The Best Years of Our Lives

by Ishan16D

Summer's End

Author's Note:

Hey guys! If you are reading this then I am glad you've decided to check out my story! I really hope you enjoy the first chapter!

As for further chapters, I am a college student and it is two weeks before my finals begin so I may be a bit busy. I really wanted to get this out to start it off though because I know the longer I put it off the less likely I was to even begin. I will hopefully have the second chapter out in the next two weeks before my finals actually start! Then I won't likely be able to do any work on this until I'm done with the semester on May 5th. When summer starts I will hopefully be able to settle down into a stable schedule.

Once again thank you for checking this out and I hope you like it! Feel free to DM me any thoughts you have (about content, formatting, anything) or hmu via my facebook link or email!

Summer’s End

The warm September sun beat down on the street, absorbed and amplified by the black asphalt and concrete buildings. In the background Canterlot City hummed to life as cars raced up and down in front of Sunset’s apartment building. The incessant vehicles played a cacophonous background track which every city dweller knew all too well. Sunset nestled further into the hammock on her apartment's porch and pulled down her visor to block out the sun. On the side table next to her was a critical water bottle to avoid heatstroke as well a fantasy novel for light reading. She was trying her best not to fall asleep, but Rarity and the other girls were almost thirty minutes late to pick her up not to mention the environment being perfect to nap. They were going into the city to do some last minute shopping for their dorms as move in for Manehattan University was this weekend. Sunset was definitely excited to finish planning her room, but she was nowhere near her friend’s level. Rarity had already made an entire set for her own room from scratch and with the excess materials she was able to create items for the rest of the girls as well. Sunset and the others were content to select from what the department stores had put together, but she at least had a hand made blanket from Rarity to build around.

The group had just gotten their dorm assignments and the excitement about their next chapter was running high. The way the dorms worked was that incoming first years chose a roommate and the pair was then matched with another roommate pair in a four person suite. Since the friends couldn’t possibly split themselves up on their own, Twilight developed a random system to assign them in two’s. Sunset chuckled to herself, of course Twilight would come up with a complex formula to sort them when a simple drawing of straws would work. That’s what AJ suggested, but Twi swore her method was the best so they went with it. The one problem was that pairing up inevitably left one of their seven out, so Sunset volunteered to be assigned randomly. She didn’t really mind too much and was looking forward to being able to meet new people. She loved her friends like no other, but was excited to meet the two thousand other students in their first year class. Because she went randomly she wouldn’t know who she was living with until the day before move in. For the others, the formula paired up Rarity with Pinkie, Twilight with Fluttershy, and AJ with Rainbow Dash. Rarity and Pinkie would no doubt be an extravagant duo compared to the room with Fluttershy and Twilight, but the latter would likely be nice and peaceful. Sunset could definitely see AJ and Rainbow getting a bit competitive living together, but they’d been through enough to not let that get in the way of their friendship. Despite not living with any of her friends next year, Sunset at least knew that she would be in Hoovesworth, the oldest dorm on campus, along with Twilight and Fluttershy. She was glad that she and Twi would be in the same building. They had grown really close the past two years since she transferred from Crystal Prep and Sunset really enjoyed having someone she could take under her wing and mentor just as the Equestrian Twilight had once done for her.

She couldn’t help but smile thinking back on everything the group had been through at Canterlot High but part of her was looking forward to new adventures- ones that would possibly be magic free. Sunset knew that was essentially setting herself up and knocked on the balcony’s wooden side table for good measure. Manehattan was a five hour drive up the coast from Canterlot and the vibrant city would be a completely original experience for all of them. It was going to be just perfect. Sunset was taken from her daydreaming by the buzzing of her phone as Rarity’s face popped up on the screen. She quickly accepted the call and put it on speaker, a bit reluctant to lift her head as she was now very comfortable in the hammock.

“We’re here!” Rarity’s voice boomed from the phone. Sunset peered over the balcony to see the bright white SUV parked on the street.

“I’m on my way down,” Sunset responded quickly. “Give me a minute I’ll be right there!” She quickly closed the call and gingerly lifted herself up. It was a beautiful day and the beaming sun filled her with energy as she stretched out her muscles. Her white tank top really glowed in the light as she took in the rays. Sunset then glided through her apartment, grabbing her purse and sunglasses on the way out. The apartment was rather nice for the price she got it, which was pretty cheap as she was rather low on funds after she first crossed over to this world. All she had were the gems she brought with her, which could only be pawned for so much. She was able to afford this one bedroom flat though and after finding a job as a waitress after a month she began making it her own. Now, after a few years of living here it had a rather homey feel. It was still so weird to think that in just three short days she would be moving out and having to completely resettle in a dorm with three completely new people. She decided to cross that bridge when she got there though and let the excitement overshadow any anxiety she had about the change. After locking the door behind her, she made her way down the hall to the elevator. The walls were painted a deep violet, which always gave the walks to and from her home a very regal feel. She was definitely going to miss it.

The short amount of time indoors was enough acclimate her eyes to the lighting as the sun was blinding when she walked out of the ground floor of the building. Sunset put on her sunglasses and looked around for the car, which was no longer where it was. She pulled out her phone to try to call Rarity again, but just as she opened up the app Rarity’s car came cruising back down the street. Sunset put the phone back in her pocket and started walking over to the car. Pinkie waved out to her and she smiled back. The middle door slid open as she reached to grab it and the smiling faces of her friends were there to greet her. After classes ended, they no longer saw each other every day so when they could meet it was more meaningful. That was something she knew would be important when college started, but it was something else she’d rather not think too much about at the moment. Rarity was in the driver's seat as per usual since she was the only with a car big enough for the whole group. Pinkie Pie took shotgun and the others had filed into the back seats. There were two open seats though, Applejack was missing.

