Derpy woke up on her bed at 7:30 p.m. It was a really comfortable bed, so she just laid there, wide awake, for a good ten minutes. All the while, she kept thinking about how the party would turn out. What if she got distracted by a stupid dustball again and ended up destroying the whole city? She was already lucky enough to get help from the unicorn couple. Lucky? That was a freakin' miracle! That would never happen again, that's for sure. So dustballs were out of the question. She probably wouldn't find one anyway. She would have to talk to folks, about what? Maybe she'd talk about the weather. Or maybe quantum physics. Or the origin of the universe. What kind of thing do Canterlot folks usually talk about? Economy? Politics? Nuclear annihilation? French cuisine? It didn't matter, actually. She'd just go with the flow and see the results.

  Derpy turned her attention to herself. She hadn't showered in three days, and she was still wearing the same blue dress she got from Rarity. It was time to clean up.

  Derpy went out of the shower, feeling fresh as a... fresh mint? Anyway, she decided to use the blue dress again. It looked clean enough to be used for another three days.

  As Derpy combed her hair with her hoof in front of the bathroom mirror, there was a gentle knock on the door. She opened it to see Fancypants at the other side.

  "Oh, hello.", greeted Derpy.

  "Hi.", said Fancypants. "Looks like you're ready... looking good as well."

  "Heh, thanks... where's your woman?"

  Fancypants blushed slightly. Really slightly.

  "Ahem... she's not ready yet. Just five more minutes, she says."

  "I have been wondering... what do you Canterlot folks usually talk about? I need some advice on how to socialize in a brand new part of the world."

  "Haha... we talk about a lot of stuff. Just go with the flow and give your own ideas, and you'll end up with lots of friends."

  "Sounds easy."

  "It is easy."

  Suddenly, Fleur-de-Lis showed up behind him, and shook his shoulder to catch his attention.

  "Oh, looks like we're good to go.", said Fancypants. "You're looking lovely as usual, Fleur."

  "Thank you.", said Fleur-de-Lis, as Derpy giggled silently.

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  Back in Ponyville, Spike ran around town, asking everypony for information, but not getting anything in return.

  "What's so important, Spike?", asked Rainbow Dash, swooping down to find out what was going on.

  "Twilight is gone!", said a desperate baby dragon named Spike.

  "What?!"

  "On the first day, I figured that she was at some sleepover or whatever. On the second day, I figured that she could've been killed by some crazy maniac, and I started biting my claws in worry. And now, I figure that she could have been kidnapped!"

  "Or maybe she was abducted by aliens!"

  "Yeah, she's got quite a lot of scientific stuff inside her head."

  "Funny thing is, I haven't seen Pinkie Pie in quite a while either. Or Rarity."

  "RARITY'S GONE TOO?! Oh, the humanity! THE HUMANITY!... or should I say equinity?"

  "We should search around. I'll get Fluttershy and Applejack to help."

  Rainbow Dash flew to the Sweet Apple Acres, as Spike continued to bite his claws in worry.

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  "We're here!", cheered Twilight, as the trio had arrived in the wealthy city of Canterlot.

  "Now where's Derpy?", asked Pinkie Pie, as Twilight sighed at the reminder of the fact that they didn't know where Derpy was or could be.

  "We'll have to figure that out tomorrow.", said Rarity. "It's already night time. We should stay at a hotel."

  "Well, okay then.", said Twilight.

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  Derpy and the unicorn couple sat on a table next to the entrance to the restaurant. Fancypants said hello to a couple friends of his, while Fleur-de-Lis greeted another couple of friends of hers. Derpy just kept herself quiet on her chair. It wasn't long until Fancypants decided to introduce her to his Canterlot friends.

  "Folks, I'd like you to meet Derpy Hooves.", said Fancypants, as he took Derpy to his side. "She moved out of Ponyville, after quite a disaster happened at Princess Celestia's welcoming party."

  "... it's true.", said Derpy, nodding awkwardly.

  "Would you mind telling us what happened there?"

  "Um... I guess."

  "Okay, don't talk about it if you don't want to."

  "Pleased to meet you, Derpy.", said one of Fancy's friends, shaking her hoof.

  "Same here.", said another friend.

  "She's quite a figure, eh?", said another one. Derpy giggled as she blushed.

  "Excuse her shyness.", said Fancypants. "She needs time to fit in. Care for a drink?"

  "Don't mind if I do.", said one of his friends.

  "I'd like one too.", said Derpy, as she took a glass of wine.

  "Well, well, well.", said an irritating voice from the crowd of rich ponies. Fancypants' expression suddenly changed to one of desperation and rivalry. "Lookie what we have here."

  "Smartypants...", said Fancypants, grinding his teeth.

