Sweetie Belle’s POV... Manehattan...

Finally! I finally got accepted into the college of Advanced Arts in Manehattan! Why am I excited? Well, give me a minute to let out my excitement, then I can explain.

YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Ok, now I can explain. So, this is like my fifth time asking to attend for my singing, because I want to get better. The first submission I made was around three months ago, and apparently they said they “had enough singers.” The second time I couldn’t even remember, as the one thing that Button Mash, my colt friend- more about him later- said I was drunk when I read the response and threw it away. I asked why he didn’t read it first, but I don’t remember what he said. Oh well.

Now that I’ve been accepted, I can finally get vocal lessons from a professional! Don’t get me wrong, Fluttershy is a great teacher, but at this point, I feel like I’m the teacher. I should get back to the point, shouldn’t I?

“We gotta go, Sweetie Belle!” Oh, that’s my coltfriend, Button Mash- the one who I mentioned earlier- we’re about to board the train to Manehatten. My friends wanted to say goodbye, however they were busy.

Apple Bloom’s on another one of her hunts for Silver Spoon, Scootaloo’s got another meeting with some business- which I really don’t care about, no offense to Scoots-, and I don’t know what Diamond Tiara’s doing. Oh, and I guess Bonnie’s doing her “princess studying”. If there’s something I don’t understand, it’s that. I’ll get into a rant about that later.

If you’re curious, by the way, Button Mash got accepted as well, for I think something technological, I don’t know. I don’t feel like asking him right now, so I guess I’ll just gaze out the window.

“Well those mountains sure do look pretty, don’t they?” I turned to my brown-coated coltfriend at his question.

“I guess they do,” I replied, giggling a little, then looking back out the window. I don’t know how he does it, it’s either that goofy smile he puts on, or his voice (not to say I’m making fun of it), but somehow I end up at least giggling. I think I’ll just take a nap, I ate before I got on the train, but I had horrible sleep last night because I was too excited! But I didn’t go to sleep until two o’clock in the morning... Yea I’m going to catch up on sleep.

Two hours later...

I felt somepony nudging my shoulder, and I decided to wake up. The pony who was nudging me was Button Mash. Are we here already? That was fast.

“How long was I asleep?” I asked that anyways, because it doesn’t take a train from Ponyville to get to Manehattan within five minutes.

“About two hours,” Button replied, getting out of the seat and grabbing our stuff. What a gentlecolt, even when he may seem goofy at times, he has some manners. “We gotta get off or we’re gonna be ending up in Canterlot next.”

“Eep!” I shrieked, I did not want to end up in Canterlot because of my lack of sleep. I got out of the seat as fast as I can, and ran out the train door, Button Mash following behind me. Once off I decided to go ahead and ask, “Are you going to a different college than I am?”

“Yes, actually, I am,” he replied, “because anything to deal with technology is actually on the other side of town, from what I’ve heard.”

I frowned a little, knowing that we were going to be so far apart. “But were going to still see each other, right?”

“Of course we will! Why wouldn’t we?” That made my smile come back. “Besides, there’s still the weekends. And hey, maybe I can make something there that can make it easier for us to communicate with!”

“And you won’t cheat on me, right?” I raised an eyebrow playfully. That made both of snicker for a little bit.

“As long as you don’t cheat on me,” he stated, slyly smiling. I’ll give it to him for that one.

“Guess we have ourselves a deal then, hmm?” We had another giggle, before he gave me my luggage, told me he loved me, and started galloping to get to his school. I didn’t even realize how far away we were until now, seeing as I have to walk the same distance to my college as he does to his.

Twenty minutes later...

I walked around the dorm area, which was surprisingly large, looking for the room labeled “D401”, whatever that meant. I think it’s the same thing in hotels too, like they have a letter than the number, just doesn’t make any sense to me.

Anyways I finally arrived. I was told to go here because somepony was waiting for me... I wonder who that could be...

“SWEETIE BELLE IT IS SO GOOD SEE YOU!” I get tackled by somepony before I could get a chance to look at them.

“Who in the hay-?!” I stopped once I saw who it was that did so, “DIAMOND TIARA?!”

“EEEEEEEEE!” We squealed together, still on the floor. I didn’t even know she was in Manehatten! I thought she was in Canterlot because her father found a company she could run there. I guess not!

