//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Shining Example // Story: Thomas & Equestria Girls: Welcome to Canterlot High // by LPFanFic //------------------------------// Thomas & Equestria Girls Welcome To Canterlot High Chapter 6: Shining Example He didn't know what to expect going into the classroom. Its not as though he's ever been in a classroom before and knows what to do in one. The only thing Thomas could really accomplish is letting the moment carry him through and hope for the best. Otherwise, if Thomas went around trying to act like he knew what he's doing when really, he'd just look more out of place than he already did, it wouldn't work out well for Thomas. He needs to find Lady and Canterlot High was the only lead he had. He'll have to learn how to play by the rules if he ever wants to get anywhere near close to finding out where Lady might've turned up. Thomas entered the room and found a full class of teens seated at their assigned desks chattering away with each other. As he looked around examining the classroom, he began feeling a little light headed. Thomas had never felt a dizziness quite like this. Worst still, his stomach began curling up when he took note of the people he didn't recognize in the room; no one that he couldn't see passed his glistening vision. He wasn't sick, but perhaps it was one of many internal feelings Thomas never felt before; a combination of fear, anticipation, and the general nervousness when one enters a new environment with complete strangers. But only Thomas was the stranger in this school. Thomas tried to wash out all these feelings and stepped further into the class. The teacher was sitting at his desk writing some notes. He turned to face Thomas shutting the door behind him and walking into the classroom. "You're late," the teacher said, sternly. Thomas felt dismayed. He didn't like being late for anything; even if it was for something he wasn't really meant to be on time for. Already Thomas felt he wasn't on the right track to fitting in to high school. "I'm sorry. I was lost and Principal Celestia had to help me find this class." The old teacher sighed. "Very well. I'm Mr. Cranky Doodle, and in this class we're learning Geography." Thomas nearly snickered when he heard the teacher say his name. Instead, he contrasted his response and flinched a little smirk to disguise it as enthusiasm. He was already well aware of the odd names at Canterlot, but this one might almost take the cake. Cranky Doodle pointed to an empty seat close to the back door of the class. "Have a seat over there. We're about to begin." Thomas approached the estranged desk as if it was some wild animal. He quickly glanced over how everyone else was seated and tried mimicking their way of sitting, settling down on the chair only to ineptly place himself on the desk much like how a doll would be positioned. Luckily, he wasn't drawing too much attention, as some of the students were mostly talking to one another or playing on little devices while Mr. Cranky Doodle filed some papers on his desk. A few noticed Thomas struggling to sit in his seat however and laughed amongst each other over the silly little boy. Thomas felt embarrassed after finally finding a suitable position to his liking that was similar to the rest of the students. He was already off to a pretty rocky start. Cranky Doodle got up from his desk and stood in front of the class. All the student suddenly stopped talking and payed attention to their teacher. Thomas wasn't sure what was going to happen next as The teacher began his lecture. "Today we'll be talking about the many historical landmarks that shaped our town's history as well as their significance and background," But as Cranky Doodle went on, Thomas couldn't bother to pay any attention to what's being said. He was too worried about Lady. A clock hung above the door Thomas entered through with the small hand pointed at the 2 and the larger hand pointed at 12. He couldn't help but stare at the clock checking the time every five minutes or so while trying to appear as though he's paying attention after Cranky Doodle nearly caught on to his pattern. It wasn't apparent to Thomas how long he would actually be here. For all he knew, this could go on for a good hour, or almost a day even. The only thing he knew was that once this class was finished, he could go and continue his search. Each ticking of the clock felt like it was getting louder, reminding him that time is passing at a rate that wouldn't speed up any faster than he wanted. Thomas began wondering if he should try and leave early. However, he refrained from doing so every time he tried plucking up courage to walk out or ask to be dismissed. He felt it wasn't right to leave his class early. Thomas knew he had to stick it out until the next bell rang. So, he did. He tried paying attention to what Cranky Doodle was teaching in order to get a sense of what the people of this world learn from their schools. So far, he barely understood it. There were modern terms and name drops of specific locations that where unique to their local and unfamiliar to Thomas. Despite this, he tried his best to understand as much as he could in hopes to at least learn more about the world he's in. At long last, the bell ranged and the students were dismissed from class for the day. Thomas was the first one who got up, nearly tripping over himself, and rushed out the door. As Thomas walked through the door and out onto the school hallway, he took in a sigh of relief from all the stress building inside