Crystal Prep’s cafeteria was as grandiose as the rest of the school, something not lost on Sugarcoat as she impatiently stood in line, her empty tray hanging limp from one hand – she couldn’t be bothered to carry the dead weight until it was ready to be useful. And what was with the line? Normally it flowed at a sluggish but reasonable pace, but now it was in complete standstill – some student at the registers was having trouble with their ID card’s magnetic strip. Sugarcoat had three running theories – it had been accidentally damaged in an experiment up in the advanced electromagnetic classes, it had been intentionally damaged by some school bullies, (something sadly present even in a superior school such as this, though their tactics tended to be more refined) or it had been appropriated at some point by her.
Regardless, the end result was that Sugarcoat was irrefutably bored, and unwilling to give up her spot in the line – somehow she knew it would start moving again the second she needed to go to the restroom. And so it was that the girl found herself glancing about the place; though she had long since grown used to it, her scouting trip to their soon-to-be rivals yesterday had given her a fresh perspective of Crystal Prep’s expensive and clearly superior furnishings. Canterlot High’s cafeteria had been small and bland, with an uncomfortably low ceiling and bathed in tones of beige and tan that became an eyesore in the glare of fluorescent strips. There were some windows looking out on the hall, but at any angle but straight-on, they turned oddly opaque, increasing the sense of claustrophobia even further.
By contrast, the room Sugarcoat now stood in was simply magnificent, perhaps better suited to a college or a palace than a mere High School, but the girl wasn’t about to complain. Instead of a tight, low rectangle, the place was an irregular hourglass shape, with a two-story vaulted ceiling. The west and east walls, the ‘top’ and ‘bottom’ of the hourglass, were almost completely made up of massive windows that looked into the courtyard and out over the fields behind the school, respectively. Meanwhile, the four inward-slanting walls that separated the lunch place from the rest of the school looked like highly polished marble versions of old-time storefronts, with canvas awnings over the hallway doors, and windows looking out over everyone from the second-floor classrooms. Finally, the tables, large and circular in contrast to CHS’s standard rectangles, were scattered almost randomly across the main floor. But there was a pattern to their placement, and several shaded lamps hung on long cables from the high ceiling to just above each table, giving each one a cozy, intimate feel. The whole room was in shades of blue and teal, making it feel almost like a cafe or romantic restaurant.
Sugarcoat’s train of thought was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder; the boy in thick glasses behind her gestured to the line, which was finally moving forward. Sugarcoat didn’t even bother to thank him, instead closing the gap with an imperious stride. Dignity and perfection were everything, second only to victory.
Once she had picked out her food, (If it could be called that. One area where she had to admit that CHS had the upper hand was in their menu – apparently half of the items had been homemade by the fat green lady behind the counter) the silver-haired girl strode over to her usual table, in the far corner by the east-facing windows. The others had already arrived; the four that called her their friend, and her.
The table itself had room for eight seats, and a wordless arrangement had been set up since the first day of school several years ago, that the five friends would stick to one side of the table, leaving her the opposing seat with the remaining two serving as a functional no-man’s-land between she and them. And it worked, too; somehow the huge amount of chatter Indigo Zap and Sour Sweet generated didn’t seem to bother her. She left them alone, and they all returned the favor.
It could get awkward as hell sometimes, but it was a good system.
Sugarcoat plopped down in the last open spot, looking at the foursome with her. Immediately to her left was Indigo Zap, a lean girl with golden eyes and her blue and red hair tied back in a ponytail. She was wearing a tank top and vest that showed off her muscular arms in a flagrant violation of Crystal Prep’s dress code, but thankfully this was one of the few elite schools Sugarcoat could think of that wasn’t too strict about that particular policy.
On the other side of Indigo was Sour Sweet, a petite pixie of a girl, and ironically the oldest of the whole group by at least four months. Her pink hair, streaked with an acidic shade of green, was done up in two bobs, giving her a somewhat foreign look. She was laughing loudly at something Indigo had just said, and was leaning close to her in a way that made Sugarcoat’s stomach twist and knot with frustration and no small dose of jealousy. The silver girl couldn’t watch any further, and so turned her attention to the two less active group members, aside from her.
Lemon Zest had already finished her tray and had her chin propped up on both hands, eyes closed and expression relaxed as Sunny Flare gently massaged her shoulders. It was almost surreal, how peaceful the yellow-haired girl looked; normally she had a sort of nervous energy about her, as though she had somewhere else she urgently needed to be at any given moment. Somehow, that mannerism never detracted from a sort of natural, unintentional grace and beauty that Sugarcoat respected and envied in equal measure; unlike Lemon, she had to work to look good. Yet both that paranoia and grace seemed set aside for the moment; Sugarcoat was struggling to process what she was seeing, so she instead turned her attention toward Sunny Flare.
The last member of their group of friends, Sunny was the last person one would expect to have such a name, with dark skin, purple and magenta hair tied into a short ponytail by a bright yellow bow, and a tendency to stare down at the ground when she wasn’t making doe eyes at Lemon Zest. She wasn’t exactly a quiet person -in fact, she was known to become extremely energetic and competitive in their physical education courses- but dealing with other people in a more conversational context seemed to make her act rather shy.