“Can you two get off the floor? I wanna be able to close the door!” I’m gonna guess that was her roommate, probably annoyed. “And keep it down while you’re at it, I don’t wanna be deaf by the time I leave her.

Diamond Tiara got off me, as I rose to my hooves. “Heh heh, sorry. It’s just been awhile since we last talked.”

“It’s alright. Sorry for my ‘outburst’, it’s just I was really working hard on something,” I notice a grey stallion’s head poke from the corner, “Name’s Trusty Brush, nice to meet ya!”

We shake hooves, which put a question into my mind- one I vocalized-, “Wait, I thought they wouldn’t allow boys into dorms with girls?”

“That’s what I first thought when I noticed I was gonna have a mare in my room instead of another stallion. That’s actually because they’re apparently, uh how do I put this, ‘experimenting’ something. They want to see if ponies, erm, do ‘things’ in their dorm when the opposite gender is in the room with them or not. They actually have a separate dorm where it’s the same gender in one room,” I am going to have a hard time remembering that.

“I’m guessing that hasn’t happened with you two right?” I asked jokingly.

“Of course we haven’t!” Diamond Tiara yelled, clearing her throat. “Of course we haven’t, because we’re not interested in each other. As surprising as that seems...”

“However we do help each other out when we have homework for a subject one of us doesn’t understand,” I’m guessing Trusty knew what I was going to ask, because he then said, “And if you’re wondering, yes, for the first year you have to take normal courses.”

“Huh? I thought you only needed to do that in schools in Canterlot?” I stated, bewildered.

“I know, and I just got here a week ago. Let me tell you, it’s not fun,” she paused for a moment, “Oh! How are Scootaloo and Apple Bloom? Wait... is she still mad a Silver Spoon?”

“Scootaloo’s doing her business stuff, and I’m guessing making more inventions. Apple Bloom is still going after Silver Spoon, yes, but last time I talked to her she said she was going to take a break... especially after jumping off a bridge and breaking every bone in her body. Again,” I replied. Apple Bloom better be bucking glad she has a healing factor. Even if she is reckless because of it, she’s also got cursed with immortality somehow. I can’t remember the story all to well, but I don’t think I’ll tell it if I remembered anyways.

“I’m not even surprised by that anymore,” Diamond commented. I guess I’m not either, but she still worries me. Apple Bloom, not Diamond Tiara. Well I’m worried for both of them, I’m just more worried for- oh forget I said anything.

“...could you two please mind explaining to me who Scootaloo and Apple Bloom are? And Silver Spoon, while you’re at it,” Trusty mentioned. I don’t like it when I say this, but I almost forgot he was there for a minute, honestly.

Then me and Diamond Tiara explained who our friends were, and what happened with Apple Bloom and Silver Spoon (it really isn’t a secret anymore, right?) to Trusty Brush. He gasped at certain things, laughed, and I think he was going to cry at some points, but managed to hold it together. Wow, even when I mentioned the sad things to Button Mash, he wouldn’t stop crying for at least five minutes. Then again, no offense to him, his emotions are wack. I’m not going into detail about that though. That’d take an hour. Literally.

“Well, that explains what you were talking about earlier. Wait, is she Death Blossomed then?” Trusty asked us.

“Wait who?!” Diamond and I yelled at the same time.

“Yea, they say in the newspapers here that there’s a vigilante, well what I prefer to call them, and apparently they’re named ‘Death Blossomed’. Thing is they keep going for Silver Spoon, or that’s what I find in the headlines most of the time. So, putting two and two together, I figured your friend Apple Bloom is ‘Death Blossomed’,” I’m pretty sure Diamond Tiara is baffled as much as I am by the grey unicorn’s (*I don’t remember if I mentioned it before, but yes, he is a unicorn) explanation. “What?”

“I know Apple Bloom said she wasn’t going to be obvious, but I didn’t think she’d do it like that!” Diamond stole the words out of my mouth.

“I figured that she just tried to get her in private, and finish it there. As dark as that sounds, it’s fitting at the same time. When I found out she was still alive the first year, I thought Apple Bloom was still planning it out. That, or with the reports of ‘Death Blossomed’, I thought she just hired a hit-pony to take her down,” My reasoning seems, well, reasonable.

