Day: Saturday
Weather: Sunny
Time: 10:00amPrincipal Celestia told me to hang around Canterlot High for a while, as she needed to take care of the students and their intramural sports before she could get me registered. I was so angry beyond words; she was clearly ignoring me in favour of them, just like my parents did where they ignored me. I figured there was no other choice but to just wait, but this did give me the opportunity to investigate these other students. If I was going to rule over them and put them in their place, I needed to get as much information as I can, including some juicy information with which to further assert my position. At the same time, I needed to test that theory which has been nagging me since seeing those students who resembled ponies I knew and Principal Celestia's resemblance to my former mentor. Guess I'm pulling double duty here...
The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
November 8, 2015
Chapter 9: The Gang's All Here.
" You mean our friends?" Twilight asked, her jaw dropping in response to what I had just revealed to her.
" Flash Sentry wasn't the only one who attended that day to compete in the intramural sports, Twilight. Our friends were there, too, but back then I had no idea who they were, and I didn't suspect them of playing a major factor in my life years down the road." I answered, turning the page in my journal where a photo suddenly slid out between the pages, floating gently to the ground before I picked it up and took a long look at it. " Wow... I completely forgot about this photo, yet it does bring back some rather mixed feelings given what I just said."
" Can I take a look?" Twilight asked. I handed the photo over to her carefully, mainly because it had been stuffed in between the pages of my journal, so it hasn't had what I would call the best preservation. When she held it in her hands and adjusted her glasses, Twilight was shocked over what she was looking at. " Was this photo taken during the day in question?" I nodded my head. " Judging from their expressions, our friends look as though they don't really know what is going on around them, and as for you Sunset... You look miserable, as though you didn't want to be there." Twilight said.
" Back then, they were freshmen just like everyone else who attended the intramural sports, yet I would learn much later that each of them had met years ago during a fair of some kind, but eventually went their separate ways because of living in different places. It wasn't until Canterlot High that they were reunited, but because this was such a big change for them--attending high school--they couldn't help but be nervous as they wanted to make a good first impression." I said, looking down at the pages, a glum look crossing my face. If there was one thing I feel that I failed miserably at upon looking back on it, it would be the impression that I gave to the students of the school, for while I would later give off the impression of being an intimidating bully, on that day, I was more like a miserable loner who just wanted to be left alone to my own devices.
" What are you thinking about?" Twilight asked.
" Seeing that photo again brings mixed feelings. On the one hand, I got to meet my future friends that day, but on the other, I gave off the impression that I just wasn't interested in making friends with anyone. In my mind, I wanted to focus on the new studies I would have to apply to myself in order to live in this world without drawing any kind of suspicion about where I was really from, and to do all of that, I couldn't allow myself to become involved with friendship." I answered.
" No wonder you wanted to see me in particular." Twilight said.
" We both have a lot in common." I said.
" I wanted to focus on my studies as well, but I didn't have any kind of hidden motive that revolved around wanting to rule over Crystal Prep. I was pretty content with the pursuit of knowledge, but looking back on my time there from the perspective of an outsider, I was picked on for being too smart for my own good." Twilight said, the features on her face following my face's example, but unlike me, she sighed a heavy sigh as though she still had some kind of lingering regret about having left her old school behind in order to attend Canterlot High, and just when Crystal Prep was beginning to turn things around. " But, we're not here to discuss my problems, but yours, Sunset. So, what happened when you met our friends?" Twilight asked, but before I answered her, I held out my hand like I was asking for a bribe, but the truth was that I wanted my photo back, despite it representing mixed messages. She blushed meekly before giving it back, when I looked at it for a few moments before sliding it in between some different pages.
Since Principal Celestia told me to wait around school grounds for a few hours, I had no other choice but to do just that until she could register me as an official student and a "Wondercolt", whatever that meant. I didn't want to do much in the way of exploring the school, as that would have been a time waster. I sat down on a nearby bench and began staring as other students went by, all while I had my head in my hands as a sign of boredom. As the students passed me by without taking the time to say any kind of greeting, I was mentally laughing at how pathetic they were, doing all of this nonsense instead of focusing more on their studies. No wonder their intellects were smaller than my own, even if that was my own opinion: They are more interested in having fun and making friends rather than wanting to be the best students they can be. The more I watched them, the simpler it would be to instill my dominance over them. I couldn't, however, just go out there and declare that I was going to rule over them. That would be the worst this I could do, and they would probably chew me out or worse, so I needed some other kind of tactic.
