Day: Wednesday
Weather: Rainy
Time: 11:10amAfter celebrating my "honest" victory and being crowned Princess of the Fall Formal, I immediately began flexing my newfound position by asserting my authority over the school by shaping events that were suited to my liking. The students did complain after a while that these events were catered to me, but I would remind them that they voted me as princess, so that meant my authority trumped anything they said. Winning this one competition wasn't enough; I needed to win all of them from now on so as to maintain my dominance, but the students may eventually suspect me of being behind what caused my opponents to forfeit. The students may have been inferior to me, but they weren't completely stupid, so they were bound to figure it out eventually. I needed some help to further spread my influence... and to take the fall should I be uncovered.
The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
November 12, 2015
Chapter 11: Friends/Minions.
The following night was when the Fall Formal took place, and Principal Celestia made the announcement which I had been patiently waiting for: The crown was to be mine, since I was the only candidate who remained. Everyone else had chosen to forfeit because their secrets had been exposed, and the fear of ridicule proved too much for them. While I could have said nothing, and thus have allowed Pinkie Pie to take the fall, I figured she should be spared for the time being. After all, she did give me what I needed to prevail, so for now she has earned herself a slight reprieve. Until, that is, I chose to make her life as miserable. Then again, my competition certainly had plenty of things to say to her, and they were planning on letting her know exactly how they felt about her apparent betrayal, but I wasn't going to come to her defence just because she helped me out. Let them have their little in-fighting; I had bigger things to look forward to.
When she took to the stage, Principal Celestia at first looked glum, like her spirit had been drained from her body, but then she quickly changed her demeanour knowing that a winner still needed to be announced, as refusing to do so would have caused a controversy. In her hand, she held an envelope which contained the name of the student who had been chosen by her peers to become princess, yet this was just a pointless formality which she had to go through. I could tell from her lack of enthusiasm that she really didn't want to have to do it this way, but her own rules state that she had to even though everyone knew who had won as there was only one candidate left: me. From my perspective, I really should have been given the crown the day before the Formal, for that would have meant Principal Celestia not having to go through this ridicule, but a part of me felt glad that I agreed to wait it out. Seeing her standing in front of so many students and having to reveal who won the formal when it was so blatantly obvious was both delicious and ironic. While she wasn't the same Celestia that I knew and despised, it felt relieving to know that I have scarred her mentally.
" As you all know, the other day most of the candidates running for Princess of the Fall Formal forfeited due to... unusual and unfortunate circumstances, and because of this, we were originally going to not crown a princess this year, until we realized that there was still one candidate left." Principal Celestia said, sweat dripping from her brow as she felt immense pressure to try and prevent things from getting worse. " I know many of you are disappointed that your votes hold no real value now due to the sudden forfeits, but rest assured that things will be different come next year."
" Of course we're disappointed!"
" They spent an entire week vying for support for their bid!"
" All of that time and effort wasted because of some secrets slipping out!"
" We all know that it was Pinkie Pie who ruined their chances by not keeping her big mouth shut! If it wasn't for her, our votes and voices would have had an actual purpose rather than just simply giving the crown to the only one who didn't quit because she chose not to trust the likes of Pinkie!"
" Now, now... I have reason to believe that Pinkie Pie did not inadvertently reveal such 'sensitive' information, and that a number of unknown students overheard her, and decided to spread this information around." Principal Celestia said, yet her words weren't enough as the students were growing restless, and while this was happening, I was standing at the back quietly laughing to myself. Seeing all of this chaos and strife made me feel better, but this was just the beginning; I intended on going even further with this. " Everyone, please calm down as I announce the winner of the title of Princess of the Fall Formal." Principal Celestia said. The students were anything but calm; they continued to get pretty rowdy with their displeasure, but it quickly dawned on me that should things spiral out of control, I won't be able to get my crown, and there was no way I was going to let that be taken away from me. Just when it looked like the students were going to lose it, a loud finger snap echoed throughout the gym, bringing an immediate end to the arguing as the students were wondering what had just happened.
" That should bring everyone to attention!" I declared, having snapped my finger next to a microphone I had quickly moved towards.
" May I present your princess... Sunset Shimmer!" Principal Celestia announced. The students at first were beside themselves, as they had no idea how to react to me given my prior attitude made them ignore my presence, but since they realized that there was no one else left to vie for the crown, they began to clap and cheer as I made my way over to the stage pretending to look surprised about having just won. Deep down, I was laughing with glee as my manipulation had given me something I desired, and no one would even suspect any foul play, my tracks having been covered discreetly to prevent the likes of them from bringing me down. Upon stepping onto the stage, the crowd of students went silent as the crown was placed upon my head, and my expression was one of sheer delight before Principal Celestia waved her hand as a sign that she wanted me to say something.
