Down with Chrysalis’s Comment
For some reason just hearing the principles name sends shivers down your back.
Principle Cinch...
From what I recall she is a very influential person, and judging on how all the staff seem to shrink away or even stutter incoherently whenever you questioned them about her, that influence was not gained without reason.
Not to mention every student we pass by looks as if they've been marked for execution when they're talking about her makes her a dangerous foe.
Mentally nodding in agreement with the two voices in your head you gulp slightly before asking Cadence with slight hesitation,
"O-oh really? And what does our esteemed principal want with me?"
'esteemed'?
Look we have to keep a low-profile if this Cinch is as dangerous as everybody makes her out to be. I'm all for going against a jerky principle but now's not the time to do so. Sombra merely scoffs at this but you ignore him in favor to listening to Cadence's response.
"Oh its nothing too big, she just wants to meet you is all. She does this with all the new faculty, usually when they're hired but since she was out she's making up for it now."
Despite how she said that cheerfully even your dense buggy mind can tell her smile and tone are fake and strained.
Oh sweet Luna this person is making even Cadence of all people nervous!
Oblivious to your thoughts Cadence gestures down the hall and begins to walk away while saying how she'll bring you to Cinch. As you follow her you look over to Hu-Twilight and see her head is out of her book and that there even seems to be slight amount of concern in her eyes. Not wanting to worry her you just flash hera quick smile before catching up with Cadence.
A FEW MOMENTS LATER
After being led down a hallway, which you swear was devoid of all light just to create a soul-crushing atmosphere, you and Cadence arrive at two huge and overly decorated doors. Like the rest of the hallway they are grim and dark, and they just exclude oppression and the death of any student's hope of surviving high school undamaged.
So the usual feeling you get when going to meet the principal of a high school, only times ten and on steroids.
Oh dear Luna I'm getting flashbacks to the Hive. It feels like this hallway is sucking any joy I have out of me and using it to keep any sort of light from entering!
This is...quite the demanding feeling this principal likes to have. I'm sure this is all fine for the worm though, considering his past tyrant-hood.
Sombra merely scoffs at Selena's attempt at a jab and doesn't respond. Before you can say anything to either of them Cadence speaks up, this time her voice is even more strained to keep her happy tone in check.
"Here we are. I'm sorry about the lights, but the fuses for them went out awhile ago and we haven't gotten around to fixing them yet."
You just raise your brow at that, which causes Cadence to chuckle nervously before she starts to open the doors. As she does she gives you one last quick look.
"Just a piece of advice, don't speak unless she wants you too. Trust me."
Before you can question her on her advice the doors are fully opened and you see that the oppressive atmosphere is even worse in the room.
In the center of the room is a long desk with a leather chair facing away from you. Before you can question where the principal is a cold voice suddenly sounds out,
"Ah, about time you arrived Mr. Bugze. I was wondering when you would show up."
And like that the chair suddenly turns around to reveal the principal of the school, Cinch. Before you can go on your usual 'ugly human' rant, and let’s face it, this one is the worst one so far, you notice something...off. That something being these strange symbols of oppressive purple and oozing hostility (somehow), floating and shaking around the principal like crazy.
Do you guys see that!?
Yes, she is far older than I thought, physically there is nothing she can do to us.
Your hatred for humans continues to annoy me. Show respect for the elderly.
Oh buck your respect, I meant those menacing words above her.
Hmm, yes. Certificates and awards. She must be a perfectionist. Good catch. Selena nods looking to the many plaques on the wall.
Not those, the floating purple words! You reiterate.
…What are you talking about cockroach?
Bugze, are you seeing things again? Selena asks in concern.
Apparently, you stutter as apparently you’re the only one witnessing the menace. But even still this humie is definitely not normal...
Grey Rebl’s Comment
Thud!
You jump, turning to find the doors slammed shut. And on either side of the door frame, two people stand like guards, preventing exit. There is of course Cadence, who returns you a sheepish smile. And the other…
Your voice almost leaps out of its throat upon recognizing Shining Armor’s manestyle and disciplined stance. Armor’s doppelganger, ignorant to your shock, simply waves one of his hands.
