The second meeting during lunch didn't yield the results we were hoping for. The inventor brothers announced that they were able to make some sort of weird bomb using painkillers, among other things. Trixie didn't manage to break the barrier, but came to the same conclusion I did: Everything was being powered from a common power source, maintained by somepony of the same power as Princess Celestia, perhaps even greater. I shared my info with others, mentioning that the power source in question is probably somewhere above us. Kunai showed up for a moment, her abnormally quick recovery was a telling example of the kind of power we were dealing with. Caesar gave each one of us a copy of a map he created.

Aside from that however, we found no clues whatsoever.

"Well, what now?" asked Rainbow Dash.

We looked at each other in awkward silence. It was apparent on everypony's faces: We all expected much more for our endeavors. After this first search, we had no idea what to do next.

"We probably shouldn't have expected it to be this easy," said Fleur. "But we made amazing progress regardless! Wouldn't you agree?"

"I know you're trying to help, Fleur, it's just a bit… disheartening for all of us," mumbled Thunder Roar. "Me and Blue Ray spent half the day going through all the papers, but it was all just worthless trash."

"Not everything was useless, though," said Fleur.

"Hear the truth from the lips of white princess," agreed Limpid Lake. "Mage of the fading sun revealed many secrets, and I am sure there are more to come."

I blushed as I realized he was praising my effort. "Thanks… I can probably research something in the magic classroom…"

A chill ran down my spine as I noticed Trixie giving me a death stare again. What was her problem? What did I do to deserve her hate? I shivered and tried to pretend I didn't see her.

"We are not finished yet," said Blue Ray. He probably wanted to say more, but was interrupted by a sound of cafeteria door opening. It was… Oh no, it was him.

"I am glad to hear that, sweetheart," growled Monokami. He walked slowly forward, a happy grin on his face.

"It would be so sad if you all gave up right away. I'm glad you are showing some spirit!"

"What do you want?" asked Octavia bitterly.

"Yeah, get lost!" shouted Rainbow Dash.

Monokami stopped right in the middle of cafeteria, then suddenly jumped on one of the tables.

"I just wanted to commend you for your effort, you don't have to be so mean! Listen, I know there is some bad blood between us, and that has been bothering me to no end. I want you all to live in harmony, so I was thinking of some way to clear the air."

"You said just yesterday that your goal was to make us, and I quote, succumb to nightmare!" exclaimed Thunder Roar in anger.

"Rrrr, you are so pedantic! Who cares about the details!" barked Monokami. "Listen, you each have a small gift box in your dorm room. A small reminder of your friends and family, a great motivation to find a way out! If you are not interested, whatever, just throw it in the garbage disposal or something. It would be a shame though, many of those items are priceless family heirlooms!"

He dashed for the door, but before he reached them, he turned around and smirked. "You do know that there is always an easy way, right? Whahaha!"

And he disappeared.

…A gift box? What was that supposed to mean? I didn't trust that wolf one bit, and I just knew there was a malicious intent behind his so-called gifts.

"He's giving us a motive," said Caesar dryly.

"Oh balls, that's the last thing we want. How about we all agree to just throw them away?" suggested Thunder Roar.

"I personally… don't want to risk it. Whatever is in those boxes could be valuable to us," said Fleur. Thunder turned to face her, ready for a serious argument.

"Are you really so sure it won't make you want to kill? Monokami probably picked the gift for that purpose specifically!"

"I know that. But we won't kill each other over anything, will we?"

"You can't know that! Do you really trust everypony here so much? Most of us won't be convinced to kill, true. But all we need is one pony to…"

"Would you shut up?" said A. K. Yearling out of nowhere. I almost forgot she even was here with us, she was so taciturn and quiet that even Kunai was sometimes more visible.

"It's up to each of us to decide what to do with that gift. You have no say in that, you arrogant prick."

Thunder snorted in frustration. "Or do I? Our lives are at stake. What if the thing inside the box convinces you to kill me? Will I have no say in THAT as well?!"

"We are not killers! Stop suspecting us!" A. K. Yearling was almost uncharacteristically fired up. Thunder Roar grit his teeth.

"There's no point in arguing with you, is there. I won't bother then. I'll just throw my own box away and lock myself up, you should all do the same."

