Creation of a Mediaverse

by SFyr

Part I

"...and so I said, I couldn't believe she would support Devious’ ripoff of Romane culture!" Buffy exclaimed while waving her hoof frantically from her place at the front of the cart. With each step her lavender mane bounced and shifted, occasionally causing a few errant strands to fall in front of her eyes only to be wiped away.

"Uh huh." Dower returned next to her, his gaze distant and unfocused. The stallion had been borderline expressionless all the way from the train station, despite Buffy’s best attempts to get him talking.

The two ponies trotted side by side down the street, each hitched to a small cart positively bursting with mismatched items and pieces of furniture crammed between the interior walls. Every bump of the cobblestone road seemed to threaten them with an avalanche, much to the concern of the other pedestrians sharing the road. Yet, all around them were carts of similar nature. Stallions and mares alike carted memorabilia, instruments, and other personal items of their own down the warm summer streets touched gold by the sunlight overhead. A gentle breeze wafted through the air, and the loud hum of activity resounded from all around the pair.

"I mean, Prance is okay. Look at all the fashion we have from it. I don't think my best friend could live without her styled... coiffeur was it? What the hay. Even Nepony has become huge, but that's okay too! I just can't believe--"

"I don't mean to interrupt, but we’re here."

"--And then we started arguing over the use of flags in modern design theory... because..." Buffy paused, noting the lack of forward motion from her temporary companion. She blinked, her owlish eyes staring ahead blankly as the gears in her head ground together slowly. For the first time, she noted how the store fronts and open country side had transformed into large white stone buildings easily three stories tall. A large roadway cut into the clean grass to lead between two of the nearest, most prominent buildings. Beyond, a magnificent fountain built to impress trickled just within hearing range, marking the front of an old government-styled building. The letters ‘FEMU’ were arranged near the path in yellow and green flowers.

"Umm. We're here," the stallion weakly repeated.

"Oh yeah, look at that!" Buffy bounce back into her chipper, borderline sing-song tone. "Oh, I can't wait! I bet I could make all kinds of friends here! Oh, and Viola is sure to--"

"Where do you want me to leave the cart?" Dower interrupted.

"Oh, umm..." Buffy looked at the cart, before remembering the letter tucked into her saddle bag. After quickly tugging a sheet of crumpled paper out of her right pouch, she spread it over the ground and sat in front of it, smoothing over the creases with her hooves. She paid no attention to the glances she got from various ponies milling about nearby, instead focusing on the tiny font printed on the body of the page.

"Umm... Let'see... It sounds like my room is located in Emerald Hall... but where is that?" Her face scrunched in confusion, a soft snort escaping her short muzzle. "How would they expect me find that without a map?”

"Didn't they give you a map...?" Dower asked, his eyebrow rising slowly.

"Oh yeah!" Her eyes lit up before a sheepish grin spread across her face. "...but I lost it."

Dower sighed. The pair sat in silence for a moment. Buffy’s eyes strayed to the milling ponies around them, each absorbed in their own tasks.

"Hey! Hey you!" Buffy called out to the nearest pony. The brown stallion looked to her with wide eyes, before devolving into visable confusion. "Yeah you, pointing to yourself like a weirdo!"

In an instant, she was full on sprinting towards him, almost threatening to bowl him over as she slid across the final few bounds to him.

"You look like you know your way around here, where would I find Emerald Hall?" She asked with her best winning smile and pleading eyes.

"Y-yeah, if you take the main pathway, go left a-at the fountain, then it should be the s-second building on the right." He squeaked, a slight blush creeping on his face. "T-there should be a map right over there... next to the path."

Right where he pointed stood a small pedestal, only a few yards away. From where she sat, she could see the faint markings of roads and buildings in what was very much a map of campus.

"Oh." Buffy gawked, before breaking into an excited grin. "Oh! Thank you so much!"

With a wave of her hoof, she ran back over to her cart, and with one-sided enthusiasm she fit herself back into place and resumed pulling. Dower somehow managed to avoid tripping over himself as they instantly began again at full trot.

"Onwards!” Buffy yelled with determination shining in her eyes. “Now, where was I... Oh yeah! So there I was--"

---

Several minutes later, and one sad good bye to a new travelling buddy--well, traveling acquaintance really, but she was working on it--she was there! She managed to pack about a quarter of her luggage into her bursting saddle bags in preparation for her first trip. And after having a conversation about weasels and calendar photography with the absolutely lovely mare at the front desk, she had gotten the key to her room, and was well on her way to see it for herself. Buffy was practically vibrating with excitement at all the adventures she was to have at college. And, finally she had something of her own room! Well, she would be sharing it really, but friends didn't count in her mind.

"214... 216... 218..." She idly counted off the room numbers aloud. So distracted was she that she almost ran headlong into the pony in front of her. Luckily, the other party was paying more attention, and stepped back just enough to avoid colliding heads. With a soft apology, she continued, trying to watch her step as she frantically looked for her number.

“224,” Buffy paused to sit, eyeing the stairwell in front of her. “...Huh.”

For a moment, she simply sat in silence before another voice, one she hadn’t heard for years, broke her out of her lesser trance.

"Why, hello Buffy."

Buffy practically jumped at the voice. She quickly got back to her feet and turned to meet the speaker only a few hoofsteps away. Before her was a lavender mare with an immaculately groomed coat and lightly styled mane. Twin curls framed her face, and large lashes gave her an air of femininity and poise that she expected no less of her closest friend.

"Viola!"

The next instant, her hooves were wrapped around her best friend's neck in a bone-crushing hug, which was returned with much less force. Though, she was careful not to badly ruin her well-cared-for mane. She wouldn't want to inconvenience her friend after finally reuniting, after all! Stepping back, she took a second to take in the very real and tangible mare she hadn't seen much of since the pair parted almost three years ago in the move.

