I walked down the colorless streets in the unrelenting downpour, my coat drenched. There were a few lost souls milling about, hurrying to cart-stops and nearby shelters. I wasn’t in a hurry; I had no reason to be. After a short journey I made my way to my apartment block and ascended the rusty metal stairs on its exterior. As I entered, the halls were silent, nothing but the sound of my faint hoof-steps. I walked to my front door and turned the lock.

As soon as I stepped inside I heard faint sobbing. I couldn’t find the source of it at first; the apartment was just as I had left it. I opened the bathroom door and saw Pinkie Pie curled up in the corner. She saw me and motioned for me to come closer with one hoof. I did as she asked and came to her side. I could see the tears trickling down her face.

“We can’t stay here,” she whispered, burying her face into my shoulder. “It’s too dangerous.”

The bathroom door was shut now. I couldn’t remember closing it.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be safe,” I said. “Just stay with me.”

Then the banging came. The bathroom door shook with each knock, woodchips scattering onto the ground. I knew what was coming. They were here to kidnap us. Knock, knock. I tried to open the window but it wouldn’t budge. Knock, knock. I battered it with my hooves, failing to break it open. Knock, knock.

“Stay away!” Pinkie screamed, just as the door caved in.

I awoke with a start, the remains of my dream blinking out of existence as I sat up, gasping for air. I had another moment of panic as I looked around the room, my surroundings murky and unfamiliar. I rubbed my eyes and was finally able to focus. My confusion faded as memories of the previous night came back to me. I flopped back onto my pillow. I really was here, in the hotel within the dome.

Knock, knock.

I flinched reflexively, the immense fear of my dream still lingering. I heard a deep voice from outside. “Hey Greyscale, you up yet?”

I looked at the alarm clock on my desk, the time reading 7:32 am. I hadn’t set an alarm the night before; my brain had been too fried to remember, and I’d had little reason for such things in my uneventful daily life. Then I remembered the 8 o’ clock meeting that Shetland had called for. Was the meeting called forward? Had something happened?

I staggered out of bed and walked to the door. I just now realized that there was a peephole, and I looked outside. A flood of panic raced through my veins as I saw the towering figure before me. Yoko knocked again, a somewhat annoyed expression on his face. I didn’t know what to do. My mind raced back to everything Monobunny had told us: the rules of the killing game, the goal of committing murder without being found out and the ultimate prize of freedom to anyone who managed it. If Yoko wanted, he could break me in half like a twig or crack open my skull like a ceramic vase. I could be dead within seconds and have no chance of defending myself against the goliath.

Knock, knock. “Come on, you must be up by now. An early start is a healthy start!”

“Here, let me try.” Another voice this time. I only just now noticed Dopple standing nearby. “Greyscale, sorry if you’re tired,” she called. “We were just wondering if you’d like to go for a quick swim before the meeting? You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but we thought it’d be a good way to freshen up.”

I sighed deeply, feeling more at ease. If Yoko was here to kill me, he wouldn’t have brought someone else along as a witness. And what was to say he would even do that anyway? I was merely being paranoid. I reminded myself that in order for us all to escape, we all needed to work together. We couldn’t spend every moment assuming death was around every corner. That would drive us all mad. Plus, it made me feel safe to know that Dopple was with him. She was the only one who’d made an effort to speak to me since we’d got here. In a strange way, I felt like I could trust her.

“Just a minute,” I called. I needed a moment to steel myself. I was worried about heading to the swimming pool of all places, not just because of its threatening machine guns but also the fact I was a rather poor swimmer. At the same time, I didn’t want to blow them off and remain entirely reclusive. It was true that was what I was used to, but I also felt a need to reciprocate their will to want to spend time with me. Kindness was something I’d experienced in short supply in my life and to throw away a rare chance seemed wrong.

Despite a heavy dose of anxiety, I grabbed a towel from my wardrobe and creaked the door open, Dopple and Yoko’s smiling faces waiting for me. Now that I could see them more clearly I noticed that each of them had a towel of their own, both with their names embroidered and with a similar shade of their coat, with Dopple having a light yellow one and Yoko having a massive, cream-colored one.

“Oh I see how it is,” Yoko exclaimed, winking. “You won’t listen to me but when a pretty lady asks, you come running.”

“Th-that’s not…” I stammered. One step outside and already I wanted to crawl back in. I was no good at dealing with taunts or jibes.

“Come on,” Dopple said, thumping Yoko on the shoulder playfully. The earth pony stallion recoiled theatrically. “I told you to be nice. And besides, anyone would be wary of a brute like you.”

“Ouch, you’re killing me over here!” Yoko said with a chuckle.

Dopple turned her attention to me. “Sorry about him. Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, okay I guess.”

“That’s good.” Dopple smiled. “You want to join us at the pool?”

I remained in the doorway. “Sure, but why are we going to the pool?”

“I quite often go swimming to relax,” Dopple explained. “Being here is pretty nerve-wracking, and I want something to clear my head before Shetland starts ordering us around.”

Yoko snorted. “Knowing that old windbag that’s what we’ll get whether we like it or not.”

“I came across this one in the gym,” Dopple continued, pointing to Yoko. “I wondered what was thrashing around like a wild boar. Anyway, he said he’d tag along.”

