It didn’t seem possible, but, the Canterlot High cafeteria was even more crowded than the hallways. The massive room was packed. Tons of chattering students sat at the long white tables that were lined up in the center of the room. Everyone was just hanging out and seemed to be having a great time. Various school flags and posters hung high up on the walls, above the tall windows. Some of the signs said “GO, CHS!” and some had swirly gold writing that read “WONDERCOLTS.” The energy of the room reminded Twilight of a party in the big barn at Sweet Apple Acres, but, a lot shinier. And a lot noisier. Twilight spotted Fauna and got behind her in the lunch line. It was still a little awkward using her “hands,” so balancing her lunch tray was no small task. She followed close behind Fauna, hoping to blend in. It seemed to be working so far. Fauna handed her tray to the lunch lady, who scooped a big glob of unidentified orange food onto her plate. When Twilight handed hers over, she nearly dropped it because the lunch lady looked so much like Applejack’s grandmother, Granny Smith. Chances were that it was the Granny Smith native to that world. The thought of this made Twilight wonder if all she knew in Equestria had a human counterpart. She quickly shook those thoughts from her head.

“Fauna?” Twilight said as they went to their table. “I’ve decided to run for princess of the Fall Formal and I was wondering if you might be able to help—”

Fauna’s jaw dropped and so did her fruit cup. Juice splattered everywhere, including all over Twilight’s purple skirt. Fauna scrambled to look for a napkin. Luckily, Granny Smith tossed her a dishrag.

“Oh, gosh. Sorry!” Fauna whimpered. “It’s just that running for Fall Formal princess is a really, really, really bad idea.”

“Why?” asked Twilight, trying to dab some juice off her skirt.

“You seem really nice and I really appreciate you standing up for me earlier.…” Fauna seemed hesitant to break the news. She looked around the cafeteria and lowered her voice. “But, Susan Shoichet wants to be Fall Formal princess. And when she wants something, she gets it.” The two girls took their trays to one of the long tables and sat down. “She’ll make life miserable for anyone who stands in her way!” Fauna took a tiny bite of the orange glop on her plate and made a face. It must have tasted pretty awful.

“Well, I have to try,” said Twilight, determined. She appreciated Fauna’s concern, but, Fauna didn’t really know what was at stake here for Equestria. There was no way she could have, seeing as she knew nothing about the pony world and its inhabitants.

“But, you’d have to persuade all the groups to vote for you instead of her,” explained Fauna. She motioned to the other tables, each one filled with a different category of students. Twilight soon learned that there were a bunch of different cliques at Canterlot High School. On one side of the cafeteria sat a table of athletes all tossing a ball to one another. Roxy was among them. Nearby, the fashionistas were all reading magazines and applying brightly colored makeup. And next to them was the table Fauna called the “dramas”—they all seemed to be reading lines from some sort of play. The other side of the cafeteria had even more groups, including the eco kids, the techies, and the rockers. Twilight stared at the rocker table, specifically at the blue-haired boy who’d helped her in the hallway. He was strumming a red electric guitar and looking out the window dreamily. He looked kind of cute. For a weird two-legged animal, Twilight thought, smirking.

“Why is everypony—I mean, everybody separated this way?” Twilight pondered aloud.

Fauna took notice of something Twilight said. “You just said everypony,” she commented. “I had a friend who sometimes used that.”

Twilight blinked. “Oh uh… you did?!”

“Yes,” Fauna admitted. “Sally Shoichet, Susan’s twin sister. Though, Sally kept insisting that she be called Sunset Shimmer.”

Twilight gasped quietly. “I see…” She figured this was as good a time to ask. “Where is she now?”

“To be honest,” Fauna admitted. “Nobody really knows. A little over a year ago, she stopped coming to school and nobody’s seen or heard from her since.”

“Oh…” sighed Twilight.

“We tried texting, calling, emails, and even messages on social media,” Fauna lamented. “But, she hasn’t responded on any of them.”

Twilight gave a small nod, even if she didn’t understand what any of those things were. “I’m sorry…” Then, a thought occurred to her. “Have you tried going to where she lives?”

“She never told us where she lives,” Fauna admitted. “It’s a real shame because I miss seeing her little pet bird, Phoebe.”

Twilight smiled to herself. Just like Fluttershy. “Anyway, you haven’t answered why everybody was separated.”

Fauna sighed. “At CHS, everybody sticks to their own kind. The only thing they have in common is that they know Susan Shoichet is going to rule this school until most of us graduate.”

Twilight frowned. “Not if I can help it!” she said before she leaned down to her tray and bit into an apple just as she would have back home in Ponyville. She didn’t even realize she was still trying to eat like a pony until Fauna made a weird face. She was going to have to be more careful not to act like her old self from now on. Twilight wanted to impress the population of Canterlot High, not scare them. Twilight removed the apple from her teeth and gave an embarrassed chuckle. “So, um, where would I find the head of the Party Planning Committee?”

