Danganronpa: In Harmony's Wake

by Dewdrops on the Grass

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Thriller, Equestria Girls, Mystery, Sex, Adagio Dazzle, Sunset Shimmer, Main 7 (EqG), Profanity, Danganronpa, Violence, Flash Sentry, Death, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 501084

Trapped on a cruise ship with fifteen others, all with lost memories, Sunset Shimmer struggles to survive a killing game orchestrated by a mysterious being only known as Monoponi. Post Season Nine FIM. Now complete!

Sunset Shimmer, twenty-four years old, woke up on a cruise ship, without knowing how she got there, or why. She encountered fifteen other souls, all of them trapped aboard by a mysterious pony known only as Monoponi, who informed them they are there for one purpose, and one purpose only:

To kill each other.

Now struggling to survive while desperately trying to recover what memories she's lost, Sunset is thrust into a deadly situation, where anyone, at any turn, could become the next killer. Who will survive? Who will die? What is Monoponi's true goal? Who is he, really?

Sunset can only hope to find out before she, too, becomes a victim of the killing game.

A Danganronpa/My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: Equestria Girls crossover, taking place post season nine of Friendship is Magic, featuring complex mysteries, flash-in-the-pan romances, and various custom art pieces along the way. Now completed! :twilightsmile: All art credits can be found on my blog. Thank you especially to lennardd and JQarp of Archive of Our Own for inspiration, and to any and all who read this story.

Now featuring a TVTropes page created by SuperSonicHeroes. A big thank you to them as well. And if you enjoy this story and want to support it and future works, please feel free to donate to my Ko-Fi account.

Hungry for more DR:IHW? There is a now a compilation of alternate moments/other stuff called Lost Moments. Check it out! :twilightsmile:

Published 2020-10-24 17:20:00 UTC
Last updated 2021-03-24 04:02:09 UTC

Chapter One: Forgotten Dreams on the Ocean Breeze Part 2

Chapter One:

Forgotten Dreams On The Ocean Breeze

Daily Life Part 2

With the silent terror of Monoponi’s chilling motive ringing in our minds, everyone left the bridge deck, one by one. Some of us headed back to the food court, probably to finish their breakfasts. I decided I needed a few minutes by myself, so I sat on the bridge deck, letting the anguish flush its way out of my system. Damn it. Damn it all.

Thankfully, once I’d had a few minutes to myself, I’d managed to bury most of it back inside, summoning up the courage to put a brave face on again. I needed a distraction. Something. Anything.

And here it came. With a swagger in her step and a bounce to her hips, Adagio Dazzle sauntered towards me and bent over, holding out a hand. “If you don’t mind, Sunset, I’d like to have that conversation now,” she said sweetly, taking my arm and running a finger down the length of it, making me shiver. Then she hefted me roughly to my feet, not bothering to catch me as I almost fell over again before I got my footing.

God, what is with you and the mixed messages, jeez, I thought to myself. “Okay. Um, in my cabin then.”

“Lead the way,” Adagio said, wrapping one arm around mine to hold me as we walked.

“Uh, what’re you doing?” I asked, trying to fight off the blush that was rising on my face. She’s got to be messing with me, right? She’s doing this on purpose! She has to be, right?

“Just making sure you don’t try to sneak away. This is important.”

“Okay…”

We made our way to my cabin, finding Twilight waiting for us. “Oh, there you are, Sunset. I was waiting for you. What took you...” She trailed off, blinking in confusion when she saw Adagio clinging to me, her eyes looking back between us, then the door to my room. “Uh… what, why is Adagio--”

“Don’t you worry,” Adagio interrupted, speaking in a low, husky voice. “We’ll just be a few minutes.”

Okay, now I know she’s doing this on purpose. Poor Twilight.

“O-o-okay. I’ll wait right here. Leave the door unlocked, please,” Twilight stammered, furiously blinking and trying to hide the growing blush on her cheeks.

I glared at Adagio with an exasperated expression. “Sure. C’mon, you.” I opened up the door and we went in.

Once inside I pulled out the chair from the desk and offered it to Adagio, while I took a seat on the bed. “So, what’s this about?”

Adagio paused before answering, collecting her thoughts. Then she blurted, “You’re a pony, aren’t you?”

Alarm bells rang in my head in a furious clatter. The sudden, abrupt nature of the question took me completely off guard. This was not what I was expecting to hear! “Uh, what? I uh, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t lie to me,” Adagio hissed, her teeth bared in a vicious snarl as her hands started curling up into something more resembling claws. “You’re a pony. From Equestria. You were telling us about it last night, fool! How else would you know about it if you weren’t from there?!”

Who is this chick? I thought, panic welling up within me.“Even if I was, and I’m not saying I am,” I slowly said as I shifted away from her and closer to the door. “What’s it to you?”

Adagio let out a frustrated hiss that sounded more like a lizard of some kind than a human being, her eyes flashing briefly with crimson almost just like Monoponi’s. Then she sat back, her hands relaxing. “Because it’d mean I’m not the only one here who wasn’t born human,” she admitted.

Wait, what? I… that… oh…. The panic left me in a heartbeat as I relaxed. Okay. That would explain a few things. A lot of things, actually. But wow, that’s some serious trust she’s showing in me, telling me that. She doesn’t even know me! Still, if she’s going to trust me, then I’d better meet her halfway. “Alright, fine. Yes. I was born a pony. Unicorn, from Canterlot. I had a life there once, but, well, I left. Several years ago. It was… a one way trip.” I’m not about to tell her everything, after all. Some things are probably best left unsaid.

Adagio uncrossed her legs so she could scoot closer, her face bearing a wide sneer of triumph. “I knew it. I’d suspected something strange about you right from the moment we met. You... smelled different.”

“Smell?” I asked, my face screwing up in confusion. Sure, in my pony body I could distinguish people by scent, but... “But we’re in human bodies. How could you even tell? What, were you a dragon in Equestria or something?”

“A dragon? No. Not a dragon. Though you’re thinking along the right lines.” The gaze she cast upon me smoldered with predatory intent, and what was left of my pony instincts after all this time as a human flared right back up into full fervor, screaming at me to run, run away and hide somewhere she couldn’t find me.

Then she relaxed the gaze, recrossed her legs, and crossed her arms to boot. “Oh relax, Sunset. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not stupid.” She flashed me a cheeky grin. “Though really, you shouldn’t show fear to a predator. I’d think you’d have learned that in one of your pony schools, or whatever.”

“Rrright, okay,” I said, forcing myself to quit trembling. I am Sunset Shimmer, damn it, not a weakling! “So why’d you bring this up anyway?”

She inclined an eyebrow, her smile fading fast. “Shouldn’t that be obvious? Given the situation we’re in, this… what should we call it--”

“Killing game,” I interjected.

“Yes. Killing game. It’s dangerous. Deadly. I’m sure you’d like us all to be optimistic little friends living in perfect harmony, but this isn’t Equestria. This is the human world, and humans are violent when they’re scared.” Her look turned calculating. “In a situation like this, it’s better to have someone able to watch my back. And as a fellow non-human, I thought you might be the best fit. Or was I wrong?”

It was a good idea. Having someone I knew I could count on to watch my back would help quite a bit with my chances of survival. I wasn’t naive. I knew no matter how many speeches I made, how many times I tried to convince these people not to do something stupid, someone would eventually crack. Especially if someone kept speaking up every time I tried to inspire people just so they could throw a bucket of cold water all over me, metaphorically speaking. Whoever was running this show was an expert at pulling people’s strings. So having an ally I could count on was an excellent idea.

So long as this wasn’t a ruse to turn me into her victim instead. But somehow, as I stared back at her cool, calculating eyes, I could tell that wasn’t the case. Adagio might be a bit of a jerk, but she wasn’t stupid. She’d let other people make the first moves at the very least, and if she did eventually decide to murder to escape, she’d wait until a few people had already tried. And even then, she probably wouldn’t pick me to be her victim.

I hoped.

So I held out my hand to her, ready to shake. “Agreed. I’ll watch your back. You watch mine.”

With a low chuckle like a rumbling car engine she took my hand and shook it firmly. “Good. See that you do.” With that, she stood, made her way for the door, and departed, flashing Twilight a simpering smile on her way out.

Twilight favored me with a cautious look as I left my cabin, locking the door behind me. “So, what was that about, anyhow?” she asked.

I shrugged. “Just agreed to watch out for each other. No biggie.”

“I see.” Twilight adjusted her glasses. I swear she was doing that all the time. Maybe she needed a new pair. “Just so long as you weren’t planning a murder together or something like that.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be stupid. You read the rules. You know there’s no point to having an accomplice. Even if you helped someone, only the one who actually kills someone gets to be ‘rescued.’ ” I held up my fingers to do air quotes as I said the word rescued. “An accomplice would just be executed along with the rest of us. It’s pointless.”

“She’s right you know!” burst out the voice of Monoponi as the irritating thing flashed into existence with a loud pop of displaced air.

“Gaah!” I almost hit my head backing up in surprise from his sudden appearance. Whoa, he can teleport too?!

Twilight wasn’t so lucky as she slammed the back of her skull on the wall, right into a corner of metal hanging down from overhead, leaving it dented and with a splash of pink. “Oww…” Twilight moaned, holding a hand to the back of her head. When she brought it forward, it was stained bright pink with blood. “Oh no...”

“Upupu, did I startle you?” he sneered, holding a hoof to his mouth. “You should pay more attention!”

“Shut up!” I ordered as I moved to look over Twilight’s wound. “Okay, this doesn’t look too bad. It’ll bleed a lot, but we can get this bandaged. Are you feeling dizzy? Faint? How many fingers am I holding up?” I held up three fingers.

“Um, no, no, three.” Twilight moaned, squeezing her eyes shut. “Wow that hurts. Um, my name is Twilight Sparkle, my birthday is March 30th, 1996. Today is… Tuesday.”

Oh. Right. Standard concussion questions. “Okay, so you’ll probably be fine. We should get this cleaned up. Twilight, why don’t you go wash it out in your room. I’ll go grab a first aid kit from the pharmacy or something. I’m sure they have something we can use.”

“Sure, right…”

Twilight fumbled with her keys and slipped into her room, leaving the door ajar.

As I turned to leave, a squeaky voice harrumphed at me. “What?” I growled, whirling on the annoyance.

“Your Captain shows up to answer a question for you and you don’t even acknowledge him!” Monoponi screamed, flapping his wings in frustration. “Bad form! Terrible manners!”

“I wasn’t even asking you! I was telling her!” I shouted back, hands on my hips. I threw them up in the air in disgust. “Ugh, I don’t have time for this.”

Monoponi dropped to the floor, head hung low. “Oh I see… you don’t even like your poor Captain… oh what a world it is, when passengers won’t be grateful to their hardworking Captain, who works his hooves to the bone to make sure everything is comfortable and safe for them…”

With a snort of disgust I scooted my way past him and down to the promenade. I passed by several people still eating in the food court as I reached the shops. Adagio was just emerging from the pharmacy, carrying a massive first aid kit case in her hands, covered in logos bearing Monoponi’s face. “Sunset? Is something wrong? Already?”

“Yeah, Twilight hit the back of her head. Do you mind if I borrow that? She’s bleeding a lot.”

Adagio grunted, but complied, handing it over. “Fine. Just bring it back to me. I’ll be in the outdoor lounge.”

“Thanks!” I grabbed it and raced back to the cabins, finding Twilight bent over, her head under the bathtub faucet, a steady stream of lukewarm water running through her hair. “Hey Twi, I’m back. I’ve got a first aid kit.”

Twilight grunted, reaching up with her hand to switch the faucet off. I handed her a towel so she could pat the area dry. It came away still spotted with pink. “Ugh, why do head wounds have to bleed so much?” she moaned.

“Gotta have plenty for that big brain of yours I guess,” I shrugged as I popped open the case. To my surprise it was loaded with supplies, far more than I’d usually see in a typical first aid kit. Apart from the usual selection of bandages, antibacterial and burn ointments, and pain relievers, there were all kinds of other drugs available, a lot in bottles labeled with generic names like zolpidem and bupropion, things I didn’t recognize. There was even a large vial of morphine and matching syringe. And if that wasn’t enough, there was also a small kit of surgical equipment bagged up in plastic, with medical scissors, scalpel, and even suturing supplies.

Twilight’s eyebrows shot up as she lifted her head to see it. “Wow. Huh. Wonder why so much stuff is in it.”

“Who knows?” I shrugged as I pulled out some gauze and medical tape, along with a packet of antibacterial ointment. “Okay, hold still while I bandage this.” I set the ointment on the wound and wrapped the gauze carefully around her head a few times, then taped it gently with the tape. “There. How’s that?”

Twilight tested the bandage by touching it, then nodded with a sigh. “That’s good, thanks. Is there any aspirin in that kit?”

“Um… yeah, here,” I answered, handing over a packet. I then shut the kit and latched it.

“Thanks.” Twilight popped open the packet, tossed the pills in her mouth, then washed it down with a bottle of water she had sitting nearby. Then she put her glasses back on, adjusting them slightly to fit around the gauze. “Thank you, Sunset,” she repeated, standing up after bracing herself on the tub wall.

“Sure thing,” I smiled, patting her on the shoulder. “Just watch out next time. Last thing you need is to seriously hurt yourself.” Or worse.

“Definitely.”

With that we left Twilight’s room. I took the kit over to the outdoor lounge, to return it to Adagio. She was nestled in a chair, a drink sitting on her table, watching the ocean as the ship plowed through the waves. “Oh good, you’re back,” she said. “Just put it on the table.”

“Alright.” I set the big kit down, and she pulled it over close to her.

“Thanks. Now you can leave please. I wish to be alone.” At my questioning look, she added, “I just need some time to think further about our talk.”

Fair enough. I shrugged. “Okay.”

With a glance to Twilight to follow me, I passed through the passageway to the bridge deck/pool area, and decided to go sit down on one of the loungers. The ship's engines thrummed below us as it pushed us through the sea. The weather outside was picture perfect, all blue skies without a cloud to be seen, sun shining forth. No birds, though, not even a lone seagull. Just the ocean, the smell of salt in the air, and the ship.

We weren’t sitting there for long before Flash Sentry wandered over, carrying a few bottles of soda in a plastic bag. “Hey, mind if I sit down with you?” he asked.

“Yeah, grab a seat,” I grinned, patting down the chair on the opposite side of Twilight.

“Great.” He laid down, got comfortable, then pulled the sodas out of his bag. “Want one?”

“Sure!”

We both took a soda, and for a few minutes we sat there in silence, just enjoying the ocean breeze. I was busy running things through my head from that morning, thinking about what I’d seen Monoponi do. He’s used magic several times now, including teleportation, so whoever was behind him must’ve had some impressive power. I still didn’t understand how they could use magic on this side of the portal though. When I first came through, I lost everything, all my magic. The only thing I had left was my money, and I didn’t exactly have a lot in bits. But solid gold was pretty valuable on this side of the portal, so between that and the gems I had a lot more money than I knew at first.

But this pony, or whoever they were behind Monoponi, they were acting like the portal meant nothing to them. I almost wondered if they really were Monoponi, just in some kind of shape changed form, because he sure was a bit too animated to be a robot. Then again it could just be some kind of fake, or projection of some kind--there was magic in Equestria that would let you do that, dark magic to control golems or other creations. The kind of thing that made the timberwolves in the Everfree, for instance.

“Hey Sunset, you there?”

I sat up, almost spilling soda from my open bottle. “Huh?”

Flash looked at me with an amused grin. “You kinda zoned out there.”

I let out a sheepish laugh. “Sorry, just thinking. Did you say something?”

“Yeah, I was just wondering where we are in the world,” Flash said, gesturing out to the ocean. “I mean it’s just open water out there. No landmarks or anything.”

Twilight interjected, “Actually, I have a pretty good guess. I was able to see some of the stars last night, and they didn’t look anything like the northern hemisphere constellations. I’ve studied a lot of astronomy, and although I haven’t spent as much time with the south as the north when studying, I’m certain we must be somewhere in the southern hemisphere, possibly the south Pacific.”

“That far, huh?” Flash wondered, setting his soda down so he could scratch his chin. “How d’you think he even got us here to begin with?”

Magic, duh, I thought. Aloud, I said, “I dunno if we should speculate right now. We don’t have enough information.”

“I’ll bet you’re just saying that because you don’t want Twi here to get mad at you saying magic, huh?” Flash said with a chuckle.

Twilight frowned at him. “As I’ve said before, magic doesn’t exist.”

Flash shrugged and took a swig of his soda. “Eh, I dunno. We saw some weird shit last night on the deck, and I heard someone say Monoponi just appeared from out of nowhere in front of ‘em.”

“He did that to us too,” Twilight grumbled, rubbing at her head. “Startled the heck out of me. But it wasn’t magic. He probably just used a burst of light to disguise himself running in.”

“Oh, is that why you’ve got that big bandage on your head? I didn’t want to be rude and ask,” Flash said with a sympathetic smile.

I resisted the urge to correct her obvious misassumption. “Does it really matter? I mean, magic or no magic, it ends up being the same either way, right?”

“I guess…” Twilight stared down at her soda, her frown deepening. “I just don’t want to assume something supernatural is occurring when it could just as easily be explained by natural phenomena. I’m a scientist, you see.”

“Oh yeah?” I asked, intrigued. I figured she had to be some kind of researcher, since Monoponi literally labeled her Ultimate Researcher in her profile. “What’re you studying?”

“Right now I’m starting up a second bachelor’s, this one in mathematics. My first one was in chemistry. I’m looking at pursuing a postgraduate program for both.”

“Wow,” Flash said, eyes widening. “You’re pretty smart, huh? I can’t imagine going to school for that long. I loved college, but I could only take so much, you know?”

Twilight giggled, a pleasant little laugh that reminded me of chiming bells. “I understand. It’s not for everyone. But I enjoy the life of an academic. It’s rewarding for me, and, well, it means I only need to interact with so many people.” Her face turned a bright pink and she looked away. “I-I mean not that it’s bad to talk to you! I-I just, I’m bad with… with social things!”

“S’okay, I get it,” Flash grinned. “Just means you’re introverted. Not a bad thing.”

Twilight blushed deeper and tried to bury her face into her chest. “Sorry!”

“Hey, you guys!”

We looked up to see Scootaloo running our way, stopping to lean over and hold her knees as she panted heavily, trying to catch her breath. “You guys,” she repeated, “Everyone’s gathering in the food court. Pinkie says she’s got something she wants to say to everyone.”

“Huh, I wonder what this is about,” I commented as we all got up to follow Scootaloo back to the promenade. Poor girl must’ve been running all over the place because as soon as she got the chance she broke off to grab a bottle of water from the convenience store. I also saw Timber Spruce emerge from the sporting goods store wearing a large black fabric backpack as we walked by. That reminds me: get a backpack of my own asap. I don’t want to tear a hole in my jacket thanks to this stupid Monopad.

“Hey hey,” Timber said in greeting, joining us in approaching the growing crowd. “What’s all the commotion about, huh?” Then he caught sight of Twilight and his face twisted in surprise. “Whoa, what happened to you?”

Twilight glared at him over her glasses. “I just hit my head on a wall. I’m fine.”

“Oh okay. For a minute there I thought Sunset clubbed you or something, hahaaha!” Timber clapped us both on our shoulders.

I shrugged off the touch, shot him a withering glare, and made my way to the front of the crowd. Pinkie was standing up high on a box she’d gotten from somewhere placed on the table, waving her hands and arms. “Hey, everyone, hey, is everybody here? Are we missing anyone?” she asked.

“We’re all here, Pinkie,” Scootaloo announced.

“What is this about, anyhow?” Trixie spoke up, striking her usual crossed arm pose. “Trixie was busy with important matters!”

Adagio snickered. “Like trying to figure out how to speak like a normal person?”

“Do not start that with Trixie again!”

“Hey, hush you two!” Pinkie cried out. “I’ve got something to say!” Once they quieted down, she dramatically cleared her throat, then announced, “We’re all feeling pretty unhappy right now, huh? That Monoponi guy sure is a big ol’ meanie, trying to make us kill each other! Well I say no! What we need right now, more than anything, is something to cheer ourselves up! And the best way I know how to do that? A party!”

“A party? Are you serious?” Wallflower interrupted, a look of disbelief etched on her face. “Are you as stupid as Sunset? We’re stuck in this, uh--”

“Killing game,” Adagio provided, winking in my direction.

“Yeah, this killing game, and you want to throw a party? Are you nuts?”

Pinkie seemed to pause as if to actually consider that statement. “Well I mean, I like nuts. Are we talking pistachios? Macadamias? Oooh, maybe walnuts! No, no, wait! I know! Cashews!”

Wallflower slapped a hand to her face with a groan. “You know what? Nevermind. Just count me out. I’m not going to a party.” She trudged away, shoving her way past Adagio and Trixie without bothering to apologize, causing both to glare at her departing back.

“But, but, everyone’s supposed to coooome!” Pinkie whined, stamping her feet like a little kid, her lip hanging out in an exaggerated display of sorrow. “Oh, fine then. Who needs her? The rest of us’ll do! Whaddya say everyone?”

Timber held up a fist. “Hell yeah! I think a party’s just what we need! Gotta get some spirit back in us!”

“Well, I suppose a soiree would do our morale some good,” Rarity considered, hand on her chin. “Oh, but what kind? Where? Who would set up for it?”

“Oh I can take care of any planning easy peasy,” Pinkie said with a giggle. “If you want to help set up though, I’d love the help! I could always use people to make decorations, streamers… maybe party hats if they don’t have any in the stores…”

“Oooh, oooh!” Sweetie bounced up and down, waving her hand. “I want to help too! I like helping!”

“And she says she aint a kid no more, huh?” Apple Bloom chuckled, elbowing her sister in the side, Applejack chuckling with her.

Flash raised his own hand. “Hey, if you want music at the party, I’m so down to play something. I can DJ, if nothin’ else.”

For some reason, him saying the word DJ made me think, very briefly, of someone with white skin, electric blue hair and purple sunglasses, before the image faded. Who was that? I wondered, before dismissing the thought.

“Trixie would love the chance to show off some of her amazing illusions and fantastic skills,” Trixie mused, with a growing grin on her face.

“Not to diss your magic or anything, but maybe you should save that for another time?” Rainbow Dash suggested. “If we’re thinking party, I’m thinking pool party, because why not? We got that olympic size pool all ready to go!”

Trixie pouted, her face screwing up in a frankly adorable gesture of disappointment. “Trixie supposes you might be right.” Then she drew herself up and smiled again. “Besides, that just gives Trixie more time to practice and assemble the right supplies for a proper show!”

“That’s the spirit!” Pinkie cheered, waving her arms as if she were holding pom poms. “And Rainbow, I like your style! A pool party sounds great! But you know what would be even better? If we held it at night!”

“Wait, why at night?” Twilight interjected with a raised hand. “That seems like it might be more dangerous, especially with the pool.”

“Psssh, naaaw, no way!” Pinkie dismissed. “Did you see how well the bridge deck was lit? We’ll be able to see no problem. Besides, if we hold it at night, then everyone can sleep off any hangovers!”

“We get to drink at this party?!” Scootaloo cried. “Sweet! I’m soo in!”

“Whoa, hold it there a minute,” Flash interrupted. “We’re all at least twenty-one, right? No one under?”

I brought out my Monopad and flipped through the profiles real quick. “Yeah, we’re all good.”

“Alright then. Maybe a couple of us should avoid the alcohol, just in case.”

Twilight cleared her throat. “I-I agree with him. I’m not much of one for booze anyway. We could use a couple of chaperones just to watch out for everyone, make sure no one gets hurt in the pool. We’re all adults, but, well....”

“Very well! Trixie is an excellent swimmer! She can be a perfect lifeguard for the party!” Trixie cheered, pumping her fist in the air.

“I’ll be the other lifeguard, then,” Flash said, nodding. “I’m a pretty good swimmer too.”

“And I’ll chaperone the food and drinks so nobody spills anything,” Twilight said. Under her breath, she added, “Or poisons anything…”

“Haha, yeah! This is gonna be so awesome!” Rainbow Dash cheered, bouncing in place.

“I suppose it’ll be a good diversion, if nothing else,” Adagio said, giving me a look that said We’d better be careful.

I nodded back with my own look. We will. “Yeah, I think it’ll be fun.”

“So when are we holdin’ this shindig, then?” Applejack asked with a big smile on her face.

“Hmmm....” Pinkie Pie pointedly placed her fingers on her chin, tapping her shoes in an exaggerated thinking pose. “How about… tomorrow night! That gives us plenty of time to get things together, to set up, and so on!”

“If you don’t mind, Pinkie darling, I’d love to contribute. I can sew some beautiful streamers from some of the fabrics in the stores here!” Rarity said, eyes sparkling.

“Great!” Pinkie replied. “I’ll be counting on you, Rarity! Everyone else, come speak to me when you get a chance to see what you can do to help! I’ve got some invitations to make!”

With that she hopped off the table and sped off before Timber could say, “Wait, why are you making invitations when we already know when it is?”

“Who knows,” Rainbow shrugged. “And who cares? This is gonna rock!”

I wasn’t so sure. This seemed pretty dangerous to me. After all, while a party might be fun, it also makes a lot of noise. Like one big distraction. Someone could easily sneak away during the party to do something… bad. So even though I didn’t speak up directly to volunteer as a chaperone, I decided to keep an eye out during the party anyway. Maybe between Adagio and I, and Twilight and Flash for that matter, we can all avoid the worst case scenario.

I sure hoped so, anyway.

Author's Note

Oh Sunset. You do try.

Re the blood: Yes, I am going with pink. I'm well aware that's just an artistic styling choice in the games and that even the Danganronpa anime uses red blood, but I thought it was fitting here because, well, MLP and all. Plus I like how it makes me change descriptions around.

Re Adagio, I'm tacking on a couple of behaviors that have always been a bit of personal headcanon of mine, that of her original nature leaking through into her human form. And, well, as I mentioned on Wednesday: being stripped of memories does funky things to your head. You end up clinging harder to aspects of your personality than you might otherwise. So if anyone's personalities seem odd or off, it's because I'm deliberately twisting them for that very reason. A lot of thought goes into these portrayals.

Wednesday, we continue with daily life.

Chapter One: Forgotten Dreams on the Ocean Breeze Part 5

Chapter One:

Forgotten Dreams On The Ocean Breeze

Deadly Life

“Aaaauuuuughh!” Flash screamed at the top of his lungs, tearing at his hair as he stared at the body.

“Oh damn,” Adagio said under her breath, stunned.

Twilight fell to her knees. “No...no! NO! This shouldn’t be happening! This can’t be happening!”

DING-DONG-DONG-DING

The horribly inappropriate rising happy chime preceded the screens all over the promenade lighting up, revealing Monoponi in his seat on the bridge, cradling his snifter of brandy.

“Attention all passengers! A body has been discovered! Please report to the restaurant district of the promenade immediately!”

People trickled in, one by one or in pairs. “Who was it?!” Rarity shrieked in panic, the first to arrive, eyes searching around wildly. “Where’s Sweetie Belle?! Where is she?!”

“I’m right here sis!” Sweetie shouted, almost tripping over herself running into Rarity’s embrace. “I’m okay! It wasn’t me!”

“Oh thank heavens!” Rarity burbled, tears running freely in messy rivulets, ruining her makeup. “Who was---oh no, Wallflower?!”

Sweetie’s jaw plummeted to the floor. “Oh god I don’t believe it…”

Rainbow Dash was the next one in, running pell mell only to freeze in place the instant she spotted the body. “Holy shit!” she muttered, her whole body turning pale.

“Oh no…” Fluttershy arrived not far behind her, and immediately burst into tears, clutching at Rainbow Dash and burying her face in Dash’s shoulder. “Oh noooo…”

Timber showed up next, took one look at the body, blanched, and stuffed his face in the nearest bin, violently retching. “God damn, what the hell!” he cried, wiping the sick off his face.

“What happened?!” Diamond Tiara demanded as she barged in, her clothes half soaked and dripping wet. “Who--oh my god!” She screeched, holding her hands close to her chest. “Who… how…”

Applejack thudded in, carrying a sleepy Apple Bloom on her back, and gasped soundlessly, covering her mouth with one hand. Her eyes filled with tears as she dropped Apple Bloom to the floor, then doffed her hat and held it to her breast.

“Ah don’t believe it,” Apple Bloom whispered, staring at the body, open mouthed.

Scootaloo, upon seeing the body, squeezed her hands into fists and quivered in rage. “Who did this?” she growled in the nastiest whisper I’d ever heard. “Who?!”

Trixie was the last to enter, crying out in shock. “No! Impossible! Trixie won’t believe her eyes! Is Wallflower, is she truly…”

Quietly, with as much respect as I could muster, I approached the body, and held a pair of fingers to her neck. As I expected, she was cold. “She’s dead,” I confirmed with a shuddering breath. Emptiness gnawed at me from inside, clawing at my heart, stretching out to every part of me to fill me with nothingness. “She’s gone.”

Wallflower. You were always so angry at everything, at everyone. You kept to yourself like a complete idiot. And now you’ve paid the price. I wanted my eyes to fill with tears, to cry, to scream, to do something, anything other than just stand there, feeling empty, but I couldn’t. I had no tears to shed. They just weren’t there. You didn’t deserve this. You were a jerk, but you didn’t deserve this. No one does.

“Who did this?!” Scootaloo shouted, eyes blazing with fury as she cast her gaze over us. “Who?!”

“It… it couldn’t have been one of us, right?!” Rainbow Dash said as she held Fluttershy close, her own eyes misting.

Pinkie, who by now had managed to shake herself out of her stupor and crawl to her feet, responded, “No way. It couldn’t have been,” in a quiet voice. Her hair laid completely flat against her skull, all curls gone, her eyes vacant of any of her usual cheer. “I refuse to believe it!”

“Oh, but it most certainly was one of you!”

We all let out various cries of fear as Monoponi calmly waddled in, the biggest most shit-eating grin I’d ever seen stretching his face from ear to ear. He swaggered with pride as he stood behind the body and hovered in the air so as to lurk menacingly like an angel of death over Wallflower’s corpse.

“That’s a lie!” Trixie screamed, pointing a furious finger at Monoponi like she was casting a spell. “You did this! You killed her! Trixie knows you did! No one else could have!”

“Oh please, spare me the accusations!” Monoponi fluttered his wings in anger as he plopped onto the ground. His horn lit and wrenched a chair over so he could stand on it. “The rules are clear! I, as your Captain, would never and can never participate in a Rescue Attempt. This was the work of one of you!”

“But, why would anyone… how could they?” Fluttershy screamed, far louder than any of us had heard her speak before. Her eyes turned cold and judging as she cast her gaze upon us all. “Whoever you are, you heartless, horrible murderer! Turn yourself in! Now!”

No one spoke up. We all kept looking at each other, each of us full of disbelief, of sorrow, but no one admitted wrong-doing. Of course they wouldn’t. The rules forbid it.

“Upupupu,” Monoponi held one hoof to his mouth. “No one will answer you, Fluttershy. Because one of you wants to escape! How awful! How terrible! To think one of you would choose to leave this wonderful, welcoming ship, with all its luxuries and amenities…”

“Shut up!” Diamond Tiara roared at him. “You’re the one who kept trying to get us to kill each other!”

“And? It’s not my fault one of you decided their life was more valuable than the rest of you!” Monoponi snickered. “Because one of you did! One of you is happy to let everyone else die just so they can leave the ship.”

“Mah word… Ah just can’t believe someone would be so selfish,” Applejack said.

“But someone was,” Adagio spoke up, crossing her arms over her chest. “Someone gave in, and killed Wallflower. Honestly, I don’t blame them. She wasn’t very pleasant to talk to.”

“Hey!” Sweetie Belle said, stomping over and getting up in Adagio’s face, or trying to anyway. She was shorter by a good six inches, so the effect was more comical than anything else. “How dare you?! Maybe she wasn’t nice, but that doesn’t mean she deserved to die!”

“I didn’t say she did,” Adagio shrugged. She took two fingers and with a single flick against Sweetie’s forehead sent the shorter woman flying onto the floor. “Stay out of my face.”

Rarity’s eyes bugged out of her sockets as she heaved and snorted like an angry stallion. “Don’t you dare lay a finger on my sister!” she snarled, moving into some kind of martial arts stance.

Sweetie climbed to her feet and grunted, rubbing at her bruised hip. She held out an arm to block Rarity from advancing on Adagio. “Don’t, sis. This won’t help anything.”

“Yeah,” Flash agreed, having managed to finally compose himself. He knelt down to help Twilight off the floor, who’d been bent over sobbing this whole time. “Fighting with each other won’t solve anything right now.”

“B-but what do we do?” Timber gasped, hovering near the bin full of his sick and looking ready to duck back in at any second. “What can we do?”

“We’re… we’re gonna have to follow the rules, aren’t we?” Pinkie answered, listlessly holding up her Monopad. “We gotta investigate.”

“Oh good, I’m so glad you’re getting this so fast!” Monoponi clapped his forehooves together. “Usually it takes a good half hour of pissing and moaning before the group finally gets around to doing what they’re supposed to do.”

“But where would we even begin? Trixie has never investigated a crime before!” Trixie tore at her hair in frustration.

“And how?” Scootaloo spluttered as she stared at Wallflower’s body. “We can’t, like, dust for fingerprints or run DNA or whatever they do on crime shows! How do we do this?”

I approached Monoponi, and brought out my Monopad. My gaze met his, and he stared right back, chuckling under his breath. “Go ahead, Monoponi. Send it. We’re waiting.”

“Send what?” Twilight asked.

“Oh fie, you’re trying to spoil the experience, Sunset! Shame on you!” Monoponi chided, fluttering his wings in frustration.

“No, really, what is she talking about?” Sweetie asked.

“She must be referencing that Dangan-whatever thing again,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

“Oh, I wish I’d played it now,” Fluttershy sighed. “I’ve played all sorts of Neighponese visual novels, but I always avoided ones like those for being… too dark.”

I crossed my arms, and stayed quiet, waiting for him to run out of patience.

Monoponi let out a world-weary sigh. “Fine! I was going to give this a full set of pomp and circumstance, but little miss Sunset won’t let me have any fun! Such disrespect to her Captain, I tell you. She’d be whipped if she were on my crew, you’d better believe it!” With a quick flare of his horn, all our Monopads beeped at once, and everyone started bringing theirs out to look. “There. Satisfied, Shimmer?”

“Not till you’re dead,” I retorted as I pulled up the new message.

“Well whatever, then!” Monoponi grouched, huffing on the spot. “I won’t even bother explaining. You get to do it! In the meantime, you all! Your investigation time starts now! Good luuuuck!” Monoponi vanished in a flash of light.

Twilight was the first to speak up after he vanished. “Sunset, what is this Monoponi File thing?”

I sighed in frustration. “It’s an autopsy report. Just enough information on the body for us to use in the trial, without giving away anything crucial. It’s Monoponi’s way of making up for our lack of proper forensics tools. Don’t expect it to provide all the clues. It won’t.”

“Well, if we’re going to investigate, we’ll also need people to guard the body,” Adagio pointed out. “Or else the culprit will probably try to destroy evidence.”

“Yep, that’s pretty standard,” I agreed. Not that I think whoever did this is likely to try anything now. They probably discarded or destroyed all the evidence they could already.

“I’ll do it!” Rainbow Dash volunteered, raising a hand. “I’m still feeling pretty bad after last night. I don’t think I’d be much help investigating.”

“Wait, you can’t do it on your own though,” Twilight pointed out with a sad frown. “I hate to say it, but until we gather more clues? We’re all suspects.”

“Are you saying I’m not trustworthy?!” Rainbow shouted, holding up a fist.

“No,” Twilight replied calmly, refusing to back down. “I’m saying that we have to play this smart. I want to trust you.” She sighed, staring down at her Monopad. “I want to trust all of you. But can we really take that risk? If we get this wrong, everyone, we die.”

“It’s true,” Adagio agreed, favoring Twilight with an impressed look. “She’s right. Our lives are on the line. And I have no intention of dying here.”

“Okay, fine, so someone else guard the body with me,” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Who wants to do it?”

After a couple of moments of silence, Timber let out a frustrated sigh and stepped forward, still shaking and still pale. He dragged the bin with him, keeping it handy. “Guess I’ll do it. Sorry I won’t be able to help investigate.”

“No, it’s fine,” I said with an understanding smile. “If we get a chance, we’ll get you some stomach medicine or something before the trial. Thank you, Timber.”

“Alright, that’s decided then,” Diamond announced, glaring at me. “And let me say something else! None of us are going off on our own! Everyone sticks with someone else! Especially you, Sunset!” Her glare burned brighter, like someone turned up the heat on a stove. “I can’t speak for everyone else, but you’re my number one suspect! You had the biggest beef with Wallflower of all of us!”

“Yeah, she did, huh?” Scootaloo said, scratching her chin.

“Don’t worry, Diamond, I’ll stay with her,” Twilight said, adjusting her glasses to get a better look at her Monopad. “And we’d better pair off now. We’re running out of time.”

She was right. Monoponi was only going to give us so much time to investigate this crime, and I wouldn’t put it past the pony puppeteer to stop us at any moment and laugh at us because we failed to find anything before the trial.

We had to investigate. For Wallflower’s sake. And for the sake of us all.

*INVESTIGATION START*

My first act was to look at the Monoponi File, and read it carefully. I opened it up, and took a look, cringing when I saw what pointless title Monoponi slapped Wallflower with.

Fact #1: Monoponi File I: “The victim is Wallflower Blush, the Ultimate Nobody. The time of death is estimated as being between 8:00 PM and 3:00 AM. The victim shows signs of multiple injuries to the stomach, neck, and throat. There are also traces of sleeping medicine in her system.”

Damn. Not a lot to work with.

“No cause of death? No proper time of death?! This isn’t helpful at all!” Twilight complained after reading it, scowling at her pad as if the thing offended her just by existing.

“I told you,” I replied with a wan half smile. “Just enough information to give us a start. We should investigate the body.”

Twilight bit at her lip, sighed, then nodded. “Right. Hold on, I think I have some gloves somewhere.” She dug around in her skirt pocket and pulled out two sets of disposable vinyl gloves, passing one over to me. “Here. I know we don’t have to worry about fingerprints, but…”

“Yeah I don’t really want to touch a body with my bare hands either, thanks.” I slipped on the gloves, and approached the body, as did Twilight. Rainbow Dash and Timber both watched us closely as we started poking at it.

I went for the cleaver first, since it was the most obvious thing. It was huge, sharpened steel with an engraved handle emblazoned with the letters “S. K.” It had split right through her clothes, staining most of her belly with pink. I avoided looking too closely at the wound, other than to note that it had bled less than I would’ve expected had it been the cause of death, only coating part of her shirt and pants.

Fact #2: Cleaver: “A large stainless steel meat cleaver, found in the victim’s body. The letters ‘S.K.’ are engraved on the handle. The wound caused by the cleaver bled very little.”

“I don’t think this was the murder weapon,” Twilight declared after taking a good look at the cleaver herself.

I held up a hand. “No. Don’t speculate. We can’t. We’re going to bias the results if we do. Save it for the trial.”

“Oh, right, of course,” Twilight let out a small sheepish laugh. “You’d think I’d know that, being a scientist and all. Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” I resisted the natural urge to pat her on the shoulder, because I doubt she wanted blood all over her clothes. “I get it. We just have to be very careful. If we make the wrong assumption, well…”

“Right,” Twilight nodded with a shaky breath.

I moved on to examine her neck next. “Hrmm, looks like some kind of marks here,” I commented. It was a long, thick ring about two inches wide all the way around her neck, right at her throat. The marks were uneven, with an oddly inconsistent pattern.

Fact #3: Body Condition: “There is a ring of marks around Wallflower’s neck. The pattern is two inches wide, with an uneven, inconsistent pattern.

“So the culprit wrapped something around her neck, it looks like,” I commented. “But why did the File specify the neck and throat? That seems redundant.”

“Maybe look inside her mouth?” Twilight suggested with a grossed out grimace.

I nodded, took a breath to steady myself, then moved up to open Wallflower’s jaw. It was tricky, thanks to the rigor mortis that had set in, but I got it open after a moment or two. Of course the inside was rather dark and difficult to see. “Hey, Rainbow Dash, do you have a flashlight or something on you?”

“Uh, yeah, I got a penlight,” Rainbow responded hesitantly. “Why?”

I pointed to Wallflower’s mouth. “Can you shine it overhead? I need to get a good look inside.”

“Ugh, really? Fine, jeez,” Rainbow Dash whined, but complied, pulling out the pen light and switching it on.

With the helpful light, I was able to make out the inside of her mouth. Not having made a big habit out of staring at throats, I wasn’t sure what I was looking for at first, but then I saw it. “Huh. Looks like there’s some kind of injury there, right on the back of her throat. I see bruising, and a few cuts that left some blood, I think.”

Twilight peered inside, and nodded. “Yeah, that looks unusual. We’d better notate that.”

*UPDATED* Fact #3: Body Condition: “There is a ring of marks around Wallflower’s neck. The pattern is two inches wide, with an uneven, inconsistent pattern. There are also bruises and small cuts on the back of her throat.

I moved on from her mouth now, to check the rest of her body. Her whole body was damp, I noticed, especially her hair and the area around her head and upper torso. “Why is she wet?” I wondered. Using my hands, I felt down her body, stopping when I reached her legs. “Hey, wait, her legs are a bit swollen too. That’s weird.”

“Oh look, here, on her wrists!” Twilight said, holding up one of Wallflower’s arms. Right there, all around her wrists, were markings similar to the ones on her neck.

“Okay, so she was tied up. Maybe…” I checked her ankles. “Bingo. Same thing there too.”

“And look at her shoes too. They’re scuffed,” Twilight said, pointing at the heels of Wallflower’s shoes. Yep, there were scuff marks all right, big and obvious. “She must have been dragged.”

“Yeah, I think so,” I agreed.

*UPDATED* Fact #3: Body Condition: “There is a ring of marks around Wallflower’s neck. The pattern is two inches wide, with an uneven, inconsistent pattern. There are also bruises and small cuts on the back of her throat, and her legs are swollen. Her whole body is damp, especially her head and upper torso. There are further marks on her ankles and wrists, and scuff marks on her shoes.

Twilight began to strip off her gloves. “Okay, I think we’ve learned all we can from the body.”

“Wait,” I said, holding a hand to her gloves to stop her. “We should look underneath her.”

She blinked owlishly at me. “Why?”

“Just a hunch. Here, help me.”

Together, we each lifted the body up off the dining cart, which was easier than I expected. Poor Wallflower hardly weighed a thing. She was a lot thinner than I’d realized, but fortunately that made it easy to hold her up and look underneath her at the same time. “Oh hey, there, what’s that?” I said as I spotted something. I set the body partially down with one arm and held it up just enough with the other to brush the thing I’d spotted onto the floor. “Okay, you can set her down now.”

As she did so I knelt down to examine what fell. It was a few fragments of… some kind of material. “What do you make of this, Twi?”

She picked it and examined it. “I have no idea. Do you really think it’s relevant?”

I nodded. “I don’t want to dismiss anything right now.”

Fact #4: Odd Material: “A few fragments of odd material were discovered underneath the body.”

“Okay, now we can take off the gloves,” I said, stripping the things carefully and dumping them into Timber’s handy bin.

“So what’s next?” Twilight asked as she carefully noted what we’d observed in her notebook.

Desperately wishing I had some hand sanitizer, I avoided scratching my chin like I wanted to as I answered, “Well, there’s a couple places I want to check out, but since they’re right here, I’d like to ask Rainbow Dash and Timber some questions first.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever we can do to help nail the bastard who did this,” Timber agreed with a grimace. Then he held a hand to his stomach. “Ugh, damn it.”

I winced in sympathy for the poor guy. Probably still feeling the effects of that bad cider. That stuff was rancid. Then I paused. Wait. Wait a minute. Why was it bad?

I remembered what I’d heard Applejack say last night.

~*~
“Hey now, Ah suffered too ya know!” Applejack shot back, holding up one hand to point in Rarity’s general direction. “Don’t go blamin’ this on me. Ah blame the distributor! Or maybe the packagin’. But the cider itself? Nah. Somethin’ made it go bad, mark mah words.”
~*~

Yeah. And it happened during the party. That’s gotta mean something.

Fact #5: Tainted Cider: “The bowl of Sweet Apple Acres cider at the pool party made Applejack, Timber Spruce, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Diamond Tiara sick with vomiting and diarrhea. According to Applejack, the cider was tainted somehow. It was disposed of at sea by Pinkie Pie.”

“Timber, when you drank the cider last night, did you notice anything odd about it? Like smell, or taste?”

Timber nodded. “Yeah, it did smell kinda funky, now that you mention it. I dunno what it was, but I didn’t think anything of it at first. I figured that was just AJ’s family’s cider smell, ya know? But then it tasted kinda funky too, kinda nutty, and real bitter too, way more bitter than cider should be. Of course I was stupid.” He sighed. “I drank a huge ton of it at once, cause AJ was egging me on. Then after a few minutes my tongue and mouth started itching, ya know? And then it was just so bad. Oh god it was bad.”

*Updated* Fact #5: Tainted Cider: “The bowl of Sweet Apple Acres cider at the pool party made Applejack, Timber Spruce, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Diamond Tiara sick with vomiting and diarrhea. According to Applejack, the cider was tainted somehow. It was disposed of at sea by Pinkie Pie. According to Timber Spruce, the cider had a nutty, bitter taste, and made his tongue and mouth itch.”

“That sounds a lot like the symptoms of drinking ipecac,” Twilight mused. “Maybe someone put some in the cider? But where would they get it?”

“Hold that thought, Twi,” I said. “Timber, how long were you in the bathroom?”

“Uh, I dunno?” He shrugged. “Maybe forty-five minutes? I spent some of it cleaning the place up cause I felt bad about making a mess. It smelled so bad, I just sprayed cleaning stuff everywhere and air freshener on top. I dunno if I got all of it, but…”

“Okay. Thank you,” I said.

Fact #6: Timber’s Account: “According to Timber Spruce, he spent forty-five minutes in the bathroom, with some of that time spent on cleanup, using cleaning chemicals and air freshener.”

“Rainbow Dash,” I said, turning my attention to her. She’d almost started nodding off… probably got about as much sleep as I did. Which reminds me: try to grab coffee before the trial.

“Huh? Yeah, what?” she grunted, rubbing at her eyes and wincing. “Sorry, I’ve got a killer headache.”

I lowered my voice a tad. “You helped clean up the bathrooms with Trixie, right? How’d that go?”

“Oh, uh, um…” Rainbow Dash started laughing sheepishly. “It’s really hard to remember actually. I was kinda trying to blot it out afterwards.”

“I understand that, but right now I need you to remember,” I persisted, urging her on.

Rainbow nodded, then squeezed her eyes shut. “Ugh. Okay, so, Trixie told me to do the men’s while she started on the women’s, but I wasn’t in there very long. The whole place stank of air freshener, like someone sprayed it everywhere. And it was really clean too, like spotless. I still did a bit of stuff just to be safe, but then I joined Trixie in the women’s and uh…” She gulped, pinching her nose. “I stib dobt wabt to picture dab.”

“Okay, thank you Dash,” I said. “I’ll stop bugging you two now. Just keep an eye on the body for us.”

*Updated* Fact #6: Timber’s Account: “According to Timber Spruce, he spent forty-five minutes in the bathroom, with some of that time spent on cleanup, using cleaning chemicals and air freshener. Rainbow Dash corroborated his account, stating the men’s room was spotless and stank of air freshener, but she spent some time spraying cleaner anyway to be safe.”

I waved for Twilight to follow me to a nearby table and waited for her to finish writing. “Okay, so that’s a lot we know so far. We’ll need to ask Shy, Rarity, and AJ about the cider too.”

Twilight nodded, then grimaced at her pen and notebook. “Ugh. I wish I’d been able to wash my hands before I had to handle this.”

“I know where we can do that. I was meaning to check it out anyway. C’mon.”

We made our way to the Sushi King restaurant, and entered the kitchen, where we found Pinkie and Scootaloo poking around. “Hey there,” I said as I made for the handwash sink, which was thankfully well equipped with soap. “Find anything?”

“Yup yup!” Pinkie chirped. She’d regained a bit of curl to her hair, but it was still mostly limp. “As soon as I saw that big knife, I was sure it came from here. And look!” She pointed to the knife set on the counter, which was almost complete save for an obvious missing piece. “I was right!”

*Updated* Fact #2: Cleaver: “A large stainless steel meat cleaver, found in the victim’s body. The letters ‘S.K.’ are engraved on the handle. The cleaver came from the Sushi King kitchen. The wound caused by the cleaver bled very little.

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m not really surprised. Did you see anything else in here?”

“Um, I might’ve found something,” Scootaloo said, calling us over. She was standing at the janitor’s corner, staring down at the sink. “Look. The whole thing here’s wet, and I didn’t turn on the water when I came in. Neither did Pinkie.”

“Interesting…” Twilight mused as she noted it.

Fact #7: Sushi King Kitchen: “The janitor’s corner in the Sushi King kitchen was wet, as if it had been used recently.”

I peered down at the sink with interest. “Wait, what…” I reached down to the drain and pulled something out. It was a long, thin thread of material. “Hey, Twi, look at this. This looks a lot like that other thing we found, doesn’t it?”

She held it up to the light. “Yeah, it does. I’m still not sure what it is, but it’s probably not a coincidence.

*Updated* Fact #7: Sushi King Kitchen: “The janitor’s corner in the Sushi King kitchen was wet, as if it had been used recently. A long, thin fragment of material identical to the one discovered under Wallflower’s body was found in the drain.”

*Updated* Fact #4: Odd Material: “A few fragments of odd material were discovered underneath the body. A long, thin fragment of the same material was discovered in the Sushi King’s janitor sink drain.”

“Yeah. So the culprit was probably in here, then, doing… something,” I said, frowning. “Maybe check the floors?”

Twilight got down on her hands and knees and began looking around. “There!” she said, pointing out some curved black lines. “Scuff marks.”

*Updated* Fact #7: Sushi King Kitchen: “The janitor’s corner in the Sushi King kitchen was wet, as if it had been used recently. A long, thin fragment of material identical to the one discovered under Wallflower’s body was found in the drain. Scuff marks were on the floor nearby.”

“Okay, everybody try to be careful here, in case there’s other clues,” I said after writing down that info on Twi’s notepad for her while she was busy getting back to her feet and washing her hands again.

“Hey, Sunset, do you think we should check the, uh, thing we found the other day?” Scootaloo asked, gesturing with her head towards the freezer.

I snapped my fingers and grinned. “Yeah, good idea.” We made our way to the freezer straight away and popped it open.

Inside, nothing much seemed out of place at first, until I looked down at the bags of ice. For some reason, the bag of ice I’d tossed there was back in place, perfectly lined up with the others. “Weird…” I said as I knelt down to move it. “Hey wait, this bag is open! It’s missing some ice.”

*Updated* Fact #7: Sushi King Kitchen: “The janitor’s corner in the Sushi King kitchen was wet, as if it had been used recently. A long, thin fragment of material identical to the one discovered under Wallflower’s body was found in the drain. Scuff marks were on the floor nearby. A bag of ice in the freezer was open, missing some of its contents.”

Twilight’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s kind of weird. Why--” at my held up hand, she shut her mouth. “Right. No speculating.”

I moved the ice away from the vent. Like the ice bag, the vent cover was back in place perfectly, rather than messily like I’d left it. I popped it open and set the cover aside, then knelt down to look. “Huh, I don’t see anything. Scootaloo, can you…”

“On it!” Scootaloo nodded, and got down to crawl inside. Like before I watched her go, as she had to scrabble her way around a sharp corner almost immediately so she could meander towards the fan. “Hey, there’s something here!”

She began scooting herself backwards, feet first, then stopped. “Uh, I’m stuck! Can you pull me?”

“Yeah I got you,” I said, reaching in to grab her by her ankles. I slowly pulled her towards me, careful not to make any sudden movements so she didn’t hurt herself. After a few minutes I got her out. She was holding something in her hands.

“Ooof, thanks, Sunset. Here. This is what I found.” She handed it over. It was large, heavy, and very familiar.

“Uh, Sunset, isn’t that…” Twilight said.

I nodded. “Yup. Adagio’s missing first aid kit.”

Fact #8: First Aid Kit: “Adagio Dazzle had purchased an ultra deluxe first aid kit on Tuesday, stocked with plenty of drugs and surgery materials on top of the usual contents. It was stolen Wednesday morning, and discovered inside the Sushi King freezer vent.”

“Was there anything else down there, Scoots?” I asked.

The little woman brushed herself off and poked at a forming bruise, wincing when it hurt to touch. “Ah, no, there wasn’t. Just that.”

We left the freezer and set the case on a free space on one of the counters, brushing aside a rice cooker in the process. I popped open the case. “Whoa, that’s really messy!” Pinkie commented.

It was. The kit was a jumbled up pile of wrappers, emptied out bottles, and torn up supplies. Almost everything in the kit was ruined, with lots of pills spilled into the trays all mixed together, with no idea what was supposed to be what anymore. “They sure jumbled it up,” I said, frowning. “But why?”

*Updated* Fact #8: First Aid Kit: “Adagio Dazzle had purchased an ultra deluxe first aid kit on Tuesday, stocked with plenty of drugs and surgery materials on top of the usual contents. It was stolen Wednesday morning, and discovered inside the Sushi King freezer vent. The kit was effectively destroyed, all the supplies rendered useless.”

“Well whatever the reason, it’s sure making the investigation harder,” Twilight grumbled, latching the case closed.

“Not necessarily,” I said, something occurring to me. “Adagio said she was going to buy a new first aid kit. We should check with her to see if she has it. We can compare her intact one to this one.”

“Hey that’s good thinkin’ there, Sunny!” Pinkie quipped. “But hey, I was thinking too! The Monoponi file said that she died during the party, right? Well I was paying attention the whole time! If you need the lowdown on the timeline of the party, I’m your girl.”

“Yes, please, we should definitely record that,” Twilight noted, turning to a new page in her notebook. “I’m pretty sure I have a good timeline already, but it doesn’t hurt to refresh it and make it clear.”

“Okie dokie loki! So it went like this: At 8:00 PM, everyone was going back and forth between the shops to get swimsuits, because we all forgot ‘em. But by 8:30, we were all changed and ready to go! I saw everyone except Wallflower during that time, so no one was gone more than a few minutes.” Pinkie placed a hand to her chin and cocked her head to the side, then continued, “Oh, and that was about the time you started playing the music, Sunny. Flash said he was gonna DJ, buuut he was too busy makin’ the moves on Twilight!”

“Hey!” Twilight turned a bright pink, and stammered, “H-he was being a perfect gentleman!”

“Twi, not really important right now,” I said in a warning tone. “Continue, Pinkie.”

“Anyway, everyone hung out and swam and danced till 10:00 PM. Then the announcement played, and Timber went to get cider for Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Diamond Tiara, plus himself.”

He offered me some, but in retrospect I’m so glad I didn’t have any. “Hey, did anyone have any cider before that?”

Pinkie shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. Why? Is that important?”

Twilight immediately jotted that down. “Yes. It could help us figure out who spiked it.”

“Spiked?!” Pinkie gasped, her eyes bugging out and jaw opening as wide as possible. “No, no, it was just a bad batch! I’m sure it was!”

I shot Twilight a glare, then attempted to calm Pinkie down. “We don’t know if it was spiked or not. We’re just trying to figure out what happened.”

“Oh.” Pinkie shrugged. “Okay! Anyway, they all ran for the potties at about 10:15, then came back at 11:00, except Rarity, who returned at 11:20. Then Monoponi showed up at 11:30 and was a big huge meanie about everything, and sent Trixie and Rainbow to clean up. They came back about 12:15. Then the party kept going, you, Flash, and Twilight left at 1:00, Sunny, and everyone else stopped at 3:00. I stayed a little longer to clean up, but it was really quick. We left the big tables out there though.”

Fact #9: Party Timeline: “The party ran from 8:00 PM to 3:00 AM. At 8:00 everyone scrambled for swimsuits, but no one was gone for more than a few minutes. Everyone attended the party except for Wallflower Blush. Music was played from 8:30 PM till 10:00 PM, then at 10:15 Applejack, Timber Spruce, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Diamond Tiara became sick and left for the bathrooms. All except Rarity returned at 11:00, and she at 11:20. Trixie and Rainbow Dash left to clean up at 11:30 and came back at 12:15. After that Sunset, Flash, and Twilight left at 1:00, then everyone else at 3:00.”

“Great, Pinkie that’s a really good timeline, thank you!” I said gratefully. “Okay, Twilight, let’s go.”

Once we were outside the kitchen, I whirled on Twilight and said, “Twi, I get that you’re trying to figure things out as we go, but you gotta stop speculating, okay?”

“But, it just seemed like a really safe conclusion!” Twilight objected, hurt visible in her expression.

“Exactly!” I said, rolling my eyes in exasperation.

Twilight’s face went blank. “Wait, what? I don’t understand.”

“Remember the rules? Monoponi said these mysteries had to be complicated. On purpose. So it’s pretty likely the culprit’s going to try to mislead us. Which can and will probably include ‘safe’ conclusions!” I explained in an increasingly frustrated tone. “Yes, it might turn out to be right, but we can’t know that until we have everything and we start putting it together at the trial, okay? Trust me on this!”

“Oh…” Twilight blinked once, twice, then her eyes bulged wide in shock. “Oh! Oh my god! You’re right! What was I thinking?”

“You were just trying to analyze the problem,” I answered softly, trying to tone down the feelings of impatience coursing through my veins. We really don’t have time for this, damn it.

“Hey, Sunset! Sunset!” interrupted the voice of Sweetie Belle.

I turned to see Sweetie waving frantically at us. “Sunset, c’mere, quick! I think I found something!”

“We found something, darling,” Rarity corrected, patting her sister gently on the head and ignoring the irritated glare Sweetie threw her way. “But yes, please, come this way.”

We followed them down the promenade towards the end, right by the entryway to the cabin corridor, where the “Lover’s Corner” balcony lay. “Look, here,” Rarity said, squatting down to point at the floor.

I knelt down to see. Back when we were first exploring, I hadn’t paid much attention to this little alcove, so I hadn’t realized it was carpeted, just like the rest of the promenade, even though it was outside, albeit with an overhanging roof. And good thing it was too, because there was a huge water stain all over it, like someone dropped a bottle and it poured out. Or shattered… but I didn’t see any glass, so probably not.

“That is odd,” Twilight noted. “But are we sure this is relevant? I mean, anyone could have spilled something here.”

“That’s what I thought at first too, darling, but then I saw these.” Rarity brought out two objects from her pocket, a plastic bottle cap, and a piece of paper. “I found the cap under the chairs. The note was caught in a piece of metal just below the railing. I only saw it because of the reflection.”

“Reflection?” I questioned as I examined the note. Then I understood, as I read it. It wasn’t handwritten or typed. Rather it was pasted together pieces of letters, like a kid who cut apart newspapers and magazines for a school project. For some reason many of the letters were shiny, made from reflective material.

Fact #10: Water Stain: “The Lover’s Corner alcove contained a large water stain on its carpet, along with a plastic bottle cap and a note.”

Fact #11: Note: “The note reads: ‘Dearest Wallflower. You’re the prettiest chick I’ve ever seen. We should meet up tonight, at *blank* in the Lover’s Corner, so we can ditch those losers at the party and hang together.’ The note was not signed. The note was crafted from pasted together letters taken from other papers, many of which were made of reflective material. A few of the letters were torn off from the note, including the time of the meeting.”

“Wow, that’s… bad,” Twilight grimaced, shaking in disgust. “Uuugh. I wouldn’t give someone who wrote something like this the time of day, let alone meet with them.”

“It’s certainly not the most romantic confession I’ve ever heard,” Rarity admitted.

“That’s because people confess to you like ten times a day, sis,” Sweetie teased, sticking out her tongue.

“Not the point, darling.”

“Yeah it’s weird,” I agreed. “This must’ve been what lured her out of her room, but really? She went on and on about watching out for trouble, keeping away from other people, and then falls for something like this?” I shook my head in disbelief. “I don’t get it.”

“We all want to be loved, Sunset,” Rarity said gently, with a world weary weight to her tone. “Wallflower was probably no different. Maybe she just needed someone to break through her shell.”

“And then they killed her,” Sweetie said, sighing.

“Anyway, all that aside,” Twilight noted as she placed the note into our growing pile of evidence, “this at least suggests the culprit and Wallflower met here first. It’s a shame the time is missing from the note. It could’ve made solving this so much easier.”

“While we have your attention, Rarity, there’s something I need to ask you about,” I said, changing topics. “Why did you come back so late from the bathroom?”

“Oh!” Rarity huffed, then started grinding her teeth together before she composed herself back to perfect prim and proper calm. “That awful cider was just so wretched I just had to spend extra time cleaning myself up.”

“And you did that in the promenade bathroom? Why not just go back to your cabin and shower?” Twilight asked.

Rarity opened her mouth to speak, closed it, then shook her head and said nothing.

“Hey, Rarity, come on,” I urged.

Instead of saying anything, she suddenly turned on her heels and ran for the cabins. Almost quicker than we could blink, she was gone, Sweetie chasing after her.

“What the heck?” Twilight thrust her hands over her head. “Why couldn’t you just answer the question?!”

“We’ll have to ask her at the trial, when she can’t run away,” I groused, kicking one of the nearby chairs lightly in frustration. “Dang it, Rarity.” Then I kicked the chair again, harder this time when I realized we’d just missed an opportunity. “Oh damn it, why didn’t we ask her about the material we found? She could probably identify it for us!”

“Like you said, we’ll have to wait for the trial,” Twilight mused. “In the meantime, I think we should go check some other things. Like the shop receipts.”

“Right!” I said, snapping my fingers and pointing at Twilight. “We can get a record of who bought what. Maybe we can use that to figure out what was used to leave those marks on Wallflower’s body.”

First stop was the convenience store, as the closest one. I approached the register, and fiddled with the display till I found the “print all receipts” option. That spat out a massive roll of paper that poured out of the register’s printer for a good thirty seconds before it finally stopped. “Why is it so big?” Twilight asked, eyes scanning the paper rapidly before I took it to look at myself.

Over three quarters of the list was the same: some kind of snack food, next to Flash’s name.“We can probably discard all of this, since that was just us getting the snacks for the party. I don’t think they mattered at all,” I said, ripping off most of the receipt and chucking it in the bin, leaving us with just a few entries. But as I scanned them, I groaned in frustration. “None of this is useful either! Who cares who bought a bag of chips? I think this store’s a bust.” I made sure to grab a bottle of cold coffee and a sandwich before I left though, stuffing them both in my jacket pockets.

We stopped by the other stores, printed their receipts, and, after finding a table to sit down at in the food court, eventually compiled the following list. In the process I realized a bit of a problem.

Fact #12: Shop Receipts:
“AD@RX Tue1005: Ultra Deluxe First Aid Kit.
RB@RX: Tue1047: Melatonin, Ibuprofen.
AD@RX Wed1440: Ultra Deluxe First Aid Kit.
SS@RX: Wed1530: Basic First Aid Kit.
WB@RX: Wed1725 Aspirin, caffeine pills, multivitamins.
FS@RX Wed2005: Basic First Aid Kit, condoms, acetaminophen.
RB@FS: Tue1020: Deluxe sewing kit, bolt of linen x 2, bolt of cotton x 2.
RD@SG: Tue0812: Leather backpack, soccer ball, basketball.
TS@SG Tue1225: Leather backpack, sneakers, yoga pants , fabric backpack.
SS@SG: Tue1410 Leather backpack, running shoes, water bottle.
RD@SG: Tue1415: Parachute cord, bungee cord, carabiner clips x 2.
RB@OS: Tue1033: Deluxe arts and crafts kit.
PP@OS: Tue1245: Deluxe arts and crafts kit.
FS@ OS: Tue1420 Deluxe arts & crafts kit.
TS@ OS: Tue1425: Notebooks x 6, pen x 12, pencils x 12, erasers x 3.
DT@OS: Tue1515: Deluxe arts and crafts kit, notebook x 2, pen x 3.
TS@ OS: Tue1622: Deluxe arts & crafts kit x 2.
DT@ JS: Tue1825: Diamond earrings.”

“Wait a minute, it doesn’t show our names,” I pointed out. “It just shows initials. But some of us have the same initials. How do we know which is which?”

“We’ll just have to see at the trial, I guess,” Twilight replied, glaring down at the list we’d strung together. “This really isn’t as helpful as I thought it would be. It’s mostly useless information. Who knows what matters amongst all this?”

I scowled down at the list myself, feeling more than a little frustrated now. “Yeah. I mean, now we know Wallflower took vitamins? Who even cares?” I pointedly did not mention what Flash purchased. I wasn’t about to get on Twilight’s case over that, not at such an inappropriate time. I can tease her later. “It does look like a whole bunch of people bought arts and crafts kits, though. Now I’m curious. What was in those, anyway?”

Twilight shrugged. “Just a lot of basic things. Construction paper, colored pencils, shears, markers, popsicle sticks, scotch tape, beads, superglue, crayons, tissue pap--”

“Oh, there you are!” cried a familiar voice, thankfully interrupting Twilight’s unnecessarily excessive listing.

Adagio stomped over to us, Trixie in tow. “Scootaloo told me you found my missing first aid kit,” she said. “Said you needed to talk to me.”

“Yes, we did,” Twilight responded, pulling the damaged kit out from our pile of evidence. “We wanted to compare your new one to the old one.”

“Trixie does not understand why that would be necessary. Surely they’re the same?”

Adagio flashed Trixie a simpering smile. “Please, be quiet and let the big girls talk, okay?”

“Hmmph! Be that way, then,” Trixie said, crossing her arms and sticking her nose up in the air.

Adagio pulled out her own first aid kit, and we opened them up together. “Wow. They trashed it,” Adagio quipped, picking up one of the pieces of random empty wrappers from the damaged kit, then dropping it back in. “Why are we doing this again?”

“That’s what Trixie asked! Why is it different when you ask it?”

Adagio whirled on Trixie and rudely shoved a finger in her face. “Shut. Up!”

“Hrm… okay, look, look, see?” Twilight held up a small set of bandages from the undamaged kit, which bore labels with reflective lettering. “It’s reflective, so you can easily find it even in low light. And look, here’s the same wrapper from here--” she plucked a wrapper from the damaged kit seemingly at random “--with the same packaging, but it’s all cut up and missing letters. And if I’m right…” She dove back into our pile of evidence and brought out the note Rarity found. “Yup. Bingo. The letters on this note came from the first aid kit wrappers!”

*Updated* Fact #11: Note: “The note reads: ‘Dearest Wallflower. You’re the prettiest chick I’ve ever seen. We should meet up tonight, at *blank* in the Lover’s Corner, so we can ditch those losers at the party and hang together.’ The note was not signed. The note was crafted from pasted together letters taken from the packaging of first aid kit supplies, many of which were made of reflective material. A few of the letters were torn off from the note, including the time of the meeting.”

*Updated* Fact #8: First Aid Kit: “Adagio Dazzle had purchased an ultra deluxe first aid kit on Tuesday, stocked with plenty of drugs and surgery materials on top of the usual contents. It was stolen Wednesday morning, and discovered inside the Sushi King freezer vent. The kit was effectively destroyed, all the supplies rendered useless. Most of the packaging was torn up, letters removed to be pasted into a love note.”

“Nice observation!” I crowed, pumping my fists in triumph. “Okay, that’s one little mystery solved at least.”

“So the person who stole my first aid kit, used it for this?” Adagio plucked up the love note in two fingers and held it out away from her like it was a dirty diaper or something equally disgusting. “What a waste!”

Twilight didn’t respond, as she was too busy digging through the undamaged kit. “Hmm, hmm, okay, right,” she muttered as she examined various drugs. “Oh, that’s interesting. Actually, that might explain a lot.”

“What?” I asked. “What is it?”

But before she could answer…

DING-DONG BING-BONG

The screens lit up with the usual image of Monoponi, gripping a snifter of brandy in his magic. This time the grin on his face was especially wide, as he swirled the brandy in his grip. “Your attention please! This is your Captain speaking! It certainly has been a sad morning, hasn’t it? One of you was so ungrateful, you decided it was better to rescue yourselves from this ship instead of enjoying its luxuries. Well now’s your time to shine, blackened! Investigation time is now over. All passengers, please report to the food court at the center of the promenade, immediately!” The screen winked off.

My eyebrows shot up to the top of my skull. “Wait, the food court? What?” I murmured. “What kind of sense does that make?”

“Are we going to hold the trial here?” Twilight wondered, looking around the room at the various tables. “It really doesn’t look like the best place to do it…”

“No, that’s not it,” I replied with a shake of my head. “We’re just meeting here. Then we’re going… somewhere else.”

“Where?” Adagio asked me with a glare.

I didn’t respond, choosing to stay silent as everyone else assembled, including the recalcitrant Rarity, who took one look at the two of us before clapping her own mouth shut and refusing to speak a single word.

“Okay, Monoponi!” Diamond Tiara cried out, looking up at the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. “We’re here! What do we do now?”

“Now, you say?”

Monoponi popped into existence before us, hovering in midair, forehooves held up to his mouth playfully. “Upupupu… now, my dear passengers, you get to see a wonderful surprise I’ve in store for you! And don’t you dare ruin it, Sunset! I won’t tolerate any more of your meddling in my reveals!”

I crossed my arms and fixed him with a stony gaze. “Fine.”

“Ahahaha, excellent! Wonderful! Brilliant! Sublime! Now then, ahem.” Monoponi landed, cleared his throat, then struck a dramatic pose, wings outstretched, hooves in the air, horn held high. “Captain Monoponi is proud to present to you the best kept secret on this ship! Well, one of them, anyway, upupupupu!”

With a flourish of his horn, Monoponi spun on one hoof, holding the other three in the air to face the wall away from us. It was a plain, unadorned wall, just one section between the shopping district and the restaurant district. I’d ignored it every time I’d walked by.

Clearly that was a mistake. Monoponi’s horn ignited furiously, surging with power as his crimson magic swept over the wall, wrenching it, shaping it, changing it from its current form into a massive pair of spiked iron gates that then swung open with a loud screeching of hinges that sounded like they hadn’t been oiled in ages. Behind the gates was a short passageway, leading to the sight I’d been expecting: a large cargo elevator, with enough room for all sixteen of us and space to spare.

“What the hell?” Timber blurted, eyes agog.

“It’s an elevator? To where?” Scootaloo inquired, staring back and forth between the elevator and the opened gates.

“Still don’t believe in magic, Twilight?” I commented wryly to the poor researcher, who was slack-jawed, eyes the size of dinner plates, hands twitching, individual hairs popping out of her bun to poke out in every direction.

“That’s… that’s not scientifically possible!” she screeched. Furiously she pointed a quivering finger in Monoponi’s direction. “You are not scientifically possible!”

“Au contraire, mon chérie,” Monoponi retorted. “You’re just too stupid to recognize magic when you see it. But what else should we expect from a science-obsessed bookworm who’s so lonely and miserable she puts out on the first date?”

One of Twilight’s eyes twitched madly as she raised a shaking fist, her whole body shaking with rage. “You… you little piece of… little piece of… piece of shit!”

“Whoa, whoa, Twilight, cool it!” I cried, getting between them and placing my hands on her shoulders. “Remember what I said! Don’t let him get to you! He’s just trying to mess with your head!”

“Let go of me!” Twilight snarled, struggling in my grip even as I strengthened it to hold her firmly in place. “Let me at him! I’ll tear him apart! I’ll smash him to pieces!”

“Hey, Twilight, chill!” Flash joined in, helping me keep Twilight restrained. “I’m mad too, but it’s not worth it. He’s not worth it, Twi.”

“But… he… I… oooh.” Twilight fell into Flash’s shoulder and gripped him tightly. I half expected her to burst into tears on the spot, but she didn’t. She just held him, her breathing slowing, her body relaxing. So I let go and backed off.

“Now then, as entertaining as all of this is, and believe you me, it sure is,” Monoponi said, “it’s time for you to get aboard the elevator. Ride, my passengers. Ride to the courtroom. The trial awaits!”

Monoponi bowed to us, gestured towards the elevator with one wing, then vanished in a flash of light.

Wordlessly, we made our way onto the elevator. A single bare fluorescent light dead center in the elevator’s ceiling shone inside, casting long shadows as we filed our way aboard. Once we were all in, the doors slammed shut, leaving us in near darkness save for the one light.

Several of us stumbled as the elevator surged into motion, moving its way down into and through the bowels of the ship.

As we rode, I let the details of the case flow through my mind.

Wallflower Blush. She was an angry, bitter person, or at least that’s how she always acted. We’d never know for sure now. She was stolen from us so fast, none of us hardly got to know her at all.

While we were all having a blast at a pool party, she was being murdered, right there, on the same ship as the rest of us. At some point during the night, she was brutally killed, and I still didn’t know how. The clues we found gave me some ideas, somewhere to start, but it would take the trial to determine the truth.

One of us killed her.

One of us wants the rest of us to die, just so they alone can live.

And it would be up to me to solve it. Flash said it as much at the party. They were counting on me. Hell, I was counting on me.

I will solve this case. I swore before to do everything I could to stop Monoponi, and I swear it again. I will solve this case, for Wallflower, for my newfound friends, for us all.

I will save our lives in this trial of life and death!

Author's Note

So. The investigation is finished. This mystery is entirely solvable before the trial, and I encourage you to try and do so. You should have all the information you need, but keep in mind: not every vital piece is listed in these facts. Special thanks again to JCarp for inspiration on how to construct the mysteries. The fact system is the biggest influence, and I thank you very much for it.

A request: If you make a guess for the culprit, please place it in spoiler tags in your comment. Try to determine the method as well, as many details as you can. :twilightsmile:

Saturday: The first part of the trial.

Chapter One: Forgotten Dreams on the Ocean Breeze Part 6

Chapter One:

Forgotten Dreams On The Ocean Breeze

Trial Part One

Fact #1: Monoponi File I: “The victim is Wallflower Blush, the Ultimate Nobody. The time of death is estimated as being between 8:00 PM and 3:00 AM. The victim shows signs of multiple injuries to the stomach, neck, and throat. There are also traces of sleeping medicine in her system.”

Fact #2: Cleaver: “A large stainless steel meat cleaver, found in the victim’s body. The letters ‘S.K.’ are engraved on the handle. The cleaver came from the Sushi King kitchen. The wound caused by the cleaver bled very little.

Fact #3: Body Condition: “There is a ring of marks around Wallflower’s neck. The pattern is two inches wide, with an uneven, inconsistent pattern. There are also bruises and small cuts on the back of her throat, and her legs are swollen. Her whole body is damp, especially her head and upper torso. There are further marks on her ankles and wrists, and scuff marks on her shoes.”

Fact #4: Odd Material: “A few fragments of odd material were discovered underneath the body. A long, thin fragment of the same material was discovered in the Sushi King’s janitor sink drain.”

Fact #5: Tainted Cider: “The bowl of Sweet Apple Acres cider at the pool party made Applejack, Timber Spruce, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Diamond Tiara sick with vomiting and diarrhea. According to Applejack, the cider was tainted somehow. It was disposed of at sea by Pinkie Pie. According to TImber Spruce, the cider had a nutty, bitter taste, and made his tongue and mouth itch.”

Fact #6: Timber’s Account: “According to Timber Spruce, he spent forty-five minutes in the bathroom, with some of that time spent on cleanup, using cleaning chemicals and air freshener. Rainbow Dash corroborated his account, stating the men’s room was spotless and stank of air freshener, but she spent some time spraying cleaner anyway to be safe.”

Fact #7: Sushi King Kitchen: “The janitor’s corner in the Sushi King kitchen was wet, as if it had been used recently. A long, thin fragment of material identical to the one discovered under Wallflower’s body was found in the drain. Scuff marks were on the floor nearby. A bag of ice in the freezer was open, missing some of its contents.”

Fact #8: First Aid Kit: “Adagio Dazzle had purchased an ultra deluxe first aid kit on Tuesday, stocked with plenty of drugs and surgery materials on top of the usual contents. It was stolen Wednesday morning, and discovered inside the Sushi King freezer vent. The kit was effectively destroyed, all the supplies rendered useless. Most of the packaging was torn up, letters removed to be pasted into a love note.”

Fact #9: Party Timeline: “The party ran from 8:00 PM to 3:00 AM. At 8:00 everyone scrambled for swimsuits, but no one was gone for more than a few minutes. Everyone attended the party except for Wallflower Blush. Music was played from 8:30 PM till 10:00 PM, then at 10:15 Applejack, Timber Spruce, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Diamond Tiara became sick and left for the bathrooms. All except Rarity returned at 11:00, and she at 11:20. Trixie and Rainbow Dash left to clean up at 11:30 and came back at 12:15. After that Sunset, Flash, and Twilight left at 1:00, then everyone else at 3:00.”

Fact #10: Water Stain: “The Lover’s Corner alcove contained a large water stain on its carpet, along with a plastic bottle cap and a note.”

Fact #11: Note: “The note reads: ‘Dearest Wallflower. You’re the prettiest chick I’ve ever seen. We should meet up tonight, at *blank* in the Lover’s Corner, so we can ditch those losers at the party and hang together.’ The note was not signed. The note was crafted from pasted together letters taken from the packaging of first aid kit supplies, many of which were made of reflective material. A few of the letters were torn off from the note, including the time of the meeting.”

Fact #12: Shop Receipts:
“AD@RX Tue1005: Ultra Deluxe First Aid Kit.
RB@RX: Tue1047: Melatonin, Ibuprofen.
AD@RX Wed1440: Ultra Deluxe First Aid Kit.
SS@RX: Wed1530: Basic First Aid Kit.
WB@RX: Wed1725 Aspirin, caffeine pills, multivitamins.
FS@RX Wed2005: Basic First Aid Kit, condoms, acetaminophen.
RB@FS: Tue1020: Deluxe sewing kit, bolt of linen x 2, bolt of cotton x 2.
RD@SG: Tue0812: Leather backpack, soccer ball, basketball.
TS@SG Tue1225: Leather backpack, sneakers, yoga pants, fabric backpack.
SS@SG: Tue1410 Leather backpack, running shoes, water bottle.
RD@SG: Tue1415: Parachute cord, bungee cord, carabiner clips x 2.
RB@OS: Tue1033: Deluxe arts and crafts kit.
PP@OS: Tue1245: Deluxe arts and crafts kit.
FS@ OS: Tue1420 Deluxe arts & crafts kit.
TS@ OS: Tue1425: Notebooks x 6, pen x 12, pencils x 12, erasers x 3.
DT@OS: Tue1515: Deluxe arts and crafts kit, notebook x 2, pen x 3.
TS@ OS: Tue1622: Deluxe arts & crafts kit x 2.
DT@ JS: Tue1825: Diamond earrings.”

After the painfully long elevator ride that felt far longer than was possible with the length and height of the ship, we filed out into a large circular courtroom, with walls patterned to resemble flowers and bushes and floors of carpet over more metal deck plating. Several large spotlights dominated the ceiling, along with rows of fluorescents, lending the room an artificial, unsettling feeling. The interior was set up precisely as I expected it would be, with a set of sixteen podiums arranged in one large circle, each engraved with our name. A massive throne loomed over the podiums, decorated with Monoponi’s jagged eye cutie mark.

I took my spot between Fluttershy and Trixie, settling in. The podium had a built in computer screen and a cord labeled “Monopad,” so I plugged in my Monopad to it. The screen lit up with an evidence selector, ready to showcase any evidence to the others as needed. It would be fun in a way if the reason for it existing wasn’t so horrifying.

When I looked up from my podium, I saw a portrait hanging at the podium directly across from me.

Wallflower… I’m sorry. We’ll find your killer, and bring them to justice. I promise.

“Now then,” said Monoponi as he flashed into existence on his throne, plopping himself down in a comfortable fashion, “everyone settled in? Monopads plugged into your podiums? Good! Let’s begin with a basic overview of the ship’s trial. Ahem. Your job here is to discover the blackened, the one who brutally killed Wallflower Blush! You may argue and debate to your heart’s desire, or until I get bored. Then you must vote. If you choose correctly, only the blackened will be punished. But if you pick the wrong person, I’ll punish everyone besides the blackened, and they alone will go free!”

“So it really was one of us?” Trixie inquired in a scared tone. She clutched her podium as if to steady herself. “Trixie was still hoping it would turn out to be Monoponi…”

“How many times must I say it? It was one of you!” Monoponi fluttered his wings in anger. “Accuse me again and I’ll hold you in contempt of court!”

“Wait, what does that mean for Trixie?!”

Adagio flashed her an amused smirk. “He’ll probably kill you, idiot. It’s what he does for everything else.”

“No!” Trixie squatted down, hiding behind her podium. “Please don’t kill Trixie! Trixie is sorry!”

“Anyway, I had a question before we began,” Scootaloo said. She pointed at the portrait of Wallflower. “Why is that there?”

“Because, you wouldn’t want your dear, departed fellow passenger to feel left out, would you?” Monoponi replied in a mocking tone, holding a hoof to his mouth. “Upupupu, how disrespectful!”

“Ah for one think it’s a lovely gesture, to honor her memory,” Applejack said, frowning deeply at Scootaloo, who shriveled under the stare.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way,” Scootaloo said. “I was just wondering.”

“Kinda morbid though,” Rainbow added, staring at the portrait and shivering. “That blood pink X creeps me out.”

“Probably the point,” Apple Bloom said.

“Forget the portrait!” Diamond Tiara interrupted. She slammed both fists on her podium. “We need to figure out who did this. And I already know my number one suspect!” She pointed an accusatory finger directly at me. “It was you, Sunset! You left the party early! You had plenty of time to kill her, and motive to do so! You’ve been suspicious from the moment we first got here and I’ve had enough of it!”

“Huh?!” I cried, my face aghast. “But I’ve been doing everything I can to tell people not to kill! Why would I turn around and kill someone after doing all that?”

Diamond Tiara snorted. “Obviously it was so we would doubt you’d do it, duh! I shouldn’t have to explain that.”

“It is a bit suspicious,” Sweetie Belle mused with a half frown.

“Whoa, whoa, hold up,” Flash said, throwing out his hands. “It’s way too early to be accusing anyone yet. We haven’t established anything about what went down.”

“Flash is right,” Twilight agreed, holding up a single hand. “We need to establish all of the facts of the case in order to be sure about anyone. Remember, we’re all suspects here.”

“Of course you would agree with him,” Diamond Tiara sneered, crossing her arms over her chest.

Twilight’s eyes narrowed into slits. “And just what is that supposed to mean?” she replied, her words dripping with acid.

Timber held out his hands between the two women. “Hey, ladies, easy there. No need to get so upset. Flash’s right. We gotta figure out everything before we can vote. I don’t wanna die today, you know?”

“Please, Twilight,” Fluttershy urged from Twilight’s other side. “Calm down.”

Twilight blew out a sigh through her teeth, and brushed her hair back. “Fine. Sorry.”

“Anyway,” Rainbow Dash spoke up, scratching the back of her head. “What should we talk about first?”

“Usually, the cause of death is a good start,” I pointed out. “The Monoponi file doesn’t list one.”

“Okay! Let’s figure that out then!” Dash replied, smacking one fist against her other palm.

I adjusted my posture, and waited, ready to point out any mistakes.

“So what could have killed her?” Scootaloo wondered.

“Ah, uh, Ah didn’t look too closely at the body,” Apple Bloom admitted, shivering in place. “So Ah don’t know.”

“Trixie knows the answer to this!” Trixie cried, posing dramatically as if she was wearing a cape fluttering in the breeze. “It should be obvious to anyone who paid any attention to the body!”

“Well don’t just leave us hangin’ there, sugarcube!” Applejack replied. “What was it?”

Trixie held up a hand, still stuck in her pose. “It was obviously the cleaver buried in her stomach! The culprit knocked Wallflower over and with one might swing--” she slammed her hand down on her podium for emphasis “--she was stabbed to death!”

Fluttershy gasped, holding her hands to her mouth, eyes misty. “Oh my goodness, that sounds so awful!”

“And painful,” Rainbow cringed, shivering.

“Lord have mercy,” Applejack breathed, her mouth twisting up as her face tinged with green.

Okay. I gotta do it, at least once. I chuckled under my breath as I readied my finger, then pointed straight at Trixie. “No, that’s wrong!” I shouted.

“What?!” Trixie gasped, hands falling to her sides. “But how could Trixie be wrong?”

Fact #2: Cleaver: “A large stainless steel meat cleaver, found in the victim’s body. The letters ‘S.K.’ are engraved on the handle. The cleaver came from the Sushi King kitchen. The wound caused by the cleaver bled very little.

“The wound caused by the cleaver didn’t bleed nearly as much as it should have if it were the cause of death,” I replied as I keyed up the relevant evidence on the podium. To my surprise, it didn’t just show up on the screens, but appeared as a three dimensional hologram floating in the center of the podiums. Okay, that’s pretty neat, I admitted to myself. Aloud, I added, “I think we can safely say the wound was caused after she died, not before.”

Everyone let out little gasps in reaction to the hologram. “Well, shoot, it sure does look like you’re right about that, Sunset,” Applejack said, nodding. “Ah’ve had to slaughter pigs on mah farm before. Ah know just how much they can bleed, and they ain’t that different.”

“Yeah, it’s a big mess,” Apple Bloom said with a grimace.

“Oh those poor pigs,” Fluttershy said, eyes misting up.

“Ah know,” Applejack agreed with a sad nod. “We don’t raise ‘em for meat. We use ‘em for truffles. But they get old, and well, at that point, might as well make their passin’ easier. Always a shame when we have to do it.”

“Nevermind your stupid farm, no one cares!” Diamond Tiara interrupted, shaking a fist at Applejack. Then she shifted her gaze back to me. “So the cleaver didn’t kill her. Then what did?”

“That’s what we need to figure out,” I answered. I placed a hand on my chin. “I’m still not sure. Any other ideas?”

“What about the marks on the body?” Scootaloo pointed out. “She had marks around her neck. Did someone strangle her?”

“Oooh, ooh, but the body was really wet, right?” Pinkie interjected, hopping in place. “Maybe she drowned!”

“Drowned? Truly, darling?” Rarity said, the first thing she’d said since she ran away from Twilight and me in the hallway during the investigation. “How would that even happen?”

“Oooh, I know, I know!” Sweetie cried, scrolling through the evidence on her Monopad and throwing up a piece for us to see.

Fact #10: Water Stain: “The Lover’s Corner alcove contained a large water stain on its carpet, along with a plastic bottle cap and a note.”

“Remember this, Rarity? We found it together,” Sweetie added. “Maybe she drowned there, and the culprit spilled some water in the process.”

“I dunno, that doesn’t seem right,” Scootaloo replied, scratching her head. “Is there really enough water spilled there to drown someone?”

I shook my head. “No way. That stain was large, sure, but it was more like someone dropped a full water bottle on the floor. That’s not nearly enough water.”

“Agreed,” Twilight added with a nod. “You need to be immersed in water for several minutes, and you need to breathe it in. If she had drowned, we’d see the signs all over her body, but we didn’t.”

“Oooh, shoot,” Pinkie groaned, her hair losing some of its bounce.

“Okay, but, what about the marks,” Scootaloo said insistently, pumping her fists for attention. “I already mentioned that. Was she strangled?”

“Those marks were huge!” Trixie pointed out. “Surely this had something to do with her death?”

“Yeah, I think it looks pretty clear to me,” Timber agreed, rubbing his chin. “The culprit strangled her. What an awful way to go.”

“Hmm…” I took a good long look at the evidence again. “I’m not so sure that’s the case, actually. Twilight, we’d see the same things from strangulation that we would from drowning, right? Blue lips, pale skin, and so on?”

“Yes we would,” Twilight replied with a frown. “And we didn’t see that when we investigated the body.There were injuries to the neck and throat, but they weren’t consistent with death by strangulation. That means if the culprit choked her at all, it was either only till she fell unconscious and then let her breathe again, or they did it to her after she died.”

“Uugh, Trixie is so confused now!” Trixie blurted, throwing up her hands in frustration. “If she wasn’t stabbed, and she wasn’t strangled, and she didn’t drown, then what killed her? Trixie doesn’t understand!”

Everyone started talking at once, throwing out random ideas as I stared down at the evidence. They’re right. She wasn’t stabbed, strangled, or drowned. But then what killed her? What caused her injuries? Did they drug her to death? I thought about that for a second, then shook my head. No, if they did it would’ve been more obvious. Those drugs must’ve been for another purpose. They definitely killed her by inflicting an injury. But how?

My eyes scanned further and further down the list, and then I spotted something. Was it the ice? It could be used to inflict injury, but how?

Everybody continued to argue while I thought it over. Ideas were tossed out by people and just as quickly shot down. We’d reached a rut.

I thought again about the state of the body, and the one thing that stuck out to me: her swollen legs. I wasn’t an expert on anatomy and physiology, but even I knew swollen legs usually meant some kind of heart problem. And while drugs could’ve caused that, I’d already dismissed that idea. And it’s not like they froze her body either, or else everything would be swollen, not just her legs. So what did they… wait. Wait a minute. That’s it! It’s the wackiest thing ever, but it fits!

“Everyone, please!” I cried out, interrupting the cavalcade of discussion. They all focused their gaze on me. “I think I know what killed her.”

I pulled up the relevant evidence for everyone to peruse.

Fact #7: Sushi King Kitchen: “The janitor’s corner in the Sushi King kitchen was wet, as if it had been used recently. A long, thin fragment of material identical to the one discovered under Wallflower’s body was found in the drain. Scuff marks were on the floor nearby. A bag of ice in the freezer was open, missing some of its contents.”

“Wait, what does this have to do with anything?” Diamond Tiara asked, sneering at me and shaking her head. “If you’re going to be stupid and present irrelevant things, don’t waste my time!”

I scowled at her and grunted, “Well maybe if you used your brain for more than two seconds you’d see it! Look at the last line.”

“Wait, are you talkin’ about the ice?” Applejack asked, eyebrows raised. “What’re you sayin’, the culprit used the ice to kill her?”

“Huh?” Apple Bloom’s whole face screwed up. “What kinda sense does that make? How do you kill someone with ice?”

“I think what the culprit did,” I responded, “was use a long, narrow piece of ice like a bludgeon to the back of her throat. With a few good solid hits, they would’ve damaged her brain stem. The resulting brain failure killed her. The proof is here.”

Fact #3: Body Condition: “There are also bruises and small cuts on the back of her throat, and her legs are swollen.”

“We checked the inside of her mouth and confirmed the injury, and I felt her swollen legs myself.” I couldn’t help but grin at my elegant solution. What a crazy way to kill someone! It’s completely nuts. No wonder we had such a hard time figuring it out. I’m not sure I would have had the culprit not spent so much effort trying to disguise it with other potential causes.

“That makes a lot of sense, actually,” Twilight said, nodding. “Damage to the brain stem would cause sudden heart failure, and swollen legs are an obvious symptom of that. I should’ve realized it sooner.”

“Are you loco in the coco?!” Pinkie dramatically interrupted, pointing a finger straight at me as she spoke.

“Wait, huh?” I blurted, not expecting such a fierce response. “What do you mean?”

Pinkie held up one hand to gesture with while she slapped the other on her hip. “The culprit used ice to damage her brain stem, huh? What kind of sense does that make? Sure, she might have some injuries on the inside of her neck, but that could’ve just as easily been from when she was strangled! How do you know they didn’t drug her to death, huh?”

Alright. I can see why you’d doubt this, because I sure would. I took a deep breath, steadied myself, then fired back, “That’s not possible. If she’d died from a drug overdose, there’d be other symptoms, but the only symptom she had that stood out was the swollen legs. And while strangulation can injure the neck, it wouldn’t inflict cuts to the back of your throat. Maybe if she’d broken her neck, but unless you want to suggest they strung her up on a chandelier in the promenade, there’s no place they could drop her far enough to do that, and you can’t break someone’s neck with your bare hands.” Unless you’re Applejack, I guess. But that’s beside the point.

Pinkie Pie blinked, then shook her head furiously as if to clear out cobwebs.“Okay, fine, I admit that,” Pinkie rejoined, “but you still can’t prove the culprit killed her by damaging her brain stem! What if they froze her to death? Or, or, what if they used a knife to stab her throat?”

I shook my head. “If she’d been frozen, her entire body would be swollen, not just her legs. And if they used a knife, there’d be larger cuts, and she would’ve bled all over the place. You can’t stab a neck like that without causing massive amounts of bleeding, and even if they tried to wash it away, there’d still be bloodstains in her clothes. Which there wasn’t. But if they used a bludgeon, they could avoid that. The cuts could easily have come from the ice chipping as the culprit bashed her repeatedly.”

Pinkie’s mouth twisted up like she’d bit into something especially sour, and she spluttered before responding, “Well, okay, but you still can’t prove they used ice! They could’ve used anything else and then just disposed of it! And unless you can find some way to prove ice was used, I won’t believe it!”

“I’ll rip your argument to pieces!” I declared as I cued up two relevant bits of evidence, highlighting the important bits.

Fact #7: Sushi King Kitchen: “The janitor’s corner in the Sushi King kitchen was wet, as if it had been used recently.”

Fact #3: Body Condition: “Her whole body is damp, especially her head and upper torso.”

“See, here’s what I think they did. They used the ice to deal fatal damage to her brain stem, then left the ice in place so it would melt overnight. They used the janitor’s sink to soak the body, to make it look like she drowned, then inflicted the neck marks and the stomach wound to further obscure the cause of death!”

“Of course!” Twilight agreed, with a snap of her fingers. “The culprit probably did it this way to hide the evidence, and hoped we’d conclude something else killed her. That’s genius!”

Pinkie’s eyes bulged like saucers as she threw her jaw open as far as it would go, then slammed her jaw shut by forcing it closed with her hands. Her hair deflated to rest flat against her head. “Awww, I guess I was wrong,” she said, pouting and kicking her podium. “Sorry, Sunset.”

“Hey, it’s fine,” I shrugged. “I wouldn’t have thought of it either till I put it all together.”

“Dang, the culprit must be pretty smart to come up with that,” Timber said.

Sweetie frowned, her forehead creasing. "But I don't get it. Why use such a wacky way to kill her? There were so many better and easier ways to do it!"

With a snort, Scootaloo said, "That's probably the point. It's so weird because the culprit figured we'd assume something else killed her. Then that'd lead us to suspect someone other than them. It was a big misleading scam!"

Or they were desperate, because they messed up their original plan and had to improvise, I considered. But we can't assume that. I'd rather overestimate than underestimate the culprit, so we don't miss something else wacky they did to mislead us.

“Wow!” Trixie gasped, eyes agog. “That’s so sneaky! Trixie would never have considered that in a million years!”

“Naturally, you would be too stupid for it,” Adagio snarked with a nasty grin. “Most of you would. Whoever this culprit is, they’re smart.”

“Hey, that’s a little uncalled for, Adagio,” Apple Bloom said with a pout. “Ya shouldn’t be insulting people like that.”

“Yeah, don’t be a meanie!” Pinkie objected, pointing two fingers at Adagio. Then she pointed them at her head. “Besides! Just because someone seems stupid doesn’t mean they are! It just means they’re different.”

“Trixie agrees with that!” Trixie announced dramatically, as if she’d said something profound.

“No one cares what you think, Trixie,” Adagio retorted, casting a death glare in the illusionist’s direction.

Trixie deflated under the gaze until she sank below her podium. “Sorry…”

I chuckled despite myself, because Trixie’s response was so silly it was hard not to. “Okay, Adagio, I think you’ve teased poor Trixie enough for now,” I said, fighting the urge to grin.

Adagio stared at me, one eyebrow raised, then let out a single quiet bark of laughter and nodded. “Fine.”

“Anyway, Ah think we’re gettin’ off track here,” Applejack interjected. “So Ah think we can all agree we know the cause of death now, right? So what’s next?”

“Well, we know how she died, but we still don’t know where,” Sweetie Belle, frowning and staring down at her podium with her arms crossed. “I think that’s probably important.”

“Oh, that one’s easy,” I answered. “We already brought up the relevant evidence.”

Fact #7: Sushi King Kitchen: “Scuff marks were on the floor nearby.”

Fact #3: Body Condition: “There are further marks on her ankles and wrists, and scuff marks on her shoes.”

“See? Scuff marks on the floor. And there were identical scuff marks on Wallflowers shoes. So she was dragged into the Sushi King kitchen, probably bound hand and foot.They needed to take her there anyway, so they could use the ice and the sink.”

“Oh my gosh, we have a sushi slayer on our hands!” Trixie blurted, grabbing both sides of her head and tearing on her hair. “They probably wanted to turn Wallflower into sushi too! That’s why they used the cleaver!” She let out a wordless squeal and leapt two feet in the air. “Trixie doesn’t want to be sushi!”

More than a few of us slapped our palms to our face in response to that. Silence reigned for several moments before Rainbow Dash said, “Ugh, Trixie, come on...none of us are cannibals.” Then she frowned, her eyes widened, and she added, “Uh, at least, I don’t think any of us are cannibals…”

“Yeah, no, I don’t think so,” Flash replied, shaking his head in disbelief. “Come on guys, can we be serious for two seconds here? Our lives are on the line, man.”

“We’re all well aware of that, thank you,” Diamond Tiara replied in a nasty tone, then fired off several scowls in Trixie’s direction. “You! If you have nothing useful to say, then just be quiet!”

Trixie’s eyes filled to the brim with tears, and she sank below her podium once more. “Sorry…”

“Anyway, sushi aside,” I said, “like I said before, they only used the cleaver to hide the cause of death, just like with the marks on her neck.” I frowned and set my arms on my podium. “Between that and the ridiculous cause of death, I think whoever the culprit is, they took Monoponi’s rule about complex mysteries very seriously.”

“As they should!” Monoponi intruded with a slam of his hooves against his chair. “Nopony likes a boring mystery! They want action! Drama! Intense back and forth debate!”

“Nopony?” Sweetie Belle said quietly, eyebrows raised.

“You’re talkin’ like this is on TV or somethin’,” Applejack said, glaring up at the posturing pony. “But this ain’t a TV show!”

“Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, who knows?” Monoponi giggled, resting his forehooves on the arms of his throne.

“...are you broadcasting this to someone?” Twilight asked, fear underlying her every word. “Are there people out there watching this, right now?”

Monoponi glared wordlessly at Twilight for several moments, then burst into cackling laughter. “Ahahaha! Of course it’s you that asks that! Ahahahaha!”

“H-hey!” Sweetie objected, raising a fist. “Answer her question!”

“We have the right to know!” Rarity added.

Monoponi’s laughs faded. “Well, let me put it this way then. There’s one very special individual out there who’s getting to see everything you’re up to. And they might be closer to you than you might think.” He pointed his hoof squarely at Twilight.

“Me? What?” Twilight held a hand to her breast. “I don’t understand. Who is it?”

Both his forehooves shot up to cover Monoponi’s mouth. “I shan't speak another word!”

“But… ugh, fine.” Twilight threw her hands up in disgust. “Whatever. You’re probably just being a jerk again anyway.”

“If we could all get back to the matter at hand,” Rarity said, pointedly clearing her throat. “We’ve figured out where she died. And how. But we don’t know when.”

Scootaloo nodded. “Right! We still don’t have a single clue about that.”

“Actually, Ah was wonderin’ somethin’,” Apple Bloom interjected, raising her hand. “Before we move on ta when she died, Ah was thinkin’, the culprit used some kinda rope to tie her up, right?”

“Yeah, we think so,” I replied, scratching my head. “I still don’t know what kind but they must’ve used something to cause those marks on her body. Maybe the streamers?"

Pinkie shook her head. "Nope! There weren't any missing streamers. At least, I didn't see any go missing..."

“Well, what Ah’m sayin’ is," Apple Bloom continued, "We don’t need to figure out when it happened at all. All we need to do is figure out who had rope, and Bob’s yer uncle!”

“Hey, now you’re talking!” Timber cheered. “Great idea!”

Flash scratched his chin and stared down at his podium. “But have we seen anyone with rope? I don’t remember seeing anyone.”

“I coulda sworn I saw someone with some,” Timber added. “But who?”

Who had rope, huh? Think… think… oh, of course! My eyes darted about, then fixed on a single individual, who was already turning pale and shaking in her boots. I pointed my finger squarely at her, and she yelped, almost falling backwards before grabbing her podium to steady herself. “Rainbow Dash. You’re the only one!”

“M-m-me?! What? What do you mean?” Rainbow blurted. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

In response, my lips spread into an anticipatory smirk. “I’ve seen you with rope before. And I can prove it too!”

Fact #12: Shop Receipts:
“SS@SG: Tue1410 Leather backpack, running shoes, water bottle.
“RD@SG: Tue1415: Parachute cord, bungee cord, carabiner clips x 2. ”

I pointed out the relevant lines, hiding the rest to make it stand out. “Right there, right after my own purchase. RD, Rainbow Dash, at SG. Sporting goods. Parachute cord, bungee cord, and carabiner clips. You even stopped to talk to me!”

~*~
I stuffed my receipt into my pocket and was about to leave when I heard Rainbow Dash call out, “Hey, Sunset! Wait up!”

I looked back: she had a length of parachute cord, a pair of carabiner clips, and a bungee cord in her hands and was scanning them through the register. “What’ve you got those for?” I asked.

She snatched up her receipt, balled it up and tossed it in a nearby bin. “Oh these? Just gonna make some exercise equipment with it. They didn’t have any kind of hand grips or arm stretchers or anything so I’m just gonna improvise.”
~*~

“That seemed pretty strange to me at the time,” I continued, building up steam pretty fast as Rainbow fell further and further into panic. “I mean, sure, I can see someone making a DIY piece of exercise equipment. But I’ve been in that store. It has all kinds of things! Are you seriously telling me you couldn’t find a single worthwhile thing that matched your needs?”

“Um, excuse me…”

All eyes turned to face Rainbow Dash as she spluttered and shook, making wordless noises but nothing coherent. “And hey, she left the party too, didn’t she?” Timber added, frowning heavily. “Monoponi screamed at her and Trixie to clean up the bathrooms.”

“She did indeed,” Adagio said in a low, dangerous tone as she bared her teeth in Rainbow’s direction. “She had every opportunity.”

“Excuse me, please…”

“N-n-no I didn’t!” Rainbow blurted, so pale she was almost ghost white. “I didn’t! I swear I didn’t!”

“Oh?” Trixie popped out from behind her podium and pointed a furious finger at Rainbow Dash. “But you went to clean the men’s room first, right? Trixie remembers telling you to! And, if Trixie recalls, it took you awhile before you came to help her in the women’s!”

“That’s right!” I agreed. “She admitted as much to me earlier today.”

Fact #6: Timber’s Account: “According to Timber Spruce, he spent forty-five minutes in the bathroom, with some of that time spent on cleanup, using cleaning chemicals and air freshener. Rainbow Dash corroborated his account, stating the men’s room was spotless and stank of air freshener, but she spent some time spraying cleaner anyway to be safe.”

“That was just a few minutes!” Rainbow objected. “That doesn’t prove anything!”

“Please, listen to me!”

“True, it might not be enough time for everything, but it was enough time to get Wallflower tied up and kill her,” I pointed out, adrenalin surging through my veins. “You could’ve stashed her body in the Sushi King kitchen and done the rest after the party. After all, the Monoponi file only says she died during the party. It doesn’t say anything about what was done to her body afterwards!”

Rainbow Dash was crying now, great messy tears streaming down her cheeks in droves. “No! It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it! I swear!”

“Oh please,” Diamond Tiara sneered, the full force of her death glare fired right at Rainbow Dash. “Stop wasting our time and just admit your guilt. I still haven’t had breakfast and I’m hungry!”

“EXCUSE ME!”

We all fell quiet, stunned. I stared at Fluttershy, mouth agape, unable to believe my eyes at how angry and serious she was looking right now. It was nothing like the meek, quiet girl she’d been this whole time. Where was she hiding this?

Fluttershy, upon realizing everyone was staring at her, shrank back into herself for a moment before she stopped, took a deep breath, then stood right back up to point an angry finger out and sweep it over all of us. “Shame on you! All of you! Haranguing poor Rainbow Dash like that! You should feel ashamed of yourselves!” she declared. Then her finger fell upon me. “Especially you, Sunset!”

I didn’t know how or why, but this got to me. Hard. It was like being under Adagio’s gaze all over again, except this time it was just the disappointment of a kind, gentle soul. And yet it was more crushing, more defeating than anything I’d ever felt in my life. I felt myself sinking underneath it, shrinking down till I was small. Tiny.

Ashamed.

“You should know just as well as the rest of us,” Fluttershy continued, “That Rainbow Dash was already half drunk when she went to clean the bathrooms! I was right there when she teased you for getting a bottle of water instead of beer! There was no way she could’ve possibly killed Wallflower in her inebriated state!”

~*~
So I just went and grabbed a drink, choosing to start with plain water. “Oooh, water, huh?” Rainbow Dash teased when she saw me grab it. “Feeling a bit too scared to try something harder?”

“I’m just trying to make sure I don’t have a massive hangover in the morning,” I replied, taking a swig from my bottle and doing my best to look anywhere but directly at her. I ended up focusing on Fluttershy instead, who was standing quietly nearby, not saying a word. Seriously, why the g-string?

Rainbow grabbed a bottle of soda, handed it to Fluttershy, then took a long drink from her cup of beer. Somehow the girl already had a bit of a pink flush to her cheeks. “Oh come on, that’s gonna be future Sunset’s problem. Tonight’s a time to party!” she cried.
~*~

“Yeah...yeah! I was! I was drunk! Tooootally drunk off my ass!” Rainbow cried, wrestling herself back up from her half-fallen state on her podium to stand straight and tall, confidence restored. “Come on, Sunset, you should know that!”

“I… I’m sorry, I just, I…” I stammered, searching for words and not finding any. “I didn’t… but the rope, I just…”

“Hmph!” Diamond Tiara took one look at how I was acting and laughed. “Hahaha! Sunset, you idiot! Hahahahaha!”

“Weren’t you just as insistent on Rainbow’s guilt a minute ago?” Applejack pointed out, glaring at the younger woman.

Diamond Tiara stopped laughing, glared at Applejack, then flipped her the bird. “Shut up.”

“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash,” I finally managed to say. “I just was so sure, because of the rope.”

“Hey, I get it, don’t worry about it,” Rainbow Dash said with a laugh. “I know it looked pretty suspicious.” She leaned over past Flash’s podium to give Fluttershy a quiet little fist bump. “Thanks for having my back, Shy.”

Fluttershy returned it with a quiet, “You’re welcome,” as she relaxed her whole body back to the meek, quiet self she typically presented.

“Speakin’ of which, Ah was thinkin’ about that while y'all were jawin’ on,” Applejack said, raising a hand for attention, “And ah don’t think she coulda used that rope anyway. Not to toot my own horn or nothin’ but if anyone knows rope, it’s me. And there ain’t no way those marks came from parachute cord or a bungee cord.”

Fact #3: Body Condition: “There is a ring of marks around Wallflower’s neck. The pattern is two inches wide, with an uneven, inconsistent pattern.”

“See, Ah know that because the marks are so wide. Most rope would barely leave an inch wide mark, let alone two inches! And the pattern’s all funky and strange, like whatever the culprit used weren’t a real rope at all, but somethin’ they made.”

“Something made, hmm?” Adagio mused, then whirled to face Rarity and pointed right at her. “Such as by a seamstress, perhaps?”

Rarity let out a gasp, then pointedly gasped again. “Oh, you’re accusing moi now?! How dare you suggest I’d ever craft something so, so, so clumsy as whatever made those marks! I am an artist! I craft gorgeous gowns, dashing dresses, stunning suits, and spectacular outfits! Not makeshift shabby ropes to garrote someone in the nighttime!”

"Sure, but what about the streamers, hmm?" Adagio's mouth spread into a sadistic smile. "Nothing says you couldn't use one of those."

"Absolutely not!" Rarity protested. "I would never pervert one of my lovely creations into a tool for murder!"

"Ah don't think a streamer would make this pattern either," Applejack added with a frown.

No. There’s no way she did it, I’m sure of it. And I’m not about to turn around and accuse someone right after getting egg all over my face with Dash. “I don’t think you made the rope used either, Rarity, but I did have a couple of questions for you.”

“Oh?” Rarity perked up, then her eyes bulged and she shut her mouth. “Mm-mm,” she mumbled.

“Sorry,” I said, shaking my head, “but that’s not gonna fly this time. We need to clear up why you took an extra twenty minutes to come back from the bathrooms compared to everyone else.”

“Twenty minutes is plenty of time to subdue Wallflower and kill her,” Scootaloo pointed out, hand on her chin. “I dunno though… I can’t see Rarity doing that.”

Rarity stayed firmly quiet, holding her hands on her jaw to keep her mouth shut.

“Then again, she’s actin’ mighty suspicious right now,” Apple Bloom muttered, narrowing her eyes at the older woman. “Ah don’t really think she could either, but…”

“But we are all suspects,” Twilight added. “Sorry, Rarity, but can you just tell us? Please?”

Rarity let out a low moan and fell face first onto her podium, heaving sigh after sigh. “Must I? Must I embarrass myself in front of everyone?” She looked up just long enough to see me nodding, then lowered her head again. “Fine. Very well!”

She raised her head, her cheeks blazing hot pink. “I… I… I defecated all over myself!”

“What?!” I cried, my whole face screwed up in shock. “You… you what?!”

Rarity’s whole body shuddered like mad. “I defecated on myself! Please don’t make me repeat it!”

“Ewww!” Scootaloo recoiled, sticking out her tongue.

“Gross!” Timber blurted, waving a hand in front of his nose. “God now I can remember the smell…”

“It wasn’t my fault!” Rarity blabbered, stuttering on almost every word. “I-I lost cont-trol! I c-couldn’t make it to the t-toilet in t-t-time!”

“Is that what I stepped in when I left the stall?!” Diamond Tiara shrieked, slapping both hands to the sides of her face.

“This is even yuckier than when I took care of the Cake’s twins when they were sick with the flu!” Pinkie groaned, her lips curling up in disgust.

“I really didn’t need to hear any of this…” Flash muttered, covering his face with his hand.

“Well, I’m sorry, but you forced it out of me!” Rarity fumed. I could practically see the steam rising from her ears.

“Oh god,” Rainbow Dash clapped a hand to her mouth, her cheeks bulging. “So gross!”

“Did you seriously have to phrase it that way, sis?” Sweetie Belle whined, her face tinged green.

“And I’m guessing none of the rest of you had this problem?” I asked, looking to Diamond Tiara, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Timber Spruce.

“Ah sure didn’t. Ah mean, it was close, but…”

Fluttershy quietly shook her head. “No.”

“Nuh uh. I was lucky,” Timber said.

“Of course not!” Diamond Tiara replied, shaking her fists in my direction.

“Huh. Trixie thinks that explains something she noticed when she was cleaning,” Trixie said. “Two of the stalls had no toilet paper left at all, when the rest had half rolls. Trixie thought that was odd.”

“Yes, well, I had to use something to get it off me before I could use the sink!” Rarity retorted harshly, throwing up her hands. “It was the most embarrassing experience of my life! I never want to go through that again!”

“Okay, okay,” I held up my hands in surrender. “I’m sorry you suffered.” I’m even sorrier I asked. I don’t need to picture something so gross. “So it sounds like none of you had a chance to go after Wallflower.”

“No way. We were waaay too sick,” Timber agreed. He winced and held his stomach, which reminded me that we’d forgotten to get him some digestive medicine. Whoops. Sorry, dude.

“Well, shoot!” Pinkie said. She’d recovered the bounce to her curls, and while not completely perky, she did have a spark of energy. “I was sure one of them had something to do with it. Now we don’t have any suspects at all!”

“Oh yes we do!” Diamond Tiara thundered, reaching out a finger to point in my direction. “We never addressed my initial accusation! Sunset Shimmer, you left the party two hours early! You weren’t drunk like Rainbow Dash! You had plenty of time to kill Wallflower!”

“Oh come on!” I fired back. “I only left early because I needed to sleep!”

“But didn’t Flash and Twilight leave the party early as well?” Rarity added, face screwed up in confusion. “I don’t understand why you insist on accusing Sunset when they had just as much opportunity.”

Diamond Tiara burst out laughing, holding her hand to her mouth like a goddamned anime villain. “Ohohoho, but they have an alibi, and she doesn’t!”

“Wait, what alibi?” Pinkie asked, eyes darting between myself and Flash and Twilight, both of whom were now blushing furiously. “I don’t get it.”

“Aren’t you older than Ah am? Ah get it just fine,” Apple Bloom muttered.

“What a surprise, the childish one doesn’t understand what sex is. Who would’ve guessed?” Adagio snarked, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Wait, they did what?!” Pinkie screeched in response, clutched her head as if in fright, then immediately dropped her hands and smiled a huge ear-to-ear smile. “Well I’m happy for them, then!”

“Do we really have to discuss this?” Flash groaned, casting a sympathetic look to Twilight, who was oscillating between florid embarrassment and hideous rage. “This isn’t anyone’s business but our own.”

Sweetie raised a hand, opened her mouth to speak, closed it, then opened it again to say, “Uh, sorry. Really sorry. But this is a trial. We gotta discuss anything and everything to figure out the killer, right?”

“She’s right about that,” Scootaloo added with a grimace and shrug. “Sorry, but we can’t overlook it.”

“It’s not even a debate anyway,” I added. “We already know they were together.”

Fact #12: Shop Receipts: “FS@RX Wed2005: Basic First Aid Kit, condoms, acetaminophen.”

“And if that’s not enough proof, let’s not forget what Monoponi said before we even came down here.”

~*~
“Au contraire, mon chérie,” Monoponi retorted. “You’re just too stupid to recognize magic when you see it. But what else should we expect from a science-obsessed bookworm who’s so lonely and miserable she puts out on the first date?”
~*~

Twilight’s head shot up, her furious gaze locked directly upon me, her eyes blazing like the sun as she snarled, “Did you really have to bring that up, Sunset?!”

I cringed back. “Sorry,” I said sympathetically, “but I was just trying to prove your alibi. And besides, there was one more thing that proves it too. Adagio and I both saw Flash in your room this morning, just before we found the body.”

“It’s true, we did,” Adagio agreed.

“Okay! We get it! Now drop it,” Flash said, frowning deeply at me.

“Well, does that satisfy you, Rarity?” Diamond Tiara chortled as she fired off a wide smirk in my direction. “Sunset’s the only suspect left! She had a motive. She had the time to do it. She has no alibi. And she’s smart enough to come up with the method used to kill Wallflower. It was her! She did it!”

Fingers of fear reached up and down my spine as many of my fellow passengers started leveling gazes at me just as suspicious and certain as Diamond Tiara’s. “Wait, wait!” I objected, throwing up my hands and waving them frantically. “Hold on! It wasn’t me!”

“I’m not so sure it was her, either,” Rarity agreed, hand on her chin. “I mean, she did figure out the cause of death, when the rest of us were stumped. Why would she do that if she were the culprit?”

Trixie let out a bark of laughter. “Hah! Trixie thinks it was just so she could try to excuse her guilt now. Trixie believes Diamond Tiara. Sunset is guilty!”

“Yeah, I dunno, Rarity, I’m kinda with Trixie and Diamond Tiara here,” Timber said, flashing me an apologetic look. “I don’t wanna think Sunset is capable of killing someone, but who else could it be?”

“No way!” Pinkie shook her head frantically. “Nuh-uh! I believe in Sunny Girl! If she says she didn’t do it, she didn’t do it!”

“Yeah, Ah dunno, Sunset’s been answerin’ all the questions so far,” Apple Bloom spoke up, frowning. “And it doesn't make any sense for her to do that if she killed Wallflower. I ain’t sayin’ she ain’t suspicious, but I ain’t convinced yet either.”

“Well I am,” Sweetie Belle said, glaring at me. “Sorry sis, I get you believe in Sunset, but who else could it be? We’ve eliminated all other suspects.”

“Have we really?” Twilight spoke up, adjusting her glasses. The poor girl was much calmer now, thankfully. “We haven’t even answered all the mysteries of this case yet. I’m not ready to vote.”

Rainbow Dash’s lips twisted up in a sad frown, then she looked at me and shrugged apologetically. “Maybe we haven’t, Twi, but I can’t see who else could’ve done it. Sorry Sunset, but you were kinda gunnin’ for me pretty hard earlier, and that’s kinda suspicious too, ya know?”

Fluttershy’s eyes filled with tears, and she looked down at her podium, not meeting my gaze. “Sorry, but, I agree with Rainbow Dash.”

Applejack snorted, and briefly took off her stetson so she could toss it on her podium in disgust before snatching it back and placing it back on her head. “Ah don’t believe this. Y'all're ready to string Sunset up when we ain’t even solved the case yet.”

“Yeah, I’m not saying it’s not possible Sunset did it, but I’m not convinced yet,” Flash said, nodding to me. “I’m not ready to vote either.”

“But it makes sense though, that she did it,” Scootaloo said, her expression full of indecision. “I… I don’t know what to do now. But who else could we vote for?”

“Whoever the real culprit is,” Adagio grunted. She favored me with a calculating look, then nodded. “Frankly, I don’t think Sunset did this. In fact, she's probably the least capable of murder out of all of us.”

Diamond Tiara let out a scream of frustration and smashed both fists onto her podium. “Then what do we do, huh? We’re split right down the middle!”

“Split? Did you say, split?” Monoponi interrupted, a wide smile of glee splitting his muzzle.

“Oh no,” I moaned, slapping a hand to my face. “Come on. We’re not seriously going to do that, are we?”

“Do what?” Sweetie mumbled.

“Why, we have to, Sunset!” Monoponi replied with a giggle. “When you’re split down the middle, what else can we do to solve it but have a scrum debate?!” Monoponi’s horn lit, and the room was suddenly filled with the sound of a familiar techno beat.

“Oh my god you’re even playing the music…” I moaned harder, slamming my face onto my podium.

“What?! What’re we doing?!” Sweetie said again, throwing up her hands.

“What’s with the music?” Adagio grunted, eyes scanning for the speakers.

In response, Monoponi lifted his forehooves to the sky and stretched out his wings. “You’ll settle this debate the only way you can, with our very own morphenomenal trial grounds!”

“That term’s so stupid,” I mumbled into my podium.

His horn lit up once more in a fierce crimson light as our podiums began to float up into the air, everyone screeching or letting out cries of shock as we each lined up in two rows, ready to face off. “Now then, let’s get this scrum debate started!”

IS SUNSET THE CULPRIT?

BEGIN!

Trixie started us off, shouting, “Sunset has to be the culprit. There’s no other possibility!”

Rarity huffed in reply, “Not true! I don’t believe she could be the culprit!”

“But Sunset is the most suspicious person here! That means she did it!” Diamond Tiara spluttered.

“Of course she’s suspicious,” Adagio laughed. “But so are others. It doesn’t mean a thing.”

“But we’ve solved all the mysteries, haven’t we?” Sweetie Belle argued.

“We haven’t even come close to solving all of the mysteries,” Twilight replied, shaking her head.

Rainbow Dash held up a hand and said, “But Sunset’s the only one who left the party early who coulda done it, right?”

“Nope,” Apple Bloom shot back. “She ain’t the only one who left the party. Lots of people did.”

“Oh please,” Diamond Tiara scoffed, “she’s the only one smart enough to come up with the cause of death!”

“Nuh uh!” Pinkie Pie countered. “Lots of us are smart enough to come up with the cause of death in this case!”

“But didn’t Sunset have a pretty good motive?” Scootaloo suggested, face screwed up in confusion.

“We all had a motive,” Flash retorted. “Monoponi gave us one, remember?”

“But, she… she doesn’t have an alibi,” Fluttershy murmured, looking very uncertain.

Applejack was ready for this one, “She might not be able to prove her alibi, but she said she was just sleepin’, and Ah believe her.”

“But if it wasn't you, then who elsecould we vote for?” Timber blurted, throwing up his hands.

I took this one myself. “We don’t know! That’s why we can’t vote yet! We just don’t have all the answers!”

With that response, the music silenced itself, and our podiums fell back to rest on the floor in the normal positions. I was more than happy to be back on the ground. Floating in the air just gave me flashbacks to bad memories. “I know I haven’t been able to prove my alibi,” I continued, “But we still haven’t solved this case. We can’t risk voting until we’re absolutely sure.”

“Fine! Fine! Ugh!” Diamond Tiara screeched, throwing her arms up in the air and then slamming them back onto her podium in disgust. “We won’t vote yet.” She raised one arm to point directly at me. “But I still think it was you, and I won’t budge on that till you can prove otherwise!”

I nodded. This trial was just getting started, but I could be sure of at least one thing. I wasn’t the culprit. I didn’t do it. I still wasn’t sure who could have, but we still had plenty to go.

This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

Author's Note

I won't lie: trials are fun. Even if all I ever wrote for the story was the trials and nothing else, it'd still be worth doing, just because of how fun they are to write. The balance between creating sufficient clues for the people to work from, without making things too obvious, and making things solvable is an amazing challenge, well worth doing. Placing characters under the tension, the stress, the sheer paranoia of the trial just makes them do all kinds of fun things.

Also, in constructing this trial, I used aspects from many Fangans I've read, as I've stated before. In particular I did my best to make things as story-centered as possible, while still touching on my own version of a couple of game mechanics, like the scrum debate. The very first debate too was intentionally framed like a traditional non-stop debate, because like Sunset said, I had to do it, at least once. The rest of the trial, naturally, doesn't follow that format so much, nor should it, because usually they have people repeating themselves endlessly or unnecessarily restating the same thing they just said before the debate starts, etc, all to fulfill game mechanics. So I cherry-picked what works in a story format and discarded the rest. Sadly, this means Sunset will not be racing taxis in her mind or riding a snowboard.

Regarding the cause of death: this actually changed quite a few times, until I settled on this. It's utterly bizarre, I know, but trust me, there is a very good reason why, and will be explained. Just not yet.

Oh, and as for Monoponi's little revelation? You might get an answer to that sooner than you might think. :trollestia:

Wednesday: the second part of the trial.

Chapter One: Forgotten Dreams on the Ocean Breeze Part 7

Chapter One:

Forgotten Dreams On The Ocean Breeze

Trial Part Two

So, here we were with the trial for Wallflower Blush. We’d determined both where she died and how, but there were still plenty of mysteries to solve. We still didn’t know when and, most importantly, who.

So far I've eliminated a few from my mind. I didn’t do it, of course, and neither did anyone who hadn’t left the party. Which left me with just a few suspects on my list: Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Timber Spruce, Trixie, and Diamond Tiara. Everyone else either had an alibi or was so busy with the party they never had time to kill Wallflower.

Of this list, I was pretty sure neither Rainbow Dash nor Rarity did it, so that left me with four suspects total. But I didn’t want to announce this to everyone yet. I wanted to give each of them enough rope to hang themselves with, if it turned out one of them did it. And if I was wrong, if someone else had opportunity and we hadn’t realized it yet… well, in any case, I didn’t want to tip my hand.

“So, where do we go from here?” Scootaloo asked in a baffled tone, scratching the back of her head.

“There’s still a lot of mysteries to solve,” Twilight replied. “We should pick one.”

“Well there’s something I would certainly like to know about,” Rarity said in a huff. “I want to know why that cider made so many of us so ill!”

“Ah’ll tell you what it wasn’t!” Applejack retorted, crossing her arms. “It wasn’t cause it was a bad batch of cider. Sweet Apple Acres cider is some of the best cider there is! We’re too good to mess it up.”

“Uh huh. Sure,” Diamond Tiara groused. “I totally believe that.”

“But it’s true!” Apple Bloom responded with a scowl. “Ah’ve been helping our farm produce the cider for years now. We only use the best produce we have.”

“So let’s take that as a given, then,” I said, interrupting this pointless argument before it could go any further. “Let’s assume it wasn’t because the cider itself was bad. Let’s assume, instead, that something or someone spiked it with something.”

“Oh no no no!” Pinkie cried out, shaking her head furiously. “I wouldn’t ever let anyone spike any drinks at my party! This is an outrage!” She slammed a fist on her podium. “I won’t forgive whoever ruined my party this way! Nobody ruins a Pinkie party and gets away with it!”

“Who even had an opportunity to spike the cider?” Flash asked, frowning. “Was it someone who set up the drinks?”

“Maybe it was Timber,” Diamond Tiara sneered. “He was the one who got us our drinks.”

“No way! You’d think I’d poison myself like that?” Timber shook his head and glared at Diamond Tiara, one hand on his stomach. “My stomach still hurts!”

“Yeah I was watching him get the drinks,” I agreed. “I think I would’ve noticed him putting something into the cider.”

“So then who set up the drinks?” Sweetie asked. “Maybe it was one of them?”

“That would be myself, Applejack, and Apple Bloom,” Twilight answered, counting off on her fingers. “I separated from them to get a cart, but that only took me a couple of minutes, because I grabbed one from the closest restaurant on the promenade. The Qilin place, I think.”

“And Ah think Ah’ve made it clear Ah wouldn’t ruin mah own family’s name by spikin’ the cider,” Applejack said.

“That’s what you say,” Trixie replied, sticking her nose up, “But Trixie isn’t so sure of that! Can you prove to Trixie that you wouldn’t?”

“Are you insultin’ mah family’s honor?!” Applejack roared, raising her fists up and waving them menacingly in Trixie’s direction.

Trixie recoiled, screeching in fear. “Aaah! Please don’t hurt Trixie!”

“Honestly, Applejack, stop scaring the poor dear,” Rarity said with a shake of her head. “And Trixie, please, stop. Applejack suffered just as much as I did. I should know. I was there.”

“Yeah, and it makes no more sense that Applejack would poison herself than Timber would,” I agreed. My eyes fixed upon the younger of the two Apple sisters. “Apple Bloom, on the other hand…”

“Hey now,” Apple Bloom said, raising her hands up as if I was holding her at gunpoint. “Ah ain’t about to poison mah sister!”

“I wasn’t saying you would,” I replied with a small smile. “Easy, Apple Bloom, I’m not accusing you. Just pointing out you had opportunity.”

“Oh okay, that’s better then,” Apple Bloom said, dropping her hands with a relieved look on her face. “Ah was gonna say, Ah was just defending you and all.”

“Maybe we’re looking at this the wrong way,” Adagio said, frowning. “Perhaps we should ask ourselves not who, but how. And why?”

I think the why is obvious, but, well… “The how, I think I might be able to explain. At least partially.”

Fact #5: Tainted Cider: “According to Timber Spruce, the cider had a nutty, bitter taste, and made his tongue and mouth itch.”

“Twilight told me during the investigation that Timber’s description matches up perfectly with the symptoms of taking ipecac syrup,” I continued.

“What is ipecac syrup?” Trixie said, face scrunched up in confusion. “Trixie has never heard of this before.”

“That’s not really surprising,” Twilight replied. “Ipecac was used for a long time as an emetic, to induce vomiting to treat instances of poisoning. But it’s since been phased out in favor of things like activated charcoal. Not a lot of people would even know what it is anymore.”

“Well sure, that’d make us vomit, but what about the uh… well, uh…” Applejack trailed off, face blooming with pink.

“The excrement, darling?” Rarity said hesitantly.

“Yeah. That.”

“Ipecac wouldn’t make you lose control of your bowels, but that could easily be explained by laxatives,” Twilight said. “Most of those don’t have much of a flavor, so the ipecac would override it.”

“Well that’s all well and good,” Diamond Tiara said with a grunt, “but when did the culprit spike the cider? I want to know who did it so I can make them pay for what they did to me!”

“Pinkie,” I said, turning to the party planner. “You told me during the investigation that no one touched the cider before 10:00 PM, right?”

“Yup yup! And I totally would have noticed if the cider was bad from the start,” Pinkie answered. “At least, I’m pretty sure I would’ve.”

“And I was watching it too. At least, I was at first,” Twilight said, trailing off and holding a hand to her face as her cheeks bloomed. “Until I got distracted.”

“Hey, it’s not your fault, Twilight,” Flash said comfortingly, reaching over past Sweetie Belle’s podium to pat her on the shoulder. “If it was anyone, it was mine’s.”

“So someone must’ve done it between the time it was set up, and before Timber got drinks for everyone who suffered,” I said, nodding. “But when?”

“Can we even be sure?” Adagio said, holding up one hand and placing the other on her hip. “Everyone was constantly going back and forth during the beginning, to get swimsuits. Then after that we were dancing to the music.”

“Yeah, Ah don’t think we’re gonna figure out who did it by tryin’ to track ‘em down during the party,” Apple Bloom said. “Maybe we’re better off focusin’ on where they got ipecac from.”

“Well, the pharmacy was open to everyone,” Sweetie Belle said, scratching her head. “Did someone buy some?”

“Not that we saw on the receipts,” I answered. Of course the culprit wouldn’t make it that easy.

“It’s true, we didn’t see anyone buy ipecac or laxatives specifically,” Twilight said, “but several people did purchase first aid kits.”

Fact #12: Shop Receipts:
“AD@RX Tue1005: Ultra Deluxe First Aid Kit.
AD@RX Wed1440: Ultra Deluxe First Aid Kit.
SS@RX: Wed1530: Basic First Aid Kit.
FS@RX Wed2005: Basic First Aid Kit, condoms, acetaminophen.”

“Specifically,” she continued, “Adagio, Flash Sentry, and Sunset Shimmer.”

“And once again Sunset is suspicious! Why am I not surprised?” Diamond Tiara declared, glowering at me.

“For goodness sake, Tiara,” I groaned, smacking my head against my podium. “You think I’d point this out if I was stupid enough to buy my own first aid kit?”

“Wait, why did Adagio purchase two of the same kind?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Adagio grimaced. “Because some jerk stole the first one yesterday morning, when we were all searching for Sunset.”

“What’s the difference between the two kinds, anyway?” Sweetie Belle asked, eyebrows raised.

Fact #8: First Aid Kit: “Adagio Dazzle had purchased an ultra deluxe first aid kit on Tuesday, stocked with plenty of drugs and surgery materials on top of the usual contents. It was stolen Wednesday morning.”

“A lot, actually,” I replied. “I had to use Adagio’s first aid kit to bandage Twilight’s head on Tuesday, and there was a ton of extra stuff in it. Lots of different medicines I didn’t recognize. One of them might’ve been ipecac.”

“Is there any way we can be sure?” Applejack said. “‘Cause Ah think we need to see the contents.”

Adagio blew out a sigh, then shrugged off her backpack and removed the Ultra Deluxe First Aid Kit, slamming it on her podium. “Here. Go nuts.”

Applejack took the proffered kit and proceeded to search it. “Yup,” she said after a moment, holding up two different bottles. “Got some ipecac right here. And some powdered laxatives too.”

“Alright, so we know the big kind of kit had those in it,” Rainbow Dash said, nodding. “But what about the small ones?”

“Flash, do you have yours on you?” I asked as I quickly removed mine from my backpack.

“No, sorry,” Flash said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “Is that important?”

Applejack took my kit from me. “Nah, Ah think we’re okay. Looks like Sunset didn’t even remove the plastic wrap from it yet.” She swiftly tore off the plastic, crunching it up in a ball and shoving it in her pocket. Popping it open, she searched it quickly, then nodded. “Nope, no ipecac or laxatives. Ah think we can safely say the culprit got it from Adagio’s, then.” She handed me back my first aid kit, and I stuffed it back inside my backpack.

“Can we be sure about that?” Timber wondered. “I mean, did anyone find it during the investigation?”

“Yeah, actually, we did!” Scootaloo replied.

Fact #8: First Aid Kit: “It was stolen Wednesday morning, and discovered inside the Sushi King freezer vent. The kit was effectively destroyed, all the supplies rendered useless.”

“Freezer vent? I didn’t know there was a vent in the freezer,” Rarity said, scratching her chin.

“Yeah, Sunset, Twilight and I found it the other day,” Scootaloo replied. “I had to wriggle my way inside. It was a pretty tight fit, but I made it work.”

“Specifically, the vent was located behind the stacked bags of ice,” I said, frowning. “The culprit probably noticed it when they went to get the ice for their crime, so we can’t assume it was someone who already knew about it.”

“Wait, how can you be sure of that?” Sweetie asked, glaring at me with suspicion written all over her face. “I mean if you were one of the only ones who knew about the vent…”

I let out a sheepish laugh. “Ah, that’s actually a little embarrassing.”

~*~
“Okay, so that was a bust,” Scootaloo groaned. “What was even the point to that vent?”

“That’s what I’m curious about too,” Twilight agreed, staring at the vent while scratching her head. “The other freezers had vents, but they were all in the ceiling. Why was this one in the wall by the floor?”

I rolled my eyes hard enough to make my head hurt. “Probably because Monoponi’d get a laugh out of us wasting our goddamned time,” I growled, roughly shoving the vent cover back in place in disgust and throwing the bag of ice back so it landed in a messy fashion instead of being evenly lined up with the rest of them. I didn’t care though. I was just too mad.
~*~

“When I put the bag of ice back, it wasn’t hiding the vent anymore. So it would’ve been easily noticed,” I said.

“I can confirm that,” Twilight nodded. “I figured it was fine at the time.”

“Yeah I can confirm it too,” Scootaloo agreed. “Still don’t get why you were so mad though, Sunset.”

I didn’t respond, instead glaring up at Monoponi, who leered at us from his throne. “Upupupu!” he chuckled.

“Seems to Trixie like it was a good spot to stash evidence,” Trixie noted. “If you hadn’t already known about the vent, Trixie thinks you never would’ve found the first aid kit!”

“Yeah, that’s probably right, because the culprit even put the bags of ice back to cover the vent,” I agreed with a nod.

“Great, so now we know how the culprit spiked the cider,” Flash said, frowning and scratching his head. “But what I don’t get is why. What was the point?”

“Maybe someone left the party when none of us were looking?” Sweetie suggested. “And used it as a distraction?”

“No way!” Pinkie furiously shook her head. “I was watching everyone the whole time! I would’ve seen someone leave.”

“Agreed,” Twilight said, adjusting her glasses. “I think we can safely say the only ones who left the party are the ones we know left the party.”

Fact #9: Party Timeline: “The party ran from 8:00 PM to 3:00 AM. At 8:00 everyone scrambled for swimsuits, but no one was gone for more than a few minutes. Everyone attended the party except for Wallflower Blush. Music was played from 8:30 PM till 10:00 PM, then at 10:15 Applejack, Timber Spruce, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Diamond Tiara became sick and left for the bathrooms. All except Rarity returned at 11:00, and she at 11:20. Trixie and Rainbow Dash left to clean up at 11:30 and came back at 12:15. After that Sunset, Flash, and Twilight left at 1:00, then everyone else at 3:00.”

“So that means,” Twilight continued, “our suspect list has to be Applejack, Timber Spruce, Rarity, Fluttershy, Diamond Tiara, Rainbow Dash, Trixie, Sunset, Flash, and myself. We’ve already proven Flash and I have alibis, Sunset was asleep, the first five were sick thanks to the cider, and Rainbow Dash was too drunk.”

“Wait, but that just leaves…” Scootaloo trailed off, gasping as her gaze shot over to Trixie’s podium.

The poor illusionist was shaking like a leaf as everyone’s gazes fell upon her. “S-s-surely you can’t s-suspect The Great and P-Powerful Trixie had anything to do with this?!” Trixie burbled, fidgeting with her hands.

Adagio shook her head, snorting. “No. I refuse to believe someone as stupid as her could have come up with the things the culprit did.”

“H-hey!” Trixie retorted, eyes welling up with tears. “Y-you keep saying Trixie is s-stupid, but Trixie is not stupid!” She slammed both fists on her podium, tears flying away from her face as she ranted. “Trixie is just as intelligent as anyone else in this room! Just because Trixie speaks in third person does not make her stupid! Trixie just prefers to speak this way! It helps Trixie with her magic acts!” She sniffled, tears falling down her face now. “Maybe Trixie has been wrong in the trial. Wrong a lot. But that doesn’t make Trixie stupid! It just means Trixie made mistakes in her understanding of the case!” She pointed a furious finger at everyone. “Trixie was not the only one to make a mistake! Most of you misunderstood one thing or another! It’s taken Sunset to lead us through this trial, to help uncover the mysteries.”

Trixie’s gaze fell upon me, full of sorrow. “Trixie is sorry she accused you earlier, Sunset. You’ve done nothing but try to help us, and Trixie repaid it with suspicion. Please forgive Trixie.”

“Hey, you don’t have anything to apologize for, Trixie,” I said with a smile. “You’re just trying to figure things out, just like the rest of us. Don’t worry about it.” My smile vanished as I fixed my gaze on Adagio. “And Adagio? You’d better apologize. Joking around with someone or teasing someone a bit is one thing, and can sometimes be funny. But you made her cry. That’s not okay.”

Adagio hissed at me, teeth bared, her eyes full of predatory instincts as her hands curled up like claws. Then she grit her teeth, squeezed her hands into fists so hard her knuckles turned white, before relaxing them. “Fine. Trixie, I’m… I’m sorry.” She looked away, grimacing as she stared at her podium.

Trixie narrowed her tearful eyes as she wiped her face clean, before relaxing and nodding. “Thank you. Trixie accepts your apology.”

“So, um, that’s great and all,” Sweetie said, frowning, “but that doesn’t excuse you from being suspicious.”

“Nah, Trixie didn’t do it,” Rainbow Dash interrupted before Trixie could become upset again. “She didn’t have enough time before I came into the women’s bathroom to help her clean. She was only alone for, like, five minutes. That’s waaaay too little time to tie up Wallflower and kill her.”

“That’s right,” Trixie agreed, smiling gratefully at Rainbow Dash. “So Trixie did not kill Wallflower! Trixie is innocent.”

“Now hold on!” Diamond Tiara interrupted. “If Trixie didn’t do it, then we’re out of suspects again!” Her gaze fell upon me as she smiled wickedly. “All except Sunset, that is!”

Oh here we go again with this shit, I groaned internally as everyone’s eyes fell upon me. “Seriously, Tiara? Stop accusing me already. No one’s going to buy it at this point.”

“Yeah, seriously,” Scootaloo agreed, glaring at Diamond Tiara. “Sunset’s innocent. She’s solved way too much of this case to be guilty. If anything, you’re the suspicious one because you won’t shut up about her!”

“Excuse me?!” Diamond Tiara roared, shaking her fists at Scootaloo. “You little jerk! Do you not know who I am?”

“No one cares, Tiara,” Rainbow Dash muttered, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, we get you’re rich,” Apple Bloom agreed, crossing her arms, “but why would that be any kind of excuse?”

“It sure ain’t in mah book,” Applejack snorted. “Rich folk always thinkin’ they can push poor folk around, just ‘cause they got more money. Just a bunch of hooey if you ask me.”

“But no one asked you, farmer!” Tiara retorted, twisting her pronunciation of ‘farmer’ into an obvious insult.

Applejack lowered her stance as if she was preparing to charge, face twisted up in rage as she snorted like an angry stallion. “Are you tryin’ ta piss me off?” she growled. “Cause if ya are, it’s workin’!”

“I dunno, I think they have a point,” Timber agreed, looking back and forth between Applejack and Tiara. “You haven’t shut up once about Sunset the whole trial.”

“And it’s true we don’t know who spiked the cider,” Sweetie agreed. “Maybe whoever did it knew it was bad, and didn’t actually drink any?”

“Or maybe they took something beforehand that kept them from getting sick,” Fluttershy suggested quietly. “I think I know of a few herbs that could do it. I uh, I don’t know if any are on the ship though.”

“Does anyone remember for sure if we all took a drink of the cider that night?” Rarity inquired, looking to her fellow sufferers.

Fluttershy silently shook her head.

“Can’t say Ah do,” Applejack replied, still glowering fiercely at Tiara. “Which means it’s possible Sweetie’s right.”

“Tiara accused Sunset before we even started investigating!” Pinkie Pie pointed out. “It’s almost as if she had everything planned out!”

“What?!” Diamond Tiara screeched, and slammed her fists repeatedly on her podium. “What is wrong with all of you?! I’ve never been more humiliated in my life! How dare you accuse me of killing Wallflower! You don’t have any proof!” She brought up one hand and flipped us all the bird, pointingly aiming it at each of us in turn. “All you have are guesses! Suspicions! And it’s all wrong!” She slammed her fist on the podium once more. “I drank cider that night. I got just as sick as all of you! I even stepped in Rarity’s shit, okay? I wouldn’t make that up!”

“I believe you,” I said simply.

Tiara whirled on me, eyes agog. “W-what? You do?” she stammered.

“Yeah.” I shrugged. “I don’t think you did it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy about you constantly accusing me. But just because you’ve been going after me doesn’t mean you did anything.”

“Wait, why don’t you think she could have done it?” Twilight asked, frowning as she held up a hand. “If she did fake drinking the cider, then she had all the opportunity she needed. Anyone could have taken Adagio’s first aid kit, and she had as much of a chance as any of us to spike the cider to begin with.”

“Two things,” I said, bringing up the relevant evidence.

Fact #12: Shop Receipts:
“RB@OS: Tue1033: Deluxe arts and crafts kit.
FS@ OS: Tue1420 Deluxe arts & crafts kit.
TS@ OS: Tue1425: Notebooks x 6, pen x 12, pencils x 12, erasers x 3.
DT@OS: Tue1515: Deluxe arts and crafts kit, notebook x 2, pen x 3.
TS@ OS: Tue1622: Deluxe arts & crafts kit x 2.”

“First, she had an arts and crafts kit. That has all kinds of supplies in it, plenty to make a good note with. But…”

Fact #11: Note: “The note reads: ‘Dearest Wallflower. You’re the prettiest chick I’ve ever seen. We should meet up tonight, at *blank* in the Lover’s Corner, so we can ditch those losers at the party and hang together.’ The note was not signed. The note was crafted from pasted together letters taken from the packaging of first aid kit supplies, many of which were made of reflective material. A few of the letters were torn off from the note, including the time of the meeting.”

“The note we found was makeshift, pasted together from bits of the first aid kit wrappers rather than being well crafted. Not to mention it was also pretty cheesy. And Tiara’s been constantly priding herself on how refined she is. Even if she was into girls--” I took a moment to briefly look at Tiara, who just shook her head --”I doubt she’d craft a note this awful. She has too much pride in herself to craft something this bad.”

“Wow, this is bad,” Flash said, eyebrows raised. “I don’t think I would’ve written something like this even in high school.”

Twilight giggled and reached over to pat him on the arm. “That’s because you actually have a romantic soul. I like that about you.” Her cheeks flushed with pink as she spoke.

Flash chuckled in response, looking away as he blushed profusely.

“Okay, that’s enough being sappy,” Tiara groaned. “Anyway, Sunset, you’re right. I do have too much pride in myself to make something like this note!” She crossed her arms and smirked. “See, everyone? I’m innocent.”

“Hmmph. Maybe yer innocent of killin’ Wallflower,” Applejack retorted, “but Ah don’t think you can call yerself innocent in general. Ya rich jerk.”

“Whatever!” Diamond Tiara replied with a laugh.

“Huh. I didn’t expect that,” Timber shrugged. He rubbed at his stomach and winced. “So then, who’s left? If we all got sick, and everyone else who left couldn’t have done it…”

“Yeah, we’re kinda stuck,” Scootaloo agreed. She doubled over, groaning. “Uuugh, what do we do now?”

“It does seem as if we’ve examined all the clues available,” Rarity said, her eyes beginning to fill with fear. “Are… are we going to have to guess?”

“We can’t do that, can we?” Trixie said, shaking. “I-if we g-guess wrong…”

“Then you’ll all be punished, according to the rules!” Monoponi finished, gleefully clapping his forehooves together. “And believe you me, I have a very special punishment all lined up and ready just in case that happens!”

Flash made a fist and pounded it against his other hand. “No way. We can’t guess about this. We can’t vote until we’re sure. I’m not putting my life on the line for a guess.”

“Agreed!” Applejack said. “Ah ain’t ready to vote.” She narrowed her eyes and glared at the rest of us. “Someone here’s been lyin’, Ah think. Ah’ve been smellin’ it since we came to the courtroom. Ah just can’t figure out who.”

“Smelling?” Tiara snorted.

“It’s been known to happen,” Adagio said, winking in my direction.

“Wait! I know!” Twilight blurted as she glanced my way. “Sunset, we still haven’t examined all the clues yet. Remember?”

“Right,” I agreed. “There’s still two things unaccounted for.”

Fact #10: Water Stain: “The Lover’s Corner alcove contained a large water stain on its carpet, along with a plastic bottle cap and a note.”

“The water stain next to where we found the note, and…”

Fact #4: Odd Material: “A few fragments of odd material were discovered underneath the body. A long, thin fragment of the same material was discovered in the Sushi King’s janitor sink drain.”

“These,” I finished, holding up the fragments in question.

“Huh? What’re those?” Timber asked, squinting to get a better look.

I shrugged. “Some kind of material we found during the investigation. Twilight and I actually meant to ask Rarity to see if she knew what it was, because we couldn’t figure it out, but we hadn’t had a chance yet. Rarity?”

I passed the material down to her. She took them and stared. “Hmm,” she said, frowning. She squinted, pulled them up close to her eyes, then snorted and withdrew a magnifying glass of some kind from her skirt pocket. “Oh, I see now,” she said. “I think I can see why this was so hard to identify for you. It’s a kind of nylon.”

“Nylon?” My eyebrows shot to the top of my head. “It doesn’t look like any nylon I’ve ever seen.”

“No no, darling, this isn’t your typical nylon. This is a bit of a different kind,” Rarity replied with a sympathetic smile. “It’s called ballistic nylon. It’s an expensive fabric, originally developed by a company trying to create bulletproof jackets during the Second Great War. It’s used in many applications, particularly for backpacks, straps, even knife sheaths. Most people don’t even know the name; they just think it’s some generic fabric. Not something I’d usually work with in my shop, but I had an opportunity once a couple of years ago.” She chortled as she set the materials down on her podium. “Actually, that’s quite a funny story. You see--”

“Nevermind the story, Rarity, we get it,” Applejack interrupted. “Lemme see those, if ya don’t mind.”

Rarity harrumphed, but complied. Applejack peered down at the nylon in her hand, then nodded. “Yep, just as Ah thought. Ah’m all but certain this came from the rope the culprit used to tie Wallflower up. It matches up with some of the patterin’ on her neck.”

“Huh. Guess it must’ve been stuck on her clothes and washed off when they stuck her in the sink,” Rainbow said with a laugh. “Good thing we found it!”

“Yeah, it would’ve been easy for the culprit to miss it in the process of hiding the cause of death,” I agreed. “I barely spotted it in the drain myself.”

“Then, that’s it! That’s it!” Scootaloo cried, a wide smile on her face as she leapt up and down at her podium. “We just have to figure out who had the ballistic nylon, and we’ll know who did it!”

“Finally, jeez!” Sweetie Belle groaned. “We’ve been at this for hours. Couldn’t you have brought it up sooner, Sunset?”

I barked a sheepish laugh. “Sorry, but even if I had we still had to figure out everything else anyway.”

“So, who had ballistic nylon then?” Diamond Tiara said, looking around the room with a frown on her face. She stopped briefly at me, then shook her head. “It wasn’t Sunset. She’s wearing a leather backpack.”

“And I think we’d notice if her backpack was torn up, anyway,” Flash agreed. “I don’t know how much rope the culprit needed, but they probably needed a lot of material to get enough.”

“Trixie agrees! Even if they only used enough to tie Wallflower’s wrists and ankles, and then used that same rope on her neck, Trixie thinks they’d barely have enough from just one backpack. It would have to be big.”

“And I think all kinds of backpacks were available in the sporting goods store, right?” Pinkie Pie chirped. “Then anyone could have gotten some! We just gotta check that!”

“Yeah, definitely! I remember seeing them there,” Rainbow said. “Sunset! Check the receipts!”

The receipts. Who among us could’ve bought ballistic nylon? Whoever it was is almost certainly the culprit, I mused as I looked down the list. Then I spotted it. I stared at the list, my eyes narrowing further and further into slits, my mouth curling up into a sneer. I gripped my fists tightly together in anger as I looked up from the list, directly at the suspect, who reeled back as if struck. “You,” I snarled as I punched up the appropriate piece of evidence.

Fact #12: Shop Receipts:
“TS@SG Tue1225: Leather backpack, sneakers, yoga pants, fabric backpack. ”

“Timber Spruce!” I shouted, pointing one finger directly at him. “You’re the only one!”

“Me?” Timber’s face scrunched up in shock. “Sunset, what’re you talking about? That doesn’t even say nylon on it!”

“No, of course it wouldn’t. It’s like Rarity said: most people would think this stuff’s just generic fabric.” I shook my head in disbelief at how I hadn’t realized this before. “And the registers list things generically!”

Timber rocked on his feet, his face twisting up in anger. He pulled on his shirt collar and fanned himself with his shirt a few times. “So? How do you know that was me who bought that, huh? It just says TS! That could just as easily be Twilight Sparkle!”

“No, it can’t be,” Twilight replied sharply. “I think I’d know if I bought a backpack.”

Narrowing her eyes, Scootaloo asked, “Hey, wait a minute. Didn’t I see you wearing a fabric backpack the other day?”

“You did. We all did,” I said.

~*~
“Huh, I wonder what this is about,” I commented as we all got up to follow Scootaloo back to the promenade. Poor girl must’ve been running all over the place because as soon as she got the chance she broke off to grab a bottle of water from the convenience store. I also saw Timber Spruce emerge from the sporting goods store wearing a large black fabric backpack as we walked by. That reminds me: get a backpack of my own asap. I don’t want to tear a hole in my jacket thanks to this stupid Monopad.
~*~

“He was wearing it when Pinkie proposed the pool party.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right!” Pinkie chirped. She placed her hands on her hips and glowered fiercely at Timber. “You were wearing one, weren’t you!”

“He sure was,” Applejack added with a furious glare of her own. “Ah remember seeing it. Ah remember wonderin’ if Ah should get one of mah own, but then Ah decided against it. Startin’ to wish Ah had. Ah might’ve figured this out sooner.”

“Uh, excuse me?!” Timber said angrily. “What the hell, guys? Do I look like I’m wearing a fabric backpack? Huh?” He held up the brown leather backpack hanging from his shoulders. “No! I’m not!”

“But you still bought one!” Sweetie said. “And you bought that backpack at the same time. That’s kinda weird.”

“Yeah, who even needs two backpacks? I don’t even need two backpacks!” Rainbow Dash agreed.

Timber groaned in annoyance, doubling over on his podium. "Jeez, you guys. This doesn't mean anything. Yeah I bought one. I bought it because I wanted to try it out! Same reason I bought the other one! I decided I liked this one better, so I left the other in my room, okay?” Timber winced, reeling back and holding his stomach. “Not like it matters anyway. I still got sick last night! You saw me throw up and everything this morning! Remember, Sunset?”

~*~
Timber showed up next, took one look at the body, blanched, and stuffed his face in the nearest bin, retching. “God damn, what the hell!” he cried, wiping the sick off his face.
~*~

“You think I faked that?! Cause I didn’t!”

I shook my head slowly. “Timber, you could have easily accomplished that by taking a small amount of leftover ipecac just before showing up on the promenade. That’d also explain how you knew exactly what it tasted like when you told us about the cider.”

Timber rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, like you can prove that! Why would I tell you about the cider if I spiked it, huh? Do I look like I’m stupid?”

“We all saw you leave the party with the rest of us,” Rarity retorted, glaring. “By cooperating with the investigation, you were trying to clear yourself of suspicion!”

“Yeah, and you were pretty unhappy about guarding the body, weren’t you?” Scootaloo said.

~*~
After a couple of moments of silence, Timber let out a frustrated sigh and stepped forward, still shaking and still pale. He dragged the bin with him, keeping it handy. “Guess I’ll do it. Sorry I won’t be able to help investigate.”
~*~

“I’ll bet you wanted an excuse to go and find any leftover evidence so you could destroy it, only no one else spoke up!” Scootaloo said. “So you just used the chance to excuse yourself instead so you didn’t have to fake searching for things!”

“Uh, no, I was ‘unhappy’ because I was friggen sick! And I still am!” Timber insisted. He groaned, holding his stomach and took a moment to take a few breaths. "Besides, how could I have spiked the cider anyway? You said it yourself, Sunset. You never saw me put anything in it."

He's not wrong. I didn't see him put any drugs into the cider. But... wait...

~*~
Flash and Timber came over and started piling stuff on top. It took a while to run everything through the register, because of course thanks to Monoponi’s stupid regulations we had to run each item through one at a time, but we turned it into a proper assembly line of passing things around almost like a circle till we got it all, then Flash ran his Monopad to “pay” for it. Together we took it all and set it out nicely on the table. Flash even took the extra time to pop open the various tubs of dip we brought and set them up neatly for everyone, while Timber set a bag of ice on the table, inside a small cooler we’d also bought.
~*~
“Hey Sunset, want some cider?” Timber offered. He had a small tray with several cups already. “I’m getting some for AJ, Tiara, Rarity, and Fluttershy. And myself. We’re all sitting over there if you want to join us.”

“Nah, no thanks,” I said as I reached for one of the bottles of cinnamon whiskey. Last thing I wanted to do was cause a scene with Tiara, because I could already feel her eyes burrowing into my back. “I’m more of a hard liquor kind of girl.”

“Right on,” he said with a laugh as he poured the last cup, placing a few cubes of ice into it.
~*~

"That's it!" I said, snapping my fingers. "The ice cubes! You dosed the ice cubes with the ipecac and laxatives, then used that to spike the cider when no one was looking."

Sweat ran down Timber's face. Wiping his face off with the back of his hand, Timber said, "Oh come on, when was I supposed to have done that? You saw me get the ice from the convenience store!"

"No you didn't," Flash answered. "I was there, dude. All you bought was a cooler. The ice was already inside, which means you put it there."

"So what?" Timber flipped Flash off. "I still got the ice from the store."

"Uh, no, that's not possible, dumbass!" Tiara interjected, pointing right at Timber's face. "I've been in the convenience store a bunch of times! There's no ice there at all!"

Throwing up his hands in frustration, Timber cried, "Then where'd I get the ice for the party?"

I smiled gratefully at Flash and Tiara for the backup, then twisted it into a frown as I faced Timber again. "Isn't it obvious?"

Fact #7: Sushi King Kitchen: “A bag of ice in the freezer was open, missing some of its contents.”

"You planned to use the Sushi King kitchen as your murder site from the start. It's the closest to the Lover's Corner, making it the logical place. So since there was plenty of ice in the freezer, you got most of what we used at the party from there. The rest, you made yourself, by freezing water laced with ipecac and laxatives. Then you stashed it all in the cooler and put the cooler back in the shop, so you could pretend to buy it when we went in there for snacks."

Pointedly rolling his eyes, Timber twisted his mouth into a sneer. "Oh, sure, yeah, I totally did that. It's not like the ice was sitting out for everyone to use, so anyone could've taken some and gotten sick." His grin shifted into a smirk. "Oh. Wait. It was. And no one got sick except from the cider. Whoops. Guess that means I didn't do it!"

“Now Ah know yer lyin’!” Applejack thundered. “Ah can smell it all over you. Ah'll bet all the trees on mah farm that you dumped the drugged ice into the cider when we were all scramblin' to get our swimsuits! It was the only time Pinkie Pie and Twilight weren't lookin'!"

"It's true!" Pinkie Pie admitted with a shrug and a smile.

"Ah, I wouldn't call it the only time I wasn't looking," Twilight said, blushing and looking away as she held a hand to the back of her head.

"But, why did he put ice in our drinks, then, if he already spiked the cider?" Fluttershy asked.

I raised a single finger. "So he could get away with filling his own cup with ice. I only saw him pour one cup. I'll bet his own was full of just ice, so he could pretend to drink cider when he really wasn't. Then it'd melt in his cup while he was gone, so if anyone checked, it'd look like there was still cider in it."

Apple Bloom jumped in, "Then that means Sweetie Belle was right! You knew the cider was bad, you didn’t drink any, and you just faked bein’ sick so you could go kill Wallflower instead!”

His face twisting up in rage, Timber slammed a fist down on his podium so hard the wood cracked, his Monopad clattering to the floor. "Stop accusing me of something I didn't do, man! All you got on me is a bunch of bullshit about drugged ice and a receipt about a backpack! What, are you gonna say I wrote the note, too?"

“Actually dude, that note? It sounds exactly like something you’d write,” Flash pointed out.

“Yeah, I agree,” I said.

~*~
The third person sitting nearby was a gangly looking guy with darkish skin, wearing a beanie atop a head full of green hair. Unlike them he was sporting a short sleeved red t-shirt lined with white trimming and a symbol of a sun between two green mountains, a dock, and a puddle of blue water, alongside a pair of khaki cargo shorts and practical brown steel-toed boots. He flashed us a cocky grin and flicked both hands at us like they were a pair of revolvers. “Hey there,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.
~*~
“Yup, you got it AJ. Timber Spruce, counselor from Camp Everfree, at your service.” He stuck out a hand to Rarity. “Let me know if I can do anything to help.”

Rarity’s lips puckered up like she’d just bit into a lemon. “Of course, of course,” she said with the quickest handshake I’ve ever seen.
~*~
Rarity emerged from the promenade passageway, a load of fabric streamers in her hand.“Well, if you’re finished with that, darlings, would you be willing to help a lady with something else?”

“For a lady? Anything,” Timber said with a waggle of his eyebrows and a wink.

“Dude, seriously?” Flash groaned, facepalming.
~*~

“You might think you’re charming, Timber,” I said with a sneer, “But you’re really not. You’re just kinda skeevy.”

“No class at all, darling. And believe me, I should know,” Rarity said.

Pulling at his collar, Timber let out a loud snort. "But you just said a few minutes ago that whoever had an arts and crafts kit wouldn't need to make it out of the first aid kit wrappers. And I had a kit! Remember, Twilight?" He tapped on his Monopad and brought up a clue. "You bought one for me."

Fact #12: Shop Receipts: “TS@ OS: Tue1622: Deluxe arts & crafts kit x 2.”

"It's true," Twilight said with a frown. "I did. But I only did it because you asked me too. Remember? When I came to find Scootaloo for Sunset so we could get her help in examining the vent. You stopped me to speak with me, and asked me to get a kit for you because I’d already been in the store and knew where they were.”

“Oh yeah! That’s right!” Scootaloo said! “And you got me one too, since you were already doing it. Which I really appreciated, thank you!”

“Sure, no problem,” Twilight shrugged.

"See?" Timber said, his demeanor relaxing just a skosh. "If I had that, why would I use the wrappers?"

"To hide what medicines you used, duh!" Sweetie Belle said, slapping a hand to her head. "That's why you destroyed the first aid kit. You were hiding evidence and trying to invent an excuse at the same time."

"And, unlike Diamond Tiara," I added, "You don't have an ego that'd force you to make something fancier looking, so you wouldn't care about the aesthetics of the note. You'd make what you needed and leave it at that."

Timber's eyes flashed with rage. “Who gives a shit about the note, huh?!” he shouted, slamming both fists repeatedly on his podium. “Fuck the note! No one cares about the note! That still isn’t proof! You don’t got shit on me!”

Adagio let out a low laugh that rose and rose, a sinister laugh that both chilled me to the bone and somehow left me feeling flushed with heat at the same time. “Your attitude isn’t helping your case one bit, Timber,” she said.

His face turned beet red as he shook his fists wildly in Adagio's direction, letting out a wordless roar of frustration. Then he heaved a sigh, let go, and relaxed. “Okay, fine, fine. This is all fine. Everything’s fine,” he muttered. “You still haven’t proven anything. What are you suggesting I did with the backpack? Hmm? Got an explanation for that?”

I rolled my eyes. “Please. We already figured out that you cut up the backpack to use for the rope. It’s kind of genius, actually. I never would’ve considered it if we hadn’t found traces of the nylon used.”

“It’s true,” Trixie said. “Such ingenuity is impressive to Trixie! Used for an appalling purpose, yes, but still! Trixie is impressed.”

“Uh huh. Sure I did. How?” Timber held up his hands with a quiet little bark of a laugh. “How was I supposed to do that? With what tools? I didn’t have anything that could do that.”

“Actually, you did,” Twilight said. "You just admitted to having an arts and crafts kit, and that's all you'd need."

“Wait, Trixie doesn’t understand. How does that explain what he used?” Trixie said, scratching her head.

“It’s because of what was in the kit,” I replied.

~*~
“It does look like a whole bunch of people bought arts and crafts kits, though. Now I’m curious. What was in those, anyway?”

Twilight shrugged. “Just a lot of basic things. Construction paper, colored pencils, shears, markers, popsicle sticks, scotch tape, beads, superglue, crayons, tissue pap--”
~*~

“Twilight didn’t get to finish describing it, but she didn’t need to,” I said. “She already listed what you needed. Shears, superglue, and tape.”

Timber’s face burst out into a cold sweat as he started shaking. “Okay fine! I had tools! So what? That doesn’t mean I used them to tear up my backpack. Who even does that? Who could come up with something like that?”

“Someone who’s trained in survival techniques, to use what materials they have for what they need,” I replied straight away. “Someone like a camp counselor for Camp Everfree.”

“Ah admit, Ah’m not sure a backpack’s the first thing Ah’d look to if Ah needed to make a rope, but it sure would work in a pinch if it’s what Ah had,” Applejack said. “Ah doubt it would hold up for many uses, but it wouldn’t have to. You’d just need it to tie her up and fake her bein’ strangled."

“And you’ve been playing dumb this whole trial,” I added, “because you were trying to throw us off thinking you could come up with everything you did.”

“Yeah-huh! But it’s just like I said before!” Pinkie agreed, taking two fingers and pointing them at her head. “Just because someone’s different doesn’t mean they’re not smart!”

“No!” Timber screamed, pounding his fists on his podium once, twice, three times. “No, no, no! This is stupid! You still haven’t proven a damned thing! How was I supposed to do any of this? What, you think I just clubbed Wallflower over the head or something?!”

No one responded at first, several people facepalming. “Hoo boy, this is gettin’ sad,” Apple Bloom said.

“Seriously,” I pointed out. “All you had to do was give Wallflower something with sleeping drugs in it. The very first piece of evidence we got confirms that!”

Fact #1: Monoponi File I: “The victim is Wallflower Blush, the Ultimate Nobody. The time of death is estimated as being between 8:00 PM and 3:00 AM. The victim shows signs of multiple injuries to the stomach, neck, and throat. There are also traces of sleeping medicine in her system.”

“You could have easily obtained a sleeping drug from the first aid kit,” Twilight said with a nod. “I realized that during the investigation. One of the medicines in the kit is zolpidem, which is the generic for Ambien, a popular sleep aid. It’s pretty strong, and if you used enough you could easily knock someone unconscious with it.”

~*~
“Gotta have plenty for that big brain of yours I guess,” I shrugged as I popped open the case. To my surprise it was loaded with supplies, far more than I’d usually see in a typical first aid kit. Apart from the usual selection of bandages, antibacterial and burn ointments, and pain relievers, there were all kinds of other drugs available, a lot in bottles labeled with generic names like zolpidem and bupropion, things I didn’t recognize. There was even a large vial of morphine and matching syringe.
~*~

“Oh! I suppose that explains the water stain, then!” Rarity said, snapping her fingers. “Of course!”

Fact #10: Water Stain: “The Lover’s Corner alcove contained a large water stain on its carpet, along with a plastic bottle cap and a note.”

“You put sleeping medicine in a bottle of water and gave it to Wallflower, then when she drank it and fell unconscious, she dropped the bottle and it spilled everywhere! You may have disposed of the bottle, but you missed the cap, darling.”

“Oh yeah?!” Timber snorted, snatched his Monopad up from the floor and plugged it back in. “Maybe you did that and you’re just trying to blame it on me!” He said as he punched up evidence of his own.

Fact #12: Shop Receipts: “ RB@RX: Tue1047: Melatonin, Ibuprofen.”

Twilight sighed, slapping her forehead with a groan. “Oh come on. Melatonin can help you sleep, yes, but it’s a natural hormone your body produces. It’s not a sedative. You can’t force someone unconscious with it.”

“And besides, we already proved, several times, that Rarity had neither the means nor the opportunity to kill Wallflower,” I added.

“Hah… hahaha…” Timber gripped the sides of his head, shaking it furiously. “Hahahaha! AHAHAHAHA!” He started ripping and tearing at his hair. “Hahahaha! I c-can’t believe this. Y-you’re still trying to a-accuse me, haha…” He suddenly let go of his hair and slammed his podium so hard pieces of wood went flying. “Bullshit! It’s all bullshit! I won’t accept it! I refuse to believe it! I was sick, damn it! I was sick! The cider made me sick! You can’t prove a goddamned thing!”

Here we go. This is it, I thought, bowing my head and breathing softly, steeling my nerves. This is the end. I just have to prove it, once and for all.

Timber thrust out a finger at me. “You’re saying I killed Wallflower, huh?! That I somehow ripped up a backpack, and turned it into rope?!” He burst into laughter again, tearing at his hair. “Are you for real? Do you know how stupid that is? You can’t prove that!”

“Maybe we can’t prove that you used a makeshift rope from a backpack, but we know the rope used was nylon! We already proved that!” I shot back. “And you were the only one with the right kind of nylon!”

“So what?! That doesn’t prove anything!” Timber slammed a fist down on his podium several times. “Whoever killed Wallflower gave her drugs! You can’t prove I did that!”

“No, but you had just as much opportunity as anyone except myself to steal Adagio’s first aid kit.” I crossed my arms, refusing to back down. “And with your first aid knowledge as a camp counselor you’d have no problem reading medicine labels to figure out what you’d need, and you’d have the anatomical knowledge to know how to damage a brain stem!”

Timber reeled back as if I’d punched him in the face, even holding up a hand to his cheek as if the force of my words themselves stung. His eyes blazed with mad fury as he slammed his fist on his podium once again, then pointed right at me like he was aiming a gun.

“But you can’t prove that! And you can’t prove I wrote that note either, god damn it! You can’t prove anything!”

I shook my head sadly. “Maybe I can’t prove that you wrote the note, but you had the tools, and if you stole the first aid kit, you’d have the materials too. And the way the note was written matches the way you’ve been acting towards all the women here! It all makes sense!”

“No, you stupid goddamned moron! No it fucking doesn’t!” He ranted, spittle flying from his mouth. He burst into mad laughter once more, tore at his hair, then said, “Even if I could’ve made the rope… even if I could’ve figured out how to drug Wallflower… and even if, even if I could’ve written that note… It’s all impossible! Impossible, damn it! I was sick from the cider, remember?! And there’s nothing you can say to prove otherwise!”

“YOU’VE GOT THAT WRONG!” I roared, punching up my final bit of evidence.

Fact #6: Timber’s Account: “According to Timber Spruce, he spent forty-five minutes in the bathroom, with some of that time spent on cleanup, using cleaning chemicals and air freshener. Rainbow Dash corroborated his account, stating the men’s room was spotless and stank of air freshener, but she spent some time spraying cleaner anyway to be safe.”

“You told me yourself, Timber! You claimed you only tried to clean up the bathroom a little, meaning you might have missed something. But Rainbow Dash said it was spotless! As in, it wasn’t dirty at all! And given that you were supposedly sick from both ipecac and laxatives? That’s just. Not. Possible!” I thrust out my finger at him accusingly, putting the full force of every bit of my personality into my words. “You were faking being sick the whole time! Face it! You did it, Timber Spruce! You. Killed. Wallflower!”

Timber gripped both sides of his head once more, reared back and let out an earth shattering roar of, “No, no no nonononononononononononnononononononnonononononoooo!” He burst into great messy tears and fell over on his rump. “God, please… no… Gloriosa… I’m sorry…I’m so sorry...” he wept.

I didn’t know what to feel, while watching him break down. Triumph, maybe? Victory? I wasn’t really feeling anything at all, except glad. Glad we’d finally figured things out. Well, that and curious. Who the heck's Gloriosa?

Rarity peered over at the sobbing mess that was Timber now, tears of her own beginning to brim from the corners of her eyes. “I… I think you’ve broken him, darling,” she said quietly.

Pinkie Pie’s curls burst like a popped balloon. “So… so he did it? It really was Timber?”

“It had to be, right?” Sweetie Belle said. “Nothing else makes sense now.”

“Wow. Ah still can’t believe it,” Apple Bloom said sadly.

“Trixie is still a bit confused,” Trixie said, scratching her head. “Sunset, would you be willing to lay out the case for us one more time? For Trixie’s sake.”

“Yes, please,” Scootaloo agreed, nodding with uncertainty as she glanced back and forth between me and the weeping Timber.”

I nodded, taking a shaky breath. “Yeah, okay. I can do that.” I took a moment to collect my thoughts, and then began: “This is how it all went down!”

“This all started two days ago, when Monoponi presented the motive of our lost memories. The culprit was told, like the rest of us, that one of us was responsible for stealing their memories. This was enough to prompt the culprit to begin their plan. They first went to the sporting goods store, where they purchased a crucial item, a fabric backpack, specifically made from ballistic nylon. Right afterwards, Pinkie Pie presented her suggestion of a party, which provided the perfect opportunity for the murder. Wallflower was probably chosen as the culprit’s victim because she kept isolating herself, making her easy to separate from the rest of us.

“Once they decided upon their plan, the culprit needed several additional tools. They obtained shears, tape, and superglue from an arts and crafts kit, which they asked Twilight to purchase for them, to disguise their true intentions. Then they waited for a chance to steal the medical supplies they needed from Adagio Dazzle. That chance came Wednesday morning, when I slept in, in the process driving everyone else to search for me across the ship, thinking I was dead. During the chaos, the culprit swiped the first aid kit, returned to their cabin, and set about with the rest of their plan.

“First, they crafted a love note, to drop off at Wallflower’s cabin. They told Wallflower to meet them at the Lover’s Corner, right off the promenade, which they needed access to for their plan. Presumably they slipped the note under her door. They used wrappers from the first aid kit to craft the note, which had the added effect of destroying the first aid kit, in an attempt to disguise which drugs they used.

"Second, using the Sushi King freezer, they prepared ice laced with ipecac and laxatives, to mix in with store-bought ice at the party.

“Third, using the arts and crafts tools, they ripped up the nylon backpack, to turn it into ropes for binding Wallflower’s wrists and ankles. The ropes wouldn’t be very durable, but they didn’t need to be. They just had to work once.

“Finally, they readied a drink for Wallflower, dosing it with enough sleeping medication to ensure she’d fall unconscious quickly.

“With all of this prepared, they were ready to attend the party. While everyone else was occupied with swimsuit gathering, the culprit took the free chance to dump the poisoned ice into the cider. Then, right after the music stopped, at 10:00 PM, they gathered cider for their table, while filling their own cup with only ice, and pretended to drink along with the others. At 10:15, they pretended to run for the bathroom, just as Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Diamond Tiara had to do for real.

“While the others were in the bathroom, and the rest of us were occupied by the party, the culprit met up with Wallflower in the Lover’s Corner. They gave Wallflower the drugged drink, which presumably Wallflower took a drink from straight away. It was potent enough that Wallflower fell unconscious almost immediately, spilling the rest of the drink in the process.

“The culprit then bound Wallflower by hand and foot, to prevent her from escaping should she wake up. These bonds were tight enough to leave definitive marks. They quickly dragged her to the Sushi King restaurant kitchen, their chosen murder site. Once inside, they laid her body out in the janitor’s sink, then obtained some ice from the freezer. Using the ice, they swiftly dealt damage to the inside of her throat, damaging her brain stem and inflicting a fatal blow. Then, once Wallflower was dead, they enacted the coverup portion of their plan.

“Using the sink, they soaked her body, to make it appear as if she drowned. Then they placed her body on a dining cart, and used their makeshift ropes around her neck to leave marks, to fake her being strangled. They then took a cleaver from the knife set in the kitchen, and impaled Wallflower in the stomach with it, to fake a death via stabbing. Finally, they took the remnants of the first aid kit and shoved far into the vent in the Sushi King freezer, to hide the evidence. They then replaced the vent cover and bag of ice to hide the vent, not knowing that three of us already knew it existed.

Then they returned to the bathroom, in time to pretend to exit along with the others, as if they’d been sick all along. They pretended to be sick for the rest of the night. Once the party was over, they presumably snuck back to the Sushi King kitchen and rolled Wallflower’s body out onto the promenade proper, so we could discover it in the morning. The next morning, before arriving on the scene with the rest of us, they deliberately dosed themself with leftover ipecac syrup, so they could continue their sick act.

There’s only one person who had the knowledge and the opportunity to pull this murder off, without anyone noticing they were missing from the bathrooms. Isn’t that right, Timber Spruce, the Ultimate Camp Counselor?”

I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to throw in the fake Ultimate title Monoponi had slapped on him. Maybe it just didn’t feel right to finish without it. Timber, his reaction...all Timber could do was sit there and weep. Everyone stared at him as he cried, not saying a word. Finally, after what felt like hours, Timber got up from his sitting position, took off his backpack, and promptly dumped the contents onto his podium: a pair of makeshift nylon ropes, and three bottles of medicine. Ipecac syrup, powdered laxative, and zolpidem.

“Yeah.” Timber said, his voice hollow. His eyes were like two empty, gaping holes to an endless abyss. His movements were jerky, forced, like he’d lost all energy. “Yeah, I did it. I killed Wallflower Blush.”

Author's Note

So, now you know. I intend to go into more details on my blog about this, but I spent a great deal of effort crafting this mystery with the intention of implying the culprit focused on covering up and/or mystifying the wrong things. Like Wallflower, Timber wasn't intended to be a surprise first blackened. You'll see a bit more of why in the next part. Congratulations to everyone who guessed Timber, and especially witegrlninja and J Carp for coming pretty close to the methods used, too!

I'm quite proud of my version of the Argument Armament. It's like a larger, more detailed version of the Rebuttal Showdown, exactly like how I'd picture something like this playing out in reality. Ultimately the Argument Armament, like the versions that came in THH and GD is just the protagonist using one final, undeniable piece of evidence to shatter the culprit's will. Which is what Sunset did here.

Also, a fun bit of insight into my process of writing these cases: I always write the closing argument first. I wrote the first version of it in a notebook before I even started on Chapter One, and am doing similar things for the other chapters as well. Granted, they go through rewrites, through revisions, etc, but it helps more than anything else in being able to write the rest of the Chapter. By having it all together in one place, you can then strip out every last bit you want to chuck around as hints, whether it's in the obvious sense in the facts/truth bullets, or the non-obvious sense through the snippets of dialogue or scenes that get referenced.

Satuday: Post-trial and epilogue.

Chapter One: Forgotten Dreams on the Ocean Breeze Part 8

Chapter One:

Forgotten Dreams On The Ocean Breeze

Post-Trial and Epilogue

Silence reigned for a few moments as we took in Timber’s admission of guilt. I was right. He did do it. But why? What was his reason? I have to know. We have to know, before… before…

“You rotten snake!” Applejack grunted, rolling up her sleeves and readying her fists. “Ah oughta beat you to within an inch of your life!”

Timber laughed mirthlessly. “Go ahead. I don’t care anymore.”

Applejack almost leapt from her podium, but Scootaloo reacted in time to grab her and stop her. “Whoa, easy there, AJ!” Scootaloo said. “He’s not worth wasting your time on.”

“But, Ah… Ah hell, fine!” Applejack wrestled out of the younger woman’s grip, huffed, then stood back at her podium.

“I don’t understand, Timber,” Pinkie said quietly, in a low, sad tone quite unlike the happy-go-lucky woman. “Why did you do it? Why did you kill her?”

“Why?” Timber tried to look at her, but he could barely move his head. “Because… Gloriosa. That’s why.”

“Who the heck is Gloriosa?” Diamond Tiara asked.

Timber fell over onto his podium and gripped it like it was a lifeline. A few fresh tears fell from his eyes as he spoke. “Gloriosa’s my older sister. We run Camp Everfree together. It’s our life, you know?” He let out a low moan, his head falling right against the podium so we couldn’t even see his face. “It was founded by our great-grandparents. We’ve been running it ever since we were old enough to help our mom and dad. For the longest time, it was pretty great, until we started running out of money. Turned out we owed a lot, a whole heck of a lot, to some rich guy who wanted to tear the place down and turn it into some kinda spa resort, just so he could get even richer.”

He raised his head just a little as he continued. “We did our best, but we just couldn’t keep up with the payments.Then he gave us an ultimatum, told us we had til the end of the month before he’d shut us down for good. We had one last group of campers, and then… then…”

He raised his head and tried to slam a hand down on his podium once more, but it landed so softly I couldn’t even hear the impact. “Then something happened to her. Something real bad happened to my sister! But I don’t even remember what!” He fell face first into his hands, clutching his face tight enough I could see his skin folding. “I just know she was in real trouble! But I can’t remember anymore what happened! She matters more to me than anything! I gotta know what happened to her, how she’s doing! I don’t even know if she’s alive right now…”

Applejack’s harsh demeanor had defrosted throughout his entire story, and now her anger was more like the dying embers of a campfire than a roaring blaze. “Ah guess Ah can understand that. Yer family’s important.” She softly shook her head. “Ah don’t know what Ah’d do if I was in your shoes.”

“Indeed,” Rarity sniffled, and withdrew a tissue from her skirt pocket to dab at her eyes. “It’s bad enough to think my poor dear Sweetie Belle is trapped here with me, in this killing game. If I didn’t even know if she was alive, I…”

“Huh. Guess you’re not as self-absorbed as I thought you were,” Flash said, sighing. “Sorry, man. I’m sorry to hear about your sister.”

“Well I’m not!” Diamond Tiara blurted, throwing an ice cold bucket of water all over the somber mood we were in. “Are you kidding me? Are you all serious right now? He killed someone!” She raised an angry fist and shook it in Timber’s direction. “Who gives a crap about his sister? He still killed someone, just for the chance to find out if she was okay!”

“Come on, Tiara, stop it,” Rainbow Dash groused, glaring fiercely at the younger woman. “Maybe you don’t have anyone or anything important in your life, but some of us do.” She shuffled over to give Fluttershy, who was weeping quietly, a half hug. Fluttershy fell into her embrace and wept harder. “Fluttershy’s just like a sister to me. I totally get what Timber’s going through right now.”

“Trixie may not have a sister, like many of those here, but Trixie still understands the importance of family!” Trixie gestured dramatically like she was sweeping out a cloak, then pointed a finger directly at Tiara. “Timber Spruce’s actions are inexcusable, but don’t dare say that his sister doesn’t matter! She is still a person, like anyone else!”

“Yeah, sure, but so was Wallflower, and you saw what he did to her!” Sweetie Belle argued. “What if it turns out his sister’s been dead for years, huh? What then? Wallflower would’ve died for nothing!”

“She did die for nothin’!” Apple Bloom roared, looking just as pissed as her older sister was a few minutes ago. “Ya think Monoponi’s gonna give him his memories back now? Ah don’t think so!”

“Apple Bloom’s right!” Scootaloo agreed, huffing and stomping a foot on the floor like she was about to clothesline Timber like a charging bull. “Timber’s just a dirty, stinking murderer! Why are we even still talking about this? We should vote! Now!”

“I agree,” Adagio grinned sadistically at the poor whimpering Timber. “I’m a little eager to see what Monoponi’s got in store for his execution.”

“E-e-e-execution?!” Timber shrieked, the fear breathing new life into his defeated soul. “No! Nonono! I don’t want to die! Please!”

“Oh, is it voting time? Already?” Monoponi spoke up, rising from his throne. “And here I thought you idiots would never shut up! Well then, if you’re ready to vote, please, use the podium screens in front of you! It’s time to see if you morons got the right person! Who will be chosen as the blackened, hmm? Will you make the right choice? Or the dreadfully wrong one?” His horn sparked, and the screens on our podiums switched from evidence display to a selection of faces, sixteen in all. “You have thirty seconds to vote! Don’t forget now! If you fail to vote, it will result in your death!” He rubbed his forehooves together with glee, grinning widely. “And I’d love a good excuse to put one of you sad sacks out of my misery! Your time begins… now!”

I stared down at my screen, at the sixteen pictures lined up in a four by four square. Wallflower’s was crossed out, of course. Not much point in voting for someone who’s already dead. For an instant, just an instant, I considered refusing to vote, letting the timer run down to nothing, just to see if Monoponi’d follow through. Then I immediately pushed on Timber’s face, selecting him as my vote target, because I wasn’t suicidal.

Thirty seconds later, right on cue, the holographic display in the middle lit up with a floating image of a vote tally. Fourteen votes, all for Timber Spruce.

“Well well, would you look at that?” Monoponi said. “Upupupu, Timber, what did you do? Or not do, rather! You didn’t vote! Eyahahaha!” He shook with laughter, holding his forehooves to his belly as he rolled back and forth in the air. “You must really want to die! Ahahaha!”

“No! No I don’t!” Timber cried, shaking his head so vigorously I thought it’d fall off altogether. “I don’t want to die! Please, please, please don’t kill me!”

“Too bad for you, that’s not an option anymore!” Monoponi replied as his horn lit up, replacing the tally screen with one of a spinning wheel labeled with a picture of each of us, the wheel slowing down slowly, slowly, till a pointer fell on Timber’s face. The word “GUILTY!” exploded into existence above the wheel in a cascade of fireworks.

“Congratulations! You got it right! The killer of Wallflower Blush was none other than Timber Spruce, the Ultimate Camp Counselor!” Monoponi struck a pose, spreading out his wings and hooves. “I’m so proud of you, my little passengers! I wasn’t sure if you could do it, but you did!”

“Proud? You’re proud of us?!” Diamond Tiara roared as she hauled herself atop her podium so she could get closer to the hovering Monoponi. “You put our lives on the line! You kidnapped us! You took our memories away!”

“Aaand?” Monoponi chortled, and buzzed over to float just out of Tiara’s reach.”I didn’t make you do a thing! All I did was provide comfort, peace, and tranquility to my lovely passengers, the luxuries which everyone craves. It was one of you who chose to disrupt this wonderful voyage because they were so selfish! So selfish that they thought their own life was more important than all of yours.”

“Oh screw you!” Flash retorted, holding up a middle finger to flip Monoponi off. “That’s a bunch of crap and you know it!”

“Buuuuut,” Monoponi said, ignoring Flash to look squarely at me, “Little Miss Sunset got just a few details wrong!”

What? “I did?”

Lighting his horn, he activated the holographic display. “Why don’t we see for ourselves, hmm?”

~*~
Wallflower traipsed towards the Lover’s Corner, the note she’d received gripped in her right hand. With her left, she tapped at her pocket, confirming the small knife she’d stolen from the bakery earlier that day was still safely secured. “Still can’t believe I’m doing this,” she grumbled to herself.

Once she arrived, she took a seat, facing towards the promenade. When she caught sight of who was coming, her face twisted up in disgust. “Oh my god. Seriously? It’s you?” she muttered.

“Hey there!” Timber said as he walked into view, breathing heavily. “Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner.” He wiped sweat off his brow, dried the back of his hand on his shirt, then pulled out a water bottle from his backpack. “I brought drinks! Nothin’ hard, but I figured we’d take it slow.” He offered it up to Wallflower.

She scoffed and batted the bottle away. “No thanks. I only came out here because I was wondering who’d write this creepy note. I should’ve figured it was you.” She tossed the note backwards over the railing, and started to leave.

Timber immediately got in her way. “Woho, hey, you’re not leaving already, are you?” He said, his voice taking on a sinister tone.

Wallflower’s hand went to her pocket. “Move it, jerk! I’m not interested!”

“Oh come on, don’t you want something to drink at least? I mean I did bring it all this way to--”

With a quick flick of her wrist Wallflower drew the knife, holding it up to Timber’s face. “What part of move it did you not understand?!”

Timber dropped the bottle in his haste to raise his hands. The cap, already loosened, came off as it hit the floor, spilling the contents everywhere. “Whoa, whoa, sorry!!” he spluttered, taking a few steps back so he was no longer blocking her path. “You don’t need to pull a knife on me, jeez.”

Wallflower carefully kept facing him as she circled around him till she was close to the passage to the cabins, her knife at the ready. Only once she was a good ten feet away from him did she lower it, if only by a few inches. “Then don’t get in my way next time,” she said. Scoffing, she turned on her heels and started walking away, keeping her knife held at her side.

Timber reached into his backpack, withdrew one of his makeshift nylon ropes, then in one smooth motion closed the distance between him and Wallflower and wrapped it around her neck like a garrote. She gasped for air, one hand going for her throat while the other reversed her grip on the knife and jabbed it in his direction wildly. She missed, getting in a few more close jabs before Timber, while using one hand to hold the garrote, managed to grab the knife out of her hand and tossed it well over the railing and into the sea. Then he wrapped one leg around Wallflower’s to hold her closer as he brutally choked her. She thrashed and flailed, her eyes bugging out until slowly, they closed, and she slumped in his grip.

He immediately released his rope, and held a finger to her carotid artery. “Damn it, you were supposed to drink the water.” He set her down gently on the floor, and watched her for a moment till he saw her chest slowly rise then fall as she took a breath, still unconscious. Then he went back for his fallen bottle. “Ah shit!” he said when he spotted the empty bottle. He tossed it over the railing, then knelt down. “Crap, where’d the cap go?!”

A groan from Wallflower caused Timber to whirl, eyes full of panic. “Crap, crap, crap!” He muttered to himself as he dug into his backpack and pulled out the zolpidem. He dumped the last of the contents into his hand, a good three or four pills, then strode over to Wallflower and shoved them into her open mouth. He held her neck gently as he used two fingers to stroke her throat, making her dry swallow the pills. “Sorry about choking you, Wallflower,” he said quietly. “I was trying to make this painless.”

Then he slapped a hand to his head. “Aww crap, now how’m I gonna do this? I don’t have enough pills left!” He started snapping his fingers over and over. “Come on, think, think… augh, I don’t have time for this!” Kneeling down, he tied her wrists together, then took out his other rope to tie her ankles. Then, shifting around, he reached down and grabbed her by the torso from under her armpits and quickly dragged her backwards out of sight.

The camera view shifted to the Sushi King kitchen as Timber carried the bound Wallflower inside and behind the counters, then dropped her. He wiped more sweat off his brow and doubled over, shaking. “God… I dunno if I can do this now!” he whimpered.

Then he slapped his cheeks a few times and stood up straight. “No, come on Timber. Do it for Gloriosa. You got this.” He took several deep breaths, slowly breathing in then quickly breathing out. “Okay. Just gotta do something they won’t expect.” He started throwing open cabinets, the pantry, mulling his options. Then he opened the walk-in freezer. “Might as well get rid of something while I'm at it,” he murmured. He got down and looked inside the vent, then pulled out a familiar first aid kit from his backpack. He slid it in, having just enough reach to get his arm around the corner, and threw it as hard as he could, hearing it clatter against the far wall further down the vent. “There. Least that’s hidden. Now what do I…” He looked down at the open bag of ice at his feet, then snapped his fingers. “Of course! This way they’ll never figure it out!”

He took the bag out with him, dropping back down by Wallflower’s side. He took a moment to stare at her breathing, unconscious form.“I really am sorry, Wallflower,” he said as he carefully opened the plastic bag. “I wouldn’t do this if I had a choice, I swear. I’ll try to be quick, okay?”

He pulled out a long, narrow piece of ice from the bag, opened up her mouth, and raised it over her head.
~*~

The image on the display abruptly winked off. “There, see what I mean?” Monoponi said in a teasing tone.

I shuddered and wrapped my arms around myself. “I really didn’t need to watch that.”

“None of us did,” Apple Bloom moaned, tears running down her face. “Poor Wallflower.”

“Looks like you gave him a bit too much credit, Sunset,” Adagio said, sneering at Timber, whose only reaction to the footage was to quietly sob. “He was just an idiot after all.”

“Indeed he was!” Monoponi said as he returned to his throne. “And now you’re about to see what happens to idiots who fail to get away with murder.”

“Wait! Wait!” Timber shouted, his eyes red and puffy from all the crying he’d been doing, his face a mess of snot. Even his clothes were all askew, sweat-drenched and filthy from how much he must’ve been stewing during the trial. “Please! Just tell me! What happened to my sister?!”

“Gloriosa? Who cares!” Monoponi burst out laughing. “You know what’s rich, Timber? What’s really, truly rich? You didn’t even pick the right target! You should’ve killed someone else!”

“W-what?” Timber held out his hands in shock. “What the hell are you talking about?! I don’t care about that anymore! I just want to know if Gloriosa’s okay!”

“Seriously, tell the man for goodness’s sake!” Rarity added in a furious shout as she stomped away from her podium to stand before the throne.

“Tell me Timber, in that meek, pathetic, vulgar little mind of yours,” Monoponi continued as his horn lit up to shove Rarity back over to her podium so fast the poor woman was knocked ass over teakettle. “Do you remember who that man was, the one you owed so much money to?”

Diamond Tiara’s eyes bulged and she let out a wordless gasp. “No,” I heard her whisper. “No way.”

Timber shook his head. “No! I don’t! And I don’t give a crap either!” He fell to his knees, holding up his hands as if praying to Monoponi like he was a god. “Please! Just please, man, tell me if Gloriosa’s okay! I just want to know if she’s okay!”

“Why, that man, that sneaky, low down filthyscoundrel, was none other than Filthy Rich! Diamond Tiara’s precious daddy!” Monoponi pointed a hoof squarely at Tiara as he spoke. “And to think, you actually had a chance for revenge! And you wasted it, killing some pointless nobody no one ever gave a damn about! Ahahahaha! Oh it’s so rich it hurts! Ahahahaha!”

Timber whirled on Tiara, a flurry of emotions dancing on his face so thick all I could make out was sorrow. He stomped over to the poor girl and grabbed her wrists, causing her to shriek as she tried desperately to wrench herself away from his grip. But he was holding on far too tight. “Did you know about this?” he said, his voice hesitant and shaky. “Did… did your father hurt my sister? Please, answer me!”

“No!” Diamond Tiara finally tore herself away and fled, surging past the rest of us to try and hide in a corner of the room, panic etched all over her features. Any trace of composure she usually had was gone, replaced by naked fear. “No, please! I didn’t know anything! I didn’t know Daddy owned your land! And I don’t know what happened to your sister!”

Timber raced after Tiara and trapped her in that corner, looming over like he was prepared to end her life there and then, and screw the rules. But he wasn’t trying to hurt her. He was just holding on to her, asking her over and over, “Where’s my sister? Tell me! Tell me!”

“Diamond Tiara!” Flash cried as he ran forward and yanked Timber away from Tiara, wrapping him up in a full nelson to try and keep him pinned. “Run!”

That pissed Timber off. “Let go of me! Damn it, I said, let go of me!” Timber grunted and screamed as he managed to elbow Flash in the stomach, sending poor Flash reeling to the floor, clutching his stomach in agony.

“Flash!” Twilight cried, running over to his side, kneeling down to examine him. “Oh my god, are you okay?”

“Yeah…” Flash groaned. “Just hurts.”

“Now then, I’ve prepared a very special punishment for Timber Spruce, the Ultimate Camp Counselor!”

Diamond Tiara ran screaming all the way to the opposite side of the room as Applejack and Rainbow Dash fled their podiums, chasing after Timber who charged like a man possessed, barreling for Tiara with his hands outstretched. “Stop running, Tiara, and just tell me!” he roared.

“Don’t you dare lay a finger on her!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“Watch out, Tiara, Ah’m comin’ ta save ya!” Applejack added.

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! Iiiiiiiit’s punishment time!”

Monoponi, with a flash of his horn, summoned up a big red button, and slapped down upon it with his forehoof.

I spotted the chains in the air long before anyone else could as they flew straight for Timber. “Applejack! Rainbow Dash! LOOK OUT!” I cried.

The chains shot right through Applejack and Rainbow Dash, knocking them to the floor as they descended upon Timber, snatching a hold of his neck like a pair of snapping jaws.

“GLORIOSAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Timber cried as he was dragged back by the chains at incredible speeds, disappearing through a pair of doors we hadn’t even noticed on the other side of the courtroom chamber. Then, not just the hologram in the middle, but all the walls lit up like television screens, showcasing a sickening display:

GAME OVER

Timber has been found guilty.

Time for the punishment!

We watched in horror as Timber was dragged down a long corridor, bumping his body against random protrusions from the walls over and over until he was hauled into a large, rectangular box chamber, about eighty feet wide, full of pine trees. Each pine tree sat firmly up on a display, like a Hearth’s Warming tree that hadn’t been decorated yet.. One stood larger and taller than the others, right at the very end on the furthest right side. Timber was thrown messily into it and several new metal straps reached out to secure him to the tree in a spread eagle fashion across his arms, upper torso, legs, and ankles.

EVERFREE DEFORESTATION

Ultimate Camp Counselor

Timber Spruce

Execution: Executed

At first, I couldn’t figure out what was supposed to kill him. He was just stuck there, stuck to the tree, eyes darting back and forth in panic. And then I saw it.

Monoponi, standing all the way at the left end of the line of trees, holding a massive chainsaw in his magic. With a swift wave of his horn, he yanked on the chain, starting up the chainsaw as he grinned maliciously. The chainsaw whirled to life, spitting and hissing like a whole herd of angry cats before buzzing like mad as Monoponi took to slicing through the first tree.

I watched Timber’s eyes widen so large I thought they’d pop out of his skull as he started screaming, begging, pleading for his life as he pointlessly pulled on his bonds. The straps squeezed on him tighter, etching into his arms and scoring vicious lines of pink. The harder he fought, the firmer their grip became.

Tree after tree fell to Monoponi’s chainsaw in a horribly drawn out process as Timber screamed, the pain of his bonds getting to him to the point that all he could do was thrash, what little movement he had left wasted in a futile attempt to escape.

Then the tree just before him crumpled to the deck. Timber cried out once more, begging for someone, anyone to come and help. To come save him from his fate.

But nobody came.

Monoponi’s chainsaw descended upon Timber’s arm, and his shrieks of pure unadulterated pain filled our ears. Tearing his arm up until it resembled a pile of ground beef, the chainsaw got stuck, for just a moment, on his humerus. Monoponi tugged, grunting as he tried to wrestle it free, even as Timber screeched ever louder. Then it popped loose with a sickening squelch, severing what was left of his arm. Monoponi pivoted on one hoof and sank the chainsaw into the other arm, mulching it up into bits and pieces of torn muscle, sinew, and fat. Timber's shrieks of excruciating agony ripped from his throat in an unearthly wail. With both arms severed, Monoponi held the bloody chainsaw up like a trophy, cackling like mad.

Timber, doubled over as far as his bonds would allow, choked and spat up blood, half unconscious but still very much alive. Monoponi, the chainsaw roaring, reached up with a bit of his magic and slapped Timber across both cheeks, stirring him into looking up. Timber's eyes bugged out of his sockets as Monoponi, with one final cackle, plunged the chainsaw into his groin and with one deft tug sent it slicing through the rest of his body and the tree, splitting him in half at the hip. Pink blood filled the screens, drowning out the rest of Timber’s awful, horrible death and sparing us the gory view of his dismembered corpse.

As the final shrieks of Timber’s death throes faded, the screens disappeared, replaced by walls once more. Monoponi flashed back into existence on his podium and sat back, patting himself. “Aaah! An execution sure is a wonderful way to relax, don’t you think?”

“AAAAAAAAAAH!” Scootaloo screamed, diving behind her podium away from the mad pony.

“Oh my god oh my god what the heck is this what the heck--” Sweetie babbled as she fell back onto her rear end.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash, with matching bruises on their backs, stumbled to their feet and trudged back over. Rainbow Dash made for Fluttershy and held the poor dear tight as Fluttershy wept into her shoulder. Applejack, meanwhile, embraced her younger sister. “Ah’m so sorry you had to see that, Apple Bloom. That weren’t right. That weren’t right at all.”

Pinkie Pie collapsed to her knees, her cheeks bulged, then she ducked her head behind her podium to spare us the sight, if not the sound, of her heaving up sick.

Trixie wordlessly squealed and leapt for the nearest person, who ended up being Rarity, nearly throttling the poor woman to death as she squeezed hard begging and pleading in an indistinguishable stream of noise.

“You are one sick bastard!” Flash groaned, still holding his stomach and trying to take deep breaths.

“That was… more brutal than I expected,” Adagio commented. Even she looked a little green under the gills.

“You monster,” I growled, pointing an accusatory finger at Monoponi. “You sick monster! What kind of pony does that to someone?! You’re not a pony at all, are you?!”

“Oh come now, Sunset, you knew what was going to happen!” Monoponi replied, staring right back at me with cold, unfeeling eyes. “Why should this execution be any different?”

“Because I was hoping that somewhere inside you, you might actually have a proper shred of equine decency!” I fired back. In the process I found myself raising my right leg and kicking it backwards into my podium. Like a pony would.

“Oh? Ohohohoho?” Monoponi rose from his throne, his eyes flashing crimson. “Equine decency, you say? What are you talking about, Sunset? Don’t you mean human decency?”

Diamond Tiara, who’d managed to make her way back to her podium, tears running down her face from her encounter with Timber, stared wide eyed at me. “Yeah, what, what are you talking about, Sunset?”

“Don’t change the subject!” I countered. “Nevermind the term I used! You’re ignoring my point! What kind of monster are you?!”

Monoponi rolled his red eyes and put on a mocking tone. “‘Oh, what kind of monster are you Monoponi? Oh don’t kill us Monoponi! Oh have some decency Monoponi!’ SHUT IT!” he roared at the end, his horn lighting up to summon a massive kraka-thoom! of thunder. “I’m tired of listening to your incessant whining! You’ve ruined the good mood I got from putting an end to that little piece of trash that called himself a human being. All of you, get the hell out of my courtroom! Now!”

As a group we all shuffled back towards the elevator, our spirits deflated. Despair. To me, it had just been a word to use in writing, or a term I’d read. I’d never understood what despair truly was. Not until that moment. Not until I watched as all fourteen of us who were left filled the elevator, each of us sobbing or crying or otherwise overwhelmed with sadness and fear at what we’d seen.

But now I did. Despair was cold, dark, empty. It gnawed at you like a wild animal, eating away from inside until you were hollowed out, left as just an empty shell. It ate away until nothing was left but the emptiness itself.

We were all empty. Lost. Scared. Alone. I watched everyone’s eyes dart about between each other in suspicion as we rode the elevator back up to the promenade. No one trusted anyone else anymore, save for those they already knew. How could we trust in each other now? Now that Timber spilt the first blood?

I was regretting my actions there in the courtroom, at the last moment. I shouldn’t have been demanding to know what kind of monster Monoponi was. I should’ve been asking why. Why was this happening to us?

It wasn’t because the mastermind or ringleader or whoever it was running the show cared about hope versus despair. I hadn’t even heard Monoponi echo the word despair once in the past few days. So whoever they were, they weren’t just aping the philosophy of the games for their own ends. We didn’t have a Junko Enoshima on our hands. I wasn’t sure if I should be grateful for that, or all the more terrified.

So why? What was the point? My mind whirled as I thought endlessly about this problem. I didn’t pay attention to anything else when the elevator arrived on the promenade. I simply stumbled to my room, shut the door and locked it. Maybe someone had been talking to me, or talking to the others, but if they were I didn’t hear them.

I thought back to what Monoponi had said earlier, during the trial.

~*~
“Well, let me put it this way then. There’s one very special individual out there who’s getting to see everything you’re up to. And they might be closer to you than you might think.” He pointed his hoof squarely at Twilight.

“Me? What?” Twilight held a hand to her breast. “I don’t understand. Who is it?”
~*~

That made no sense to me at all. Twilight was just another human being. Nothing she’d said indicated she was from Equestria. Hell, she’d been denying the existence of magic from the moment she’d set foot on the ship, at least until Monoponi transformed the wall into a set of gates. I don’t think she was denying it anymore after that, or at least I’d hoped she wouldn’t.

So what could he be talking about? It’s not like there was anyone she’d know in Equestria either. So why?

Wait...

Was it possible that there was another Twi--

My whole head pounded as if a freight train had suddenly derailed and rolled over me. I couldn’t focus or concentrate. I fell over on my bed, grabbing my head in agony as I fell onto the floor. My stomach churned until I had to once again make for the bathroom, just like I had the first time I woke up.

“God,” I choked once I was done retching. I flushed away the sick and stood up at the sink to wash out my mouth. “Why won’t you let me remember, Monoponi?” I wondered aloud after spitting out water into the sink. “What is your game?”

A loud knock knock knock came at the door, eliciting another pained groan. “What now?” I grumbled as I trudged over to throw it open.

“Hey there,” Adagio greeted, her demeanor lacking her usual combination of seduction and grace. She fidgeted with her hands as she spoke. “Mind if I come in?”

Adagio, huh? I guess I could use the distraction.

“Sure,” I said with a shrug, and moved to let her inside. Adagio plopped down onto the end of the bed. I locked the door again then joined her. “What’s up?”

Adagio didn’t answer straight away. She stared at the floor, her hands twiddling, until she finally looked up and said, “I’m scared.”

Wow. Never thought I’d hear her say that. “Scared? You?” I said, trying to smile to make it seem like a joke, though inside I was brimming with confusion. So much for thinking she’d never admit it. How many more things will I be wrong about today?

But she didn’t smile back. “Yeah. I’m scared, Sunset.” She wrapped her arms around herself, her face briefly twisting into a familiar look of predatory rage before she relaxed. “I’ve never admitted that to someone else before. Never. But, well, here I am.” She shook her head slowly, her hands twisting into that familiar claw-like motion. “That Monoponi is messed up in the head. Insane. I thought he’d do something simple to Timber, like shoot him, or-or stab him or something. Instead, he… that chainsaw…” She shuddered so hard I almost thought for a second she might fall off the bed before she stilled again. “I’ve never seen someone experience so much pain in their life. And it wasn’t like… well…”

I cocked my head to the side, curious, but I didn’t say a word. I just waved a hand, urging her to continue. “You asked me before, Sunset, what I am. You suggested I was a dragon. Well, I’m not.” She looked up, her eyes met mine, and right before me they seemed to shift into eyes more like a cat’s as the ghostly image of scaly wings appeared on her shoulders. For just the briefest of instants, this struck me as horrifyingly familiar. Then that feeling vanished, along with the changes to her appearance, as if they had just been a mirage.

“I’m a siren. That means that, in Equestria, I fed on negative emotions. Not pain, but anger, hatred, fear. They fed me, sustained me. My sisters and I, we feasted upon village after village. But then we were exiled here, on Earth, by Starswirl the Bearded.”

“A siren?” I gasped, backing away slightly without even meaning to. And suddenly, everything she’s done makes perfect sense. No wonder she’s been so seductive! It’s just an aspect of her species!

“Yes. A natural enemy of ponies, I know,” Adagio answered. Her hands curled open and closed repeatedly, as if she was trying to sharpen the claws she once had. “A few years ago, my sisters and I found out Equestrian magic had come to this world. It was our chance to return to our former glory. But I don’t remember what happened next.” She hissed under her breath. “Someone stopped us, shattering our necklaces, gemstones that held what little was left of our siren magic. I don’t know who, though if I ever find out..” She made a wringing motion with her hands. “Ever since, I’ve been unable to sing, which makes Monoponi’s little title of Songstress for me ironic, to say the least.”

She sighed, blowing it out through her teeth to make a whistling noise. “I don’t know where my sisters are, or why I ended up here by myself. But you’re the only one I feel I can trust. You proved that today, in the courtroom. Even if you’re a pony, you’re still… Equestrian. Like me.”

Her eyes met mine once again, naked fear shimmering like oil on a pool of amethyst colored water. “I don’t want to be alone right now, Sunset. I’m too afraid someone’s going to try and kill me. I’ve lived for a very, very long time, and I really, really, really don’t want to stop now. Not here. Not like this. Not as some victim of some twisted little mind game.”

At first, I didn’t say a word. Now that I knew she was a siren, my pony instincts were blaring like mad, screaming every word she spoke was a lie, she couldn’t be trusted, she was just trying to use me for her own ends. She’d use me up and then discard me, like an empty juice box. She was going to kill me, and I should throw her out on her ass and lock the door. At least, that’s what my instincts were saying.

I shoved that all down back into the hole it came from. I wasn’t about to let some instinctual racism stop me from doing what was right. Adagio came to me. She needed me. As a person. And if I was honest to myself, I didn’t want to be alone either. Not if I didn’t have to be.

So I opened up my arms and wrapped them around her shoulders, pulling her against me. I felt her resist, just for the briefest of seconds, before she let out a sigh and nuzzled her face into my shoulder. Her full head of bushy bright orange hair obscured my vision, rubbing up against my face till I could hardly see anything else. “It’ll be okay,” I said gently, running a hand up and down her back in a soothing motion. “I’ll help protect you.”

She laughed, but instead of sounding sadistic, cruel, or harsh, it was honest. Sincere. Full of relief and, to my surprise, just a hint of joy. “Can’t believe I’m doing this. If my sisters saw me, I’d never live it down.” She shifted in place to get more comfortable. “Thank you, Sunset.”

“Hey, we’re friends. It’s what friends do,” I said, laughing right along with her.

“Friends. Never thought I’d actually like that word.”

She held me close for quite a long time before suddenly, without warning, she bent her head up and kissed me, hard. It was furious, full of passion, and took me completely by surprise.

I loved it.

When she released the kiss, leaving me utterly flummoxed, she pulled back, her whole face aflame with a blush of embarrassment. “I just...it seemed like…” She hissed, drawing back entirely from me and got to her feet. “That was stupid of me. Maybe I should go after all.”

“No, wait!” I said, reaching out to take her hand. “You just surprised me. It’s okay.”

Her eyes glanced down at my hand, then at the door, then back to my hand. Then, slowly, she sat back on the bed, still keeping some distance. “Sorry,” she repeated, the word spoken reluctantly, like she’d had to reach in and drag it out by hand.

I snickered, shifting over on the bed so I could wrap my arms around her. “Nothing to be sorry about,” I said teasingly. “I liked it.”

Her head shot up to look at me, stunned. “You did?”

“Yeah,” I answered, snuggling up even closer. “I did.”

A half grin tugged at her mouth. “...good.” She stayed silent for several long minutes, just letting me hold her. “...want to do it again?

“God yes.”

Our lips met once more. We fell back on to the bed, and found comfort there together, in our passions. We might be trapped in a killing game, but we weren’t going to let that stop us from living our lives.

Author's Note

So, now you know what happened and why. Timber had a completely different plan in mind at first, and some of what happened was the result of desperation. Just like any first crime in Danganronpa, there are obvious, easy mistakes, and Timber made tons of them. I go into a lot more on my blog about my feelings regarding Timber here.

This chapter also introduces the second whirlwind romance: Sunsagio! How will this turn out? Well, you'll have to keep reading to see.

On Wednesday, we will not be starting Chapter Two. Instead, you'll be getting something a little bit... different. What might it be? You'll see~ :twilightsmile:

Interlude 1

INTERLUDE

1

Canterlot, Equestria, two days later.

Life, Princess Twilight Sparkle decided, was pretty good. She leaned back in her new favorite reading chair, the third one she’d had to get this year, with the newest book on release from one of her favorite new authors, a pegasus living down in Baltimare who wrote the most thrilling adventures she’d read since Daring Do. She stretched out all six limbs to the fullest extent, almost whopping Spike in the face in the process.

“Hey, careful, Twilight,” he said, ducking under her outstretched wing. The dragon stood almost six feet tall now, his own wings almost as wide as hers. He’d grown up fast in the six years or so since she’d become Princess of all of Equestria, and was now able to meet her eye to eye.

Not that he was the only one who’d grown fast. “Whoops, sorry!” she said, blushing as she drew in her wings and rested them against her body. She was easily the size of Princess Luna now, and still wasn’t used to her new wingspan. At least her growth tended to come in sudden spurts instead of slowly over time. It was easier to deal with that way.

“Eh,” Spike shrugged. He hopped onto the nearby couch, his own book handy. “No biggie.”

“Haha, very funny,” Twilight said dryly. She turned her attention to her book, and just as she engrossed herself in the latest passage about the heroine’s brief love affair with a former enemy, there was a loud knock at her study door.

“Spike, could you get that please?” Twilight said, not looking up from her book. She was on break, darn it. Her duties as Princess could wait.

“Sure thing!” Spike hopped up from the couch, and soon returned bearing a box in his hands. “Huh. Just a postal delivery for you. Looks like it’s urgent.”

Twilight sighed and carefully floated her book down onto her chairside table. “Fine. Let me see it.”

Spike handed over the package, which Twilight took very carefully in her magic. The postal service for the castle was very good about sorting her mail, keeping her from being trapped under a massive deluge of fan mail, complaints, and the odd assassination attempt. Equestrians weren’t very good at them, being a peaceful species by nature, but that didn’t stop the occasional weirdo from trying.

But even so, Twilight insisted on performing her own magical scans of the package. Not because she was afraid of her own people--she wasn’t--but because of an incident that occurred several years ago.

Back when Twilight first became Princess of all Equestria, she’d had to lead a coalition of ponies and various neighboring species to defeat three powerful foes: the centaur Lord Tirek, the former Queen of the Changelings Chrysalis, and a pegasus filly turned alicorn named Cozy Glow. All three villains had been dealt with in the past, and had combined their powers thanks to Discord being rather silly in thinking she needed the challenge. In retrospect, she appreciated it more than she’d thought she would, now that it was years later. Probably because the destruction to Canterlot Castle meant she got to redecorate.

The three villains had been petrified in the process of stopping them, and for a time their statue had been placed--and securely monitored 24/7--in a new park built right outside of Ponyville. They remained secured there for a good four months. And then, they escaped. No one knew how. The guards on patrol at the time had seen no one, pony or otherwise, anywhere nearby other than the usual residents of the town. No magic signature was detected. She even had King Thorax come in with some of his best changelings to sweep the area, just in case any unreformed changelings were still around and had helped their former Queen escape.

It was all to no avail. There’d been no sign. Neither head nor tail had ever been spotted, in Equestria, in the Dragonlands, the Badlands, Farasia, Saddle Arabia, Mount Aeris… nowhere. They’d just vanished. Every few months Twilight took the time to cross over into the human world, but there’d been no sign of anything there either. No new enemies cropping up to wreak harm, no wild Equestrian magic turning yet another innocent person into a villain of the week.

Still, caution was necessary. New standards of security had been enacted at every major Equestrian governmental facility. There was more tension in the air in high-population density cities, such as Manehattan and Canterlot. Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow were three of the worst villains ever to terrorize her people. Twilight wasn’t about to risk them suddenly reappearing and inciting more tribal violence or staging another takeover. She was certain they’d resurface.

At least, she had been, until they finally found them, one year ago. Or rather, what was left of them. They’d somehow ended up embedded in a glacier on the top of Mount Everhoof, their bodies trapped eternally in ice, locked in the death throes of combat. Tirek had used his horns to eviscerate Chrysalis even as she impaled Cozy Glow on her own horn. The sight had soured more than a few stomachs, including her own. What had caused them to fight like that, she doubted they’d ever know. They were dead now. She’d made certain of that herself. Their corpses were authentic. No trickery, no fakes. Sometimes she wondered if Discord had been behind it. He certainly spent a lot of time whistling nonchalantly after the discovery.

Everything seemed well since then. Sure, there was still the occasional issue she had to run into or send friends to deal with, but unlike the wild ride of the past few years or so since Twilight had first moved to Ponyville following Luna’s return, everything was peaceful.

But she’d grown used to the security procedures. Just because the original reason they were enacted was gone didn’t mean they weren’t still wise. So she took it seriously, just as she had every other mail delivery. She scanned it over several times. The package did possess a magical signature, but not a hostile or familiar one. Magic wasn’t inherently bad in a package, after all. It could be someone had sent her some brand new piece of magitek. She had been slowly but surely introducing a number of ideas she’d borrowed from the human world, and the benefits of new technologies being carefully introduced and adapted boosted the economy and made her people even more prosperous than before.

As such, after performing every scan she could think of, Twilight shrugged and opened up the package. The contents were not what she’d expected, to say the least. Baffled, she set the object inside on her desk. “Spike, is this what I think it is?”

“Whoa!” Spike hopped back up from the couch where he’d been reading and with two quick flaps of his wings was hovering right by her desk. It was an old habit from when he first got his wings, when he was still so short he couldn’t even see the top. Of course he didn’t need to do it anymore, but whenever he got excited he did it anyway. Twilight thought it was adorable and chose never to say a word about it. “Yeah, I think it is!”

“But, why?” Twilight cocked her head to the side, her ears going flat against her skull. “I wasn’t planning on introducing this kind of device for a good ten or fifteen years to anyone.” Now more concerned than ever, Twilight floated the box over to check the return address. “No return address. Darn. Where did this come from?”

Twilight glared down at the offending object. It was a television set. And not just any kind of television set, but a plasma flat-screen TV, the same kind she’d seen Sunset shell out a couple months pay for just so she could play games on a larger screen. It was wildly advanced technology, full of integrated circuits and liquid crystal displays and various things even Twilight still didn’t fully understand. It was far in advance of anything she’d introduced to her people, and was entirely out of place.

Perhaps most concerning of all, it had come with a power adapter, to let her plug a human-world style electrical plug into an Equestrian style magitek outlet, like the ones she used for her desk fan and desk light. Considering the difficulties she’d had with the natural tendency of portals between the worlds to transform objects and people into local equivalents rather than pass through unchanged--one of the many reasons she hadn’t even bothered to introduce integrated circuits yet, let alone ones as complex as in this television--the very fact this existed had Twilight deeply worried.

“Twi, you think this might have something to do with---”

Twilight held up a hoof, and Spike quieted immediately. “No. I doubt it. If it was Discord, the television would’ve already exploded into a cream pie or something.” She chuckled wryly. “Fluttershy’s been such a good influence on him. He hasn’t even pranked me for a good few moons.”

Spike shrugged. “Want me to plug it in, then?”

Twilight nodded. “Might as well.” Twilight was pretty sure the magical signature she’d picked off the television was some kind of transmission. It wouldn’t pick up anything local, because there was nothing local to pick up, but still.

With a few swift movements, Spike hooked up the adapter and plugged the television into the outlet. The instant he did, the screen switched on, revealing a unicorn pony with one of the oddest coat and mane combinations Twilight had ever seen. He--for he was certainly a stallion, even if he was rather short--was black on one side of his body, white on the other, straight down the middle as if he’d coated one half of his body in paint. His eyes were a deep crimson, staring out right from under his horn with a cold, sadistic gaze that immediately sent Twilight's nerves aquiver.

And then the alicorn spread his wings, one feathered in white, one black and leathery, and Twilight knew something was very, very wrong. “Upupupu!” The stallion cackled, holding up a forehoof to his mouth. “Twilight Sparkle! It’s about time you received my package!”

Twilight took a step back, her horn lit up ready to summon up one of any number of types of shield spells. “Get behind me, Spike,” she ordered, and her adopted little brother hopped to it at once. “Who are you?”

“Moi? Oh, I’m so happy you asked, Twilight! I am Monoponi.” The stallion struck a pose, extending his wings out to their fullest as he stood up on his hind legs, in the process revealing his cutie mark, a jagged red lightning-bolt. “No one special, really. Just someone who has sixteen of your very best friends under his control.” He gasped, dropping onto his hooves. “Ooops. Did I say sixteen? I meant fourteen! Ahahahaha!”

“Spike! Get Gallus for me. Now!” Twilight cried. She raised up a sparkling purple shield covering the half of the room Spike was in, protecting him even as he bounded for the door. Turning her attention back to the television, she said, “What are you talking about? Who do you have?”

“You know, I was really hoping to show you before they started making a mess of things, but you know the Equestrian mail service. It’s always a little bit… derpy.”

Twilight’s horn sparked, spreading a small shield below her hoof even as she stomped it hard on the marble, preventing damage while still making a very loud crack! “I asked you a question! Answer me! Who are you?”

“Oho, look at the princess! Getting mad already, Twilight? You’re just like yourself, you know? Or is that other self? I don’t know anymore! Upupupupu!” Monoponi chortled, glaring straight into Twilight’s eyes and not backing down an inch.

Twilight wasn’t stupid. She’d grown over these past few years, not just literally in size, but in maturity as well. That’s not to say she was immature when she took power over her country; she was a bit childlike, but she was also still a very young mare at the time, barely into her twenties. Now, closer to thirty and with several years of proper governmental experience under her hoof, she had a bit more restraint. A bit less likely to go “Twily-nanas,” as Shining liked to put it.

Obviously, intimidation wasn’t going to work. So she relaxed her stance, opting to stand quietly and patiently, waiting for Monoponi to speak again.

Monoponi stood frozen for a few more moments before he suddenly threw up his hooves and groaned. “Ugh! You’re not nearly as fun this way! Fine. You want to know so badly? I’ll tell you!”

The screen switched to a picture of several individuals Twilight recognized immediately, and despite being prepared for someone, anyone to be revealed as prisoners of this evil stallion, she couldn’t help but gasp. Instead of ponies, there were humans on the screen. She shouldn’t have been surprised, really, given the television, and yet somehow it was still a shock. She recognized them all, of course. Sunset Shimmer, her own human counterpart, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and… “Adagio Dazzle?” she muttered under her breath. “Why is she there?”

The screen changed again, revealing more. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom. Diamond Tiara, Trixie. Even Flash Sentry and Timber Spruce, along with someone with green hair and paler green skin she didn’t immediately recognize, though she seemed familiar. Wallflower Blush, maybe?

All of them were aboard some kind of ship. Twilight hadn’t had much experience with the ocean in the human world, as apart from the occasional visit to see Sunset and one particular trip they took together a few years ago, she’d never really ventured outside of Earth’s version of Canterlot. But it was definitely a ship, somewhere on the ocean.

“Look, Princess. Look upon your precious friends.”

The screen switched again, showcasing camera footage tracking Sunset and Rarity walking about the ship. There was audio this time, leaving Twilight even more confused as she listened to them introduce themselves, over and over, as if none of them had ever met. But that didn’t make any sense. Apart from that one she didn’t know, and Adagio, they were all friends, had been for years, some of them decades!

And sure, there was the occasional sign of recognition. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash still knew each other, and Applejack and Rarity knew their sisters, of course. But otherwise they were all acting like complete strangers!

“What did you do to them?” Twilight found herself asking. She couldn’t look away. She was utterly transfixed, as if the television itself had been imbued with a Want It Need It spell or something similar.

“Oh, nothing too bad,” said Monoponi as the camera footage paused, his image appearing as a smaller picture-in-picture in one corner of the screen. “I just took away their memories of each other! Ahahahaha!”

“But, why?” Twilight struggled to understand this action. It didn’t make the slightest bit of sense to her.

Monoponi held up a hoof to his mouth. “Upupupu, let’s find out, shall we?”

The footage played on, showcasing Monoponi’s debut. And as the explanation went on, and Twilight saw the nature of the game her friends were forced to play, her heart sank further and further into sheer terror, her eyes widening to the size of dinner plates, her whole body shaking like a tree branch in a hurricane. “No, nononononono!” she babbled, all sense of demeanor gone as she reverted back to the scared little anxious filly she’d always been inside. “Nonono! You can’t! You can’t do that! That’s insane! That’s horrible! What, why… why would you…”

Her heart thundered a million miles per hour as a realization came to her mind. She let out a loud, obvious gasp. “Wait… y-y-you said sixteen and then f-fourteen earlier… d-d-do you mean… no…”

Monoponi disappeared briefly from the screen as his laughter echoed over the speakers. “Upupupueyahahahahaha! You want spoilers, is that right? You want me to jump ahead? Well, I guess I can give you a little taste!”

The screen switched to a courtroom. Not one that Twilight had ever seen, but some kind of human style, set up with sixteen podiums in a circle. Fifteen were occupied by people. One… wasn’t. A part of her, a dirty, dingy, rotten part of her heart was glad it was Wallflower, whom she didn’t know very well, rather than someone else. The rest of her was disgusted at the very thought of feeling such relief.

Then it switched to another still shot, this one of Timber Spruce, strapped to a tree, staring in horror at an approaching chainsaw. The sight chilled Twilight to the bone, even as her instincts screamed it was time to start galloping away in sheer fright.

And then it switched right back to the footage it had been playing before, paused as ever. “I think that’s enough spoilers, don’t you?” Monoponi said, gesturing with a forehoof. “After all, I’ve got days worth of footage for you to watch. You’re really behind, you know?”

“Be...behind?”

“Everything you just saw a preview of, the trial?” Monoponi’s eyes flashed. “That was two days ago. That’s right! Two people, already dead, before you even knew what was happening! And more are soon to follow! Ahahahaha!”

The door to the room slammed open, and in strode Spike as well as Gallus, her brand new Captain of the Guard, a griffon that had once been one of her first, and most important, students at the School of Friendship. She’d chosen Gallus for her captain because of his loyalty, but also because he knew how to treat her like a pony and not just The Princess. Even in the few short years he’d been in the Guard, he’d distinguished himself well. “Captain Gallus, reporting as ordered, ma’am!” he said, snapping one foreclaw to his head in salute.

The spoken words of obedience helped throw a cold bucket of ice water on Twilight’s frazzled nerves, letting her summon up the courage to be Princess-like once more, rather than a scared little foal. “Gallus, I need you to put together a team. We need to track down where this package I just received came from. Make sure there are several unicorn experts at tracking spells in the group!” She pointed directly at the television. “There’s a live broadcast of some kind of signal being aimed at this thing, and we need to know where it’s coming from as soon as possible! Lives are on the line!”

“You got it!” Gallus chirped. He took flight and sped away, not even bothering to walk.

“Oh, you don’t think I’m going to make it that easy, do you, Princess?” Monoponi teased, his image taking up the whole screen once more. “You know this signal’s not coming from Equestria, riiiight?”

“That much is obvious,” Twilight snarled, surprised at the sheer amount of hatred in her voice. This stallion was getting to her. Bad. “I’m not stupid. I can see that for myself.”

“Twilight? What’s he talking about?” Spike asked, a concerned look spread across his draconic features.

“I’ll explain later, Spike. Right now, I need you to start documenting. Everything you see from this television has to be recorded, got it? No matter how bad it is, we need to keep a record.”

Spike arched a single eyebrow, but then shrugged and went for his writing supplies. He eschewed the usual quill and parchment for a typewriter instead, a decision Twilight whole-heartedly approved of.

Satisfied that her brother was up to the task, she whirled and pointed one hoof squarely at Monoponi. “As for you. Don’t you dare think for a single moment I’m going to let you get away with this!”

“Ah, there it is!” Monoponi practically swooned as he fell over for just a moment, before hopping back to his hooves. “That determination! That ferocity! That sheer belief in yourself that you have the power to stop me!” He bared his teeth, revealing jagged, cleaving incisors so unlike the usual flat pony teeth. “But you just don’t understand what you’re dealing with this time, Twilight Sparkle. This isn’t like the little games you used to play with your friends, where everyone was safe and no one ever got hurt. This time, blood has already been spilled. And more will be spilled in the future. More, and more, and more and moremoremoremoremoremoremoremoremoremore! Till every last one of your friends are dead!”

To his credit, Spike gasped, but kept typing away anyway, recording just as he was ordered even as disbelief plastered itself all over his face.

“No,” Twilight declared, sweeping one foreleg in front of her in a dismissive gesture. “Absolutely not. I don’t know who you are, Monoponi, but you won’t get away with this. I’m going to save my friends.” A few tears dripped from her eyes, but Twilight paid them no heed. “All of my friends!”

“Oh, Twilight, Twilight, Twilight… you still don’t get it, do you?” Monoponi wiggled his forehoof, tut-tutting before setting it back down. “If your goal is saving everyone’s lives, you’ve already failed! Maybe you should content yourself with what few might be left by the time you finally figure out where we are.” He shrugged, and his horn lit, pulling a large chair out from off screen so he could rest upon it. “I look forward to meeting you in person again. But for now, I think I’ll just bid you adieu, and let the footage play itself!”

Her eyebrows practically shot off her head, they rose so fast. “Wait, again?! What do you mean?”

“Ah ah ah,” Monoponi giggled. “Spoilers.”

His image vanished from the screen, replaced by the camera footage of the ship’s deck, resuming right where it had left off. As the conversation began to play, Spike cast Twilight a horrified look. “Twilight?”

Softly, quietly, Twilight took a seat next to him, and explained the situation. The further she got into it, the more furious Spike became, until she was worried he’d smash the typewriter apart. Though, if she were honest with herself, she felt pretty much the same, and wouldn’t blame him one bit. “So what’re we gonna do?” he asked once she finished.

“We’re going to do everything we can to find him, and stop him, before any more of our friends… die.” Just saying the word left Twilight feeling physically ill. It wasn’t that she wasn’t familiar with the concept of death. It was a fact of life, as true in Equestria as it was on Earth. But Equestrians just didn’t have the kind of violence that was so common in the human world. A variety of things humans accepted as just everyday criminal acts would be seen as monstrous, Tartarus-imprisonment-worthy offenses. Most of the villains she’d stopped in the past hadn’t killed anyone, and of the few that did, well… apart from Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Tirek, two others had paid the ultimate price. One, the Storm King, had basically done it to himself. King Sombra, however…

Sometimes, she regretted that. It had been in the heat of the moment, summoning the power of their friendship to defeat his magic. They were just trying to defeat him. It had been heartwarming, at the time. Inspiring. But it still erased him from existence. It still… killed him, ultimately, even if that was only because he wasn’t much more than a shadow, a spectre of a pony given flesh rather than a true pony with a true soul.

Maybe, if she was lucky, very lucky, she wouldn’t have to do the same to Monoponi. But somehow, in her heart, she already knew that was just as hopeless a wish as saving everyone. This was a monster who’d force her hoof and leave her with no other choice.

“Do you think we can?” Spike asked.

No, I don’t, Twilight thought, furious with herself for thinking it. So instead of answering with that, Twilight swallowed away the fear and shame she’d felt, and said, “I hope so, Spike. I hope so.”

Author's Note

So this is our first little look into the reason why all of this is taking place. It's also a chance for me to inject a little bit of my own take on the future of FIM, after the Ending of the End. There are many reasons why I chose to age up the Equestria Girls characters, and this was one of them. Princess Twilight is key to this entire story, and it only works if it's done post FIM. And, also, from a plausibility standpoint, she's not going to sit around when so many of her friends are missing.

My apologies to anyone who thought I was going for something other than Princess Twilight with Monoponi's initial hint. That one really was as on the nose as it seemed, and I only included it because I knew this would post soon afterwards. :twilightblush:

Who is the villain behind Monoponi? Well it's probably not you think. That's all I'll say for now.

On Saturday, we'll start Chapter Two proper.

Chapter Two: What Lurks In The Depths Part 1

Chapter Two:

What Lurks in the Depths

Daily Life Part 1

Three days after the first trial…

“Come on, pick up the pace, Sunset!” Rainbow Dash cried as she sped on ahead, still moving at full steam as she ran along the bridge deck.

“I’m--” huff “--trying--” huff “--but you’re really--” huff “--fast!” I shouted back, my shoes clanging against the metal as we ran.

“For real!” Flash said from behind me. I risked a second to peak, and saw he was having just as hard a time breathing as I was. “Do think you can maybe slow it down a bit?!”

Applejack breezed by me as we passed onto the promenade. “Come on y’all, this ain’t that bad!” she said, showing no sign of slowing down as she closed the distance on Rainbow Dash.

“Easy for you to say, AJ!” Apple Bloom said from somewhere behind Flash and myself. “Not all of us ’re workin’ on the farm these days!”

“Aw come on, Apple Bloom, that’s just stinkin’ thinkin’!”

“What does that even mean?” Scootaloo asked, panting as she passed me by.

“She probably just means you need to get more exercise, darling,” Rarity said. To my surprise she still wasn’t breathing hard at all. She was maintaining her pace easily, as though this were barely an effort on her part. Maybe she’s just got a really big set of lungs, I mused.

Our group passed through the food court, blowing right by Diamond Tiara, who was glaring furiously at a notepad as she jotted something down. The breeze of our passage scattered the pages. “Hey, watch it!” she screeched, shaking a fist in our direction.

I looked back just long enough to say, “Sorry!” as we moved on down past the restaurants. We all deliberately avoided looking at the Sushi King as we passed by it. None of us have been interested in sushi, not since…well.

We switched up to single file in the cabin corridor, smoothly passed by Twilight and Sweetie Belle, who were just inside Twilight’s room. “Woohoo, go, go!” Sweetie cheered.

“That’s four laps!” Twilight added, scratching a hash mark on a piece of paper. “One more to go!”

“Aaaugh, really?” Flash whined. “Fiiiine....”

We passed into the outdoor lounge, where Trixie and Pinkie were chatting away animatedly about something or other. Fluttershy was with them, not speaking but still interested in their conversation. Adagio sat further away, reading a book and sporting an oversized pair of sunglasses I’d picked out for her. Spotting me, she looked over the top of the glasses and flashed me a wink. I winked back as I ran by, and we moved onto the bridge deck.

“Alright, y’all, we’re almost there!” Applejack said to spur us on. “Just gotta finish this lap!”

“You guys got this!” Rainbow Dash added, throwing out two fingers from her head in some kind of salute. “I believe in you!”

I didn’t respond, too busy trying to gulp down enough air to survive the trip. We blew past Diamond Tiara, sending her notebook’s pages scattering again. “Auuugh!” I heard her groan.

Finally, as we reached the cabin corridor, we slowed down, and down, till we came to stop right in the middle, between my cabin and Twilight’s. “Okay! Alright, good job everybody!” Rainbow Dash said, clapping for us all as most of us doubled over, heaving. “That’s it for the cardio! Next up, we’ve got some muscle building!”

“Wait, what?” I asked, baffled. “You didn’t say anything about that!”

Rainbow Dash arched an eyebrow and held up her hands as if to say duh. “I did say we were gonna exercise! That includes muscle building. Gotta get in some push ups, sit ups, squats, arm thrusts--”

“Can you at least give us a minute?” Flash said, trudging over to Twilight and taking up a water bottle she held out for him. He held it over his head and squeezed, dousing himself with half of it before chugging down the rest in about five seconds. “I don’t think I’ve exercised this hard since P.E. in high school.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Sure. Take five, guys.” She wandered down the corridor towards the lounge. “When you’re ready, meet back up on the bridge deck!”

“You got it, Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo replied cheerfully.

“I do hope we’ll be doing some stretches too!” Rarity added.

“C’mon, Apple Bloom, let’s get a drink,” Applejack said, moving down to her cabin door and going inside, her sister following.

Good idea, I decided. I went into my own cabin and grabbed my water bottle, taking several long drinks and then refilling it in the bathroom sink. I splashed water on my face a few times, trying to cool down a bit. The water just added to the sweat already clinging to the tracksuit I’d picked up in the sporting goods store, leaving the whole thing utterly drenched. With a longing look at my shower and wishing I hadn’t been as quick to accept Rainbow’s offer of devising an exercise plan for our group, I left and made my way to the bridge deck.

Rainbow had already laid out several yoga mats, one for each of us, covering up the cold metal of the deck with something a bit more pleasant to lay on. Rarity was already standing on hers, stretching out her arm muscles. The others quickly joined us, and soon enough Rainbow Dash was leading us through so many stretches I could barely keep my head on straight.

“Alright, good!” Rainbow said, placing her hands on her hips, her posture and expression all business. “Now that we’re all nice and stretched, let’s partner up! We’ll start with sit ups first. Three sets of twenty-five reps’ll be plenty to start with.”

“And just what are you all doing, hmm?”

Shrieks and shouts rose from us all as Monoponi flashed into existence on the balcony, peering down at us. When no one answered him, he scowled menacingly. “Oh, please, don’t all of you answer your Captain at once!”

“W-w-w-what do you w-want?!” Rainbow Dash stammered, drawing herself up in front of most of us. Applejack and, to my surprise, Rarity both joined her, each looking ready to throw down.

Seriously. He hasn’t bothered us since the trial. It had surprised me quite a bit when, the day after the trial, Monoponi hadn’t shown his face to lord his presence over us so we’d wallow in despair. Or at least he’d throw us some kind of bone, a “present” for surviving. I’d thought that more of the ship would open up for us to explore. Maybe that’s what this was about. He’d given us just long enough to feel safe again so he could jerk the rug out from under us. After all, compared to the way we’d all been that first night we arrived, we’d all calmed down. Even Diamond Tiara had stopped insisting I was suspicious. Seems like the trial was enough to cure people of the idea I was the traitor.

Though we still haven’t figured out who it could be. Or if there even is one. Damn it. Now I’m being paranoid too.

“What, can’t your Captain check in on his passengers? Haven’t you been enjoying this delightful ocean voyage?” Monoponi’s head drooped. “Oh, what a world. Here I was, trying to be a good host, and you can’t even indulge your Captain by answering a simple question.” His head snapped back up, a grin plastered on his muzzle as he shrugged with his whole body. “Ah well. I was going to gather you all up anyway. Ahem.”

DING-DONG BING-BONG

The screens lit up with a shot of Monoponi’s face from the bridge tower balcony. “Attention all passengers!” he said, his voice echoing with the projection from the speakers. “Please gather on the bridge deck, at once!”

Everyone else filed in quickly, all bearing varying expressions of panic or worry, save for Adagio. At least, I couldn’t see it past the sunglasses. But then that was the reason I bought them for her, the morning after the trial.

~*~
Good grief I’m sore, I thought as I sat up in bed, blinking away the grogginess. I stretched out my arms and opened my mouth in a massive yawn. Then I promptly fell back against the bed, flopping on my pillow.

A great bundle of bushy orange hair moved briefly in my vision until I was face to face with Adagio. “Morning,” I mumbled, absent-mindedly reaching out and stroking her cheek.

Briefly, she flinched under my touch, drawing back, before letting out a sigh and relaxing, nuzzling her face into my hand like a cat. “Hey,” she said quietly.

“You okay?” I asked as I continued to stroke her face. I avoided letting my hand stray anywhere else. I’d learned the night before that Adagio was… not used to being touched, not lovingly anyway. The bruises on my body attested to that.

She let out a quiet little hiss, then nodded, still nuzzling my hand. “Didn’t sleep well,” she murmured.

“Oh, uh, sorry,” I said, a flush coming to my face. I dropped my hand, feeling rather embarrassed. My dumb sleepy brain decided then to add, “I wasn’t that bad, was I?”

She snorted, then burst into laughter, low and deep with a trace of bitterness, like dark chocolate. “No, Sunset. You were great. Fantastic, actually,” she said in the same husky, sensual voice she’d used to such good effect last night, when she… well, it left me shivering, anyway. Then her voice almost seemed to fall out of tune, like a broken instrument. “Just… nightmares. Bad nightmares.”

She leaned back on the bed and fell against me, filling my face with orange. I carefully pushed enough out of the way so I could see again. “Yeah, me too,” I admitted.

The trial. The back and forth arguments, accusing each other, the suspicion. The sheer rage Timber had expressed when we figured him out, only to fall to pieces afterwards. And then, the execution.

God, the execution. I would have nightmares about that for the rest of my life. However long that ended up being. No matter what he’d done, Timber just didn’t deserve to die like that. No one did. It was inhuman. No, inequine.

My jumbled thoughts briefly turned the same subject I’d considered before Adagio showed up to my cabin, but the almost immediate surge of pain in my head forced me to stop straight away. Last thing I wanted to do was upchuck all over my new… girlfriend? Lover? I didn’t know what to call her.

Friend. I decided to go with friend for now. That word, at least, was safe. And probably less likely to trigger Adagio into a flurry of embarrassed rage.

We chose to lay there in silence for a while, as if holding a silent little wake, for the two who lost their lives so pointlessly. Then, the loud noise of the morning announcement played. “We’d better get up,” Adagio said, sighing. “There’s nothing I’d like less right now, but…”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” I said, sitting up. “So uh, did you want the shower first, or--”

“Sunset,” Adagio interrupted, looking at me. “I should… I should go back to my cabin. Now. Before anyone realizes I was here.”

Uh oh. I blinked in confusion, feeling a little hurt. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“Of course you don’t.” Adagio slapped a hand to her head, and sighed softly. “Look. If any of the others know we’ve been… together… they might use that against us. It makes us vulnerable.” Adagio’s arm slipped down to wrap around herself. “Makes you vulnerable.” She looked back up at me, with sadness in those beautiful amethyst eyes. “After your performance in the trial yesterday? You’re going to be number one on everyone’s hit lists. You would be on mine, if I was stupid enough to try murder as an escape. And if I didn’t like you, which I do,” she added, a trace of amusement briefly crossing her face.

I think I understood what she was getting at now, but it still hurt. A lot. “So what you’re saying is, if others knew about us, they could use you to get to me. Or vice versa.”

“Exactly.” Adagio’s features twisted up into a mirthless smile, and she was all laughs. “And to think I call myself a siren. I’m supposed to feed on emotions like these, not feel them myself. I can hardly stand it.”

My mouth twisted up into a concerned frown, so I left the bed, walked over, and embraced her, holding her close. “Hey, it’s going to be alright. It--”

“No.” Adagio pushed me away, and I fell back onto the bed, shock written all over my face. “Don’t give me that crap. Don’t give me some empty platitude when we’re both trapped here like animals awaiting the slaughter!” Adagio’s hands were out as claws, ready to strike, her features contorted with fury. “I won’t listen to someone being so, so… naive!”

Oh here we go. My blood boiled over as I hopped to my feet. “Hey, that’s a little uncalled for, don’t you think? I was just trying to help!”

Adagio let out a furious hiss, and for the briefest of moments I thought she might actually attack me. Then, without another word, she spun on her heels, snatched her clothes off the floor, and left the room.

I didn’t see her again until after I’d finished breakfast. I was in the middle of perusing the sporting goods store, mindlessly examining a display of sunglasses out of a lack of anything better to do, when I heard Adagio clear her throat. “Hey.”

I sighed, turning to face her. “Hi.” I crossed my arms over my chest, leaned back on one leg, and waited. After a few moments of awkward silence, I said, “What do you want?”

Adagio’s eye twitched, half her face screwing up once again in anger as she pulled at the hem of her camisole. “I, I wanted to… to…apologize,” she said, every word sounding like it had been ripped from her throat. “I didn’t… I shouldn’t have...uuugh!” She reached out with one hand and knocked over a display of hoodies. “Why is this so difficult?!”

Wow. She definitely has a temper problem. But she is trying, so… “I get it,” I said with a smile, letting my arms fall to my sides. “I forgive you.”

This caught her off guard. She blinked owlishly, her mouth falling open. “You do,” she spluttered.

“Yeah.” I shrugged. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t happy about it. But you were right too. I shouldn’t just be spouting off like everything will be okay if we all just hug it out.”

“Huh.” Adagio, stunned into silence, didn’t move.

“And you were right, you know,” I said, catching her attention again. “I was thinking about it, and while I don’t like it, I’m okay with keeping things between us quiet, if you are.”

Her mouth shut with a snap. “Good,” she muttered. “That’s… that’s good. Great. Wonderful.”

“Hey you two, what’s going on over here?” Pinkie said, popping out from behind a shelf, a big grin plastered on her face. “Whatcha talkin’ about?”

“Nothing that concerns you!” Adagio growled, and shoved her way past Pinkie, stomping out of the store.

“Ow, hey! That hurt you know!” Pinkie said, rubbing at her shoulder where Adagio had bumped her. “Sheesh. What’s her problem?”

“Don’t worry about it, Pinkie.” Feeling a sudden urge, I snatched up one large pair of sunglasses, and quickly made my way out of the store after scanning my purchase through. “Hey, Adagio, wait up!”

“What?!” Adagio whirled, her fists clenched by her sides.

“Here, take these,” I said, placing the sunglasses in her hand.

Her face screwed up in confusion as she held the glasses up by two fingers, like I’d handed her a dirty diaper or something. “What for?”

“Just in case you need to protect your eyes from the sun,” I quipped, grinning. “Or from anything else.”

She arched an eyebrow, glaring at me before sudden comprehension dawned upon her. Then she flashed me a smirk of her own. “Hmph. Smart. I’ll use them, then.” For now, she slipped them into her pocket, then spun around and walked away, putting just a bit of extra sashay into her hips.

I didn’t mind that view one bit.

~*~

“So what’s this all about, huh?” Diamond Tiara demanded, shaking me out of my reverie.

Monoponi ignored her. “Are you all here? Everyone accounted for? No one trying to sneak away this time?”

“No!” Trixie cried, throwing up her hands to hide her face. “Trixie learned from her mistakes! She’ll never do that again!”

“Ahaha! Good! Now then, ahem.” Monoponi stomped his hooves once, twice, thrice on the balcony deck, stopping any whispers or murmurs. “I hope you’ve been enjoying your vacation so far, here on the wide open ocean! Your Captain has done his utmost to make things comfortable during your stay. That’s why I am proud to announce that we’re opening several brand new facilities for you!”

Looks like I was right. “You mean new places and tools for us to kill each other with, right?”

Monoponi twitched, and let out a world weary sigh. “You know, Sunset,” Monoponi groused, one back leg raising like he was ready to lash out. “I’m really getting tired of you making a mockery out of every announcement!” He leapt off the balcony and landed with a crash, stomping over to get up in my face. “You should really learn some proper manners!”

I immediately took several steps back, panic burbling up in my chest like a fountain, threatening to spill over. I could already feel, in my mind, the sensation of his magic wrapping around my throat. “That--I didn’t mean--” I really shouldn’t provoke him!

Monoponi abruptly laughed in my face, then flew back up to the balcony. “Now, ignoring the little shit who doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut. We have brand new facilities! Several new places for you to explore and find comfort in!”

“That sounds fun,” Scootaloo said.

Fluttershy grimaced, and in a surprisingly assertive gesture, she patted Scootaloo on the shoulder and said, “No, Sunset’s probably right. It won’t be fun.”

“Yeah, for real,” Flash agreed, scoffing.

Twilight glared up at the posturing pony. “Why is this only happening now?

Monoponi glowered darkly in my direction, as if daring me to answer the question, then said, “Consider it a gift! After all, you were all in serious danger from one of your fellow passengers! One who thought it was so vital to leave he put all your lives at risk! But together, you rose above it! You dealt with his dastardly deed, and as your dear Captain, I say that such teamwork deserves to be rewarded!”

“Rewarded?!” Applejack’s gaze didn’t shoot daggers from her eyes so much as full sized battle axes. “Two people died, and yer sayin’ that means we should be rewarded?!”

“Upupupu,” Monoponi giggled, holding up one hoof to his mouth. “But of course!”

“Why, Ah oughta--”

“Applejack, don’t waste yer time,” Apple Bloom snorted. “He’s just tryin’ ta rile us up. It’s what he does.”

Applejack fumed, ripping her hat off her head so she could pull at it till I could almost hear the fabric tearing. “Dirty little varmint,” she groused before putting her hat back on.

“There’d better be a spa amongst these new facilities,” Diamond Tiara said, pointedly ignoring the looks of irritation everyone shot her way. “I haven’t had my nails done or had a proper facial since we got here.”

“A spa?” I asked, myface twisted in confusion. “We’ve been trapped on this cruise ship for almost a week now, and you’re worried about a spa?”

“Well, a spa visit would be quite pleasant right about now,” Rarity admitted, and everyone’s glares shifted to her. “What? I’m not wrong!”

“That really isn’t the point, Rarity,” Sweetie Belle groaned, slapping a palm to her face.

“I’d be more interested in a library,” Twilight admitted. “I could use a few new books.”

Rainbow Dash snickered. “Yeah, you would be. Egghead.”

“Oooh, oooh,” Pinkie said, bouncing in place. “Maybe a big workshop! Then I could make a proper party cannon and we could really get to partying!”

Adagio rolled her eyes, and said sarcastically, “Yes, because a party went so well the last time…”

“Nevermind the speculation!” Trixie interrupted before anyone else could suggest anything. “We should just let him tell us what they are.”

“What kind of places, you ask? Well, you’ll just have to go and see! After all, part of the experience, the joy, the beauty of this fine ocean voyage is to discover just what delights we have in store for yourselves!”

Monoponi’s horn lit up with crimson, firing off a bolt that surged past all of us and onto the promenade. We heard the sounds of rumbling and groaning metal. “If you’ll all walk down the promenade to the food court, you’ll see, opposite the gates to the courtroom elevator is a brand new passageway, leading to your grand adventure!”

“Wait, the food court?” I found myself saying, despite my brain screaming at me to shut up and not risk any further outrage on Monoponi’s part. “What about the bulkhead near the cabins?”

“Never you mind that! That’s not important right now!” Monoponi replied. “What matters is that this is an official activity as sponsored by your Captain! So you’d better hop to it.” Then he shrugged, grinning that sadistic grin of his. “Or don’t, but then I’m not responsible for the consequences…” The gun turrets on the bridge tower whirred to life briefly, just long enough to spook us, before quieting down. And with a final laugh echoing in our ears, he teleported away.

We all exchanged glances with each other, briefly silent before Rarity stepped forward. “Well, darlings, I don’t know about you, but I think we should probably listen to him.”

“Yeaaaah, I kinda don’t need a ton of holes in my body, if you get what I mean,” Rainbow Dash said, laughing nervously as she stared up at the guns.

“Well then what’re we standin’ around here for?” Applejack said, throwing up her hands. “C’mon, let’s go, y’all!”

“‘Let’s go, y’all,’ mehmehmeh,” Diamond Tiara openly mocked Applejack with hand gestures as we all started to walk. “Like we care what you think, farmer.”

“Ya know, one of these days, that mouth of yours is gonna get you in some real trouble, sugarcube,” Applejack said, acid dripping from her words as she glowered furiously. “Bein’ a farmer ain’t nothin’ to be ashamed of.”

“Are you threatening me?” Tiara retorted, matching Applejack glare for glare.

Applejack stopped in her tracks, slowly turned, and held up a fist. The tone of her voice shifted, becoming low and disturbing. “So what if Ah am?”

Diamond Tiara reeled back as if she’d been punched. “You… you’d better not be!” She pointed a trembling finger right in Applejack’s face. “You, you’ve seen what happens! You think the others won’t figure it out?”

Applejack took a step towards Tiara. Then another. Then another. The younger woman yelped in fright, falling over and holding up her hands to shield herself. “Ah tried to protect you from Timber, Tiara, or did you forget that? Maybe Ah shouldn’t have bothered!” She stomped one leather boot barely an inch away from Tiara’s foot, raising a massive clatter from the deck. Tiara shrieked, hiding her face in her hands, shaking all over.

Then Applejack snorted, turned on her heel, and resumed making her way towards the foot court. “Coward,” she muttered.

Apple Bloom halted, staring at her older sister’s back in shock as everyone moved on. No one bothered to offer Tiara a hand. “Good grief, sis,” I heard Apple Bloom mutter. “What is your deal?”

I took a few steps back, stopped by Apple Bloom, and leaned over to speak softly. “Was that unusual for her?”

“Yeah, it was,” Apple Bloom admitted. “Ah mean, mah sister’s always had a temper. That’s just the way she is. But Ah’ve never seen her act like that before. She’s never been mean about it like that.”

“Well, she’s gonna be sorry she ever messed with me,” Diamond Tiara declared as she hauled herself to her feet. “Nobody embarrasses me like that and gets away with it.”

“Hey, you embarrassed yourself, Tiara,” Apple Bloom retorted. “Ya better not be plannin’ to hurt my sister now.”

“No, of course not, I’m not stupid,” Dimaond Tiara said, rolling her eyes. She didn’t bother looking our way as she walked off.

“Coulda fooled me,” Apple Bloom muttered.

Jeez, people, I thought as I followed after them. I wasn’t too surprised to see fractures in our group. That’s what this whole situation was designed to create: fractures. That didn’t make it any less disheartening, though, or depressing.

Sure enough, as promised, the food court had another massive gap in its walls, directly opposite the trial gate. Briefly, I glanced at the gates, noting the massive oversized padlock resting on it, so large and unwieldy it was comical. Probably Monoponi’s idea of a joke.

The actual passageway to the rest of the ship towered over us, like a continuation of the promenade, only this one was even more gaudy and opulent, if you can believe it. Massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling everywhere there was space, the whole place lit up so bright I almost felt the need to break out my own pair of sunglasses. It was wide open, and patterned with marble tiling, almost like a checkerboard. It ran for a good couple hundred feet before abruptly dead-ending in a plain wall lacking any adornments. Plenty of security cameras hung everywhere, of course, and screens popped up every so often on the walls, ensuring no one would ever miss a message or be missed by Monoponi.

Thanks to the little incident between Tiara and Applejack I was the last one to arrive, and everyone had already dispersed. There were three doors scattered down the passageway, so I decided to go for the closest one, to the left of the entryway. This one was a bit smaller in size than the other two doors, decorated with a sign above reading “Game Corner.”

Inside, I found a large room full to the brim with games. Pinball, arcade machines, pachinko, even televisions set up with the latest gaming consoles and shelves stocked full of games to choose from, locked up with a reader to scan your Monopad, naturally. My mouth watered, drool running down my chin as I surveyed all these games. I love video games. They’re one of the best things about living in the human world, and seeing all of these here, free to play, every last one of them… I wanted to stay and play forever!

But I had no time for that. Instead, I went through and surveyed what was available more specifically. Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash and, to my surprise, Fluttershy were already gaming away, Fluttershy in particular looking focused and concentrated as she worked through some kind of puzzle game. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, meanwhile, were deep into the third round of a fighting game.. And to my shock, Scootaloo was thrashing Rainbow Dash, the older woman looking more frustrated by the second. Apple Bloom and Applejack were waiting for their turn, both cheering them on.

As much fun as that would be to watch, I moved on, checking out the rest of the game room. As it turned out, the arcade machines spat out prize tickets, just like any arcade would, and there was a prize corner too. Pinkie Pie was surveying the corner with great interest, examining all of the various prizes which were locked behind barred glass windows so thick they must’ve been bulletproof. And for good reason too, because the prizes…

Were weapons. Swords, maces, axes, halberds, spears… every kind and style of melee weapon you can think of was available and ready to go. A machine gun turret hung menacingly over the prize counter, ready to unload on anyone foolish enough to try to steal anything. The sight tore great gaping holes in my very soul. Of course the prizes are weapons. What else would they be?

Pinkie Pie looked back at me, a sad expression on her face. The curls of her hair lost most of their bounce. “Oh no, Sunset, look!” she said, pointing to the weapons. Her features twisted into a dark expression of anger. “What’s wrong with that Monoponi? What kind of prizes are these, huh? These won’t make anybody happy at all!” She raised a fist as if she was going to slam it into the counter in anger.

“Whoa, whoa, don’t do that!” I blurted, rushing forward and grabbing her arm before she could trigger the gun. “Jeez, Pinkie, you could’ve gotten yourself killed!”

Pinkie blanched, leaping back away from the counter and almost dragging me to the ground in the process, staring wide-eyed at the gun turret, as if she hadn’t noticed it before that very second. “Holy moly that could’ve filled me with a lot of holies!” She looked up at me, eyes still the size of dinner plates, and added, “Thanks, Sunset!”

“Yeah, sure, just pay more attention, okay?” I said, brushing myself off.

Pinkie nodded her head so fast and so many times I thought it might fall off. “You got it, Sunny!”

“Good.” That taken care of, I approached the counter myself, giving it a closer look. As I expected, there was a register, similar to the ones the stores possesed, complete with the same function to print all receipts, though this one just took prize tickets. “Good,” I said again. “At least we’ll be able to figure out who buys what from here.”

“You… you don’t think someone else is gonna try to, to…”

“Honestly?” I gave Pinkie a sad smile. “I really hope not, but we should be ready, just in case.”

Pinkie’s eyes filled to the brim with tears at this, and she burst into messy sobs. “Nohoho!” she wailed. “I don’t want to go through that again!”

Oh good one, Sunset, you idiot. On instinct I embraced the crying woman and held her tight, making shushing noises. I had to hold her for a good several minutes, the shoulders of my tracksuit soaked with tears. Well, more soaked than it was already, anyway. Finally, she calmed down, her eyes red and puffy, her face absolutely covered in snot and tear stains. “S-sorry, Sunny,” she mumbled.

“S’okay. I’m sorry I made you upset.”

Pinkie shook her head, hard. “No, it wasn’t you. It was just… oh, nevermind.” She withdrew herself from my embrace, wiped her face on her shirt, and then wandered off. I decided not to follow. She probably needed space, so I was happy to give it to her.

Instead, after finishing my exploration of the arcade, I made my way out and towards the next door I saw. This one was patterned a bit differently than the others, made from a different kind of wood, a darker color. A sign mounted above the door said “Ship’s Library.”

Opening it, I found the inside to be exactly what was promised: a large library, filled with bookshelves over ten feet tall, a good two or three stories high. Or low, rather, because for some reason this door opened onto the third floor. This floor was dominated by a large open space, containing a variety of end tables, couches, and arm chairs. Twilight, naturally, was already seated in one of the arm chairs, one massive book cradles in her arms and five more stacked on the table beside her.

“Having fun?” I asked.

“Oh!” She jerked in surprise, then set her book down and adjusted her glasses. “Uh, hey Sunset.” She held up the book she was reading: a textbook, of course. Chemistry by the looks of it. “This is a fascinating read. It’s a treatise on the history of chemistry experiments, with a focus on Prench chemists. It goes into a lot of detail I don’t usually see.”

“Wow. Rainbow was right,” I teased, grinning. “You are an egghead.”

Twilight crossed her arms and pouted, her face blooming with pink. “It’s perfectly acceptable to find enjoyment in the pursuit of knowledge,” she groused.

I burst into laughter. “I’m just teasing you, Twilight, calm down.” I took a seat next to her and looked at the other books. “Huh, are these all textbooks?”

“Yup. It seems like this library is entirely non-fiction, at least on this floor,” Twilight answered. “I’ve seen subjects ranging from carpentry, to industrial manufacturing, electrical engineering, physics, astronomy, archeology, anatomy and physiology, even the practice of handwriting… it’s practically a university all to itself!” Twilight grinned wildly, sighing in delight. “Ah, isn’t it wonderful?”

I broke into laughter again, laughing even harder when Twilight glared daggers at me. “I’m not making fun of you, I promised,” I said when I got control over my laughter. “You’re just… adorable.”

“Yeah, I’d say she is,” said Flash as he stepped out from behind a shelf and approached us, setting a hand on Twilight’s shoulder.

“Flaaash!” Twilight whined, her whole face pinker than Pinkie’s hair. “Don’t say that.”

“What, I’m not allowed to tell the truth?” Flash said, grinning.

Twilight blushed all the harder, sinking into her chair as if it might swallow her whole.

I decided to leave the two lovebirds to themselves, and wandered across the floor of the library to the stairs. Descending to the second floor, I found Trixie, of all people, gasping with glee as she squeezed a book to her chest. Then she spotted me and jumped two feet off the floor, almost knocking her head into one of the shelves. “Aaah! Sunset!” she squealed.

I arched an eyebrow. “Wow, sorry, didn’t realize I was that scary.”

“It’s not that,” Trixie replied, glancing down at her hands and, realizing the book was still there, swiftly hiding it behind her back. “Can Trixie help you?”

Okay. Now I was curious. I pointed to the book still poking out slightly from behind her. “What’ve you got there?”

“Nothing!” Trixie blurted, backing up to a shelf and failing miserably to look like she was subtly placing her book back. “You saw nothing!”

I crossed my arms and scowled, saying nothing. Trixie, at first, stared right back, then slowly her expression went from confident, to flustered, to downright scared. Sweat beaded on her brow, running down her face in little rivulets. Finally, she broke. “Okay, okay! Trixie will show you! Just stop looking at her like that!”

I approached, slowly, and waited for her to bring out the book. With a groan, she pulled it off the shelf and held it out to me, shrinking away as if I was going to smack her with it. I took it, and examined the cover. “The Art of Magic, by Jackpot Lulamoon,” I read aloud, my face screwing up with confusion. “Wait, why were you trying to hide this?”

Trixie snatched the book back from me and squeezed it tight like it was a precious possession. “No reason. Now please, leave Trixie alone,” she all but growled.

“Alright. Fine. Sorry,” I said, holding up my arms in surrender and backing off.

Leaving Trixie to do whatever the heck she was doing, I wandered down to the first floor of the library, discovering Rarity and Sweetie Belle wandering amongst shelves. There seemed to be some decent fiction on this level at least. “Oh, Sunset, good timing!” Rarity said in greeting. She held up the book in her hands, squeeing in excitement. “Can you believe it? It’s the latest Shadow Spade novel! I haven’t even seen this in stores yet!”

“And they’ve got the latest manga from Neighpon!” Sweetie squeaked, even higher pitched than her sister. She held up a graphic novel, featuring some anime heroine looking particularly dashing as she swung a Qilin style spear at some sort of monster. “I didn’t even think this series was translated!”

“Cool, I’m glad you found something interesting,” I said, though to be honest neither of them interested me that much. Anime was fun and all, but I preferred anime games to manga. And as much fun as mystery novels could be, given that our lives had practically turned into one already… no thanks. “So they’ve got some fiction down here, huh?”

“Yes, certainly, and plenty of it,” Rarity agreed. “This is one of the best stocked libraries I’ve ever seen.”

“Of course it is,” I grumbled, shaking my head. “Just like everything else on this ship.”

At that, both of them tampered their excitement, seeming to deflate. “Oh. Yes. Of course. How could I forget?” Rarity sighed in a huff. Then she perked up again. “Oh, but Sunset, I did see something you should look into.”

Leaving Sweetie to fumble through more manga, she led me towards the back of the first library floor, where there was a heavy oaken door with a nameplate labeled “archives.” I tried the doorknob, but of course it was locked. “Yes, I tried that too,” Rarity said, frowning. “I thought it might be important.”

“It sure looks important,” I mused. I ducked down onto the floor and tried to see if I could see anything from underneath the door frame, but all I saw was darkness. “Darn it. I can’t see a thing.”

“What do you suppose is kept in there?”

“I dunno. Ship’s records, maybe?” I shrugged. “But unless one of us is secretly a serial killer with a split personality, I doubt we have anything to worry about.”

Rarity arched her eyebrows. “I beg your pardon?”

“Nevermind. Just a reference joke.”

Rarity nodded in understanding. “To that, ah, what was it called? Danganronpa?”

“Yeah. Actually, wait… would you excuse me?” I ran without saying another word, rushing up the stairs, and out the door, back towards the game corner, almost bowling over Rainbow Dash in the process.

“Hey, watch it!” Rainbow groused.

“Sorry!” I called, not even looking back as I ran for the game consoles. I know I spotted the right ones over there, and searched the game library, seeing it was in the catalogue, then scanned the shelves. “Come on, come on, you’ve got to be here… wait, no!”

Right where they should have been, according to the catalogue, was an empty space, bare of anything save a folded piece of paper. I pulled it out and opened it. It simply read two words:

Nice try.

“Oh screw you!” I griped, ripping up the paper and shoving it in a nearby wastebasket. “Waste of my time.” I wasn’t even sure why I had been looking for them anyway. It wasn’t as if I was going to glean some new insight into Monoponi from playing them. And the last thing any of my fellow passengers needed was more ideas. Though I supposed if there were any copycat crimes, I’d at least be able to figure them out more easily.

Wait. What the hell was I thinking? I should be working to stop there from being anymore crimes in the first place, not planning how to solve them better! This place was messing with my head, and bad.

I left the game corner in a huff, stewing in my own frustration. My tracksuit itched like crazy, which wasn’t helping. But we weren’t done with “exploring” yet so I doubted Monoponi would let me go take the shower I craved.

I made my way down to the third and final door. This one was larger than the other two, a big double door affair like the entryway to a theater. Which was appropriate, seeing as a sign topped it, reading “Ship’s Theater.”

I pushed open the doors, and found myself in the largest room yet! I was at the top of a massive stairwell, leading down past dozens of rows of seats, arranged in three tiers, two of balconies and one large group seating down closer to the stage. Altogether there was easily enough seating for several hundred people. Everything was decorated intricately with a wide swathe of colors, like a giant rainbow had fallen down from the sky and melted all over everything. The ceiling was split up into a variety of sections, each with its own individual set of dozens of various lights, including spotlights, strobe lights, and more, though some of them might’ve been cameras.

The stage, though… it was huge. It stretched from wall to wall, with two small staircases leading up to it from the theater floor. I wasn’t sure how wide across it really was, but it looked like you could fit an entire orchestra up there and still have room to spare for actors in a play! A dazzling array of lights shone down from the beams, even more variety than I would’ve expected. There was probably even more backstage.

I strode down the steps, listening to the echoes of my footfalls. The sheer immensity of the room made me feel like a bug crawling across a plate. In some ways, it was soothing. In others, it just imbued me with anxiety. I didn’t hear any other voices at all. I was alone.

I found myself gripping my tracksuit with both hands as I climbed up the stage staircase and went backstage. Compared to the opulence with which the rest of the ship had possessed so far, stepping backstage was liking walking into another world. All concrete and wooden beams, and bare metal in some places, it was more akin to a warehouse or a factory than a ship. Most of it was one large chamber, with plenty of room for sets, though there were no ready-made backdrops or scenery, just unused piles of plywood and so on. Of course, there were still security cameras, and in the process of walking around I accidentally stumbled across a trapdoor leading to a ladder below the stage. But I didn’t want to go down there. There were also two passageways to the left and right from backstage. One was labeled dressing rooms, so I went that way first.

The passageway narrowed substantially until it was barely wide enough for three people to walk abreast. Several doors led into individual changing rooms, set up with makeup chairs, mirrors, dressers, and a collection of random costumes ranging from Neighponese kimonos to 18th century Prench admiral uniforms, medieval armor not out of place on an Equestrian royal guard, and so on, scattered about like leftovers.

In the last dressing room, however, one costume caught my eye. It was a simple affair, really, just a purple witch’s hat decorated with stars and a matching cloak, also bedecked with stars, with a clasp made from a large piece of glass cut like a sapphire. It shouldn’t have stood out at all, but something about it called to me, like it was an old friend I hadn’t seen in a long time.

As I picked them up, I felt them, noting the material. Just cloth, really, nothing too terribly fancy. And it didn’t feel like it was mine, either. I’d never worn anything like this. It felt more like something…

Like something Trixie would wear.

I decided to take it with me, so I could show her. But as I picked it up, something slipped out of a pocket I hadn’t noticed in the inner lining in the cloak. It was a photograph. I picked it up… and the shock was so much I had to fall into a chair.

The picture featured myself, Trixie… and Wallflower Blush! We were sitting together at a set of computers in what looked like my old high school, with smiles on our faces. Wallflower was even laughing. Wallflower. Was. Laughing. She hadn’t smiled once the entire time before Timber killed her, but here she was, laughing away without a care in the world.

“Were we friends once?” I whispered. It would track. After all, what would be more “fun” to someone as messed up as Monoponi? Watching complete strangers with no memories kill each other? Or watching former friends kill each other?

I could see myself being friends with Trixie. She was weird, sure, but it was a fun kind of weird. The kind that you could laugh with her about. She had just enough of an ego to make her funny without being unbearable, like Tiara. Okay, so sometimes she wasn’t the best judge of character. Or situation. Or, well, anything. But she was still someone I could totally see being friends with.

But Wallflower? I just couldn’t wrap my head around that.. She’d been nasty. Rude. A big mean jerk! She’d taken every opportunity she had to be nasty towards me.

Actually, no. She had been nice… sort of… once. Last Wednesday morning, the same day of the pool party. She’d taken that opportunity to express a tiny bit of kindness and concern for my well being, rather than just being mad because I inconvenienced her.

And then she went right back to being a jerk afterwards. I still remembered the last things we said to each other, before she died. It was when she told me she’d be staying in her room the night of the party. I told her she should’ve been having fun with us, and I meant it. Looking back on it now, if I’d just pressed that point, if I’d just taken the time to attempt more than just a token effort to convince her… she might still be alive now.

And so would Timber.

I looked back down at the photo. At Wallflower’s happy, laughing face. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream all over again, just like I had when I saw her corpse hanging off that dining cart. But, just like then, I couldn’t. The tears wouldn’t come. The screams died in my throat. All I felt… was empty.

All I felt…

Was despair.

Author's Note

And here we go with chapter two! One of the funnest parts for me in Danganronpa games, besides the trials themselves, is the exploration of new places after each trial. Seeing what's out there, the possibilities, the potential murder weapons, who's seemingly important, who isn't, it's all a blast.

We're also seeing some hints at the greater lore going on here. And, of course, the pitfalls of a siren and pony turned human relationship.

This chapter should be more difficult to guess who the victim and who the blackened will be than chapter one.

Tuesday Night: Part II.

Chapter Two: What Lurks In The Depths Part 2

Chapter Two:

What Lurks in the Depths

Daily Life Part 2

The voices of Diamond Tiara and Adagio broke me out of my stupor. I quickly shoved the photograph into a pocket in my tracksuit, balled up the hat and cloak under my arm, and walked out of the dressing room. The two were just going into one of the other rooms, and spotted me as I left. “Hey, Sunset!” Tiara said in her usual whiny tone. “What’ve you got there, huh?”

“Nothing for you,” I said, speed walking and dodging the sudden swipe the other woman made for the cloak and hat.

“So you’re trying to hide something, is that it?!” she growled, her hands squarely on her hips.

Blowing an annoyed sigh out through my teeth, I stopped, turned, and showed off what I had. “It’s just a costume, Tiara. Like I said: nothing for you.”

Adagio stepped out from behind Tiara, and arched an eyebrow in my direction. “Let me see that,” she said in a tone that brokered no argument.

Rolling my eyes, I approached, and handed it over. Adagio took one look at it, grimaced in disgust, and threw it back in my face. “She’s right. Nothing worthwhile.”

Just because we’re keeping quiet about being together doesn’t mean you have to be a jerk, Adagio. “Thanks,” I muttered.

But before I could leave, Tiara rudely snatched them out of my grip just so she could run her hands all over them. Then, like Adagio, she threw them in my face. “Okay, whatever,” she grumbled.

“Can I go now?” I asked, feeling more than a little irritated at this point.

Tiara waved a hand as if dismissing a servant. “Yes, yes, go. Just meet up with the rest of us in the food court! We’re gonna discuss what we’ve found.”

I grunted in annoyance, but said not a word as I spun and left. I decided to make my way to the library first. Hopefully Trixie was still there. She’d probably love this.

And sure enough, there she was, sitting on a solitary chair in a corner on the library’s second floor, pouring over the book I’d seen her cradling earlier, eyes full of stars and wonder. I decided, as I approached, to carefully hide what I had for her behind my back, so she couldn’t see it.

Thankfully this time I avoided startling the poor magician, as she heard my footfalls and looked up, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Sunset? Trixie thought she asked to be left alone. What is it?” Then she noticed I was hiding something, and sat up straighter, eyes briefly widening with just a touch of fear. “W-what do you want?”

A mischievous smirk spread across my faces, my eyes twinkling. “Oooooh nothing, really,” I said as I quickly unballed the cloak and hat, holding on in each hand behind myself.

Now Trixie’s eyes were darting all over the place, as if trying to find some way to escape. She scooted her chair back, and squeaked in surprise when it hit the wall. “A-a-a-re you p-planning to -h-hurt T-t-t-t-Trixie?!” she squealed.

Oh dear. I just wanted to joke with her, not scare her half to death. I dropped the mischievous act and slowly brought out the cloak and hat. “No, no, Trixie, it’s okay!” I said. “I just found this, and thought you’d like it back.”

“Like what baaaaaaaaaaAHHH!” Trixie screamed in shock as she dove forward, grabbing up the hat and cloak and squeezing them to her chest. “You found them! My hat! My cloak! You found them! I, I can’t believe it!” Then she paused, cleared her throat, and said more calmly, “Trixie means, Trixie cannot believe it. Where did you find them?”

“They were hiding in a dressing room, backstage in the theater,” I admitted, trying not to laugh at the poor embarrassed woman. Huh. Guess she knows how to speak in first person after all.

Trixie set the hat on her head, squealing in delight at the perfect fit, then drew the cloak over her shoulders and fastened the clasp. Then she adopted the same pose she struck so often during the trial, and this time, with the cloak, it made perfect sense. “Behold! The Great and Powerful Trixie is once again ready to perform dazzling displays of incredible illusions for your entertainment! Watch in awe!”

I actually felt some excitement rise in my chest at this, and found myself clapping, if quietly. Girl knows how to work a crowd. “Woohoo!” I cheered. “Gooo Trixie!”

Trixie bowed deeply, a massive grin etched on her face. “Thank you, thank you! Trixie will be here all week.” As she rose, I saw gratitude reflected in her eyes. “Thank you, Sunset. Trixie has dearly missed these ever since she awoke here. Just having them makes her feel… more confident. Safer.”

“Yeah, you got it,” I said. Then I snapped my fingers. “Oh, right, there’s something else I need to show--”

“What is going on here?!” Twilight burst out as she stomped down the stairs, glaring at us over her glasses so hard I thought she might burst into flames. “This is a library! Why are you being so loud?”

“Oh come on, Twilight,” I replied, waving a hand dismissively. “It’s not like there’s rules about it.”

“Well, that’s--I--that’s not the point!” Twilight blurted, shaking a finger at me. “It’s still a library! If you want to be loud, go somewhere else!”

Monoponi flashed into existence right above Twilight’s head. “Someone being loud in the library, you say?!” he shouted.

I didn’t even flinch. By this point I was expecting him to show up just about anywhere, anytime he felt like it. Twilight and Trixie weren’t so lucky. Trixie leapt behind the closest bookshelf and Twilight, I had to catch her to save her from cracking her head on the stairwell. “Why do you keep doing that?!” Twilight roared as soon as I set her on her feet again.

“Because it’s hilarious,” Monoponi replied cheerfully as he fluttered down and landed on all four hooves. “Now then, I believe Sunset was once again trying to dodge the rules! Well I won’t stand for that!”

I sighed, crossing my arms and shifting my weight onto one leg. “Really? You can’t seriously tell me you actually care about the volume in the library.”

Monoponi raised a hoof to his mouth. “Upupu, but I do care about you! Or rather, about making you suffer! So just because it’ll get right under that skin of yours…”

His horn flashed, and our Monopads all let out a shrill beep. Upon pulling it out of my backpack, I saw a new rule had been added:

Rule #19: Loud noise in the library is forbidden! You may not speak louder than a whisper while within its walls!

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” I muttered under my breath as I switched off my Monopad screen.

“Ah ah ah!” Monoponi tut tutted in a whisper of his own. I was a little surprised he was bothering to follow the rule himself. “Be careful now. It’d be a shame if I had to execute anyone just because they couldn’t use their indoor voice.” Then he vanished, and even the sound of his teleport was quiet.

“Nice going, Twilight!” Trixie whispered as loudly as she could from behind the shelf.

“Seriously,” I added.

A bizarre expression came over Twilight’s face, one I’d never seen her sport before. It was a very odd, demented smile, as if she’d just suddenly lost it. Many of the hairs tucked into her bun popped out at odd angles.

Then just as suddenly the expression was gone, making me wonder if I’d even seen it at all. “Sorry,” she said quietly as she trudged back up the stairs, where Flash was waiting. Even he looked a bit upset over this.

“Trixie, we should get out of here,” I said, and quietly led her upstairs and out into the promenade proper. “Okay,” I added once we were out. “I’m not going in there again unless I have to.”

The illusionist’s lips curled up into a strong pout. “Oh, Trixie left her book behind,” she groaned.

“You can get the book back later, don’t worry about it,” I replied, waving for her to follow. “C’mon, I still have something I need to show you.”

Trixie rolled her eyes, but silently complied. I caught her rubbing her arms along the inside of her cloak as we walked, as if she was stroking it lovingly. I chose not to comment.

Once we reached the food court, we found an out of the way table and sat down. Without any preamble, I withdrew the picture from my pocket, and handed it over. Trixie raised one eyebrow, then both as she looked over the picture, and then her mouth fell open in shock. “What… what is this?”

“I was kinda hoping you might be able to tell me,” I replied. Seeing the picture brought back that gnawing feeling of emptiness all over again. “It was in your cloak pocket.”

“But that doesn’t make sense.” Trixie stared at the photo, turning it around in her hands to look at it from several angles. “Trixie never knew either of you before coming here. Unless…” Her hand shot to her mouth. “Did… did Monoponi…”

I nodded sadly. “Probably.”

“Then… Trixie, and you, we’re, we were… friends?”

“Yeah, I’d say we were.”

Trixie looked away from me for several long moments, staring at the floor. She laid the photograph down on the table, and twiddled with her hands, obviously thinking a great deal. Then, ever so slowly, her head turned, her gaze falling upon me. “Trixie doesn’t remember having friends,” she said. Every word was hesitant, uncertain, as if just speaking them took a great deal of effort. “Trixie only remembers people making fun of her, or laughing at her. People like Adagio.”

Her face twisted into a scowl. “Cruel, heartless people, who would say they liked Trixie to her face, then insult her behind her back.” The scowl loosened, then dropped entirely, in favor of sadness. “Trixie got into magic tricks because it was one of the only things that made Trixie happy. And it made other people happy too, so Trixie thought maybe they’d be her friends. But no. They didn’t care about Trixie. They didn’t care about… me.”

Tears dripped down her cheeks onto the table, leaving two small puddles. “I was so alone. So I started talking to myself in the third person, just to feel like someone else was talking to me. Like someone cared about me. It was part of my persona on the stage. In some ways, it was like a shield, protecting me.”

Without thinking I reached out and took her left hand, holding it tight to give her reassurance. “So that’s why you’ve been talking that way this whole time.”

“Yes,” Trixie nodded. She let me hold her hand as she started to sob. “I just… at first, it was just a reflex. I was meeting new people, people I didn’t know. But then Monoponi showed up, and told us about the killing game. I was so… I was so scared. We watched someone die, Sunset.” Her breathing hitched, her sobs becoming more and more expressive. “We watched someone die!”

“He… he did kill someone else though,” I said, instantly regretting it.

“And that makes it right?!” Trixie’s whole face was like a tear-filled deluge. “I could die here, Sunset. We could all die here.” All of a sudden she threw herself upon me, and it was like Pinkie all over again, her tears soaking my shoulder. “I just want to go home…” she whispered.

That finally got me. The emptiness, the despair in my heart cracked open and I unleashed a torrent of my own tears, the two of us clinging to each other like we were each other’s lifelines. “Me too, Trixie,” I whispered back. “Me too.”

We spent a good few minutes like that, holding each other, letting the tears run until they finally ran dry. I was very glad we were alone in the food court, though. Adagio’s words to me about showing vulnerability or fear came to my mind, making me want to end this, fast.

Trixie withdrew from my embrace, wiping at her face with one hand while still holding mine with the other. For a while, she didn’t speak. “...Sunset, can we… Can we be friends again?”

“For the first time?” I quipped, a smile beginning to form on my lips.

Trixie gently rolled her eyes and smiled back. “Sure. Whatever.”

I nodded, and opened my arms for another hug. “You got it, Trixie.”

Trixie’s smile spread from ear to ear as she hugged me once more, letting out a little cute squee of happiness. “Thank you…”

I started to say thank you back, but the words stuck in my throat. The happiness I’d felt swiftly disappeared, replaced by heart-pounding anxiety.

Adagio was there, right there, across the food court, and she was furious. Not a demonstrative, shaking, quivering fury, oh no. That would’ve been too obvious, too revealing for her. Instead, she just stared over her sunglasses, the cold fury unleashed from her gaze as if the Windigos themselves had returned to cover us all in a blanket of eternal snow. It promised I’d experience a world of suffering and vengeance for this perceived crime.

She spun on her heel and walked away. No sashay in her hips this time.

I wanted to let go of Trixie, to stand up, to reach out an arm, say “This isn’t what it looks like!” or some other cliche tripe. But I didn’t bother. That’d just make Adagio even angrier, because I’d acknowledge what we had in public, exactly the thing she didn’t want. I’d have to speak to her later, and hope that she wasn’t already readying to gut me and rip out my entrails or something.

“Is something wrong, Sunset?” Trixie asked, pulling my attention back to her.

“N-no. Nothing,” I said immediately, shaking my head. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Hmm…” Trixie narrowed her eyes at me. “Okay,” she shrugged. Letting me go, her gaze dropped back to the photograph on the table. “What should we do with this?”

I picked it up and placed it in her hands. “You keep it. It’s yours anyway. Might as well.”

“Oh, Trixie was already planning to do that. That’s not what she means,” Trixie said, as she stuffed the photo into her cloak pocket.

And she’s back to third person. Probably more comfortable for her. I’ll let her have it. She needs all the comfort she can get. “What do you mean, then?”

“Trixie was wondering if we should show it to the others.” Trixie frowned, and scratched her chin. “Trixie thinks it could be an important clue about our situation. Maybe even help us all get along better.”

My mouth twisted into a half frown. “I’m not sure. I want to say you’d be right, but… look, why don’t we sit on it for now? Maybe find a way to introduce it better, rather than just throwing it out there. People might think it’s fake otherwise, or become suspicious of us.”

Trixie paled at that. “Trixie isn’t suspicious though! And neither is Sunset! Not anymore!”

“Yes, you know that, and I know that, but they don’t. And if I saw a picture of, say, Diamond Tiara, Scootaloo, and Timber?” I shook my head. “I’d start feeling pretty unsure about whether I could trust those two. At least, I would now, since they’re still alive, and he isn’t.”

“Oh. Trixie hadn’t thought of it like that.” Trixie’s face screwed up into a pout. “Trixie will have to think of a way to do this. She doesn’t want anyone else to get hurt, after all.”

Neither do I, but tensions are running pretty hot right now. And I was thinking back again to the other thing Adagio said, about me being number one on everyone’s lists. That was the main reason I was holding this picture back, even though part of me was screaming that if we were just open about everything, things would be fine. But that’s not how life works. Especially not in a killing game.

If only we’d found this picture before Wallflower and Timber died. It could’ve made a massive difference. We might’ve been able to band together as a group. We still could. The potential was there. But only if we didn’t screw this up. Blood had already been spilled once. It wouldn’t take much for someone else to make the same mistake, and then we’d be back at it again. And the more people died, the easier it would be for the remaining to justify killing, for the sake of their own survival. It was a vicious negative feedback loop, and we’d already circled that loop once.

“Well, if we can find some way to boost their trust in us,” I said, thinking aloud. “Then maybe they’ll be willing to accept it.”

Trixie held up one index finger and grinned. “Trixie has the perfect idea, then!”

I was about to ask what, but then heard the sound of many footsteps preceding the arrival of everyone else. Even Adagio had been swept up in the crowd, because Diamond Tiara was pushing and shoving, barking orders for everyone to get together. Everybody took individual seats at the food court tables, all muttering under their breath or glaring Tiara’s way. Adagio pointedly sat as far from me as possible, not looking my way at all.

“Everybody! Listen up!” Tiara shouted, silencing everyone except for Rainbow Dash, who was snickering until Tiara flashed her a personal glare. “Now that we’re done exploring, I’ve got something to say. And I’m going to be blunt. We need leadership in this group. A lack of leadership leads to us being disorganized. A lack of leadership keeps us from working together. A lack of leadership is what saw Timber and Wallflower killed! And as I am a natural leader,” she grinned maliciously, “of course it falls to me.”

“Ah beg your pardon?!” Applejack bursted out, flabbergasted. “Number one, this ain’t, like, a club or somethin’. We’re just stuck here together. And number two, if anyone ought to be a leader, it should be Sunset!”

“Me?” I whispered, holding a hand to my breast. This is the last thing I want to be doing right now, AJ…

Diamond Tiara ground her teeth, her eyes falling upon Applejack like two twenty-pound weights falling out a window and onto her head. “What?! Sunset? What has she done other than make stupid speeches that no one’s listened to?”

“Uh, she led us through the trial, for starters,” Flash said, holding up a hand so he could count on his fingers. “She’s done nothing wrong, she’s been nice to everybody, and if Timber and Wallflower had listened to what she was saying? They’d still be alive.”

I risked a quick glance at Adagio to see what she thought, but other than raking her nails on her table, she didn’t seem to react.

“Trixie agrees with Flash!” Trixie stated as she stood from her chair, thrusting out her arm to let her cloak billow behind her. “Sunset has proven she can be trusted.”

“Uh, Trixie,” I said, now deeply worried about where this was going.

Rarity raised a hand. “I’m sorry, darling, but I have to agree with them. I’m certain you have, ah, some leadership skills. Perhaps.” Rarity coughed politely. “But I would prefer Sunset.”

“Ah dunno, AJ’s got a point though,” Apple Bloom spoke up. “Do we even need a leader? Like, ain’t that just beggin’ for more trouble than it’s worth?”

“It’s true,” Adagio spoke up, her voice not so much dripping with acid as bathing in it. “Leaders have a tendency to be assassinated.”

Ooooh she’s mad, I thought, wincing.

Apple Bloom arched an eyebrow at Adagio. “That ain’t really what Ah meant.”

