//------------------------------// // Chapter 18: Blackmail // Story: The Other Journal // by Ganondorf8 //------------------------------// Day: Monday Weather: Sunny Time: 11:21am My worst fears had been realized. Someone wrote their name down on the ballot sheet giving me some competition for the crown, and it turned out to be Twilight Sparkle, the upstart who became a princess in Equestria. She wasn't satisfied with being a princess in our world, so now she wanted to become a princess in this one? She was just rubbing it in my face, wanting to take everything away from me! I let her get away with it once, but not this time! Before encountering Her Highness, I made an important discovery which would help me put her in her place. She had doubts about being a princess. I originally suspected she was hesitant, but hearing it straight from the horse's mouth confirmed my suspicions. Knowing that little tidbit about her insecurity, I encountered Twilight and intimated her in the hopes that she would rethink about competing against me. Yet, she had chosen to continue with her efforts,-- much to my dismay. Well, there are other methods I could use to make things difficult for her, and I would start with the obvious choice: using my minions. The Other Journal By Ganondorf8 November 26, 2015 Chapter 18: Blackmail. " And it didn't matter whether they were willing to do it or not. I was calling the shots, so they had to do what I told them, especially if they wanted power. That was another reason why I ultimately chose them. Snips and Snails were easy to control because they were easy to please. Had I chosen students who were more ambitious and similar to how I behaved, they would have been next to impossible to keep in check." I said. " You didn't want to take any chances, did you?" Twilight asked. " During the first two years of living in this world, it was easy to rein in Snips and Snails, as they were content with pulling their pranks. They knew that I had their back, despite me still having some hesitation towards them for their lack of intellect. Still, our relationship created a 'harmony' where we co-existed in what could be described as a testy friendship. During the third year, they started to become harder to control, as they developed free will in that they would carry out my plans, but had ulterior motives. What I wrote down in my journal of them demanding more power wasn't the first time they brought it up to me. There were at least two additional incidents, yet I ignored them, thinking they were trying to play a prank on me." I answered. " Free will? They weren't machines, you know!" Twilight said, frowning at me. " Like I said, they were nothing more than minions to me." I said. " I've been thinking about what you said when they claimed they had been manipulated by you, which ended your relationship with them, so tell me, did they ever forgive you for what you did to them?" Twilight asked. It took me a moment to answer her question, as it meant having to think back about what happened in-between the Fall Formal and the Battle of the Bands regarding my relationship to Snips and Snails. I did, however, make sure Twilight didn't see the brief teardrops falling from my eyes. She's already felt emotional trauma about what I've been through to last a lifetime, and I didn't want her to feel sad anymore. Sniffing a few times to keep her distracted, I wiped away the tears before turning the page in my journal and addressing her question. " When our 'friendship' ended, Snips and Snails began to mistreat me the same way I treated them, and while they weren't malicious, I had no desire to stop them because I believed everyone deserved to vent their frustration out at me. Don't get me wrong, Twilight! I had spent years ruining their lives, so when I was exposed for everything I had done, I accepted my just punishment. After all, it could have been much worse." I answered. I then began to think about what happened a couple of days after the Fall Formal ended, and it was an experience that brought back painful memories. Someone had called the local authorities to investigate why the front of the school had been destroyed, and though Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna would have pointed the finger at me because I was responsible and because they had to cooperate with the authorities, my fellow students said what happened was the result of a building project gone wrong. The authorities doubted such a claim, but accepted it anyway, as no one would believe that magic caused the damage, so the entire incident was dropped. To this day, I still don't know why they protected me. They could have said nothing and allowed me to be taken away, but they helped me after all I did. " How could it have been worse?" Twilight asked. " Trust me. You don't want to know." I answered. " I'll take your word for it, I guess. For now, at least." Twilight said. I felt bad about not telling her what happened after the Formal, but it was too embarrassing for me to tell her, yet our friends were likely to answer her curious nature were she to bring it up with them. " And the forgiveness?" " Oh yeah! They did forgive me like everyone else did, but we don't hang out all that often. I have my own interests that revolve around you and our friends, and those