“I already had a towel handy,” Yoko said. “Working out for three hours in the early morning can really break you out in a sweat! A trip to the pool might be just what I need to cool down.”

I looked out into the hallway, remembering that Dopple’s room was nearby, and that her door was almost opposite the gym, with my room directly on the way to the third floor. Dopple could have easily passed by and thought to invite me on a whim. Their story made logical sense. I didn’t have any reason to be suspicious.

“So, are you coming?” Dopple asked.

“Sure,” I said, leaving the sanctuary of my room and closing the door behind me. Then I had a brief thought. “Hang on, won’t our keycards break if we put them in water?”

“No,” Dopple said. “I’ve already had a shower and the keycard still works. But good thinking.” She started walking towards the stairs. “Come on, you two. We’ve not got much time before the meeting.”

I followed, my tension slowly dripping away. So long as Dopple was around I could feel somewhat comfortable.

We scaled the stairs and split up, Yoko and I heading towards the male locker room. I had to double check the sign as we entered, ensuring that the opening time was indeed 7 o’ clock, otherwise the machine gun would (supposedly) cut us to ribbons. Once again, we came across the stack of torn locker doors piled in the corner, each locker left completely bare. I put my towel in a random locker and was about to head through the swing doors when Yoko put a hoof across, blocking my path. My heart immediately leapt into my throat.

“Before we go in,” he said quietly, “I’ll give you a little advice. Don’t go getting any ideas just because Dopple wanted you to come. She’s doing this to be friendly, not because she’s into you. Remember that and you won’t go making a fool of yourself.” He tapped me lightly on the back and headed into the pool area.

I hadn’t even considered that, I said inwardly as I followed. At least not until you said it just now. Yoko dived into the pool and began swimming lengths with tremendous speed, his head bobbing in and out of the water with each movement. I slowly climbed in, the water clear and cool, Dopple doing the same at the other end. Now that I was here, I wasn’t even sure what to do. What would normal ponies who led normal lives do? It was beyond me. I floated there for a while, looking up at the bare ceiling. The windows were open but from what I could tell, no breeze flowed through them. Because there is no outside, I reminded myself. Just the inside of the dome.

Dopple slowly swam towards me, completing a length. “Sorry,” she said as she passed. “I didn’t think that maybe you weren’t a swimmer.”

“I can swim,” I said, feeling the sudden need to prove myself. I lined myself up and pushed off from the ledge, drifting into a paltry breast stroke. It had been a long, long time but I was at least able to do the bare amount without flailing like wounded animal. It felt surprisingly good.

A few minutes passed until Yoko shot out of the water towards the storage room in the corner. “Better check this place for dangerous weaponssince our almighty leader forgot about it completely,” he said, opening the door and peeking inside. “No light in here. Figures.” I could hear him rummaging around.

“Anything interesting?” Dopple called.

Yoko stepped back, holding up a multicolored, foam body-board. “There’s a whole bunch of these floats. Piles of them. Oh, and there’s this.” He put a hoof into the room again and pulled out a tall, wooden ladder. “Wonder what this is here for.”

“Put it up against that wall,” Dopple said.

Yoko did as he was told and propped the ladder up. “A-ha! I see!” he exclaimed. The ladder reached the point just shy of the window frame. “It’s so earth ponies are able to open and close the windows. Well, except for me, of course. If I tried stepping on this flimsy thing it’d probably break into pieces!” He slid it back into the storage room and shut the door. “Nothing out of place in there from what I can see.”

“Thank goodness,” Dopple said, resting against the pool edge.

I knew what she meant. I couldn’t shake the worry that we were about to discover a hidden stash of knives, or even worse, a dead body. The thought sent a chill down my spine and I had to stop swimming, coming to a stop near Dopple.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you something,” Dopple said.

“Oh?” I said weakly, my mind racing to what Yoko had said earlier. Perhaps he had been wrong?

“Last night,” Dopple continued, “I hope we didn’t upset you.”

“Upset me? How?”

Dopple’s face grew more serious. “When you were eating your meal.” Now I knew what she was getting at. “We weren’t laughing at you, you know. And we certainly weren’t thinking less of you. The food was actually very good, honestly. You must have thought we all pitied you or something, staring at you like that just because you were enjoying it so much.”

I tried to talk back but my voice caught in my throat. You figured all that out by just looking at me?

“That wasn’t the case,” she continued, smiling now. “It was just nice to see you finally enjoying yourself. You seemed in a pretty bad way before that, especially when Button made that comment about you. I already had a word with him last night to watch his mouth.”

I couldn’t help but avert my gaze, embarrassment creeping up on me. In that moment I genuinely wondered if Dopple was a mind reader. “Thanks,” I said. I didn’t know what else to say; she seemed to be putting in a lot of effort just to take care of me and I had nothing to give in return.

“Don’t mention it,” Dopple replied.

It wasn’t long before the three of us got out despite Yoko’s wish to “piss off the old windbag” by being late to the meeting. Dopple immediately reprimanded him and said she’d report him for suspicious behavior if he stayed behind. Yoko followed her orders without question, sheepishly walking alongside me to the locker room. I had to admit, there was something strangely enjoyable about watching a titan get bossed around by a little mare with a frown. It also made Dopple seem a little more attractive than before, a thought I tried desperately to banish.