Adagio scoffed, shrugging. “Whatever then. Whoever wants to try to lead, go ahead. Just don’t expect us to act like your lap dogs.”

“Maybe we should put it to a vote,” Twilight suggested, gesturing with her hand.

A good few people glowered at her in response. “Should we even be listening to you right now?” Sweetie groused. “You made Monoponi add a new rule!”

“Wait, that was her?” Rainbow Dash asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “What gives, Twilight?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Twilight retorted, her hands moving right back to her hips, just like they had when she lectured Trixie and me. “Trixie and Sunset were being too loud!”

“Oh suuuuure, blame it on Sunset,” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “We’ve never heard anyone do that before.”

Weren’t you, like, against me every single time it came up before and during the trial? I wondered, but I chose not to say it. No need to provoke her.

“Wha--but--I--but it’s true!” Twilight insisted. “You’re supposed to be quiet in a library, anyway!”

“Whatever, egghead.”

Twilight fumed, her face turning a brilliant shade of pink. “Ooooh!”

Okay. I needed to intervene before this went any further. “Hey, uh, guys?” I said, standing to get their attention. “I appreciate the support and all, but I’m not trying to be your leader or anything. I’m just trying to help us get through this.”

“See?” Diamond Tiara pointed a finger at me. “She doesn’t even want the position! So since no one elsewants it, it falls to me.” She brushed back her hair with a flourish. “As I said, the natural leader.” She pointed to my chair and made a sit-sit motion with her hand. “Thank you, Sunset,” she said in a simpering tone. “You can sit now.”

With a shrug, I did as I was told. Did I like being bossed around by Diamond Tiara? Hell no! If anything I was itching to stuff her in a trash can or give her a swirly, or something else I would’ve done back when I bullied people. But if I spoke up against her, all I’d do is make things worse. So I decided it was better to just let her hang herself out like bait. It’d be her own fault if anyone snapped her up. And judging by the sheer hatred I saw in Applejack’s eyes, that just might happen.

“So! Now that that’s decided, let’s move on,” Tiara stated. She pulled out a notebook, the same one she’d been using earlier when we were on our run. “Time to report in on what we found. You, Rainbow! You first.”

With a roll of her eyes, Rainbow Dash sat back and placed her hands behind her head, propping up her feet on a nearby empty chair. “So, there’s an arcade. It’s full of all kinds of games! Consoles, arcade cabinets, handhelds, you name it, they got it. Even skeeball and air hockey. You had to scan your Monopad to be able to play anything, but what else is new?”

Pinkie Pie, who’d been staying unusually quiet and forlorn through this whole conversation, took the opportunity to speak up in a sad voice. “But the prizes aren’t so fun. There’s a whole prize counter, but instead of fun things like toys and cards and candy, it’s a whole lotta stupid pointy weapons!”

“She’s right,” I added, noting a few who probably hadn’t set foot in there looked a bit doubtful. “Just about anything and everything, except guns or explosives.”

“Oooh, idea!” Rarity raised a hand, waving it frantically. “What if we took the time to all equip ourselves with a weapon? I’ve taken fencing courses. I can show people how to handle a foil. Then we could all rise up against Monoponi and free ourselves!”

“And get shot full of a million holes in the process?” Adagio sneered. “Thanks, but no thanks. That’d be mutiny. And mutiny’s against the rules.”

“He has magic anyway,” I pointed out, trying not to wince at the furious expression Adagio fired my way as I spoke. “He could just strip us all before we got anywhere near him. We wouldn’t have anything that could hurt him from a distance. He made sure of that.”

Twilight made a face at my statement, muttering under her breath, “But magic… real…” and whatever else she said was too muffled for me to make out.

“Nooo, of course not,” Scootaloo groaned, throwing out her arms in disgust. “Because why give us something we can use against him when he can give us stuff to hurt each other instead.”

“Alright then!” Tiara barked. “New rule: no one touches the weapons! Sunset, there’s a way to track that, right?” I nodded. “Good. Then we’ll know if anyone breaks that rule. Have as much fun in the arcade as you want, but don’t buy any prizes.”

“I think that’s a pretty good idea,” Flash said, nodding. He held a hand to his chin. “I mean, if there’s any good use for one of them, we should buy one, but only if we all do it together so we know who does it. That should keep us honest.”

“Good use?” Tiara arched a dainty eyebrow and held up a questioning hand. “What kind of good use?”

Flash grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “I uh… I dunno.”

“Whatever. Okay, so that’s it for the arcade. Next!” Tiara scratched something down on her notebook, then pointed to Twilight. “Since you care sooo much about the library, you tell us about it.”

“Well, the library is situated in a multi-story room,” Twilight said, switching to full lecture mode. “The upper floor is stocked with every subject you can think of for non-fiction books, reference text, etc, as well as a study area. The middle floor also contains non-fiction, while the lower floor contains fiction as well as graphic novels and manga.”

“There’s also a door marked ‘archives,’” I added, “that was locked. Couldn’t get inside.”

“And don’t forget the other doors on the lower and middle levels,” Rarity said.

I looked at her, confused. “What other doors?”

“Oh, sorry, darling,” Rarity replied, smiling sheepishly. “I was so excited about the archives I forgot to show you the other doors. They look just like the one we come into the library through from the promenade, so perhaps they lead to other parts of the ship. They’re also locked.”

“That’s logical,” Twilight said with a nod. “It wouldn’t make sense for there to be only one entrance, and on the top floor at that.”

“Question,” Scootaloo said, raising a hand. “I didn’t go to the library. Is there a registry we have to scan our Monopads for or something to check out a book?”

Twilight and Rarity exchanged looks, then both shook their heads at once. “No, strangely,” Twilight answered. “It looks like it’s free for anyone to take any book they want, anytime.”

“Whoa, that is weird,” I commented as I sat forward and placed my chin in one hand. “It’s the one place where you’d expect there would at least be a log or a library card or something.

“Who cares?!” Tiara interrupted, throwing up her hands and almost hurling her notebook up in the air in the process. She caught herself from tossing it just in time. “So people can check out books whenever they want. Whoop-de-doo.”

“Uh, no offense intended, ‘yer highness’ or whatever,” Apple Bloom said in a sarcastic tone and throwing out air quotes, prompting her sister to snort with laughter, “But given the situation we’re in, Ah’d feel a bit safer if we had a record of stuff. Know what Ah’m sayin’?”

“We could always make a log book of our own,” Rarity suggested. “We could get a large notebook from one of the stores, and then place it in the library for people to sign. It would be an honor system, I am aware, but it would help, yes?”

I nodded to Rarity. “I like that idea.” It’ll help us trust each other more. Maybe.

Diamond Tiara shot a furious glare in Apple Bloom’s direction, then slowly, calmly, actually swallowed down her rage and broke into a smile. “Yes. I agree. Rarity, would you be willing to take care of that?”

A smile of her own resting on her cheeks, Rarity replied, “Certainly. I’ll do so as soon as we’re finished with this meeting.”

Tiara wrote something else down in her notebook. “Thanks. Okay, so that just leaves the theater. Who all went in there besides me?” I slowly raised my hand, as did Adagio. “Adagio, if you could?”

Adagio shifted in her seat, her nails scratching against the table as she grit her teeth, then grumbled, “It’s a theater. It’s got seats. Stage. Dressing rooms. Workshop. What’s there to tell?”

“Workshop?” I asked without thinking. “What workshop?”

“Oh, you didn’t go into that side of the backstage?” Adagio snarled in a dangerously hostile tone, frigid with fury. “It’s on the other side from the dressing rooms. Maybe you should go back there. See what happens when you’re all alone.”

“Easy there, Adagio,” Flash said, immediately hopping up from his chair and getting between the two of us. “I don’t know what’s got you so mad at Sunset, but cool it, okay? You don’t need to threaten her.”

Adagio rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair. “Who said anything about threats?”

Flash sat back down, but I noticed he kept his eyes squarely on Adagio the whole time. I appreciated that he was looking out for me, but he was painting a target on his back in the process. Dang it, Flash, why do you have to be such a good guy all the time?

“So!” Diamond Tiara said. “Sounds like that’s everything we need to cover for our exploration.” She scratched a few more things down onto her notepad. “As your leader, I’d like to request that we all start meeting up twice a day, at breakfast and at dinner. 8:30 AM and 6:30 PM. This way we don’t have any more… absences.” She looked my way, narrowing her eyes in annoyance. “And it keeps us apprised of everyone’s locations. It’s just safer. We should also avoid going out at night anymore. No more all-night-long parties.”

“Aww…” Pinkie moaned, flatting her face against her table.

Twilight raised her hand. “Are you suggesting a curfew?”

“Yes.” Tiara glared at everyone as many started groaning or making protests. “Not a strict one! Just try to sleep at night and don’t go out. Wallflower went out by herself, and that got her killed. That’s what I want to avoid.”

“Huh. That’s actually a good idea,” Applejack admitted, if grudgingly. “It’s not like you could enforce one anyway. We just gotta try and… trust each other a bit more.”

No one spoke for a while after she said that. We all just kept exchanging glances and looks. I don’t think any of us believed Applejack even meant what she just said. How could we trust each other anymore? One of us had already given in to one of Monoponi’s motives. We hadn’t received another one yet, but it was only a matter of time. And as much as I hated to admit it, someone would probably give in. Trying to deny it would be foolhardy at best, utterly naive at worst.

I wanted to stop more murders from happening, but I wasn’t going to do that by pretending no one would try. I’d have to stay more observant than ever. Keep a close eye on people. Maybe start monitoring my Monopad map. That could track everyone’s positions, and the rules meant people couldn’t just leave their Monopads in their room. Yeah. That was a good idea.

Tiara cleared her throat. “Well, if no one else has anything to say, meeting adj--”

Trixie shot up out of her chair. “Wait! Trixie has an idea she wishes to present!”

Scowling and rolling her eyes, Tiara sat back down and gestured for Trixie to continue. “Go ahead.”

Trixie let out a happy little sound of glee, then struck a pose. “If you all might recall, Trixie suggested putting on a magic show before, at the party. Trixie thinks it’s still a good idea. She could host it in the theater, after dinner one of these nights. Imagine! Dinner and a show!”

Sweetie nudged her sister and whispered quietly, “Hey, where did she get that outfit she’s wearing?”

“I don’t know,” Rarity replied, her nose scrunching up as she tried not to grimace at Trixie’s cloak.

“Hold up a second there, Trixie,” Rainbow Dash objected, throwing out a hand. “I dunno if that’s such a good idea. The last time we did something like that--”

“Yes, Trixie is well aware of what happened, thank you!” Trixie interrupted, glowering fierce daggers at the athlete. “Trixie’s plan is much safer. There will be no alcohol. It will be inside. Everyone will attend.”

“Are ya sayin’ no one’ll be allowed to leave? That’s kinda mean, ain’t it?” Apple Bloom inquired.

“No no, Trixie is not saying that at all,” Trixie replied, waving her hands dismissively. “Trixie is just suggesting that no one be left in their rooms this time. If we all go, then no one will be vulnerable.”

“Alright,” Apple Bloom admitted, nodding, though she still had doubt etched on her face, “but Ah’m still not sure. What kinda tricks are ya gonna put on?”

Trixie grinned eagerly. “Trixie was hoping you would ask that. She wants them to be a surprise, but she will need your help. And Sunset’s.”

Apple Bloom and I shared a look. “Why us?” I asked.

“Because Trixie understands you both know how to construct things, yes? Trixie doesn’t have all the equipment she needs, and she’ll need help making it. With your help, everything will be safe.” She looked directly at me, her expression shifting to a sad, pleading one. “Please.”

I still wasn’t sure about this. If she was needing to construct some kind of trick, that meant she had something dangerous in mind. And I saw the gleam in her eye when Pinkie described the weapons in the game store. I knew she wasn’t going to hurt anyone, but still. “I… sure,” I finally said with a half smile. “I’d be glad to help.” And I can make sure no one messes with it.

“Huh. Buildin’ somethin’, eh? Sure, Ah’d like to do some of that,” Apple Bloom agreed, smiling softly. “It’d be fun.”

“And if you need any help with costumes, I would be happy to sew something up for you,” Rarity offered, one eye twitching as she favored Trixie’s cape with a disdainful look.

“Yes! Trixie would be most happy to accept any offers of help!” Trixie cheered, thrusting out one fist as she leapt in the air.

“Okay, fine, you want to hold a magic show? Sure. You can hold a magic show,” Tiara said with a shrug. “Whatever. But I’ll be supervising! We don’t want a repeat of the party.” She scratched one final thing on her notepad, then smacked a fist on a table as if it were a gavel. “That’s it. Meeting adjourned!”

Everyone dispersed, most heading off in various directions. Adagio, I saw, sped immediately towards her cabin. I wanted to go after her, talk to her now, but I suspected if I did that I might end up regretting it.

Besides, Trixie had corralled Apple Bloom and myself back towards the theater, already running a commentary on her plans. “So Trixie was thinking, she should start with some basics, most of which she can prepare for herself. But she wants it all to lead up to a finale, which is where she will need your help.”

“This, uh, this isn’t leading up to an escape from a water tank that’s going to have piranhas dropped in it after sixty seconds, is it?” I asked hesitantly.

Trixie halted in her tracks, spun, and stared at me, both eyebrows raised. “Excuse Trixie? What kind of basic trick is that?”

“Uh, nothing, nevermind,” I said, letting out a sheepish laugh. “What’d you have in mind?”

Trixie kept her suspicious glare on me for another moment before she started walking again. “Trixie would like to use a much more elaborate trick, one that she has had opportunities to practice in the past. It has many names, but Trixie prefers the name origami.”

“Ah already don’t like where this is goin’,” Apple Bloom muttered, shaking her head.

Trixie’s eyes sparkled as she explained, “Origami is a deceptively simple trick, involving a box, twelve inches square, penetrated by three swords, and a mirror. Without spoiling the magic,” she added with a giggle, “Trixie has an assistant who, after the box is unfolded, gets inside the box. The box is folded back up to its original state. Trixie then thrusts the swords in, one by one, each from a different angle. She turns the box around for the audience to see all sides, then she takes out the swords and opens the box. Trixie’s assistant is unharmed!” Trixie held up a hand to her mouth and laughed. “Isn’t it delightful?”

“I dunno, that sounds really dangerous,” I replied. “Does it have to be real swords?”

“Of course!” Trixie glared at me, huffing. “Trixie wouldn’t demean herself by using fakes! Not that we could make convincing ones anyway.” Trixie, noticing the hesitation all over my face, added, “Trixie would buy the swords from the prize counter with you, Sunset, then store them in her cabin. No one would ever have access to them outside of the show, then they can be put back in Trixie’s cabin afterwards. Trixie has no intention of letting them hurt anyone.”

“Ah think Ah’d be alright with that, so long as Ah was present too,” Apple Bloom said. “We might have ta let Diamond Tiara know, since she’s put on that whole leader schtick and wants to supervise.”

Trixie shrugged. “Trixie is alright with this. Whatever is necessary to ensure no one other than Trixie can touch the swords.”

“Maybe we can make, like, a safety box for the swords,” Apple Bloom suggested. “Just so ya can carry ‘em around easier. Ah think Ah can do that without much trouble. Just need to know the dimensions of the swords.”

“Trixie likes that idea,” Trixie nodded. “Can it be locked?”

“Ah can try.”

As we entered the theater and walked down the steps towards the stage, I turned to Trixie and asked, “So what exactly are you going to need us to build for this trick?”

Trixie launched into an explanation of the specifics. It was simpler than I expected, but still reasonably complex. “Oh, so that’s how it works,” I said when she finished. “That’s pretty cool! I never would’ve thought of that.”

“Right? Trixie is very proud of the design,” Trixie replied, eyes twinkling like purple sapphires.

We spent some time speaking further about the design, and Apple Bloom and I got familiar with the layout of the workshop, or rather, prop shop, Trixie told me. We made plans to get started and gather materials. Most were already available, but we needed a few things from the stores. I told them I’d go and get them, but that I needed to do something else first.

Adagio… we need to talk.

Author's Note

Romance is all well and good, but what's often better than that in stories? Friendshipping! Trixie and Sunset may very well become best friends through this experience.

Or not. I'll never tell. :trollestia:

Adagio, meanwhile, is falling prey to the typical misinterpretation cliche. Oh dear. :ajbemused: And speaking of stupidity, what the heck do you think you're doing making Monoponi create new rules, Twilight? Jeez.

The origami trick is a real magic trick, originally devised by Jim Steinmeyer for Doug Henning to perform. Many magicians would go on to make their own versions, with the most popular being David Copperfield's, where he adds some extra wrinkles, such as his assistant magically wearing a different outfit when she emerges from the box. I intended from the start to let Trixie put on a magic show, with something a bit more impressive than the easily solved water tank escape that the so-called Ultimate Magician performed in V3. (Seriously, she wasn't even tied up! I still love Himiko because she's adorable, but jeez.)

Next Time: Part III

Chapter Two: What Lurks In The Depths Part 3

Chapter Two:

What Lurks in the Depths

Daily Life Part 3

I paused outside of Adagio’s cabin door, hand raised ready to knock. My stomach churned, filled not so much with butterflies but entire flocks of birds with pointy beaks. I remembered what Twilight said. About how people in dangerous situations end up bonding faster than usual. I wasn’t even sure how I felt about Adagio. Do I love her?

I don’t know. Probably too early to tell. I like her. I know that. And we had a good time. But how did Adagio feel? I knew she was angry. Upset. I was the first one she actually ever cared about. And she thinks I betrayed her. Yeah, no wonder she’s angry. I’d be pissed too in her situation.

Sunset what’re you doing? You’re just trying to delay this. Get it over with, girl.

Right. Okay. I took a few deep breaths, then knocked on the door three times. Very soon after, the door opened up just a crack, and Adagio peered out. When she saw me, her eyes filled with malice and the cold promise of slow, excruciating death. “What?” she hissed.

“Can we talk?” I asked plainly, struggling not to break down in panic at the look she was giving me. All those alarm bells from my pony instincts rang anew, blaring like mad.

Adagio’s lips rolled back, showing her teeth. “No.” She started to close the door.

I threw my arm in the way. “Adagio. Seriously. Let me talk.”

Hissing and muttering under her breath, Adagio spun and moved away, letting me open the door. “Fine.”

Once I entered, she slammed the door shut behind me and quickly locked it, then abruptly kicked me in the stomach and body slammed me onto the bed, holding me down with one arm across my chest. It was so fast I couldn’t react or do anything other than grunt in sudden pain, gasping for air. A knife was at my throat before I could even blink. “You’ve got about two minutes before I use you as my ticket out of here!” Adagio snarled.

I coughed and spluttered, trying to get any kind of air in. The cold touch of the knife sent fresh frissions of fear flickering from my spine. “Adagio,” I gasped, “I think you’re overreacting.”

Adagio pressed the point of the knife deeper into the flesh of my neck, drawing a bit of pink blood. “Try again.”

“I can’t talk like this,” I said, struggling to speak with any real clarity. “Let me go, please.”

With a grunt, Adagio removed the knife and released me, backing up out of my reach. “Don’t sit up,” she warned. “You can talk from there.”

Okay. This is going even worse than I expected. That’s fine. I’m sure she’s not stupid. Just don’t piss her off further. Just be blunt. She values honesty over niceties. “I’m not dating Trixie,” I said simply.

I could barely see her from my laying down position, but I noticed her wave at me to sit up, so I did. “Then what did I see?” she asked, relaxed by only the slightest of hairs.

One hand shot up to my neck, wiping at the trace of blood. Fortunately she’d barely nicked me. “I agreed to be her friend.” At the widening of Adagio’s eyes, I immediately added, “Just her friend, nothing else!”

Adagio flipped the knife over in her hand, over and over again, as she stared at me quietly. She didn’t speak, just stood there, her other hand on her hip, her weight on one leg. Then, ever so slowly, she set the knife down on the dresser, came over to the bed, and plopped down, hissing through her teeth. “I’m an idiot,” she muttered.

“Yeah, a bit,” I agreed, flashing her a sympathetic grin. She didn’t smile back, so my own faded. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re kinda new to all this. I’m sorry if I worried you.”

Adagio shifted on the bed till she faced me, and roughly shoved a hand my way. After a moment, I took it, carefully, in mine. “I’m sorry too,” she grumbled. At least this time she was able to say the words more easily. “I should’ve… asked.” She laughed bitterly at herself. “You’d think I’d know how this works. I messed with pony’s heads often enough to know better.”

I tried not to flinch at the implications of that. She’s trying to be better, Sunset. Don’t let it get to you. “You’re new to this. It’s different when you’re in a relationship.”

“Are we?” Adagio whispered.

Good question. “Do you want us to be?”

Adagio looked away, her bushy orange hair swishing. She released my hand and took several deep breaths. Then she turned back to me and placed her hand in mine again. “Yes,” she admitted, with a sour expression on her face. Her voice turned low and grumpy, more like sour gripes than fine wine. “I… Sirens don’t really care about each other, the way ponies do. But you cared about me. I… I liked it more than I thought I would.”

“Aww, are you saying you love me?” I blurted before I could get hold of my god-damned stupid idiot mouth. Why did I say that? God, Sunset, do you have a death wish or something?

Adagio’s expression went blank. Pink filled her cheeks and spread up her face till she was practically steaming at the ears. Her teeth bared anew as she growled wordlessly, started to remove her hand, then stopped just as suddenly. “Love is a… strong word,” she said between grinding teeth. “I… I like you. That’s all. For now.”

“I like you too, Adagio,” I quipped, trying out a small smile to see how she reacted. She grumbled, rolling her eyes, but she seemed okay with it. “I’m sorry I scared you with Trixie. We were just talking about the p--I mean, about her, and--”

“Hold on,” Adagio interrupted, narrowing her eyes at me in suspicion. “What were you talking about?”

“Uh… aheh...heh…” I scratched the back of my head as Adagio’s eyebrows rose up and her mouth twisted further and further into a deep frown. So I told her about the photograph, and that we were trying to keep it quiet.

“Smart,” Adagio commented once I finished. “Tiara’d accuse you of being the traitor if she saw that.”

“That’s what I thought, too,” I admitted, sighing. “I still dunno if I believe Monoponi when he says there is one.”

“Eh, he’s probably telling the truth,” Adagio shrugged. “Like Wallflower said, not much reason to lie when the truth hurts just as much.”

You’re not wrong. “Anyway, Adagio, listen, I’m glad we worked this out. I’ve gotta go for now. See you later?”

For the first time since she saw me with Trixie, a smile appeared on Adagio’s face. It was small, sure. Uncertain. Shaky. But it was a smile. “Sure.”

Feeling a bit daring, I raised her hand to my lips, kissed it, then gently set it down, and got up to leave. From the corner of my eye as I left I saw Adagio lift the hand I kissed up to her mouth and touch her own lips to it. My heart soared at the sight. Yeah. I think I’m starting to fall for you, Adagio, I admitted, if only to myself.

I didn’t care if it was stupid, or unreasonable. Because it totally was. I didn’t know if I could trust her. For all I knew, her whole thing about being a siren? About being from Equestria? It could be an act. Hell, she could be the traitor. It’d make sense. Worm her way into my good graces, get me all trusting of her, she stays by my side every trial till she eventually reveals herself… and Monoponi is Equestrian…

But no. I took that line of thinking and threw it out into the sea. She was sincere. She had to be. Who could fake the way she acted when I kissed her? When I touched her? When I… well. If she was acting, then she sure had me fooled. So she wasn’t acting. It was that simple.

I made my way to the stores, purchased the supplies needed, and made my way back to the theater prop shop. It wasn’t the largest shop I’d ever worked in, more suited to smaller set pieces, furniture, and costumes than manufacturing, but it was well stocked with most of what we needed, and well organized too, albeit with plenty of dangerous tools. Hammers and screwdrivers aplenty, heavy wrenches, some power tools, a nailgun or two, table saw, even the large rolling step ladder laying against the wall next to the saw… yeah, there were plenty of tools for murder here. But then, there were plenty of tools everywhere. A freaking pencil could kill someone if you used it right. Not much point worrying about it.

I was a little surprised to discover Rarity was present, in the middle of getting Trixie’s measurements. Apple Bloom was already at work drafting out the plans for the box trick on one of the two drafting tables. “Oh, there you are, Sunset,” Trixie said as she held up her arms for Rarity. “Trixie thought you’d be back sooner.”

“Sorry, my errand took longer than I expected,” I said, setting my purchases down. I started sorting them out to put away with the other things till they were needed.

Apple Bloom grabbed a piece of paper out from under her stack and handed it over to me. “When ya get a minute, could ya look this over? This is mah plan for the safety box.”

“Sure.”

Rarity finished up with Trixie and scribbled down her notes on a small notepad. “Alright, Sunset, if you don’t mind, darling, I’d like to take your measurements too.”

I looked up, confused. “Mine? Why?”

Trixie burst out into a wide smile. “Trixie thinks you would make an excellent assistant for her show! ...and Apple Bloom won’t do it.”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Sorry. Ah ain’t good with small spaces. Ah ain’t ashamed of that.”

“Uh, I don’t know, Trixie,” I said hesitantly, my mind flashing back to images of the angry Adagio I’d only just managed to calm down. “What would I even be doing?”

“Oh, not much,” Trixie answered, whisking a hand through her hair and posing dramatically. “You’d just have to stay by Trixie’s side, do as Trixie requests, and most importantly, be the ‘victim’ of the origami trick! Trixie cannot do it without someone who already knows how it works, and Trixie would rather not spoil it for anyone else.” Her eyes swelled up like a puppy’s, her lips curling into an adorable pout as she held up her hands in a pleading gesture. “Please Sunset? For Trixie?”

Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I answered, “Alright, I’ll do it. Please tell me you’ll keep it professional.”

Trixie’s jaw fell open and she puffed herself up, one hand clapping to her breast. “Trixie is affronted! Trixie would never be anything but professional with her assistants!” She dropped her hand and put on a smug smirk. “Besides, you’re not Trixie’s type.”

“What is, a mirror?” Apple Bloom quipped, sniggering.

I snorted, trying not to laugh too hard. “Ooh, burn,” I said.

“Laugh if you must,” Trixie said elegantly, sticking her nose further up into the air in an exaggerated way. “But Trixie will own it.”

That got us all laughing pretty hard, even Trixie. Girl’s got a sense of humor. She’s fun.

DING-DONG BING-BONG

We all froze in place. A brief moment of terror gripped my body as we all turned to face the screen hanging over the prop shop’s table saw, where Monoponi appeared, his usual snifter of brandy resting squarely in his magic.

“Attention all passengers! Exploration time is over! Please report to the bridge deck, immediately!”

His announcement doused the last embers of our good mood. “Oh what does that boorish lout want with us now?” Rarity groused as she rolled up her measuring tape and placed it in her pocket. “Sunset, I’ll have to measure you later.”

As a group we trudged out of the theater, forming up with other strays from the library and game corner as we made our way to the bridge deck. Some people muttered to themselves, and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo engaged in quiet whispers to each other, but otherwise we all stayed quiet.

Once we formed up on the bridge deck, Monoponi emerged onto the balcony, choosing to step outside the tower door this time instead of just teleporting in. He stood before us, silently surveying the crowd. “So, I see you’re all here,” he mocked. “Have fun exploring the ship?”

“No, not really,” Rainbow Dash grumbled under her breath.

“What was that?” Monoponi held up a hoof to one ear. “I didn’t quite catch that.”

“No, not really!” Rainbow repeated, squeezing her hands closed and adopting a defensive posture.

Monoponi doubled over at that, letting out a moan. “Oh, that’s such a shame,” he said. “Your Captain put so much hard work and effort into preparing those new venues for you. So many hours, cracking my hooves, breaking my back, wearing my feathers down to nubs, all wasted… oh what a world…”

Her usual sneer firmly in place, Diamond Tiara spoke up, “Oh stop it. No one buys your sob story act.”

“Oh ho!” Monoponi shot up to attention, one hoof squarely at his head in a salute. “Yes ma’am, leader ma’am! Your Captain is here to serve you, ma’am!”

For a moment, Tiara seemed to consider that, as if she actually believed him. Then her sneer twisted even further. “Please. I’ve heard better subservience from my estate’s pool boy!”

“Aaaaaiiiii!” Monoponi squealed like a stuck pig, shrinking down to cover his head with his forehooves. “Have mercy!”

“This is really gettin’ old,” Apple Bloom groaned, slapping a hand to her forehead.

“Seriously, just quit messing around,” Flash griped, crossing his arms over his chest. “No one’s interested. If you’ve got something to say, just say it so we can move on with our lives.”

Monoponi instantly adopted his usual confident stance. “Oh, fine. So! Now that you’re finished exploring, your captain has a brand new activity for you all! Yes! You guessed it! It’s time for your next motive!”

“What?!”

“Oh come on!”

“Here we go again…”

“Hey!” I spoke up over everyone else. “There’s no point in giving us another motive! No one’s going to fall for it!” I didn’t believe my own words, not anymore, but it was worth a shot.

“Yeah!” Trixie seconded. “Trixie won’t hurt another soul aboard this ship!”

“You’re not gonna get us to do a thing!” Scootaloo agreed.

And as I expected, Monoponi retorted, “Oh? Ohoho? Are you sure about that Sunset? Hmmm?” Monoponi held up a hoof to his mouth. “Upupu, Timber disagrees with you! He fell for the memory motive. He wanted to know all about his sister so badly. Don’t you remember?” He cackled once more. “Oh wait, maybe you don’t! Maybe your memory loss is so bad now you can’t remember what you did five minutes ago!”

“I remember things just fine,” I groused in response.

Diamond Tiara held out her hand in a gesture that screamed for obedience, and pronounced, “As our leader I’ve already taken steps to prevent another murder! You can present us a motive, but it won’t change a thing. We won’t hurt each other anymore. Not on my watch.”

Monoponi snickered. “How noble. Strong words from a coward who falls to pieces the moment anyone shows any spine!”

With a quick beat of his wings Monoponi hopped off his balcony and slammed to the deck right in front of Tiara, who immediately reared back, screaming in panic as she fell to her butt with a pained grunt. Monoponi opened his mouth a touch, drool dripping from between the sharpened teeth as he inched closer and closer to Tiara’s face. Tears streamed from Tiara’s eyes in droves as she screeched at the top of her lungs, trying to scoot herself back on the deck only for the hem of her pants to get caught in Monoponi’s magic grip. His jaws opened wide, and shot for Tiara’s throat, and she screamed all the louder.

Then just as abruptly Monoponi disappeared in a flash of crimson light and a pop of air, reappearing atop the balcony. “Case in point,” he said with satisfaction.

To my dismay I saw more than a few people looking at Tiara’s weeping form with amusement. Applejack even started laughing. With a disgusted snort I surged forward and helped Tiara struggle back to her feet. “Are you okay?” I asked her quietly as she dabbed at her eyes with her jacket.

When she saw it was me who was helping her, Tiara’s face twisted up in scorn. She rammed her elbow into my gut, knocking the wind out of me. “Don’t touch me!” she snarled.

Ow. God. Not again… ugh… I shuffled back, managing to just barely stay on my feet as I clutched my aching stomach. I gasped for air, wheezing as I managed to draw some into my lungs. No one bothered to help me, though I noticed both Trixie and Adagio fire sad looks my way.

“Eyahahaha!” Monoponi chortled. “Such incredible leadership skills you’re showing there, Diamond Tiara! After all, what else inspires more confidence in a leader than seeing her knock her own subordinates around? Ahahahaha!”

“That’s enough!” Fluttershy thundered, all frowns and disappointed glares. “If you’re going to give us a motive, then just give us a motive!”

Monoponi demonstrably shrugged. “As you wish! Now then, this motive comes in two parts! The first is a classic. A well trodden path. Secrets!” Monoponi extended his wings out and stood on his hind legs. “Yes, secrets! But not just any secrets! Your most personal secrets! Your shames, your hidden desires, your darkest acts! But because it would be boring and trite to just hoof you your own secret, I’ll be switching it up! Each of you will get one other person’s secret, via Monopad. And before I send them, let me make one thing very clear: You are not to share these with each other! Allow me to make that official!”

A flash of his horn later and our Monopads were sent a trilling. I withdrew mine and turned it on, unsurprised to see what popped up.

Rule #20: The secrets for Monoponi’s motive are not to be shared, implied or otherwise! No kissing and telling!

“Keep in mind that includes telling others whose secret you have!” Monoponi added with a dark sheen reflecting in his eyes. “Of course, nothing prevents you from trying to peek, upupupu.”

“So what’s the second part?” I inquired as I lowered my Monopad. “If we don’t kill someone in twenty-four hours, you’ll share our secrets with the world?”

“What? No! What kind of copycat crook do you take me for, Sunset?” Monoponi replied, stomping one hoof onto the balcony with a clang. “I have more creativity than that! No no, the second part, well, that’s the really fun part! But first, let me give you… the secrets!”

More than one person cradled their Monopad carefully, hiding it from other’s view. A few of us, myself included, stepped further away from others, giving ourselves more space. With a twirl of his head Monoponi’s horn lit again, and our Monopads beeped. I opened up the message, and my mouth fell open in shock.

Monoponi’s Secrets!

BEATRIX “TRIXIE” LULAMOON

“Poor Trixie was abandoned as a child by her father, so he could seek his fortunes as a celebrity magician. She still pines for him to this day, as her long-lost hero.”

“Lulamoon?” I whispered. “Then, that book she had, that was…” My eyes turned to Trixie, who’d already switched her Monopad off and was staring at the deck. I started to step forward, to say something, only to sense a cold burning pair of eyes drilling into my back. I whirled and searched for them, but whoever it was had already stopped looking my way.

“Enjoying the secrets, everyone? I’m sure you are,” Monoponi mocked with a chuckle. “After all, I haven’t even mentioned the best thing about these secrets. Remember the traitor?”

Everyone’s eyes shot up from their Monopads instantly, fixed up at Monoponi, mine included. “You don’t mean…” Rarity mumbled.

“You didn’t forget that one of you is a traitor, did you? I sure hope not. Because that’s their secret! One of you now knows who they are. And you can’t even tell anybody about it! Ahahahahaha!” Monoponi fell onto his side and rolled over, shaking with mirth. “I hope you’re prepared to commit a murder, because you better hope the traitor doesn’t find out who you are and kills you first! Ahahahahaha!”

Tension roiled along the deck like a churning ocean in a category-five hurricane, all froth and movement, twisting our guts up until they were knotted up like the strings of a corset. Suspicions rose as everyone turned on each other, staring at each other, all stepping back and preparing, as if someone was just going to wig out and throttle them. Even the sisters, Sweetie Belle and Rarity, and Apple Bloom and Applejack were wary of each other now. Only Rainbow and Fluttershy seemed to trust each other, but only just.

The only person in the crowd not casting distrustful looks my way was Adagio. She alone stood like a rock in the storm, impassive and unmoving, unwilling to yield. And yet, somehow, that didn’t fill me with confidence. Quite the opposite. It scared me. My worries that her feelings for me were just an act crept up on me again like a plague, infecting my mind, my thoughts, my being, until I was afraid. Terrified, even.

She already threatened to kill me, I realized. What if that wasn’t a mistake? What if it was just a warning, a preview? What if she really had picked me for her victim? I don’t want to die!

My mind raced as I considered, just for the briefest of moments, striking first. I could get away with it. They trusted me to run the trials. I could easily guide them to the wrong conclusion. Then I’d win, and I’d live, I’d escape, and all it would cost is… all it would cost is…

I slapped myself in the face, once, twice, thrice, each time harder than the last. What is wrong with you, Sunset?! You’re giving in! This is what he wants, remember?

I summoned up the image of my former self, the way I once was, and drew upon the strength that image suggested. She might’ve been a complete bitch, that old Sunset, but what she wasn’t was weak. She wouldn’t give in to the whims of someone like Monoponi. She’d refuse to bow down. I needed that conviction, that belief in myself.

I drew myself up, twisted my mouth into a stoic frown, crossed my arms, and faced Monoponi. “Oh?” he murmured as he saw the complete change in my stance. “What’s this now? I thought you were scared, Sunset. Scared just like the rest of them.”

I arched a solitary eyebrow. “You said there was a second part to this motive, Monoponi,” I said, my tone steady and unwavering, untouched by fear. “What is it?”

For a moment, he didn’t answer. Then he rumbled with laughter once more, his eyes flashing crimson. “Oh Sunset, you are such a treat. Very well. The second part to your motive, you idiots, is simply this.” He struck that familiar pose, aping Celestia herself as if he was raising the sun. “I have a puzzle for you all to solve! The first person to answer my puzzle will get a fabulous prize! What is the puzzle? What is the prize? Well you’ll just have to speak to me privately to find out! Maybe it’ll be useful. Who knows? You won’t, till you try! Just keep in mind, it’s first come, first served!” He dropped the pose. “If you want to speak to me, just call out for me. But only when you’re alone! I won’t appear if there’s even a chance someone else might overhear!”

A fabulous prize. Sure. It’s probably just another tool for murder. Maybe I should try to answer the puzzle as soon as I get back to my room. It was a good idea. That way I could keep anyone else from claiming it.

But then again, maybe not. There was no way to know ahead of time what the puzzle was. It probably related to the secrets, but which secret? Whose? And how?

No. I’d have to wait, till I was more certain I’d have the right answer. For all I knew the puzzle could be “What is Monoponi’s favorite kind of dessert spoon?” or something equally inane.

“And now that I’ve presented you with your motive, I wish to bid you adieu, and bonne chance! I’ll be waiting.” Monoponi’s horn lit up once more, and he vanished in a flash of light.

Everyone dispersed, heading off to their own tasks, but more slowly, as if the motive were weighing heavily on their minds. Which it probably was. I waited till most had gone their separate ways before catching up with Rarity, who’d wandered in the direction of the outdoor lounge. “Oh, Sunset!” Rarity said as her breath quickened. She held a hand up to her breast. “You startled me.”

“Sorry,” I apologized quickly, giving her a sheepish smile. “I know everyone’s on edge right now. So I figured maybe now was a good time to go ahead and get those measurements?”

“Of course, of course darling,” Rarity replied as she withdrew her measuring tape. “Please, just stand still. This shouldn’t take long.”

She fussed over me as she extended the tape, taking one measurement after the other in rapid succession. Every time she had to touch me she muttered an apology, and soon enough it was done, and she’d scribbled down her last note. “There we go. I’ll meet with you later to start modeling the dress. Perhaps around 7:00, in the theater?”

I nodded my ascent, and we parted ways. I made my way back towards the theater prop shop, so I could get to work on Trixie’s request. As I walked, thoughts about the motive rolled through my head. What could my secret be? Who would be most tempted by the motive? Who is the traitor?

Well, my secret, that much was easy. It was almost certainly the fact that I was a pony. Knowing Monoponi, he’d portray it in a creepy way, like “Sunset is an alien to this world,” or “Sunset is not human.” Something like that. It’d make me look like the traitor, for sure.

Everyone was tempted by the motive. If even I’d wavered, surely someone was going to break. Maybe while she was measuring me, Rarity thought about strangling me with that tape. I had no way to know.

The traitor, who knew. Adagio… I really shouldn’t count Adagio out of the running, not yet. Not after what I saw on the deck. I had no idea where she went. She was the first to leave.

Which reminded me to start tracking people on my Monopad. I’d grabbed a notebook from the store the other day, so recording would be easy. I took a moment while passing through the food court to stop and break out the pad. Turning on the map, I noted that most people had opted to head to their rooms. Trixie and Apple Bloom were in the prop shop. Adagio, though, was on the first floor of the library, along with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Interesting. Twilight was there too, poking around the third floor, with Flash. Sweetie Belle was also on the third floor of the library, on the other side from Twilight and Flash. Rarity was in the fabric store. And finally Scootaloo was in the game corner.

I wrote that all down, noted the time--3:45 PM--and then moved on. I’d try to check at least every half hour or so, and keep notes.

The mood was grim as I arrived back at the shop. Apple Bloom worked silently alongside Trixie, making modifications to a draft plan. Neither looked up at me, so, with a shrug, I went over to the plan Apple Bloom asked me to check and sat down at the other draft table.

We worked quietly for a good half hour before Trixie suddenly blurted, “We should get the swords now.”

I just avoided tearing the paper in half as my pen jerked in my hand. I set it down, and said, “Trixie, I’m even less sure this is a good idea. The motive--”

“Forget the motive!” Trixie interrupted, throwing out a hand in a plaintive gesture. “Trixie thinks her show is more important than ever now. Trixie doesn’t want everyone to feel sad, or worried. Trixie wants everyone to feel happy.”

“That’s what Pinkie wanted with the party, though,” Apple Bloom pointed out with a sigh. “And Tim--”

“TRIXIE KNOWS WHAT TIMBER DID!” Trixie screamed, the force of her shout almost bowling the two of us over. “Trixie is not stupid! Trixie knows someone might use her show to hurt someone, okay? She knows!” Tears streamed down her face as she cried out. “But Trixie just wants to help make things better, the only way she knows how. Trixie knows magic. And magic makes people smile.”

With a helpless shrug, I said, “Trixie, I get where you’re coming from. I’m just worried.”

Trixie set a hand on my shoulder, wiping away her tears with the back of the other. “Trixie understands. But trust Trixie. Trust she knows what she’s doing.”

“Well, if that’s so,” Apple Bloom said, nodding in understanding, “then we’d better go get those swords in a jiffy. Ah can measure ‘em once they’re back and then we can build the safety box. Ah’ll make sure it’s got a lock.”

Before we left, I turned on my Monopad and jotted down everyone’s new locations. Most hadn’t shifted, though Rainbow had left the game corner and was meandering through the cabins, while Adagio was now on the second floor of the library. Sweetie Belle was pursuing books on the third. And Tiara, she was in the game corner, oddly enough.

It was just as well, since she’d said she wanted to chaperone. So we made our way there, and met up with her, finding her beating the crap out of a whack-a-mole game. Sweat coated her clothes, stains all over her jacket. Her hair was a right mess. “What’re you three doing here?” she grumbled as she threw down the mallet and wiped her brow.

Briefly, Trixie explained her plan, and the need for the swords. “Are you sure you really need real swords?” Tiara questioned, doubt etched across her features.

“Yes, Trixie is certain. Besides, if Trixie were going to use them to hurt others, do you think Trixie would be stupid enough to buy them with witnesses?”

Tiara snorted, but shrugged. “Alright. I’ve got plenty of tickets from this stupid game anyway.”

That’s convenient. I almost forgot about the tickets. Judging by the looks of surprised relief on Trixie and Apple Bloom’s faces, I wasn’t the only one.

We approached the prize counter, and waited for Trixie to decide which kinds of sword she wanted, since it turned out there was quite a large selection. “Hmm, how about… you!” She said, pointing at a trio of Qilin dao swords, rather than the katanas I’d been expecting. Tiara had just enough tickets to purchase all three, so she fed them into the machine, and dialed in her purchase. It was just like a vending machine, complete with claw reaching, grabbing the swords, and laying them carefully on the counter.

I picked up one, feeling the heft in my hand. It wasn’t as heavy as I’d feared it would be, at most a couple of kilos. Trixie ought to be able to carry all three in her box without any problems. “What do you think, Bloom?” I asked, handing it over to her.

Apple Bloom took the sword and weighed it, slowly swinging it around. “Yeah, Ah oughta be able to make somethin’ to hold these, no problem.”

Together, the four of us took them back to the shop. Well, three of us carried swords, and Tiara loomed over us like a prison guard. Once we arrived, she took up a position leaning against a nearby wall, and just watched, not saying a word.

While Trixie busied herself with readying various smaller tricks, Apple Bloom and I together started on the safety box. We opted for a very simple design, using slabs of wood nailed together, and an interior liner of thick leather taken from the prop shop supplies. It took us less than an hour to finish the box, and to top it off we used a padlock I’d bought at the sporting goods store to lock the box, handing the key to Trixie. For good measure Bloom had taken the opportunity to use some rope to craft a pair of handles for the box to make it easier for Trixie to carry.

Trixie thanked us and, with Tiara following as a chaperone, took the swords back to her cabin. Bloom and I got started on the primary trick box, but before we could get very far I realized the time. “It’s almost 6:30,” I said, setting down the sander in my hand.

“We could use a break anyhow,” Bloom agreed.

We made our way quietly to the promenade. The hard work had left me feeling thoroughly tired, but satisfied. Building something with my own two hands held a satisfaction I rarely found with other pursuits, and it had helped ease my worries about the motive. It was a useful distraction, anyway.

But as we joined the others for the meeting, the tension slipped right back in, as if I’d left the door open by mistake during a cold winter’s night. Although we were ostensibly supposed to be talking, most of us stayed quiet, eating in relative silence. It was only briefly broken by Trixie announcing she was going to hold her show tomorrow, right after dinner, at 7:00, for forty-five minutes. “You sure we don’t need more time to practice?” I asked her.

“Nonsense,” Trixie said reassuringly. “Trixie has performed everything she intends to perform many times over. There is little need for Trixie to rehearse. And as for your part, Sunset, Trixie will show you all you need. Trixie has already made guides on the stage and everything for you.”

“What’s Sunset gonna be doing?” Scootaloo asked as she lifted a spoonful of soup to her lips.

Trixie made several dramatic hand gestures in my general direction. “Sunset will be my lovely assistant on stage, helping Trixie in whatever she needs help with.”

“Speaking of which, darling, I’ve had the most lovely idea for your dress,” Rarity spoke up after swallowing a mouthful of salad. “I was thinking a long, flowing dress of scarlet silk, off the shoulder, with just the slightest of trains, enough for effect without getting in your way. Are you going to be wearing heels, or flats? I believe both are available in the sporting goods store’s shoe section.”

“Flats,” I responded immediately, grimacing in disgust. “I hate heels. I always trip when I walk in those things.” And I will never understand the human obsession with making women wear them in formal situations. Not even ponies wear heels, and we don’t usually wear clothes at all.

“Hmm. Pity,” Rarity responded with a frown. “Heels would work better with this type of dress. Ah well. I’ll make do.”

“Wait, the store has heels?” Flash inquired, his eyebrows raising, his mouth twisting into a confused frown. “Why would a sporting goods store have heels?”

Rarity shrugged. “I have no idea, but it does.The promenade shops are eclectic. Like a thrift store.”

“Or a warehouse,” Rainbow quipped. “I’m still finding new stuff in there every time I go in.”

After dinner, I spent a good hour and a half with Rarity fussing over me as a model before she let me go. The rest I spent with Apple Bloom, who’d done some work while I was gone, and together we managed to just finish working on the trick box and table display by the time the nighttime announcement chimed.

Before bed I took a long, good hot soak in the shower. I never did get the chance to change out of my tracksuit and had been wearing the thing the whole day, and it reeked. So did I, actually. But the hot water washing over my muscles helped soothe the aches, and a good scrubbing with soap took care of the rest. The shower did let me get a good look at some of the bruises I’d picked up lately. I had several all over my body courtesy of Adagio’s… enthusiastic lovemaking, but the real shiner was my belly. It was dual layered, the original kick from Adagio’s boot plus Tiara’s elbow lining up perfectly, almost making my stomach look like a practice target.

Fortunately the water helped with that, just like the rest, and as I fell into bed, I took one last look at my Monopad, noting down the time as 10:30. Most were in their cabins, Apple Bloom and Twilight were just leaving the library, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were finishing up with some late night exercise on the bridge deck, Adagio was leaving the theater, and Tiara was--

The screen of my Monopad abruptly blanked out. “What the heck?” I tapped at it, puzzled as it just as suddenly turned back on. For some reason, no one’s icons were showing up on the map. I briefly switched to various other apps on the pad, but everything else worked fine. Just no one’s icons appeared. “That’s… weird.”

Too tired to really care what it meant, I shrugged, set the pad aside, and switched off the light. I dozed for a while, waking with a start sometime after midnight, and checked the pad again. This time everyone’s icons showed up exactly like they should, all fourteen of us in our cabins. Mumbling to myself as I noted things down on my notebook, I went right back to sleep, this time straight through to morning.

Author's Note

So yes, our motive this time is secrets. Bog standard, I know, but I hope the twist I've placed on it is sufficient.

Adagio and Sunset have gotten over one hump in their relationship, but don't expect it to be the last.

Sunset is 100% channeling me when it comes to heels. They are so difficult to walk in. I wear mine as little as possible.

Next time: the show!

Chapter Two: What Lurks In The Depths Part 4

Chapter Two:

What Lurks in the Depths

Daily Life Part 4

DING-DONG-BING-BONG

As Monoponi’s irritatingly shrill voice blustered over the speakers before the screen winked out, I sat up in bed, groaning. “I’m never going to get used to that,” I mumbled. At least this time my sleep wasn’t plagued by nightmares. Unless you counted Adagio’s very sharp teeth.

I checked my Monopad map before getting ready, but everyone was still in their cabins, just like they had been last night. At least it was working again. Dumb piece of crap.

Once I finished getting ready, I headed out to the promenade for the breakfast meal. Everyone had a bit more of a bounce in their step this morning. Sleep did us all some good. I made sure to sit down next to Trixie and Apple Bloom once I got my meal. “So what’s the plan today, Trixie?” I asked as I bit into a helping of eggs.

“Well,” Trixie said, gesturing with her forkful of pancake. “Trixie is thinking we shouldn’t need too much time for rehearsal. She would like to go over everything with you after we finish eating, but it should be easy.

“Ah was thinkin’ about that, and Ah should probably be on stage with y’all,” Apple Bloom replied after swallowing a bite of apple. “Just to help with technical support. Ah know we aren’t usin’ much in the way of tech for this, but Ah should be ready just in case anyhow.”

Trixie frowned. “Oh. Trixie was hoping you would run the lights, but she supposes you’re right.”

“Did you say you needed someone to help out with the lights?” Flash interjected, leaning over from his table where he sat next to Twilight. “I used to help run them for some of the shows CU’s theater classes put on.”

“Oooh, that’s wonderful!” Trixie said, breaking out into a smile. “Trixie would be most pleased to accept your help, Flash.”

Flash gave her a thumbs up. “Yeah, you got it, Trixie. I’m looking forward to the show.”

“Me too,” Sweetie Belle added from her own seat next to Rarity. “I love magic shows! They always end with a bang! I can’t wait to see how yours ends!”

“Hmph. We’ll see if she’s more than talk,” Adagio said, flashing Trixie a simpering smile.

Trixie’s face fell, twisting into a sad frown. “Yes, well. Trixie will show you,” she grumbled under her breath.

I sighed quietly and massaged my forehead with my thumb and index finger. Adagio, I thought I told you to lay off of Trixie. I don’t understand what your problem is with her. Well, okay, I do a little, but you had problems with her even before our… situation.

“Oh, Sunset, I will need your help again this afternoon,” Rarity said, derailing my train of thought. “I’m working as quickly as I can on the dress, but I’ll need you for the finishing touches. You too, Trixie darling. I’ve already got your outfit changes ready, but I want to make a few last-minute adjustments.”

I nodded as Trixie said, “Of course, Rarity. Trixie is grateful for your help.”

“Oh it’s no trouble at all, I assure you,” Rarity said with a giggle. “I’m just glad to be doing some seamstress work. Relaxing is all well and good, but I wouldn’t want to get out of practice.

“Hey, you guys,” Pinkie asked. The girl had mostly recovered from the day before, and while she still didn’t have all the bounce to her curls back, the sparks of energy had returned. “Did anyone else have something funky happen with their Monopads last night?”

“Yeah, I did,” I said, scooping up another forkful of eggs into my mouth. “I thought it was just mine.”

“Mine also malfunctioned,” Twilight added, holding up her Monopad in one hand. “I think it was a wifi glitch.”

“Huh, mine too,” Applejack said. She took a big bite out of her ham steak, swallowed, then added, “Ah guess you must be right, if it were all of ‘em at once. Wonder what happened.”

Twilight shrugged. “Could be anything. I saw some lighting on the far horizon last night. Could be we just got too close to a storm.”

“That’s no good,” Scootaloo said, shivering. “Last thing we need is a thunderstorm at sea.”

“Alright!” Rainbow Dash shouted, standing up and clapping her hands together. “Who’s ready for exercise?”

A chorus of groans arose from the group.

One thoroughly exhausting exercise session and a shower later, I was embroiled in a rehearsal with Trixie. She led me up on stage in the theater and began pointing to various spots on the floor she’d marked out yesterday with Xs of duct tape. “You’ll want to stand here, here, and here while Trixie is performing,” she said. “You’ll help bring out Trixie’s props as she needs them. They’ll be here.” She pointed to a circle of tape. “Finally, the big finale. You’ll place the origami trick here, and then you’ll stand here for getting in and coming out.” She pointed to the largest X on the ground.

“Okay, sounds easy enough,” I said. “Is there, like, a script I need to be following?”

“No no, Sunset, you won’t need to speak,” Trixie said, shaking her head vigorously. “Trixie will do all the talking. If Trixie is honest, you won’t have too much to do until the finale, with the origami trick.” She went through the details of it again. “You see? Simple, but elegant!”

“I hope it fools everyone,” I replied with a smile. “Because if it works as well as you say it does, you’ll leave Twilight’s head spinning for hours trying to figure it out.”

“Naturally.” Trixie posed dramatically, brushing out her cape. “Trixie is well known for blowing minds!”

I snorted, then burst out laughing, almost doubling over in the process. “What? What?!” Trixie babbled, making me laugh harder. “What’s wrong with what Trixie said?”

“Nevermind…”

The clomp of boots preceded Apple Bloom stepping out from backstage. “Hey, Sunset, have ya seen the other power drill? Ah can’t find it.”

“I thought I left it on the shelf,” I said. Leaving Trixie to be confused, I followed the younger woman back into the prop shop. We took a quick look around, poking briefly into any spot large enough to hide a power drill, even pulling out the table saw from the wall. “Well, shoot. Guess you’ll just have to use the one and switch out the bits.”

“Dang it,” Bloom grunted in annoyance. “That’s gonna slow me down.”

“What’re you even drilling, anyway?” I continued, raising an eyebrow. “We finished with the origami prop last night.”

Apple Bloom pointed right at a half-assembled steel frame with three slots in it. “Ah wanted to make things a little easier for Trixie. This here’s gonna hold the swords for her when they’re on stage. Help make it look a little better than that box.” She glared down at the power drill in her hands. “But ah need several different bit sizes to get this right. Gonna take forever switchin’ back and forth.”

“Hmm.” I peered down at the frame. Apple Bloom had a keen eye for craftsmanship that exceeded my own. Even unfinished and without paint, the frame had a beauty to it, raw and ephemeral in its design. “I didn’t think about that. Do you need any help?”

“Nah, Ah got this just fine,” Apple Bloom said with a smile and shaking her head. “Ya got better things to do. Go on, git. Ah’ll finish up with this stuff.”

“Okay,” I said, shrugging.

But as I turned to go, Apple Bloom spoke up again, “Hey, Sunset, can I ask you somethin’ real quick?”

I stopped and faced her again. “What is it?”

Apple Bloom set the drill down on a nearby table and sighed. “Ah was just wonderin’ about what you were sayin’, back on the first night we got here. ‘Bout that Ekestia place.”

“Equestria,” I corrected automatically.

“Yeah, that. Anyhow, you were talkin’ about how it was full of magical ponies and stuff?” Apple Bloom paused, waiting for me to nod. When I did, she continued, “Well, see, Ah got to thinkin’ about what we’ve seen Monoponi do. And how he talks, and walks, and all that. And while Ah know Ah wasn’t sure if Ah believed you about it before… Ah think Ah do now.”

“Okay…” I replied hesitantly, shifting my weight onto my right leg and crossing my arms. “I appreciate that, but…”

“But why am Ah bringin’ it up?” Apple Bloom asked. “It’s because what Ah don’t understand is how you know about it. Don’t get me wrong.” She held up her hands in a reassuring gesture. “Ah ain’t sayin’ Ah don’t trust you. Ah think you proved you can be trusted from how you acted in the trial.”

I tried not to visibly wince when she said that. I remembered how I considered using that very fact to get away with murder. “I’d like to think so,” I said.

“Ah know so,” Apple Bloom responded, poking herself in the chest with one thumb. “Ah don’t quite have the sense for people’s honesty that mah sister does, but Ah can still tell someone trustworthy from someone who ain’t. And you’re trustworthy. But you’ve been ready for every twist and turn that’s happened so far.”

She held out a hand and started counting on her fingers. “You knew Monoponi was a pony. You knew about the killing game. You knew about the trials, the motive, even the Monoponi File! And Ah get that you know most of that from playin’ those Danganwhatever games. But that doesn't explain the pony stuff.”

Sweat beaded up on my brow, my stomach churning. Anxiety swished around like a choppy sea, all wind and thunder. “Well, see, that’s kind of complicated.”

A sad smile formed on Apple Bloom’s face. “Oh. Ah see. You’d rather not talk about it. Ah get it.”

“No, no, it’s not that,” I said, and immediately cursed myself for not taking the out when she presented it. Nice going, Sunset. “It’s just a little hard to explain.”

Apple Bloom held up her hands in confusion, then waved them dismissively. “Nah, it’s okay. Forgot Ah asked. Ah put you on the spot anyway. Just, when you’re ready, Ah’d like to hear more.”

I nodded back, a relieved smile forming on my face. “Sure. How about tonight, after the show?”

“You got it.”

With that, I left, and continued to practice a bit with Trixie until I got the routine down. Once finished, I took some time to check my Monopad, and wrote down the locations. “11:00 AM,” I muttered to myself as I wrote down. Apple Bloom, Trixie, myself in the theater, Rainbow, Scootaloo, and Applejack in the game corner, Twilight and Flash in the library naturally, and Sweetie Belle was in the bakery kitchen. Rarity was in her cabin, Pinkie Pie and Tiara on the bridge deck, and Adagio out by the lounge. Nothing unusual.

I decided I’d get Rarity’s request out of the way next, and stopped by the lounge first, finding Adagio sunning herself on a lounger, her shades firmly in place. “Hey,” she greeted.

I sat next to her on an empty lounger. “Hey yourself. Do you have a few minutes?”

Adagio reached up to her shades and brought them down just enough to look at me over them. “Yes,” she said after a moment. “What is it?”

I glanced at both entryways into the lounge, but no one was coming. “Apple Bloom asked me about Equestria,” I said bluntly.

That got her attention. Adagio sat up immediately, whisking the glasses off her face. She grimaced, her teeth baring. “Should we really be discussing this here?” she hissed.

I held up my Monopad and showed her the map. “I’m keeping an eye out.”

With a snort, Adagio rolled her eyes. “What did you tell her?”

“Nothing,” I answered. “I just said it was complicated.”

Adagio rested a hand on her head and sighed, closing her eyes. “Good. At least you didn’t do anything stupid.”

Smiling sheepishly, I then continued, “I might’ve promised to talk to her about it after the show, though.”

“You what?” Adagio’s grip tightened on her glasses until she set them down. “Why would you do that?”

“I don’t know, it seemed like the right thing to do!” I blurted, throwing my hands up in the air. “She kept talking about how trustworthy I was.”

“Of course she did,” Adagio groaned. She laid back down on her lounger in a huff. “She’s probably just trying to manipulate you.”

“And you’re not?” I said before I realized what was coming out of my mouth. My hands shot up to cover as my eyes widened in shock, but it was too late.

Adagio froze, then calmly, slowly, sat up, shifted her legs off the lounger till she was facing me in a sitting position, the cold winter’s fury once again roiling. “Excuse me?” she growled, her hands curling into claws.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say it that way,” I stammered, unleashing a torrent of barely understandable words. “I-I was just scared after the motive, and I--”

Adagio held up a hand for silence. The blizzard blowing in her eyes faded down into a gentle flurry, though the anger was still visible, as was hurt. “Don’t be stupid, Shimmer,” she said. “If I wanted to manipulate you, I wouldn’t waste time sleeping with you.”

“I…” My face fell into my hands. “I’m sorry, I just... “ Blowing out a sigh, I set my hands down, and looked her in the eye, trying not to shrivel in fear under that predatory glare. “When Monoponi presented the motive, I was watching you. You didn’t react. Everyone else was afraid, but you didn’t move. You didn’t even blink.”

Narrowing her eyes, one side of her mouth twisting in confusion, Adagio replied, “And that scared you.”

“Yes!” I answered. “Yes, it did. And that got me thinking about the motive, and the traitor, and how you and I are the only ones who know about Equestria, and Monoponi’s from Equestria, and I know I’m not the traitor so--”

Adagio closed the distance between us with a sudden lunge. Her lips met mine as she grabbed for me, hungrily kissing, her tongue forcing its way into my mouth and mingling with mine. The sheer suddenness of it overwhelmed me, my whole body overflowing with rising heat as I moaned, falling back and letting her take me.

Holding my shirt roughly with one hand, the other cupping my breast, Adagio released the kiss and nipped at my neck, just hard enough to leave marks before withdrawing. “Still worried?” she rumbled in that husky voice that drove me wild. “Like I said, I wouldn’t sleep with you if I was just trying to manipulate you. I have more subtle tools than that.”

She released me and sat back on her lounger. The missing warmth was like a splash of cold water, and my body burned with desire. “N-n-no, I guess you wouldn’t,” I said, panting. My hand drifted up to my neck, feeling for the marks, and came away with just the slightest little droplets of blood. The sight sent my heart racing even faster. “B-but can you blame me?”

Adagio let out a low, sensual laugh, all chocolate, no bitter. “No. And before you ask, I don’t think you’re the traitor either. If I did, well…” Her lips peeled back to show off her sharp teeth. “I’d start biting a lot harder.”

Somehow that made me flush even more with need. Sunset, you’re so masochistic sometimes, I thought. I looked down at the ground and poked my two index fingers together. “Can… can we go back to my room?”

A sultry smile spread across her face. “Is anyone watching?”

I glanced at my Monopad, but no one had moved. “No.”

Adagio slipped off the lounger and sauntered away, swaying her hips. After a moment, she turned to look over her shoulder. “You coming?”

I was on my feet and with her before she could even blink.

~*~

After some fun, and another shower, I went on to see Rarity like I originally intended. She let me in, fussing over me. “I wish I had more space in here,” she said as she brushed aside some of her sewing tools from the bed to let me have a place to sit. The dress was on a makeshift mannequin stand in one corner, covered by a sheet. “These cabins are lovely to stay in, but they’re so cramped.”

“Sorry we didn’t have room for you to sew in the prop shop,” I said apologetically as I carefully placed my rump down on the bed, watching out for needles. “But Trixie insisted no one else see us building her props.”

“Oh it’s alright, darling. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of chances in the future.” She held a hand to her mouth and cleared her throat with a dainty cough. With a flourish she pulled the sheet off the mannequin. “Ta-da! What do you think?”

I’d be the first to admit I didn’t know much about clothes. I liked practical things, like leather, denim. Pants. Sure, I’d wear the occasional dress, for formal occasions, but I usually preferred function over form.

This dress made me reconsider every thought I’d ever had about dresses. The stitching, the way the silk flowed down from every angle, the elegant yet sexy arms hanging just off the shoulder to bare the flesh, the cut of the train, complete with a slit down one leg to accentuate my features… ooh yeah. I was gonna love wearing this. “It looks amazing,” I breathed. “Can I try it on?”

“Yes, please, by all means!” Rarity replied with a happy smile. “Just don’t wear it over your other clothes. It’s not made for that. And do watch the pins. There’s still a few last stitches I’ll need to make once you’re wearing it.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I said as I ducked into the bathroom with the dress, quickly stripping down to my bra and panties. Then, ever so carefully, I donned the dress, careful not to pull at any pins or rip any seams. I shouldn’t have worried. It slipped on like a second skin, and fit perfectly. I admired myself in Rarity’s mirror, fluffing my hair, spinning on my feet so I could see myself from as many angles as possible.

I stepped out of the bathroom and struck a pose. “Hey there, pretty lady,” I said in a deliberately cheesy tone.

As I hoped, Rarity busted out laughing, quick little high pitched giggles that she swiftly stifled with a hand to her mouth. “Oh my, how romantic you are, Sunset,” she said, her words coated with amused sarcasm. “I feel entranced already.”

I laughed right along with her. “But for real, I love this dress, Rarity. You did an amazing job.”

“Why thank you. I’m not quite finished yet, but I do feel proud of this one,” she answered. Moving towards the bed, she scooped up her sewing kit and got to work on the remaining stitches. “Now just hold still, darling. This shouldn’t take long.”

True to her word, Rarity worked swiftly, and was just finishing up the final stitch when a knock came at the door. “Come in!” she called.

The door opened, and Trixie rushed inside, closing it behind her. Her eyes fell upon me and promptly bugged out as she threw up her hands in shock. “Wow,” she said. “That dress is incredible.”

“Isn’t it though?” I said with a happy little squeal. “I’m gonna be turning some heads tonight.”

Rarity gestured with a nudge of her shoulder to a second mannequin I hadn’t noticed in the opposite corner. “Trixie, your outfit is over there.”

Trixie went to fetch it and disappeared into the bathroom, emerging after a moment wearing a blue silk top hat, a dark blue business overshirt plus business skirt, and a shorter cape, still clasped with a fake blue sapphire, but ending in shorter coattails, accentuating her features. All in all the outfit certainly resembled her favorite hat and cloak, but with more taste. And it was also reminiscent of something else, as if I’d seen a similar outfit before. Not on Trixie, but on some other magic-inclined girl. Maybe in a video game.

“Lookin’ good, Trixie,” I said, flashing her a thumbs up.

“Yes, it is quite fetching, if I do say so myself,” Rarity added, all smiles.

“Hmm…” Trixie took off the hat and spun it in her hands a few times, then placed it back on her head. “Trixie quite likes it as well, thank you.” A frown formed on her face, her eyes turning hesitant. “Um, will Trixie owe you money for this when we get out of here?”

Oh crap. Of course. Money. I hadn’t even thought of that. A dress like the one I was wearing would probably cost a good thousand dollars or more, maybe two, since it was made by a personal tailor.

“Oh, pfft, no,” Rarity said, scoffing and letting one hand wave forward dismissively. “I wouldn’t dream of charging you for this. Just think of it as a gift.”

Trixie’s hand shot up to fondle the edge of her hat, the other running down her shirt. “Trixie has never been given such a gift before,” she said, her tone full of awe. Gratitude reflecting in her eyes, she added, “Thank you, Rarity! Trixie will be sure to treasure it!”

“It’s very generous of you,” I added, gratitude welling up inside me, like a soothing fire.

Rarity beamed under the praise, throwing up one hand behind her head as she stuck her nose high up in the air, as if swooning. “It’s just a part of who I am, that’s all.” She dropped her pose, smiling once more. “And if you ever need any repairs, please, come to me, and I’ll take care of it, free of charge. I consider the two of you to be friends, after all, and I don’t make my friends pay me for work.”

“Friends, huh?” I said, holding a hand to my breast and feeling the warmth the word filled me up with. A solitary tear dribbled down my cheek. “Thank you, Rarity. It makes me happy to hear that.”

Trixie practically shape shifted into a faucet as she sobbed in happiness. “Trixie is so blessed to have such good friends!” she babbled.

It took us a bit to get poor Trixie cleaned up after that, but Rarity didn’t say a word against her in judgement. That was the difference between Rarity and Diamond Tiara. They were both posh, elite type rich folk, all about class and style, but where Tiara was cruel, power hungry, and abused her position, Rarity… didn’t. She was just like any other person, and cared just like any other person, as if all her money hadn’t affected her one bit. Generosity. In Equestria, it was one of the Elements of Harmony, a vital force of magic for ponies. Rarity… if she were a pony, I felt like she would exemplify the Element.

Maybe in Equestria there’s a Rarity who does just that. Who knows?

The rest of the day passed without much fanfare, until about 5:30, when Trixie rushed Apple Bloom and myself through dinner and told Tiara we’d be in the theater, setting up for the show. As soon as we finished eating, we escorted Trixie to her room so she could pick up the box with the swords. She unlocked it just long enough to be sure all three were there before locking it again for the trip.

“So Trixie, Ah was makin’ a stand for you, for holdin’ your swords while on stage,” Apple Bloom said as we walked past everyone sitting at the food court. “Ah spray-painted it black, so it matched the table and frame for the mirror. Was that alright?”

“More than alright, Apple Bloom,” Trixie said, panting heavily as she carted the crate of swords. I stayed close by to help. We were both back in our regular outfits. I was carrying our show wear on my arm, on hangers, so they weren’t damaged by walking around. The flats I’d picked out were in my backpack. “Trixie is glad you thought to include a sword stand.” She looked back and forth real quick, then leaned in towards us and added in a whisper, “It helps with the illusion.”

“Ah kinda figured,” Apple Bloom replied, grinning. “And like Ah said before, Ah’ll be waiting backstage just outta view in case ya run into any trouble.”

We reached the prop shop, where Trixie promptly dropped the crate with a slam onto the closest table, huffing and puff. “Whew. Perhaps Trixie should join the rest of you for workouts. That was harder than Trixie expected,” she said.

“It wouldn’t hurt,” I agreed as I gently set down our costumes. Then I assisted Trixie in rolling out the table onstage for her initial set of acts. A variety of props ranging from cards to handkerchiefs and others were on the table, the usual magician’s fare. The table for the origami trick was placed just offstage, with the mirror required next to it. I offered to set it on the trick table’s frame so it was easier to move, but Trixie insisted we put it on once the table was on stage, as it added to the effect. The sword stand was placed right next to it. Apple Bloom had thoughtfully included small rolling wheels with little breaks on the bottom of the stand, making it easy to move.

Trixie handed me the key so I could unlock the sword box. The swords were inside, just as we confirmed at her cabin, completely untouched. I carefully withdrew them from the box and placed them one at a time on the sword stand.

That finished, the two of us quickly went to the dressing rooms and got dressed up in our costumes. Both of us had picked out a set of flats to complete our outfits, mine in scarlet, hers in dark blue, both sets sparkling with rhinestones. By the time we finished dressing up, people were filing into the theater, taking seats right up front.

Flash joined us on stage, and Trixie helped direct him to the lights operating room. It turned out it was upstairs on the third “floor” of the theater, in a little room off of one of the balconies. It was small and empty save for a wooden chair and the operating console. The door was lockable, so after familiarizing himself with the controls, and taking down the instructions Trixie gave him, Flash locked the door.

We met up with Diamond Tiara right at the foot of the stage, just before 7:00. I noted with interest that she was carrying a first aid kit, of the same design as Adagio's. “Is everyone here?” I asked her. “No one missing?”

She did a quick headcount, then nodded. “Yup. I see everyone there,” she said, pointing out the crowd. Rarity and Sweetie Belle were dead center, with Twilight and Scootaloo on either side of them. Applejack sat to one end, closest to the aisle, while Tiara went to assume the identical seat on the other side. The rest were scattered in between. Pinkie somehow had a massive tub of popcorn in her hands and was stuffing it in her mouth, chewing and making a big mess, while Rainbow Dash shook her head in disgust. Fluttershy politely flicked stray pieces off her clothes without saying a word. Adagio, I saw, was right next to Applejack, arms crossed, legs folded, he expression full of doubt, though when she saw my dress I saw her briefly gasp.

Right at 7:00 PM, the lights in the theater turned down low, and Flash activated the spotlights. The beams of light danced around the stage before settling on the two of us. I stood back from Trixie, arms at my sides, weight resting on the leg poking out of the slit in the dress, just as she requested.

“Greetings, ladies and gentlemen!” Trixie announced, her voice echoing through the speaker system via the mike clipped to her lapel. She held up her arms, swinging them about and making motions with her fingers. “Welcome to The Great and Powerful Trrrrrrrriiiiixie’s Magnificent Magical Show!”

A few in the audience clapped politely, Rarity among them. Trixie preened under even this meager applause until it died down. “Thank you, thank you! Trixie will be bringing you dazzling delights, spectacular spells, devilish deceptions, illustrious illusions, all for your viewing pleasure. Before I begin, allow me to introduce my lovely assistant for the evening, Sunset Shimmer!”

As she’d requested, I did a slow curtsy before swiftly rising back up. I received a lot more applause than she did, complete with Rainbow Dash whistling and throwing cat calls. Trixie’s expression briefly switched to one of harsh, furious jealousy before shifting back to her presenter’s smile. Sorry, Trixie, I’m not trying to steal the show, I promise.

“She is quite beautiful, isn’t she?” Trixie announced, recovering smoothly. I noticed Adagio’s left eye twitch as Trixie spoke. “So. For Trixie’s first trick, behold!”

Trixie began her routine, and everyone once in a while I sauntered forward, brought her the next prop, and then retreated back. As she performed each new feat, the applause she received grew and grew, until it sounded like a crowd of twenty or thirty more so than ten. Trixie basked in the appreciation, her confidence ever growing.

Every once in a while I glanced up at Flash, up in the booth, and at Apple Bloom over on stage left, just behind the curtains, but every time both just flashed me a thumbs up. Everything was going well, and the show was proving to be a big hit.

“Now then!” Trixie announced, bringing my attention back to her. “For our finale event, I wish to present a fascinating demonstration for you. Sunset, if you would please?

Taking that as my cue, I pushed the table of other tricks aside, then went backstage and brought out the origami trick table and mirror, setting it in front of the big X like I was directed to. “As you can see,” Trixie said, “this appears to be an ordinary box. My lovely assistant is placing this mirror here,” she indicated the mirror in my hands that I was attaching to the back of the trick table, “so you can see the back of the box at all times. Nothing will be hidden, Trixie assures you!”

I went off stage again and retrieved the sword stand, rolling it into place. “Perfect. Now,” Trixie said as she started opening up the box to reveal it as being much larger than it originally appeared, “as you can see, Trixie could fit herself inside the box if she wants to! But Sunset will fulfill that role for me instead, just to be safe.”

A few people laughed at that. At Trixie’s gesturing, I walked up and slowly, with her assistance, climbed inside the box, and settled down just the way she instructed. “Now that Sunset is inside, watch as Trixie closes the box!”

I heard the sounds of the box closing, plunging me into darkness. I could still hear gasps of awe from the crowd as Trixie successfully shrank the box down to something far smaller than should’ve been possible with me in it. “And now! You will see!” I heard the schingof a sword being removed swiftly from its sheath. “As Trixie plunges the sword into the box!”

“Holy crap!” I heard Rainbow Dash cry out as the first sword sank in.

“But that, of course, is insufficient for the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Trixie cried as another sword was drawn out and promptly shoved into the box at a different angle.

“Oh no!” someone moaned. I couldn’t tell who.

“One more, for good measure!” Trixie said, withdrawing the final sword and shoving it into the box from the top on down. “Now, Trixie knows what you're thinking. She's behind the table, right? Allow Trixie to show you how wrong you are!" The table spun just as she said, with more gasps of shock and surprise. “And now, Trixie will remove the swords.”

Three quick sounds of swords being removed later, and I heard Trixie shout, “Trixie will now open the box!”

True to her word, the box opened right back up, light filling my eyes once more. As she finished opening it, I slowly sat up, blinking spots away. Trixie held out a hand for me to take as she assisted me in getting out of the box, right back out onto the big X of tape. As I came out, Flash moved a couple of spotlights to circle around and focus on me.

“What the…” I heard Apple Bloom mutter from just off stage.

“And as you see, Sunset is unharmed!” Trixie said, raising up both our arms as she took a deep bow to the sound of brilliant applause. The claps and cheers echoed throughout the theater, and from what I could see of the crowd, even Adagio looked impressed now, one lip curled up in appreciation as she nodded several times.

We rose up, Trixie’s face split from ear to ear with her smile as she took a second to glance at me, letting out a quiet squealing noise, before we took another bow.

But right as we did, I heard something… odd. Like something snapped. Then a whistle of something falling. Then a furious clomping of boots on the stage as Apple Bloom screamed “Look out!” right before we were both body checked to the ground. Trixie fell over off the front of the stage while I skidded on my shoulders most of the way to the other side, friction burning all down every bit of exposed flesh, the sound of crashing metal in our ears.

SCHLUNK!

The sound of metal slicing through flesh rung in my ears, and the harsh metallic tang of spilled blood filled my nostrils. I looked up in horror to see Apple Bloom bent over backwards, eyes bulging as open as they could be in shock, her pupils dilated, her arms thrown up. The shaft and bloodied tip of a massive spear protruded out of her chest! Even as I watched she slid down the spear shaft further and further till she was propped up by it like some kind of messed up doll on display, right above the big X of tape.

“APPLE BLOOM!”

Applejack bellowed at a deafening volume as she sped forward faster than lightning, taking the stairs up the stage five at a time. In a flash she was up and next to her sister, cradling her in her arms, blood spilling everywhere and soaking her clothes. “Oh my god!” she screeched as she held her, tears streaming down her face in whole rivers of salt water. “Someone get a first aid kit! NOW!”

I struggled back to my feet even as Tiara and Adagio both surged forward, first aid kits already withdrawn and ready. I closed the distance, trying not to crowd Applejack and Apple Bloom. They both popped open their kits and pulled out huge rolls of bandages, but there was no chance. No hope of success. Not with a wound that big, bleeding that fast.

“Apple… Applejack…” I heard Apple Bloom say in a weak voice.

“Now now, Apple Bloom, don’t you fret now, you’re gonna be okay! Ah ain’t gonna let you die!” Applejack babbled as she sobbed fiercely, hugging her sister to her chest despite all the blood.

“It’s… it’s okay… Ah’m g-gonna see Mom and Dad again…”

“Nonononononono, don’t talk like that sugarcube,” Applejack cried, shaking her head like a ragdoll. “Don’t talk like that, please! Please! Ah can’t lose you too!”

“Ah… Ah’ll give ‘em your love, AJ. Ah… Ah loo...oo...v...ee….y...o...u…”

Apple Bloom’s head slumped, and what little light was left in her eyes faded.

Applejack reared her head back and screamed, sobbing louder than I’d ever heard someone cry before.

It was a scream of sorrow, of rage, of hopeless. The same feelings surged through the rest of us as we all beheld the weeping farmer. I wanted to cry right with her, but just like before, the emptiness gnawed at me until all I could feel was nothing. I couldn’t speak, or cry, or console her. All I could do was stare.

Stare at the cold, lifeless body of Apple Bloom.

Author's Note

Well... uh... at least the magic show itself went okay? Poor Apple Bloom. :fluttercry:

Also, for those with a keen eye: yes, the outfit that Rarity designed for Trixie is almost a carbon copy of Trucy Wright's from the later Ace Attorney games. I thought it'd be cute to picture Trixie wearing it.

Next time, the second investigation. This one should be harder. At least, I hope.

Chapter Two: What Lurks In The Depths Part 5

Chapter Two:

What Lurks in the Depths

Deadly Life

“What happened, what happened?!” Flash cried out as he practically galloped down the stairs. “I just heard screaming and shouting and--holy shit, Apple Bloom!”

Applejack let go of her sister’s body and fell over, shaking, her crying meek and quiet now. She laid there without a care as the blood pooling from Apple Bloom’s wound soaked into her hair, turning it from blonde to a rusty dark pink.

I wanted to rush forward, to comfort her, but I was afraid in her sorrow she’d end up snapping my neck. So instead I slowly stepped down the steps from the stage and checked on Trixie, who was still lying on the ground, her eyes spinning. Her silk hat was crushed beneath her body, ruined beyond repair.

“Ooooh,” Trixie moaned, holding a hand to her head. Blood was streaming down the side of her face from a gash on her forehead, staining the front of her performance shirt. “What happened? Trixie blacked out for a moment.”

“Hey Tiara, pass down that first aid kit!” I ordered, brooking no dissent. A quick toss from Tiara later and I brought out a large moist towelette from a paper wrapper, using it to wipe as much blood off of Trixie’s face as I could manage. Then I unwrapped a large bandage, sprinkled on some antibacterial ointment, and pressed it against Trixie’s wound until it firmly adhered. “There. Better?”

Trixie poked at the bandage and winced, then wiped away some of the dripping blood I’d failed to get. “Trixie supposes, but Sunset, what happened? Trixie just remembers bowing, and then…”

“Apple Bloom’s dead,” I said in a stoney voice.

“What?!” Trixie’s hands both shot to her face, then she squealed as she realized she’d smacked her own wound in the process. “How? What? Why?”

DING-DONG DONG-DING

That chime, that infuriating chime rose as the screens in the theater lit up, revealing a smug, satisfied, dare I say it gleeful Monoponi holding a snifter of brandy at his desk.

“A body has been discovered! I’d say everybody should gather in the theater, but you’re all already there! Upupupupu!”

As the screens shut off, Monoponi flashed into existence on the stage. “Well, well, well,” he said, holding both his forehooves to his mouth as he used his wings to hover. “Would you look at that. Little Apple Bloom! How shocking. How terrible! How delightfully horrible.”

I took a moment to scan the faces of everyone, reading the shock, horror, and sickness in their eyes. Pinkie was once again without a single spark of energy, her hair flattened against her skull, her whole body limp like a puppet with its strings cut. Fluttershy was weeping into Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, who stood there stoically, her open jaw the only sign of distress. Rarity had Sweetie Belle wrapped up in what was for all intents and purposes a chokehold as she cried messy tears, destroying her makeup. I could hear her whispering quietly to Sweetie Belle about how she was so glad it wasn’t Sweetie. Sweetie was stunned into silence, her eyes full of tears. Twilight was doubled over, weeping into her hands.

Tiara and Adagio, meanwhile, had guilty looks on their faces. Probably because they’d failed to save Apple Bloom’s life, even though they tried. Flash had fallen from confusion into sad anger, squeezing his hands until his knuckles turned white.

Scootaloo had stomped up to the stage and was kneeling down by Applejack, a look of pure fury etched across her features. Applejack was catatonic, entirely unresponsive, so she seemed ready to be angry in her place. “You!” she snarled, pointing a furious finger at Monoponi. She gripped that finger back into her fist and took a single step forward. “You made this happen!”

“And again, here we go with the accusations,” Monoponi said in a weary tone, snorting in disgust. “‘Oh Monoponi, it’s your fault! Oh Monoponi, you killed my friend!’ I’ve heard it all before, and I’m tired of it. It wasn’t me who did this.” He raised a hoof and pointed it in everyone’s direction. “One of you is responsible.”

“But how?” Tiara blurted, her hands clapping to her hips. “We were all sitting down watching the show!”

“Yeah, we were, all except…” Scootaloo whirled and advanced on Flash till she was at the edge of the stage. Flash took a step back and almost tripped on the seat behind him. “You!”

“Me?!” Flash countered, anger welling up within him as he steadied his stance and held up his fists. “I didn’t do a damned thing and you know it, Scootaloo!”

“Trixie still doesn’t understand what happened,” Trixie interrupted, getting between Scootaloo and Flash, almost slipping off the stage again in the process until I grabbed her hand to stop her from falling. “How did Apple Bloom die?”

“She saved us, Trixie,” I said. While everyone was talking I’d taken the first aid kit and was seeing to my own wounds. The dress was torn up, ruined just as badly as Trixie’s outfit, and if it weren’t for the bra I’d insisted on wearing under it, I’d be bare chested. So much for treasuring Rarity’s hard work. It took several bandages to cover all of the burns I’d picked up from skidding across the stage. I had a major ache in my arm too, and though I could move it just fine, I was afraid it might be sprained. It hadn’t swollen yet, but it might. “She saved our lives.”

“She did?” Trixie turned and knelt by Apple Bloom, her face turning green as she beheld the massive wound. The spear was still firmly stuck through Apple Bloom’s body, which was probably a good thing. We didn’t need to see her with a gaping hole in her torso. It was bad enough as it was, her body leaking blood in such a large puddle I began to fear Applejack might somehow drown in it.

“She did,” Adagio said quietly, her eyes closed, her expression somber. “I watched it happen. She must’ve heard it or something, and pushed you both out of the way, just so she could take the blow herself.” She squeezed one hand into a fist, the fist shaking from the effort as a few tears dripped down her cheeks. “She could’ve let you die, but she didn’t. She sacrificed herself.”

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Adagio? Crying? In public?! She must’ve been scared half to death by what just happened. I wanted to go over and hold her, comfort her, but she’d probably just gut punch me again if I tried. Not the time for it.

Scootaloo moved back from the stage and knelt back down to see to Applejack, setting a comforting hand on the farmer’s shoulder. When she didn’t respond, Scootaloo bent down further and embraced her from a rather awkward looking angle, then tried to lift her up.

She managed to get Applejack up to a sitting position, though apart from that the farmer didn’t move. A thousand yard stare was etched across her face, her tears having long since run dry. The effect was more than a little unsettling, especially considering the amount of blood all over her shirt, pants, and part of her face. It even dripped a tad from her chin, a macabre display if ever there was one.

“Is... is she gonna be okay?” I heard Rainbow Dash mumble.

“She’d better be by the trial!” Monoponi answered, landing on his hooves. “Your Captain won’t make any exceptions! She’ll be attending just like the rest of you. And speaking of the trial, I hope you didn’t forget…”

“Investigation. We’re going to have to investigate,” Tiara muttered. The bravado she’d demonstrated when Monoponi had announced the motive was gone. She was just like the rest of us: scared. Afraid. Without hope.

“Yes indeed!” Monoponi’s horn lit up, and our Monopads let out a shrill bleep. “Oh, but before you start, keep in mind one very important thing! All the rules still apply. There is to be no sharing or implying of your secrets, not during the investigation, nor the trial! You’ll have to puzzle those out for yourselves!” He immediately disappeared with a crack and flash of light.

So the motive is critical to the case, then, I thought, nodding in understanding. I wasn’t bothering to process the fact that I’d almost just died, again. I took any feelings regarding that and shoved them down a deep, dark hole, along with everything else. I could cope later, after the trial.

Damn it. Apple Bloom wasn’t going to be the last person we watched die tonight, was she? Someone did this to her. Maybe they were aiming for me, or Trixie, or both of us. Or maybe it was just targeted at whoever it happened to strike. But this was intentional. Definitive, obvious murder, just like with Wallflower.

And just like with Wallflower, Apple Bloom didn’t deserve to die. None of us did. We were just people, trapped on this godforsaken cruise ship, struggling to survive. And someone broke under the stress. Just like Timber Spruce. Just like I knew they would.

Whoever it was, I hoped they were satisfied. Because by the end of this night, I’d make damn sure they paid for this.

*INVESTIGATION START*

My first act, as before, was to check the Monoponi file. I pulled out my Monopad and brought it up.

Fact #1: Monoponi File II: “The victim is Apple Bloom, the Ultimate Builder. Time of death is 7:45 PM. Cause of death was blood loss due to a massive stab wound through the torso.”

Of course, nothing useful. I checked the time on my Monopad. 8:02. She died only fifteen minutes ago. Her body's not even cold yet, and here we are investigating. Damn it all.

I put my Monopad away and approached the body. “Hey, Scootaloo, got a second?” I asked. “I need to ask you a favor.”

Scootaloo looked up from her position next to Applejack. She’d taken a seat right next to her, one arm draped over the farmer’s shoulder, sitting cross-legged and apparently not caring that she was also getting blood all over her clothes. “What is it?” she grunted.

“I know you’re busy with Applejack, but do you think you can act as a guard for the body, too?”

Scootaloo considered this, scratching her chin with one hand briefly. “Yeah. Definitely. Apple Bloom, she was my friend. It’s the least I can do.” The brave, stoic face she’d thrown on cracked just a little as I saw her eyes grow misty, and she sniffled before shaking it off.

“Thank you.” I turned to the other nearby onlookers. “Trixie, do you think you can be the other guard?”

“Huh?” Trixie mumbled. For a moment her pupils dilated, going wall-eyed before she shook her head and snapped out of it. “What?”

I laid a hand on her shoulder. “You’re in no condition to investigate. Can you guard the body with Scootaloo, please?”

Trixie held a hand to her forehead wound and cringed, squeezing her eyes shut. “Yeah. Trixie can do that.”

“Good. Take it easy, okay?” I patted her on the shoulder, then grabbed up the first aid kit Tiara had tossed me. I rummaged through it and found two pairs of disposable latex gloves. I donned one pair. Twilight was still crying in the seats, being useless, so I handed the other pair to Adagio. “Think you can investigate with me, Adagio?”

“Me?” she inquired, raising one eyebrow. She pointed a finger at her own chest. “I thought you did this with Twilight before.”

Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I gestured towards the weeping researcher. “Does she look like she’s any use right now?” I said with a sneer.

Adagio’s eyes briefly widened and she took a step back. “Okay. I’ll help.” She took the gloves and slipped them onto her hands. “So what do we do?”

“First,” I said, getting down on one knee, grimacing as it sank into the pool of still warm blood. The warmth was the creepiest part. The color, I didn’t mind, but the warmth? The smell of iron? That was awful. “We’re going to examine the body.”

“No problem,” Adagio muttered as she too fell to one knee.

Apple Bloom’s body was still warm, just like the blood. Her eyes were frozen open, still in that shocked, bugged out state, her pupils dilated to tiny pinpricks. Her mouth hung open slightly, a trail of blood dripping from her lips down her chin and into the larger puddle. The spear had lodged itself in her torso, the long, thin serrated spike shoved entirely through to the base of the twin-spiked crossguard, coated from tip all the way down in pink. It was only as I examined the rest of the spear that I realized this wasn’t just any kind of spear. This one was of Qilin design, just like the swords Trixie had used.

Fact #2: Qilin Spear: “A polearm with a thin serrated tip and twin-spiked crossguard, its origins unknown.”

“I’ve seen a weapon like this before,” Adagio said as she ran her hands along Apple Bloom’s back, very carefully ensuring to skirt around the edges of the wound. “In…” her eyes darted about before she pointedly looked at me and mouthed “Equestria.”

I nodded in understanding, and went back to examining it. “The culprit must’ve bought this in the game corner. Where else would they have gotten it? We’ll need to check there.” I frowned in puzzlement. “It almost looks like the spear shot up from underneath her.”

“That’s exactly what it did,” Adagio agreed. “I saw it pop up. Like toast from a toaster.”

*Updated* Fact #2: Qilin Spear: “A polearm with a thin serrated tip and twin-spiked crossguard, its origins unknown. The spear impaled Apple Bloom from underneath, popping up out of the stage.”

“Then there was a trap set below the stage,” I said. My eyes fell upon the big X of tape right below the body, or what little of it I could see past the blood anyway, and my whole body froze up. “This could’ve been me…”

Adagio squeezed her eyes shut, and bit her upper lip, bowing her head. “Yeah. I’m… I’m glad it wasn’t.”

“Was the culprit trying to kill me?” I wondered, my blood chilling even more at the thought. “They must’ve! But, but why?”

Her eyes shooting open, Adagio replied, “I told you, Sunset. Number one.”

Fact #3: Accidental Victim: “Apple Bloom was not the culprit’s intended target. The intended target was Sunset Shimmer.”

Okay. Okay. I can deal with this. I can deal with the fact that someone just tried to kill me. And someone died in my place. Right. I can deal. I just gotta stay calm, and cool, and collected. I can deal.

I can deal.

I can deal.

“Right. Right. Okay.” I took several deep breaths, in and out. In and out. “Right. We-we’ll need to search under the stage, then. If I remember correctly, there’s a trap door backstage.”

“Okay. Lead the way.”

We headed backstage, but on the way, I almost tripped over a sackcloth bag of… something. Something heavy and metal. There was a length of black painted chain a good several feet or more long wrapped around the bag too, ending in part of a quick release clamp. “What the heck? What is this?” I wondered as I bent down to examine it. The planks of wood making up the stage floor all around it was chipped and cracked, as if it had fallen down with great force. Or from somewhere very high up. Or both. Then I remembered.

~*~
But right as we did, I heard something… odd. Like something snapped. Then a whistle of something falling. Then a furious clomping of boots on the stage as Apple Bloom screamed “Look out!” right before we were both body checked to the ground. Trixie fell over off the front of the stage while I skidded on my shoulders most of the way to the other side, friction burning all down every bit of exposed flesh, the sound of crashing metal in our ears.
~*~

“Adagio, I heard something falling at the same time Apple Bloom pushed us over. This must’ve been it.”

She poked inside the bag, and withdrew a hammer. “It’s full of tools. Like a lot of tools.” She tried picking up the bag and frowned. “And it’s pretty heavy too.”

Fact #4: Bag of Tools: “A heavy sackcloth bag, filled with a selection of random tools. The bag was tied around its top with a length of chain many feet long, ending in half of a quick release clamp. The chain was spray-painted black.”

“What the heck was this even for?” I asked, picking up the length of black chain. “It’s like it was hanging from something. And why was it spray-painted?” On a hunch, I decided to look up. And up, and up. Hanging from the stage light rafter was… something. I could see some kind of movement in the air. “Hmm… hey, Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow, who was poking around elsewhere on the stage, looked up and said, “Yeah?”

“Can I borrow your penlight again?”

With a shrug, she pulled it out of her pocket and tossed it over. “Here.”

I caught it deftly in one hand. “Thanks.”

Using the penlight, I shined its light up right in the same place I’d seen the movement. And sure enough, there it was: more chain, spray-painted black. Without direct light we never would’ve seen it. The other half of the quick release dangled from the end too, as if the bag had been designed to just come off the chain right at the end for some reason.

Fact #5: Black metal Chain: “A chain hanging from high up on stage light rafters. It was spray painted black, and ended in half of a quick release clamp.”

“How are we even going to get up there?” Adagio asked, shielding her eyes from the spotlights as she looked up. “And see, for that matter?”

“There’s a ladder in the prop shop,” I said. “We need to investigate there anyway, so we might as well do it first. I think it’s probably connected to the case. As for the lights… Hey Flash!”

Flash had Twilight wrapped up in his arms, doing his best to calm her down. “What?” he replied, not bothering to look my way.

“Can you go back up to the light booth and turn off the spotlights?”

Now he glanced my way, his face twisted up in frustration. “Does it have to be right now? I’m kind of busy here.”

Busy wasting your time. “Yeah, sure, just get it done soon, please,” I answered, trying not to glare. Don’t even get what she’s crying about anyway. She wasn’t the one who almost died.

Waving for Adagio to follow, I left the crowd behind and made my way into the prop shop, stripping our gloves and tossing them into a small bin as we walked in. It was in the same state we’d left it in. The safety box holding the swords was still laying open, sitting on one of the work benches. The shelves stood untouched, save for the supplies we’d taken, the rolling step ladder leaning against the wall between two shelves… wait. I pointed right at the ladder. “That’s not where it was before.”

~*~
It wasn’t the largest shop I’d ever worked in, more suited to smaller set pieces, furniture, and costumes than manufacturing, but it was well stocked with most of what we needed, and well organized too, albeit with plenty of dangerous tools. Hammers and screwdrivers aplenty, heavy wrenches, some power tools, a nailgun or two, table saw, even the large rolling step ladder laying against the wall next to the saw… yeah, there were plenty of tools for murder here.
~*~

“It was next to the table saw when we were working here yesterday. Apple Bloom and I never touched it. We didn’t have a reason to.”

Fact #6: Rolling Step Ladder: “There was a rolling step ladder inside the prop shop. It had been moved from its original position.”

“Naturally,” Adagio responded, rolling her eyes. “How else did the culprit get up to the rafters? Fly?” She stuck her hands to her hips. “What’re we looking for here, anyway?”

“Anything out of place,” I answered as I began poking through the shelves, searching the various boxes. I hadn’t bothered to inventory it, so I couldn’t be sure what, if anything, was missing. But I did stumble across a few things worthy of note, including a box containing several lengths of metal chain, just like the one wrapped around the bag.

*Updated* Fact #5: Black metal Chain: “A chain hanging from high up on stage light rafters. It was spray painted black, and ended in half of a quick release clamp. The chain came from the prop shop inventory.”

I quickly took a moment to check the large garbage bin in the corner. As I expected, there were several paint cans, some large pieces of cardboard also covered in black, and, oddly, a lot of sawdust. I wasn’t sure what the sawdust was about yet, but the rest made sense, so I moved on.

To my surprise, nothing was out of place on the tool shelf. “Then where did the tools… oh!” Underneath the shelf, in a cabinet I hadn’t bothered opening before, was several sets of tool kits, like the kind you’d buy at the mall to keep in your garage. These had all been rifled through and emptied, then shoved back in here.

*Updated* Fact #4: Bag of Tools: “A heavy sackcloth bag, filled with a selection of random tools. The bag was tied around its top with a length of chain many feet long, ending in half of a quick release clamp. The chain was spray-painted black. The tools came from toolkits in the prop shop inventory.”

“Let’s keep checking around. I feel like there’s still something we’re missing.”

I continued to scan the shelves and poked inside the cabinets and the hanging tool racks, but I didn’t see it until I came to the section with power tools. “Oh that’s right. Apple Bloom told me there was a missing drill this morning.”

Fact #7: Missing Drill: “According to Apple Bloom, a drill was missing the morning of the show. Its whereabouts are unknown.”

“We’ll need to keep an eye out for it.”

“Hey, you two!”

Diamond Tiara stomped into the prop shop, irritation writ all over her features and flowing off of her in waves as she held up a finger to shake in my face. “What the heck do you think you’re doing, Shimmer?”

Oh for pete’s sake. Resisting the urge I had to reach out and snap that finger, I instead took a step back. “What’re you talking about?”

Tiara threw up her hands in disgust. “What do you think? You told us yesterday you had no intention of being our leader, then here you are, giving everybody orders, telling everybody what to do, and leaving me just standing there like an idiot!”

“That’s because you are an idiot,” Adagio immediately retorted, amusement twinkling in her eyes.

“Excuse me?!” Tiara snarled, whirling on the siren and holding up a shaking fist.

I don’t have time for this shit. “Look, Tiara, I’m not trying to rain on your parade or anything, but we’ve got an investigation to do, and not a lot of time to do it in.” I started to walk past her. I swear, if she does one more thing to piss me off...

Then Tiara made a big mistake: she grabbed my arm. “Hey! You’re not going anywhere! You were one of only people working back here! That makes you pretty supic--”

I whirled and cold-cocked her in the face. She fell back and slammed to the concrete floor on her ass with a loud “Oof!” blood trailing from a split lip. Her whole face went blank, shell-shocked. One of her hands slowly reached up and touched her bleeding lip, coming away with pink on her fingers.

“I am sick and tired of you accusing me every single chance you get, Tiara!” I screeched. “Don’t you get it? I almost died out there! The culprit was trying to kill me!” I raised one flat-clad foot, ready to kick her back against the floor.

Then Adagio set a single hand on my shoulder and fixed upon me with a cold glare. “Stop,” she ordered.

I met her gaze with a stare of my own, but against those eyes, those frozen, predatory eyes that, even as I watched, shifted and flashed with a crimson light.. I wavered, buckled, and gave in. With a wordless grunt I turned and left Tiara still sitting there on the floor, completely stunned.

I grabbed the ladder from the shop before we left it and rolled it out with me on-stage. By now most everyone was milling about, searching here and there amongst the theater for potential clues, save for Flash, who was still comforting Twilight.

“Flash!” I called out. “Come on!”

Flash patted Twilight on the shoulder, breathed a quick apology in her ear, then stood. He was angry as he scowled my way. “What do you need me to do?” he growled.

He’ll get over it. “I need you back up in the light booth. Turn off the stage lights, and stay up there in case we need something else,” I answered.

Rolling his eyes and snorting like an angry minotaur, Flash spun on his hell and stomped back up towards the light booth without saying another word.

After a couple minutes wait, the stage lights winked off. I set the rolling ladder right below the hanging chain and, together with Adagio, we climbed up. And up, and up. The ladder reached the top of the beams, but only barely. Taking out the penlight, I switched it on, holding it in one hand and scanning while using the other to feel things out. I had my legs wrapped around the ladder so I didn’t fall. “Well, hello,” I said as the light panned over a familiar object.

Adagio’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that the missing drill?”

“Yeah, it is, but that’s not all.” I leaned in closer. The drill had been positioned upside down and carefully taped to the beam with some duct tape from the prop shop, with another strip laid on the activation trigger. The drill was set to its lowest setting. But instead of having its power cord plugged into an outlet, since there wasn’t one up here, someone had jury rigged some wiring, mating the drill to the closest light. “Damn,” I whispered. “How’d they do this? And why?”

*Updated* Fact #7: Missing Drill: “According to Apple Bloom, a drill was missing the morning of the show. It was discovered taped upside down to the beam supporting the stage lights, set to its lowest setting and with its trigger taped down. The power supply was jury-rigged into the nearest light.”

Using the penlight, I followed the end of the drill, to spot something else: a rope tied to the beam. Or rather, fragments of one. The drill bit had chewed through the rope, splitting it apart. What was left remained tied around the black metal chain, which reached off well back towards the backstage wall, past where I could see it. “What do you make of this, Adagio?”

Adagio scratched her chin, her expression full of puzzlement. “Maybe they had the bag tied up here?” Then she snapped her fingers. “Yes. It was tied here, and the culprit used the drill to cut through the rope. Like a timer.”

Fact #8: Rope: “A rope tied to the stage light support beam. It had been chewed through by the bit of the drill, splitting it apart.”

I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that’s probably likely. Adagio, can you go back down and ask Flash to turn the stage lights on again?”

She nodded, and swiftly made her way back down the ladder. I leaned back away from the beam, so I didn’t risk getting electrocuted. Soon enough the lights switched back on. This high up, the effect wasn’t at all blinding.

And as I expected, the drill whirred to life, very quietly spinning its bit between the bits of snapped rope.

I quickly scanned around with the penlight but I didn’t see anything else of note, so I made my way back down the ladder, squinting my eyes against the bright lights as I passed them.

“Did the drill turn on?” Adagio asked me as I came off the ladder.

“Yup,” I answered. “So it had to be someone with the brains to do that. That couldn’t have been easy. Or safe.”

“Hmm…” Adagio rubbed her chin, then turned to face Twilight, who was sitting quietly, no longer sobbing, but not moving either, rather like Applejack. “Do you think?”

I considered that for a moment. She was acting rather guilty. And if anyone had the brains to create something like this, it was her. Still, I wasn’t Tiara, or Scootaloo. I wasn’t about to accuse someone during the investigation and waste everyone’s time. So I shook my head and replied, “Wait for the trial.”

“Um, excuse me,” said Fluttershy, walking up to the two of us. “Do you have a minute, Sunset?”

I took a hissing breath, then steeled my nerves, trying not to present as much irritation as I had been doing. “Yeah, what is it?”

She let out a little whimper, taking several steps back. “Um, that’s okay, nevermind, if I’m bothering you, I--”

“Fluttershy,” I interrupted, trying to give her a reassuring smile and succeeding only in plastering an irritated grimace on my face. “Just tell us, please.”

“Well, you see, it’s just… I found this.” Fluttershy pulled out some fragments of rope from her pockets, and showed them to us. “They were on the stage. Near… n-n-near Apple Bloom’s… b-body.”

I took the pieces from her and examined them closely. They matched the rope we found tied to the beam above. “This is definitely useful. Thanks, Fluttershy.”

*Updated* Fact #8: Rope: “A rope tied to the stage light support beam. It had been chewed through by the bit of the drill, splitting it apart. Many pieces fell to the stage below and were discovered near the body.”

For some reason, despite the praise, Fluttershy seemed even more scared of me, shrinking away as if I was going to hit her. “Y-you’re welcome, Sunset! Excuse me!” She whisked herself away back to the protection of Rainbow Dash.

I held out my hands, flabbergasted. “What? What did I do this time?”

Adagio quietly took my right hand, the one I’d punched Tiara with, and turned it over. It was spotted pink with blood, right on the knuckles of the middle and ring fingers. I hadn’t noticed at all. “Oh.”

“Sunset,” she said, grimacing, “I’m not… good at this sort of thing, but even I can tell you’re not feeling alright. You’re… angry. Angry like me.”

“Angry?” The word churned through my mind, over and over, until all I wanted to do was scream. “Angry? You’re damned right I’m angry,” I said, my words acrid and dark. “Someone killed Apple Bloom right in front of us!”

Without meaning to, I’d raised my voice, until I was bellowing so loud Flash could probably have heard me clearly without even trying. “Apple Bloom was my friend! She was kind, and caring, and good! She didn’t deserve the pain and agony of such a cruel death! If I find the motherfucker who did this I’m going to rip them apart myself!” I broke into angry, bitter tears. “She saved my life. She saved my life! I almost died! The only reason I’m still alive is because she saved me, and she paid for that! I… I should’ve… I…”

I fell apart entirely, falling over, gripping my head in my hands as I wept, the weakness and fear washing over me in endless pounding waves. I’d come face to face with my own mortality, come bare inches from death, and it scared me more than anything. I didn’t want to be here anymore. I didn’t want to do this. I couldn’t keep feeling empty inside. I couldn’t keep shoving my feelings away and pretend none of this affected me anymore. I’d been pretending for too long, acting all detached, as if I was just an observer, or… or just a player, playing through the motions of the story.

But I’m not. I’m Sunset Shimmer. I am a person. Whether human or pony, I matter. My emotions matter. My well-being matters.

My life matters.

I realized, right then, how I’d been trying to treat this killing game, retreating further and further into my old self, the Sunset-that-was, throwing up barriers, jumping into bed with a freaking siren of all people… everything was just me trying to cope. And I was not coping well. I’d been telling myself I’d stop murders, I’d bring people together, but I hadn’t done a thing. I’d say it to myself, to feel better, then just move on and act like nothing was wrong until the next body hit the floor.

Was I going to keep acting this way, the whole time? Keep acting like nothing was wrong, even as friends died all around me? Had I already given up? Given in?

I didn’t even know anymore.

A hand rested on my shoulder, strong and firm, brimming with an honest warmth, startling me out of my freakout. I looked up in surprise, expecting it to be Adagio, and gasped when I saw who it really was. “Applejack?” I breathed.

Applejack didn’t look any better than I did. She was still covered in blood, her eyes still haunted, every so often staring right back into the distance. But she was moving. She was acting. And she was trying to give me a smile. “Sugarcube, Ah can see what you’re goin’ through,” she said. “And Ah heard what you said, about Apple Bloom saving your life. Ah just wanted you to know somethin’. Apple Bloom told me, earlier today, that she thought of you as a friend too.” A few fresh tears glistened at the corners of her eyes.Then her smile turned harsh and cruel. “And you and Ah? We’re gonna get the sunnuva bitch that killed mah sister.”

She reached under my arms, grabbed me by the armpits and with one quick motion had me up on my feet before I could react. “Come on, Sunset. If we’re gonna track ‘em down, you and Ah better get cleaned up first.”

Without another word, she guided me out of the theater, even as everyone stared in shock our way, including Adagio. I met Adagio’s gaze briefly, but she just looked away, frowning. No one had expected Applejack to get up like this, least of all me. Somehow, it left me feeling even worse, even more guilty. She’d lost her sister, but she was the one having to console me now? How selfish was I?

“Ah can see what you’re thinkin’,” she said abruptly as we passed through the food court. “And you can quit feelin’ like you’re being selfish. You’re not, trust me. Ah’m doing this for me as much as for you right now.”

“You are?” I said. My voice was hoarse and rough. Weak.

“Sure am,” she answered. “Ah won’t lie: Ah’m barely functionin’. Ah can’t even hardly deal with what just happened. Ah gotta focus on somethin’ or else Ah’m just gonna fall apart again.”

We reached the cabin corridor, and rather than split off, Applejack insisted we both go inside hers. “Ah don’t think either of us should be alone right now,” she said.

“Good point,” I admitted.

At any other time, the thought of sharing a shower with someone as pretty and strong as Applejack would’ve excited me, thrilled me even, but that was by far the furthest thing from my mind. Together we made quick work of washing away all the blood, sweat, and tears. The hot water helped me feel a bit better. At the very least, it let me think again, rather than being consumed by my emotions.

Applejack made me wait while she dressed, then threw on the bathrobe from her bathroom on me and escorted me to my own cabin. I dressed in a hurry, grateful to be back in my usual clothes. That helped to ground me even more, and allowed me to focus. We still had an investigation to finish, after all.

“So,” Applejack said as we returned to the promenade offshoot, “what’re we doin’ first? Ah’m gonna let you lead.” She crossed her arms as she noticed a slight touch of doubt in my expression. “Don’t fret now. Ah ain’t gonna be upset, no matter what we gotta look into.”

“Okay.” I pointed to the game corner. “We need to go in here. The weapon used definitely came from here. There’s nowhere else it could have come from.”

Applejack gestured with one hand. “Let’s go then.”

We entered the game corner. We weren’t the only ones with the idea to explore here. Pinkie Pie pranced around poking at the various games. Rainbow Dash bustled near the prize counter, along with Fluttershy, who meeped when she saw me and hid behind her friend. I started to reach out, to apologize, but Applejack just slowly shook her head. “Not right now. Save it for later.”

So without saying a word, then, I stepped past the duo, ignoring the harsh glare Rainbow Dash was throwing my way, and examined the various weapons behind the counter. Like I’d noticed the first time we were here, there was just about every kind of melee weapon you could imagine, in sets of three for each kind. And there, right there, in a cabinet close to the empty space where Trixie’s swords came from, was a set of two long polearms, identical to the one used to kill Apple Bloom. There was a label, too, from the register, along with the code to punch in to dispense it: qiang spear.

*Updated* Fact #2: Qilin Spear: “A polearm with a thin serrated tip and twin-spiked crossguard, obtained from the game corner prize counter. The spear impaled Apple Bloom from underneath, popping up out of the stage.”

“Looks like I was right,” I said with a sad frown. “Well, that should make this easier then. The prize counter register should tell us who bought it.”

Applejack cracked her knuckles on both hands, then stretched out her neck and shoulders. “Right. Lemme at it.”

She approached the register and started pushing buttons. I was a little worried she’d start slamming her fist against the screen or something, but she was actually quite patient with it till she got it printing a list. Once it was done, she scanned it, arched her eyebrows, then handed it to me.

Fact #9: Prize Counter Receipts: “Tickets scanned:
Sun1621DT x 10: DS1a Purchased
Sun1623DT x 10: DS1b Purchased
Sun1625DT x 10: DS1c Purchased
Sun2240AB x 10: QS1a Purchased”

I stared, stunned, at what I was reading. “Am I reading this correctly?” I muttered to myself. “Because it looks like the one who purchased the weapon was…”

“Apple Bloom,” Applejack said sadly. “Ah don’t get it either.”

“Wait, Apple Bloom? Really?” Rainbow Dash interjected, snatching up the paper from me. “That’s so weird. Why would she do that?”

Fluttershy gasped in horror, slapping a hand to her mouth. She immediately grabbed Rainbow Dash’s arm and dragged her out of there. I took the receipt back from Rainbow just before they left.

“What just happened?” I asked Applejack, my face twisted up in confusion.

Applejack shrugged. “Don’t ask me.”

With no more clues to be found in the game corner, I decided to move on to the library. I had no idea if it was involved, but it was worth checking out. “Remember to be quiet,” I whispered to Applejack as we entered.

We found Rarity and Sweetie Belle inside, searching around for anything out of place. “Oh, good, Sunset,” Rarity said quietly. “Come with me, please.”

Leaving Sweetie Belle by a bookshelf, Rarity guided Applejack and myself down to the second floor, where there was a desk near the stairwell. “This is where I placed the logbook,” Rarity added, pointing to a bog-standard notebook on the desk. “I thought you might want to take a look.”

Nodding gratefully, I opened up the logbook, and took a read. Rarity had thoughtfully formatted it as a list with two columns near the right side of the page, marked “checked out” and “returned” respectively.

Fact #10: Library Logbook:
“19th Century Prench Chemists: Twilight Sparkle X/X
Chemical Formulas 301: Twilight Sparkle X/O
Expert Calculus and Derivatives: Twilight Sparkle X/O
Shadow Spade: To Catch A Butterfly: Rarity Belle X/O
Sakaguchi Chise: Crusader Queen #1: Sweetie Belle X/X
Sakaguchi Chise: Crusader Queen #2: Sweetie Belle X/X
Strategies for Anger Management: Adagio Dazzle X/O
The Lesbian Kama Sutra: Adagio Dazzle X/O
The Art of Magic: Trixie Lulamoon X/O
Daring Do and the Cornerstone of Light: Rainbow Dash X/O
Love Doth Ran Smooth: Fluttershy X/O
Sakaguchi Chise: Crusader Queen #3: Sweetie Belle X/O
The Burning of the Stars: Apple Bloom X/O
Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering: Apple Bloom X/O
Springs and Pulleys: Apple Bloom X/O”

“The Lesbian Kama Sutra?” Applejack said in sheer disbelief. “What in tarnation--”

“Nevermind that,” I said quickly as I turned a shade of pink more commonly associated with little girl’s clothes than human faces. “Look at what Apple Bloom checked out.”

“Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering and Springs and Pulleys, huh? What about them?”

I started to explain about the drill, but stopped, as a sudden, utterly terrifying realization came to mind. Is this what Fluttershy realized? “It… nevermind. I’ll explain during the trial.” I stuffed the logbook into my pack for later. God I hope I’m wrong.

Applejack favored me with a displeased look, but said nothing. “Fine, fine. Let’s keep a move on. Rarity, you see anythin’ else around here?”

“Ah, no, I haven’t,” Rarity said hesitantly. A look of pure sorrow crossed her features as she tentatively set a hand on Applejack’s shoulder. “Listen, darling, about Apple Bloom, I’m so, so terribly--”

“Save it,” Applejack said, shrugging off her hand. “Not that Ah don’t appreciate where you’re comin’ from, Rarity, but right now if Ah hear much of that Ah might just break again.” That thousand-yard stare briefly appeared in Applejack’s eyes as she spoke, lending credence to her words.

Rarity pulled her hand back, and nervously bit her lower lip. “Of course, of course. I’ll… I’ll just go.” She left without another word.

Applejack slowly shook her head as she watched the other woman leave. “Poor Rarity. Ah really do appreciate what she was tryin’ to do. Ah just… Ah can’t…”

I laid a gentle hand on Applejack’s arm. “It’s okay. Don’t force it. We’ve got the information we needed here. Let’s go.”

We left the library, and made our way back towards the theater, in case we missed anything there. Just before we entered, however, Twilight and Flash emerged together. Flash was not happy to see me, and Twilight wasn’t looking too pleased either. “Hey, uh, listen,” I said, unable to meet either of them eye to eye. “I wanted to apologize for, um… earlier.”

Flash crossed his arms, glaring at me for a moment before his gaze softened into a sympathetic frown. “Hey, it’s cool. We’re all under a lot of stress right now.”

Twilight shot Flash a glare, then sighed, lowering her head to stare at the floor. “Yeah. It’s okay.”

“Hey, actually, while I have you here,” I continued, trying not to wince at Twilight’s reaction, “I wanted to ask you about the Monopad map issue last night.”

Twilight’s head shot up to look right at me again. “You think that’s related?”

“I’m not sure,” I replied, “but we should note it just in case.”

Fact #11: Monopad Map Glitch: “At approximately 10:30 PM the Monopad map experienced a glitch, erasing all icons. This glitch lasted for two and a half hours, ending at 1:00 AM.”

“You’re sure it was over at 1:00?” I asked.

Twilight held up her notepad, showing detailed notes. “I’m certain. I stayed up late last night reading, and was watching it the whole time.”

“May I see that?” She offered up the notepad, so I examined it closer, checking back through the last couple of pages. “Looks like you were tracking everyone’s movements.”

A flush came to her cheeks. She took a step closer towards Flash, as if seeking protection. “Yeah. After the last trial, I just thought it was a good idea.”

“It was,” I replied with a small smile. “It could be very useful information.”

Fact #12: Movements Tracked: “At 10:30 PM, just before the map glitched, the following people were outside of their cabins:
Twilight Sparkle, Apple Bloom -- Library
Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo -- Bridge Deck
Adagio Dazzle -- Theater
Diamond Tiara -- Game Corner
At 1:00 AM, all fourteen passengers were in their cabins.”

“I remember seeing Apple Bloom,” Twilight said. “She actually left the library before I did, and was going back to her cabin.”

Applejack broke into the conversation, just a hint of desperation in her voice as she asked, “Ya sure ya didn’t see her go into the game corner or nothin’?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, I didn’t. Why?” I showed Twilight the game corner receipt. “Wait, what? Why--”

“We can figure that out later,” I interrupted, before Twilight upset Applejack further. The poor farmer was sweating, that faraway look in her eyes showing up for a few seconds then disappearing, then coming back again. She was on the verge of panicking, or going catatonic. Again.

“Mebbe we can ask Tiara, then,” Applejack stuttered after a moment. “Maybe she saw Apple Bloom there.”

“Uuuuh…” I felt my whole body heat up with embarrassment and shame. “That might not be the best idea right now.”

“Ah don’t care,” Applejack blurted. She grabbed me by the collar and dragged me into the theater with her. Adagio was still poking around the stage, and flashed me a look that was some bizarre mixture of jealousy and amusement as she watched Applejack carry me down onto the stage. Applejack pointedly did not look anywhere near Apple Bloom’s body, which was still hanging there, like a sick man’s version of a pinata. Trixie and Scootaloo hovering near it just added to the nauseating effect. I did notice, interestingly, that Trixie had changed back to her usual outfit, cape and hat included. Someone must’ve brought her the clothes.

Instead we headed back into the prop shop. I wasn’t sure how Applejack knew Tiara would still be in there. Maybe she had some kind of sense for these things I wasn’t aware of. But sure enough, there she was, fuming and pouting as she sat in a chair by one of the drafting tables, nursing her split lip.

When she saw me, she turned beet red and immediately hopped to her feet! “You!” she roared at the top of her lungs. “You little piece of filth! How dare you hit me?!” She raised her fists up and fell into a runner’s stance, ready to pounce.

Before she could move another muscle, Applejack gripped her wrist and twisted her arm, just enough to stop Tiara from moving. “Ah wouldn’t do that if Ah were you sugarcube,” Applejack snarled, her eyes roiling with fury and more than an ounce of hatred. “Ah ain’t in the mood for messin’ around.”

“Aaah!” Tiara cried out, though whether it was in pain or fear I couldn’t be sure. Either way, the sight left my stomach twisting. I should’ve felt some level of vindication or satisfaction, because she’d been a complete bitch towards me from the very beginning, and this wasn’t anything she didn’t deserve. But I didn’t. Instead, I just felt sad. Like I was watching someone who by all means should’ve been kind and caring act descend into becoming a vengeful bully. Like watching a friend fall from grace and become the very kind of monster they used to strive against.

So I set a hand on Applejack’s arm, and whispered to her, “That’s enough, AJ. Please.”

For the briefest of instances, Applejack’s eyes landed on me, so full of fury it was like she’d transformed into a wild beast. Then she let go of Tiara and shoved her back into the chair. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “That might’ve been a bit much.”

“Ya think?” Tiara grunted, her face screwing up in pain as she worked her shoulder muscles. “First my face, then my arm. What’s next? My back?”

“Look, I’m sorry I punched you, Tiara,” I said, still not feeling that sorry about it, “but we need to ask you a couple of questions.”

“And why should I tell you anything?” Diamond Tiara pointedly looked away and stuck her nose up in the air, her elitist bearing fully restored.

“Yer not tellin’ her, Tiara,” Applejack retorted, the dark hatred once again roiling throughout her whole being. “Yer tellin’ me. Because Ah don’t know if you noticed, but someone killed mah sister!” She emphasized her shout with a mighty slam of her boot into the floor, actually managing to crack the concrete.

Tiara yelped, clinging to the back of her chair. “Okay, okay! I’ll talk!”

Applejack took a step back and gestured to me. “You ask her.”

Okay then. “Tiara, you were in the game corner last night, right? At 10:30?”

Tiara rolled her eyes in exasperation, and mumbled something under her breath. Then she said, “Yeah. What about it?”

“Did you happen to see Apple Bloom at all?” I asked.

Her face twisted with a combination of confusion and annoyance. “No. I didn’t.”

I pulled out the receipt for the ticket counter and showed it to her. “Are you sure? Were you still there at 10:40?”

Tiara snatched the paper from me and glared at it like it had personally offended her. “No. I left at 10:35. I went back to my cabin. I didn’t see anything.” Then she tossed the paper aside.

I caught the receipt before it could fall and slipped it back into my bag. “Okay. That’s all we needed. Thank you.”

We left Tiara to stew in her own frustration. My mind turned over with ideas, suggestions from the clues, all leaning towards a conclusion I didn’t like one bit. And it didn’t sit right with me either. It was the logical conclusion, but was it the right one?

“There anythin’ else we need to see?” Applejack said, breaking up my thoughts.

“Yes,” I answered. “We still need to check under the stage.”

As we left the prop shop, we encountered Adagio, standing there with her arms crossed, weight on one leg. “Going under?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

I saw Applejack briefly make a bemused face at Adagio before I was able to answer, “Yeah, can you come with? Three sets of eyes better than two.”

Adagio nodded, uncrossing her arms. “Sure.”

Together, the three of us made for the trapdoor. As we neared it, I pulled out the penlight on a hunch, and sure enough, I saw the same chain from the rafters extended down the wall and into a perfectly circular hole near the trapdoor. “Huh. Wonder what that was for,” Applejack commented.

Opening up the trapdoor, we each descended, one at a time. It was a short descent, down a ladder built into the wall. Underneath, the stage was dusty, dirty, dank, and most of all, dark. I was starting to wish I’d brought a better light, but the penlight would have to do.

Deciding to use the chain as a guide, I searched for it on the wall, and saw it went down then along the floor. We followed it until we reached… some kind of mechanism. The chain, it turned out, had been tied around a large lever fashioned from a plank of wood. The lever was pulled back, in the direction of the trapdoor, towards the backstage wall. It was hooked into an unwound spring, a rather large one at that. The spring rested underneath a very small platform with smaller pieces of wood around it as a protector. Casting up my light, I almost fell over when I realized what the long stick poking out from the ceiling was. It was the other end of the spear.

We’d found the trap.

Fact #13: Spring Loaded Trap: “A trap fashioned from a spring, lever, and wooden guides under the stage. The spring was discovered unwound, the lever pulled towards the backstage wall by the black metal chain.”

“So this is how they did it,” Applejack growled. She raised a foot as if she was going to kick the thing, then seemed to think better of it and lowered her foot again. “Ah’m still not sure Ah understand how it worked though.”

“I think I’m starting to piece it together, but--”

DING-DONG BING-BONG

The screens in the theater above us switched on. We couldn’t see it, but I knew Monoponi was grinning wickedly, just like he always does.

“Attention all passengers! This is your Captain speaking. What a way to end a magic show, eh? Talking about ending with a bang! Or would that be a stab, upupupu? In any case, investigation time is up! Please assemble in the food court at once!”

A haunted expression came over Applejack’s face as Monoponi’s voice faded away. Making her way back to the trapdoor ladder, she hopped up it quickly and onto the stage again. Adagio and I followed after her. She turned her gaze onto her sister’s body, and quietly started moving towards it.

“Applejack?” I asked, reaching out. “What--”

Applejack cut me off with a quick swipe of her hand. She slipped past Trixie and Scootaloo, who kept looking at each other and then Adagio and me, completely lost as to what to do

Kneeling down by her sister’s body, very carefully avoiding the pink pool of blood, she laid a single hand on Apple Bloom’s cheek. “Don’t worry, sis,” I heard her whisper. “Ah’ll make ‘em pay, even if Ah have to tear ‘em apart mahself.” She pressed her lips to Apple Bloom’s forehead. “Ah love you too.”

She stood back up, her posture tense, but resolute. “C’mon y’all. We gotta git goin’. That Monoponi ain’t gonna wait on us long.” With that, she left the theater, calmly walking away.

Forming up as a group, albeit with Trixie and Adagio occasionally shooting each other glares, the four of us followed after her, Tiara trailing behind at a distance. It didn’t take us long to reach the food court, where everyone else was already gathered. Grim expressions dominated the crowd. Pinkie Pie especially seemed more than a little heartbroken. I remembered what she told me the other day, about how she never wanted to go through this again.

None of us did. These trials, the suspicion, the fear… knowing one of us would be lying to the rest, hoping we’d get it wrong so we’d die while they live...I wouldn’t wish the experience on anyone. No one should ever have to go through this.

Monoponi flashed into existence before us, smiling that irritating grin of his. “Ah, my passengers!” he said, striking that Celestia-ripoff pose he was so fond of. “It’s so wonderful to see you again! Once again, it’s time for the exciting, heart-pounding thrill of a ship’s trial!”

“Shut up before Ah make you shut up!” Applejack bellowed. “Just let us on that damned elevator already. We ain’t got time to listen to you jaw on.”

Hanging his head low, Monoponi dropped his pose and made extremely annoying fake sobbing noises. “Oh, so ungrateful. So disrespectful to your Captain.” Then his head shot up and he stared Applejack square in the eye. “But then, you did lose your sister, didn’t you, Applejack? That’s too bad. I was really hoping she’d last longer. But she really only has herself to blame. She just had to play the hero.”

Applejack took one thundering step towards him. Then another. Then a third. The closer she got, the wider his grin became. Finally, she stopped right before him, inches away, and bent down to look him face to face. “...Ah hope you burn in hell,” she snarled. Then she turned around and walked away.

I let go of the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Jeez, Applejack, you could’ve gotten yourself killed just now!

Monoponi broke into amused laughter. “Well, that was entertaining!” he gloated. “But enough appetizers. Time for the main course!”

With a wave of his lit horn, his magic spiraled out and into the over-sized padlock. It unlocked and started to fall even as it disintegrated into a flurry of crimson sparkles. The gates squealed their way open, grating as ever on the ears. With a leading gesture to board, Monoponi vanished.

But before any of us could take a single step, Applejack leapt ahead, then turned to face us. “Listen up, y’all!” she growled in a no-nonsense voice. She raised a finger and pointed it at each of us in turn. “Ah’m only gonna say this once. One of y’all killed mah sister. One of y’all is a low-down dirty rotten snake. Ah aim to take you down. And if somehow, by some miracle we vote wrong?” Her expression turned dark as midnight as she ran her finger along her throat. “Before Ah die, Ah’ll kill you mahself.”

With that threat hanging over our heads, Applejack boarded the elevator. It took us all a couple moments before the rest of us could, none of us wanting to get too close to Applejack, lest she decide to just lash out right then and there.

Once we were all aboard, the doors closed, and our descent began. And as we fell, I pondered the case once more.

Apple Bloom… she was my friend. Maybe not the closest or best friend I’d ever had, but a friend nevertheless. And she died saving my life from a vicious, bloodthirsty trap.

Once again, one of us took a life.

One of us stole her from this world, for their own selfish ends.

Who was it this time? And why were they trying to kill me? Adagio had a good guess, but was she right?

Was it just because I’d guided us during the last trial? Just because I was number one on the list?

I didn’t know. But I did know this: It was up to me to find them. Find them, and avenge Apple Bloom. For my friend. For her sister. For the sake of us all.

I will save our lives in this trial of life and death!

Author's Note

As before, you should be able to determine the culprit before the trial, between the clues at hand and other bits of narration. As before I ask that all guesses be placed in spoiler tags. This one should be much more difficult to figure out than the first case, but we'll see.

Next time: Part 1 of the trial. This one's gonna get ugly.

I said this in a comment on the previous chapter, but it bears repeating: To anyone whose comment I have not replied to: I do read them and I appreciate each and every single one of them. Sometimes I can't think of something to say in response, so I try to acknowledge with a thumbs up on your comment. Just wanted to let you all know your comments are being read, and I appreciate them all. Especially the speculation. The more, the better. :twilightsmile:

Chapter Two: What Lurks In The Depths Part 6

Chapter Two:

What Lurks in the Depths

Trial Part One

Fact #1: Monoponi File II: “The victim is Apple Bloom, the Ultimate Builder. Time of death is 7:45 PM. Cause of death was blood loss due to a massive stab wound through the torso.”

Fact #2: Qilin Spear: “A polearm with a thin serrated tip and twin-spiked crossguard, obtained from the game corner prize counter. The spear impaled Apple Bloom from underneath, popping up out of the stage.”

Fact #3: Accidental Victim: “Apple Bloom was not the culprit’s intended target. The intended target was Sunset Shimmer.”

Fact #4: Bag of Tools: “A heavy sackcloth bag, filled with a selection of random tools. The bag was tied around its top with a length of chain many feet long, ending in half of a quick release clamp. The chain was spray-painted black. The tools came from toolkits in the prop shop inventory.”

Fact #5: Black metal Chain: “A chain hanging from high up on stage light rafters. It was spray painted black, and ended in half of a quick release clamp. The chain came from the prop shop inventory.”

Fact #6: Rolling Step Ladder: “There was a rolling step ladder inside the prop shop. It had been moved from its original position.”

Fact #7: Missing Drill: “According to Apple Bloom, a drill was missing the morning of the show. It was discovered taped upside down to the beam supporting the stage lights, set to its lowest setting and with its trigger taped down. The power supply was jury-rigged into the nearest light.”

Fact #8: Rope: “A rope tied to the stage light support beam. It had been chewed through by the bit of the drill, splitting it apart. Many pieces fell to the stage below and were discovered near the body.”

Fact #9: Prize Counter Receipts: “Tickets scanned:
Sun1621DT x 10: DS1a Purchased
Sun1623DT x 10: DS1b Purchased
Sun1625DT x 10: DS1c Purchased
Sun2240AB x 10: QS1a Purchased”

Fact #10: Library Logbook:
“19th Century Prench Chemists: Twilight Sparkle X/X
Chemical Formulas 301: Twilight Sparkle X/O
Expert Calculus and Derivatives: Twilight Sparkle X/O
Shadow Spade: To Catch A Butterfly: Rarity Belle X/O
Sakaguchi Chise: Crusader Queen #1: Sweetie Belle X/X
Sakaguchi Chise: Crusader Queen #2: Sweetie Belle X/X
Strategies for Anger Management: Adagio Dazzle X/O
The Lesbian Kama Sutra: Adagio Dazzle X/O
The Art of Magic: Trixie Lulamoon X/O
Daring Do and the Cornerstone of Light: Rainbow Dash X/O
Love Doth Ran Smooth: Fluttershy X/O
Sakaguchi Chise: Crusader Queen #3: Sweetie Belle X/O
The Burning of the Stars: Apple Bloom X/O
Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering: Apple Bloom X/O
Springs and Pulleys: Apple Bloom X/O”

Fact #11: Monopad Map Glitch: “At approximately 10:30 PM the Monopad map experienced a glitch, erasing all icons. This glitch lasted for one and a half hours, ending at 1:00 AM.”

Fact #12: Movements Tracked: “At 10:30 PM, just before the map glitched, the following people were outside of their cabins:
Twilight Sparkle, Apple Bloom -- Library
Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo -- Bridge Deck
Adagio Dazzle -- Theater
Diamond Tiara -- Game Corner
At 1:00 AM, all fourteen passengers were in their cabins.”

Fact #13: Spring Loaded Trap: “A trap fashioned from a spring, lever, and wooden guides under the stage. The spring was discovered unwound, the lever pulled towards the backstage wall by the black metal chain.”

As we filed off the elevator, I took in the courtroom. As I’d expected, Monoponi had changed up the decor. Where before it featured lots of flowers and flowering plants, there were now scattered pictures of apples mixed with various tools, like some kind of bizarre tool-themed wallpaper. The lighting was different too, harsher, even more fluorescent than before. The changes resulted in many people muttering to themselves as we moved to take our podiums.

As I took my spot between Fluttershy and Trixie and plugged in my Monopad, I noticed two new portraits standing in place of the people who once occupied those podiums.

Timber… our first culprit. Monoponi’d chosen a particularly unflattering image for his portrait, probably as a last insult. Like Wallflower, I noticed a version of what in Equestria I’d call his cutie mark slapped on in addition to the cross, in the same blood pink color.

Apple Bloom, though… Unlike Wallflower and Timber, she was smiling. Happy, even, in her portrait. Just like she was in life. A happy soul, cut down in the process of saving me. I noticed Applejack’s eyes fall upon her sister’s portrait and briefly mist up with fresh tears before she wiped her face to get rid of them and resumed her stoic expression of determination.

Monoponi appeared in a flash of crimson light, already seated upon his throne. “Well, well, look at you all! Already plugged in and ready to go. I’ll bet you don’t even need me to go over the basics of the trial again, do you?”

“We know how this works, Monoponi,” I declared, subtly flipping him the bird from underneath my podium. “Shut up and let us get to it.”

Taking a bow, the false alicorn flashed us an amused grin. “Very well then. Take it away!”

“Alright, who did it?” Applejack blurted. She glared at each of us in turn. “Just fess up already. Ah don’t want to drag this out.”

No one answered her. Just like last time, the culprit intended for us to work to determine their guilt. And unlike last time, there was no easy, obvious list of suspects to work from.

“Where do we even start with this one?” Rarity asked after a long silence. “Weren’t we all in the theater?”

“We were,” Twilight confirmed, a sad expression on her face. “Everyone was either in the audience, on stage, or in Flash’s case, the light booth.”

“Then it was Flash!” Scootaloo insisted, pointing an accusatory finger his way. “It had to have been!”

Flash crossed his arms and scowled darkly at Scootaloo. “I didn’t. Do. A thing. I told you that during the investigation.”

Twilight added, in a frustrated tone, “And didn’t we point out at the beginning of last trial that we shouldn’t be accusing people before we even have the facts of the case worked out?”

“Well, yeah, but… but!” Scootaloo threw out one arm in disgust, her face twisting up in a pout. “Dang it. You’re right. Sorry.”

“So here’s my suggestion, then,” Flash said, uncrossing his arms. “We should figure out how she died first.”

“Uh, it was the big spear through her chest, duh?” Tiara sneered, shaking her head at Flash in disbelief. “This isn’t like Wallflower! It’s not exactly hard to figure out.”

Flash rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I meant. We know it was the spear. Even the Monoponi file tells us that much. But where did it come from? How did the culprit use it?”

“Well it’s not like someone just ran up and went bam and stabbed her with it,” Rainbow Dash responded, irritation etched across her features. “I think we would’ve noticed that.”

“Perhaps we should go over exactly what happened,” Rarity suggested, holding up a solitary finger. “Trixie, darling, you were just finishing up with your finale.”

Trixie blinked, rubbed at her head wound, then nodded. “Yes. Trixie had just successfully demonstrated the elegance of the origami illusion, and brought Sunset out onto the marker Trixie had set on the floor.”

“There were markers on the stage?” Sweetie asked, cocking her head. “I don’t remember seeing any.”

“They were made of duct tape,” I clarified. “They wouldn’t have been visible from the audience. Trixie laid them out as guides for me. She mentioned that at dinner last night, even.”

“Oh yeah!” Sweetie blushed, a sheepish smile summoned to her face. “I forgot about that.”

Trixie held up a hand to her mouth and cleared her throat. “Ahem. As Trixie was saying, now that her trick was complete, Sunset and Trixie took a bow. Naturally the audience was thrilled with Trixie’s success, so she and Sunset took another one. Then…” Trixie trailed off, squeezing her eyes shut in pain. “Trixie doesn’t recall what happened next.”

“I’ve got it from here, Trixie,” I said, patting a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. “So I remember several things happening next, all at once. I know I heard Apple Bloom mutter something from off stage. And then there was the sound of something snapping. Then Apple Bloom ran right at us, screaming ‘Look out!’ and knocked us out of the way. I think I heard something else fall at the same time, too. And then…”

“And then the spear went whoosh, bam, boom!” Pinkie interrupted, gesticulating wildly. “And Apple Bloom went augh! Blargh! ....blech.” Despite the sound effects she was making, Pinkie was all frowns and unhappy faces. Her eyes filled with tears as she finished using hand motions to illustrate Apple Bloom’s death. “Oh it was so saaaaad…”

“More specifically,” Adagio added, glaring in exasperation at Pinkie’s antics. And she wasn’t the only one. Applejack was squeezing her hands together like she was trying to pop Pinkie’s head right off her neck, and was only hesitating because she’d have to reach past Scootaloo to get to her. “It popped up out of the stage, from directly underneath the center of the largest stage mark.”

“So it was a trap,” Fluttershy murmured, horror reflecting in her eyes. “How awful!”

“Can we prove that?” Twilight asked as she looked down at her Monopad, scrolling through the collected evidence.

“We can,” I answered.

Fact #13: Spring Loaded Trap: “A trap fashioned from a spring, lever, and wooden guides under the stage. The spring was discovered unwound, the lever pulled towards the backstage wall by the black metal chain.”

“Adagio, Applejack, and I found this under the stage, exactly dead center underneath the largest mark.”

“Then, the culprit wasn’t trying to kill Apple Bloom?” Rainbow Dash inquired, eyebrows raised. “But that means they were trying to kill…”

Fact #3: Accidental Victim: “Apple Bloom was not the culprit’s intended target. The intended target was Sunset Shimmer.”

“Me,” I finished for her, shivering all over. “They were trying to kill me.”

“Oh my heavens!” Rarity squealed at the top of her lungs. Her ankles buckled, then gave out as she swooned backwards, right into the arms of a confused, blinking Trixie. “Whyever would someone want to kill Sunset?”

“Yeah, I don’t get it,” Rainbow Dash added with a frown, one hand held to her chin. “I mean, sure, we were all a bit suspicious of her at first, but Sunset’s been nothing but good since then!”

“We don’t know why yet,” I said with a heavy sigh. “But we can be pretty sure we’re right.”

Diamond Tiara slammed her palms to her podium. “Oh come on! That’s a complete load of crap and you know it!”

“Excuse me?!” I retorted, rage filling me once again. “You’d better not be about to--”

Tiara interrupted me again, throwing out an accusatory finger squarely at me. “You can’t prove that at all! If anything, I’ll bet you set the trap and now you’re trying to pretend you were the intended victim just so we’d all overlook you!”

My whole body shook with fury, every aspect of my being clamoring to leap over the boundary between us and throttle that goddamned stupid moron. The only thing keeping me at my podium was the ever-watchful gaze of Monoponi. “You… you can’t be serious,” I stammered through gritted teeth, my fists squeezed at my sides. “You’re not actually doing this, are you?”

“Of course I am!” Tiara replied, hands moving to her hips as a smug smirk spread across her face. “Like I told you in the investigation, you said you didn’t want to be a leader, but as soon as someone dies, you start ordering everyone around. And when I came to confront you, you hit me!” She jutted out her split lip so everyone could see it. “See? Why would you do that if you were innocent?”

“Maybe, you idiot,” Adagio growled, baring her teeth, “she was scared because she almost died, and you provoked her!”

“Yeah, I dunno, Tiara, I think it’s pretty obvious Sunset was the intended victim here,” Flash added with a concerned frown. “I mean, we all saw how Sunset acted afterwards, right?”

“Yeah, she was screaming on stage!” Pinkie said, gasping dramatically as she raised her fists to the sky. “She was all super mad at first, and then she started crying!”

“It was kind of unnerving,” Scootaloo said with a nod. “I mean, I was mad too, but jeez.”

Tiara rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Oh please. She could’ve been acting!”

“You think I was acting?!” I roared. I held up one fist and shook it at her violently. “Why don’t you come over here and find out just how much I was ‘acting’!”

“And now she’s threatening me. That’s totally not the act of a suspicious person, oh nooooo,” Tiara mocked. She held up one hand to her mouth and laughed like an anime villain, “Ohohoho! Idiot.”

That was it. I started climbing over the podium, Monoponi be damned, only to have a crimson aura of light grip me by the throat, making me freeze in place. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Monoponi said in a dangerous tone. “If you leave your podium before voting, that counts as absence from the trial!” His muzzle split with a vicious grin. “So please. Go ahead. Make me execute you. I promise, I’d enjoy it! Ahahahaha!”

He released his grip, and I slipped back, gasping for air, my hands going to my throat and massaging it. Out the corner of my eye I noticed Rarity pop up out of Trixie’s arms immediately, her eyes bugging out with terror.

After taking several delicious lungfuls of sweet, sweet air, and really wishing that wasn’t Monoponi’s go-to threat--Seriously, can I please be allowed to breathe normally for just one freaking day?!--I, more calmly and with more patience than I truly felt, said, “Okay, Tiara. You’re suggesting that I set this trap. How, precisely, did I do that?”

Tiara’s face went completely blank. “Ah, well, you… that is, you…I don’t know!”

“Then we’re going to dismiss your claim for now,” I replied, a smirk of my own spreading on my face. “If you can prove something later we’ll get back to it. For now, maybe you should stop wasting our time?”

Tiara, scowling darker than I’d ever seen her before, raised both her hands and flipped me a double-bird. “Screw you, Shimmer,” she spat. Then she dropped her hands to her sides, and mumbled something to herself under her breath.

“Okay, so, does anyone else doubt that I was the culprit’s target?” I asked, searching around the room at everyone’s faces. “Anyone? Anyone? No? Okay then. Let’s move on.”

“I don’t doubt you were the target,” Fluttershy replied, her voice quavering. “But, um, I don’t understand why.”

“It probably has something to do with the motive, Shy,” Rainbow Dash said. “Maybe we should come back to that.”

“Yeah. Right now I’m more concerned with how this trap worked,” I agreed.

“Hmm, I think I might have an idea.” Twilight scrolled through the evidence. “You said there was a lever next to the trap, right?”

“There was,” Adagio answered for me. “It was hooked into the spring.”

“And the lever had a chain on it… hmmm…” Twilight scratched the back of her head several times.

“Wait, I’ve got it,” I said.

Fact #4: Bag of Tools: “A heavy sackcloth bag, filled with a selection of random tools. The bag was tied around its top with a length of chain many feet long, ending in half of a quick release clamp. The chain was spray-painted black. The tools came from toolkits in the prop shop inventory.”

“We heard something falling right? It was definitely this. And look, it had a quick release on it. So what if that pulled the chain, which triggered the lever?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it right there, Sunset!” Rainbow Dash interrupted, throwing out her finger at me.

My eyebrows arched up to the top of my head. “Huh? What? What’s wrong with it?”

“That bag fell onto the stage, right?” Rainbow pointed out, holding up her hand. “But we didn’t see it fall near the trap. That means it fell from behind you.”

“Okay? So?” I held up my own hands in confusion. “What’s the problem? It could still have pulled the chain.”

“No way!” Rainbow Dash shot back, sweeping one arm out in front of her. “In order for the bag to pull anything, it’d have to have a chain extending down to the lever, right? But we would’ve seen that! Hell, someone would’ve tripped on it on the stage! So how could it pull anything?”

“Because it was tied to a longer chain that ran along the wall, that’s how,” I answered. “I can even prove it!”

Fact #5: Black metal Chain: “A chain hanging from high up on stage light rafters. It was spray painted black, and ended in half of a quick release clamp. The chain came from the prop shop inventory.”

“See, we found this chain up in the rafters. It was spray-painted black so it wouldn’t catch the light, but I followed it the whole way. It went along to the far stage wall, down the whole wall and through a hole underneath, then extended to the lever. And it has the other half of the quick release. This is pretty obvious.”

Rainbow Dash grunted, grimacing as if someone had just kicked her in the stomach. “Fine, fine, okay. I’ll admit that. So the bag could’ve pulled the chain. Maybe. But that still didn’t mean it set off the trap! The bag could’ve fallen at any time!”

“No, it couldn’t have,” I said, cuing up another bit of evidence.

Fact #8: Rope: “A rope tied to the stage light support beam. It had been chewed through by the bit of the drill, splitting it apart. Many pieces fell to the stage below and were discovered near the body.”

“The bag was tied with this rope,” I pointed out, “which kept it held in place until the rope was destroyed by a power drill they’d rigged to the support beam. This was specifically set up to go off at just the right time, right at the climax of the show, when I’d be in the perfect position.”

Letting out a loud groan of frustration, Rainbow Dash slapped a hand to her face. “No, that doesn’t make sense Sunset. How’d they set off the drill at the right time? I don’t see how that’s possible. Did you find a clock up there or something?”

Grimacing, I gestured with my hand and said, “Well, no, but--”

“Well there you go then!” Rainbow Dash replied with a smirk. “They had to set the drill on a timer, right? Without a timer, there’s no way to make sure it’d go off when the culprit needed it to. So unless you can prove the culprit timed it for the trap, your explanation just doesn’t make sense!”

“I’ll rip your argument to pieces!” I declared, calling up my final piece of evidence.

Fact #7: Missing Drill: “According to Apple Bloom, a drill was missing the morning of the show. It was discovered taped upside down to the beam supporting the stage lights, set to its lowest setting and with its trigger taped down. The power supply was jury-rigged into the nearest light.”

“See, Adagio and I didn’t just discover the drill rigged up to an outlet. The power was spliced into the stage lights. Those same stage lights were never used except during the show itself. So the culprit, knowing this, used the stage lights themselves as the timer! We tested this during the investigation. As soon as Flash turned the stage lights back on, the drill switched on. When they were off, the drill was off. The only risk to this plan is if someone used the stage lights before the show, but there was never a reason for anyone to do that.”

Slack-jawed, the wind torn from her sails, Rainbow Dash fell over on her podium. “Aww man, I was wrong…”

“Wait, Trixie is confused,” Trixie objected, raising her hand. “She believes your explanation, but she doesn’t understand how they used the rope to time it.”

“It was the thickness of the rope,” I responded with a smile. “See, they set the drill on its lowest setting on purpose. They probably experimented with the rope to see how quickly the drill chewed through it, then tied enough rope to last the whole length of the show. Trixie, you even told everyone how long it would be at dinner last night, remember?”

“Oh.” Trixie’s face turned whiter than a sheet. “Oh no! Trixie did! This is Trixie’s fault!” She grabbed both sides of her head and pulled at her hair. “Please forgive Trixie!!”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, Trixie,” I responded immediately, reaching out to set a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It’s not your fault at all. It’s the fault of the culprit. They’re the ones who used your show to kill someone. Not you.”

“I… wait.” Flash blinked once, twice, thrice. His face slowly turned green, then paled, then he started screaming at the top of his lungs. “They used the lights? But, I turned on the lights. Does... DOES THAT MEAN I DID IT?! Did I kill Apple Bloom?!”

Silence reigned throughout the courtroom. None of us spoke up. Simultaneous looks of terror appeared on every single one of our faces. It was a horrifying thought. Even if Flash wasn’t the one who set up the trap, would Monoponi rule that he was the blackened, because he triggered it? Would we have to watch an otherwise innocent man die just because of some stupid rules lawyering?

Finally, because no one else seemed to be able to summon up the courage, I spoke up, looking right at Monoponi. “Monoponi, would you consider Flash to be the blackened, because he triggered the timer?”

“Hmmm…” Monoponi held up a hoof to his chin. “Hmm… what to do, what to do… it would be hilarious to watch Twilight crying over Flash…buuuut...no.” Monoponi cleared his throat, then struck his Celestia-aping pose. “I will say this! Triggering the drill does not make Flash the blackened! The true blackened is the one who set up the trap with intent to kill! The trap is what killed Apple Bloom, not the timer. Therefore, Flash is innocent… for now.” He settled back onto his throne, grinning menacingly. “After all, if he set the trap, then he’s still the blackened. But the drill alone won’t do it.”

Flash heaved, taking super deep breaths one at a time, nearly hyperventilating in the process. “Thank god!” he shouted, a few tears coming to his eyes as his fear dissipated into sweet relief. “Thank god! I didn’t… I wouldn’t… god…”

I wanted to reach out to comfort him, but he was just too far away. So instead I just gave him a sympathetic smile. I understood what he was feeling, staring into the face of death. That sudden rush of fear, as your blood chills, your heart pounds like a jackhammer, your whole body going numb… I can try to use words to describe it, but unless you’ve felt it, you just wouldn’t get it. Not really.

I don’t know if he understood, but when he caught sight of my face, he did seem to relax, just a hair. Just a little bit. Enough that he was able to control his breathing again. Enough that he managed to stand, and maintain a sense of calm.

“Okay, so I guess we know how the trap worked now,” Sweetie Belle said, after giving Flash a few moments. “But who made it? And how?”

“Well, the culprit used a spear, did they not?” Rarity replied, half staring at the ceiling as she rubbed her chin. “So where did they get it?”

“They didn’t make their own, did they?” Pinkie suggested, with just a hint of hopefulness in her voice.

“No, dumbass,” Tiara retorted, puncturing what little cheer Pinkie had managed to summon. “They bought it from the game corner. Obviously!”

“Sorry, Pinkie, but Tiara’s right,” I added.

Fact #2: Qilin Spear: “A polearm with a thin serrated tip and twin-spiked crossguard, obtained from the game corner prize counter. The spear impaled Apple Bloom from underneath, popping up out of the stage.”

“Applejack and I confirmed that during the investigation. We think we know who bought it, too.”

“Wait, if you knew that, why didn’t you just tell us?!” Scootaloo shouted, throwing up one hand in irritation. “This is just like the nylon all over again! If you have the one clue that tells us who the killer is, why not just bring it up from the start?”

Applejack ground her teeth together as she replied, “Sugarcube, it ain’t that simple. Cause Ah ain’t sure how much I buy what we found.”

“Wait, what do you mean?” Twilight inquired, adjusting her glasses so she could peer directly at Applejack. “The registers don’t lie. We proved that conclusively in the last trial.”

“Did we?” Rainbow Dash wondered, scratching her head. “I dunno, last time the registers led everyone to accuse me of killing Wallflower…”

“Can we stop arguing about this?” Adagio interrupted with a glare. “Sunset, just tell us already. Who bought the spear?”

Applejack fired off a deep glower my way, but I just returned it with an apologetic frown, then brought up the relevant evidence.

Fact #9: Prize Counter Receipts: “Tickets scanned:
Sun1621DT x 10: DS1a Purchased
Sun1623DT x 10: DS1b Purchased
Sun1625DT x 10: DS1c Purchased
Sun2240AB x 10: QS1a Purchased”

“The first three,” I said, pointing to each one in turn as I spoke, “are from when Diamond Tiara, Trixie, Apple Bloom, and I obtained the swords for Trixie’s magic show. Trixie insisted we use real ones, so that’s what we bought. The last one…” I pointed right at it. “That’s the spear.”

“Wait, but, but, but!” Pinkie stammered, her eyes bugging out of her sockets as her hair stood on end like she’d just been struck by lightning. “But that’s Apple Bloom!”

“What?!” Rarity gasped in shock, almost fainting into Trixie’s arms again until she thought better of it at the last second. “Why would Apple Bloom buy a spear?!”

“See what Ah mean?” Applejack said, crossing her arms. “This is why Ah ain’t sure Ah buy it. What kinda sense does it make for Apple Bloom to buy her own… her own…” She squeezed one hand into a fist, the fist shaking in the air for a few minutes before she released it again. “Her own murder weapon.”

“Um, I... nevermind,” Fluttershy said, raising a hand then gently setting it back down, staring down at her podium. “It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t make much sense, no,” I said in agreement, “but it’s what the evidence says.”

“But, wait,” Rainbow said, scratching her head. “I thought only the games scanned our Monopads. Are we sure the tickets didn’t just, like, record who won them, not who used them to buy something?”

“Well, no, I guess not,” I admitted. The thought hadn’t occurred to me at all. I was surprised Rainbow Dash of all people had picked up on that. Maybe she was onto something.

“Did she even have the tickets to buy it though?” Adagio replied, her forehead creased from thought.

Scootaloo nodded several times in rapid succession. “Yeah, she did. She won ‘em earlier that day. I dunno what she did with ‘em though. I could’ve sworn she threw ‘em out when she realized they were for weapons…”

“Maybe she changed her mind, and just bought it for self defense?” Flash suggested, his face scrunching up in confusion.

“No way,” Tiara scoffed. “If she wanted something for self defense, she could’ve used a knife.”

Twilight frowned deeply as she held up a hand to her face. “I’m still not sure I get how that’s possible. The register says it happened at 10:40 PM, right?” I nodded. “But at 10:30 Apple Bloom was heading back to her cabin. I saw her, just ahead of me.”

“Maybe she doubled back?” Fluttershy` suggested. “She could’ve hidden by one of the shops, waited for you to pass by, then headed back for the game corner.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Twilight admitted. “I did lose sight of her after she rounded the corner. And the most logical direction to take when returning to the cabins is via the restaurant district, so that’s the way I went. Anyone coming or going the other way, I never would’ve noticed.”

“Yeah, with the promenade, the bridge deck, the lounge, and the cabins making a big loop,” Scootaloo added, “it’d be easy to sneak past someone else.”

“Hmph! I didn’t see her either, though!” Tiara snorted, throwing her nose up in the air. “And I left the game corner at 10:35.”

“Oh, like you’d be hard to sneak past,” Adagio sneered. “You’re so busy indulging your ego I doubt you’d notice anything.”

“Hey!” Tiara growled, glaring daggers at Adagio. “Shut up!”

Adagio just snickered. “See what I mean?”

“Anyway, all of this speculation aside,” I said, trying to steer the conversation forward, “Apple Bloom bought the spear. So we need to figure out why.” I have a hunch, and I don’t like it. Even if Rainbow has a point about the tickets, it still fits the rest of the evidence.

“I’m beginning to wonder if Apple Bloom built the trap,” Fluttershy said, giving voice to the thought I hadn’t dared to. “Because the trap required someone very smart, and Apple Bloom was smart.”

“Yeah huh, she was! But that doesn’t mean she built it!” Pinkie objected, throwing out a hand. “What kinda sense does that make, huh?”

“That don’t even make a lick o’sense!” Applejack added, slamming a palm on her podium.

“Are you sure?” Twilight intervened, her gaze shifting just enough for her glasses to catch the light and gleam. “Not many people would know how to rewire an electric drill to tie it into a light fixture.”

“I sure wouldn’t,” Sweetie Belle said with a nod.

Rainbow Dash held up a finger. “Yeah, me neither. I don’t know the first thing about circuitry.”

“I do! I used to rewire things all the time!” Pinkie said proudly. Then she deflated back to the low-energy state she’d practically been living in lately. “But I wouldn’t do this.”

“Yeah,” Flash agreed. He held out a hand to count on his fingers. “It’d probably be faster to list the people who would know how. Apple Bloom, Twilight, Pinkie Pie…” he trailed off and looked up at me with a sad expression on his face. “...and Sunset.”

“Oh reaaaaallllly?” Tiara tittered, holding up a hand to her mouth and breaking out into that godforsaken anime laugh I despised so much. “Ohohoho! Sunset’s on the suspect list, just like I saiiiid!”

“Ah swear, you accuse Sunset one more time, and Ah’ll be the one to bust your face in!” Applejack threatened, slamming one fist into her palm for emphasis.

“Aaaaiiii!” Tiara cried, coiling up like a turtle hiding in its shell. “Don’t hurt me!”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Applejack, I understand where you’re coming from darling, and while I agree with the general sentiment,” she said while flashing a disappointed glare Tiara’s way, “I don’t believe the violent threats are necessary.”

“For real, Tiara, no one thinks Sunset could’ve done it. Just lay off of her already,” Rainbow Dash added with a grunt.

“But. but!” Tiara’s face curled up into a duck-like pout. “But she could have!”

I shrugged. I’d finally stopped letting her protests get to me. At this point it was less infuriating and more like the mewling of a spoiled infant. “Sure. I’ll be honest. I could have rewired that drill easily. I could have, but I didn’t.”

“So that just leaves Pinkie Pie, Apple Bloom, and me,” Twilight said. “But I wouldn’t have made the trap either. I don’t have a reason to kill Sunset or Apple Bloom.”

“You know, I’m still not sure Sunset was even the target,” Scootaloo mused, rubbing her chin. “I mean, couldn’t it have been Trixie?”

“Trixie?!” Trixie burst out, screeching in shock. “No! Why would anyone want to kill Trixie?”

“Well we still don’t know why anyone would want to kill Sunset, sooo…” Scootaloo shrugged. “I’m just saying.”

“We can figure that out later,” I said with a sigh. “The trap is more important.”

Sweetie Belle groaned, doubling over onto her podium. “Uuugh, but how’re we gonna solve it? I mean it’s not like there’s any other clues pointing to who could’ve made it, right?”

“Um, actually, there might be,” Rarity replied, giving me a pointed look. “Isn’t that right, Sunset?”

“Wait, you don’t mean… that? Do you?” Applejack gasped.

Rainbow Dash’s face twisted up in puzzlement. “What? What are they talking about?”

“They’re talking about this,” I answered.

Fact #10: Library Logbook:
“19th Century Prench Chemists: Twilight Sparkle X/X
Chemical Formulas 301: Twilight Sparkle X/O
Expert Calculus and Derivatives: Twilight Sparkle X/O
Shadow Spade: To Catch A Butterfly: Rarity Belle X/O
Sakaguchi Chise: Crusader Queen #1: Sweetie Belle X/X
Sakaguchi Chise: Crusader Queen #2: Sweetie Belle X/X
Strategies for Anger Management: Adagio Dazzle X/O
The Lesbian Kama Sutra: Adagio Dazzle X/O
The Art of Magic: Trixie Lulamoon X/O
Daring Do and the Cornerstone of Light: Rainbow Dash X/O
Love Doth Ran Smooth: Fluttershy X/O
Sakaguchi Chise: Crusader Queen #3: Sweetie Belle X/O
The Burning of the Stars: Apple Bloom X/O
Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering: Apple Bloom X/O
Springs and Pulleys: Apple Bloom X/O”

“This is the log from the library, the one Rarity suggested we start,” I said. “As you can see, a lot of people signed it to show which books they checked out.”

“Aheheh, oh yeah,” Rainbow Dash said sheepishly, letting out nervous laughter. “Yeah, I forgot about… that.”

“Daring Do? You still read Daring Do?” Tiara burst out into mocking laughter. “Ahahaha! Aren’t you older than I am? Ahahaha!”

“Hey, shut up! Daring Do is awesome!” Rainbow retorted, shaking a fist in Tiara’s direction. “And it’s meant for all ages, not just kids, thank you!”

“Nevermind the Daring Do!” Rarity said, gasping. “I can’t believe what Adagio chose! The, the… Lesbian Kama Sutra?!”

“The what?!” Rainbow Dash’s face lit up with pink as her expression shifted into a leer. “Heeey Adagio, I didn’t know you were into girls. I’ll bet you learned some pretty good tips from that book, huh? I wouldn’t mind helping you try them out.”

Adagio spluttered, furiously blushing. “You… what…”

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy huffed, her hands on her hips, her eyes shining with disappointment. “What is the matter with you? This isn’t the time for that!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

“I could help you with that, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo suddenly said, even as her face bloomed with pink. She clapped a hand to her mouth as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just said.

Rainbow arched an eyebrow. “Uh, sorry, kid, but I think you’re a bit young for me.”

Scootaloo sank below her podium, and I could practically see steam rising above it from her embarrassment. “But I’m twenty-one,” she whined in a near whisper.

Adagio hissed, her teeth baring as her expression filled up with embarrassed rage. “What I choose to read is no one’s business but my own!” she roared. “Can we please drop this subject?”

“Seriously, jeez,” Flash agreed, groaning and shaking his head. “I’m sure Sunset has a better reason for bringing up the list anyway. Right, Sunset?”

“Yeah, I do,” I answered. I’d been wavering between stark amusement at Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo’s antics and outrage at Rainbow hitting on Adagio, so I was glad for the subject change. “I want to draw everyone’s attention to the last three entries.” I cued up the list again just to help bring them into focus.

Fact #10: Library Logbook:
“The Burning of the Stars: Apple Bloom X/O
Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering: Apple Bloom X/O
Springs and Pulleys: Apple Bloom X/O”

“Apple Bloom checked out these three books, probably all at the same time. The first one doesn’t matter. That’s just a sci-fi book.” I knew because I’d read it myself. Apple Bloom had good taste. “But the other two…”

Applejack stared at the titles for a moment before her face abruptly twisted into sheer horror. “No. No way. You can’t be saying that… no!”

“Twilight, was Apple Bloom carrying three books when she left the library?” Flash asked.

Twilight shrugged, an apologetic frown forming on her face. “Sorry. I know she had something, but I didn’t see what she had. I didn’t bother checking anything out last night either, so I didn’t see the list.”

“Then it makes sense,” Sweetie Belle said sadly. “Those books. They look like they’d be useful for the trap.”

“Not just useful,” Fluttershy agreed in a quiet voice. “They look like they’d be perfect. Like they’d show you everything you need.”

Trixie slammed a fist onto her podium. “No! That doesn’t make sense! Trixie doesn’t buy it. Apple Bloom was too smart. She didn’t need reference books!”

“Being smart isn’t enough when you’re building complicated projects,” Twilight disagreed, glaring over her glasses. “I use references all the time for my research. It’s part of being thorough.”

“Indeed. Even I sometimes use a reference or two when sewing an intricate or delicate stitch,” Rarity said, nodding.

“Wait, wait, wait. We keep going on and on about this,” Rainbow Dash interrupted, throwing out her hands. “But what are we trying to say, huh? Are we really going to say Apple Bloom built the trap?”

“I admit it does seem possible,” Rarity said, frowning.

“But why?” Applejack blurted. “Why would mah sister wanna build a trap like that? Why would she want to kill Sunset?! Ah can’t understand how that makes any sense at all.”

“Well why would anyone else want to kill her?” Rarity replied, crossing her arms. “We still don’t know. So it is possible. Surely you have to admit that.”

“Ah don’t gotta admit shit!” Applejack retorted, slamming both fists on her podium. “Mah sister wasn’t a killer!”

I remembered the conversation I had just this morning with Apple Bloom. About Equestria. At first it did seem like she was interrogating me. Or maybe confirming suspicions. But then…

~*~
“Ah ain’t sayin’ Ah don’t trust you. Ah think you proved you can be trusted from how you acted in the trial.”

I tried not to visibly wince when she said that. I remembered how I considered using that very fact to get away with murder. “I’d like to think so,” I said.

“Ah know so,” Apple Bloom responded, poking herself in the chest with one thumb. “Ah don’t quite have the sense for people’s honesty that mah sister does, but Ah can still tell someone trustworthy from someone who ain’t. And you’re trustworthy.
~*~

It didn’t track. Why would she talk like that to my face if she was planning to kill me? Why bring up the subject of Equestria? Why bother at all? Was she doubting herself? Maybe she wasn’t sure she could go through with it, so she tried to talk to me, to see if I could change her mind? Maybe, after that, she felt so guilty about what she’d planned that she had to save me at the last second?

But that didn’t make sense either. Because of one crucial little thing.

~*~
As I came out, Flash moved a couple of spotlights to circle around and focus on me.

“What the…” I heard Apple Bloom mutter from just off stage.
~*~

What Apple Bloom said, just before the trap sprung. I didn’t pay it any heed at the time, but looking back now… was that her spotting something? Flash had the spotlights dancing all over the place. Maybe it reflected some light off the chain, even with it being all black. Or maybe the drill even. The culprit hadn’t bothered painting the drill. Could she have seen a flash of a reflection out of the corner of her eye? Was it enough to catch her attention, make her look up, see the bag right as it started falling? That would explain how she noticed the trap.

And it would explain her actions, too. She had just enough time to react, and she chose to rescue Trixie and me, putting herself in harm’s way in the process. And she paid for it with her life.

No. Apple Bloom did not build the trap. I was sure of it.

“Listen, guys, I think we’re going about this all wrong,” I said, interjecting myself into a growing debate.

“But it makes sense!” Sweetie Belle said, responding to some point I hadn’t heard during my reverie. “Apple Bloom was smart enough to come up with the trap. She had the opportunity to build it! She was in the prop shop all the time. She had access to the materials, to the tools.”

“Trixie doesn’t agree!” Trixie objected. “Trixie is certain it’s impossible. Trixie remembers Apple Bloom bringing up the missing drill this morning! Why would she do that if she was going to--”

“Oh gee, I dunno, Trixie,” Tiara interrupted with a sneer. “Maybe it was to hide her guilt?”

Pinkie Pie shot Tiara a glare of her own. “You’re such a meanie, you know that, Tiara? A big, mean jerk! Apple Bloom would never hurt Sunny Girl!”

“And nobody thought Timber could hurt a fly, let alone kill Wallflower, but we’ve been wrong before,” Flash argued, shaking his head. “It makes too much sense. I’m sorry, but I think Apple Bloom built the trap.”

“No, that’s wrong!” I argued. “Apple Bloom wouldn’t build a trap and then get herself killed by it. Think about it, Flash. What kind of sense does that make?”

“Perhaps she made an error. Or she felt guilty. Who knows?” Twilight said with a shrug. “But the logic holds up. The evidence holds up.”

“The logic doesn’t hold at all!” Adagio fired back, pointing a finger at Twilight’s face. “And maybe the evidence is wrong!”

“Maybe the evidence is wrong?” Scootaloo repeated with a disbelieving laugh. “Look, Apple Bloom was my friend. I don’t want to think she was capable of it either, but why shouldn’t we trust the evidence we have?”

I had an answer for that. “Because of what Rarity said when she first suggested the logbook.”

~*~
“We could always make a log book of our own,” Rarity suggested. “We could get a large notebook from one of the stores, and then place it in the library for people to sign. It would be an honor system, I am aware, but it would help, yes?”
~*~

“She said it would be an honor system. You remember, right Rarity?”

Rarity held a hand to her breast, startled. “I… I guess I do remember saying that, but why bring that up?”

“Because,” I continued, feeling more confident by the second, “We can’t be sure we can trust what people wrote down.”

“Wait, wait, what?” Sweetie Belle cried, utter bafflement written all over her face. “What do you mean by that?”

Adagio flashed me a grateful look for the assistance. “She means that someone might’ve falsified an entry.”

Silence gripped the courtroom at that statement. No one spoke up for a good solid minute or two, the implications of what Adagio suggested racing through everyone’s heads. “S-so, wait,” Rainbow stuttered, “Are you saying someone lied about their book?”

“Lemme see that logbook!” Pinkie demanded, holding out her hands in my direction. With a shrug, I pulled it out of my backpack and tossed it her way. “Hmm, hmmm…. Yup yup yup! I think Dagi’s right!”

“Dagi?” Adagio growled, one hand curling into a claw. “No one calls me Dagi.”

Is that so? Remind me to never actually call her that to her face, then.

Pinkie ignored the irate siren. “I’d be willing to bet all my party supplies and then some that whoever wrote down Apple Bloom’s name for these last two books wasn’t actually Apple Bloom!”

“So what?” Diamond Tiara shot back with an irritated shrug. “Who cares? Apple Bloom still could’ve built the trap. I’m not gonna budge on that.”

“I’m sorry, but, I agree with her,” Fluttershy said, bowing her head. “I think Apple Bloom… killed herself.”

“Excuse me?!” Applejack burst out, the veins of her head throbbing with her fury as she whirled on the meek woman. “Ah know Ah didn’t just hear you accuse mah sister of bein’ suicidal. Because Ah swear, if you did, Ah’ve got somethin’ to say about it!”

“No, I don’t think she was suicidal,” Fluttershy replied, showing a remarkable amount of courage in the face of Applejack’s anger. “Not exactly. I think she built the trap, then changed her mind, and tried to stop it from hurting anyone. And… failed.”

Twilight nodded. “I don’t like the idea either, Applejack, but it fits what we’ve seen. I’m sorry, Sunset, I hear what you’re saying about the logbook, but I was the only other one in the library that night. And I sure didn’t falsify Apple Bloom’s name on a pair of books.”

Rainbow Dash snorted in disbelief, groaning as she slapped a hand to her head. “Man, none of you guys are listening to a word Sunset says, are you? Apple Bloom was too smart to get herself killed by her own trap! If she felt guilty, like you’re saying, I think she could’ve saved Trixie and Sunset without putting herself at risk.”

“Could she have?” Flash retorted, holding out one hand. “Because if she was going to do that, then she should’ve done it before the show began. Or halfway during the show. But she didn’t. She didn’t do a thing till the last minute. Sorry, but no. Like I said before, I’m with Twi and Shy. She killed herself. Probably not on purpose, but she did.”

“Yeah. She did,” Sweetie Belle said with a nod. “Sorry Sunset.”

“I… I know I said the logbook was an honor system,” Rarity said as she nervously twirled a finger into her hair. “B-but I can’t see how anyone else other than Apple Bloom could’ve built the trap. You didn’t, Sunset. Twilight didn’t. Pinkie surely didn’t. So who else could it have been?”

“Yeah, I think it’s time to call it. Monoponi!” Scootaloo cried out, turning to face the faux alicorn. “We’re ready to vote!”

“Oh? Ohoho? You are?! So soon?” Monoponi giggled. “Upupu, very well then. Please cast your votes with your--”

“Stop!” I shouted over him. “We’re not ready to vote at all!”

Trixie thrust out her arm, her cape fluttering in the resulting breeze. “Agreed! Trixie will not vote, not for Apple Bloom, not unless something more decisive is presented to her!”

Adagio held out one fist level with her chest, then switched it into a thumbs down. “Neither will I. Apple Bloom wasn’t stupid. She didn’t kill herself.”

Pinkie Pie tossed off a janky salute at Trixie, myself, and Adagio. “I’m with them. No vote Pinkie, that’s what you can call me!”

Rainbow Dash stomped a foot on the floor. “I’m with them too! No way Apple Bloom killed herself. I just won’t buy it.”

“Ah think y’all know which way Ah’m leanin’,” Applejack spoke up, glowering fiercely at every individual who’d dared suggest her sister killed herself. “Mah sister wasn’t suicidal. And she wouldn’t try and kill someone only to end up dead herself. Ah’d never vote for her, not now, not ever!”

“Then we’re split again!” Tiara said, growling and throwing up her hands. “Right down the middle!”

Uh-oh. I clapped a hand to my face, falling over onto my podium. “Oh god, here we go again.”

“Split? Split, you say?” Monoponi cackled as he jumped up from his chair. “Well, I think we all know what we need to do about that!”

“Can we please not?” I groaned.

“Sorry, but rules are rules!” Monoponi replied. His horn lit up and once again the familiar techno beat filled the courtroom. “When you’re split, the only way to settle it is a scrum debate! Prepare yourselves, my lovely passengers, for the experience of our very own morphenomenal trial grounds!”

“That term’s still stupid!” I shouted.

“Here we go again!” Rainbow called out as the podiums began to split apart, flying up into the air, drawing us into two rows once again. And I noticed just before things began… Apple Bloom’s portrait was with me. Like she was supporting my side.

DID APPLE BLOOM BUILD THE TRAP?

BEGIN!

Sweetie Belle led the charge, “Apple Bloom built the trap! There’s no one else who could’ve done it!”

Pinkie Pie pranced in place as she retorted, “Nuh-uh! With the right books and the right opportunity, anyone could’ve built the trap!”

Twilight shouted back, “But Apple Bloom was the one who checked the books out of the library!”

Adagio retorted with an exasperated roll of her eyes, “We don’t know Apple Bloom checked out the books. Her signature could’ve been falsified!”

Scootaloo smacked her podium with her hand. “Apple Bloom bought the spear though!”

Rainbow Dash pointed one finger at Scootaloo and said, “We don’t know she bought the spear! We only know her tickets were used!”

“So what are you saying then, darlings?” Rarity asked. “Are you saying we can’t trust the evidence?”

“That’s exactly what we’re saying,” Trixie replied with a nod. “The evidence could be misleading us!”

“Oh come on!” Tiara threw up her hands in frustration. “Why are you denying the obvious? Apple Bloom committed suicide!”

“For the last time, Tiara,” Applejack shot back with all the ire she could muster, “Mah sister would never commit suicide! She wasn’t suicidal!”

“She had to have known about the trap though,” Flash pointed out. “How else would she know when to act to save Sunset and Trixie?”

“Apple Bloom heard the snapping rope, just like Sunset and Trixie did!” Trixie retorted with a wave of her hand and a flurry of her cloak. “That was all she needed to act!”

“Then, are you saying that Apple Bloom was innocent after all?” Fluttershy asked in a quiet, sad voice.

I replied in a soft voice myself, “Yes, Fluttershy. Apple Bloom was innocent. She didn’t build the trap, and she didn’t kill herself. The culprit is someone else!”

And with that response, the music once again ceased, leaving us with blessed silence. Our podiums descended back to their usual spots. “I know it’s the easy solution, guys,” I said, trying to rally everyone’s spirits. “I know it feels like it fits the evidence to say Apple Bloom did this herself. But there’s just too many uncertainties. And I won’t vote until I’m one hundred percent certain. And neither should you.”

Twilight had the good sense to look abashed, withdrawing into herself. “Sorry, everyone. Sunset’s right.”

“‘Course she’s right. ‘Cause Ah ain’t ever gonna stop believing in mah sister,” Applejack replied with a snort. “Apple Bloom’s just the victim, and Ah still aim to figure out which one of you low-down varmints killed her!”

Applejack was right. The culprit was still amongst us. One of us was lying. One of us was trying to mislead us. One of us wanted the rest to fail.

I won’t let that happen.

Author's Note

So, when I wrote the first part of the trial, I expected more people would hop onto the "Apple Bloom built the trap" hypothesis than actually did, hence the direction the first part of the trial plus scrum debate went. Always interesting to me the difference between what I think people will fixate on versus what they actually fixate on. :raritystarry:

Next time: the second half of the trial!

Chapter Two: What Lurks In The Depths Part 7

Chapter Two:

What Lurks in the Depths

Trial Part Two

Apple Bloom’s trial… so far, we hadn’t worked out as much as I would’ve hoped. We’d confirmed how she died and the method used, but we spent more time arguing over whether she did it to herself than determining who was actually responsible. Unlike with Wallflower’s case, I still had no suspects. Pinkie had a point earlier during the scrum debate: with the right books and opportunity, anyone could’ve done this.

And there was plenty of opportunity. The Monopad map glitch was still in the back of my mind. I knew it had to have some connection with the case. Indeed, if we could figure out why that happened, it could be the biggest clue we’d have to solving it.

That, and their motive. I was their original target, but why? I still didn’t understand. And until we figured that out, we might not be able to figure out anything else.

“So what do we do now?” Scootaloo asked. “I dunno where we should go from here.”

Thank you, Scootaloo. “I think the key here is that I was the target. If we can figure out why someone would target me,” I said, trying to inject a measure of confidence into my voice, “then we can figure out the rest.”

“But how’re we supposed to do that, darling?” Rarity asked, raising a hand questioningly. “I certainly can’t imagine a reason why anyone would want to see you dead.”

“Monoponi’s motive,” I said simply. “I know he said that we can’t reveal the secrets--”

“That’s right!” Monoponi interrupted, bursting up out of his chair just to wave his forehooves menacingly. “No telling!”

“But,” I said with a glare his way, “he did say we can try to figure out what they are. Right, Monoponi?”

Monoponi settled back down, folding up his limbs. “Ahem. Yes. That you can do.”

“But why do you think the secret’s even involved?” Sweetie Belle asked, raising an eyebrow.

I took in a deep breath, and steeled my nerves. “Because I can only think of three possible secrets I could have, judging by the kind of secrets Monoponi was handing out. And of those, two of them would make me look… pretty bad, given our situation.”

I saw Adagio’s eyes widen considerably as she shot me a warning look, very subtly shaking her head. “No,” she breathed. “Don’t.”

“What do you mean, bad?” Rainbow Dash asked, holding up her hands in confusion. “What, does it have to do with that Eque-whatever place you talked about back on the first night?”

Adagio’s hands gripped into fists, hard enough that her fingernails punctured her own skin. “There is no such place,” she suddenly spat. “Sunset was making it up.”

“She was?” Fluttershy replied, disbelief etched across her face. “But, why would she lie?”

“Because that’s what she does!” Tiara interrupted, slamming a fist on her podium. “Sunset’s been suspicious from day one, remember? Monoponi knew who she was. She knew what this killing game was before it got started. She anticipated the motives, the Monoponi files, the trials… Why do any of us trust her at all? She might be the traitor! It would explain a lot!”

“Tiara, I explained that, remember?” I answered, resisting the urge to slap a hand to my head. I am so sick of her, I swear to Celestia. “I told you all about Danganronpa. It’s a video game series. That’s how I knew. This Monoponi guy, or whoever’s behind him? They’re just ripping those games off.”

“Yeah for real, Tiara,” Flash added, frowning at the rich elitist. “Just because Sunset knew what the killing game was doesn’t mean she’s the traitor. Frankly I still don’t buy that there is a traitor. I think Monoponi made that up.”

“Me? Lie? I would never!” Monoponi gasped, holding a hoof to his mouth. “Why, the very idea that your Captain would ever choose to deceive you is simply incomprehensible! I can assure you all! There is a traitor amongst you. There always has been.”

“Okay, soooo, if there is a traitor, what’s that got to do with Sunset?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking around at the group. “‘Cause I dunno about you guys, but Sunset’s been pretty chill. We’ve been real jerks to her left and right, but she just keeps standing up for us anyway.”

“Don’t you remember what Wallflower said though?” Scootaloo pointed out, glaring my way. “She said that’s exactly what the traitor would do. They’d be nice, and friendly with everyone, just to stab them in the back.”

“Hmm…” Pinkie scratched her chin. “That seems pretty sneaky though. Is Sunset really that sneaky?”

Rarity snorted. “This is beginning to sound like a witch hunt! Damned if you do, damned if you don’t, is that it? If she drowns she’s innocent, if she floats she’s guilty?”

Applejack slapped a palm lightly on her podium. “Ah gotta agree with Rarity. Ah’ve been tellin’ y’all, Ah got a sense for honesty, and Sunset’s been nothin’ but honest.” She pursed her lips. "Well. Mostly.”

“Hold on a second,” Twilight interrupted. She raised a finger and pointed it at Adagio. “Adagio, you said Sunset made Equestria up, right?” Her eyes narrowed into slits. “How do you know that?”

Adagio crossed her arms, glaring at the floor. “Because I do.”

“No. That’s not an acceptable answer,” Twilight retorted. “You need to explain your reasoning. Now.”

“I don’t have to do a damned thing you say, Sparkle!” Adagio roared, leaning down at her podium like she was preparing to pounce on Twilight and rip out her throat. “So back off, or else you’ll regret it.”

Twilight arched one eyebrow, her lips curling into a sneer. Then she reached into her backpack, pulled out a notebook, and scribbled something down on it. “I see. Well, you just became number one on my suspect list for the traitor, then.”

“Seriously, Twi? Come on,” I said, holding out my hands in a placating gesture. “Adagio’s not the traitor, okay? Trust me. She can’t be the traitor.”

Turning her gaze on me, as full of suspicion as it had been the very first time we met, Twilight said cooly, “And why is that? Are you admitting guilt?”

“No, I’m not the traitor either!” Now I really did slap a hand to my head. “Look, just trust me, okay? It’s not possible for either of us to be the traitor.”

“Sunset… you trust Adagio?” Trixie asked, her eyes sparkling with the glint of unshed tears. And hurt. “Why?”

“Because she’s my friend, Trixie, just like you are,” I said, holding out a hand to take Trixie’s. I noticed Adagio’s eye twitch at this sign of affection, but she could get over it. “I know she’s been mean to you. I’ve been trying to get her to stop. Right, Adagio?”

Adagio ground her teeth together. “Yes,” she murmured.

“See?” A friendly smile spread across my face. “I told you.”

Trixie curled up one side of her mouth in an unconvinced frown. “Trixie supposes…”

“Wait, since when did you and Adagio become friends?” Rainbow Dash interjected, casting her eyes at Adagio, then me, then back again like she was watching a tennis match. “What, are you two sleeping together or something?”

Flash nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I’m wondering that too. Didn’t Adagio just threaten you yesterday?”

My face practically glowed with pink. “What? No! No way, we’re just friends. We just talk, that’s all,” I replied with sheepish laughter. Real smooth there, Sunset. She’s totally going to buy that. Yup.

Adagio looked just as flustered, wringing her hands together like she was going to throttle the athlete.

Rainbow Dash glanced between us a bit more, then burst out into a gut-busting laugh. “Bwahahaha! You are! No wonder Adagio wanted that book! Ahahaha!”

“Oh my,” Rarity said, rapidly fanning herself with her hand. “I didn’t expect that. Though I suppose that explains that glow you had earlier today…”

“Guess there’s no accounting for taste,” Tiara snorted, shaking her head.

Pinkie pranced in place, seeming happier than she had all day. “Oooh, we should come up with a name for you two! Maybe Adashimmer? Sundazzle? Wait, no! Sunsagio!”

Adagio stilled, her face taking on the cold malice of the darkest of winter nights. In a low, ominous tone, she said, “Say any of those names again and you won’t live to regret it.”

“Aww…”

Applejack tore her hat off her head and thumped it down on her podium. “Oh for pete’s sake, y’all, we’re in the middle of a trial here! Can we please get back on topic?”

“I dunno,” Twilight said, amusement sparkling in her eyes, a smirk growing on her face. “I’m kind of savoring the schadenfreude right now.”

Flash snickered. “A little bit of payback?”

“You could say that.”

“Applejack’s right,” I interjected, throwing out one arm, my face still burning with the ferocity of my blush. “Whatever Adagio and I are to each other isn’t what’s important. We’re supposed to be discussing secrets.”

“Weren’t we, though?” Sweetie Belle chuckled. “I mean we can cross one secret off the list, right?”

“No--well, maybe--but that’s not what I meant!” I groaned in frustration. “ No, listen, please. When I was talking about a secret that would make me look bad, I was talking about Equestria.”

That finally got everyone’s attention. The laughter and merriment vanished, shifting back to the tension and undercurrent of fear that the trials usually brought. “But, but, didn’t Adagio just say you were making that up?” Scootaloo asked.

“Because she is,” Adagio insisted, now unleashing that cold fury on me. “Equestria is just a fantasy.”

“Adagio, you know that isn’t true,” I replied simply, refusing to waver under her gaze. “I know you’re trying to protect me. It’s okay. This wasn’t even something I was originally intending to keep secret anyway. I was going to tell everyone the first night, and I only didn’t because I was interrupted.”

My siren friend poured a powerful message into the stoney silence she sent my way next. I was trying to protect myself too, you idiot.

A brief apologetic smile formed on my face. I know, Adagio. I’m sorry. But we have to.

She closed her eyes, and let out a quiet sigh, then held up one hand to say Go ahead then. She then looked down at her podium and gripped the sides of it, as if steeling herself.

“Listen, guys. Equestria is a real place. It’s just like I told you on the first night. It’s a world parallel to this one, full of magic. And instead of just humans, like on Earth, there are all kinds of species living there. Ponies, griffons, yaks, diamond dogs, hippogriffs, changelings, dragons... “ I took a deep breath before saying the next word. “...Sirens. And so many more. It’s a wonderful world, full of sunshine and rainbows, where friendship is magic.”

“Sounds like a little girl’s cartoon,” Rainbow Dash snorted, rolling her eyes. “That’s why I didn’t believe you the first time, you know.”

“I know, I know, I’m overselling it,” I grumbled. “But it’s where ponies like Monoponi come from. Right, Monoponi?”

Monoponi sat there in silence, not responding, just tapping a hoof impatiently on the arm of his throne. “What? Did you say something, Sunset?” he suddenly burst out after a moment, looking my way as if I’d startled him.

Rolling my eyes, I hissed, “Nevermind,” through my teeth.

“After everythin’ we’ve been seein’ this past week, and what we’ve been goin’ through, Ah think Ah believe you this time,” Applejack said, giving me a nod. “Ah’ve been convinced that magic is real.”

“I dunno, it still seems kinda weird to me,” Sweetie Belle objected.

“Weird? Try ridiculous!” Tiara insisted with a scoff. “Even if this place is real, Sunset, how do you know about it?”

Twilight adjusted her glasses, all traces of amusement gone. “I want to know too. You never did answer that question properly.”

“This… this is where it’s going to make me look bad, guys,” I said. Anxiety flooded my system, filling me with adrenalin. I wasn’t sure I wanted to own up to this any more. But I had to. If we were going to figure out who killed Apple Bloom, I had to.

So I took another deep breath, squeezed my palms against my podium to steel myself, then looked up and said, “I know because I’m from there. I wasn’t born human. I was born a pony.”

“What?!”

“Huh?!”

“Oh… my…”

“Oh my dear heavens!”

“What the heck?!”

Everyone except for Adagio broke out into expressions of outrage, surprise, and in a couple of cases, fear. Fluttershy and Sweetie Belle both seemed terrified of my revelation. Rarity had fainted onto her podium, though I wasn’t sure how much of that was for drama and how much was real. Rainbow Dash was downright furious, as if I’d betrayed her belief in me by admitting to this. Even Applejack was stunned. Flash Sentry bit his thumb, like he didn’t know what to say. Scootaloo was likewise confused. Pinkie Pie screeched long and loud, her eyes bugged out of her sockets as she gripped the sides of her head. Trixie seemed… sad, and disheartened. As if I should’ve told her before now. It tore at my heart.

Twilight, though… her reaction scared me. Her gaze turned even colder, more detached, looking at me like I was a laboratory specimen. She adjusted her glasses, which twinkled in the courtroom lights. “I see,” she said, her voice just as cold and detached as her demeanor. “So even though you appear human, you’re actually just like Monoponi.”

“Uh, no, not just like Monoponi,” I replied, waving my hands as panic filled my being. “He’s an alicorn. I was just a unicorn. Not the same kind of pony at all.”

“But you’re still not human,” Twilight reiterated, her tone taking on an edge of anger. “And if you’re not human, and Monoponi isn’t human either… the conclusion is obvious.”

“Sure seems like it,” Sweetie Belle agreed, glowering at me with naked hostility.

Trixie burst into tears, and moved as far away from me as she possibly could while still standing at her podium, hunched over with her face in her hands. Rarity moved over to gently stroke her on her back, while shooting me a furious glare.

“I thought we could trust you, Sunset,” Rainbow Dash said, squeezing her eyes shut and balling up a fist. “I guess I was wrong after all.”

“No, no, no!” I fired back, the panic shifting to cold terror. “No, you don’t get it! I’m not like Monoponi, okay? He’s nothing like most ponies! He’s a monster! We’re not like that at all!”

“Uh huh. Sure. I totally buy that,” Diamond Tiara snorted. “Not!”

Applejack doffed her hat and placed it down gently. She fixed her gaze upon me, like twin emerald drills burrowing into my brain, searching for secrets. “Sunset. Be honest with me now. Tell me to mah face. Are you the traitor? Did you set this game up with Monoponi?”

“No!” I cried out. “No, Applejack. I didn’t, okay? I’m innocent.” Please. Please believe me, Applejack. I’m telling you the truth.

Applejack continued to stare for several long, slow moments. “Is that so?” she muttered. “Hmm.” Then she nodded. “Alright then. Ah believe her, y’all. She’s tellin’ the truth.”

“She is?” Sweetie Belle blurted, whirling to face the farmer. “But, but, she said she was a pony!”

“Ah know that,” Applejack replied calmly. “And she’s right. She ain’t human. Not entirely. Ah’ve been thinkin’ she was keepin’ somethin’ from us, but it never seemed like it was somethin’ bad. This must’ve been it.”

Tears of relief streamed down my face. “Thank you, Applejack,” I whispered. “Thank you.”

“So, wait, now I’m confused again,” Rainbow Dash said. “Should we or should we not be mad at Sunset?”

“Um, I think… not?” Fluttershy asked, her head cocked to the side.

Trixie sniffled, wiping dripping snot from her face. “Trixie is very unhappy with Sunset for keeping this secret from her.” She shifted back closer towards me and reached out a hand, setting it on my shoulder. “Sunset, please don’t keep any more secrets from me, okay? I’m your friend. I want to be able to trust you.”

Rainbow Dash leaned over to Fluttershy and stage whispered, “Did Trixie just speak in first person?”

“Hush, Dashie,” Fluttershy scolded.

I slipped Trixie’s hand off my shoulder and took it in mine instead. “I’m sorry, Trixie. I’m really sorry. I just… I didn’t want to tell anyone because I was afraid of exactly what’s happening right now. And I didn’t say anything about Adagio because, well… she didn’t want me to. I promise, no more secrets, okay?”

Trixie nodded, blinking away her remaining tears. Her frown slowly shifted into a small, if still sad, smile. “I get it, Sunset. I do. And, well… okay. I’ll trust you. Just don’t do this again. Please.” She withdrew her hand from mine and held it close to her breast. “My heart can’t take it.”

“You got it, Trixie,” I said, smiling back.

“Okay, okay, blah blah blah no one gives a crap about your friendship drama!” Diamond Tiara interjected, stamping all over the somber mood. “That doesn’t change the fact that Sunset’s a freakingpony!”

“But Applejack said we could trust her, and I trust Applejack, sooo... “ Scootaloo shrugged. “I guess it’s fine?”

Flash nodded, though he still looked more than a little uncertain. “Yeah… I’ve been giving you the benefit of the doubt so far, Sunset. I’m still not happy with the way you acted earlier… but if Applejack can trust you, I can trust you. I guess.”

“Well, I do trust Applejack’s judgement,” Rarity admitted, pressing her knuckles to her lips. “But Sunset, I am not happy with you right now. I hope you know that.”

“Yeah, I get it. Look, I’m sorry, everyone. But do you see why I brought this up?” I blew out a sigh through my teeth. “The way you all reacted proves what I was saying. This had to have been my secret. This is why the culprit tried to kill me. Because they made the exact same wrong assumptions you all did: they thought I was the traitor.”

“I still think you are,” Tiara murmured under her breath, crossing her arms.

“It would be a logical reaction,” Twilight said, still acting as cold and unfeeling as she had ever since my reveal. Maybe it was a defense mechanism for her. “Because someone might think that, if they killed the traitor, the game would end. We’d all be freed.”

“Upupupu… ahahahahah eyahahahahahahahahahahaha!” Monoponi let loose a flurry of laughter, rolling off his throne to land on the floor with a squishy thump. “Oh, that’s so hilarious! Ahahahaha! Like I’d end the game just because you killed the traitor! Ahahaha!” Tears streamed forth from his pony eyes. He wriggled his limbs all over as he laughed.

Then he abruptly ceased, hopping back onto his throne and clearing his throat. “Ahem. No. That wouldn’t happen. The traitor isn’t running the game. I am. If you kill the traitor, well… “ he shrugged. “No skin off my muzzle.”

“Good to know,” Twilight muttered as she scribbled something down on her notepad. Then she placed it back in her backpack and steepled her hands on her podium. “Okay. So we know why Sunset was targeted now. Where does that lead us?”

“Well, it’s not like we can just ask who had Sunset’s secret, right?” Rainbow Dash said, holding up a hand to her chin.

“No, we can’t,” Tiara grumbled, rolling her eyes. “Monoponi only said that like a million times. Jeez.”

“Oooh, I have an idea!” Pinkie blurted. She’d been oddly quiet, apart from her initial screech at the reveal of my secret. I had no idea what the girl was thinking. She’d been so vocal in the last trial, but ever since, she’d only spoken up every so often. Like she was just letting out little bits of personality only when she had to. It was weird. But then again, maybe, like Twilight, it was some sort of defense mechanism.

“What is it, Pinkie?” Scootaloo asked.

“Maybe we oughta figure out what caused the Monopad glitch! Remember? Last night the Monopads went all funky and the map blinked out. We talked about it this morning but we never figured out what caused it.”

“Of course,” Twilight said, holding a hand to her forehead. “I’m an idiot. I completely forgot about that.”

“What Monopad glitch?” Sweetie asked, raising both eyebrows. “I don’t remember anything about a Monopad glitch.”

“Sweetie, darling, we were just talking about it this morning, like Pinkie said,” Rarity chided with a tsk tsk tsk noise under her breath, waggling one finger at her sister. “Please pay more attention.”

Sweetie fired off a nasty glare in her sister’s direction, but Rarity paid it no heed.

“It happened at about 10:30 PM,” I said, “Right around the time the spear was purchased. We need to discuss where we were all at during that time.”

“We do have a record of some people’s locations,” Twilight stated, tapping on her Monopad.

Fact #12: Movements Tracked: “At 10:30 PM, just before the map glitched, the following people were outside of their cabins:
Twilight Sparkle, Apple Bloom -- Library
Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo -- Bridge Deck
Adagio Dazzle -- Theater
Diamond Tiara -- Game Corner
At 1:00 AM, all fourteen passengers were in their cabins.”

“Specifically, myself, Apple Bloom, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, Adagio, and Diamond Tiara.”

“We already addressed mah sister, Tiara, and yerself, Twilight,” Applejack added. She scooped up her hat and placed it back on her head. “So that just leaves the other three.”

“It couldn’t have been me,” Rainbow Dash immediately, raising up her hands. “Scootaloo and I were playing a game last night.”

“Yeah, I bought a soccer ball from the store and we were kicking it around,” Scootaloo agreed. “We were soooo tired. I walked back to my cabin with Rainbow Dash right after 10:30.”

“I can confirm that,” Fluttershy spoke up, raising her hand. “I met with Rainbow Dash right afterwards. We had tea in my cabin.”

“Tea, you say?” Rarity hopped to attention, her focus squarely on Fluttershy. “Where did you get it?”

Fluttershy let out a little “eep” noise before managing to summon up the courage to answer. “Um, the convenience store has a lot of varieties of tea, in k-cups. And there’s a k-cup machine in our cabins, so, um… yeah.”

“Oh, of course. I hadn’t even considered that. I should really get some after the trial is over,” Rarity replied, smiling at the timid woman. “I haven’t had a good cup of tea since we got here.”

“Hang on,” Tiara interrupted. She stared at her Monopad. “Heeey… this says Adagio was at the theater at 10:30!”

All eyes turned to the siren. She hadn’t said a word since early on in my reveal, and from the way she was working her jaw, her face pink with rage, I was kind of glad she hadn’t. She burned like an overloaded steam engine ready to blow. “What about it?” she snarled.

“Adagio,” I started, only to shrink back as she whirled in my direction, shaking so much with fury I was afraid she’d lift off into space. “Adagio, please calm down,” I said more quietly. “I’m not accusing you of making the trap.”

“Good,” Adagio hissed. “Because I wouldn’t.”

“I know you wouldn’t,” I answered. “We just need to clear up this issue first. Why were you at the theater?”

“More importantly, did you see anything?” Twilight asked.

Adagio let out a loud grunt, and managed to stop her shaking. “I… I was just looking for Sunset. She wasn’t there, so I left.”

Immediately, I knew. I knew that was a lie. Adagio, what’re you doing? If you lie like that… I’d better back her up. She’ll never admit her real reason, whatever it was. “Oh, so that’s why you came to my cabin afterwards!” I said, trying to act like I’d had a sudden realization.

“Hmmm....” Applejack held a hand to her chin, her expression full of doubt. She narrowed her eyes, muttering as she looked back and forth between us, before settling on me. As subtle as I could, I flashed her a quick thumbs up. Applejack rolled her eyes, but she didn’t say a word, dropping her hand to her side.

“What is it, AJ?” Rainbow asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Nothin’,” Applejack muttered, looking away immediately, her mouth curling up into some kind of embarrassed pout.

I couldn’t help but wince. Ugh, Applejack, you are not a good liar, are you?

Still, Rainbow seemed to buy it, because she shrugged. “Okay. Anyway, Adagio, like Twi said: Did you see anybody on your way back?”

“No, I didn’t,” Adagio answered bluntly, sweeping a hand through her hair and spitting out a few that had strayed into her mouth. “I just went straight back via the restaurants.”

“Great. That’s a big help,” Dash muttered, throwing up her arms and clapping them back down to her sides.

“Everyone else was in their cabins at 10:30,” Twilight stated, looking back down at her Monopad. “So that means whoever it was, they left their cabin after 10:30, then returned before 1:00 AM, when the map switched back on and it showed everyone in their cabins.”

“Then that means they knew the glitch was going to happen!” Scootaloo said, pounding a fist into her open palm. “Like they caused it, or something.”

“But how was someone supposed to do that?” Sweetie asked, holding up a hand and screwing up her face with confusion. “It’s not like you could just hack a Monopad or something.” She glanced Twilight’s way. “Right?”

“No. If there is a way, I haven’t found one yet,” Twilight answered with a frown.

“I think I know how,” I spoke up. “It was the motive. Specifically, the second part of the motive.”

~*~
“I have a puzzle for you all to solve! The first person to answer my puzzle will get a fabulous prize! What is the puzzle? What is the prize? Well you’ll just have to speak to me privately to find out! Maybe it’ll be useful. Who knows? You won’t, till you try! Just keep in mind, it’s first come, first served!” He dropped the pose. “If you want to speak to me, just call out for me. But only when you’re alone! I won’t appear if there’s even a chance someone else might overhear!”
~*~

“I meant to check with Monoponi about it during the investigation, but… well, I never did.” I shrugged sheepishly.

“Wait, are you suggesting the prize was the Monopad glitch itself?” Twilight asked. “But, why would that be a prize? It’s not like any of us mentioned we were keeping an eye on the map before.”

“No, silly, it makes perfect sense!” Pinkie retorted. “After all, if anyone’s gonna try and sneak around, it’d be better to be sure no one can watch you do it, right?”

“I guess…”

“Wait, but how’re we gonna find out now?” Flash asked, holding up both hands palm upwards. “It’s not like one of us can leave the trial. “

“Why don’t we just ask him?” Scootaloo suggested. She turned around to face the alicorn. “Hey, Monoponi! What’s your puzzle?”

Monoponi held up a hoof to his mouth. “Upupu, I won’t tell you! You’re not alone!”

“Oh come on,” Scootaloo whined, throwing out a hand. “You gotta tell us. This is for the trial!”

“Please, Monoponi?” Pinkie added, pulling her hands together into a prayer-like gesture and giving him puppy-dog eyes. “Pretty please with sugar on top?”

Monoponi’s grin vanished, replaced by a dangerous looking grimace. “Ugh, fine! But your Captain is not happy about this! Such laziness amongst my crew would never be tolerated! Seriously, not one of you asked me during the investigation. Pathetic!”

With a few beats of his wings Monoponi took the air, hovering high above the courtroom. He spread out all four legs till he looked like a floating demon with six limbs. “The puzzle, you ask? It is very, very simple. A single question that you must answer. And I think you’ll all be able to answer it now. The question is this! What is Sunset Shimmer’s true nature?”

I was right. My secret was the key. The only ones who could’ve answered this question before the trial was myself, Adagio… and the culprit. Aloud, I called out, “I’m from Equestria, born a pony!”

“Correct!” Monoponi designed until he was hovering directly before me, his horn pointed dangerously at my face. “Of course, you’re too late. I told you before. It’s first come, first served! You don’t get a prize! But. But but but. Since it’s for the trial, and you complete incompetant morons would be stuck without it… I’ll tell you what the prize was.”

He beat his wings, sending a burst of wind into my face and ruffling my hair as he returned to his throne. “The prize was twofold. A single purchase of your choice from my lovely prize counter, free of charge--to you---and a one time use, on demand Monoponi brand Map Scrambler! The scrambler, naturally, rendered everyone’s maps useless! Except the culprit’s, that is, upupupu!”

“Then I was right! The culprit did fake Apple Bloom’s name on the tickets!” Rainbow Dash cried, pumping her fist in the air. “Yeah! Who called it? I did!”

“And the map glitch was key. Of course by this point that was obvious,” Twilight stated, rolling her eyes. “But it’s nice to have the confirmation.”

Didn’t you just doubt that the map scrambling would be a prize? I wondered, but I chose not to call her on it. She was pissed enough at me as it was. “So then we’ve got a lot of things we can use to narrow down the culprit,” I stated. Holding out a hand, I counted off on my fingers. “We know they used Apple Bloom’s ticket to buy the spear. We also know they did that ten minutes after they activated the map glitch and left their cabin. They had to take the long path from their cabin to the game corner, via the bridge deck and the shops quarter, so they could avoid everyone else coming via the restaurant quarter, and they had to sneak past Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash in the process, though with their map still working, that’d be pretty easy.”

“So it had to be somebody fast,” Scootaloo said, nodding. “Or small. Somebody who could sneak around pretty easily.”

“And they had to be smarteroonies!” Pinkie added. “They had to come up with the trap and build it all in a couple of hours!”

“Don’t forget the library log,” Adagio pointed out, hissing through her teeth. “They had to grab those books and fake Apple Bloom’s signature so well we couldn’t tell the difference.”

“So it had to be someone who was good with their hands and had the dexterity and good eye to copy signatures,” Twilight said.

“Also, they had to dislike Sunset,” Trixie stated, raising a finger. “Trixie believes that has to be true, or else the culprit would’ve just talked to Sunset instead of planning her death.”

Trixie makes a damned fine point. A lot of these people would’ve talked to me first. I know Flash definitely would have. Fluttershy too. Rarity especially.

So who could it be? Diamond Tiara, maybe?

I took a moment to look Tiara over, who recoiled from my gaze as if I were a cockatrice about to petrify her. No. Even though she was in the game corner, I don’t think she could’ve done everything. Maybe she could’ve copied Apple Bloom’s signature. But the trap? No way. She’s not smart enough. Knowing her, she probably would’ve accidentally killed herself if she tried to set something like that up.

I guess Pinkie Pie could’ve made the trap. She was smart enough for it. And that girl can sneak around anywhere. But she’s been nothing but nice to me. And she hated the first trial. Why would she cause another one?

My gaze fell upon Twilight Sparkle, who glared back as if daring me to accuse her. Twilight was sure acting guilty. Yeah, she cried a lot for Wallflower too, but she was inconsolable over Apple Bloom, just like I’d expect from someone who killed the wrong person instead of their target. But the thing is, despite being in place in the library and smart enough to make the trap… until the trial, she had no reason to dislike me. Even now I think she’s probably more angry that I kept it secret than anything else. It just doesn’t track.

I moved on, until I stopped upon Adagio, who just arched an eyebrow at me, as if to say “really?” Yeah. No. No way. Maybe if we hadn’t talked after the whole Trixie thing, but no. Forget it.

I didn’t even bother looking at Apple Bloom’s portrait, nor Applejack. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo had alibis, as did Fluttershy. Rarity… I already dismissed her. And Flash. But who did that leave? That was practically everybody, right?

Everybody… save one. And when my gaze fell upon her, when I saw the look of surprise, fear, and, most importantly, regret reflecting in her eyes. I knew. I still wasn’t sure how to prove it, but I knew.

I raised my finger and leveled it right at her. “Sweetie Belle! You’re the only one!”

Cold hatred flared to life in Sweetie’s eyes even as she drew herself up in shock. “M-me?! What? Why?”

“Sunset Shimmer!” Rarity thundered, slamming a fist on her podium so hard I heard one of her nails crack. “How dare you accuse my sister?! What in heaven’s name is the matter with you?!”

“Yeah, I dunno about this, Sunset…” Rainbow Dash muttered as she scratched the back of her head, sharing a doubtful look with Fluttershy. “I mean, Sweetie Belle? Really?”

Even Adagio seemed disappointed. “Sunset, I thought you were smarter than this,” she said plainly.

Twilight’s face went blank. “I… that wasn’t what I expected you to say.”

“Yeah, I mean, come on,” Scootaloo said. “I kinda figured if anyone it’d be Diamond Tiara.” She gestured Tiara’s way with both hands for emphasis.

“What?!” Tiara screeched, reeling back in shock.

“Well, you do kinda hate Sunset’s guts,” Flash admitted. “And you’ve always insisted she was guilty of, like, everything.”

“So what?” Tiara scoffed, thumbing her nose at Flash. “Idiot. Just because I don’t like someone doesn’t mean I’d kill them.” In a whisper that I only discerned because I read her lips, she added, “I’d make someone else do it.”

Trixie looked back and forth between me and Sweetie Belle, her face screwing up worse and worse with confusion by the second. “Trixie doesn’t understand. She thought you would say Tiara too. Didn’t Tiara have the opportunity to learn all about Trixie’s show? When could Sweetie have done anything?”

“Um, yeah, even I don’t get this one, Sunny,” Pinkie said.

Applejack was the only one who didn’t seem to doubt my words. Instead of speaking up, she held up her fist to her chin and stared at Sweetie, lost in thought.

“Yeah. Yeah!” Sweetie, brimming with confidence, stood her ground, pointing right back at me. “I don’t know where you get off accusing me, but it’s not funny! Stop wasting our time!”

But despite the doubt everyone had expressed within me, my certainty of Sweetie’s guilt grew all the stronger. I’m right. I know I’m right. I just don’t know how to prove it yet! Better start on the easier things first. She was familiar with the library, right? “Sweetie, you could’ve easily built the trap. All you needed was a little ingenuity and books with the right information. And you’ve been spending a lot of time in the library since it opened up!”

“So what?” Sweetie’s face twisted into an exasperated grimace. “That’s your proof? Really? Because I like to read?”

“Honestly, Sunset, please tell me this is some sort of joke!” Rarity added, still glaring at me with the fury of a sister scorned.

Come on, Sunset. Think, think! ...wait a minute.

~*~
“And they’ve got the latest manga from Neighpon!” Sweetie squeaked, even higher pitched than her sister. She held up a graphic novel, featuring some anime heroine looking particularly dashing as she swung a Qilin style spear at some sort of monster. “I didn’t even think this series was translated!”
~*~

Wait. The manga. There’s an angle I can use. One side of my lip twisted into a mocking half-grin. “There’s nothing wrong with reading, Sweetie. It’s just, I find it interesting that all you ever checked out was manga. And your manga heroine uses a spear. A qiang spear, no less. Exactly the kind used in the trap.”

“I suppose that is an odd coincidence,” Fluttershy said, though the uncertainty etched all over her face spoke of her continuing doubt.

“S-so?” Sweetie retorted, sweat beading up on her brow. “That doesn’t prove anything!”

My half-grin switched to a full out smirk. “No, not by itself. But other than Twilight, you’ve spent more time in the library than anyone else. I should know. I’ve been watching everybody’s positions on my Monopad.”

~*~
Turning on the map, I noted that most people had opted to head to their rooms. Trixie and Apple Bloom were in the prop shop. Adagio, though, was on the first floor of the library, along with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Interesting. Twilight was there too, poking around the third floor, with Flash. Sweetie Belle was also on the third floor of the library, on the other side from Twilight and Flash. Rarity was in the fabric store. And finally Scootaloo was in the game corner.

I wrote that all down, noted the time--3:45 PM--and then moved on. I’d try to check at least every half hour or so, and keep notes.
~*~
Before we left, I turned on my Monopad and jotted down everyone’s new locations. Most hadn’t shifted, though Rainbow had left the game corner and was meandering through the cabins, while Adagio was now on the second floor of the library. Sweetie Belle was pursuing books on the third. And Tiara, she was in the game corner, oddly enough.
~*~
“11:00 AM,” I muttered to myself as I wrote down. Apple Bloom, Trixie, myself in the theater, Rainbow, Scootaloo, and Applejack in the game corner, Twilight and Flash in the library naturally, and Sweetie Belle was in the bakery kitchen.
~*~

“The only time you weren’t there was after the trap was already set up. It wouldn’t have been hard for you to plan out the murder, not with all that knowledge on hand. There was plenty of reference material for you to study from. Even for faking Apple Bloom’s signature!”

~*~
“Yup. It seems like this library is entirely non-fiction, at least on this floor,” Twilight answered. “I’ve seen subjects ranging from carpentry, to industrial manufacturing, electrical engineering, physics, astronomy, archeology, anatomy and physiology, even the practice of handwriting… it’s practically a university all to itself!” Twilight grinned wildly, sighing in delight. “Ah, isn’t it wonderful?”
~*~

“Remember, Twilight?” I looked to the researcher, who’d recovered from her stupor. “You told me yourself.”

“I guess I did, didn’t I?” Twilight admitted, comprehension slowly dawning on her face.

“T-this is ridiculous! You’re not proving anything!” Sweetie cried out, anger overtaking her sense of propriety. “All you have is circumstantial evidence!”

“I also have your own words, Sweetie. Remember this morning?”

~*~
“Me too,” Sweetie Belle added from her own seat next to Rarity. “I love magic shows! They always end with a bang! I can’t wait to see how yours ends!”
~*~

My smirk grew wider. “Maybe that seemed innocent at the time, but looking back, that sounds less like someone interested in Trixie’s show and more like someone who was eager to see if their trap worked!”

“I have heard enough of this, Sunset!” Rarity shouted, once again slamming a fist on her podium. “Stop this! Now!”

I shook my head. “Sorry, Rarity, but I can’t. If I did, I’d be letting the culprit get away.”

“But I’m not the culprit!” Sweetie cried, squeezing both fists and holding them at her sides as she leaned forward to shout louder. “I would never kill Apple Bloom! She was my friend too!”

I shook my head slowly. “Sweetie, you weren’t trying to kill Apple Bloom. You were trying to kill me. And Trixie was right. The culprit was someone who hated me. And you’ve been nothing but against me this whole trial! Every time I suggested something, you questioned it. You kept trying to direct us towards suspecting Apple Bloom, even.

~*~
“Then it makes sense,” Sweetie Belle said sadly. “Those books. They look like they’d be useful for the trap.”
~*~
“But it makes sense!” Sweetie Belle said, responding to some point I hadn’t heard during my reverie. “Apple Bloom was smart enough to come up with the trap. She had the opportunity to build it! She was in the prop shop all the time. She had access to the materials, to the tools.”
~*~
Sweetie Belle led the charge, “Apple Bloom built the trap! There’s no one else who could’ve done it!”
~*~

“Not to mention you’ve been playing dumb about everything else too,” I pointed out. “Every time we figured something out, you either doubted it, or acted like you were too dumb to figure it out. Just like Timber Spruce did in the last trial.”

Sweetie’s expression blanked out. She didn’t say a word to that.

Rarity settled down, her expression shifting between outrage and worry. “Sweetie…” she said quietly. “Sweetie, darling, she’s starting to sound convincing. Please, say something!”

“And if that’s not enough?” I added, now on a roll, “Trixie made a great point earlier when she said the culprit would have to be someone who didn’t like me very much. And I can’t help but remember how every time I’ve been suspicious or suspected, whether it was in this trial or the previous one, you’ve jumped on the bandwagon. Maybe you haven’t been as vitriolic as Tiara, but you’ve never been a fan of me either.”

Sweetie remained silent, no expression on her face at all. Like she’d just checked out of reality altogether.

Rarity reached out a hand, as far as she could stretch, in Sweetie’s direction. “Sweetie Belle! Say something!”

“Haa…”

I stopped, nonplussed.

Sweetie Belle had started laughing.

“Haha...hahahaha....hahahahahahahaha!” Sweetie Belle doubled over, shaking with mirth as she let out belly laugh after belly laugh. “Hahahahahaha! Wow!” She stood back up, wiping tears from her eyes. “Sunset, you’re a real laugh riot, you know that?” She smiled at me, a happy-go-lucky smile, without a trace of worry. “You even had me wondering there for a minute.”

“Excuse me?” I said, arching both eyebrows. “What--”

Sweetie held up a hand. “It’s okay. I get it! You were just confused. But you can stop now. I didn’t do it. I’m not the culprit.”

“Uh… you’re not? Are you sure?” Flash asked, his hand on his chin. “Cause I think Sunset was on to something there.”

“Yeah, you do seem a bit fishy,” Pinkie said with a frown.

Sweetie shrugged. “Eh. I know. But it’s a killing game. You could do nothing but breathe and you’d still be fishy.”

“Oh.” Pinkie blinked owlishly. “I never thought of it like that. Guess you’re right!”

Trixie turned to face me. “Sunset, are you sure Sweetie Belle is the culprit? Trixie doesn’t know what to think anymore.”

“Of course I’m not, Trixie,” Sweetie said, giggling. “There’s no proof. And it doesn’t make much sense anyway. I mean me, really? I’ve never built a thing in my life. You think I know how to use power tools?”

“It’s not like they’re hard to use,” Adagio replied. “Even someone like you could figure it out.”

“Maybe,” Sweetie shrugged again. “But that doesn't explain the electrical wiring. You can't just rig something like that without knowing how wiring works. You think I could figure out something like that just from a book?"

"Of course you could," Twilight said. "During the investigation, I checked a copy of that book. There were examples of rewiring laid out all over the schematics, near the end, sufficient enough you'd be able to figure out the rest. It would be tricky, but not impossible."

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll admit that. But I’m not the one who hates Sunset. That’s Diamond Tiara. And she had a thing against Applejack too, remember? Applejack threatened her, back when Monoponi told us to explore the ship. She probably rigged the trap and didn’t care if it killed Sunset or Apple Bloom. She’d be getting revenge either way.”

“No I wouldn’t be!” Tiara fired back, holding up a hand like she was ready to slap Sweetie silly. “I wouldn’t kill someone just because I didn’t like them. I already said that!”

“Oh.” Sweetie considered that, then nodded. “Okay then. Guess it must’ve been Apple Bloom who built the trap after all. Not like anyone else could.”

“You’re lyin’.”

Everyone turned to face Applejack, who was holding up a finger, pointed Sweetie Belle’s way. Her face was twisted into an ugly, hateful glare, her whole body quivering from rage. “You low-down, dirty, rotten little piece of trash. You’re just lyin’ to try and save your skin! But Ah can see right through it! Ah know now! Sunset was right! You… you killed mah sister!” She slammed her other hand down on her podium so hard she cracked the wood. “You. Killed. Mah. Sister!”

“No, I didn’t, Applejack,” Sweetie replied without a hint of fear. An eerie calm had descended upon her. “I didn’t kill Apple Bloom. She was my friend. I wouldn’t have killed her.”

“Stop lyin’ already!” Applejack roared, spittle flying across the courtroom. “Just fess up and admit it already! Ya killed Apple Bloom and now you’re tryin’ to kill the rest of us! Even your own sister!”

“I’m not going to admit to something I didn’t do,” Sweetie said.

Damn it. This isn’t getting us anywhere. Even with Applejack’s support, we still don’t have solid proof! There’s got to be something I’m overlooking in the evidence.

“But it had to be you!” Applejack was screaming now, full-throated at maximum volume, so loud it was hurting my ears. “It’s like Sunset said! You’re the one who spent all her time in the library!”

“And? Like I said, Applejack, I just like to read.”

“But the spear was just like the one in your Neighponese comic!”

Sweetie arched an eyebrow. “Now we’re just going in circles again. That’s just a coincidence.”

Damn it, Sunset, you’ve got to think! I scrolled through each bit of evidence on the Monopad, searching desperately for some hidden clue, something I’d missed.

“But you’re fast enough and small enough to sneak past Rainbow and me!” Scootaloo said, intervening on Applejack’s side.

Sweetie shook her head. “So’s Diamond Tiara. And she was in the game corner, remember? She didn’t even have to sneak past anyone to get there.”

“Now you’re blaming Tiara again?” Rainbow Dash said, slapping her forehead in disgust. “Which is it, Sweetie? Was it Apple Bloom or Tiara? Get your story straight, jeez.”

Rarity slapped an open palm on her podium for attention. “Now, now, stop that, Rainbow Dash! She’s just pointing out the facts.”

Where is it? I started pulling at my hair in frustration, going over every clue. We’ve addressed everything! The drill, the ladder, the chain, the bag of tools, the spear, the tickets… there’s nothing here! We’ve addressed everything! What am I going to do?

“Aren’t you really smart, though?” Twilight said, glaring at Sweetie over her glasses. “You’re a college student at a university. You’ve got to be at least a little bit creative.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Sweetie asked, spreading out her hands. “I’d be willing to bet any of us could come up with this trap. It wasn’t that complicated. And really, what’s more likely? That I figured out how to do this stuff just from reading books? Or someone who already knew how this stuff worked made the trap instead?”

“Stop tryin’ to save your hide already!” Applejack screamed. “Just fess up!”

Oh my god! This is so infuriating! We’ve got her right here but if I can’t prove unequivocally that she did it, it’s all meaningless! There’s nothing we have that can do that though! Not even the… wait. My eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. Wait, wait, wait! I quickly scanned through the Monopad again and focused on one particular piece of evidence. Is that it? Is it really that simple? I backed out of the evidence, and checked one final thing, and let out a gasp. It really is! Ha ha! Why didn’t I see this before?! I knew something didn’t seem right about this!

Sweetie Belle laughed in Applejack’s face. “Stop wasting your time Applejack. I won’t admit to something I didn’t do. And there’s nothing that could ever prove I did it!”

“YOU’VE GOT THAT WRONG!” I roared, cuing up the evidence that would spell Sweetie’s doom.

Fact #1: Monoponi File II: “The victim is Apple Bloom, the Ultimate Builder. Time of death is 7:45 PM. Cause of death was blood loss due to a massive stab wound through the torso.”

Sweetie Belle barked a quick, disbelieving laugh. “What? What the heck does that have to do with… any… thing....” A hand suddenly shot to her mouth as she gasped. “Oh no…”

“When I first read the Monoponi File,” I said, the presence of my words dominating the room into complete silence, “Something struck me as odd. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but something just didn’t feel right. But you know exactly what I’m talking about. Don’t you, Sweetie Belle?”

“N-no! No I don’t!” Sweetie babbled, her confidence shattered like glass, replaced with the cold hearted grip of naked fear. “I d-don’t know anything!”

“What is it, Sunset?” Pinkie blurted. “What? What?”

“Everyone, look at the first line of the file. Right there. What does it say?”

Rainbow Dash picked up her own Monopad. “It says ‘The victim is Apple Bloom, the Ultimate Builder.’ What about it? It’s just Monoponi’s stupid Ultimate title. Who even cares?”

Scootaloo’s eyes bulged as she yelped in shock. “Oh my god! Sunset! I see it now!”

“Of course you do, Scootaloo,” I said, a mirthless smile coming to my face. “You’re the only one who still has the problem.”

“Wait, please, I’m completely lost,” Twilight admitted, her cheeks flushing pink. “What are you talking about, Sunset?”

I closed my eyes, my smile growing into one of triumph. “It’s okay. I’m not surprised most of you don’t remember. It was back when we all first got our Monopads. You see…”

~*~
“Wait, why does this list us as having a talent?” I asked.

Everyone else started looking at their profiles while Monoponi explained, “Oh, I thought that would add to the experience. You know, spice things up! Everyone knows you gotta have Ultimates for something like this, right? Even if you’re not really Ultimates.”

Adagio’s face curled into a quiet sneer as she whispered, “Songstress. Please.”

“Trixie appreciates that you chose Illusionist rather than simply Magician,” Trixie commented, grinning.

“Rich Kid? Rich Kid?!” Diamond Tiara shouted, stamping her foot. “What is that supposed to mean?! I’m not a kid. I’m twenty-one years old!”

Flash’s cheeks bloomed a brilliant pink. “Why is mine… Boytoy?” he groaned. “I mean, really? I play music, man. I drive a cool car. I do other things. Why?”

“Hey look, mine’s just spinning like a slot machine!” Apple Bloom said, holding up her pad.

“Mine too!” Sweetie Belle said.

“And mine! Wonder what it means,” Scootaloo added.
~*~

“We all got Ultimate titles, except for those three. Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo. Their titles weren’t set. It was like Apple Bloom said .They spun like a slot machine.” I quickly blitzed through screens on my Monopad, and pulled up Scootaloo’s profile. “And look. You can see it in the profiles. Scootaloo’s is still spinning.”

“But, Apple Bloom’s isn’t! Her title is set!” Rarity said, staring wide-eyed at her Monopad, shaking from fear. “What does that mean?”

“It means, Rarity,” I answered, “that their Ultimate title stops spinning when they die… or when they commit murder. And if you pull up Sweetie’s profile, well…”

I deliberately keyed up the Monopad to show Sweetie’s profile to everyone. And there it was. Instead of spinning endlessly, Sweetie too had a set title. “Look. She’s the Ultimate Sapper. And a sapper, as you should know, is another word for combat engineer. They build fortifications, they lay demolitions… and they build traps. Lethal traps. Like the one that killed Apple Bloom.”

“No...no! No!” Rarity shrieked, throwing down her Monopad and tearing at her hair, ripping out several large chunks. “No! I won’t believe it! I can’t believe it! I refuse to believe Sweetie Belle is a… is a… is a…”

Rarity collapsed onto her rear and burst into tears. I’d seen Rarity cry before, in melodramatic fashion, but this was nothing like that. This was pure, raw emotion, a release of sorrow, of woe. It tore at my heart like almost nothing else… because as bad as she was feeling now, she’d soon feel so much worse. Because of what would have to happen.

Sweetie Belle was the culprit. And if the culprit is caught… they’re executed.

“I… I…” Sweetie Belle stammered, no longer able to defend herself. “That… it doesn’t… I didn’t… I didn’t… didn’t… mean to…”

“Sunset!” Applejack turned to face me, and held up a finger to her head. “Ah’ve had enough of all of this. Finish it! Lay out the case, and make it clear, once and for all!”

“Right.” I took several deep breaths to gather my thoughts. “This is how it all went down!”

“This started with the second motive Monoponi presented to us: our deepest darkest secrets. But we didn’t get our own. We received the secrets of another. With Monoponi’s rule forbidding us from discussing them, we couldn’t reveal who had whose. But we could deduce what they were. The culprit received mine, the proof that I wasn’t born human. For the culprit, this suggested only one thing: that I was the traitor. So the culprit called up Monoponi the first chance they got, to answer his puzzle. With my secret, they solved his puzzle, which cemented their belief. So they hatched a plan to kill me at the climax of Trixie’s show.

“First, they’d need to figure out how to lay the trap. They wanted the murder to happen live, in front of everyone, so they’d appear to be innocent. They didn’t want to make Timber’s mistake and single themself out. Thanks to solving Monoponi’s puzzle, they already had a guaranteed weapon. So, taking inspiration from their own favorite manga, the culprit chose a qiang spear. Thus decided, the culprit spent as much time as possible researching the plan in the library. During dinner that evening, they also learned about the markings, the x’s of duct tape, that Trixie was setting on the stage for me, which guaranteed they’d be able to place the trap exactly where I’d be.

“Once their plan was ready, they had to wait to enact it. They didn’t want to chance being seen on the Monopad map. So, at 10:30 PM, they used the second prize, the Map Scrambler. This glitched out our maps, keeping us from tracking anyone, everyone’s Monopad save for the culprit’s. Using their still working map, they left their cabin, sneaking past Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo on their way to the game corner. Then, using the tickets provided by Monoponi, they purchased the spear, leaving a record that implicated Apple Bloom. Next, they went to the library, and picked up two crucial reference books, taking the time to forge Apple Bloom’s signature as well. Their intent was for Apple Bloom to take the blame during the trial.

“With the tools in hand, they went to the theater. Using the theater’s supplies, they assembled the spring and lever they needed for the trap, as well as the guide rails to ensure the spear wouldn’t miss. Then they gathered up as many tools as they could and stuffed them into a sack, tying it up with a length of chain. They used as much metal chain as they could, spray painting it all black so that it wouldn’t catch the light. Then they drilled a hole through the stage, right through the center of the largest x of duct tape. They then went under the stage, and placed the spring-loaded trap, using the light shining through the hole in the stage floor as a guide to position the spear. They cranked the lever to tense the spring, then left, to prepare the chain, stopping only to tape over the hole in the X so no one would notice it.

“Using the ladder from the prop shop, the culprit first placed the chain on the stage light support beam, using rope to secure it in place. They strung the metal chain along over to the far wall, then down the wall all the way to another hole in the stage floor they’d drilled. Feeding the chain through the hole, they went back under the stage and finally carried the chain along the floor to the lever, tying it to the lever, carefully leaving enough slack that the lever didn’t get pulled by accident during setup. Once done, they returned to the stage light support beam, and attached the bag of tools via the quick release, and secured it with the rope.

“Now came the most delicate part of their trap: the drill. Using instructions gleaned from their reference book, as well as their own smarts, the culprit rigged the drill’s power supply into a stage light, so that it would turn on when the stage light did. They then taped down the trigger, set the drill to its lowest setting, and attached to the beam, upside down, so it could chew through the rope, using the thickness of the rope as a timer. They’d already tested this, before starting their setup, so they knew they had the timing right. After that, their plan was set. All they had to do was return to their cabin, and wait.

“The next day, Apple Bloom mentioned to me the missing drill. If we’d been more observant, we might’ve noticed what the culprit set up for the trap… but we didn’t. Everything proceeded on schedule, the culprit acting perfectly innocent the whole day. That night, at 7:00 PM, Trixie’s show began, with Apple Bloom waiting on stage just out of sight to assist with any technical problems. Flash Sentry turned on the stage lights, unwittingly setting the culprit’s trap in motion. Trixie and I performed her show, to thunderous applause, up to and including the origami trick. However, at the very end, as I was emerging from the box, Flash Sentry moved the spotlights around, to add extra drama to the reveal. Thanks to this light, Apple Bloom noticed a reflection. The culprit had painted the chain, but they hadn’t painted the drill, and that’s what Apple Bloom saw. But she was too late. The rope snapped, and the bag fell. Acting quickly to save our lives, Apple Bloom rushed Trixie and me, pushing us off the stage… but in so doing, she sealed her fate. The trap sprung, killing Apple Bloom with the spear, right in front of us all.

Apple Bloom wasn’t the culprit’s intended victim. But she was the one who died, because of the culprit’s foolhardy plan. If it weren’t for Apple Bloom being the victim, we might never have noticed the crucial clue pointing to the culprit. Like Apple Bloom, the culprit was bestowed with an Ultimate title. She’s now known as the Ultimate Sapper. I’m sorry, Sweetie Belle, but it can only be you.”

When I finished, I saw Applejack take off her hat and hold it to her breast. She whispered to herself, so quiet I couldn’t make out a thing, save for Apple Bloom’s name. Then she slipped her hat back on. “Thank you kindly, Sunset,” she muttered, her voice hitching as she held back a sob.

Sweetie Belle, meanwhile, had gone catatonic and unresponsive, mumbling to herself, over and over, the same few words: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Then she abruptly burst into tears. “I’m so sorry, Apple Bloom! I didn’t mean to kill you! I’m so, so sorry!”

Author's Note

So yes, our blackened is determined! It's ~~Diamond Tiara~~ Sweetie Belle! Sorry to everyone who guessed Tiara. Even the people in the story expected it, it seems. I know it might look like I threw that section in after everyone's guesses came in, but I honestly didn't! I wrote it that way a month ago! :twilightblush:

Also, a note of honesty: back in the investigation, when Sunset first reads the Monoponi file, originally the narration had her pause and think there was something more to it, as a deliberate hint. But I was afraid that would make things too obvious, so at the last minute I cut it. And apparently in so doing I made the case so opaque almost no one guessed Sweetie Belle! :twilightblush: Sorry! In retrospect, I really should have left it in. I forgot not everyone has been constantly rereading all the details of this story like I have, and few to none of you would have remembered the Ultimate title detail. :facehoof: That one's on me, friends.

Congratulations to JCarp for figuring out the correct killer. You were thinking along a lot of the right lines there with your speculation on the investigation. Well done. Congratulations to CassandramyOCisbestpony as well for figuring out the Monopad puzzle ahead of time.:scootangel:

One final thing, that I said in a comment on the last chapter and should have said sooner: I have been sprinkling hints towards things in later chapters in earlier narration, such as that bit all the way in the prologue I tapped on here. Keep that in mind for future investigations. :twilightsmile:

Chapter Two: What Lurks In The Depths Part 8

Chapter Two:

What Lurks in the Depths

Post Trial and Epilogue

Sweetie Belle collapsed onto her hands and knees, her weeping loud and demonstrative. Her tears dripped down her cheeks and soaked into her clothes. “I’m so sorry, Apple Bloom,” she sobbed. “Apple Bloom, why? Why did it have to be you?”

Across from Sweetie Belle, her sister was similarly distraught, her outfit half ruined from tears, half ruined from the ripping and tearing she’d done in her outburst. She mumbled and muttered to herself, so quiet all I could make out was “not a murderer, not a murderer.”

Applejack, meanwhile, kept looking between the two Belle sisters, a flurry of emotions dancing across her features. The sob she’d held back as I finished my reveal of the case had stayed inside, now held back by other things. She seemed lost, unsure what to do. Now that the culprit had been determined, Applejack was like a captain without a ship. Like she’d lost her sense of purpose.

Or maybe she knew what she wanted, but couldn’t do it because of the damned rule about staying at our podiums. I know I wanted to rush for Rarity, try to give her a hug or something, anything to ease the pain of what I’d inflicted upon her.

But the worst was yet to come. Celestia on her throne, the worst was yet to come.

“So, you really did do it, Sweetie Belle,” Pinkie Pie mumbled, all her energy gone.

“Looks that way,” Scootaloo said with a sniffle. Like Applejack she was casting her gaze between the two sisters on the floor, though her gaze was more focused on Sweetie Belle. “I… I thought you were my friend, Sweetie. I thought I could trust you.”

Sweetie Belle regained enough of her sense of self to mount a response. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way. There wasn’t even supposed to be a trial!”

“No trial, huh?” Rainbow Dash’s furious expression held not even the slightest trace of sympathy. “Bull.”

Looking up at the athlete, Sweetie Belle choked past her tears to say, “But it’s true! I, the game was supposed to stop!” Her tears abruptly halted, boiling away in the sudden white-hot hatred that took hold. “If Sunset had just died like she was supposed to, we’d all be free from this place!”

“Fool!” Adagio spat, throwing out one curled up hand in Sweetie’s direction like a wielded weapon. “Killing Sunset wouldn’t have done a thing to free us! She’s not the traitor!”

“Still not sure about that,” Diamond Tiara muttered, but we all ignored her.

“And even if she was,” Fluttershy added, her assertive, stern, motherly state taking firm hold of her once again, “What on earth possessed you to think killing her would solve anything? There’s nothing to be gained by playing right into Monoponi’s hands! Err, hooves.”

“Because she’s a pony!” Sweetie Belle shot back. She leapt up to her feet, her whole expression riven with anger and hatred like a complete madwoman. She’d lost all control, all sense of the quirky but kind self she used to be faded like a distant memory, replaced by this. By someone overflowing with hate, with loathing, with a personality so unlike her I could scarcely believe this was the same person I’d seen baking muffins with pride just a few days ago. “Just like Monoponi! They’re working together! They have to be! They’re the same stupid thing!”

“Pony or not,” Flash replied with firm intent, refusing to back away from the madwoman right next to him. “She’s our friend. And I’m sorry I ever doubted her, even for a moment.”

Twilight Sparkle’s cold, unfeeling detachment remained firmly in place. “I’m not. I believe her when she says she’s not the traitor, so we’ll let this be for now. But we will be discussing this further. I’m not happy with you, Sunset.”

“You’re not listening!” Sweetie railed, slamming twin fists into her podium, dislodging her Monopad from its socket in the process. She paid the device no heed as it clattered to the floor by her feet. “You can’t trust her! She’s not human! She set up this whole game with Monoponi! She has to be responsible. She… she has to be… responsible…” Sweetie’s rage abated, ever so slowly, into mild catatonia. “She has to be. B-because, if she… if she isn’t… then Apple Bloom, she, she died for… for nothing…”

“Sweetie Belle, lemme ask ya this,” Applejack said, quiet but firm. None of the hostility or anger she’d been holding against the culprit was present. “Why didn’t you just talk to us first? Ah get that you couldn’t tell us about the secret. Ah know that. But ya still could’ve found a way to talk to us about it. We coulda stopped all of this from happenin’.” Her tone wavered as a sob worked its way to the forefront. “Mah sister would still be alive right now if ya had!” Tears slowly crawled down her cheeks, plopping onto her shirt. “Apple Bloom was your friend too! If ya’d just talked to her, to any of us…”

“I, I didn’t, I couldn’t… I didn’t know who I could trust anymore!” Sweetie Belle replied, her eyes bugging out and crossing as she pulled on her own hair. “Sunset, she, she led us through the first trial. Yeah I didn’t know if I trusted her all that much, but she didn’t seem like a bad guy! But then the secrets showed up, and when I saw what I did, I just… I panicked!” She slapped her hands palms down onto her podium. “I was so angry about this killing game, so scared, so worried for Rarity, for the rest of you, that I had to act! And when Monoponi confirmed she was a pony,I… he… I thought it was the only thing I could do.”

“Huh. I guess you’ve got a point,” Tiara said, smirking my way. “Too bad she didn’t ask me for help, huh?”

“Oh bite me, Tiara,” I snorted. “Like you could’ve done anything.”

“Well it didn’t work, did it?” Rainbow Dash growled. “Why didn’t you speak up during the investigation? Huh? You let us go to trial anyway! You know your sister would’ve died if we voted wrong, right? Or don’t you care?”

“Yes I care about Rarity, damn it!” Sweetie Belle screeched. “She’s my big sister! I know I put her in danger. But, I had to let the trial run. I was hoping that if Sunset revealed her own secret, maybe we could all work together. Do something to stop the game once and for all.”

“Sweetie Belle.”

Everyone quieted down immediately, all whirling to face the sister of Sweetie Belle, who’d managed to resume standing at her podium, if barely. Rarity, ragged and drawn, her clothes a mess, her hair dealt serious damage, her makeup melted into ruin, leaned onto her podium for support with both hands. “Sweetie Belle,” she repeated, her half-melted mascara obscuring the look in her eyes. “I have never been more disappointed, or worried, or scared for you in my life. Applejack is right, darling, You should’ve said something to me, at least. You know you can trust me!”

“I’m not sure I can anymore, though!” Sweetie Belle retorted. “You’ve been all buddy-buddy with Sunset since we got here. I love you, sis, but you’ve been making it really hard to get along with you lately!”

“I beg your pardon?” Rarity’s reply was no-nonsense, the attitude of a mother dealing with a spoiled child. “Who I choose to be friends with is my business, Sweetie Belle, not yours. As for you, young lady, I’ve done nothing but look after you this whole--”

“See? That! That, right there!” Sweetie Belle interrupted, gesturing towards Rarity with both hands open, palms up. “That’s what I’m talking about. You’ve been treating me like I’m still a little kid. But I’m not, okay? I’m an adult! I’m twenty-one years old, for god’s sake!”

For a moment, Rarity reared her head back, grinding her teeth together, before she visibly swallowed her anger and tried to put a smile back on her face. It wasn’t convincing. “Sweetie, darling, if I’ve been treating you that way, it’s because I’m worried. I’m scared! Bad enough I’m trapped myself in this killing game, worrying whether or not I can trust the person standing next to me, waking up in the middle of the night horrified that every sound is someone creeping up behind me with a knife or a rope! That, at least, I can cope with. I can try to survive. But I have to watch out for you too! Do you know, Sweetie, how many nightmares I’ve had about finding you dead, stabbed through the back or drowned in the pool or who knows what else? All of them! All of the nightmares! Every. Single. One!”

Rarity’s composure broke down as tears drizzled their way down her cheeks. “I-I’ve been so afraid I’d escape from this place and have to explain to mother and father that I failed to protect my baby sister, that she died to some wretched fiend, murdered just so they could try to escape this godforsaken ship. It’s been tearing me apart, Sweetie Belle! I’ve been barely keeping it together. Maybe I’ve been regressing a little with how I treat you, seeing you as more the child you used to be than the gorgeous young woman you are now, but it’s only because I love you!”

Sweetie Belle’s self-righteous outrage visibly collapsed, replaced with overwhelming guilt. “Rarity, I, I didn’t--”

“But this!” Rarity kept going, her words stomping all over Sweetie Belle like a stampede of wild elephants. “This, I, I never expected! I never once believed that you would be so foolish and irresponsible as to fall prey to one of Monoponi’s motives! I thought I could count on you to be smarter than that! I know you’re smarter than that! The worst I ever anticipated was you making a mistake, trusting someone you shouldn’t, letting them lead you into a situation where you’d get yourself killed. That, at least, I knew could happen. That is what I’ve been trying to prevent. That is what I’ve been watching out for. But I never once thought I’d have to keep you from outright murdering someone! And not just anyone, but the sister of the only other person here who’s in the exact same boat that I am!”

Pointing viciously with one finger towards Applejack, Rarity continued, “Do you know how much more afraid I became when I saw what happened to her sister? Right before my eyes was the very thing I’ve been most afraid of ever since Monoponi announced this killing game. We all had to watch as Applejack’s little sister, a sweet, innocent darling little soul died! In! Her! Arms! It was one of the most heart-wrenching, horrific sights I’ve ever beheld in my life! My worst nightmare, realized in a heart-breaking way I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy! Of course I wanted to talk to Applejack about it, as one big sister to another, but understandably she was a bit too upset to do so. And no one can blame her.”

Moving her finger to point accusingly at her sister, Rarity poured on the shame. “I am so disappointed in you that I don’t even know how to say it anymore! Your murder of Apple Bloom came from such a disgustingly stupid judgement on your part, and you should be ashamed. Ashamed of your actions. Of your thought processes. Of everything in your head that led you to think that instead of coming to me, your older sister, with your concern that my friend Sunset might be the traitor, you chose to kill. I don’t know if I can ever forgive you in my heart for what you’ve done, Sweetie Belle. I just don’t know. And I wouldn’t blame Applejack if she never did. Killing is wrong. I don’t care why you thought it was necessary. It’s wrong.”

With that, Rarity laid her elbows on her podium and broke into fresh tears, weeping into her hands. “Oh, Sweetie Belle, you utter, utter fool,” she whispered.

“But, Rarity, I…” Sweetie Belle looked away, and sank below view of her podium. I could only just make out the sound of quiet, sad tears being shed anew.

All the fear I’d felt, knowing how close I came to death? All the anger I’d felt, knowing my friend died to save my life? The guilt? The anxiety? It all faded. I couldn’t stay angry at Sweetie Belle anymore. I just couldn’t. All I could feel for her now…

Was pity.

It was Rarity and Applejack I truly felt sorry for. Applejack, for the loss of her little sister, for losing yet another family member to the empty oblivion of death. Rarity, for having to go through this trial, for having to watch as her sister’s crime was unveiled. And for what was to come.

“So, you’re an adult, you say, hmm?” Monoponi interjected, hovering over his throne. With a quick flick of his horn Sweetie Belle was dragged to her feet and forcibly held there with his magic. “You’re not a kid anymore, right? Well then, if you’re an adult, you’ll be tried like one, on your feet! The rest of you idiots! It’s tiiiiiiiiime to vote! Please use the podium screens in front of you. You have thirty seconds. Don’t forget, if you fail to vote, it will result in your death!”

He held up his hoof. “Who will be chosen as the blackened, hmm? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one?” He swept his hoof down. “Vote. Now!”

Our screens lit up with the same four by four image of everyone’s faces. Three were now crossed out, invalid choices all. As the voting timer ticked down, I hesitated to click on Sweetie Belle’s face. Instead my gaze darted over to look at Rarity, to see what she was doing. But she didn’t hesitate. She slammed her thumb down on her screen even as she wept. Good. I was afraid she’d… well, nevermind. I made sure to vote as well.

Just a few seconds later, on cue, the holographic display in the middle of the courtroom lit up with a vote tally. Thirteen votes. Twelve for Sweetie Belle… and one for me. What moron voted for me? It wasn’t Sweetie Belle, was it? I quickly searched the faces of my fellow passengers, but none of them betrayed a hint.

It didn’t matter. The majority voted for Sweetie Belle, just as they should. The trial was over.

“Upupu, look at you!” Monoponi said mockingly, blowing a raspberry in Sweetie Belle’s direction. “Unlike Timber, you at least had the decency to actually vote. And for yourself, no less!”

Wait, she did? Then who voted for me?I glanced at Sweetie Belle, who was holding twin balled fists underneath her chin, staring at her podium screen. She didn’t say a word either.

“As for the rest of you sad excuses for decent people, your Captain is disappointed! One of you morons picked the wrong person! You should be more careful next time.”

“Then…” Fluttershy started.

“That’s right!” Monoponi’s horn lit, and the tally screen was replaced by the image of the spinning wheel. It spun and spun until the pointer stopped right on Sweetie Belle’s face. As before, a cascade of fireworks burst into life above the image, spelling out the word “GUILTY!”

“Congratulations, you successfully determined the killer! Again! The killer of Apple Bloom was in fact Sweetie Belle, the Ultimate Sapper. Let’s give her a round of applause, shall we? She almost had you clowns voting for Apple Bloom! Well done, Sweetie Belle, well done!”

Monoponi was the only one to engage in applause, an insulting display of him clacking his two forehooves together in a way that left me wincing a little at how he bent his limbs. Yes, Equestrian ponies are a bit more agile and dexterous than our unintelligent cousins on Earth, but that didn’t make the way he bent his legs any less painful looking.

“And as for you, Sunset, I’m surprised! You didn’t get any of the details wrong this time!” Monoponi cackled, holding a hoof to his lips. “Such a shame. I was so hoping to play the security footage again, just to prove how you got something wrong even as you correctly deduced the culprit. Ah well. I suppose this will have to do.”

One more light of his horn, and the display began to play a video for us.

~*~
Sweetie Belle clomped her boots with every step as she made her way down the stairs of the library, to the lowest floor. Twin emotions raged a war on her face, anger and fear in equal parts. Her Monopad was clutched in her grip so tight her knuckles turned white, the screen activated, still showing a secret written in full display.

Monoponi’s Secrets!

SUNSET SHIMMER

“Sunset Shimmer, despite her human appearance, is not from this world! Yes, that’s right. She’s not human, just like your dear sweet beloved Captain. But she’ll never admit to it. She’s hiding it instead. Why? Who knows?”

Moving between the shelves, Sweetie Belle found an isolated corner. A single security camera, its red light blinking, stared down at her as she moved right up to it, shoving her face into view. “Monoponi!” she whispered loudly. “I want to solve your puzzle!”

Immediately, in a flash of crimson light and a quiet, muffled pop, Monoponi appeared. “Upupu, I never expected someone would call upon me so fast,” he said quietly. “You picked a good spot, too. No one will ever overhear you here. Well done.”

Sweetie Belle shoved her Monopad into her pocket and huffed, crossing her arms and setting her weight on one leg. “Just give me the puzzle already.”

“Such impatience! How rude you are, to your Captain,” Monoponi moaned, bowing his head. “Oh very well then. Here it is: What is Sunset’s Shimmer’s true nature?”

“Her true nature, huh?” Sweetie Belle shook her head, snorting in frustration. After a minute of concentrated thinking, she answered, “She’s a pony from Equestria, just like you.”

“Ding ding ding! We have a winner, folks!” The effect of Monoponi’s cheer was lost due to how quiet he had to be, to follow the library rule. “Congratulations on your victory, Sweetie Belle.”

“I’m right…” Sweetie Belle whispered, her eyes growing wide, her mouth agape. “I’m right… Sunset, she’s the traitor. She has to be! I’ve gotta do something!” She looked back down at the little alicorn. “What’s the prize?”

“The prize, my dear passenger, is twofold. First, take these.” Monoponi floated out a set of ten tickets to Sweetie, who stared down at them. “Apple Bloom didn’t want them, so they’re for you. Enough for one free weapon from the prize counter.”

“A weapon.” Sweetie Belle's eyes shot back and forth from left to right as the gears turned in her head. “I’m getting a free weapon. With someone else’s name on it.” One side of her mouth quirked up into the beginnings of a smirk. “I think I have an idea.”

“Oho? I’m glad I can inspire you! That is what I like to do for my passengers, after all: bring joy to their hearts. And creativity is a joy like none other!”

Sweetie Belle carefully tucked the tickets into her pocket, being sure not to damage them. “You said there was something else, too?”

“Why, yes,” Monoponi answered, chortling under his breath. His horn briefly sparked, and her Monopad buzzed. “You’ll find a new, one-time use only program on your Monopad. You should know that some of your fellow passengers are so distrusting, they’re trying to track everyone’s movements on the map. This program will let you scramble the map for everyone except yourself, for two and a half hours. But be careful! Once you use it, it’s gone.”

With that, Monoponi turned, to trot away. Looking back over his shoulder, he added, “Feel free to use these however you like. Just don’t be boring. Tata!” He teleported away, leaving Sweetie Belle to ponder.

The footage sped up, a montage from different angles, all showing Sweetie Belle scribbling away at notebooks in the library, pouring over books, carefully hiding her reading material when others strayed too close. Then it switched over to nighttime in the theater, showing us her process. She did a couple of things in a slightly different order than I’d described, but otherwise, she set things up precisely the way I’d said she did. But once the trap was set, the camera zoomed in on her face, and slowed back down to normal speed. Her eyelids drooped low, her lips curled up in a smirk that might’ve been considerable adorable, had she been a child. As an adult, it was terrifying. She let out a low chuckle, an evil one, full of malice. “Sorry, Sunset, but tomorrow night? We’ll be free of your game, once and for all,” she said quietly. Then she gasped, and looked at her Monopad. “Oh crap. I’m almost out of time! I’ve got to get back!”

The footage skipped again, this time to the theater, with us all gathered, just after Apple Bloom passed away. Just like I remembered, Sweetie Belle was trapped in Rarity’s clutches, as Rarity babbled on. The stunned look on her face, the tears, all the same. Except I hadn’t noticed, the first time, how she mouthed a single word on her lips, over and over. “Why?”
~*~

“And there you have it!” Monoponi pronounced as the image winked away. “A little extra insight into how it all went. You see, I had no part in making Sweetie Belle think Sunset was a traitor. She decided that all on her own! Upupupu!”

“That’s a lie if Ah’ve ever heard one!” Applejack retorted, glaring at Monoponi as she slammed her fist into her open palm. “Just tell me one thing: did you give her that secret on purpose, knowin’ what she would do with it?”

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t, does it really matter anymore?” Monoponi shrugged, not the least bit cowed by Applejack’s show of force.

“But you did tell her we were tracking movements on the Monopads,” Twilight said, her cold glare back. “Why?”

“Because it’s such a blatant misuse of resources, that’s why!” Monoponi screeched, throwing up his hooves in disgust. “Unacceptable! Disgraceful! The map was supposed to be for you to find each other so you could talk. Hang out. Maybe find your victim. But nooo. You idiots had to be smart! You had to start using it to track the killers. Well I’m not allowing that anymore!” His horn sparked with crimson light and our Monopads let out harsh beeps unlike the usual notification. “There. I’ve fixed it. No more tracking people down with your map! If you want to find each other you’ll just have to use the texting app and tell each other where you are.”

“Wait, this thing can text?” Rainbow Dash said, raising her eyebrows as she held up her Monopad and turned it around in her hands.

“Yes it can text! It can even record audio, take pictures, and video, but other than recording evidence, none of you have used it for these things!” Monoponi slapped a hoof to his face. “It’s like, on the one hoof, you’re using resources at hand for things you’re not supposed to be, but on the other hoof, you completely forgot about basic, vital features I was expecting you all to be using! So disappointing. So humiliating, that I have to point these things out.”

He resumed his place on his throne. “But nevermind all that. That’s not important right now. What is important is the punishment!”

“Execution…” Rarity whispered, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. “You’re going to execute her. My poor little Sweetie Belle.”

“Well of course I am!” Monoponi retorted. “She wanted to be tried as an adult. Well she was! And she’ll face the consequences like one too. Not that it would’ve mattered even if she was a child. If you murder, and you’re caught, you’re punished. No exceptions!”

“No!” Rarity slammed both her fists down on her podium. “I won’t let you do it! I won’t! I’ll stop you!” She left her podium and whisked around the courtroom till she was standing before Sweetie Belle, arms outstretched, facing Monoponi. “Take me instead! Execute me in her place!”

“What?! No!” Scootaloo cried out, grabbing both sides of her head. “Are you insane? Rarity, you didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Yes I did, Scootaloo,” Rarity argued. “I played a part in all of this too. By befriending Sunset, I made my sister distrust me,”

“But you said it yourself, Rarity,” Diamond Tiara intervened, her expression a mixture of amusement and scorn. “Killing is wrong. You didn’t kill anyone. She did.”

“Oh put a lid on it already, Tiara!” Rainbow Dash snarled, marching over to get up in Tiara’s face. “Or I’ll do it for you!”

“Aaah!” Tiara squealed, falling back.

“Rarity, Ah can’t let you do this either,” Applejack stated, walking over to Rarity and laying a firm hand on her shoulder. “Ah know how you feel. Ah do. But this won’t help anythin’. We ain’t gonna trust Sweetie ever again, even if you take her place.”

Rarity shrugged Applejack’s hand off. “Even so. I respect what you’re telling me, but my decision is final. I won’t allow Sweetie to die, not if I can help it.”

“Rarity…”

Everyone turned to face Sweetie Belle, who’d risen out from behind her podium and stepped around her sister, so she could face her. She reached out her hands and took one of Rarity’s, cupping it up to her own chin. “Please. Don’t.”

Rarity gasped, her mouth falling open. “What? Sweetie, don’t you understand? He’s going to kill you!”

“I know. And I know it’s going to hurt. A lot,” Sweetie said, shivering. “But… I deserve it. I screwed up. I killed an innocent person… I killed my friend, just because I thought killing the traitor would end the game. I ought to own up to that.” She closed her eyes and smiled, a false expression of fake joy. “I mean, I do keep saying I’m an adult, right? Adults take responsibility for their actions.”

“But… Sweetie… I can’t… I won’t…”

“Now then, I’ve prepared a very special punishment for Sweetie Belle, the Ultimate Sapper!”

“It’s okay, Rarity. I’ve accepted it. Just promise me, you’ll live, okay? You’ll make it out of here. You’ll survive!”

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! Iiiiiiiit’s punishment time!”

Monoponi, with a flash of his horn, summoned up a big red button, and slapped down upon it with his forehoof.

“I promise, Sweetie Belle! I promise!”

A metal collar swooped down from the ceiling on a long chain, affixing itself to Sweetie’s neck before brutally ripping her away, her hand outstretched, reaching back for Rarity even as she soared high above the rest of us and through the doors to the punishment room.

“Rarityyyyyyyyyyy!”

“Sweetie Beeeeeeeelle!”

As she disappeared from sight, the screens and walls lit up once more with another sickening display:

GAME OVER

Sweetie has been found guilty.

Time for the punishment!

Sweetie Belle hurtled along the corridor, knocked around until she emerged into a small room decorated up to resemble a Qilin castle courtyard. The architecture was crudely painted cardboard and styrofoam, more like a caricature than an honest portrayal. Fake bonsai trees and bushes dotted the area, not so much adding a sense of charm as adding a sense of mockery. There were even fake armor and weapon racks set up, scattered about like child’s playthings, full of fake armor and weapons made from the same materials as the walls.

The gallows at the center, however, was solid, strong wood. The chain hauling Sweetie Belle pulled her right up onto it, till she was just barely standing on her feet, just enough to hurt without actually choking her. She reached up and clawed at the collar, huffing and puffing as her face turned red from effort, but to no avail. She gave up after a couple of moments, letting her hands drop.

At first, I feared we were going to watch a slow hanging. That is, until several Monoponi’s showed up, all dressed up in suits of fake armor. They approached rapidly, removing a fake qiang spear limper than a pool noodle from the weapon rack, as well as a set of armor, and quickly went about throwing the armor onto Sweetie Belle, paying no heed to her attempts to slap them away. Finally the last one handed her the fake spear, and they all backed away to sit down near the edges of the wall, and the chain around her neck released, dropping her to the deck.

THE LAST HURRAH OF THE CRUSADER QUEEN

Ultimate Sapper

Sweetie Belle

Execution: Executed

Sweetie Belle stared down at the spear in her hand, utterly confused, until she looked up in panic at the sound of loud armored boots stomping towards her. A great big Monoponi strode into view, standing on his hind legs towering over her by a good half a foot, with his features exaggerated to be more monstrous. Instead of forehooves, he had two jagged-tipped clawed paws, gripping a massive nine foot long chain whip, a Qilinese Jiǔjiébiān, with a great big nasty spike on the end.

Yelping in fright, Sweetie Belle sped around the backside of the gallows, hiding for cover. The giant Monoponi bellowed in fury, swinging his whip down to crash through the gallows like a tidal wave carving through a sand castle. Shards of wood chips went flying, a few scoring lines of pink on Sweetie’s cheeks as she leapt to her feet and ran screaming for the closest wall, dropping the useless spear in her panic.

She didn’t get far before the whip whistled through the air with a crack, taking a chunk of Sweetie Belle’s hamstring right along with it. The exposed muscle oozed blood and the stringy bits of severed tendon. Crying out in pain, Sweetie Belle stumbled, skidding along the ground before she managed to pick herself back up, moving at a limp.

The monstrous Monoponi toyed with Sweetie, letting her get closer to the wall. He echoed with a deep, sinister laugh as he suddenly lashed out with the whip again, this time slicing through her other hamstring, once again leaving a trail of blood and gore. Uttering a choked scream, Sweetie crumpled to the dirt, taking several heaping breaths before somehow scrabbling back to her knees. She crawled along the ground, finally managing to reach the wall, where there was a large button I hadn’t noticed, labeled “safety.”

Monoponi unleashed his whip once more, this time carving a chunk out of her back even as she slammed a fist on the button. The ground dropped out from beneath her, Monoponi roaring in anger as she vanished into a tunnel. The camera followed her as she rolled like a loose stone through the narrow tunnel. Every so often a small blade sticking out of the wall sliced out hunks of flesh, from her arms, her sides, her legs, every cut eliciting a cry of pain.

The tunnel abruptly opened into a large room, dumping Sweetie right past one extra long blade that slit open her stomach, spilling her intestines. Sweetie Belle had just long enough to scream one last time, desperately trying to stuff her intestines back into her abdominal cavity as she plummeted into a bed of foot long needle thin spikes, impaled from every angle. One punctured her right eye and out through the back of her skull. Blood, fat, and viscera streamed down the spikes as she writhed and twitched, blood leaking from her mouth and nostrils. Finally, after several excruciatingly long minutes, she ceased. We saw one last shot of her face frozen in an eternal expression of agony before the camera winked out.

Monoponi flashed back into existence on his throne, dusting himself off. “Oh my goodness, that was intense! Brutal! Extreme!” He hugged his forehooves to his chest. “Oooh I’m so proud of myself! I did good with that one!”

“No… Sweetie Belle, no!” Rarity collapsed to the floor, only saved from smashing her head against a podium by Applejack’s quick response. She sobbed wordlessly, beating Applejack’s chest with her fists, her tears practically forming a lake below her as she cried for all she was worth. Applejack withstood the beating without a single wince, holding Rarity against herself for support, her expression stoic.

“Poor Sweetie Belle,” Pinkie Pie moaned, holding herself tight.

Scootaloo’s eyes welled up in tears even as she twisted her lips into an ugly sneer. She slammed a fist against her podium. “God damn it!” she cried.

“That was even worse than Timber!” Rainbow Dash shouted, even as she held a quietly weeping Fluttershy against her shoulder.

“You sick bastard,” Flash Sentry spat, glaring at Monoponi with impressive levels of fury.

Monoponi giggled, waving a hoof dismissively at Flash. “You called me that last time, Sentry! Next time, maybe try being original?”

Twilight Sparkle set one hand on her face, covering her eyes and blocking me from seeing most of her reaction, save for her grimace of disgust.

Diamond Tiara screamed and hid behind her podium. “This place is a nightmare!”

“Such brutality,” Adagio growled, shaking her head. “It’s entirely unnecessary.”

“Au contraire! I’d say it’s exactly what’s necessary!” Monoponi said with a giggle.

Trixie grabbed a hold of me and hid behind me, using me as a shield as much as a comfort. “Trixie cannot take much more of this. Please protect her, Sunset!”

Ignoring the eye-twitch and glare Adagio shot in our direction, I held Trixie close, with a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Monoponi,” I declared, pointing at him with my free hand. “I want to know why. Why do you keep doing this to us? What’s your game?”

“Game? Game?! There’s no game, Sunset!” Monoponi held a hoof to his mouth. “Well, other than the killing game, but that’s not what I mean, upupu. You want to know why this is happening to you? Well… I’ll tell you what.” He stood up from his throne, hopped down to the ground, then came over and jumped up to rest on my podium, his face bare inches from mine. “Since I was so kind to give you a hint last time, I’ll give you another one here.”

My gorge rose at the scent of his rancid breath, but I swallowed it back down. “What?” I grunted.

“Keeping you all here? Subjecting you to this game? It’s not about you. Not at all. I have a different goal in mind.”

With that, he suddenly teleported away, half-blinding me with the suddenness of the crimson flare of light. I heard more than saw him reappear on his throne as I moaned, rubbing at my eyes, trying to ease the pain. “Is that it?” I grunted. “That’s all you have to say?”

“Yup! If you want to know more, all you’ve gotta do is survive through the next trial! If you can, now that everyone knows your secret! Ahahahaha!”

I will survive, Monoponi. Don’t count me out yet.

Monoponi interrupted any further chatter with a sudden kraka-thoom! from his horn. “Alright, you idiots, I’m tired of dealing with you. Time to leave! Get out!”

With that, he vanished, leaving us all to shuffle together towards the elevator. I supported Trixie in one arm and, after a bit of reluctance on her part, Adagio in the other, walking together as a trio. Applejack had eschewed making Rarity walk herself, instead carrying her bridal style, the poor woman still weeping endlessly into Applejack’s shirt. The rest scurried in at the rear, in ones and twos, until we were all aboard the elevator.

The twelve of us that were left, that is.

As we rode the elevator back up to the promenade, my mind whirled anew with the scant details Monoponi had provided. The last time, he’d implied someone was watching us, someone with a connection to Twilight Sparkle. I still didn’t dare try to figure out who, because I didn’t want a fresh headache, but given what he’d just told us… his goal. His reason for doing this. It wasn’t because of us.

He didn’t care about us. We were tools, for some purpose, some other person. Did this person want to see us suffer? Were they some kind of sadist, paying off Monoponi to put people through horrific trauma just for shits and giggles? I was even more terrified of Monoponi now that he’d revealed this. If he didn’t care about us, he might choose to dispose of us, once he’d accomplished his goal. Whatever that goal was.

There wasn’t much for me to analyze, so I wasn’t likely to come up with any other answers. What he’d told me just left me with more questions instead. He was probably laughing at the image of me trying to work this all out.

As the elevator dumped us back into the promenade proper, I checked the time. It was after midnight. Well past the time when we all needed some sleep. If we could get any. So we, as a group, everyone watching everyone else in fear of potential danger returned to our cabins. One by one we filed in, though I noticed Applejack purposefully went into Rarity’s room with her. Probably just to watch over her. At least, I hoped. Though I guess if we find Rarity dead in the morning, it won’t be hard to figure out who did it.

I didn’t have the energy to banish even that annoying stray thought. Waves of fatigue crashed down upon me like pounding surf, unrelenting, unyielding. As I withdrew my keys and opened my door, I expected to part ways with the two women clinging to my arms. But to my surprise, both came into my room with me. “What? What’re you doing?” I mumbled, the exhaustion affecting my speech.

“I’d rather not be alone tonight,” Adagio said, firing off a withering glare at Trixie, who glared right back, just as angrily. “We’ve been outed, so there’s no reason I shouldn’t spend it with you. I don’t know what she’s doing here.”

“Trixie is here because she doesn’t want to be alone either!” huffed the illusionist, who placed her hands on her hips. “Trixie’s sleep will be filled with nightmares, and Trixie would rather be somewhere she can feel safe. Like by Sunset.”

“Trixie,” I said, my tone echoing my frustration. “What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what she said. Trixie is feeling scared, and wants to be near her friend. There is nothing wrong or shameful about that.” Trixie shook a fist at Adagio, who’d been mocking her by using her hand to imitate her talking. “Quit that!”

“No. I was with Sunset first. She’s mine,” Adagio hissed, jerking her thumb towards the door. “So get out.”

Trixie slapped a hand to her face. “Uuugh. Trixie is not romantically interested in Sunset. Not at all. She has no desire to get between you two. She just doesn’t want to be alone. And she thought you were going to try to get along with her better!”

Adagio recoiled, her face screwing up in anger. “You… hmph. Fine then. There’s enough room for all three of us on the bed anyway. Just don’t touch me.” She managed a simpering smile, which bared her teeth. “Or you’ll regret it.”

“Trixie understands,” murmured Trixie, flushing with a combination of embarrassment and pride in her own assertiveness.

“Okay, fine, whatever,” I said, throwing up my hands. I dropped my jacket to the floor and threw off my shirt and pants, leaving me in my underwear, like I usually do for sleep. I threw myself into bed. “Let’s just get some sleep. I’m too tired to argue right now.”

Adagio, apparently trying to make Trixie feel more uncomfortable, stripped til she was nude, ignoring the outraged glares she received. She slipped into bed on one side of me. Not to be outdone, Trixie stripped off most of her clothes as well, then cuddled up next to me in bed on the other side from Adagio.

Had the situation been different, I might’ve been excited by the thought of being in bed with not one but two hot girls. But I had no desire for anything like that, not right now. This trial had been even more thoroughly exhausting than the last one, and unlike last time we’d been up most of the day already. Any desire for conversation or anything other than just plain old sleep evaporated as I slipped into unconsciousness.

That night, oddly, I suffered no nightmares. Instead, my dreams filled with images of my former home… Equestria. The images focused on a small village I’d never seen before, a happy, peaceful place. Flashes of ponies I’d never met ran through my mind, living out parts of their day. Going to the spa, working on the farm, busting clouds, feeding animals, filing books. And though I’d never actually met these ponies, they all seemed oddly familiar. Like I’d seen them before, just… not like this. What’s more, they were happy. Their lives weren’t in constant danger of being snuffed out, not like ours. They weren’t trapped in a killing game. They just lived.

Then the images shifted to a single, solitary scene, playing out like a video: a group of five ponies, each wearing a necklace bearing gemstones shaped like their cutie marks, surrounding a sixth. Each one blasted a beam of light at the one in the center, with the magic swirling and dancing around her. At first, she was shocked, then scared, then… she accepted her fate. In a brilliant flash of light, she vanished, leaving a familiar smoking mark on the ground.

The mark of Twilight Sparkle.

Abruptly I awoke in a cold sweat, still snuggled between Adagio and Trixie, who were both fast asleep. The sounds of the sea at night played through the open porthole window, the smell of salt filling the air like always. Moonlight filtered through, lending the cabin a bit of light in the otherwise stark darkness. My head pounded like someone took a sledgehammer to it, though at least the nausea was absent. “What was that about?” I muttered to myself, holding a hand to my head.

“Hmm?” Trixie mumbled, rolling over in her sleep. “No, I don’t want to eat rotelle. I hate rotelle.” Quiet little snores arose as she tightened her grip on my arm, forcing me back down to lay my head on my pillow.

Between that, and the little hissing noises Adagio let out every few seconds, I found myself drifting off again, this time dreaming of nothing but an endless field of darkness. In a way, it was the most peace I’d had since this killing game began.

It wouldn’t last.

Author's Note

Poor Sweetie Belle. :pinkiesick:

I'm quite proud of Rarity's rants. It's exactly how I pictured my older sister would yell at me if I'd been as dumb as Sweetie Belle. At least, how I think she would have. :unsuresweetie:

Trixie, meanwhile, she be bargin' in on Sunset and Adagio. Sadly, Sunset will not be getting a second girlfriend. Polyamory denied. :fluttershysad: But more seriously, Trixie's scared, and like any scared little girl, she's attaching to a figure she sees as a big sister, kind of like how I acted towards my own big sister when I was very little. The fact that Trixie is 24 is irrelevant: you can feel like a little kid at any age, with the right scary situation. :raritydespair:

I have a lot more to say about this chapter in my notes in my blog, including planning notes and why I went with the victim and culprit I did. (There were a lot of uncertainties here.) But for now, I hope you enjoyed. I know I did. Chapter Two is usually one of the best chapters of each game, and I'm very proud of mine.

Next time: We check back in with Princess Twilight.

Interlude 2

INTERLUDE

2

Canterlot High School, the next day.

Twilight Sparkle emerged through the portal located inside the base of the statue at Canterlot High School, stumbling briefly on her now-two legged form until she adjusted. As was usually the case for her these days, thanks to her altered status in Equestria, she came through looking much like Princess Celestia would: taller than all-get-out in the legs, wearing an elegant evening gown in shades of lilac and lavender and matching evening gloves, and with permanent ears, wings, and excessively long hair in lieu of a tail. Sunset had once referred to it as a permanent pony-up, because Twilight had too much magic for it to be fully suppressed by the portal’s transformation abilities. She couldn’t do much more than levitate simple objects, but it was more than she had when she first came to this world.

Sometimes she wished she had a suit instead of the gown. The gown tended to attract attention, even more so than the wings for some reason, but she’d been unable to figure out how to change her “default” outfit. And right now it was the furthest thing from her mind. If anything, the effect would help.

Twilight ignored the stares she received from the high school students milling about the halls as she made her way quickly to Principal Celestia’s office. Her heels clacked on the floor tiles as she walked quickly but patiently, maintaining a sense of royal decorum. It was all that kept her from panicking.

In her hands she carried what in Equestria had been a set of typewritten scrolls, and had neatly transformed into a file folder with printed out documents. Inside was a list of everything Spike had documented so far from the killing game, every last haunting detail. She intended to arrange for new information to be delivered to her on the hour, every hour, though for now it was just every few hours. She had also set up additional scribes to work with Spike so the poor dragon could get some sleep. Not that she or he were getting much right now.

Approaching Celestia’s door, she rapped on it thrice in quick succession. “Come in!” came a pleasant, if harried, voice.

Twilight opened the door and strode on in, finding Celestia seated at her desk, along with Luna. The two looked her way straight away, very briefly panicked before realization came to them. Good. That saves me some time. “Princess Twilight!” Celestia said, standing up to shake her hand. “It’s always good to see you, especially in light of… recent matters.”

“Indeed it is,” Vice-Principal Luna seconded, also shaking Twilight’s hand. “We’ve been hoping you would show up for some time. There’s been an… incident.”

“It’s good to see you both as well,” Twilight said, trying to smile and succeeding only in grimacing. “I wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Then you’re already aware? About the missing people?” Luna asked, waiting for Twilight to take a seat before she did so.

“Yes,” Twilight answered. “Wait, how long have they been missing, exactly?”

Celestia steepled her hands, her expression grim. “They’ve been missing for almost a month now. Your alternate, and fifteen others, including Sunset Shimmer.” She rattled off the names. “The police investigation is being led by Shining Armor, your alternate’s brother. According to them all sixteen were spotted heading together to a meeting spot at a house somewhere outside the city, and then the trail ends. There’s been no sighting of them anywhere ever since, not at Canterlot International, nor anywhere within the continental Amareican Union.”

With a frustrated sigh, Twilight set her file folder on Celestia’s desk. “That’s worse than I thought. I was hoping you’d know something about where they went.”

“Unfortunately, we don’t,” Luna replied with an equally grim expression. “The truth is, we only became aware of this because Shining Armor contacted us asking if there was a chance Equestrian magic was involved. We told him no, but that we’d contact him if that changes.”

“You’d better get him on the phone then, because Equestrian magic is most definitely involved here,” Twilight said. “And it’s… bad. I’d prefer to save the explanation till he arrives, if that is alright.”

“Luna, if you could?” Celestia said, jerking her head towards the phone on her desk.

“Of course.”

The three of them hardly spoke a word after Luna contacted Shining Armor. Twilight, because she was afraid once she started explaining she wouldn’t be able to stop, and Luna and Celestia because they were taking the spare time to work on some of their school duties. Fortunately they didn’t have to wait too long for Shining Armor to arrive.

He strode in, his whole bearing haggard, his suit wrinkled. Shining Armor was head detective for the Canterlot PD, Twilight recalled. The sight of Shiny, even if it wasn’t her Shiny, looking so worn out broke her heart. But she repressed her urge to hug him. It wouldn’t be appropriate.

“Twily?!” he blurted upon seeing her, blinking profusely and rubbing at his eyes. The brief spark of hope faded immediately as he took in her appearance. “No. You’re not my Twily. You’re too tall. And you have wings. Well, she does sometimes too, but, you know.” He attempted an amused smile, but to Twilight it just seemed sad.

“Sorry, Shining,” she said, offering her hand in lieu of a hug. He shook it professionally. “I didn’t mean to spook you.”

Shining shrugged as he entered the office, nodded to Celestia and Luna, then closed and locked the door. He took a seat next to Twilight. “It’s not your fault. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

“I can imagine.”

Celestia took a moment to set out four cups of coffee for the four of them, which Shining attacked like it was his lifeblood. “So, Detective Armor,” Celestia began, “Luna told you the situation.”

“Yes, she said Twil--excuse me, Princess Twilight had information regarding the disappearances.”

“I do,” Twilight said, steeling her nerves. She opened up the file folder and laid it in front of them. “It’s… bad. I won’t lie.”

Twilight began her explanation, and the further she went on, the more scared, worried, and downright depressed the other three became. Shining in particular withered like dried out grass, ready to crumble at the slightest touch. When she finished, he let out a nasty curse and laid his face in his hands. “This is unbelievable,” he moaned. “And you said two of them are already dead?”

“Yes, sadly,” Twilight answered, while wishing her human ears could flatten like her pony ears did. “Wallflower Blush, and Timber Spruce.”

“God… I’ll have to notify their families. If we can even say anything about this,” Shining muttered. “This has turned into some kind of interplanetary incident or something I don’t even have words for.”

“I remember Wallflower very well,” Celestia said with a sniffle. She withdrew a tissue from a box on her desk, dabbing at her eyes. “She was a very sweet young woman, who used to be so lonely until she was befriended by Sunset and her friends. And you said their memories were taken away?”

“They were. As far as the ‘passengers,’ as this Monoponi calls them, are aware, they’re complete strangers.” Twilight shivered, the room suddenly colder than she liked. “Wallflower was so sad and angry at the world. Like she’d grown up to that age completely alone. Timber, meanwhile, was so worried for his sister he felt obligated to act.”

“I’m not sure I can blame him for that,” Luna admitted, sharing a glance with her own sister. “In such a situation, even I might have felt the need to act, just to save Celestia.”

“But that’s just it though,” Twilight replied with more bite to her tone than she’d intended. “Gloriosa is just fine. I saw her at Heart’s Warming just last year, when I came to visit. Wallflower and Timber died for no reason at all!”

“Hey, hey, easy there, Twily,” Shining said, immediately launching into the BBBFF tone Twilight was so intimately familiar with that for a moment she forgot he wasn’t her Shining. “Yelling isn’t going to help right now.”

“I know, I know,” Twilight replied. She held a hand to her breast and forced herself to breath in and out, just like Cadance had taught her. “I’m sorry. I’m usually more composed than this.”

Celestia tittered, just like Princess Celestia used to do when Twilight was her student. “It’s okay, Twilight. We’re not your subjects. We’re your friends. You can relax the regality if you need to.”

Twilight breathed out a sigh and visibly relaxed, letting the tension she’d held trying to keep her bearing fade. She slumped into her chair, looking far more like an exhausted employee at the end of a nine-to-five work week than a Princess. “Thank you,” she mumbled. “I think I needed to hear that.”

“It sounds like this Monoponi is targeting you personally,” Luna said, pressing her knuckles to her chin. “Do you have an idea why?”

Twilight shrugged and shook her head. “No, I don’t. I think it’s someone I’ve dealt with before, but… none of the villains I’ve ever had to deal with have been so, so monstrous before. This killing game is so unlike anything I’ve ever faced.”

A sudden knock knockat the door left the four glancing at each other before Celestia stood up and opened it up a crack. “I’m sorry, Gallus, but I’m in the middle of a meeting. Can this wait?”

“Begging your pardon, but I don’t think I’m your Gallus, Princess--I mean, Principal Celestia.”

Twilight hopped to her feet in an instant. “Sorry, I forgot to mention I had someone ready to bring me updates. That’s my Captain of the Guard.” She slipped past Celestia and stepped outside. “Gallus, you have a report?”

Despite the fact he’d surely come through while wearing his royal armor, Gallus was wearing normal, everyday teenager street clothes, probably similar to if not identical to what this world’s Gallus would wear. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, tossing off a quick salute. Like most of her guard, she’d made sure he was comfortable on two legs as part of the standard guard training, in the event she ever needed to take any with her on a visit to Sunset’s side of the portal. There’d never been a reason before, but prudence was prudence, and prudence paid off. “It’s… it’s not good, ma’am.”

“I understand, thank you,” she said, taking the folder he offered her. “You can head back. Try to keep out of sight.”

“Will do!”

She took the folder with her back inside. “Sorry about that. This is the latest update on the killing game, the events of the past few hours. Or at least, the past few hours broadcast.”

“Right, you said there was a delay,” Shining said, nodding. “I hope it isn’t bad.”

She stared down at the folder in her hands. It gave off a menacing aura, like it weighed ten tons or more, brimming with evil intent. Just like every other update she’d received. “We’re about to find out.”

Sitting back down, she set the folder on the desk, then opened it. She read quickly, scanning the summary. The reports she received were carefully arranged into an abridged summary as well as a line by line transcript of everything that was seen, so no detail would be missed. At first, everything seemed fine. “They had dinner, Trixie was throwing a magic show, and… oh my Celestia!” she clapped a hand to her mouth.

“I beg your pardon?” Celestia said, arching an eyebrow.

“Apple Bloom’s dead,” Twilight whispered. “She’s dead. She was killed by a trap.”

“Oh my god,” Luna breathed, visibly shaking, her hands closing and opening at her sides.

Celestia reached out and gripped Luna’s hand in hers, the other scratching her nails on her desk so hard one of them chipped.

Shining just closed his eyes and shook his head sadly. “God damn it.” Then he opened them. “Do we know who did it?”

Her stomach churning like an outboard motor, Twilight read on. The trials… the trials were the worst. She’d actually watched the first one, seen the paranoia, the fear, the arguing back and forth as everyone constantly suspected each other. Seeing her alternate self involved as well made it surreal, like watching some sort of strange fever dream. But unlike most nightmares, this wasn’t one Princess Luna could rescue her from.

So she chose not to read the line by line transcript. Even her vaunted curiosity had its limits, and this was one of them. Instead she stuck to the summary… and in some ways, wished she hadn’t. Her gorge rose, her heart threatening to leap right out her throat and do a tap dance on the desk. She forced it all back down, and said, “Sweetie Belle.”

“Sweetie Belle? Truly?” Luna asked, shaking her head even as her sister pulled her over into a claustrophobic looking hug. “What possible reason could she--”

“She was trying to kill Sunset,” Twilight interrupted. She explained the rest of the details in a quick hurry. “You… you don’t want to know how she was executed. Trust me.”

“I might have to, for police reasons, but god damn, Twily, this is… I don’t even know what this is anymore,” Shining leaned forward and placed his elbow on the desk so he could rub his forehead with his thumb and index finger. “I’m going to have to discuss this with Chief Spitfire. I think it’d be a good idea if you met up with her. I’ve been keeping this case from going to the state or federal level so far, but with what you’ve told us--”

“We can’t involve your government,” Twilight declared with all her princessly authority. Shining instantly sat up straighter. “I can work with you, Shining, and the local police department, but no one else. Remember our agreement.”

“Keep the existence of Equestria secret,” Shining responded. “Frankly, that might be more difficult than you might think. That cruise ship is operating in international waters. If my Twilight is right and they’re in the south Pacific, we might have to deal with multiple foreign governments. This could easily turn into a global incident, and I can’t promise they’ll keep things secret.”

“I’m well aware of the state of Earth’s geopolitical situation.” Twilight's words cut through Shining’s argument like the proverbial hot knife through butter. “That’s exactly why we can’t involve them. I’ve kept them from finding out about Equestria and Equestrian magic so far. I don’t intend to let them discover us anytime soon. You know why.”

Shining nodded, and she swore his hand started to raise in salute before he let it drop. “That’s going to severely limit our options, then.”

“Don’t worry,” Twilight replied, with more confidence in her voice than she actually felt. “I have my best ponies already working on a solution to the ocean problem. They’re converting the newest steamship in the Equestrian Navy into my personal flagship. As soon as we identify the closest naturally existing portal to that cruise ship, we’ll be coming through from the Equestrian side.” Twilight didn’t bother to mention all of the complications with the magic required to do that. She had her best researchers working on that problem, and felt no need to bring it up, lest it dampen any hope these people had.

“I want to be on that ship, if you don’t mind,” Shining requested, his expression all business. “You need someone to represent official Earth interests, and, well… I have a personal stake in the matter.”

“I don’t foresee that being a problem, so long as you’re okay with becoming a pony for a while on my side of the portal,” Twilight answered.

Shining’s face betrayed just a hint of nervousness at that. “Oh. Right. Forgot about that.”

“It is not as bad as you might suspect,” Luna added, with the smallest of smiles that quickly vanished. “You might even have a chance to meet yourself.”

“Yes it was quite the illuminating experience doing that, wasn’t it?” Celestia said with a nod.

Shining held up his hand to his chin and cocked his head in consideration. “Huh. Didn’t think about that.”

“Well that’s all in the future. Right now we need to find that cruise ship,” Twilight interrupted, forced to throw a bucket of water all over the burning embers of a good mood. She hated doing it, but they didn’t have time for daydreams. “In order to do that, we’re going to have to track where the missing people went from Canterlot. And we need to find out how Monoponi had the resources to do all of this in the first place.”

“Right, I’m guessing even with your Equestrian magic he couldn’t just transfigure a cruise ship into existence, huh?” Shining replied, returning to all business. “Tracking down those sorts of assets might be a bit beyond what the local PD can do without tapping into federal level resources.” A hint of a smile appeared on his face. “But Spitfire and I both have some favors we can call in, to keep it all on the down low. It’ll take a lot to convince her to do things your way, but I think she’ll listen.”

“I’m sure she will.” Twilight stood, and very briefly bowed to both Celestia and Luna. “Thank you both for your time. Shining, I’d like to go to meet with Chief Spitfire right away, if you don’t mind.”

“Alright, that can be arranged, but um…” Shining scratched the side of his head as he searched for words. “We might have to do something to disguise your appearance. You’re the spitting image of one of the missing persons, and the wings and ears… don’t help.”

Twilight cursed herself mentally for forgetting this. She should’ve brought some kind of overcoat with her. “Right, of course. I might have to go back briefly and--”

“Actually, that won’t be necessary Twilight,” Celestia interrupted. She moved over to a coat hanger in the corner that Twilight hadn’t noticed and withdrew a large trenchcoat, complete with hood. “You’re about Luna’s size, so my coat should fit with some room to spare.”

Twilight took the proffered coat. It was black, made of leather, more akin to something she’d expect from a punk rocker than a woman of Celestia’s status. But it was comfortable, and more importantly, hid her non-human features perfectly. “Are you sure? I might not be able to return this for a while.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re trying to save lives. That’s more important than any coat,” Celestia said, waving her hand. “You should get going.”

“Right.”

Twilight followed Shining out to his car, parked just outside the front of the school. She kept the coat firmly closed and the hood down as much as possible as they rode to Canterlot PD headquarters. “Just a warning, Twilight,” Shining said as they neared their destination. “Spitfire can be a bit… harsh sometimes. Quick to anger.”

A soft smile spread across Twilight’s face. “If she’s anything like my own Spitfire, I can handle her just fine.”

As they parked and entered the police department, Twilight received more than a few stares, from officers as well as suspects and visitors. They were very briefly stopped by the officer working the front desk, but a quick reassurance that she was with “Detective Armor” was all that was needed to sweep her on by.

Instead of directing her to the chief’s office, he escorted her down to an empty interrogation room. “Sorry about this,” he said as he led her inside, “but this’ll be more private than the chief’s office.”

Twilight took in the bare concrete, the harsh lighting, the metal table and plastic chair with no cushioning, and snorted. “It’s okay,” she said, taking a seat.

“I’ll be right back,” Shining assured her.

Fortunately she didn’t have to wait long before Shining and Chief Spitfire returned. Spitfire looked exactly as Twilight expected, the same flaming orange and yellow two-toned hair, golden skin tone, crisp business suit pressed to perfection, not a single hair out of place. Even the very same cocky but assured expression plastered across her face lent her an authoritative air that had Twilight sitting just a little bit straighter in her chair.

“So,” Spitfire said as she took a seat with Shining, “You’re Princess Twilight, huh? I’ve heard a lot about you from Detective Armor.”

Twilight, after a nod Shining, removed her coat, revealing her ears and wings. “I am.”

Spitfire let out a long whistle. “Wow. You were not kidding, Armor. She looks just like her, too.” Holding up a fist to her mouth, she cleared her throat. “Armor said you had an explanation for our missing person situation.”

“I do,” Twilight answered. She began her explanation, and fortunately Spitfire was polite enough not to interrupt her. Going over the details again… every time she spoke them, spoke the names of the two--four now--that had died, she felt a little portion of her own soul disintegrate into dust. The process of dealing with this was slowly killing her from the inside, like a cancer. She finished up with her request to keep things local, per the agreement.

Spitfire nodded once when Twilight was finished, then steepled her hands on the desk. “I won’t lie to you, your highness: what you’re asking for isn’t easy. I have half a mind to call up the state governor right now and explain everything. These people’s lives are on the line, and we can’t afford to screw around with delays.”

“But--”

“Please allow me to finish,” Spitfire interrupted, holding up a hand. “I also understand and respect your world’s need for secrecy. I’m more aware than most how shitty the human race can be, and how much shittier we would be towards a whole world full of magic aliens that can cross over through a lot of different portals we have no control over. So in light of that, I’m going to grant your request, and keep this secret. But let me clear about one thing.”

Spitfire stood up just enough to get her face quite close to Twilight’s, just a few inches away. “Every single person that dies on that cruise ship that we might’ve been able to save had we gone through the federal government and the military? That’s on you. You’re going to be the one to talk to their families. And if they ask for something to keep things secret? You give it to them. You’re the leader of your nation. I’m sure you can authorize something from your treasury.”

