It wasn’t much longer before my life almost came to an end.

I’d left the rec room feeling a little jittery and headed for my room for some peace. I needed to compartmentalize my recent musings and wasn’t yet ready to head back into the fray. My room was the only place of solitude left. I plodded nonchalantly down the corridor and almost reached my door before I felt something touch my neck. I hadn’t heard them coming, (how were they so silent?) and I was far from ready for what happened next. I saw a razor blade flash across my line of sight and then felt it bury itself into my jugular. I was too shocked to speak or move as it was drawn across my neck in a neat, precisely cut line. I felt a warm stinging feeling followed by a bizarre euphoria. A sweet, almost citrusy sensation danced across my tongue. My vision blurred and then solidified to pinpoint resolution. There was a dull ache deep within my skull. It was horrifyingly painless.

“Slice. And now you’re dead. How about that?”

I knew that voice all too well. Now that I knew who my attacker was, my mind raced to fully conceive what had just happened. I simply stared at the wall, convinced I was mere seconds from death. I was scared, but I wasn’t angry. I counted my blessings that I’d even felt the joy of the dome in the first place. When I was attacked in my apartment, I was sure that was it for me, but my life carried on in a wonderful way. I had cared for my attacker, and the knowledge that they’d chosen me to kill in order to escape the dome was at once crushing and comforting. They must have something worth fighting for, I told myself.

I closed my eyes and turned around, my mind a blank slate. I wrapped my forelegs around my killer and pulled them into a tight hug. It was everything I wanted in that moment. “I forgive you,” I whispered. As I waited for my passing, I heard their breath catch in their throat and felt them shiver. Then I wondered slightly why my energy remained, why I was still standing without issue. Suddenly, I was flung against the wall with an almighty thud, my shoulder connecting hard and making me yelp in pain.

“What is wrong with you!?”

I looked up, catching my breath. I traced a hoof under my chin and lifted it up to find no blood. The blade had grazed me, but hadn’t cut me open. The sensations I felt as I slipped into nothingness were all in my head. I was well and truly alive. I burst into a cheer, my mouth stretched into the biggest smile I could muster. “I’m okay!” I exclaimed.

Copper stared back at me with a look of shock and puzzlement.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“What’s wrong!?” she repeated, her head shaking. “Damn it, Grey! I just tried to murder you! Is that all you have to say!?”

“You… tried to murder me?” My hoof reached reflexively for my neck once again.

“Well, no, obviously!” Copper cried, clutching her forehead. “I didn’t literally try and kill you, but I could have! More pressure on your neck, a more accurate slice of your main arteries… I held your life in my hooves! Don’t you realize that!?”

My voice cracked as I tried calming Copper’s hysteria. I knew what she was saying, but I was just happy to be alive.

“Answer me this,” Copper said, pointing a hoof at me, her entire body tensed like a beast about to slaughter its prey. “Did you think you were going to die just now?”

I nodded.

Copper exhaled sharply and sat down, her eyes closed. She pulled a hoof from her forehead down across her face in a slow, rough motion. “What the hell, Grey?” she said softly, teardrops forming around her eyes. “You can’t be like this.”

My cheeks flushed with guilt, though what I had done wrong, I wasn’t so sure. “Copper, um, I’m sorry, okay? But I don’t understand. Why did you do that just now?”

Copper sniffed and stared deep into my eyes. Seeing someone so beautiful look so torn up was heart-breaking. “I was trying to scare some sense into you,” she said steadily, having regained her composure. “I was spying on the rec room door after I left. I saw Dopple leave and then I waited for you. I’ve been worried about you, Grey. It’s like you’re in your own little world and you can’t see the truth.”

I averted Copper’s gaze sheepishly as more heat rushed to my face. “I’ll admit, I… I do sometimes zone out. Didn’t realize it was that obvious.”

“Well it is,” Copper continued. “And it’s going to get you killed. That’s what I was trying to prove by attacking you, to make you think about what’s really going on here. Three ponies are dead, Grey, and you could be next. I wanted to scare the hell out of you, even if it meant you were afraid of me. But instead you…” Copper took a few deep breaths. “Instead, you tell me you forgive me, even after I taunted you. You didn’t even try to fight it; you just accepted your death. That’s not normal!”

“But what should I have done?”

“I don’t know, kick and scream! Smack me in the eye! Bite at my flesh! Run for cover! Call for help! Something! Anything!” Copper was breathing rapidly now. “There are risks and there are dangers. You’ve given me one shred of hope that there was someone here I could trust, who had my back, but you need to get a grip. How do you plan on getting out of here if you’re dead?”

I had nothing to say. I hadn’t planned on getting out. Why would I?