He headed out to the door, but then stopped right in front of it and turned his head back. "You can't trust anypony in this kind of situation. Not even yourself. Bye."

Then he left. He didn't even give us a chance to respond.

A. K. Yearling snorted in disgust. "Critics. Telling everyone "I'm right, you're wrong". That's all they ever do. Douchebag."

He might have acted a bit condescending, but… he had a point. I felt a sudden shift in atmosphere. I looked around, saw the expressions on my classmates' faces, and knew exactly what they all thought. You can't trust anypony in this situation. Not even yourself. Will… will somepony betray us? Will it be me? Or will I become the victim? Will I live to see the tomorrow?

The air grew thicker and heavier with each second that passed. We were looking at each other, shifting glances from pony to pony. Some looked suspicious, others afraid. Seeds of paranoia were planted in our hearts, not only towards others, but towards ourselves as well.

Would I be capable of murdering an innocent pony? I thought. There was no way that would ever happen, right? But Monokami seemed to be very powerful and cunning, especially if he managed to overthrow Princess Celestia somehow. How much did he know about us? Was it enough to manipulate us to become killers? Was this what he meant by 'succumbing to the nightmare'?

"Friends, there is no need to be so gloomy," said Fleur assuringly. Her voice was gentle and soft, yet it pierced through the silence like a spear. "We can handle this challenge, all we need is to believe in ourselves. Nopony here would kill over some silly box, I am absolutely sure of it."

"Yeah, we can't let Monokami get under our skins," said Blue Ray. "So what do we do with those gift boxes?"

Fleur contemplated that for a second. "We can either look inside, or throw them away at the garbage disposal. I say we let each pony act however they see fit. Whatever you do, I know you will all do the right thing!" she exclaimed with a beaming smile that made our doubts disappear like shadows at high noon. They were still sort of there, but they were so small I could easily ignore them.

"Yeah, Fleur is right! This sort of thinking is what we need!" said Sunny Day, extending his wings.

"What he said!" agreed Rainbow Dash.

"Auntie Fleur, what do you think he should do? He is not sure," said Tot He Tei.

Fleur looked at him with wide eyes. "Oh, am I an aunt too? That's amazing! Well, I don't think he should open it. He is still very young, whatever is in there could hurt his feelings. But he can do whatever he wants, I am just a silly auntie that worries too much!" she said, giggling to herself.

"I still think we should be careful…" said Octavia, her head down.

"Oh don't worry, auntie Octavia! Tot He Tei will be careful!"

"Okay then!" shouted Blue Ray, drowning out the conversation. "Let's all go to our rooms and do whatever. I want this to be over with."

"Me too."

"I shall cast the damned box into the flaming pits of garbage. That way, I need not to worry about the curse of Pandora."

"Phoenix? What are you gonna do?"

"Open it. I'm way too curious to just throw it away! You?"

"Same. Let's open them together!"

"Yeah!"

I left the cafeteria first, leaving everypony behind. I too wanted to get it over with, and staying in one room with Trixie for too long was making me feel all fidgety. She never stopped looking at me, she was always, always fixing her gaze on me. I didn't feel safe around her.

I suddenly had a horrible feeling that she might pick me as a victim. I shuddered and sped up, quickly reaching my room and locking myself in. I exhaled, trying to figure out why my legs won't stop shaking. Oh, right. I was scared. I was scared for my life, thinking that maybe somepony will try to murder me any second now.

The voice of reason told me that I am too difficult a target and that whoever would go against the Ultimate Spellcaster would have a hard time succeeding. But I didn't listen to it. We were all Ultimates here, and some of us would have a great advantage if they ever decided to kill. I was afraid of Trixie, her murderous gaze and her powerful magic. I was afraid of Twitch, the Ultimate Fighter with volatile personality. I was afraid of Kunai, the ghost who could throw one of her namesakes right between my eyes before I could even blink.

There was a small wooden box on my bed. I knew perfectly well what it was doing there. It was a gift for me, a gift meant to turn me into a ruthless murderer. Could a simple object really influence me that much? But I never had any desire to hurt anypony, not even if they hurt me.

Or did I?

I remembered how much I hated Monokami just yesterday. I remembered what I wanted to do to him.

You can't trust anypony in this situation. Not even yourself.