  "It indeed is I, fair mortal.", said Smartypants, revealing himself to be a Fancypants lookalike, but with reddish colors and much wider eyebrows. "Miss me yet?"

  "I would never miss a pile of filth like you! Haven't you gone to Manehattan two weeks ago?"

  "I have decided to pay a fair visit to my friends at Canterlot. I didn't expect to see you around here."

  "That doesn't make sense.", said Derpy. "He's one of the most important ponies around Canterlot. You should expect to see him in a party like this."

  "Shut up!"

  "Don't tell her to shut up!", said Fancypants. "You shut up!"

  "No, you shut up!"

  "You!"

  "YOU!"

  "Gentlecolts.", said Fleur-de-Lis, putting them in different sides. "Let's not start another wit battle over here when we've got a new companion in town."

  "I'm sorry, honey...", said Fancypants.

  "Like you should be."

  "... but I can NOT let THIS idiot win this time!"

  "Here we go again..."

  "WHO'S an idiot?", said Smartypants. "You idiot!"

  "I know you are, but what am I?", said Fancypants.

  "Guys.", said Derpy.

  "I'm rubber, you're glue!", said Smartypants. "Everything you say bounces off me and sticks to you!"

  "I think it is the other way around.", said Fancypants.

  "Guys...", said Derpy.

  "That's it!", said Smarty. "I challenge you to a duel!"

  "GUYS!"

  "WHAT IS IT?!", said both lifelong rivals.

  "Why the heck are you fighting for?!"

  The rivals remained silent for a few minutes, along with the rest of the crowd, whose attention was entirely turned to them. After five minutes, Smartypants cleared his throat.

  "... I can't quite remember.", said Smartypants.

  "Let me tell you the whole story.", said Fancypants.

  "There's a story behind this?", commented Fleur-de-Lis.

  "There was this time, at high school...", started Fancypants. "... it was Valentine's Day... and I was about to ask her out."

  "Who?", asked Fleur-de-Lis.

  "You."

  "Oh..."

  "Anyway... I was about to ask her out, after a three-month crush. But then, just as I was about to speak, this... this... this bastard showed up."

  "Watch your mouth!", said Smartypants.

  "And then he asked her out, in the most shameless way possible. And she said yes!"

  "I did?", said Fleur-de-Lis.

  "Yes. It was a long time ago, I don't think you remember that. Well, anyway, as I was saying... you wouldn't imagine how angry I was at that moment. And then I swore to myself that we would be mortal enemies as long as we lived."

  "Hold on!", said Smartypants. "I think I recall what happened there."

  "Ahem... okay. Tell the rest of the story."

  "Well..."

  "... we did go out, me and Fleur. The thing is, I did that for revenge."

  "Revenge for what?", asked Fancypants.

  "Don't you remember? I wanted revenge for what YOU did to me the year before! You stole Maroon Moon from me!"

  "Who was that?", asked Fleur-de-Lis, looking upset.

  "Maroon Moon. The most beautiful filly I had ever seen. She was a caligraphy enthusiast with a slight overbite and maroon-colored mane. I've had a crush on her since kindergarten. And then you showed up, and you had LUNCH with her! LUNCH! It wasn't dinner, or brunch, or breakfast. It was lunch! It was enough for me to want revenge on you for all my life!"

  "Wait a second...", said Fancypants. "... I know who you're talking about."

  "As you should!"

  "I thought I was the only one...", said Fleur-de-Lis.

  "And you are.", said Fancy.

  "I don't get it..."

  "I never dated Maroon Moon."

  "How DARE you say that!", said Smartypants.

  "She was needing help in her studies, so I offered to help, since you were too busy taking care of your own business. We had lunch together, but we never dated."

  Smartypants didn't have words for what he had just heard.

  "Now, from what I understand...", said Derpy. "... you guys have no reason to fight. Fleur's all yours now, Fancy. As for you, Smarty, your misjudging skills are what started everything."

  Smartypants remained silent.

  "I'd suggest you two to stop arguing about such an irrelevant anecdote. You're ruining the party for the rest of us."

  "She's right.", said Fancypants.

  "This won't get us nowhere.", said Smartypants.

  "So, shall we both give up?"

  "... yeah."

  Suddenly, the whole crowd of ponies cheered as the neighbors' lifelong rivalry reached an end.

  "Nopony in Canterlot has ever managed to stop those two!", said one of the ponies in the crowd.

  "Derpy, you just managed to make those two stop fighting.", said Fleur-de-Lis, in a happy tone. "Nopony has managed to put them apart so easily!"

  "I think we've got a genius among us, folks!", said one of Fancypants's friends.

  "Oh, it's nothing...", said Derpy, as she took a sip of her drink. Next Chapter: The Three Sides of the Coin (wait, what?) Estimated time remaining: 15 Minutes