“Hey girls!” Sunset said as she settled herself in the seat next to Twilight. “Where’s AJ?” Rainbow was the first to respond, leaning forward from behind Twilight on the far left of the car.

“Something came up on the farm. Apparently Big Mac is sick this week and the work has been piling up.” Rainbow didn’t seem too interested as she was also swiping away her phone, deeply invested in the game she was playing.

“It’s going to really tough for her in Manehattan” Fluttershy chimed in. “Not being able to help out on the farm.” Sunset nodded in agreement.

“Sorry I had to make an extra loop before getting you darling.” Rarity added, focused on driving as she had started down the road again. “ I had no idea there was a fire lane outside your apartment. The police officer came by and me move the car. Can you believe him? So rude.”

“That’s fine! I took some extra time getting down so you came back just in time.” Rarity took the windows down to let some breeze in as they went careening down the street. Sunset clung to the seat in front of her as Rarity weaved between lanes. She wasn’t the best driver, but the only one of their group with a car big enough to fit all of them. The rest of the drive from her apartment to the mall wasn’t too far, only fifteen or so minutes, and Sunset could have called a Lyft, but they thought it would be fun to all go together and she couldn’t disagree. Before she even knew it the ride had gone by in a flash. Rarity took a swift left into the parking deck, the sharpness of the turn almost scaring the life out Sunset and earning a scream Fluttershy.

“Ah, I had to make it in before that car in front. Sorry, but you never do know if they’re trying to steal your parking spot.” Sunset couldn’t see her face but she could picture her smile. Rarity may be proper on the outside, but Sunset knew she liked a touch of thrill in her life. Rainbow was definitely the most aggressive driver which should surprise no one. Sunset thought she was pretty good herself, but once they got to Manehattan a well loaded subway pass would be sufficient to get anywhere. The girls were making small talk as they walked up the stairs from the deck to the mall’s entrance. Sunset wanted to be a part of their conversations, but she couldn’t seem to escape her thoughts. She was really excited for college, but couldn’t quite halt her new sense of apprehension. The more the ideas bounced around in her head the more anxious she grew. It was going to be so different from anything she had done before. Back in Equestria while she was still Celestia’s pupil she spent all her time studying and basking in the Princess’s undivided attention. After coming to the human world she had made her mistakes , but with the help of the Equestrian Twilight and her Sunset’s new group of friends she was able to overcome the external manifestation of her inner demons. The next few years were full of magical escapades and their lives seemed to always be rather lively. College was going to be completely different than all of that. Each of them would be joining their own clubs, making their own friends, and forging their own paths. Sunset wasn’t quite sure she was ready for that yet. Their group of friends was so tightly knit and she couldn’t even imagine what it was going to be like if they began to move apart. As with her other fears she desperately tried to push them to the back of her mind and let the excitement cover them up but it was becoming increasingly difficult. At this point Sunset was lagging a few yards behind the other girls walking through the mall’s food court, her furrowed eyebrows and lagging pace visibly reflecting her inner dialogue and anxiety. Fluttershy was the first to notice and slowed down to match Sunset.

“Is something wrong Sunset? You seem a bit distracted today.” Fluttershy put her hand on her shoulder and smiled. When Fluttershy smiled at her it was almost impossible for Sunset not to reciprocate.

“No, don’t worry Fluttershy, everything is fine! I.. I just can’t wait for this weekend! It’s going to be really exciting!” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but Sunset still grew a bit uneasy as she hated lying to her friends, especially to Fluttershy. She didn’t seem convinced, but she nodded her head in agreement and Sunset along with Fluttershy sped up to rejoin the group.

“Sunset you ~must~ check this out!” Rarity called out to her from just inside an interesting looking art store. Sunset followed her in and Rarity beckoned to a tapestry hanging from the wall. “I feel as it is a sunset it may be a bit on the nose, but I think the colors perfectly match the blanket I made for you!” It immediately caught her eye it’s beauty was captivating. She ran her hands across the soft fabric and was immediately immersed into the watercolor scene intricately woven upon it. The artwork depicted a lush forested valley with a deep blue river running down the middle. The cool environment directly contrasted the stunning sunset, which seemed to slowly sink down into the valley from the darkening sky. Rarity was right, it was incredible. Just gazing upon it seemed to bring Sunset’s fears to a peace in the moment.

“Helloo! Earth to Sunset Shimmer!” Pinkie pulled her from her daydreaming before Sunset could truly slip into the tapestry.

“I take it I should call an employee over to get it down?” Rarity grinned smugly. Sunset nodded in agreement, looking back around at her friends- each budding with excitement and bouncing around the store. She smiled and closed her eyes. Everything was going to be fine. She just needed to focus on the positives, starting with her friends. No matter what Manehattan University had in store for them, she knew that they had what it takes to face it head on.

In just three short days, their future would begin and Sunset couldn’t wait.

Comments

[RainbowSparkle3]

Nice story so far, the only problem is that there are a few spelling and grammar mistakes. Otherwise, it's all great.