Did I have it in me? Could I trust myself enough to open that box? I sat on my bed, picking up the box in question. Then I stared at it for a while. It felt like several hours had passed.

I didn't want to do anything. I didn't want to face this decision. But I had to.

The question whether I could trust myself or not was bugging me more and more. Should I just go for it and see? After all, if I open it, I'll have my answer. I will know just how moral or amoral I am.

I opened it.

And I supressed my urge to shriek when I saw what was inside.

Small mauve dragon scales. I didn't even have to think about it, I instantly knew who they belonged to.

"SPIKE! WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU!!!" I screamed. I knew that dragon scales were really tough, like a natural armor. They were growing directly from flesh, and pulling them off like this… That must have been a world of agony for him, same as if somepony pulled my own teeth out one by one.

Tears flowed down my cheeks as I struggled for breath. How many scales were there? Four, five, six… Six scales. Six scales pulled right out of my best friend and my faithful assistant. And under them, there was a piece of paper with something written on it. I picked it up with my magic and read the short message.

It's not too late for him.

"You… You stupid, awful… FUCKING wolf!" I cried out. I buried my head into the pillow, soaking it with my tears. Spike… my dear, poor Spike, what did he do to you? What happened to you?

I couldn't believe that somepony would be capable of doing something so horrible. What cruel, twisted, sick mind was behind all this? Who would do this?! Do they have no conscience, no morale? Is it even possible for someone to be that heartless? Why Spike?! Why him?!

Because he was related to me. Monokami used him to get to me. So this is what he wanted. He wanted me to kill in order to get out and save Spike.

I instantly stopped sobbing. I lied idly for a while, then punched the pillow with my hoof.

NO.

No, I won't give in. I won't ever submit to the likes of you, wolf. You hurt Spike, that's a declaration of war. I will never do what you want me to do, I'll resist to the very end. I won't let myself become the killer, or the victim. I won't succumb to the nightmare, no matter what you do to me. You will never succeed! I will beat you, I will get out, I will save Spike, and then you'd better run, because I will never forgive you. The only living being I'm going to kill is YOU.

I clenched my teeth and punched the pillow again. I won't allow it! For the sake of Spike, for the sake of everypony here, I will come out on top! I will not cry, I will not kill, I will not die. Not until this fight is done.

I breathed heavily, remembering my old friends. Spike, Cadance, Moondancer and her gang, my dear mentor Princess Celestia, they might all be in danger. Who knows how far Monokami's influence can reach. But I will save them. I am Twilight Sparkle, the Ultimate Spellcaster and personal protégé of the Sun Goddess! I was unsure before, unsure whether I deserved all those titles and whether I could live up to the expectations. But not anymore. This is a challenge I must pass, no matter what.

I sighed out and smiled involuntarily. Heh, it looks like Monokami's gift had the exact opposite effect. Instead of breaking me, it made me all the more adamant to fight back. I felt strange, it was a sensation I've never felt before. I paid closer attention to it, trying to figure out what it was. This warmth in my chest, this feeling of empowerment, what was it?

Oh, of course! I passed this first trial of my will. I decided to fight and never give up, when just a minute ago I was afraid I would do the opposite.

For the first time in my life, I actually felt proud of myself. No doubts, no "lucky" accomplishments. Just pride.

"I will never succumb to nightmare," I said aloud, hoping that Monokami heard it. Then I turned on my back, facing the ceiling. I kept thinking about Spike, knowing that sooner I break out of here, the sooner I can help him.

Oh Spike… I hope you're not suffering too much… I hope you're still alive… Will I ever see you again?

--FREE TIME--

I spent the rest of the afternoon just contemplating things and calming myself down. We were in a horrible situation, and I knew that this was just a tip of the iceberg. I thought about other students, pondering who could become a killer.

Just to be sure, I cast an invisible anti-magic armor on me, and I started reviewing all the self-defense spells I knew. I really wanted to believe that nopony would murder their classmates, but…

I got hungry again. Looking at a clock that was hanging on the wall above the bed, I found out that it was six in the evening. A reasonable time to get dinner. I headed out, taking slow, careful steps, looking all around me. The hallway suddenly looked darker than I remembered it. My magic could detect some ponies around me, but I didn't know where. They were probably in their own rooms. Probably…

I was getting antsy again. I breathed out and picked up a pace with a goal to reach the cafeteria as quickly as possible. When I reached it, I saw Blue Ray and Trixie inside. Oh no, why her? Why her, of all ponies?!