Most of the students who went by were holding all kinds of equipment: footballs, soccer balls, golf clubs, tennis nets, pylons, baseball bases, and even some odd pieces which looked like they belonged in the circus. Some of these activities did exist in Equestria, which is how I knew what they were, but others I found out due to overhearing the students yammering on about them as though they were the most important thing in the world. These students didn't resemble anyone I knew from back home, so my theory wasn't working, but that would quickly change when I noticed five students walk by. They attended Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, or the pony versions of them did, anyway. I even knew the name of the one in front because she always made it her goal to let everypony know who she was, and I always resented her for having such a loud mouth like that. Just because she was the daughter of a noble family didn't give her the right to boast like that, making the rest of us feel worthless in comparison.
" Look at her... Even in this world, Sassy Saddles just has to show off." I said to myself, staring angrily at the girl who wasn't holding anything, but rather was telling those surrounding her how good she looked and that she was on the verge of starting her career in the world of fashion. Her friends were in awe as they listened to everything that came out of her mouth, but hearing the sound of her voice made me cringe. I wanted to rip off my own ears, as she bothered me so much. " Why does she of all ponies have to have a human version of herself? Of all those who annoyed me at school, she was one of the worst, even when she wasn't trying to talk to me as a means of showing kindness just because Princess Celestia requested it from all of her students. Waiting here to get registered as a student just isn't worth it when you have the likes of her around." I said to myself, turning away from Sassy Saddles, who continued to praise herself to no end.
" I take it you don't like Sassy Saddles all that much?"
" Huh?" I exclaimed as the voice of Flash Sentry caught me by surprise, prompting me to turn around and face him. He was wearing different clothes that made him look even more pathetic than usual, but there was something about his current appearance which made me stare at him for just a few moments before turning back to face Sassy Saddles, who had since walked away with her group of idiots following along, listening to her every word like love-struck canaries.
" Most of the students here at CHS aren't really fond of her because of how much praise she gives herself, and all because her family is one of the richest in town. It's given her a superiority complex the size of a crater. You'd think Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna would have told her to tone it down, but because Sassy's family have such a high status around here, they have enough influence to force the two sisters out of a job." Flash Sentry said. His words reaffirmed my initial suspicions of Principal Celestia, that she was just in charge of this school, and therefore had no real power, unlike my former mentor who was the ruler of an entire kingdom. Hearing how a rich family can easily manipulate things around here just like that made me smile, as it meant my own ambitions of dominating this school would be much easier than I thought.
" She sounds like she could rule this school if she wanted." I said.
" In truth, underneath that boisterous exterior is someone who is afraid of being judged, especially by her own parents. That's why she puts on all this bravado; she doesn't want to be seen as a failure, especially when she leaves CHS in a couple of months." Flash Sentry said.
" Why would she leave?" I asked.
" Sassy Saddles has been attending CHS for four years now and is on the verge of graduating, but she needed to spend one more semester here, due to needing a couple of extra credits she lacked at the end of the last school year. The students are looking forward to when she finally leaves, since it means that we won't have to deal with her and her superiority complex, and that we won't have to worry about someone else wanting to become the talk of the town." Flash Sentry answered. He didn't notice that I was rubbing my hands with glee and smiling a wicked, cruel smile, as this meant that there was no one who could stand in the way of me becoming a proper ruler of this school. If Sassy were to stick around even longer, I would have made her life miserable; she deserved to be knocked down a few pegs. " By the way, how come you were just sitting here on your own? I would have thought you were going to join in on the intramural sports." Flash Sentry said.
" I have no time for such pointless things. My studies take precedence! Besides, I have to wait until Principal Celestia is done with all of this before she can register me as a student, which she should have done first instead of this!" I said.