two have their own interests which revolve around pulling pranks all in the name of fun." I answered. " That's good to hear, but we haven't exactly reached those 'happier moments' yet. We're still talking about what happened to you last year." Twilight said. When I turned the next page of the journal, she thrust her hand down onto a photo which had been glued onto the page, and her expression was of complete shock over what she was looking at, and I couldn't blame her. The photo was of Princess Twilight in a really awkward moment where she had a book in her mouth, her eyes derped out, and drool coming out of her mouth and trickling along the book. She then looked at me, demanding an explanation, but all I did was blush bright red, turning my face away from her in shame. " What is this!? Why is there a photo of her looking like she was suffering from constipation?" " Remember how I said I used blackmail on Princess Twilight?" I asked. " Um, yes." Twilight answered. " You're looking at the result." I said, turning my face back around, but looking down at the page rather than directly at her. Princess Twilight had really riled me up, not only because of her presence at Canterlot High but also because of her decision to write her name on the ballot sheet, giving me some competition for the crown I stole from her. I was hoping to have won without anyone opposing me like I had in the past, but while those other competitions did have other girls who were vying to win just as much as I was, they were blackmailed into dropping out, courtesy of yours truly. The upstart, however, was a much different case, as I had no idea what kind of secrets she had, aside from her self-doubt. That, though, wouldn't do me any good; these students would never believe in a place like Equestria. I needed to rely on other means of making her look bad, so I hastened my walk back to the gym. I needed the assistance of my minions. Upon reaching the gym, Snips and Snails came out via the double doors, covered from head to toe in streamers. I groaned out loud and slapped my forehead in frustration over what I was looking at. I asked them to check over the remaining decorations to see if anything else needed improving, and what do they go and do? They come out looking like someone had gift-wrapped them! That was what I get for going with the least intelligent option instead of the smart one. The two boys struggled to make their way over to where I was standing, but tripped on a loose streamer, causing them to fall to the ground. I pinched the bridge of my nose in an attempt to refrain myself from throttling them for their sheer incompetence. If not for the fact that I needed their help, I'd have left them to be humiliated by any passers-by, yet their current condition would make me look bad. I did have an image to maintain, after all. " What are you two doing?" I asked, anger clearly in my voice. " We were checking out the decorations to make sure they were up to your expectations, and we, uh, kinda got wrapped up in our work." Snips answered. " Yeah! We're all tied up!" Snails added. " Did you two at least manage to fulfill my request?" I asked. " Everything looked great, and Pinkie Pie was removing some of the excess balloons, just like you said." Snips answered. Well, at least they did that right without making a scene, but seeing them sprawled about on the floor covered in streamers only fueled my growing frustrations, so I helped to pick them up off the ground before grabbing a loose piece and giving it a yank, causing them to spin around several times before becoming freed from their blunder. They were still spinning at this point, so I reached out to grab their shoulders in order to bring them to a halt before turning them to face me. " Thanks for bringing us to a stop, Sunset Shimmer, but I'm still seeing stars, here." " That was fun! Can we do it again?" Snails asked. " I don't think now's the time for that, Snails, old buddy." Snips said. " Why?" Snails asked. Snips promptly pointed his finger at me, and when Snails turned to face me, he quickly turned white upon seeing my bared teeth and angry look smeared across my face. Again, I would throttle them for being incompetent, but I needed their help, so for now I would let this mishap slide. However, I made sure to point at both of them with my eyes narrowing in the process, a warning that I wouldn't give them another chance were they to fail me again. " Pinkie Pie definitely took your words to heart, but I don't think Applejack felt the same way, now that I think about it. She did look awfully mad, but she calmed down after Pinkie suggested not to let your insults, or 'funny words' as she called them, ruin her day. Not sure where she went after that, but that's when our mishap happened, and we came out here when we saw you walking on over." Snips said. Applejack could do with more ridicule as payback for trying to stand up against me, but I'd have to deal with her later, as I have an upstart who's become my prime focus. " I've got a job for you two." I announced. " Are we pulling another prank?" Snips asked. " No. Rather, you'll be helping me do a little blackmail." I answered. Snips and Snails began clapping at the sound of doing something like that, but I quickly raised my hand. They immediately stopped before