Sebastian dropped a large stack of papers onto the professor's desk.

Dr. Edward Shaw stroked his beard, thoughtfully following the lines of the scars along his jaw, though they were hidden by his facial hair. He stared at the pile for a moment, then at the unicorn man in fornt of him.

“Mr. Csendes, you've missed class for almost two weeks. I thought you were...”

“This is all the homework that I've missed. I believe there is also an exam this afternoon? I'd like to sit in on it.”

The professor raised an eyebrow. This particular student was not usually so forward. He flipped through the pages of homework. It seemed both complete and correct.

“While I admire your tenacity in this situation, I am afraid that this is most irregular.”

“With all due respect, sir, I've had some rather irregular experiences in the past few days, but I'd like to continue my studies.”

“Ah. Well.” Dr. Shaw straightened the stack of papers by tapping the edge against his desk as he considered the unusual circumstance that stood in front of him. Really, the man's request itself was not terribly strange or difficult to grant. That, and while the doctor had a strong dislike (to put it mildly) for mutants, he found this particular one to be rather fascinating.

The idea of harnessing his incredible healing ability had been one that had obsessed the doctor ever since he had first felt it's power. He stroked his jaw again. The unicorn man probably didn't even remember healing him or escaping from his laboratory after the series of tests he and his colleagues had run on him while he was unconscious. He had simply shown up to the school one day and asked to learn the science of medicine. A healer! Learning about how to heal with tools rather than his rather remarkable powers.

Sebastian tapped his finger on the desk as he waited for his teacher's response, “I also have a question. What do you know about the effect of mutant blood transfusions to humans or other mutants? Also, what effect would that have if the mutant in question was a healer?”

Dr. Shaw gave the papers one more tap, “I'll see to it that the proctors prepare one more copy of the test. We can discuss your other question during my office hours tomorrow.”

The exam over, Sebastian found himself wandering campus. He hadn't had much cause to do so in the past. Usually he was rushing off to get back to... work or something. He couldn't really remember what his big rush had been all the time. Today he walked slowly and found himself standing in a line to get tea from the little coffee shop on the corner.

A couple of religion majors stood in line in front of him, arguing over which was the purest of the religions born in Asia. Sebastian couldn't help but notice, and point out, that they had some of their facts wrong about the founding of some of those religions. Didn't they realize that Buddha was a mutant who could travel to the spiritual realm and back again?

An hour later Sebastian glanced at his watch again, and realized that he was late to his own sword practice session.

“Come again next week! Same time, same place!”

Sebastian nodded to acknowledge the invitation.

The next week Sebastian beat the religion majors to the table. That meant he got to choose the topic of conversation.

“What are the essential ingredients for starting a religion that spreads across the whole world?”

“Nice one.” D.J., the one with the nose ring, bro-patted Sebastian on the back, “Well, guys?”

“Teachings, written in a holy book or passed down verbally through the generations. Answers to why the world is the way it is,” Hal responded quickly, pushing up his horn rimmed glasses as they slid down his nose.

“A diety, dieties, or spirits. Something bigger than us, for people to look up to,” Perry responded next, steepling his long graceful fingers in a thoughtful pose.

“You gotta have a moral code,” Arianna stated conclusively. Though she rarely spoke up, the males in the group listened when she did, because her answers were always well thought out.

“What? Why,” the unicorn man asked, surprised. He had survived this long without any particular moral code. Why would anyone want to sign up for a religion that imposed a bunch of rules on them?

“Well, that's the whole point of religion, isn't it? Follow this path and you will reach enlightenment. Follow these commandments and you'll go to heaven. Follow these rules and receive everlasting life. See the pattern? There has to be a moral code, so people think they are sacrificing something in this world to earn something in the next one. The religion can also control the people that way, because if they break the code, they can be punished.”

The unicorn man nodded thoughtfully along with the three other coffee shop regulars.

It made so much sense, when she put it that way.