The remaining days of the exams passed in a similar way as the first day. As much as Iota tried to keep the warmth and coldness away, it began to come during every exam. She tried to force it away but it continued to come back.
Iota began to shake with worry after each exams. Every time she considered telling someone about the feelings all of her body burned and she had to clench her hands to force herself from crying out. The other students from her Year, as well as the Hunter and the Finder, looked at her strangely. Once, the Hunter came over to ask if she was alright. It took all her concentration not to snap at him.
Though Tirin felt confident after one or two of the exams, for the majority Nella and Iota had to convince him he hadn't failed and that he wasn't an idiot. Nella was fine after all of them, though at night she was as willing for the exams to be over as Iota. Iota only wanted them to end so that she didn't have to worry about the warmth and coldness anymore. She had vaguely stopped caring about how well she did on the exams.
As she walked out of the last exam, she found the Hunter waiting for her. The warmth had just come for the entirety of the exam. "How was your final exam as a First Year Novice?"
Iota started as she remembered. "I'm just glad it's over." She spoke quickly, not even letting the burning come at all.
"Well, you now have a year to wait until you have to do it again." He smiled at her.
"If you don't mind me asking, what happens now? Do we have any break between the exams and classes?" She glanced behind him for Nella and Tirin, but saw neither. Qurine Lecmic was there, however. He always seemed to be one of the first finished.
"Well, you have one day of break, which has the same fires from the Visiting Days. There's one more day after that, but that's the day for the ceremony for switching Years and Initiation. You and your fellow Year members get to go to a ceremony with the other students moving up in Novice. It tends to last the entire day because of the sheer amount of you."
Iota nodded. "And the next day, we have classes again, correct? Because I remember the day we toured the Academy we sat in on a class for a bit."
"Correct." The Hunter looked over her shoulder. "And I believe that is your friend Nella leaving the exam room currently. Goodbye, Iota." They nodded goodbye to each other before the Hunter walked away and Iota turned to look at Nella.
Nella looked slightly saddened, her arms wrapped around her. "Are you alright?"
Nella sighed. "I'm fine. I'm just a bit upset that the exams are over."
Iota began to giggle. "Only you, Nella. Only you."
That caused Nella to smile. She let her arms drop from around her and they both leaned against the wall. "How do you think you did?"
"No idea. I hope I did well." Iota didn't want to give the answer she truly felt was right. Something inside her told her that the warmth would have made sure she got the answers right. But she couldn't remember any of the facts she had answered on the exams. It didn't feel like she had learned anything or truly knew anything she had answered. Without the warmth she knew she would have failed.
"I know you did." Nella looked around quickly before leaning in and whispering. "We both know you did better than Tirin."
Iota blushed and refused to agree out loud, even though she knew Nella was right.
Much like the first exam, Tirin was the last person to leave the exam room. He looked the opposite of Nella; relaxed and completely happy. He had a large smile on his face and seemed to be swaggering. Both Nella and Iota began laughing. Tirin was too tall, too young and too thin to look natural swaggering. If anything, it just looked strange.
"What?" Tirin asked them, smiling widely. "The exams are finished!"
"We both know." Nella managed out between her laughs. "It's just you looked really funny."
Tirin crossed his arms sadly. Iota quickly stopped laughing and squeezed Tirin's arm gently. "Sorry. We're both very glad the exams are over."
"Even Nella?"
"Even me." Nella smiled. "Though I am a bit sad."
Tirin grinned. "I knew it. There was no way you would be happy about the exams over, not unless you lose your memory and get another person's consciousness implanted in you."
Their Year was escorted to one of the large meeting halls, where other Novices stood around in small groups. Their Year remained together in their own group. Remon stepped to the middle of them, with Prexitel and Brig off to the side. It only took another second, however, for Prexitel to join him.
"Now, I know we all have differing opinions on the exams ending." Remon began. Iota watched as his eyes landed on both Nella and Tirin, perhaps the two people with the most varied opinions. She smiled. "So we're not going to discuss them."
"Instead, we would like to begin by wishing every one of you who has had their birthday during the year a very happy birthday. We were unable to have any celebrations throughout the year; something Remon and I have learned will be a regular occurrence." Prexitel nodded to each of them. "Instead, we have decided to celebrate at the end of the year together."
Remon smiled. "All birthdays will be celebrated together. Tomorrow, since that is the day we have off."
Everyone began talking at once, with Tirin turning to look at Iota. "You know, we never did anything to celebrate your birthday. When was it?"
Iota shifted awkwardly. "It was on the day you got sick. But I'm used to not getting much; don't worry."
"I'm sorry." Tirin pulled her into a quick hug, something that caused Nella to giggle once. "You should have told me."
Iota pushed him away with a giggle. "I said I'm fine. I don't need anything." She smiled in her head. It was nice to know both of her friends cared. But she couldn't help but remember that it was only then that Tirin had thought to ask.
-I-
Remon and Prexitel kept true to their promise. The next day they managed to get a collection of sweets from the Servers and brought the collection, along with the rest of their Year with Qurine Lecmic leading the way, to the field behind the Academy. All the students sat in a circle on the grass with the plates in the middle.
Iota took a sweet carefully. She had rarely had them at home and didn't truly know what she enjoyed. Nella told her which one to pick.
It was a small cube that felt like clouds in her hand. It was a pale blue with what looked like a green blob in the center. At Nella's instruction, she popped it in her mouth and sucked on the sweet. She spit it out instantly.
"You don't like it?" Nella asked sadly, eating her own.
Iota rubbed her hand on her tongue. "Sorry, no."
Tirin picked up his own sweet and handed it to her. "I told you. Try this."