standing to attention. " I'm sure you two are aware that there's a new student in CHS, and that she decided to compete against me for the crown and title of Princess of the Fall Formal. You two were listening to what Pinkie Pie said, right?" I asked. " Yeah! We heard you both say her name was Twilight Sparkle." Snips answered. " And she had bad handwriting." Snails added. " Good! That makes things much easier for me without having to explain everything to you. This little upstart has proven herself to be a threat to my dominion, and I want to make her experiences here so miserable, she will not only withdraw from the competition, but never show her face around here again! I want you two to follow her every move. Make sure she doesn't spot you, but then, I shouldn't have to remind you of that, considering your previous experiences. Anyway, bring me something that I can use to blackmail her into submission! I don't care what you bring me! Just make sure it will ruin her chances of winning!" I said. " Just like what we did to that girl who competed against you during the Spring Fling?" Snips asked. " Exactly!" I answered. " You got it, Sunset Shimmer!" Snips said. " We'll bring you something really juicy." Snails added. " Despite your appalling behaviour at times and your lack of subtlety, you two definitely deliver the goods when I need it, so I have every confidence that you'll succeed with this task." I said. I then began rubbing my hands together with glee over the prospect that the upstart would soon be nothing more than a distant memory, and a cruel smile appeared on my face, warped ever so slightly out of feeling sadistic. Normally, I would have Snips and Snails do something simple so as to have fodder to use to thwart any would-be challengers to competitions I desired to win, but Princess Twilight was different. She wasn't an ordinary student, and yet, neither was I. She had to be handled with pure aggression, with no signs of holding back, humiliated to the point where she would practically die of embarrassment. " When the crown and the power it contains becomes mine before the week is out, Twilight Sparkle will wish she had stayed home safe and sound in Equestria. Setting hoof into this world will be her biggest and final mistake! And lucky me! Her failure will also prevent anypony else from wanting to come here and stop me!" I said. " Yeah, in Equestria!" Snips said. " Yeah, anypony!" Snails added. " Huh!?" I exclaimed, turning around to see those two were still standing there, and my expression became one of embarrassment. They had just overheard me mentioning both Equestria and references to ponies. No one must know that I'm not an actual human! But, the way they spoke made it clear they thought I was saying something funny, yet I was furious they even listened in on my personal moment to begin with. Rrgh! Just their presence was frustrating me! " What are you two still doing here!? I swear, if either of you say anything about what you just overheard me saying, I'll make sure you regret ever coming to this school! Now, go!" I shouted, issuing my command, prompting both Snips and Snails to react by colliding with one another, my reaction, as usual, involving slapping my forehead and groaning before they ran off in the direction I came from in order to find Princess Twilight. My heart started pounding a little over how one of my own secrets accidentally slipped out from my mouth, but I wasn't worried, as those two would most likely forget it. No, they would definitely forget it, especially after my threat knocked some sense into them. Still, I felt slightly vulnerable, like I had been violated, but I shrugged it off as a mere blunder caused by stress over the actions of the upstart. In the meantime, I decided to consider additional plans just in case that blackmail idea didn't work out. If push came to shove, I could just try to steal the crown again. Twilight had been looking at the photo of Princess Twilight just as I was finishing up reading the opposite page, and I could tell she was thinking heavily about the ramifications her counterpart must have gone through with this photo, along with additional blackmail attacks designed to ruin her chances. I, on the other hand, continued to blush in shame because, despite not having taken the photo myself, I was the orchestrator behind what befell Her Highness, so I had the most guilt. " What did Snips mean when he talked about what he and Snails did before?" Twilight asked. " There was an event at school called the Spring Fling--identical to the Fall Formal except in spring--and I wanted to win the competition, but someone else wanted the same thing, making us rivals. This girl--Twinkleshine--was surprisingly popular because of being such an active participant in various projects around school, so she proved more than capable of beating me. So, I used Snips and Snails to uncover some dirt on her which I could use to make her drop out. What they discovered shocked the student body to its foundations! Twinkleshine had secretly gotten her brother to provide funding for two school projects rather than raise the money herself, as she claimed. She withdrew when this started to become known." I answered. " In a sense, Snips and Snails exposed corruption, but I don't think Twinkleshine