“Agreed,” Twilight said, despite the churning emotions swirling throughout her body at the thought. She knew Spitfire had a point. With the resources of this world’s governments they might be able to use satellite imagery or something to spot the cruise ship right away. They could save a lot more lives.

At the cost of Equestria’s secret. At the cost of risking invasion, and war, with countless lives lost on both sides through pointless conflicts. She knew eventually, sooner or later, the secret would get out. The sheer amount of magic on display in Canterlot the past few years alone had almost broken it. Time and again the only thing keeping the secret in place was the hard work of local authorities, originally negotiated with Princess Celestia, without Twilight being informed. She didn’t discover these arrangements were in place till she took over Equestria as a whole, and more than once found herself apologizing to Celestia for her original visits to Earth and the lack of caution she’d shown. She didn't want the secret getting out until both worlds were prepared for it.

Twilight had learned a lot about realpolitik in the days since becoming Princess of all Equestria. She was thankful each and every day that she rarely, if ever, had to make decisions like this, with lives on the line. She could barely stand it. These were her friends, close friends and, in Sunset’s case, her student as well. Her responsibility. If Twilight didn’t have to worry about Equestria she’d throw caution to the wind and tell anybody and everybody who could help anything they wanted, just to save them faster.

But she just couldn’t. She had to keep all her responsibilities in mind. And between the millions upon millions of inhabitants of her own world, and fourteen--twelve--of her friends? She knew which one won out.

She only hoped that, when she saved those she could, they could find it somewhere in their heart to forgive her for being so slow.

Author's Note

In my previous Interlude author's note, I mentioned plausibility being one reason why Princess Twilight is included in this story. It's not plausible that she would sit by and ignore a situation like this.

I bring this up because one thing that struck me as difficult to resolve, over and over, was what to do about things like satellite technology. Locating the cruise ship would be a breeze, and then the story would be over. I didn't want to do that, nor did I want to start up a whole massive subplot dealing with Earth's governments.

The truth is, the world of Equestria Girls is pretty bizarre. It's implied to be similar to ours, but different. I've been rolling with pony puns for so many things in this story for precisely this very reason. Canonically, this is never explored, nor is it ever explored why the Humane Seven get away with all the crazy magic going on without some kind of government agency stepping in to figure out what's going on. You'd think there'd at least be an EQG version of Mulder and Scully looking into things.

So here's my take on the matter, that being an arrangement made to deal with things on the local level. It's a bit messy, and doesn't account for everything, but it solves enough of the problem for me to sweep the rest under the rug. The world of Equestria Girls is a world of humans, humans very similar to our society in so many ways it might as well be our society. That means a world full of conflict, of in-fighting. A world that would take one look at the uncontrolled Equestrian magic and see it as a threat.

Incidentally, I want to thank the show's writers for the Spring Breakdown special. It wasn't very good and it wasted its primary plot tool to an absurd level, but it introduced the concept of additional, unknown portals to and from Equestria. That's another key element to this story. Without those portals, this story doesn't work.

Next Time: We begin Chapter Three. This one's gonna be a doozy! :pinkiegasp:

Chapter Three: A Maelstrom of Murder Part 1

Chapter Three:

A Maelstrom of Murder

Daily Life Part 1

Tuesday morning, the day after the second trial…

When I woke up the morning after Sweetie Belle’s trial, I expected to wake to the sound of Monoponi’s announcement. Or maybe to the sensation of Adagio’s lips against my cheek. Instead, I awoke to the sound of arguing.

“Trixie awoke first, therefore she should get the first shower!”

“You have your own cabin! Go take a shower there!”

“Trixie still feels unsafe! She doesn’t want to leave yet! And you also have your own cabin!”

Blinking away the remnants of sleep, I sat up in bed, pushing off the sheets. “What?” I mumbled as I took in the utterly surreal sight of a naked Adagio Dazzle, her tangled mess of unbound hair bouncing as she shook a fist in the face of a mostly nude Trixie. The scantily clad illusionist had both her fists gripped at her side as she pointedly avoided looking anywhere except right into Adagio’s eyes, their faces bare inches apart. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, Sunset, Trixie is sorry she woke you!” Trixie said, frowning apologetically. “She just wanted to take a shower, but Adagio won’t let her!”

The beginnings of a pounding headache surged through my brain even as Adagio protested, “Only because Trixie has her own cabin. It’s bad enough she slept here. She’s overstayed her welcome.”

I rubbed my aching forehead with two fingers and a thumb, sighing. “Do we seriously have to argue about this? Go ahead and shower, Trixie. Adagio, you can wait, it’s okay.”

Trixie smirked, setting both hands on her hips. “Thank you, Sunset. Trixie knew you’d understand. If you’ll excuse Trixie.” She slipped into the bathroom, closing the door, and soon after the sound of water running filled the air.

Adagio, grumbling under her breath, plopped herself down next to me on the bed. “I don’t get why you put up with her,” she muttered.

“She’s my friend,” I replied, wrapping an arm around Adagio’s shoulder. “And after what we all went through last night, I can’t blame her for feeling scared.”

Adagio seemed to consider this, then nodded. A blush rose on her cheeks as she nestled herself against me, her hair falling on me like a giant bushy scarf. “I guess I can’t either.”

Last night… we had to watch Apple Bloom die in Applejack’s arms. Then, at the trial, just a few hours later, Sweetie Belle’s execution… I can’t imagine how either of them must be feeling this morning. All this death… I’m scared. I’m scared for my life, and I’m not afraid to admit it.

Sweetie Belle tried to kill me. She tried to kill me. Apple Bloom took the fall, but she might not be the last person to try it. I’ll have to keep my eyes open. Pay attention. Question everything.

Speaking of which…

“Hey, Adagio, I’ve got a question for you,” I said.

“Hmm?” Adagio lazily looked up at me with one eye, making her appear cross-eyed.

“What were you actually doing at the theater the other night?”

“Mrrgh,” the siren grumbled, grinding her teeth together as she scowled. “I was hoping you wouldn’t ask about that.”

I pulled her in closer. “Hey, I covered for you in the trial. The least you can do is tell me why I had to do that.”

For several moments, she didn’t respond. Instead she pulled her hand away, and held it up to her throat as she stared at the floor. Then, she spoke. “I… I was… I was trying to sing.”

“Sing?” That’s right, she told me before, about her gem being shattered. She can’t sing anymore. “But I thought--”

“I know what I said,” Adagio growled, cutting me off with a vicious glare. “But I had to try. I had to… I had to give it a shot.”

I scooted back just a touch, to give her more space. “Because singing is that important to you?”

With a roll of her eyes, she replied. “Not just that. It’s because of you.”

“Me?” I asked, holding a hand to my chest. “I don’t understand.”

“No. You wouldn’t. Pony.” Adagio grumbled the word like it was a curse, but the slight grin on her face betrayed her real feelings. “It’s a siren thing. I told you before, that sirens aren’t like ponies. We don’t care for each other, not in the same way you do. But.”

“But?”

Adagio blew out a sigh through her teeth, the grin fading. “But we do… mate. Usually for life. Typically we’d serenade each other with songs passed down by our families. Then, when we want to… finalize the arrangement… we’d write a new song and sing it. Together.”

My heart skipped about twenty beats before accelerating to a million miles an hour at the implications of that. “W-wait, wait a minute. You’re, you want to mar--”

“No!” Adagio interrupted, raising a hand as if to smack me across the face, and only stopping at the last minute. “No, don’t be stupid. It’s far too early for anything like that. I just… look.” She placed her hand on her face and sighed. “It’s important to me. If I’m going to be with you, in a relationship with you, I want to be able to do things that matter to me, to my kind.”

“Oh.” I gripped my chest, trying to force my heart to slow down, take it easy. “Sure. I knew that. Of course.”

Before Adagio could say anything else, the door to the bathroom opened up a crack and Trixie stuck her head out, her hair and skin dripping water on the carpet. She pointed one finger at the exposed gash on her forehead and said, “Sunset, would you be willing to assist Trixie with rebandaging this? Trixie is having trouble.”

With a sigh, I stood, patting Adagio on the shoulder. “Alright.” Leaving Adagio to stew on the bed, I entered the bathroom, finding Trixie wearing a towel, the first aid kit on the counter. Going for the gauze, I unrolled a strip and started wrapping it around her head. “You know, Trixie,” I said as I used the surgical scissors to snip off the end, then tied it with medical tape. “I’m happy to let you stay with me in my cabin if you need to, but--”

“Say no more, please,” Trixie said, holding up a hand, her face twisted into a contrite and embarrassed expression. “Trixie knows she imposed upon you. She is sure you would have preferred to have privacy with… with her.”

Fighting off the blush that came to my cheeks, I shook my head. “It’s not that. Well, not just that. I.. we need to clear something up.”

Blinking owlishly, Trixie cocked her head. “What is it?”

“Hey, are you two done in here yet?” Adagio grunted, rapping on the door. “You’re not the only ones who need the bathroom.”

Sighing, I shook my head. “Nevermind. We’ll talk later.”

After dealing with the kerfuffle of three showers in one cabin we managed to arrive at the morning meeting only a few minutes late. The rest had already gathered, sitting around a couple of tables. I took quick notice of Rarity, who hadn’t bothered with any makeup this morning. Seeing her sans eyeshadow and mascara was odd. Odder yet was her hair. The poor woman had clipped a whole bunch of it off, because she’d torn out so much during the trial she’d ruined her previous hairstyle. It hung in muted curls, wrapped up in a ponytail. Wrinkles dotted her clothes. She sat next to Applejack, her chair scooted up to sit side by side with the farmer, who seemed just as out of sorts. Neither of them seemed to have gotten much sleep.

Twilight Sparkle, meanwhile, fixed me with an icy glare, watching me like a hawk. She pointedly kept Flash between her and me, though judging from the occasional glares she tossed his way, there was trouble in nerd paradise. I hope I’m not responsible for that…

Everyone else sat with their shoulders hunched, their expressions grim. A few had cups of coffee in styrofoam cups sitting in front of them, along with a small plate of toast, but no one took anything from it. The only one who had any real energy to speak of was Rainbow Dash, who took one look at me walking up with Adagio and Trixie and broke out into soft snickers. “Jeez, one girl not enough for you, Sunset?” she teased.

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy chided in a low, quiet voice. “Not now please.”

Looking properly abashed, Rainbow muttered, “Sorry,” under her breath.

Diamond Tiara rose from her chair right as we sat down, notebook in hand and pen at the ready. “Alright, we’re all here,” she said, scribbling something down. “No one’s absent. Good.”

“There sure are people absent, Tiara,” Applejack growled. “Two of ‘em that oughta be here ain’t anymore.”

Tiara worked her jaw into a grimace. “Yes, I know. I just meant--”

“Ah know what you meant,” Applejack said, waving it off and glaring down at her cup of coffee. She wrapped her other arm around Rarity’s shoulder, who sniffled as she leaned into the farmer for support. “Never you mind. Just get this meetin’ on with.”

Tiara’s expression rapidly switched between a sneer and a simpering smile before settling on the smile. “The only subject I wanted to discuss was the one we all learned about last night… the pony in our midst.” She pointed her pen squarely at me.

“Hey, lay off of her, Tiara,” Rainbow Dash groaned. “We don’t need to start this crap again. Can’t we just let it rest?”

Twilight slapped her own notebook on the table, causing more than one of us to jump in surprise. “No. We need to discuss this. Sunset’s secret cost two people their lives. We need to know what else she’s hiding.”

“Hiding?” I snorted, and rose from my chair just long enough to fetch some coffee for Adagio, Trixie, and myself from the nearby bakery. “I’m not hiding anything, Twilight. Like I said during the trial, I tried to tell all of you about this the first night.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything after that?” Twilight shot back as she picked up her pen so she could spin it in her hand. “You had all the chances in the world, but you never said a word.”

“What was she supposed to say, Twilight?” Flash asked, gently reaching out and pushing Twilight’s hand onto the table. “‘Oh hey, by the way, remember Equestria? I’m a pony!’ Would you have listened to her? Would any of us have?”

“Trixie still isn’t happy with Sunset keeping the secret, but Flash is right,” Trixie added with a quick little nod in my direction. “It would have just upset people.”

Pinkie Pie, her face half plastered to the table and mostly covered by her hair, nodded, in the process taking on the appearance of a pink shrub rustling in the breeze. “Wallflower was such a meanie, she might’ve tried to kill Sunset.”

Scootaloo scowled into her own cup of coffee, taking a quick swig and grimacing at the taste. “Yeah, remember the way she threatened us? If she thought Sunset was the traitor, then…”

“But I’m not the traitor though,” I insisted. I took a drink of my own coffee, the black bitter liquid hot as fire on my throat, just the way I liked it. “I’m just as innocent as the rest of you.”

“The rest of all of us but one,” Fluttershy said pointedly.

“Look, forget about the traitor, that’s not what’s important,” Twilight said, whisking her hand out of Flash’s grip. “Sunset needs to tell us everything she knows. She might have some insight into Monoponi, since they’re the same species.”

“Wow. Racist much?” Pinkie Pie grumbled in a nasty, low tone, completely unlike her usual bouncy self. As she spoke, the curls in her hair vanished.

Twilight set a finger on her glasses just so she could glare over them at the party planner. “It’s not racism if she’s not human. It’s xenophobia.”

Pinkie Pie stood up from her chair, walked over to the bakery, and ordered three cupcakes. Shoving the first one into her mouth messily, she mumbled, “Same difference. Meanie,” as she resumed her seat.

“Look, I’ll tell you what I can, but I don’t think it’s going to be much help,” I said. Sighing and steepling my hands, I described what I knew of Equestrian magic and alicorns. I also made sure to mention I’d lost my magic when I crossed the portal, and how odd it was Monoponi had his. “That’s all I know,” I finished, draining the last dregs from my cup. “I haven’t been to Equestria in years. I have no idea where he came from.”

Twilight, still writing notes on what I’d informed her, seemed no less cold towards me after my info dump. If anything she was colder, harsher. “Well, never hurts to have information,” she snarled. “Is there anything else you haven’t told us? Maybe something from that Danganronpa you’re always going on about?”

Wait, what does she… oh yeah! Gasping in realization, I said, “Yes, actually. There’s something we need to be very careful about this time around.”

“Oh?” Tiara asked, narrowing her eyes at me. “What’s that?”

“So, the thing with the games is, there’s usually six murders, but not six murder trials. It’s because usually, after the first two…” I gulped and shivered. “There’s a double murder.

“A… a double murder?” Pinkie Pie whispered, her eyes welling up with fresh tears. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. And Monoponi’s been ripping these games off, like I said before. I’ll bet you anything he’ll try to make sure that happens. We’ve got to watch out for that.”

Twilight barked a bitter laugh, acrid and thick like day old coffee still sitting on the warmer. “Of course. And now that you’ve said that, it’s guaranteed to happen.” She set her pen down and slammed her notebook closed, then placed her arms on the table and rested her head on them.

“Look, did we have anythin’ else we needed to discuss? Or can we stop wastin’ time here?” Applejack said, glaring daggers at Tiara.

Rolling her eyes, Tiara shoved her notebook and pen back into her backpack. “Fine, fine. Meeting adjourned.”

DING-DONG BING-BONG

“Oh come on!” Scootaloo groaned, throwing up her hands so they’d slap at her sides. “Can’t give us five minutes, jeez.”

The screens winked on, showcasing an all too happy Monoponi, snarfing down on some hay fries with obnoxious chewing noises. “Ahem, um, attention all passengers,” he mumbled past his mouthful of food, spitting crumbs everywhere, “Please report to the bridge deck immediately!” He forced us to watch him slurp down a whole glass of apple juice and unleash a loud belch before the screens switched off.

“So gross,” Trixie spluttered, waving a hand before her nose as she walked in the direction of the bridge deck. “Trixie could smell that.”

Rarity hung back with Applejack for a minute while the others went on, so I stayed back too. “Hey, you two,” I said, trying out a sympathetic smile. “Listen, I--”

“Sunset,” Rarity said, hushing me immediately. It was the first word she’d breathed all day. She gazed upon me with sad eyes and a sadder expression, then turned away. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not talk to you for a while,” she said quietly.

My smile faded. “Right. I get it. Sorry. I’ll, I’ll just go then,” I said.

“Hold it a sec there, sugarcube,” Applejack replied, reaching out for my shoulder and pulling me back gently. She leaned in close so she could whisper. “Listen, Rarity’s not really mad at you or nothin’. She’s just takin’ the loss of her sister real hard. Ah’m not doin’ much better, but Ah’m gonna try and be there for her. It ain’t her fault her sister killed mine.”

“I hope it helps you both cope better,” I whispered back. “I’m so sorry for what I had to do in the--”

“Don’t be.” Applejack shook her head. “If you hadn't, we’d all be dead right now. Rarity don’t blame you for it. You did what you had to do. Just give her some space, alright?”

I flashed her a thumbs up. “Can do.”

She clapped me once on the shoulder, smiled softly, then helped Rarity as they made their way towards the bridge deck. Out of respect for them I took a wide berth around them before running to catch up with Adagio and Trixie.

The assembly on the bridge deck thrummed with fresh tension, palpable and thick. The fear in the air stank like sour milk left out on the counter to rot. Poor Apple Bloom hadn’t even been dead a day, let alone Sweetie Belle, but here we were again, not even remotely recovered from the ordeal.

The instant Rarity and Applejack arrived, Monoponi trudged his way out from the bridge tower door onto the balcony, still wiping crumbs off his face. “Well, well, well, good morning, my lovely passengers!” he said, spreading his wings to catch the sunlight streaming through the clouds. The weather had shifted from the pure blue skies we’d had the first week on the ocean. A storm threatened on the horizon, all towering black clouds, like a billowing gag threatening to choke us out. “I hope you slept well! I know I did, upupu.”

“Did you seriously have to be so gross over the intercom?” Scootaloo complained, showing more bravery than most of us dared to demonstrate.

Monoponi shook a hoof in her direction. “What? I had a full workout last night! That makes me hungry. A pony’s gotta eat.”

Rarity broke into quiet tears, sobbing into Applejack’s shoulder as the farmer held her close, an inferno of hatred for Monoponi blazing in her gaze. “Why don’t you just get to the point of this?” she said.

“Such impatience!” Monoponi cried, clomping a hoof on the deck with a clank and started flailing about, wiggling his limbs. “No consideration. No manner. No respect for your Captain. ‘Oh Monoponi, get on with it!’ ‘Oh Monoponi, stop wasting time!’ ‘Oh Monoponi, get to the point!’ No appreciation at all!”

“Blah blah, poor you, no one cares!” Rainbow Dash shouted, stomping one boot onto the deck with a clang!

Monoponi stopped flailing and shrugged. “Eh. Tough crowd. Ahem. So! You’ve passed another trial. Congratulations! Your ocean voyage continues with more rewards, more luxuries, more wonders for you to enjoy!”

“So soon?” Twilight inquired, peering up at Monoponi. “But it took three days after the last trial before you opened up more of the ship.”

“Aaaand? What’s your point?” Monoponi cupped a hoof to his ear. “Hmm? Hmmmmm? I don’t hear one.”

Sneering up at the alicorn, Twilight shot back, “My point is, we thought you needed the extra time to refurbish the ship. Prepare the facilities.”

“Oh Twilight, Twilight, Twilight, you do keep asking such silly questions,” Monoponi said with a giggle. “Upupu, that’s what I hate about you! Shut your trap already. It’s my ship. My rules. I decide when things open up, and I’ve decided they open up today!”

“So you’re gonna make us explore again, huh?” Pinkie Pie asked, hands square on her hips. Her hair remained flat, with no trace of curls whatsoever. The difference in her mood was more than a little off-putting, but also… sad. Like she’d lost some vital part of herself. The poor girl, in some ways, had suffered more than the rest of us in this situation. While the rest of us had been afraid for our lives, she’d been losing her very soul.

“It’s like I said before,” Monoponi answered, balancing himself on one hoof and holding himself aloft with his wings. “Your Captain is here to serve, to provide wonderful activities for you to enjoy! And who doesn’t love a good bit of exploration, hmm?”

“Are you gonna give us a hint?” Flash asked. “Tell us what we’re gonna see?”

“Why would I do that? That’d take away the fun!” Monoponi spun on his one hoof then hopped off it, landing back on all fours. “Speaking of which, it’s time for you to get to it. This time, there are two places for you to check! You’ll find the gate in the cabin corridor has unlocked itself!” His horn spat out a crimson shard of light which zipped past the rest of us towards the cabins. “But you’ll also find more to see down the promenade offshoot corridor.” Another jet of light took flight, headed the other way. “What is what? Where will you go? What will you find? You’ll find out!”

The gun turrets on the bridge deck popped up and spun to speed, taking aim at us. “Of course, this is an official sponsored activity. No one chose to sit out last time! I wonder if anyone will today? Eyahahaha!” With that, he vanished in a flash of light.

“Sooo, I dunno about any of you, but I’m really not looking to practice my swiss cheese act today,” Rainbow Dash said, letting out a nervous laugh. “C’mon Fluttershy. Why don’t we go down this way?”

The two of them made for the promenade. Soon after Pinkie joined them, followed by Twilight, Flash, and Scootaloo.

“Must we do this?” Rarity moaned, her knees shaking like they were about to collapse.

“Sorry, we can’t sit this one out, Rarity,” Applejack said, helping the woman stay on her feet. “Ah know how you feel, but we gotta do it. C’mon now.” She carefully escorted Rarity in the same direction most others went.

“Well, Sunset, Trixie doesn’t know about you, but she’s more interested in what’s past the cabins,” Trixie declared.

“Yeah, I’m feeling the same,” I agreed. “Adagio, you gonna come with?”

Adagio and Trixie briefly shared a sparking glare, before the siren crossed her arms and nodded. “Might as well.”

So we headed for the cabins, leaving Diamond Tiara still standing on the bridge deck, before the younger woman suddenly ran our way. “Hey, wait up, Sunset! I want to come too.”

The three of us halted, whirling one by one to stare at Tiara in shock. To my bemusement the elitist was all smiles, and not simpering, self-serving ones either. Genuine, happy smiles, the sort I’d expect from Pinkie Pie or maybe Scootaloo, rather than her. “Uh, why?” I asked, instantly on guard.

“Look, I’ve been wanting to say something since last night,” Tiara said. No trace of her usual ego showed itself. No sneer, no demeaning attitude. Instead, she gripped one wrist in her other palm, rocking back and forth slowly on one foot, still smiling. “I wanted to apologize, Sunset.”

“What?” I blurted, my whole face screwing up, utterly nonplussed. “Apologize? You?”

“Well, yeah!” Tiara retorted, her smile fading for just a moment into her usual unimpressed frown before forming back into a smile. “I was wrong about you, okay? I’ve been a real jerk to you, and I’m sorry.”

I shared a baffled look with Adagio, who rolled her eyes hard, pointed a finger at her head, and spun it around. “But last night you were still saying I was--”

“I know, I know,” Tiara interrupted, holding out a hand palm outwards, her smile remaining firm even as her left eye twitched. “But I thought about it, and I was wrong. I can admit when I’m wrong!”

I glanced at Trixie, who had a hand held to her chin, her lower lip pressed out as she stared at Tiara with narrowed eyes full of suspicion. “I guess. It’s just, this feels kind of sudden.”

Tiara briefly ground her teeth together, growling under her breath before resuming her bizarre smile. “M-maybe it is. But it’s the truth!” She stuck her hand towards me. “So can we start over? Maybe try to be friends?”

I cautiously examined the hand, fearing some sort of prank or trap. This has got to be a setup, I thought. Still...if there’s even a chance Tiara’ll lay off of me? I should probably take it. But this totally reeks. So I extended my hand and shook hers, once, before dropping it. “Friends might be a strong word,” I admitted, “but we can at least call a truce for now.”

Pursing her lips, she nodded. “Of course. I have a lot to make up for. I understand.” Taking a step towards the cabins, she held out a hand. “Well, shall we?”

With a shrug, I followed her lead, Adagio and Trixie close behind. Trixie sidled up to me, cupping a hand around my mouth so she could whisper, “Trixie doesn’t believe her!”

“Me neither,” I whispered back. “Keep an eye on her, okay? She’s planning something.”

Adagio squeezed up to my other side and shoved Trixie just hard enough to knock her away. “If you think you can trust Diamond Tiara for one second, think again,” she said quietly. “She’s not fooling anybody.”

“I know that,” I replied, casting a brief sympathetic glance in Trixie’s direction. The poor illusionist stumbled, but regained her footing, firing off a nasty glare at the siren. “Don’t push Trixie, please.”

Letting out a wordless grunt as her face twitched, Adagio pulled away in a huff. “Fine.”

Diamond Tiara looked over her shoulder as she walked. “Hmm? Did you say something?”

“Nothing,” Adagio and I chimed together.

Arching an eyebrow, Tiara turned back to watch where she was going as we reached the cabins. A few quick strides down the hallway later, and we came to the bolted metal door. Right as we approached, it slid down into the floor.

Peering past it, I saw that it looked like a continuation of our own cabins, save that each door was locked, and sans name tags. About fifty feet down the corridor it ended in another bolted door, but just before it was a small offshoot with a narrow staircase facing up into the wall, with a protective balcony around the descent so no one could stumble into it. Strangely, unlike the rest of the ship, this staircase was plain metal and plastic, with none of the usual finery or craftsmanship we’d come to associate with the rest of the ship. Then I spotted a sign right above the staircase: “Crew Access Only!” That explained it.

“Are we sure we’re allowed to go in here?” Trixie asked, trepidation written all over her body.

Tiara waved for us to follow. “I doubt Monoponi would’ve opened it up if we weren’t. Come on!”

We descended the staircase, each of our steps echoing with a loud clatter. We went down several flights before we found a landing that wasn’t blocked off by yet more bolted bulkheads. This one led into an access corridor. Unlike the rest of the cruise ship, this one lacked carpet, instead floored with plain white linoleum shining in the fluorescent lighting. The corridor was wide, allowing for plenty of material to be moved to and fro, but with a low ceiling, leaving it feeling cramped and confining. Exposed pipes snaked along some parts of the ceiling, and there were plenty of locked doors, and little alcoves dotted the walls, large enough for someone to slip into and be hidden amongst shadows. The corridor stretched before us heading a long, long way before it branched off.

As we walked, a creeping unease trickled its way down my spine, like I was intruding on something I wasn’t meant to see. There was one unlocked door along the way, but it only led to a small laundry room so stuffed with machines and ironing boards and hangers there was barely any room to move around. We left that alone for now, with only Trixie murmuring about how glad she was to have a place to clean her clothes.

A good several hundred feet down the corridor later, we reached a t-junction. The path ahead was blocked by yet another bulkhead door, but the path to the right opened up into another access corridor that once again went down several hundred feet. “Good grief,” Adagio muttered as we turned the corner. “When is this going to end?”

Almost all of the doors down this second corridor were also locked, until we finally, finally hit a pair of doors on either side, right where it ended in another bulkhead. The one on the right was locked, so with a shrug, we opened the one on the left.

We emerged into a large fitness center, right behind the front check-in desk. The desk held numerous useful supplies, including stacks of towels and a few sets of padlocks and keys, presumably for use in a locker room. The whole wall along the side where we came in was lined with banks of large windows, showing the ocean waves churning as the ship motored its way on through. The wall opposite was lined with mirrors, broken up only by twin doors labeled “Men’s locker room” and “Women’s locker room” respectively, with scanners attached to the wall to open them up via Monopad. Over to the left was a pair of double doors, currently closed, so similar to the ones we saw for places like the library and the game corner it was safe to say it was the fitness center entrance. To the right, the center opened up into several large rooms separated by open doorways.

The first large room contained dozens of treadmills, elliptical machines, bicycle machines, and other cardio-based workout systems. Rainbow Dash, dressed up in a tracksuit and wearing earbuds in her ears, rode on one of the bicycles, pedaling away at max speed. “Oh, there you guys are!” she said, waving as she tapped a control on the machine’s console. “Where’d you come from?”

I pointed towards the door behind the front desk. “Access corridor. Goes all the way up to the cabins.”

“Neat!” Rainbow Dash slowed the speed on her bike just long enough to take a swig from a water bottle, then sped back up. “I just couldn’t resist hopping on this as soon as I saw it. Can you believe it? We finally have a proper place to exercise! No more laps around the promenade. You can listen to music and everything.” She jerked her thumb over towards a treadmill in the corner, where Fluttershy, also clad in a tracksuit, walked at an easy pace. “Even Shy’s getting some in.”

Fluttershy looked up and waved, smiling pleasantly at us. “Oh, hello Sunset, Adagio, Trixie… Diamond Tiara?” For just a moment, her cute little face scrunched up in confusion. Then she shook her head to clear it out and smiled again. “I like this place. It’s nice.”

“It’s a pretty good view,” Tiara said, nodding as she stared out the window at the moving ocean currents.

“Yeah, I’ll have to come down here myself sometime,” I said, my eyes on the ellipticals especially. I preferred them over treadmills.

“Maybe we all should,” Adagio seconded, flashing me an amused smirk. “We could make a party out of it.”

“Oh no,” Trixie objected, throwing out a hand. “No more parties. Trixie’s heart can’t take another ruined celebration!”

Adagio snickered and sauntered on towards the next room over, putting just a tiny bit of extra sashay in her hips, leaving Trixie glaring in her wake. Chuckling quietly to myself, I followed.

The next room, like the cardio room, had a large bank of windows showcasing the ocean, only this one was full of weight-lifting equipment. Racks of dumbbells in mass ranging from one pound all the way up to one hundred pounds lined one wall, next to a shelf full of free weights and barbells. A series of machines ranging from the usual bench press to a whole myriad of everything you could imagine, such as calf machines, leg extension, chest presses, cable crossover, and more. There were also a few incline benches and a small selection of other free weight equipment such as kettlebells, body bars, medicine balls, and others. In addition, there were a few standing sandbags with plenty of space around them for punching and kicking practice.

We found Rarity and Applejack whaling away at two of them, Applejack punching up a storm and Rarity screeching as she landed kick after kick on another in a series of smooth movements, followed up by arm and knee strikes and palm slams. Jeez, Rarity! I get you’re working out some of your anger, but holy shit! I do not want to mess with you. We wisely left them alone, not saying a word.

The next room was mostly empty space, containing a large open area lined with mats, presumably for dancing, martial arts, yoga, or other similar activities. A small shelf laying against the wall contained a series of assistance equipment, including jump ropes and resistance bands amongst others. This is where the larger rooms ended, though there was a door labeled “To Courts/Pool/Sauna” along the mirrored wall.

Opening that up we entered into a wide corridor, with rooms to either side exposed by glass walls. On the left was a combination basketball and volleyball court, complete with equipment for both laying on shelves in the corner. On the right was a squash court and a tennis court, also containing matching equipment. “Wow,” Tiara said, her eyes sparkling as she beheld the squash court. “I haven’t played squash since I got here. I’ve really gotten off my game.”

“You play squash?” Trixie inquired, arching both eyebrows. “Trixie didn’t think you did anything like that.”

“Of course I play squash,” Tiara replied with a roll of her eyes. “It’s healthy and fun. I also play badminton and croquet, but there’s never anything like that around in a place like this.”

Adagio pursed her lips and crossed her arms, nodding at Tiara, impressed. “Huh. I might have to take you up on that,” she said. “I’m a fan of squash too. It’s… invigorating.”

“Great! We can do that later though,” Tiara said. She pulled out her Monopad and shook it briefly. “I’ll text you later. We still have a lot to explore.”

As she and Trixie moved on towards the far door, Adagio hung back just long enough to whisper to me, “Maybe she’s not as bad as we thought?”

“I dunno,” I replied, scratching my chin. “She is being nicer. Could still be an act though.”

We moved on to the far door, and opened it up. “Well, the sign wasn’t lying,” I said as I took in the sight of a large in-door pool. While not as big as the one up on the bridge deck, this one still loomed larger than any pool you’d see in someone’s backyard. The setup was similar to one I’d seen in fitness centers elsewhere on land, with half the pool separated into lanes by colorful markers in shades of red, blue, and gold, while the rest lay open for free swimming. A single diving board rested at the far end, next to several smaller diving platforms for launching off. Surrounding the pool on all sides was a line of bleachers, up to three benches high, and scattered about were shelves of towels and other pool accoutrements, including water wings, pool noodles, and other floatation devices.

Trixie took a deep whiff of air, her nose wrinkling. “Wait. Shouldn’t this place smell like chlorine? Why doesn’t Trixie smell chlorine?”

I braced myself, and sure enough, Monoponi flashed into existence, flying above the pool like a hovering vulture waiting for a dying animal to pass away. “I would never allow my pool to be contaminated by chlorine!” he declared even as the other three let out varying cries of shock. He took one more lap then landed before us, his wings folding against his sides. “Chlorine hurts your skin! It burns your nose, your lungs. It dyes your hair even! Do you know what chlorine would do to this fabulous black and white coat of mine?”

“Then what do you use instead?” Tiara asked, recovering more quickly than Trixie or even Adagio. She seemed oddly calm given that she’d been terrified into submission by Monoponi barely two days ago. “Bromine?”

“No, no, no!” Monoponi furiously shook his head. His horn lit up and a small bottle labeled “Monoponified Swim Solution” appeared out of nowhere, held in his magic grip. “I use this! It’s PHMB, or polyhexamethylene biguanide.”

Trixie took several steps back and brushed down her ruffled cloak. “Poly-what?”

“It’s an antiseptic,” I answered, my vast store of random knowledge coming into play once again. Sometimes I wonder if I’m more of an egghead than Twilight is. “It’s used in a lot of applications, but one of them is as an alternative to chlorine for keeping pools clean. It’s expensive though.”

Monoponi shrugged, and with a quick blast from his horn the bottle vanished back into the aether. “Money is no obstacle to me!” he pronounced. “No expense spared! My passengers deserve only the best, and they’ll get the best!” With that, he disappeared.

“Hmph,” Adagio said, crossing her arms and glaring at the spot where he’d been standing. “Always the showoff.”

“He really is,” Tiara agreed with a frown. “Monoponi must be more loaded than even my Daddy to be able to afford all of this. Where does he get the resources from?”

“I doubt we’re going to find an answer to that anytime soon,” I said. I pointed to one side of the pool, which led down a narrow corridor with a sign labeled “Locker Rooms and Sauna” above it. “Come on.”

As we walked down the corridor, we found two offshoot rooms. One, with an all glass door, contained a hot tub and small wading pool, for relaxation, with darker mood lighting and colored lights shining up from the tub. The other, past a steel door with a large window, was a smaller wooden-paneled room lined with benches. The general dry, heated atmosphere confirmed this was the promised sauna. Interestingly, instead of steam vents, there were long glowing red rods in the walls visible between the gaps in the planks. Must be infrared, then. There was a temperature gauge set in the wall just outside the sauna door, albeit marked with a warning of “Do not adjust without crew consent.” The gauge contained a simple half circle marked in blue, green, yellow, and red, with smaller temperature numbers. Right now, the marker was set firmly in the green, at approximately one hundred twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit, but the gauge ran in a range from eighty-five degrees at the lowest in the blue all the way up to three hundred in the red.

“Damn,” I said as I looked over the gauge. “Don’t mess with that.”

“Why does it go so high?” Adagio asked as she scowled, poking at the display. “Wait, nevermind. Stupid question.”

As we moved on to the locker rooms, we found we had to scan our Monopads to get in. The doors only opened up one at a time, and closed behind us as soon as we walked through. The locker rooms contained the usual assortment of small lockers for valuables, showers, and toilets. Scootaloo was in the middle of dressing up in her own tracksuit. “Oh hey there,” she said, grunting as she zipped up the suit. “Pretty nice fitness center, huh?”

“It’s not bad,” I agreed. “What’re you up to, Scootaloo?”

She shrugged. “I figured I’d just go lift some weights. I could use the pick-me-up after…” she sighed, her body shrinking down as her eyes misted up. “After last night. Besides, I want to stay near Rarity and Applejack. I’m worried about both of them, especially Rarity.”

Tiara smiled at that, and clapped a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “That is very kind of you, Scootaloo,” she said as if she were delivering a pronouncement from on high. “I'm certain they’ll appreciate you watching out for them.”

“Heh, thanks,” Scootaloo said with a sad smile. “I just don’t want anyone else hurt, you know? We’ve lost too many people already. I don’t want to lose any more friends.”

“Good to hear,” Tiara said, slapping both hands on her hips so she could loom like the authority figure she purported to be. “Keep at it, Scootaloo. Keep them safe.”

With a squint of confusion Tiara’s way, Scootaloo gave a half nod then scurried out the other exit.

“So that’s it for the fitness center,” Adagio said as we followed Scootaloo out back into the main room. “What’s next?”

“This way,” I said, pointing towards the exit doors. “Might as well see where this leads.”

This, as it turned out, led out into another offshoot of the promenade, albeit this one much shorter than the last. To our left as we exited was a grand staircase split in two that ascended back up towards the library, theater, and game corner, with a glass elevator shaft in the middle for those who couldn’t be bothered or weren’t able to climb the stairs. Judging by the orientation the fitness center lay directly below the theater, which meant the door across the hallway led to the library. And sure enough, it was labeled as such, and briefly poking our heads into it confirmed it was the library’s second floor. We stayed just long enough to spot Twilight grimacing our way over a book before leaving.

Instead we headed further down this level of the promenade, though it terminated fairly quickly into yet another blank wall. On the same wall as the library was a smaller door, with a simple sign reading “Spa” above it. Tiara gasped happily, speeding for the door immediately. “Yeesssss,” she said as she threw it open.

Inside, we found a large circular room, sectioned off into smaller circular pods. The whole place used calm, quiet mood lighting, gentle music of chimes and bells playing over speakers. There was a center desk with a logbook where one could sign up for services, and a small sign stating “Currently self-serve: help yourself!”

Each pod contained a mixture of the expected spa services. One was lined with massage tables, which were crewed not by human therapists, but by robotic arms on stands. Flash Sentry, clad only in a towel, laid out on one, his face a picture of bliss as the machine did its work. I couldn’t help but snicker at the sight. “Enjoying yourself, Flash?” I said.

“Huh?” His eyes shot open. “Oh, uh, hey there, girls,” he said, letting out a sheepish laugh. “Yeah, I kinda needed this, after dealing with Twilight this morning. I dunno what’s got her in such a snit.”

“Is that machine as good at its job as it looks like it is?” Trixie asked, her eyes sparkling with delight. “Trixie does love a good massage.”

“It’s great,” Flash replied as he closed his eyes and settled his head down on the table. “Best massage I’ve ever had.”

“Well, we’ll leave you to it,” I said, still snickering.

The next pod contained chairs like what you’d see in any kind of nail salon, complete with robots ready to perform manicures and pedicures. Diamond Tiara leapt into one chair and tossed off her shoes and socks, leaning back and letting out a sigh as the machine got to work. “This is exactly what I needed,” she said as the machine gently laid a mask over her face, complete with twin circles of cucumber. “I’ve never seen one automated like this before, but I’ll take what I can get.”

“Do, uh, do you need us to stick around?” I asked, gesturing with my thumb. “Or should we keep exploring?”

“Go ahead,” Tiara said, waving us off with a kinder, gentler wave than her usual dismissal. “I’ll text everyone later so we can meet up and discuss what we’ve found. We’ll meet up at the food court around 1:30 or so.”

I took a quick peek at my Monopad, noting the time as 10:05. We’d already spent an hour wandering around, it seemed. “Alright. Have fun.”

“Um, Sunset, do you mind if Trixie goes ahead and gets a massage too?” Trixie asked, holding both fists up to her mouth. “Please?”

With a laugh, I waved her back towards the massage pod. “Sure.”

“Yes!” Trixie cried, throwing up her arms in delight. She sped off, ducking into the changing room at the back of the pod.

With just Adagio by my side now, we checked out the other pods. One held a cooling saltwater bath right next to a bubbling hot tub, another held chairs lined with ottomans for foot massages, and the last had a large mud bath and accompanying rinse showers. Pinkie Pie rested in the mud bath, her eyes dull, lacking any shine, her mouth twisted up into a sad frown. “Oh, hey,” she said, not even bothering to look our way. “This is a nice place, huh?” She spoke in a quiet, somber monotone, no energy to her words at all.

Seeing the poor girl so depressed didn’t just break my heart so much as take a sledgehammer to it and shatter it like a glass statue. “You okay there, Pinkie?” I asked, immediately regretting the stupid question. No, she’s not, obviously. Jeez, Sunset.

Pinkie shrugged, her arms raising up out of the mud with a schlup sound before smushing back down in a splat, spattering bits of mud everywhere. “I’m fine,” she said in the same tone. “Don’t mind me.”

My eyes watered as I clenched a fist, holding it to my chest. “I’m sorry, Pinkie,” I replied quietly, choking back a sob. “I’m sorry for what this place has done to you.”

That got Pinkie to look up at me, cocking her head. “It’s not your fault, Sunny,” she said. “It’s that big ol’ meanie Monoponi. He did this to us. I just…” she sniffled, a few tears dribbling down her cheeks. “I just wish Wallflower, Timber, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom were still alive. They didn’t deserve to die. None of us do.”

Adagio raised a hand as if to protest, then lowered it when I shot her a glare. “I suppose you’re right,” she groused.

“By the way,” Pinkie said, shifting in the pool, the mud sloshing. “I found something you should see. It’s behind the counter.” She pointed at the center desk.

Curious, I made my way over, finding what Pinkie mentioned laying in a small alcove. It was a picture, just like the one I’d found of myself, Trixie, and Wallflower, except… different.

It featured Rarity, Applejack, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom. They were sitting in a diner, plates of half-eaten food in front of them. Rarity and Sweetie Belle were both in the middle of laughing, as Applejack and Apple Bloom together appeared to be telling some kind of joke, both of them gesturing in strange ways.

“They knew each other,” Adagio breathed as she took the picture from me to look at it. “Just like you, Trixie, and Wallflower.”

“Looks that way,” I grunted, clenching a fist at my side. “Damn that Monoponi. He’s stolen so many happy memories from us.”

“Wait… Sunset, I think they were more to each other than just friends,” Adagio replied. She shoved the picture back in my face and pointed. “Look.”

I peered closer and my eyes widened in shock. Three of them were wearing rings on their ring fingers. Applejack and Rarity wore matching gold bands with a pair of small gemstones, one a purple sapphire, the other a deep orange topaz. Sweetie Belle also had a ring, but hers was silver, topped by a single pink tourmaline.“Holy… Applejack and Rarity were married?”

“Looks that way,” Adagio replied. “Sweetie Belle too, though not to Apple Bloom.” She took the picture back briefly and squinted, turning it over to look closer at Apple Bloom’s hands. “At least, I don’t think so.”

“It’d be pretty weird if she was,” I responded, frowning. “I mean, what’d be the odds of that even happening? Two sets of siblings marrying each other, I mean.”

Adagio let out a low laugh. “I’ve seen it happen, both in Equestria and here on Earth. It’s more common than you might think.” She looked back down at the picture. “I’ll bet that Sweetie Belle’s partner is the one taking the picture. There’s five plates on the table.”

“Good eye.” I took the picture back and slipped it into my pocket. “We should show this to Applejack and Rarity.”

Before I could move, Adagio’s hand shot out to grip my shoulder. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? This picture could cause a lot of problems.”

I brushed her hand off my shoulder and scowled. “I’m not going to hide it from them, Adagio. They have a right to know.”

“I’m not saying keep it quiet forever. Just for now.” Adagio shifted her weight onto one leg. “Trust me on this. I know negative emotions. You show this to them now, and one or both of them will be dead by tomorrow.”

Hmm. I guess she has a point. She’d know better than almost anyone, being a siren. “Alright,” I agreed, if reluctantly. “But we’re going to give it to them eventually.” I walked back over to Pinkie and filled her in. “You okay with that too, Pinkie?”

She nodded, her chin hitting the surface of the mud. “Uh huh. I figured you’d say that, when you saw it. I won’t say a word, I promise.”

“Alright then.” Leaving Pinkie to her mud bath in peace, I left the spa, Adagio following behind. “We’ve just got one more thing to check out.”

“Right, the staircase,” Adagio said.

We made for it, heading up the stairs two at a time. It rose slowly until the twin staircases turned around and rose up to meet up with the end of the promenade offshoot, depositing us right back outside the theater. There was an exit from the elevator here too. “Huh. Guess it just ends. Let’s try the elevator.”

We summoned it up to us and hopped inside. To my delight there were more than just two buttons. There was a keypad numbered one-through-five, with it currently hovering at two. I tried hitting one, but the elevator didn’t move. Hitting four or five likewise did nothing. It only responded to two, depositing us back down on the other floor.

“So much for that,” I groaned as we left the elevator. “Where do you think the rest go?”

Adagio snorted. “We’ll probably only find out when someone else dies. Or two.”

My heart sank at those words. I don’t want anyone else to die. Too many have died already. But she’s not wrong. Monoponi won’t let up on us now. If anything he’ll probably press us harder. And I’m worried. Very worried. So far he’s tried to set this up just like the games, and we’ve already had two trials. If things run true to form… we might end up with two victims this time.

God I hope that doesn’t happen.

Author's Note

One of the things I had to do with this story is figure out where the friendships our characters had led them prior to the story's events, since they've aged up. Rarity and Applejack being married is one of the logical conclusions I came to, based upon a large number of factors, including the fact that Rollercoaster of Friendship was literally forty-five minutes of pure Rarijack fuel and you will never convince me otherwise.

Regarding Adagio: more of my headcanon on how sirens might work is on display here.

There are real automated spas like the one in this story. They're not as good as the ones in this story, but they don't have the advantage of working in a semi-magical environment.

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year! I'll see you next year, on Saturday, with Part Two. It'll be a fun time.:pinkiehappy:

Chapter Three: A Maelstrom of Murder Part 2

Chapter Three:

A Maelstrom of Murder

Daily Life Part 2

Finding myself with little to do after we finished exploring, I chose to join most of my fellow passengers in the fitness center, and spent a good couple of hours or so exercising through a combination of elliptical, weight lifting, and swimming. Adagio opted for swimming alone, taking to the water like she’d been born in it. Which she had. In a fit of curiosity I challenged her to a swimming race, and found myself thoroughly spanked as she lapped me again and again, laughing the whole time.

Afterwards, we broke for an early lunch, opting for soup and salad. People joined us in dribs and drabs, most keeping to themselves, but Fluttershy opted to join Adagio and me at our table. “Is it okay if I sit with you?” she asked, carefully adjusting her hold on her tray.

I glanced at Adagio, who rolled her eyes but then held up a hand to say Go ahead. “Sure,” I said, grabbing a nearby chair for her to sit on.

“Thank you,” she said as she sat down, tucking into her food. After a moment of quiet, contemplative chewing, she added, “I wanted to apologize to you, Sunset.”

“Apologize? For what?” I asked, eating a forkful of salad.

“For, um, for the trial,” Fluttershy answered. The poor girl, as usual, shook like a leaf even as she struggled through her words. Anxiety was her constant companion. “I was scared of you, when you admitted you were a pony. I was scared you’d hurt me.”

Giving her a sympathetic smile, I replied, “Oh, you don’t have to apologize for that. I’d be scared too, in your shoes. It’s just part of being trapped in this killing game.”

“Nevertheless.” Fluttershy took several more bites of her food, using the gap to steel her nerves. “I still want to. You’ve done nothing but help us, and I keep repaying that kindness with suspicion and fear, like when I tried to vote for you in the first trial. So, I’m sorry.”

Touched didn’t even begin to describe how I felt about her words. The amount of bravery, of courage, of determination it took for her to say this to me, to my face, without even having Rainbow Dash around for moral support was overwhelming. So rather than try to protest further, I simply nodded. “Apology accepted, then.”

But that wasn’t enough, I felt. So, poking Adagio’s foot with mine under the table to get her attention, I gave her a pointed look and nudged my head in Fluttershy’s direction. Raising her eyebrows in confusion, Adagio looked at Fluttershy, then back at me, holding out a hand with palm upward to say What? I nudged my head towards her a third time and mouthed Say sorry. Glaring at me, her expression full of exasperation and disbelief, Adagio turned to Fluttershy and said in a choked, forced voice, “I’m… I’m sorry too. For threatening you. That was wrong of me.”

Despite every word Adagio spoke emerging like they’d been fed through a wood chipper, Fluttershy smiled with all the warmth of the sun. “Thank you, Adagio,” she said, surprised gratitude echoing in her voice. “It makes me happy to hear that. I forgive you. Being with Sunset seems to be good for you.” She giggled, her laughter pleasant and cheerful. “You’ve been… nicer since you two got together.”

Adagio’s lips screwed up into a pout, wrinkling her nose in the process. “I, you… hmph.” She jutted her head out and away, refusing to meet Fluttershy’s eyes.

“She’s right, you know,” I said, snickering at Adagio’s reaction. “I’m a good influence on you.”

Even Adagio couldn’t resist laughing at that. “I guess you have been,” she admitted.

Fluttershy gripped her hands together, muttering an “Awww,” under her breath. Then, her face flushing, she said, “I need to be honest about something. I’ve known you two were together since just after the first trial.”

“Wait, you did? How?” I asked, nonplussed. “We never said anything or did anything--”

“I saw you buy her the sunglasses,” Fluttershy interrupted. Her smile turned smug, unusual to see from her. “I could tell what it meant.”

“So much for subtlety,” Adagio said, shaking her head and smiling. “I should’ve known.”

“You, uh, you didn’t tell anyone, did you?” I asked hesitantly, pressing my knuckles to my lips.

Fluttershy shook her head softly, then blew a few fallen locks of hair out of her face. “No, of course not. It wasn’t my secret to tell.”

I let out the breath I was holding. “Oh. Good. Thank you for that. You’re so nice, Fluttershy.”

She shrugged, and popped a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth. Swallowing, she said, “I try.”

A sudden beep from our Monopads froze us all on the spot, til I managed to dig mine out. “Did someone get another rule added or something?” Adagio asked, glaring at her own pad.

“No, it’s a text message,” I said, reading my screen. “It’s from Diamond Tiara, to all of us, asking us to meet up at the food court.”

“Yeah, seems like it,” said Flash Sentry, walking over from his own table, along with Trixie. The illusionist had a huge smile on her face, her movements more graceful and smooth than they’d ever been. Guess that massage did her some good. Maybe I should get one too.

They all sat down with us, and soon enough everyone else had arrived, even Twilight, although she sat as far away from myself and Flash as possible. Flash tried to smile at her, but she refused to even look at him, and I could see the hurt in his eyes as he sighed.

“Thank you all for coming,” Tiara said, rapping her pen on her notebook to call us to order. “I know we just met up a few hours ago, but I wanted to go over the new facilities that opened up.”

“Well, there weren’t that much that opened up this time,” Applejack said, adjusting her posture in her chair. She’d wrapped bandages around her knuckles, which from what little I could see of them were cracked and bleeding. “Mostly just a huge fitness center, with a whole heap of stuff to use.”

“Try awesome!” Rainbow Dash retorted, pumping her fist in excitement. She’d changed back into her regular clothes, her hair still wet from a shower. “The place has more variety in exercise equipment than most gyms I’ve been to! I’m totally gonna spend tons of time in there.”

Rarity, looking even worse for wear than Applejack, with bruises visible all over her exposed parts of her body save for her face, said, “It… helps.”

Scootaloo scooted closer to Rarity, smiling sympathetically. “Yeah, there’s something there for everyone. There’s even an indoor pool.”

“It’s good for racing in,” Adagio said, smirking in my direction. “That is, if you want to lose. Badly.”

“Oh you’re on, Adagio,” Rainbow Dash said with a menacing grin. “There’s no way you can beat me. I was the captain of my swim team in high school, you know.”

Adagio laughed, silky smooth with an undercurrent of danger. “We’ll see.”

I watched Rainbow’s whole body shiver, though whether it was from anticipation or fear I couldn’t be sure. “Riiiight. Anyway,” Rainbow Dash continued with a wave of her hand, “there’s plenty of stuff in there for us to work out with. I’m thinking that’s where we should all do our daily workout from now on.”

“That’s a good idea,” Scootaloo said. She held herself and shook, grimacing. “That storm out there’s getting closer by the hour. Pretty soon it’s gonna be unsafe for anyone to go out onto the bridge deck.”

“Yes, it is,” Diamond Tiara said with a frown. “I’m going to have to ask that no one go out into the storm if they don’t have to, just to be safe. We don’t want anyone being washed overboard.”

Fluttershy shrank down in her chair. “You really think that could happen?”

“Probably,” Pinkie said with an unhappy shrug. “I doubt Monoponi’d care at all. Knowing him, he’d think it was funny.” Her face twisted up into an uncharacteristic sneer. “It’s not funny.”

“That’s gonna cut off a route back to the cabins, though,” Flash pointed out. “Actually, maybe that’s a good thing. Fewer chances for people to sneak around.”

Adagio, Trixie, Tiara and myself all shared a look, then simultaneously shook our heads. “Sorry, Flash, but no,” I said. “There’s a new way to get around.”

“There is?” Twilight leaned forward, steepling her hands, her expression all business. Combined with her recent hostility this left me feeling more than a little disturbed. “Please explain.”

“Okay, so, you remember the bulkhead near the cabins? The one we couldn’t open?” She nodded, so I continued, “Well, it opened up to a new section. Most of what’s there is locked, but there’s a crew access only stairwell. It goes down a whole bunch of flights before it gets to a super long corridor.”

“Trixie found a laundry room down there,” Trixie added, holding up her cloak. “Trixie only has the one cloak and hat, so Trixie was very happy to see she can wash them now.”

“Oh, thank goodness. Ah was wonderin’ if we’d ever get the chance to do some laundry,” Applejack muttered. “Ah could really do with some clean sheets.”

“You and Sunset both,” Trixie replied, opening her mouth so she could point at her tongue and gag.

Applejack’s eyes popped open wide like saucers. “Ah beg your pardon?”

Rainbow Dash held up a fist to her mouth and snickered. “Wow. You really do have a way with the girls, huh Sunset?”

Grinding her teeth together, Adagio let out a wordless groan of irritation. “Trixie and Sunset are not sleeping together.”

“But we slept together last ni--”

Adagio slapped a hand over Trixie’s mouth, flashed everyone a coquettish smile and then stomped on Trixie’s foot. “Shut. Up.”

“Oww!” Trixie cried out in a muffled voice.

My hand promptly smacked into my face. “Uuugh, you two, I swear…”

“Wait, so, uh, are you together with Trixie too? Ooor not?” Scootaloo asked, twiddling with her thumbs.

“No, I’m not, Scootaloo,” I moaned through my hand. “She just stayed in my cabin last night because she was scared after the trial. Nothing happened.”

Trixie broke free of Adagio’s grip, stood up, and moved her chair as far away from Adagio as she could. “Do not stomp on Trixie’s foot!” she railed, shaking a fist at the siren. “That hurts!”

“That’s the point, idiot,” Adagio snarled, blowing a raspberry.

Rainbow Dash leaned over, jerked a thumb Trixie’s direction, and whispered into mine and Fluttershy’s ear, “Those two are totally hate banging, aren’t they?”

Irritated, I cuffed her in the arm. “No. Stop it.”

“She’s right, Dashie,” Fluttershy added, glaring at Rainbow in disappointment. “Let it go.”

“Fine, fine…”

Twilight rapped a fist on the table several times, bringing out attention back to her. “If we’re finished with the sitcom routine? Sunset, you were talking about the access corridor.”

“Oh, right, sorry.” I took a quick drink of water, setting it down gently. “So the whole place is dimly lit. There’s a lot of little cubby holes and places where you could hide if you wanted. Almost every single door is locked, except for the one to the laundry room, and one all the way down past an intersection. That one leads into the fitness center. Comes out behind the front desk.”

“Interesting,” Twilight said, holding one hand to her chin. She brought out her notebook, flipping it to a section laden with illustrations. Finding an empty space, she started a new one, sketching out the new route. “So this is the first we’ve had access to the crew side of the ship. Seems like something we should keep an eye on.”

“Agreed,” Diamond Tiara said, scribbling down in her own notebook. “We might want to assign a guard to watch it.”

“A guard? You really think we need a guard?” Rainbow Dash asked, arching an eyebrow.

“It’s a sensible precaution,” Twilight said, nodding to Tiara. “We’ve already had two murders take place. At this rate it’s unlikely we’ll be able to prevent another unless we take things more seriously.” She shot off a glare my way. “Especially if Sunset’s right about a double murder.”

“Wait you don’t think someone would try to stash a body down there, do you?” Flash asked, his eyes widening as he bit his thumb.

“No, that wouldn’t be practical,” I objected. “Yes, it’s dark and drab, but there’s only two ways in, and one of them sees you going down several flights of narrow metal stairs. If you tried to drag a body down stairs like that you’d spill blood all over the place.”

Pinkie’s cheeks tinged with green, bulging. She held a hand to her mouth. “Ewww,” she groaned.

“They probably won’t be able to hide a body, but they could still use it to sneak around,” Twilight stated. “Without the Monopad map tracker, we’re sitting blind. We’ve got to start keeping our eyes open.”

“Sure, and we’ll all be more paranoid than a coop fulla chickens with a fox on the loose,” Applejack objected, slapping a hand to the table. “And Ah hope Ah don’t have to remind y’all that paranoia got both our sisters killed.” She emphasized her point by gesturing to Rarity.

“I um, I agree, I don’t want to be afraid of everyone around me,” Fluttershy said with a hesitant nod. “Can’t we just agree to be friendly?”

“I wish we could, Fluttershy, but Twilight has a point,” Flash said with an unhappy sigh. “She’s not saying we need to be paranoid. Just be cautious. Monoponi’s been able to manipulate two of us into murdering before. He could do it again.”

“And up until now, we haven’t been cautious at all,” Twilight added. She raised one finger. “We tried to throw a pool party, and Timber used it as cover to kill Wallflower.” She raised a second finger. “Then Trixie tried to throw a magic show, and Sweetie Belle used it as an opportunity to try and kill Sunset, and Apple Bloom died instead. We can’t be naive anymore about this. All of us have the potential to be killers, if we’re motivated the right way.”

“No way! I won’t believe it!” Pinkie retorted, smacking a fist down so hard she shook the table and knocked Twilight’s notebook to the ground. “I’d never kill anyone. Never!”

“Are you sure about that?” Twilight growled, glaring at Pinkie over her glasses. “What if someone attacked you, and you had to defend yourself? What if you accidentally shoved someone down a flight of stairs? What if you fed someone something they were allergic to? Any one of these cases could result in someone’s death, and according to the rules, you’d be a murderer in all three. And that’s just assuming it’s an accident. If Monoponi gives you the right motive, can you really tell me you wouldn’t kill someone, just so you could get out of here?”

“Are you saying you would?” Fluttershy interrupted, coming to Pinkie Pie’s defense. She reached out and gripped Pinkie’s hand, squeezing it gently. “Because it sure sounds like it. Don’t listen to her, Pinkie.”

“Aww, thanks, Shyshy,” Pinkie said with a sad little smile, the first smile I’d seen on the girl since the trial. It vanished as she whirled to face Twilight, shifting to an angry pout. “She’s right. I won’t listen to you. Not about this. I wouldn’t kill anyone. Ever!”

Twilight snorted. “Idiocy like that will get you killed sooner or later.”

Pinkie’s eyes narrowed into slits, her nose wrinkling as her upper lip twisted into a sneer. “Is that a threat, missy?”

With a roll of her eyes, Twilight shook her head. “No, of course not. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I learned what I needed to from the last trial. I learned I can’t trust any of you anymore. That’s all I’m saying. We have to be careful. That means guards. That means keeping your eyes peeled. That means not putting our faith in someone who’s kept major secrets from us.” That last one was directed right at me.

“Hey!” I fired back, rising to my feet. “Look, Twilight, I agree with you that we should be more careful, but if we give up on trusting each other, we’re sunk! At that point we might as well just hand Monoponi a gun and let him shoot us! I still want to escape, with all of us leaving unharmed. That hasn’t changed.”

Twilight sat back, crossing her arms. “I wish I could believe you when you say that, Sunset. I really do. But I don’t anymore. I don’t trust you. I won’t trust you. Not you. Not anyone.”

“Not even me?” Flash asked, raising a finger to point at his chest.

She closed her eyes, sighed, then stood. Snatching up her fallen notebook, Twilight shoved it into her backpack. “Tiara, text me when you figure out the guard schedule. I’m leaving.” She spun on her heel and made for her cabin.

Flash reached out a hand as if to claw her back. “Wait... “ he whispered, his eyes welling up with tears. He pulled back his hand, balling it into a fist as he squeezed his eyes shut. A single choked sob escaped his throat before he abruptly slammed his fist into the table so hard it left a dent. Then he too got up. With a bent over posture and hunched up shoulders, he trudged his way towards the bridge deck.

“Uuuh, I think I’m gonna go after him,” Rainbow Dash said after a couple of moments. “Just to make sure he doesn’t… do anything.” She scurried after him, trailing at a distance to give him space.

“Poor Flashie,” Pinkie Pie said, sinking into her chair like she was a piece of flattened cardboard. “He shouldn’t have to put up with Twilight treating him like that.”

“Mmhmm,” Fluttershy nodded, a scowling look of disappointment etched across her features. “I don’t know what came over her.”

“Trixie feels like she understands,” Trixie spoke up quietly. She placed an elbow on the table and leaned her face into her hand for support. “Twilight has trust issues. Trixie does too, but Trixie is willing to forgive mistakes.” She glanced my way as she spoke, and reached out her other hand to set it on mine for just a second.

Tiara knocked her pen against her notebook. “Okay, let’s get back to business here. We’re not done discussing what we’ve found.”

“Oh, right, we forgot to mention the sauna,” I said, snapping my fingers. “The fitness center has an infrared sauna. It seems pretty nice and spacious, but for some reason the only controls are on the outside.”

“So we should be very careful if we use it,” Adagio added. “We don’t want there to be any accidents.”

“Ooh, ooh!” Pinkie Pie’s hand shot up and waved, though not with the usual frenetic pace. “There’s also a spa.”

At that Rarity’s head shot up, looking right at Pinkie with an intense expression. “A spa? Did you say, a spa?”

“Mmhmm,” Pinkie replied, nodding, again at a slower pace. The poor girl just didn’t have the energy she once did, and every time she made it obvious it broke my heart. “It’s got massage tables, a mud bath, pedicure and manicure, foot massage chairs, table showers, etc etc. It’s all run by robots, and they’re really good at their job.”

A hint of her old sparkle and charm twinkled in Rarity’s eyes, if just for the slightest of instances. “That sounds heavenly. Perhaps I should pay it a visit after this meeting is over.”

“I think that’s it, Tiara. Nothing else that we didn’t see ourselves,” I said. “I’m still a little worried about the crew access hallway.”

“Me too,” Tiara said, jotting something down. “I’m going to figure that into my guard planning. I’m thinking we’ll need one person to watch the stairwell and another to patrol the ship, at all times.”

“Well, if you’re fixin’ to do this guard thing, Ah guess that plan makes some sense,” Applejack spoke up. “Ah’d be willing to be a guard.”

“We should all take a shift,” Scootaloo said. She rummaged through her pockets and withdrew her Monopad. “And maybe keep their Monopad ready to text for help or take pictures or something.”

I pulled out my own and switched it over to the camera app, then took a quick snapshot of Scootaloo holding hers. Spinning it around so everyone could see it, I said, “That’s a good idea. Between the camera, the audio recording functions, and the texting, both guards can stay in constant contact.”

“Can you text a picture on this thing?” Scootaloo wondered as she poked at hers.

Switching over to the text app on mine, it only took me a moment to locate the feature and use it to send Scootaloo the picture I took of her. “Yup.” I took a moment to test the audio feature, and tried texting that, but it didn’t work. “Just pictures it looks like. No audio.”

“Still useful, though!” Scootaloo said as she tucked her Monopad away.

“Um, if we’re going to do guard work, do we have anything we can use for self-defense?” Fluttershy asked, raising her hand.

Trixie shot her a doubtful look.“Trixie isn’t sure there’s anything you could use that wouldn’t risk killing someone. Unless there’s mace in one of the stores or something…”

Pinkie shook her head vigorously. “Uh-uh. There’s none. If we get into trouble we should just run.”

“We should also have regular check-ins,” I proposed. “If we’re going to do this, we do this right. Four hour shifts, check in every fifteen minutes. With twelve of us, we’d each have one shift a day, and we can switch off every other day between the stationary and patrolling positions.”

“Should we come up with a set patrol route for the patrolling one?” Scootaloo suggested, holding her chin in her forefinger and thumb.

“No,” Adagio hissed through her teeth, startling the younger woman. “Everyone should come up with their own route, and vary it every time. Otherwise it’s predictable.”

Scootaloo drew back, puffing up her lower lip in a frustrated pout. “I guess that makes sense.”

Pinkie Pie’s hand shot up. “What about the meetings?”

“I think the guards should be exempt from them,” I said after a moment of consideration. “They can check in with all of us via text.”

“Okay, so we’ve decided the rules then,” Diamond Tiara said with a nod. She ripped out a sheet of paper, drew two columns on it, labeled S and P, and added six time slots: 2:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 10:00 PM, 2:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM. “We should each pick a time, and that’s when we guard every day.” She scribbled her own name down for the 10:00 PM stationary slot, and set the pen down. “First come first served.”

Rarity took up the pen straight away and wrote her name down in the 6:00 AM stationary slot. I opted for the 10:00 AM patrolling spot, and so on. Soon everyone had filled in spots except for the three who weren’t present, so Diamond Tiara assigned them what was left. “So that settles that,” she said. “Fluttershy, Trixie, you’re up first. For the rest of us? We’re done here. Thank you.”

Without another word Trixie hopped to her feet, withdrew her Monopad from her cloak pocket, and meandered in the general direction of the spa.

Fluttershy took a few deep breaths as she slowly got to her feet, while everyone save myself and Adagio quickly dispersed. “Hey, you doing okay there?” I asked gently, offering a hand to help her steady herself with.

“Oh, thank you,” she said, smiling gratefully as she took my hand. “I’m just so nervous. I’ve never been a guard before.”

“It’s not the worst job in the world,” Adagio said with a shrug. “Hardest part is staying awake. You might want to take some coffee with you.”

Fluttershy’s smile grew at that. “That’s really good advice, thank you, Adagio.”

A light pink flush came over Adagio’s cheeks as she scratched at the back of her head. “You’re welcome,” she muttered, looking away from the other woman.

Fluttershy made her way over to the bakery, to order up a large frappe with her Monopad. While waiting on her I nudged Adagio with my elbow and whispered, “Hey, look at you. Getting nicer all the time.”

Adagio hissed at that, raising a hand curled up into a claw. “Don’t push it, Sunset,” she groused.

I snickered, letting the matter drop.

Fluttershy, now carrying a large mocha frappe balanced in one hand and her Monopad in the other, strode back over to us. Blushing profusely, she brushed aside some hair from her eyes and looked up at me. “Um, Sunset, would you and Adagio mind accompanying me to the stairwell? I’d like some company, at least for a bit.”

“Sure, I’m okay with that,” I said with a shrug. “What about you, Adagio?”

Adagio faced away so we couldn’t see her grimace. “If it’s all the same to you, I think I need some time to myself.” With a wave to me, she sauntered off, sashaying towards the shops.

Fluttershy shrank back. “Was it something I said?”

“No, that’s just Adagio being Adagio,” I said kindly.

We made our way towards the crew access stairwell. As we neared it, Fluttershy’s eyes darted about, searching her new surroundings. “What do you think’s behind these doors?”

“Probably just more cabins,” I answered. “This is a massive cruise ship after all. It’s probably designed to house a couple thousand passengers.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy flushed, twirling a strand of hair with her finger. “I should’ve figured.”

Reaching the stairwell proper, Fluttershy set her drink and Monopad down on the balcony, and turned so she was facing outwards, able to see both the corridor and anyone coming up the stairs. “It’s a good thing it’s arranged this way,” she commented as she took up a leaning position against the wall. “I’d be even more worried if I had to keep turning around every two minutes.”

“Might be nice if you had a chair, though,” I mused, taking up a position right next to her. “Should I go get you one?”

“Oh, no, that’s fine, I don’t need one. I’d rather stay on my feet.”

We stood in silence for a bit, till I decided to strike up a conversation, to soothe the poor girl’s nerves. “Hey, Fluttershy, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” At her questioning look, I added, “Your ultimate title, the one Monoponi gave you, Ultimate Veterinarian? I was wondering why he chose that.”

“Oh!” Fluttershy lit up, joy sparking in her eyes. “I love animals, you see. I’ve always loved animals. They’re such adorable, cute little creatures. Well, most of them. Some of them are big and huge and they are just as nice as the little ones. I volunteered a lot at a local animal shelter when I was in high school, so it was a natural choice for college. I’ve already finished half of my education for it.”

“Oh yeah, I heard Canterlot University has one of the best veterinary programs this side of the continental AU,” I replied. A smile spread on my face, courtesy of her infectious cheer. “So you’re going for the full DVM, huh?”

Fluttershy nodded. “I am! Doctor Fluttershy, at your service. Anything I can do to help any sick or hurt animals feel better, I will.”

“I believe it.” I chuckled. “You’re such a nice person, you know. I’m glad this place hasn’t dampened your spirits much.”

Fluttershy’s smile dimmed a tad. “I guess it hasn’t. I’ve always been nervous. Scared. To be honest, this killing game doesn’t feel that different from my usual life. I’ve always been so scared of other people hurting me that this feels like more of the same.” She lowered her gaze to the floor, sighing. “Even the death we’ve seen doesn’t bother me that much, besides being sad. Death is a part of life. We all die, sooner or later.”

I nodded. That makes a lot of sense. If she’s cared for animals most of her life, she’s seen plenty of death. Funny how out of all of us she’s the one most able to cope. Other than Adagio, that is. “I guess we do. I don’t want to die here though.”

“Oh, me neither!” Fluttershy shook her head vigorously. “Don’t get me wrong. I want to live as much as the rest of us. I just don’t think death is as scary as some people think it is.” She gripped her arms around herself and shivered. “I uh, I definitely don’t want to die the way Sweetie and Timber did though.”

“Same,” I agreed, shivering right along with her. “These executions are downright excruciating. I dunno what kind of sick stuff goes on in Monoponi’s head to make him come up with them.”

For just a moment, I saw a flash of cruelty and malice sparkle in Fluttershy’s eyes, before it quickly faded. “You’d be surprised at what a well-developed imagination can do.”

Uuuuh… okay… I took just a single step back, trying not to show any anxiety towards her. “Riiight, sure.” I coughed to clear my throat, using my hand to hide the grimace that briefly crossed my face. “Anyway, my point was, I’m glad you’re not feeling as down as Pinkie Pie, or Rarity.”

Fluttershy’s lower lip curled up into a sad frown. “Poor Pinkie Pie. Rarity’s getting support from Applejack, but she hasn’t had anyone to turn to.” Biting her lip, she gave me a firm nod. “Maybe I should do something about that. I can try to get her a gift or something. It won’t be much, but maybe if I give it to her, she’ll open up to me, and we can talk.”

“There’s always the jewelry store,” I said, holding a hand to my chin. “Pinkie doesn’t wear a lot of jewelry, but something tells me she might appreciate some fancy gems. Maybe a studded bracelet?”

“That’s a good idea,” Fluttershy said with a nod. “I think I’ll go find her after my shift. We can pick it out for her together. I think she’d like that.”

“She definitely would, knowing Pinkie,” I said, smiling. “You’ve got a good heart, Fluttershy.”

She tittered, blushing bashfully.

We spent a good deal more time talking about this and that till we suddenly heard the sound of boots clanging on the staircase before us. Fluttershy immediately grabbed for her Monopad, shaking like a palm tree caught in a hurricane as she held it up, ready to snap a picture of her impending doom.

But it turned out it was just Trixie. We saw the tip of her hat poke up well before she saw us. “Oh, hello Fluttershy, Sunset,” she said, a bit nonplussed by Fluttershy’s sigh of relief. “Trixie is sorry if she startled you?”

Fluttershy let out a nervous laugh, pulling her hair in front of her face. “It’s fine,” she murmured.

Shrugging, Trixie turned her attention to me. “Sunset, would you be willing to accompany Trixie? If she recalls, you had something to talk to her about.”

“Oh, right,” I said, snapping my fingers. “We never finished our conversation from this morning. Sorry, Fluttershy, I gotta go. Catch you later?”

“Mmhmm!” Fluttershy hummed, smiling. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

With a wave, I joined Trixie in striding up the cabin corridor, making our way towards the bridge deck. As we passed into the outdoor lounge, I took a moment to smell the salty sea air. A rumble of thunder echoed on the horizon, the clouds much closer than they had been this morning. There was a hint of ozone to the air as well, though thankfully there wasn’t any rain. Yet. “Oof, this storm looks like it’s going to be rough,” I muttered.

Trixie’s eyes twinkled like twin amethysts. “Trixie hopes it rains. Trixie likes rain.” She shook her head as if to clear out the distracting thoughts. “Anyway, Sunset, you had something to tell me.”

“Right, right.” This might not be so easy. I took a deep breath, let it out, then began. “So, Trixie, you know how I said earlier, during the meeting, that you weren’t sleeping with me?”

“But we did sleep together last night,” Trixie objected, cocking her head in confusion.

Sighing in frustration, I resisted the urge to slap a hand to my face. “I know we did, Trixie, but usually when someone says that, they’re implying that the people who slept together had sex.”

“Oh,” Trixie said. Her eyes bugged out. “Oh! No no no, that’s not what Trixie meant at all!”

“Calm down, calm down, I know that,” I said. We were briefly cut off from the sound of the sea by the passageway between the lounge and the bridge deck before emerging out into open air again. “But the others didn’t. I don’t want to give people the wrong impression. I’m happy to let you stay in my cabin if you need to, but I don’t want people thinking I’m trying to build a harem or something.”

“A, a harem?!” Trixie squealed, jumping in fright. “Trixie is too special to be a harem girl!”

Now I did have to facepalm. “I’m not... wait a minute." I looked back up at her and narrowed my eyes into an irritated glare. "You knew exactly what I was talking about and you're messing with me, aren't you?"

Trixie snickered, then broke into a full-throated laugh. "Yes. Trixie knows what sleeping with someone means. She's not a child."

"Well, you got me," I said with a dry chuckle. As we passed right below the bridge tower balcony, I reached out my hand and grabbed Trixie by the shoulder, stopping her in place. “But seriously, Trixie, I want to be clear about something. I’m your friend, and I care about you. But I’m worried you’re reading more into it than that.”

It was Trixie’s turn to facepalm. “Ugh, why do you and Adagio keep saying things like this? Hasn’t Trixie made her intentions clear? She is not romantically interested in you. She’s not interested in anybody.”

“I know you say that, Trixie, but…” I sighed, leaning against the bridge tower and sinking down to sit, motioning for Trixie to join me. I ignored the brief whirring to life of the guns as they aimed my way before dying down. I’d grown used to ignoring them by now. They hadn’t fired on us yet. Probably never would. “It just feels like you are, you know? And I don’t want to mislead you into thinking I’m interested in you that way, because I’m not.”

Trixie let out an irritated grunt, crossing her arms. “Trixie knows that, Sunset. She’s not stupid. Trixie isn’t going to fall in love with you just because you’re her first real friend. It’s not possible.”

I held out a hand, palm upward, and waited for her to take it. She did, albeit reluctantly. “I’ve seen it happen, though. It’s a cliche for a reason. But I’m in a relationship with Adagio. She already thought I was cheating on her with you once. She’s probably worried it’ll happen for real if you keep hanging around my cabin.”

Trixie squeezed my hand reassuringly even as she glared at me. “No, it won’t. Like Trixie told you, it’s not possible.”

“Okay, that’s twice now you’ve used that exact phrase,” I pointed out. “Why do you keep saying it’s not possible? You know it is.”

“No, it’s not,” Trixie insisted. She closed her eyes and let out her own sigh of frustration. “Why won’t you listen to Trixie?” She opened her eyes. “Why won’t you listen to me? I’m telling you the truth, Sunset.”

Welp, she’s broken out the first person pronouns. She must be serious. “I’m listening, Trixie, but I’m no longer sure I understand what you mean.”

“It’s hard to explain.” Trixie let go of my hand so she could tuck her cloak around her as a cool wind blew over the deck. “Remember when I said you weren’t my type? That wasn’t just a joke. I’ve… I’ve never been interested in someone romantically before. Ever. I don’t even really get what romance is. Isn’t it just closer friendship?”

That’s actually a good question. “Well,” I said, choosing my words carefully,”It is and isn’t. A good relationship is built on a foundation of trust, of communication, whether it’s family, friend, or lover. You can have mind-blowing sex, but if you and your partner don’t get along, or don’t share enough interests, or can’t be good friends? Your relationship won’t go anywhere. You can’t just meet someone and get together with them and expect it to go well. You’ve got to know each other first.”

“Um, isn’t that exactly what you and Adagio di--”

“Not the point, Trixie,” I interrupted, holding out my hand like a stop sign. “This is a killing game. It’s a bit more hectic than normal life. More dangerous. I’d never do what I did with Adagio if I weren’t afraid I could die at any moment.”

She nodded, frowning. “I guess that makes sense. So what you mean is, romance is like a different kind of friendship.”

“Yeah, that’s a good way to put it,” I said, nodding back. “It’s close, intimate. With a lover, you can hold hands, hug each other, kiss casually, all kinds of things. You can lay together watching movies for hours, or snuggle in bed. Feed each other tasty food.” A lecherous grin spread across my face briefly before I mentally slapped it away. “Sex is pretty nice too.”

“But, apart from sex, and kissing, can’t you do all of that with your friends anyway?” Trixie blinked in bemusement. “I just don’t get the point.”

“Well, maybe you just haven’t found the right person yet,” I said, shrugging.

Trixie snorted, rolling her eyes. “I don’t think I ever will, Sunset. I’ve never been attracted to anyone. Not even once. I know that makes me weird, and different, but I just haven’t. I don’t want to be.”

“Really?” I arched an eyebrow. “You’ve never seen a hot guy or girl and been like, ‘Wow, I wouldn’t mind a piece of that!’?”

Trixie’s upper lip rose into a disgusted grimace as she leaned away from me. “Uh, no. I can’t say that I have. It sounds gross.”

Now both my eyebrows shot up. “Wait, seriously? What, don’t tell me you’ve never even touched yourse--”

“Sunset!” Trixie’s face broke out into a furious blush as she smacked my arm over and over. “That’s none of your business! I can’t believe you’d ask me that!”

Way to go, Sunset. Really crossed a line you shouldn’t have, dumbass. I flinched back, holding up my arms to defend myself. “Sorry! I shouldn’t have said that! That was rude of me.”

“Hmph!” Trixie retracted her arms and firmly crossed them over her chest. “Yes. It was. Very rude. And gross. Very gross.”

I hung my head, ashamed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go there.”

Narrowing her eyes as she glared at me, she then nodded. “Fine. I’ll forgive you. This time. But don’t ever ask me that again.”

I nodded in assent several times. “I won’t, I promise.”

“Good,” Trixie huffed.

I let silence take hold for a moment as I gathered my thoughts. “So I guess I’m the one who’s been misunderstanding, then. I really was worried I was leading you on.” I flashed her a grin that I hope she’d take as humor. “I might be into girls, but I’m not into breaking girl’s hearts, you know?”

“I think I understand, yes. But do you see now what I mean when I say it’s impossible?” Trixie relaxed a skosh, adjusting her posture to lean against the bridge tower more. “You don’t have to worry about me trying to steal you away from Adagio. It’ll never happen.”

“I get that, now that I know you’re ace/aro,” I replied.

Trixie blinked owlishly. “I’m what?”

I likewise blinked, nonplussed. “Uh, you know? Ace/aro? Asexual, aromantic?”

Trixie shook her head, utterly baffled. “I’ve never heard those terms before. What do they mean?”

“Y-you… you’re ace and you’ve never heard the term before?” I cocked my head to one side, my face so twisted up in confusion I’d gone cross-eyed. “It’s literally describing what you are. Asexual, as in, no interest or desire for sex. Aromantic, as in, no interest or desire in romantic partners. How have you not heard these terms before? They’re all over the internet. Have you never been on MyStable or Flitter?”

Trixie held a hand to her breast, gasping in shock. “Yes, I have, but I never knew there were words for it!” Then her face twisted up in rage. “Unless Monoponi stole my memories of figuring out myself too.”

That probably explains it. “Yeah, he would do that,” I agreed with my own nasty glare up at the balcony above us. “He’s that kind of asshole.”

“Hey! What’re you doing sitting there?” shouted Diamond Tiara as she walked up to us, hands on her hips. “Aren’t you supposed to be patrolling, Trixie?”

Trixie blanched and shot to her feet, almost losing her hat in the process. “Oh no, Trixie forgot! Sorry! She’ll get back to it right away!” She scurried off before I could say another word.

I stood up, using the bridge tower for support. “Sorry, Tiara, it was my fault. I needed to talk to her.”

She shrugged, and waved a hand dismissively. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Her nonchalance left me feeling more uneasy than ever. “Tiara, what are you doing?” I blurted without meaning to. Oh crap. Here we go. Me and my big mouth.

“Huh?” Tiara faced me, frowning. “What do you mean?”

Screw it, let’s just do this. “This,” I said, gesturing with my hands. “Being nice, being polite, shaking my hand earlier, asking to be friends, admitting you’re wrong! It’s like your whole personality just did a complete one-eighty when you woke up this morning.”

For a moment, as Tiara’s eyes twitched, her mouth twisting up into the sneer I’d come to loathe, she looked like her old self. Then she let it go, her face going neutral. “It’s like I said before, Sunset. After the trial? I was up most of the night. I couldn’t sleep. I kept going over the way I’ve been acting. Making fun of Applejack, suspecting you, treating everyone like dirt.” She worked her jaw like she’d just bit into a tough steak. “It didn’t feel good. It felt wrong. Like I was wrong.”

“So, what, you just slept on it and decided, ‘Hey, I’m going to be a good guy now!’” I crossed my arms and put all my weight on one leg, pivoting my hip. “Because I don’t buy it, and neither does anyone else.”

“You…!” She held up a finger, ready to wave it at my face, then grabbed it with her other hand and forced it back down. “I don’t blame you for doubting me. I would doubt me too if I was you. But I’m going to try and be a better person, okay?” A cold wind blasted us both, sending our hair flying. She reached out and patted hers back into place. “The only thing being mean in this killing game has gotten me is punched, threatened, and mocked. I’m sick of it. I’m sick of me. I don’t want to be a jerk anymore.”

Huh. She actually seems sincere about this. Well, alright then. I guess I can give her the benefit of the doubt. For now. I relaxed my posture. “Okay. That’s understandable. Just don’t expect us to all start liking you at once.”

“I won’t. I’m going to earn your trust.” She smiled, and thrust out her hand for me to shake. “Speaking of which, can we meet up after the dinner meeting? I’ve got something I want to share with you.”

With a shrug, I took her hand and shook it. “Sure. Just text me to let me know where and when.” So I can tell everyone else in case this is some kind of trap.

She flashed me a thumbs up, then walked off without another word.

Shrugging to myself, I checked my Monopad, noting it was about 3:30. Deciding I needed a change of pace, I wandered down to the game center, and buried myself into games for a couple of hours. Nothing fancy, no expansive story-filled RPGs or triple A titles. Just some good old fashioned platforming, racing, and so on. Mindless fun, really. While playing, my Monopad bleeped every fifteen minutes, on cue, as Fluttershy and Trixie checked in, just like they were supposed to.

By about 6:00, when I decided I was done, I’d completely forgotten that Monoponi had dispatched us to explore without ever calling us back. He’d spoken not a peep since his brief appearance in the indoor pool, so I figured he’d probably just wait till tomorrow before he threw another motive at us.

I left the game corner and went up to the promenade, deciding to grab dinner early. Opting for a burger, fries, and shake, because I hadn’t had one in days and I was craving comfort food, I took a seat at a table closest to the shops. I wanted to keep an eye out for when Fluttershy took Pinkie jewelry hunting.

And sure enough, there they went, into the jewelry shop, right on cue. Pinkie Pie perked up considerably over what I’d seen a few hours before. She even had a few curls back in her hair. Keep it up, Fluttershy. You’ve got this.

A tray clattering on my table stole my attention. I looked up to see Flash Sentry sitting down across from me, with a plate of steak and baked potato. “Hey,” he said in an unhappy tone. “Mind if I join you?”

“Please,” I said. “I could use a bit of company.”

He sat down and tucked into his steak, tearing it apart like it had insulted his family’s honor. “Sorry if I’m in a bad mood,” he muttered as he swallowed a bite.

“Don’t worry about it,” I said, shrugging. “I’m sorry Twilight treated you the way she did earlier.”

“Yeah, me too,” Flash groaned. He let out a sigh and took a swig from his glass of milk. “I mean, I can’t blame her for feeling betrayed over your secret, but… I didn’t do anything wrong.” He blinked, and looked up at me. “Did I?”

“No way!” I objected. “Understandable or not, Twi’s still being a complete jerk right now. It’s not fair to you to treat you the way she did.”

Flash sighed, falling over onto the table and dropping his fork. “No. It’s not. But I’m not gonna go yell at her about it either. I don’t want to do that, man. I’m not that kind of guy. I don’t want to be like other dudes who start treating their girlfriends like shit the moment they do something upsetting.” He pulled himself up, grabbed his fork, and stabbed his potato until it burst open in a flash of steam. “What should I do?”

“Hmm…” I took a bite of my burger, chewing thoughtfully. “I think the best thing is to just give her some space. She’ll calm down eventually. Might take a couple of days, but she will. Just be nice, say hello, don’t chase after her if she says nothing back, and leave it alone.”

“Yeah, Rainbow Dash said that too,” Flash said, grinning mirthlessly. “Guess that means you must be right.”

“Aren’t I always?” I said with a laugh.

Like I hoped, he laughed back. It was a small laugh, but it was still a laugh. It helped.

I looked up from our table over at the jewelry shop, spotting Fluttershy and Pinkie at the register, in the middle of scanning a pair of twin cuffs. “Oh hey, look. Seems like Fluttershy found a way to cheer Pinkie up.”

“Nice!” Flash said, nodding their way, watching as they left the shop. “I’m glad they--”

BONG BONG BONG BONG

Alarms rang and klaxons wailed all over the ship the instant Fluttershy stepped over the boundary between the shop and the promenade. She froze in panic, eyes looking all over the place.

“What on earth is going on?!” Rarity bellowed from her table with Applejack.

“Ah don’t know but it sure is loud!”

BONG BONG BONG BONG

Adagio sped over to us from the restaurant quarter. “What is it? What’s happening?”

I dropped my burger to my plate, watching as Pinkie, screeching in panic, fled towards the bridge deck even as Fluttershy stood there, shaking in fright. “I don’t know!” I shouted over the alarms.

Scootaloo ran over to our table. “Trouble, guys! Big trouble!”

BONG BONG BONG BONG

“No shit there’s trouble!” Flash spoke up as the flashing red lights and haunting sirens continued to blare, so loud I could barely hear myself think.

Rainbow Dash skidded up from the promenade offshoot at top speed till she reached us, with Diamond Tiara hot on her heels. “What the hell is making that noise?!” she cried, holding her hands to her ears. “It’s so goddamn loud!”

“Did someone do something?” Tiara demanded, her hands on her hips.

BONG BONG BONG BONG

Even Twilight deigned to show her face, walking up in a calm, cool, collected manner, notebook grasped in one arm. Where she’d come from, I hadn’t seen. She walked right up to me, pointed at me, and said “Did you do this? Did you do something else to make Monoponi mad?”

“What?!” I threw up my arms in disgust. “I didn’t do anything!”

“But it’s coming from right over here!” she retorted, pointing up at the loudest of the alarms overhead.

BONG BONG BONG BONG

“No, it’s coming from over there!” I said, pointing right at Fluttershy, who was still frozen in place, glancing around like something was holding her there.

Trixie, the last to join us, ran up just in time to double over, huffing and puffing. “What--”

DING-DONG BING-BONG

The alarms abruptly ceased, replaced by the usual noise that signaled Monoponi appearing on the screens. And sure enough, they lit up, with Monoponi’s face. However, there was no smug grin, no laid back charm, no snifter of brandy in his magic. Instead he was furious, steaming mad, smashing his forehooves on his table and snapping it in half. “Emergency! Emergency! All passengers, report to the promenade! Now!”

“We’re already all here!” I cried out even as his face winked off the screens.

Monoponi flashed into existence in a violent flare of light, slamming all four hooves onto the floor so hard I heard the metal under the carpet creak like he’d dented it. In his magic grip he held Pinkie Pie, hurling her still screaming over towards us. She crashed into Trixie, bowling her over and leaving them both stunned and bruised. “Outrageous!” he roared, almost as loud as the alarms had been, his voice echoing throughout the promenade. “Unbelievable! Unacceptable! I won’t tolerate this for a single instant!”

“What? What happened?” I demanded. “Nobody did anything!”

“Oh yes they did!” Monoponi shot back, raising a back leg so he could buck a nearby table with it so hard it went flying all the way across the food court and smashed into pieces against the closest wall. “I have given you all so much leeway! I have let you bend rule after rule after rule, all in the hopes of maintaining a peaceful, harmonious ocean voyage! But this! This. Shall! Not! Stand!”

“W-w-w-w-what do you mean?!” Rainbow Dash shouted, her face paling as she grabbed for her hair. “Did someone break a rule?!”

“Yes! But not just anyone! Of all the people, of all the passengers, of all the dirty little mouthy shits on this ship…” Monoponi whirled and pointed a hoof directly at Fluttershy. “You! I never expected you of all people to be the one who’d be so stupid, so thoughtless, so brainless as to actually break one of my rules!”

“What?!”

“No way!”

“What the hell?!”

“What rule did she break?!”

Fluttershy’s mouth opened up as wide as it possibly could and she screamed for all she was worth. She finally managed to figure out how to move herself again, but didn’t get very far before panels burst open on the walls and out shot four chains, grabbing hold of all four limbs and spinning her back around to face us. “No! Please!” she begged, pleading for her life, tears streaming down her face in droves, like an entire ocean had opened up beneath her feet. “I didn’t do anything!”

Monoponi pointedly strode up to her and used his magic to rummage through her pockets, withdrawing a small black box with a piece of red tape stuck to the top. “Oh? Ooooh? Then what do you call this?!” He popped open the box, revealing a beautiful gold ring encrusted with a large yellow tourmaline. “Because I call this thievery! Rule number sixteen clearly states that no items are to be removed from the shops without being logged via your Monopad! And yet here you are, with this ring on your person, without having scanned it first!”

I heard someone gasp in sheer horror, but I didn’t waste time looking their way. “Wait, wait!” I cried out, standing up and approaching them. “You can’t be serious! There’s no way Fluttershy’s a thief! Come on, let her go already! I’m sure she just forgot to scan it!”

“B-b-but I’ve never seen that ring before!” Fluttershy blubbered, shaking her head repeatedly. “I don’t know how it got in my pocket!”

“Liar!” Monoponi roared, hurling the ring back into the jewelry shop. “You are a thief! You are a rule breaker! And I will not tolerate rule breakers aboard my ship!”

“No! Don’t youfucking hurt her you bastard!” Rainbow Dash screamed, hurtling herself forward to tug at the chains.

A single flare of Monoponi’s horn was all he needed to toss Rainbow Dash back into us like a bowling ball. “Do not interfere, or you’ll be next! I have had it up to here with you people! You obviously need an example to keep you all in line.” His horn lit up again, and a transparent, barely visible crimson barrier stretched from floor to ceiling, blocking us off.

It didn’t stop Rainbow Dash from trying as she hopped to her feet and beat on the shield as hard as she could, screaming in pure unadulterated rage. I had half a mind to join her, but unlike her, I knew it was pointless. Only magic would shatter this barrier, and none of us had any magic worth a damn.

Monoponi backed away from Fluttershy so we’d all have a clear view. I was scared for a moment that he’d do something utterly horrific, like use the four chains to rip her apart, or light her on fire. Instead, his horn sparked. More panels opened up in the floor and ceiling, revealing six minigun turrets all aimed directly at her, complete with laser beam aiming sights lining up right between her eyes.

“No! No, please! I don’t want to die!” Fluttershy begged at the top of her lungs, tears still gushing from her like an endless fountain. “Not like this! Please, not like this!”

“No one does, sweetheart!” Monoponi mocked. “Ready!”

Rainbow Dash uttered another wordless screech as she slipped onto her knees, her hands bleeding from the effort of trying to beat down the shield. “No! Stop!” she cried.

“Damn it, Monoponi, you can’t do this!” I shouted.

“Aiiiim!”

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Fluttershy! No!”

Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut, slumping in the grip of the chains, accepting her fate.

“Fiiiiire!”

All six miniguns opened up at once, a cascade of bullets streaming forth, riddling poor Fluttershy with holes and turning her into a pile of mushed up steaming meat.

The barrier collapsed as a hole opened up in the promenade floor, dropping the remnants of Fluttershy’s mutilated corpse out of sight. The miniguns retracted into the panels. They’d left plenty of mess behind. Between shards of bone, bits of goopy grey matter, the pink blood scattered everywhere, plus the bullet holes…

Rainbow Dash collapsed, utterly catatonic and unresponsive. No tears came forth, no words. Nothing but a quiet whimper.

Monoponi stomped his way towards us and took flight, looming over us like an angel of death. “Let that be a lesson to you all! I will not accept any rule breakers. None whatsoever!” His horn lit up once more, and every part of the shop quarter that had been damaged or stained by the sudden execution had a new crimson shield wrapped around it. “I’d make you idiots clean this up and fix the damage, but I’m not about to hand over the necessary tools.”

The barriers that usually only closed at night slammed down in front of every shop, save for the pharmacy. “Until this is fixed, everything except the pharmacy is closed. I’ll let you morons have access to it all night tonight, just this once. I’m sure you could use a pick-me-up after what you just watched. In the meantime, watch yourselves! Don’t break any more rules. Upupu eyahahah ahahahahaha!”

Monoponi disappeared, leaving us all with only one feeling in our hearts.

Complete. Utter. Despair.

Author's Note

Happy new year, I got you a dead Fluttershy! Ouch.:fluttershyouch:

Poor Fluttershy didn't get as much attention in this story as she deserved. But as with any character that is too good for this impure earth, she was doomed from the moment she stepped foot into this killing game.

So, Trixie is ace/aro because my version of her is a bit different from the usual Trixie. I thought it fit the character pretty well, it's always good to have some representation in a story, and ace/aro people tend not to get a lot of good representation. Is it an unusual choice? Perhaps, but it's what I'm going with. A big reason for why I did this is I wanted Sunset to have one very strongly attached friend, which is what Trixie is. Trixie basically sees Sunset as a sort of big sister/super best friend kind of figure.

Next time: we continue with Daily Life. Yes, really.

Chapter Three: A Maelstrom of Murder Part 3

Chapter Three:

A Maelstrom of Murder

Daily Life Part 3

Rain cascaded down on the deck in sheets, soaking me to the bone. Thunder boomed, bolts of lightning visibly surging through the clouds. My hands gripped the guard rail as I stared out over the churning ocean waves, watching them froth and writhe.

I was cold, utterly miserable, and I didn’t give a damn. The thought of hurling myself overboard to splatter against the waves over two hundred feet below me grew more and more appealing by the minute. It’d be quick, only the slightest rush of pain. The fall would take mere seconds. I wouldn’t have enough time to panic. No more fear, no more worry over this godforsaken killing game. Just sweet release into the oblivion of non-existence.

I was never much of a religious pony when I lived in Equestria. I never believed in an afterlife. After a week in this killing game, after watching Fluttershy be brutally murdered by Monoponi right in front of us, I’m wishing there was one after all. An innocent soul like that didn’t deserve to be snuffed out without a second thought. If anyone deserved paradise in the afterlife, it’d be her.

But I knew what she’d say, if she saw me contemplating my own demise. “Don’t do it, Sunset. It’s not your fault. I don’t blame you. If you jump, you’re only letting him win.” It was cliched as all hell, but I knew she was right.

So, with one more glance at the stormy sea, I trudged back to my cabin, dripping water the whole way. Once inside, I wasted no time stripping off and showering, warming myself up till I felt reasonably human again. Then I got out, dried my hair as fast as possible, and switched out for fresh clothes.

I returned to the promenade, seeking to drown my sorrows in a fresh helping of food. Comfort eating wasn’t something I did often, but something about this place drove me to it. Better than getting drunk, or high off of some kind of pharmaceutical. I wasn’t the only one. Rainbow Dash chowed down on a plate of tacos like every single one had Monoponi’s face on it. The poor woman had thankfully gotten herself up only a few minutes after Fluttershy died, but she remained completely unresponsive. She didn’t even look my way, so I gave her space.

No one else lingered. I didn’t blame them. Despite the magical barriers Monoponi threw over the damage, the scent of iron and copper clung to the air, alongside the sharp bite of cordite fumes. For most people, the smell was off-putting, revolting even. To me, it was almost comforting, in a way. It reminded me of long nights spent in my lab in Canterlot Castle, whipping up potions or testing new spells. It wasn’t exactly the same odor, but it was close enough for me to deal with it.

I took a quick look at my Monopad as I sat down with my food at the table furthest away from Dash. 8:35. Fluttershy died over two hours ago. Right after Monoponi left, Tiara’d ordered us all to leave, an order we were all too happy to oblige. I remembered Rarity, sobbing softly, fled with Applejack trailing after her. Flash looked ready to beat the shit out of the first person who got in his way, and stomped down towards the fitness center to do just that to a punching bag. Adagio went back to her guard post, Trixie skedaddled to the library, and Scootaloo tried for ages to get Rainbow Dash to talk to her before she left. Pinkie Pie, I don’t even know where she ran off to, but the first chance she got she was gone.

I was the only one who wandered out onto the bridge deck, the storm having already dropped its first load of rain. I stood out there for only Celestia knew how long before I left to shower.

As I stuffed a forkful of food into my mouth, my Monopad dinged. I checked it, and sure enough Tiara had sent me a text, asking me to meet her down at the squash court. After forwarding that to both Adagio and Trixie so they’d know where I went, I told Tiara I’d come along. I ate swiftly, then headed down to meet her.

I found Tiara already inside the court, smashing a ball back and forth against the wall. “I’m here,” I announced, staying far to the side so she wouldn’t hit me by mistake. “What’s up?”

Tiara spun on her heel like a pinwheel, slamming the ball with her racket one more time before letting it bounce to a halt. “Sunset, I... “ She tossed her racket to the ground, and sat down on the bench next to the glass wall. “Sit with me, please.”

I took a seat next to her, studying her. Her eyes were red and puffy, like she’d been crying. Twin tear stains on her face confirmed that. As I watched her collect herself I saw her squeezing her right hand into a fist over and over, her left leg tapping constantly on the floor. “Are you okay, Tiara?” I asked.

“No. No, I’m not,” she replied, her mouth twisting up into a frown reminiscent of her usual sneer. “Fluttershy shouldn’t have died. Her death, that was…” she took a deep breath and let it out all at once, her whole body shaking. “I thought Timber and Sweetie’s executions were bad. This was a whole other level of messed up.”

“Yeah it was.” The guilt welled up from within me like a punctured oil well, threatening to burst. “I feel like it was my fault.”

“What?” Tiara favored me with a disbelieving frown. “Why? You didn’t steal the ring. Fluttershy did.”

“But that’s just it. Fluttershy was only in there because I told her to go in there. I suggested she get Pinkie Pie a gift of some kind to cheer her up.”

“Oh.” Diamond Tiara cocked her head to one side, then nodded. “Still not your fault though.”

A dry chuckle escaped my lips. “Funny to hear you of all people saying that.”

“Like I told you, I’m trying to change.” Tiara, sighing, bent over and rubbed her forehead with her thumb and index finger. “If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. I’m the one trying to be our leader. I should’ve done more to cheer Pinkie myself. Maybe if I’d gone in there with them I could’ve kept Fluttershy from stealing.”

“Maybe.” I leaned back against the wall. “I don’t get it though. Why would she steal a ring? There’s no point to it. It’s not like we have to pay for these things. All we have to do is scan them.”

Tiara shrugged. “Who knows? Not like we can ask her now.”

No. We can’t. Monoponi stole her away from us. The others he executed, they at least did something wrong. Fluttershy, though, I refuse to believe she was anything but innocent. So if she was innocent, what if…? “Maybe someone planted it on her.”

“What?!” Tiara whirled on me, eyes agog. “But the only other person in there was Pinkie Pie! What’re you saying, that Pinkie planted it on her to get her killed? Pinkie would never do something like that!”

“I guess that’s a good point,” I admitted.

“Besides, if she had, Monoponi would’ve considered it murder. But we’re not investigating, are we?” Tiara inquired, a trace of her old mocking smugness dancing on her face. “He said Fluttershy broke the rules. So she’s the one who stole the ring.”

Ugh. She’s right. What was I thinking? “You’re right. Sorry. It just seemed like it might make sense.”

Tiara snorted in derision. “Yeah, as if. Maybe if someone like Adagio or Trixie were in there with them, they--”

“Hey!” I sat up straight. “Adagio and Trixie are my friends. Don’t accuse them of that crap!”

“Tch…!” Diamond Tiara edged away from me, her expression rippling with irritation. “...fine. Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

I relaxed, resuming my leaned back posture. “Apology accepted.” She’s trying. She’s really trying. I can’t believe it, but she’s trying.

Tiara let out a breath I hadn’t realized she was holding. “Thank you.”

“So what’d you originally call me here for, anyway?”

“Oh!” Tiara snapped her fingers. “Right, right. I uh, ehehe, this is a little hard to talk about…” Her face bloomed as her mouth spread into a sheepish grin. Huh. When she looks like that, she’s actually kind of cute. Weird. “I know it’s hard to trust me, because of how I treated you.”

I made a gesture with my hand. “Go on.”

“Well, you see… I thought that maybe if I told you my secret, you might… trust me more?” Her sheepish grin grew into a full-teeth smile as she tapped her index fingers together, her eyes darting about.

“Your secret?” That’s right. The only secret that ever came out during Sweetie Belle’s trial was my own. No one else’s. I didn’t even get a chance to bring up Trixie’s with her. I still want to talk to her about that. Maybe I can get her on the subject without revealing anything. The rule against sharing is still on the books, and now we know just how willing to enforce the rules Monoponi is. But Tiara didn’t receive her own, since no one else did, so… “Are you sure that's a good idea? What if Monoponi--”

Tiara let out a quiet little laugh. “No, Sunset, I don't mean the one he gave me. I mean mine. What I think my personal secret is, anyway.”

I relaxed a tad, nodding. "But how do you know what it is?"

Diamond Tiara shrugged, her face heating up. "I don't. But this is one I'd never share with anyone, sooooo yeah." She blew a sigh out through her teeth. "Are you gonna listen, or not?"

Sure seems hard for her to talk about. I patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Alright. Go ahead.”

She bit her lip, glancing at my hand like she wanted to bat it away, then refocused on me. “Okay, so, do you remember a few days ago? The morning of the pool party?”

“Vividly,” I said, my words dripping with sarcasm. Great, she’s bringing this up. “Why?”

“Ahehehe, so, um… I slapped you. Because you called me a, uh… a bitch.”

“I remember.” My eyes flashed with ire, my right hand curling into a fist. “Why are you bringing this up?”

Letting out a wordless yelp, she backed away, her arms coming up to protect her face. “Look I know it hurt I’m sorry but I promise I’ve got a good reason!”

With a roll of my eyes, I uncurled my fist. “Just tell me already, then.”

She nodded, whimpering. “So, I don’t know if you know anything about my family, but the Rich’s are, well, rich. We’re wealthy. We’re important. My mother especially. She’s influential in the state legislature, always doing her best to pass new, more favorable laws for people like us.”

And screw over everyone else in the process. Gross. “Okay, but what does that--”

She held out a hand. “Let me finish. Please.” She took a slow, deep breath, let it go, then continued. “To my family, image is everything. We have to be refined, astute, elegant, chic. We have to be the best of the best.” She sniffed, choking back a sob. “Mother, she… one of her hobbies is raising dogs. She raises them in litters, abusing them, rearing them to be vicious, ugly killers. You know how she does it? She does it by making them fight. She keeps one to be a mother, for the next go around and makes the rest fight as much as possible. If there’s ever any runts? They barely live a few weeks. She makes them eat the bodies.”

My jaw fell open. “That’s sick! What is wrong with her?”

Tiara spread out her hands and sighed. “That’s not the worst part. The worst part is… she tried to raise me the same way. She’d insult me, berate me all the time, say I was… a worthless bitch. She wanted me to be as vicious and mean as she was.”

Well. She probably succeeded more than you’d care to admit. Still… “No wonder you reacted the way you did. I pushed a pretty big button there, didn’t I?”

“Yeah. You did.” Tiara scratched the back of her head and shrugged. “I guess I should count myself lucky. It could’ve been worse. If I hadn’t been an only child, she might’ve--”

“Oh, no, no way,” I interrupted, sweeping a hand through the air. “Come on. Dogs are one thing, but you can’t honestly expect me to believe your mom would be evil enough to make you kill your siblings.”

“I wish I could say for sure.” Tiara’s whole body slumped, her expression melancholy and bleak.

To my surprise, I found myself actually offering her a comforting hug. She rolled her eyes, but accepted it, falling into my arms. She stank of sweat, dripping it all over my fresh clothes. She withdrew after a minute or so. “Thanks,” she muttered through gritted teeth.

It’s okay to accept hugs Tiara, but I won’t push it. “You’re welcome.”

She hopped to her feet, snatched up her racket, and went back to playing squash with great intensity. “I’d like to be alone now, please,” she said, not looking back at me.

I obeyed and left. Not wanting to get all sweaty and have to shower again, I meandered about the ship, letting my thoughts roil. How I was still coping as anything other than a comatose mess from all the death we witnessed, I had no idea. Rarity and Applejack were barely holding it together. Rainbow Dash was still completely out of it in the food court. Pinkie Pie… what little chance there’d been to cheer her up was long gone now. Everyone else stewed like we were all vegetables in a slow cooker, constantly under tension but without any one thing breaking us.

In my case, I think the only things keeping me going were Trixie and Adagio. I knew I could count on them, rely on them to be there for me. They kept me afloat like a life jacket. If I were to lose either of them… god, I’d probably just fall over like Applejack and Rainbow Dash, only I wouldn’t get up again.

Maybe the other thing keeping us going was survival instincts. At our core, we still had our basic needs met. Food, water, shelter, air, none of those were in danger. Yet. So psychologically speaking, without those being threatened, there was still some level of safety, at an instinctual level.

Maybe. I dunno. I’m not a psychologist. I don’t really know anything about this shit.

DING-DONG BING-BONG

I jumped in fright, but it was just the nighttime announcement. Not that dreaded body discovery alarm. I swear, even if I lived through this I’d have years stripped from my life thanks to the stress.

As I traipsed about the ship I found myself at the spa. Despite the late hour, the systems thrummed, ready to go for any one of us who came by. The quiet music still played, relaxing and soothing.

On a whim I decided to go sit down for one of the foot massages, stripping off my socks and boots in a hurry. A part of me expected the robotic massage chair to spit out white-gloved hands like something out of a cartoon. Instead it used a combination of pistons and pressers, a feat of engineering that left me feeling a little giddy. The massage was good too, leaving me melting in my chair. No wonder Flash and Trixie felt so good afterwards.

But this was just it, I realized. With things like this around, this is how he kept us from going insane. This is how Monoponi kept us just stable enough to cope and move on after every death. Little luxuries to ease the soul. The proverbial bread and circuses, to placate the masses.

My Monopad bleeped insistently at me. I checked it, finding I’d been ignoring several texts from Trixie and Adagio demanding to know where I was. “I’m fine, girls,” I muttered to myself as I tapped out a reply.

I didn’t want to go back via that creepy access corridor, so I made my way up the grand staircase instead. As I passed by the food court, Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be seen. Hope you got back to your cabin, Dash.

I did, however, catch sight of a mass of straight-as-a-board pink locks disappearing around the corner, toward the cabins. Curious, I upped my pace, and just missed seeing Pinkie enter her cabin and close the door behind her. She had something in her grasp, some kind of tote bag. What the... isn’t she supposed to be guarding the stairwell tonight?

But before I could knock on her door and ask, Adagio burst out of my cabin. “There you are!” she hissed, her face contorted with frustration. She stomped over and with one quick swipe snatched me up by the torso and whisked me inside.

Trixie leapt up from the bed, thankfully dressed in tasteful sky blue silk pajamas. Though where she got them from, I had no idea. Maybe the spa had some? “Sunset!” she squeaked. “Where have you been? Trixie has had to make conversation with Adagio for nearly an hour!”

“A tragedy, I’m sure,” Adagio snarked, glaring at the illusionist before turning her gaze to me. “Sunset, why weren’t you answering your texts? We thought something happened to you. Again!”

“I…” Shame welled up inside me. God damn it. I did it again, didn’t I? “I didn’t mean to--”

Adagio silenced me, not with a slap as I’d feared she might, but with a tight embrace, and a kiss, cool and gentle, so unlike the fiery passion she usually displayed. It was over in a heartbeat as she drew back, eyes burning like fire. “You can’t keep doing this,” she said, her tone full of fear so naked I was shocked she’d be this open with anyone else nearby, let alone Trixie. “Y-you can’t, okay? A-after Fluttershy, after what we saw… I…”

I drew Adagio into my arms and held her tight. She buried her head into my shoulder like a giant puffball returning home to roost. I felt more than heard her sobbing, her tears staining my shirt. “I’m sorry,” I whispered into her ear. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She snorted, messily spilling snot on my shirt as she reached up and beat me on the arm with a fist. “Don’t do it again,” she growled. “I can’t take it.” She drew back from my hold, fixed me with one final glare, then stomped off to the bathroom to wash her face.

Trixie took the opportunity to spring her own hug on me. “Trixie agrees with Adagio, you know,” she said as she held me. “You can’t keep scaring us. What if you’re ambushed? Or worse, what if Monoponi decides you broke some stupid rule?”

“I know, I know, I’m sorry,” I said, giving her a squeeze. “Just, when Fluttershy died, I… I thought it might’ve been my fault. Because I told her to go to the jewelry store with Pinkie, you know? So after meeting up with Tiara, I was… meandering.” I chose not to mention what Tiara told me. It was her secret, not mine.

Trixie shivered violently, almost knocking me off my feet in the process. “Trixie doesn’t understand how you’re responsible for what Fluttershy chose to do.”

“Tiara said that too,” I said, leading Trixie over to the bed so she could sit down. The poor woman kept vibrating like an old style ringing alarm clock. “Are you okay?”

“Trixie is very anxious,” she muttered through chattering teeth. “Trixie… I’m terrified Monoponi will decide I’ve broken a rule next. I don’t want to be shot to pieces!”

At least it was quick, unlike Timber and Sweetie Belle. “I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about there, Trixie.”

“I don’t?!” Trixie shook so hard she fell off the bed, thankfully missing clocking her head on the desk by mere inches. She curled up into a fetal position. “B-b-b-but Monoponi keeps y-yelling at me a-all the time and I--”

“Hey. Hey.” I knelt down so I could stroke her back. “Hey. You’re going to be fine, I promise.”

Adagio emerged from the bathroom and glared at the collapsed Trixie. “Really.” She rolled her eyes and dropped to her knees beside me. “Trixie, you’re fine,” she groused. “Get up.”

Trixie’s nose wrinkled as she frowned up at the siren. “Don’t order Trixie around!”

“Well get up then,” Adagio fired back, one hand squeezing like she ached to put it around Trixie’s throat.

Trixie saw that, meeped, and shot up to a sitting position against the bed. “Sorry!”

Adagio blinked. “What…” She looked down at her hand, scowling at it. She forced it to uncurl. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to threaten you.”

Trixie relaxed, if only just. “It’s okay. Trixie knows you have anger problems.”

The siren broke into a full-throated belly laugh.

After that, we settled in for the night. Adagio and Trixie seemed a bit more at ease with each other, less tense. At least, neither of them tried to strangle each other in their sleep. The night passed quickly, and I awoke to the morning announcement as usual.

Even getting dressed and ready went more easily. Adagio had no problem letting Trixie go first, and Trixie was in and out before I could blink. “Did you two, like, bond last night or something?”

“Something like that,” Trixie snickered.

We made our way to breakfast. Thankfully, the smell had gone away overnight, as had most of the damage, though there were still patches of crimson forcefield. The mood this morning was even worse than yesterday, not so much grim as downright wallowing in black sludge. Anxiety and worry oozed between us like slime through cracks in a wall. Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be seen. Flash and Twilight sat at opposite ends of the food court, with Twilight refusing to look Flash’s way while Flash stared mournfully at her. Applejack and Rarity, naturally, were on guard duty, per their texts. Scootaloo sat near Diamond Tiara, both chewing quietly.

Pinkie Pie drooped over her table, a goofy smile on her face. Her forkful of eggs hung loose in her hand, and as she raised it to her mouth she missed a couple of times before she got it in. Her pupils were oddly dilated, given the bright light of the food court. “Heeey,” she said, waving at us and giggling. “What’s up?”

“Uh, not much?” I said, sharing a confused look with Trixie and Adagio.

Pinkie dropped her fork to her plate. Her happy smile flipped to an ugly, gross frown. “Not much? Not much?!” She slammed a fist on her table, sending her fork clattering to the floor. “Fluttershy died yesterday, and you call that not much?!”

“Jeez!” I took a couple steps back, my hands shooting up in surrender. “I didn’t say anything about Fluttershy. Cool it.”

“Oh.” Pinkie’s frown flipped back to the goofy smile as she scooped up her fork and tossed the fallen eggs into her mouth, carpet fuzz and all. “Okie dokie loki.”

Utterly nonplussed, I shuffled away to collect a breakfast tray. “What the hell was that?” I whispered to Adagio and Trixie as we made our selections.

Trixie spun one finger next to her head. “Trauma. Or she’s high. Trixie doesn’t know which.”

“High off what?” Adagio inquired as she collected her seafood salad.

I glanced back at Pinkie, watching the girl fall over face first into her plate. “I dunno. I thought I saw her with something last night as I was coming back.” My face fell as I let out a bitter sigh. “Probably feeling just as guilty as I am.”

“Eh.” Adagio shrugged as we sat down at a table together. “Her choice.”

As soon as we sat down, Diamond Tiara stood up, tapping a spoon to her glass. “Alright everyone, listen up. I know we lost someone last night, and it’s been rough on all of us. Even me.”

“Wasn’t just rough,” Scootaloo scowled. “It was complete bullshit. Fluttershy didn’t deserve that.”

“Yeah for real,” Flash agreed, taking his gaze away from Twilight. “We should have, like, a moment of silence or something for her.”

“I’ll agree to that,” I said, bowing my head. I saw out the corner of my eye that even Twilight acquiesced. She was whispering a soft prayer under her breath. Fluttershy, I’m sorry. You know I’m sorry. I hope that, if there is an afterlife, you’re resting there peacefully, with all the animal friends you could ever want.

“So,” Diamond Tiara said after giving us a few moments, “we need to change the guard schedule. There’s… there’s a gap, now.” She brought out her notebook. “I’m looking for people to volunteer to take the extra shift.”

“I’ll do it,” Scootaloo said immediately. “I don’t have much else to do around here, so I’ll take up her spot. She was supposed to patrol today, right?”

“She was,” Tiara nodded. “That’ll be fine for today. I’ll write that down.”

We took some time splitting off the schedule so each of us took one of Fluttershy’s shifts over the next week or two, all except for Rainbow Dash. “Where is she, anyway?” I asked once we finished.

“She’s in her cabin,” Twilight replied, her voice, though still cold, oddly tinged with a hint of sorrow. “I watched her go in last night after our guard shift. She conked out in a hurry.”

“I knocked on her door this morning,” Scootaloo added, shaking her head. “She uh, she screamed at me to leave her alone, so…”

“Well at least she’s alive,” Flash groused as he went back to his coffee.

DING-DONG BING-BONG

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” Scootaloo cried, throwing up her hands.

Monoponi’s image popped onto the screens. His table was back in one piece, albeit with a comically large x of duct tape holding it together, and paper plates with fresh food scattered about it rather than the usual fine porcelain. “Goooood morning, my lovely passengers! Please report to the bridge deck. I’ve got something extra special for you today!”

“Oooh, I like special!” Pinkie blurted as she hopped to her feet. She sped out in a hurry, stumbling every so often.

Adagio took one last bite of her salad, then calmly set her fork down. “So. New motive time?”

“New motive time,” I agreed with an unhappy nod.

“Here we go again,” Trixie moaned, doubling over with her arms hanging loosely as she walked, somehow keeping her hat on.

Together we all followed Pinkie, arriving at the bridge deck with little fanfare. The slick metal, still wet from last night’s rain, made for uneasy footing. Fresh storm clouds beckoned on the horizon, threatening to inundate us in a deluge at any time. Our anxiety only grew, now churning with a revolting scent, like boiling sewage. Rainbow Dash stomping into the crowd, her face twisted up in anger, her fists gripping so tight the knuckles turned white only added to the uneasy atmosphere. I kept my distance from her.

Monoponi wasted no time sauntering out the tower door to the balcony, humming a jaunty tune. “Oh!” he said as he spotted us, a big grin plastered on his muzzle. “There you are. How’re you all doing this fine morning, hmm?”

“Shut up!” Rainbow Dash bellowed, her voice raw and hoarse. “No one wants to hear it. Just tell us the motive already and then beat it!”

Reeling back, Monoponi’s grin flipped into a nasty snarl. “So. That’s how it’ll be, is it? I give you all a warning, I teach you a lesson about respect, and what do you take away from it? Nothing! Outrageous! Unacceptable!”

“What part of--”

“Be quiet!” Monoponi thundered, his horn lighting up to summon several bolts of lightning and a painfully loud peal of thunder. Rainbow Dash shut her mouth at once, her whole body shaking with rage. “Do you want to join your precious Fluttershy in the grave that badly? Hmm?! Because I won’t hesitate to execute you for treason if you keep up this disrespect! I am your Captain! Act like it!”

For a moment, as I watched the mixture of emotions coursing through Rainbow, I feared she’d provoke him further. But she was no more suicidal than I was, so she backed off. “Yes, sir,” she hissed.

“Better,” he said, slapping a hoof to his mouth. “Upupupu. Now then! As I said over the intercom, I have something very special for you! A brand new, one of a kind, never-before-used moooooootive!” He struck a pose as fireworks erupted above the tower. “Isn’t that exciting?”

“Oh boy, it sure is,” Scootaloo said with as much sarcasm as she could invest in it. “I can’t wait to hear it.”

I glanced Pinkie’s way, expecting her to either cheer or burst out crying, given her drug-induced state. But she said nothing. She just stood there, zonked out. Like she wasn’t paying attention at all. Good grief, Pinkie, what did you take? I hope you’re being safe with it… I was worried for her health. Last thing we needed was someone going on a drug-fueled rampage.

“For your motive,” Monoponi continued, grabbing my attention, “I’ll be presenting the blackened with a special, one of a kind offer. Upupupu…” His face split into a fresh toothy grin. “If the blackened successfully navigates the treacherous waters and stormy seas of the ship’s trial, they’ll be able to take a fellow passenger with them! That’s right, it’s two for the price of one!”

Whispers burst out amongst the crowd, several people glancing at each other in suspicion. Oh damn, I thought. I wouldn’t call this motive never-used by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s an effective one. Imagine the accom-

“Is that it?” Flash interrupted my train of thought, facing Monoponi with crossed arms. “Nothing else? No catch?”

“Upupu eyahahahahahaa!” Monoponie burst out laughing, rolling on the balcony. “Oh Flash! You do have a sparkle of creativity after all!” The alicorn ignored the look of dark hatred Twilight shot his way. “Yes, you’re right, just taking a fellow passenger along isn’t very interesting, is it? Well, that’s not all there is to this motive!”

“M-more?” Trixie spluttered, shaking in her boots. “B-b-but what else could--”

Monoponi flashed out of existence to pop up right in Trixie’s face. The poor girl shrieked and leapt backwards, falling to the deck with a thud. Then he just as quickly teleported back to the balcony. “No interruptions!” he cried.

Tears streaming down her face, Trixie nodded even as she curled back up into a fetal position for protection.

“Ahahaha! So,” Monoponi continued, “there is indeed a very special catch to this motive. A requirement, if you will. After all, if I just let you loose with this motive, there’s nothing to stop you from breaking up into pairs! You’d kill each other in a heartbeat, and then we’d end up with far too many corpses in a hurry. No, no, no. Two caveats this time.”

I rushed over to Trixie and helped her back up to her feet. “Easy there,” I said quietly. “Try to stay calm. He won’t hurt you if you’re quiet.”

Trixie whimpered in response, nodding gratefully as she stood.

“The first!” Monoponi said, stretching out his white feathered wing. “No more than one victim is allowed! We have a count to keep on this ship, and we already screwed it up because someone couldn’t keep her grubby little paws to herself! It’s first come first served to this one, so we’d better not end up with two corpses this time!” He pointed a hoof squarely at me. “Yes, I was listening to your silly little conversation yesterday morning!”

“Great,” I said, rolling my eyes. “So there’s a limit. Fine. But what’s the other caveat?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Monoponi replied, his eyes flashing. He held up his black leather wing. “The second, is this. No accomplices! You have to do this by yourself! If you have an accomplice, they are disqualified from being your plus one. I know you idiots would leap at the chance to help each other, like the little friendship loving shits that you are. So I’m taking that away from you!”

That sent me reeling back, in complete shock. “Oh damn,” I whispered. “If we can’t have an accomplice, then…”

“That’s right!” Monoponi said, cackling with glee. “The only way you can take someone with you is if you don’t work together. You’ll just have to fool them along with everyone else at the trial. Won’t they be happy? Thrilled? Ecstatic?! I know I would be.” He let out a loving sigh. “Oh, just picture it! Someone so in love with me that they’d kill for me, and kill everyone else in the process! Ooohoohoo, it’s so wonderful!”

How many people are vulnerable to this motive? I considered Adagio and Trixie, then squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. No. They wouldn’t. They’re too smart. What about Flash? Or Twilight? They might not be happy with each other, but it’s possible. Anyone else? What about… uh oh.

I opened my eyes to look at Rarity and Applejack. The farmer had the seamstress firmly in her embrace, much like she’d been ever since the trial. Is it possible they’ve rekindled their relationship? Damn, I’m so glad I didn’t show them the picture now. Adagio was right.

I reached into my pocket, feeling the picture still inside. I’d made sure to keep it on me ever since we found it, so it wouldn’t get lost. Should I get rid of it? I shook my head. No, I can’t. They have a right to know. I just have to keep it safe for now. This motive isn’t that bad, at least, not now. Not after the people we’ve already lost.

“Is there anything else you need to tell us?” Diamond Tiara asked, stepping forward. Her bearing suggested she was demonstrating respect, but I caught sight of the middle finger she held just out of Monoponi’s sight, next to her hip. “Or is that all?”

“Actually, yes, there is,” replied the alicorn with a surprisingly thoughtful expression. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do this so soon, buuut it’s too good to resist!” His horn lit up, and our Monopads all let out a bizarre bzzt sound, like we’d gotten a wrong answer on a game show or something. “Please check the rule section of your pads.”

I pulled mine out, switching it over to the rules straight away, expecting to see some other new restriction on us. Instead, to my surprise, something was actually missing. “The secrets rule,” I breathed. “It’s gone!”

“Got it in one, Sunset!” Monoponi twirled about till he struck the most ridiculous pose yet, standing on his rear hooves with his forehooves bent over his head, dancing back and forth in celebration. “You may now freely discuss each other’s secrets to your heart’s content! No need to keep that hatch battened down any longer, since it’s no longer a motive. Oooh, I can’t wait to see what happens next. Ta ta!” WIth that, he vanished in a flash of light.

“Alright, listen up everybody!” Tiara said, whirling on her heels to face us. She had her hands tucked behind her back, cutting a figure more akin to a military general than the elitist snob she’d been up until now. Then again, in Equestria there’s not much difference between the two. “I know Monoponi’s motives are always tempting, but we can beat this if we work together! We’re already working hard by taking shifts as guards. We’re becoming a team. To that end, I want to apologize, to all of you, for the way I’ve acted in the past. I’ve been a real jerk, and I want to make up for that, by keeping you all alive!”

Wow. She really is committed to turning over a new leaf. Taking a cue from her, I walked up to stand next to her and faced everyone. “Tiara’s right, guys. If weŕe going to get off this ship, we have to do it together! As a team. As friends.” I smiled and nodded to her, and though she looked a little bit flustered, she nodded back. Then I fired off a demanding look at Trixie and Adagio. Trixie hopped up to give her support right away, but Adagio took a moment before groaning and following suite.

“Excuse me,” Twilight spat, her words like a sword slicing apart our rising confidence. Memories of similar interventions from Wallflower flashed through my mind. “But as difficult as it is to believe Diamond Tiara of all people is trying to be inspiring, what makes you think any of us are going to listen to you, Sunset?”

“I dunno, I think they have a point,” Scootaloo intervened, getting up in Twilight’s face. “Maybe you don’t trust Sunset, but I do. Diamond Tiara and Sunset hate each other's guts. If they’re agreeing on something? We should probably listen.”

“Are we seriously going to argue about this?” Flash spoke up before Twilight could respond. “This is the same thing we did back when there were sixteen of us, and no one listened to Sunset then. Now there’s only eleven of us. We can’t afford to ignore her any longer. She’s right, Twilight.”

Twilight heaved a sigh, her cold gaze shattering like glass, stitching itself back together as melancholic acceptance. “I know she is. That’s not the point.” She walked right up to Flash, and raised her hand. But instead of the slap I’d expected, she caressed his face. “I just can’t trust her anymore, Flash. She lied to me. She lied to all of us.”

Flash opened up his arms, inviting Twilight in. After a moment’s hesitation, she sank into his embrace. “I know,” he said in a warm voice that banished the remnants of her icy winter’s chill. “No one’s asking you to. You don’t have to trust her to accept that she’s right.”

Twilight burst into tears. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I never should’ve--”

“Sssh, it’s okay.” He smiled down at her and gently kissed her forehead. “I forgive you.”

No one stopped them as the two walked off towards the cabins.

“So. Ah guess that happened,” Applejack commented with a shrug. Then she glowered at Tiara. “But Twi was right about one thing. Ah ain’t about to believe whatever fool thing you’re tryin’ ta pull on us. Ya can’t just change overnight. Ah dunno why Sunset’s giving you the benefit of the doubt, but you’re not gettin’ it from me.”

“Indeed,” Rarity agreed in a dark, nasty tone. “Applejack, I believe we were ‘on duty’ as Tiara would put it?”

“Right. Pardon.”

Tiara gripped one hand at her side, shaking with fury as the two walked off. “You… you…” she hissed. “I… am trying… my best!”

“Well, I’ll give you a chance,” Scootaloo said, slapping Tiara on the shoulder and smiling.

Wincing, Tiara rubbed at her shoulder and grimaced. “Uh, thanks. I think.”

That just left Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie… or maybe just Dash. Pinkie was nowhere to be seen. She must’ve wandered off without us noticing. Rainbow, on the other hand, stood silently, staring at the deck. Her eyelids fluttered, her breathing fast and shallow. Her lips moved, breathing silent words I couldn’t make out. Poor Rainbow. She needs her space. We should give it to her.

Diamond Tiara, unable to read my thoughts, strode up to Rainbow before I could object. “Hey, Rainbow Dash,” she said calmly, trying out a smile that she probably thought was sympathetic. “I know it’s been rough, losing Fluttershy, but--”

Rainbow Dash whirled on her, shoving her away. “Don’t,” she hissed. “Just. Just don’t. Leave me alone.”

Tiara stumbled backwards, falling over with a yelp. I caught her just before she hit the ground. “Hey!” she protested after getting back to her feet. “That was uncalled for.”

In response, Rainbow Dash copied one of Tiara’s favorite moves, flipping her a double bird. She stomped off in the direction of the promenade, probably heading for the fitness center.

“Let her go,” I said, grabbing hold of Tiara’s shoulder before the younger woman could move. “She needs time.”

“Grrrr…” Tiara huffed. “Fine. Look, we’re done here everybody.”

Author's Note

Everyone's just a bit more wound up after Fluttershy's death, aren't they? Just like my readers. :rainbowlaugh: (But seriously I love you all you're all the best. :heart:)

Yes, Spoiled Rich's dog training habit is a reference to Aunt Marge from Harry Potter. I was of mixed feelings about Spoiled Rich when she was revealed during Crusaders of the Lost Mark(because it gave DT an easy out for being a bully), but that was also the last piece of characterization DT ever received. So I decided that Spoiled's human counterpart would, naturally, be worse than her Equestrian self, with some extra flaws. Like training dogs to defend their estate. Or giving her daughter a complex over a word she's going to hear all the time.

If it seems strange that Rainbow Dash would choose to comfort eat right near where Fluttershy died, it's because, in her mind, she's showing a particular kind of loyalty by staying near the site of her death. It's completely irrational and ridiculous, but hey, that's what trauma does to a mind.

Next time: part four!

EDIT: Due to confusion about what secret Tiara shared, I have edited the chapter to make things clearer. To be precise: she did not tell Sunset what the secret Monoponi gave her was. She shared something from her past that she suspected was the secret about her given to someone else. She does not know if this is her secret, nor did she break the rules. Sorry for any confusion! :twilightblush:

Chapter Three: A Maelstrom of Murder Part 4

Chapter Three:

A Maelstrom of Murder

Daily Life Part 4

After stopping by the food court to finish breakfast, and taking a bit of time to exercise in the fitness center, 10:00 rolled around. My first guard shift, the stationary one by the stairwell. I quickly changed in my cabin, then headed over. Along the way, I collected a chair from the food court, opting for one of the lighter ones with more plastic than wood. Once I reached the little stairwell alcove, I set the chair down, plopped my butt on it, and waited.

And waited.

Aaaaand waited.

“Wow this is boring,” I muttered, taking a quick peek at my Monopad. Only fifteen minutes had passed. Of course. “I should’ve brought a book.”

I tapped out a brief check-in text, then set my Monopad down. I hope Rainbow Dash is doing okay. I remembered the look of fury on her face when Tiara confronted her on the bridge deck. She looked ready to punch the living daylights out of Tiara, or anyone else who got in her way. And who could blame her, after losing Fluttershy?

Damn it. I don’t care what Trixie or Tiara said. I still feel guilty about that. And I’m going to. I have to. Every person who dies on this ship is blood on my hands, because I failed to keep them together.

A cold chill ran through me. I stuffed my hands in my pockets, hoping to keep them warm. I know I shouldn’t blame myself. I know it’s Monoponi’s fault, or whoever it is behind him. I still don’t have the first clue who he really is. I wish we could find more clues, even if it’s just about how he got this ship. Maybe I should go to the library and try the archives door. It was locked before, but maybe it’s--

The clatter of footsteps on the stairwell scattered my thoughts. I sat up straight, Monopad at the ready. I flipped on the voice recorder too, just in case. But I shouldn’t have bothered. The massive orange puff of Adagio’s hair emerged alongside the siren herself, carrying a basket and traipsing up the steps in a lackadaisical manner. “Oh, hey,” Adagio said when she reached the top.

I waved in greeting. “What’s up?”

She set down the basket in her hands. It was full of a mixture of clothes, hers and mine. “Laundry. Diamond Tiara sent us all a schedule via text earlier.”

“She did?” I checked my Monopad and spotted the missed text. “Oh, I guess she did. I didn’t hear my Monopad go off.” I narrowed my eyes, then scoffed at myself. “Because I set it on silent. Whoops.” I switched that off immediately.

Chuckling dryly, Adagio said, “Figured you’d appreciate a clean tracksuit next time you work out.” She pinched her nose, waving her other hand in front of it. “Seriously, Sunset, you sweat like a pig.”

“Hey!” I objected, glaring at her. She just laughed all the harder, and soon I was laughing with her. “Yeah, I guess I do, huh?”

“You do.” She picked up her basket, winked at me, then spun on her heels and strolled away, putting that little bit of extra sashay in her hips she knew I liked. “See you later,” she said, blowing me a kiss over her shoulder.

“Well that was… something,” I muttered, shaking my head with a laugh. “Dang it, now I don’t remember what I was thinking about.”

More footsteps approached, coming from the cabins. Was Adagio coming back? But no, the footfalls were different. Harder, more weight, flat shoes rather than Adagio’s favored spiked heels. “Oh, hey Flash,” I greeted as he walked up. “How’s your patrol going?”

“Fine so far,” he said, grinning. “Hey, mind if I take a couple minutes to talk about something?”

“Sure!” I gestured to the empty space next to me. “I’d say pull up a chair, but.”

He chuckled, opting to lean against the wall next to me. “So, things are going a lot better between Twilight and me now.”

“I noticed that much,” I replied, smiling back. “I’m surprised she got over her whole trust thing with you so fast.”

“You and me both.” Flash stretched out his arms, then interlaced his fingers together behind his head. “I think it was because Fluttershy bit it. That scared her into realizing she wasn’t angry with any of us, just with you.”

My face fell. “Right. That. I don’t know how I can make up for it. I didn’t mean to li--”

“Hey, you don’t have to justify yourself to me,” Flash interrupted, clapping me on the shoulder. “I don’t hold it against you. You weren’t trying to hide it, right?”

“No. I really was going to tell everyone the first night.”

“Well there you go, then.” He shrugged, taking his hand back and placing it behind his head again. “It’s Twi’s problem, not yours. She’ll get over it.”

“Has she said anything to you?” I asked. At his questioning look, I added, “About me, I mean?”

“Oh.” Flash’s smile twisted into a concerned frown. “Yeah, actually. She wouldn’t shut up about it. How your insights into the killing game and into Monoponi help show you can’t be trusted. She’s convinced you’re going to do something to kill us all, sooner or later.” He let out a dry chuckle. “She said this motive was perfect for you. She even said you’ve been leading us in the trials so that when you do murder someone, you could blame it on someone else and we’d all buy it.”

“Ahehe,” I laughed nervously, once again reminded of the fact I considered that very course of action. Probably shouldn’t tell him that, though, unless I want to spook him. “I guess I should talk to her then. Maybe I can get her to calm down.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Flash inquired, his frown deepening. “She seriously doesn’t trust you, man. You could make things worse.”

“I know, but I still have to try,” I declared, pumping my fist in determination. “I’m not going to let this ruin our friendship.”

Arching his eyebrows, Flash said, “Well, okay. Just be careful.” His Monopad bleeped. “Oh crap, it’s already 10:30. I need to keep moving. Gotta stay on patrol, right? Take it easy, Sunset.”

As he left, I went to type out my next check in text, realizing in the process that my Monopad had been recording this whole time. “Whoops,” I muttered, turning that off. “Gotta watch out for that.”

The rest of my guard shift passed at a glacial pace, every minute feeling like days. On occasion I’d see someone pass by, but no one stopped to talk. Even Trixie just waved as she walked by carrying a big basket of laundry down the steps, then back up a good hour later. Finally, 2:00 PM rolled around, and Trixie came back so she could take over my guard spot, gratefully accepting the chair. But before I left, a thought occurred to me, so I asked her if I could borrow the picture of her, me, and Wallflower.

“Why?” she asked.

“I have an idea,” I said. “Sorry, no time to explain.”

With a shrug, Trixie dug it out of her cloak and handed it over. “Just be sure to bring it back. Trixie prizes this photo.”

“Thanks!” Now to find Twilight. I think if I play my cards right, between that dream and this picture, I might be able to mend the rift between us.

With the photo in hand, I made my way to the library, figuring it was the best place to find the researcher. And sure enough, Twilight Sparkle was present, reading in her usual chair on the third floor. She looked up on hearing my footsteps, her face twisting into one of irritated disgust.

So, despite the frown on her face twisting up more and more as I approached, I held up my hand and said quietly, “Hey, can we talk?”

She sighed, closed her book, and set it down next to her. “Why?”

Okay, not a great start. Rather than loom over her, I opted to take a seat in a nearby chair. “There’s something I didn’t tell you about, when we were talking about Equestria yesterday. I wanted to talk to you about it alone.”

Arching an eyebrow, Twilight considered me for a moment. Then she reached into her pack and pulled out her notebook, readying her pen. “Fine. Talk.”

Well, here goes nothing. “So, the other night, after the trial, I had this dream, about Equestria.”

“A dream,” Twilight said flatly. “You’re wasting my time to talk about a dream.”

“No, wait, listen, please. This dream involved you. Or at least, what I think was you.”

Twilight, in the middle of getting out of her chair, looked up at me, then sat back down. “About me?”

I took the time to describe the dream in detail, talking about all the ponies I’d seen, the happy life in Ponyville, and how it all revolved around one purple pony, the same one I’d seen blasted by the others. “I couldn’t make out their cutie marks at all,” I finished, “so I don’t know who the others were. But I’m certain the purple one was you. Or at least, connected to you. Like some kind of alternate.”

Twilight scribbled several notes down on her notebook. “Interesting,” she said, for once looking much like the Twilight I’d gotten to know prior to the second trial. “That must be the explanation for what Monoponi said about me in the first trial. This pony is connected to the reason for this killing game. I’m certain of it.”

“See, that’s what I thought too. It’s why I didn’t bring this up in front of everyone else,” I said, a smile coming to my face. “I didn’t want anyone to become suspicious of you.”

“Really?” Twilight sank back in her chair, conflicted emotions whirling across her features. “Even though it would’ve made you look less suspicious by comparison?”

“I doubt it would have done that,” I said, shaking my head. “No one believes I’m the traitor anymore. Not even Tiara. I don’t want conflict. I want this killing game to stop.”

The researcher worked her jaw, fresh doubt emerging to fight off the rest of her emotions. “But you’re still a pony. You still knew so much, anticipated so much.”

Okay, time to bring out the big guns. “I know. But I’ve got something here that will hopefully change your mind.” I brought out the picture and handed it to her.

She snatched it from my hand, frowning, before examining it closely. The more she looked, the wider her eyes became. “But, how? How is this possible? None of us knew each other before we got on this ship.”

“That’s what we thought too, when Trixie and I saw the picture,” I replied. “But we already know Monoponi stole our memories. He told us as much, remember? So I think this picture means that some of us knew each other. Maybe all of us. I think it’s likely we were all friends, and he took the memory of our friendship away.”

“But that’s, that would mean… oh my god.” Twilight gasped, her voice rising in volume in a hurry. “Oh my god, Timber and Wallflower, they must have been friends. And Sweetie and Apple Bloom too. And they killed each other. They killed their own friends! They-”

Leaping up in a panic I slapped a hand over her mouth. “Sssh!” I hissed. She struggled, pulling at my arm, mumbling scared noises through my hand. “Twilight, you almost broke the library rule!”

Twilight ceased her struggles. Slowly, I took my hand away, allowing the girl to speak again. She was too busy hyperventilating to speak, the fear in her eyes stark and obvious. I held her hand and made calming shushing noises. “Breathe, Twilight. Breathe. You’re okay. It’s okay. You didn’t actually break it. You’re okay.”

The poor nervous woman hugged herself, shaking like a leaf. “Oh my god I could’ve died,” she mumbled. “Monoponi would’ve killed me.”

“But he won’t,” I said firmly.

I stayed with her till she managed to calm her breathing. “You, you…” she huffed, staring at me with eyes agog. “You saved my life just now. You didn’t have to do that.” She blinked owlishly, hairs popping out of her bun in irregular curls. “You didn’t have to, but you did. Why?”

“It’s like I told you before, Twilight,” I replied with a sympathetic smile, “I’m trying to get everyone off this ship. Together. Alive.”

She stared at me, her expression cooling down into a curious gaze, without the cold scientific detachment she’d used with me so often lately. “You’re serious. You really mean what you say.”

My smile became strained, but I tried not to let it get to me. “Yes, Twilight. I do. Like I said before, I’m sorry you felt I betrayed your trust. I never meant for that to happen. I should’ve come clean about Equestria long before the second trial. I know I didn’t, and that was my mistake, and I’m sorry.”

For a moment there, I thought I’d gotten through to her. I thought she’d listen to me, that we’d managed to patch up the rift between us. Then all of a sudden, the cold detachment slipped right back into place. She flung my hand off hers like it was a buzzing insect. “I almost fell for that,” she growled, her voice taking on an element of black rage I’d never heard from her before. “I almost fell for that complete bullshit just now.”

“Huh?” My jaw fell open in shock. “What?”

“You heard me,” she spat, every word like a fresh dagger stabbing my heart. “I almost fell for your act. But I didn’t. Know why? Because of one little thing Monoponi said earlier, when he presented the motive. He said we had a count on this ship. Like he was trying to keep as many people alive as long as possible, to draw this out. You’re working with him. That’s why you stopped me just now. Not because you care about my life, but because you care about the game.”

“What?!” I barely kept my own volume under my control. “No, Twilight, that’s not it at all!”

“Really?” Twilight’s words dripped with mocking sarcasm. “I don’t know how you keep pulling the wool over everyone else’s eyes, but I can see right through it. You’ve been playing with our heads, toying with our emotions. I’ll bet every book I’ve ever owned you’ve been enjoying this killing game. From the start you’ve done everything you could to worm your way into our good graces, acting sooo innocent and helpful, always getting back up no matter how many times everyone else slapped you down. You’ve led us through two trials, guiding us at every twist and turn, keeping us focused so we wouldn’t notice what you’re really doing.”

My breath stuck in my throat, like a bulkhead door slamming shut, blocking off my lungs. My whole body ran cold, my blood like ice in my veins. “What?” I whispered, barely able to comprehend what I was hearing anymore. This had gone so abruptly south I didn’t know how to react.

“Sweetie Belle was right all along. You really are the traitor. You’re working with Monoponi to keep us dancing to his tune.” Twilight kept pouring on her acid-laced words till I was drowning in them. “Look at how you’ve befriended Trixie. Your relationship with Adagio Dazzle. You’ve even tamed Diamond Tiara somehow. Everything you’ve done has been to keep the game interesting, to keep us on our toes, to keep people from moving too fast, acting out of line. Especially Adagio. You had to pay special attention to her, didn’t you?”

I fell back in my chair, so overwhelmed by this accusation all I could do was manage to whisper, “What do you mean?” as tears ran down my face.

“I should’ve realized it the instant I got this secret, but I didn’t put it all together until just now.” Twilight pulled out her own Monopad and switched it on. “When I first saw it, I was wary of her. Suspicious. But I didn’t think much of it beyond that. I didn’t want her to realize what I knew. But couple that together with the knowledge of your relationship with her? The one that you started? You’re keeping her in check.”

Before I could ask her again, she held up her Monopad, showing off the secret she’d been sent by Monoponi back during the last motive.

Monoponi’s Secrets!

ADAGIO DAZZLE

“Adagio Dazzle, sexy, sensual, dangerous. But just how dangerous is this sinister songstress? Quite a bit, as it turns out! She’s got blood on her hands. That’s right! Adagio Dazzle has killed before! Will she kill again? Probably! Better stop her before it happens!”

This secret didn’t surprise me much, not after what Adagio had already told me. Was it a little creepy? Sure, but she was a siren. Creepy was kind of her thing. But worrying about Adagio was the last thing on my mind right now. “That doesn’t--I--”

“I’ll bet Monoponi assigned you to her. Isn’t that right?” Twilight snorted, turning off her Monopad and putting it away. “He knew she’d be all too happy to kill someone in this game, but he didn’t want her to go all homicidal right away. Oh no, no, no. He’s trying to keep things interesting. He told us that himself in the first trial. He wants to keep her around, so that when she does kill, it’s surprising. It’s heart-breaking. It makes for good. Drama.”

“No, no, come on, Twilight, none of that is true,” I said, finally managing to defend myself against this absurd accusation. “I’m not working with him, damn it.”

“Oh yes you are,” Twilight countered. A maniacal grin spread across her face as more and more hairs burst out of her bun. “I’m certain of it now. He made a mistake, telling us we could discuss our secrets. He shouldn’t have done that. He should’ve let you continue with whatever stupid plan you have here with me. I’ll bet you made that dream up just so you could try and get closer to me. Manipulate me. Turn me into a killer. Well I won’t listen. Not anymore. I’m going to tell everyone about this. Everyone!”

“No, Twilight, please!” Tears streamed down my face from a mixture of panic and outright sorrow as I reached out to try and take her hand again. “Please, listen to me. None of that is true. I’m not the traitor!”

She batted my hand away with enough force to leave a bruise. “Save it. I won’t believe a word from your mouth from here on out.” Twilight gathered up her things, stuffed them all in her backpack along with the book she’d been reading, all except for the picture. That, she threw in my face. As she walked out, she stopped just long enough to look over her shoulder and add, “Oh, and if I were you, Sunset? I’d watch my back.”

With that threat looming over me, she left, leaving me stunned. Overwhelmed. My face fell into my hands as I cried. I cried it all out, letting every bit of frustration go. Damn it. Damn it! I wanted to scream, to pitch a fit, to really make some noise as I sobbed, but I couldn’t. I still had enough wits about me to keep it quiet. I’m not sure how long I spent sitting there before my tears ran dry, but when they finally did, I was exhausted. And starving.

As I made my way back towards the food court, my thoughts raced a mile a minute. Now what am I going to do? Twilight’s completely against me now. God, she was starting to get convincing too. She’s not right… is she?

I froze in place, fear trickling down my spine. Could it be possible? Am I the traitor? What if Monoponi is using memory magic on me so I won’t remember what he tells me to do? What if he has me programmed so I act out everything he wants, then he--wait, no, what the hell am I thinking?

I slapped a palm to my face. That’s not possible. He’s been treating me like garbage every chance he gets. If he’d only done it when others were around, I’d worry it was just an act, a show he was putting on. But if that was the case, why would he have threatened me with death the day before the pool party? No, Twilight is wrong. She has to be wrong. I refuse to believe I’m some kind of puppet dangling on his hoof strings. I just hope no one listens to her. I don’t think anyone will at this point, but it’s still worrisome.

Resuming my walk, I reached the promenade in a hurry, with Twilight thankfully nowhere to be seen. I wasn’t the only one eating lunch. Pinkie Pie had a huge heaping pile of food on her plate, and was picking at it with more energy than I expected. She seemed calmer than earlier, less likely to wig out. Maybe she came down from her high. “Hey, Pinkie,” I greeted as I sat down next to her with my chicken taco salad.

“Oh hi Sunny,” Pinkie said, managing a small smile. It didn’t reach her eyes. Her hair remained flat as a pancake, no flounce at all.

“How’re you feeling?” I asked gently. “Hanging in there?”

Pinkied tucked a spoonful of mashed potatoes in her mouth. “Uhuh,” she mumbled, then swallowed. “Life could be worse, you know? At least we’re alive.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. I stabbed a piece of chicken on my plate and popped it into my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. “Listen, Pinkie--”

“Twilight came by just now,” Pinkie interrupted, as she jammed another spoonful of potatoes down her gullet. “She said something about you being the traitor ‘cause of Adagio.”

I dropped my fork to my plate with a clatter, splashing a bit of salsa onto my shirt. “She did.”

“Yeah, she was so angry!” Pinkie set her spoon down so she could throw her arms out and gesticulate. “And scary too. She kept going on and on and stroked her hair and gnashed her teeth like some kind of freaky deaky loonie roonie!” A cold shiver ran through Pinkie. She clutched at her pocket and pulled something out, holding it just out of sight.

I glanced nervously at Pinkie’s hand for a moment, then took up my fork. “Then what happened?”

Pinkie giggle snorted. “I told her she was a silly billy and to go soak her head. She made some kind of goofy noise at me and then left. What a weirdo.”

I relaxed just a skosh, and took up a forkful of lettuce and chicken. “That’s… that’s good.”

“Aww, it’s okay Sunny, I know what you want to say. You were worried I’d listen to her, right?” Pinkie clapped me on the shoulder so hard I choked on my food, forcing me to grab for my cup of water. “But I won’t. I’ll never let you down, Sunny. You’re my friend, and I trust you.”

A nice warmth filled my chest at that. “Heh, thanks. I’m glad someone believes in me.”

Pinkie shivered again, harder this time. “Y-y-eah, I-I’ve always got y-your b-b-b-back,” she muttered.

“Are you okay, Pinkie?” I asked, the growing smile on my face replaced with concern. “Are you cold? Do you want my jacket?”

“Um, um, sure, that’d be great,” Pinkie said, sweat beading up on her brow, her mouth split by a nervous grin. “Hey Sunny, can you, um, can you turn around, for a minute? Please?”

My heart skipped a beat. “Uh, why?”

Her grin twisted into a grimace, edging on a nasty snarl. “Please,” she repeated through gritted teeth. “Now.”

Trying desperately to ignore the cold trickle of fear down my spine, I did as she asked, tensing up my body to bolt in case I heard the swish of something flying through the air. Briefly I heard some kind of popping sound, mixed with Pinkie letting out a loud sigh of relief. Then I heard a click, and a rustle of fabric. “Okay, you can turn around now,” she said.

Did she just… “Pinkie, what’d you do?” I asked, facing her.

Pinkie waved her arm lazily, bursting into giggles. “Ooooh nothing. Nothing you gotta worry about Sunny. I’m feeling suuuper loosey goosey now.”

She did. She took something. “Pinkie,” I said, crestfallen. I shucked my jacket and handed it over. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Uh-huh!” she chirped as she donned the jacket. “Oooh, warm! Thanks, Sunny.”

“Sure. You uh, you can keep it.” I set a hand on her shoulder. “Listen, Pinkie, if there’s something wrong, you can talk to me about it, okay? I’m a pretty good listener.”

Pinkie opened her mouth to speak, then snapped it shut. I watched a flurry of emotions pass across her features, then she spoke. “Sunny,” she said in a low, sorrowful tone, “can I ask you something?”

I nodded. “Go ahead.”

She sniffled as a few tears fell down her cheeks. “What would you do if you feel like you did something really, really bad, because someone else asked you to do something and said it was okay, and it wasn’t okay?”

Uh-oh. Does she mean…maybe I shouldn’t pry too hard. I might scare her off. “I guess I’d probably go ask the person who told me to do it why they said it was okay.”

“But what if you’re scared?” Pinkie asked. “What if you’re afraid they’ll yell at you, or worse?”

“Uh, well, in my case,” I said, scratching the back of my head, “I’d probably tell my friends where I was going? Or maybe take someone with me as backup.”

Pinkie squeezed her eyes shut. “But, but, what if you’re afraid everyone will think you did something bad? A-a-and everyone would be super mad, and you might get in big trouble, a-and maybe go to jail forever, or worse, you--”

“Pinkie.” My voice silenced her tirade. “What did you do?”

She gasped, holding a hand to her mouth. “Mmm-mm, mm-mm!” she mumbled, her eyes wider than dinner plates with panic.

“Easy there, Pinkie, easy! It’s okay,” I said, scooting my chair back to give her more space. “I wasn’t accusing you of anything. I’m just asking. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s okay.”

“Oh.” Pinkie dropped her hand, her whole body relaxing. “I was just wondering, then. Thanks, Sunny.” She gave me a sad smile. “It helped.”

Did it really? “Sure, I guess.”

She stood up and prepared to dump her tray. “Wait, Pinkie,” I said, holding out a hand. “Can you promise me something, please?”

Her eyes flashed momentarily with anger before she sighed. “What is it?”

I took a moment to carefully choose my words. “If you’ve got a problem, any kind of problem, please tell me, okay? I can help you.”

“Problem? Me? I don’t have a problem! No problem here, no siree!” Pinkie laughed sheepishly over and over in a long-lasting giggle fit. “Nope. No problems. None at all. Thanks Sunny.”

She pranced off before I could say anything else. Damn it. Now I’m certain she’s on some kind of drug. Maybe I should check the pharmacy, see what’s available. I hope it’s not something addictive. Last thing we need is a junkie running around.

I’d only ever stepped inside the pharmacy twice before. Once when I bought my small first aid kit, and once during the investigation of Wallflower’s death. There were shelves full of first aid kits, of all sizes, right at the front, and the register was also at the front, so both times I hadn’t bothered to go any deeper. Now, as I explored the shelves, I was utterly astonished at the variety available.

There were plenty of the usual drugs I was familiar with, of course. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, naproxen sodium, the usual over the counter pain relievers. Plenty of anti-allergy medicine, cold and flu treatments, a whole heap of cough syrup, and more. Plus an entire section devoted to vitamins. All of the vitamins. I’d never seen ten different doses of vitamin K on a shelf before. Then there were the bandages, the tampons, pads, and other anti-period medications, anti-fungal creams, antibiotic ointment, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc.

So far it hadn’t been much I wouldn’t expect to see at any pharmacy. But this was Monoponi’s ship, so as I wandered deeper, I discovered the… nastier section. Shelves stocked high with more illicit substances, the kind you think of when you think of the word drug. Oh, plenty of it was just marijuana, in the form of edibles, drinkables, tinctures, mixtures, and so on, nothing too strong, nothing illegal. But then, there were the… black painted shelves, marked with warning signs. Cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, oxycodone, GHB, PCP, LSD, MDMA, ketamine, anabolic steroids, the list went on, including many I hadn’t even heard of before. All of it available, and all of it shockingly addictive.

I also expected to find a shelf full of poisons, and thanked my lucky stars when I didn’t see any. Though given the bevy of substances available, I doubted we’d need anything explicitly marked as poison. Why bother with giving us something that lists explicit symptoms when you could just as easily force someone to OD on cocaine or some other drug. Sheesh, no wonder Monoponi left this place open last night. Even if we make it out of here some of us might end up in rehab thanks to this.

Whatever Pinkie was taking, I hoped it wasn’t one of these. I hoped she had more sense than that, sense enough to just use something like the strong marijuana. That stuff wasn’t addictive, at least.

While I was in the pharmacy I decided to purchase some multivitamins, some caffeine pills in case of long nights, and some pads. As I made my way back to the front, I realized there was a small shelf I’d missed, containing tote bags, water bottles, coffee mugs, and so on. Huh, that’s convenient. Must be where Pinkie got hers.

I returned to my cabin with my purchases, and pondered what to do next. Then I snapped my fingers. “Right, the archives. I wanted to check that.” I texted Adagio, asking her to meet me at the library.

We met up with little fanfare. I spotted Rarity reading in a corner of the first floor, and wisely let her be. Instead we went over to the archive door. “You really think we’re going to find anything?” Adagio asked with an arched eyebrow.

“No, but…” I tried the door anyway, jimmying the doorknob. Still locked. “Darn. Worth a shot. Oh well.”

I asked Adagio to follow me to the second floor, taking her to a side corner. Once there I quickly went over what happened between Twilight and myself. “Shit,” she breathed when I finished, her face paling.

“Adagio, please tell me that the ‘blood’ on your hands wasn’t recent,” I said with a troubled frown. When she didn’t answer immediately, my heart sank. “Adagio, please.”

“It wasn’t on purpose,” she whispered. “A few years ago, before my sisters and I lost our gems, we ran across a group of three homeless men warming themselves by a fire in a barrel. We saw a chance to get a quick snack, so we took it. We manipulated them into arguing with each other. But we underestimated how much these men hated each other. It turned violent, vicious. One of them beat another to death, then ran after the third until they were both swept up by the cops.”

“Oh damn,” I replied, slack-jawed.

She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. “Sirens feed on negative emotions, Sunset, but we don’t kill people. At least, we’re not supposed to.”

Twin instincts blared in my head, one saying to run, the other saying to hug her. I went with the second one. “Was that the first time that happened?”

“...No,” Adagio said, bowing her head and squeezing her eyes shut. “It never happened in Equestria, but here, on Earth? It’s happened over and over.” She opened her eyes, full of malice. “Humans. I told you, Sunset. They’re violent. Hateful. They do things no pony or siren ever would, and they do it casually, without even thinking about it. I’ve seen it again and again.”

She wasn’t wrong. When I first arrived on Earth, completely new to this world, I read as many history books as I could, whenever I got the chance. The level of violence, of warfare, in human history exceeds that of Equestria by tens, even hundreds of times over. Equestrians, whether they were pony, siren, or anything else, hardly ever do that. Oh, there were those who overthrew other countries now and again. Violence wasn’t unheard of. But humans seemed to revel in it to such a ridiculous excess by comparison. No wonder Adagio hadn’t trusted anyone other than me.

I didn’t waste Adagio’s time by muttering platitudes. Instead, I held her tighter, staying with her until I felt her relax. “Thanks,” she grumbled, wriggling out of my grip as her cheeks bloomed.

“You’re welcome. I snickered at her obvious embarrassment. The brief flicker of happiness faded as I said, “So what do we do about Twilight?”

“We? Nothing.” Adagio crossed her arms over her chest. “Not together, anyway. We’ll only make her look more credible if we react like that. Let her rant. She’ll probably miss the evening meeting anyway, since her guard shift is at 2:00 AM.”

“I guess you’re right.”

Adagio uncrossed her arms and shifted her weight to one leg. “By the way,” she said, gesturing with her hand and frowning, “I think I’m going to spend tonight in my own cabin. I’m tired of listening to Trixie moan in her sleep about rotelle.” She raised one eyebrow at me. “Unless you think you can convince her to sleep on her own instead.”

I shook my head. “No, I doubt it. If anything, Trixie’s even more terrified after Fluttershy died. And I don’t blame her. You do what you need to. I can deal with Trixie’s sleep talking.”

Sure enough, when the evening meeting rolled around, Twilight was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Rainbow Dash. Both were in their rooms asleep, according to Scootaloo. Diamond Tiara spent most of the meeting going on and on about how we needed to stick together as a team, to the point of being a little nauseating even for my taste. No one else contributed much, especially not Pinkie Pie, who was back to her mood swings.

I spent the rest of the evening with Trixie in the game corner, finding a co-op RPG to play together. We chatted some about her father, since I brought up her secret. “Trixie knows he abandoned her,” she pouted, “but she still loves him. One of these days, when she can afford to travel the world, she’ll find him again.”

Focused on the game, it took me a few minutes before I could respond. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Honestly? No. But Trixie will do it anyway.” Trixie sent her character in game careening into a horde of goblins like a bowling ball. “You’ve never met him. You don’t know the magic he’s capable of. Trixie is incredible, powerful and great, but compared to him? She’s a mere apprentice.”

“Huh. Sounds pretty nice then. Maybe when we all escape from here we should catch one of his magic shows, if he still holds them.”

Trixie smiled. “Trixie would like that.”

DING-DONG BING-BONG

As Monoponi’s nighttime announcement rang throughout the ship, we headed back to my cabin, waving to Scootaloo as the poor exhausted woman walked back to hers, her long patrol shift finally over. Once we got in, I went to change into my pajamas. Trixie had found me a pair in the same place she’d found her own. Turns out they’d been in one of the laundry room dryers, a set of pajamas for all of us in matching colors. Who knew?

Sinking into the freshly laundered sheets, I concluded that yes, Trixie was right. They needed the wash. “No Adagio?” Trixie inquired as she joined me.

“No, she wanted to sleep in her own cabin tonight.” I grinned at my illusionist friend. “She hates your sleep talking.”

Trixie held a hand to her breast. “What? Trixie does not sleep talk! She would never!”

“Uh, I hate to break the bad news Trixie, but you do,” I said, snickering.

With a dramatic roll of her eyes and a sigh, Trixie laid down. “Trixie is offended by this assertion. She asks that you prove it.”

I pulled out my Monopad and grinned cheekily. “I can, if you want me to.”

Trixie blew a sigh out through her nose as she glared at me. “That won’t be necessary. Trixie concedes.”

I laughed as I rolled over, finding a more comfortable posture. “I hope I can sleep tonight. I’m pretty worried about Twilight.”

Trixie’s face fell. “Oh. Yes. Trixie was confronted by Twilight earlier today. She was ranting and raving so much she gave Trixie a headache.” She reached out to pull my arm over, holding it like it was a security blanket. “Sunset, there’s nothing true about what she said, is there?”

I shook my head firmly. “No, Trixie. There isn’t. Twilight’s picking apart at coincidences and making up things out of nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Trixie frowned, but said nothing as she switched the light off. Soon, I was out like a light, completely dead to the world, lost in bizarre dreams until morning.

DING-DONG BING-BONG

As usual, I awoke to the morning announcement, tuning out Monoponi’s irritating voice. Despite my worries from the previous night, I’d slept pretty well. “Morning, Trixie,” I said, sitting up with a yawn.

Then I blinked. Trixie wasn’t in bed. She was already in the bathroom, showering. I shrugged. “Must’ve woken up early.”

So I waited patiently for my turn, and soon enough we were both headed to the food court, having met up with Adagio along the way. The siren looked remarkably alert. “Sleep well?” I said, grinning.

“Soundly,” Adagio grinned back. “That was a good idea.”

“Oh, by the way, you left your first aid kit in my room last night,” I said, taking a moment to rummage through my backpack and pull out the massive thing. “Here.”

Adagio had the good grace to look abashed as she took it. “Thank you. Don’t know why I forgot it.”

As we arrived, we split up to gather our breakfast, then joined the others. Apart from Applejack, who was standing guard at the access stairwell, and Rarity, who waved at me with a small smile as she walked by on patrol, just about everyone was there already. Even Rainbow Dash and Twilight were present. Twilight was in one corner of the food court, sitting next to Flash, glaring my way with a look of utter black hatred. Rainbow seemed even angrier this morning than she had the last, tearing into her breakfast sandwich like she hadn’t eaten in months.

It was only after I’d taken a few bites of my fruit salad that I realized someone was missing. “Hey, guys, where’s Pinkie Pie?”

Diamond Tiara frowned. “Didn’t anyone see her when we all got up?”

“Nuh-uh,” Scootaloo replied, her face crinkling up with worry. “I haven’t. I didn’t check her room either.”

Diamond Tiara whipped out her Monopad and shot off a quick text. “Just asked Applejack to check for us. I swear, if she’s sleeping in…” Her Monopad bleeped, and as she read it, her face grew concerned. “She’s not answering her door.”

“I’ll try texting her,” Scootaloo said, bringing out her own Monopad.

“Uh, I don’t want to worry anyone, but when was the last time anyone saw her?” Flash said, standing up in a hurry.

“I saw her when I started my guard shift, and a few times throughout it,” Tiara answered, also getting to her feet. “But I don’t remember if I saw her go back to her cabin.”

Twilight set her fork down. “Should we go look for her?”

“Do we really have to?” Rainbow Dash groused, her voice bitter.

Scootaloo looked up, her eyes full of panic. “Guys, she’s not answering her texts either.”

Adagio stood up. “I think we should, yes.”

Tiara nodded, and tapped out a text to Applejack and Rarity. “Alright everyone, split up! We’ll track her down.”

“Where do you think she is?” Adagio asked me as she, Trixie, and I formed a team.

“Trixie thinks she could be anywhere,” Trixie said sadly, squeezing her cloak in her hands. “Trixie is afraid she might be--”

“No. Don’t say it. Please,” I said. I directed us towards the pharmacy first, just in case, but she wasn’t there. So we swept towards the promenade offshoot, heading for the theater first. Before we entered it, though, we heard a bone-chilling scream echo from down the promenade stairs.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!”

“That sounded like Rarity!” I blurted. “Come on, this way!”

We ran as fast as we could, leaping down the stairs, into the open door of the fitness center, finding Rarity staring at the floor in the weight-room. “Are you okay, Rarity?” I asked as we arrived.

“I--I’m fine darlings, but look, blood!” She pointed, and sure enough, there was a large puddle of blood soaking into the carpet, all rust-pink and gross. The rest of the weight room didn’t look much better, with half the machines tipped over, dumbbells knocked loose, etc. But Pinkie’s body was nowhere to be seen.

“She’s not here. Rarity, come on, let’s check the rest of the center. She might need our help.”

With Rarity in tow as our fourth, we entered the corridor for the basketball and squash courts. I didn’t see anything in either of them, so I hurried us forward into the indoor pool area. Please be okay. God, Pinkie Pie, please be okay!

But as we entered, I discovered my prayers had fallen on deaf ears. Once again, my heart sank into a deep, bottomless abyss, the gnawing emptiness clawing at my soul, threatening to swallow me whole.

Because there, floating face up in the pool, her whole body swollen up like a balloon, was the decaying remains of Pinkamena Diane Pie.

Author's Note

Pinkie Pie was not intended to be a surprise victim, so I hope I didn't startle too many with this one. The real surprises are yet to come.

Next time: the investigation.

Chapter Three: A Maelstrom of Murder Part 5

Chapter Three:

A Maelstrom of Murder

Deadly Life

Rarity uttered another spine-tingling shriek, clapping her hands to her head before fainting. I just caught her in time to save her from cracking her head on the tile.

“Holy hell,” Adagio muttered, staring wide-eyed at the bloated corpse. “What happened to her?”

“Murder,” Trixie squeaked as she clapsed her face in her hands. Tears drizzled between her fingers. “It happened again. It happened again!”

DING-DONG DONG-DING

That wretched happy tone signaled Monoponie’s appearance on the poolside screens. He had a large pot of coffee gripped between his forehooves, chugging it like a frat boy on a Friday night. “A body has been discovered!” he chortled. “Please gather at the indoor pool in the fitness center, at once!”

As his image winked off, I gently set Rarity down on the floor, and popped out my first aid kit from my backpack, locating some smelling salts. I wafted them under Rarity’s nose till she sat up, coughing and spluttering. “Ugh, really, darling, must you use that wretched substance?”

“Sorry,” I frowned apologetically as I helped her sit up. “But we can’t be having you passed out right now.”

Rarity let out a sorrowful moan when she saw Pinkie’s body again. “Oh why did this have to happen? Pinkie Pie didn’t deserve this…”

Applejack was the first to arrive, galloping in with her whole body tensed up like a steel suspension cable. “Was it Pink--oh mah sweet lord,” she gasped, skidding to a halt. She took off her hat and held it to her breast.

Diamond Tiara barreled in next, took one look at Pinkie’s body, and cursed.

Flash and Twilight arrived next, with Flash bursting out screaming the instant he saw the body. Twilight gripped his arm, silent tears running down her face.

Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were the last to arrive. Rainbow grit her teeth, her fists squeezed so hard at her sides they turned white. Scootaloo stomped her foot, glaring at us with a combination of rage and sorrow, tears streaming from her eyes. “Someone did it again,” she spat. “Why? Why can’t we stop killing each other?!”

“Because it’s just too much fun!” Monoponi blurted as he flashed into existence in a large sweeping flight over the pool, coming for a landing right before us. He twirled on his hooves to look at the body. “Well well, Pinkie Pie perished particularly painfully, didn’t she? Ahahahaha!”

“Sure looks like it,” Adagio agreed, her fale turning pale tinged with green. “Her body’s so swollen too. How long ago did she die?”

“Oh, you don’t really expect me to just tell that to you, do you?” Monoponi mocked, holding a hoof to his mouth. “Upupu. That’s what the investigation is for!”

Diamond Tiara slammed a fist into the closest nearby object, in this case one of the bleachers. “But this is impossible! We set up guard schedules and everything! We should’ve had someone patrolling in here all night! How did the killer get through all that? Why didn’t anyone notice her body?”

“Oh, what’s that, your pathetic little security measures failed?” Monoponi rushed at her, eliciting a scream of terror before he retreated. “Ahahaha, you’re still the same old coward. Diamond Tiara, the useless stupid rich kid no one likes or respects. Is it any wonder your plan failed?”

Gritting her teeth, Tiara scrambled to her feet and backed away from the alicorn, putting several of us between her and him. “Goddamn little shit,” I heard her mutter.

“Well, now that that’s out of way,” Monoponi said, twirling about on his hoof till he faced the rest of us. “Are there any other wastes of time you idiots want to indulge in? Hmm?” He held up a hoof to his ear. “What’s that? No pointless accusations of your Captain? No piddling about with pretending you’re all innocent little fillies and colts who’d never harm a hair on anypony else’s head? No? Good! You’re finally learning.”

His horn flashed, and our Monopads all bleeped at once. “Now, before you get started on the investigation, I’m going to ask you to check your Monopad. There’s a special little surprise in store for you, upupupu!”

Feeling a sense of dread overtake me, I switched on my Monopad screen, tabbed over to evidence… and almost dropped the pad on the floor.

Fact #1: Monoponi File IIIa: “The victim is Fluttershy, the Ultimate Veterinarian. She was executed by machine gun turrets on the promenade at approximately 6:15 PM Tuesday evening, due to her theft of a tourmaline encrusted gold ring from the jewelry store.”

“What?” I breathed. “Fluttershy?! But I thought she was executed for rule breaking! What does she have to do with Pinkie Pie?”

Similar outbursts of incredulity arose from everyone else present, except for Rainbow Dash. Shaking in fury didn’t come close to describing the outpouring of anger from her. An aura ignited all around her, glowing in a brilliant burst of white-hot rage scintillating with every color of the rainbow, burning so bright I could barely stand to look at her. What the hell? Since when does Rainbow Dash have magic?!

“Good heavens!” Rarity burst out, hiding behind Applejack, pointing a shaky finger at the glowing Dash. “What on earth is happening?”

“Aaaah!” Trixie cried, diving for the doorway to the courts.

“Woho, that’s not supposed to happen!” Monoponi blurted, a look of panic rising on his face. His horn lit up in dark crimson, lashing out like a bullwhip to curl around Rainbow Dash. She spun like a tornado as he drained the aura from her, leaving her sprawled on the floor, clutching her head and moaning. “Muuuch better. Must’ve missed some the last time.”

I knelt down to look over Rainbow Dash and had to leap away to avoid a sudden splash of vomit, the poor girl heaving up every last bit of food in her belly. As I took out my first aid kit, searching for something to soothe her aching stomach, I said, “The last time? What do you me--”

“No questions! I won’t say a single word! You’ll get nothing from me!” Monoponi clammed up, shoving both forehooves into his mouth to block it off, and mumbled some more inanities I couldn’t make out.

“Fine, whatever.” I could worry about whatever the hell that was later. I dug out some chewable tablets and unwrapped them. “Here, take this, Rainbow.”

“Thanks,” she muttered, tossing them into her mouth.

“Nevermind the glowing light show!” Tiara interrupted, stomping a foot for attention. “What’s up with Fluttershy being a victim?”

All amusement vanished from Monoponi’s face as he gnashed his teeth, wriggling all six limbs in frustration. “Because someone tricked me! Some little shit planted that ring on Fluttershy, and made me do the hard work of killing her for them! This is an outrage! I won’t stand for such mockery, such devious trickery on my ship! No one makes a fool out of Captain Monoponi!”

Oh my god. Is that what Pinkie Pie was talking about to me last night? “But,” I said aloud, “why didn’t you call a trial after it happened?”

“Upupu, the blame lies with you, Sunset!” Monoponi giggled, pointing a hoof squarely at me. “I told you I heard your little conversation the other day! You said there’d be two victims! Well, now there’s two victims! Ahahahaha!”

Several people cast dark, furious glares my way, but I tried to ignore them. It’s not my fault. I didn’t kill Pinkie. I didn’t kill Fluttershy. I won’t accept the blame for this. “So you deliberately goaded us into killing someone else just so you could run a trial for both of them.”

“Exactly!” Tittering, Monoponi twirled on his rear hooves like a ballerina, then settled back down on all fours. “After all, if I’m going to hold a trial, why not make it big? Bold? Exciting even!”

“Wait, if there’s two victims,” Scootaloo pointed out, growing horror ever increasing on her face, “Does that mean there are two blackeneds?!”

My heart hammered like a rampaging elephant trying to burst out through my chest. “Two blackeneds…”

“Is it even possible?!” Rarity squealed, looking close to fainting again. Applejack took a step closer to her, ready to catch her if need be.

“Are there two? Is there one? Who knows?! Well, I do, but I won’t tell you, upupupu!” With a flourish of his horn our Monopads received the second file. “I’ll tell you this. If and only if there are two blackeneds, you’ll have to find both of them to succeed in this trial! Failure to find one will mean your death!” His muzzle split open, revealing his sharp, jagged teeth, dripping with drool. “And nothing would make me happier than to put all of you idiots out of my misery at once!”

“Great,” Twilight grumbled dryly, throwing up her hands so they could clap at her sides. “Wonderful. Fantastic. Brilliant! Absolutely amazing!” She shook her head in disbelief. “Don’t even know how many people we’re looking for this time. How will we know what is and isn’t important?”

“Don’t ask me!” Monoponi retorted, waving a hoof dismissively at her.”That’s for you to decide, not I!”

“Excuse me, Monoponi,” Adagio said, her smile and tone dripping with acidic non-sincerity. “But if there’s two blackeneds, who gets executed? Will you kill them both?”

We all fell silent. It was a damned good question. Who would be executed? I’ll bet he’ll make us pick. He’s that kind of sadist.

“Hmm… hmmm… “ Monoponi spent several minutes scratching his chin, then set a hoof to his mouth. “Ahaha, I know! I won’t tell you!”

“What?” the siren blurted, all traces of respect gone in a flash of ire. “Why not?”

“Because it’s more fun this way,” Monoponi giggled. “You won’t find out who dies until after you’ve successfully determined whether there's one or two blackeneds! Oooh the suspense will be so thrilling! Eyahahahaha!”

“Grrrr…” Adagio hissed, her hands curling up like claws.

I set a hand on her shoulder. “Easy there, Adagio,” I said in a soothing tone. She shrugged me off, but nodded at me all the same.

“Are we done here?” Monoponi demanded, glaring at us all. “Yes? No? Yes? No more questions? Well then get to it, idiots! Your investigation time starts now!” He disappeared in a brilliant flash of crimson light.

Here we go again. Once again, we’ve got to track down the culprit. Or culprits. Whichever it may be. I set my features into grim determination, nodding to myself. Either way, I’m ready. Let’s do this.

*INVESTIGATION START*

Before I did anything else, I bent down again to check on Rainbow. “How’re you doing, Rainbow?”

Rainbow’s cheeks bulged and she clapped a hand to her mouth, rocking back and forth for a moment before relaxing. “Not good,” she moaned. “Like I was tossed through a dryer on spin cycle. At a thousand miles an hour.”

“Maybe you should guard the body, then,” I said, smiling sympathetically.

“But… I… Fluttershy--”

“I know,” I said, holding out a hand. “I know. Don’t worry. I’ll crack the case for you, I promise. Alright? You need to take care of yourself. Being drained like that isn’t good for you.”

“Do you know what Monoponi did, Sunset?” Twilight interrupted, glaring at me. “Wait, what am I saying. Of course you do. Because you’re--”

“I’m only going to say this once,” said Adagio Dazzle as she clapped a hand on Twilight’s shoulder so hard the researcher yelped in pain. Adagio spun Twilight around and focused her wintery cold predatory gaze with bared teeth, causing the younger woman to freeze up in fright. “Don’t. Waste. Our. Time. If you want to accuse Sunset, save it for the trial. Got it?”

“Mmhmm!” Twilight mumbled, nodding like a bobble head.

Adagio flashed her a mocking smile then shoved her away stumbling into Flash Sentry’s waiting arms. “Good.”

“Hey, what the hell, Adagio!” Flash protested, cradling Twilight protectively. “You don’t have to threaten her like that!”

“Shut it, Sentry,” Adagio barked, looking every bit the rude, nasty woman she’d been on the first night of our voyage as she flipped him off. “We don’t have time to argue.”

Flash sneered, his upper lip quivering. “Come on, Twilight, let’s go search somewhere else.” He took a brief moment to glare daggers at me before they left the room altogether.

I sighed in frustration. “Adagio…”

Adagio whirled on me, grimacing. “Like I told him, no time, Sunset.”

“I know, I know… we still need someone else to guard the body with Rainbow though.”

Scootaloo stepped forward, raising a hand. “I’ll stick with Rainbow Dash. I’ll make sure she’s okay.”

Smiling, I handed over my first aid kit. “Take this, then. She’ll probably need more antacids.”

Tossing off a two-fingered salute, Scootaloo took the kit and started keeping watch.

Okay. Time to check the file. I switched my Monopad back on and clicked over to the second file.

Fact #2: Monoponi File IIIb: “The victim is Pinkie Pie, the Ultimate Party Planner. The victim’s body has multiple injuries, including blunt force trauma to the head, puncture wounds on the arms, and the fifth metacarpal bone of both hands are broken. Signs of opioids were discovered in the victim’s blood.”

“Whoa nelly,” Applejack breathed as she read over my shoulder. “Poor girl went through the ringer, didn’t she?”

“She sure did. No time of death either, so who knows when it happened.” looked up at the body, recoiling in disgust at the sight. “Did you want to examine the body with me?”

“If it’s all the same to you Ah’d rather keep an eye on Rarity,” Applejack said, shaking her head. “It’s not a pretty sight, so Ah don’t blame her if she doesn’t want to stick around.”

Trixie’s hand shot up. “Um, Sunset, if it’s okay with you, Trixie wants to help.” She stood up shakily, stabilizing herself by grabbing onto my shoulder.

I arched an eyebrow at the illusionist, noting how pale she looked. “Are you sure? This is gonna be pretty gross.”

“Yes,” Trixie said, gulping nervously. “Trixie hasn’t been much help in the past two investigations. She doesn’t want to sit on the sidelines this time.”

“Alright then. Adagio, do you have the gloves?”

The siren reached into her pockets and tossed us each a pair of disposables. “Right here.”

I thanked her, slipped them on with a snap, then made my way towards the body. Pinkie’s bloated corpse drifted in the water, just close enough to be reached without going in. Not wanting to get soaked, Adagio and I carefully took hold of the body and dragged it out of the water, splashing water everywhere into our shoes. “So gross,” I groaned.

Every part of her exposed body was like sandpaper, red, rough, and dried out, like she’d suffered chemical burns. Her lips, eyelids, fingers, arms, legs, and cheeks had swollen up like she’d been filed up by a bicycle pump. Her mouth was open, too, exposing her tongue, like a fat slug. Her hair was sticky with blood in many places, difficult to make out due to the similar color.

Fact #3: Body Condition: “The body was discovered floating face up in the shallow end of the pool. Every part of the exposed skin is covered in red rashes similar to chemical burns.”

Remembering the Monoponi file, I decided to examine her head first, searching for the wound, and found it right on the back of her head where the parietal and occipital skull bones met. It was nasty, a huge gash torn open to the bone, revealing dozens of cracks zigzagging out from the impact site. The entire back of her head was stained pink with her blood. My gorge rose, but I forced it back down, trying to maintain some form of clinical detachment. “Jeez, Pinkie, this must’ve hurt bad,” I muttered.

“What do you think caused it?” Adagio wondered, equally disgusted.

Trixie took one look at the wound and cringed, holding her arm to her mouth. “Trixie doesn’t want to know,” she mumbled.

*Updated* Fact #3: Body Condition: “The body was discovered floating face up in the shallow end of the pool. Every part of the exposed skin is covered in red rashes similar to chemical burns. The back of her skull was broken open by the impact of a blunt object.”

I moved on to her arms. She was still dressed in the jacket I’d lent her, the leather ruined by the water damage. I rolled up the sleeves and checked her left arm first. Sure enough, there were the puncture wounds mentioned, a whole bunch of little ones spotted up and down her arm. “Needles,” I said in a melancholy tone. “She was injecting herself with needles.”

“That’d explain the opioids mentioned in the Monoponi file,” Adagio said, nodding.

“She injected herself right in front of me once, yesterday,” I said, squeezing my eyes shut. “She made me turn away so I couldn’t see her do it. Damn it, I should’ve just stopped her then.”

*Updated* Fact #3: Body Condition: “The body was discovered floating face up in the shallow end of the pool. Every part of the exposed skin is covered in red rashes similar to chemical burns. The back of her skull was broken open by the impact of a blunt object. There are multiple puncture wounds, consistent with needles, on both of her arms.”

“Why is she wearing one of your jackets?” Trixie asked, holding up the material in question.

“Oh, I gave it to her, because she was shivering and cold,” I answered. “Probably a side effect of withdrawal from whatever drug she was using.”

Adagio stood up, stretching out her arms as her knees popped and crackled. “Mrph, we should check her room, see if we can’t find what she was using.”

I raised a hand to my chin, only just barely remembering in time not to actually touch myself with the blood soaked glove. “But aren’t the rooms locked?”

“She might have her room key on her still,” Trixie muttered. Sticking out her tongue from the effort, she fumbled through Pinkie’s skirt pockets till she pulled out something shiny, dangling it in her hand. “Here we go. One key.” She set it down and scooted it over. “Huh, there’s actually a second key here. Nothing else though.” She tossed the second key over.

“Wait, really?” I asked, arching an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t she have her Monopad?” I took a moment to search Pinkie’s pockets, including the pockets of the jacket, but I didn’t find anything. “I thought we were supposed to keep our Monopads on us at all times.”

“Yeah,” Trixie mused with a frown. “That is what Trixie thought too. Maybe someone took it?”

“But that’s against the rules,” I pointed out. “Unless that rule doesn’t apply once someone’s dead.”

“Maybe it doesn’t. We never asked,” Trixie said, shrugging.

Shrugging back, I decided to examine her hands next. Unfortunately, due to the swelling, it was very difficult to tell what was and wasn’t broken in her hand. The skin of her hands had started to slough off, especially along the pinkie finger and wrist. Whatever broke her hands inflicted serious damage, enough to leave them especially vulnerable to watery decomposition.

*Updated* Fact #3: Body Condition: “The body was discovered floating face up in the shallow end of the pool. Every part of the exposed skin is covered in red rashes similar to chemical burns. The back of her skull was broken open by the impact of a blunt object. There are multiple puncture wounds, consistent with needles, on both of her arms. The skin along both hands had started to slough off.”

Adagio stripped off her gloves. “I’d say we’re done here. I want to go check out that scene in the weight room. We didn’t get a close look at it.”

Trixie sprang up from the body in a hurry, holding an arm to her mouth. “Trixie is all too happy to follow.”

“Sure, go ahead. I just want to give the body a quick once over, in case we missed anything,” I replied, kneeling back over it.

I felt Adagio’s hand grip my shoulder. “No time, Sunset. Come on.”

“Wha--hey!” I found myself dragged up to my feet, spun around, and pushed back towards the weight rooms. “But we weren’t done! What if we missed something?”

“I doubt we did,” Adagio growled. “Come on.”

Fine, jeez. I stripped off my gloves and tossed them in a bin as we passed by the courts. We entered the weight room, finding Diamond Tiara walking around, snapping pictures with her Monopad. I quietly took in the scene.

The puddle of blood we’d noticed was right in the center of the room. It was a good six inches or more across, congealed and half dried into an ugly rusty dark pink color. There was a single bloody footprint sticking out of the puddle, just the heel portion, so it could’ve belonged to anyone. All of the equipment around the pool was disturbed, knocked over, or moved out of position.

Fact #4: Weight-Lifting Room: “The central mat is covered in a large half-dried bloodstain with a single bloody footprint heel emerging from it. The equipment in the room was moved around and disturbed, suggesting a struggle.”

I bent down to look closer at the bloodstain and the surrounding area, for anything out of place. “Hey, look at this, guys,” I said. There were a number of hairs scattered around the scene, all over the place. Some of them were curly and pink, just like Pinkie’s hair. The rest were yellow and straight. All except for one. That one was wavy and purple. Odd.

*Updated* Fact #4: Weight-Lifting Room: “The central mat is covered in a large half-dried bloodstain with a single bloody footprint heel emerging from it. The equipment in the room was moved around and disturbed, suggesting a struggle. Curly pink hairs and straight yellow hairs were discovered at the scene, alongside a single wavy purple hair.”

“Hmm…” Trixie muttered, scratching her chin, narrowing her eyes at the two of us. “This isn’t either of you, right?” Adagio’s icy returning stare said it all. Trixie let out a yelp and stepped back. “Sorry, sorry!”

“Anyway,” Adagio groused, scanning the room, “I don’t see the murder weapon anywhere. What do you think they used?”

“Check the shelves,” I ordered, moving over to them. I scanned up and down the shelves of kettlebells, medicine balls, dumbbells… and then I spotted one, with just the slightest hint of pink on it. I pulled on it, winced, then took hold of it with both hands. “Jeez this is heavy.” I held it up as high as I could so I could check the weight. Seventy pounds. No wonder. I managed to turn it around in my hands enough to see the pink splotch I noticed. It was very faint, barely present on one end. Like someone cleaned it off and missed a spot. I checked for any other bits, but I didn’t see any.

Fact #5: Dumbbell: “A seventy pound dumbbell, with a small splotch of blood on one end.”

I handed it over to Adagio, who, to my surprise, easily handled it in one hand. “Huh. Pretty heavy,” she murmured. She held it up over her head, then gave it a couple of practice swings. “This wouldn’t be easy to use for most people.”

“Yeah,” I murmured. “Probably only yourself, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and maybe Flash Sentry could use it.”

“And Rarity,” Trixie added. “Rarity is way stronger than she looks.”

*Updated* Fact #5: Dumbbell: “A seventy pound dumbbell, with a small splotch of blood on one end. Only five people could use it as a weapon: Flash Sentry, Adagio Dazzle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity.”

While Adagio set the dumbbell down, I walked over to Diamond Tiara. “Hey, Tiara, did you see anything stand out we hadn’t noticed yet?”

Tiara smirked. “Yeah, actually,” she said, pointing at a shelf of free weights in the corner. “Take a look under that shelf.”

Navigating through the machines, I bent down to look under the shelf. Sure enough, there were several loose circular weights there, dripping wet onto a towel tucked underneath them. A jump rope was threaded through each of the weights, tied in loose knots at both ends. Each weight was a good fifty pounds.“What the heck?”

Fact #6: Free Weights and Rope: “A group of four fifty pound free weights, placed under the free weight shelf, dripping with water. They were tied together with a jump rope threaded through and knotted loosely at both ends.”

“Weird, isn’t it?” Tiara commented as I stood back up.

I glanced at Adagio, who shrugged. Poor Trixie looked utterly baffled, holding her hands to her chest as she pouted. “Trixie doesn’t understand.”

“We’ve still got a lot to examine, Trixie, don’t worry,” I said, patting her on the shoulder. “Actually, Tiara, while I have you here, do you think you could share with me the guard schedule over the last day? We didn’t get a time of death for Pinkie.”

Diamond Tiara rummaged through her pack and pulled out her notebook. “Here. Take a picture. S is for stationary, P for patrol.”

Fact #7: Guard Schedule: “The guard schedule on Wednesday into Thursday is as follows:
2:00 PM Trixie S/Scootaloo P
6:00 PM Adagio Dazzle S/Scootaloo P
10:00 PM Diamond Tiara S/Pinkie Pie P
-----Midnight---
2:00 AM Twilight Sparkle S/Rainbow Dash P
6:00 AM Applejack S/Rarity P
10:00 AM Flash Sentry S/Sunset Shimmer P

“Thanks,” I said, noting this down. Then I turned to Trixie and Adagio. “Why don’t we look around the rest of the fitness center? I want to make sure we don’t overlook anything.”

I first took a couple minutes to glance over the cardio room, but I didn’t see anything out of place. Nor was there anything out of place in the open space room, apart from a single missing jump rope, presumably the same one tied to the weights. Then we went into the locker room. Most of the lockers were empty, but one was closed, with a simple padlock on it. “Hmm, I wonder…” I pulled out the second key we found on Pinkie’s body. It was a perfect fit. Inside I found... “What the hell?”

It was the picture. The picture of Applejack and Rarity, along with their sisters, eating at the diner. “Why was this on her? Last I knew, I had it in my… pocket…” My face turned pale. “Uh, Adagio, Trixie, did either of you happen to empty the pockets from my clothes when you did laundry yesterday?”

“Of course I did,” Adagio snorted. “I remember seeing the picture. I put it with a couple of other things on top of my basket. I know I put it back in your cabin.”

“Did you?”

Now it was Adagio’s turn to blanch. “I thought I did…”

“Wait a minute. Let Trixie see that picture, please,” Trixie requested, holding out a hand.

Fact #8: Photo #1: “A picture of Applejack, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom eating together at a diner. Applejack and Rarity are wearing matching rings.”

“Oh, right, you haven’t seen this yet, have you?” I said, handing it over with a light blush to my cheeks. “Sorry, Adagio, Pinkie and I found it exploring, and we were trying to keep it quiet. We were worried it might cause… problems.”

“Trixie can see why,” said the illusionist, gaping at the picture in awe. “Rarity and Applejack were married… Trixie did not see that coming.” She handed it back over to me.

I shrugged, and made sure to tuck the picture away safely. The question is, did Pinkie find it, or was it planted?

I checked the locker, running my hands through it in case there was something else. And sure enough, in the back, I found a Monopad, with a name etched in golden letters on the back: Pinkamena Diane Pie. “Huh, here’s her Monopad,” I said as I switched it on. There were several unanswered texts from various people this morning, when we were searching for her. She’d sent check-in-texts during her guard shift, every fifteen minutes like clockwork. She had nothing recorded on the audio. Nothing on pictures either, save for one. "Holy... look at this!"

“That’s… ominous looking,” Trixie said, cringing.

Fact #9: Photo #2: “A picture taken by Pinkie Pie’s Monopad in the weight room, showing the silhouette of someone with long hair approaching her with a dumbbell in hand, blanked out due to a bright light behind them. Pinkie’s skirt is visible in the picture.”

“She must’ve taken that just before she died,” Adagio said, shaking her head softly.

Did she? If she did, how’d the Monopad end up in the locker? And why did she have the key? Something about this doesn’t feel right. I switched off Pinkie’s Monopad and placed it carefully in my backpack, along with the lock and key from the locker. I had the feeling they’d prove important.

“Okay, now just the sau--”

“Sunset,” Adagio cut me off instantly, her eyes flashing with crimson. “We need to investigate Pinkie’s room. We don’t have time to waste.”

Okay, enough’s enough. “Adagio, what is your deal? Why do you keep trying to rush us?” I crossed my arms over my chest, refusing to back down as I matched Adagio glare for glare. “Are you trying to hide something?”

“No!” Adagio spat, baring her teeth. Her jaws opened just a tad, as if threatening to lunge for my throat. “Don’t be a fool!”

“Then tell me why you keep pushing us along,” I insisted, lowering my stance and inching my forehead forward, like I was bringing the horn I didn’t have to bear.

“Grrrrr… augh!” Adagio threw up her hands in disgust, giving up the fight. “Because of Rainbow Dash. You understood what we saw, right? That was real Equestrian magic she used.”

The beginnings of a pounding headache arose in my skull. “I’m well aware of that, Adagio.”

“A-and you saw what Monoponi did, right? He drained her. Like some kind of siphon!” My siren lover gesticulated wildly as she spoke, every word more frantic and crazed than the last. “That takes dark magic. Evil magic. The kind that corrupts you, warps you, perverts you into a twisted soulless demon!”

“I know that Adagio!” I retorted, groaning. “But we can’t just drop everything to focus on that. We need to focus on the trial. We have two blackeneds to find, remember?”

“But if Rainbow Dash has magic, doesn’t that mean it’s possible we all have magic?” Adagio gripped a handful of her bushy hair, pulling at it in her frustration. “What if all we have to do to get out of here is--”

“Um, excuse Trixie,” interrupted the illusionist, a look of utter bafflement on her face, “but how do you know how magic works, Adagio?”

Adagio stiffened, her breath quickening. “Uh. er, I, that is--”

“I told her all about it,” I said, jumping in to cover for her. We’ve kept her secret so far. I’m not about to let it out now. “The day after the first trial. She asked me all about it, so I told her as much as I remembered.”

Trixie leered at me, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Really. But Trixie thought you told us all you could the other day. And you never said anything about this… dark magic stuff.”

I gave her a big toothy smile. “Hey, Twilight just asked me about what Monoponi could do. She never said I needed to tell her everything I knew about magic.” My smile dimmed. “And I had no idea Monoponi could drain magic from others until I watched him do it.”

“Oh.” Trixie blinked once, twice, then shrugged. “Trixie supposes that makes sense.”

I watched Adagio visibly relax, returning to a more sedate posture. “Adagio, I know you’re worried about that magic, but we really should focus on the investigation. We’ll look into the magic afterwards, I promise.”

“Fine,” Adagio harrumphed. She bowed slightly and held out one arm, beckoning me to move forward. “After you.”

We made our way through the other exit from the locker room, into the corridor with the hot tub and sauna. I kept my eyes peeled as I scanned over the area. At first, nothing seemed out of place. The hot tub was undisturbed, the sauna still set to the same temperature. So I poked my head inside, and that’s when I saw it. The interior side of the sauna door was dented. Like something had smacked into it, impacting the metal. The door handle was damaged too, from blunt impacts. There were splashes of blood in the dents and on the handle as well.

Fact #10: Sauna Door: “The sauna door is dented on the inside, with traces of blood in the dents. There is also damage to and blood on the interior door handle.”

“That’s odd,” I said, running my hand along the door. “What caused this?” I glanced at both Trixie and Adagio, but they just shrugged. “Well, I’ll note it down.”

After doing so, I returned to the indoor pool. Pinkie’s body was still laying there, protected by Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash was sitting up and looked less pale than she did earlier. No one else was around. “Okay, give me two seconds to examine the body one more time,” I said as I pulled out a fresh pair of gloves, “and then we’ll go to Pinkie’s cabin.”

Ignoring the glare of irritated impatience Adagio shot my way, I quickly gave the body a once over, checking for any additional wounds or damage or something we missed. It wasn’t until I took a look under Pinkie’s shirt that I saw something… odd. Right above her left breast was a puncture mark. It didn’t look like the ones on her arms. It was stretched out, like something larger penetrated her. Or maybe it was the swelling that made it look that way. Either way it struck me as important.

*Updated* Fact #3: Body Condition: “The body was discovered floating face up in the shallow end of the pool. Every part of the exposed skin is covered in red rashes similar to chemical burns. The back of her skull was broken open by the impact of a blunt object. There are multiple puncture wounds, consistent with needles, on both of her arms. The skin along both hands had started to slough off. There is a large puncture wound on the body’s chest, right above the left breast.”

Now satisfied I’d found everything, I stripped my gloves off and joined Adagio and Trixie in making our way towards the cabins. While on the way, I stopped briefly in the shopping quarter. “I want to check inside the jewelry store,” I said. I poked around, seeing if there were any leftover receipts in the bin or discarded bits of trash, but I saw nothing. There was nothing else of note on the promenade itself either, as most of the mess from her execution had been cleaned, and what was left meant basically nothing.

“Trixie doesn’t know what you expected to find,” grumbled the illusionist as we resumed our course towards the cabins, heading via the bridge deck, since Pinkie’s was right on the end by the lounge.

I brought out Pinkie’s room key as we reached her cabin, and unlocked the door. Entering it, I was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer level of pink in the room. Everywhere, on every available surface, Pinkie Pie had plastered something decorative, ranging from leftover pink streamers from the pool party, to tons of pink construction paper carved into a variety of shapes such as stars, hearts, and balloons, and even in some places outright pink spray paint. She must’ve gotten that from the theater prop shop. A quick peek into the bathroom showed she did the same thing in there, with everything except for the shower and sinks. “Good grief, Pinkie Pie,” I muttered.

“How can she stand this much pink?” groaned Adagio. She whipped out her sunglasses and put them on. “It’s unbearable!”

“Trixie agrees.” Trixie squeezed her eyes into slits, holding up an arm like a shield.

“Alright, well, let’s try and see what we can find.” I said as I got down on my hands and knees and rifled through cabinets. I found nothing of interest in the bathroom other than the usual supplies such as towels, toilet paper, shampoo, etc, though I did find a large number of extra toothpaste tubes, in a variety of flavors. Moving on to the rest of the cabin, as I checked under the bed I saw a spare towel covering something. “Hello, what’s this?” I wondered as I reached in for the object. Removing the towel, I found a large tote bag, identical to the one I saw her carrying the other night. I held it up to show Adagio and Trixie. “This is probably what she kept her drugs in.”

“Ugh, drugs,” Trixie said, sticking out her tongue. “So unsavory.”

“I dunno, an edible from time to time can be pretty relaxing,” Adagio smirked, grinning wider when she saw Trixie’s look of dismay. “What, you don’t care for marijuana?”

“No thank you,” Trixie muttered, backing off. “Trixie is far better off without any mind-altering substances.”

“Well I doubt she was on weed,” I said. I took a deep breath, and opened the bag. My heart sank as I pulled out six large latched cases, each one marked as a different type of opioid drug. Oxycodone, morphine, and heroin. Three of the cases contained only empty syringes. The other three each contained four syringes. Of these, three were mostly empty, but one syringe in each case was completely full and untouched. She probably hadn’t gotten to them yet.

Fact #11: Drug Cases: “Six cases of injectable drugs, two oxycodone, two heroin, two morphine. One case of each type only contained empty syringes. Each of the other three cases have four syringes, two of which were two-thirds empty, one of which was entirely empty, and with the fourth full and untouched.”

“Holy shit,” Adagio muttered, staring at the cases in disbelief. “You’d think only one of these would be good enough. Why did she need so many?”

“Pinkie Pie did everything excessively.” I let out a mournful sigh. “Even drug abuse, it seems. Damn it, Pinkie, I told you that you could talk to me about your problems. You didn’t have to resort to this.”

“But why though?” Adagio shook her head as she assisted me in placing the cases into my backpack, for evidence purposes. “I’ve seen people strung out on drugs before, but not someone like Pinkie. She was too… wholesome.”

“I think there was something she deeply regretted,” I said, sighing again. “She asked for some advice last night, when I gave her my jacket, about having possibly done something very bad.”

Trixie coughed, getting our attention. “Trixie might have an explanation.” She held up a hardcover notebook, marked “Pinkie’s Diary” in large looping letters on the front. “Trixie found it hiding behind her desk.”

I took the diary, and read through it quickly. The first few entries covered the first couple of days on the ship, before anyone died. They had a happy feeling about them, high energy, exuberant and cheerful. She recorded her musings and thoughts about the people around her, and her daily activities. A couple of pages were dedicated to her party planning for the pool party.

Then I reached the entry after Wallflower’s death, and it all went downhill from there. Each entry following the first trial grew more and more melancholic, heartbreaking even. Pinkie admitted, the day after the trial, that she went and bought her first drug, some morphine, from the pharmacy. As the entries wore on, Pinkie admitted to further and further issues, treating the diary as her only confidant. After the second trial, though, things broke. She admitted she used more and more morphine, just to get by. She felt isolated and alone, with no real friends amongst the rest of us. She said she was tempted, more than once, to get something harder, like oxycodone or heroin, but she was always able to resist it.

There was one entry, the day of Fluttershy’s death, where she showed a bit of hope. A bit of excitement that she was forming a new friendship with Fluttershy. But then the very next entry afterwards made my blood freeze in my veins so hard my heart threatened to shatter.

Fact #12: Diary: “A diary discovered in Pinkie Pie’s cabin, wherein she admits using drugs. The following is scribbled repeatedly on several pages, in barely discernible handwriting: “What have I done oh my god what have I done she’s dead she’s dead and it’s my fault it’s all my fault I killed her I killed her why why why why why?!”

“Holy fuck,” I muttered as I read on. Every entry after the first one like that was identical, each one more and more difficult to read, until finally, there was the very last entry.

*Updated* Fact #12: Diary: “A diary discovered in Pinkie Pie’s cabin, wherein she admits using drugs. The following is scribbled repeatedly on several pages, in barely discernible handwriting: “What have I done oh my god what have I done she’s dead she’s dead and it’s my fault it’s all my fault I killed her I killed her why why why why why?!” The last entry in the diary reads: “Thank you Sunny. I’ll do what needs to be done.”

“What the hell did you tell her to do?” Adagio asked, ripping the diary out of my hands so she could read back through it herself.

“Nothing!” I said as I leapt to my feet, glaring daggers at the siren. “I didn’t tell her to do anything. She asked me what to do if someone told her something was okay when it wasn’t, and I said to talk to them about it. That’s all I did.”

“Hmph.” Adagio scanned the diary, her eyes widening at every fresh entry. “Wow. I thought she was crazy, but she was completely nuts.”

“None of us are doing well, Adagio,” I retorted with an unhappy sigh. “None of us are coping in a healthy manner.”

Trixie snorted. “Trixie doesn’t see how that justifies getting hooked on three different drugs at once.”

“She got them from the pharmacy, right?” Adagio asked. “Should we go there and check the receipts?”

I carefully took the diary back from Adagio and placed it into my backpack. “We can, but the diary said she bought them over the course of a week or so. I’m not sure it’s necessary.”

Adagio arched an eyebrow at me and sneered. “Oh really? Tell me, Sunset, where in the Monoponi file does it list a cause of death?”

“Uh…” I briefly looked back at the file. “Oh crap. You’re right. It doesn’t. Wait, does that mean she might’ve--”

“Overdosed?” Adagio answered for me. “Yes. The diary said she’d ‘do what needs to be done.’”

Trixie raised one hand in confusion, her face twisting up. “But then how would she get those injuries? Trixie isn’t sure this makes sense.”

“Well it’s worth investigating either way,” I said, heading for the door. Let’s… wait.” Right as I was about to leave, I spotted the bin by the door. There were a few scraps of paper inside. I picked them out and started putting them together piece by piece. Most had been irreparably rendered illegible due to some sort of water damage, but there was still a bit that was readable, for some definitions of readable. It was chicken scratch, heavily slanted to the left, the style vaguely familiar. I’d seen it before somewhere. Maybe the library log?

Fact #13: Discarded Note: “A handwritten note torn to shreds, found in Pinkie Pie’s wastebasket. The handwriting is messy and heavily slanted to the left. Most of the text was illegible, save for the following words: ‘help me surprise Fluttershy.’”

“Well well well,” Adagio said, grinning dangerously. “This could be our ticket to figuring out who did Fluttershy in.”

I stuffed it into my pocket. “Agreed. Let’s get moving. We’ll hit the pharmacy first, then I want to hit up the library to compare this to the book log. After that we’ll check the access corridor, in case there’s some clues there.”

As we passed by the food court, we ran across Twilight and Flash. “Oh, Twilight, good, I need to ask you something,” I said, remembering the guard schedule.

She and Flash wore matching sneers of disdain as I approached. “What do you want? Come to have your girlfriend beat me up some more?”

“I can, if you’d like,” Adagio chuckled dangerously, raising a fist up.

“Cool it you two,” I ordered, sighing in exasperation. “Twilight, I wanted to ask you about your guard shift last night. You worked from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM, right? The stationary position by the stairwell?”

She stared up at the ceiling, blew a sigh out through her teeth, then brought out a notebook. “Yes, I did,” she answered in a grudging growl. “Four hours of little to do save for reading a book. I hope that’s helpful.”

I rolled my eyes at her sarcasm. “You didn’t hear anything during that time? No noise, no one came by?”

“Uuugh. No. I didn’t hear a thing. Rainbow Dash walked by a couple of times on her patrol, and we did the usual texting check ins, but that was it. Nothing else.” She arched an eyebrow. “Satisfied?”

Fact #14: Twilight’s Account: “According to Twilight, she heard no noise during her entire shift from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM. She saw Rainbow Dash twice during the night, and performed her regular fifteen minute interval text check-ins.”

“No, not really, but it’ll do,” I groused as I noted that all down, then paused, and hummed. “Actually, wait, there is something else I want to ask you both. Did either of you see anyone acting suspicious around Pinkie Pie’s cabin on Tuesday, before 6:00 PM?”

Twilight scoffed. “Not really, no. I was in the library most of that day. I think I went back to my cabin around maybe 2:30 for a bit, but then I went back to the library.”

“Yeah, I remember seeing you there,” Flash mused, scratching his chin. “I came out of my cabin and saw you walk past me.”

Trixie cocked her head. “Isn’t your cabin close to the bridge deck though? Trixie would think Twilight would go the other way, since it’s faster.”

“I wanted a bit of fresh air,” Twilight said, crossing her arms. “That’s why I left the library to begin with. That, and I needed the bathroom. Happy now?”

*Updated* Fact #14: Twilight’s Account: “According to Twilight, she heard no noise during her entire shift from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM Thursday morning. She saw Rainbow Dash twice during the night, and performed her regular fifteen minute interval text check-ins. She spent most of Tuesday prior to 6:00 PM in the library, with a brief break for the bathroom and fresh air around 2:30 PM. Flash corroborated this account, stating she passed by his cabin on the end by the lounge.”

“Yes, thank you, Twilight,” I answered. “Flash, did you see anyone else other than Twilight?”

“Uh, you and Trixie walked by right after she did,” he said, snorting. “You were so busy talking I don’t think you noticed me standing there.”

“Aheheh, sorry,” I said with a sheepish laugh as I shared a look with Trixie, who shrugged. “Anyway, thank you. Come on girls, let’s get moving.”

“Trixie will not apologize for being focused on her conversation,” Trixie said grumpily as we headed for the pharmacy.

“Nor should you,” Adagio said, with a surprisingly supportive smile. Then it switched to a smirk. “Not like you’ve got the brain capacity to do anything else while talking.”

“Hmph!” Trixie puffed up her chest and slapped a hand to it. “You just can’t fathom the depths of focus Trixie’s mind can achieve.”

As we arrived, I checked the pharmacy register, but after searching it for a good few minutes, nothing of value came up. I saw the purchases Pinkie made, but no other illegal drug purchases. I did notice with interest that Rainbow Dash stopped by the pharmacy around 3:00 AM to buy some pain reliever. “I thought the pharmacy was only open overnight on Tuesday,” I said.

Trixie pointed to a sign hanging right outside the doorway that read “Now 24/7!”

“Naturally,” Adagio groaned, slapping a hand to her face.

“Well this was a bust,” I said, frowning. “Let’s head to the library next. We should probably hurry. We’ve been investigating for an hour already; I doubt Monoponi will give us much longer.”

We hurried to the library, making our way quickly to the second floor. The library log was right where we’d left it after the second trial. There were a few more entries, of course, but that wasn’t what I was concerned about this time. I wanted to match the handwriting. So I set the note side by side with the log, and scanned, and scanned. “Wait… there!”

I found a match all right. But not the one I was expecting.

Fact #15: Library Log: “The handwriting of the log entry ‘Daring Do and the Cornerstone of Light: Rainbow Dash X/O’ is a near perfect match for the handwriting of the note found in Pinkie Pie’s wastebasket, apart from being slightly slanted to the right.”

*Updated* Fact #13: Discarded Note: “A handwritten note torn to shreds, found in Pinkie Pie’s wastebasket. The handwriting is messy and heavily slanted to the left. Most of the text was illegible, save for the following words: ‘help me surprise Fluttershy.’ The handwriting near perfectly matches a sample of Rainbow Dash’s handwriting.”

Trixie’s eyes bulged as she looked between the note and the log. “What? Rainbow Dash? B-but that--”

I held up a hand. “I know, but don’t speculate right now. We’ll figure this one out in the trial.”

We made for the access corridor next, swinging by via the fitness center route. Diamond Tiara was still hanging around the weight room. “Hey, Tiara, real quick,” I said, calling her over. “I meant to ask if you saw or heard anything during your watch last night.”

“Uh, not really,” she said, her hands squarely on her hip, an irritated expression plastered on her face. “I saw Pinkie Pie pass by once, around 11:00 PM. She went down the stairwell and into the access corridor. Didn’t see anyone else till Twilight came to take over. Pinkie kept sending her regular check-ins so...”

Fact #16: Diamond Tiara’s Account: “According to Diamond Tiara, she saw nothing and heard nothing during her entire guard shift, save for seeing Pinkie Pie around 11:00 PM, going down the stairwell into the access corridor.”

“Thank you,” I muttered as I quickly jotted that down. “Excuse us.”

We headed behind the front desk and into the access corridor proper. I hadn’t really been in here since we first explored, and for good reason: the place was creepy as hell. Dimly lit and dreary, it took us a while to scan through the place, searching for some kind of clue, somewhere. But we saw nothing, the whole way through until we reached the laundry room. I performed a perfunctory examination, and was startled to discover one of the dryers was full of towels, still warm. I quickly checked the washing machines, and found another bundle sitting damp in a large puddle of pink-stained water. The machine, overfilled, failed to complete its cycle. No way of knowing how long those had been sitting there, though. These weren’t digital machines, but shitty low-budget crank dial ones. I gave the towels a sniff just in case the pink wasn’t blood, but the metallic tang was unmistakable.

Fact #17: Towels: “A bundle of towels were found stuffed in the dryer in the laundry room, still warm. Another bundle was discovered in an overfilled washing machine, soaking in a pool of blood-stained water.”

“Well that’s definitely connected,” Adagio said as she examined the wet towels. “Whoever filled this must’ve been in a hurry.”

“Probably,” I agreed.

“Well, isn’t that everything?” Trixie asked as we left the laundry room. “Trixie isn’t sure there’s much else we can find.”

I paused to gather my thoughts, then snapped my fingers. “I still want to ask Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash about their guard duties. And Rarity and Applejack for that matter. They should all still be at the pool. C’mon.”

“Uuugh, back and forth, back and forth,” Trixie whined as we sped down the access corridor. “Trixie thinks we could’ve picked a more efficient route for this investigation!”

“Oh stop whining,” Adagio retorted, her breathing even and steady despite our quick pace. “It’s good exercise.”

As we returned to the indoor pool, I remembered a detail I learned the other day, during the exploration. I wasn’t sure if it would matter, but I decided to note it down just in case.

Fact #18: Indoor Pool: “The indoor pool is twenty-five yards by thirteen yards, with a depth ranging from one to three yards. The pool uses PHMB instead of chlorine.”

Then I ventured over to Rarity and Applejack, who were sitting by the bleachers, facing away from Pinkie’s bloated body. “Hi, Rarity, Applejack,” I greeted, trying out a small smile. “Sorry to bug you, but do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions real quick?”

Rarity let out a world-weary sigh, then smiled right back, one watery and sorrowful. “Of course, darling. What is it?”

“Two things: I wanted to know where you were after dinner last night, and if you saw or heard anything during your guard patrols this morning.”

Applejack pressed her index finger and thumb to her mouth, her face flushing. “Well, we, uh, we went to the spa together.”

“It was truly divine,” Rarity added, a bit of proper cheerfulness twinkling in her eyes, if only for a moment. “One of the best spa experiences I’ve ever had.”

“Likewise.” Applejack let her hand drop. “Ah think we were there till about nine? Then we went back to our rooms. As for mah guard shift, Ah didn’t see nothin’, but I thought I heard some footsteps down the stairs at one point. Maybe around 7:20 AM? Ah wanted to go check, but Ah figured it was better to stay at mah post.”

“What about you, Rarity?” Adagio inquired. “Did you see or hear anything?”

“Unfortunately, no.” Rarity shook her head, then stopped, blinked, and rubbed at her chin. “Actually, wait. I might’ve seen someone come out of the pharmacy this morning, just after 6:10 AM. But I was on the far side of the promenade, and they went towards the bridge deck, so by the time I reached the pharmacy they were gone. I didn’t think much of it. But other than that, I saw and heard nothing until we started searching for Pinkie.”

Fact #19: Applejack and Rarity’s Account: “According to Applejack and Rarity, they were at the spa most of Wednesday evening following the 6:30 PM meeting, and departed for their cabins at 9:00 PM. During her guard shift, Applejack heard footsteps at the bottom of the stairs around 7:20 AM. Rarity saw someone emerge from the pharmacy at 6:10 AM, unable to tell who it was due to being on the far side of the promenade.”

“Thank you, both of you,” I said, nodding gratefully. “Sorry to bother you.”

As I turned to leave, Rarity set a hand on my shoulder. “Darling, Sunset… if you don’t mind, I’d like to spend a bit of time with you, perhaps tomorrow?”

My jaw fell open for a moment before propriety made me snap it shut. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Please.” Rarity fixed me with a pleading, needful gaze. “I would very much appreciate it.”

I smiled, feeling some of the tension I’d held in my chest the past few days melt away. “I’d love to, then.”

We parted ways with Applejack and Rarity, making our way over to Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. “Oh, hey,” Scootaloo waved. “Did you need to check the body again?”

“Actually, I wanted to ask the two of you some questions about your guard shifts last night, if you don’t mind,” I said, smiling sympathetically at poor Rainbow Dash, who was still pale and shaky.

“Uh. Yeah. I can, I can do that,” said the athlete, sitting up just a bit straighter. “Shoot.”

I brought out my notepad. “Rainbow Dash, you went to bed early, before the evening meeting, right?” She nodded. “So when you got up for your guard shift, did you happen to see or hear anything suspicious?”

“Nope!” she said immediately. “Didn’t see a thing. I made sure to look everywhere too. Even saw Twilight a couple of times.” Her eyes briefly widened, and she let out a sheepish laugh. “Oh, uh, I did stop by the pharmacy. I had a really bad headache. Still kinda do. That draining thing Monoponi did was nasty.”

“You didn’t see anything? Not even here, in the pool?” Adagio added, her eyes narrowed into slits.

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I dunno what to tell you. I came by here, like, three times. I never saw anything.”

Trixie snorted, glaring at me. “Well that can’t be right, can it? Pinkie’s body was floating in the pool all night.”

“We don’t know that yet, Trixie. Hush.” I turned to Scootaloo. “What about you, Scoots?”

“Uuuuh…” Scootaloo scratched the back of her head. “I mean, I saw a lot of you wandering around all over the place during the whole day. I was kinda patrolling during the day, for like eight hours. I don’t think I ever saw anything suspicious.” She blinked, and cocked her head. “Well, wait. Now that I think about it, there was one thing. I saw Diamond Tiara hanging around the cabins on Tuesday, maybe at 3:20 PM? She was just walking back and forth, muttering to herself, something about working up courage. I dunno what for. I know that was the day before yesterday, but it seemed important.”

Fact #20: Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash’s Account: “According to Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash, neither one saw anything suspicious during their entire guard shifts. Rainbow Dash did stop at the pharmacy around 3:30 AM. Scootaloo did, however, see Diamond Tiara walking back and forth by the cabins, muttering to herself about courage, on Tuesday, about 3:20 PM.”

I sighed in annoyance as I wrote that all down. “Thanks. That helps, at--”

DING-DONG BING-BONG

The screens switched on, revealing Monoponi lounging on his chair on the bridge, snifter of brandy in his magic grip. “Ah, time sure flies when you’re having fun investigating, doesn’t it?” He took a sip of his brandy. “But all good things must come to an end. You know where to go. See you there, my lovely passengers!” With a burst of static the screens turned off.

“Well, guess that’s all we’re going to get,” Adagio grumbled. “I hope it was enough.”

“It’s enough to have a picture of some things, I think,” I said as I glanced briefly at the evidence. “I still don’t know who did what, though. Or if there’s even two blackeneds.”

“Trixie isn’t convinced there is,” Trixie said as we started walking towards the promenade. “Trixie is willing to bet there’s only one and they’re trying to fool us into thinking there’s two.”

“Ah’m with Trixie on this one,” Applejack said as she and Rarity walked beside us. Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash lagged not far behind. “Ah can’t see it being any other way.”

“Well we shouldn’t assume anything,” Rarity pointed out, with an unhappy sigh. “We’ve been wrong before.”

“Mmhmm.”

Soon, we were all gathered at the food court, waiting before the elevator to the courtroom. All ten of us. There should be twelve of us here. Actually, scratch that. Sixteen. We never should’ve had a murder to begin with, let alone four. But Monoponi won’t let us be, will he?

Speaking of whom, he flashed into existence, settling down on all four hooves before us and taking a bow. “Well, well, here we are again, my lovely passengers. Once more unto the breach, once more we descend into the bowels of the ship, to see which one of you idiots decided they’re too important to stick around this time. Or, in this case, which two of you. Maybe. Who knows? I do, but I won’t tell! It’s up to you to figure it out!”

Rainbow Dash, despite her pallid, sickly condition, took several steps forward, her whole body quivering with rage. “Oh you’d better believe we’re gonna figure it out!” she yelled. “Fluttershy was my best friend!” A few tears drizzled down her cheeks as she spoke, the fire inside her snuffed out. “She was my best friend… and you killed her, you monster.”

“Oh, believe you me, Rainbow Dash, I’m just as mad about it as you are!” Monoponi said, throwing up his forehooves in disgust. “I still can’t believe one of you little shits managed to trick me. Me! I’m not supposed to be a murder weapon. I’m only supposed to dispense justice to the filthy murderers wandering about this ship.”

“Fuck you,” Rainbow Dash cursed under her breath as she turned away from him, not willing to risk his wrath.

“We can’t forget about Pinkie Pie, either,” Scootaloo said, slamming her fist into her open palm. “I don’t know who killed her or why, but she didn’t deserve to suffer the way she did. This is for her as much as it’s for Fluttershy.”

“Certainly,” Rarity seconded, a look of dark fury casting a shadow over her features. “Pinkie Pie, whatever her faults, was a blessing on this earth. To steal her life away for your own selfish desires… I won’t forgive it!”

“Ahem!” Monoponi cleared his throat, silencing the crowd. “If you’ve all pontificated enough? We should get things underway. Va-va-valuse!” A blaze of crimson light surrounded his horn and lanced out to pierce the oversized lock on the trial doors, disintegrating it in a burst of sparkles and light. The gates swung open, the hinges screeching in protest. With one last bow and a gesture to proceed, Monoponi vanished.

Once again, we boarded the elevator. And once again, my thoughts turned to the case at hand.

Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Two victims. One cut down unfairly for a crime she didn’t truly commit. The other, torn apart by her own drug abuse, slain in a way we’d yet to uncover. Were these murders connected? Or were they separate?

Were they both the victim of the same crazed killer, cleaning up after their own mess? Did two separate people take their lives, for different reasons?

Whether there were two killers, or just one, why these two? Why Fluttershy? Why Pinkie Pie? Both were the most innocent souls aboard this ship. Neither one would’ve ever hurt another. They were no threat. There was no danger from them.

They deserved to live. They deserved to survive. Their loss would haunt me to the rest of my days.

It was up to me to avenge them. To find their killer or killers. Twice now I’ve done it. Twice now I’ve cracked these cases. Twice now I’ve saved our lives. And I’ll do it again.

I will save our lives in this trial of life and death!

Author's Note

All the clues you need are here and in prior narration. I wish you all the best of luck with your guesses. Don't forget to spoiler tag them. :twilightsmile:

Next time: we start the trial. This one's going to be quite interesting.

Chapter Three: A Maelstrom of Murder Part 6

Chapter Three:

A Maelstrom of Murder

Trial Part 1

Fact #1: Monoponi File IIIa: “The victim is Fluttershy, the Ultimate Veterinarian. She was executed by machine gun turrets on the promenade at approximately 6:15 PM Tuesday evening, due to her theft of a tourmaline encrusted gold ring from the jewelry store.”

Fact #2: Monoponi File IIIb: “The victim is Pinkie Pie, the Ultimate Party Planner. The victim’s body has multiple injuries, including blunt force trauma to the head, puncture wounds on the arms, and the fifth metacarpal bone of both hands are broken. Signs of opioids were discovered in the victim’s blood.”

Fact #3: Body Condition: “The body was discovered floating face up in the shallow end of the pool. Every part of the exposed skin is covered in red rashes similar to chemical burns. The back of her skull was broken open by the impact of a blunt object. There are multiple puncture wounds, consistent with needles, on both of her arms. The skin along both hands had started to slough off. There is a large puncture wound on the body’s chest, right above the left breast.”

Fact #4: Weight-Lifting Room: “The central mat is covered in a large half-dried bloodstain with a single bloody footprint heel emerging from it. The equipment in the room was moved around and disturbed, suggesting a struggle. Curly pink hairs and straight yellow hairs were discovered at the scene, alongside a single wavy purple hair.”

Fact #5: Dumbbell: “A seventy pound dumbbell, with a small splotch of blood on one end. Only five people could use it as a weapon: Flash Sentry, Adagio Dazzle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity.”

Fact #6: Free Weights and Rope: “A group of four fifty pound free weights, placed under the free weight shelf, dripping with water. They were tied together with a jump rope threaded through and knotted loosely at both ends.”

Fact #7: Guard Schedule: “The guard schedule on Wednesday into Thursday is as follows:
2:00 PM Trixie S/Scootaloo P
6:00 PM Adagio Dazzle S/Scootaloo P
10:00 PM Diamond Tiara S/Pinkie Pie P
-----Midnight---
2:00 AM Twilight Sparkle S/Rainbow Dash P
6:00 AM Applejack S/Rarity P
10:00 AM Flash Sentry S/Sunset Shimmer P

Fact #8: Photo #1: “A picture of Applejack, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom eating together at a diner. Applejack and Rarity are wearing matching rings.”

Fact #9: Photo #2: “A picture taken by Pinkie Pie’s Monopad in the weight room, showing the silhouette of someone with long hair approaching her with a dumbbell in hand, blanked out due to a bright light behind them. Only Pinkie’s skirt is visible in the picture.”

Fact #10: Sauna Door: “The sauna door is dented on the inside, with traces of blood in the dents. There is also damage to and blood on the interior door handle.”

Fact #11: Drug Cases: “Six cases of injectable drugs, two oxycodone, two heroin, two morphine. One case of each type only contained empty syringes. Each of the other three cases have four syringes, two of which were two-thirds empty, one of which was entirely empty, and with the fourth full and untouched.”

Fact #12: Diary: “A diary discovered in Pinkie Pie’s cabin, wherein she admits using drugs. The following is scribbled repeatedly on several pages, in barely discernible handwriting: “What have I done oh my god what have I done she’s dead she’s dead and it’s my fault it’s all my fault I killed her I killed her why why why why why?!” The last entry in the diary reads: “Thank you Sunny. I’ll do what needs to be done.”

Fact #13: Discarded Note: “A handwritten note torn to shreds, found in Pinkie Pie’s wastebasket. The handwriting is messy and heavily slanted to the left. Most of the text was illegible, save for the following words: ‘help me surprise Fluttershy.’ The handwriting near perfectly matches a sample of Rainbow Dash’s handwriting.”

Fact #14: Twilight’s Account: “According to Twilight, she heard no noise during her entire shift from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM Thursday morning. She saw Rainbow Dash twice during the night, and performed her regular fifteen minute interval text check-ins. She spent most of Tuesday prior to 6:00 PM in the library, with a brief break for the bathroom and fresh air around 2:30 PM. Flash corroborated this account, stating she passed by his cabin on the end by the lounge.”

Fact #15: Library Log: “The handwriting of the log entry ‘Daring Do and the Cornerstone of Light: Rainbow Dash X/O’ is a near perfect match for the handwriting of the note found in Pinkie Pie’s wastebasket, apart from being slightly slanted to the right.”

Fact #16: Diamond Tiara’s Account: “According to Diamond Tiara, she saw nothing and heard nothing during her entire guard shift, save for seeing Pinkie Pie around 11:00 PM, going down the stairwell into the access corridor.”

Fact #17: Towels: “A bundle of towels were found stuffed in the dryer in the laundry room, still warm. Another bundle was discovered in an overfilled washing machine, soaking in a pool of blood-stained water.”

Fact #18: Indoor Pool: “The indoor pool is twenty-five yards by thirteen yards, with a depth ranging from one to three yards. The pool uses PHMB instead of chlorine.”

Fact #19: Applejack and Rarity’s Account: “According to Applejack and Rarity, they were at the spa most of Wednesday evening following the 6:30 PM meeting, and departed for their cabins at 9:00 PM. During her guard shift, Applejack heard footsteps at the bottom of the stairs around 7:20 AM. Rarity saw someone emerge from the pharmacy at 6:10 AM, unable to tell who it was due to being on the far side of the promenade.”

Fact #20: Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash’s Account: “According to Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash, neither one saw anything suspicious during their entire guard shifts. Rainbow Dash did stop at the pharmacy around 3:30 AM. Scootaloo did, however, see Diamond Tiara walking back and forth by the cabins, muttering to herself about courage, on Tuesday, about 3:20 PM.”

We stepped off the elevator, into a once again altered courtroom. This time the room was split in half between two sets of decorations. One half was dominated by images of animals, of all shapes, kinds, and varieties, ranging from flocks of birds to herdes of deer, a whole heap of bunny rabbits for some reason, and a single picture of a grizzly bear. The other half was a heap of wild, florid pink splashed all over the place in zig-zaggy lines and swirls, like someone had filled a jar of paint with something carbonated, shook it, and let it spray all over the place. Intermixed amongst the pink were images of balloons, cartoonish-looking cannons, and party favors. Oddly enough, the lighting was more sedate, relaxed. Less fluorescent, more like natural daylight.

I took my spot next to Trixie, and first took in the podium across and to the right of me.

Sweetie Belle. Our second culprit. Mixed feelings ran through me as I considered her portrait. At least, unlike Timber, she was smiling.

I then cast a sad, long look at the podium next to me. In place of the meek, kind Fluttershy, there was just a portrait.

Of course the cross was right between the eyes, just like the aim of the gun turrets that cut her down. The trio of butterflies was a nice little touch, at least.

I cast my gaze across the courtroom to the podium next to Wallflower’s.

Unlike everyone else so far, who’d looked either petulant or happy in their portraits, Pinkie was downright terrified. As if she’d known what was coming, what had happened. As if she’d known death was ready to take her.

Fresh waves of guilt poured through me as I took in both portraits. My self-accusing thoughts returned as I contemplated my actions over the past couple of days. Maybe I wasn’t the one who killed Fluttershy, or Pinkie, but I definitely contributed. I told Fluttershy to go to the store with Pinkie. I told Pinkie to confront the one who gave her the note. I might not be the blackened, but I sure as hell feel like it.

I’m sorry, Pinkie, Fluttershy. I will avenge you. I promise.

“Well now,” Monoponi said theatrically as he flashed into existence, posing on one hoof like a ballerina before whirling to sit down. “What do you think of my decorations, hmm? Oh I know the themes clash, but then, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie weren’t exactly the most compatible of people, were they? Ahahaha!” He held up a hoof to his mouth. “Ahem. So, before we begin, allow me to remind you that this trial is a bit different from the two we’ve held so far. You are looking for two potential suspects, not just one. Now, are there actually two blackeneds? Maybe yes, maybe no! It’s up to you to figure it out. But keep this in mind: until you are absolutely one hundred percent certain, do not call for voting time! If you vote for only one person and it turns out there’s two, the one who wasn’t voted for gets to escape with their plus one, and the rest of you get executed! No credit for partial answers!”

“So even if we know for sure who one of them is, we can’t vote until we figure out the other one, is that it?” Scootaloo demanded, a mixture of outrage and sorrow clouding her face.

“Exactly!” Monoponi’s horn flashed for half a second and a bright gold star planted itself on Scootaloo’s face before disappearing in a shower of sparks. “But, that’s not all that’s special about this trial! For this trial, and this trial alone, I am temporarily rescinding rule fifteen. If you want to falsely admit your guilt, or you want to fess up because the guilt is just too much for you to bear? Go right ahead! Nothing would please me more than to watch you morons argue in endless circles.”

My blood ran cold as I contemplated what he just did. Up until now, thanks to that rule, no one had been able to mess with us by pretending to be the guilty party. I’m sure that’s not why he instituted it--he just wanted to keep us from submitting to our guilty conscience--but it still had the side effect of keeping someone from leading us all down a completely pointless path and wasting our time. Why would he rescind this now? It didn’t make any sense.

Before I could spend any more time contemplating that though, Twilight Sparkle held up both hands and clapped for our attention. “If we’re ready to begin? There’s something I want to discuss before we get into anything else.” She pointed a finger squarely at Rainbow Dash. “I want to know what the heck was up with that magic Rainbow Dash demonstrated!”

“Oh, so you’re finally willing to admit magic exists?” Adagio chuckled dryly. “Never thought we’d see the day.”

Twilight took a step back from her podium even as her expression rearranged itself into that cold scientific detachment I’d come to loathe. “I am a scientist. I can admit when I’m wrong. The body of evidence for the existence of magic is too large to deny at this point. Regardless, that’s not the point. The point is that Rainbow Dash exhibited magic, and Monoponi drained it. I want to know how that happened and why.”

“Don’t ask me!” Rainbow Dash said with a scowl as she crossed her arms. “Seeing Fluttershy listed as a victim made me mad as hell, that’s all. I wasn’t trying to, like, cast a freaking spell.” Her face twisted up as her whole complexion faded into that same pale, waxy pallor she’d had right after Monoponi drained her. She fell forward onto her podium, propping her head up with one hand. “Even thinking about it makes me feel sick.”

Twilight shifted her gaze to focus on me, her shining eyes like twin lasers trying to burn away the surface to reveal secrets underneath. “You. You know what Monoponi did, don’t you? You have an explanation.”

“Kind of?” I said, holding up a single hand palm upward. “I know it takes dark magic to do what Monoponi did. Dark magic is evil magic. It can corrupt you, corrupt your very soul, turn you into a monster. We already know Monoponi’s a monster, though. That’s not really new information.”

“You’ve got that right!” Monoponi agreed, holding his forehooves to his mouth. “Upupupupu!”

“Oh please, you can be more specific than that.” Bits and pieces of Twilight’s hair popped out of her perfect bun. “You know what he used. You know why Rainbow Dash has magic, because--”

“No. I. Don’t, Twilight,” I interrupted, slamming my raised hand onto my podium. I raised it back up to point at the ceiling. “I was just as surprised as you were. Both by the magic, and by Monoponi draining it.”

Twilight gripped her right hand into a fist and smashed it on her podium. “That’s a lie and you know it!” She raised her hand to point right at me, as more hair popped out of her bun to stick out at random angles. “You know because you’re behind this whole killing game, aren’t you? You’re the traitor! Sweetie Belle was right!”

Rarity gasped in shock, holding a hand to her breast. “How dare you,” she hissed. “How dare you bring my sister into this? When we all know very well Sunset Shimmer is innocent! Don’t you dare use my sister to browbeat Sunset just because you have a grudge against her!”

Flash let out a frustrated groan, holding his hand to his face. “Look, Twilight, I’m really not happy with Sunset right now either, but come on. How many times are we going to do this stupid song and dance about Sunset being the traitor? How have we still not let this go?”

“Seriously, Sparkle,” Diamond Tiara snorted, some of her old elitist scorn leaking into her otherwise kinder demeanor. “Even I don’t think that anymore.”

“But, but… Adagio! Adagio’s secret!” Twilight insisted, becoming more frantic with every word. “I told you all what Adagio’s secret is. She’s killed before. That’s why Sunset became involved with her! To keep her in check!”

“Uh, no,” I scoffed, “That’s not it at all. My relationship with Adagio is none of your business anyway.”

Adagio took one fingernail and scratched it along the side of her podium. “Please, keep harping on about it. I’m sure it’ll end well for you,” she hissed.

“Trixie admits Adagio’s secret is a bit concerning,” Trixie said, coming to our defense. “But that does not mean Sunset is the traitor. Your logic is faulty.”

“Oh what would you know about logic, Trixie?” Twilight fired back, holding up both hands to mock her. “Tell me, how many times were you wrong during Wallflower’s trial? Miss ‘oh no, we have a sushi slayer on our hands’?”

Trixie harrumphed, throwing out her arm to send her cape fluttering. “Trixie has gotten much better since then. She wasn’t the one who was convinced Apple Bloom killed herself. That was you.”

Applejack clapped her hands several times for attention. “Oh for pete’s sake, y’all, why’re we retreadin’ old ground? This ain’t a trial for Sunset, and it ain’t for Wallflower or mah sister. It’s for Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy! We oughta remember that and move on.”

“Agreed!” Monoponi pronounced, using his horn to create the illusion of a gavel slamming against a desk. “You are boring your captain! Forget about Rainbow’s magic and get on with the actual trial!”

“Fine.” Twilight took several deep breaths, calming herself, and adjusted her glasses. “We don’t have a lot of evidence for Fluttershy yet, so we should start with Pinkie Pie.” She glanced down at her Monopad and rolled her eyes. “The Monoponi file doesn’t list a time or cause of death, so we need to figure those out first.”

“Well, we found her in the pool, right?” Scootaloo said, holding her chin on her knuckles. “And the body was really gross and bloated, like she’d been in there a long time. She probably drowned.”

I shook my head and punched up some evidence. “I don’t think so, Scootaloo.”

Fact #3: Body Condition: “The body was discovered floating face up in the shallow end of the pool. Every part of the exposed skin is covered in red rashes similar to chemical burns.”

“We found her face up in the pool. Everything I know about drowning says that when you drown, your body ends up face down. Even if she initially was facing up, struggling for air, trying to get to the surface, she would’ve inevitably turned over. Right, Twilight?”

With a sigh, Twilight nodded. “Sunset’s right about that. During the investigation I spent a bit of time researching drowning deaths, in case that’s what killed her. Like Sunset said, there’s a classic drowning position people adopt, where their anterior, or front, of their body faces downward with their arms outstretched, and their back towards the surface. Pinkie did have her arms out, but she wouldn’t have stayed face up. Not to mention there’s the other classical signs of drowning, such as blue skin, blue lips, etc, none of which we saw.”

“That doesn’t mean she didn’t drown,” Scootaloo objected. “Pools use chlorine to keep ‘em clean, right? So if she was in the pool long enough, it would’ve burned all her skin. Your evidence even says she has rashes similar to chemical burns. So that’d have to be chlorine, right?”

“No way!” Diamond Tiara said, giving Scootaloo a thumbs down. “Did the pool smell like chlorine? Huh? No! Take a look at this.”

Fact #18: Indoor Pool: “The indoor pool is twenty-five yards by thirteen yards, with a depth ranging from one to three yards. The pool uses PHMB instead of chlorine.”

“Monoponi told us the other day he uses PHMB to keep the pool clean, instead of chlorine. That stuff’s nowhere near as nasty as chlorine is,” Tiara added, grinning.

“She’s right,” Twilight added with another world-weary sigh. “PHMB isn’t the safest substance around, but it wouldn’t burn a body like that unless Pinkie was immersed in a much more concentrated solution, for a much longer period of time. We’re talking days, not hours.”

Blinking owlishly, Scootaloo shrugged. “Oh. Okay then.”

“So if she didn’t drown, what killed her?” Rarity asked, pressing her knuckles to her lips. “Because her body certainly looked like she drowned.”

“I think it looked that way because the culprit kept her body underwater, where she wouldn’t be noticed,” I said as I tapped a few buttons on my Monopad.

Fact #6: Free Weights and Rope: “A group of four fifty pound free weights, placed under the free weight shelf, dripping with water. They were tied together with a jump rope threaded through and knotted loosely at both ends.”

“Diamond Tiara discovered these in the weight room during the investigation. These would’ve been sufficient to keep Pinkie Pie’s body underwater if positioned correctly. And if she was submerged in the deep end of the pool, which is on the far side from both entryways, anyone patrolling nearby wouldn’t have seen her unless they went all the way over there and looked into the pool from the right vantage point. No one would’ve had any reason to do that.”

Applejack took off her hat and gently set it on her podium so she could scratch the top of her head, blatant confusion written all over her face. “Uh, Sunset, if that’s what they did, Ah don’t get why they wouldn’t leave the weights in the pool. Or why they’d bother gettin’ her body out of the deep end. Once we realized she was missin’, we would’ve found her either way.”

Adagio hummed, arching a doubtful eyebrow at me. “Applejack’s right about that. Plus, the edges of the pool were dry. There was no splashed water anywhere. If someone dove into the pool to retrieve her body, they would’ve had to do it after Rainbow Dash’s shift, which means they would’ve done it a couple of hours before we found the body at the absolute earliest. That wouldn’t leave enough time for the pool area to dry up.”

Huh. That’s a really good point. Is there a way I can explain that? I took a glance back at the evidence. Oh, wait, yes there is. “You’re right. There wouldn’t be enough time for the pool to dry up by itself. But what if they used these?”

Fact #17: Towels: “A bundle of towels were found stuffed in the dryer in the laundry room, still warm. Another bundle was discovered in an overfilled washing machine, soaking in a pool of blood-stained water.”

“There were enough towels to dry up the pool as well as whoever went swimming.”

“I guess…” Adagio admitted, the doubt refusing to fade from her eyes. “But I still don’t get why they’d bother to move the body after they hid it. It just doesn’t make sense.”

Damn it. She’s right. None of this makes sense. The only thing I can think of is that the culprit wanted to be sure we found Pinkie, so they took the weights off her body. But why not leave them in the pool then? Applejack was right about that. We never would’ve found them, because we never would’ve had a reason to go looking. The only thing removing the weights did was make it more obvious that she didn’t drown. It only hurts the culprit, by eliminating a potential cause.

Wait. Maybe that was the point. “What if…” I suggested, thinking aloud now. “What if it wasn’t the culprit who moved the free weights? What if someone else did it?”

“What?!”

“Huh?!”

“What in tarnation?”

“What the hell?”

Everyone reacted at once, filling the room with an unintelligible cacophony of noise. It took Flash Sentry whistling at an extremely high volume to calm everyone down. “Cool it, guys!” he urged. Then he focused on me. “Sunset, are you seriously suggesting that someone other than the culprit found Pinkie’s body, messed with the scene of the crime, and didn’t tell anyone?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” I responded, holding my ground. The more I thought about it, the more confident I became. I was right. “I’m certain someone stumbled upon the crime after the fact, and messed with the scene.”

Flash narrowed his eyes at me. “But why? Why would someone mess with the scene and not tell anyone about the body?”
“Yeah, seriously, Sunset,” Scootaloo added, glaring at me in disbelief. “If I found a dead body, I wouldn’t mess with the crime scene. I’d just run and tell somebody about it. It doesn’t make any sense.”

I had an answer. It was an answer I didn’t like. I didn’t know if it was the right answer, or the correct one. It would mean bringing up something I’d wanted to keep quiet. But I had to pursue it. We couldn’t risk leaving a single stone unturned, not even this one. So, taking a deep breath, I answered, “Because they were afraid someone they cared about was responsible, and they wanted to try and hide the most damning proof, while also trying to take the blame.”

I saw Adagio’s eyes widen in realization, but she stayed quiet, letting me lead. Trixie, on the other hand, seemed more confused than ever. “But, Sunset, who would do such a thing?”

I’m sorry I have to do this. I sighed, held up a finger, and pointed directly at the only one I could think of who’d do this. “Applejack, you’re the only one!”

Applejack scowled at me, working her jaw. She spat on the floor, scooped up her hat, and placed it right back atop her head. “Ah’m gonna give you a chance to take that back, Sunset, because that’s a bigger heap of bullshit than what mah brother and Ah had to scoop out of the barn at the end of last winter.”

“I’m sorry, Applejack, but I can’t do that,” I said, refusing to back down despite knowing she could easily rip my head off if she wanted.

Taking a deep breath, Applejack blew it out her nose in the most impressive imitation of a stallion snort I’d ever heard. “Alright. Ah hope you have some kinda proof to back this up, because if you don’t, Ah’m inclined to whoop your hide into the ground.”

“I do, actually.” I queued up the relevant evidence.

Fact #8: Photo #1: “A picture of Applejack, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom eating together at a diner. Applejack and Rarity are wearing matching rings.”

As the three-dimensional hologram of the photo rotated in the center of the podiums, the entire room fell silent. I watched Applejack’s jaw fall open, her whole body deflating in shock. “We found this picture locked up in a locker, alongside Pinkie Pie’s Monopad. The key for the locker was on Pinkie’s body.”

“What… What the hell is this?” Applejack demanded, holding up her own Monopad so she could look more closely at the picture. “Ah’ve never seen this before in mah life! Ah… oh my dear sweet lord, are we wearin’ matchin’ rings?!”

Silent tears trickled down Rarity’s cheeks as she too examined the photograph. “We were married, darling,” she said simply. “Before Monoponi stole our memories. That’s what this must mean.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait,” Scootaloo said, holding up her hands. “Seriously? Rarity and Applejack? Married?”

“Not just that,” Flash added, staring at the picture in bemusement. “Looks like Sweetie and Apple Bloom were friends, too. Where did this picture come from?”

“Pinkie Pie, Sunset, and I found it the other day,” Adagio admitted before I could formulate a response.

“What?!” Applejack was on her like a wolf chasing down a wounded deer, all snarls and growls. “Why didn’t any of y’all tell us about it then?”

“Because I told them not to show it to you,” Adagio replied, matching Applejack snarl for snarl. “I did that because I was afraid something terrible would happen if you saw it too soon. And what do you know? Pinkie Pie’s dead. Because one of you killed her.”

“Absolutely not!” Applejack thundered, smashing a fist on her podium so hard the wood splintered. “Ah can’t believe you’d accuse me of killin’ someone after Ah lost mah sister!”

“It’s not you she’s accusing, Applejack,” I said, drawing the rage of the farmer onto me. “It’s Rarity.”

“No… you, you wouldn’t dare,” Rarity whispered, shaking her head over and over.

“But it makes sense,” I replied, now on a roll, ignoring the nagging feeling at the back of my mind that I was looking at this all wrong. “I was holding onto that picture until yesterday morning, when it was accidentally left in the laundry room. Rarity, you could’ve easily discovered the picture, and between that and Monoponi’s offer of allowing the blackened to escape with a plus one, you’d have the perfect motivation for murder.” I tapped a few buttons on my Monopad.

Fact #5: Dumbbell: “A seventy pound dumbbell, with a small splotch of blood on one end. Only five people could use it as a weapon: Flash Sentry, Adagio Dazzle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity.

“Given the injury Pinkie Pie sustained, this is probably the murder weapon right here. Rarity, I’ve seen how strong you are. You could have easily used this dumbbell to kill Pinkie, then dumped her body in the pool to make it look like a drowning.”

Rarity, her makeup half ruined from crying, glowered at me with a fury I hadn’t seen her demonstrate since I accused Sweetie Belle. “I will admit I could have used that dumbbell,” she said, every word dripping with acid, “but that is entirely beside the point. I would never dream of harming a single hair on Pinkie Pie’s head!”

“I dunno, it’s not like there’d be anything stopping you,” Rainbow Dash pointed out, glaring at Rarity. “With your sister and AJ’s sister being dead and all.”

“You shut your fuckin’ fool mouth, Rainbow Dash!” Applejack shouted, shaking both fists at her from across the courtroom.

“Fuck off, Applesnack,” Rainbow Dash said, flipping the farmer a double bird.

I coughed for attention. “Applejack, you’re one of the only people here strong enough to lift those free weights out of the water. You could have stumbled across the scene, found the picture, realized who must’ve killed Pinkie, and did your best to make it look like you did it instead.” I brought up another piece of evidence.

Fact #4: Weight-Lifting Room: “The central mat is covered in a large half-dried bloodstain with a single bloody footprint heel emerging from it. The equipment in the room was moved around and disturbed, suggesting a struggle. Curly pink hairs and straight yellow hairs were discovered at the scene, alongside a single wavy purple hair.”

“Straight yellow hairs were found at the scene, Applejack, and you’re the only blonde on this ship. I’ll bet you cut pieces of your own hair and scattered them everywhere just so it’d look like you were involved. And I’ll bet originally there were a lot more hairs from the real culprit, Rarity, hairs that you cleaned up. But you missed one.”

Applejack lashed out in a might kick to her podium, sending wood chips flying everywhere. “This is the dumbest thing Ah’ve ever heard. Ah told you, Sunset, Ah never saw that picture before you brought it up in the trial. Ah didn’t have anything to do with Pinkie’s death, and neither did Rarity! Ah dunno why you’re trying to blame us when we’ve done nothin’ but support you the entire time we’ve been stuck in this killing game, but if this is how you repay our friendship, maybe we ought to stop bein’ friends!”

I reeled back as if she’d kicked me instead of her podium, doubling over in surprise. “But, but it makes sense. Why else would someone move the body? Why else would someone lock up the picture and Pinkie’s Monopad?” Am I wrong? Did I pursue the wrong path? Again?

“No it does not make sense, Sunset,” Rarity insisted, drawing herself up even as she dabbed the tears from her eyes. “Even if I had seen that picture before today, which I assure you I have not, I would never kill someone just to escape this place with Applejack. Do you not remember what I told my own sister?! Killing is wrong.” She bore down on me with the full force glare of a woman scorned. “I don’t know who was responsible for moving that picture. I am furious with you over the fact that you didn’t share this sooner. But I did not kill Pinkie Pie. I was in my cabin after 9:00 PM, and I never left afterwards.”

“So was Ah,” Applejack added, shaking her head at me. “And Ah think we can both prove that. Right, Scootaloo?”

“Huh?” Scootaloo had been watching us go back and forth without saying a word, and this caught her off guard. “Oh! Oh yeah!” She let out a sheepish laugh and scratched the back of her head. “Yeah, I remember seeing them go into their cabin last night. They never left.”

“And if they’d been seen, Pinkie would’ve told me,” Diamond Tiara seconded, glaring at me. “She kept up with her regular check-in texts, remember?”

“I’d like to think Rainbow Dash would’ve informed me as well, if she’d seen them,” Twilight said, smirking at me. “Nice try though, Sunset. You idiot.”

My face fell into my hands. I’m wrong. I’m so wrong. I went completely the wrong way with this. Good job Sunset. Good fucking job. “I’m sorry,” I gasped, struggling not to cry. “I just, I thought--”

“Aw hell, Sunset,” Applejack said quietly, her whole demeanor relaxing from rage into something more akin to pity. “Ah get it. Ah get where you were goin’ with that line of thinkin’. But sometimes, sugarcube, you get some fool idea in your head and you run with it till the cows come home, no matter how dumb it is. Ah can’t blame you for thinkin’ Ah might’ve had somethin’ to do with this. And Ah’m just as mad as Rarity is at you for keepin’ that picture quiet. We’re gonna have words about this after the trial. For now though, can Ah ask you to just think a bit more before you start accusin’ people?”

“Indeed, darling,” Rarity said, shifting to favor me with pity as well. “I second everything Applejack just said. I consider you a friend, Sunset. Please don’t give me reasons to reconsider that notion.”

I nodded, utterly ashamed of myself. “Okay. I’m sorry. I’ll… I’ll try not to mess up again.”

“That’s all we ask,” Rarity replied with a soft smile.

Trixie reached over and patted me on the shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Sunset. The Great and Powerful Trixie still believes in you. And she thinks we still haven’t figured out what killed Pinkie.”

“No, we haven’t,” Flash said, rubbing his chin. “Sunset, you suggested earlier it was the dumbbell. How certain are you of that?”

“Right now? I’m not sure of anything,” I said, throwing up my hands in frustration.

Rainbow Dash raised a hand like she was in school. “Uh, Sunset, I think you were probably right about that. Look at this.”

Fact #9: Photo #2: “A picture taken by Pinkie Pie’s Monopad in the weight room, showing the silhouette of someone with long hair approaching her with a dumbbell in hand, blanked out due to a bright light behind them. Pinkie’s skirt is visible in the picture.”

“See? She even took a picture of her killer before they killed her.”

“Hmm…” Adagio lowered her head till she was resting on her fist, her elbow supporting her. “That’s what I thought too, when we first saw it, but now I’m not so sure. We can’t even see who it is.”

“Well, we can see who it’s not?” Flash suggested, with a slight laugh. “It’s not Scootaloo, and it’s not me. That doesn’t narrow it down much, but it helps?”

“Not really,” Twilight said, rolling her eyes. “So many of us have long hair that it could be almost any of us.”

“Well, that sure ain’t me,” Applejack said. “Ah’d think you’d be able to see mah hat if it was. Or at least the shadow of it.”

“Or you took the hat off,” Twilight retorted with a glare. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

Trixie snapped her fingers. “Trixie wants to know why Pinkie’s skirt is in the picture. If you’re taking a picture of someone else, why would your own skirt be visible?”

“Good question,” Scootaloo said, leaning down to stare harder at the picture. “Maybe she took it in a hurry?”

Diamond Tiara huffed, clacking her pen on her podium to get attention. “Better question: why did she take it at all? Who sits there and takes a picture of someone trying to kill them?”

“Uuuuh…” Scootaloo’s mouth twisted up in confusion as she stared up at the ceiling like she was searching for an answer. “Maybe she was going to text it, as a cry for help?”

“Was there a time stamp on the photo?” Twilight inquired, looking right at me. “You still have her Monopad with you, right?”

“I do,” I said, rummaging through my pack to dig it out. Then I froze, and looked up at Monoponi, who leered down at me with a big fat grin on his face. “Uuuuh, my having this doesn’t break a rule, does it?”

“Oho, you have no idea how tempted I am to say that it does!” Monoponi said, waggling one forehoof. “Ahahaha! But no, no, that wouldn’t be right. You can’t steal from the dead! The rule doesn’t apply to a dead person’s Monopad. You should know that, Sunset, remember?”

Oh. Right. The first game’s second case. That one involved dumbbells and a locker room too, didn’t it? Weird. “Ahehe,” I laughed nervously, rubbing the back of my head and trying to ignore the harsh glare Twilight shot my way. “Riiight. Uh, anyway, let’s look at this.” I switched on the Monopad and tabbed through to the picture. “Hmm… okay, it doesn’t list the timestamp on the picture itself, but the file title contains one. Says it was taken at… 12:15 AM?!”

“What?!” Rarity gasped, throwing her hands up to clutch her head. “But how is that possible? Pinkie Pie sent check-in texts for two hours after that!”

“Did she, though?” Diamond Tiara wondered, scanning through her own Monopad. “Hey, Sunset, double check this with me, will you?”

“Right.” I tabbed back over to her texts, and scrolled through them. I hadn’t noticed before, but… every text after 11:45 PM was exactly the same: “Pinkie Pie is here and the coast is clear!~~” “Holy crap. How come we didn’t see this before?”

Tiara slammed her open palm on her podium. “Damn it. This should’ve been obvious!”

“What? What is it?” Rainbow asked, eyes dancing back and forth between us in concern.

I slapped a hand to my forehead. “Uuugh. I’m such an idiot. The culprit faked the texts. I should’ve figured that out the moment I realized the culprit had their hands on her Monopad.”

“Grrr,” Rainbow Dash growled, squeezing a fist tight enough to turn her knuckles white. “Damn this culprit. They’re such a sneaky little jerk.”

“Okay, so, I’ve got it then!” Scootaloo said, snapping her fingers. “Pinkie whipped out her Monopad to take the picture, was trying to text it, and then wham she was hit over the head! Dead before she could do anything.

I raised a hand, but before I could say a word, Trixie pointed a finger at Scootaloo and shouted, “No, that’s wrong!” She tapped buttons on her own Monopad and brought up some evidence.

Fact #3: Body Condition: “The back of her skull was broken open by the impact of a blunt object.”

“The culprit clearly hit Pinkie from behind. Why would Pinkie Pie turn her back to someone threatening her life, hmm? And don’t say she was trying to run. Trixie knows she wasn’t.” She punched up more evidence.

Fact #4: Weight-Lifting Room: “The central mat is covered in a large half-dried bloodstain with a single bloody footprint heel emerging from it. The equipment in the room was moved around and disturbed, suggesting a struggle.”

Trixie pointed squarely at the first line. “See how there’s a single footprint sticking out of the puddle? Trixie is certain that means Pinkie was standing still when she was hit. And if she was standing still while taking the picture, the culprit would’ve hit her from the front, not the back! As further proof, take a look at the pool of blood. If she’d been moving when she was hit, it would be scattered, splattered all over. But it’s not. It’s in one single place.”

I curled my lips in an impressed pout, nodding several times. “Nice. Well done, Trixie,” I said, tempted to add some applause, but I held back. I didn’t want her to think I was making fun of her.

“Okay, okay, jeez, I get it,” Scootaloo groaned, crossing her arms with a petulant look on her face. “You don’t have to hammer it in.”

Rarity favored Trixie with a questioning look. “Trixie, darling, if I may, it sounds as if you’re suggesting the picture might have been faked.”

Adagio’s eyebrows shot to the top of her head. “Wait, how did you get that from what she said?”

“Well,” Rarity said, holding up a hand, “If Pinkie Pie was standing still, that means she wasn’t trying to escape. And I can’t imagine any reason why she’d do that, not while also taking a picture of her killer. So that must mean something here isn’t what it appears to be.”

“Or,” Rainbow Dash objected, rolling her eyes, “it means the picture doesn’t tell the whole story! Look, the dumbbell has to be what killed her. We already know she didn’t drown. I mean, look at the Monoponi file, right?”

Fact #2: Monoponi File IIIb: “The victim’s body has multiple injuries, including blunt force trauma to the head, puncture wounds on the arms, and the fifth metacarpal bone of both hands are broken.”

“Right there,” Rainbow said, pointing to the last line. “On her hands. What if she was hit by the dumbbell twice? She blocked the first hit with her hands, which broke both the bones mentioned. Then, she--”

“Stop right there,” Twilight ordered, glaring at Rainbow over her glasses. “Do you even know what bone the file is talking about?”

“Uh, yeah, I do,” Rainbow scoffed. She held up her right hand and pointed with her left index finger right at her right pinkie, then ran her index finger down her hand, stopping just before her wrist. “That’s what it’s talking about. This bone right here.”

“Good. You’re not completely ignorant.” Twilight turned to face her closest, and only, podium neighbor. “Diamond Tiara, would you please do us all a favor?”

Tiara arched a single eyebrow, shifting her weight onto one leg. “What is it?”

Twilight handed Tiara her notebook. “Take this, and hold it in both hands like you would a dumbbell, then trying to hit me with it please. Slowly.”

With a shrug, Tiara did as she was asked. As she raised the notebook up, Twilight made an exaggerated face of surprise, then slowly threw up her hands as the notebook descended. Her arms crossed over each other and the notebook hit, not at the metacarpal, but at the lower part of the wrist, only on her right arm at that. “Thank you,” Twilight said, taking her notebook back. Then she faced Rainbow. “Did your simple mind understand that, or do we need to do it again?”

“No. I get it,” Rainbow rolled her eyes and raised her middle finger at Twilight. “Didn’t have to be a bitch about it.”

“Okay, so she wasn’t injured because she blocked the dumbbell,” I said, giving Twilight a grateful nod and pointedly ignoring her answering glare of derision. “And Trixie’s right that she had to be standing still in order for the bloodstain to be the way it is. So I think Rarity might be right too. The picture is fake.”

“Ah’m not sure Ah understand how they faked it, if that’s the case,” Applejack said, scratching at her hair right under her hat. “Ah mean, Pinkie’s skirt is in the picture, right? So, what, did the culprit put her skirt on?”

“Wow. Kinky,” Tiara snickered, then burst out laughing hard at the glares she got from several of us, myself included. “Oh come on, it’s funny!”

Adagio, ignoring Tiara, looked at Applejack and nodded to her. “I think the farmer’s on to something. The culprit must’ve worn the skirt, or at least put it on something so it’d be in the picture. It was like the culprit was trying to make sure we thought it was Pinkie taking it.”

“The sad thing is, if they hadn’t thrown in that little detail, their plan might’ve worked,” Rarity said, pressing her right fist to her chin as she set her left arm on her podium.

Scootaloo doubled over, groaning. “Ugh, but I don’t get it. If the culprit took the picture, that means they’re not the one holding the dumbbell. So who is?”

“Two possibilities,” I answered. “Either it’s an accomplice, which I doubt, or… it’s Pinkie Pie herself.”

Rainbow Dash smacked both her palms on her podium. “What?! How does that work? Why would Pinkie Pie be holding up the dumbbell? She wasn't strong enough!"

“You’re not going to say she was trying to kill the culprit, are you?” Scootaloo demanded, glaring at me now.

“No, of course not,” I rolled my eyes. “Pinkie Pie was no more likely to kill someone than I am, and I know she wasn't strong enough. What I’m suggesting is, when the picture was taken, Pinkie Pie was already dead.”

“What?!”

“Huh?!”

“Oh my heavens!”

“You can’t be serious!”

“Holy crap!”

For the second time the whole group burst into excited chatter, arguing back and forth over the plausibility of what I’d just suggested. "But that's stupid!" Rainbow Dash intervened. "I just said she wasn't strong enough to hold the weight. Now you're saying she held it while dead?!"

"It wouldn't be that difficult," I said. "If the culprit propped up her body in the right way, they could position things so Pinkie could appear like she was holding the weight even if she wasn't actually holding it. They could've done that by tying her arm and hiding the rope."

“Now hold it right there, sugarcube,” Applejack warned, holding up a hand at me. “Ah’m not sayin’ you’re wrong, but Ah ain’t sayin’ you’re right either. Let’s think about this before we just accept it. We don’t want a repeat of what just happened with Rarity and me.”

“Sure,” I nodded with a smile. “I don’t want to make the same mistake twice either.”

“That’s good to hear,” Applejack smiled back. “So, what makes you think it might be Pinkie Pie? Her hair was curlier than a sheep doin’ cartwheels. Wouldn’t that stand out in the photo, even with that bright light?”

I shook my head. “Not necessarily. Pinkie Pie’s hair has been flat for the past few days. I’ve been watching her hair the whole time she was alive in the killing game. It always reacted to her mood, deflating when she was sad, inflating when she was happy.” I rubbed at my chin. “Actually, come to think of it, that makes me wonder if she had some latent magic too. That’d explain why her hair worked that way.”

“Ah suppose you’re right. Her hair was mighty strange from time to time,” Applejack allowed. “But can you be sure it was flat when she died? Ah’m not suggestin’ she was happy to die or nothin’ like that, but let’s be certain about this.”

“I’m one hundred percent certain of it, for multiple reasons,” I answered. I held out my hand to count on. “First, she absolutely hated the trials. The first one was bad enough, but the second one effectively broke her. She was always depressed after it, and suffered from constant mood swings. Second, remember the way she acted the morning after Fluttershy died?”

~*~
Pinkie Pie drooped over her table, a goofy smile on her face. Her forkful of eggs hung loose in her hand, and as she raised it to her mouth she missed a couple of times before she got it in. Her pupils were oddly dilated, given the bright light of the food court. “Heeey,” she said, waving at us and giggling. “What’s up?”

“Uh, not much?” I said, sharing a confused look with Trixie and Adagio.

Pinkie dropped her fork to her plate. Her happy smile flipped to an ugly, gross frown. “Not much? Not much?!” She slammed a fist on her table, sending her fork clattering to the floor. “Fluttershy died yesterday, and you call that not much?!”

“Whoa!” I took a couple steps back, my hands shooting up in surrender. “I didn’t say anything about Fluttershy. Cool it.”

“Oh.” Pinkie’s frown flipped back to the goofy smile as she scooped up her fork and tossed the fallen eggs into her mouth, carpet fuzz and all. “Okie dokie loki.”
~*~

“Oh, Ah heard about that. Ah wasn’t there for it, of course, on account of being on guard duty,” Applejack said. “She didn’t sound like she was in her right mind. But that still doesn’t mean her hair was flat when she died. Can you prove it was, without a shadow of a doubt?”

“I’ll ri--err...I’ll prove it with this,” I said, curtailing my usual response to this kind of back and forth debate in favor of something a bit nicer. I called up the evidence just the same.

Fact #12: Diary: “A diary discovered in Pinkie Pie’s cabin, wherein she admits using drugs. The following is scribbled repeatedly on several pages, in barely discernible handwriting: “What have I done oh my god what have I done she’s dead she’s dead and it’s my fault it’s all my fault I killed her I killed her why why why why why?!” The last entry in the diary reads: “Thank you Sunny. I’ll do what needs to be done.”

Applejack almost fell over backwards from the shock of reading what I’d thrown up on our screens. “As you can see,” I said sadly, “Pinkie Pie, who we all know was in the jewelry store with Fluttershy the night Fluttershy died, was under the impression she was responsible for Fluttershy’s death. She was using drugs to cope with the guilt, because she felt so isolated and alone that she couldn’t turn to any of us for help.”

Scootaloo’s eyes watered, letting quiet tears flow. “She, she really felt that alone? But we all liked her! She was our friend.”

“Did we ever tell her that thought?” Rarity wondered, likewise crying softly. “She… poor Pinkie Pie, I can’t recall if I ever spent some time with the dear once outside of group meetings and events.”

“Trixie spent some time speaking with her,” Trixie sniffled, “but it was only once. Then she became friends with Sunset and forgot all about Pinkie.”

“Ah can’t say Ah ever spent any time with her either. That girl was fun, but hoo boy she was she exhaustin’ to be around,” Applejack said, holding her hat to her chest in lieu of crying.

“You said it,” Tiara seconded as she closed her eyes and squeezed one fist. “Every time she showed up I needed to pop another aspirin just to stave off the headache.”

“Yeah, I think the most I ever did for her was DJ for her party,” Flash said, hanging his head. “And I didn’t even do that most of the night.”

Adagio pursed her lips, her eyes flashing with irritation. “I couldn’t stand her. Too energetic. Too loud.”

“She threw a sweet party, I guess?” Rainbow said, rubbing the back of her head.

Even Twilight softened up, seeming regretful. “She was more worthwhile than I gave her credit for.”

“I wasn’t any better than the rest of you when it comes to Pinkie,” I said. “In fact, I made the poor girl cry once, and I--”

“Wait a minute,” Twilight said, her mask of detachment back in place as she smacked a hand on her podium. “Wait a damned minute. What does that diary entry say at the very end? ‘Thank you Sunny, I’ll do what needs to be done’? What does that mean?”

“She asked me for some advice last night,” I answered, the guilt welling up inside me, threatening to overtake me. “She asked me what she should do if she did something really bad because someone said it was okay, and it wasn’t okay. I told her to ask the person who said it why they said it was okay.” I saw Twilight open her mouth and forestalled the next question by adding, “And she had one of my jackets because I gave it to her. She kept having cold chills.”

“What exactly did Pinkie do that made her think she was guilty, anyway?” Flash asked, setting a hand to his chin.

Tiara and I exchanged a look, and she waved for me to go ahead. “Diamond Tiara and I discussed this before. We think it’s probable that Pinkie Pie is the one who planted the ring on Fluttershy.”

Scootaloo blinked, looked between Tiara and myself, then settled on me, glaring in irritation. “Oh my god, Sunset, you did it again. You did it again!”

“What? Did what?”

She rolled her eyes and slapped her hands to her hips. “You withheld the one piece of evidence that proved who killed someone. Again. This is like the third time!”

“I--no! No I didn’t!” I objected, throwing out one arm in protest. “I didn’t want to mention this because I didn’t want to give people the false impression that Pinkie Pie killed Fluttershy. Because she didn’t.”

“Really? Because Ah’m thinkin’ that diary tells all,” Applejack retorted, crossing her arms and thumbing the edge of her hat. “Unless you got somethin’ else that makes you think her own admission ain’t enough.”

“Ugh!” I threw my hands up and let them fall to my sides. “Number one, I just told you guys that she told me she only did something because someone else told her it was okay. Number two, yes, Applejack, I do have something to prove it.”

Fact #13: Discarded Note: “A handwritten note torn to shreds, found in Pinkie Pie’s wastebasket. The handwriting is messy and heavily slanted to the left. Most of the text was illegible, save for the following words: ‘help me surprise Fluttershy.’

I deliberately kept the bit about Rainbow Dash’s handwriting matching it off screen for the moment. I didn’t want to muddy the waters further. We could deal with that later. “See? She was given a note. The note said ‘help me surprise Fluttershy.’ That implies that someone told her it was okay to place that ring in Fluttershy’s pocket. Pinkie Pie was super sneaky, but she was also pretty naive. I’ll bet the rest of the note told her to give Fluttershy that specific ring. Remember how the box had a piece of red tape on it?”

~*~
Monoponi pointedly strode up to her and used his magic to rummage through her pockets, withdrawing a small black box with a piece of red tape stuck to the top. “Oh? Ooooh? Then what do you call this?!” He popped open the box, revealing a beautiful gold ring encrusted with a large yellow tourmaline. “Because I call this thievery!”
~*~

“The person who wrote the note probably marked that box so Pinkie would know which one was ‘safe’ to give Fluttershy. Fluttershy was already taking Pinkie to the store so she could buy Pinkie a gift. Pinkie was probably all too happy to return the favor, and help whoever gave her the note to boot.”

“Oh that poor darling!” Rarity gasped, holding up a hand to her forehead and sighing dramatically. “And then it was all for naught, because poor Fluttershy was cut down in the prime of her youth, for a crime she didn’t even commit!” Her hand slipped down and into a fist at her breast. “Damn whoever gave her that note. They’re the real criminal here.”

“Are they, though?” Twilight scoffed, holding up both hands in a gesture that screamed bitch please. “Because the way I understand the rules is, what matters is who did the actual deed. Pinkie Pie’s the one who planted the ring. Therefore, she’s the culprit. We’ve found one of the blackeneds.”

“Yeah, Twilight’s right!” Rainbow Dash railed, slamming a hand on her podium. “If Pinkie Pie herself admitted she did it, then she did it!”

Tiara held up a single finger and shook it. “But Pinkie wouldn’t have done it without that note. I think Sunset’s got a point. Pinkie Pie isn’t the culprit.”

Applejack tapped her foot on the ground several times with an obvious clicking sound. “Well, if Tiara says it wasn’t Pinkie, Ah’m inclined to disagree with her just cause Tiara’s sayin’ it,” she groused, glaring at the rich elitist. “Because Ah don’t like you.”

“Wow. What a petty reason,” Tiara snorted derisively.

“Pot callin’ the kettle black there sugarcube.”

Scootaloo let out an irritated groan and fell over onto her podium. “How is this even a debate? Like Rainbow said, Pinkie admitted it.”

“Gonna have to agree with that,” Flash said, lowering his hand from his chin as he nodded. “An admission of guilt is an admission of guilt.”

“You didn’t see the note,” Adagio said, stabbing a finger into her podium. “It’d be foolish to suggest Pinkie Pie was guilty when someone deliberately misled her.”

Trixie thrust out her arm so her cape billowed. “Trixie, of course, will support Sunset. Though Trixie isn’t sure this matters. Isn’t it up to Monoponi, not us?”

“Oh, nonono, by all means, argue over this!” Monoponi said, holding his forehooves to his belly with a grin of glee. “Eyahaha, I’ll let you idiots decide this one for yourselves. I’ll go with whoever wins!”

“Wait, really?” I said, arching both eyebrows. “Are you only doing that because we’re split down… the… middle… oh god damn it!” I slapped both hands to my head and moaned.

“Ahahahaha! You said it, not me!” Monoponi’s horn lit up, triggering the speakers to fill the room with that techno beat once again. “After all, when you say it, we gotta do it. Presenting our very own morphenomenal trial grounds, it’s time for the scrum debate!”

“Good job me,” I groaned as our podiums rose up to split up in twain. Out the corner of my eye I saw Pinkie’s portrait and Fluttershy’s join my side before the debate began.

WAS PINKIE RESPONSIBLE FOR FLUTTERSHY’S DEATH?

BEGIN!

Rainbow Dash began, thrusting out a finger and shouting, “Pinkie Pie admitted it herself! She’s the one responsible!”

Rarity retorted with a twirl of her finger, “Sorry darling, but just because she admitted she was involved does not mean she’s the actual blackened!”

Applejack threw down her hat and argued, “But she’s the one who gave her the ring! That means it’s gotta be her!”

Tiara held a hand to her mouth and laughed. “Ohoho, but she only gave her that ring because someone told her to!”

Groaning in frustration, Flash objected, “But that doesn’t mean anything! We can’t even be sure that’s what the note says!”

Her cloak billowing like a strong wind behind her, Trixie laughed and said, “Trixie read the note herself! It said ‘help me surprise Fluttershy.’ That seems pretty blatant to Trixie!”

“So what’re you saying, huh?” Scootaloo snarled. “That the real culprit is the one who wrote the note, because they had the intent to kill? That they just used Pinkie Pie?”

“Obviously,” Adagio sneered with a mocking laugh. “The culpritwanted Fluttershy dead, and used Pinkie Pie and Monoponi to do it.”

Twilight ripped her glasses off her face and glared right at me. “According to the rules the blackened is the one who did the deed. Note or not, intent or not, Pinkie’s the one who did it. Therefore, she has to be the blackened!”

I glared right back, putting the full force of my personality behind this one. “You don’t get to interpret the rules, Twilight. Monoponi does. He put this debate in our hands, which means he agrees our argument makes sense. As with any crime, intent matters. Pinkie Pie was as much a tool as Monoponi himself was. The one who intended harm was the true culprit behind Fluttershy’s death, not Pinkie Pie!”

“But can we really make an exception just because we don’t want it to be Pinkie Pie?” Flash demanded.

Using one hand to fluff her hair, Tiara whirled on him and retorted in a fiery manner, “Hey, dumbass, did you forget that an exception is what kept you from being the blackened for Apple Bloom?”

Applejack scooped her hat up and slapped it back on. “But there’s a difference! Flash didn’t even know there was a trap. Pinkie Pie was well aware what she was doin’ might break the rules!”

“There’s no difference at all!” Adagio shot back, slapping a hand to her head. “Pinkie Pie was lied to. She was told it was safe.”

“Oh come on, that’s just a bullshit assumption and you know it!” Rainbow Dash said, slamming an open palm on her podium.

Trixie leaned forward, favoring Rainbow Dash with a mocking half-lidded leer. “It’s not an assumption, it’s fact. Pinkie Pie told Sunset as much, remember?”

Scootaloo pulled at her hair, utterly frustrated. “But how can we be sure that note was even real? What if it was fake? What if Pinkie Pie made it up, just to cover up for her own guilt?”

Rarity hummed, smiling gently. “Scootaloo, I understand where you’re going with this, but why shouldn’t we assume the note was real? Which is truly more likely, Pinkie Pie committing murder and covering it up, or Pinkie Pie being misled into committing murder? I know which one makes more sense to me.”

More hairs bursting from her otherwise perfect bun, Twilight set her glasses down on her podium, sighed, and said, “You do understand if we decide that Pinkie Pie can’t be the blackened that we’re putting another lifein jeopardy? That instead of accepting someone already dead, we might be throwing someone else’s life away? Wouldn’t the moral thing to do be to preserve as many of our lives as possible?”

My blood boiling at that remark, I fired back, “Oh, so Pinkie Pie’s lifewas meaningless? Fluttershy’s life was meaningless? Is that what you’re saying? Because if we let the person who wrote the note get away with this, that’s exactly what we’ll be saying. And I refuse to accept that. I refuse to blame someone conned into doing something they’d never do otherwise just so we can spare the life of someone who thinks it’s okay to manipulate others into murdering each other! That’s not the moral thing to do at all. It’s the wrong thing to do! I won’t accept anything else!”

With that answer, our podiums descended back to the courtroom, resuming their usual layout. “Well, I’d say we have a winner there, folks!” Monoponi cheered. “Sunset’s team wins! Whoever wrote the note that told Pinkie what to do is who I’ll consider the blackened to be! I hope you idiots don’t regret making this choice in the end, upupupu eyahahaha ahahahaahahaha!”

Monoponi’s ominous laughter aside, I was glad this was the direction we were taking. Pinkie Pie died believing she was responsible for killing Fluttershy. If there was any justice in the world at all, somewhere out there, in whatever afterlife may or may not exist, Fluttershy was telling Pinkie it wasn’t her fault, and that she forgives her. I can only hope, anyway, because I sure as hell wasn’t about to let the monster who tricked Pinkie into doing their dirty work get away with this.

And I hadn’t forgotten that we hadn’t even come close to solving Pinkie Pie’s murder either. We may have nailed down a rough time frame, but that’s all we’d done. We didn’t even know the cause of death yet.

This trial had only just begun.

Author's Note

I never once considered Pinkie Pie responsible for Fluttershy's death.

Chapter Three: A Maelstrom of Murder Part 7

Chapter Three:

A Maelstrom of Murder

Trial Part 2

So here we were, part way into the trial for Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. We’d made a crucial decision, that whomever was behind the note was the one behind Fluttershy’s death. But we’d barely gotten our feet wet when it came to Pinkie Pie. We knew she didn’t drown, and I was pretty sure the dumbbell didn’t kill her either, but we hadn’t gone any further. We went off track because I brought up Pinkie’s diary.

It was going to take a lot more effort to solve Pinkie’s murder, but I thought we could at least continue where we were with the note. We had a possible clue as to who might’ve written it, so I figured that was the best place to start.

“Ah sure hope we made the right decision,” Applejack said, shaking in her boots.

Twilight brought out a rag, polished her glasses with it, then slipped them back on. “Frankly, I’m not sure we did. If there are two blackeneds, we may have just given up an extra life, if Monoponi decides to execute them both.”

“Oh dear, I hadn’t considered that!” Rarity said, somehow managing to pale despite her alabaster complexion. “Maybe we should have left it as Pinkie Pie after all…”

“It’s too late now,” Scootaloo groaned, slapping a hand to her face. “Hope we don’t regret this.”

“I don’t give a damn if it was the right thing to do or not,” Adagio said with a menacing grin on her face. “I just want to be sure that whoever wrote that note pays for what they did.”

Rainbow Dash smashed a fist on her podium. “Uugh, enough already, okay? Can we just move on?”

“Yes, let’s,” I agreed. “Because I know the perfect thing to focus on: the note itself.”

Trixie arched an eyebrow. “Oh? You’re bringing that up now?”

“Wait, what is Trixie talking about?” Twilight said, sighing in frustration. “Were you hiding something, Sunset?”

“Not hiding. I just didn’t want to bring it up till we’d settled the debate,” I said. “I left something out when I brought up the note the first time.”

Fact #13: Discarded Note: “A handwritten note torn to shreds, found in Pinkie Pie’s wastebasket. The handwriting is messy and heavily slanted to the left. Most of the text was illegible, save for the following words: ‘help me surprise Fluttershy.’ The handwriting near perfectly matches a sample of Rainbow Dash’s handwriting.”

“You can probably see why I didn’t want this distracting us,” I said.

“Fourth time!” Scootaloo cried, falling face first onto her podium and wriggling. “Fourth goddamned time!”

Adagio snickered at Scootaloo’s antics. “It’s only the third time, idiot. Apple Bloom didn’t count.”

“Adagio, that’s not helpful,” I groused.

“H-hey, wait a minute,” Rainbow Dash took a step back from her podium, enveloped in a cold sweat. “T-this doesn’t mean anything. I-I didn’t write that note.”

Trixie let out a low, dark chuckle. “Trixie might have something to say about that,” she said as she queued up another piece of evidence.

Fact #15: Library Log: “The handwriting of the log entry ‘Daring Do and the Cornerstone of Light: Rainbow Dash X/O’ is a near perfect match for the handwriting of the note found in Pinkie Pie’s wastebasket, apart from being slightly slanted to the right.”

“This is what Sunset and Trixie matched the handwriting to. Your own signature, remember?”

“That doesn’t mean anything!” Rainbow retorted, her face turning pale. “C’mon you guys, you can’t be serious! I loved Fluttershy! She was my sister in all but name. You really think I’d kill her like that? Or at all?”

“Oh, I’m sure that, with the right motive, she could’ve been convinced to sacrifice herself for you,” Adagio purred. “But, no, I don’t think you wrote the note.”

“I don’t either,” I agreed. “It wouldn’t make any sense for you to have written it.”

“O-oh…” Rainbow Dash, who’d been all but hyperventilating, managed to slow her breathing, letting out several nervous laughs. “Then why didn’t you just say so?”

A sheepish smile of my own spreading on my face, I replied, “Because I still wanted to bring up the possibility that you did. Look closely at the two handwriting samples. They’re almost identical, except one is slanted to the left, the other slanted to the right. If I wasn’t looking at these side by side? I’d be completely fooled into thinking this was your handwriting, Rainbow.”

Tiara peered down at her Monopad, comparing the samples. “Huh. Me too. But it wouldn’t be the first time someone faked someone else’s handwriting, would it?”

“No. It wouldn’t,” Twilight agreed. She glanced Rainbow’s way, frowning. “Then again, maybe that’s what Rainbow Dash was banking on.”

“Huh?” I blinked several times in rapid succession. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Twilight said with a mocking grin, “that Rainbow Dash, knowing someone’s faked writing before, deliberately made her writing look different on the note so that when we compared it, we’d see the difference and think someone must’ve faked it.”

“Woah!” Scootaloo gasped. “That’s so sneaky!”

“H-hey!” Rainbow Dash objected, the panic she’d managed to shed returning all at once. “No way! I couldn’t come up with anything like that! I’m not smart enough!”

Twilight barked a single, mirthless laugh. “You don’t have to be. Daring Do and the Cornerstone of Light, chapter eight. Daring Do deliberately pretends to fake her own handwriting to fool Doctor Caballeron into thinking someone else created a false map to the cornerstone. There was a perfect example right there in the very book you read.”

Tiara snickered, holding back a laugh. “Guess Rainbow’s not the only one still reading kid’s books,” she muttered under her breath.

“I heard that,” Twilight said, glaring daggers at Tiara.

I crossed my arms, frowning at the researcher. “Not to doubt what you’re saying, but is there any way we could prove that she faked it?”

“Certainly,” Twilight answered. She adjusted her glasses, causing them to catch a bit of light and twinkle. “Give Rainbow Dash a pen and a piece of paper, and watch her try to write the words from the note. ‘Help me surprise Fluttershy.’ She needs to write it several times. With each hand.”

“Um, beg your pardon, darling? Why each hand?” Rarity inquired, puzzlement etched across her face.

Twilight sighed, carefully rubbing her forehead with two fingers and a thumb. “Ugh, isn’t it obvious? Because the difference in the handwriting is clearly the difference between someone writing with their right hand versus their left. See how the note is slanted to the left? That means whoever wrote it did so with their left hand. Of course, there’s nothing preventing the signature from being left-handed as well. It’s just less likely, since it’s slightly slanted to the right.”

“But I’m right-handed,” Rainbow Dash said, her face screwing up in confusion. “I can’t write anything with my left hand.”

It was Twilight’s turn for stunned silence. “You… what?!” More hairs burst forth from her bun, leaving her with the appearance of someone aping a beholder rather than having perfectly brushed hair. “Since when?! You always eat with your fork in your left hand. I’ve seen you do it!”

“Well, yeah, that’s cause my grandma made me learn how to do that,” Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes. “When I was really little, my parents used her as a babysitter. She was left-handed, and so was everyone else in my family, so she kept trying to "correct" me and made me use my left hand. She passed away when I was four. I was too young to learn how to write, but old enough to use a fork, sooo yeah.” She leaned against her podium. “Every once in a while I try to use my right hand to hold a fork or a spoon, but it never feels right, you know? So I use my left hand for that. But I use my right for everything else.”

Applejack raised a hand like she wanted to set it on Rainbow’s shoulder to comfort her, despite the animosity, and the entire courtroom, between them. Then she set it down on her podium. “Ah’m sorry to hear your Granny treated you like that. Mine sure never would’ve.”

A half smile briefly appeared on Rainbow’s face before it faded. “S’alright. Don’t worry about it.”

I pulled out a pen and piece of paper. “Still, would you mind doing the test Twilight suggested anyway, just to be safe?”

“Uh, sure, but how’re you guys gonna see it?” she asked as I handed them over to her, barely reaching past Fluttershy’s empty podium.

Monoponi coughed into his hoof. “Oh you let me worry about that. If it’s for the trial, your Captain is more than happy to oblige!” With a flourish of his horn and a bolt of crimson light, the center hologram display lit up with a perfect top-down shot of Rainbow Dash’s hands and the paper.

“Oookay, here goes nothing,” Rainbow said. Taking up the pen in her right hand, she proceeded to sketch out two columns on the paper, one marked left, the other right. On the right column she then wrote ‘help me surprise Fluttershy’ five times. Each time she wrote it, it matched the handwriting from her book signature.

Then she swapped the pen over to her left hand, grimacing at the feel. “Ugh, this is gonna suck,” she groaned as she began writing. Under our scrutiny, with no chance to fake anything, Rainbow tried her hardest to write clearly with her left hand. She did a bit better than I expected, but the end result was nothing like the note. Her usual handwriting was chicken scratch as it is. Her left-handed handwriting? All but unreadable. And I suspected the only reason I could read it at all was because I already knew what it said.

Monoponi let the image fade off the display as Rainbow Dash passed the pen and paper back to me. I made sure to pass the paper around the room so everyone could get a clear look at it. “Satisfied, Twilight?” I said, smirking. “She didn’t fake her own handwriting.”

As the paper reached her, Twilight’s lips puckered up like she’d bit into a lemon, then followed it up with a grapefruit, a lime, and washed it all down with kombucha. “I can see that.” Rather than pass it along to Flash, she decided to crumple up the paper and threw it as hard as she could across the room.

“Hey!” Monoponi objected, slapping a hoof on the arm of his throne. “You’re picking that up after the trial is over!”

“Whatever.”

“Why’re you bein’ so grumpy about this anyway?” Applejack inquired, arching an eyebrow at the researcher. “Ah thought you didn’t mind being wrong, bein’ a scientist and all.”

Twilight’s gaze snapped to focus on the farmer, her glare resembling a white hot inferno for a split second before cooling back down to the icy chill of scientific detachment. “I was just taken aback by Rainbow Dash’s revelation, that’s all.”

“So,” Adagio said, snapping her fingers for attention. “If Rainbow Dash didn’t write the note or fake write the note, who did?”