“Don’t mind us.”
You can’t tell if you should feel assured that Cadance is watching your back or afraid that Shining Motherbucking Armor is behind you as well. Either way, though, you can feel the claustrophobia setting in. They have you trapped in. Surrounded. It's like the Arkhay Asylum all over again.
Definitely. Not. Normal.
Focus, Bugze. We can’t have you lose your composure every time you see a familiar face. I'm here for you, remember? You know she’s right, but it’s still a messed up situation.
“S-so, uh,” you gulp, pivoting to face Principal Cinch in all her menacing glory. “Is there something you need from me?”
“In a manner of speaking...” Principal Cinch leans her elbows onto her desk, her chin laid over interlocking fingers. “Tell me: are you aware of where we are?”
“Uh…”
Is this a trick question?
“Crystal Prep Academy?” Principal Cinch nods.
“Indeed.” Then, she turns her leather chair and stands up. She starts walking, slowly, with her hands clasped behind her, prowling around you like a shark would for its prey. You are too afraid to even properly face her, staring dead ahead at the now empty chair. “Winner of dozens of regional and national tournaments, athletic and academic. Boasts the most prestigious members of the Honors Society, highest overall GPA in the region, a high-class rated faculty, and a 100% graduation rate. Perfection.”
By the time her back is turned to you, she stops, and so does your heart. Principal Cinch’s head rotates ever so slightly, enough to give you a narrow sidelong glance. “And it’s my job to make sure it stays perfect. I did my research on you. And I was not impressed with what I found.”
Oh. As if it is life and death, your heart starts beating again. Oh...buck.
“A former rockstar, the Hooded Offender,” Principal Cinch continues. She starts fiddling with her fingernails, as if it is nothing to her. “The kind that millennials would call...edgy these days. Had a substantial following…and then it all ended with a scandal.”
You wince at that last word as if it is the other you standing right where you are now...
“By all rights, the Hooded Offender had disappeared completely. Nobody knows where he had went, for years…Until now that is.” Finally, Principal Cinch faces you fully, and from behind her elegant glasses, her cold and unassuming eyes drill right through you. “I do hope you know what this means?”
By the time you realize the sweat trailing down your neck, you can’t help but inwardly curse Lady Luck for this. History is biting you in the flank again, and for the second time it’s because of a doppelganger from an alternative universe.
Hmm… I will admit, I can respect her thoroughness, Selena says, sounding impressed. It’s a classic method to assert one’s own dominance. I’ve done the same in the past…or at least she did.
Turning my subjects into slaves was far less of a hassle, Sombra rolls his eyes.
You would know, you wannabe tyrant.
Hey! I wasn’t a wannabe, I was the real thing!
Yes, yes… But Bugze, remain calm. So long as her threats remain threats, you are in no danger. We lived through worse after all. We know what it's like...to hold a past that haunts our every waking hour…
Wetting your lips, you mentally nod.
Right… Right. You steady your breath and get as comfortable as you think you’re allowed to be. Time to face the music.
If Principal Cinch noticed your inner change in demeanor, there was only the slightest narrow of her eyes to show it.
“Well?”
“I...left all that behind,” you finally say. “I’d rather not bring that all up again.” A pause. “Especially at work.”
“So you say…” Principal Cinch hardly seems impressed. She rounds back to the other side, but this time, she faces towards a particular shelf, obscured by the shadows. “Good. Because as the member of our staff in Crystal Prep, I expect you to be the utmost professional. Whatever you do here, it reflects on this school.” She pivots around, giving you full view of the shelf, and in the shelf are trophies. Golden and pristine, all fancy with their intricate designs and craftsmanship. Only now do you notice them. “After all, we have a reputation to keep. Do you understand?”