saw it that way, did she?" Twilight asked. " She was devastated, and while the students forgave her for her deception, as it was all for a good cause, the damage had been done, and she wasn't allowed to compete, as it would have caused a scandal had the winner of the Spring Fling been involved in such deplorable acts. I just wanted her to withdraw, so I had her secrets exposed, yet I wasn't expecting something so deep." I answered. " When did this happen?" Twilight asked. " Spring of last year." I answered. " No one figured out that you were the one who had Snips and Snails uncover Twinkleshine's secret, correct?" Twilight asked. I nodded my head in response, and she scratched her chin with her right index finger, as though she were in deep thought. To me, it looked like Twilight was trying to come to grips with how I had managed to remain undetected for so long, even when it was clear that my attitude made me the prime suspect, and as she struggled with her thought process, a tiny vein bulged on the side of her head, a sign that she was really working hard to find an answer. She eventually sighed heavily and admitted that she couldn't figure out how I got away with causing so much pain to so many students. " I just don't get it! How did you manage to always stay one step ahead?" Twilight asked. " It paid having Snips and Snails do most of the work." I answered. " You didn't want to get caught, did you?" Twilight asked. " I had everything I could ever want, aside from being a princess, but you already knew that. Yet, to maintain my dominance, I had to make sure no one ever figured out that I was responsible. So, in an attempt to cover my tracks, I came up with alibis, blamed others, spread rumours, used Snips and Snails, and deceived, just to name a few examples. Underneath my bad girl persona was a frightened little girl who was insecure about herself." I answered. " Doing things to counter-balance your own inferiority complex is natural." Twilight said. " Yet I went completely overboard." I said. " That you did, and since those days, you've regretted those actions because they represented the dark side of your personality. Sunset, I'm beginning to understand more about the kind of person you truly are, and despite not having reached the halfway point of your journal, I know that life has been pretty hard on you, what with your childhood, a fine example of how things would go until you would begin to understand friendship. I think you were crying out for attention, reacting to being ignored for so long, and whenever you felt like your protective bubble would be violated, you resorted to underhanded tactics to keep them away. You wanted to preserve your own existence at the cost of others. That is what I believe to be true." Twilight said. She then noticed that I was just staring at her, a blank expression on my face, and she reached out with her hand, waving it in front of my face, hoping for a reaction. Nothing happened, causing a look of worry to come over her. " Sunset?" Twilight asked. Again, I just looked at her without moving an inch, but several seconds later, I lurched forward until I was right in her face. It made her feel very uncomfortable. It looked like I was about to kiss her or something, but then I started to chuckle, before bursting out laughing moments later. " Um, what's so funny?" Twilight asked. " I'm sorry, but you sounded like one of those self-help gurus that you see on television." I answered, laughing so hard that I gave myself hiccups, forcing me to drink some apple cider to calm my stomach down. " Face it, Twilight! Even you must think what you said sounded nothing like what a scholar would say!" Twilight was taken aback by my words, and turned away, thinking that I had insulted her, but when I patted her on the shoulder, she began smiling before chuckling a little and turning back to face me. " Was my speech that bad?" Twilight asked. " For something you came up with on the spot, it was pretty good." I answered. " Were you there when Snips and Snails were getting you what you needed to give Princess Twilight problems?" Twilight asked. " No, I wasn't there in person. I was of the mind that such things were beneath my notice; after all, that's what underlings were for. Yet, I did see the results and produce a video, which I then uploaded onto YouTube several hours later. The photo you saw in the journal was only a small part of what they gave me. There was much more damaging evidence to come." I answered. Snips and Snails approached me several hours later with their phones and told me that they carried out their task of following Princess Twilight. It seemed she had taken an interest in the library here at CHS, so they followed her in, making sure she didn't detect their presence. According to their description of what happened, the upstart clearly had no idea how modern conveniences, such as computers, worked, giving Mrs. Cheerilee, who was working at the time, several bouts of frustration. Also in the library were Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, who were looking over a video they had uploaded onto YouTube, yet this was something that served no interest to me. I didn't care what those three were up to, as Princess Twilight was my target, but then I asked the two boys if she and the other