“I’m right, aren’t I Shetland? Was there anything I missed? Anything I got wrong? Any piece of evidence that could be used in your defense?”

The room became eerily silent. All eyes were on the Shetland, the stallion’s eyes clenched shut, beads of sweat dripping from his muzzle. Slowly, his eyelids rose. All traces of assurance and rebellion were gone, replaced with utter and unquestionable defeat.

“No,” Scalpel said weakly, her head shaking rapidly. Tears began streaming down her cheeks as she fell to the floor, trembling. “Why? Why would you do such a thing? I trusted you. We all trusted you. Pinkie trusted you!” The mare’s voice became screeching and distorted as the uncontrollable sobbing began. “You were supposed to be our leader and you killed her! You deranged sociopath! You monster! Pinkie was nothing but an innocent mare and you snuffed out her life for your own selfish needs! You’re not the Ultimate Police Officer, not by a long shot! Nobody with that title would do such a thing! What happened to caring about the lives of others!? What happened to protecting the innocents!? Has it always meant nothing to you? You didn’t even try and find an escape route with us! You killed in the first moment you got! You’re a sick, twisted, evil creature!” She took a few deep, wavering breaths. “Are you even sorry for what you’ve done? Don’t you feel any guilt for robbing Pinkie of the rest of her life? Don’t you feel guilt in trying to kill us all? Please, tell me. Please, make me understand.”

“He was desperate,” Mesmer said tonelessly. “Nothing more, nothing less. He wanted to avoid death and obtain his freedom and did so in the most efficient way possible. He obviously only cares about saving innocents when it suits him.”

“Is it true!?” Scalpel screeched. “Is that the only reason? Please, just say something!”

Shetland sighed deeply, tentatively raising his head. “I guess there’s no point denying it.” He cleared his throat and straightened his posture. “I’m the one who murdered Pinkie Pie.”

“He admitted it!” Button cried, waving a hoof towards Shetland erratically. “He’s a cold-blooded killer!”

Scalpel went limp, her eyelids fluttering. Her once dazzling orange and yellow mane hung lifelessly as profusive sweating had dampened it. “So you admit it,” she said sadly. “Are you at least sorry?”

Shetland furrowed his brow, taking long, deliberate breaths amidst the silence. “I am not sure.”

There was a flurry of gasps. Even Mesmer’s jaw widened a little at Shetland’s remark. I could barely believe my ears. Was this what he wanted? I wondered.

Inky emitted an animalistic growl. “How can you say that!? Are you truly a monster!?”

“I say again that I’m not sure,” Shetland declared. “If I’m honest, given the same opportunity in the same situation, I’d likely do it again.”

“What madness!” Sanscript exclaimed furiously. “You mean to tell us that you believe you had a right to commit such actions?”

“You’re messed up,” Yoko added glumly. “I don’t even have the words right now.”

Elsie stomped a hoof down for attention. “He’s confessed, so let’s get this over with! I can’t stand the sight of him!”

“Wait,” Dopple said. “I think we should let him speak. Shetland?” She motioned for him to continue.

“Right.” The stallion nodded. “I guess there’s no point in keeping any of it a secret. In fact, it’s best if you know everything. Greyscale, your deconstruction of the murder was almost completely accurate. The one facet you got wrong was assuming that I was the one who invited Pinkie to meet with me at the swimming pool. On the contrary, she was the one who invited me. She made it very clear that she wanted to speak to me alone before we conducted a group meeting. I don’t think she had any plans to go swimming at all. I assume bringing her towel and inflatable ring was just a matter of playing the part in case someone walked in on us. She probably thought it was the least likely place for anyone to go considering the circumstances, but wanted to play it safe.”

I was baffled. I wouldn’t have ever considered that Pinkie would organize the very meet-up that would lead to her doom. “But why? Why would she invite you there?”

“She trusted me completely,” Shetland said matter-of-factly. “She wanted to speak to me personally to discuss certain worries she had, particularly her thoughts about those among us. She had a hunch about two ponies who she deemed particularly worrisome.”

“Then…” Inky trailed off holding a hoof to her mouth. “When she said she had Pinkie sense, it was all just nonsense?”

“Actually,” Shetland continued, “now that these events have come to pass, I’m starting to believe that maybe Pinkie did have a sixth sense after all.”

“Cut the crap!” Copper snapped. “You’re just stalling for time. Why would you even think that if she had no idea you were going to kill her?”

Shetland sighed. “Inky, what was it that Pinkie claimed her Pinkie sense allowed her to do?”

Inky bit her lip. “Well, she said she knew if someone was lying, and she could detect someone’s deepest intentions.”