“Sheesh, she is one scary little lady!” Yoko said as we grabbed our towels and began drying ourselves off. “I’d better watch my mouth or she’ll kill me!” The two of us froze and traded glances. “Oh, whoops, I guess I’d better not say stuff like that. Someone could get the wrong idea.” Yoko chuckled nervously.

I nodded in response. It was easy to forget that such things could really happen. “Are you worried?” I asked. “You seem pretty cheery.”

Yoko dropped the towel to his side and sighed, a small grin on his face. “Of course I’m worried,” he said tonelessly. “I expect all of us are, deep down. And I know what you’re thinking, a big monster like me scared of being attacked? Well that already happened and I ended up here, what’s to say it can’t happen again? I just don’t want to think about it, is all.

“I know you must find me pretty intimidating because of my appearance, and probably most of the others do too. I get that. It’s part of the reason I’ve tried to just be myself in this place. If I got all reclusive and didn’t speak to anyone it’d only make me look suspicious, right? But any one of us has the potential to be dangerous.

“If I’m honest, I think Shetland, for all his pomposity and sickening self-righteousness, has the right idea. I just like to keep him in check, is all. If we can work together, I’m sure we can get out of this place.” Yoko finished drying his mane and threw his towel into a locker. I did the same and we both left, meeting up with Dopple in the hallway and making our way to the dining room on the first floor.

“Another minute and you’d have been late,” was Shetland’s comment as we walked through the door. Despite it being the three of us his anger was directed towards Yoko.

“C’mon, chief. We’re still on time, aren’t we?”

“Fine,” Shetland said, fixing his gaze on the glass door. “We’re still waiting for two more, anyway. We can’t start the meeting otherwise.”

I took a seat in the same corner as last night (Maribelle, Button and Copper already at the table, Dopple and Yoko following) and looked around the room. Everyone was present and accounted for except for two mares: Pinkie Pie and Ink Slinger.

“Figures,” Copper huffed. “They were both getting drunk last night. I’ll bet they’re both in bed with a hangover. Pretty irresponsible if you ask me.”

“That is a possibility,” Maribelle said. “Did anyone check on them when they woke up this morning? I made sure to knock on Button’s door in case he’d forgotten to set his alarm.”

Button looked shattered, his eyelids drooping and his gaze wavering. He was using Maribelle’s shoulder as a makeshift pillow. “I couldn’t sleep last night,” he said wearily. “A gamer’s sleep schedule just isn’t cut out for early morning routines.”

“That’s a good point, Maribelle,” Dopple said. She turned to the rest of the group. “Has anyone seen or heard from either of them this morning?”

Shetland stepped forward. “I asked the question earlier and everybody confirmed that they hadn’t. I’m assuming you three haven’t either then.”

Dish Panner raised a hoof. “Should I go check on them?”

“No,” Shetland said. “We’ll wait a little longer. Besides, we shouldn’t be splitting up precariously at this point. Who’s to say you don’t go looking for them and they come back, and then someone goes searching for you? It would be a nightmare.”

Minutes passed, the atmosphere growing progressively heavier. At ten past eight, the whispers and shared glances displayed an air of worry. At twenty past eight, it seemed some were about to reach breaking point. In the end it was Yoko who spoke up.

“That’s it!” Yoko cried, slamming a hoof down on the table and frightening the life out of Button who had just drifted off to sleep. “I am sick of waiting. For all we know, something bad could have happened to them! What are we doing still sitting here like lemons?”

“Y-yes, I agree,” Reph said. Dish Panner nodded in agreement with him. “W-we could end up sitting here for hours while they’re in trouble! Or m-maybe they found a way out?”

“Unlikely,” Mesmer said. “If they found an escape route I doubt they’d keep it a secret. They aren’t exactly the quietest pair.”

“So we need to go!” Yoko barked, pointing a hoof in Shetland’s direction. “You can’t keep me here, you know!”

“Okay, alright!” Shetland bellowed, angrily rubbing at his mane-less head. “You can stop saying it now. You’re right. We need to search for them but only if we split into orderly groups and search thoroughly. We can’t all just run off without abandon.” He stood pensively for a moment. “We’ll need to split into groups of three.”

“Why three?” Reph asked.

“If we split into groups of two that’s…” Shetland trailed off, then readied himself. “In groups of two we’d be giving everyone a chance to commit murder. In groups of three, anyone who tries something suspicious will have two witnesses and far less chance of getting away with anything untoward. On the flipside if we make the groups too big we won’t be able to cover as much ground during the search. For all we know, one, or both of them could be up to something, and if that’s the case we’d need to keep an eye over a larger area.”

“That’s bullshit!” Yoko cried. “Those two would never hurt a fly!”

“It doesn’t matter what you think,” Shetland retorted. “We don’t take any chances. It’s likely they’ve just overslept but we shouldn’t risk anything at this point. Now let’s see.” Shetland pointed his hoof. “Yoko, Maribelle and Button, you three can search the MonoMart and surrounding area outside the hotel.”

“What!?” Button cried. “I don’t want to go with him! He could kill us both!”

Shetland sighed. “Is there anyone here who isn’t afraid to team up with Yoko?”

Mesmer raised a hoof. “If it moves things along, I’ll oblige.”

“Me too,” Dopple said, raising a hoof of her own.

“Hang on,” Yoko said, trembling. “Do I have to go with Dopple? She scares me!”