him and strolled down the hall. Thomas was sure of himself Lady was at this school somewhere. He thought if Lady also ended up in this world she could be going to Canterlot High as well. His mission was now back on schedule. At this time Canterlot High was pretty much over and the students could go home now that classes were finished. There were some teens however that stayed after school to participate in extra curricular activates such as sporting events, music practices, club meetings, and social gatherings for various recreational purposes. The school wasn't as crowded now as it was when Thomas got caught in the sea of people going to their other classes earlier. Most students have gone home and the ones that stayed behind were already settled in for their after-school activities. While keeping an eye out for anyone possibly resembling Lady, Thomas passed by some of these students participating in their many hobbies and made a note to familiarize himself with his surroundings and the people in it. And just like what Principle Celestia said, Thomas was getting his first glimpse of what Canterlot High had in store. One group he saw had instruments such as guitars and drum sticks. A teen boy with blue hair carrying a red guitar was experimenting with different tones by playing consistent riffs while another boy with a purple guitar played along. Thomas had never seen or heard a guitar before. While at first this strange noise was a bit irritating due to never being exposed to such a bizarre sound, Thomas found it rather fascinating the more the blue haired boy got in tune with his guitar and played the melodies smoothly. He couldn't see anyone amongst the group resembling Lady though, so he kept on walking. Continuing passed the main hall, Thomas runs in to another group of students playing music, only this time it was only one person making the sounds. A girl wearing purple opaque glasses and a set of aqua headphones with a music note on both sides sat on a flight of stairs and jammed on a DJ control console plugged into some small speakers. She was playing another tone of music Thomas didn't recognize and found to be a bit too loud. He didn't mind it too much though as the beat of this strange music felt lively and exciting. Three other girls were dancing to her music. One of these girls had long red hair and a pink bow, another with long hair but pink and purple with a magenta headband, and one with short, darker purple hair. The three girls were having a great time dancing to her music playing on DJ mixer. None of these girls looked like Lady either though. Thomas smiled as he walked by the four girls having fun and went on with his business. After wondering around and passing by groups of students painting school banners while playing bongos and students leaning on and talking near lockers, Thomas felt as though he was beginning to understand Canterlot High a lot more. He was no where near close to finding Lady, who he had a hard time picturing being involved with any of these groups. It was a wonder if Lady was even in Canterlot High at all. Thomas still continued his search for her however, knowing there was probably more to the school than what he's seeing. As he went down another hallway, Thomas was startled by the next teen he encountered. Sitting at a booth was a teen girl with pale blond hair, light grey skin, and yellow eyes. She wore a blue, rolled up sleeve shirt with a yellow tie, a green skirt, and socks with sandals. He realized the girl's eyes were also wonky and crooked. The girl sat on her chair behind the booth, blinking and smiling at Thomas. Not knowing what to say, Thomas politely waved and said hello. The unusual girl just stared at him still while Thomas uncomfortably grinned back at her. She then handed him a muffin. Thomas stared at the muffin then back at the girl, waiting for him to take it. He chuckled awkwardly before hesitantly accepting it. "Thank you!" He said, politely. But the girl then pointed at a sign displayed on her booth that read, 'Muffin Bake Sale. Money towards rebuilding Camp Everfree'. It briefly took Thomas a few seconds to realize he had to give her money for the muffin. Panicking a little, Thomas searched all over him for any kind of currency that he may be carrying, looking rather silly while checking every surface of his clothing. Thomas never had to use money before and didn't know where he would keep them. He checked under both sides of his sweater, pants pockets and sleeves. Trying to check his shoes, Thomas balanced on one leg while checking the other for any money. The girl quietly giggled to herself watching this strange boy look for money in places people wouldn't carry on them. He didn't have any on him at all and therefore was unable to pay for the muffin. "I'm sorry. I don't think I can accept this," Thomas said, earnestly. Disheartened, The girl hunched her shoulders. Thomas could see she was upset and wished he could do something to cheer her up. But not only did he have no idea where to find money, he was still on a very important mission that he needed to get back to. "I really am sorry." The girl looked at him. Thomas nervously glances down both hallways to his left and right then back at her again. "I'll just leave this here." He places the muffin on the table and begins pushing it to the girl only for her to push it back. "You can keep it," she said. "I like you." Thomas was perplexed. Then another student came up to the booth. This time it was someone he recognized. It was the girl he ran into earlier when he