Contest of Rivals: Prelude to Sorrow
“Are you sure about this?”
Cinch set down the folder, paperwork lined with grades and markings spilling out.
“This doesn’t appear to be anything like what Canterlot High has been able to do in the past.”
“I-I-I assure you, P-P-Principal Cinch!” stuttered the bespectacled man, “Those are all the recent gradings from Canterlot High! All their scores are up!”
Cinch removed her glasses, sighing as she rubbed her temples. “Not only are academics on the rise, but also athletics?” The man nodded in response, keeping his eyes glued to the ground. “And what is this rumour I have heard about a recent spat of… Cyber-bullying was it?”
“Y-y-yes! Recently a student of that school was framed for actions she hadn’t caused! It happened over the month of December, and ended with three younger girls being revealed as the ringmasters in January!”
“And what of the student?” Cinch asked, though she was pretty certain she knew the answer already.
“The student was one S-S-Sunset Shimmer! Sh-sh-she transferred her-”
“I know that you bumbling buffoon!” Cinch threw the folder at the cowering man, “Sunset Shimmer.” The name rolled off the womans tongue with vile resentment. “She has replaced Twilight Sparkle as the top student thanks to the fact Twilight is unable to run without tripping over herself so her athletics scores are among the worst we have ever seen.”
Cinch turned to regard the man, “Well? Pick that mess up!” She barked as she turned and looked out of the window over the school grounds.
“Seeing as Canterlot High is having a… renaissance as it were, I will have to redouble my efforts on securing Sunset for the Friendship Games…” Cinch trailed off as she saw the girl in question entering the school grounds, chatting with some other students. Sunset seemed impervious to the rather shark tank atmosphere of Crystal Prep, even gaining a small band of noticeable friends and allies in her time at the Academy.
“B-b-but I thought that Dean Cadence said that it would be unwise to have the girl return to that school? We could sued if she were to have a mental relapse…”
Cinch turned on her heel and affixed the man with a fiery gaze.
“If I ever wanted your opinion I would have to be sent to an asylum due to insanity!” She slowly walked over to the wall affixed with various trophies and accolades she had won since being assigned by the school board to oversee Crystal Prep Academy. “I will have her, I just need to find the right key to turn first…”
******************************************
“You what!?”
Sunset slammed her hands onto the table, unable to believe the words coming from the older woman’s mouth. It was a few days into March and Sunset had been called to Principal Cinch’s office just as school was ending. She had waved farewell to Twilight and Cadence as she turned and made her way to the office at the top of the building.
“I do believe you are intelligent enough to understand what I said, Miss Shimmer.”
Sunset had been admitted to the room by the personal secretary, the shy wisp of a man motioning for her to enter even as he was unable to even spare her a gaze. She had entered into the room, it’s curtains drawn and light only spilling from the ornate lamp on the desk. Cinch had her chair turned away from the entry, the tall back hiding the woman from Sunset’s height.
“Do you even know what you are suggesting!?”
Susnet had taken the empty seat at the opposite end of the desk, just as Cinch turned around and faced the student. What had followed had been an incredible surprise to Sunset, having a hard time even trying to understand the heresy the woman was spouting.
“As I said initially,” Cinch started, “I want you, Sunset Shimmer, to head the Crystal Prep team for the Friendship Games that will be hosted at Canterlot High School on Friday of next week.”
“Which I declined, seeing as I have no reason to ever want to return to a school that drove me to the brink of suicide.” Sunset said as she attempted to glare through the woman before her.
Just let me loose~ came honeyed words in Sunset’s subconscious, No one would suspect you if she were to suddenly combust~ Just one little spark is all I would need~
“To which I informed you that should you decline, I will use my reputation, as one of the most storied Principals in all of the city, nay, the entire province, to make sure that you and Twilight Sparkle would never be able to attend a single source of post secondary education.”
Sunset was seeing red as she stood up, taking rapid ragged breaths to attempt to calm herself. “Why would you even bring her into this? I’m the one you’re after!”
“Because you so obviously care for her. After all her and her family were the ones to take you in after you failed killing yourself during December.” Cinch stated cooly, face unreadable.
“And what makes you think I won’t tell somebody what you are up to? I doubt your reputation would be able to save you from claims of blackmail.” Sunset slowly felt herself slipping, the darkness that had been rekindled in her soul from the event’s of Anon-A-Miss rising up to the forefront.
“You are welcome to try, but I guarantee that with only your word versus my own… Well, let’s say you’d have better chances of finding magic.”
Sunset chuckled darkly, If only the witch knew. “Fine. For the sake of Twilight I’ll do it. But remember,” She stared at the beast before her, “if anything, and I do mean anything, were to happen to Twilight, be it so much as you giving her the cold shoulder, I-”
She walked forward towards the desk.
“Will-”
Her hands slammed down on the edge, cracking and breaking the extended lip between her hands.
“End you.”
Sunset slowly stood up as she walked away.
“You may want to get that looked at.”
YAY SEQUEL!!
