The pair was met with many surprised and curious eyes as they entered Ponyville. Megan and TJ glanced nervously form side to side at the ponies they passed. Twilight and Rainbow Dash, who still led the way, didn’t notice the tension they were going through. Upon entering, they were amazed to see the town up close. But the welcome was not as warm as they had been told it would be.
 
“So many ponies!” whispered TJ nervously through his clenched teeth as he put on the nicest smile he could muster. He still couldn’t believe there were so many ponies in one place. While he dreamed of meeting a whole town of ponies, he started to wonder if they would even accept him. 
“I know…” whispered Megan, doing pretty much the same thing. “Why don’t they say anything?” The silence was driving her crazy. She eyed a pair of ponies that were suddenly interrupted in tending to their flowers. She waved at them and the ponies ran away, boarding themselves inside their homes. 
Everywhere they could hear whispering.
 
–– 
“Who’s that?” 
“I don’t know. But what is that thing on his back?” 
“I’ve never seen anything like that before. He must be really brave to carry that around.” 
“Wonder if I could get one too?” 

 
TJ couldn’t help but feel prideful at how the ponies talked about him. Megan however felt embarrassed and tried to hide her face with her Stetson. 
“Well?” They suddenly turned their attention to Twilight who had finally decided to break the unnerving atmosphere. “What do you think of Ponyville?” 
“Neat, huh?” added Rainbow Dash. 
“It is wonderful.” said TJ. “I’ve never seen so many ponies. But…” he glanced at a young filly who was about to step out of her home, only to eye them and suddenly step back in with sounds of bolts and locks being heard. A pair of eyes suddenly appeared behind the blinders in the window next to the door and eyed them cautiously. “…are they all this ‘jumpy’?” 
Twilight looked around her and chuckled nervously. “Ehehe… Don’t mind them. They’re always like that when a new pony comes to town.” She was a bit curious about TJ saying he’d never seen a town full of ponies. She wondered if he ever got out much.
 
“Don’t sweat it. It all works out fine once Pinkie Pie arrives.” Rainbow Dash assured him. 
“Who’s Pinkie P-?” 
“HI!” 
“GAH!” TJ stumbled backwards with a jolt as the face of a pink pony suddenly appeared in front of him, nearly knocking Megan off his back.
 
“I’m Pinkie Pie! Welcome to Ponyville! You must be new here! Of course you’re new! If you weren’t then I would’ve known you but I don’t. Gasp! Is this your first visit to Ponyville? I must throw you a ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ Party at once. Are you moving in? Gasp! If you are, we’re going to be the best of friends. I have to show you around. You’ll love Ponyville. It’s got everything. Want a book to read? Ask Twlight! Want to relax in the sun? Ask Rainbow Dash! Want flowers? Ask Rose! Want a cake? Ask the Cakes! Wanna party? ASK ME!!! I love parties! I even…”
 
TJ could only stare at the pink pony as she kept talking. “Megan?” 
Megan, equally surprised, leaned to her side to get a better view. “Yeah?” 
“She’s still talking…” 
“I kno-” 
“HI!” 
“GAH!” Megan yelped as Pinkie suddenly appeared beside her, causing her to fall off TJ.TJ himself was startled by how Pinkie was suddenly beside him when she was in front of him a second ago. Before Megan could recover from the shock, Pinkie was already shaking her hand.
 
“Welcome to Ponyville! You must DEFININTELY be new here! I’ve seen many non-ponies in Ponyville. I’ve seen cows, goats, donkeys, dragons and even minotaurs, but I’ve never seen a non-pony like you! Are you a monkey? No wait, monkeys have tails… Ooh! Ooh! I know! You’re a chimpanzee! Funny, I’d thought you’d have more hair than that…” 
Megan wobbled back on her feet, supported by TJ. “I’m not…”
 
“GASP!” Pinkie suddenly exclaimed, startling the two again. “I ALMOST FORGOT!” She zoomed off, only to appear a second later with a blue, festive wagon. Twilight and Dash, feeling sorry TJ, could only watch as their unpredictable friend did her work.
 
Pushing a big red button that stuck out from the side of the wagon, music suddenly filled the air as the wagon opened up, revealing a small oven with various cakes and muffins while trumpets and flags sprouted forth, blowing and waving as the pink pony suddenly burst into song and started dancing.
 
“Welcome, welcome, welcome! 
A fine welcome to you!”
 
She skipped and bounced passed them and again from behind, smiling cheerfully as she sang. She suddenly popped up beside TJ, pushed a party horn in his mouth while strapping a party hat to his head.
 
“Welcome, welcome, welcome! 
I say; how do you do?”
 