" I... want to thank you all for this prestigious honor." I began, pretending to show compassion towards my fellow students when in reality I couldn't care less about their feelings. All they were, were pawns to me to use for my own personal amusement. " I know that things didn't go quite the way we were expecting, what with my opponents choosing to forfeit because of certain information being made available, yet I persevered and stand before you as your Princess of the Fall Formal! My reign as your princess shall be a glorious one, as by right, I am allowed to influence how future events at CHS are to be handled, but I won't abuse my power, and you can be sure of that!" Upon hearing my speech, the students began to clap and cheer for me, and deep down I was loving not only the attention, but also the fact that they had bought into my speech as though it were fact. As their clapping and cheering gained in strength, I continued maintaining the image of being innocent about it all, yet I wanted them to praise me even more so that I could feel good about myself.
" Congratulations!" Principal Celestia announced.
" Truly, this is the happiest day of my life! I shall make you proud that you chose--accepted me as your princess!" I declared, changing my words at the last minute, as they didn't choose for me to win, but rather there was no one they could choose. In their minds, I was completely happy having won this Formal, but in my mind, it was nothing more than a glorified popularity contest designed to stroke the egos of those who won and make them think they were actually special. I'm not a real princess by any stretch of the mind, but rather a false one who holds no true power other than through self-declaration.
" As is per the custom of winning, Sunset Shimmer, you must now have your picture taken where it shall be immortalized by my office." Principal Celestia said.
" But of course." I said, knowing that such a thing only serves to further fuel my ambitions towards ruling the school. The students would always see that photo, and any future ones of me being crowned, as I had no intention of losing. I would be the only princess they would ever know, and anyone who tried to challenge me would suffer! When one student came forward holding what looked like a bizarre camera, I posed using my innocent expression to convince everyone that I didn't know this would happen, but something else was on my mind that made it difficult for me to maintain my stance. The photographer... I remember seeing photos of her in magazines back in Equestria. That's when I noticed the students surrounding her also resembled those from back home. I thought what happened before was just a coincidence. All of these familiar faces, both from personal experience and who I knew from their statuses. How can they be here!?
It then came to me... right there, and even though I couldn't fathom such a coincidence, it was right there before me. This world... it was identical to Equestria in some ways, yet different in others, which made this place a sort of alternate reality. It reminded me of those "what-if" scenarios I learned as part of my studies, yet I never would have guessed that going through the mirror would bring me to an alternate Equestria, where humans existed instead of ponies. Knowing this vital piece of information, thanks in part to sheer coincidence where so many familiar faces appeared in one place, I knew that ruling this school wouldn't be enough for me. No, I wanted to rule this entire world! It may have been a lofty goal, but it was one I was determined to see through.
" You wanted to rule the world?" Twilight asked.
" Back then, I was really ambitious." I answered.
" More like one of those super villains one reads in a comic book, but not that I would know; I don't like reading those. Several students at Crystal Prep would secretly bring them to school in order to read them because they wanted some time off from studying, and Principal Cinch always caught them in the act, since she knew what the tell-tale signs were, based on mannerisms and postures." Twilight said. I couldn't believe that she compared me to a comic book villain, but I supposed there were some parallels, such as wanting to rule the world with an iron fist, yet what I was doing was real, as opposed to the fictitious actions committed by those characters. " I still can't believe that you took advantage of people just so you could win a crown."
" I would eventually apologize to them for my actions, but it wouldn't be for a couple of years." I said.
" While you did save Pinkie Pie from suspension, or quite possibly expulsion, you merely did so in order to protect your own hide. You also remind me of Principal Cinch in that she used similar excuses in order to justify her harsh rules, and parents usually didn't question her ethics; in their eyes, their children were attending the best academy in town, and perfection is seen as a must if you hope to last through the entire experience. When she was faced by parents who did have legitimate complaints, she always blamed the child for not being capable of handling things, and also blamed the parents themselves for not applying enough discipline." Twilight said. The very thought of me being similar to Cinch based on my past actions chilled me to the core of my being. I felt sorry for the students she targeted simply to maintain her reputation. Just thinking about everything she has done in the name of wanting to be the best sickened me. What a monster, and yet, I looked down at my hands for a reminder. I used to be the same as Cinch, wanting to be the best unicorn, and not allowing anypony to get in the way. That was my reputation, one where I blamed others for my own weakness.