Sure Chinch, go ahead and blackmail the flaming bacon-haired girl who nearly killed herself due to being framed for cyberbullying into taking part in an event being held at the very high school where said incident occurred. What could possibly go wrong...
8251019
Sequel! 8D
Ya, Cinch is evil, but this is just the tip of the iceberg~ >;'D
"“Because you so obviously care for her. Afterall her and her family were the ones to take you in after you failed killing yourself during December.”" - You may want to put a space in between "Afterall" to make "After all".
Very intriguing start to where the games are heading and shows Cinch is just as cruel and stupid as she is in the film. She's so focused on a mere game she's not even thinking about the cons of her reputation should she be found out or if Sunset does have a relapse. She's too focused on blind ambition to even realize she's on a path of self-destruction, much like how Sunset was before the Fall Formal.
It will be glorious to see Cinch get her due. Stupid woman never realized the problem of her education vs Celestia's. Yes, Crystal Prep may have been the best, but Cinch tried to squash any potential they had after they left school so her reputation can never go beyond high school, and heck, with how the students were with never cheering on another it makes them terrible for work places where you have to work together, unlike Celestia, who fostered friendships and the like. Cinch keeps everything stuck in one place whereas Celestia allowed it all to grow beyond high school.
Of course, who knows how well things have been for Celestia since Sunset left, but I guess we'll see. I just hope Sunset can keep the demon at bay.
Well. This is gonna be good. Very good.
8251028
Fixed~! ^^
Yup, Cinch is revealing what kind of person she is to poor Sunset. Now we just have to wait and see what comes of it~ >:'D
8251034
yay ^^ thanks for the kinds words on sucha basic preview~ ^^
And within the next 10 minutes Sunset, who had her phone record the entire thing, will upload what they spoke about in her office onto Youtube then, lets see how Cinch survive that.
8251062
if only DX
8251066
Oh come on, this is YOUR story after all, have Sunset go back on her word and double cross Cinch by doing just that, Sunset does not wish to return to CHS for anything, also I'm shocked that Sunset didn't go further with what she would have done to the CMC, she could have at least tapped into the dreams of the CMC and given them nightmares.
8251069
hehe xD
Sunset did not have any idea that she should record her meeting, and she cares too much about Twilight's future to go back on her word to Cinch~
As far as dream manipulation, she has no such powers~
8251078
Damn, I just hate it when Sunset can't do anything right away to get what she wants, anyway have her go and tell Cadance then that Cinch is doing this to her, also is Sombra or Lauren Faust the Superintendent of Crystal Prep, because if either of them found out what Cinch was doing, then her times would be up for working there.
8251084
Sombra is a gym teacher at Crystal Prep, and I'm still trying to decide what silly tole to give The Faust XD
Oh Cadance is goign to be ssssooooo mad. an angry Cadance is a scary Cadance.
8251089
Well I would think having Lauren Faust as the Superintendent for Crystal Prep would be good, maybe that way you can have Starswirl as the Superintendent for CHS, and this way Lauren and Starswirl could have been the one's to set up the Friendship Games when they could have been the principal's of said schools, but then they find out what has been happening to the games and become pissed off beyond belief at how Cinch has ruined the reputation of Crystal Prep by blackmailing it's students to force them to join in the games just so she can make herself look good.
8251090
Gonna have to wait and see what happens in the first chapter then ;'D
Aaaaaand Cinch just dug her own grave. (pulls out notepad and pen) Tell me Madame, would you prefer lilies or orchids for your wake?
Wow, she caved really easily. Seriously, she's supposed to be super smart, so why didn't she tell the bitch to fuck off, and then confront her at a later date, but with a secret recording device. See how the cunt likes blackmail, when she's the one being blackmailed.
BITCH!!!! cinch you shall die in the pits of Tartarus. Great start by the way
Wow, never thought that I could hate Cinch even more than I already did since watching Friendship Games for the first time
8251186
I doubt that Cinch would be stupid enough not to expect something like this when Sunset refuses now and talk to her again later suddenly
8251324
ok, so my thinking was that Cinch would obviously make good on her threat, at which point she would expect Sunset to confront her. I would have looked into some sort of magic concealment spell, and then had someone record the entire conversation from a third person point of view.
But that's just me, and I am aware that this is all form a readers point of view.
8251345
True that Cinch would never expect magic as she mentioned here, but I doubt she would opnely say it again. She already said in her office to Sunset what she wants from her, so she won''t need to confirm anything again in an 'unsafe' environment. When Sunset would say or ask anything about what she threatened her with she only needs to say something like 'I don't know what you are talking about'. Then there is no way to pin her down on what she said before, but Sunset still knows it.
I hope I could make it clear what I mean. English is not my first language so sometimes it's harder to really explain myself
Lemme guess: Cinch instead of triggering the birth of Midnight Sparkle, will bring back Sunset Satan... Somehow. I hope the Rainbooms and the Wondercolts do NOT add any more fuel to this hellfire.
