Day: Saturday
Weather: Sunny
Time: 9:00amFlash Sentry took me to Canterlot High, where I discovered that there were no classes scheduled because it was the weekend. Why would he bring me here if no one was going to be around in the first place!? That's when he told me they were having something he called "intramural sports", and that Principal Celestia organized the event for the students, which is why the sports are on school grounds. This meant I had the chance to talk to her in order to register as a student... there were mixed messages about this that plagued my mind. On the one hoof, she was a different person compared to Princess Celestia, yet on the other hoof, she was a reminder of the one who denied me my right. I would need to approach this impending encounter so as to not give myself away, and perhaps learn more about this place...
The Other Journal
By Ganondorf8
November 6, 2015
Chapter 8: Principal Celestia.
Later that night, when Flash Sentry and his parents went off to bed, I remained awake in the room which had been provided for me. Compared to the chambers of Canterlot castle, this room was a sorry excuse if I ever saw one, yet this was something which I had to slowly accept, since I was forbidden to return to the castle until I've "sorted myself out", according to Princess Celestia... not her exact words mind you, but close enough as far as I was concerned. Everything in this room was plain, ugly, and devoid of elegance, a reminder of how far I've fallen, and yet this family has no quarrels about it. They enjoy living in such squalor, but not me; I lived in the lap of luxury, yet that was gone now, and this had become my fate. Thanks to Flash Sentry, I know much about where I am going tomorrow with him. Ugh, that thought alone will give me nightmares. I'll be given an audience with Principal Celestia, someone who has the same name as my former mentor, yet that's all I know about her.
If I could convince her to make me a student of this school, I could proceed to make it my own. After all, I'm far superior to these other creatures. Just because I no longer had access to my magic didn't make me weak! Far from it! In fact, it just means I could use my cunning to get everything I want... everything I want... these three words would keep me awake for much of the night, since while my dream may have been denied, deep down I believed that one day, I would become a princess, and it didn't matter who I had to step on in order to achieve my goal. I then looked down at my hands, as Flash Sentry called them, and clenched each one into a fist, squeezing them until I could no longer tolerate the pain. A far cry from having hooves, but I supposed these would have to do along with these different legs. I was able to mimic some of his more acceptable mannerisms, and while I still had some work to do, I'd soon be able to walk like these creatures in no time, and none of them would even suspect that I am a unicorn from a magical world.
" This world isn't so bad, apart from the lack of magic." I said to myself, staring up at the ceiling, which was just as ugly as the rest of the room. I may have only been here for a few hours, but already I was starting to get used to its charms, however few of them there actually were. " These creatures--humans, as Flash Sentry said in his pathetic attempt to correct me--are simplistic in their intelligence, and their lack of creativity is painfully obvious, yet they have proven themselves useful by providing food, shelter, and knowledge to a complete stranger. I don't know if I should show them pity, or laugh at their ignorance! I suppose I should tolerate their presence to some extent. Otherwise, if I play my hand far too soon, everything could backfire, and I'll be in an even worse position than I am in now." I said to myself. Feeling my eyelids growing heavy, I struggled to remain awake, yet there was still much that remained on my mind, with all of it revolving around this Principal Celestia. Was she really a different version of my mentor? Or was she someone who just so happened to have the same name, and all of this was a mere coincidence? The morning couldn't come soon enough, as I needed to know the answer...
" You didn't think too highly of us humans, did you?" Twilight asked.
" Back then, I saw the people of this world as inferior to me because I felt that I came from a world which was superior in every sense of the word. Now that I've been living here for the last few years, I know that my opinions were nothing but ignorance and immaturity spewing forth from my twisted mouth. Humans have proven themselves to be brilliant in their own right, and while there are one or two things about them which I believe ponies are better at, I see both sides as equal in my books." I answered.
" It must have been difficult for you to get adjusted to a foreign place, huh? I mean, you had spent all that time living in Equestria, and then it just disappeared like that all because of a poor decision on your part." Twilight said, taking off her glasses and wiping them with a cloth, since the dust in the library smudged itself all over the lens. When she was finished, she placed them back on her face before pushing them up with her finger. " I actually know what you went through, Sunset, as I had a similar experience when I first started attending Crystal Prep. I had just transferred over from a previous school because of my high grades, yet I didn't anticipate the atmosphere of the school to be so cold, icy, miserable, as though the only thing that mattered was your own self-interests. Of course, what I experienced was nothing compared to you, since all I did was go from one school to another, while you went from one world to another." Twilight said.