The sweet was a squishy sphere of bright yellow. It had a slight fuzzy feeling to it. Iota ate it carefully and smiled instantly. A sweet, fruity juice squirted from the sweet and filled her mouth.
"That is delicious."
Nella pouted as Tirin gathered a small collection of spheres, all in similar bright colors. Iota found she loved all but the blue one, which turned out to be Tirin's favorite of the colors.
-I-
The next day a new selection of robes lay in their trunks. Nella and Iota exchanged a glance as they looked them over, since the robes hadn't been there the day before. The robes were the same black as the normal ones but it included a white covering similar to the one they had during the Initiation ceremony, though opposite.
Nella and Iota took turns doing each other's hair. They knew they had to have a neater and more complicated style for the ceremony the Hunter and the Finder had announced to the Year the night before at dinner. Iota had smiled, for she already knew what the Time Lords were saying. Even Nella didn't know.
Prexitel, Giro and Viru were waiting outside their door when they stepped outside. As they walked to breakfast none of them spoke. No one seemed to know what would happen during the ceremony, even Nella. Iota had asked her if Juno had mentioned anything, but according to Nella she hadn't. Theta and Braxiatel hadn't told her either.
The Hunter and the Finder weren't waiting for them in the dining hall. Instead, all the professors seemed to be standing around the room. Iota spotted Ulysses on the right, but he made no action to show he recognized her. They hadn't spoken since their argument on the Visiting Days.
The Novices, Apprentices, Learners and Masters seemed to be separated into four quadrants around the room. Each group had coverings of their individual colors; white, blue, gold and red.
Each Year sat at their own table in the section and ate in silence. Every time someone spoke a professor walked over and quietly whispered to them. When the professor left and returned to their position on the wall, they left the student stone faced and silent.
As one, all the students stood and combined into the groups of their colors. Someone bumped into Iota's side and she looked there to see that Theta stood next to her, with Koschei next to him. Theta gently took her hand and squeezed it. He didn't risk talking, for a professor walked a few students away.
The students in white entered a large room. Professors walked among them and organized them again into their Years, with the eldest in the front of a small line and the youngest in the back. Iota's Year found themselves in the back far corner of the room, last in the long line of students.
The first girl, whose short blond hair hung limply around her head, stepped up onto the platform at the front of the room. She bowed to the professor who stood there. "Rakina, Ninety-nine Year Novice. You scored an average of seventy two on the exam. Congratulations. You are now a One Hundred Year Novice."
There was no applause. Rakina only nodded and stepped off the platform, disappearing into a door to the side. It was as such that the rest of the line progressed. Each Year had at least twenty students, but the ones near the beginning had less. Theta scored a fifty nine, while Koschei scored an eighty three. Braxiatel scored a ninety nine.
Eventually the First Year Novices were the only ones left in the large room. Iota began to hear her hearts beat in nervousness. Four of the students had gotten something less than fifty and they had been escorted away.
Nella walked up to the platform, clutching her robe. She stumbled slightly as she bowed to the professor. "Nella, First Year Novice. You scored an average of eighty nine on the exam. Congratulations. You are now a Second Year Novice." Nella visibly relaxed as she made her way out of the room.
As Tirin walked up to the platform he looked even more nervous than Nella. There was visible sweat on his head. "Tirin, First Year Novice. You scored an average of fifty three on the exam. Congratulations. You are now a Second Year Novice." Iota released the breath she had been holding for him. It was low, but he had passed none the same.
As she walked up to the platform, she noticed the Hunter, Percy and Ulysses watching her carefully. The three men were spaced widely around the room, but all their eyes were on her.
"Iota Xi, First Year Novice. You scored an average of eighty one on the exam. Congratulations. You are now a Second Year Novice."
All three men nodded in approval. Iota quickly made her way through the door that the rest of the students had walked through. It was a large hall, with food on long tables on the sides. Tirin and Nella rushed to her. "Did you pass?" Nella asked, though the fact she was there should have been answer enough. Iota only nodded and Nella gave her a hug. "I knew it!"
"All three of us passed." Tirin smiled. "Now come on, let's get food. We missed lunch."
Iota's stomach rumbled. She hadn't noticed herself growing hungry during the ceremony, but as she examined the collection of food she could tell she was starving.
Iota knew they had all passed, but she couldn't help but remember that it was only the first year; known to be one of the easiest. It would only get complicated as time went on and Tirin had been close to failing this time. What would happen with all the others?
A/N: And the first year at the Academy has finished! Everyone has passed so far, though Theta and Tirin are less than the others. Still, an 81 is pretty good for Iota.
I felt like Remon and Prexitel would make sure the Year did something to celebrate birthdays, being the leaders they are.
Notes on reviews:
Lil Angel 927: Thank you! I'm glad you get excited when finding out there's a new chapter; that's always amazing to hear :). Nella is a bit jealous. She's used to being the one professors fawn over, not the one ignored.
I'msorrymylove: Oh my goodness, I'm so glad to hear that! :D The characters were the things I was most worried about because of the sheer amount of OCs currently in the story. I'm so happy that I've succeeded so far :). That was one reason I wanted to include this part of the story; it seems like it's an important part of the Doctor's life that's never touched on. Especially the friendship between the Doctor and the Master.
Teddy bear 007: You're really going to make me choose between those three? It's an impossible choice. I love all three equally :)
DW (Guest): So glad! I forgot to mention that I might continue it into the 12th Doctor, depending on what he and his episodes are like. I know the title and description likely give bits away, but because I'm including the entire story into this one, though separated into different parts for different regenerations, I needed things that would describe the story as a whole. I'm so glad you like the fast updates :D