He was late. Oh, he was so late!
The sound of clopping hooves against a marble ground was the only thing that filled the desolate hallways. It was a beautifully designed corridor with gilded columns that resembled ancient structures of old combined with advanced technology as lights and glowing pieces of data radiated from them. Large oil paintings covered the wall to his left and it showed off images of a large domed city against a red backdrop or ancient pony civilizations just bursting out of their caves and into the light.
From another angle, it looked like the paintings were three-dimensional…
But Shortstop didn't have time to admire the paintings. He ran as fast as he could around the curving corridors, heading immediately to his class. Oh, he can't be late on his first day! Shortstop nearly tripped over himself running as his long rust-red robes nearly tangled on his hooves but he managed to keep his balance.
He'd reach a foyer. It was a large round room with intricate circular patterns carved into the ground and ceiling. All around the room were large windows that overlooked the red hills and silver trees and brilliant two suns that blazed in the sky. From here he could see Mount Perdition glistening in the sunlight, the heat warped the landscape so that it looked like the mountain bent in the distance. The River Lethe stretched from the base of the mountain and toward the Capitol, a brilliant stretch of water that glowed green.
Shortstop might've been late but he approached the window almost in a trance. The silver trees, the orange skies and glowing rivers and lake were too beautiful to ignore. With a smile, Shortstop readjusted his headwear, an elaborate golden design that resembled the innards of a watch. The design may have seemed like art to some, but it was the picture-language that Shortstop knew and loved. The translation wasn't as amazing as the design, it simply read his name but he wore it with pride knowing the labor his mom went through to make it.
He turned around from the window and sprinted back down the corridors.
The Capitol City, Junior Time Lord Academy, Gallopfrey
9:00am, 1100 T.R. (Time of Our Lord Rassilon)
Shortstop burst into the classroom, Time Travel 101 and felt all eyes on him as he stood in the front awkwardly. A dozen or so students stared at him with a mixture of pity, indifference and expectance, waiting for him to be chewed out by the teacher.
"You're late," the teacher remarked curtly.
"I'm sorry, sir," Shortstop said, looking down at his hooves.
The teacher turned and faced Shortstop. He was a big, lankly pony with a wavy brown mane and a curly-q tail. He wore a simple blue four-button pinstripe jacket with a loosely fitted red tie over a white dress shirt. His golden colored eyes didn't match his coffee-brown coat but went along perfectly with his Golden Hourglass cutie mark.
Shortstop expected to be berated by the teacher but instead he grinned broadly. "Well, what're you waiting for then? Off to your seat."
Shortstop raised an eyebrow. Apparently the rest of the class was confused as well, as if they were expecting a grand show from his tardiness but this substitute teacher was stranger than they thought. He awkwardly bowed and headed off to his seat. The teacher faced the class from his desk with his broad smile.
"Well you lot, hope you're ready for this class. It'll be fantastic!" Behind him in a neat hoofwriting of white chalk was the teacher's name: THE DOCTOR.