“Tell me why you did it,” Copper demanded, taking a step closer. “Why take hold of me and tell me you forgive me?”

I stumbled over my words at first in an inane babble before managing to string together a sentence. “I mean, I like you, I guess, and there was nothing I could do but wish you luck, and I knew you’d have to have a good reason, so…”

“Really?” Copper said, unimpressed. “Because if I really had slit your throat you’d have caught me completely off guard and covered me with your blood, putting me at great risk during your murder trial and potentially giving the clue that would save everyone except me. If that had been your plan all along, I would commend you highly for such creativity and quick thinking. But that’s not the case, is it? Instead, you could’ve killed the very pony you were trying to support. Not a very noble end, huh?” Copper shook her head. “Like I said, it’s as if you’re not here in the real world. It’s like you’re having an out of body experience and just watching yourself, thinking up interesting things you could do. I don’t know what’s made you like this, but it isn’t right. Your life isn’t worth throwing away. At least, not to me it isn’t.”

Copper slunk away, her head held low. I simply stood there like an idiot and watched her round the corner, my head spinning. Her reaction, her rejection, I couldn’t stand it! I wanted to impress her and show that I wasn’t the foolish child that she saw me as. But if I simply begged I would be pushed aside. I needed something else, something that she would want. My brain spurred into action, guided by the lesson she had given me. Then it clicked. I ran after her.

“Hey! Not so fast!” I cried, reaching her before she could open her door. “You said I needed to be more aware, right?”

Copper looked at me with an air of anticipation. “Yeah.”

“Then I’m not finished with you!” I declared, the empowered booming of my voice exceeding my actual confidence. “You, um, shouldn’t have that razor blade in the first place! When you threw them away while Maribelle and Button were watching, y-you must have concealed it in your wings.”

“And?” Copper said aloofly. “Your point being?”

“You need to dispose of it, for safety. And how do I know you don’t have any more that you’ve hidden away?”

Copper sighed softly and turned back towards me. “Okay, so what are you going to do about it?”

“Well, I’ll need to search your room, and also your wings. You could have something else hidden in there, and if there’s a chance you could kill someone, I should try and stop it, right?” My voice came out light and foal-like. I wasn’t quite sure what I was saying or where my logic was headed, but I couldn’t let Copper go, not if I could make it up to her.

“Alright,” she said, nodding. “And what if I was to take you into my room and kill you? How would that pan out?”

“Then you’d be the first suspect,” I replied, playing the scenario out in my head. “Even if you didn’t leave blood stains you’d still have my body in your room, and trying to hide it would be difficult, so you’d probably get caught no matter what. Also, you just had a better opportunity to kill me and you didn’t, so it’s safe, I think.” I caught my breath as I finished my rambling.

Copper eyed me thoughtfully. “There’s no such thing as completely safe – a killer could be reckless enough to try anything – but your logic is decent, I guess. Come on, let’s get this over with,” she said, walking to her door and pressing her keycard to the lock. “I supposed I should humor you for at least trying to learn your lesson.”

I followed her inside and shut the door behind me while Copper walked to her bed and stood by it casually, keeping her eye on me. I felt a sharp chill run across my chest followed by the dancing of my stomach. I was now in a mare’s room for the first time, and the lack of space in the room buried the point home. In that moment I just remembered that I’d propositioned a search of her wings. Which I would have to do by hoof. I came halfway to fainting.

“You didn’t have to shut the door,” Copper said. “This could be a trap, remember?”

“I don’t think it is,” I replied, doing my best to stay cool.

“Well.” Copper gestured in front of her. “You’re free to search the place.”

I started with the bathroom as it gave me a moment outside Copper’s line of sight. I didn’t even make an effort, instead just looking from side to side and checking myself in the mirror to see if I was freaking out on the outside as well as the inside. Aside from some beads of sweat I looked somewhat okay.

“Nothing here,” I said, and checked the wardrobes. Nothing but a few of Copper’s towels. “Yeah, all done,” I said, hoping I could just leave. I was sure Copper wouldn’t hold me to my word if I made a point about having no reason to doubt her. As I turned around I saw Copper sitting on the bed with her wings fully extended. My heart just about fell out of my chest.

“Let’s get this over with,” she said, looking a little anxious, but otherwise remaining perfectly serious.

I stood in silence for a few seconds before lurching over. “Right.” Copper averted her gaze as I strode up to her left wing, its shimmering bronze feathers splayed out in a dazzling pattern. I had never seen a pegasus wing up close like this, especially not a pegasus with such a vast and impressive wingspan. I felt as if it could envelop me entirely.

“What?” Copper said crossly. “What are you staring at?”