Twilight shrugged. “As far as I’m aware, a lot of us are left-handed. The library has books showing you how to imitate handwriting, as we already know from our last trial. Any of us could’ve done it.”

“Twilight’s right about that,” I said, nodding. “Maybe instead of asking who, we need to ask why. Why would someone write a note like that for Pinkie Pie?”

Scootaloo held up both hands and stared at me. “What kind of question is that? Obviously they wanted Fluttershy dead.”

“Maybe,” I allowed. “Maybe not. Can we really be sure that was their goal?”

“Of course it was!” Rainbow Dash declared, smashing a fist down on her podium. “I don’t know which one of you assholes wanted Shy dead, but why else would they do it?”

Trixie held up a hand, accidentally hitting the brim of her hat in the process. “Trixie thinks this culprit was sneaky, even for a culprit. Like they wanted others to do their dirty work.”

“Huh.” Twilight raised an eyebrow at Trixie and nodded. “Look at that. You actually came up with a good bit of insight.”

“Excuse Trixie, but she has done that several times during this trial, thank you!” Trixie shot back as she fixed her hat back into its proper place.

“Indeed, Twilight, do please give the dear credit when credit is due,” Rarity seconded as she twirled her hair around her finger. “As for dirty work, I can’t imagine there’s many of us who’d shy away from it.”

Flash favored Rarity with a scrutinizing look. “I dunno, Rarity, you’re the one always whining when she gets even a little bit of dirt on herself.”

“I beg your pardon?” Rarity said flatly in a low-dangerous tone. “I do not whine. I complain.” A malicious smile spread across her features as her eyelids sank down to a half-lidded, almost seductive look. “Would you like to hear whining?”

Flash held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, I’m just saying.”

Rarity’s eyes shot back open as she leaned back and held up one hand to gesture with. “Oh, I suppose you’re right. If for some awful reason I ever did want to kill someone, I’d rather not dirty my own hands with it. But!” She held up a single finger. “That does not mean I killed Fluttershy. I would never have a reason to.”

“Ah’m not sure any of us would,” Applejack said, pressing her knuckles to her lips. “That poor girl was like an angel. She was too good for the rest of us.”

“Maybe it wasn’t Fluttershy they wanted dead,” Adagio suggested, glancing over at Pinkie Pie’s podium portrait. She pointed right at it. “Maybe it was Pinkie they wanted out of the picture.”

Scootaloo frowned in concern. “But then why have her target Fluttershy? Why not just have her steal the ring for herself?”

“Because Pinkie wasn’t that naive,” I pointed out, nodding gratefully to Adagio. “It’s one thing to surprise a friend. Pinkie would happily do that, because that’s her thing. That’s what she does. But if she was told it was okay to take it out for herself? She wouldn’t fall for that. So the culprit needed to have her plant it on someone else, expecting that Monoponi would call a trial right after Fluttershy died, and that Pinkie would be the obvious blackened.”

“But that didn't happen,” Flash said, rubbing his chin. “We didn’t get a trial called until Pinkie herself died. Was that why she was a victim? Was the culprit clearing up a loose end?”

“If that’s the case,” Twilight replied, “then we’d only have one blackened, not two. But I find it a little hard to believe that our culprit would manipulate Pinkie into offing Fluttershy, and then decide to go and dirty their hands anyway by killing Pinkie afterwards.”

I gestured to Twilight. “I agree with that. If there is only one culprit, they’re too committed to working from behind the scenes to step forward and interfere like that.”

“Soooo, what, they manipulated someone else into killing Pinkie Pie too?” Rainbow asked. “How’d they do that?”

I shook my head. “Let’s not worry about that yet. We can figure out who killed Pinkie after we solve this.”

"H-hey, I just thought of something," Flash said, raising a hand for attention and turning to face Monoponi. "Doesn't it say somewhere in the rules that you wouldn't participate in a murder?"

I stared at him, confused for a moment before snapping my fingers. I checked my Monopad. "Hey, he's right! Look at rule number eleven!"

Rule #11: Monoponi will never directly participate in a Rescue Attempt.

"So what the heck, Monoponi?"

"Oh. That. And here your Captain was hoping you wouldn't ask." The alicorn let out a sigh as he stood up on his throne. "I will admit one thing! The culprit in this case completely fooled me. I was so outraged by such a flagrant rule violation that I didn't realize I was being tricked into murdering someone until after it happened. At which point, I had to think. Do I punish them for causing me to break the rules? Do I punish myself?! Well I'm the Captain and the Captain's above the law, so of course I wouldn't do that!" He flopped back onto his rump. "So I decided, for this case, and this case only I would allow this rule to be bent. After all, I had no idea I was participating in a murder. I was used. I was the murder weapon! And the weapon can't be executed. Riiiiiight, Sunset?"

Thinking back to a perfect example of someone trying to argue exactly that in the second game, I nodded. "I guess that's a good point."

"No it isn't!" Rainbow Dash protested, slamming a hand down on her podium. "That's bullshit! You punish one person for breaking the rules then let someone else break them right afterwards? Fluttershy died because of this! What kind of rigged game are we playing here?"

"The kind where I make the rules and I am the only one who decides how to interpret them!" Monoponi retorted with a petulant wave of his forehoof. "And if you don't like it, then tough cookies! I don't care and I won't listen to anymore babbling on about this. Get back to the trial!"

I gave Rainbow an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Dash. I know it isn't fair."

"No, no it fucking isn't," Rainbow replied, staring down at her podium. She gave it a solid kick with her boot as her eyes filled up with tears.

Wishing I could reach over to give the depressed athlete a hug, I sighed. "So, where were we? We decided we were going to focus on who killed Fluttershy, right?"

“Yes, we did,” Twilight said. She took a deep breath, pulled off her glasses to shine them again, then let out the breath as she donned them. “And apart from Rarity, there is one other person here who’s been pretty suspicious the past few days.”

Glaring, I groused, “If this is another crack about me--”

“No, Sunset,” Twilight spat. “Not everything is about you. I’m talking about the one who’s been pretending she’s reformed herself. The one who thinks she’s fooling some of us with her innocent act.” Twilight adjusted her glasses, held up a finger, then pointed it squarely at her suspect. “Diamond Tiara! It has to be you!”

Hey, that’s my thing! I groused internally as I watched Diamond Tiara let out an offended gasp. “Excuse me?! What did you just say about me?”

“Well it’s about time someone else called you on your lies,” Applejack declared, glaring at the rich elitist. “Cause Ah’m one hundred percent with Twi on this. You ain’t foolin’ nobody.”

Tiara ground her teeth together, shaking with rage. “I…” she growled, “have...been trying… to be...a better...person!”

“But it has been pretty sudden,” Scootaloo said, frowning at Tiara. “Come on, you’ve gotta admit to that.”

Slamming an open palm on her podium, Tiara snarled, “Who cares how sudden it is? Haven’t you been listening to me the past couple of days? I apologized to everyone for being a jerk. I’ve been doing nothing but trying to get us to work together as a team. Hell, I’ve even made friends with Sunset Shimmer! Sunset. Shimmer!”

“Seriously? Sunset?” Rainbow Dash raised both eyebrows in shock, looking between the two of us. “Is she for real?”

I rubbed the back of my head, laughing nervously. “Ah, ehe, friends might be a strong word, but we’re getting along, yeah.”

“Well Ah say it’s a bunch of hooey!” Applejack insisted, sticking her nose up in the air. “Ah won’t trust a single word outta Diamond Tiara’s mouth.”

Flash nodded to Applejack. “Well that’s good enough for me. Applejack’s the one who can see who’s honest. If she says Tiara’s lying, then Tiara’s lying.”

Adagio fell forward to smack her face on her podium. “You idiots. Whatever Applejack uses to determine people’s honesty is obviously clouded by her disdain for Tiara. That goes double if it’s magic.”

“It ain’t magic!” Applejack replied, smacking her podium for emphasis. “It’s just good old fashioned Apple family intuition.”

“Sorry, but I have to agree with Adagio on that, Applejack,” I said, smiling apologetically. “You’re too biased against Diamond Tiara.”

Applejack whirled to face me, smoldering anger burning in her eyes like hot coals. “You wanna say that again?”

“Excuse me,” Twilight intervened, clapping for attention. “But Applejack’s bias or lackthereof aside, my point is that Diamond Tiara has been acting suspicious for the past three days straight, ever since the second trial ended. And she is exactly the kind of person who would manipulate others into doing her dirty work. She’s a rich snob who thinks she’s better than the rest of us. You can’t trust someone like that. She’s just been trying to get on your good side so you’d defend her during the trial. Exactly like what you’re doing right now, Sunset. You’ve fallen for her trap.”

“Yeah!” Scootaloo seconded. “Sunset, remember what you asked me about during the investigation?” She called up some evidence.

Fact #20: Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash’s Account: “According to Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash, neither one saw anything suspicious during their entire guard shifts. Rainbow Dash did stop at the pharmacy around 3:30 AM. Scootaloo did, however, see Diamond Tiara walking back and forth by the cabins, muttering to herself about courage, on Tuesday, about 3:20 PM.”

“There. Right there. Remember? I saw Diamond Tiara muttering to herself about courage. I’ll bet she was trying to psych herself up into going through with her plan!”

Diamond Tiara let out a wordless screech of rage, slamming her hands on her podium several times, each successive time harder than the last. “No, no, no, no! That’s ridiculous! Why would I want to kill Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, huh? Huh?! I wouldn’t!” She dropped her arms to her podium, and to my shock, tears ran down her face. “I wouldn’t, damn it. I’m trying to be a better person. I really am. I don’t want to be the complete bitch I’ve been towards everybody. Why won’t you listen to me?”

“Uh huh. Sure. Then what were you psyching yourself up for, huh?” Scootaloo slapped her hands to her hips and leaned forward. “Huuuh?”

Tiara, her head held low, managed to respond, “I wanted to ask Sunset to meet me so I could share something private about myself. So she'd trust me more. That’s all. It’s not easy for me to admit things about myself, okay? You don’t know me!” She slammed a fist on her podium, anger once again overtaking sorrow. “You don’t know my life! You don’t know what I’ve been through. You don’t know what I’ve suffered.”

Applejack burst out laughing, harsh, mocking, insulting laughter that irritated the absolute hell out me. “Oh, sure, sure, Ah believe that. Ah believe ya suffered. What with your mansion, and your servants attendin’ your every whim, and your endless food, and your fancy clothes. Oh yeah. Ah bet you really suffered hard, not ever havin’ to work for a livin’ like us poorer folk, or worry about not havin’ enough to eat. Or losin’ your home. Yup. Real hard.”

“Fuck you, Applejack,” Tiara sneered, flipping Applejack off. For once, it was an appropriate response.

“Applejack!” Rarity shouted, aiming a razor thin glare at the farmer. “Not only is that not helpful, it’s completely uncalled for.”

Applejack snorted. “Ah ain’t surprised you’re stickin’ up for her, since you wanna be just like her one day.”

“I beg your pardon?!” Rarity gasped, deeply offended. “For your information, Applejack, I do not want to become ‘just like Tiara.’ Diamond Tiara, whatever her faults, has obviously suffered serious mental and emotional trauma. Perhaps it’s true I am trying to become far richer than my parents ever were, but I am doing so through my own merits and skills. But I have no intentions of forgetting where I came from and what really matters. I will not become cold-hearted, nor will I think I am better than others just because I have more money.”

A variety of mixed emotions rolled over Tiara’s face as she listened to this back-handed defense. “Err, thanks, Rarity,” she grumbled. “I think.”

“Of course, darling,” Rarity said, smiling warmly at Tiara. “Don’t misunderstand: I’m not happy with the way you’ve been treating people, and I think you have quite a long way to go before we can say you’ve reformed. But I’m willing to give you the chance. Everyone deserves a second chance.”

Tiara blinked, a watery smile spreading on her cheeks. “Wow. That’s… I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”

Wait a minute. I narrowed my eyes as I looked over at Rarity. “Hey, weren’t you refusing to believe her apology just yesterday? I could’ve sworn you were on Applejack’s side of things.”

“That was before Applejack proved she could be just as petty, mean, and hateful as Tiara had been,” Rarity responded, firing off another needle thin glare at the farmer. “If someone as kind-hearted as Applejack can descend to such levels of bitterness and nasty behavior, that made me realize someone like Tiara could just as easily become a better person. So rather than be petty myself, I’d prefer to give her the chance to prove she means what she says.”

Applejack heaved breath after breath, her face beet red, steam all but rising from her ears as she fumed and seethed. “And Ah thought you had more sense than to ever trust a snake like Tiara. But Ah guess Ah was wrong.” She worked her jaw, then spat on the floor between her and Rarity, the spittle landing right between Apple Bloom and Timber’s empty podiums. “Can’t believe Ah was ever married to someone like you.”

Rarity held her hands to her breast as her eyes filled up with tears. She pointedly faced away from the farmer, staring down at the floor, quietly shaking with her sobs. “Damn you, Applejack,” she whispered.

Trixie offered up a hand for Rarity to take. The seamstress didn’t hesitate for a second before gripping Trixie’s hand like a lifeline. The illusionist looked up at Applejack with her eyes burning with black fury, like I’d never seen her showcase before. “Trixie hopes Rarity forgives you for what you just said. Because Trixie certainly wouldn’t.”

Pride warred with regret in Applejack’s expression as she fought to come up with an appropriate response. Thankfully, for the potential future of her relationship with Rarity, Applejack managed to avoid saying anything. Instead she pointedly looked away as well, refusing to meet anyone’s gaze.

“Sooo… are we done with the chick flick shit?” Rainbow Dash asked, her voice soaked with acid. “Because we were kind of in the middle of accusing Tiara of killing Fluttershy.”

“Which I wouldn’t do,” Tiara protested, her anger flaring to life once more.

“I believe you, Tiara,” I said, smiling sympathetically. “If you weren’t sincere about trying to be a better person, you never would’ve shared that personal secret about yourself with me.” My smile flipped upside down as I glared at Applejack. “Which, for your information, contained a lot of genuine suffering.”

Twilight coughed for attention. “It’s also irrelevant. Tiara could share any secret with you she wanted, because she knew you’d never get a chance to spread it.”

My gaze fixed upon Twilight Sparkle. “What do you mean?”

With an exasperated sigh, Twilight said, “I shouldn’t have to explain this to you. Obviously, through her manipulating of Pinkie into offing Fluttershy via Monoponi, and through her manipulation of someone else to kill Pinkie, Diamond Tiara was set up to be seen as perfectly innocent during the trial. Even if we figured out she was the one behind Fluttershy’s death, it wouldn’t have mattered, because we couldn’t vote for someone who didn’t do the deed.”

I stared at Twilight, utterly nonplussed. “I don’t understand. What does that have to do with her sharing a secret? How does that lead to me being ‘unable to spread it?”

Slapping a hand to her forehead, Twilight groaned, “Jeez, Sunset, you’re usually so much smarter than this. Think about it. Put it together. Monoponi let us argue about who would be the blackened, right? About whether intent mattered? Well, what if he only did that because he was intending to rule that the one who wrote the note was responsible from the start? If we hadn’t had that debate, we would’ve voted for Pinkie Pie as the blackened for Fluttershy. That means we would’ve voted wrong. And according to the rules, that means Diamond Tiara would get to leave the ship, while the rest of us all get executed.”

My whole body froze as I contemplated her argument. Was it possible? Could she be right? Was Diamond Tiara playing us this whole time? I glanced Diamond Tiara’s way, watching her reaction. She recoiled from me, hurt and fear in equal amounts dotted all over her face. The more I stared, the more hurt she seemed, until I looked away, back at Twilight. Twilight’s explanation makes a certain amount of sense. Too much sense, in fact. But there’s a few flaws in it. It relies on too many things Diamond Tiara couldn’t possibly have known. It relies on Diamond Tiara being a perfect actor, able to twist us all into buying her redemption story while at the same time she set up this whole crime. Is she capable of it? Maybe. But is that really what happened?

As I watched Twilight, matching her gaze for gaze, I noticed something there I hadn’t before. Behind all the cold winter’s fury, behind all the scientific detachment, behind all the shields she’d thrown up… Twilight was scared. No. Not just scared. Terrified. But why? Why would she be--

And suddenly, it all clicked. I couldn’t help but burst out laughing, a rich, bitter laugh, reminiscent of Adagio’s own dark chocolate, only mine was more like coffee with too little cream. “I’m impressed, Twilight,” I said, ignoring the looks of confusion and shock I was getting from everyone else in the room. “You really had us going there. You’re a lot better at obfuscating than I thought you’d be.”

Twilight reeled back, more hairs splitting out from her not-so-perfect-anymore bun. Her glasses slipped down her nose, prompting her to fix them back in place. “I-I don’t know what you mean,” she stammered, her mask of detachment slipping.

“Oh yes you do,” I insisted, a mirthless smile spreading on my face. “You know exactly what I mean. I have to give you credit, you certainly pulled together a pretty convincing argument. But there’s just a few too many flaws in it.”

That bizarre maniacal smile I’d seen Twilight sport once upon a time slipped back onto her face for just a moment before Twilight managed to smother it. “What flaws? What are you talking about?”

“Yeah, uh, Sunset, mind letting the rest of us in on this?” Flash demanded, his tone harsh and unyielding. “Because I hope you’re not about to say what I think you’re about to say.”

“Sorry, Flash,” I said as I readied a finger. “But I’ve got to say it. We all want to know who wrote the note, right? Who wrote the note that got Fluttershy killed? Well I have your answer.” I pointed my finger squarely at Twilight, causing the researcher to yelp and duck under her podium. “Twilight Sparkle, you’re the only one!”

Applejack ripped her hat off her head and threw it down on the ground. “Oh mah god, Sunset. Ah can’t believe this. Did nothin’ Ah said earlier get through your thick skull? Or are you so blinded by Tiara’s snake oil that you’d rather accuse Twilight just to save Tiara’s hide?”

“Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, Sunset,” Scootaloo seconded, glaring harshly at me, “But this feels like you’re just trying to get back at Twilight for being a bitch towards you lately.”

Trixie gave Rarity one final squeeze of concern, then released her hand so Trixie could pose dramatically. “Trixie disagrees with you, Scootaloo!” she pronounced, her cape billowing with her grand gestures. “Trixie thinks it makes perfect sense that Twilight wrote the note. Twilight had a motive for wanting Pinkie Pie dead. Diamond Tiara didn’t!”

“A motive?!” Twilight slapped both hands on her podium, her detachment entirely gone now, the cold winter replaced by the fire of the summer sun. “What possible motive would I have for killing Pinkie Pie?”

Adagio leapt in with a smug smile. “Oh, Twilight, that one’s easy. We all remember the conversations you had with her the other day, right?”

~*~
“Look, forget about the traitor, that’s not what’s important,” Twilight said, whisking her hand out of Flash’s grip. “Sunset needs to tell us everything she knows. She might have some insight into Monoponi, since they’re the same species.”

“Wow. Racist much?” Pinkie Pie grumbled in a nasty, low tone, completely unlike her usual bouncy self. As she spoke, the curls in her hair vanished.

Twilight set a finger on her glasses just so she could glare over them at the party planner. “It’s not racism if she’s not human. It’s xenophobia.”

Pinkie Pie stood up from her chair, walked over to the bakery, and ordered three cupcakes. Shoving the first one into her mouth messily, she mumbled, “Same difference. Meanie,” as she resumed her seat.
~*~
“No way! I won’t believe it!” Pinkie retorted, smacking a fist down so hard she shook the table and knocked Twilight’s notebook to the ground. “I’d never kill anyone. Never!”

“Are you sure about that?” Twilight growled, glaring at Pinkie over her glasses. “What if someone attacked you, and you had to defend yourself? What if you accidentally shoved someone down a flight of stairs? What if you fed someone something they were allergic to? Any one of these cases could result in someone’s death, and according to the rules, you’d be a murderer in all three. And that’s just assuming it’s an accident. If Monoponi gives you the right motive, can you really tell me you wouldn’t kill someone, just so you could get out of here?”

“Are you saying you would?” Fluttershy interrupted, coming to Pinkie Pie’s defense. She reached out and gripped Pinkie’s hand, squeezing it gently. “Because it sure sounds like it. Don’t listen to her, Pinkie.”

“Aww, thanks, Shyshy,” Pinkie said with a sad little smile, the first smile I’d seen on the girl since the trial. It vanished as she whirled to face Twilight, shifting to an angry pout. “She’s right. I won’t listen to you. Not about this. I wouldn’t kill anyone. Ever!”

Twilight snorted. “Idiocy like that will get you killed sooner or later.”
~*~

“And wouldn’t you know it,” Adagio continued, “Fluttershy came to Pinkie Pie’s defense. Such an interesting coincidence, don’t you think?”

Twilight growled under her breath, more hairs coming loose from her bun. “Just a coincidence. That’s not a sufficient motive to kill someone. What kind of a petty person do you think I am?”

“Petty?” I said, shaking my head. “No, Twilight, you’re not petty. And you’re right. Even putting those two conversations together, there’s nowhere near enough provocation for you to kill someone. But you didn’t set out to kill someone, did you? You wanted to teach Pinkie Pie a lesson.”

“What?” Twilight whispered. “No. No! No, that’s ridiculous!” So many hairs had popped out of her bun that the hair tie outright snapped, dropping the rest of her hair down. She messed with it, trying to stuff it back into a bun, but, lacking a fresh hair tie, gave it up as a lost cause. “Are you seriously suggesting I got Fluttershy killed just to teach Pinkie Pie a lesson? Are you crazy?!”

Tiara spoke up, “Uh, Sunset, I appreciate that you’re looking out for me, but Twilight’s right. She wouldn’t do that. No one here would.” She lowered her voice to a whisper, and though I couldn’t hear it, I could still read her lips. “Except maybe the old me.”

“No, I’m not saying that at all, Twilight. You never intended for anyone to die. But you messed up.” Everything was so clear now. So obvious. “You never intended for Pinkie to successfully plant the ring on Fluttershy. You thought Fluttershy would catch her, and stop her. You figured the resulting close call would be a good way of hammering in the lesson to someone whom you saw as hopelessly naive about the killing game. You were trying to help Pinkie.”

Twilight took hold of her hair in one hand, stroking it absentmindedly like it was a security blanket. “This is absurd. You don’t have a shred of proof. All you have are suppositions. Anecdotes. Circumstantial evidence at best.”

“Seriously, Sunset, stop it,” Flash growled, almost slamming his fist into his podium before managing to stop it at the last second. “I thought you were better than this. Stop wasting time pursuing a vendetta.”

I sighed, and faced him. “But Flash, don’t you remember what we talked about yesterday morning?" I held up my Monopad and tabbed over to my audio recordings. "Let me remind you."

~*~
He chuckled, opting to lean against the wall next to me. “So, things are going a lot better between Twilight and me now.”

“I noticed that much,” I replied, smiling back. “I’m surprised she got over her whole trust thing with you so fast.”

“You and me both.” Flash stretched out his arms, then interlaced his fingers together behind his head. “I think it was because Fluttershy bit it. That scared her into realizing she wasn’t angry with any of us, just with you.”
~*~

“You said it yourself. She completely changed after Fluttershy died. It scared her, you said. It scared her because it wasn’t supposed to happen. And that’s not all.”

~*~
“Has she said anything to you?” I asked. At his questioning look, I added, “About me, I mean?”

“Oh.” Flash’s smile twisted into a concerned frown. “Yeah, actually. She wouldn’t shut up about it. How your insights into the killing game and into Monoponi help show you can’t be trusted. She’s convinced you’re going to do something to kill us all, sooner or later.” He let out a dry chuckle. “She said this motive was perfect for you. She even said you’ve been leading us in the trials so that when you do murder someone, you could blame it on someone else and we’d all buy it.”
~*~

“You see?” I asked, noting the growing look of horror on Flash’s face. “When Fluttershy died, Twilight probably expected Monoponi would call for a trial. When he didn’t, Twilight’s mind went into overdrive. We’ve all seen how she can be. Applejack said earlier that sometimes I get an idea in my head and pursue it without thinking. Well I’m not the only one who does that. Twilight does it too. Remember the way she acted after he gave us the motive?”

~*~
Twilight heaved a sigh, her cold gaze shattering like glass, stitching itself back together as melancholic acceptance. “I know she is. That’s not the point.” She walked right up to Flash, and raised her hand. But instead of the slap I’d expected, she caressed his face. “I just can’t trust her anymore, Flash. She lied to me. She lied to all of us.”

Flash opened up his arms, inviting Twilight in. After a moment’s hesitation, she sank into his embrace. “I know, Twilight,” he said in a warm voice that banished the remnants of her icy winter’s chill. “No one’s asking you to. You don’t have to trust her to accept that she’s right.”

Twilight burst into tears. “I’m sorry, Flash,” she sobbed. “I never should’ve--”

“Sssh, it’s okay, Twilight.” He smiled down at her and gently kissed her forehead. “I forgive you.”
~*~

“Her apology was so sudden, we were all taken off guard. But I don’t think she was apologizing for the way she treated you. She was apologizing for getting Fluttershy killed, and set you up to support her at the same time.”

~*~
“I guess I should talk to her then. Maybe I can get her to calm down.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Flash inquired, his frown deepening. “She seriously doesn’t trust you, man. You could make things worse.”
~*~

“You were right to warn me, Flash. I should’ve listened to you then, when you told me not to speak to her.” I glanced at Twilight, who was keeping quiet, staring at her podium, showing no reaction to my words at all. “When I went to her, I was trying to make amends, for the sake of our friendship. All I accomplished was making her paranoia worse.”

~*~
“No, no, come on, Twilight, none of that is true,” I said, finally managing to defend myself against this absurd accusation. “I’m not working with him, damn it.”

“Oh yes you are,” Twilight countered. A maniacal grin spread across her face as more and more hairs burst out of her bun. “I’m certain of it now. He made a mistake, telling us we could discuss our secrets. He shouldn’t have done that. He should’ve let you continue with whatever stupid plan you have here with me. I’ll bet you made that dream up just so you could try and get closer to me. Manipulate me. Turn me into a killer. Well I won’t listen. Not anymore. I’m going to tell everyone about this. Everyone!”
~*~

“Thanks to me, she became convinced that Monoponi would lure her into some sort of trap, force her to commit another murder, just so he could execute her over Fluttershy. So she panicked, and decided to blame Diamond Tiara. Diamond Tiara was a convenient scapegoat. But her argument for Tiara is flawed.”

“No!” Twilight slammed a fist on her podium, her hair completely disheveled and flying all over the place. The maniacal grin was back, this time flipped upside down to be a toothy grimace. The overall effect left her looking completely unhinged. “Nonono. That’s not what happened. It’s not my fault. It’s Diamond Tiara’s! She did it! She had to have done it!”

I took in a deep breath and let it out, meeting Twilight’s crazed gaze with my own resolute one. “Setting aside Diamond Tiara’s lack of motive, your whole argument rests on Tiara knowing that the one who wrote the note would be considered the blackened, not Pinkie Pie. But there’s no way she could’ve known that would happen.”

“W-w-well, maybe she talked it out with Monoponi beforehand!” Twilight shouted, slamming her fists on her podium in twain. “She was on your side of the debate! She’s never done that before!”

“She was on my side of the debate because she, like me, realized that Pinkie Pie would never have planted that ring on Fluttershy without someone explicitly telling her to do so. She even told me that the other day!”

~*~
“Maybe someone planted it on her.”

“What?!” Tiara whirled on me, eyes agog. “But the only other person in there was Pinkie Pie! What’re you saying, that Pinkie planted it on her to get her killed? Pinkie would never do something like that!”

“I guess that’s a good point,” I admitted.

“Besides, if she had, Monoponi would’ve considered it murder. But we’re not investigating, are we?” Tiara inquired, a trace of her old mocking smugness dancing on her face. “He said Fluttershy broke the rules. So she’s the one who stole the ring.”

Ugh. She’s right. What was I thinking? “You’re right. Sorry. It just seemed like it might make sense.”

Tiara snorted in derision. “Yeah, as if.”
~*~

“Uuugh!” Twilight threw her hands up then slammed them back down on the podium. “She only said that to throw you off the scent. D-don’t you s-see?” Twilight let out a small demented giggle. Not loud, or demonstrative. Just a teeny tiny one, barely audible, and all the more creepy because of it. “You were onto her, even then!”

I refused to back down, no matter how unnerved I became. “No, Twilight, you weren’t there. You didn’t hear the whole conversation. I wasn’t on to Diamond Tiara because she didn’t do anything wrong.”

Twilight hunched over, grabbed her head with both hands and pulled hard on her hair, moaning in frustration. “You’re. Not. Listening!” Her face shot up to glare at me, her eyes wild, her glasses completely askew. “Diamond Tiara has to be the one who killed Fluttershy. It’s the only thing that makes sense!”

“Then what was her motivation, huh?” I asked, holding out my hands. “Why kill Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie? Why buddy up to me, someone she loathed and hated? Do you know how suspicious I was of her doing that? Pretty damn! If she’s as good at manipulating people as you claim, it would’ve served her interests to have me killed instead.”

“B-b-but that would’ve b-b-been too obvious!” Twilight blurted, propping her face up on her arms even as her knees buckled, threatening to give out. “Everyone would’ve suspected her if she had you killed! So she h-had to get you on her side instead. Be your friend.” She laughed again, harder this time. “D-don’t you see?”

“Now you’re the one who’s not listening,” I argued, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. “I would’ve seen through that in a heartbeat. If Diamond Tiara was going to mastermind this whole plan, like you’re claiming, the better move, by far, would’ve been to kill me and you, not Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie!”

“Me?!” Twilight screeched, her chest heaving as she hyperventilated from sheer fear. “What?!”

“Yes!” I insisted. “Twilight, you’re smart! Smarter than me. Smarter than everyone else here. If it was just me she killed, you would’ve picked up the trail and figured her out easily. So if Diamond Tiara was really going to escape, the smartest thing to do would be to kill the two people who could’ve figured out her plan. Buddy up to someone else more likely to believe her, like Pinkie Pie. Use her manipulative skills to her advantage. But that’s not what happened, because Diamond Tiara didn’t do any of this!”

Tiara, for her part, started me slack-jawed, her left eye twitching. I could see her emotions churning. I know I’m insulting you here at the same time I’m defending you. I’ll apologize later, I promise.

Tears of frustration ran down Twilight’s face as she ripped off her glasses and threw them down on her podium. “But you have no proof she didn’t do it!”

“And you have no proof that she did,” I retaliated. I pointed down at my Monopad. “You can scroll through every piece of evidence we’ve got. You know there’s nothing in there that proves Diamond Tiara did this. You know as well as I do that you don’t prove a negative. You made the supposition, so you provide evidence.”

“Aha!” Twilight roared in triumph, her crazed toothy grin returning in full force. “There! Right there! What proof do you have on me, huh? You don’t have anything on me either!” She held out both hands, taunting me, daring me to approach her. “You have the exact same thing I’ve got on Tiara: supposition and suggestions! So go ahead, Sunset! Try and prove I killed Fluttershy. Because you can’t! You can’t prove I did this!”

“You’ve got that wrong!”

Silence fell upon the courtroom as we all whirled to see who spoke. It wasn’t me. It wasn’t Trixie. It was Flash Sentry, pointing a finger at his girlfriend, a determined look of resolute certainty on his face. Wordlessly, he lowered his finger to tap his Monopad, presenting a piece of evidence.

Fact #14: Twilight’s Account: “According to Twilight, she spent most of Tuesday prior to 6:00 PM in the library, with a brief break for the bathroom and fresh air around 2:30 PM. Flash corroborated this account, stating she passed by his cabin on the end by the lounge.”

“Twilight,” he began, the confidence in his voice demanding attention, “you all but admitted it during the investigation. You spent most of your time in the library, giving you plenty of opportunity to fake Rainbow Dash’s handwriting. You passed right by my cabin, which as everyone knows, is across from Pinkie Pie’s. That places you directly at the scene of the crime.” He raised his finger and pointed it at her again. “I saw you there, Twilight. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I saw you drop the note off. Right as I opened my door, you were rising up from the floor. There’s only one reason you’d do that. Because Sunset’s right. You wrote the note. You’re the reason Fluttershy died.”

Twilight Sparkle paled, her wild hair falling back down straight about her shoulders. Her maniacal grin faded away as her face fell into her hands. She whimpered and mewled, tears running through the cracks in her hands. She cried for a good few minutes, not saying a single word as she quietly sobbed. When she looked up, her eyes bloodshot and puffy from her tears, she whispered, “It wasn’t supposed to happen. No one was supposed to die.”

“But Fluttershy did,” Flash said, his voice steadfast. “Because you didn’t think things through. Damn it, Twilight, what the hell made you think that was ever a good idea?”

Twilight’s lips quivered, her voice hoarse as she replied, “B-because I didn’t want Pinkie Pie to hurt anyone through her ignorance. She wasn’t taking things seriously. She didn’t understand just how awful and manipulative this killing game is. Sooner or later she was going to get someone killed!”

Flash snorted, shaking his head. “So your solution was to create a situation where she’d do exactly what you were trying to prevent.”

“No, no, she wasn’t supposed to get away with it!” Twilight insisted, fresh tears coming to her eyes. “Fluttershy was supposed to catch Pinkie in the act! That’s what was supposed to happen!”

“Well guess what, you stupid fucking egghead!” Rainbow Dash roared, her hands opening and closing like she was itching to throttle the researcher to death. “Your goddamned plan was a fucking failure! It’s your fault Fluttershy’s dead! You might as well have killed her with your own two hands!”

Applejack scowled darkly at the researcher. “More’n’that. You gave Pinkie Pie the worst case of guilty conscience Ah’ve ever seen. The poor girl was already hopped up on morphine. Ah bet if someone else hadn’t killed her, she would’ve eventually killed herself just from overusin’.”

“Maybe she killed Pinkie Pie,” Trixie said in a dark tone. “Trixie is sure Twilight could find some way to justify it.”

“It certainly seems likely,” Adagio purred, favoring Twilight with a menacing smirk. “Why don’t you go ahead and admit it?”

“No,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “I didn’t kill Pinkie Pie.”

“Oh darling, please,” Rarity said with a world-weary sigh. “Don’t drag this out any further. There’s no point.”

“Seriously,” Scootaloo agreed, folding her arms across her chest. “You’ve already admitted you killed Fluttershy. Why waste our time now?”

“But I didn’t do it!” Twilight shouted, her arms falling to her podium. “I’m not lying! I didn’t kill Pinkie Pie!”

Flash scowled, dark anger polluting his features. “Twilight, for god’s sake just tell us how you did it. Just own up to it. Denial won’t help anymore.”

Twilight fell over onto her podium, smashing her face into her Monopad screen. “I’m not in denial, Flash! I didn’t kill Pinkie, okay? I don’t know who did it, but I know it wasn’t me!”

“That’s it!” Rainbow Dash declared, her eyes flashing dangerously. “If I have to pound it out of you I--”

“Stop it, you guys!” I demanded, silencing the courtroom once more. “Twilight’s telling the truth this time.”

Twilight rose back up from her podium to stare at me. “Why? Why do you believe me now?” she said quietly.

“Because it’s the truth,” I said simply. “And I can prove it.”

Fact #5: Dumbbell: “A seventy pound dumbbell, with a small splotch of blood on one end. Only five people could use it as a weapon: Flash Sentry, Adagio Dazzle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity.”

“Remember this?” I asked everyone. “This dumbbell was used by the culprit. It had to have been, because it has blood on it, and it matches the wound on Pinkie’s head. We know this dealt that wound, which means whoever killed her was capable of lifting it. As Diamond Tiara and Adagio can attest, I was barely able to lift the thing. And I’m a lot stronger than Twilight is.” I glanced over at her. “No offense.”

The researcher blinked at me in bafflement. “None taken?”

“But couldn’t the culprit have used it in some other way than with their bare hands?” Scootaloo suggested, still glaring at Twilight. “Like you said, Sunset, Twilight’s smart. Couldn’t she have just hung it up somewhere and let it fall?”

I shook my head. “No. If that had happened, Pinkie’s wound would be on the top of her head. But it’s not. It’s on the back. The only way for it to hit her on the back of the head while being dropped is if she was lying on her stomach. But if she had been, her whole front would be soaked in her blood. And it wasn’t. The only blood we saw on her body was in her hair and down her back.”

“Oh my goodness!” Rarity gasped.

“So Monoponi was tellin’ the truth,'' Applejack breathed, horror-stricken. “There really are two blackeneds, not just one!”

“That’s right,” I agreed. I looked over at Twilight. “Twilight may be behind Fluttershy’s death, but she’s innocent when it comes to Pinkie Pie. We’re still going to need her help to figure out who the other blackened is. Will you help us, Twi?”

Twilight jerked, opened her mouth, and then closed it again. She scooped up her glasses and placed them back on, carefully brushing her hair behind them. “Definitely,” she said. “I know my word might not be worth much right now, but… but I’ll do what I can. If I’m going down, I’m not going down alone.”

I nodded solemnly. “Good. Because we’ve still got a ways to go before this is all over.”

Author's Note

So we have our first blackened, Twilight Sparkle. While at first glance Twilight might appear to be an accidental blackened, that's not really the case. Twilight did everything she did with deliberate intent. What the intended result was is irrelevant. She still intended for someone to deliberately cause someone else to break a rule. Through her actions, she effectively killed someone. This wasn't an accident. She can tell herself it was one all she wants, but she knows she's lying to herself.

I feel the need to state this after having said on a couple of occasions that I generally don't like accidental blackeneds. I don't want this to come off as a case of hypocrisy. That's why I don't consider Pinkie Pie to be the blackened and never did, because she didn't plan anything. But Twilight planned the whole thing. She chose to act. She put a plan into motion, and the result was someone's death. As far as I'm concerned, that means it's not an accident.

However, that said, that doesn't mean the characters in the story will see it that way. And I won't blame anyone who disagrees with me, either. :twilightsmile:

Also, congrats to Witegrlninja for figuring this one out before even the investigation. This one was the easier of the two, but still, you were more or less spot on. Good job! :raritystarry:

Chapter Three: A Maelstrom of Murder Part 8

Chapter Three:

A Maelstrom of Murder

Trial Part 3

We were still here, knee-deep in the trial for Pinkie and Fluttershy. We’d been here for hours, but we’d found one of our two blackeneds: Twilight Sparkle. In some ways, it was disheartening for me, to realize she was the one behind it. I’d been so convinced that the note-writer was a monster, I hadn’t stopped to consider the possibility it had all been some sort of tragic accident, without any intent to kill at all.

But that was irrelevant now. She was guilty. We’d determined it, and she would face justice for her crime. We still didn’t know what form that’d take, but we weren’t going to find out by sitting around, nor did I have time to worry about it. I could cope with any consequences later.

We still had another blackened to find, after all.

“So where do we go from here, Sunset?” Flash asked me as he rubbed his chin. There was a haunted look to his eyes, as every so often he kept briefly glancing Twilight’s way. “Should we start with who could’ve lifted the dumbbell?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “Rarity, yourself, Rainbow Dash, Adagio, and Applejack. We need to figure out where you all were during the time of the murder. We know it happened sometime after 11:45 and before 12:15, when the fake picture was taken.” I checked my Monopad and brought up a relevant piece of information.

Fact #7: Guard Schedule: “
10:00 PM Diamond Tiara S/Pinkie Pie P
-----Midnight---
2:00 AM Twilight Sparkle S/Rainbow Dash P”

“So that means it happened during Pinkie Pie and Diamond Tiara’s shift, and before Twilight and Rainbow Dash’s.”

“Well, I’ll start with me, then,” Flash said, dropping his hand. He gestured to Twilight, without looking her way. “I was asleep in Twilight’s cabin. She woke me up when she left, and again when she came back, but I never left.”

Twilight nodded. “That’s right,” she said, one hand going to stroke her hair. “Flash was there the whole time.”

Rainbow Dash snorted, leaning forward and casually flipping Twilight off. “Yeah, like we can really trust your word.”

“Ah can’t say Ah disagree with the sentiment, Dash,” Applejack said, glaring at the researcher, “but Twilight’s got no reason to lie about this. It ain’t gonna accomplish anythin’ for her.”

Rarity glowered at the farmer. “As much as I’d hate to agree with anything this ruffian has to say… she’s right. If we fail to find the second blackened, Twilight would be executed along with the rest of us.”

“Fine, fine, jeez,” Rainbow Dash said, waving a hand dismissively.

“Rarity, Applejack, you both said earlier you were in your cabins after 9:00 PM, and didn’t leave until your shifts started the next morning, is that correct?” I asked.

Applejack glared at me for a moment, before letting her ire subside. “Yeah, Ah’d say so. Though Ah guess some of the proof for that ain’t any good now.”

Rarity, with a sigh, nodded her assent. “Indeed. Without being able to trust Pinkie Pie’s texts, there’s a period of time where either of us could’ve left our cabins unseen.”

“Okay,” I answered, then turned to Rainbow Dash. “What about you?”

Rainbow shrugged, not meeting my gaze. “I was asleep till like, 1:30, got something to eat, then started my shift.”

“Hmm, okay. Adagio?”

Arching an eyebrow at me, her mouth flat, she replied in a voice equally flat, “I was sleeping in my cabin, remember?”

A small smile briefly crossed my face. “I know. I just wanted it down for the record.” The smile vanished. “Okay, so of the five people who could’ve used the dumbbell, only one person’s location is accounted for during the estimated time of death. The other four were all alone, unless someone saw any of them walking around last night.”

Fact #16: Diamond Tiara’s Account: “According to Diamond Tiara, she saw nothing and heard nothing during her entire guard shift, save for seeing Pinkie Pie around 11:00 PM, going down the stairwell into the access corridor.”

Diamond Tiara looked up from her Monopad, gesturing to the central display. “Like I told you, all I ever saw or heard was Pinkie going downstairs around 11:00 PM.”

“Can you narrow that timeframe, darling?” Rarity inquired, a thoughtful expression clouding her face. “Was it before or after?”

Tiara thought for a moment, staring at the ceiling. “Uuuh, after, I think? I know she sent a check-in text… let me see…” She peered down at her Monopad, then nodded. “Yeah, she sent a text saying she’d be coming by, and then showed up like five minutes later. So 11:05.”

“Hmm… interesting,” Rarity commented. “Because we think she must’ve died by around 11:45, right? So she died at least forty minutes after she went downstairs.”

“That access corridor ain’t exactly short,” Applejack said sullenly. “Unless you’re runnin’ through it, it takes a good ten minutes at least to walk from there to the fitness center.”

Diamond Tiara shook her head. “She wasn’t running. That’s loud enough that it echoes up through the stairwell. She was walking.”

“Hey, Tiara,” Scootaloo asked, holding up a finger. “D’you remember what she looked like when she passed by you? Like, did she seem worried or anything?”

Scoffing in irritation, Tiara took another couple moments to think. “I guess?” she shrugged. “She seemed nervous about something. But she was high as hell, so who knows if that means anything?”

“Pinkie reached the fitness center at 11:15 at the earlier,” Twilight stated, frowning in concentration. “The earliest she died was 11:45...assuming that was a real text.”

“I think it’s safe to say it was,” I said, holding up Pinkie’s Monopad. “You can check for yourself, but it was the last one that was unique. Every text after it was a copy.”

Trixie reached under her hat to scratch at the back of her head. “Trixie isn’t sure how much sense that makes though. If Pinkie sent a text at 11:45, Pinkie thought she was safe, right?”

“Right,” I replied. “So that means she died after that text, but before the picture that was taken at 12:15. That doesn’t leave much time for the culprit to kill her and then set up the crime scene for the photo.”

“We still haven’t figured out the cause of death,” Adagio pointed out while glaring at her Monopad. “And we haven’t explained her hand wounds either.”

“Well, it’s gotta be the dumbbell, right?” Rainbow Dash said, holding up both hands. “I mean, what else could it be?”

What else indeed? I examined the Monoponi file again, in case I’d missed something, then shook my head. “I dunno, Dash, I feel like if that was the case, the Monoponi file would just say so. But it doesn’t.”

“And like with a certain someone’s copying of another person’s handwriting,” Scootaloo added, glaring fiercely at Twilight, “it wouldn’t be the first time someone faked a cause of death after the person was already dead.”

“We also haven’t explained the rashes,” Twilight said, visibly wilting under Scootaloo’s glare. “There has to be a reason her skin is all dried out and red. We already know it wasn’t chlorine, nor the PHMB.” She frowned, rubbing her chin. “Now that I think about it, I wonder if she was severely dehydrated. The skin condition bears a remarkable resemblance to what you’d see in a heat stroke victim.”

Applejack fussed with her hat, then looked up at me. “Sunset, can you think of anythin’ in the fitness center that’d cause heat stroke?”

I shared a quick look with Adagio, then nodded. “Yeah. The sauna.”

~*~
The other, past a steel door, was a smaller wooden-paneled room lined with benches. The general dry, heated atmosphere confirmed this was the promised sauna. Interestingly, instead of steam vents, there were long glowing red rods in the walls visible between the gaps in the planks. Must be infrared, then. There was a temperature gauge set in the wall just outside the sauna door, albeit marked with a warning of “Do not adjust without crew consent.” The gauge contained a simple half circle marked in blue, green, yellow, and red, with smaller temperature numbers. Right now, the marker was set firmly in the green, at approximately one hundred twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit, but the gauge ran in a range from eighty-five degrees at the lowest in the blue all the way up to three hundred in the red.
~*~

“It has a heat setting that goes up ridiculously high, all the way to three hundred.”

“Three hundred?” Twilight raised both eyebrows. “That’d be enough to cause heat stroke within minutes, especially if you were sealed in the room.”

“Do you think it’d be enough to kill someone?” Scootaloo asked, wincing at the thought.

Twilight nodded. “Definitely. It wouldn’t be immediate, but if someone passed out from heatstroke, it wouldn’t take that much more to kill them. Especially if they’re already dehydrated, or close to it. Pinkie Pie was on multiple opioid drugs. All of those can dehydrate you. She was probably more vulnerable than most of us.”

“Woah, hang on a minute,” Rainbow Dash, waving her hands for attention. “This is all, what’s the word?”

“Conjecture?” Twilight suggested.

“Yeah, that. Conjecture. We don’t know if she was in the sauna.” Rainbow scoffed. “I mean come on, she’d have to stay in the sauna for long enough. It’s not like it’s got a locked door.”

She’s right. Unless… “What if someone held the door closed? Or shut it in a way that’d make it difficult to open from the inside?”

Her face twisted up in derision, Rainbow replied, “What, like they slammed it in her face? Why would someone do that?”

Diamond Tiara groaned, slapping a hand to her face. “To kill her, obviously. Why else would someone do it?”

“I dunno!” Rainbow shouted, throwing up her hands. “Who knows? We don’t.”

Rainbow Dash, your denial of this is becoming a little bit suspicious. “Actually, I think we do know, Rainbow.”

Fact #10: Sauna Door: “The sauna door is dented on the inside, with traces of blood in the dents. There is also damage to and blood on the interior door handle.”

“Something made these dents in the door. And something damaged the handle. I think it might’ve been Pinkie Pie.” I shivered all over as I contemplated it. “She was stuck inside, in three hundred degree heat, cooking to death like a rotisserie chicken. She’d do anything to try to get out of there, including smashing her fists so hard she…”

“She breaks the fifth metacarpal,” Twilight finished for me, a grossed out look on her face. “Classic boxer’s fracture. It’s the most common type of hand injury sustained by people who punch things. Including doors.”

“Uuugh,” Rarity whimpered, her whole body shaking. “That poor darling. She must have passed out from the heat, then by the time the culprit opened the door again…”

“She was dead,” Applejack said. She whipped off her hat and held it to her breast. “Mah goodness, Ah can’t imagine how painful that must’ve been.”

“Pinkie Pie baked up like a pie,” Tiara said, her lips quivering. She snorted, then snickered, then let out a small laugh. “I’m sorry, I know it’s not funny, but--”

Applejack cut her off with a fierce scowl. “Tiara, if you ain’t got nothin’ useful to say, do us all a favor and shut your mouth.”

“Tch,” Diamond Tiara hissed, her upper lip curling to reveal her teeth as she huffed.

Adagio snerked at Diamond Tiara, then turned to the rest of us, asking, “But how did she get into the sauna? Why was she there in the first place?”

“Did the culprit force her in there?” Scootaloo wondered, holding her chin on her hand. “Was she knocked unconscious or something?”

Flash arched an eyebrow at the younger woman. “I don’t think so, Scoots. If she’d been knocked unconscious, she never would’ve woken up. The heat would’ve killed her before she could struggle.”

“Which says to me,” I continued, “that she went in there willingly. It might be related to the reason she went into the fitness center to begin with.”

Smashing an open palm on her podium, Rainbow Dash thrust out a finger at me and shouted, “That makes no sense and you know it, Shimmer!”

Whoo boy. Here we go. Accepting the challenge, I stood up straight and said, “Okay, why not?”

Dropping her finger to hold her hand to her hip, Dash answered, “Uh, because that’d be stupid, duh? Someone was trying to kill her, so she ran into the sauna? No way Pinkie would be stupid enough to hide in a place like that.”

Nice try, Dash, but I see through your attempt to reframe things. “I never said she was running from someone. I said she went in there willingly. Based off the injuries she sustained, it’s likely that she had no idea her life was in danger until after she went into the sauna.”

Rainbow squinted at me, scoffing in disbelief. “What? No way. I thought we decided she was hit with the dumbbell first.”

“But that’s not possible,” I pointed out. “If the dumbbell had hit her first, it would’ve killed her. But she had to be alive to cause the injuries she sustained to her hands and the damage to the sauna door. And if she’d been killed before being placed into the sauna, there’d be blood on the floor, drag marks showing her body was moved from the weight room, something the culprit would’ve missed. But there wasn’t anything.”

“You can’t know that!” Rainbow objected, sweeping out an arm in protest. “M-maybe the culprit was really good at cleaning things up!”

Now she’s really grasping at straws. “Even the best cleaners can miss something. The only reason we know which dumbbell was used was because the culprit missed a spot of blood on it. Then there’s the blood on the sauna door, which the culprit also missed. That blood’s the only reason we know she was in the sauna to begin with. If the culprit was that good at cleanup, they would’ve taken care of that.”

“Uugh!” Rainbow groaned, slapping a hand to her face. “Come on, Sunset, just think about it for a second. There’s no reason Pinkie Pie would ever go willingly talk to someone who was gonna kill her. That just doesn’t make sense!”

“I’ll rip your argument to pieces!” I declared, calling up some evidence.

Fact #12: Diary: “The last entry in the diary reads: “Thank you Sunny. I’ll do what needs to be done.”

“We already talked about this earlier, Dash. Pinkie wrote in her diary saying she’d do what needs to be done, and thanked me. There’s only one possible thing she could be referring to when she said that. She was following my advice.” My gaze bore into the athlete like a cockatrice, petrifying her into submission. “My advice to speak to the one who told her it was ‘okay to do something bad.’ And there’s only one possible bad thing she could’ve been talking about. Fluttershy’s death.”

I intensified my gaze, causing Rainbow to shake and shudder in fright, pale faced and sweaty. “Which means, from the context we have from the note, there’s only one person she could’ve been seeking out.” I raised a finger and pointed it at Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow Dash, you’re the only one!”

“Aaah!” Rainbow Dash yelped, shaking worse than her best friend ever had, sweat pouring down her face, so pale I was a little afraid she’d pass out. “N-no, no, no way!” she rose her hands up, laughing nervously. “W-why would she want to t-talk to me?”

“I don’t think we need to explain this one again,” Twilight said, glaring over her glasses at Rainbow Dash, “but if you insist: I faked your handwriting with my note, remember? And, since I’ve admitted I wrote it, I can tell you all that I signed it too, as Rainbow Dash.”

Trixie thrust out an arm so her cape could billow. “Then the one who killed Pinkie Pie must have been Rainbow Dash! Trixie sees no other possibility!”

Rainbow Dash stood up straight, anger overtaking her fear. “Oh yeah?! Bullshit! Did we forget about the hair on the scene, huh? Applejack and Rarity’s hair were there!”

“Nice try, but no,” I chuckled. “There was only one hair from Rarity at the scene, and given how much she’s exercised in the fitness center, you could have easily found one to plant. As for the yellow hairs…” I deliberately fingered my hair, bringing it forth. “Applejack’s not the only one with yellow in their hair. I’ve got it. Adagio’s got a little bit of it. But you know who else does? You.”

Shaking her head vigorously, Rainbow tucked her long hair down the back of her shirt, as if she was trying to hide it. “T-t-that doesn’t m-mean anything! You don’t know it was my hair!”

“True,” I admitted, “but we don’t know it wasn’t either. Which means the hair is insufficient proof either way, and can be dismissed.”

Rainbow Dash’s breathing sped up, rapid and shallow. “Huh?” she said as she pulled at her shirt, fanning herself. “B-but, what about the dumbbell? D-didn’t we say that the killer hit Pinkie with it while standing still?” Her mouth twitched and quivered between horrified and open and anxious false smiles. “H-how were they supposed to do that without getting blood all over them?”

Scootaloo, her expression haunted and glum, slowly scrolled through her Monopad. “Even I can figure that one out, Dash,” she said sadly.

Fact #17: Towels: “A bundle of towels were found stuffed in the dryer in the laundry room, still warm. Another bundle was discovered in an overfilled washing machine, soaking in a pool of blood-stained water.”

“Right there,” she added, pointing. “The blood soaked towels. There’s so many towels in the fitness center, you could’ve easily held some up and used it as cover from the blood. Then you used them to clean off any other blood on you and the dumbbell, and dumped them in the wash.”

Rainbow whirled on the younger woman, her eyes blazing with rage. “Oh fuck off, Scootaloo, there’s no way that’s related to anything! You don’t know when they put the towels in! The other towels were warm, remember? It says it right there! How do you know they weren’t put in at the same time as the others?”

“Because whoever filled it was in a hurry,” I said, drawing Rainbow’s rage. “In order for the other towels to be warm, it means whoever put them there did so in the morning. But Pinkie Pie died last night. The only blood we’ve seen anywhere came from her. Therefore the only time those towels could’ve been put in for washing was last night, when the killer, that is, you, were trying to clean up the scene.”

“No!” Rainbow Dash kicked her podium twice, first with her left foot, then the right, almost digging out a hole in the wood. “I didn’t kill Pinkie Pie, damn it! I didn’t have a reason to.”

“Oh really?” I said, the confidence in my voice freezing Rainbow Dash in place. “Because I think you have a pretty damned obvious reason to kill her.”

Fact #1: Monoponi File IIIa: “The victim is Fluttershy, the Ultimate Veterinarian. She was executed by machine gun turrets on the promenade at approximately 6:15 PM Tuesday evening, due to her theft of a tourmaline encrusted gold ring from the jewelry store.”

“You wanted revenge. She came to you, asking for forgiveness, admitting her misdeed, and you became so furious you killed her for it.”

“No,” Rainbow whispered, all her rage and fury melting away, replaced by cold fear. “No, no, that’s not true, I didn’t. I wouldn’t.”

“Ah’d say you did,” Applejack spoke up. The farmer had kept silent throughout this exchange, watching the back and forth while keeping a keen eye on Rainbow Dash. “And to be honest? Ah’m not sure Ah can blame yah.” She fired off a nasty glare Rarity’s way. “If Sweetie Belle had come to me durin’ the investigation for mah sister? Ah probably woulda killed her mahself. Y’all remember my threat to do just that before we went into the second trial. Ah wasn’t kiddin’. Ah really would’ve done it if we’d voted wrong.”

Rarity squeezed her eyes shut, tears dripping down her cheeks, her fists held firmly at her sides. “I suppose,” she admitted through gritted teeth, “if our positions were reversed, I might’ve done the same. I loved my sister dearly. Anyone who’d dare harm even the slightest hair on her head would’ve had to answer to me.”

I briefly glanced at Monoponi, but the alicorn did naught but silently giggle while watching the proceedings. “See, Rainbow?” I said as I returned my attention to the athlete. “It makes sense. You didn’t mean to kill her, anymore than Twilight meant for Fluttershy to die. But you killed her all the same, because you were too angry to think clearly.”

“No, no!” Rainbow Dash grabbed both sides of her head, leaning back while tears streamed from her face. “No, I didn’t! I didn’t do it! I didn’t kill Pinkie Pie, damn it.” She doubled over, sobbing louder than I’d ever heard her cry before. “I wouldn’t kill Pinkie Pie. I wouldn’t.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said.

Rainbow shot to her feet, a chaotic mixture of emotions whirling across her features. “Huh?”

Twilight smiled softly at her. “I know how you feel right now. I didn’t want to admit I was responsible for Fluttershy’s death either. I was so convinced it had to be some sort of trick, some kind of trap, that I lost myself in denial.” She shook her head, her smile switching for a concerned frown. “Don’t do that to yourself, Rainbow. It’s not worth it, lying to yourself like that. Trust me.” She sighed, closing her eyes and bowing her head. “You’ll feel much better when you do. It’s like a weight lifting from your shoulders, a weight that feels as heavy as the entire planet.”

She opened her eyes and met Rainbow’s gaze again. “I know you’re scared right now. I’m terrified. We don’t know what Monoponi will do to us. Maybe he’ll only kill one of us. Maybe both. I don’t know. But I know this: if I die, because of what I’ve done? I can accept it, as penance. I’ve made peace with it. The only one you’re hurting right now by denying it is yourself.”

Rainbow slumped to the floor, on her hands and knees. “Damn it,” she wept, her tears staining the carpet. She beat her fists on the floor like a spoiled child. “Daaaamn it!” After a couple of moments of exhausted crying, Rainbow struggled back up to her feet. “Fine. Fine!” She glared at me, but there was no strength to it, no real anger. Just plain, simple resignation. “I… I did it. I killed Pinkie Pie.”

“Trixie knew it,” Trixie grumbled under her breath.

“Rainbow, what were you doing in the fitness center last night, anyway?” I wondered.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Rainbow admitted. “I kept having nightmares about Fluttershy, the way she twitched when the bullets…” she hissed, cutting herself off. It took her a moment before she could continue. “So I was trying to exercise, when all of a sudden I got a text from Pinkie Pie asking where I was. I dunno why I bothered answering her.”

Blinking in confusion, I quickly turned Pinkie’s Monopad back on and scanned through her texts. “I don’t see it here.”

“I deleted it,” Rainbow said, with an unhappy shrug. “Trying to cover my tracks, you know? Anyway, she showed up after a while. Didn’t say anything for the longest time, just exercised with me. Like she was trying to work up the courage. Then I went to relax in the sauna, and she followed me. That’s when she started talking. I just wanted her to shut up, but she kept babbling about Fluttershy, about how sorry she was that Fluttershy died. I finally told her to shut up, because she was pissing me off. And that’s when she said it. She said she was the one who gave Fluttershy the ring.”

“Was that when you killed her?” Flash asked, his face curiously neutral.

“No,” Rainbow shook her head. “I mean, I was pissed as hell, but that wasn’t enough. I asked her why, why did she do it. And you know what she did? She blamed me. She said it was my fault! She wanted to know why I told her it was okay to give Fluttershy that ring. And I had no idea what she was talking about.” Rainbow grit her teeth. “Not that I cared. After she blamed me, I was so mad, so pissed off, I left the sauna, slammed the door shut, and turned up the heat to max. I, I wasn’t trying to kill her, not really. I was just pissed, you know?”

“Then what happened?” Twilight prodded, her expression pensive.

“I left,” Rainbow said simply with a shrug. “I went into the locker room. I don’t remember much of what happened next. I think I might’ve punched a few things? I was just so mad.” She sighed, lowering her gaze to the floor. “And then after a while I realized how stupid I was. I went back to the sauna and turned down the heat, but…”

“But it was too late. She was dead,” I said.

“Yeah,” Rainbow nodded sorrowfully. “I panicked. I knew there’d be a trial. I knew I’d probably get executed, knowing how smart you are, Sunset.” Fresh tears ran down her face. “So I tried to hide it. I took that fake picture, I smashed her head in with the dumbbell, I planted the hair, and I even dumped her body in the pool and weighed it down with those free weights. And I dumped the towels, just like you said, Sunset.” Her voice hitched as she let out a small laugh. “Guess I didn’t do a good enough job.”

"Question," Flash said. "How did you get Pinkie to hold the weight? She wasn't strong enough even if she was alive when you took it."

"I... tied the jump rope around her wrist," Rainbow admitted, casting her eyes away from her fellow blackened. "Just like Sunset said I did. I used it to prop her up too, by tying the other end to one of the weight machines. I framed the picture so you couldn't see the rope in the silhouette. Then I reused the jump rope when I sank her body into the pool."

"I have one too, though Sunset might have to answer it," Twilight said. She glanced at both myself and Rainbow before continuing. "Why didn't Rainbow's magic trigger when Pinkie told her about Fluttershy? If it triggered because of anger, then--"

"Because I didn't want to kill Pinkie!" shouted Rainbow Dash, her features etched with shame. "I was mad, yeah, but...it wasn't enough."

"Of course!" Twilight said, snapping her fingers and pointing at her. "So when Monoponi announced that Fluttershy was a victim, you were so much more mad because you killed someone whom you thought was going to be the blackened."

Rainbow nodded. "Uh huh. I was soooo ready to tear Monoponi in half when I heard that. I was gonna die for killing someone that was gonna die anyway. It felt so pointless I was more pissed than I've ever been in my life."

"Emotions are one way to summon strong magic," I said in agreement. "It's usually highly unstable, and prone to disastrous unintended side effects."

Tiara snickered. "So it's like she went Super--"

"No," I said flatly. "No it's not. At all."

“Well, Ah guess that settles things,” Applejack said, shaking her head. “Dunno why you tried to pin things on me.”

“The motive,” Rainbow answered, gesturing with her right hand. “I kinda figured everyone would think you’d take Rarity with you as your plus one, especially with that picture I found.”

“Oh, so you’re the one who found it, then?” Adagio asked, frowning.

Rainbow Dash nodded as she ran a hand down one of her arms. “Yeah, I found it yesterday morning, like maybe around 11:30? I was just wandering around the access corridor, trying to clear my head, and I saw it on the ground. I didn’t know what to think of it, so I just shoved it in my pocket and forgot about it till I had to cover up Pinkie’s death.” She frowned deeply. “Still don’t get how it ended up in that locker though.”

Diamond Tiara snorted. “Oh who cares anymore? You admitted it. Twilight admitted it. I think we’re done here.”

“Thank heavens this is over,” Rarity said, falling onto her podium. “I’m so exhausted I can barely think.”

“For real, it’s after 3:00 o’clock,” Scootaloo seconded, head bowing from exhaustion. “I’m hungry as a horse. I wanna eat something and then sleep.”

Trixie tried to gesture with her cape, but her pose was weak and stilted. “Trixie agrees with that. Trixie is starving.”

Flash sighed, glaring at the floor. “Then let’s just vote already.”

“Definitely,” Adagio agreed, stretching out her back till it popped. “Ugh, I’m sick of standing here.”

“Ah gotta agree. It’s time to vote.”

“Oho? Ohoho? Did I hear someone call for voting time?” Monoponi spoke up, eagerly hopping to his hooves. He held up one to his mouth. “Upupu, are you sure?”

Wait. Why is he saying that? Something doesn’t feel right. I glanced back down at my Monopad, spotted something, and gasped in horror. No. No way.

“Yes, damn it,” Rainbow Dash answered, hanging her head. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Monoponi giggled. “Well, if you’re absolutely certain it’s time, then get ready to use the--”

“Wait!” I cried, my hand shooting up and waving frantically. “Wait! We can’t vote yet!”

Cries and moans of frustration and exhaustion rose up from my fellow passengers. “What the hell, Sunset?” Tiara griped, her hands squarely on her hips despite the bags under her half-lidded eyes. “Why not? Twilight did it. Rainbow did it. They both admitted it! What’s the hold up?”

“Yeah, seriously, Sunset,” Scootaloo whined. “We’ve been here for hours.”

“Oh please, Sunset, do not test my patience further!” Rarity complained, smacking her podium lightly with her knuckles. “I can only stand so much.”

“Trixie is so hungry, Sunset,” Trixie moaned, rubbing her belly. “She doesn’t want to stand here anymore.”

Twilight arched an eyebrow at me, but unlike the others, she didn’t protest. Instead, she held up a hand questioningly. “You’ve spotted something, haven’t you? Something we missed.”

“Missed?” Adagio snorted, casually flipping the researcher off with one hand. “We didn’t miss a thing.”

“Actually, there is one question I still have,” I said, turning to face Rainbow Dash. “And it’s a pretty big one.” I cued up a piece of evidence.

Fact #3: Body Condition: “There is a large puncture wound on the body’s chest, right above the left breast.”

I made sure to highlight only the relevant line this time. “Rainbow Dash, did you cause this?”

Rainbow blinked owlishly, rubbing the side of her head. “No. No, I didn’t. I don’t know what would’ve caused that.”

Alright. I’m onto something, then. “Did you dive into the pool this morning and remove the free weights?” I asked.

“No way!” Rainbow protested, sweeping out one hand. “Why would I do that? I dumped her body as part of my cover up. Like Applejack said earlier, even if I was gonna take the weights off her, I’d have left them in the pool.”

Bingo. “And you didn’t put the picture and her Monopad in the locker either?” I pressed.

With a simple shake of her head and a confused shrug, Rainbow answered, “No, I didn’t. I have no idea how they got there. I left them in the weight room.”

“What in tarnation are you goin’ on about now, Sunset?” Applejack demanded, leaning forward with a sullen look on her face.

Okay. Here goes nothing. I sure hope I’m not wrong about this. “I think,” I answered, “it just might be possible that Rainbow Dash is innocent, after all.”

“What?!”

“No way!”

“I don’t believe it!”

“This is absurd!”

“Sunset Shimmer, for fuck’s sake,” Adagio shouted, cutting through the chatter as she slammed her fist on her podium. “She already admitted she did it! Why are you wasting our time now?”

“Because I refuse to vote until I’m certain, Adagio!” I retorted. “And I’m not sure anymore that Rainbow did it!”

“What?!” Rainbow Dash gaped at me, slack-jawed and eyes agog. “B-b-but you just spent like an hour going after me, proving I did it! I even said so! Why would you back away from that now?”

“Please don’t say we’re falling into the culprit’s trap,” Scootaloo begged, crossing her fingers on both hands. “Please don’t say we’re falling into their trap.”

Sorry, Scootaloo. “Because we’re falling right into the true culprit’s trap.”

“God damn it!”

Twilight clapped her hands together for attention. “Sunset, what exactly are you suggesting is the real cause of death, then? Are you saying the heat didn’t kill Pinkie?”

I nodded. “Yes, exactly. I’d be willing to bet it knocked her out, but I don’t think it actually killed her. I think that can be blamed on something else.” I called up the relevant evidence.

Fact #2: Monoponi File IIIb: “Signs of opioids were discovered in the victim’s blood.”

“When I first saw that in the Monoponi file, I assumed it was just from the drugs she was using. That it was a red herring. I already figured she was on something when I spoke to her last night. And we confirmed she was using three different drugs, during the investigation.”

“Aaand? Trixie doesn’t see why that would be any different now,” Trixie grumbled.

“Because now I’m wondering,” I continued, “if it wasn’t a red herring after all. If it was actually a vital clue. Rainbow Dash, you walked away for a while, remember? And we all know the sauna door didn’t have a lock. Did you struggle to open it, when you went back?”

Rainbow Dash gasped, dawning comprehension on her face. “No. No, I didn’t. It opened easily, like it always does.”

“So what kept Pinkie from leaving the sauna?” I asked.

Silence fell upon the courtroom as everyone stood there, stunned. No one answered me for a good few minutes, until Rarity finally said, “Darling, are you saying there was someone else present?”

“Exactly,” I nodded. “I’m saying that the real culprit was there all along. When Rainbow Dash left, they went up to the sauna door and held it shut, preventing Pinkie from escaping. The sauna door has a glass window, letting you see inside, so the culprit would’ve been able to see exactly when Pinkie lost consciousness. I’ll bet they assumed she died, and went to check. When they discovered she was still alive, they had to improvise. And Pinkie had the perfect weapon on her person.”

Fact #11: Drug Cases: “Six cases of injectable drugs, two oxycodone, two heroin, two morphine. One case of each type only contained empty syringes. Each of the other three cases have four syringes, two of which were two-thirds empty, one of which was entirely empty, and with the fourth full and untouched.”

“She had syringes of all three drugs, ready to go. I know she carried them around, because she used at least one right in front of me. That puncture wound is right above her heart. If you stabbed all three needles in and injected their entire contents all at once?”

“You’d cause a fatal heart attack,” Twilight said, nodding. “And it’d be quick too, because heat stroke already causes major heart palpitations. And any evidence that she died of a heart attack would’ve been erased thanks to Rainbow Dash’s coverup.”

I placed a hand to my chin. “Right. The funny thing is, I almost didn’t catch this during the investigation, because someone kept rushing me along.”

Adagio hissed at me, baring her teeth. “Don’t blame this on me. I was worried about Rainbow’s magic, remember?”

“Really?” Trixie spoke up, glaring at the siren. “Because Trixie thinks that sounds like a convenient excuse. Too convenient.”

“Adagio was alone all night, wasn’t she?” Rarity said, also casting a furious glare her way. “There was nothing stopping her from laying in wait.”

The siren’s hands rose, curled up like claws. “Shut up!” she barked.

“Wait a minute, wait,” Flash protested with a wave of his hands. “How did this other culprit know what was going to happen between Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie?”

“I doubt they did,” I said before anyone else could answer. “I don’t think this was planned on their part at all. I think they happened to be on the scene by coincidence, spotted an opportunity, and took it, expecting Rainbow Dash to take the fall. It was a crime of convenience.”

Applejack let out a fiery snort as she drummed her fingertips on her podium. “Ah doubt that. There ain’t anywhere for them to hide. That sauna corridor ain’t exactly big. They’d stand out like a sore thumb.”

Diamond Tiara slapped a hand to her face. “Yes there is, Applejack,” she groused, ignoring the look of hatred the farmer shot her way. “Right across from the sauna, there’s a hot tub. It’s dark, so dark you can barely see what’s inside. If someone was sitting in the hot tub, nobody would’ve spotted them.”

“But they’d have a perfect view of what was going on, thanks to the glass door,” I added.

Rainbow Dash smacked a fist on her open palm. “That’s it! That must be why they moved the body and put the free weights back! A-and why they put the picture and the Monopad into the locker! They were trying to make it easier to figure me out!” A great big smile split her mouth from ear to ear. “Then I didn’t do it after all! I didn’t kill Pinkie Pie!”

“Wait!” Adagio shouted, clamoring for attention. “Sunset, this is stupid. Don’t you remember? We counted the number of syringes in each case of drugs Pinkie had in her room. There were four in each one. None were missing! In fact, one of each of them was full!”

“Oh, I have an explanation for that one,” I said.

Fact #19: Applejack and Rarity’s Account: “Rarity saw someone emerge from the pharmacy at 6:10 AM, unable to tell who it was due to being on the far side of the promenade.”

“Monoponi, correct me if I’m wrong, but swapping the contents of a case doesn’t count as stealing, does it?” I asked, looking up at him.

“Mmm…” Monoponi leaned back, holding a forehoof under his chin. “It’s iffy,” he admitted. “Because they’re still taking something from the shop. Buuuut since I already allowed one bent rule for this trial, I figured, why not bend a second one? I don’t want to stifle your creativity, upupupu!" Then he glared viciously at us all. "But this is the last time! No more bending rules after this trial! It was bad enough I bent one after trying to enforce them..."

“There you go,” I said, turning back to Adagio. “Rarity saw someone go into the pharmacy early this morning. I’ll bet they swapped the empty syringes with full ones from the cases in the shop, then went and planted the full ones back amongst Pinkie’s own cases of drugs.

“And we already determined earlier that the sound Ah heard downstairs was someone stuffin’ towels into the dryer,” Applejack nodded, with a glare my way. “Ah think that conclusion is still sound, especially since we can explain now why someone would move the body.”

Adagio’s whole body quivered with fury as she glowered at me with the full force of her predatory cold heart. “Sunset, don’t you dare accuse me of this,” she growled, all traces of her usual sensual voice gone, replaced by a lizard-like guttural sound. “I didn’t kill Pinkie Pie anymore than you did.”

My heart leapt for my throat, my stomach churning. But I refused to back down. “I don’t want to accuse you, Adagio,” I said quietly, “but it’s not looking good. You’re strong enough to move the weights. You had plenty of time by yourself. You knew Pinkie Pie was using drugs. You kept pushing me through the investigation and the trial. And… you have a motive. The plus-one.”

“You!” Adagio hissed, but not like her usual hiss. This one sounded like it was ripped from the throat of a seaborne lizard, nothing like what a human throat could produce. “I can’t believe you’d betray me like this!” She reached into her pocket, and pulled out an all-too-familiar knife, holding it up by the blade.

“Woah, woah, time out there!” Monoponi cried, his magic taking hold of the knife and ripped it from her hand. “I enjoy a good stabbing as much as the next villain, but no one spills blood at my trial!” He set it down on his throne. “You can have this back after we’re done.”

“I wasn’t going to stab her,” Adagio grumbled, her voice returning to normal. “I’m not stupid.”

My knees buckled, threatening to give out as I held a hand to my heaving chest. I’d frozen stone cold when I saw the knife, afraid she’d been about to fling it into my throat. “Adagio,” I gasped, coughing. “I’m sorry, but--”

“Save it. It doesn’t matter.” Adagio bowed her head, then raised it again. All signs of anger had vanished from her face, replaced by a cold-hearted neutrality, or perhaps resignation. “Let me just say this: if you fools vote for me, all you’ll be doing is killing us all.”

“Trixie doesn’t buy it!” Trixie shouted, slamming a hand on her podium. “Sunset, do the thing! Prove she did it!”

My eyes met Adagio’s, like two boxers squaring off before a fight. I searched and searched, looking for some sign of guilt, of regret, of anything to indicate she was lying. But I didn’t see it. All I saw was sincerity. A certainty of purpose. And that caused the gears in my brain to turn over yet again, and consider one other possibility I hadn’t bothered to consider before now. A possibility that loomed up inside me, seeming more and more plausible the more I thought about it. Obvious, even, in retrospect. Damn it. God damn it.

A thought occurred to me. A plan formed in my head. And as my own gaze shifted to belief in Adagio, I saw her eyes soften, the Adagio I knew peeking through again. I gave her the slightest of nods, and she nodded back. Okay. Here goes nothing.

“Adagio,” I spoke up, “there’s something we need to check. Would you please do me a favor?” By Celestia I hope I’m right. Please tell me I’m right. Because if I’m wrong, then Adagio did it after all.

“What is it?” Adagio replied simply, her demeanor unwavering despite the softening of her eyes.

“Can you show us your first aid kit?”

I saw a dawning smile of comprehension briefly appear on Adagio’s face before it vanished. “Fine,” she muttered, still playing the act. Rummaging through her backpack, she pulled out the massive kit. “Here,” she said, handing it to Rainbow Dash, who passed it to me. “Go nuts.”

“Um, what are you doing?” Twilight asked, frowning in bemusement.

Flash, still rubbing his chin, said, “Yeah, Sunset, what’s this about?”

“Just checking something,” I said. I leaned down to unlatch the kit, took a deep breath, then opened it up.

And right there, before us all, laying loosely atop the rest of the supplies, were three mostly empty syringes. One marked heroin, one oxycodone, and one morphine. The sight caused my heart to spin around in place, simultaneously wanting to sink into a deep abyss and leap for joy. Because there’s only one thing this could mean.

“Ahah!” Trixie cried, pointing at the kit, gesturing grandly. “You see! She has the drugs! She killed Pinkie Pie!”

“Well now, that seems pretty cut ‘n dry to me,” Applejack said, shaking her head in disbelief. “Ah can’t believe you’d be stupid enough to keep that stuff on you.”

Rarity huffed, letting out a thoroughly unladylike snort. “Indeed!” she seconded. “What a stupid mistake to make.”

“Yeah, even I would’ve dumped those,” Scootaloo said, rolling her eyes. “Jeez, Adagio, you’re not that smart, are you?”

Adagio chuckled dryly, then her laugh grew, and grew, until it became a full throated belly laugh, all chocolate with not even a hint of bitterness. “Oh, you fools,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye. “If you think this implicates me, you’re the idiots.”

“What?” Trixie gasped, and pointed. “But it’s your first aid kit! Trixie thinks the conclusion is obvious!”

“Oh, it is obvious,” Adagio retorted silkily, staring at Trixie with half-lidded eyes.

“Yes!” Trixie stated, slamming a hand on her podium. “You killed Pinkie Pie!”

“No, Trixie,” I said, my voice cutting through her like a scythe through stalks of wheat. “She didn’t kill Pinkie Pie. The first aid kit was in my room all night, remember?”

Trixie paled, whirling on me in a flash. “Sunset?! What are you saying?”

“I’m saying,” I said, readying my finger to point, “Trixie Lulamoon, you’re the only one!”

“Woah, woah, Trixie? Seriously?” Rainbow Dash’s eyebrows shot up high enough to kiss her hair.

Tiara gigglesnorted. “Lulamoon? Her last name is Lulamoon? That’s hilarious.”

“Hmm…” Applejack placed a hand on her chin, peering at the illusionist.

“Trixie, there are only two people who could’ve planted those syringes in Adagio’s first aid kit,” I said, while ever growing horror took over Trixie’s face. “You, and me. And I think we all know I didn’t do it.”

“But, but Sunset,” Trixie objected, a pleading look in her eyes. “Adagio could’ve slipped the syringes in there in the morning, after you gave it back.”

“She also could have swapped them out with replacement syringes in the pharmacy,” I countered, my tone growing sharp with anger. “Which is what I thought happened, at first. But now it seems more likely you went into the pharmacy, stole the syringes out of the cases, then swapped things around in Pinkie’s room so you could plant these on Adagio. This was a backup plan for you, wasn’t it? You wanted to be sure we’d vote for her, just in case we figured out Rainbow Dash was innocent. That’s why you found the diary when we searched Pinkie’s room. Hell, I’ll bet you never put the keys back on Pinkie’s body. You probably just used sleight of hand or something to make it look like you found them there.”

“No, no, Trixie would never--”

“Don’t lie to me!” I roared, slamming my own hand down on my podium. “Every single thing we speculated the culprit could’ve done, you could’ve done. I fell asleep right after the evening announcement. I didn’t wake up till the morning one, when you were already in the shower. You were washing off the pool smell, weren’t you? You had to make sure no one realized you went for a swim to pull Pinkie’s body out of the deep end!”

Tears poured down Trixie’s face, the illusionist babbling, “Sunset, please, listen to me, I didn’t--”

“I don’t know why you were down there in the fitness center last night. Maybe you were scared, because of what Twilight said to me, about Adagio. Maybe you couldn’t sleep, and you wanted to relax. Maybe you were just wandering. I don’t know, and I don’t really care, either,” I slammed my hand down on my podium again, causing Trixie to jump back in fright. “You gave in to Monoponi’s motive. I’ll bet you thought if you got away with things, you could take me away as your plus-one. I’m sure in your head you justified it, by saying you were rescuing me from all of this.”

“That’s not tru--”

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear it anymore!” I opened up both hands and slammed them down on my podium, again and again. “God damn it, Trixie, what the hell made you ever think I’d be okay with you murdering someone for me? I wouldn’t accept that from Adagio, anymore than I would from you! Especially not Pinkie Pie. I can’t imagine how much pain she must’ve been in, when you held that door on her. She didn’t deserve to die, damn it.” Tears ran down my own face now, as my face fell into my hands. God, it really was my fault. I might as well be the blackened after all.

“But, Sunset,” Trixie said, after a couple of moments. I looked up to see her tear-stricken face, the deathly pallor to her cheeks. “I couldn’t have gotten the body out of the water.”

Fury boiled in my chest, like a roaring steam engine stoked with fresh coal. “Excuse me?” I snarled.

“You see,” Trixie continued, speaking faster and faster with each word, “the body was tied down with weights, right? A-and, those weights were tied together. They were at least two hundred pounds, all together.Trixie is not strong enough to lift that out of the water. Therefore, Trixie is innocent.”

“YOU’VE GOT THAT WRONG!” I screamed, almost smashing my Monopad to pieces in my effort to bring up the evidence.

Fact #6: Free Weights and Rope: “A group of four fifty pound free weights, placed under the free weight shelf, dripping with water. They were tied together with a jump rope threaded through and knotted loosely at both ends.”

“The rope was loosely tied to the weights, Trixie,” I spat, every word soaking with acid. “That means the rope could have been untied, and then tied back up later. You didn’t have to remove the weights all at once. You could remove them one at a time. And you’re a strong swimmer. You told us all that way back when Pinkie planned her pool party. You’d have no trouble untying the rope underwater.” I slammed my hand down on my podium once more, this time hard enough to splinter the wood. “So stop fucking lying to our faces and just admit it already. You murdered Pinkie Pie!”

Trixie fell back onto her rump, crying to herself, as we all stood there in silence. We let her cry it out. For my part, I was glad she was crying. She deserved worse, for what she did to Pinkie, for what she tried to do to everyone else here. She wasn’t my friend anymore. She was a monster. I hope we get to vote for who dies after all, because if we do? I’m voting for you, Trixie.

“Sunset?” Scootaloo spoke up after a little while. “Can you, um, can you please put the case together? So there’s no doubt?”

“Yes, please do, darling,” Rarity urged. “I think we’re all ready to get out of here.”

I sighed. “Fine. Let’s get this over with, then.” I took a moment to gather my thoughts, then opened up my eyes wide. “This is how it all went down!”

“This all began two days ago, with the first culprit of this case, or Culprit A. Burned by the betrayal of their trust during the last trial, Culprit A decided they could no longer trust anyone. During our morning meeting the day of Fluttershy’s death, Culprit A had a severe confrontation with Pinkie Pie, the second victim. Due to this confrontation, Culprit A decided to teach Pinkie Pie a lesson.

“Using a note they slipped under Pinkie’s door, they impersonated Rainbow Dash. Through this guise, they told Pinkie Pie that “Rainbow” wanted to give Fluttershy a gift by surprising her, so she’d find it in her pocket. They asked Pinkie to go to the jewelry store with Fluttershy, to find a tourmaline ring prepared in a black box, marked by a piece of red tape. Then Pinkie could sneak the “gift” into Fluttershy’s pocket. Unbeknownst to Pinkie, the “gift” wasn’t already purchased.

“Up until this point, everything had gone according to Culprit A’s plan. Their expectation was that Fluttershy would discover the ring before she left the shop, and be furious with Pinkie Pie for trying to make her break the rules. Culprit A’s ultimate intent was for Pinkie to learn something without anyone actually getting hurt. But they didn’t realize just how good Pinkie Pie was at sneaking. Pinkie Pie was so good, Fluttershy didn’t notice a thing. So when poor Fluttershy left the shop, she inadvertently broke rule number sixteen, the rule against stealing. And as she had broken the rules, she was executed on the spot.

“Culprit A, utterly horrified by what had happened, expected Monoponi would call a trial. When he didn’t, they were left stunned, so uncertain what to think that they lost all rational control. They became paranoid, convinced that Monoponi was out to get them in some way outside of the ship’s trial setting. Hence why they reacted the way they did when I tried to apologize for hiding my pony nature. They thought it was Monoponi trying to trick them into killing for a second time.

“But even with this paranoia, they were caught off guard, completely unprepared, when Monoponi added Fluttershy to the roster for this trial. Their original plan was never intended to result in a trial to begin with. When they imitated Rainbow Dash’s handwriting, they didn’t bother to imitate the slant. They didn’t try to remain unseen when they dropped off the note. When we argued for the note writer as the blackened, they grew even more scared, and tried to blame everything on Diamond Tiara, whose turning of a leaf provided an easy way to shift blame. All of this was done in desperation, a frantic act to stay alive, to stave off accepting the fact that they were a killer.

“It was all, ultimately, a tragic accident, one only one person could have caused, Twilight Sparkle, the Ultimate Researcher, whether on purpose or not, you’re the one who killed Fluttershy.

“But we’re not done. Utterly heartbroken and furious, Rainbow Dash became inconsolable. When Monoponi presented to us the motive, whereupon a blackened could take someone with them so long as that someone was not an accomplice to the crime, she found herself horribly depressed, because the only possible incentive she’d had to give in to the motive had been stolen from her. This led her into a massive downward spiral, consumed by anger and rage. To try and work this all out, she spent most of her time in the fitness center, going back and forth via the access corridor so she ran into as few people as possible. During one of these trips, she found the picture of the Belle and Apple sisters eating in a diner that Adagio, Pinkie, and I discovered in the spa the previous day. It had been left there by mistake when Adagio dropped it while doing laundry.

“Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie, consumed by guilt, found solace in morphine, oxycodone, and heroin. She purchased morphine the day after the first trial. At first, she only used it a little bit, but she dove into it heavily after the second trial. She used the drug as a coping mechanism, injecting herself numerous times. After Fluttershy died, she couldn’t take the guilt. She needed more drugs, so she purchased a large helping of the other two that night. But even that wasn’t enough. The following day, she asked me for advice, and I, without realizing it, told her to confront Rainbow Dash.

That night, right after 11:00 PM, she tracked down Rainbow Dash, seeking to admit what she’d done. She found Rainbow Dash in the fitness center, sitting in the sauna, trying to force herself to relax due to her insomnia. In the ensuing conversation, Pinkie Pie made a crucial mistake. Because of her drug-induced poor judgement, she blamed Rainbow Dash for Fluttershy’s death. This threw Rainbow Dash into a murderous rage. Stomping out of the sauna, Rainbow Dash suddenly slammed the door shut, and cranked up the heat to the redline, then left.

“Culprit B, scared due to the threat Twilight leveled against me earlier that day, was also having a sleepless night. They’d been sitting in the hot tub across from the sauna, just out of sight from both Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. When they saw Rainbow Dash leave, they realized this was a prime opportunity to try and escape the ship, by letting someone else take the fall. They leapt into action, holding the door closed while Pinkie Pie screamed and begged to be let out, beating her fists on the door hard enough to injure her hands. But Pinkie could not escape. She lost consciousness in the heat.

“Thinking she had perished, Culprit B opened the door, and discovered Pinkie still alive. Knowing that Pinkie Pie had been using drugs, they discovered Pinkie had three syringes full on her person. They took all three and stabbed them all together into Pinkie’s heart, injecting them and forcing a fatal overdose. Then they took the syringes with them and ran, using the layout of the fitness center to keep out of Rainbow Dash’s sight. Panicked by their own actions, they fled the fitness center altogether, and returned to my cabin, falling asleep for much of the night.

“After calming down, Rainbow Dash returned to the sauna, and discovered Pinkie Pie’s body. Believing she was the culprit, and understandably not wanting to die, Rainbow Dash decided to try and pin the crime upon someone else. She turned the heat back down, and removed Pinkie’s body from the sauna, not noticing the small bits of blood Pinkie’s fists had left on the inside of the door and on the handle. Taking inspiration from the photo she’d found earlier that day, she decided to frame Applejack. First, she took Pinkie’s skirt off and put it on herself. She then propped up Pinkie Pie’s body, using jump rope to tie a dumbbell in her hand. With a combination of a bright light and careful positioning of Pinkie’s Monopad, she took a picture to give the impression Pinkie had photographed a silhouette of her on-coming doom. She then created the appearance of a struggle in the weight room, by pushing equipment over and around, clipping hairs from both Pinkie and herself to plant them around, then smashed Pinkie’s head in with a seventy-pound dumbbell, using a set of towels to protect herself from blood spray while deliberately allowing plenty of blood to pool on the floor. She left the photograph at the scene, while holding onto Pinkie’s Monopad, so she could send fake check-in texts.

“Then, using that same set of towels, she carefully dragged Pinkie’s body all the way to the pool, being certain not to leave any kind of drag marks. She dumped Pinkie’s body into the pool, and using the same jump rope from earlier threaded between four fifty pound free weights, she kept Pinkie’s body underwater in the deep end. This was where Rainbow Dash intended for us to discover the body. Finally, Rainbow Dash took her bloody towels to the laundry room, threw them into the wash all at once, and set it to clean them, not realizing she’d overfilled the washing machine. She returned to the fitness center to drop off Pinkie’s Monopad after Pinkie’s shift had ended, and proceeded to assume her own shift.

“Early the next morning, around 6:00 AM, just after Rainbow Dash went back to her own cabin to catch a nap, Culprit B awoke in a cold sweat. Realizing they needed to find some way of shifting the blame further, especially since they still had the empty syringes on them, they first went to the pharmacy, to take full syringes from drug cases without purchasing them, an act allowed by Monoponi only because the rules had already been bent once in this case. Their intent was to swap these full ones for partially used ones from Pinkie’s own sets of drugs, which they could then plant in Adagio’s first aid kit to implicate her for the crime. But to do this, they needed Pinkie’s room key. So, after briefly hiding from Rarity, who’d spotted them leaving the pharmacy, they went back to the indoor pool. Upon realizing Pinkie’s body was underwater, and seeing everything Rainbow did, they decided to mess up Rainbow’s plan, in the hopes of making Rainbow seem more obvious, with their blaming of Adagio becoming the backup plan.

“First, stripping off their clothes, they dove into the pool and removed the weights, placing them on a set of towels right up on the edge. They were able to do this because they’re an excellent swimmer. They retrieved Pinkie’s key, and then turned Pinkie’s body over in the water, so she’d be floating face up, knowing that would make it more obvious she hadn’t drowned. Using the towel below the free weights, they dragged them all the way into the weight-room, and left them right under the shelf where they could be found.

“Then, using a padlock and key they found behind the front desk of the fitness center, they took the picture of the Apple and Belle sisters as well as Pinkie’s Monopad and locked them both in a locker.

“Finally, they took a whole bunch of towels, dried themself off with them as well as the pool area and anywhere else they’d dripped water, put their clothes back on, and went via the access corridor to drop off the towels in the dryer. They did this right around 7:20 AM, producing the noise Applejack heard. They then went to Pinkie’s cabin by circling around via the promenade, staying out of sight, and performed the switcheroo with the syringes, making sure to leave the empty ones in the cases so none appeared to be missing.

“Then, returning to my cabin, they planted them in Adagio’s kit and hopped into the shower just before the morning announcement, so they could wash away any sign they’d been in the pool. During the investigation, they pretended to find both Pinkie’s room key and the locker key on the body, by using their skill with sleight of hand. They also made sure we found the diary in Pinkie’s room.

“Culprit B…I thought you were my friend. I thought I could trust you. But you betrayed that trust. You took our friendship and threw it away. I’d never accept you murdering someone just so we could escape together. Trixie Lulamoon, the Ultimate Illusionist... I might never forgive you.”

I knew some parts of what I said were speculation. I couldn’t be sure about every detail, after all. But it was enough to seal the deal. When I finished, Trixie stood up, brushed herself off, and quietly said, “You’re right. Trixie killed Pinkie Pie.” She looked right up at me, her expression unreadable. “Trixie won’t lie anymore.”

“Does this mean we can vote now?” Tiara said, obviously bored as she examined her fingernails.

“Yes, damn it, let’s vote already and get out of here,” Adagio groused.

“We’re ready, Monoponi,” I said, looking up at the alicorn. “Call it.”

“Very well!” Monoponi twirled about on one hoof, landed on both rear hooves, and posed like Celestia raising the sun. “This vote will be a bit different! You’ll have to pick two separate vote targets at once. And do make sure you do it in the right order. Fluttershy first, then Pinkie. Got it? If you fail to vote for both, or if you don’t vote at all, it will result in your death!” His horn lit up, firing off a shot like a rocket to explode in a cascade of sparks above us. “Who will be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one? Your time starts now!”

The screen before me lit up with the image of everyone’s faces. Six now crossed out as invalid choices. To the right were a butterfly and a balloon, signalling which blackened was for which. I didn’t hesitate to slap my hand down, first on Twilight’s face, and then on Trixie’s.

Right on cue the display in the center lit up, this time with two separate vote tallies. In both cases, the vote was unanimous: Twilight as Fluttershy’s blackened, and Trixie as Pinkie’s.

The trial was finally, blessedly, over.

Author's Note

Congratulations to JCarp and 4428Gamer for successfully sniffing out Trixie even before the investigation! I was impressed by you two catching on to the shower clue. Well done.

A lot of you thought Rainbow Dash was the killer, and that was the point to this case. Even she thought she did it, only for it to turn out she didn't. So if you feel like you were fooled, please don't feel bad. This was hard on purpose. :pinkiesad2:

I also want to congratulate Rainstorm Riddles for also figuring out Trixie in a way I had never once considered. Having Adagio and Trixie cooperate like that in your theory? A part of me wishes I'd actually written it that way now. That's how impressed I was with it. And though you might've been wrong about the magic, your logic for why you thought what you did was solid. And you got so many details right, too. Superb job! :twilightsmile:

Chapter Three: A Maelstrom of Murder Part 9

Chapter Three:

A Maelstrom of Murder

Post Trial and Epilogue

Monoponi arose from his throne, clapping his forehooves together in a mocking display of false applause. “Bravo, bravo,” he cheered. “My lovely passengers, look at you all. You’ve done such a wonderful job!”

“Please don’t drag this out any further,” Rarity moaned, collapsed over her podium. “Can you just tell us if we got it right or not?”

“Upupu, very well then!” Monoponi lit his horn, and the tally screen on the display was replaced by a pair of spinning wheels, one decorated with butterflies, the other with balloons. Both wheels spun and spun until the pointers focused on Twilight and Trixie’s faces respectively. The word GUILTY exploded above both faces in a cascade of twin fireworks, one in purple, one in blue.

“Congratulations, idiots! That’s right, the killer of Fluttershy, the Ultimate Veterinarian, was none other than Twilight Sparkle, the Ultimate Researcher. And in a twofer, the killer of Pinkie Pie, the Ultimate Party Planner? It was indeed Trixie Lulamoon, the Ultimate Illusionist! Bravo!” He fell back on his rump and clapped his forehooves together several more times. “You idiots were this close to getting it wrong though! Trixie almost fooled you. But I knew Sunset could pull it off, in the end.”

“Oh shut up,” I grumbled, glaring at him in lieu of looking at Trixie. Out the corner of my eye, I could see her standing there, hunched over, face bowed, guilt written all over her face. Good. She should feel guilty.

Rainbow Dash collapsed onto her podium, letting out long, quiet laughs of relief. “I didn’t kill Pinkie Pie,” she muttered in between laughs. “I didn’t do it… thank god…”

“Ya still tried to blame it on Rarity and me though,” Applejack groused, fixing the athlete with a glare.

Rainbow shot up from her podium, holding one hand to her chest while the other stroked the back of her head. “Ahehehe, sorry?” she laughed nervously.

Rarity hummed, then spun her hand on her wrist in a dismissive gesture. “Oh, I suppose I can’t blame you, Rainbow Dash. None of us want to die, after all.” She drew in her hand, her expression darkening with disdain as she looked Applejack’s way. “Though maybe some of us should.”

Applejack held up one hand and extended a middle finger in the direction of the seamstress without looking at her. “Ah guess Ah can’t really be that upset about it either, to tell you the truth. Ah might’ve done somethin’ similar in your situation.” She glanced Trixie’s way. “It’s Trixie who we oughta be mad at. She tried to make you take the blame.”

“Yeah, Trixie, what the hell, huh?” Rainbow Dash cried, throwing up her hands. “What the hell’d I ever do to you?”

“Nothing,” Trixie answered, in a monotone voice. She refused to meet Rainbow’s gaze. “I took advantage of you. That’s all.”

Adagio leered at Trixie, a dark look of vindication on her face. “And so we see your true colors. The real you, beneath your stupid inability to speak like a normal person. I knew you couldn’t be trusted. I told you, Sunset. You never should’ve put up with her.”

“No. I shouldn’t have,” I agreed. The anger swirling about my mind right now was just like the storm clouds hovering above the ship: dark, dismal, depressing, and most of all, heart-breaking. Adagio, at least, I could’ve understood. She was a siren. She had a history of death behind her. I wouldn’t have been happy. I’d still be just as mad. But I could have understood.

Trixie, though… I didn’t. I didn’t understand that one bit. She’d always seemed so good inside. A bit egotistical, sure. Bombastic personality, definitely. A bit too quick to judge sometimes. But not a killer.

Or so I’d thought.

“Normally,” Monoponi said, drawing our attention back to him, “this would be where I’d show you all what Sunset got wrong this time. But once again, she somehow got everything right! It’s infuriating!” He waved one hoof disdainfully, and lit his horn. “I guess I’ll just have to be satisfied by making you all watch this instead.”

The display lit up once more.

~*~
The camera first focused on a quick montage of Twilight Sparkle. Pondering to herself in the library. Hatching her plan. Sneaking off into a corner of the library with a reference book and the logbook. Writing out the note one letter at a time. Discarding draft after draft till she got it right. Then she dropped off the note.

We switched to a view of the jewelry store. Fluttershy puttered about, examining bracelet after bracelet. “What do you think of this one, Pinkie?” she asked, holding up a golden one lined with rubies.

“Oooh, that’s pretty! Buuut maybe not my color,” Pinkie admitted. From our viewpoint we could see her backing up slowly towards a small box marked with red tape sitting out on a counter. As Fluttershy turned to put it back, Pinkie outstretched one arm and carefully scooped up the ring box.

“Oh, um, okay,” Fluttershy said, smiling. “You’re right. Let’s see… hmm…” She leaned back over, focused on the displays of silver and gold.

Quick as a flash, Pinkie trotted up on her toes and with one smooth motion slipped the box into Fluttershy’s pocket. She turned it into a casual tucking of her arm behind her head as Fluttershy looked over her shoulder. “Oooh, Fluttershy,” Pinkie said, “maybe we should get something matching!”

“Oh that’s a good idea,” Fluttershy replied, seemingly unconcerned by Pinkie’s sudden close proximity. She scanned over the displays some more, then picked out two sets of matching gold and silver cuffs, each festooned with a different gemstone.. “What about these?”

“Hmm…” Pinkie Pie took the silver set, placed one on, then the other, and jangled them. Her eyes lit up in a way they hadn’t since before Wallflower died. “I love it!”

“Yay!” Fluttershy cheered. She took the cuffs back from Pinkie and made her way to the register. “Let’s scan them right now.”

It was only afterwards, as Fluttershy left the shop and the klaxons blared, that we saw the dawning look of panic and horror on Pinkie Pie’s face.

The footage skipped to just after Fluttershy’s death, briefly showing us Twilight, then Pinkie. Twilight was stunned, depressed, and most of all, scared. But Pinkie…

Pinkie had fallen into true despair. The depths of sorrow in those eyes… there was no coming back from it. She knew what she’d done.

We saw another quick montage of Pinkie Pie retreating to her cabin, dosing herself up on morphine as she scrawled in her diary like mad, crying to herself over and over, before finally making the decision to purchase the other drugs. She flitted in and out of the pharmacy like a ghost in the night.

The footage skipped again, to the night of Pinkie’s murder, with Pinkie, twitching ever so often, as she stumbled her way down the access corridor. She threw open the door to the fitness center. “Hi Rainbow,” she murmured as she walked right up to Dash, who was busy pedaling on a cycling machine.

“Uh, hey,” Rainbow said sullenly. She kept pedaling, refusing to look Pinkie’s way.

Pinkie Pie’s lips trembled as she twiddled with her thumbs before abruptly jumping up on the cycle next to Dash’s. “Is… is it okay if I join you?”

“Sure, I guess.”

The footage switched to an interior shot from the sauna, as Pinkie and Rainbow Dash went to sit down inside. “Look, Pinkie,” Rainbow said as she shut the door. “I appreciate the, like, company and all, but you’ve obviously got something to say. Just spill it already.”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes misted up, her lips trembling as she held herself. Then she burst into tears. “I’m so sorry about Fluttershy, Rainbow,” she sobbed.

“Uh…”

“She was so nice and sweet and caring and one of the only people here who actually wanted to be my friend and it’s so sad she’s dea-he-heeeeead!”

“Pinkie,” Rainbow grumbled, tensing up.

“A-and the worst part is it wasn’t even her fault she didn’t deserve it it was that stupid big meanie Monoponi he never should’ve shot her not over a stupid ring it wasn’t her fault it wasn’t her fault!”

“Pinkie…”

“She should be right here with you she’s your best friend and she was taken away and--”

“PINKIE PIE!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Stop! Talking!”

“IT’S MY FAULT!” Pinkie blurted. “I KILLED HER!”

Rainbow Dash fell back against the bench, her eyes the size of dinner plates. “What?” she gasped.

“I did it,” Pinkie said, her face falling into her hands as she wailed. “It was me. I gave her the ring.”

“You… you what?! What the fuck?!” Rainbow Dash jumped to her feet, looming over Pinkie as her whole body shook with unrelenting rage. “Why?! Why the hell would you do that? What is wrong with you? Why?”

“Huh?” Pinkie looked up, utterly baffled. “What… what do you mean, why?” Her face twisted up in anger. “You’re the one who gave me the note, Rainbow!”

“What?” Rainbow blinked, taken aback. “What note?”

“Your note, silly!” Pinkie barked, the sheer anger in her voice echoing in the small room. “You said it was okay to give her the ring! You said it was already bought! Why would you tell me that if it wasn’t safe, huh? It was your fault too!”

“My fault? My...fault…?!” Rainbow Dash squeezed her fists at her sides as she shook violently, her face so twisted up in fury she turned purple, veins throbbing on her forehead. “You fucking bitch!” Rainbow Dash let out a wordless cry and kicked Pinkie Pie in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. As Pinkie fell back against the bench, she left the sauna, slammed the door shut, and turned the heat up to maximum. Then, still letting out screams she trudged down to the locker room and went inside.

Pinkie sat up, coughing and spluttering. “Ooow,” she murmured, clutching her stomach. “That wasn’t… I… “ she reached up and wiped sweat from her brow. “Phew! It’s so hot!”

The camera switched to a view from the corridor. Trixie popped open the door to the hot tub room, looked both ways briefly, then sped over and held the door closed by pressing her shoulder against it.

“H-hey!” Pinkie Pie shouted, looking out the window, wide-eyed with panic. “Trixie?! Trixie what’re you doing? Let me out!”

Trixie’s face was flat, neutral, no emotion whatsoever. Like a robot, or a golem. She refused to move or speak.

Pinkie slammed her fists on the door. “Trixie! This isn’t funny! Let me out!” Trixie didn’t respond. “Trixiiiie! It’s too hot! Let me out, please! LET ME OUT! IT HURTS!” Pinkie smashed her hands on the door again and again, harder and harder, grunting, screaming in pain as she begged and pleaded to be let out.

Finally, her eyes drooped. “Trixie… Trixie… let me… oooooo…” she trailed off and collapsed.

Trixie waited for a moment, then opened the door, recoiling from the sudden release of steam. She wafted a hand in front of her nose, her mouth twisting in disgust, presumably from the smell of Pinkie’s roasted-looking body. She knelt down and felt for Pinkie’s heartbeat. “Shoot,” she cursed. She quickly glanced back down the corridor, but Rainbow Dash hadn’t returned yet. She glanced back down at Pinkie, humming to herself. Then for a brief moment, she grinned.

The camera switched angles so we could no longer see Trixie's face. We could only hear her voice. Reaching into Pinkie’s pocket, she let out a little laugh of triumph as she pulled out three syringes. “Sorry, Pinkie,” she snickered as she popped the cap off each syringe, then pulled down Pinkie’s shirt. She held them up in her hand like a trio of daggers, and plunged them into Pinkie’s flesh. Pinkie’s body gave an involuntary jerk as Trixie pushed down the plunger on each syringe, then pulled them out, making sure to put Pinkie’s shirt back in place.

Trixie stuffed the syringes in her cloak and watched as Pinkie’s body twitched, thrashed, and convulsed, before abruptly ceasing. Trixie reached forward again, and checked Pinkie’s pulse, still chuckling, albeit half-heartedly.

Despite her apparent glee, as she stood up and faced the direction of the camera, I saw, for just a split second, a massive amount of guilt and shame cross her face, before she schooled it away. She cocked her head, hearing the sound of a door opening, and quickly ran down the hall the other way, towards the pool.

Rainbow Dash, no longer fuming, came back, turned down the heat, then opened the sauna door. “I’m sorry, Pinkie, I shouldn’t have--oh my god!” She was on her knees in an instant, running her hands over Pinkie, trying desperately to perform CPR. “No, no, no, no!” she cried even as she pumped on Pinkie’s chest. “Damn it, Pinkie, come on!”

But it was no use. Rainbow Dash fell back on her butt, crying tears of frustration. “Oh my god...Pinkie I didn’t… I didn’t mean to--I’m so sorry!” She cursed herself out over, and over, smashing a hand on the floor, then suddenly froze, her pupils dilating to tiny dots. “Oh no. Ohnonono, he’s gonna kill me. He’s gonna execute me! I gotta do something!”

She stood up, tapping her head. “Come on, Dash, think, think… wait a minute.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out the picture she’d found earlier that day. “Okay. Okay, this’ll… this’ll work. Craaaap. I don’t want to do this… I never meant for… damn it, no time. I gotta move fast. I can’t let anyone find the body!”

The camera switched to a quick montage of her setting up the fake picture, cringing as she smashed Pinkie’s head in, cutting her hair, and weighing down the body, dropping Pinkie in and watching her sink to the bottom. Then she planted the picture and Monopad by the fake scene in the weightroom. “Sorry, guys,” she said as she set it down. “Sorry… Pinkie.” She sighed, bowed her head, then left the room.

Switching again, the camera showed Trixie rushing out of my cabin, panic-stricken. We watched a montage of everything, from the pharmacy, to the pool, all the while Trixie panicked until she finally managed to drop off the syringes in Adagio’s kit. Only then did she relax.

The final shot of the camera focused on Trixie’s face as we discovered the body. For a moment, just a moment, instead of faux surprise, she bore an expression of guilt and sorrow.

~*~

As the display winked off, I found my stomach churning with a coarse, sour mixture of disgust, anger, and an unhealthy dose of depression. The depression gummed up the works till my stomach felt more like a twenty-ton rock weighing me down. It’d been one thing to discuss what Trixie did. To speculate. To describe it in words or see the aftermath. It was another thing altogether to watch her do the deed, to see the fear in Pinkie’s eyes, to watch her stab the needles in… as bad as watching Timber, Sweetie, and Fluttershy be executed, in some ways, this was far worse.

No. It was definitely worse. Because I had to watch someone I thought was my friend kill another person I considered a friend.

I never want to see something like that again for as long as I lived.

“Upupu, Trixie, you’re so brutal! Ahahaha!” Monoponi cried, laying on his back so he could fluff his belly with his forelegs.

Rarity stepped as far back as she dared from Trixie, scowling at the illusionist. “You monster,” she said. “I won’t shed a tear when Monoponi executes you.”

“I think I’ll laugh, actually,” Adagio purred even as she cast Trixie a dark glare.

“Well you just might get that chance!” Monoponi cheered, standing up on his throne. “Because now it’s time to unveil a very special bonus game!”

His horn lit up, and a new image appeared on the display, showing a circle split in two sections, right down the middle. One section, with a ghostly image of Twilight’s star mark, was purple. The other was colored a light blue, with an equally ghostly image of a wand and crescent moon. “As you can see,” he said, gesturing grandly with his wings, “we have here a lovely little pie chart. One of these two despicable blackeneds will be executed, and you get to choose! Whichever one has the majority wins!”

“Good grief, it’s like a shitty game show,” Flash groaned, slapping his forehead.

“Oh, don’t describe it as shitty, Flash, you’ll break your captain’s heart!” Monoponi laughed. “Because you get to vote individually! You’ll take your turn one at a time, and declare who you’re voting for and why. Won’t this be fun? Ahahahaha!”

Twilight and Trixie locked eyes for a moment, then each looked away in turn. “So only one of us gets executed, then?” Twilight asked.

Monoponi shrugged. “Well, yes. But don’t worry! The other will still get punished. I’m not going to let someone off scot free just because there’s two of you! As for what that punishment will be? You’ll just have to see.” He giggled to himself. “So, who will go first…. Hmmm… hmmm… Well, why don’t we start with one of our blackeneds, hmm? Twilight! You get to choose first, then we’ll proceed anticlockwise from there. Feel free to vote for yourself if you want, upupupu!”

Twilight frowned deeply, bending over her podium. She stood in quiet contemplation for several moments, before standing up straight and saying, “I vote for myself. Pinkie never would’ve spoken to Rainbow Dash if I hadn’t written that note. So I’ll take the fall.”

Twilight’s section of the chart glowed for a moment as it grew, shrinking Trixie’s by the same amount.

“Well, well, well! Such nobility! Such self-sacrifice!” Monoponi pointed a hoof at Tiara. “Your turn, rich kid.”

Tiara snorted, refusing to rise to the bait. She glanced briefly at Twilight, shrugged, and then locked eyes on Trixie. Casually holding out a middle finger, she declared, “I vote Trixie. Because wow, what you did to Pinkie Pie was sick. And not in a good way.”

Trixie’s side glowed now as the chart shifted back to fifty-fifty.

Scootaloo didn’t hesitate when the choice came to her, a harsh glare directed at her target. “Trixie, definitely. Twilight’s was an accident, but you’re a dirty stinking murderer.”

Now Trixie’s side of the chart overtook Twilight’s. Every time the display shifted, the weight in my stomach grew heavier and harder to bear.

Applejack ran her thumb along the edge of her hat, working her jaw like she was chewing on a piece of straw. Or a cigarette. “Ah’m havin’ a hard time decidin’ here. On the one hand, Twilight’s right with what she says, about bein’ behind it all. And Ah can’t say I agree with her decision to try and teach Pinkie a lesson. But, Scootaloo’s right too. There’s a difference here. One of you’s dumber than a box of rocks, but the other’s a rotten snake. And Ah don’t care for rotten snakes.” She pointed at Trixie. “Ah vote for you.”

Rarity crossed her arms and shook her hair out of her face, using one hand to brush a few loose hairs into place. “I believe I’ve already made my feelings clear. If someone is to die today, let it be the one who actually took a life.”

Trixie’s side of the chart grew again, now taking up a good two thirds of the display.

But Trixie was also up next. She kept her head bowed, refusing to look at anyone, refusing to speak, until finally, after several excruciatingly long minutes, she raised her head long enough to say a single word. “Twilight.” Then she bowed it again, and I heard the sound of her sobbing quiet tears.

And now it was my turn. I closed my eyes to think. This whole process is agonizing, and sick. I knew Monoponi’d be messed up enough to make us vote. I don’t want to do this. I don’t. Forcing us to choose like this, it’s only going to create further division. Especially since it looks like Twilight’s probably going to make it out of this.

Well. I’d better make sure of that, then. Opening my eyes, I said, “For the record, Monoponi, you’re a complete ass for making us choose like this.” Firing off one last look of disgust Trixie’s way, I added, “I vote for Trixie.”

“Ohoho, so much for the magic of friendship!” Monoponi shouted, clapping his hooves together.

Rainbow Dash glanced back and forth between Twilight and Trixie. “You know what, I dunno who to vote for. Trixie, you had me convinced I’d killed someone. That sucks, you know? It’s a whole ton of guilt that eats away at you, like some kinda monster chewing on my guts.” She snorted and slammed a hand on her podium. “But on the other hand, Twilight, you stupid egghead, you’re the one who got Fluttershy killed in the first place! And if it was up to me, I’d vote for you.” She sighed, closing her eyes. “But I know what Fluttershy would’ve done, if she were here. She was nice, waaaay nicer than I am. She’d forgive you. I’m not saying I’ll forgive you, Twi, but I know she’d never forgive me if I voted for you. So I guess I vote Trixie.”

That was it. There was no chance for Trixie now. She’d lost. “Are we done now?” I asked.

“Nope!” Monoponi said, waving a hoof scoldingly. “Dear sweet Sunset, you know the rules. Everyone votes! No matter what.”

Shrugging, Adagio lazily shifted her weight from one leg to the other, leaning forward and holding up a single hand. A dangerous, predatory sneer spread across her mouth as she wiggled her fingers. “Say goodbye, Trixie. I’ll laugh when you’re gone. Idiot.”

“Aw man,” Flash muttered, rubbing the back of his head. Unlike the rest of us, he didn’t seem too inclined to spill his feelings in front of a crowd. So, with a brief glance Twilight’s way, he waved a hand at Trixie and said, “Guess I vote Trixie too.”

A loud burst of fireworks in Trixie’s shade of blue exploded over the graph as Twilight’s side disappeared altogether. Monoponi clapped his hooves together in one more set of uncomfortable limb-bending applause. “Ahhh, don’t you just love the democratic process? Voting makes you feel so good inside. You’ve contributed! You’ve made your voice heard! And look at what you’ve done. Congratulations, Trixie, you’re the winner!” His horn lit and fired off a bolt into the ceiling.

I expected, then, to see a set of chains descend upon Trixie, and cart her away. I expected to watch her die, in some ironic, cruel fashion, entirely one hundred percent deserved. Chains descended, all right. But they didn’t attach to Trixie. Instead, the metal collar clamped onto Twilight’s neck, cutting off part of her air supply as it held her suspended on her toes, still at her podium.

“What the hell?!” Rainbow Dash cried, throwing up her hands in panic. “But we voted for Trixie!”

“I don’t understand!” Twilight gasped, struggling, clawing at the collar in a vain attempt to take it off.

Applejack threw down her hat, raising both fists ready to fight. “You let her go and you let her go now.”

Scootaloo ran from her podium and leapt to Twilight’s assistance, trying to remove the collar. “Don’t worry, Twilight!” she shouted as she strained and pulled at the collar. “I’ll get you out of---woah!”

Monoponi wrapped Scootaloo up in his magic grip and threw her back into her podium. Scootaloo slammed into the wooden rail by her stomach, doubling over and falling to the floor, wheezing for air. “No interference!” he said.

“Damn you, Monoponi!” I shouted. “Let Twilight go! She didn’t win the vote! Trixie did!”

“Exactly,” Monoponi said, with a snicker.

We all fell quiet, save for Twilight’s choking struggles as she tried to stay conscious. “What?” I whispered. “But--”

“I said, whoever you voted for won! I didn’t say what they won!” Monoponi held up both forehooves to his mouth and extended his wings to their fullest. “Eyahahah ahahahahahahaaha!Trixie won the right to stay alive! Which means Twilight Sparkle’s the one who dies.”

“You planned this,” I realized. “You intended this from the start! That’s why you focused so much on Trixie in the footage! You wanted us to vote for Trixie, because you were always going to execute Twilight, weren’t you?! ”

“Guilty as charged,” Monoponi said, shrugging. “What can I say? I can’t let such a wonderful opportunity go to waste! Besides, her mystery was awful! No creativity at all! That alone earns her an execution. She'd have also earned one for nearly causing me to break the rules, so really, she deserves this three times over!” He leaned down, his mouth splitting open in a sharp-tooth grin. “And we have you to thank for it, Sunset! If you hadn’t insisted that the note-writer was the blackened, I might’ve been forced to waste this chance. You’d better say your goodbyes now, because I won’t give you looooong!”

I hopped over my podium, at Twilight’s side in an instant. “Twilight, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean--”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Twilight stammered through gasps of air. “You heard him. He was going to kill me anyway, sooner or later. I’m sorry I stopped trusting you. I never should’ve stopped trusting you.”

Before I could say anything else Flash barreled his way in, pushing past me. “Twilight!” he said, reaching out to hold her as tightly as he could. “Twilight, I--”

“Flash. Don’t blame yourself,” Twilight said, using one suspended hand to stroke his hair. “You did the right thing. It’s Monoponi’s sick game. You’re just playing by his rules.” Despite the difficulty with breathing, Twilight managed a smile. “I love you, you big lug.”

“Now then, I’ve prepared a very special punishment for Twilight Sparkle, the Ultimate Researcher!”

Flash, great messy tears in his eyes, reached his head up and planted his lips on Twilight’s. “I love you too.”

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! Iiiiiiiiiit’s punishment time!”

With a flourish of his horn, Monoponi summoned up the big red button and slapped down on it with a forehoof.

Immediately, I leapt onto Flash and pulled him to the floor, just in time to avoid a second set of chains lancing through the air. Large iron manacles grabbed Twilight by her arms. The sets of chains shot off like a rocket, carting Twilight along with them through the far doors and out of sight, leaving behind her glasses. The walls lit up once more with the display:

GAME OVER

Twilight has been found guilty.

Time for the punishment!

The chains soared along a track, carrying Twilight through a strangely smooth corridor, unmarred by protrusions. The corridor narrowed as she hurtled through, until she barely fit through an opening at the end. The chains released her as she fell into a large, open planned room with a dome shaped ceiling bedecked with fake stars. Large tables were scattered everywhere, covered in a variety of stereotypical scientist equipment, such as beakers, vials, alembics, and more. Most of the vials and philters were full of glowing substances in a variety of colors, adding an eerie glow to the room.

But the centerpiece was a metal display, like a six-pointed star, or a spoked wheel, standing taller than Twilight. Four of the six spokes contained a set of manacles. Before Twilight could do more than stand and take in deep breaths of air, the floor underneath her jerked her forward like a conveyor belt, hurling her into the display. She was spun around to face outwards as the manacles gripped her wrists and ankles, securing her to the wheel. Metal arms came down from the ceiling and deposited six diamond shaped different crystals on the end of each spoke, colored red, yellow, pink, blue, green, and purple respectively, with the purple on the spoke at the top. Long, narrow tubes descended and attached to each crystal, pumping in glowing fluid of the same color as the crystal, stopping right before reaching the crystal itself thanks to a small seal between the crystal and tube.

Twilight tried to free herself from the manacles to no avail. A deep laugh echoed all around her, low, feminine, and oddly familiar as a shadow floated into view. It was dark, indistinct, with a slender waist and hair rising up to the ceiling. Two large wings extended out from the shadow’s back as a ghostly horn and fancy glasses appeared on its face. It let out another sinister laugh as it raised its hands, index fingers extended, ready to point.

UNLEASH THE MAGIC

Ultimate Researcher

Twilight Sparkle

Execution: Executed

The shadow pointed at the red crystal, the seal breaking. As the fluid surged into the crystal, it shined with a sickly inner light, like something once holy twisted into a force of darkness. A surge of crimson-colored electricity streamed across the spoked star, surging into Twilight’s muscles. Twilight screamed in agony as she thrashed, all her muscles engaging and disengaging without her control. Then, all at once, the shadow drew the energy from the crystal into itself, and it shattered, the tube falling off the wheel.

As the electricity ceased, the shadow pointed at the green crystal, unleashing the fluid. This time, a curtain of green energy swept over Twilight, bubbling and popping like acid. It burned like acid too, leaving scorch marks on her clothes and burns on her skin. Tears of pain streamed down her face as she bellowed, struggling to get away from it, only relaxing when the shadow absorbed it.

Unleashing yet another cackle of glee, the shadow pointed at two gems at once, breaking open the seals on the blue and pink gems. A puddle of water flowing like a living being slid around all over Twilight like some kind of slime, cutting off her air before bursting like a bubble, leaving her soaking wet. She barely had enough time to take a breath before a blast of cold air washed over her, so cold it froze much of the water covering her into ice, before breaking into a million little shards, leaving her streaked all over with lines of pink blood. One particular furrow cut right into her left eye, half-blinding her.

The shadow chortled like a maniac, doubling over in mirth as it managed to swirl a finger in the direction of the yellow gem. This one unleashed a cascade of hundreds of pebbles, peppering Twilight with the force of a BB gun on steroids, or like a blast of buckshot. As each individual pebble fell to the floor it disintegrated into a small swirl of yellow light that whisked its way into the shadow.

Welts and lesions rose from Twilight’s skin, like a splotchy case of chickenpox, coating every part of her bare skin. Twilight’s chest heaved as she breathed ragged, sharp breaths, each one causing her to wince, squeezing her one remaining eye shut on each breath in and opening it on each breath out. She weakly tugged at her restraints, no longer having the energy to struggle properly.

The shadow leaned back and stretched out its lithe body, motes of light swirling within it in the five colors it had absorbed so far. A laugh burbled up in its chest as it raised both hands open and out, cracking open the last gem, the purple one. Unlike the others, this one didn’t have an effect on Twilight. Instead the magic flowed directly into the shadow’s body, a purple wave of energy that, as it was absorbed, gave the shadow definition and life, surrounding the shadow in a purple glow before being sucked into her skin.

The shadow had taken on the appearance of Twilight Sparkle, like some sort of bizarre corrupted version. She was clad in a sleeveless lavender corset that showcased her cleavage and a short cut skirt opened at the front. Mulberry leather boots with slender heels and random holes cut out of them completed her outfit. Her hair danced like fire as it stood on end, one section colored black like midnight.

A spark of recognition gleamed in Twilight’s eyes, widening in fear as she screeched the words “Midnight Sparkle! I remember now--mmph!” A piece of metal popped out of the spoked wheel and clamped about her mouth, cutting off her power of speech.

It didn’t prevent her screams of panic as Midnight’s hands rose, glowing purple energy charging up in her palms. Twin beams of light lanced forth, penetrating Twilight’s stomach like a pair of knives, eliciting a large spurt of blood. The beams intensified, glowing brighter, and brighter as Twilight cried out in agony, smoke rising from her skin. Then her stomach burst into purple flames. She bellowed louder than ever as the flames swept forth and enveloped her in an inferno. She howled as the fire slowly consumed her, leaving dollops of melted fat and skin dropping to the floor, soon joined by charred fragments of bone. The flames burned until all that was left was a pile of ash.

Midnight Sparkle unleashed one final full-forced guffaw as she exploded into a million tiny sparkles of light, fading away into the ceiling.

As the displays winked off and the lights returned, Monoponi leapt up from his throne with a mighty cheer. “Ooooh yeah! Now that’s what I call an execution! Such pizazz. Such intricacy! Such magical wonder! Upupu, do you think she was mad, because I killed her with magic? Probably. But do I care? Nope! Ahahahahaha! Ooooh it felt so good. Even if she wasn’t the real one...”

I found a weeping Flash Sentry holding onto me like a lifeline. I allowed him to hold me, stroking his back as he shook with his sobs. It didn’t take long before my own tears joined his in wetting the ground. Damn it, Twilight, you didn’t deserve that. That was beyond sick.

“Why?” Scootaloo asked, falling to her knees. “Why did she have to die like that?!”

“That wasn’t an execution!” Rarity cried out, holding a hand to her mouth. “That was senseless torture!”

“It’s like, everytime, Ah think Ah’ve seen the worst he can do, and everytime, Ah’m wrong,” Applejack breathed.

“That was supposed to be Trixie, damn it!” Tiara shouted, shaking a fist at the illusionist.

Rainbow Dash let loose a fusillade of curses, kicking and screaming into her podium over the injustice of it all.

Adagio, horror stricken, managed to walk over to me and help pull Flash and myself to our feet. “Did you see how much magic he used for that?” she asked in a harsh whisper.

I looked up at her through my weepy eyes, sniffled, and wiped my face. “Not right now, Adagio. Later, okay?”

She grunted and bit her lower lip, then nodded. She wrapped an arm around my shoulder and held me, giving me moral support. Flash, still in the middle of crying, reached out to take her other arm. Adagio hissed, rolled her eyes, and allowed him to hold her too. “Don’t get used to this,” she grumbled.

“I won’t,” Flash said with a watery smile.

“Ahem!” Monoponi’s horn crackled with thunder, grabbing everyone’s attention. “If you’re all done blubbering and moaning and whining your usual pitiful post-execution tripe, we have another matter to attend to!”

My breath quickened as I locked eyes with Trixie. “Trixie’s punishment,” I said.

“Yes, precisely,” Monoponi replied with a toothy grin. His muzzle spread wider and wider with every passing second, revealing more of his jagged teeth. “I can’t tell you how much your Captain would love to put Trixie through her own special execution. Pain is an art form, you see, and I’d like to think I’m quite the artist!” His smile disappeared and he drooped, bowing his head. “Buuut I can’t do that. We won’t have enough passengers left if I do.”

Trixie, who’d stayed completely silent and unmoving throughout this whole affair, finally raised her head just long enough to ask, in a shaky, fearful voice, “W-w-what’re you going to do to me?”

“Oh, don’t you fret, mon cherie, I have just the thing for you.” Monoponi twirled on one hoof, popped into the air, then crash-landed right in front of Trixie. With a single spell he had her floating in air, spread-eagle fashion. “Now… hold. Still.”

Monoponi’s horn lit, shaping his crimson magic into a sharp blade. With one mighty swoop the blade descended, lopping Trixie’s right leg off just below the hip. The leg landed on the floor with a loud splat, bleeding all over the place. Blood oozed from Trixie’s stump, dripping onto the floor in a spreading puddle of pink.

Trixie went slack-jawed in pure, utter horror, stammering little noises as she gaped at her now separated leg, before suddenly letting out an ear-splitting bellow of pain. Tears streamed from her eyes as she thrashed in Monoponi’s magic grip, screaming obscenities.

I felt nothing as I watched her suffer. Not vindication, not satisfaction… but neither did I feel sympathy or regret. I felt nothing. The emptiness of despair threatened to drag me down into its depths once again. The sorrow and regret I’d felt while watching Twilight’s execution vanished into that pit, along with my ability to think. All I could do was observe.

“Oooooh, poor Trixie, did it hurt when I did that?” Monoponi mocked, grinning cheekily. “It did, didn’t it? Ahahahaahaha!”

Trixie’s movements slowed, her face turning pale as her breathing sped up, rapid and shallow. Her screams dimmed into moans, mumblings as she continued to bleed out. Finally, as Trixie slumped into unconsciousness, Monoponi’s magic soaked into her stump, sealing it up. I recognized the healing spells he used to ensure she didn’t suffer infection or, presumably, too much blood. High level healing magic. Very high level, beyond most unicorns.

Once done, he slapped her across the face, hard, ordering, “Wakie wakie, Trixie!”

“Huh?” Trixie mumbled as her eyes fluttered open. “Did… am I dead?”

“I wish, but no, you’re very much alive,” Monoponi replied. He set her down onto the floor, letting her lean against her podium for support. Twin crutches popped into existence before him before he floated them to her. “You’re going to need these from now on. No more running around for you! Ahahaha! I sure hope this doesn’t mean the end of your magic career! Ahahahaha!”

“My what? I don’t… my leg!” Trixie screamed in panic, slapping both hands to her head. The act caused her to slip on her one remaining leg, and she just barely managed to grab the podium. She slipped and skidded on the floor before steadying herself. “You took my leg!”

Monoponi stuck his muzzle in her face. “Yes. I did. You want me to take an arm too?”

“N-n-n-n-no…” Trixie whined. I saw a trickle of wetness form its way down her one remaining leg, the acrid scent of ammonia filling the air.

“Then stop whining,” Monoponi said as he backed off. “You stole a life. You were voted as a blackened. You should feel lucky you’re not burning to death like Twilight did!”

Trixie shrank back, nodding like a bobblehead. She wisely didn’t respond otherwise.

“Hmph,” Rarity spoke up, her eyes flashing with anger. “She deserves far more, if you ask me.”

“She really does,” Tiara seconded, harrumphing as she crossed her arms. “But this’ll do for now.”

Rainbow Dash flipped Trixie off. “Psh. I’d’ve taken both her legs.”

Monoponi clapped his hooves for attention. “All right, that’s enough of you idiots. Time for you to vamoose! Skedaddle! Get outta here.” His horn lit as if to cast his teleport spell, then he hesitated. “Oh, and one more thing. I’m sure you’d all loooove to get some sweet, delicious vengeance on the magic chick over here, but I’m forbidding anything like that until tomorrow at the earliest! This trial was long enough as it was. I’m sick of listening to you morons babble on.” His horn lit and he vanished in a flash of light.

No one offered to help Trixie as we all made for the elevator. We all refused to look at her, to even acknowledge her. She managed to figure out her crutches after a couple of moments, and slowly carried herself over. As soon as she entered the elevator, the doors slammed shut and we ascended.

As the elevator rose, I moved closer to Flash. “Hey, are you going to be okay?” I asked him quietly.

“Okay?” Flash laughed a bitter, mirthless laugh. “No. Not really.” He saw the look in my eyes and added, “I’m not gonna hurt myself or anything, though. Don’t worry. I’m not stupid.” A black hatred took hold in his eyes as he squeezed his fist tight. “I’m gonna live. I won’t let Monoponi win.”

I nodded, and left the man alone.

Once the elevator reached the promenade, we all left in a hurry, except for Trixie, who hung back, leaning against the wall of the elevator for support. “Sunset,” she said, as I turned to leave.

Sighing in frustration, I met Adagio’s gaze, told her I’d catch up, then turned back to Trixie. “What?” I growled in a harsh tone.

“...I’m sorry,” Trixie mumbled.

Those two little words caused my blood to boil, anger once again crawling itself out of the pit of despair. “Sorry? You’re sorry?” I spat, every word coated in acid. “Pinkie Pie is dead because of you. Twilight is dead because of you. What the hell makes you think I’m interested in hearing your pathetic apology?”

“I…” Trixie looked away, sniffling as tears streamed down her face. “I just wanted to protect you. I was so scared of what Twilight said about Adagio, that I… I didn’t want to risk losing my best friend.”

I walked right up to her, roughly grabbed her chin, and then slapped her across the face. “You already have.” I spun on my heel and left her to her pathetic, pitiful crying.

I needed to get as far away from her as I could. I made for my cabin, stopping just long enough to grab a sandwich from one of the restaurants. I waited till I was in my cabin to take a bite, finding Adagio waiting for me, sitting on the bed.

“Hey,” she said with a wave as I sat down next to her.

I took a bite of my sandwich, not even tasting it as I chewed. Out the corner of my eye I saw Adagio open up an arm, so I nestled into her grip, leaning against her. I sighed as I took another bite of sandwich. “Damn her,” I muttered after a few moments.

“Trixie?” Adagio inquired. At my nod, she said, “I knew she’d pull something like that, sooner or later. She’s pathetic. She clung to you because you showed a bit of decency to her.” The siren scowled. “She’s probably going to die soon. And then someone else will get executed for it.”

“Probably,” I agreed with a sad sigh. “Maybe I should’ve listened to you. I thought Trixie was a decent person.” My mouth twisted up into a disgusted sneer. “I was completely wrong about that.”

“Hmph. At least you’re dropping her like the bad habit she is.”

I took another quiet bite of my sandwich. “By the way,” I said after I finished swallowing, “thank you for not giving into the motive. When Monoponi presented it, I was kinda worried.”

“Oh please,” Adagio scoffed. “That motive was tailor made to taunt us into falling for it. I saw the trap. I’m no fool.” She stroked a hand through my hair slowly with a small smile. “Maybe if I didn’t have you, I’d be tempted. But I’ve lived too long to fall for this pathetic little mind game.”

“Good,” I said, stuffing the last bite of sandwich into my mouth.

We spent a few moments in silence as I let Adagio quietly stroke my hair. It was quite the loving gesture, really. More so than she’d shown in the past. She’s learning. Good girl.

Adagio suddenly spoke up again. “Sunset, about the magic issue--”

I waved a hand dismissively. “No, I really don’t want to talk about that right now.” With another sigh, I rubbed my forehead, trying to ease a massive tension headache. I pulled out of Adagio’s embrace and laid down on the bed, kicking off my shoes. “I need to sleep.”

“All right,” Adagio allowed, nodding slowly. She removed her own shoes, then laid back to snuggle up next to me. “Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all,” I yawned. I relaxed into her embrace, and soon enough I’d fallen into a deep sleep. No dreams, no memories, just blackness. And as I fell asleep, I heard one last thing outside my window.

A crackle of thunder and a drizzle of rain.

Author's Note

Why the early post? Because I can. :derpytongue2:

Poor, poor Twilight. :twilightoops: She was doomed from the moment she set foot in this story. From the very beginning, Twilight was always on my list of blackeneds. The means and reason changed depending upon the plans I ran through, but she was never going to walk out of this story alive.

Meanwhile, Trixie. I said several parts ago that she sees Sunset as a best friend/older sister, with a bit too much attachment. And it showed, in her actions here. She made a truly horrific mistake, and is paying for it, and will continue to pay for it. She's not getting off lightly. This is far from the end of her journey in this story, however.

I won't lie: I was laughing my booty off at how many people thought Trixie was going to be executed. Oh my lovely readers, how you please me so. :heart:

Next time: We check back in with Princess Twilight.

Oh and one final thing: if you've enjoyed this work, and want to support it and future works of mine, I do have a Ko-Fi account. Eventually I will be opening up commissions, too, so keep an eye out for that. :pinkiesmile:

Interlude 3

INTERLUDE

3

Late evening, the day of the third trial...

Princess Twilight Sparkle stepped out of the police vehicle onto the grounds of Canterlot High. Yellow caution markers cordoned off the entire area around the statue, where a large tent had been erected to cover the site. Students were directed to enter the building through side entrances, and the only presence was that of police officers and Twilight’s own staff. Most of the officers had no clue about the portal between universes, and she heard more than one comment on her trench coat and hood as she approached the tent.

“Hold on there,” said one, a tall man with cyan-blue skin and white hair that seemed quite familiar. He held out his hand to stop her, the other reaching near his weapon. “This is a restricted area. Unless you have business here I need to ask you to leave.”

Twilight bit back the comment she wanted to make, and withdrew the special ID Shiny and Spitfire had prepared for her. “I have permission, direct from the Chief of Police,” she murmured.

Narrowing his eyes, the officer took the ID, examined it carefully, then sighed. Handing it back, he said, “Sorry about that, ma’am. Go on ahead.”

Twilight thanked him, then proceeded into the tent, where she found Spitfire and Shining Armor sitting at a pair of makeshift desks, tapping away at keyboards. Standing above Shining, fiddling with a piece of equipment he’d brought through the portal, was Starswirl the Bearded. The older stallion was still adjusting to his new two-legged gait, judging by the occasional twitch of his knobby knees. “Ah, Princess Twilight, you’re back,” he said, with a quick respectful nod. “How did the interview go?”

Twilight snorted, taking a seat in a nearby folding chair. “Aria and Sonata didn’t know anything either. That was the last lead we had.” She rubbed her forehead, trying to stave off a looming headache. “Whoever’s behind Monoponi probably covered their tracks using the same memory magic they used on the kidnappees.”

“Mmm, unfortunate,” Starswirl said solemnly. He scowled down at the device in his clumsy hands. It was a spinning crystal held between two pieces of metal shaped like tuning forks on a base of marble. “I’ve managed to bring this through the portal unchanged, so the first experiment was a success. I think.” He poked and prodded at it, groaning. “Unfortunately, without my own magic available to me, I cannot determine if this thing is actually working.”

“May I see it, please?” Twilight took the detector from him, set it on a table, and concentrated. A lavender glow suffused her hand before surrounding the detector. After a moment, a small smile graced her face. “It’s working.” She continued to work her magic, then her smile slipped away. “The range isn’t as good though. It’s only good for maybe one hundred miles.”

“That’s better than nothing though, right?” Shining said, trying to put a positive spin on things.

“Indeed it is, young Shining,” Starswirl said, nodding. “It seems likely we will have to construct an array, in the hopes of boosting the range. I have some hypotheses that I will have to run by the other unicorns. With your permission, Princess, I’d like to return to Equestria to acquire more detectors, now that we know we can bring them through safely.”

“I’ll go with you,” Twilight replied, standing. “I want to get a personalized update on the situation.”

“Mind if I come with you, Twilight?” Shining asked, nodding to his Chief as he stood. “Spitfire and I were talking and she wants me to work as a liaison on your side of the portal, since you already agreed to have me go along on the ship.”

“If that’s alright with you, Princess,” Spitfire added.

Twilight nodded her assent. “Just watch the first step when you come through. It’s a biiit of a doozy.”

Starswirl swiftly entered the portal, but Twilight hung back, letting Shining go first. The poor man hesitated, lingering before the portal for several long moments before Twilight leaned forward and whispered, “It doesn’t hurt.”

He took a deep breath and plunged through. Twilight followed right after. One swirling chaotic experience later and Twilight was back on all four hooves, exactly the way she ought to be.

A carbon copy of her BBBFF wobbled next to her on his hind hooves before falling forward with a clatter. The only thing different about him than her actual brother was the freshly pressed button up shirt worn around his barrel. “Woah!” he shouted, slipping around on his hooves. A magic field of white surrounded him and steadied him before he could flop on his belly.

“Careful there, lad,” Starswirl said with a wry chuckle. “First time on hooves, eh?”

“Uh… yeah, hehe,” Shining laughed. He tried to scratch behind his head with a hoof, slipped again, and smiled sheepishly when Starswirl caught him. “Thanks.”

“Take it easy for a minute there, Shining,” Twilight said, her muzzle crinkling in amusement. “Get your balance.”

Shining looked up over his shoulder, then up and up until he saw how much Twilight towered over him. “Jeez you’re just as tall here, aren’t you?”

“Taller, I think,” Twilight answered.

Starswirl let out another chuckle, then nodded to Twilight. “If you will excuse me, Princess, I must be off.” He left for the research lab.

Twilight gave Shining a few minutes to get his bearings, then urged him to follow, heading for the war room, where the television from Monoponi had been moved to. As they walked the corridors of Canterlot Castle, Shining took notice of the way the guards stiffened and saluted. “Are… do they usually salute you when you walk by?”

Twilight chuckled. “They’re not saluting me. They’re saluting you. Your alternate used to be the Captain of the Guard here. He’s also a prince by marriage to Princess Cadance of the Crystal Empire.”

“Wow,” Shining uttered, a look of bemusement crossing his face. “A prince, huh? And here I thought being head detective was a high bar to reach.”

As they entered the doors to the war room, Twilight replied, “You’ve done well for yourself in your own world, so don’t feel bad.”

The war room wasn’t really a war room per se, despite Twilight naming it as such during her takeover. It was originally a simple conference room Celestia used for private meetings with particularly irascible nobles. The displays of weapons and armor scattered about the room, plus the close quarters, had the effect of magnifying Celestia’s presence and making those nobles more inclined to cooperate. Twilight saw no point to such a thing and had the room reorganized into a meeting room to deal with various crises that popped up.

As such the room had been redecorated, with the displays removed, replaced by filing cabinets, desks with typewriters, and a large central meeting table laden with chairs. The television had been placed prominently on the central table, monitored twenty-four-seven by a series of assistants on typewriters. Spike himself was currently transcribing the proceedings, while a few other ponies worked on other matters, including a pair arguing about the particulars of a spell being used for the search for the signal.

“Twilight!” Spike greeted, his expression grim. “Thank goodness you’re back.” His eyes bugged out when he saw her companion. “Uh, Shining? When did you get here?”

Shining, for his part, cast his eyes back and forth at Twilight in a minor panic. “Uuuuuh… Spike?” he ventured.

“Sorry, Spike, this is the other Shining,” Twilight said, cutting through the matter. “Shining, yes, this is Spike, in his real form. He’s a dragon.”

“Oh.” Spike sighed, his shoulders sinking. “That’s… Anyway, you’d better come take a look at this. There was another trial.”

Her hand sank in her chest as she approached to observe the television. “Who died this time?” she said in a near whisper.

“Pinkie Pie,” Spike answered slowly. “And apparently Fluttershy’s death was a murder too.”

Twilight heaved a long, low sigh as torrents of frustration, heartbreak, and anger rippled through her in waves. “Who was the blackened?”

“There were two,” Spike said sadly. “Trixie was one of them. She killed Pinkie Pie… it was horrible. Monoponi made everyone vote for who’d be executed, but he tricked them. Trixie got to live even though they didn’t want her to.”

Her breath hitching in her throat, her heart skipping a beat, Twilight managed to force out, “Then who killed Fluttershy? Who was executed?”

Spike didn’t respond at first. He dropped his claws to his typewriter, then pushed it aside. He stood out of his chair, stepping around Shining whose eyes bugged out even more at his impressive height. Then he fell against Twilight, wrapping his big arms around her and squeezing her hard enough she could feel his chest scales poking into her body, hot and scratchy. “I watched it happen,” he said, crying softly, his tears dripping onto her coat. “I… I…”

A great fear grappled Twilight’s heart with sharp pincers, like an unreformed changeling latching onto her emotions and draining her of every last bit, leaving her with naught but fear. “Spike,” she breathed. “Who was it?”

The television, which up until this point had been muted due to only displaying footage of sleeping people in their cabins, abruptly reactivated itself with a zoomed in image of Monoponi’s face. “Hahahahaha!” he cackled, drawing everyone’s attention in the room. “There you are, your highness. I was wondering when you’d show up.”

“Who--are you Monoponi?” Shining burst out, stepping forward, all business.

Monoponi’s expression dimmed as he narrowed his eyes at the intruding stallion. “Yes. Who are you and why should I care?”

Shining raised a hoof and brushed it against his chest, like he was reaching for something, then flushed and lowered his hoof. “I’m Detective Shining Armor, Canterlot PD. You have my sister and eleven others as hostages. We expect them to be released, immediately.”

Monoponi’s face screwed up in disbelief. “Are you serious? He’s actually serious, isn’t he?” A hoof shot to cover his mouth. “Upupu, what makes you think I care what you want?” His mouth split into a sharp-toothed grin. “Besides, you’ve got the number of hostages wrong. It’s not twelve. It’s nine.”

The only reaction to that Shining displayed was a brief widening of his eyes. “Who else have you slaughtered?” he growled.

“Eyahaha, well, since you’re both here, I might as well show you!” Monoponi grinned gleefully. “I’ll bet you’ll both get a kick out of this!”

His face disappeared from the screen, switching to showcase one of Monoponi’s disgustingly elaborate executions. Only the subject was… Twilight’s gaze was utterly transfixed as she watched, unable to pull away. It was herself. It was herself. It was Twilight Sparkle he was executing Twilight Sparkle. Her vision swam, greying at the edges as she saw every aspect he used. The magic showcased, Midnight Sparkle, the sheer amount of pain and misery and suffering on display…

“NOOOOOOO!!!” Princess Twilight Sparkle screamed her lungs out, the sheer force of her Canterlot Royal Voice soundwaves shattering most of the equipment in the room, driving all present to their knees, clutching their ears. The television was spared, thanks to a protective forcefield enveloping it. “No! No! No! No! No--”

“Twilight!” Spike cried, managing to clamp his claws around her muzzle. “Twilight calm down!”

The sudden lack of oxygen threw Twilight further into panic mode as she shook off the dragon, her horn lighting up to deal with the threat. She locked him up in her magic grip, her chest heaving, froth forming on her brow and staining her coat. Only after she had him suspended did she manage to get enough of a grip on her sanity to realize what was happening. She set him down straight away, managing to flash him an apologetic look.

“Aww, is the screaming over already?” Monoponi taunted as his image returned to the screen. “A pity, that. I was enjoying it! Ahahaha!”

“You sick monster,” Twilight spat, her decorum completely shattered. “How dare you use the Elements of Harmony like that?!”

“Oh, you noticed? Good! I was afraid you were too busy mewling like an infant to realize what I’d done.” Monoponi placed both forehooves to his lips. “Upupu, those weren’t the real Elements, of course. You know as well as I do King Sombra destroyed them a few years ago, remember?”

“Oh I remember, all right,” Twilight seethed, her muscles rippling with tension under her coat. “I was there. Were you? Are you King Sombra?!”

Monoponi’s grin vanished. His expression went entirely blank, unresponsive, for several long, quiet moments. Then his muzzle split once more into a wide grin as he guffawed with mirth. “Eyahahahaha! Me, King Sombra! Ahahahaahahaha!” He fell out of sight, the picture showcasing his seat instead as his laughter continued to echo. “Ahahahaha! I can’t believe you actually asked me that! Ahahahaha! You’re so stupid! Ahahahaha!”

It was all Twilight could do not to reach out with her magic and tear the television asunder. “Then who? Who are you, damn it?!”

Monoponi crawled back up onto his chair, still giggling under his breath. “Oh, Twilight, Twilight, Twilight, you still don’t get it, do you? I’m not going to tell you who I am! You won’t find out till you actually find the ship. And you haven't been having much luck with that, have you?”

“More than you’d think,” she muttered. “I have Starswirl himself helping me with this.”

“Ooooh, Starswirl the Bearded? Upupu, good for you! I’m so intimidated now!” Monoponi waggled his forehooves in the air in an exaggerated motion. “Well, I’ll leave you to that. I’m sure you have more questions, but I won’t answer them! Besides, you have a pathetic excuse for a fake older brother there to take care of. See you later!”

“Wait! Monoponi, wait!” But it was too late. His image disappeared from the television screen, replaced by the security footage of sleeping passengers.

Twilight let out a groan of frustration, stamped her hoof on the floor, then turned to face Shining. The poor stallion laid on his side, unmoving save for little shudders as he wept quietly. “Shining?” she said as she knelt down to him, gently using her magic to hold him up into an embrace.

“Twily’s gone,” he muttered, his voice hoarse from crying. “I, I knew it could happen. I knew it was possible. I’ve been afraid of this ever since she went missing. I thought I could handle it if I… if she… but…”

Twilight’s gaze shot up to glare at everypony else in the room, giving them a silent order to get out. All of them fled, save for Spike, who came over to join their group hug on the floor. “I’m so sorry, Shining,” she said, knowing her words were bitter, empty platitudes. They weren’t going to help.

And they didn’t. Shining burst into fresh tears as he snuggled into her embrace. “The worst part,” he whispered, “is I couldn’t even say goodbye. Hell, for all I know, thanks to the memory wipe, she didn’t even remember I existed.” His head rose and he stared up at her. “And you being here just makes this so much more surreal, you know? Because you look like Twily. And you sound like Twily. But you’re. Not. Her.”

“I know I’m not,” Twilight responded, with more than a trace of bitterness in her tone. She shifted her embrace of the stallion to a more comfortable position. “Even if it sure felt like it for a moment.” She shivered, the room cold despite the warmth of the dragon holding her. “For what it’s worth, Shining, I spoke with her quite a bit, before this whole killing game incident. We talked about you a few times. She always told me she loved you, a lot.” A slight smile graced her muzzle. “Just like my Shiny, you were her BBBFF.”

“Heh...hehehe,” Shining chuckled wryly, with a watery smile of his own. “I guess I’ll have to be good with that, huh?” He swallowed, and tried wiping away at his eyes with a hoof, only to smack himself in the face. “Ow.”

Twilight used her magic to gently wipe his tears away. “There. Better?”

“Yeah.” Shining smiled again, then withdrew from the embrace, clambering to his hooves. His expression grew grim, dark, and furious. “We’d better get this son of a bitch soon.”

“Oh, we will,” Twilight vowed, her voice laced with hatred more vile than any she’d ever felt, coursing through her veins like burning poison. Like Shining, she knew this was a possibility, as soon as she made her decision regarding Equestrian secrecy. She knew she might have to watch her other self die. But she never anticipated Monoponi outright using the Elements like that, not in such a corrupted manner. Even if they weren’t the real Elements, just using the image of them that way was an affront she could never forgive. One more crime added to Monoponi’s list.

Twilight was an expert at checking off lists.

“Spike,” Twilight said, turning to the dragon. “Would you please escort Shining to a set of guest quarters? He could use some rest, and I need to go consult with Starswirl over our newest little revelation.”

Spike sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Sure Twi,” he said.

Shining raised a hoof as if to protest, then dropped it. “Yeah, that’s probably for the best.” His muzzle split into a massive, gaping yawn. “I’ve been up for a good twenty-seven hours.”

As he and Spike rose to leave, Twilight took a brief moment to whisper into Spike’s ear, “Make sure he gets something for dreamless sleep. And you too, for that matter.”

“Okay, okay…”

Twilight, satisfied, left the room, taking just a brief moment to tell the other war room workers they could get back to it, and made her way to the magical research laboratories, where her crack team of unicorns were hard at work deciphering the signal. Amongst them were a sea of familiar faces. Starlight Glimmer, Moondancer, Fizzlepop Berrytwist, Mistmane...though she hadn't dared ask Rarity to contribute. She didn't want to burden her with the knowledge.

She waved to them all as she entered, making her way to Starswirl, who was speaking with… Twilight gasped, “Trixie?!”

The self proclaimed Great and Powerful Trixie blinked in surprise, then smiled warmly and waved. “Oh, Twilight Sparkle! Trixie is glad to see you. We’ve made some remarkable progress.” She fluttered her eyes, letting out a little squee. “Starswirl was just telling Trixie how proud he is of her discovery!”

“That… might be a bit of an overstatement, miss Trixie,” Starswirl said with an amused chuckle. “But it’s a good idea, nevertheless.”

Trixie beamed under the attention, soaking it in. Then, opening her eyes, she blinked in confusion at the alicorn in the room. “Is something wrong, Twilight?”

Twilight stared at Trixie, bug eyed and slack-jawed. Her wings drew up in a defensive posture, even as Twilight’s mind raced with the same phrase over and over again. Trixie killed Pinkie Pie. Trixie killed Pinkie Pie! Trixie killed Pinkie Pie!Every time it repeated, Twilight’s face twisted up more and more into pure, unbridled rage. Finally, she roared, “Murderer!” and snatched Trixie up in her magic, throwing the unicorn mare against the wall.

“Your highness!” Starswirl gaped, utterly appalled. “What are you doing?!”

Starlight yelped, running over with Moondancer, Mistmane, and Fizzlepop nipping at her heels. “Hey, Twilight! What’s the heck’s wrong with you? Calm down!”

Trixie screamed in panic, thrashing against the inescapable grip of magic that pinned her against the wall like a bug in a spiderweb. “Twiliiiight!” she shrieked. “Let me down!”

“No!” Twilight roared, pouring more magic into her horn, pressing Trixie into the wall like a slow-moving garbage compactor.

Trixie’s face turned a peculiar shade of purple. “I! Can’t! Breathe!”

“Twilight, seriously, let her go!” Moondancer ordered, brooking no argument as she glared over her glasses. “Trixie’s annoying but she doesn’t deserve that!”

Starswirl, scowling like a disappointed father, tapped into his own magic to counter Twilight’s pressing force. “For harmony’s sake, Twilight Sparkle, you are acting like a child!”

Twilight’s gaze turned upon the sorcerer, her eyes whited out from magical effort as she strained against him. “She murdered Pinkie Pie!” she screeched, unleashing her Royal Canterlot Voice.

“What?!” Trixie gasped, taking in a gulp of air thanks to Starswirl’s provided respite. “No I didn’t! I saw Pinkie last week! In Ponyville!”

“Pinkie Pie is perfectly fine!” Fizzlepop added with a glare as fierce as any she used during her time as the Storm King’s right hoof. “Don’t be stupid!”

Starswirl’s ears flattened against his skull, but apart from that he showed no sign of backing down. “Get a hold of yourself, Twilight!” he ordered, using his own magic to magnify his voice. “This is not the same Trixie!”

Twilight redoubled her efforts, her horn suffused in a double layer overglow as she tore Trixie off the wall, grabbing her by the throat so she could look her in the eye. “You monster!” she shouted in Trixie’s face, shaking the poor mare like a ragdoll. “You should’ve died! Not me!”

Trixie burbled an unintelligible response, the light in her eyes dimming by the second.

“Twilight Sparkle if you do not cease this foolishness you will be the murderer, not her!” Mistmane declared, adding her magic to the mix.

Soon the rest of the unicorns piled in, and with the lot of them adding their power they managed to break Twilight’s hold over Trixie. The instant her magic shattered, Twilight came back to reality, crashing from her sudden burst of rage like a drug addict coming down off a snort of cocaine. “What?” she breathed, finally taking note of the heavy sheen of froth soaking into her coat, the excessive heaving of her chest, the burning in her horn from the struggle. She collapsed to her rump, blinking, confusion overriding her ability to think.

Trixie, for her part, regained consciousness immediately, took one look at Twilight, leapt two feet in the air as she cried out in panic, then scurried out the door, screaming all the way.

“Good job, Twilight,” Starlight snarked. “Now Trixie’s going to be scared of you for weeks.”

“What in harmony’s name possessed you to do such a thing?” Starswirl asked, looming over Twilight like the very quintessential essence of a disappointed parental figure. “You should know better than any of us the difference between those who dwell in our world and those who dwell on Earth!”

The question broke through the confusion in Twilight’s brain. “She murdered Pinkie Pie,” Twilight stammered, tears coming to her eyes. “She got away with it. She murdered Pinkie Pie and she got away with it!”

Mistmane glanced over at Fizzlepop. “Fizzlepop, would you please run down to the war room and get the transcripts?”

Fizzlepop popped off a quick salute and left without looking back, returning before long with the documents at hoof. “Here.”

All the unicorns gathered took a moment to read over the transcripts while Twilight sat there in stunned silence, weeping to herself. “My word,” Starswirl uttered sadly, shaking his head. “Please, Princess, I know it was traumatic to read but--”

“He made us watch. That bastard made us watch him kill me. Her. Twilight.” Princess Twilight’s breath caught in her throat, inducing a coughing fit.

Starlight paled. "Okay. No wonder you reacted like that." She rubbed a hoof along her neck. "Glad my alternate isn't part of this game."

"Even so," Starswirl huffed, "That is not a justification for mistreating Miss Trixie in such a manner. If you had killed her, Twilight, you would be no better than the monster running this sick game."

Twilight's face fell into her hooves as the realization of what she'd almost done hit her full force like a trainwreck. "I didn't think--"

"That is obvious," Starswirl snorted. "If you thought any less I would think you a bigger fool than Chancellor Puddinghead."

"Ooookay, maybe tone it down a notch, Starswirl," Starlight chided, still pale. She shivered, clutching at herself. "If I saw what looked like me getting executed, I'd freak out too."

"Hmph."

Starlight frowned, and took the transcript back, reading over it again. “Espeeeecially if the Elements of Harmony were used to do it.”

“What?!” Starswirl gasped. “Give me that.” He snatched it out of Starlight’s grip, and read the full details. “Good heavens! What sort of dark magical perversion--”

“This is why I came to you in the first place,” Twilight interrupted. Having something to focus on helped her get past her current mental state. She just had to focus on this. Talk about this. Don’t think about what she almost just did. Don’t think about how scared Trixie is of her now. She could apologize to Trixie later. “Monoponi told me they weren’t the real Elements.”

Starswirl rubbed a hoof to his beard, stroking it absentmindedly. “Of course not. That would be impossible.” He scanned back through the transcripts, then his eyes widened. “Unless… of course!”

“What?” Moondancer inquired, arching an eyebrow. “What is it?”

Starswirl lit up his horn to pull over a nearby blackboard, taking hold of a piece of chalk so he could draw. “Recall whom this Monoponi kidnapped in the first place,” he said as he sketched out a quick set of seven familiar cutie marks. “Sunset Shimmer, and the alternates of Twilight Sparkle and the Elements. Each of these humans have demonstrated a magic similar to that of the Elements time and again. They’ve been able to use their combined magic in a manner identical to that displayed when the Elements were combined.” He sketched out a large towering alicorn. “For instance, the way in which Twilight dealt with the sirens.”

“Oh, right, you told me about that,” Starlight said, nodding to Twilight. “The whole music based counter-spell thing.”

“Mmhmm,” Twilight nodded back. “I think I see what you’re suggesting. You’re saying that Monoponi is using their own magic against them?”

“Precisely,” Starswirl said. He sketched out another drawing, this time a representation of the magic-absorbing device the human Twilight had used during the Friendship Games. “We are already aware that it’s possible to drain magic from others in that world, and to make use of it for sinister purposes, such as the human Twilight’s transformation into Midnight Sparkle.”

Twilight’s heart skipped not just a beat, but about fifteen beats on hearing that name. “R-r-r-right,” she murmured. “We already thought he must be suppressing their magic. If he’s draining it entirely, then...”

“Then it’s probably the source of his power,” Starlight concluded. “Or at least a good chunk of it.”

Starswirl held up the transcripts and pointed to a few specific lines. “It is a reasonable conclusion. Look, at the beginning of their investigation, Rainbow Dash demonstrated she still possessed some magic. Monoponi immediately drained it away. I am a little surprised he would drain it so brazenly in front of them.”

“I doubt he had a choice,” Fizzlepop commented, groaning. “If he’s anything like the Storm King, he can’t abide even a hint of resistance against him.”

“Then, maybe it’s possible they could overcome him themselves,” Moondancer suggested, raising a hoof. “If they could just get their magic back--”

“That’s not possible,” Twilight said, sniffling. “Pinkie, Fluttershy, and the other Twilight are all dead. He’s got their magic for good now.”

That put a damper on things. Much of the enthusiasm built up leaked away at that statement. No one could deny it. Most of the magic in the human world rested within those seven women. With three of them dead, what chance did the others have?

“Well,” Starswirl eventually said, “we can at least use this knowledge to help better pinpoint the location of the ship. Between that and Miss Trixie’s own discovery, I believe this will help drastically shorten the time needed to find them.”

Fresh shame welled up in Twilight’s chest as she was reminded of her earlier misdeeds. “What… what was Trixie’s discovery?”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “Trixie figured out a way to detect the wild portals scattered about Equestria. I still don’t know how she did it…”

With a shrug, Moondancer replied, “She had a different approach than the rest of us. Sometimes that’s all that matters.”

Starswirl said, “We’d best get back to work. The sooner we can find them, the better.” He scowled down at the alicorn on the floor. “And you have an apology to make, your highness. I suggest you get to it.”

She knew he was right. Thus, her head held low, she stumbled up to her hooves, and trudged out of the room, beginning the long search of the castle for Trixie. She could’ve asked guards, or used her magic to find her, but she refused. This was part of her penance, she decided, for her idiotic assault. The more she had to deal with this whole killing game situation, the more it tore her apart.

Twilight feared that, by the time it was all over, she’d be just as dead as his victims, whether literally from her own stupidity, or metaphorically from the overwhelming despair of it all.

Author's Note

Oh hey look, I managed to get Starlight into the story after all. Hi Starlight! :pinkiehappy: And hi other cameos too! I wanted to fit Twinkleshine and Lemon Hearts in, but I didn't have room.

Also, Starswirl is here, because I like him. He is a grumpy old guy who has his moments of kindness, which makes him tons of fun. One of the days I need to do a little story just for him.

If Shining seems like he's getting over things in a hurry: he's not. Quite the opposite. But he's also someone able to keep his grief in line till he's able to express it properly.

Meanwhile, Twilight is slowly spinning further and further into madness. Poor Trixie.

Chapter Four: Passing in the Night Part 1

Chapter Four:
Passing in the Night
Daily Life Part 1

Friday morning, the day after the third trial…

Sunlight streamed through the open porthole window, falling onto my face. “Urgh,” I moaned, holding up an arm to cover my eyes. “Guess the storm passed.”

Snores were my only response. I glanced next to me to see Adagio snoozing away under the cover of her bushy orange hair. Shrugging, I let her sleep, and made my way into the bathroom to take care of business. And a shower. I needed one badly, after yesterday.

Yesterday… that awful, horrible trial. The revelation of Twilight’s foolish mistake, the forced vote between Twilight and Trixie… Twilight’s execution…

But worst of all, Trixie’s betrayal. The memory of it burned under my skin, and combined with the heat from the shower made me feel like I’d been set ablaze. And she hadn’t even tried to explain herself, either. Not even a pathetic excuse. Just two words. “I’m sorry.”

Yeah. Like I’d ever believe her.

I deliberately ran the water cold for the last few minutes of my shower, in the hopes of cooling down my rising anger. It might’ve helped. By the time I got out of the bathroom, the morning announcement had gone off, and Adagio was sitting up in bed, stretching her limbs like a cat.

“Hey,” I said, waving. I made my way to the closet, rummaging for some fresh clothes.

Adagio slipped out of bed and came up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Morning,” she purred, nuzzling my face with her own.

Wow. Someone’s feeling affectionate today. I leaned back into her embrace, letting the touch soothe my frustrated cocktail of emotions. “You sleep okay?” I asked.

“Better than I expected,” Adagio admitted. She used one hand to lazily stroke at my belly, little quiet loving touches, nothing sexual. “I hardly dreamt at all.”

“Me neither. Probably for the best.”

Adagio gave me one final pat, kissed me on the cheek, then released me. “We should get ready for the meeting. I’m sure Monoponi’s going to throw another exploration session at us right after.”

“Right,” I said, as I slipped on a fresh shirt. “When we’re done with that, we can look into the magic angle a bit further.”

Our course of action decided, we hurried to get ready. As soon as we left our cabin, though, we ran squarely into the last person I wanted to see. “You,” Adagio hissed.

Trixie, sans cloak and hat for some reason, carefully maneuvered around us on her crutches. “Excuse me,” she mumbled, her face composed into a blank, neutral expression.

A dark part of me, the old bullying Sunset, urged me to kick Trixie’s crutches out from under her. Let her collapse to the floor, and laugh at her misery. I didn’t do that, though. If I did, I’d be no better than Monoponi. Or Trixie herself.

So I held out an arm, subtly keeping Adagio back in case she had no such restraint. “Come on, Adagio,” I urged, gesturing down the opposite end of the corridor, towards the bridge deck. “We’ll take the long way around.”

Adagio snorted, and shot a glare Trixie’s way. “Sure. We’re not cripples, after all.”

We rounded the corner, refusing to look back. As soon as we’d passed out of earshot, I sighed, and stopped Adagio long enough so I could say, “Please don’t say things like that.”

Adagio arched an eyebrow, setting her hands on her hips. “Why not? It’s the least she deserves.”

She’s not wrong, I told myself, but I brushed off the thought. Shaking my head, I replied, “That’s not the point.”

“Then what is?”

I took a deep breath, and chose my words carefully. “I used to be a bully, once. A long time ago. I was awful to everyone around me. I abused them. I made fun of them, threw them into lockers, gave them swirlies, dumped people in trash cans, all kinds of things. But I’m better than that now. I became a better person.” I set my hands on her shoulders. “You’re becoming a better person too. I don’t want to see you backslide just because of Trixie. She’s not worth it.”

Adagio frowned darkly, crossing her arms over her chest. She glared at me for several long, quiet moments. Then, with a groan, she threw her hands up and let them clap to her sides. “I guess you’re right. Damn it.” A half grin formed on her face as she playfully pushed my shoulder. “You’re too good of an influence on me.”

“I try,” I shrugged, chuckling dryly.

We walked through the lounge and bridge deck in a hurry. The deck was slick with rainwater, but there were no clouds in sight. Blue skies dominated the horizon in every direction, sunlight streaming down, working to dry off the rain. Once onto the promenade, though, I hesitated, looking down the length of the shopping quarter to where Fluttershy had been executed. Unlike yesterday, there were no remaining crimson force fields blocking off damaged parts. The place was clean, pristine, as if no execution had ever taken place at all. Monoponi worked fast, it seemed.

We found the others sitting together at a single table close to the shopping quarter, save for Trixie, who was struggling to carry a tray balanced on her crutches. She took a seat on the opposite end of the food court, staying as far away from us as she could. Good.

As I fetched my breakfast and sat down with the others, I realized to my surprise Applejack and Rarity both were sitting at the table. They’d picked opposite ends and were deliberately avoiding looking at each other, but they were here, not on their guard shift. “Hey guys,” I said as I took my seat.

Tiara looked up at me with a grimace. “Good, you’re here.” She gestured towards Applejack and Rarity. “As you can see, I’ve decided there’s no point to the guard duties anymore. It failed to keep Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie alive, so what’s the point, right?” Her grimace twisted into a full sneer as she glanced Trixie’s way. “Besides, with miss Legless over there crawling along at a snail’s pace, there’s so few of us left to guard we’d all be spending hours and hours on it.”

“Not like we could trust her anyway,” Flash spoke up, his voice lower in pitch than normal, more gravelly. Poor guy probably spent most of the night crying. “She’s a murderer.”

“We should probably lock her up somewhere,” Rainbow Dash suggested, casually flipping Trixie off as she spoke. “Stick her in her cabin or something.”

“That’s… not a good idea,” I said, taking a bite of sausage. “We’d have to make a lock to put on her door, so she couldn’t unlock it from inside. Besides, it’d be too easy for someone to murder her that way.”

“As if that would be any great loss,” Rarity sniffed, stabbing her eggs with reckless abandon. “To think I called her friend.”

“Maybe she wouldn’t be,” Scootaloo replied, setting down her sandwich so she could gesture with her hand, “but whoever killed her would be executed. She’s not worth that.”

Applejack shoved a forkful of ham into her mouth, chewed thoughtfully, then said, “Ah dunno, Ah’m with Rainbow Dash on this one. Ah don’t think she oughta be runnin’ around free.”

“Sunset, you can build a lock, right?” Adagio said, nudging me in the side with her elbow.

I sighed, setting my fork down. “I can, if I have to. I still don’t think it’s a good idea though.”

“Let’s vote on it, then,” Diamond Tiara said, pulling out a notebook and setting it next to her plate. “Show of hands. All against locking Trixie in her cabin?” I raised my hand, and after a moment, Rarity raised hers as well. No one else did though.

“All in favor?” Diamond Tiara raised her own hand, as did Applejack, Rainbow, Scootaloo, and Adagio. “All right then. Sunset, you’re gonna have to build a lock. I’ll hold onto the key, once you’re done.”

Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I picked up my fork and took up another bite of sausage. “Fine. But someone’s going to have to get her food and water.”

“She’s got water in her bathroom sinks,” Tiara sneered, for a moment sounding like her old self. Then she schooled her expression into one more reasonable. “I’ll take care of feeding her. I’m the leader, so it’s my responsibility. That way no one else has a chance to hurt her.”

Applejack snorted. “Ah guess that’s fine. Then we all know who’s fault it is if she ends up dead.” After swallowing another bite of food, she added, “Unless she kills herself, Ah guess. Ah won’t cry if she does.”

Flash sighed, “You think Monoponi’d make us hold a trial, if she did?”

“He would,” I replied, calling upon my memory of the Danganronpa games. “It wouldn’t be the first time a trial was held for a suicide.”

“Well, at least it’d be an easy one,” Scootaloo said.

Adagio popped a piece of tuna sashimi into her mouth. “So should we throw her into her cabin now, or wait till Sunset’s installed the lock?”

“Eh, we’ll wait,” Tiara said with a dismissive wave. “She can enjoy her last couple hours of freedom. Besides, knowing Monoponi, he’d probably insist she explore along with the rest of us. You know he’s gonna make us do it sooner or later.”

DING-DONG BING-BONG

“Speak of the devil,” Scootaloo groaned.

“Attention all passengers!” Monoponi announced as his image appeared on screen. For some reason, instead of a snifter of brandy, he carried a book in his magic, eying it lazily as he spoke. “Please report to the bridge deck, immediately!”

“Welp, so much for finishin’ breakfast,” Applejack snorted, throwing down her fork to her plate with a clatter. “Better get a move on.”

As we all gathered together and made our way to the bridge deck, I took notice of how Flash and Rainbow Dash walked almost in lockstep, the two whispering to each other. Huh. Maybe they bonded over their mutual loss, I mused. Both of them had the one they cared for most stolen from them by Monoponi, after all. Maybe this is just what they both need. I hope they make good friends. I glanced over at Rarity and Applejack, noting how the two stayed as far away from each other as possible, occasionally casting glares one another’s way. Sadly, another set seems to have broken apart. Damn it. I should’ve just given them the picture, before Pinkie’s trial. Maybe things would’ve been different. I’m not holding back anymore. If I find another picture or something I’m just going to share it. Every time I hold back something bad happens. Enough’s enough already.

We gathered before the bridge tower as usual, but Monoponi didn’t appear until after Trixie managed to join us, struggling with every step at a glacial pace. Only then did he step out of the bridge tower door, glaring down at us from the balcony. “Well it’s about time!” he groused, glaring at Trixie. “Seriously, you’d think you’d lost a leg or something. Oh wait! You did! Ahahahahaha!”

To my dismay, Rainbow Dash, Tiara, and Adagio all broke out into snickers with him as Trixie hung her head in shame. It wasn’t anything she didn’t deserve, but that still didn’t mean I liked watching someone be publicly mocked. I was furious at her betrayal of me, yes, but that was personal. That was between her and me. And I’d rather just forget she existed, rather than prolong her suffering. Even if I’d willingly voted for her to be executed.

Somewhere, deep inside me, a small piece of my soul was snuffed out.

“So! I heard you idiots mumbling about your plan to lock away magic chick over there,” Monoponi said, recapturing my attention. “If that’s what you want to do, to help preserve the spirit of our lovely ocean voyage, feel free! I don’t mind at all. But she’s still required to participate in mandatory activities, including trials! So don’t forget to let her out for those.” His muzzle split into that jagged tooth grin I loathed so much. “It’d be such a shame if one of you caused her to break the rules. I won’t tolerate such manipulation of me again. From now on, if you cause someone to break a rule, on purpose? You’re the one who gets executed!”

I glanced at Trixie. For a moment, her gaze met my own, reflecting a sense of regret and shame that I hadn’t noticed before. Then she looked away again, staring at the ground.

“Great, we get it, you’re mad someone used you,” Adagio sneered at Monoponi, waving a hand dismissively at him. “You want to get to the point already?”

Monoponi scowled down at the siren. “Always with the rushing of your Captain. None of you ever want to sit down, have a nice chat with me! No no, it’s “get on with the point” this and “stop wasting our time” that. You’d think you people didn’t appreciate the luxuries I’ve granted you.”

Thankfully, for once, no one rose to his bait. We’re learning. That’s probably going to piss him off more.

And sure enough, he stood there expectantly, waiting for someone to respond, before suddenly throwing up his hooves in disgust. “Fine! I’ll get on with it. You ungrateful little shits. Ahem. As you might have already guessed, we have some lovely new facilities opened up for you! I expect that those amongst you who crave action, thrills, and excitement will enjoy what your Captain has in store! And for those of you who don’t, well… sucks to be you.” He shot us all a nasty glare, then focused on myself and Adagio. “Oh, and while I’m at it, one other thing. You are forbidden from looking into the magic you saw during yesterday’s investigation. Talk about it all you want, but no research!”

“What? Why?” I asked, though internally I wasn’t sure why I bothered. Not like he listened any other time we protested.

“Because you weren’t supposed to see it in the first place!” Monoponi shouted, waggling his forehooves in the air. “So forget about it! It doesn’t matter! If I catch even a hint of you looking into it in any detail other than simple discussion? I will consider that treason!”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I snorted in disgust. “Okay. Have it your way then.”

“Good!” A jet of light rose from his horn and lanced off into the promenade. “You know the drill by now. I won’t keep you. Have fuuuuuun!” With that, he disappeared inside the bridge tower.

“Well, here we go again,” Scootaloo moaned, doubling over as she trudged back towards the promenade. “Sure hope we find something good.”

Rarity stepped up to join Scootaloo in walking side by side. “Oh, I’m certain we’ll find something of interest, darling. Though I can’t help but wonder what he meant by action and thrills.”

Diamond Tiara joined them, snorting in derision. “Knowing Monoponi it’s probably something like a haunted house, only you actually get sliced to bits instead of just scared.”

Those three went on ahead, leaving Applejack to wander off by herself. The farmer didn’t say a word as she walked after them, just shaking her head and glaring at Rarity’s back every so often.

“Heeeey, Sunset, Adagio, wait up!” Rainbow cried out, waving to us before we could move. She and Flash ran up to us. “Mind if we tag along with you today?”

I shrugged. “Sure, I guess. Adagio?”

Adagio eyed Flash and Rainbow for a moment, then nodded. “Eh, why not. Keeps it from being too boring.”

“Thanks,” Flash said as the four of us made our way towards the promenade together. He was pale-faced and gaunt, with baggy eyes so darkened by exhaustion it looked like he’d caked on ten tons of eye shadow. He walked with a hunched over stance, hands in his pockets, his voice still hoarse. “It’s been rough lately.”

“You said it,” Rainbow Dash seconded. She didn’t look much better than he did, just as pale-faced and gaunt, with the same level of exhaustion in her eyes. At least her voice was smooth and free of gravel. Or at least as smooth as it usually was for her, anyway. “I need something to take my mind off of everything that’s happened lately.” She nudged Flash in the side and smiled at him. “Luckily this guy here’s pretty chill.”

Flash chuckled dryly. “Hey, I’m just glad you’re not mad at me.”

“Naaah,” Rainbow said, throwing her arm around his shoulder. “It’s not your fault. Way I see it, Flash, you and me are both in the same boat.” She rolled her eyes. “Uh, no pun intended.”

“Sounds like you two are becoming fast friends, then,” I commented with a small smile of my own.

“Totally!” Rainbow agreed, putting a bit of extra grip into her hold on Flash. “I was missing out.”

“Oh, hey, Sunset, do you have a pen and notepad I could borrow?” Flash asked me, with a quiet pleading look in his eyes.

“Sure,” I answered, rummaging around in my pack and pulling out a spare of each. “Here you go. What’d you need it for?”

He placed both into his pants pocket. “Just in case. When I’m feeling like this, I have a hard time remembering things, you know? Helps to write stuff down.”

“Hey bud, whatever you gotta do, you do it,” Rainbow said, giving him yet another grin.

We emerged onto the promenade offshoot, and made our way down the grand staircase, discovering that the corridor below had expanded. Where previously there’d been a wall blocking off anything past the fitness center and spa, there was now a much larger open corridor, equivalent to the one above, albeit only running for another hundred feet or so. There was another grand staircase and matching glass elevator at the far end, and two new doors had appeared.

“Uuuh, let’s try this one first,” I said with a shrug, heading for the large set of double doors on the left. This one was marked “Go-Kart Track” in green letters against a checkered flag background. He can’t be serious, right? A go-kart track?

Once inside, I stopped, stunned. “Woooah!” Rainbow Dash squealed, throwing her hands up in the air. “Awesome!”

It was a cavernous room, about half the size of the theater, dominated by a winding strip of asphalt marked off with chain link fencing, dotted lines on the road indicating lanes. It wound about in a twisted fashion, almost corkscrew like around the room, lending the track a substantial length. Everywhere that lacked asphalt was covered in either concrete or astroturf instead. A series of benches surrounded the track on elevated platforms, allowing an audience an easy view of the races. A series of signs directed passengers either to a registration stand for the races, where they could rent out helmets and other safety equipment, and a concession stand promising all manner of junk food. Both stands were marked with open/close times from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM at night. Near the concession stand was a pair of unisex bathrooms in a small hut. A garage stood at one end of the track, presumably where the go-karts were stored.

I approached the registration stand, ignoring the happy shouts from Flash and Rainbow Dash as I noticed a smaller set of rules listed. It was a series of safety instructions and features the go-karts had.

Rule #1: Be safe! All racers are required to wear helmets, knee pads, and shoulder pads at all times while in the kart.

Rule #2: Be vigilant! Watch out for other racers on the track. We will flag you down and stop your engine if you deliberately crash into another racer.

Rule #3: Be assured! Our karts come with a state of the art safety system, designed to keep you safe. In the event of a crash, this system will lock your seatbelt in place to prevent further injury while a certified member of our staff comes out to assist you.

Rule #4: Be excellent! Don’t be rude to your fellow racers. We’re all here to have fun, after all. Don’t ruin it for others.

Huh. Seems reasonable enough, I concluded. The stand also contained a self-serve register and screen for scanning our Monopads, similar to the ones used by the restaurants on the promenade. I briefly browsed through the menu options. It was mostly a set of package deals, for rental equipment, time slots, etc. The race track could handle up to six go-karts at a time, so it seemed like we could hold a whole event if we wanted. I bet Pinkie Pie would’ve loved this.

The thought of Pinkie tore at my heart, ripping up any good feelings and replacing it with rage once again over Trixie’s betrayal. “Damn it,” I muttered, only just barely restraining the urge to smash my fist into the stand. Instead, seething, heart racing, I chose to wander towards the garage, where Rainbow Dash and Flash were poking around.

The garage in question was more of a covered shed with a large locked garage door than anything else. Windows in the door allowed us to look inside, where I could see a series of karts lined up in two rows, each one with a hook pointed upwards at the end of a tall pole, currently latched onto something out of sight. Six karts total, colored red, green, yellow, pink, blue, and purple. Wait. Those colors seem familiar. My eyes widened as I realized what it meant, and turned just in time to see Flash cry out in panic, gripping both hands to his head as he fell over onto his butt.

But before I could do anything, Rainbow Dash was there, kneeling down, rubbing his back, whispering words of encouragement. “Hey there, it’s okay, you’re gonna be okay.” Soon enough she had him calm, a lot faster than I could have.

“Wow,” I said, as she helped Flash get to his feet. “That was smooth.”

Rainbow Dash clapped Flash on the shoulder and grinned at him. “I used to help Fluttershy through panic attacks all the time. Same basic thing, really.” Despite her words, I noticed the twinkle in her eye dim considerably as she said Fluttershy’s name. She’s not doing any better than he is, is she?

“Sorry you had to see that,” Flash said, hanging his head.

“Hey, no, don’t apologize,” Rainbow said, nudging him in the arm. “Don’t ever apologize for that. We’ve all suffered a lot here, you know? We’re entitled to be scared now and again.”

No. She’s not. She’s using him as a coping mechanism, like some kind of replacement substitute for Fluttershy. She’s so used to watching out for someone that she has to do it just to cope. I snorted. Healthier than some coping mechanisms we’ve seen around here, anyway. “Yeah, Flash, don’t worry about it,” I said, trying out a smile. It came out as more of a twisted grimace due to the anger still simmering under my skin.

But he didn’t seem to mind. “Heh, okay guys,” he said, giving us his own watery smile. “Let’s, uh, let’s maybe go look somewhere else for now?”

“Sure thing, buddy,” Rainbow said, leading him off.

Well, I wanted to look back at the garage, so instead of following them I rejoined Adagio, who was poking around. “Hey, look here,” she said, waving to me to follow her behind the garage. There was a small side door, and unlike the main door, this one wasn’t locked. “Shall we?”

I gestured to go ahead, and she led us inside. There wasn’t too much to see outside of what I’d spotted through the windows. The six go-karts each laid atop a pit for repairs, hooked into a winch on a track, able to lift them up and place them onto the go-kart track itself for racers to use. Surprisingly, I didn’t smell any diesel fumes or any other fuels. So I poked through tool racks and under the carts themselves until I finally realized these used hydrogen fuel cells. “Wow. That’s… expensive tech, for go-karts,” I commented as I relayed this to Adagio. At her confused look, I briefly explained how hydrogen fuel cells worked.

“Oh, so it’s electric,” she said after a few moments, her eyes still glazed over from my explanation. “You could’ve just said that.” She grinned. “Egghead.”

I recoiled at the word, a mixture of anger and anxiety brimming up inside me, my stomach churning like a blender on overdrive. “D-don’t call me that, please,” I murmured. I feel guilty enough over Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Twilight as it is.

Her eyes widened, eyebrows rose, and she frowned apologetically. “Sorry.”

I gripped one fist by my side super tight. “It’s fine,” I hissed through my teeth.

We left the garage. Rainbow and Flash were nowhere to be seen, but rather than leave, I decided to walk around the outskirts of the track, keeping my eyes peeled. I did see a number of beams running over the track, with various signs and flags folded up, ready to drop down and wave as needed. Like the rest of the ship, the place had been completely automated. On the far side, I spotted a door, blending into the scenery. This door opened up, dumping us out into the access corridor, close to the t-junction. “Guess the fitness center isn’t the only thing we can reach this way now,” I mused.

“Hmm… maybe we should try a few more of these doors, then,” Adagio suggested, pointing down the corridor.

We gave them a few tugs a piece, but none of them opened up. “Damn. That was a bust,” I grunted. Still, just to be thorough, we followed the access corridor all the way back towards the stairwell to the cabins, and spotted a new stairwell that wasn’t open before. Following it down, we found another long access corridor, the same length as the one above, minus the laundry room. We kept poking at every door we passed as we went down it, but we didn’t find anything until near the very end.

When we opened that door, a cold blast of air hit us right in the face. “Brrr!” I moaned, rubbing at my arms. “That’s freezing!”

“Eh, it’s not so bad,” Adagio said as she sauntered through the doorway.

As I entered, I discovered we’d emerged into a equipment rental shop. Helmets, knee pads, shoulder pads, and skates. Ice skates. Lots of them. Whole shelves full of different sizes and designs, ranging from run of the mill to designer skates that look like they cost thousands of dollars a pair. An L-shaped front desk contained the usual scanning register. There were even shelves with winter coats, sweat pants, and other equipment to keep comfortable while skating. I contemplated grabbing one, but decided against it for now. Wearing two jackets together would feel too weird.

There was another section to the shop, locked up by a gate. Behind the gate I spotted a full set of hockey equipment, with plenty of pucks, hockey sticks, masks, the works. No goal nets though. Presumably those were part of the rink.

We stepped out from behind the front desk, into a room just as large as the go-kart track above. Like the go-kart track, a series of benches surrounded the rink, allowing people to sit and relax. I spotted Applejack sitting down not too far away, taking a quick breather. About a quarter of the way around the rink, I also spotted… Trixie. She was rocking back and forth, clutching a hand to the stump of her right leg and crying softly.

I looked away before the sight could throw me into a fresh rage, focusing instead on the rest of the rink. It was laid out similarly to most rinks I’d seen, with lines painted under the ice in several concentric ovals providing the implication of lanes for travel. At either end there was a large hockey net floating high above the rink, suspended on booms that could lower them down to be used, exactly as I expected. Glancing behind me, I noticed another set of restrooms sitting next to the equipment shop.

“This is quite the nice place,” Adagio said, sidling up next to me. She pulled me in close, sharing her body heat. The warmth was nice given the cold air in the rink. “Maybe we should go skating together.”

“Maybe later.” I shivered, nuzzling closer to her. “Too cold.”

Adagio frowned in concern, looking down at me. “Are you feeling okay, Sunset?” She held a hand to my head.

I resisted the urge to push her hand away. “I’m fine. Just cold. It’s really, really cold.”

“Okay…” Adagio shook her head. “You don’t feel like you’re burning up, but I’m going to keep an eye on it anyway. When we’re done here, I can check your temperature properly.”

“What, are you my nurse now?” I joked, grinning at her.

Scowling at me, Adagio flicked me in the shoulder. “No, I’m just concerned because if you’re sick, that means something’s gotten on the ship. No one’s been sick since we got here, and that’s worrisome.”

“Oh… oh!” I jumped a few inches in the air from the realization. “Oh crap. Oooh crap.”

“What?” Adagio glared at me. “What is it?”

“So, remember Danganronpa?”

She gave me a dirty look. "How could I forget? We're living it."

My cheeks flushing, I continued, “Ahehe, see, Monoponi’s been ripping it off in a lot of ways. And one of the motives from the games involved a disease, suddenly unleashed on them without warning.”

She blanched, gasping at me. “You don’t think Monoponi would do that to us, do you?”

“Absolutely not!”

We both leapt back as Monoponi flashed into existence, beating his wings angrily as he waved his hooves at us. “What kind of a pathetic copycat do you think I am, huh?!” He settled down onto his hooves. “Honestly, a disease. Pfft. I could come up with a better motive in my sleep! Besides, the situation here’s a bit different. Much more real, wouldn’t you agree, Sunset?”

Okay, that’s a fair point. “Yeah, I guess so,” I grumbled, not happy about ever agreeing with him.

“Well there you go. No diseases as a motive. If you morons get sick, that’s your own fault.” Monoponi stuck his big fat muzzle in the air. “Don’t come crying to me. You’ve got a whole pharmacy worth of goods to deal with it!”

“Then what is going to be the motive then, hmm?” Adagio bent down to look at him, and adopted a sly look, like she was trying to cozy up to him. “Surely you can tell us. Let us know a bit early.”

Monoponi glared up at her, grimacing in disgust. “Like I’d tell you! You’d better not be trying to seduce me, siren.”

Adagio jumped back, gasping in shock. “Seduce you? Ugh! No! Never!” She stuck her tongue out and made retching noises. “I’d rather suck off a donkey!”

“Ahahaha!” Monoponi pointed up at her with one forehoof. “I’ll bet you’ve got personal experience with that! Why don’t you let your little lover Sunset know about some of your sexcapades in Equestria, hmm? I’m sure you’ve got loads of raunchy stories to tell.”

“Equestria? What in tarnation are you on about now, Monoponi?”

To my surprise the alicorn blanched as he whirled, facing the farmer, both wings extended to the fullest. “Ahhh! Don’t sneak up on your Captain like that! It’s bad form! Bad form!”

Applejack’s face screwed up in confusion. “And here Ah thought no one could ever sneak up on you,” she muttered.

“Well… of course not! Don’t be stupid!” Monoponi wiggled his forehooves in her general direction, flushing pink with anger. “Your Captain sees everything that happens on his ship! Everything!” He lit up his horn with crimson. “Honestly, the nerve of you people, even after the lesson I taught you. You’d think none of you respected me at all!” With a pop and a flash of light, he was gone.

“That’s cause there ain’t any who do,” Applejack snarked as she shook her head. Then she glared at us, crossing her arms over her chest. “All right, y’all. Which one of you’s gonna explain what he was talkin’ about?”

“W-w-what do you mean?” I said, holding up a hand behind my head and laughing. “Ahehehe, there’s nothing to talk about! Nope, nothing at all.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes to slits as she stared at me. “Sugarcube, you do remember Ah can tell when someone’s lyin, right’? You’re lyin’ so bad right now Ah could smell you from a mile away!”

I glanced at Adagio, silently begging for help, but she seemed just as clueless as me. “Look, Applejack, it’s nothing to worry about, okay? Just drop it.”

“Oh no. That ain’t gonna fly, Sunset,” Applejack replied. She uncrossed her arms and got up in my face, jabbing me in the chest with a finger. “Don’t think for a second Ah don’t remember you kept that picture from Rarity and me, cause Ah do. Ah’m not puttin’ up with any more secrets! So spill it.”

My mouth dried out like a desert, my heart hammering in my chest. “It’s, I, you see--”

“I’m a siren.”

Both Applejack and I stared slack-jawed at Adagio, who stood there examining her fingernails like she hadn’t a care in the world. “You’re a what now?” Applejack stammered.

“A siren. From Equestria. Like Sunset.” Adagio dropped her hand and looked Applejack square in the eye. “Why else do you think she and I get along so well?”

“Adagio!” I cried. “What’re you doing?!”

Applejack swallowed nervously, looking back and forth between Adagio and me so fast it was like she was watching a tennis match. “So you mean, you’re not human either?”

“Nope.”

The farmer summoned up her nerves, and eyed Adagio just like she’d eyed me a couple moments before. Then her eyes widened like saucers. “You’re tellin’ the truth. You really ain’t human.”

Adagio cocked her head and flashed Applejack a coy smile, showing off her sharp fangs. “That’s right. So, what’re you going to do about it?”

“Do?” Applejack took a step back.

“Yes, what’re you going to do about it?” Adagio stepped forward once, twice, thrice, sashaying till she was right in Applejack’s face. “Are you going to tell everyone? Create more panic? Hmm?”

Applejack tried to step back again, but quick as a flash Adagio had gripped her shirt. “Uh, no, no Ah don’t wanna do that!” she said, laughing nervously.

“No, you don’t, do you?” Adagio pulled on Applejack’s shirt, drawing the farmer closer, close enough Adagio could practically kiss the other woman. She set her other hand on Applejack’s shoulder, and ran her finger along the farmer’s neck in little circles, causing Applejack to take a sudden quick breath. “Now, here’s the deal, Applejack. I’ve kept quiet about this because I didn’t want to scare people. You saw what happened when Sunset’s secret got out. And she’s just a pony. Me? I’m a siren. I’m more dangerous.”

“D-dangerous, huh?” Applejack glanced my way briefly, one hand raising just a tad as if stretching out for help before dropping. “H-how dangerous?”

Adagio leaned forward even more till her lips were less than an inch away from the farmer’s. Her finger continued to circle around Applejack’s neck. “Very. Dangerous,” she purred, her voice turning low and husky. “You do know what a siren is, right? We’re predators.”

Applejack let out a whimper, her body starting to shake, her knees knocking together. “You uh, you don’t say,” she stammered.

“If I wanted you dead, Applejack, I’d kill you, and there’d be nothing you could do about it,” Adagio continued, causing the farmer to whimper more and more as she went on. “Of course, I wouldn’t actually do that. Sunset’s been teaching me how to be nice. How to get along with others. I’d hate for there to be a reason I’d forget all about her lessons.” Her grip on Applejack’s shirt waned as she pressed her hand in, circling on the farmer’s chest just like she was on her neck.

“Ah-Ah-Ah wouldn’t want to do anythin’ like that,'' Applejack stuttered, her brow running with sweat, soaking into her shirt despite the cold air of the ice rink. I saw a trickle of wetness run down her pant leg and smelled a hint of ammonia. Oh crap, she pissed herself. Applejack actually pissed herself.

“Good.” Adagio abruptly released the farmer and backed away, stopping only when she was beside me again. “Keep it that way, won’t you?”

Applejack, every visible part of her flushing a florid pink, nodded several times like a bobblehead and sprinted off in the direction of the restroom, disappearing inside the women’s in a hurry.

I stared, utterly flabbergasted, at the siren standing proudly beside me. A rush of emotions washed through me, some bizarre mixture of jealousy, confusion, and outright arousal. “What the hell was that?” I muttered.

Adagio preened, smirking at me in the smuggest fashion I’d ever seen. “Siren diplomacy. She already heard Monoponi say what I was. She just wanted you to admit it. So I gave her a reason not to push the matter.”

I looked back towards the restrooms, where I heard a brief bit of terrified shouting.“What if she talks anyway?”

“She won’t,” Adagio said with conviction. “Applejack’s smart. She knows full well if I was going to murder anyone, I would’ve done so by now. She was just curious. And now she’s seen what that got her.”

I heard another shout of fear from the bathroom, shook my head in disbelief, and decided I didn’t want to stand around here anymore. So I started making my way towards the exit on the far side of the ice rink. “Should I be jealous?” I muttered.

Adagio laughed that low, velvety laugh of hers, all chocolate with just a hint of bitterness. “Don’t be stupid, Sunset. You’re the one I love, not--” she clammed up immediately, turning pale as she slapped a hand to her mouth.

A spark sizzled its way throughout my entire nervous system, arcing shock like I’d just shook hands with a tesla coil. “Did, did you just--”

“Oh look there’s the exit let’s go this way Sunset we still have a lot to explore, don’t we?” Adagio growled, dropping into an outright snarl on the last two words as she pushed me forward.

I didn’t respond, allowing her to push me forward as my mind threw out fresh alarms like an air raid at a schoolhouse, all screaming and shouting and little miniature versions of myself running around in panic. She… she said it. She actually said it. She used the L word. The L word! I never thought she’d use the L word! What do I do?!

I glanced back at Adagio, who’d drawn herself up protectively, glaring at everything around her like every piece of her surroundings had personally offended her. What I don’t do is ask her about it. Not now. She’d probably rip my head off if I tried. She’s too embarrassed.

But do I feel the same way? Do I… love her?

I didn’t know. I couldn’t know. On the one hand, I felt closer to her than ever, after Trixie...after the third trial. But on the other hand… the third trial. I’d already been betrayed by one close friend. I’d lost said friend, as sure as if she’d died. I remembered thinking, the night before the trial, about how if I lost either of them I’d fall apart at the seams.

I hadn’t yet. Somehow, despite it all, I hadn’t yet. Maybe it was because Trixie was still alive. Maybe a small part of me was hoping, somehow, I could forgive her, and get my friend back. If I even could. She murdered someone, after all.

But then again, my siren lover was no stranger to killing herself, was she? Sure, she said she’d never done it on purpose, but after watching the way she’d threatened Applejack, I wasn’t so sure anymore. For all I knew she had killed, intentionally, more than once. And yet, despite that… I wasn’t bothered. I didn’t hold it against her. I just accepted her as she was.

...maybe there was a lesson to take from that.

Maybe.

As we passed through the doors back into the promenade, the sudden burst of hot air returned my attention to my surroundings. This section of the promenade was short. To our left was the grand staircase back up to the second floor, and to our right was a short walk up to a dead end. There was one other door, but a quick check showed it to be the door to the first floor of the library. I stopped in just long enough to check the archive door, which was still locked. So instead, Adagio and I made our way up the staircase and headed for the one door we hadn’t touched yet. This one bore a sign in fancy lettering that read “The Pegasus Experience.”

Inside we found a large room, smaller than the go-kart track and ice skating rink, but still decently sized. The room was dominated by two large glass tubes with hatchways in at the bottom, extending all the way up to crest what was presumably the top deck of the ship. There was a small side room labeled “changing room” divided into men’s and women’s, with scanners like the fitness center locker rooms. To one side was yet another equipment rental/checkout stand, this one stocked primarily with several different sizes and shapes of bodysuits, all labeled as indoor sky-diving suits. There was also the standard safety equipment of helmets and knee pads I’d seen everywhere, and a few touristy type goods including coffee mugs and tote bags labeled with the “Pegasus Experience” name and logo, a pair of stylized outstretched feathery wings.

“Oh, hey,” Diamond Tiara said, greeting us. She was standing behind the equipment rental stand, poking around at the equipment. “Neat place, huh?”

Rarity was with her, and she smiled warmly when she saw me. “Oh, Sunset, there you are, darling. I was hoping to run into you. I do hope you haven’t forgotten what I asked of you yesterday?”

Actually, I’d forgotten all about that. “Uh, you said you wanted to spend some time with me, right?”

“Yes, please,” Rarity replied. She strode over and held out her arms. “May I?”

Hesitantly, I opened up my arms and hugged her. “You’re not still mad at me over the trial?”

“So to speak.” Rarity withdrew quickly, still smiling. “Don’t misunderstand. I still have some words for you about your behavior during it, especially regarding that photo. But I’ll save that for later. Shall we meet up after lunch, in the spa, say around 2:00 PM?” She glanced over at Adagio, her smile dimming a tad. “Ah, alone, if that’s alright.”

Adagio arched an eyebrow, glanced between the two of us, then shrugged. “I’m sure I can find something to do.”

“It’s a d--ah, a meetup,” I caught myself before I made a terrible mistake in my word choice. Last thing I need is to give either of these women the wrong impression.

Rarity obviously caught what I’d been about to say, her cheeks blooming. “Anywho, have you seen this place yet? It’s some sort of indoor skydiving experience. Look.”

She pointed at the tubes, and as I looked up I realized Scootaloo was hovering up near the top in one of them, waving her arms and making happy noises. Rainbow Dash was in the other tube, whooping and hollering. “This is just like flying!” I heard her shout.

“So it’s a vertical wind tunnel, then,” I said, rubbing my chin. “Are we sure this is safe? If the fans cut out--”

“There’s safety harnesses attached at the top,” Tiara interrupted, pointing out a set of rules I hadn’t noticed hanging off the rental stand. “You have to put them on before the wind tunnel will turn on.”

I checked the rules real quick, and sure enough, they said just that, along with a few other generalized things, very similar to the rule set from the go-kart track. That’s two for two on the safety features. I’ll bet the ice skating rink had something similar and I just missed it in the… chaos. Yeah, let’s go with chaos. It’s kind of weird actually, how many safety features there are. Maybe it’s just to lure us into a false sense of security. Or give people ideas on what to sabotage. Knowing Monoponi, it’s probably both.

I heard the rustle of an opening door from the changing room, and spotted Flash Sentry coming out, clad in one of the bodysuits. He was carrying something in his hand, staring down at it with a haunted expression in his eyes. “Flash?” I said. “You okay?”

“Huh?” He looked up at me. “Uh, yeah, just… take a look at this, huh?” He waved the object he held, which looked like a photograph.

Oh goodie. Here we go again. What sort of bizarre little peek into our old lives is his going to give us this time? Were Fluttershy and Twilight in a relationship? Or maybe Fluttershy and Pinkie were best friends. Maybe Rainbow Dash and Pinkie were married, because that’d be funny to someone like Monoponi, right?

All of us in the room save for the two flying people crowded about the photograph, taking it in. “What?” I breathed, seeing something I hadn’t anticipated.

Oh, it featured Twilight Sparkle. I knew it would. But it wasn’t just Twilight Sparkle. It was two Twilight Sparkles, one dressed like the one we’d all come to know. The other was taller, dressed in some kind of evening gown, complete with gloves. She wore her hair down, which completely failed to hide the lavender pony ears and wings she bore. She looked like some sort of bizarre pony human fusion, like the kind of thing furry artists liked to draw. Anthro, that was the term. The two Twilights were engaged in some sort of conversation, with the taller one handing over some sort of book to the shorter one. For some reason the book held a symbol rather similar to my cutie mark, albeit with a few minor differences, some extra flourishes of color.

But they weren’t the only one in the picture. Three other someones were behind the two Twilights, waving at the camera, with smiles on their faces.

Me. It was me, right smack dab between Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.

“Why are there two Twilights?” Rarity said, her face twisted up in confusion.

“Better question: why does one of them have wings?” Diamond Tiara added.

Adagio and I shared a glance, and I sighed. “Because one of them’s from Equestria,” I said. I quickly explained, in brief, the dream I’d had after the second trial. “I was pretty sure our two worlds had counterparts. I guess this confirms it.”

“It looks like you knew them, Sunset,” Flash muttered in a monotone. “Did you?”

I shook my head. “I must have, once upon a time. I don’t remember now though. Probably because of the stolen memories.”

“But why the wings?” Rarity insisted, looking right at me. “Does this mean she has magic?”

“Probably,” Adagio answered for me. “Rainbow Dash had some kind of magic. Maybe we all did, and Monoponi took it from us.”

Rarity frowned darkly. “Hmph. It would be like him to do that, wouldn’t it? Oh, if only I could remember!”

“Why do we keep finding these pictures, anyway?” Tiara wondered as she took the picture and turned it all around in her hands as she examined it further.

“Probably some game Monoponi’s playing with us,” Flash grumbled. “He’s getting a big laugh out of seeing how confused we are.”

It certainly seemed that way to me. Every time we explored a new setting, there was one of these pictures just waiting around for us. First the one in Trixie’s cloak, then the picture of Rarity and Applejack in the spa, and now this one of two Twilights, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and me. Like little hints, barest glimpses into lives we once had, before we were trapped here. Monoponi obviously wanted us to figure something out. Why else would he bother leaving these hints around?

Maybe it was just to confuse us, but somehow, I wasn’t so sure that was the case. Judging by the dream I had, plus this picture, and what Monoponi said to Twilight in the first trial, I was all but certain the other Twilight in this picture was the person close to her he was talking about. But how was she connected to all of this? Who was she?

The dream suggested she was connected to the Elements of Harmony, like some sort of leader figure. The wings further suggested she’d become an alicorn, probably via some sort of ascension process. So she was probably a princess in Equestria. Which meant she was one of the good guys.

At least, I hoped she was. Because the only other possibility was that she was the one behind Monoponi, and this was his way of hinting at that. I had to hope against hope that wasn’t the case.

Twilight Sparkle, if you’re out there, I hope you’re trying to find a way to help us. Please, help us. Save us from this killing game. Because too many of us have died already.

And sooner or later, someone would die again.

Author's Note

This chapter's title is adapted from "two ships passing in the night," just foreshortened to sound better.

I'm sure there will be absolutely zero consequences to Applejack learning Adagio's secret.

Flash reacted to the colors of the go-karts the way he did because they were the same colors as the gems in Twilight's execution, giving him a nasty flashback as a result.

Chapter Four: Passing in the Night Part 2

Chapter Four:
Passing in the Night
Daily Life Part 2

I checked my Monopad time. “10:30, okay.” I’d parted ways with the group so I could go construct that lock for Trixie’s door. I wanted to get it finished before Diamond Tiara held her usual post-exploration meeting, so we could seal Trixie in right afterwards. My mind churned with various thoughts as I worked, opting for a simple bolt and padlock design, with a custom tooled key. So many things had happened so fast I didn’t know what to focus on. Did I love Adagio? What did the photo mean? How mad am I at Trixie, really?

I needed advice. I needed to talk to someone. Since Rarity was already meeting up with me, I decided I’d try asking her. Maybe with her help I could put some of my thoughts in order. And while I was at it, I decided to make a spare key for myself. And just for good measure, I made a copy of my room key, to give to Adagio. She'd earned it.

Once I finished creating the lock, I went to attach it to Trixie’s door. The door opened inward rather than out into the hall, so I had to finagle the bolt in such a way as to attach it so when closed, the door couldn’t be opened from either side. The padlock on the outside completed the affair. I made sure to lock it in place, then pocketed the key. Right on cue as I finished, Tiara texted for us all to meet up at the food court.

I was there first, with Trixie filing in last, crawling in on her crutches like a prisoner condemned. Which she was, more or less. She sat apart from the rest of us, just like before.

“So!” Tiara called for attention once we were all here, “Let’s go over what we found.”

“Well, Monoponi wasn’t lying for once,” Rainbow Dash said, a happy smile still plastered on her face. “These new places rock! There’s this wind tunnel thing that’s like an indoor skydiving park. It’s not as good as the real thing, but it’s pretty sweet! It really feels like you’re flying!”

Scootaloo nodded enthusiastically, throwing out her arms in delight. “It’s the best thing ever! Now I want to go skydiving for real some day!”

“Yeah. it’s not bad,” Flash said, with a wistful shrug. The haunted expression hadn’t left his eyes. If anything, he seemed even more exhausted than earlier. “There was that picture we found, though.”

“Picture? What picture?” Applejack inquired, sitting forward. She’d deliberately sat as far away from myself and Adagio as she could without getting close to Trixie, and was avoiding looking our way. She was soaked with sweat too, her shirt practically dripping with it.

“This,” he replied, tossing it over.

Applejack snatched it out of the air and stared at it, eyes agog. “Woah nelly,” she murmured.

Before she could ask, I went ahead and explained again about my dream and the counterparts in Equestria. “So this proves it,” I finished, pointing at the picture. “You can see the two Twilights right there. And no, I don’t remember knowing them.”

“Well, Ah appreciate you sharin’ this with us and not keepin’ it secret this time,” Applejack said as she handed it back over to Flash, who pocketed it.

“I learned my lesson,” I muttered sullenly.

“But what does it mean?” Rainbow asked, holding up a hand. “Do you think this has something to do with why I suddenly had magic yesterday?”

“It might,” I allowed with a brief nod. Then my face twisted up into a nasty scowl. "Only we can't do any research. Monoponi said we couldn't. Asshole."

Rarity shook her head. “Indeed. We'd best drop the matter altogether.”

“Anyway, the wind tunnel’s great,” Scootaloo said after a moment. “And it’s completely safe too. There’s safety harnesses even that hook to the ceiling, so even if the fans go out you won’t fall.”

“You have to scan your Monopad, right?” Applejack asked. “And you need special equipment.”

“Yeah but they provide all that. It’s just free,” Scootaloo answered. “No rental time or anything dumb like that. Though there is a limit to how long you can be in the wind tunnel.” She frowned, crossing her arms. “Twenty minutes isn’t long enough, darn it.”

Diamond Tiara jotted something down on her notepad. “Right, okay. What else did we find?”

“Skating rink,” Trixie spoke up, causing us all to whirl and glare at her. “I-ice skating rink,” she mumbled, bowing her head to stare at the floor.

“Ah don’t think anyone asked you, Trixie,” Applejack growled, cracking her knuckles. “But she’s right. There’s an ice skatin’ rink. It’s huge! Bigger than most roller skatin' rinks Ah’ve seen on land. It’s big enough for all of us combined.” She tossed a nasty glare Trixie’s way. “Well, all of us who have two legs to stand on.”

Rainbow Dash snorted, then burst into quiet, hoarse laughter. “Hah, nice one, AJ.”

Out the corner of my eye I saw Trixie sniffle and turn away from us.

“Anyhow, the rink’s also got a lot of equipment for sale,” Applejack continued. “They even got a lockup for hockey stuff, if you can believe it. Means if we ever wanted we could arrange a hockey game. Four on four’s not a bad matchup, right?”

“I dunno about that,” I said, frowning. I couldn’t help but keep glancing at Trixie, and despite the burning anger that still flamed in my heart, the sight was like sprinklers in a kitchen, dousing the fire into a disgusting, cold mess. “Isn’t a hockey team usually six on six?”

“Well, sure,” Rainbow said with a smile. Her smile dimmed more and more as she continued, “but there’s not that many of us left anymore.”

Rarity shot a dark glare Applejack’s way. “I’m not sure I’d be interested in playing such a rough game as hockey in any event. You can count me out.”

“Me too,” Tiara said, her mouth twisting in disgust. “Ugh, hockey. All you do in that game is hit each other with sticks and sometimes hit the puck. Booorrrring.”

“Okay, so, three on three then,” Flash said, rolling his eyes. “I-if you’d guys’d be up for it.”

I shared a look with Adagio, who shrugged. “Maybe? We can try that tomorrow, I guess,” I said.

“Nice!” Rainbow said, pumping her fists. “Flash and I’ll totally cream you and Adagio, Sunset. You can have AJ. You’ll need the help.”

“H-hey!” Scootaloo pouted. “You’re not saying I’m a liability, are you?”

Rainbow Dash snickered, tousling Scootaloo’s hair. “Not at all, squirt.”

Scootaloo crossed her arms, grumbling under her breath, “I’m twenty-one, dang it. I’m not a little kid.”

“Anyway,” Tiara said with a roll of her eyes, “was there anything else about the ice rink that was important?”

“Actually, yeah,” I replied, snapping my fingers. “It’s connected to the access corridor, like the fitness center. There’s a new stairwell that goes down an extra floor, and the door into the rink is all the way at the end. Comes out behind the desk of the equipment shop.”

“Greeaaaat,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Because we really needed more ways for people to sneak around behind everyone’s backs.” She glanced at Tiara. “You sure you want to stop posting guards?”

“It didn’t stop you, did it?” Tiara shot back.

The athlete scowled as she sat back in her chair, flipping Tiara off. “No, it didn’t.”

“There you go, then,” Tiara sneered, returning the gesture with one of her own. “Dumbass.”

Rarity cleared her throat, shooting Tiara a scathing look. “Um, Diamond, darling, perhaps you should tone the insults down, just a bit?”

Tiara whirled on her, frowned, raised a finger, and then deliberately pulled it back down with her other hand. “Right. Sorry.”

“Better,” Rarity smiled softly, ignoring Applejack’s snort of disgust.

“There’s also a door in that corridor that connects to the third place that opened up,” I continued, trying to get things back on track. “It opens up into the far side of the go-kart track.”

“Go-kart track? Really?” Tiara sighed, shaking her head. “He wasn’t kidding, was he? Thrills and excitement, whoop-de-doo.”

“It’s so awesome,” Rainbow Dash squealed excitedly, her anger at Tiara forgotten. “We can have up to six people racing at once. I’m so ready to find out how fast those things can go!”

Adagio raised a hand. “We’ll have to be careful though. The track has its own rules. I don’t know if breaking them will earn us a punishment or not.”

I braced myself for the sudden appearance of Monoponi, but he was nowhere to be seen. “Phew,” I muttered, wiping my brow. “Adagio’s right about that. I think the rules said there was some kind of built in safety system to stop engines if there was a crash.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Rarity said, eyes sparkling. “I wouldn’t mind getting behind the wheel of one of those karts, if they’re that safe.”

Applejack grunted her grudging assent. “Useful too. Ah’d hate to imagine someone gettin’ run over by one of those things. Ah’ve seen what happens when cars run over people. Might be smaller but it’d still kill you.”

“Don’t worry about it, AJ,” Rainbow said, shaking a hand. “Someone’d have to be a complete idiot to run around on the track like that.”

“Uh, the karts can’t leave the track, can they?” Scootaloo said, a nervous grin spreading on her face. “Like, you can’t go driving one all the way down the promenade or something.”

I shook my head. “The only way onto the track is a small gate right behind the check-in stand, and it’s only big enough for one person at a time. Unless you had some bolt cutters and tore apart the fencing, you’re not getting a kart off the track.”

“Well that’s a relief,” Flash muttered, wiping his brow. “One less thing to worry about. I don’t remember seeing that door to the access corridor though.”

“It blended into the wall,” I answered. “I almost didn’t spot it.”

“Was there anything else, then?” Tiara asked, jotting more notes down. “No? Okay. We’re done here. Go get lunch, everybody. Except you, Trixie.”

Everyone else dispersed for the restaurants, leaving Tiara, Trixie, and myself there. “So, I got the lock done already,” I said to Tiara before she could ask. “It’s installed and ready to go.”

“Nice work,” Tiara said, nodding in approval. She pointed at Trixie with her pen. “Alright, you. Time to get moving. Sunset, you want to come with, just in case she tries something stupid?”

I took a deep, shuddering breath, then nodded. “Yeah. Sure.”

“I won’t fight you,” Trixie mumbled as she hoisted herself on her one remaining leg with her crutches for support. She began her slow walk towards her cabin. “I deserve this.”

“You’re damned right you do, you murdering little psychopath,” Tiara replied, eying Trixie like she was a wild beast readying to tear out our throats.

She all but frog-marched Trixie down to the cabins, poking her repeatedly in the shoulder with her pen. When we reached Trixie’s door, Tiara held out her hand expectantly. I gave her the key, and watched her open the lock and throw open the door. “Wait here,” she said. I watched, confused, as she entered Trixie’s cabin, then nodded in realization when I saw her emerge carrying a familiar looking box. The box with the Qilin dao swords, from Trixie’s magic show. She set the box to the side, and pointed into the cabin. “Get in, Trixie.

Trixie did as ordered, slowly trudging inside. Once in, she turned to face us, and looked right at me, as if pleading for mercy. I don’t know why, but as she stared, the fury in me reignited with an even larger blaze than before, like a raging bonfire. Before Tiara could close the door, I slammed it shut myself, and slapped the lock back on, going so far as to grab the key out of Tiara’s hand and use it to seal the lock shut. Then I tossed it at Tiara and stormed off to my own cabin, closing the door behind me in a hurry. I threw myself onto my bed and let out a long, loud string of angry and frustrated shouts, beating my pillows and mattress over and over with my fists like a tantruming child.

Once I’d beaten the stuffing out of every pillow in my cabin, I groaned, rolled over, and faced the ceiling, clutching a pillow to my chest. “What the hell am I doing?” I asked myself. “Why am I acting like this?”

I sighed, knowing no one was going to answer me if I didn’t do it myself. “Because this place won’t stop screwing with my head,” I muttered. “Screwing with all our heads. I just turned a cabin into a jail cell, for pete’s sake.”

“But Sunset, you know she deserves it,” I pointed out.

Ugh. Now I’m holding a conversation with myself. Out loud. I haven’t done that in years, not since I was Celestia’s student.

I dropped the pillow on the bed and stood up, opting for the bathroom. I splashed some cold water on my face, shook it off, and took a couple of moments to brush out some tangles in my hair, trying to use it as a distraction. It didn’t really help. I still wanted to argue with myself over what I felt about Trixie.

And speaking of feelings, there was the other bombshell dropped, when Adagio said--

“No, no, damn it,” I said, cutting off my own thoughts. “I’m not going to sit here and spin around in circles.”

I tossed down my hairbrush and left my cabin. After grabbing some lunch from the promenade, I wandered out to the outdoor lounge, and picked a chair that hadn’t been soaked by the recent rainstorms. The humming of the ship’s engines and the sound of ocean waves crashing against the hull provided a comforting bit of white noise that drowned out the buzzing current of my ever present thoughts.

Before I knew it, it was almost 2:00 PM. Time for me to meet up with Rarity at the spa. I made my way there, slipping inside, the dimmer lighting and soothing music immediately putting me at ease. “Oh, there you are, Sunset,” Rarity said, waving to me from one of the foot massage chairs. “Do come join me, please.”

I hopped into the chair beside her, slipped off my shoes, and let the chair get to work. “How’re you doing, Rarity?” I said as I relaxed into the chair’s robotic touch.

She twisted her mouth into a half frown, half wan smile. “Better than I have been, though that’s not saying much.” She favored me with a warm look, warmer than I had any right to expect from her. “I still miss Sweetie Belle, of course. I always will. But I’m trying to follow her advice.”

“Survive and live,” I replied quietly.

“Indeed.” She sighed, her head drooping. “Of course,” she said, her voice turning nasty, “it’d be much easier if Applejack hadn’t decided she’d rather break my heart instead of support me, just because I decided to give Diamond Tiara a chance. Honestly, that woman will be the death of me, I swear.”

I considered what she said for a moment, then replied, “So… you and Applejack were rekindling your relationship, before the third trial.”

“More or less,” Rarity shrugged, a dark look of anger clouding her features.”Not that I knew that’s what we were doing. I just thought we were bonding over our mutual loss. Finding comfort in each other. Oh, I admit I was a bit intrigued by the thought of a romance with her, but we hadn't even said we love each other before that whole trial ruined everything.”

“I’m sorry,” I said immediately, holding up my hands in an apologetic gesture. “I shouldn’t have kept that picture--”

“Oh, no, darling, please,” Rarity interrupted, holding a hand up to ask for silence. “To be honest, after thinking about it overnight, I’m glad you did. You were right to keep it from us. If you’d shown it to me two or three days ago, I would’ve felt… uneasy. Uncertain of my own feelings. And given the motive Monoponi gave us, I might have felt obligated, in fact, to do something to ensure we escaped together.” She stared right at me, her gaze steady and resolute. “If you’d given that picture to me, I might’ve been the one executed yesterday.”

“What?” I gasped, my jaw falling open. “B-but, you keep saying--”

“Killing is wrong, yes, I’m well aware.” Rarity sat back in her chair and squeezed her eyes shut. “But Twilight had a point, with what she said to Pinkie Pie. Any of us could become a killer with the right motivation. Even me. Even you. That picture would’ve been mine. I know myself well enough to be certain of that. Although,” she sneered, “I would’ve had the courtesy not to inflict the sort of pain on my prospective victim that Trixie had.”

Trixie. Hearing her name sent my head whirling, my thoughts and emotions racing once more at blinding speed, threatening to careen into each other in a bloody mess of a crash at any second. “Yeah,” I groused, “Pinkie didn’t deserve what Trixie did.”

“No. She didn’t.” Rarity blew a sigh out through her teeth. “Oh what am I saying. I shouldn’t have brought her up. I can tell how much the subject bothers you. Forgive me, please.”

“No, it’s fine, I wanted to talk about this anyway,” I said. Rarity waited patiently for me to begin. “So, I’m not sure how I feel. It makes me so angry that she thought I’d be okay with her killing someone for me… but at the same time, she’s my friend. I care about her, Rarity. She matters to me. And you heard what Twilight said about Adagio’s secret. If I’m okay with the fact that my girlfriend has killed someone before, why can’t I be okay with Trixie?”

Rarity took a few moments to think, humming softly as she let her chair perform its magic. “Trixie betrayed our trust,” she said. “I considered her a friend. Perhaps not the closest friend I’ve ever had, but a friend nevertheless. Whatever Miss Dazzle may or may not have done in the past, it doesn’t affect us, whereas Trixie’s betrayal did.” Her eyes flashed with scorn. “Assuming we can take that wretched Monoponi at his word, if she’d succeeded, most of us would be dead now. I don’t take kindly to people trying to kill me, nor my loved ones.”

“That’s understandable,” I replied, laying back on my own chair. “But it feels like there’s more to it than that. Like, if it was just that, I’d be able to cope. I could talk with her, I could deal with it. But every time I try, I become furious all over again, and I keep wondering if it’s even worth it.”

“I’m not sure it is,” Rarity said. Her chair let out a soft beep, indicating it was finished, so she stood, stretching out her limbs. “Shall we move on to the tables?”

I opened my eyes and sat up. “Yeah.”

We took a couple moments to disrobe behind the privacy curtain. I tried not to stare at Rarity’s gorgeous body as we laid down on our respective tables, and let the machines go to work. “The issue with Trixie is, if we ever get out of here alive, she’ll be going straight to prison. Possibly for life. So is it really worth worrying about it anymore?”

“That’s a big if, though,” I said, grunting as the machine pressed its pistons into my shoulder muscles. “I’m half convinced Monoponi’s just going to kill us all in the end, no matter what we do.”

“Maybe he will,” Rarity sighed, let out quiet little moans as the massage worked its way down her back. “But I’d rather not lose hope.” She adjusted her posture so she could look a bit more in my direction. “Now you have me curious. What did Adagio do? If it’s not an imposition to ask, I mean.”

“Uuuh… it wasn’t really her fault,” I answered, trying not to give away Adagio’s secret to yet another person. Applejack knowing was bad enough. “She said something to someone who then got into a fight, and died in the fight. Monoponi just made it look worse with the way he worded the secret.”

“Of course. He does have a habit of doing that,” Rarity groused. Her eyes shot open as the massage table worked out a particular kink in her lower back, then fluttered closed again. “He gave me Fluttershy’s secret, and the way he phrased it completely slut shamed the poor dear.”

I let out a quiet bark of laughter at hearing Rarity use the phrase slut shame. I knew I liked her for a reason. “How did it do that?”

“I’ll show you when we’re done,” Rarity answered, turning away to let the machine work on her neck. “Actually, come to think of it, why haven’t we shared the secrets we all got as a group yet? Monoponi said one of them pointed out the traitor. We never did find out who really had that secret.”

“We could always share them as a group tonight, at the evening meeting,” I suggested. “It’ll probably be embarrassing, but it might help us trust each other more?”

“Goodness knows we could use some more trust around here,” Rarity said, flashing me a pointed look.

“Sorry, again,” I replied, my cheeks flushing pink.

“Oh I’m just teasing you dear,” Rarity said with a laugh. “The truth is, I feel you’re the most trustworthy person here. You’ve saved our lives three times now, and despite a mistake or two, you always find the truth. I wish I had half your optimism, Sunset. I’d feel much better about life right now if I did.”

Optimism? Me? I don’t know about that. “Thanks, I think.” A thought occurred to me, so I added, “Rarity, do you mind if I ask for some advice? It’s about Adagio.”

“Oh!” Rarity’s eyes shot open and sparkled like twin sapphires. “By all means. Please, gossip away!”

I went over a few of the recent conversations I’d had with Adagio, deliberately leaving out any mention of her “siren diplomacy” with Applejack. “And I don’t know if she really meant she loved me, or… not.”

By now we’d finished with the tables, so Rarity has us leave them in favor of the mud bath. “Well, darling,” Rarity said as she carefully placed a couple of sliced cucumbers over her eyes, “in my professional opinion, as an expert in matters of love, I think Adagio is head over heels for you. And I can’t blame her! You’re quite the catch.”

“R-really? Are you sure?” I’d forgone the cucumbers, preferring to sit back and let the mud slosh all around me.

Rarity tittered, holding up one hand and letting it fall forward slowly. “I’m certain. You haven’t seen the way she looks at you, when you’re not watching. She can barely keep her eyes off you. And no, she’s not just staring at your derriere. Her expression teems with love, with adoration, with infatuation. I didn’t start noticing it till…”

She dropped her arms, slumping into the mud with wet splattering noises. Her voice drooped right along with the rest of her, solemn and glum. “Till after the second trial. Whenever I saw it, I kept wishing Applejack would look at me like that. Now I doubt she ever will.”

I reached out and patted her on the arm. “You still want to be with her, don’t you?”

“Yes. Damn that woman, but yes. More than ever, now that I know we were together once.” Rarity reached out and grabbed my hand in hers, holding it tight. “Monoponi stole our memories. He stole my sister from me. I won’t let him steal my life too. I want it back, Sunset. All of it, everything I had before all of… this.”

“Me too, Rarity,” I replied, feeling my heart sink with the prospect. It was already too late for so many of us. Even if we left now, with all our memories restored, our lives would be forever altered by what we’ve experienced. The trauma of surviving this alone, of the death we’ve witnessed, would haunt me to the end of my days. I’d be seventy years old and still waking up from nightmares over watching Timber or Sweetie or Twilight being executed.

But that didn’t mean I was going to give up. I refused to, damn it. I refused to let a sick monster like Monoponi win. If there was any justice in this world at all, we would make it out of here alive.

And we could ensure that by fostering trust amongst those of us who were left. So, with that in mind, I said, “If you want, I can try to talk to her. She might listen to me.”

Rarity blinked so hard the cucumbers popped off her face and fell into the mud with a plop. “Oh, would you, Sunset?” she said, a fresh twinkle coming to her eyes. “Please?”

“Definitely. I’ll talk to her tonight, after the evening meeting.”

Rarity threw out her arms, splattering mud everywhere as she embraced me in a wet, soggy hug. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!”

A bit of mud splashed into my mouth, causing me to cough and spit it out over Rarity’s shoulder. “S-sure, Rarity, you bet.”

We followed up the mud bath with a table shower, then a mani and pedi, finally finishing up after 4:00 PM. The experience left me feeling more refreshed and energized than I had in a good solid week. I didn’t want to ruin it by going to exercise, so I opted for the library instead. A good book would keep me interested for a couple of hours.

It was only after I sat down with a science fiction novel by one of my favorite authors that I realized I’d never actually figured out with Rarity how I felt about Adagio. Dang it. At least she cleared up the mystery of whether Adagio meant what she said or not. Ugh, why do I have to deal with this drama on top of everything else?

I decided to try not to focus on that, and focused on my book instead. I ended up maybe reading all of thirty pages by the time of the evening meeting, thanks to my distracted mind.

Once we met up I straight away made my suggestion of sharing the secrets we received, to foster trust. “I know these might be embarrassing or concerning,” I said, “but I honestly think sharing them will help us trust each other more.”

“You sure about that, sugarcube?” Applejack inquired, one side of her mouth curling up. “Y’all haven’t seen what Monoponi sent me. This is a mite worse than just embarrassin’.”

“Hey, I’m all for it,” Scootaloo said, sitting up straighter in her chair. “I’m tired of this stupid killing game. If we can find a way to trust each other, let’s do it!”

“Let’s put it to a vote, then,” Tiara said, jotting down some notes on her pad. “All in favor?” Scootaloo, myself, Rarity, Flash, and Tiara, and Adagio raised their hands. After a moment, so did Rainbow Dash. “Guess you’re outvoted. Sorry, Applejack,” Tiara said, managing, somehow, to keep any smarm out of her voice.

“Fine, fine, Ah can accept that,” Applejack grumbled. “Alright, which one of y’all’s gonna go first with this secret sharin’?”

“I will, since I brought it up.” I took a moment to share with them Trixie’s secret, and mentioned that I’d spoken to Trixie about it.

Applejack pursed her lips as she considered that. “Hmm. Ah guess that might explain a bit of why she is the way she is. Doesn’t justify what she did though.”

“I don’t think anyone said it would,” Scootaloo pointed out. “Anyway, here’s the one I’ve got. It’s about you, Flash, but… I wanna make sure you’re okay with me sharing it first.”

Flash blinked, arching both eyebrows as he took the pad from her and glanced at it. “Aw, man,” he groaned, rubbing the back of his head as his cheeks flushed. “I was hoping he wouldn’t find out about that.”

Scootaloo cringed, holding her fists to her chest. “Sorry! I’m sorry if you didn’t want anyone to find out.”

“No, no, it’s cool,” Flash said with a hesitant shrug. “Go ahead. It’ll look way worse if you don’t share, right?”

“Okay…” Scootaloo said, pressing her lips together. “Long as you’re sure.”

Monoponi’s Secrets!

FLASH SENTRY

“When Flash Sentry was a kid, he liked to wear his mom’s makeup and clothes, and pretend to be her around the house! As an adult, he still wears dresses sometimes, in the comfort of his own home.”

“Oh!” I said, blinking. “Huh. Neat.” I looked up at him, frowning. “I don’t want to assume anything, but does this mean you’re some flavor of nonbinary? Sorry if that’s something I shouldn’t be prying into.”

“Uuuh…” Flash chuckled, looking away from me. “Maybe? I don’t know? I’m still pretty sure I’m a dude, if that’s what you mean. I don’t talk about it a lot, cause it’s mostly just… private.”

Rainbow Dash clapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, you do you, man. Whatever makes you happy.”

I glanced at Applejack, but the farmer just shrugged. “What? Ah’ve got at least four or five cousins who’re trans. Ah ain’t gonna look down on someone for tryin’ to figure out who they are.”

Rarity’s eyes lit up with sparkles. “If you’d like, Flash, I’d be more than happy to sew you a new dress.”

Flash’s whole face turned beet red as he stared at the floor. “...maybe later,” he muttered.

“Very well,” Rarity replied, smiling warmly at him. Then her smile dimmed substantially. “In any event, I will go next. Mine… concerns someone no longer with us. Fluttershy.”

Monoponi’s Secrets!

FLUTTERSHY

“Fluttershy is a pure, innocent soul, untouched by the world’s evils. Or is she? Turns out, that little slut’s done porn! That’s right, she’s appeared as a model in adult magazines! Can you believe she’d fall to such depths of moral depravity? What else is she capable of?”

“What the hell?!” Rainbow Dash cried, slamming a fist on the table. “First of all, that’s none of anyone’s business! Second of all, how’d he even know about it?”

“Jeez, Rarity, you weren’t kidding when you said it slut shamed her,” I said, grimacing in disgust at Monoponi’s wording. “Who even cares if she did adult magazines. That was her choice.”

“Exactly!” Rainbow said. Her face crumbled into a saddened frown as she collapsed into her hands. “Ugh, Fluttershy… damn it, she didn’t deserve to die…”

Flash wrapped an arm around Rainbow’s shoulder in a gentle reassuring squeeze. “We know, Dash, we know.”

She glanced up at him, a brief smile showing through the cracks in her hands. “Thanks, bud.” Blowing a sigh out through her teeth, she set her hands down and retrieved her Monopad. “Alright, alright, I’ll go next. Applejack, uh, heads up by the way. This one’s about you.”

Monoponi’s Secrets!

APPLEJACK APPLE

“Applejack Apple. Proud, strong, and honest to the core. Or is she? Turns out Applejack does lie from time to time. Like the time she fudges her family’s taxes so they’d get a full refund. Or the time she used her skills with rope to steal from a convenience store. Not so honest after all, no siree.”

“Uuuuuh,” Applejack’s eyes darted back and forth as her mouth twisted up into a strange sort of pout. “Ah dunno what he’s talkin’ about.”

“Tax fraud, huh?” Tiara snickered. “Well, guess that’s something our families have in common!”

Applejack glared daggers at the elitist. “Our families aren’t alike at all! Don’t you compare ‘em! My family works hard all the time to try and stay afloat. Not my fault if the government raised our taxes too much last year.”

“Oh, no, you’re right,” Tiara said, her amusement disappearing. “That was my mom’s. I’m sorry.”

“You… what?” Applejack’s jaw dropped. “You’re… you’re actually apologizin’? To me?”

“Well, yeah,” Tiara replied with a shrug. “I told you, Applejack, I’m trying to be a better person, okay? I know you don’t believe me, but it’s true!”

“Huh.” Applejack sat back in her chair, lost in thought, and didn’t say another word, not even when Rainbow asked her what the convenience store robbery was about.

“So I guess I’ll go next,” Flash said. His voice was still hoarse and rough, like a blender gargling chunks of gravel. He pulled out his Monopad slowly, wincing as he did so. “Rarity, this one’s about you.”

Rarity sat up straight in her chair. “Go ahead, darling. I’m ready for whatever slander he’s throwing my way.”

Monoponi’s Secrets!

RARITY BELLE

“Rarity Belle, a generous soul, self-described as chic, unique, and magnifique! But beneath her crafted exterior beats the heart of a selfish savage. Why, she once beat a man half to death, just because he didn’t like the suit she crafted for him, and then sued him for all he was worth.”

“Ah. I thought he might’ve picked that incident,” Rarity sniffed, shaking her head in bemusement. “Of course, he’s completely misrepresenting it. That man didn’t just dislike the suit I made him, he assaulted me. If I hadn’t defended myself, he would’ve killed me. Or worse. I’ve dealt with many awful customers in my line of work, but he was truly the worst.”

“I figured,” Flash replied, setting his Monopad down. “Sorry you had to deal with that.”

Rarity chuckled, laying her elbow down on the table so she could support her head on her hand. “I’m not. That lawsuit paid for most of my mortgage on my shop. In the end, it worked out in my favor. Though I suppose I was lucky. I think the only reason I wasn’t given assault charges by the police was that I knew… someone.” She placed her other hand on her forehead. “I can’t remember who.”

That sparked something in my brain. I felt like I should know someone like that too, someone… for an instant, just the briefest of instances, I saw an image flash in my mind. Someone tall, white skin, blue hair. And then the image was gone, the world around me rushing back like a freight train plowing into my brain. I cried out as pain rippled its way through my head, and slipped out of my chair, nearly cracking my head on the table.

Adagio was on her feet in an instant, a hand at my shoulder. “Sunset, are you alright?”

“Are you hurt, darling?” said Rarity, at my other shoulder.

“M’fine. Head hurts,” I muttered, reaching out and using their outstretched hands to climb to my feet. I stumbled as a spell of dizziness washed through me, then managed to find my way to my seat. “Don’t worry about me. I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?” Adagio asked, arching a doubtful eyebrow at me. “People don’t just fall out of their chairs like that.”

“I tried to remember something Monoponi erased,” I answered, massaging my temples. “Been happening ever since we woke up on this ship.”

“Seriously?” Scootaloo said, holding up a hand in confusion. “I get headaches if I try to remember something too hard, but it’s never knocked me out of my chair.”

“Yeah, me neither,” Rainbow Dash seconded.

“Or me,” Tiara thirded, glaring at me in confusion.

I blinked owlishly. “Wait, this doesn’t happen to any of you? Just me?” Nods all around confirmed my suspicion. “Well that’s weird.”

“Anyhow,” Applejack said, abruptly rejoining the conversation, “Ah guess it’s my turn to share.” She slid her Monopad out for us all to see.

Monoponi’s Secrets!

DIAMOND TIARA

“Diamond Tiara, the scion of the Rich family. A known coward and a liar, Diamond Tiara once tricked a fellow student at her high school into committing suicide, then used her daddy’s money to hush up his family so they wouldn’t talk. Better not trust her as far as you can throw her, because who knows what lies she’ll tell you?”

“This is why Ah don’t trust you, Tiara, cause Ah saw this.”

“Oh damn,” I breathed, gaping at Diamond Tiara. “This isn’t the secret you told me!”

“That…” Tiara’s mouth fell open, a haunted look in her eyes. “It wasn’t my fault. Daddy told me it wasn’t my fault. I didn’t trick him. We were making out at the scenic overlook, near the observatory on Mount Canter, and I tripped on my shoelaces. I fell, he tried to grab me, and went over the railing.” Tears filled her eyes. “He fell screaming until his body smashed apart on the rocks.”

Applejack’s eyes narrowed into slits as she took that in. “Hmmm…”

“And my Daddy didn’t give his family ‘hush money,’” she continued, her tears flash boiling in her sudden fury, “he paid for the funeral and for the family to have enough to live comfortably for the rest of their lives, as an apology.”

“Money don’t replace lost family, Tiara,” Applejack retorted.

“You think I don’t know that?” Tiara shouted, slamming her open palms on the table as she stood up. “You think I don’t know money doesn’t solve everything? Because I do! I do, god damn it!”

Rarity shot up out of her chair and put herself between Tiara and Applejack. “Now now, let’s try and calm down here. No one’s blaming you for making a mistake, Diamond.”

“And there you go again, defendin’ Diamond Tiara,” Applejack yelled as she too got to her feet, glaring at Rarity square in the eyes. “Just like rich folk to stick up for other rich folk, huh?”

“Would you stop making this about money?!” Rarity screeched, all sense of her usual demeanour forgotten. Her accent slipped a tad as she spoke, falling into something closer to a Whinneyweagan. “Diamond Tiara is a person, not a dollar sign! She just spilled her heart and soul to us, and all you can do is continue to take that damned Monoponi at his word!”

Applejack snorted, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “Well why shouldn’t Ah take him at his word? It ain’t like he’s wrong! Diamond Tiara’s been nothin’ but a low-down sneak ever since we woke up on this boat! She won’t stop lookin’ down on me just ‘cause Ah’m a farmer. Why should Ah stop lookin’ down on her for bein’ a rich bitch?”

Everything happened at once. Diamond Tiara let out a furious roar as she tackled Applejack, punching her across the face. Applejack in turn took barely a second to respond, shrugging off Tiara’s blows like they were nothing and flipping the woman off her and onto the table. The table collapsed, its legs breaking out from under it as Applejack descended upon Tiara, landing a solid punch to her jaw that sent at least one tooth flying. Rarity shrieked something that might’ve been Applejack’s name as she fell upon them, ripping Applejack off Tiara with one single pull of her arms and then hitting the farmer in the face with a palm strike, knocking her back to the ground.

Applejack held a hand up to her bleeding, broken nose, spat out a glob of blood, then leapt to her feet and charged at Rarity. Adagio, Rainbow and I leapt into action at this point, grabbing for Applejack together while Scootaloo and Flash tried to restrain Rarity, who fortunately cooperated without much of a fuss. Applejack, however, elbowed me in the gut, sending me reeling to the ground, filling my vision with stars. As I fell, I heard Adagio hiss like a madwoman, and Applejack scream in pain. I couldn’t process anything else as I fell unconscious for a moment or two.

When I came too, Applejack was bleeding not just from a broken nose, but from some sort of bite wound on her left arm, which hung loosely at her side as she clung to it with her other arm. She stood there heaving, staring wide eyed at Adagio, who was wiping blood off her mouth. “I warned you, Applejack,” Adagio growled, the blood spatter on her mouth plus her visible fangs giving off the impression I was looking at a vampire. “Don’t you ever lay a hand on Sunset again.”

Applejack worked her jaw, glancing between us and Tiara, who was being tended to by Rarity and Scootaloo. “B-but she started it!” she shouted, pointing at the prone Tiara.

“And I finished it,” Adagio shot back as she reached into her pocket and brought out her knife, holding it upside down by the hilt like she was preparing to stab the farmer in the heart. “Final warning.”

Snorting in disgust and then coughing due to the blood that splattered as a result, Applejack spun on her heels and stomped off the promenade, heading for her cabin. As soon as she turned to leave Adagio stuffed the knife in her pocket and was on her knees, checking on me. “Sunset, how bad is it?”

“Not so bad now,” I moaned, using Adagio’s shoulder as support to stand. “Just knocked the wind out of me. I’ll be okay.” I rubbed at my aching stomach, reminding myself to go pop some pain pills as soon as I got a chance. “How’s Tiara and Rarity?”

“I’m perfectly fine, darling,” Rarity growled, her accent firmly back in place. “As for Tiara, she’s… not. I suspect the poor dear could benefit from a visit to a dentist. Or the emergency room.”

I glance down to see Tiara holding a hand to her jaw, spitting out blood every so often into a cup Scootaloo had grabbed for her. She looked up at me, and as she spoke, I saw she was missing at least a couple of teeth. “Wash my fault. I shouldn’t have--”

“No, Diamond, it was not your fault,” Rarity cut her off, fierce anger burning in her eyes. “It was Applejack, once again making a complete ass of herself. We should get you cleaned up. Can you stand? I can escort you to the bathroom.”

“I’ll help,” Scootaloo said, offering a hand out. Between the two of them, they managed to get Tiara to her feet, and carefully carried to the promenade bathroom.

Rainbow Dash watched them leave, then looked at me. “So, uh, I guess the meeting’s over now?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I’d say so. Jeez, guys, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“Hey, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Dash shrugged. “Something like that was bound to happen. Applejack and Tiara hate each other’s guts so much, I wouldn’t be surprised if either of them tried to kill the other.”

“Oh god I hope not,” Flash groaned, falling back into his chair. Despite his lack of involvement he looked exhausted by the whole affair, the bags under his eyes having tripled. “I don’t have the energy to put up with this anymore.”

“Are you alright, Flash?” I asked. “You look like a raccoon, you’re so tired.”

“I feel like one too. Like garbage,” he chuckled. “I’m just tired though. I think I’m gonna get some sleep. Dash, you wanna meet up in the morning, go race some karts?”

“You better believe it, buddy!” Dash replied, flashing him a double thumbs up. “Take it easy.”

He waved, then walked off towards his cabin. After a moment of dithering Rainbow Dash made a beeline towards the game corner, leaving Adagio and me by ourselves. I turned to her straight away, and said, “You didn’t hurt your teeth biting her, did you?”

“No,” Adagio groused, wiping the last of the blood from her chin. “I shouldn’t’ve done that, but when she hit you, I… reacted.”

“Hey, it’s okay, I’m not mad,” I said, reaching out to invite her into a hug. After a moment, she accepted it, melding into my embrace. “You were just trying to stop the fight.”

“Still…”

I withdrew just enough so I could look her in the eye. “Let’s go back to my cabin, okay?” I didn’t wait for an answer, walking off while holding onto her hand. Fortunately she didn’t make me drag her.

We reached my cabin in a hurry, and I closed and locked the door, then sat down with her on the bed. Adagio leaned into me straight away, nuzzling into my shoulder like a cat. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she murmured.

“Me too,” I said with a quiet laugh. I stroked her cheek lovingly with my hand, and this time she didn’t recoil. She murmured under her breath and nuzzled into me further. “It’s nice to know I’ve got someone so ready to defend me. Makes me feel… loved.”

Adagio’s eyes shot open as she sat up, looking at me with uncertainty all over her face. She bit at her lower lip, her hands clenching and unclenching. “Don’t be stupid,” she said, though her heart wasn’t her harsh words.

I set a hand on her shoulder and patted her gently. “Adagio, I asked Rarity for advice earlier. She told me that she’s seen the way you look at me. It’s okay. If you feel it, you can say it. I won’t mind.”

Adagio looked away, one fist lashing out to beat the mattress. “This isn’t easy,” she groused. “I’m a siren, damn it. I’ve never felt this way before, about anyone. I don’t know how to handle it.”

“Well, the easiest way, I find,” I said, reaching up to set a hand on her chin, gently turning her head to face me. “Is to just say it, and see what happens.”

“Grgh,” Adagio muttered, closing her eyes. She took several deep breaths, then opened them. “Alright. Sunset, I… I love you. There. I said it, okay?”

It had been one thing to hear her say it by accident. It had been one thing to hear it second-hand, from the observations of a third party. In both cases, I wasn’t sure how I felt. I was left confused, adrift, uncertain.

But now? Now that I heard it straight from the siren’s mouth? My emotions were one hundred percent crystal clear.

I leaned forward to kiss her, planting my lips on hers for several long, slow moments. “I love you too, Adagio.”

Author's Note

So, yes, the secrets. They finally got around to sharing them. Before anyone asks: no, the one Trixie has isn't important. She doesn't know who the traitor is either. In my notes I believe I ascribed her Apple Bloom's secret and it was something fairly innocent, relatively speaking.

Flash's secret may seem like an odd choice, but it feels like something he would do. He's not trans, at least not in this interpretation. He's just a guy who likes to wear dresses. Dudes ought to be able to wear 'em if they want.

Diamond's secret being different here is deliberate. I considered, for a bit, making it be the same one she shared with Sunset, but I decided not to for threereasons. One, being the kind of person she is, she has a lot of secrets. Two, I didn't want it to be repetitive for the reader. Three, I wanted her to have guessed incorrectly as to what her secret was.

Pony Shy having done modeling, I could see Human Shy doing it too, and adult magazines do pay well. And just like Pony Shy, Human Shy would have regretted it, and buried that as a part of her past she never wanted to touch again. Also, in case anyone is worried: it was the equivalent of Playboy. So, lingerie without a top. Nothing more.

Rarity's is based upon something that happened to a cousin of mine, who was assaulted in her own home because the person didn't care for what she made him, despite her making it to the letter of the instructions he gave. And like Rarity, my cousin successfully sued the asshole for all he was worth.

Applejack's was a hard one, because what she does is deliberately dishonest, but something I could see her doing, if the system refuses to work with her. She'd hate it, but she'd hold her nose and swallow it anyway like the bitter pill it would be.

Chapter Four: Passing in the Night Part 3

Chapter Four:
Passing in the Night
Daily Life Part 3

DING-DONG BING-BONG

I awoke to the sound of the morning announcement, buried in a sea of orange curls. I dug my way out and sat up, wincing and clutching my aching stomach. Applejack’s elbow had reopened the bruises I’d been dealt there before, and added a nasty new one to the mix. I guess I should feel lucky she didn’t break any ribs. She sure hit me hard enough to do it, jeez.

Adagio murmured something as she sat up in bed, wrapped her arms around me, and pulled me back down, peppering the back of my neck with kisses. “No, don’t get up,” she mumbled. She ran her hands up and down my body. “Stay.”

A ripple of laughter ran through me as I snuggled into her embrace. “Okay. I can stay a little longer. But they’ll be waiting for us at the meeting.”

“Screw the meeting,” Adagio mumbled, waving a hand limply in the direction of the door. “‘S stupid.”

Before I could respond, there was a sharp knock at the door, and an insistent bleep at my Monopad. “Sunset? You in there?” Applejack’s voice came through the door. “Ah want to talk to you.”

“I’mma kill her,” Adagio grumbled as she sat up, her hands twisted into claws.

“No, no, no killing,” I said with a laugh, patting her down. “Just lay down. I’ll handle this.”

I drew a robe around my naked body then opened the door, just enough to see Applejack standing there. “What is it, Applejack?”

“Uh…” Applejack’s eyes strayed down to my robe, then widened dramatically. I glanced down and grimaced, wrapping the robe tighter so my boobs didn’t poke out. “Sorry, Ah didn’t realize you, uh, weren’t dressed.”

“What is it, Applejack?” I repeated insistently.

Applejack stood up straighter, nodding. “Listen, Ah wanted to apologize for hittin’ you last night. Ah shouldn’t have done that, and Ah’m sorry.”

I frowned, raised my eyebrows, then nodded. “Alright. Apology accepted. Actually, do you mind waiting a minute while I get dressed? There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about anyway.”

“Uh. sure Ah guess.”

I closed the door behind me, doffed the robe, then rummaged for a set of spare clothes in the closet. “What’re you doing?” Adagio asked, raising her head just enough to look my way.

“I need to talk to Applejack about something. I’ll be back soon,” I said, smiling at her. Adagio’s adorable when she acts like this. She’s become a total softy. "Oh, and don't forget, I made you a key, in case you need to leave while I'm gone. It's on the table."

"Mmrgh. Thanks." The siren slumped onto the bed, and snores arose very quickly. I wore her out last night, didn’t I?

Making sure to lock the door behind me, I left the cabin and asked Applejack to follow me to the outdoor lounge. Thanks to a day of sunshine, the deck had dried up entirely, as had the chairs, leaving us with plenty of seating. We sat down together near the bar, facing the ocean waves. “First off, how’s your arm?” I asked her.

Applejack rolled back her sleeve, showing me the fresh bandage she’d wrapped around the bite wound. “Not bad. Could be worse Ah guess. Ah deserved it, too, bein’ a complete moron like Ah was last night.”

“Yeah, not gonna lie, Applejack,” I replied, “but you were kind of a jerk. Like, a big jerk.”

Applejack sighed, bowing her head. Her ponytail slipped down into her face. “Ah know Ah was. And Ah’m sorry, Ah am. And you don’t gotta worry, Ah ain’t gonna spill Adagio’s secret neither.” She looked up at me and trembled. “She’s, uh, quite the interestin’ woman, ain’t she?”

I took in her expression and snickered. “Should I be worried?”

As I expected, the farmer’s cheeks turned beet red from embarrassment as she pulled her hat down around her face. “N-no, A-Ah’m not gonna---no! Landsakes, no!”

“Relax, Applejack, I’m just kidding,” I laughed. I stood up to poke my head behind the bar, and found us a pair of water bottles in one of the small fridges under the counter. I handed one to her. “Here.”

Applejack fixed her hat back in place. “Oh, thank you,” she said, popping off the cap and taking a long swig. “Ah was a mite parched.”

“Anyway,” I said, after taking a drink from my own bottle, “there’s someone else who has her eye on you. And she asked me to talk to you about it. You know who I mean.”

Applejack tensed up, her lips thinning. “Rarity,” she grunted.

“Yup,” I replied. “Rarity. She likes you. She wants to be with you. And you keep doing things to upset her.”

The farmer set her bottle down and leaned forward, eyeing me from under the brim of her hat. “Ah’m not sure how much of this is really your business, but Ah guess if she asked you to talk to me, least Ah can do is listen.”

“Okay.” I set my own bottle down and joined her in leaning forward. “Here’s the thing, then: you and I both know from that picture we found that you and Rarity were married prior to this whole killing game. That means you two loved each other, before your memories were stolen. And I saw the way you two interacted after the second trial. You clicked, like that.” I snapped my fingers for emphasis. “So why the hell are you letting Diamond Tiara get in the way?”

Applejack’s eyes flashed with ire. “Because that damned Tiara’s word ain’t worth a hill of beans. She’s everythin’ Ah despise: a rich, entitled little piece of work that ain’t ever worked a day in her life, had everythin’ handed to her on a silver platter, and then acts like she’s better than me because of it. Ah worked for what Ah have. Hard. Farmin’s not easy. It’s respectable, honest work, and Ah just can’t stand the type of person that looks down on that.”

“Applejack,” I said, after taking a moment to choose my words, “If we were having this conversation right after the second trial? I’d agree with you. Because I’ve seen ponies like Tiara back in Equestria. All high and mighty aristocrats who think being born into money and power makes them more important, more valuable, with more rights than the rest of us. But you didn’t have the heart to heart that I did with Tiara, the night Fluttershy died. You haven’t seen the way she’s been trying to change. You’re too busy seeing what you want to see to notice it.”

I sat back so I could take another drink of water, then sat forward again. “I know the secret Monoponi had for her sounds convincing. But you can’t let him manipulate you. You know he twists words around. You saw the way he phrased some of the other secrets we had. You saw the way he manipulated us into… into letting him execute Twilight. So what’re you going to trust more? Your own senses, or Monoponi?”

“Ah’m gonna trust myself!” Applejack thundered, clapping herself on the chest with her fist. “Ah ain’t gonna trust that Monoponi at all.”

“Exactly. So why don’t you turn that honesty sense of yours on Tiara, at the morning meeting, and tell me what you really see.” I looked her square in the eye, resolute and firm. “I’m not asking you to be best friends with Tiara. You don’t even have to like her. But I don’t want you to let her stand between you and the relationship you can have with Rarity. Especially since you never know when you might lose your chance. For good.”

Applejack heaved a massive sigh, and sat back in her own chair. “You know,” she said, “if we weren’t in this damn killin’ game, Ah’d be tempted to pop you one for tellin’ me what to do with my love life. Ah’m still tempted. Ah don’t like bein’ told what to do.”

Gee, I hadn’t noticed. “I get it. I’m only saying this because Rarity asked me to.”

“Ah know that,” Applejack said, waving it off. “And Ah do appreciate the thought behind it.” She frowned, running a finger on the brim of her hat. “And you know, Ah was just thinkin’ about what Apple Bloom’d tell me to do, if… if she was still here. Ah think she’d say the same thing you’re sayin’.” She took a shuddering breath, wiping at a single tear on the edge of her eye. “So Ah’ll do it. Ah’ll give it a shot. And if it turns out you’re right… Ah’ll apologize. To everyone.”

I smiled, and stood, holding out a hand to shake. Applejack took it in both of hers. “Thank you, Applejack. It’s all I ask.”

With a firm nod and firmer handshake, Applejack left the lounge, heading for the cabins. After a moment, I followed so I could collect my wayward lover.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long before we arrived at the morning meeting, though I’d had to fetch Adagio a good size coffee to go with her breakfast. I watched warily as Applejack sat down at the far end of the table from Tiara and Rarity, both of whom fired glares her way. Tiara especially, wincing in pain every so often despite her plateful of soft foods.

Meanwhile, Tiara wasn’t the only one who looked like hell. Flash looked no better than he had the previous night. If anything, he was worse, wearing a large arctic coat rather than his usual jacket, shivering every so often as he cradled a hot cup of coffee in one hand, and a bowl of soup in the other. Dark purple etched lines under his eyes like wrinkles in a sheet, and a large splotch of purple and dark green on his forehead showed he’d hit it at some point, leaving a nasty bruise. “H-hey,” he said, smiling weakly at me. “Dash and I’re gonna race some go-karts today. You wanna join us?”

“Uh, you sure you’re up for that, dude?” Rainbow Dash asked, arching an eyebrow at him over her plate of eggs. “You don’t look so hot.”

Flash grimaced, rolling his eyes. “I’m fine. I’m just a bit cold and tired. Nothing some coffee won’t fix.” He glanced over at me. “So whaddya say, Sunset?”

“Sure, sounds fun,” I grinned. “I’m gonna warn you now though, I’ll probably smoke you. I own a motorcycle and I drive that thing hard.”

“Uh huh. Sure,” Rainbow Dash replied with a smug smirk. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Ahem,” Tiara cleared her throat, tapping a spoon to her glass. “I have something I need to say.”

We all quieted down and waited patiently for Tiara to speak. I was more than a little afraid she was about to backslide, that everything I’d said to Applejack would be for naught. I shouldn’t have worried, because the first thing Tiara did was turn to Applejack and say, “I’m sorry I hit you. I overreacted, and my personal feelings are no excuse for my actions. I apologize.”

I watched Applejack carefully evaluate Tiara. For once, the hatred and disdain were absent from her expression. Her scrutinizing was free of judgement. Sudden comprehension dawned in her eyes, along with more than a little bit of shame. To my shocked delight, she stood up, walked over to Tiara, and put out her hand. “Apology accepted, Diamond Tiara. Ah’m sorry for hittin’ you back. If there’s anythin’ Ah can do to help you, you let me know, alright?”

“Wow,” Adagio whispered, looking at me in utter shock. “What did you do?”

I sat back in my chair and tucked my hands behind my head, grinning like a loon as Tiara quietly shook Applejack’s hand and said, “Likewise.”

I flashed Adagio a pointed look. She grimaced, grunted in exasperation, then muttered, “I’m sorry I bit you,” between clenched teeth.

The farmer gave her a firm nod. “Ah accept your apology too.” Applejack immediately turned to Rarity, and tucked her arms behind her back. “And Ah’m sorry for the way Ah’ve talked to you, Rarity. Ah’ve been a real horse’s ass, and Ah’ll try to do whatever Ah can to make up for it.”

Rarity bit her lower lip, glancing back and forth between me and Applejack. “You know,” she said, “before last night, there was nothing I wanted to hear more. After last night, though…” She sighed, stepped forward, and embraced the farmer. “All right. I’ll give you one chance. One last chance. But that’s it. If you do anything terrible like you did last night, I won’t forgive you again.”

Applejack wrapped her arms around Rarity, one hand limply stroking at Rarity’s back. “Ah, uh, Ah won’t. Ah promise.”

“Aww, they’re getting along again,” Scootaloo said, holding her hands to her cheek and giggling. “That’s awesome.”

"If you say so kid," Rainbow Dash said, sticking out her tongue. "Bleh." She looked around the room a few times, as if trying to figure out how to change the subject, then her gaze settled on Tiara. "Hey, wait a sec. Tiara, you never shared the secret you were given. We didn't get the chance."

"I didn't?" Tiara said, caught off guard. She glanced momentarily at Applejack and winced, then shrugged. "Okay. I've got Scootaloo's."

"Uh oh," I heard Scootaloo mumble. She set a hand to her forehead and sighed. "Great, what's he got on me?"

Monoponi’s Secrets!

SCOOTALOO

“Scootaloo likes to pretend she's an innocent, friendly kid, but the Canterlot police know otherwise! She's a public menace, and has vandalized storefronts and schools all over the city! Gateway crime, if you ask your Captain!”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes, hard. "Really. That's what he went with?"

"Ah'm guessin' it weren't that simple," Applejack said.

The younger woman's face bloomed with pink as she looked away. "Well, it is and isn't. I like riding scooters, and when I was in high school I used to do stunts with them. I kinda sorta maybe accidentally crashed into a store or two when doing one in the mall. And maybe I... spray painted some graffiti on my high school gym wall." She groaned, her face falling into her hands. "It was so stupid. I did it on a dare. I don't even remember who dared me to do it!"

"Wait, what kind of graffiti are we talking about here?" I asked, leaning forward.

"Nothing bad!" Scootaloo protested. "It was a... a..." She blushed harder and hid her face in her arms, then in a muffled voice said, "It was a self-portrait of me on my scooter, okay?"

Rainbow Dash broke into laughter. "Bwahaha, that's awesome! I wish I could've seen it!"

"Me too," Applejack snickered. "Ah can't say Ah approve of taggin' a school gym, but Ah guess there's worse things you could've done."

I managed to hold my own laughter down to a slight chuckle. "She's right, Scootaloo. It's not like you were writing racial slurs or something."

"Holy shit no, I would never," Scootaloo said, cringing. "If anything, I'd do the exact opposite. Spray anti-racist stuff, I mean."

"Good girl." Resting my hand on my chin, I continued, "So, I guess that's everyone's secret here except for yours, Dash."

Rainbow momentarily paled before laughing it off. "Hehe, n-not like it matters, right? Who cares what stupid shit Monoponi's got on me anyway?"

"I sure don't," Scootaloo said with a nod. She whirled on Dash. “Hey, Rainbow Dash, mind if I join you, Flash, and Sunset on the karts?”

“Heck yeah! The more the better!” Dash whooped, clapping a hand on Scootaloo’s shoulder, accidentally knocking the younger woman’s face into her bowl of cereal. “Heheh, whoops, sorry.”

“I think I’ll join, if you don’t mind,” Adagio said, favoring me with a calculating look. “It sounds fun.”

“Sweet,” Dash said. “Anyone else? We got room for one more!”

Tiara shook her head. “I would, but, uh…” she pointed at her mouth and cringed. “Still hurts too much.”

“I’d like to spend some quality time with Applejack, if you don’t mind,” Rarity said, smiling halfheartedly at the farmer.

“Alright, that’s cool. Soon as we’re done here, we’ll get these races started!”

I returned to eating my breakfast, now eager to finish. Everyone’s getting along for once. It was a bit rocky there last night, but it looks like we might just be coming closer together as a group. It’s the magic of friendship. Nothing’s going to mess with it now.

DING-DONG BING-BONG

Of course, I just had to tempt fate, didn’t it?

The screens switched on with a buzz of static, revealing Monoponi lounging back in his chair, sipping at his snifter of brandy. “Goooood morning, my lovely passengers! I know you’ve got a big day planned ahead of you, but I just couldn’t wait any longer to debut my newest fun little activity for you all! Please assemble on the bridge deck. Remember, participation is mandatory, upupupupu!”

“Great,” Diamond Tiara moaned, doubling over at the waist. “Now I have to go get Trixie.” She held a hand to her aching jaw and grunted.

“No, let me do it,” I said, stepping forward. “You go ahead to the bridge deck. I can get her.”

“You sure about that, sugarcube?” Applejack inquired, arching an eyebrow. “Last Ah checked, you were mighty pissed at her.”

Rarity’s lips curled up into a concerned pout. “Indeed, darling, are you certain that’s a good idea?”

No. “Yes,” I answered. I held out my hand expectantly. I had the backup key on me, but I didn’t want Tiara to know about it.

Tiara handed over the key without further protest. “Yeah, sure, take it. Mrrgh.” She spun on her heel and strode slowly towards the bridge deck, holding her jaw all the while.

As the others followed, Adagio slipped up behind me, joining me on the way to the cabins. “I’m not letting you do this alone,” she said. “Or else you might do something you’ll regret.”

“I’m not going to kill her, Adagio,” I murmured. “To be honest, I want the chance to talk to her. That’s why I volunteered.”

Adagio’s upper lip curled upside down, wrinkling her nose. “Talk to her? What for? What’s there to say?”

I sighed, and stopped just before we reached Trixie’s sealed door. I pointed to my heart. “Because I’ve got a lot I need to process with this, okay? She killed Pinkie Pie because of me. And I was already feeling guilty over suggesting Fluttershy take Pinkie into the jewelry shop. Then I told Pinkie to go speak to Rainbow Dash. I know it’s not my fault, but it feels like it was my fault.” I closed my eyes and bowed my head, closing my hand into a fist and holding it against my breast. “Every time I think about Trixie, I explode with anger all over again. Until I talk this out with her, I won’t be able to deal with it. I need to do this for me. So as soon as we’re done with Monoponi, I’m coming back here with her, and I’m talking to her. Alone.”

Adagio stared at me, eyes full of doubt and uncertainty. She pursed her lips as she considered what I had to say. Finally, she reached into her pocket, pulled out her knife, then flipped it around, holding the hilt up to me. “Take this, then. Just in case.”

I glared at the knife. “I said I wasn’t going to kill her.”

Adagio forced the knife into my hand. “I won’t let you do this without something to defend yourself with.” Her lips curled into a small smile. “And you never know. Maybe we’ll be lucky, and she’ll put herself out of our misery with it.”

“That’s not funny,” I growled as I shoved the knife into my jacket’s inside pocket.

She recoiled, frowning at herself. “Sorry.”

I turned to Trixie’s door, pulled out the key Tiara gave me, and knocked on the door before unlocking it. “Trixie, we’ve come to get you out,” I called, before slowly unlocking and opening the door.

Trixie was waiting for us, standing on her crutches. The stump of her right leg poked just outside of her skirt, looking smooth and unblemished, thanks to the wonders of healing magic, of course. Now that I was actually taking the time to look at her and not just get angry because I spotted her, I noticed her clothes were sweat-stained and gross, her hair matted and unbrushed, with tons of tangles. Her overall complexion was pale, waxy, and gaunt. She had bags under her eyes that challenged Flash’s for supremacy, and held herself weakly, like she had little energy. Small wonder too, judging by the trays of mostly untouched food stacked on the cabin’s dresser. She’d been given regular meals by Tiara since we’d locked her up, so she had plenty of opportunity to eat.

I sighed, not sure whether I felt sorry for her, angry at her foolishly starving herself when she’d lost so much blood the other day, and no small amount of disturbingly cruel satisfaction at her suffering. I settled for shaking my head, and waving out the door. “Come on, Trixie.”

“I’m coming,” she mumbled, her voice rasping and gravelly, like someone who’d barely touched a cup of water in days. I need to fix that. The water and the food, when I talk to her.

As I watched her slowly exit the room, I also realized something else I hadn’t noticed before: ever since the trial, she hadn’t once referred to herself in the third person. Always first person pronouns. Like she didn’t care about throwing up her shield anymore. Which she probably doesn’t. God, she really is ashamed of herself, isn’t she?

I followed Trixie out of the room, observing Adagio’s reaction to the former illusionist. The siren’s lips curled up in a gross sneer, her sparkling amethyst eyes flashing wildly, like she was trying to inflict whatever barest remnants of her magic she held upon Trixie like it was a weapon. I was suddenly very glad she’d handed me the knife after all.

We were the last to arrive on the bridge deck, of course. Monoponi awaited us patiently, all happy smiles without a hint of his usual jagged teeth. “Good, good, you’re here. Thank you all sooo much for coming!” he said, injecting a good heaping of parental pride into his tone, like some kind of schoolteacher.

Instantly I was on alert. “Thank you for inviting us,” I managed to mutter, sounding not entirely ungrateful. I’ll play along. For a bit. I tried to ignore the look of sheer disbelief Adagio fired my way.

“My goodness! So polite! So sincere!” Monoponi cheered. “Oh it makes me happy to see my passengers being kind and caring. Look at you all, getting along so well. Except… oh no! What’s this?!” He teleported off the balcony and directly in front of Tiara, who yelped and threw herself backwards only to be caught by Monoponi’s magic. “You’re hurt! Well we can’t have that, can we?”

Tiara screamed, her eyes widening to the size of dinner plates as Monoponi’s magic took hold of her mouth, forcing open her jaw to probe inside. Her screams died off into confused mumblings as his magic withdrew. She poked at her jaw several times with her finger. “My teeth!” she said. “They’re back!”

“Well of course! We can’t have you walking around unable to eat anything other than yogurt and mashed potatoes. That’d just be pathetic!” Monoponi grinned cheekily.

“Yeah, it would be, I guess,” Tiara replied, still poking at her teeth. “Thanks. I think.”

“Miss Applejack!” Monoponi called out. His magic swirled around his horn and lanced out, engulfing her arm and nose. “We can’t have you with a bite wound. That’s just unsanitary. And no one likes a broken nose.”

The bandage slipped off her arm, showing nary a blemish or scratch. Applejack frowned, her brow creasing. “Uh, thanks?”

Monoponi turned his attention to me. “Don’t think I forgot you, Sunset! I know you took a blow to the stomach. We can’t have you being in pain.” His magic coursed through me, a soothing trickle like being immersed in a warm bath with oil being massaged into my muscles, classical healing magic. Strong, too, because most healing magic didn’t heal instantly like this, or else ponies wouldn’t need hospitals. Where does he get the power from? Princess Celestia would find some of these spells difficult!

Trixie leaned onto one of her crutches and held up the other. “Can you fix my leg too?” she asked.

Monoponi burst into laughter, waving his forehoof at her. “Oh, Trixie, you’re such a kidder. You know I can’t do that. That was a punishment for failing to get along. No reversing punishments now!” He held his forehooves to his mouth, using his wings to stay on his hind legs. “I’m glad you’re all doing so well together. It worries me when my passengers don’t get along. You’re all supposed to be enjoying this ocean voyage, gosh darn it, and by golly you’re gonna!”

“What the hell are you doing?” I blurted out, despite my previous intent to play along. “You can’t seriously believe we’re going to buy this act. Or are you just doing this because no one rose to your bait yesterday?”

Monoponi dropped to his forehooves and glared at me. “Sunset, you should learn to be a bit more grateful. I just did you a favor.”

“You’re also keeping us trapped here and forcing us to murder each other,” I pointed out, crossing my arms over my chest. “No one’s going to fall for your Stockholm syndrome bullshit.”

Monoponi frowned deeply, pursing his lips. He sighed, bowed his head, then trotted over to me, getting right up in my face. “Sunset. I have put up with your interference time and again. Every time I try to make things more exciting and fun, you have to be a complete stick in the mud and ruin it.” He reached up and set a hoof on my shoulder, sending a pulse of tension roiling through me. Don’t push it away don’t push it away if you push it he’ll take it as an attack and kill you don’t push it away don’t push it away.

“Take it from a friend, Sunset: if you learn how to get along with others, you’ll be much better off in life. I thought you might’ve finally learned that, with how you negotiated the peace between Applejack and Diamond Tiara. But I see you still have a ways to go.” He reached up his other hoof and actually hugged me he was hugging me he's warm and fluffy and gross oh god get off of me you sick bastard! “But I believe in you. I know you can do it!”

He released me, and flashed back up to his balcony, leaving me shivering all over, clutching myself as my whole body tinged green. It was all I could do to keep from throwing up all over the deck plates. “Now then, I mentioned I had an exciting new activity for you today. As you might imagine, it is in fact a motive. But not just any motive. Oh no no no! This is a motive to help teach you how to get along with others!”

“What, like an accomplice or somethin?” Applejack asked, glaring at the alicorn.

“No, no, nothing so droll. Besides, the last motive already dealt with your fellow passengers. Why be repetitive when you can be creative instead?”

“Then what is it?” Diamond Tiara demanded, planting her hands at her hips. She smiled her freshly restored toothy smile. “If you would be so kind, Captain Monoponi sir.”

“Ahahaha, see, she gets it!” Monoponi cackled, pointing at Tiara with his hoof. “Well, well, since you asked so nicely, I think I’ll tell you.” He posed on his rear hoofs, extending his wings out to their fullest while holding his forehooves to the sky. “Your motive, this time, my passengers, is a favor. A single political favor that I, your Captain, can accomplish with my influence. You see, it pays to have friends in high places. This favor can be anything you can imagine. Want me to wipe your tax burden for the next ten years? Done! Need a pardon for a dastardly deed or two, like, say, tax fraud? Or murder? Done! Whatever you need, Monoponi will provide. Buuut like any favor, it is quid pro quo. I’ll scratch your back, but you’ve got to scratch mine first. And you all know how I like my back being scratched!”

“You really have the influence to do all that?” Applejack gasped, gaping at him. I could see the gears turning in her mind, the possibilities churning.

Monoponi dropped down on all four hooves and beamed at the farmer. “But of course! Shouldn’t this magnificent ship make that clear? How do you think I can afford to use a ship like this for our lovely ocean voyage? I am more influential than you might think.”

“You’d have to be,” Tiara said, nodding in understanding. She rubbed her chin with one hand. “My daddy could afford to run this ship. For, like, maybe a few months. And he’d bankrupt himself in the process, with all the fuel costs, and energy, and food and everything.”

“So to be this rich,” Rarity added, a look of naked greed in her eyes, “why you’d have to be a mogul, a billionaire. Or be very high up in the government. With that kind of power, you really could do anything.”

Rainbow Dash snorted, slamming her foot on the deck for attention. “Oh come on, you guys! Don’t listen to him! He’s trying to get into your head. Whatever he’s promising, it’s all lies.”

“Lies? I do not lie, Rainbow Dash,” Monoponi insisted. “When have I ever told you a single lie, hmm?”

“How about executing Twilight, you piece of shit!” Flash roared, or tried to roar. It came out more like a lion cub trying to imitate his dad than anything else.

“But I didn’t lie to you then!” Monoponi objected. “I said, very clearly, that whoever you voted for won.”

“What about the secrets?” I said, holding up a finger. “You said the traitor’s secret was that they were a traitor. But we shared our secrets together last night. No one had a secret like that.”

“Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t,” Monoponi chirped, holding a hoof to his mouth. “Upupu, maybe the secret holder for that one’s already dead! Who knows?”

Already dead? Then what was the point of us sharing our secrets together? “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to provide us the secrets given to those who already died?”

Monoponi glared at me. “Really,” he said dryly. “You’re really asking me that. Even for you, Sunset, that’s a stupid question. Of course I won’t! You lost your chance at that when they died!”

“Then there’s still a traitor among us?” Rarity asked, her greed dampened by fear.

“Always was,” Monoponi said. “You still haven’t managed to kill them. It’s really quite surprising that they’ve stuck around for this long. I was sure they’d be offed by now!”

That’s kind of an odd thing to say, given they’re supposed to be your mole. ...or are they? We never asked. “Monoponi,” I said, “are you giving the traitor any support? Special information? Or are they funneling information to you? What makes them the traitor?”

“Huh.” Monoponi cocked his head at me, his ears falling flat against his skull. “I’m surprised one of you actually asked me that. I never thought you would.”

“Stop dodging the question and answer it already,” Adagio said.

“Well, now I don’t know what to say,” Monoponi admitted, fidgeting with his forehooves. “You were never supposed to ask me. I don’t want to lie to you, now do I?”

Rainbow Dash let out a wordless growl, stepping forward with a fist raised. “Just tell us already.”

“Well, they’re responsible for your memory loss,” Monoponi said, rubbing his chin.

“And we’ve known that from the beginning,” Tiara said. “That’s not new information.”

“But surely that’s enough!” Monoponi retorted, waving his forehoof. “I mean, I know it’d be enough for me. I’d be eager to slaughter someone for stealing my memories.”

“They’re not doing anything for you, are they?” I pressed, the corners of my mouth curling up. “You’re dodging the question because you don’t want to admit that.”

“Fine! Fine! You want to know something so badly, Sunset? Hmm? You’re so eager for knowledge? Well, let’s see what you do with this chestnut!” Monoponi summoned up a peal of thunder as loud as dynamite, stunning us all into submission. “The traitor has been assisting me from the very beginning, helping to make this game as entertaining and exciting as possible. Things wouldn’t be nearly as interesting without them! Now, if you’re satisfied, I’m going to vamoose. You all have fun with your races!” With that, he vanished in a flash of light.

We were left to stand there, muttering to each other and ourselves. “If they’ve been assisting from the beginning,” Rarity said, clutching her arms to her chest protectively, “then they’re actively working against us. Right?”

“Ah dunno,” Applejack said, raising her hat up with one hand so she could scratch her head with the other. “Ah don’t like the way he phrased it. Felt like he was tryin’ ta lead up to it so we’d get that assumption in mind.”

“Then you’re saying he’s misleading us again,” Adagio said, glancing between all of us as she spoke. “He’s saying they’re making things interesting without actively working with him.”

“Well what else could he mean?” Rainbow Dash asked, holding up a hand in confusion. “I’m not gonna listen to what he said. And I’m not gonna listen to his motive either. Let’s just go get some racing in. You all coming?”

“I’ll be along in a bit,” I said, gesturing to Trixie.

Leaving the others to their own devices, I escorted Trixie back to her room. There’s only one person I can think of who’s been keeping the game “interesting.” And that’s Diamond Tiara. Maybe she’s working with Monoponi, maybe not, but either way, no one else has caused as much conflict or as many issues as she has. She’s the one who imposed herself as a leader, from the very beginning. She told us to do the guard shifts, helped Trixie buy her swords, even organized the search for me, giving Timber the opportunity to steal the first aid kit. She’s been in the middle of everything, whether it’s leading the charge, or as a suspect.

I need to keep my eye on her. I’m certain she’s the traitor. No wonder Monoponi was surprised she’s still alive. I am too, given how many times she’s provoked everyone around her.

Twilight’s words about Tiara ingratiating herself with me came to mind. Maybe Twilight was onto something. She was trying to distract us from her own guilt, but what if she was right? What if that’s exactly what Tiara’s doing? And here I am falling for it, like the big sap I am.

Ugh. I don’t have time to think about this right now. I’ve got a conversation with Trixie awaiting me.

As we reached the door, I unlocked it, and ushered Trixie inside. I then followed her in and closed the door behind me. “Trixie, can we talk?”

Trixie paused in the middle of sitting down on her bed, her eyes wide as she looked up at me. “You want to talk to me?”

Hearing her voice fanned the flames of rage that began to stir in my heart, but I threw a proverbial bucket of cold water over it. “Yes. If I may.”

Trixie pressed her lips inward, like she was biting them both at once. She scooted over on the bed, giving me plenty of room to sit with a good distance between us. “Okay,” she murmured. “Are you going to hit me again?”

“No. I shouldn’t have done that,” I said, having to fight to get every word out past the instinctive anger inside. “I’m sorry.”

“Okay,” she repeated, still sounding scared. “What do you want then?”

“First of all,” I said, after taking a few moments to think, “I’m still very, very upset with you. You killed someone, Trixie. You did it on purpose, and you made her suffer in the process. Pinkie Pie didn’t deserve to die, no matter what she’d done. She was my friend, and you killed her, because you wanted to escape this place with me. But I still don’t understand why you did it, Trixie. You knew if you succeeded, everyone else would die, right? Did Rarity’s friendship mean nothing to you? What about Adagio? You two were getting along. She had just started thinking of you as a friend, until you threw it all away. Why?”

Trixie’s face fell into her hands as she cried quiet tears. “I was so scared, Sunset. I told you how scared I was before, after Timber died, remember? I wanted to get out of here so badly. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I still don’t. B-but after Twilight ranted at me, I was so afraid.”

Pain welled up in my forehead thanks to a quickly forming stress headache.“But I told you there was nothing to her arguments. She was wrong.”

“I know you did,” Trixie said as she looked up at me, dabbing at her eyes with a spare tissue. “But I was still worried. I couldn’t sleep. So I wandered down to the spa, so I could clear my head. But the tub there was cold, so I went into the fitness center's hot tub. I didn’t want Pinkie or Rainbow to see me, because I was feeling scared of everyone at the time, so I dodged around them.” She let out a shuddering sigh, her breath hitching in her throat. “But, but, not long after I got in, I heard shouting, and saw what Rainbow did. A-and I thought Rainbow might’ve killed Pinkie, so I ran up to the door. I didn’t even mean to hold it closed at first. I was leaning against it to see inside. And then she started begging…” she trailed off, shaking her head.

“And that’s when you realized the opportunity,” I prompted, after a few moments of silence.

Trixie nodded, heaving a sigh. “I thought it was the only chance we’d have. So I held the door closed, and didn’t let her out. She kept screaming, and slamming her fists on the door, and despite her panic I kept it closed till she passed out. When I saw her unconscious, I almost stopped, right there. I didn’t want to hurt her. But, but, I’d already gone too far! If I let her wake up, she’d tell everyone what I’d done!”

“Then why were you grinning?” I demanded, stabbing my finger into the blanket. “You laughed as you killed her.”

“I, I was…” Trixie doubled over, almost falling off the bed in the process. “I wasn’t really laughing at her. I was laughing because I thought I’d gotten away with it. I was relieved. I thought we were going to escape. Together. I wasn't happy about what I did. I felt sick and twisted inside. It all hit me at once as soon as I left the sauna. I'd killed someone. It was awful.”

I thought back to the security footage, remembering that I’d seen a look of shame and guilt cross her face. “You regretted what you did.”

“Yes!” Trixie threw her hands out, letting them fall to the bed with a quiet thump against the silk. “I realized I was going to end up killing everyone here, just for myself. I realized how beyond selfish I was being. But it was too late. I couldn’t take it back. I was committed. So I told myself it was for you. All for you, to keep you safe. You could hate me, stop being friends with me, call me the scum of the earth, whatever so long as you’d get to live.” She fell back onto the bed, and spread out her arms and one remaining leg. “I didn’t just rearrange things so you’d be able to ID Rainbow Dash, you know. I think I did it because I wanted to be caught. I wanted you to catch me.”

“You did?” I said, stunned.

She looked right up at me with those dull purple eyes, so similar in color to Adagio’s. “Yes. I deserve to die for what I did, Sunset. I killed Pinkie. I should’ve been executed. That’s why I voted for Twilight. Because I realized he was trying to trick us. I could see it in his eyes. So I used my vote to try to save her.”

I searched her gaze, looking for some hint of deception, some sign she was lying. But there was nothing there save naked, honest truth. “You really were trying to save Twilight! But why didn’t you say anything?!”

“Would you have believed me? Would any of you have listened?” Trixie shook her head. “I thought about telling you, but... I knew you wouldn’t listen. Not after what I'd done. So I didn’t bother. Maybe if he’d let me vote first I'd have said something, but he didn’t.” She slammed one hand into her mattress in a petulant expression of self-disdain. “It should’ve been me on that wheel. Twilight didn’t deserve to die. I did.”

“Is that why you’re starving yourself?” I said quietly, looking at the untouched trays of food.

“Yes,” Trixie admitted. “I don’t deserve to live anymore, Sunset.”

“There’s quicker ways, you know,” I whispered, feeling more than a little bit of cold shame take hold of my heart, tossing out the embers of the fire, replacing it with blocks of ice. “You could strangle yourself with the sheets. Or drown in the tub.” I pulled out the knife from my pocket. “Or use something like this.” I set it down on the bed. “Why starve?”

Trixie snorted. “Because I deserve to suffer. I shouldn’t get an easy way out. Not after what I’ve done.”

I closed my eyes, letting her words wash over me, mixing with my own thoughts on the matter, churning like a blender set on puree until I abruptly pulled the plug. My eyes shot open, filled with grim determination. “No. No you don’t, Trixie. I won’t let you do this to yourself.”

“What?” Trixie whispered, staring at me in shock. “Why?”

“Because,” I said, wrapping one arm around her torso and hoisting her up into a sitting position, so I could place my other hand on her shoulder. “Friends don’t let friends hurt themselves.”

Trixie’s eyes watered up like a river behind a dam until they burst, flooding with tears as she fell against me, holding me tighter than she ever had as she wailed at the top of her lungs. As I held her, my heart soared. An open wound I hadn’t even noticed was present in it began to heal, closing up bit by bit. It wasn’t healed entirely. Not even close.

But it was a start.

I held her tight for a good while, letting her cry it out. I didn’t cry with her. My emotions were already spent in other ways. “Better?” I asked when she finally withdrew from the hug.

“A little,” Trixie admitted, rubbing at her eyes, smiling past her tears. It was the first smile to grace her face since the trial.

“Good,” I said. I smiled in turn, though mine was a bit more strained. “I haven’t forgiven you, Trixie, not yet. But I’m getting there. I can try to help everyone else get there too. Eventually. But first thing’s first. You need a good meal.” I looked back at the trays on the floor, cringing at the sight. “Aaand none of this will do. I’ll be back with something for you here in a few minutes.”

I took a moment to stack all the trays together neatly so I could carry them, then left the door. I did lock the lock behind me, both because I still thought Trixie needed to stay here, but also for her protection, lest someone else get any ideas thanks to the new motive. I ignored the looks I got from others as I dropped off the trays at the food court, and ordered something new for her, something filling and tasty without being too heavy. “Where’re you going with that?” Tiara asked me.

“Trixie. She needs something to eat,” I muttered, turning tail and heading back as quickly as possible.

“Well, fine, but bring my key back when you’re done!” she shouted after me.

I quickly made my way back inside the cabin and shut the door behind me. Trixie was sitting in the chair by the desk, having cleared a space. Despite her stated intent of starving herself, she tore into the food like a ravening beast. “Woah, easy there, don’t take it so fast,” I said. “You’ll throw up.”

Trixie paused in her chewing, her face flushing. “Oh,” she mumbled through her mouthful of food. She ate slower after that, but still managed to finish her meal within ten minutes of getting it. She set her emptied tray aside. “Thank you, Sunset,” she said, letting out a small sigh of contentment. “I needed that.”

“Hmph.” I patted her on the shoulder. “Good. Please don’t refuse to eat anything else brought to you, okay? I’m not going to let you starve yourself. I’ll force feed you if I need to.”

“Ahehehe, I don’t think you’ll need to do that,” Trixie laughed sheepishly. Her laughter quickly faded, her face falling. “Are you sure you still want to be my friend, after everything that happened?”

“Yeah,” I said, clapping her on the shoulder. “I’m pretty sure, Trixie. Like I said, though, I haven’t forgiven you yet, so… don’t push it.”

“Mmm-hmm, I understand,” Trixie nodded several times in rapid succession.

“I do have a question though,” I said, plopping my rear down on the bed. “You’re always speaking in first person now. Why?”

I saw Trixie visibly cringe, recoiling inward like a turtle slipping back into its shell. She hissed, gripping a fist by her side. “My magic career is over, like Monoponi said. I don’t deserve to be the Great and Powerful Trixie anymore.” She glared down at her stump of a leg. “I’ll never work the stage again.”

Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have prodded that nerve. “Well, you never know,” I said, a sheepish smile gracing my lips. “Maybe when we get out of here, you can get a prosthetic. You could work it into an act even. The magic disappearing leg!”

She shot me a withering glare. “Really. The magic disappearing leg,” she said, every word not so much dripping with sarcasm as dumped into a bucket of it and deep-fried. “Sunset, if we get out of here, alive, I’m probably going to jail for the rest of my life. The most I’ll ever get to entertain are my fellow prisoners. See how I make this shiv disappear into this woman’s back!”

The unexpected joke elicited a bark of laughter from me. “Okay, point taken. Look, I’ll tell you what: when we get out of here, I’ll do whatever I can to get you some kind of reduced sentence. A plea bargain or something.” At her doubting look, I added, “I know I’m not exactly a lawyer, but I’ll think of something.”

“Assuming I deserve it,” Trixie muttered. “But thank you, I guess.”

"Sure." We sat in silence for a couple of moments until a thought occurred to me. "Say, Trixie, whose secret did you get? You didn't happen to get Rainbow Dash's by any chance, did you?"

She shook her head. "No. I got Apple Bloom's. She pirated movies." Trixie rolled her eyes. "Like anyone cares."

"Hmm..." Before I could do much thinking about that, my Monopad let out a shrill beep. I turned it on and saw Rainbow Dash sent me a frantic “where the hell are you” text. “Okay, I’ve got to go, Trixie. You’ll have to stay locked in here for now.” I leaned forward and grinned. “Don’t tell Tiara, but I made a separate key just for me. I can bring you some books or something later, when I get the chance, if you want. Something to keep you entertained. I’m sure it’s boring as hell in here.”

Trixie inclined her head. “That might be nice. I left my copy of my dad’s book in your room. Could you get that one too?”

“Yeah, you got it,” I said. I stood up to leave, making sure to take back Adagio's knife first. I wasn't about to tempt Trixie with it in her fragile state. As I reached the door, I looked over my shoulder. “Trixie, promise me something please.”

“What is it?” Trixie asked.

I pointedly looked at her hat and cape, which had been hanging on the dresser, where she’d tossed them. The cape still had flecks of blood on it from her lost leg. “Don’t give up on who you are. You’re the Great and Powerful Trixie, whether you feel like it or not right now. Don’t forget that.”

She pursed her lips, her eyes misting with unshed tears, but she nodded. “Oh… okay. I… Trixie won’t.”

I smiled warmly, flashed her a thumbs up, and left, locking the door carefully behind me. This was the right decision, I mused. I’m glad I did this. I couldn’t live with myself if I’d left things the way they were. I know they’ll never be the same, between Trixie and myself, or Trixie and everyone else. But if we can just keep these friendships going, keep them alive, then we can keep each other alive. We can defeat this motive, and any others Monoponi tries to inflict on us.

I have to keep believing. I have to. I can’t give up hope. Not now, not ever. I won’t let him win. I refuse. I am Sunset Shimmer, damn it.