“Shut it!” Shetland growled. “Let’s focus. Maribelle, Button and Dish Panner, the three of you can search the MonoMart and hotel surroundings. Yoko, Mesmer and Dopple, you three can search the first floor. Don’t forget that both Pinkie and Ink Slinger’s rooms are on this floor, so be sure to check there. Reph, Elsie and Sanscript, you three can check the second floor. Leave no stone unturned and stick together. Absolutely no running off or splitting up amongst yourselves under any circumstances. If any one of your teammates does such a thing you must postpone the search and come straight back to the dining hall. You hear me? If you sabotage the search then you will be reprimanded and lose the trust of everyone else.”

“There’s still the third floor,” Scalpel said. “The swimming area.”

“Hey,” Yoko called. “Me, Dopple and Greyscale went there earlier and neither of them were there.”

“Be that as it may,” Shetland said, “the search must still be as thorough as possible. Now let’s see. The ones left are Doctor Scalpel, Copper, Greyscale and myself.”

“Just a quick thought,” Copper piped up. “I wasn’t sure if you remembered, but from the landing on the stairs to the third floor you can see all the way to the stairs that lead to the first floor. There’s a kind of – how would you put it – tunnel running down the building’s center. Wouldn’t it make sense to keep an eye on whether anyone is seen moving between the second and first floors? Whether it’s Inky, Pinkie or anyone else?”

It took a second for me to realize what Copper was talking about. While walking from the swimming pool earlier this morning I did remember seeing what almost looked like an airway, some kind of gap in the upper part of the wall that connected all the way to the other side, letting you see the top of the opposite stairwell, provided you were standing on the landing leading up to the third floor.

“Yes!” Shetland affirmed. “A most excellent idea!”

“Then the two of us,” Scalpel said, looking to Shetland, “should search the swimming pool while those two keep an eye on the stairwell?”

“Wait a minute,” Yoko said, looking disgruntled. “What about keeping it to teams of three? With you two alone, anything could happen!”

Shetland rolled his eyes. “We’d be taking every precaution. Once the Doctor and I finish our search, which shouldn’t take too long, we can quickly meet back up with Copper and Greyscale. If anything were to happen or if any of us ran off, it would be immediately obvious who was implicated. We’d be in close proximity and be able to join up as a team of four once it’s done. From there we can sweep through the hotel and check on each team’s progress. It also means we can check both locker rooms. To me that sounds like the safest way of doing things, if that’s alright with you, Doctor?”

Scalpel nodded.

“Then let’s move out!” Shetland ordered. “Be as thorough as possible and don’t stop until you’ve searched everywhere you can. Once you’ve done that, return here to the dining hall and hopefully we can begin our meeting.”

Each group moved out as one, with Dopple, Mesmer and Yoko quickly checking the kitchen before leaving. “Come on,” Copper said, nudging my shoulder. “We’d better get a move on.”

Shetland, Scalpel, Copper and I walked up to the second floor and towards the next set of stairs, Sanscript, Reph and Elsie already moving towards the rec room in their search. Once we reached our destination, Shetland turned to the two of us. “You both stick together and keep a keen eye on the opposite stairwell. If you feel the Doctor and I are taking too long, you are both welcome to check on us. I am not expecting any of us, myself included, to be free of suspicion. If one of you runs off the other is to come straight to me and report the behavior. Understand?” Copper and I both nodded. “Good. Doctor?”

“Yes Officer,” Scalpel replied, and the two made their way to each end of the hallway towards their respective locker rooms. Copper and I started our task as lookouts.

“I know I said some mean things about Pinkie last night,” Copper said sullenly. “I still hope nothing’s happened to her. Or Inky, for that matter.” She sighed, ruffling her wings. “Greyscale, did I come off as a total bitch last night?”

“Well, no, I don’t think so,” I replied. It felt rude and ingenuous to say such a thing while not looking directly at her, but to do so would compromise our watch.

“You can tell me if I was. I won’t bite.”

“No, really.”

“You’re too polite.” I could see Copper shake her head out of the corner of my eye. “I think I’ll have to apologize when we find her. I still think she’s naïve to be so optimistic, or maybe I’m just being overly pessimistic. If I’m completely honest, between you and me, I’m absolutely terrified.”

This statement made me glance involuntarily in her direction. “You are?”

“Yeah. I’m just about hanging onto my sanity by a thread. How about you?”

“I… I’m not really sure,” I answered. “It’s a lot to take in.”

“Well you’re handling it better than I am,” Copper said. “Maybe I need to be a little more hopeful, but hearing that two of us are missing already has me on tenterhooks.”

After another few minutes of waiting with no movement at the other stairwell I heard faint hoof-steps coming from the upper floor. It was Scalpel.

“Did you find either of them?” Copper asked.

Scalpel shook her head. “No, but we did find something interesting in the store room. I’m not sure what to make of it though.”

A few moments later and Shetland emerged from the locker room holding a bright pink towel. “This was in the store room,” he said gravely. “buried at the back under a pile of floats.” He held it up to us and we confirmed the name embroidered into the fabric. No doubt, this towel belonged to Pinkie Pie. “Yoko said you and Dopple were with him this morning and that you went to the swimming pool. Tell me, do you know anything about this?”

I racked my brains. “Yoko did look in the store room but he didn’t see it.”