“I just…” As awkward as I felt being so close to Copper, I was so entranced that my core emotion was one of amazement and wonder. I pried apart a bunch of feathers near the wingtip and felt their soft, velvety texture. “You have very nice wings,” I said absent-mindedly, almost forgetting Copper was even there. I pried apart some more and saw how deceptively dense each feather cluster was. I could see how it would be possible to conceal all manner of flat objects unless one delved through mindfully.

I came to and realized Copper had her eyes and jaw clenched. “Oh!” I exclaimed, realizing how I must have looked. “Um, nothing in this wing,” I said, knowing full well I hadn’t searched it thoroughly. “N-next one I guess.”

“Just quickly, okay!?” Copper barked. “Damn it, why am I even letting you do this?”

I laughed, hoping it would lighten the mood. It didn’t. “So, um, Copper,” I began as I inspected the other wing, “I was wondering why you took the blade in the first place. Was it just to scare me?”

“Sure, we’ll go with that,” Copper said hurriedly.

“I was just worried you were planning on, you know.”

“Don’t even talk about that stuff,” Copper snapped, snorting. “And no, I’m not planning on doing that.”

I backed away, the brewing of uncomfortable atmosphere beginning to outweigh my delight in sifting through Copper’s feathers. I counted my blessings. Never gonna get a chance at doing that ever again, I thought dolefully.

“So, I hope you’ve learned your lesson,” Copper said with an air of irritation, “because I’m not giving another.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” I said, shying away. “I do trust you, really. I just didn’t want you thinking I was a sap.”

“Well you still are,” Copper said, sighing, “but you at least made an effort. I just want you to think twice about things, alright? Keep your head out of the clouds.”

“Right,” I said. “I will.”

“Good.” Copper exhaled deeply. “I don’t want to see another dead body turn up, especially not yours.”

“Why?” I asked. “Why me specifically?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Copper said shrugging. “I don’t think you’re a killer in the making. You’re pretty laid back – maybe a little too much – and you seem kind of hopeful without being conniving. That kind of–

“I have to wonder, what are you?”

–thing means a fair bit in a place like this. Maybe you’re the one with the right idea, I don’t know.”

“Oh,” I replied blankly. “Thanks, I guess.” A few seconds of silence passed. “Copper, um, you can put your wings down now.”

Copper’s face ignited. She scorned me with an almighty frown and bared her teeth like fangs. “Or maybe you can just leave now? I want some privacy! I mean…” Copper thumped a hoof against her forehead. “Just get out of here, alright!? Now!”

I quickly obliged without another word and scurried off to my room like a wild animal startled by gunshots, Copper chasing me out with ferocious fervor.

I spent the rest of the evening by myself, splayed out on my bed. I could’ve ventured out for another meal, but I was more than used to sporadic eating habits given my no-finance background. I might’ve wanted a book to read in this situation – and there were tons to choose from – but there was a different kind of thrill to poring over the day’s events.

I’d come to accept that Mesmer wanted to test me, possibly to prove that I was a bad detective, or to see if I had some kind of natural skill. I was thrilled to have beaten him in the game of kings and fools, but I knew that another challenge would await. I was both anxious and excited. Mesmer perplexed me the most. Sometimes vicious and scathing, sometimes kind… I wasn’t sure what to make of him.

But now I was being tested by others, and that spurred my anxiety and excitement to new heights. Copper had been clear. Dopple, not so much. Yoko… I couldn’t tell if he was testing me or not. Whether testing one another was a part of friendship sat beyond my comprehension. If it was, I wanted to give something back. A possible method eluded me.

I took a long hot shower and slept early, determined to start the next day off with a spring in my step. I wanted to train with Yoko, to search the dome with Dopple, and for Copper to see me in a better light. As for proving myself to Mesmer, there was only one thing that could bring about the opportunity.

I dreamed of a party where everyone was smiling. We drank and danced and sang songs with words I will never remember. Then everyone was dead and covered in blood and I woke up in a cold sweat.

I was up and washed before my desk clock hit eight. Knowing Yoko would be in the gym I skipped along, meeting him as he concluded his morning exercises. I’d grown used to his size now, no longer intimidated but enthralled by his powerful presence. I wondered if this was the same feeling a small pet must feel when being cared for by its towering owner. I made for poor conversation and even poorer training partner, my body worn down by years of neglect, yet Yoko was apparently still pleased to see me.

“You thought any more about what I said?” he asked as he sat down for a break from his workout. The sweat that poured off him was incredible, but he only had his towel handy, not a water bottle.

“About what?”

“You know, what you want to accomplish. I’m sure there must be something you can do,” Yoko said with a shrug.

“Is… Is that your test for me?”

“Test?” Yoko looked confused.

