//------------------------------//
// Arrival 
// Story: The Best Years of Our Lives 
// by Ishan16D 
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	The fresh country wind blew Sunset’s hair every which way as she cruised at eighty along the empty highway. She let her gaze drift around in front of her as the wide open expanses stretched out seemingly forever. It had been five hours since they left Canterlot City but the trip felt like an entire day as farm after farm passed by on either side. Sunset was already falling victim to highway hypnosis, but her passengers, Twilight and Fluttershy, had zero hours of road experience between them. There was no chance she would be getting a break till they reached Manehattan University. On top of that, they had left early in the morning so she was running on a short night’s rest. On the bright side, when they finally arrived she would have ample time to take a nap before check-in started in the evening. She looked to her left and saw Twilight fast asleep, head neatly tucked into her neck pillow. In the back seat Fluttershy was sprawled out fast asleep with Spike doing the same on her back in turn. She smiled at the sight of her friends and was happy that they were getting rest, even if she was pulling more than her fair share of the weight.  There was still a little while to go before they arrived, which gave Sunset some time to think. The first thing on her mind that she could not stop thinking about, was who would she even be living with. For the next year she would be spending most of her time with new people she may have never met before. Even worse, what if they were people she had met before and would prefer to not meet again. Students at MU came from all over the world and she knew there were a fair number of people from her graduating class at CHS that would be making the jump. She knew for sure that Flash was coming and was glad for that as their friendship had been steadily growing stronger and more genuine as the years went by. Aside from her girls, of course, Flash was someone she knew she could count on to be at her side no matter what was in store. Trixie, Octavia, Vinyl, and Lyra were coming as well. She felt as though Bon Bon should also be in that list, but couldn’t say for sure. Any one of them would be fine to live with but none really grabbed her interest. There were though on the other side, a handful of students from Crystal Prep attending. Twilight had told her some names, but she couldn’t recall any in particular. While their first impression was rather rough at The Friendship Games two years back, Twilight said she kept in touch with some friends at the academy and vouched that the culture there was really changing for the better. Sunset wasn’t entirely convinced on word alone and would need to see for herself to be sure. She would give them a second chance, of course, as if there was anything she learned at CHS it was that greed and fear can drive people to do things they are ashamed of and that people can change. If her friends hadn’t given her a second chance, who knows where she would be now. Maybe the girls at Crystal Prep had turned a new leaf, it would be hard to forget what they did to Twilight. The odds of being paired with someone she knew was almost negligent though. She had checked the numbers last night- there were 3560 first year students in the class of 2020. That amounted to a less than one percent chance. Sunset knew there was nothing she could do at this point but wait until tonight when they all moved in. She couldn’t be more excited. No matter who it was in her suite, she would take it in stride and welcome them with open arms. Nothing was going to stand in the way of her making this year the best she could.

Another hour passed before they entered the city limits. She remembered that the city was actually a small group of Islands connected to the mainland. The highway now took her right along the coast. Out on her right the water was a beautiful shade of cerulean shining in the afternoon sun. She ran her gaze along the horizon where it was almost impossible to tell where the ocean ended. There was something about the sea that always drew her to it, but only so long before the fear of it dissuaded further thought. She hadn’t admitted it to her friends, but she had actually never been to the beach. That was something she wanted to change pretty soon, especially due to MU’s proximity to the coast. There were plenty of popular beaches nearby, but she had heard that students usually went South over break where it was warmer. As the city began to open up around her, traffic started to pour in. Somehow it felt as though there was no transition. A few moments ago there was nothing but open spaces on either side, but now there it was an entirely different scene. She was in the big city. Canterlot was one thing, but Manehattan was on a whole new level. Lining the five lane street was a vibrant blend of buildings, both antique and modern. This was a place that red brick, which appeared centuries old, seemed at peace with the skyscraper next door made entirely from glass. The people on the street were equally diverse. Not a single person that Sunset saw on the sidewalk, and there were many of them, looked alike. Each had their own vibe and their own style. She struggled to focus on driving as the scene stole her eyes. The road was basically a parking lot with the traffic at that point so she let her gaze roam. She rolled down the windows to let in the full experience. The car’s bubble was immediately popped by the street roaring to life around them. She could now hear everything that went with everything she was seeing and it felt suddenly so much more real. It was mid September but there was someone in a huge coat riding a bicycle next to someone just wearing a swimsuit. Each second brought something new for her. For all the beautiful sights and riveting sounds the somewhat less pleasant smells of the street and raucous uproar did their part to lessen her excitement but to no avail. With Manehattan, it was love at first sight.

“Fluttershy, Twilight, Spike! Wake up! We’re here!” She shouted, buzzing with awe. The three friends jolted awake, and Twilight almost knocked her head on the roof of the car. They looked around, a bit slow to shake the grogginess. Twilight and Fluttershy opted for comfortable outfits just like Sunset which helped them on their way to sleep. The trio rustled a bit to find their bearings before realizing that Sunset hadn’t been completely honest. Twilight gave her a mellow scowl before crossing her arms and looking down. 

