//------------------------------// // Overtones // Story: Alternative Origins // by TalkingToMyself //------------------------------// When Crystal Note walked through the halls of Canterlot High School, she didn’t meet a single person. That was by design, she had chosen the time of this appointment when everybody else would be in class. The less people saw her around the school, the better. Sunset Shimmer didn’t want any interference to her plans, and Crystal Note happily obliged. Principal Celestia, who had called for this appointment, did not. That was also by design. Crystal Note had insisted, over the phone, and either the principal would change her schedule, or the talk she wanted just wouldn’t happen. Reluctantly, Principal Celestia agreed, and Crystal Note smirked. It wasn’t a big win, but just the fact that she had inconvenienced the principal was very satisfying. Of course she knew that Principal Celestia was not the same as Princess Celestia, the deceiver, but they shared enough common traits that Crystal Note didn’t like the woman any more than she did the alicorn. The woman who sat in the office looked familiar, but Crystal Note didn’t know her name. She was sure she had seen the pony counterpart in Canterlot Palace at some point, but the time in the palace was almost a year ago. It didn’t matter anymore. She was asked to enter and stepped into a sunlit room. Principal Celestia sat behind a large desk, with tall windows behind her. Various diplomas and photographs decorated the walls, but Crystal Note didn’t bother to look at them. The principal asked her to sit down, which she did. She thought of refusing for a moment, but it was common courtesy to offer a seat, so it didn’t mean anything. She refused the cup of tea though. Principal Celestia make a feeble attempt of some small talk, but Crystal Note wasn’t here to waste time, so the principal got to the point “I’ve asked you here today so we could talk about Sunset Shimmer.” Crystal Note nodded, and she didn’t hide a frown “Is there any problem with her grades?” “No, quite the opposite in fact. All her grades are excellent, even in the subjects she struggled with when she first came here, she is now at the top of her class.” Principal Celestia smiled, as usually praising their child was more than enough to placate any parent, but Crystal Note just rolled her eyes “I know all of that. I know about her grades, her assignments, and I know that she won six different competitions for your school. I’ve walked past the trophies with her name on, which are now in your trophy cabinet somehow.” Principal Celetia’s smile froze down a bit, but she tried to ignore the hint of an accusation from Crystal Note “I see you’re very interested in your sister’s education.” “Of course I am. Do you think I would neglect her?” “No, I didn’t mean to imply anything.” Pushed back into defence, Principal Celestia’s smile wavered more, and Crystal Note sat straight, never taking her eyes off her. Between knowing how her counterpart reacted and the tricks on human behaviour she had learned from Sunset Shimmer, Principal Celestia barely stood a chance. By now, Crystal Note took full control over the conversation “Then maybe you can explain why you need to talk with me about Sunset?” With a quick nod, Principal Celestia looked at the file in front of her, clearly just to get a moment to compose herself. A moment Crystal Note wouldn’t give her “Well?” “Oh, well, you see, there has been a couple of smaller incidents at school over the last couple of weeks. Nothing dramatic, mostly just the usual teenage quarrel you would expect. However, it seems that Sunset Shimmer is involved in almost all of these incidents.” Crystal Note was still frowning at her when Principal Celestia dared to look up again “If it’s nothing but the usual, why did you single out Sunset?” The principal tilted her head again, trying her luck with an appeasing smile “As I said, it seems odd to me that Sunset Shimmer’s name came up very often.” Now, Crystal Note was glaring at her, before she could gain any control of this talk again, and the principal’s smile faded once more “Did anyone try to blame Sunset for those incidents?” “No, at least not directly. There have been a few accusations, but Sunset Shimmer is one of our top students and very popular, so a few rumours out of jealousy are to be expected. I am merely concerned that your sister is mentioned as often, and I wanted to inform your personally.” Crystal Note soaked up all the information she could get, since she was sure that Sunset Shimmer would want to hear about it later. It was a bit worrying. For Principal Celestia however, she kept up her glare and added a little more of an edge into her voice “So to sum it up: Your students behave like immature little kids and you don’t know how to deal with them. So instead of finding the root of the problem, you listen to their little rumours and lies, and now you want to put the blame on Sunset.” “No, that’s not…” “Sunset Shimmer is your most intelligent student. She wins prizes for your little school, and she raises the school’s standard by a mile. She gets praised by all of her teachers, she excels in all her subjects. But you choose to believe the schoolyard rumours more than your own staff.” “If you would just give me a moment to explain myself…” “No. In fact, you’re going to listen to me explain something to you.” Crystal Note leaned forward and intensified her glare, which had the desired effect on the wilting Celestia “Sunset Shimmer could be on any school in this city, probably the whole district. Any principal would beg to get a student like her to attend to their school. Yet for some reason even I don’t understand, she chose your run-of-the-mill mediocre high school. So instead of trying to put blame on her, I think you should better make sure that Sunset thinks it’s worth to stay here at Canterlot High School.” For a moment, Principal Celestia gained back some of her fire and tried to push back “Canterlot High School is a great school with an excellent reputation. You’ll be disappointed if you’d try to find any school that can compare.” Crystal Note smirked, but with eyes as hard as stone “Oh yes, that’s what