“Like, you’re setting me a task.”

“Well, I suppose so,” Yoko said, rubbing his chin and looking on thoughtfully. “But I wouldn’t say it like that. More like, I’m trying to get you to learn something. Calling it a ‘task’ makes it sound like I want you to do it for me, but I just want you to do it for yourself.”

“Oh, okay,” I said. “To be honest, I’d not really thought about it. I feel like I’m being tested by just about everyone and it’s a lot to deal with at once.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Yoko replied, looking concerned. “If you’re getting pushed around by anyone, you just tell me, right? Does this have to do with yesterday? Did Mesmer pressure you into something?” He shook his head. “I thought Copper would’ve taken care of you, but apparently not.”

“No, no, it’s fine!” I protested. “I’m being tested, but it’s actually kind of exciting. I feel like if I pass their tests it’ll… I’m not sure. When Mesmer tested me with a card game and I won, it was like a firework going off in my heart. Maybe that’ll happen again if I keep passing the tests.”

“Hmm. Just you be careful not to put yourself out too much. Test them as well.”

“Why?”

“Relationships are a two-way street. No-one should be expected to run around trying to impress the other while they set ever increasing standards. Some equines are vultures. They see a weakness, something they can manipulate, and they work it to their advantage. Sooner or later you could end up being just a pawn in their pocket.” Yoko frowned. “Don’t ever let that happen. Not here, not anywhere. Test them now while you still have a chance. Show them you’re not to be messed with.”

“I’ll try,” I said limply. I wasn’t sure how to deal with what Yoko had said. I thought back to Dopple’s speech about motivation. It was possible everyone else here was just a vulture looking to use me for their own ends, but that didn’t make any sense. As much as I tried conjuring up hypothetical scenarios there was always a gap in the logic.

The only somewhat reasonable theory I could imagine was that by befriending me and appealing to my insatiable appetite for social acceptance, I would become too enamoured to doubt them during a murder trial, much like what had happened between Lancet and Shetland. It was true that I had figured out a great deal during the previous trial and delivered the final blow against Shetland’s testimony. It was then possible that others saw me as a voice of reason or the beacon of hope if another trial were to happen. The mere thought of it made my spine tingle and my heart once again yearned for that alien thrill of the hunt for the killer among us. If my thought was correct, my word in the trial would be treated with greater reverence. If so, by convincing me to trust them unconditionally, I could be blinded by evidence and assert that someone else is the killer, thus swaying the vote that decides our fate. As devious as a plan that was, it was still risky and convoluted to say the least. Not to mention, I was certain such tricks could never work on me. Trust wasn’t something I comprehended all that well, anyway.

“Damn it,” Yoko muttered. “Why’d the psycho behind this have to choose guys like you to be here? You’ve never had your chance at life. Why couldn’t this have all been some hell-hole for criminals instead, or at least old windbags who had their chance? I wouldn’t have agreed with it, but I could’ve at least understood that kind of twisted morality. And some of you are so young, not even thirty. Hell, Button’s just a kid. A prodigy, maybe, but that’s just another way of saying he hasn’t hit the big time yet.

“Say, I remember hearing something when I was younger. Sort of a mantra or life lesson meant to teach us how to judge others and do right. It’s said that nobody sees themselves as the villain, that no matter how horrible or evil they appear, they themselves are only doing those things because they believe it to be the right thing to do. It’s supposed to explain things like racism, abuse, looking down on the poor, stuff like that. You know what I mean?”

“I think so,” I answered. “They’re mean to others because they think they deserve it.”

“That’s the general gist of it, yeah. You could be convinced that someone is poor because they did bad things, or that it’s okay to hit your foals because they’ll grow up into better adults, or that some races are just inherently worse than others, so you should ostracize them. It’s the same thing in each case; they just can’t see that what they’re doing is wrong.”

“I see,” I replied, smiling. “That actually makes a lot of sense.”

“Does it?” Yoko shot back, staring intently into my eyes. “I used to think the same thing. But the older I get, the more unsure of it I am.” He sighed and rested his head on the back of the vaulting box, his eyes to the ceiling. “I think evil – actual evil – exists. How else can you explain this place? Who could possibly think it’s their moral obligation to trap us here and watch us suffer? And who could know of all the terrors that have happened throughout history, things nobody even knows about?” The beginnings of a tear began to form in one of his eyes. “That newspaper article. You know, ‘hell is real’ and all that?”

“Yeah,” I said. “But the way I imagined it, that mare thought she was doing the right thing!”

