Prologue: Welcome
It was a glorious autumn day for the people gathered in front of Equestria's leading education center in the country, the beauty and light of Celestia's domain shining past the glass skyscrapers and brick complexes. Upon a balcony set in the middle of the oldest building, founded ages ago when the sun goddess herself was but a toddler, she stood with such a vibrant aura of solidarity and magnanimousness that she silenced all without speaking a word. She was dressed in a regal white gown as her multi-coloured hair flowed effortlessly from her face, so gorgeous that it was seemingly sculpted by a famous artist of the yester ages of such.
"My people," Celestia began with a wide smile, "today is a new day! Yes, certainly, a new year warrants a new day, it is only fitting! Those of you here should know that you have been specially chosen to attend this wonderful place, the National Equestrian Academy for Magic. Each and every one of you have been chosen, but why?
"Every three years, the scouts from the school set out to every place on the map and not, like Cloudsdale and Manehattan, as well as Ponyville and Appleloosa. There, they go into schools and select the students with the most potential, the best connection to their element. Thus, we have you here, as well as your fellow students who have been coming here as children, or others chosen of this special opportunity the last time our scouts scoured the nation.
"Now, before I bore any more of you to death, I'd like to simply wish all a good morning and a happy, new year!"
She stepped away and let a woman in a black pantsuit and grey hair, a symbol of her age and knowledge, take her place. "As Princess Celestia said, good morning students. I am the principal of this fine school, Miss Mayor Mare."
A good amount of students laughed, and she explained, "Yes, I am aware this is a school, not a town, but know that I shall be just as efficient. I do not wish to hinder the start of class any longer, so, please be do your tests, homework, projects, and, most of all, have fun!"
The mob cheered, and the silver, ornate gates to either side of the building split apart, allowing the kids and teenagers of all shapes and sizes come flooding through. One of them fell, however, a frail little thing with soft strawberry hair reaching well below her waist and bright aquamarine eyes. She scraped her knees on the concrete and was tending to it before realizing the five hands outstretched for her taking.
She was rather surprised by the amount of people who would actually stop to help such a girl homely as herself, but she gave a warm, shy smile and took two, with the other three grabbing hold of her arm and patting the dust off. "H-hello. Thank you for the help," she muttered bashfully as she toyed with the itsy yellow butterfly clip on the side of her hair.
One of them, with bouncy, vivid, watermelon curls and a lighter hued headband, chirped, "Oh, hi to you, too! My name is Pinkie Pie, and I'm from a li'l, old rock farm on the outskirts of Trottington, but enough about me, what about you? Ooh, ooh, first, tell us, what's your name?"
"Oh, uh, my name? It's F-fluttershy."
"Well, ya' do look like a 'Fluttershy,' that's for sure," a blonde girl in a Stetson drawled. "Nice ta' meet you two. The name's Applejack, from Sweet Apple Acres right on the corners o' Ponyville."
A pale girl with extravagant lashes and careful ringlets of violet hair exclaimed, "My, that's where you're from? That's why you seemed quite familiar! The apple cider from your farm is just absolutely divine, certainly worth the trip my family makes every year just to behold a cup of it! Oh, and by the way, my name is Rarity, and I hail from the... Rather bleak city of Charleyston."
"Bleak? No way! Charleyston has one of the best libraries in the country!" the purple haired girl with stripes of pink said, crossing her sweater clad arms.
Rarity gave a smile of competition and inquired, "Oh, really? Then where are you from, darling?"
"Canterlot, actually. My name's Twilight Sparkle," she grinned proudly.
The girls gave a gasp and barely kept themselves from shouting out, "You're the princess's personal student?"
She gave a sheepish nod and they returned it with ecstatic beams.
"And how about you, huh, rainbow dude? You've been awfully quiet!" Pinkie burst, directing their attentions to the unspoken lad with wild, polychromatic hair.
"Huh?" he asked, before giving a hoarse cough and formally replying, "Uh, my name's Rainbow Blitz, I'm from Cloudsdale, and I'm the fastest pegasus this side of country, better than anyone else!"
"Talk about modest," Applejack scoffed sarcastically.
He narrowed his eyes at her, but let go and just said, "So, it seems like we're all juniors, huh? Maybe we'll have some classes together. It's a good idea to find people to stick with in a big school like this."
"You... Sound like you've been here before," Sparkle noted, cocking her head as her pixie cut moved slightly with it.
Blitz cackled loudly and forcefully, saying, "That- that is so stupid! I- ha, you're a funny one, Twi. Uh, ha, maybe we should get going now, though."
They nodded suspiciously, except for Pinkie, who grabbed the young man by the hand and ran in. "Come on, you guys, school's starting!"