“I see,” Shetland replied. “In that case, it’s entirely possible that her Pinkie sense was real.”

“How?” Sanscript asked. “You’re not making any sense!”

“Just listen to me,” Shetland said calmly. “You’re all claiming that I killed Pinkie for selfish reasons. The truth is, I killed Pinkie in order to save as many lives as possible.”

“What!?” Elsie cried. “You think we’re going to believe that!?”

“It’s true,” Shetland continued. “When I told everyone that saving as many innocents as possible was my number one priority, I meant it. It’s everything to me. But sometimes, in my line of work, you have to make tough decisions and stick with them, without letting emotions get in the way.

“Imagine a dangerous terrorist is walking down a busy street carrying a bomb in their briefcase. They plan to detonate that bomb in a crowded train station, killing hundreds. Now imagine that this terrorist is surrounded by bodyguards who are keeping watch, ready to strike down anyone who dares approach. Imagine this group have an anti-magic field up to prevent would-be teleporters from appearing at their side or grabbing them with telekinesis. Maybe there’s a chance that the terrorist will detonate the bomb on the busy street if pushed to it. Maybe the bodyguards will start mowing down civilians with powerful magic. Maybe there’s no open space between them and their destination to corner them.

“So you have a team of snipers ready to take them out from afar in a coordinated attack. But since it’s a busy area with many others milling around, there’s a significant chance that an innocent civilian might get caught in the crossfire. So, what do you do? Do you order the shot to be taken while you still can? What could happen? Well, a sniper could miss their first shot, sending a bullet through the head of a pregnant mother chatting to her husband, her brains exploding across the street and other bystanders. Her husband, friends and family left in utter despair at their loss, years of emotional trauma. And the sniper? A life of guilt at having killed someone with everything to live for, and her unborn child. Not to mention the hounds of the media chasing the force and the mountains of paperwork along with it. So, the shot doesn’t get taken.” Shetland frowned gravely. “And twenty minutes later, a bomb goes off, killing ninety-three ponies and severely injuring a further twenty-five.”

Inky gasped. “Wait, I remember learning about that, but it was–”

“A mistake,” Shetland finished. “And not one that I was at fault for. I’ve done everything in my career to prevent such atrocities, but I’m a realist, not an idealist. Sometimes, the death of another can save many from the same fate. That is the truth of this world whether we would like to admit it or not, and that is the creed that I have lived by, making those decisions for the greater good, no matter how much it may scar my soul.

“I don’t believe for a second that Pinkie deserved to die. She was a caring, sweet, innocent mare who cared deeply about the welfare of others. I could tell as much from the words she spoke to me this morning.”

.

“Thanks for coming with me, Shetland. I’m glad I have someone I can trust. I want you to keep this between us unless I say otherwise, just in case. I’m trying to stay optimistic about our situation but I can’t help but be afraid.”

.

“She was far more reserved than the night before. I admit I had judged her to be an air-headed, loud-mouthed joker of sorts, based on her behavior from yesterday. However, this morning she was level-headed and serious. I daresay, behind that naïve exterior she was remarkably intelligent and resolute. She understood the risks of this killing game and wanted to ensure everyone’s safety. It is honestly a tragedy that someone like her should die.”

.

“Everyone’s going to be on edge and someone might get desperate, so we need to keep everyone’s sanity in check and come together as a group. I spent a good deal of time with everyone yesterday and got to work with my Pinkie sense. I think almost everyone is going to be fine, for now, at least. But there’s two of them that really worry me. One of them is willing to do whatever it takes to get out of here and has already decided that’s what’s going to happen even if everyone else has to die. They’re smart, too. A lot smarter than they look.

“But then there’s someone who scares me even more. I don’t know exactly what to make of them as my sense tingled in a way that it never has, but I think they might be the most dangerous one of us all. There’s something wrong with them, something that keeps playing on my mind. If we don’t stop them soon it might already be too late. I know I might sound crazy, but please, you have to trust me on this.”

.

“Whoever Pinkie was talking about,” Shetland continued, “I have no idea. Perhaps her Pinkie sense had led her to something important, but I guess we’ll never know. At that point we had just entered the swimming area, her chosen meeting place to make it look as casual as possible. I’m guessing it was the perfect place for her to fall back into her carefree persona and go diving off the diving board or floating about in her inflatable ring. She had poured out her true feelings and looked up to me, boundless hope in her eyes. I rested a hoof on her shoulder and she smiled.” Shetland paused for a moment, staring into space. “And then I grabbed her neck and twisted it, snapping it in two. All the while I reminded myself that this was all for the greater good, that my true intent was saving as many lives as possible. I feel no pride in having to kill her, and I knew I would have to take the image of her final, dismayed expression to my grave. But it was the choice I made.”