entered the school. Thomas smiled. He was happy to see her again. "Hey, Derpy. How's the muffin sale going?" She looks over to Thomas and recognized him as well. "Oh hey, I've been looking for you." "You have?" "Principal Celestia asked me to show you around CHS. I'm your official tour guide for today." "Really? Oh, right. Thanks, that's very nice of you." "I do my best to help out however I can," she beamed. "So what's up?" Then she noted the muffin on the table and Thomas looking abashed. "I can't buy the muffin," Thomas said, sheepishly. The girl gave him a friendly smirk. Then she reached for her bag, searched through and pulled out some change. "I'll have one too." She handed Derpy the money. Derpy gave her a muffin and Thomas grabbed his. "You didn't have to do that," Thomas said, gratefully. "I wanted to," She beamed again, "Anyway I can make a new student feel welcomed is always a pleasure." Thomas looked at the muffin then back at her, smiling with gratitude. "Besides, its for a good cause. So, wanna start the tour now?" "Sure!" Both teens walked off down the hall. Before getting far, Thomas spun back and faced Derpy. "Thank you for the muffins," he waved. Derpy waved back until they made a turn down the next hall. "Hey, so, I didn't catch your name earlier," The girl said. "My name is Thomas." The girl was puzzled by his name. Though Thomas thought the names people had in this world were bizarre enough, it wasn't common for her to meet someone with a straight forward name such as his. Never the less, she was fond of it. She figured it must be a name that was common where Thomas comes from. "Nice to meet you, Thomas. I'm Sunset Shimmer." Thomas panned to her, "You're Sunset Shimmer?" The two stopped walking as Sunset came to a halt. "Wait, you know who I am?" She asked, anxiously. "Yeah! I saw your name in the trophy case. You won a lot of awards for that school dance thingy." Sunset shamefully turned away form Thomas trying not to face him. There was a time were Sunset Shimmer wasn't always the friendly teen Thomas saw before him now. Her reward for the Fall Formal was a cruel reminder of that. Long ago, Sunset was the most well known and popular girl in Canterlot High, but not for good reasons. She was a bossy bully and told others what to do in accordance to her liking. Nobody objected or told her enough was enough; those that did soon regretted crossing her path. She ruled Canterlot with an iron fist. And because nobody could compete or stand in her way, she won every Princess of the Fall Formal competition every year in a row. When she started being nice to everyone though, it took a very long time for people to forgive Sunset for her actions. Her reputation was almost inescapable. People only knew Sunset Shimmer as the bad girl everyone loved to hate. Now Thomas was aware of her involvement in the Fall Formal and was frightened he'd also learned about the things she did that won her the crown. She couldn't face him knowing if he found out about her past. "Everyone here must really like you If you're able to win that many awards. As much as I try on a regular basis, I don't think I could ever keep up with a reputation quite like that. That must make you a real shining example of this school." Sunset felt too disgraced about her consecutive years as Fall Formal Princess and continued saying nothing about it. Thomas started to worry after not hearing a response until Sunset finally turned and faced Thomas again. "You could say that," was all she added. "Wow! Now I'm really glad to have met you, Sunset. If there's anyone I want as my friend, it's someone who's nice and kind like you are. Thomas arched his back forward and motioning his arms towards their direction. "Lead the way miss Fall Formal Princess." He then continued down the hallway. Sunset still stood where she was, relieved that Thomas didn't know too much about her past, but ashamed at the same time for deciding not to tell him. Even though Thomas seemed like a friendly person, to Sunset, in order to start off fresh with new students, she'd rather Thomas got to know the person she is now and leave out the power hungry, domineering tormentor she was long ago. Telling someone all that upfront was not a good first impression. Already Thomas was fond of her and Sunset wanted to keep it that way as much as possible. In short time, Sunset Shimmer sighed then caught up with Thomas. "How about we check out the cafeteria first." "Café-what?" "Don't you know what a Cafeteria is?" Sunset said, raising a brow. Thomas quickly corrected himself, "No I do. I just, didn't hear you at first." Puzzled, Sunset kept walking and brought Thomas to the school cafeteria. Once inside, Thomas was easily amazed by the large interior. The Cafeteria is one of the largest areas in the school, containing a good number of tables to seat groups of students. The walls are lined with flags bearing the logo of the Wondercolts, the school's logo, and the sports played by the athletic teams. The Café was mostly empty saved for the few students that stayed after class. Staff members in the kitchen were still working to prepare food for tomorrow's breakfast and lunch periods, and a janitor was busting about trying to clean up the remaining dishes and left overs discarded by students. "This is the cafeteria of course. It's where the majority of us eat. Over there is where you get your food by the counters and behind that is the kitchen." Thomas looked around the cafe, astounded by its interior. He was so interested in the school, he barely took a bite out