“Maybe,” Yoko replied with a shrug. “Maybe she thought she was saving them from hell or whatever. But those sorts of things have happened before, many times. Foals slaughtered, tortured, and worse things than that, and none of it for the greater good. Horrible things committed by those who knew exactly what they were doing, either for personal gain or a sick sense of accomplishment. Not because they thought it was right, but because they knew it was wrong and they did it anyway. And if they truly did think they had the moral high-ground…” Yoko brought a trembling hoof to his mouth. “It doesn’t bear thinking about.

“The way I see it, either someone built this dome and created the killing game because they think they’re a force for good, or they just don’t care in the first place. I’m inclined to think it’s the latter, but honestly, I don’t know which I’d prefer. They both sound like demons to me.”

The door to the gym opened and Reph’s head poked into view. “Ah!” he exclaimed. “Don’t worry, I’ve found them!” he called down the hallway.

“What is it?” Yoko asked.

“Y-you both need to come d-down,” Reph stuttered, staring at Yoko worriedly. “We’ve got a b-bit of a situation.”

“Another murder!?” I blurted out, my heart jolting violently.

“N-no!” Reph cried back, shaking his head. “Nothing like that. J-just come down to the dining hall. Mesmer wants to hold a meeting. Y-you’d better be quick!” With that, Reph ducked behind the door and left.

“Jittery fellow,” Yoko said, springing to his hooves. “Never seems to want to talk much, does he? Guess we’d better see what’s up.”

Yoko and I were the last ones in the dining room and took the right-side corner seats. A bowl and two plates were out on one of the tables, signifying the end of breakfast for some.

“You’re finally here,” Mesmer said as he stood by himself towards the far end of the room. “Now we can start. It has come to my attention that both yesterday evening and this morning there was an issue regarding the dangerous item checks in the MonoMart.”

“No!” Sanscript exclaimed. “Don’t tell me they weren’t done? Those checks are for our safety!”

“You tell ‘em,” Inky chimed in with in a hushed whisper. I just now noticed that she was sat next to Sanscript, looking all too pleased with herself.

“If you’d just let me finish!” Mesmer blared sternly. “The checks were still completed, albeit with fewer in attendance than the groups as they were originally decided. Button, you refused to leave your room last night, and Maribelle, you refused to leave his side.”

“So?” Button said with a yawn. “Dish Panner and Elsie went. Ain’t two enough?”

“No,” Mesmer said gruffly. “The entire point of sending four along at once is that it prevents a murder from taking place. You left Dish Panner and Elsie in a difficult position, as their only choices were to leave the task be and risk not discovering a missing item or risk each other’s company in the face of the weapons. Given that it was in the evening their time was extremely limited. You can’t excuse your laziness when the responsibility falls on someone else, and Maribelle, you need to be more forceful with him!”

“Yes, my apologies,” Maribelle said softly. “Button, this is very important, do you hear?”

“Uh-huh, sure,” Button said sleepily, his eyelids drooping back into place.

Mesmer’s cheeks flared and he marched towards Button, levitating one of the plates above the colt. “Rise up!” he bellowed, smashing the plate on the table and making Button leap for his life. “I am not going to let some layabout get me or any one of us killed because of their negligence! Lastly, Inky! You never showed up to the MonoMart this morning!”

“Uh… Sorry about that,” the zebra mare said, smiling sheepishly. “I’d had a bit to drink last night and when I got woke up by my alarm I kind of tapped it, rolled over and went to sleep. First time saying that about an alarm clock, as it happens.”

“Incompetent!” Mesmer bellowed, snorting. He was frantic and twitchy in his movements – far more agitated than usual. It seemed he placed a great deal of significance on the MonoMart’s weaponry. And yet, it was obvious from my encounter with Copper that there were still many other risks out there. I decided not to speak up about that.

“We need a system,” Dopple said, “a way for us to avoid this happening again.”

“A meeting place?” Lancet piped up. “For example, instead of meeting up outside the MonoMart at seven for the morning check we meet up at half past six somewhere else, then if not everyone has arrived by quarter to, we go and find them. If we can’t, we wake everyone up and wait outside the entrance.”

“That’s something, at least,” Mesmer said. “So long as those who fail in their duty are suitably reprimanded!”

“Sheesh,” Yoko whispered. “He’s getting more like Shetland every second.”

“What? Speak up!” Mesmer called, marching over to us.

“I was just telling Greyscale that I should join his group since I’m not yet assigned to one,” Yoko said coolly. “I didn’t want to interrupt you.”

Mesmer exhaled through his nose and looked down. “Alright.” He walked back to his original place. “Any other ideas?”

Yoko raised his eyebrows at me. I had to admit, watching Mesmer act like this was unsettling. As aggressive as he could be he had generally been calm and deliberate. This Mesmer looked unhinged, as if the room was about to be ambushed by invaders and he was leading a final, desperate charge.