girls interacted with one another. Snips said they didn't exactly interact; Princess Twilight attempted to say something in reaction to what the three said, but they ignored her. Again, I have no interest in those three, but it was what the upstart did that proved to be enlightening. The boys proceeded to show me the photos and video footage they recorded, and the information proved to be an excellent gold mine of opportunity. I knew the upstart would have trouble fitting in this world due to its differences from Equestria, and her struggles in the library strengthened this resolve to publically ridicule her. Normally, I'd have had my minions expose such damaging secrets like this, but this time, I wanted to handle things personally, as she and I had much in common. My decision, naturally, made Snips and Snails curious as to what I was planning on doing. " Huh? You want to expose her embarrassment yourself?" Snips asked. " Don't we usually do that?" Snails asked. " Normally, you two spread such secrets around so that none of it gets traced back to me, but I want to deal with Twilight Sparkle personally." I answered, reaching into my pocket and taking out my cell phone. " I want you two to download what you got for me onto my phone. It won't take long for me to make a video, since I'm quite skilled with computers. This will also ensure that you two don't mess this up. This is too important to risk that." " You've never wanted to do something like this ever since we became friends." Snips said. " That's because this girl is different from the rest who've challenged me! She's not like them by any stretch of the imagination, so, naturally, I should deal with her personally. That doesn't mean you two should stop following her around, though. I have a hunch that Twilight Sparkle will prove problematic, so I'm coming up with contingency plans, just in case blackmail isn't enough to make her withdraw from competing for Princess of the Fall Formal." I said. " So, we should just keep doing what we're doing?" Snips asked. " Is there a problem!?" I asked, angrily. " No, we'll continue to follow her like you said. Besides, seeing her screw up so much was hilarious!" Snips answered. " If she were in the rodeo, she'd make an excellent clown." Snails added. " I'm sure she would." I said. I then held out my hand as though I were asking for a bribe, letting the boys know that I was serious about them sending me what they got to my phone. They handed their own phones over, and I downloaded the data to mine before giving them back. I could have had them do this for me to keep myself clean, but this was something I wanted to do out of spite for what the upstart had done to me. She had been ridiculing me ever since she first became a princess in Equestria, and I've hated her ever since! This was also going to be delicate work, and those two wouldn't even understand what I'm trying to achieve by making her more insecure about herself. The key to taking down the upstart is to take advantage of her fears by expanding their presence, allowing the other students to see that choosing her would be a mistake, not only for the school but for themselves, as well. As for those contingency plans... one idea brewing about in my head was perhaps to delay the Formal by a couple of days to give myself more time to make her withdraw, but this would be an act of desperation. I've waited too long to get my hands on her crown, and I'd rather not force myself into waiting even longer. Upon turning around to pay a visit to the library, as I needed the computers there to use this footage, Snips and Snails were still standing there acting like they were brainless zombies. " What are you two still doing standing there!? I thought I told you to continue following her around?" " You didn't actually say that." Snips answered. " Just hinted at it." Snails added. " Well, I'm telling you now! Keep following her and bring me back more things for me to use to ruin her!" I shouted, prompting them to salute once again before colliding with one another, which would be pretty funny... if they didn't do this every time I ordered them around. Seeing them acting like complete idiots made me groan again, and a vein on top of my forehead began pulsating. When they ran off to carry out my task, I cursed them under my breath. Was everyone at this school aside from myself, and quite possibly the upstart, a complete moron? No wonder this school was so easy to conquer! Their lack of intellect made it too easy for me. Heading off to the library and entering through the double doors, I spotted Mrs. Cheerilee on all fours attempting to pick up a large pile of books. She was mumbling to herself about how fed up she was with her job, and that the new student showed no regard for how the library's books should be handled. A cruel smile then appeared on my lips, as I had an idea on how to further ruin the upstart's chances. It would mean having to actually help someone for once, but it would be worth it, especially if Mrs. Cheerilee cooperates as intended. " Sunset Shimmer? What are you doing here?" Mrs. Cheerilee asked, looking up at me when she saw my feet from her perspective. " I came here in order to use the computer lab, but it looks like you've got problems of your own." I answered. " Ugh! That new