Spike and Pinkie's Clueless adventure: #1 The Truth Can Kill

Chapter 3
The Suspects

Spike and Pinkie arrives at the school. Where Discord was beaten up recently. This is where the mystery begins.

"Alright, we'll just ask a couple of questions and give Ace some news," Spike said.

"And maybe search for more clues," Pinkie added.

"Right. Maybe somewhere in this building, Discord must of plant messages that no one would care for."

They saw Harshwhinny coming out of the classroom. She saw the two, surprised to see them here.

"Spike? Pinkie? What are you two doing here?" she asked.

"We working undercover for Di-"

"Undercover for school news about Discord's accident!" Spike quickly said, covering their story.

Harshwhinny looked at them weirdly and shook her head.

"Anyway, if you're here about Discord, he's not here," Harshwhinny said. "As hall monitor, I have to guard the building till summer vacation is over. But I can see you two are already out of high school for good."

"You seem very calm about the situation of what happen to Discord," Pinkie said squinting.

"Because no one actually cares for a science teacher," Harshwhinny answered. "Especially Mr. Discord."

"Why is that?" Spike asked.

"Because he's rude, dishonest, self-centered, and manipulative," Harshwhinny said.

"Manipulative?" Pinkie whispered to Spike.

"Something about a reinforce lesson," Spike whispered back.

"Anyway, I gotta go. I'll be in the lounge," Harshwhinny walked off walking down the hallway.

Spike was thinking. Out of all the people, he didn't knew Harshwhinny hated Discord as well.

"It's strange how Harshwhinny didn't cared for Discord's 'accident'," Spike said, quoting.

"Discord is a meanie," Pinkie said, proving a point.

"SPIKE!" a girl shouted.

Spike turn around and was attacked by a hug. It was Trixie giving Spike the biggest hug. Spike started to suffocate from her tight arms around him neck.

"Spike! It's been so long you little cutie pie!" Trixie squealed. She let go of Spike giving back his air.

"Trixie? What are you doing here?" Spike asked, catching his breath.

"I'm here to study," she answered.

"For what?" Pinkie asked.

"I'm going to become a doctor," she answered.

"I thought you want to be a magician.

"I did, but I want something more important in the future," Trixie said. "Anyway, what are you doing here back?"

"We're here about the news of Discord's accident," Spike said, lying to her. The more lies he threw, the more guilty he felt.

"I heard about that," she said sadly. "I heard Mr. Discord got pushed down a stairwell. But enough talk, I – The Great Trixie – will be studying about medical surgery."

"Wait a second, what is Harshwhinny doing here?" Spike asked her.

"She's a hall monitor now. Meaning she thinks she's running the school during summer vacation," Trixie answered. "Flash is also here on the football field. I heard rumors though that Harshwhinny had a crush on Discord."

"Ah ha! She is dating Discord after all," Pinkie said.

"I wouldn't say dating, that was back then," Trixie said.

"Why is Flash here?" Spike asked.

"Well, I guess because he had some free time from work," Trixie continued. "I forgot to mention, but did you heard about Mr. Cake's father?

"His father?"

"Said that he was a great politician, but not a very good businessman. I think his company went bankrupt a few years ago. Look I really need to be studying, I'll see you guys later."

She took off running. Spike and Pinkie was left alone again.

"This is strange," Pinkie spoke, now thinking. "But why would not two, but three people we know be here at the school?"

"For once, I agree with you. I'm also curious about Mr. Cake," Spike said. "We'll talk to Flash later. For now, let's go over to Harshwhinny."

"She's said she'd be at the lounge."

They headed to the lounge. There stood Harshwhinny flipping through papers. She notice them again. This time irritated.

"What do you two want?" she asked, very harshly.

"I heard you were dating Discord," Pinkie spat out. Spike slaps his face.

Harshwhinny's eyes widen. She gulp and stuttered.

"Look, it was a long time ago before you two were born," he said. Again, harshly.

"Why is Trixie here? I thought you were guarding the place," Spike asked.

"I know, but she told me she's trying to get more scholarships for college," Harshwhinny explains. "Lately she's been looking really burnt out. I think the pressure is getting to her."

"Pressure?"

"I guess it's a big deal for her family that she get into a good school on a free ride. Look, if you're going to bug me, go do so with someone else."

Spike and Pinkie left her alone. The two sighed. They walk down the hall thinking what they're missing.

"This is hopeless," Spike said. Without noticing, Pinkie left Spike to see the bulletin board. "So far, we only found out is the suspects. There has to be more to it."

"Spike. Come here," Pinkie said. Spike looks over to Pinkie seeing her looking at the board. Spike walks over to see what's up. "Are these the clues you were talking about?"

Spike looks on the board. She points at a school newspaper about art exhibits. Then he notice that one paragraph was spelled backwards. And another clue left from Discord. C:R1.

"Nice job, Pinkie," Spike said, making her blushing. "But what about this sentence here?"

"That's easy," Pinkie said, telling him what it was. "It says… THE HIDDEN VIDEO TAPE, WILL SEAL MY CUPRIT FATE."

"Tape?" Spike repeated. Then he struck a thought in his head. "That's it, Pinkie! Mr. Discord is leaving us clues all over the school! And the tape he's talking about must be evidence of who the culprit might be!"

"Why don't Mr. Discord just tell us who it was?" Pinkie asked.

"Because the culprit would kill him if he told everyone," Spike answered. "Making a game for him and us to solve."

"Mr. Discord must left a bunch of clues on the bulletin board."

"Actually, Pinkie," Spike said taking a step back. "All of these are the clues we're looking for."