“Sunset! You can’t just wake us under false pretenses! That’s not fair.” The last part was muttered almost under her breath. Fluttershy chimed in after, her tone seeming more remorseful than angry.

“I was in heaven Sunset! Imagine a room filled with just bunnies. Can you think of anything more amazing!” Twilight took the chance to rejoin the conversation and give Sunset another reprimand.

“Seriously Sunset that was pretty rude. What gives you the right to wake us up when we aren’t there yet!” Before that Sunset was actually beginning to feel bad for interrupting her friends’ slumber, but the last part was the perfect opportunity for her to get in a jab of her own.

“Oh, I don’t know Twi, maybe the fact that I’ve been driving for almost seven hours straight? I think I’ve earned myself the right to have a bit of fun.” She smirked, trying to lay on the guilt without really being too serious, but the pair still turned away and sheepishly looked around, clearly realizing the flaw in their logic. Twilight had her mouth open, prepared to retort, but had nothing to say at this point. Sunset was the victor. Seeing the awkward situation unfolded, it was Spike’s turn to break the silence. 

“Hey, don’t look at me Sunset, I’m not really sure you want me behind the wheel anyways. “ The whole group laughed, all tension relieved thanks to Spike’s timely interjection.

“Don’t worry girls I’m not really mad at you. Though I am kind of tired..” The drive really was taxing. Sunset liked driving, but not for hours on end in a car while your friends slept. She couldn’t wait till she could just fall into her new bed. Especially with the memory foam mattress topper she had picked up. While she was definitely excited to meet her roommates, part of her also  hoped that they hadn’t arrived yet so she could go right to bed without any disturbance. 

“We can definitely stop if you want Sunset.” Fluttershy said softly, the guilt acutely visible on her rather expressive face. “I feel really bad about making you drive this whole time.”

“No, don’t worry about it! It was my pleasure to chauffeur you to your destination. In all honesty the views were beautiful on the way and it was relaxing. We’re so close anyways, there’s no point in stopping.” The girls proceeded to chatter about moving in for the next thirty or so minutes as Sunset wove them through traffic. They were now in a very busy part of the city and every building seemed to tear through the clouds. She was still in awe and hadn’t fully taken in just how magnificent Manehattan was. They passed by a park on the left, which spread out further than they could see, and shined like an emerald amidst the metallic sea of commercial spires around it. In no time signs began appearing on the road with the bright green “MU” logo of Manhattan University and an arrow showing that they were in the right direction. Sunset let out a sigh of relief as the gate marking the entrance to the University came into view. The school was in the heart of the city, but was enclosed by a brick wall giving the campus a secluded and independent feel. That was one of the things which drew her most to the school. It gave the best of both worlds- the peaceful feel of a real college campus along with the exciting life the city provided. The road took her through underneath the gate and right into a line of cars making their way to the dorms for unloading. Since she had received her parking pass early in the mail, she dropped Twilight and Fluttershy off outside Hoovesworth into a swarm of students and took the car to her designated parking which was luckily only a short fifteen minute walk from the dorm. What she had gathered so far was that most of the first year dorms were clustered in a complex on the west end of campus. The three largest ones directly bordered a grassy area and Hoovesworth, preceding the rest in age, sat in a small dip just a stone’s throw from the rest. She parked her car on the first floor on the deck and took her bags out of the trunk. Twilight took one of her suitcases with her so Sunset didn’t have to walk her stuff the whole way. She then took a long chance to stretch having been cooped up in the driver's seat for most of the day. Luckily her loose athletic shorts and and green longsleeves MU shirt gave her a wide range of motion to work with as she got the kinks out of her muscles. With duffel bag over shoulder, backpack on back, and suitcase right behind her Sunset started walking out of the parking deck towards the main road. The weather was really nice since the sun wasn’t too hot, and mild breeze gently rustled her hair. 