“That’s understandable,” Shetland said. “The room doesn’t have a functioning light-switch so it’s a little dark. We only found it because we dug through the entire inventory. Are you sure he didn’t plant it there when he looked in the room?”

“I’m sure,” I replied. “Dopple and I were both with him and he didn’t have a pink towel at any point. We would’ve seen it.”

“Okay,” Shetland said, furrowing his brow. “I just needed to check. This towel’s presence here is worrying at best. The only place this could have come from would be Pinkie’s room, so it means she had to have left her room at some point this morning considering the pool was off limits by the time we left the dining room last night. It’s the only explanation that makes sense.” He looked morosely at the towel and then back to us. “Come on. The search isn’t over. Let’s assist the others.”

The four of us made our way towards the gym. It was predictably empty, so we walked out into the corridor and were met with Sanscript, Elsie and Reph.

“No luck, I’m afraid,” Sanscript said. “We’ve searched the library, recreation room and gym and found nothing of note.”

Shetland showed them Pinkie’s towel and instructed them to do another sweep of the floor before heading to the dining room. We went downstairs to the first floor and immediately saw Dopple banging on Inky’s door, Mesmer and Yoko at her side.

“Neither of them are answering when we knock,” Dopple said as we approached. “All we have left to check is the laundry room. Any news on either of them?”

“No,” Shetland said, his demeanor growing more concerned.

“This is total bullshit,” Yoko murmured, looking more forlorn than ever. “I was sure they were just sleeping. Can’t we just break down the doors or something?”

“That would be unwise,” Mesmer said. “We can’t break the locks without incurring punishment and we can’t exactly break them off at the hinges like you did with the locker doors.”

“Damn it.” Yoko thumped the floor angrily.

Shetland relayed the information about the towel and together as a group of seven we searched the laundry room, opening up every washing machine and dryer just in case. We found nothing. By this point I was starting to panic. A vision of the two mares’ bodies lying dead and bloodied flashed before my eyes and I shook it away forcefully. Again, the team for the first floor performed another full search. It seemed futile. I hoped beyond hope that I was overthinking things.

Our team of four headed for the entrance. Upon opening the door to the outside, my heart leapt with glee. “Inky!?” I cried, running out into the courtyard towards her. The zebra mare looked entirely carefree and held up a hoof in greeting.

“Yo Greyscale!” she called. “How’s it going?”

“Have you seen Pinkie?”

“Nah, can’t say I have.” Inky stumbled a bit as she spoke, Dish Panner coming to the rescue and holding her up.

“We found this one,” Dish Panner said, clearly annoyed, “pigging out on snacks and drinking herself silly in the MonoMart.” Maribelle and Button nodded, affirming this claim.

“It was just a few morning beers,” Inky said, nudging Dish Panner away. “I couldn’t help myself! A whole store with everything for free? It’s like a dream come true! Don’t tell me I was late for the meeting?”

Shetland stormed towards her. “Late? Late!? You’re at least half an hour late! We were worried sick about you! We thought something had happened!”

“Woah, chill, chill,” Inky said, waving a hoof dismissively. “Well I’m here now so no worries, right? Let’s get on with it.”

“Pinkie is still missing,” Shetland replied angrily. “None of the other groups have found her so far and all we’ve been able to find is a towel that belongs to her. I was hoping we’d find her here. Have you searched the hotel perimeter?”

“Yes,” Maribelle said. “We didn’t find anything.”

“Search again,” Shetland ordered. “And double-check the MonoMart. Come back to the dining room once you’re done.”

My brief elation at finding Inky alive and well was cut short by Pinkie’s whereabouts remaining unknown. I remembered her emotional state towards the end of the evening. She was unhinged and hysterical, her cheerful demeanor falling to pieces after hearing that her friend was watching the camera feed. Whatever ramifications that possibility entailed it had spooked Pinkie to the absolute core. I wondered, desperately trying to stop my mind from entertaining such thoughts, whether Pinkie was in such a maligned state that she’d committed suicide. It seemed ridiculous that a peppy mare like her would do such a thing, but the more the idea churned in my head the more likely it seemed.

“Greyscale?” Copper’s voice was hoarse and distant. “Are you okay?”

“She killed herself,” I blurted out, my mouth running faster than I could control. My restraint crumbled into dust and my thoughts spilled out wildly. The surrounding ponies stared at me in shock as I continued. “She’s dead in her room, I just know it. That explains why she won’t answer the door and why we can’t find her anywhere else. Remember when she was going crazy last night? I think she figured something out, something horrible. Maybe she–”

I felt something strike my left cheek, pain exploding across my face. I looked up to see Copper glaring intensely into my eyes, tears beginning to form. “You shut up,” she croaked, her lip quivering. “Shut the fuck up and help us look for her.”

I stood silently, overwhelmed by emotion. I could barely believe that Copper had slapped me. I could barely believe the situation we were in. I could barely believe anything. I took a deep breath and collected myself. “I’m sorry,” I uttered. “You’re right. I don’t know what came over me.”

Shetland stood between us as a barrier, presumably to stop Copper from attacking me again. “I know how you feel but both of you need to remain calm. I have an idea.” The four of us walked back into the hotel, Shetland calling us to a halt inside the entrance lobby. “If what Monobunny said was true,” he said, reaching for the service bell on the entrance desk, “we might be able to use his help.”