“That is so sad,” Maribelle uttered, “but I don’t understand what you mean. How would killing Pinkie save any of us?”

“It wouldn’t,” Shetland replied coldly. “You’re not the ones who would be saved. The rules state that in order to escape you must commit a murder without being found out. My plan, which has regrettably failed, was to prevent this from happening to anyone else ever again. You see, I’ve seen cases like this, cruel masterminds who lock others up or involve them in sick games of torture and murder. Some do it out of a warped sense of justice or out of revenge against those who have scorned them, while some do it out of a perverse desire to simply watch others suffer, to see what happens when ordinary citizens are pushed to their limit. From what I can tell, Monobunny – or whoever masterminded this sick game – is in the latter category. And there’s something about these types of criminals that always rings true – they never stop at one. They keep going on and on, finding new victims and rigging new games, all in the name of fun. The only way to stop them is to kill them or incarcerate them. That’s what I intended to do. I am the most qualified and most capable law enforcer to take down such a powerful psychopath, and so that’s why I killed Pinkie. By sacrificing all of you here, I could prevent countless murders that would eventually follow, much like the snipers who end up taking the lives of the few to save the many.”

Shetland’s words left everyone stunned. I thought back to my conversation with Dopple yesterday in the MonoMart. “I think this whole scenario – this killing game – has happened before. And if he has his way, it’ll happen again.” Now it all made sense.

“Hold on,” Dish Panner said. “For all you knew there could be a way out of here. You really gave up that easily and resorted to murder the first chance you got? I find it hard to believe you did that out of kindness.”

“There’s no way out of here,” Shetland replied solemnly. “This place is far beyond anything I’ve ever witnessed. Most criminal game-masters are simply delusional, locking victims up in derelict buildings, abandoned ruins, or makeshift shacks out in the middle of nowhere. It’s usually because they lack funds and horsepower, meaning there are occasional oversights in their plans. But whoever masterminded this scenario is obviously powerful beyond compare. The painstaking details, the elaborate setup, the talking freakshow bunny… Not to mention being spied on by cameras twenty-four-seven and reminded that all escape attempts are welcome. The exit door is made with thick iron, the walls of the dome are made of concrete and the mechanisms are faultless. Even these magical barriers that surround us are beyond our capabilities. I took some time in the middle of the night to fly around and check for escape hatches, air vents, or weak spots. I found nothing. This place is an impregnable tomb. There’s no escape here.”

The room fell silent at that remark, many exchanging worried glances. Button began shaking his head erratically and mumbling to himself. Yoko had crouched low to the floor and appeared to be meditating, albeit with a pained expression. Maribelle started praying silently.

“But wait!” Elsie cried suddenly. “How do you even know that!? The way out of here is simple; we just need to overpower Monobunny and torture the truth out of him!”

“That won’t work either,” Shetland said.

“How can you be sure!?” Elsie retorted. “All you’ve done is sit there and assume the worst! Like I’ve said since the beginning, let’s toast that son of a bitch and get back our freedom! I know some great spells that’ll light him up like a Hearth’s Warming tree!”

“You’re not listening!” Shetland yelled. “Look, I’ve seen what he’s capable of. Trust me, you’ve got no chance against him.”

“What did you say?” Mesmer interjected. “You said you’ve seen what he’s capable of. What have you witnessed that the rest of us haven’t?”

Shetland took a deep breath. “I suppose there’s no use in hiding it now, especially since I’m about to be killed.” He wiped at his forehead nervously. “I’m guessing you’ve all noticed the empty spot in the stage. Most of you will probably have considered this to be connected to the extra room that none of us can access. There was also an extra set of shackles in the room we were originally kept in when we woke up, which didn’t belong to anyone here. I may have tried to convince you earlier that there was a sixteenth participant hiding in the shadows, facilitating this killing game. In truth, there was a sixteenth participant – Cube Rick, the Ultimate Film Director.

“I originally awoke in the shackled room while the rest of you were still out cold and saw a middle-aged, beige-colored, grey-maned unicorn stallion trying to break down the walls with his magic. I was just barely conscious and couldn’t make it all out clearly, but I remember him stating his name and demanding to be let out. Whatever drugs had been used to keep us sleeping apparently had little effect on him.”

“It’s true!” Monobunny piped up. “That foul-mouthed director spent his life scratching away at film scripts until the early hours of the morning hopped up on caffeine, and maybe even a little something else. His body must have been so chock-full of stimulants that it overpowered the doping solution! Admittedly, I hadn’t planned for such an issue.”

