Like Water Under The Bridge
The train shook and rattled down the tracks as it made its way to Buckston. Sweetie Belle watched the trees and animals as the train passed by them through the window. This was a special train for College students and professors only. Rarity had apparently known somepony at Buckston University, and had gotten a seat on the train with Sweetie Belle. She had even managed to get them an actual cabin in the very front of the train. It was a five hour train ride to Buckston, so normal seats would have been horrific. Rarity had been jabbering on the entire ride so far, but Sweetie Belle just ignored her.
“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle interrupted. “Calm down. You sound like a foal on their way to the candy shop. If anypony should be jabbering, it’s me. It’s MY first year after all.” She explained. Rarity proudly wore her Buxton alumni sweatshirt. She loved to talk about her own experiences she had as a young mare in university, but unfortunately for Sweetie Belle, she droned on and on sometimes for hours.
“Oh, sorry dear. I must’ve gotten carried away,” Rarity apologized “Is there anything that you’re looking forward to, Sweetie?”
“Me? I want to meet my new roommate.” She said. “Didn’t you say that Pinkie Pie was your roommate?”
“Oh gosh, yes. Only for a semester. I couldn’t handle all the parties she threw, so I had to get a new dorm. My roommate after that just happened to be the one and only Lyra Heartstrings. I dealt with her nonsense twenty-four seven, but it was better than trying to study while colts are trying to hit on you. Oh, that reminds me about something I need to discuss with you, Sweetie Belle.”
“What?”
“Don't fool around too much okay?”
“Uh…”
“Just promise me. If you do, use protection.”
“Rarity, you’re making me uncomfortable.”
“Sorry, darling.”
The intercom then rang out, and a voice monotonously called out, “We’ll be arriving at Buckston in five minutes.”
As the intercom shut off, the door opened up, and a stallion poked his head inside.
“Miss Rarity?” He asked.
“Yes?”
“You’re going to be the first off of the train. Do you have any luggage in the back?”
“Yes, there should be about eight suitcases.” She said in a ‘matter of factly’ tone.
“E-eight?” He gulped.
Rarity nodded, and he left to go ahead and get them. Sweetie Belle just shuffled in her seat. She couldn’t stifle her eagerness. Who was her new roommate going to be? Just another half hour, and she’d met her.
After all their luggage was off of the train, Sweetie and Rarity made their way over to the registration building to get Sweetie’s dorm location.
“Rarity, you are NOT staying in my dorm for the night. I have things to do.” Sweetie said bluntly. A clear lie, but she didn't want Rarity weirding out her roommate.
Feeling a little insulted, Rarity said, “Of course darling, I have friends that teach here. I could always try them. Or if they don’t take the hint, I can always get a hotel room.”
After that, they walked silently until they reached the office. The stallion carrying the luggage collapsed under its weight.
“Right there is just fine darling, thank you,” Said Rarity, dropping five bits into his outstretched hooves. “Just wait here until we come back out.” The stallion nodded and then lay flat on the ground, panting. Sweetie Belle stepped inside the office and looked around. It was a fairly dull room. Somehow, it managed to be fancy and dull at the same time. Half the floor was dark mahogany wood, and the other half was shag carpet. Two long desks were against opposite walls with many ponies bustling around behind them. The left side of the room was labeled ‘Dormitory Check In’ and the right half was labeled ‘Room Keys’.
“I remember this place!” Rarity exclaimed. “It’s as dull as ever. Maybe even more! I love Buckston.” She sighed. Rarity then led Sweetie Belle to the Check-in desk, and called over an elderly mare with massive spectacles.
“Yes? Can I help you two?” She asked.
“Why, yes. Thank you. We’d like to check in Sweetie Belle here,” said Rarity as she pointed at me. The mare nodded and moved over to a very large, tan filing cabinet. She opened the drawer nearest to her face, and pulled out a folder labeled with a large blue ‘S’ and looked through it. After a gruelingly boring five minutes, she finally found it.
“Ah, here we go. Sweetie Belle. You are going to be in the Northwest Dormitory. Hmmm… On floor 9 and room A113. You can go ahead and get your key from the other desk with this paper here. She handed a small half-sheet to Sweetie Belle and pointed at the other desk.
“Thank you!” Sweetie Belle said excitedly, but the mare didn’t acknowledge her at all, and walked away to put the folder back into the filing cabinet.
“How rude!” Rarity said with a tone of glee. “This place hasn’t changed at all! Did you know that I was in the Northwest Dormitory too? Of course, there were only six floors at the time, but doesn’t matter. My little sister is going to have so much fun!”
“Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes, with a smile on her face. She had never seen her sister this enthusiastic in forever. She must be really pulling in the memories. The sisters moved to the next desk and handed the half-sheet to the stallion behind the counter.
“Room A113 in the Northwest building… Lets’ see. Aha! Here we go.” He said as he pulled out an orange envelope with the room number printed on the side. “That’s your key, and this is your Student ID.” He handed an ID card with a leather strap to put around her neck.
“Thanks,” said Sweetie Belle as she pulled the loop around her neck.
“Don’t mention it. Have fun!”
It’s time. It’s finally time! Sweetie Belle has been waiting for this moment for weeks now. Rarity and Sweetie Belle speed-walked over to the Northwest Dorm building on the other side of the campus. Easily a fifteen minute walk made in five. Sweetie Belle’s smile stretched so far across her face, it looked painful as she laid her eyes upon her new home for two semesters, and possibly more.