Maribelle was still delicately brushing the ceramic shards from Button’s coat and the table as she eyed Mesmer with quiet rage. The others looked on in mild fear and incredulity, aside from Dopple, who appeared wholly calm but pensive.

“Well, we could meet outside,” Dish Panner suggested, raising her hoof like a school-filly. “There are tables and chairs for us to sit down, and we can keep an eye on the time from the clock at the MonoMart entrance.”

“I don’t know,” Copper said, grimacing. “If it were me, I’d want the meeting place to be closer to my room so I could make a getaway to somewhere safe, should anyone, I mean, anything go wrong.”

The room was silent for a moment until Mesmer spoke up. “That’s something to consider, but I fail to see how that would eliminate the danger entirely.”

“Whomever is the first to the meeting place would be at risk,” Copper continued. “If we meet outside, there are a number of places a potential attacker could be hiding. Behind the MonoMart, to the side of the hotel, even on top of it. Anything heavy dropped from that height could kill someone, and there’d be no way of deciding who the culprit was, at least between Dopple, Reph and I.”

“Sounds rather paranoid,” Elsie said, rolling her eyes. “We can’t expect death from around every corner, and the outside tables are situated directly opposite the MonoMart. And like Dish Panner said, we have a clock there so we can keep an eye on the time. Unless you have a better idea?”

“What about the rec room?” I suggested. “It’s inside and within not much distance to everyone’s rooms, there’s a clock on the mantlepiece, and we’d be able to sit more comfortably.”

I was pleasantly surprised when it appeared that everyone began mulling over my words. I had contributed to the group without faltering or stumbling over my words. My heart swelled!

“That might work,” Copper said with a smile. “At least then if someone was inside waiting for a chance to attack, they could easily be spotted. We could run from them and alert someone.”

“We could alert someone outside,” Elsie huffed. “Shout loud enough and someone is bound to hear you.”

“Sure, if you get that chance,” Copper said dismissively, shrugging her shoulders. “All I’m saying is, it eliminates at least part of the threat, and it removes some of the advantages that could be held by unicorns and pegasi.”

“That’s true,” Lancet chimed in with, appearing somewhat eager. “You’d introduce an enclosed environment where an attacker could become trapped in the room and wouldn’t be able to know if someone else was in an adjacent corridor. So long as we’re careful and attentive while opening the door, we could alleviate just about every possible scenario.”

“So much for learning to trust everyone!” Elsie hissed.

“Trust can still exist with caution,” Lancet said softly. “Even an innocent foal is not left to play with fire.”

“Whatever,” Elsie muttered, shaking her head. “Doesn’t look like I’m about to change anyone’s mind.”

Sanscript cleared his throat. “If I may, Miss De Pone, why are you so adamant on having us meet elsewhere?”

“I’m not,” the mare replied flatly. “All I’m saying is that we mustn’t pretend that we can eliminate danger so easily. Getting hopeful for something like that is foolish!”

“Be that as it may,” Mesmer cut in with, appearing a little calmer, “Going with an idea that most are comfortable with is the most viable option. I don’t have any objections, personally. Does anyone else?”

No hooves were raised and nothing was said.

“Then it’s settled,” Mesmer said, emitting a small sigh of relief. “We remember our times and get to the meeting place half an hour before it. If anyone is absent at quarter to, we raise the alarm by knocking on doors and head out to find them. If they are missing, whomever else is around must fill their spot, and anyone who is late or refuses to carry out their duty will have to answer to me.” He glowered at the rest of us before standing up straight. “Understood?”

Most offered their affirmative answer or nodded their head. Elsie and Maribelle, however, were preoccupied with their own thoughts. Their dislike towards Mesmer was plain as day.

Mesmer left soon after, as did Reph, Maribelle, Button, Elsie, and Inky, who reported she’d be back soon after she ‘freshened up.’ Dish Panner brought out some salad bowls from the kitchen she’d prepared, commenting on how this gave her some slim semblance of normality. Yoko politely passed on the meal, taking a quick trip to the Mono-Mart and returning with a staggering amount of packaged noodles, shallots, garlic and chili peppers, and headed into the kitchen excitedly.

I ate gladly and thanked Dish Panner, still far from used to such pleasures. After a few mouthfuls I turned to Sanscript who was a few seats over from me on my right, staring contemplatively into his salad bowl and nibbling at the pieces. I sidled over, taking my bowl with me. This is how it is to be normal, right? “What’s up?” I asked. “You look down.”

“Oh, Greyscale, good to speak to you again.” Sanscript grinned kindly. “I’m not feeling down, so to speak, just a little troubled.”

“Maybe I can help,” I offered blindly, feeling curious and self-assured.