“Rather than try waking anyone else up he was more worried about his own safety. He must have gotten out of his shackles with a spell and was stomping and swearing, shouting about how famous a film director he was, not that I’ve heard of him myself. His horn lit up and he started etching a fiery line in the stone wall like a blowtorch. That was when Monobunny appeared and reprimanded him, telling him that such magic was banned, and that if he continued, he’d be punished.

“As you’ve probably guessed, Cube Rick didn’t listen. He tossed Monobunny across the room like a ragdoll. At that point Monobunny leapt up and charged at Rick with immense speed, landing a blow on his foreleg, snapping it like a twig. Rick howled in pain and Monobunny threatened him, saying if he didn’t stop and listen he’d have to be punished even more severely. Rick spat in his face and uttered some more obscenities, charging a spell with his horn and firing a flaming blast at Monobunny’s face. It exploded on impact but left no mark. That’s when I saw Monobunny’s left eye shine an even brighter red, and out shot what appeared to be a laser beam.

“I don’t remember much else as my vision was blurry and I was terrified by what I was seeing, but I remember the sound of a meaty thud and Cube Rick clutching at his shoulder, nothing but a bloodied stump in place of his leg and blood spilling across the floor. Even this didn’t deter Rick and I heard the sound of another spell being charged as he yelled, then in an instant there was another flash, and Rick’s lifeless head rolled across the floor.

“I clenched my eyes shut, hoping that it was all just a dream. It was then that Monobunny must have noticed I was awake. He told me I shouldn’t have seen that but wouldn’t punish me provided I kept quiet about it. A few seconds later and I felt a jolt in my neck. That’s the last thing I remember before waking up with the rest of you. By that time, whatever had remained of Cube Rick had been cleaned up. That was when I realized that it had all really happened, so I didn’t speak of it just as Monobunny had said. I also did my best to stop anyone else from mounting an attack on him, otherwise the same might happen again and send everyone into a panic.” He looked at Elsie. “You would’ve gotten yourself killed if I hadn’t stopped you.”

The unicorn mare shuddered, looking anxiously up at Monobunny, who simply waved back in a jovial fashion.

“It really was a shame, I have to say. I desperately wanted Ricky the Cube to take part in this killing game, but he was too rebellious and volatile. I would’ve been willing to leave him with one amputated limb, provided he pretend it was caused before his kidnapping. But when he still kept attacking me after I sliced off one of his legs I knew I had no choice but to remove him from the game. It was a real pain in the rear, too! Time wasted, blood cleaning, body disposal, scorch mark removal, and there wasn’t anyone available to take his place! The show was due to start and I hate having to delay it! But fifteen participants isn’t so bad after all. This first trial has been quite the triumph, if you ask me!”

My heart sank. Any hope that the unoccupied room held some kind of clue was gone, and now we could plainly see just how helpless we all were. If even a powerful unicorn couldn’t overpower Monobunny, how could we stop him? And if Shetland’s talk of his inspection of the dome was true, how could we possibly force our way out?

“So,” Yoko muttered forlornly. “We’re sitting ducks in here. Monobunny could kill any one of us with ease.” He shook his head. “I understand what you’re saying, Shetland, but I still disagree with your logic. If you were captured before, it could happen again. What makes you think you’d have any hope of stopping him even if you did make it to the outside?”

“I don’t know what chance I’d have,” Shetland replied, “but it would be better than anyone else here. I suppose at this point I have only one thing to ask of you all. Please, someone here, if you have connections on the outside, some way of stopping this wretched killing game from ever happening again, I beg of you, do everything you can to commit the perfect murder. For everyone’s sake, you must!”

“What!?” Copper cried, aghast. “Don’t listen to him, anyone! We can’t give up hope just yet!”

“Hope?” Shetland scoffed. “What hope is there? That someone will find us? We don’t even know where we are!” He sighed. “Now I truly regret choosing Pinkie as my victim, even if it was the most convenient option at the time. During her outburst yesterday evening she spoke of having friends in high places, friends who had the power to save us. I don’t think she was lying to us, and while I don’t believe she could have committed murder, maybe after seeing someone else die and hearing my testimony she would’ve realized what was necessary and escaped from this place!”

“That’s crazy!” Inky cut in with. “Pinkie wouldn’t kill anyone!”

“You don’t know that,” Shetland argued. “Anyone can be pushed to commit murder given the right circumstances and mindset. It’s equine nature! Another murder will happen in this place, I guarantee it!”

“My, my, this is really getting heated,” Monobunny said, twirling his gavel. “But that’s enough chit-chat! I don’t think there’s anything else that needs to be discussed in this trial. Any more and we’ll just be going in circles!”