I didn’t feel like mentioning this to them either though, but I also already knew that Apple Bloom was Death Blossomed. Let’s just say she came up to the Boutique at two in the morning and needed her suit stitched up, and spilt the beans that she was going after Silver Spoon under that name.

Actually she originally called herself Dead Apples, but I thought it sounded cheesy, so I told her to change it. I assisted her in the name choosing, as she wanted something to do with death and some resemblance of her name in it.

“Well, let’s ignore Apple Bloom’s... situation and celebrate you’re arrival here, Sweetie Belle!” Diamond stated, changing the subject. She’s right, lets just enjoy each other’s company here at college!

“By the way classes start tomorrow. You’re lucky to get in the day before they start them. They close doors after today. No other ponies allowed in until the school year begins again,” Trusty said. That explains why they didn’t except my letter three months ago! In a weird way, that makes sense.

“Yeah, since you weren’t here for the announcements, which was a day after I got here by the way, they were super strict with what Brushy over here just mentioned. We can explain anything important from it, or anything you want to know,” if there is one habit Diamond hasn’t gotten over, it’s calling ponies the wrong name. At least it’s for fun this time around, compared to when we were younger.

“It’s Trusty, thank you very much!” Trusty corrected her.

“She does that for fun, not on purpose. Promise,” I assured him. Not like he was threatening her, I just wanted him to know, just in case. Then a thought ran through my mind, “Hay, I wish Pinkie Pie was here.”

“Wait you were friends with her?!” Trusty’s question perplexed me, wasn’t everypony her friend. Well if he meant close friends, then that makes sense.

“Yea, close in fact, why?”

“She was a legendary party pony! I was so glad when she decided to host parties everywhere! But then, the Cheese Sandwich case came along... I’m pretty sure you know the rest. Assuming what you say is true...” oh right. Not many ponies like talking about that because Cheese Sandwich got Pinkie Pie killed. I’ll explain that at another time.

“Can we please ignore this sadness? I think going to cry if anypony else mentions another sad thing,” why do I have feeling where Diamond is going with this..., “because my mascara will be ruined!” ...yea that’s what I thought. Never gets old, even though she doesn’t wear mascara anymore.

“You’ve told that joke one too many times and it’s getting old, like milk or something. I dunno,” at least that got us laughing.

What did I want to do first thing I got here? Oh right, SLEEP.

“Hey, is there an extra room for me?” I ask.

“I can show you, and around the dorm in fact,” Diamond Tiara then showed me around (like she said), and saved my room for last. Apparently they were going to us it as a guest room until I came along. At least it isn’t cluttered, like I thought it would’ve been. Usually when someone says “guest room”, they really meant storage room because the room is MESSY, to the point where I’d prefer sleeping on the couch. Thank Celestia it wasn’t like one of those.

“Thank you, now if you’ll excuse me, sleep and I have to catch on things,” jokingly, I said. “Wake me up when dinner’s ready, please.”

“No problem! Oh, and Trusty is a really good cook, you’ll like his cooking when you try it,” I recognize that smirk from anywhere, Diamond. “Better than your cooking!”

“Ok, it’s been years and even I’ve improved!”

“You burnt water, Sweetie Belle. You were even put in the Poniess World Record book for that!”

“Shut up and let me sleep, please.”

“You know I’m only teasing right?”

“Whatever.”

“Goodnight, Sweetie Belle.”

“Good- I almost fell for that,” I glance over to see Diamond snickering, “almost.”

Three hours later...

SPLASH!

AHHH WHY DID I JUST GET COLD WATER DUMPED ON ME OH SWEET CELESTIA I WILL PUNCH WHOEVER DID THAT-

Oh it’s Diamond. Oh.

Wait why’d she pour water on me??

“Great, now I’m freezing,” I blurt out. Oops.

“Well, I tried telling you to wake up, shaking you, stuff like that. It was either I dumped water on you or I grabbed one of Brushy’s air horns- that he randomly keeps, I don’t remember why he keeps them- and blew it right into your ears. Brushy told me to go the least damaging route, so I just went with the water,” Diamond explained. Thank Celestia my ears were spared, or one of them. “Dinner’s ready, by the way. Here’s a towel to dry off. Also just throw your bedding in the dryer. After you eat, though.” Thanks for the advice, DT. And the towel. Thanks.