And I don’t lose.

Author's Note

Some of you may question Sunset's choice to remain friends with Trixie. It wasn't an easy decision. But it is the right one, in my mind. Like every other killer in this game, Trixie is not a bloodthirsty monster. She was placed into a situation of high stress, as an already anxiety-prone person, who was so afraid for her own survival and that of her friend that, when opportunity came, she acted. Would she have ever done this outside of the killing game? No.

Plus, it's MLP. One of the best things about it is the way in which people are willing to forgive. Discord ruled Equestria and the world for who knows how long, betrayed it several times, and was forgiven. Luna tried to kill her own sister and was forgiven. Starlight destroyed entire timelines, and could be argued to be the biggest mass murder in Equestrian history. And she was forgiven.

Trixie hasn't been forgiven yet. But she's taken the first step towards it.

All of the above was written about a good month ago or so, when I thought people would have a harder time accepting Trixie's actions. But I guess I did a better job of making her sympathetic than I expected, because everyone felt bad for her. So, uh, yay for everyone getting what they wanted re Trixie? :twilightblush:

Chapter Four: Passing in the Night Part 5

Chapter Four:
Passing in the Night
Deadly Life

A blood-curdling scream erupted from Rarity’s throat as she beheld the body. Thankfully this time she didn’t pass out, though she did stumble before finding a place to sit down on the bleachers, holding her face in one hand while her other hand clutched her stomach.

Trixie took one look at Rainbow Dash’s body and I saw her heart visibly sink into the floor as she crumpled into a seat next to Rarity, leaning against the seamstress for support.

“Rainbow Dash, wake up!” I heard Scootaloo say as she knelt by the body, her pant legs soaked in blood, shaking Rainbow’s arms. Tears streamed down her face like a broken dam. “Please, wake up, damn it! You can’t be dead! You can’t be!”

“God, why did this happen?” Flash moaned as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, shaking in what presumably was cold. I noticed his skin looked paler than normal, his face even more gaunt and haggard. He was leaning against the green go-kart, which I hadn’t noticed was parked nearby. There was a large dent in one side, near the nose.

Applejack leaned down by Scootaloo, wrapping a hand gently around Scootaloo’s small shoulder. “She’s gone, sugarcube. Let her go.”

Scootaloo stood, still crying, letting out an angry wail to the heavens. “God damn it!” she screamed, before falling to her rump. She beat her fists on the asphalt of the track. “Damn it..."

“Jeez,” Tiara muttered, gaping at the scene. “That’s a lot of blood.”

Adagio, spotting me, worked her way over, her hand snaking out to grab mine. “I’m glad it wasn’t you,” she murmured in a near whisper. “When I saw you weren’t one of the ones who found the body, I--”

I squeezed her hand gently. “It took me by surprise too.”

“Who do you think did it?” she asked me, glancing at the crowd.

“Wasn’t me, Rarity, or Trixie, but other than that, who knows?” I shrugged. “That’s what the investigation is for.”

As if on cue, Monoponi flashed into existence. His usual pomp and circumstance were abandoned in favor of him tiredly trudging about on all four hooves, still wearing the sleeping cap. I noted that for some odd reason he was cradling a plushie of some sort under one wing, possibly a pony, though I couldn’t make out any details before it suddenly disappeared in a flurry of sparks. “Good, you’re all here,” he said as he stood before us, right in front of the body. “Couldn’t you have had the decency to wait until morning to find this body? Your Captain needs his sleep as much as anyone, you know!”

“Damn it, Monoponi!” Flash burst out, pointing at him with one hand. “Why didn’t you show up after the crash, huh? She was trapped in the kart! I couldn’t get her out! If I’d been able to get her out she wouldn’t be dead right now!”

“And I’m supposed to care why, exactly?” Monoponi retorted. He zapped Flash’s arm with magic that surged up his arm and all the way into his head, knocking him dizzy. “The safety system kept her safe from further harm. It did its job. If she died, that’s the fault of the blackened!”

Flash groaned, groping at his head before shaking off the dizzy spell. “But the rules of the go-kart track say--”

“I know what the rules say! I wrote them!” Monoponi retorted, fluttering his wings in frustration. “Be quiet before I do more than make you dizzy! I have no patience for any of you idiots right now. I need some coffee.” His horn lit up and burst out a jet of light, causing our Monopads to bleep. “You know what to do. Get it done! Monoponi out.” He disappeared in another flash of light.

“Wow. No preamble, none of his usual chatter,” Tiara said, shaking her head. “He’s probably not the only one who’ll need some coffee. We all will.”

“It’s going to be a long night, isn’t it?” Flash asked glumly. He looked over at the crashed kart and winced at the sight of Rainbow’s corpse.

I nodded, already regretting my indulgence in the champagne. Good thing we didn’t have anything harder. I doubt I’d be able to concentrate worth a damn right now otherwise. “Someone should go do a coffee run.”

“I’ll do it,” Adagio said. “I was alone in my cabin, so I had nothing to do with the murder.”

“I’m going with you,” Tiara snorted. “No one goes by themselves. Not gonna let any evidence be destroyed. Sunset, find someone to guard the body, will you?”

“Yes ma’am,” I muttered, tossing off a sarcastic salute. “Not like we have many people left who can do it now.”

“Allow me to volunteer,” Rarity said immediately with her hand raised. “I was with Sunset and Trixie. We all know I’m innocent.”

Trixie looked up, her face pale and haggard, looking even worse than she had before I encouraged her to eat again. “Trixie will also guard the body,” she murmured.

“Ah don’t think so!” Applejack declared, stomping one boot on the asphalt. “Ah ain’t about to trust you as far as Ah can throw you, and Ah’ll bet Ah could toss you a pretty long way.”

Trixie recoiled, shrinking back, but then suddenly managed to compose herself, and glared directly at the farmer. “Trixie can’t even get around without crutches. It would be a waste of time for Trixie to do anything else.”

“Hmm…” Applejack glared at the illusionist. “Fine. But Ah’m warnin’ you now. You mess up this investigation and--”

“If she does that she’ll die with the rest of us,” Rarity intervened, thrusting out an arm to shield Trixie from them. “She’s not stupid. So back off. Ruffian.”

The farmer let out a quiet curse, taking a step back. “Fine.”

Trixie worked her jaw, her eyes full of confidence as she strode forward to stand near the body. “Trixie is sorry for your loss, Scootaloo,” she said.

Scootaloo glared her way, a frown twisted up on her face. “Thanks,” she murmured.

Well I’m sure we won’t have any problems during this investigation, I mused, shaking my head. I hope Adagio gets here with that coffee soon. Time to get to work.

*INVESTIGATION START*

I pulled out my Monopad to consult the Monoponi file.

Fact #1: Monoponi File IV: “The victim is Rainbow Dash, the Ultimate Athlete. Approximate time of death is between 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM. The victim has several injuries, including a cerebral hematoma, multiple contusions on both arms, and severe lacerations to the back of both knees. Toxicology reports no poisons or drugs apart from caffeine.”

Okay, so she was in a crash. The Monoponi file confirms that. I looked over at Flash, who was still leaning against his kart. He’d take off his helmet and knee and shoulder pads, placing them into the kart itself. I should talk to him first, before I investigate the body. “Hey, Flash,” I said as I walked up to him. “Mind if I ask you some questions?”

“Sure, sure, whatever you need,” he said, nodding his head. A shiver ran through his whole body, causing him to stumble for a moment. “Sorry, I think I’m still shaken from the crash.”

“About that,” I said, “what exactly happened during this crash?”

“Uh, well, Rainbow and I were racing go-karts, by ourselves. We’d been neck and neck over the last several races, and she said she was tired of losing. So we held one last race, right?” Flash’s face flushed a light pink, which stood out extra bright against his paler than normal skin. “We were coming up on the final turn, and Rainbow Dash decided to take it on the inside, like you kept doing this morning. I think I lost focus, because I twitched my hands with the steering wheel. Next thing I know I’m crashing into her, and her kart smashed into the wall, then she tumbled over and over.”

“Were you injured?” I interrupted, looking him over. “You don’t look too good.”

“I’m fine,” he murmured, waving a dismissive hand. “I wasn’t hurt. Just bruised. I think. Anyway, I got out of my kart, and I found Rainbow Dash upside down. She was shouting at me to help her get out, screaming something about her knees ‘hurting like a bitch.’ She was bleeding, a lot, and kept getting paler by the minute. I tried to get her out, but the damned safety system kicked in and she was stuck. So I told her to wait. I went and found Scootaloo and Applejack, and brought them back to help, but by the time we got back…”

“She was dead,” I finished for him.

Fact #2: Flash Sentry’s Account: “According to Flash, he and Rainbow were holding one final race near the end of the night. During the race, Flash’s fatigue caused him to twitch with his steering wheel, and he and Rainbow Dash crashed into each other. Rainbow had been in the process of taking a very sharp turn, and hit the wall, tumbling over and over until she came to a halt upside down. He tried to free her, but the security system wouldn’t let him, so he ran for help until he found Applejack and Scootaloo.”

“Yeah.” Flash Sentry sniffled, tears welling up in his eyes. “I don’t know why. The crash shouldn’t have killed her. These karts don’t go that fast, and they’ve got rolling cages and we have all this safety equipment.” He looked right at me, and with both hands grabbed one of mine, holding it tight. “You don’t think I did this, do you? I, I would never!”

I pulled his hand in so I could give him a hug. Flash, you’re such a softie. No wonder Twilight fell for you. “Of course you wouldn't, Flash. I know that. I'm just... worried it might've been an accident. I'll keep that in mind as I investigate, okay?"

“Okay,” he murmured. He withdrew from my embrace and squeezed my hand. “You’re a good person, Sunset. I know I’ve doubted you off and on, but you are.”

Before I could give a good answer to that, Adagio and Diamond Tiara returned with the coffees, passing them out one by one. Adagio gave me mine last, and I thanked her as I took a good few gulps of the hot fluid. The black bitter taste washed down my throat, burning out the buzz of alcohol still trembling within me. Not as good as a night’s sleep, but it’d do for now. “Ready to help me check the body?”

“Always,” Adagio chuckled. She pulled out a couple of pairs of gloves for us, and we slipped them on.

I approached the body, trying my best to avoid the pool of blood. It wasn’t easy, having spread out in a large puddle underneath the entire kart. Finally I gave up, and gently stepped in it, hoping I’d get a chance to change my shoes before the trial.

Close up, the very first thing I noticed was that, though she was wearing all of the other usual safety equipment, Rainbow Dash’s helmet was missing. Where did it go? We’ll have to search for it.

Fact #3: Body Condition: “The body was found trapped upside down in a go-kart, unable to be removed. She was wearing all requisite safety equipment except for the helmet, which was missing.”

I then examined her face, noticing, curiously, it was frozen into a smile, not a look of pain. Weird. Wonder why. Using my gloved hands carefully, I moved Rainbow’s head around, noticing her skin wasn’t just pale. It was ghost white, which given the amount of blood on the ground wasn’t that surprising. Maybe she bled out. But how? I further examined her body, noticing a large bruise on her forehead, just above her left eye. “She must’ve hit her head on the rolling bar,” Adagio said, wincing in sympathy. “But that wouldn’t’ve killed her.”

“No, it wouldn’t have. Flash said she was talking afterwards. At most it would’ve been a mild concussion.” As my eyes scanned the body, I noted with great interest just how thoroughly bloodstained it was. The stains were concentrated around her hips and legs, and blood had washed its way down her torso and past her arms. Some had soaked into her hair, leaving it a sticky mess. Though the blood covered most of them up, I did notice a number of bruises on Rainbow’s arms.

*Updated* Fact #3: Body Condition: “The body was found trapped upside down in a go-kart, unable to be removed. She was wearing all requisite safety equipment except for the helmet, which was missing. Her complexion was pale and waxy, her skin almost ghostly white. A large bruise had formed over her left eye, where her head had struck the go-kart’s rolling bar. Most of her lower body was bloodstained, especially her legs, torso, and arms, where it had flowed onto the ground.”

“The Monoponi file mentioned lacerations to the knee, and Flash said she was screaming about them too,” I said, backing away from the body. “But we can’t see them while she’s upside down. We’ll need to turn the kart over. Carefully.”

“Did you two need some help with that?” Scootaloo asked, who’d been quietly chatting with Applejack.

“Yes, please,” I said, gesturing to the cart.

“Ah’ll help too, if you don’t mind,” Applejack interjected, with a brief glare Trixie’s way.

Together, the four of us lifted the cart and, with some grunting and heavy straining on my part, we managed to set it back on its wheels. The instant they touched the ground, I heard a loud click from the kart, and the safety bar and seatbelt undid themselves. “What the hell?” Scootaloo said, throwing up her hands in disbelief, a couple of fresh tears coming to her eyes. “All we had to do was turn the cart over t-to get her out?!”

“If I’d known that, I would’ve done it!” Flash shouted, a surge of anger compelling him to smash a fist into his kart, almost spilling his coffee in the process. “God damn it!”

“Hold on, y’all,” Applejack said, holding up a hand. “We can’t be sure that would’ve saved her. Let Sunset examine the body.” She glanced up at Flash and frowned. “‘Sides, you might be strong, Flash, but Ah doubt you could’ve lifted this kart on your own. These ones are heavier than normal. Prolly all the safety stuff they put in ‘em.”

With a nod to Adagio, I approached the body again. Carefully, very carefully, we pulled Rainbow Dash out by her arms, and set her corpse down on the ground. I felt up and down her torso, abdomen, and legs on the front. “Where’s her Monopad?” I wondered. “She should’ve had it on her, right?”

“Maybe the culprit took it?” Trixie suggested. She withered under the glares fired her way from everyone save Rarity and myself. “Sorry, Trixie will be quiet.”

“No, you might be right,” I said. “We’ll want to keep an eye out for it.” We then turned the body over. The instant we did, I spotted the lacerations the file mentioned. She was slashed all the way through the back of both knees, right inside the holes of the knee pads, obviously the source of the blood judging by the small amount still oozing its way out.

*Updated* Fact #3: Body Condition: “The body was found trapped upside down in a go-kart, unable to be removed. She was wearing all requisite safety equipment except for the helmet, which was missing. Her complexion was pale and waxy, her skin almost ghostly white. A large bruise had formed over her left eye, where her head had struck the go-kart’s rolling bar. Most of her lower body was bloodstained, especially her legs, torso, and arms, where it had flowed onto the ground. The source of the blood was the lacerations behind her knees. Her Monopad was nowhere to be found.”

“I’m going to want to check an anatomy book in the library, just to be safe, but I’m pretty sure this would’ve killed her even if you’d gotten her out, Flash,” I said, frowning apologetically at him. “I’m not certain yet, but she probably bled to death.” But what caused it?

“O-oh,” Flash groaned, his face falling. He took a shaky breath and slammed back the rest of his coffee. “Great. Just great.”

I returned to the kart, where thankfully there’d not been much in the way of blood pooling inside. But I did find something fascinating. “Hello,” I said, picking up the unusual object, along with its mate. It was immediately recognizable. “Why was this in the kart?”

Fact #4: Ice Skates: “A pair of ice skates. They were discovered in the go-kart, blade up, soaked in blood.”

“So this must’ve been what slashed her knees,” Adagio said, taking one to examine. She ran a finger along the edge and cringed when she split open her finger. “Damn it.” She quickly stripped off her gloves and took out her first aid kit so she could bandage the wound. “These skates are sharp.”

“That’s weird,” Scootaloo said, pressing her knuckles to her lips. “Ice skates aren’t actually all that sharp. Or they’re not supposed to be. They’re not knives. People are way more scared of ice skates than they need to be.”

“Really?” I said, squinting at the skate. “Hmm.. Hey, Flash, you’re done with that coffee, right? Toss me the cup please.” Flash tossed over the empty paper cup, so I set it down on the ground, on its side, and tried to use the ice skate in my hand like a knife, deliberately not bracing the cup. Even without doing that, the skate sliced the cup in half in less than a second. “Good grief! Yeah, these are waaay sharper than normal.”

“Then it was deliberate!” Applejack declared. “This weren’t no accident.”

*Updated* Fact #4: Ice Skates: “A pair of ice skates. They were discovered in the go-kart, blade up, soaked in blood. Their edges were far sharper than the usual ice skate blade.”

“Let’s not assume anything, AJ,” I said as I stood back up. “Better question to ask is, where’d these come from. Flash, do you know if these are Dash’s?”

“They might be?” Flash shrugged. “I dunno. I know we came straight here from the rink, but she changed into her regular shoes. I thought her skates were in her backpack.”

I nodded. “Okay, let me check something first, then we’ll go looking for that.” I bit my lower lip as I contemplated the best way to do what I was about to do, then got down on one knee next to Rainbow Dash. “Sorry, Dash,” I murmured as I stripped off her shoe, and then tried to put the skate on. It was a perfect fit.

*Updated* Fact #4: Ice Skates: “A pair of ice skates, perfectly fitted to Rainbow Dash’s size. They were discovered in the go-kart, blade up, soaked in blood. Their edges were far sharper than the usual ice skate blade.”

“Well if they’re not her skates, they sure fit her,” Adagio mused as I got back up and brushed myself off.

“We’ll want to see who else wears that size, in case there was only one pair that size at the shop in the rink,” I said, briefly glancing at the shoe I’d left on the ground. “Looks like she’s a size six. That’s smaller than most of us, I think.”

Diamond Tiara stepped forward. “I wear size six,” she said casually while taking a sip of her coffee. “But I don’t think anyone else does.”

“Not me,” Scootaloo said with a shake of her head. “I wear size seven.”

After a bit more discussion with everyone, I’d put together the following list of shoe sizes, though I wasn’t sure if this would be very useful.

Fact #5: Shoe Sizes: “Size six: Rainbow Dash, Diamond Tiara. Size seven: Scootaloo. Size eight: Rarity, Trixie. Size nine: Sunset Shimmer. Size ten: Flash Sentry. Size eleven: Adagio Dazzle. Size fourteen: Applejack.”

“Okay, Flash, where’s Rainbow’s backpack?”

“Uh,” Flash scratched the back of his head. “I think she left it by the kart garage?”

“Okay, Adagio, will you go see if it’s there?” I pointed down the track. “I’m going to try to find the helmet.

I took off in a hurry, scanning my eyes over the asphalt. The track was fairly wide, a good twenty-five feet across, to give enough room for up to three karts to go side by side without crashing. Even so, it didn’t take long before I found the helmet. It had flown off the side, well back from the final hairpin turn, and laid in the astroturf next to one of the fences. As I picked it up, my face screwed up in confusion. “What?”

Fact #6: Missing Helmet: “Rainbow Dash’s safety helmet. The chin strap was sliced through.”

The skates were one thing, but the helmet too? Who would’ve done this? And when was there opportunity?

I rejoined the others. “Found the helmet,” I said, holding it up for them to see. “The chin strap was cut.”

“Lemme see that,” Applejack said, holding out her hands. I gave her the helmet. “Hrm… ah don’t think this was one solid cut. See the threadin’, here? Ah think there must’ve been a smaller cut and it caught on somethin’, and that somethin’ was enough to bust it the rest of the way. The threads are all raggedier than a hand-stitched doll too, like it were done with somethin’ dull.”

*Updated* Fact #6: Missing Helmet: “Rainbow Dash’s safety helmet. The chin strap was partially sliced through by a dull blade, creating a tear large enough to catch and destroy the strap.”

“It must’ve caught on the go-kart,” I mused as I checked over the kart again. Then I pointed at a particular part of the rolling bar, where there was an imperfection in the welding, creating a small sharp edge poking out. “There. Right there. That’s at chin level for Rainbow Dash. She wore her chin strap loose. If she caught it on this, it would’ve torn the rest of the way off.”

Fact #7: Red Go-Kart: “The kart assigned to Rainbow Dash by the go-kart track system. It was discovered laying upside down on its rolling cage near the finish line. One of the roll bars was improperly welded, creating a small protrusion at chin height for Rainbow Dash that a strap could easily catch and tear on.”

“What about the backpack?” I asked Adagio, who was holding a small cyan-colored pack I recognized as the one Dash wore all the time. “Were her skates in it?”

Adagio opened up the pack to show me. “No, they’re not.”

Fact #8: Rainbow’s Backpack: “Rainbow Dash’s backpack, which she left by the kart garage during her evening races. According to Flash Sentry, her ice skates should’ve been in there, but no skates were found.”

“That’s strange,” I muttered as I poked into the backpack, in case her Monopad was present, but there was nothing save for a bunch of empty chip bags and other bits of trash. Rainbow, you were such a slob, jeez. “Damn. No Monopad here either.”

*Updated* Fact #8: Rainbow’s Backpack: “Rainbow Dash’s backpack, which she left by the kart garage during her evening races. According to Flash Sentry, her ice skates should’ve been in there, but no skates were found. Her Monopad was not present.”

“Well the skates we found were probably hers then. Flash, did you or Dash leave your karts at all during your races together?”

“Uh, no?” He pondered my question, then snapped his fingers. “No, wait, we did once, for a bathroom break. But we weren’t in there for more than maybe ten minutes.”

*Updated* Fact #2: Flash Sentry’s Account: “According to Flash, he and Rainbow were holding one final race near the end of the night. During the race, Flash’s fatigue caused him to twitch with his steering wheel, and he and Rainbow Dash crashed into each other. Rainbow had been in the process of taking a very sharp turn, and hit the wall, tumbling over and over until she came to a halt upside down. He tried to free her, but the security system wouldn’t let him, so he ran for help until he found Applejack and Scootaloo. During their races, he and Rainbow Dash took a ten minute bathroom break, during which time the karts were unattended.”

“Okay, I think we’ve found just about everything we’re going to here,” I said with a nod. “We’ll want to check a few other places.”

“Definitely,” Diamond Tiara said, intervening to take charge. “I’ll go investigate the ice rink with Applejack and Flash. You and Adagio can go check out the library. Rarity and Trixie will stay here to watch the body.”

“What about me, Tiara?” Scootaloo inquired.

Tiara pointed to the access corridor door. “Go check in there. This place links to the ice rink via the corridor, so maybe there’s some clue there.”

We each went our separate ways, but before Adagio and I could get too far, I became overwhelmed by the call of nature. “Oof, will you excuse me a second, Adagio?” I asked before rushing off to the go-kart bathroom.

As I took a seat on the toilet to relieve myself, I happened to gaze down and spot a reflection in the metal stall door. When I was finished, I poked around for the source of the reflection, and found a rectangular shaped piece of stone sitting tucked underneath the toilet, with a scrap of paper underneath. “Is this a whetstone?” I murmured. “It’s wet all right. Must’ve been used recently.”

Fact #9: Whetstone: “A rectangular piece of stone, used for sharpening blades. It was found in the unisex go-kart bathroom, under the toilet in one of the stalls. It was found still damp from use.”

There’s only one place I can think of they could’ve gotten this from: the theater prop shop. I know there were a few whetstones in there. They might’ve bought it from the sporting goods store, but I doubt it. That’d have left a trail. So, what’s this paper, then?

Unfortunately, the paper was both waterlogged and burned for some reason, and I could only make out three words on the entire scrap.

Fact #10: Damaged Note: “A waterlogged and burned note found underneath the whetstone, in the unisex go-kart bathroom. The following words were the only legible things left, in this order: ‘skate’ ‘careful’ ‘ash.’”

I pocketed the whetstone and left the bathroom to rejoin Adagio, briefly showing both it and the note to her as we walked. “We should stop by the theater on our way, just to be sure that’s where they got the whetstone.”

Adagio took the note from me very carefully, so she could examine it from every angle. “I can’t tell who wrote this,” she muttered. “Too damaged.”

“Yeah,” I said, frowning. Handwriting mattered in the last two cases. But something tells me it won’t be that simple this time.

I took the note back and carefully wrapped it up in a plastic bag before placing it in my backpack. We then proceeded on to the theater. As I entered through the large double doors, more than a few tingles ran down my spine. I hadn’t been inside the theater since the investigation for Apple Bloom’s murder. Like the other murder sites, the place had been thoroughly cleaned up, with nary a hint that anyone had died on the stage. But that didn’t stop me from picturing Apple Bloom’s body, suspended with a spear through her back and out her chest like some kind of messed up shish kebab.

Nor did it stop the memory of nightmarish daydreams I’d had after that night, of my own body in Apple Bloom’s place, convulsing and thrashing through the pain before everything faded to black.

Adagio wrapped an arm around my shoulder and squeezed me gently. “You’re okay,” she cooed, rubbing her hand up and down my arm. “You’re fine.”

I smiled gratefully at her, then focused back on the task at hand, ascending the stairs to the stage and whisking my way into the prop shop. The place was more or less the way Apple Bloom and I had left it, just before the magic show, with very little touched since then. I did notice a tarp sitting atop one table for some reason, with something bulging under it. I ripped off the tarp, then blinked in confusion. “Wait, why is this here?”

Adagio peered down at the source of my confusion: Rainbow Dash’s Monopad. “Look,” she said, pointing to a few drops of moisture on it. “It’s wet. Like someone washed it off.”

I picked up the pad and turned it on, in case this was another instance of someone faking evidence. But unlike with Pinkie’s, there was nothing on the pad. No text messages, no photos, no video or audio. Absolutely blank. Like everything’d been wiped. But why?

Fact #11: Rainbow’s Monopad: “Rainbow’s Monopad was discovered in the theater, wiped clean of all data. There were traces of water on it.”

After pointing that out to Adagio, she said, “So something on the pad was incriminating, then.”

“Definitely,” I agreed, frowning at the pad. “I wish there was a way to recover data on these things. Maybe if I had access to a good computer…”

“Forget it,” Adagio said with a shake of her head. “We’ll just have to figure out who did this through other means."

Conceding the point, I placed Rainbow's pad into my backpack, and proceeded to search the rest of the prop shop. "You know, Adagio, there's something I don't get."

"What's that?" she asked as she poked around a shelf.

"Why Rainbow Dash?"

Adagio paused, and turned to face me. "What do you mean?"

Frowning, I took a moment before responding, "I mean, why her, of all people? I don't get it. I can see why someone might kill Diamond Tiara. Or Applejack. Or even Rarity. But Rainbow? There's no reason, logical or otherwise."

"Yes there is," Adagio snorted, giving me a look that suggested she thought I was being a complete idiot. "Her secret, remember?"

"Uuugh, no, Adagio, I told you, she's too loyal. She isn't the traitor just because we didn't know what her secret was."

Adagio reached over and plucked at my shirt collar, tugging me up to stand straight. Then she brushed off my shoulders and set her hands down on them. "Sunset, quit being a naive pony for two seconds and think. Just because you don't think Rainbow could've been the traitor doesn't mean someone else wouldn't."

Feeling more than a bit irritated, I shrugged off her hands. "So what? We all learned, the hard way, that killing the traitor doesn't mean anything. Monoponi told us that in Sweetie's trial."

"And?" A deep chuckle rose in Adagio's throat. "Maybe killing the traitor wasn't the goal. Maybe the motive was, and Rainbow was just the most justifiable victim."

That caught me off guard. I hadn't stopped to consider that. She might be on to something. Killing Diamond Tiara, or Applejack? That would be too obvious. It'd be too easy to figure out who'd kill them. But Rainbow... anyone who decides they're okay with killing one person to get out of here knows everyone else dies with them. So they'd still get their revenge, if that was their goal. "You could be right," I admitted after a moment.

"Of course I'm right," Adagio snickered. She playfully flicked my nose. "I'm Adagio. And don't you forget it."

Snorting in amusement, I returned to the search and soon found a small stash of whetstones, on a low shelf close to the table saw. One was conspicuously missing. “I knew it,” I grinned.

*Updated* Fact #9: Whetstone: “A rectangular piece of stone, taken from the theater prop shop, used for sharpening blades. It was found in the unisex go-kart bathroom, under the toilet in one of the stalls. It was found still damp from use.”

“Well that settles that,” Adagio said. She turned to me and raised a hand to her chin. “Is this all that helpful, though?”

“I’m not sure,” I replied, pondering the matter. I decided to take one final drink of my coffee, and discarded the empty cup in the trash. “Just about anyone and everyone had access to the theater. I think I’m going to have to gather alibis from everyone. We all split up into a number of groups, and many of us were alone. Including you, I think.”

Adagio glared at me, setting her hands on her hips. “I was, but I hope you’re not accusing me. Surely you’ve figured out by now I’m never going to murder anyone.”

I chuckled, and patted her shoulder. “I know, Adagio. I trust you. I just want to be thorough.”

She gave me a half-smile. “Fair enough. Yes, I was alone, Sunset, in my room, waiting for you to contact me.” Her half-smile dropped into a concerned frown. “Actually, wait. I did leave once, to grab a late dinner. I remember seeing Diamond Tiara walking towards the promenade bathrooms, and Scootaloo leaving the convenience store, carrying something.”

Fact #12: Adagio’s Account: “Rarity, Trixie, and Sunset Shimmer were together in Trixie’s room, chatting. Adagio Dazzle stayed in her cabin, apart from a brief visit to the promenade, where she saw Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo.

“That gives me something to start with, thanks. I’ll have to check with the others too.” I made sure to notate everything on my Monopad, then packed it away. “Okay, let’s get to the library next, since it’s closer. We can swing back around and ask everyone afterwards.”

“Do we know what we’re searching for in there?” Adagio asked me as we stepped out of the prop shop.

It took me a moment to consider before answering, “I know I want to check an anatomy textbook, since we… don’t have Twilight anymore for things like that.” I winced as I said her name. Twilight… I wish we’d been able to patch things up more before you died. I know you apologized, but there was so much more I wanted to say. That I needed to say. Damn it, if only we’d found that picture of you and your alternate before the third trial. We could’ve changed things.

I squeezed a fist and knocked it against my side as I walked. No, I can’t think like that. I need to stop wishing things were different and deal with things as they are. “But we might as well keep our eyes out for anything else while we’re there. Never know where someone might try to dispose of evidence.”

“Right,” Adagio murmured as we crossed into the library. She placed an arm in front of me, and when I turned to face her, she set her hand on my shoulder. “For what it’s worth, I wish Twilight was here too.”

“You do?” I asked quietly, raising my eyebrows. “I thought you didn’t like her.”

“I didn’t,” Adagio grumbled, rolling her eyes. “But she was… useful. Even if she fixated on the wrong things, she still had a clever mind.” Adagio bowed her head, and leaned against me, placing her chin on my other shoulder. “And the more people we lose, the easier it is for those who’re left to deceive us. I don’t want anyone else to die.”

“Wow,” I said as I reached an arm around to stroke at the back of her head, using the one she was laying on to hug her around her waist. “You really do care about everyone else, don’t you?”

“Mgh,” Adagio muttered, smacking me in the arm with her fist. “Don’t be stupid. The only other one I started thinking of as an actual friend around here was Trixie. And we saw what happened.”

“Adagio…”

“No.” Adagio released me, and moved her hands to hold both of my shoulders, glaring at me right in the eye. “I’m not going to forgive her. If you want to still be friends with her, that’s your decision. But leave me out of it.”

“Fine,” I said, brushing off one of her arms and shrugging the other off. I made my way into the shelves of the third story of the library. “I’ll drop it. Let’s get to work.”

Fortunately, the library was well organized, and locating useful materials proved simple. I ended up selecting a particular anatomy textbook, and brought it over to the arm chairs to read through it, with Adagio sitting next to me. “Here,” I said, pointing to a particular chart. “It looks like the femoral artery runs right behind the knee, where it transitions into the popliteal artery. No wonder Rainbow bled to death so fast. Severing the femoral artery almost always results in death.”

Fact #13: Anatomy Handbook 2020 Edition: “A nursing textbook from the library, containing a variety of anatomy charts. A circulatory chart shows, amongst other things, that behind the knee lies the confluence of the femoral and popliteal arteries.”

“So there was nothing Flash or anyone else could’ve done, then,” Adagio replied, staring down at the book in my hands.

“No, there wasn’t,” I agreed, with a sorrowful sound to my voice. “Maybe if an EMT had been available, with shears to cut the seat belt and the training to use a tourniquet, but even then, I think she would’ve lost her legs.”

“She’d never be able to play sports again,” Adagio said, wincing sympathetically. “Still better than dying though.”

“Definitely,” I agreed. Though if there is an afterlife, hopefully this means Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are reunited. I can just picture Rainbow Dash being glared at by Fluttershy with the biggest sheepish grin on her face. The image caused me to let out a dry chuckle. Yeah, Fluttershy would totally scold Rainbow for getting herself killed like that.

Adagio’s eyes narrowed into a glare. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nevermind,” I said. I closed the book in my hands and placed it in my backpack, then stood up. “We’d better go find the others, to see about their--”

DING-DONG DONG-DING

“Uuuh,” Adagio said, freezing in place, her eyes wider than saucers. “Is, is that…”

“The dead body alarm?!” I cried as loudly as I dared while still abiding by the quiet library rule. “Come on!”

We raced out of the library just as the screens in the hallway turned on, revealing Monoponi sitting forward in his chair. He had a large cup of coffee, half drunk, in his magic, and his sleeping cap was gone, as were the bags under his eyes. A curious expression stretched across his face, his eyebrows raised as high as they could be. “Well now, I wasn’t expecting this to happen! Attention all passengers! A body has been discovered! Please make your way to the ice skating rink, at once!”

“Holy shit,” Adagio whispered as we exchanged frantic looks. “Who was it this time?”

“We won’t find out by standing here,” I answered, my whole body shaking in fright. “Let’s go.”

We sped for the ice rink as quickly as we dared, taking the grand staircases down two or three steps at a time. As we ran, my mind chugged along at equal speed. What the hell what the hell this isn’t supposed to happen this isn’t possible who the hell kills someone during the investigation what the fuck--oh my god it’s Trixie isn’t it it better not be Trixie if Trixie’s dead I’m going to--

My thoughts were cut off by our entry into the ice rink, where we spotted Applejack sitting on a bench, with Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo nearby, all looking down at something on the floor with terrified and saddened expressions on their faces. “Who is it?!” I shouted as I ran over to them. “Who di… what?!” My whole body froze into ice so cold I feared I’d be locked in place forever. It wasn’t Trixie. Somehow, it was even worse than that.

Because there, on the floor, spread eagle on his back and pale as a ghost, was the dead body of Flash Sentry.

Author's Note

Uh... Flash? Buddy?

Oh crap. :pinkiegasp:

I'm sorry SuperSonicHeroes! :raritycry:

Chapter Four: Passing in the Night Part 6

Chapter Four:
Passing in the Night
Deadly Life Part 2

“Flash Sentry?” Adagio gaped. “What the hell?”

Before I could say a word, the door to the promenade was kicked open again, by Rarity, who carried a blushing Trixie in her arms bridal style. “Who was it?!” she shouted frantically as she brought Trixie over and set her down carefully so the illusionist could steady herself on her crutches. “Who--oh my word!”

“What happened, Applejack, Tiara?” I asked, looking at the two of them, feeling more frazzled than I had since the investigation first started. “I thought he was searching with you guys!”

“He was!” Tiara replied, throwing up her hands. She pointed at Applejack. “Ask her! She’s the one who tried to do CPR!”

“Tried? More like failed,” Applejack admitted with a sullen frown. “Ah did mah best, but he wouldn’t wake up.”

“I don’t understand,” Scootaloo stammered, grabbing at her hair with her right hand. “Who the hell had a chance to do this? And why?! Do we have two blackeneds on our hands again?”

“You just might!” echoed Monoponi’s voice throughout the rink as he flashed into existence above us, still carting his mug of coffee as he settled to the floor. “Though I’m just as taken aback as the rest of you. I never would’ve thought we’d see a double murder twice in a row!”

“So he was murdered, then,” I said, glaring at him.

Monoponi glared right back at me, gesturing at me with his floating coffee. “Of course he was! Someone alive right here is responsible for his fate, just like every other instance! Don’t question me! Your Captain saw the whole thing happen. Was quite the show, lemme tell you, upupu.”

I looked back down at Flash, feeling an overwhelming wave of sorrow pummel into me, dashing me against the proverbial rocks of despair. “So the two blackened rule applies again. We have to find them both,” I said mutely, in a monotone.

“If there’s two, then yes, you will,” Monoponi agreed. His mouth spread in a savage toothy grin. “Ahahaha, it’s never a boring day on Captain Monoponi’s ship, is it?”

“Excuse me,” Adagio simpered, looking down at Monoponi with a fake smile plastered on her face. “But I was wondering about something. What if there’s two blackened and we fail to find either one of them? Do they both get to leave?”

“Hmm, that’s a good question,” Monoponi said, taking a few sips of his coffee while tapping one forehoof on the floor. “Tell you what: if that actually somehow happens, which I doubt, then yes, they’ll both get to leave. Never say your Captain isn’t generous! But that’s only if you all vote wrong for both of them. If you catch one, they still die with the rest of you.”

I fell down onto the nearby bench with a solid thump on my ass, my face falling into my hands. “This needs to stop,” I said, feeling the beginnings of tears falling down my cheeks. “We need to stop killing each other, damn it. What’d Flash even do to anyone to deserve this? Nothing! God!” I took my hands away from my face and balled them into fists, slamming them both down on the bench. “This isn’t fair.”

“Life’s not fair, Sunset,” Monoponi interjected, leering at me. “I thought you of all people would know that by now, ahahaha!”

“Shut up!” I railed at him, whirling with a fist readied to slam into his face. “Shut the fuck up! I am so tired of this shit! I am sick to death of hearing you make fun of us while leading us into murdering each other!”

Monoponi leaned in closer, his grin spreading to split his muzzle in half from ear to ear. “Well, if you’re so tired, Sunset, I’ll be happy to let you rest, for eternity! You just have to hit me. Do it. Do it and you won’t have to deal with any of this ever again.”

I howled, rearing back with my fist and sending it hurtling forth, right at his jaw. At the very last second, Adagio grabbed my arm and yanked me away from him, a terrified expression haunting her face. “Stop it you idiot!” she shouted at me. “Do you want to die that badly?!”

I struggled in Adagio’s grip for a moment before relaxing, leaning against her. “No,” I moaned, letting my arms drop to my sides. “No, I don’t.”

“Upupupu!” Monoponi leaned back onto his rear hooves, slapping his belly with his forehooves as his wings kept him aloft. “Ahahahaha! Oh Sunset, you’re so easy to tease. That temper will get you killed one day, mon cherie, mark my words.”

A dark hatred coursed through my veins as I sneered at him. “No. You’ll die long before I will,” I vowed. “I’ll make it happen.”

“You’re welcome to try!” Monoponi said, waving a forehoof at me. “In any case, you people have a lot more investigating to do, so I’ll let you get on with it. Take this Monoponi file, and have fun!” His horn lit up long enough to send our Monopads bleeping before he disappeared in a brilliant flash of crimson light.

The instant he was gone, I sat forward, filled with fresh determination. “I don’t know who’s responsible for Flash’s death yet,” I declared loud enough everyone could easily hear me, “But I will find you. You won’t escape. I promise you that.”

“I’m certain you will, Sunset,” Rarity said, nodding at me with a determined smile. “I believe in you. Though perhaps you should rein in your temper a bit.”

“She’s just tired, like the rest of us,” Scootaloo said, waving it off. “Probably needs more coffee. I’ll go get us some more.”

“Ah’ll go with you,” Applejack said.

“Go ahead,” Tiara said, sighing as she rubbed her forehead with her index finger and thumb. “I’m getting a splitting headache dealing with this crap. Sunset, you finished investigating Rainbow’s body, right? There’s no reason to guard it anymore?”

I swallowed, but nodded. “More or less, yeah.”

“Good, then Trixie and Rarity can guard Flash’s.” She glared at all of us. “There’d better not be a third murder during the rest of this! We’re going to be up all night with the trial as it is.”

“Oh, there won’t be,” I assured her. “Not if I can help it.”

Adagio gave me a quick half hug with one arm, and kissed my cheek. “Just don’t do anything else stupid.”

*INVESTIGATION RESUME*

I pulled out my Monopad to check the new file first, as usual.

Fact #14: Monoponi File IVb: “The victim is Flash Sentry, the Ultimate Boytoy. Time of death is approximately 10:45 PM. Signs of amphetamines and opioids were discovered in his system.”

“Wow, thanks for nothing, Monoponi,” I muttered, glaring at my Monopad in irritation before setting it aside. I checked my pockets and pulled out a fresh pair of gloves, glad I’d thought to keep a stock on hand at all times.

Adagio and I took a moment to move the body out from between the benches where he’d fallen, and up onto one, giving us plenty of space to work with. “We’re going to have to check him top to bottom,” I said, taking a moment to slip the arctic coat he was still wearing off his arms so we had better access. Then I started with his face, peeling open his eyes, noting they were bloodshot, the pupils strongly dilated, frozen in sudden surprise. I then moved down to his face, and noticed his lips were pale, just like Rainbow Dash’s. Hmm… might’ve been from the drugs, if he was poisoned.

I ran my hand down his neck and paused, feeling around it. “Hey, his lymph nodes are swollen.” Then I snapped my fingers. “I knew he was sick! Damn it, Flash, why didn’t you admit it? Adagio, help me open his mouth. Rainbow, can you…” I trailed off, flushing in embarrassment and a bit of shame as several people all glared at me. “Err, does anyone have a penlight?”

Rarity, shaking her head at me and sighing, rummaged into her skirt pocket. “Here, darling.”

“Thanks,” I said as I took it, and used it to peer inside his throat. “Well, hello there, white spots.”

Fact #15: Flash Sentry Body Condition: “The body was found in the ice skating rink, behind one of the bleachers. His entire body was ghostly pale. His throat is spotted with white, and lymph nodes in his neck were swollen.”

“Doesn’t that usually mean strep throat?” Adagio asked as I peered all around inside his mouth for anything else out of place.

“Usually, but not always,” I replied before setting the penlight aside, confident nothing else stood out. “We’ll want to check the library again.”

Returning to my examination, I ran my hands slowly down his arms and hands, though I found nothing out of place. Then I switched to his torso, and on a hunch I pulled up his shirt, so I could examine his bare chest and stomach. Good thing too, because I instantly spotted the swelling in his stomach, standing out against his otherwise well sculpted muscles. I pressed my hands onto and around it, feeling it give to my touch, then bounce back when I stopped. “Weird. What caused this?”

“Don’t know,” Adagio muttered dryly, giving me a quizzical look. “Are you going to take his pants off too?”

“Actually, that’s a good idea,” I said, ignoring her exaggerated eye roll. “He might have other symptoms or signs we can’t see without doing it. You’ll have to help me.”

“Sure, sure, that’s why we’re doing this,” Adagio grumbled as she assisted me in stripping off his pants, one leg at a time. “It’s totally not because you want to stare at his dick.”

“He’s dead, Adagio,” I shot back. “I’m not a necrophiliac, god.”

Rarity gasped when she realized what we were doing. “What are you doing? Is that truly necessary?”

“Yes, Rarity,” I insisted as I ran my hands up and down his legs, searching for any other swelling. Nothing appeared immediately out of place, so I lifted his leg to look at the back. And then I spotted it: a peculiar rash on the back of his thighs, a mottling of red and white spots. “See? We never would’ve seen that otherwise.”

*Updated* Fact #15: Flash Sentry Body Condition: “The body was found in the ice skating rink, behind one of the bleachers. His entire body was ghostly pale. His throat is spotted with white, and lymph nodes in his neck were swollen. His stomach was also swollen, and there was a peculiar mottled rash on the back of his thighs.”

“Yes, well, at least give the man some dignity in his death, if you’re finished.”

“I think we are now,” I said, taking his pants and the arctic coat and throwing them over him. Sorry, Flash. I wouldn’t have done that if I hadn’t had to, I promise.

Since Applejack and Scootaloo had left for more coffee, I decided Diamond Tiara would be the next best person to talk to, so I told her I had some questions and took her aside. “Tiara, you were here when Flash died, right?”

Tiara waggled her eyebrows once and then nodded, crossing her arms. “Yeah, I was poking around the equipment rental shop. I had just pulled up the receipts when I heard Flash shout something all weird, like he was gargling mouthwash or something. Then I heard him fall, and Applejack shout his name. I turned around, but that’s when I saw something… weird.”

“Weird? What do you mean?” I pressed.

Tiara frowned, and shifted her weight to her other leg before moving in closer, whispering, “I saw Applejack deliberately wait to throw something in the trash bin before she went over to him.”

Okay, that’s pretty weird for AJ. Usually she’s quick to help. “What was it? Did you see?”

“Nuh-uh. I didn’t have time. I ran over to try and help him, but Applejack was already doing CPR, so I sat back and watched. Then she… gave up. Scootaloo came out to us from the door to the access corridor, and then the body alarm went off.” Tiara’s frown deepened. “I’d check that trash bin if I were you.”

“I will,” I said, nodding. “One more question: what were you doing between the hockey game and Rainbow’s death?”

She shrugged and stepped back. “I was in the library, reading. I had to go to the bathroom once.” She looked up at the ceiling and scratched her chin. “Now that I think about it, I saw Applejack then too, on my way out of the bathroom. She was leaving the convenience store.”

“Okay,” I said, before stopping and blinking in confusion. “Wait, Applejack? Not Scootaloo?”

Tiara shook her head. “No, I didn’t see Scootaloo at all. But I did see Applejack go into the game corner on my way back to the library.”

Fact #16: Diamond Tiara’s Account: “Prior to the murder, Tiara spent her time after the hockey game in the library, leaving only briefly to use the promenade bathroom, spotting Applejack leaving the convenience store on her way out. Later, during the investigation, she saw Applejack put something in the trash bin right after Flash Sentry passed out before going to help him.”

“That’s odd, but alright, thanks,” I said. “Do you have that receipt printout on you?”

“Yeah, right here,” she said, handing it over. “You might want to check the go-kart track’s register too, just in case.”

Fact #17: Shop Receipts: “The following purchases were recorded:
RB@IR Fri1922: Ice skates, knee pads, helmet, arctic coat, arctic pants.
FS@IR Fri2342: Arctic coat.
AJ@IR Sat1641: Ice skates, helmet, knee pads.
FS@IR Sat1643: Ice skates.
RD@IR Sat1644: Ice skates, arctic coat, hockey stick x 6, puck, hockey mask x 6.
SS@IR Sat1647: Ice skates.
AD@IR Sat1648: Ice skates.
SL@IR Sat 1651: Ice skates
DT@IR Sat1654: Ice skates, helmet, knee pads, shoulder pads.”

“I will,” I said, nodding to her. I took a brief look at the list she’d given me, but nothing stuck out as too odd, other than Rarity buying skates and safety equipment last night, and Flash grabbing his coat at almost midnight, of all times. Weird, but it’s not like I can ask him about it now. But I can ask her. After I check the bin.

Adagio and I walked over to the bin in question. It was a large standing type, reaching up to my chest. “Want me to dump it?” she asked, grimacing at the bin.

“No, we might lose something that way,” I said. “Just watch while I go in.” I leaned over it, and using the penlight Rarity gave me, began poking through. Fortunately the bin had a plastic bag in it, making it easier to spot contents inside. Unfortunately that same bag made it more difficult to poke around past a few things, and the light didn’t always reach properly. There were a few wrappers, which I ignored, and a couple of cups, which I also ignored. Then my hand touched something soft and wet, and I pulled said something out. “Bingo.”

Fact #18: Bloodied Cloth: “A cloth discovered in the trash bin next to the ice rink equipment rental shop. The cloth was half soaked in the blood, the rest damp with water.”

“I’ll bet you ten bucks this is what the culprit used to clean Rainbow’s Monopad,” I whispered.

“Probably,” Adagio agreed, taking the cloth from me and wrapping it in a plastic bag. “So you’re done with the bin, right?”

“No, I feel like there’s more in there,” I muttered. “Dunno why. Just a hunch.” I stuck my arm back inside and looked around some more till I spotted a flash of orange. I had to dig deep to find it, but when I pulled it out, I felt my heart sink. “This is a…”

“A pill bottle,” Adagio finished for me, just as morosely. “And it’s empty, too.”

Fact #19: Empty Pill Bottle: “An empty bottle found in the ice skating rink, in the trash bin next to the equipment rental shop. There was no label on the bottle, and the cap was missing.”

“This might be the murder weapon for Flash,” I muttered. I carefully placed that into my backpack. “Okay. The cap wasn’t on the bottle, so maybe it’s still in the bin.”

“Do we need it for anything?” Adagio asked as I dove back in.

“It might have the label on it, or I might find the label in here,” I said. It took me several minutes longer to poke around, but I didn’t find the label or the cap. But just as I was about to give up, my hands closed around something small and oblong, like a stretched out oval. “What the… a lighter?”

Fact #20: Used Lighter: “A cigarette lighter discovered in the trash bin next to the ice rink equipment rental shop, spattered with blood. It was drained of fuel. Scribbled on the bottom of the lighter, in sharpie, were the letters ‘RD.’”

“This must’ve been Rainbow’s,” I said as I pointed out the letters to Adagio. “I didn’t think she smoked, though.”

“Rainbow Dash used to smoke weed with Fluttershy when Shy was alive,” Scootaloo said, startling us. She cringed sympathetically. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Guess you found something, huh?”

“Just a lighter,” I said, deciding not to elaborate for now. “But she and Fluttershy smoked weed? Really?”

“Yeah!” Scootaloo answered, one side of her mouth turning up. “Apparently Fluttershy has some friend named Tree Hugger that turned her onto it, so Rainbow did it with her to help Fluttershy relax. I’m surprised you found her lighter here though.”

“It’s probably nothing,” I said, jamming the lighter in my pocket. I spotted the coffees in the drink carrier in her hand and grabbed for one. “Thanks for the coffee. Say, Scootaloo, since you’re here, mind if I ask you a question or two?”

“If you’re gonna ask if I found anything in the access corridor,” Scootaloo said with a frustrated grimace as she handed Adagio the other coffee, “I didn’t. There was nothing there. I searched the whole place, from the go-kart track to the stairwell and back to the ice rink.”

“Good to know, but I actually wanted to ask what you were up to between the game and the murder,” I said, taking a good long sip of my coffee.

Scootaloo glanced over at Applejack, who was handing out coffee to Tiara. “After I helped Applejack clean up, I took her to the game corner to help her calm down with some games. She left for snacks at some point. Then she came back, and we played games till Flash came looking for us. That’s it.”

Fact #21: Scootaloo’s Account: “According to Scootaloo, she and Applejack left the ice rink after the hockey game, and spent some time in the game corner. She claims that Applejack left to get them some snacks, while she stayed in the game corner, then both played games until Flash came for help with Rainbow Dash.”

I frowned at her. “You sure you didn’t leave at any point?”

“No, I didn’t,” Scootaloo insisted, her frown deepening. “Ask Applejack. She’ll tell you.” With that, Scootaloo walked off towards the other side of the rink, presumably looking for clues.

“She’s lying,” Adagio said the instant she was gone. “I know I saw her.”

“I believe you,” I replied, watching Scootaloo’s departing back. I pressed my knuckles to my chin in confusion. “But why would she lie?”

“I said, back off, Applejack!” Rarity shouted, catching our attention.

I turned to see Applejack, still holding her own coffee, backing away from Rarity while holding up her empty hand in surrender. “Ah just wanted to apologize, that’s all!”

“And I don’t want to hear it!” Rarity said, gripping her coffee hard enough to pop the lid off. She thankfully stopped before she spilled coffee all over herself. “I appreciate the coffee, but I already told you several times: we are through. Leave me alone!”

“Applejack!” I said, deciding to intervene. I strode over and wrapped one arm firmly around hers. “Good timing, I just wanted to ask you a few questions, if you don’t mind.” I tugged her away from Rarity, hard enough to get her moving.

“Sunset?” Applejack muttered as she let me lead her away for a good couple of minutes till we were at the other side of the rink. “Ah don’t know if Ah should thank you for savin’ me from that or smack you for gettin’ in my way.”

“You should thank me,” I replied, scowling at her. “Rarity doesn’t want to speak to you anymore, so leave her alone, okay?”

The farmer wiggled her way out of my grip and glared right back at me. “Or else what?”

Adagio took a single step towards her, causing Applejack to swallow nervously. “Or else we’ll have unfinished business,” Adagio said, flashing her a toothy grin.

“R-r-right, don’t want that!” Applejack replied with a nervous laugh.

“Anyway, while we’re here,” I said, “I’ve got a couple of questions. First, I wanted to know what you were doing between the hockey game and the first murder.”

“Uh, well, Scootaloo and Ah decided to go to the game corner, so Ah could cool off a bit.” Applejack scratched her head under her hat. “Scootaloo left to get us somethin’ to munch on, but Ah stayed in the game corner. We kept at it till Flash showed up.”

“So Scootaloo left, but not you?” Adagio pressed firmly.

Applejack pursed her lips into a pout and shook her head. “No, Ah’m sure it was Scootaloo. Why?”

“No reason,” I said before Adagio could answer. “Next question: Diamond Tiara said you tried to give Flash CPR?”

Applejack’s face fell in shame. “Ah tried. Soon as he fell over, Ah was on him. Ah did my best, giving him so many chest compressions Ah think Ah might’ve broken his breastbone. But he weren’t breathin’ at all, no matter what Ah did. He was already gone.”

Fact #22: Applejack’s Account: “According to Applejack, she and Scootaloo spent the evening in the game corner. She claims Scootaloo left at one point to get them some snacks from the convenience store, while she stayed. Later, she attempted to resuscitate Flash the instant he fell, but failed, despite giving him so many chest compressions his sternum broke.”

*Updated* Fact #15: Flash Sentry Body Condition: “The body was found in the ice skating rink, behind one of the bleachers. His entire body was ghostly pale. His throat is spotted with white, and lymph nodes in his neck were swollen. His stomach was also swollen, and there was a peculiar mottled rash on the back of his thighs. His sternum was broken by Applejack during an attempt at resuscitation.”

“I’m sure you did your best,” I said, smiling sympathetically. “And I’m sure Flash would’ve appreciated it.”

“Ah just don’t understand how he died,” Applejack said, bowing her head. One hand shot up to rub at her chin. “Like, he weren’t doin’ nothin’, and it weren’t like I saw someone shoot him or somethin’. He just turned up his toes and started pushin' up daisies.”

I patted her on the arm. “We’ll figure it out in the trial. If you’ll excuse us.” I nudged my head towards the rest of the group, and left with Adagio in tow.

“Why didn’t you ask her about the trash?” Adagio whispered in my ear.

I arched an eyebrow at her, surprised she’d even ask. “If I ask her now, I’ll put her on guard. Better leave that sort of thing for the trial. Besides, her story contradicts Tiara’s in two ways, not just one.”

“I noticed,” Adagio said, frowning. “Which one’s lying, do you think?”

“Dunno. Like I said, we’ll find out at the trial.”

I walked over to where Rarity and Trixie were keeping watch. Trixie had taken a seat on the bench, setting aside her crutches and stretching out her one leg along it, while Rarity kept standing, the two occasionally exchanging a few amiable words. “Hey, Rarity, you okay?”

Smiling, Rarity reached out for my hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “Oh, yes Sunset, I’m fine. I appreciate your assistance.” Her smile fell as she dropped my hand. “That woman, honestly. Never listens.”

“Well, I think I’ve managed to get her to back off, at least for now. Anyway, I’ve got a quick question for you,” I said, holding up the receipt I’d obtained from Tiara. “It looks like you bought some ice skates last night. Why was that?”

Rarity frowned at me. “I hope you’re not suspecting me of doing anything, darling. But I suppose I’d better clear the air. I decided I wanted to get in some light exercise, so I thought I’d practice my skating, in the hopes of sharing a romantic moment with Applejack.” The name came out with such a sour taste soaking it even I could taste how foul it was. “That never happened, of course.”

“Okay, just thought I’d ask.” I consulted my Monopad, then turned to Trixie. “Trixie, I know you were in your room with Rarity and me, but I wanted to ask if you saw or heard anything before we arrived, or after the first murder, that might be important.”

Trixie’s lips puffed up into a sorrowful frown. “No, Sunset, Trixie never saw or heard anything that you didn’t. Trixie apologizes.”

I smiled at her. “Don’t worry about it, Trixie. Okay, Adagio, we’d better go hit the library again. I’ve got a few things I want to look up.” I started to walk away, then stopped, and hummed to myself, rubbing at my cheek. “Actually, we should go check the go-kart register first.”

Adagio shrugged. “Whichever you’d prefer,” she said as we walked away.

As soon as we’d left the ice rink behind, I said, “We’re also going to check the pharmacy register and the convenience store one too. I want to figure out what kind of pills those might’ve been. The Monoponi file mentioned both amphetamines and opioids, which could mean Flash was poisoned.”

“You think that’s likely?”

“We’ll find out.”

We stopped by the go-kart register, but all it listed was safety equipment purchases, so I nixed it. What a waste of time. Why’d Tiara tell me to go here? I wondered as we headed for the other two shops. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten it was past 10:00 PM, so the convenience store was closed, preventing us from checking it. The pharmacy was still open however, so we at least got to add some info to our list.

*Updated* Fact #17: Shop Receipts: “The following purchases were recorded:
RB@IR Fri1922: Ice skates, knee pads, helmet, arctic coat, arctic pants.
FS@IR Fri2342: Arctic coat.
AJ@IR Sat1641: Ice skates, helmet, knee pads.
FS@IR Sat1643: Ice skates.
RD@IR Sat1644: Ice skates, arctic coat, hockey stick x 6, puck, hockey mask x 6.
SS@IR Sat1647: Ice skates.
AD@IR Sat1648: Ice skates.
SL@IR Sat 1651: Ice skates.
DT@IR Sat1654: Ice skates, helmet, knee pads, shoulder pads.
FS@RX Fri0821: Cough syrup, ibuprofen , antibiotics.
RD@RX Fri1935: Tramadol, pads, methylphenidate.
AJ@RX Sat1405: Methylphenidate, tramadol, dental dams, medical tape rolls x 4.”

A lot of information, but I’m not sure how much of it is useful. Better keep it anyway, just in case. I’m not sure I recognize what those medicines Rainbow and AJ bought are. I pointed them out to Adagio. “That’s what we’ll want to look up, along with diseases and injuries.”

“I think tramadol is a pain reliever,” Adagio said as we walked back towards the library. Her face flushed with pink as she looked away from me, running a hand through her hair. “One of my sisters sold drugs on the street a few times. This was one of the ones she sold. As soon as I found out I told her to stop.” She faced me again, her whole face beet red. “I didn’t want to be a common criminal.”

“Sounds like the potential for good in you was present even then,” I said with a giggle, laughing harder when she glared at me. “Oh come on, you know it’s true.”

“Maybe,” she sniffed, fluffing at her hair with one hand.

As soon as we reached the library, I went straight for the same section we found the anatomy textbook in. “I’m going to check diseases first,” I said as I selected an appropriate textbook. I took it over to a table and sat down with it, running through quickly for any disease with white spots on the throat, making sure to collate their whole list of symptoms, and dismissing any that seemed too unlikely.

Fact #23: Disease Handbook 2020 Edition: “A nursing textbook from the library, containing information on all sorts of diseases. It states, amongst other things, symptoms for the following diseases:
Strep Throat: Fever, headache, sore throat with white spots, swollen lymph nodes in neck, swollen and inflamed tonsils, red spots on the roof of the mouth, and scarlet fever rash.
Mononucleosis: Fatigue, headache, sore throat with white spots, fever, swollen lymph nodes in neck and armpits, swollen tonsils, skin rash, soft swollen spleen.
Tonsillitis: Red tonsils, sore throat with white spots, sore lymph nodes in neck, vocal change, fever, trouble swallowing, halitosis, stiff neck
Oral Thrush: Sore throat with white spots, burning or aching tongue, bleeding in the throat, cotton mouth.”

“Looks like these four are the most likely,” I said once my list was done. “What’ve you got?”

Adagio showed me the book she’d found. “I looked up the drugs.”

Fact #24: Drug Handbook 2020 Edition: “A nursing textbook from the library, containing information on all sorts of drugs. It states, amongst other things, that methylphenidate is used to treat conditions such as ADD, ADHD, and cases of fatigue such as narcolepsy, and that tramadol is usually prescribed for severe pain. When combined, the two can cause severe seizures and even death.”

“Seizures and death, huh? Looks like we might be onto something, then,” I said. Looking back at my Monopad, I checked the list of purchases from the pharmacy. “I’m not sure why both Rainbow Dash and Applejack bought these though.”

“Don’t waste time speculating,” Adagio said with a knowing grin.

“Haha,” I said dryly, giving her a flat look. “There’s one more book I want to check. I want to see if there’s any other potential causes for Flash’s condition we’re overlooking.”

It didn’t take long for me to find a relevant book and put together the following information.

Fact #25: Injuries and Maladies 2020 Edition: “A nursing textbook from the library, containing a large repository of information regarding various bodily conditions. Amongst other things it lists the following causes for pale skin: fainting, frostbite, certain medications, vitamin deficiencies, exsanguination, and internal bleeding.”

“Hmmm.” I considered what that told me, and tried to put it together with some of the other information we’d found. Maybe if I could figure out what actually killed him before we got to the trial, I’d save us some--

DING-DONG-BING-BONG

Too late.

Monoponi’s irritating face appeared on the screens, an empty cup of coffee floating in his magic. As he spoke, he set it down on his desk. “Ah, another day, another pair of murders. So many murders take place on this ship, you’d think none of you want to be here! Upupupu! But whether you want it or not, your Captain doesn’t care. It’s that time, my lovely passengers. Get your rumps movin’ down to the food court, pronto!”

“Well, here we go,” Adagio said grimly, standing up to join me in leaving the library. “Another frustrating trial.”

“It’s late, too,” I murmured. “Everyone’s going to be cranky. Tired. We’ll make mistakes. Stupid ones. Even with the coffee.” I should’ve gotten something to eat too. Too late now.

“Coffee’ll probably make it worse for some of us,” Adagio replied with a heavy sigh. “I don’t know if you noticed, but Applejack was twitching a lot after she drank hers.”

“No, I didn’t notice,” I replied.

We’d reached the food court first, due to being closer, but the others were swift behind. Rarity was once again carrying Trixie, an act that warmed my heart. I heard Trixie murmur a brief thank you to Rarity when she was set down.

“We’re all here, Monoponi,” Diamond Tiara called out after a minute or two passed. “Show yourself already. We’re sick of waiting.”

“Oooh, sick already?” Monoponi said, flashing into existence. “Upupu, too bad for you!” He stretched out his limbs and his mouth spread in a massive yawn, showing off every last jagged tooth in his jaws. “Your Captain took a lovely nap while you were all running around like headless chickens. Rest is very important, you know! You really should get more sleep. All that caffeine isn’t good for you! Stunts your growth, don’t you know.”

“That’s a myth,” I groaned, slapping a hand to my face. “And we’re adults. We’re as tall as we’re going to get.”

“Oh Sunset, don’t try to correct your Captain,” Monoponi chided, waving one forehoof dismissively. “Your Captain is always right, he is. He knew that no matter what you people think, no matter what you say or try to pretend, you will always, always give in to my motives. And look at what happened. Yet again, one or two of you decided your lives mattered more than others.”

“And we’ll find out who it is and stop them, just like we always have,” Tiara declared, setting a foot forward. She gestured towards me. “Sunset’s never let us down.”

Aaand now she’s being completely friendly again. What the heck is up with you lately, Tiara? You’re all over the place. Then again, if I’m right about you being the traitor, that’d make sense.

I wonder if I should bring that up during the trial. I thought about it for a moment, then shook my head. No. Unless I absolutely have to, I won’t. I might be wrong, and the last thing we need is more baseless accusations pulling us apart.

“Sunset’s never let you down, you say?” Monoponi replied mockingly, holding a hoof to his lips. “I wonder if Twilight Sparkle would agree with that. Ahahahaha!”

“That’s hardly fair,” Rarity objected, throwing out an arm protectively in my general direction. “We had no way of knowing you’d manipulate us into executing her!”

“And yet here you are, carrying around the one who actually killed someone with their hands like she was your blushing bride.” Monoponi tittered, jumping up and down on his hooves. “Oh, is she? As your Captain, I would be more than happy to perform a marriage ceremony! Of course, you’d have to annul your previous marriage first…”

Rarity’s lips curled up like she’d bit into an especially sour lemon, and her eyes twitched as she glared at the alicorn with as much hatred as she could muster. Then she relaxed, letting out the breath she was holding, and the tension faded from her face. “Monoponi, I do not care for you.”

“Eh, who does?” Monoponi shrugged. “Nopony ever said I had to be liked to be Captain! And speaking of being your Captain, it’s time we ventured forth onto the stormy seas of the trial once again. Will you once again succeed in tracking down the scallywags who’d dare sabotage our ocean voyage? Or will you fail, and force your Captain to execute you all? Personally, I’m really hoping for the latter! Upupupu!” He held a hoof to his throat and cleared. “Ahem. Va-va-valuse!”

With a flourish of his horn and a shower of red sparks, the oversized lock on the courtroom elevator disintegrated, allowing the gates to screech open, assaulting us with the rusty screech of old metal. Monoponi took a quick bow and vanished in a flash of light, leaving the elevator for us to enter.

“Hang on a minute guys,” Scootaloo said before anyone could board. All eyes turned to her. “Listen up. Rainbow Dash was my friend, okay? She mattered to me. She was important to me.” She bowed her head for a moment before raising it again, eyes full of confidence. “I know I haven’t been the most useful in these trials, but I’m going to do whatever I can to find her killer and bring her to justice. Both for her and for Flash Sentry.” She held up a finger. “I don’t know which one of you killed them, or why, and honestly? I don’t care. I won’t let you get away with it. I won’t!” A few tears came to her eyes as she dropped her arms to her sides, balling up her fists. “They were important, okay? They mattered. We all matter. Every single one of us matters. I don’t want any of you to die, anymore than I wanted them to. But if we have to choose between you, and all of us? I’m picking us.”

“Here here,” I said, nodding and applauding the younger woman. “Scootaloo’s right, everybody. I’m behind her all the way.”

“As am I, darling,” Rarity said, smiling at Scootaloo. “You’ve been nothing but kind to all of us, Scootaloo, no matter the circumstances. It’s good to hear you speak this way.”

“Thanks, you guys,” Scootaloo said, smiling past her tears. She sniffled, wiping away at one eye with her fist. “Come on, let’s get moving.”

As I followed her into the elevator, I considered the case once more.

Rainbow Dash and Flash Sentry. Two souls who, prior to their untimely deaths, had found an unusual bond in each other. Both had lost someone unfairly to Monoponi’s machinations. Both had a reason to hate the other, due to their lost loved ones involvement in their respective deaths, but they saw past all that. They got along. And someone killed them. Or someones.

Perhaps these crimes were unconnected, but somehow, I doubted it. I knew there was a connection, an important one, but what?

What compelled the culprit or culprits to target these two in particular? Was Flash killed because his illness left him vulnerable? Was Rainbow killed because her secret was never revealed and someone thought she was the traitor?

Whatever the reason, neither of these two deserved to die. No one should have killed them. Perhaps there’d been the occasional crack in our group, but we’d been getting along better than ever.

But there was no point in looking back, at what should have been or might have been. The only thing I could do is look forward. Look forward to solving this case, to figuring out the culprit, and saving our lives once again.

I will save our lives in this trial of life and death!

Author's Note

You should now, between the two parts of the investigation and prior narration, have all the clues you need.

Oh, and if you're wondering why I killed two people, again? Because no one expects the double double murder! :pinkiehappy: Okay, there's actually many other reasons. But that'll have to wait.

Chapter Four: Passing in the Night Part 7

Chapter Four:
Passing in the Night
Trial Part 1

Fact #1: Monoponi File IV: “The victim is Rainbow Dash, the Ultimate Athlete. Approximate time of death is between 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM. The victim has several injuries, including a cerebral hematoma, multiple contusions on both arms, and severe lacerations to the back of both knees. Toxicology reports no poisons or drugs apart from caffeine.”

Fact #2: Flash Sentry’s Account: “According to Flash, he and Rainbow were holding one final race near the end of the night. During the race, Flash’s fatigue caused him to twitch with his steering wheel, and he and Rainbow Dash crashed into each other. Rainbow had been in the process of taking a very sharp turn, and hit the wall, tumbling over and over until she came to a halt upside down. He tried to free her, but the security system wouldn’t let him, so he ran for help until he found Applejack and Scootaloo. During their races, he and Rainbow Dash took a ten minute bathroom break, during which time the karts were unattended.”

Fact #3: Rainbow Dash Body Condition: “The body was found trapped upside down in a go-kart, unable to be removed. She was wearing all requisite safety equipment except for the helmet, which was missing. Her complexion was pale and waxy, her skin almost ghostly white. A large bruise had formed over her left eye, where her head had struck the go-kart’s rolling bar. Most of her lower body was bloodstained, especially her legs, torso, and arms, where it had flowed onto the ground. The source of the blood was the lacerations behind her knees. Her Monopad was nowhere to be found.”

Fact #4: Ice Skates: “A pair of ice skates. They were discovered in the go-kart, blade up, soaked in blood. Their edges were far sharper than the usual ice skate blade.”

Fact #5: Shoe Sizes: “Size six: Rainbow Dash, Diamond Tiara. Size seven: Scootaloo. Size eight: Rarity, Trixie. Size nine: Sunset Shimmer. Size ten: Flash Sentry. Size eleven: Adagio Dazzle. Size fourteen: Applejack.”

Fact #6: Missing Helmet: “Rainbow Dash’s safety helmet. The chin strap was partially sliced through by a dull blade, creating a tear large enough to catch and destroy the strap.”

Fact #7: Red Go-Kart: “The kart assigned to Rainbow Dash by the go-kart track system. It was discovered laying upside down on its rolling cage near the finish line. One of the roll bars was improperly welded, creating a small protrusion at chin height for Rainbow Dash that a strap could easily catch and tear on.”

Fact #8: Rainbow’s Backpack: “Rainbow Dash’s backpack, which she left by the kart garage during her evening races. According to Flash Sentry, her ice skates should’ve been in there, but no skates were found. Her Monopad was not present.”

Fact #9: Whetstone: “A rectangular piece of stone, taken from the theater prop shop, used for sharpening blades. It was found in the unisex go-kart bathroom, under the toilet in one of the stalls. It was found still damp from use.”

Fact #10: Damaged Note: “A waterlogged and burned note found underneath the whetstone, in the unisex go-kart bathroom. The following words were the only legible things left, in this order: ‘skate’ ‘careful’ ‘ash.’”

Fact #11: Rainbow’s Monopad: “Rainbow’s Monopad was discovered in the theater, wiped clean of all data. There were traces of water on it.”

Fact #12: Adagio’s Account: “Rarity, Trixie, and Sunset Shimmer were together in Trixie’s room, chatting. Adagio Dazzle stayed in her cabin, apart from a brief visit to the promenade, where she saw Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo.”

Fact #13: Anatomy Handbook 2020 Edition: “A nursing textbook from the library, containing a variety of anatomy charts. A circulatory chart shows, amongst other things, that behind the knee lies the confluence of the femoral and popliteal arteries.”

Fact #14: Monoponi File IVb: “The victim is Flash Sentry, the Ultimate Boytoy. Time of death is approximately 10:45 PM. Signs of amphetamines and opioids were discovered in his system.”

Fact #15: Flash Sentry Body Condition: “The body was found in the ice skating rink, behind one of the bleachers. His entire body was ghostly pale. His throat is spotted with white, and lymph nodes in his neck were swollen. His stomach was also swollen, and there was a peculiar mottled rash on the back of his thighs. His sternum was broken by Applejack during an attempt at resuscitation.”

Fact #16: Diamond Tiara’s Account: “Prior to the murder, Tiara spent her time after the hockey game in the library, leaving only briefly to use the promenade bathroom, spotting Applejack leaving the convenience store on her way out. Later, during the investigation, she saw Applejack put something in the trash bin right after Flash Sentry passed out before going to help him.”

Fact #17: Shop Receipts: “The following purchases were recorded:
RB@IR Fri1922: Ice skates, knee pads, helmet, arctic coat, arctic pants.
FS@IR Fri2342: Arctic coat.
AJ@IR Sat1641: Ice skates, helmet, knee pads.
FS@IR Sat1643: Ice skates.
RD@IR Sat1644: Ice skates, arctic coat, hockey stick x 6, puck, hockey mask x 6.
SS@IR Sat1647: Ice skates.
AD@IR Sat1648: Ice skates.
SL@IR Sat 1651: Ice skates.
DT@IR Sat1654: Ice skates, helmet, knee pads, shoulder pads.
FS@RX Fri0821: Cough syrup, ibuprofen , antibiotics.
RD@RX Fri1935: Tramadol, pads, methylphenidate.
AJ@RX Sat1405: Methylphenidate, tramadol, dental dams, medical tape rolls x 4.”

Fact #18: Bloodied Cloth: “A cloth discovered in the trash bin next to the ice rink equipment rental shop. The cloth was half soaked in the blood, the rest damp with water.”

Fact #19: Empty Pill Bottle: “An empty bottle found in the ice skating rink, in the trash bin next to the equipment rental shop. There was no label on the bottle, and the cap was missing.”

Fact #20: Used Lighter: “A cigarette lighter discovered in the trash bin next to the ice rink equipment rental shop, spattered with blood. It was drained of fuel. Scribbled on the bottom of the lighter, in sharpie, were the letters ‘RD.’”

Fact #21: Scootaloo’s Account: “According to Scootaloo, she and Applejack left the ice rink after the hockey game, and spent some time in the game corner. She claims that Applejack left to get them some snacks, while she stayed in the game corner, then both played games until Flash came for help with Rainbow Dash.”

Fact #22: Applejack’s Account: “According to Applejack, she and Scootaloo spent the evening in the game corner. She claims Scootaloo left at one point to get them some snacks from the convenience store, while she stayed. Later, she attempted to resuscitate Flash the instant he fell, but failed, despite giving him so many chest compressions his sternum broke.”

Fact #23: Disease Handbook 2020 Edition: “A nursing textbook from the library, containing information on all sorts of diseases. It states, amongst other things, symptoms for the following diseases:
Strep Throat: Fever, headache, sore throat with white spots, swollen lymph nodes in neck, swollen and inflamed tonsils, red spots on the roof of the mouth, and scarlet fever rash.
Mononucleosis: Fatigue, headache, sore throat with white spots, fever, swollen lymph nodes in neck and armpits, swollen tonsils, skin rash, soft swollen spleen.
Tonsillitis: Red tonsils, sore throat with white spots, sore lymph nodes in neck, vocal change, fever, trouble swallowing, halitosis, stiff neck
Oral Thrush: Sore throat with white spots, burning or aching tongue, bleeding in the throat, cotton mouth.”

Fact #24: Drug Handbook 2020 Edition: “A nursing textbook from the library, containing information on all sorts of drugs. It states, amongst other things, that methylphenidate is used to treat conditions such as ADD, ADHD, and cases of fatigue such as narcolepsy, and that tramadol is usually prescribed for severe pain. When combined, the two can cause severe seizures and even death.”

Fact #25: Injuries and Maladies 2020 Edition: “A nursing textbook from the library, containing a large repository of information regarding various bodily conditions. Amongst other things it lists the following causes for pale skin: fainting, frostbite, certain medications, vitamin deficiencies, exsanguination, and internal bleeding.”

As we came off the elevator, I took note of the change in the courtroom. Like always, Monoponi had decorated it in “honor” of the victims. In this case most of the room had been painted a cyan blue, similar to Rainbow’s skin color, and plastered with various images of footballs, rugby balls, baseballs, soccer balls, hockey pucks and sticks, and more. Even the overhead lighting had been changed up. Where previously he’d had a series of fluorescents resembling kitchen lighting that beamed straight down upon us, he’d replaced it with a series of spotlights in every color of the rainbow beaming down at angles, like stadium lights. I looked around to see if Flash Sentry was acknowledged anywhere, and then finally spotted part of one wall was slapdash covered with images of sports cars and guitars, with a coat of sapphire blue paint splattered all over the cyan beneath it, like he’d done it in a hurry.

We took our usual spots at our podiums, several chills running down my spine as I realized more portraits faced me now than actual people. Less than half of us are left. Damn you, Monoponi, you monster.

The first portrait I took in was Twilight Sparkle’s, our third culprit. Like Pinkie Pie, she looked worried, even scared in her portrait, with the cross right between her eyes. Memories of her execution entered my mind, but I swiftly pushed them away, lest I get too angry or depressed. I’m sorry, Twilight. I’m especially sorry I couldn’t keep Flash alive for you.

When my face fell upon Rainbow Dash’s portrait, I was surprised to see her casual pose, with her eyes closed. Every other portrait up till now had their eyes open. I wonder if that means anything? Probably not. I don’t even know where he gets these pictures from.

Like Rainbow Dash, Flash’s portrait featured closed eyes. But where Rainbow’s expression could be taken in any number of ways, Flash’s could only be taken in one: Happy. Excited. He actually looked adorable even in his portrait, which was so counter to the way he died it felt more insulting than any other portrait featured thus far. The sheer level of energy seemed obscene. Flash, if there is an afterlife, I hope you were able to reunite with Twilight. If any couple deserves it, it’d be you two.

“Well well, all settled in, are we?” Monoponi said as he flashed into existence on his throne, another large cup of coffee floating in his magic nearby. He took a loud slurp of it before continuing. “Good. Before we get started, allow me to remind you of the special rule involved. Because we have two victims, there is the possibility of two blackeneds! If two blackeneds are involved, you must find and vote for them both, correctly, in order to successfully navigate this trial. Fail to do so, and it’s off the plank with you all!”

He held a hoof to his mouth and giggled. “Upupu, though it won’t really be a plank. I have something far more fun in store if you mess it up! Ahahaha!” He cleared his throat. “Ahem. Be sure not to call for voting time until you are certain you’ve found the blackened or blackeneds, because if you miss one… well, you get the point. Enough timewasting. Get on with it!”

“So we’re starting with Rainbow Dash, right?” Scootaloo said immediately, slapping a hand on her podium. “She died first. We ought to figure out how.”

“She was all pale, like a ghost, right?” Tiara said, nudging her chin with her knuckles. “And she hit her head. Did that kill her?”

“Ah don’t think so,” Applejack retorted with a shake of her head. “Flash told us she was still kickin’ after the crash. If hittin’ her head killed her she would’ve died instantly.”

“Applejack’s right,” I said, nodding. “I’m reasonably certain Rainbow Dash died because she bled to death, and the cause was these.”

Fact #4: Ice Skates: “A pair of ice skates. They were discovered in the go-kart, blade up, soaked in blood. Their edges were far sharper than the usual ice skate blade.”

Rarity held a hand to her mouth. “Oh my. I saw you pull those out of the kart during the investigation, but I didn’t realize they were so sharp!”

Adagio held up her bandaged finger. “So sharp I cut myself just checking the edge. They were more like swords than skates.”

“But why were they so sharp?” Trixie pondered, rubbing her chin. At the glare she received from everyone save Rarity and myself, she gathered up her confidence and said, “Trixie will not be silent in this trial. Trixie is here to help solve the case, just like the rest of you.”

“Seriously, guys, lay off of Trixie,” I added, flashing the illusionist a thumbs up. “I know we all have reason to distrust her, or even hate her, but she’s a part of this group like any of us. And we can be certain she’s innocent, too.”

Scootaloo arched an eyebrow at me and held out a hand questioningly. “You sure about that? I know she was locked up, but--”

“The only one who had the key was Diamond Tiara,” I said, keeping my own duplicate copy quiet for now. “She lent it out to me on occasion, and to Rarity right after the hockey game, but other than for the motive presentation Trixie was never let out of her room. And I escorted her right back afterwards.”

Diamond Tiara nodded and pointed at me. “Yup, Sunset’s right. I never gave the key to anyone else, and it’s not like Trixie could unlock her door from inside anyway. Someone would’ve had to let her out.”

“Indeed,” Trixie said, acting out a muted form of her usual grand gesture. “Trixie saw the lock herself. It was a sliding bar linked into a padlock. The only way out for Trixie would have been out the window.” Trixie’s mouth flattened out and she pointed at her stump leg. “Trixie can’t climb.”

“And if she tried, she’d end up in the ocean!” Monoponi added, bouncing on his chair. “Don’t expect me to save you if you ever go overboard!”

“Okay, okay,” Scootaloo said, backing off and crossing her arms over her chest. “I get it.”

“So we know what killed Rainbow Dash,” Adagio said, prompting us to continue. “What we don’t know is why.”

"Ah'm wonderin' somethin', while we're at it," Applejack said, frowning down at her Monopad. "Whose skates were they?"

Arching a surprised eyebrow at the question, I answered, "Pretty sure they're Rainbow's. They're size six, and only two people wear that size."

Fact #5: Shoe Sizes: “Size six: Rainbow Dash, Diamond Tiara. Size seven: Scootaloo. Size eight: Rarity, Trixie. Size nine: Sunset Shimmer. Size ten: Flash Sentry. Size eleven: Adagio Dazzle. Size fourteen: Applejack.”

"Unless you're trying to suggest they were Tiara's."

"They're not!" Tiara blurted. "I put mine away in my room right after the game."

Applejack glared right back at me, eyes gleaming from underneath the brim of her hat. "No. Ah'm not sayin' that. Ah just wanted to be sure. 'Cause it seems pretty funky to me that she'd put her own skates in her kart."

"It is pretty strange," I agreed, then frowned in thought. "We'll have to figure out why they were there."

“I’m a bit confused on the how portion,” Tiara interjected with a frown. “Like, I mean, how the skates killed her. Did she slice up her neck or something?”

“No, no, darling, it was her knees. The back of her knees,” Rarity said, rolling her eyes. “You were there. Didn’t you see it?”

Tiara’s cheeks flushed and she looked away. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

I resisted the urge to facepalm, instead bringing up some more evidence.

Fact #13: Anatomy Handbook 2020 Edition: “A nursing textbook from the library, containing a variety of anatomy charts. A circulatory chart shows, amongst other things, that behind the knee lies the confluence of the femoral and popliteal arteries.”

“Specifically, Tiara, she was sliced right here, in these two arteries mentioned, the femoral and popliteal. These are major arteries for the leg, and without proper and swift medical attention she’d bleed to death within minutes. So I’m confident when I say this is what killed her.”

“Then did the head wound matter at all?” Rarity inquired, raising a finger to the ceiling. “Or do you think it’s unrelated?”

“I’m not sure yet,” I answered honestly with a shake of my head. “She only hit her head because her helmet’s chin strap tore.”

Trixie hummed, setting a hand down on her podium. “Then Trixie thinks it’s meaningless, as it sounds to Trixie like an accident.”

“Ah don’t know about that,” Applejack intervened, punching up something on her Monopad.

Fact #6: Missing Helmet: “Rainbow Dash’s safety helmet. The chin strap was partially sliced through by a dull blade, creating a tear large enough to catch and destroy the strap.”

“This weren’t no accident. Someone deliberately cut through the strap. Ah can be sure because these helmets were brand new.”

I nodded to the farmer. “Right, I did see that when I was checking registers earlier. And we can all confirm it with our own safety equipment.” I smiled apologetically to Trixie. “Sorry, Trixie, you wouldn’t have known because you’re the only one who didn’t buy a helmet.”

Trixie shrugged. “No need to apologize to Trixie, Sunset.”

“Do we know what kind of blade might’ve been used to slice the strap?” Scootaloo asked, pulling at her lips with her thumb and forefinger as she thought. “Was it a knife?”

“Perhaps someone purchased a weapon from the game corner,” Rarity suggested. “We haven’t bothered monitoring it since…” she trailed off, a mixture of sorrow and seething anger crossing her face.

Tiara shook her head. “No way. Maybe you guys haven’t been paying attention to it, but I check it all the time. No one’s bought any weapons.” She frowned in puzzlement and looked up at Monoponi. “Besides, he raised the prices, didn’t you?”

“I did! A repeat murder is no fun for anyone!” Monoponi replied with a flourish of his forehoof. “So if you want a murder weapon from the game corner, you’re going to have to earn it! One thousand tickets!”

“A thousand tickets, huh?” Scootaloo mused. “That’d take days of playing!”

“And it’d be way too obvious anyway,” I added. “I don’t think the helmet was cut with a knife. I think something else was used.”

Rarity gazed at me, eyes narrowed. “Well don’t hold us in suspense, darling. Go ahead and tell us what it was.”

I nodded, took a breath, then said, “It was the ice skates.”

“What? But Ah thought we already confirmed they were super sharp!” Applejack objected, slapping her palm down on her podium. “The blade used for the helmet strap was dull.”

“Exactly,” I replied with a small smile forming on my face. “The culprit used the ice skate to tear at the helmet strap and then sharpened the skates.”

“But why would they do that?” the farmer replied, glaring at me from beneath the rim of her stetson. “Why not just cut the strap clean through after they sharpened the skates?”

My smile widened. “Applejack, you’d notice if your chin strap wouldn’t secure, right? Rainbow Dash was a world-class athlete. She might overlook a bit of damage to the strap if it just looked frayed, but she definitely would notice if it was clean cut.”

Applejack scowled at me. “Ah don’t appreciate that shit eatin’ grin of yours, sugarcube. You don’t need to mock me.” She snorted and ran a thumb on the rim of her hat before continuing. “Alright, so you’re sure the culprit was the one who damaged the helmet strap, right?”

“Of course I’m sure,” I said with confidence. “There’s no other possible explanation.”

“Trixie will tear your argument asunder!” Trixie cried, pointing right at me.

My eyes widened as I reeled back like I’d been punched in the chest. “Excuse me?” That’s my thing! You can’t do my thing! Especially not to me! What the hell, Trixie?

Trixie tapped a few buttons on her Monopad and pointed at the resulting evidence.

Fact #7: Red Go-Kart: “The kart assigned to Rainbow Dash by the go-kart track system. It was discovered laying upside down on its rolling cage near the finish line. One of the roll bars was improperly welded, creating a small protrusion at chin height for Rainbow Dash that a strap could easily catch and tear on.”

“Trixie recalls that when you were investigating, you noticed this protrusion on the kart, at chin height, where a strap could catch, correct? And you further stated this is what caused the helmet to tear off entirely, yes?”

I blinked owlishly, cocking my head. “Yeah, what about--”

“Therefore,” Trixie cut me off, pounding the tip of her finger into her podium, “doesn’t that mean it’s possible, nay, likely, that no one cut the strap at all? The protrusion is rough, and unless Trixie’s memory is faulty, Rainbow Dash raced around that track numerous times. So as far as Trixie is concerned, it’s far more likely the culprit had nothing to do with the helmet, and it coming off was mere coincidence.”

My jaw fell open so far I feared it’d hit the floor. “I… I…”

“Holy shit,” Scootaloo muttered, eyes agog as she looked between Trixie and me. “Did Trixie just blow Sunset out of the water? Trixie?!”

Adagio pursed her lips, held up her hands, and slowly clapped. “I’m actually impressed,” she murmured. “Well done. I’ve never seen someone cream Sunset so hard.” She smirked my way and waggled her eyebrows. “Except m--”

“Oookay, that’s enough of that,” I said, trying to fight off the heated pink blush that rose up to suffuse my whole face. I coughed several times to clear my throat, and to cut off further color commentary. “Trixie, you’ve got a good point, and you might be right. My only concern is that this was a murder. Can we really be sure the culprit had nothing to do with the helmet?”

Trixie, who’d sported the smuggest smirk I’d ever seen her wear, withered under my question, much of her confidence evaporating. “Well, Trixie supposes not,” she admitted, touching her lips with one finger. Then she pointed that finger right back at me. “But there’s no reason to assume they did either. We have no proof either way.”

“Meaning we should dismiss it for now,” I admitted, throwing up one hand in surrender. “Okay, okay, we’ll move on. Thank you, Trixie.”

“You’re welcome.” Trixie said with a small smile.

Tiara raised a fist to her mouth and snickered. "Hey, Sunset, question. So like I said, I wasn't paying attention. Was anything else missing besides her helmet?"

"No," I answered quickly.

Fact #3: Rainbow Dash Body Condition: “The body was found trapped upside down in a go-kart, unable to be removed. She was wearing all requisite safety equipment except for the helmet, which was missing. Her complexion was pale and waxy, her skin almost ghostly white. A large bruise had formed over her left eye, where her head had struck the go-kart’s rolling bar. Most of her lower body was bloodstained, especially her legs, torso, and arms, where it had flowed onto the ground. The source of the blood was the lacerations behind her knees. Her Monopad was nowhere to be found.”

"She was wearing all the other safety equipment. Why?"

She shrugged. "Just wondering. Wanted to be sure this murder happened where we think it did. It wouldn't be the first time a body was moved, right?"

I considered that, then nodded. "I see what you're thinking, but I'm certain she died on the go-kart track. There's way too much blood there for her to have died anywhere else.

“Good." Tiara snorted. "That's the last thing we need. Then I’ve got another question for you, Sunset. You seem pretty sure the culprit sharpened the ice skates. Why?”

“Two things,” I said immediately, raising my hand to count off. “First, ice skates, like Scootaloo said during the investigation, aren’t actually all that sharp. They’ll cut you if you swing one at high speed, but not if you run your finger along it. Second, after you all left the go-kart track, I found this in the bathroom.”

Fact #9: Whetstone: “A rectangular piece of stone, taken from the theater prop shop, used for sharpening blades. It was found in the unisex go-kart bathroom, under the toilet in one of the stalls. It was found still damp from use.”

“Adagio and I checked the prop shop after I found it, and confirmed it was taken from there. Whoever our culprit is, they used this to sharpen the blades while Rainbow Dash was occupied, then put the skates in her kart.”

“When did someone have a chance to do that, darling?” Rarity asked, one side of her mouth quirking in bemusement.

“Oh, you might not have heard Flash tell me,” I said as I called up the relevant evidence.

Fact #2: Flash Sentry’s Account: “During their races, he and Rainbow Dash took a ten minute bathroom break, during which time the karts were unattended.”

“Ten minutes is plenty of time to sharpen a set of skates and plant them in a kart. If the culprit did it right, Rainbow Dash never would’ve noticed they were there.”

"Ah ain't so sure about that," Applejack said with a shake of her head. "There was room in those karts, but not that much room, Sunset. How'd the culprit do that?"

"That's eas--"

"Trixie has an answer to that too!" Trixie interrupted.

Okay, Trixie, I'm glad you're getting your confidence back, but come on. Giving my friend a dirty look, I held up my hand and waved it sarcastically. "Go ahead then, Trixie. Tell her."

Trixie winked at me and used a free hand to fluff her hair. "It's simple."

Fact #5: Shoe Sizes: “Size six: Rainbow Dash, Diamond Tiara. Size seven: Scootaloo. Size eight: Rarity, Trixie. Size nine: Sunset Shimmer. Size ten: Flash Sentry. Size eleven: Adagio Dazzle. Size fourteen: Applejack.”

"Rainbow Dash's ice skates were small, just like her shoes. And Rainbow Dash was scatterbrained at the best of times, yes?"

“I guess?” Scootaloo said, still rubbing at her chin. "I mean... she did smack my face into my oatmeal once." Then she blushed. "Actually, maybe more than once."

"So what Trixie suggests is, if the culprit placed the skates in the kart correctly, Rainbow Dash wouldn't notice them until it was too late. And she saw the karts in detail enough to know how: on their sides. That'd leave just enough room for Rainbow to lay her legs down without touching them."

Applejack gaped at the illusionist, her eyes twitching. “But if that’s the case, how’d they end up slicin' the back of her knees open?"

Tossing another wink my way, Trixie gestured to me. I flashed her a grateful smile then answered, "Easy. All the skates had to do was lay there until she either raced long enough and hard enough that they turned over and sliced her that way, or wait for her to crash, which would've caused the skates to slide backwards. When she crashed, she'd push her legs against the bottom of the kart, and gravity plus momentum would do the rest."

Shutting her mouth in a hurry, Applejack crossed her arms and glared at the both of us. "But how could the culprit be so sure she was gonna crash? You ain't sayin' Flash--"

"No, no, of course I'm not saying that," I answered immediately, scoffing. "That's ridiculous. The culprit didn't need to force a crash. Rainbow crashed this morning too, remember?"

~*~
Rainbow Dash stumbled out of her kart, taking a few missteps here and there before shaking her head to clear it. “Woah. I gotta be more careful.”

“Are you okay, Dash?” I asked, stepping over and holding up three fingers. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

She snickered and brushed my hand aside. “Three. I’m fine. Just a bit dizzy. I didn’t hit my head. I’ve taken harder knocks than that being dumped on the mat at the dojo. Cmon, let’s go again!”
~*~

"So it's pretty safe to assume she was likely to crash again, and if she did, the culprit could blame it on Flash, since he was racing with her."

Applejack held up her hands in surrender, despite the daggers in her eyes. "Fine. Ah'll concede the point."

Scootaloo raised a hand. "So, getting back to the whetstone, how did it end up in the bathroom?” She gasped, then narrowed her eyes to slits as she glared at me. “You’re not suggesting it was Rainbow Dash herself, are you?”

“No, no, of course not,” I said, shaking my head. “That wouldn’t make any sense. Especially because of the other thing we found there, with the whetstone.”

Fact #10: Damaged Note: “A waterlogged and burned note found underneath the whetstone, in the unisex go-kart bathroom. The following words were the only legible things left, in this order: ‘skate’ ‘careful’ ‘ash.’”

“The note was so beat up and damaged we can’t tell who might’ve written it. For some reason it was both burnt and waterlogged, like someone tried to burn it and then tossed it under the whetstone before it finished burning.”

“They musta been in a hurry,” Applejack said, frowning at the holographic display of the note in question. “If they snuck to sharpen her skates and then dumped them in her kart, they musta ducked into the bathroom afterwards.”

“Hey! Monoponi!” Tiara blurted.

Monoponi leapt up in his chair, almost losing his grip on his coffee in the process. “What?! Don’t shout at your Captain like that! It’s rude!”

Tiara gave a half-hearted apologetic shrug. “I wanted to know if there’re smoke detectors in the bathrooms, like on the go-kart.”

“Smoke detectors? Of course!” Monoponi set his coffee down on the arm of his throne and took flight, whizzing his way about the courtroom to the ceiling to point at something I’d never noticed before. “I have them everywhere, like right here. Safety is paramount aboard this ship, after all, upupu.”

“Except for when you goad us into murder,” I growled in response.

Monoponi glared down at me. “That’d be different. If one of you was trying to burn another to death, of course I’d turn off the smoke detector, so we didn’t have alarms blaring around the ship. I wouldn’t want to restrict your creativity.”

“But that’s only for a direct murder, right?” Tiara pressed, tapping the side of her head with her finger. “It seems to me like if it was just someone burning a note, that’d set them off, yeah?”

Monoponi fluttered his way down to Tiara and grabbed her cheeks with both forehooves, eliciting a yelp of shock from her. “That’s right! Ooooh you’re so smart, Tiara! I could just… kiss you!”

Tiara’s whole face turned a sickly green as she recoiled out of his grip, bent over at the waist and hurled on the floor, thankfully behind her podium where none of us could see it. “Holy fuck no,” she murmured as she stood up, only for her cheeks to bulge and her to slap a hand to her mouth as she bent over and vomited a second time.

“Ahahahaha!” Monoponi cackled, doubling over and rolling in the air with his mirth. “Ahahahaha! That’s for startling your Captain! Eyahahah!” He managed to recover and returned to his throne, still chortling to himself.

Feeling a bit green under the gills myself at the thought of Monoponi kissing anyone, let alone Tiara, I decided to break out some digestive medicine from my first aid kit. “Here.”

She took it and flashed me a grateful look, muttering a quick thanks under her breath as she popped several chewables in her mouth at once, swallowing in rapid succession.

“So, uh, anyhow,” Scootaloo said after favoring Tiara with a sympathetic look, “the culprit must’ve heard the smoke alarm go off and put out the fire with the whetstone.”

“Or with water first, then put it under the whetstone. Either way, I don’t think they expected us to find it,” I said.

Rarity raised a dainty hand. “Sunset, before we go any further with this… why was there a note to begin with? Did the culprit have an accomplice?”

“It’s possible,” I mused, rubbing at my chin. “That might explain why Flash was murdered too, so the accomplice could also escape the ship.” Though we didn’t know about that rule until after Flash was dead, someone might’ve asked Monoponi beforehand. He probably won’t tell us if someone did though.

“What did the note say again?” Adagio asked, frowning at her Monopad. “‘Skate, careful, ash.’ Probably instructions. Skate could refer to sharpening them, careful for being careful to not be seen, and ash to burn the note afterwards.”

“Could be,” I allowed. “We might want to come back to the note though. I’m not sure we have context to figure it out yet.”

Trixie raised a hand. “Trixie would like to know how the culprit burned the note.”

I exchanged a brief look with Adagio, using it to ask, Should we tell them?

She held up a hand to say, Go ahead.

I turned back to Trixie. “Adagio and I found something that might’ve been used, but it wasn’t found on the go-kart track. We found it in the ice rink.”

Fact #20: Used Lighter: “A cigarette lighter discovered in the trash bin next to the ice rink equipment rental shop, spattered with blood. It was drained of fuel. Scribbled on the bottom of the lighter, in sharpie, were the letters ‘RD.’”

“Whu--but I thought you said it didn’t matter!” Scootaloo said, her eyes widening and her mouth twisting up into a heavy frown.

“Sorry,” I said, wincing, “but I didn’t want to give anything away for the trial. I’m sure you understand.”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened more, and she took in a deep, hissing breath. “I thought you trusted me, Sunset,” she said, her voice quavering.

I do, but… I bowed my head and didn’t respond.

“Fine,” Scootaloo growled, sneering at me, hurt reflecting in her eyes. “I see how it is. You’ll talk a big game to cheer us up before we go in, but as soon as we’re here, you don’t trust anybody.” She slammed a fist on her podium. “Damn it, Sunset, why are you like this?”

“Why did you lie to Adagio and me during the investigation?” I shot back, jamming a finger on my own podium.

“What?” she gasped, all her rage vanishing in an instant, replaced by a cloud of fear. “W-w-what’re you talking about? I didn’t lie!”

“Yes you did!” I reiterated. I scrolled in my Monopad to bring up the relevant evidence. “This is what you told us.”

Fact #21: Scootaloo’s Account: “According to Scootaloo, she and Applejack left the ice rink after the hockey game, and spent some time in the game corner. She claims that Applejack left to get them some snacks, while she stayed in the game corner, then both played games until Flash came for help with Rainbow Dash.”

“You said you didn’t leave the game corner, right? Well in that case, why did Adagio see you on the promenade?”

Fact #12: Adagio’s Account: “Rarity, Trixie, and Sunset Shimmer were together in Trixie’s room, chatting. Adagio Dazzle stayed in her cabin, apart from a brief visit to the promenade, where she saw Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo.”

“Uuuuh…” Scootaloo didn’t respond, glancing over to Applejack, as if asking for help. She burst into a cold sweat when Applejack didn’t acknowledge her, throwing one hand behind her head. “I, I, I… went to the bathroom! That’s it, yeah, I went to the bathroom and just forgot, ahehehe.”

“No you didn’t,” Tiara replied, with a sharp piercing stare at Scootaloo. “If Adagio saw me and you at the same time, then I would’ve seen you in the bathroom. And I didn’t.”

“Ghg!” Scootaloo paled, sweat streaming down her face and soaking her shirt. “I uh, well, maybe I was in and out before you got there.”

“Then why did I see you carrying something from the convenience store, hmmm?” Adagio leaned forward till her chin was propped up on both elbows, her eyes at half mast. “What did you have in that bag? The murder weapon, perhaps?”

“No!” Scootaloo slammed her sweaty palms down on her podium, and they slid off with a gross sounding squelch. “I would never hurt Rainbow Dash, and I didn’t have a reason to hurt Flash either!”

This feels like I’m walking down the wrong path again. I took a quick peek at my Monopad, then nodded. Oh yeah, definitely the wrong path. I’d better ease up on the gas a bit, and reel her in slow. “Hold on, guys, she’s right. She wouldn’t have a reason. If anything, she’d have every reason to protect Rainbow Dash. You had a big crush on her, didn’t you?”

“...maybe,” Scootaloo admitted, glaring at her podium while shifting back and forth on one foot. “She was so cool, and awesome, and fun to hang out with… and hot… “

“But she saw you as too young. I remember her saying as much during the second trial.”

~*~
“I could help you with that, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo suddenly said, even as her face bloomed with pink. She clapped a hand to her mouth as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just said.

Rainbow arched an eyebrow. “Uh, sorry, kid, but I think you’re a bit young for me.”

Scootaloo sank below her podium, and I could practically see steam rising above it from her embarrassment. “But I’m twenty-one,” she whined in a near whisper.
~*~

“That wasn’t fair to you, was it?” I said, trying to pour as much sympathy as I could into my voice. “You’re an adult, she was an adult, it was only three years, what’s the problem, right?”

“Right!” Scootaloo groaned, slamming her face down on her podium. In a muffled voice she continued, “It wasn’t fair at all. It’s not like I was a freshman in high school and she was a senior or something.”

“I’d feel pretty angry, being rejected like that,” I replied. Memories of people daring to reject the old me fluttered briefly through my mind. For the barest hint of an instant, I thought I saw a familiar face amongst them, but it was gone before I could tell who it was. “Even angrier if I saw them later spending all their time on someone else. Maybe angry enough to kill, even.”

Scootaloo’s face shot up from her podium, a desperate pleading look in her eyes. “But I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t kill Rainbow Dash just because she said no to me. What kind of person does that? Yeah, I didn’t like being rejected, but that was her decision. And I respected it!”

“I know that, Scootaloo,” I said gently, wishing I could reach out a hand to place on hers, but she was just too far away, and leaving my podium meant death. “But I wasn’t talking about Rainbow Dash. I was talking about Flash.”

“I didn’t kill Flash either!” Scootaloo protested, paling even more till she was almost white as a sheet. “What kind of a person do you take me for, Sunset? I thought you’d know better by now!”

I nodded. “It’s true. I do know better. In fact, there’s a way we can settle this issue right now.” I took hold of my Monopad and brought it up to show everyone. “Is Scootaloo innocent, or guilty? All it’ll take is a simple check of her profile.”

Scootaloo’s mouth fell open as she made little squeaking noises before abruptly slamming shut. She slapped herself across the face with her palm. “Oh my god, why didn’t I think of that?”

I blitzed through my Monopad screens, brought up Scootaloo’s profile, and showed it to everyone. “She’s innocent. Her Ultimate title’s still spinning. Scootaloo didn’t do a thing.”

“Did… did you know that this whole time?!” Scootaloo shouted, slamming an angry fist on her podium.

“Nope,” I replied. “I only checked after we started this discussion. But that’s my whole point. I forgot about it, and obviously so did you. Why else would you lie? You were worried that leaving the game corner made you look guilty, weren’t you?”

Scootaloo bowed her head low, giving in. “Yeah, I was,” she said glumly. “I had no idea what killed Flash, but I knew I’d look pretty suspicious. So I panicked, and lied. I’m sorry.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” I said, smiling at her. “I forgive you, now that I know.” My smile turned sheepish. “I’m sorry I didn’t check your profile before I started this whole line of discussion.”

The younger woman looked up and me and waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry about it. I forgot too.”

"Ahem! I have something to say about that!" Monoponi interrupted, glaring at all of us. "You morons keep harping on about Scootaloo's profile like it means something. Well, tell me this, then: how fair would it be if one of you had a get out of jail free card ready to go in every trial? Huh? How fair is it that Scootaloo can't kill someone without it being obvious, huh?!"

"Wait, what're you saying?" Scootaloo asked, shrinking back from the alicorn.

Monoponi held a hoof to his mouth and cleared his throat. "I really should've said this much sooner, but I thought maybe one of you dense idiots would've taken two seconds to ask me about this long before now. But then, judging by your track record your Captain should have predicted you'd ignore the problem! I mean, look how long it took you to come up with the idea of sharing the secrets I gave you after I made it legal!" Monoponi groaned and laid his face in both forehooves. "You morons are simultaneously the smartest and stupidest bunch of people I have ever had the displeasure to deal with!"

Glaring at him scornfully, I said, "Would you get on with it? What do you have to say about the profile?"

"I am saying that Scootaloo's profile will not change if she murders someone! That's been the case ever since the end of the second trial." He took one forehoof and knocked himself upside the head. "And lay this one at your Captain's hooves for not telling you then. I thought I would make it a bit mysterious, then announce it during the third trial when you idiots should've asked about it. But noooo, you people are so stupid that you forget about it altogether!"

Scootaloo paled considerably and fell against her podium. "Oooh. Oh my god," she muttered, holding a hand against her forehead. "But that doesn't mean--I still didn't--"

"Don't worry, Scootaloo," I said, glaring at Monoponi. "I still believe you. I still don't think you killed Dash or Flash." For now, at least. We'll see if something changes. “I do have one more question though: why’d Applejack go along with your lie?”

Applejack, who’d mostly tuned out of this whole conversation, looked up at me with fire in her eyes. “Did you just call me a liar, Sunset?”

“Well, yes, I did,” I said, rolling my eyes in exasperation. “Because your testimony to us earlier contains the exact same kind of lie.”

Fact #22: Applejack’s Account: “According to Applejack, she and Scootaloo spent the evening in the game corner. She claims Scootaloo left at one point to get them some snacks from the convenience store, while she stayed.”

“Wow, this one’s pretty blatant,” Tiara said, snickering. She pointed a finger at the farmer casually. “Because I saw you coming out of the store.”

Fact #16: Diamond Tiara’s Account: “Prior to the murder, Tiara spent her time after the hockey game in the library, leaving only briefly to use the promenade bathroom, spotting Applejack leaving the convenience store on her way out. “

“So either one of you dressed up as the other so you could run back out, which is ridiculous because you’re almost two feet taller than Scootaloo is,” I said, snorting, “or you both went there.”

Applejack’s lips screwed up into that bizarre pretzel shaped pout as she looked everywhere except at us, holding her hands behind her hat. “Ah don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

“Oh for goodness’ sake, Applejack,” Rarity groaned, slapping a hand to her face. “Please do not waste our time. You are a terrible liar.”

Scootaloo reached out and tugged at Applejack’s sleeve. “Yeah, Applejack, give it up. It was pointless anyway.”

“Aww hell, fine,” Applejack sighed. “Yes, Ah lied. We both went to the store together, and then left one at a time. When we realized all the murder was goin’ on, Scootaloo asked me lie on her behalf ‘cause she was scared. She’s been nothin’ but nice to me, so Ah agreed.” The farmer shot the younger woman a withering glare. “If Ah’d thought to check the profile thing like you did just now, Sunset, Ah wouldn’t have bothered.”

"Did you not listen to me earlier, farmer?!" Monoponi blurted, spittle flying from his mouth. "I said--"

"Ah know what you said," Applejack interrupted with a casual middle finger tossed the alicorn's way. "Ah wouldn't've known it then, is what Ah meant."

“Trixie’s glad we’ve sorted that out, but Trixie still isn’t sure why Scootaloo thought lying by saying she was alone was somehow better than establishing an alibi with someone else by staying with them.” Trixie glared at both Applejack and Scootaloo, then shook her head in disbelief. “To Trixie that makes no sense at all. By saying you were alone all you did was make yourself look more suspicious.”

Scootaloo shrugged, and scratched the back of her head with a sheepish smile. “I guess I just didn’t think about it.”

Huh. Maybe Trixie’s onto something. Tiara did see Applejack deposit something in the trash bin. What if this whole lying thing is one big setup? What if it’s a trap? They set up something that looks blatantly suspicious, that points us to look at Scootaloo’s profile, we see she’s innocent, then Applejack plays a big sister role… what if Applejack killed Rainbow Dash and Flash, and Scootaloo was her accomplice? Scootaloo would be innocent so long as she wasn’t the blackened.

But then why would Scootaloo go along with the plan, if she was going to be executed with the rest of us? Unless she thought something she did would allow her to escape anyway… or she…

Wait. What if she--

“Hey, hey! Sunset! You still with us?” Diamond Tiara asked, snapping her fingers.

“Huh? Yeah, yeah, I’m here,” I answered. I’ll hold onto what I’m thinking for now. If I’m right, it’ll cause them to lower their guard, thinking they got away with their plan. If I’m wrong, then… I’m wrong. And I don't want to be wrong. Again. “Sorry, what did you say?”

Tiara arched an eyebrow at me. “I was asking if you and Adagio found Rainbow Dash’s Monopad.”

“Oh! Right. Yes, we did, actually,” I said. I rummaged through my backpack and withdrew it. “Here it is. We found it in the theater prop shop, when we went searching for the source of the whetstone.”

Fact #11: Rainbow’s Monopad: “Rainbow’s Monopad was discovered in the theater, wiped clean of all data. There were traces of water on it.”

“The pad had been wiped clean, both physically and of its data.”

“Well that’s weird,” Scootaloo said, nudging her chin with her knuckles. “Why would the culprit do that?”

“Obviously because there was incriminating evidence,” Adagio said, with an annoyed look at the younger woman. “Whomever the culprit was, something on that Monopad pinned them to the crime.”

“As for why it was wiped clean physically, I’m certain that’s because it fell out of Rainbow Dash’s pocket when she crashed,” I added, “and it was covered in blood.”

“What makes you sure of that?” Rarity asked, raising a hand in confusion.

I exchanged a brief look with Adagio, then answered, “because of the second thing we found at the ice rink, in the same place we found the lighter.”

Fact #18: Bloodied Cloth: “A cloth discovered in the trash bin next to the ice rink equipment rental shop. The cloth was half soaked in the blood, the rest damp with water.”

“This cloth must’ve been used to wipe off the Monopad, because it’s still damp, and the Monopad still had traces of water on it. We didn’t find anything else that could’ve been used to wipe off the pad.”

“So that’s two crucial pieces of evidence discovered in the same location Flash Sentry later perished in,” Rarity mused, her brow furrowing as she concentrated. “That is quite concerning.”

Tiara snapped her fingers, then shot me a questioning look, asking Why haven’t you brought up what I saw yet?

Not yet, I said with a shake of my head and a whisper on my lips.

She crossed her arms over her chest and snorted, glaring up at the ceiling, but said nothing.

“Do we have any idea where that cloth might’ve come from?” asked Applejack, who’d briefly taken off her hat so she could fix the hair tie on her ponytail.

“No, it could’ve come from anywhere,” I answered. I leaned over onto my podium and stared down at my Monopad while I thought. “I don’t think where it came from matters, so much as why it was used and where it was found.”

Trixie set her hands down on her podium just firmly enough to get attention.”Both the cloth and the lighter were disposed of in the same bin. The question on Trixie’s mind is, is why there? Why not leave them where the Monopad was hidden? Or better yet, why not dispose of the lighter in the bathroom where it was used, and the cloth in the theater trash?”

“Do you think it has to do with who the culprit is?” Rarity suggested, shifting her weight onto one leg. “That is, perhaps the culprit had these items on them, and had to hold onto them till they had a chance to get rid of them?”

“But what kinda sense does that make?” Applejack questioned, a dark glare in her eyes as she faced off with Rarity. “If they had time to burn a note, sharpen some skates, and then take Rainbow’s pad afterwards, they… wait a second.”

“What? What is it?” Scootaloo asked, looking up at her with concern twinkling in her eyes.

“Ah just had a thought. We think Rainbow’s Monopad was taken after she died, right?” Applejack said, looking squarely at me.

“Well, yes, it would have to be,” I replied. I scrolled through my Monopad and pointed out the rules. “This was in question last trial too. The Monopads aren’t allowed to be stolen while someone’s alive. They can only be taken after they’re dead.”

“Then who had a chance to take her Monopad?”

Tiara scowled at the farmer, slamming her open palm down on her podium. “You better not be suggesting it was Flash. You and Scootaloo had just as much opportunity to take it! Hell, anyone could’ve taken it.”

“Uh, no they couldn’t,” Scootaloo retorted, glaring at Tiara. “Flash came and got us right away. And everyone else showed up after we did. If anyone took it, they would’ve been seen.”

“Unless they took it while Flash was gone,” I suggested.

That silenced the room for a good couple of minutes. “Are you suggesting the culprit came back after Flash left, so they could steal and destroy evidence?” Rarity asked.

“It’s what I’d do,” I said casually, spreading out my hands. “Set up the murder, wait til the crash happens, get the evidence out when the other person’s gone, then blame everything on the other person. I would’ve removed the skates too, but given she was trapped in the kart, I can see why the culprit didn’t do that.”

“I hope that wasn’t a subtle attempt at admitting your own guilt, darling,” Rarity responded, though the amused look on her face suggested she was joking.

“But where could they have been lying in wait?” Scootaloo wondered. “The bleachers are on elevated platforms. It’s not like they could watch the race.”

“The access corridor door, duh,” Tiara scoffed, thumbing her nose at Scootaloo. “It’s almost invisible from the track, and it’d be easy enough to climb the fence and get back out. Better question: who was alone for long enough to get away with doing this?”

I closed my eyes to think. It really is a good question. Rarity and I were together with Trixie the entire time save for a brief period where we got dinner, but we locked the door behind us when we did that. Scootaloo and Applejack spent their time together. Rainbow Dash and Flash were together until the crash, but they don’t count. That just leaves two. But only one had the right opportunities.

I opened my eyes, and pointed at my only remaining suspect. “Diamond Tiara! You’re the only one!”

“Hmph!” Tiara sniffed, jamming her nose up in the air. “Turning my question back on me? I thought we were friends, Sunset.”

“We are,” I replied, a note of irritation leaking into my voice, “but that doesn’t mean you’re not suspicious. You were alone for enough time, and you did explicitly assign yourself to the ice skating rink, where you could dispose of evidence.” And I haven’t forgotten my suspicions that you’re the traitor.

“Hmm…” Applejack said, rubbing her chin. She snapped her fingers and pointed one at the ceiling. “Now that Ah think about it, didn’t you hang out around the equipment shop the whole time we were searchin’ before Flash died? Ah’m pretty sure I remember that happenin’.”

“I was ‘hanging around,’” Tiara retorted acerbically, holding up her fingers to perform air quotes, “because I was searching for clues. What motive would I have to kill Rainbow Dash, anyway?”

"Well, there is the fact that her secret was unknown," I pointed out. "And she acted a bit suspicious when I brought it up this morning."

~*~
Resting my hand on my chin, I continued, "So, I guess that's everyone's secret here except for yours, Dash."

Rainbow momentarily paled before laughing it off. "Hehe, n-not like it matters, right? Who cares what stupid shit Monoponi's got on me anyway?"
~*~

"So what?" Tiara protested. "Killing the traitor won't accomplish anything. We already know that!"

"Right," I nodded, "but I'm not suggesting that was a possible goal. I'm suggesting that Rainbow Dash would've made for a non-obvious target. Your lacking a reason to kill her is the whole reason you could have killed her."

"Huh?" Scootaloo said, her face going blank.

"Uh, Sunset, Ah gotta say," Applejack said, scratching the back of her head. "Ah don't follow what you're sayin'. At all."

"Seriously," Tiara muttered. "What does that even mean?"

I glanced Adagio's way and nudged my head towards them. Adagio gave me an exasperated look, then sighed and said, "What happens when a blackened wins a trial?"

Tiara faced my lover and frowned. "Uh, the rest of us get executed, duh."

"Exactly."

Scootaloo threw her hands up in the air and let them clap at her sides. "Now I'm even more confused!"

Slapping a hand to my face, I said, "Sorry, let me rephrase what I'm saying. Diamond Tiara, you don't have a personal reason to kill Rainbow Dash. But there is someone here you do have a reason to kill: Applejack."

"Me?!" Applejack spluttered, holding a hand to her chest. "Wha--but Ah, we, Ah apologized to her! 'Cause you told me too, Sunset!"

"Yeah, and I apologized back!" Tiara shouted. "What are you on about, Sunset?"

I held up my hands, asking for calm. "I'm just pointing out it's a possibility. We know that if the blackened wins the trial, everyone else dies. So if you want revenge on someone, but don't want your crime to be obvious, you could kill someone else. And since Rainbow Dash's secret was never revealed, you could try and argue someone else was guilty of killing her because of that."

"Uh, can Ah just say, for the record, since we're talkin' about this and all," Applejack interjected. "Ah didn't think Rainbow was the traitor 'cause her secret was missin'."

"Me either," Scootaloo said.

"Nor I," Rarity chimed in.

Trixie looked at everyone else in turn then at me. "Trixie also did not think this."

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Tiara leaned forward, squeezing her fists by her sides. "Sunset, what the hell are you doing?! Why’re you going after me? I told you what I saw, didn’t I?”

“You did,” I admitted, shrugging apologetically. “But it’s in question now.”

Rarity held up a fist to her mouth and coughed politely. “Excuse me, but, um, what is Tiara talking about?”

“She’s talking about this,” Adagio answered for me.

Fact #16: Diamond Tiara’s Account: “Later, during the investigation, she saw Applejack put something in the trash bin right after Flash Sentry passed out before going to help him.”

“Wha--Ah did not!” Applejack thundered, slamming a fist down on her podium right in the same place where she’d splintered it several times before. “Ah went to help him straight away! Ah’d never leave someone sufferin’ if Ah could help them.”

“You would if you’re the one who killed him!” Tiara fired back. “We don’t know what killed Flash yet! He might’ve been poisoned, and you threw away a pill bottle!”

“How would you know Ah threw away a pill--ggh!” Applejack clapped a hand to her mouth, her eyes wider than dinner plates with naked fear.

Tiara leaned back and let out that anime villainess laugh. “Ohohohoho! I didn’t, but you just admitted it!”

Well it was in question… “Applejack…” I said quietly, my heart sinking. “We did find a pill bottle in the trash bin.”

Fact #19: Empty Pill Bottle: “An empty bottle found in the ice skating rink, in the trash bin next to the equipment rental shop. There was no label on the bottle, and the cap was missing.”

I pointed to the display floating in front of us all. “Why did you do that?”

Applejack clammed up, spinning on her boots to show us her back. “Ah ain’t sayin’ nothin.”

“Come on, Applejack, you gotta defend yourself!” Scootaloo insisted, reaching over to tug at Applejack’s sleeve again. “This doesn’t look good.”

“Good? I’m already convinced,” Rarity growled, black hatred streaming forth from her eyes at Applejack’s back like twin artillery pieces firing a fusillade of shells. “You had the perfect motive to kill one of them, didn’t you, Applejack? That promise of erasing your family’s tax fraud was just too good to resist.”

Applejack’s boot landed a solid backwards kick into her podium, shaking it so much I thought for a moment it’d split into a million pieces. She whirled on Rarity, her face twisted up and her mouth open like a rabid dog, all teeth and snarls. She raised her finger and pointed it at Rarity like she was brandishing a sword. “Shut your fuckin’ mouth, Rarity! Ah ain’t gonna let some hoity toity dressmaker insult mah family and my pride like that.”

“Oh please,” Rarity said, a sneer ruining her good looks with how twisted up it was. “Given the way you’ve treated me, and how you keep pretending to apologize only to take it back the instant anything I do upsets you even the slightest bit, I doubt there’s much pride to be had.”

Applejack’s hands curled up on top of each other like she was trying to strangle Rarity where she stood. “Ah have more pride in my left pinkie finger than you could ever have in your entire life!”

Trixie intervened, throwing out an arm defensively in front of Rarity, or as far as she could reach without leaving her podium, anyway. “Leave Rarity alone!” she ordered.

Rarity flashed Trixie an impatient smile, and gently pushed her arm aside. “Thank you, Trixie dear, but I can fight my own battles.”

Trixie flushed, and withdrew like a turtle into a shell, curling up protectively. “Sorry,” she murmured.

“Hey, am I the only one who noticed this doesn’t mean Tiara didn’t do anything?” Scootaloo interrupted.

Applejack gazed down at her, still furious. “Pardon?” she growled.

Scootaloo recoiled under the gaze, but persevered. “Even if Applejack killed Flash--and I’m not saying you did--that doesn’t mean Tiara couldn’t have killed Rainbow Dash. She tried to shift things away from her the instant we started talking about it. That’s pretty suspicious by itself!”

Damn. She’s right. I didn’t even notice. “Tiara, care to explain?”

“There’s nothing to explain,” Tiara replied, briefly flipping me off before taking it back with her other hand. “I didn’t kill Rainbow Dash and I didn’t kill Flash Sentry. I was alone, but all I did was read books in the library. Besides, I didn’t have a reason.”

“Whaddya mean, you didn’t have a reason?” Applejack grunted, holding up her hands so she could crack the knuckles on both.

“Exactly that.” Tiara glanced down at Applejack’s fists, snickered under her breath, then adopted a confident grin, placing her hands on her hips. “My mother runs the state legislature. I don’t need Monoponi to get things done on a political level. I already have that influence just by being who I am.”

“That’s right, I do remember you telling me about that, when you told me what you thought was your secret.” Which turned out not to be the secret Monoponi had on her, but someone like Tiara probably has so many potential secrets it would’ve been impossible to guess which one it actually was.

Applejack, quivering with rage, grabbed her hat with one hand and threw it down on her podium. “So what?! You still want off this ship, right? We all do! That’s reason enough, even if the motive weren’t what tempted you!”

Tiara held the back of her hand up to her mouth and laughed. “Ohoho, wrong again, Applejack! I want off this ship, but I’m not going to kill someone to do it. How many times have I said lately that we need to work together as a team to get off this ship, together, without any more lives lost? Besides, you have nothing that ties me to either crime. I had opportunity, but without method or motive, your argument is sunk!”

Rarity barked out a bitter laugh of her own. “Meanwhile, you did have opportunity, Applejack. You certainly have motive. And I believe we have a method, don’t we? You already admitted to throwing out the pill bottle.”

The farmer picked up her hat and wrung it with both hands like a sponge. I heard a brief tearing of fabric before she released the poor stetson and let it fall back to her podium. “That bottle had no label. It could’ve been anythin’!”

“Could have, maybe, but I doubt it,” Adagio purred, grinning toothily at Applejack. I swear for a brief moment she licked her teeth, like she was tasting blood, before she called up some evidence on her pad.

Fact #17: Shop Receipts: “The following purchases were recorded:
AJ@RX Sat1405: Methylphenidate, tramadol, dental dams, medical tape rolls x 4.”

“You purchased tramadol and methylphenidate earlier today,” Adagio continued, her voice smooth and silky, like a spider about to reel in her catch and suck the life out of it. “And do you know what Sunset and I learned during our little research trip to the library?”

Fact #24: Drug Handbook 2020 Edition: “A nursing textbook from the library, containing information on all sorts of drugs. It states, amongst other things, that methylphenidate is used to treat conditions such as ADD, ADHD, and cases of fatigue such as narcolepsy, and that tramadol is usually prescribed for severe pain. When combined, the two can cause severe seizures and even death.”

Applejack fell back as the information appeared on the holographic display, her knees knocking together, her legs trembling like they’d collapse at any second. “Ah, Ah, Ah didn’t, that doesn’t mean…” She lost her grip on her podium and fell to her knees, smacking her forehead against the front of her podium, and let out a groan of pain.

“Really.” Rarity arched an eyebrow, absolutely zero sympathy on her face. “Why else would you buy them? As far as I’m aware, you don’t have ADD or ADHD. You’re not narcoleptic. And while you might be a giant pain in my backside, I would hardly describe it as one worth prescribing an opioid.” She let out a thoroughly unladylike snort.

“It, it wasn’t for me,” Applejack said, reaching up with both arms and pulling herself back up. Sweat soaked the farmer thoroughly like she’d worked all day in the sun, especially her palms, making her grip on her podium tricky at best. Her breathing was rapid and shallow, like she was barely getting enough oxygen. “Ah bought ‘em for Flash.”

“So you admit it!” Tiara cried in triumph. She gestured with both hands towards Applejack, then fired off an ecstatic smile my way. “Applejack killed Flash! That’s one blackened down!”

Scootaloo moved as far away from Applejack as she could while still standing at her podium. She looked down upon the farmer with misty eyes and trembling lips. “You, you really did it? Applejack… why?”

“No, Scootaloo, listen to me,” Applejack begged. “It’s not like that. That’s not what Ah meant.”

Adagio let out one of her most sensual, yet dangerous laughs yet, chocolate with so much bitter there was hardly a speck of sweetness to be tasted. “I don’t see what else you could have meant, Applejack. Like Rarity said, you’re a terrible liar.”

Trixie remained silent, her head cocked to one side as she rubbed her chin with one fist, her face blank save for the slightest furrowing of her brow in concentration.

I eyed Applejack curiously, scrutinizing her facial expression, her movement, her behavior. Hold on a minute, I thought as I looked harder. Applejack noticed me looking and gazed right back, but instead of the anger she’d displayed so often lately, I saw instead a cry for help. Something in those eyes spoke of an innocence I didn’t expect. She didn’t do it, did she? She didn’t kill Flash. I nodded, gritting my teeth in determination. She just needs to answer one question, and I’ll be certain. “Applejack, tell me something. Did you know what Flash was sick with?”

“Ah wasn’t sure, but Ah figured it was somethin’ like strep throat,'' Applejack said, blinking in bemusement as she answered the question. “Ah’d already seen him with antibiotics, and he seemed pretty tired and in a lotta pain, so Ah thought maybe he could use something stronger.”

“Oh come on, that’s a load of bullshit!” Tiara shouted, throwing up one hand in an expression of incredulity.

“Maybe not,” I countered, with a raise of my hand. “Applejack, why did you discard that pill bottle?”

“Because Ah didn’t need it,” she muttered, a brief bit of hope appearing in her eyes like the first beginnings of a campfire lit during a windstorm, threatening to wink out at any moment. “Ah combined both sets of pills into one bottle, and was gonna give it to Flash before the trial. Ah was carryin’ around the other bottle in my pocket and figured that was as good a time as any to toss it. Ah started tossin’ it before Ah realized Flash had collapsed.”

“Oh come now, Applejack, you can’t expect us to believe this,” Rarity stated, shaking her head. “It’s absurd.”

Scootaloo bit her lower lip, and held her arms against her chest. “I’m sorry, Applejack, but Rarity’s right. It’s pretty hard to believe.”

“We found the lighter and the cloth in the same trash bin,” Adagio added, a savage grin plastered on her face. “You expect us to believe that’s coincidence?”

“Maybe it is, Adagio!” I insisted, drawing her ire upon me. “I feel like Applejack’s telling the truth.”

“Trixie agrees with Sunset!” Trixie abruptly blurted as she thrust out an arm in a dramatic fashion, trying to ruffle the cape she wasn’t currently wearing. “After thinking things through, Trixie believes that Applejack is not responsible for killing Flash. Because she wasn’t the only one who bought that medicine.”

Fact #17: Shop Receipts: “The following purchases were recorded:
RD@RX Fri1935: Tramadol, pads, methylphenidate.”

“Rainbow Dash did too.”

Applejack looked between the both of us, her face a mixture of uncertainty and gratitude. “Ah’m not sure if Ah really want your support, Trixie, but Ah appreciate it all the same.”

“Sunset! Trixie!” Rarity gasped, glaring at us with hurt in her eyes. “Why are you defending her? Can’t you see she’s obviously the villain?”

I closed my eyes for a moment, sighing in exasperation. “Rarity,” I said, opening my eyes again. “I know Applejack hurt you. I know you’re upset with her, and I’m behind you on that, because the way she acted wasn’t right. But you can’t let that bias you into thinking she has to be guilty just because you don’t like her. That’s the exact same thing you once told Applejack not to do with Diamond Tiara, remember?”

Rarity’s hand shot to her breast as her face twisted up in offended outrage. “I remember that all too well, Sunset,” she growled through clenched teeth. “I don’t need to be reminded. And it won’t change my mind.”

“I’m not budging either, Sunset, no matter how split we are on the issue,” Adagio said, crossing her arms over her chest. Then she blinked, sighed, and slapped a hand to her face. “Oh crap.”

“Split?!” Monoponi shouted gleefully as he shot up from his chair, his wings fluttering to keep him aloft. “Did you say split?”

“Uugh, can we just skip it this time?” I begged, slamming my face down onto my podium out of frustration.

“Not a chance in Tartarus, mon cherie,” Monoponi chided, waggling a forehoof at me. “When we’re split down the middle, there’s only one thing we can do about it. You know what it’s time for! Presenting our very own morphenomenal trial grounds, It’s time for the scrum debate!” His horn lit up, and once more that techno beat filled the air.

Our podiums arose into the air, splitting off into groups of four and three. I readied myself for a tough argument, trying not to feel disturbed or scared about Adagio being on the opposing side.

DID APPLEJACK MURDER FLASH SENTRY?

BEGIN!

Tiara began with an accusatory finger pointed squarely at Applejack. “You’re the one who dumped the pill bottle in the trash, Applejack!”

“I ain’t the culprit just cause I dumped a bottle in the trash,” Applejack retorted with a solid glare.

“You expect us to believe that getting rid of the bottle in the same trash bin as the other evidence is mere coincidence?” Rarity asked, holding up a finger to point at the ceiling.

“A coincidence might seem difficult to believe,” I said, “but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen.

“But you’re the one who bought the medicine,” Scootaloo said sadly.

Trixie thrust out an arm. “She’s not the only one who bought the medicine. Rainbow Dash did too!”

Adagio grumbled under her breath, glaring at me from her opposing side before saying, “But Flash was poisoned and Rainbow Dash was already dead. Meaning Applejack was the only one who could poison him.”

Narrowing my eyes at my siren lover, I fired back, “We don’t know he was poisoned. We still haven’t determined a cause of death.”

“Surely you don’t buy her excuse that Flash was sick, do you?” Rarity asked, glaring daggers at the farmer.

“He was sick!” Trixie replied, drawing Rarity’s irritation onto her. “Even Trixie could see that, and Trixie barely spent any time with him after you all locked her up!”

“But if that’s the case, Applejack, why didn’t you give him the pills sooner?” Scootaloo inquired, looking askance at the farmer.

“Ah would’ve given them to him sooner if Ah had the chance, but Ah didn’t.” Applejack responded.

Rarity scoffed, rolling her eyes up at the ceiling. “And why didn’t you have that chance, hmm?”

Applejack withered under Rarity’s words, but refused to give in, stating calmly, “Ah didn’t have the chance because Ah was bein’ a complete jerk towards you at the hockey game. And Ah’m sorry.”

“That’s a bunch of bullshit,” Tiara cut in, sweeping her arm like it was a blade. “You had the most motive of all of us to kill someone!”

“Not true,” Trixie said defensively. “Applejack had no motive to kill Flash whatsoever, not when she was trying to repair her relationship with Rarity.”

Rarity let out a wordless growl through her teeth. “As if she truly cares about me.”

Tears came to Applejack’s eyes, but she refused to shed them. “Rarity. Ah care about you more than you know. Ah know Ah’ve been mad. And rude. And judgemental. And Ah’m sorry.”

“Hmph!” Rarity thrust her nose up in the air and turned away from the farmer. “I don’t know if I can ever believe such an apology.”

“Whether you believe it or not, Rarity, Ah’m tellin’ you the truth,” Applejack replied, taking off her hat so she could hold it to her breast. “Ah am truly sorry.”

“When did this become relationship drama hour?” Tiara interrupted, slamming an open palm on her podium. “Let’s get back to the point. Applejack murdered Flash Sentry, and no one else could’ve done it!”

“No, she didn’t murder Flash,” I objected, slamming my own fist on my podium. “Even if she had motive, she didn’t have the right opportunity. And those pills wouldn’t have killed Flash as quickly as he died. There’s too many inconsistencies for it to hold up. So we can’t vote yet, on AJ or anyone else!”

With that last statement, the podiums resumed their normal positions. “There’s just too many unanswered questions for us to decide anything right now,” I said. “Until we can determine a cause of death for Flash, we can’t decide anything on him. I know we’re all tired, and it’s late, and we want to be done with this already. But until we can figure out answers to all of these questions and any others that come up, we’re not done.

The weary and exhausted looks on everyone’s faces belied their own attempts at pretending they were unaffected by the fatigue. But we had to get this right. If there were two blackeneds, we couldn’t let either get away. And Applejack might still be one of them. So, for that matter, could Scootaloo.

And I still wanted to know what Flash was sick with. Maybe there was a better explanation to be found there.

All I know is this: this trial is far from over.

Author's Note

So here's my answer to the Scootaloo profile issue. A little late in story? Yes, it is, but there's reasons for that. Specifically, that reason being ~~I'm a moron who forgot to address it~~ I deliberately left it to this point so Monoponi could use it against them. That whole rant of his is totally not me calling myself out and trying to turn mistakes into a story opportunity. Nope. Not at all. :scootangel:

Okay, there's actually another reason, but I'll hold that one to my chest for now.

Also a quick thing: there was a detail missing from Part Five that has since been added in, regarding Rainbow Dash wearing her safety equipment. She was wearing all the equipment save for the helmet, as referenced in this part. It's a minor detail, but eh.

Chapter Four: Passing in the Night Part 8

Chapter Four:
Passing in the Night
Trial Part 2

So far, in the trial for Flash and Rainbow Dash, we’d chased each other in circles, to little avail. We’d determined how Rainbow died, but that was about it. Everything else had been shadows, pointlessly chased, with vendettas more important to some of us than actually solving the mystery.

We were thoroughly exhausted, and we still had a long way to go before this was over.

“Well, Ah’m glad none of y’all are about to string me up,” Applejack said, a mixture of relief and annoyance leaking into her voice, “but Ah gotta say, we’d better figure this mess out, and soon. Ah’m ready to hit the hay anytime now.”

“Then we’d better move along,” I said, nodding to her.

Adagio pointed at the farmer. "Hey, you. I've got a question, something I've been wondering about. Did you take any of those pills before you combined them?"

Applejack stared at my lover, puzzled. "Uh, no, Ah didn't. Why would Ah take somethin' meant for Flash?"

"Actually, it's a good question," I interceded on Adagio's behalf. "We did see you twitching a lot during the latter half of the investigation, and one of the things I read about methylphenidate suggested it would interact badly with caffeine. If you took it to stay awake--"

Applejack held up a hand for quiet. "It ain't that, sugarcube. Ah was twitchy 'cause Ah had too much coffee."

"I told you drinking three cups before you brought the rest down for the others was too much," Scootaloo said, shaking her head.

"Well Ah know that now," the farmer groaned.

Rarity let out a loud groan and threw her hands up. "Oh for goodness' sake, is any of this relevant? No? Then let's move on already!"

I grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Rarity." Clearing my throat, I continued, “First thing on my mind is: what was Flash Sentry sick with?”

“Does that really matter?” Tiara grumbled, rolling her eyes.

“Yes, it does,” I replied firmly, shooting her a quick irritated glare. “Because after everything we’ve discussed? I’m starting to wonder whether or not Flash was murdered after all.”

Rarity arched an eyebrow at me, opening up both hands in bemusement. “What? Sunset, darling,” she said, growling out the word darling like it was a profanity, “Monoponi said he was murdered when you asked him.”

“It’s true! I did!” Monoponi said, raising his hoof and waving it at us. “Like I said, someone alive is responsible for his demise.”

“See, that’s what I’m talking about though,” I countered, frowning in puzzlement. “The way you’re phrasing that is weird. Like you’re trying to say something else without saying it.”

Monoponi’s eyes flashed with crimson light as he leaned down to leer at me. “Oh? Ohoho? Is that what you think? Well, you’ll have to talk it out then, to see if you’re right. I certainly won’t tell you!”

“Fine, I will, if you don’t mind,” I growled in response, before turning back to my fellow passengers. “I’m concerned he might’ve died from his illness.”

“But how is that even possible?” said Tiara as she crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s not like he had cancer or something. You heard Applejack. He probably had strep throat. That’s not lethal.”

“Actually, Trixie believes it used to be quite lethal, before modern medicine,” Trixie interrupted, refusing to back down when Tiara fired off a glare her way. “But that wasn’t an issue.”

“How so, Trixie?” I asked.

Trixie looked at me and raised both eyebrows. “Why are you asking Trixie? You’re the one who wrote it down during the investigation.”

Blinking, I glanced back down at my Monopad, then mentally kicked myself. “Right. Duh. You mean this.”

Fact #17: Shop Receipts: “FS@RX Fri0821: Cough syrup, ibuprofen, antibiotics.”

“Flash bought antibiotics Friday morning, along with some pain reliever and cough syrup to ease his symptoms.”

Applejack hummed, and adjusted her hat. “Well, Ah don’t think antibiotics would’ve cleared things up right away. Ah had strep throat myself once, when Ah was younger, and it took a good two or three days before Ah felt better. Ah think it cleared up after five, but Flash would’ve only had one.”

Adagio glanced at me, her lips forming into a pout as she shot me an annoyed glare. “Okay, you might be onto something then, Sunset, because if I remember correctly, he didn’t look any better this morning. He looked worse.”

“Way worse,” Scootaloo seconded, let out a shivering groan of disgust. “He looked like he’d been run over by a train or something.”

~*~
Flash looked no better than he had the previous night. If anything, he was worse, wearing a large arctic coat rather than his usual jacket, shivering every so often as he cradled a hot cup of coffee in one hand, and a bowl of soup in the other. Dark purple etched lines under his eyes like wrinkles in a sheet, and a large splotch of purple and dark green on his forehead showed he’d hit it at some point, leaving a nasty bruise.”
~*~

Rarity nudged her chin with her knuckles. “It’s true, he did have quite the nasty looking bruise on his head. I wonder where he got it from.”

“Trixie thinks she might know the answer,” Trixie said, raising her hand. She called up another piece of evidence.

Fact #17: Shop Receipts: “The following purchases were recorded:
RD@RX Fri1935: Tramadol, pads, methylphenidate.”

“Like Trixie said earlier, Applejack wasn’t the only one to buy those medicines. Rainbow Dash did too.”

Tiara considered that, cocking her head as she thought. “I guess Rainbow and Flash were pretty buddy buddy there before they died.”

“Definitely,” I agreed. “Adagio and I went exploring the new places with them Friday morning, and they were already like twin peas in a pod. They’d each lost somebody and were looking to the other for comfort.”

Tiara snickered, leering at me as she leaned forward. “What, are you suggesting they were sleeping together?”

“No way!” Scootaloo protested, slapping a hand on her podium. “Rainbow Dash wasn’t into guys. And Flash just lost his girlfriend. You seriously think he was the kind of guy to jump in bed with someone else the day after?”

“Why not? I would,” Tiara admitted. When most everyone shot her a furious look, she raised her hands defensively and said, “What? Dead is dead. When a girl needs comfort, she needs comfort.”

“Well you might be that kind of person, Tiara,” I said, trying to keep any judgement out of my voice, “but Flash Sentry wasn’t. He loved Twilight. Quite a lot, actually.” I leaned back at my podium and frowned, my brow furrowing in concentration. “Why was that? They didn’t know each other before we arrived on the ship, right?”

“We can’t be sure of that,” Rarity replied, her lips twisted up into a severe frown of disdain. “After all, it turned out I was married to… to Applejack, and based on the picture we found, you knew Twilight. Both her and her bizarre alternate. So maybe Flash was married to Twilight prior to our kidnapping.”

A look of doubt spread across Adagio’s face. “I don’t know about that,” she said quietly. She glanced between Applejack and Rarity. “I got a feeling you two would be… compatible. I didn’t feel the same thing from Flash and Twilight.”

“Then maybe he just had a big crush on her prior to the killing game,” I said with a shrug. “It doesn’t matter. The point is, here, on this ship, Flash Sentry loved Twilight Sparkle far too much to leap into bed with someone the very next day. He was friends with Rainbow Dash, but not lovers.”

“And so, because they were friends, Trixie thinks Rainbow Dash bought him the medicine,” Trixie said with a nod. “She thinks Rainbow Dash thought it was strep throat too.”

“Ah had no idea those two meds together could cause seizures,” Applejack said, hanging her head in shame. “If Ah had, Ah never would've bought them for him. And if Ah didn’t know, Ah highly doubt Rainbow Dash knew.”

Rarity winced as she considered Applejack’s words. “Then what you’re suggesting is, he took both medicines last night and he had a seizure?”

“If he did, it was a bad one,” Scootaloo said, cringing in sympathy. “I’ve known people who have seizures. There’s usually two types: petit mal and grand mal. Petite just means you space out, look in the distance, like you checked out for a bit. Grand mal is the kind you’d associate with television and stuff, where they jerk around all over the place.”

I reached up to my own head and rubbed it where I’d seen the bruise on Flash’s. “And if he was already sick, that would’ve made it more likely he’d have a bad seizure. Then he hit his head in the process, and the other side effects from the combined meds would’ve made him feel a lot worse in the morning.”

“Okay, okay, so he hit his head because Dash gave him crap medicine. So what?” Tiara shrugged, holding up her hands questioningly. “How does that lead into him dying from his illness?”

“By itself, it doesn’t, but when we combine that with the fact that the antibiotics didn’t seem to have any effect, I think Flash wasn’t ill with strep throat. He had some other illness.”

“Well how’re we supposed to know what it was, then?” Tiara demanded, glaring at me with her hands on her hips.

I chuckled under my breath. “We already did the research into that earlier. When I was examining the body, I noticed the following.”

Fact #15: Flash Sentry Body Condition: “The body was found in the ice skating rink, behind one of the bleachers. His entire body was ghostly pale. His throat is spotted with white, and lymph nodes in his neck were swollen. His stomach was also swollen, and there was a peculiar mottled rash on the back of his thighs. His sternum was broken by Applejack during an attempt at resuscitation.”

I counted off on my hands. “Pale skin, white spots in his throat, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, swollen stomach, and a rash on his thighs.”

Rarity shook her head slowly. “I’m still not certain it was necessary to rob the poor man of his dignity.”

“Well, we’ll know once we look into those symptoms.” I glanced over at Applejack. “AJ, you’re pretty knowledgeable with disease, right?”

“Uh, Ah know some things, mostly from taking care of… of Apple Bloom and Big Mac.” When she spoke Apple Bloom’s name she noticeably weakened, her voice coming out quavering and low. “Ah know strep throat’s got those white spots, and the swollen lymph nodes. Ah think it’s got a rash too, what causes scarlet fever.”

“That matches up with what we saw when we studied the diseases,” Adagio said, nodding. “We looked up several with similar symptoms. Here’s what we found.”

Fact #23: Disease Handbook 2020 Edition: “A nursing textbook from the library, containing information on all sorts of diseases. It states, amongst other things, symptoms for the following diseases:
Strep Throat: Fever, headache, sore throat with white spots, swollen lymph nodes in neck, swollen and inflamed tonsils, red spots on the roof of the mouth, and scarlet fever rash.
Mononucleosis: Fatigue, headache, sore throat with white spots, fever, swollen lymph nodes in neck and armpits, swollen tonsils, skin rash, soft swollen spleen.
Tonsillitis: Red tonsils, sore throat with white spots, sore lymph nodes in neck, vocal change, fever, trouble swallowing, halitosis, stiff neck
Oral Thrush: Sore throat with white spots, burning or aching tongue, bleeding in the throat, cotton mouth.”

I smiled gratefully at my siren lover. “Thank you. So, we know from what we saw on his body that a lot of his symptoms are covered here. We can also be pretty sure he was suffering from headaches and fatigue, given how tired he was all the time. A fever is also quite likely, given the way he was wearing that coat around.”

“It was a little weird that he was wearing it even on the promenade,” Scootaloo said, frowning. “He must’ve been cold.”

“If the poor darling had a fever, he certainly would be,” Rarity said, a cold shiver running through her body. “I rarely get fevers, but whenever I have them I get so unbelievably cold I have to cover myself in as many blankets as I can manage.”

“I still don’t think he was that sick,” Tiara snorted, waving a hand dismissively. “He was going around racing karts and playing hockey and doing all kinds of things. So he was fine, right?”

I nodded. “See, that’s what I thought too. But now I’m not so sure. That’s why we need to examine this list of illnesses. Maybe he had a condition that was fine until he did something wrong.”

“Well, let’s see,” Rarity hummed as she looked down at her Monopad. “I think we can dismiss oral thrush right off the proverbial bat. That’s more of an infant’s illness than an adult’s. I remember…” she let out a shuddering sigh, a few tears coming to her eyes before she wiped them away. “I remember when Sweetie Belle was two or three years old, she had this. Her throat looked like cottage cheese, it was awful and uncomfortable.”

“His throat definitely didn’t look like that,” I agreed, nodding. “So it wasn’t oral thrush.”

“Ah don’t think he had tonsilitis either,” Applejack said, frowning at her own Monopad. “His voice didn’t sound any different to us, and he didn’t have any issues swallowin’ or with a stiff neck. Ah think we would’ve noticed that when he was playin’ hockey.”

Tiara giggled, holding a hand to her mouth. “I bet Rainbow would’ve noticed if he had bad breath, hahaha!”

“Tiara, drop it,” I ordered, glaring at her. “It’s not funny.”

“Shows what you know,” Tiara retorted petulantly, pointedly looking away from me. “I think it’s hilarious.”

“It still could’ve been strep throat, right?” Scootaloo asked as she considered the list of symptoms. “He had a fever, headache, white spots on his throat, swollen lymph nodes, rash… it all fits.”

Adagio snorted, a half smirk growing on her face. “No, it doesn’t. Squirt.”

“Hey!” Scootaloo slammed both her fists down on her podium and then jabbed a finger Adagio’s direction. “Don’t you dare call me that. That was Rainbow Dash’s nickname for me. I don’t want anyone else calling me that. My name is Scootaloo, okay?”

The siren snorted with laughter, but nodded. “Of course. My apologies. Scootaloo,” she said silkily, her tone containing just a hint of mockery.

“Adagio, come on, stop regressing,” I muttered in irritation.

Adagio crossed her arms and sniffed. “Fine, I’m just trying to have a little fun.”

“Anyway,” Scootaloo said, her face fighting to keep from turning red with rage, “why can’t it be strep throat?”

I smiled, choosing to take charge. “Because the antibiotics weren’t working. Strep throat is a bacterial infection, but these others are either viral or fungal. Antibiotics wouldn’t work on them. And if it wasn’t strep throat, that leaves us with only one option left.”

“Mononucleosis,” Applejack read, frowning in concentration. “Ah think Ah’ve heard of this disease, but ain’t it somethin’ that teenagers get, not adults?”

“Teens and twenties, I think,” I answered, remembering the extra blurbs of info I read in the book that I hadn’t bothered to copy down. “It’s usually abbreviated as just mono, and in a lot of places it’s referred to as the “kissing disease” because it spreads through saliva. It usually has an incubation period of two to four weeks, though, so I’m not sure where Flash would’ve gotten it.”

“Hmm… Monoponi, I have a question for you, if that’s alright,” Rarity said, looking up at him with a strained smile on her face.

Monoponi blinked, sat up straight, then looked down at her. “Yessss?”

“When you kidnapped us, were we placed into the killing game immediately? Or did it take a while before you wiped our memories and allowed us to meet.”

“Upupu, good question, Rarity!” Monoponi chuckled, leaning back so he could put both forehooves to his lips. “I never thought you’d ask. Yes, you morons were on this ship for a couple of weeks before we got the game started. It took a while to sail from our original port of call, after all. And I had to clean up a few… issues, on the way.” His smile dropped, replaced by an irritated frown. “I had to wipe your memories twice. The first time succeeded, but then all you idiots wanted to do was date each other and kiss each other and act like this was a cruise ship for love. I was very happy to wipe that out of my misery!”

I shared a quick glance with Adagio, and I wasn’t the only one. Everyone was glancing at each other, some with nervous or sheepish expressions, others with considered interest. “I uh, I don’t suppose you’re going to tell us anything about what--”

“No!” Monoponi slammed his hoof down on his throne with a loud crack at the same time he summoned up a loud peal of thunder, excruciatingly loud in the confines of the courtroom. “That’s a whole other story, and it’s not important right now! The only thing you people should be concerned with is this: you were passing mono around back and forth like it was going out of style!” He rolled his oversized eyes. “I told you, Sunset, I am no copycat criminal! Never once was I intending for a disease to be a motive on this ship. I thought I’d wiped it out, but obviously I missed the boytoy!”

Tiara adopted a magnificently large smirk. “Was his Ultimate title Boytoy because he got aroun--”

Monoponi rose off his throne with two quick flaps of his wings, rushed into her face, and opened up his great maw, threatening her with his jagged, saliva coated teeth. “Do you really want to finish that question?” he growled in a monstrously deep voice, so unlike his usual high-pitched tone.

“No.” Tiara squeaked, crumpling onto her rump, her face pale from fright.”

“Good.” Monoponi withdrew and returned to his chair. “So let that be a lesson to you all. Don’t ask about the voyage! Boytoy was sick with mono. Get back to the trial already.” He waved both forehooves at us impatiently.

I cleared my throat, trying not to attract his direct attention. “Okay, so, if Flash was sick with mono, we’ll need to look at its symptoms again, to see how they might’ve affected him or threatened his life.”

Fact #23: Disease Handbook 2020 Edition: “Mononucleosis: Fatigue, headache, sore throat with white spots, fever, swollen lymph nodes in neck and armpits, swollen tonsils, skin rash, soft swollen spleen.”

“There!” Rarity said, pointing to the last item on the list. “A soft, swollen spleen. Sunset, did the book say how common that was?”

“It said it was extremely rare,” I answered, frowning unhappily, “but if it does happen, the person sick would need to be extremely careful. A serious injury could rupture the spleen, and if that happened…”

Scootaloo’s mouth fell open in stark realization. “They’d bleed to death on the inside, right?”

“Yeah, they would. And if they bled to death internally, they’d still turn ghostly pale, but we wouldn’t see any of the blood.” My face tinged with green as my stomach churned over picturing it. “The stomach would’ve swollen a bit already from the swollen spleen, but the blood would fill his abdominal cavity. That must’ve been why his stomach was so swollen.”

Applejack sniffed, a look of profound sadness overtaking her face. “Then there was nothin’ Ah could’ve done, huh? By the time Ah tried, he was already dead.”

“But what would’ve caused his spleen to rupture?” Scootaloo asked. Then she snorted and slapped herself on the forehead. “Wait, duh, of course.”

Fact #2: Flash Sentry’s Account: “According to Flash, he and Rainbow were holding one final race near the end of the night. During the race, Flash’s fatigue caused him to twitch with his steering wheel, and he and Rainbow Dash crashed into each other.”

Scootaloo pointed to the evidence she’d pulled up. “This must’ve been when it happened.” She cringed, holding her stomach. “But shouldn’t he have noticed though?”

“Trixie thinks he might not have, not if he was panicking over Rainbow Dash,” Trixie stated. She set one hand down on her podium while the other stroked at her hair. “Trixie believes the adrenalin alone would’ve caused him to ignore the pain.”

“And I remember when I talked to him he seemed more and more out of it every minute or so,” I added, sighing. “I don’t think there’s anything anyone could’ve done to save him. Something like a ruptured spleen kills in minutes or in hours, and would’ve required a lot of EMTs on standby.”

“Just like Rainbow Dash’s injury,” Rarity said, bowing her head. “They both lived long enough to know they were dying and there was nothing they could do about it.”

“I guess that explains why I heard Flash gurgling,” Tiara said. She’d managed to stand back up at her podium, and her demeanor was noticeably less flippant. “If he was bleeding it might’ve gotten into his lungs.”

I shrugged. “I doubt we’ll ever know, but at least I think we can safely conclude that Flash died from his illness.”

“But wait a minute, though,” Scootaloo said, looking up at me questioningly. “Why did Monoponi say he was murdered, then?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer that. “Um... “ Quickly, I dived in to check the rules, searching for the one on murder. “I’m sure he’d consider it as suicide or something…”

“Ah don’t know about that though,” Applejack said, taking off her hat and setting it down on her podium so she could bow her head over it, blinking repeatedly from exhaustion. “Ah thought he said someone alive was responsible.”

"Yeah, and there's something else that's been bugging me too," Scootaloo said, glancing down at her Monopad. "Look at the lighter again."

Fact #20: Used Lighter: “A cigarette lighter discovered in the trash bin next to the ice rink equipment rental shop, spattered with blood. It was drained of fuel. Scribbled on the bottom of the lighter, in sharpie, were the letters ‘RD.’”

"Sunset, you said the lighter was just used to burn the note, right? Nothing else?" Scootaloo said.

"Yeaaaah?" I replied, looking up from my pad, my voice lingering with uncertainty.

"So why is it drained?"

Frowning, I decided to pull out the physical lighter rather than just rely upon the Monopad recorded evidence. Peering closely at it, I said hesitantly, "Does anyone know a lot about lighters? Because this looks like a refillable kind to me."

"Toss it here a minute?" Applejack asked. I did as she requested and she looked it over, then nodded and tossed it back. "Eeyup, that's a refillable all right. Must be why it's got RD's initials on it."

"Is that weird?"

Tiara rolled her eyes and glared at me. "Uh, yeah? Most lighters are disposable, Sunset. Cheap shit you can get three for like a buck at a convenience store. I figured if anyone would know that, you would."

"Wha, I...well..." My cheeks flamed. "I don't smoke. We didn't have tobacco or marijuana in Equestria. And I've never been interested since coming to Earth. So... I didn't know."

Rarity hummed, tapping a finger to her chin. "Pardon my curiosity, darling, but if there was no tobacco or marijuana, what do ponies like to... enjoy? Other than alcohol, of course."

My whole face glowed with pink now, hot as fire. "... salt licks."

Applejack, Scootaloo, and Tiara all burst into immediate laughter as Rarity gawked at me, horrified. "Salt licks?" she replied. "Salt licks?!"

Trixie snickered, her mouth tugged up in a grin as she gave me an appraising look. "Is that why Trixie saw you salting your champagne earlier this evening? Trixie thought that was weird."

Even Adagio broke into laughter now, with Applejack guffawing, doubled over at her podium, while Scootaloo kept giggling while muttering about salt under her breath.

I, meanwhile, felt so hot I thought I'd melt into the floorboards and drip away. "L-l-look, it makes sense where I'm from, okay?"

"Suuuure it does," Tiara quipped.

"Ah can picture it now," Applejack spluttered between her laughs. "Lookit this pony gettin' kicked out of a saloon, their lips drier than a desert 'cause they couldn't handle their salt!"

"Better keep the salt shakers away from Sunset," Scootaloo added. "Wouldn't want her to get too high!"

Groaning, I fell against my podium and covered my face with my hands. "You guys..."

Trixie reached out and patted my shoulder. "There there, Sunset. Trixie won't keep the salt away from you. She trusts you to have self control."

That sent Applejack into a fresh bout of laughter, laughing so hard tears streamed down her face, with Scootaloo and Tiara not far behind.

"I still can't wrap my head around it," Rarity muttered, shaking her head at us. "Salt licks! Of all the things...imagine the number of cardiac issues your society must have..."

Sighing, I raised my head again and flashed Trixie a dirty look before focusing my attention on Rarity. "It's still healthier than filling your lungs with smoke until you turn them blacker than a coal miner's could ever get. Look, forget about the salt, you guys. We're in the middle of a trial here."

That statement cut through the mirth, and everyone's laughter quietly died away, replaced by varying levels of embarrassment. "S-so, um, anyway, the lighter fluid," Scootaloo said, tugging at the collar of her shirt. "Why would it be drained?"

"That, I don't know," I said sincerely, happy to be back to a sensible topic of discussion. "Scootaloo, you're the one who knew Rainbow had this thing. Do you know if she kept it full?"

"Uh, maybe?" Scootaloo shrugged. "I don't know. It's not like I ever smoked weed with them. I know they did it at least a few times after we got on the ship, but..."

Adagio raised a finger. "Better question: is lighter fluid sold in the stores here?"

"Uuuh... how're we supposed to know that?" Applejack said, her face going blank. "It ain't like Ah got an inventory of these stores."

"Trixie agrees," Trixie said. "The stores are far too large for us to know everything they sell."

Sighing, I looked up at our captor, who glared right back as if awaiting the inevitable stupid question. "Well, Monoponi? Is it sold in the stores here?"

Monoponi rolled his eyes, raised a hoof and opened his mouth to answer, then shut it again and tapped his hoof against his chin. "You know, I actually don't know," he admitted after a moment. "I guess your Captain better go check for you, since it's for the trial!" He vanished in a flash of light.

We all stood there for a moment in silence before Adagio muttered, "Anyone else think this is a good chance to try and escape?"

"Might be," I replied.

But no one moved. We all looked at each other, as if waiting for someone to dare to move first. Finally, tentatively, with worry gnawing at my stomach, I took a few steps from my podium.

Nothing happened. No gun turrets popped out, no alarms, no magic going off. I took a few more steps, and then a few more, then finally crossed half the room. Nothing. "H-hey, you guys!" I said, facing them. "Looks like it's safe!"

"Goodness gracious, is this our chance?!" Rarity squealed in happiness before fleeing her podium. "Come on now, everyone!"

"Should we try the elevator?" Scootaloo suggested as she joined us.

"No way, that'll take us right up to Monoponi," Tiara said. "We should try the doors."

We all headed over to one of the doors on the far side of the courtroom. Normally, these appeared to lead to the execution chambers, but I suspected there was a great deal of access corridor between those chambers and the courtroom that we could traverse. And none of it would have any reason to be locked, either, since we were never supposed to get this far. "Okay," I said, as I reached out to the doorknob. "Here goes nothing."

Of course, as soon as I tried it, I discovered it wouldn't move. "Damn it! It's locked."

"Stand back, Sunset, lemme at this," Applejack said, bringing up her fists. Everyone else backed away to give her space as she brought up her fists, cracking the knuckles of one hand, then the other, and stretched out her neck for good measure. "Alright, y'all. Ah'm gonna bust this door down." She wound up with her right arm, and sent her fist surging forward.

Just before it hit the door, however, the fist was suddenly gripped in a crimson glow, a flash of light and pop of air emerging from behind us. "What are you doing?!" roared the voice of Monoponi.

Oh shit oh shit oh shit why did we do this he's going to kill us! ran through my head as my heart hammered a thousand miles an hour in my chest. My teeth chattered as I slowly turned around to see Monoponi, blazing with a fierce crimson aura, his eyes agog with pure rage, his wings extended to their fullest. My fellow passengers were equally terrified, especially Applejack, whose face had screwed up as if she was in pain. "U-u-uh, hi?" I blurted, adding a nervous laugh for good measure, because apparently I wanted him to wipe me off the face of the Earth.

"I cannot believe this!" Monoponi shouted, tucking both forehooves to his waist as he hovered there, still holding Applejack's fist in his magic. "I leave you people for less than five minutes and here you all are acting like the rules don't apply to you anymore!"

Tiara shrieked and threw herself behind Scootaloo before pointing at Adagio. "It was her idea!"

Adagio sneered, raising a hand like she yearned to reach out and throttle the rich elitist. "You little piece of--"

"I don't care whose idea it was!" Monoponi interrupted, sounding for all the world like an angry father dealing with his children. "I have every right to execute you all on the spot for this!"

"N-n-no!" Rarity cried. She hid behind me like I was a human shield. "Please, don't!"

"I don't want to diiiiie!" Tiara wailed, clinging to Scootaloo's legs.

"Buuut..." Monoponi unleashed a huge, world weary sigh and released his hold on Applejack's fist, then pointed back at the podiums. "I won't, if you get back to your podiums now!"

Shrieking with fright, Tiara hopped up and in a blaze of speed was back at her podium before anyone else could hardly move. The rest of us weren't far behind, save Trixie, whom Rarity scooped up and carried the rest of the way after Monoponi gave the illusionist stink-eye. Only once we were all back in our proper places did he return to his throne, plopping himself down with a huff. "Now then, we've all learned a valuable lesson here, I trust."

"D-d-d-don't try to e-e-escape?" Tiara stammered, with a hopeful note in her voice.

"No. Don't." With a roll of his huge pony eyes Monoponi held up a hoof and said, "So, getting back to the trial, I believe you were all wondering if the stores sold lighter fluid, yes? Well, they don't. So whatever Rainbow Dash had in her lighter, that's all she had."

Taking a few deep breaths and holding a hand to my fluttering chest in the hopes of slowing my heart rate, I said, "A-and she had this lighter on her when we first woke up here? And I do mean the first time you wiped our memories."

"She did," Monoponi grumbled.

"Okay then," I said, rubbing at my chin in thought. "So if Rainbow never had the chance to refill her lighter, she might've used most of the fluid on the way out here. That wouldn't leave much in it, then whoever had it last used the last of it."

"But how do we know that?" Adagio asked me, arching an eyebrow. As I watched her face I saw her mouth tighten, the slightest hint of embarrassment showing in her eyes, as if she still regretted suggesting the escape just now. "I'm still not convinced Flash died from his illness."

"Wait, what're you suggesting then?" Tiara asked, her face screwed up in confusion. "What, like, someone poisoned his coffee with the lighter fluid and that's what killed him?"

"Oh my," Rarity gasped, holding a hand to her mouth. "How horrible!"

Applejack's mouth twisted in disgust. "Ah can't say that'd be very pleasant. Lighter fluid's full of nasty stuff, like propane, butane, benzene, and a buncha other similar things."

"Who would've had the chance to do that?" I wondered. Wait... Narrowing my eyes in suspicion, I glared at Scootaloo.

"Oh no, don't you dare," Scootaloo growled, shaking a finger at me. "Don't you dare accuse me of spiking his coffee."

"But you're the only one who had a chance other than Applejack," I countered. "And we already know you could get away with murder without your profile changing."

Her eyes filled with tears. "Sunset," she gasped. "I thought... I thought you said you believed in me!"

A sad frown formed on my face. "I... I do... but we can't ignore this possibility."

Scootaloo squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head before letting out a sorrowful sigh. "Okay, okay, I see your point. Fuck! I... I guess it's possible I could've--"

"No, that's wrong!" Trixie interrupted with a flourish of her hand. "It's not possible for you to have poisoned Flash with lighter fluid!"

"Huh?" Scootaloo and I both gasped at once.

Trixie brought her hand up to the side of her mouth. "Hah! It's simple, though Trixie wouldn't expect any of you to be aware of this, for none of you have her experience!"

Adagio grit her teeth and snarled. "What are you going on about now?"

Trixie's confidence wavered under Adagio's glare for a moment before flaring back up to full force. "Trixie has used lighter fluid many times as part of specialized magic tricks involving fire. It's very useful, but it's also very odorous! In other words, it stinks! If Flash's coffee was laced with lighter fluid, he would've noticed it long before taking a sip! The only possible way for him to have drunk it is if he did it on purpose!"

"Woah, woah, time out!" Tiara shouted, making a t-gesture with her hands. "We already have one way Flash could've killed himself! Are you saying there's two?"

"Wait, wait, wait, this doesn't make any sense, you guys," I protested. "It's not like Flash could've had the lighter anyway. And he wasn't suicidal!"

"Hmm..." Trixie went quiet, her brow creasing as she lost herself in thought again.

"Look, I'll prove it's not possible," I said, diving back into the rules. After searching for a moment, I found the rule I was looking for, glared at it in puzzlement, and then pointed it out to the others.

Rule #14: A murder is defined as the causing of death of another passenger, regardless of intent. If you kill, it’s murder, no matter what.

“Monoponi,” I said, looking up at him, “this doesn’t allow for suicide, does it?”

The alicorn frowned down at me, as he rubbed at his own fluffy chin. “Hmm… truth be told, Sunset, I thought none of you would be stupid enough to kill yourselves. But I’ll say this: if someone dies because of a self-inflicted injury, then as far as I’m concerned, they murdered themselves. And a murderer will always be punished on my ship. Always!”

“But it doesn’t make sense!” I insisted, not sure why I was daring to argue with Monoponi of all people. “If Flash died because of his ruptured spleen, or because he guzzled down lighter fluid, how would you punish him? It’s not like you can raise the dead. I know you can’t. Even for your magic, that’s not possible.”

“Upupu, that’s certainly true!” Monoponi chortled in reply. “Resurrecting the dead simply can’t be done. Once you’re dead, you’re dead. Gone. Deceased. Finite! No coming back allowed.”

“Then what you’re telling us is a flat out lie,” I countered, refusing to back down. “If Flash killed himself, then someone alive isn’t responsible for his demise, as you put it. You can’t bring back the dead. Therefore, Flash wasn’t murdered.”

“What, I don't count as a person?" Monoponi gaped, holding a hoof to his chest. "I am offended!"

"Wait, that's what he meant?" Tiara said, her face screwing up in irritated disbelief. "Oh come on, that's complete bullshit."

"Seriously," Scootaloo added.

"Ah can't say I disagree on that," Applejack muttered, grumbling something under her breath about unfairness.

Rarity rolled her eyes before placing her face in her hand and sighing. "It's just like him to mislead us this badly, isn't it?"

Adagio chuckled and held up her hands, then shrugged. "Haven't we learned by now we can't trust what he says?"

"Hmmm..." Trixie placed a hand to her chin, narrowed her eyes, and stared at Monoponi. "Trixie feels like there's more to this than that."

"I agree with them, Monoponi," I said."You couldn't have just been talking about your role as mastermind... could you?"

Monoponi slapped a hoof to his forehead. "No, of course I wasn't! You moron!" He sighed. "I should have said this sooner. There were three meanings to what I said. You've solved one of them."

"Three?" My eyebrows shot up so high they practically kissed the moon. "What are you talking about? Even if we took your role as mastermind into account, it still doesn't justify calling Flash's death a murd--"

"Maybe, Sunset," Monoponi growled back, all amusement gone from his tone. "You’re completely wrong about a basic assumption you’re making. Did you ever think of that, Sunset? Did that ever enter your pea-brained little mind?!”

“A basic assumption,” I repeated, looking away from him so I could think. I closed my eyes deep in concentration, trying to focus on the problem. Flash died because of his ruptured spleen. This has to be true; nothing else makes sense. That means he must’ve hurt himself in the crash, enough to cause his spleen to rupture. So then, under Monoponi’s rules, he killed himself. But Monoponi’s saying that a murderer will always be punished, and the murderer isn’t dead. So how is that possible?

My eyes shot open in realization as my mouth fell open. “No way,” I whispered. “You wouldn’t. You couldn’t!”

“Ahahahaha!” Monoponi cackled, holding both forehooves to his stomach. “I think she finally gets it! Doesn’t she, Sunset?”

“Get what, darling?” Rarity inquired of me.

“Yeah, what’s he talking about, Sunset?” Scootaloo said, her face twisted up in confusion.

Applejack leaned forward to look me in the eye. “Ah’d like it if you told us what you just realized there, Sunset.”

“But it’s wrong,” I breathed, shaking my head furiously as my whole body quivered with a mixture of outrage and disgust. “It’s so wrong.”

Tiara glared at me, one hand on her hip while the other pointed at my face. “Spit it out already!”

Trixie reached over and held my left hand. Simultaneously, Adagio reached as far as she could, just barely managing to touch my right. “It’s okay,” Trixie said. “Go ahead and say it. Trixie is here for you.”

“I think I know what you’re talking about, Sunset,” Adagio said, cringing in disgust. “Uuugh. It’s horrible. But not surprising.”

I nodded gratefully to both of them, then carefully retracted from their touch so I could hold one fist up to Monoponi, my face twisting up into an expression of pure rage. “You monster. I thought it was sick enough, the way you’ve been torturing people to death, the game you’ve put us through, but this is outright necromancy you’re messing with! It’s a violation of his soul!”

“Oh please, you know as well as I do that souls don’t exist,” Monoponi snorted, glaring down at me like I was an insect he was contemplating squashing underhoof. He tapped the side of his head with one hoof. “Everything a person is, was, or ever will be is contained right here, in the brain. And if you keep the brain alive after everything else is gone, well, is that really necromancy? Or is it just advanced medicine?”

“What in tarnation,” Applejack breathed, a look of sheer horror etching itself onto her face. “Are you sayin’ Flash is still alive?!”

Rarity screeched in fright, holding the back of one hand up to her forehead as her eyes turned up, her knees buckling, threatening to give way to a fainting spell. “Oh my heavens,” she murmured, barely staying conscious. “How is this possible?”

“Monoponi’s magic,” I replied, still shaking in rage.

~*~
“Damn it, Monoponi!” Flash burst out, pointing at him with one hand. “Why didn’t you show up after the crash, huh? She was trapped in the kart! I couldn’t get her out! If I’d been able to get her out she wouldn’t be dead right now!”

“And I’m supposed to care why, exactly?” Monoponi retorted. He zapped Flash’s arm with magic that surged up his arm and all the way into his head, knocking him dizzy. “The safety system kept her safe from further harm. It did its job. If she died, that’s the fault of the blackened!”
~*~

“He must’ve done it when he made Flash dizzy. It’s dark magic, the worst kind of necromancy, a complete utter misuse of healing magic. It preserves the brain, but only by forcing it to stay alive, consuming itself in the process. It destroys the very person it tries to save, leaving them as little more than a shell. There was so much more he could’ve done to save Flash if he knew Flash was dying, but he didn’t.”

“And why should I?” Monoponi asked me, shrugging his bony pony shoulders. “I’m just your Captain. I’m not here to protect you. I’m here to entertain you! And to make sure you experience the fun and joy of all of our shipboard activities. Including death. Besides, those little effects you’re so worried about? They only happen after the first couple of days. Flash won’t be on life support for that long!”

"You... you haven't done this to any of the other blackeneds, have you?" Rarity whimpered. "My dear Sweetie Belle--"

"Is dead and gone," Monoponi said. "Your Captain only did this because Flash was stupid enough to kill himself.

“But, if he’s still alive,” Scootaloo said, her eyes bouncing around in terror as she looked between me, Monoponi, her fellow passengers, and Flash’s portrait, “w-w-why is his portrait crossed out?”

“Because that idiot didn’t deserve to attend the trial!” Monoponi flew out of his chair, buzzing around like an angry bee, seething and fuming. “He would’ve made it far less entertaining, had he been here. And you, Sunset, you weren’t supposed to figure this out till the end! I had every intention of making this a big dramatic reveal, but no, here you go, once again spoiling everything!” He stopped in mid air, freezing like he was caught in a spiderweb, before whirling to face me, pointing one forehoof squarely at me. “I swear, one of these days you’re going to finally step over the line, and when you do, ohoho will I be enjoying your execution!”

Like I give a shit. “Forget about me. What about Flash? If he’s still alive, then--”

“What about him?” Monoponi grumbled. “If you’re expecting me to bring him out and have him join the trial, don’t! I won’t do that. He’s being kept alive for one reason and one reason only. And lest you morons think you’re done with this trial, you still have another murder to solve. So get to it!”

“At least we’ve solved one of them,” Scootaloo said, still giving Flash’s portrait a sad look. “Poor Flash killed himself.”

“A tragic accident, to be sure,” Rarity added, with a shake of her head. “But nevermind that. We need to figure out who murdered Rainbow Dash.”

“That’s not going to be easy,” Adagio murmured, pressing her knuckles to her lips. “We have plenty of evidence, but…”

“But a lot of it points to people who didn’t do a dang thing, like myself,” Applejack finished for her, with a sigh. “Ah hope it’s clear, but Ah didn’t kill Rainbow Dash either. Just because Ah threw a pill bottle away in the same trash bin we found two other pieces of evidence in don’t mean a thing.”

Tiara eyed her warily. “You say that, Applejack, but can we believe you? I mean, the motive’s pretty tempting, for someone like you.”

Applejack glared at her from underneath her hat, then nodded. “Eeyup. You’re right about that, Tiara. It was pretty temptin’. And for a bit there Ah didn’t think Ah had much to lose either, what with Rarity dumpin’ me, and my sister bein’ gone…”

Rarity snorted. “Dumping? You make it sound like it was a simple fling. Try divorce, if we ever get off this ship.”

Scootaloo looked up at the farmer, her breath hitched as she took a step back. “Applejack, you’re not saying you actually considered killing someone, did you?”

Applejack hung her head low and took off her hat, placing it on her podium. She propped herself up by the palms of both hands, her whole body slumped in shame. “Ah did. Not Flash. Not Rainbow Dash either. But Ah did. Ah didn’t think about it for very long or hard before Ah realized Ah was bein' nuttier than cow droppins, but Ah still considered it.”

“Who would you have killed?” Trixie breathed, leaning forward with naked curiosity twinkling in her eyes.

“It was me, wasn’t it?” Scootaloo blurted, her voice full of fire. She clenched both fists at her sides as her face twisted up in horror and fury. “You were going to kill me.”

Applejack slowly nodded, then fell to her knees, sinking beneath her podium. “Don’t ask me how, cause Ah don’t know.”

Rarity reached out to Scootaloo like she wanted to give the younger woman a hug, before drawing back due to the distance between them. “Of course. Not enough you’ve been a brute towards me. Now you have to scare the living daylights out of her. I’m sorry about that, Scootaloo.”

“It’s fine,” Scootaloo said, wiping at her nose and sniffling, keeping one fist at her side. “Nice to know trying to help people gets you rewarded with death threats. Don’t know why I even bother anymore.”

“Because it’s part of who you are,” I said, smiling at her in the hopes of cheering her up. “You’ve been looking out for others ever since we showed up on this ship. Don’t give up on that just because one person scared you, okay? We won’t get out of here if we don’t stick together.”

Scootaloo glanced over at me with an unreadable expression in her eyes for several long moments before looking away again. “Okay,” she murmured, with a shrug. She gave Applejack’s podium one last look, then straightened her stance and adopted a serious expression. “So it wasn’t Applejack. It wasn’t me either, because I’d never hurt Rainbow Dash.”

“And it can’t be Trixie, Rarity, or Sunset,” Trixie added, “because we were all in Trixie’s room.”

“So that leaves Diamond Tiara and Adagio Dazzle as suspects, then,” Rarity mused. “Both of you were alone and had ample opportunity.”

Adagio drew herself up, curling some of her hair around one finger while looking up at the ceiling with a bored expression. “It wasn’t me,” she muttered. “Never been me, never will. I’m dating Sunset, remember? If I escape, she dies.”

“You say that, but--”

“No, I believe her,” I interrupted, raising a hand to stop Rarity. “I know I’m biased, but I believe her. So that leaves us with the only suspect we have left.”

Before I could say my usual accusation phrase a second time, Tiara interrupted, “No, Sunset, I didn’t kill Rainbow Dash. How many times do I need to say it? I didn’t have a motive. I didn’t have a reason. And I want us all to get out of here alive.”

“Then who was it?” I said, spreading out my hands. “If it couldn’t be Rarity, myself or Trixie, nor Applejack or Scootaloo, or you or Adagio, was it Rainbow Dash? Did she kill herself too?”

“A double suicide,” Rarity gasped, holding a hand to her mouth. “How awful!”

“No, no, no, that can’t be right,” Scootaloo protested. “Look, I don’t care how tired Rainbow Dash might’ve been, she’s not stupid enough to put ice skates in her own kart. And even if she did, that doesn’t account for the note, or the lighter, or the cloth, or the Monopad, or the whetstone!”

Applejack arose from beneath her podium, having to grip it for support just to keep standing. “Ah gotta agree. And it ain’t like she would’ve had some suicide pact. That weren’t the kind of person Rainbow Dash was. She ain’t gonna kill herself then have someone else cover it up.”

“Yeah, maybe Wallflower or Fluttershy would’ve done something like that,” Tiara gigglesnorted, “but not Rainbow Dash. No way.”

“Then we’re out of suspects!” I declared. “We’ve eliminated everyone, which means we must be wrong about someone. Someone must be lying. It’s the only possibility.”

“No, that’s wrong!” Trixie protested with a slam of her palm on her podium. “We’re overlooking the most obvious suspect of all!” She thrust out her arm to point directly at the last person I’d have expected her to point at. “Flash Sentry, it has to be you!”

“What?!” I gasped, frustrated that this was the third time Trixie had used my schtick against me. “That’s ridiculous. Rainbow Dash and Flash were best buddies. Not for very long, but best buddies nonetheless. Why would Flash kill Rainbow Dash?”

“Yeah, that doesn’t make any sense, Trixie,” Scootaloo objected. “Flash was a nice guy. Like a legit nice guy. He’d never hurt anyone.”

Adagio hummed, smirking as she raised an eyebrow at Trixie. “I think you’re onto something. Flash wouldn’t have killed anyone before now, it’s true, but remember: Twilight’s no longer alive.”

“Tch!” Trixie recoiled, lifting her hand off her podium and holding it balled up into a fist at her side. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, Trixie, that I've realized Monoponi's third meaning. Because this is two more bodies we can lay at your feet,” Adagio’s smirk widened until it stretched from ear to ear, with her eyes narrowed to make it as menacing and terrifying as possible. Even I felt a chill run down my spine at the sight, and not in a good way. “After all, you survived when Twilight died. Really, it’s a wonder that neither Rainbow Dash or Flash killed you. I guess we have Tiara to thank for that, with her idea of locking you away. Seems that probably saved your life.”

“Adagio, what the hell are you doing?” I hissed, leaning over towards her, only to leap back at the predatory gaze to her eyes. It’d been a long while since I’d seen that cold, horrifying gaze, and I wasn’t prepared for it.

“Stay out of it, Sunset,” Adagio growled. “This is between me and Trixie. And it’s been a long time coming, after she betrayed what friendship I showed her!”

“What are you--Trixie didn’t kill Rain--”

Adagio slammed a fist down on her podium with herculean strength, sending pieces of wood flying everywhere. “Don’t lie to our faces now, Trixie, not when we all know the truth! Face the facts. It’s your fault Rainbow Dash and Flash Sentry are dead. If Flash Sentry killed Rainbow, he only did it because he lost Twilight. And he only lost Twilight because you survived when she was executed! If they were going to kill anyone, it should’ve been you!”

Adagio’s hands were held up as claws, curled so tight all her knuckles turned white. “I never liked you. You are one of the most infuriating, insipid, downright stupid people I’ve ever had to deal with. And for a while, a short while, because Sunset asked me to, I tried to be nice. I even befriended you. You were one of the first actual friends I ever had. And you immediately turned around and killed someone, while laying the blame at my feet. You betrayed me! This is why I don’t trust humans!”

“Adagio!” I shouted, my eyes wide with panic. “Don’t--”

“What do you mean, you don’t trust humans?” Tiara cut me off, arching both eyebrows at Adagio. “You say that like you’re not human.”

“It’s cause she ain’t.”

Oh fuck. My face contorted with horror. “Applejack, why--”

Applejack shrugged. “Why not? She ain’t botherin’ to hide her secret anymore. Ah ain’t gonna either, if that’s the case.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Scootaloo said, waving her hands like an umpire calling safe at home plate. “We have two non-humans here, not just one? What, is Adagio a pony too?”

Applejack shook her head. “She’s a siren. You know, one of those things that hypnotize people into drowning so they can eat ‘em.”

Adagio whirled on the farmer, her teeth bared. “Do not denigrate sirens that way! I don’t kill people and eat them. I feed on negative emotions.” She unleashed another growl. "Or I did, until I lost my magic."

“And you knew this, Applejack?” Rarity asked, a look of naked astonishment on her face. “I don’t know why I’m surprised, but I am! How did you--”

“She knew because I told her,” Adagio interrupted with a harsh growl. “Because Monoponi gave away the secret and she overheard, so I had to threaten her to keep her silent. Obviously it didn’t work!”

Trixie, now furious, turned on me, tears in her eyes as she screamed, “You knew this too, didn’t you, Sunset?!”

“Yes I did, Trixie! I’ve known since the first trial!” I shouted back, raising up my left fist like I was going to lash out. “Don’t you dare act like I’m betraying your trust by keeping this secret. Adagio spilled her heart out to me. She trusted me with something she’d never admit to anyone else. And sirens and ponies are natural enemies!” I lowered my fist, huffing as I tried to control myself. “I know why you’re angry, Trixie. I know you asked me not to keep secrets. But this is one I couldn’t give away. And to be honest, I don’t think you have room to argue. I still haven’t forgiven you for murdering Pinkie Pie.”

Trixie’s whole body slumped as her rage melted away. “Trixie supposes that’s fair,” she murmured.

“But!” I said, whirling on Adagio, utterly infuriated with her, “That does not mean, Adagio, you need to go blaming Trixie for everything! I get it, okay? I get that she betrayed your friendship. I know that’s a hard thing for you to deal with. But blaming her for Flash and Rainbow’s deaths? That’s not acceptable.”

“Of course you’d take her side,” Adagio snarled, her hair flying everywhere in her rage. “You went slinking back to her the moment she turned on the waterworks.”

“I’m not taking her side, I’m saying that you’re being ridiculous!” I countered. “And I don’t appreciate the insinuation that I’m cheating on you with Trixie when you know that’s not true.”

“Arrgh!” Adagio smashed her fist onto the other side of her podium, giving it a matching hole as wood fragments scoured the area like a spray of grapeshot. “Why won’t you listen, Sunset?” She fell over onto her podium, her anger overwhelmed by sudden tears as she openly sobbed, all further arguments fading away into babbling nonsense.

I wanted to rush over and hold her, hug her, let her beat up on my shoulder if she needed, but I couldn’t. I saw out the corner of my eye Monoponi leaning forward, a sadistic gleam of anticipation in his eyes as he waited for me to violate the rules. All I could do was stand there helplessly. “I’m sorry, Adagio,” I whispered.

“Well, I for one am not that surprised to find Sunset wasn’t the only Equestrian in our midst,” Rarity said, glancing back and forth between Adagio and myself. “And for what it’s worth, I’m not all that bothered either. It was a bit of a shock, but I can accept it.” She hummed, rubbing her chin. “Actually, it explains quite a lot about why you two got together romantically. It seemed so… unusual.”

“I’m bothered!” Tiara objected, facing Adagio with a mixture of concern and unease. “A pony’s one thing, but a siren? Even if she doesn’t murder people, how do we know we can trust her?”

“We don’t,” Applejack replied. “Ah sure as shootin’ don’t, not anymore. She threatened to kill me if Ah spoke. Ah would’ve said somethin’ sooner, but Ah didn’t want to betray Sunset’s trust in me.”

Scootaloo looked at me, then at Adagio, then quietly shook her head, snorting under her breath. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”

“I think this means Adagio might’ve done it after all,” Tiara said, pointing at the siren. “You saw the way she reacted when Trixie accused Flash.”

“Diamond Tiara, that doesn’t make any sense,” Trixie said, visibly summoning up courage to speak. “If Adagio was the culprit, she wouldn’t try to stop Trixie from blaming Flash Sentry. She would allow Trixie to go ahead, and let us come to the wrong conclusion.”

And now that I think about it, it makes more and more sense, too. “Trixie’s right. I know she looks a lot more suspicious now that we all know she’s a siren,” and wow do I hate having to say that aloud, “but I still believe in Adagio. She didn’t do it.”

“But why would Flash kill Rainbow Dash, huh?” Scootalo said, throwing out her arm. “I didn’t know him as well as Rainbow Dash, but you said it yourself, Sunset: they were best buddies. Why would Flash suddenly turn on her?”

Trixie looked at me as if asking permission, and I gestured for her to go ahead. “Trixie believes that Adagio was right about one thing: Flash lost Twilight. If Flash knew he was sick, which Trixie knows he did, because he bought antibiotics, then he might’ve thought it was serious. Deadly serious. Between those two factors, Trixie thinks that is reason enough for him to consider killing.”

“But that’s stupid!” shouted the younger woman. “That’s not a reason to kill Rainbow Dash.”

“Not by itself,” I said, offering my support to Trixie’s argument. But let’s consider something we already concluded earlier.”

Fact #17: Shop Receipts: “The following purchases were recorded:
RD@RX Fri1935: Tramadol, pads, methylphenidate.”

“We know that Rainbow Dash bought this medicine, and you already told us how bad a seizure it would cause. What if Flash misunderstood what happened? What if Flash thought it was Rainbow Dash trying to kill him?”

Scootaloo threw her hands up in confusion. “What? Why wouldn’t he just ask her, then?”

“Because his judgement was compromised,” Trixie answered. “Flash was sick, he had been through severe emotional trauma, and he had just suffered a head injury. Plus, this is a killing game. If Trixie thought someone had just tried to kill her, Trixie would not be brave enough to ask them to their face.”

“So he should’ve told someone else then!” Scootaloo said, smacking a palm down on her podium with a loud slap! “He wouldn’t decide to kill her just like that.”

“But what if he was already on the lookout for a target?” I suggested. “Like Trixie said, he was sick, he lost Twilight, he wasn’t in his right mind. He thinks someone tried to kill him, so he decides he’s going to kill her before she tries again and succeeds. Flash had plenty of opportunity to sharpen the skates, too. He could’ve easily taken the time to sharpen them during the bathroom break he told us about, and placed them in the kart without Rainbow Dash noticing.”

“And Flash was also assigned to the ice rink,” Trixie added, nodding gratefully to me. “Trixie believes he threw away the cloth and the lighter there, because in his poor judgement he couldn’t think of anywhere else to put them."

Scootaloo doubled over and held her stomach, like she’d just been gut-punched, before her face shot up to glare at us both. “But what about the note! You can’t explain the note unless he had an accomplice. It told him to burn it, remember?”

“Actually, no, I don’t think that’s what happened,” I replied, kicking myself mentally for not realizing this earlier. “And I can prove it.”

~*~
“Oh, hey, Sunset, do you have a pen and notepad I could borrow?” Flash asked me, with a quiet pleading look in his eyes.

“Sure,” I answered, rummaging around in my pack and pulling out a spare of each. “Here you go. What’d you need it for?”

He placed both into his pants pocket. “Just in case. When I’m feeling like this, I have a hard time remembering things, you know? Helps to write stuff down.”
~*~

“Flash borrowed a notebook and pen from me yesterday. He specifically said he needed to write things down to help him remember. I’m betting we misinterpreted one of the words written down. It wasn’t ash as in burn. It was Dash. As in, Rainbow Dash. He wrote the note to remind himself of his plan, and then tried to dispose of it when he realized he needed to get rid of evidence.”

“And all the little mistakes the culprit made in getting rid of said evidence makes far more sense if Flash was the one who did it,” Trixie said.

“Then why wipe the Monopad?” Scootaloo demanded, crossing her arms over her chest as she refused to give in. “What was so suspicious about it?”

"Oh that one's easy," I replied with a grin. "Remember what I said earlier, about her missing secret?"

"Yeaaaah, but we already all said that we didn't think that meant she was the traitor," Scootaloo said flatly.

Trixie winked at me, then said, "But what Sunset was onto something, when she brought it up against Diamond Tiara? What if Flash's plan during the trial was to argue Rainbow Dash was the traitor? Wiping her Monopad would make it very difficult to prove otherwise. He could've used that as a reason why someone else would've killed her and framed him for it."

Scootaloo held a hand up to her mouth and bit into it out of sheer frustration. “Rrgh! No! He tried to rescue her from the kart. Why would he do that if he was trying to kill her?”

“He wasn’t trying to rescue her,” Trixie said. “He was trying to get the ice skates.”

~*~
“Damn it, Monoponi!” Flash burst out, pointing at him with one hand. “Why didn’t you show up after the crash, huh? She was trapped in the kart! I couldn’t get her out! If I’d been able to get her out she wouldn’t be dead right now!”
~*~

“Remember the way he shouted at Monoponi? He was angry because he couldn’t get her out.”

“It matches up with his later reaction,” I added.

~*~
Together, the four of us lifted the cart and, with some grunting and heavy straining on my part, we managed to set it back on its wheels. The instant they touched the ground, I heard a loud click from the kart, and the safety bar and seatbelt undid themselves. “What the hell?” Scootaloo said, throwing up her hands in disbelief, a couple of fresh tears coming to her eyes. “All we had to do was turn the cart over t-to get her out?!”

“If I’d known that, I would’ve done it!” Flash shouted, a surge of anger compelling him to smash a fist into his kart, almost spilling his coffee in the process. “God damn it!”
~*~

“At the time, we thought he was angry because he was trying to save her, but he was actually angry because he couldn’t dispose of the skates.”

Trixie raised a hand. "Trixie supposes it's also possible he could've drank the lighter fluid, if he realized he was dying."

"What?" Scootaloo's mouth formed an o as she stared at Trixie. "Why would he do that?"

"Hah! Isn't it obvious?" Trixie spread out her hands. "If Flash realized he was dying from his burst spleen, his plans would've been for naught! So why not make things even more confusing for us?"

"What, you mean, like a final screw you?" I said, frowning. "It's... possible, but I dunno. I can't see Flash being that bitter. He wasn't a hateful kind of guy. I don't think it was easy for him to justify murdering Rainbow Dash at all, and like we said, he only did it because he thought Dash had tried to kill him first. Besides... you said that stuff stunk, right? Well wouldn't we have noticed it on his breath then?"

"Oh." Trixie brought in her hands, a small spot of pink appearing on each cheek. "Trixie hadn't considered that."

I gave her a grin. "Don't worry, Trixie. It was worth looking into. I'm pretty sure I was right with my guess though, about him using up the last of it trying to burn the note. Or, I dunno, maybe he accidentally dumped some when he threw it in the trash. I did find it upside down in there."

"Nevertheless!" Trixie shouted, raising a hand once more. "It's clear, Flash killed Rainbow Dash. There's no one else who could've done it!"

Scootaloo squeezed her eyes shut hard, holding a hand up to her temple like she’d had a sudden brain freeze. “I still won’t accept it! Not unless you can prove to me that he had time to do all of this. He came for us right after Rainbow Dash crashed, before she even died. So unless you have proof he didn’t do that, I won’t believe it was Flash!”

A grin of triumph slipped onto my face, a matching one sliding into place on Trixie’s as we both raised our arms together, pointed at Scootaloo, and shouted as one, “YOU’VE GOT THAT WRONG!”

Fact #1: Monoponi File IV: “The victim is Rainbow Dash, the Ultimate Athlete. Approximate time of death is between 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM. The victim has several injuries, including a cerebral hematoma, multiple contusions on both arms, and severe lacerations to the back of both knees. Toxicology reports no poisons or drugs apart from caffeine.”

“See the time of death?” Trixie said, pointing at the evidence floating on the holographic display. “8:30 to 9:30. Bit strange to give such a wide range of time, isn’t it?”

“But that’s not all,” I added. “When Trixie, Rarity, and I arrived on scene at the body, it was already past 10:00 PM. The nighttime announcement had already played. And we know exactly when the body discovery alarm went off, because Rarity told us. Remember, Rarity?”

~*~
“Well, I think that’s probably enough for now,” Rarity said, capping the three quarters empty champagne bottle. “A lady knows when to call it quits, after all. And it is quite late.” She checked her Monopad. “9:55 PM. Not supremely late, but enough for me. I’m quite tired.”

“You’re not the only one,” I said, stretching out my arms and yawning. “This was fun.”

“Mmmhmm,” Trixie said, smiling at both of us. “Trixie is very happy she has good friends like Rarity and Sunset. She hopes you’ll be able to visit again.”

“Well, that’s dependent on Diamond Tiara, but she was kind enough to loan me the key to begin with,” Rarity said, rubbing her chin while staring at the ceiling. “I should really make sure this gets back to her. In any event, Trixie, I bid you--”

DING-DONG-DONG-DING
~*~

“I do remember!” Rarity gasped. “It was just before nighttime. 9:55!”

“That’s twenty five minutes between the latest possible time Rainbow Dash could’ve died, and you, Flash, and Applejack discovering the body,” I said, turning back to Scootaloo.

“Even if Flash searched every other room before finding you two in the game corner, Trixie thinks that’s just too much time,” Trixie concluded. “Therefore, Flash had the time to kill Rainbow Dash.”

“He had the motive,” I said.

“He had the opportunity,” Trixie said.

“And he had the intent,” we chimed together. “Flash is guilty.”

“Okay! Okay! Enough!” Scootaloo said, putting up her hands. “I surrender! You win! Stop talking in unison already! God.”

“Huh,” I said, frowning at myself. “I didn’t even realize we were doing it.”

“Trixie did,” said the illusionist with a giggle. She quickly stifled it, and bowed her head to me. “Trixie apologizes if she stole your thunder.”

“No, no, it’s fine, you did great,” I said, waving it off. “But I think I’ll handle this last part, if you don’t mind.”

Trixie nodded. “Please do. Trixie may have gotten better at this trial business, but she doubts she could put together the case as well as you do.”

“Alright then.” I closed my eyes to concentrate, then opened them back up. “This’s how it all went down!”

“This all started the morning after the third trial. Due to the trauma and loss they suffered, the culprit intended to kill someone to escape, but had to figure out who. While trying to figure this out, they bonded with Rainbow Dash, over their respective loss of Fluttershy and Twilight, choosing to explore the new areas together. Throughout that exploration, we all noticed the culprit had a hoarse voice, and was quite fatigued. Though we didn’t know it at the time, this was a sign they had mononucleosis, a disease that, amongst other symptoms, can cause an enlarged spleen. The culprit knew they were sick, and knew it could be serious, which was why they had to escape.

Later that evening, Rainbow Dash, who decided she’d help her new best bud, purchased two different kinds of medicines she knew could help relieve some of the culprit’s worst symptoms. However, Rainbow Dash was not aware these two medicines, tramadol and methylphenidate, could cause seizures and even death when used together. Neither did the culprit, so when the culprit took the medicine, they ended up experiencing a seizure, hitting their head in the process. Between their head wound and their illness, their judgement was so compromised they assumed Rainbow Dash had just tried to kill them. So they decided she’d make the perfect target, and decided they’d use her own hockey skates as a murder weapon, writing themself a reminder note with the pen and paper I’d lent them.

The night of the murder, Applejack and Rarity had an explosive argument at the hockey game over Trixie that led to Rarity storming off, with the key to Trixie’s room given to her by Diamond Tiara, after decking Applejack. Applejack was forced to clean up in the bathroom with Scootaloo, and then later the two left to stay in the game corner, while later lying about what they did. Adagio stayed alone, as did Tiara. All of these things together would later lead us to repeatedly suspect everyone except for Rarity, Trixie, and myself of the crime, due to the three of us being in Trixie’s room during the murder.

“The culprit and Rainbow Dash decided to keep hanging out after our hockey game, because Rainbow was irritated she’d been repeatedly defeated in both racing and go-karts earlier that day. She challenged them to a series of races on the go-kart course. Rainbow brought her ice skates with her, leaving them in her backpack, which was sitting by the kart garage. Seizing the opportunity, the culprit oversharpened the skates, and placed them into Rainbow’s kart, on their sides so she wouldn’t notice them. During the subsequent races, Rainbow Dash took several turns tight and narrow, causing her skates to tip over, their blades pointed up at the back of her knees, exactly according to the culprit’s plan.

“The culprit needed to cause a deliberate crash in order for the skates to actually cut her. As such, during their final race, the culprit pretended to fall victim to their fatigue, twitching with the steering wheel. Their go-kart careened into Rainbow Dash’s, sending them both crashing into the wall. Rainbow Dash’s kart rolled end over end, resulting in it being upside down, suspended on its rolling cage. This engaged the cart’s safety system, which kept Rainbow Dash trapped inside her cart. This also caused her ice skates’ blades to slice open her femoral arteries. Rainbow Dash passed out shortly thereafter, and her Monopad and cigarette lighter fell out of her pockets into the blood. The culprit intended to remove the ice skates from the kart, to create a further mystery, but the safety system prevented it.

Unbeknownst to the culprit, Rainbow Dash was not the only one inflicted with a fatal injury. Due to the combination of adrenalin from their successful murder plan, their anxiety over covering it up, and their general fatigue, they failed to notice the pain from their ruptured spleen. Already weakened and soft due to the culprit’s illness, the spleen burst open thanks to the crash, and would lead to the culprit bleeding to death internally an hour or so later.

“Once she died, the culprit fled the scene. Worried they’d be fingered as the blackened if they didn’t dispose of at least some of the evidence, they went into the bathroom to burn their reminder note. When the smoke alarm went off, they panicked, and doused the note in water, leaving behind the whetstone on accident. They took Rainbow’s Monopad to the theater to wash it off and wipe the data, intending to put the whetstone back, only to suddenly realize they didn’t have it. Further panicked, they did a poor job of hiding the pad, leaving it under an easily spotted tarp. They kept the cloth and lighter on them to dispose of elsewhere, hoping that distributing the evidence would make it harder to find anything that tied them to the cause of death.

Feeling they’d run out of time, they had to enact the coverup portion of their plan. They went to find Scootaloo and Applejack, and got them to follow them back to the kart. When they arrived, they discovered the body, prompting the body discovery announcement to play. The rest of us arrived shortly thereafter, and began the investigation. The culprit played along with us, feeding us mostly truth, but leaving out crucial details.

“During the investigation, the culprit joined Applejack and Diamond Tiara in searching the ice skating rink, giving the culprit a perfect chance to dispose of the lighter and cloth in the trash bin. While Tiara was checking out the skates available for rent, looking for any that were missing, the culprit and Applejack went together to check the bleachers. During this check, the culprit, who’d been feeling more and more distressed, suddenly collapsed. Right after they did so, Diamond Tiara witnessed Applejack tossing away something in the trash, in what she thought was an attempt to dispose of evidence. Applejack then attempted CPR, breaking the culprit’s ribs in the process of trying to resuscitate them. But she failed, and they too died from internal blood loss. We can only speculate on what the culprit might’ve done during the trial to deflect suspicion.

Despite all the confusion, and the deliberate attempts by the culprit to mislead us into thinking this was a tragic accident, this was in fact an act of cold-blooded murder committed by the Ultimate Boytoy himself, Flash Sentry!”

“Welp, Ah’d say Ah’m convinced,” Applejack said, with a nod of her head. “Ah can’t find any fault in that explanation.”

“Me neither, as loathe as I am to agree with you,” Rarity replied, glaring at the farmer.

“Yeah, sounds good to me too,” Tiara chimed in.

Scootaloo hung her head low. “I still can’t believe it. Why’d Flash do it? Why?”

I glanced over at Adagio, but after bursting into tears the siren had stayed completely silent, still laying with her face on her podium covered up by her mass of orange curly hair, like she was hiding underneath a blanket. I decided to let her be. I had a feeling I’d be in for an argument later.

“Well it sounds to your Captain like you lot are ready to vote!” Monoponi said, jumping up to stand on his podium. “Please vote with the Monopads before you. “Remember now, just like before, you’re voting for two victims, not one, in the order they died. Be sure not to screw this up. Or actually, do, because then I’d get to execute the lot of you! Ahahahaha! And don’t forgeeeeet, if you fail to vote, you die!” His horn fired several jets of light into the ceiling like mini rockets, each exploding in a shower of sparks. “Who will be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one? Your time starts now!”

Our podiums lit up with the squared selection screen for voting. So many faces were crossed out, with so few of us left. Sighing, and hoping like hell this was the last time I’d ever have to do this, I slowly pressed down on Flash Sentry’s face twice, once for Dash, and once for himself.

As the time to vote slowly ran out, I glanced back over to Adagio again, hoping she wouldn’t make the foolish mistake of forgetting to vote. But I saw her finger press down, twice, before she fell back onto her podium.

Soon after, a chime went off, and the center display lit up with twin vote tallies, for Rainbow Dash and Flash. In both cases the vote was almost unanimous, except for one on each. One voted for Trixie on Rainbow, and the other for me on Flash. A quick glance at Adagio, whose face bore a hateful, angry expression, told me exactly who did it.

But it didn’t matter. Enough of us still voted correctly, and the trial was over.

Author's Note

So, I said this in a comment in response to RDDash on the previous part, but I will say this again: I failed in making this mystery fair to you, the readers, as can be shown by how so many people were convinced the cause of death was poisoning, when in fact it was his illness, in addition to several other facts.

The ice skates, in retrospect, don’t make much sense, because your author failed to research properly what go-karts looked like, and conflated her mental image of them with bumper cars, which are sealed and have more room. Even then, however… I liked the idea so much of someone bleeding to death for a cause of death that I didn’t stop to think as much as I should have about how the skates would do this when planted as a trap in the go-kart. Had I wanted to go with this, I should have done something different.

Same thing with the go-karts themselves, which were not well used in this crime, not as well as they could have been. There were so many better ways I could have made use of them as pointed out by many people.

I was also far too enamored by the twist in this part to realize that I had failed to properly foreshadow it. From my perspective as the author, the healing magic used plus Flash being sick was supposed to be obvious, and Monoponi’s statement was distinctive… but it should have been pointed out as such in the narrative in the investigation, where foreshadowing belonged. Same thing with the spleen bursting--I expected too much from my readers, figuring they would know what the spleen is, where it is, that I didn’t bother to include the information about what a burst spleen would do in the investigation because I feared it would be too obvious a clue. Had I thought this through, I could have included it amongst other information, so that it would be there and readable, but not stand out, meaning it wouldn’t be obvious while providing information that you needed to solve this case.

Unfortunately, I did not realize any of these were issues until I posted the first part to the trial on Tuesday. At that point, it was too late to rewrite the mystery, as I would have to redo more or less everything, and possibly ask my readers to reread other parts to see what changed. Because I lacked time in my schedule to do this and because it would’ve put the story posting on hold for possibly up to two weeks while I fixed what would effectively be the entirety of Chapter Four… I had to accept this as written. At some point in the future I will come back to and rewrite Chapter Four to make the mystery fairer to new readers, but that will have to wait till after the story is concluded.

I apologize, therefore, to my readers for failing you. I promised to you mysteries that you could solve, fairly, before the trial, and while I succeeded with the first three cases, I failed entirely with this one. This is one of several reasons I have brought on board Rainstorm Riddles to assist me with ensuring the same thing does not happen with Chapter Five. It shouldn’t, but I wanted to be certain regardless.

I hope that this trial was an enjoyable read despite the failure of the mystery to be solved fairly, and that you enjoy the proceeding part as well.

I want to congratulate JCarp for solving Rainbow’s murder by noticing the clue involving the go-kart track rules, about intentional crashes. You correctly surmised this meant Flash crashed on purpose and was ultimately responsible for Rainbow’s death. And I also apologize for the misleading clue with the lighter fluid. That was intended as a hint towards the reveal that they’d been on the ship for much longer than they thought, but like several things with this mystery, I failed to make it clear, and my attempt to hint at things only caused you more confusion. I felt really bad for making you throw so many guesses at this mystery. :ajsleepy:

Also, a special shoutout goes to CassandraMyOCisBestPony who came up with a thrilling alternative way for this crime to go down all the way back in the comments of part one to this chapter, correctly surmising Flash would be the blackened and that the go-karts would be involved. I loved reading that so much I wish I'd come up with it.

Another shoutout goes to PonyLoco, because I felt bad for you when you derided yourself as a lunatic coffee theorist. The coffee was one of the ways I misdirected when it came to this mystery. Please don't feel bad! :fluttershysad:

Several of you were speculating that the secrets shared and the traitor were heavy elements in this case, when in fact they were hardly related. So why were the secrets and the traitor pushed so hard when they had nothing to do with the actual murder? Well, it was for two primary reasons.
1. They needed to discuss the secrets and Sunset needed to start figuring out who the traitor was, as set up for later into Chapter Five and Six.
2. It was an intentional red herring, to add to the mystery. When I wrote this case, I assumed the mystery was much easier to solve than it proved to be, and I assumed people would hop onto the idea of Flash being the culprit straight away because they would surmise I would not have two blackeneds again right after having just done so in the previous case, as that would be repetitive and boring. Unfortunately, as with everything else with this mystery, I made mistakes all over the place with these assumptions, thus proving that I do indeed make an ass of myself when I assume.

TL;DR: I messed up with this case, please forgive.

Again my apologies to all my readers for this mess up. Chapter Five’s mystery should prove much fairer to solve.

Chapter Four: Passing in the Night Part 9

Chapter Four:
Passing in the Night
Post Trial and Epilogue

Monoponi took one look at the results and snickered, leering my way. “Oho, looks like one of you didn’t care to vote with the others! It’s a shame more of you didn’t do that, because then I’d have the wonderful opportunity to declare you wrong!”

His horn fired off a lance of light into the display, causing a cavalcade of fireworks to explode over the tally, revealing the word “GUILTY!” twice over both copies of Flash’s face. “That’s right, my lovely passengers. The killer of Rainbow Dash, the Ultimate Athlete--and himself for that matter--was none other than Flash Sentry, the Ultimate Boytoy. And I gotta say, I never saw it coming. I mean, Flash Sentry, actually bothering to take charge, to show some initiative and spine instead of hanging back like the passive waste of a man he was? Who knew he had it in him!”

Scootaloo let out a heavy sigh, her whole body shaking with it. “Damn it. I wish he could tell us why, in his own words.”

Rarity gestured with a hand towards Scootaloo. “I also wish he could tell us.”

Monoponi’s forehoof shot to his mouth. “Upupu, I might be able to accommodate you. Now that the trial’s over, I just might be willing to bring him back to you, juuuust long enough to have a lovely chat before we get to the real reason I bothered to keep him around.”

“Before you torture him to death, you mean,” Applejack said, scowling as she she slowly shook her head. “Ah can’t cotton to that. Havin’ the power to save someone from dyin’ only to use it as an excuse to torture ‘em is pure evil, nothing else but.”

“Oh pfft, what even are good and evil anyway?” Monoponi blurted, fluttering off his throne to hover in front of the farmer. “Just a couple of pointless, meaningless concepts, created by equine and human societies for the sake of justifying whatever philosophies happen to be most popular at the time. There was a time once on Equus where mixing your crops together in the same field meant you’d be stoned to death! Now it’s seen as a standard practice. I could list so many more examples, but why bother, when there’s something much more interesting to watch!”

He returned to his throne, pointed his horn at the central display, and shot off a few sparks. Security footage began to play.

~*~
Rainbow Dash knocked on Flash Sentry’s door at roughly 9:30 PM Friday night, judging by the timestamp on the footage. Flash opened the door quickly and smiled despite the bags under his eyes. “Hey Dash, what’s up? Your text was pretty vague.”

“Mind if I come in a sec?” she said, fidgeting in place and bouncing from one foot to the other. She was carrying a package in a small tote bag held behind her. “I’ve got somethin’ for ya.”

Flash chuckled wryly, and opened up the door. “Alright. Long as you’re not plannin’ to kill me or something.”

“Oh, pfft, I’d never do that to my best bud!” Rainbow Dash said, smiling as she came in. She fidgeted even more upon entering, unable to keep in place for more than a second or two before moving around, opting to stand rather than take a seat.

Flash closed the door, then turned to her and arched his eyebrows. “You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Rainbow Dash with a nervous laugh. “Just uh, a bit nervous. Cause you’re a guy. We’re alone in your room. I don’t like guys that way. That kind of thing. Nothing personal I swear.”

Flash grinned and winked at her, despite his exhaustion. “Don’t worry, Rainbow. I’m not about to put the moves on you. I know where that’d get me.”

“Knocked right out,” Rainbow Dash said with a grin of her own as she mimed an uppercut.

“Exactly.” Flash opted to take a seat, plopping down on the mattress of his bed. His eyes fluttered closed for a moment before they snapped back open. “So, uh, you said you had something.”

“Yup,” Rainbow said, bringing the bag out and spilling its contents onto the bed, revealing two pill bottles. “I know you don’t want to admit it, but I can tell you’re feeling sick. And I figured, why not get you some meds to help, since we got this big pharmacy, right?”

“Hehe, thanks, Dash. That’s really thoughtful of you,” Flash replied as he picked up the pill bottles, peering at them quizzically. “Did you used to do this for Fluttershy?”

Rainbow’s smile dimmed substantially, but she nodded. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “Shy didn’t get sick too often, so usually she took care of me, but anytime she got sick I spent as much time taking care of her as I could. I picked up a couple of things about medicines in the process. Not a lot, ‘cause I’m not an egghead, buuut I know a bit.”

“Cool,” Flash said with a shrug. He popped open one of the bottles and tapped a pill out onto the palm of his hand. “So uh, what’s what, and how do I take it?”

Rainbow Dash moved in closer so she could point. “That one you just opened up is for your fatigue. Should help you sleep better too. And the other one’s tramadol, that’s for severe pain and fever, cause you’ve had some bad headaches and stuff, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Flash admitted. He reached over to his desk and brought out a third pill bottle. “I’m pretty sure I’ve got strep, so I’ve been taking antibiotics. Guess I’ll take these others with them tonight.” He looked up at Dash and smiled. “Thanks, Dash. You’re the best.”

“Hey, anything for my best bud.” Rainbow made her way to the door and popped it open. “Try and sleep well, cause we’ve got those races in the morning. And hockey! Don’t forget hockey!”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Take it easy.”

Rainbow waved and closed the door. Flash quickly got up to lock it, then returned to his bed, letting out a sigh. He stared down at the pills, made a face, then shrugged and decided to grab two of each. “Here goes nothing,” he murmured as he swallowed them, then laid down on his bed.

The camera footage sped up, the timestamp flashing until it showed 9:45 PM. Flash suddenly shot up in bed, his eyes wide, his pupils dilated. He made an odd choking sound as he climbed off the bed. He made it about two steps to the bathroom before he fell over, his whole body convulsing and thrashing for several long minutes. As he thrashed he moved closer and closer to his desk, until finally near the end he smashed his forehead right against the corner, thankfully not hard enough to bleed.

As soon as his seizure ended, he laid there in a heap, tears streaming from his eyes. “What the fuck was that?” he murmured, his breathing rapid and shallow. He managed to sit up after a few moments, and stared in mute horror at the pill bottles he’d left on the bedside table. “What the hell... “

He held a hand up slowly to his forehead, hissing as he felt at the bruise. “God damn it.” After a few more moments he managed to climb to his feet, using the desk chair to help him up, and stumbled into his bathroom, staring at the mirror. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he looked at the wound. “That could’ve killed me,” he muttered. His face twisted up in a rage that turned his otherwise gorgeous face into an ugly sight. “She tried to kill me! Rainbow Dash tried to kill me! I knew it!”

Flash slumped until he fell onto the toilet, sitting on the closed lid. More tears came to his eyes, but these were of sorrow, not pain. “Damn it. I didn’t want to do this,” he mumbled, “but if even she’s trying to kill me, I can’t trust anyone anymore. I gotta… I gotta get outta here. Gotta live, for Twilight’s sake.”

He stared back up at the mirror, his mouth twisting into an apologetic frown. “I’ll have to figure out a way to do it that makes it look like an accident. Sunset’s smart. She’ll figure it out otherwise.”

While he continued to mumble to himself, the footage sped up again, racing and switching up views to the ice rink, showing the time as 11:40 PM. Flash was scurrying about the equipment rental shop, and grabbed an arctic coat to wear. “Ice skates,” he murmured as he brought out the notebook he’d borrowed from. “Use the ice skates. That’s brilliant. She’ll totally want to race again after we get ice skates. I’ll strike then.”

As he wrote down the note, the camera focused to let us read the whole note. “Take her ice skates when you get a chance and sharpen them as sharp as possible. Be careful when putting the ice skates into her kart so she doesn’t see them. Remove the ice skates afterwards so no one knows how you killed Rainbow Dash.”

Then the camera skipped ahead to the go-kart track. “Time for a bathroom break,” Rainbow Dash announced as she hopped out of hers. “Ten minutes?”

“Sure,” Flash agreed, casting a dark glare at Rainbow’s back as the woman stepped into the bathroom. He swiftly made his way over to the backpack and brought out the skates. Pouring some water from a bottle onto the whetstone he’d grabbed, he made short work of sharpening them till he was satisfied. “Perfect,” he mumbled, briefly glancing at the note he’d written before placing the skates in the kart, on their sides. “Beautiful.” He glanced at the bathroom, then on a whim rummaged through her backpack and found a lighter, pocketing it.

The footage skipped ahead again to two karts barreling down the track, approaching the final hairpin turn. The camera gave us a quick view of Flash’s face as he grinned before twitching his steering wheel to send his kart into Dash’s kart. We heard Rainbow scream as her kart careened into the wall before tumbling end over end so fast I could barely understand what I was watching, till she came to a halt.

She screeched a loud curse, blood streaming down her body as she laid there, suspended upside down. “Fuck, my knees!” She looked up at the blood coming off her body and paled, her face turning green. “Flash, help me! Get me out of here!”

Flash calmly stepped out of his kart, walked over to her, and raised both hands with extended middle fingers. “This is for trying to kill me last night.”

“What?!” Rainbow gasped. Her voice weakened as her whole body turned paler and paler, like someone slowly painting over her blue skin with a coat of white. “What the hell are you talking about, Flash?”

“You tried to kill me!” he insisted. “You gave me poison or something in those pills. I almost died.”

“N-no, I didn’t, I would never… Flash, you were my new best bud, why would I… I…”

"Yes you were!" Flash scoffed with a shake of his head. "You were super nervous when you came in. Because you were trying to kill me!

"Wow... wow that's, that's..." Rainbow Dash's eyes flashed with ire before it faded. "That's not why, Flash. I told you it was 'cause you were a guy."

"And I don't believe you."

Rainbow Dash snorted. "I guess not, huh." Then she swallowed audibly. “I’m dying, aren’t I?”

“Yup,” Flash said, a small grin of triumph on his face. His voice shook as he spoke. “Sucks, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah. Pretty bad,” Rainbow said, chuckling. “Doesn’t hurt as much now though. Jeez, you really thought I tried to kill you, huh?” She giggled harder, her expression turning manic. “Haha, that’s hilarious. Like I’d ever kill anyone. Flash, I never figured you’d turn killer. Hahaha, I guess that’s what I get for trusting someone.”

Flash glanced at his Monopad, frowning at the time. He closed and opened his fists, then wiped off his palms on his jeans, leaving a wet coating of sweat. "Would you just die already?”

“Workin’ on it, bud,” Rainbow replied, flipping him a lackluster bird of her own. “Funny. I figured I’d be more scared or something. I had a lot more I wanted to do in life, you know? Places to go, people to meet… but I’m not.” She burst into a small giggle fit. “Guess I’ll get to see if Fluttershy was right about there being a heaven. She was pretty spiritual, you know? She didn’t talk about it much with other people, ‘cause her beliefs were her personal thing, but she believed in an afterlife. I didn’t, but I’m kinda hopin’ there’s one now.”

Rolling his eyes, Flash grunted, “I don’t care. Just die so I can take the skates back.”

“Oh, is that what cut me?” Rainbow said, glancing up at her legs before flopping back down, lacking the energy to move. “That’s pretty smart.” She chuckled again, then managed to hold up her head long enough to look at him. “Hey, tell me one thing: why’d you do it? Besides thinking I tried to kill you, ‘cause I didn’t.”

Flash turned away from her, so she couldn’t see his face. “Twilight,” he admitted. “Because I lost her, I told Sunset I'd win. That I'd beat Monoponi. This is how I'm doing it.”

“That’s it?” Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Wow. I thought you were better than that. Shows what I know.” She let out a loud sigh, and blinked a few times, her eyes starting to droop. “Think I might slip away here. Got one last thing to say to you first, though.”

Flash spun on his heel, an unreadable expression on his face. “What?”

Rainbow gave him her biggest shit-eating grin and flipped him off one more time. “I hope Sunset nails your ass in the trial. Jerk.” With that, she slumped, her eyes closing for good, frozen into a permanent smile.

As he watched her pass, I saw Flash’s expression flicker with more than a little bit of regret before settling into a firm resolve. We then witnessed a quick montage of him desperately trying to get the skates out, discarding evidence, and so on, till the investigation, where it slowed back down to show him throwing out the cloth and lighter into the trash bin before wandering over to the bleachers.

The camera shifted to focus on his face, showing off how pale he’d become. His hands clutched at his distended abdomen, groaning as a surge of pain rolled through him. All of a sudden he let out a massive gurgling noise and collapsed. The camera slowly faded out as Applejack ran over to try and resuscitate him.
~*~

As the display switched off, the courtroom fell into an uneasy silence. Even Monoponi remained quiet, leering at us with a silent, mocking grin as we took in what we’d seen. For my own part, I couldn’t help laughing a little, on the inside, at Rainbow Dash’s nonchalant acceptance of her own death. I wonder if Pinkie would’ve reacted that way, if she had the chance. I think Pinkie would’ve admired Rainbow Dash laughing in the face of death. Then again, maybe she was just giddy from blood loss. We’ll never know.

“Well?!” Monoponi suddenly said, startling us all. “Nothing to say?”

“Ah’m not sure what you expect us to say, Monoponi,” Applejack replied. She’d doffed her hat and had it held firmly to her breast.

Scootaloo glanced up at Applejack as if she was considering seeking a bit of comfort before a shiver of remembrance ran through her body, and she moved back over as far away from Applejack as she could. “I hope I can be as brave as Rainbow Dash when I die,” she murmured.

“I suppose we should all hope as much,” Rarity seconded.

Tiara slouched at her podium, a listless expression on her face, saying nothing. She occasionally looked up at me, frowned, then looked back down at her podium. What’s that look about?

“Hmph. I expected a better response than this. I suppose your Captain shouldn’t be surprised though, what with how tired you all are.” His grin spread from ear to ear. “Besides, I’m sure you’re all eager to hear from Flash himself before the main event.”

I looked up at him, adopting the most pleading expression I could manage. “Please, Monoponi, if you have any decency at all, just let him go. Don’t do this to him. Please.”

Monoponi fell over on his chair laughing. “Eyaahahahaha! I can’t believe you tried that! Ahahaha! You complete moron, Sunset. You really think there’s any so-called decency in me left? Because there’s not!” He stopped laughing and hopped up onto his hooves. “Not much left at all, actually. Which is the same I could say of Flash! Ahaha!”

His horn lit up into the brightest glow of magic I’d seen yet, but not in crimson. Oh no. This was the sinister purple and green of dark magic, roiling with evil energies. A harsh violet glow enveloped his horn, gleaming with an unholy aura much like the false Elements he’d used in Twilight’s execution. As he focused, he slowly aimed a beam at a panel in the ceiling.

When it struck, the panel descended, carrying on it a slab of metal topped by... A corpse. Flash’s corpse, to be precise. The corpse came down on the slab until it sat right behind the portrait at Flash’s former podium spot. The dark magic suffused the corpse, drawing out a sinister red glow from his head before melding into the rest of him. Slowly the purple energy shifted back into Monoponi’s usual crimson color before one last burst ran through, and Flash’s eyes shot open as he heaved the loudest breath I’d ever heard.

Adagio, who’d up until now showed no sign of moving from her bent over position, recoiled away from the crime against nature that had just been committed, withdrawing to the far side of her own podium. She didn’t say anything, but I caught sight of her eyes wide with panic and fear.

Flash coughed and hacked as he sat up on the slab, his eyes blinking rapidly. “What? Where am I? What happened?”

Monoponi’s magic gently took hold of his portrait and moved it aside, giving him room to stand at his podium once more. “You’re back, Flash!” he said with a cold look in his eyes. “Welcome to your trial!”

“What?” Flash managed to stand, holding himself up by his arms at his podium and looked around at us. “When did I get here? Last thing I remember, I was… we were investi...gating.” He finally noticed the expressions of horror on our faces. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” I said, holding out my hands in disbelief. “What’s wrong?! You were just torn from the brink of death by necromantic magic, that’s what’s wrong!”

“I was?” Flash held a hand to his chest, feeling at his throat, then at his stomach. “Hey, I don’t feel sick anymore. How’d that happen?”

“Oh, just a little present from your Captain,” Monoponi replied, chuckling under his breath. “I want to be sure you’re in tip-top shape for what lies ahead!”

“Huh?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Diamond Tiara grumbled, apparently tired of all of this faffing about. “Look, dumbass, we know you killed Rainbow Dash. And you almost killed yourself in the process. We held the trial, we voted, and you’re the blackened. Got it?”

“What?!” Flash held up his hands in denial, shaking them rapidly. “No, no, you’ve got it all wrong, I didn’t--”

“We know what you did,” I interrupted, just as eager to put an end to this as Tiara. “We know about the skates, the whetstone, the note, the lighter, the cloth, everything. You already lost, Flash.” I bowed my head and sighed. “And if there was any fairness to life, you’d already be dead.”

Flash dropped his hands so he could cross his arms over his chest, adopting a defensive posture. “Fine. I won’t deny it. What do you mean, I’d already be dead?”

“You weren’t sick from strep, Flash,” Rarity managed to say, despite shivering in her boots at the sight of him. “You were sick from mono. Your spleen swelled up and burst when you crashed.”

“Oh.” Flash glanced down at his stomach. “I guess that’s why the antibiotics didn’t work.”

Monoponi let out a huge wracking cough. “Ahem! Flash Sentry, the only reason you are standing at that podium still is to give these people an excuse for why you decided Rainbow Dash had to die. I’m just as curious as they are. How did you manage to find the backbone necessary to actually do something?”

I watched Flash visibly wilt before me, his hands held at his waist as his gaze dropped to the floor. “I… I don’t know!” he said. “It made sense at the time. I thought Rainbow Dash was trying to kill me, and no one else seemed trustworthy anymore, and I’d lost Twilight and I didn’t want to die and I… I gave in.” He looked up at me, eyes full of contrition, pleading for forgiveness. “I gave in, Sunset. I’m sorry.” He looked away before I could respond. “I’m such a hypocrite. I shamed Twilight for getting Fluttershy killed, and here I am doing the same damn thing with Rainbow Dash. Like I was completing a matched set. What the fuck is wrong with me?”

“You were scared,” I answered, feeling his guilt tug at my heartstrings. “Can I admit something to you, Flash? Something I was going to tell you once?”

He looked back up at me, his face full of heartbreak. “What is it?”

“You remember when we were talking a few days ago, on my guard shift, before Pinkie’s murder?” I sighed, and took a deep breath to steel my nerves. “Well, when you told me Twilight said I was going to kill someone and lead the trial to a false conclusion, I was going to tell you, I once considered doing exactly that.”

“What?” Rarity gasped, holding a hand to her mouth, her eyes full of shock.

“Not you too!” Scootaloo moaned, doubling over at her podium.

“Damn,” Tiara muttered, looking at me, stunned.

Trixie arched an eyebrow at me. “For some reason Trixie does not feel surprised by this.”

Even Adagio raised her head off her podium to look up at me and scowl. She didn’t say anything aloud, but she didn’t need to. The judgement in her eyes alone was so forceful it was like a massive hammer blow to my soul.

I cringed under their words, but managed to continue, “But I didn’t actually do it. The reason why I thought about it isn’t important. What matters, and why I brought this up, was because we’ve all been tempted by Monoponi at one point or another. Rarity, you told me just as much the other day. Scootaloo, maybe you won’t admit to it, even to yourself, but I’m sure something stirred you at one point. None of us are immune.”

“I suppose not,” Rarity said with a dissatisfied frown. “Though I’d have preferred if you hadn’t mentioned it.”

“Sorry.” I closed my eyes, bowed my head for a moment, then opened them up to focus squarely on Flash. “But the only way we avoid falling prey to it is by sticking together. If I’d told you back then, I might’ve scared you. It’s why I didn’t. But it would’ve shown you that you weren’t alone. Maybe that could’ve kept you from giving in.”

“...maybe so,” Flash said with a slow, solemn nod. “But it’s too late now, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. It is,” I admitted.

“Look, guys, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done it, okay?” Flash said to everyone, looking around the room to meet the gaze of each of us. As his eyes fell upon Scootaloo, he added, “Especially you. I know how much you cared about Rainbow Dash. I…”

Scootaloo’s eyes brimmed with tears. She sniffled as she tried wiping them away with the back of her hand. “I get it. I get it! You made a stupid mistake.” She brought up her hands and set them on her podium. “I can’t promise I’ll forgive you, but you know what? I’ll try. Because it’s the right thing to do.”

“I guess I can’t ask for more, huh?” Flash replied. He looked up at Monoponi, who sat impatiently, tapping at his throne with his forehoof. “Time for me to go, I think.”

“Oh goodie!” Monoponi cried, rubbing his forehooves together in glee. “Now then, I’ve prepared a very special punishment for Flash Sentry, the Ultimate Boytoy!”

God, this is going to be horrible. I wish there was something I could say or do… maybe there is. “Hey, Flash!” I called.

“Yeah?” He replied, facing me, his expression unreadable.

“If… if you see Twilight, or any of the others, tell them, I’m sorry I couldn’t save them. And we miss them. All of them.” There. Not much, but it’s the truth.

He continued to stare at me, his face inscrutable. But he then nodded and said, “I will.”

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! Iiiiiiiiiit’s punishment time!”

Monoponi’s horn flared to summon up the big red button, and he slammed down upon it with a forehoof.

Instead of the usual chain and collar, a small hammer popped up out of the ground in front of Flash and clubbed him in the stomach, knocking him over onto the slab. Quick as a wink the slab rose back up into the ceiling, and as he disappeared from sight, every display in the room lit up to showcase the execution.

GAME OVER

Flash has been found guilty.

Time for the punishment!

Flash, still laying on the slab, hurtled along on a conveyor belt through a narrow corridor barely large enough for him to fit. Wheezing, he had the sense to avoid trying to sit up in the confines of the narrow tunnel, opting to lay on his back instead. The camera paid loving attention to his face, showcasing the various expressions of anxiety he worked through.

Eventually, after a long twisting journey the slab slowly descended again into another room, the one about the size of a basketball court, with a far lower ceiling. Scattered about the room were a plethora of seemingly random things that must’ve been important to Flash in some way. There was a large electric guitar on a stand with his symbol emblazoned upon it, set next to a drum set and another guitar on a stand that felt hauntingly familiar. Several sets of clothing hung on clothing racks, including, oddly enough, a couple of copies of shirts with the same logo on it as Timber’s. There were bits of memorabilia, band or otherwise.

But the centerpiece was the car sitting in the center of the room, a beast of an affair, like the classic muscle car brought into the modern age, all chrome and shine, with a massive engine. Like everything else in the room his symbol was slapped on the side, showing it was his. He walked over to it, and ran a hand along the driver side window, like he ached to get inside. But a quick test of the handle proved the door was locked.

Then a sound caught his attention. A second slab descended into the room, on the opposite side from his own. And like his, it carried a body. But this one wasn’t a corpse with a necromantically preserved brain. This one was familiar, having been examined by my own hands not long ago.

Rainbow Dash.

Before Flash could approach, confusion written all over his face, Monoponi flashed into existence and flew up to hover on a platform at the top of the room. His horn lit up with the same disgustingly dark purple and green combination, a jet of unholy light whisking out to surround Rainbow’s body, energies swirling around it and absorbing into it.

Then she sat up, and opened her eyes. Her cold, dead eyes, glowing with crimson. “Hey there, buddy,” she said in a bizarre overlaid voice, like two people talking at the same time. The primary was her own raspy tones, but underneath, we could clearly hear Monoponi’s squeaky voice, treating her like some kind of zombie puppet. “Guess who else is back from the dead.”

A vicious grin spread on her face, more sadistic and evil than any Rainbow Dash had sported in life.

RAINBOW SLASH: DASHED IN A FLASH

Ultimate Boytoy

Flash Sentry

Execution: Executed

The zombified Rainbow Dash broke into a sprint, hurtling herself at Flash at top speed. He shrieked in fright and ran for it, going for the guitar. “What’s the matter, Flash? You scared?” Rainbow taunted in her double voice as he picked up the instrument and brandished it like a battle axe. “I thought we were best buddies!”

He swung wildly at her in a wide chop, missing completely and leaving himself open. She landed a solid kick to his stomach, knocking him to the ground. “Nice try, Flash!” she laughed as he rolled and slowly climbed to his feet, clutching at his stomach like she’d cracked a rib or two.

She allowed him to go for the guitar, bouncing around him like a boxer with her fists up, rather than the martial arts stance she used in life. More proof that this wasn’t really Rainbow, but Monoponi dancing her body on his magic strings. Flash took up the guitar and changed up his hold to a grip more like a baseball bat, and swung. This time the guitar connected with a loud crack as it struck her skull, sending her spinning to the floor.

Before she could move he was on her, using his guitar like a sledgehammer, screaming in some combination of fright, pain, and horror as he smashed her head over and over again until it split apart. Not satisfied, he continued to bash until it resembled a pile of pulped meat, goopy brain matter splattered everywhere, though very little in the way of blood spilled. She had no blood left in her body, after all.

Sighing in relief, he set the now ruined guitar down and glared up at Monoponi, who gleefully watched from his platform. “That all you got?!” Flash roared.

“Upupu, look behind you!”

Flash spun on his heel and shrieked as he saw Rainbow’s body get up on her feet despite the lack of a functioning head. Dark purple and green magic swirled around her, rebuilding her brain and skull until her head was back in perfect working order. Rainbow grinned nastily, showing off her teeth as she wiped away the last of the brain matter stain on her lips. “You didn’t think it’d be that easy, did you?” she teased.

Like a beast she leapt upon him, tackling him to the floor. Her hands grappled his arms, splaying him out while she straddled his hips. He struggled, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t fight off her strength. With a mad laugh she opened her mouth wide and sank her teeth into his left bicep. With magic fueling her the bite strength was more than enough to tear out a great big chunk of meaty flesh as Flash howled in agony. Blood streamed from the wound, obscuring the sight of torn muscle and ligaments. She paused to chew on her mouthful of human meat before spitting it out on the ground. “Bleh. Tastes like shit.”

While she was distracted, Flash managed to gyrate his hips enough to knock her off kilter, just enough to rip his arm out of her grasp. He swiftly rolled over and grabbed for her shirt with his remaining functioning arm, his left dangling uselessly by his side. With a wordless shout he slammed her head and torso into the metal deck plating over and over, once again smashing it apart into a gory mess, before leaping off her and running for the other side of the room.

He didn’t get far before a freshly regenerated Rainbow Dash chased after him, catching up to him as he passed by his car. She wrapped an arm around his torso and yanked him back, ignoring his attempts to kick at her as she swung him around till his head crashed against the passenger window. Dozens of cracks formed in the glass as she yanked him back by his hair, gleefully laughing as she hurled him face first into the window. The glass shattered into a flurry of pieces, lacerating him with dozens of shards, pulping much of his face into a mess of bleeding lines and ripped up muscles. Both eyes took several pieces of glass, blinding him.

As he shrieked with pain, Rainbow gently pulled him back out of the car and lazily tossed him to the ground. She watched with a sadistic smirk as he felt around with his right hand, seeking something to help him stand. As he managed to find the front bumper of the car, she took a few steps over and stomped on his working hand. She used the heel of her boot to pummel it several times until it cracked and bled, the bones splintering like a pile of wood chips. “Had enough yet?” she mocked.

“I, I won’t…” he slurred, his words barely understandable due to all the blood and cuts on his face.

“Won’t what? Die? That’s a laugh.” Rainbow Dash leaned down and gave him a toothy grin, showing off the bits of muscle and blood still staining her teeth. “Cause now it’s time, buddy. Hope you’re ready!” She stood back up and shrugged. “Actually, no, I hope you’re not. It’ll hurt more that way.”

Before he could say anything she dove upon him, her fingernails becoming so strong she tore great nasty gashes in his torso and belly, ripping him open to expose his organs. She stuffed her hand inside, searching around, laughing as he squirmed and writhed in utter excruciating pain, before she suddenly yanked with all of her strength, ripping out his still-beating heart. “I’d eat this, but I already know you taste gross, so we’ll skip the cliche,” she muttered as she took it in both hands, and tore it in two, showering them both with blood. Then as one last gesture, she took her right fist and punched him in the face so hard she shattered his skull and split his brain into many pieces.

Then the magic left her body, and the corpse of Rainbow Dash collapsed onto Flash like a puppet with its strings cut.

The screens winked off, leaving most of us with what was left of our dinners roiling in our stomachs. My eyes narrowed into slits as I scowled at the reappearing Monoponi. “Bad enough you keep Flash’s brain alive with necromancy,” I said, every word wrapped in enough razor wire to slice through an army. “You have to do the same thing with Rainbow Dash. Why?”

“Why not?” Monoponi said with an exaggerated shrug. “I had to get some use out of her body before I...upupu, oh, don’t you worry your little ethical heart, Sunset. Her ‘soul’ as you’d call it was long gone. That was your Captain having some fun with his toys, that’s all! Ahahaha!”

“Toys,” Rarity repeated, her whole body quivering with rage. “You treat bodies like toys?! Dishonoring the dead just so you can wring some sadistic pleasure from the ordeal?!”

Tiara, her face so green I feared she’d start puking again, managed to let out a small scoff. “Rarity, don’t waste your time. He won’t listen. He’s probably getting a sick little thrill out of listening to you yell at him.”

Rarity’s gaze shot over at Tiara like twin balls of fire before cooling off. “I suppose you’re right, darling. I don’t know why I bother anymore.”

“Oh boo, and here I was hoping to hear more whining from you all on the matter,” Monoponi said with a disappointed look. “Oh well. Tell me, Sunset, do you at least have some inane questions for me? Something I can only answer now that we’ve finished yet another trial?”

A bitter laugh arose within me and spilled out until I was doubled over on my podium. “No,” I managed to answer after a moment. “Why bother? You’re just going to string out little details, leave my head spinning, and then throw some new prohibition on us that keeps us from figuring it out. Like forbidding us from researching Dash’s magic.” The laugh escaped me again as everything clicked in my head at once. “You arranged her death somehow, didn’t you? You’ve done it with every other crime. It’s like you’ve planned everyone’s deaths. Nothing’s taken you by surprise except her magic.”

I looked up from my podium, smiling in bittersweet triumph at the shocked look on his face, the utter surprise and disbelief I’d longed to see him sport. “See? I was right. You’ve planned all of this out. All of it! You gave us just the right motives at just the right times to push us all along. Timber, we might’ve discounted as a coincidence, but Sweetie Belle? You deliberately gave her my secret, knowing she’d try to kill me. Fluttershy? Pinkie? By causing the previous trials you manipulated Pinkie’s emotional situation enough to force the conflict with Twilight. Then, since you already made sure Twilight received Adagio’s secret, and you knew how she’d react to mine coming out in the trial, you knew exactly what she’d do. I wonder, why was it you wanted Fluttershy and Pinkie dead? What kind of threat did they offer to your plans, huh?”

“Shut up,” Monoponi hissed, though without his usual force of personality.

“Why should I?” I said, echoing his own words from earlier. “I’m right. You know I’m right. Whatever your plan is, though, I wonder: is it falling apart, since Rainbow Dash showed her magic? You probably weren’t going to kill her next, were you? I’ll bet you had someone else in mind. Applejack, maybe? The motive sure felt like it was targeted at her. So you probably expected her to kill Rarity originally. Except you had to rearrange things to target Dash instead, and you weren’t anticipating Flash acting the way he did. Everything’s starting to spiral out of control.”

“Sunset, what the hell are you talkin’ about?” Applejack asked me, a look of astonishment on her face. “Where’re you gettin’ these ideas from?”

“I believe, Applejack, it’s from simple observation,” Rarity growled in response. “Observations I happen to agree with.”

“Trixie also thinks Sunset’s onto something here,” Trixie said, nodding to me. She whirled to point at Monoponi. “Whatever your plans are, they’re falling apart!”

“Falling apart? Falling apart?!” Monoponi seethed, vibrating with pure rage like I’d never seen him before. “They are not falling apart at all! Everything’s going exactly the way I wanted to. You--” both hooves shot to cover his mouth as he cursed under his breath.

“Hah! Ahaha!” I shouted in triumph. “I knew it! I knew you had everything planned out. Who else was supposed to be dead right now, huh? Is Trixie being alive a surprise? Scootaloo? Diamond Tiara? I wonder, when exactly did your plans go off the rails? Was it Rainbow Dash, or was I wrong earlier with my guess on Fluttershy and Pinkie? Maybe--”

“THAT’S IT!” Monoponi interrupted in a voice so loud I had to clap my hands to my ears. And good thing too, because his horn lit up to summon a peal of thunder. “One more word on this subject and I will execute you on the spot, Sunset, no matter how useful you’ve been!” He pointed one forehoof squarely at me. “You just made the biggest mistake of your life. Keep it up and I’m sure someone’ll end it for you. I’d certainly hope so!” He glared at all of us, then shook his head vigorously in rage. “Rrrgh! All of you! Out! Now!”

He chased us into the elevator, only vanishing once we were all aboard and it began to ascend. While inside, I made my way over to Adagio, who was lurking in a far corner, staring at the wall. “Hey, Adagio, listen, I--”

“No.” She cut me off with a firm cut with her hand. She turned her head just enough so I could see those gorgeous amethyst eyes of hers. They weren’t sparkling this time. Instead they were dull and empty, like she’d checked out, with only her speech showing she was still around. “I don’t want to hear your excuses, or your apologies, or any of it, okay? I just… I just don’t.” Just before she turned away from me, I saw her eyes well up with tears. “I’m sleeping in my own cabin tonight. Leave me be. Please.”

I opened my mouth, raised a finger, then closed my mouth again. Instead of objecting, I whispered a quiet “Okay,” and backed off to the opposite end, close to where Trixie was leaning.

Soon, the elevator discharged us onto the promenade. From the far end by the shop quarter exit we could see sunlight streaming through. “Morning already,” Applejack murmured as she stretched out her arms and let out a mighty yawn.

That yawn passed along to the rest of us right quick. “So it is,” Rarity said. “I think we could all do with some sleep.”

“Seriously,” Tiara thirded, her eyelids heavy and at half-mast, bags under her eyes. There were bags under all our eyes at this point. “Forget the morning meeting. Just don’t miss the evening one.”

“Hey, Tiara, if you want, I can escort Trixie back to her room,” I volunteered.

Tiara reached into her pocket only to find nothing, and frowned. “Wait, don’t you still have the key?”

“I do, actually,” Rarity said, handing it over to me. “Sorry about that. I was going to take it back to Tiara before, well… everything happened.”

“Fine, whatever,” Tiara muttered, waving us both off with one great swoop of her arm. “Just get her in there. I’m too damned tired to give a shit right now.”

With a quiet nod, I escorted Trixie back to her room, waiting for everyone else to wander into their own cabins before I spoke to her. “Hey, Trixie, I just wanted to say, you did a great job during the trial.” A watery smile made its way to my face. “You’ve come a long way since the first one.”

“If Trixie did, it’s only because she learned from the best,” Trixie replied as she crawled her way in on her crutches before settling onto her bed. She set her crutches aside, then looked up to me and patted the side of the bed. “Um, Trixie… Trixie knows you haven’t forgiven her yet, but maybe you could stay with Trixie? For old time’s sake?”

I considered that. I hadn’t slept alone since the first couple of nights on the ship. One way or another I’d always ended up with a sleeping buddy, and I’d found I slept more soundly that way. But at the same time, I’d upset Adagio so much already. Could I really justify this, too? And what about the others? If they saw Trixie wasn’t locked up…

I opened my mouth to say no, I wouldn’t, only to pause when I saw the look in Trixie’s eyes. It was that same look of contrition and self-regret that’d convinced me to help her before, only this time it was mixed with a bit more open desire for friendship. As much as I craved a companion, she probably craved it even more, for a lot of reasons. And I did tell her I’d help her, and she was still my friend.

And god I did not want to be alone. Not now. Not after Monoponi’s threat.

I hope you can forgive me, Adagio.

So I opened the door back up. “C’mon,” I said quietly. “If we’re going to do that, you should sleep in my room. We’ll lock yours so if anyone checks it looks like you’re still in here.”

Trixie’s eyes widened as her jaw fell open in surprise, then twisted into a relieved smile. “You will?” she said in far too loud a voice. “Trixie--”

“Sssh!” I said, holding up a finger. “We’ve got to be quiet, okay?”

Her face turning pale, Trixie nodded several times in rapid succession. “Okay. Trixie will be quiet. Sorry.”

Swiftly I escorted her down the hall to my room, being sure to lock her cabin away before going inside mine. She’d already made herself comfortable on the bed, opting to stay in her clothes.

“Do you mind if I take this stuff off?” I asked her before getting in bed. I didn’t want to sleep in these sweaty clothes if I could avoid it.

Trixie shrugged. “Do as you will.”

I stripped off my clothes till I was left to my underwear. Before getting in bed, however, I decided to grab one or two of my jackets from the closet and string them up by the window, to block the sunlight. “There. We’ll sleep better now.”

“If we can sleep.”

I sighed, and slipped into bed with her. “Yeah. If.”

I took a long time before unconsciousness claimed me, but when it did, it was cold, dark, and full of nightmares.

But at least I wasn’t alone.

Author's Note

So when I named this Chapter "Passing in the Night" I mentioned before it was an abbreviation of "two ships passing in the night." This phrase is often used to mean two people who meet, have an intense moment or two, then never see each other again. My primary meaning for the chapter was as a reference to the Flash/Rainbow Dash relationship. Brief friends with intense moments followed by never seeing each other again... because they died. Then of course there's the obvious joke, in that both of them died at night, and the trial took place overnight. But it also has a couple of secondary meanings for the story that I'll let you figure out. :twilightsmile:

Flash Sentry made mistakes. Pretty big ones. Although he didn't get the chance to say it outright, he was never certain he wanted to kill until he had that seizure. That's what made up his mind. He'd found a new, good friend, who he thought tried to kill him. That broke the poor guy's mind harder than anything else, even Twilight's death.

I wanted Flash to make it out of this game alive. I really did. But the story demanded his death, thus, I obliged. I'm sorry. :fluttershysad:

The execution is patterned after zombie movies, complete with stupid B-movie title. I thought it would be neat if someone was executed by their victim, in a puppeteer style. I don't know if this has been done before, but whether it has or not, I enjoyed doing it here. Was it a bit over the top? Yes. But that made it fun. As for why Monoponi kept Flash around to do this with? Because I needed an execution. I didn't want to go without an execution for Chapter Four, and while I did, briefly, consider executing Trixie, that just wasn't going to fly. She still has a part to play.

Also I realized upon editing this that I've been ending every single chapter with Sunset going to sleep in bed, and beginning each chapter with her waking up from sleep. That... wasn't on purpose. I didn't mean to be so formulaic about it. Whoops. :twilightblush:

Interlude 4

INTERLUDE

4

Twilight adjusted the positioning of the final bracket, securing the detector with a few quick turns of a screwdriver. “Phew,” she muttered as she wiped her brow with the back of her leather glove. “Three down. About fifteen more to go.”

“Thank you again for helping us with this, Princess,” said Moondancer, still wobbling about on her unfamiliar two legs every now and again as she puttered about the observatory grounds. Occasionally her glasses slipped down the bridge of her nose, and she had to fix them back in place. “I think this would’ve taken forever without you.”

Twilight stood back up, brushing dirt off of her comfortable--and far more practical--pair of blue jeans and t-shirt she’d had purchased for her by one of Spitfire’s officers. Her wings still stuck out the back, through slits cut in the shirt, but at least she wasn’t stuck wearing that ridiculous evening gown. “Of course,” she said with a wry half-smile. “It’s the least I could do, after… well, at least Trixie forgave me. Sort of.”

“I’m not sure locking herself away in a room and screaming, ‘you won’t take me alive!’ constitutes accepting an apology, Twilight,” Starlight Glimmer said, walking by carrying another detector for the array. Unlike Moondancer she was perfectly competent with her legs, owing to prior visits with Sunset.

“Well, she let me in after a while and we had a talk, so she’s not as scared now,” Twilight said, her cheeks flushing. She closed the distance between her and Starlight, and whispered to her, “How’re you holding up? Any better than me?”

Starlight paused in her walk, sighed, and set the detector in her hands down. She faced Twilight, her eyes twinkling with unshed tears. “Not really,” she admitted. “They were my friends too. I didn’t know them as well as you did, but it…” she took a deep, shuddering breath, and leaned against Twilight. “It’s not easy.”

“No, it’s not,” Twilight said, wrapping an arm around Starlight to hold her tight. Her own breath quivered in her chest, right along with her heart skipping a beat every once in a while. “Celestia, I can barely stand it. All this meaningless death, and here we are messing around on a mountaintop.”

Starlight reached an arm around Twilight’s shoulder, barely managing to reach it given the height difference between them. “Hey, at least I didn’t have to watch myself get executed?” Starlight said with a wry grin.

Twilight gasped, squeezed tighter on Starlight, and almost fell over. “D-don’t remind me, please!” she begged in a ragged voice, her breath so rapid and shallow she risked falling into a full blown panic attack.

“Sorry, sorry!” Starlight said, her mouth contorting in an apologetic frown. She quickly rubbed a hand up and down Twilight’s back, right between her wings. “Easy there, Twi, easy. I’m sorry. That was stupid. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Twilight held a hand up to her breast, took a breath, then forced it out as she pushed her hand away. She repeated this motion a good six or seven times before she felt her heart rate slow to normal, her breath easing rather than feeling like her lungs were wrapped in razor wire. “It’s okay,” she murmured. “I know you were trying to help with a joke.”

“Iiiii should probably leave that kind of thing to Pinkie Pie, huh?” Starlight said, her own cheeks turning pink. Then her frown turned dark and she muttered a curse under her breath. “Sorry.”

“No, no, it’s fine, it’s going to happen,” Twilight said with a sigh. “I haven’t told any of them what’s been happening.”

“Not even Rainbow Dash?” Starlight asked, her expression turning quizzical. “I figured if you’d tell anyone it’d be her, since she just started leading the Wonderbolts after Spitfire retired.” Her gaze shot to the sky in a thin-lidded glare. "Like she likes to remind us. Constantly."

“I’m not bringing the Wonderbolts into this,” Twilight declared firmly. “I won’t need them when I cross over. And If I could’ve avoided involving you and Trixie, I would have. I don’t want to burden anyone with the knowledge of this, this killing game. It’s tearing me apart inside as it is.” She fixed her gaze onto Starlight and filled it with the full force of her personality. “Can you imagine how Rarity would react to hearing her little sister’s alternate killed Apple Bloom’s alternate? Or worse, how Apple Bloom might feel about Sweetie Belle afterwards? It’d ruin their friendship!”

Starlight’s pupils shrank to the size of pebbles as she contemplated that. “They’d never trust each other again.”

“Exactly!” Twilight threw up her hands in frustration then let them clap to her sides, irritated further by the fleshy smack of her palms against her jeans. “As soon as I get back to Equestria, I’m putting a moratorium on this whole affair. Nothing gets shared outside of those who need to know. Eventually I’ll have to tell them something, but I’ll come up with a good cover story. I don’t want my friends’ trust in each other to fall apart.”

“Hey!” Moondancer strode by, carrying another detector while glaring at them. “We’ve got to get this array built before dark. What’re you standing around for?”

Twilight shouted a quick “Sorry!” and ran over to the truck. The police had provided her with this truck as part of overall efforts to assist her with the search. They’d cordoned off the observatory up on Mount Canter, allowing them to use the grounds for their array. It was the tallest mountain in the area, and their best bet for trying to pinpoint the cruise ship’s signal. Their driver, a tall man with skin the color of mud and hair the color of sticks who seemed oddly familiar, sat inside on the driver’s seat, thumbing away at a mobile device of some sort. He briefly glanced her way and she smiled at him politely before moving on.

She rushed over with the latest detector and began screwing it in place on its mounting brackets. They’d set up a large network about the size of a regulation football field of platinum and gold-plated piping--sourced from Equestria, naturally--laden with various gemstones, and spaced out the detectors about twenty feet apart on all sides. Everything was hooked into a master control console, which would have to be plugged into the observatory’s electricity via a special adaptor.

Twilight rushed through getting hers mounted, and assisted with the others, until soon enough all were ready. Together the three women made their way over to the control console, where Starswirl sat checking the controls. “I must say, this is far more complicated and complex than anything we could’ve built in my era,” Starswirl said as they approached. “All these new buttons and gizmos. And this flat screen display! It’s just like the device that shows the game.”

“I made some improvements to our tech after my first visit here,” Twilight said. “Is it ready to go?”

“Just about.” Starswirl fidgeted with a few of the controls, and then declared, “It’s ready. I’m switching it on now.”

He turned a large knob all the way to the right, and the entire array lit up with dancing lights as the crystals hummed to life. A peculiar, almost musical tone wavering between several high and low notes filled the air as it got to work. Every so often a louder note dinged, reminding Twilight of the sonar dishes she once watched a video on at Canterlot High’s library. “It seems everything is in working order,” he said. “If this performs the way everypony says it will, we should have an answer as to their location within 72 hours.”

“Good. Starlight, will you and Moondancer be okay staying here at the observatory? I need Starswirl back in Equestria finalizing the spells to bring the ship through.”

Moondancer and Starlight exchanged a look, then Starlight nodded. “Sure. We’ll be okay. They brought us plenty of snacks.” She pointed over to the second vehicle the police had provided, a small RV. Lackluster in features, but it was better than squatting in tents.

“All right then,” Twilight replied. She gave them both a sad smile, and embraced them each in turn. “Stay safe. Let us know the instant you have their location.”

“Will do,” Starlight replied.

Twilight and Starswirl made their way to the truck, and gave the other two one final wave as they drove away, heading back down the mountain into town. They stayed quiet on the journey, heedful of the fact their driver knew little about them, and they wanted to keep it that way.

They reached the high school in less than an hour, but just as they entered the tent around the statue’s base, Spitfire stopped them. “Hey. Your highness. We just got word from your side.” Spitfire’s face held a substantial amount of contempt for Twilight as she continued, “Two more are dead.”

Twilight held herself upright, refusing to show an emotional reaction in front of the chief of police. Inside, however, another small piece of her soul crumbled to dust.“Who was it?”

Spitfire arched an eyebrow, then scoffed in disgust and stood up from her chair to look Twilight in the eye. “Rainbow Dash and Flash Sentry. That’s nine people dead on that ship, Princess.”

“I’m well aware of that,” Twilight replied in a harsh tone, biting off the furious words she wanted to say. “Thank you for letting me know.”

“‘Thank you for letting me know,’” Spitfire repeated in a mocking tone. “That’s all you have to say? I thought these kids were your friends.”

“What else do you want me to say, Spitfire?” Twilight growled, her decorum rapidly disintegrating as she whirled to stare down the police chief. The fact that even standing she dwarfed Spitfire by well over a foot and a half seemed not to bother the older woman a whit. “I know they’re my friends. I know they’re dying. I’m doing everything I can to rescue them!”

“Yeah, while keeping your precious secret,” Spitfire retorted, her eyes twitching with rage.

Twilight seethed on the spot, her whole body flushing with heated anger. “I thought we already agreed this would work out.”

“We did, yeah. But now I’m not so sure anymore. Not after losing Dash. Did you know she asked me to sponsor her as a police officer, after she was done with her term at Canterlot U? In case her soccer career didn’t work out for her.” Spitfire balled up a fist and clenched it so hard her knuckles turned white. “That kid looked up to me. I was like an aunt to her. I was her hero.”

“You were?” Twilight gasped, most of her anger evaporating on the spot. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Spitfire leaned in closer, her teeth bared in a furious snarl. “Because it’s bad enough my head detective had a personal stake in this. I didn’t need to bring up my own.”

Before Twilight could respond, Starswirl placed a hand on Spitfire’s shoulder, carefully and considerately so it could be easily removed. “Please, Spitfire, you must understand, there’s far more at stake here than just those lives on the ship. Our world has millions upon millions of souls dwelling upon it, of all different species, each with unique magics and culture all of their own.” He smiled at her like a kindly grandfather. “I know the feeling of loss you are suffering right now. I’ve lost many in my time, especially after… well, that’s not important right now. What matters is that Twilight Sparkle is doing everything she can to rescue them, within the limits she has to abide by as ruler of Equestria. I’ve seen how she’s reacted to every loss in this game. She cares for these people dearly, and it is killing her on the inside. I know if she could, she would rescue them in an instant, and damn the consequences. But she cannot do that.”

Spitfire tensed up at first, but as he spoke, her tension eased considerably, till finally she faced him. “I know what you’re saying,” she replied, her voice quiet and low, with more shame than ire. “And I know in my head you’re right. I’d be a complete asshole if I ignored your Princess’s wishes. No, more than that. If I’d caught one of my officers ignoring such a thing for their own personal whims, I’d fire them on the spot. I have to hold myself to that same level of accountability. But it’s not easy.”

“No, it isn’t,” Twilight said, injecting as much sympathy into her voice as she could muster. “Believe me, Spitfire, I get it. Even if we rescued them right now, we’d all be bearing the scars for a long time to come.” She held out a hand, and after a moment, Spitfire took it. “I promise you, I will rescue every person I can, and I’ll make sure the families of those who died get whatever they need, as we agreed.”

“I guess I can’t ask for more than that,” Spitfire allowed, shaking Twilight’s hand once before dropping it. “Excuse my outburst, Princess. It was unprofessional, and I apologize.”

“Apology accepted,” Twilight said with a small smile. “Don’t worry, you’re far from the only one the stress has been getting to.” She held up a hand to her mouth and cleared her throat. “Anyway, we need to get back to Equestria. We’ve got the array up and running, so we should get something within the next few days. They’ll keep you apprised.”

Spitfire nodded, and the two entered the portal.

As soon as she was back on four hooves, Twilight called for a guard. “Get my airship ready to go. As soon as it's ready, I’m departing for Baltimare.”

“Yes, your highness!”

“So confident, are we?” Starswirl inquired as they walked together towards his research lab. “You know I’m not finished yet.”

“You’ll have to complete them on the way. I want the H.E.M.S. Avenger ready to leave port the instant we have a signal.”

Starswirl nodded. “I suppose that’s fair. Are you certain about that name, by the way? It feels a little… harsh for Equestria.”

Twilight halted in her steps and stared at him, a burning intensity in her eyes. “I’m certain. Vengeance isn’t a virtue in our society, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to avenge the deaths of my friends.”

She turned away to resume walking, but paused when she felt Starswirl’s hoof touch her shoulder. “Twilight, I haven’t known you as long as many of your friends, but I can tell when you’re hurting. And to be frank, you’re falling apart at the seams. Are you sure you’re up to this? You know we could always call upon Celestia and Luna. They would be more than happy to assist.”

“No!” Twilight declared, stomping a hoof on the marble with a loud clack! “I won’t do that! Monoponi made this personal. Whatever the reason he began this, it’s tied to me. Not Celestia. Not Luna. Not my friends. Me. I have to be the one to face him. I have to be the one to rescue them. Besides,” she said, turning to walk once more, “we can’t risk losing anyone else. You’ll be staying behind when we leave port.”

“I will?” Starswirl frowned deeply, stroking at his beard as he walked. “I’d assumed I’d come along for magical support. You need someone watching your back.”

“No. What I need is for you to stay in Equestria.”

Starswirl stopped in place, forcing Twilight to stop in turn and face him again. “I will not!” he declared, stomping his own hoof to echo through the corridors. “Twilight, you need to think! What if Monoponi proves too strong for you on your own? Even my best estimates suggest the spellwork I’m performing will only give you fifty percent of your magical ability. You’ll only be as strong magically as you were when you first ascended. At that level--”

“Even Starlight would’ve overwhelmed me. I know.” Twilight’s tail whipped in the air as she tried to control her frustration. “I know all of this. I’m prepared to do whatever it takes.”

Starswirl remained silent for a moment, as the tension in the corridor grew till it was so thick it could be bitten off and chewed. “What precisely do you mean by that?”

Twilight’s heart hammered in her chest as she struggled to control her breathing. She hadn’t said a word of this to anyone since she first concocted it, but it was the only thing that made sense to her. “I’ve been thinking, a lot, about why Monoponi’s targeting me. I think he’s trying to lure me out. He wants to make Equestria vulnerable. So he’s probably expecting me to bring all my friends with me, to try and take him on that way. And if I were to do exactly that, and fail? I’d leave Equestria defenseless. So I can’t risk it. I have to go alone, and face him alone. And if I can’t beat him, then I’ll… I’ll destroy the ship. Both ships, if I have to. I won’t let him escape.”

“You’re talking about the deaths of everyone aboard, yourself included!” Starswirl roared, a back hoof raising in his anger as if he was prepared to buck sense into her with his bare hooves. “Equestria needs you to rule it, not perform a pointless suicide!”

“It’s not pointless!” Twilight shouted back, her wings extending to their fullest as she unconsciously tried to make herself look bigger. “If it stops Monoponi, then--”

“And what if it doesn’t?”

Twilight took a step back, her jaw falling open. “What?”

“What if it doesn’t?” Starswirl repeated. “What if he’s planned for that? What if he expects you to do something that stupid? Or worse, what if he’s armed that ship to the teeth, and blows you out of the water the instant you show your face? You know better than I how much more advanced technology is on Earth. Without extra help, all you’ll achieve is your own death, in the end. Do you really want to die?”

Twilight fell to her rump. Her heart stilled in her chest, like it’d stopped working altogether. A deep yawning emptiness opened up in her soul, the same nightmarish abyss of nothing she’d felt pulling at her from the moment this whole affair began. Like a black hole consuming its companion star, it tore her apart, piece by piece, sucking down every morsel and giving nothing back. Had Starswirl asked this question at any other time in her life, she’d have said no, of course not. The thought of such a thing would never have occurred to her.

But now? As his words echoed through her ears, there was only one answer she could give. That she knew was correct. And Twilight did not give incorrect answers.

“Yes.”

Starswirl said nothing. He stared down at her, slowly shaking his head, and then suddenly walked off, leaving her alone in the corridor.

Alone, like she deserved.

The cold marble underneath her rump soothed her nerves, enough to make her sink down onto her belly and lay flat on it, allowing its cold to leech her body heat away. Just like the hole in her soul consumed her bit by bit. Ever so slowly, her magical mane lost its sparkles, until it shifted back into the hair she’d grown up with, long enough to be a blanket, but still hair hair. Her eyelids fluttered closed as sleep suddenly called to her, luring her down.

She didn’t feel the vibration of hoofsteps and claws on the marble. She didn’t smell the scent of her older and younger brothers, twin odors of brimstone and pressed starch. She didn’t hear their voices calling to her, asking if she was alright.

But she did notice when they both embraced her, and tried to pull her up to her hooves. “What?” she murmured as she opened her eyes. “What’re you doing?”

“Twily,” Shining said, his voice echoing with every bit of the caring authority he was supposed to have as an older brother, even if he was technically her duplicate’s brother and not hers. “Starswirl told us you weren’t doing so well.”

“He said you’re really depressed,” Spike added, carefully wrapping his claws around her so he didn’t pierce her skin by mistake.

“Not that I can blame you,” Shining admitted with a bitter laugh. “I’m not doing so hot myself.”

“Me neither,” Spike said.

They managed to pull her up into a sitting position, and sat down on either side of her, propping her up between them. “You guys,” she muttered. “This is… I don’t even have words for what I feel anymore.”

“Then let me try to give you them,” Shining said. He held out one forehoof and poked at it with the other like he was trying to count on his currently non-existent fingers. “One, you’re traumatized because of the loss of friends. Two, you’re feeling guilty because you think it’s your fault this is happening. Three, you’re… innocent when it comes to things like death. You’re not human.”

He gave her a wry smile when she glared at him over the last comment. “Don’t take that as an insult. It’s not. Humans, we have a pretty hard time dealing with death as it is, and we see it way more often than you ponies do. Hell, the only reason I’m not a completely useless mess right now is because I’m working to save what lives we can. Soon as this is all over? I’m going to have to take a lot of personal leave to deal with it. I’m suppressing it right now and that’s not healthy, even if it’s necessary.” He glanced down at his hooves and rolled his eyes, then held them up. “Well, that, and being a pony’s so weird it’s a pretty huge distraction all on its own.”

“Wow,” Spike said, gaping at Shining. “You’re a lot more insightful than our own Shining.”

Shining shrugged. “Psychology courses. Had to take them to be a detective. Aren’t there similar things required for being a, what was it, royal guard?”

“No, but there should be,” Twilight said with a bit of a hitch in her throat. She’d started to emerge from the abyss, beaching herself on the proverbial shore, and in the process her emotions were rolling back in. She teared up at the same time she quietly laughed, and hugged the two closer together with her long forelegs.”Thank you. I think I needed this.”

“You need a lot more than just a quick hug and a few words,” Shining said with a sigh, “but it’s about all we can do right now. Starswirl did say one other thing though. He said--”

Twilight raised a hoof. “I know Starswirl’s objections. And why. He’s right, but he’s also wrong. I still have to do this myself.” She smiled grimly. “But I just came up with a better way to enact my backup plan. Spike, I need you to run a quick message to the labs in Bronco. Ask the director to deliver the prototype to the Avenger in Baltimare as quickly as possible.”

“Prototype what?” Spike asked quizzically, cocking his head at her.

Twilight shook her head. “Sorry, Spike, this one’s above even your head. Just tell him, okay? This needs to happen right away. We can’t risk leaving without it.”

Spike arched a scaly eyebrow at her, but nodded. “Okay, Twi. I’ll do it.” He turned to leave.

“Oh, and Spike,” Twilight called after him. “Don’t take anything he says personally. He’s a bit… forceful.”

“Twily,” Shining said, narrowing his eyes into a stern, brotherly glare. He crossed his forelegs over his chest. “What exactly is this prototype?”

Twilight looked right back at him, not as a younger sister, but as the Princess she needed to be. “Something I hope I won't have to use.”

Author's Note

Twilight’s not doing well. At all.

The bit with Spitfire reacting to Dash’s death was something I planned to work in there if she ever died, because I liked the idea of Spitfire and Dash still having some sort of connection. So when I decided to make her the Chief of Police (instead of the usual Blue Angels Air Force pilot or what have you that people love to do) there still had to be some kind of connection, and a mentorship type role made the most sense. I did this because I liked the idea of all the characters we’ve come to know in Equestria being fairly local to Earth’s Canterlot.

For those wondering, by the way, what her reaction to Flash was: it was general sadness, but not much else. Princess Twilight got over her attraction to Flash Sentry a long time ago. I tried to find some place to insert this, since many of you wanted to see it, but I couldn’t figure out where to do so without harming the pacing of the rest of it.

Next time, we start with Chapter Five. For those of you reading this who're less familiar with Danganronpa, this is where the fecal material impacts the rotating cooling device and all bets are off. Be ready for a wild ride.

While I have your attention, a while back in the comments, Rainstorm Riddles happened to randomly comment that she was inspired by one of the clues in the story to make some fanart, and she has made this, a quick sketch piece. Everyone is wearing Pinkie’s skirt. It’s quite cute, and I thought I would share it with you all.

I'll be happy to share any other fanart people send me too. :twilightsmile:

Chapter Five: Whistle for the Wind Part 1

Chapter Five
Whistle for the Wind
Daily Life Part 1

Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.

My eyelids slowly opened a crack. I cringed at the noise, slapping one hand to my ear. Still half asleep, I tried to reach for the alarm clock on my desk, to turn that infernal racket off.

Only to realize there was no desk right next to me. No alarm clock. Instead my hand met silvery white hair, smooth and fine to the touch, and I remembered where I was.

I shot up in bed, fumbling through the blankets for my Monopad, and finally turned off the alarm. “6:00 PM. Damn it. Trixie! Hey, Trixie, wake up!”

“Huh?” Trixie mumbled, blinking slowly as she looked up at me from the bed. Her eyes glazed over as she said something incoherent and then fell back onto the bed with a flump.

“Ugh, no, wake up, damn it,” I groaned, reaching down to shake her.

Trixie batted at my arms weakly, until she opened her eyes and grumbled, “I’m up, I’m up. What?”

“We need to get you back in your room,” I said, hopping out of bed. I scooped up a fresh pair of clothes from my closet, opting to skip a shower. “Before anyone else wakes up. Tiara’s expecting us at the meeting, and if anyone finds out you’re in here--”

Trixie meeped, and sat up as quickly as she was able. Slowly, painfully slowly, she edged her way to the edge of the bed, grabbed for her crutches, and managed to stand. “Trixie is ready.”

“Wait here,” I whispered as I carefully opened my door and checked down the corridor both ways. I cocked my head to hear better as well, in case I heard any doors unlocking. Nothing but silence. “C’mon, let’s go!”

Trixie’s room was only a couple of doors down from my own, but it might as well have been twenty miles for how slow she seemed to walk. Every time her crutches creaked as they rose and crunched as they pushed against the carpet, I feared it’d raise the alarm and summon everyone to us.

Fortunately, that didn’t happen. We reached her room, I unlocked it, and managed to get her back inside, promising to see her soon after the meeting. Before I left, however, Trixie proposed something to me. “I don’t know,” I murmured, glancing back and forth every few seconds in case we were caught. “I’ll think about it.”

“Please. Trixie would appreciate it forever if you did,” Trixie said, holding up her hands like she was praying to me.

With an exasperated roll of my eyes and a mumble of, “still haven’t forgiven you, you know,” I closed the door, locked it, and made my way back to my room, closing the door most of the way just before I heard someone else’s door open.

“Sunset?” I heard Rarity call. “Was that you, darling?”

I pushed the door back open. “H-hey, Rarity, how’re you doing?” I said, letting out a small nervous laugh as I leaned against the doorframe.

Rarity peered at me quizzically, then blinked and waved a hand in front of her mouth as she stretched out in a massive yawn. “Oh goodness, pardon me. I am thoroughly exhausted. I feel as though I barely slept.”

“Same,” I muttered, rubbing my hand down my face to try and wipe away some of the fatigue. “I’m tempted to just go right back to bed.”

“Mmm, as much as I would prefer that, I suspect Diamond Tiara would be upset,” Rarity hummed as she bent over to stretch her legs. “No, we’ll have to stay up, at least for a while. Get something to eat.” As she stood back up and worked on her arms, a scowl crossed her face. “That damnable Monoponi better not make us explore tonight.”

I scowled in turn. “You know he’s gonna. He’s been pushing us along faster and faster, never letting us recover.”

“Even so, we can hope, yes?”

Diamond Tiara’s door flung itself open, slamming against the wall. Tiara herself was in the process of lowering her foot. Dark circles under her eyes painted an ugly picture as she glared at us, her hair a complete mess. A hairbrush was stuck in it, like it’d been trapped in tangles. Her clothes were wrinkled and messy, and she looked at us like she was daring us to comment on her appearance. “Hi,” she muttered as she walked by towards the promenade.

“Good evening,” Rarity said with a trace of amusement coloring her otherwise smooth response. She glanced at me and I caught her repressing a smirk.

“Whatever,” Tiara said, waving a hand behind her back as she walked.

Another door lock clicked as it swung open, revealing Adagio standing there. Like Diamond Tiara, her clothes were a complete mess of wrinkled fabric, but at least her hair had been brushed properly. She took one look at me and hissed under her breath. “Sunset.”

“H-hey,” I greeted, my face unable to pick between a smile and a frown, twisting into an unnatural grimace instead. I jerked my thumb towards the promenade. “Did you want to get breakfast?”

She took a step back, her hands raising to waist level, curling up in her usual claw-like manner. She bit her lower lip as she looked at me, her gaze full of uncertainty, before she finally let go of her lip and nodded. “Sure.”

I flashed Rarity a pointed glance, who took the hint immediately. “Excuse me, excuse me,” she muttered as she swiftly made her way past us.

Adagio started walking, slowly, so I formed up next to her, giving her as much space as I could given the size of the corridor. “So, um, how’d you sleep?” I asked her.

“Like shit.”

“Yeah, me too,” I muttered. Considered reaching out a hand to take hers, but decided against it. “Listen, about Trixie--”

Adagio’s arm shot out to stop me in place, then she set a hand on my shoulder and forcibly turned me to face her. “Don’t. Please,” she asked me. I expected harsh fires of anger, but instead all I saw in her eyes was sorrow and frustration. “I can’t handle that right now. We’ll… we’ll talk about it when I’m ready. Okay?”

“Okay,” I nodded.

She gave me a small thankful smile, and then gestured for me to keep walking. We continued till we reached the promenade, and went to grab our respective meals.

By the time we returned to the meeting table, the others, minus Trixie, had already gathered. What few of us were left, that is. Only six sat at the table, and none of us looked well rested. Applejack was slumped over in her chair like a kid sleeping in math class, her hair occasionally falling forward only for her to grab it at the last minute. Scootaloo treated each forkful of her food like it was Monoponi himself, stabbing it with such abandon she risked breaking her plate.

Tiara, thankfully, had pulled the brush out of her hair and set it beside herself at the table, and as soon as we sat down, she looked at me and muttered, “You lead the meeting. I’m too fucking tired.”

LIke I’m any better, I mused. I reached out and patted her hand, then stood. “So, uh, I guess we’re all here.”

“Eeyup,” Applejack mumbled as she splattered a spoonful of oatmeal onto her cheek. She clumsily reached up to wipe it off and stuffed it in her mouth.

“With respect, Sunset, I’m not sure there’s much we need to say,” Rarity said with a half smile. She glanced Applejack’s way, her face twisting in disgust before she shook it off. “We’re all still alive. Trixie’s in her room. So we’re fine.”

“For now,” Scootaloo muttered. She stabbed another forkful with an ear splitting clink! of her fork on the plate. “Till one of us kills again. Monoponi told us this’d keep going till there was only two of us, remember?”

“That’s what the rules say, true,” Rarity said, frowning. “But I would prefer to hope that we’ve learned our lessons by now.”

Scootaloo sighed as she stuffed another bit of food in her mouth. “I wish,” she said. “But I thought we did last time, and look where that got us.”

DING-DONG-BING-BONG

Monoponi’s face zapped into view on the screens, looming at us from his chair on the bridge. This time he held a single can of soda in his magic grip, and the food spread on his table was cheap snacks, like instant noodle cups and pizza. “Well, well, good evening, my lovely passengers! I hope you had a nice rest, sleeping away the day like the lazy little shits you are. But time waits for no one! Please report to the bridge deck.”

“God!” Scootaloo shouted the instant his image disappeared. She picked up her bowl and threw it halfway across the food court, scattering bits of mashed potatoes and chicken everywhere. “Every time. Every fucking time!” She stomped on her way towards the bridge deck, every step hitting the floor with an echoing thud.

The sudden display of anger sent my heart rate skyrocketing as I almost fell backwards out of my chair, catching myself just in time. “Jeez, Scootaloo,” I huffed, holding a hand to my shaking chest. “Don’t scare us like that.”

“Ah can’t say Ah blame her though,” Applejack said with a dry snort. She tried to punch her right fist into her left palm, but she was so lethargic she barely managed to make a sound. “Ah’m sick of that varmint myself.”

“Varmint,” Tiara muttered as she all but crawled out of her chair. “More like little shit weasel.”

“Eh, same thing.”

“Uh, Tiara, should I go get Trixie?” I called after her. “Or were you going to do it?”

“Oh.” Tiara snorted, dug into her pocket, and tossed the key in my direction. It sailed over my head and plopped into my bowl of soup. “You do it. Please.”

“Okay then,” I grunted. “Adagio, would you--”

Adagio let out a quiet growl under her breath. “I’ll see you there, Sunset.” She walked off without another word.

“I’ll join you,” Rarity said to me as I went over to the table to fish out the key. “I could use a bit more of a walk before having to listen to that boorish lout.”

After I got the key out and dried it off on my shirt, we ambled our way back to the cabins. “I’m worried about Scootaloo,” I said as we entered the cabin corridor.

“The poor dear is under a lot of stress,” Rarity said, her lower lip curling into an unhappy pout. “She cared so much for Rainbow Dash. And my sister. And Applejack’s sister. She’s lost a lot of friends. We’ve all lost…” Rarity trailed off as she broke into sudden, quiet tears, slumping against the wall.

“Hey, hey,” I said softly as I reached out to embrace her. I held her against my chest as I slowly stroked her back. She wrapped her arms around my waist like a lifeline. Not for the first time, I noticed just how smooth her skin was as I touched it, the silkiness of her hair as I ran my hand through it. Despite the sorrow ruining what little makeup she'd put on and the halfhearted attempt she'd made at brushing her hair, she was still drop-dead gorgeous. And seeing Rarity cry tore at my own heartstrings, threatening to make me cry right along with her. “Easy. Easy.”

Rarity pulled me in tighter, in the process smushing her face into my breasts. My face heated up with pink. She’s not doing it on purpose. I hope. “Oh Sunset, I’m sorry,” she wailed, “It’s just, Sweetie Belle meant so much to me, and I still can’t believe she’s gone. And, and Applejack isn’t there for me, because she’s such a, a bumbling buffoon, and I’m, I don’t know who to turn to anymore…”

I deliberately nudged Rarity up so she wasn’t squishing my boobs, though that resulted in her face coming dangerously close to mine. “You can always talk to me,” I said, my voice becoming strained. “I’m your friend, Rarity. I’ll listen.”

Rarity wailed harder, and fell back against me, squeezing so hard with her arms I had to gasp for air. “Thank you, Sunset,” she sobbed. “You’re so, so sweet, and nice, e-even if you’ve made a mistake from time to time, you always make up for it…” Thankfully she loosened her grip, and started to shake against me as she filled up with bitter laughter. “It’s too bad you’re taken. I wish I--oh!”

She immediately released me and backed away all the way over to the other wall, her whole body flushing a deep pink as she hid her face in her hands. “You didn’t hear that!” she shouted while stamping her feet on the ground like a toddler. “I didn’t say anything!”

God I’m glad Adagio wasn’t here to witness this. “Hear what?” I said, nonchalantly sticking my hands behind my head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Rarity dropped her hands and flashed me a strained smile. “T-thank you. Why don’t we get Trixie and move along before we get into trouble?”

I nodded, eager to move on, and trying to shove the little fantasies the horny side of my brain was throwing at me back into the pit they’d emerged from.

As soon as we released Trixie, who was now wearing her hat and cape, she gave me a dirty look. “Trixie was beginning to think she’d been forgotten,” she muttered as she slowly ambled her way towards the bridge deck.

“Not at all, I assure you,” Rarity said with a sheepish laugh. She glanced at me, then looked away, her face still pinker than a field of roses. I noticed she did stay closer to me when we walked than she would have normally, but I tried not to focus on that.

I didn’t have time to, anyway. The moment we emerged onto the bridge deck, Monoponi whisked his way off his balcony, fluttered in the air in front of us and poked each of us in turn in the chest with his forehoof. “What is wrong with you three?!” he shouted, bouncing about like an angry bumblebee, his tail lashing out like a bullwhip. “Such tardiness is intolerable! Unacceptable! I won’t put up with it!”

The three of us froze still. Terror rushed down my spine as I feared I’d feel the all too familiar touch of his magic around my throat, magnified by the memory of how daring I’d been the night before. He told me I’d made the biggest mistake of my life. Is this it? Is this when he...

Luckily, after a moment of angry glaring at us, that didn’t happen. “Bah. Don’t do it again! Seriously, you’d think you’d learn respect by now, little shits…” Still mumbling under his breath, Monoponi returned to his balcony. “Alright, my lovely passengers, I do hope you slept well, because you have quite the lovely night ahead of you!”

“Already?” Scootaloo moaned, running a hand through her hair and gripping at it in frustration. “It’s not even been a day yet.”

“And time waits for nopony!” Monoponi retorted. He glared down at us all with narrowed eyes and his lips curled back, revealing his teeth. “This whole process is becoming more and more tedious each time, I swear. Like I don’t have anything better to do than order you around.”

I decided to push past my fear. Nothing would ever change around here if we didn’t challenge him, no matter how much the little pony inside me wanted to piss her pants and hide in the bushes. “So you’re keeping to the formula, then!” I said. “We’re going to wander around and find yet another picture, then you’ll drag us back tomorrow for another motive. If it’s so tedious, why don’t you just let us all go?”

“Go? Let you go? Ahahaaha!” Monoponi’s expression flipped to one of glee as he raised a hoof to his mouth. “Upupu, that’s never going to happen for you! Unless you Rescue yourself, that is! I’m sure even you must be tempted by now, Sunset. You’ve learned so much in these trials, after all.”

“But what if there’s only two left?” Rarity said, taking a step forward. She held up her Monopad. “What will you do then?”

Monoponi seemed to ponder that, tapping his forehoof to his chin. “Hmm, hmm, hmm… nope! Not gonna tell you. Not like you’ll survive. Honestly, I’m shocked you didn’t die days ago!”

I rolled my eyes. “Or your plan messed--”

Instantly he was right back up in my face, his teleport so fast I didn’t even have time to hear the crack of displaced air before his big nose pressed against mine. “What was that?” he growled. “I hope you weren’t about to mention the subject I expressly forbid you from mentioning this morning. I’d hate to have to execute you before you even get to see what’s left on the ship to explore.”

I don’t know why, but something in me refused to back down, even now, even with him in my face. Maybe it was the same insanity that filtered through my mind yesterday, or it could’ve been the fact he hadn’t acted on his earlier threat. Or maybe I was just so tired I had no shits left to give. So instead of backing off, like I had every time before, I refused to blink, refused to move even an inch. “You won’t do it.”

“I won’t, you say?” Monoponi replied, his voice dropping even lower, more sinister, wrapped in ice and threatening to bludgeon me like a hail storm. “Are you sure about that, Sunset? Are you that certain? Your Captain thinks Fluttershy might have something to say about that.”

“Fluttershy’s death fit your precious count,” I replied. “Mine wouldn’t. You really want to risk ruining everything now?”

Monoponi’s crimson eyes stared into mine, unfeeling. Unmoving. Yet I still didn’t waver. I remained resolute, in total certainty I was right. “You know, Sunset,” Monoponi finally said, “you keep talking like that, people will think you’re working with me.”

“You, I, and everyone else knows I’m not.”

Monoponi laughed. Not an ‘upupu’ or ‘ahaha,’ but a single bark of a laugh so unlike the alicorn’s usual expression of mirth it scared me. Then he spoke, and what he said terrified me far more. “No. You’re not. Too bad. We’d make a great team.”

Then he backed off. He flew away, back up to his balcony, and left me untouched, uninjured. “What’re you morons standing around for, huh?” he shouted. His horn lit up in crimson and shot off a volley of lights through the exit to the promenade. “Go! You’ve got exploring to do!”

The gun turrets popped out of their respective cases in the bridge tower, whirring to life and aiming lasers at each one of our heads. Tiara squealed and sped out of there as fast as her little boots could carry her. The rest of us meandered a bit slower, but we left all the same.

Once we were on the promenade though, Applejack called for us to stop. She narrowed her eyes at me into the teenist of slits. “What in tarnation were you thinkin’, Sunset?”

“I was standing up to him,” I replied nonchalantly, despite the unbridled amount of fear surging throughout my entire body, sending every nerve tingling like it had fallen asleep. “Nothing’s ever going to change if we don’t.”

“Sunset’s right,” Rarity seconded, moving up to stand behind my shoulder. “If we don’t act, and soon, there won’t be enough of us left to do anything.”

“Trixie thinks it was quite brave,” Trixie said. She tried to gesture with her cape to send it fluttering, but almost lost her footing in the process.

Scootaloo, still seething with anger, her chest expanding and contracting heavily with each breath, looked up at me with a mixture of trust and awe. “That was incredible,” she stammered. “Sunset, you’re braver than I am.”

“But how’d you know he wouldn’t kill you?” Adagio growled. Like Scootaloo, she quivered with anger, but unlike the younger woman, it was all directed at me and my stupid decisions.

I gave her a smile which didn’t come within a thousand miles of reaching my eyes. “I didn’t.”

Adagio slapped both hands to her face, bent over backwards and roared at the ceiling. “Arrgh! Sunset, you are the biggest fool on the planet, I swear!”

My smile grew sheepish as heat flooded my cheeks. “I’m sorry, but I--hey, ow! Ow! That hurts, Adagio, stop!”

Adagio had snatched me up by the ear and was dragging me down towards the cabins, and refused to let go until we’d passed by the food court. As she released me, she thrust her palm into my back, pushing me forward. “I’m keeping an eye on you now,” she said. “If I don’t you’re going to do something even stupider.”

“Fine, fine,” I said, jerking away from her touch. “Stop pushing. I don’t like it.”

“Hmph.”

She and I reached the crew access stairwell, and it was only as I began to descend it that I asked, “Why’re we going this way, anyway?”

“I wanted to be alone with you,” Adagio admitted. The shadows cast by the stairwell left her expression looking far more sadistic and evil than she probably intended. Probably. I hoped. “I didn’t want Trixie monopolizing your time.”

I sighed, rubbing away at my growing headache. “She’s not--I don’t--Adagio, I’m sorry, I am, but--”

Right as I stepped off the bottom stairwell into the lower of the two corridors, Adagio grabbed for the back of my shirt, and roughly spun me around. I started to raise my arms defensively, expecting her to smack me or try dragging me again or something, but instead she wrapped her arms around me and held me tight. Her mass of bushy curls filled my vision like an endless field of tangerine and lemon colored grass.

“You know I love you, right?” she said, her voice muffled by the leather of my jacket. “I don’t know how you managed it, but you made a siren fall in love with you. That’s a feat more magical than anything I can imagine you ponies have done.”

Her words tugged at my heartstrings, despite the semi-racist comments. “I know, Adagio. You told me. And I love you too. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t.”

One of her hands slowly moved up to gently stroke the back of my head, making me gasp from the sudden intensity of the sensation. “Good. It’s… not easy dealing with these feelings. I’m not used to feeling loving, or jealous. You’d think I’d have a handle on it by now, but I don’t.”

Adagio moved her face up so she could press her lips to the bottom of my chin, kissing me gently. Her breath carried a hint of lime as her lips traced a path up along my cheek, at the tip of my nose, then finally meeting my own. Unlike her usual demeanor, she wasn’t rough or aggressive with it. It was so gentle, so meek, invested with feelings of considerate affection, a kindness that belied the harsh nature of her siren soul. In a way, she was like a completely different person, as if Fluttershy’s ghost had possessed her or something.