" Guess she and I had things in common." I said.
" You changed, Sunset, and I've seen that with my own eyes on more than one occasion. Principal Cinch shows no desire to change, but maybe she will one day, since now all of Crystal Prep knows what she truly is, and any power she had is gone. Okay, not gone completely, but weakened from what it was before." Twilight said. My jaw dropped and my eyes widened with shock over what she had just said, as those words were almost identical to what Princess Twilight said to me when I was exposed for the kind of monster I truly was back then. No wonder Twilight here reminds me so much of her, as despite their different upbringings and mannerisms, they both have similar characteristics, which made it feel like I was speaking to her, even though she is in Equestria. " Sunset? Was it something I said?" Twilight asked, having noticed my facial expression.
" It's nothing." I answered, changing my expression back to normal. Twilight simply folded her arms, look completely unconvinced, but I couldn't blame her, since I did essentially lie to her again, though unintentionally, this time.
" So, who did you end up getting to help you?" Twilight asked.
" You've never met them before, but they are two guys called Snips and Snails." I answered.
" Those are some... interesting names, I think?" Twilight said, confused.
" They're both pretty impressionable, and they do mean well, but they tend to cause trouble without ever thinking about the consequences behind it." I said.
I wanted to continue with my manipulations of the students, but I knew that I couldn't continue on my own, as I knew they would one day put two and two together and figure out that I was behind everything. I also needed some additional help to spread my manipulations, but also to have someone who could take the fall for me in case I was on the verge of being discovered. The week following the Fall Formal, I began looking around to see if there was anyone that fit the kind of description I had in mind, and my future friends were my first choice. Why consider them straight away? It had to do with being more interested in why I felt they were special as opposed to them being useful pawns, but I would eventually abandon that idea, as I couldn't see them wanting to hurt other students emotionally; they lacked the killer instinct I was looking for. Then, I tried to see if Sassy Saddles would make for an ideal "assistant", but that idea quickly fizzled; I remembered that I couldn't stand her for even a second. So, my next idea was to use Flash Sentry, but something in my heart compelled me to look elsewhere, yet I had other plans for him to take advantage of his ever growing popularity.
Everywhere I looked across CHS, students were becoming closer as friends, and I knew this needed to be dashed soon, otherwise my dominion would be threatened, and it hasn't even begun to take off. My search continued which lead me to the four students whose chances of winning the Fall Formal I ruined. Each of them had a good reason for wanting to help me; their own lives were ruined, so they could do the same to everyone else. However, this idea became a bust, as they were bound to get revenge against me were they to learn the truth about what happened the day before the Formal. Just when it looked like I wasn't going to find anyone, I chanced upon an encounter that gave me what I was looking for... and I wished that I could have chosen better.
SPLASH! SPLASH!
" What the!? Why did you two do that!?"
" You were looking a little pale, so we thought we'd brighten up your complexion!"
" Yeah! Complexion!"
" I'm pale because of being slightly under the weather, and now you two have gone and thrown paint-filled balloons at me!? How immature do you two have to be in order to get any kind of attention? This is an outrage of epic proportions!" I recognized the screaming voice as belonging to Sassy Saddles, so when I walked around the corner, I came to a complete stop. She was covered from head to toe in pink paint, and her fuming expression was a sight to behold. It was about time someone took her down a peg, so seeing her flummoxed beyond words brought a smile to my face, and that was when I saw them for the first time: Snips and Snails. Both of them looked as though they lacked any kind of moral compass, and their expressions were ones that said they had enjoyed pulling something so juvenile. They were perfect, and I couldn't believe I just said that.
" That's enough!" Principal Celestia shouted as she and Vice Principal Luna appeared on the scene, and I wiped the smile off of my face. " Snips? Snails? How many times have we told you two about pulling these asinine pranks on your fellow students?"
" About a dozen times or so, but I kinda lost count." Snips answered.
" I think it was about fifteen." Snails added.
" Regardless of how many times, you're both in a lot of trouble... again. I suppose this means you'll be staying behind after school as usual, but this time you'll be getting an extra punishment, and while it may seem unfair compared with before, know that this was your own doing." Principal Celestia said, sighing.
" We didn't do anything wrong." Snips protested.
" Yeah! Nothing wrong." Snails added.