Sugarcoat herself… well, she lived up to her name. Her mother, a well-to-do working at city hall, had long taught her a cold, Machiavellian sort of philosophy that she still took to heart even after realizing the negative aspects associated with it. The four who considered her to be their friend didn’t even realize it, most likely – outwardly, she was chill and cool, a sort of big sister to them all, but inside… inside, she was cold and efficient, logical and perfect as she had been raised. She sometimes had flashes of silly emotion, ~~most often when she saw Sour Sweet overstepping her bounds where Indigo was concerned~~ but that didn’t mean anything important. Really. So in that way, she felt like she sugarcoated her own personality, acting nicer than she really was in order to get close to this group of girls she ~~liked~~ ~~loved like sisters~~ simply had a professional sort of respect for.
And finally, there was her. The teacher’s pet at a school for those of above average intellect, the loner recluse in a school full of the socially awkward, Twilight Sparkle wasn’t so much a friend or even acquaintance as someone who simply sat at their table every lunch period because all of the other spots were taken. She was intelligent and analytical in a way that would even put Sugarcoat’s mother to shame, yet she did not use that formidable mind for trite interpersonal politics. No, Twilight, with her enormous glasses and purple-and-pink hair up in a practical bun, was solely and entirely dedicated to learning and research – even along with her classes, there was some sort of project she was working on in her own time, though nobody had been curious enough to figure out what it really was.
Surprisingly, she also had a dog.
“So, Sugar,” Sour began, “What did you find out about the other school?”
“Well,” Sugarcoat began, leaning back in her seat and flashing the group her signature confident smirk. “They’re comparatively underprepared, for one thing. I mean, they have only half of their teams filled out yet; when I was there, a group of kids were just signing up for the Archery, Motocross, and Roller-Derby divisions. Meanwhile, we’ve just got three slots left.” There was a bump from the other side of the table, and Twilight muttered and cursed as her pencil left a streak across the page of notes she’d been writing. Nobody paid her any heed.
“So why exactly are we going against them anyway?” Indigo said, sounding almost sorry for their opponents. “Last I heard they took some sort of budget cut; people thought they’d be out of the draw for the games this year, yet now they’ve ended up hosting it. I hope that doesn’t get in the way – I want a challenge!”
Sunny Flare spoke up quietly, still focusing on kneading Lemon Zest’s back. “I heard the front of their school got blown up a few months ago, some sort of gas leak. Right during their homecoming party, too; it’s a miracle nobody got hurt.”
“What is the name of this other school?” Twilight asked, looking up sharply from her notes.
“Yeah, that would explain the bud… get. Wait, what?” Everyone turned suddenly towards Twilight in shock. While they’d heard her speak in class before, never once had they ever properly interacted with her, not in the three years they’d been at this school. She’d never shown any sort of interest in their conversations, and even on the few occasions when she’d needed more space for her papers, such things had been communicated through vague nonverbal gestures or passive-aggressive behavior. It was so strange that for several long moments, everyone gaped at her like fish as they struggled to comprehend what had just occurred.
“Uhhh…” Lemon Zest finally said in an admirable show of eloquence, “CHS. Canterlot High.”
“Right.” Twilight nodded to herself, looking oddly triumphant. “And are there any slots open yet for the games?”
“Three, yeah. One for Track, one for Tennis, and one for Archery. Why?” Sugarcoat supplied. Even she was utterly floored by this sudden development.
“Right then, thanks.” Twilight offered, then she was gathering up her books and papers. Within two minutes, she was off in the direction of the registry board.
“What was that all about?” Indigo asked. Nobody had an answer, nor did anyone give voice to the rising sensation of dread they were all feeling.
Applejack sighed with patient frustration as she took her place in line, holding her tray upright despite it being empty yet. The line usually moved at a sluggish but steady pace, but at the moment, it was at a complete standstill. One of the other students she'd seen around the school, a blonde with a grey shirt and a symbol of several bubbles, was having trouble finding her ID card. Again. So it was that Applejack resigned herself to waiting - she knew that the moment she had to go to the restroom, the line would start moving again. At least she was back on familiar ground. Applejack recalled this past Tuesday, when that silver-haired snob was being shown around, and shortly after she and her friends had signed up.
"Uh, Vice-Principal Luna?" Applejack asked, nervously standing in the doorway.
"Please, do sit - You are not in trouble, but I have something I wish to discuss with you." Applejack took the proffered seat, apprehension abated somewhat, and there was a moment of silence as Luna gathered her thoughts. "You are aware of the hosting rules for the Friendship Games, correct?" She didn't give Applejack a chance to respond. "A week prior to the beginning of the Games, each of the two schools send one of their students to visit the other school for a day. Officially, it is for the friendly exchange of ideas, but of course in reality it is so that each team can spy and gauge the competition."
Applejack had a sinking feeling she knew where this was going. "Why me? I'm an awful liar. I don't like it; it feels dishonest."
