The University

"Geez Twi' my hair's fine..it's fine!"

Twilight Sparkle had been combing and mussing with the somewhat spiky bright green hair that leaned slick against her number one assistants head, all leading back behind him as through he were moving incredibly fast despite his stagnant position. She stood on her toes as she kept trying to get the sharp hair to lay down, only for it to immediately push back into place even when she tried to use magic to keep it in place.

"But Spike you're going to meet the Princess today you have to look your best!"

"Twi'...Celestia just walks on stage and say's 'Welcome students! Enjoy your years to come at CU!' and then leaves, besides we see her all the time and I don't have to dress up then!"

"But this is different Spike! This is your first year of college!"

Twilight groaned with exasperation and threw her hands up as she walked away, giving up on changing the ever-present points in favor of tying her own long mardi gras hued hair up in a tall tight bun, placing two dark wood long-pins in it like an X and allowing the brighter phlox strand of her hair to fall out in a few slightly curling lines that fell over her thin eyebrows, one resting atop her thin framed rectangular black glasses.

She turned around and smiled brightly up at Spike.

"Well? What do you think?"

"We look like we should be in classy porn."

Spike deadpanned and Twilight's face fell into another frown. She couldn't deny it some truth though, she was in a short black skirt and wore a white blouse with a black jacket and had long black leggings, with of course- black high heels. She looked like a classic colts imagination of a librarian.
Spike on the other hand also wore all black- slacks, dance shoes, belt, vest, and tie. The only aberration was his bright red dress shirt. Along with the gray fedora with a long red phoenix pinion sticking out of it, he looked like he was going to seduce a mobster's daughter.

"I'm calling the school and telling them to restrict your internet access. Now come on we're going to be late."

Spike grinned and picked up his stack of thick leather bound books and his small suitcase, he whistled loud and sharply and in a moment Peewee (Whom he'd renamed Blaze when the two got older) alighted on his shoulder. Spike himself stood just under seven feet tall, and with the tall bird adding another foot and half, he looked practically formidable. Twilight herself was only 5'7'' and looked up at Spike as they hurried towards the train station.

It's going to be a bit lonely without you around won't it?

__

A red haired girl, of slender build but with obviously a large amount of muscles packed into her small frame was laying sprawled across her tiny bed. She still wore a pair of overalls from the day before with the top unbuttoned and hanging open and had a bright crimson ribbon clenched in her hand from where she'd pulled it out but never put it away. She snored gently, a little puddle of drool falling onto her pillow. Without given warning the door flew open and a tall busty blonde rushed in, grabbing the pillow and playfully smacking at the slumbering farmgirl.

"Git'up Applebloom it's Sunday!"

Applebloom yelped and rolled away onto the floor running around the room to throw on a yellow T-shirt on before replacing her overall straps and tie her hair up in the signature ribbon before running out the door and downstairs where she hastily grabbed a hot apple fritter from old Granny Smith.

Running outside she took to her chores and thought to herself, swinging her hips a bit as she worked.

Today's it...last day on the farm for MONTHS! Canterlot University...here ah come! She internally squealed to herself Ah hope the new hired help can handle everything alright...Aw It's nothin' ta worry about! Big Macintosh and Applejack can handle everything on their own anyways, ah ain't really needed here.

Applebloom was using a pitchfork to toss hay to the cows when she turned around and winked to her daily audience. Snips, Snails, and Pip stood behind a fence watching her sway as she worked. Snips and Snails stared at her dreamily, but Pip waved amiably. The farmgirl dropped her pitchfork into the heap of hay and gave a long, showy stretch, winking again before she gave a tiny giggle and wave.

"Bye boys~"

"Buh...Bye..."

It was then that two giant mitts fell over onto the shoulders of Snips and Snails, owned by a very large, very strong man. Big Macintosh looked down at the two boys, one short and fat, the other tall and scrawny. He frowned behind his hayseed, bright green eyes pointed down from under his somewhat curling orange locks with a serious tone.

"We're in trouble?"

Snips had ventured to ask.

"Eeyup."

__

"Rainbow Dash come on!"

"..................No."

"Rainbow Dash you promised!"

"...................................................m'tired."

"Dashie~ rise and shi~ine!"

Fluttershy leaned down and nibbled on Rainbow Dashes ear, whispering in something that Scootaloo assumed was either a playful threat or a sultry promise by how fast the cyan pegasus opened her eyes, shooting up in her cloud bed and stretching before she leaped out through the open window space and flew down, only to pop up a moment later.

"You guys coming?"

Scootaloo and Fluttershy exchanged a look and rolled their eyes, spreading their wings and taking off after the prismatic styled girl. In the air Scootaloo looked over herself and her foster mother Fluttershy. The timid woman wore a loose green sweater, far too large for her in a failing attempt at hiding her over sized breasts, she didn't appear to have any pants on today- Rarity's influence of course. The only other clothing she had on was a pair of old beat up converse with socks bunched up at the bottom. Large yellow wings pushed out from behind her sweater, flapping slowly as she glided more than she flew, her soft pink hair flowing out behind her. No matter how weird she felt when she thought it, Scootaloo always had to compare her to the old goddesses of beauty floating in ethereal light in the mythology books Cheerilee had once made her read. Her adoptive mother caught her gaze and looked at her, with big shining blue eyes.