I went in, said a quick "Hi, guys" and headed straight for the kitchen. I made myself the same salad I had for lunch, although a smaller portion this time. Then I picked a seat right opposite Blue Ray, he was far better company than Trixie.

"So, Twilight, how did it go?" he asked.

"Huh? What?"

"The whole box thing. Did you open it, or did you discard it?"

"I… I sort of opened it." And found my best friend's skin inside. "What about you?"

"Huh, I figured you would discard it. Was it some sort of scholar's curiosity?"

"No, I was doubting myself. I didn't know if I could trust myself enough to know that I would never kill anypony. So I opened it, and… Now I know. But more importantly-"

"Know what? That you would indeed never kill?"

"Yes, but what about you? Did you open it?"

Blue Ray laid back and exhaled in relief. He gave me a small smile. "You don't even know how glad I am to hear that. And no, I didn't open it. My box went right in the trash."

"Oh… Good for you, I guess?"

Blue Ray quickly glanced at Trixie, who was pretending to ignore us. But I still felt her watching me.

"Can we talk somewhere else? I need to tell you something important," whispered Blue Ray. "Just leave the salad here, you can eat later."

I looked up from my meal. "What? Is it… is it that urgent?"

"Yes."

He was acting strange again, but in a different way. I got up from my seat, and Blue Ray quickly led me outside. We walked side by side, I was watching him in confusion, he was looking at the ceiling with a distant expression.

"Thanks for being patient with me, I know I'm acting weird," he said.

"N-no problem, what is it?"

"Let's find a place to sit first. How about the magic classroom? I doubt anypony will disturb us there."

He was leading me somewhere where we would be alone. He was acting strange. A sudden feeling of dread shot through my spine, and I slowed down, lagging slightly behind him. Was he really… Trying to…?

He looked back at me. "What's the holdup? Come on."

Blue Ray… what are you doing? What are you planning? Did you really discard your giftbox as you claim, or did you take a peek?

I was getting my defensive spells ready. I didn't want to get caught off-guard. When Blue Ray saw me tensing up, he snickered.

"Oh, riiiiight. Relax, I'm not leading you into a trap of any sort. I promise."

"Why should I believe you? You are acting suspicious!"

"Look, I'm not a killer." He gulped and looked elsewhere. "But somepony else is. And that's what I need to talk to you about. You're the only pony I trust right now, Twilight, so please, will you hear me out? Somewhere private?"

"Wait! What do you mean by somepony else?!" I panicked. Did a murder occur somewhere already? Was one of my classmates dead?!

"Hey hey hey, everypony is still alive! Relax!" Blue Ray shouted. "Hey, um, I'll explain it, I promise. Let's just go, okay?"

We continued in silence, and after a short walk we reached classroom 1-1-A. As Blue Ray predicted, it was completely empty. I was still feeling uneasy, but somehow I felt that Blue Ray really wasn't planning anything shady. He dragged one of the chairs away from its desk, then another one. The two chairs were facing each other, and he sit on one of them. A gesture tacitly told me that the second chair was mine. I sat on it, not leaving Blue Ray from my sight for even one second.

"I could tell you are suspicious of me, even if you didn't tell me outright. Sorry for all this, but I really need to get this off my chest."

"What is it, Blue Ray? Just spit it out."

He fidgeted in his seat. The door was behind him, so he had to turn around to see it. He did just that, which made me think just which one of us was acting more paranoid.

"You know that I'm the Ultimate Seeker, right?"

"Yes. You told me yourself that you can find anything."

"Alright. So… Today, just before lunch, I had an idea. Why don't I just keep looking for a pony that plans to kill?"

I stayed silent for a while, trying to process what he just said. "W-what? You could find them?"

"That's the thing, I couldn't. If I try to look for something that simply can't be found because it doesn't exist, I get this strange feeling, I can't describe it. And I felt exactly that as I was looking for a soon-to-be-killer. I couldn't find anypony who was planning a murder, because such a pony simply didn't exist."

He let out a shaky breath.

"I know it sounds crazy, but that's just how my talent works. It's a weird ability, supernatural almost. But I have it, and I can't explain it."