" A number of students just witnessed what you did to Sassy Saddles, and no doubt we'll be getting an earful from her parents soon enough. Luna, would you please help get Sassy Saddles cleaned up, and find her a warm change of clothes?" Principal Celestia asked, prompting Vice Principal Luna to take that loudmouth away. I was secretly cheering because of what she deserved, but I knew what I was doing come the end of the day. " Sassy Saddles was genuinely sick; she gave me a note excusing her from any strenuous activity. It seems you two clearly did not understand this, so I expect to see you in detention later!" Principal Celestia said as she walked away, causing the gathered crowd to disperse, while Snips and Snails walked away looking proud of what they did, and I was certainly proud because of seeing Sassy Saddles get humiliated. Granted, these two weren't my best choices. I was looking for students with more intellect, but then again, if they had that, I'd have to keep them on a tight leash in case they tried to assert their own opinions onto me, so perhaps these two were what I needed, after all.
Wanting to have others who could take the fall for me, and against my better judgment, I waited for the two to finish their detention. They were surprised at seeing me waiting outside, yet their first instinct was to just brush me aside because they had nothing in common with me. I, however, had an advantage over them: These two were the kind of boys who were simple-minded and easy to control by simply using the right words.
" What do you want?" Snips asked.
" Yeah! What do you want?" Snails asked.
" I witnessed what you did to Sassy Saddles a while ago, and while everyone else ridiculed you for what you did, I found it a sheer delight. That girl deserved to suffer utter humiliation, even if she is sick. You two deserve a lot of praise for performing such a prank, even if it was juvenile and completely childish. But what if I told you that things could be better?" I asked.
" Why should we listen to you?" Snips asked.
" Because I can give you anything you want." I answered.
" You should be a comedian for saying that, Sunset Shimmer." Snips said.
" Yeah! A comedian!" Snails added.
" Really? Is that what you think about my offer? A shame really; I was expecting so much more from you two. I could have made it so that no one would ever ridicule you just because you enjoy pulling pranks, and I also could've given you a new sense of purpose that wasn't there before. I've seen what guys like you want, and it's so obvious you both crave power, the kind where you can do whatever you want and not be judged by others, as you would be in control." I said, using a soothing voice in order to appeal to their obnoxious natures in addition to their inhibitions. My methods were working; their expressions were those of interest, a sentiment which made things just too easy for me. " I shall rule this school, as I have the power to do just that, and I'm not just talking about being Princess of the Fall Formal."
" What's in it for us?" Snips asked.
" For us?" Snails asked.
" I want you two to help me assert my dominance over this school, and in the process you will reap the rewards of being able to do whatever you want without fear of retribution. Together, we can rule CHS, and no one would be able to stop us, as they will be far too weak-willed to even raise a finger. And when I'm finished manipulating them into lashing out against one another, friendship around here will cease, and they will remain isolated from one another, making them easy to control." I answered. I could tell they were interested; going by their expressions, they were thrilled about the idea of having so much control. Yet they didn't know that I would be controlling them, as I'm the only one who was allowed to have all of the power around here. I knew my words would be enough to convince them, but I needed to sweeten the deal, just to be safe. " Help me, and you don't have to perform those mundane pranks for attention, as you will be able to go far beyond what your imaginations can come up with. Everyone at this school will be at your mercy, with the exception of myself, of course, as I am the one giving you this chance. Betraying me would be a grave crime." I said.
" It does sound tempting." Snips said.
" And you will grow to love it." I said.
" Will we really get to rule this school?" Snips asked.
" I will be doing all of the ruling, and all you two have to do is carrying out my will in whatever manner you see fit." I answered. It then became apparent to me that I may have said more than I wanted when trying to convince them, for now they were aware of my true intentions, but I was fortunate in that these two had too little common sense to realize I was going to be using them as minions who would do everything I say in exchange for power and prestige.
" Okay, we'll do it." Snips said.
" We'll do it." Snails added.
" You two have made the right decision, and made a powerful friend in the process." I said. With Snips and Snails now on board, I had the means to spread chaos all throughout CHS without having to act on my own, but the most important thing to me was that I can use them as fall guys should I be discovered as the source behind the manipulations. Hopefully, that won't be an issue for a long time to come, and if it does end up being that way, it would be far too late to stop it; I would have complete control within a matter of weeks, provided these two don't mess things up. " Now, the first thing I need you to do is to help me procure some camera equipment, as I wish to do a little inquiry about some specific students who have proven both intriguing and threatening at the same time." I said.
" Did you mean our friends?" Twilight asked.
" Because I felt they were special, I also felt they could have been a threat to my plans." I answered.
" What did you end up doing to them?" Twilight asked.