student was here a short time ago, and I've never felt so stressed in my entire life. She was spouting out nonsense about this school having magic while pounding the keyboard, as though she were a horse or something." Mrs. Cheerilee said. " Do tell." I said, having since taken out my cell phone and pressed the record button, all without her noticing what I was doing. Mrs. Cheerilee was about to help me out without even knowing it, and her frustration would become my paradise. " She then began taking books from different shelves, carrying them around in a stack, which toppled over when she fell into it. I can't believe someone like that has been allowed to transfer to this school! She has no intention of looking after my precious books! Other students need these, you know, and if she's damaged them, they won't be able to use them to further their own education. I've every mind to complain about this to Principal Celestia! I'm too young to be having so much stress!" Mrs. Cheerilee said. " So, you don't think Twilight Sparkle deserves to become Princess of the Fall Formal?" I asked. " What!? Principal Celestia has allowed a new student to compete for such a coveted prize!? I know there's nothing in the school rules that state how long a student needs to attend CHS before being permitted to take part in the competition, yet I can't believe that someone who shows so little consideration for the feelings of others is vying for the Formal crown." Mrs. Cheerliee answered. I then stopped the recording on my phone, as I felt I had gotten all I needed. If the students don't show an initiative on making the upstart feel unwelcomed around here, hearing it from a member of staff would definitely provide an ideal impact. I then helped her pick up any remaining books as thanks for telling me how she felt about the new girl. Afterward, I proceeded towards the computer lab, where I sat down before one of the machines and plugged my phone into the appropriate socket with a loud click. It asked me if I wanted to download something from my phone to my online folder. I clicked "yes" to confirm my choice. " The only thing that bothered me about her choice of words was that what she said about Princess Twilight also applied to me as well. I mean, I was showing no consideration for my fellow students' feelings, as I had been manipulating them ever since I first showed up. I never said anything to her about it at the time. I didn't think too much of it at all, really, what with my desire to win the crown no matter what. But, looking back on it now, after all I've been through, I wish I had said something, rather than keep it to myself." I said. " I've always believed teachers weren't allowed to show such bias towards students." Twilight said. " Is that what Principal Cinch mandated at Crystal Prep?" I asked. " She never allowed teachers to think that way of students, as it would have lowered their enthusiasm for wanting to maintain their sense of perfection. That helped to keep the school's reputation at an all-time high. Despite everything she had done before and during the Friendship Games, Principal Cinch always wanted her students to be the best they could be. It's a shame that it was at the cost of friendship." Twilight answered. " Mrs. Cheerilee always had something to complain about, yet she put on a brave face so as to not distract students from their studies." I said. " Sunset... I have a suggestion you may want to consider." Twilight began, her words piquing my interest. " What do you say we take a break from reading your journal? You've covered so much in such a short period of time, and surely you must be feeling exhausted by now." While it was true that I had been doing a lot of explaining so that Twilight could understand my troubled past, it never once occurred to me that I had been exhausting myself to the brink of collapsing. My eyes felt fine to me, although they probably had bags under them. I then checked a clock that hung on the wall; it was a pretty old-time piece, circa at least seventy years old, but it had nostalgic value. It revealed that I had been talking for about an hour, yet it felt as though I had been talking a lot longer. While it would be nice to take a small break, I had no intention of doing so, as there was still much more that needed to be revealed. Twilight, however, pretty much took the decision out of my hands, presenting me with a small bag. " What's this?" I asked. " While you were contemplating my suggestion, I reached into my backpack and brought out two bags of chocolate marshmallows, one for you and one for me. If I know you, Sunset, you want to continue telling me what happened because it's something that must be said, but taking a small, ten-minute break shouldn't hurt. After all, even you need to take a moment to relax, otherwise you could seriously stress yourself out." Twilight answered. Those last words talked me into it, and how could I refuse such a smiling face like that? It had a cute, innocent charm, combined with adorable glasses that accentuated her overall complexion. Despite us taking a small break, Twilight still wanted to continue asking questions, as her curious mind was ever pondering over the pursuit of knowledge. " This video which you uploaded onto YouTube... how much of an impact did it have?"