Manehattan, 1957
Sweetie Belle shivered as a cold sea breeze blew through her fur. She pulled the scarf tighter around her neck and wrapped her front hooves around herself. Her body continued to shake from the cold, she needed to get her mind off it. She looked out at the horizon, the grey sky hanging above the dark green water of the ocean. She watched as the freighters brought in their cargo into the harbor, smoke bellowing behind them. She turned around on the bench she was sat on and gazed upon the splendor that was Manehattan. The beautiful skyscrapers lining the skyline, even with the sky being as gloomy as it was, she could see what little sun there was glinting off of the elegant structures. She turned back around on the bench and stared back at the sea with another shiver.
Such a beautiful city and I'm stuck spending my time in a smelly harbor.
Sweetie Belle then turned to Rarity, expecting the same outlook as she had. But, to her surprise Rarity seemed quite content on the matter. Why wouldn't she though? It's all she had been yammering on about for weeks now. The smile on her face seemed to stretch for miles and the gleam in her eyes. This was probably the happiest and excited Sweetie Belle had ever seen her. Sweetie Belle shuttered as another cold chill ran down her spin. She had had just about enough of this.
"Rarity, how much longer," She whined, "We've been sitting here for two hours now and I'm freezing!"
Raritys expression shifted from ecstatic to annoyed, she glared at Sweetie Belle, "I know it's cold Sweetie, and I've already given my scarf, there is not much more I could do about the weather. So, you will just have to sit there quietly and be patient, it shouldn't be much longer."
Sweetie Belle huffed and clenched her hooves tighter around herself. She turned back to face the water only to catch a glimpse of Rarity shivering. Rarity popped the collar of her jacket and buried her front hooves in the coats pockets.
"You could give your little sister your coat so she doesn't freeze to death," Sweetie Belle muttered under her breath, "Element of generosity my..."
A fog horn suddenly sounded, nearly scaring Sweetie Belle to death. Everypony at once stood at attention and began clambering to get their things ready.
"Sweetie Belle," Rarity said with a sort of pompousness in her voice as she stood up from the bench, "grab our things."
Sweetie Belle scowled at the back of her sisters head before getting up," Yes, your majesty."
Sweetie Belle trotted over to the cart that had the unfortunate task of bearing the weight of Raritys belongings. Sweetie Belle glanced around the cart and located the single suitcase that housed her toothbrush, tooth paste, hair brush, teddy bear, and a hat. She clasped the handle in her teeth and tossed the suitcase on top of the pile. The pile of bags and suitcases shuttered and swayed once then came to a rest. Sweetie Belle walked behind the cart and began struggling to push the cart toward the docks.
After several excruciating minutes she finally reached the front of the docks, just as the ship arrived and ponies began boarding.
"There you are Sweetie Belle," Rarity said as if she had completely forgotten Sweetie Belle had even existed.
Sweetie Belle trotted up beside her, huffing and puffing trying to catch her breath, "Yep...here...I am."
Finally aboard the ship heading to their destination, Sweetie Belle felt rather disappointed. She had hoped that the ship they were going to board had below decks, that way she could finally be warm. But, alas, here she was stood at the bow of the ship still in the cold. But now they were moving, so wind appeared to pick up speed and she felt colder than she did before, and to make matters worse the wind was making the waves choppy and she was beginning to feel sick. Hopefully they would reach there destination shortly, because this was almost unbearable. Sweetie tried not to focus on how cold and how ill she felt. She turned and faced the rear of the ship and watched at the slowly disappearing Manehattan. She sighed, she hoped that wherever they were going was worth giving up what she felt like was the only home she would ever have, not to mention all of her friends. Sweetie sighed again and laid her head on her hoof. Big mistake, lowering her head only seemed to make the rocking worse. She convulsed violently and heaved over the side of ship.
"For the love of Celestia," she cried bringing her head back up and wiping the sick from her mouth.
Suddenly, there was a rapid ringing of a bell and a stallion wearing a green pea jacket and a captains hat walked onto the deck and cleared his throat.
"Thar be our heading," the captain called in a booming voice.
Sweetie Belle rose her head up just enough to see what he was talking about, and her mouth fell agape. Just a few hundred feet ahead of the ship. Stood a large towering structure, Sweetie Belle guessed it was lighthouse by the rotating light resting on top. But why would a lighthouse be here, the closest land was probably several miles away. And better yet, why was this where they were heading. It was Sweeties understanding that their true heading was actually down. And as if the captain sensed everyponys confusion, which he probably did seeing as to how no one said a word, he began explaining the events that would unfold, "The lighthouse actually houses the transportation needed to reach Rapture, the purpose of it being a lighthouse is for the fact of being discreet."
That was the first time Sweetie Belle had heard the city used by it's actual name, most just called it utopia or the underwater city. Sweetie Belle left the side of the ship and stood at Raritys side, who appeared to be more confused and dumbfounded than she was. Rarity's mouth hung open and her eyes glistened with excitement, for some reason it sickened Sweetie Belle to see Rarity this awe struck over something.
"Rarity, close your mouth or bats could roost," Sweetie Belle said, with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
Rarity shook her head and rolled her eyes, but she knew she probably looked like a complete rube with her mouth hung agape, so she graciously closed it. Finally, the ship pulled up alongside the lighthouse and one of the crewman hopped off the boat onto the dock to tie it off. The rope grew taught and the ship lurched forward, knocking Sweetie Belle off balance. She slid and with a hard thud came to rest at the bow of the ship.
"If I never have to be on a ship again it will be too soon," she said picking herself up and relocating herself next to Rarity, who seemed to pay her no mind, "don't worry, I'm fine."
Once in side the lighthouse they got to see what would actually be taking them to Rapture. At the base of the lighthouse floated three round ballasts of some sort. The captain instructed them that they were called bathyspheres, basically a submarine but could reach depths that the submarine couldn't.
"Alright, there is enough room for ten of you in each bathysphere," the captain said splitting the crowd into three groups, "luckily too, now all of you can go down in one trip, saves time and fuel."
"But, what about you captain," somepony in the crowd spoke up.
"No, no," he said shaking his head, "I don't go down, I've never even been to Rapture. I'm just the transport from Manehattan to here."
Everypony seemed to gasp, a rock began to form in Sweetie Belles stomach.
"You mean we have to traverse to the bottom on our own," Sweetie Belle gulped, "none of us even know how to pilot these things."
The captain let out a chuckle, "don't you fret none sweetie, you don't need to pilot these things."
Sweetie Belles expression turned quizzical and she was sure everyone else's was to.
The captain caught this, "you see, the bathyspheres are control remotely, they are on a set path to and from the lighthouse. The from being to Rapture."
Everyone "oh'd" simultaneously. Sweetie Belle still had doubts, it made her worried even more knowing she had no control over her journey and how she got there. But, the captain didn't have an air about him that smelled as if ponies had died on this trip, so she supposed it was safe. This thought made the rock in her stomach subside, everything is going to be just fine. She thought this until she actually got into the bathysphere and it began to descend. Everything hit her at once, being completely submersed in water, in a confined space, and not knowing exactly where she was going. She suddenly felt woozy. She clasped onto Raritys leg and closed her eyes for comfort. Not only had the rock reformed in her stomach, it was now a boulder. All she wanted to do now was go back home on dry. But, she knew that she would just have to except the fact that there was no going back from here.