Sweetie Belle Takes Manehattan

I blew a tuft of pink and purple hair out of my face as I packed my saddlebags. I had gotten new seals for them after the competition, Rarity insisted on making them for me. They matched my cutie mark, a pink heart with music notes imposed on it. I took a moment to admire it. There it was, my cutie mark, there for all the world to see. I let out a small squee and continued packing. Rarity pushed open the door.

"Sweetie Belle? I want you to come see this. I made it for you." Measuring tape dangling around her neck? Check. Little red reading glasses? Check. Mane slightly imperfect? Check. She had made a dress for me, I was sure of it.

I followed her into her workroom, and there on one of her mannequins was the most beautiful dress ever created by ponykind.

It was a light purple silk formal gown, with a matching amethyst pendant. The sleeves were made of a pretty gauze that made me a little scared to touch it. I looked at the beaming Rarity, then at the dress, then back to Rarity. Dress, Rarity. Dress, Rarity.

I ran up and hugged her. "It's perfect. It's absolutely perfect."

"Only fitting for the perfect sister." was her muffled response. "Now try it on, I want to see if it fits."

I slipped the dress on and looked at myself in the mirror. I blinked. I looked so....different. I had adopted a shorter manecut from when I was a filly, and in the dress I looked like a Canterlot noble. I was so swept up in my appearance that I didn't even notice Rarity was fastening on a pink heart brooch until her cornflower blue glow was right in my line of sight. "There." Her eyes were wet with unshed tears. "Now it's complete."

She stood next to me on her modeling platform. "My little Sweetie Belle...Seems like only yesterday you were a little filly searching for your cutie mark...Now look at you, off to university with a cutie mark and a scholarship."

She started crying then, a smile still on her face but tears spilling onto the platform. I patted her awkwardly, not really knowing what to say.

"I...I just wish you could always stay with me." When she got a grip, her mascara was running everywhere, but she didn't seem to care. "I'll go clean myself up, you finish packing. The train's going to be here soon."

Rare's mention of the time jerked me out of my nostalgic reverie. I looked at the clock, and realized I had forty-five minutes to double-check my bags and hightail it over to the train station. I gave Rarity one last pat and ran upstairs. Okay. School supplies? Check. New dress? Check. My music player? Not check. Shoot. Where was it.....

Ten minutes later I'd unearthed it from under my bed, triple-checked my bags, and flew out the door, Rarity behind me. I skidded into the train station with five minutes to spare, leaning against one of the pillars and sighing with relief.

"Sweetie Belle! Hey, Sweetie Belle!"

I turn around to see Scoots and Apple Bloom jumping up and down and waving. I ran over and hugged them both. They'd gotten their marks before me, AB's was a wrench and a pencil crossed akimbo, and Scoot's was her trademark blue scooter. She'd long since grown out of that old thing, but "I got to keep the cutie mark" she'd always say, to laughter.

"Congratulations on your scholarship, Sweets!" Apple Bloom smiled. "Everypony knew you were going to get a cutie mark in singing."

"Yeah!" Scoots chimed in. "You sounded beautiful during the competition!" More group hugs, this time with Rarity, and the conductor rang his little bell. "All aboard the train to Manehattan!"

I grabbed my saddlebags and dashed onto the train.

"Don't forget to write!" Apple Bloom called, while at the same time trying to restrain Scoots from flying alongside me all the way there.

"We'll miss you!" Scoots this time, trying to escape AB's iron grip.

"I love you!" This was Rarity, tears streaming down her face for the second time today.

I waved to all of them until the train started moving, and even then I waved until they were out of sight.

*******************

I headed down the aisle, finding an empty seat a few benches down. I took off my saddlebags and set them next to me, fishing out my music player. I sighed and relaxed into the sweet relief of music until...

"Hey, what's up?"

I jumped, my earbuds flying out of my ears. I paused my song and looked at the two mares standing in the aisle.

The mare who'd spoken had a blue, choppy mane, and wore purple tinted glasses so I couldn't tell what color her eyes were. Her coat was a very pale yellow, so pale I could mistake her for a natural white-coat. Her cutie mark was a barred  eighth-note. She was a unicorn like I was, and her Canterlot accent had a hint of what sounded like Trottingham.

The other pony was a light gray earth pony, with a long, dark gray mane styled neatly. Her eyes were a pretty shade of light purple, and she wore a white choker with a pink bow around her neck. Both of them were waiting for my answer.

"Oh, um, not much." I fumbled for my earbuds and sat back down.

"May we sit here?" The earth pony's accent was much more silky and Canterlot-esque.

"Go ahead." I gestured to the bench in front of me, facing mine. They both sat down.

"Name's Vinyl Scratch." The blue-maned pony said, raising one hoof.

"And I'm Octavia." The earth pony raised her hoof.

"I'm Sweetie Belle." I raised my hoof.

"What music are you listening to?" Vinyl asked, pointing to my music player. "What genres?"

"I like country music ever since Apple Bloom got me into it, and I've taken a liking to classical and some wubstep." I answered.

Vinyl whistled. "That's quite the combination. Tavi here plays cello, and I'm usually behind the mixing table." She nudged Octavia.

"I'm personally also a classical fan, and ever since Vinyl showed me vocaloids I've enjoyed those as well." Octavia nudged Vinyl back.

I tilted my head to the side. "Vocaloids?"

"It's a kind of anime-esque music." Vinyl explained. "Very electronic-y."

"Oh."

"Have you been to Manehattan before?" Octavia asked me.

"I actually haven't. I'm excited."

"I've been there twice for orchestra concerts. It's very beautiful, in its modern way. I like it."

"She's a classy mare, see." Vinyl teased. "Very Upper-Canterlot. I prefer the run-down parts with the nightclubs."

"It wouldn't kill you to go to one classical concert. You know, have a bit of class, and a proper taste in music?"

"Oh, and you're acting like you've never heard of vocaloids now."

"Guys!" I pressed the side of my face up against the window. "Look! You can see the skyline!" We all pressed our faces against the window, and gazed at the just-beginning-to-light-up skyline of Manehattan.

Vinyl glanced at me. "By the way, who's Apple Bloom?"

"One of my best friends, along with Scootaloo. Here, I've got a picture of them."

I rummaged around in my bag until I found an old picture from a few years ago of us three. AB was in the middle, and we were all posing. It was yesterday when we took it as a memento for me to bring. Vinyl's eyes softened as she took the picture in her magic's grip. "You guys must have been good friends."

"We are good friends. We even had our own little not-so-secret society, called the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and we would go on endless little escapades to try and find our cutie marks. We were late bloomers, you see." Vinyl nodded. "We've got our marks now, but we're still PFFs." I smiled. Ah, memories....

"Everypony, we have arrived at Manehattan Station. I repeat, we have arrived at Manehattan Station. All getting off at Manehattan Station, please fetch your luggage and leave the train." The conductor rattled off on the announcer. Vinyl gave me my picture back, we got our luggage, and headed off the train.

Octavia was right. Manehattan was drop. Dead. Gorgeous.

Skyscrapers pierced the air all around us, and the roads were clogged with carriages of all shapes and sizes. The sidewalks were filled with ponies, and the only reason we hadn't been trampled was due to the safety of the train station. Windows covered the sides of the skyscrapers and held pockets of light, making the whole city glow. We all just stood there for a bit, taking it in, until Vinyl asked a very good question.

"How the hay are we supposed to get to MSTA?"