After lunch, Twilight and Spike walked into the school’s gymnasium. There were a few decorations strewn about here and there, including streamers, balloons, and confetti. Fauna herself refused to go along with them. Luckily, they were able to follow the map she gave them.

“Fauna said that we’d find her in here,” Twilight said to Spike.

“INCOMING~!” yelled an excited voice from across the gymnasium. At that moment, a barrage of multiple colored streamers cascaded over the two purple visitors. When they shook off some of the streamers, they noticed who caused it. There, tossing confetti all over the place, was a girl with soft pink skin, poofy magenta hair, a short sleeved blue jacket over a white shirt with a pink heart, a pink skirt with a light purple bow around her waist, and long blue boots. This girl, unlike the others they interacted with up to that point, had a round potbelly that her shirt clearly couldn’t cover as it failed to reach her belly button.* She then removed a yellow balloon that was on her skirt and blew into it as if it was a regular balloon. They could tell right away that this was the Pinkie Pie of this new world.

“Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked in surprise. That caught the pink girl’s attention.

“Are you psychic?!” the girl, Pinkie, asked in surprise.

Twilight didn’t know what to say in response. “I… just made a lucky guess is all,” was all she managed to say.

“It sure was a lucky guess,” Pinkie smiled, her tone softening. “So, what brings you in here?”

“Well,” Twilight said. “My name’s Twilight Sparkle and no, it’s not a nickname.”

“Nice to meetcha, Twilight,” Pinkie said in a friendly, welcoming manner. “Had I known that CHS would be getting a new student today, I would have been there to give you the official Canterlot Wondercolts Welcome.”

“Anyway,” Twilight continued. “Fauna said this is where I’d find the head of the Fall Formal Planning Committee. Since you’re the only one here, I assume that’s you.”

At Twilight’s mention of Fauna’s name, Pinkie suddenly had an annoyed look on her face. “Fauna, huh? Well, she was right about me being the head of the Fall Formal Party Planning Committee, but, you shouldn’t put all of your trust in her. She may appear all shy and cute, but, she can be a real meanie when she wants to be.”

Twilight could hardly believe her ears. A version of Pinkie and Fauna that weren’t getting along? Sure, the ones she knew had their disagreements, but, not to that extent. “Aren’t you two friends?” she asked. Pinkie let go of the balloon in her hand and it flew through the air in a pitiful loop.

“Not since Sally disappeared,” Pinkie sighed.

“Oh, dear,” Twilight said sadly. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“But, enough about me and my friendship disagreements,” Pinkie said, regaining her cheerful composure. “With you being new to school, I’m not surprised that you would wait a bit to get your name on the ballot, because the dance is the day after tomorrow. Although, now that I’m really looking at you face to face… do you have a twin sister who lives in the city and has a pet dog that looks just like that one?”**

“I have an older brother, but, no sister,” Twilight answered.

“Ah, okay,” Pinkie shrugged. “Figured I’d ask. Anywho, you just need to sign here and you’ll be up for the coveted Princess of the Fall Formal Crown.” She then fished out a clipboard with a slip of paper from her hair and also dug out a pen. Twilight awkwardly scrawled her name on the sheet, trying her best to use her hand. She began to miss the convenience of magic, which she had more practice with. Pinkie looked at the sheet. “What’s this? Dancing weasels?”***

“Uh,” Twilight said with a sheepish chuckle. “I just wasn’t used to that style of pen.” She then noticed a somewhat sad expression on Pinkie’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“Sally had handwriting like that,” Pinkie answered. “It took her a year to write something legible.”

Twilight comforted Pinkie. “I know what that’s like, being separated from someone you really care about. But, if I’m able to find her, I’m hoping to convince her to come back and see you.”

“Someone order a dozen cases o’ fizzy apple juice?” called a familiar voice.

“I did, over here!” Pinkie said happily.

Entering the gymnasium with a crate of cider bottles was a young woman with light orange skin, long blond hair fastened in a low ponytail, a brown stetson on her head, a white and green-accented western style blouse tied at the bottom to expose her midriff, a pair of blue denim daisy dukes, and brown boots with red apples.****

“Here ya go, Pinkie,” the young woman said.

“Thanks, Ashleigh,” Pinkie said. “Is Mack coming with the rest?”

“Eeyup,” replied a male voice as he entered the gym. The voice belonged to an older male student. His skin was a dark shade of pink with freckles on his cheeks, his hair was a scruffy yellowish-orange, an open red shirt with brown accents, a white shirt underneath, blue jeans, and red and white sneakers. Twilight and Spike recognized him as Big McIntosh’s human counterpart.