Luna nodded sagely. "That is exactly why we're sending you - we wouldn't ask you to spy, simply get to know the students of Crystal Prep and perhaps learn a bit from their style and way of thinking. My sister and I had a long talk and decided we wanted to approach the games in a more honest manner, even if the competition does not - And while we were unsure if you and the other Rainbooms were going to sign up..."
"Yeah, there was some stuff goin' on and it slipped our minds," Applejack admitted sheepishly. "But you were sayin'?"
"We picked you out as a potential candidate for this mission of candidness. Recent events have impressed upon us the need to show that victory can be achieved through honest means." Applejack nodded, mind going immediately to some of the school's recent upheaval. "I understand this is very short-term, as if you agree you will be visiting Crystal Prep the day after tomorrow, but we really do feel you are the best choice to go forward." Luna steepled her fingers and fixed Applejack with an expectant look. "Please make your decision and get back to us before school ends today."
Applejack knew she'd already decided. "Ah'm in. Now, how'm I goin' to get there?"
The line moved forward, and Applejack was brought back to reality as she quickly closed the gap again before resuming the waiting game. Eyes roaming about the cafeteria, she picked out the brightly-lit table where her five friends sat.
"Here, follow me," Lemon Zest said. The yellow-haired girl was Applejack's guide for today, a bubbly but somewhat jumpy-acting girl about her age. "The lunchroom is this way!" Applejack sighed in relief at this break - she wasn't nearly as stupid as some people assumed her to be, and the farm girl in fact got above-average grades in most of her classes, but she had to acknowledge her limitations, and a good half of the complex philosophies, mathematics, and other advanced subjects had been sailing right over her head all morning. It was frankly somewhat frustrating and embarrassing, so the respite from those negative feelings would be nice.
"Wow, don't you think this is a bit much?" was Applejack's first response to the lunchroom. "Fancy facility this place may be, but it's still just a high school. Er, no offense." Another thing about today - Applejack felt this diplomacy thing was not her forte.
Thankfully, the lemon girl simply waved a hand, even if her smile still looked forced. "Oh, it's not a problem. My friend Sugarcoat loves this place, but I agree it's kind of overwhelming." Despite herself, though, Applejack was also somewhat impressed by the visual splendor. With a conscious effort not to gawk, she put her head down and rushed to and through the food line. Once they had their meals, Lemon led her to a relatively brightly-lit table where her friends sat. Everyone had a strange look of apprehension as the guest sat down in one of the three unclaimed seats, but that was set aside as Lemon made introductions.
"I hear you're going to be in the Archery competition, right?" Asked a short pink-haired girl. "It'll be a pleasure facing off with you."
Applejack awkwardly shook her hand. "You seem to have a purdy good head on yer shoulders, too." The farmer offered. "I look forward to a clean, honest match." She instantly winced, realizing it could come off as passive-aggressive, but thankfully only Sugarcoat, the silver-haired snob they'd seen on Tuesday, seemed to take notice. At least Rainbow hadn't been sent; that gal likely would have ticked off even the most patient of them by second period.
"I have to say, Lemon," Applejack said, "Ya remind me of on of my friends; Rarity. She's a fashion designer, acts kind of hoity-toity, but she's really neat underneath all that. She said she likes bringing out beauty that's already there instead of forcing it on, or something like that."
Lemon smiled at her, clearly touched by the compliment. "Indeed, that is what I do as well, in a way. Whether I'm making lemonade, interior decorating, or solving complex logic problems, it's all about finding the underlying truth in something and putting out in the fore - adding some zest to the thing won't matter if it's irrelevant to what you're trying to bring out." She gave a slight wink, in response to which the quiet purple-haired girl cleared her throat. "I would very much like to meet this friend of yours."
At this, Applejack smirked a bit. "Oh, I imagine you will, in about a week. You said yer part of the Roller-Rerby group, right? Well, looks like she'll be facing off against ya." Lemon grinned in response, her own competitive spirit kicking in. Applejack turned back to Sour Sweet. "Speakin' of which, who's the other entrant to the Archery competition on your side?"
Strangely, the atmosphere at the entire table thickened up, tension palpable. "Why don't you ask her yourself?" Indigo Zap said, just in time for a massive notebook to slap down in the empty spot next to Applejack. Turning to the newcomer, the farmgirl had to clap a hand over her own mouth to keep from yelling.
"Hey, AJ? Are you... Okay?" Rainbow Dash waved a hand in Applejack's face, and the other girl realized she'd somehow filled her tray and sat down without realizing it.
"Uh, just fine, sugarcube." Applejack quickly set about eating, futilely attempting to stave off the curious stares she was getting.
"So what did you find out yesterday?" Sunset finally prompted, her classical impatience getting the better of her. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Not quite," Applejack relented. "It's just..." How to break the news? "I found the human version of Twilight. She's playin' against us in the games, and let's just say she's not quite as... er, well-adjusted as the Princess."
Everyone just stared, unsure how to react to this, let alone how to give voice to the rising sensation of dread they were all feeling.