" You really do take your studies seriously, don't you?" Flash Sentry asked.
" To become the best, you need to study and not allow distractions to get in the way." I answered. My response caused Flash to scratch his head, since he didn't know how to respond to what I had just said, but after a while he was able to come up with an answer.
" Nothing wrong with wanting good grades, but you should try to lighten up a little, Sunset Shimmer." Flash Sentry said, taking his leave of me in order to partake in the intramural sport that he was involved in. I resumed staring at the students who were going by. How dare he tell me to "lighten up"! It's that kind of talk which made him weak and useless to me because he was just wasting his time with pointless pursuits. Everyone at this school was just like that! That's why it would be so easy to take over this place, as their way of thinking is easy enough to take advantage of. What may have taken me several weeks is bound to take several days, provided I play my cards correctly.
" Canterlot High was known for its friendships and loving atmosphere, but grades were another story, altogether." I said.
" When I attended Crystal Prep, Principal Cinch told me prior to the Friendship Games that test scores, grades, and athletics had been improving at CHS over the last couple of months, so you're saying that it was worse off before you appeared?" Twilight asked.
" No, it was pretty bad before I arrived, and it actually got worse because of my manipulations. In Principal Celestia's eyes, she just wanted her students to experience friendship, harmony, and a safe environment, with their academic future being a minor issue." I answered. It must have hard for Twilight to learn all of that about CHS, seeing as she had chosen to transfer to the school upon the conclusion to the Friendship Games, but hopefully we're not too far below the expectations she has come to know during her time at Crystal Prep. Otherwise, her academic career could take an unfortunate nosedive downwards into a spiral that it wouldn't be able to recover from.
" No wonder you felt so isolated; everyone was inferior to your intellect." Twilight said.
" They were the smart ones after all, as they understood what I had been missing from my life, but as you already know Twilight, I would eventually come to understand what they all already knew. Back then, though, I saw myself as better than all of them combined." I said.
" What about our friends?" Twilight asked.
After Flash Sentry finished speaking with me, I resumed watching students pass me by, and my disdain towards them continued to grow in strength. The more I watched them waste their lives pursuing fun instead of knowledge, the more I felt sorry for them, but not in the traditional means of the word. No, I felt sorry because they were going to end up amounting to nothing, their very existences having no future plans. Upon turning to my left because of hearing a loud group of students entering the field, my eyes opened wide, and I began to stare intently at the group, or rather, at five individuals who happened to be among the group. There was something about them which made them different from the others, as though they possessed something special. Yet I couldn't tell what that something was; they looked like ordinary humans. All five of my future friends were standing right there before me: Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy. All of them stood together, with confused looks on their faces as though they had no idea what was going on.
None of them paid me any attention, as I wasn't trying to make myself known, but when Fluttershy noticed me sitting on my own, she waved at me. I just stared at her and the others as though I were in some kind of trance, and she stopped waving before backing away slightly. I then shook my head to get out of this self-enchantment I found myself in. They were just ordinary girls who had no futures just like the rest of the students, and I was the only one who would have a future: being the ruler of this school, and making all of them fear my very name. I knew that this was a pretty lofty goal; they were familiar with this world, while I wasn't, but there had to be something I could do that would enable me to gain as much power as possible within a short period of time. Turning my attention towards the five girls who had intrigued me, I saw that they were no longer there, seemingly having gone off to play their silly games. That's when I felt as though someone were close to me, and when I looked around me, I saw that they had come over for some reason.
" Fluttershy insisted that we come over here and speak with you, since you looked miserable, though if you want my opinion, dear, you were looking at us as though we were strange to you. Now, I don't know about the rest of my friends, but to be perfectly frank, I didn't mind you looking at me, as I do my best to look fabulous." Rarity said. She then took out a small device, which I would later find out was called a compact mirror, and began looking at it all while doing something to her face, yet I remained silent, as I didn't want to speak to any of them despite being fascinated with their very presence.
" Are you sure she needs help?" Rainbow Dash asked.
" Why else would she be sitting over here on her own?" Fluttershy asked.