“Ughhh...” I dry myself off, use telekinetic powers of a unicorn to pick up the bedding and towel, and put it in a laundry basket. Funny thing it was outside my room. Diamond has gotten really thoughtful over these past few years, and for the better.

“Glad you can finally join us, Sleeping Beauty,” I Gabe Trusty Brush my “not in the mood” look, because I wasn’t. I mean I just got water dumped on me, cold water at that.

“...anyways. Wanna watch some movies when we get done eating?” asked Tiara to me. I guess I won’t mind, seeing as we can probably fall asleep while watching the movie... or I will most likely fall asleep. It’s a bad habit, I know, but it’s gotten better to say the least. I thinks because Button kept nudging me every time I was about to sleep. I think if I try to fall asleep, I always think that he nudges me, so I wake up. Guess you could say I’m accustomed to it.

“So what’d you cook?” I curiously asked. I want to know if he’s any better than Rarity’s cooking... or even Applejack’s. No, if it could beat Applejack’s, there’d be some competition going on.

“As much as I wanted to let out the chef in me, I just went with something simple: spaghetti,” Trusty removed the lid to the pot that it was covering with his magic, and surely enough, it was spaghetti. He then opened the cabinets and grabbed three plates, opened a drawer and grabbed three forks and three spoons, and brought the items to the table.

I’m a little disturbed eating the spaghetti, not because of the noodles, but because of the meat. I know where it comes from, and I know why we need it, so I’m not going to complain.

“Bon appetite!” I told myself mentally, using the fork and grabbing some of the noodles. I use a certain technique that I’ve been mastering over the past few years, just so I don’t spaghetti sauce all over me.

Anyways, I put the noodles in my mouth. Moment of truth, is his cooking good like Diamond Tiara proclaims?

“WOW THAT IS SO GOOD! How’d you- oh my gosh!” I was at a loss of words, it was that good!

“I told you she would like it!” Diamond yelled, pointing at Trusty, “Your cooking is bomb, Trusty!”

“Why didn’t you take cooking classes instead?” Now that may seem rude, I know, but I’m just curious. He would ace those classes!

“Have I even shown you my art pieces? You will be just as amazed as you are with my cooking if I were to show you it,” Trusty’s got a point there, I guess.

We finally began eating, as we asked each other certain questions, like how life was before we got here, and what we’re planning to do when we finish, stuff like that.

Once everypony was through eating, Diamond walked over to the TV, and started looking through some DVDs, I’m guessing that she and Trusty brought.

Then I heard her gasp, and exclaiming, “Trusty! You watched the The Last Pegasus as a kid too?!”

“Of course! The series and movies were cool! Minus the live action, it was poorly done,” The grey unicorn replied.

“I can agree, I think it was just the fight scenes that were done poorly, nothing else,” I commented. What? I watched those to, and they were amazing to watch. “Except for that one scene where Aang does that water bending thing, now that was cool.”

“Wait you mean the one where he’s just channeling it? And suddenly water is all around him?”

“Yea! That scene!”

“Even I have to admit, that scene was well done. Too bad that’s the only scene that I actually liked,” Diamond stated. “How about we binge watch the whole series?”

“Don’t we need to worry about sleep?”

“Nah, that can wait, it’s only 6:30 anyhow. It’s lights out at 9, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stay up.”

“I guess you’re right... well what are we waiting for?! The Last Pegasus awaits us!” I say, making the three of us grin.

“YEA!” We all yell, bumping hooves. This is going to the best first night at college ever!

Author's Note

Ok few things I wanna clear up:

One: I don’t remember if I put the AU tag or not (I will if I hadn’t), but they are certain things that are VERY different. One of those things being popular series like The Last Airbender and a few others being referenced. That’s because they are TVs in Equestria a little over 6 years this story actually begins.

Second thing is I made up my mind about Sweetie Belle’s origin, and decided to make it a two parter, with Diamond Tiara’s right in between. (Also the type of format I’m doing for both sides are bit of an experiment, as I’ve never done this before.)

And last thing: please, by ALL MEANS, point out any typos/mistakes that will be greatly appreciated. And any other form of criticism, as that can help me learn to do better for this story, or any other stories for that matter.

Thanks for writing, see ya next time, peace!