At that point, Ashleigh noticed Twilight.

“Hey, ah think ah know o’ ya,” she said. “Yer the new girl what stood up ta Susan Shoichet taday in the hall.”

“You’ll hear about her for another reason,” Pinkie said. “Twilight is going to be running against Susan for Fall Formal Princess.”

“What?!” Ashleigh interjected. “That’s crazy! She don’t play nice. Ah just couldn’t believe how different she n’ Sally are when they’re twin sisters. Still, the only gal at this school ya can trust less ‘n Susan Shoichet is Roxy Dodgers.”

“I met her earlier today,” Twilight said. “She was pretty crude, but, she didn’t seem to be all that untrustworthy.”

“Believe me, she is,” Ashleigh said. “She may be the captain o’ almost every sports team here, but, she’s also the kind ta say she’ll do somethin’ fer ya, but, then she’ll turn ‘round n’ not even bother ta show up.”

Twilight wasn’t liking this situation so far. She knew Applejack and Rainbow could have their arguments (she witnessed and broke up at least one herself), but, the human Applejack not trusting the human Rainbow to that extent?

“I do understand where you're coming from with this,” Twilight said soothingly. “And I understand why you’d be concerned about me running against Susan. But, please trust me when I say that this is something I need to do, Applejack.”

That caught Ashleigh’s attention. “Applejack, huh?” she said with a hint of nostalgia. “Ah ain’t been called that since Sally up n’ disappeared.”

“I’m hoping to figure out more about her,” Twilight said. “Maybe see if I can convince her to come back and see you, too. Anyway, thanks for your help.”

“No problem there,” Ashleigh said. “N’ if’n ya can find n’ convince Sally, good luck ta ya.”

“Though, we’re not sure you’ll be able to,” Pinkie said. “We tried reaching out to her for a good long while.***** Although, it might work differently for you because you’re psychic.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Twilight said. She and Spike then left the gym. After they left, Susan walked in. Standing next to her were two freshman boys. One boy had teal skin, messy gamboge hair, a pair of noticeable buck teeth, wearing a black t-shirt with a pair of scissors on the front, dark blue jeans, and green sneakers. The other boy had yellowish-tan skin, teal hair, noticeably big ears, a green sweater with a purple and pink snail over his heart, light khaki pants, and red sneakers.

“This looks like sh*t!” she complained. “There should be more streamers near the stage and fewer balloons.” She walked up to one of the balloons and effortlessly popped one. She then sampled some of the apple juice before spitting it out. “Ugh! This tastes like ass!”

“How much ass have you eaten?” asked the taller boy.

“None?” Susan replied with confusion.

“Then, how do you know what it tastes like?” asked the smaller boy.

“F*ck you!” Susan snapped. “It’s a metaphor!”******

“Hey~!” Pinkie said. “I’m just one girl decorating. I wish I had more volunteers, though.”

“Like anyone could tolerate working with a chatterbox spaz like you,” Susan said. Pinkie couldn’t help but feel hurt from Susan’s remark. She then waltzed over to the crates of fizzy apple juice that Ashleigh and Mack brought in. “Fizzy apple juice? Gag! This is my coronation, not a hillbilly hell hoedown.”

“Y’all better take that back, bitch,” Ashleigh warned.

“I would,” Susan smirked. “If I wasn’t wrong~. Don’t you simpleminded country folk understand the big picture? That must be why the other students say such awful things about you being inbred hicks.” She pulled Ashleigh’s hat over her face. Ashleigh growled in annoyance. “Of course it’s my coronation. Like the last few years, I’m running unopposed.”

“Check the ballots and guess again,” Pinkie said.

“Bitch, say what?” Susan asked. She snatched the clipboard away from Pinkie and looked at it. Recognizing the scribbles on the ballot, she suddenly developed an angry twitch in her eye. “Where is that new girl?” she said coldly.

“I don’t know,” Pinkie said. “I’m just the decorator.”

“N’ even if we did know where she was,” Ashleigh said sternly. “Yer just goin’ ta give her trouble.”

“Fine,” Susan said. “I don’t need the help of some bumpkin slut, anyway.” Susan then stormed out of the gym with Skip and Sheldon following behind her. “This one’s on me, boys. Stay here.”

Author's Note

Here's the next chapter.

*Personal headcanon.

**FORESHADOWING!!!

***CANDACE: MOM! Phineas and Ferb are getting another reference on an internet fanfiction!

LINDA: Candace, the show's over. You don't have to get into character anymore.

****Yet another personal headcanon.

*****A realistic point.

******The proceeding joke originates from here.

Comments? Questions? Thoughts? You know where to leave them.