He seemed so on edge, so disturbed, that I suddenly felt sorry for him. "It's okay, Blue Ray. I believe you!"

He laughed weakly. "Yeah, sure you are. Just a second ago you thought I was gonna kill you."

"Sorry! I'm just really on edge from…" I waved my hoof around me, "all this!"

"Yeah, me too. Anyway, the most important part… I kept searching, even though I knew it was futile. And shortly after we were sent to deal with our gifts… That feeling disappeared."

My heart was pounding in my chest. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that now, if I really tried to find a pony planning a murder, I would find one. Twilight, somepony is already planning to kill one of us!"

And now my heart was racing. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Are… Are you sure?"

"My intuition is never wrong! My dad even gave me a nickname Clairvoyance Ray, that's how well it works! That's why I asked you how you dealt with your gift! I knew you weren't the one who I was looking for, but just in case…"

"I'm not a killer!" I exclaimed a bit louder than I wanted to.

"I know, I know! I trust you, you don't look like… that."

"Do you know who it is? Can you tell me the name?"

"I… I can't. I just know they exist…" His breathing was getting faster and faster, and he started talking to himself. "Come on, Blue Ray, get it together. Don't fall apart like this! Don't-"

I rushed to him and gave him a hug. I still didn't know if I could believe his words, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that my friend was obviously distressed and needed my help. Blue Ray found out that something horrible was about to happen, but he didn't have any evidence and most ponies wouldn't take his warning seriously. I couldn't even imagine how I would react if I got put into this kind of situation.

"I believe you, Blue Ray, don't worry." It was only half true, but who cares. He shook in my embrace for a few seconds, then calmed down and hugged me back. "S-see? My intuition is never wrong. I knew you'd help me… Thank you, thank you for hearing me out."

I patted him on the back, then broke the embrace. Blue Ray was smiling and looked far more confident now.

"So, what are we going to do?" I asked.

"I think… I think I'll just keep looking. I'll find them eventually."

"Are you crazy?! They'll just kill you!" I exclaimed.

"Really? Did you know that I am affiliated with Baltimare Police? That I know two different martial arts? That I already gave couple of baddies a good smack-down? Oh, sorry, this looks like I'm bragging."

"…You are with Baltimare Police?"

"Well, not exactly. My dad works there as an investigator, but I soon started following him around. First he didn't want me to, but once I found a vital clue one too many times he accepted me as his sidekick of sorts. I'm still too young to work, so officially I was just a young colt that wasn't attending any sort of high school. That is, until Princess Celestia came and invited me here. Everypony was so proud of me."

"So, were you planning to join the police after you graduated?" I asked.

"Nah, just a private detective. You know the type: Hard-boiled badass in a trench coat and a fancy hat, trotting down the dark streets of Baltimare… Yeah, that would be amazing. Detective Blue Ray, at your service!"

He tapped his nonexistent hat and made a silly, overly serious face. I laughed at his antics and felt much better around him. The old Blue Ray was back, light-hearted and easygoing.

"That's a great ambition! Do you read noir stories by any chance?"

"Do I? I've read every single one there is! I just love that genre!"

We kept talking about our favorite detective stories for a while, discussing storylines, plot twists, authors, every single aspect. He really was well-read in that regard, and he talked about every book with an excitement of a true fan. I personally haven't read that much noir literature, but I knew several authors who were considered the best ones. Blue Ray knew all about them and told me everything. We ended up spending hours in that classroom, just chatting.

I can't even describe how good that felt. All my anxiety melted away as I was discussing some of my favorite books with another bookworm. This was just what I needed after that horrible unboxing, and Blue Ray evidently needed it too. We talked, we laughed, and we forgot about the world around us. That is, until Blue Ray unexpectedly jumped back into reality with a very uncomfortable question.

"So, you said you opened your box? What was in it?"

And just like that, my good mood evaporated. I slouched in my chair, looking at the floor. "It was… You know, back home I had an assistant. He was my best friend, his name was Spike. He was a baby dragon."

"You even have a dragon helper? You really are the Ultimate Mage!"

"Not Mage, I'm the Ultimate Spellcaster. I'm pretty sure only Limpid Lake calls me a mage, and Limpid Lake is, well, odd."