you want everybody to think, isn’t it? CHS is a perfect school, with perfect students and of course, a perfect principal. That is what you want everybody to believe, and that is why things like the ‘little incidents’ on your desk may never get any public notice.” Principal Celestia shook her head, a little strain in her voice now “What are you implying?” “Just that you try to hide all your problems so that nobody ever finds them, without ever trying to fix them. Because if you had to fix something, that would mean your really have a problem, and heavens forbid anyone might ever think you’re not the perfect, perfect principal you pretend to be.” Principal Celestia just shook her head again, this time angry “Every school has their problems. And here at CHS we deal with them in our own way.” “Do you? How about the fact that one of your senior students dropped out and vanished from social life altogether, just a couple of weeks before her graduation? Or that another of your seniors has been found cheating during her entire career here at your school, without anyone ever noticing? How comes that in your school, nobody ever talks about bullying, or fights in your school? Nobody dares because instead of helping your students, you’d reprimand them for bringing such things to public notice. Just like you try to reprimand Sunset Shimmer, even though it’s clearly your other students that are out of control.” At this point, the principal lost the rest of her composure “How do you know about all these things?” Crystal Note shot another glare at her, as cold as the Frozen North “It’s plain to see, once one looks past that always sunny, always smiling façade of yours. Now try to explain to me, again, why I should let Sunset take blame for something, just so you can keep up your web of lies and misdirection?” She was probably laying on a little thick with that, but Crystal Note found it greatly satisfying to see Celestia shudder. Even if it was technically the wrong Celestia. The principal clearly hadn’t expected a confrontation like this, and Crystal Note didn’t give her any chance to compose herself, always pushing back against her, until she could only speak in a small voice “Please, we don’t have to escalate this matter. There has to be a better solution.” Crystal Note grinned, since now she had Celestia right where she wanted her, just like Sunset had predicted “It’s really not that hard. You make sure Sunset enjoys her time at CHS and that anyone who tried to give her a hard time, be it a student or a member of your faculty, realizes that they would be wise not to do so. If you do that, Sunset will keep gaining excellent marks and win prizes and trophies for your precious little school.” Principal Celestia shook her head “This is just blackmail. I won’t let you do this to me.” “And what is it you were trying to do with Sunset? She’s not involved in any of this, but you tried to fabricate some kind of story in which she’s the one you can blame. So you would have something you could use to keep her at CHS and win prizes for you.” “No, that’s not true! I’d never do that. I only wanted to help her, that’s all.” Crystal Note just shook her head “Lie to yourself all you want, but we both know the truth. You want everybody to see you as perfect and flawless, and you would do everything to keep it that way. So why make this hard on yourself? Sunset wants to attend to CHS. All you have to do is make sure she doesn’t regret that choice.” Principal Celestia had been taken by surprise, open confrontation and then faced with an ugly fact about herself. Even if it was only partially true, and Crystal Note had no doubt that it was, it was enough to plant a seed of doubt in Celestia. And Crystal Note steered the conversation in a way that Celestia, instead of thinking about her ‘care’ to her students, would focus on her flaws instead. Like back in Equestria, Crystal Note could break through Celestia’s barriers, although the former pony didn’t even realize it. With nothing left to say, Crystal Note got up and left. That way, she could stay in charge of the conversation and Celestia would have to doubt herself silently a good while longer. Crystal Note was no stranger to that, and she knew that Celestia, this one or any other, would not go and seek advise or help from anyone. If she did, she’d have to admit to herself that she wasn’t flawless, and no Celestia in any world would ever do that. So she wouldn’t address this matter any further. She would make sure to keep Sunset Shimmer out of any negative attention, just to save her own reputation. And she would reprimand any student who would try and blame Sunset for anything. It didn’t take a genius like Sunset Shimmer to figure that out, even Crystal Note could see it, clear as day. And just like that, Principal Celestia would play her part in Sunset Shimmer’s plans, without even noticing. And Crystal Note could enjoy the satisfaction that came from manipulating the manipulator to fit their own needs. Everything was going according to plan. Of course, Crystal Note technically didn’t know any of those plans. Sunset Shimmer barely told her anything, but that was fine. Crystal Note had come to accept the fact that Sunset would not always be honest with her. She was very good at noticing when Sunset was lying to her by now, even if Sunset probably didn’t realize it. That way, Sunset could focus on her plans, and Crystal Note could assist her without ever being asked to do so. Sunset Shimmer would tell her when the time was right. She had given her word that she would find a way back to Equestria, and if Crystal Note believed in anything, it was that Sunset Shimmer always stayed true to her promises. Until then, Crystal Note would do all she could to be useful. She was patient, she could wait. It would all be worth in the end, and while she waited, she could enjoy the little victories that came along, like the wonderful feeling that she had thoroughly soured up Celestia’s day. Crystal Note smiled as she walked out of the school building and back into the warm sun. Today was a good day, and she knew that there were many more to follow. After all, Sunset Shimmer had a plan, and that was good enough for her.