Pushing The Limits

“It seems that we can’t accept your scholarship, Miss…,” She tipped down her glasses with her purple magic as she scrutinized the lavender mare fidgeting in front of her.

“Twilight,” Twilight helped, with a tinge of disappointment, “Twilight Sparkle. May I know why my scholarship is denied?” She gulped and attempted to lessen the lump in her throat.

The pony in front of Twilight sighed with a heavy heart as she dealt hard-hitting news, “I’m afraid our university doesn't allow ponies without another subject out of their normal syllabus. If you really want this spot in our prestigious school,” She said in a more dignified tone, glasses pushed up higher the bridge of her snout, “You would have to take an extra class, Miss Twilight.”

“What would that extra class be?” Twilight cleared her throat and inquired with an air of dignity similar to the pony across her, despite the intangible worry that seemed to crawl up her spine.

Upon being asked, the beige coloured unicorn immediately shuffled through crisp, recently-printed documents and listed them:

1. Crime Investigator
   
2. Rocket Scientist
   
3. Linguistics Analyst
   
4. Psychology

Rocket Science had been taught to her by her mother since young, her father was one of the most famous linguistics analysts around and her brother, though training to be a royal guard, had taken a course in psychology and had taught Twilight everything he knew. Honestly, it seemed like the world had aided her too much -- at least up until this moment.

Somehow, the words “crime investigator” appealed to Twilight immensely especially when she had no experience with this field whatsoever. It just felt as if some sort of cosmic entity was pulling her towards the two arial words on the flimsy sheet of paper. And after a lengthy amount of time, she finally piped, “If it’s alright, I’d like to sign up for the crime investigator class.”

The pony across her raised her eyebrow as her caramel brown eyes glazed through what seemed like Twilight's credentials. “You start this Wednesday; class 5a, hall 4, don’t be late!” The unicorn smiled and scribbled down something on Twilight’s document, after which, she extended out her hoof, “Welcome to Canterlot University.” In which Twilight took her hoof and shook with extreme glee.

With her scholarship and documents in magic aura, Twilight felt like floating out the door when she was interrupted by the pony, "Miss Twilight? You forgot your dormitory keys."

The lavender unicorn halted her actual floating and grinned sheepishly.

The facts were these. Twilight Sparkle was 19 years, 5 months, 4 days and 8 hours old when she had made the life changing choice that the next few years of her short pony life were to be spent taking a course in botany and zoology so that she could fulfill her life-long dream of being a naturalist. Her long walks in the Everfree forest as a filly, though filled with danger, had led her to fill up a journal of fantastic creatures and stunning sights almost no pony had ever seen.

Despite hard evidence and pictures to back up said evidence, Twilight had a difficult time convincing any pony of the fantastical things she had seen; for she was just a mere filly. Through hard work and perseverance, she pulled through and managed to study her way into Canterlot’s most acclaimed university: Canterlot University. All she had to do now was to pass her Crime Investigator class so as to receive her diploma.

Lugging her luggage towards the dorms, she lamented silently to herself, surely she could have brought more paperbacks to peruse during the numerous breaks she had. However, mother just had to complain about how there was little space in her luggage for "necessities" such as flashlights, toilet paper etc etc. These thoughts clouded her head even as she enveloped her mahogany door in lavender magic and set down her lilac luggage on her beige bed.

"Sup new roomie."

Twilight yelped and a beam of magic made a charred hole in the ceiling. The two mares could hear somepony yell in pain.

"Geez," Twilight swiveled around to face her previously unnoticed roommate, a cyan pegasus with hair as if it had been dipped in a rainbow who snickered, "I didn't know my new roommate was a bunny, and I was here thinking that only ponies came to this university. "

The lavender unicorn dusted herself down with a hoof, and her cheeks flared red whilst doing so. She quickly composed herself and said with an air of memorisation, "The Leporidae is actually a fearless animal, so thank you for that comment." She had attempted to end off with a snide comment similar to that of the mare opposite her.

The environment suddenly seemed pregnant with tension as the cyan mare's cerise eyes locked an intense stare with that of Twilight's suddenly petrified purple eyes.

"A bunny with attitude! That's something you don't see everyday," The cyan mare broke her own tension, and extended out a hoof, "Name's Rainbow Dash! You can just call me Dash. What's yours?"

Twilight reached out and grabbed her hoof, still shaken from the previous stare off, she tread around her words carefully, "Nice to meet you as well..., Dash. My name is Twilight Sparkle, but you can skip the formalities and just call me Twiligh-"

"Can I call you Twi?" Rainbow interjected.

Caught off guard by the sudden informal question, Twilight took a moment to process what had just been asked, after what seemed like forever she stammered, "S-sure.. I guess?"