Mere seconds after the bell rang out Monobunny came charging in through the right-hand door and bounded towards us. “You rang?” he said teasingly.

“We need access to Pinkie’s room,” Shetland said.

“Oh? Has the pretty pink pony gone missing?” Monobunny let out a cruel chuckle.

“Bastard!” Copper cried. “Don’t tell me you’re the one responsible!”

“Absolutely not! I only step in when it’s necessary! As for Pinkie’s room, I suppose I could disengage the lock and give you all access, but I don’t want to. As far as I’m concerned there’s no need for me to open it. If only you had Pinkie’s keycard you’d be able to get inside!”

Shetland grumbled. “There has to be another way.”

“Well if there is, I’m not telling! I already told you I’d be leaving you to your own devices, didn’t I? Cheerio, my dear participants!” With that, Monobunny scurried off and disappeared.

“What can we do?” Scalpel asked. “There’s no way for us to check her room.”

Shetland paced back and forth before stopping in front of the framed maps. He stared at them for a moment then turned to us excitedly. “I’ve got it,” he said. “We can’t break her door down but there’s no rule against breaking her window!” He hurried outside, the three of us following eagerly.

Using the map as a guide Pinkie’s window was on the same side as the entrance on the first floor, the curtains drawn. While out of reach for an earth pony or unicorn, it would be easy for a pegasus. Shetland gave Pinkie’s towel to Scalpel and hovered next to the window, ready to shatter the pane. “You three might want to stand back,” he said. He gave the window a kick with his hind leg and a crack appeared. “Looks like it’s pretty tough.” His next kick was more forceful and punched a large hole in the window’s center. Another quick flurry – the almighty sounds of clashing echoing throughout the dome – and a hole just about big enough for a pony was made. He pulled back the curtains and peeked inside. “I can’t see Pinkie. Hang on, I’ll open the door from the inside so you three can get in.”

Copper, Scalpel and I did as we were told and walked back through the hotel as Shetland broke his way through. Anticipation was building. My heart was pounding madly inside my chest. We approached Pinkie’s room, the door wide open. Shetland stood in the doorway looking disappointed. “She’s not here.” I felt a great weight being lifted. “Come inside. The glass shards haven’t been spread around much thanks to the curtains, but even so, watch your step.”

The three of us filed in. No Pinkie, just as Shetland had said. The room was bare. Scalpel opened up the wardrobes and spilled out its contents, finding nothing more than identical pink towels. Shetland overturned the pillows and duvet and pulled up the mattress finding nothing under the bed. Copper and I checked the bathroom and found nothing untoward. Every nook and cranny was overturned but nothing came up. The room was entirely bare.

“I’m glad you were wrong,” Copper said. “But it still means Pinkie is missing.”

“Maybe so,” Shetland said, “but perhaps one of the other groups has found her. Let’s head back to the dining room and wait for them to finish their search.”

Back at the dining room we were met with only disappointment. Each group returned, each group finding nothing regarding Pinkie’s whereabouts. The lone towel found in the swimming pool store room was our only clue thus far.

“So she’s not in her room?” Inky asked. “You’re sure? Absolutely positive?”

Shetland nodded. “The four of us can vouch for that.”

Yoko growled with annoyance. “Then where the hell can she be!?”

“There’s only one possibility,” Shetland said. “She must be in someone else’s room.” His declaration sent a shockwave throughout the dining hall. I couldn’t fault his logic. But if that was the case, and it appeared to be, then it meant something utterly horrifying had taken place. It meant that in all likelihood, Pinkie had been murdered, her body kept inside the killer’s chamber. I felt sick to my stomach.

“This is the plan,” Shetland said. “We’ll carry out a thorough search of everyone’s rooms. Together. All of us. No splitting off into groups. Agreed?”

Our newfound search was set in motion. Heading up to the second floor we started with Reph’s room and worked our way around clockwise. Each time the room’s owner would open the door but not be allowed access to prevent them from being able to hide anything suspicious. Then a group of us would enter and scour the entire room while the rest would wait in the corridor as it was impractical for thirteen of us to fit into such a small space. Each time a new door was opened there was an air of suspense, the thought that Pinkie’s corpse would be waiting for us a constant terror.

Button began to act shifty we reached his room, his face turning to panic as Sanscript looked under his pillow. “Get away from there!” he called, trying to get inside but being blocked by Shetland. “That’s private!”

Sanscript pulled out a hardcover book – presumably a graphic novel from its appearance – and flipped through the pages. “What’s this?” he exclaimed. “The Lusty Equestrian Maid? You got this from the library?”

Button’s face turned a bright shade of crimson. “It’s for the story! It’s only for the story! I mean it! Don’t judge me!”

“Well,” Sanscript said, putting the book back in its place. “I must say you have a discerning eye, young one. I’ve been wanting to work on a theatre production of this masterpiece for years! I’ve just never gotten around to it, you see.”

Inky sidled next to him, fluttering her eyelashes. “How’s about you let me take the starring role when you do. I’ll bet I can make a good lusty maid,” she said, winking flirtatiously.

“My dear,” Sanscript said, looking somewhat rattled. “The maid in question is depicted as a pegasus in the story. In fact, there are certain important scenes that ride on this fact.”

“Aww.” Inky’s head drooped sadly. “But what about a bit of racial diversity, eh? Come on, please!”