"Yeah, I know, but it sounds so amazing, don't you think?"

"Hmm, it does sound more catchy than 'Ultimate Spellcaster'. Anyway, in that box I found Spike's scales."

"…What the buck? Scales?"

"Yes. Scales… It must've been really painful… when they pulled them off…"

And now I was the one subjected to a hug. Was I crying? I was crying. I didn't even notice. Blue Ray did, however, and he was squeezing the life out of me.

"I'm so sorry! That must be awful if your friend is being held hostage like this!"

"He was not just my friend… I first saw him when he was still in the egg, I hatched him myself… Dammit, why Spike? Why?!"

"Twi, just cry it out. I'm here."

And so I cried. I cried for Spike. And Princess Celestia. And all the other friends that I lost. There weren't many, but that made them all the more precious, and their loss all the more painful.

"I… I promised I wouldn't let Monokami break me…" I sobbed. "I promised I wouldn't cry… I have to get out of here and save him!"

"But… you won't kill."

"I will. I will kill Monokami. Eventually, when I figure out how…"

I managed to stop the flow of tears and looked at Blue Ray. "That wolf deserves no mercy. Perhaps that's what you felt when you were looking for a murderer?"

"Nah, that's not it. If it was you, I would know the moment I saw you. I have this overwhelming feeling whenever I find what I'm looking for, and you're not it."

"So we still have to deal with whoever is planning a murder?"

"Yes. But I'll take care of that. I'm not gonna sleep tonight, instead I'll just keep looking." Blue Ray gave me an assuring smile, but I was still not convinced about his plan.

"I'll find out who they are, then promptly warn the others. There is no way they're pulling it off. And they don't even have to know that I've discovered them. That's why I wanted to talk to you in private. I can't just announce it to everypony, the murderer would know I'm after them."

"It's dangerous, Ray!" I said, looking him right in the eyes.

"I know. And I'm gonna be extra careful. But if I don't act, that pony will just go and off somebody."

"…Why are you saying all of this to me in particular?"

"You are the only pony I trust, I could never imagine you as a murderer."

"Oh?" I perked my ears in curiosity. "And… why is that?"

"Well, it's just that you're so innocent and sweet…"

I realized something. We were still hugging, standing on our hind hooves and talking face to face, so close that we must've looked like we were about to kiss. And he just said that I was innocent and sweet… I squeaked in embarrassment and jumped away, leaving Blue Ray to clumsily fall back on all four. I was blushing like a radish, trying to cover my face.

Blue Ray looked equally as flustered. "Well, this is… kinda awkward, I probably shouldn't have said that…"

"I… I appreciate the compliment, I really do! I just… I don't know…"

"We can talk about this later, right? I think we should just leave it for now…"

"Yes, that's reasonable… I still have a dinner to eat."

"And I should go on my patrol."

"Okay then, I'll… I'll see you tomorrow, bye!"

"Bye!"

We couldn't leave the classroom fast enough. I galloped to the cafeteria, Blue Ray headed the other way. What just happened? My heart wouldn't stop pounding into my ribs, it was trying to jump out of my body! And this fluttering, hot sensation in my stomach, as if somepony lit a candle…

What just happened?

I reached cafeteria and went inside. I noticed right away that Trixie was gone, as well as my dinner.

That… That… pony! Who does she think she is?!

Flustered and annoyed at the same time, I went to the kitchen and just quickly grabbed some peanut butter crackers so I wouldn't go to bed completely hungry. I looked at the clock. Oh my, was it 10 pm already? Did I just spend four hours talking to Blue Ray?

I went to my bedroom, contemplating. Just two days ago, I woke up in the main classroom, completely unaware of what was going on. It felt like it happened centuries ago…

"Attention sweethearts! It is now 10 pm, and it is officially nighttime! Please be considerate of other students and don't make too much noise! After all, a loud murder is a sloppy one!"

Oh shut up!

I closed the door behind me, collapsed on my bed and fell asleep instantly. Just before my consciousness faded away, I was thinking about Blue Ray and the awkward situation in the magic classroom…

What the hell happened?

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Author's Note

Would you open it?

For technical reasons, I'll have to write the next two chapters together before publishing them. And I'm also getting ready to start studying at uni, so it might take some time before the next update. Sorry!