" Some people just wanna be on their own with their own thoughts, and who are we to get in the way of that? I know ya had a noble gesture here, Fluttershy, but I don't think this girl here appreciates that kinda help, if you know what I mean." Applejack answered, her words a ring of truth, even though I had trouble understanding her, what with that thick accent she had. It made me want to tell her to just shut up, but instead I chose to continue saying nothing in the hopes that they would leave me alone. " We're sorry if we went and interrupted whatever it is ya were doin', so if ya don't mind, I reckon we'll just be on our way." Applejack said.
" We can't just leave her here--" Fluttershy began.
" Darling, this girl clearly wants to be left alone, and we should respect her decision." Rarity said.
" Okay... I guess she didn't need help after all." Fluttershy said.
" I do have one question fer ya if you're willin' to answer it. Why were you lookin' at us a few moments ago like you were some kinda creep? I don't mean that in a disrespecting way, but you were just starin' at us fer a few moments, and it just felt wrong." Applejack said. Despite the fact that I wanted them to leave me alone, something inside my heart compelled me to give them an answer, and not the kind that would be enough to get rid of them, but rather something a little closer to home.
" I... sensed something special about you." I said.
" Special? Us?" Fluttershy asked.
" None of us are anything special, unless you mean what we're good at. Take me, for example: I'm the best athlete around!" Rainbow Dash answered, waving her hand through her hair as though she were trying to impress everyone. In my own opinion, all she was doing was acting like a selfish braggart who probably isn't as good as she claims to be, and if I saw her fail miserably, I'd just laugh at her because she deserved it.
" Well, I'm not sure why you would think that way about us, darling, but I suppose it is the thought that counts. We would love for this conversation to continue, but I think we should rejoin our friends in the intramural sports. Don't see this as us abandoning you, though. Quite the opposite!" Rarity said.
" She means that we need to focus on our extra-curricular activities, since part of our grades revolve around participating in these here kinds of events, so I hope fer your sake that y'all are plannin' on taking part, eventually. Otherwise, you could end up failin', as studying isn't gonna be enough around here." Applejack said. Hearing what she just said rubbed me the wrong way, and I was trying my best not to erupt in a fit of rage because of her saying that I was inferior to her and her friends because I focused on studying, while they focused on wasting away their pathetic lives.
" When we're finished, are we going over to Sugarcube Corner to order some cakes, talk about what we're going to be doing for the Fall Formal, and finding some of those fancy-schmancy outfits you have stored away, right, Rarity?" Pinkie Pie asked, speaking in a rather hectic manner which I found difficult to understand. Such a waste really; all that energy could be used to further her own intellect, and instead she chooses to keep what little she has and focuses on eating sweets and having fun.
" Of course, Pinkie Pie. We must look fabulous for the Formal; it's the first big school event of the year, and the first one of our lives as freshmen." Rarity answered. All five girls then slowly walked away from me, and refused to look back, as though my attitude had been enough to frighten them away from me. Once they were out of range, I breathed a sigh of relief; I thought they would never leave me alone, and their incessant talk about my well-being just proved how ignorant they really were. However, there was one thing that crazy-acting one said which I couldn't get out of my mind, and that was this "Formal" she brought up before they left. It sounded to me that whatever that is, a lot of students were going to be there, and that would include me, as I would be a student by the time it comes along. It looked like I would need to learn more about it, and Principal Celestia was just the person who could tell me everything.
" That was pretty cold." Twilight said.
" I know, and not a day goes by that I regret treating them like that by ignoring their efforts to help me, but what I did on that day was nothing compared to what I was going to do to them several months later." I said.
" I'm sure you'll be telling me that soon enough, but it looks as though you'll be talking about some kind of formal, and judging from how they were all excited about it, it sounds like it was going to be quite the event where everyone dresses in formal attire and shares research notes with one another all in the name of knowledge." Twilight smiled, yet my reaction to that was one of slight surprise, followed by rolling my eyes towards the back of my head. I knew she was going to assume that's what a formal was, and while it was very cute, I had to tell it to her straight so that she wouldn't get confused. This also meant that she probably never attended a formal before.
" Um, Twilight? A formal, in this case, would be a dance." I said.