Sanscript snorted, his cheeks flushed. “No! I will not sully my creative vision with such trivialities!”

The hunt continued, with Scalpel’s, Dopple’s, Elsie’s and my own room being pried into with nothing to show for it. One room on the floor we couldn’t access was the extra room, the one with no named occupant. The exterior search team mentioned that they would’ve noticed if any of the windows (besides Pinkie’s) had been broken into. Considering everyone had already tested their keycards and that the window would have been the only possible entry point, we decided to leave it be.

Heading down to the first floor Shetland opened his own room and allowed a group inside. “Feel free to go through everything,” he said.

“In that case,” Yoko said, beaming, “perhaps you can empty out that pocket of yours! No stone left unturned, remember?”

Rather than hit back at Yoko’s comment Shetland promptly obliged, even taking off his shirt. “Here. I have nothing to hide.” Yoko emptied out the pocket to reveal Shetland’s Officer’s badge, golden and gleaming. Checking it over with much scrutiny, he handed it back.

“Wait a minute,” Dish Panner said worriedly. “Does that mean you want me to take off my clothes?”

Shetland nodded. “It’s for the best that everyone is searched thoroughly. We may be looking for Pinkie, but any suspicious objects should be noted as well.”

“But I can’t!” Dish Panner cried. “You don’t understand! For personal reasons, I simply mustn’t allow it.”

Maribelle came forward. “I must admit it would be rather embarrassing for me to take off my uniform as well. It’s something I’m just not used to.”

Button prodded Maribelle’s shoulder, a fiendish grin on his face. “But what if you went swimming? Huh? You’d have to take your clothes off!”

“I suppose,” Maribelle muttered. “But to strip in front of you all would be too much.”

“Quite right!” Dish Panner affirmed. “You can’t just ask two young ladies to strip for you all, can you?”

Shetland rubbed his forehead. “This is getting tiresome. You can’t keep refusing if everyone here is being treated the same.” He thought for a moment. “The best compromise I can think of is if the two of you search each other. That way you’re both sharing in your embarrassment. Just go into my room and shut the door.”

Dish Panner and Maribelle exchanged glances. “Fine,” Dish Panner said. “Maribelle, I trust you not to speak of this.”

“You have my word,” Maribelle replied. The two mares walked into Shetland’s room and closed the door.

Those who remained stood in relative silence, waiting for their return. After about a minute or so we heard a yelp through the door followed by muffled voices.

“Maribelle!” Dish Panner cried. “What are you–”

“Oh, you poor, poor thing,” Maribelle said soothingly. “Now I understand what you meant. Come here, sweetie.”

“Maribelle, please!” Dish Panner exclaimed. “You’re getting a little too intimate and you’re c-completely naked! I’ve never been this close to a mare before so please, have mercy on my frail heart!”

Button was feverishly trying to look through the door’s peephole. “I can’t see a thing! Let me look!”

Dish Panner eventually stepped out in her usual attire, staring wearily into space, her legs trembling and her breathing irregular. “I feel like I’ve taken a trip to the other side in more ways than one,” she murmured.

Maribelle left the room next looking bewildered at Dish Panner’s reaction. Both confirmed that neither were carrying anything besides their clothes and so we continued clockwise around each room. Those who had yet to see inside Pinkie’s room were let in, then we headed through the entrance lobby to complete the circuit of the first floor. I was situated towards the rear of the line with Dopple, Inky, Copper, Maribelle and Button.

“I’m getting sick of this,” Copper grumbled. “I’m so thirsty right now I can’t take it!” Just as we were about to enter the door to the next corridor she took off towards the hotel entrance.

“Copper!” I called. “We’re supposed to stick together!”

“I’m just going to grab something from the MonoMart. If Shetland has his way I won’t have a chance at all. I’ll only be gone a minute, don’t worry.” Turning on her hoof Copper fled the hotel, the door closing behind her.

I was about to rush after her when Dopple pulled me back. “Just leave her, otherwise you could get in trouble too.”

With much consideration I did as I was told, mentally chiding Copper for her impudence. It didn’t seem as if Shetland and the others had noticed her absence as the next room – Mesmer’s – was checked. Just as they were finishing about two minutes later, Copper ducked back inside and rejoined us.

“Really!” Maribelle said in a hushed yell. “That was a very silly thing to do!”

“I know,” Copper said annoyedly. “I just desperately needed some water. I’ve been sweating buckets worrying about Pinkie.”

Our last stop was Inky’s room. The atmosphere was even more strained and fearful than any that had come before. If Pinkie wasn’t here, there was nowhere else she could be, and Inky had already put herself under suspicion by not showing up to the meeting on time and being found in the MonoMart. Despite this, I just couldn’t bring myself to believe that Inky – of all ponies – could be guilty of Pinkie’s murder. It actually seemed more likely that Pinkie was simply hiding, ready to jump out with a scream of “surprise!” The truth, as it happened, wasn’t so kind. Inky nonchalantly opened her door. There was nothing. Once again, as with everyone else, there was no sign of Pinkie whatsoever. It was just a simple room with nothing out of the ordinary.

“What’s going on!?” Yoko bellowed. “This doesn’t make any sense! She should be here somewhere! We’ve checked everywhere!”