“Yeah,” Yoko said in agreement. “I’m sick of the sight of this self-righteous prick, anyhow.”

“Yoko!” Maribelle exclaimed. “I know he murdered Pinkie Pie, but he did so for the right reasons! I do not believe he deserves to die!”

“Whatever,” Yoko said with a shrug. “I have my view, you have yours. It’s not like that’ll change anything.”

“Well then, without further ado, let’s activate the voting wheels!”

The circular spots that everyone was stood on quickly faded to a deep black, momentarily convincing me that a hole had suddenly opened up beneath me. Then, alongside a faint, cheesy disco track that began to play, matching the spotlights above as they pulsed and swiveled to the beat, each circle began to light up with neon blue images. Looking down, I could see a crude representation of myself staring back at me, similar to the etched, pixelated profile pictures that adorned each of our rooms. On either side of my face were two large arrows pointing away from me in either direction, and just below was my name.

“As is procedure during voting time, everyone’s voting dial is set to themselves by default. But you can change that! Simply press down on the arrows to scroll through a list of every participant, both living and deceased! On my word a one-minute timer will start, and once the timer reaches zero, your vote will be locked in! The participant who receives the most votes will officially be chosen by the entirety of the group as the culprit. Should this majority vote be correct, the killer will be executed and the game will continue! Should the vote be incorrect, the killer will have their freedom and the rest of you shall perish! If, by chance, the majority vote is split evenly among two or more participants, everyone will die! Make sure you choose wisely!”

As Monobunny finished speaking a digital timer reading ’60.00’ lit up beneath me. Looking around, I could see that the same was true for everyone else. Then, with a quick flash of red from the display, the timer began to tick down.

“Everyone!” Shetland called out. “This is your chance! If you wish to stop the mastermind and prevent the unnecessary death of others, don’t vote for me! What do you think Pinkie would want? For revenge against me, or for the saving of innocents!? Do the right thing! If you all vote for Pinkie that should avoid any chance of equal voting numbers!”

I could understand Shetland’s reasoning. He truly was doing what he thought was right, what he believed could save lives. But still, I wasn’t going to throw my life away on a false promise. I quickly tapped at the arrow on my right and brought up Shetland’s name and face, the timer at just under forty seconds.

“Do you truly wish for more killings to occur!?” Shetland bellowed. “I am a stallion of my word! As soon as I leave this place, I will spend every waking moment doing everything I can to put a stop to this!”

“Oh, shut up!” Elsie cried angrily. “I don’t want to listen to another word!”

“Right,” Yoko said in agreement. “You’ve made your bed, now lie in it.”

“My apologies,” Maribelle said with a bow. “I don’t doubt your sincerity, Officer Yard, but I have little faith in your abilities. The mastermind would surely do everything they could to stop you.”

Shetland grew jittery, his eyes flitting about in a panic. The timer had now reached twenty seconds. “Doctor!” he cried. “You believe me, don’t you?”

Scalpel didn’t reply, her eyes closed and tears dribbling down her cheeks.

“Anyone!? Please!”

Ten seconds.

Shetland clenched his teeth together, bracing himself for the inevitable. All that was left was to watch the last few seconds tick down to zero. A horn blared as time ran out, the arrows immediately disappearing.

“Well, the votes are in,” Monobunny said. “And to nobody’s surprise, the majority vote was for the Ultimate Police Officer, Shetland Yard! But did you successfully find the culprit, or were you all terribly wrong?” A drum roll began to play, picking up speed until the loud crashing of a cymbal. “You were all… correct! Congratulations!”

Suddenly, streams of silver and gold confetti began floating down inside each chamber alongside loud, cheery fanfare and the same whoops and hollers that had accompanied our entrance. But our success was hardly worth celebration. All we had done was sentence someone to death. We were all still trapped here. The cacophony ended abruptly, leaving us all in near silence, just the rustling of the confetti as the final pieces fell at our hooves.

“So,” Shetland said quietly, all his confidence and ferocity drained. “This is how it ends. I always knew there was a chance of dying on the line of duty but I never imagined this. You know, I’ve taken lives before. Not because I wanted to, but because I had no other choice. Even when it came to serial killers, hostage takers, ponies and griffons on a rampage, I did everything I could to keep them alive. The goal was to subdue them, not kill them. But it didn’t always go that way.

“I remember the first time I ever got blood on my hooves. I’d only been with the force for two years when my partner and I were attacked by a gang of griffons. Seems they took to taking down the police like sport. They took us by surprise as we were flying over the city streets on routine lookout duty. My partner suffered two gunshot wounds to the chest, puncturing both of his lungs. He fell out of the sky and died before he hit the ground.”

