3. Ponyville University

The two mares trotted through the ruby red and gold painted halls of Ponyville University. Students bustled past them, whether to grab something from their lockers, or to head to their next class. Rarity trotted alongside her half-sister, leading her to her homeroom, and first class, Medical Magics 101. Rarity's first class of the new year was Geometric Theory. The duo stopped at the door of a classroom, "Well, here we are darling, I'll see you later." She patted the other mare on the shoulder, before striding away to her classroom. Taking a deep breath, Twilight Sparkle opened the door, and placed a hoof in the classroom-

-To find that, aside from the teacher, she was the only one in the room. The teacher, Dr. Stable Hoof, according to his nameplate, a retired surgeon from the local hospital, was at his desk, his phone out, and was absentmindedly playing a game, bored out of his mind. He was a rugged, jovial Earth Pony. His light tan coat was neatly brushed, his carefully combed mane, which was the color of chocolate, speckled with grey, blew lightly in the breeze. She cleared her throat, snapping him out of his concentration. He closed out the game, and turned to the purple mare, "Ah, hello there..." He glanced at his phone, which he had switched to the roster, which included a photo of the student next to their name, gender, and other necessary information, Though why I'd ever need to know their blood type is odd., the former medical practitioner thought, "Ms. Sparkle, I am Dr. Stable Hoof." He smiled warmly, the kind a grandfather would to a favored grandchild, even though he couldn't have been been older then 36.

"Hello to you, Dr. Hoof." Twilight smiled, taking the desk nearest to the teacher, since a seating chart hadn't been created yet. "So, let me guess, either everypony's late, or I'm extraordinarily early." She grinned.

The older stallion chuckled, his mane swishing, "Hah, both." He smiled, as he leaned back, "So, how much of healing magic do you know Ms. Sparkle?"

Twilight thought it over. At the behest of her former foalsitter, and now half-sister Princess Cadence, Princess Celestia had tutored her in magic whenever she found the time, healing spells included, which was on her record. "I know all the basic spells, and a few advanced ones." She said, as the instructor nodded his head in approval.

"That's good, I'm sure you'll go far in my class." He then fixed his coat, as students started coming in. Each gave a reason for why they were late, and apologized. Soon, the room was abuzz with conversation. Less than a half hour into the class, Stable placed the book he had been reading the lesson from on his desk, and cleared his throat, getting his pupils' attention. "Alright class, pop question time. Now, we got through reading the forerunner, and in the modern age, sister skill to medical magic, alchemy. Originally used to transmute one mineral into another, it later grew to the making of potions, and as a conduit for magic. Now, Ms. Sparkle..." The lavender mare shot up from her desk, hooves resting on the metal surface. "Which of these three is credited as the founder of modern alchemy? A. Sir Van Hornheim, B. Elixir Faustis, C. Prism Magustus, or D. Lady Bubble Gum?:

Twilight thought it over, recalling every history lesson she had attended, and every history book she had read that mentioned alchemy, and turned them over and over in her mind. The true founder was a matter of dispute, but many scholars agreed the most likely candidate was-"Sir Van Hornheim!" She said, smiling confidently, her brain surging with the knowledge she held within.

Dr. Hoof grinned, applauding, "Excellent work my dear, excellent work." A number of her classmates looked at her with admiration and surprise. It took a lot a lot to impress the former medical practitioner, "Hornheim discovered, through unknown means, how to use alchemy to not only create both elixirs to heal, but also poison, but also how to use it to act as a conduit for one's natural magic. Ergo, an Earth Pony could access magics, even the forbidden ones, that Chancellor Level Head, or Pudding Head, to use the moniker she took on in her adulthood, and her son Smart Cookie sealed away long ago. History also tells us of the one of one of the Maker's greatest generals against that vile daemon, Messorem Animas, the accursed Reaper of Souls. Her name was Solar Flare, a great Pegasus-Gargoyle pyromancer from the southern Gargoyle city of Rockoris, in the Gargoyle homeland of Petrificus. Using alchemical sigils, and but a simple candle, she was able to weave powerful firestorms again the unholy forces." He then checked the clock, "Alright class, I've P-Mailed you your assignments, have them in by next Thursday." The bell rang, as it was now time for the 30 minute break in between classes. Twilight and the others funneled out into the hall.

