Nella spent the remainder of the time they had in the library attempting to explain to Tirin what the lesson had been attempting to teach them. He seemed to be paying attention, but he constantly caught Iota's eye and mouthed for help. Iota had to hold back her giggles as she looked through maps of stars. She didn't bother attempting to understand the equations alongside the diagrams; the numbers only swam in front of her eyes. Her fingers just traced the paths of planets. She didn't know why she was so interested in it, but she was. It gave her a warm feeling to look at the stars.

When the bells rang to announce that it was time to go to dinner, Tirin was the first one away from the table. However, he returned a few seconds later. "I can't find the way out."

Nella sighed before returning the books she had taken out to their proper places along the wall. Tirin rushed to help her. Instead of doing the same, Iota continued reading her book. It was only when Nella yanked the book out from under her that she stopped.

"Hey! I was reading that." Iota pouted, pushing herself standing.

"Well, I'm hungry. I think that over rules your books." Tirin's stomach grumbled loudly. "Come on!"

This time Nella lead the way back out of the library. They met up with the other members of their class, though this time the Finder and the Hunter were no longer there waiting. Qurine Lecmic stepped forward and took his role once again. Nella already knew her way around the library, but only Qurine Lecmic seemed to know his way around the Academy. Iota guessed that he must have a parent who works at the Academy, since that was the only way someone could have gone to the Academy before now.

Iota could have gone with Ulysses at some point, but she had never found it desirable.

Theta was waiting by the door to the dining room, his arms crossed. The other students eyed him nervously before they entered. Iota stopped, knowing that there would be no way to continue walking through once Theta had seen her. Tirin made as though he was going to stop, but Nella yanked him by his hand. Soon, it was only Iota standing there.

"Why are you so desperate to find me? You saw me just this morning." It was only then that she noticed that he was worried. She could see it in the way his hands clenched and his jaw was locked.

"I wanted to make sure you were getting on alright." He mumbled, looking down. Even though he was older than her, at that moment she could have been the older sister.

"I'm sorry." Iota wrapped Theta in a hug. "I didn't know how worried you are. And I'm fine."

Theta laughed. "How could I not be worried? My little sister is starting the Academy; anything could happen." He rubbed her head. "I won't make you meet my friends today, but you're going to have to meet them some day."

Iota giggled. "I'll meet them one day. Just give me time to get my footing here."

"How long will that take?"

She considered it. "Oh, a hundred years? In the very least."

Theta pulled her into a hug one last time before rushing forward and pushing open the door. Iota sighed. She hadn't liked Theta looking for her as much as he had been. It stopped her from experiencing the Academy alone. Braxiatel had been nicer; he had given her at least a day to learn her way around.

Nella and Tirin were sitting at the large table their class had chosen. The seat beside Nella was open and Iota rushed over. Tirin waved at her as she sat down. "How was your brother?"

"He just wanted to know how I was doing." The Servers had already delivered a basket of bread and a soup. "What is this?"

Nella shrugged. "I have no idea." Her mouth was stuffed. "But it's good."

Iota dipped a piece of bread in the soup and took a bite, smiling. "Much better than lunch."

Remon was sitting across the table from her and he had already begun to join the entire table into a conversation. He made a comment about the class they had that day and Prexitel turned to face him with her eyes burning. The rest of the table went quiet as Remon and Prexitel began to debate.

When the Servers took returned to remove the plates and bowls, the Finder and the Hunter returned as well. Iota's class was once again separated into male and female and lead away by their corresponding Time Lord or Lady.

"Where are we going now?" Iota whispered to Nella. "It's much too early to be going to sleep, isn't it?"

Nella shrugged. "We did wake up early today."

The Finder looked back. "I am showing you to the showers. Afterwards, you will return to your room. On other nights, you would be able to go to the library or one of the meeting halls in order to do any work professors assign if you don't want to do it in your room."

Nella crossed her arms. "I wanted to explore more today," she mumbled. "And we have no work to do."

"Be quiet back there, Nella!"

The Finder seemed to be one didn't tolerate talking. It made Iota slightly irritated, because she wanted to ask Nella more questions about the stars. But Nella seemed perfectly happy to look around the Academy. Iota knew that she was making mental notes, attempting to form a map of the Academy so that she wouldn't have to rely on Qurine Lecmic to get them everywhere.

The showers seemed to be in a building to the side of the dormitory one. From the outside, in the slightly earlier light, Iota was able to see that a few towers stretched into the sky from the roof of the high building.

There was a medical like atmosphere in the showers. It reminded Iota of the room the TARDIS cradle was in. The walls and floors were tiled with white and small rooms were spaced around the large room.

The Finder pushed open one of the doors. Lights flickered on inside. "This is one of the showers. I'm sure you've seen a shower before, so there's no need to spend time here." She let the door swing closed before leading the way back to the dormitory. She waved her hands in the air. "I'm going to trust you know your way back to your rooms. If not, return here and I'll lead you to it. If I'm not here, wait for me to return."

Nella lead the way back to the room. All Iota could remember was that it was on the third floor. Instead of the blank wooden door Iota remembered, a white circle was engraved along with her and Nella's names.

"Well, that made it a rather bit easier." Iota commented as they pushed open the door.

New nightgowns were folded on top of each bed. There were also new robes and new white sashes next to them. Iota pulled hers up to see that it was shorter, more at a length that would fit her height. She smiled.

"Apparently we're going to be getting the notebooks for each class when we take the class." Iota turned to see that Nella was holding a paper. She glanced at Iota, frowning. "I was hoping that we'd get it now along with a book or two on the subject."