“Well, maybe,” Sanscript replied, furrowing his brow. He moved in closer and began to whisper. “So long as this isn’t spread to everyone, I hope you understand.”

I nodded, barely containing my glee.

“Alright. I’m just hoping I’m not being presumptive or deluded in some way; as it stands, I’m not the most adept at determining the wants and needs of others, so this could very well be the case. However, I must consider what my instincts are telling me.” He looked over my shoulder towards the doors and continued, even quieter. “Given the way Miss Ink Slinger has been treating me, often trying to get my attention and making questionable remarks, I’m ever so slightly inclined to believe that she may have a bit of a crush on me.”

I stared for a while as Sanscript leaned back into his seat and let out a deep breath. “Oh,” I eventually said. “Um, what are you gonna do?”

“I could perhaps question her the next time we’re alone, just to make absolutely sure if it is true.” Sanscript nodded assuredly. “I shall have to let her down gently. Such cruelty to be sure, but I must do so with kindness in mind. It would be callous to allow her to hope further when I am all too set in my ways, nor should any stallion worth his salt stoop so low as to abuse his status as an object of affection in an effort to fuel some wretched scheme. I hereby proclaim with a steady mind to act as a compassionate arbiter, lest I allow her desires to fester into lunacy. Alas, I do not feel as she may, so different and ill-suited are we.”

Sanscript went back to eating his salad indignantly as Inky walked inside sporting one of Maribelle’s maid outfits and ruby-colored eye shadow, and Sancript greeted her by reaching a thirteenth shade of crimson, nearly choking on a lettuce leaf and having to revive himself by thumping wildly at his chest and leaping onto the floor, emitting a cacophony of shrill, gravely gasps for air.

“On the floor?” Inky said, fluttering her eyelashes daintily. “My, my, since when were you so adventurous?”

“Confound you, zebra!” Sanscript snarled as he got to his hooves. “I was merely surprised that you should take Maribelle’s attire, and at just the wrong microsecond! What are you even doing wearing that!?”

“What? Oh, this old thing?” Inky said, looking dumb. “Maribelle said I could have it since she’s got spares. The fabric is really soft, see? Just feel this bit on my back. You can even rub your face on it, I won’t mind.”

“Certainly not!” Sanscript blared with a scowl. Then his anger was eclipsed by a sudden mortified worry and he pushed past Inky towards the double doors. “I wish to be alone and in peace and quiet! Do not think to follow me, Miss Slinger!” He left, pushing the doors behind him and fleeing down the corridor.

Inky laughed and called after him. “You can run but you can’t hide!”

“You simply baffle me,” Dish Panner said sternly. “How is it that you’re so happy all the damn time? Are you hopped up on drugs or something?”

Inky smiled and turned to her. “No,” she said placidly. “The way I see it, if I’m gonna die here then I’ll have every bit of fun that I can.” Her smile faltered for a moment and then returned. “So you don’t need to worry about me.”

Inky walked out, calling after Sanscript as Dish Panner was left wondrously dismayed, as were we all. Everyone stayed silent after that.

A minute later Yoko came out of the kitchen with three massive helpings balanced on one hoof and sat down. He looked around. “What did I miss?”

“Made your decision yet?”

I nodded, pushing aside my empty bowl. “Yeah. I’ll join you.”

Dopple grinned. “I’m glad. We’ll start on the top floor and work our way down.”

“Wait, just wait a second,” Copper said, rushing over. “What are you planning?”

“We’re touring the dome again to look for clues,” Dopple said. “I’m afraid you’re not invited.”

Copper’s eyes narrowed. “Just you and Grey? Well that sounds suspicious as all hell. I don’t approve.”

“But if you were to spend time with him, that would be okay?” Dopple said, an eyebrow raised. “And it doesn’t matter whether you approve or not; Greyscale can make his own decisions. Or do you disagree?”

Copper’s cheeks flared. “What I care about is not letting another murder happen when I could’ve stopped it.”

“You don’t seem to care about Maribelle spending time with Button, Inky spending time with Sanscript, or indeed, Mesmer spending time with me. That seems suspicious. But don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you.”

“This is fantastic!” Yoko exclaimed, slamming on the table and letting out a booming laugh that could test even the sturdiest of eardrums. “Two mares fighting over you!? What a thrill! Don’t let this chance go to waste!”

“Shut up!” Copper cried. “That’s not what this is about. What did I talk to you about just this morning, Grey? About being careful?”

“I want to go with her,” I said. I had already made up my mind.

“Oh, damn,” Yoko said mirthfully. “Greyscale, you are savage! Copper, I think you’d better let it go.”

“Please, not this again,” Copper groaned, rubbing her temple.