"Excited?"

"Mmhm!"

Scootaloo nodded her head and smiled, looking down at her own dressage. She wore Rainbow Dashes old leather flight jacket- the same kind that dash herself was always wearing, with white fur (Fake by Fluttershy's demand) at the collar, and emblazoned across the back with both the Wonderbolts logo and the signature lightning bolt. She had on a tight fitting black T-shirt under it and camouflage baggy khaki's leading down to her heavy black steel tipped boots. A pair of dog tags sat around her neck- a gift from Spitfire of the Wonderbolts given to Dash and handed down to Scootaloo when Rainbow had made it into the flight team herself.

No need to even look at Dash to know she too was wearing the leather jacket but with a white shirt underneath, and torn pair of black skinny jeans. Since Dash just got up and left she wouldn't be wearing any shoes. Her rainbow streaked hair was still short and choppy, and no matter how hard Rarity or Fluttershy tried- it would never be combed.

The three landed together at the train station, Scootaloo hefting her green military duffel bag over her shoulder again before she hugged her mothers together as tight as she could, thankful they'd arrived first and could have their sentimental moment alone. Nobody said anything until they heard others coming into the station and quickly pulled away. Fluttershy didn't mind but Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo still tried to keep up appearances as buddies more than mother and daughter.

"We'll miss you honey."

"I'll miss you guys too, I love you."

"Alright squirt listen here..." Despite now being a few inches shorter than Scootaloo, and having a much smaller wingspan, Dash pulled the girl in and pushed a finger into her chest. "In college you'll meet people. Boys and girls, and they'll want you to do...things. And uh...you shouldn't. Yeah! Don't do bad things?"

"...Mom...you're really bad at this."

Scootaloo smiled and wrapped Rainbow Dash in another quick hug and kissed Fluttershy on the cheek before they split up and went to greet the others.

___

"Rari~ty!" Sweetiebell called out, emphasizing the last syllable of her elder sisters name. The songstress had woken after the seamstress but she was still showered and cleaned up, dressed and fed and ready to go by the time her sister had just finished her own shower. Sweetiebell ran a slender hand through her lightly toned purple and pink hairdo, done like when Pinkie Pie tried to sing down the angry crowd in Appleloosa. Once Sweetie had learned how to do it like that she always did it just so. She wore a long thin strapless rose dress that hugged her thin curves. It had one small risque tear almost all the way up to the waist, ending a little more than halfway up her thigh.

Rarity rushed down the stairs, wearing a blue business suit with a short skirt and white blouse. She wore her hair in the same style as ever, the only part of her fashion sense that wasn't constantly changing. Her glass heels clacked against the floor as she ran out and handed her little sister the suitcase she had packed the night before. Eyeing her over, Rarity had a slightly disappointed expression.

"You're wearing that!?"

"Wha-Rarity you made this for me this week!"

"And what ever was I thinking! If you'll just take that off I'll make a few changes..."

"Rarity!"

"Oh alright Sweetie alright! Let's go then dear- to college!"

Sweetie stared at Rarity before she replied without any tone or emotion, and turned to leave.

"You aren't going any further than the train station."

Rarity pouted but ran out after Sweetie with a smile anyway.

___

"Hey girls!"

"Spike!"

"How the hell are you the last one here? Miss Sparkle freaks out so much at being on time let alone ta-"

"Shhhh! We never say the "T" word around her."

Spike ran up to Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetiebell who were sitting on a bench together at the train station, their families on the other bench in the small plaza greeting Twilight. Blaze flew around them all before he landed back on Spike's shoulder, his nonchalant manner making it appear as though he didn't notice the flaming bird. Sweetie gave him a quick hug, a high five from Applebloom, and just a nod from Scootaloo. The four talked a little on what they thought it would be like, excited to be living "On their own" at the big University.

Only Spike had managed to get in on scholarly knowledge alone, but the others all had decent grades- Scootaloo excluded, and they all received scholarships. It didn't hurt to be friends with the royal family or be related to the repeated saviours of the world either.

When the two groups came together there was a lot of shuffling around awkwardly by everyone, even Pinkie Pie who had shown up to wave off her friends despite not having her own to send away with them. Eventually Fluttershy broke the silence by beginning to cry and holding on to all the young as tightly as she could until Rainbow Dash managed to pull her into her own hug and silence her. Almost everybody began crying then, only Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie remained tearless as everybody hugged and kissed each other goodbye, promising to write and call, and eat regular healthy meals, stay clean, and not do...things.

They all got on the train and sat together, eager to go to their new schools and for the first time be on their own for nearly a year. It didn't take long on the several hour trip however for everyone to fall asleep on each other's laps and fade into anxious dreams.