Iota giggled, sitting on the bed. "I do wish that we could go to the library. I want to look at more of those maps."

"What's so interesting about those maps? I find the equations more interesting." Nella sat across from her, pulling her legs so that she sat crossed.

Iota shrugged. "I don't know. Something about them makes me want to look at more of them."

"That's a bit weird." Nella paused. "When I went into the TARDIS cradle the Hunter asked if anything felt wrong about the TARDIS. He said a previous student said the TARDIS felt sick. Did he ask you that?"

Iota blushed. "I was the student who said it. When I went in there, something just felt wrong and sick."

"I mean, I don't know if sick is the correct terminology since it isn't known if TARDISes are alive. But that cradle is regularly maintained. How can something be sick?"

"I don't know! Stop asking me!" There was a pounding in Iota's head as she was speaking and she clutched the bed. Her eyesight was filled with small red dots and it felt like her eyes were burning from the inside. It took a second before it went away, leaving her with an empty feeling again. It was only then that she realized that ever since she had seen the TARDIS there had been a warm feeling in her chest. She hadn't realized it had been there until it left.

Nella held up her hands in defense. "I'm sorry!"

"I'm sorry too," Iota mumbled. "I didn't mean to shout." She stood and moved the robe, sash and nightgown to the chest at the end of the bed. Nella mirrored her before pulling out a book from the chest.

"My mother sent me here with this book of legends. I've never read it before, but she said it was a good read." She pulled it open. "Do you want me to read it aloud?"

Iota nodded and the two sat on their own beds. Nella began.

As in Nella's fashion, she made comments throughout the stories she read. Most of her comments would spawn a comment from Iota, which would begin a small conversation. When the bells rang to announce an hour had passed, Nella remembered the showers. "Do you want to go?"

"Do we have to bring our nightgowns with us?" Iota commented as the two of them stood.

Nella stopped to think about it. "Yes. Juno talked about the showers once, I remember it. That was a weird conversation."

Iota laughed and grabbed her nightgown. She stepped out of the room before stopping, looking around confused. "Um…which direction were the showers in?"

Nella stepped past her and began to walk down the hallway. Iota followed along behind. There were a few other girls from their Year emerging from the rooms around them in groups of two. Giro and Viru came out of one and began to talk with Nella, leaving Iota walking on her own.

A few girls who were clearly older joined after a few minutes, eyeing those of Iota's Year. They whispered amongst themselves. Prexitel, who walked beside Iota, didn't seem bothered. But Iota couldn't help but feel the girls' eyes on the back of her neck, burning small holes into her flesh.

The showers were empty and the students dispersed, each walking into their own room. Iota found herself in one to the side. She placed her nightgown in the small slot against the wall and watched as a hatch closed it into the wall, keeping it safe from water. There was a hole in the wall where she placed her robe and sash. A wall slid up and she heard the sound of her clothing falling down below.

Almost immediately afterwards water shot out from all sides. Soap followed right after, hitting her hair and dripping down. Water followed quickly again and she felt the soap wash away to the ground, where it drained into a hole in the ground. Air rushed into the room and she closed her eyes. It pulled at her hair and made her wince as it sliced against her face.

There was a dinging noise and Iota opened her eyes to see that the wall holding her nightgown had opened again. Quickly, she dressed again and stepped out, wrapping her arms around her chest. She didn't have to lift the skirt in order to walk anymore.

A few girls from Iota's Year milled about in the large area in front of the shower rooms. One waved to Iota. "Nella already went back to your room. She said you would know the way back."

Iota nodded before leaving the showers. In the back of her mind she wondered where the boys showers were, since there had only been girls in hers. She assumed that theirs was closer to their dormitories on the opposite side of the Academy.

It took her a few minutes of wandering through the third floor hall, looking for the door that depicted their names, before she found it. Nella was already sitting on her bed, jotting down some notes in her notebook. She looked up when Iota entered.

"I asked one of the older students and they said it would be a good idea to go to sleep now. Apparently the noise from people waking up should wake us up in the morning, but if it doesn't a bell rings ten minutes before breakfast is served." She closed her notebook and slid it onto the table at the end of her bed.

Iota slid into the bed. "Well, then we should get to sleep." She pulled the blanket around her chin. "Good night, Nella."

Nella mimicked her, though she lay down. "See you in the morning, Iota."

Just before Iota fell asleep, her chest burst with warmth. Golden particles danced in front of her eyes and it sounded like someone was singing.

A/N: Something strange is happening with Iota; she isn't one to snap at people for simple things like what Nella and her were discussing. I wonder what's going on...

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are enjoying this story so far! Thank you to every one who has reviewed; each time I see one it makes me pull up the major story word document and continue writing, regardless of what I was doing at the time. I love to hear that you're enjoying the story :).

Notes on reviews:

JannaKalderash: Thanks! I love writing Theta and Koschei's relationship now, especially when they become the Doctor and the Master in the future. I will say now, Iota will get more irritating at certain times of her life as she gets older. I can definitely see that happening lol.

Teddy bear 007: Well, then thank you!

Guest: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you are enjoying this so far. Thank you for that amazing compliment. Here's the update you wanted :).

Henny14: Thanks! I just realized what I was doing thanks to your review; did I make it better in this chapter? In the future I'll attempt to be extra careful. This fanfic is going to be rather long. It will have the Academy years, what happens to Iota for a few years after, the time war, five episodes and a few original chapters from the third season and two of DT's specials and then the fifth season until a point in the sixth season so far. It is possible I'll extend the story, depending on how the 12th Doctor turns out. Each regeneration will have its separate part and cover, but it will all be compiled into one story.