“It’s what he wants,” Dopple said. “You should respect that.”

I placed a hoof on Copper’s shoulder and smiled. “Don’t worry, Copper. If she tries anything, I’ll wrench one of her wings out of place and snap it like kindling. It’ll be absolute agony, I’m sure.”

Silence. I let my hoof drop. Silence. I yawned and stretched my forelegs. Silence. I unconsciously licked my lips. Silence. I looked curiously at my companions. Silen–

I reeled. Blood rushed to my face. I felt a cold, lifeless force burrow its way through my spine and burst out of my neck, all fangs and icicles. My stomach tightened and my teeth chattered.

“See?” Dopple said, giving Copper a compassionate look. “He’ll be fine. He’s ready and willing to defend himself. Come on, Greyscale.”

“Hey,” Yoko said apprehensively, visibly fighting over which words to use. “I get you want to look tough in front of the mares but you might’ve crossed a line there.”

“Yeah,” Copper said, biting her lip. “That’s… something for you to work on.” She laughed nervously. “I just hope it scared Dopple off the thought of killing you! I bet she’s putting on a brave face, you know.”

Lancet and Dish Panner sat on the other side of the room, regarding me with indecipherable expressions.

“That was a little dark,” Lancet said. “I fear you may have been referencing a story that we are none too acquainted with.”

I abandoned the room with Dopple as Dish Panner began to speak after me. “Greyscale, don’t think anything of it. We know you were just trying to–”

The door closed behind me and I heard no more. A few steps later I realized I’d been crying.

When I had uttered those accursed words it was as if a cerebral link, separate from my own, had taken control of me, all while I sat in a sunken portion of reality. I perceived the words and the sounds, decided with my own mind to join Dopple, then, as Copper spoke of the dangers, I envisioned a fantastical scenario in which Dopple had charged at me, pinning me to the floor and unleashing a flurry of blows, overcome by murderous fury. I held my hooves up against the attack and scored a hit on her muzzle. She staggered back and I got to my hooves before she charged again and I evaded her, succeeding in hurling her against the wall, powered by her own velocity. Then as she struggled with flailing limbs and the gnashing of teeth I relived Shetland’s demise, the way his wings were so brutally mangled into misshapen branches of bone and blood. I saw these things and then remarked that I too could do the same, and stepped back into reality with the answer, the very solution to a bloodthirsty attacker, all wrapped in such vivid spectacle as to quicken the heart.

But this was not a scene I relished or wished to enact. Not with Dopple, not with anyone. And yet some other force had thrust the notion of such things and I, my head beyond the clouds, had run with it like a playful foal flying a kite. I spoke those words with my mind still a mile away, their cruelty and malice nothing but window dressing to my senses.

I actually said that I actually said that I actually said that I actually said that I actually said

I was quivering like a nervous wreck while Dopple wrapped her hooves around me. The warmth of her nape against mine and the sweet scent of her mane invaded my nostrils and stirred me just enough to awaken me from my dreadful stupor. “Hey, it’s okay. Look, you’re just not used to embarrassing yourself in front of others. Believe me, there’s no point in torturing yourself over it. They aren’t gonna think about it a fraction of the time you will. Let’s just get on with our plans, huh?”

But I didn’t accept that. I couldn’t. I begged Dopple to help me. As much as I believed she was telling the truth, I clung to the thick dark fear that had bound itself to my soul. We walked back into the dining hall together, and I – with Dopple’s help – delivered a heartfelt, albeit shaky apology. Even more so than last time everyone was incredibly supportive, taking stock of my emotional state and offering genuine sympathy. I felt a lot better after that, thankful that I had such good friends to support me, and more thankful to Dopple who hadn’t expressed even a flicker of doubt or unease. I caught my breath, once again in the land of the living and admittedly rather smitten with Dopple.

“Why didn’t you act shocked?” I asked once we were back outside. “I just talked about breaking one of your wings.”

“It did surprise me a little,” she replied, “but then I knew I needn’t worry.”

As I followed Dopple upstairs, wondering for what purpose she had chosen me as her companion on this day, I thought back to how quickly the atmosphere caused by my horrific comment had been dispelled, that everything was back to normal again and nobody had come to fear me.

As much as it tempered my heart, I found myself somewhat disappointed. It had all been resolved without much issue. I wondered then, as I plodded onwards, just how far I would have to go to truly make a difference. To reach such heights beyond the clouds. To achieve the unthinkable.

To scare the others beyond their wildest nightmares.

Author's Note

I guess ~~nopony's~~ nobody's gonna get murdered any time soon, then.

Since everyone seems to be getting along.

Just more slice of life from here on out, I suppose.