of the muffin still resting in his hand the entire time. "Just a heads up," Sunset continued, "you've never been to a school that served some of the tastiest foods ever." Thomas was beginning to like the cafeteria. Although he's never had the need to eat as a tank engine before, so the thought of the food being really tasty didn't leave much of an impression. He wondered if not needing to eat was no longer the case with the body he's in seeing as how everyone else has to eat. Sir Topham Hatt and other humans or Sodor were seen eating all the time. Thomas only assumed people ate for fun given how decorative food always seemed to look at special events. All in all, he wasn't entirely sure how eating works. Sunset Shimmer and Thomas left the Cafeteria and toured around the rest of the first floor. Sunset showed him the Gymnasium, a large hall where the school holds its gym classes and school functions. It features a large floor suitable for playing sports, a stage looking out to a set of bleachers, at least two double-door entrances, large windows that faced the school's soccer field outside, and a supply closet for storing equipment and cleaning supplies. The two then headed up to the second floor of the school. When they reached the second floor, Thomas suddenly thought about when he would need to refill with water. Sunset happily continued showing Thomas the different classes, but he was too preoccupied about where he might find a water tower of some kind. His mouth felt dry and his throat parched. He guessed that must mean he's low on water and is in need of refilling. Sunset noticed Thomas' distraction and got his attention. "Hey, are you okay?" "Um, is there a water fountain here?" "You're in luck; there's one just over there," Sunset pointed to the small grey fountain hinged against a wall. "Thanks!" Thomas rushed over for a drink. This was unlike any of the water dispensers he's seen. The nozzle was tiny and there was no sign of any visible way to dispense water. Thomas looked all over the fountain, not knowing how to turn it on. There was no rope or valve to activate a stream. Confused by his behavior, Sunset walked over to the fountain and tapped one of the side panels to activate the water then lets go. Thomas noted the panels and began taping them repeatedly; amazed by such technology. Looking up at Sunset, still puzzled by his demeanor, Thomas chuckled sheepishly as he probably looked silly playing with the fountain. He then placed his mouth on the stream of water and tried drinking it. Instinctively, he quickly figured out how to drink as a person and continued consuming water for a long while. "Whoa, slow down there," Sunset warned with a little chuckle. "Don't wanna get too full." Feeling fully refreshed, Thomas finally stopped and wiped his mouth of remaining dripple with his arm. "You must have been really thirsty," She smiled, with her arms crossed. All Thomas did was pretend to scratch the back of his head while grinning back at Sunset. The two continued on as Thomas got to see a good majority of the second floor and some of it's class rooms. They then came across a hallway leading to the School Library. However, upon nearing the doors, they were prevented from entering by the presence of a girl. She had purple eyes, long, light blue and white hair with a star barrette attached, and pale blue skin. She wore a blue hoodie darker than Thomas', a purple dress with blue around the hem and a wand printed on it the front and surrounded in a blue design, and blue heeled boots with purple designs. She was accompanied by two other girls who stood in front of the Library entrance with their arms crossed. "Halt!" Thomas and Sunset stopped in their tracks while the girl had her hand held out in front of them. "You have entered the presence of The Great and Powerful, Trrrrrixie! And now she demands to know, who goes there?!" "Trixie it's me," Sunset said, irritably. "Now let us through." "I wasn't speaking to you." Trixie then panned to Thomas, surprised by her shifted attention. "So. Who, Goes, There?" She asked, leaning in and poking his chest. Taken aback, Thomas told her who he is, almost. "I'm Thomas, I'm a tan-" Thomas nearly spouted out that he was a Tank Engine but managed to stop himself from continuing. Sunset looked at him perplexedly and Trixie raised her brow. "Uh. I'm a, new-student? I'm a new student!" he grinned. Trixie scoffed. "Well obviously." "Are you going to let us pass or what?" Sunset asked, impatiently. She didn't like having to deal with Trixie every time she decided to bother her or any of her friends. "Maybe I will," she said, smugly checking her fingernails, "or maybe I won't." "Come on, Trixie. I'm trying to give Thomas a tour of the school." "Then I guess you'll have to take your silly little tour elsewhere. We're not moving." Conceitedly, Trixie stands firm, placing her hands on her hips. The two girls blocking the library doors both grin in agreement. Thomas was cross over Trixie denying them entry for no good reason. He thought about stepping in and convincing them to let them pass but then he looked over to Sunset, who wasn't about to start a confrontation. Thomas remained quiet and only shot her looks of annoyance. Sunset sighed. "Come on, Thomas. We'll just come back when they're gone." Just then, a loud rumbling sound echoed near the students. Thomas and Sunset looked over to Trixie, realizing it was only her stomach making gargling noises. She held her stomach then raised her left hand dramatically in the air. "The peckish and well famished