" It was a pretty big life change for me." I said.
" Still, I can't believe you saw humans in such a negative light." Twilight said.
" As a pony who desired to be the best, and who had gone from one dimension to another, I wasn't going to let anyone stand in my way, and that included the people of this world, who were nothing more than pawns for me to use however I saw fit!" I shouted before tears started to swell my eyelids; once again, I had to remember everything I did in the name of wanting power above all else. I could have started over, begun a new life in this world where I didn't have to worry about Equestria, but my hatred and desire to become a princess refused to die. These two feelings alone kept me from abandoning my true self... No wonder I hate the old me so much: She was nothing but a monster who desired power above everything else, and anything that wasn't power she spat on before crushing it beneath her foot. That's when I felt the warmth of another body close by, and turned to see Twilight had snuggled up next to me in order to wipe away my tears. She grabbed my hands and held them in hers like a cradle. It felt good to me, so much so that I didn't want this moment to end.
" At least you changed." Twilight said.
" It just took me a few years to get around to it." I said.
" I suppose my next question is going to be a rather personal one, but I'm sure you'll be able to handle it. Before you go and answer it, though, let me just grab some tissues which I brought with me. No, I didn't bring them because of you crying on me, Sunset, even though that is now a logical reason. I brought them along because I have to wipe myself clean quite often, which comes with the territory of having to use equipment, books, abacuses, and the like, since they're all caked in dirt." Twilight said, her hands separating from mine, which made me feel as though I had just lost my best friend even though she was only going a very short distance. This Twilight I can relate to more than the one I've come to know, as this Twilight and I have so much more in common, and I'm not just referring to the Friendship Games. We both come from similar walks of life where we have struggled to find our place in the world, yet her struggle was more introverted while mine was extroverted.
Twilight had since walked over to her bag, grabbed it, and come back before sitting down next to me. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a box of tissues, which had a cute unicorn design on them... quite the subtle reference, if I do say so myself. " When you first saw Principal Celestia, what was your reaction like? I mean, she resembled someone you knew, and given your current state of mind, did you lash out in any way? What did she think of you? What about your academic records?" Twilight asked, her constant barrage of questions was enough to make me place my hand in front of her mouth to stop her from talking. She actually sounded like a real-life exam, which I thought was really cute... ahem! I removed my hand from her mouth, when she blushed, but I paid it no mind, as she was just being curious.
" To tell you the truth, I didn't know what to expect; all that was on my mind was hatred towards Princess Celestia." I answered.
" Sunset..." Twilight said.
" Besides, I would soon learn that she wasn't the only one who was a familiar face..." I said.
The next morning, Flash Sentry had gotten up early in order to practice for the intramural sports event taking place at Canterlot High, and try as he might to prevent himself from waking me up, an errant football knocked against the window of the room I was residing in, and I woke up in the foulest mood imaginable. Sleeping proved much more difficult than before because of my new body; I wasn't used to sleeping like a human, and what constituted as a bed was unbearable, what with the lumpy mattress, awkwardly-shaped pillows, the size of the bed, and even worse things. Compared to Equestria, this was nothing short of torture! Upon getting up, my mind was completely fuzzy due to how poorly I slept, and because I had no idea as to how this world worked, I stumbled into the bathroom where I went back to sleep in the bathtub... not my most graceful moment. When Flash called me to get ready as we were to leave for Canterlot High within the next twenty minutes, he came to check up on me when I refused to answer his call, and when he discovered where I had ended up, he laughed at me, which really angered me to the point where I could have thrown him down the stairs.
But I was far too groggy to even comprehend such a thing, so I lay there in the tub while he laughed before helping me get out and bringing me back to the guest room, where he told me that we were leaving within twenty minutes and that I could have breakfast if I wanted to. Food... something I haven't had in my belly for quite some time, so upon slapping myself in the face numerous times to make myself fully conscious of what I was doing, I changed out of the pajamas his father provided for me--something I was glad to be out of, as those things felt itchy, were slightly too big, and had a weird smell--and put on the clothes which I gained upon entering this world. My belly then growled again as a sign that I really needed something in me, so I walked down the stairs, making sure not to embarrass myself. But when I came into the kitchen, and saw what was on the table...