“Y-yes.” You nod. “Of course.” She narrows her eyes. “O-oh, um… Yes, ma’am,” you correct. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“Then I’ll hold you to your word, Mr. Bugze. I care not if you’re going by that pseudonym instead of your real name, but if I hear from you of any shenanigans, any disturbances, I will not hesitate to be rid of you.” Principal Cinch sneers. “Goodness knows my precious school doesn’t need another degenerate of a janitor. Proper janitors are hard to come by these days.”
Horror creeps up your spine. Selena was right, she is a perfectionist. The kind that’ll never be satisfied with your work no matter what you do. The kind that you bet only Grey Rebl would be crazy enough to kiss. And so at that moment, you realize that your time in Crystal Prep Academy has gotten a whole lot harder.
Despite yourself, a whimper escapes your mouth.
I am bucked.
Just_another_guy’s Comment
Kichi’s Comment
“I’ll…I’ll be a proper janitor ma’am. Nothing will happen from me.”
“Excellent,” she nods as she sits back down and crosses her fingers in front of her. “Because I will not have the taint of your past scandal infect my Academy.”
After the word scandal leaves her mouth, you hear Shining Armor whisper behind you,
"Every single celebrity nowadays has one of those."
“Yeah…but I remember that one all too well,” Cadence responds, sounding a bit sadly for some reason.
As much as you would love to turn around and kindly ask him to shut the buck up, you are still preoccupied by Cinch’s gaze.
“Now that you know your position, let me reiterate to you the guidelines and standards to which our employees are held to. I doubt that parasite Scruffy gave you any real mentoring.”
She then opens up her drawer and pulls out a stack of papers as she adjusts her glasses and goes into lecture mode.
“Now, our modus operandi at this prestigious academy, is excellence, perfection, and-“
Oh gods, I can’t handle a lecture right now, you whimper.
Neither can I. You can pay attention to that blabbering, I’m going to listen in on the human counterparts of my usurpers gossiping, Sombra says.
What do you think you’re doing? Selena asks as you hear what sounds like a chair scraping on the floor.
“Of course that doesn’t factor in the non paid lunch, only when you’ve worked for at least six months will those be included…”
Moving further back so I can hear them better.
Since when did we agree to let you wander about freely?! Selena berates, sounding like a mother- oh wait she is.
Never Sombra says matter of factly.
Then what exactly are you doing Right Now?
Making myself useful, I'm not wandering as you put it, he grunts.
“And that brings us to paid time off. You are only allotted 7 days for the first six months, but as you’re being paid under the table as it were, I would be sparing on not showing up…”
And how is there gossip useful?
Because…he pauses thinking. Because the roach will have eyes in the back of his head…yeah…
Likely story. You stay right here and
Oh just let him go Selly, it’s too late for us to escape…you think in melancholy as Cinch’s lecture blends and blurs.
“Blah blah blah blah blah,” is all you hear from her.
But Bugze, she tries to argue.
I’ve got permission! Sombra says giddily and pushes further into your mind.
Oh for crying out loud, Selena grumbles. The least he could have done is suffer with us.
Maybe she’s right, but your fear and disconnection at Cinch’s droning lecture makes you feel hollow.
30 Minutes Later
"Blah Blah Blah Pride of Crystal Prep…Blah Blah Blah, inferior Wondercolts... Blah Blah Blah Canterlot High... Blah Blah Blah Our great champions... Blah Blah Blah..." she continues to drone, though you only catch every other word.
"Blah Blah Blah..." she continues until she is interrupted by the ring of a phone. Without missing a beat, she picks the phone up.
“Blah blah blah? Oh…blah blah blah.” She then looks to you with the mouth guard covered. “Blah blah blah, don’t forget my warning, blah.”
She then continues to chat on the phone, but you are too zoned out to think of anything else. Suddenly a familiar multicolored haired dean appears in your vision.
"Blah Blah Blah Blah?" she asks. When you don’t answer she waves a hand in front of your face and looks worried.
She glances at the preoccupied Cinch and back to you.