Trixie is in dire need of Sustenance!" Then her shoulders slouched, "That is, if only I brought my lunch money with me today." It was then that Thomas came up with an idea, one he hopes will guarantee him and Sunset access to the Library and a chance to prove he can fit in by being nice to the students. After looking at his muffin, Thomas hands it over to Trixie. "Here, you can have my muffin," he said Kindly. "What're you?" Sunset was about to ask but stopped after Thomas blinked at her, indicating to go along with it. Sunset smiled playfully and allowed him to continue. "R-really? Isn't that yours though?" Trixie asked, looking at him. "You look like you need it more than I do. And we can't have someone as great and powerful as yourself feeling low on energy." She brought her forearms together, overwhelmed by his offer. Trixie wasn't always the easiest person to get along with at Canterlot High. She was often rude and arrogant; often caring little about others. But in truth, all she wanted was a friend. She didn't have a huge selection. Her attitude and demeanor towards others played a part in such. To see this boy offering her his muffin when she forgot to bring her own lunch resonated something in Trixie she never felt in a long time. "But. That's the nicest thing, anyone has ever done for me." Thomas beamed. "Well, if you ask me, I think a lot more people should be doing nicer things for you. Seems like that's something you really need as well. Of course, that is up for you to decide." Overwhelmed with appreciation, Trixie happily nodded and accepted Thomas' offer. She then gleefully but gently takes the muffin out from his hand. Sunset stepped in next to Thomas and nudged his shoulder, impressed by his approach. Trixie turned away to hide a small glimmer of a tear which nearly dripped down from her eye. Shaking it off, Trixie grabs a purple wizards hat with light blue and yellow stars out of nowhere and places it on her head. "I, The Great And Powerful Trrrrrixie, grant thee Thomas and Sunset Shimmer permission to access the domain of knowledge! On my behalf, you, may enter!" Allowing them to pass, Trixie bowed and waved her hat in front of her then backs away to make a clear path. The other girls behind do the same as Thomas and Sunset happily walk by Trixie and her friends, remaining arched forward until they reach the library doors. "Thank you, Trixie!" Thomas waved. Trixie waved her hat until the doors shut behind them. Upon entering, Thomas was in awe once again as he and Sunset stepped into the schools Library. The Library is an extensive portion of Canterlot that spans at least two stories. The roof has a glass ceiling, allowing for natural lighting to shine in the area. Shelves are arranged in circles along the library's walls, and in the center of the first floor is a computer area for student use. It features the statue of a pony's head on the table in the middle. The two made their way up the set of stairs to get a better view from the second floor. He still couldn't believe how fascinating an interior of a building could really be. "This school is so amazing!" Thomas beamed, looking over the railing from the second floor to the bottom. "Wait til you start getting homework, then tell me it's still amazing," Sunset joked. She leaned on the railing next to Thomas. He looked over to Sunset. "I know Principal Celestia made you do so, but I really appreciate you showing me around the school. I have no idea where I'm going in this place and you've made that a lot easier now." Sunset turned to him. "I wasn't just told. I wanted to give you a tour. If it meant helping someone out, then it was no problem at all. It is the best way of getting to know the new comers piling in recently. Anyways, I'm glad I volunteered. You're a sweet guy. A little bit strange sure, but I still liked hanging out with you." "Oh. Thank you, Sunset," Thomas said. "Don't mention it," She smiled. "Besides, your tour of CHS is probably the best one I've given so far." "Really?" Sunset nodded. Thomas scratched his head and chuckled politely, he didn't know what to say about her comments. The two stood by the railings for a while looking down on the bottom floor both thinking away about different things going on in their lives. Sunset turned to Thomas again. "Hey so, my friends and I were gonna meet after school and hang out for a bit. I don't suppose you'd like to join us? That is, if your not busy at all or anything." Thomas looked at Sunset. He had only known her not even a day and she was already inviting him to meet with her friends. Thomas had figured he wouldn't be in this world long enough to have already made friends with someone. This made him feel special in a way. As if this girl rarely ever invited someone she gave a tour around the school to meet with her and her close friends. Thomas loved meeting new people and to hear Sunset had other friends she liked to introduce him to was riveting. "I'd love to!" Sunset smiled. "Great! We're pretty much done our 'little tour', so how about we start heading over now?" She leaned up and walked towards the exit while signifying him to join her, to which Thomas eagerly followed suite. The two friends left the library, made their way down the halls and headed towards the main entrance of Canterlot High to step out into the courtyard. "You're going to love meeting them all," Sunset said. "I could never ask for a better group of friends than the ones I have." "If they're friends with you, then I can already tell we'll get along just fine." To Be Continued.