“Indeed,” Mesmer said. “I wonder if we should go back to the drawing board. Any thoughts, Shetland?”

Shetland’s face was one of utter dismay. His plan to find Pinkie had completely failed. “Let’s head back to the dining room,” he finally said. “I’ll… I’ll think of something.”

The fourteen of us settled in the dining room, our collective will depleted. What had started off as a simple task had become a mystery. Just over twelve hours ago Pinkie was with us, walking and talking, expressing her hopes and fears. Now she has disappeared into thin air. It seemed impossible.

“Monobunny must have done it,” Elsie declared. “He put us in here and now he’s taking us out one by one!”

“What can we do?” Dish Panner asked, trembling. “Was she taken away while she slept? Will the same happen to us, one by one?”

“If that’s the case,” Reph said, “n-nobody can be left alone every again, and we’ll have to sleep shifts with everyone present! We don’t have a choice!”

Scalpel looked to Shetland, her eyes full of hope. “You have a plan, right? A way to get out of here?”

The stallion sighed dejectedly, his eyes focused on the table in front of him. “I need time to think.”

Elsie stood up, her eyes filled with rage. “We do what I’ve said from the beginning! We grab Monobunny and take that little monster down!”

“What then?” Mesmer asked. “Even if we kill him, what good will it do? We’d still be stuck here.”

“Then we torture him!” Elsie screamed. “We force him to tell us the way out of here!”

Mesmer shook his head. “Our voices are being recorded, remember? The mere fact that you said that means he’d be expecting it.”

Elsie put her hooves either side of her head and began shaking erratically. “Then it’s hopeless! Hopeless!”

Scalpel shook Shetland by the shoulders frantically. “Please, Shetland! You must have something!”

“I have nothing.” The stallion tipped his head back against the sofa and breathed deeply. “If Pinkie doesn’t show up within the next few hours then we’ll… We’ll do something. Just give me time to think.”

Nobody knew what to respond with. The fire that we’d held between us had dissipated. The rules of the game had been made clear but now it seemed we had all been lied to, that we were just being toyed with. If we didn’t know what to expect then we had no way of knowing what the next course of action should be. With Copper at my left side and Dopple at my right, I felt a sudden, powerful urge to pull them both into my embrace, to find a little pleasure before it all came crashing down. It seemed my urge had been far surpassed by someone else’s, however.

“I can’t stand this!” Button roared, standing atop the table. “Screw you all! You can mope around like pathetic worms but I am gonna enjoy my time while I still can!” He turned to Maribelle and grabbed her by the hoof. “Maribelle! Will you come swimming with me? You’ll have no choice but to take off your clothes! It’s now or never!”

His outburst stunned everyone, especially Maribelle. The mare’s jaw fell agape. “Button…”

“I won’t take no for an answer! I’m living life like there’s no tomorrow!”

Maribelle thought for a moment then snapped her mouth shut. Wordlessly, she followed Button out of the dining room, leaving us all to revel in his crazed bravery. I couldn’t help but envy him.

“Well,” Mesmer said, looking genuinely flustered for the first time since our arrival. “I didn’t expect that to come out of the little brat. I almost feel inspired.”

“So that’s it?” Inky said, nodding to herself, her eyes darting madly. “If Monobunny is going to axe us off, we have to make the most of it! Everyone, back to the MonoMart for more beer!”

“Screw that!” Yoko bellowed. “You’re really going to give up so easily!? Pinkie goes missing so you assume it’s the end!?” He shook his head furiously. “You pitiful weaklings! We shouldn’t be submitting to this insanity; we should be fighting against it! Don’t you see? This is what that evil rabbit wants! He wants us to lose hope and fall apart! We’re all assuming the worst when we don’t know squat! There’s that room we haven’t gotten into yet and I’m sure we’ve missed something else during our search. Plus, for all we know Pinkie Pie is still safe and sound–”

*DING DONG DONG DING*

“A body has been discovered!” Monobunny’s voice blared like a megaphone. Looking around, everyone else clutched at their ears. We were all hearing the same message. “Could everyone please head to the swimming pool on the third floor. After a certain amount of time has passed the murder trial will commence! In the interest of fairness the machine guns outside each locker room have been temporarily disabled until the trial is over. Now go forth! Gather clues! Find the culprit! Your very lives depend on it! Pu-hu-hu!”

The announcement came to an end. My hooves were shaking. My breathing was shallow. My heart felt like it was trapped in a tumble drier. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it. And yet this was reality.

Yoko charged out first, nearly crushing one of the tables as he clambered from his seat. Amidst panicked mutterings and screeches I barreled out of the room with everyone else. We collectively scrambled up the stairs to the second floor and ran up to the third floor, breaking off into groups of mares and stallions to each of the locker rooms. I charged in beside Shetland and Sanscript, falling to a halt as we crashed through the door. Button sat quivering in the corner, tears streaming down his face. He barely even reacted to our presence. I knew what was to come. I opened the saloon doors to the swimming pool. I first saw Yoko, his face awash with horror. Then I followed his gaze.

Atop the diving board, led face-down was Pinkie Pie, her body limp and her eyes unblinking, a hoof stretched out in front of her as if reaching for salvation. But that help would never come. Pinkie was dead.

I let out a scream. Little did I know, my descent into despair had only just begun.

Author's Note

The first victim has been slain...

Up next, the investigation!