I liked it, but it was certainly confusing. I responded in kind, taking my hand and gently stroking her cheek, letting the feeling of my rougher callouses slide against her silky smooth skin. She kept her skin so healthy, so unblemished, unlike me. “You seem like you do to me,” I whispered.

A quiet little laugh snuck its way out of her throat, like a burst of hot chocolate flavor. “Maybe. I’m trying.” She pulled away just enough so she could look at me, her brilliant purple eyes sparkling even in the dim light of the access corridor. “I’m… sorry for the way I acted in the trial. It wasn’t right.”

“You were upset because of how Trixie treated you. That’s understandable,” I replied with a smile. “I forgive you for being angry with me. I won’t ask you to forgive Trixie, though. I wouldn’t dream of asking so much from you.”

“Good, because I won’t,” Adagio snorted. She rolled her eyes hard before meeting my gaze again. “But if you really, really still want to be Trixie’s friend, I… that’s your decision. I won’t interfere. I don’t want to be like Applejack.”

“Smart.” I leaned forward, gave her one last kiss, and then pulled away. “Alright, let’s get to exploring. There wasn’t a new stairwell, so maybe another door opened up down here.”

We wandered down the corridor, moving quickly through the emptiness. Everytime I walked this particular hall an uneasy tension seeped into my senses. The combination of poor lighting, narrow spaces, tons of unlit alcoves, and overwhelming silence was nerve wracking.

But we reached the doorway to the ice rink without incident, leaving it be. We checked a few doors here and there, and were just about to give up and exit through the rink when a far one opened. Sharing a quick look of apprehension, I threw it open and went in first.

I came out into a small office, set up with a desk, work chair, and a computer. A proper desktop computer, with LCD screen, tower sitting nearby, and even an inkjet printer, all looking a bit out of date, more circa 2013 or 2014 than 2020. A wire wastebasket sat next to the desk. The floor was all carpet with the usual metal deck plating underneath. The office itself was quite small, with a single window, with curtains pulled, and one other door leading out… somewhere. The walls and ceiling were plain white, and adorned with a number of posters, each one related to astronomy in some way. There was a chart of the Moon, a series of satellite images of the various planets and dwarf planets. A few star charts were scattered here and there, displaying various constellations of the southern hemisphere. Right above the desk on the ceiling was a single strip of fluorescent lighting, with a lightswitch near the other door.

Too excited by the thought of potential access to the outside world to wait, I sat down at the computer, cracked my knuckles, and switched it on. It booted up fairly quickly, loading right into an account labeled “Museum Director.” Frustratingly, however, there was no internet connection. The only wifi that came up was the same one our Monopads hooked into. Most of the applications appeared to be uninstalled and there were blocks on information all over the place. What was left was a lot of useless spreadsheets about various exhibits, ticket costs, etc, log entries, and various other information that might be interesting to some folk but had no use to us.

I did test the printer before getting up however. It had plenty of paper, and printed quite easily and quickly. “Well that’s useful, I guess,” I muttered, balling up the test paper and tossing it in the wastebasket. I switched off the computer and got up out of the chair. “Let’s go.”

We opened the other door, and emerged into a dead-ended corridor, with signs hanging everywhere reading “employee access only.” The door behind us had a golden sign reading “Museum Director” with the name scratched off. Like the office, there were posters everywhere, of the Moon, of stars, of AUSA astronauts and so on. The corridor went one way only, so we followed it out, stepping through a metal security door and into a much larger room.

This one was set up like a museum in miniature, with exhibits and displays everywhere. One whole side of the room was lined with thick glass cases, each one labeled with a sign reading such things as “Phoebus 14 moon rock sample” and “Corsair 2 Ares sample.” The cases were full of rocks, though whether these were real samples taken from space by AUSA or just replicas, I couldn’t be certain. Larger plaques hanging on the wall by each display detailed information about the mission involved, whether it was crewed or robotic, the year it took place, etc.

The wall on the other side held a number of rocket models, showcasing AUSA’s rocket building history, from the very first sounding rocket launched in the early 50s, to the Cronus V launch vehicle that carried astronauts to the moon, the space shuttles, and all the way to the newest launch systems for Ares exploration and beyond. Like the samples, each one had an informative plaque giving more detailed information.

“This place is like Twilight Sparkle’s wet dream,” Adagio muttered as she gazed about, staring up in awe at the ceiling. I looked up to see a few models of planes, jet planes as well as the Y rocket plane series, developed by AUSA for testing engines and the ability for people to survive in space.

“You’re not kidding,” I replied as I looked back down, focusing on the center displays lining the middle of the room. These focused on each of the eight major planets, and unlike the physical models or samples these were large holographic displays identical to the ones featured in Monoponi’s courtroom. Hermes, Aphrodite, Earth, Ares, Zeus, Cronus, Ouranous, and Poseidon were all represented in gorgeous, loving detail, though the outer planets had a bit less factual information and a bit more imagination to them. I glanced around, wondering if there was one for Hades, and it turned out I’d missed a few displays in one corner, smaller displays showing the major dwarf planets, like Discordia, Hades, and Demeter.

I wandered over to the Earth display, examining it closely. I noticed, amongst other information, that the display claimed to show a “live location indicator” for the cruise ship. But after searching all across the holographic globe, I didn’t see it. A shame. The display was still beautiful though. Human space exploration had utterly fascinated me ever since I crossed the mirror portal from Equestria. Nopony had ever been to our own moon, and I loved every bit of space knowledge I could get my hands on.

I felt along the display, feeling a slight tingle as a forcefield or something underneath it gave it a physical form. I traced my finger down along the North Amareican west coast, feeling the bumps of hills and a cool, icy touch as I briefly passed along the ocean. I located Canterlot right where I expected it to be, halfway down the Amareican Union part of the coast. “We should be there, damn it,” I whispered. “We should all be there, alive and happy, not trapped on this ship.”

Finding the display too depressing to look at now, I moved on, noticing two sets of doors apart from the employee one we’d come in through. One was a larger set of double doors identical in appearance to the ones used to give entrance to the theater or the ice skating rink, so those probably led to the promenade. The other set, while smaller, were no less prominent, and one was slightly ajar at that. I briefly left Adagio to go poke my head inside.

I discovered the room beyond was a small circular theater, like an IMAX in miniature, set around a central holographic display. A good sixty or seventy seats of blue fabric surrounded the display on all sides. Rarity and Trixie were seated right up front, eyes and face full of wonder as they watched a movie playing on the screens. Some deep-voiced man was droning on about the wonders of star formation while images showcased spinning nebulae and glowing stellar matter.

“Having fun?” I said, amused by their expressions.

Trixie spotted me and waved. “Hi Sunset! Trixie loves space! This is a lot of fun!”

“Indeed!” Rarity agreed, a slight flush coming to her cheeks when she saw me. “While I admit space is not the most fascinating subject, a museum is always a delight to attend. I’m surprised one would be aboard a cruise ship, however.”

“It is a bit excessive,” I agreed. I waved at them. “Well you two enjoy the movie.”

“Bye!”

I left the little theater and closed the doors behind me. Adagio was standing there, hands on her hips, eyebrows raised high. “What was in there?”

“Just a little IMAX theater, nothing fancy,” I said with a shrug. “And Rarity and Trixie.”

Her upper lip curled up into a sneer as she flinched away. “Uugh. Not going in there then.”

I gently patted her hand as I walked past her. “Come on, let’s leave the museum then.”

We exited onto the promenade. As I suspected, this was the final piece to be opened up, on the same level as the ice skating rink and the first floor of the library. The grand staircase as ever loomed on one side, but on the other side of the corridor, instead of ending in yet another blank wall, there was a simple pair of wooden double doors. A plaque atop the doors stated “Non-Denominational Temple” while other smaller signs asked for quiet and respect.

“Let’s check the library first,” Adagio said, glaring down at the end of the corridor. “I want to see if those archives are finally open.”

“Good idea.”

So leaving the temple behind for the moment, we entered the library, and swiftly made our way over to the archive door. I wasn’t expecting anything, of course. Knowing Monoponi, this whole archive door thing had been one giant troll from the beginning. It wasn’t like he’d introduce it and then unlock it three trials later, right?

Except when I tried the knob, it clicked, and the door swung open. Exchanging a brief confused glance with Adagio, we went inside. The room was larger than I expected, about twice the size of the office we’d found in the museum. All the walls were lined with large shelves full of logbooks in large red binders, marked by week, month and year. There were records going all the way back to 2010. The center of the room held a single table and chair for reading and/or writing. Briefly, I flipped through them, but instead of some useful knowledge, all I found was passenger manifests, supply logs, accounting sheets, and so on. Interesting from an esoteric perspective, especially if I wanted to answer Tiara’s long-standing question of how Monoponi afforded all of this, but nothing useful for our situation. At least, not from a quick search.

“Great,” Adagio muttered, throwing up her arms so they’d slap against her sides. “We wait all this time for it to open, and it’s useless.”

“We don’t know that just yet,” I said as I puttered around, seeing if anything else stood out. After a few moments, I did notice something taped to the underside of the table. “Hello,” I muttered as I pulled it out, revealing a key hanging on a small chain. “What’s this to?”

“The door maybe?” Adagio said flatly, jerking a thumb towards it.

A half sheepish grin formed on my face as I went to test it. “Oh, that’s interesting,” I said when I examined the door. “I didn’t realize this, but this has a double-cylinder deadbolt.”

“What does that mean?”

I pointed to the lock and then pulled the door in to show the other side. “See how there’s a keyhole on both sides? You need the key to unlock it whether you’re in or out. It’s more secure, but it can be dangerous too. Given these archives are in a public area, they probably didn’t want anyone unauthorized trying to access them.” I blinked, then glared at the room. “Wait, why is it in a public area?”

“Fake records,” Adagio answered, smirking confidently. “These are the public ones, the ones they show come tax-time. They probably have private records that are more accurate.”

My mouth formed an “o” of realization. “I guess that makes sense. Well, forget it then. I’ll hold onto the key and lock the place for now, so no one gets locked in by mistake. We can come do some more research later.”

“You can do more research later,” Adagio sniffed. “I’d rather not waste the time pouring endlessly through logbooks.”

“Fair enough.”

Leaving the library, we made our way to the temple doors and pushed them open. We found ourselves in a large foyer, shaped roughly like a diamond with the points on the left and right of us. The floor, unlike every other surface on the ship save the backstage of the theater, was wooden planks, with elegant, beautiful rugs spaced here and there. A small desk lay in the center with a chair and a logbook. Various religious symbols from all sorts decorated the walls in the form of a tasteful wallpaper. The lighting was low, but pleasant, much like the spa, with a bit of smell of cinnamon scented incense wafting about the air. Most notably however was the silence. Like the access corridor, it was dead silent in this foyer, as if the rest of the ship were cut off from it through soundproofing. Which it probably was.

The foyer had three exits from it. Directly ahead were another set of double doors, presumably leading into the temple proper. To the right was a passageway leading to a set of restrooms. To the left, however, it split off into two separate doors. I decided to check the one on the left first.

I emerged into a large room with a large variety of musical instruments, and not just the standard ones like a piano, trumpet, trombone violin and guitar, but a whole host of instruments I only knew thanks to some special reading, such as shekeres, gongs, singing bowls, didgeridoos, pan pipes, all sorts of drums, and so much more. The room itself was set up with proper acoustics, music racks, chairs, and so on, allowing for single play or groups or whole choirs if need be. A large shelving unit on one side of the room carried a variety of sheet music for every instrument available.

“Wow. Lots of noisemakers,” Adagio quipped as she leaned down to pick up an electric bass guitar. She plugged it into a nearby amp, running her hand down the strings. Her hand began to dance, playing something in minor key that seemed familiar in a strange, eerie way. “This feels pretty familiar, doesn’t it?” She kept on playing, staring down at her hands as if they were moving by themselves. “Why do I feel like I should be singing along to this?”

I strode over to an acoustic guitar hanging on the wall and started tuning it. Or I would have, had it not been tuned to perfection already. I wanted to join her in her song, as if something was compelling me to try. But the longer she played, the more it felt… wrong. Like I’d heard it before. Like it was something I needed to stop.

So when my hands began to play, words emerged, words that felt so alien and yet so familiar at the same time I didn’t know where they came from.

“You’re never gonna bring me down!

You’re never gonna break this part of me!

My friends are here to bring me ‘round!

Not singing just for pop--”

Adagio snatched the guitar out of my hands and tossed it halfway across the room, sending it crashing into a hanging set of cymbals. As the crashing noise echoed so loud in the room it hurt my ears she tackled me to the ground, covering my mouth with one hand while the other gripped at my throat. One knee pressed down into my chest, cutting off my air supply while the other held my legs in place. Her eyes were solid red light as her face contorted with rage. “Don’t! Ever! Sing that again!” she howled, her voice briefly taking on an echoing underlay in a deeper pitch, like two people speaking at once. Then she sprung off me, falling over onto her rump, the glow fading from her eyes.

I sat up immediately, gasping for air, sucking down great lungfuls every few seconds. My eyes widened so large I feared they’d pop out of my head as I backed away from Adagio, every nerve in my body on fire from the storm of fear raging within. “What the hell Adagio?!” I squeaked, coughing as spit caught in my throat.

Adagio seemed just as frightened as I was, staring down at her own hands, at the guitar she’d tossed, at me with just as much terror in her expression. “I don’t know! I don’t know why I did that!” she shouted back. She got up to her feet and closed the distance between us.

I shrank back, curling into a ball while holding out one hand to block her. “Stay back! Please!” I shrieked, before pulling my arm in, hunched over, shivering. Tears ran down my face. Somehow that had scared me far more than anything else she’d ever done. She’d actually shown signs of remnant magic. But why? All I did was sing a song! A good song! I didn’t even know what song it was, but--

Adagio’s arms wrapped around me from behind. My body froze in place like I’d been petrified by a cockatrice. I couldn’t focus, couldn’t speak, couldn’t blink while she held me. She whispered something into my ear, something she must’ve thought was soothing, but I didn’t hear it. I didn’t want to hear it. “Please,” I managed to mutter after what felt like an eternity. “Let me go. Let me go.”

Eventually she did as I asked, and I fell forward, tears streaming down my face. I don’t understand. Why is this hitting me so hard? She’s held me at friggen knifepoint before! Why only now am I this scared?

I heard retreating footsteps and the close of a door. Still I did not move. I remained curled up, confused beyond belief. Was it the song? Her song felt a little bit evil, sure. I felt like I had to stop it for some reason. Where did that song come from, anyway?

Slowly, ever so slowly, I managed to uncurl my limbs. My left leg had fallen asleep, and as I tried to stand my left knee buckled, the leg so numb it felt like I was trying to rest my knee on a stool. But eventually the feeling came back, in fits and starts, sharp pains running down my leg, causing me to grunt and groan as I trudged over to where she’d discarded the guitar. I had to watch my step due to the cymbals and drumsticks littering the ground where it had landed, but eventually I managed to retrieve it from the pile.

The guitar was in pretty rough shape. A couple of the strings had snapped where they’d caught on the hooks the cymbals hung from. The wood was chipped in a few places, including around the soundhole. One of the tuning pegs had snapped off. For some reason, the sight instilled a fresh wave of sadness in me, and a sense of betrayal. Which made no sense whatsoever. This wasn’t my guitar, was it? I’d never seen it before in my life.

But something in me compelled me to turn it over, to examine the back of the neck. And lo and behold, etched in small letters was an address, a phone number, and my name. Sunset Shimmer.

It was my guitar. But why was it here? Why was it on this ship? Was I supposed to find it, like I did with Trixie’s clothes? Was this supposed to make me sad or distraught?

The damage to it sure wasn’t helping my mood. I picked up the broken pieces I could find, and carefully placed them into one of my plastic gloves I rigged up like a baggy. I then set that carefully inside the soundhole of the guitar and placed it in a corner, where it wouldn’t be touched. I could come back for it later, when I was done exploring.

I had no idea where Adagio went. But I’d be clamoring for an apology later. Holding me at knifepoint when we’d been dating for just a couple of days and she’d seen what looked like me cheating was one thing. But this? Choking me out on the floor and screaming in my face over a song? Using magic on me? No way. Not cool.

I left the music room and immediately made for the other room in the foyer. As soon as I stepped in I had flashbacks of similar places in Equestria, like magic kindergarten. In Equestria these places wouldn’t be religious, just places for kids to go and learn something while being taken care of for a while, but for a lot of human religions they used it for studying their religious texts. What was it called? Sunday school? Something like that.

It was a room full of little chairs, colorful and playful decorations on the walls of cartoonish versions of various figures from major religions, a blackboard on one wall with scribblings on it in chalk. Someone had drawn a picture of Monoponi’s face on it for some reason. There were also shelves with child-friendly versions of the religious texts, and so on. Nothing explicitly favoring one religion or another. A place where any group of kids could play and learn while their parents worshipped in the temple.

As I poked about the shelves, I heard the sounds of bootsteps. I looked up to see Applejack wandering in, peering about the place. “Well now, Ah’d say this feels pretty darn familiar,” she said. She tipped her hat to me. “Hey Sunset. You ever go to Sunday school in church as a kid?”

“Ah, no,” I replied, feeling more than a little sheepish. “Pony, remember? We don’t have the same religious beliefs in Equestria.”

Applejack pursed her lips and nodded. “Right, right, sorry. Hey, you know what happened with Adagio? Ah saw her runnin’ out of here like somethin’ real bad upset her.”

My lips thinned into a tiny line. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

The farmer held up her hands. “Alright, Ah won’t pry. Ah’ve been gettin’ my fool head into enough trouble as it is.” She stuffed her hands in her jeans pockets, and took a few steps back. “If Ah might say, Ah am glad there’s a proper church on this boat. Ah’ve been missin’ the chance to go to church every Sunday.”

I schooled my expression back into something more polite. “Sounds like it matters a lot to you.”

“Well, Ah wouldn’t say a lot. Not in the sense of bein’ able to pray. Ah can do that anywhere.” She gave me a sad smile. “For me, church is a connection to my family. Did Ah ever tell you what happened to my parents?” I shook my head. “Well, Ah’m not gonna go into a lot of details, but long story short, they were a pair of star-crossed lovers if ever there were any. My Momma was a Pear, my Papa an Apple, and the Pears and Apples didn’t exactly get along. But they did go to church together. They respected each other there, even if they bickered everywhere else.”

Applejack faced away from me, found the largest chair she could, which was still a bit small for her, and sat down on it, carefully so she didn’t knock it over. “My parents died when I was pretty young. Big Mac, my older brother, he was barely old enough to start takin’ care of me, and Apple Bloom was hardly more’n a baby.” She sniffled, a few tears coming to her eyes. “Sometimes, Ah don’t remember ‘em too well nomore. That’s why Ah make sure to go to church every Sunday. Because that’s a connection Ah’ll never lose, you know? Even if, even if Ah’ve lost another one…”

I prepared for her to break down like Rarity had, but Applejack was a bit more of a tough nut. She’d obviously had enough of public breakdowns back when Apple Bloom first died, because she managed to pull herself together after just a few more tears. “Well, anyway, Ah’m glad it’s here. You should check out the church proper. Say a few words. You don’t gotta believe in an afterlife or God or anythin’ for it to mean somethin’ to you.” She looked right at me, fixing me with a pleading gaze. “Ah know my sister would want to hear from you, if no one else.”

I can think of a few people I want to say something to, sure. I gave her a polite nod and a wave, and left her to sit there. As I returned to the foyer, I briefly witnessed Diamond Tiara leaving towards the promenade while carrying something large in her hands, but I didn’t bother to follow her.

Instead I pushed open the double doors to the main temple area. As I stepped in, I was met with a large, two story room, laid out like many of the churches I’d visited for one reason or another. A central aisle leading up to a raised platform where a few different types of altars rested, a lectern at the center of them with a single text sitting open atop it. Two rows of pews to either side, with cushions for seating. A large open space off to the right was filled with prayer mats for those who worshiped through laying down.

Scootaloo was sitting on a cushion in one of the pews, quietly whispering to herself with clasped hands and her head bowed. I gave her plenty of space as I walked by on my way up to the altars.

There was a small space set aside for a singing choir or band to play, but otherwise, the front of the church was rather barren of the usual accoutrements. No massive religious symbol hanging overhead like I’d see in a lot of churches. Just different alters, for different faiths. One in particular caught my eye. It was just a small slab of white marble atop a carved pillar, but in decoration it looked so similar to ones I’d seen in old pegasi settlements in Equestria it called to me.

All of the altars had thoughtfully provided cushions, so I kneeled down carefully, and bowed my head onto the altar, letting the cool marble soothe my head. The religious symbols carved all over it mostly lacked meaning for me, save for a symbol that felt like an echo of Equestria, with a matched sun and moon standing together as twins below a set of spread wings and a raised point, like a symbol for alicorns. I doubted it had anything to do with Equestria at all, but it felt similar enough that it spoke to me.

“I, I don’t do this kind of thing very often,” I began quietly as I brought my hands together in the same gesture I saw Scootaloo adopt. “I don’t know who or what is listening. But if there’s any powers that be out there, I want to pass along a message to those who’ve died.”

“First, to the blackeneds. Timber, Sweetie Belle, Twilight, Flash… I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry I had to figure out your crimes. I know none of you would’ve ever acted if it weren’t for this damned killing game. Yes, even you, Timber. I didn’t like you much, but you weren’t a murderer. Not before this game. None of you deserved the fates you received. I feel responsible for each of you, as if I’d killed you myself. So I’m sorry. I hope you’re resting easily, and that if there’s any kind of judgement in the afterlife, that it’s treating you fairly, and with consideration for the circumstances.”

“Second, to the victims. Wallflower, we hardly spoke, and when we did, we weren’t that kind to each other. And I know now if you’d had your memories, you wouldn’t have treated me that way. I hope you got them back, when you passed, and that you didn’t suffer too much. Apple Bloom, you were my friend, and I miss you. I still feel like you shouldn’t have died in my place. Like I should’ve died then. I don’t want to die. I still don’t. But you died for me, and that’s never going to feel right. Ever.”

“Fluttershy, you were a kind soul cut down in such a cruel, unfair way… I only hope it was so quick you hardly felt it. If anyone deserved to still be walking around now, it’s you. Pinkie Pie, oh where to begin with you, Pinkie? We failed you. We all failed you. We weren’t there enough for you, and you turned to something you probably never would have otherwise because of it. Worse, I gave you bad advice. I practically sent you to your death myself. I know that’s not true, but it feels like it. I also want to let you know how much Trixie regrets what she did. I hope you can find some way to forgive her. I’m still working on it myself.”

“Rainbow Dash, in some ways you were treated least fairly of all. All you did was try to be a friend for someone who’d lost someone they cared about. And don’t get me started on what Monoponi did, defiling your body. I’m so unbelievably sorry that had to happen, and I hope that, if you are in an afterlife, you didn’t feel or see any of it.”

I raised my head off the altar for a few seconds, then set it back down again, and opened my eyes. “I miss you all. Rest in peace, okay?”

With that, I managed to climb to my feet, feeling a weight lifted off my shoulders. Most of the anxiety and fear from earlier had faded away, leaving me with a sense of relief. Like a lot of the tension I’d carried around these past two weeks had finally found a way to disappear. Maybe I should do this more often.

Before I left the church, though, I decided to putter around a bit more, checking out the other alters and the back in case there was another door. Good thing I did it too, because in the back of the church, behind the other altars, I found one final one. This one seemed a bit more… dark. Not evil. Not even bad. Just darker. Like the good kind of dark, that hides in the shadows protecting the innocent, watching over dreams. And to fit such a mood there was a small set of implements laying on the altar. Most were harmless little tools, like tweezers, a mortar and pestle, and so on, all made out of expensive materials like turtle shells. However, there was also a single blade laying there, with a black handle carved from ebony and lined with pieces of obsidian shaped like stars. I picked it up, but it felt wrong in my hand. Again, not an evil or harmful kind of wrong. Just like it wasn’t for me. Like I shouldn’t touch it.

Respectfully, I left the altar alone, and poked around the main area some more, but apart from more decorations and symbols and open space, I found nothing of real interest. So deciding I’d have enough of this place for now, I left the temple, headed back to the music room to grab my guitar, and carefully took it with me out to the promenade. I decided to return to my cabin in the open, where I could be easily seen. And heard.

Only when I reached my cabin and locked the door behind me did I feel a modicum of safety again. So naturally, it was only after I locked the door that I realized Adagio was waiting for me, just stepping out of the bathroom. I paused, and took a few steps away from her while gently placing my guitar down on the desk. “O-oh, h-hey Adagio! H-how're you doing?”

“Not good,” Adagio answered quietly. A dark, sadistic sneer briefly crossed her face as she glared at the guitar before she shook it off. “Look, I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me back there, in the temple.”

“You’re sorry?” I muttered, feeling the sudden rush of adrenaline flooding my veins. “Sorry? You tackled me, choked me, and used magic on me! What the fuck were you thinking?”

“I don’t know! I don’t!” Adagio raised her fists up like she wanted to punch something, and settled for slamming one into my bathroom door. “I didn’t even think I had any magic left!”

“Well you obviously had something judging by the red eyes and that freaky voice,” I retorted, taking another couple of steps back. At this point I was as far away as I could get. I wasn’t as scared as I’d been in the church, but I was still concerned.

“It was that song,” she said, her anger beginning to drain.“The one I was playing. I don’t know what it was, or why, but it felt… empowering.”

“Wrong,” I countered. “It felt… wrong.”

She cocked her head to the side and raised her eyebrows once in acknowledgement. “I guess it would, to a pony. It was a power ballad.” At my quizzical look, she groaned. “Not that kind of power ballad. I mean the siren kind. Sirens have many types of songs, for various situations. Power ballads are designed to help us focus our magic, increase our power. The power we draw from negative emotions.”

“Oh. That might explain the way I reacted afterwards,” I said, not expecting this answer. “I was so scared. Terrified. To the point I disassociated.”

Adagio turned away. “I’m afraid that’s my fault. When I… reacted to your song, I magnified every negative emotion in the room at once. That’s how siren magic works. I didn’t even realize I was doing it. That song you played? It was a countersong. The antithesis of what I was playing, in every way.”

I held up my hands and brought the tips together. “Like two waves meeting. They cancel each other out.”

“No,” Adagio disagreed with a shake of her head. “Worse. Yours was..stronger. I don’t know where from, or why, but yours had a power mine didn’t. I hadn’t felt the touch of magic in so long that when it was just as suddenly threatened, I reacted to preserve it.” She turned to face me again, her entire demeanor screaming contrition. “I am truly sorry for the way I acted.

I sighed, frowning, before waving her over. “Come here.”

She approached me hesitantly, but when I reached out to embrace her, she sank into it greedily. “I’m sorry.”

“I forgive you,” I replied, giving her a tight, but still comfortable, hug. “This time. But please don’t do that again. Or throw my guitar.”

“I won’t, I--wait, your guitar?” Adagio’s eyebrows shot to the top of her head as her lips shrank into a confused pout. “What?”

“Yeah, it’s mine,” I answered, reaching over to it. I turned it over and showed her the information on the neck. “See? My name, phone number, and address in case it was lost.”

“It’s yours,” Adagio repeated. She blinked once, twice, thrice, then whispered more quietly, “It’s your guitar.”

“Yeah. So?”

Adagio shook her head rapidly, her hair swishing like an orange blur. “Excuse me, Sunset, but I need to go… think about something. I’ll see you later.”

She was out the door and it closed before I could say a word.

Author's Note

This chapter's title, like all the chapter titles, are based upon the sea in some fashion. In this case, it's a saying, which roughly means, "hope for the impossible." Of all my chapter titles, this one, I feel, is the most apt.

If Rarity's interest in Sunset seems too sudden, it's only because Rarity herself has only recently become aware of it. I ascribe to Rarity a lack of self-awareness that makes it difficult for her to process her own emotions. She's so busy being melodramatic and losing herself in romanticized ideals about life that she fails to pay much attention to her own emotional state.

Unfortunately this does nix the possibility of a Rarity/Trixie platonic relationship, something that I only became aware I was building up to as a result of comments(when in fact everything pointing to it was something I just did because it made sense at the time I wrote it, without any kind of overarching plan), and it makes me wish, in retrospect, I'd actually gone in that direction. So, sorry to the Rarity/Trixie shippers out there. One of these days I'll make up for this. :twilightblush:

The museum featured here was, at one point, going to debut in the third chapter, not the fifth, hence why it seems designed all around Twilight Sparkle despite her no longer being here. I found I needed other facilities before I needed it. A similar thing happened with the church, which was going to show up in the fourth chapter originally.

Why the name change for the planets? Well, because I'd already changed around names of things like continents and countries, I thought I should change the planets too. And since the MLPverse has a lot of Grecian influences, and the names of the planets in real life are all based upon Roman gods, I though I'd swap them for their Greek counterparts.

It was either that or go the route that Changeling Space Program did and name planets after mythological horses, but I didn't want to step on Kris Overstreet's toes. (By the way, if you haven't read that story or The Maretian yet? You should. They're both magnificent, especially if you love space travel.)

Why not Gaia instead of Earth? Because the English language is weird. (And we can pretend that, like a lot of languages do with Terra, a lot of languages on this world call it Gaia.)

Chapter Five: Whistle for the Wind Part 2

Chapter Five
Whistle for the Wind
Daily Life Part 2

I thought about following after Adagio. What she said worried me, deeply. She hadn’t brought it up in the conversation, but wasn’t it odd that somewhere deep in me I somehow knew a countersong to siren magic? What were the odds of that? Pretty damned slim. It must’ve meant something.

Well, there was one possibility. One distinct possibility that, if I put it together with all the other oddities, all the other magic we’d seen, explained it perfectly. But I didn’t want to consider that for even a second. I scoured the thought from my mind, refusing to entertain it. Never had I wanted more to be wrong about something than this. If I was right--no. No. I can’t be. I refuse to accept it.

Finding myself with little else to do before Tiara called us all together, I decided to try fixing my guitar in the prop shop. It proved easier than I expected, almost as if it wasn’t the first time I’d had to fix damage like this in my instrument. It left me plenty of time to do a few other things that needed doing before I returned to my cabin with the restored guitar, like Trixie’s favor.

Once back at my cabin, I had a few spare moments to try playing the guitar again. I locked the room tight, and sealed the porthole window before pulling it out and testing the strings. I’d picked up a couple of spares in the prop shop inventory, because of course it had guitar strings, alongside a whole heap of other instrument parts. Tuning was a quick, easy affair.

Then I tested the sound. It was… slightly different in timbre, different in some ephemeral, abstract way I found impossible to describe. Like the guitar itself had its own soul, however small, permanently scarred by its injuries.

This wasn’t unheard of in Equestria. Beloved possessions owned by unicorns or other mages that were routinely involved with their magic would, over time, absorb small amounts of both the magic and the user’s emotions. In effect, the object would be enchanted with an imprint of the owner, imbued with emotions and resonating with magic. Harnessing this process on purpose was how many unique artifacts were crafted, such as most of Mage Meadowbrook’s.

So for my guitar to have the same effect in it meant that I must’ve used magic with it. A lot of magic, and frequently at that. It was worth testing. So as I played around with a few basic chords, I decided to try accessing whatever it was that made me produce that countersong. I wasn’t intending to play it, precisely. Rather, I was hoping it would be some sort of insight into my lost memories.

But nothing happened. No matter how I focused, or shifted my posture with the guitar, I couldn’t summon it up. No songs I didn’t know I knew. No mysterious magical music. Nothing.

“Damn it,” I muttered as I set the guitar aside, more than a little irritated by my failure. I must be missing something. Something crucial. But what? I don’t--

The irritatingly shrill bleepof my Monopad scattered my thoughts to the winds. “Ugh, what now?” I groaned as I picked it up. Oh. Tiara wants us to meet up. About time.

I made my way back to the food court, to our usual meeting table. Trixie was already there, along with Tiara, but no one else yet. Tiara was focused on something before her, some kind of large leather-bound book. Ignoring it for the moment, I sat down next to Trixie and leaned over to whisper, “I took care of that favor for you.”

Her eyes lit up like floodlights at a baseball stadium, but she managed to restrain her excitement to a mere whispered “Thank you!”

“I’m still not sure it’s a good idea, though,” I whispered back.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine,” Trixie said a bit louder, more reassuringly.

Tiara’s face shot up to glare at us through squinted eyes. “What’s fine?”

“Nothing,” I said with a shrug. I leaned forward to get a closer look at the book she had. “What’s that you’ve got there?”

Tiara glared some more at me, then looked back down at her book. “It’s a photo album. Found it in the church.”

“Who’s in it?”

With a roll of her eyes, the rich elitist replied, “Wait for everyone else, Sunset. I’m tired enough as it is.”

I sat back to wait, but fortunately didn’t have to wait long. When Adagio came in, she took a seat near me, but kept glancing at me strangely, with an unreadable expression on her face. Like she was studying me for some reason. Maybe she suspects that I--no! No, no, no. I am not going to think that. No.

“Okay, people,” Tiara said, standing up from her chair. “We’re all here, we’re all tired as shit. Let’s get this over with. What’d we find this time?”

Rarity cleared her throat for attention. “There is a gorgeous museum on the lowest level of the promenade! It’s focused on astronomy, and features a darling little movie theater which shows many films on the subject of space.”

“Trixie learned a great deal about star formation,” Trixie seconded, a small smile on her face.

“Oh, and on the other side of that theater,” Rarity said, “there’s a door to a covered balcony. With telescopes. Expensive telescopes.”

That caught my attention. “There is? I must’ve missed that when I checked out the theater.”

Rarity tittered, and gently patted my arm. “Oh Sunset. You do seem to miss things I need to point out to you.” Her touch lingered a few seconds too long, and I had to pull my arm away to get her hand off it.

“The door is the same color as the walls,” Trixie said. “Trixie thinks that’s on purpose, so that when movies play you can’t see it.”

“That would explain the small sign above it reading ‘access during nighttime hours only,’” Rarity replied, her expression dimming as she withdrew her hand back onto her lap. “They wouldn’t want people washing out the theater with daylight.”

“Well,” I said, after eying Rarity suspiciously for a moment, “there’s more to the museum than that. It features a lot of displays that claim to have actual samples from moon missions, Ares missions, and so on. They’re probably just replicas, but they look convincing.”

“How would you know?” Scootaloo asked.

Feeling a bit defensive, I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms over my chest. “I like space. I read a lot about it.”

Scootaloo nodded. “Okay. Just wondering. You’re pretty smart but I figured if anyone would’ve known if they were real or not, it would’ve been… Twilight.”

“Ah think she would’ve loved to see this museum y’all’re talkin’ about,” Applejack said with a wistful tone in her voice. “Ah think Apple Bloom would’ve too, ‘cause of the rockets.”

“That’s right, there are rocket displays as well,” I said. “One big timeline of AUSA missions, from the first sounding rocket all the way to modern day. It’s incredibly comprehensive. I’m surprised there’s so much detail to it.”

“And if that wasn’t enough,” Adagio chimed in, her expression still unreadable, “There are displays of the planets in the museum. Like the fancy tech Monoponi uses in the courtroom. They’re… beautiful.”

“Incredibly detailed,” I added. “Earth especially. These displays are so advanced they even have some kind of contouring that gives them a physical feel. Not sure how they did that. The other planets are all based on a combination of satellite imagery, probe imagery, and artistic impressions, but Earth’s appeared real time, with clouds, weather, and everything. There was even something that said it tracked the cruise ship’s position, but that wasn’t working.”

“Of course not,” Tiara snorted. “Why make it easy for us to figure out where we are now? Was there anything else about the museum?”

“Actually, yeah, now that you mention it,” I replied, “there was an employee only hallway. It was lined with posters of star charts, and they all focused on the southern hemisphere, not the northern. Back on one of our first days on the ship, Twilight told me she suspected we were in the south Pacific. I’m betting those star charts confirm it.”

“That’s not helpful, though,” Scootaloo protested with an irritated expression. “The south Pacific is like half the planet.”

“Mmm, more like a fifth, but you’re not wrong,” I agreed. “Though I’m surprised you knew that.”

A slight blush suffused Scootaloo’s cheeks as she looked away. “I like maps.”

“Me too,” I said with a grin. “They’re fun.”

“Right?” Scootaloo looked up at me and smiled, despite her blush growing. “They’re so cool.”

“Anyhow,” Adagio said, “what Sunset failed to mention was the museum director’s office. It had a proper desktop computer inside. No useful information or internet connection, but there was a printer. The office also connected to the access corridor, so it’s yet another way for people to sneak around.”

“Great, because we really needed another one of those,” Tiara groaned.

“Well, movin’ on, there’s a church,” Applejack said, a hint of a smile on her face. “It ain’t for any one religion, but it’s pretty fancy. Quiet too.”

“Uh-huh,” Scootaloo said. Her smile dimmed until it faded entirely as her face fell. “It’s peaceful. The whole church is soundproofed, especially the foyer. So you can be alone with your thoughts. And prayers.”

Rarity’s face twisted into a frown as she reached out, offering a hand to Scootaloo. “Are you religious, darling?”

Scootaloo shrugged as she heaved a sigh, before taking the proffered hand. “Kinda? My aunts are. Holiday and Lofty. They’re neopagans. Nature worship, spirits of the earth, that kind of thing. I grew up with them, and picked up on some of it. Enough that… prayer helps.”

“Yeah, I took a few moments myself to say some things,” I admitted. “Helped take a bit of a load off my mind.”

The seamstress squeezed Scootaloo’s hand reassuringly. “I can imagine so. I’ve never been much of one for the Good Book, as my father would put it, but…” She released her own sorrowful sigh. “If nothing else, I should take the time to say a few things. For Sweetie Belle’s sake.”

I saw Trixie crumble, shrinking in on herself till she adopted a posture much like the one she’d held just after the third trial. “Trixie should also attend. To atone.”

“Hmph. Now that right there’s one of the first things outta your mouth Ah can actually agree with,” Applejack said with a sharp glare. “Anyhow, besides the main church, there were a couple of other things there. A music room, with all kinds of musical instruments, many of which Ah’d never seen before. Also a Sunday school. Good for the kids, if there were any.”

“Thank heavens there aren’t,” Rarity said, holding a hand to her breast. “Awful enough this game was held with adults. Could you imagine Monoponi forcing children to go through with it too?”

My whole body shivered at the thought. “Speaking of the music room, I found a guitar in there.” I saw Adagio’s eyes widen substantially with alarm and her body tense up, so I reined in what I’d been about to say. “It was mine. Had my name on it.”

“Really?” Rarity asked, arching an eyebrow. She hummed and propped up her chin with her hand. “I wonder. Might it be there are other instruments there that belong to the rest of us? We should check when we get the chance.”

“Nevermind that,” Tiara said, pushing forward the book she’d held shut and close to herself during the whole chat. “There wasn’t anything else we found, right? No? Good. Then I need to show you all this.” As she opened it, her face shot up to fire off the harshest, most hateful scowl I’d seen her bear, right at Adagio of all people. “It’s got to do with the siren among us.”

“Oh, I almost forgot about that!” Scootaloo breathed as she looked between Adagio, then at the book. “I figured if Sunset trusts her, I’d trust her.”

“Ah won’t,” Applejack snorted, turning her dark glare on the siren. “But then, Ah did have my life threatened by her.”

Rarity scoffed. “Like that would be much of a loss.”

“All of you shut up,” Adagio ordered, her demeanor tensing further, albeit her expression was still unreadable. “What do you have, Tiara?”

Tiara turned it around and pushed it forward. “It’s a photo album. A big one. The photos date to late 2014. And there’s a lot of familiar faces in them.”

As I took in the details of the photos, my jaw dropped further and further till it was scraping the ground from my astonishment. “Holy shit.”

The photos featured a high school, one familiar to all of us. Canterlot High. Several of the pictures featured various students, with plenty of familiar faces, like Tiara said. There was a picture of Tiara standing next to some silver-haired girl, wearing an outfit surprisingly similar to her current one. There was another with Trixie hogging the camera while Wallflower Blush lurked in the background. Flash Sentry featured in another one, next to a group of unfamiliar boys. Several other pictures of various groups of people I didn’t recognize, all of whom were either wearing matched outfits and carrying musical instruments. Then there was one of Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo, unmistakable despite their younger age and utterly bizarre choice of costumes. Seriously, were they going for some kind of weird 80s metal band vibe?

But then there were the pictures. These featured two prominent groups. One was a trio of girls, two unfamiliar faces led by what was unmistakably Adagio Dazzle. In every picture, those three were singing or sauntering or otherwise looking smug and, frankly, more than a little evil. But the other group? That was what took my breath away.

I knew, abstractly, that I’d been familiar with Twilight Sparkle and her alternate pony self. I knew, abstractly, that I probably had known of or even befriended many of the others. But it was one thing to think that in abstract terms, and another to see proof. There I was, standing to the side in many of the pictures, cheering on Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity as they played music together on stage, with a proud emblem on Pinkie’s set of drums reading “The Rainbooms.”

In most of these pictures, there were hanging signs of one sort or another, mentioning a Battle of the Bands. This must’ve been some event we all participated in, but why were Adagio and her sisters there? As soon as I thought that though, I received my answer.

Every picture we’d seen so far was a brief snapshot, a glimpse, on the first few pages. The rest of the album was taken up by scores of photos, almost like a frame by frame video. Adagio and her sisters up on an outdoor stage in front of the entire school’s population, singing away while transforming, gaining scaly, somewhat ephemeral wings and cat pupil eyes, while summoning up wave after wave of magic to take control over the crowd. Red gemstones on their necks gleamed bright with charged power as they drained the emotions from those around them.

And then the pictures switched focus, to Twilight Sparkle leading Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash while up on the hill above the crowd. I was there too, like I was offering moral support. Then they began to play, and they transformed too, their hair growing like crazy to form mock tails, their ears disappearing to be replaced by pony ones atop their heads. Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Twilight even grew wings to match!

What followed was a blow by blow of magical song warfare. Adagio’s group summoned up avatars of their siren selves, blasting the Rainbooms with sonic force, while the Rainbooms shot back with their own magic, using the power of their instruments, or in Twilight’s case, her voice. Then the sirens overwhelmed them with one sustained blast of overwhelming song power, scattering the Rainbooms and leaving them helpless.

Except for me. Twilight reached out to me, begged me to help, and I took up the mike. As my own song poured from my lips, the song I knew had to be the one I’d started singing back in the church, the Rainbooms recovered, and joined me. Magic flowed through me till I transformed just like them, long hair and pony ears. We rose up as a single force into the sky, with me in the middle, calling upon the might of our magical song to summon up our own avatar, a mighty alicorn. With the power of harmony on our side we destroyed the siren’s avatars… and shattered their necklaces.

As Diamond Tiara showed us the last picture, she pointed at Adagio. “See! She was evil! She tried to take over the whole school! It was only thanks to Sunset she was stopped!”

It was me, I realized, my horror growing by the second. I shattered Adagio’s necklace. I took away her ability to sing! It was me!

I faced Adagio, trying desperately to find the words to apologize, to say I was sorry, to speak anything other than shocked, muted silence. But the words weren’t there. My throat closed up, my tongue like a lead weight, unable to be moved. All I could do was gape, and splutter unintelligible noise.

Adagio… I thought I’d seen anger on her face before. Hurt. Betrayal even. The cold wintry gaze of a predator, the fury of a love scorned. But no. I had seen nothing compared to what I saw now.

She’d fallen backwards out of her chair, flat onto her back, only to roll over on her side and stand up. Her hands were raised up in that familiar claw-shape, her eyes scanning between us as if expecting an attack from every angle. Her movements were frantic, fast-paced, with zero hesitation. Her expression had shifted to a violent anger, burning like a raging inferno, her eyes flashing with eerie red light every few seconds like she was trying to summon up whatever magic she had left. When her gaze fell upon me, it flooded me with every last bit of rage, hurt, and outright perceived deception and disloyalty on my part. The sight filled me with so much fear, my pony instincts screaming and clamoring for attention about how they were right all along, that she was going to kill me on the spot.

“You,” she snarled, her voice shifting between her usual voice and that creepy echoing reverb she’d put on in the church. “You’re the one who took away my magic!” She took two steps forward, her arms raised to strike. “Did you know about this?!”

“No! I didn’t know! Adagio, I didn’t know, I swear!” I babbled as I hopped out of my chair and backed up, my knees buckling like crazy, every limb loose and wavy like I’d collapse into a pile of limp noodles at the slightest touch. “I would’ve told you if I knew!”

“You’re lying!” Adagio screamed, stepping forward again. “I trusted you! I loved you! What else was a lie?! Was every… thing…” Adagio trailed off, her eyes losing focus, the glow fading. She took a few steps back, her legs shaking. “Was… was… it all a lie?” She shook her head rapidly like a dog, trying to shake loose cobwebs. Her stance steadied, the dizziness fading. “Was it, Sunset?”

“No, I’m telling you the truth, Adagio! I didn’t know anything about this. If I did I--”

Adagio roared and closed the distance fast, face to face with me before I could blink. I shrieked and fell over onto my back while she loomed over me. “To think I let a pony corrupt me the way you did. You used me. You took advantage of my fear, and filled my head with lies. You tried to turn me into, into one of you!” She reared back with her leg and kicked me full force in the stomach, forcing the wind out of me in a sudden rush of intense pain. “I am a siren! I am not a pony. I am not human. I am nothing like you!”

“Okay, that’s enough!” Applejack shouted, leaping up to her feet.

Rarity joined her, adopting her martial arts stance. “Don’t you dare harm another hair on Sunset’s head!”

“Rrrgh!” Adagio whirled on them, turning her back on me. “Stay out of this! This is between Sunset and me. No one else!”

“Adagio…!” I gasped, wheezing for air. I’d curled up around my stomach, grabbing at it with my hands. Waves of agony crashed through my body, making the struggle to speak even more difficult. “Please… listen… I didn’t… I would never…”

Her foot slammed into my stomach again. Stars filled my vision as I grunted, unable to breath. My lungs screamed for oxygen, and everything turned grey.

By the time I’d recovered and managed to breathe, Adagio was gone. She’d stomped off somewhere, presumably. Rarity and Scootaloo were leaning down behind me at either shoulder. “How’re you feeling, darling?” Rarity asked as she gently stroked my cheek.

I took in a breath and grimaced, a groan of pain escaping my lips. “F-fuck, that hurts,” I moaned.

Scootaloo stepped around me and placed her hand forward. “I’m going to feel your stomach, okay?” she said. When I nodded, she went ahead and laid her hand flat on my belly. “Does this hurt?”

“No, it--Aaaugh!” I cried as she pushed deep into the left side of my stomach, right at the bottom of my rib cage. “God that hurts!”

“Woah, okay, so you’ve got a cracked rib then,” Scootaloo said, yanking her hand away like it had touched fire. She tried to give me a reassuring smile. “I’m going to have to check the rest. This’ll probably hurt.”

I took in another breath, grunting from the sharp pain. “Fine. Get it over--eeergn!” She’d pressed into the rib above it, and that one hurt even more, if anything. Then she tested the next one, which hurt less, and then the next, which barely hurt at all. “I think it’s just the bottom two,” I grunted as she pressed at the rib right below my breast.

“Okay. Two cracked ribs then.” Scootaloo withdrew her hand and smiled apologetically. “Sorry about the pain.”

“‘S’ fine. Not your fault.”

Rarity slowly reached under my shoulders. “Try to sit up, Sunset. Easy now. Use me for support.” With her help, I managed to sit up enough that my head was laying against her abdomen. She leaned over just enough to look down at me, flashing me an upside down smile. “There you go. Better?”

“A little,” I murmured as I relaxed, trying to ease my breathing. Every breath hurt like my lungs were wrapped up in razor wire, but by taking it slowly I managed to ease the pain.

Another hand touched mine. I looked up to see Trixie sitting down next to Rarity, reaching out to offer support. She looked furious, though not with me. “Trixie cannot believe Adagio treated you that way, Sunset. She is deeply sorry.”

I heard the rushing of fast moving footsteps before Diamond Tiara entered my field of view, toting a small plastic bag. “I got you some pain meds, Sunset,” she said, panting heavily. “Acetomi-whatever and codeine.”

“Acetaminophen,” I corrected gently as I reached up for the bag. I opened it up, and fumbled with the pill bottle till I popped off the cap. Before I took it, I frowned. “Anyone have any--”

“Here, sorry,” Applejack said, bending down to hand me an unopened bottle of water.

I muttered a quick thank you, twisted open the bottle, and swallowed the pill. Afterwards, I asked, “Where’d Adagio go?”

“Dunno,” Tiara answered. She held her body tense, like she was expecting to be attacked. Or yelled at. “Look, I’m sorry, it was my fault she--”

“No!” I cut her off, then groaned as a fresh wave of pain rolled through me. “No, no, it’s not your fault. That was all her.”

“Well for what it’s worth, Ah think she went stompin’ off to her cabin,” Applejack said. “Ah’m hopin’ she’s goin’ to soak her fat head, because Ah’m ready to do it for her if she doesn’t.”

“Indeed,” Rarity sniffed, though she looked more than a little displeased to be agreeing with Applejack. “I cannot believe someone who claims to love you would act out in such a manner. It was entirely uncalled for.”

Diamond Tiara snorted as she collapsed into a chair. “Shows she can’t be trusted! If she tried to take over a whole school, what else is she capable of?”

“Trixie knew Adagio was an awful person from the start,” Trixie said, every word drenched in hot anger. “This is why Trixie tried to rescue Sunset, because she was scared.”

“Well, as far as I’m concerned Trixie, you can consider yourself forgiven, at least by me,” Rarity said, reaching out to pat Trixie’s shoulder. “You’ve shown nothing but contrition and remorse for your actions.”

“Yeah, yeah, you know what?” I said, trying to sit up further and only managing to smack my head against Rarity’s stomach. Wow, her abs are hard as a rock. “Me too. I forgive you too, Trixie. I think even Pinkie would.”

Trixie’s eyes watered as she looked upon us, balling up both hands and clasping them to her chest. “You, you mean it? Truly? You forgive Trixie?”

Tiara scowled at both of us, shaking her head slowly. “I’m not ready to forgive anyone yet.”

“Sorry, but me neither. Just ‘cause the siren’s provin’ to be an ass don’t mean we start trustin’ the one in our group who got away with murder,” Applejack said sharply. “If you’re thinkin’ Ah’d be okay with lettin’ Trixie roam free now, forget it.”

Scootaloo blew a sigh out through her teeth as she clutched for her hair. “Sorry, Trixie, but I’m with AJ. Besides, if Adagio’s on the warpath… she might try to kill you. You’re safer locked up.”

“Mmm, they might be right, darling,” Rarity agreed after a moment. “For your safety, you understand.”

Oh come on you guys. Just because she kicked me in the stomach a couple of times… and screamed about how I betrayed her, and tried to use magic, and fight us all, and… damn it. “Sorry, Trixie,” I grunted. “But they’re not wrong. If she tries to hurt you… you’re more vulnerable than any of us. I don’t want you to die.”

“O-oh.” Trixie’s face fell. “Of course. Trixie understands.”

I squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Hey, like I said, I forgive you.”

She shifted her position on the floor to be closer to me, a small smile briefly gracing her face. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Maybe we should lock Adagio up too!” Tiara declared, glaring down the promenade in the general direction of the church. “If she’s going crazy I don’t want her hurting anyone.”

My eyes widened in panic. “N-no! You can’t.”

Sneering down at me, Tiara replied, “If this is because of your relationship--”

“No, no, it’s because if you try,” I said, managing to push through the pain more easily thanks to the drugs. “She might actually kill someone.”

“I think Sunset’s got a point,” Scootaloo said in agreement. She rubbed at the bottom of her chin. “Hrm, we should probably give her as much space as we can. Maybe she’ll calm down enough to talk.”

“Well, if it’s all the same to y’all, Ah ain’t gonna risk being defenseless anymore,” Applejack said. She strode away into the sporting goods store, emerging after a moment carting an aluminium baseball bat. “Ah’m good with my fists, but Ah ain’t about to let her get within’ bitin’ distance again.

Rarity took one look at the bat and harrumphed. “Of course a brute such as yourself would go for something so… inelegant. I’d rather have a foil. Or a sword.” Her eyes brightened as she snapped her fingers. “Diamond Tiara, do you know what happened to the swords Trixie used for her magic act?”

Tiara’s mouth spread into a sinister smile. “I do. I’ve got them in my room. Why? You want one?”

“If you would, please,” Rarity requested politely.

“Uuuuh, is that really a good idea?” Scootaloo inquired, looking at all of us with disbelief etched on her face. “If you’re defending yourself with a sword, or a bat, won’t that make it more likely you’d kill her by mistake?”

Rarity shook her head gently. “Not at all. I wish to have the sword as a deterrent.”

“Same with my bat,” Applejack agreed, eliciting another dark glare from the seamstress. “Ah ain’t gonna bash her head in. Ah’m gonna use it to keep her from doin’ anythin’ stupid.”

“And if she forces you to fight?” Scootaloo pressed. “What’re you going to do? Drop them? Throw them at her?”

“Something like that,” Applejack answered as she ran her finger along the bat.

“It’s not the best idea, but it’s better than going undefended,” Rarity added.

My heart sank further with every word they spoke about self-defense. Was this what Monoponi meant by his threat? Was that why he gave us the photo album? To cause this level of chaos? To set us against each other? To punish me?

It sure as hell feels like it.

“Maybe you’re right, Rarity,” Scootaloo admitted. “I dunno about using a sword, but maybe I should go get a bat.” She stood off her chair. “‘Scuse me.”

Rarity turned to Diamond Tiara. “What about you, Diamond? If you’d like, I could instruct you on how to use a sword effectively.”

“Sounds good to me,” Tiara said. She glared down at her Monopad. “Look, you know what guys? It’s late. We’re all tired. Why don’t we get some more sleep?”

“Agreed,” I said. I reached out to the table leg and tried to pull myself up by it. I only succeeded in causing a sudden burst of pain through my chest. “Damn it!”

Rarity patted my shoulder. “Oh here, let me help you.” She turned me around on the floor and had me take both her hands in mine. With a great heave she had me up on my feet. “There you go.”

I keep forgetting how strong Rarity is. Good grief. “Thanks.”

Rarity offered her arm. “If you’d like, I can walk with you, make sure you get back safely.”

“Uh, sure, sure, that sounds great,” I said, opting to link arms with the seamstress.

We walked together at a languid pace, to spare me further stress on my ribs. Trixie stayed with us until she had to break off to her own cabin. Since I still had the key, I made sure to lock the door once she went in, then gave it to a waiting Tiara. Then with Rarity’s help, I entered my room, only realizing as I did so that I'd left the door unlocked. Again. Damn it. So as I went in, I glanced around, keeping an eye out in case Adagio was hanging about, prepared to shriek at me some more. But she wasn’t there.

...for that matter, neither was my guitar. At least, not in the state I’d left it in. “Oh no,” I moaned as I took in the damage. The guitar had been smashed apart against my desk, beat up over and over until it was little more than a stick. The strings had been slashed apart, and the neck cut up into pieces. I reached into the pile of remaining refuse and palmed a handful of wood chips, letting them run through my fingers. “She ruined it.”

“Oh my heavens,” Rarity gasped. “That wasn’t the only thing she ruined! Look!” She pointed at the closet.

I looked in to see that rather than the neat, organized racks of identical shirts, skirts, pants, and jackets, I had a large pile of shredded cloth, leather, and denim. She’d taken the time to slice up every last spare piece of clothing until there was little left to salvage. Even the robe and pajamas were destroyed. This is unreal! It was one thing to destroy the guitar. I get that. But my clothes too? I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed. “Did she destroy anything else? What about the bathroom?”

Rarity took a brief look inside. “The shampoo and conditioner were dumped all over the place. She made an awful mess.”

“God,” I groaned, falling over onto the bed despite the stabbing pains that ensued from my ribs. Then I sat up just as quickly, feeling a sense of panic run through me. “She didn’t put anything in the bed, did she? Like a hidden knife, or something?”

Rarity checked it out, moving a hand carefully over it all before shaking her head. “No. Just vandalism, thank goodness. The bed is safe.”

“Good.” I lowered myself back down to lay on the pillow. Exhaustion fed by the drugs I’d taken for the pain wormed within me, luring me with promises of restful sleep. “Thanks, Rarity, for the help.”

“Of course, darling,” Rarity said. She made some sort of humming noise with her voice. “Um, if you’ll allow me to suggest… I’m not sure it’s safe for you to be alone right now. If you’d like, I could… stay with you? To keep you safe, of course.”

Sigh. Suuure, that’s why you want to stay, Rarity. It can’t be you’re crushing on me and seeing this as the perfect opportunity to swoop in and carry me away. I chuckled quietly into my pillow. But she’s probably right. I thought Adagio was just pissed, but if she was doing all this damage to my room, she’s dangerous. She’s a threat. The humor fell away from my heart, replaced by hurt and sorrow. I didn’t know. I didn’t. I would’ve told her if I did. I never, ever wanted to use you, Adagio. I’m sorry.

Maybe she’ll be calmer tomorrow. Maybe we can work this out. We can try, anyway.

“Um, Sunset? Sunseeet? Did you fall asleep?”

“Huh?” I looked up just enough to see Rarity leaning over me, a finger ready to prod at my shoulder. “Um. Yeah. You can stay. If you want.”

Rarity made a happy squealing noise and leapt for joy. “Oh, wonderful!” Then she blanched, somehow paling despite her alabaster skin tone, and shrank back into herself, her smile turning sheepish. “Um. I mean, I’m glad to help. Excuse me for a moment. I need to go get the sword Tiara promised me. I’ll be right back.”

I heard her footsteps heading out the door, and the quiet click of the door shutting and latching. Not for the first time, I wished the doors locked automatically when they were closed, instead of staying unlocked for easy access. Seriously, with how high tech everything else is on this boat, why don’t the cabins use keycards? Or keyless buttons? Or hell, run our Monopad on them? No, we have to have regular plain old metal keys.

Soon, sooner than I expected, I heard the doorknob rustle. A frisson of fear trickled down my spine. Was it Adagio? Was she coming back to hurt me? Or maybe--

No, it was just Rarity, with her sword. The Qilinese dao sword looked absurd in her hands, just a bit too long and too thick to seem like something she’d be able to wield. But Rarity carried it like it was effortless, despite her own exhaustion. She locked the door as soon as she entered, then stepped forward, setting the sword down on the desk. “I’m back,” she said, waving. “Go ahead and get some sleep, Sunset. I’m going to clean up the bathroom for us. I refuse to go to bed without taking a proper shower, and I cannot abide such a filthy mess.”

“You don’t have to do that,” I objected straight away, sitting up in bed despite the pain. “I can take care of it.”

“Nonsense,” Rarity objected with a quick shake of her head. “You’re hurt. You need to rest. The last thing you need is to be on your hands and knees scrubbing at the floor.” She cringed for a moment before schooling her face back into a polite smile. “I’ll take care of it for you. Don’t worry.”

“Okay,” I murmured, falling back against the pillow. “Thanks again.” She’s so generous. I like that a lot about her.

Before long, I’d descended into the depths of slumber. Nonsensical images fluttered through my dreams. Giant guitars passing out bowls of soup to large crowds. Dozens of Adagios all struggling over a single red gem. Diamond Tiara up on a stage telling jokes to a laughing crowd. Myself, laying on a bed made out of prayer mats, incense visibly wafting through the air, waved about with great big fans in the arms of several Raritys, all of whom wore three piece suits. Scootaloo sitting in a grassy field, surrounded by all sorts of butterflies. Applejack, punching a giant apple tree to cause apples to plummet into six different baskets surrounding it.

Then I was pulled out of sleep by a weight falling onto the bed, shaking it a bit before settling. “Rarity?” I mumbled.

“Yes, darling, it’s just me,” Rarity answered. “I’m sorry if I woke you. I was trying not to.”

“S’okay.” I reached out to pat her shoulder a few times, not really looking at what I was doing. “I don’t mind.”

Rarity took in a sharp, sudden breath. “U-uh-um, Sunset,” she breathed, her voice trembling, “you should try to be a bit more… careful with your hands.”

I blinked, and looked up enough to see where my hand landed. Then my face burned like fire as I snatched my hand away from her boob. “Oh shit, sorry!” I said, stuffing both hands under myself where they couldn’t reach her. “I seriously didn’t mean to do that.”

For the briefest of moments, Rarity’s eyelids drooped to half mast, her lips spreading in a sultry smile. Then it was gone, replaced by embarrassment as stark on her face as it was on mine. “No need to worry, Sunset. I know you didn’t.” She turned away from me, laying on her side. “We should get some sleep.”

“Right, right.” I rolled over myself till I was lying on my back, because being on my side put waaay too much pressure on my ribs.

Then sleep reclaimed me, and I knew nothing til dawn.

Author's Note

Rarity likes to think she's subtle. She isn't.

As for that whole "Will she find out who took her magic" question? ...yes. Yes she has. :raritydespair:

By the way, if you haven't already seen it, I wrote up an alternate bad ending scenario for Chapter Three's trial and placed it in a blog post. You can find it here. It's very dark, with a sad ending, as you'd expect, so be aware of that.

Chapter Five: Whistle for the Wind Part 3

Chapter Five
Whistle for the Wind
Daily Life Part 3

I awoke with a start from nightmares of Adagio chasing me with a knife down endless corridors lined by guitar shaped torch sconces. It wasn’t yet dawn, judging by the lack of light out the porthole window. My ribs ached like crazy, but at least my breathing wasn’t as painful as it had been last night. There was a pressure on my back and shoulders, and a warmth around my waist. In the darkness I couldn’t tell what it was, so I felt around my stomach and discovered a pair of hands wrapped around me. I tensed up, afraid for a moment I was under attack.

Then I remembered Rarity offered to stay the night and relaxed a tad. I reached down to gently detach her hands, ignoring the slight mumbling noise she made in her sleep, and stood up out of bed. I tried to stretch, but wow that was a mistake, because pain rippled up and down my whole torso like jets of flame. Still, I was able to walk, and made it into the bathroom to use the toilet and back out again.

I left the bathroom door open just a crack, enough to light my way so I could find my Monopad. Checking the time, I saw it was 5:22 AM. Way the hell early, but I’d had enough sleep for now.

It was only once I checked my closet for a fresh pair of clothes to wear after a shower that I remembered Adagio’s vandalism. I had nothing wearable save the outfit I was already wearing. Well, that, and the tracksuit I’d bought a while back for exercise. Not ideal, but at least it was clean.

I took it in with me to the bathroom and showered, enjoying the spray of hot water on my torso as it helped to soothe some of the aches. I desperately wished to swallow some more pain medicine, but I didn’t want to take it on an empty stomach. I needed food.

By the time I emerged from the shower, Rarity had sat up in bed, and was rubbing at her eyes. “Oh, good morning, Sunset!” she said, jerking in surprise when she saw me. She made a face at the sight of my tracksuit. “Oh dear. Was that all you had?”

“The only thing clean, yeah,” I said, a bit of irritation leaking into my voice. I don’t need you judging my choice of clothes right now.

She arched her eyebrows at my tone, then her face shifted to an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean any offense by that. If anything, I’m furious on your behalf. You shouldn’t be deprived of clothing.” She hummed to herself, giving me a once over, then nodded. “Alright. I’ll have to fix that for you. You’ll probably want something a bit more practical than the evening dress I made before.”

“No, it’s okay, you don’t have to do that,” I said. “There’s plenty of stuff I can buy from the sporting goods store. I can get a few t-shirts and sets of shorts. It’ll be fine.”

“Ah, well, darling, if that’s what you want,” Rarity replied with a pronounced cringe, “then I won’t stand in your way.”

Feeling a bit too annoyed from the combination of pain and hunger worming its way through my belly, I rolled my eyes at that and muttered a brief, “Thanks, I’ll try to remember that.”

Rarity nodded, though for a moment I saw hurt reflected in her sapphire blue eyes before she schooled it away. “Of course.” She pulled out her own Monopad and checked the time. “Hmm. Quite early, but I suppose we could still get some breakfast, if you’d like.”

“Yes, please,” I answered, stuffing my Monopad into my backpack and slipping it on. I brought out my keys, ready to lock the door on my way out. I did not want to forget to do that again.

I waited for Rarity to grab her sword off my desk, and then we departed for the promenade. “You know,” I said as I watched her awkwardly carry it around in her hand, “you might want to make a belt for that.”

“Oh I intend to, as soon as I get the opportunity.” Rarity didn’t look at me when she talked, keeping her eyes peeled on our surroundings. “I’d rather not wear out my arm carrying it all day.”

Once we reached the restaurants, Rarity asked me to sit down so she could fetch me my meal. “I don’t want to make you carry the tray around,” she said, insisting on it.

I can fend for myself, Rarity… but thanks. I conceded and allowed her to get my food. We sat down together at the standard meeting table. No one else was up yet, so we had it to ourselves. Despite my annoyance, once I took the first bite of food I found myself greedily scarfing down the rest. Every bite was like manna from the gods, utterly delicious. I washed it down with a piping hot cup of black coffee, savoring the bitter burn as it trickled down my throat.

Rarity tittered as she watched me eat. “Goodness. I haven’t seen someone wolf down food like that since… well, nevermind.” She took a sip of her own coffee and then savored a bite of her pancakes. “Feeling a little better now?”

“A little,” I admitted. I dug into my backpack and popped out my set of pills. I took one, swallowing it with the last of my coffee. The drugs kicked in swiftly, easing the pain of breathing from a trio of knives stabbing my lungs every second to something more like a slap in the face. Still hurt, but not as bad.

“Well, I’m glad to hear it. Do you have any plans for your day?” Rarity asked as she took another bite of food.

I sat back, thinking about my answer. “Um, well… it’s probably stupid, but I wanted to try to talk to Adagio.”

Rarity sat up straight, setting her fork down on her plate. “You’re right,” she replied. “That is stupid. Adagio clearly wants nothing to do with you anymore. Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“No. But I want to do it anyway,” I answered. “I’m hoping she’s calmed down enough so we can talk things out. I’m… really pissed she hit me, and even more that she messed up my room and destroyed my guitar, but…”

“But you still care about her,” Rarity finished for me, a note of sadness entering her voice.

“Well, yeah,” I said. A blush came to my cheeks. “We just told each other we love each other for the first time a couple of days ago. She’s not a bad person. She’s--”

“Not human,” Rarity interrupted, fixing me with a stern glare. “She’s a siren.”

My hackles rose on my neck as I glared right back at her. “I’m not human either, in case you forgot.”

Rarity closed her eyes, took a breath, then schooled her face into polite contrition. “Forgive me, I wasn’t intending to be racist.”

“No, I know what you meant,” I said, waving it off. “I get it. She’s not human. She’s not even a pony. She’s a siren. But I know she’s got the ability to be good. I’ve seen it in her. I’ve helped her change.”

Rarity nodded, though one side of her mouth turned down. Her voice quivered as she replied, “Of course, of course. She’s important to you.” She attempted a smile, though it was strained at best. “If you need support, or someone nearby to feel safe, I would be happy to accompany you.”

I turned away from her for a moment so she wouldn’t see my face. Rarity, I know what you’re doing. You’re scared. You’re feeling lonely. You’ve lost your sister, you’ve disowned your wife, and now you’re trying to cling to whatever comfort you can find. I’m happy to be your friend, and if things don’t work out with Adagio then… maybe. But I won’t take advantage of you, and if I gave in now that’s what I’d be doing.

I turned back to her and smiled. “Thanks, Rarity. I’d appreciate that.”

I waited for Rarity to finish her breakfast, and then we spent some time chatting. I did my best to keep the conversation light and away from any sensitive subjects. Sometime after 6:00 AM the others drifted in, apart from Trixie. I did briefly spot Adagio grabbing a meal from one of the restaurants before heading right back to her cabin, and I let her be. If I was going to confront her, I wanted it to be when she was prepared for it.

I pulled out my Monopad around 6:45 so I could draft a text to her. Adagio, I wrote, I want you to know I am truly sorry. I’d like to speak with you if I may, to clear the air. Wherever you’d like to meet up and when. I’m not picky.

I received a short reply moments later. Fine. I’ll hear you out. Fitness center, pool area, noon. Come alone. Tell no one or the deal’s off.

Tapping out a quick affirmation, I sent it off. Then, because I didn’t want everyone at the table knowing what was happening, I wrote out a new one to Rarity. Adagio’s meeting with me at the fitness center pool at noon. She says I should come alone.

I watched Rarity’s face twist into confusion as her pad bleeped. She pulled it out, looked at my text, then fixed me with a concerned glare. She opened her mouth to respond but I quickly shook my head and pointed back at the pad. Sighing, she looked down and soon I received her response. You’d better not go alone! This could be a trap!

Biting off the sarcastic “no shit” that came to mind, I replied instead, I know. I don’t intend to. I’ll go in the main way. You come from the locker room. Be ready.

Rarity made a quiet whimpering noise as she typed out, Maybe we should get backup. Say, Scootaloo?

No. I don’t want to scare her away. We show up with a posse, she’ll run, and I won’t get a second try. Just keep out of sight when you arrive. I can handle myself long enough to let you act if necessary.

Rarity’s lips thinned before forming a frustrated pout as she scowled at me. I refused to move, so after a moment she sighed again. Very well. But be careful! Please. I don’t want you to get hurt.

DING-DONG BING-BONG

“Uh, it’s a bit early for the morning announcement, isn’t it?” Diamond Tiara said, looking up from her breakfast.

“Betcha it’s Monoponi beggin’ us to come see him,” Applejack drawled.

Sure enough, Monoponi’s grinning face appeared on the screens. Like last night, his desk was full of cheap, unhealthy snacks taken right out of the bargain bin. Even his table and chair had been replaced with cheaper, lower quality goods, which unnerved me a little to see. “Gooood morning, my dear passengers. Looks like you’re all up and about, so why don’t you come on down to your Captain’s bridge deck. I’ve got a lovely new activity you’re sure to enjoy!”

Scootaloo collapsed face first into her bowl of oatmeal. “So sick of this.”

“We all are, darling,” Rarity said, pulling Scootaloo up out of her oatmeal and using a napkin to wipe off her face.

Scootaloo grumbled but acquiesced to the assisted cleanup, then stood from her chair, grabbing up the wooden baseball bat she must’ve purchased the previous evening. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

“I’ll get Trixie,” Tiara said. She’d rigged her own sword in some kind of makeshift strap around her chest, balancing it on her back. It looked ridiculous and like it was prone to fall off at any minute.

“Ah’ll go with you. Make sure she don’t do nothin’,” Applejack said, carting her own bat on her shoulder.

Rarity snorted as she shot out of her chair. “That’s entirely unnecessary. Trixie is not going to ‘do’ anything!”

“Exactly,” Applejack said with a backwards wave of her hand as she walked off.

“Oooooh!” Rarity’s face turned beat red as she shook with sudden anger. “Applejack, you…”

“Come on, let’s get going,” I said, taking up her hand in mine and gently tugging it. “You can be mad at Applejack later.”

We all arrived at the bridge deck in fairly rapid succession, with Tiara, AJ, and Trixie not far behind. Adagio was the last to arrive, and she stayed as far away from the rest of us as she could. She hid her face by looking away, but before she did I saw the brief widening of her eyes as she spotted how many weapons were on display.

Monoponi stepped onto the balcony barely a moment later, stretching his wings to the sky. The morning sunlight streamed across the deck, bathing us all in a warm glow. Fluffy white clouds dotted the otherwise crystal clear blue sky. If it weren’t for the alicorn before us, I’d think it was a perfect day on the sea. “Ah, good! You were prompt. No tardiness. No people talking in the corridor for fifteen minutes before finally deining to show us their ugly little faces.” He leaned over the balcony railing and glanced between us. “Oh my! So many weapons! I sure hope you’re not planning a mutiny.” His lips spread into a nasty, sadistic grin. “You wouldn’t like the results.”

“No one’s planning anything,” Tiara answered, stepping forward and pointing her sword out at Monoponi like it was an extension of her finger. “What do you want this time?”

He hopped off the balcony and floated down to the deck, landing quietly before calmly walking up to look me over from several angles. I stiffened as he approached, despite the increased pain that caused my chest. “Oh dear. Sunset Shimmer, you seem to be injured! Isn’t that a shame? It’s almost as if your Captain warned you something like this would happen.” He fell back onto his rump and slapped both forehooves on his barrel. “Ahahaha! You deserve it too, for the way you treated me at the trial!”

“Hey!” Rarity cried. She took a few steps towards us, her sword held at her side, unsheathed. “Aren’t you going to heal Sunset? You were so keen to heal all of us the other day.”

“First of all,” Monoponi replied as he hopped up on all four hooves, “Don’t demand things from your Captain! It’s rude! Second of all…” He shot forward like a rocket till he was right in front of her, the sword ripped from her hand instantly by his magic and held up to point at her throat. “Don’t threaten me.”

Rarity gasped, her hands shooting up in surrender. She shook in place like a leaf, staring down at the point of the sword poking into her neck. “I-I-I-I wasn’t!” she squeaked. “I wouldn’t dream of it!”

Monoponi held the sword there for a moment longer, then dropped it at her feet. “Good,” he said as he took to the air and landed back on his balcony. “So, moving on to the reason I brought you all here. Ahem.” He ruffled a hoof into his mane, withdrew a piece of paper from… somewhere… and then lit up his horn to hold it in front of him. “Your Captain has done everything he could to ensure you’re all enjoying the facilities you’ve become accustomed to. To giving you the best food, the tastiest beverages, the most fun activities, the freest of goods for you to purchase at no charge to yourself. Until now, that is.”

His horn fired off a jet of light, and all our pads bleeped. I pulled mine out straight away to check it. I hadn’t been expecting a new motive. I figured he wouldn’t bother. What is he pulling this… time… what the crap?!

On our pads, a new app had appeared, with a symbol that looked suspiciously like an Equestrian bit. Pressing it brought up an interface like an app for a bank account, only this one featured Monoponi’s leering face and the words “Monocoin Currency” scrawled along the top like the name of a financial institution. It also listed my name, a list of charges up to the point from everything I’d scanned on the pad, and showed a remaining account balance of one hundred coins.

“What in tarnation is this?” Applejack demanded, holding up her pad.

“Upupu, what does it look like to you?” Monoponi replied.

Diamond Tiara’s face screwed up, utterly nonplussed. “It’s like a debit card or something.”

“Precisely,” Monoponi said gleefully. “That’s exactly what it is. Your Captain has decided you morons have had far too many goodies to enjoy. It’s made you soft! Spoiled! Disrespectful! Well, no more of that. Let’s see how you feel when you have to pay for every little thing you use on this ship.” He held up his hoof and tapped it to his horn. The hidden turrets popped out of their hiding holes and took aim at us, whirring every so often to show they were ready to fire. I heard similar noises coming from the promenade, and briefly glanced that way to see more guns appearing. As if he’d suddenly unveiled every gun on the ship.

“B-but, but, I’ve never had to worry about money before!” Tiara blurted in a sudden panic. “How do we know what things cost?”

Applejack looked at Tiara, her lips quivering with repressed mirth. “Ah guess you’ll just have to learn like the rest of us have,” she said, her voice shaking as she held in her laughter.

This is ridiculous, I thought to myself. Why is he giving us another motive? This would be the fifth case, if another murder happens. Those are motiveless. Why bother now? Why not just leave us to our own devices?

I considered what we’d seen so far, and remembered what he said about making the alternate Twilight watch. Maybe he’s running out of time. Maybe the other Twilight is almost here, and he has to hurry to kill off as many of us as he can before she saves us. I still don’t get why he’d bother showcasing the game to her though. I don’t understand. It’s like he’s daring her to rescue us. But why?

“So!” Monoponi called out, bringing my attention back to him. “I’m sure you’re all dying to know if this is your new motive. Well it’s not! This isn’t going to end after the next trial. You’re stuck with this till I say otherwise! Maybe if you shits learn some proper respect, I’ll take away the punishment. Oh, and just because I know you morons will do this if I don’t prevent it…” His horn lit up and our pads beeped again.

I checked, and my heart sank when I saw a rule had been amended.

Rule #16: The shops will only be available from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM. After that, they will be closed. The restaurants, however, are available at any time and are automated. All items must be paid for with your own money. No food or items may be removed from shops or restaurants without first being paid for via Monopad. Stealing will not be tolerated!

“Are we gonna get more money?” Scootaloo asked. “Or are we stuck with what we’ve got?”

Monoponi held a hoof to his lips. “I miiiiight give you a daily stipend, upupu, if you’re good. And there might be a reward if you survive another trial. But other than that… nope. You’ve gotta live with what you have.”

Adagio’s hand shot up in the air. “Question, Monoponi,” she said in a tone so obnoxiously sweet it made me nauseous. “What if someone dies. Can we use their Monocoins to buy something then, since it’s not stealing to take their Monopad?”

“Huh.” Monoponi blinked, and tapped a forehoof to his chin. “Good question! You know what? Sure. Go nuts. If it gets people dying faster, your Captain is all for it!” He set his forehoof back down on the ground. “Well, I think that wraps everything up that your Captain has to say. Enjoy your Monocoins. Better not spend it all in one place! Ahahaha!”

With that, he vanished in a flash of light.

“Well, we’d better go see what kind of prices he’s charging,” Scootaloo declared, trudging towards the promenade with a defeated, hunched over stance. “Probably going to make us pay out the ass for anything from the restaurants…”

“Trixie agrees that’s likely,” Trixie said as she slowly ambled after her. “Trixie thinks we may have to eat ramen.”

“Ah sure hope not. Ah hate that stuff,” Applejack grunted as she followed close behind, keeping a careful eye on the illusionist.

I glanced towards Adagio, but she’d already disappeared. I guess she doesn’t care.

Diamond Tiara moved swiftly so she could walk right by side. “Sunset,” she said, her face contorted with anxiety, “you’ve got to help me. I’ve never had to worry about my spending money before.”

The image of Diamond Tiara of all people begging me for help almost caused me to break into laughter. The only thing stopping me was the harsh pain from my cracked ribs. “It’s not that hard. I’ll show you,” I replied;.

“Thanks,” she said sincerely, relief crossing her face. “I’m good with budgets and math, but that’s all with businesses spending millions, not my own spending. I uh… I get a lot of money from my daddy every month.”

“How much, exactly?”

Tiara’s cheeks flushed a violent pink as she looked away, staring at the floor. “...over fifteen thousand.”

“Over fifteen grand? A month? As an allowance?” Scootaloo gasped, looking back over her shoulder at us. “That’s insane!”

“Well it’s not an allowance!” Tiara spluttered, slapping her hands to her hips. “I-I-I do work for him! I help out. It’s not free!”

“Still!”

Rarity deliberately stepped between the two. “Now now, let’s not argue over this. We know Tiara comes from wealth. Let’s not pester the poor dear about it.”

Applejack let out a loud snort and muttered something about “high-falutin’ rich folk” under her breath. Rarity bristled at the comment, but didn’t say a word.

When we arrived at the restaurants, I decided to check the Qilinese place first, being one of the cheaper establishments. “Good grief!” I muttered when I saw some of the prices. Even the basic appetizers were twenty to thirty coins. A meal was closer to sixty. Then I checked the Prench restaurant and my eyes nearly popped out of my skull. “Three hundred!” I squeaked as I looked at one of the more expensive plates.

“They’re all so expensive,” Rarity said, cringing more at every new price she read.

Leaving the others to check the restaurants, I sped over to the convenience store, the only store that sold anything edible, if you don’t count the alcohol or marijuana snacks. Fortunately the prices in here were much easier on the eyes, like single coin sodas, or two coin bags of chips. Like Trixie said, the best price by far was the instant ramen, at three packages to a coin. And if all you eat is instant ramen, you’re going to feel like complete shit. Which means you’re more likely to make bad decisions. Like killing someone.

Great.

“Trixie sees our culinary choices are quite limited now,” commented Trixie as she ambled into the store. “She’s glad you fed her well when you had the chance.”

“Yeah me too,” I replied, scowling at the package of miso flavored ramen in my hand. I tossed it back on the shelf in disgust. “At least we have plenty of water. And we can use the restaurant kitchen equipment, even if we can’t touch the ingredients.”

“Trixie price checked some of them,” Trixie said, selecting a few packets of ramen and carrying them to the register. “A few of the vegetables are reasonable. We could still eat something green once a day.”

“That’s something, I suppose.” I glared back down at the ramen, then, with a groan, I scooped up a few of the less objectionable choices. “I used to eat this shit all the time, when I first came here from Equestria. I never wanted to do that again.”

Trixie gave a sanguine shrug. “We do what we need to do.”

After I took my purchases with me, I decided to check the sporting goods store, to search for a camping stove. Or a hotplate. I managed to find a good hotplate, surprisingly cheap too. I decided to buy two, one for myself and one for Trixie. The stoves came with complimentary pots, just big enough to boil a single block of noodles. It took up a good third of my remaining Monocoins, but it was worth it.

I immediately presented Trixie with the gift, before Applejack or Tiara could remember she was still running around free and lock her up again. Trixie took the hotplate in her hands, gave it a quick lookover, then her eyes watered up. “Sunset,” she breathed, before setting it down and moving to embrace me. “You’re so thoughtful, thank you.”

I gave it to her just in time too, because right afterwards, Applejack and Tiara scooped her up and dropped her off at her cabin. Afterwards, I met back up with Rarity, who offered again to make me some clothes, now that buying them was out of the question. “Though new fabric may be too expensive, I-I still have a lot of materials left over from other projects. A-and I might be able to afford more if needed? Perhaps?” She gave me a strained smile, which quickly faded into a grimace. "Or maybe not. But it's still worth doing!"

So I gave in, and agreed to let her make me a shirt or two, and a pair of pants. Enough to give me another outfit. Since I had little else to do other than spend time until my meeting with Adagio, I ended up accompanying her to the theater workshop, where she set up making clothes and chatting all the while. We talked about quite a few things: she shared moments from her childhood, I told her some things about Equestria. It was a pretty good time. Rarity was easy to talk to. Melodramatic, but pretty chill, once she relaxed. The longer we talked, the more animated she became, more cheerful. By the time noon rolled around, she’d even finished one of the shirts. It was a plain, simple affair, but it was a shirt.

But the time had come to meet up with Adagio, and I was not looking forward to it. I was more than a little worried Rarity might have to come rescue me. “Good luck,” she said as we split up at the entrance to the fitness center.

I walked through the rest of it, past the room where Rainbow Dash once faked Pinkie’s death, and tried not to notice how the place, like every other crime scene, had been rendered spotless by whatever Monoponi used to clean up the ship. There were turrets on the walls too, always aiming as I walked by. There were turrets everywhere now. He’d hidden what felt like hundreds of them all over, and they were now showing their face.

I passed by the squash court, hesitating in front of the door to the pool. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go in there. Not just because I hadn’t been in since investigating Pinkie’s body, but because I was afraid. Afraid if I opened this door I’d be attacked, or worse, killed. Afraid Adagio wouldn’t listen to reason. Afraid she’d already set a trap, and I’d die before I realized what was happening.

I took a deep breath, tried not to wince too bad from the resulting pain, and pushed open the door. As soon as I entered, my eyes darted about, seeking out any kind of potential trap. But there was nothing. All I saw was Adagio, sitting on one of the bleachers, at just the right angle to watch both entrances to the pool. She had her knife out, tossing it up in the air every so often and catching it by the hilt. “You’re late,” she said.

I quickly glanced at the sauna and locker room corridor, but I didn’t see Rarity. Not at first. Then I spotted the tiniest flash of purple, hiding just inside the hot tub room. “Sorry,” I answered, returning my gaze to Adagio so she didn’t see where I was looking. “It’s a bit hard for me to move around right now.” I deliberately exaggerated my wincing at every breath as I took a seat on the other side of the bleachers.

She eyed me, her eyes cold and dark, without a hint of the love I’d seen in them not a day earlier. Instead she considered me like she would a cockroach scuttling across the floor. “I broke your ribs, didn’t I?” she asked lightly, once again tossing her knife up in the air.

“Yes,” I hissed, irritation leaking into my tone despite my attempt to keep it steady. I saw her mouth quirk up in amusement, which just made me angrier. “It hurts. A lot.”

“Good,” Adagio replied. She tossed her knife up one more time, caught it, then slipped it into her pocket. “It should. Now you know a bit of how I feel after what we learned.”

“Adagio, look,” I replied, losing patience rapidly with this complete lack of remorse on her part. “I didn’t. Know. Okay? I had no idea. If I’d known, I would’ve told you the very first time you told me about how you lost your magic. I never would’ve kept it secret if I’d known.”

The siren arched both eyebrows before rolling her eyes. “You say that, but how do I know I can believe you?” She held a hand up to her neck, right where the gem necklace had hung in the photos. “Do you realize what you took from me? Magic is everything to a siren. Without it, my sisters and I were lost. Adrift. We tried to find a way to move on. Used some fancy human tech to make it sound like we could sing worth a damn.” She squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head. “It was enough to sell a few songs. Even got us into a concert once with some pop duo called PostCrush. But it wasn’t magic. It wasn’t anything like what we had. It was meaningless.”

“I know what it’s like to live without magic,” I said, my anger cooling a skosh. “I… I didn’t want to mention this to you before, because I was afraid it’d upset you, but when I lived in Equestria? I wasn’t just some random unicorn. I was the student of Princess Celestia herself. I was once on the fast track to becoming an alicorn. Once.” The memories flooded in now, coating my voice with the bitter tang of regret. “Then I made a stupid mistake, and wound up here. Until we found that guitar, and saw those photos? I thought I’d lived without magic ever since.”

“Except you didn’t!” Adagio shouted, jumping to her feet. Her eyes widened with ire as she advanced one me, one step at a time. “You didn’t just have some magic. You had tons of it! Enough to make an artifact out of a fucking guitar!” She stopped just a few feet away from me and jabbed a finger in my direction. “And if you were the student of Celestia? It’s no wonder. I cannot believe I ever let you touch me! You, you corrupted me! You tried to make me ‘nice’ and ‘good’ and ‘loving.’”

“I never did a fucking thing to ‘corrupt’ you, Adagio!” I screamed back, grunting at every breath now as my lungs burned like fire. “All I ever did was show you trust. I gave you my friendship. I loved you. I still do! I never wanted to hurt you, damn it! If I could take back what I did in the past, I would! I’d give you your magic back in a heartbeat.” I gripped a fist tight and held it to my chest, as much for the gesture as to help try and ease some of the rib pain. “I care about you. You matter to me. You’ve been one of the only things keeping me sane on this fucking ship!”

“You, you’re still saying that.” Adagio laughed, despite the tears streaming from her eyes now. The laugh was the deepest, most bitter I’d heard from her yet, not so much dark chocolate as outright raw cacao beans shoved down my throat. “You still expect me to believe that utter bullshit!” For just a moment, her eyes glowed with red light. “I never even knew what love was until I spent time with you. I used to think it was just a weakness, a failing on the part of ponies and humans alike. And now? Now I see I was right!”

She shoved her face right up in mine and grabbed the front of my tracksuit, yanking me forward despite the sharp yelp of pain I let out. “I don’t know why I bothered showing up, but let me make something very clear, Shimmer! I can see through everything you’ve done since we arrived. I put my faith in you, thinking I could trust a fellow Equestrian over a bunch of humans. Yet what did you do? You wormed your way into my heart. You filled it with these warm, ‘happy’ feelings of hope. Friendship. Love. Harmony. Everything you did tore away at my true soul, at the siren I was born to be. All you ever wanted was to mold me into yet another one of you worthless weaklings. Well I won’t let you.” She reached for her pocket and pulled out her knife.

“Sunset!” came a shriek from the sauna corridor. Adagio whirled, and let go of me long enough to see Rarity running in, sword held at the ready. “Let her go, siren! Now!”

Adagio gaped, and spun back to face me. “I told you to come alone!” she howled, pointing at Rarity. “And this is what you do? Was this just a trick?! You didn’t have any intentions of apologizing at all, did you? No, you were hoping I’d let my guard down so you could have Rarity kill me!”

Somewhere, deep in my heart, my last hope for a good resolution with Adagio shattered into a million pieces. “No, no, that’s not it at all, Adagio, I wasn’t--”

“Shut up!” She grabbed me by again, and with one great burst of strength hoisted me up to hold me several feet in the air. "I was hoping I was wrong. That I could trust you. But obviously, I can't. Which means I'm through with you, Shimmer! Stay out of my life!" With that, she hurled me into the deep end of the pool.

As I fell into the water, fear coursed through my body. I flailed like crazy, but trying to swim with two busted ribs was impossible. Agony seared across my chest like a shower of blades piercing my flesh.. I splashed all over as I desperately tried to keep my head above water.

And then I sank beneath, screaming on the inside as I struggled to hold my breath and try to get back above, get a taste of sweet, precious air. Every second that passed left me feeling weaker, less able to resist.

Then I heard someone dive into the water, and strong arms wrap around my torso. The pain of her muscles squeezing against my cracked ribs was excruciating. But as soon as my head broke the surface of the water, I took in great heaving gulps, despite the utter torture that breathing caused. Then Rarity brought me over to one of the pool walls. “That’s it, breathe, Sunset. Breathe! I’ve got you!” With one last strain of impressive muscular power she hefted me up and out of the pool.

I fell flat onto the concrete, shivering and soaked to the bone. Water dribbled and dripped off me as I laid on my back, relishing the sensation of air passing in and out of my lungs. It hurt like fuck. And that pain helped remind me I was alive. For now.

I wasn’t sure how long it took me to recover, but eventually I was able to stand, with Rarity’s assistance. “T-thank you for saving me,” I stammered as I shook, still unsteady on my feet. I was forced to cling to Rarity to avoid falling back over.

“Well, of course I did. I wasn’t about to let her gut you with that hideous knife of hers,” Rarity replied. She tried to bat at her hair to playfully push it aside, but the waterlogged short ponytail failed to do more than produce a wet slapping noise when it smacked against her neck. “Obviously she was never going to listen to reason.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” I said. Using Rarity as a crutch, we made our way to the nearby benches and sat down. “I know she pulled out the knife, but… I don’t think she was going to hurt me with it.”

Rarity cocked her head, blinking at me quizzically. “What makes you think that?”

I sighed, feeling more than a little frustrated with myself and the way I handled things. “Adagio was feeling hurt and scared more than she was angry. I know her well enough to know that. She was lashing out. When she pulled out that knife? She was probably going to put it into my hand and tell me to carve out her heart with it or something like that. That’s why I didn’t say anything. I was waiting till she gave me the knife, then I was going to drop it. I was getting mad, yeah, but I wasn’t giving up. I could’ve gotten through to her… but now…” I shook my head. “It’s probably too late.”

Rarity bowed her head, her face twisting up in shame. “O-oh… I messed everything up, didn’t I? I’m sorry, Sunset! Please forgive me, I didn’t mean to--”

“No, no, it’s fine, Rarity,” I Interrupted, waving a hand for silence. I then wrapped that hand around her shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze. “You were watching out for me. I can’t fault you for that.”

Rarity looked up at me, and gave me a watery smile. “You say that, but I’m going to blame myself anyway. Ooooh, if I’d just waited--”

“If I was wrong, Rarity, she would’ve killed me. You did the right thing.”

“Even so…” Rarity shook her head and sighed. She deflated like a balloon as she laid against me, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead. “Why do I ruin everything on this ship?! Oh why, why, why?!”

My eyes narrowed into slits as I glared at her. “Rarity, stop being melodramatic. Please. It’s not helpful.”

She shot up immediately, her whole face turning a brilliant pink. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

Patting her once on the shoulder, I got up to my feet. “We need to dry off. Let’s go get some towels from the locker room, then we can go back to our cabins and change.” Or in my case, put on my dirty clothes from yesterday. Sigh. At least she didn’t mess up my shoes.

As we left the pool, my mind churned. I still hadn’t processed yet what Adagio said, that she hated me. A part of me didn’t want to process it. The part of my heart that loved her had dove under the covers, hiding like a scared child in bed. The rest of me was frantically planning, like a whole board meeting taking place in my brain, trying to figure out what to do next. It’s probably too late to make amends. Adagio’s lost control of her senses. And I can’t blame her. This is exactly what Monoponi wanted, after all. I’m not going to be able to get through to her.

So what do I do? Do I give up on her? I don’t want to! I love her, damn it. That means something. That matters. I’m not going to give up on her.

But if she’s given up on me… what is she going to do?

Memories of the day I befriended Trixie flashed through my mind. Even then, Adagio had threatened my life. She intended to murder to escape if she didn’t get an answer she liked.

Would she do that now? The part of me that loved her said no, she wouldn’t, couldn’t be that stupid. Every time someone tried, they failed. They paid the price.

But she’s lost it. She’s heartbroken, she’s furious as all hell, her judgement is obviously compromised.

Oh my god. She’s probably going to kill me. She knows I’d figure it out if she killed anyone else.

I’ll have to be careful. If I leave my room, I have to be with someone else. I can’t leave myself alone unless my door is locked.

Fear filled my whole being as I contemplated what I’d have to do. God. I don’t want to think about this. I don’t want to be this afraid of her. I still love her. I still want to forgive her.

I just have to be careful for a few days. Give her a few days, let her cool off, and try again, this time without interference. It’s worth a shot.

I hope.

Author's Note

That didn't go well.

Chapter Five: Whistle for the Wind Part 4

Chapter Five
Whistle for the Wind
Daily Life Part 4

That evening found me rummaging through my backpack, pulling out various foodstuffs and distributing them in my room. I’d gone back to the convenience store and bought up everything I could afford, a whole ton of ramen for the most part, alongside a few veggies. It was enough food to keep me going for a couple of days while I secluded myself.

I didn’t attend the evening meeting, sending an apology text to Tiara. Of course, soon after she came pounding on my door. “What the heck do you mean you’re sorry you can’t come?” she groused as soon as I opened it a crack.

“Exactly what I said in the text, Tiara,” I replied, and moved to shut the door.

She stuffed her foot in the door jam and kicked it open, forcing me to step back to avoid being hit. “No!” She said, jabbing a finger into my chest, causing me to hiss in pain. “We have to stick together. You’ve been saying that all along. Why’re you hiding now?”

Grunting from the pain and trying to keep myself from backhanding her in frustration, I went to close the door and locked it, then faced her. “Because, Tiara, I made a big mistake. Adagio might try to hurt me. Or worse. So I’m trying to hide out for a while until she calms down.”

“Oh.” Tiara blinked, then held up her hands in confusion. “Why didn’t you just say that to begin with?”

“Because,” I hissed, “I don’t want it getting around. You can tell the others I’m feeling sick or something because of my ribs. The last thing I want is for Adagio to flip out and kill one of you instead.”

“You really think she will?” Tiara asked, her face creasing up as she frowned.

I shook my head and went to take a seat on the bed, feeling too exhausted to deal with the pain of breathing while standing. “I don’t know. I hope not. I’m hoping she’s going to come to her senses. Have you seen her since this morning?”

She gave a gormless shrug. “Nope. No one has. But everyone’s been keeping to themselves.” Then, with a sigh, she sat next to me. "Just wondering, but is this a good time for you to show me how to budget, like you said you would?”

“Uh…” I scratched the back of my head, grinning sheepishly. “Sure. Sure, why not?”

So I went over budgeting with her for a while, giving her tips on how to get the most for her money. By the end she felt a lot more confident and seemed more relaxed, given the situation. “Thanks for the help, Sunset.”

“Yeah, you’re welcome.”

Tiara stood as if to leave, then turned back to me. “Look, I know you probably don’t want to talk about it, but… are you sure it’s a good idea to stay locked up in here?”

“No, but…” I gently tapped my rib cage, wincing at even the slight bit of pain that caused. “I’m kind of helpless right now anyway. It’s best if I get rest, let my body heal itself.”

Shrugging again, Tiara replied, “Alright. Fine. I’ll give them excuses then. Keep texting us though! Don’t go dark on us.” She shot me a smirk. “I don’t want to have to turn the ship upside down looking for you again.”

Grinning at the joke, I said, “I will, don’t worry. Good night.”

I locked the door behind her as soon as she left, and laid myself out on the bed. It was still early, not even 8:00 PM, but I had gotten up so early I needed sleep, and bad.

As I slept, my dreams filled with more nonsensical images, focusing on each of my fellow passengers in turn. Scootaloo in a large cylindrical black pod, slowly transforming into...something. Adagio struggled with a copy of herself, fighting over the red gem while the floor was littered with corpses of dead Adagios. Rarity sewing dress after dress, tossing them on the bed of a truck only for it to drive off and a new truck to show up in its place. Applejack kneeling quietly at the foot of three gravestones, hat held to her chest, tears in her eyes. Trixie showcased a brilliant display of fireworks to a massive crowd, with more and more colors exploding into showers of sparks and debris growing larger and larger until it dominated the entire sky to thunderous applause. Diamond Tiara spending time with a group of schoolchildren, showing them all how to manage their money while making the lesson fun.

And me? I was like a ghost, trawling through these bizarre representations of their lives, floating endlessly as an observer, never spoken to, never acknowledged. Never able to speak or breathe. I just floated.

Then the dreams changed, back to Equestria. Once again I witnessed the six ponies living their lives in the tiny town I didn’t recognize. This time as I watched their behavior, their mannerisms, I realized who I was seeing. I was seeing the alternates of Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack. In retrospect it should’ve been plain as day. Once again I saw them use what I presumed was the Elements of Harmony on Twilight Sparkle’s alternate. Once again she disappeared.

But this time it continued. It switched to nightfall, showing her descending from the sky surrounded in an aurora of her cutie mark, then she spread her wings. She’d changed into an alicorn, just like I’d once been promised by Celestia.

More images flashed by, in rapid succession. A series of vines crawling from the Everfree, overtaking the town. A large crystalline tree. The six ponies depositing their elements. A locked box. And more. Six different items and ponies flashed by so fast I could hardly take in the details… one of them might’ve been a rubber chicken, another a loop of thread? Then I saw Twilight taking on a great huge centaur larger than a mountain. Then a crystal castle rising up from the ground.

Then more, and more images sped by, too rapid to take in, the details lost until finally, near the end, it slowed back down, and a single face came into view, one I didn’t recognize, but somehow felt more afraid of then I had ever felt of anything in my entire life. It inspired a horror welling up deep inside, like I was looking upon an avatar of death. Then the face transformed into one all too familiar. Monoponi. It was Monoponi! I’d seen the one behind Monoponi! It was--

DING-DONG BING-BONG

As the high-pitched ramblings of Monoponi echoed through my room, I sat up in bed. The images had scattered to the winds. Whatever I thought I knew, it was gone. “Damn it,” I cursed, slamming a fist into my pillow. I reached out for my Monopad to check the time. “Only 10:00 PM, huh? Shit.”

I felt like I’d slept half the night, but no, it’d only been a couple of hours. But I couldn’t sleep now. My mind was racing too much to let me rest. I needed something as a distraction, anything. I thought about fetching a book from the library, but no, no, that’d be stupid. So instead I opened up the text app on my Monopad and sent Trixie a message. Hey, you awake still?

Yeah. What’s up?

Mind if I come hang out? I can’t sleep, I replied.

Sure.

So, making sure to carefully check my surroundings before leaving and locking my door, I tiptoed my way down the hallway and into Trixie’s room. I found her lying in her bed, her one leg splayed out lackadaisical while she read a book. She closed it as I entered. “Are you okay, Sunset? Trixie heard from Rarity what happened with Adagio earlier.”

“Yeah, I’m okay. Sort of.” I sat down next to Trixie and briefly explained my dreams.

Trixie stared at me blankly when I finished. “Trixie likes fireworks, but why would Sunset dream about Trixie setting them off?”

“I don’t know?” My face screwed up in bemusement. “Why did I dream of any of that? Where did I get this information from?”

“About the ponies in your dream, you mean, “ Trixie pressed.

“Yeah.”

Trixie hummed to herself and pressed her knuckles to her chin. “Trixie wonders if you’re remembering things. You might still have some of your memories locked away, and dreams are the only way you can access them.”

I shaped my lips into a pout. “Maybe. I don’t know how much sense that makes. As far as I can remember, I haven’t been back to Equestria since I left it years ago.”

“Exactly Trixie’s point,” she countered, her mouth quirking up into a satisfied grin. “As far as you can remember. Which means if you did go back, Monoponi erased it. Didn’t you once tell Trixie you get terrible headaches and dizziness if you try to remember something too hard?”

Remembering the time I collapsed in front of everyone from just that, I nodded. “Yeah. Maybe you’ve got a point. That’d explain the images of the ponies. But it doesn’t explain anything else. What was I seeing? And why?”

Trixie frowned, and pushed her book aside so she could scoot closer to me. “Sunset, are you focusing on this because you’re trying not to think about Adagio?”

A flash of ire surged through me as I glared at her before it just as quickly faded. I sighed and nodded. “Probably.”

Trixie reached out and around to hold me in a single-armed hug. “Trixie doesn’t know much about romance. Or friendship. Everything she knows she’s been trying to learn from you. But Trixie knows self-delusion when she sees it. She’s a practiced liar to herself, after all.” She bowed her head, closed her eyes, and then when she opened them again, she said, “I know what it’s like to deal with being betrayed by someone you love.”

“Your father?” I asked, leaning into her hug. The intimacy of it was soothing and comforting, exactly what I needed right now.

“Mmhmm. He left me when I was little. I was so furious when it happened, I locked myself away in my room for days at a time. Mother was so busy with her two jobs just to make ends meet for us that she barely had time to check on me. I spent a lot of that time working on my magic, because I’d told myself I was going to be a better magician than he ever was. Eventually, I got over being bitter… now all I want to do is see him again.”

She smiled down at me. “I forgave him. I know why he left. I understand the calling, the dream. He left to pursue his passion.” Her smile dimmed. “I know it’s not the same. But I can sympathize. And I can listen. Go ahead. Tell your best friend Trixie all about it.”

I laughed, a short little giggle that lasted just long enough to remind me why laughing was a bad idea. “I love Adagio, Trixie. She’s so fiery, and energetic, and assertive. She’s bitter, and hateful, but has the capacity to love too. To become better. To befriend others.” I sighed, a deep, bitter sigh. “I think I fell in love with her because she reminds me of myself.”

“What?” Trixie cocked her head, blinking owlishly. “I don’t get it. What’re you talking about?”

“Trixie, I never told you much about why I left Equestria, did I?” At the shake of her head, I continued, “Well, the reason I left is… I was a bitch. I was power hungry, jealous, and bitter. I thought I knew my destiny, to become a princess just like Princess Celestia. See, Celestia is the leader of Equestria, and I was her personal student. That’s kind of a big deal. I was one of the most important ponies in the entire world, and I knew it. I had a pretty huge head on my shoulders. Total ego. I was more of a jerk than Adagio and Tiara combined.”

Trixie gaped at me in utter astonishment. “No way. I don’t believe it. You’re Sunset Shimmer! You’re nice! Good! You’ve been watching out for everyone. You’ve been Trixie’s best friend! You’re not a bully!”

I laughed again, though more at myself than at her. “Not now, I’m not. But I used to be. When I went through the mirror portal, I thought I was pursuing my destiny. I was going to find power in this alternate world, a power I could use to seize what was supposed to be mine.” My voice deepened, my tone shifting into one reminiscent of my bad old days. “But instead, I came to a world without magic, without any power I understood. A world full of long limbed hairless apes that carried their teats around on their chests. You know how weird that was to me when I got here? It was horrifying! I’m used to it now, but… “

Her lips twisted up into a grimace of disgust as she shuddered. “Uuugh, I can imagine. It was alien.”

“Exactly. Alien. I wasn’t expecting to transform into, into this.” I pointed at my body. “But I got used to it. Eventually, I found power, of a sort. I became a complete bully at Canterlot High School. You might not remember it, but if you went there… odds are pretty high I used to make fun of you, all the time. I was probably one of those bullies you hate so much.”

With a snort of disbelief, Trixie smacked me on the shoulder. “Maybe you were, but so what? You’re not like that now. You became a better person, right?”

“Well, yeah,” I answered. “I still don’t remember how. I know it involved some kind of… Equestrian magic. I think. And I turned into a demon for a bit. But I don’t remember anything else.” A chuckle escaped my lips. “I wonder if Twilight’s alternate came to stop me. Maybe that’s how I became friends with the others, like it seemed I was in those pictures. What we saw there, that was harmony magic. That was the power of friendship. In Equestria, friendship is magic, as silly as it sounds.”

“It doesn’t sound silly at all,” Trixie said with a shake of her head and a grin. “It sounds wonderful. Trixie wonders if she has an alternate in that world too.”

“Could be. I’ll bet if you do, she’s a unicorn. Really popular too. She probably hosts shows all over Equestria.”

Trixie’s grin grew till it stretched from ear to ear. “Do you think so, Sunset? Wow. Now Trixie wants to meet her.”

“Maybe if we ever get out of here, you’ll get that chance,” I said, grinning back. Then my thoughts returned to the discussion and my grin vanished. “But anyway, my point is, Adagio’s a lot like I was. I tried to seize power. I was a bully. I was a villain, in every sense of the word. And I became a better person. Adagio was becoming a better person too. I know she was mean to you, but… she was getting better. Was.”

The illusionist bowed her head in shame. “It was my fault. I was so stupid! I never should’ve tried blaming her. I took a potential friendship and threw it away because I was so scared.”

“Hey, don’t worry, I already forgave you. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Besides, you’re not responsible for Adagio’s actions.” I wrapped my own arm around Trixie’s shoulder and squeezed her tight. “You made a huge mistake, and you’re still paying for it, but that doesn’t mean you’ve made Adagio’s choices for her. She chose to react the way she did.”

Sighing, Trixie nestled up against me, throwing her other arm around me til she was holding me like she would a teddy bear. “Still. I feel responsible. I… oh nevermind. I’m making this about me. This is about you. You were saying?”

“Well, like I was saying, she was getting better. Fluttershy said as much, a few hours before she died. And the nicer Adagio became, the more I fell for her. Because she was like me.” The beginnings of a headache beat its way into my skull, causing me to rub at my forehead to try and ease it. “Meanwhile, she fell for me because no one else had ever shown her affection like I had. I was her first love.”

Trixie arched an eyebrow. “Uh, you sure about that? She seems like she’s experi--”

“Trixie,” I scolded. “I’m talking about romance, not sex. I know I wasn’t her first in that department. She’s a siren. She had sex all the time. But it was meaningless. Empty. She did it to use people, to feed her hunger for negative emotions, not for love.” I immediately regretted the way I phrased that. Wow, way to slutshame people, Sunset. “Err, I’m making it sound like sex without love is bad. That’s not what I mean. What I mean is, she used it like a weapon. She didn’t care about those she slept with, at all, in any way. And it’s not really my point. My point is, she didn’t even know what friendship was, let alone love. It changed her.”

“Ooooh, I see,” Trixie said, nodding several times in rapid succession. “Never seemed like it though. Even when we got along, she was still… bitchy.”

“You’re not wrong,” I agreed. A wistful smile stretched across my face. “In a way, I found it charming. Cool. She was assertive, and I liked it.” I sighed, the smile fading once more. “Honestly I probably fell for her more because I needed something, anything to cope with what’s happened to us. This whole killing game has been so stressful, so terrifying, I can barely stand it. You know, she kissed me first? She came to me after the first trial. Said she was scared. Said she didn’t want to be alone. She was just going to stay, I said we were friends, then she kissed me. Aaaand then we--”

Trixie glared at me. “You had gross dirty sex all over your bed.”

“Hey, it was good sex,” I objected.

“Still gross though.”

I shrugged. “Anyway, that’s how things started. Everything just went from there. But now… now I don’t know what’s going to happen.” Another sigh wormed its way out of my chest. “I’m scared she’s going to give in to Monoponi after all. She was so strong, Trixie. She was able to resist the hardest, despite being the most likely, of any of us, to kill without remorse.”

Trixie sank down into the bed, curling up as her face contorted into an expression of guilty misery. “I know I was weak...”

Oh shit. “No, no, Trixie, no, please, don’t take it that way, I didn’t mean it that way,” I babbled, reaching out to hold her chin up, make her look at me rather than at the bed. “You weren’t weak. Monoponi has ways of getting to everybody. He almost got to me, he almost got to Rarity. It doesn’t make you weak that he got to you, okay? You aren’t weak. You cared so much about me that he used it against you.”

Trixie pressed her upper lip into her lower one, and a few tears came to her eyes. “I hear what you’re saying, Sunset, but it doesn’t change the facts. I gave in. Like Flash. Like Twilight. Like Sweetie Belle. Like Timber. Only I got away with it, and they didn’t.” Her voice skipped a beat as she began to sob. “I, I still feel like I deserve to die for what I’ve done. You, you and Rarity, you forgave me, but I haven’t…”

I held Trixie closer to me and rocked her back and forth gently, making soothing sounds. “Hey, hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

It took a while of hugging and crying before Trixie managed to calm down. Eventually, she worked it out of her system, leaving her with red, puffy eyes, a hoarse voice, and a worn out, tired body. “I’m sorry about that,” she muttered as she grabbed for her bottle of water, taking a long drink.

“Hey, you need to cry, you need to cry,” I said. I’d felt more than a little tempted to join in with her, given my own stress, but I managed to hold off. “You going to be okay?”

“Hah. Okay. Like any of us are okay.” Trixie let out a loud snort. “But yes, for now. What about you, Sunset?”

I sat back, uncertain what to say. “I don’t know. I’m still worried Adagio’s going to do something drastic. I don’t want her to. I don’t want her to get hurt, or worse. So I’m trying to keep to myself for a while. Give her time.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Trixie replied. Her mouth spread into a massive yawn as she stretched her arms out. “Ugh, I’m exhausted. I need to sleep. You can stay, if you want.”

“No, I shouldn’t, but thanks,” I said, standing up off the bed. “Have a good night.”

“Night. Be careful.”

I left Trixie’s room, making sure to lock her back in for her safety, and carefully tip-toed back down the corridor. Except, when I got to my room… the door was open a crack. My blood froze when I saw it. “Oh no,” I mumbled, backing away before turning to flee. I got about five steps before an arm wrapped around my neck and cold metal pressed up against my spine.

“Going somewhere?” Adagio purred, using her seductive, sensual tones that used to get my blood running hot with desire. Used to. Now it filled me with fear instead.

“Adagio, I--auck!” Her arm tightened its grip on my neck, causing me to choke.

“Ah ah ah, don’t make any noise,” she said, pulling me backwards until we entered my cabin. “Don’t make any sudden moves either, or the next thing you’ll feel is this knife in your back.”

She spun me around, tossed me on the bed, then closed the door behind her, locking it tight. I fell onto the bed with a loud cry of pain, landing right on my cracked ribs. “Hurts, doesn’t it?” she said. “That’s good. Means you’re alive. We’ll see how long that lasts.”

I gasped for air, my breaths searing my lungs like a bed of needles stabbing them with every passage of air in and out. “What… the door was locked...how did you…”

Adagio scoffed, and stuffed a hand into her pocket. She withdrew a key and dangled it in front of me. “You gave me a key to your room once, remember?”

Oh my fucking god. I did. I gave her one the morning after we shared Monoponi’s secrets. How could I forget? So fucking stupid, Sunset!

She stuffed the key back in her pocket and brought up her knife, pointing it at me. “So. Let’s talk about what happened earlier. I’ll give you one chance--just one--to justify what happened.”

I had to fight to sit up on the bed, but once I did, I managed to look her way. Like at the pool, her face bore no sign of love, or care, or anything of the woman I’d come to know. The only thing there was cold, unrelenting malice. “Rarity insisted,” I answered. “She was worried you’d hurt me. She just wanted to protect me. It wasn’t an attempt at murder.”

“Really.” She arched both eyebrows at me, nodded, then calmly walked forward. “I don’t believe you.” Quick as a flash, she surged forward and drove the point of her knife into my left bicep. Pain exploded in great messy waves as I screamed. Blood streamed down my arm, staining my clothes and bed with pink as she took it out. She hadn’t driven it in far, just enough to puncture the muscle, but it was far, far more painful than I would’ve expected.

“Aauagh!” I moaned as I fell back, grabbing for the wound on my arm. I hissed and grunted as I tried to stem the bleeding through pressure. On instinct I grabbed for my bedsheet and started wrapping it around the wound, which she allowed me to do. “What the fuck are you doing Adagio?!”

“Showing you the consequences of lying,” she said with a nasty, malicious laugh. She set the bloodstained knife down next to the door and picked up a large pipe wrench, swinging it like it weighed nothing at all. “Now. Let’s try this again. Tell me the truth this time.”

I finished tying off the wound and scowled at Adagio, gritting my teeth to try to cope with the pain. “I am. I wanted to make amends. I still do. I love you, Adagio. You’re making it reallyhard right now, but I love--aaaaaaugh!”

She’d smashed the wrench into my arm, the same one she’d stabbed, right at the elbow joint. White-hot agony rippled up and down my arm as a loud crack echoed through the room. “Stop lying,” she ordered as she drew the wrench back.

Tears streamed down my face from the pain as I cradled my arm. Every attempt to move my left fingers or wrist brought a fresh lance of pain through my broken elbow. “Stop hurting me!” I screamed. “I’m not fucking lying!”

“So you say,” she replied without a hint of sympathy. Indeed, if anything, her lips were spreading in an expression I could only describe as carnivorous satisfaction, like she was savoring the taste of my pain. Which, given her siren nature, she just might be, in an emotional sense. “See, I’ve been thinking over the past couple of days. More so after our conversation earlier today. Do you know what I concluded?”

“What?” I hissed, wishing I’d thought to run while I had the chance. But she had me helplessly at her mercy. If I tried to run now, she’d kill me before I’d get out the door.

She smiled now, a harsh smile, a mocking smile, nothing like the happy smiles of love she used to give me. “Monoponi had the right idea, throwing together this killing game. It’s been a fun time. Solving mysteries. Watching people die. I didn’t realize how much I was enjoying it. I was too busy being distracted by thoughts of you. It’s funny, really. You embedded yourself so deep in here--” she patted her chest “--that I actually thought for a while I was happy. But I wasn’t. The whole time, something felt wrong. It seemed too easy. The smartest, savviest girl here, deciding to sweep me, a long-lived siren, off my feet? Show me what love and friendship truly were? Please. You were using me. You said as much earlier today. I was the only thing keeping you sane, right?”

“Adagio… no, no, think about what you’re sayii--ggugah!” The weight of the wrench jabbed me in the ribs. Not a full swing, just a poke, but it still hurt like crazy, stealing my breath away.

“Be quiet. The siren is talking.” Adagio pulled the wrench away so she could tap the end of it in the palm of her hand. “I’m not sure what’s worse, thinking back. That I fell for your game, or that you actually thought you could use me the way you did. One’s embarrassing, but the other? That’s unforgivable.”

“Please, please stop, and listen to me,” I begged between ragged gasps and wheezes. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

She considered that, tapping the wrench against her palm again. Then she nodded. “You know, that’s the first thing you’ve said I actually believe. That is, I believe that you believe you weren’t hurting me. But you were. I told you before. You were corrupting my soul. A siren doesn’t love. A siren doesn’t have friends. A siren takes what she wants. She doesn’t care about the feelings of her prey, save for cultivating negative emotions. And to think you actually had me so kowtowed, so pony-like I apologized for using my magic yesterday. Apologized! For using my birthright!”

She dropped the wrench, wound and up and backhanded me, hard, hard enough to cause me to bite my tongue. A couple of teeth felt looser in my mouth as my head snapped back, blood flowing from my split lip. “It’s funny, isn’t it, how violent I’m being right now? That’s not like a siren either, but here I am doing it. That’s the human part of you, and all these other humans in this game. That’s how much you’ve corrupted me. You didn’t just ponify me. You humanized me too. You’ve messed me up so much inside I’m actually enjoying hurting you!”

“Well I’m not!” I barked back, in a pointlessly petulant manner. “This isn’t like you, Adagio! You’re not a torturer!”

“I know. It’s awful. Horrible.” She let loose a bitter laugh, like coffee left on the burner so long it’d turned into blackened sludge. “But I can’t deny it feels good. It’s making you angry. Hateful. I can smell it on you. It smells so good. I’ve tasted so many emotions during this killing game, but this, what I’m feeding on now?” Her eyes glowed with an inner crimson light. “It’s magnificent.”

She’s insane, I realized. She’s completely lost it. I can't reason with her now. I’ve got to get out of here. The pain rippling through my body made thinking harder than it needed to be, far harder. Think, think, think, Sunset! Think!

Wait. Maybe I can goad her into taking me out of here. Then I can run for it. I just have to get away from her long enough to get help. She’ll have to make me take my Monopad with me. If she forces me to leave it Monoponi will execute her. I can use that to text for help.

With my plan in mind, I nodded once to myself in grim determination. “Adagio, what’re you going to do with me? You know you can’t get away with hurting me like this. We can lock you up, just like we did with Trixie.”

“And there it is,” Adagio hissed, her lips spreading in a gleeful smirk. “You’re finally showing your true colors. I knew I’d get you to do it, if I beat you enough. And to think you claimed to love me. No. Now you realize you can’t use me anymore, you want to throw me away. Well. That’s not going to happen.”

She leaned forward and grabbed hold of my shirt, hefting me up to my feet. Leaning in close, she kissed me. Hard. And not in a good way. This was rough, uncomfortable, unwanted. Just like she said: taking what she wants.

I hated it.

I tried to pull away, but she refused, holding me in place with a hand gripping the back of my hair. Finally, she stopped. “Mmmm,” she moaned as she withdrew from the kiss. Her tongue flicked out to lick up the few blots of pink my bloodied mouth had left on her face. “That’s exquisite. I thought you were good before, but I had no idea just how delicious your hate would taste mixed with a kiss. I almost want to fuck you, one last time, just to see what that’d be like. But rape is a step further than I’m willing to walk. I’m not that humanized.”

The thought of having sex with her in this state filled me with so much unbridled disgust, my whole body rippled with it, my stomach twisting into knots. “One last time?” I uttered. “So. You are going to kill me.”

“Of course,” she replied, laughing in my face. “What else was I going to do? I told you, Monoponi had the right idea, putting together this game. But I’m sick of playing. I’m ready to win, ready to leave. I have no reason to stay, and every reason to want to see all of you die. And I can’t risk letting you stick around. Without you, though, the others’ll never figure it out.” She used her other hand to pat me down. “Where’s your Monopad?”

“I-in my backpack,” I answered.

Still holding me by the hair, she leaned down to the backpack on the floor and pulled it out. Stuffing it roughly down my shirt, she dragged me over to the door. Once she unlocked it, she forced me out, hard enough to make me fall over. She pulled out her knife and pointed it at my back. “Move,” she ordered, gesturing towards the promenade.

I slowly climbed to my feet. “You can’t seriously believe the others won’t figure it out,” I said as I ambled forward, at a deliberately slow pace. I was waiting for the right opportunity to make a break for it, but the corridor wasn’t it. I needed open space. “Everyone’ll know you did it. It’ll be the most obvious crime in the world! Even Tiara would be able to see that.”

“Oh really?” Adagio chortled. “Did you forget, Sunset? I was with you in every investigation--well, every one after the first. I learned. If there’s one thing the others think I am? It’s impatient. So you’re not going to die fast, Sunset. You’re going to die slow. Very, very slow. It’ll leave me all the time in the world to plant the evidence I’ll need to convince them.”

Oh I did not like the sound of that. “S-slow? What do you mean?”

“Why spoil the surprise?” Adagio replied. “You’ll find out.”

She continued to guide me through the restaurant quarter, while I carried on at a deliberately slow pace. I was making her think I couldn’t run, luring her into lowering her guard. As soon as we crossed into the food court, I planned to run for the library. I still had the archive key. I could lock myself in the archive room. She’d never be able to get to me, and I’d have the time I needed to warn the others.

Then we’d… I wasn’t sure what we’d do. Adagio was like a wild animal now. Maybe we could keep her sedated. There were enough drugs in the pharmacy to knock out a whole herd of elephants for a week. Plenty to keep her under. We could always tie her up and leave her behind when we finally tried to escape the ship. If we had to.

I didn’t want to. Damn it, as stupid as it was… I still loved her. I don’t know why. Maybe I thought I could still save her. That’d be the pony in me, hoping no one was beyond redemption.

“What makes you think they’d fall for it?” I asked, trying to keep her talking. The more I distracted her, the better.

Adagio rippled with laughter. “Ahaha, that’s easy. All I have to do is keep to myself for a while, then start spinning a sob story about how sorry I was about being mad at you, at how I missed you now that you'd vanished. I’d work them into a frenzy trying to find you, while never letting them actually discover you till it was too late.”

“You’d never convince Applejack. You know that, right?”

I could feel her rolling her eyes even though I wasn’t looking. “Oh please. I don’t have to. There's only one person I need to convince: Rarity. She’s so stupid and melodramatic, she’d fall for a love confession like that in a heartbeat. She hates Applejack, so that’s who I’d pin things on. Scootaloo’ll trust me because she knows you do, even if you’re dead. Tiara doesn’t like Applejack so she’ll side with Rarity. And Trixie… who gives a fuck? She doesn’t matter. It’ll be two votes to four votes. And I’ll win.”

Damn it. It’s a good plan. It’ll probably work, too. We neared the food court, passing the second to last pair of restaurants. Okay. I’ve got one last ace to try before I run for it. “But even if you win the vote, what makes you think Monoponi will actually let you leave the ship? It’s one big scam, always has been. He’ll never let you go. He’ll probably kill you anyway.”

“Oh, no, I hadn’t thought of that. Guess I’d better stop my murder plan and give up now so you can lock me away and throw away the key.” Adagio let out the loudest scoff I’d ever heard. “Please. You think I don’t know that? I’m already prepared for that eventuality.”

Well, I tried. Okay. Time to take a page out of one of my favorite human movies. “Yeah, well, you’re forgetting one thing, Adagio.”

“Oh?”

I suddenly stopped, whirled to point at a random restaurant and screamed, “What the hell is that?!”

She turned to look at where I pointed. “What?”

But I was already off like a flash, making a beeline for the library, as quickly as I could despite my busted ribs. Every breath hurt like hell, and my broken elbow flopping at my side didn’t help. But I pressed on anyway, ignoring the pain. I knew I was probably making my injuries worse, a lot worse, but what else could I do? If I gave up, I was dead.

I made it all the way to the library door before she caught up with me. As I threw it open she tackled me to the ground, sending us both rolling on the hallway floor. Agony burst through my body like a piece of dynamite had gone off, filling me with too much for me to handle. I couldn’t move, couldn’t get up, even though I was screaming at myself in my head to crawl, to climb, to do something.

But she could. She was laughing, too, as she hauled me up by my hair, laughing harder at every cry of pain ripped from my throat. “Oh, nice try, Sunset. Nice try. I can’t believe I fell for that. I must be more tired than I thought. You clever little shit.” She yanked me forward till our faces were mere inches apart. “But not clever enough.”

Turning me around, she wrapped her hand around both of my wrists, ignoring my grunts of pain. “Better keep quiet now,” she said as she frog marched me into the library. “Don’t want to break the rules, do you?”

I considered it. A quick death by rule break. Better than what she had planned. I’d screwed up big time. Her grip on me was far too tight, and I was in way too much pain to break away. But I couldn’t give up now. So long as I was alive, I had a chance, however slight. “Adagio, please,” I said quietly. “Don’t do this. You’re throwing both our lives away.”

“Nothing you say is going to convince me to stop, Sunset,” Adagio replied. “So stop wasting your breath.”

She escorted me down the stairs to the first floor, right up to the archives. Exactly where I’d planned to hide. Oh. Shit. “Now,” she said, after rifling through my pockets and withdrawing the archive key. “Put your Monopad down.”

I glared at her, or I tried to. It was more of a squint at this point. “Why?”

“Do it!” she growled, reaching out to squeeze at my arm wound.

It took every ounce of willpower I had not to cry out, so I obeyed. I took the Monopad out of my shirt and laid it down.

She unlocked the door to the archives and opened it. “Get in.”

Sighing, I stepped into the archives, taking in the small room. I didn’t get far before Adagio grabbed my arms again, wrenching them behind me and pulled out something from her pocket. “Should’ve done this earlier,” she muttered as she wrapped a set of zip ties around my wrists and tightened them. “And before you ask, no, I didn’t buy these. They came from the prop shop.”

“Too bad,” I groaned as she shoved me to the ground onto my stomach. She grabbed my legs, forced them to bend up as far as she could push them, before wrapping another several sets of zip ties around them. “Would’ve made an obvious clue. So, what, you’re just going to leave me here?”

“That’s right,” she answered as she pulled out her final tool, a large piece of cloth and a roll of duct tape. “Open your mouth.”

Yeah, no. I’m done cooperating. “Fuck you.”

She gave me a flat look, then kicked me in the stomach. My mouth shot open as my breath left me, only for her to stuff the cloth into my mouth. Then she taped it on with the duct tape.

“There. Isn’t that better?” She cooed, leaning down so she could stroke my face. The gesture felt deeply insulting, like a perversion of the loving care she’d once shown me. “I think I’m going to miss you, Sunset. Just a little.” She laughed at the glare in my eyes. “Oh I know what you’re trying to say. You’ll do everything you can to escape, I won’t get away with this, blah, blah, blah. Well that’s where you’re wrong.”

She reached into her own backpack and, for some reason, brought out her first aid kit. It was the same one she’d had ever since she replaced the one Timber destroyed. It’d come in handy so many times, either as a clue in a trial or simply for its more traditional use. But now, I saw, she had a different idea in mind. She pulled out a large, untouched syringe of ketamine. “I’m going to dose you with this,” she said as she pulled off the cap. “Not enough to kill you. Just enough to keep you sedated, long enough you won’t have the energy to resist anymore.”

She flicked at the needle to make sure it was ready to dispense. “If I had an IV I’d rig up a bag on a timer, to be certain you’d stay knocked out, but this should still do the trick. I hope you haven’t been hydrating.”

My eyes widened to the size of saucers. I tried to mumble something, anything past the gag, but I could hardly make a sound. Damn it, no!

She looked down at me and laughed mockingly. “Yes, that’s right Sunset. You’re going to die of dehydration. I hear it’s horribly painful without the right treatment or care. It’s slow, too. It’ll take you at least a couple of days before you go. I hope you savor every second of it. I know I will.”

Kneeling down, she raised the needle in her hand. “Goodbye, Sunset. I’d say I love you, but, well… I don’t.” Then she lowered it to my neck, and stuck it right into my jugular. She injected a good half to three fourths of the syringe before withdrawing it.

No. No, no, no, no! I don’t want this. Adagio, please… please let me go… please don’t let me die. Not like this. God, not like this.

I heard her footsteps leave the archive, then the door slammed shut, plunging me into darkness. What was left of my vision swam before me as the sedative took effect.

No… Adagio… come back… come back, please. Don’t leave me alone. Don’t let me die.

Don't let me die...

...don't let me die...

...

...Don’t…

...

...

...L...et…

...

...

...

...m....e…

...

…

...

...

………..d............
......................i...........
..................................e………

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…

…

…

...

DING-DONG-DONG-DING

“A body has been discovered! All passengers, please assemble at the library, at once!”

Author's Note

Allow me to direct everyone's attention to the last line of the summary of this story:

Sunset can only hope to find out before she, too, becomes a victim of the killing game.

It's been there all along. I'm sorry. :fluttershysad:

Thank you to BlackOpsElf for pointing out a problem with the drug Adagio injected Sunset with. It has been edited and replaced with something that makes more sense.

Chapter Five: Whistle for the Wind Part 5

Chapter Five
Whistle for the Wind
Deadly Life

My name is Trixie Lulamoon. Or, if you prefer, the Great and Powerful Trrrrriiiiiixie! About two or so weeks ago, I and fifteen others woke up on a cruise ship out in the middle of nowhere, forced into a killing game by some demented winged-horse that calls himself Monoponi. Since then, a lot has happened. Over half of us are dead, either by each other’s hands or by Monoponi’s executions. We’ve discovered a lot of things, including that Monoponi stole our memories.

Oh, and did I mention I killed someone? Yeah. I did. It was pretty stupid of me. I only survived being executed because Monoponi really wanted to kill Twilight Sparkle. And I only did it because I wanted to help my best friend Sunset Shimmer escape.

But that’s all in the past. Ever since the others have kept me locked up in my cabin. I haven’t been out much. Sunset comes by to visit, though. She and Rarity, they’re the only ones who still treat me like I’m a human being.

Except Sunset’s gone missing. For over twenty-four hours. No one knows where she is, no one’s found her… or her body. Everyone else thinks she’s dead. But I know she can’t be. Sunset’s been keeping us alive from the beginning. She helped guide us through the trials, she’s supported me… I can’t give up on her. I won’t.

I’m pretty sure I know who did it, too, but no one wants to listen to me long enough for me to tell them, except Rarity. And she thinks I’m crazy. “It’s too obvious,” she said. “Adagio’s not that stupid,” she said.

Mememe, whatever, Rarity.

So there I was, sitting in my cabin, reading a book, having just finished another helping of instant ramen when all of a sudden the body discovery alarm goes off. And I’m like “Oh no, is it Sunset?!”

It took forever for someone to show up. I said I was locked in, right? Sunset put the lock on the door. Because Diamond Tiara made her.

Tiara’s mean. I don’t like her. She’s been pretending to be nice ever since my magic show, but I know better. I don’t trust bullies. That’s why I don’t like Adagio. She’s been nothing but a bully.

Speaking of Tiara, she was the one who opened my door. “Hey, Trixie,” she said, squinting at me through tired eyes. Her whole demeanor was haggard, withdrawn, like she hadn’t slept for a couple of days. Maybe she hadn’t. And for some reason, she was wearing a sword on her back, in some kind of harness. “Come on. We’ve got an investigation to do.”

Biting at my lower lip, I said, “Is… is it Sunset?”

Tiara heaved a heavy sigh. “No. It’s… you’ll see. Just come on already.”

I reached out for my crutches laying next to my bed. “Okay, just give Trixie a minute,” I muttered as I slowly climbed to my one remaining leg. I only have one leg. Monoponi took the other one away as punishment for my murder. It hurt. A lot. Like a lot a lot. Like more pain than you could imagine, an explosion of pain bursting like a brilliant cascade of fireworks, only this wasn’t fun to watch.

Making sure to grab my cloak and hat, I followed Tiara out of my cabin and down to the library. She pulled at my shirt every so often, trying to hurry me up, but have you ever tried to move around on crutches? It’s not easy! It’s hard work. I’m not that strong either.

Eventually, we got to the library. Of course, the body was all the way down on the first floor, not on the third, and Tiara wouldn’t let me use the elevator outside. Crutches are bad enough, but crutches and stairs? Not a good mix. Still, I got there eventually.

Everyone else had already gathered around, and like Tiara, they all wore weapons on their backs. I recognized Rarity right away. Rarity’s a good person. She made me the most amazing magic outfit once, and she’s the only one other than Sunset who’s forgiven me for what I’ve done. I think everyone else says she’s sexy, but I wouldn’t know. I’m not into girls. Or boys. Or anyone.

There was also Applejack. Ergh, Applejack. She’s such a jerk! I thought she was nice for a while, if a bit of a bumpkin. Her accent’s pretty funny to listen to. But then she started treating Rarity like crap, and doesn’t trust me one bit. I don’t blame her for being mean to me, but she shouldn’t be rude to her wife like that. Did I mention they’re married? Because they’re married.

Yeah. I was surprised too.

Scootaloo was glaring down at the body, but for once she didn’t seem that angry. I’ve barely talked with her. She’s nice, but she’s also a bit… dim. Then again everyone said that about me, and look how I showed them in the last trial, haha! But she also gets super mad every time someone dies, so I wondered why she wasn’t mad now.

As for the body, if it wasn’t Sunset… I stepped forward to see and took in a sharp breath, seeing the blood-soaked corpse with its overabundance of hair. “It’s Adagio.”

Adagio Dazzle. She’s a siren. Or was a siren. They’re some kind of creepy lizard thing from Equestria. That’s some other world that Sunset, Adagio, and Monoponi are all from. Because Sunset’s a pony. Which is some kind of magic unicorn horse thing.

My life is weird.

“That’s right!” squeaked the high pitched voice of Monoponi as he appeared in a flash of crimson light. “Poor Adagio Dazzle. She lasted far too long if you ask me. Your Captain expected her to be one of the first blackeneds!”

“But, what about Sunset? We still haven’t found Sunset!” Rarity shrieked, her knees knocking together.

“We don’t even know if she’s alive!” Scootaloo added, glaring angrily at Monoponi.

Monoponi postured on his hooves, spreading out his wings. He’d be cute if he wasn’t so undeniably evil. “Who cares? Sunset Shimmer isn’t the one you morons should be worrying about. The victim is the one you need to investigate. You’ve got an upcoming trial, after all!”

“Now hold on a second there,” Applejack said, glaring down at him. She glares a lot. “Ah seem to recall there bein’ a rule sayin’ if someone misses the trial, they’re executed. If Sunset misses the trial--”

Monoponi rolled his oversized eyes. “Very well! Since you morons won’t let this go, knowing you, I will say this. If Sunset Shimmer is alive, she will have until the end of the trial to make an appearance. So long as she attends the end and votes, she will not be executed. But if she fails to show up, then that’s the end of the line for her.” He held a hoof to his fuzzy chin. “Assuming she’s still alive that is, upupupu.”

“But we can spend our investigation trying to find her, right?” Tiara asked.

The horse thing shrugged. “As always, your Captain will allow you to spend the investigation period doing whatever you wish. But don’t forgeeeet, you still have a murder to solve. If you fail to find the blackened, you know what’ll happen!” He rose up on his rear hooves to slap both forehooves to his chest. “And nothing would please me more than to finally be done with you people for good!”

“But, but, we need Sunset,” Rarity whimpered. “We can’t figure out who did it without her.”

“Not my problem.” Monoponi’s horn glowed with an eerie light. My Monopad beeped insistently at me, as did everyone else’s. “There’s the Monoponi file. Your time starts now. Good luuuuck!” He disappeared in a pop of air and a flash of light.

“Great. Now what do we do?” Scootaloo said, throwing up her hands in frustration. “I don’t know where to start without Sunset!”

Tiara sighed, doubling over at the waist. “Uuugh. Me neither. I can try to take over for her but…”

“But you ain’t exactly as smart as she is,” Applejack quipped.

She shot back up and glared at Applejack, rising up on the tips of her toes to shove a finger in the farmer’s face. “Hey! Just because you’re right doesn’t mean you have to put it like that!”

Applejack’s hand reached out and took hold of Tiara’s finger, then pushed it down to her side. “Ah’ll only say this once Tiara: don’t get in mah face like that.”

“Tch!” Tiara took a few steps back and crossed her arms over her chest, her face steaming from a pink flush to her cheeks. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to--this is a tense situation, okay?!”

“Ah know it is! You think Ah’m not scared? ‘Cause Ah am!” Applejack demonstrated by quaking in her boots. “Ah don’t know what to do either. Ah followed Sunset along on one investigation but Ah can’t say Ah remember much about how it works.”

Rarity burst into tears, reaching out to grab hold of my shoulder. “Oh, Trixie, what’re we going to do? Without Sunset, we’re… we’re doomed!”

I allowed her to weep into my cloak, and gave her a reassuring pat on the back. “Don’t worry, Rarity,” I said, reaching up to adjust my hat. “There’s one person here who can handle this.”

Everyone turned to face me, presenting a sea of unhappy faces. “Oh no you won’t!” Tiara growled, pointing an accusatory finger at me. “No one’s going to trust a murderer like you!”

“Ah can’t believe Ah’m sayin’ this, but Ah agree with Diamond Tiara,” Applejack said with a snort. She jabbed her thumb at her neck and moved it across in a slicing motion. “We trust you, we’re as good as dead.”

“But, wait, guys,” Scootaloo said, looking back and forth between us with a concerned frown. “She’s been pretty good….” she trailed off into a yawn, tapping her hand against her mouth. “..oh excuse me. She was good in the trials. Remember the last one? She proved Sunset wrong a couple of times.” Her frown deepened. “And she kind of… proved me wrong too. A lot.”

Rarity pulled out a silk handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed at her eyes, then blew her nose with a sound like a foghorn. “Indeed! I’m willing to put my faith in Trixie.” She shot a nasty look at Applejack. “Besides, what other choice do we have?”

Applejack shook her head, snorting like a thoroughbred. “Alright. Fine. But Ah’m still gonna watch the body. Ah don’t trust her.”

Tiara rolled her eyes. “Uuuugh, okay, okay. Do your thing, Trixie. But don’t you dare fuck up! I’m not going to die today because you made a mistake investigating the killer!”

“Trixie promises you, she will do her best!” I said, with the perfect confidence of a stage magician. “Rarity, will you accompany Trixie?”

My seamstress friend’s face split into a relieved smile. “Most definitely, Trixie. Lead the way!”

*INVESTIGATION START*

First thing I chose to do was open up the Monoponi File. Time to see if he’s given us anything worth a darn.

Fact #1: Monoponi File V: “The victim is Adagio Dazzle, the Ultimate Songstress. Time of death is approximately between 2:00 AM and 5:00 AM Wednesday morning. The victim possesses multiple injuries to the head and two laceration wounds to the neck. Toxicology shows no poisons or substances of any kind in her system.”

“Hmph. Trixie supposes it was too much to ask for a cause of death.” Grumbling to myself, I glanced at my partner. “Rarity, we should examine the body. Trixie doesn’t have any gloves with her. Do you have some?”

Rarity rummaged through her skirt pockets and pulled out a couple of pairs. “Yes, here. I started carrying them… thinking Sunset might need them.” She let out a haggard breath and sniffled. “Oh Sunset…”

“There there,” I said, patting her shoulder with the gloves. “Trixie is just as worried about Sunset as the rest of you, but we need to concentrate.”

“Right, of course,” Rarity said as she struggled to compose herself.

I slipped on the gloves, and then very, very carefully got down on my one knee. Have you ever tried to crawl around on one knee? It sucks. It’s not fun. But I did it anyway, because everyone was counting on me, and The Great and Powerful Trixie never lets her fans down!

Not that they’re my fans. Whatever.

At first glance, the body was pretty nasty looking. Adagio was coated in blood, from head down her shirt all the way to her legs. The blood had soaked into her clothes, completely ruining them. It also soaked into her voluminous hair, rendering it some sort of awful peach color. Her eyes were frozen open in an expression of shock, like she’d been dazed by something before she died.

I moved forward so I could examine her head. Peeling back some of the hair revealed an ugly bruise right on her forehead, like something clocked her. “Oh my, that’s an awful wound,” Rarity commented, cringing back from the body. “Now I know why I didn’t do this the first four times…”

“Trixie wonders what did it,” I mused. “Something blunt. We will have to keep an eye out for a weapon.”

Fact #2: Body Condition: “The body is covered in blood, soaking the clothes. There is a large contusion on the forehead, suggesting a strike with a blunt object.”

I continued to examine her forehead, before turning her head over to look at the back. I noticed straight away she had something poking out of her neck, embedded in a large puncture wound at the base of her skull. I pulled it out and held it up to the light. “A shard of glass?”

“An enormous shard,” Rarity said. “That shard is almost as large as your hand! And look, it has numbers on it!”

Squinting at it, I brought it forward to take a better look. “So it does.”

*Updated* Fact #2: Body Condition: “The body is covered in blood, soaking the clothes. There is a large contusion on the forehead, suggesting a strike with a blunt object. There is a severe puncture wound to the back of the neck, at the base of the skull. A large piece of glass was found embedded in the wound.”

Fact #3: Glass Shard: “A shard of glass found embedded in the head of the victim. There are a few numbers written on it: ‘11037.’”

I set the shard down and examined the puncture wound further. It looked smooth, not ragged at all like I would expect from a shard of glass.

I next checked the lacerations the file mentioned. Laceration was putting it mildly. Someone had sliced open both of her carotid arteries, which likely explained most of the blood. “This must be the cause of death,” Rarity declared. “Why else would someone slash her throat open?”

*Updated* Fact #2: Body Condition: “The body is covered in blood, soaking the clothes. There is a large contusion on the forehead, suggesting a strike with a blunt object. There is a severe puncture wound to the back of the neck, at the base of the skull. A large piece of glass was found embedded in the wound. Both carotid arteries were slashed open.”

“Could be,” I allowed.

Moving on, I ran my hands down her limbs and lower body, looking for any wounds or anything the Monoponi file failed to disclose. It wasn’t till I reached her pocket that I found something crumpled up inside. I pulled it out to show to Rarity.

Fact #4: Printed Note: “A typewritten note discovered in the pocket of the victim, printed off the museum printer. It reads ‘I know what you did. Meet me at the museum theater tonight, at 2:30 AM.”

“The museum theater?” Rarity said, frowning at the paper. “But why did we find the body here, then?”

“Perhaps the culprit is trying to disguise the scene of the murder?” I suggested with a shrug. “Trixie thinks we shouldn’t speculate. Sunset always said that. But Trixie is sure of one thing. This note came from the museum printer. Trixie knows there’s nowhere else on the ship that could produce a typewritten note.”

“Mmm, true,” Rarity allowed. She glanced at me, frowning in concern. “Then we should check there, when we’re done here.”

Nodding in agreement, I returned to my examination of Adagio’s body. Checking down her legs and onto her shoes, I almost concluded there was nothing else until something fell off when I shifted her leg. I picked up the something, which turned out to be several pieces of bloodied confetti, stuck together because of the blood.

*Updated* Fact #2: Body Condition: “The body is covered in blood, soaking the clothes. There is a large contusion on the forehead, suggesting a strike with a blunt object. There is a severe puncture wound to the back of the neck, at the base of the skull. A large piece of glass was found embedded in the wound. Both carotid arteries were slashed open. A few pieces of bloodied confetti were discovered sticking to the victim’s leg.”

Fact #5: Bloodied Confetti: “Strings of bloodied confetti found on the body of the victim. Their origin is unknown.”

I filed that away for later consideration. “Okay, Trixie thinks we’re done with the body,” I said, brushing off my hands. “But she thinks we need to look around this area for other clues.”

“Are you expecting to find something?” Rarity asked as I began to crawl around the area where the body had been found, poking under bookshelves.

“Trixie isn’t sure yet.” I continued to crawl, at a miserably slow pace, till I ended up in front of the archive door. I glanced up at it and frowned. “Did anyone ever search the archives for Sunset?”

Rarity shook her head. “No, I didn’t consider it. The archives are locked up. And the rules forbid breaking open locked doors, remember? So how would Sunset find her way inside to begin with?”

I tried to reach up to touch the doorknob, but I didn’t have the leverage. “Will you please humor Trixie?”

I heard her mutter something under her breath as she reached out to try the doorknob. It spun without effect. “Satisfied?”

“Almost,” I replied. I peeked under the door, and saw nothing but darkness, darkness, and more darkness. I decided to reach under anyway, just in case I could feel something. I felt along the entire door frame and almost concluded nothing was there till I hit something. “What?”

Feeling along the edges of it, it seemed like something rectangular, with a familiar texture. I tried pushing it with a finger but it seemed resistant. “Hmm, Rarity, there is something stuck under this door. Do you have something Trixie can use to move it? Something thin.”

“Uh, well, I suppose you could try this,” she answered, pulling out her sewing kit. It was in a rectangular, very thin plastic case I saw as she handed it to me. “Please try not to lose it.”

“Trixie will do her best.” I took the case and ran it underneath the door frame, like I would a credit card. I had to strike the object underneath the door a few times but eventually I heard the sound of tearing tape, the object falling to the floor. A quick sweep of the sewing kit later and I had the object in hand, instantly recognizing it.

“Is that…” Rarity gasped, holding a hand to her mouth.

I nodded. “It’s Sunset Shimmer’s Monopad.”

Fact #6: Sunset’s Monopad: “Sunset’s Monopad was discovered in the library, on the first floor, taped to the underside of the archive door.”

“But why is it here?” Rarity asked as she took it from me to look it over. “I don’t understand. Does this mean…?”

I reached up to take it back from her. “Trixie thinks it means Sunset is either alive in the archives… or her body is in there. She’s not sure how, but somehow Sunset got inside. And given the pad was taped to the door… Trixie thinks Sunset didn’t go in willingly.”

Fact #7: Sunset Shimmer: “Sunset Shimmer has been missing since some time after 7:45 PM Monday evening. No sign of her has been found anywhere, save for her Monopad being discovered near the archive door. It is possible she is deceased.”

Rarity’s face curled up into an ugly frown, wrinkling her features and making her look like a troll. “So someone did kidnap her!” Her gaze fell upon Adagio’s body. “Do you think maybe--”

“Trixie thinks we can figure that out at the trial. For now, she’s hoping Sunset is inside.” Holding up Sunset’s Monopad, I pointed at it and said, “She’s also hoping this is a good sign. If it was taped to the door, that might mean whoever put Sunset in there wanted to keep it out of Sunset’s hands. So Sunset might be alive. And if she is, we can’t take this.”

“Wait what do you me--Trixie! What’d you do that for?!” Rarity wailed.

I pulled my hand back from shoving the pad far enough underneath the door no one could reach it, then for good measure rapped on the door a few times, quietly enough that I didn't break the library volume rule. “Trixie gave Sunset her pad back. Really, it should be obvious. And remember what Monoponi said.”

Fact #8: Monoponi’s Ruling: “According to Monoponi, if Sunset Shimmer is still alive, then she will not be punished unless she fails to make it to the trial before it ends.”

“If she’s going to have a chance to make it to us, she needs her pad.” And for that matter, a message. I pulled out my own Monopad and put together a brief text message, letting Sunset know the situation and begging for her to hurry.

“But… oh, I suppose you’re right,” Rarity sighed. She pulled out her handkerchief and wiped away fresh tears from her eyes. “I’m so worried for her. She means so much to m--I mean, to all of us.”

I glared at her. “You have a crush on her, don’t you?” I said flatly.

The instant ignition of Rarity’s cheeks said it all. “Wha-why, I-I-I-no. No of course not.” She let out a rapid nervous sounding giggle and waved a dismissive hand at me. “D-don’t be silly, darling. She’s just a friend. A good friend.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.” Snorting in annoyance, I reached up for the door knob and used it to climb up so I could lay against the door. “Can you please give Trixie her crutches?”

Rarity took the opportunity to rush away, returning swiftly with the crutches I’d dropped. “Here you are.” She gave me a sympathetic look. “If you’d like, I’d be willing to carry you around again, like I did during the last investigation. We’ll move faster that way.”

Now my cheeks lit on fire from the blood rushing to them. “Trixie would rather walk this time, thank you.” Taking my crutches, I positioned myself carefully so I could walk. “We should check the museum next.”

“Alright, let’s go--oh!” Rarity pointed at the ground before we’d gotten five steps away. “How did we miss this?”

I peered down to see what she was talking about. “More blood,” I said. Frowning, I followed it along the floor. The streaks reappeared every so often, in streaks, leading underneath the first floor door to the promenade. Opening the door, I discovered it continued, leading all the way to the museum. “Hmm…”

Fact #9: Blood Trails: “Trails of blood were discovered on the first floor of the library, leading out onto the promenade and to the museum.”

“Do you think whoever the culprit was dragged the body?” Rarity inquired.

“Trixie thinks it’s possible,” I answered vaguely, not really paying attention to her as I ambled my way to the museum door. Once I opened it, I took in the scene. More blood trails led a clear and obvious path to the museum theater. I also saw Scootaloo searching the area, but I left her alone for now. “This way.”

We entered the museum theater. Sadly, no shows were playing, meaning the theater was brightly lit. But it did make the most obvious clue in the room stand out. “My word, that is a lot of blood,” Rarity gulped, holding a hand to her mouth. “I think I might be sick.”

Fact #10: Museum Blood Stains: “Stains of blood were found across the museum, including streaks leading out the door to the promenade from the theater, and a massive pool in the theater itself.”

“Ugh, Trixie would rather you didn’t,” I said, cringing at the thought. “The smell of blood is awful enough as it is.” I leaned down to get a closer look at the pool. It was quite uniform, spread out in a rough oval shape. I poked at it with the end of one of my crutches, then frowned. “The pool is thinner than it looks.”

Rarity groaned, but leaned in to look closer. “Oh. Oh, you’re right. It’s smeared all over the carpet. Maybe when the culprit dragged the body out?”

*Updated* Fact #10: Museum Blood Stains: “Stains of blood were found across the museum, including streaks leading out the door to the promenade from the theater, and a massive pool in the theater itself. The pool is thin, the blood underneath smeared on the carpet.”

“Perhaps,” I said. I used the end of my crutch to point. “It does look like there’s a trail here, leading out. But why are there no footprints?”

Rarity grimaced and held her nose. “I don’t know. Can we go now? This smell is atrocious.” She looked away from the pool, then I saw her eyes narrow. “Wait. What’s that?”

“What’s what?”

She bent down and reached underneath one of the theater seats, pulling out a scrap of paper. “Hmm. It’s another note. This one is handwritten. It says ‘see the stars.’ Well what on Earth does that mean?”

Fact #11: Handwritten Note: “A handwritten note found on the floor of the museum theater. It reads: ‘See the stars.’”

Frowning, I snatched the paper out of her hand to look at it myself. Then I crumpled it into my pocket. “Trixie thinks it doesn’t matter.”

“Um, Trixie, not to be presumptuous,” Rarity replied, looking askance at me, “but how can you be sure? There’ve been many clues in the past that seemed meaningless only to turn out to be vital.”

“Hmph!” I stuck my nose up in the air. “Very well. We can compare the handwriting to the library log later. Satisfied?”

She bit her lip, and pulled at it with her left hand. “Um, no, no I’m not. Thinking about that note, I wonder if it… would you excuse me a moment?”

“What?” I raised my eyebrows in confusion as Rarity turned tail and headed out the door to the observation balcony. “Where’re you going?”

But I got no answer. Instead, I had to wait. So I took a seat. I wasn’t about to exhaust myself standing for no reason. Do you know how much energy it takes to walk around on crutches? It’s a lot!

I hoped I’d get to eat before the trial. Despite the ramen I’d had for breakfast, I was starving.

Eventually Rarity returned, carrying something large in her hands. It was one of the telescopes from the balcony. “Rarity, what--”

“Trixie, take a look at this,” she said, setting the telescope down in front of me. A proud smile tugged at her lips. “I was right.”

I scoffed in irritation, but looked anyway. The telescope’s tube had its reflecting glass shattered. There were bits of torn tape and paper inside it. “Huh.”

Fact #12: Broken Telescope: “One of the telescopes on the museum observatory balcony was discovered with its mirrors broken. There were a few torn bits of paper and duct tape inside.”

Rarity struck a pose and giggled. “I knew that note had to mean something. See the stars. As in, looking at the stars, with a telescope. Something must’ve been in this telescope. Perhaps something useful to the culprit was stashed there?”

I pulled the telescope closer so I could get a better look at it. “Hmm… Trixie wonders…”

“I was thinking, it might be the key,” Rarity continued. At my questioning look, she said, “To the archive door, darling. If Sunset is locked away in there, there must be a key, yes? So whoever put her in there--”

“Adagio. Adagio was the one who kidnapped her,” I interrupted, pushing the telescope aside. “Trixie is certain of that. And if there was a key here, it’s not here now.”

Rarity’s lips thinned. “Trixie, we discussed this. I told you, Adagio said to me how sorry she was about her behavior towards Sunset. When Sunset went missing, she was frantic, horrified. She helped me search for her. Why would she do that if she was the one who kidnapped Sunset?”

“You know what?” I pulled out my Monopad and switched on the audio recording function. “Why don’t you go ahead and tell your good old pal Trixie what exactly you were doing yesterday. For the record.”

Raising both eyebrows in surprise, Rarity took a seat, and fluffed at her hair. “Well, you see, yesterday morning, after we discovered Sunset was missing, Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara, and I all searched for Sunset together. It was tiring work, and by lunch I was so exhausted I needed to rest. I didn’t see Adagio until that evening. I confronted her about it, because I suspected, like you did, that she did it. She told me she’d slept in and only just found out about Sunset being missing.” A deep frown etched wrinkles on Rarity’s face. “I’m telling you, she was heartbroken. She helped me search the entire ship from stem to stern, but we found nothing. I came to visit you, then went to sleep around 11:00 PM.”

Fact #13: Rarity’s Account: “According to Rarity, she, along with Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo spent all of Tuesday morning searching the entire ship for Sunset Shimmer, after they discovered she was missing. She found no trace of Sunset anywhere. She spent most of the afternoon in her cabin, worrying anxiously, and attempted to search again that evening. She ran into Adagio and frantically begged her to tell Rarity where Sunset was. She said Adagio was also distraught, and apologized for throwing Sunset into the pool Monday afternoon. She and Adagio searched together to no avail, and Rarity retired at 11:00 PM.”

I stopped the recording. “Thank you,” I said, putting my pad away. Grabbing for my crutches, I stood back up. “We should check the rest of the mus--”

“Trixie, Rarity, come here, come here!” came a shout from the theater door.

We swiftly made our way out. Well, Rarity did. I strolled. Again, crutches. They suck. “What is it, Scootaloo?” I inquired. “Did you find something?”

“Yeah, I did,” Scootaloo answered. She waved for us to follow her over to the displays of rocks. I saw why straight away. One of the boxes, the one for Ares, was completely shattered, glass strewn all over the floor. As I stepped closer, I noticed one of the larger shards had numbers on it, as, it turned out, did the remaining part of the case. A quick check of the display for the case showed the same numbers, all in one long string.

Fact #14: Ares Sample Case: “The rock sample case for the Ares missions was shattered. On the display for the case is the number 324110379899. The last four digits of this number are also present on the case, and the first three were discovered on a piece of glass on the floor.”

*Updated* Fact #3: Glass Shard: “A shard of glass found embedded in the head of the victim. There are a few numbers written on it: ‘11037.’ The numbers correspond to the sample number on the Ares rock sample case in the museum.”

“Good discovery, Scootaloo!” I said. “Trixie thinks we can safely conclude the shard in Adagio’s head came from here!”

Curiously, Scootaloo, instead of beaming under the praise, looked away, as if upset. “Sure. You’re welcome.”

Rarity delicately stepped around the glass, careful where she put her feet. She hummed as she leaned down to take a closer look at the case, then reached in and pulled out a rock seemingly at random. “Something looks suspicious about this ro--aaah!” she dropped it on the floor as soon as we all saw the underside. The rock was coated pink with blood.

Fact #15: Ares Rock: “A rock taken from the Ares sample case, allegedly originating from the planet Ares. It is heavily stained pink with blood.”

Trembling and groaning, Rarity scanned about, searching for something, anything to wipe her hands on, and finally settled on my cloak. “Hey!” I protested as she wiped off the small trace of blood she’d gotten on herself. “That is Trixie’s cloak you are staining!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, darling. I’ll wash it, I promise,” she said, still trembling. “Uuuugh, I cannot stand touching blood.”

Scootaloo frowned, arching an eyebrow at the seamstress. “Really? Then what do you do when you have your--”

“We don’t talk about that!” Rarity hissed sharply.

Holding up her hands in surrender, the younger woman took a few steps back. “Oookay. Sorry.”

“In any case, Trixie believes this is a vital clue. Like she said, good work.” I reached out to pat Scootaloo on the shoulder. “Did you see anything else in here?”

“No, but I’m going to keep looking,” Scootaloo replied. She frowned, her brow creasing. “I can’t figure out who would’ve killed Adagio, or why. Unless she really did kidnap Sunset.”

“Actually, wait a moment, if you would please,” I said, pulling out my Monopad. “Would you please, for the record, tell Trixie what you were up to yesterday?”

She shrugged. “Sure. So yesterday morning, after we saw Sunset was missing, I searched around with Diamond and Rarity.” She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. “After lunch, I went to find Adagio. She acted like she was worried, but… I wasn’t sure. So I kept looking around for Sunset.” She dropped her arms to her sides and her brow creased further. “You know, now that I think about it, I saw Applejack more than a few times while doing that. She was… acting weird. Like she was trying to sneak around the place. I didn’t think much of it then, but now I wonder… anyway, before I went to bed last night, I went to the church.” Her cheeks filled with pink. “I prayed for Sunset’s safety. I want her to come back to us. I hope she’s okay.”

“You and Trixie both,” I said sincerely, giving Scootaloo a sympathetic smile. “Thank you.”

Fact #16: “Scootaloo’s Account: “Scootaloo claims she spent Tuesday morning searching with Rarity, then went to find Adagio and asked her about Sunset. She spoke to Adagio that afternoon, and said Adagio claimed to be worried about Sunset too. She wasn’t sure she believed Adagio, so she spent the rest of Tuesday searching for Sunset. More than once she spotted Applejack ‘acting sneaky.’ Before she went to bed, she went to the church for a late night prayer session, to pray for Sunset’s safety.”

“Let’s go check the director’s office now, Rarity,” I said, putting away my Monopad. “Good luck, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo waved as we departed. It was a quick journey to the director’s office. I kept my eyes peeled on the way, but nothing seemed out of place. Nothing, that is, til we arrived in the office. A nasty but familiar scent filled my nostrils. “Ugh. What is that? Where is that?”

Letting out a frustrated loud groan, Rarity glanced about the office before kneeling down under the desk. “Ew, ew, ew!” she muttered as she pulled out a stained prayer mat from beneath the desk. Like most of the prayer mats from the church, this was effectively a large rug, beige and brown, with general symbols of suns, moons, and stars all over it, rather than any specific religious symbology. The stain, naturally, was blood. A lot of blood.

Fact #17: Prayer Mat: “A prayer mat found underneath the desk of the museum director’s office. It is heavily stained with blood.”

Rarity backed away from it as soon as she pulled it out, holding her hands up high like she was at gunpoint. “That’s it! No more! I can’t take touching all this blood! I’m sorry, Trixie, but you’ll have to examine this.”

“Very well,” I said with a roll of my eyes. I pulled out the office chair and sat down so I could have my hands free. Taking hold of the prayer mat, I looked it over for anything out of place. At first, there didn’t seem to be anything too unusual. This prayer mat had been designed with a velcro strap, so it could be wrapped up and tied when not in use. But the strap had been… extended, for lack of a better word, by a rope. A rope made from other straps, taken off of other prayer mats presumably, and knotted up. How peculiar, but ingenious.

That wasn’t the only thing that stood out though. Before I set the mat down, my keen, beautiful eyes spotted something clinging to the ropet. Two somethings, to be precise, two long, large threads of purple fabric. “Where did these come from… oh!” I glanced up at Rarity, whose eyes, I noticed, seemed to widen in fear. “Rarity, these look like they came from your skirt.”

*Updated* Fact #17: Prayer Mat: “A prayer mat found underneath the desk of the museum director’s office. It is heavily stained with blood. The securing strap had several other straps tied to it, knotted up to form one long rope. Two strands of purple thread were discovered on the rope. They match the shade of Rarity’s skirt.”

“What?” Rarity gasped, lowering her arms so she could recoil into herself like a turtle. “I-I-I don’t know how those would’ve gotten there.”

Narrowing my eyes in suspicion, I looked up and down at her skirt, then pointed. “Then why is one part of your skirt frayed?”

Blushing profusely, she lowered her hands to cover the damaged part of her clothing. “Never you mind that. I-I… I caught it on a corner somewhere. When I was searching for Sunset. Of course, I would’ve fixed it, but all my thread went missing!” She lowered her right hand to her side and raised the left one up to stroke her chin. “I’m not sure how. I left it all in the theater workshop, where I’d been making Sunset some replacement clothes. It should’ve still been there.”

Fact #18: Rarity’s Clothes: “Rarity’s skirt was frayed. She claims it was due to catching it on a corner while searching for Sunset yesterday, and she hadn’t been able to repair it due to her thread going missing. She hadn’t changed due to her other skirts being dirty.”

“Why didn’t you buy more then?”

Grimacing, Rarity admitted quietly, “Because I couldn’t afford it, all right? This cursed budget Monoponi’s limited us to. Even the most basic of cotton costs a relative fortune. Honestly, it’s like the early days of living with my parents all over again.”

“Uh-huh,” I said, my tone not at all convinced. “And why didn’t you put on a fresh skirt? We all have spare clothes.”

Smushing her lips together like she’d just bit into a lemon, Rarity muttered, “Because they’re all filthy, all right? I forgot to do laundry.”

“Sure,” I muttered, still unconvinced. “Whatever.” I shrugged and wheeled myself over to the computer. “Trixie can ask you more at the trial.”

Rarity stepped around the mat so she could see the monitor while I navigated through the OS. “What’re you hoping to find?”

“Trixie’s not sure,” I answered as I moved the mouse around. “But she knows the note was printed from here. She’s looking for something that shows it.” I checked the recycle bin for any discarded word processor documents, but there was nothing. Then I checked the printer log, and smiled. “You see? Trixie knew it.”

Fact #19: Printer Log: “The log of the printer in the museum director’s office. It shows two documents were printed, on Monday at 11:55 PM and Wednesday at 4:30 AM.”

“Two? We found one, but what was the other?” Rarity asked.

“We will need to keep an eye out,” I said, grabbing for my crutches so we could move on. “Trixie believes we should search the church next. If the prayer mat came from there, there could be other clues.”

As soon as we left the museum, we ran into Applejack. “Oh, there y’all are. Ah was tryin’ to find you.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Rarity took a single step forward, placing herself between Applejack and me. “And why is that?” she growled.

The farmer bristled. “Rarity, for pete’s sake, how many times do Ah need to apologize--”

“Stop.” Rarity held up a hand for silence, then shook her head. “You still aren’t listening, Applejack. I told you, we are through. It’s as simple as that. Please just accept that already. Our lives aboard this ship are horrid enough as it is.”

“Tch,” Applejack muttered, before hanging her right. “Right. Ah’ll… Ah’ll stop.”

“Thank you,” Rarity said with a simple nod. “Now, what was it you needed?”

Applejack glared at me for a moment, then returned her gaze to Rarity. “Ah wanted to relate somethin’ Ah found in Sunset’s cabin. Ah went lookin’ for clues there, in case we missed somethin’ yesterday, and Ah found… this.” From her pocket, she withdrew a fancy knife, with a black handle of ebony and obsidian. There was a single spot of blood on the underside of the handle. I recognized that knife. Sunset told me about it. It came from that weird altar in the church.

Fact #20: Sacred Athame: “A sacred knife from the black altar in the church hall. It has a small spot of blood on the underside of the handle. It was allegedly discovered in Sunset’s cabin by Applejack.”

I took the knife from her and examined it for a moment, then pocketed it. “That’s weird. Trixie hasn’t a clue why that would be in her cabin.” I frowned. “Rarity, when we’re done with the church, Trixie wishes to take a look at Sunset’s cabin for herself.”

“Of course.”

Turning to the farmer, I pointedly asked, “Where did you find it, exactly?”

“It was sittin’ on the bed,” Applejack said with a shrug. Then she frowned. “Why’re you goin’ to the church?”

Briefly, I explained about the prayer mat. “While she has you, Applejack, Trixie would like to ask you what you were doing yesterday.”

“Uh, Ah’d rather…” she trailed off when she saw Rarity’s infuriated glare, a sheepish smile forming on her face. “So uh, anyhow, yesterday mornin’, after Diamond said she didn’t get a text from Sunset, Ah went to check and found she was missin’. Straight away Ah figured it had to be that low-down siren who did it, so as soon as Ah could find her, Ah confronted her. She gave me some fool sob story about how she was so sad Sunset was missin’, and she regretted kickin’ her, and all this bunch of hooey Ah didn’t believe for a second. So Ah spent the rest of the day keepin’ track of her. Ah saw her talk to everyone else save you, Trixie, and she told ‘em all the same thing.”

Fact #21: “Applejack’s Account: “According to Applejack, she was the one who discovered Sunset was missing. She confronted Adagio about Sunset and there was a brief confrontation. She said Adagio denied all involvement, and claimed she was just as worried about the missing Sunset as the others were. Applejack refused to believe her, and chose to subtly track Adagio for the rest of the day.”

That explains what Scootaloo meant about Applejack being sneaky. “Did you see her do anything?”

“Uh… no. Ah didn’t.” Applejack let out an irritated sigh. “Maybe she knew Ah was trackin’ her.”

“Or maybe she was innocent,” Rarity retorted angrily, “and you were persecuting her for no reason.”

Applejack drew herself up defensively. “If she was innocent, Ah’m a mule’s backside.”

“Oh, so we’re in agreement then.”

I broke into laughter as Applejack spluttered and mumbled angrily, glaring at the two of us. “She sure has the attitude of one,” I seconded.

“Oh that’s it,” Applejack growled, drawing the bat off her back and pointing it at me. “Ah can put up with it from Rarity, but Ah ain’t about to let you insult my pride like that.”

I looked down at the bat, raised my eyebrows, then smirked. “Ah, Trixie sees. It takes a special kind of pride to threaten a disabled person with a weapon over mere words. A special, fragile kind of pride.”

Her lips thinned, her nose flaring as she huffed, then put her bat away. “Point taken,” she admitted, and walked away without another word.

Rarity turned to look at me the instant she was gone. “Are you all right, Trixie? I was worried for a moment there she was going to hit you.”

Continuing to smirk, I brushed off imaginary dust from the front of my shirt and started walking towards the church. “Do not worry about Trixie. She can handle Applejack.”

“Still,” Rarity replied, biting at her lip as she followed. “Applejack keeps becoming more of a brute with every passing day. I don’t know what I ever saw in her.”

“She lost her sister,” I said, my smirk fading away. “Trixie knows that’s no excuse, but--”

“You’re right,” Rarity said harshly, her expression darkening considerably. “It’s not.”

I let the matter drop, seeing no reason to aggravate her further.

We stepped into the church foyer, and immediately I found myself gagging on the intense smell that assaulted our nostrils. “Augh!” I moaned as I tried to hold my nose, only to find it impossible while standing on my crutches. “What the heck is that?”

“It’s incense,” Rarity said, her voice muted and silly because she had no difficulty pinching her nose shut. “It’s a lot of incense.”

I pushed forward through the foyer into the main church hall, only for the smell to become even worse. And it wasn’t just the smell either. There were several puddles of melted wax on the floor just inside, so many I almost slipped placing one of my crutches into one. “Someone must’ve burned a lot of candles,” I said.

Fact #22: Incense and Wax: “A substantial smell of incense was present in the church, far stronger than usual. The smell is strongest around several puddles of melted wax found on the floor near the door to the foyer.”

“But why?” Rarity inquired as she scowled down at the melted wax. “It’s made an awful mess for no reason.”

“Who knows?” I muttered. “Trixie doesn’t want to stand here smelling it. Let’s check the rest of the church. Please.”

Closing the door to the hall helped cut off some of the smell at least, enough to let me breathe properly. Recovering my senses allowed me to take in the foyer as I searched for anything out of place. Straight away I noticed something odd. One of the rugs had been moved. It had been shoved up against the wall, next to the hallway leading to the church restrooms. Stepping over to it, I prodded it with my crutch, noticing the rug squelch noticeably. “This rug is soaked.”

“Oh, as if there wasn’t enough of a mess,” Rarity groused.

Fact #23: Waterlogged Rug: “One of the rugs in the church foyer was soaked in water. The rug had also been moved from its standard location and was pressed up against the wall with the hallway leading to the church restrooms.”

Poking at it a few times more, I turned to Rarity and asked, “Do you know where this rug is supposed to be?”

“I’m not sure. I haven’t spent much time in here,” Rarity admitted. “I came by on Monday to pray for Sweetie, but… if I’m not mistaken, this rug was supposed to be in front of the door to the hall.”

I meandered my way back towards the door in question and peered at the floor to the best of my ability. “Hmm. Trixie doesn’t see any water stains. Maybe the rug was used to dry up a spill.” Catching sight of something, I tried to bend down and grab it, but I couldn’t reach. “Um, Rarity, if you could.”

Rarity nodded and reached down to scoop up the object in question. “Hmm. This looks like confetti. It’s just like the confetti we found on Adagio.”

“So she was here for some reason then.”

*Updated* Fact #5: Bloodied Confetti: “Strings of bloodied confetti found on the body of the victim. Similar pieces of confetti were discovered on the floor of the church foyer.”

“Trixie thinks this means the church is more important than we first though. We should check every part of it.” Feeling a rumble in my belly, I added, “Starting with the restroom.”

“Good idea,” Rarity said, a faint blush coming to her cheeks.

We headed for the restroom, and after we both took care of our business and washed our hands, we examined the area. At first we didn’t see anything, until I looked inside the third stall. It was a metal bucket, sitting atop the toilet seat. I grabbed it by its handle and brought it out to look it over. It was wet inside, with several droplets of water accumulated on the bottom. Turning it over, I noticed a label stamped on it, declaring it property of the ship’s theater.

Fact #24: Bucket: “A metal bucket, with the words ‘property of ship’s theater’ stamped on the bottom. It was discovered in the ladies restroom of the church, with a few droplets of water inside.”

“This is probably what drenched the carpet,” Rarity decided. “Though I still don’t know why someone would do that.”

I took a quick peek at my Monopad and frowned. An hour and a half had flown by. All of the other investigations had ended by this point. “Trixie thinks we need to hurry. We might not have much time left.”

The next place I chose to check was the rest of the main church hall, though apart from the wax nothing seemed out of place, save for the missing athame from the black altar. The Sunday School also held nothing of interest. The music room, however… the entire place had been turned upside down. Instruments were moved all over the place. Stands were broken or damaged. A couple of odd gourds with beaded netting on them hung from the ceiling by strings of cotton and linen. “What are these?” I wondered.

“Oh, those are shekeres, darling,” Rarity said as she plucked one off its string. “They’re from west Farasia, near the coast. Very popular in South Amareican music too. I wrote a paper on them for high school music class.” She frowned at the string, then gasped in horror. “Wait a moment. These strings! These are mine! They-they were made with my thread!” She tore one from the ceiling and scowled at it, then scanned about the room. “And look, there’s more over there.” Reaching down she picked up a long string, this one a good twelve feet at least. “Oooooh! If I catch whomever it was that wasted good thread like this…”

Fact #25: Music Room: “The music room was disturbed. Many of the instruments had been moved around. Two shekeres had woven strings of linen and cotton tied to them. There was also a single long string of cotton approximately twelve feet long discovered curled in a pile in the corner of the room.”

I patted her on the shoulder. “There there, Rarity. Trixie is sure we’ll figure out who it was and why. We should move on. We still need to check Sunset’s cabin.”

Rarity grumbled something under her breath and stuffed the long string into her pocket. “Very well. Lead on.”

It took longer than I would’ve liked for us to reach Sunset’s cabin, even with the promenade elevators. Every second that passed left me worried Monoponi would call an end to investigating, but I had to see Sunset’s room first. It was vital. It had to be. Fortunately, we reached it without further incident. Before I stepped inside, I braced myself. Sunset, she means a lot to me. Like, a lot a lot. She’s my best friend in the whole world. My only friend, other than Rarity. If she died, I don’t know what I’d do.

After a moment of deep breaths, I pushed open the door. The room was much like it had been described to me by Rarity last night. There were bloodstains on the floor and bed, which left me shaking. There was a missing sheet from the bed too. Sunset’s backpack was here, full of her stuff. And there was a nasty weapon on the floor. “We left things as they were,” Rarity said as I picked up the weapon. It was a pipe wrench, a big one, with blood smeared across the end. “We think whoever kidnapped her used this on her.”

“She must’ve been beaten,” I murmured, tears coming to my eyes. Sniffling, I wiped them away and continued my examination of the room. There were stacks of ramen and other food piled on the desk, untouched and uneaten. Her ruined clothes were piled on the floor in the closet. And then I saw what was written on her pillow. Two letters, written in blood. “Rarity… look.”

Fact #26: Sunset Shimmer’s Cabin: “Sunset Shimmer’s cabin was discovered unlocked Tuesday morning. Inside there were several bloodstains on the floor and the bed. One of the bedsheets was missing. Sunset’s backpack was left behind. A bloodied pipe wrench was on the floor. On the pillow was scrawled two letters in blood: ‘AJ.’. ”

Rarity gaped as she picked up the pillow. “AJ?” she breathed. “As in, Applejack?!” Before my eyes, her face twisted up into the ugliest, grossest, angriest display of pure rage I’d ever seen. And I’d seen a lot of rage on this ship. “That foul, horrid… ooooh I don’t even have the words for this!” She tossed the pillow down. “We must’ve missed this the first time we were in here. Or maybe Applejack hid it when she found the room was open.” Gripping her fists so tight her knuckles turned even whiter than the rest of her, she declared, “If this was Sunset’s dying message, so help me, I will see Applejack ended for this!”

“Ended for what?” Diamond Tiara asked as she stuck her head inside the room. She eyed the two of us and grimaced. “Oh. It’s just you.”

Rarity whirled, growling under her breath before managing to get a grip on herself. She brushed a hand over her face, and when she dropped it, she was all polite smiles again. “We can worry about what I said during the trial. Tiara, have you found anything in your searches?”

“Not really,” Tiara admitted, scowling at the floor. “I thought I’d try checking a few places, like the access corridor. Or the spa. Or the fitness center. Somewhere unrelated, you know, in case whoever the culprit is thought they could hide something there. But I didn’t find crap.”

“It was worth searching,” I said as I brought out my Monopad. “Diamond Tiara, you’re the last person Trixie needs to interview. Will you please tell Trixie what you did yesterday?”

Rolling her eyes, Tiara said, “Yesterday morning, I texted Sunset, asking if she was awake. I told her to text me during the meetings, since she was going to hole up in her room. I saw her the night before.” Her face fell, her frown turning sad. “I think I might’ve been the last person to talk to her. So I searched all morning for her. When we didn’t find her… I figured she was dead. So I spent the rest of the day by myself.” She turned away from us. “But I did go on a walk after midnight last night. I saw Scootaloo and Applejack walking around. Don’t know if that means anything.”

Fact #27: Diamond Tiara’s Account: “Diamond Tiara claims she led a search for Sunset Tuesday morning, then spent the rest of the day by herself. She says she went for a walk after midnight and saw both Scootaloo and Applejack wandering around.”

“Trixie is not ready to give up on Sunset just yet,” I declared as I put my Monopad away. “But thank you. Your contribution is appreciated.”

DING-DONG BING-BONG

Chills ran down my spine at that sound. On reflex, I turned to face the nearest screen, seeing Monoponi’s stupid face grinning at us like a loon. “Aaaah, it’s been such a lovely past couple of days, hasn’t it? No more Sunset, and now no more Adagio… truly, your Captain feels blessed! As should you! Your investigation is up. It’s time, my dear passengers. Time once again for the trial! I hope you’re excited! I know I am. Please assemble at the food court, posthaste!”

As his image vanished, my whole body trembled with fear. “This is it,” I said. “Time for Trixie to put her money where her mouth is.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Rarity said encouragingly, giving my left hand a quick squeeze. “I believe in you. If any of us can fill Sunset’s shoes, it’s you.”

“Hmph! As if,” Tiara snorted as we all left Sunset’s cabin. “She’s probably going to get us all killed.”

I said nothing as we walked, not feeling the need to respond. I was worried I’d manage just that. That I would fail, and everyone would perish. This wasn’t right. I wasn’t meant to do something like this. I’m not that smart. I’m clever, but I’m not smart. I’m not like Sunset. I don’t walk around with an encyclopedia in my brain. Every success I’ve had in the trials has been because I learned from her. Was I really ready to take her place?

Like I had a choice. No one else wanted the job. No one else felt up to it.

We assembled in the food court swiftly. The yawning immensity of the promenade felt all the more depressing considering how few of us were left. Where once stood sixteen, now there were only six. And one wasn’t here. Assuming she was still alive.

Monoponi appeared in front of us with his usual flair, posing like a goofball. “Hello hello, my passengers! Look at you all. So few of you left! Isn’t it wonderful?”

“More like awful,” Scootaloo replied with a strong glare.

Shrugging, the horse thing replied, “Eh, suit yourself.”

“Look, can we just skip the usual bullshit and get on with things?” Tiara said with both hands raised. “I don’t want to hear it. I want this over and done with.”

“Very well, but first....” Monoponi’s horn glowed, and everyone’s weapons floated off their backs and disappeared in a burst of light. “No weapons in the courtroom! I won’t have these proceedings turn into a bloodbath.” He glared at us as if expecting us to object, then huffed. “So, no more witty retorts? No more questions?”

“Trixie has one,” I said, raising a hand. “If Sunset frees herself, how will she get down to the courtroom?”

“She’s not alive, you idiot!” Tiara retorted, flipping me off. “Stop wasting time. Sunset’s dead.”

“Trixie refuses to believe that!” I shouted back, waving one of my crutches at her. “She won’t believe Sunset’s dead until she sees the body.”

Monoponi hung his head with a world-weary sigh. “Oh, fine, fine. Allow me to say this then.” He raised his head and looked squarely at me. “If, and I do mean if that little shit is still alive, then I will keep the elevator unlocked and ready to go. But she has to get to the courtroom herself! She won’t get any help from me, of any kind.” He held up a forehoof to his mouth. “Upupu, I wouldn’t hold your breath though. She’s probably kicked it. And if you morons find the blackened before she shows up, I’ll make sure of it!”

Turning to the giant oversized lock, he fired a jet of light at it with his horn. The lock disintegrated in a brilliant shower of sparks, a colorful display far too cheerful for what it entailed. The iron gates squealed their way open, revealing the elevator. With a single bow, Monoponi vanished.

Without preamble we all boarded the elevator. Like the promenade, it seemed far larger, far emptier than it should have been, with only five of us aboard. And as the elevator descended, I contemplated the case we needed to solve.

Adagio Dazzle. The siren from Equestria, Sunset’s lover, now dead. Gone. Eliminated by our culprit.

I knew she was responsible for Sunset’s disappearance. I knew I wasn’t the least bit sad she’d died. And none of the rest of us were either. One of us took vengeance upon her. One of us sought to bring her to justice for harming Sunset.

Sunset’s still alive. She has to be. I won’t accept anything else. So this trial isn’t for Adagio’s killer. It’s for Sunset. It’s to save Sunset. I’d have to drag things out, keep things going as long as possible, to give her time.

It’s the only thing I can do to save her life.

Sunset, this trial’s for you. I will save you! I promise!

Author's Note

Yeah okay it was Adagio. Gosh darn it, I can't fool any of you people anymore. :rainbowlaugh:

As with all trials, you should be able to determine who the culprit is through context clues, the facts provided at hand, and narration throughout the entire chapter. Please place all guesses in spoiler tags, as usual. :twilightsmile: There is much I want to say further. Oh there's so much I want to say. But it will have to wait.

Yes, the music is different. Different protag, different music. :pinkiesmile: Though I should have said this far sooner: no, I didn't compose any of the music I've linked to in this story. It's all stuff I found on Youtube that either comes from the official soundtrack, or people's remixes they made. All credit goes to them. I can't compose music worth beans. But I did try to find stuff that fit Trixie, using her song from Rainbow Rocks as a basis for "music that fits her." Wasn't easy.

The season ten comics finally gives a name for Zecora's home continent that isn't just Zebrica. Farasia isn't the most amazing name ever, but I like it, and it works.

Also, please forgive me for the 11037 reference. I know it's overdone. But I couldn't resist.

I'd like to give a quick shoutout and thank you to BlackOpsElf, who pointed out a detail that I needed to edit about the previous part. Specifically, the anesthetic used on Sunset Shimmer. I had Adagio use morphine, when in fact it would make far more sense to use something specifically utilized for general anesthesia, such as ketamine. Apart from the drug used nothing else was changed.

Finally, your lovely fellow reader Strummm has created another excellent piece of fanart. It features Adagio, Sunset, and Trixie. Thank you Stummm! :pinkiehappy:

Chapter Five: Whistle for the Wind Part 7

Chapter Five
Whistle for the Wind
Trial Part 2

I sank to my haunch, my grip slipping away from the podium. My crutches clattered to the floor on either side of me as I burst into tears.

“Woah, woah, what in the heck?” Scootaloo shouted. “Trixie, what happened?”

“Hmph! She’s falling apart from the pressure,” Tiara said with her nose stuck up in the air. “Naturally. I knew she couldn’t handle it.”

“Don’t be an ass Tiara,” Applejack chided. “Ah’m guessin’ this is for somethin’ else.”

“Trixie?” Rarity said, her breath choked. “What… what is it?”

Wordlessly, I pointed towards the wall behind Sunset’s podium, where the light had once beamed. Once, that is. “She… she… Sunset…” I hiccuped, my heart hammering in my chest. “Sunset just died.”

“What?!” Rarity screamed at the top of her lungs, slapping both hands to the sides of her head. “That’s… that’s impossible! How could you know?”

“Ahahaha!” Monoponi chortled, slapping both forehooves to his barrel over and over again. “Eyahahahaha ahahahahahaha ahahahaahaha!Tell me, Trixie, do you liiiike my little light I rigged up? Because you’re right. It was tied to Sunset’s life!”

“She… she really was still alive?” Diamond Tiara said, her jaw falling open.

“Was being the key word!” Monoponi replied. “Ahahahaha! So long as she was alive, the light continued to shine. But only if her heart kept beating. Looks like it stopped! Ahahahaha! Sunset Shimmer is dead. And I couldn’t be happier!”

“You… you… “ I growled as I reached out for my crutches and wrenched myself back up on my feet. “You monster! We had a deal!”

“Deal? What deal?” Monoponi said, cocking his head to the side and placing a forehoof on his chin. “I don’t know anything about a deal.”

“Ah think she’s talkin’ about how if Sunset managed to escape, you wouldn’t execute her for missin’ the trial,” Applejack said, though she eyed me. “That is what you’re talkin’ about, right Trixie?”

I fired off the most furious glare I could manage at the farmer. “Of course that’s what I’m talking about!”

“Oh, that,” Monoponi said, letting out a huge horsey snort. “Puhlease, you didn’t actually think that meant I’d protect Sunset’s life, did you? You moron! Don’t you remember what I said?” He fired off a jet of light at the holographic displays, which switched on to show a brief clip of security camera footage.

~*~
Monoponi rolled his oversized eyes. “Very well! Since you morons won’t let this go, knowing you, I will say this. If Sunset Shimmer is alive, she will have until the end of the trial to make an appearance. So long as she attends the end and votes, she will not be executed. But if she fails to show up, then that’s the end of the line for her.” He held a hoof to his fuzzy chin. “Assuming she’s still alive that is, upupupu.”
~*~

“Now you tell me, your Captain, where in there I said I’d keep Sunset alive. Because I don’t think I did. All I said was, I’d give her the chance.” He shrugged his shoulders and plopped back onto his rump. “Not my fault if she died before she could take advantage of it.”

“Then she’s gone,” Rarity whispered. Tears ran down her face, but unlike her melodramatic displays of emotion before, she didn’t shriek or claw at her hair. She froze in place, barely breathing. “Sunset’s gone.”

“I… oh god damn it!” Scootaloo shouted, balling her fists up and slamming them down on her podium over and over again. “Damn it! Damn it! Daaaamn it!”

Tiara took in a sudden breath, her expression screwing up into one of utter shocked sorrow. “I… I thought I’d… I thought I accepted… but now…” she mumbled before trailing off, her face falling into her hands.

Applejack took off her hat and held it to her breast. Even she began to tear up. “Ah’m gonna miss you, Sunset Shimmer,” she muttered. “You were the best of us.”

I wanted to wail, to scream at the heavens, to beg and plead and wish and do anything to bring her back. I wanted to undo what has been done.

I wish we’d never been brought to this ship. It’s been nothing but slow torture since we got here. First our memories of friendships once had, torn away and discarded. Then slowly, piece by piece we kill each other, scream and shout in suspicion for hours, pretend to make up, then we do it all over again. Again and again and again. Even I’d fallen prey to it. I still remembered how awful, how horrifyingly gross and ashamed I felt when I realized I’d actually murdered Pinkie Pie. I stole her life, and for what?

For what?! For Sunset? Who was so furious with me I almost lost her friendship forever? For myself? I didn’t deserve to live after what I did. And now it was even more pointless. Sunset had figured out it was me, because of course she had. She was always so smart.

Was.

Was was was.

I hate that word. I hate it so much, it makes me want to vomit. It’s not fair. It’s not right! If anything, it should’ve been me kidnapped by Adagio. I’m the one who deserved to suffer.

I could just imagine it. Imagine what Sunset must’ve gone through. Beaten up by Adagio, probably tied up, thrown in there in the dark, left to die. Laying there, unable to move, slowly wasting away until her heart gave out.

That should’ve been me. It should’ve been Sunset standing here, trying to figure out who killed me. Not me trying to solve Adagio’s murder. Sunset deserved justice.

No, more than that.

She deserved to live.

If any of us did, it was her. That’s why I gave in the first time. It was for her. Not me. Never me. Always her. Always for her.

If you’d told me, before I came to this ship, that there’d be someone out there I’d be willing to die for? Willing to kill for? I’d have laughed in your face. Then I’d have distracted you with a magic trick or two, because come on, I’m Trixie. Magic’s my thing. But then I befriended, or rather, re-befriended Sunset. It was like my father had come back to me. Or my mom. Or… no.

No, she was like my older sister. The sister I never had. I looked up to her. I emulated her, I learned from her. I watched her in the trials and I copied what she did. Heck, half the reason I threw my magic show was so I could make her my assistant. So she could keep helping me.

What am I going to do without her? What’re any of us going to do?

I didn’t want to know. I wanted nothing more than to suddenly wake up, realize this was all some fever dream, that Sunset would be there asking why I’d been talking in my sleep again.

But it wasn’t going to happen. There was no point in going on.

“Hey! Hey!”

I looked up only to yelp and shrink back when I saw Monoponi glaring at me, his massive eyes barely a few inches away from my own. “W-what?” I murmured.

“Wake up!” he shouted, before fluttering up to hover above the podiums. “All of you morons, wake up! You still have a trial to do!”

A lump formed in my throat. My stomach felt heavy, like a ten ton weight had settled in. But I gathered my courage, and said, “No. We’re done.”

“Excuse me?” Monoponi barked, holding a hoof to one of his ears. “What was that?”

“She said we’re done, dumbass!” Tiara added, slapping a palm down on her podium. Her eyes were red and puffy, tear stains dotting her cheeks. “We’re not doing it anymore.”

Scootaloo looked at me, then Tiara, then set her jaw and nodded grimly. “That’s right! We’ve had enough of this shit!”

Applejack took her hat and set it squarely back on her head. “Well now, if y’all’re gonna stand up to him, Ah’m with you. Ah ain’t wastin’ no more time on this boondoggle. Ain’t like no one cares that Adagio’s dead anyhow.”

Rarity took a deep breath, stood up straight, and calmly wiped her face clean. “While I wouldn’t say I don’t care who killed Adagio, if they refuse to participate, then so do I.”

“Oho. Ohohoho!” Monoponi spun circles in the air, sounding angrier by the second. “Ohoho this is rich. This is riiiiich. Look at you idiots. Acting like you’re friends. Acting like you’re working together to stop some big bad evil. ‘Oooh we won’t play your game anymore Monoponi! Oh we’re sick of you! Oh you’re a monster!’ Well I won’t tolerate this!”

He flew back over to his throne and landed on all four hooves, spreading his wings out. “You morons think you can stand up to me? I am your Captain! This trial is mandatory! You are required to participate. And if you don’t… well, in that case, what’s the point in keeping you alive?”

His horn ignited, and panels opened up in the walls and ceiling, aiming a large variety of nasty looking weaponry at us. Not just those big barreled machine gun things, but flamethrowers, and grenade launchers, and even nastier looking stuff I didn’t have words for. “I’m perfectly happy to end this game right here, right now. It’d be a bit of a disruption in my plans, but no plan survives contact with the enemy. I can cope. I can find a way to succeed in my goals without you idiots. Do you understand what that means?”

He leaned forward, his horn glowing along with his throat, and when he next spoke, it sounded like a beast that clawed its way out of hell itself. “You’re expendable.”

Then he sat down on his rump, crossed his forehooves over his horsey chest, and said, “Your move! I’ll give you three minutes to decide.”

Tiara whimpered, her whole body shaking like tree limbs in a windstorm. “I-I-I don’t want to d-d-die!” she moaned.

Applejack gulped. “Woah nelly… Ah wasn’t expectin’ him to respond like that. Ah ain’t ready to die either.” She bowed her head. “Ah mean, Ah wouldn’t mind seein’ mah sister again. Or mah parents. But… Ah ain’t ready. Granny still needs me. Big Mac still needs mah help on the farm.”

“Tch,” Scootaloo held up both hands and flipped Monoponi off. “Fuck you if you think threatening my life is going to get me to stand down. I don’t care anymore if you kill me. I’m sick of playing along with your game.” Then she wavered, her expression fading as her hands slowly dropped to her sides. “But I do care about everyone else. I don’t want them to die…”

Rarity heaved a world-weary sigh as her confidence visibly evaporated. “I wish I could say I was ready. That I’d be happy to go see Sweetie Belle, Sunset, our other friends that have died in this wretched game… but I’m not. I’m afraid. Afraid if I die all that’ll happen is that I… that I cease to exist. And I don’t want to cease to exist!” She cast an apologetic look my way. “I’m so sorry, Trixie.”

I shook my head, giving her a smile that didn’t come within a million miles of reaching my eyes. “You don’t have to apologize, Rarity. It was a long shot. Trixie can’t blame you for wanting to live.” I let out a sigh of my own, then looked up at Monoponi. “Fine. You win. We’ll play.”

The various weaponry all withdrew into their hidden panels as Monoponi’s muzzle split into a massive toothy grin. “Excellent! I thought you might.” He held out his forehooves and waved them in a ‘go ahead’ gesture. “Please, don’t wait for your Captain. Continue.”

“Where did we leave off, anyhow? Ah sorta forgot, what with the, uh… bad news,” Applejack said.

“I think we just finished deciding we couldn’t declare Rarity the culprit?” Tiara said with a gormless shrug, her voice listless. “I don’t know anymore.”

I briefly glanced towards Sunset’s podium, and my heart skipped a beat when I realized he’d replaced the portrait without us noticing.

That blood-pink X would haunt me to the end of my days.

“S-so, Trixie thinks,” I began, trying not to let my voice quiver and shake, “w-we should look into how the church is connected to the case.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Rarity said, taking a shuddering breath of her own when she saw the new portrait. “And Trixie and I found many clues in the church we need to examine carefully.”

Scootaloo’s expression became unreadable. “I didn’t go into the church during the investigation,” she admitted. “What did the music room look like? It was a mess when I left it.”

“Actually, now that you mention that, Scootaloo'' Rarity said, pressing her knuckles to her lips, “the music room was especially odd, given what we know now.” She tapped a few times on her Monopad.

Fact #25: Music Room: “The music room was disturbed. Many of the instruments had been moved around. Two shekeres had woven strings of linen and cotton tied to them. There was also a single long string of cotton approximately twelve feet long discovered curled in a pile in the corner of the room.”

“Huh. You’re right. That is weird,” Scootaloo commented, staring quizzically at the evidence. “A shekere’s that bead net gourd rattle thing, right?” At Rarity’s nod, she continued, “Those were not hanging from the ceiling when I left the place. And there was no string either.”

“I’m certain the string came from my thread,” Rarity replied with a frustrated frown. “I left the thread in the theater workshop the other day, because I had been working on new clothes for… for Sunset.” She shook for a moment after saying the name before managing to compose herself. “But when I went back for it after tearing my skirt yesterday, it was gone. That’s why I didn’t repair the damage.”

“Did anyone check the fabric store’s register?” Tiara asked, her tone still reeking of a lack of enthusiasm. “Maybe someone bought some string.”

“No, Trixie didn’t consider checking that,” I said with a shake of my head. “She thinks no one would’ve been foolish enough to leave a paper trail. Receipts have been important too often in prior murders.”

“You got that right,” Applejack muttered, a scowl forming on her face.

“Indeed,” Rarity mumbled.

“So Trixie thinks unless we have reason to believe otherwise, we can safely conclude the string was made from Rarity’s thread. Rarity, how difficult would this have been?”

Rarity hummed to herself, rubbing at her chin, though rather than stare at the ceiling like she usually did when she did that, she stared down at her podium, her whole body held limp. “Not very,” she said. “The thread I used was thin, but weaving it into string wouldn’t take much effort, especially not with these awful quality strings we found.”

“They were bad?” I uttered in bemusement.

She gave me a small smile that vanished in a heartbeat. “Yes, darling. Trust a seamstress to know what is and isn’t bad when it comes to string and thread.”

“Nevermind whether they were good or bad,” Scootaloo said with a wave of her hand, “the question is: why? Why were the instruments tied up?”

“Hmm…” Rarity said, opening up the evidence screen on her Monopad. “I wonder. The string wasn’t the only thing we found from the theater workshop there, was it, Trixie?”

“No, it wasn’t,” I said.

Fact #24: Bucket: “A metal bucket, with the words ‘property of ship’s theater’ stamped on the bottom. It was discovered in the ladies restroom of the church, with a few droplets of water inside.”

“This is a bucket.”

I saw Scootaloo’s eyebrows raise and an amused smile briefly dart across her face before she said, “Does that mean someone dumped water in the church?”

“Yes, I’m certain it does,” Rarity answered for me. “Because we also found this.”

Fact #23: Waterlogged Rug: “One of the rugs in the church foyer was soaked in water. The rug had also been moved from its standard location and was pressed up against the wall with the hallway leading to the church restrooms.”

“Well, Scootaloo, you were in the church,” Applejack said after taking in the new information. She fixed Scootaloo with a curious look. “Ah don’t suppose you know anythin’ about this?”

“Nope,” Scootaloo said with a brief shake of her head. “That rug was still in the same place it usually is when I left.”

“Usually that rug’s in front of the door to the main church, right?” Tiara said. Her movements had become more animated, less robotic, like she regained a bit of her usual energy. “So does that mean it was there when the water was dumped on it?”

“You’re makin’ it sound like someone put the bucket over the door,” Applejack muttered with a roll of her eyes. “Like some kinda prank.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Rarity chided, glaring at the farmer. “What sort of person uses a prank as part of a murder attempt?”

Pinkie Pie might have, I mused, but I opted not to answer that. “Perhaps before we conclude that’s what occurred, we should examine other evidence,” I said.

“Oh, yes, there was something else that stood out about the church, wasn’t there?” Rarity said, making a disgusted face. She held up her hand to her nose and waved it as if waving away a nasty odor. “That smell.”

“Smell?” Applejack asked. “What smell?”

“This one,” I answered.

Fact #22: Incense and Wax: “A substantial smell of incense was present in the church, far stronger than usual. The smell is strongest around several puddles of melted wax found on the floor near the door to the foyer.”

“Trixie could hardly breathe when she went in. It was nasty.”

Scootaloo stuck out her tongue. “Ugh, I can imagine. The incense burned in that church was pretty strong to begin with. If a whole lot of candles were set off at once…”

“Y’all would need gas masks just to go in there,” Applejack said, cringing. “Ah can’t imagine how intense that would be. Or why someone would do that.”

“Was there anything else weird this culprit hooked up? “ Tiara said in an exasperated tone. “Did they rig up a chocolate syrup cannon or something to shoot syrup in people’s mouths?”

“Uhh… no, no they didn’t,” Rarity said, staring at Tiara in disbelief. “What on Earth are you talk--”

Tiara cut her off, “I had that happen to me once. Don’t ask.”

“Okaaaaaay,” Rarity muttered, eying Tiara with a flustered frown before shaking her head to clear the thought out. “Well, I don’t believe there was much else we found, was there Trixie?”

“Hmm... “ I stared back down at my Monopad, scanning for evidence, then snapped my fingers. “Trixie spotted something else, yes.”

Fact #5: Bloodied Confetti: “Strings of bloodied confetti found on the body of the victim. Similar pieces of confetti were discovered on the floor of the church foyer.”

“We found confetti on the body, and pieces that looked just like it, minus the blood, in the foyer. Trixie thinks they must be connected.”

“Okay then,” Applejack said, staring up into the brim of her hat as she rubbed at her chin, lost in thought. “So we got some incense candles, confetti, a bucket of water, and a bunch of instruments rigged up on strings. What in all things holy do any of these have to do with the murder?”

“It’s starting to sound like it took place in the church, not in the museum,” Scootaloo said.

Rarity held up a hand, her features schooled into a questioning look. “But how is that possible? There was no blood in the church. All the blood found was in the museum and the library.”

“And on the prayer mat,” Scootaloo pointed out. “What if the culprit used that to catch the blood, and then planted everything else after the fact?”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” I objected.

Fact #4: Printed Note: “A typewritten note discovered in the pocket of the victim, printed off the museum printer. It reads ‘I know what you did. Meet me at the museum theater tonight, at 2:30 AM.”

“Recall the note Trixie found on the body. It says for Adagio to meet the culprit at the museum.”

“We still don’t know what Adagio did,” Rarity murmured. “Or do we?”

“Ah’ve said it before and Ah’ll say it again,” Applejack said, placing her hand palm down on her podium. “She was the one who kidnapped Sunset. It ain’t like Monoponi’s asking us to figure out her murder too.”

“Actually… hmm.” Monoponi spoke up, silencing us all as he took flight from his throne and spun around the courtroom in lazy circles, humming to himself. “Hmm, hmm, hmm… should I? Should I not… is it really necessary? ...oh why not.” He settled back down on his throne and patted his chest with a forehoof. “Ahem. Yes, actually, I will be asking you to solve Sunset Shimmer’s murder. So when you morons vote, you get to vote for Adagio’s killer first, then Sunset’s! Because who doesn’t love voting twice in one trial?”

“Nice one, Applejack,” Tiara groaned, flopping onto her podium.

“Whu-that’s not mah fault!” Applejack retorted, throwing down her hat in annoyance. “Ah guess Ah should learn to keep mah fool mouth shut.”

Rarity’s lips thinned. “Great. Wonderful. And how are we supposed to prove who killed Sunset when we never had the chance to gather the appropriate clues?”

“Not my problem,” Monoponi replied.

“Of course not,” Rarity muttered, throwing up her right hand in disgust. “Whyever would I expect the lunatic monster from another universe to play fair?”

Monoponi shot up from his chair. “Hey!” he shouted, waving his forehooves at Rarity. “I may be a monster, but I draw the line at lunatic! I’d never worship that stupid alicorn that calls herself a Princess!”

“...what?” Rarity stared at him, utterly baffled.

Monoponi blinked, then groaned and slapped a forehoof to his head. “Excuse your Captain. What I meant to say was, I’m not crazy! I am perfectly sane, thank you.”

“Perfectly sane for someone who delights in the misery of others,” I grumbled under my breath. “Trixie thinks we already have everything we need to prove who ki… ki… who was behind Sunset’s death.” I couldn’t say it. I still didn’t want to accept she was gone.

Applejack calmly picked up her hat and fixed it back on her head. “Eeyup. Ah agree with Trixie. It’s safe to say it was Adagio.”

“Oh for heaven’s sake--”

“Rarity, stop it,” Tiara said, slamming a hand down on her podium for emphasis. “Face the facts. The message said ‘I know what you did.’ If the culprit thought she killed Sunset, then she killed Sunset.”

Rarity leaned forward at her podium, gripping the sides with her hands. “I’m sorry, but no. I can’t accept that. I refuse to accept that just because someone murdered Adagio that means Adagio was guilty.”

“But who else could it have been?” Scootaloo asked. “I wouldn’t hurt Sunset. You wouldn’t hurt Sunset. Applejack saw Sunset as a friend. Diamond Tiara did too. And Trixie was locked up. That just leaves Adagio.”

Sighing, Rarity pushed herself off her podium and stood up straight. “Let me put this a different way. Who was the last one to speak with Sunset?”

“It was me, duh,” Tiara replied with a nasty glare at the seamstress. “I told everyone that yesterday morning when we went searching for her. I was the last one to talk to her. And she was still in her room. That was about 7:45 or so. No one saw her since.”

Okay. It’s time to admit to something. Not like I can get her in trouble now. “Actually, that’s not true,” I said.

Everyone’s gaze focused on me at once. “What? What’re you talking about, Trixie?” Diamond said.

I struck a pose, to bask in the attention, but my heart wasn’t in it. “Exactly what Trixie said. You weren’t the last one to speak to Sunset Shimmer. Trixie was.”

“What?!” Applejack roared, slamming a fist down on her podium, her face rippling from sudden fury. “What in the hell are you talkin’ about? Why didn’t you say nothin’ before?!”

“Seriously, Trixie!” Scootaloo shouted, vibrating with just as much anger as the farmer. “Why the hell did you keep this secret?”

“What else are you hiding, huh?” Tiara growled, reaching forward with one hand like she wanted to claw my throat. “Did you kill Sunset?”

Raw anger coursed through my veins, burbling up in my mouth with a sour taste like spoiled milk. “No!” I thundered, slamming both fists on my podium. “How dare you?! I would never, ever in a million years hurt Sunset Shimmer!”

“Of course you wouldn’t, darling,” Rarity said, her voice brimming with sincerity. She glared at the others. “And no one who’s actually bothered to get to know you thinks otherwise.”

My lungs pumped air in and out as I fought desperately to regain control over my temper. I don’t get mad like this often. It sucks. It hurts, like a pounding, aching feeling in my chest, as if there was a whole horde of circus performers doing their acrobatics, trying to tear their way out.

That’s a weird metaphor. I’m weird, I know.

But I managed, after a few moments, to regain myself. “Of course not, Rarity,” I said. “The Great and Powerful Trixie would never hurt her dearest friends.”

“So you say,” Applejack retorted. She raised both hands and pointedly cracked the knuckles of one, then the other, balling and unballing her fists. “But Ah asked you a question, Trixie. Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because, Trixie doesn’t betray her friends' secrets,” I fired back, flipping a finger at my hat and flashing my teeth in my best attempt at my winning smile. “And Sunset didn’t want anyone to know she was able to visit me.”

Tiara screwed up her face in thought. “Wait, wait. Are you saying she had her own key?”

“She did,” I said, nodding. “Sunset was the one who made the lock on my door, remember? Of course she made herself a spare key. She was able to visit Trixie anytime she wanted.”

“So, assuming we accept that,” Scootaloo said, doubt written all over her face, “can you prove you spoke to Sunset last night?”

“Trixie can most certainly prove it! Behold!”

Fact #6: Sunset’s Monopad: “Sunset’s Monopad was discovered in the library, on the first floor, taped to the underside of the archive door.”

"Though we don't have it here, there were four texts sent between Sunset and Trixie. Allow Trixie to show you the messages on her pad!" After a moment of fumbling, I brought them up:

~*~
SUNSET SHIMMER [10:03 PM]: Hey, you awake still?

TRIXIE LULAMOON [10:03 PM]: Yeah. What’s up?

SUNSET SHIMMER [10:04 PM]: Mind if I come hang out? I can’t sleep.

TRIXIE LULAMOON [10:04 PM]: Sure.
~*~

“As you can see, the timestamps prove Sunset visited Trixie after 10:00 PM, over two hours after she spoke to Tiara.”

"Now hold on a minute there," Applejack said, waggling a finger at me. "How do we know you didn't just make those up?"

Wishing I could reach out and snap that finger, I instead flashed her my winning smile and said, "You don't. But what purpose would making these up serve? Why should Trixie concoct a lie when she's dedicated to finding the truth?"

"Indeed!" Rarity seconded, giving me a firm nod. Then she sighed. "If someone hadn't left Sunset's Monopad behind, we could've double checked it with that one, but..."

"Trixie..." Sorrow welled up in my breast, threatening to burst out once more. "Trixie did what she thought was right at the time."

"I understand, darling," said Rarity as she reached over to gently pat me on the hand. "For what it's worth, I agree you did the right thing. If... If only... oh..."

Tiara’s whole body trembled with repressed anger. “I can’t believe Sunset went behind our backs like that! What if she’d let you out?! You’re such a psychopath you could’ve killed any of us at any time!”

“That is not true and you know it, Diamond Tiara,” Rarity retorted with a sniff. “Whether you believe her or not, Trixie holds nothing but remorse for her actions. That’s why I forgave her.”

“And Trixie has not forgiven herself,” I added.

Rarity nodded at me, then held up a beckoning hand to Tiara. “You see? Trixie is trustworthy. She’d never be so stupid as to murder someone again after the first time.”

“Ah still don’t believe that, but that’s all beside the point,” Applejack said. She casually knocked her right fist against her left palm. “So you and Sunset met up, huh? What’d you talk about?”

I shrugged. “Nothing pertinent to the case. She had some weird dreams, but Sunset has a lot of those. And she talked about Adagio.”

“She did, huh? Hmm.” Tiara rubbed at her chin, gears turning in her mind. “What exactly did she say about her?”

“Um…” I had to focus for a minute to remember. “If Trixie recalls, she talked about how she and Adagio got together, and why she loved Adagio. And that she still loved Adagio, and wanted to make amends with her.”

“O-oh. She… she said that, did she?” Rarity said, her face falling. Then she put on a fake smile. “Of course. Sunset was always a loyal person. She’d love someone even if they were slapping her across the face.”

I reached out and offered to hold Rarity’s hand. She took it straight away, squeezing it so tight she almost cut off my blood circulation. “For what it’s worth, Trixie thinks she might’ve liked being with you, Rarity, if she ever got the chance.”

The seamstress’s eyes misted up as she sniffed. She reached up and brushed away a few tears with her other hand and gave me a watery smile. “That’s good to know.”

“Oh for pete’s sake,” Applejack snarled, gripping her fists so tight her knuckles turned white.

“What? What’s wrong with what I just said?” Rarity growled, her eyes flashing with ire.

Applejack heaved a heavy sigh and deliberately relaxed her hands. “Nothin’,” she muttered, looking away from the seamstress.

“Well then, don’t speak up if you have nothing to say!” Rarity harrumphed. She reached down to smooth the wrinkles in her shirt and skirt then focused on me. “What happened after that?”

I hesitated for a moment before shaking my head. “Nothing. Trixie and Sunset hugged and she said goodnight. Trixie offered for Sunset to stay the night, since she was lonely, and Sunset was feeling scared.” A sour sensation of regret washed through me, like an ocean wave rushing forward, threatening to carry me back out to the sea of depression. “Trixie wishes she’d insisted. Instead, she let Sunset leave. Sunset locked the door. Trixie didn’t hear Sunset was missing until the next day.”

“Oh, right,” Tiara said, frowning at herself. “The door was locked, huh? I remember that now.”

Scootaloo held up a hand for attention. “Well at least we know Sunset was safe until the evening announcement. But if she locked you back in, Trixie, then that leaves us right back where we started. We still don’t know when she went missing.”

“Are you sure you didn’t hear nothin’ outside your door, Trixie?” Applejack said in a muted tone.

Biting at my lip, I stayed quiet for several moments. “Trixie… might have heard something. But she’s not sure. The cabins are soundproofed.”

“Your cabin is two down from Sunset’s, right?” Scootaloo asked. “And no one else’s is closer.”

I nodded. “Trixie’s is the closest to Sunset, yes.”

“Well what’d you hear then?” Tiara demanded, poking her podium with an outstretched finger. “Tell us already.”

“Trixie isn’t sure what it was,” I said sincerely. “It sounded like a… a scream.”

Everyone else froze. “A scream?” Rarity repeated, her voice trembling. “S-Sunset?”

“Trixie thinks so.”

Applejack paled, and had to take a few breaths before she was able to respond, “W-what kind of scream?”

“...pain.” I cringed, curling up as I remembered it all too well. “She was screaming in pain.”

Scootaloo swallowed, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks as she shivered. “How long after Sunset left did you hear that?”

I stared down at my podium. “...less than five minutes.”

“Oh my goodness,” Rarity gasped, holding a hand to her mouth. “Whoever did it must’ve ambushed her.”

“You mean, Adagio ambushed her,” Applejack countered. When Rarity fired off a nasty glare at her, she continued, “Look Ah don’t know what it’s gonna take to convince you, Rarity, but no one else doubts it.”

“There’s… there’s another reason Trixie thinks it was Adagio,” I said, my voice shaking. “Sunset told Trixie a while back that when she made the lock, she made a spare key for her room and gave it to Adagio.”

“She what?! What the hell?!” Tiara blurted, throwing up her hands, her face turning purple. “Why would she do that?!”

“Because at the time she trusted Adagio!” I retaliated, feeling a deep-seated need to defend Sunset. “It was a foolish choice. She never should’ve done it, but she did.”

Tiara rolled her eyes and let her hands fall flat onto her podium with a loud smack! “But she told me, specifically, that she was hiding in her room to give Adagio space. Why would she think she could hide in her room if she knew Adagio had a key?”

“Uuuuh, well,” Rarity said, grimacing. She took hold of her hair and curled it around a finger. “Sunset could be… dim. Sometimes. On occasion.”

“Sometimes? Sometimes?!” Monoponi leapt out of his throne again, hovering above us. “Try all the time! Do you know how many basic things that moron missed? Every single trial, she made some stupid mistake or overlooked some simple detail. She was infuriating to deal with! Like the world’s smartest idiot, able to put together all these intricate parts but too damned blind to see something staring her in the face! And lest you morons think she was the only one, I’m lumping you all in with her! So many things you overlooked. Texting, the audio function, the rules, Scootaloo’s profile, the secrets, on and on and on!”

“It sounds like you had some idea of how we were gonna act, and then we didn’t do that,” Applejack said, eying him suspiciously. “So was Sunset right? Did you plan all this out?”

“Tell you what, farmer,” Monoponi said, landing back on his chair. “If you survive this trial, there may be a chance in the future where I’ll actually answer that. But this trial isn’t the time!”

“Ah’m gonna take that as a yes,” Applejack said, one corner of her mouth twitching up in a half grin.

“I still can’t believe Sunset would overlook something like that,” Tiara frowned. “How do you forget that?”

“Maybe she didn’t,” Scootaloo said, her nose twitching as she hummed in thought. “Maybe she hoped Adagio had enough care left in her not to abuse that.”

“Well she was wrong!” Tiara proclaimed, slapping her hands to her hips like she was some politician standing before a crowd. “And it got her killed!”

“But, but,” Rarity stammered, waving her hands around as she sought for words. “But I still can’t believe Adagio would go so far as to murder her!”

“Trixie can,” I muttered. “Adagio was evil. No matter how much Sunset tried, she could never change the essence of what made Adagio who she was. Did you know Adagio pulled a knife on Sunset once, before Trixie’s magic show? She thought Sunset was cheating on her. With Trixie. Hah! Can you believe that?”

“Yes,” Scootaloo said flatly, glaring at me through narrowed eyes. “Yes I can.”

“W-well, we weren’t! Dating that is,” I said, momentarily taken off guard. “Trixie doesn’t date anyone. And that’s not her point! Her point was that Adagio had a history of mistreating Sunset.”

“Ah can believe that,” Applejack said, nodding. She held up her left arm, the same one Adagio had once taken a bite out of, and cringed. “That girl wasmean. Nasty. Ah mean, she became a mite nicer when she was datin’ Sunset, but uh, a mite ain’t enough when you start out as mean as a siren is.”

“Seriously, Rarity, give it up already,” Tiara said. “You’re the only one here who thinks Adagio didn’t kill Sunset.”

“Ooooh…” Rarity flopped her face down onto her podium, smooshing into it like a cat nuzzling up against a tree. “I suppose you must be right. I was so certain she was sincere when she talked to me, though.”

“Well look at it this way,” Scootaloo said with a sympathetic smile. “If Adagio didn’t do it, then that means one of us did it. Is that really any better?”

Rarity popped up off her podium and looked Scootaloo straight in the eye, silent for a few moments. Then she finally said, “No. No I suppose it isn’t.”

“Besides, none of us had means, motive, or opportunity anyhow,” Applejack added. “Whereas Adagio had all three. Ah’d say it’s a slam dunk.”

“How… what exactly did she do?” Tiara asked, looking at me as if I had the answer. “How did Adagio kill Sunset?”

I didn’t want to answer that question. I so didn’t want to answer that question. With a heavy sigh, I said, “Trixie thinks Adagio tied Sunset up and left her somewhere she couldn’t escape from, so she’d… she’d die of dehydration.”

“Oooh, that’d do it,” Applejack said with a major wince. “Ah can’t imagine that’s a good way to go.”

“Dying of thirst… how horrible,” Rarity said, her eyes misting up as she struggled not to weep. “She didn’t deserve to suffer like that.”

“And she was locked up in the archive room, right?” Scootaloo said. “But how? That’s been locked up ever since the library opened.”

“Maybe it was unlocked during the last exploration,” Tiara suggested, “And Sunset was a moron and didn’t tell anyone about it. She might’ve had a key.”

“Trixie agrees,” I said with a nod. “Sunset and Adagio must’ve both been aware of it. She knows Sunset explored with Adagio. So if Sunset knew, Adagio knew.”

“But couldn’t she unlock the door from the inside?” Scootaloo said, frowning.

Applejack shook her head. “Not if it’s a double cylinder lock. And Ah’m willin’ to bet somethin’ like an archive would have one of those. She’d have to use the key from the inside too, meanin’ she’d be stuck.”

“Wait a minute!” Rarity said with a sudden yelp. “I’ve got it! I know what happened to that telescope!”

“What telescope?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.

“This one.”

Fact #12: Broken Telescope: “One of the telescopes on the museum observatory balcony was discovered with its mirrors broken. There were a few torn bits of paper and duct tape inside.”

Rarity nodded to herself, a satisfied expression crossing her face. “I’m certain the telescope was broken because the key was stashed inside. Adagio hid it so if we ever searched her, we wouldn’t find it.”

“Right!” Scootaloo said, gesturing with her hand in agreement. “Then she could go pick up the key after Sunset died, so we could find the body and hold a trial.”

“Where she’d spin her sob story about worrying over Sunset,” Tiara concluded. “And she’d have plenty of time to lay fake clues too.”

Applejack nodded once to each of them. “And Ah’ll be she would’ve tried to lead the investigation and the trial, claimin’ she had the experience. Then she’d blame whichever one of us she wanted to pin it on and enough of us would’ve fallen for it.”

“I would have,” Rarity admitted, her expression torn. “I hate to say it, but if she were leading this trial and not Trixie? I’d’ve been clinging to her every word.”

“Me too,” Scootaloo said, her mouth twisting up with doubt and shame. “I mean, I wouldn’t have swallowed everything, but Sunset trusted her. And I trust Sunset.” Her expression darkened even more. “Trusted.”

“...she probably could’ve convinced me too,” Tiara said, so reluctantly it was like the words were ripped right out of her throat. “It would’ve taken a lot, but…”

I shook my head fiercely. “Trixie never would have. She’d have insisted on Adagio’s guilt.”

“Ah doubt Ah would’ve believed it either, but Ah guess it don’t matter now, does it?” Applejack mused. “Ah mean, if Rarity, Scootaloo, Tiara, and Adagio all voted for someone? Adagio would’ve won.” The farmer wrapped her arms around herself and shivered violently, her eyes shrinking to mere dots. “Lord Almighty, she would’ve won.”

“Thank heavens that didn’t happen!” Rarity gasped, holding her hands close to her chest. “Can you imagine how foolish I’d feel?”

“Nevermind foolish!” Tiara said. “We’d die. I think that’s more important.”

“Anyhow,” Scootaloo said, raising her voice just a little. “What made you check the telescope to begin with, Rarity?”

“This.”

Fact #11: Handwritten Note: “A handwritten note found on the floor of the museum theater. It reads: ‘See the stars.’”

“I found it on the floor in the museum theater,” Rarity said. “It took me a moment to comprehend it.” She suddenly let out a groan and glared at the ceiling. “Oh darn it, Trixie, we forgot to check the handwriting against the library log.”

“Trixie doesn’t think we have to,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s obviously Adagio’s handwriting.”

“Hmm, lemme take a look,” Applejack muttered, peering down at the image of the note on her Monopad. Then she nodded a few times. “Yeah, yeah Ah’d say so. Ah had a good long look at her handwritin’ back when Ah helped Sunset after…” she swallowed and blinked a few times. “After Apple Bloom died. Ah’m sure it’s the same."

“Okay, so the key was there,” Tiara said, holding up a hand. “But where did it go?”

“Maybe the culprit found it,” Scootaloo suggested. She tapped a few fingers on her chin as she spoke. “Then they took it… somewhere.”

“Quick, everyone! Empty your pockets!” Rarity ordered. She immediately turned out hers, dumping her sewing kit , her cabin key, and a few loose tissues onto her podium.

Rolling my eyes, I took out the contents of mine, which was just the picture of myself, Sunset, and Wallflower. I tried not to look at that. I didn’t want to cry. Again. “Trixie thinks this is pointless.”

“Duh,” Tiara said, though she’d also brought out a few items onto her podium. “Like the culprit would be dumb enough to bring it to the trial.”

Applejack placed her keys onto her podium, her mouth thinning as she said, “Ah thought we concluded that the culprit killed Adagio as revenge for Sunset. Don’t you think the culprit would’ve let Sunset out if they had the key?”

“I know I would’ve,” Scootaloo said in agreement. “So maybe the culprit didn’t take the key after all?”

“But then where did the key go if they didn’t take it?” Rarity inquired, her face screwed up in puzzlement.

“Who cares? It doesn’t matter now! Sunset’s dead,” Tiara said, slamming the palms of both hands onto her podium with a loud slap. “Let’s drop it and move on.”

“No, I think we need to figure this out,” Rarity said insistently, slapping a palm of her own down. “I won’t be satisfied until I understand why the culprit didn’t free Sunset.”

“Maybe they couldn’t,” Applejack said. “Maybe somethin’ kept them from doin’ it.”

Scootaloo arched both eyebrows and snorted. “Like what? The only one who wanted Sunset locked up was Adagio. The culprit wanted her free. So unless Monoponi said the culprit couldn’t free her…wait…”

“Would you?” Applejack said, turning to the pony on his throne. “Did you tell the culprit they couldn’t free Sunset?”

Monoponi stared at the farmer blankly for several long moments, his crimson eyes boring holes in her like mining equipment. His lack of an answer went on for so long Applejack curled in on herself and muttered something under her breath that might’ve been “nevermind.”

Then he spoke. “Yes. Yes, I did tell the culprit they were not allowed to free Sunset."

“What?!” Rarity shrieked. “Why? And when? Did you tell them before or after they killed Adagio?”

“Sorry, but your Captain’s not answering anymore questions,” Monoponi said before leaning back in his throne. “I’ve already given you too much free information. But since I know one of you morons is going to question this: no, this does not count as me participating in the murder! I had nothing to do with it. All I did was tell someone else they couldn't interfere either. That is well within my purview as your Captain.”

“Damn it,” Scootaloo muttered. She rapped the back of her knuckles against her podium. “Well at least we know that now.”

“If the culprit wasn’t allowed to free her, then the culprit must’ve ended up with the key at some point,” Tiara concluded with a nod. “So they must’ve been told after they killed Adagio. That was the only time they could’ve freed Sunset.”

Rarity shook her head. “I’m not so sure about that, Diamond darling. Isn’t it possible the culprit witnessed Adagio kidnapping Sunset?”

“Say what now?” Applejack gaped. “If they saw that, why wouldn’t they fess up about it? They could’ve kept Adagio from lockin’ her away at all!”

“Not if Monoponi told them they couldn’t,” Scootaloo said. Her upper lip curled into a sneer as she began mimicking his gestures with her hands. “Monoponi’s an asshole. I’ll bet he said something like ‘oh no it’s a Rescue Attempt you can’t interfere in a Rescue Attempt.’ Bull.”

“Trixie agrees it’s something Monoponi would do,” I muttered, my words coated with bitter tasting anger.

“Huh. Guess if he did it’s only because her murder was going to take a lot longer than usual,” Diamond muttered. “God, poor Sunset.”

Rarity pressed her lips together and bowed her head, leaning forward at her podium. “I don’t want to picture it. I don’t.”

“Me neither,” Scootaloo muttered. “Fucking Monoponi. If the culprit could’ve spoken up they could’ve done something and then both of them would still be alive. But no, he has to force one of us to kill another one of us. Again.”

“You heard him,” Applejack replied scornfully. “We’re expendable. Guess that means he don’t care how fast we die, only that we do.”

Tiara let out a loud groan. “Then what was his deal with the whole count bullshit he was going on about before Miss Psycho over here drugged Pinkie to death?”

“Stop calling Trixie that!” I growled through gritted teeth.

“Dunno,” Applejack shrugged. “And he ain’t gonna tell us. Does it even matter?”

“Maybe it does,” Rarity proposed, holding up a single finger. “Maybe that’s why Monoponi refused to let the culprit interfere. He’s made it obvious his goals have nothing to do with us. And Sunset, she… she once speculated with me that the whole purpose of this was for someone else, someone who’s watching us, like Monoponi said back in the first trial.”

“Hey, yeah!” Scootaloo said with a nod. “And we found that picture of the two Twilights after the fourth case. He said the one watching was close to Twilight, right? So what if it was the other Twilight? The one with wings?”

“Ah think Sunset said that one would’ve been from Equestria, like her,” Applejack said. “And he’s from Equestria too. So maybe this whole thing was some kinda revenge scheme. Makin’ her suffer by watchin’ us kill each other.”

“Yeah that sounds like something he’d do,” Tiara said. “Either that or this other Twilight is Monoponi and is having fun by screwing with us.”

“No, if that was the case, I doubt he would’ve executed our Twilight,” Rarity said, shaking her head firmly. “Besides, I recall he said something unusual after her execution.”

~*~
As the displays winked off and the lights returned, Monoponi leapt up from his throne with a mighty cheer. “Ooooh yeah! Now that’s what I call an execution! Such pizazz. Such intricacy! Such magical wonder! Upupu, do you think she was mad, because I killed her with magic? Probably. But do I care? Nope! Ahahahahaha! Ooooh it felt so good. Even if she wasn’t the real one...”
~*~

“Even if she wasn’t the real one,” I echoed, feeling my blood chill in my veins like iced coffee.

“Woah, woah, he doesn’t mean this is, like, a simulation or something right?” Tiara said, her eyes widening to the size of saucers as she took a couple steps back from her podium. “Like, it’s all fake and we’re just in pods or something, like in The--”

“No, no, no, don’t be ridiculous,” Rarity interrupted with a harsh tone to her voice. “Honestly. It’s obvious what he meant was, she wasn’t the one from Equestria. That’s what he meant by real one.”

“Ah get it,” Applejack said with a wan grin. “To someone like Monoponi, any kind of duplicate or alternate or whatever would be a fake. So even if he killed her, it wouldn’t be the same as tryin’ to kill the so-called real one.”

Scootaloo bit her lower lip, her face falling. “Then if this is some kind of revenge scheme, he’d want to keep it going as long as possible. Or at least as long as that Danganronpa bullshit he based it on.”

“Did Sunset ever tell y’all how long one of those games went?” Applejack wondered.

“She told all of us once,” Tiara answered after a moment’s consideration. “It was the same day we set up guard schedules. She said there would be ‘six murders but not six murder trials.’”

“Then this must be the last trial!” Rarity said, her face lighting up with a small spark of hope. “If it follows form, that is.”

“No, just the last murder,” Scootaloo countered. “You heard Monoponi. He said we might get answers after this trial. Not during it.”

“Either way it explains why Monoponi wouldn’t let the culprit interfere,” Applejack said with an unhappy sigh. “Darn it. He wanted to be sure we’d have a trial, and Ah’ll bet my boots and garters he wanted Sunset dead.”

“Trixie’s certain he did,” I growled, trying to restrain my anger. “She stood up to him. He couldn’t allow that.”

“But wait a minute,” Tiara said, holding up her hands to count on her fingers. “Wallflower, Apple Bloom, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Sunset Shimmer… and Adagio. That’s seven! Why would he let the culprit kill Adagio if he only wanted six murders?”

“Same reason he told us we were expendable,” Applejack groaned, slapping her forehead in frustration. “Because whatever his goal is, he’s almost done with it. Meanin’ we might be in a heap of trouble soon.”

“And, knowing him,” Rarity hissed, her tone dripping with acid, “he enjoys watching us run around scared and lost. He wants to be sure we can’t resist him. And without Sunset, I don’t think we can.”

Tiara bit her lower lip and whimpered. “So what do we do?”

“We solve this murder, first,” Scootaloo declared, stabbing a finger into her podium. “And then… then I have no idea. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

“Okay. Okay,” Tiara said, taking a deep breath and nodding to herself, running a hand down her arm a few times. “Okay. So where were we with it?”

“Well,” Applejack answered, “We know a whole lot of junk was set up in the church. We know the culprit gave Adagio a note askin’ her to meet ‘em at the museum theater. And we think the murder weapon was that funky knife Ah found.”

“The athame,” Scootaloo corrected.

“Yeah, that.”

Rarity frowned down at her Monopad. “Honestly with so many things set up at the church, I wonder if we were misled after all. Scootaloo, you suggested earlier that the culprit slew Adagio in the church and then planted evidence in the museum, right?”

“Yeah, I did,” Scootaloo replied. “And the more I think about it, the more sense it makes. I mean, the pool of blood was thin, right? And the prayer mat was soaked?”

“Thoroughly,” Rarity said, her mouth twisting up in disgust. “It was vile! I’ve never seen so much blood soaked into something before.”

“Then there you go!” Scootaloo declared. “The culprit must’ve killed Adagio in the church, used the mat to catch the blood, then spread it out all over the place in the museum and out to the library, to make it look like the crime took place there.”

Tiara frowned, then shook her head. “I dunno about that. I mean, if the culprit killed Adagio in the church, and the mat was that soaked, shouldn’t there have been blood in the church too?”

“Not if it was washed away by a bucket of water there wouldn’t,” Applejack said. “Maybe that’s why the culprit used it.”

“Or perhaps,” I said, raising a finger up, “we are making a mistake about what precisely killed Adagio.”

“Whaddya mean?” Tiara asked, arching her eyebrows at me. “She was slashed in the neck, right? That was the cause of death.”

Rarity’s lips pressed together before she shook her head. “Mmm, I don’t think so. I think Trixie’s right. I realized something earlier when I… when I suspected Applejack, but I never had the chance to say it.” She looked over at me. “Shall I?”

I spread out my hands. “Go ahead. Trixie is nothing if not magnanimous.”

Applejack let out a loud snort of laughter before managing to suppress it into quiet, soundless chuckles. “Yeah right,” she muttered.

“Well then,” Rarity continued after briefly shooting daggers Applejack’s way, “I believe the actual wound that caused death was this one.”

Fact #2: Body Condition: “ There is a severe puncture wound to the back of the neck, at the base of the skull.”

“I believe the culprit used the athame to stab Adagio here. It would’ve severed the spinal cord, killing Adagio instantly. Or near enough. And there wouldn’t have been that much blood spilt.”

“Wha--but how the heck could the culprit do that?” Tiara said, her face screwing up in confusion. “That’s like, a super hard place to stab someone! The culprit would’ve had to have taken Adagio completely by surprise!”

“...or they distracted her enough she couldn’t defend herself,” Applejack said, fixing the rest of us with a steely-eyed glare.

Everyone went silent at that proclamation. No one spoke for several long moments. Then, finally, Scootaloo uttered, “Is… is that why there were so many things set up in the church? To distract Adagio?”

“Probably,” Tiara agreed. She shook her head and chuckled under her breath. “This culprit is sneaky. What I don’t get is, why’d they bother with all the mystery?”

“We’ll have to ask them when we figure out who it was,” Rarity said. She turned to me. “Trixie, given this new information, I don’t suppose you have any idea?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could, we all heard the strangest sound. It was loud, getting louder by the second, like grinding gears, metal scraping against metal. It echoed throughout the courtroom, setting my teeth on edge. “What the heck is that?” Applejack muttered.

“It’s coming from over there,” Rarity said, her voice rising in pitch by the second as she pointed towards the courtroom entrance. “Is… is that the elevator?!”

“It sure sounds like it!” Tiara said, shaking in her boots, her eyes darting about like she was looking for a place to hide.

“But, but how? Who could be on it?” Scootaloo muttered. Then she took in a sharp gasp of air. “Oh my god! Do you think it could be…?”

The elevator ground to a halt. The doors opened. And when I saw the figure stepping out, my heart leaped into my throat, out my mouth, and high up into the sky where it exploded in a brilliant cascade of fireworks, and my face lit up like the sun.

“No…” Monoponi said, his eyes bugging out. He hopped up from his throne. “No, no, no! No no no! This is impossible!”

The figure stepped forward, one arm tied up in a sling and waving with the other. “Hey guys,” said Sunset Shimmer. “What’d I miss?”

Author's Note

...surprise? :twilightblush:

I really was hoping I'd fool more of you than I did. :ajsleepy: But no, Sunset's alive. She was a victim, but that doesn't mean she died.

You people are way too savvy at this point I swear. :rainbowlaugh:

But I won't lie: her survival was one of the hardest things I had to decide about this story. There were many versions of this where she died here, for real. Hence the use of music at the end of last part. That was a deliberate choice for suspense purposes. Well, that, and as far as the characters in the story were concerned, they had no reason to disbelieve it.

There may be some of you who feel this is a cop-out. I'm sorry if you feel that way. As I said, I struggled with this decision for a very long time, and have been flip-flopping on it the entire way through writing the story. But this is the better of the two choices.

Also, to the two of you that I shared the "dead" Sunset Shimmer portrait picture with prior to this posting: I did say it was out of context. :trollestia: (But seriously I hope it doesn't upset you.)

Thank you by the way to Rainstorm Riddles, whom left a comment on the end of the last chapter mentioning Sunset's death, which we were both hoping would cause some extra uncertainty.

Chapter Five: Whistle for the Wind Part 8

Chapter Five
Whistle for the Wind
Trial Part 3

I screamed for joy at the top of my lungs, and tried to leap up in the air, only to remember at the last second doing that with one leg was a pretty bad idea. “Sunset!” I cried, happy tears streaming down my face, my smile straining at my cheeks. “You’re okay!”

“Oh my stars!” Rarity squealed. If my face was tear-stained, hers was tear-deluged. She danced about in place, hopping like a rabbit while letting out happy squeeing noises every few seconds. They were ear-piercingly loud, but I didn’t care. I was too happy.

“Ah don’t believe it!” Applejack hooted and hollered, taking off her hat and swinging it around on her hand. “Hot diggity dog, Sunset Shimmer’s alive!”

“Yes! Fuck yes!” Scootaloo screamed, pumping both fists in the air repeatedly. “Screw you Monoponi! Sunset lived!”

For a moment, just a moment, Tiara’s features quivered between a flurry of emotions, like she had no idea what to express. Then her face split apart in the most sincere grin she’d ever displayed. “I’ve never been so glad to be wrong!” she said, before breaking into full bellied guffaws.

“Jeez, you guys,” Sunset said, laughing at us even as she stepped up to her podium. Her voice was rough, hoarse, with a tinny, far-away sound to it, like she'd gargled gravel and was speaking through a tin can tied to a string. “You’re acting like I died or something.”

“We thought you did!” I replied, reaching out to hug her. As I touched her arm, I realized I set my hand right on the one in the sling. Sunset hissed and drew back, and my smile dimmed. “Oooh, sorry.”

“Don’t worry bout it,” Sunset said as she reached out with her other arm to hug me instead. “I thought I was dead too, for a while.” Feeling her press against me, something I thought I’d never feel again… it healed the wound in my heart. I felt whole again. Revitalized.

When I withdrew, I took in her appearance, wincing at every detail. She was filthy, her skin covered by dried sweat stains and little piles of salt. Her hair was matted, unkempt, and greasy, thoroughly in need of a wash. Her slung arm was tied up with a bloodstained sheet, and a large piece of gauze was tied around her bicep with a strip of medical tape. Her wrists showed marks of some sort of securing tie or strap, like a zip tie. Her clothes stank of sweat and urine, the ammonia smell strongest around the front of her pants. She was holding a small bag, I realized, which was full of bottles of water, plus her Monopad. Even as she took her podium and frowned at the portrait before shoving it out of the way, she reached in, popped the cap off and guzzled the water down, emptying the bottle in a few seconds.

“How?!” Monoponi screeched at the top of his lungs. He lifted off from his throne and circled the courtroom, flying around at dizzying speeds until I wanted to hurl just from watching him. “How?! This isn’t possible! You’re supposed to be dead! The lifereader said you were dead! Hoooooow?!”

“Oh, is that what this was?” Sunset said, reaching into her bag to pull out a crushed pile of crystal dust contained in a little one ounce plastic cup. “It fell off my chest and I kinda stepped on it when I freed myself. Sorry if I scared anybody!”

Rarity paused in her happy dance and glared at Sunset, her face contorting into a pout. She smacked Sunset on the shoulder with the back of her hand, a light tap at most. “Don’t you dare do that again!” she said before reaching out to carefully hug Sunset. “I thought I’d lost you.”

Sunset’s face turned scarlet as she returned the embrace. “Ehehe, nope, still here,” she said.

I watched to see if Rarity would be stupid enough to kiss Sunset, but she had enough wits about her not to do that. Instead Rarity, her own face flushed with pink, retreated from the hug after just a moment, still vibrating in place like a hyperactive child.

“Glad to see you’re okay, Sunset!” Scootaloo said, tossing off a two finger salute. A few tears trickled down her cheeks, despite her tough attitude.

“You and me both,” Sunset said, returning the salute with a grin.

Applejack finished spinning her hat and slapped it right back on her head. I hadn’t seen her look this happy since before Apple Bloom died. “Ah still can’t believe it. How’d you do it? We all plum thought you were a goner!”

“I’d be very interested to know that as well!” Monoponi growled, his voice dropping a solid octave or two. He stopped spinning around the room and came to hover right before Sunset, placing his fore hooves on his hips as his rear legs hung down.

Sunset set her bag down, looked up at him, and her face twisted into an expression of hideous rage. “Oh I bet you would, you fucking piece of trash,” she snarled. She raised a finger to point at him. “This never would’ve happened if you hadn’t given us that photo album. You set her up. You goaded her into it! You destroyed everything good I’d done in helping her change who she was!”

“Me?” Monoponi cocked his head quizzically, placing one forehoof against his chest. “I didn’t do anything. That was all your precious Adagio Dazzle! It’s not my fault she took offense at the fact her darling lover was the one who stole her magic away. Nor is it my fault she saw everyone wielding weapons as a threat. You’re the moron who brought armed backup to an apology session!”

“No. No you don’t,” Sunset hissed. “You don’t get to reframe this. Not this time. I won’t… I won’t…” Sunset fell forward, her eyes spinning. She let out low moans for a moment before her face turned a hideous shade of green. She slapped a hand to her mouth but it was too late. She ducked her head over the front of her podium and unleashed a liquidy pile of vomit. Monoponi shot upwards just in time to avoid being splashed by it.

Everyone cringed or made noises of disgust as she lifted her head back up. “Fuck,” she groaned, one hand holding her stomach. “I think I drank the water too fast…”

“That you did,” Applejack said, with her voice and expression full of sympathy. “Take it slow. Easy sips now. Don’t be gulpin’ it down like it’s gonna disappear in a second. Ah know it’s hard, ‘cause you’re dehydrated, but you’re gonna hurt yourself if you don’t slow down.”

“R-right,” muttered Sunset as she reached down for a fresh bottle. She twisted off the cap, slowly this time, and took a little sip. Then she glared at it before setting it down. “God I want to chug this so bad.”

“Please don’t,” Scootaloo said, her face turning grim. “You could kill yourself if you do that too much. We don’t want to lose you now.”

“Oh, I don’t know, I think that’d be just swell!” Monoponi said, glaring at Sunset with hate-filled eyes. “Because it’d mean she’d actually be dead. Like she’s supposed to be!”

Sunset casually flipped him off with the hand that wasn’t holding her water bottle. “Get over it, asshole. I lived. Deal with it.”

“I’m tempted to,” Monoponi said, his tone shifting to a dangerously, terrifyingly sweet one. “Goodness me am I tempted to just say forget the rules and grind you into dust!” He smashed both his forehooves together, his eyes flashing bright red as he spoke. Then he dropped them, and calmly returned to his throne. “But I won’t. I’ve bent the rules before, but I’ve never broken them, and I won’t now.”

Sunset took another small slurp of water, then set her bottle down. “Fine with me.” She looked at each of us in turn, then focused on me, and smiled. “Thanks for letting me know I needed to come down here, Trixie. I would’ve stayed up top otherwise.”

“But of course,” I said, grinning like a loon. “The Great and Powerful Trixie never abandons her friends!”

“That you don’t.” Sunset looked over at Adagio’s portrait, closed her eyes, and let out a sigh. “So she’s dead. I guess this is a trial for her, huh?”

“Eeyup,” Applejack replied with a sympathetic frown. “Was for you too, till you showed up.”

“And I cannot express how grateful I am that you did,” Rarity added. She raised her hand like she wanted to hug Sunset again, but then seemed to think better of it, dropping it back by her side. “It’s been an awful past couple of days.”

“You’re telling me,” Sunset said dryly. She reached into her bag, pulled out her Monopad, and hooked it into her podium. “Word of advice? Don’t get tied up and dumped in a dark room for a day and a half. I don’t recommend it.”

Everyone, except Monoponi, let out a bit of laughter over that joke. “Okay, but really, how’d you get out?” Tiara asked, leaning forward, her face a picture of excitement.

“It wasn’t easy,” Sunset answered after taking another drink. Setting the bottle down, she gestured at her tied up arm. “Adagio… broke my elbow. And stabbed me in the arm. Aaaand almost knocked out a couple of teeth. She was pretty vicious.”

Rarity balled up her fists, her lips curling into a sneer as her face began to turn purple. “Why that, that, that brute! How dare she treat you that way?”

“I know, right?” Sunset shook her head. “It was awful. What was worse though, was she told me her whole plan. She was gonna blame the whole thing on Applejack. Said that she’d realized Monoponi had the right idea, that I’d corrupted her soul by trying to turn her into what she wasn't, and a whole lot of things I… I wish I could’ve stopped her from thinking or feeling.” She took in a deep, shuddering breath, and let it out, her eyes blinking rapidly. “She drugged me too, with ketamine. I think that crap dried me out more than the stay in the archives did.”

“Damn, Sunset,” Scootaloo whistled. “You shouldn’t be standing here. You should be laid up in a hospital bed with an IV full of saline in your arm.” She looked over at Monoponi, her eyes brimming with concern. “Aren’t you going to do something? Heal her already!”

Monoponi’s horn glowed with crimson light, and a similar glow took hold of Scootaloo’s jaw before shutting it for her. “Not happening.”

“I don’t want his help anyway,” Sunset said with a scowl. “This is all his fault. Everything that’s happened on this ship is his fault. Not ours.”

“You can say that all you want,” Monoponi replied, leering at her with a toothy grin, “but it’ll never be truuuuuue!”

Firing one last nasty glare his way, Sunset turned back to us. “So anyway, I was knocked out for I don’t know how long. I kinda drifted in and out for a while. Kept hearing footsteps every now and then, and once there was a knock on the door. Not a loud one, but it was still enough to scare the piss out of me.” She cringed. “Literally. Or what I had left, anyway.”

“Eugh, um, Sunset, darling,” Rarity said, pinching her nose and giving her a strained smile, “Maybe ease up on the grosser details? Just a bit. Please.”

Sunset nodded, her mouth forming into a sheepish smile. “Sorry. A-Anyway, I don’t know who it was, but you woke me up enough to remember where I was and what was happening. I was gagged. She had my arms tied behind my back, and my ankles tied up too. Hurt like hell, my arm being twisted like that.” She glanced down at her bound arm and sighed. “I dunno, my arm might be a lost cause at this point.”

“No, no way,” Scootaloo said, shaking her head. “It’ll suck for, like, months, but some proper PT, some surgery? It can be fixed.”

Sunset arched an eyebrow at the younger woman. “When did you become so medically educated?”

“Uh…” Scootaloo reached a hand behind her head, her face flushing. “I… I boned up on it after the fourth trial. I’ve been studying. I wanted… I wanted to be helpful.”

“Huh. Good work,” Sunset said, tipping her water bottle to her. “So, after I woke up proper, I figured I needed to try something to escape. I knew she had the key, and I knew the rules would keep me from trying to break open the door, but I thought I’d worry about that after I freed myself.”

“What did you do then?” Tiara asked, clinging to Sunset’s every word like an obsessed fangirl.

“Well, it was dark. Total darkness, apart from a single bit of light beaming out from under the door, which was just enough to see vague shapes. I managed to maneuver myself around by rolling over. It was… not easy. It hurt every time I landed on my ribs.” She held her free hand to her ribs, her face contorting with pain. “I lost count of how many times I screamed into my gag. She’d stuffed cloth in my mouth and stuck it on with duct tape. It burned like crazy!”

I took a moment to study Sunset’s face, taking in a few details I’d missed, like the raw skin around her lips. Or the bags under her eyes. Or the few wrinkles that had appeared, making her look a good ten years older than she was. But especially her lips. The duct tape must’ve torn away at her skin, wearing at it like acid, because the skin wasn’t just raw. It was burnt, little spots missing or showing deep pink, like capillaries were peeking through the skin layers.

“But eventually I got over to the table. It was the only thing in the room with sharp corners,” Sunset continued. “I had to hold up my legs in the weirdest way to try and saw at the zip tie with it, but I managed. It took a long time. I think I even passed out once or twice in the process, only to wake back up and go at it again.” She took another shaky breath and let it out. “I… I almost gave up, after passing out for the second time. I was so tired. So thirsty. It would’ve been so easy to give in and fade away.”

Rarity gasped sharply, holding a hand up to cover her mouth, her eyes brimming up with tears. “W-what stopped you?” she said quietly.

“It was the funniest thing,” Sunset answered, her mouth quirking up into a wistful smile. “I heard voices. Everyone’s voices. I didn’t know what you were saying, but it didn’t matter. You were there. You were right there, right on the other side of that door. I had to do something.” Her smile dropped. “If it hadn’t been for the damned library rule I would’ve rolled over and kicked at the door to make some noise, but I didn’t want to risk it. So I worked faster, and faster, and finally managed to break the tie on my legs.”

She reached for her water bottle and took a drink, then paused for a moment before continuing. “I didn’t want to push myself too hard, but I still had to do something to get your attention. So I managed to stand up after a few failures and walk over. My arms were still tied up, as was my mouth, so I’m not sure what I was hoping to do. Maybe knock on the door with my head?” She snickered. “Probably a stupid idea. But when I got over there, I saw something glowing. It was my Monopad. The little alarm light was blinking, because Trixie sent me a text.”

As everyone’s eyes focused on me for a moment, I took a bow. “As Trixie said, she always looks out for her friends.”

Applejack belted out a laugh, but this one was kind. “You know what? Ah’m startin’ to think you do, Trixie.”

My cheeks burned as I looked away. “Trixie thanks you,” I said quickly.

“It helped me feel like I hadn’t been forgotten. Like everyone still cared,” Sunset said. Her mouth formed a grin, but it was shaky, accompanied by a dry sniff. “That was pretty hard to remember, being stuck in the dark like that.”

“We do care about you, Sunset,” Rarity said softly. “All of us do.”

I saw Sunset eye Tiara for a moment with a bit of doubt, but Tiara met her stare right back. “Yes, Sunset, even me,” Tiara said with a chuckle.

“Hehe, I know,” Sunset replied. “So anyway, I moved over to the table. There was a chair there, so I was able to sit down on it backwards and take my arms to the table corner. It was agonizing, trying to tear that zip tie off, but I kept working it and working it and eventually, it snapped. The instant it did, I reached up with my right hand and tore off the duct tape so I could spit that fucking cloth out. That thing tasted nasty. I was so thirsty, but I had to focus on getting out first.”

Applejack scratched her chin. "Ah'm curious why Adagio bothered tapin' the pad to the underside of the door. Seems like it was risky. Not to mention convenient."

"That should be easy for Trixie to explain," I said with a happy little laugh. "It was because of the rule regarding Monopads. We have to keep our pads near us at all times, right? But Adagio didn't want to risk Sunset calling for help, nor did she want it to be visible to anyone searching the area. Taping it to the underside of the door was the only logical choice left. Trixie was only able to free it by using Rarity’s sewing kit. Without something like that to use, Sunset never would’ve been able to get the pad off the door even if she did free herself."

"Oh, Ah guess that makes sense," Applejack nodded. “But, wait, Sunset, why didn’t you text us? Ah mean, if you had the Monopad there, why not use it?”

“Uuuuh, you see… “ Sunset let out little giggles of nervous laughter. “The battery died. I had just long enough to read Trixie’s text message and then it went dark.” She pointed down at her pad, which hadn’t glowed once. “It’s still charging.”

“Oh jeez, that must’ve been terrifying,” Scootaloo said, cringing. “I would’ve been scared out of my mind.”

“I was. It almost broke me,” Sunset admitted, with not a trace of deceit in her voice. “It felt like I had a way out stolen away from me the instant I found it. So I sat there for a while, wishing I could cry, waiting for my vision to readjust to the dim light. And then I noticed the other thing laying next to the door.”

Reaching into her jeans pockets, she pulled out a key hanging from a keyring. It was unremarkable, ordinary, except for the laminated label trailing on it reading “Ship’s Archives.”

“The key!” Tiara gasped, pointing at it. “So the culprit did give it to you!”

“Yup,” Sunset said. “It must’ve been accidentally covered up by my Monopad, or else I would’ve seen the key when I picked it up. At least, that’s what I assume. Hard to know how long it might’ve been sitting there.”

“Actually, we believe we can guess,” Rarity said. “If I’m right and the culprit found it during the night, then it’s been there since at least 5:00 AM.”

“And it’s about noon now,” Scootaloo said after glancing at her Monopad clock. “So if we’re right, it’s been there for about seven hours. More or less.”

Sunset looked down at the key in her hand, frowned, then stuck it back in her pocket and shrugged. “Eh. I couldn’t have used it till I freed my hands anyway. Of course I unlocked the door straight away. It took awhile to adjust to the light. When I did, I saw a bunch of blood trails, but nothing else.”

“Wait, what? What happened to Adagio’s body?” Tiara inquired.

“Oh, that? Your Captain always moves the body as soon as the trial starts,” Monoponi answered in a matter of fact tone. “No need to leave a corpse stinking up the place when it’s no longer useful.”

“I shudder to ask, but… “ Rarity trembled as she spoke. “What happened to all the bodies?”

Monoponi stared at her for a moment, then spread his gaping jaws in a very large, very nasty sharp-toothed smile. “They have their uses.”

Rarity looked away from him, her face unreadable. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

“So, obviously, I was a bit freaked out,” Sunset said. “I mean, blood on the floor, no one’s around, there’s been another murder, right? But who? I didn’t know. I… suspected, but until I came down here I had no idea. But I wasn’t ready to come down right away. I needed to do something to treat my injuries. So I went up to my cabin, grabbed a bag and as many water bottles as I could, and used my first aid kit in there to patch up my arm, turning the bandage I was using into a sling.”

Her lips pulled back as she glared down at her patchwork effort. “If I’d had even a little bit of time, I would’ve cleaned up, used proper supplies, but I had no idea how long the trial was going to last. Trixie’s message told me I’d be okay so long as I made it before the vote, so once I was ready I went to the elevator. It was waiting for me. I don’t know why, but it was.”

“The elevator was waiting for you,” Monoponi said grumpily, “because I had to send it back up. So these morons would believe you’d show up. I never thought you actually would!”

Strange how taken by surprise he was, I realized. He and Sunset traded words back and forth while I watched. It’s like he’s only able to see what’s happening on the ship if he’s not down here. He’s not all-seeing.

While they continued to argue, I decided to write down these thoughts into a text to Sunset. She’d see it when her Monopad turned on. She’d know what to do with it. Maybe there was some magic based reason he couldn’t see things down here.

As soon as I finished, Sunset turned to me and said, “Hey, so, I have no idea what’s going on in this trial, and I’m not in good shape. You’re the one running the trial, right?”

I beamed, showing off my fabulous teeth, “But of course. Who else would have the skills and abilities to fill your shoes?”

“Aaand there she goes on an ego trip,” Applejack said. She rolled her eyes, but in a good natured, exasperated kind of way, not a bad way.

Sunset looked down at her Monopad and tried the power switch. It bleeped for a moment before displaying a low battery indicator, then the screen went dark. “Well, you mind bringing me up to speed? I uh, I can’t see any of the evidence.”

I pushed mine closer. “Here, let Trixie show you.”

We spent the next several minutes going over evidence while Monoponi fumed, his ire slowly building up until, just as I reached the point where we’d left off, he exploded in a shout of, “Enough time wasting already! This trial has gone on for too long. Get a move on already!”

Sunset sighed, rubbing her forehead with her good hand. “Damn it. I’m not going to be able to lead this. Trixie, can you keep it going? I’ll let you finish things out. Seems like you’ve done a good job so far.”

I gave her a smile, but it was bittersweet. “Of course. Trixie is up to the challenge.” Taking a moment to regain my nerves, I turned to the others. “So, we had just decided that the culprit used everything in the church as a distraction, yes?”

“Ah think so,” Applejack said, reaching up to scratch at her hair behind her ponytail. “Still not sure how though.”

“What if the culprit met Adagio at the museum, and then had her follow them to the church?” Rarity suggested. “That might explain why the murder occurred there. The culprit could’ve had a trap set up.”

Sunset shook her head, frowning. “I dunno about that, Rarity. Adagio was…” her face fell, shifting between sorrow, regret, and longing. “She was smart. And with how vicious she was acting, if she thought someone knew what she was up to? She’d kill them. She wouldn’t follow them anywhere, especially not into a trap.”

“And Ah think we’d notice if someone had defensive wounds or somethin’ from strugglin’ with her,” Applejack said. She rolled up her sleeves, showing off her powerful biceps. “See? Nothin’. Ah can show my legs too if you want.”

Rarity rolled her eyes, but proceeded to push her sleeves up as well. “As you can see, no wounds.”

I looked over at Scootaloo and Tiara, and gestured for them to go ahead. With matching sighs they did as requested. “Nothing,” Scootaloo said.”

“Nada,” Tiara echoed.

Nodding gratefully, I then rolled up my own sleeves. “And as you can see, Trixie is also unharmed.”

“Not that you could’ve done it anyway,” Sunset said. “You were locked up.”

I felt a smile come to my face, even more bittersweet than the last. “Trixie was, yes.”

“Anyhow,” Applejack said after casting a curious glance at me, “Ah gotta agree with Sunset. Adagio weren’t the most book smart person but she had street smarts like no one else. Ah don’t think the culprit could’ve led her in there if she was chasin’ ‘em.”

Rarity shivered. “And I think we all know she was strong enough to overpower any of us. Even you would’ve struggled with her, Applejack.”

“Ah know I would’ve,” Applejack replied, shivering in kind. She unconsciously ran a hand along her arm where the bite wound once was. “Ah remember havin’ those teeth sink into me. Ah never want to feel somethin’ like that again.”

“So doesn’t that mean the culprit took Adagio by surprise?” Scootaloo said, her face screwing up in puzzlement. “But, how?”

“Wait a minute,” Tiara said, gasping in surprise. She looked at me, her eyes dancing with excitement. “What if the note was fake?”

“You mean the note the culprit sent Adagio?” I said.

“Yeah, yeah, that one,” Tiara replied eagerly. “Like, what if that’s not where the culprit and Adagio met? What if the culprit sent her a different note, and then made that note as part of their cover up?”

“But why would they bother with that, darling?” Rarity asked, spreading out her hands in confusion. “I’m still not sure I understand why there was a mystery in the first place.”

“Well, apart from the fact that Monoponi would’ve executed the culprit if they didn’t bother to make a compellin’ mystery,” Applejack mused as she rested her chin on her fist, “Ah think it was for Sunset here.”

Sunset held a hand to her breast. “For me? Why?”

“Oh! I get it,” Scootaloo said. “It’s because Monoponi told the culprit they couldn’t interfere with Adagio’s murder. So the only option they had was to force a trial. I’ll bet they probably assumed this meant Monoponi would’ve freed you, Sunset, so you could participate.”

“Or maybe not,” Rarity added, nodding as she comprehended. “Perhaps the culprit was told by Monoponi the same thing he told us.”

Fact #8: Monoponi’s Ruling: “According to Monoponi, if Sunset Shimmer is still alive, then she will not be punished unless she fails to make it to the trial before it ends.”

“Sounds like something he’d do,” Sunset muttered before subtly flipping Monoponi off from underneath her podium. “He’d want to be sure someone died either way. Isn’t that right?”

“Hey, I already told these morons I wasn’t giving them any more free information!” Monoponi said, shaking a forehoof at Sunset. “You’re no exception to that! Figure it out for yourselves!”

“So that’s a yes, then,” Sunset said with a cheeky grin.

“Grrrrrrrrr…”

“Ahem,” I cleared my throat. “Trixie thinks there may be some evidence indicating the note was faked.”

“Oh, you mean that, don’t you?” Rarity said.

Fact #19: Printer Log: “The log of the printer in the museum director’s office. It shows two documents were printed, on Monday at 11:55 PM and Wednesday at 4:30 AM.”

“Yes, Trixie is referring to the printer log,” I answered with a dramatic wave of my cloak. “Trixie searched the museum director’s computer long and hard to find traces of the notes, and this was the only thing she found.”

Applejack peered at the log on her own pad. “Huh. Ah think you might be right. There was another note printed Monday evenin’.”

“And that corresponds to the time Sunset was kidnapped, right Sunset?” Scootaloo said, looking at her.

“Uhh…” Sunset’s eyes lost their focus for a moment as she fell forward, breathing heavily. “Uh… I… eugh!” She shook her head, moaned in pain as she held it, and then reached out and took another drink of water. “Sorry. I’ve got a splitting headache and it’s fucking killing me. Uh, yeah, yeah, I think Adagio kidnapped me around 10:45 or something. She was waiting for me when I left Trixie’s room.”

“Oh, I might be able to help you with that,” Scootaloo said. She pulled off her backpack, dug into it, and brought out a small first aid kit. “Got some aspirin here. Want it?”

“Holy shit, yes, give it here,” Sunset said.

Scootaloo started to leave her podium before suddenly freezing in place, a magical crimson aura wrapped around her throat. “Gch!” she choked, her eyes widening in panic.

“Oh no you don’t,” Monoponi warned, his eyes narrowed in irritation. “Bad enough Miss-Prissy over there left her podium long enough to hug Miss-I-Don’t-Die-When-I’m-Supposed-To! No one else leaves until this trial is over.”

Scootaloo took a step back and the hold on her throat released. She broke into a horrendous coughing fit lasting several moments before she got her breath back. “Okay, okay, fuck,” she muttered. “I won’t. Applejack can you pass this to Rarity, please?”

“Uuuuh…” Applejack’s eyes darted towards the seamstress, who glared at her with an impatient, expectant look, then back to Scootaloo. “Ah can.” She took the bottle and stretched out hand it to Rarity.

Rarity took it without issue and passed it to me, and I gave it to Sunset. “There you go, dear,” Rarity said with a small smile just for Sunset.

“Thanks,” Sunset said before popping down several pills and swallowing them back with a sip of water. “Ugh. Hope that kicks in soon.”

Scootaloo, still rubbing her throat from where Monoponi had gripped it, glared down at her Monopad. "Hey wait a second guys. I just realized something."

Fact #12: Broken Telescope: “One of the telescopes on the museum observatory balcony was discovered with its mirrors broken. There were a few torn bits of paper and duct tape inside.”

"We never figured out what that paper and duct tape was for. Was this the second note?"

I arched both eyebrows at that, my lips pursed. "Trixie isn't sure that makes much sense. Rarity never said she found a note in there when she examined it."

"It's true, I didn't," Rarity said with a nod. "The paper and tape was already like that. So I don't think it had anything to do with the other note. I think that must've been left over from Adagio placing the key inside. She must've wrapped it in paper and tape to make it easier to find, and to prevent it from getting lost."

"Trixie agrees," I said immediately. "It has no relevance."

"But then where'd the other note go?" Scootaloo said.

“Diamond,” Rarity said after casting another sympathetic glance Sunset’s way, “I think your theory about the note must be correct. If the culprit knew the only way to save Sunset was to kill Adagio, then they must’ve prepared for it that night.”

“But there weren’t nothin’ set up in the church on Tuesday,” Applejack said with a brief shake of her head. “See that’s what’s got me confused. Why would the culprit write a note Monday night and then wait a day?”

“Maybe they didn’t have enough time to set up the murder Monday night?” Scootaloo suggested. “Or maybe they were hoping we would find Sunset and free her ourselves.”

Tiara rapped her knuckles against her podium and then nodded. “Yeah that’s probably what they did. Why risk a murder if they don’t have to?”

“Mmm, they might’ve needed time to plan, too,” Rarity said, frowning deeply. “A complex mystery is difficult to pull off. So they had to gather materials. Set up the scene. Make sure that however they performed the murder, they made it difficult to solve, so to give Sunset more time.”

“Hmm, Ah’ll bet it took a lot of hard effort to put together that trap, too,” Applejack said. “Ah mean, it takes skill to rig stuff like that up. But Ah still don’t get what exactly they must’ve done. We need to figure that out. The course of events, Ah mean.”

“So you mean, like, what they did and when?” Tiara asked.

“Yeah,” Applejack said, nodding. “Like, Ah get that they used instruments and incense and stuff to distract Adagio, but, like, how did it work?”

“Well,” Rarity said after a moment, “maybe you had the right idea earlier, Applejack. You suggested they put the bucket, full of water, atop the door. What if that’s exactly what they did?”

“Ah beg your pardon?” Applejack said, her mouth and tone flatlining.

“Trixie sees what Rarity means,” I spoke up. “If Trixie received a mysterious note threatening to expose some dastardly deed she performed, she would expect a trap.”

“....oh my god,” Scootaloo groaned, slapping a hand to her face. “That’s it. That’s what the culprit did. They put the bucket of water up there, then when Adagio looked for a trap, she’d see it and think that was the trap.”

“Which left her open for somethin’ else,” Applejack replied, an understanding grin spreading on her face. “This culprit’s pretty smart. You found confetti there, right?”

“We did,” I said.

“Well Ah’ll bet the culprit set up somethin’ to spread confetti everywhere when Adagio opened up the door to the church hall,” Applejack said. “She probably opened the door from far away so the bucket wouldn’t dump on her, only to get that stuff dumped on her.”

“Yes, and then she’d have her nose assaulted by the incense, and the lights would be flickering too,” Rarity added. Her lips thinned. “It would be atrocious.”

“Betcha the instruments were part of it too,” Scootaloo added. “The culprit set them up to make a racket.”

“Good grief,” Sunset muttered. “So she had a face full of confetti, flickering lights, overwhelming smell and noise? It’s almost like the culprit set off a flashbang.”

“Or at least it had the same effect,” Rarity agreed. She hummed and tapped her fingers on her podium. “You know, if it weren’t impossible, I’d almost wonder if Pinkie Pie did this.”

Scootaloo snorted a wry laugh. “Kinda feels like something she’d do, huh? Bunch of pranks set to go off and then wha-bam! Surprise rock to the face!”

“Ah’ll bet the rock was just to seal the deal so the culprit could stab her,” Applejack said. Then she frowned. “Wait a minute. If the culprit set this all up after you were in there, Scootaloo, why did they use a rock from the museum?”

“Convenience, probably,” Tiara muttered. “If I saw a broken case in the museum? I’d use it in my murder. It sure confused us for a while, ‘specially since you wouldn’t talk.”

Her cheeks flooding with pink, Scootaloo managed a half smile and flipped Tiara off. “Screw you too, Tiara.”

“Hah, you wish you could,” Tiara said before laughing good-naturedly.

Scootaloo’s whole face turned beet red before she looked away for a moment. Then she drew herself up, looked back at Tiara, and said, “Maybe I will if you give me the chance.”

Now it was Tiara’s turn to blush profusely. “You… what.”

“Just sayin’,” Scootaloo winked, before putting her hands back behind her head. Her cheeks burned, but she was grinning like mad even so.

Applejack whistled and clapped the younger woman on the shoulder. “Whewie, that’s some gumption you just showed there, Scootaloo.”

“Wha--you say that like I’d be interested!” Tiara said, her mouth puckering up like she bit a lemon.

Seemingly emboldened by Applejack’s support, Scootaloo quipped, “If you’re not, why are you blushing?”

“B-because, I…” Tiara trailed off before looking away, her whole body steaming red. “Oh shut up!”

Okay, that’s enough being gross and sexual. “Can we get back to the matter at hand, please?” I groaned.

“Yes, puh-lease let’s do that,” Rarity muttered with a disdainful look on her face. “Honestly…”

“So I’m wondering,” Scootaloo said, dropping her hands down to her podium, “What would the culprit have done if I hadn’t broken the museum case?”

Applejack pursed her lips and considered that for a moment before answering, “Ah’m guessin’ the culprit probably intended to do somethin’ else first. It ain’t like there’s a shortage of stuff to hit someone with. Maybe they were gonna use the bucket?”

“Or perhaps something from one of the altars,” Rarity mused. “Or even one of the instruments. We never found anything else prepared.”

“If I was this culprit,” Sunset spoke up, “I would’ve gotten rid of anything I planned to use afterwards.” She frowned. “Actually that’s kind of weird. Why was there so much stuff left around?”

“Yeah, if they hadn’t left all that stuff in the church,” Scootaloo said, “We never would’ve known anything happened there.”

“Well we might’ve suspected somethin’ when we found the prayer mat,” Applejack said with a deep frown, “which makes their choice of the office kinda strange too. Why dispose of it there?”

“Indeed,” Rarity said, rubbing her chin delicately with one hand while using the other to straighten out her hair. “As soon as we found that note on Adagio’s body we were certain to check there. And since the culprit did make two notes, one of them fake, that means the fake one must’ve been planted on purpose.”

“Seriously,” Tiara muttered, her mouth twisting into a disgusted sneer. “Like, how stupid do you have to be to hide something in the same place you’re deliberately guiding someone to check?”

“Trixie thinks it wasn’t stupid at all,” I said with a shake of my head. “She thinks the culprit wanted to be caught.”

Applejack eyed me curiously. “You sure about that, Trixie? Ah mean they did try and make a fake scene.”

“Yes, they did, but we already agreed it was to save Sunset,” I countered, gesturing towards Sunset with both hands. “And Trixie thinks if that was their goal, then it’s been accomplished, don’t you agree?”

“Ah guess…”

Rarity bit at her lip, her eyes widening with fright. “But, but surely not. That means they’d expect to get executed.”

“It does,” I agreed with a soft smile.

Applejack let out a loud, flustered sigh and reached up to adjust her hat. “Means whoever the culprit is, they care about Sunset a whole lot. Enough to die for her.” She then flashed Rarity a dark look.

“W-w-why are you looking at me like that?” Rarity spluttered, her knees knocking together as she took a couple steps back.

“Because out of all of us, you’re the one who cares about Sunset the most,” Applejack retorted.

Scootaloo eyed the farmer with a skeptical look. “Oh come on. Didn’t we all agree like two hours ago that Rarity didn’t do it? We had that whole debate and everything.”

“Wait, what do you mean, she cares about me the most?” Sunset asked, looking askance at Rarity.

Rarity’s mouth spread into a wide, toothy sheepish grin. “Ahehehe, I uh, I don’t know what they’re talking about,” she tittered.

Sunset eyed her for a moment, then nodded. “Oh, they’re talking about your crush on me. Got it.”

Rarity’s eyes shrank to mere dots. “What.”

“Yeah, you got a crush on me,” Sunset said casually while taking a drink of water. “You’re scared for your life, you feel lost without your sister, and you can’t be with Applejack. So you’ve become infatuated with me instead.”

Rarity’s mouth fell open as she froze in place, very quiet squeaking noises emerging from her throat.

“Wow. So you noticed that, huh Sunset?” Scootaloo said, grinning behind her hand as she struggled not to burst into laughter.

“It was pretty obvious,” Sunset replied.

“W-w-well, excuse me for trying to be subtle!” Rarity suddenly blurted, her face burning so hot I could feel the heat from my podium. “Fine. Yes. I like you, Sunset. Is that so wrong?”

“No,” Sunset shrugged. “But now’s really not the time to discuss this. After the trial?”

“Fine. After the trial,” Rarity said, nodding.

Tiara stood up straight and slapped on that cocky smirk she wore so often, then fluffed her hair with the back of her hand. “Besides, I think we’re all willing to die for Sunset at this point.”

“Seriously?” Sunset scoffed, staring at Tiara with a look of utter disbelief plastered across her face. “Even you?”

“Yes even me!” Tiara insisted, her cheeks turning pink once more. “...you’re my friend, Sunset. You gave me a chance, even when I was a super huge jerk to you. Repeatedly. That… that means a lot to me.”

Sunset’s face still bore more than a shred of doubt as she muttered, “Okay then. Glad to hear it.”

Applejack blew out a sigh, then tipped her hat to Sunset. “She’s right. Ah can’t tell you how much Ah appreciate that you helped me when mah sister died. If it weren’t for you Ah think Ah’d still be on that stage, starin’ into nothin’.” Then she looked away for a moment. “Ah guess then you did accuse me of killin’ someone. Twice. And if Ah was less charitable Ah could blame you for what Adagio did. But Ah wouldn’t be the kind of woman Ah am if Ah did that.” She glanced at Rarity, then let out a sorrowful sigh. “As much as Ah want to be mad at you for all kinds of things, Ah just can’t. You’re too good a person for me to hate.”

Sunset blinked, one corner of her mouth turning down as she glanced between the seamstress and the farmer, then let out a sigh of her own. “Right. Thanks. I think.” Then she glanced at Scootaloo. “What about you?”

“Me?” Scootaloo said, holding a hand to her chest. “Yeah, I would too. You’ve done so much for us, Sunset. You’ve kept us alive.” She dropped her hand to her podium and stared down at it. “I feel like I would’ve died a few times over by now if it weren’t for you. I never felt confident in the trials. Everything was so confusing. But you kept figuring it out, over and over, no matter how many times I doubted you.” She looked back up at Sunset. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you even for a moment, Sunset.”

Sunset shook her head and grinned at the younger woman. “Hey, no problem.” Then she eyed me. “And I already know your answer.”

It was my turn to blush, and I hated it. “You do.”

Then Sunset abruptly said, “And one of you’s going to. Die for me, that is.”

Everyone fell silent, the good mood vanishing in an instant, replaced by uncertain tension. She wasn’t wrong. One of us was going to die today, or all of us would.

Sunset shook her head sadly. “I’m glad you guys care about me. I can’t say how much that means. But… Adagio’s dead. And one of you killed her, just to save me.” She frowned down at her water bottle before taking a sip. “Part of me wishes you hadn’t. I don’t want to lose any of you. But I also know you didn’t have a choice.”

“Ah guess not,” Applejack muttered. “So what now? We know how the culprit killed Adagio. We know where, and why. And we know they wanted to be caught. Only question is, who was it?”

“We all had the opportunity and the motive,” Rarity said. She let out a bitter laugh. “I suppose it’s plausible even my defense of Adagio earlier in the trial could be taken as me making excuses to postpone it.”

“I was just thinking that,” Scootaloo said, nodding sadly.

“Yours too,” Applejack said, pointing at Scootaloo. “Ah mean, your whole thing about the broken case. And it’d explain why the culprit didn’t have some other means to hit Adagio over the head.”

Scootaloo smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Looks like that.”

“So who was it, then?” Sunset asked, looking at all of us in turn, only for all of us to look away from her. “If you’re afraid of telling me, that’s okay, but there’s not much point in staying quiet now. I’m here. You did it.”

But no one said a word.

A disappointed frown formed on Sunset’s face. “So you’re going to make us drag it out of you? Even now? Why? If you’re scared of dying, I get it. I know exactly what that’s like. But you knew you would, when you embarked on this plan. You accepted it. I'm not trying to be insensitive or self centered, but... I need to lay the hell down. I need rest. I can’t stand at this podium much longer. So come on.”

Tiara faced Sunset again. “Um, Sunset, I kind of have a question, if that’s okay.”

Rolling her eyes, Sunset gestured to her with her bottle. “Fine. Shoot.”

“Why didn’t you remember you gave Adagio a key to your room?”

Sunset shot her a flat look. “Because I’m an idiot. An idiot who hoped that my girlfriend wouldn’t try to murder me.”

“But you said to me that night--”

“I know what I said!” Sunset shouted, her eyes going wide with anger. She jabbed a finger Tiara’s way like she was trying to stab her with a knife. “I know what I fucking said, okay? Don’t tell me I don’t know! I had plenty of time to think about my mistake while I was locked up in that fucking archive room. Believe me, if I’d known Adagio was going to ambush me, I’d have done something else. Anything else. Rekeyed my room lock, cordoned myself off in a restaurant kitchen, something!”

Diamond Tiara let out a gasp and drew back, her expression brimming with hurt. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to--”

“I know, I know,” Sunset said, her anger fading away as she looked away from Tiara. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. I just… damn it.” She took her free hand and rubbed it forcefully down her face, then sighed. “I cared about Adagio, you know. I loved her. And I don’t say that lightly. I fell in love with her. She might’ve been a mean person, but… but she was like me. She was just like I was, once upon a time. I thought she was changing, like I did. I thought I was helping turn her into a better person. I thought I was saving her from being miserable.”

She gripped her fist hard enough her fingernails scraped the flesh of her palm and drew blood. “And then I found my guitar, and that photo album, and everything I thought I'd accomplished turned out to mean nothing! I was the one who took away her magic. Do you know how important that was to her? That was her life! That was the very essence of what made her who she is! That might be hard for you guys to understand, since you’re human, but to a magical being, like us? Magic is everything. You take away our magic and you destroy a piece of our soul.”

Letting her hand fall to her side, Sunset looked up at us, her eyes wet with tears. “And I did that to her. With the help of you, Applejack, and you, Rarity, and Twilight and Rainbow, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. We did that to her. It looked like we had good reason at the time, but that’s not the point. The point is, I, the person she loved, am the one who destroyed a piece of who she was. It’s no wonder she flipped out on me. She thought I kept it from her on purpose. She didn’t say it outright, but I think she might’ve thought I set out to do this from the beginning. That I knew I hurt her, and I was trying to hurt her more, change her, corrupt her into something she wasn’t.”

Sunset reached out for her water bottle, took another drink, then set it down. “Maybe if this happened outside the killing game, we could’ve resolved it. We could’ve worked it out. But we didn’t. Now I’ll never… never get the chance… to…to…” Abruptly she collapsed against her podium, wailing with grief, her body wracked with heavy sobs.

I started to reach out a hand, but Monoponi’s magic snatched it and shoved it back against me the instant I tried. He did the same thing when Rarity tried to reach out around me. So we let Sunset weep for a good, long time, remaining respectfully quiet, occasionally sharing glances of concern for our friend.

As I watched her cry, pain filled my own chest, slowly but surely building from a dull ache in my heart to a throbbing, white-hot agony, pulsing with every fresh sob, with every newly shed tear. It tore at me like a great clawed beast had sunk its razor sharp talons into my chest and shredded it open, broke open my rib cage, and lashed out with its mighty jaws to rip my heart to pieces. Something I felt, with every passing second, like something I deserved. A fate fit for one such as me.

It wasn’t long before wetness fell against my face, and my breathing became choked by my own snot.

“...Trixie?” Sunset whispered, looking my way, her eyes so puffy and bloodshot from tears she shouldn’t have had to let fall. “It’s… it’s okay, you don’t have to cry for me too.”

“Yes I do,” I said, my chest shaking, my heart hammering a million miles per hour as everything else seemed to disappear. “Yes, I do, Sunset.”

“But why?”

This was it. This was the moment I’d dreaded since Sunset left my room Monday night. Stage fright like none other I’d ever felt took hold of me, threatening to freeze me in place, to hurl me into an abyss, to do anything but face what I had to face now.

But I’m Trixie. The Great and Powerful Trixie. I don’t back down when I’m on stage. And this whole trial had been my crowning achievement, the piece de resistance to my stage career. The spotlight was on me. Time for my cue.

“Because it was me,” I said. “I did it. I killed Adagio.”

Sunset’s mouth fell open as she inhaled sharply, her pupils shrinking as she started shaking her head. “No. No you didn’t. That’s not possible.”

I laughed, bitter, hateful. A laugh of shame, of self pity. “Yes it is. Don’t you remember?”

Sunset’s eyes widened even further as she let out a quiet scream. “No! Not… you couldn’t! You didn’t!”

The sounds and sights of everyone else in the room came flooding back in a cascade of screams, shouts, and cries of disbelief. “What in tarnation do you mean, you killed Adagio?!” Applejack roared at the top of her lungs.

“That’s impossible!” Rarity proclaimed, her eyes full of worry and fear. “You were locked away!”

“I had the key!” Diamond Tiara added, slamming both fists on her podium, her expression full of rage. “I know you were locked up! I checked the lock myself! Tuesday and today!”

“But you’re the only one who couldn’t have done it!” Scootaloo insisted, her chest heaving, though whether it was from anxiety, worry, or fury I couldn’t tell. “How is this possible?”

Sunset fell back against her podium, her eyes going blank, her face catatonic as she muttered, “No, please, no,” under her breath over and over again.

I held up my hands and crossed them, then swept them out like a maestro calling for the end of a performance. Everyone quieted down, save for Sunset’s repetitive whimpering. “Remember how Trixie told you Sunset made herself a key?” I announced, using my stage persona to the fullest to command their attention. “Well that’s not the only thing Sunset did for Trixie.”

~*~
I shot up in bed, fumbling through the blankets for my Monopad, and finally turned off the alarm. “6:00 PM. Damn it. Trixie! Hey, Trixie, wake up!”

“Huh?” Trixie mumbled, blinking slowly as she looked up at me from the bed. Her eyes glazed over as she said something incoherent and then fell back onto the bed with a flump.

“Ugh, no, wake up, damn it,” I groaned, reaching down to shake her.

Trixie batted at my arms weakly, until she opened her eyes and grumbled, “I’m up, I’m up. What?”

“We need to get you back in your room,” I said, hopping out of bed. I scooped up a fresh pair of clothes from my closet, opting to skip a shower. “Before anyone else wakes up. Tiara’s expecting us at the meeting, and if anyone finds out you’re in here--”

Trixie meeped, and sat up as quickly as she was able. Slowly, painfully slowly, she edged her way to the edge of the bed, grabbed for her crutches, and managed to stand. “Trixie is ready.”

“Wait here,” I whispered as I carefully opened my door and checked down the corridor both ways. I cocked my head to hear better as well, in case I heard any doors unlocking. Nothing but silence. “C’mon, let’s go!”

Trixie’s room was only a couple of doors down from my own, but it might as well have been twenty miles for how slow she seemed to walk. Every time her crutches creaked as they rose and crunched as they pushed against the carpet, I feared it’d raise the alarm and summon everyone to us.

Fortunately, that didn’t happen. We reached her room, I unlocked it, and managed to get her back inside, promising to see her soon after the meeting. Before I left, however, Trixie proposed something to me. “I don’t know,” I murmured, glancing back and forth every few seconds in case we were caught. “I’ll think about it.”

“Please. Trixie would appreciate it forever if you did,” Trixie said, holding up her hands like she was praying to me.
~*~

“Sunset allowed Trixie to stay in her room Sunday morning. Not only for Trixie’s sake, but for Sunset’s. Neither of us wanted to be alone, least of all Trixie.” I lowered my hands and spread them out over my chest. “So that evening, Trixie requested a favor. What she asked is quite simple: a way out. She wanted the ability to leave her cabin at night, whenever she wanted. She was tired of being locked away, trapped in a single room.”

~*~
Finding myself with little else to do before Tiara called us all together, I decided to try fixing my guitar in the prop shop. It proved easier than I expected, almost as if it wasn’t the first time I’d had to fix damage like this in my instrument. It left me plenty of time to do a few other things that needed doing before I returned to my cabin with the restored guitar, like Trixie’s favor.
~*~
I made my way back to the food court, to our usual meeting table. Trixie was already there, along with Tiara, but no one else yet. Tiara was focused on something before her, some kind of large leather-bound book. Ignoring it for the moment, I sat down next to Trixie and leaned over to whisper, “I took care of that favor for you.”

Her eyes lit up like floodlights at a baseball stadium, but she managed to restrain her excitement to a mere whispered “Thank you!”

“I’m still not sure it’s a good idea, though,” I whispered back.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine,” Trixie said a bit louder, more reassuringly.
~*~

“Trixie had her wish granted. Sunset remade her lock. She designed the outside so to all appearances, it was locked via the padlock. But in truth, Trixie had a bolt she could turn on the inside that could unlock the door and let her out. So when she heard Sunset scream Monday night, she used that to leave her room. And what she saw was horrible.”

I turned to face Sunset, and held out my hands to her like I was begging her to take them. “Trixie saw her best friend being led at knife-point by Adagio, while that siren talked all about how she was going to murder Sunset via dehydration. Trixie wanted to interfere, to say something, to do something, but she was scared. Scared that before she could act, Adagio would kill her. So she watched, frozen, until it was too late. Until Adagio had locked Sunset away.”

I pulled back my hands and spread them out by my sides. “Trixie barely got back to her cabin in time to avoid Adagio spotting her. She sat there on her bed, crying for Sunset, wishing she could do something, until she summoned up her courage. She opened the door to her room, and who did she see?”

I raised my left hand to point an accusatory finger at Monoponi. “Him! He was waiting for Trixie. He knew Trixie would tell someone, would interfere. He told Trixie he wouldn’t allow her to speak up, and would kill her if she did. But he did offer her a deal. He said that if Trixie murdered Adagio, he’d be willing to let Sunset live. But only if Trixie created a compelling mystery. He barely gave Trixie the time to think before saying if she didn’t make a decision, she’d lose her chance. She had no choice! She had to save Sunset!”

I pulled back my arm and leaned forward at my podium, steepling my hands atop it. “So Trixie hatched a plan. She went to the museum office, and printed up a message to give Adagio. She schemed and plotted all Monday night and most of Tuesday. Then, when everyone else had gone to bed for the night, she set up her trap, and left her message by Adagio’s door. Then she--”

“No! No damn it!” Sunset suddenly sprung back to life, slamming her good hand down on her podium. “I refuse to believe this shit. Trixie, you couldn’t have done this! God, of all the people here, you couldn’t have least of all!”

So. She’ll make me prove it after all. I figured as much. Time to do what you always did best, Sunset. I faced her and raised my eyebrows. “Oh? And why is that?”

“Because you know what’ll happen!” Sunset said, pointing a finger up at Monoponi. “You know he’ll kill you! He already took your leg! You’ve always been terrified of him. Why would you stop being scared now?”

“Who said Trixie wasn’t scared?” I retorted. “Hah! Trixie is petrified. But she didn’t let that stop her.”

“But, but, you regretted killing Pinkie Pie!” Sunset shouted, pointing at Pinkie’s portrait. “You hated it! You felt filthy, rotten, horrible, like the scum of the earth. We all treated you like that for it! Why would you do it again?”

I slowly shook my head. “Trixie regrets many things in her life, Sunset. Killing Adagio, to save you? Not one of them.”

“Well you should!” Sunset screeched, pointing at me now. “If you did it! Which you didn’t! Because look at you. You’re crippled. You have one leg! How could you, of all people, possibly overpower Adagio?”

I narrowed my eyes, one corner of my mouth turning up in a half smile. “Really? Did you forget all the things Trixie did to distract Adagio? Trixie didn’t have to overpower her. All Trixie had to do was strike while the iron was hot.”

“Ugh! No! For fuck’s sake, Trixie!” Sunset slapped her hand to her forehead and squeezed her eyes shut, then they popped open again. “No. I won’t buy it. You know how I felt when you killed Pinkie for me. You know how angry I was. Why would you ever think I’d be okay with it a second time? Especially if it was Adagio! I loved her, damn it!”

“Trixie knows you did,” I said, holding up both hands at shoulder height, then shrugging and shaking my head. “But she also didn’t want you to die. She could accept you hating her, so long as you got to live.”

“No!” Sunset leaned towards me, and reached out to grab the front of my shirt. I didn’t react as she pulled me forward. “God damn it, Trixie, listen to yourself! You’re acting like this is some kind of redemption bullshit. Like you’re making up for what you did before by trying to sacrifice yourself. But you didn’t do this. Stop lying to us! I’ll never believe you if you don’t prove it, and you can’t! You can’t prove you killed her!”

Laughter bubbled up inside my chest like a frothing beer can shaken up by a frat boy as I pulled away from her and tapped on my Monopad screen. “Oh Sunset, Trixie is so sorry she has to say this to you, but YOU’VE GOT THAT WRONG!”

Fact #19: Printer Log: “The log of the printer in the museum director’s office. It shows two documents were printed, on Monday at 11:55 PM and Wednesday at 4:30 AM.”

“Remember this?” I said, reaching into my pocket with one hand. “There were two notes Trixie made. And she has the first one right here!”

“I know what you did. Meet me at the church, tonight, at 3:00 AM.”