Twilight stretched as she trotted outside of the classroom, her saddlebags slung over her back, whistling quietly. She levitated the dark grey "Welcome" Ponyville the principal had given her out of her left saddlebag, and opened it. Aside from an introduction to the University, information about clubs and whatnot, it also contained her schedule. She looked it over, and found her next class after the break was Mythohistory. Her stomach rumbled loudly, causing her to rub it. "Now, where was the cafeteria again?" She asked to nopony in particular. Taking out the map included in the folder. Humming, her eyes scanned the freshly printed out map, her nose absorbing the scent of new paper. "Ah, here it is, let's see, turn right, right again, down the hall..." She mumbled, occasionaly lifting her eyes from the paper before her, looking for signs marked "Cafeteria". After thirty minutes, she pushed the double doors open, and stepped inside.

Her ears picked up on hundreds of mini-conversations. Many of the tables were packed with ponies, zebras, dragons, griffons, and a number of members from the other sentient races. Taking a tray from a stack, she made her way down the various booths, scooping up some food into her plates. Looking for a place to eat, she sat down, and looked over her food. Small strips of steak, some fresh hay and Prench fries, a few slices of an apple, and an ear of corn. "Ah, perfectly health, appetizing, school food!" she said, without a hint of sarcasm in her voice at all. As she moved to take bit of her meat, a pear sailed across the table, and smacked her right shoulder, causing her concentration to waver, and for her fork to clatter on the plate. She rubbed her sore shoulder, wincing.

"Sorry bout that!" A mare's voice called out. Twilight turned to see a cyan Pegasus mare at her table. Her rainbow mane and tail swished in the faint breeze. "Meant to hit the trashcan." She blushed lightly, as she scratched the back of her head.

Twilight sighed, smiling slightly, "It's alright, so, who do I have to thank for hitting me in the foreleg with a piece of fruit?" She smirked. She placed her hoof down, and continued eating.

The mare grinned, "Name's Dash, Rainbow Spectrum Dash, captain of the school's aerobatics, track and field, and ballooning teams, as well as founder of the Ponyville High Aerial Race Club" Rainbow said, picking up the pear, and tossed it into the trash in one swing of a wing.

"Impressive." Twilight nodded, as she finished her hoof, "So, let me guess, only beings who can fly get to join?" She asked, motioning to her horn.

Rainbow guffawed at this, waving a hoof, "No, no." She pulled out a poster, blue backdrop, with a pair of sleek, metallic wings in the center. "The local LIMB clinic recently started offering these biomechanical wings, so, a Pegasus that suffered an injury or has a medical condition that leaves them with only one wing or none, or any of the flightless races can join in." She rolled the poster up, and stuffed it in her saddlebag, "Cheap compared to what the older medical companies have to offer."

Twilight rubbed her chin, "I might look into it." She then looked closely at the mare before her, before something clicked in her mind. "Hey, wasn't your mom captain of the Wonderbolts Aerial Flight Performers and Defense Team before Spitfire?" She asked.

Rainbow looked down, a dark look coming over her eyes. A small sigh escaped her, "Y-yeah, she was." She looked up to Twilight, "The official report said she was killed during a training mission, right?" At Twilight's nod, a hollow, mirthless chuckle came from her, "It's all horseapples. It wasn't a training mission." She then turned away, leaving a confused, and sympathetic Twilight behind.

"Wasn't a training mission..." Twilight repeated, placing her tray in the retrieval slot. Could she have been...murdered? She thought to herself. She pushed the thought back, as it would soon be time for her next class.She grabbed her saddlebags, and slung them over her back. Quickly looking at her map, she found her classroom, Room 187, Mythohistory. The class covered what was known as the Aurora Era, when the Maker and his kind made war on the daemons that plagued the realm, before the races of Equis recorded their history in written language. The teacher, Lyra Heartstrings, alongside her wife and teaching assistant, Bon-Bon, though most friends referred to her as Sweetie Drops, on account of her own a candy shop, were, as they put it, eccentric. Lyra and Bon-Bon were only a year or two older than their students, but had gotten their diplomas at a younger age.

Whistling quietly, she pushed the door open, to find Mrs. Heartstrings sorting through some paperwork on her desk. Her mint colored coat shined in the daylight. "Good morning Mrs. Heartstrings." She said politely. Quickly glancing at the seating chart, she took her seat at the front of the class, middle row. Another pony, an Earth Pony stallion, a female Minotaur, a muscular looking heifer, an athletic looking female Zebra, and a slim male Changeling, his insectoid like shell shined as if polished, made up the class.

She pulled out a pen, and opened her notebook, as class began.