" What's this?" I asked.
" Breakfast!" Flash Sentry answered.
" You expect me to eat whatever that is?" I asked, looking at the food on the table which looked nothing like what I was used to back in Equestria. " When you said that breakfast was ready, I was expecting there to be oats, carrots, hay, and daisy sandwiches, yet all I'm seeing are strange things which look absolutely disgusting! You can't expect me to fill my belly with whatever this is!"
" Oats? Hay? That's the kind of thing horses eat." Flash Sentry said.
" Of course, because I--" I said, stopping myself short before closing my mouth and sitting down at the table without saying another word. In my tantrum, I had completely forgotten about where I was, so what I view as food makes no sense to someone like Flash Sentry, and no doubt he probably thinks me as being weird for wanting food that humans would never eat... well, aside from the carrots, of course. The worse thing about all of this was that I almost blurted out that I was a horse in response to what he said, and that would have been the worst disaster. " Sorry, but I guess I'm still feeling slightly groggy because of how I was so rudely woken up earlier!" I said, giving Flash Sentry a cold expression so as to change the subject, and to make him feel guilty about what he did earlier. I then tried reaching out for the food on the table only to knock a cup over where its contents spilled onto the tapestry on the table, yet Flash was able to catch it before it shattered on the floor. I remained undeterred, however, and I reached out again, grabbing something soft and fluffy before sniffing it for a second, and then shoving it into my mouth as my belly really needed something.
" What do you think?" Flash Sentry asked.
" This is pretty good." I answered, mumbling some parts my mouth being full.
" Guess you do like pancakes seeing as you just grabbed another one after eating that one in no time at all." Flash Sentry said. I didn't care what he called them. I just needed more of them to feed my belly and stop it from making those annoying sounds. I kept on reaching for them one at a time until he pushed the plate forward so that I wouldn't have to strain myself, but if he was trying to warm up to me, he'd best forget about it, as all he was to me was a tool. Once I had gotten my fill of food, Flash mentioned that we had to leave; my food binge used up a good deal of time, so I told him to hurry up, otherwise I was going to run to Canterlot High even though I didn't know the way, another slight error of judgement on my part...
"I'm surprised you didn't eat him out of house and home." Twilight laughed.
" My belly was famished, so I ate as much as I could without stopping until it was satisfied, but it was one of the best things I've ever eaten, and has since become a part of my own breakfast each morning." I said, laughing along with Twilight, because I really could have done that to Flash, yet he probably wouldn't have taken it too kindly, and his parents would have been even worse. All of that laughter eventually brought a tear to my eye which I wiped away with my sleeve, and then the reality of the situation sank back in, and I resumed my miserable expression, a reminder that this was still just the beginning of what I've written down in this journal, this accursed book whose secrets I had to share with someone, even if it meant reopening old wounds long forgotten by even myself.
" That was a good laugh right there, but now back to serious business." Twilight said.
" It didn't take long to get to Canterlot High." I said.
" Did you see Principal Celestia in her office?" Twilight asked.
" That was my first instinct, given she was in charge of the school, so it made sense that she would be there overseeing everything, but in truth she was outside helping to coordinate the event along with a few other members of the staff, and even to this day I've never forgotten the first time my eyes and hers made contact with one another. I don't mean that in a sexual manner, Twilight, but one of fate, as she was an alternate version of Princess Celestia, a fact I would figure out that day when we met." I answered.
" What about seeing other faces?" Twilight asked.
Upon arriving at Canterlot High, Flash Sentry told me to go straight to the field located behind the school, as that was where Principal Celestia was. When I asked him why he didn't want to come with me, he said that he needed to get prepared, since he was taking part in the intramural sports he kept on talking about. As he ran off hoping that things would turn out okay, I felt relieved knowing I didn't have to deal with him again, but a really tiny part of me missed his company. I quickly got rid of that notion by reminding myself that he was just a means to an end and nothing more. Seeing the school during the day made it appear more inviting, more majestic, yet it paled in comparison to Equestria standards, but I supposed it was better than nothing. As I began to make my way to the field where Principal Celestia was supposedly located, I came to a stop because something else caught my attention, and I couldn't believe who I saw.