The words on the page left Sunset stunned. She took a step back, then two, then collapsed onto her butt. “No…” she whispered, tears falling down her face like a torrential rainstorm. “Trixie… no…”

“So,” I said, turning back to everyone. “Allow Trixie to end all doubt, once and for all.” I closed my eyes, just like Sunset had so many times before, and then they shot open. “Trixie will show you all the truth of this case!”

“Though the murder in this case only happened yesterday, its true origins lie at the very beginning of our arrival here. The victim, Adagio Dazzle, was arguing with the culprit over the culprit’s choice of pronoun. Though Sunset Shimmer interrupted this conversation, it began a long period of animosity, which never fully resolved, and culminated in the victim’s death.

"Due to the reveal of her siren nature, and the picture discovered that proved Sunset was the one responsible for her losing her magic, Adagio broke off the romantic relationship between the two. Tension grew, especially when Monoponi introduced his limited income punishment. Though Sunset attempted to reconcile with Adagio, she inadvertently confirmed Adagio’s worst fears, and sealed her fate. Adagio decided she needed to escape this ship, and so she set about planning a murder attempt. Back before the fourth trial, Sunset had crafted a key for her room, giving it to Adagio. And during the exploration, she and Adagio discovered that the archives in the library were finally unlocked, with a key found inside. Adagio used both against Sunset, by ambushing her in her room. After torturing her former lover, she escorted Sunset to the library at knife point. She didn’t want Sunset to die that quickly, because it would make it obvious she was responsible. So she tied Sunset up inside the archives room, dosed her with sedatives, and locked it, intending for Sunset to die from dehydration. She taped Sunset's Monopad to the underside of the archive door, close enough that it counted as being within range for the Monopad rule, but out of Sunset's reach, preventing Sunset from calling for help. Then she wrapped up the key in paper and tape, and hid it in a telescope. She also wrote herself a seemingly nonsensical reminder note, so that if searched, the key wouldn’t be on her, as she knew she’d be the prime suspect.

"The culprit, who’d been locked up in their room since the third trial for the crime of murdering Pinkie Pie, had been given a way to get out by Sunset Shimmer. She’d carefully replaced the lock with a fake: it would look to all like it was padlocked, but in reality it was controlled by a bolt from inside the room, allowing the culprit to get out whenever they wanted. Thanks to this ability to roam free, the culprit had witnessed Adagio’s initial kidnapping of Sunset, but was forbidden by Monoponi from speaking out or revealing Sunset’s hidden location. Monoponi then offered them a deal: if they committed a complicated enough murder, he would allow the culprit to give Sunset the means to escape, and bend the rules to give her till the end of the trial to rescue herself. Knowing Sunset’s fate was sealed unless they did something, the culprit accepted.

"The culprit spent much time planning the crime. They took advantage of the fact that no one would suspect them, both due to their impairment and due to everyone’s belief they were locked away. This would require them to hide the true murder scene, so they chose the church foyer, due to the soundproofing, and lured Adagio there with a note printed up from the museum printer.

"Using their knowledge of stagecraft gleaned from their chosen career, they opted to use a three fold trap. The first was a simple bucket of water set atop the door to the church main hall. This was intended to be spotted by the victim, to lure her into a false sense of security. The second was a series of distractions set to go off once the door opened, to bedazzle the victim’s senses. This included a large pile of burning incense candles, various instruments rigged to produce noise, and a burst of confetti paper. While Adagio was distracted, the culprit struck her with a heavy rock taken from the museum across the forehead, which they chose to use only because Scootaloo had shattered the sample case two hours earlier. This dazed Adagio long enough to allow the culprit to finish the job with the sacred athame taken from the dark altar, stabbing it into the back of her neck at the base of her skull. She was killed instantly.

"Allowing the blood to splash on a prepared prayer mat, the culprit laid the body down on it, letting blood stain Adagio’s clothes. They searched Adagio’s pockets, removing both the note they wrote and Adagio’s reminder note. Then, using the mat’s securing strap, which had had several other straps knotted on it to make a rope, they rigged it to surround their waist, akin to a dog sled. Then they dragged Adagio’s corpse to the first fake murder location: the museum theater. There, they unwrapped her body, slashed open her carotid arteries with the athame, and then rolled her over the floor, to create a false blood splatter. They then took the rock they’d take out of the broken museum case, rubbed it in the blood to make sure it was stained, and put it back in the broken case. Then, to further confuse the cause of death, as well as to further cement the idea that the murder took place in the museum, they also took one of the largest pieces of broken glass and stabbed it into the back of Adagio’s head. Leaving her body for the moment, the culprit used the note they found to locate the archive key, hidden inside one of the telescopes on the observation balcony.

"Finished with their first false scene, the culprit wrapped Adagio’s body back up in the prayer mat and dragged it to the library, leaving it on the first floor. Then they rolled up the prayer mat and took it back with them, leaving a trail on the floor every so often to lead from the museum to the library. They stuffed the rolled up mat under the museum office desk.

"Returning to the church foyer, they cleaned up most of the evidence, but deliberately left a few pieces behind, such as the lingering smell of incense, several pools of melted wax, the sodden rug, and a few bits of thread used for the instruments. This was all to leave enough clues for the culprit’s guilt to be proven, as the culprit never intended to survive the trial. As a final bit of insurance, they intentionally dropped off the sacred athame in Sunset’s room, and faked a message on her pillow to give them something to work with during the trial.

"The next day, Adagio’s body was discovered by the others, and Monoponi announced his ruling. Due to everyone’s lack of confidence, the culprit volunteered to lead the investigation. During the investigation, the culprit opted to stick with Rarity, and deliberately obfuscated many clues to further confuse the crime. They also used their skill with sleight of hand to push the key under the archive door, so that Sunset had a way to free herself, and sent Sunset a text as well, to let Sunset know Monoponi’s ruling.

"Once the investigation finished, the culprit was forced to lead the trial as well, and purposefully extended the trial for as long as they were able. They did not expect Monoponi to rig up a light to showcase Sunset’s lifesigns. During the trial, the light went out, and everyone thought Sunset had perished, including the culprit. This led the group to attempt rebellion against Monoponi, but everyone swiftly gave in when he threatened their lives. The culprit stuck to their plan, despite it feeling pointless.

"Fortunately, it turned out Sunset had survived. She had accidentally destroyed Monoponi’s magic sensor when she rescued herself, and had spent a while recovering before managing to haul herself down to the courtroom. She was horrified by Adagio’s death, and was unable to take over the trial both due to her ignorance and her health following her imprisonment. She let the culprit continue to lead, allowing them to rapidly clear matters up and bring things to a close.

"I know you don’t want to believe it, Sunset. I know it hurts. I know I did it again. But I had no choice. I couldn’t let you die, Sunset, nor could I let the others die either. I’m so, so sorry, but the one who killed Adagio… was me. Trixie Lulamoon, the Ultimate Illusionist!”

Applejack tore off her hat, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it. She looked at me with a glare that was simultaneously brimming with hatred and admiration. “Ah can’t believe it. Ah can’t believe you’re a murderer. Again! Ya had a good reason, but still!” Then she sighed and grabbed her hat back up, smoothing out the wrinkles. “Ah don’t know how you fooled me, but you sure did. Least you fessed up this time.”

Scootaloo also glared at me, but then her eyes relaxed as she held up her hand in the same two-finger salute she’d given Sunset. “Well I can’t speak for everyone else, but… I’m glad you did it. You might be a murderer, but you didn’t do it for yourself. I can admire that.”

Tiara frowned darkly, staring at Sunset laying on the floor before looking back up at me, slowly shaking her head. “I’m sorry I ever thought you were a psychopath. I was wrong. I can admit that.” Then she raised up her thumb and smiled at me. “Thanks for saving Sunset. I’m pretty pissed that you made us go through this trial, buuut.. I can forgive you.”

Rarity pressed her lips together, and held up her hands, scowling at me with hatred blacker than darkest midnight. Then she closed her eyes, bowed her head, and set her hands down. “Trixie. I consider you my friend. I also consider killing to be wrong. It is the worst thing any individual can do. I forgave you once, because I realized you only did it for Sunset’s sake, and… because I care for Sunset deeply. It was a selfish reason to forgive you. Hearing what you did makes me want to hate you all over again, to feel the same anger I felt the first time. But I can’t.” She opened her eyes, and smiled. “All I can do is thank you, and forgive you again. This time you not only acted for Sunset. You did this for us all. You saved our lives. So, thank you Trixie. I will miss you, when you’re gone.”

“Thank you, everyone,” I said with a quick bow. “Trixie appreciates you all.”

Sunset rose from the floor, propping herself up by her good arm as she stared at me with haunted eyes. “Trixie, I... I don’t… I can’t…”

I reached out with open arms, and Sunset fell into them, laying against my shoulder. “I know what you want to say, Sunset. I know what you’re feeling. I knew what this would do to you, when I chose to do it. But how could I do anything else?”

She pulled back so she could look into my eyes. “But you’re going to die, Trixie,” she said. “You can’t escape it this time.”

“I know that. I know I’m going to die. And I’m scared.” Tears came to my own eyes as I smiled at my best friend. “I don’t want to die. I don’t. But… I knew I didn’t have a real life waiting for me, outside this ship. I knew that, even if we somehow escaped, I would trade one prison for another. We made jokes about it, but I didn’t want to spend decades in a cell, fearing for my safety from every other murderer in the prison. I wouldn’t survive in that environment, Sunset. I’m just a magician. I’d wither away until I lost everything that made me, me.” I let out a bitter laugh. “And yes, I wanted to redeem myself. To do something right, to make up for what I did wrong. To die on my terms, and no one else’s.”

“I wish you hadn’t had to,” Sunset whispered. “I wish Adagio could’ve lived. That we could’ve made up, fixed things, stayed together. I wish you could’ve stayed too. I don’t want to lose you.”

“I know,” I said. I held up one hand and pressed it to Sunset’s cheek. “There’s no justice in it. In any of this. If there was, none of us would’ve ever stepped foot on this ship.” I ran my thumb along the side of her face, then lowered my hand. “Can you do me a favor, Sunset?”

“Anything,” Sunset breathed.

I flashed her my winning smile. “Beat him. Make him lose. For me. For Adagio. For everyone.”

She took in a breath, whimpered, then quickly nodded. “I will. Count on it.”

Suddenly a crimson aura surrounded us both and pulled us apart, slamming us against our respective podiums. “Okay, okay, enough of this sappy crap!” Monoponi shouted. He glowered at all of us, cold-hearted hatred burning like blackened coals in his eyes. “It’s time for the vote. Since Sunset Shimmer lived like the little shit that she is, you won’t have to vote for her murderer. But you still have to vote for Adagio’s! And remember: if you fail to vote, it will result in your death. And don’t think I’ll hold back on it, because I won’t. Give me the chance and I’ll cut you down where you stand. I am that sick of you morons. Your time starts now!”

My Monopad lit up with the same sea of faces that had taunted me every time we had to vote. Most were greyed out, with that cursed blood-pink X. But I couldn’t help but smile in triumph, seeing Sunset’s colored in. So I pressed down on my own face gladly, happy to see an end to this trial.

It was over. I won.

Author's Note

Congratulations to witegrlninja, Superfun, FlamingSamurai, and JCarp for successfully deducing Trixie was the culprit, and to anyone who guessed her as well. :trixieshiftleft: Witegrlninja was entirely correct when it came to Trixie having gotten used to using crutches. The idea that it was implausible for her to be capable of everything she did was what I was banking on when it came to the difficulty of this mystery. That, and her skill at self-deception and the resulting bend in the narrative. There's a reason she refers to that skill in the part just before she takes over as protagonist. :trixieshiftright:

Like with Sunset's death, I struggled mightily over which would be victim, and which would be culprit, and I don't just mean while writing Chapter Five. From the start with this story, I intended for Sunset to develop a dynamic, a trio as it were, with a best friend and a romantic interest. I also intended for one of the two to try and kill her, and the other to kill them in response, as a way of redeeming themself for something awful they had done. I had not, originally, intended for these two to be Adagio and Trixie. That developed naturally as a result of the events of Chapter One, as well as being drawn from canon material. Ultimately, it felt logical that Sunset would be attracted to someone like Adagio, someone "like her" that would prove enticing, especially to a Sunset who lacked the memories to know why it was such a bad idea. Trixie becoming the best friend, meanwhile, happened because I fell in love with writing her as a character, because it tied back to Forgotten Friendship, and because she has similar chemistry with Sunset that pony Trixie does with Starlight Glimmer, and I really like that relationship.

There were times, while writing, that I waffled on this. Especially back in the early parts of writing Chapter Three, when I was redesigning the story, and especially as Trixie's character, and for that matter, Adagio's, developed, I didn't want to hurt either of them. I wanted to toss out the plan and have them both as survivors. But I had to do it. And when Chapter Three provided the perfect opportunity to give Trixie the "horrible act" I needed the friend to seek redemption for... it all fell into place.

So this mystery proved to be quite difficult. Hopefully it didn't feel unfair. I tried, desperately, to find some way to hint towards Monoponi telling Trixie she couldn't tell anyone, but nothing I came up with hinted towards it without making it dead obvious who did it. That was the one detail that I know will feel like it came out of left field, but that's why I left my hint about the culprit leaving Sunset behind.

Having Sunset be on the receiving end of the Argument Armament is a bonus. And a fun one at that.

There was a question raised by a couple of commenters, that being "Why did Trixie prolong the trial after she thought Sunset died?" And the answer to that is the same as the answer to the other question raised: "Why didn't she just own up to it the instant she saw Sunset was alive?"

Because in both cases... like Trixie said: she's petrified. She doesn't want to die. She accepted she was going to, but that doesn't mean she doesn't still want to live. That, and Monoponi's executions are excruciating. So in both cases, she just kept playing out the act. Especially when she thought Sunset was dead, and her sacrifice would be pointless, she might as well try to live at least a little longer. At least force Monoponi to sit through having them work it out, rather than just give up. She was still too scared to just give in. I know I would be. I'd cling to whatever little bit of life I had left.

Apologies to anyone who thought this Chapter and trial was going in the direction of some sort of big Kokichiesque "mess with the game" plan. I... will be honest. I never once considered that. I never considered it because I figured Sunset would be savvy enough to understand why that doesn't actually work, and how that would be more or less pointless. So I never intended to go that route, and any potential implications towards it were unintended. I loved reading all the speculation about it, don't get me wrong. But it was never in the cards.

Hence this plan instead. A protag switch with the temp protag being the culprit trying desperately to keep Sunset alive was my intended Chapter Five craziness, because I wanted to do my own take on what happened with Kokichi and Kaito in V3 Chapter Five, but I also didn't want to retread old ground. That's why I never considered something that messed with the structure of the killing game itself. There are multiple reasons why doing that did not make sense with this story, and you will understand why in Chapter Six.

Also, a note for when it comes to the whole bleeding after death issue, because this was brought up in the comments of Chapter Four(well after I wrote everything for this one): I took a look into this, and it turns out that you can actually force the body to bleed after death if you apply sufficient pressure. So now you can all have the mental image of Trixie repeatedly throttling Adagio to get her to bleed.

Originally I had an extra hint involving the music choices, specifically in that it would've all been tracks from V3, but as much as I liked it, I changed my mind at the last minute because it felt too obvious. But because I wanted to do a different game than the first, and I couldn't do V3, I picked II's Hope Breaking Noise. ...and in the process made several of you think I was going for a Nagito-style twist because my dumb butt picked his body discovery music for Sunset at the end of Part 6. That was not intentional and I apologize for anyone thinking I was bamboozling. :twilightblush: I only picked it because it was super creepy sounding and I thought that would add to the suspense.

And speaking of the music choices, I'm now curious: how many of you actually click on the music links and listen to it while reading? I'll be honest in that the only reason I bothered doing that to begin with was for the sake of the feel of Danganronpa, for my benefit when writing, so I figure most of you don't bother, but I'm curious nonetheless. :twilightsmile:

Chapter Five: Whistle for the Wind Part 9

Chapter Five
Whistle for the Wind
Post Trial and Epilogue

As the votes concluded, I stood proud at my podium, still thrilled over Sunset’s survival. I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, had kept her alive, despite Monoponi’s best efforts. It felt incredible, but I knew the feeling wouldn’t last.

After all, we still had the finale. The final moments of my life were ticking down, and rapidly at that.

I watched as the holographic display lit up in the center, showcasing the voting tallies. All for me, exactly the way they should be. Monoponi didn’t even bother with his usual speechifying before firing off a light from his horn, causing the display to shift to a picture of my face, with fireworks exploding over it reading “GUILTY!”

“Congratulations, you idiots,” he said, every word full of bitterness. “You successfully determined the culprit. Again. The killer of Adagio Dazzle, the Ultimate Songstress, was none other than Trixie Lulamoon, the Ultimate Illusionist, blah blah blah.”

“What’s the matter, Monoponi?” I spoke up, feeling a courage take hold of my heart. “Upset that Trixie beat you at your own game?”

It was stupid. I knew if I taunted him it’d just make my death more painful. But he was going to torture me anyway. And if I was honest with myself? I deserved it. I deserved at least some pain. I still stole an innocent life, after all. In a way, I hoped there was an afterlife, not because I thought I deserved paradise, but because I wanted the chance to apologize to Pinkie Pie, personally. Would she forgive me? Would she refuse? I hoped I’d get the chance to find out, before I was inevitably cast down into perdition.

Then again maybe heaven and hell were bullcrap and the real afterlife was something entirely different. Who knows?

Monoponi faced me, but to my surprise, he didn’t start screaming at me. Instead, he spoke softly, “You think you’ve won? You think that just because Sunset survived this time that she’s going to escape? Don’t be a fool. I know that’s hard for you, Trixie, because a fool is the role you’ve chosen for yourself in life.”

“Maybe it is,” I said, my confidence wavering not even an inch. “But it’s one Trixie plays well. Trixie enjoyed her life. She’s not the one who threw an elaborate death game just for the sake of revenge.”

Monoponi calmly hopped off his throne and trotted over and around my podium so he could look up at me. His toothy jaws opened, but I refused to let that get to me. “Revenge? That’s what you think this is? That’s why you all think I did this? It’s more than that. Much more. But you see, Trixie, you won’t get to see what that is. You don’t get to find out. You get to die. And I get to kill you. I’m going to enjoy it.”

“Trixie is sure you will,” I said with a chuckle. “But when Trixie is gone, the brief little bit of pleasure you got from snuffing out her life will fade, and leave you right back where you are. Bitter. Hateful. Evil. And alone. Trixie might not get to know why this all happened, but she’s proud of the life she’s led, despite the mistakes she’s made. She’s made friends, and loves them. Do you have friends, Monoponi?”

“Friends.” Monoponi spat the word out like it was the worst profanity imaginable. “Friends? Me? No. No, I don’t have friends. I don’t need friends. I… ohohoho.” His mouth rose in a grin as he floated up into the air and popped a hoof next to his mouth. “Upupu, look at you. You almost got to little old Monoponi. Nice try. But it’s still too soon for the big reveal.”

He rose back up and onto his throne. “So, you know what? I’m going to be generous. I’m going to give you, mmm, let’s say ten minutes to wrap up whatever insipid little goodbyes you need to give this excuse for a person. Then I’ll end her miserable life.”

“What, you’re not gonna bother to show us some security footage or nothin’?” Applejack said, arching her eyebrows. “Ah thought you always did that after the vote.”

“What for?” Monoponi scoffed. “What is there to show? It’s not like Trixie got any details wrong. She’s the one who did it! What, you want to see Adagio’s life snuffed out before your eyes? Are you that bloodthirsty that you need to see it for yourself? Well if you are, why didn’t you kill anyone? I gave you every reason to off that drama-loving marshmallow and you never took it!”

“What, you mean Rarity?” Applejack snorted. “Ah don’t know what you mean by marshmallow, but Ah can’t imagine ever killin’ her. Maybe we don’t get along. Maybe when we do escape from this ship, we’ll get a divorce. Ah… Ah…” She sighed, then scowled at him. “Ah’m not gonna bare mah heart to you.”

“W-what about when you met with Trixie?” Tiara asked, her voice quavering as she spoke. “A-aren’t you going to show that at least?”

He turned to face her. “There’s no reason to show that either! It’s a big waste of my time. There’s nothing you’d learn from it. Like I said, Trixie did it! She told you everything! Maybe she didn’t give a word by word teleplay, but really, who needs to see that?”

“No one,” Scootaloo said, casting Tiara a curious look. “We just want to keep Trixie alive as long as possible.”

“Oh you do? Well, now I want to take back what I said about giving you time.” Monoponi raised a hoof and waggled it like I would a finger. “But I won’t do that. I’m feeling extra charitable. I’ve got something I’m about to thoroughly enjoy. I can wait for it.” He lowered his hoof. “No more delays. Get to it. Clock’s ticking!” His horn lit and summoned up an hourglass out of nowhere, placing it down upon the central display, and turned it over. Bluish white sand fell at an extremely rapid pace, making my heart quicken.

Rarity stepped away from her podium, around Sunset, and over to me, wrapping me in a hug so tight I could barely breathe. “Like I said, darling, I’m grateful,” she said as she held me. “I’m going to miss you so much. We really needed to have more lovely chats.”

“Hehehe,” I laughed as I patted her on her back. “Trixie would’ve loved that. She hopes you won’t miss her too much though.” I pulled back from her and gave her a wink, then gestured with my thumb to Sunset. “You have someone to win over.”

“I suppose so,” Rarity said as she withdrew, giving me a sad smile. “Assuming I get the chance.”

“Hey, hey, we agreed to talk about that after the trial,” Sunset growled, glaring at the seamstress.

Rarity raised her hands. “Sorry.” Then she faced me. "I do have a question though, if I may."

"Sure," I shrugged. "What is it?"

"Did you deliberately set the murder up as a series of practical jokes? Or was that mere coincidence?"

I pressed my lips together and looked away for a moment, my heart seizing up in my chest. Then I faced her again, with a few tears in my eyes. "It was on purpose. Trixie... I wanted to make up for my past mistakes, and honor Pinkie's memory. I think she would've appreciated the homage."

Rarity snorted even as her own eyes filled with moisture. "I think you're right, darling." She rushed forward to hold me, this time gripping me so hard I gasped for air. "You are a far better person than most of us, Trixie. I wish you didn't have to go."

"Me too," I replied, my cheeks running wet. "Me too."

Rarity gave me one final squeeze, smiled at me, then stepped away.

Applejack made her way over to me next, and fixed me with a stern look. “Ah want you to know somethin’ before you go, Trixie. Ah never liked you that much. You had too big an ego, always talkin’ in third person like you were some bigshot. Ah don’t care for people that put on airs.”

“If it helps you feel better about it,” I said with a half smile, “Trixie doesn’t do it just for the ego boost.”

“Oh Ah figured that out mahself, thank you,” she replied. She adjusted her hat and crossed her arms over her chest. “But Ah’ve been thinkin’ lately, about how Ah’ve been judgin’ many of the people Ah got to know here the wrong way.” She glanced briefly at Diamond Tiara before returning her gaze to me. “And Ah think you were one of those people Ah misjudged. Ah wanted to hate you, you know, because Apple Bloom only died ‘cause of your show. But Ah didn’t, because Ah knew mah sister wouldn’t have appreciated it. So Ah tried to tolerate you. Then you killed Pinkie and Ah was livid. Ah hated you somethin’ fierce. You were a liar, a killer, and everythin’ bad Ah thought about you was justified.”

Okay, is she going somewhere with this, or is she just ranting at me because she won’t have another chance? “But you don’t think that now, Trixie hopes.”

“No. Ah don’t. Ah still dunno if Ah like you, but Ah do respect you. Ah respect your choices, and you lookin’ out for me and everyone else, ‘specially Sunset.” She managed a small smile and held out a hand, and when I took it, she gave me a strong shake that just avoided crushing my bones into powder. “Ah’m glad Ah got to know you, Trixie. Ah’ll be sure to remember you.”

“T-thanks,” I groaned, smiling despite the pain in my hand. “Trixie’s glad to hear it.” She released my hand and stepped away. Immediately I shook it, blowing on it, trying to ease the ache. “Oooowww…”

Tiara snickered as she took Applejack’s place, then coughed and covered her mouth a moment before reshaping her smile into something more pleasant. “You know what I thought when I first met you, Trixie? I thought you were a freaking idiot. Like a sideshow clown or something. You were annoying, and stupid, and I hated your stupid face.”

“Gee, thanks,” I said flatly. “Trixie’s never been so complimented.”

Her eyes flashed momentarily with irritation before she took a deep breath and let it out. “But I was wrong. About all of that. You might not’ve realized it, but you helped me become a better person, just like Sunset. It was through hating you even more when you killed Pinkie, but you still helped! And then you had to go and prove me wrong. You know how much I hate being wrong? A lot! I’m Diamond Tiara, damn it. My daddy’s Filthy Rich. I’m wealthier than all of you combined, and I was taught to be proud of myself. And to be a big jerk.”

“But you’re not a jerk now,” I said. Then I frowned, and held up my thumb and finger, less than an inch apart. “Well, mostly.”

“Hah! You got that right,” Tiara laughed. She jerked a thumb towards Sunset. “Mostly because of her. So thanks again for keeping us all alive. And for wiping out that siren. I know Sunset loved her, but wow. She made me look like a saint!”

Tiara flashed me a final thumbs up, then stepped away, letting Scootaloo in. The younger woman peered at me for a moment. “Hey, so, uh, I’m not that great with words. You guys know that. And you and me, we didn’t talk a lot.”

“No, we didn’t,” I said, shaking my head. “Trixie wishes she’d changed that. She thinks you’re a nice person.”

“I mean, I try to be,” Scootaloo said with a shrug. “I like to look out for people, you know? It’s what my Aunts taught me. But I also learned stuff since getting here. Sunset and Rainbow Dash? They both taught me how to be brave, how to stand up for myself, in their own ways. I wouldn’t have stood up to Monoponi in the trial like I did without their example.”

“And you did it flawlessly,” I said with a smile. “Trixie thought you were very brave indeed.”

A dark frown momentarily graced her face before it slipped away. “Part of me hated you for Rainbow’s death, you know. Because Adagio had a point, in the trial before this one. Rainbow might not’ve died if it wasn’t for Fluttershy and Pinkie’s deaths. Or if she did, it would’ve happened differently. But you know what I realized? Fuck what she thought. You’re a good person. You made a stupid mistake, when it came to Pinkie, but your heart was always in the right place. And you made up for it, big time.” She raised a hand to try and clap me on the shoulder, but she ended up hitting my elbow instead, due to being so short when compared to moi. “I hope Monoponi makes it quick. You don’t deserve to suffer.”

“He won’t, but thank you anyway,” I said, my smile fading. I reached out to place my hand on her shoulder. “Don’t ever stop being you, Scootaloo.”

“Oh I won’t,” she said. She patted my hand, then brushed it off and stepped away.

So once again I found myself facing Sunset, who at least wasn’t crying this time. “I’m not sure what else I want to say that I haven’t already said,” she said. So she reached out and gave me a one armed hug, carefully holding her broken elbow away from me. “I don’t want you to go, Trixie.”

“I know that, Sunset,” I said as I returned the hug. “Believe you me, there’s a lot I’d love to say if we still had time. Things I’d want to talk about, to do. Want to know a secret?”

“Uh, sure?” she replied with a confused grin.

“Trixie was gonna ask you to be her assistant for her traveling shows,” I said with a sage nod. “You were the perfect assistant on stage, after all.”

Sunset broke into sad laughter, wincing as the intakes of breath hurt her damaged ribs. “I dunno if I would’ve said yes, but I wish I had the chance to.”

“That’s okay. Even if you said no, Trixie still would’ve given you a lifetime supply of free tickets,” I said, laughing right along with her.

“Bzzzt!” Monoponi blurted, right as the last bit of sand reached the bottom of the hourglass. He zapped it with his horn, causing it to vanish. “Times up! I hope you’re ready to face the music, Trixie, because this one’s gonna be big!”

Everyone moved away, giving me space as a set of chains fell down from the ceiling, wrapping a steel collar around my neck. Everyone that is, save for Sunset. She reached out to me and took my hand. “Please. Don’t go.”

“Now then, I’ve prepared a very special punishment for Trixie Lulamoon, the Ultimate Illusionist!”

“Sorry, Sunset, but it’s time for the curtain call,” I said, giving her hand a squeeze before letting it go. “Stage puns aside? I love you, my friend.”

She sniffled, and gave me a sad smile. “Love you too, Trixie.”

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! Iiiiiiiit’s punishment time!”

A big red button rose up before Monoponi and he slapped down on it with one forehoof.

The chains abruptly yanked me towards the ceiling at breakneck speeds, leaving the blood rushing to my head. I had just long enough to see the walls light up with the usual display before I flew up into a tunnel.

GAME OVER

Trixie has been found guilty.

Time for the punishment!

I whisked along so fast I could barely see any details passing me by, but I felt every bump. Protrusions sticking out of the walls poked and prodded me, each one taking away a small amount of what was left of my breath. My vision swam, going grey at the edges, then began to fade into blackness.

And then just as suddenly I was released onto a stage. A stage in the round, wood atop metal, sitting aboard the deck of the ship. The noonday sun streamed down through gaps in the clouds, the smell of sea salt air filling my nostrils as I gasped, taking in heaping lungfuls of air. I fell onto my one knee on the wood, feeling the grain press against my skin, surprisingly rough for a stage.

I looked up from where I laid to see, all around me, a selection of fireworks. Everything from little firecrackers to six inch thick shells stacked up in racks. Beyond that was a crowd of holographic Monoponis, waving signs at me reading things like “you suck!” and “go screw yourself!” Charming as always.

I had enough time to get a good look at the sea as well, the waves rising and falling as the ship cut its path through, before two long metal rods shot up out of little covers in the stage. Each one bore a handcuff that latched onto my wrist and hauled me up to stand on my one leg. All around the ship a great blackness filled the sky, cutting off the sun, and letting in little sparkles that resembled stars in the night. The cuffs held me in place as the fireworks show began.

THE GREAT AND POWERFUL GRAND FINALE

Ultimate Illusionist

Trixie Lulamoon

Execution: Executed

At first, it was the little ones. They flew at me before popping, scattering bits of ash at me while hurting my eyes and ears. Then they began to pepper me, hurtled at me by the magic aura of Monoponi before bursting on my skin, leaving painful burns. Each one had me gritting my teeth, refusing to cry out before finally I gave in when a particularly large sparkler blazed its way into my stomach.

Then my cloak and hat were ripped away from me, leaving me feeling exposed. More fireworks went off, larger ones, shooting up above my head to explode far too close in ear-shattering booms of noise. After each one went off, I felt a trickle of magic heal up my eardrums, forcing me to hear the next and then the next. Bits of burning paper and tubes fell on my head and arms, leaving more ashy residue and, in a few of the larger cases, bruises. At one point my hair caught fire before it was extinguished by a crimson aura.

But it wasn’t a mercy. I screamed as the pressure waves from the explosions rippled through me, tearing away at my breath each time, the pain beyond excruciating. I never knew sound could hurt as much as this did.

Then they stopped. The crowd of fake ponies booed as one at the cessation of the display, and hurled their signs at me, then switched to rotten fruit, and then rocks. As each one peppered me, I cried out, unable to withstand the pain. I felt several of my ribs break, then my arms and leg, tears raining down my cheeks. White hot pain poured up my leg like molten steel running its way through my veins as the cuffs forced me to keep standing on despite desperately wishing I could collapse against the stage.

“M-make it stop!” I begged. “Please, just end it already!”

But he refused. The crowd dove off the ship until just one Monoponi was left, the real one. He pointed his hoof at the huge fireworks, letting one go up and explode so loud I thought I’d be torn apart by the sound itself. Then the next, and the next. Each display of color and light appeared cheerful in contrast to the amount of pain it caused.

Then the firing ceased. The few fireworks left were moved away from the stage, and a new one emerged from a hidden platform. The biggest one by far, it was a monster of a shell, thicker around than I was, shaped like a fifties sci-fi rocket, complete with little fins, and with the name "The Manticore" emblazoned upon it in a sickly red. My hat was slapped onto the top of it before it blasted off into the sky. This one didn’t just explode. It erupted into a massive Monoponi face, slavering jaws and all, stretching across the entirety of the sky. Unlike the other fireworks, this one didn’t fade. This one opened up his mouth and waited, like an avatar of death itself.

Then Monoponi brought out a cannon. It was long, colored in blue and pink, just like the party cannon Pinkie Pie had once described to me, except this one was big enough to stuff me in. And that’s exactly what he did. He lifted me up into it and stuffed me into the barrel, head first, letting me get a good eye view of the wadding already inside. He left me in there for just long enough to make me panic, afraid of the explosion about to occur in my face. I thought it would blow me to bits.

But no. I wasn’t that lucky. Instead, I heard him shout instructions, telling someone to ready, to aim, and then the sound of a burning flame making its way down a wick before the cannon boomed and fired me up towards the Monoponi in the sky. I screamed the whole way up, flailing like crazy as I flew towards his gaping maw. I was able to look back just long enough to see there was an actual throat behind the mouth before my body went inside. His jaws slammed shut on my

As the monstrous Monoponi devoured Trixie’s body, her head fell back to the stage and landed, neck first, on one last tube of fireworks, her expression frozen in fear. Then it exploded, blowing her head into meaty chunks.

Sorrow filled my breast as the screens winked off, overwhelming me with fresh tears. God damn it, Trixie, I thought as the salt streamed down my face. My chest hurt like hell as I sobbed, my lungs still feeling like they were wrapped in razor wire.

I felt a set of arms wrap around me, alabaster skin coming into view as curls of purple hair brushed against my shoulder. Rarity wept with me as she held me, carefully placing her arms so she didn’t hurt my rib cage or my broken elbow. The warmth of her skin was soothing, and I soaked it in as we let our tears run dry.

“Ooooooh yeah!” Monoponi whooped, bouncing up and down on his throne. “Ahaha! Eat that, you magic chick! How’s that for an execution, huh? Exciting, wasn’t it? Extreme! Thrilling! Everything she deserved and so much more!”

Rarity raised her head over mine. “You monster!” she roared. “You sick, horrid little creature! Trixie didn’t deserve any of that!”

“At least it wasn’t as bad as Flash’s,” Tiara muttered under her breath.

“If Ah went deaf for the rest of mah life Ah’d still hear those fireworks,” Applejack said, her face full of terror.

Scootaloo held both hands firmly on her ears, her eyes wide in shock, her chest fluttering with shallow breaths. “Fucking fireworks,” she groaned. “I hate fireworks.”

For my part, I didn’t waste my breath cursing Monoponi. I knew by now he’d love it. He’d take every word we said and slather it all over himself like it was lotion or soap, bathing in it, letting it soak into his skin. He enjoyed our pain, and I wasn’t going to give him more. Not now.

Not when I wanted to save my thoughts for Trixie. I’d thought about her a lot, while trapped in the archive room. How I feared Monoponi might kill her, in the group execution he’d hold for when Adagio won. I never pictured this though. In a way it was just like the dream I had. Fireworks in the sky, except with much messier and more deadly results.

And yet, a part of me was glad Trixie got a fitting send off. Dramatic, exciting, and big. Just like her. Larger than life.

But I still wanted her back. I wanted her standing next to me, hugging me just like Rarity was. And Adagio for that matter. Yes, I still wanted her here. I don’t know why. I was so mixed up inside over her. One part of me, the pony part of me, utterly loathed her, crowing about how right my instincts were all along. About how this is what Adagio deserved, as a siren. As a predator. As a monster.

The rest of me, the human part of me, wanted her back so bad it almost hurt more than my wounds. She’d changed, for a while. She really had.

But maybe, in the end, I wasn’t actually in love with her. Maybe I was in love with the idea of her, the idea of Adagio I had in my brain, that she was just like me, a person who’d led a bad life who wanted nothing but redemption, to make friends, to be better. But that was never what she was really about. Adagio only ever wanted one thing.

She wanted to survive. She came to me, allied herself to me, only because I was from Equestria. She came to me after the first trial because I was the only one she dared show any weakness too, because she knew as a pony I lacked the killer instinct to take advantage of it. She could show weakness because she wasn’t afraid. She knew she could kill me at any time.

The warning signs were there from the start. Her treatment of Trixie in general.The morning after our first night of love-making. The knife she pulled on me before the magic show. The way she delighted in tormenting Trixie at the end of the third trial. Her threatening Applejack’s life right in front of me. And, of course, the way she reacted to my guitar.

I would never know if she truly loved me, or if what she felt for me was something more like a possessive greed. She certainly acted possessive, becoming furious whenever her bond with me was remotely threatened, whether it was by Trixie or Rarity or anyone else. Every time we had sex she was rough, hitting me, biting me, bruising me. I mean, I liked it, but it was never, ever gentle. Not even once.

Maybe I should’ve listened to my own advice, when I talked to Trixie about love. I told her, love without friendship doesn’t end well. And that’s exactly what happened here. Adagio and I never really became friends. We got along. We were allies. But how often did we hang out? How often did we do fun things together, things that weren’t sex? Not often. I could think of only a couple of cases off the top of my head. One of them was the wind tunnel, the other swimming in the fitness center pool. She treated one as boring, a waste of time, and the other as a competition, a way to beat me.

Oh. I guess there was the go-karts races too. That was fun while it lasted.

Yet at the same time, who was it I made friends with? Actual friends, that is, not just what I thought was friendship. It was Trixie. Rarity. Twilight, for a little while. Flash. Apple Bloom. Rainbow Dash. Diamond Tiara, though I still suspected she might be the traitor. A whole lot of people who I liked spending time with. Who I missed, because all had died, save for Rarity and Tiara.

Huh. Maybe there could be something to me and Rarity after all. She and I got along for more reasons than just physical attraction and convenience. I mean sure, she was drop-dead gorgeous, even after losing a lot of her hair, but that wasn’t what made us friends. I was friends with her because I had fun talking to her. She cared about me me, not just me as a concept. How many hours did we spend talking while she made me clothes, or sitting in the spa together? Plenty, and more besides. The few hours I spent with her and Trixie in Trixie’s room were some of the best hours I’d spent on this ship.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to get with her just yet though. Apart from the fact that I was still dealing with losing one lover, I’d rather take something like that slow. And, well… I was still hoping that maybe, somehow, we’d all get our memories back. And if that happened, maybe she and Applejack would get back together. They seemed like such a happy couple in that picture. And Applejack seemed lesser without Rarity. She was just that little bit sadder, that little bit less enthusiastic. I at least hoped that they’d be able to stay friends, if nothing else.

Adagio was like… well, like a firework. Pretty to look at, but dangerous, explosive, and deadly if you weren’t careful. She was fun, sure. Strong. Sexy as all get out. But… she wasn’t a good person. And in the end, she proved that. She had every chance to learn from all the time she’d spent with me, on how to be a better person, and she threw it all away. Maybe Rarity was right to intervene after all, when I tried to apologize to her. Maybe she really was going to stab me with that knife, right then and there.

Fuck. I went to her to apologize, when if anyone should’ve been apologizing then, it was her. She was the one who’d injured me. She was the one who’d destroyed something precious of mine, who’d wrecked my room. Looking back, I don’t know why I didn’t just give up on her then. What kind of person does that to someone they claim to love? But no, I was stupid. Blind. I thought I could turn her around, that maybe she just needed to act out a bit and then she’d be able to get her anger out.

So stupid, in the end. I really should’ve rekeyed my lock. But…. but if I had, we’d probably have lost someone else. Rarity, maybe. Or Applejack. Or Scootaloo. Adagio still would’ve killed, and she’d still be dead now, executed just like Trixie was.

God damn it, Trixie. I hope you’re able to rest easy now. And for goodness’s sake, Pinkie Pie, I hope you can forgive her. She deserves to be forgiven. She really did redeem herself.

If only it hadn’t taken Adagio’s death and her own to do it.

Rarity pulled away from me, though her hand moved down my arm to grip mine, keeping a firm hold. I let her do it. It was a bit presumptuous in a way, but it was still something I’d do for a friend, so it was okay. “So what?” she said, responding to something I hadn’t heard. “That doesn’t make it right!”

“Oh blah blah blah, you people really are a one-trick act, you know that?” Monoponi groaned, shaking his head at us. “Every time it’s always the same. I could set a clock by you morons! Oh no, it’s one o’clock, guess it’s time for the ranting about how evil I am!” He held both forehooves to his mouth as he hovered there, flapping his wings every once in a while. “Upupu, I do love it though. Maybe that’s why I haven’t killed you yet. You’re too much fun to torment!”

“Shut up, you big jerk,” Scootaloo grunted, flipping him off.

“No you,” he reacted like a four year-old, before breaking out into laughter. “Ahahaha! Well that’s enough wasting time for this trial. Get out of my courtroom! Shoo, shoo!”

The elevator opened back up, inviting us in. With a reassuring squeeze of my hand, I pulled Rarity with me towards it. I couldn’t wait till I got back to my cabin, so I could lay down and sleep. Though maybe I should take a shower first. And drink about two gallons of water.

Fuck it, I’d just open my mouth under the showerhead and start gulping. Or I would if anyone would let me get away with it. Probably a stupid idea though.

Maybe I should have someone with me, just to be sure I don’t actually do that.

The others filed onto the elevator with me, though it was still hauntingly oversized for the number of us left. As the doors closed and it began to rise, I quickly observed my fellow remaining passengers.

Applejack held herself tense, shifting her weight from one leg to the other every few seconds, her muscles taut, like she was raring to punch or kick something. She kept glancing my way, at my hand holding Rarity’s, and letting out quiet little sighs.

Scootaloo had relaxed from her panic attack. Why she was scared of fireworks, I had no idea, but I didn’t blame her for it either. She was still upset though, judging by her puffy eyes, bloodshot from her own shed tears. She stood away from most of us, closest to Diamond Tiara.

Who, for that matter, kept looking Scootalo’s way every so often. It was adorable the way she’d reacted to Scootaloo’s teasing in the trial. They’d make a cute couple too, if Tiara went for it. But I watched her carefully, searching for something in her expression that’d give away to my suspicions. Like I said, I still thought she was the traitor. I hadn’t said anything to anyone about it since speaking to Adagio, but I was still worried. She’d caused a lot of tension right before Flash murdered Rainbow, and though she hadn’t seemed to provoke anything since, she was my top suspect. The only other one from her that I even considered could be the traitor was Scootaloo, and that was only because Scootaloo hadn’t bothered to become close to anyone, instead hovering around us in the background.

Then there was Rarity, who clung to me like a lifeline, her face a complete mess of ruined makeup and tear stains. In her own way she was filthier than I was, which was pretty impressive seeing as how I’d spent almost two days locked up and tied up in the dark, pissing myself, while she still had access to showers. On occasion she’d glance down at me and sniff, then her lips would curl up, but that was fine. I reeked, and I knew it.

The elevator dumped us out onto the food court, where we all stood together as a group for a couple moments, uncertain of what to do. “So uh… Ah’m thinkin’ Ah want to go get some rest. Ah dunno about y’all but Ah’m pooped,” Applejack said after a moment.

“Eh, I’m more hungry than tired,” Tiara muttered, casting a wistful glance at the restaurants before sighing. Then she snapped her fingers. “Oh damn it. I should’ve asked Monoponi if I could take Trixie’s pad and use her Monocoins.”

“Tiara!” Scootaloo cried, her face twisting up in shock. “What the hell?”

“What?” Tiara said. “They’re going to waste! That’s all I’m saying.”

I snickered, chuckled, then broke into outright laughter. “They are, aren’t they?” I said, my chest shaking with stabbing pains as I laughed.

Everyone else looked at me with wide, confused eyes. “You okay there, Sunset?” Scootaloo asked.

“No. No I’m not,” I said after my laughs faded, leaving me feeling even emptier than before. “I feel like shit.”

“You kinda smell like it too,” Tiara groaned, holding her nose.

I blushed, and scratched the back of my head. “Well, you know, when you’re tied up for almost two days--”

“Aaaaand Ah’m out,” Applejack said, throwing up her hands before letting them clap at her sides. “Y’all have a good day now.” She all but ran towards the cabins.

“So, uh, I’m gonna split too,” Scootaloo said, looking up at me. “But before I go, Sunset? Make sure you get plenty of water. And some salt! Actually, hold on a sec.” She ran off like a bullet for the convenience store, and returned barely moments later, carting a small baggie with a few sports drinks. “This stuff’s usually not that good for you, but in your condition? You need it, and bad. Try to drink this before you have any more water.”

I took the baggie, holding it along with my own. “Thanks, but you didn’t have to spend your Monocoins on that.”

“Yes I did,” Scootaloo said firmly. “You needed it.” She nodded to me and clapped me once on my good arm before walking away.

“So… like I said, I’m hungry,” Tiara said, looking away from me. “I think I’m going to go eat. Something. Yeah.”

She started to leave, but before she could get far, I called out, “Hey, Tiara?”

She looked back over her shoulder. “Yeah?”

If you’re not the traitor, you’re a damned good actor, I thought. Aloud, I said, with a smile I didn’t entirely feel, “You’re my friend too. Thanks for that.”

A wide grin spread on her face. “You’re welcome.”

As she walked away, Rarity let out a heavy sigh and looked at me. “Well. I suppose it’s just us now.”

“Yeah,” I said, my smile slipping. “I… I need to get cleaned up. Can you come with? I want someone to watch me. In case I slip, or something.”

She looked down at my broken elbow, and then at my ribs, before nodding. “Of course. If you’re certain that’s alright.”

“Hey, it’s not like you haven’t seen a naked woman before,” I said, shrugging. “Tits are tits, whether they’re yours or mine.”

Her eyes widened as she let out a snort of laughter. “True enough,” she said.

So we walked, hand in hand, back to my cabin. I excused myself to use the toilet before getting into the shower, and then let her in once I was done. “So, uh, I’m probably going to have to stand under this water for a good long time.”

She shook her head. “No, darling, you’d better sit down. I can help bathe you.” She knelt down and searched in the cupboards, pulling out a couple of the only untouched bottles of soap and shampoo, along with a loofah.

“Uuuh, when I asked you to help, I didn’t mean you needed to give me a sponge bath,” I said, feeling both amused and a bit uncomfortable at the same time.

Her eyes narrowed into a stern glare. “It’s better than risking you falling and hurting yourself. Especially when you have only one good arm.” Her glare softened. “I’m not offering to do this just because I’m interested in you. Honestly, what sort of horndog do you take me for?”

That joke eased my tension substantially. “Fair enough. Let me get the water going.”

I drew up a partial bath, enough to sit in without it going too high. The bathtub was huge, with plenty of room, but I also wanted the shower to run down on me, and I didn’t want to risk the tub overflowing. Rarity rolled up a couple of towels for herself to kneel on, then stopped and stared at my broken arm. "Sunset, are you going to be alright without that arm in a sling?"

I'd been holding it at an awkward angle, like it was still in the sling, but she had a fair point. "...can you get me the first aid kit?"

"Of course, darling," she said as she went to fetch it. She returned shortly and broke out a fresh, proper sling, and tied it around my arm. "There, much better. Although..." She looked down at her shirt, made a face, then without warning shucked it.

"Uuuh," I stammered, trying not to let my eyes pan down to her breasts swimming in her bra, and failing miserably.

Her lips thinned as she glared at me, pointed at me, then up at her face. "I'm just keeping it from getting wet, nothing more."

Blushing profusely and feeling like a total pervert, I muttered a brief, "Sorry," and looked away.

I saw her looking at me out the corner of my eye, then caught her holding a hand to her mouth and snickering. "Honestly, Sunset, don't worry about it. What was it you said earlier? Tits are tits?"

This time I couldn't help but break out in laughter, despite the pain rolling through my rib cage. "Okay, you got me there," I admitted.

"Now then, try to relax please." Kneeling down on the towels, she reached over and turned on the faucet, adjusting the showerhead so it was a light spray, then popped open the bottle of soap and squirted it on the loofah. She dunked the loofah into the water so it was nice and wet, then began rubbing in on my face, cleaning off the grime. “Goodness, you’re filthy,” she muttered as she wiped down one side of my face, then the other, every so often redunking the loofah to get it wet again. “This is worse than when I had to bathe Sweetie Belle when she was young.”

“Sorry,” I muttered. “Kinda hard to stay clean when--”

“Oh don’t apologize,” she interrupted with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’m not complaining. Not really. More… reminiscing.”

“That’s understandable.”

The spray of water relaxed me, as did the sponging, though every once in a while Rarity was a bit rougher than I would’ve liked, especially once she got to my neck. “C-Careful,” I said as she brushed my throat too hard.

“Oh, yes, sorry dear,” she said, her hand shaking a bit. “I must be more tired than I thought.”

“S’okay.”

Splash. Rinse. Splash. Rinse.

“So, Sunset,” Rarity said as she carefully moved the loofah down the shoulder of my injured arm, “About that… talk we intended.”

Uh oh. Now I’m at her mercy. Can’t get away from it. And yet somehow, I didn’t feel scared at all. I felt comfortable. Cared for. Not… not like how I felt when I was in similar positions with Adagio. With her there’d always been that extra edge of fear underlying our every interaction, usually so deep I didn’t consciously notice it. But it had never, not once, gone away.

But there was nothing like that here. Not with Rarity. She was just as physically strong, just as skilled, just as capable of killing me as Adagio, and yet, I wasn’t afraid. Not even a little.

“I guess this is as good a time as any,” I said, adjusting my position in the bath. “So, you’ve got feelings for me.”

“...well, yes, I do,” Rarity answered after a moment. She pulled the loofah out of the water, squirted some more soap on, then got back to cleaning, moving to my other shoulder. “I’m not sure when they started. During the trial, when… when we didn’t know if you were still alive, it came out.”

“I heard,” I replied. I raised up my arms so she could get the underside. “Trixie mentioned it to me briefly when she gave me the low-down.”

Rarity paused, then glared at me. “Is that how you knew?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I’d started wondering well before that, buuuut our little hug session the other day in the corridor kinda confirmed my suspicions.”

She tittered, but it was in embarrassment, her cheeks flushing. She returned to cleaning my arm. “Oh dear. I suppose I must’ve looked foolish.”

“Not really,” I answered, giving her a reassuring smile, which twitched briefly when she scrubbed at my armpit. “Like I said in the trial, Rarity, it makes sense. I get it.” My smile turned into a teasing smirk. “All the ladies love me.”

“Oh stop it,” she laughed, splashing me a bit with the water.

I let my smirk hang a bit before I dropped it. “So, we need to figure this out then.”

“Yes, we do,” Rarity admitted with a nod. She let out a sigh. “I don’t suppose there’s a chance you’re interested.”

“Actually, I am,” I admitted. I looked up at her, right in the eye. “I’ll be honest. You’re gorgeous. You’re fun to be with. I feel comfortable around you. I could see us together.”

Rarity’s eyes sparkled with sudden hope. She set the loofah down so she could focus on talking. “So… does that mean…”

“Does it mean I want to start dating you?” I supplied. At her nod, I continued, “Well… not, not yet. For a bunch of reasons.”

She let out another sigh, this one sadder, the hope fading from her eyes. “I should’ve expected that answer. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Hey,” I said, reaching out to take her hand before she could grab the loofah again. “I didn’t say no. I said not yet. There’s a difference.”

She glanced down at my hand, then back up at me. “Which means?”

“Well,” I replied, taking a moment to sort out my words. “I know things are complicated with you and Applejack. I don’t want to mess anything up there.” She started to speak but I shook my head. “Please, let me finish. There’s a chance, a slim chance maybe, but a chance we might get our memories back. If we do… you might change your mind. I don’t want to risk you losing something good there.”

“Oh.” Rarity wrapped her fingers around mine, holding on tight. “I hadn’t thought of that. Whenever I think of her now, the thought makes me furious. She was so… well, I don’t need to work myself up. You could be right.”

“It’s not just that though,” I said. “I don’t want to take advantage of you. Or vice versa. We don’t need to be rebounds for each other. I’ve been a rebound before. Usually doesn’t work out very well.”

She nodded, closing her eyes a moment and sighing. “True. I’ve had that experience as well. You’re right. It doesn’t work well. Usually.”

“Especially since I just found out today that my lover is dead,” I said flatly. “Okay, so she tried to kill me, but you know how it is.”

Rarity snorted in amusement. “I do. Probably the only other one here who does. You remember the secret Monoponi assigned me. Though in my case I hadn’t actually dated that man before he tried to hurt me. Which is just as well. He was such a nasty fellow. What was his name? Blue something?”

Blinking, I looked up at her and said, “Blueblood?”

“Yes, that was it,” she nodded. “Blueblood. Apparently he was descended from a line of Prench royalty. Or so he claimed. I barely paid any attention.”

“Huh. Small world,” I muttered. At her questioning look, I added, “Nevermind. Anyway, like I said, Rarity, I’m interested. We just need to wait first. Be sure it’s something we both want. Then we can maybe see where it goes from there. For now, I want to be friends.”

“Friends is a good start,” Rarity said, smiling at me. “I prefer making friends with someone before I date them anyway. The relationship just doesn’t work without it.”

“Right?” I laughed, gave her hand one final squeeze, then let it go. “Glad you understand that. So many people don’t.”

“Those people are silly,” Rarity said sagely. She reached down for the loofah and returned to bathing me. “We’d better finish this up before the water turns cold.”

“I’m not sure that’s possible on this ship, buuut we probably shouldn’t risk it,” I said.

We finished up the bath in comfortable silence, as I enjoyed being given attention I desperately needed, and Rarity hummed away while she worked. I spent the time thinking wistfully about the past couple of weeks. So many things had happened so fast.

We’d lost a lot of people. Only five of us were left. And given how much Monoponi’d been sticking to the Danganronpa formula… we were in for one hell of a ride before this was all over. We’d just had our fifth trial after all.

Which meant he might throw us into an investigation tomorrow, then a trial right after. If he stuck to the formula. There was no guarantee. Maybe he’d just keep trying to make us play the killing game. There was that rule about only two people being left. I’d been ignoring it, figuring it was just a holdover, a reuse of the same rule from the third game, but… it worried me, just a little, even so.

Then there was what Trixie said. About him seeking revenge. He confirmed it more or less with the way he responded. Which meant Princess Twilight was on our side. She was out there, probably trying to find us. And if she showed up, he’d… what would he do? That’s what I still didn’t get. In order for her to show up, she’d have to figure out how to use magic like he does. She wouldn’t be able to find us otherwise. But if she could do that, what would stop her from overpowering him?

I still, after all this time, did not understand his goal. Why was he doing this? Who was he? I’d gotten some brief bit of insight from that dream, but whatever images I’d seen were already gone, scattered to the winds. No amount of reflection had brought them back.

Maybe I’d get my answer tomorrow. Maybe not. But I was tired of worrying about it. I wanted to sleep. Properly sleep for once, not passing out while tied up.

As soon as I dried off from the bath, I wanted to throw myself into the bed. But Rarity refused, insisting on changing the sheets first. “I want you to have a clean bed to sleep in,” she said.

So I sat down in the desk chair and waited, rather impatiently, drinking every so often from the bottle of sports drink, until she finished. Only then did she let me lay down. “Sunset, would you like me to stay with you again? Or would you prefer to be alone?”

No. Not alone. Anything but alone. “Please stay,” I said, tearing up a bit. “I don’t want to be alone right now.”

Her face fell, her mouth curling up into a sad, understanding frown as she nodded. “Yes, of course. I… I just need to shower myself first. I won’t take but a couple moments.”

“Okay.”

True to her word, she was back almost before I knew it, curling up in bed next to me. Unlike me she wasn’t nude, choosing to still wear her bra and underwear. Which was a good idea. Me being nude was pushing it as it was, but I had no energy for putting on fresh clothes. Not that I had any.

“I’ll do some laundry for you later,” Rarity said once she’d settled in. “So you can have something clean to wear. And I do still intend to make you some more clothes in general.”

“Heh, you’ve been doing so much for me, Rarity,” I said, snuggling into my pillow. “I wish I could do something for you in return.”

“No need, darling,” she replied, a smile in her voice. “You’re my friend. It’s the least I can do.”

“Well, thanks then.” I laid there quietly for a moment, then, in a sadder tone, said, “Can… Can you hold me? Please?”

She giggled good-naturedly. “Yes, of course. Here.” She shifted in bed and gently laid her arms around me, just like she had in the courtroom, carefully avoiding my ribs. “How’s that?”

“Good,” I murmured into my pillow. “Thanks.”

“You’re quite welcome. Do try to sleep well.”

“Mm.”

Soon enough, sleep claimed me, and when I dreamed, it was of peace.

A peace that, all too soon, I’d wish I could’ve held onto for longer.

Author's Note

I always thought an execution written from the perspective of the one being executed would be a cool idea, but I never saw it done in any other Fangan. So I wanted to do it with mine.

Trixie's execution references two things. The first, more obvious is her love of fireworks and being the center of attention. The second is her actions in No Second Prances, where near the end she comes dangerously close to committing suicide. Yes that was pony Trixie, not human Trixie, but the parallels make sense.

This execution is both my least and most favorite. Least because it acts on two things that would make it sheer torture for me--loud noises and being eaten--but also most because it's the most poignant.

Trixie surprised me so much in this story. When I first brought her in, I expected she'd be a butt monkey. That she'd be one of those characters that always has to be shown why they're wrong in the trial, a la Hagakure, but with a little bit more likability. This is why, in Chapter One, she experienced so much silly distress, why she screamed about sushi slayers, etc.

And then she took my plans for her and threw them out the window with her speech in the second part of Chapter One's trial. That was her, as a character, speaking to me, the author, as much as it was her in-story speaking to Adagio and the others. It made me sit back and think "Why am I treating her this way?" I've been a long-time pony fan, but I was never one of those who loved her as a character. I didn't even start liking her until she became a regular guest star in season six on. And while I did grow to like her, this story made me fall in love with writing her. She's become one of my favorites in the franchise.

I only wish I could've written more from her perspective.

Sunset might seem to be a bit too wise here, but the thoughts she's thinking are just the culmination of what she'd already spent a couple of days processing. When you have nothing to do but think, you get a lot of thinking done. And she's a smart cookie.

There is a small part of me that regrets having Adagio do a return to evil, rather than fully reforming. But... like Sunset says, she's not a good person in canon. And in a killing game, you don't have a lot of chances to become a better person. Some succeed. Some don't. And Adagio didn't.

I've also been dropping hints towards various possible healthier relationships for Sunset from the beginning, and only cemented it with Rarity when I had to reorganize the story after chapter two and she ceased to be a victim. In retrospect I'm very glad for this, because Rarity and Sunset have a compelling dynamic that is both entertaining and heartwarming. Will they actually get together, though? You'll have to wait to find out.

Interlude 5

INTERLUDE

5

Thursday morning, the day after the fifth trial…

Ponies ran to and fro on the docks, moving boxes of food, ammunition, and equipment on board the ship in a hurry. It was a chaotic throng of dozens of ponies everywhere, unicorn auras interspersed with earth ponies and pegasi flitting about in the air above. The cold autumn weather brought with it a thick fog, which the few weather pegasi that could be spared did their best to clear out of the way enough to allow ponies to work. The occasional motorized vehicle driving by on rubber wheels only added to the cacophony with their combustion engines belching smoke. The petrol fumes mixed with sea salt air, cordite, and the tang of metals to create a decidedly offensive odor, unpleasant to the senses.

It was industry, militarized industry, on a scale rarely seen anywhere in Equestria. A scale that prior to Princess Twilight’s reign had never been seen. Princess Celestia had maintained peace in her time through force of will, through her people being so harmonious, so friendship oriented that no one dared attack the nation responsible for the movement of the sun and moon. But that was before the changeling invasion. Before Sombra’s return. Before Tirek’s first attack, before the Storm King, before Tirek’s return with Cozy and Chrysalis.

Twilight learned lessons, harsh lessons, during her travels and adventures. She’d seen what happened when military powers met Equestrian resolve, and found Equestria lacking. She’d studied military strategy and tactics in the human world, discovering, amongst other things, that the idea of an invader casually strolling into the nation's capital the way the Storm King’s forces did was not only unacceptable, it was beyond foolish. And so she took those lessons to heart.

Twilight maintained the level of harmony and friendship that Equestria was known for. She was the Princess of Friendship, after all. But she was also smart. She knew Equestria had faced an unbelievable amount of threats in the past ten or so years, and more could always show themselves. She also knew Earth itself was a potential threat, with the wild portals and the rampaging Equestrian magic threatening to reveal to that world the existence of her own. While she hoped that when that inevitable discovery occurred she could maintain peace and friendship with the nations of Earth, she didn’t want to expect it without the ability to defend her people.

So she had the Equestrian military reformed, from a ragtag assortment of royal guards and special divisions such as the Wonderbolts, into a full and proper modern military, with branches of Army, Air Force, and Navy. In the five years since she’d begun her reign the Equestrian military’s forces had risen from a paltry five thousand guards armed with spears and other melee weapons to twenty-five thousand soldiers, sailors, and airhooves armed with a variety of small arms redesigned both technologically and ergonomically for pony use. Metal-clad steamships using massive boilers took the place of wooden sailing ships. Large gun carriages and proper artillery replaced basic cannons. Proper army and naval bases were being continuously constructed around the nation. Development workshops had debuted motorized vehicles and developed heavier than air flight, with planes rapidly replacing airships as the standard method of vehicular air transport. Passenger planes were already flying in the skies between major Equestrian cities, and cars, typically in the form of cargo trucks, had just started to appear in the streets of larger cities like Manehattan and Fillydelphia.

But the pride and joy of her military development was the Bronco Research Laboratories, which worked on a variety of top secret projects, ranging from magical adaptation of technology to the device currently on its way, transported by rail and protected by the most elite forces Equestria had to offer. Which, she knew, wasn’t much when compared to Earth’s militaries. As much as they’d made ridiculously fast and furious improvements, at a pace far exceeding her wildest hopes, they would still be torn to ribbons like the proverbial paper tiger by even a small Earth nation, let alone its larger military powers like the AU. But she also didn’t want to turn her country into a military-industrial state. She didn’t want to destroy the soul of Equestria in the cause of protecting it.

And yet, as she watched her ponies work, she felt the emptiness inside her heart yawn ever wider, threatening to swallow her whole. It all seemed so pointless now, so barren of purpose. All this military might, all these resources, an entire nation at her back, and she was helpless to protect a group of her friends from being forced to murder each other. Worse, the last she’d heard, Sunset Shimmer was missing, presumed dead. Without Sunset, the others were lost, forced to depend upon Diamond Tiara. And Tiara, for all her strengths, wasn’t a quarter of the leader Sunset was.

“Twilight!”

The alicorn turned to see Spike and Detective Shining riding up in the back of one of the trucks. The truck came to a halt with a squealing of brakes as Spike and Shining hopped off. They walked up to her, Spike giving her a quick half hug with one arm while Shining gave her a respectful nod. The haunted look in his eyes told her all she needed to explain his keeping his distance. He wasn’t doing any better than she was in coping.

“Oh, good, you’re here,” she said. “Is Starswirl on his way?”

“Yeah, he was working on some last minute touches to the spell matrix,” Spike answered. He surveyed the port around them and whistled. “We really have changed this place over the last few years, huh?”

“We certainly have,” Twilight said, turning back to face her ship and the ponies at work, or at least what she could see of it past the fog. “Baltimare used to be a sleepy port town. Now it features the largest naval base in Equestria.”

Shining took a few steps forward, staring impassively at the ship, which towered over the port to such a degree the ponies milling about seemed more like ants by comparison. Its four great smokestacks belched fumes even at a standstill, noticeable by how the black smoke colored the fog. “I’m impressed,” he said. “When you said we were going to use a steamship, I was picturing something more like a paddleboat. Not a First Great War era cruiser.”

A small grin briefly graced Twilight’s muzzle. “It helps that we got to skip a few steps in the invention and design process thanks to your world.” She took a moment to engage her mind, then rattled off some facts. ”Five hundred feet long with a seventy foot beam, displacing over fifteen thousand tons, boilers able to put out seventeen thousand kilowatts of power, two eight-inch guns, six four inch-guns, a plethora of others, two seaplanes, and a top speed of twenty-two knots.”

“Damn,” Shining muttered, his eyes widening. “That’s incredible. I thought you didn’t have tech that came close to this.”

“Like I said, we took a lot from your world,” Twilight said. Her muzzle curled into a frown. “If I could have, I would’ve skipped even more steps, and had them design something from the Second Great War or even the Cold War, but that was just a bit too beyond our capabilities. We’re going to get there though. I’m hoping within another fifteen or twenty years, we’ll be much closer to par.”

“Well let’s hope it turns out not to be necessary,” Shining replied. “Last thing I’d want to see is a war between Equestria and Earth. From what I’ve seen of your world so far, and all its magic… I don’t think my world would win.”

Twilight looked at him and gave him a false smile. “Oh yes you would. A single missile cruiser from your country’s navy would wipe out the entire Equestrian military without even breaking a sweat. If your world invades, we’ll fall, and there won’t be anything we can do about it.” She sighed, her fake smile vanishing. “The whole point is to avoid something like that ever happening to begin with.”

Shining’s cheeks flushed with pink momentarily. “Maybe you’re right.” Then he frowned. "Did you mention seaplanes?"

"I did, why?"

He momentarily paled, a slight touch of green touching his cheeks. "I, uh, I don't know if your Shining Armor gets this way, but I get pretty airsick. I'm not going to have to go up in one of those, am I?"

Twilight wanted to laugh about that. She did. But she wasn't feeling it. "No, you shouldn't, not unless something goes wrong. We use them for reconnaissance. They're capable of vertical take off and landing too."

"Wow, how'd you manage that with First Great War tech?" Shining asked.

She gave him another false smile. "Magic. Built in levitation charms, like what we use for airships. Gets the plane up high in the air then airspeed does the rest."

He shook his head softly. "Like I said, your magic... wow. Just wow."

She reached out to pat him on the shoulder with the tip of one wing, then turned to her other, actual brother. “Spike, has there been any news?”

Spike gave her a sorrowful look. “Nothing good. Last I heard, they’re going to trial again.”

One more piece of Twilight’s soul cracked off and faded into dust. “But, without Sunset, how will they… it’s not Adagio leading them, is it?”

“No,” Spike huffed. “She’s the victim. It’s Trixie.”

“TRIXIE?!” Twilight roared at full Royal Canterlot Voice volume. All activity on the port ceased momentarily to gape at their Princess, with a few sailors on guard duty pulling out their weapons and searching for the threat. Then Twilight took a deep breath, uttered a quick “Sorry, as you were,” to the crowd and continued in a quieter voice, “Are you serious?”

“Uh-huh,” Spike answered, his draconic eyes narrowed in anger. “Don’t know where she gets off doing it.

“Damn it. With Sunset missing and Adagio dead, that only leaves five alive on the ship,” Shining said, his voice betraying a hint of sorrow and frustration. “Five. Out of sixteen. Not a lot left to save.”

Twilight’s heart sank. “Four. If there’s a trial, there’s an execution.”

That pronouncement left them silent for a good while. “Well,” Twilight said eventually, “Shining, we’d better get aboard the ship. Starswirl can meet us aboard before we depart. It’s been about seventy-two hours, so we should be getting word from Starlight and Moondancer anytime now. Spike, you’re staying here to meet him.”

“I know, I know,” Spike said, raising his paws in surrender as she and Shining made their way towards the gangway

As they reached the top, just before boarding the ship, an ashen grey pegasus mare with a seaweed colored mane cropped short wearing an Equestrian naval officers uniform, a black vest with white undershirt and tie, stopped them. “Princess,” she said in a clipped, professional voice.

“Captain Swiftwater,” Twilight greeted, hoof raised in proper military salute, “request permission to come aboard.”

Swiftwater’s muzzle crinkled slightly in amusement as she saluted back. “Granted. Welcome aboard the Avenger.” She extended one wing to beckon them forward. “Respectfully, Princess, you know you don’t have to salute me. You’re the leader of our nation.”

“I instituted the protocol, I can follow it too,” Twilight said as she stepped aboard. Her hooves clonked against the metal deck plates, and she felt a gentle rocking motion take hold. She’d forget about it soon enough.

“As you wish,” Swiftwater said with a single arched eyebrow. She took a few steps forward then glanced towards one of the deckhooves walking about. “Seahoof Waterwing!”

Waterwing, a baby blue coated unicorn stallion with a cutie mark of life preservers halted. “Yes, Captain?”

Swiftwater extended a wing to Shining. “Would you please escort Detective Armor to his quarters?”

“Aye, sir.”

Shining raised a hoof. “Actually, Captain, if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to stay with you and Tw--I mean, the Princess.” Then he looked aside at Twilight. “Seahoof? Not Seapony?”

“When there are actual seaponies swimming in the ocean, you have to be a bit more creative with the terminology,” she answered. “Shining, I need to speak with the Captain privately. We’ll call you back up before we get underway, I promise.”

He raised both eyebrows. “I thought I was supposed to be your liaison.”

“And you are, but that doesn’t mean you’re privy to every aspect of Equestrian policy,” Twilight replied coolly. “Surely you can understand that.”

That, if anything, made him raise his eyebrows even higher. “Okay then. Waterwing, was it? Lead the way.”

“Right this way, please,” Waterwing said, before making his way down the deck of the ship, Shining following right behind.

Swiftwater rustled her wings as she watched her crewpony depart before eyeing the Princess. “He’s a lot like Prince Armor, isn’t he?”

“And just as stubborn, yes,” Twilight answered. She surveyed the deck of the ship, taking a moment to recall the plans before locating the bridge. “Shall we?”

Captain Swiftwater led the Princess to the bridge, which laid at the bow of the ship, a smaller stubby protrusion sticking up just ahead of the first of the four smokestacks. Several crewponies worked their stations, which lined the front of the bridge just below a series of windows, allowing the crew full view of everything to the fore. “Captain on deck,” announced one maroon colored earth pony mare with a mulberry mane, clad in a uniform similar to Swiftwater’s, save for silver rank insignia where hers were gold.

“Commander Boysenberry, clear the bridge,” Swiftwater ordered smoothly. “The Princess and I require privacy.”

“Aye captain,” replied Boysenberry. She turned to her fellow crewponies and in a louder voice said, “You heard the Captain! Clear the bridge! Out!”

With moments the two of them were left alone, with the bridge doors closed, cutting the sounds of the port from a loud constant roar to a dull distant rumble. “That’s better,” Swiftwater said, her demeanor relaxing a tad.

Twilight nodded her agreement, though she couldn’t relax. Too much tension, too much worry over what was to come. “The prototype should be arriving shortly,” she said without preamble.

“We’re ready for it,” Swiftwater said with a nod. “I’ve already briefed my XO. We’ve distributed some emergency orders throughout the ship.” She briefly went into detail on that. “Just to be safe.”

“Good idea. I didn’t think of that.” She smiled slightly. “I knew there was a reason I put you in command of this ship.”

Swiftwater’s muzzle spread in a genuine smile. “And here I thought that was just because of my speech I gave at the opening ceremonies for the naval academy a few years ago.”

“Not just because of that,” Twilight answers, her smile growing. Then it just as swiftly vanished. “I’m hoping we won’t have to use it. I’m hoping I can defeat Monoponi on my own.”

“You’re not the only one, Princess,” Swiftwater said bluntly. Her ears flattened against her skull, the only outward betrayal of the emotions leaking into her voice. “I don’t like it. Neither does Berry. She was shouting at me for hours after I told her what it was. Said this could turn into a suicide mission. Said it wasn’t worth it.” Her gaze rose to fix upon Twilight. “Is it?”

Twilight took in a sharp breath as Swiftwater’s coral eyes met hers, and she found herself temporarily spellbound before she was able to look away. “Yes,” Twilight managed to answer. “Monoponi is a threat to our world’s security. He could potentially reveal us to the humans, in exactly the wrong way. The hostages he’s taken, the people he’s killed, they were our best chance for a good result from the humans discovering we exist. We can’t allow him to run free. We have to stop him, whatever it takes.”

“I can agree with that, to a point,” Swiftwater said, her voice dropping in tone. “But we’re talking about something that could just as easily give us away. And to be blunt, Princess? I have eight hundred sailors aboard this ship. Most of them are practically foals, barely older than sixteen. I don’t want to tell them they’re going to die just because their Princess couldn’t stop a measly villain.”

Twilight looked away from the pegasus, her heart sinking further and further by the second. “I don’t want you to have to do that either, Captain. So I’m going to do everything I can to ensure it won’t happen. I promise you that.”

“Good.” Swiftwater stepped closer to the Princess, and briefly extended a wing to cover her shoulder. “And as your friend, Twilight? I don’t want you to die either. And don’t you lie to me. I know it might happen. I know what we’re going into.”

“I know,” Twilight said, looking back down at Swiftwater with a grateful expression. “I… I’m going to do my best, Swifty. I promise.” She gave the older mare a brief hug, and then retreated, reschooling her features to a more regal demeanor. “How’s the crew’s two-legged training been going?”

Swiftwater took the hint, any trace of congeniality dropping from her face, replaced by her cool professionalism. “Perfectly, Princess. They’ll be ready for the switchover. It’s a shame we can’t keep our usual forms when crossing over, however.”

“Not possible, I’m afraid,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “Whatever natural magics persist in these portals that causes that transformation, no one’s been able to figure out how to prevent it. It was hard enough for Starswirl to devise a way to let me keep some of my magical capabilities, and to keep the portal from changing around the ship itself too much. We still won’t know if the journey over will break any of the equipment until we actually do it.”

Swiftwater, nodded. “Begging your pardon then, Princess, but if that’s the case, how is Monoponi able to maintain a pony form?”

“That’s what I still don’t know,” Twilight answered sincerely. “But my best guess is, it’s an illusion of some sort. Or a golem. Whatever or whoever he is, he’s not actually the alicorn they’ve been interacting with, but someone wearing it as a disguise.”

“That’s a relief,” Swiftwater quipped. “We already have five. We didn’t need a sixth.”

Twilight’s mouth turned down. “No. We didn’t.”

The bridge’s radio system squawked. Swiftwater let out a small sigh as she walked over and held her hoof down on a button. “Bridge. This is the Captain.”

“Sir, the train has arrived. They’re bringing aboard the package now.”

“Good,” Swiftwater answered. “See to it it’s stowed away immediately.”

“Aye sir. There’s something else. Starswirl the Bearded is aboard. He’s requesting to speak with the Princess.”

“Then have him brought here. Bridge out.” She released the button, then gave Twilight a wan grin. “Seems like perfect timing.”

As soon as Starswirl arrived, he rushed up to Twilight, his face spread in a mixture of joy and concern. “Twilight, I have news from Canterlot. They’ve found them. They’re in the south Pacific ocean. Thirty nine degrees, fifty seven minutes south, one hundred thirty degrees fifty minutes west. Approximately one thousand miles south of some place called the Gravestone islands.”

Twilight’s heart soared. “It’s about time! What about the portal? How close is the nearest portal?”

“I’ve been working on that on my way here,” Starswirl said. His horn lit and pulled out a device from his saddlebags. It was a detector similar to the ones they were using for the signal, but calibrated differently, Twilight could see, with more gold, less platinum, and an odd focus on citrines for the gemstones. “I’ve already located several portals within one hundred miles of Baltimare, focusing on the ones in the sea, as we already determined from experimentation that portals lead to similar conditions on the far side. So, land to land, sea to sea, air to air. An equilibrium between dimensions, no doubt.”

“Certainly,” Swiftwater said flatly, showing a lack of comprehension. “So what does that mean for us?”

“It means I just need to find one that gets us close. These portals vary wildly in where precisely on each world the destination lies. The mirror portal in Canterlot, after all, leads to some place several thousand miles further along the curvature of the planet on Earth. Our two planets do not line up perfectly either. So I’ve set up this detector to send a signal to our array in their Canterlot, and am using the distance to calculate the position accordingly. The signal moves at lightspeed so it only takes a few seconds to get a response--”

“Starswirl, you know me, usually I’d love the details but can we hurry this up?” Twilight said impatiently.

Starswirl grunted and rolled his eyes in exasperation, then nodded. “Yes, well, I’ve found a couple that get us somewhere in their general vicinity. One of them so far leads to somewhere a couple hundred miles away, the other slightly further.”

“That’s not good enough,” Swiftwater said, shaking her head. “According to intelligence we already received from Earth, the cruise ship they’re aboard can potentially match us in speed. We can maybe push the Avenger faster if we absolutely have to, but we’ll risk damaging the ship. We start too far out and we’ll never catch up.”

“Yes, that is a problem. I’m working on it,” Starswirl replied. He held up the detector. “It turns out there’s far more portals than we ever realized. Most are small, too, hardly large enough for a single pony, let alone a ship like this. Our two dimensions are far more interconnected than we thought possible. Most probably because of the incident a few years ago concerning Mid--”

“Starswirl!” Twilight said sharply, her eyes flashing, her nostrils flaring. “Don’t. Say. That name. Please.”

Starswirl nodded in contrition. “My apologies.” He glared down at his detector, arched his eyebrows, then floated out a notepad and pen and jotted down some calculations. “Hmm, hmm… well now,” he said, his muzzle splitting in a toothy grin. “How does one less than thirty miles from the ship sound to you, Captain?”

“That’s perfect!” Twilight declared. She turned to Swiftwater. “How soon can we depart?”

In answer, Swiftwater moved over to the radio. “Bridge to Boysenberry.”

“Yes, Captain?” came the response a moment later.

“Is the package aboard?”

“Secured, sir.”

“What about our supplies and crew?”

“All aboard, sir. We can depart at any time.”

“Perfect. Bridge out.” Swiftwater released the button then nodded to the Princess. “There’s your answer. Starswirl, we need a heading for the portal.”

“Aaah, yes… yes… that’s…” Starswirl ran some numbers, then tore off a piece of paper and floated it to the Captain. “Here. Follow that. Twilight, you will need to take this with you to locate it once you arrive. Do you recall the spell I showed you for opening the portal?”

“Of course I do,” Twilight replied with a glare as she took the detector.

“Good, good. I also have this for you,” he said, his magic levitating a large necklace with twin gems of amethyst and jasper. The necklace sang with its enchantments, letting out a low keening noise whenever it was touched by magic. “This is what will allow you to preserve your magic on the other side. Don’t. Lose it. It is vital you keep this, or else you might not be able to get the ship back to Equestria.”

“I’ll be more worried about defeating Monoponi first, but thank you,” Twilight said, taking the necklace and slipping it on. She focused on it with her magic, surrounding it in her lavender glow until it tuned itself to her. A small part of her was touched by the use of amethyst and jasper specifically, her birthstones. It was unusual for Starswirl to put personal touches like that in his enchanted items. Perhaps it was his personal way of wishing for her safety.

“Captain, you will want to have some of your unicorns spread these around the ship, to help better preserve the magic used in its own construction,” Starswirl said, pulling out a smaller cloth bag and levitating it over to her. “They should affix to the hull or to equipment without issue. Just be sure they’re laid in a proper matrix.”

Swiftwater took the bag. “I’ll return shortly,” she said, leaving the bridge.

“Twilight,” Starswirl said as soon as she was gone, “I didn’t want to say this until she left, but I have other news as well. It’s regarding Sunset Shimmer.”

Her blood froze in her veins. “Is… is she…”

“She’s alive.”

Letting out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, Twilight felt all four knees go weak, threatening to knock the alicorn to the floor. “Oh thank Celestia. What happened to her?”

“It seems her siren lover betrayed her after all.” He went into the details, then shuddered. “When I first read in the transcripts that she’d become romantically attached to that siren, I was horrified. I knew this would happen sooner or later. You cannot trust sirens.”

Twilight shook her head violently. “No, Starswirl, you don’t understand. Adagio Dazzle really had changed, prior to this killing game. She wasn’t… I’d never call her a good friend, but she wasn’t Sunset’s enemy either. If she still had all her memories, she wouldn’t have done this.”

“Well that may be,” Starswirl said, substantial doubt lacing every word he spoke, “but it’s also beside the point. She didn’t have them, she tried to kill Sunset, and now she’s dead.”

“But who killed her, then?”

When he gave her the details, Twilight was at first stunned, then disbelieving, then she didn’t know what to think or feel. “Trixie…” she whispered. Ever since Trixie had killed Pinkie Pie, she’d found a deep seated loathing take hold in her heart for that woman. Some of it, she knew, was from leftover dislike of her own Trixie that still occasionally popped up, despite the years of knowing her having caused it to subside substantially. But the rest was… it was perhaps, her own hatred of herself being turned on an easy target.

Twilight was an expert at hating herself by now, after everything that had happened with this killing game. Monoponi had targeted her. He’d had these people kill each other because of her. He did all of this because of her. None of them would be dead if they hadn’t befriended her. To use their lives to get at her like this was a sin beyond compare, but it was one he delved into with such casual aplomb that he delighted in it. Every fresh bit of cruelty he indulged in, every bit of torture used, it was all added to the list of his crimes.

So it was easy to hate Trixie too, for killing Pinkie Pie. For getting away with it. For surviving. It was easy, but… was it wrong? Was Twilight wrong to hate Trixie, who’d only done what she had because circumstances forced her hand, because she was trying to save her best friend? Had Trixie redeemed herself through this act of self-sacrifice?

She didn’t know the answer. She might not know the answer for a long time, if ever. But, she realized, this wasn’t the time to worry about that. Now was a time for action. She had to save those who were left. Sunset Shimmer, Rarity, Applejack, Diamond Tiara, Scootaloo… they were counting on her to save them.

She couldn’t fail them now.

“Thank you, Starswirl,” said Twilight, schooling her features into grim determination. “For everything.”

Starswirl closed his eyes and nodded once, then, to her utter shock, took a few steps forward and embraced her with both forelegs. “Twilight, I’ve come to know you fairly well these past few years, even since you released the Pillars and myself from Limbo. You are a dear friend to me, and I wish you nothing but success. I… don’t want to lose you.”

For a moment, the little fanfilly in her mind that always bounced around in glee whenever Starswirl was around passed out from sheer overload before she dismissed that thought entirely, and focused on what mattered. She hugged him back. “I’ll come back. I promise.”

Releasing his embrace, Starswirl eyed her before chuckling. “You’d better, young mare.”

As Swiftwater returned to the bridge, alongside her crew, Starswirl departed the ship. Soon after Shining arrived back on the bridge, standing together with Twilight. “So, we’re going,” he said.

She nodded once as Swiftwater stepped over to the radio, and hit a different button this time. “Attention all hooves,” she said, her voice echoing over every intercom and speaker aboard the ship. “Prepare to embark.”

The port’s buzzing activity withdrew as the mooring lines were retracted, and the H.E.M.S. Avenger slowly eased its way out past the clearing fog onto the ocean proper. “Engine room, I want all ahead full as soon as we clear the bay,” Swiftwater ordered. She turned to Twilight. “How far out is this portal?”

Twilight consulted the detector Starswirl gave her. “Looks like it’s a good fifty or so miles out to sea. I’ll know better once we get nearer.”

“That’ll take us a good couple hours or so then,” Swiftwater replied. “You two might want to head below decks for a bit, get something from the mess.”

Twilight acquiesced, despite her nerves making her lack a proper appetite. She and Shining took some time down there, and she got to inform him of the events of the game. “Damn,” he muttered after she finished. “I guess I’d better take back some of what I said about her.”

“Trixie, you mean?”

“Yeah,” he answered as he poked at his food. Not for the first time she got a bit of amusement out of watching the human version of her brother turn his face up at pony cuisine, only to find out it tasted pretty good to his transformed palate. “I knew her. Sort of. I didn’t talk to her that much, since she was more Sunset’s friend than… than Twily’s.”

“She did the right thing, in the end,” Twilight said, perhaps the only thing she could admit to, when it came to her feelings about Trixie.

Shining nodded, and they sat in silence for a few moments. Then he said, “Look, can you level with me for a minute? What’re the chances we’re making it out of this?”

She took one final bite of her food before responding. “I don’t know. Not… not as good as I’d like.”

“That’s what I thought.” Shining squinted, crossing his eyes at his plate before his horn managed to light long enough to raise a fork to his mouth. “Least I’m finally getting the hang of this. I’ll be glad to have my hands back.”

“Shining… If… if we don’t… if I fail--”

“Hey,” Shining interrupted, raising a hoof. “You don’t gotta apologize to me. I’m a cop. I knew when I signed up for the job I’d be risking my life every day. This is no different. I’m okay with dying here, if that’s what happens. I… I’d rather not, because I don’t want to leave Cadance and Flurry alone, but… if I do, I do. I’m prepared for that.” He fixed her with a stern, brotherly glare. “What I’m not going to accept is if you give up. Remember our talk. I don’t want to see you give in without a proper fight.”

“I won’t,” she declared, and she meant it. She meant it with her whole heart. Now that they were on their way, that they had an actual chance of acting and actually doing something she was finding that old determined side of her taking hold once more. She was distraught, depressed, and in some ways more ready for death than she’d ever been in her old adventuring days, but she wouldn’t give up just because of that.

“Okay. That’s all I’m asking.”

“Princess Twilight, Detective Armor, please report to the bridge.”

“Welp, guess this is it,” Shining said, his magic dropping his fork to his plate.

They arrived back on the bridge in a hurry, finding Swiftwater waiting for them. “We’re a few miles out from the position you gave us, Princess,” she said. “We’ll need a more precise location.”

Twilight nodded, pulling the detector out of her bag and giving it a whirl. Then she blinked, and checked it again. And again. And one more time for good measure. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What is it?” Swiftwater inquired, arching an eyebrow.

“It’s…” Twilight glared down at the detector and then sighed. “The portal’s underwater. By about three hundred feet. The other end’s on the surface, but…”

“Damn,” Commander Boysenberry muttered from her nearby post. “Captain, what’re we supposed to do about that? This isn’t a submersible.”

The Captain gave her XO a stern look before turning to Twilight.“Princess? Is there any chance you can get us down there, safely?”

Twilight considered that, going over her knowledge of spellcraft. She certainly had the power and ability, that wasn’t in question. The problem was focus. They’d need to maintain a shield around the ship, long enough that once they crossed, the water they took with them dispersed, before she could risk dropping it. While on the other side. In her human form. How am I going to… wait, wait, the ship! “Yes, I think so, but I need to know where your unicorns placed the gems around the ship.”

Swiftwater nodded, and dispatched an ensign to bring over the ship plans, then used a feather to point to each one. “In this pattern,” she said at the end. “Will you need support from my unicorns?”

“Yes, it’ll help. If you can station one at each gem and have them focus their magic into it, and link into a chain, then on me, then we can get this done,” Twilight said.

“Commander, get to it,” Swiftwater ordered.

“Yes sir.”

The Captain gave her sailors a chance to get in position, and when they reported ready, she nodded to Twilight. “They’re prepared.” Then she pushed the signal all button on the radio. “Attention all hooves. We’re preparing to cross the portal to the other side. The portal is located underwater, so Princess Twilight is going to envelop the ship in a shield. Fasten yourselves down and prepare for a rough ride.”

“Hoo boy,” Shining muttered as he went and found a place on the bridge to sit down at.

Twilight, meanwhile, stepped off the bridge and out onto the deck. Her horn lit up in lavender magic as she received the beams from each of the other unicorns, uniting in a shared spell. She took a moment to savor the sea air and the Equestrian sun shining down before she focused her mind on her spell. Her horn’s aura grew by the second, engulfing into a secondary and then tertiary overglow as her eyes turned solid white. A great purple oval surrounded the ship, slicing through the water beneath and around, hugging the ship and fixing it and a small amount of seawater in which to float in place, then carefully, slowly, lowered it down.

The ocean beneath sizzled as the shield parted it, the ship descending into the depths rapidly, cutting through without a care, focused on the portal, which she now sensed easily. She wrapped on a second layer of magic to open it up, spreading it wide enough to allow the ship passage. Her magic strained horribly so as the pressure of the ocean built up. Two hundred feet down and the pressure began to buckle the shield. A few minute cracks formed. Two hundred fifty and a major crack began to run along the bottom, belowdecks where it couldn’t be seen.

Three hundred and the shield threatened to split open entirely. But the portal was there. The ship edged its way inside, and everything went chaotic. The sensation of passing through this portal was far different than usual, not the smooth journey she was used to. Every millisecond inside stretched till it felt like eons, pulling at her magic, trying to tear it away, rip it apart, transform her into the weak ponied up human it always had before.

But she refused. She used up the power of the unicorn sailors and kept going, keeping the ship intact, its mechanisms functional, her own power still as strong even as her limbs mutated and shifted, hooves becoming fingers and toes, muzzle contorting into a human nose and mouth, her mane shifting to her human hairstyle, clothes appearing in place on her body. She could hear the distorted cries of those around her as they too mutated, their bodies changing in unfamiliar ways.

Then the ship emerged, and time resumed its normal pace as it crashed into the sea with a mighty roar, splitting the waves apart as the shield was slowly fizzled, faded, and shattered into shards. Dozens of gallons of seawater and a few unfortunate sea creatures flooded the top deck, nearly washing a couple of seahooves overboard as they struggled to cling with their newly obtained hands.

Twilight fell to her hands and knees, exhaustion roiling through her body. Her muscles ached, her bones ached, and her head was killing her. Residue from the ship stained her evening gloves as she spread out her hands on the deck plates before managing to push herself back up to her feet. She brushed off some of the residue from her gown, then held a hand up to her necklace.

It was intact. As was her magic. It was duller. Still far less powerful than she was in Equestria. But compared to how she usually felt when she crossed the portal, it was power like she’d never dreamed of. A single wave of her hand and she casually lifted everything out of her bag and danced them around herself in intricate patterns before settling them back in. And just like it would’ve been in Equestria, even with her exhaustion, the act was effortless.

Starswirl’s enchantments had done their job well.

She heard the sound of boots on the deck and looked to see a woman in a naval captain’s uniform approaching her unsteadily, every so often reaching out with her arms to catch herself. “Captain Swiftwater, how’s it feel to stand on two legs?” she found herself quipping.

“Strange. Very, very strange,” Swiftwater answered. She raised a hand up to her face and dangled her fingers, her mouth twisting in disgust. “I didn’t realize how… ugly these little tendril things would be.”

“Fingers. They’re called fingers,” Twilight said with an amused grin.

“Hmm.” Swiftwater sighed, took both hands to adjust her uniform, then spun on her heel. Twilight followed her to the bridge as the Captain called out, “Report.”

Boysenberry looked up from her post. “All decks reporting in. Minimal damage, Captain. Looks like the Princess’s shield held. A bit of flooding on deck, but that’s it.”

“Excellent. What about the seaplanes? Can we get them in the air?"

Boysenberry frowned and barked a question into her headset, then looked back up again. "Yes sir, but it's going to take a while. One of them had its engine flooded, the other needs its charm replaced. We should have them running within a couple of hours."

Swiftwater sighed and faced Twilight. "Well we don't have time for that. Princess Twilight, we need a heading.”

Twilight took a moment to look over to where Shining was standing, holding his hands up and rubbing them together with a satisfied smile before she pulled out the detector and keyed it into the array in Canterlot. Then she called out a heading. “They’re about thirty miles that way. Looks like they’re in a holding pattern.”

“He’s waiting for us?” Shining asked, looking up in confusion.

“He must be,” Twilight answered. Then she gasped, and looked out at the sea in the direction she pointed. She’d felt something touch her magic, just for a second. A dark frown pulled at her face, her eyes flashing with ire. “He knows we’re here. I can feel it.”

“Then we’d better not waste time. Helm, all ahead full! We have to catch that cruise ship!” Swiftwater ordered. "All hooves! Battlestations!"

As they got underway, Twilight crossed her arms over her chest. We’re coming, Sunset.

We’re coming.

Hang in there, just a little longer.

Author's Note

Swiftwater isn't some character you've forgotten in canon, don't worry. She's an OC of mine that's floated around a few backburner projects that never saw the light of day, so I thought I'd bring her out here, since I needed a ship's captain. Boysenberry is Swiftwater's best friend and coworker. They're two ponies that Twilight made friends with at some point post season nine, hence the familiarity shown. One of these days I'll write the tale of them meeting.

Why did I bring in OCs into the roles here rather than, say, find some background pony or other characters and bring them in instead? Reasons. :twilightsmile:

I liked the idea of Starswirl being grandfatherly to Twilight, much like how Celestia was motherly to her. Sort of a continuation of the family, as it were.

The Gravestone islands are, in real life, the Pitcairn Islands.

A bit of the writing in this interlude was influenced by my love of Star Trek and similar science fiction. I'm a sci-fi nerd at heart, so I couldn't resist the urge to throw Twilight a bone and give her a really cool moment.

Next part will be the second longest part in the entire story, and will dive us headfirst into Chapter Six. From this point there are no brakes. It's only go, go, go. :rainbowderp:

Chapter Six: Dead in the Water Part 1

Chapter Six
Dead in the Water
Deadly Life

The next morning found me sitting on the side of my bed, holding my right hand to my ribs, trying to catch my breath. Rarity still slumbered peacefully without a care, with little cute quiet snores every so often. The earliest bit of sunlight streamed in through the porthole window, giving light to the otherwise dark room. According to my Monopad it was barely past 6:00 AM, earlier than I’d prefer to be up.

But then, after everything I’d been through in the past couple of days, I was glad just to have free hands. To have light. To not be trapped in the dark, trussed up like a Hearth’s Warming turkey, every passing moment my throat getting drier and drier…

My hand reached out and popped off the cap of a sports drink, and I slurped it down greedily. I still hadn’t had anything to eat since yesterday, and my rumbling stomach reminded me of that. So, as I tried to stay quiet, I sorted through the food I’d purchased a few days ago, and found an apple that was still in good shape.

As I took a bite and savored the succulent sweet taste I checked my Monopad again, and spotted a pending text I hadn’t noticed. When I saw who it was from, my heart skipped a beat.

It was from Trixie. She must’ve sent it during the trial, before she… before she…

I had to set the pad aside for a moment as my face became wet with tears.

Trixie… I miss you. You were such a good friend, a better friend than I deserved. You saved me. Without you, I’d be dead now. I hope you’re finding some peace, whatever afterlife is out there.

Rarity stirred, shifting in bed before outstretching her arms and unleashing a cat-like yawn, complete with outstretched tongue. “Oh goodness,” she murmured. Then she looked over and her eyes widened as she sat up immediately. “Sunset, are you alright?”

A watery smile came to my face as I looked back at her. “Y-yeah. I’m… I’m fine. Just… Trixie sent me a text. Before she died. A-and, I…”

Rarity nodded, then gently wrapped her arms around my waist, and carefully pulled me in to lean against her. “I miss her too,” she said.

I allowed her to hold me for a good few minutes, savoring the warmth and reassurance of her touch. It was nice, being held. Much nicer than being stuck in a dark, empty room, completely alone. You’d think I’d feel trapped in her arms, trapped like I was by those zip ties, but I didn’t. It wasn’t the same. Like I’d realized the night before, I felt safe around Rarity. Something about her made me feel comfortable. Secure. Like I could trust her, always.

After a bit I pulled away, and brought up my Monopad, so I could try to read what Trixie sent me. I hoped it wasn’t a final goodbye… I’d had enough of those.

But it wasn’t. Her text read:

Sunset, Monoponi had no idea you were alive until you came down the elevator. That means when he’s in the courtroom, he can’t see the security footage. He didn’t know, just like he didn’t know when Pinkie planted the ring on Fluttershy till after the fact. Or when we all tried to escape the courtroom, during Flash's trial. When he’s in here with us, he’s actually here. He can be fooled. He’s not invincible.

It was a simple message, but a vital one. Trixie had caught on to something I had never noticed, because I’d assumed it was impossible. When Monoponi was there with us, he was there with us. He was physically present, always.

Which meant whatever was controlling him wasn’t doing it from a distance. They were really there, in his body, wearing it like a mask. Like it was their real body, hidden by a transformation.

“What did she say?” Rarity asked, her face bright with curiosity.

I told her, and my conclusions as well. “This could be critical to figuring out who he really is,” I said. “Until now, I assumed he was like a puppet, or a robot.”

“Like the Monoponi in those Danganronpa games?”

“Yeah, just like that,” I answered, nodding. “Well, he was Monokuma but that’s beside the point. The point is, this gives us an advantage. If we can physically overwhelm him somehow, cut off his magic--”

“Then we can beat him!” Rarity’s face lit up like a military spotlight, her eyes dancing with happiness. “And we can finally get off this wretched ship!”

Blanching, I reached out and put a finger to her mouth. “Sssh! Not so loud! He can hear us.”

“Mph,” Rarity mumbled, before gently pushing my hand away, a blush coming to her cheeks. “Sorry, I… was excited.”

“I know, me too, but we have to be careful,” I said, my tone serious. “Wherever he goes when he teleports away, that’s when he can see the cameras.”

“Well surely he has to sleep sometime,” Rarity pointed out. “Even a creature as foul as him needs rest.”

“That doesn’t stop him from being able to review what was recorded while he slept,” I countered with a frown. “And since we’re in a room together he’ll probably focus on us.”

“Oh. Oh!” Rarity paled more than I thought possible with her complexion. “But then he already--”

“He’s not going to do anything just because we figured this out,” I interrupted with a shake of my head. “He knows we want to escape. He’s already looking out for it. If we’re going to do anything, we’ll have to plan.”

“And you need to rest,” Rarity said with a stern look. She pointed at the pillow. “You should lie back down.”

“That’s the last thing I want to do,” I replied, my face twisting up in pain as a particularly sharp breath rattled my ribs. I reached for the apple and took another bite, and then another, finishing it quickly. As I tossed the core aside in the trash I looked for something else to eat, something that wasn’t instant ramen.

I heard Rarity let out a world-weary sigh. “Oh, very well. At least allow me to take your clothes and wash them for you, so you can have clean ones to wear today.”

“Yeah, yeah, go ahead,” I muttered as I found a second apple. Out the corner of my eye I saw Rarity throw her own clothes back on, grab up mine, and leave the room without another word. She returned much sooner than I expected, carrying a fresh set of clothes and undergarments for me. “Wow, how’d you get that done so fast?”

“I didn’t,” Rarity said, nonplussed. “These were waiting for me, with a note on top. It’s addressed to you.” She set the basket down, then picked the note up out and handed it to me.

The note was in unfamiliar handwriting, with loops and swirls that looked… odd. Like it wasn’t done with human hands, but with a mouth, like Equestrian mouthwriting. On the page were two words: “Be prepared,” I read aloud.

“Prepared for what?” Rarity wondered.

My blood curdled in my veins as I dropped the note and rose up to my feet. I started pulling on clothes straight away. “It’s today. He’s going to do it to us today,” I said as I struggled desperately to put on a bra with one hand.

Rarity let out an impatient huff and then reached out to assist me, carefully guiding the strap around my injured arm and closing the clasps. “He’s going to do what?”

I muttered a quick thank you as I pulled on my jeans, managing to zip and button them with one hand. “We need to get everyone up and together, right away.”

“Sunset! Would you please just tell me--”

I held up a hand to stop her, then gave her an impatient smile. “I’ll tell everyone together. I don’t want to have to say it more than once.”

Rarity crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at me, her lips shaped into that duck-like pout she was so fond of. It was adorable, but I had no patience for it. My mind raced a million miles per hour, spinning in circles and dancing cartwheels, the adrenalin in my system pumping me full of more energy than any coffee could give me.

I knew I needed rest. I suffered from severe dehydration and several injuries, which all combined would’ve landed me in the ICU for a week if we were anywhere within a thousand miles of a hospital. I shouldn’t have been standing up, let alone walking around all over the place.

But we had no time. I couldn’t afford it. He wouldn’t give me the chance.

So I ignored her as I put on the rest of my clothes, managing just barely to get my injured arm through the sleeve. I had to tie it back up afterwards.

Fortunately, as I worked Rarity had taken the hint, and was just finishing up texting the others to meet us at the food court. “Shall we?” she said as she opened the door for me.

I moved at a slow pace, wishing more than once as I walked that I had something to lean on to catch my breath, like a cane. Maybe I could pick one up in one of the stores. Or maybe if I begged him hard enough he’d give me one.

Actually, no, fuck that. I wasn’t going to demean myself by submitting to him now.

It didn’t take long for the other three to arrive. Scootaloo was the first, her rumpled clothing and bags under her eyes suggesting she’d not only slept in her clothes, but it was poor sleep at that. She smelled faintly of sweat and body odor, her mouth twisted into a strong frown as she trudged her way over, a water bottle in her hand. “Hey,” she murmured, giving us a half-hearted wave.

Applejack was next. Her clothes bore no wrinkles, but her jeans were unzipped, her shirt buttoned up wrong.. Her boots echoed faintly on the carpet as she strode over. She hadn’t bothered to tie her hair up, letting it hang loose under her hat, messy and unkempt. As she looked at Rarity and me, and how close we were sitting together, her eyes misted up before she wiped them away with the back of her hand. “Howdy, y’all,” she said, her voice low and heavy.

Diamond Tiara was the last. She hadn’t even bothered to get dressed in proper clothes, instead wearing the silk pajamas that we’d all been given a pair of. Hers were a paisley pink, very similar to her skin color, with streaks of grey. She wore some kind of lacy cap over her head made of silver material. She bore none of her usual accoutrements such as her earrings or necklace. The lack of adornment made her look… younger, for some reason. I almost expected her to be carting a teddy bear by its arm. She wasn’t, but she did have a styrofoam coffee cup in her hand, steaming with fresh coffee. “Hi,” she blurted in a grumpy voice as she took a drink like she was knocking back a shot of booze, complete with slamming her cup down on the table. “What do you want, Shimmer? It’s not even 6:30.”

Staring wistfully at the cup and wishing I’d thought to get some from my own cabin’s k-cup machine--which was still in its plastic cover in the cupboard--I produced the note from my pocket. “I was given this, along with a fresh set of clothes. It says ‘Be Prepared.’”

“Ugh, what the heck kind of writing is this?” Scootaloo muttered as she picked it up and examined it from all angles.

“It’s Equestrian mouthwriting,” I replied, my face grim. “Which means it came from Monoponi.”

“Well that mighty strange of him,” said Applejack as she looked at Diamond Tiara’s coffee cup, a greedy gleam in her eye. “Why’d he bother with that?”

“Better question: what the hell does it mean?” Diamond Tiara demanded. She glanced over at Applejack, made a face, and snatched her cup away before the farmer’s hand could inch any closer. “Mine. No touchie.”

“Ah wasn’t gonna take it,” Applejack said sullenly, though I saw for a brief moment her mouth curl up into that weird little pout she always adopted when she tried to lie. Like her own body wouldn’t let her do it.

Rarity loudly cleared her throat, casting Applejack a brief glare. “We can all get some coffee after Sunset’s finished explaining.”

“It’s a warning,” I said, taking the note back from Scootaloo and stuffing it roughly in my pocket. “It means he’s going to finish the game. Today.”

“F-f--finish it?!” Applejack yelped, her hands shooting up to hold her hat to her head as she reared back in fright. “D-d-do you mean he’s gonna kill us?!”

“No, dumbass,” Tiara grumbled, rolling her eyes in exasperation to glare at the ceiling. “She probably means something else.”

I nodded. “That’s right. I’m talking about the final investigation. In every Danganronpa game, after the fifth trial, there was one last investigation and trial, to solve all the remaining mysteries… including the identity of the traitor and/or mastermind.”

“Wait, you say that like they could be the same thing,” Scootaloo said, eying me suspiciously.

It took me a moment’s hesitation before I replied, “Because they could be.”

Rarity took in a sharp breath, her lips moving without sound for a moment before she found her voice. When she did it was squeaky and higher-pitched. “D-darling, you’re n-not suggesting that one of us is the m-m-mastermind?!”

I glanced briefly at each one of them, my gaze lingering on Diamond Tiara for a moment longer than the others before I shook my head. “No, I doubt it. Not with what we already determined from… from Trixie’s text.”

“Pardon?” Applejack said, eyebrows raised.

I briefly explained, trying not to let emotions choke out my voice as I spoke. “So unless the mastermind is magically capable enough to power a physical puppet in addition to acting completely normal,” I finished, “it’s extremely unlikely it’s one of us.”

“B-b-but the traitor’s still one of us. One of the five of us,” Scootaloo said, her face falling.

“Yeah,” I nodded, with a sad frown. For a moment, just a moment, I considered verbalizing my suspicions about Tiara. The only one I’d ever told was Adagio, because during the fourth trial I opted to keep my mouth shut, and afterwards was so distracted I never got around to looking into it before… Damn it. Damn that Monoponi. Adagio... I don’t care if you tried to kill me. I don’t care if you’d never love me again even if you did live. You deserved to live.

You too, Trixie. I’ll be forever grateful for you saving my life but... I wish it hadn’t been necessary.

“But wait a second,” Tiara said after slugging down another gulp of coffee. Her eyes pried open just a hint more. “What about that rule, about the game only going till there’s two participants left?”

I shrugged. “Dunno. But the third game had the same rule and it was just as pointless there.”

“Sunset, Ah don’t know if you fully realized, but durin’ the trial, when we thought you were a goner,” Applejack said, her eyes widening as she spoke, “Monoponi told us he was gonna accomplish his goals whether we were around or not. Told us we were ‘expendable.’” She held up her hands to perform half-hearted air quotes. “So maybe whatever he’s doin’, he’s done.”

“Maybe.” I pressed the knuckles of my right hand to my chin. “But I still don’t understand what it is. What was the point? Why rip-off a series of visual novels?”

“Why leave you with the memory of the games?” Rarity wondered, duplicating my expression. “That's what I don’t understand. All it did was add further confusion. And make us distrust you.”

“Listen, this is all soundin’ like questions he’s gonna make us answer in the trial, right?” Applejack asked, giving me a pointed look. I nodded. “Well then Ah’d say let’s not worry about it till he makes us go through it. We gotta get some grub in us. ‘Specially you, Sunset. You look half starved.”

DING-DONG-BING-BONG

“Of course. Because we can’t go one fucking day in this place without having to deal with this shit,” Scootaloo mumbled.

Sighing, we turned as one to face the closest screen. Monoponi’s face appeared on it, as usual, but he wasn’t on the bridge. He was in a different location, somewhere I didn’t recognize, full of large turbines and rows of computer consoles. That’s got to be the engine room, I mused. But why is he there?

“Good morning, my lovely little passengers. I see you’re up and about! I’m sure your bellies are rumbling and your throats are parched. Well too bad! Report to the bridge deck. We need to hold a face to face conversation. And make it snappy! We’ve no time to lose.”

As his face disappeared, we all scrambled to our feet, matching expressions of worry on our faces. My breath rattled in my chest, every step caused my ribs to twinge. Individually it didn’t hurt that much, but wow it added up fast. I regretted leaving my pain meds in my cabin.

But we made it to the bridge deck before long. I noticed, curiously, a massive amount of cloud cover. As if we were in the eye of a typhoon, all black thunderheads charged with electricity and full of rain. Except it only seemed to surround the ship out to a certain extent; beyond the curtains of rain I could see the sun shining off in the distance at all angles. Like the storm was following us.

Something about that felt eerily familiar.

That wasn’t the only thing out of place on the bridge deck. The place bristled with weapons, and not just the machine guns Monoponi was so fond of threatening us with. I saw the barrels of larger cannons poking up past the bridge tower and above the ceiling of the promenade and cabin corridor, and in a few places much larger versions of the machine guns hooked into odd looking cylindrical drums. Meanwhile the ship was zipping along at a much faster pace, the sound of the engines far louder than they usually were. The bow sliced through the ocean water so quickly it left much larger waves in its wake that washed up against the ship’s sides, licking at some of the lower protrusions like the museum telescope balcony.

“We must be in quite a hurry,” Rarity commented as she glanced over the railing with me.

“And there’s a good reason for it!” said Monoponi as he flashed into existence on his favored balcony. He swiftly grabbed us up in his magic and dumped the two of us with the other three right below him. “As much as I’d love to indulge in our usual games, I’m going to get straight to the point.”

“So this is the final investigation, then?” I said, glaring up at him. He hadn’t been the least bit careful with his magic and his grip had sent flares of pain surging through my chest and arm.

“Of course it is!” Monoponi railed, his wings flapping all over the place from his anger. “What else would it be, Sunset?”

“But why now?” Tiara asked. “Can’t we at least have breakfast first?”

“No!” Monoponi slammed both forehooves on the deck, echoing even over the noise of the engines. He glowered down at us, his eyes bugging out until he took several deep breaths and relaxed his muscles. “No. I’m afraid your Captain needs you to investigate, while there’s still time.”

“So. What’s the goal?” I inquired. My arms moved to cross over my chest, but I only barely moved my left before realizing what a terrible idea that was. Damn it, last thing I need to do right now is poke and prod all over the ship. But I guess if Trixie did it while on crutches, I can do it too... I miss her.

Monoponi leered down at me, though despite the usual expression of detached amusement I caught sign of a touch of apprehension in his eyes. “The goal, mon cherie, is this: you are to determine, in order: who the traitor is, who the mastermind is, and why this game has been held. Do that, and… we’ll see what happens.”

“You’re not going to release us, are you?” Scootaloo said, her whole body taut with tension. “You’re gonna kill us.”

Monoponi ruffled his wings like he was shrugging with them. “Maybe I will, maybe you’ll find a way out of here. Who knows? But I’ll tell you this: if you don’t investigate, you will die. I’m not kidding, either.” His magic reached out and caressed each of our throats in turn. “You want to live? Do what I say. Maybe you’ll get a chance.” He fired off a burst of light from his horn that separated into numerous smaller lights heading out in all directions. One spun up in the air only to reverse and hit the gate blocking the stairs to the bridge. “I’ve unlocked the areas you’ve been unable to access that’ll be relevant. You’d better hurry, too. I’m only giving you an hour and a half, tops, for this investigation, then it’s straight to the courtroom. Understand?”

“Not really,” Tiara grumbled, draining the remnants of the coffee in her hand so she could crumple the cup.

“Can you at least tell us why we’re in such a hurry?” I asked, after a brief glance at Tiara.

“No more questions,” Monoponi declared with a harsh glare. “Get started. Now.”

*INVESTIGATION START*

The instant he vanished, our Monopads updated with a bleep. I pulled mine out to see a timer in the top right ticking down from ninety minutes. “Damn, we have to hurry. Tiara, how do you want to do this?”

Tiara looked at me, her eyes dull, her gaze distant. She frowned so hard she wrinkled her face. “I… I don’t…” she shook her head. “Please. Sunset. I’m not a good leader. You lead.”

“Hey, you’ve done an... okay job so far,” I replied, with a sympathetic smile. Actually a terrible job, but I probably shouldn't say that. “But okay. We should split up into two teams. Scootaloo, Applejack, you go with Tiara. Rarity, you’re with me. We’re going to check the bridge first, then the upper promenade, so you three start with the cabins and work your way through the access corridor.”

Applejack pressed her lips together, casting a sad look our way before nodding. “Yes ma’am. C’mon, Scootaloo, Tiara. We gotta get a move on.”

“Are you certain it was a good idea, sending Tiara with those two?” Rarity asked me as I pushed open the gate to the bridge. “What if Applejack does something to upset her?”

“That’s why Scootaloo’s with them,” I grunted, hissing in pain as I ascended the stairs. “Damn it… Rarity, can you do me a favor?”

Rarity stood up straighter. “Absolutely, darling, anything.”

“Can you run down to one of the stores and get me a cane, or a walking stick or something? I… I need something to lean on while I’m walking.”

Rarity frowned down at her Monopad, then nodded. “Of course. I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks,” I muttered as I continued to ascend the stairs. Once at the top, I found the bridge was open to the air, with no door blocking the bridge proper at the top. I’d seen bits and pieces of the bridge from below whenever I looked up into the windows, but now that I could see it properly, it was astounding. It resembled something out of a science fiction show, with a set of computer consoles and screens up front in a wide half oval shape along the wall, with two seats presumably for the navigators. Each console looked expensive and modern, with some of the screens featuring holographic displays similar to the stuff used in the museum. Along the far wall the bank of consoles continued, with a couple more seats for other stations. Set further back, close to the back of the bridge was an elevated chair, obviously the captain’s seat. I recognized that one as the same one we always saw Monoponi sitting in, complete with the table he’d set up in front of it.

On the off-chance he’d left them unsecured I tried the navigator’s console, to see if I could control the ship somehow. But no, every computer was locked, no access available, and none of the physical buttons worked either. Of course he wouldn’t make it that easy. So instead I checked around the bridge for anything that seemed like a clue.

And after a few moments of seemingly pointless effort I found something. A piece of paper, laying on one of the far consoles, torn out of a notebook. The paper was full of scribblings, what looked like diary entries, all in the same mouth-writing as the note Monoponi sent me. Which means he did that deliberately so I’d recognize his mouth-writing when I saw it, I mused. I took a moment to read it carefully.

Fact #1: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment: “A torn piece of paper detailing thoughts of the mastermind, with the following entries:
‘These morons aren’t using their Monopads right! Why aren’t they texting?’
‘Flash and Twilight Sparkle are romantically involved. This could be a big problem.’
‘What the hell was wrong with Timber? Why couldn’t he have drugged Wallflower right? Why did he make such a stupid note?!’
‘Woah. Sunset and Adagio? That could be an even bigger problem! I’m going to need a new photo for after the third trial. I can’t risk the siren finding out who took her magic now. I need Sunset alive.’
‘Way to leave it to the last second, Apple Bloom! I thought I was going to lose Sunset there for a second.’”

I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and turned to see Rarity entering. She carried with her a tall medical cane, made of black plastic with four rubber stops at the bottom for good support. “I hope this is acceptable,” she murmured as she handed it to me. “It was the best I could find.”

“It’s perfect,” I said as I took it. It was a little shorter than I would’ve liked but it would do. “I’m surprised you found one like it.”

“It was in the pharmacy,” Rarity said. She glanced down at the piece of paper in my hand. “You found something, I take it.”

“Yeah, I think it’s the mastermind’s diary, or part of it anyway.”

She scanned it briefly, her eyes widening as she took it in. “This is... odd. It’s almost as if…”

“As if I was right when I guessed the mastermind planned everything out,” I finished for her. “It might be. We should move on though. We don’t have time to sit and speculate.”

Rarity let out a quiet snort. “I’m well aware of that,” she grumbled as she followed after me.

I descended the stairs as quickly as I dared, using my cane every few steps as needed. It… helped. A little. As we headed into the promenade I checked the timer on my Monopad. Eighty minutes left.

Straight away I noticed something curious, however. On the promenade floor, outside the jewelry shop, where Fluttershy had been executed, there was a small table with something sitting atop it. I walked over quickly and picked it up. “What the heck?”

Fact #2: Video Game Case: “A case for a video game entitled ‘Tirek’s Revenge.’ It features a large red centaur on the box art.”

I held it up for Rarity to see, and she shrugged. “It’s probably important, but don’t ask me how.”

“Hmm…” I glared down at it for a moment, trying to remember if centaurs existed in Equestria. I’m pretty sure they do. The name Tirek sounds familiar. Actually, this guy looks familiar too. Like I’ve seen him before… somewhere. After a moment I stuffed it in my backpack and we moved on.

My next stop took us into the nearby jewelry store. Just being amidst the jewels stirred uncomfortable memories in me, old shame of feeling responsible for the deaths of two of our most innocent friends. But I pushed on, towards the door at the back. Every shop had one of these doors, locked and unable to be accessed, and we’d never bothered trying them since the first day. If they were ever going to unlock, now was the time.

And sure enough, as soon as I tried the doorknob, it opened easily. We emerged into an access corridor similar to the one near the cabins, though this one seemed to wrap around for the shops only. The corridor was wider, too, larger in scope, with a few unopened boxes of various things sitting around here and there. When I glanced down the left side I saw the corridor dead-ended in a flat wall, which was unsurprising, since that led into the cargo elevator for the courtroom. It continued around the other way, with what appeared to be a downward slant as it crossed underneath the promenade then back up to the other shops. Like the other access corridor, this one was dimly lit.

Rarity went first, withdrawing her pen light from her purse so she could light up the floor, to keep us from tripping. It was a good idea, since the boxes were spread around haphazardly. As her light passed over one I held out a hand. “Wait, I saw something.”

“What is it?” she asked as she moved her light back onto the box.

“Not sure,” I said as I closed the distance. Using my cane for support I leaned down and scooped up what looked like a picture of some sort. It took me a moment of studying to realize what was going on. “Oh damn.”

Fact #3: Ship Picture: “A picture of a blurred out figure standing on the bridge deck of the ship, appearing to give out instructions to a group of workers, all of whom seem to be hypnotized in some way as they work on installing weapons. Several boxes carried in the photo are listed as ‘property of QGT corporation.’”

“Do you think that’s the mastermind?” Rarity inquired as she peered at the photo.

“Probably. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of QGT though,” I replied. “Have you?”

Rarity held up a hand, doubt crossing her face. “Mmm… it sounds familiar, but I’m not sure. But they must be involved with weapons.”

“It’s probably where the mastermind got those resources, anyway.” I shivered as I looked upon the hypnotized faces of those poor dock workers. “C’mon, let’s keep moving.”

We passed by the sporting goods store and the convenience store before we reached the little tunnel. It was neat how it sloped down, gently enough that rolling dollies laden with boxes up would be easy enough to do. In the tunnel we encountered a t-junction that spun off into… another dead end, a bolted fire door. Either that’s where they bring in the cargo for the stores or that’s something else. Either way we’re not getting in there. But right before the fire door was something sitting open atop a box.

As I picked it up I noticed it was an informational pamphlet, with a picture of a massive cruise ship on it, labeling it as the Harmony of the Horizons. “This must be about the ship we’re on!” I said as I greedily read through it.

Fact #4: Harmony of the Horizons Informational Pamphlet: “A short guide on the Harmony of the Horizons, the largest cruise ship ever built. Constructed in 2010 by RECL, it boasts a massive six thousand passenger capacity and a thrilling assortment of amenities, ranging from on-board sky-diving, go-kart racing, and ice skating, to a gorgeous promenade laden with massive shops and restaurants automated for passenger convenience. For the more selective, private passengers there are also a substantial number of private dining facilities located near the stern. Spa and fitness facilities aboard are top notch, unparalleled by any other modern cruise ship. For the intellectuals it also features a fully stocked three floor library with plenty of coverage on any subject one could desire, even for those who need to brush up during a break from their education. There is also a large museum which switches out its subject on a yearly basis, and is expected to feature AUSA as its focus in 2020. And for those who are spiritually inclined, the ship includes a large house of worship with facilities prepared for every major and most well-known minor faiths.”

“Well, I suppose that explains the astronomy museum,” Rarity said as she read through the pamphlet. “And I’ve heard of RECL. They’re a cruise line company, the cruise line company.” She blinked owlishly then looked up at the ceiling for a moment, placing a single finger on her chin. “You know, I feel like I’ve met some people associated with that company. I’m not sure how or where.”

“I’m wondering about these private dining facilities,” I said, looking at some of the pictures. “We never saw any of those. They’re probably on a part of the ship we never had access to.”

“Oh undoubtedly, Sunset. This ship is massive.” Rarity held out her hands and bounced them in the air to demonstrate.

“Large tracts of land, you might say,” I quipped, snorting in amusement at the dirty look she shot me.

Moving past over to the other side, we just had the pharmacy, the duty-free store, and the fabric store to check. I noticed hanging outside the pharmacy were a lot of unmarked boxes, most of them half open. Glancing inside, my face twisted up in disgust as I beheld a whole assortment of untouched drugs. “Where did he even get all these drugs from?”

“Illicit trading is easy if you have sufficient money and connections,” Rarity said, her face dark with irritation. “Many of my clients are involved in the drug trade, or other organized crime. They think I can’t hear them when they discuss their sordid dealings. But I do. I’ve passed along a few anonymous tips to the police from time to time.”

I froze, my eyes wide with shock. “Is that safe? Rarity, if they figured out who leaked those tips, you might--”

She held up a finger and placed it against my lips. “Now now. I assure you, I’m quite discreet. Besides, after dealing with this killing game… I feel like I could cope with anything those criminals could throw at me.”

“If you say so…”

We saw nothing else of note until we reached the fabric store, where the wall abruptly dead-ended again. This time there was a single sheet of paper laying out prominently on a box of fabric. It was a printout of an internet article.

Fact #5: Internet News Article Printout: “A printout of a news article from a website that states in January of 2020 the Harmony of the Horizons was taken out of commission by the company due to ‘undisclosed issues’ and will return to service in late 2021 after major renovations are completed.”

“Major renovations,” Rarity groused, her fingers raised for air quotes. “I’m sure people the world over would be thrilled at how this lovely cruise ship was transformed into a ship of war.”

“I’ll bet the undisclosed issues are whatever the mastermind did behind the scenes to arrange for the ship,” I added. “And if that other picture is anything to go by… they’re pretty damned manipulative.”

Rarity’s face blackened with anger as she squeezed a fist tight enough to scratch her palms with her nails. “He certainly manipulated Sweetie Belle.” She dropped her fist, her anger washing away. “Sweetie… darling I miss you so much…”

I gave Rarity a quick comfort hug. “C’mon, we have to keep going.” With a quick glance at my Monopad I added, “Only sixty-five minutes left.”

I caught sight of a whole heap of unshed tears as Rarity visibly brought herself under control. “Where to next?”

I paused for a moment to consider, then glanced in my pack at the video game case. “I wonder… if this is anything to go by, he might’ve left vital clues in each of the areas the victims died. So we should check the Sushi King kitchen.”

“Where Wallflower died,” Rarity replied, her voice shaky and low.

“Yeah. Where she died,” I agreed.

We’d avoided the Sushi King restaurant ever since the first trial, all except Adagio. She was the only one willing to eat the food from there after Wallflower’s death. Maybe that was yet another bad sign, in retrospect. Not only that, but we’d done our best to stay out of the kitchens altogether, only venturing inside again when Monoponi inflicted upon us the Monocoin restriction. Even then we’d avoided it. Like it was cursed.

Because in a way it was. It was in that kitchen that trust in each other died. It was that first death that caused every single one after it. We’d had a chance of sticking together, of trusting each other, of being a team, and Timber blew it.

If only Wallflower had lived… if she’d just kept her wits about her, avoided Timber long enough to get back to her room, maybe, just maybe, we could’ve all survived.

Not that there was any way to know.

So we cut through the fabric store over to the Sushi King. It was the closest restaurant to the so-called Lover’s Corner, the other place we’d all avoided like the plague since it was involved with the first murder. We stepped past the counter into the kitchen proper. Memories came back to me unbidden as I beheld the shelves, the freezer, and that janitor’s sink for the first time in at least two weeks.

Was it really only two weeks ago? It feels like it’s been months.

We checked around and before long I found the obvious clue hanging out on the floor right in front of the freezer. Right where Timber had taken that ice and... I pushed away that thought and picked up what looked like yet another photo, only to freeze in place, completely baffled. “What… what is this?”

Fact #6: Wallflower Picture: “A picture depicting Wallflower Blush using some sort of mysterious magical stone artifact on Sunset Shimmer, in front of Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack.”

“It’s like she’s sucking something out of your head with it!”

“Sure looks like it,” I muttered as I examined the picture further. “Like… as if… “ My eyes widened as a realization struck me. “Rarity, what if this is how our memories were erased?”

“What?” Rarity looked back down at the picture and frowned. “But, darling, we look younger in this picture. This must’ve taken place while we were still in high school. If this is how our memories were stolen, why would we have left such an artifact around?”

“I wouldn’t have,” I agreed with a quick nod. “I would’ve given it back to Princess Twilight. Or better yet, destroyed it. Something like that is too dangerous to keep around.”

Rarity looked at me, her expression taut with worry. “Then how did we lose our memories?”

That’s the question, isn’t it? A question better fit for the trial.

We left the Sushi King kitchen in a hurry, happy to leave the sad memories behind. “I’m not sure if there’s much else we’ll find on the promenade. I want to check a few of the other places the victims died,” I said. So we went to the theater first. As we entered, I checked my pad again. Fifty-five minutes. Damn it this time is moving fast.

I hadn’t been inside the theater since I’d worked on fixing my guitar, but little about it had changed. Little, that is, save for the stage. Right in the center, where Apple Bloom had once been impaled, was a Monopad. A Monopad in the process of being scooped up by Applejack. Scootaloo and Tiara were nowhere to be seen. “Wha-oh, uh, howdy there,” she said as she stuffed the Monopad into her shirt.

Rarity stepped forward, her fist closed but held at her side. “Where’s Tiara and Scootaloo?”

“Ah, um, Ah’m just catchin’ up with them,” Applejack said, her mouth twisting up in that contorted pout that meant she was lying. She gulped, swallowed, and then tried giving us a toothy smile.

I glared at her, my expression making it clear I saw right through the deception, but we didn’t have time to argue. “They’d better be okay. What’s on that Monopad?”

“Uh, this one?” Applejack replied, her eyes darting to look down her shirt. She pulled it back up just long enough for us to see it, then shoved it back down. “It… it’s just Apple Bloom’s. Ain’t nothin’ to worry about. Nope. Nothin’ here.”

Fact #7: Apple Bloom’s Monopad: “Apple Bloom’s Monopad. Applejack refuses to divulge its contents.”

“Applejack…” Rarity growled in warning. “Don’t lie to us.”

Applejack looked briefly at me, her eyes wide with… concern? Fear? I couldn’t read it. Then she glanced back at Rarity and shook her head. “Sorry, Rarity. Ah’m savin’ this one for the trial. See y’all there.” She sped out the theater without another word, occasionally looking back over her shoulder to see if we were following her.

“Well!” Rarity placed both hands on her hips. “What do you suppose that was all about?”

“Who knows?” I groaned, shaking my head. “Forget about it. We don’t have time to worry. Let’s check for anything else around here before we move on.”

So we took a couple of moments to poke around the workshop. Good thing too, because I spotted something sitting atop one of the shelves, like it had been shoved there haphazardly. Pulling it down, I found it was a stack of papers. Invoices, to be precise. “Huh. Looks like this is for Sweet Apple Acres farm. Isn’t that Applejack’s farm?”

“Yes, it is,” Rarity replied. She looked over the invoices with me. “That’s curious. Why would they be shipping goods to RECL?”

Fact #8: Sweet Apple Acres Invoices. “A series of invoices from Sweet Apple Acres to RECL for bulk orders of various crops and artisan goods. Each one is signed by Applejack Apple.”

“Maybe they’re just a good source?” I said, shrugging.

“But that makes little sense,” Rarity countered, shaking her head. “Sweet Apple Acres isn’t a large industrial farm, Sunset. It’s a local farm, for local produce. Why would a large corporation bother sourcing from a local farm?”

I shrugged again. “More questions for the trial, I guess.”

We headed to the dressing rooms next. I wasn’t expecting to find much here, since I hadn’t set foot inside since finding Trixie’s cloak and hat back after the first trial. It was only in the third dressing room that Rarity held out a hand to halt me in my tracks before leaving. “Hang on, darling, I recognize this…” she muttered as she stepped over to one of the tables. Beneath a hanging mirror was a small black book I hadn’t noticed. “This is my contact book! Look, Sunset, look here. This must be how I knew those people. They were clients of mine.”

I took the book from her and scanned through it. Plenty of names were listed, amongst them every person who’d been on the ship. But the ones listed as associated with that corporation were blanked out entirely.

Fact #9: Black Book: “A list of contacts, phone numbers, names, and associations for Rarity Belle’s boutique. Listed amongst the contacts is information for all sixteen passengers that were involved in the Killing Game. Several other names are blanked out, but are listed as associated with the RECL corporation.”

“More proof that we all knew each other prior to the game too,” I said with a sigh. “Though that’s not in question anymore.” I handed the book back to her and checked my Monopad. “Forty-five minutes. We need to hurry.”

We left the theater and made our way to the fitness center next, cutting through the locker rooms so we could check the sauna. I was certain we’d find something there, and I was right. But what we found… was bizarre, to say the least.

It was a party invitation. That in and of itself wasn’t too surprising, since this was where Pinkie Pie died, and she was the Ultimate Party Planner. But it wasn’t an invitation from her. It was from me. With my handwriting. It was printed out on fancy paper, and invited people to celebrate someone’s birthday, but the name was censored with black marker. So was the date and time, and address for that matter. There was something on the invitation about a raffle, but even that was censored. What the hell is this?

Fact #10: Party Invitation: “An invitation to a party being thrown by Sunset Shimmer. Several words are blacked out with marker. It reads: ‘You’re invited! Come down to Salami Slice’s Pizza on [censored] at [censored] to celebrate the birthday of Sunset Shimmer’s friend, [censored.] This is a surprise party so don’t spill the beans!’
In smaller text near the bottom it reads: ‘Be sure to keep this invitation: a raffle will be held. One lucky winner will [censored.]’ The raffle portion is missing from the invitation.”

Rarity, upon spotting the invitation, took a few steps back and wrapped both arms around her shoulders as several shivers ran through her body. “Sunset, I don’t know why, but something about that invitation…”

I looked down at the paper in my hand. She was right. It was creepy as hell, and the more I looked at it, the more my skin crawled. I shoved it in my bag so we didn’t have to look at it.

As we left the sauna, I decided to swing through the rest of the fitness center, in case there was anything else hanging around. When we reached the indoor pool, I hesitated for a moment. This had been the last place Adagio and I had anything resembling a reasonable conversation. Hah. Reasonable. I was held at knifepoint and then hurled into the pool. Little wonder she tried to kill me afterward. Damn you, Adagio.

But once I went inside, I discovered that for some reason, the pool had been drained, covered over with some kind of deployable top that resembled tarmac. Sitting in the middle of said tarmac was another small table with a piece of paper on it. “It’s like he’s doling these out one by one, wherever he feels like it,” I grumbled.

“Well, he probably planned something more elaborate, but we are on a time crunch,” Rarity said with a quiet sigh. “Just as well. I’d prefer not to deal with his shenanigans.”

Atop the table were not one but two pieces of paper, it turned out. One was a sheet with seven sets of names and talents. Not the Ultimate talents that Monoponi had ascribed us, but magical talents. Four of the seven were blanked out with black marker like the invitation. Only three were left.

And those three were… worrisome.

Fact #11: Fact Sheet: “A sheet listing the magical talents of seven people. Four of the entries are blacked out. The three that remain are:
Rarity Belle: Gemstone Manifestation
Applejack: Super Strength
Sunset Shimmer: Mind Reading.”

“Mind reading?!” Rarity blurted, holding out the sheet of paper in front of her like it was on fire, rearing back with her eyes screwed up wide. “What on earth?”

“Don’t look at me!” I protested, holding up my good hand in surrender. “I had no idea I could read minds.” If I’d known I could do that, I think a lot of these cases we solved would’ve been a whole lot easier.

Rarity dropped the paper to her side, the rush of adrenaline in her system causing her to pant heavily, sweat beading on her brow. She held up her empty hand to fan her face. “Goodness, I’m sorry, Sunset. It’s just the thought of someone… of someone violating my mind in such a manner… it’s terrifying.”

“You’re not the only one who’s scared by it,” I muttered. “Mind reading is very dangerous magic in Equestria. I never once studied it when I was Celestia’s student. I can’t imagine why it would be a magical talent of mine.”

“Well, it must be, or else this list wouldn’t be here,” Rarity said after a moment of calmer, cooler breathing. “Hmm… it says mine is ‘gemstone manifestation.’ I wonder--”

“Hey, you guys!”

We turned to see Scootaloo and Tiara racing for us, both out of breath. Tiara doubled over, her whole body soaked with sweat as she took in great gulping lungfuls of air. She tried to raise her finger, mutter a few words, then gave up and went back to breathing. Scootaloo fared a little better, managing to say, “H-hey, Rarity, Sunset, have you seen Applejack?”

“Uh, yeah, we just saw her in the theater, but she left before we did,” I answered. “Why?”

“Because she--ran--away--from us--after--a few--minutes!” Diamond stuttered between gasps.

Rarity gazed at Scootaloo quizzically. “Why would she do that?”

“I dunno,” Scootaloo answered with a confused shrug. “She found something she didn’t want to share with us, and when we asked her about it, she fled.”

“Same thing she did with us,” I said, frowning. “What is your deal, Applejack?”

Diamond Tiara managed to stand up straight. “S-so, like, do you two mind if we stick with you? We’re running out of time and we wasted a lot of it trying to find that far--I mean, Applejack.”

“Sure,” I replied as I leaned on my cane. “What’ve you found so far?”

Scootaloo dug into her backpack and pulled out a couple of sheets of paper and some sort of book. “Here’s what we’ve got.”

I took a moment to pursue them.

Fact #12: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment #2: “A torn piece of paper detailing thoughts of the mastermind, with the following entries:
‘That damned map tracking was the biggest mistake I ever made. They’re not supposed to use it that way! I’m taking it away after this trial.’
‘Why do they keep bending the rules?! That’s it. If anyone breaks a rule I’m going to execute them. I’m sick of this. They need to learn proper respect for me!’
‘Fluttershy! Fucking Fluttershy! Why the hell was it Fluttershy? I need to review the security footage. Something doesn’t feel right.’
‘I knew it! I knew it I knew it I knew it! They used me! I’m going to have to change the motive. I can’t risk messing up the count. I need five survivors, damn it.’”

“I need five survivors,” I murmured under my breath. “No wonder he wouldn’t shut up about a count. But why five specifically? Why not four, or six?”

The next set of papers they’d given me looked a little different, like it was made with different materials, something familiar but alien at the same time. And when I read it, I realized why.

Fact #13: Princess Twilight Piece: “An Equestrian magazine article, dated for two years ago, about Princess Twilight’s life, complete with pictures, detailing her birth in Canterlot as a unicorn, her transformation as an alicorn, and her original coronation as a lesser Princess. It goes on to detail her coronation as Princess of Equestria, describing it as a tumultuous event that brought together races from all over to defeat three villains and imprison them in stone. It also describes rapid physical changes she’s undergone since that cause her to resemble Princesses Luna and Celestia.”

I knew it. I knew I was seeing Twilight’s alternate in my dreams. The pictures match up perfectly. She was Princess of Friendship… that’s pretty damned ironic, given what happened with our Twilight. “Scootaloo, where did you find this article?”

“It was in the museum director’s office,” she answered. “We found that other thing there too. Looks weird though, like some foreign language. I can’t read it.”

I set the magazine down and picked up the final object, what I realized after a moment was a faded, ancient tome, falling apart at the seams. It was Equestrian, written in High Ponish. I was pretty rusty, but the picture on the very first page made it clear what it was about.

Fact #14: Equestrian Tome: “A decrepit, ancient Equestrian tome written in High Ponish that speaks about an artifact known as the Memory Stone that can affect memories. Few details are discernable, however it does mention the artifact leaves a strong, permanent imprint of its power on the minds of those it affects.”

We were right. That artifact Wallflower had. It must be this Memory Stone. But now I’m even more confused. Why wouldn’t we have given this to Princess Twilight? Or destroyed it?

Damn it I have no time to think about this. We have to move.

“I’ll tell you guys what this says later,” I said as I stuffed the tome into my backpack. “Tiara, Scootaloo, what places did you check out?”

“Uh, not much,” Scootaloo said, her cheeks flushing faintly with pink. “Just the director’s office and the corridor to the main museum hall. That’s when Applejack ran for it.”

“Okay, we’ll swing back through there if we get the chance. Come on.”

The four of us departed the indoor pool and wandered back through the fitness center on the off chance there was something waiting for us there, but we didn’t see anything. As we passed by the glass windows, however, I took a brief moment to look outside, and see the storm still following us. Bolts of lightning struck the ocean waves in massive crackling arcs, like claws rending the sky apart. Rain poured in sheets, a bizarre sight when just beyond it was sunshine.

Then I saw something else. In the distance, bobbing up and down on the water. Something shiny, and metal. I couldn’t tell what it was. Another ship, maybe?

“C’mon, Sunset, what’re you waiting for? We only have thirty minutes left!”

“Sorry,” I said as I rejoined the others.

Our next destination was the spa. I doubted we’d find anything there, but it was worth checking. To my surprise, there was something sitting on the front desk, right in the exact same spot where once upon a time Pinkie, Adagio, and I discovered the picture proving Rarity and Applejack were married. It was another picture, but not of Rarity or Applejack. It featured ponies. Two were instantly recognizable, though the third took me a moment.

Fact #15: Friendship Picture: “A picture of a younger alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle, standing next to a unicorn copy of herself that wears glasses and a pegasus Rainbow Dash with her wings draped down. They are smiling and waving at the camera.”

“Woah,” Scootaloo said as she took in the picture. “That must be Princess Twilight and our Twilight. And is that Rainbow Dash?”

“Not just any Rainbow Dash,” I said. “I think it’s the Rainbow Dash we all got to know, in this game. See how her wings are draped down? That tells me she doesn’t know how to use them, which means she’s probably our Dash, because the Dash I saw in my dreams was a world-class flier.”

“But how did they become ponies?” Tiara said, giving me a questioning look.

“Same way I became human: they must’ve gone through the portal,” I said. “From what little I remember, it turns you into whatever your alternate would be on the other side. We already know that from seeing Princess Twilight as a human.”

We left the spa, this time heading for the library. I wanted to give it a quick search on each floor. We started with the second, with Tiara and Scootaloo heading up to the third and Rarity going down to check the first. My first stop was the library desk, where we’d left our logbook for book checkouts. I glanced at it briefly, but there was nothing of note there. Good. I’m tired of handwriting being important to cases. Jeez.

There was, however, something sitting right next to it. It was another set of printed out pages, stapled together. They were scans from a book, terrible quality scans at that, like someone running some cheap five dollar copy of a two hundred dollar text book. But I was able to make out some useful information. It was about the RECL corporation, and made mention of QGT as well.

Fact #16: RECL Factbook Pages: “A few pages scanned from a factbook on the RECL corporation. RECL, or Regal Equine Cruise Lines, was founded in 1952 as a subsidiary of QGT, Quality Guns and Technologies, a major military-industrial contractor focused on naval arms and armaments and other naval technologies during the First and Second Great Wars. RECL was founded by the company as a spin-off for civilian applications of naval technologies and tourism, and today is the largest and most profitable cruise line company in the world. Though no longer a subsidiary of its parent corporation, RECL maintains close ties to QGT, and frequently do business together. The pride and joy of the RECL corporation is the Harmony of the Horizons, the single largest cruise ship ever constructed, debuted in 2010 with state of the art robotics and automation involved in every aspect of its amenities, allegedly sourced from QGTs advancements in robotic engineering.”

“Regal Equine?” I repeated, my features contorted with confusion. Jeez. Even for this world’s tendency to make pony puns, that’s a bit on the nose. Damn it, I wish I had time to think about this stuff and absorb it before rushing on to the next clue. I’m being led around by the nose and I hate it.

Rarity returned shortly, carrying another torn piece of paper I recognized instantly as resembling the other two diary fragments we found. “I’ve got something,” she said as she handed it over. I exchanged it for what I found and took a moment to read these entries.

Fact #17: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment #3: “A torn piece of paper detailing thoughts of the mastermind with the following entries:
‘Nonononono! How did I miss some of her magic? How?! This is a disaster.’
‘Everything is going wrong. I need to make sure Twilight dies. If I kill Twilight I can fix it.’
‘Time for the backup motive. Maybe I can get the farmer to kill the marshmallow and get it back on track.’
‘I do not believe this. Flash! Flash, you idiot! Oooooh I’m not letting you get away with this you stupid little shit!’
‘That’s it. Sunset stood up to me one too many times. She’s too inspirational. She could ruin everything. I’m throwing out the plan. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m tired of dealing with her. She dies. And I know I can get the siren to do it.’
‘That useless excuse for a magician saw everything! I’ll need to make an appearance. Maybe I can salvage this.’”

My blood froze in my veins so hard it threatened to shatter me into pieces. “He really was trying to kill me,” I whispered, feeling panic and anger mixing up into a churned mess, grabbing me with its icy claws and threatening to drag me into a pit of uselessness. “He used Adagio to try to kill me!”

“Me too, darling,” Rarity said with a shudder. She threw an arm around me and held me tight. I could feel her heartbeat thudding like a jackhammer, the shaking of her body from the same levels of panic rolling through me. “To think he tried to use Applejack to do it… I could almost believe she would too.”

“Woah, you two okay?” Scootaloo asked as she and Tiara descended the stairs.

I gave Rarity one last squeeze and tried to summon up enough courage to put a strained smile on my face. “Yeah, we’re fine. Did you find anything?”

Scootaloo frowned and handed me a sheet of paper. “I did, but I don’t get what it means. It’s got my name on it. Looks like it’s for the youth center in Canterlot.”

Fact #18: Youth Center Logbook Page: “A torn, weathered page from the Canterlot Youth Center logbook, detailing a list of sign-in names, and times. Scootaloo’s name is signed on multiple entries for various dates.”

I shrugged and put it in my pack. “I don’t get it either, Scoots. How much time do we have left?”

“Only twenty minutes!” Tiara shouted. She dropped her Monopad and had to dive to catch it, her arms trembling.

“C’mon then.”

Our next stop was the go-kart track, where Rainbow Dash perished. Stepping onto the track brought more unbidden memories to my mind, of the fun I had speeding around on the go-kart, smoking everyone else. It brought a brief rush of excitement to my vein...and broke my heart at the same time, because that was also the last time I did anything with Adagio before... before it all went to hell.

Fuck you, Monoponi. Fuck you for using Adagio like that. Fuck you even more for forcing Trixie to sacrifice herself to keep me alive. Their blood is on your hooves, you monster.

Though the track had been cleaned of Rainbow’s blood and the damaged go-kart, I noticed that a pristine one had been deliberately set upside down, awaiting us. Like he was taunting us with it. There was even a pair of ice skates sitting atop it, spread out as if someone was standing there wearing them, with another folded pamphlet lying between. I saw Scootaloo’s face tighten as she reached out for the pamphlet, read it briefly, then shoved it towards me and stormed off.

Fact #19: Youth Center Pamphlet: “A pamphlet for the Canterlot Youth Center, explaining it is a place for youngsters of all ages up to eighteen to hang out, make friends, and participate in healthy activities, and asking those interested to become a sponsor for said youth, taking on the role of an older sibling figure.”

Okay, I can see why this might upset her. More of Monoponi insulting her, treating her like a kid instead of an adult. But… What does this have to do with anything? What is the point of giving us this information?

“Jeez, what’s her problem?” Tiara muttered as she traipsed after Scootaloo, who was beeling for the exit in a hurry.

I didn’t bother to answer as I followed after them, Rarity hot on my heels. There were one or two last places to check when it came to victims, depending upon if Monoponi considered Flash a victim or not. Of course, he was one, like everyone else who died in this game.

But when we got to the ice rink, I didn’t see anything waiting in the bleachers where Flash had fallen, at least not at first. Then Rarity stuck her head under the bleachers and pulled out a set of photographs. “More pictures. He loves pictures, doesn’t he?” she groaned as she looked through them. The more she looked the more her brow creased. “Sunset, these are about you.”

“Lemme see those,” Tiara snapped as she snatched the pictures out of Rarity’s hand. She briefly scanned them, then snorted. “Ugh. Why is this other person blurred out?”

I shot her a dirty look as I took them from her so I could look them over. The hairs on my neck stood up as I realized what they contained.

Fact #20: Danganronpa Pictures: “A series of three pictures depicting Sunset Shimmer with another individual. The pictures are censored, making determining the identity of the other person impossible. In each one, Sunset and the person are playing a Danganronpa game, a different game in each picture. The pictures are timestamped, dated to March, April, and May of 2020.”

“Danganronpa,” I whispered. “It always comes back to Danganronpa, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, is that what you’re playing?” Scootaloo said as she leaned in to get a look from beneath my arm. “Why would he give you pictures of playing Danganronpa with someone?”

“Because I think that’s the mastermind,” I answered, my voice sticking as my throat dried up. I swallowed, trying to wash some moisture back down. “That’s me playing with the mastermind. That’s why it’s censored.”

“What?” Rarity breathed. “But, but… why would you--”

“I don’t know!” I shouted, throwing up my good arm and scattering the pictures everywhere in the process. “I don’t know, okay? I don’t know anything about any of this shit we’re finding! God! We’re on a fucking time limit and I don’t have time to process any of it!”

Rarity reared back as if I’d slapped her, and held a hand to her cheek, her eyes welling up with tears. “Sunset, darling, please don’t shout at me,” she said, her voice trembling. “I don’t deserve that.”

I sighed, took a few deep breaths, then nodded. “Sorry, I’m sorry, I’m just, I didn’t… I’m sorry. I’ll, I’ll shut up.” I knelt down to scoop up the pictures I’d dropped only to find that Tiara already had them in her hands.

“I’ll hold onto them,” Tiara said, eying me suspiciously. Her lip turned up just enough to expose a few of her teeth. “Jerk.”

The irony of Tiara of all people calling me out nearly caused me to explode yet again, but I managed, somehow, to restrain my temper. Gritting my teeth, I hissed a quick thank you, and moved slowly for the rental shop.

“Fifteen minutes,” Scootaloo reminded us.

“I know, I know,” I grumbled as I scanned the shelves and tables of equipment. Nothing seemed out of place, nothing stuck out, until my eyes passed over the far shelf, between the racks of arctic coats and beanies. There was a book there, a large hardcover book, but with an outdated sense of style. Like it had been made around the turn of the twentieth century. I picked it up to glance through it. It felt hauntingly familiar, like I'd poured over a book just like this in the past.

Fact #21: Elements of Harmony, A Reference Guide, Updated Edition: “A guide to the Elements of Harmony, describing them as the six virtues of Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Friendship, also known as Magic.”

The Elements of Harmony… those artifacts that the friends of Princess Twilight Sparkle used. And that Monoponi mocked when he executed our Twilight. Odd that he’d give us a guide. Is he trying to give us ideas? Whatever.

I shoved the book into my backpack without a word to the others. We were so short on time I didn’t have any to waste explaining what I found. Instead I gestured wordlessly to the exit, and rushed everyone to check out the museum next. We’d hit the church last.

Stepping inside the museum, nothing seemed out of place at first, apart from the Ares sample case. Despite Monoponi cleaning up after every other crime, this one thing had been left alone, glass still scattered across the floor. I wasn’t sure why until I realized he’d used that deliberately to catch our attention to the next clue he’d given us. This was a binder, like the sort you’d use in high school, all plastic with snapping holes to keep sheets of paper neatly tucked inside. The color, an eerie blood-pink, left me with the feeling of worms wriggling all over my skin as I opened it up. And then my jaw dropped. “What… what the hell…”

It was a set of plans. Plans for a killing game.

For this killing game.

Fact #22: Typewritten Plans: “A set of typewritten plans for a Killing Game involving Sunset Shimmer and her friends. According to the plan, the cases were to occur as follows:
Trial 1: Victim: Wallflower Blush; Blackened: Timber Spruce
Trial 2: Victim: Apple Bloom; Blackened: Sweetie Belle
Trial 3: Victims: Applejack, Rarity; Blackened: Twilight Sparkle
Trial 4: Victim: Scootaloo; Blackened: Fluttershy
Trial 5: Victim: Adagio Dazzle; Blackened: Pinkie Pie
Survivors: Sunset Shimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, Diamond Tiara, Rainbow Dash, Flash Sentry.”

“Holy shit!” Scootaloo blurted as she read the plans. She took several steps back, her whole body shaking.

“T-t-this is horrible!” Rarity squeaked as she slapped both hands to her face. “W-why… he… he was…”

“He had this shit planned from the start!” Tiara shouted, slamming a fist down on the closet object at hand, which turned out to be one of the metal display placards. “You were right, Sunset!”

For my part, I wasn’t too terribly surprised, after the initial shock. Of course he had it planned out. Of course he cared about a count. He wanted five survivors. Well he had five survivors, but three of them weren’t what he planned on. He expected Flash, Dash, and Trixie. But… wait a minute. One of the names stuck out to me. One of the names I wouldn’t have expected to see.

The only other one from his list to survive other than me. Diamond Tiara.

Before I could think any harder on that Scootaloo, in a burst of speed, grabbed the set of plans and shoved them roughly into her own pack. “L-look, guys, w-we don’t have t-time for this,” she said, every word shaking out of her mouth like they’d been caught in an earthquake. She held up her Monopad. “We’ve got less than ten minutes left!”

I cursed under my breath several times as I raced for the museum theater, hoping to find something of note. Every step I took my ribs tore into me, every breath like laying on a bed of knives. I was so tired of dealing with this pain. I wanted to lay the hell down, not run around like a maniac. My elbow wasn’t helping either. I was moving so fast I kept jostling it, and that sent fresh surges of white-hot pain burning up and down my nerves.

Fuck, I wanted to swallow some pain pills.

Inside the theater the floor was clean of blood, the display dark, the room lit up more like a classroom than a theater. This allowed me to easily spot a magazine article sitting on the display, made of the same materials as the previous Equestrian piece, suggesting it too was from Equestria.

And it was, though it contained information I hadn’t expected. It was an article detailing the various villains Princess Twilight had dealt with, part of an exposé on her, going along with the previous one we’d found. I didn’t have time to read it properly, so I stuffed it in my pack with the rest to be studied later.

Fact #23: Equestrian Villain Piece: “An editorial piece dated for six months ago that focused on the villains that Princess Twilight had to deal with prior to her ascension to the Equestrian throne. It lists the following villains and their presumed status, with accompanying pictures:
Nightmare Moon: A corrupted alicorn who wanted to bring eternal night. Status: Reformed.
Discord: Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony who once ruled the world. Status: Reformed.
Queen Chrysalis: Former leader of the changelings, responsible for two different invasions of Equestria and an attempted coup alongside Cozy Glow and Lord Tirek. Status: Deceased.
King Sombra: Former leader of the Crystal Empire, a unicorn who uses dark magics. Status: Deceased
Lord Tirek: Centaur from a distant land capable of absorbing magic, responsible for several rampages and an attempted coup alongside Queen Chrysalis and Cozy Glow. Status: Deceased.
Starlight Glimmer: A unicorn of impressive power who once held an entire village hostage to an anti-cutie mark philosophy. Status: Reformed.
Storm King: A yeti warlord who was responsible for the conquest of numerous nations, including Assyria, Mount Aeris, and, briefly, the Equestrian capital of Canterlot. He used the Staff of Sarcanus to perform weather-based magic. Status: Deceased.
Cozy Glow: A pegasus foal who infiltrated the School of Friendship and drained the whole of Equestria’s magic, then subsequently attempted a coup with Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek. Status: Deceased.”

“What was th--” Scootaloo asked.

I held out a hand to stop her. “No time. We’ve got to move. To the church.”

As we sped along I saw Tiara take a look at her Monopad, and winced when I saw the time. Five minutes. Shit!

We made quick work getting to the church foyer, which bore no sign of the damage Trixie had dealt it in the process of setting her trap for Adagio. But there was something laying on the floor, right in the same place where, presumably, Adagio’s body had fallen. It was a journal. And not just any journal, but the very same one we saw in the picture of the two Twilights, with my cutie mark atop it, plus some extra flourishes. I took a moment to glance at it, and my heart sank when I saw how much of the internals had been ruined, either by fire, tearing it apart, or blanking it out with marker. All that was left was a few letters to Princess Twilight about a young friend, whoever that was.

Fact #24: Sunset’s Journal: “A journal detailing communiques between Sunset Shimmer and Princess Twilight Sparkle. Most of the information has been blanked out or destroyed, leaving only a series of letters to Twilight about Sunset’s “young friend” that she made.”

As I picked it up, a loose piece of paper fell out, which I grabbed before it hit the floor. I was afraid it was more damage to the journal, but it wasn’t. It was some sort of fancy paper, like the invoices we’d found for Sweet Apple Acres, but even higher quality. I realized after a moment it was a record of stock ownership, for Diamond Tiara of all people.

Fact #25: Stock Certificate: “A certificate showing that Diamond Tiara owns a substantial amount of stock in both RECL and QGT corporations.”

“You know anything about this, Tiara?” I asked as I held it out to her.

“Uuuuh…” Tiara took it from me, both eyebrows raised to the top of her head. “I uh… no? I mean, sure, I own a lot of stock. Daddy makes sure I do. For a proper investment profile. QGT and RECL are both wealthy, successful companies. Investing in them is good business. But I dunno what it’s got to do with the killing game.”

“Who the fuck even knows?” Scootaloo proclaimed as she threw her hands up in the air. She let them fall, then reached into her bag and grabbed her Monopad. “Oh… oh shit.”

“What? What is it, Scootaloo?” Rarity said.

Scootaloo swallowed noisily and showed us her pad. “Time’s up.”

DING-DONG BING-BONG

The screens around us lit up with Monoponi’s irritating face, once again from the bowels of engineering. “Well, well, my lovely passengers, how does the time fly? Too fast. Always too fast. You’re out of time. Get to the elevator. I’m ready to be finished with this for good.”

“You and me both,” I grumbled as the screens switched off.

“Do you think Applejack’ll meet us there?” Scootaloo wondered as we left the church.

“She’d better!” Tiara declared. “Or else Monoponi’s gonna squish her!” She clapped her hands and rubbed the palms together. “Like that!”

“Hey, listen, Rarity,” I said quietly into the seamstress’s ear as we walked. “I’m sorry I shouted at you. I didn’t mean to.”

Rarity eyed me for a moment with a stern glare, then sighed and reached out to squeeze my shoulder. “I realize that. But please try to contain your temper. I don’t enjoy being snapped at, no matter who does it.”

Shame worked its way through me, burning down my gullet like a shot of rotgut whiskey. “R-right. I’ll try.”

“That’s all I ask.”

We stayed quiet the rest of the way to the food court. I couldn’t speak for the others, but I felt like I was marching to my death, every step closer a foot deeper in the grave. We had no reassurance whatsoever that Monoponi wouldn’t slaughter us all at the end of all of this. We couldn’t even be sure why he was bothering to hold this trial. Or what his goals were. All we could do was ride along, hoping desperately to survive.

Applejack met us there, all right. In fact she seemed like she was waiting for us, impatiently at that, while holding a picture of something in her hand. Though as she glanced at myself and Tiara I saw her eyes widen once again, her teeth chattering in her jaw as she quickly shoved it in her pocket, preventing me from seeing the details.

Fact #26: Unknown Picture: "A picture found by Applejack. She refused to show it to anyone."

“What the hell, Applejack?!” Scootaloo shouted as soon as she got within range. “Why’d you run off like that?”

“Seriously, AJ, you made us chase you half-way around the ship! For nothing!” Tiara added, throwing up a middle finger.

Applejack closed her eyes and shook her head vigorously, then opened them just so she could look away from us. “Ah got nothin’ to say.”

“Of course you don’t,” Rarity snorted, crossing her arms. “You never cease to be a disappointment.”

Oh for fuck’s sake. “Guys, c’mon, let’s stop shouting at each other. We’re all in this together, okay?” I automatically moved my left arm to try to gesture before hissing in pain and letting it fall back into its sling. “We’re not enemies. We’re allies. More than that, we’re friends. We have to work together. We can’t give up on that now, not after everything we’ve been through.”

Monoponi flashed into existence, aloft on outstretched wings as he circled over us like a vulture. “Upupu, listen to you! I wonder if you’ll be singing that tune an hour from now, when you’re all at each other’s throats in the trial to come! But I’m getting ahead of myself.” He landed on all four hooves before us, leering up at us like always. Whatever hints of worry or anxiety he’d shown before had faded, replaced by a cocky confidence above and beyond what he usually demonstrated. He strutted as he walked a full circle around us, head held high and proud. “It’s been a long time coming, this final trial. I’ve been looking forward to it for the whole game! Can you imagine it? The five of you, facing off against me, your wonderful Captain, for the sake of your survival! Can you solve the mysteries? Will you figure out the traitor? The mastermind? Who I really am? Ahaha, you already know I’m not what I appear. Never have been. That’s never been a secret.”

He stopped, and held out a hoof to touch Scootaloo on the leg. The young woman’s whole body curled up protectively, her breathing accelerating to hundreds of miles per hour even as she froze in place. “Will you figure it out?”

Letting her go, he spun around us till he reached Applejack, and like Scootaloo, reached out to stroke a hoof down her leg. To the farmer’s credit, she didn’t shriek or yelp, but managed to stand there stoically, despite shaking like a leaf. “Or will you fail?”

Dropping his hoof, he circled us again till he reached Tiara, this time reaching out to tap her on the belly. Tiara screamed and tried to back away, only for his magic to hold her in place. “Will you win?” he said.

Releasing her, he moved on to Rarity. Her lips thinned into an invisible line as he reached out a wing to curl around her legs. “Or will you lose?”

Finally, he moved on to me. Unlike the others he didn’t try to touch me. Instead he reared up on his back legs, using his wings to hold himself up till he looked me dead in the eye. “Which will it be, Sunset?”

“We’re going to win, of course,” I answered, just barely resisting the urge to punch him in his stupid face.

“So you say. But do you even know what you have to do to win? Do you even know why you’re here? Why I did all of this? Of course you don’t.” He laughed in my face, his jaws splitting open wide to spray spit all over me. “But you’ll find out, before the end.”

“Just tell us one thing,” I said as I wiped myself clean, my mouth curled in disgust. “Is there a chance, any chance, that we’ll survive?”

He ceased laughing at once, his face going blank. He dropped back to all four hooves, his ears shifting on his head to point towards the bridge deck exit of the promenade. “Uh oh,” I heard him whisper.

BOOM!

The entire ship shuddered like a heavyweight boxer punched in the gut. Everyone, myself included, screamed as we tried to stay on our feet. The lights dimmed for a moment, a few of them going out before they all turned back on. Somewhere outside I heard the machine guns spinning up before unleashing a cavalcade of fire like a giant tearing apart a piece of leather. Smaller booms echoed as the larger guns aboard the ship spoke, each one shaking the ship for a split second.

“Well, it seems the festivities have begun earlier than I intended!” Monoponi said cheerfully, as if nothing was wrong. His horn lit up to unlock the gates to the elevator, causing them to swing open far faster than he usually bothered. “Better get on the elevator while it still works!”

None of us moved. We were all too busy staring at him in shock. “What in tarnation is goin’ on out there?!” Applejack roared.

“Are we under attack?” Rarity cried. “B-by who?!”

“Oh, just some little piece of trash who thinks she can interfere with my plans!” Monoponi growled, his face momentarily twisted up in rage before he shifted back to a pleasant smile. “Don’t you worry about her. She’ll join us in the trial eventually. But not without making her work for it.”

“It’s Princess Twilight, isn’t it?” I breathed, a spark of hope lighting up inside me. “She’s trying to rescue us.”

BOOOOOOM!

The ship shook so hard Tiara was knocked off her feet, the rest of us barely faring much better. That one had been much closer. In fact as I glanced down the promenade towards the restaurants, I thought I saw some flames licking the sides of the ship just outside the Lover’s Corner balcony before they were snuffed out. I definitely saw the answering boom of the closest large gun firing a shell somewhere past the sheets of rain.

“Well if she is she needs to stop shooting before she kills us!” Tiara screeched, managing to climb to her feet only thanks to Scootaloo’s outstretched supporting arm.

“Nonsense!” Monoponi said with a casual wave of his wing. “She’d never kill you. But I will if you don’t get on that elevator right now!”

Tiara screamed as she ran, arms flailing, for the elevator. Scootaloo groaned before running after her, Applejack joining them after a moment. Rarity hesitated, raising a hand to me, asking a silent question. “Go,” I said.

She nodded, then hurried off after them. But I stayed behind, just for a moment.

“What’re you waiting for, Shimmer?” Monoponi growled, fixing me with his crimson gaze. “Get. Going.”

“I don’t know why,” I replied, meeting him glare for glare, “but for some reason, all of this feels like you meant for it to happen. Like you want Princess Twilight here, firing at the ship. Why? What’s the point? What are you really after?”

Muted explosions rang through the air as Monoponi sighed, his head drooping, ears going flat against his skull. “Oh Sunset. You’re still wasting time asking questions you know I won’t answer?”

“You’re going to have to, once we’re down there.” My glare shifted into a scowl. “I’m tired of playing this bullshit game.”

“Oh, but it’s been so much fun playing together, hasn’t it?” Monoponi looked back up at me, with an expression of… gratitude? Warmth? Happiness? Something alien, something I hadn’t seen him express, and the sight of it filled me with an existential dread like nothing else. “After all, we’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Excuse me?” I whispered, my confidence fading rapidly. “What’re you saying?”

Monoponi gently shook his head and grinned at me. “You’ll find out.” His grin dropped, replaced by the cold-hearted stare of a crazed killer. “Get. Going.” His horn lit up to wrap his own throat in magic, distorting his voice into something resembling a deep-throated monster. “NOW!”

Unnerved, I took a few steps back, spun on my heels, then made my way into the elevator as fast as I dared with my injuries. It’s not worth it, Sunset. You’ve still got time to solve this. To figure out what he’s doing, and stop it.

You’ve still got time.

As I boarded the elevator, I took a moment to look at my fellow passengers, take in their expressions, but as I expected, they were all afraid. Terrified panic, in Tiara and Rarity’s case. Applejack and Scootaloo held themselves tense, anxious, waiting for something, anything to happen to throw it all into chaos. “It’s okay guys,” I said, softer than I would’ve liked. “We’re going to be okay.”

No one responded as the doors to the elevator closed and we began our descent. And as we fell deeper and deeper into the ship, the sounds of combat fading away, replaced by only the most occasional muted thump or rattle of the elevator on its cables, I considered the trial ahead.

While we had the mastermind to find, we still had to solve the mystery of the traitor.

Was it Diamond Tiara, like I suspected? The elitist Rich Kid, with the influence, resources, and connections to give Monoponi an edge? With the skills to manipulate us all, to keep the tension flowing, to throw a fresh monkey wrench in the works every now and then?

Was it Scootaloo? The isolated one, who’d kept to herself. Always on the periphery. Always there to help, with a kind word or gesture, a thoughtful gift, but rarely making close ties. Like she just wanted to keep us going. Keep us from giving up, from giving in to the despair. Persistence in the face of death, enough to keep the game alive.

Was it Rarity? She had connections, like Tiara, though she didn’t have the same level of resources. But she’d been there to meet me, when I first stepped outside my cabin. The very first one I spoke to. The one who somehow managed to escape death time and again, despite motives and opportunities all aimed squarely at her. Sure, she’d lost her sister, but so what? It wouldn’t be the first time a traitor had given up what was most precious to them, just for the sake of the game. Monoponi was surprised the traitor was still alive, after all.

Speaking of survivors, was it Applejack? With her odd behavior and bold-faced lies in the investigation, running away from everyone, refusing to speak a word no matter what we asked. Like Rarity, she’d lost someone precious to her, but what applied to Rarity applied to her too. Both of them were supposed to die in the third case, according to Monoponi, which would’ve been an easy way of tying up loose ends. After all, her farm, a local, tiny farm on the Amareican coast had sold goods, regularly, to one of the top cruise lines in the world. Why? What gave her that connection? Was her honesty just a facade?

Or… was it me? Was Sweetie Belle right? Was Twilight right? Could I be the traitor after all? I was the only one who knew Danganronpa. We saw what I presumed was the mastermind playing the games with me. We found that invitation, something I still didn’t comprehend. Monoponi had said the traitor was keeping things interesting, involved. And he sure seemed invested in keeping me alive. Like he’d chosen me to fulfill a role. The role of protagonist. And what he’d just said before I boarded the elevator… the “fun” we’d had together. Like this was all one big giant game between him and me, with everyone else merely pawns.

Whatever the case, I knew one thing. By the end of this trial, we were either going to have our answers, or we’d be dead. And if I was going to die today, I wouldn’t go down without a fight. I’d take him with me. I was going to keep my promise to Trixie.

I wasn’t going to let him win. Because I am Sunset Shimmer, damn it. I don’t lose! I’ve saved our lives four times now in these trials. I can do it once more.

I will do it.

I will save our lives in this trial of life and death!

Author's Note

And here we go! The final chapter, where we get all the answers, solve the mysteries! Excitement! Thrills! Adventure!

~~God I hope I don't fuck this up.~~

This part was posted a day early to give you all some more time to think and consider. As with every investigation, you should have all the information you need, between the clues and narration. Be warned: narration from the entire story matters here. I have sprinkled clues throughout from the very beginning. And as always, I ask that you place your guesses in spoiler tags. :twilightsmile: It is my opinion and belief that most of you will successfully guess both the traitor and mastermind. Writing this investigation was not easy, because I wanted to make it solvable without being too obvious, and I fear even now I still strayed too close to the latter. But hopefully the ride will be enjoyable nonetheless.

Oh, as for the two clues that have not had their contents disclosed? This is for narrative reasons, as otherwise I feel they'd give it away entirely. I have a hint as to their contents if you really want it, though I discourage you from reading it unless you're completely stuck: Both involve something from the first EQG movie.

Yes, the music is different again. It's always different in Chapter Six. :raritywink:

Oh, and if you're wondering why the ship's name is Harmony of the Horizons? Well apart from the obvious parallel to the real life Symphony of the Seas, it's because of the name of the story. In Harmony's Wake, get it? :rainbowkiss:

I'll see myself out.:ajsleepy:

Chapter Six: Dead in the Water Part 2

Chapter Six
Dead in the Water
Trial Part 1

Fact #1: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment: “A torn piece of paper detailing thoughts of the mastermind, with the following entries:
‘These morons aren’t using their Monopads right! Why aren’t they texting?’
‘Flash and Twilight Sparkle are romantically involved. This could be a big problem.’
‘What the hell was wrong with Timber? Why couldn’t he have drugged Wallflower right? Why did he make such a stupid note?!’
‘Woah. Sunset and Adagio? That could be an even bigger problem! I’m going to need a new photo for after the third trial. I can’t risk the siren finding out who took her magic now. I need Sunset alive.’
‘Way to leave it to the last second, Apple Bloom! I thought I was going to lose Sunset there for a second.’”

Fact #2: Video Game Case: “A case for a video game entitled ‘Tirek’s Revenge.’ It features a large red centaur on the box art.”

Fact #3: Ship Picture: “A picture of a blurred out figure standing on the bridge deck of the ship, appearing to give out instructions to a group of workers, all of whom seem to be hypnotized in some way as they work on installing weapons. Several boxes carried in the photo are listed as ‘property of QGT corporation.’”

Fact #4: Harmony of the Horizons Informational Pamphlet: “A short guide on the Harmony of the Horizons, the largest cruise ship ever built. Constructed in 2010 by RECL, it boasts a massive six thousand passenger capacity and a thrilling assortment of amenities, ranging from on-board sky-diving, go-kart racing, and ice skating, to a gorgeous promenade laden with massive shops and restaurants automated for passenger convenience. For the more selective, private passengers there are also a substantial number of private dining facilities located near the stern. Spa and fitness facilities aboard are top notch, unparalleled by any other modern cruise ship. For the intellectuals it also features a fully stocked three floor library with plenty of coverage on any subject one could desire, even for those who need to brush up during a break from their education. There is also a large museum which switches out its subject on a yearly basis, and is expected to feature AUSA as its focus in 2020. And for those who are spiritually inclined, the ship includes a large house of worship with facilities prepared for every major and most well-known minor faiths.”

Fact #5: Internet News Article Printout: “A printout of a news article from a website that states in January of 2020 the Harmony of the Horizons was taken out of commission by the company due to ‘undisclosed issues’ and will return to service in late 2021 after major renovations are completed.”

Fact #6: Wallflower Picture: “A picture depicting Wallflower Blush using some sort of mysterious magical stone artifact on Sunset Shimmer, in front of Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack.”

Fact #7: Apple Bloom’s Monopad: “Apple Bloom’s Monopad. Applejack refuses to divulge its contents.”

Fact #8: Sweet Apple Acres Invoices. “A series of invoices from Sweet Apple Acres to RECL for bulk orders of various crops and artisan goods. Each one is signed by Applejack Apple.”

Fact #9: Black Book: “A list of contacts, phone numbers, names, and associations for Rarity Belle’s boutique. Listed amongst the contacts is information for all sixteen passengers that were involved in the Killing Game. Several other names are blanked out, but are listed as associated with the RECL corporation.”

Fact #10: Party Invitation: “An invitation to a party being thrown by Sunset Shimmer. Several words are blacked out with marker. It reads: ‘You’re invited! Come down to Salami Slice’s Pizza on [censored] at [censored] to celebrate the birthday of Sunset Shimmer’s friend, [censored.] This is a surprise party so don’t spill the beans!’
In smaller text near the bottom it reads: ‘Be sure to keep this invitation: a raffle will be held. One lucky winner will [censored.]’ The raffle portion is missing from the invitation.”

Fact #11: Fact Sheet: “A sheet listing the magical talents of seven people. Four of the entries are blacked out. The three that remain are:
Rarity Belle: Gemstone Manifestation
Applejack: Super Strength
Sunset Shimmer: Mind Reading.”

Fact #12: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment #2: “A torn piece of paper detailing thoughts of the mastermind, with the following entries:
‘That damned map tracking was the biggest mistake I ever made. They’re not supposed to use it that way! I’m taking it away after this trial.’
‘Why do they keep bending the rules?! That’s it. If anyone breaks a rule I’m going to execute them. I’m sick of this. They need to learn proper respect for me!’
‘Fluttershy! Fucking Fluttershy! Why the hell was it Fluttershy? I need to review the security footage. Something doesn’t feel right.’
‘I knew it! I knew it I knew it I knew it! They used me! I’m going to have to change the motive. I can’t risk messing up the count. I need five survivors, damn it.’”

Fact #13: Princess Twilight Piece: “An Equestrian magazine article, dated for two years ago, about Princess Twilight’s life, complete with pictures, detailing her birth in Canterlot as a unicorn, her transformation as an alicorn, and her original coronation as a lesser Princess. It goes on to detail her coronation as Princess of Equestria, describing it as a tumultuous event that brought together races from all over to defeat three villains and imprison them in stone. It also describes rapid physical changes she’s undergone since that cause her to resemble Princesses Luna and Celestia.”

Fact #14: Equestrian Tome: “A decrepit, ancient Equestrian tome written in High Ponish that speaks about an artifact known as the Memory Stone that can affect memories. Few details are discernable, however it does mention the artifact leaves a strong, permanent imprint of its power on the minds of those it affects.”

Fact #15: Friendship Picture: “A picture of a younger alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle, standing next to a unicorn copy of herself that wears glasses and a pegasus Rainbow Dash with her wings draped down. They are smiling and waving at the camera.”

Fact #16: RECL Factbook Pages: “A few pages scanned from a factbook on the RECL corporation. RECL, or Regal Equine Cruise Lines, was founded in 1952 as a subsidiary of QGT, Quality Guns and Technologies, a major military-industrial contractor focused on naval arms and armaments and other naval technologies during the First and Second Great Wars. RECL was founded by the company as a spin-off for civilian applications of naval technologies and tourism, and today is the largest and most profitable cruise line company in the world. Though no longer a subsidiary of its parent corporation, RECL maintains close ties to QGT, and frequently do business together. The pride and joy of the RECL corporation is the Harmony of the Horizons, the single largest cruise ship ever constructed, debuted in 2010 with state of the art robotics and automation involved in every aspect of its amenities, allegedly sourced from QGTs advancements in robotic engineering.”

Fact #17: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment #3: “A torn piece of paper detailing thoughts of the mastermind with the following entries:
‘Nonononono! How did I miss some of her magic? How?! This is a disaster.’
‘Everything is going wrong. I need to make sure Twilight dies. If I kill Twilight I can fix it.’
‘Time for the backup motive. Maybe I can get the farmer to kill the marshmallow and get it back on track.’
‘I do not believe this. Flash! Flash, you idiot! Oooooh I’m not letting you get away with this you stupid little shit!’
‘That’s it. Sunset stood up to me one too many times. She’s too inspirational. She could ruin everything. I’m throwing out the plan. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m tired of dealing with her. She dies. And I know I can get the siren to do it.’
‘That useless excuse for a magician saw everything! I’ll need to make an appearance. Maybe I can salvage this.’”

Fact #18: Youth Center Logbook Page: “A torn, weathered page from the Canterlot Youth Center logbook, detailing a list of sign-in names, and times. Scootaloo’s name is signed on multiple entries for various dates.”

Fact #19: Youth Center Pamphlet: “A pamphlet for the Canterlot Youth Center, explaining it is a place for youngsters of all ages up to eighteen to hang out, make friends, and participate in healthy activities, and asking those interested to become a sponsor for said youth, taking on the role of an older sibling figure.”

Fact #20: Danganronpa Pictures: “A series of three pictures depicting Sunset Shimmer with another individual. The pictures are censored, making determining the identity of the other person impossible. In each one, Sunset and the person are playing a Danganronpa game, a different game in each picture. The pictures are timestamped, dated to March, April, and May of 2020.”

Fact #21: Elements of Harmony, A Reference Guide, Updated Edition: “A guide to the Elements of Harmony, describing them as the six virtues of Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Friendship, also known as Magic.”

Fact #22: Typewritten Plans: “A set of typewritten plans for a Killing Game involving Sunset Shimmer and her friends. According to the plan, the cases were to occur as follows:
Trial 1: Victim: Wallflower Blush; Blackened: Timber Spruce
Trial 2: Victim: Apple Bloom; Blackened: Sweetie Belle
Trial 3: Victims: Applejack, Rarity; Blackened: Twilight Sparkle
Trial 4: Victim: Scootaloo; Blackened: Fluttershy
Trial 5: Victim: Adagio Dazzle; Blackened: Pinkie Pie
Survivors: Sunset Shimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, Diamond Tiara, Rainbow Dash, Flash Sentry.”

Fact #23: Equestrian Villain Piece: “An editorial piece dated for six months ago that focused on the villains that Princess Twilight had to deal with prior to her ascension to the Equestrian throne. It lists the following villains and their presumed status, with accompanying pictures:
Nightmare Moon: A corrupted alicorn who wanted to bring eternal night. Status: Reformed.
Discord: Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony who once ruled the world. Status: Reformed.
Queen Chrysalis: Former leader of the changelings, responsible for two different invasions of Equestria and an attempted coup alongside Cozy Glow and Lord Tirek. Status: Deceased.
King Sombra: Former leader of the Crystal Empire, a unicorn who uses dark magics. Status: Deceased
Lord Tirek: Centaur from a distant land capable of absorbing magic, responsible for several rampages and an attempted coup alongside Queen Chrysalis and Cozy Glow. Status: Deceased.
Starlight Glimmer: A unicorn of impressive power who once held an entire village hostage to an anti-cutie mark philosophy. Status: Reformed.
Storm King: A yeti warlord who was responsible for the conquest of numerous nations, including Assyria, Mount Aeris, and, briefly, the Equestrian capital of Canterlot. He used the Staff of Sarcanus to perform weather-based magic. Status: Deceased.
Cozy Glow: A pegasus foal who infiltrated the School of Friendship and drained the whole of Equestria’s magic, then subsequently attempted a coup with Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek. Status: Deceased.”

Fact #24: Sunset’s Journal: “A journal detailing communiques between Sunset Shimmer and Princess Twilight Sparkle. Most of the information has been blanked out or destroyed, leaving only a series of letters to Twilight about Sunset’s “young friend” that she made.”

Fact #25: Stock Certificate: “A certificate showing that Diamond Tiara owns a substantial amount of stock in both RECL and QGT corporations.”

Fact #26: Unknown Picture: "A picture found by Applejack. She refused to show it to anyone."

As we filed into the courtroom, I took in the appearance. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this final trial, but what I saw certainly wasn’t it. The courtroom had been dressed up like Canterlot palace, aping the design of the throne room with large marble pillars between walls of more marble painted in purples, with stained glass windows featuring pairs of ponies in various odd situations, like stranded on a floating island, or trapped in a crystal cave. Monoponi’s throne had disappeared from its usual spot, moved to sit behind the podium where Wallflower’s portrait had once stood.

Once stood, that is, because he’d completely shuffled up everyone’s places. I was the only one left with the same podium, whilst my fellow survivors joined me on the left and right. Wallflower’s portrait was gone, in its place Monoponi himself leering at us, presumably standing on some sort of footstool so he’d be able to reach the top of the podium. He’d surrounded himself with the portraits of the blackeneds, or blackened wannabe in Adagio’s case, leaving the victims on our side.

Trixie’s portrait, sitting right on Monoponi’s left, haunted me with the cheerful expression on her face. She looked downright happy, ecstatic even, almost like she’d been in the process of photobombing someone. I’m certain he put her there to mess with my head, to be as galling as possible, like a reminder of my failures. And yet, I managed to shove that aside, and take confidence from it instead. She wasn’t mocking me. She was cheering me on. I’m going to beat him, Trixie. For you. For all of us.

“Welcome, welcome!” Monoponi greeted, his voice all too happy. “Since this is the final trial, for the mastermind no less, I’m joining you as a participant! I’ll be here to answer questions if you ask them, but don’t expect me to give away everything! It’s still up to you to figure out who the traitor is, who I am, and why I put together this lovely little game. And don’t worry, we’re still going to have a vote at the end. What for, you ask? You’ll find out! Ahahaha!”

I turned my gaze to focus on Monoponi, on his stupid little grinning face, his oversized pony eyes brimming with malicious glee. He seemed bothered not a whit by the occasional rattle of the walls or the echoes of explosions from above. We were deep inside the center of the ship, far away from it all, the sounds of combat more like a distant thunderstorm. As I glared at him, I remembered what Trixie had told me, what Rarity and I had figured out before the investigation. If he really was here, physically, in this room, then who was firing back at Princess Twilight? Was it all automated? I decided to open with it, and ask him outright.

“Monoponi,” I said as I busied my hands with hooking up my Monopad to the podium. “Tell me something. Are you a puppet, or is the one behind you physically here, in this room with us?”

“That’s what you’re wondering about?!” Tiara cried, looking at me like I’d gone insane. “The ship is under attack! Why’re we even down here?”

“Oh you don’t have to worry your pretty little head about that,” Monoponi replied, waving a hoof casually Tiara’s way. “The autopilot can handle Princess Twilight’s pathetic little rowboat. It’s done a swell job so far!”

Well that answers one question, at least. “So you are here, then.”

“Yes, I am, I will admit that,” Monoponi said, spreading out his forelegs in an attempt to look magnanimous. It came across more as mockery. “But I’m surprised you figured that out. It’s not like Trixie’s little hint to you proved that. What if I was sitting in a separate room, away from my security cameras, like--”

“Like Junko, you mean?” I shook my head with a laugh. “Come on, Monoponi. You left me with enough memories of magic to know you don’t need to bother yourself with such an elaborate setup. A magical puppet or golem isn’t like a robot. You don’t need a whole computer setup and cameras to see through it. All you need is a mental connection. Then you could sit in front of all the cameras you wanted while simultaneously looking through your puppet’s eyes.”

“Now hold on a minute there, sugarcube,” Applejack said, giving me a stern look. “Ah ain’t about to pretend Ah know much of robotics, but Ah thought you told us once the Monoponi from those Danganronpa games were robots. What makes you think this one ain’t?”

Arching an eyebrow at her, I said, “Because he’s not. He’s never, not once, acted like a robot. I’m a mechanical engineer, and while I’m no robotics expert, I know enough to tell a robot when I see one. And even with the advanced robotics on this ship, they can’t have the range of expressions he’s demonstrated, or the range of motion, the dexterity. And maybe you don’t remember this, but he actually hugged me once. I remember feeling how warm he was, how fluffy, just like a real pony would be. It was disgusting. Magic could fake that, but robotics can’t, meaning he’s a real living being.”

The farmer snorted, her nostrils flaring as she shook her head, then fixed me with a piercing stare, one I didn’t know how to interpret.”If you say so. You’d know best.”

Taken aback, I asked, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Before Applejack could answer, Monoponi held up a hoof and coughed. Applejack glanced his way, swallowed nervously, then said, “Nothin’.”

Oookay. That’s not suspicious at all. I’d better sit on that for the moment though. I don’t want to sling accusations before I have proof. “Alright then.”

“So, like, we need to figure out the traitor, right?” Scootaloo said, extending a hand to gesture with. “Where do we start with that?”

“We did find a lot of clues,” Rarity answered hesitantly. The corner of her mouth curled into an uncertain frown. “But I don’t know where to begin with them.”

“Let’s start with what we know about the traitor,” I said. I held up my hand and began to count off on my fingers. “First, we know they were involved with stealing our memories. Second, according to Monoponi, they’ve been working with him to make the game exciting and interesting. Third, Monoponi was surprised they survived.” I narrowed my eyes and glared at the alicorn. “They are still alive, right?”

Snorting like the stallion he was, Monoponi answered, “Yes. It’s one of you!”

Scootaloo set her hands down on her podium. “Then whoever it is should admit it already. Who is it?” She narrowed her eyes at the farmer. “Is it you, Applejack? Is that why you ran from us?”

Applejack’s fiery temper flared as she whirled on the younger woman. “Ah beg your pardon?! Are you accusin’ me of riggin’ a game where mah own sister died?! What kinda messed up person would Ah be if Ah did that?”

“Hey!” I shouted, holding out my good hand. “Stop it. We’re not going to get anywhere by accusing each other. Let’s calm down and go over the facts, okay?”

Rarity hummed as she glanced through her Monopad, then selected something. “Well, if we want to focus on the facts, I do have a question for you, Applejack.”

Fact #8: Sweet Apple Acres Invoices. “A series of invoices from Sweet Apple Acres to RECL for bulk orders of various crops and artisan goods. Each one is signed by Applejack Apple.”

“Care to explain this?”

Frowning, Applejack looked at the invoices on her own Monopad. “Ah can’t. Ah’ve never seen these before.”

“But they have your signature,” Rarity pressed, her tone turning nasty. “Don’t they?”

“Well, they do, but Ah still don’t recognize ‘em. Ah don’t even know what RECL is.”

Diamond Tiara scoffed, muttering, “Of course you don’t.” In a louder voice she continued, “They’re the company that built this ship. Duh.”

“Stands for Regal Equine Cruise Lines,” I added. “Rarity told me during the investigation that your farm is too small time for a global company to bother purchasing from.”

“Oh she did, did she?” Applejack growled, glaring daggers at the seamstress. “Ah don’t appreciate you insultin’ mah livelihood like that.”

Rarity rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Oh please. It’s hardly an insult to state facts.”

Applejack’s face rippled with tension as she sneered. “Ah guess Ah shouldn’t expect anythin’ else from someone tryin’ to be a rich--”

“Oh would you shut up?!” Scootaloo roared, slamming her hands down on her podium. “I’m sick of hearing you two go on about how much you hate each other. For fuck’s sake, it’s not worth it!”

Rarity recoiled, her lips trembling before she withdrew into herself in shame. Applejack pulled back a fist like she was prepared to take Scootaloo’s head off, only to let it drop to her side as she bowed her head, her anger fizzled out. “Sorry, Scootaloo,” the farmer mumbled.

“Don’t apologize,” Scootaloo replied with a sigh. “Just don’t do it, okay?”

Applejack nodded glumly. “Ah won’t.” Then her lips tightened. “Mah farm isn’t very big, it’s true. It ain’t like some of those massive orchards they have up in the Pacific northwest. And we don’t just grow apples. We grow a whole bunch of different things. So… Ah guess if you look at it that way, it really don’t make much sense we would’ve sold stuff to some fancy cruise line.”

“Wait a minute,” Tiara said, giving me a questioning look. “Do we even know for sure that there’s products from her farm on the ship?”

“Uh, yes, Tiara,” I replied immediately. “Yes we do. Don’t you remember?”

~*~
With Applejack’s help it didn’t take long to get all three tables in place, and by the time we did Twilight had snapped out of whatever stupor she was stuck in. “Alright, that’s done,” Applejack pronounced happily, wiping her hands together as if to get rid of dust or dirt. “What’s next?”

“We need drinks and snacks,” I answered. “I think Pinkie said something about two big bowls for beer and cider?”

Applejack’s grin split her face ear to ear. “Cider? We can do cider! Ah think I saw a buncha big bottles of it in the duty-free store. They’re even Sweet Apple Acres brand, if ya can believe it. Apple Bloom, come help me bring ‘em.”
~*~

“The cider we had at Pinkie’s pool party was from Applejack’s farm.”

Tiara cringed, her face turning green while one hand moved to cover her belly. “Oh. Right. I tried to forget all about that.”

“It did seem a mite odd, come to think of it,” Applejack said with a concerned frown. “My family prefers to sell cider ourselves. We only make bottles like the kind Ah got from the duty-free store for a few local shops in Canterlot. It’s specialty stuff, part of how we stay afloat in the winter.” She gave a sheepish shrug and laughed. “Ah guess Ah was too excited to have some of mah’s family’s cider to realize that at the time.”

Rarity pursed her lips like she was prepared to say something nasty, only to think better of it. “So why would the ship buy some of your stock?”

Scootaloo rapped her knuckles against her podium. “Maybe… maybe it was for this killing game. Maybe the mastermind planned ahead with the ship’s stores, so Applejack could have some of her family’s liquor around.”

“We do have evidence suggesting that,” I agreed.

Fact #5: Internet News Article Printout: “A printout of a news article from a website that states in early 2020 the Harmony of the Horizons was taken out of commission by the company due to ‘undisclosed issues’ and will return to service in late 2021 after major renovations are completed.”

“AJ, was there a date on the invoices?”

Applejack peered at her Monopad. “Looks like the purchases happened around Winter 2019 to Spring 2020."

“Well there you go,” Scootaloo said with a slight grin.

Tiara snapped her fingers. “Hold on! How do we know that was the mastermind? What if it had nothing to do with them?”

“Why should we assume that?” I said, spreading out my hands in bemusement. “The mastermind gave us this article so we could use it as evidence in this trial. That should be all the reason we need to accept it’s proof that it was the mastermind’s fault.”

“But what if they only did that to mislead us?” Tiara countered. “We don’t know when the mastermind took over the ship.”

“No, but we do know they were involved with adding weapons to the ship,” I said.

Fact #3: Ship Picture: “A picture of a blurred out figure standing on the bridge deck of the ship, appearing to give out instructions to a group of workers, all of whom seem to be hypnotized in some way as they work on installing weapons. Several boxes carried in the photo are listed as ‘property of QGT corporation.’”

“Look at how these people are hypnotized. That means the one behind it was using magic. And there’s only one person we know who would have the magic to hypnotize people like that: the mastermind.

Scootaloo grunted in disagreement. “I dunno, Sunset. We’ve never seen Monoponi outright hypnotize people. How do we know he can?”

“There’s no one else who could,” I reiterated. “At least, as far as we know.”

Fact #11: Fact Sheet: “A sheet listing the magical talents of seven people. Four of the entries are blacked out. The three that remain are:
Rarity Belle: Gemstone Manifestation
Applejack: Super Strength
Sunset Shimmer: Mind Reading.”

“The closest who comes to hypnotism is myself, but hypnotism and mind reading aren’t even remotely the same thing.”

Applejack’s piercing stare returned in full force. “Is that so?”

“Apparently,” I shrugged. “Didn’t know till I read this. Monoponi must’ve drained the ability out of me, like he drained the rest of our magic.” What is her deal? Applejack, you’re starting to scare me.

“But, wait,” Scootaloo said, pointing at her Monopad. “This only has three names on it. Who’re the other four?”

“They don’t matter,” Monoponi growled, shooting a nasty glare at her. “They’re dead.”

“I can hazard a guess, Scootaloo,” I replied, ignoring Monoponi’s twitchy-eyed scowl. “Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. They’re the other ones who were in the pictures with me when we… when the Rainbooms took on the Dazzlings.”

“It does make a great deal of sense,” Rarity said, nodding. “Though I wonder what their magic was. It seems as if we all had one unique talent. Though I’m still not sure what mine was. Gemstone manifestation?”

“I think,” I said after taking a moment, “it’s referring to telekinesis. Unicorns in Equestria are able to use telekinesis in a great many ways. The usual way is to pick things up and move them around, but it can be bent to accomplish other tasks, up to and including self-levitation. And if I remember from my dreams, Rarity, the pony version of you I saw had a fine sense of telekinesis far beyond most ponies. She was able to manipulate dozens of objects at once like it was nothing, and she had an innate gem-finding spell. Combine those two together, and you get the ability to manifest gemstone-stylized telekinetic fields.”

“Well, Monoponi?” Rarity said, turning to face the alicorn. “Is she right?”

Monoponi hissed a sigh through his jagged teeth. “Yes. Yes, that’s what your power was. Not that it matters!”

“If it doesn’t matter, then why did you leave us the list?” I said.

He crossed his forelegs over his barrel and huffed. “Figure that out for yourself.”

“Wait, Sunset, I get that you were right,” Scootaloo said, looking at me quizzically, “but what made you think our Rarity’s power would have anything to do with that pony Rarity you saw?”

A sheepish smile overtook my face for a moment. “Right, of course, you wouldn’t get it.” I held a fist to my mouth and coughed to clear my throat, wincing at the sharp tug of pain from my ribs. “It’s because of what we saw in that photo album. Remember how everyone, even me at the end, had pony attributes, just like how Princess Twilight did in that one other picture we found?”

“Yeah… so?”

“So,” I continued, “it stands to reason that if they were ponified in some way, then their magic has links to Equestrian magic. And given that we all seem to have alternates in Equestria, it logically follows that our talents would be similar to their talents.”

Tiara’s face screwed up into an expression of disbelief. “Wait, all of us?”

“Yeah, all of us. Except me, obviously, since I’m from Equestria.” I frowned, a thought occurring to me. “Though maybe I have an alternate here on Earth somewhere that I’ve never met…”

“Did… did you see my alternate in your dream, Sunset?” Scootaloo said hesitantly.

“I did. She looked a lot younger, like she was still a foal, but I did. She hung out all the time with…” My mouth tightened as I glanced briefly at Applejack and Rarity. “With Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.”

Rarity took in a sharp breath and covered her mouth with one hand. “Are you saying… my sister’s alternate is still alive?”

“I don’t see why she wouldn’t be,” I answered, before casting a dark glare at Monoponi. “Unless he did something.”

“Moi? I haven’t harmed a hair on anypony’s head, save yours, Sunset.” Monoponi shrugged his shoulders. “But it also doesn’t matter. Stop worrying about the ponies and focus on this game.”

“‘Sides, even if that other Apple Bloom is alive,” Applejack said, her words hitting us like frozen blocks of ice, “she ain’t mah Apple Bloom.”

“I suppose that’s a good point,” Rarity sighed, bowing her head.

“So,” I said, trying to move the conversation along, “we know that the mastermind obtained the ship in advance, and had enough influence to make decisions on what places the cruise line sourced goods from. That must mean the mastermind either works for the company that owns this ship, or has close enough ties that they can mind-control whoever has enough authority to decide what happens with the ship.”

“What kind of ties are we talking here?” Scootaloo asked, spreading out her hands. “Are we talking, like, family of the CEO?”

“Ah don’t think they’d need to be family,” Applejack said with a snort. She glanced through her Monopad, then her mouth twisted into a sneer. “Ah think they’d just need to have sufficient connections. Like, say, bein’ a major stockholder!”

Fact #25: Stock Certificate: “A certificate showing that Diamond Tiara owns a substantial amount of stock in both RECL and QGT corporations.”

“W-w-what?!” Tiara yelped, taking a step back from her podium. “No, no, no way!”

“Oh come on,” Scootaloo groaned, slapping a hand to her forehead. “You can’t seriously be suggesting Diamond Tiara is the mastermind. She’s standing right there!”

“Honestly, Applejack, even for you, this is stupid,” Rarity sighed.

With narrowed eyes I stared at the farmer. “Applejack, what’re you doing?”

Applejack rubbed her nose with her thumb. “Ah’m just pointin’ out Tiara’s connections makes her suspicious.”

“Is that so?” I growled, using her words from earlier against her.

She dropped her hand so she could look me in the eye. “Yeah. That’s so. Ain’t nothin’ else to it.”

Bullshit. You’re pulling something and I don’t like it. And the longer you’re doing it, the more suspicious you look. But I’d better bait her out, give her enough rope to hang herself with. “Alright then,” I said, deliberately dropping my gaze. “It is suspicious that Tiara has connections like that, yes. It would make it easy for her to cooperate with the mastermind. Coordinate.”

“Did you just accuse me of being the traitor?!” Tiara gasped, gripping both hands into fists as her lips pulled back to show her teeth. “What the hell, Sunset?”

“I didn’t say that, Tiara,” I replied, trying a smile in the hopes it would calm her down. I’m still pretty sure you are, but I don’t have enough information to prove it yet. “Just pointing out that it’s a possibility. You have spoken about how influential your family is on several occasions.”

“And?!” Tiara snarled, her teeth gnashing. “That doesn’t mean shit! How many times do I have to prove I’ve been trying to be a better person? I thought you believed in me.”

“I do,” I said, blatantly lying to her face. Out the corner of my eye I saw Applejack grumble something under her breath. “But it’s something we have to investigate. Relax, Tiara. I’m not going to say anyone is the traitor until we’re certain, okay?”

“Tch,” Tiara muttered, pulling her hands up so she could cross her arms over her chest, then pointed at me with one finger. “Fine. But I’m telling you right now: I’m not the traitor.”

I nodded several times in rapid succession. “I hear you. You mentioned this briefly during the investigation, but I’d like you to go over again why you have stock in these two companies.”

“Wait, wait,” Scootaloo said, holding up her hands. “Hold up a sec. Both that picture you showed us and this stock certificate mentions a QGT. Who’re they?”

“Oh, right, you weren’t with us when we found this.”

Fact #16: RECL Factbook Pages: “A few pages scanned from a factbook on the RECL corporation. RECL, or Regal Equine Cruise Lines, was founded in 1952 as a subsidiary of QGT, Quality Guns and Technologies, a major military-industrial contractor focused on naval arms and armaments and other naval technologies during the First and Second Great Wars. RECL was founded by the company as a spin-off for civilian applications of naval technologies and tourism, and today is the largest and most profitable cruise line company in the world. Though no longer a subsidiary of its parent corporation, RECL maintains close ties to QGT, and frequently do business together. The pride and joy of the RECL corporation is the Harmony of the Horizons, the single largest cruise ship ever constructed, debuted in 2010 with state of the art robotics and automation involved in every aspect of its amenities, allegedly sourced from QGTs advancements in robotic engineering.”

“They’re one of the largest military-industrial contractors. Once I read that I remembered some other things I’ve read about them in the past; they were involved in a lot of the AU’s naval development during the First and Second Great War. They practically invented the idea of the aircraft carrier, and were responsible for building some of the most important ships in the AU’s Second Great War fleet.”

“Which means,” Tiara followed up with another sharp glare my way, “they make a lot of money. That’s why they’re part of my stock portfolio. They’re reliable. They’re not going to go out of business so long as the AU has a fleet to maintain. Same thing with RECL. Cruise lines are a reliable source of income. About the only thing that could ruin them as a company is a global pandemic, but like, what’re the chances of that ever happening?”

“Probably higher than you’d expect,” I muttered under my breath. At a louder volume, I continued, “Did you purchase these stocks, or did your father purchase them for you?”

At that, Tiara paused, and set a finger to her lips as she stared at the ceiling for several moments. The longer she stared, the more she winced, like her head hurt. “I don’t know, Sunset,” she finally answered. “I can’t remember.”

“That sure is mighty convenient, ain’t it?” Applejack snorted, shaking her head.

“It’s the truth!” Tiara shouted, slamming a fist down on her podium then raising it to point at the farmer. “The mastermind wiped our memories, remember?”

“Oh Ah remember alright.” Applejack leaned forward and placed her hands on her hips, one corner of her mouth quirking up into a mocking smirk. “Just sayin’ it makes a convenient excuse, is all. Like you’re tryin’ to hide somethin’.”

“Applejack…” Rarity growled in warning. “Back off of Diamond Tiara. If she says she doesn’t remember, she doesn’t remember.”

Applejack reared back like she’d been snapped at by the jaws of a beast, though her mocking smirk only grew. “If you say so, Rarity.”

Scootaloo turned to face Applejack, giving her a look of sheer disbelief. “Applejack, what--”

I reached out and touched Scootaloo’s shoulder, and when she looked at me, eyebrows raised, I gave her a quick shake of my head. “Don’t,” I whispered.

The younger woman shrugged my hand off, now favoring me with the same disbelieving look before sighing and turning back to her podium. “So anyway,” she said, giving me one last glance, “Tiara, what kind of connections does owning this amount of stock give you?”

“Honestly? Not a lot,” Tiara said with a shrug. “I mean, this is a sizable chunk of wealth, but it’s not like I own a controlling interest in it. It’s enough to maybe get me into the occasional stockholder’s meeting, if I want, but that’s about it.”

“So then the mastermind must either be someone with much stronger connections,” I mused, setting my chin to rest on my good fist, “or else they’ve got a lot of people under their control.”

“It’d have to be the second one,” Tiara said, with a knowing smile. “I don’t expect most of you to know this, but companies like RECL and QGT aren’t monolithic entities. You can’t just have the CEO walk into a meeting of the board of directors and have them order a ship like this one taken out of commission. This ship makes the company so much money there’d be issues all up and down the line, from the captain of the ship and its crew, to the dock workers that maintain it, middle management up and down the entire country, all the travel agents that book tickets for passengers, some of the wealthier passengers that ride on it on a regular basis… so the mastermind must’ve taken a very long time to do all of this.”

“How long are we talking here?” Scootaloo asked her.

Tiara paused for a moment, then said, “Years. We’re talking at least a few years of hard work, making connections, inroads, getting people on side. Even if the mastermind can use funky mind-control or whatever to shortcut a few things, they can’t mind control everybody. They’d have to be careful with it. Guide things. Manipulate over the course of time.”

“Sounds like if the mastermind had some allies they could trust to run things it’d go a long way towards helping them,” I said.

“Definitely,” Tiara nodded. Then, pursing her lips, she said, “Actually, maybe not, not if they… Sunset, what do you know about mind magic?”

“Uh…” I scratched the back of my head. “Not as much as I’d like. It was never something I studied in any detail. Back when I was Celestia’s personal student in Equestria, I think the most I could’ve done was a basic compulsion charm. Like, imbue an object with a compulsion that makes weak-willed ponies desire it, to the point they’d be willing to fight over it. I think Celestia called that a Want It Need It spell? Said it was useful for making a quick exit if I needed a distraction in an emergency, but I’d have to be careful not to put too much power into it or else it could cause a whole mess of chaos.”

“Well, let me ask this then.” Tiara held out her hands to gesture with, pointing to herself, then to me, then to Monoponi, then back to herself. “Is it possible to use mind magic to mess with someone’s head, so you can plant suggestions in their mind and make them think it’s their own idea, and let them come up with plausible reasons for things to take place?”

“I think so,” I answered after a moment. “I think I read about someone doing that once. There was a famous unicorn who worked his way up the ranks of Canterlot nobility far faster than usual, and it turned out he was using illegal mind magic to do it. Ended up in the dungeons for the rest of his life.”

“So what if that’s what the mastermind did, then?” Tiara proposed. “If the mastermind did that, then all they’d need to do is use that on some key figures. It’d still take a long time to accomplish their goal. They’d still have to take years to get the ship, and might still have to use direct mind control for arming the ship with its weapons. But once they had everything in place all they’d have to do is wait until it was practically gift-wrapped for them.”

I’m surprised by how savvy you’re being about this, Tiara. Then again, this is your domain, isn’t it? Manipulating people. Business. It’s what you know. “I think you’re probably right,” I said aloud. “It’s the most logical thing. What we’d need to figure out though, is why they’d do this.”

“Well it’s for the killing game, wasn’t it?” Scootaloo asked. She frowned and leaned over her podium. “I mean, what else could the ship be for?”

Hmm. Is she right about that? Was the killing game the only reason the mastermind bothered to get the ship? I considered that for several moments, then shook my head. “No, I don’t think that’s it Scootaloo. I think the ship was used for the killing game because it was convenient. Like Tiara said, it must’ve taken the mastermind years to put this all together. If all the mastermind wanted to do was throw together a killing game, there’s all kinds of easier ways to do it, cheaper ways, ways that don’t require years of setup and expenses numbering in the millions.”

“Easier ways, huh?” Applejack said, any sense of amusement vanishing from her face. “Like what?”

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I answered, “Like a different setting, for one. The mastermind didn’t need a massive cruise ship for a killing game. They could’ve used any number of things. Like an abandoned hospital. Or a resort. Or an isolated mountain valley. Or a university, or even an underground shelter. Any of these would’ve been expensive, sure, but not to the same level as the most advanced, largest cruise ship in the world.”

“Uh-huh,” Applejack muttered. She scowled at me, her gaze hostile enough that if looks could light people on fire I’d be set ablaze. “You’re sayin’ this like you’ve thought about this kind of thing before.”

Now I did roll my eyes. “Well, sure. I liked the games. Any fan of the series is going to consider possible places for a new killing game, even if it’s just speculation for a sequel. And…” I trailed off as warmth filled my cheeks. “I might’ve… maybe… written some… fanfiction once..”

“You’re a writer, darling?” Rarity asked, her voice carrying a note of intrigue. “You’ve never mentioned that before.”

“Eeeh, it’s just a hobby,” I said with a nervous laugh. “Look, that’s not the point. The point is, Applejack, if you’re suggesting that thinking about how a killing game could work makes me suspicious, you’re wrong.”

“Am Ah?” Applejack placed her hands together so she could crack her knuckles. “Ah ain’t so sure about that.”

“Ahem!” Monoponi coughed, shooting the farmer a glare.

Applejack froze, her eyes widening in terror for a moment before she swallowed. She laid her hands down on her podium. “But uh, then again--”

“Okay, that’s enough,” I protested. I pointed a finger accusingly at her and then Monoponi. “Are you working with him?”

“Whu--no!” Applejack reared back as if I’d slapped her, holding up her hands and waving them in surrender. Her face contorted with panic. “No Ah ain’t!”

“Really.” Rarity favored Applejack with a look so full of venom I thought Applejack might disintegrate on the spot. “So then, tell me, darling, what it is you are doing, hmm? Because I’ve seen you taking cues from that horrid little monster this whole trial.”

Tiara added her own glare to the mix. “Me too. Pretty suspicious if you ask me.”

“Seriously, Applejack, what the hell are you doing?” Scootaloo thirded.

Sweat ran down the farmer’s face in rivulets as she swallowed repeatedly, her chest rising and falling faster and faster with each passing second. “Ah’m… Ah ain’t doin’ nothin’, Ah swear!”

“Bullshit!” I roared, slamming a fist down on my podium, causing the farmer to let out a wordless yelp of terror. “You ran from Tiara and Scootaloo during the investigation, you wouldn’t show us Apple Bloom’s Monopad, you’ve been giving me stink eye this whole time, and every time you come close to saying something Monoponi makes you take it back. What. Are. You. Doing?”

As her shirt became inundated with sweat, Applejack used her arm to wipe off her brow, splattering droplets everywhere as she shook it off. She mumbled under her breath to herself, her breathing so fast now she was hyperventilating. She looked up at me, started to say something, only for her eyes to roll up in her head.

But before she could collapse, a crimson aura surrounded her, bringing her back to consciousness, easing her breathing. Her eyes fluttered open as she got her footing back. When she looked at me this time, I was the one taken aback by the naked hostility and utter calm she demonstrated. “Ah found somethin’ durin’ the investigation,” she said, her voice even and steady. “Somethin’ vital, about the traitor. And when Ah found it, Monoponi appeared. He told me Ah couldn’t tell anyone at the trial till he said it was time. Said he’d kill me otherwise.”

Monoponi waggled a forehoof at her. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Applejack, oh Applejack, your Captain should’ve known he couldn’t rely upon you. Miss I’m-So-Honest-I-Can’t-Lie-Worth-Shit. You’ve given this away far too early! Oh well. Guess it’s time for me to keep my end of the bargain!”

His magic wrapped itself around Applejack’s throat, instantly cutting off her air supply. Whatever magical calm he’d supplied her with vanished in an instant as her hands clawed at her throat, desperately trying to regain some oxygen.

“Holy shit!” Tiara shrieked, hiding behind her podium.

“Let her go, damn it!” Scootaloo demanded. She reached up as if to try and help Applejack claw the magic away, only for Applejack’s body to rise up in the air, out of reach.

Rarity gaped, staring at the farmer, whose life dwindled by the second, then at me. “Sunset, do something!”

“Monoponi, stop this! Now!” I ordered.

The alicorn cackled as his grip around Applejack’s throat tightened. She managed to let out a few gasping noises as she writhed in pain and panic. “And why should I? I warned her! I warned her of the consequences. I told her to keep quiet, and she didn’t listen. Besides, she was never supposed to live this long. I’m just correcting a mistake!”

“But you wanted five survivors!”

That got his attention. His hold on Applejack loosened, enough to let her gasp down some air into lungs, keeping her conscious, if barely. “Oh? Can you prove that?”

Trying not to lose control over myself, I pulled up the requisite proof on my Monopad. “Of course I can.”

Fact #12: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment #2: “A torn piece of paper detailing thoughts of the mastermind, with the following entries:
‘That damned map tracking was the biggest mistake I ever made. They’re not supposed to use it that way! I’m taking it away after this trial.’
‘Why do they keep bending the rules?! That’s it. If anyone breaks a rule I’m going to execute them. I’m sick of this. They need to learn proper respect for me!’
‘Fluttershy! Fucking Fluttershy! Why the hell was it Fluttershy? I need to review the security footage. Something doesn’t feel right.’
‘I knew it! I knew it I knew it I knew it! They used me! I’m going to have to change the motive. I can’t risk messing up the count. I need five survivors, damn it.’”

“Right here, in your own diary. You said it yourself. You need five survivors..”

“Hmph.” As abruptly as he’d snatched her up, Monoponi let Applejack go. She dropped to the floor in a heap, leaning against her podium, wheezing, tears streaming down her face. “I suppose that’s true. Though, tell me, Sunset. Do you know why I need five of you?”

“...no. I don’t.” Yet.

“Well I’m sure you’ll figure it out as you go along!” Monoponi said casually. He leaned over on his podium and his horn ignited for a moment, summoning up a mug of coffee. “As for you, farmer, you want to tell them what you found? Go ahead.”

Scootaloo knelt down to run her hand over Applejack’s back, then took her other one and secured it under Applejack’s arm. “Come on, Applejack, let’s get you up, okay?”

“Ah’m…” Applejack broke into a massive coughing fit as she used Scootaloo to prop herself up, then climbed to her feet. “Ah’m f-fine, dang it.”

“No, you’re not,” Scootaloo insisted. “Breathe. Take it easy. Does your throat hurt? Did he injure it?”

Applejack shook her head, her ponytail bouncing behind her. “N-no,” she muttered in a hoarse, rough voice. “Just… gotta gimme a second.”

Rarity pressed her lips together, staring at Applejack with an unreadable expression. “Are you… are you going to be alright?”

“Ah think so,” Applejack answered. She reached down to pick up her hat, which had fallen off her head when she’d collapsed. “Ah’m surprised you care, though.”

Her eyes flashing with ire, Rarity retorted, “I don’t! Not, not like that. But just because we’re no longer together doesn’t mean I want you dead.” She sighed, the anger fading. “How many times must I say it? Killing is wrong. I don’t like you, Applejack, but I don’t want you to die, either.”

“Funny, ‘cause Ah thought you said Ah should’ve died, back at the end of the third trial,” Applejack said, though her words lacked any real bite to them. “Ah remember that, even if you don’t.”

Rarity groaned and spun away so Applejack couldn’t see her face. I still could though, and on it I saw a mixture of shame and humiliation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Applejack snorted, and shrugged lightly. “‘Course you don’t. Not like it matters anyhow.”

“Oh my god, no one cares about your stupid drama!” Tiara shouted, throwing her hands up in frustration.

“Diamond, cool it,” I said, giving her a stern look. Then I turned my gaze to Applejack. “You sure you’re okay?”

Her nostrils flared as she growled, “Yeah, Ah am. No thanks to you.”

“What?” My face twisted in bemusement. “But, Monoponi only spared you because I asked him to.”

Applejack barked a mirthless laugh. “Exactly mah point. ‘Cause you asked him to. He didn’t listen to no one else.”

What the hell? I save her life, and she repays it by being an ass? What gives? ...is this about Rarity? “Applejack, I’m sorry about you and Rarity but--”

“Me and Rarity? That’s what you think this is about?” Applejack burst into sad, sorrowful laughter and grabbed for her bangs with her hand, running it down her face. “Landsake, Ah’m not mad at you ‘cause of that.”

“Then what the hell is it?” I asked, spreading out my hands as if daring her to charge at me. “I just saved your life.”

Applejack stopped laughing. Her voice flattened, turning monotone. “You really want to know?”

Scoffing, I nodded. “Yeah. I do!”

“Alright then.” Applejack reached into her backpack, and pulled out a Monopad. The name “Apple Bloom” was inscribed upon it in glimmering gold lettering. “Ah’m gonna show y’all this first, ‘cause Ah think it provides some context for the real clue.” She unhooked her own pad from the podium and connected her sister’s, then tabbed over and pulled up something for us all to see.

And when I saw it, my jaw just about hit the floor.

Monoponi’s Secrets!

SUNSET SHIMMER

“Sunset likes to pretend she’s a goody-two shoes, but she’s a big fat liar, and good at it too! She’s an expert at bullying tactics like manipulation and destroying relationships. She ruled the roost at Canterlot High and delighted in tormenting five students in particular. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack! Funny how those same five people showed up in this game, isn’t it? Who knows what other lies she’s telling?”

“What the fuck?!” Scootaloo shouted, whirling to face me, eyes agog. “What the hell is this?”

Rarity gasped, then gasped again, holding both hands to her breast. “Sunset,” she whimpered, her eyes filling up with tears. “Is this true?”

“Wow, and here I thought I was bad news,” Tiara murmured.

“B-b-but, but, I thought… how?!” I cried, my good hand gripping the side of my head as I took several steps back from my podium. “I thought we only had one secret!”

“Ahahahaha!” Monoponi doubled over, leaning against his podium for support as he wriggled with mirth. “You--you thought you only had one secret? Ahahaha!” He managed to stand back up after a moment and used his magic to wipe a few tears from his eyes. “I never said that. Allow me to demonstrate!” He fired off his horn at the central display, cuing up some security footage.

~*~
Monoponi demonstrably shrugged. “As you wish! Now then, this motive comes in two parts! The first is a classic. A well trodden path. Secrets!” Monoponi extended his wings out and stood on his hind legs. “Yes, secrets! But not just any secrets! Your most personal secrets! Your shames, your hidden desires, your darkest acts! But because it would be boring and trite to just hoof you your own secret, I’ll be switching it up! Each of you will get one other person’s secret, via Monopad.”
~*~

“Nowhere, Sunset, did I ever say that I gave out one secret per person! I just said you’d receive one other person’s secret.”

I shook my head in denial over and over again, refusing to buy this. “But when you talked about our secrets, you said ‘your own secret.’ Not ‘secrets!’ That implied--”

“Implied nothing!” Monoponi waggled a forehoof at me like a teacher scolding a student. “You assumed I meant only one. That was your mistake.”

I leaned over my podium, hiding my face behind my hands, fear coursing its way through my veins like chunks of ice floating in a half-frozen river. “T-then when Apple Bloom came to ask me about Equestria, the morning of the show, she… she was…”

“She was tryin’ to figure out how a low-down snake like you managed to fool everyone!” Applejack snarled, slamming both fists onto her podium hard enough to send wood chips flying. “Mah sister died for you! Ah oughta rip you in half over that, now that Ah know the truth!”

“No, no, Applejack, please--”

“Sunset!” Rarity interrupted. She gazed at me, eyes full of sorrow as she reached out and took my hand in hers. The warmth of her smooth alabaster skin pressing against mine was small comfort next to the hurt I saw in her expression. “Is this true? Please, tell me.”

“It--yes, technically, but--”

She yanked her hand away from me and burst into tears.

Feeling my heart sink, I reached out to try and take her hand. “Rarity, please, listen, I--”

“Don’t touch me!” she howled, slapping my hand away. “You horrid little liar!”

My hand stinging, I backed away, feeling tears of my own start to well up. I tried to force them down as I spoke. “Listen to me, you guys! Please! I’ve changed! I haven’t been like that in years. And while I remembered I was a bully, I didn’t know I tormented you guys specifically!”

“Ah don’t believe you anymore, Sunset!” Applejack shouted. She raised a fist like she yearned to slam it into my jaw. “You can’t fool us anymore! When Ah saw this secret Apple Bloom had, it made me realize somethin’ about what Monoponi said, when he told us the traitor’s secret was that they were the traitor. Ah’m thinkin’ that was him misleadin’ us again. He didn’t mean they were the traitor, of this game. He meant they were a traitor in general, someone who couldn’t be trusted. And then, before Rainbow died, he told us the holder for that secret might be dead. Which meant he was talkin’ about Apple Bloom, meanin he was talkin’ about this secret!”

“No, damn it, why won’t you listen to me?” I begged, unable to resist the tears any longer. “You’re doing it again, Applejack! You’re letting Monoponi tell you what to think instead of using your head! When have I ever misled you guys?”

“How about keeping secret the fact that you’re a pony, huh?” Applejack sneered as she raised a middle finger at me. “Or Adagio’s secret about bein’ a siren? Or that extra key you made for yourself? Or even the new lock you put on Trixie’s door?!”

I shook my head rapidly. “No, AJ, please. None of that was harmful. Hell, I’m only alive because of the latter two!”

“I don’t know, Sunset,” Scootaloo said, sighing. While not as loud or demonstrative as the others, she showed just as much doubt on her face. “Because I remember something else Monoponi said, back before the fourth trial.”

~*~
“Fine! Fine! You want to know something so badly, Sunset? Hmm? You’re so eager for knowledge? Well, let’s see what you do with this chestnut!” Monoponi summoned up a peal of thunder as loud as dynamite, stunning us all into submission. “The traitor has been assisting me from the very beginning, helping to make this game as entertaining and exciting as possible. Things wouldn’t be nearly as interesting without them!”
~*~

“What?!” I screeched. “No, he didn’t mean me! All I’ve been doing is--”

“Solving the cases? Keeping us alive?” Scootaloo scoffed, dismissing me with a wave of her hand. “Save it.”

“No, seriously, Scootaloo, listen. Listen!” I set my good hand down on my podium and tried to take deep breaths, in the hopes of bringing my hammering heart under control. “I’m not the one who’s been causing constant tension on this ship. That’s Diamond Tiara! She’s the one who tried to be a leader. She’s the one constantly keeping us at odds! She’s the one Monoponi was surprised is still alive! Remember Applejack and Rarity’s fight at the ice rink? I saw her grin when she gave Rarity the key to Trixie’s room. She was trying to start shit!”

“What?!” Tiara reached out both hands, clawing like she wanted to throttle me. “You asshole! I thought you said you believed in me!”

“Well I lied!” I railed, whirling on her, my body shaking. Every fresh breath was agony on my ribs. I was pushing myself too hard, but I couldn’t have cared less. "I’ve been convinced you’ve been the traitor for a long time now, Tiara! I heard what you said in the second trial!”

~*~
“So what?” Tiara scoffed, thumbing her nose at Flash. “Idiot. Just because I don’t like someone doesn’t mean I’d kill them.” In a whisper that I only discerned because I read her lips, she added, “I’d make someone else do it.”
~*~

“That clued me in that you might be a traitor early on, Tiara. And then there was the way you acted before the third trial. Your little one eighty friendship asspull. I realized after the third trial that Twilight might’ve been onto something, when she tried to use you to cover up her crime. And you said it yourself: your stock certificate would get you into a stockholder’s meeting. All the mastermind would need is a single inroad. The rest, they could do!”

“You… you!” Tiara’s whole body quivered with rage, her hair popping out of her cap as it lost its grip and flung itself off her head to land somewhere on the courtroom floor. “I thought you were my friend! God, Sunset, I even said I’d die for you! You think I was making that shit up? Because I wasn’t! You asshole!”

Rarity’s head rose out of her hands, her face covered in tear stains and running snot. Despite that, she glowered at me with a look of dark betrayal. “Sunset Shimmer! How dare you accuse Diamond Tiara after everything she’s done for us? For you?”

“But, but it explains everything!” I shouted back, my voice growing hoarser by the second. “I--”

“It explains nothing, Sunset, and you know it!” Rarity retaliated before I could begin to put my argument together. “Diamond Tiara isn’t the one from Equestria! You are! Diamond Tiara isn’t the one who knows all about Danganronpa! You are! Diamond Tiara isn’t the one who stood up to Monoponi time and again only to suffer zero consequences. You are!”

Pain exploded in my chest as if I’d been stabbed, the cold bite of her words running through my heart just like the steel of a knife. “No, Rarity… Rarity please…”

Rarity’s lips curled up into a sneer before she abruptly slapped me across the face. “No, Sunset! No more lies!”

Cradling my stinging cheek with my good hand, I took another step back, trying to get out of her reach. “But it’s not possible for me to be the traitor, Rarity! The traitor took our memories, remember? How am I supposed to have done that?”

“How am I supposed to have done that?!” Tiara retorted, now flipping me off with both hands. “You moron! You’re the one who came from magic pony land, not me! Rarity just said that!”

“Besides,” Scootaloo interjected, her voice growing heated, “you’re the one associated with this.”

Fact #6: Wallflower Picture: “A picture depicting Wallflower Blush using some sort of mysterious magical stone artifact on Sunset Shimmer, in front of Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack.”

“I was looking through the evidence we gathered, Sunset,” Scootaloo continued. “I saw this and was like, what is that? But then I remembered that other thing you found and translated for us.”

Fact #14: Equestrian Tome: “A decrepit, ancient Equestrian tome written in High Ponish that speaks about an artifact known as the Memory Stone that can affect memories. Few details are discernable, however it does mention the artifact leaves a strong, permanent imprint of its power on the minds of those it affects.”

“The Memory Stone. An Equestrian artifact that can steal memories.”

“What?!” I whirled on the younger woman, fresh outrage overcoming the sorrow Rarity had inflicted upon me. “But I’m not the one using that in the picture. Wallflower is! If anyone had the power to steal memories, it was her!”

Scootaloo laughed in my face. “Come on, Sunset, don’t pull that shit. Monoponi said the traitor stole our memories and that they’re alive. But Wallflower’s dead. She was the first victim. Which, now that I think about it, that’s kind of funny, isn’t it? How the only other person who could’ve been involved with the memory wipe turned up dead from the start?”

“Yeah, yeah that is kind of weird, isn’t it?” Tiara seconded, still brimming with rage. “It’s like you were getting rid of a loose end. Like you were making sure she couldn’t do something to undo the memory wipe!”

“Oh my fucking god!” I moaned, rolling my eyes so hard it gave me a headache. “I didn’t kill Wallflower. We proved that back in the first trial. Monoponi showed us the footage!”

Rarity’s scowled blackened further. “But Sunset, you forgot something else we found during the investigation.”

Fact #22: Typewritten Plans: “A set of typewritten plans for a Killing Game involving Sunset Shimmer and her friends. According to the plan, the cases were to occur as follows:
Trial 1: Victim: Wallflower Blush; Blackened: Timber Spruce
Trial 2: Victim: Apple Bloom; Blackened: Sweetie Belle
Trial 3: Victims: Applejack, Rarity; Blackened: Twilight Sparkle
Trial 4: Victim: Scootaloo; Blackened: Fluttershy
Trial 5: Victim: Adagio Dazzle; Blackened: Pinkie Pie
Survivors: Sunset Shimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, Diamond Tiara, Rainbow Dash, Flash Sentry.”

“Right here,” she said, stabbing her finger into her Monopad’s screen. “Her death was planned.”

“Dear sweet lord, so was Apple Bloom’s!” Applejack cried. “Ah didn’t see that before! A-and look! Sunset’s on the list of survivors!”

“So’s Diamond Tiara!” I protested, pointing right at her name on the central display. “And remember the way Monoponi acted at the end of the fourth trial? I called him out! His plans were messed up! He tried to have Adagio kill me, even.” My fingers danced on my pad to bring up evidence of my own.

Fact #17: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment #3: “A torn piece of paper detailing thoughts of the mastermind with the following entries:
‘Nonononono! How did I miss some of her magic? How?! This is a disaster.’
‘Everything is going wrong. I need to make sure Twilight dies. If I kill Twilight I can fix it.’
‘Time for the backup motive. Maybe I can get the farmer to kill the marshmallow and get it back on track.’
‘I do not believe this. Flash! Flash, you idiot! Oooooh I’m not letting you get away with this you stupid little shit!’
‘That’s it. Sunset stood up to me one too many times. She’s too inspirational. She could ruin everything. I’m throwing out the plan. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m tired of dealing with her. She dies. And I know I can get the siren to do it.’
‘That useless excuse for a magician saw everything! I’ll need to make an appearance. Maybe I can salvage this.’”

“S-see? He admitted it himself in his own diary! Look at the way he phrased it. He called me too inspirational. A-and, don’t forget what he said the night after the fourth trial!”

~*~
Monoponi’s crimson eyes stared into mine, unfeeling. Unmoving. Yet I still didn’t waver. I remained resolute, in total certainty I was right. “You know, Sunset,” Monoponi finally said, “you keep talking like that, people will think you’re working with me.”

“You, I, and everyone else knows I’m not.”

Monoponi laughed. Not an ‘upupu’ or ‘ahaha,’ but a single bark of a laugh so unlike the alicorn’s usual expression of mirth it scared me. Then he spoke, and what he said terrified me far more. “No. You’re not. Too bad. We’d make a great team.”
~*~

“He outright said we weren’t working together. And don’t forget that before that he said the traitor was assisting him. That means I can’t be the traitor.”

“No it doesn’t!” Scootaloo countered. “Assisting Monoponi and working with him aren’t the same thing! You could’ve easily been assisting his plans without even knowing it!”

“...What?” I murmured, the wind taken out of my sails.

“Think about it, Sunset,” Scootaloo continued, her ire building by the second. “Look at everything you’ve done in this game, and see how it’s helped Monoponi. Your talk about Danganronpa split our group in half before a single person died. You’ve been solving every case, keeping the rest of us alive so the game would keep going. You kept your pony nature a secret, causing Twilight to freak out and eventually kill Fluttershy. Every time you brought up Danganronpa something bad happened afterwards, like when you told us there’d be two murders in the third trial. And you’re the one who has mind reading magic. I’ll bet you planned everything with Monoponi, and then he made you erase your own memories so you couldn’t give up his plans!”

“No… no that’s not possible!” I protested, but my words were weak and frail. The sheer amount of anger and betrayal on everyone’s faces wore away at me like acid, melting my defenses and leaving me exposed. “Listen to me. Whatever Wallflower did with the Memory Stone back then, we obviously undid it, right? We fixed things, because we saw from another picture that I became friends with her. And I can promise you, if I ever got hold of a dangerous magical artifact like that? I’d destroy it. I’m sure we must’ve destroyed it. So how could I have erased memories with no Memory Stone to do it with?!”

“It’s true, the Memory Stone was destroyed!” Monoponi interjected, reminding us all of his presence. I hadn’t realized it but he’d been sitting there laughing silently at all the thrown about barbs and accusations. “But just because it was destroyed doesn’t mean the magic’s gone.”

“Wait a minute... wait!” My eyes widened in shock. “You’re… you’re not saying… the imprint she left on me? It was an imprint I could use? Is that even possible?”

“You know it is, Sunset, or else you wouldn’t be saying it, upupupu!”

Is it, though? I know it’s possible in Equestria. I’ve heard of artifacts doing things like that. Cursed spellbooks or tomes or devices, like the fabled Inspiration Manifestation, forcing an imprint that adapts to the user’s magic. And if my magic talent here on Earth was mind based, like he claims, then… “Oh my god. It is possible,” I said, horror overtaking me. “But, but that still doesn’t mean I’m the traitor! W-what if--”

“What if nothing! You’re all but admitting it now!” Tiara interrupted. “If you’re the only one who could use this ‘imprint’ thing in your brain, you’re the only one who could’ve taken our memories!”

“No, listen to me!” I replied, still unwilling to accept this. I refuse to accept this! I can’t be the traitor! I can’t! “The only way it’s possible is if my magic really was mind-based! And there’s no proof it was!So unless you can prove that my magic had something to do with mind reading and mind control, it’s impossible for me to be the traitor!”

“Ah’m sorry, Sunset, but YOU’VE GOT THAT WRONG!” Applejack roared as she brought up the other clue she’d found.

Fact #26: Demon Picture: “A picture of a demonic Sunset Shimmer, with a crowd of hypnotized students behind her, and a group of six ponied up students facing against her: Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack.’”

“Ah told y’all, the other thing Ah showed you was just for context. This is the real clue that convinced me, Sunset. No matter what you try and say, no matter what excuse you come up with, this proves it. This proves you have mind-magic. Which means you could’ve taken our memories! Which, when put together with everythin’ else proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that you, Sunset Shimmer, are the traitor in this killing game!”

I couldn’t take it anymore. The sheer volume, the depth of conviction in Applejack’s words… I fell over onto my ass, tears pouring down my face. “No… no it’s not… it can’t…”

“Upupupu, but it is!” Monoponi announced, rearing back to adopt his Celestia-aping pose. “Congratulations, my lovely passengers! You’ve solved the first mystery assigned to you. You are one hundred percent correct. Sunset Shimmer is indeed the traitor! Allow your Captain to make it official!”

I heard the sound of his horn lighting up, and our Monopads all let out a harsh beep. After a moment of tears I managed to haul myself up to my feet, just enough so I could check and see what had changed.

It was my profile. Right there, where once my talent had been listed as “???.” No longer. It was finally filled in. I finally knew what it truly was… and wished I didn't.

Sunset Shimmer: Ultimate Traitor.

Author's Note

And now you know! Congratulations to NickChi, RTStephens, AxelFones, Brony1984, and JCarp for their correct guesses! :pinkiehappy:

I don't want to get into too many more details right now, because we've still got a ways to go with this trial, but I will say this: from the very beginning, I always intended for Sunset to be the traitor. Everyone who accused her of it was correct, and the notion of her being the traitor was deliberately brought forward early in the story in the hopes of making it seem implausible, as intentional misdirection on my part.

I do feel a little bit bad about Applejack's clues, but...the real, important clues were the ones you all had. The two that Applejack reveals here, that you didn't see in the investigation, are things that you as the reader already knew about, canon from the first movie. I feel there was enough information available from the other clues to allow you to solve this mystery. Plus... if I'd revealed them during the investigation, it would've made things far too obvious. I didn't want it to be that easy. :twilightsmile:

Don't worry though: there are no more hidden clues.

Also: we're switching to a M/W/F schedule for the rest of the posts. It fits better with the planned final date.

Chapter Six: Dead in the Water Part 3

Chapter Six
Dead in the Water
Trial Part 2

It’s me… I’m the traitor… I’m the one who took our memories away… it was all my fault.

My fault.

Myfaultmyfaultmyfaultmyfaultmyfault...

I couldn’t cope. I couldn’t deal. I’d blocked out all noise, all sensory input. I’m sure people were talking, saying something, accusing me, shouting at me, laughing at me, whatever, but none of it got through. I was lost in my own head.

My fault myfault my fault.

Every life lost in this game. Every person pointlessly slaughtered for Monoponi’s amusement. Every vanished memory, every ruined relationship. All my fault.

MY FAULT MY FAULT MY FAULT

I clawed at my head and let out a wordless scream at the top of my lungs, ripping through my throat, burning my lungs, my ribs, every bruise and cut and injury on my person.

Wallflower Blush. Timber Spruce. Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle.

MY FAULT MY FAULT

I kept screaming my heart out, my lungs out, ruining my vocal cords. I didn’t care. It didn’t matter.

Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie. Twilight Sparkle. Rainbow Dash. Flash Sentry. Adagio Dazzle.

… Trixie Lulamoon…

MY FAULT ALL MY FAULT

I fell over backward, my voice spent. I landed on my broken elbow, pain exploding through me like an erupting volcano churning molten rock through my veins. I didn’t care. I deserved it. I deserved it all and so much more for what I’d done.

I don’t know how long I laid there, weeping endlessly, feeling like the worst scum to ever walk the planet. I didn’t respond to anything until finally I thought I heard a voice whispering in my ear.

“Sunset. Sunset! Get up!”

“Huh?” I didn’t bother to open my eyes, not willing to face the world. But the voice sounded familiar… impossibly familiar. “Trixie? Izzat you?”

“Sunset. You can’t let him win. You promised me!”

“But… Trixie… it’s my fault!”

“So what? You know what he’s like. He used you. I know you, Sunset. I know you never would’ve done this willingly.”

“I… no… no I wouldn’t have… I’d never!”

“Exactly! So get up, Sunset. You can’t let him win now. You can still beat him. I know you can.”

More voices filled my ears, all familiar, all impossible.

“Destroy that pony jerk, Sunset!”

“Do it for Gloriosa, Sunset!”

“Ya can’t let mah sister die now, Sunset! Keep her alive!”

“Sunset, please, save Rarity for me!”

“I believe in you, Sunset!”

“You can do it, Sunny Girl!”

“I’m trusting you to see this through, Sunset!”

“Beat him into the ground, Sunshim!”

“For all of us, Sunset!”

“...I’m sorry I betrayed you. Stop him. Please...”

“You guys… I…”

“It’s up to you, Sunset. You’ve got this.”

She’s right. I can… I have to do this! Maybe Rarity, Applejack, Tiara, and Scootaloo’ll hate me. I don’t care. I’m not going to let that fucking piece of trash win now!

I opened my eyes, letting the sights and sounds of the courtroom wash back in. Monoponi was jabbering away at the others over some nonsense, occasionally laughing his stupid little laugh while they freaked out. Sitting up, I reached up with my good arm, took hold of my podium, and pulled myself up to my feet.

“Well, well, well, look who’s decided to join us again!” Monoponi tittered when he saw me. “And how’s my favorite traitor doing? Still screaming like a maniac?”

“Shut up!” I thundered, my voice resolute. I stood firm, despite the looks of disbelief I received from my fellow passengers.

“Pardon me,” Monoponi replied, extending an ear and holding a hoof to it. “I don’t think I heard you.”

“I said shut up! As in, shut your mouth and stop talking!” I stabbed my finger into my podium for emphasis.

Monoponi’s large eyes bugged out of his skull. “Excuse me?!”

“Let’s get one thing straight, Monoponi.” The glare I gave him was unyielding, used like a sword to pierce through his armor of bullshit and penetrate straight into his ugly, evil heart. “I don’t care what you say, what term you use. I’m not a traitor to my friends. Maybe you used me to wipe our memories. Fine. I can accept that. Maybe in the language of your killing game I’m the ‘traitor.’ I can accept that too. But I would never, ever, have participated in this willingly. I would never hurt my friends the way you’ve suggested I would. And no matter what you say, what lies you spin, I will not believe otherwise. Because it is the truth!”

“Sunset…?” Rarity said.

I turned to face her. She’d been crying, her makeup completely ruined. Her hair was similarly out of whack, completely unkempt. Tear stains ran down her cheeks, her eyes puffy and red. As she looked at me, I could see the hurt and fear swimming in those eyes, like black coal dust stains covering otherwise beautiful sapphires. “Yes, Rarity?”

“Please tell me the truth, Sunset. The truth.” Her voice hitched on every word as she spoke. “Are you saying you’re innocent?”

I gave her a firm nod. “Yes Rarity. I promise you: I never, ever would have done this purpose. Never. If it happened, it was because I was used, like everyone else.”

She turned away, whimpering, and let out a few fresh sobs, then faced me again and reached out to hug me. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry I doubted you!”

I gave her a firm squeeze with my good arm. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you for being upset. That’s Monoponi’s fault, not yours.”

“Woah, woah, time the fuck out!” Tiara cried, making a t-shape with her hands. “You can’t just turn around and forgive her like that! You heard the way she was talking about me! She tried to blame me for what she did!”

“Seriously, Rarity,” Scootaloo chimed in, glaring at me with fury in her eyes. “You just spent the last ten minutes helping us prove she’s the traitor. You slapped her in the face and everything. You’re being a hypocrite!”

Rarity withdrew from me and dabbed the tears from her eyes with a handkerchief. “Perhaps I am. But… just look into her eyes, Tiara, Scootaloo. She’s telling the truth.”

“If there’s anyone who oughta be checkin’ if she’s tellin’ the truth, it’s me,” Applejack insisted, jabbing her chest with her thumb. She then pointed that accusatory finger right back at me. “So you tell me, Sunset. Did you plan this game out with Monoponi? Did you?!”

“You’ve asked me this before, Applejack, remember?” I said, refusing to back down even an inch. “And my answer is the same thing now that it was then: no. I didn’t. I may have been involved, but if I was, it wasn’t willingly.”

Applejack crossed her arms over her chest, leaning forward as she stared into my eyes. “Hmm…”

“Applejack, do you remember what we talked about, the morning after we all shared our secrets? How I pointed out Monoponi’s misleading words led you down the wrong path? I remember you telling Trixie, at the end of the last trial, how you’d been misjudging people. Please, don’t make the same mistake now. I’m not your enemy. I’m your friend.”

“Ohohoho!” Monoponi interjected, spreading his forelegs wide. “Yes, listen to Sunset, Applejack. She only stole your memories away!”

I whirled on the alicorn and screeched, “What part of shut up did you not understand the first time, Monoponi?!”

“Upupupu, who gives the orders around here? Not you that’s who!” Monoponi retorted with his usual forehoof to mouth gesture. “I don’t know where you got your extra confidence from, Sunset, but it doesn’t matter. You’re still the traitor!”

Applejack clapped her hands for attention, causing us all to look her way, Monoponi included. She bowed her head for a moment, sighed as she set her hands down, then looked up at me. “Ah’m sorry, Sunset.”

“Ahahaha!” Monoponi cried out gleefully, patting his belly. “You hear that, Sunset? Miss Honesty doesn’t believe--”

“Ah’d shut my fuckin’ fool mouth if Ah was you, pony!” Applejack interrupted with the fury of the ages in her voice. “Ah weren’t agreein’ with you. Ah was apologizin’ to Sunset for doubting her.”

At this, Monoponi drew back, his mouth falling open. “What?” he gasped, completely taken aback.

“You heard me!” Applejack said. She balled one fist and clapped it to her chest. “Sunset’s right. Ah’ve been lettin’ you manipulate me and turn me against mah friends here this whole damned killing game. Sweet Lord, Ah was just rantin’ and ravin’ against Sunset here, because Ah was blinded by those little clues you left for me to find. Ah know you did that on purpose because it’s what you do!”

Scootaloo’s jaw dropped to the floor as she looked between the farmer and me, utterly nonplussed. “It… it is what he does, isn’t it?” she mumbled after a moment.

“That’s right,” Applejack nodded. “There was somethin’ Ah realized just now, somethin’ Ah was too busy bein’ angry over to think about. Mah sister got this secret of yours, Sunset. She knew the same thing Ah knew. But she didn’t doubt you. Because I remember now, somethin’ she told me that day, the day she died.”

“What was it?” I asked, feeling like I was walking on a field full of eggshells.

“She told me she talked to you that mornin’, said she was gonna talk to you again after the magic show. Said she was a little worried about somethin’ but after talkin’ to you she was convinced you were trustworthy. Ah wasn’t sure why she was sayin’ that at the time. Ah remember sayin’ somethin’ back to her like, ‘O’course she’s trustworthy, Sunset’s been nothin’ but.’ And she just smiled at me and thanked me, like Ah’d done her a favor.”

Tiara gaped at Applejack. “She really said that?”

“Eeyup.” Applejack smiled wistfully, her eyes misting. “Ah… ah knew mah sister pretty well, Sunset. Ah know she wouldn’t’ve saved your life if she didn’t think it was worth savin’. That’s why, when Ah saw what Monoponi left me to find, Ah was so angry, ‘cause Ah thought you’d betrayed her. That you’d been lyin’ and cheatin’ this whole time, usin’ us all.”

Sighing, I gave her a respectful nod. “I can see why you’d think that.”

“And don’t get me wrong,” Applejack continued, giving me a stern look. “Ah still think you could’ve handled things better than you did. That you could’ve been more upfront with us, told us stuff, like you bein’ a pony, or Adagio bein’ a siren. Ah think some of the mistrust in our group really can be laid at your feet. Ah hope you can accept that.”

“Yeah,” I said, closing my eyes a moment. “I can accept that. I made mistakes. A lot of mistakes.” I opened them back up. “But I was always trying to help us get out of here alive. I was trying to do the right thing.”

“And Ah believe you,” Applejack said. She started to reach out her hand, like she was offering to shake, only to draw back with a slight flush on her cheeks when she remembered she couldn’t reach me. “And Ah’m sorry Ah kept doubtin’ you. Ah hope you can find it within you to forgive me on that.”

“Hey, you don’t have to apologize.” My mouth spread into a friendly grin. “I get it.”

“This…” Monoponi’s left eye twitched, going wild as he fidgeted, raising his rear leg like he wanted to kick someone. “This isn’t supposed to happen!”

“Well I’m not going to apologize!” Tiara cried out, furiously crossing her arms and sticking her nose up in the air. “You still accused me of being the traitor! You haven’t shown any faith in me, even after what I said and did for you. Why should I forgive you now, huh?”

I lowered my head, feeling a bit of shame welling back up inside my heart, but this time with a bittersweet coat of acceptance. “I am truly sorry, Tiara. Like I said, I made mistakes. Doubting you was one of them. You really did turn around and make yourself a better person, and I was wrong to doubt you.”

“W-w-w-well! I… Aaaugh!” She threw her arms up and let them collapse onto her podium with loud twin smacks! Then she looked up at me and pointed at me with a shaking finger. “You… you can’t just… I won’t…”

“Diamond Tiara, it’s okay if you’re mad with me,” I said, giving her a small smile that I was hoping like hell she wouldn’t mistake for mockery. “You should be. I was a complete ass. I won’t make excuses: I was looking for someone to blame. Monoponi manipulated me too. He got me convinced one of us was working with him, no matter what he said. And I was so convinced it couldn’t be me that…I’m sorry.”

She leaned back, her jaw working like she was chewing a cud. I saw a flurry of emotions pass over her face, and for a moment I feared she’d revert to her old self and scream at me some more. Then she let out another groan of frustration and set her hand down. “Fine. Fine! I’ll… I’ll forgive you! It’s the right thing to do. But I’m only doing it so long as you’re being sincere, damn it! If I find out you’re lying to me now, I’ll… I don't know what I’ll do, but it’ll be something!”

“No, no, why is this happening…?” Monoponi growled, twitching more and more as he became further unhinged.

I turned to Scootaloo, who hadn’t said a word for a while. “Hey, Scoots.”

Scootaloo blinked in surprise, then looked up at me. “W-what?”

I held out a hand. “I know you have every right to be just as mad at me as everyone else. I haven’t been as close to you as I should have been. I never took the time to hang out with you or make close friends with you, despite telling myself to do it more than once. I’m not going to ask for your forgiveness, because I don’t have the right to ask for it. But I would like to make up for my mistakes. I’m sorry, and, if you’re willing, I want to be friends.”

She spluttered, staring at my hand, then looked at Tiara, then Applejack, then Rarity, before turning away. “Y-you’re right. I-I am mad at you, Sunset,” she said, her voice trembling. She sniffed loudly and wiped at her nose with her arm. “I thought I could trust you. I was s-so happy when you showed up at the last trial, you know? I was so happy, because you lived. I… I don’t know what to think now. I hear what everyone else is saying. I hear what you’re saying. About our memories. Our friendships. And I don’t know who to… who to trust.”

I kept my hand up, refusing to let it drop. “I get that. Like I said, I’m not asking for your forgiveness. All I’m asking is for you to let me be the friend I should have been to you. You’ve lost so much in this stupid godforsaken killing game. I want to try and make up for that, like I should have been doing all along.”

Scootaloo let out a full-bodied sigh and nearly fell over before catching herself. When she faced me again, I saw her face covered with tears. But behind the tears, I also saw a smile. “You know what? Sure.” She took my hand and gave it a firm, solid shake, before releasing it and bumping my knuckles with her fist. “You’ve always been cool, Sunset. I’m not gonna take the word of freaking Monoponi over you. I’m… still not sure if I forgive you for the mistakes you’ve made, but friendship? I can do that.”

“Right on,” I said with a laugh, giving her a fistbump of my own.

“RRRRGH! NO!” Monoponi screamed, using his magic to enhance his voice. He was so loud he almost deafened us, forcing us to cover our ears. “No, no, no! You’re not supposed to be getting along!”

Despite the pain, I grinned cheekily, and decided to deliberately echo Trixie’s words from yesterday. “What’s the matter, Monoponi? Upset that we’re beating you at your own game?”

“Beating? Beating?! You’re not beating me! Eeurgh!” Monoponi practically frothed at the mouth in rage as he vibrated at his podium like he was an unstable bomb about to explode. Right on cue, to add to the effect, the entire ship shuddered from another explosion, this one audible even in the courtroom. “Oh you haven’t even come close to beating me! You still have a lot to figure out, Miss Traitor. You’d better get to it.”

“And fast, before Princess Twilight blows us out of the water,” Tiara gulped.

“Hey, uh, Sunset, before we go into anythin’ else, Ah have a question,” Applejack said, giving me a curious look.

“Okay. Shoot.”

Applejack paused for a moment to consider her words, her brow furrowed in concentration. “So, um, Ah know Ah was the one pointin’ out that your mind magic was used to take our memories away, but Ah’m still not sure how. You mentioned some kinda imprint thing. Would you be willin’ to clarify that for us?”

Shrugging, I said, “Sure. So, let’s see… how do I simplify this…” I hummed to myself for a moment then nodded. “Okay, so, basically, the ways spells usually work is that you have to create a spell matrix in your mind, like a mathematical formula. Most intrinsic spells, like unicorn telekinesis, are instinctive to the point no one has to visualize how they work to make them work. They will it to happen and their brain does the rest. More complicated spells use more complicated formulas, kinda like running something on BASIC versus C plus plus, if you catch my drift.”

Applejack stared at me, a blank look in her eyes. “Ah don’t follow.”

“They’re programming languages, dumbass,” Tiara snorted, dismissing Applejack’s ignorance with a backhanded wave. “For computers?”

The farmer’s eyes narrowed into slits as she glared at the rich elitist, growling something under her breath. “Alright. Ah get it now. Go on, Sunset.”

Nodding, I continued, “An artifact like the Memory Stone uses an extremely powerful, complicated spell matrix. It’s so powerful that it leaves an impression on those whom it's used upon. This is what I meant when I said imprint. It’s like copying a file on a harddrive, or scanning a piece of paper. What makes it different with me is my inherent magical talent. Since I apparently have some kind of mind reading magic, that must allow me to tap into this imprint and try to run it. Using the computer metaphor, it’s like my mind is the only one running the operating system this program was written for. So if I knew it was there, and I practiced, I could probably erase memories. But I’d never want to.”

“And you don’t have that magic now,” Rarity said.

“No, I don’t,” I replied. “Trust me, if I had the ability to read minds, I… well, I might’ve kept it secret because I would’ve worried it’d upset people, but even if I was keeping such a secret, there’d be no point to doing so now. Besides, it’s the sort of thing I would’ve shared with you, Rarity, because I know I can trust you.”

She blushed profusely at that, and stammered, “I-I-I, thank y-you, I suppose…”

Scootaloo rapped her knuckles on her podium, then rested them on her chin. “So if I get what you’re sayin’ Sunset… is it possible someone could use this imprint for themselves if they stole your magic?”

“Uh, I think so?” I scratched the back of my head and frowned. “It’s been a long time since I studied magic, and having magic stolen isn’t something common in Equestria. Buuut… I’m pretty sure if someone stole my magic, they could use it, and that would include the imprint of the spell.” A dark scowl twisted my face as I turned my gaze upon Monoponi, pointing at him. “And I know who did it, too.”

“Moi? No, surely not!” Monoponi mocked, waving a hoof dismissively. “I would never.”

“No, that’s wrong!” Scootaloo protested, slamming a fist on her podium. “You stole Rainbow Dash’s magic right in front of us, remember?”

~*~
Similar outbursts of incredulity arose from everyone else present, except for Rainbow Dash. Shaking in fury didn’t come close to describing the outpouring of anger from her. An aura ignited all around her, glowing in a brilliant burst of white-hot rage scintillating with every color of the rainbow, burning so bright I could barely stand to look at her. What the hell? Since when does Rainbow Dash have magic?!

“Good heavens!” Rarity burst out, hiding behind Applejack, pointing a shaky finger at the glowing Dash. “What on earth is happening?”

“Aaaah!” Trixie cried, diving for the doorway to the courts.

“Woho, that’s not supposed to happen!” Monoponi blurted, a look of panic rising on his face. His horn lit up in dark crimson, lashing out like a bullwhip to curl around Rainbow Dash. She spun like a tornado as he drained the aura from her, leaving her sprawled on the floor, clutching her head and moaning. “Muuuch better. Must’ve missed some the last time.”
~*~

“We’re not going to forget seeing something like that!”

Monoponi gritted his teeth. “You weren’t supposed to see that,” he groused.

“But we did,” I replied. “So somewhere along the line, you made a mistake. Looking back, I think I know what you meant by ‘last time’ too. You were referring to when you kidnapped us. You drained our magic then and there, and used it against us. What I don’t get is, how did you do it?”

“Oh no,” Monoponi chided with a shake of his head. “You’re not getting the answer from me. You’ll have to figure that part out for yourself.”

“Fine, we will then.”

Tiara, who’d been scanning through her Monopad, looked up at me and asked, “So how’re we going to do that?”

“We figure out who he really is,” I answered, glancing down at my own pad. “I think if we can do that, we’ll figure out how he’s able to drain magic.”

“But where do we even begin?” Scootaloo said, frowning. “I mean, is he someone we all know?”

“I don’t think he is,” I said, shaking my head. “If he was someone we all knew, I feel like he would’ve gone about this killing game differently. No, I’m pretty sure the only one who knew him in any capacity prior to the game was me.”

Fact #20: Danganronpa Pictures: “A series of three pictures depicting Sunset Shimmer with another individual. The pictures are censored, making determining the identity of the other person impossible. In each one, Sunset and the person are playing a Danganronpa game, a different game in each picture. The pictures are timestamped, dated to March, April, and May of 2020.”

“I’m certain whoever is in these pictures with me is the mastermind. See how we’re playing Danganronpa? I’m starting to suspect I’m the one who showed it to him to begin with.”

“But why would you do that?” Rarity wondered. “This all comes back to the question I had before we started investigating: why did he let you keep your memories of Danganronpa?”

“Well, assuming it wasn’t just to help foster dissent, like Scootaloo suggested earlier, I think… I think it might’ve been to help me stay alive.”

Fact #22: Typewritten Plans: “A set of typewritten plans for a Killing Game involving Sunset Shimmer and her friends. According to the plan, the cases were to occur as follows:
Trial 1: Victim: Wallflower Blush; Blackened: Timber Spruce
Trial 2: Victim: Apple Bloom; Blackened: Sweetie Belle
Trial 3: Victims: Applejack, Rarity; Blackened: Twilight Sparkle
Trial 4: Victim: Scootaloo; Blackened: Fluttershy
Trial 5: Victim: Adagio Dazzle; Blackened: Pinkie Pie
Survivors: Sunset Shimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, Diamond Tiara, Rainbow Dash, Flash Sentry.”

“Remember the plans? I’m listed as a survivor. That means he expected me to stay around. And there’s more proof that suggests he wanted me alive too.”

Fact #1: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment: “A torn piece of paper detailing thoughts of the mastermind, with the following entries:
‘These morons aren’t using their Monopads right! Why aren’t they texting?’
‘Flash and Twilight Sparkle are romantically involved. This could be a big problem.’
‘What the hell was wrong with Timber? Why couldn’t he have drugged Wallflower right? Why did he make such a stupid note?!’
‘Woah. Sunset and Adagio? That could be an even bigger problem! I’m going to need a new photo for after the third trial. I can’t risk the siren finding out who took her magic now. I need Sunset alive.’
‘Way to leave it to the last second, Apple Bloom! I thought I was going to lose Sunset there for a second.’”

“Look at the way he comments on me in this first diary fragment. He outright says it, right there. ‘I need Sunset alive.’ I think… I think the real reason he let me keep my knowledge of Danganronpa was so he could make me the protagonist.”

“The protagonist?” Applejack repeated, her eyebrows disappearing underneath the brim of her hat. “Ah’m not sure what you mean. It ain’t like this is a story, Sunset. This is real life.”

“No, no, that’s not quite what I meant,” I replied with a sheepish smile. “See, in each of the Danganronpa games, you play as one of the sixteen people in the game. This person is the protagonist. They’re the one who investigates, who solves the mysteries during the trial, who explains how everything happened, and so on. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing this whole time. The only exception was when Trixie had to take over for me, after…” I swallowed, forcing down the sudden feelings of hurt and sorrow that arose upon touching this subject. “After Adagio tried to kill me. Which she only did because Monoponi made her do it.”

Monoponi tittered. “Upupu, I didn’t make her do anything. All I did was show you some pictures. She did the rest!”

“Shut the fuck up, asshole, no one’s listening to your bullshit anymore,” Tiara shouted, flipping off the alicorn with both hands.

He reared back, firing off a nasty, cold glare her way. “You’re lucky this is the final trial or else you’d see what happens when you disrespect your Captain like that.”

“I think you have a point, Sunset,” Rarity said, ignoring the byplay. “You have been leading everything. Your knowledge, your understanding made you the natural leader.”

“Exactly,” I said. “Without that… I don’t know who would’ve taken over. It still might’ve been me. But it could’ve easily been one of you, like Tiara. Or Twilight. Or maybe even Wallflower, since she was pretty smart, even if she made a dumb mistake like turning her back on Timber.”

“Ah think it probably would’ve been Twilight, to be honest with you,” Applejack pointed out. “Ah can’t see many others tryin’ to do it when she was the smartest of us all.”

I shook my head. “That doesn’t necessarily mean she’d have led the trials. In the first game, one of the characters was an Ultimate Detective, but she always left the trials in the hands of Makoto, who was the Ultimate Lucky Student, despite the fact that she’d solved the first case before they even went to trial. Twilight was smart, sure, but… I don’t think she had the confidence to lead. She would’ve played second fiddle, assistant to whoever it was.”

“Which is what she was supposed to be for you!” Monoponi shouted, throwing his hooves up in the air and extending his wings out in frustration. “And she did that brilliantly… for one trial! But nooo, she has to be so pathetic that she falls apart upon seeing Apple Bloom get shish kabobed!”

“Is that where the plan messed up, then?” I asked, curious now. “Because Twilight didn’t help me investigate the second murder?”

“Ah don’t think so, Sunset,” Applejack said, shaking her head. “Look again at these two lines from his diary.”

Fact #1: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment: “
‘Flash and Twilight Sparkle are romantically involved. This could be a big problem.’
‘Woah. Sunset and Adagio? That could be an even bigger problem! I’m going to need a new photo for after the third trial. I can’t risk the siren finding out who took her magic now. I need Sunset alive.’’”

“Ah’m pretty sure he weren’t intendin’ for either of those relationships to happen.”

Rarity snapped her fingers, her eyes sparkling. “Of course! Sunset, didn’t you tell me a while back, when we were chatting with Trixie, about how Flash only pursued Twilight because you suggested he should?”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s right. What about it?”

“Well,” Rarity continued, a grin tugging at her cheeks, “I seem to recall Monoponi making a great deal out of Twilight and Flash’s dalliance the next morning.”

~*~
“That’s… that’s not scientifically possible!” she screeched. Furiously she pointed a quivering finger in Monoponi’s direction. “You are not scientifically possible!”

“Au contraire, mon chérie,” Monoponi retorted. “You’re just too stupid to recognize magic when you see it. But what else should we expect from a science-obsessed bookworm who’s so lonely and miserable she puts out on the first date?”

One of Twilight’s eyes twitched madly as she raised a shaking fist, her whole body shaking with rage. “You… you little piece of… little piece of… piece of shit!”

“Woah, woah, Twilight, cool it!” I cried, getting between them and placing my hands on her shoulders. “Remember what I said! Don’t let him get to you! He’s just trying to mess with your head!”

“Let go of me!” Twilight snarled, struggling in my grip even as I strengthened it to hold her firmly in place. “Let me at him! I’ll tear him apart! I’ll smash him to pieces!”

“Hey, Twilight, chill!” Flash joined in, helping me keep Twilight restrained. “I’m mad too, but it’s not worth it. He’s not worth it, Twi.”

“But… he… I… oooh,” Twilight fell into Flash’s shoulder and gripped him tightly. I half expected her to burst into tears on the spot, but she didn’t. She just held him, her breathing slowing, her body relaxing. So I let go and backed off.
~*~

“That made her feel vulnerable. She sought protection from Monoponi’s words behind the aegis of Flash Sentry!” Rarity let out a wistful sigh as she held the back of her hand to her forehead. “Oh, it was so romantic!”

“We get it,” Scootaloo groaned, glaring at Rarity with narrowed eyes. “Move on.”

Rarity coughed into her hand, her cheeks flushing faintly with pink. “Yes, well, my point is, Flash acted as a stabilizer for Twilight. He was someone she could go to, to lean on, to rely upon. We saw for ourselves how unstable Twilight could become. That mad grin of hers…” Rarity shuddered. “Oooh it still gives me goosebumps.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” I muttered, shivering along with her. “Like she’d snapped, diving into pure insanity.”

“Precisely. So, what if that wasn’t supposed to happen?” Rarity proposed. “Recall this part of the plans.”

Fact #22: Typewritten Plans: “
Trial 3: Victims: Applejack, Rarity; Blackened: Twilight Sparkle”

“When I first saw this, I was so terrified for my life I didn’t stop to consider how it would have come about. What could’ve caused Twilight to murder myself and Applejack?”

“You know somethin’, Rarity?” Applejack said, frowning. “Ah think you’re onto somethin’. ‘Cause Ah think Ah know what was supposed to cause it.”

Fact #22: Typewritten Plans: “
Trial 2: Victim: Apple Bloom; Blackened: Sweetie Belle”

She let out a saddened, sorrowful sigh. “Our sisters.”

“...you think so?” Rarity said, giving Applejack a kinder look than she’d bothered with for ages now. Friendlier, even. Less subzero cold and more cool autumnal chill.

“Ah know so,” Applejack nodded glumly. “And Ah’ll bet dollars to doughnuts it was gonna involve that picture Sunset found too. Ah’ll bet Monoponi was bankin’ on us bein’ pissed at each other over what our sisters did. Then Sunset was supposed to give us the picture, or maybe Twilight was supposed to have it, who knows, and that would’ve caused us to fight somethin’ fierce. Like we did do, after the third trial.”

I snapped my fingers several times. “Right, I get what you’re saying. And if Twilight was supposed to follow along with me, she was supposed to have learned from me how the investigations work, how to mislead me.”

Fact #12: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment #2: “A torn piece of paper detailing thoughts of the mastermind, with the following entries:
‘That damned map tracking was the biggest mistake I ever made. They’re not supposed to use it that way! I’m taking it away after this trial.’
‘Why do they keep bending the rules?! That’s it. If anyone breaks a rule I’m going to execute them. I’m sick of this. They need to learn proper respect for me!’
‘Fluttershy! Fucking Fluttershy! Why the hell was it Fluttershy? I need to review the security footage. Something doesn’t feel right.’
‘I knew it! I knew it I knew it I knew it! They used me! I’m going to have to change the motive. I can’t risk messing up the count. I need five survivors, damn it.’”

“Look at the last line of his diary here. He says he had to change the motive. That suggests that the accomplice plus one motive he gave us wasn’t the original one. Maybe it was the political favor one he used for the fourth case. Maybe it was something else. But whatever it was, it would’ve led to Twilight snapping entirely, and using her brain against us. She would’ve killed the two of you and set up a fake scene, making it look like you killed each other.”

“Eeyup, that’s what Ah’m figurin’,” Applejack said. “Make it look like Rarity and Ah have it out for each other, then kill us both and try and mislead you. Ah bet she was supposed to try and take charge of the investigation, push you along, keep you from noticin’ stuff. Try an’ make sure you vote wrong.”

I let out a wry chuckle. “It wouldn’t have worked. I caught on to Adagio doing it, and she wasn’t even trying to hide a crime. And while she wasn’t exactly a queen of subtlety, compared to her Twilight might as well have had ‘obvious’ tattooed on her forehead.” Glancing Rarity’s way, I decided to reach out with my good hand, offering it to her. “I’m… glad things didn’t go that way.”

“Likewise, darling,” Rarity said, smiling warmly at me as she took my hand. I saw her eyes dart down briefly and her head duck an inch before she raised it again, her cheeks aflame.

Heat washed over my own face. Had she been just about to... no, she wouldn’t have.

Applejack’s mouth twisted up and she heaved a sigh before shaking her head firmly, as if trying to shake off the sight. “Ah am too. Like Ah said before, Big Mac and Granny are countin’ on me to make it through this. Ah ain’t gonna leave Big Mac to manage the farm alone.”

“Okay, okay, so that answers the Twilight and Flash question,” Tiara said, rolling her eyes, “but what about Adagio and Sunset?”

Instantly I shrank back from everyone, yanking my hand away as sorrow filled my breast. “That’s… I don’t want…”

“Tact. Tact, Diamond Tiara!” Rarity scolded, glaring at the younger woman. “Do you know what that is?”

“Obviously not,” Scootaloo scoffed. She looked over at me and tried to pat my shoulder. “I’m sorry, we shouldn’t even be bringing it up.”

“No, no, it’s…” I let out a loud sigh, feeling my heart race, though whether it was from anxiety or a desperate desire to run away from the conversation I couldn’t be sure. “We need to discuss it. J-judging by the m-mastermind’s plans, it w-wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“No. No it wasn’t!” Monoponi cried out, slamming both forehooves on his podium. “You and the siren? You and the siren?! What kind of crackshipping moron would think you two were a good pair?”

“Crackshipping?” Tiara mouthed, utterly nonplussed.

Rarity hummed, rubbing her chin with her thumb. “It did strike me as an odd pairing. Perhaps a bit more understandable when it was revealed you were both from Equestria, but… I never would’ve expected it to occur.”

“And yet it did,” I said. “It wasn’t… I didn’t set out to seduce her or anything. Before Wallflower died, she came to me and wanted to strike up a partnership. She told me she was a siren, and used that as leverage to get me to agree to watch her back, so long as she watched mine. For a while there I was worried she was using it as an excuse to isolate me so she could kill me at some point down the line.”

Monoponi grunted. “Yes. That. That, I expected. That, she was supposed to do. It’s what she did next that wasn’t supposed to happen!”

“What does he mean, Sunset?” Scootaloo said.

Blushing, a sheepish smile spread on my face. “So, uh, apparently, she was so scared by the first execution that she came to visit me afterwards. Said she didn’t want to be alone. I gave her a friendly hug, she muttered something about feeling embarrassed if her sisters saw her… and then she kissed me. And it was great. I enjoyed it. So one thing led to another and…” I trailed off, tapping my two index fingers together as my face practically lit on fire from the heat filling it.

“And then you fucked, yes, yes, we’re all adults here, we get it, Sunset,” Diamond Tiara said, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

“A-anyway,” I continued, my face split in half from my sheepish grin at this point, “it was pretty physical at first. I was seeking comfort, because she wasn’t the only one who was scared. I was too. Then as time went on, I began to fall in love with her, or…” I sighed. “With the idea of her. I saw her as being just like me, another bully turned good, only she hadn’t done the turn good part yet. I was trying to help her be a better person.” Anger flashed through me like flash flood in the desert, washing away my embarrassment in an instant. “And then Monoponi had to ruin it all by using that fucking photo album!” Glaring at him in hatred, I added, “I still don’t get why you wanted me dead even though I was your protagonist.”

“Oh? Ohoho? You really want to know why?” Monoponi seethed, his body vibrating with rage once more. “Because you wouldn’t stop disrespecting me! You’re not supposed to do that! You’re supposed to respect the authority I have. I’m Monoponi! I’m the one running the game!”

“Yeah, exactly,” I retaliated, flipping him off with my good hand. “You’re Monoponi. Not Monokuma. If you and I played the games together, you ought to know as well as I do he never cared what people said to him. All he was interested in was despair. Anything else slid off him like it was nothing. But you, Monoponi, you kept overreacting to everything. You freaked out over the slightest insult. You kept retaliating, lashing out with threats over and over until you lost your temper and executed someone without even bothering to check if they’d truly violated the rules or not! It’s no wonder your plan went off the rails from the very beginning. You’re too much of an idiot to think for more than two seconds--”

“BE QUIET!” Monoponi exploded with rage, his whole body glowing with a crimson aura as his eyes glowed like military-grade spotlights. “I WILL NOT TOLERATE BEING SPOKEN TO IN THIS MANNER!”

Everyone else shrank back in fear, but I shrugged and laughed. “Proving my point, Monoponi,” I said in a sing-song voice. “This doesn’t scare me anymore. All it does is show how pathetic you really are.”

Monoponi’s magic summoned up several ethereal weapons crafted from his aura, each aimed at me, ready to impale me or slice me in two. “Keep going, Sunset,” he hissed. “Keep pushing me. See what happens.”

“You won’t hurt me for the same reason you wouldn’t kill Applejack: you need five of us alive. Still dunno why, but you do. So…” I used my good hand to fluff my hair, then spread out my arm as far as I could extend it. “Take your best shot.”

“Sunset!” Rarity squealed, bunching up in fright. “Don’t taunt him like that!”

“He might actually do it, you know!” Scootaloo seconded, her body soaking in sweat as her eyes bounced between me and Monoponi.

Monoponi heaved, his chest expanding and contracting at a ridiculously fast pace as he frothed at the mouth, the magical weapons inching closer to me with every second. But I didn’t back down. I kept my stance, making myself a nice, easy target, right for a heart shot.

And then, just like I knew he would, Monoponi dismissed his magic, the weapons disintegrating into wisps of magical light. “If I didn’t need you alive,” he snarled, “I would enjoy ripping you into so many little pieces it’d take days to find them all!”

“Uh huh. Sure. Whatever,” I dismissed him with a wave of my hand.

Tiara swallowed noisily as she gave Monoponi a wary look, then switched her gaze to me. “So, like, we know when the plan messed up. But does that tell us anything about who Monoponi really is?”

“Not by itself, no,” I said, shaking my head, “but it could be a vital clue. The mastermind is likely someone who throws together elaborate plans that can be undone with a single out of place element. They’re decent at adapting to changing circumstances, but their plans still have a high risk of failure. They’re also prone to emotional outbursts, easily losing their temper, and they’ve got some kind of beef with Princess Twilight Sparkle. Meaning she’s probably beaten them at least once before, and they’re out for some sort of revenge.”

“It’s not just--”

“Not just revenge,” I cut him off, “Yeah, I was paying attention when you said that to Trixie, thank you. Shut up while we’re talking, will you?”

Perhaps his anger had finally been spent, because rather than overreact to my command, he quietly sat back on his podium and tapped his forehooves together, much like a human would twiddle their thumbs.

“So if Princess Twilight’s beaten them, that means they have to be from Equestria, right?” Scootaloo asked.

“Oh I’m sure they’re from Equestria,” I replied with a confident smile. “I’ve been sure of that for a very long time now.”

“Wait, wait, didn’t we find a list of Princess Twilight’s villains or somethin’?” Applejack said, frowning at her pad as she flicked through screens. “Oh, yeah, here we go.”

Fact #23: Equestrian Villain Piece: “An editorial piece focused on the villains that Princess Twilight had to deal with prior to her ascension to the Equestrian throne. It lists the following villains and their presumed status, with accompanying pictures:
Nightmare Moon: A corrupted alicorn who wanted to bring eternal night. Status: Reformed.
Discord: Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony who once ruled the world. Status: Reformed.
Queen Chrysalis: Former leader of the changelings, responsible for two different invasions of Equestria and an attempted coup alongside Cozy Glow and Lord Tirek. Status: Deceased.
King Sombra: Former leader of the Crystal Empire, a unicorn who uses dark magics. Status: Deceased
Lord Tirek: Centaur from a distant land capable of absorbing magic, responsible for several rampages and an attempted coup alongside Queen Chrysalis and Cozy Glow. Status: Deceased.
Starlight Glimmer: A unicorn of impressive power who once held an entire village hostage to an anti-cutie mark philosophy. Status: Reformed.
Storm King: A yeti warlord who was responsible for the conquest of numerous nations, including Assyria, Mount Aeris, and, briefly, the Equestrian capital of Canterlot. He used the Staff of Sarcanus to perform weather-based magic. Status: Deceased.
Cozy Glow: A pegasus foal who infiltrated the School of Friendship and drained the whole of Equestria’s magic, then subsequently attempted a coup with Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek. Status: Deceased.”

“Huh. Looks like most of ‘em are either reformed or dead. Ah… Ah didn’t know Equestria had such a harsh sense of justice.” Her eyes flicked to the last entry and her whole body convulsed with her disgusted shudder. “They even killed a kid?”

“It doesn’t,” I said, a dark frown crossing my face. “Usually if they can’t reform someone, Equestria will imprison them instead. Usually through petrification. I’m sure Twilight would never have killed a kid on purpose. So something else must’ve caused that.” I read through the list thoroughly. “Huh. Discord must’ve escaped his stone prison. How the hell did they reform him?”

“Does it really matter, darling?” Rarity said. “If he is reformed, then surely he’s not responsible for our predicament.”

My eyebrows shot to the top of my head as I considered that. “Mmm... Well, from what I remember, he made Twilight at her worst moments look like a picture of sanity. He didn’t just rule my world: he used it as his plaything, transforming ponies into whatever he wanted, destroying whole landscapes for the sake of a joke, and so on. The worst part about him was, he wasn’t violent. He was malicious and creepy, but he didn’t kill. And that’s before any reformation. With it? I can’t see him doing this. Besides, this game is far too structured for a spirit of chaos, even with all the rule bending that went on.” Which is more evidence on how much Monoponi sucks at imitating Monokuma. The bear never would’ve allowed the kind of crap he lets through.

“Hey, look, one of these villains had some kind of staff with storm magic or something,” Tiara pointed out as she scanned the list. “Could Monoponi be this guy? Because I’m pretty sure he’s got the ship surrounded by a storm of some kind, that won’t go away.”

I shrugged, considered what else we found, then shook my head. “No, no, this Storm King sounds like some old guy. A lot of the other clues suggested the mastermind, at least in their human form, is young.

Fact #24: Sunset’s Journal: “A journal detailing communiques between Sunset Shimmer and Princess Twilight Sparkle. Most of the information has been blanked out or destroyed, leaving only a series of letters to Twilight about Sunset’s “young friend” that she made.”

“See? My journal makes it clear. I talk about having a “young friend” that’s almost certainly the mastermind. Maybe the mastermind stole that staff, and that’s how they’re using the weather magic, or maybe they found some other way to do it, but I’d be very surprised if he turned out to be the Storm King.”

“Oh please. Like I’d really be that chump,” Monoponi said with a snort that sent his nostrils flaring like crazy. “That guy was so stupid he petrified himself while jumping off a balcony at the top of Canterlot Palace. Smashed himself into itty bitty little pieces.”

“Well, what about this Nightmare Moon then?” Scootaloo said, pointing to the line on the display. “I mean, she was an alicorn, and Monoponi’s an alicorn, so maybe--”

“Ah, no, let me cut you off right there, Scootaloo,” I said with a firm shake of my head. “I don’t remember that much of Equestria, thanks to Monoponi’s theft of our memories--”

“Your theft! You stole their memories, not I,” Monoponi insisted, posing like an innocent angel.

I shot him a dirty look but didn’t bother responding. “Anyway, like I was saying, although I don’t remember much… I feel like Nightmare Moon was important to Equestria somehow. Like, I dunno, she was Celestia’s long lost sister or something.”

“But then, if whoever Monoponi was wasn’t an alicorn originally, then… how did Monoponi become one?” Tiara asked.

“Well, we don’t even know if they are one, for real. It could just be an illusion of some sort, the shell that they wear.” I scanned through my Monopad and selected something. “But we do know it’s possible for someone to become an alicorn. Princess Twilight did it herself, see?”

Fact #13: Princess Twilight Piece: “An Equestrian magazine article, dated for two years ago, about Princess Twilight’s life, complete with pictures, detailing her birth in Canterlot as a unicorn, her transformation as an alicorn, and her original coronation as a lesser Princess. It goes on to detail her coronation as Princess of Equestria, describing it as a tumultuous event that brought together races from all over to defeat three villains and imprison them in stone. It also describes rapid physical changes she’s undergone since that cause her to resemble Princesses Luna and Celestia.”

“Hey wait a minute,” I muttered as I read what I just showed off. “Princess Luna…? Why does the name Luna sound so familiar?”

“Ah feel like she was someone in charge of stuff, like, Ah dunno, a vice principal or somethin’,” Applejack said, scratching her head. “But Ah’m not gonna worry about that. What Ah’m wonderin’ about is, how’d the mastermind become friends with you, Sunset? Ah’m strugglin’ to think of a good reason for you to have a ‘young friend’ like your journal said.”

“I think I can answer that one, AJ,” Scootaloo said, sighing.

Fact #19: Youth Center Pamphlet: “A pamphlet for the Canterlot Youth Center, explaining it is a place for youngsters of all ages up to eighteen to hang out, make friends, and participate in healthy activities, and asking those interested to become a sponsor for said youth, taking on the role of an older sibling figure.”

“If the mastermind is someone young, or appears young, the best way for them to befriend Sunset would be through the Youth Center. It’s… a pretty good place. I used to go there a lot when I was younger, before my parents had my aunts take care of me.”

Fact #18: Youth Center Logbook Page: “A torn, weathered page from the Canterlot Youth Center logbook, detailing a list of sign-in names, and times. Scootaloo’s name is signed on multiple entries for various dates.”

Scootaloo gave her display a withering glare. “See? The mastermind left this evidence behind to prove it.”

“Huh, I wonder why they would’ve left that specifically.” I peered closely at it, examining it carefully. “I mean, this stuff dates from, like 2006, over fourteen years ago. You would’ve been, what, seven?”

“Just about,” Scootaloo said. “I feel like I had a good sponsor around that time too, but I can’t remember who they are anymore. But I do know I had good experiences. It’s just…” she groaned and reached out to claw at her Monopad like she wanted to take the paper, ball it up, and toss it away. “I’m not a kid anymore.”

“So, like, what does the Youth Center have to do with Sunset?” Tiara said, her eyebrows raised in confusion. “She’s too old to go there.”

“I could’ve been a sponsor,” I pointed out. “It sounds like something I’d do. I like volunteering and helping out. I could see myself sponsoring a kid, letting them hang out with me, play video games, stuff like that.”

“Hey, wait, there’s a kid listed on that villain list, right?” Scootaloo said excitedly. “Is it her?”

I shook my head. “No, that wouldn’t make any sense. I wouldn’t show Danganronpa to someone that young. They’d have to be at least sixteen or seventeen for me to consider showing them the games, and that lists this Cozy pony as a foal, meaning she has to be younger than sixteen, since that’s Equestria’s age of majority.”

“Sixteen? Not eighteen, darling?” Rarity said with a confused pout.

I shrugged. “Equestria’s a bit different from Earth. Ponies have cutie marks that help them figure out their destiny, their role in life. And it’s a bit behind in terms of education and technology too, so between those two things, we grow up a little faster. Besides, the list says Cozy is dead. A dead person can’t run a killing game.”

“Ah think we’re startin’ to run out of villains here,” Applejack murmured, reaching under her hat to scratch her head.

“Question, Sunset,” Tiara said, raising her hand. She pointed out a specific line in the villain piece.

Fact #23: Equestrian Villain Piece: “Queen Chrysalis: Former leader of the changelings, responsible for two different invasions of Equestria and an attempted coup alongside Cozy Glow and Lord Tirek. Status: Deceased.”

“What’s a changeling? Is that anything like that one guy on Sta--”

I held up my hand to stop her. “If you’re about to say, are they a race that can change their form at will, then yes. I remember reading about changelings. They’re emotovores… actually, pretty similar to sirens, except unlike them, they feed on love. I think I see where you’re going with this too, but this Chrysalis is dead, according to the list. And I doubt she could transform her appearance on this side of the portal without some other magic.”

Rarity, who’d been poring over her Monopad, suddenly gasped. “What? Why… Sunset, there’s something odd here. Do you recall this thing we found, early in the investigation?”

Fact #2: Video Game Case: “A case for a video game entitled ‘Tirek’s Revenge.’ It features a large red centaur on the box art.”

Bemused, I examined the case in question, opting to look at the physical copy I’d stashed in my bag over the display version. “What about…” My eyes widened in realization. “Hey, what the heck?!”

Fact #23: Equestrian Villain Piece: “Lord Tirek: Centaur from a distant land capable of absorbing magic, responsible for several rampages and an attempted coup alongside Queen Chrysalis and Cozy Glow. Status: Deceased.”

“They’re the same! That doesn’t make any sense!”

“I thought so too, darling,” Rarity said, nodding. “That’s why I wanted to point it out.”

Applejack peered at me, cocking her head. “Ah don’t get it. We already know there’s alternates between the two worlds. What’s so funny about this?”

“Because, Applejack, every alternate we’ve seen has been a real person,” I answered. “But this video game features the exact same centaur that Princess Twilight took on. I remember seeing this guy in my dreams now. He was enormous, and looked just like the picture on this box art.”

“Wait, wait, doesn’t that just suggest that maybe this Tirek guy has an alternate, but he looks nothing like the centaur version?” Tiara said, holding up one hand to gesture with.

“Well…” I frowned and looked back at our evidence list again. “I guess there is some basis for that.”

Fact #15: Friendship Picture: “A picture of a younger alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle, standing next to a unicorn copy of herself that wears glasses and a pegasus Rainbow Dash with her wings draped down. They are smiling and waving at the camera.”

“Between this picture and the one we found just after the third trial, we can see how Princess Twilight and the one we knew looked different. Princess Twilight is an alicorn, whereas our Twilight was a unicorn when she crossed over to Equestria.”

“Wait, but that’s not that different though,” Scootaloo objected with a shake of her head. “They look almost exactly the same. The only difference was Princess Twilight went through some funky magical events to turn her into an alicorn, and ours didn’t.”

“Right, but that’s my point, Scootaloo,” I said, pointing squarely at the picture. “If this Lord Tirek has a real alternate in this world, he must be someone who’s a lot less... beefy. And now that I think about it, I remember reading about a Tirek in history. He was some centaur that tried to take over Equestria by absorbing magic, only to end up imprisoned in Tartarus by Celestia. And every time he absorbed magic he’d grow bigger and more muscular. I guess at some point he must’ve broken out and that’s why Twilight had to deal with him.” My brow furrowed as I concentrated on my memories. “But, wait… in the dreams I saw, he didn’t die. He was sent back to Tartarus. He must’ve escaped again, somehow, but how?”

“Maybe that’s why the mastermind left these funky clues for us, then!” Applejack declared, snapping her fingers. “Ah mean, if this Tirek can absorb magic, and we know Monoponi can... Is that it? Monoponi, are you Tirek?!”

“Ahahahaha!” Monoponi cackled, shaking with mirth. “Me… that complete buffoon… ahahahaha! Ahaha… haha...ha… no. No, I am not Tirek. Guess again.”

Applejack snapped her fingers again, this time with a disgusted look on her face. “Shoot.”

“Maybe we ought to step back a minute,” I said, holding out my hands for calm. “Maybe instead of figuring out who, let’s figure out how they captured us and brought us here.”

“Alright,” Rarity nodded. “Well, to start with, Sunset, we know they’ve been working on obtaining the cruise ship for years, much longer than they must’ve been working with you.”

“Agreed.”

Fact #5: Internet News Article Printout: “A printout of a news article from a website that states in January of 2020 the Harmony of the Horizons was taken out of commission by the company due to ‘undisclosed issues’ and will return to service in late 2021 after major renovations are completed.”

“See, the news article says the ship was taken out of commission back in January.”

Fact #20: Danganronpa Pictures: “A series of three pictures depicting Sunset Shimmer with another individual. The pictures are censored, making determining the identity of the other person impossible. In each one, Sunset and the person are playing a Danganronpa game, a different game in each picture. The pictures are timestamped, dated to March, April, and May of 2020.”

“But the earliest timestamp picture here isn’t until March. Meaning the mastermind must’ve only gotten to know me after they took possession of the ship.”

“Uh, not to cast doubt on what you’re sayin’, ‘cause Ah think you’re on the right track,” Applejack interrupted as she scratched her head. “But ain’t that a pretty big assumption to be makin’? What if you’d been sponsorin’ this person for a lot longer than March?”

I frowned, thought about that for a moment, then shrugged and shook my head. “Even if you’re right, Applejack, I don’t think it matters much. These photos are the only thing that dates my interactions with the mastermind, and the mastermind wants us to figure out who they are, so they wouldn’t give us misleading information.”

“You know, darling, now that I look at these photos again,” Rarity interjected, pressing her right index finger to her chin, “It feels as if the mastermind only learned about Danganronpa because of you.”

“Right you are, Miss Prissy!” Monoponi said with a giggle in his voice. “Upupu, this is another way Sunset betrayed you! She taught me what Danganronpa was! I never would’ve known about it otherwise. And it was such a wonderful experience, getting to play those games! Sunset, you and I would talk for hours on my theories about them. Oh, the mysteries, the violence, the death, the despair. Despair might not be my goal, but I sure do enjoy it! Ahahaha!”

“Sheesh. Fanboy,” Scootaloo muttered, sticking out her tongue.

The seamstress rolled her eyes. “Right. Anywho, that feels important, Sunset. Very important.”

“Yeah, I agree with you,” I said, nodding. “We’ve known for a while that Monoponi’s goal has nothing to do with us. He told us as much way back…” I trailed off, suddenly very uncomfortable.

Rarity reached out and touched my arm, giving me a watery smile. “It’s alright. I’m well aware of what you were going to say. He told us that at the second trial, after… after my sister’s execution.”

I grabbed for her hand and held it tight, giving it several reassuring squeezes before releasing it. “Y-yeah, that. S-so…” I took a moment to regain my composure. “So, his goals have to do with Princess Twilight. And we already know we were friends with her. In fact, we were all friends, all sixteen of us, before we came aboard this ship.”

Fact #9: Black Book: “A list of contacts, phone numbers, names, and associations for Rarity Belle’s boutique. Listed amongst the contacts is information for all sixteen passengers that were involved in the Killing Game. Several other names are blanked out, but are listed as associated with the RECL corporation.”

Rarity withdrew the physical copy from her own bag to show off. “It’s true. I have each of your names, number, and address in this book. Given that not all of you are of… similar means, the only reason I’d have that information is if we were friends.”

“Huh,” Tiara said, one corner of her mouth turned down. “You’re making it sound like Monoponi threw together this whole game just to torture Princess Twilight.”

“I think that’s exactly why he’s been holding this game,” I said in agreement. “We know he’s been broadcasting it to her. I’m sure there’s more to it than that, though. There has to be, or else he wouldn’t have gotten the ship. He likely used the ship as the setting as convenience, since he already had it.”

Scootaloo rapped her knuckles on her podium. “Yeah, I’ll bet he used Danganronpa because he loved the games you showed him. It provided the perfect setting for slow emotional torture. I know if I was forced to watch a show all about my friends murdering each other, I… fuck, I don’t have to describe what I’d feel then, do I? We’ve all been living it.”

“It’s been simply dreadful,” Rarity moaned, her eyes watering. “Losing my sister, Applejack losing hers, all this death… it’s been so pointless, so cruel!”

Applejack doffed her hat and held it to her breast. “Apple Bloom…” she whispered.

“Wait, now there’s something else I don’t get, Sunset,” Tiara interjected. “Why take our memories away?”

“Apart from the fact that I doubt he’d ever get us to kill each other if we all remembered how good of friends we were?” I asked her in return. She nodded, so I continued, “Because it’s an aspect of the Danganronpa mysteries. Every game in the series featured memory loss in some crucial way. Our situation is… probably closest to the first game, where good friends had their memories taken away and are forced to kill each other, causing the ones watching endless despair. Monoponi obviously loves the style of Danganronpa, so he sought to emulate it in as many ways as he could. I mean, hell, he’s even had us do those freaking scrum debates, and that’s an outright game mechanic he ripped off.”

“I kinda liked those, actually,” Tiara muttered, then looked away when we all shot her a nasty glare. “Sorry, sorry…”

“Okay, okay, I think we’re getting off track,” Scootaloo said. “Sunset, we’re trying to figure out what the mastermind did to capture us, right? Well, if they had you sponsoring them with the Youth Center, then they must’ve been using it as a way of gathering information, right?”

“What, you mean, slowly pick my brain over time for info on all of us?”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo nodded. “That has to be what they did. Then when the time was right and they were ready, they found some way to gather us all up and take us out to sea.”

Applejack placed her hat back on her head. “But Ah still don’t get the point. Just torturin’ Princess Twilight can’t be enough. He had to have known she was gonna try and rescue us!” As if to emphasize, the ship shuddered under another massive explosion audible to us in the courtroom.