8251117
Knowing her it be roses with only the sharpest of thorns xD
8251186
Sunset was more worried about Twilight's future than her own present. She still has very little self-worth so she's fine suffering to make sure others are happy~
And Cinch will make sure to disown anything Sunset says, and she knows she can get away with it. She also wont be saying anything about what she has done to anybody
8251206
Yup, I want her to be suuuuuper evil, and this is just the start ^^;
Glad you like it so far~ ^^
8251324
Then I did her right~ ^^
8251457
hehe, good old Murphy huh? XD
Glad you like the little preview I have! Hopefully I can match expectations ^^;
8251627
Will just have to see what evil she commits >;'D
I didn't expect to see this so soon. I also noticed you added more chapters to the first story which I read by the way and I'll review those when I can. But now we come to this, so Cinch blackmails Sunset into the games? Can that bitch be anymore self centered and stupid? I always hated how she barely got punished in the original so I hope whatever you have plan to punish that moron fits the crime on that bitch.
I hope Sunset doesn't keep this to herself and let's her new friends know about, along with her adoptive family. I honestly wonder though how CHS academics and their athletes have rising. I was honestly expecting the opposite after what everyone went through. So hope to see the next update and so hope you have that bitch Abacus pay the price for her ignorance and stupidity!
Good Luck Moon-Lite.
8251695
I can wait!
8251724
Surprise! ;'D
Yeah I added a few One-Shot's that took place during that time period, just to flesh out some things I didn't have time to fully write up in the normal chapters, or didn't fit with the main story line~
Cinch will eventually get her comeuppance, just gotta wait and see what happens I guess~ >;'D
Thanks for the words of encouragement! ^^
You have been warned, Cinch.
Yeah! You tell her, Sunny Bunny!
Very glad to see this story up and running so quickly.
8251724
Actually, the newest Equestria Girls movie - an anthology split into three episodes - revealed that Cinch didn't get off scot-free. Even if no one believed the whole "student turning evil through use of corrupted magic because her principal wanted to win a game" thing, she still blackmailed a student and has an extensive record of unethical treatment in regards to the other students. As a result, she got fired and Cadence took her place.
That said, her influence was toxic and her social Darwinist rhetoric had been pounded into the heads of Crystal Prep for years. Even if the Friendship Games was an eye-opener, it wasn't enough to completely undo what they were taught for years. As a result, the Shadowbolts are still assholes in the first segment. However, they do seem to be aware that this an unhealthy mindset and they do part on good terms with the main characters, so maybe, with Cadence as principal, they will be able to improve as people.
8251186
Sunset had no way of knowing Cinch would blackmail her and wouldn't have been able to have a recording device. Not only that, but Sunset is smart enough to realize that, had she resisted, Cinch's words would have proven true in that her leverage made her more believable and she could have told everyone Sunset was just still feeling the stress of her near suicide. There is no proof against her. And Conch is too smart to take a simple threat at face value, she'd demand to hear the recording, which would inevitably back Sunset into a wall. If anything, hopefully Sunset confronts her about it later and has a secret recording device ready. However, if I know Moon-Lite (and I don't) this is going to be way too epic to have it end in even a remotely peaceful way like that.
8252030
That she has~ Lets see if she listnes ;'D
8252351
Just a preview for now, though teh im just finishing up my prep work for the arc so chapter writing shall be starting soon~! ^^
8252487
Ya, my Shadowbolts are a little more friendly, but only cause they see how smart Sunset is, and are, at first, sucking up to her xD
also i want more stuff on canadian netflix! DX
8252607
XD
Bwahahaha! >:'D
Alright, so I know I've yet to finish commenting on the rest of Fall of Harmony, and I wasn't going to comment on this yet either (I wanted to make sure my internet was consistent first instead of doing it via phone), but this is just too good. I am SO ready for whatever you have in store. I know whatever you come up with will be amazing, so don't sweat it. We didn't chicken out of Fall of Harmony, we're here to stay, especially if Cinch gets the comeuppance we all know she deserved in the movie, but never got. Can't wait to see more!
8252659
Get ready for a slow burner then~ ^^
It's gonna start a little slow then its gonna blow like <redacted>~! ^^
8252620
Excellent, so plenty of time, to perhaps...include more story elements that are...boat related?
8252487
Yeah I saw all three of the Equestria Girls Specials. I was surprised to find out that Cinch was replaced with Dean Cadence as Principle to Crystal Prep Academy but it was never said how but I have a feeling it was being caught for blackmailing. Glad she was removed.
8252808
Hehe the shipping starts to show up in the next arcs xD
To be honest here, this doesn't sound like Sunset Shimmer, who would know that if Twilight's parents are so well versed in the School board like it says in the previous story, both Twilight and Sunset would be fine in finding a college even with the principal's disapproval.
Oh boy, i do hope that is going to end with Cinch being reduced to a smoking pile of ash
8254176
just gonna have to wait and see~ ^^
little confused what this ment
8270654
She broke a chunk of the overhang of the desk off~
Didnt have an easy way to describe it ^^;
You know sunset could screw her over during the games and just try hard enough to look like she made an effort.