Different papers with the same clues were typed and writing on there. And different puzzles on every single paper. Spike quickly got the paper out from Discord and wrote the clues down. He also notice the puzzles he left behind.

"Okay, see that sentence with spaces between," Spike points out. "That says FIND THE MORNING EDITION AND DISCOVER ANOTHER CRIME, THE ANSWER IS IN BLACK AND WHITE TO WHO WILL DO THE TIME."

"And here's another one," Pinkie took a small paper down with letters spelled backwards. "'Up, down, left, right. The first letter will help my plight', it read."

"And here's another one," Spike took three papers that were stick together. He immediately solved the puzzle like that. "This one says, 'Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, Let the books in the library be your answer guide'."

"I know this one," Pinkie took one paper from him with letters spelt backwards. "It says, 'A symbol of Kanji worn with great pride, Reflects big secrets that someone must hide'."

"And this one says, 'She did what it took to make the grade, Even if it meant cheating to keep up her charades'."

"I think Discord is making his own game to play the culprit's game," Pinkie said.

"We're back on track, Pinkie," Spike said happily.

"You two?" a voice spoke, scaring Spike and Pinkie while dropping the papers around them. It was Flash.

"Flash?" Spike and Pinkie both shouted at him angrily.

"Sorry, I didn't expect the two of you to be here," he said, helping them pick up papers.

"What are you doing here?" Spike asked.

"Working out for work," Flash said. "Gotta get pumped up if I'm gonna fight criminals."

"Well, since you're here and all, mind if we ask you a couple if questions?" Pinkie asked. Flash shrugs, nodding his head. "Since you're here, why is Harshwhinny here?"

"She's the school monitor, hangs out in the gem a lot," Flash answered. "I heard rumors she's been having a real tough time. Having some money problems."

"What about Mr. Cake? I heard something about his father going bankrupt," Spike said.

"Never heard about that. But I did heard him finding Discord first," Flash said.

Spike was getting more and more curious of Mr. Cake. He never heard anything about him in the scene.

"What about Trixie?" Pinkie asked.

"Always studying," Flash went on. "She's a huge fan of mine. Real smart. But I never understood why Trixie would hang out with Discord."

"She was friends with Discord?" Spike was shocked.

"And still is. I saw them talking a lot."

"But they weren't really friends, is that what you're saying?" Pinkie asked.

"Discord didn't had have friends. He may seem a bit cool, but I've seen him crack a couple of times. Always a hothead," the two tilted their heads. "I know. He's got a temper. A bad one. He lets the pressure build until he's wound so tight the slightest thing sets him off. Trixie seemed pretty upset when we all heard about Discord's little accident."

Spike was listening to flash's story when spotted a poster on the wall. He was amazed by it.

"Hey, Flash, we got to go," Spike said to him. "Talk to you later?"

"Sure. Say hi to Twilight for me," flash walks off.

Spike walks the other direction and looks at the poster. It was an eye examine poster with a huge letter and small letters from top to bottom. Pinkie looks at it with him.

"What is it, Spike," she asked.

"Look at the bottom letters," Spike points out. "Discord left another clue for us. It says 'If anything happens to me look in my chemistry book page three zero five'."

"So, where's his book?" Pinkie asked.

"We're all books are kept. The library," Spike said. "But I'm curious though. If Mr. Discord left these clues, then he must've left a couple more in the Teacher's Lounge."

In the lounge, Harshwhinny was in the room where Spike and Pinkie needed to be.

"This isn't good," Spike said. "Harshwhinny won't let us in that easy."

"I got an idea," Pinkie said.

Harshwhinny was typing the schedules for next years. All of a sudden, the fire alarm went off. She jumps as she logs out. She exits the room locking it and finding out who did it. As she left, Spike and Pinkie quickly sneaks in the room with Celestia's keys. They enter the Teacher's Lounge with no worries. Spike notice another bulletin board with four papers with C, L, D, 2 on them.

"Just as I expected," Spike said.

Pinkie walks up to the map noticing the same clue Discord left.

"Spike, look at this," she said. "There's two letter on this side and a letter and a number on this side. Ag and a D2. And he left us another message. 'A trophy was not the only prize, but also money of a greater size."

"I understand Mr. Discord would send us clues, but why these messages?" Spike asked. Going on the computer. He remember what Celestia told him what her login is. He typed it in and he was on her home page. "Okay, let's see. Let's print out the security report. Maybe that's how we'll see who the culprit is."

Spike printed the paper. The printing machine spits out the security paper. Nothing about a culprit. Except for the people who was in the school the night Discord was beaten. Harshwhinny, Trixie, Flash, and Mr. Cake as well. That surprised Spike. What would Mr. Cake be doing in the school that late at night?

Pinkie looks through the filing cabinet. She saw Trixie's name. She opens the file seeing an essay she took last year. Pinkie took the paper with her as she folds it and put it in her pocket.

"Okay, I got what we need," Spike said. "Let's get out of here."

Spike and Pinkie walks out of the room and down the hall.

"Now that we got what we needed, we should show Ace this paper," Spike continued.

"What about the clues Discord left behind?" Pinkie asked.

"I told you, Discord hid hi messages for a reason, we just-"

Spike's phone started to vibrate in his pants. He saw an unfamiliar phone number. He answers it.

"Hello?" Spike spoke.

"Your one step closer finding out the truth," a deep dark voice spoke to him. Spike head jerks up. "I suggest you stop playing detective before someone could get hurt."

"Who is this?" Spike asked.

"The culprit who'll kill you and your friend if you find out the truth."