His surprised look made Megan laugh and point at him. Pinkie suddenly appeared beside Megan, strapped a party hat to her head and pushed whistle in her mouth, causing TJ to snicker at her own surprised expression.
 
“Welcome, welcome, welcome! 
I say; Hip, Hip Hooray!”
 
She brought out a large drum and played it as she marched back and forth in front of them. She then came back and tap-danced cheerfully towards them on her hind legs as the song seemed to draw to a close.
 
“Welcome, welcome, welcome! 
To Ponyville todaaaay!”
 
“Wait for it…” 
The trumpets on the wagon sounded while confetti poured out of them. The oven opened and revealed a freshly baked cake inside. Pinkie waved her forelegs in the air in a cheer as they were showered in confetti. “Come now everypony! PARTY!” 
TJ, caught in the festive spirit, excitedly blew his horn and joined Pinkie in her celebration. Megan, finding the whole thing over the top unnecessary, blew weakly in her whistle. 
“WOW!” yelled TJ, his fear of Pinkie completely vanished and he waged his tail like an excited puppy. “That was amazing! You must throw the BEST parties!” 
Pinkie Pie smiled greatly at that. Megan with a frown spat out the whistle and removed the party hat. Soon enough more ponies showed up. Seeing how Pinkie Pie fearlessly greeted the strange pony and his companion, they got bolder and trotted over.
 
“I’m TJ” 
“Nice to meet you Teej!” said Pinkie Pie. TJ was amused by that nickname. 
“And this is Megan. And… she’s not a chimpanzee. She’s my friend.” He gestured towards Megan who waved at her while mustering a smile. Pinkie smiled and waved back. 
“Hi Megs!” 
‘Megs? Really?’ huffed Megan. 
“Say, where are you from?” asked Pinkie curiously. “Manehatten? Hoofington?” 
“He’s from another world.” said Twilight. 
“Another world? Gasp! You’re an alien?” asked Pinkie with a shock, drawing uncomfortably closer. “Did you crash in Horsewell? You wanna call home? I got a phone!” She reached behind her back and somehow pulled out a phone. 
“No Pinkie. He and Megan are from another world. I brought them here with my magic.” corrected Twilight. 
Pinkie tossed the phone away and smiled. “Neato! You must meet the ponies here. They are super-duper nice.” 
TJ scratched behind his head. “Thanks Pinkie Pie, but I don’t think…” 
“It’s easy! Look!” Pinkie pushed TJ in front of the pony known as Carrot Top. She then grabbed their hooves and locked them together in a hoofshake. “See? No problem!” 
TJ and the surprised Carrot Top shook hooves. Smiling nervously, TJ was delighted when Carrot Top smiled back at him, nervous herself. “Hey! This is fun! Megan! You should try this!” 
Megan, having watched the whole thing, sighed before eyeing a pair of ponies approaching her. She reached out her hand towards the nearest pony. The pony noticed and reached out hers, meeting her hand. 
“You’re right TJ.” smiled Megan. “This isn’t so- GAH!” She was suddenly pulled forward and landed face down on the ground. 
“Amazing! How do you work this thing?” yelled the mint green unicorn as she examined Megan’s hand, causing Megan to tilt her head up and glare at her. 
“Lyra! Don’t touch that! You don’t even know where that thing has been!” exclaimed the vanilla earth pony. Megan dug her head back in the dirt with a groan.
 
Twilight laughed. “Okay Pinkie Pie. I think that’s enough for now. We are on our way to the library.” 
“Aw…” said Pinkie Pie with a hint of sadness. She didn’t want to end the party now. Suddenly, she had an idea. Before Twilight could lead the way, Pinkie suddenly cut her off. “Wait! Before you go there, visit Rarity first!” 
“Rarity? Why?” 
“TJ has already met you, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Fluttershy. It wouldn’t be nice to leave Rarity out.” 
Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. “How did you..?” 
“Ops!” She suddenly drew a clock on her foreleg. “I gotta run! Meet you later!” Pinkie Pie zoomed off, leaving a trail of dust behind. All four of them blinked with confusion before Twilight shook her head and laughed. 
“Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie as always… I hope you don’t mind we take a small detour?” 
“I don’t mind. Lead the way.” They were about to go when TJ suddenly stopped. “One moment!” He trotted over to Megan, who was still lying on the ground face down with Lyra still examining her hand. He lifted her up by the belt with his teeth, pulled her hand free from Lyra and carried her away. 
“Aww…” Lyra lamented before being pulled away by her friend.
 
“You okay?” asked TJ. 
Megan sighed. “Next time I say I’m coming along, kick me in the head real hard.”