“How awful,” Maribelle said sadly. “I had no idea such things happened.”

“I took cover on a nearby roof, but being griffons they were able to quickly swoop up and surround me. If I didn’t take action they would kill me, so I did what I could, avoiding their shots and returning fire. Not being a unicorn I had to use a shoulder-mounted rifle with a mouthpiece trigger. I’d had experience on the range, but against these targets my accuracy was off. Two I managed to catch in the wings, forcing them to land. I managed to evade and tackle them to the ground, disarming them. One I cuffed easily while the other was stronger and proved more difficult, so I was forced to break his forelegs and leave him wailing in agony.

“There was a third gang member, the one I shot first, who took a bullet straight through the neck and dropped like a rock. But instead of dying in an instant like my partner, he bled out on the pavement below, choking on his own blood. My only injury was some light bruising.

“I don’t remember their names or who they were, just that the force managed to save several business owners who had been threatened and coerced by them. As far as I’m concerned, I had done everything I could to rid evil from the world. Looking back, I have no regrets for those that I’ve killed. They were blights upon the world. But now…” Shetland trailed off, shaking his head. “I’ve killed someone who truly didn’t deserve it. I convinced myself that Pinkie was no different from the mare trapped in the crossfire. But that’s not right. I planned her murder and carried it out with my own hooves. Maybe I really do deserve death.”

“I don’t think so!” Inky cried, taking everyone by surprise. “You’re right, Pinkie didn’t deserve to die, and I hate you for what you’ve done! But I don’t know if you deserve to die, not when you believed you were doing the right thing.” Inky looked around at all of us “Did we do the right thing? I still voted for Shetland, but that’s because I didn’t want to die. What if Shetland really could have stopped this from ever happening again?”

“Who can tell?” Monobunny cut in with. “Maybe he could’ve stopped me, maybe he couldn’t. Life comes with all kinds of ‘what ifs.’ Best not to think about it and look forward! After all, the game’s not over yet!”

“I wonder,” Shetland said, “what Pinkie would say if she was still here. Somehow, I don’t think she’d forgive me. Not that I’d blame her. You know, right now, more than anything, I wish I could talk with her one last time.” He took a deep breath. “Okay Monobunny, I’m ready. Do your worst.”

“My, my! So eager to kick the bucket! Let’s get ready for thrills, chills and spills!”

Suddenly, Scalpel sprang up, looking to Shetland with longing eyes. “Wait! I just wanted–”

“Goodbye, Doctor,” Shetland uttered, the ground opening up beneath him. As he fell out of sight the ground closed back over, leaving nothing but a few scraps of confetti and his face etched into the floor’s display.

“Where did he go!?” Reph cried. “D-d-does that mean underneath this stage is a pit of death!?”

“I don’t hear any screams,” Dish Panner said, her ear to the floor. “What’s happened to him?”

“Oh, he’s still alive right now… but his execution is coming right up! Don’t worry, you’ll all get to see it in full, high-resolution glory!”

A series of holes began to open up in front of every participant, a set of monitors rising up on pistons, each screen displaying silent static. Then after a few seconds the screen flickered and I could see Shetland stood in the middle of what looked to be a prison yard, rubbing his eyes. The image changed to another camera view, this time from higher up, peering down on Shetland from a lookout tower, vast walls of concrete surrounding him and lines of barbed wire stretching from wall to wall, meshed like a giant spiderweb, preventing him from taking to the skies. A siren began to sound and Shetland jumped to attention, spotlights homing in on his position. The words ‘Ultimate Police Officer Shetland Yard in Prison Break’ appeared.

Inky made a retching sound. “I don’t wanna watch this.”

The image switched again, looking out towards the exterior of an imposing, charcoal-colored prison with steel blue entrance doors. The doors flung open and out poured a hoard of metallic ponies dressed in orange jumpsuits, each with one glowing red eye reminiscent of Monobunny. They ran out at great speed, quickly forming a circle around Shetland and pacing around him with eerie synchronicity.

“Are they robots!?” Button cried, gawping.

Shetland remained in the center, switching stances to try and keep track of the crowd of metal stallions who blocked his path. I could hardly believe what I was seeing; it looked like a mere performance, a fictional show put on with the help of special effects. I wondered if maybe – just maybe – Shetland was okay, that this was all an act. But that thought lasted for just a second before I watched as Shetland was leapt upon from behind by one of the metal prisoners, its teeth sinking into his shoulder.