" That girl... she looks just like one of those ponies who always pestered me about wanting to have fun with them." I said to myself. While I never bothered to remember their names, as they were unimportant, their appearances were ones I could never forget, and this girl was clearly the same one I know from the School for Gifted Unicorns, but how could that be possible? Another girl then appeared, walking out from behind the statue of the horse, and she looked like someone I knew, as well. Both of them were ponies back in Equestria, yet they were here in this world, and with bodies similar to what I have. " Is this some kind of magic? How could these two be here in this world? Neither of them went through the mirror like I did, so seeing them here makes no sense at all." I said to myself. Since I didn't want to waste any time speaking with these two, I quietly tip-toed to the left, making sure to keep eye contact on them, and that's when I ran into someone else who I recognized from Equestria.
" Sorry!" She said.
" Watch where you're going next time!" I shouted.
" Sorry!" The girl said as she apologized to me several times before running off to join the other two girls, and as they walked off together, the one who ran into me didn't even bother to look back at me, likely intimidated by me? Choosing to simply ignore her, and cursing all three girls under my breath because of how useless they were, I continued on towards the field where I witnessed other students going by, each of them focused on something different, yet none of it made sense.
" This place feels so warm, kind, and caring... it makes me want to throw up. Why aren't any of them focusing on their studies? That should be their primary goal around here if they aspire to become the best that they can be. Perhaps they don't even care about that? What a waste of good talents, focusing on pointless pursuits instead of the desire to gain more power until no one can stand in your way." I said to myself. An evil expression appeared on my face; something had just occurred to me. Because these students were so lax when it came to their goals, it would be easy for me to exert my will over them, and practically become the ruler around here. I had the superior intellect, after all, so none of them would be able to challenge me, but I needed to make sure that they knew their place. The first thing I needed to do before doing any of that was to register as a student and, from there, plan out how I will hold this school in the palm of my hand. I may not become a princess in Equestria just yet, but this place would have to do for the time being.
When I arrived at the field, I saw that it was in pretty good condition and was presentable, unlike everything else around here. Seeing the lush green grass reminded me of back home, where I used to gallop all the time, my mane blowing free in the wind, my magic flowing about without restraint, and writing down things in my journal to Princess Celestia that I discovered because of strong fascination. Such a mental image was marred by the fact that there were so many people here, but I supposed it's something I'd get used to, even if it does make me cringe. That's when my entire body froze on the spot, for the one I had been waiting to see was right in front of me. Her body may be different from her Equestrian counterpart, yet her flowing multi-coloured hair was a dead giveaway to me. Princess Celestia. How could I face her after our falling out? Before I could make any kind of action, she turned around and noticed me, and while I wanted to run away, my legs wouldn't respond, and my brain felt like it had shut down.
" Oh? You must be new around here." Principal Celestia said, a smile appearing on her face.
I was unable to say anything in response to her.
" Is something wrong?" Principal Celestia asked.
Again, I could say nothing.
" There's no need for you to be afraid, despite my station as the principal of Canterlot High, but I will not force you to say anything if it makes you feel uncomfortable. Just relax a little bit, and allow yourself to feel calm and secure." Principal Celestia said. Her words... her mannerisms... her appearance... she was just like Princess Celestia! It felt as though I was back at home as a foal when I first met her and impressed her with my display of magic, and for a few moments my hatred towards my former mentor disappeared; seeing her here made me remember the good times we had together. That's when reality sunk in again, reminding me that my mentor denied me my destiny, and this person who looked just like her could do the exact same thing. Could she really, though? I didn't know what to think at this point! " Flash Sentry told me that I would be receiving a visitor, and it was you he was talking about, correct?" Principal Celestia asked.
I said nothing, but I did nod my head in the affirmative.
" At least that is a good start, you acknowledging me by nodding to answer my question, but I think you can do an even better job of expressing yourself by speaking. There is nothing to worry about; you are in a safe environment where everyone believes in friendship and wants to make this school the best experience they've had in their entire lives. Now, why don't you tell me your name?" Principal Celestia asked, her soothing voice compelling me to answer her.
" Sunset Shimmer..." I answered.
