbolt immediately position himself to be able to type on it with just the tips of his claws. "I'll get things set up. We'll start with the basics. From what I understand, self-taught people typically show great progress in some fields but holes in others. We need to find those holes and try to fill them in with learning before you can be placed in a class. You will know some of this test already, please just answer all that you can."

Watching the screen, Thunderbolt noticed that just after Luna sat down at the front desk and typed on her keyboard, he had a new screen pop up on his laptop. Numbers and sums. It was simple stuff as he'd already experienced mathematics when he studied philosophy and logic at an online school.

From her desk, Luna watched as Thunderbolt tore through the high school entry-level math. English was a high point, though she noticed he missed some more technical words. It was all in line with what she'd assumed.

When his math skills were pitted against arithmetic, however, Luna noticed him leave them blank. English continued to be a strong suit, as did history. "I know you're not able to do the math questions, please keep looking over them in case you recognize any you can understand."

"What difficulty is this? I don't understand these symbols or designs at all. Most of the mathematics I studied was logic-based." Thunderbolt struggled not to lash his tail or blow smoke, but it was annoying he'd left obvious gaps in his learning. "I'd hoped to not need much study here."

"Logic? What had you studying logic?" Queuing up the next set of tests—what would be grade ten—Luna slipped in a logic module that started at final year and included pre-college test questions.

"Philosophy. A friend suggested I look at it after she noticed me wrestling with my conscience. It helped me a lot to realize that though I might wish to be a pacifist, there are some situations that become so dire that I need to fight. My temper is another problem, too."

Pleased by the answer, Luna hit start on the next test. "There are definitely worse subjects to start with, and philosophy has a very noble air to it."

Thunderbolt put his preconceptions away and focused on the next test, purring when he found the logic questions that he recognized. Ancient history he understood reasonably well, but more recent events weren't in his lexicon. English was a ready topic he'd explored, but that brought him back to math.

It was early afternoon by the time Luna had finished working Thunderbolt through all the tests, and she was surprised to see the results. "Math is your weakest point. Apart from logic, you have six years to work through. Your reading comprehension and writing skills are reasonable, though you have a below-average vocabulary. Modern history is a weak point, but ancient history is not. I see now where your studies took you. We can fix this."

The confidence of the last four words built hope in Thunderbolt. He looked at Luna with excitement. "How long will that take?"

"At the absolute worst, six years. I believe we can speed that up to at most two. It all depends on how well you can learn and memorize."

The shock of hearing a duration so long was quickly tempered by the description of the task. A deep purr left his throat and he lashed his tail just once—managing not to hit anything with it. "When can I start?"

Fizzlepop had missed the morning of her first day back at college, not that she needed to attend the first orientation day, but she wanted to make this appear somewhat natural. Parking her car in the student lot, she made her way into her old stomping grounds.

This would be her third time studying. She held a BA in psychology and had done her masters in it, but now she was back to take a post-grad course on criminal psychology—and that was all a cover. She knew in her heart that the seven friends who'd worked together to defeat the sirens were going lead her to something big, she just didn't know what.

Without the backing of The Bureau, she had needed to get creative. Plus she'd actually wanted to get this extra accreditation for her job, so putting the tasks together was an obvious choice. So here she was, walking toward the admin block with her paperwork in hand.

"Hey there! Late for orientation?" Spitfire walked over to Fizzlepop, but the closer she got the less student vibe the woman was giving off. "Uh, you're not a newbie here, are you?" The tight jeans and shirt might be trying to shout young, but she understood it could also mean I like comfortable clothes.

"Not a newbie, no. Came here for a post-grad course—criminal psych." Taking in Spitfire's look, Fizzlepop accepted the blue shirt with orientation week leader printed on it as a kind of uniform, and the almost-matching skirt as probably just something she had laying around. "You're here for the real newbies from high school, right?"

"I was. They're in the hands of their department groups now. I just spotted you and thought you could use a hand. But, you seem to have this under control. Guess I'll see you around?" Spitfire started to turn and then paused. "Oh, and my name's Spitfire."

Catching herself before reaching for her official ID, Fizzlepop clenched her hand into a loose fist and dropped it back to her side. "Fizzlepop Berrytwist, and yeah, I guess we might see each other. What's your major?"