“There it is, Rarity. My dorm.”
“I see it. I can’t believe that I’m coming back here, not as a student, but as a guardian leaving her little sister. I feel old now!” She began her faux cry, and Sweetie Belle had to shake her to get her to stop. Ponies eyed her with a look of confusion.
Sweetie Belle dragged Rarity into the elevator, and hit the ‘9’ button. Sweetie’s stomach flipped and twisted. Sweat beaded on her face. ‘Just gotta stay cool. You want to make a good impression.’ she thought as the door opened on the ninth floor. The hallway was crowded with students and parents alike. The walls were covered in blue and grey designs, just like the school colors, and the doors were painted a pearl white. At the very end of the hall was Sweetie’s room. A large, black metal A113. This is it.
She ran over, pulling the room key out of the envelope. As she was about to jam the key into the keyhole, the door opened and a familiar voice rang out.
“Sweetie Belle? You’re my new roommate?”
Sweetie Belle looked up at the figure in the door. It was none other than,
“DIAMOND TIARA?”
“NO WAY! Sweet Celestia!” Cried Diamond Tiara as she jumped forward. Sweetie Belle flinched, waiting to be hit, but instead was wrapped in a warm hug. “I’m the luckiest mare in Equestria right now. I can’t believe it!” She turned and saw Rarity behind Sweetie Belle with a look of shock on her face. This was not what she expected to go down. “OH! Miss Rarity! It’s been so long! You look as gorgeous as ever. And Sweetie, I just love what you’ve done to your mane. You’ve gotta show me sometime.”
Both sisters tried to register what just happened, but no dice. Eyes wide open, Sweetie Belle said, “Oh hi there Diamond Tiara. You’ve… changed.” Both physically and...
“Oh yes, I know. It’s great right? I took a program in high school to make me a better mare, but we can talk about that later. What are you doing standing in the hall? Come on inside!” she said before pushing them both into the room and shutting the door.
Various boxes were scattered around the snug room. The Northwest Dormitory was bigger than the others, so every two rooms had to share a bathroom instead of the entire floor. The room already has two beds in it, but none of Diamond Tiara’s stuff was put up yet. The windows faced the center clock which was almost a mile away. They got a complete steal for what they paid for.
“Did you just get here, Diamond Tiara?” Asked Rarity.
“Please, call me DT. Diamond Tiara is a mouthful, and to answer your question, no. I got here last night, but I didn’t want to choose a side of the room without my roommate’s approval. So, which side do you want, Sweetie Belle?”
“Uh, that side?” She said pointing to the bed near the window.
“Done! Wait… Didn’t you bring any of your stuff?” She asked, looking around them. “Oh! That’s a pretty saddlebag you have there Sweetie Belle!”
“Uh thanks?”
Rarity was quiet for a moment, and then, “Oh dear! I left our luggage with that stallion! I’ll go get him. You girls can catch up while I’m gone.” She opened the door and ran towards the elevator. DT closed the door, and said,
“How have you been? Gosh, it’s been forever!”
“Uh, I’ve been great. I guess. I’m sorry I’m just not used to you acting like this.” Sweetie explained.
DT’s smile faltered, but after fighting and losing, it fell.
“I’m so sorry for how I treated you before. I was just… Jealous of you.” Sweetie took a step back.
“What?”
“You had lots of friends and a loving sister a-and I treated you badly because it made me feel better about myself. When I was a filly, my father only really cared about money. Not his little girl. My mother was always out of town doing some meaningless task that took months and months on end. Honestly, It’s like I barely knew my parents.”
“I… I’m sorry.” She sympathized. Sweetie Belle noticed Diamond Tiara’s eyes had gotten a little bit moist. She tried to say more, but the words died on the tip of her tongue.
“Don’t be... I mean, yeah they showered me with gifts and things I wanted, but I’m almost sure it was only so they didn’t feel guilty later. As far back as I can remember, I never had a conversation lasting longer than ten minutes with them.” DT said, turning away from Sweetie Belle and staring out the window.
“Wow, DT. That-that’s a lot.” Sweetie said as she processed DT’s story. It all made sense now. She always knew that DT’s parents weren’t exactly the most ‘interactive’. She actually, for the first time ever, felt bad for Diamond Tiara. It would make sense that she’s actually really lonely.
“Hey, DT? Shhh. It’s okay. C’mere.” She motioned for her to come to her open hooves. Diamond Tiara obliged and walked into Sweetie’s hug. She began to sniffle.
“Thank you. Thank you so much. I’m so sorry.” She whispered into Sweetie’s shoulder.
“Shhh. It’s alright. I forgive you. Shhh. I forgive you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I forgive you. Just… don’t be a TOTAL bitch during the year.” Sweetie joked. DT laughed between her sobs and broke away. Sweetie levitated a small towel that sat on one of DT’s boxes and wiped her face with it.
“Thanks.”
Rarity had helped Sweetie Belle move the rest of her stuff in and get everything set up. After a short tea break, Rarity decided it was time to leave. She gave Sweetie Belle a hug, a kiss on the cheek and then left sobbing about how “They grow up so quickly.”
DT had made instant noodles on a portable stove and served then to Sweetie Belle, who was too hungry to talk. Apparently, so was DT. After a totally silent dinner, they both passed out in their respective beds and dreamed of how amazing college life would be.
Author's Note
Revamped and back for a return.