“Blah blah?” Again you don’t answer. She then disappears from your view while Cinch still talks on her phone, not looking in your direction.
A few moments later, Cadence returns with a glass of water, which she promptly throws in your face.
"What? When? Where?" you sputter, but she puts a hand over your mouth and holds a finger to her lips, gesturing her head towards the menacing principal. You nod and she gestures for you to stand up and follow her. You do so and as you pass Shining Armor, he gives you a thumbs up and mouths, “Good job.”
Puzzling Frost’s Comment
Before you pass through the door into the safety of the hallway though, Cinch speaks up.
“One more thing Mr. Bugze.”
You turn around and see her cupping the mouthpiece and glaring at you.
“If I hear anything of you messing with my students. There will be...” ,Cinch’s hand clenches into a fist, “....consequences.”
You nod dumbly and she gestures with her head for you to leave, and you do so. Once outside, you, Selena and Sombra all simultaneously mutter
“Freaky.”
As Cadence closes the door behind you, you hear her giggle.
“That’s one way to put it.”
“Sooo, what exactly happened? Did her menacing floating words get to me?” She seems confused at your words, but she just smirks.
“No, I’m pretty sure your mind just shut down as a self defense mechanism. I’ve seen it plenty of times with students, she has that effect on people.”
“Right…holy crap she’s scary. How can Scruffy even get away with being himself?”
“Tenure,” Cadence rolls her eyes. “He’s one of the few “blemishes” she can’t get rid of. But anyway, you’ve seen how she is, now you know not to be on her bad side.”
“Yeah…”
Looking for that portal is going to be harder if she’s breathing down my neck…B2 and I have to be extra careful tonight.
“I just wish she wouldn’t bring up the other m…My past like that. How the heck did she even find out so quickly?” you say sadly and Cadence bites her lip with a guilty look on her face.
Huh, wonder what that look is for?
Oh I know, heh heh heh. I heard aaaaallll the gossip, Sombra chuckles.
What do you mean scum? Selena demands, but all he does is laugh.
“Well either way, glad she didn’t just fire you outright. I think we should both get back to work.”
“Yeah,” you nod and begin to walk down the hallway.
“Oh, and Bugze?” she calls out causing you to turn around.
“Yes?” you ask. She has a look on her face as if she wants to say something, but then shakes her head and says, “I still enjoy your music. Just thought I’d let you know.”
“Oh…uh…thanks,” you say nervously. She then nods herself.
“Yeah…I’m just gonna, you know, get back to work,” she says as she walks to her office rather quickly.
“Right, me too,” you agree and walk on.
Well that was sure weird. I wonder what that was all about.
She’s under the influence you used to date her aunt who was in your band all those years ago, and is upset you don’t recognize her from when she was little, Sombra says giggling like a schoolfilly.
Wait What? Both you and Selena ask.
Your human counterpart, the musician. She knew him because he was with her aunt.
You got all that by listening to her and her husband whispering? Selena asks aghast.
Told you it was a great idea, he smirks.
Oh…OH…you say as you come to the conclusion. Cadence’s aunts in the real world are Celestia and Luna, so they’d be the same in this world. And there was only one of them that was in B2’s band.
Human Luna going under Nightmare Moon…Dang it B2, why do you have to have rockstar drama? It’s making my job much harder, you mutter.
Shaking your head from these thoughts you sigh.
“I’ll have to talk with him about that later. First things first though, if I want to break into the school to search tonight, I’m going to have to do something about the cameras and electric locks, and for that, I’m going to need a humie tech wiz.
After returning to your job, you wait until the final bell rings before you seek out Hu-Twilight.
“Oh hi. Glad to see you got out of their unscathed,” she says smiling.
“Barely,” you mutter. “Listen, you hacked those animatronics for revenge on those girls right?”
She looks around shiftily before nodding.
“Good…Can I ask you for a favor then?”
“Sure, what is it?” she asks.
“I kind of, sort of, need to break into the school after hours…”
“…Uh, what?” she sputters.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