"I got your letter! I can't believe we get to share the same room after all! Oh my gosh, I'm so excited! This is going to be so fun!"

"Quite. It is an absolute pleasure to be able to share this with you, Buffy," Viola said with a smile. "Now, if you may, our room is just to your right. Would you like to come in?"

"Would I!" Buffy grinned a Cheshire grin and followed her friend the short distance down the hall. “We have so much to catch up on! After I unload everything, we are so having a night in to talk face to face!”

---

Soon, the door marked '224' opened with a click, a small key still held daintily by Viola's mouth. After the two trotted in, Buffy saw the common area in all its small yet amazing glory. The floors were a little stained, but seemed to have been freshly cleaned. Exposed outlets and bare walls gave her a feeling of sheer potential, further inflating her already bursting excitement. Nearby, two doors sat in the far walls, recessed in their simple frames. One was slightly ajar, a gleam of porcelain and white tile shining in the darkness. In in the corner of the room cleanly packed luggage bags sat in an organized pile. Choosing the other corner nearest the bedroom door, she quickly dumped the contents of her bags onto the wooden floor, sending several of her items skittering away across the room as they escaped the heap.

"There!" Buffy said with a proud smile, her bags feeling many orders lighter. "Hey, how much more do you have to bring in?"

"I was actually about to go back for Maxwell when I--ahem--saw you out in the hallway."

"Oh! Well, I have quite a bit actually, myself..." Buffy said, thinking about how little she had actually managed to bring in her first trip. "But together, we can get it done in no time!"

"About that. If what I hear does hold weight, some of the fraternities and sororities are helping ponies move in." Viola said with a gentle smile as the two exited the room. "We may not need to make many trips if we have the other students of FEMU to assist us."

"Yeah, I mean, that'd be lovely!" Buffy exclaimed, quickly falling into step close beside her friend. "But, where would we find them. I mean, we can't just ask random ponies! Can we?"

"Well then, it's a good thing we found you then, ” an unknown voice said with a laugh.

The pair quickly whipped around to the green mare in a clean but simple up-do. Behind her, a muscular stallion with a rusty brown mane and yellow hoofball jacket smiled a small smile, about two tones down from the mare's energy level.

"Name's Viridian, and this is my coltfriend Dust. We represent the Sigma Delta Sigma, and we're here to help the new ponies move in and get acquainted with our campus! And remember, if you want to join up with a fun and welcoming sorority, think Sigma Delta Sigma!"

"Technically, I'm not a part of Sigma Delta Sigma, but might as well be at this point." The stallion chuckled.

Buffy snatched each of their hooves in turned to give them a shake. “I’m Buffy, and this here is my friend and roommate Viola!”

In contrast to Buffy’s forward energy, Viola gave a small, curt bow and no more. “A pleasure.”

Together, the group began to move again. The four quietly trotted down the hall before coming to the stairway back to ground level. Buffy was eyeing up the green mare and her coltfriend with a wide grin.

"So you would be willing to help us move our stuff in?" Buffy asked.

"But of course! We're here to help after all. And, if you have any questions about the campus, all you have to do is ask! I know it took me some time to get used to it, but I promise, you both will love it here!"

"Yup." Dust added with a smile. "We’d be happy to lend a hoof if you need it."

"Well, I would like to thank you both for your generosity." Viola nodded to herself before offering Viridian and Dust a warm smile. "I have to say, your sorority leaves quite the impression."

"It's our pleasure. Anything to make a pony feel welcome!"

“Oh my gosh, that is so awesome!” Buffy beamed. "I think I'm going to love it here!"

Buffy once again found herself trotting back into the warm sunlight. Viola and Dust left together, presumably to get the last of Viola’s items. Buffy and Viridian were left to sort through the overflowing wagon. Once they both were weighed down with what they could carry, they began their return trip. Viola and Dust beat them to the door, the latter carrying no more than a large, polished case in the rough shape of her beloved violin.

---

Several trips later, Viola and Buffy waved the pair off with promises to meet back up after class starts. An hour or two of unpacking later found the reunited friends going over their schedules in the common area, using packed boxes as a table. Viola was simultaneously scanning over the two laid side to side while also polishing her violin, or Maxwell, as she preferred. Buffy was glancing over her own schedule, while also keeping an eye on the small pot atop the stove. She had happily opted to cook dinner for the two of them, though until they properly stocked the fridge, they were making due with a simple vegetable pasta soup that filled the room with a pleasant aroma.

"Let's see here... In the morning we have Dr. Hotshot's general media introduction, but then we don't have class together until the evening."

"What about the odd days? The ones between the main ones?"

"There are no odd or even days, Buffy. They are all just days. Regardless, we do in fact have one class together every Tuesday and Thursday."

Viola pointed to the small print of her highlighted schedule. On Buffy's heavily creased schedule the same print could be found, a professor Pixel Wavelength residing over said class.

"'Emergent Technology and the Computer Revolution'? What kind of class is that? I don't remember signing up for it." Buffy mused with a knit brow.

"Three credits in a technological class are required, you probably just forgot."

"Yeah, probably." She frowned before cracking a smile once more. "Hay, that's three classes we have together!"

"Indeed." Viola returned her gaze to Maxwell. His shining gloss caught the light of the room. Only the faint scratches in his scroll and neck contesting to his age; each one bore a story of her devotion to playing over the years.

In the evening stillness, Viola began to play. She started out slow, but then drifted into a more sweeping melody that flowed from note to note in a seamless river of sound. Nearby, Buffy hummed along to the song with a wide grin on her face, once more minding the stove.