"Cool!" Rainbow, who had been sitting atop her own bed opposite Twilight's suddenly hopped off and grabbed Twilight with a wing, "C'mon! Lemme show you around. After all, since you came like uhm 30 minutes later than I did, I am practically your senior." She jabbed a cyan hoof into Twilight's chest for emphasis.

Before Twilight could add another word, Rainbow had dragged her out of their dorm.

"Look, you gotta know the ropes around here. What are your classes first?" Rainbow inquired as she trotted, Twilight on her heels.

"Biologist. My side class is Criminal Investigator. . ., how about you?"

Rainbow grinned and she exclaimed, "No wonder they put us in the same dorm! I'm taking the same side class as ya, Twi! My major is Flight Instructor though." She put a hoof to her chin as she used her wings to carry her.

"That is certainly intriguing and all, but I'm now curious as to where you are bringing me. This doesn't seem like the average college tour." Twilight remarked as the duo passed by a series of dorm rooms and went down a corridor that seemed to not lead to any university amenity. As they continued down, Twilight felt an unexplained fear that they might meet Dash's drug dealer. She can't have possibly met a drug dealer yet, get yourself together Twilight.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and answered in a bored tone, "Who wants to go on some dumb college amenities tour? Well I chose the fun tour by meeting somepony who offered me the sweeter side of life, if ya know what I mean."

oh celestia she is introducing me to her drug dealer

Upon reaching door 213 she knocked a special code and was immediately ambushed by a pink blur.

"Hey Dashie!! That was really fast! Come back for more?" The pink mare bubbled as she pinned rainbow to the floor.

Rainbow sighed and flicked her eyes over to Twilight, who had a face of fire befuddlement,," If you can see, Pinkie Pie, I brought a friend. So if you don't mind...," The cyan mare then shifted her glance to the four pink digits that held her down on the dusty carpet floor.

"Oopsies!" The pink pony grinned unapologetically and got off, pulling Dash up with her. She shifted her attention to the new target and began her conversation:

"Hey there!! My name's Pinkie Pie, if you didn't already hear it from Dashie here," Pinkie wrapped a hoof around Rainbow's neck, "And I'm your local -"

"Drug dealer?!" Twilight burst out in a moment's folly.

"Pshh of course not silly!! I'm the candy mare around here, you need candy, I get ya some! Of course, for a price," She smirked mischievously at the lavender mare. "Come on in! The first round's on me!" She gestured towards her room, welcoming the new freshmares.

"Criminal Investigations?!"

Twilight stopped sipping her strawberry milkshake and glanced quizzically at the candy pony, inquiring, "Why, what's wrong with it?"

Pinkie looked at the two mares opposite her on the rounded pale pink table and gave a blank stare, one that even had Dash worrying.

"Yeah, what's wrong Pinkie? It's just a side class, it's not like anything real is gonna happen, although that would be so awesome if something did happen," Rainbow mentally riled herself up at the thought of class the next morning upon saying those words.

The pink mare turned sharply towards rainbow and exclaimed, "No not awesome!" She flailed her hooves in the air before settling down on the table, face the epitome of worry.

"The criminal investigations class would be cool any other year," Pinkie started to explain after what seemed like eternity, "But this year is Mundo dangerous!! The freshies would actually have to investigate a murder!!"

She then magically slid in between Rainbow and Twilight and whispered with an air of mystery, "And it happened on campus . . ., freaky right??"

"Right..., like a scaaaary murder case is gonna stop this Pegasus from carrying on with the class," Rainbow had pushed pinkie away and pompously said, "In fact, I'm gonna be the one to catch this 'murderer'."

Pinkie and Twilight's jaw dropped.

Rainbow realised the intensity of disbelief filling the room and decided to do the next best thing.

"I mean, of course I can do it, when I've got Twi here on my side!" Rainbow pulled Twilight into a hoof-around-neck-you're-stuck-with-me-now embrace.

"Me?!?" Twilight exclaimed, incredulous, attempting to shove Rainbow away.

"Think about it," Rainbow whispered into Twilight's ear, "If we solve this case, the points we'd get for this class would skyrocket!"

And that was the ticket.

"I have been studying about numerous murder cases before I came to this university, in preparation for this class at least," Twilight murmured, and she wasn't exactly sure whether she was telling Rainbow or convincing herself.

"So it's settled, we will solve the case and we'll start tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow?!"

Rainbow blatantly ignored Twilight's dumbfounded outburst and pulled her out, waving goodbye to Pinkie, "Thanks a lot for the milkshakes! They were delish, see ya soon Pinks!"

Pinkie Pie could only manage a weak smile and wave as the cyan Pegasus burst down the hallway in a shock of rainbow, dragging the unfortunate unicorn with her.

"I pray that Celestia keeps them safe," The pink mare muttered to herself as she shut the door.

TO BE CONTINUED!!!