Her first impression of the campus was that it was very green. There was ample green space with plenty of trees filling the spots between the red brick buildings. The architecture was fairly consistent throughout with most  buildings being a rustic red or sophisticated white marble. Despite this uniformity each building seemed to maintain an individual feel. Dominating the right hand side of the road she walked was the tallest building she had seen on campus thus far. The main part stood well above the others in a very regal manner with two smaller wings on either side. When she was close enough she could read the sign in front: Manehattan University School of Business. She hadn’t been able to stop smiling the entire walk but the sight of the building where she could possibly find her calling stretched it even further. There were so many other students and parents buzzing around the path but she hadn’t seen any familiar faces yet, but that was to be expected. The second car with the rest of her friends was set to arrive in a few hours as Rarity was faced with a last minute outfit dilemma. The walk was fairly peaceful and she was back at Hoovesworth in no time. The other dorms seemed to all be molded in the same vision and built from an off white stucco and wood mixture with a dark orange shingle roof. They had their charm, but paled in comparison to the elegant white marble of Hoovesworth Hall. She was slightly worried about living in a dorm that was 100 years old, especially when the newest hall was only 3 years old and practically a hotel on the inside, but seeing the majestic building alleviated most of her concerns. The doors were open with a warm feel, as no one had entrance cards yet. The second she stepped through the gateway, she was instantly refilled with elation at the welcome she received. A group of people wearing bright pink shirts who she could only assume were students were standing behind a long, dark wooden table and greeted her with smiles that almost went off their faces. Behind them hung a banner, bright pink as well, that said “Welcome to the Hoovesworth Family!”. She took a second to look around the room. It was extraordinary in its charm. The ceiling was high and curved upwards with some sort of intricate carving along the edges. The walls were a light yellow and the extensive windows were large, letting in copious amounts of natural light. On the back wall, though the windows were tinted in a variety of colors as would the windows of an old church. The centerpiece of the room was the table though. It was a deep and dark brown color with a reddish hue and commanded her gaze after she had laid eyes on it. Its edges were jagged as well, as though it was carved just yesterday and no one cared to reshape it. It looked perfect though. The students behind the table, pulled her attention back though, as one hopped over to her. He was tall and had light red hair that was short on the sides and puffed up in the front. His smile wasn’t as exaggerated as some of the others, but felt more sincere. She was still sinking into her dreams, bewitched by the room around her.

“Hey there! My name is Garnet Sky and I’m a Sophomore here to help you out with anything you might need,” He reached out his hand for a handshake. “What’s your name?” She and took it, returning the pleasantry. 

“My name is Sunset Shimmer,” She smiled back. “I’m a freshman here in Hoovesworth Hall and I’m not really sure what to do now..” She was definitely still in awe and was a bit fazed out. 

“No problem Sunset. Believe it or not, but at one point even I was a dumbstruck freshman,” He chuckled. “Just go to the left side of the table and give them your name. Then follow along the prompts and you’ll be good for now!” She thanked him and was about to make her way to the start of the queue before he called her back.

“Hey Sunset! By the way, what is your room number?” 

“Oh, It’s 120! Why?” 

“Ah, that’s too bad, you won’t be one of my residents. I’m on the other side of the first floor. You’re with Cloud Chaser and Amethyst Star though! They’re both great Sophomore Guides and I’m sure you’ll love them!” She wondered what a Sophomore Guide was, it sounded familiar, but she forgot most of what she read from the orientation emails over the summer. Back then this was a far off fantasy, but now it was actually happening. Getting through the line was pretty easy, she just gave them her room number and at each station she was given something different. First was a packet with information, next was a physical key and a car, and lastly was a sticker with the MU logo. One of them told her that if she had ordered anything to be delivered it should already be in her room’s common area. That was reassuring as she had sent ahead all the heavier things for her room that she did want to bring along. She then proceeded through the door on the right as directed which opened up directly into a hallway going in two directions. On one side she saw room 110 and the next 111 so she proceeded down the path. The walls were wooden, just like the walls on the inside of the previous room, and the floor was carpeted giving the building a very comfortable and soft, almost cabin-like, feel. She passed by a couple students who introducing themselves to each other, but she mostly just wanted to get to her room. All she could think about now was getting some rest. A few beckoned to her and she responded with a smile, but for the most part they kept to themselves. Everyone was likely nervous and would take a little time to feel comfortable making friends. Sunset at hoped that because she knew she would take a day at least to settle in. She finally arrived at her room. The moment of truth was finally upon her. On the door there were four name tags, the first being hers of course, but the latter three would be the three girls that she was going to live with. Of those, the first was completely new- Rosemary Swirl. The name seemed nice enough, but she knew it revealed nothing. The second on the contrary, wasn’t as arbitrary and to her joy it was a familiar one. It was Octavia Melody from CHS! To be fair, she didn’t know Octavia very well, but a touch of familiarity was welcome. After Sunset’s notorious event, Octavia was somewhat slow to accept her, but with some time they became friendly, at least when interacting at school. It was the last name on the door that was the most interesting, and not for a good reason. The name was definitely familiar to her, but it was someone she didn’t necessarily have the highest opinion of. She couldn’t recall the precise face that went by the name but she definitely knew it. That girl went to Crystal Prep. The final girl that would be in her suite was Sour Sweet. Sunset let out a sigh and repeated to herself that she was willing to give anyone a second chance. Who knows, maybe Sour Sweet was one of the nicest students at Crystal Prep. Regardless of Sour’s past, Sunset swore internally that she was going to do her best to make friends with an open mind. With that, she turned the key in the doorknob and pushed it open. Her next chapter was finally here.