"Aerospace engineering, so, uh, maybe not." There was an itch in Spitfire as she looked at Fizzlepop. A long time ago she'd made the promise to herself that, within the bounds of safety, she'd never let an opportunity pass her by. "Hey, do you want to hang out some time?"

The question hit Fizzlepop like a hammer. She'd been ready for all manner of situations, but meeting new friends hadn't been one of them.

"Look, if you can't, it's fine. I just—"

"No! I mean, yeah, it'd be good to hang out. Uh…" Fizzlepop fumbled for her phone that she'd forgotten she'd handed in—being as it was her work phone. "I need to get a new phone, but…"

"This isn't the first time I've done this, understand, but I'm only doing it so we can share some beers—got it?" Fishing a marker from her satchel bag, Spitfire grabbed Fizzlepop's arm and started writing numbers. "Call me when you get your new phone."

Fizzlepop's smile broke through her normally stony expression as it sank in that for two years she was going to be a civilian. "Will do. Bye." Feeling lighter somehow, she turned and started toward the admin building again.

Rainbow and Rarity had both gone to the communal home of their friends to celebrate their first (most of a) day at college. Sitting in the big living room of the house, there was quite a noise floor as everyone started talking at once. The friends discussed their specific courses in small groups that broke up and reformed as each found someone else to tell about their day.

Rainbow and Twilight, however, found themselves to have formed a mini group of their own again and again. When it happened for the fifth time, Twilight blew a sigh that wound up being far more wicker-like.

"Have you noticed we keep coming together like this?" Twilight asked. "It's like, I don't know, some kind of herd instinct. We are sort of horses."

Having been trying to work out that fact herself, Rainbow nodded quickly. "Yeah. It's like being closer, stronger together. You're working at the shop soon, aren't you?"

"Y-Yeah. Are you still okay with giving me a ride over there?"

Rainbow fluffed her wings and gestured to the door. "Of course I am, Twilight. Hey, we should get you a car and I'll do a refit so you can drive it. You want to go now?"

Twilight nodded. "I'll get my laptop and notepad and pens and… That should be enough. Has Spicy said anything about the online sales?" She used her magic to levitate her things over and carried them at her side while following Rainbow to the front door.

"You're leaving already?" Sunset asked, having spotted Rainbow and Twilight.

Rainbow, twirling her car keys around a feather on her wing, looked back at Sunset. "Yeah, Twilight has to go to work and I have a hunk of a bat to sn—"

"I don't need to know." Sunset got enough insights into people's bedrooms just by casually touching people, she didn't need to hear anything about her best friends' activities. "Do you want to come around early tomorrow before we go to college?"

"That'd be a good idea. We could carpool a little better then, couldn't we?" Rainbow had already promised Applejack a ride, of course, but she didn't mind meeting her friends a little earlier. Then she amended that to have unless I don't get off early enough.

"How're you holding up with the—the thing in your head?" Despite herself, Sunset stepped closer to Rainbow. She'd even put up with sexual fantasies and bedroom games if it meant helping her friend.

"I won't say it's nothing, but so long as I keep—uh—on top of it three times a day, it's fine. Great, actually." Though she was blushing under her fur, Rainbow couldn't stop herself from adding, "Have you ever actually worn a guy out and had to go to your other guy?"

"Can't really say I have. I liked being with Flash, but it was a bit one-sided, and I wasn't really with him for fun reasons. We—" Sunset didn't get a word further as a pink freight train tackled her from behind and, in the moment of physical contact, Pinkie Pie struck her mentally too.

Melting into a hug, Sunset's lips were pressed tight to Pinkie's and their naked bodies were in contact from chest to thigh. Just feeling her body held against her lover's completely pushed aside her worries about her time before joining up with her friends.

Pinkie broke the kiss first, but set her lips against Sunset's chin and nibbled at her jawline.

"Pinkie?" Sunset barely got the name out before she was rolled onto her back and had the literal girl of her dreams straddling her belly and looking down at her. "You really know how to break me out of a funk."

Her face splitting into a huge grin, Pinkie reached down and kneaded Sunset's breasts. "Fuck? Okay!"

Sunset barely had time to open her mouth and try to start shouting no before a pink slit came down over her and, with Pinkie making herself acquainted with her crotch, Sunset started to moan and settle into long and enjoyable lovemaking.