Shetland let out a scream and bucked the attacker away from him, the metal beast landing on all fours effortlessly and rejoining the circling crowd. Shetland clutched his shoulder, blood trickling down his leg. He was leapt at again by another, but this time he was ready, spinning around and striking its head his fore-hoof and kicking it aside with tremendous force, sending it tumbling into its brethren, knocking several of them down.

Once that was done, Shetland was surrounded, the entire trove of beasts charging towards him with an ear-splitting battle cry. Shetland flew into a cyclone of attacks, kicking and throwing everything that came his way, bellowing with rage. His speed, strength and agility were incredible, dodging blows from the onslaught and counterattacking, sending his opponents flying away from him. But the stallions were practically unfazed by his attacks, instantly hopping back into the action as soon as they could rise to their hooves.

Enraged, Shetland grabbed the nearest one and pried open its mandibles, letting out a ferocious cry as he wrenched its jaw clean off and pummeled the inside of its skull. After a flurry of blows the glowing red eye burned out and Shetland tossed the creature to the floor, standing back and breathing heavily. This time the metal stallion didn’t get up, remaining lifeless on the concrete.

“One down!” Shetland roared. “You’ll have to do better than–”

There was a loud bang and Shetland was tossed like a ragdoll, landing on his back. The camera switched to the end of a rifle barrel, a trail of smoke rising from it. The image returned to the previous camera angle, showing Shetland clutching at his neck, gasping for breath, blood pouring from his wound. His lower limbs flailed limply as he tried to get up. He pushed himself towards the outer wall as the metal creatures slowly shuffled towards him.

The camera angle switched again, this time giving a closeup of Shetland as he lay dying on the floor. It was terrible, horrifying and gut-wrenching, the hairs on my back standing on end, but like a puppet on a string I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen. I was enraptured, staring in disbelief at the atrocity before me.

A stallion approached Shetland and casually grabbed one of his hind legs, twisting in an unnatural way and snapping it in two, pieces of bone protruding from his flesh. Then another did the same to his other hind leg, Shetland wailing in agony. I continued to watch as he was broken piece by piece, his two remaining legs broken in unison by two other stallions, Shetland sobbing and choking. Then he was struck in the chest, the sound of bones crunching as his ribs were cracked, his chest caved in at horrific angles. His wings were pulled at and wrenched into unnatural shapes. He barely looked like a pony anymore.

Yet life still remained in Shetland’s body, his lips quivering and his eyelids fluttering. His midsection rose and fell with his breathing, which now sounded like a rusty squeezebox. The steel door opened once more and the stallions calmly stepped away from his body, shuffling back from whence they came, revealing Shetland’s blood-trails scattered across the ground. I now heard nothing but Shetland’s weak and irregular breathing, his eyes rolling in the back of his head.

“Why didn’t you just kill him!?” Scalpel screamed. “Don’t leave him to suffer like that you monster!”

Almost as if by request, another shot rang out, this time obliterating Shetland’s skull and spraying chunks of grey matter across the wall. Time seemed to stop as I stared at Shetland’s battered corpse for what could have been either a few seconds or an eternity. The monitors faded into blackness and were drawn back into the floor. As they did so, the barriers encasing us dropped, nothing now preventing us from leaving the stage. The trial was over.

“Well, well, wasn’t that fun!?” Monobunny chirped gleefully. “Though if I’m honest, which I always am, I thought he’d put up more of a fight. Never mind! The rest of you are all free to go. Simply head back up the stairs you came from and enjoy the rest of your day. You have five minutes to leave this area or you’ll be punished. The game hasn’t finished yet!”

With that, Monobunny’s stool rose to the ceiling, carrying him with it. The spotlights switched off and he faded into the darkness, waving at us as he went. Only dim lighting leading from the stage to the entrance remained, our red carpet back into the clutches of the killing game.

Yoko moved first, skulking off without a word with heavy hoof-steps.

“I guess we should go,” Maribelle said quietly, making her way off the stage, Button following closely behind.

“Yeah,” Copper said, sighing deeply. “I think I’m gonna rest for a little while.” She walked towards me and planted a hoof on my shoulder. I was still in shock, unable to process the events that had just played out. “Thanks for sticking up for me back there,” Copper said, smiling weakly. “I could’ve been voted as the killer and we wouldn’t be alive right now.”

I nodded. “Yeah. You’re right.”

We all left the trial room, Scalpel finally moving from her spot after some help from Reph and Inky. The doors closed behind us and we made our way up the long flight of stairs, the exhaustion from the trial making each step feel all the more strenuous. I had to take a quick break halfway up, catching a glimpse of Scalpel as I did so. The unicorn was stuck in a blank, almost inequine stare, her mouth firmly shut. I wanted to know what had caused her to act so hysterical during the trial but I knew it would be unbecoming to simply ask.