" You see? That must have felt good, right?" Principal Celestia asked.
" I guess..." I answered.
" And I see that you have a fine name, one that burns with a fiery hot passion, one who is destined for great things. Anyway, I am Principal Celestia, and now I'd like to ask why you wanted to speak with me. Flash said something about you registering here as a student, and even though I know that he is telling me the truth, I want to hear it straight from you." Principal Celestia said. Every time she spoke and looked at me with those eyes of hers, it felt like knives were skewering my heart, and that pain continued to worsen with every passing moment. She acted just like Princess Celestia, and such a notion was tearing me apart. " Sunset Shimmer? Is something wrong?" Principal Celestia asked.
" You... just remind me of someone I know." I answered.
" If my presence is making you uneasy, perhaps you should speak to my sister Vice Principal Luna." Principal Celestia suggested.
" No, it's okay. It's just that where I come from, I had a teacher who you remind me of, a teacher who always aspired me to become the best I could be. But then we had a falling out over a pointless issue which was all her fault, and she ended my studies there and then." I said.
" She sounds like someone who is not very trustworthy." Principal Celestia said.
" You don't even know the half of it." I said.
" It sounds to me that this teacher of yours focused all of her efforts on you personally, a private tutor, not an uncommon thing. But I suppose she wanted better from you, and felt that you were not worthy to take your studies to the next level." Principal Celestia said. Hearing her say this made me feel anger and rage towards Princess Celestia, yet at the same time I felt this way towards the version before me, since she was making me out to be the problem. Then again, it was probably her ignorance showing, as compared to my former mentor, who was the ruler of an entire kingdom, this Principal Celestia merely served as the ruler of this much smaller piece of land. " Tell me, Sunset Shimmer, what kind of school did you attend before coming here?"
" It's something I don't like talking about." I answered.
" No need to feel ashamed about it." Principal Celestia said.
" At my last school, I strove to be the best student that I could, completing all of my assignments, reading the assigned books, passing tests with flying colours, and generally thinking about my future, but my fellow students kept on trying to interrupt my studies, which upset me. They weren't going anywhere in terms of their future, so they wanted to drag me down to their level, but I wasn't about to have any of it. My mentor kept on trying to tell me to accept this perspective, but I didn't want to, because of how bad my childhood was, what with parents who ignored me in favour of my siblings." I said. It actually felt good to vent out so much frustration, yet while I had the urge to keep going, I noticed that Principal Celestia's expression was one of shock, as though she didn't know how to respond to what I had just said. Rather than tell the truth, as she wouldn't have believed any of it, I decided to go with a slight alteration in the hopes she would buy it. " I moved here in order to start my life over, to get away from the troubles of my past, and this school seems like it can help me move on with my future."
" That was... an interesting story, Sunset Shimmer, but I believe you do desire to attend this school." Principal Celestia said.
" So I can register?" I asked.
" Right now, I need to focus on these intramural sports; the students have been looking forward to this all month. But if you could stick around here for a few hours, I'll be sure to get you registered as an official student of CHS, and you can join us Wondercolts." Principal Celestia answered.
" Did you say 'Wonderbolts'?" I asked.
" No, I distinctly said 'Wondercolts', the name of our school team." Principal Celestia answered.
" Then I'll just wait here until you're done." I said, prompting her to turn around, and walk towards a group that looked as though they were lost. I felt angry that she was focusing on them instead of me; I should have been taken care of first! I was far more important than these other students, including the ones who reminded me of those ponies who kept bothering me before... that's when I started to realize something, yet it took until that moment for it to become clear to me. I needed to test my theory a bit further in order to prove it, but if I could find other people around here who looked like ponies I've seen back in Equestria, I may have figured out what this world really is. I had plenty of time to indulge in this activity, and it could help me learn more about the students here, as I intended on making sure they all know their place.
" It took me a while to figure out that this world was an alternate version of Equestria, where people here are human instead of ponies." I said.
" Who did you speak to in order to confirm your suspicions?" Twilight asked.
" Principal Celestia suggested speaking to her sister Vice-Principal Luna, so that was an option right there, but there were certain students who happened to be there for those intramural sports who really piqued my interest." I answered.
" Who?" Twilight asked.
" You already know them." I answered.