It felt like days passed where she was trapped between Pinkie's generous thighs, experiencing orgasm after orgasm and giving as good as she got. When at last her partner relaxed her grip on Sunset's talent, Sunset instead held on and kept Pinkie there.

Gasping in surprise, Pinkie lifted her head from her fiery lover's groin. "Sunny?"

"I've been practicing." With that said, she let go and let them both tumble out into the real world again—with less than a second having passed.

Not aware of the week or so of sexual expression Sunset and Pinkie had just experienced, Rainbow led Twilight out into the early afternoon. "Is there a type of car you'd like?"

"Huh?" Twilight felt confused by the question until she thought back to Rainbow's offer. "Oh, anything would do. I don't exactly need—well, that." She gestured with a hoof toward Rainbow's car.

"What's wrong with it?" With a big grin on her face, Rainbow opened her driver-side door and swung herself into the T-bucket roadster. "It's just right."

Twilight really wanted to rant and, being Twilight, she never surrendered such an opportunity—even if she was getting a ride from Rainbow. "The wheels are bigger than you are. The engine is bigger than you are. Everything about it is loud, noisy, and—"

"Fast." Snapping out her wing, Rainbow put her key into the ignition and turned it, then pressed the starter button. It then became significantly harder to hear Twilight's attempt at ranting about the car.

Using her magic to fasten the seat belt, Twilight had to admit that the seat Rainbow was using looked to perfectly cradle her body. "It'd probably be even easier for me with magic." When Rainbow didn't seem to hear her, she repeated it while yelling.

"Oh! Yeah! Probably should still have your hooves drive the brake and gas, but steering should be much easier with your magic!" Rainbow pressed her hoof ever so gently against the gas pedal and the engine growled loudly.

"What about all the—?!" Twilight gestured to the shifter and button equipment Rainbow had between the pair of them. "Do I need all that?!"

"What?! Oh, nah!" In defiance of her own words, Rainbow reached for her shifter and punched it forward, turned the wheel, and leaned on the gas a little. The hiss of compressed air from the shifter was quickly drowned out as the car gleefully lunged into motion and forced both occupants back into their custom seats.

The drive to Spicy's shop wasn't supposed to be a short one, but for Rainbow any drive was so enjoyable that it ended too fast. Pressing hard on the brake peddle, she brought the car to a stop just outside the stairs that led up to Canterlot Crops. Reluctantly turning off the engine, Rainbow drew the key out and felt all the hairs go up on the back of her neck.

"What about an electric car?" Twilight asked.

Rainbow just sighed. "I'm not a fan, but I also haven't had much to do with them. Your choice, though. Just bring me a car and I'll get Derpy to help me with the seats like I did for this one." Climbing out of her car, Rainbow rolled her shoulders, grabbed her bag, and stood upright.

"Thanks, Rainbow. I won't lie, I'm just a little envious of you being able to walk like that. Every time I try to stand up like that, I can only manage it for about twenty seconds before I fall forward again." She got out of the car, using her magic to undo the seat belt and then work the door.

"Yeah, but this isn't going to last long, either. I'm just one good song away from being on all fours too. That's why I made my car controls like they are—I can work everything even if I was fully quadrupedal." Walking up the stairs, Rainbow reached the top first and waited for Twilight to pick her way up too.

Author's Note

Ask... any of their college professors really: A pegasus, unicorn, and misc. anthro ponies walk into a college; It sounds like the setup to a joke, I'd expect more surprise. How are you taking this so calmly?

Starlight Glimmer rolled her eyes. "After the news about what happened, everyone in Canterlot knows that there's some new kind of magic around. We also had a long and very boring lecture from President Hurricane about this, as well as that concert a few months ago. Some of us grow ears when we get focused on something." She shook her head. "And I'll be teaching some of them, too."

So I do this "Ask X" thing. X can be any pony within the story. You can ask them anything and they will definitely, hopefully reply. Keep the questions appropriate to the age-rating of the stories, and they will answer the best question in the author notes of the next chapter. The more votes a comment has the more likely I will get it to the right pony to answer. Try to keep it to one question per post! They will pick one question per chapter.

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Awesome ponies who are already helping to keep me in keyboards and rum:
A.P.O.N.I.
CadelDdraigDarkkon
Canary in the Coal Mine
Daremo
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Ender Voidwalker
KFS Crimson
Sirion123
Vi Watch

And special thanks to the following, for careful eyes and friendly words:
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