We made it to the top of the stairs to find the dome looking as it always had. Once we had all reached the courtyard the door to the stairwell closed once again, leaving nothing but a stone wall. Yoko was heading into the MonoMart.

“Wait!” Elsie cried. “Don’t you think about taking any weapons!”

“I’m getting something to eat. I’m hungry,” the earth pony replied stoically, walking into the store without looking back.

“N-not me,” Reph said, clutching his throat. “I think I’ve just lost my appetite for the rest of the week. I’m exhausted.”

“Same here,” Copper added, biting her lip. “I think I might just crash out for a while. I need some alone time right now.”

Mesmer nodded. “That might be best for us all, unless anyone feels they don’t want to be alone. Doctor? Do you need some support?”

Scalpel shook her head. “No. I could do with some rest.”

Mesmer’s eyes narrowed. Finally, he turned around and walked to the hotel entrance. I followed suit, making my way to my room on the second floor with Dopple stopping at her room just behind me. “Greyscale?” she called. In spite of everything that had happened she retained her kind, serious composure. “You did well today. Please don’t dwell too much on Shetland’s passing. There is still hope for us to escape. If you need someone to confide in, I’m all ears.” Giving me a small smile, she unlocked her door with her keycard and stepped inside.

Once in my room I headed straight for the bathroom and turned on the shower, blasting my face with heat to soothe my spinning head. Not so long ago I had been moping in my apartment, waiting for it all to end. I had given up on everything. Now, I was in a fight for survival. Any of us could be killed at any time. There was no escape. If the killer could outsmart us it would spell death for us all. Nobody could be trusted. Every move we made was being watched by a maniacal rabbit with a bloodlust. I had been forced into a sickening display of tragedy and horror, beyond even the realms of fiction that I’d sampled.

My hooves were shaking. My spine was tingling. I started breathing irregularly, adrenaline pumping through my veins. I stepped out of the shower and looked at my face in the mirror, giddy with excitement. My lips were curved into an unsteady grin, my pupils dilating. I began to laugh.

The buzz of constant danger, the thrill of solving a murder, the camaraderie turned to panic between such a colorful group of mares and stallions, all willing to view me as their equal. It was sensory overload, a feeling I could never have imagined in my dreary and pointless existence. My life in that dingy apartment was over now. My times spent wondering if I should throw in the towel and end my existence had come to a screeching halt. My miracle had come.

This.

This game.

It was more than I could have ever hoped for.

.

.

.

Remaining participants: 13

Doctor Lancet Scalpel

Yoko Zuna

Pinkie Pie [DECEASED]

Sanscript

Dish Panner

Shetland Yard [DECEASED]

Button Mash

Cube Rick [DECEASED]

Dopple Ganger

Ink Slinger

Copper Fields

Mesmer

Antonio Rephael

Elsie De Pone

Maribelle Cheval-Gelding

Greyscale

Author's Note

Thank you ever so much for reading this far. I'm grateful to have even a small group of you following this story that I've worked so hard on. I hope you've enjoyed it so far and will stay for future updates. And if I may be so selfish, may I ask if you could recommend this story to other like-minded readers who might also enjoy it. *Nervous cough*

Special thanks to witegrlninja and Maud of Sterner Stuff for your participation during each of the trial's events. I hope you enjoyed the little puzzles! (Even if I admit some weren't all that amazing...)

Also, congratulations are in order for Maud of Sterner Stuff for correctly guessing the culprit, and also for considering their motive in being able to save more innocent lives by escaping the dome than staying within it. I'll admit, my heart did a little flutter when I first read that.

Now for something that you all might not want to hear, but I'll be putting this story on a little hiatus, maybe a couple months or so.

Not that future chapters are in jeopardy or anything! I have more of this fic already written (albeit unedited), but I do still need to catch up on my writing to keep myself far enough ahead. Plus, by dividing my upload schedule this way and including a break after each trial, (almost like a series with multiple seasons!) once the new chapters do start being published, I'll be able to maintain a more consistent update schedule.

As for what to expect, you'll get to see many more chapters delving into the characters' emotional development and interactions with each other. I want these characters to be more than just a roulette wheel of potential killers and victims, even if this first trial did happen very soon after their arrival. Here's to you lovely readers getting to know them better. I'm sure that won't make the inevitable deaths cause you any emotional turmoil, right? I'm sure you'll all be fine.

Feel free to write a comment or send a message with your thoughts. I'll still be visiting the site pretty regularly.

And while the wait may seem long, please remember this one word:

Patience

Come on, say it out loud:

Patience

You'll understand soon enough.

You'll all understand.

Until next time!