“See that’s what I’m still not sure about,” I replied. “Gimme a minute.”

While the others talked amongst themselves, I closed my eyes to concentrate. Okay, let’s think about everything we know here, Sunset. We know his goal isn’t just revenge. We know he’s torturing Twilight on purpose. We know he worked for years to secure this ship, spent who knows how much money arming it to the teeth. We know he used Danganronpa because he happened to fall in love with it while gathering information on us. But why? What is the point?

Well, let’s look at this a different way, Sunset. I frowned, squeezing my eyes shut harder as I raised my good hand to cover one ear. What did every villain on that list of Twilight’s enemies want? They all wanted the same thing: to rule Equestria. But in order to rule Equestria, they’d need to take out any opposition. They’d need to be prepared, with weapons, with armor, with magic. Most of all, they’d need to take out Twilight. Take her down, and Equestria follows suit.

...that’s it! THAT’S IT!

“It’s a trap!” I shouted, cutting off all discussion. “It’s one big trap! He’s luring Princess Twilight in so he can capture her and drain her magic, then he’s going to take the ship to Equestria and use it to conquer it!”

“Ding ding ding ding ding! And we have a winner!” Monoponi announced, using his horn to shoot jets of light that exploded into deafening, brilliant fireworks over the courtroom. At each burst I saw Scootaloo flinch more and more, slapping her hands on her ears by the third one as she bent over and whimpered. “That’s right, Sunset! That’s why I’ve done all of this! So I can move right back in and have the power I’ve deserved all along!”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, Scootaloo, it’s okay,” I said quietly, rubbing the younger woman’s back as she continued to whimper, a few tears dripping down her cheeks. “It’s over now.”

“I hate fireworks,” she moaned as she leaned into me, using me for support till she could stand on her own. “Fuck I hate fireworks… thanks Sunset.”

“Sure thing,” I said, smiling at her.

“Now hold on there, sugarcube,” Applejack said, doubt etched across her face. “Ah thought this Princess Twilight was ruler of all Equestria. And she’s shown up with a warship too. What makes you think she ain’t expectin’ a trap?”

“She probably is,” I answered, “but that’s the other reason he used Danganronpa. Look, we all know what we’ve been going through, right? This killing game, it’s been a living nightmare, Hell on Earth. It’s brought us all to the brink of despair time and time again. How much worse do you think it must be for someone who’s friends with all of us, who’s forced to watch, able to do nothing while their friends die one by one? It’s got to be pretty awful. I doubt Princess Twilight is even thinking rationally anymore. Her judgement is likely compromised, her ability to make quick decisions dampened… she’d make for an easy target. Much easier than if she hadn’t withstood the emotional turmoil of watching us kill each other for the past few weeks.”

“Then we have to warn her!” Rarity shrieked, looking all about the courtroom as if seeking a quick exit. “We can’t let Monoponi capture her! If he captures her, we’re doomed!”

But before she could take a single step away from her podium, Monoponi’s aura lashed out and froze us all in place. “Now now, you don’t think I’m actually going to let you get away with warning the Princess, do you?” Monoponi said sweetly. “Because you’re not. By the time she arrives, it’ll be too late. The trap’s already set. Besides, you have other duties to attend to. You still haven’t figured out who I am.”

“Why’re you so insistent on that?” I wondered as soon as he released us. “You’re acting like we have to hurry. What, you want to be sure we’ve revealed you before Twilight shows up, so you can gloat about it?”

Monoponi gave a casual shrug. “Guilty as charged! What can I say? Your Captain does have a bit of an ego. And you’re so close, too!”

“We are?” I muttered. “Okay, fine, we’ll figure you out.”

“Sunset!” Tiara protested, giving me a pleading look. “We can’t just keep cooperating! We have to do something!”

“I know that, Diamond,” I said, a note of irritation crawling into my voice. “But right now we don’t have any other choice. Just wait, okay? I’ll think of something.”

“Tick tock!” Monoponi sang. “Time’s a wasting!”

Scootaloo let out another quiet whimper, then turned to face me, holding up her hands to gesture with. “Okay, so, so, we know the mastermind was at the youth center, we know you sponsored them, and they picked your brain for info on us. But how did they capture us?”

Rarity clapped her hands for attention. “Sunset, I think I have the answer to that!”

Fact #10: Party Invitation: “An invitation to a party being thrown by Sunset Shimmer. Several words are blacked out with marker. It reads: ‘You’re invited! Come down to Salami Slice’s Pizza on [censored] at [censored] to celebrate the birthday of Sunset Shimmer’s friend, [censored.] This is a surprise party so don’t spill the beans!’
In smaller text near the bottom it reads: ‘Be sure to keep this invitation: a raffle will be held. One lucky winner will [censored.]’ The raffle portion is missing from the invitation.”

“Of course!” I shouted. “No wonder we felt so creeped out when we saw it. This must’ve been a party the mastermind asked me to throw for them. They used that to lure us all together.”

“Huh,” Applejack frowned, looking over the invitation on her pad. “Ah’m not sure Ah understand why it’s got a raffle ticket. What’d be the point to that?”

“Same reason it says it’s a surprise party,” I answered. I glanced over at Monoponi, who was glaring at his foreleg impatiently as if he was looking at a watch. “Means there’s no evidence left behind. He told us back during the fourth trial that it took a long time for us to get out to sea where we’re at now, long enough that we got to spend at least a good couple of weeks acting like we were on vacation before he wiped our memories again. That would give the police plenty of time to start searching for us, so he needed to minimize the likelihood of anyone being able to put two and two together and find us.”

Tiara flashed me an impatient thumbs up. “So we know how the mastermind got us here now. But who is he?”

“Hurry it up, Shimmer!” Monoponi growled. He’d brought out some sort of tablet similar to our Monopads and was glaring it before scoffing and shoving it back under his podium.

“I-I-I still don’t know!” I blurted, feeling panic rise up and take hold, surging through my nerves like an electric shock. “I don’t know! It doesn’t make sense. Every logical person on that list of villains is dead!”

Applejack glanced over at Monoponi, who was beginning to vibrate with rage again. “Well you’d better think of somethin’ fast ‘cause it looks like he ain’t gonna give you long!”

Whimpering and clutching at my head, I moaned, “Damn it, okay, guys, just… let me think, okay? Let me think! I must’ve missed something.”

I looked back over the evidence we’d gathered. Somewhere in there was something I hadn’t seen, something to tie everything together.

And then I spotted something… odd.

Fact #13: Princess Twilight Piece: “An Equestrian magazine article, dated for two years ago...it goes on to detail her coronation as Princess of Equestria, describing it as a tumultuous event that brought together races from all over to defeat three villains and imprison them in stone.”

“Wait a minute…”

Fact #23: Equestrian Villain Piece: “An editorial piece dated for six months ago...
Queen Chrysalis: Former leader of the changelings, responsible for two different invasions of Equestria and an attempted coup alongside Cozy Glow and Lord Tirek. Status: Deceased.
Lord Tirek: Centaur from a distant land capable of absorbing magic, responsible for several rampages and an attempted coup alongside Queen Chrysalis and Cozy Glow. Status: Deceased.
Cozy Glow: A pegasus foal who infiltrated the School of Friendship and drained the whole of Equestria’s magic, then subsequently attempted a coup with Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek. Status: Deceased.”

“The article on Twilight’s coronation says she fought off three villains and turned them to stone. The villain piece says those three must’ve been Cozy, Chrysalis, and Tirek, but it also says they’re deceased. The first one was written two years ago, the other six months ago… as if something had happened to them.”

“You’re nearly out of time, Shimmer!” Monoponi shouted, his magic beginning to lash out at his surroundings like dozens of writhing tentacles.

“Shut up, I’m thinking, okay?!” I looked back down at the evidence again. “So… so… if something happened to them, something must’ve made people think they died. But if it took an entire army of creatures working together to take them out, Twilight must’ve been keeping tabs on them. If their deaths were faked, she’d know. But… I feel like this has to be it, but I don’t see how!”

Monoponi rose up in the air on his wings. “I’m giving you one more minute, Shimmer, before I decide I don’t need you idiots anymore and wipe you out!”

“Hurry up, Sunset!” Tiara cried as she quivered in fear.

“Please, Sunset, I don’t want to die either!” Scootaloo begged, tugging at my pant leg.

I let out a wordless scream. “I know! Let me think, for fuck’s sake!”

“Come on, Sunset,” I heard Applejack mutter under her breath.

“Thirty seconds!”

Fuck, fuck fuck! What am I missing? I looked back over the evidence again, trying to see some sort of pattern. Think, think, Sunset! What does all of this tell you? Forget everything except the stuff you haven’t tied down yet. Focus on the pictures. The video game case. What do they say?

Rarity reached out and placed both her hands on my arm. “Breathe, Sunset. You can solve this.”

It… it tells me… tells me that we all have alternates.

“Ten seconds!”

Well we knew that! That doesn’t help!

"Five!"

What does that… have to… do…

"Four!"

Oh my god…

"Three!"

If they did that, then that could explain it...

"Two!"

But then who...oh. Oh my god. That’s it!

"One!"

I KNOW WHO IT IS!

Monoponi’s magic surged forth and grabbed us all, forcing us to hover in the air. Scintillating weaponry of hard crimson light manifested at each of our throats, ready to slice and stab and otherwise end our lives the instant he flicked them forward. “Time’s up, Sunset,” he grunted, his voice growing deeper. “What’s it gonna be? Do you have an answer? Or do you die?”

“I have an answer, Monoponi!” I declared with supreme certainty ringing in my voice. “I know who you are!”

“Oh, you do, do you?” Monoponi said, intrigued. He hummed for a moment, then set me, and me alone down, leaving the other four suspended, their lives hanging by a thread. “You get one chance. And you do this right, Sunset! Closing argument style! Mess this up, and you get to watch them die!”

“Don’t fuck this up Sunset!” Tiara cried. “Please!”

Rarity wriggled in Monoponi’s magic grip, panic contorting her features. “Oh dear heavens, Sunset, don’t let him kill me! I don’t want to cease to exist!”

Scootaloo almost managed to force her way out of the magic bonds surrounding her until they tightened, threatening to cut off her air supply. “Sunset!” she gasped. “You… please…”

“Calm down, y’all, Ah’m sure she’s got this…” Applejack stammered, despite looking just as panicked as the other three. I could hear her teeth chattering from here.

I closed my eyes, sorting together my thoughts. I can do this. I know I’m right. I have to be. Opening my eyes, I shouted to the heavens:

"This is the truth behind this killing game!”

“This all started years ago, with the mastermind’s original crimes in Equestria. They were defeated multiple times by Princess Twilight, and eventually made their way here, to this world. The mastermind was trying to find some way to get close to people involved with Princess Twilight Sparkle, and chose me as their target. Because of their age and appearance on Earth, they needed an excuse to befriend me despite the age difference between us. Thus they used the Canterlot Youth Center, and took advantage of my willingness to be a sponsor.

“Over a series of months, I became closer and closer friends with the mastermind. I frequently invited them to play video games with me at my apartment, where I inadvertently exposed the mastermind to the video game series this whole killing game is based upon: Danganronpa. It became the mastermind’s favorite game series, the one they always wanted to play with me when they visited. Over the course of visits we ended up playing all three of the main games together, and, according to the mastermind, I had a great deal of fun listening to their thoughts and theories. I had already played the series once before, but with the mastermind I experienced it fresh all over again.

“And I wish I hadn’t. The mastermind had slowly, over the course of the many months I knew them, solicited information on all of my friends, the people involved in this killing game. They learned about our magic, learned about our history. Most importantly they learned about Wallflower Blush’s use of the memory stone. Though the memory stone was destroyed, the imprint it left on my mind allowed me to call upon its power, due to my inherent talent with mind magic. As such, this allowed the mastermind to wipe our memories, so long as they drained the power from me first.

“Thus when it came time to kidnap us, the mastermind used me once more. They claimed it was going to be their birthday, and that they’d never had a birthday party before. They also wanted to meet my friends. Through careful manipulation they conned me into sending invitations, which were to act as raffle tickets, meaning no evidence would be left behind, and the whole thing was kept secret, so there’d be nothing anyone could inform the police of after we vanished.

“Instead, it was a trap. As soon as we’d all arrived, the mastermind revealed their true Equestrian status and drained us of our magic. Using my mind magic as a focus, the mastermind wiped our memories, then had us carted off to the cruise ship. The mastermind amused themself during the sail from the port by allowing us to act like it was a vacation, and wiped our memories again at the end.

“Using the knowledge they’d gathered from me, the mastermind crafted together a careful plan for this killing game. They decided everything down to who would die in each case and who would be the blackened, and created motives accordingly. They thought they understood our personalities well enough for this to succeed. However, the plan went wrong from the beginning. Despite the victims and blackeneds of the first two trials being what the mastermind intended, the methods were different, as were the results. Everyone used the Monopads in a different manner than anticipated. Relationships formed that weren’t supposed to, such as Flash and Twilight, and myself and Adagio. Then finally things completely went off the rails when Twilight Sparkle left that note. This caused a chain reaction that completely disrupted the entire game, resulting in things going further and further out of the mastermind’s control. Though the mastermind was still able to execute Twilight, nothing else went to plan.

“Despite this, the mastermind persisted, even attempting to have me killed when they decided they were tired of my disrespect for their authority. But the mastermind’s plan failed again, thanks to Trixie, whose bright thinking and action saved my life, at the cost of her own and Adagio’s.

“The identity of the mastermind is a simple matter, when the clues are assembled. We know from the Equestrian magazine article about every villain Princess Twilight has ever faced. We also know the most likely culprits are considered deceased. But as we’ve seen from other photos, we know every Equestrian has an alternate, and that when you transition between the worlds, your form changes to match that of your alternate. And when that’s understood, the deception and thus, the mastermind’s identity becomes obvious. Only one of the villains is young enough to pretend to be a youth in need of a sponsor. Only one of them could be described as a young friend. Only one of them could manipulate the best of us with their childlike charm.

“The identity of the mastermind is none other than that pegasus foal:

COZY GLOW!

Show yourself, Cozy! End this charade!”

As my words echoed through the courtroom, silence reigned, with the only sound being that of the soft musical chime of Monoponi’s telekinetic aura. My fellow passengers all gaped at me, horror stricken, most likely convinced I’d sealed their fate.

But I didn’t waver. I stared down Monoponi, as he stared me down in turn, my finger still raised, pointing at his face. I remained still, patient, and calm. I know I’m right. I’m sure of it.

Then all of a sudden, Monoponi’s aura faded, dropping the other four to the ground. They all cried out in pain as they landed, a few of them bumping heads or elbows or other limbs on their podiums before they managed to haul themselves to their feet.

“Golly, Sunset. I can’t believe you did it!”

It was Monoponi speaking, but not Monoponi. It was a completely different voice, young and feminine, cloaked in a veil of polite friendliness that belied the sadism underneath. It was all at once diplomatic, childlike, full of wonder… and scared me to death. This voice was all too familiar, despite the memory loss, echoing in the darkest parts of my soul. A voice of true evil.

“T-then, she… she was right?” Scootaloo breathed, rubbing at her bruised throat.

Applejack winced as she held a hand to a nasty shiner forming on her face. “Ah’m sure she must be.”

Tiara let out a low moan as she leaned against her podium, holding both hands to her back. “God, why’d he have to drop me like that…”

“What… who are you?” Rarity whispered as she stared at Monoponi in mute horror.

Monoponi giggled, a laugh entirely unlike any produced by the alicorn before. He took flight, floating towards us till he was hovering over the very center of the courtroom, right above the holographic display. Everyone except for me backed away from their podiums, fear reflecting in their faces. “Oh, Rarity, don’t tell me you don’t know? You heard my best friend Sunset Shimmer name me! But why hide behind this face anymore? I think it’s time you all saw the real me!”

A large bubble of magic exploded around Monoponi. At first, it was the same color his magic always was, that sickly, evil crimson. But as we watched it, it changed. Emerald green flames surrounded him, bathing him in their light before they shifted to a brighter red, less crimson and more scarlet.

Then the flames fell, and we were all stunned beyond belief.

Floating before us was a young pale pink skinned woman, about sixteen or so years of age, clad in a dress containing elements of classical Pegasi attire mixed with Earth schoolgirl uniforms, shaded in colors of rich cranberry red to pinkish to livid blue. Crenellation shaped gold trim decorated her skirt and sleeves. A cream colored belt tied around the waist prominently featured a mahogany brown rook symbol. Similar ribbons of cream and gold festooned her hair, arms, and legs. Rolls of pale cyan and greyish blue hair streamed around her face so curled up it was like she had a head full of scrolls. Atop her head she wore a gold filigree leaf crown, like the Roaman emperors of old. In her right hand she carried a wand, shaped from a contorted, curvy horn with an attached handle of malachite. Most worryingly, however, she sported pony ears the same color as her skin, and two large feathery pegasus wings opened up behind her, fluttering as if in a gentle breeze.

She opened her shining scarlet eyes, leaned back, and cackled like mad. Peals of laughter rolled from her throat in endless waves as she held the back of the hand holding the wand up to her mouth and laid her other on her hip. “Oooh Sunset, it’s so good to finally see you again!” she said in a syrupy sweet voice. “I’ve been in that Monoponi disguise for so long I almost forgot who I was!”

“Y-you’re… you really are…” I stammered, barely able to find my voice. A mixture of loathing, rage, and emotions I didn’t even have words for coursed through my body, churning not just my stomach but the whole rest of my torso up like all my organs had been ripped out and thrown into a blender. “You’re Cozy Glow.”

“Thaaaat’s right!” Cozy curtsied before us with perfect form, before returning to her podium. “I’m Cozy Glow. It’s so nice to meet you when you can see the real me! We’ve had so much fun together, haven’t we? This game has been so thrilling! But now?”

The sweetness vanished from her voice as she leaned forward, adopting a maniacal smile that sent torrents of fear rushing through my veins like water from a broken dam. “Now, the real fun begins!”

Author's Note

Major, major credit to Rainstorm Riddles for creating the artwork used in this part. She took my sparse descriptions and whipped up an incredible set of backgrounds and interpretations. Thank you very much my friend. :pinkiesmile:

Congratulations to ShadwSonic, SuperSonicHeroes, BlackOpsElf, NickChi, RTStephens, AxelFones, JCarp, and Superfun. Brony1984 also gets partial credit for a really cool as hell idea I wish I had thought of. Ah, I'm so proud of all of you, especially those who'd not put forth a guess before now. I was applauding every correct guess. :pinkiehappy:

That's right, it's Cozy Glow! Now, why is it Cozy? Well, there's a lot of reasons, and there's still plenty of content left to come, so I don't want to spoil anything. But I can share with you this image by The Butcher X.

I happened to come across this image back around the end of September 2020, when, in a fit of Danganronpa fervor, and having just read a couple of excellent Fangans, I wanted to embark on writing a story of my own. So I set upon my original idea, which involved taking the blackeneds from all three video games and throwing them into a second killing game for the sake of either reincarnating back to life, or being erased from existence altogether. But I didn't get very far into the prologue before realizing I just didn't have the voice of these characters down at all.

So when I saw that image, thanks to the Danganronpa in my brain my very first thought was, "if anyone would run a killing game in MLP it'd be Cozy Glow." And then the ideas began to flow. I wrote down a few, not intending to write anything. And then I started writing anyway. And kept writing, and writing, and here we are today.

In other words, if it were not for this image, this story would not exist. The story was built from the ground up with Cozy in mind.

Like I said there's still plenty yet to come! We're not done yet.

A few of you had the notion of Sunset's demon form being involved as a separate entity, that or Human Sunset. Both of those were really cool ideas, but they didn't fit the story as intended. But I wanted to acknowledge how much I liked them.

Oh, and please, Sunsagio fans, don't take Monoponi's crackshipping comment to heart. That's not the opinion of the author regarding the pairing. My opinion is that it's a fine pairing that just has a lot of complications involved. Monoponi, however, is a jerk, and spouts a lot of opinions I do not agree with.

Also, just for kicks, here is a close-up of Cozy without the lighting effects:

Chapter Six: Dead in the Water Part 4

Chapter Six
Dead in the Water
Trial Part 3

Cozy’s echoing laughter filled the courtroom as my fellow passengers and I stood in mute horror. “The real fun begins?” I whispered. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Her mouth snapped shut as she leered at me, those scarlet eyes as full of malice as Monoponi’s ever were. “What do you think, Sunset?” she scoffed, taking a moment to examine her fingernails. “It’s my turn to shine! This is the part where the mastermind talks all about her plans, right?”

“Scootaloo wasn’t kidding,” I replied. “You really are a fangirl, aren’t you?”

“Goodness me, of course I am!” Cozy tittered, a nasty little laugh that sent goosebumps running up and down my spine. “Ever since I showed up in this Celestia forsaken human world, the only good thing I’ve found about it is Danganronpa. Oooh if only I’d known about it while I had control over the School of Friendship… can you imagine the sort of killing game a bunch of ponies and other creatures who don’t understand friendship would play out?”

“The what now?” Applejack inquired, a look of confusion on her face.

“The School of Friendship,” Cozy repeated, glaring at the farmer. The tip of her wand rose to point at Applejack briefly, before dropping back down while Cozy smiled. “Of course you wouldn’t know what that is. You’re not the real Applejack. You’re just the pathetic human version of her. Not that the real one is any better!”

Applejack’s lips pulled back, her muscles rippling as she unconsciously brought up her fists. “Ah ain’t a fake! Ah’m me!”

“Don’t let her get to you, Applejack,” I said, despite feeling equally upset on her behalf. “Cozy’s too stupid to understand that people are people.”

“Stupid? Stupid?!” Cozy’s left eye twitched, then bugged out as she raised her wand to point at me. A small jet of scarlet red light shot out, wrapping itself around my throat just like a telekinetic field would. “Let’s see how stupid you think I am when you’re choking to death, Sunset!”

I didn’t give her the satisfaction of struggling, because I knew she was bluffing. The magic grip wasn’t tight at all; I could still breathe easily. “I told you before, Cozy, it’s not scary anymore. Nice try though.”

One corner of her mouth quirked up before she burst into peals of laughter. “Ohohoho, oh Sunset, this is just like old times. Well, with a few more death threats, of course!”

“I wouldn’t know,” I said in a flat tone.

Releasing her magic hold on me, Cozy lowered her wand to her side. “No, I guess you wouldn’t. Too bad. We did have lots of fun together.” She raised a finger at me and waggled it in a chiding gesture. “Oooh, but you’re not going to distract me. I told you I was going to tell you all about my plans. Don’t you want to hear them?”

“No, not really,” Tiara grumbled under her breath. “But you’re going to tell us anyway.”

“Oh boo, Diamond Tiara, and here I thought we got along sooo well,” Cozy said with a sadistic grin on her face. She fluttered her eyelashes at the rich elitist. “We never did get to kiss. Should we make up for lost time?” She puckered her lips up and made kissing noises.

Tiara slapped a hand over her mouth as her face turned green. “N-no,” she whimpered. “Please no.”

Cozy shrugged in a playful manner. “Alright. Your loss.” Facing me, she brought up her wand and pointed it at me. I flinched, expecting more magic to fly out, but it seemed she was using it just to gesture with, because nothing happened. “So, tell you what, Sunset. Since we’ve been doing such a wonderful job playing with the Danganronpa formula, why don’t we turn this into a question session. You can ask me what you’re wondering, and I’ll actually answer it instead of giving you grief. Sound fun?”

“Oh yeah, tons of fun,” I said with a fake smile.

Cozy beamed anime-style, cocking her head to the side and closing her eyes and everything. “Great! Let’s get started.”

Rarity reached out to tug on my shirt sleeve. “Sunset!” she whispered, giving me a scared look as she leaned in. “She’s crazy! What’re we going to do?”

“I’m working on it, Rarity,” I whispered back. Facing our captor, I said in a louder voice, “Okay, first question, Cozy: how are you alive?”

“Oooh, that’s a really good question, Sunset!” Cozy grinned, showing off her teeth. Much like her Monoponi disguise, her teeth were pointier, sharper than they should be even for a human. Whether that was the real deal or an affectation, I couldn’t be sure. “So, once upon a time, a cute foal named Cozy Glow started attending Twilight Sparkle’s School of Friendship. All she wanted to do was make more friends than any other pony ever had, but what did Twilight and her friends do?”

She abruptly slammed both fists onto her podium, her eyes glowing with an unnatural scarlet light. “THEY IMPRISONED HER IN TARTARUS!”

Tiara screeched and dove under her podium, covering her head with her hands. Applejack let out a deeper yelp and took a few steps back, but managed to keep her cool. Rarity reached out and clung to my arm, thankfully my good arm and not the broken one. Scootaloo, meanwhile, seemed mostly unfazed, her rapid breathing the only sign she was worried.

I simply stood up straighter and asked, “Princess Celestia wouldn’t imprison anypony in Tartarus without a good reason. What’re you leaving out, Cozy?”

Cozy giggled like a schoolgirl. “Oh nothing big. I just maybe used a few magical artifacts to create a spell that drained all the magic in Equestria so I could use it instead.”

My jaw fell open. “You did what?!”

“Well that don’t sound that bad…” Applejack said, scratching her head in confusion.

“See?” Cozy snickered, gesturing with her wand towards Applejack. “Fake Applejack gets it.”

“For pete’s sake, Ah’m not... “ Applejack trailed off, growling obscenities under her breath.

I rapidly shook my head. “But that’s absurd! Do you know how many ponies you could’ve killed doing that? How many were on life support, or depended upon magic for food preservation? Not to mention Cloudsdale and the other pegasi communities depend on magic just to stay afloat! No wonder they imprisoned you. It sounds like it was too good for you.”

“Who cares about some stupid ponies who’re too old and frail to keep on living?” Cozy sneered with a shrug that made me want to punch her in the face. “What matters is power. And that’s what I was after. And Twilight and her friends denied me!”

“Hey!” Scootaloo shouted, aggressively flipping Cozy off with her right hand. “People matter, no matter how ‘old’ or ‘frail’ they are! They’re just as important as everyone else, you jerk!”

Cozy’s mouth turned down as she raised one eyebrow, looking at Scootaloo like she was an insect crawling on her sandwich. “I’m sorry, I don’t think your opinion matters, fake Scootaloo. The real you is way less annoying and preachy. And I still can’t stand her face.”

“For goodness’ sake, would you stop referring to us as fakes?!” Rarity ground out through gritted teeth. “We are not fake people just because there are ponies who happen to look and sound just like us!”

Cackling at the top of her lungs, Cozy gave Rarity a simpering grin. “As if I care what you think. It’s too bad you didn’t die, you know. Wanna know how Twilight was supposed to kill you?” She leaned in, held a hand up to her mouth and stage whispered, “It was supposed to be lead poisoning!”

“Wait, so you didn’t just plan the victims and blackeneds, but the murder methods too?” Tiara asked.

“Weeeellll…” Cozy snickered and rolled her eyes. “Sort of. I made sure certain things were available that I figured you would be drawn to with your personalities.”

“But you screwed up,” I said.

Fact #1: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment: “‘What the hell was wrong with Timber? Why couldn’t he have drugged Wallflower right? Why did he make such a stupid note?!’”

“You couldn’t get things right, even from the start.”

Cozy’s left eye twitched as she growled at me, her hand dancing on her wand like she was itching to use it. Then she suddenly beamed at me. “Oh Sunset, even if I made a few mistakes, we still got here in the end, didn’t we? We still had five wonderful, fabulous murder trials! Six murders! And five survivors, all right here, listening to your good old Captain Cozy! Everything’s going my way.”

I still haven’t figured out what you need five survivors for. But I’m going to hold back on asking that question. Somehow, I feel like she won’t answer it yet. “If you say so. But let’s get back to my original question. What happened after you were imprisoned in Tartarus?”

“Well, that’s a good question, Sunset!” Cozy said, her voice syrupy in a way that made my skin crawl. “You see, I’d made an important penpal many moons prior, a mean old centaur named Tirek! He’s the one who taught me how to absorb magic. Everything I know about that, I got from him. So when I was imprisoned…” Cozy’s eyes glowed momentarily as her smile slipped. “I got to meet him face to face! But then this meaner, older goat named Grogar released us!”

“Grogar?” I whispered. “He’s a famous necromancer, but he’s been dead for thousands of years.”

“I know!” Cozy nodded, looking for all the world like a school teacher proud of her student. “It wasn’t even him! It was that stupid chaos freak Discord pretending to be him, all so he could ‘teach Twilight a lesson!’” She performed air quotes and stuck out her tongue. “Ugh, Discord. What a creep.”

“Takes one to know one,” Scootaloo murmured.

“So he got together with me, King Sombra, and Queen Chrysalis, and was trying to make us bond so we could conquer Equestria together,” Cozy continued while casually flipping Scootaloo off. “And for a while there, I thought it could work! United as one, we had the perfect opportunity to bury Twilight and her stupid friends for good. We even found Grogar’s Bell, and wow was that a rush! I still haven’t regained that level of power, and I’ve been trying my heart out!”

“Grogar’s Bell?” Rarity inquired, looking at me for an explanation.

I shrugged. “Some artifact of Grogar’s, could absorb power or something. I don’t remember much.”

“It was more than just a power absorber, Sunset. It was a game changer!” Cozy leaned back and sighed like a teenager in love. “We came so close to conquering Equestria with it too. But then Twilight had to cheat!” She shot up straight, her face twisted up in rage. “And do you know what she did to us? Do you know what she did?!”

“She petrified you,” I replied, resisting the urge to grin. “Can’t imagine it happening to a nicer group of people.”

With a flick of her wand, Cozy froze me in place. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breath, even my heart started to still in my chest. Naked, undeniable fear ran through my body as I screamed in my head, begging to be allowed to move. A stone shell slowly formed over my body, starting at the tips of my toes, running up my legs, my torso. Just before it got to my face, however, Cozy released the magic, and I crumpled to the floor. “Tell me, Sunset,” she said as I laid gasping for air. “Were you afraid, just now? Terrified that you’d never move again, that you’d be trapped in a single spot with your conscious mind running at every hour day or night, unable to scream or move or do anything?!”

Her magic lashed out to hold me again, hauling me up to my feet and forcing me to stand, before releasing me. My whole body shook like a leaf as panic and adrenaline pumped through my veins, my pony instincts begging for me to run, run far away without looking back. “Y-y-y-yes... I’m a-a-fraid,” I said, my eyes watering. “I’m afraid!” I can’t handle that again! God, what was I thinking constantly provoking her like this? She’s terrifying!

“Good. You should be,” Cozy replied with a menacing grin. “Because now you have an inkling of what I went through!”

Tiara had hidden herself behind her podium, and I could hear her whimpering. Scootaloo was also hidden behind hers, whispering silent prayers. Rarity was frozen in mute horror, unable to speak or say anything. Only Applejack had the strength to speak up at this point, despite her own fear. “Um, beggin’ your pardon, but Ah would’ve thought bein’ turned to stone would mean your mind would too, and you wouldn’t feel anythin’.”

“You’d think that, wouldn’t you?” Cozy said. Her ears flattened against her skull as an ugly sneer pulled at her lips. “You’d think that they wouldn’t inflict the sheer hell of being awake while petrified on anyone, let alone a poor, helpless filly, but they did. They did!” Her sneer vanished as she broke into mad laughter, cackling higher and higher pitched by the second. “They did!”

“How long were you frozen like that?” I whispered, horror warring with certainty of justice in my heart. No one should have to suffer like that, not even a monster like Cozy. But what else could they have done? It’s Equestria. It’s not like Princess Celestia would execute anyone, least of all a foal.

“Two years,” came the sickly sweet reply. “Twenty-four months. Four of those months were spent in Equestria. The rest spent on this excuse for a mudball.” Cozy’s lips spread into a cunning smile. “I’ll bet you’re curious as to how we ended up here.”

“It was some kind of portal, wasn’t it?” I suggested. “Like the mirror portal.”

Cozy gestured with her wand towards me, her ears popping off her skull. “Exactly! Did you know that there are thousands upon thousands of portals between Equestria and Earth floating around? I sure didn’t, not until our statue fell through one. And do you know who was waiting for us, on the other side?”

Scootaloo, who’d apparently managed to summon up some courage through her prayers, stood back up at her podium and said, “It was your alternates, wasn’t it?”

“Right again!” Cozy extended her wings out and posed like an innocent fairy, an image entirely at odds with her sinister nature. “Apparently, in this world, Tirek and Chrysalis were… ugh… my alternate’s parents. Can you believe that? That’s so sickening! And gross! To think I’d even be related to those two in any kind of way….augh it makes me want to puke!”

“Wait, I got the impression the three of you worked well together, since that’s how you were able to attempt your coup of Equestria,” I said, frowning.

Cozy snorted, her nostrils flaring. “Oh, sure, maaaybe I tried to teach them a better way to be bad, once upon a time. I tried to be their friends, to work together to crush our enemies, but they never really learned. And the more time I spent with them, the more I hated them. It was their fault our coup failed! If they hadn’t wasted time with trash like Discord or Starlight Glimmer, we could’ve succeeded! I had a long time to think, stuck as a statue. A very, very long time, Sunset. I couldn’t sleep. I was awake every single second of the day. Do you have any idea how much longer days are when you can’t sleep?!”

“Ah’m guessin’ about eight hours longer?” Applejack quipped.

“Oh my word, Applejack, do not taunt her!” Rarity whined, fidgeting at her podium,.

“Seriously, Applejack, maaaybe don’t taunt the creepy pony girl,” I said with a sheepish grin.

“Oooh…” Cozy moaned, her lips swelling up into an atrocious pout, giving us puppy-dog eyes and a convincing sad sniffle as she drew her hands up beneath her chin, “You think I’m creepy?”

“Holy shit, yes!” Tiara shouted from behind her podium.

“You forced us to participate in this killing game,” Scootaloo added with a glare. “You’re not just creepy. You’re messed up!”

Cozy spread out her hands and wings. “What can I say? Guilty as charged!”

This is odd. She was in such a hurry before she revealed herself. Now she’s acting like she has all the time in the world. Something doesn’t feel right.

Right on cue as I thought that, the ship SHOOK like a rubber toy capsizing in a bathtub, everyone crumpling to the floor. Tiara shrieked as she skidded halfway across the courtroom, while Applejack barely managed to stay in place by holding onto her podium. Rarity fell over on top of me as we both rolled, every impact exploding through my body with waves of pain. Scootaloo kept the most control as she skidded on her feet and grabbed Diamond Tiara before Tiara could fall against the fall.

“Oh, finally!” I heard Cozy shout from somewhere in the room. “Took your sweet time, Princess!”

Then the ship righted itself, causing Rarity and me to roll over some more before we came to a stop. Rarity, to her credit, hauled herself to her feet immediately, and helped get me up to a sitting position. “I’m so sorry about that, darling,” she murmured. “Are you alright?”

I waved off her concern despite a few tears dripping from my closed eyes from the pain. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine… jeez…”

Obviously not taking my word for it, Rarity reached under my arm on my good side and used that amazing strength of hers to lift me onto my feet. “There. Better?”

I had to lean on her for support, but it was better, less pressure on my ribs. “Yes, thank you.”

Scootaloo helped guide Tiara back to her podium as Rarity and I returned to ours. Cozy seemed entirely unperturbed by what had just happened. “What the hell was that, Cozy?” I demanded.

Cozy let out a demented little giggle. “You’re about to find oooout!”

BANG!

The doors on the far side of the room exploded from a blast of lavender magic, sending wood chips and metal fragments flying everywhere. My heart soared as I beheld a figure flying in. Over six feet tall, purple and blue hair streaming down between two outstretched lavender wings gracing an evening gown and a small satchel worn by her side. Sharp amethyst eyes just like a pair that used to glare at me so much scanned the room, while her hands glowed with power, ready to unleash another blast. “Where are you, Monoponi?! I’m here to put an end to this!” announced Princess Twilight Sparkle in a magically-enhanced voice.

Confused, I looked over to where Cozy had been floating, only she’d vanished. Worry flooded my system, overtaking any sense of joy I had upon seeing her. “Princess Twilight!” I shouted, waving my arms frantically.

Twilight flew in with a burst of speed, still scanning the room as she came towards us. She smiled at me, but it was a grim smile. It was only as she entered the room that I realized she had something floating behind her in her magic grip, some sort of large cylindrical object, like an oversized metal cigar. A primitive computer display with a boxy-style screen lined one end, with a large keypad made for hoof-entry. “Sunset Shimmer!” she replied, a half smile gracing her face even as she continued to scan the room. “Diamond Tiara, Scootaloo, Rarity, Applejack! You’re all safe!”

“Uuuh, not really, Princess!” Tiara said. “You should really get out of here. Like, right away.”

But she didn’t seem to be listening as she continued to search the room. A boxy object with a long antenna floated out of her satchel, wrapped in her telekinetic field. “Avenger, I’ve found them. No sign of Monoponi yet.”

“Understood Princess,” squawked a staticy voice from her radio. “Advise extreme caution.”

“Yes, yes, I know, Captain, thank you…”

“Princess, please, listen to us!” Rarity added her cry. “It’s not safe! You need to run!”

“Upupupu, there’s no running for you, Princess Twilight!” Cozy’s Monoponi voice echoed throughout the room, jumping from source to source so it sounded bizarrely distorted and ephemeral, like a mirage.

“I don’t intend to run, monster!” Twilight said. She floated closer to the center of the room, getting near us as if she intended to shield us. She set down whatever object she had floating with her to the side. “Show yourself, you coward!”

“Seriously, Princess Twilight, you have to run! Now!” Scootaloo shouted.

Twilight grimaced. “Thank you, Scootaloo, but I can handle this.” She squeezed the button on her radio. “Avenger, Monoponi is here, but is making me search for him. I recommend retreating for now. No need to expose the ship to this one’s guns more than you have to.” The glow suffusing her hands intensified as she began casting a sensing spell. Magic laced across the room in streams, like watching an old 80s computer scan, forming a purple grid of lines.

“Already on it, Princess. We’ll hold at five miles till further notice.”

“Ahahaha!” Cozy’s Monoponi voice bounced around the room, all over the place like a rubber ball moving at highway speeds. “You’re not going to find me like that!”

“Oh I’ll find you, all right,” Twilight vowed as she grit her teeth and poured more magic into her search. as she did so, I started noticing that near the edges of the room, the lines… wavered. Trailing downward, disappearing into the floor like smoke being sucked into a vent. The instant I saw that I realized what Cozy was doing.

I waved my arms frantically again and shouted, “No, Princess Twilight, it’s a trap!”

But it was too late. Before our eyes we watched as Twilight’s magic abruptly fed back on itself, runes lighting up all over the floor in a myriad of colors. As the lines curled backwards, threatening to form a cage, to her credit Twilight didn’t panic. “Avenger, Code Thistle! I’m arming the device! Retreat to a safe distance!” She inched closer to the device she’d left on the floor, pouring more magic into fighting off the absorbing spell even as she landed. Groaning from the effort, her teeth gritted, she had to let go of the magic with her left hand so she could punch in some sort of code.

“Princess, are you sure?!”

“Yes, damn it, go! I’ll get them out of here, don’t worry.”

I wanted to help. I wanted to do something, anything, but I couldn’t. I was helpless, forced to stand there and watch as she struggled against it, managing to input something enough for it to beep and echo, in a feminine voice, the word “Armed” before she collapsed, her own magic swirling around her to form ropes, hogtying her to the central display, and pinning her wings against her back. She tried to pour more magic into it, but every ounce she spent seemed to secure her harder. “Sunset!” she shouted as she looked at me with wide-eyed panic. “You have to finish what I was doing! Set the timer! Hurry!”

“What?” I gasped as I stared at her, stunned. Then I shook my head clear and started to make my way for the device. But before I could move more than an inch, a scarlet glow enveloped my fellow passengers and I, freezing us in place.

Then, like a mirage solidifying into reality Cozy appeared, hands raised in applause. Clap. Clap. Clap. “Well well, look at you, Princess, all tied up with nowhere to go. Very good job. I’m so impressed.” Withdrawing her wand from her dress she aimed it at Princess Twilight’s odd device and levitated it out of reach, setting it atop her throne. She erected a shimmering scarlet forcefield around it, then released her hold on us.

I heard Twilight gasp in sheer horror, fear contorting her face. “Cozy Glow?! Cozy Glow?! You’re Monoponi? How?! You’re supposed to be dead! I saw your body myself!”

Cozy unleashed another fusillade of maniacal laughter. “Oh my poor dear itty bitty widdle Pwincess, don’t worry your widdle head. I’ll explain everything before I kill you.”

Twilight struggled against her bonds, eschewing magic in favor of physical force. Her arm muscles rippled with effort as she strained, trying to break them. But it was no use. It was using her own magic against her. Everything she did just made it stronger. She looked up at me, tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Sunset, I thought I was ready for her trap, I wasn’t expecting--”

I held up a hand, and gave her a smile of confidence I did not feel inside. “It’s okay. You did your best.” Despite my reassuring words, internally my mind was screaming in panic, desperately trying to figure out how the hell we were going to get out of this situation. We were counting on you, Twilight! Augh, I should’ve expected you’d mess up. You really are our Twilight’s alternate, aren’t you?

“Some best,” Tiara moaned, terror undercutting her words. “We’re so screwed.”

“That you are, my lovely passengers!” Cozy tittered. She sauntered up to Princess Twilight and poked her in the cheek with her wand, trailing it down the Princess’s face like she was lovingly stroking with a finger. “Oh I cannot tell you how long I’ve waited to see this. This has been a long time coming, Twilight.” The tip of her wand moved along Twilight’s neck, poking her in the throat hard enough to elicit a drop of blood. “I could just stab you right now, but where would the fun in that be? Besides, I don’t know what this lovely little thing you’ve brought with you is. Care to tell me all about it?”

Twilight’s eyes were like twin orbs of hatred as she glowered at Cozy. “No.”

Cozy shrugged lazily. “Oh, fine. I’m sure I’ll torture it out of you later.”

“You’re not going to get away with this,” Twilight growled, refusing to show a sign of pain from her bonds. “My ship has orders to sink this one if I don’t return.”

“Your… your ship? Your ship?! Ahahahaaha!” Cozy whisked her wand away, spinning on her heels as she leaned her head back to laugh. “Ahahaha! You think that ship’s a threat to me? Oh you stupid little moron, the only reason you did any damage was because I let you.”

With a flick of her wand she lit up the displays around the room, showing off security footage from outside the ship. The cameras zoomed in to show a ship moving at full speed away from us about a mile off the horizon, a vessel that, while large, looked absolutely puny in comparison to the cruise ship. It was much more advanced than I expected, like something out of the First Great War, which I didn’t even know Equestria could produce. Then again, she’s had access to Earth’s tech for at least, what, six, seven years? Maybe eight? No wonder they’re more advanced than they used to be. Go Equestria.

One of the wall displays shifted to a different image, showcasing a set of weapons aboard the cruise ship. Unlike the large cannons and machine gun barrels, this looked frightfully advanced. Rising up out from a hole in the deckplates were two long, lithe cylinders painted in white, with fins and rocket engines at the end. “Those are cruise missiles!” I yelped.

“Yes, they are!” Cozy said, nodding gleefully as a savage grin spread across her face. “Very powerful, these missiles. Nothing your dinky little outdated ship can do about them either. That’s all it’ll take, Princess Twilight. Two quick explosions and it’s all over for that ship. How many people are on it, I wonder? How many lives will I get to snuff out of existence?”

“No, please, don’t destroy them Cozy!” Twilight babbled, all sense of defiance evaporating. “There’s over eight hundred ponies on that ship. You can’t!”

“I can’t? I can’t?!” Cozy whirled, pointing the tip of her wand right at Twilight’s chin. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t.”

I raised my voice, “Twilight, don’t give in to her--”

A quick zap from Cozy’s wand was all it took to muzzle me, her magic clamped around my mouth like a vise. “Ah ah ah, Sunset, I’m not talking to you right now.”

“Please, Cozy,” Twilight pleaded. “Please don’t kill them. If you have any decency left in you, please don’t kill them.”

Cozy slowly shook her head. “Tsk tsk tsk, Princess. Haven’t you learned by now I have no decency at all?” She whirled on her heel, pointed her wand at the screen, and flicked it.

“No!” Twilight screamed as the missile's engines lit up and with a horrifyingly loud roar they soared off the platform, screaming their way towards the Equestrian ship. We watched in mute horror as they reached it within a few seconds, both erupting in a massive fireball.

And then it was gone. The ship was gone. Eight hundred souls, erased without a moment’s hesitation.

Along with any chance we’d ever escape.

Cozy cackled with mirth as she used her magic to withdraw Twilight’s radio from her hand and hold it up to Twilight’s mouth. “Go ahead, Princess. Check with them. See if they’re still alive.”

Twilight swallowed, tears running down her face, her voice shaking as she spoke into the radio. “Avenger, this is Princess Twilight. Respond.”

Nothing.

After about thirty seconds Cozy waved a hand for Twilight to try again. “Avenger, this is Twilight. Respond, please!”

Still nothing but static.

“Damn it, Swifty, Shiny, answer me!”

No answer came. After a couple of moments, Twilight broke down crying. “No…”

“Ahahaha!” Cozy laughed as she shoved the radio back into Twilight’s satchel. “I guess they’re gone! Oopsie! Here, keep this as a memento!”

My heart sank in my chest till it felt like it’d pooled into my feet. Despair opened its jaws wide, yearning to take me inside, to suck me down into an eternal, endless abyss of hopelessness. I wanted to scream right along with Twilight, but Cozy’s magic kept me silent. But it didn’t stop the tears falling down my cheeks. It didn’t stop the pain in my chest, the hurt. It didn’t stop the spreading of numb apathy throughout my body. It didn’t stop me from wanting to give up.

To my left, I heard Rarity break into loud sobs. To my right, Scootaloo did the same, albeit quietly, with a bit more angry punching of her podium. Tiara dropped to the floor entirely, her face going blank, like she’d fallen into shock. Applejack took her hat off, but instead of holding it to her breast like she usually did in moments like this, she set it down on her podium, and then crumpled atop it. No crying, no tears. Just quiet breathing.

Princess Twilight wept quietly for several long moments until she uttered, “Why...? Why?!”

“To prove a point,” Cozy said simply. She returned to her own podium. “I told you, Princess, when I contacted you over that lovely television I sent you, that I’d keep the killing going till everyone you cared about was dead. I’m sick of playing by your rules. I want power, I’m going to get power, and anyone in my way dies. It’s that simple.”

“You monster,” Twilight choked through her tears. “You horrible monster.”

“Yes, yes, I’ve heard it all before,” Cozy groused, rolling her eyes. “Do you know how many times these people said it to me? They said it a lot. Golly, I loved running the killing game, but who knew it’d be so frustrating dealing with these morons?” She glanced my way and with a flick of her wand the magic covering my mouth vanished. “You may speak now, Sunset.”

“What’s there to say?” I said, a bitter laugh tumbling from my lips. “You… you’ve won. What’s the point?”

“Aww, don’t be like that, Sunset,” Cozy said while making her puppy dog eyes at me. “There’s still plenty to talk about! I’ve got all kinds of things I want to explain.”

“Who gives a fuck?” Scootaloo moaned, before beating her head against her podium softly. “Just kill us already. Get it over with.”

Cozy chuckled, then unleashed a full set of evil giggles. “Sowwy, Scootawoo, but that’s not going to happen until I’m done.”

More sorrow filled my breast at the thought. She’s going to use us, abuse us, then kill us. We’re fucked. I’m sorry, Trixie, everyone… I… I tried, but what am I supposed to do?! I…

I took in the sight of my fellow passengers, of Princess Twilight, of Cozy posing before us. Everyone was in the depths of despair, completely lost, like they couldn’t think or breathe anymore. Just like I’d been when I was told I was the traitor.

Somehow, that buoyed my spirits. Like it was giving me a cause to fight for. I didn’t give up then either, I realized. So why should I give up now? We’re still alive, right? So’s Princess Twilight. Maybe… maybe we don’t have a ship now, okay, but so what? If we’re alive, there’s a chance.

I took in a deep breath, steeled my nerves, and stood up straight. There’s always a chance.

“Okay, Cozy, we’ll play along,” I said.

“Yay!” Cozy said, wiggling her hands like a four year old. “I’m so excited.”

“We will?” Rarity breathed, her expression aghast as she looked at me. “Sunset, why--”

I reached out and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. “Trust me.”

She sniffled, nodded, and replied, “I can do that.”

“Ah suppose Ah can too,” Applejack rumbled as she pushed herself up off her podium. Her face wasn’t tear stained or anything, but she looked exhausted, as if she’d suddenly gone several days in a row with no sleep. “C’mon, Scootaloo, up on your feet now.”

Scootaloo allowed Applejack to tug at the back of her shirt to help lift her up. “Fine. But don’t expect me to talk much. I… I can’t take much more of this.”

I glanced over at Tiara, who was still catatonic behind her podium, but she didn’t move. I sighed and decided to leave her to it for now. “Okay, Cozy, you were just telling us how you survived.”

Princess Twilight, who’d been too busy crying to pay much attention, perked up at those words, her ears shooting up from her head in a way that, in a different circumstance might’ve been considered adorable. “I’d like to know that too.”

“Oh, well, I don’t want to bore you by repeating too much information…” Cozy said with a chuckle. “But since Princess Twilight over here didn’t hear it, let me abbreviate: portal. Statue fell through. Was found by my alternate and her parents. Two years in stone.”

Twilight’s face worked through a myriad of expressions as she took that in, then she asked, “So then how’d you get free of the petrifying spell?”

“Good question!” Cozy said like a schoolteacher praising a student, cackling when saw Twilight’s hate-filled returning glare. “Soooo, you see, my alternate wasn’t very smart. Nowhere near as smart as me. But she was interested in what humans call the occult. And what we real people call magic studies.”

“Real people?” Twilight said.

“Yes, Twilight, real people, like you, and me. Ponies!” Cozy flared her wings out and waggled her ears for emphasis. “Not these stupid humans. I hate humans. I hate being human! I don’t even like these fingers! I mean sure, they’re handy, but uuugh. At least when I was disguised as Monoponi I was a proper pony!”

Twilight started to growl something in response, but I interrupted her, “Don’t bother, Princess. We’ve had to sit through a lot of that already. She won’t listen.”

“So, anyway,” Cozy continued as if we hadn’t spoken, “Like I said, my alternate was really into magic. She thought we were demons. Demons! What even is a demon? Stupid human nonsense, that’s what. But her parents… aargh!” Cozy abruptly pitched over her podium, retching, though thankfully she didn’t actually expel anything onto the floor. “I can’t say it anymore. It’s so gross.”

“Then just say their names,” Applejack said, her tone harsh.

“Oooh, but I can’t stand those either… augh. Okay, okay.” Cozy stood up straight and smoothed out her dress. “Tirek and Chrysalis--”

“Wait, Tirek and Chrysalis were your alternate’s parents?!” Twilight shouted, her face twisted up in disgust.

“I know, right? Blech!” Cozy wriggled like a millipede. “Can’t stand it. And stop interrupting me. So rude!” She sighed, brushed her hair back, then grinned at us. “So, Tirek and Chrysalis were just as interested in magic as their… as my alternate was, and they thought we were demons too! They started worshipping us, hoping we’d wake up one day. They tried all kinds of silly pointless things, fake human magic to wake us up.”

“Hold on a second,” I said, something having just occurred to me. “When you went through the portal, did your bodies change?”

Cozy tittered. “Nope! We were still our perfect selves!”

“But that’s not possible!” Twilight objected, shaking her head despite the ropes. “I-I--it took years of effort to solve the problem of the portal’s transformation magic twisting up technology! Starswirl only solved it because he had that television you sent us that proved it was possible to do that, but even then, there’s still no way to prevent it from changing us.”

Cozy winked at me like she was about to crack an in-joke before saying, “Nope! That’s wrong! There is a way. And it’s all to do with petrification.”

“Petrification…” Twilight repeated. “Petrification… how could it… oh, of course! Because a petrification spell turns you to stone and binds your mind to the statue, you’re like an inanimate object instead of a living being! So the portal’s magic must’ve sent you through untouched. Except… that still should’ve weakened the petrification spell, because the portal tries to strip magic away whenever you cross over to this side.”

“And that’s exactly what happened,” Cozy said with a nod. “After almost two years of listening to those morons waste their time with pointless rituals and other crap, we were released! And oh, I was mad. I was so mad! I was sick and tired of dealing with these idiots. So do you know what the very first thing I did was?”

I gulped. “You killed them, didn’t you? Your alternate and… and Tirek and Chrysalis’ alternate.”

“What? No!” Cozy let out a massive groan before slapping her free hand to her forehead. “Good grief, Sunset, do you think I was born bloodthirsty? No, no, no. The first thing I did was yell at them.I told them how stupid they were for thinking we were demons, how tired I was of listening to them prattle on about this and that. Tirek and Chrysalis--my Tirek and Chrysalis--weren’t any happier. There was a lot of shouting and yammering and blah blah blah!”

Twilight fidgeted like she was trying to raise her hand. “Wait, but then how did you get from that to where we are now?”

“I’m getting to that!” Cozy screeched. She waved her wand around and fired off a jet of light that exploded against the far wall past the doors Twilight had blown in, then sighed. “Ugh, stop interrupting me. I can’t stand when people interrupt me.”

I managed to fight down the urge to snark at her as we waited for her to calm down. “So after all the yelling was done, the humans wanted us to leave. But I wasn’t going to. Oh no. I worked on so many plans for revenge while I was trapped in stone. I was so eager to grind you into the dust where you belong, Twilight! And it turns out, we were lucky. See, the reason our alternates could afford to spend all this time worshipping us like morons was because they were filthy rich.”

“Daddy?” Tiara murmured, showing the first sign of awareness in quite some time.

“No, not your Daddy,” Cozy growled at her through gritted teeth. “It turned out Tirek’s alternate was the CEO of QGT, and Chrysalis’ alternate was CFO of RECL. Can you believe that luck? These two rich morons had no idea the power they commanded. And they were grooming my alternate to be important too. So by the time we were freed, I’d already settled on a plan. And it would just take a little bit of effort. Oh, and the magic of my two former allies. But who cares about them? They were stupid. Chrysalis had so many issues about her hive stuck up her bug butt she couldn’t get over it, while Tirek, all he cared about was how hungry he was. But me? I’m more than that.”

“Your first plan nearly killed thousands of ponies across Equestria!” Twilight shouted, her face twisted in rage. “Your second plan blew up half of Canterlot and would’ve caused our whole society to collapse! What makes you think your third plan would do any better?”

Cozy’s lips spread in a simpering smile. “You’re right. My old plans were stupid. Accumulating friendship? Wiping out society with Windigos? No no no. That won’t do. I had plenty of time to come to grips with that. To accept my mistakes. To see what truly mattered. Because see, what truly matters, is power. Control. I don’t need to make everyone love me or fear me. I don’t need to split society apart. I just need to take it over.”

“And you were going to do that with this ship,” I said.

She dismissed me with a wave of her hand. “Yes, yes, we’ll get there. I’d learned a lot, frozen in stone. They’d put our statue on display inside their home, somewhere where they not only worshipped, but also had a lot of board meetings via the internet. So I paid attention. I listened. I learned all about the way their world worked, as much as I could. So after we yelled at them, I started to use my charm. The other Tirek and Chrysalis, they… ugh, as soon as they realized their daaau... “ She stuck her tongue out and shook her head. “Their kid was my alternate? They started doting on me. Like we were twins.”

“And just like you did with my friends and I, you played the pure, innocent child, didn’t you?” Twilight sneered.

Cozy flipped a hand through her hair and smiled. “But of course. I’m oh so good at it, don’t you know? They forgot pretty quickly the things I said when I shouted at them. But Tirek and Chrysalis, they were a problem. Chrysalis, she had enough magic left to take a human form, but Tirek couldn’t do that. So he was forced to hide, just like I did, while Chrysalis got to walk around with the humans.”

“Wait, hang on a second,” I said, holding up my hands. “I’m getting confused. I need to ask Princess Twilight something.”

Rolling her eyes, Cozy gestured to the bound Princess. “Go ahead. Suit yourself.”

I took a hesitant step from my podium, but when Cozy cleared her throat and raised her wand, I stepped right back. Okay, no whispering. Fine. “Princess Twilight, first of all, I’m… I’m sorry you had to try and come rescue us. We don’t remember much of you at all, but unless I’m wrong, we’re friends… right?”

Twilight managed a watery smile and a nod. “Yes, Sunset. Best friends. I had to save you. I had to try.”

I nodded. “I wish I could remember. I…we figured out why we lost our memories. It was because Cozy stole my magic.”

“Your magic?” Twilight repeated, puzzled. Then a look of comprehension dawned on her. “Of course, the Memory Stone. It left an imprint you could utilize.” The look faded into more sorrow. “I’m so sorry I never thought about that, Sunset. If I’d realized it left something you could’ve used, I would’ve offered to find a way to wipe it. Magic like that is too dangerous to keep around.”

“Hey!” Cozy shouted, her lips pulled back into a sneer. “Is this going anywhere, Sunset, or are you just going to prattle on giving the Princess a recap?”

Grimacing, I flashed Twilight an apologetic look. “Princess, you said you saw Cozy’s body, right? What exactly did you see?”

What little sparkle was left in Twilight’s eyes flashed into fury. “We found Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy’s bodies frozen in a glacier on Mount Everhoof. They appeared to have died while fighting each other. Chrysalis had impaled Cozy on her horn, while she was eviscerated by Tirek.”

“Holy shit…” Scootaloo whispered, her jaw dropping. “That’s disgusting.”

“Yes, it was,” Twilight agreed, her fury growing. “And now I think I understand how we were fooled. You used the human Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy, didn’t you?!”

Cozy let out a sinister laugh. “I did! And you bought it, hook, line, and sinker. You, and Discord, and every other stupid little pony working under you. Oh and before you ask, I am getting to how they ended up on Mount Everhoof. Just be patient. You can do that, can’t you, Pwincess? Since you’re so much older than I am?”

“No wonder we thought the bodies were legitimate,” Twilight continued, heedless of Cozy’s words. ”Because they were. They were just the wrong ones. Why didn’t that cross my mind?! I should have seen this coming! If I’d only bothered to--”

“Uuugh, would you just shut up?” Cozy groaned before raising her wand and zapping Twilight’s mouth shut with a scarlet telekinetic field. “I asked you to be patient. So. Be. Patient!”

Rarity leaned over to me and whispered, “Maybe she should take her own advice.”

Cozy’s ears pointed our way. “What was that?”

Blanching, Rarity stood up straight and took two fingers to run across her mouth like a zipper.

“So, where was I? Oh yes. Like I said before, my alternate was huge into magic, even if she was too stupid to know the difference between real spells and rituals and the fake stupid human crap. You get the picture. But she did have one very interesting book. She couldn’t read it, but I could! You might recognize it, Princess.” Cozy pointed her wand at the ceiling, and a book flashed into existence. It was an Equestrian tome, much like the ancient book on the Memory Stone, only this one was one even I recognized.

“Is that… one of Starswirl the Bearded’s journals?!” I gasped.

Cozy made the book vanish into the aether. “Got it in one, Sunset, very good. Specifically, one of his journals on the mirror portal. You know, the only portal ever stabilized? Well maybe he forgot in his old age, but old Beardy actually did a lot of research with it! Somehow the book must’ve fallen through and ended up passed down until it was in my alternate’s family’s collection. By using it, I figured out how we ended up on Earth, and that there were a lot of other portals out there. Enough that I found a way back home, one that led to, naturally, the top of Mount Everhoof.”

Twilight mumbled something through her magic gag, loud enough that Cozy sighed and undid the hold. “But we never witnessed you in Equestria. Not alive.”

“Of course not,” Cozy scoffed. “Like I said, I had a plan. You see, Starswirl’s journal wasn’t the only book from Equestria my alternate had. I discovered, early on, an even more impressive tome: a full spellbook from Grogar himself.”

“Which is how you knew all the necromancy and healing spells you’ve been using,” I said.

“That’s right,” Cozy nodded. “Not just that though. He had other spells too! Turns out that Sombra's mind control spell was originally based on Grogar's work. And the Staff of Sacanus? He made that staff, based upon his own weather spells. And the best part? Some of those spells could be used by me even as a pegasus! They were really hard. But I practiced performing them. I didn’t have enough power to make them work on Earth, but I wanted to memorize the method. Then, when I was ready, I told the Equestrian Chrysalis and Tirek about the portal. I made it sound like we were gonna go home and set up a new base to conquer Equestria with. They were both so happy they didn’t notice that the instant we crossed over, I started up the ritual. They sure noticed when I stole their life away, though! Ahahahaha!” She leaned back to unleash her cackles. “Ahahahaha!”

Twilight scowled at her. “I don’t know why I should feel surprised. Of course you killed them. And if you used necromancy… you are beyond evil, Cozy.”

“Betcha you’re wishing you’d killed me when you had the chance, huh?” Cozy said, waggling her eyebrows at the Princess.

I saw Princess Twilight move one hand enough to extend a middle finger. “I have never wanted to kill someone as badly as I do you,” she hissed.

“Ooooh, but you have wanted to kill people before? Naughty naughty, Pwincess Twiwight. Whatever would Cewestia say to that?” Cozy said, her speech regressing to something far more childlike, probably to wind Twilight up.

And it worked. Twilight’s lips pulled back as she growled under her breath. For a moment, just a moment, I saw her eyes flash with power, her hair and wings doing likewise before she groaned as Cozy’s magic-sucking trap forced it right back into securing her bonds even further. “You…”

I decided to intervene. “Cozy, may we ask what happened next?”

Cozy looked up at me and winked. “Why sure. Anything for my best friend in the whole wide world!” She grinned further at my repulsed shiver. “So, once I stole their life, and their magic right along with it, their corpses basically disintegrated. It was really cool. And gross. All that was left was their horns. Tirek’s was useless, but Chrysalis’... that was useful. I took it with me when I came back to Earth. I knew I’d turn into this instead of my true pony form.” She poked her ears and wings with her wand. “Like these, by the way? I don’t have to show them. I can hide them if I want. Absorbing the magic of a changeling really gives you some options.”

“Wait a minute…” Twilight said, her eyes widening in panic. “Let me see that wand again!”

A series of demented little giggles bubbles forth from Cozy as she leaned forward and held out the wand for Twilight to investigate, and giving me the best look I’d had at it yet in the process. Like I’d noticed when she first brought it out, it had a crystalline handle, and was formed from some sort of black stone or keratin with an odd curvature and a wickedly sharp tip. Like a unicorn horn, only… twisted. “Recognize it? I was wondering how long it’d take you!”

“What?” I gasped. “Is… is that…”

“That’s Chrysalis’s horn!” Twilight squeaked. “You turned her horn into a wand?!”

“What kind of sick bastard does something like that?” Scootaloo added, rearing back in shock.

“Ahahahaha!” Cozy ripped the wand away and leaned back out of reach. “Of course I did! Even if I had their power, I still needed a focus. I still needed a way to draw it out. And lucky for me, Grogar had a method of creating wands rights in his little spellbook. It didn’t take me too long to fashion this beauty. Combine that with some of old Beardy’s research, and I figured out how to keep my magic power while crossing over. And with this little number, I can use it all I want just like any unicorn would use a horn!”

“But why would you do that?” Rarity gasped. “If I understand correctly, you, that centaur, and that changeling were friends, if ghastly, evil friends. How could you just murder them like that?”

“Ooh, you still don’t get it, do you? Once upon a time, I had morals. I had things I wouldn’t do. I sought power for the sake of power, but I wouldn’t backstab my allies. I wouldn’t have used necromancy. But you know what I learned, after two years in stone? Morals. Are. BULLSHIT! Why bother with them? It’s not like Celestia or Luna or Discord cared about morals when they locked a little filly away in a stone statue! It’s not like Equestria cared about morals when it imprisoned a little filly in Tartarus. Why should I care anymore?”

“You’re completely insane!” Twilight shrieked. “What did we do to you?!”

Cozy pointed her wand at Twilight, a sphere of scarlet light glowing at the tip. “Don’t call me insane! I am many things. A monster. A killer. A power-hungry dictator. But insane? No. I am perfectly sane. I know exactly what I’m doing. I know society considers it wrong. I know it bothers everyone. I know that, in the view of most sapient creatures, pony or otherwise, I’m evil. And I. Don’t. CARE! This is who I am. And I’m glad you’re finally acknowledging you had a part to play here, Twilight. Because you did. If you’d just let us win last time none of this would’ve happened. But here we are. All because of you.”

Twilight’s breath caught in her throat. Her whole body slumped. “This is all my fault…” she whispered as she broke into tears.

“That’s it,” Cozy said, a smirk splitting her face from ear to ear. “Cry it out, Pwincess. Own up to your guilt. You made me into this. You caused all of this to happen. Everyone’s blood I’ve spilt? On your hooves!”

“NO! THAT’S WRONG!”

I whirled to see who’d spoken. It wasn’t me, nor Rarity, nor Applejack, not even Scootaloo. It was Diamond Tiara, who was standing up at her podium, a finger outstretched to point, face burning with righteous fury. “I’ve heard what you’ve had to say, Cozy Glow,” Tiara shouted, “And I’m sick of it! You don’t get to foist off responsibility onto someone else for your actions!” She pointed at Applejack, then at herself. “I was rude to Applejack for our first week here. I made fun of her for being poor. I used her career as an insult. I was an asshole. And you know what? I took responsibility for that! I didn’t try to blame Applejack for getting angry at me because I was a jerk. I didn’t blame her for punching two of my teeth out when I attacked her because she called me a bitch. She only did that because I treated her like dirt. It was my fault that things ended that way, because it was my actions that led to that result! And I can accept that!”

She pointed at Twilight now. “I don’t know shit about this pony Princess, other than she looks just like someone who ought to still be around. But I know this. It wasn’t her that executed our friends and family. It was you!It wasn’t Twilight that put us through this killing game. It was you! It wasn’t her that blew up that ship full of over eight hundred people! It. WAS. YOU!”

Holy shit, Tiara. You’re doing the same thing to Cozy that Rarity did to me, only you’re doing it even better. I’m impressed!

“And?” Cozy said, examining her fingernails with a bored expression on her face. “What’s your point?”

“My point, you crazy psycho,” Tiara retorted, “is that you’re the one actually responsible for everything that’s happened to you. I was a bit out of it, but I heard what you said. How you attacked magic pony land not once, but twice. Both times you almost killed thousands, if not millions. It’s no wonder they punished you the way they did! If you suffered while you were trapped as a stone statue, it was because you deserved it for being such a sick monster!”

That got under Cozy’s skin. Her mouth pulled back to show her teeth as her wings extended, like she was trying to make herself look bigger, more intimidating. Her right hand gripped her wand so tight her knuckles turned white as a sphere of magic formed larger and larger at the tip by the second. “I deserved it? I deserved that hell?! To be trapped forever?! No! You have no idea how horrible that is! It is absolute agony like nothing else I’ve ever experienced!”

“Maybe not,” Tiara said, a smirk spreading on her face, the same exact one I remembered wanting to punch off way back when we first met on the ship. “But you know why I don’t know what that’s like? Because I didn’t do anything to deserve it. You did. Psycho.”

“No! No no no no no!” Cozy’s hand shot out and fired off the scarlet bolt of magic in Tiara’s general direction. It whizzed right past Tiara’s ear, singeing a few of her hairs off before exploding against the other door, scattering piles of wood and metal shrapnel. “Shut up shut up shut up!”

“Wow, look at you,” Tiara laughed, holding up her hands and shaking her head. Despite the damage to her hair she showed not a hint of the fear that had always brought her down before. Instead she was cool, confident, and completely in control. “I guess you really are still a little kid, huh? Did you ever grow up, you whiny little baby? Because it doesn’t look like you have, judging by this temper tantrum you’re throwing. But really, is that any surprise? A little girl like you, always trying to cling to power. Always needing to be in control, because you’re too scared of everything around you to cope otherwise. Know who else was like that?” She jammed a thumb into her chest. “Me. But you know what I found works a lot better than trying to be a controlling asshat?” She pointed at Rarity, at myself, at Scootaloo and, after a moment’s hesitation, at Applejack. “Friends.”

“NO!” Cozy roared, her voice layered over with that deep, monstrous tone we’d all heard emerge from Monoponi’s throat before. She whipped her wand through the air, building up magical power. “No, I am not going to sit here and listen to another stupid, insipid, bullshit lecture on the magic of friendship. None of that shit is happening here. I was going to keep explaining every last bit of my plans to you, keep this game going a bit further, but you know what? I’m done! If even Diamond fucking Tiara is standing up to me now? I’m through with you. I don’t need you anymore. I’ve got my real source of power right here, in Princess Twilight. The rest of you? You’re just a waste of space at this point. I’m not having fun anymore. And if I’m not having fun with my toys?Idiscard them.”

Diamond Tiara whimpered, her confidence breaking under this display. “Uh, Sunset, can uh, can you take over n-now? I-I’m getting pretty s-scared here!”

“You got it, Tiara,” I said with a grin. Facing Cozy, who was still summoning up power for… something… I raised a finger and pointed it at her. “You don’t want to explain the rest of your plan? Fine. We can figure it out from here. You gave us enough information to determine what you did. You used your alternate and her family for as long as you could, biding your time until you made your move. You had them all killed and their bodies trapped on a glacier in Equestria for safety, so that when you made friends with me, Twilight wouldn’t put two and two together and connect my ‘young friend’ to you.”

“That’s right,” Cozy replied, while still building power. An aura began to form around her as she swished her wand about. “Remember my fun with Rainbow Dash? That’s how I posed them. Corpses are real easy to puppet when you know how!”

I cringed. “I didn’t need to picture that.” Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I continued. “You then got close to me, just like we determined before, and used us to throw together this game to trap Princess Twilight. I’m still not sure how you learned about my connection to her. Was it during your time at the School of Friendship? When you, Tirek, and Chrysalis were plotting your coup? It probably doesn’t matter. But there is one question you still haven’t answered.” I spread out my hands to indicate all four of my fellow passengers. “Why did you need five survivors?”

“Oh, that?” Cozy sneered. A scarlet aura surrounded her now, like rushing flames washing over her, bathing her in light and not a small amount of heat. She continued to twirl her wand for some purpose I hadn’t yet determined. “Why don’t you look at your Monopad. There’s still one piece of evidence you haven’t touched. That’s your answer.”

Puzzled, I decided to open up my pad’s evidence tab and scrolled through, trying to figure out what we hadn’t addressed. But when I spotted it, it didn’t answer any questions. It just left me more confused. “Wait, you mean this?”

Fact #21: Elements of Harmony, A Reference Guide, Updated Edition: “A guide to the Elements of Harmony, describing them as the six virtues of Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Friendship, also known as Magic.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense.”

“Yes it does, Sunset!” Twilight shouted back at me. She’d inclined her head enough to see the evidence rotating on the display above her head. “Cozy was defeated by those using the power of friendship, the very power that powers the Elements of Harmony, twice. Once by six of my students from the School of Friendship, the other by my friends, the Pillars of Equestria, and the students all together.”

“No, I get that, Princess,” I said, frowning. “I figured that much based upon what we’ve learned. But how does that apply to us? We don’t represent the Elements of Harmony. Those of us who did have magic had it drained, and two of us never had magic to begin with.”

“Yes you do!” Twilight insisted. “The magic of friendship is always--Mmmph!” Her eyes widened to the size of saucers as a scarlet field wrapped itself around her mouth and head, shoving her against the display hard.

“Oh that’s enough friendship bullshit out of you, Princess,” Cozy snarled. She wrapped her magic around Twilight’s head and smacked her against the display, hard enough to draw blood. Twilight screamed behind her gag as the pain filled her, her eyes beginning to roll back in her skull. “I need you alive to keep draining you, but that doesn’t mean I need to listen to you talk.” Cozy looked up at me. “You want an answer, Sunset? I’ll give you an answer. It’s because I know how many it takes for the Elements to work. Count how many there are on that list.”

“Uuuh, well, there’s six,” Rarity stammered.

“Precisely. Six. Not five. Five is one too little!”

Dawning horror filled my breast as I realized what she meant. “You… you were going to make us try to use this against you, weren’t you? You were going to taunt us with it, deliberately, because you knew it wouldn’t work without six of us! You were going to give us that last bit of hope and then yank it away!”

“Correct again, ‘bestest friend!’” Cozy said gleefully. “And it’s still true! It doesn’t matter what kind of friendship baloney you morons try to peddle to me. You don’t get a last minute victory. I’ve had that deus ex machina bullshit happen to me twice now! I wasn’t about to let it happen a third time.” Laughter escaped her, at first quiet, then rising to an ear-splitting cackle that filled the room. “And it won’t! You said it earlier, Sunset. I won. I did it. I finally beat Princess Twilight! Do you want to know what I've got in store for her? Tell you what. Before I kill you, I’ll tell you.”

She spread her wings out to their fullest extent and rose up into the air, her magic swirling around her like a tornado of flame, burning hotter and hotter the longer she hovered. “I’m going to drain her of her magic until every last bit of it belongs to me. I’m going to suck the very life out of her until every last bit of her alicorn lifespan has been consumed, all to keep me alive. You see, I’ve learned so much from Grogar’s works. The bodies of your dead friends? I found a way to turn them directly into a source of power. Break down the dead bodies until they’re nothing but a scrap of dust. Oh, I had to waste a lot of what I’d gained from the early bodies on fake Twilight’s execution, but it was worth it to torture her, even if it didn’t last that long.”

Her magic shifted in color, from scarlet to a roiling, unholy acid green and deep purple. “That ritual is great for keeping you living longer, but you never get much from the average person. You get a small portion of their life span, of their potential, but little else. But an alicorn? An immortal alicorn, who’s been granted the power of Celestia and Luna? That very same ritual will be endless agony. A torture that will last for centuries until she’s finally a withered husk. Only then will I let her die. Meanwhile, I’ll take this ship and wipe out the pathetic excuse for a military she’s built up in Equestria, and rule it like I should have all along. Everypony will bow to me. The whole world will bow to me. And when I’m ready? I’ll come back to Earth and conquer it too! Or maybe I’ll just set off all the nukes in the world, unleash a global apocalypse. Doesn’t that sound fun?!”

She looked down upon me, and stretched out her wand, the magic surrounding her twirling towards it like water down a funnel, till it was aimed at me. “By the way, Sunset, do you know what happens when you use that same ritual on someone living instead of dead? Tirek and Chrysalis found out the hard way. And guess what? You get to as well!”

“How dare you!” Rarity shrieked, throwing herself around me. “Don’t you dare hurt Sunset! I won’t let you!”

Applejack left her podium to stand in my way as well, hunkering down in a stance with her fists raised till she was like an unmoving tree. “Ah ain’t gonna let you do that to my friend!”

Scootaloo, despite a tremble running through her body, leapt up over her podium and took up a spot right next to Applejack, holding up her arms in what looked like a clumsy version of the martial art I’d once seen Rainbow Dash practice. “You’re going to have to get through me first!”

Diamond Tiara, her whole body shaking, whimpering like a scared puppy, still managed to throw herself around me too, on the opposite side of Rarity. “I-I won’t let you kill Sunset! It’s not h-happening!”

Cozy rolled her eyes. “Oh please.” With a single wave of her hand my four friends were ripped away from me and shoved up on their podiums. “Nice try, morons, but you’ll get your turn. I want you to watch. Watch as Sunset Shimmer dies in fuckingagony like she’s deserved ALL ALONG!”

Before I could do more than throw up my good arm to block it, she fired. The evil magic wrapped itself around me. A flash of indescribable pain ran through my body.

And then everything went black.

Author's Note

So now we understand how and why Cozy Glow survived, as well as how she uses magic, how she had the opportunities to do everything she did, and where got that necromancy from. Gifts from Grogar, as it were. Her ability to use this to drain their magic was key to how she set up the game. She wouldn't have been able to do it without it.

Of course, special applause goes to our lovely Princess Twilight, who, as usual, found a way to screw up and get captured by the villain. I swear she gets captured so often she ought to have a punch card. One more and she gets a free meal at Hay Burger!

Why are human Tirek and Chrysalis human Cozy's parents? Well, besides the fact that the mental image cracks me up to pieces (what a dysfunctional family THAT would make) I wanted to give a parallel to the connection their Equestrian counterparts had. They formed a bond, working together, but not liking each other very much. And since just having them be a villainous trio in both worlds would be a bit boring, I chose this option. It helps that we have no idea who Cozy's parents are, so it lets me get away with this.

Oh, if you're wondering why Grogar knows wandcraft? Because the original Grogar, in G1, used artifacts for power, as did Discord's impersonation of the G4 Grogar. A wand is by definition an artifact of power. Crafting a slain opponent's body parts into something you can use works very well with necromancy as well, and Grogar's association with necromancy does have basis in canon, in how he restored Sombra. Sombra was not resurrected, because as I've already declared in this story, that's impossible. What he was, instead, was something akin to a lich, a soul bound to wander that needed to be tied to a new body. I always thought he lived on in that bit of red horn that went flying off in the distance at the end of Crystal Empire Part II, and I'm certain that's how he was able to be brought back by Grogar for The Beginning of the End. And then Twilight and co. vaporized him, completely this time. No coming back a third time, Sombra, sorry.

There's also plenty of association with dark magic from G1, what with him having been banished to the realm of darkness. So together, these allow me to justify making him a necromancer. This is also how I Justify things like Sombra's mass mind control spells and the Storm King's weather spells being based upon his work: because he was first, basically, thanks to being from G1.

Admittedly, a lot of this is headcanon I'm throwing around, but gosh darn it, it's my story and I'm sticking to it. :rainbowlaugh:

This being Cozy's plan is also why, ultimately, I never wanted to do anything to mess with the structure of the killing game itself. The killing game was never, ever the point. It was window dressing. It was a method to torture Princess Twilight with, something that Cozy, a total fangirl, decided she wanted to live out because it happened to work with her intended goals. But she also would've happily abandoned it at any time if it was proving to not work out for her. That's why she called them expendable back in Chapter Five. That's why a plan to mess with the structure wouldn't work, and why I never considered it.

That, and, well... the intent was that both Sunset and Cozy knew the games like the back of their hands, and so Cozy would see through a Kokichi style plan easily, and Sunset would expect her to.

This part, by the way, was the other reason I gave Twilight her cool moment back in Interlude 5, because I knew this was coming.

One final note: next part is the single longest part in the entire story, at over 15000 words. It shall be fun and exciting.

Chapter Six: Dead in the Water Part 5

Chapter Six
Dead in the Water
Trial Part 4

I floated in an endless abyss, lit only by the occasional starlight twinkling every now and then. A sense of peace and tranquility filled me as I listened to the sound of silence. “Am I dead?” I said, my voice sounding incredibly loud compared to the silence.

There was no response, not that I expected one. I continued to float, with just enough weight in my stomach to feel like I was sinking, but not very fast. “Is this what being dead feels like?”

Still nothing, but I wasn’t too worried. The stars were pretty. I could see nebulae now in the distance, great clouds of gas swirling about. It was absolutely beautiful. It was peaceful. “This isn’t so bad.”

Galaxies swirled, their spiral arms like strings of fairy lights swinging around a weather vane, in an endless array of colors. “I could get used to this.”

“You’re not dead.”

The shock of hearing a voice talk to me brought me back to reality just in time for my ass to smack against the ground. I was suddenly standing on a grassy field at night looking up at the moon, starlight dotting the sky like sprinkles on a midnight blue velvet cupcake. “Wha?”

Two hands reached under my armpits and dragged me up to my feet before spinning me around. Aqua eyes framed by light amaranth and daffodil shaded hair stared into my own. “You’re not dead,” repeated the other Sunset Shimmer. “You’re alive.”

“Woah!” I leapt back from her, falling back onto my ass and catching myself with both hands. Then I held up my left arm, which was hale and unharmed. My ribs didn’t ache when I breathed. “What--who---huh?!”

“Listen to me!” the other Sunset shouted. “We don’t have a lot of time to waste here.”

The sense of calm that had filled me slowly dissipated, replaced by a rising tension. “W-who are you?” I asked as I climbed to my feet. “You’re not me, are you?”

She slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned. “Oh Celestia, Sunset, why are you so dense sometimes? Yes I’m you! Well, sort of. I’m the leftover magic in you, the part of you that still remembers everything Cozy stripped away from you.”

Frowning, I brushed the grass off my butt and crossed my arms. “Oookay. If you’re me, where are we then? Why was I seeing stars and galaxies? Why am I standing in a field? What--”

“Would you shut up and let me answer you?” Sunset groused, glowering fiercely at me. “Good grief, no wonder we always go down the wrong path during a trial. You don’t shut up and listen often enough.”

My lips curled up into a deeper frown as I returned her glare. “...you’re kind of an ass, you know that?”

She snorted a laugh. “Yeah, well, you’re kind of an ass to yourself all the time.”

“True,” I said, my frown dropping. “Okay, so if you’re me, my memories or whatever, prove it.”

Sunset arched her eyebrows, then held up a hand and snapped her fingers. In the air before us a massive screen appeared, like a jumbotron off of a football stadium. On the screen was none other than Cozy, her teeth bared in a savage, predatory grin as she bore down on me with a swirling vacuum of roiling green and purple magic, her wings spread, her eyes full of delight. I could see to my left Rarity staring out at me, her mouth wide open, her eyes bugged out to the furthest extent possible, her hands rising to slap her cheeks. To my right, Scootaloo looked equally horrified, her hands rising, beginning to ball into fists to try and pull me away. In my peripheral I could just see Tiara and Applejack moving towards me.

Everything I saw was happening in super slow motion, like someone had taken reality itself and played it back frame by frame. “That, right there?” the other Sunset said. “That’s what’s happening right now. Cozy’s in the middle of killing you. She’s sucking your life away. The only reason you’re not writhing in agony right now is because you had enough magic left in you to create a mindscape. We’re running at the speed of thought.”

“And I was able to do that because my talent is… mind magic,” I said, still feeling more than an inkling of doubt.

Sunset sighed, her left hand balling up by her side like she was aching to plant it in my face. “Yes, Sunset. Well, technically, it’s empathy magic with a focus on seeing people’s memories and thoughts, but ‘mind’ magic is close enough.”

“Look, I’m sorry if I sound like I don’t believe you,” I said, dropping my arms to my side. “But this just feels… weird. How did I have enough wits about me to do this? Why didn’t I do this before, when Adagio trapped me in the archives?”

She growled something under her breath that sounded like “fucking skepticism” before looking me directly in the eye. “You’ve done this before, Sunset. A few times now.” With a snap of her fingers, a fresh screen appeared, this one showing flashes from my dreams. “Remember your dreams? That was really you tapping into this. You used this mindscape to view your own memory of Princess Twilight telling you about her adventures. You did the same thing when you called upon the countersong, because the guitar acted as a channel, and a reminder. You didn’t use it when you were trapped by Adagio because you were focused on trying to escape. It’s also why you kept passing out every time you tried to remember something. Without a source of magic, like your guitar, you could only tap into this when you were unconscious or asleep.”

She gestured towards the massive screen, and then pointed a finger at me. “This, right now? This is an emergency. This is your last hope to survive. You’re burning magic like crazy just to manage this. And like I said, we’re running at the speed of thought. Time is still passing out there. We waste too much of it, you’re dead, and so’s everyone else you love and care for.”

“Okay, okay.” I waved my right hand, asking for silence. “Look, even if I believe you… um… Sunset, what’re we doing here, exactly? What can I do to stop Cozy? We’re sunk.”

“No, that’s wrong!” she said, the right side of her mouth quirking up in amusement. Then she snickered. “Sorry, couldn’t resist.” Her mouth flattened into a serious expression. “I can’t answer everything for you, Sunset. I’m just a part of you. I’m literally just an avatar you created to help you comprehend what’s going on while you’re dying.”

I glanced over at the screen, and saw a ripple in the magic pulsing into me. It moved towards the screen till it filled it, and as it did, I saw a few stars in the sky erupt in brilliant explosions before going dark. “Okay, I see what you mean. Then we’re going to have to figure this out together.”

“You mean, you figure it out. I’m you bouncing ideas off--”

“Yeah, I get it, Sunset,” I interrupted with a swipe of my thumb across my throat. “Okay, let’s think about this. What do we know about Cozy?”

“Besides the fact that she’s a fucking psychopath?” Sunset said with a wan grin.

Rolling my eyes and grinning back I replied, “Yeah, besides that. We know she can absorb magic, right?”

“Right, she’s shown us that before, with Rainbow,” said Sunset. Snapping her fingers, another screen appeared, that showed my memory of the event as a soundless video. “As soon as Rainbow Dash showed any trace of magic, she panicked.”

I nodded. “Which means she did it from all of us. We know we had magic before now.”

“We did,” she said. Another finger snap produced a memory of me examining the photo album with the pictures of the Battle of the Bands, the one that had sealed Adagio’s fate. “Seven of us did. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and you. Me.” She spun her hands in the air. “Whatever.”

Nodding again, I took a moment to look at the screen with Cozy. I saw her teeth start to part, a bit of magic flowing into her mouth like she was taking a taste. More stars shining above detonated in brilliant flashes of light, and a pair of meteors streaked across the sky, far closer to the ground than I would’ve liked. “Okay, and we know she’s consuming my life force, which uses a magic ritual. Meaning she has to be turning it into magic and then absorbing that into herself.”

“Yesss…” Sunset said, her amused mood vanishing, replaced with impatience. Meanwhile three more meteors burned white hot trails, searing above us so close I could feel the heat of their passing. One of them proceeded to impact the far horizon with a loud crashing noise “Think faster, Sunset!” she waved her arms for emphasis.

I pressed my knuckles to my chin as I considered this. “But we also know from what Princess Twilight said that the portal strips magic away from you. So while she has to have a base level of leftover magic she’s able to retain from what she absorbed in Equestria, most of her power has to come from the magic she’s absorbed here on Earth, right?”

“Yes!” the other Sunset shouted, throwing her hands up in disgust. Even more stars detonated, the sky going dark rapidly. “Sunset! Think. Faster!”

“Fuck, okay, I get it!” I shouted back. I glanced towards the screen, where I could see the flow of magic into Cozy’s wand dwindling. Like there was less and less to pull with every passing second. And as I took that in, the ground all around us shook like crazy, knocking me over onto the grass. “Shit!”

“I can’t do this for you, Sunset!” reiterated my mindscape avatar as she reached down to give me a hand up. “If I could, I would, trust me. But I can’t. You have to do this yourself.”

I grunted as I got to my feet. “I know, thanks.” I took a moment and closed my eyes, trying to focus my head, and ignore all the sights and sounds of things exploding around me. The mental representation of my outright dying was not helping. “So, how does absorbing magic work? Magic is like electricity: you can’t just pick it up with your hands and force it into a battery. You have to convert it. You have to adjust the connection to be compatible. Ugh, I wish I could’ve seen the spell matrix for this ritual she’s using. It would make this so much easier…”

“Running. Out. Of. Time!” Other Sunset screeched. Another massive earthquake, lasting far longer than the previous one accompanied her statement.

“So, so, if you have to convert it, that means you have to make the connection compatible!” I babbled, desperately trying to tune out my avatar screaming in my face. “And in order to convert my magic and body into something she can use, the ritual has to impart some of her own magic into me. Meaning the connection flows both ways.” My eyes snapped open. “So if it’s flowing both ways, that means if she can take magic from me, I can take my magic back from her! She’s left herself open!”

The other Sunset let out a loud sigh of relief and clapped her hands in applause. “Okay! Great! How do you do that?”

“Uh…” My blood ran cold, my face paling. “I, I, I, I don’t know!” I replied as panic filled me. More stars vanished from the night sky, leaving so few left we were shrouded in near pitch black darkness. “I know what to do but I don’t know how to do it!”

“Well you’d better think of so-eth--g,” the other Sunset said. Her words cut out as her form rippled, turning translucent and staticy, like an old television sans signal. “Bec--se I d--n’t thi-- --ur gon-- la-t -uch longer.”

“Right, right, so... so… augh, fuck!” I shouted, wishing I had something to punch or kick other than myself. “I wish I had my horn back. If I was a unicorn this would be a snap!”

And then just as suddenly as I’d thought it, my form shifted. Hands became hooves, arms became forelegs, mouth and nose became muzzle, ears shifted to the top of my head, my eyes filling my skull. “What?” I muttered as I held up my left forehoof to examine. I could feel the horn on my head surging with… well, surging was the wrong word. Sparking, perhaps. A trickle of power. Very little was left.

“It’s a mi---cap-, Su---t! Yo-’re in con-------” The other Sunset tried to answer me, but her answer disintegrated into meaningless noise. Her form was so full of static it was like looking at a moving snowfield.

“A mindscape… I’m in control…” I repeated. Then a confident smirk split my muzzle. “Of course. It’s mind magic. It works on thoughts, on desires. All I have to do is will it.”

The last star vanished from the sky in a brilliant conflagration. The ground shook and shattered, pieces falling away into an empty abyss, and unlike the one I floated in before, this didn’t look welcoming. Clumps of soil and grass spilled out into the emptiness in waves, closing around me until my avatar--now a complete mess of unrecognizable static--and I were trapped on a tiny island with barely enough room to stand. The only thing visible left was the screen on which Cozy sucked my life force away, the stream of magic winnowed down to a funnel barely two inches wide.

But it was enough. The connection was there. I knelt my head down, activated my horn, and willed.

A great surge of energy surrounded me, a wash of dark amaranth and golden colored flame, warm and soothing like the sun. It coalesced around me, forming twin wings of fire that unfurled like the wings of a phoenix. Then the energy moved along my body into my horn and fired at the screen like a sizzling bolt of electricity.

On the screen, I witnessed Cozy’s expression slowly begin to change, from savage, sadistic glee to confusion, annoyance, then outright terror. The flow of magic on the image shifted too, the funnel doing a one eighty spin until it was sucking energy out of Cozy and into me, the color of it shifting to match my amaranth fire. My mindscape avatar reformed, the static clearing. The landscape repaired itself around me, the ground restored, stars returning to shine above until, over the far horizon, the sun rose in the west. Just enough to sit on the horizon, coloring the clouds in reds and purples. A perfect sunset, shimmering in the sky.

I didn’t even notice as I continued to take back my magic that my form had shifted back to human, only this time with the added pony attributes I witnessed in the photographs. Pony ears appeared atop my head, my hair extended like a tail. The fiery wings remained in place, shifting in form to match with my changed body.

“That’s it! You’ve done it!” my avatar cheered. She applauded and bounced in place, sounding for all the world like my own internal fangirl.

Then she reached forward to embrace me. I blinked, momentarily confused, then smiled in understanding as she slipped into me, our forms merging together.

And.

I.

REMEMBERED.

Memories flooded my mind, hundreds of thousands to millions of individual little moments here and there. Bullying students, until a wave of rainbow light told me how wrong I was. Working together with my fellow Rainbooms to stop the Dazzlings. Saving Twilight Sparkle from her own possessed self. Journeying to Camp Everfree and stopping Gloriosa Daisy from when she trapped us all as Gaia Everfree.

More and more and more flooded me until every last speck of stolen knowledge was returned. Emotions flooded me in waves, physical waves of water washing over my mindscape, a different shade for every emotion. Green for every bit of envy I’d ever felt. Red for anger. Pink for love. A sour brown for shame. Chartreuse for despair. Each one accompanied by flashes of hundreds of little moments, teaching me all about my friends.

And oh the waves of blue sorrow and grief. Pouring over me, inundating me anew, every loss in the killing game suddenly fresh, like a wound inflicted bare moments ago instead of old scars. Memories of the killing game mixed and blended together with older memories, weaving together a new tapestry of understanding of everyone. I understood why Wallflower was bitter, why Sweetie had lost herself in hatred, why Twilight had made such a foolish mistake, why Timber cared so much about Gloriosa, why… Trixie… cared for me… cared deeply, far deeper than I’d realized. I learned so much about my friends.

All of my friends.

Even… her.

I remembered now, how we met. I’d had a long conversation with Scootaloo, who had spent some time volunteering at the Youth Center, paying forward what had been done for her. She’d made it sound like a lot of fun, so I thought I’d try it out too. I didn’t want to mentor anyone too young, but I figured a teenager of sixteen or so, that I could manage.

She didn’t call herself Cozy Glow, when I saw her. Of course she didn’t. I knew that name. Princess Twilight had spent hours upon hours with me every few months desperately searching for any sign of Cozy, Tirek, or Chrysalis on Earth. Oh, the very first time we found a social media profile for the human Cozy Glow, but we dismissed it, figuring it wasn’t her, that the pony Cozy would be acting out, trying to be evil. No, the name she gave me was Heather Heart.

Nor did she resemble her real self. Unsurprising, given she’d absorbed Chrysalis’ changeling magic. She’d altered her eyes to a saffron gold, her hair to amber waves, completely unlike her actual curls. Her skin tone had shifted too, deepening to a dark bronze. She acted shy, but playful, with a pleasant, even charming voice, standing in sharp contrast to the bucketfuls of syrupy sweet saccharine of her real voice. She knew exactly which buttons to press to make me like her, getting along splendidly from the start. And she knew how to keep me from reading her mind. She’d told me from the start that she “hated being touched” and always made sure she was far enough I couldn’t read her.

We were fast friends, and in many ways I felt like an older sister all over again. I’d had that feeling around Trixie for a while, of course, especially after high school, but Trixie and I were more or less the same age. This was different. It was… fun. Very fun.

Heather, as I knew her, made every hangout a blast, and had a bit of a morbid sense of humor. In retrospect looking back that should have been a sign, because her humor was just on the bad side of sadistic, but being rather morbidly inclined myself at times I didn’t notice. As such, I decided to show her Danganronpa.

The instant she began playing it, she was hooked. Like giving a person prone to drug addictions their first hit of cocaine, it was all she wanted to play whenever she came over. It was all she wanted to talk about, how excited she was. How she speculated over each case, and found Junko Enoshima to be an amazing, enthralling character when she finished it. That alone should’ve been a bad sign, given Junko was the mastermind.

She was even more over the moon when it came to the second one, and the third one completely blew her mind. I fell in love with the series all over again right along with her, and even though I knew what would happen, who would live, who would die, it was still an exhilarating journey.

Every now and then, whenever we hung out, she’d carefully direct the conversation towards my friends for a little bit. Just long enough to get a piece of information or two. She liked to scribble in her diary. Always scribbled in her diary. I asked if I could look at it once, and it was the only time she ever became upset with me, so I left it alone.

Then came just a month prior to the killing game. She claimed it was her seventeenth birthday upcoming, and she’d never had a party before. Well, I wasn’t about to let her go without celebrating, so I offered to have Pinkie Pie put one together. She convinced me to make it a surprise, and even suggested the idea of giving away a prize to one lucky winner at the party, some sort of party favor or other connected to the decorations theme; it didn’t matter. What mattered was, it was enough to convince me to make those invitations, and send them out.

A few of my choices were strange, in retrospect. Adagio Dazzle? We knew each other. After meeting again at the PostCrush concert, on a whim I’d tracked down the Dazzlings and slowly, over time, got them to be something closer to resembling good. She never became a friend friend, but she and I were cool. Never once crossed my mind to sleep with her though.

Of course I had to invite Trixie and Wallflower. Trixie and Wallflower loved to hang out together, getting along so well it sometimes made me wonder if they were romantically involved. They weren’t, but they might as well have been, for how close Trixie was to her. And with Trixie being kind of like my other little sister, how could I resist?

Diamond Tiara, I did that on insistence of Scootaloo, when I was giving her her invitation, since I hadn’t figured out who would be the sixteenth invitee yet. I knew Diamond Tiara, but only distantly. We were friendly. She was actually quite nice, compared to how she’d been in high school. She was nothing like the way she’d acted for much of the early killing game. Instead she was a lot more like how she’d turned out to be: scared, occasionally mouthy, but willing to get along, and someone who enjoyed a good laugh as much or even more as Pinkie Pie did.

Timber, of course, that was a guarantee. Although he and Twilight had a nasty breakup, they eventually patched things up and became friends again, and she thought he’d appreciate the chance to get out of the woods once in a while and get some time away from his sister… which made his reasons for killing in the actual game all the more heartbreaking.

Flash had been a good friend of mine for a long time. We’d flirted with the idea of dating again, after the end of high school, but we’d both mutually decided that would carry with it too many bad memories from the first time, and we were happier as friends anyway. He was a reliable, cool, chill guy, and I figured Heather would like him. Especially since Twilight sure did. He and Twilight had gotten together a long while back, just after Twi's breakup with Timber, and had been flirting with the idea of marriage before this all went down.

Everyone else, of course, they were my closest friends. My dearest friends… my most magical friends.

I should’ve known something bad was going to happen. My stomach had fluttered with nerves the day of the party. I’d spent a large sum of money putting it altogether, but I’d thought it was worth it. We all arrived at or around the same time, and were escorted into what I thought would be the private dining room I’d decorated.

Oh it was the private room alright. But she’d lined it with traps. Runes like the ones she would later use to trap Princess Twilight had been carved all over the restaurant, and she activated them at once, keeping us from using our powers long enough that she could drain them. It was only after she’d sucked us dry that she shifted her form and revealed who she was, cackling like crazy, saying we were going to have such a wonderful time together aboard a lovely ship.

And then she grabbed me in her magic. She tapped into my head, into the imprint the Memory Stone had left behind. She had to do it this way. Absorbing the magic let her cast the spell, but she could only do so by using me as a focus. I remembered horrifying, head-splitting pain, everyone screaming my name. Then nothing.

She must have knocked us out for transport to the ship, because the next thing I remembered… well… none of it ended up mattering, because she wiped our memories again after three weeks at sea. I’d worry about those experiences if I made it out of this alive.

All along, Cozy had played me like a well-tuned instrument. She’d used and abused friendship with a surprising amount of skill, given how impatient she’d been during the game itself. Perhaps it was the stress of running the game, or maybe she was just so fed up after the initial shenanigans of the journey that alone was enough to wear out what was left of her patience.

Then again, managing sixteen people is quite a different experience from playing around one on one. Maybe that was the real difference.

Whatever the case, I knew one thing. With my magic back, with my memories back, we had a chance. I couldn’t drain back anyone else’s magic, of course; I didn’t have that power. All I could do was take back what was mine. But with it, and the knowledge that came along, a plan formed in my mind. A possibility. A slight possibility that we could maybe, just maybe, squeak by with a win after all.

I opened my eyes and looked at the screen one last time. The super slow motion Cozy upon it was furious, practically frothing at the mouth as she struggled to try and retake control over her ritual spell, to drain me again. But she wasn’t going to succeed. Not now, not when I was ready and able to resist. It would be hard. Very hard, but I could do it.

I hoped.

So, after taking one final breath for calm, I let my mindscape fade away, and returned to real time, to consciousness.

The instant I did, everything hit me at once. Pain screamed up and down my body, the razor wire of broken ribs returned to embrace my lungs like an old friend, accompanied by an excruciating burn that wore its way through my entire body, but centered itself on my left arm. One quick look at my arm told me why: the ritual spell had worn it down into barely more than a husk. Just touching it with my right arm caused pieces to crumble to dust. That sent my stomach churning, but I fought off the need to vomit. I’d worry about my lost arm later.

Rarity, who like everyone else had been flung against her podium like Cozy, gaped at my sudden movement. “Sunset? Sunset, darling, are you… are you…”

“Yes, Rarity,” I said with confidence, giving her a wink. “I’m alive.”

“Yes!” Scootaloo cried, pumping her fist in the air. “Go Sunset!”

“Thank god!” I heard Diamond Tiara mutter from behind her podium.

Applejack let out a loud sigh of relief. “Oh thank goodness. Ah was afraid you were gone for sure!”

“Uh, well, I’m not in perfect shape,” I muttered, holding up my husk of a left arm for a moment. “But I’m here.”

“What… what happened?!” Cozy shrieked, throwing her arms up in disgust. “What did you do?!”

Before Cozy could move, I called upon my magic. Just like in my mindscape, pony ears appeared on my head, my hair extended, and even my clothes shifted in design, almost like a magical girl transformation. Didn’t do anything for my arm though, or my ribs for that matter. But the display still caused jaws to drop around the room, especially Princess Twilight’s.

“What I did, Cozy,” I said, bringing up my one hand, magic glowing in my palm, “was to take back what you stole. My magic is mine, not yours.”

“Aaaargh!” Cozy raised her wand and fired a jet of scarlet light at me, one I easily deflected into the ceiling. She continued to fire a fresh jet with each new word she spoke. “How. Is. This. Possible?!”

“Like I told you, it’s my magic,” I replied, laughing at her twisted up face, the bared teeth and hideous eyes. “But then, you’d know that, wouldn’t you… Heather Heart?”

That caused her to halt. She froze like she’d been doused in liquid nitrogen, her pupils dilating from horror. “H-h-heather H-h-heart? No…”

“Uh, not that it’s not great that you’re alive….somehow…” Applejack gulped, staring at me with an uncertain expression on her face. “But whaddya mean by Heather Heart?”

“Ask Cozy,” I replied, grinning even more at Cozy’s terrified expression. “She could tell you all about it.”

“No, no, no…” Cozy shivered and shook. “This isn’t possible…”

Diamond Tiara poked her head up over her podium. “Wow, Sunset,” she gasped. “You look… cool!”

“Cool? Try awesome!” Scootaloo corrected. “Look at those wings!”

“Wings?” I blinked in confusion, then glanced back. To my shock and surprise, the fiery phoenix wings from my mindscape had followed me into reality. They were translucent, swirling with magical energies, like self-contained fire made manifest. “Huh. Whaddya know.”

“How… how… how are you doing this… this can’t be real…” Cozy babbled, lost in her own confusion. She’d slumped against her podium, her wings drooping, her ears disappearing into her mess of hair.

“Heather Heart?” Twilight spoke up. “Wasn’t that the name of the friend you sent me letters about? Just before…oh!” Her eyes widened in realization. “That was… that means… you remember!”

Rarity cocked her head to the side, stunned. “You… you remember? You have your memories back?!”

“All of my memories, yes,” I said proudly. “I remember everything. Everyone I ever forgot. Everything she took from me.”

Cozy gasped as if I’d punched her in the stomach. “No, no, no,” she whined. “You can’t! You can’t do this!”

“Now hold on there, sugarcube,” Applejack said, holding up a hand. “If you’ve got your memories back, do you, uh… there any chance you can restore ours too?”

I considered that. “Probably,” I answered after a moment. “If they’re anything like mine, they’re not destroyed. They’ve been locked away in your head, deep inside, where they can’t be accessed by you. Might not be easy though. My memories were associated with my magic. You might have to get your magic back first.”

“But what about us?” Tiara said, holding her hands and gesturing to herself and Scootaloo. “We never had magic… or did we?”

I shook my head. “No, you never had magic.”

Scootaloo’s face fell. A few tears appeared at the corner of her eye as she sniffled. “Does… does that mean we’ll never… never get our--”

“I didn’t say that, Scoots,” I replied with a grin. “Just that it might be hard, that’s all. We’ll figure it out. I’m not going to let any of you go without your memories. You’re my friends, after all.”

“Friends…” Cozy took in the word, chewed on it, working her jaw. The more she worked the more her face tensed up. “...friends…”

Scootaloo grinned right back as she wiped her tears away. “Yeah, I guess we are, huh? You probably know waaaay more about us now.”

“Ooooh yeah,” I said with a laugh. “Are you kidding me? I’ve got years of memories up here I’m still sifting through.”

Cozy vibrated at her podium like an angry bumblebee. “...memories…” she ground out between gritted teeth.

“Even me, right, Sunset?” Diamond Tiara asked with a hopeful look on her face.

“Aaah… I don’t know you as well,” I replied, scratching the back of my head. I jerked a thumb towards Scootaloo. “You and her were pretty close though.”

Scootaloo snickered. “Oh really…?”

Tiara whirled at her podium, her cheeks instantly aflame as she realized what Scootaloo was implying. “I doubt she meant like that, dumbass!”

A light blush came to my own face. “Uh, actually… you did start dating. Just before this all happened.”

“What,” Tiara said flatly, her pupils shrinking to dots. “But… but I don’t… I don’t like…”

Scootaloo stopped laughing, embarrassment overtaking her. “I… we did, huh?” She tried to wink at Tiara, but it was clumsy, her movements flustered. “Guess I’m your exception?”

At that, Tiara shook her head rapidly, as if to clear cobwebs, then gave Scootaloo an appraising look. “Hmm…”

“Hmm indeed,” Rarity said, rubbing her chin and looking at Tiara, then Scootaloo, then back to Tiara. “They would be adorable together, it is true…”

“Uh, y’all, much as Ah’d like to shoot the breeze all day,” Applejack said with a gulp, “We’re still kinda up a creek right now. Unless you got somethin’ you can use against Cozy, Sunset.”

“Oh don’t worry, Applejack, I’ve got a plan,” I said, smiling confidently. “I’m… pretty sure it’ll work.”

Twilight looked up at me at that point, eying me quizzically. “What’re you thinking?”

“Well,” I replied as I eyed Cozy, who was still vibrating like crazy, a look of sheer fury contorting her face. “I was thinking of taking a page out of your book, Twilight.”

“My book?” Twilight arched an eyebrow. “Huh? I don’t follow.”

“Yeah, Sunset,” Cozy snarled, finally waking up enough to talk back to us. She held her wand down at her waist, which I eyed warily in case she brought it up to fire another salvo. “What book are you talking about?”

“It’s--”

Cozy’s wand shot up to point at me. “Actually, you know what? I don’t care. I don’t! I’m so done with this! Whatever plan you’ve got, you’re not going to win! You don’t have the power, Sunset!”

I raised my hand in turn, ready to use my magic in self-defense. “Power isn’t everything, Cozy. Take it from me. I know.”

“Wrong! Power is everything! Power is my whole reason for living! So let me show you what real power can do, Sunset Shimmer.” Cozy spun in a circle with her wand, instantly summoning up that same horrifying purple and green necrotic aura she’d used on me the first time. “Let me show you why I’ve already won, and you’ve lost!”

She fired her spell, sending that green swirling funnel towards me, eager to suck down my life force. But unlike last time, I was ready. I used my magic to form a shield, blocking the necromantic magic from having an effect. It splattered against the shield till it resembled a constant bolt of energy, pressing against me harder by the second. “Okay you guys, we’d better hurry up and get started on my plan now!” I shouted, my voice a bit jumpy.

“But, but, what do we do, y’all?!” Applejack stammered, her eyes agog as she watched the struggle of magic.

“The same thing we always do, Applejack!” I replied. “Friendship!”

“Huh?!”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Are… but Sunset, didn’t you hear Cozy? She was right! Even with the power of friendship, you don’t have enough people or the right Elements to overwhelm her! You can fight her off, but you can’t win! She’s too strong!”

I grinned at her, the eerie light probably making it look more menacing than reassuring. “Twilight. Come on. You of all people should know by now that’s not how it really works. It’s not about how many friends you have, or even what elements they hold. It’s about friends working together.”

The Princess of Friendship blinked owlishly at me. “But… but… it’s always required six people before. The same six Elements.”

“No it hasn’t,” I replied. “Didn’t Celestia and Luna use the Elements on Discord by themselves? Didn’t Celestia use all six by herself? The seven of us against the Dazzlings? The Pillars? Your students?”

Dawning comprehension filled Twilight’s face with a happy glow. “Of course! Okay, Sunset, take it away! It’s up to you.”

“Oh no, Sunset!” Cozy roared, intensifying her beam. It grew half again in size as it battered against my shield. “I told you before, I’m not going to let that deus ex machina bullshit happen to me a third time! You’re not friends anymore! Maybe you have your memories back, but they don’t!”

I grimaced from the strain and poured more of my own magic into my shield. “So what?! We’ve still made friendships along the way! We’ve grown closer together, despite everything you’ve put us through!”

Cozy erupted with laughter. “Oh please! You’re not close! Just ask Rarity and Applejack! Tell me, how many times did Rarity say Applejack should die again? Because I can tell you right now, it’s a lot. I was watching!”

I took a moment to glance at Rarity, who’d turned away, hiding her face in shame. A look over at Applejack showed she was likewise staring down at her podium, her mouth twisted into a sad frown. Damn it! This isn’t going to work if we can’t be friends together. “Applejack!” I cried.

“Huh?” Applejack looked up at me, startled. “Wha-what?”

“Listen to me. What’s the one thing you’ve always stayed true to on this ship, no matter how tough things got, no matter how rough it was? When you lost Apple Bloom, when Rarity said she’d leave you, what did you stay true to?”

Applejack shook her head, utterly nonplussed. “Sunset, Ah don’t get what you’re sayin’. Ah… Ah guess I stuck true to… mahself?”

I nodded even as I flinched back from a bit of Cozy’s magic that had washed over the shield, like a stray spark from a welder. “That’s right! Yourself! You’ve stayed true to who you are no matter what you’ve been through. Even when you were at your lowest point, do you remember what you said?”

~*~
“Ah hope it’s clear, but Ah didn’t kill Rainbow Dash either. Just because Ah threw a pill bottle away in the same trash bin we found two other pieces of evidence in don’t mean a thing.”

Tiara eyed her warily. “You say that, Applejack, but can we believe you? I mean, the motive’s pretty tempting, for someone like you.”

Applejack glared at her from underneath her hat, then nodded. “Eyup. You’re right about that, Tiara. It was pretty temptin’. And for a bit there Ah didn’t think Ah had much to lose either, what with Rarity dumpin’ me, and my sister bein’ gone…”

Rarity snorted. “Dumping? You make it sound like it was a simple fling. Try divorce, if we ever get off this ship.”

Scootaloo looked up at the farmer, her breath hitched as she took a step back. “Applejack, you’re not saying you actually considered killing someone, did you?”

Applejack hung her head low and took off her hat, placing it on her podium. She propped herself up by the palms of both hands, her whole body slumped in shame. “Ah did. Not Flash. Not Rainbow Dash either. But Ah did. Ah didn’t think about it for very long or hard before Ah realized Ah was bein’ nuttier than cow droppins, but Ah still considered it.”

“Who would you have killed?” Trixie breathed, leaning forward with naked curiosity twinkling in her eyes.

“It was me, wasn’t it?” Scootaloo blurted, her voice full of fire. She clenched both fists at her sides as her face twisted up in horror and fury. “You were going to kill me.”

Applejack slowly nodded, then fell to her knees, sinking beneath her podium. “Don’t ask me how, cause Ah don’t know.”
~*~

“You could’ve fallen to temptation then! You could’ve given in to Monoponi--to Cozy, given her what she wants! You could’ve killed Rarity, or Scootaloo, or who knows who else! But you didn’t. You stayed true to who you were. When you admitted to it, you were ashamed, because you know you’re not a killer. Cozy threw the best motive she had at you, in the best circumstances, with the best chance you’d ever have… and you didn’t take it. You kept your integrity. You stayed true to you.”

She perked up, nodding in understanding. “Ah didn’t, didn’t Ah? Ah stayed true to me, ‘cause Ah know who Ah am!”

A grin of satisfaction crossed my face as I saw sparkles of magic beginning to flare around the farmer. “That’s right. You’ve always kept true. And you’ve always stuck by your friends. We’re all your friends. We’ve had struggles. We’ve been dealt blow after blow. But we’re all together in this.”

She gave me a proud smile, then turned to Scootaloo. “Scootaloo, Ah know Ah scared you somethin’ fierce, when Ah said Ah considered killin’ you. It was wrong, and Ah’m sorry. You’ve been nothin’ but kind to me here, and Ah almost repaid that with the worst kind of double-crossin’ low down snake behavior Ah could’ve done. And Ah’m sorry for all the suspectin’ or runnin’ or anythin’ Ah’ve done since.”

Scootalo’s lips twisted into an uncertain frown as she took a step back, scratching at the back of her head. “I dunno, Applejack… you’re pretty scary when you’re mad, you know? And you get mad. A lot. And you kept being pretty mean to a lot of people for no good reason, even when we tried to help you.”

Rather than look away in shame, Applejack simply nodded in acceptance. “You’re right. Ah was, Ah am, and Ah did. And Ah’m sorry for it all. Ah can accept mah mistakes, and Ah’d like to try and make up for ‘em too.” She stuck out her hand. Wisps of apple red and granny smith green energy twirled around her in pairs, forming lines like rows of square dancers. “Are you gonna let me?”

Scootaloo glanced back at me, fear in her eyes as she watched my continued struggle against Cozy’s magic. She turned back to Applejack and closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a sigh. Then she opened them again, and held out her hand in return. “Okay. I can do that.”

As the two shook hands, Applejack was engulfed by an aura of magic that transformed her, providing her pony ears and an elongated hairstyle, coloring her hair with multiple streaks matching the colors of her new magic. Smiling at Scootaloo, she released the younger woman’s hands, and her eyes met mine. “Let’s git’r’done, Sunset!”

“What?!” Cozy howled, her whole body recoiling in sheer disbelief even as she continued to power her endless attack. “How in the… you can’t do that! You don’t have your memories! You don’t have your magic!”

“Ah think you’ll find Ah’ve got what really matters, Cozy,” Applejack retorted. She raised a palm in my direction and unleashed a beam from her hand, joining together with me and reinforcing my badly battered shield. “Ah don’t need anything you’ve taken from me. Ah’ve got friendship. Ah’ve got family who love me. Ah don’t need no fancy tricks or wands or nothin’. Ah just need mah friends.”

The outraged Cozy Glow gritted her teeth in a fierce glare, turning it on me. “Oh you are not going to get away with this, Sunset!” With a loud wordless roar she doubled down on the power she was throwing against me, forcing Applejack to extend the shield just to keep Scootaloo from being caught in the crossfire. Scootaloo hunched down behind her podium and covered her head with her hands, screaming in fear.

“Scootaloo!” I called, grabbing the young woman’s attention. “I know you’re scared right now, but you’ve gotta listen to me too, okay? We can’t do this without you.”

“Me?” Scootaloo looked up at me, flinching at every fresh burst of magic against the shield. “But, but, I don’t have magic! I don’t even have a freaking talent! What can I do?”

I rolled my eyes good naturedly and grinned. “Scootaloo, you don’t need a talent or magic or anything else to help out. You never have. But you’ve always been there for us anyway. You’ve been looking out for people from the start. Whether it was helping Sweetie Belle and Pinkie Pie in the kitchen before the pool party, or exercising with Rainbow Dash, or taking an extra shift when we all did guard duty. Or when Diamond Tiara was hurt, when Applejack was hurt, when I was hurt!”

“What’re you talking about?” Scootaloo retaliated, disbelief coloring her voice. “I-I haven’t always been nice! Don’t you remember what I said about Timber? I called him a dirty, stinking murderer!”

Grinning back, I replied, “True, you haven’t always been the nicest person. But you’ve still looked out for everyone. Even Trixie and Tiara told you that once!”

~*~
As we moved on to the locker rooms, we found we had to scan our Monopads to get in. The doors only opened up one at a time, and closed behind us as soon as we walked through. The locker rooms contained the usual assortment of small lockers for valuables, showers, and toilets. Scootaloo was in the middle of dressing up in her own tracksuit. “Oh hey there,” she said, grunting as she zipped up the suit. “Pretty nice fitness center, huh?”

“It’s not bad,” I agreed. “What’re you up to, Scootaloo?”

She shrugged. “I figured I’d just go lift some weights. I could use the pick-me-up after…” she sighed, her body shrinking down as her eyes misted up. “After last night. Besides, I want to stay near Rarity and Applejack. I’m worried about both of them, especially Rarity.”

Trixie smiled at that, and clapped a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “That is very kind of you, Scootaloo,” she said as if she were delivering a pronouncement from on high. “Trixie is certain they’ll appreciate you watching out for them.”

“Heh, thanks,” Scootaloo said with a sad smile. “I just don’t want anyone else hurt, you know? We’ve lost too many people already. I don’t want to lose any more friends.”

“Good to hear,” Tiara said, slapping both hands on her hips so she could loom like the authority figure she purported to be. “Keep at it, Scootaloo. Keep them safe.”
~*~

“You’ve always looked out for others. You even took the time after the fourth trial to study up on medicine just to be more helpful. You’ve been devoted to helping others, no matter what you had to do to accomplish it. Do you know who you remind me of, most of all, now that I have my memories back?”

Gaping in naked shock, she uttered, “Who?”

More of Cozy’s magic flickered over the shield as a large crack formed in the center. I refused to give it much thought and focused on answering Scootaloo. “Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. You’re like the little sister they didn’t have. You’re just as kind, caring, and compassionate as Fluttershy ever was, but you’ve also got Rainbow’s sense of justice, of loyalty, of care for her friends. You don’t need to have a talent or magic to be useful. All you have to be is you!”

Scootaloo’s mouth closed as tears filled her eyes, happy tears, tears of laughter. “I… I have, haven’t I?” she said as she leapt to her feet. Fresh wisps of magic began to swirl around her, in shades of cerise and dark orange. “I have been useful. I’ve been doing everything I can to help everyone.”

“That you have, sugarcube,” Applejack seconded, clapping her free hand down on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “Ah gotta say, you’ve been a real treat to have around, even when Ah wasn’t on mah best behavior.”

Rarity, who, like Tiara, had been cowering behind her podium, watching silently, chose this moment to call out, “And I really appreciated it when you watched out for me after Sweetie’s trial, darling! I know Sweetie and Apple Bloom were your friends. I know you miss them. You’ve been a joy to have around, my dear. I am honored to call you a friend.”

“Yeah, what she said!” Tiara seconded. “I-I don’t know anything about what you or I might or might not have together, but you know what? I’m willing to give you the chance to find out!”

That did it. Scootaloo let out a loud triumphant laugh as magic swirled about her, transforming her. She gained pony ears in a shade of orange just slightly darker than her skin tone, and twin wings spread out from behind her back. And upon her shirt appeared the shield with the lightning bolt symbol that was her mark, framed by a trio of transparent butterflies and backed by a ghostly reflection of a cloud with a rainbow bolt. “Fuck yeah, let’s bring Cozy down!” she shouted.

Cozy recoiled in horror once more, even as Twilight, Rarity, Tiara, and Applejack all let out cries of happiness. “What… how… you never had magic! You don’t have your memories! You’re nothing! NOTHING! How are you doing this?!”

Scootaloo spun on her heels and brought up both hands, unleashing streams of cerise energy into our shield, reinforcing it. The crack I’d been worried about sealed itself immediately. “Because I care about my friends, Cozy! They’re what’s most important to me. They’re what matters. Other people matter, Cozy, regardless of what you think.”

“No they don’t!” Cozy screeched. “Power! Power is what matters. And I still have the power to crush three of you!” Spreading out her wings, she pulled from deep within, her eyes blazing solid scarlet now. The beam beating against our shield split into three, assaulting each of us individually, trying to break us apart.

“Hang in there, Sunset, Scootaloo… and you too, Applejack!” Rarity cried as she flinched back away, the heat of the magical battle too hot for her to handle. “It seems like you’ve got this!”

“But we’re gonna need you too, Rarity!” Scootaloo replied, wincing as she focused on maintaining her part of the shield.

“We can’t do this without you!” Applejack seconded.

Rarity blinked, pointing a finger at herself. “Me?”

“They’re right, Rarity!” I said. “You’re our friend, and we value your friendship. You’re dear to all of us. We care about you, and we value you.”

Rarity’s eyes twinkled despite the frown of uncertainty on her face. “Well that’s good to hear. I suppose I know what my element is. Generosity, right? Just like my pony self. It was listed in the book.”

“Pfft, yeah, you’re so generous,” Cozy mocked with a laugh. “Giving away things for free that you made with free materials. Uh huh.”

“Forget about that, Rarity,” I said with a shake of my head. “Forget about what the book said. Forget about what Cozy’s saying. It doesn’t matter what your element is. What matters is what’s most important to you! And as much as you’re a generous person, Rarity, that’s not what’s most important.”

Rarity’s frown deepened, her brow creasing in thought. “I don’t understand darling.

“Then let me make it clear, Rarity,” I replied with a similar smile. “You value your friends to the point that you’re willing to forgivethem when they show proper remorse, even for the worst crimes.”

~*~
“I’m not asking for you to be her friend, or to like her. If I want to talk to her though, that’s my business.”

“Well, I for one think it’s a good thing you’re trying to repair your friendship,” Rarity said, smiling at me. She let out a quiet sigh and leaned against Applejack, snuggling into the farmer’s shoulder. “I suppose if you’re able to find it in your heart to try, perhaps I should do the same. I did quite like the dear before… well.”

Applejack frowned at Rarity and pulled away from her, leaving Rarity letting out a quiet whine. “Ah’d prefer if you didn’t do that Rarity. Because the way Ah see it, Trixie don’t deserve much mercy. Ah ain’t sayin’ I’d string her up or nothin’, but Ah wouldn’t be too sad if she went to jail forever. And Ah’m not sure she deserves regular visits neither.”

Rarity shot Applejack a dark glare, but said nothing, and quietly scooted over further away from the farmer.
~*~
“Be quiet!” Rarity thundered as she stood up. A black look of pure rage crossed her features as she approached Applejack and belted her across the face with the palm of her hand, sending Applejack spinning to the ground from the sudden unexpected force. Applejack managed to catch herself on one knee at least. “You utter hypocrite! You claim to apologize to me and then you toss me around like a child throwing a tantrum. All I wanted to do was take some time to speak with someone who shows proper remorse for her misdeeds, unlike a certain farmer I could name!”
~*~
“Trixie knew Adagio was an awful person from the start,” Trixie said, every word drenched in hot anger. “This is why Trixie tried to rescue Sunset, because she was scared.”

“Well, as far as I’m concerned Trixie, you can consider yourself forgiven, at least by me,” Rarity said, reaching out to pat Trixie’s shoulder. “You’ve shown nothing but contrition and remorse for your actions.”
~*~

Nudging with my head I gestured to Applejack. “You’ve shown you have the ability to forgive even the crime you hate most. You forgave Trixie for killing Pinkie Pie. The way you can help us most is by forgiving the one among us you haven’t yet, and by reclaiming the friendship that I know you still treasure, no matter what you say otherwise. Maybe you won’t be in love with her when all of this is over, but you can still be friends.”

Applejack looked up in shock at that, her eyes meeting Rarity’s, filled with a mixture of apprehension, uncertainty… and hope. “Like Ah’ve said, Rarity, Ah apologize for all Ah’ve done. Ah do care about you. Ah just want you to be happy.”

Glancing back at Rarity, I saw her shrink back, her body language anxious. “I… I’m not sure if I--”

“Oh my me would you all shut the fuck up?!” Cozy interrupted with a magically enhanced voice. “You keep talking and talking and talking and talking and I am so sick of it!”

Rarity’s lips thinned as she leapt out from behind her podium, standing up straight to glare Cozy in the eye. Pale blue and white wisps danced all about her like snowflakes in a whirlwind. “Perhaps you should learn to have some patience, then! You kept asking us for it, time and again while you prattled on about your insane plan to rule Equestria. Try swallowing your own medicine for a change!”

“You little shit…” Cozy growled, her lips pulled back to expose her teeth as she readied to blast Rarity for all she was worth.

Rarity, despite the obvious trepidation in her movements, ignored the insane pony girl and faced Applejack, holding up her hands curled together. “Applejack, you’ve hurt me. You’ve not just hurt my feelings, but my heart. I wanted to rely upon you as a rock when I was lost, and for a while there, just a short little while, it seemed like I might. But then the waves came crashing in. We fell apart. We...we’ve both lost someone near and dear to us in this game. We’ve both lost our sisters, and I suspect that will always stand between us, memories or no memories.”

Applejack gulped and nodded. “Ah, Ah know, Rarity, but…”

Rarity held up a hand to ask for silence. “But Sunset is right about what she says. Something in my soul attracted me to you when we first awoke. I didn’t recognize it for what it was until after our sisters passed away. It was the leftover impression, the memory of what we had before, our… marriage. But what I truly wanted… was friendship. Romance is nothing without friendship. I don’t know if we’ll ever get back together, but… even if we don’t, I don’t want to lose what we can still have. I will take the first step. I forgive you, Applejack! I forgive you, for everything!”

And as she said those words, she was engulfed in an aura of pale blue, just in time for Cozy's annihilating magic to bounce off it like a wooden arrow against stone. Like the others she transformed, gaining a set of white pony ears, her hair restored to its full splendor and more besides. Of course, her outfit changed too, becoming even more stylish, festooned with gemstones. Her boots transformed into fashionable heels. A cocky smirk graced her face as she spun on her newly acquired heels and raised her left hand, manifesting a gemstone shaped shield to block another burst from Cozy. With her right hand she extended our primary shield, merging her gemstone into it. “Darlings, I am prepared to fight alongside you!”

“This is impossible!” Cozy screamed, beating her free hand against her podium a good five or six times before she crunched a hole in it, tearing through the wood with magically enhanced strength. “This won’t work! I won’t allow it! I won’t lose again!”

“You won’t?” I taunted, laughing bubbling up in my chest.

“No, I won’t!” With a wordless roar Cozy pounded one foot on the floor, right atop one of the runes connected to Twilight’s trap. I heard Twilight scream in pain, writhing as her power was drained out of her. “Maybe it’s not as efficient as the ritual,” Cozy sneered, “But I’ll never run out of power as long as I have her to draw on. I don’t care what kind of bullshit new magic you pull out of your asses, you’ll never have the strength to stop me!” She whipped her wand around, splitting her attack beam into a fourth section, each one doubling in size as well. Then she rolled her eyes. “Oh what the hell am I doing. Hey, you, Tiara!”

“W-what?!” Tiara shouted back.

“DIE!”

With a single flick of her wand Cozy’s onslaught shifted its target, firing all four beams directly at our most vulnerable friend. The magic screamed through the air and disintegrated her podium in an instant before exploding on the spot, filling the area with smoke.

“Tiara!” I cried, afraid we’d just lost her.

But then, as the smoke cleared I noticed the orange wings wrapped around Tiara, shielding her from the magic. The wings had been horrifically singed, many of the feathers burnt off or crumbled to dust. The shirt underneath had been partially destroyed, and what skin we saw under that was covered in burns and scalded flesh.

“Don’t worry, Tiara!” Scootaloo shouted, grunting in pain as she picked up the rich elitist and carried her behind our shields. “I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay.

“Aah! Aaah! Aaah! I almost died! Aaaaaah!” Tiara screamed, tears streaming down her face. She wrapped her arms around Scootaloo, hugging the poor girl so tight she nearly cut off Scootaloo’s air. “Don’t let me die-hi-hiiii!”

Scootaloo chuckled and held Tiara closer in a warm embrace. “I won’t. I won’t, okay? I’ve got you.”

“Scootaloo, what about you?” I said, taking in the damage. It wasn’t… the worst damage I’d ever seen. She could still move her wings I saw, as she folded them behind herself even as I spoke. It wasn’t like she’d lost them like I had my arm. But it was still bad. “Are you going to be alright?”

Scootaloo eyed me and gave me a firm nod. “Yeah. Hurts like hell, but I’ll be fine.”

“Damn it!” Cozy shouted, stomping her feet like the petulant child she was. “You cheater! You cheating, cheating cheater! That blast should’ve annihilated you! How did you survive it?”

Moving my magical focus I sealed the shield around us till it was more of a bubble, just in case Cozy got the bright idea to bounce her magic off the wall and into our backs. “How many times do we have to tell you it doesn’t work that way, Cozy?” I said in response. “It’s not about power. It’s about who you value, who your friends are! And Scootaloo, she values her friends over herself. She always has. She’ll protect them even if it costs her her life.”

Cozy groaned, and made a mocking gesture with her hand as if she was talking with it. “Mememe, it’s about who you know, waaah. I can still kill you all.” She pulled in her wand, swished it one, then unleashed the largest beam of necrotic magic yet, large enough to encompass our entire shield bubble.

“Hoo boy, this is gettin’ hairy!” Applejack murmured as she continued to hold the attack back. “We gotta finish this soon Sunset.”

“I know, I know,” I replied. I looked down at Tiara. “What about you, Tiara? You okay?”

“No! No I am not okay!” Tiara shouted. She let her face fall into her hands. “I want to go home. I don’t want to be here. I’m so scared!”

“Me too, Diamond,” Scootaloo said, wrapping one arm around Tiara’s shoulders. She used her other hand to gently nudge Tiara’s chin up so she could wipe her tears. “But we’re going to need your help to do it.”

Tiara’s lips pulled back in her usual sneer as she raised a hand to beat Scootaloo’s away, then relaxed and dropped it, reforming her expression into one of contrition. “But, I don’t know what I can do. I’m… I’m too scared.”

“Exactly, Tiara,” I said with a smile.

Her face went blank as she stared up at me. “Huh?”

“You’re scared. You’re feeling helpless. And you’re able to admit that about yourself. Do you know how amazing that is, considering where you came from? It’s incredible. And it’s far from the only way in which you’ve changed. Remember what you were like when we first came aboard the ship?”

~*~
I pointedly walked away over to the other woman standing at the bar. She favored me with a sneer and a raised eyebrow. “At least you’re not talking my ear off,” she said after a moment.

Oookay…. I stuck out a hand, giving her a friendly grin. “Hi, I’m Sunset Shimmer.”

She looked down at my hand and snorted, her lips twisting in a disgusted grimace. But she extended a hand and took mine, shaking just long enough then dropping it. “Charmed. Diamond Tiara. I’m guessing you’re not one of the help, either. So are you a deckhand? Perhaps you work in the engine room?”

My face scrunched in a mild sneer of my own. “Excuse me?” She was already reminding me of the nobility back in Equestria, all high and mighty rich folk with messed up ideals about their inherent superiority and no manners.

She let out a quiet little laugh. “Forgive me, I just assumed, what with your shabby appearance and that… jacket… that you couldn’t possibly be a passenger.” Her mouth twisted into a patently insincere simper. “My apologies.”
~*~
“You were an asshole. You admitted this yourself earlier, when you shouted down Cozy. I was impressed by that speech, and not just because you got under her skin, but because of what it says about you. How you’ve grown as a person.”

Tiara’s cheeks flushed as she looked away from me. “I… have tried to change. I’ve tried to be a better person. I never liked who I was before. It set me apart from other people. It made me… it made me just like my mother. And I never wanted to be my mother.”

“That’s right,” I agreed. “You’ve shown you have the humility to accept your mistakes, to grow from them, to take responsibility for how you’ve hurt people. You recognize now that you’re not more special than others just because you have more money or political influence or anything of that nature. You’ve found yourself. And you’ve found friends.”

Balls of cornflower blue and magenta light flickered into existence above Tiara’s head. More lights appeared around her body as she gave me a small smile. “I guess I have, huh? Friendship… it’s pretty special. Now that I have it, I… I don’t want to lose it!”

“Well you certainly have my friendship, darling,” Rarity said.

“And mine,” I added.

Scootaloo wrapped one arm around Tiara’s shoulder and gave her another reassuring squeeze. “And you already know you’ve got mine too.”

Tiara nodded to all of us. “T-thanks, guys.” Then, hesitantly, her whole body shaking from anxiety, she turned to the one person who hadn’t spoken. “Um… hey, Applejack.”

“Hey, Tiara,” Applejack interjected, glancing down at the younger woman. “Ah’ve been listenin’ to what they’ve been sayin’. And Ah heard your speech to Cozy earlier. You mean everythin’ you said?”

“I, I did,” replied Tiara with a shaky nod. Tears filled her eyes as she spoke. “L-listen, like I said before, I’ve been a real jerk to you. It’s not… it’s not right to treat you the way I did. Any of you. I truly am sorry, Applejack.”

Applejack nodded. “Ah hear you, Tiara. And likewise. Ah’ve been lettin’ mah own biases cloud mah mind, focusin’ too much on your money, and not enough on you. You’re a person. And you know what? If you don’t mind, Ah… Ah’d like to be your friend.”

As the tears continued to fall, a grateful smile blossomed on Tiara’s face until it spread ear to ear. “Definitely, Applejack!” she replied. The magic swishing about her bloomed until it formed a magnificent aura. “I’d love to be your friend too!”

As she was subsumed in her newly gained magic, a pair of magenta pony ears popped into existence atop her head. The pajamas she’d been stuck in ever since the investigation disappeared, replaced by her usual outfit, with a few extra touches, like twin bracelets around her wrists. Her hair practically dragged along the floor when it extended, almost impractically so. “Wow,” she said, looking herself over. “This is really cool!” Then she locked eyes with Cozy and her lips pulled back into a savage grin. “And it means we can kick your ass!”

“Oh I cannot believe this!” Cozy roared back, throwing out her free hand to flip Tiara off. “You really think you have what it takes? Diamond fucking Tiara? Don’t make me laugh!”

Diamond Tiara raised her hands to add her magic to the shield. “Like I said before, Cozy, I’ve accepted my mistakes! And because I accepted them, I found friendship. And friendship matters! Not that you’d know anything about that!”

For a moment, just a moment, I saw a flash of pain, real pain on Cozy’s face, but it vanished so fast it made me question if I’d seen it at all. “Like I care! Friendship doesn’t matter. Power does. How many times do I have to say it?”

“You can say it as many times as you want,” Scootaloo spat, “it doesn’t make it the truth!”

“There’s something you lack, Cozy Glow,” Rarity added. “Something that makes it impossible for you to truly understand.”

“Oh yeah? What?”

“Ain’t it obvious?” Applejack said with a laugh.

“It’s empathy, you dumbass!” Tiara added with a cocky grin. “Do you know what that means, or do we need to spell it out?”

“It’s the ability to understand and share feelings with others,” I said, feeling my magic swell within me as we spoke. “To recognize when they’re hurt, or feeling down, and to find ways to care about them. We’re all capable of doing that, and that’s why we work together as friends. It’s why we survived, despite everything you threw at us. It’s why we’ll never give in to your hate and despair, because we support each other. We’ve all lost someone in this game. It’ll have its effects on us for the rest of our lives. But we’ll be able to handle it, together, as friends!”

I held out my hand to Rarity, letting her take it, while gesturing for Tiara to lay a hand on my shoulder. The rest linked hands in turn as our auras flared and began to merge, forming a rainbow of light.

Cozy blanched, ceasing her magical attack. “Oh… oh shit.”

Twilight let out a cry of happiness.” You did it!”

“Told you we would, Princess,” I replied, winking at her. “Okay everyone, let’s free the Princess first, shall we? She’s our friend too, after all.”

Cozy, who’d been scanning the room as if searching for an opportunity, focused on Twilight, her eyes narrowing. “Oooh, it’s funny you say that, Sunset,” Cozy interjected, her voice dropping, becoming low and sinister. “It’s so funny because it’s not even true! Let me tell you aaaalll about something your precious pony Princess did while you were all trapped here!”

~*~
Shining leaned forward and placed his elbow on the desk so he could rub his forehead with his thumb and index finger. “I’m going to have to discuss this with Chief Spitfire. I think it’d be a good idea if you met up with her. I’ve been keeping this case from going to the state or federal level so far, but with what you’ve told us--”

“We can’t involve your government,” Twilight declared with all her princessly authority. Shining instantly sat up straighter. “I can work with you, Shining, and the local police department, but no one else. Remember our agreement.”

“Keep the existence of Equestria secret,” Shining responded. “Frankly, that might be more difficult than you might think. That cruise ship is operating in international waters. If my Twilight is right and they’re in the south Pacific, we might have to deal with multiple foreign governments. This could easily turn into a global incident, and I can’t promise they’ll keep things secret.”

“I’m well aware of the state of Earth’s geopolitical situation.” Twilight's words cut through Shining’s argument like the proverbial hot knife through butter. “That’s exactly why we can’t involve them. I’ve kept them from finding out about Equestria and Equestrian magic so far. I don’t intend to let them discover us anytime soon. You know why.”

Shining nodded, and she swore his hand started to raise in salute before he let it drop. “That’s going to severely limit our options, then.”
~*~
Spitfire nodded once when Twilight was finished, then steepled her hands on the desk. “I won’t lie to you, your highness: what you’re asking for isn’t easy. I have half a mind to call up the state governor right now and explain everything. These people’s lives are on the line, and we can’t afford to screw around with delays.”

“But--”

“Please allow me to finish,” Spitfire interrupted, holding up a hand. “I also understand and respect your world’s need for secrecy. I’m more aware than most how shitty the human race can be, and how much shittier we would be towards a whole world full of magic aliens that can cross over through a lot of different portals we have no control over. So in light of that, I’m going to grant your request, and keep this secret. But let me clear about one thing.”

Spitfire stood up just enough to get her face quite close to Twilight’s, just a few inches away. “Every single person that dies on that cruise ship that we might’ve been able to save had we gone through the federal government and the military? That’s on you. You’re going to be the one to talk to their families. And if they ask for something to keep things secret? You give it to them. You’re the leader of your nation. I’m sure you can authorize something from your treasury.”

“Agreed,” Twilight said, despite the churning emotions swirling throughout her body at the thought.
~*~

The rainbow fizzled out like a wet sparkler as we took in those details. “Twilight…?” I said, a note of sadness entering my voice. “Is this… true?”

Twilight’s face was horror-stricken as she replied, “H-how could you possibly know about that, Cozy?!”

“Ahahahaha!” Cozy laughed, holding her free hand next to her mouth as she leaned back while keeping her wand squarely on the five of us. “You think I could put together a plan like this and not have sources in the Canterlot police department? I knew you’d go to them once you started trying to find the ship. I just didn’t expect you to do that! Oooh I wish I’d been able to share these juicy details sooner but there just wasn’t the time… oh well!” With a sudden wave, she resumed her barrage, the dark magic sizzling as it once again struck our shield.

“Then… but why?” Scootaloo gaped. “You could’ve saved us sooner! You could’ve had the Navy involved! Fuck, you let one of your own ships, eight hundred ponies, die because you didn’t want to involve our government?! What the hell?!”

“Why are we trusting this pony Princess again?” Tiara questioned. “Doesn’t sound like she was looking out for friends to me.”

“No, please--aaaaagh!” Twilight wriggled and writhed, her muscles taut with strain as the draining runes worked their horrible effect upon her. “I didn’t… I wouldn’t have… I had no choice! I had to protect Equestria!”

“Protect Equestria?!” Rarity repeated, utterly baffled. “Whatever do you mean?”

“What she means, Rarity,” Cozy said, her voice soaked in sadistic glee, “is that she doesn’t really care about you at all! She cares more about her own precious ponies than she ever did about you.”

Applejack’s nostrils flared. “That’s a lie! Ah can smell it! Somethin’ don’t feel right, y’all. Ah don’t think Cozy’s tellin’ the whole truth here. We ain’t about to start trustin’ her now, are we?”

“Well, no,” Scootaloo answered, doubt crossing her face even as she strained to keep powering the shield. “But still.”

“Li-listen to me please!” Twilight cried. She’d ripped her gown to pieces at this point, between the magical ropes binding her and her own attempts to wriggle her way out from the pain. “Equestria--Equus--it’s a whole world. Millions upon millions. Not just ponies! All sorts of species. Magic. And it’s vulnerable! Why do you think someone like Cozy would have a chance of taking over an entire planet with just one ship?”

“It’s not a chance, it’s guaranteed!” Cozy retaliated. She adjusted her hold on her wand, and a tiny bolt of green lanced out to zap Twilight.

“Fwaah!” Twilight screamed as she managed to block the magic with her arm just in time to keep it from hitting her throat instead. It still wore away at her skin till she was bleeding in multiple places. “R-r-remember! Cozy s-said there were thousands of p-portals! But she doesn’t know the true scale. It’s more like hundreds of thousands! Millions, even! Our two worlds are so interconnected with these portals that they’re practically one planet! The only reason they’re not is these portals aren’t stable!”

Wait… I think I see where she’s going with this, but she needs to say it. “But, Twilight, how does that lead to protecting--”

“Because if Earth’s governments found out we exist? They’d see us as a threat!” Twilight focused her gaze onto me, pleading desperately for me to listen. “And magic’s become so common on Earth now that it’s not a question of if! It’s a question of when! Do you get it now, Sunset? I couldn’t just come rescue you and damn the consequences! I had to protect Equestria too. I had to do both! It’s why I’ve been trying to build up Equestria’s military, s-so we can defend ourselves when Earth finds out about us. If they found out like this? By discovering a single pony had the ability to command entire corporations, take over the largest cruise ship in the world, and kidnap sixteen people without anyone knowing where they’ve gone? They would invade just to make sure it didn’t happen again!”

Cozy rolled her eyes. “Oh save me the hypocritical bullshit, Princess. Let’s all be honest here. You idiots like honesty, right? Well here a big heaping pile of it: Princess Twilight does not care about you, does not love you, and most definitely is not loyal to you. Turn her logic on its head and you’ll see she had to come “rescue” you just so she could make sure I didn’t expose Equus to Earth! It’s not you she’s here for. It’s me!”

Even Applejack seemed to take a step back to consider that statement, but the more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t accept it. “No, that’s not true, Cozy. If anything, what you’ve told us about? It proves she’s our friend!”

“What?” Diamond Tiara questioned, eying me. “How?”

“Oh this should be good,” Cozy snorted.

I smiled as I spoke and all doubt in Twilight was dismissed from my mind. “Look again at what she did. If what you’re saying is true, Cozy, and all she wanted to do was take you out? She didn’t need to bring a ship with her. She could’ve come here by herself, sank the ship without ever setting foot on it. There’s ways she could’ve done it, ways you couldn’t have prevented. But she didn’t do that, because it never even crossed her mind!”

Twilight flashed us a strained smile despite the pain wracking her body. “That’s right! I would never do that! I love you all too much to do something like that to you. You’re my friends, all of you, and I would do anything to keep you safe. Just like I’d do anything to keep my country, my world safe.”

“Wow. When you put it like that, it makes perfect sense,” Scootaloo said, the doubt disappearing from her face.

“Ah gotta agree,” Applejack nodded. “Maybe Ah don’t remember you right now, Princess, but if Ah’m your friend, it was for a good reason. And Ah ain’t gonna take it back now.”

Rarity gave a similar nod. “I concur with Applejack. And I trust Sunset. She’s the one who remembers the Princess, after all. If she trusts her, I trust her.”

I glanced down at Tiara after a moment, having expected her to chime in. “Tiara?”

Tiara let out a groan, then chuckled under her breath. “I get it. I get it! Okay, Princess Twilight... you seem pretty good to me. I’m with them. You’re our friend.”

The rainbow of light surged to life once more, wrapping around us like ocean waves crashing upon the shore. “So then let’s free our friend, everybody!” I shouted. We all raised our hands together, and pointed them at the Princess.

“No!” Cozy cried as she unleashed her magic at us yet again. But it bounced off the rainbow like a rubber ball, deflected into one of the wall screens, while our harmony magic surged forth and embraced the Princess. While one part of it focused on burning away her ropes, little bolts peeled off the main rainbow and tracked all the little runes on the floor, blowing them out of existence with dozens of pops and bursts.

A loud riiiiip! echoed through the half-destroyed courtroom as Princess Twilight broke free of her bonds. She immediately flew away from the runes and joined up with us. Bruises covered her exposed flesh, along with several cuts, along with that nasty burn down one arm, but she smiled at us nonetheless. “Thank you, Sunset, everyone, for believing in me,” she said, her eyes filling up with tears.

Cozy let out a sudden scream. She stumbled away from her podium, her head spinning a moment. “What… what have you done?” she muttered. “What have you done?!”

“You okay, Twi?” I asked.

Twilight cocked her head, then sighed. “I don’t have much power left in me, if that’s what you’re asking.” She looked down to a necklace I hadn’t noticed hanging about her neck, one covered with amethyst and jasper stones. Most of the stones were cracked and ruined. “Actually… I barely have any at all.”

“Then stay back,” I said with a nod. “We’ve got this, okay?”

Twilight took a few steps back, enough to give us space. “Of course.”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no no!” Cozy screamed as she clutched her head with both hands before shaking it clear. She focused her cold eyes on us and raised her wand back up. “I don’t understand how you broke her free of my trap, but it doesn’t matter. She won’t make a difference! I still have enough power to kill you all and get her back under control. I haven’t lost yet!”

I shook my head. “Cozy, you lost the moment you began. You were never going to win. No matter who you killed, who survived… this was always going to happen, because you don’t understand friendship. But we do.” Gripping Rarity’s hand and nodding to the others, we summoned up the rainbow of light, which grew and grew until it filled the room.

Cozy’s mouth fell open. Her arms collapsed to her sides, her wand clattering to the floor as she took several steps back, raising a shaky arm to point behind us. “W-w-w-what?! But… that’s impossible! You don’t exist anymore! You can’t exist anymore! Souls don’t… they don’t…”

I turned my head to see what she was pointing at...and stumbled, almost falling to the floor in shock.

Behind us, highlighted in the rainbow glow, like ghostly washed away afterimages… was everyone we’d lost, standing together as a group. Trixie and Wallflower, hands interlaced, smiled at me and waved. Pinkie Pie bounced for joy between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy who were both waving happily at Scootaloo. Timber Spruce, an apologetic grin on his face, stood next to Flash and the human Twilight, who’d each had an arm on the other’s shoulders. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stood side by side, both with their hands raised to their mouths to cheer their sisters on.

Adagio… she stood off to the side, a look of profound shame on her face.

As my fellow survivors each took in the sight and gasped, I looked right at the spectre of Adagio, and whispered three words.

“I forgive you.”

She inhaled a sharp breath, took a step back… then slowly smiled. She said something in reply. I couldn’t hear it, but I could read it.

Thank you.

The ghostly Adagio then turned to Trixie, and held out a hand. Forming a chain, the spirits of our departed friends all linked up together, just as we had, adding their strength to our magic, causing the rainbow to pop and double in size, like a fire with a log tossed in.

Buoyed by their support, I turned back to face Cozy, a determined frown pulling at my face. “Time for you to face the music, Cozy.”

Rarity turned back as well, her eyes full of happy tears. “Indeed, darling!”

Applejack was likewise overwhelmed as she squeezed harder on both the hands she held. “Ah’m ready for this to end.”

Scootaloo, grinning like a maniac, let out an excited laugh of anticipation. “This is for everyone you’ve hurt!”

Diamond Tiara laughed right along with her. “For everyone you’ve killed!”

“No. No. Not again. Not again not again not again! I won’t let this happen again!” Diving back onto the floor she scooped up her wand and fired off a massive necrotic fireball right at my face. Like before, it bounced off, blowing out a few lights in the ceiling. Cozy fired many more bursts, exploding against us like scattered grapeshot, but every little piece pinged off to no effect. “This is impossible! I can’t lose again! I can’t lose again! I can’t lose again!”

“Sorry, Cozy,” I said as my friends, the spirits, and I rose into the air, the rainbow light intensifying till it was brighter than the sun. “All together now everyone, for the last and final time…”

"YOU’VE GOT THAT WRONG!"

The rainbow of light shot forth, consuming Cozy, burning away all her accumulated magical powers in one brilliant flash of light and sound. Her wand, caught in the blast, shattered into pieces that then crumbled into dust. Her pony ears vanished, as did her wings. Her fancy outfit was replaced with a plain, simple pink dress marked on one corner by her rook cutie mark. From seemingly nowhere a book bound in what looked like leather warped into existence only to be torn to shreds by the Elements until nothing was left.

Only then did the spirits of our departed friends fade away with a final wave.

And as we lowered back down to the floor, our power spent, exhaustion filling us all, I beheld Cozy’s fate. I’d expected her to be imprisoned in stone again, since she’d been so afraid of it. But she wasn’t. Instead, in a way, what’d she’d suffered was worse.

She’d been stripped of everything that made her powerful. She had no magic of any kind. She was plain. Ordinary.

Powerless.

I kept my distance as she climbed to her feet, letting out quiet gasps of horror as she took in her own changes. “My power… my power! It’s gone. It’s all gone! My wand… Grogar’s book… it’s all gone!” Tears began to fall from her eyes. “It’s all gone…”

Twilight took a step forward. “It’s nothing less than you deserve, monster. We’re going to commandeer this ship now. I’ll be taking you back to Equestria to stand trial. We’ll find a way to punish you this time that you won’t be escaping from.”

Cozy’s eyes bugged out of their sockets as her face twisted up in rage. She backed up away from us till her back hit her throne. “No way. Not again. I won’t let you do that to me again. I won’t be put in stone again! I’d rather die than suffer that.”

Twilight stood up straighter, adopting a regal bearing so intimidating I almost bowed as a reflex. “Unfortunately for you, Cozy Glow, that’s not an option. Equestria will not subject you to capital punishment. There will be no execution for your crimes.”

Cozy grunted with fresh anger and hopped up onto her throne, standing just in front of the device she’d placed there earlier. “Oh yes there will be, Princess! Because if you don’t? I’ll break free again. And this time, I’ll make sure you die. I still remember the ritual, up here.” She tapped her head. “Maybe you stole everything I had here, but the instant you take me back? I’ll escape. I’ll do it! I won’t let you imprison me in stone again!”

“Really?” Twilight crossed her arms, her regal demeanor overpowering Cozy’s self-righteous fury and reducing the villain to a quivering puddle. “Because I don’t think you have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice,” Cozy retorted as she took a final step back, bumping the back of her body into the device. She glanced behind her at what she’d touched and frowned. Then a smile began to form on her face, spreading wider and wider til it stretched ear to ear. “You know, we never did find out what this thing you brought with you is. Is it a bomb, Princess? I’ll bet it’s a bomb. Well let’s find out!”

“No!” Twilight cried, stepping forward. Then she stumbled to one knee, the exhaustion of her injuries overwhelming her. “S-stop her!”

“On it!” Applejack said, surging forth with a burst of speed. I joined her, as did the others.

But we were too late. Quick as a flash, Cozy spun around and tapped three keys on the giant keypad. As Applejack scooped her up and tossed her away from the throne, we all heard a voice call out, “Timer set. Thirty minutes until detonation.”

“Oh this is bad. This is bad!” Twilight cried, slapping both hands to her cheeks. “Bad, bad, bad! Oh we are dead. We are so dead!”

“What? How?” I replied, gesturing towards the bomb. “Just turn it off!”

“I can’t,” Twilight growled in response, her ears going flat. “I had it configured that way on purpose. It was supposed to be my last resort in case Monoponi--Cozy--overwhelmed me.”

“W-well it can’t be that bad, right?” Tiara stammered, pressing her forefingers together. “I-I mean it’s not that big a bomb. We just gotta leave this room… go to the other side of the ship… we’ll be fine, right?”

Twilight’s face paling by the second told me all I needed to know. “Twilight,” I gulped. “What kind of bomb is this?”

The Princess of Friendship’s face split into a demented grin as she reached out to stroke her hair, holding it like it was a security blanket. “Oh nothing bad, just a simple implosion based device with two separated pieces of super dense fissile material that upon detonation are fired down a barrel at each other to form a supercritical mass that splits atoms apart! Nothing bad at all!”

Rarity, Applejack, Tiara, and Scootaloo’s faces went blank, looking at me for understanding. But my heart rate shot straight to the moon, it was beating so fast. I hyperventilated like crazy, bending over wheezing, causing more stuff to crumble off my husk of a left arm as I gasped, “You… you brought a nuke?! You brought a fucking nuke?! Why?! What the hell is wrong with you?! How do you even have the tech for that?!”

As the others all screamed in panicked understanding, Twilight giggled like a loon and babbled, “Well we maybe used magic to s-speed up the uranium hexafluoride refining process to enrich the uranium and to skip about ten or twelve other steps, because I wanted to have something around as a final level deterrent against an invasion from Earth, a-a-and I figured I had to make sure Monoponi couldn’t escape so I needed something big and this is what I had so I was like sure bring it it’s just a backup I won’t use it nothing could possibly go wrong with that plan!” She flashed her toothy grin at me. “It’s only about thirty kilotons! It’s not even that big!”

“Oh my goood, Twilight…” I moaned, covering my face with my one hand. “It doesn’t matter if it’s thirty kilotons or three kilotons. We’re dead either way. There’s nothing we can do.”

“T-minus twenty-nine minutes until detonation.”

Cozy cackled with fresh mirth as she strolled casually back over to her throne, hopped up onto it, and took a seat next to the nuke, cuddling up to like it was the family dog. “Welp, guess we’re all dead! Been nice knowing you morons! At least if I’m dying, you’re all going down with me. I still killed Princess Twilight in the end! Ahahahahaha! Ahahahaha! Ahahahaha!”

As Cozy’s laughter echoed off the courtroom walls, I felt the grip of despair once again take hold of my heart. We’d won, but we’d lost at the same time. There would be no escape.

We were going to die, and there wasn’t a damned thing we could do about it.

Author's Note

For any concerns about why this went the way it did, please see my blog entry. I go into more detail there. A lot more detail. Like, seriously, this is effectively background post part five detail we're talking.

I'd like to credit Rainstorm Riddles once more, for not only coming up with the fabulous fake name (a play on the word hearth) that Cozy uses, but also for her assistance in fleshing out the Elements scene and making it work as well as it does.

Speaking of the Elements, although it should be pretty obvious from context what each one was, I'll list them here:
Applejack: Integrity
Rarity: Forgiveness
Scootaloo: Devotion
Diamond Tiara: Humility
Sunset Shimmer: Empathy

Why did Applejack and Rarity's change? Because their original was stolen from them when Cozy absorbed their magic, and was destroyed by the Elements purging her, and because they've gone through harrowing experiences in this killing game that have changed them as people. Plus, it helps make them different from their pony counterparts.

So why take this route, with new magic, with the spirits of the dead participating and everything? Because from the very beginning, this has been an MLP story first and foremost, with Danganronpa as a framing device. This was never going to end full on Danganronpa style, but MLP style. That means defeating the villain with rainbow lasers, the magic of friendship, and so on. And it also connects back to Cozy's whole original thing about trying to become the person with the most friends and use that for power. She fundamentally misunderstood what friendship was.

Ultimately, Cozy's whole injection of Danganronpa was that of a fangirl wanting to live out one of her favorite video games, much like how this story was that of a fangirl wanting to write a Danganronpa story, and finding excuses to do that. :rainbowlaugh: There are so many ways I blended my original plans for this story and other mistakes or what have you about how I wrote it into Cozy here in the end, it'd take me a long time to point them all out.

Oh, to address a minor seeming inconsistency: the reason Cozy didn't think Flash and Twilight would get together in the game, despite being together prior to it, is that she deliberately wiped as much memory of them liking each other as possible, to try and disrupt it. Of course, that failed, and they got together again anyway. Sabotaging romantic relationships was part of how she tried to encourage people to kill each other. She did the same thing to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, and was more successful there.

Chapter Six: Dead in the Water Part 6

Chapter Six
Dead in the Water
Post-Trial

I watched my friends fall to pieces before my eyes. Rarity and Tiara clung to each other, crying their hearts out, both babbling about wanting to live. Scootaloo zipped to and fro, running and flying around, as if she was trying to get all the experience she could out of her magic while she had it. Applejack had found a fallen podium to sit on, head bowed, hands held in prayer, whispering to her family about joining them soon. Princess Twilight had taken to fussing over the nuke, poking and prodding in case there was some way she could stop it. Which of course there wasn’t, because she’d made it Twilight-proof, showing even she knew how often she messed up.

“T-minus twenty-eight minutes until detonation.”

“Aaah, isn’t that such a wonderful sound, Sunset?” Cozy teased, flashing me a smug smirk, her eyes twinkling with mirth. “That’s the sound of your life ticking away, second by second!”

I didn’t bother looking up from where I’d been trying to fix up my arm. It was a ruined mess, everything below the shoulder completely destroyed. I’d given up and removed it, husk and all. All I could do now was patch up the stump, which thankfully wasn’t bleeding… probably thanks to the harmony magic.“Why are you so happy? You’re going to die too you know.”

She gave a playful shrug. “I know! It’s exciting! Exhilarating, even. I’m looking forward to it.”

Now I did look up, setting my one hand on my hip and glaring. “Oh come on. You’re not Junko. Stop acting like it. You’re as scared as the rest of us.”

She grinned back, but I caught the sign of hesitation, the brief bit of fear dancing in her eyes before it faded, replaced with her usual cold-hearted malice. “Maybe I don’t love despair the way she did,” she replied, her words coated in venom, “but I do love watching my enemies suffer from it. You took everything I had away from me. If getting my last victory means I die too? I’m okay with that.”

I glared right back. Despite the hatred I’d held for Monoponi during this whole game, and likewise held for Cozy… my feelings on her were mixed, thanks to my returned memories. I remembered how much fun I had with her, when I knew her as Heather Heart. We’d laughed, we’d cried… we were good friends. At least, I’d thought we were. “Tell me something, Cozy: did any of it mean anything?”

She scoffed. “Any what mean anything?”

I pointed at her then back at me. “Us. Our friendship. The times we shared together, before all of this.”

Her face twisted up in total shock, her jaw dropping. “What?” she whispered. Then she shook her head to clear the shock, schooling her face back to her usual conceited grin. “Why would you ask me that now? What’s the matter? Feeling hurt that your friend used you like I did?”

“Kinda, yeah,” I admitted with a wan grin. “I was really happy when we were friends, you know? I’d never had a younger sister before. I didn’t know what I was missing out on.”

Her grin faded, replaced with an uncertain frown. “You can’t be serious,” she spat. “You can’t honestly believe I actually liked spending time with you.”

“Maybe you did, maybe you didn’t, I don’t know,” I said. Then I smiled, and held out a hand. “But there’s a way to find out.”

She hissed like an angry cat, withdrawing into the throne like she was trying to bury herself in a cave. “Don’t touch me! I won’t let you!”

I stood up and stepped over, till she couldn’t retreat any further. “Normally I’d respect that, Cozy,” I said as I reached out, “but not this time. I have to know. And you’ve given up the right to privacy.”

Before she could fight back I took hold of her arm and saw.

We were together in my brownstone apartment, sitting on the couch, chatting animatedly. Heather had a huge grin gracing her face as she talked endlessly about her favorite characters in the first Danganronpa game. About how she’d wished some had lived, wished others had died, and so on, while I replied back. I’d found we agreed on a lot of the same things.

Unlike before, when I experienced this for myself, from my perspective, I saw what Cozy felt. I saw the warmth taking hold in her heart. I saw what she’d do when she wasn’t around me, how she’d drop her disguise and shout endless hateful words in an empty room every time she got home, because she’d started to feel something other than pure loathing. Happy feelings in her heart warred with her plans, with her lust for power. Every night she’d go to sleep whispering to herself over how she just had to keep going, keep moving with her plan.

But the more time she spent with me, the more she seemed to regret it. I saw all the expressions I hadn’t seen. The worry in her eyes whenever I turned away. The guilt worming its way slowly into her heart, over time growing until it threatened to swallow her whole. The way she gritted her teeth and hissed spiteful words under her breath when I couldn’t hear them.

“Damn you Sunset Shimmer. I won’t let you win me over. I won’t give in to your insipid friendship! Just remember the plan, Cozy. Remember the plan. Remember… the plan…”

And then came the time for the birthday party. The trap for us all, the trap that would carry us away to our deaths. I watched from her perspective as we entered the room, the runes flashing to life, trapping us all in magical bonds. I saw from her point of view the sheer betrayal on my face as she transformed, revealing her true self. I saw from her mind the overwhelming guilt and shame that briefly held her soul before she washed it all away with her joy and jubilation over her success.

I saw her slowly wind up as we journeyed to our destination. How she watched us all make friends and lovers for the first time and again, while she was trapped in her disguise as Monoponi. How she wished, every day, that she could participate. That she could walk right up to me and ask to be my friend again. And then I saw the self-flagellation she’d undergo to banish those feelings deep into a pit where she’d never, ever acknowledge them, till finally, on the eve of the start of the killing game, she was so bitter and hateful that all she ever felt anymore was rage.

And during the game, when we first discovered Wallflower’s body, I saw how hurt she felt when I told her I’d only be happy when she--that is, Monoponi--was dead. How she spun it away in her mind as foolish weakness, how she embraced the disguise so much she’d subsumed herself in it.

But I also saw how furious she was all the time. How the slightest thing would set her off, just as we saw from her actions as Monoponi. How she buckled under the strain, refusing to accept that we wouldn’t follow the rules. And how every single time I gave her any disrespect, it just made her more angry. And I saw how many times she was tempted to off me… and how she refused to act on it, no matter how many opportunities I gave her. Even when she planted the photo album that would seal Adagio’s fate, she still felt regret deep in her soul… and a small amount of hope that I would survive.

But my survival was the tipping point. She’d had herself so thoroughly convinced that she’d banished any happy feelings that when she felt the slightest spark of relief, it sent her over the top. Her wigging out at the trial was much her fighting with herself as it was anger at me. She committed herself to finishing out her plan, no matter what.

Even after that, though, there were the little touches. Giving me fresh clothes, for one. She didn’t have to do that, but she did. The warning she provided, before the final investigation began. And her glee in the trial as she revealed my role, my part in bringing us all together. She was so happy to finally talk about it, even framed in the context of hating me.

It was only when she dropped her disguise that she realized her feelings were still there. She still cared about me, still valued our friendship, no matter what she was saying to us. And she couldn’t take it anymore. It broke her. She finally gave in to her hatred and tried to kill me, using it as a way to purge herself of what she thought of as weakness, once and for all. When I survived, and fought back, it enraged her all the more, till she was apoplectic, so crazed by it she lost most rational thought and just reacted, blasting and blasting like a maniac instead of using the same creative brain that had brought her to this point.

And now. Now that she was defeated. Ruined. She was overwhelmed with regret, and not just because her plan failed. She regretted embarking on it at all, because she’d finally realized, in the embrace of that rainbow light, what friendship meant. What she could have had, if she’d just tried, if she’d just allowed herself to experience it for real.

But she wouldn’t have the chance. She knew she wouldn’t. She couldn’t cope with the loss. She covered it up with her usual excuses, how ecstatic she was that Princess Twilight would die along with her, when in reality, all she could feel was shame. Shame, misery, regret… and a longing. A longing for the friendship she’d never, ever get to have.

As I released her, I backed away, shaking my head in sheer disbelief. “Woah, I wasn’t expecting that.”

“You piece of filth!” Cozy raged, holding up both fists and shaking them at me. “How dare you? You just invaded my mind! And you call yourself ethical?!”

My brow furrowed as my lips formed a deep frown of disapproval. I stared down at her in silent judgement. “I had to, Cozy. I had to know. And… what I saw… “ I slumped, sighing. “You idiot. You understood what we meant all along. We would’ve forgiven you, if you’d come forward, before you started the killing game. It might’ve taken a lot, but we could’ve accepted you. You could’ve had the friendship you wanted.”

Her anger evaporated, as did any sign of her mask. When it slipped and fell, shattering to pieces, it left her revealed for what she truly was: a hurt, lost little girl who’d made too many mistakes and walked too far down the wrong path. “I didn’t know… I didn’t understand what I was giving up…”

“Well, now you do,” I replied with another sigh. “I suppose that’s fitting justice, knowing you could’ve had so much more if you’d just tried. It won’t last long, but… it’s fitting.”

Cozy stared at me with uncertain eyes for a moment, then tentatively reached out with a hand. “I… I don’t suppose--”

I slapped her hand away. “No. I’m sorry, but no. We could’ve forgiven your manipulation of me. We could’ve forgiven your planning, your prior attacks on Equestria, all of that. But this? This game? What you’ve done to us? The friends you’ve taken from us? The lives you’ve ended? It’s not happening.”

“Tch…” Cozy pulled her hand back and tucked it into her lap, along with her other hand. Any sign of contrition vanished from her face as her mask reassembled. “Whatever. Not like it matters, since we’re both about to die.”

“T-minus twenty-five minutes till detonation.”

I turned away from Cozy, not wanting to waste my last few minutes alive talking to her. I scanned the room, trying to find out where Rarity ended up. Then I spotted her. She’d separated from Tiara, who’d wandered off whispering about something with Scootaloo. The younger two women were holding hands and walking with the shoulders pressed against each other. Rarity, meanwhile, had taken a seat next to Applejack, joining her in silent prayer.

I walked over, giving them a gentle wave. “Hey. Sorry if I’m interrupting…”

“No, not at all darling, please,” Rarity said. She patted the remaining bit of space to her left. “Please, do sit down.”

As I sat, Applejack dropped her hands and looked up at me, giving me a sad smile. “Ah guess it was too much to hope we were gonna make it out of here, huh?”

“We were close,” I said with a wan smile of my own. “We almost made it.”

“Well, as much as Ah’d miss Big Mac and Granny,” Applejack replied, her eyes turning to face the floor, “least Ah know Ah’m goin’ somewhere now.”

Rarity frowned at that, and leaned against the farmer in a display of affection I hadn’t seen since before the third trial. “You had your doubts before?”

Applejack reached up and offered out a hand to Rarity, who took it after a moment. “Sometimes… a little. Ah liked to think mah parents were waitin’ for me on the other side, but… hard to believe in somethin’ when you ain’t got no proof.”

“Funny, I thought that’d be my line,” Rarity said with a quiet laugh. “I’m the one who thought we’d cease to exist if we perished. I’ve never been more glad to be wrong.”

The farmer squeezed Rarity’s hand reassuringly. “For what it’s worth, Rarity, Ah… Ah’m glad for the time we had together. Ah know we fought a lot, and there were times where Ah thought there weren’t no hope for anythin’, but…you matter a lot to me. Ah’m glad Ah still get to be your friend.”

“Likewise, darling.” Rarity glanced over at me. “Sunset, I don’t suppose there’s a chance you could try restoring our memories now? It might be nice to get them back… before…”

I frowned and shook my head. “I wouldn’t know where to begin with that. I’m… I’m honestly a little surprised the harmony magic we used didn't restore them. Or, uh, this, for that matter.” I pointed at my stump of a left arm. “But then, it might’ve been a bit too busy trying to purge all the evil Cozy had accumulated.”

Rarity held out her other hand to me. “That’s all right. It seemed like the others got their memories back when they… passed on. Perhaps we’ll be just as lucky.”

Taking up her hand in mine, I replied, “I hope so. Otherwise, I’ll have waaaay too much explaining to do.”

That got them both chuckling.

“T-minus twenty-three minutes until detonation.”

Applejack scowled in the direction of the nuke. “Ah wish that thing would just shut up with it’s readin’ out the clock. Ah’m nervous enough as it is.”

I joined her in glaring at the infernal device, and even more at Cozy, who’d shut her mouth--finally--and curled up next to it like it was a pillow. “Seriously.”

My attention was caught by Princess Twilight letting out a loud groan of frustration and punching the clock on the other side of the nuke. With a hunched over stance she trudged her way over, plopping her rear on the floor next to us. “Well, I’m out of ideas. I can’t stop it.”

“I figured you wouldn’t,” I said, wishing I had a free hand to reach out and pat her on the shoulder.

She eyed me for a moment, unsure whether to glare or roll her eyes. “I heard what you said to Cozy, by the way.”

“Oh?” I arched an eyebrow. “And what does the Princess of Friendship have to say to my turning down the villain’s final attempt to reach out?”

“I’d say you should’ve slapped her across the face a few times,” Twilight groused.

A bubble of unexpected laughter escaped my chest. “Wow. She really got to you too, huh?”

Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, a few tears leaking out before she opened them again. “Yeah. She did. I messed up bad this time, Sunset. Really bad.”

“Equestria’ll live on without you,” I said in an attempt to be reassuring. “I mean, Celestia and Luna are still around, right? They retired, but it wasn’t like they died.”

“Not if Earth invades, it won’t,” Twilight said, her breath sticking in her throat. She let out a shuddering sigh. “What in Celestia’s name was I thinking, bringing that thing along? There were so many other ways I could’ve handled a backup plan, but noooo, I have to go for the big boom!”

“Well you know what they say…” I quipped. “You know… about nuking… and orbits?”

The flat, ticked off look the Princess shot me over gave me uncomfortable reminders of similar looks I’d received during the early trials. “It’s not funny, Sunset. I messed up. Cozy… she… she wasn’t wrong when she said I came here to stop her from exposing Equus to Earth. It was far from the only reason, but it was a reason. And now I might as well have rolled out the welcome mat and sent every leader in the world mouthwritten invitations!”

Applejack’s mouth curled into a confused pout. “Ah’m not sure Ah see how…”

Twilight’s nostrils flared as she snorted, but before she could respond with acid she managed to bite it back and dial it down. “Nuclear weapons aren’t something that you can just go buy in a store, Applejack. They’re one of the, if not the most dangerous, most controlled things in the entire world. Every nation with them knows how dangerous they are. Your world had a whole historical period fraught with danger over them.”

“Ah’m well aware of the Cold War, thanks,” Applejack retorted, her eyes flashing with impatience. “But it ain’t like the two sides’ve got their nukes shoved down each other's throats these days. It ain’t gonna cause a nuclear war, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“No, they don’t, but what do you think they’re going to do when a thirty-kiloton nuke goes off in the South Pacific with no warning or explanation?” Twilight shot back. “It’ll attract every naval force on the planet. They’ll all come screaming to find out what happened. They’ll investigate. They’ll find the wreckage of the Avenger. Between that and all the resources we’ve left lying around Canterlot while trying to find you guys? They’ll discover Equestria.They’ll know it was us. And without someone like me to play ball with, who knows Earth well… I don’t think they’ll risk leaving Equestria to its own devices. They’ll invade just to play it safe. Trust me, I’ve been thinking about this problem for a long time.”

Applejack bit her lower lip, a note of contrition entering her tone as she replied, “Oh… Ah see what you mean now. Ah wouldn’t want that to happen neither.”

“Certainly not,” Rarity agreed. A dark frown crossed her face. “Perhaps… perhaps we should hope that Cozy is still broadcasting this game somehow. That perhaps those who’re still alive on your side, Princess, will see what happened here. Maybe that will be enough.”

“Hate to break it to you, morons!” Cozy called, not bothering to open her eyes from her sleepy posture. “But I stopped broadcasting the minute I felt Princess Twilight’s ship show up! I only needed that to lure her in.”

Twilight’s lips pulled back in a sneer as her head shot up to glare at the villain. “Would you shut up, Cozy? The last thing we want to hear right now is you talking.”

“Wow, Princess, bitter much?” Cozy snickered. “It’s almost like you’re about to die! Oh wait. You are!”

The Princess leapt up from the floor. “That’s it, I’m going to muzzle that little--”

“Simmer on down there, sugarcube, she ain’t gonna do nothin’ now,” Applejack said reassuringly, reaching out just enough to grab the Princess gently by the arm. “Don’t let her get you down. If these are our last moments, we oughta be findin’ peace within ourselves.”

“Peace,” Twilight repeated with a snort. “Peace? Seriously?”

Applejack arched a single eyebrow, her lips thinning. “Yes, Princess. Ah’d think you’d understand the value of that, if anyone would.”

Twilight opened her mouth to retort, then shut it and sighed. She sat back down on the floor, and drew up her hand in a sweeping motion in front of her chest while taking a deep breath. Then in a reverse sweep she pushed her arm out while releasing her breath. She did this a few more times, until her eyes began to flutter. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Ain’t no need to apologize, Princess,” said the farmer with a smile. “Ah’m just glad you listened.”

“T-minus twenty minutes until detonation.”

“Sunset,” Rarity said suddenly, turning to face me. “I have a question. Actually, several questions.”

I gave her hand a squeeze. “Shoot.”

Rarity hesitated a moment, choosing her words carefully. “When Applejack and I were married, were we… happy together? Did we love each other?”

A bittersweet smile graced my lips. “You did. Very much so. Hell, you two have been over the moon for each other since the early days of high school. You didn’t admit it till near the end of high school, after that whole Vignette Valencia thing, but you were hopelessly in love. I mean, yeah, you argued. You fought. Even the best of couples do that on occasion.”

“How did we get married?” Rarity pressed. “Was it… fancy?”

“Fancy? Try resplendent! Ostentatious even! You insisted on designing all the outfits yourself, from the bridesmaids dresses to the suit that you wore.”

Rarity tittered as she considered that. “Of course I would. I would never allow for anything less.” Then she blinked. “Wait a moment. Did you say suit? I wore a suit to my wedding?!”

“You did,” I nodded with a laugh. “It was a great suit, too, a three piece affair. I think it must’ve stuck in my brain because I dreamed about you wearing that suit once. You wore it because Applejack insisted she wear a wedding dress and she didn’t want you both in dresses because, and I quote, ‘Ain’t no sense in both of us wearin’ somethin’ impractical with a long-ass train.’”

Applejack burst into laughter. “That sound like somethin’ Ah’d say all right.”

“How odd,” Rarity said after a moment, her brow furrowing in thought. “I would’ve thought if anyone would prefer to wear a suit, it would be you, Applejack.”

“What, me? Nah.” Applejack shook her head. “Ah hate wearin’ suits. Can’t stand ‘em. Too fancy. A dress, though, that’s different. For special occasions, Ah’ll wear one. Ah’d rather wear a dress over a suit any day, cause it leaves my legs free.”

“It’s true,” I agreed. My smile turned wistful as the images of the wedding came forward in my mind. “It was a pretty great wedding, but the reception was even better. Pinkie Pie catered it, planned it, and spent dozens of hours working on it to make it perfect. She somehow managed to combine country hoe-downs and elegant balls into a single type of party, and it worked. Then you two went off on honeymoon for a week, and I heard that was an adventure in and of itself. I wasn’t there for it, of course.”

“Oh, of course not,” Rarity said, with a smile matching mine. She rewrapped her hands around mine and Applejack’s, holding on tight. “It’s… a little hard to picture, being that happy, after what we’ve gone through. After what we’ve lost.”

“You’re right about that,” Applejack nodded with a half smile. “Ah do care about you, Rarity, a great deal, but… Ah think you had a point, when you said our sisters might always be between us. Even now, as much as a part of me wants to be in love with you… there’s still a part of me that’ll always resent you, too.”

Rarity let out a bittersweet laugh at that. “I suppose the same is true of me. I wouldn’t let it get in the way of our friendship, of course, but… well, maybe it’s just the missing memories, but my feelings are still trying to point me elsewhere for love.”

“To Sunset, right?” Applejack let out her own laugh, hearty and hale. “Ah don’t blame ya for bein’ interested in her. Sunset’s the kind of gal that you can rely on when the chips are down. Ah won’t stand in your way, if that’s what you want. Ah just want you to be happy.”

“And I won’t stand in your way if what you decide is to go back to Applejack after all,” I added with a chuckle. “I mean, don’t get me wrong… now that I have my memories back, I realized I had a crush on you for quite a while during high school, after… well, it doesn’t really matter now. Too much to explain. I got over it, but I won’t lie: recent experiences have made me pretty interested again.”

Rarity flushed a florid pink as she held our hands even tighter, a few sad little giggles escaping her lips. “Can I just say, darlings, I wish we had the time to find out? To discover what it is we each truly want, and pursue it?” She pulled us both in for a hug, which was a little bit awkward on the makeshift bench. “I love you both dearly as friends. At least, if I have to spend the last few minutes of my life with anyone… it’s with people like you.”

“T-minus seventeen minutes until detonation.”

“Me too, Rarity,” I said. I leaned against her shoulder, my tired body glad to have something to prop me up. “There’s no one I’d rather spend it with.”

“Wow, just kiss already, jeez,” came Tiara’s teasing voice.

My eyes shot open as I looked up and scowled at Tiara and Scootaloo, who’d wandered over to us and were both snickering at the sight of Rarity and I sitting together next to Applejack. “Excuse you?”

Thankfully Diamond Tiara saw the annoyance in my eyes, and her cheeks flushed as she frowned apologetically. “Sorry,” she murmured, taking a seat on another knocked over podium, tucking her magically elongated hair out of her way as she did so. “Old habits die hard.”

“Oh don’t worry about it,” Rarity said. Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “Besides, if anyone should be saying two people should kiss already, it’s us to you and Scootaloo.”

Her face burning right up to her pony ears, Tiara pouted and looked away from us. “That’s… I…”

Scootaloo extended a wing to wrap around Tiara’s shoulder and tucked her closer, then to my shock leaned over and planted a kiss right on her cheek. “There. Done.”

Applejack’s belly shook with laughter as she watched Tiara cover her face with her hands. “Hoo-whee, Scootaloo, you and your gumption.”

“Eh, what can I say?” Scootaloo replied with a cocky shrug, a smirk gracing her face. She pulled Tiara even closer and snuggled against her. “Knowing your life’s about to end really helps bring a bit of clarity, you know?”

“You don’t have to embarrass me in front of our friends though!” Diamond Tiara shouted, smacking Scootaloo on the arm with a fist.

All of us laughed at that, even Princess Twilight. She eyed the two younger women and gently shook her head. “I still can’t believe those two started dating before all of this. The Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara I know would never do such a thing.” She cocked her head to the side and twitched her eyebrows. “Then again they’re also not even sixteen yet.”

“Different lives, Princess,” I said. “They’re similar people, but they’re not the same people. Anymore than you and this world’s Twilight were.”

I regretted bringing that up as soon as I said it, because I watched the Princess’s face pale dramatically. “She… I… I know that, Sunset. I know we’re not the same people,” Twilight whispered. “But while I was watching you all, during the game… sometimes it felt like it. Especially when…”

“Oh damn, that’s right,” I muttered, frowning in realization. “When she was… executed, she’d lost her glasses and her hair was down. She looked just like you.”

Princess Twilight held a hand to her breast and let out a shuddering sigh. “It scared me so much, for a short while I thought it was me. Then when I saw the pony Trixie right after, I… I… I almost killed her. It took Starswirl and the other unicorns to stop me.”

“Holy shit, Twilight,” I gasped. “I’m so sorry, I never should’ve brought this up. I can’t imagine how much that--”

She held out a hand regally, asking for silence. “It’s all right. You couldn’t have known, and this is something I needed to get off my chest before… before I die.”

“Did… did anything else happen while you were watching the game?” Diamond Tiara interjected, her voice trembling with uncertainty. “You, you didn’t do anything like hurt my mom’s alternate when I told Sunset my secret, right?”

Twilight’s face drooped at that even as her eyes widened in shock. “No, no, of course not, Diamond Tiara. Of course I wouldn’t do anything like that.” Then she frowned. “Though I might’ve requested a brief private investigation to make sure the pony Spoiled Rich hadn’t done anything similar with the animal abuse. No, the only reason I nearly killed Trixie was I… I was so angry over Pinkie’s death. I was just as angry as you were, Sunset. I’m… I’m glad that she made up for it, before she died. The human Trixie, I mean.”

“We all are, sugarcube,” Applejack said. She gave me a pointed look. “And don’t think Ah didn’t see what you whispered to Adagio when our friends showed up. Ah’m proud of you for finding it in you to forgive her.”

“Of course I did,” I sighed. I looked away from them all, not wanting to meet anyone’s gaze. “Adagio lost so much progress as a person when her memories were stripped. The only one who lost more was Wallflower. Despite what I thought, she was just like the rest of us: she never, ever would’ve done it without the circumstances of this killing game.”

“Even so, darling, it’s admirable,” Rarity added.

“T-minus fifteen minutes until detonation.”

“Anyone else need to get any regrets off their chest before the end?” Twilight said, her tone turning whimsical.

“Ah dunno, Ah think we more or less did all that durin’ all the speechifyin’ earlier,” Applejack said with a chuckle.

“I regret that we’re going to die,” Tiara said flatly. “That’s a pretty big one.”

Any amusement faded from Twilight’s face as she bowed her head in shame. “I’m sorry about that. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have--”

“Stop it,” Tiara ordered. She stood up, walked over to Twilight, and placed her hands on the Princess’s shoulders. “Listen to me, Princess. I don’t know you very well, but I’m not about to let one of my friends beat herself up over something they couldn’t’ve helped. You went through torture watching us. Cozy got to all of us, but you were the one she focused on. You were the one she was trying hurt the most. So you messed up because of that. So what? You still tried to do the right thing. I think that’s pretty important.”

Twilight looked up at Diamond Tiara in awe before breaking into sad laughter. “Of all the people to ever give me a friendship lesson,” she said. “Thank you. You’re… you’re right.”

Tiara smirked, and started to jab a thumb at her chest. I saw the words she was going to say. And then she let it drop, along with the smirk. “Just trying to be helpful,” she said, sitting back down next to Scootaloo.

“I guess if there’s anything I regret,” I said, “It’s not being able to say goodbye to people.”

Applejack grunted in affirmation. “Eeyup. Ah would like to say goodbye to Granny and Big Mac if Ah could. Ah hope… Ah hope it don’t hurt Granny too much when she finds out she lost both of her granddaughters. One’s gonna be bad enough for her heart.”

“Indeed,” Rarity nodded. “My parents… I wanted to explain what happened to them myself. I suppose we’ll have to leave it up to the police.”

“The police…” I whispered. Then my eyes widened. “Twilight, you said Shining Armor’s name earlier. Was he on your ship?”

“He… He was,” Twilight said, her breath catching in her throat.

“Which means he’s a rotting corpse at the bottom of the sea now!” Cozy abruptly interjected, looking up from her throne with a wide grin on her face. “Like everyone else on that ship!”

Twilight growled under her breath, her eyes shooting over to stare at Applejack. “Are you sure I can’t muzzle her?”

“Actually, Ah’m about ready to do it mahself at this point,” Applejack growled right back, glaring Cozy’s way.

“Go ahead!” Cozy said, crossing her arms over her chest. She’d moved up to sit at the edge of her throne, her feet high enough off the ground that she looked even more like the little kid she really was. “Muzzle me. Tie me up! Punch me in the face, why don’t you? Whatever you want to do. It doesn’t matter. You’re dying either way. Why not get some last minute revenge in?”

“You know what, Princess?” Applejack said, looking at Twilight. “Ah changed mah mind. Forget her. She ain’t worth it.”

Twilight snickered as she watched Cozy groan in frustration. “You’re right. She’s not.” Then she looked back at me and the amusement died from her voice. “But, yes, Sunset. Shining Armor was aboard the Avenger. Detective Shining Armor, I mean.”

“Damn it,” I muttered, glaring at the floor. “If there was any reasonable authority figure that’d be left after all this, it would’ve been him. He’d know the right way to explain to everyone’s families what happened. Or did he already?”

“No,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “The police kept everything quiet. As far as your families and everyone else’s are concerned, you’re all still missing. They didn’t want to say anything to anyone until the situation was resolved. I was working on a cover story to give Chief Spitfire, but… well, maybe Starswirl will get it to her. Or Starlight.”

“They might not keep it secret after we all go,” Scootaloo said, her voice low and heavy. “Not without you around.”

“You’re right about that,” Twilight replied. “It took a great deal of effort to convince Chief Spitfire to stay quiet, and she almost turned her back on it when… when Rainbow Dash died.”

“Oh, that reminds me, Princess,” Rarity said, looking up. “Forgive me if this is a silly or rude question, but, um, I was curious as to what you thought of our Twilight getting together with Flash Sentry.”

The Princess shrugged. “Her choice. Doesn’t bother me one way or the other, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Oh.” Rarity blinked in confusion. “And here I thought perhaps you’d have more of an opinion.”

“Nah, you wouldn’t know this, Rarity, because you don’t remember,” I said, patting her on the shoulder, “But the Princess here stopped being attracted to Flash a long time ago. She was kind of into him the first couple of times she visited, way back, but--”

“But I got over it,” Twilight interrupted. A sigh escaped her lips. “I very briefly tried dating the pony Flash Sentry, only to realize whatever attraction I had towards him--towards either version of him--was purely physical. We… weren’t compatible.”

“Like I said before, different lives.” I leaned back against Rarity. “Similar, but not the same.”

“Wow.” Cozy, who’d gone back to nuzzling up against the nuke, looked up from her position and sneered. “This is the shit you’re talking about when you’re about to die? Where’s the screaming? Where’s the whining about how unfair it is? Where’s the crying? It barely lasted two seconds!”

“Cozy, you might not get this because you don’t understand other people,” I replied with a frustrated sigh, “but we’re not ‘whining’ because we’ve got each other. Does it suck that we’re about to die? Hell yeah it does. I want to get out of here. I’ve got so much more I wanted to do with my life. But we’ve been blessed with the understanding of what’s happening, given time to come to terms with it, and we get to be with our friends. It’s… I’m not sure if I can think of a better way to die than this.”

“Seriously,” Scootaloo seconded. Using her wing she pulled Tiara over till the other young woman was laying against her, holding her tight despite the growing blush on Tiara’s cheeks. “What better way than to be with the people I love?”

“Love?!” Tiara gasped, her eyes wider than dinner plates. “Isn’t that a little fast?!”

Scootaloo chuckled as she gave Tiara a squeeze. “I meant it, uh, what’s the word where you love your friends, in a way that’s not romantic?”

“Platonic?” I supplied.

“Yeah, that,” Scootaloo nodded. “I meant it platonically.”

“You’re being pretty damned affectionate for platonic,” Tiara muttered.

Scootaloo’s mouth turned down. She loosened her hold on Tiara. “I’m sorry, if it’s too much, I’ll--”

Tiara reached around Scootaloo to cling to her tighter. “I didn’t say stop.”

“T-minus ten minutes until detonation.”

“You know what Ah wish we had right now?” Applejack said with a wistful sigh. “Ah wish we had some of mah family’s cider.”

“Oh god don’t make me think of cider,” Tiara said, sticking out her tongue. “My stomach still hurts from that experience.”

Rarity’s cheeks flushed. “Yes, the less said about that, the better.”

Applejack snorted. “Ah’m just sayin’, it’d go real good with the mood right now. Help us relax.” She glanced over at Twilight. “Ah don’t suppose you have anythin’ hard in that satchel of yours, do ya?”

“Uh, I don’t think I do,” muttered the Princess. She opened up the satchel, started to dig a hand into it, then scoffed and dumped the contents on the floor instead with a loud clatter. There was a small bottle of water, a couple of ration bars, a notebook--of course--a couple bottles of some sort of beverage, and something else that rolled over to my feet. She ignored everything in favor of the twin bottles. “Oh, wait, I’ve got this. I forgot I had this.”

“What is it, darling?” Rarity said, releasing my hand so she could reach out for one of the bottles to take.

“Emergency cider,” Twilight replied with a wider smile. “Straight from Sweet Apple Acres. My Sweet Apple Acres.” She handed the other bottle over to Applejack, who took it reverently, like she’d just been handed a holy artifact.

“Mah goodness,” Applejack breathed as she held the bottle. “Ah can’t believe it.”

“Thank your alternate, Applejack,” Twilight said, giggling at the farmer’s reaction. “She likes to send me these bottles every now and then as a reminder to take it easy in life, since I haven’t lived in Ponyville in years. Go ahead, open ‘er up.”

Applejack didn’t need further encouragement. She reached for the stopper and plucked it out with ease, then held it up to her lips and took a sip. A soft sigh of satisfaction slipped out as she swallowed it, her eyes fluttering closed. “Oh that’s heavenly. As good as anythin’ Ah’ve ever made.” She handed the bottle back to Twilight.

Twilight took a sip herself, savoring it. “She only sends me the best.” She glanced over to Tiara and Scootaloo. “Did you want any?”

Tiara shook her head as a hint of green touched her cheeks. “I’ll pass, thanks.”

“Yeah, me too,” Scootaloo added. “Not really feeling it.”

“Well, I would like some, if you don’t mind,” Rarity said, setting down the unopened bottle. She took a long drink, sighed, then held it to me. “Interested?”

“Yes, please,” I said. I knocked back the bottle to get a good solid mouthful of the cider, letting the sweet taste fill my mouth with pleasant warm tingles. It didn’t burn as I swallowed, but went down smooth.

“Good, ain’t it?” Applejack said with a chuckle.

“Fantastic.” As I handed the bottle back to Twilight, I happened to accidentally kick the thing that rolled against my feet. I bent down to pick it up. “Oh hey, this is that radio of yours,” I said, looking it over. It was an olive green, boxy affair, with a very long antennae, made of some sort of plastic, with an oversized grill and buttons that, like the nuke’s keypad, had been designed for use by hoof. “It’s smaller than I would’ve expected.”

One corner of Twilight’s mouth quirked up. “Radios are one thing Equestria already had, before I started introducing new technologies. It was very limited, but we had them. I just expanded upon the technology.”

“It’s pretty neat,” I replied as I fiddled with it. “Reminds me of radios from the Second Great War, except it’s a lot smaller. Same basic design though.”

As I messed around, I happened to click a button, and almost dropped the radio in shock when it abruptly squawked, “--Twily! Twily, come in! For goodness sake, answer me already!”

“What the fuck?!” Cozy roared, sitting up on her throne.

“Holy shit, Shining Armor?!” I gasped.

Scootaloo and Tiara shot out of their seats as Twilight snatched the radio. “Give me that!” She pressed down on the transmit button. “Shining! Shining, it’s me! I’m here!”

“Oh thank god!” came Shining’s reply, even as Applejack let out a whooping holler of jubilation. “I’ve been trying to reach you for the past twenty minutes! What the hell happened?”

“Oooh, and you didn’t hear it because I turned off the radio when I handed it back to you!” Cozy said, her tone saccharine sweet despite the look of sudden rage on her face. “Ooopsie.”

“Shining, there’s no time to explain!” Twilight shouted as she leapt to her feet. “We have to get out of here, now. Is the Avenger--”

“The Avenger’s gone, Twily,” Shining interrupted, his words like a bucket of ice water over the freshly lit campfire that was our hope. “I’m on one of the seaplanes. The pilot and I managed to take off right as the missiles impacted the ship. We’ve been staying out of sight for a while, but when the storm around the cruise ship suddenly dissipated and the guns stopped firing we decided to try and land on the deck, next to the bridge tower.”

The spark of hope flared back to life within us. “Then there’s a chance we could escape!” Twilight replied. “It’s a slim chance, but still--”

“It’s far better than what we had a few minutes ago, darling!” Rarity said as she got up. “How long do we have?”

“T-minus eight minutes until detonation.”

“Not long enough!” Tiara shouted as she ran for the elevator shaft. “Come on, we’ve got to hurry!”

“We can’t take the elevator,” I said. “It’s way too slow. We’ll have to fly.”

“Fly?” Tiara gaped at me. “Is… is that a thing we can do?”

In response, I called upon my magic to rise up in the air. “If it wasn’t I wouldn’t suggest it.”

“The elevator shaft’s still the best way up though, right?” Scootaloo said, her face taut with determination. “We just have to get the elevator out of the way.”

“Ah’m on it!” Applejack declared as she got to her feet. With a few quick strides she’d made her way over to the elevator shaft. Her apple red and granny smith green aura flared to life as she wrenched open the doors, rose up and with several mighty punches tore apart the top of the elevator. She ruined it, but the damage left plenty of room for us to head up one at a time. “If we’re gonna move we better move fast!”

“Twilight, Scootaloo, can you still fly?” I asked, giving them an appraising look. They were the ones with the actual wings, and with plenty of injuries to them besides.

Scootaloo gave hers a test flap and cringed, but she rose in the air all the same. “Good enough for this!” She glanced over at Tiara and winked. “Tiara can catch me if I fall.”

Twilight, however, shook her head. “No, I’m… I’m going to need help.” She pressed down on the receiver. “Shining, listen, we’re on our way up, but you have to be ready to take off the instant we’re aboard. We have to fly away from the ship at top speed. Burn the engine out if we have to.”

“Wait, why? What’s going on?”

Letting out a quiet whimper, Twilight replied, “Remember that device I brought? It’s… a bomb. A big one. Like, nuclear big. And it’s about to go off.”

“Holy shit Twilight what the hell is wrong with--”

“There’s no time for this!” Twilight shouted back. “You can yell at me if we survive. We’re on our way. Be ready!”

“All right, we’ll be ready, don’t worry.”

“T-minus seven minutes until detonation.”

Rarity held out her arms. “Princess, would you like me to take you up?”

Twilight stuffed the radio into her satchel, then nodded. “Go ahead.”

Careful not to touch too many of the Princess’s injuries, Rarity scooped up the Princess and carried her bridal style. “All right, I know this is possible, I just have to… oh!” She rose up in the air with a sudden burst of acceleration, then managed to get it under control. “Wonderful. Let’s go.”

“Lemme go ahead so Ah can open the door up top,” Applejack said. She leapt into the air and disappeared up the shaft, with Rarity and the Princess following swiftly behind.

Scootaloo spread her wings. “Okay, me next. Tiara, stay right behind me. I meant it when I said I might need you to catch me.”

Diamond Tiara gulped, then nodded her head. “R-right. Let’s get moving!”

With a burst of speed Scootaloo shot up like a rocket, Tiara trailing behind her

“T-minus six minutes to detonation.”

As the last one, I prepared to follow after them, but just as I reached the shaft, I heard Cozy cry, “Wait!”

I turned back, the sudden rush of possible escape causing the ticking clock of the bomb to fill me with massive amounts of anxiety. “What?”

She hopped off her throne and ran over to me. “You… aren’t you going to offer to take me with?”

Arching both eyebrows I replied, “Seriously? I thought you were looking forward to dying.”

Cozy grit her teeth, her eyes flashing with ire. “I… I am! But you’re supposed to offer to take me. Isn’t that what you do? You always give the villain a chance?”

Snorting in sheer disbelief, I said flatly, “Cozy, you gave up your last chance when you started this game.”

“T-minus five minutes to detonation.”

“But what about my punishment?” Cozy snapped. She reached forward and grabbed my wrist. “I thought Twilight wasn’t going to have me executed. I thought she--”

I shook off her hold easily. “I don’t have time for this shit. No one’s going to miss you, Cozy. Now if you’ll excuse me…”

As I took to the air and flew as fast as I could, I heard Cozy shout after me, “No, please! Sunset! Wait! Please! ...I’m sorry!”

That last one caused me to halt. I looked back down at the bottom of the shaft, where I saw her looking up from the hole in the elevator. “You mean that? You truly mean that?”

Cozy Glow gave me an innocent smile and held up her hands in a friendly pleading gesture. “Uh-huh! I do!”

I flew back down just far enough so she could see the malicious smirk on my face as I flipped her off. “Go to hell.”

Then I zoomed back up the shaft at top speed, even as I heard the sound of Cozy breaking into tears.

“There you are!” Tiara said when I reached the top and emerged onto the food court. The whole place was a complete wreck, tables and chairs knocked over or broken into pieces. Half the restaurant storefronts were a mess of smashed up food and broken plates, while goods from the stores littered the floor in front of their entrances. “What took you?”

“Cozy tried some last minute crocodile tears. Come on!”

I followed after her as we raced down the promenade towards the bridge deck. In my head the seconds ticked away, keeping record like a perfect clock. Four minutes.

When we emerged onto the deck, the sunlight was nearly blinding after being below for so long. A large, goofy looking plane was sitting square in the center. It featured an elongated, curved body shaped vaguely like a fat banana without the taper at the end, complete with the same shade of bright yellow paint. Two large wings spread out to either side, with twin prop motors. Pontoons for a sea-based landing hung down from each wing, next to the landing gear. One side had a hanging door, currently swung open.

Shining Armor stuck his head out from the plane. “Come on you two, hurry! We don’t have time!”

“Don’t have to tell me twice!” Tiara shouted as she raced to board the plane.

I followed right after, and once aboard I took the last remaining open seat. There was just enough room for all of us aboard the plane, which was something of a miracle. “Uh, I don’t know a lot about planes, Twilight,” I said as Shining closed the door behind us. “But how’re we going to take off without a runway?”

“Leave that to me, miss,” said the pilot, a maroon skinned woman with a shock of mulberry hair wearing an unusual naval officer’s uniform, complete with rank insignia of a silver pair of outstretched wings and a horn. “We don’t need one.”

“Boysenberry?” Twilight gasped as Boysenberry began hitting switches, the engines whirring to life in an instant. “I wasn’t expecting you to be the pilot. Did… did the other seaplane--”

“Sorry, your Highness, but we’re the only two survivors,” Boysenberry said, all business despite what sounded like a note of sorrow in her voice.

“And we were lucky,” Shining added. “She escorted me off the bridge to this seaplane because they were having trouble removing the broken levitation charm, since they weren’t used to having fingers. I’d just replaced it when we heard people shouting to take cover. Since it was inside the plane…”

“You were both sitting right in the seat, ready to go,” Twilight finished with a bittersweet sigh. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Definitely,” Shining nodded in agreement as he took his seat. “The ship was exploding all around us even as we took off. It was a wonder none of the flying debris took out one of our wings. As it was, the shockwaves from the secondary explosions of the ship’s magazines almost knocked us into the water. And it did knock out our radio.” He held up a handheld unit, identical to the one Twilight used. “This didn’t have the range to reach you till we got close.”

“Guys, we don’t have time to talk about this,” I warned. “We’ve got three minutes!”

In response, Boysenberry pulled back on the stick, causing us to rise slowly into the air, straight up. “Well aware of that, miss.”

The movement of the plane felt utterly glacial as the time ticked by in my mind. We rose fifty feet, one hundred feet, and reached one fifty right as I announced, “Two and half minutes!”

“I’m so sick of countdowns today,” Scootaloo said with a scowl.

“Um, not to unduly alarm anyone,” Rarity said with a panicked expression as we continued to float straight up, “but why aren’t we flying yet?!”

Boysenberry’s frown tightened. “Need to reach safe altitude or else we won’t have enough lift to stay in the air.”

Tiara’s face twisted into a look of dismay. “Wait, we’re seriously just going to go straight up and then drop like a stone and hope we get enough lift to fly? What kind of a design is this?!”

“The only practical way we could accomplish creating a VTOL aircraft with the tech we had,” Twilight grumbled.

Shining moaned as his face turned green. “God I hate flying…”

“Two minutes!” I shouted. “Do we even have enough time to get away?!”

“Hold on!” Boysenberry commanded as she abruptly pushed the stick straight forward. The plane nosedived straight back for the water, giving us a clear view of the choppy seas below. She janked up the throttle as we fell and only started pulling back on the stick when we were less than a hundred feet above the water. Everyone screamed, especially Applejack, who clung to her seat with a white-knuckled grip.

We just pulled out of the dive, skimming the water’s surface with our pontoons even as I automatically shouted, “ninety seconds!” Boysenberry punched up the throttle to full, causing the engines to whine like crazy as we shot forward.

“Uh, we gonna stay right on top of the water like this?” Applejack yelped. “This don’t look safe!”

“No choice!” Boysenberry replied as she kept her hold steady. “That bomb’ll knock out the engines when it goes. We can’t risk being too high in the air.”

“One minute!”

“Everyone!” Twilight called out as she dug into a box sitting under her chair. She pulled out several pieces of black cloth and started handing them out. “Cover your eyes! If they’re open when the bomb goes off we’ll be blinded!”

Rarity took one and began to wrap it around my head. “Here, let me do this. You can’t tie it with one arm.”

“Thanks,” I murmured. “Hey, Boysenberry, how fast are we moving?”

Boysenberry replied, “Top speed’s about two hundred miles per hour, why?”

“Oh, no reason,” I said, my heart sinking fast. “Thirty seconds, guys!”

I felt Twilight lean over to whisper into my ear, “Sunset, I don’t think we’re going to make it. The distance we need to cover to get out of range--”

“I know, I did the math too,” I replied. “But it was worth a try.”

Twilight patted my arm, then shouted to the others, “Everyone brace yourselves!”

Five.

Rarity took my hand in hers and held it tight even as she leaned forward to cover her head.

Four.

Tiara whimpered as she clung to Scootaloo. “I’m scared…”

Three.

“Me too,” Scootaloo said.

Two.

“Hang on, y’all!”

One.

I lowered my head down to my lap, covering my eyes as tight as I could. Then, even past the blindfold and my arm a great white light brighter than the sun filled the cockpit. Warning alarms flared to life only to die just as suddenly as the plane jerked forward, the engines chugging to a halt. I screamed for dear life as the pontoons skidded across the water, the sound of shearing metal filling the air as a great heat washed over us like fire everything wasfire andburning and flames and

Author's Note

...

Cliffhangers are a pain, aren't they? :trollestia:

Chapter Six: Dead in the Water Part 7

Chapter Six
Dead in the Water
Post-Trial Part 2

I took a great heaving gulp of air, the effort like torture. My whole body blistered with pain, from what felt like burns all up and down most of my back and around every part of my face and arm. I was laying in some kind of bed, because it felt like I was covered in sheets, and my back was supported comfortably. A large bandage covered my eyes, preventing me from seeing, though I could at least tell there was light beyond them, so I wasn’t blind. I tried to open my mouth to speak, but all I managed to do was start up a coughing fit, each cough sizzling through my body like hundreds of needles poking my flesh. Using my one hand I fumbled around, trying to find something, only to suddenly have it gripped by another, causing me to let out a hoarse shriek.

“Easy, easy!” came a voice, an unfamiliar one, masculine, with just a touch of a Manehattan accent. “It’s all right, Sunset Shimmer. You’re safe.”

I opened my mouth and tried to force something out, finally managing a single word. “Who?”

“I’m Doctor Beating Heart, CMO of the H.E.M.S. Bucklyn. You’re among friends, Sunset.”

That’s good, I managed to think. The pain running through my body made thinking very hard. Or it was the drugs they were pumping in me. There was an IV in my hand. But, wait… I managed to spit out another word. “How?”

“That’s a question that I will have to answer for you, Sunset,” answered a different voice, this one also masculine, but deeper, lined with age and wisdom, and one I recognized, albeit distantly. “I doubt you remember meeting me anymore, but I am Starswirl the Bearded. Yes, the Starswirl of legend. Is she going to be able to hold a conversation, Doctor?”

“I’d recommend keeping it brief,” answered Heart, “but she can probably handle a little bit. She’ll need some fluids though. Sunset, I have a cup here, with a straw. I’m going to put it to your mouth, okay?”

With great difficulty I nodded my head, and parted my lips. The straw came at me a bit rougher than I would’ve liked, but I managed to close my mouth around it all the same. Suckling at it was even harder, but became easier as water filled my mouth, soothing my parched throat. I hadn’t realized how full of cotton my mouth felt till I started drinking. I kept at it till the Doctor took it away again, and whimpered.

“Sorry, Sunset, but you can’t drink too much too fast or you’ll get sick. We can’t risk that in your condition.”

“Okay,” I muttered, able to speak a bit more easily now that my throat wasn’t drier than the Saddle Arabian desert. “How’d I get here?”

There was a brief shuffling noise, presumably Starswirl sitting down. I felt a hand reach out to touch my shoulder. “When the transmission ceased soon after the Avenger entered this world, I became severely concerned. Princess Twilight had asked me to stay behind, and I had honored her wishes… to a point. But I still wanted to monitor the situation. So I journeyed back to Equestria’s Canterlot and came to this world’s Canterlot, so I could access our detector array directly. It’s what we used to find you. I was communing with Starlight Glimmer and Moondancer--they’re--”

“I know who they are,” I interrupted with some difficulty. “I remember everything.”

“Oh. Well, that simplifies matters. Does anyone else yet?” Starswirl asked.

“No.”

I heard him mutter a curse under his breath. “In any event, I was speaking with Starlight and Moondancer when we picked up an immense magical energy release, of a sort far more massive than any I could have imagined.”

“The nuke.”

His chair scraped against metal. “I’m not familiar with that term, but if you’re referring to the device Princess Twilight had taken with her, then yes, it was that. When I saw it, I feared the worst. I returned to Equestria post-haste, and made heavy use of my magic to teleport to Baltimare as quickly as possible. I commandeered the first ship I could to bring through a portal to this world, which turned out to be a ship of a similar design, albeit far smaller, than the Avenger. I believe the captain calls it a destroyer. We were fortuitous in that there was a portal that brought us very close to the wreckage of your plane.”

“But… open ocean, we were--”

He interrupted me. “Princess Twilight had remained conscious for long enough to enchant the wreckage so it didn’t sink. It was very quick thinking on her part, and likely saved all of your lives.”

My heart soared at the news. “Then, everyone… they’re okay…right?”

I could hear the smile in his voice as he replied, “Yes, Sunset. You’re all gravely injured, but you are alive. You were the first to regain consciousness, which is why I am speaking with you.”

“How… how long…”

He sighed. “At least a day, if not more.”

My whole body tensed as I tried to sit up, to reach out, to act. “No, we can’t stay here!”

“If you’re concerned about radiation,” Starswirl muttered, “we’ve taken proper precautions. There was little to no fallout from the blast, and we departed the area as soon as you were all aboard.”

“No!” I groaned, feeling a tickle in my throat before I unleashed another coughing fit. Starswirl held my shoulder tightly as I shook and trembled. “No, we… we have to go back to Equestria… The… Earth’s military, they’ll attack us.”

“We’ve stayed on Earth, Sunset,” Starswirl retorted in a lecturing tone, “because we don’t know what going through the portal will mean for your injuries. Transforming in your current states could kill you.”

God damn it you stupid old goat. I managed to choke out, “You don’t understand… have to risk it. They… might already know we’re here… satellites… have to leave now!”

“I’m going to have to agree with her assessment, Starswirl,” spoke a new voice, once I didn’t recognize. This one was higher pitched, feminine, though still lined with age. I hadn’t heard the footsteps of someone coming in, so perhaps they’d been standing there without my knowing it. “We’ve stayed here far too long. My crew didn’t undergo nearly as much two-leg training as the Avenger’s did, and they’ll be better off in a proper hospital.”

Desperately wishing I could rip the bandage off my eyes so I could see, I asked, “Who’re you?”

“Captain Honeydew. I’d say more, Miss Shimmer, but I have a ship to run. Starswirl, is that portal we used still there?”

I heard many rustling noises and the sound of someone pulling something metallic out of a bag and turning it around with a few squeaks. “Yes.”

“Good. We’ll head straight for it. It’s not far. You’ll open it when we get there. Understood?”

“As you wish, Captain,” Starswirl rumbled. Footfalls sounded, fading rapidly, before I heard the noise of someone sitting back down in a chair. “My apologies for that, Sunset. She is not the kindest mare I’ve ever met.”

“Look who’s talking.” Oh, I guess I do have some snark in me even now. Good for me.

That got a chuckle from him. “Yes, well, nevertheless. I have many questions for you, but any detailed explanation can wait. Just, tell me one thing: is Monoponi dead? Or did he escape?”

“She died with the ship,” I answered. Despite the way I’d reacted to Cozy at the last moment, when she begged to be taken with us… my heart was heavy. Just like with Adagio, the part of me that cared about Heather Heart wished there’d be something that could’ve been done to avoid it. But the rest of me took that part out back and had strong words with it, because Cozy didn’t deserve to live. She chose her fate, and no matter how much she begged or pleaded at the end... it was almost too good for her. Too… quick, in a way.

But then the last thing that I’d ever want to be is vindictive, to wish the sort of suffering upon another person that she’d inflicted on those she executed. Unlike Cozy, as much as I liked the Danganronpa games, I’d never, ever wanted to live them. And now that I had, the thought of perpetuating anything from it, anything at all, tasted so bad in my mouth I wanted to puke my guts out.

If I never investigated anything else for as long as I lived, it would be too soon.

“She, you say? So you found out the truth behind the mask,” Starswirl said with a rumble of intrigue.

“It was Cozy Glow,” I said. My throat ached, like it had dried back out. I hadn’t gotten nearly as much water as I would’ve wanted, and all the talking I’d already done was just on the edge of too much for me.

“Cozy Glow, you say? That is not what I would’ve expected. I suppose you will have quite the tale to tell.”

Rapid footfalls approached the room followed by another voice I didn’t recognize. “Sir? Mister Starswirl? The Captain needs you on the bridge.”

“So soon?” Starswirl sighed. “Very well. It seems you will be conscious for our journey through the portal, Sunset. Please, rest well. I will return when I am able.”

“Bye,” I murmured, and listened to the sound of his footsteps leaving. All that was left was the occasional beep of a heart monitor on me. That, and exhaustion. The little bit of moving around and talking I’d done had been like running a marathon. I turned my head over and closed my eyes, and without meaning to, I fell asleep.

I wasn’t aware of the transformation, or the journey back to Baltimare. The next thing I was aware of, I was propped up in bed as a pony, being wheeled on a gurney into a hospital room. It smelled better in there than it had on the ship. Less machine oil and more antiseptic. Apart from that it barely seemed any different. And though I had changed my form, the portal, sadly, had not bothered to restore any lost limbs or anything like that. I was still missing my left arm at the shoulder. Still just as injured.

At least it hadn’t made things worse.

I didn’t remember too much of the next few days after that. I passed in and out of consciousness many times, was spoken to by doctors, asked a few questions by Starswirl.

But after a week, there was finally some real progress to be had. The others, I was told, were awake, and ready to talk. More than that, I was ready to have my bandages taken off my eyes. It had taken some hefty healing magic to speed up the process of healing the flash blindness. I must’ve, at some point, looked at the flash without realizing it. Everything about the explosion was so hazy I’d never be sure.

But when they removed the bandages, and I opened my eyes, I managed to take in my surroundings, as well as my own condition. I laid in a hospital bed, a comfortable one, in my own private room. Apart from a few ponified attributes it looked almost identical to any hospital room I’d ever been in on Earth, though Earth tended not to have pink wallpaper in its hospitals. I was hooked up to several machines, including a heart monitor, blood pressure cuff, and an IV. The window, open to allow fresh air in, gave me a good look out at the bay, where I could see ships moving about, from freighters hauling fresh cargo to private fisherponies and sailors, and the occasional Equestrian navy ship.

My injuries were much more interesting. Setting aside the fact I was currently in a pony body, I’d been severely burned all over just about everything. The only reason I wasn’t a complete mummy of bandages was magical healing allowed for recovery from burns in a way that on Earth would require skin grafts. As it was, much of my body was still wrapped up, with only my face and upper torso exposed.

Oh, and I was still missing an arm. Healing magic couldn’t do anything about it. There was nothing to restore. They’d offered to provide me with a wooden prosthetic, but since I had no intention of staying in Equestria any longer than I absolutely had to, I’d declined. I’d have to find an Earth-based replacement. It wasn’t like affording it would be an issue, with Princess Twilight bankrolling me.

At least, I assumed she’d bankroll me. I’d be very surprised if she didn’t.

I also got to see my doctor for the first time. Because the Bucklynwas based out of Baltimare, Doctor Beating Heart had insisted on transferring temporarily to the hospital to watch over us. He was pretty handsome for a stallion too, with a paisley pink coat and a short-cropped mane of white with pink streaks, perfect to go along with his easy to listen to voice. He was also a lot nicer than some of the nurses, who, on occasion, seemed like they resented me because they had to watch over me instead of Princess Twilight.

“How’s that, Sunset? I have a pair of sunglasses here if you need them, if the light is too bright for you.”

I smiled up at him and shook my head. “No, I think I’m okay, but thanks. Just… still a bit blurry.”

“It’s going to be that way for a while, I’m afraid,” he acknowledged with a concerned frown. “There’s the slight chance you might require glasses to correct it, if it doesn’t go away with time.”

Laying my head back to prop against the pillow, I replied, “If that’s the worst I have to deal with from the damage to my eyes, I’ll take it.”

He smiled at me, and set the glasses hovering in his field down on a nearby table.”Well, are you ready to go see your friends now?”

“Yes, please,” I said.

With a flicker of his horn he took hold of the IV stand and the bed and rolled them both on out into the corridor. As we passed by other doctors and nurses I heard the occasional pages over the intercom, but saw little else other than moving ceiling tiles until we reached a much larger room, where the others were waiting for me. “I’ll leave you to it,” he said before walking away.

Like me, they were all laid up in bed, swaddled in bandages. None of them had manes or tails to speak of, save for Princess Twilight, whose ephemeral magic kept a small amount atop her head flowing away. Of course she took up the largest bed by far. Most of them still had bandages covering their eyes too, but they moved around as we came in, showing they could hear me.

“Hey everyone,” I said, feeling my heart skip a beat.

Applejack was the first to speak, her voice weak and cracking as she replied, “Howdy, Sunset.” She was the only one except for Twilight and myself without bandages over her eyes. The shining green orbs reflected a strong sense of relief, and more than a little pain. But then, we were all in a lot of pain. It was a given.

Rarity shifted her head my way, turning so much she accidentally caught her horn on the handlebars on the side. “Sunset, darling,” she murmured, her voice just as weak as Applejack’s. “It’s good to, ah, hear you.”

Scootaloo was the next to speak. She waved a forehoof to wave in my direction, though she didn’t quite move her head to point at the right place. “Sure is.”

“Mrgh,” Diamond Tiara moaned. Unlike the others, she didn’t move her limbs. I’d heard from the doctors that she’d suffered extra damage to her spine in the crash. She wasn’t paralyzed, not permanently thank goodness, but she’d need plenty of physical therapy before she could walk again. Unfortunately this also meant she was drugged up to the gills, even more than the rest of us. “Hi Sunshet.”

Hearing my name pronounced that way brought a chuckle to my lips. “It’s good to see you guys. Where’s Shining Armor?”

“I spoke with him earlier,” said Princess Twilight. She lit up her long, slender horn and floated a cup of water to her lips. “He didn’t want to intrude.”

No one mentioned Boysenberry. Though she survived the crash itself, her injuries proved too severe to save her, and she passed away a few days ago. Given we’d been caught by the edge of a nuclear explosion and been adrift for who knew how long before we were picked up, we were all damned lucky to be alive.

“That’s fair,” I replied with a slight nod. “He didn’t go through what we did.”

“No, he didn’t,” Rarity agreed with a sigh. Grunting, she tried to move her head away from the handlebars, only to gasp in pain when she banged her horn against them. “Oh, I’m sure this horn must be lovely, but at the moment it is such a pain.”

“Ah don’t blame you, Rarity,” Applejack said. Being the closest to the unicorn, she reached out with a forehoof and gently helped Rarity untangle herself. Then she glared at her own hoof. “Ah’m gonna be real happy when Ah got mah hands back. How y’all ponies get anythin’ done without ‘em, Ah don’t understand.”

“Eh, we make do,” I said, resisting the urge to shrug. “Hey, Princess, do you have an idea how long we might be stuck at this hospital before they let us go?”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m afraid not. I’ve made sure we’re receiving the best medical care Equestria has to offer, but… that’s about the best I can do. I don’t want you going back to Earth until you’re all healed.”

“You really still think we can hide what happened, huh?” Scootaloo interjected. She’d flipped over onto her side, so I could see her bandaged wings. They were much larger than the native Equestrian Scootaloo’s, which surprised me a little.

“Hide? No. Prolong the inevitable? I’m hoping.” Twilight took another sip of water, then set her cup down. “I’ve been using Starswirl to relay a lot of orders. We had the array at the observatory dismantled as quickly as we could before too much attention arrived, but some of the resources were confiscated. The police are… a little bit less cooperative without Detective Armor around.”

“Ashholes,” Tiara murmured. “Buncha jerks should listen to you.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed a moment, as if she tried to twitch the eyebrows that had been burnt off. “Chief Spitfire’s more than a little upset that I’m keeping you all here, especially Shining. She says it’s tantamount to holding you hostage. She doesn’t understand how severe your injuries are, no matter what I relay to her. I’m hoping that if you can pass along your own messages soon, she’ll relent a little.”

“Ah’ll be our families must be pressurin’ her somethin’ fierce to have an answer already,” Applejack murmured. “Ah know Granny and Big Mac would be.”

“Then the families of those who died still don’t know anything,” I said, glancing at Twilight to confirm that.

“No, not yet,” she replied. “Though I don’t know how much longer I can have Spitfire keep a lid on that. I’m trying to convince her to stick to the cover story, but… the media’s not making that easy.”

“The media?” Tiara groaned.

In response, Twilight floated an object I hadn’t noticed off of her table. To my surprise, it was a modern smartphone. When she saw me staring at it in wonder, she winked. “We learned a few new tricks in the search for you, like bringing stuff like this through unchanged. There’s a news report I want to show you all. Listen.”

Levitating the phone up where Applejack and I could easily see the screen, she hit play, and a news report began, one from one of the local outlets. A female newscaster I recognized said, “Turning to tonight’s top story, there is still no real word on what happened in the South Pacific one week ago. The Navy continues to be tight lipped on the matter, despite diverting two carrier groups to the area. The heightened state of alert of the AU’s military has caused nations the world over to follow suit, and there have been reports the Qilense have sent a fleet of their own to the area. Although the AUGS reported an unusual seismic disturbance in the South Pacific, they’ve also refused to comment on the situation. The Navy has, however, released a statement declaring the rumors of a disappearing ship that emerged in the first few days are entirely unfounded.”

“Well I’d certainly hope so,” commented the newscaster’s associate, a nondescript man in a suit with teeth far shinier than they had a right to be. He then faced the screen. “Moving on to more local news, the mysterious disappearance of sixteen locals continues to confound local police, now almost two months after they originally went missing. We spoke recently with one of the family members of the missing people, a professor at Canterlot University by the name of Night Light. He had this to say.”

The screen switched to show a face I recognized all too well as Twilight Sparkle’s father. I saw Princess Twilight stiffen dramatically when he began to speak. “I want to know what on God’s green earth is going on with my children. First Twilight went missing, and now Shining Armor as well?” Night Light scowled at the camera. “It’s been rough, very rough, going without knowing anything. For goodness’ sake, if they’re dead the least they could do is tell us already. This limbo is agonizing.”

He abruptly disappeared, replaced by the male newscaster. “We spoke with several other people related to the victims, all who echoed similar feelings. Shining Armor’s disappearance is of particular concern to the police, given he is the Head Detective for the Canterlot police department. When asked, however, Chief Spitfire declared ‘no comment.’”

“Well we can only hope wherever they are, they’re safe,” said the female newscaster. She opened her mouth to say more, but the video ended.

“Damn,” I muttered when it was over. Night Light’s words had brought a fresh wave of pain to my heart, along with a small amount of shame. With what I knew now, I was certain Cozy never would’ve allowed Twilight to survive, but I still felt responsible. I was still the one who pushed for the note-writer to be the blackened in Fluttershy’s case.

It probably won’t matter how many years pass; the killing game, and my decisions in it, will haunt me to my grave.

“Yeah. Damn,” Twilight echoed, her voice shaky. “I normally wouldn’t admit this to you without security clearance, but I trust you all, so I’m going to ask you to keep what I’m about to say next quiet, all right?”

“‘Course, Princess, Ah wouldn’t dream of betrayin’ your trust,” Applejack responded.

Twilight bowed her head and closed her eyes. “I asked King Thorax if he had some changelings who still practiced infiltration tactics. He did, so I sent one over to Earth, to try and smuggle her way into the Navy’s headquarters, on the east coast. She just sent me a report a little while ago.”

“What did she have to say?” Rarity wondered.

“Well, they’re fully aware there was a nuclear explosion. There was no hiding that,” Twilight answered. Her breath caught in her throat and she had to take another sip of water before she could continue. ”There’s nothing left of the cruise ship. Right now they’re convinced this was a terrorist attack, and they’ve got every intelligence agency that’ll cooperate looking into figuring out where the bomb was sourced from.”

“Wait a minute,” I interrupted, holding up a hoof. “Didn’t you tell us you had to use magic to make this bomb work? Have they noticed anything strange about the area?”

“If they have, it wasn’t in the information my infiltrator was able to get a hold of,” Twilight said. “But they did locate the wreckage of the Avenger, and are currently in the process of trying to investigate it with submersibles.”

“Oh that’s not good,” Scootaloo said with a wince. “They’re not going to, um, find any pony bodies, are they?”

I was very glad Scootaloo didn’t see the way Twilight reared back at that statement, or the sorrow that crossed her features. “N-no, everypony aboard had changed form upon coming through, just like I did. They’ll only find human bodies. But that’s not the problem. The real problem is the technology they’ll find. There won’t be a lot of it left, between the cruise missiles and the nuke, but there’ll be enough to know it didn’t come from any Earth navy. Especially if any of the magic-based tech survived.”

Rarity inclined her head towards the Princess, knocking her horn against the handlebars again. At least this time she didn’t get it stuck. “Are you certain it’s a good idea to keep us here then? If they realize the connection, it might make things worse.”

“I’m certain, Rarity,” answered the Princess in a tone that brokered no argument. “Human doctors would recognize your burns for what they are straight away, and they won’t be able to treat them as well. You’re all going to make a full recovery, but only if you stay here, where we can use magic to assist the healing process. Trust me, it’ll be a lot faster.”

“Well, Ah think we should at least get a chance to talk to our families, let ‘em know we’re okay,” Applejack said. “Ah think, given they knew we had magic before, they’d understand better than most.”

“I’ve been considering that,” Twilight said, nodding. “And if I can manage it in a way that won’t compromise things further, I’ll do it.”

“S’all Ah ask.”

“The truth is,” Twilight continued, her voice shaky, “I’m expecting that we won’t be able to hide Equestria’s existence for much longer, not after this incident. Cozy’s actions forced our hoof. All we can do is prepare for the consequences, and pray that Equestria will be ready, should negotiations break down.”

“Um, um,” Tiara mumbled, turning over in her bed. “Have… have you considered… reaching out to them first?”

“I’m probably going to have to,” Twilight answered. “If I don’t, it’s going to leave things on much shakier ground. That’s why I’ve started sending agents to Earth to gather information. I’m working on the best way to approach things that won’t cause a war. If there’s a war… Equestria will lose.”

“Ah sure hope there won’t be,” Applejack sighed, a frown appearing on her muzzle. “There ain’t no sense in our two worlds fightin’ when we should be workin’ together.”

Twilight reached out for another sip of water. “That’s another reason I’m keeping you all here actually. I’m hoping that I can, in some way, use you as ambassadors, of a sort.”

“Uh, no offense, Princess, but none of us are diplomats,” Scootaloo replied, doubt filling her voice.

At that, Twilight chuckled wryly. “No, no, I don’t mean in any official capacity. I mean in the sense of, you’re humans who’ve made friendships with Equestria, who’ve shown that magic can be a force for good, that friendship brings harmony. This would’ve been easier before.... Before all this happened. Don’t worry, I won’t be asking you to do much. I don’t want to disrupt your lives. You deserve peace, after what you’ve been through.”

“Well, I’m not going to speak for the others, but I’ll do what I can to help you, Twilight,” I said, smiling. “It’s the least I can do for the mare who saved my life.”

“Saved all our lives,” Rarity added.

For a moment, as I watched Twilight’s eyes dull with uncertainty and doubt, I was afraid we’d have another session of her apologizing for her part. But then it vanished, replaced by determination. “Thank you, Sunset, Rarity. I’ll appreciate whatever help you can contribute.”

“There’s something else I’m worried about though,” I brought up as a thought occurred to me. “Listen, Twilight, you missed some of what Cozy told us, but she had two different major corporations wrapped around her finger. More than that, she hypnotized a lot of people to get things done. She needed me for the memory spells, but the other mind magic? She did all that on her own.”

“I know, and I know what you’re going to say,” Twilight replied, her voice grim. “You’re going to point out that we have no idea how many people she had under her control, how many of them might be operating off of hidden instructions or leftover commands. It could be she had something in place, if she lost, ready to make things much worse for all of us. I’m aware of all of this. It’s being factored into my planning.”

“Ah didn’t think of that!” Applejack said with a shiver. “She never said nothin’ about it durin’ the trial, or afterwards.”

“Of course not,” Rarity snorted. “Why give us a hint of the trouble to come?”

Anxiety gnawed its way into my belly as I considered what Rarity just said. Was it possible that was why Cozy reached out to me at the last minute? Was she sincere in what she said after all? Did she regret what she’d done? Would she have told us?

There would never be a way to know. I put all that out of my mind. “How honest are you going to be with Earth’s governments?”

“You mean, about what happened?” Twilight let out a heavy sigh. “That’s the question of the ages, Sunset. If these were other nations on Equus, I would tell them everything. I would be honest about all the details, including my mistakes. The creatures on this world value honesty a great deal, even some of the craftier, sneakier ones. They’re willing to be understanding. But humans? I don’t know what they’d do if we were upfront about it. Working out what to tell them and what not to tell them is going to be one of the hardest parts about this process.”

“Ah could see some of those warhawks in Congress thinkin’ we oughta do some ‘police action’ to ‘protect our national interests’ if you tell ‘em about QGT and RECL,” Applejack sneered. “Them Congress folk only ever care about linin’ their pockets.”

“You could always go public with everything,” Scootaloo suggested with a laugh.

“What, you mean, just appear on national television?” Twilight said, her mouth crinkling upwards. “‘Hi, I’m Twilight Sparkle, I’m a pony Princess and we nuked one of your cruise ships because an evil filly took control of several corporations and used the ship to hold a killing game.’” Laughter escaped her, heavy guffaws. “I’m sure that’ll go down great.”

“Actually, that might be a good idea,” I said after a moment. “Not, not phrased the way you just put it, but that kind of open transparency might be the best way to act. It’d keep Earth’s government reactions in the public eye.”

“Mhmsh,” Diamond Tiara groaned, which after a moment she made clear was her seconding the notion by adding, “you should do that.”

Twilight frowned at that. “It might also result in a witch hunt that guarantees Earth invades. I was considering doing something like it before all of this occurred, but now… just imagine the fear mongering, Sunset. Imagine how scared some of those people will be. Magic is terrifying when you don’t understand it, and humans have one reaction they always use with something they don’t understand: they destroy it.”

“Aw, that’s startin’ to feel a bit uncharitable there, sugarcube,” Applejack objected with a note of irritation slipping into her voice. “It ain’t like we did that durin’ the killin’ game.”

“No, you didn’t,” Twilight allowed. “Even Sweetie Belle’s reaction was… understated. But that’s all of you. You’re open-minded. Not everyone is.”

Several moments of uncomfortable silence passed before Rarity let out a loud sigh through her teeth. “Well, whatever our mistakes, we’ll be sure to support you, Princess Twilight. After all, what are friends for?”

“I appreciate that, Rarity,” Twilight said, a smile gracing her muzzle now. “Because I know our lives aren’t going to be easy, moving forward from all of this. None of us will be the same.”

“No, we won’t,” I agreed. “We’ve… what we’ve been through has changed us, forever.”

“Speaking of change, Sunset,” Scootaloo interjected, “have you started figuring out how to restore our memories yet?”

“Uh, well, been a bit laid up in bed there, Scoots,” I said with a laugh, “but it’s been on my mind. When I’m awake, anyway. Been kind of in and out of it.”

“We all have,” Applejack said. “Ah don’t know what y’all ponies put in some of these drugs you give us, but hoo-wee it sure does knock a girl out somethin’ fierce.”

Twilight snickered. “That’s the idea.” She glanced over at me, then back to the others. “Sunset, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to try anything with their memories until we’re all better recovered anyway. It might be harder for you to use that magic on this side.”

“Oh trust me, Twilight, I wasn’t about to try it,” I said, moving a forehoof up to tap at my horn, which was just as swaddled in bandages as the rest of me. “I’m not about to try anything beyond basic telekinesis.”

“Good,” Twilight replied with a palpable sense of relief. “We can discuss the matter further when you’re more recovered. I think between the research I uncovered the first time we looked into the Memory Stone and your own inherent talents, it shouldn’t be too difficult to restore their memories.”

“And in the meantime y’all can just entertain us with more stories about what we got up to before all of this,” Applejack said.

A loud snore abruptly echoed through the room, causing us to all look at the source, which turned out to be Diamond Tiara. She’d collapsed against her pillows, one forehoof held up in the air and twitching every couple of moments.

“Poor Tiara,” Scootaloo said, her mouth turning down. “You… you are sure she’s going to walk again, right Princess?”

“I’m certain of it,” Twilight said, clearly not for the first time judging by the touch of frustration in her words. “Maybe if she’d stayed on Earth it would be in question, but not here. Earth is more advanced than us in a lot of ways, but magic lets us even the playing field.”

Rarity’s jaws spread wide in a massive yawn. “Oh goodness, excuse me, darlings. Perhaps Diamond Tiara has the right idea, getting some sleep.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Scootaloo said in agreement as she nestled into her bed.

“Least we can do it now, without worryin’ about what’s gonna happen next,” Applejack said. She gave me an uncertain frown before laying back and shutting her eyes. “Sure is a relief bein’ able to sleep without havin’ to worry Ah’m gonna get stabbed or somethin’.”

“I can call for the nurses to take you back to your rooms, if you want me to,” Twilight offered.

Rarity moved on her bed just enough to get comfortable. “If it’s all the same to you, Princess… I wouldn’t mind sleeping near my friends right now.”

“Same,” Scootaloo agreed.

“Ah hear that,” Applejack thirded.

“All right then.”

As the others all quickly drifted into slumber, I turned over in my bed so I could more easily meet Twilight’s eyes. “Twilight, I’m sorry if this is intruding, but… have you decided anything about funeral arrangements, for those who died?”

Twilight closed her mouth and bowed her head. “I… we’re going to bury Boysenberry with full military honors. It’s the least she deserves, for saving our lives at the end. The same with the crew of the Avenger. Even if we can’t retrieve their bodies… I’m going to do what I can for their families. A lot of the crew on that ship was young… far too young.” She pressed her lips together, a few tears dripping down her cheeks. “I wish things had gone a different way.”

“I think we all do, Twilight,” I said, reaching out with my forehoof, which was just close enough to pat her on the leg.

She flashed me a small, sad smile for just a moment before dropping it. “As for our friends… I haven’t decided yet. I still don’t even know what I’m going to tell my friends about all of this. They have a right to know that something happened to their alternates, but… I don’t want to cause the same levels of distrust in them that we saw among you.”

“No, no you don’t,” I said with a deep shiver running through my body, hard enough it caused me to squeeze my eyes shut momentarily from the pain. “I… you know in some ways it’s even worse now, having my memories back. At least when they were gone I didn’t know what I was missing.”

“I can’t imagine what that must be like for you, Sunset,” Twilight said quietly. “It was so hard watching you all. Seeing how you gave in to your fears, to Cozy’s manipulations, all while I could do nothing to stop it, it… I never want to go through that again. I don’t think I could take it a second time.”

I shook my head softly. “Me neither. I don’t know which of us had it worse between us, Twilight.”

“You did,” Twilight answered immediately. “I… being forced to watch is awful, but at least until I came to rescue you, my life was never in danger. You almost died, more than once.”

“God, don’t remind me,” I said, feeling my whole body shake from nerves. “I still can’t stand being in a dark room, you know, at least not alone. I’ve had them keep a light on for me in my hospital room, enough so I can see.”

“I know. I… I’ve been keeping an eye on you, since I woke up. I wanted to be sure you didn’t…”

My heart sank at the implication. “You wanted to be sure I didn’t what? Hurt myself? Why would I do that?”

“...because I’ve come close to it myself, in my thoughts, more than a few times since this all started,” Twilight admitted, her words like a splash of cold water across my face. “Not, not seriously. Not really. But I wasn’t almost murdered by the woman I loved.”

“Oh.” I turned over, and it took many minutes before I was able to form a response. “I forgave her, didn’t I?”

“You did, but we both know it’s not as simple as that,” Twilight pointed out. “Mental health doesn’t work that way. We’re all going to need therapy, and a lot of it. Now that we’re all awake again, I’ve been looking into sessions. Group sessions at first, till we’re comfortable talking with psychologists one on one.”

“Are you sure pony psychologists can handle our level of trauma?”

Twilight shook her head. “No. I’m not. But I wouldn’t have a clue who to ask in the human world that we could trust, and that carries with it other risks too. Even after you all go home, I might… I might ask you to keep seeing a psychologist here, where you can discuss everything freely.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” I admitted. “So long as they’re in Canterlot. I wouldn’t want to hop a train to Baltimare every week.”

“We’ll figure that out.”

I tucked myself further into my bed. “Well, whatever we do… I’m glad we’ll have the chance. It’s not going to be easy, but… at least we’re alive.”

“At least we’re alive,” Twilight repeated. “And we can look forward to better and brighter tomorrows.”

“So long as Cozy doesn’t pop up out of nowhere again,” I quipped.

Twilight paled momentarily before realizing the joke, her lips thinning. “Haha. Very funny.”

I smiled back momentarily, then my smile slipped away. "...it's not possible she escaped, is it?"

"No, it's not." Twilight glanced over at her table and lit her horn, floating a long piece of paper over to hold out in front of me, a large print out of numbers, symbols, and other data that made little sense to me. "I had Starswirl check the data our array recorded during the blast. Thoroughly. It took a substantial amount of analysis, but he managed to ID the magical signatures of various portals that were in the area at the time. None of them were anywhere near the ship. I've also had the military searching Equestria, just in case."

I sighed in relief and dropped my head to my pillow. "So she's dead then. We're sure of that."

"Definitely. Cozy Glow is not coming back." Sighing in exasperation, Twilight leaned back in her bed and shut her eyes. “I’m going to get some sleep. Sleep well, Sunset.”

“You too,” I murmured automatically.

As she drifted off, and I listened to the sounds of my friends slumbering away, my thoughts turned to the future. There was a great deal of uncertainty ahead. Our lives would never be the same, no matter what we tried to do. Going back to university, to a job… after what we’d been through, I wasn’t sure if I could manage those. After living through a killing game, the thought of sitting through university lectures or working for hours in a machine shop felt alien, like I didn’t belong there anymore. Like I couldn’t have a normal life.

But I’d have to try. I wasn’t about to give up on things now, not when we’d escaped. When we survived. Like I said to Twilight, at least we’re alive.

And when we’re alive, we always have a chance to keep going. To live on.

Author's Note

Now, now, I wasn't about to kill them at the last minute. Though I will admit I considered making the previous part end differently, without the escape option. But as has been pointed out by many in the comments, this story lacks a tragic tag, and for good reason.

But you can bet your bottom dollar that's gonna be an alt scenario at some point.

So I was asked privately by someone back in part 3 of Chapter Six why I played up the Avenger so much only for Cozy to blow it up so easily it made it seem like a letdown. Since it's a good question I wanted to answer it publicly.Two reasons:
1. It wasn't the original plan. In my first draft of the ending--the very first thing I wrote of this story, a lesson I took to heart from a writer I respect--they escape on the ship, there's no nuke, and Princess Twilight gives then their memories back with a remade Memory Stone. Oh and Trixie, Flash, and Rainbow were all present, with no hint of anything relationship wise save a brief acknowledgement of Flashlight. Most of that changed for obvious reasons, but until part 3 I still intended for them to escape with the ship.

And then Cozy decided "screw that" and blew it up. And I realized...why would she leave the ship around? She wouldn't. Hence it became a story problem. The seaplanes were thus my fix for this.

Cozy, in story, is too smart to leave things to chance, and as she said, she proved a point by doing it. And also crossed the Moral Event Horizon. Again. For like the 9th time this story.

So tldr the answer is I didn't realize Cozy wouldn't blow up the ship until I got to that point and wrote it. Unforeseen consequences, etc.

Also, to answer another question I know I'll get about why Sunset in pony form doesn't have wings when she got them in her ponied up form, it's because she didn't fully alicornify, anymore than Sci-Twi had. Sci-Twi had wings on Earth but she didn't have them in Equestria.

In case it wasn't clear from Sunset and Twilight's dialogue: Cozy is dead. There's no intended mystery about it. The truth is, if it weren't for the first person narrative aspect of this story, and the difficulty of switching perspectives just to put together the scene required, I would've included a scene depicting Cozy sitting there, crying as she clutched the nuke until it exploded it in her face.

And I still might decide to write one for Lost Moments, since that fits the definition of compilation to a T. Not everything in Lost Moments is an alternate scenario, after all.

Speaking of Lost Moments, for the all two of you who haven't seen it yet, I added another piece. It's a lovely little bit of catharsis entitled Just This Once: Everybody Lives!

We have one more part before it's all over, friends.

Epilogue: The Last Goodbye

Epilogue

The Last Goodbye

One year after the end of the killing game…

I stood before the mirror in my brownstone apartment, smoothing out the wrinkles in my top, making sure to adjust my tie. Like a lot of my outfits these days, it was a more formal outfit, a black business suit. Fitting for what I was about to do.

Once my shirt was ready I slipped on the jacket, having to carefully tuck my prosthetic arm through the sleeve so I didn’t tear it. The bionics were a bit finicky at times, but it was better than the first couple of ones I’d tried. And I liked the smooth black finish, as if I was permanently wearing a superhero gauntlet. It got me a lot of compliments.

“Sunset, darling, are you ready yet?”

“Almost, Rarity,” I called. I checked my jacket in the mirror one more time, making sure it fit snug, then reached out for my hairbrush and gave my hair a few quick strokes. I kept it shorter these days. Less likely to catch on things, and it was more practical. Easier to cope with. Once I finished, I set my brush down and joined Rarity in the main living room.

“Oh, good, good,” Rarity murmured. She wore a black dress today, modest and loose, hiding most of her curves. She was curvier these days, especially around the middle. Too much ice cream. Sometimes she was self conscious about it. Like me, she kept her hair cropped short, with just enough length to let her tuck it into a short bob at the back. “Here, let me see your tie.”

“It’s fine,” I grumbled good naturedly, trying not to roll my eyes as she tugged and prodded at it until it had been adjusted maybe a millimeter to the left from where it started. “I’ve gotten better at tying them.”

“Maybe so, but we want to look good for the cameras, if there are any.”

At that I arched my eyebrows. “Rarity, it’s a private meetup. We’re just meeting our friends at the restaurant and then going to the cemetery. There aren’t going to be any cameras.”

Rarity tut-tutted. “There’s always cameras watching these days, Sunset. We can’t go anywhere without them anymore. You know that.”

I did. Ever since Equestria became public knowledge, paparazzi like to follow us around, snapping pictures of the magic women, hoping to catch video of us transforming or flying around the place. It was more than a little frustrating that I couldn’t go to the damned grocery store without having to put up with a flash in my face at least once before I left the freaking produce aisle.

“I know, I know,” I muttered.

She smiled up at me and patted my cheek before giving me a quick peck on the lips. “I’m sure we’ll be fine. Now come along. Would you like to drive today, or should I?”

“I can take the wheel,” I said as I grabbed for my purse off the table, making sure to check that my phone and keys were inside, then we left the apartment, making sure to lock up behind us.

As I walked out to the car, Rarity with me hand in hand, we passed by a nondescript man in a suit who held up his wrist to his mouth and muttered a quick, “They’ve left the building,” before giving us a polite nod and following at a distance. Like everything else we dealt with these days, having our own private security assigned to us was just something we had to live with. At least they were on Princess Twilight’s payroll.

“Sometimes I wish they weren’t necessary,” Rarity whispered to me as we got into our car, an ice blue four-door sedan, rather than the motorcycle I used to drive. I didn’t have the motorcycle anymore. It was stolen while we’d been on that ship, and I never bothered to replace it.

“You and me both,” I said as I stuck my key into the ignition and switched it on. The engine awoke with a quiet, barely audible whine rather than a roar. Being friends with Princess Twilight had its advantages, like getting to drive one of the first hydrogen fuel cell cars. “But you remember the riots.”

“I wish I didn’t,” Rarity said as she buckled herself in. “But, well…” She pointed a finger at her eyebrow, where a scar had permanently separated it in twain.

I patted her gently on the shoulder, then put my hands on the wheel and edged out into traffic. As I departed, another car followed behind, this one a black SUV with opaque windows. It was my least favorite thing, having that car in my rear-view mirror anytime I went anywhere. Occasionally made me feel like I was being watched by security cameras. Like on the ship.

We made fairly quick progress for the restaurant, though we were briefly stopped by a security cordon as we passed by Canterlot central park, where yet another protest was going on. Scores of angry people shouting about how we couldn’t trust the ponies, while counter protestors fought back with slogans of peace and tranquility. I knew people on both sides of that protest. Some of them used to be friends.

Used to be.

But after I handed over my ID and Rarity’s for a quick inspection, the police waved us on by. “Should’ve taken the back route,” I said as I glanced at the dashboard clock. “We’re going to be late.”

“I’m sure they’ll understand.”

When we reached the restaurant, I parked us in the back, then walked with Rarity, our hands interlaced, inside. The place was mostly empty, save for our usual table, where Applejack was sitting waiting for us.

“Howdy, y’all!” Applejack said with a great big smile as she rose up out of her seat. Similar to Rarity she wore a black dress, those hers was strapless and short cut. Unlike the two of us her hair was long, and allowed to hang, rather than being tied up. She still wore a stetson though. She’d never let go of that.

Rarity smiled warmly and opened her arms to give the farmer a strong hug. “Oh it’s good to see you, Applejack. It always is.”

Applejack chuckled as she gave Rarity one more squeeze then released her. “Well, what can Ah say? Ah ain’t about to pass up a chance to talk with mah ex-wife and her new fiance.”

“You really need to stop introducing me to people like that, you know,” Rarity laughed. “You give them the wrong impression when you do that.”

They joked about it like this all the time, but like always, I saw a brief shadow of loss and regret pass over their faces. But it’d been the right decision. They tried to get back together for a while, when we first got back to Earth. They really did. And for a while it seemed like it would work, until things broke down between their families. Big Macintosh and Rarity’s father ended up in a knuckle dragging fistfight after too many drinks on the third month anniversary of our return from the ship, and that was the last straw. They couldn’t remain together after that, not with the loss of their sisters.

But it didn’t stop them from being friends. In some ways they were even closer friends now than they had been when they’d been married. As if both were trying to make up for what they’d lost.

“I’m surprised Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo aren’t here yet,” I said as Applejack wrapped her arms around me next. Our hug was shorter than the one she’d given Rarity, but still strong enough to make me gasp just a little for air when she released it. Applejack liked to keep a low level of magic going at all times, so she could use her super strength whenever she needed it. She’d only needed to go down once in a fight during the riots to make that decision. At least she’d come out of it without any scarring. Sometimes I thought it was unnecessary, but I didn’t blame her. We all had plenty of anxiety these days. Whatever helped her cope.

“Oh they sent me a text sayin’ they was held up ‘cause of the court proceedins,” Applejack said with a withering look, though not aimed at us.

“What, again?” Rarity scoffed. “Honestly, when will her mother give up?”

One of the first things Diamond Tiara did when we were back on Earth was file a police report on her mother, over the animal abuse, claiming she could no longer cast a blind eye towards it just because it would make her family look bad. And it sure did, because it’d opened up a much larger can of worms involving all sorts of unethical deals and crimes her mother had perpetrated, and a far messier and far more involved divorce between Spoiled Rich and Filthy Rich. That, unfortunately, involved a lot of time spent in civil court, much more than Diamond Tiara wanted to spend. But it was worth it, she claimed.

“Ah don’t think she knows how, Rarity,” Applejack answered as we all sat down at the table. “But they said to go ahead and order, so, uh, let’s do that. Ah’m starvin’.”

Applejack was always starving, though unlike Rarity she wasn’t any thicker around the middle, probably because of all the calories she burned in her constant magic use. But it wasn’t just because of that. Food was an easy comfort when you’d been through the trauma we had. It helped.

When the server came by, we paused in our conversation long enough to put in our usual orders, then when she walked away I said, “So how’s your sleep been, Applejack? Gotten any better?”

“Ah think so,” Applejack said as she rubbed at the dark circles under her eyes, always present anymore. “Doc gave me some new medicine to try, and it’s been workin’. Least Ah ain’t havin’ as many nightmares about Apple Bloom. What about yours?”

My sigh was all the answer she needed. “I wish. I miss when we were in the hospital in Equestria. At least then Princess Twilight could watch over our dreams and disrupt the nightmares before they got too bad.”

“I never thought I’d miss that place,” Rarity said as she took a sip from her soda. “But you’re right. It certainly was easier.”

None of us had escaped without constant nightmares. Whether it was Applejack flashing back to Apple Bloom dying in her arms, Rarity watching her sister be tortured to death, or me locked in that damned archive room, we all had demons that wouldn’t leave us the hell alone when we tried to sleep. Medicines helped, but I didn’t want to rely too much on them. The execution nightmares were the worst. The ones where for whatever reason I became the blackened, and was sent off to die horribly, usually by fire. It was never the same way, but it happened far too frequently.

And I wasn’t the only one. Diamond Tiara had once privately confessed to me that she suffered from them all the time, dreams about being chased down a corridor by dogs while wearing gold-plated heels glued to the bottoms of her feet, only to be caught and torn apart. She told me she wasn’t sure exactly where that imagery came from, but unlike my dreams it stayed the same every time.

The most frustrating thing was that my magic wasn’t a help at all. Sure, I could go into a mindscape and ignore it all, but I couldn’t sleep like that, and if anything it sometimes made things worse when I did sleep, because my overactive imagination could manifest things that felt far more vivid and real than they had any right to, pain included.

But at least it did help me know when Rarity was suffering, and allowed me to help her out. She needed a lot of help, but I was happy to. Anything I could do to make things easier.

Sometimes I worried she still blamed me, no matter how often she insisted she didn’t.

“So Applejack, didn’t you say you were seeing someone?” I said. “What was her name… Strawberry something?”

Applejack snorted. “Nah, that didn’t go far. Turns out she hated apples. Can you believe that? Who could hate apples?”

Rarity giggled as she took another sip of soda. “You’d think she would’ve gotten the hint from your name.”

Applejack had tried dating plenty of people after divorcing Rarity. Sometimes it worried me, how quickly she went through lovers these days. Like she was desperately trying to fill a hole left in her heart. But when Rarity and I had a talk with her about it, she told us it wasn’t that. She was trying out new experiences, trying to enjoy life now that she had a new lease on it, and meeting lots of people was part of that. I’d been uncertain, but it was Applejack, and it wasn’t like she was lying to us. We would’ve known if she was. Which just made me worry she was lying to herself, but I didn’t press the matter after the first conversation. So long as she was happy with it, and she seemed to be.

I didn’t blame her for it. We all wanted to try and enjoy life, since we’d come so close to death numerous times, and only escaped by the skin of our teeth and the inability of a certain insane filly to properly predict personality interactions.

“So are you seeing anyone new, then?” I asked.

We paused for another moment as the server came by and dropped off our plates. The hot food smell filled my nostrils with the pleasant odor of crisp bread and melted cheese. I dug into my cheese sandwich with gusto, happily dipping it into my tomato soup. It was basic as all hell, but it was comfort, dang it.

After taking a few bites of her steak, Applejack replied, “Nope. But Ah’m sure Ah’ll meet someone eventually. You know me.”

“Why haven’t you given that one person a call, what was her name, Autumn Blaze?” Rarity asked as she took up a forkful of potatoes. “I thought you and her got along splendidly.”

“Ah’ve tried, but she never replied to any of my texts,” Applejack said with a roll of her eyes. “Apparently she had to go back to Qilin for some reason and Ah haven’t heard from her since. Ah hope she’s doin’ okay.”

“I’m sure she’s fine,” I said as I took another bite of my sandwich.

“Ah hope so,” Applejack repeated. Then she paused and reached into her purse, pulling out her phone. “Oh, looks like they’re almost here.”

“Good, I was worried we’d be finished eating before they had a chance to order,” Rarity said.

The doors opened up just as she said that, allowing Scootaloo to walk in. “Hey guys!” she said with a wave as she held open the door. She was wearing a suit, like me, though she was sans tie, and opted for a skirt to go with it rather than slacks. She also wore heels, which was something I still found odd every time I saw her wearing them, no matter how often I saw them. But then, like Applejack, she liked to maintain a low level of magic, just enough to let her occasionally float. That girl liked flying way too much for her own good, it seemed.

Diamond Tiara entered next, her pace slow as she steadily moved forward one step at a time with her cane. She’d opted for a more formal dress than either Rarity or Applejack wore, though she, naturally, didn’t wear heels. She gave us all a big grin when she spotted us. “Heya!”

“Nice ta see ya, Diamond Tiara,” Applejack said with a laugh as she raised her drink to the younger woman. “Lookin’ good with that cane.”

Tiara had taken much longer than we originally expected to walk again, despite Princess Twilight’s original reassurances. She’d been a bit unlucky when it came to the transition between Earth and Equestria back when we were first rescued, and her spine had been more misaligned than first realized. They’d fixed the issue, eventually, but until recently she’d been wheelchair bound. Seeing her walking again was a massive relief, especially because it meant she had a lot less security hanging around her. Princess Twilight had gone a bit overboard with the protection for her, after the riots. More than once she’d complained about how she couldn’t hardly even take a piss without being watched by three different people.

“Sure is nice to have it,” Tiara said as she made her way carefully before sitting down next to Applejack with a loud sigh of relief. “That’s better.”

“Walking still wearing you out?” Rarity said as Scootaloo took a seat.

Tiara shrugged. “Not as much as it did at first, but yeah.” She eyed our food. “That smells good.”

I waved for the server to come over to take their order, who did so with swift efficiency before moving off again. “So what was your mom up to this time?”

“Oh, just the usual bullshit,” Tiara snorted. “She’s still arguing over who gets the yacht. I keep telling Daddy to just let her have it, but, well… he’s stubborn.”

Scootaloo took up Tiara’s hand and gave it a squeeze, in the process turning the ring on her left hand. “Forget about it. We’ve got our friends to focus on right now.”

Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara getting married wasn’t a surprise to any of us when it happened. They’d become fast flames before they got their memories back, and when I restored them it just sped up the process. They’d eschewed a large wedding in favor of a small ceremony, with friends and close family. Scootaloo’s parents had taken the time to return from their usual expeditions in Hosstralia and elsewhere to show up for it, which was nice of them.

Tiara, eyes twinkling, leaned over and gave Scootaloo a peck on the cheek. “Right. So, what’s up with you guys?”

“Well, I’ve been taking on a few new clients lately,” Rarity said as she took another bite of potatoes. “Wealthy elites in Applewood. They want fresh outfits for all sorts of occasions. They’re paying quite a lot of money for it too.”

“Nice,” Scootaloo said. “Glad to hear business is picking back up for you finally.”

Between the recovery from the plane crash following our escape and the amount of time we’d been missing to begin with, Rarity’s business had effectively flushed itself down the toilet. She’d had to more or less start over, thanks to the quick pace of the fashion world, and it had been hard going, especially during the riots, when almost no one wanted to buy a thing from her because of her association with Equestria. Nowadays, however, there were plenty of people with money to burn who wanted a premium outfit from her because they had the misimpression that she used magic in the process of making them, and that somehow made them special. She didn’t, but she didn’t bother to correct them either.

That lack of business was one reason she’d moved into the brownstone with me, referring to it as charmingly rustic. Eventually we’d get a house, but neither of us were that keen on moving out just yet. Change was… hard these days. Familiar surroundings were important.

“It’s certainly kept me busier than I used to be,” Rarity admitted.

“What about you, Sunset?” Scootaloo said. “What’re you doing lately?”

In response, I pulled up something on my phone to hand over. “I’ve started writing a book.”

“Oh wow,” Scootaloo replied as she took a look at what I’d written so far. “It’s… it’s about us, isn’t it? What we went through?”

“It is. Still trying to figure out a title, but I’m sure it’ll come to me eventually,” I said. “I’m… still not sure if I’ll be allowed to publish it when it’s done. Princess Twilight still wants to keep some things secret.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to be writin’ that, sugarcube?” Applejack said with more than a touch of concern on her face. “Ah wouldn’t want you to be makin’ yourself feel worse.”

“I worked this out with my therapist,” I replied as I tucked my phone away. “She said it’s one of the best ways for me to cope with it. Get my feelings out on paper. Besides… I feel like people deserve to hear our story.”

I’d taken a lot to writing since we returned home. Despite being something I only rarely did in the past, as I preferred to draw comics or paint, I found that the written word called my name. Maybe it was easier than drawing, or maybe there was something else to it. But for whatever reason, drawing didn’t interest me the way it used to.

“So are you doing it like an autobiography, or are you writing it like it’s a story?” Diamond Tiara asked as she took a bite of her food.

“Kind of both?” I shrugged. “I’m writing it as a story, but I’m going to include a forward and an afterword, so people understand it’s what really happened. Or at least it’s what I remember happening.”

“Well, Ah guess if you need any help with it you can always ask me,” Applejack muttered before shoving a forkful of steak in her mouth. “Ah remember things pretty well.”

“I know I can’t forget,” Scootaloo admitted, slumping at her chair. “Sometimes I try, but…”

Diamond Tiara set down her fork and hugged her wife. “I don’t think we’ll ever forget, Scootaloo.”

I gave them a couple of moments and then said, “So what’ve you been doing lately, Scoots? Last I heard you were headed back to school.”

“I am,” she answered, happy to be on a different subject. “I’ve decided to go into medicine. I’m going to become a physical therapist.” She glanced over at her wife and smirked. “I’ve had plenty of practical experience.”

“You’re good at it too,” Tiara said as she picked her fork back up. “And I’m not just saying that.”

“That’s quite the career change from what you were doing… before,” I said.

She shrugged as she tucked into her food. “I want to help people. Feel like that’s a lot more meaningful than doing a bunch of scooter tricks or whatever.”

“I’m proud of you for doing it, Scoots,” I said, injecting plenty of sincerity into my tone. “And I’m glad you took a while to think about it too. Rushing decisions like that isn’t good for anyone.”

Scootaloo had spent a great deal of time after we returned home doing little else but caring for Tiara and staying near her. When she’d gotten her memories back, she’d been hit especially hard by the loss of Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, not just because they were friends on the ship, but because of the years of friendship they’d had prior to that. Between that and losing Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy and all our other friends, she was so overwhelmed she could barely process it all. It was enough that I met with her a few months after giving her memories back to offer to wipe them again, or at least make them fuzzy, easier to cope with. She became so angry by my offer, however, that she almost punched me before I managed to calm her down, saying she’d never, ever want to have her memories taken away again. As hard as it was for her to deal with, she said, it was better to know than to have them taken away, and be sad without even knowing why.

And she was right. I apologized for offering, and we made up over drinks. I never brought it up again, and neither did she. But it still took her far longer to get back to something approaching a normal life than it had for the rest of us.

She smiled back at me. “Well, I had a lot of great support from Diamond.”

“You mean, I paid the bills,” Diamond said teasingly.

“Well, I mean, you’ve got to get some use out of all that money, right?” Scootaloo quipped.

Diamond Tiara had been the luckiest among us when it came to finances. Being from wealth carries many privileges, and despite a great deal of her stock portfolio nose-diving into the drink with the collapse of RECL as a company, she’d managed to pull it together and kept herself afloat, thriving even. Certainly luckier than some of us, who’d been close to losing apartments, or who had lost one, in Rarity’s case. Sweet Apple Acres had lost a lot of its profit margins too, and if it weren’t for some generous donations from Diamond, Applejack might’ve lost the farm.

It said a great deal about how Applejack had changed that she didn’t let her pride stop her from accepting the charity when she needed it. Oh, she vowed to pay it back eventually, but we all knew that wasn’t likely to happen, nor would Diamond Tiara ever insist on it. And if Tiara hadn’t done it, Princess Twilight would have, so it was just as well.

And it was nice to know that we had a friend we could all rely on if we lost our jobs or something. Not that I planned to abuse it--I would never--but having the safety net was nice. Helped me cope a little better with some of the struggles. Everything was harder these days. Some days I could barely get myself out of bed. Other days I’d have to practically IV feed myself coffee just to stay awake. But I still managed. Somehow.

“Yeah, yeah,” Diamond said with a low chuckle.

“So Sunset, ya heard anythin’ from Princess Twilight lately, about what’s been goin’ on?” Applejack asked after a few moments of silence passed.

“You mean, with the protests?” At her nod, I continued, “No, not anything new. She’s still in deep negotiation with the U.N., last I heard. They’re finally ironing out where to put the embassy.”

“Well we all knew it would be in Canterlot, since there’s nowhere else it could be,” Rarity said with a roll of her eyes. “I don’t understand what the issue was with that.”

“It’s because Canterlot is on the opposite coast,” Diamond TIara grumbled. “And it’s because most embassies are located in a nation’s capital, and Canterlot isn’t our capital. It’s not even the capital of the state. So there’s a lot of posturing involved.”

“No, I understand that much,” Rarity said. “But how difficult was it for them to understand she couldn’t move the portal’s exit?”

Applejack snorted. “Same as everythin’ else is for them politicians.”

“Actually, I think what helped them decide was that Princess Twilight did figure out a way finally,” I said. “Starswirl’s been working on the problem ever since Equestria made official first contact. He managed to bind it to the statue, but the bind only holds if it stays within a certain range of the statue’s origin, or something like that; the details were beyond me. So they’re going to move the statue into the embassy itself.”

“Oh thank goodness for that,” Scootaloo said, sighing in relief. “I’m sure the kids at Canterlot High are sick of all the security around the main entrance.”

When Princess Twilight first announced Equestria’s existence to the world, it took everything the Canterlot PD had in them to keep things safe at Canterlot High. Crazies from all over the country and beyond flocked to the area, of all stripes. Some of the first riots were started because people were so worried about the ponies “corrupting their children.” It didn’t help that some hate groups had sprung up practically overnight to fan the flames.

Sometimes I swear if it wasn’t for Shining Armor working for the Canterlot PD things would’ve gone far worse than they did. He was the only thing keeping Spitfire on our side, after everything that had happened. When she found out that Twilight had eschewed the secrets only to go public anyway, she was downright apoplectic, ranting for days about how there’d been a pointless waste of lives because Twilight had held off from telling the government from the beginning. She eventually came to an understanding about it, but she was never happy, and interacting with her was a pain at the best of times.

She wasn’t the only one with those feelings. None of the families of those who died were mad at us for surviving; indeed if anything they’d all tried to become closer friends with us. But they were mad with Princess Twilight, for the decisions that, some of them felt, cost unnecessary lives, and a few of them had joined some of the more moderate, reasonable anti-pony groups, the ones that just wanted limited to no contact with Equestria. Most of the others kept out of things. Aria and Sonata were two of the only ones to go pro-pony, but then… they were biased.

“I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be, going to a high school effectively under semi-permanent lockdown,” Rarity nodded.

“You say that every time we bring this subject up, Rarity,” Diamond Tiara pointed out. “We get it already.”

“I… I do?” Rarity paused, her fork held halfway to her lips. “Oh. I suppose I do. Sorry.”

On occasion, we’d all have moments like this. Moments where we’d say something that we’d said countless times, thinking it was the first time. It was some residual after effect of the memory wipes and restoration. Something to do with the neurology of the brain and how memories work that was beyond my understanding. Whatever caused it, it was just another thing we dealt with. Part of life for us now.

“Diamond, come on, don’t be insensitive,” Scootaloo chided gently.

Tiara glared at her wife for a moment before sighing and nodding. “Right, sorry Rarity. Been a stressful day.”

“Has been for all of us, sugarcube,” Applejack said with a sage nod. “Since today’s the anniversary and all.”

“I hate calling it that,” Scootaloo grumbled as she attacked her food. “Makes it sound like it’s something to celebrate.”

“We got off that ship, didn’t we?” I pointed out as I finished off the last bite of my sandwich. “That’s worth celebrating.”

Scootaloo looked up at me, her eyes full of pain. “I… I know, but… I miss them, Sunset. And it’s, it’s not easy dealing with them being gone, especially today of all days.”

“Don’t think of it as missing them, darling,” Rarity said with a reassuring smile. “Think of it as celebrating who they were to us. Their memory. The friendships we had, they live on with us.”

“And we’re doin’ everythin’ we can to honor that memory,” Applejack added.

“I know you’re both right,” Scootaloo replied as she stared back down at her plate. “Doesn’t make it any easier though.”

Despite that grim comment, we managed to carry on a bit more friendly meandering conversation until we’d all finished up with the food. “Welp,” Applejack said, patting her stomach. “Ah think it’s about time we get over there.”

“We’ll meet you there,” Diamond Tiara said as she stood up with Scootaloo’s help. “Going to make a quick pit stop first.”

Rarity and I said a temporary farewell while we headed for our car. Traffic was much lighter on our way to the edge of town, where the cemetery we’d chosen lay, but that was why we chose it. We didn’t want one of the larger cemeteries, where there’d be visitors all the time potentially messing with the memorial. This was a small one, not too many buried here save for family of long-time locals.

Thus there was no one around when Rarity and I arrived first. Applejack pulled in right behind us and parked her truck nearby, while our security detail kept their distance. We waited patiently for Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo, and only once they’d joined us did we head through the gates as a group.

The burial plot chosen was near the far edge of the cemetery, far away from the other plots. It was a large one too, but it needed to be, for the size of memorial we’d chosen. I still remembered the first time we gathered here, in front of this tombstone. It had been commissioned and paid for with contributions from the families of everyone who’d been aboard the ship, and then further reinforced and enchanted by Princess Twilight personally to stand the test of time. The materials involved were expensive, but well worth the results. It was made of fancy jasper, cut from various slabs seamlessly blended together in a gorgeous earth-tone rainbow. And it bore the names and cutie marks of all eleven victims of the killing game, alphabetically. Each one was read off by the family member or person closest to the deceased, who also took the time to make a speech for them.

I had to speak for Trixie, since we never found her father. Not that I’d stop trying. I was going to bring him the news about his daughter sooner or later, come hell or high water.

Then once we’d finished with all the speeches, the five of us survivors got together and sang a song Scootaloo and Applejack had written, while Rarity, Applejack and I played our instruments for it, as the last hurrah of the Rainbooms. It was a fitting tribute, but after it was all over, all I could think was that I wish we hadn’t had to have done any of it, that those eleven souls ought to still be with us here today.

I was asked once, by Princess Twilight, if I ever regretted leaving Cozy behind, when she tried her last minute apology. My answer was and always will be a single word: no.

The five of us had dedicated ourselves to biweekly meetups ever since. Oh we saw each other more frequently than even that, between going to visit our therapists in Equestria, our respective lines of work, and just plain old hanging out, but we made sure to make the time to meet every two weeks. Sometimes at the restaurant where we ate, sometimes at one of the local bars, and sometimes at Sugarcube Corner, but we always met up. And we’d sworn to come visit the gravesite once a year, every year, together.

So here we were, as we approached the tombstone. Just seeing it brought tears to my eyes, even now. The pain was still fresh, despite the passage of time.

Scootaloo was the first to step forward, carrying with her a bouquet of yellow roses. She knelt before the stone, set the bouquet down before it, then pressed her hand against it. “Hey there, guys,” she said, her voice shaking. “Been a while. I keep meaning to come by but, it’s hard to find the time, with everything we have to do these days. But I wanted to let you know you’re always in my thoughts. I miss you guys. Wherever you ended up, after, after the end there, I hope you’re okay. I love you. All of you. Very much.”

She then knelt her head against the rock, brought up her hands, and whispered a few prayers. Scootaloo had become more spiritual, in the past year, more than she used to be. Following in her aunt’s footsteps with their beliefs.

When she finished, she helped Diamond Tiara approach the tombstone next. Diamond opted to stand rather than risk falling over and hurting herself kneeling at it. “Hey everyone,” she said quietly. “Like Scootaloo said, been a long time. I’m doing a lot better than I used to. I can walk again, see?” She held up her cane and tapped it against the tombstone. “I’ve been keeping busy, but I think about you guys a lot. I still wish I’d gotten to know some of you better, while we were on the ship. I know I was a bit… bossy, let’s put it that way. And sure, I got my memories back--we all did--but that just made me realize how distant I was from most of you. Even though I’ve got good friends now, I… wish I’d been able to make more, when I had the chance. I do have one bit of good news. I’ve started up a new charity for animals around town, to help fund the veterinary shelters. I’ve named it in your honor, Fluttershy; I hope that’s okay. Take care.”

She and Scootaloo made room for Applejack next, who got down on both knees and whispered a quick prayer. “Apple Bloom, Ah can’t tell you enough how much Ah still miss you. Ah know Ah try to come by every once in a while, but it keeps feelin’ longer and longer between each visit now. It ain’t cause Ah don’t love you, Ah’m sure you know that. It’s just ‘cause life’s been keepin’ us so busy. ‘Course Ah wanna pass along Big Mac and Granny’s love too. As for the rest of y’all, don’t worry, Ah’m here for you too. Ah miss you all very much. Sometimes Ah still think of a funny joke Ah wanna share with you, Pinkie, or find mahself itchin’ to challenge you to some kind of race or somethin’, Dash. Ah… Ah just plain miss ya, and Ah hope you’re restin’ easy.”

Applejack backed away, sniffling as tears ran down her face. “Ah… Ah need to go sit down, excuse me,” she said as she headed back for her truck.

“Yeah, us too, honestly,” Scootaloo said, scratching the back of her head. “Is that okay?”

“Go ahead,” Rarity said, waving them along. She waited to approach the tombstone herself till they were a bit aways. Only then did she collapse in front of it.

“Sweetie Belle,” she said without preamble. “I… I still regret some of the harsh things I said to you, near the end. I wanted to let you know, I forgave you your mistakes a long time ago. Forgiveness is, well, it’s pretty important to me.” She held up her hand, allowing a few sparkles of magic light to dance along it before waving them away. “I hope you can forgive me too, for saying the things I did. I know you never would’ve tried to hurt Sunset if you had your memories. She and I are getting married, by the way. She asked me last month, and I said yes. I love her very much, just as I will always love you. I expect we’ll be very happy together. And, as for the rest of you… I don’t even know where to begin on how much I miss you all. Just trust that I do, and that you are forever in my thoughts.”

She backed away from the tombstone. I thought she might break down crying, but she didn’t. Her face was dry as she walked over and gave me a tight squeeze. “Would you like a moment alone with them, darling?”

“Please,” I said, nodding. She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and then walked away. I stepped forward and ran my hand along the stone, feeling the jasper, the little bits and pieces smooth as the day it was carved. I traced my fingers along each name on the list, remembering the little things that happened with each of them, then stopped on Adagio. “Hey there, Adagio. Hope you’ve been getting along with the others. I know it probably isn’t easy, especially between you and Trixie, but, well, I’m sure you can find a way. Can you believe I ended up with Rarity? I still can’t. Feels like a dream sometimes, but it’s a good one. Trixie, I’m still looking for your dad. I’ll find him eventually.”

I went quiet for a few moments, then said, “I still blame myself. I know I shouldn’t. I know all the if onlys and should haves and so on are pointless, because it wasn’t my fault I was used. But I still blame myself. I, I know I was trying to act to save people when I did it, but it was still me who sent many of you to your deaths. It was me, indirectly, that caused many of your deaths. I feel responsible, and I always will, no matter what my therapist or Rarity or anyone else says.

“But I’m also not going to let that hold me back. I know none of you would want that for me.You wouldn’t want me to wallow in misery or get lost in my own depression. It’s really hard, some days, but I keep moving on. I keep moving forward. In some ways… I’m living life for all of you, who were stolen from us. On your behalf.

“I’m writing our story, by the way. I know our families know what we went through, but no one else does. Our story deserves to be told. I think you’d all like that, to be remembered that way. I know it might make a few of you look a bit bad, but I’ll try to minimize that.” I let out a sheepish laugh at the thought.

“There’s so much I want to say to each of you, so many things. I could be here for hours, talking and talking, but… I think you all know what I really want to say, what I really mean, when you boil it down. I love you. Each and every single one of you, I love you, and I always will. Goodbye, my friends.”

As I stepped away from the tombstone, I let my eyes drift back to it, one final time, to read the epitaph. It was only as I read it that I realized the title for my story was there, had been there all along. It was perfect.

“Dedicated to the memory of the eleven friends who were lost at sea during the month of August, 2020. Though their journeys carried them far in life, they have passed into the great beyond. They will be forever loved, and be forever missed. May they rest forever peacefully in harmony’s wake.”

Author's Note

And so we close the door on this story, and oh what a magnificent journey it has been. I cannot stress enough how glad I am not only to have been able to write this for you, but to finish it for you all. :heart:

Thank you everyone who read the story, who commented, who favorited, and who enjoyed it. Thank you all so much for your support and for your continued interest. Especially thank you to those of you who were not turned off by crossover tag and tuned in anyway, whether it was for the Sunsagio, for the emotional writing, or any other reason. I know it's such a niche audience, this type of crossover, but I appreciate every last one of you. If you've reached this point and you haven't let me know your thoughts in any comments before, please, let me know what you thought. I promise I won't bite. :twilightsheepish:

Another warm thank you must be extended to Rainstorm Riddles, for her excellent work in helping me make sure the last portions of the story turned out as well as they did.

This epilogue, like any story, leaves open questions, questions that may or may not be answered by a follow up story. I don't want to promise it now, only to fail to deliver, but should it arrive, I hope it will be just as enjoyable as this one was.

Farewell, my friends. Once again: thank you.

Chapter Four: Passing in the Night Part 4

Chapter Four:
Passing in the Night
Daily Life Part 4

I scurried my way down to the go-kart course, finding the others already engaged in a race. Karts whizzed by me at incredible speeds, making me glad there was no dust or dirt to stir up. As it turned out, the few who weren’t racing were sitting spread out in the bleachers, so I wandered over to return Diamond Tiara’s key to her first. “There you are,” she groaned as she slipped it into her pocket. “What took you so long?”

“I was talking with her,” I shrugged. “Had some things to say.”

“Huh. Don’t know what else anyone would have to say to a murderous psychopath like her,” Tiara sneered, glaring at me. Then her sneer faded away. “But that’s your business.”

“She’s not a psychopath, Tiara,” I growled back. “She made a mistake. A horrible mistake. But she regrets it.”

“Oh I’m sure she does,” Tiara retorted with a snort. “I’d regret it too if I got locked up. Just forget about her. She betrayed your friendship. Not worth your time.”

“She’s still my friend,” I grumbled, but I decided this argument wasn’t worth it. So I stomped over to the equipment rental stand. Or, as it turned out, the purchase stand, because apparently the stuff was ours to keep. So I picked out a few pieces of equipment, including the knee pads, shoulder pads, and helmet that were required, and then filled in a block of time for the go-kart. It bleeped a message at me about waiting for the current race to be over, so I took my equipment and sat back down, taking the time to strap it on.

The current race soon ended, with Rainbow Dash blitzing past Flash Sentry in a photo finish, followed close behind by Adagio, with Scoolaoo bringing up the rear. I noticed with interest that as soon as they crossed the finish line the engines died out, and a guideline dipped down from the ceiling to attach to the upraised hook on each kart, safely guiding it to a parked position.

“Wooo! Awww yeah!” Rainbow Dash whooped as she emerged from her red kart. “That’s the second win in a row for me!”

“Dang it, last again!” Scootaloo groaned, doubling over in frustration from her seat in her yellow kart. “I keep running into the barrier on that one turn.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it, squirt,” Rainbow Dash said, slapping the younger woman on her back. “You’ll get it eventually.” She looked up and spotted me. “There you are, Sunset! What the heck took you so long?”

“Sorry, I apologized as I came onto the track, waiting patiently for the garage to dispense a kart for me. “I had a long talk with Trixie.”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “Dunno what for, but hey, I get it. She was your friend. I might feel the same way if I were in your shoes.”

Flash stepped out of his green kart and took a moment to clear his throat. The poor guy was still clad in his arctic coat, despite the obvious sheen of sweat on his brow. “H-hey,” he said, grinning at me, his voice still hoarse. “You gonna join us for the next race?”

“She’d better,” Adagio said as she emerged from her purple kart, sauntering up to me and slapping an arm around my shoulder. “I want to see if she’s all talk or if she’s as good at racing as she is… elsewhere.”

My face turned beet red as everyone burst into laughter at the implications of that. “Adagio…” I grumbled, rolling my eyes in exasperation. Funny how assertive she’s become with our relationship in public since we were outed. “Yeah, I’m going to race.”

Just in the nick of time, my kart rolled out of the garage, lining up with the others. A robotic voice called out overhead, “The race is about to begin. All racers, please enter your karts.”

"By the way," I said, reaching into my pocket and placing her knife in her hand. "Here's your knife back."

"And here I thought you'd let Trixie keep it," Adagio purred.

I separated from my siren lover and made my way to my kart, slipping inside easily. It was small, quite the tight fit, though there was enough room for me to set something under my legs if I needed to, like a water bottle or two. I made sure to buckle in the safety belt, strapped over both shoulders and locked in tight. I felt for the gas and brake pedals with my feet, finding them perfectly positioned. The electric motors thrummed under me, a pleasant vibration that brought forth familiar feelings from days spent zooming around on my bike.

It didn't have quite the same feel as my motorcycle. There was no scent of gasoline, no thin seat under my butt. My legs were laid out rather than hanging down. But it was close enough to provide a sense of freedom that had been sorely lacking as of late. Even if I was limited to a track. And could only race for so long. And was limited in how fast I could go by the electrical motor.

… damn it. It wasn’t freeing at all, was it?

Well hopefully it would still be fun. I gunned the engine, and while it didn’t make the roaring sound my motorcycle might, it still thrummed harder. A savage grin split my face as I gripped my steering wheel, raring to go.

“3!”

“2!”

“1!”

“Go!”

With a controlled burst of speed I surged ahead of the group, passing by Flash and Rainbow on the initial curve. Thanks to the linear acceleration and lack of gear switching I was free to concentrate on my steering alone. It took me a moment to get a feel for the kart. To my delight it turned not just on the proverbial dime, but even tighter, bending around the corners in a way I could only wish my motorcycle would manage. A digital speedometer on the otherwise blank dashboard kept track of my speed, in miles per hour. Forty. Fifty. I managed to get it up to sixty even on the straightaway, though as I did so Rainbow Dash came surging from behind, laughing that raspy laugh of hers as she passed me by.

My savage grin only grew as I poured my effort into the next set of turns, dancing and wheeling around the others like a ballerina on the stage, all elegance and grace with not a hint of real danger. At one point I brushed by within barest inches of Adagio’s wheels, narrowly cutting between her and Scootaloo to catch back up with Rainbow Dash at the head. The smell of rubber and the rich sound of wheels on asphalt cut through the air, filling me with a thrilling sense of glee I hadn’t felt since we’d arrived on this cruise ship.

As we neared the final turn, I banked around the corner, taking it tighter than even Rainbow Dash dared. I scooted right by her and shoved my gas pedal to the metal, accelerating as fast as possible towards the finish line. I could see Rarity and Applejack cheering me on in the stands. Rainbow Dash came in close behind, but our karts had identical performance. There was nothing she could do to catch up, not now. I passed by the final line, the flag waving, the robotic voice declaring the “pink driver” the winner as my kart scooted to a stop.

“Holy shit, Sunset!” Rainbow Dash cried as she leapt out of her kart, running over with a mixed expression of awe and irritation crossing her face. She held up a hand for a high five. “You weren’t kidding, were you?”

I slapped my hand against hers, laughing as the afterglow of triumph washed through me. “Nope,” I said with a well deserved smug smirk. “I warned you.”

“You almost ran me off the track though,” Scootaloo said, shivering as she left her kart. She headed for the stands straight away, clutching herself. “That was too scary for me!”

“Sorry,” I said, smiling sheepishly. “Sounds like you need to take a break.”

Adagio, her mouth twisted into a deep frown, strode up to me from her cart and jammed her finger into my chest. “You, Sunset, are certifiably insane!” She threw her arms around me and squeezed me tight. “Don’t scare me like that!”

I held her back, repressing a desire to laugh. “Hey, you wanted to see if I was all talk. And I’m not.”

“Hmph. I guess not,” Adagio muttered, withdrawing from the hug. One corner of her mouth turned up in a brief half-smile. “Guess I’ll just have to race you again.”

“Count me in,” Flash said, grinning at me. “I underestimated you, Sunset.”

“No kidding,” Rainbow Dash said, waving her arms. “No way am I leaving it there. Let’s go again!”

We hopped back into our cars and got ready for a second race. Having proved my point with the initial race, I didn’t feel the need to take this one as seriously. I still breezed past Flash, who was taking it easy, and Rainbow Dash, who’d clipped a corner with her wheel juuust enough to slow herself down and let Adagio and I overtake her. It was the two of us neck and neck for the final stretch, but just like with the first race, I took the final corner on the inside, and Adagio didn’t have a prayer. I blew past the finish line with plenty of space between her and me, an easy victory.

“Jeez, Sunset, you don’t let up, do you?” Flash laughed.

“No, she doesn’t,” Adagio grumbled, though the grin on her face gave away her real feelings.

Rainbow Dash stumbled out of her kart, taking a few missteps here and there before shaking her head to clear it. “Woah. I gotta be more careful.”

“Are you okay, Dash?” I asked, stepping over and holding up three fingers. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

She snickered and brushed my hand aside. “Three. I’m fine. Just a bit dizzy. I didn’t hit my head. I’ve taken harder knocks than that being dumped on the mat at the dojo. Cmon, let’s go again!”

We went around the track a good four more times, but every time the result was the same. Sometimes it was Flash in second, sometimes Dash, but I was always in first. No one else seemed to want to take that last corner as tight as I did, and I didn’t blame them, It was an outright hairpin turn, almost a flat 180 degrees. You could easily hurt yourself badly if you clipped the wall too tight.

“Okay, okay, I give up!” Rainbow Dash declared, holding up her hands in surrender. “I can’t beat you. I don’t think any of us can.”

I brushed off my shoulders and struck the smuggest pose I could think of, with my hands on my hips and the biggest shit-eating grin I’ve ever had plastered on my face. “Was there ever any doubt?”

“Yes,” Adagio quipped dryly, glaring at me. “Yes, there was.”

“Alright, alright, why don’t we all take a break for lunch, and then we can go start up the hockey game in a few hours. Say around 5:00?” Rainbow Dash suggested, looking at her Monopad.

I glanced at my own to see the time. Wow. 2:00 PM already. No wonder I’m hungry. I’d better make sure to get Trixie her books soon too. I can pick those up on the way back.

“Well if you’re going to lunch,” Tiara said, stopping me as I left the track, “you can go feed Trixie. Since she’s still your friend and all.” She slapped the key in my hand with a grimace.

“Sure thing,” I said with a frown. “You okay, Tiara?”

“Oh, just fine, just fine,” Tiara muttered, waving me off. “Go, go. I want to be alone right now.”

“Uh, okay then,” I shrugged.

I parted ways with Adagio, telling her I’d meet up for lunch in a bit, then scurried to the library. I swiftly picked out a few different books I thought Trixie would like, some high fantasy and one science fantasy novel, making sure to sign the log with my name. Then I went and grabbed her some lunch, stopping by my cabin on the way back to grab her father’s book. “Hey Trixie,” I said, knocking on the door. “I’m here with lunch.”

I unlocked the door and went in, closing it behind me. Trixie was wearing a fresh set of clothes, her hair neatly brushed, and on the whole she looked far better than she had this morning. Her dirty clothes were crumpled up in a large plastic bag in one corner of the room. “Hello, Sunset,” she said with a small smile.

“Hey.” I set her tray down on the desk, then rummaged through my backpack. “I brought the books, like I said I would. Including this one.” I handed her Jackpot’s book.

She took it carefully, like it was a puppy or an infant, and cradled it in her arms. One corner of her mouth turned up in a half smile, her nose wrinkling from the frown on the other side. She stroked the cover, her eyes dancing across it with a flurry of emotions. “I wonder what he’d think of Trixie now.”

“Well, we won’t find out if we stay here,” I said, pulling out her chair and gesturing at it. “You should sit and eat.” I set the other books I got her on the bed. “Hopefully these’ll keep you happy for a while.”

Trixie tucked into her food, chowing it down with the enthusiasm of a teenage boy, or in other words, slightly less ravenously than she had this morning. She still finished it pretty darn quick. While she ate, I gave her a quick rundown on what had happened with the group, especially last night and this morning, prior to the motive meeting. “So everyone’s getting along now. I think we have a decent shot of beating Monoponi’s motive this time.”

“Trixie hopes so.” Trixie stared down at her empty tray, her expression glum. “Though it sounds like none of them will ever trust Trixie again.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” I said, frowning. “It’s going to take a lot of time. If I can, I’ll try and get them to be okay with letting you out of here. But that might take a few days.”

“No, it’s okay, Trixie would rather stay in here.” Trixie wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. “Trixie is worried one of them might try to kill her, otherwise.”

Yeah, me too. Luckily I think the only ones who’d do that aren’t the ones with keys. “Okay. So long as you’re sure, then. I’d better get going. I promised Adagio I’d eat lunch with her.”

“Okay,” Trixie said, waving as I took her tray. “Bye.”

I left the room, making sure to lock it back up, and headed back to the food court, dropping off Trixie’s tray in the process. As I joined everyone at lunch, I noticed a few of them, Applejack, Rainbow, and Flash in particular, giving me some nasty glares. “Ah heard from Rainbow you’ve been hangin’ out with Trixie,” Applejack said without preamble.

“I’ve been talking with her, if that’s what you mean,” I said as I sat down next to Adagio. “She’s feeling a lot of remorse and regret for what she’s done. She wishes she hadn’t done it.”

“Well wishes aren’t going to bring back Twilight,” Flash grunted as he dipped his spoon into his soup. I noticed he’d been eating nothing but soup lately.

“Trixie’s still my friend,” I insisted, refusing to back down from their stares even as they intensified. “I haven’t forgiven her for what she’s done either, but I’m still going to look out for her.”

Rainbow Dash snorted, and casually flipped me off with her left hand while stuffing a sandwich in her mouth with the other. “Whatever, Sunset. She’ll never be my friend though. Don’t expect us to like her.” She glanced at her left hand, choked on her food then retracted her finger. She dashed a quick splash of water down her throat then said, “Whoops, sorry. That, uh, that was meant for Trixie. Not you.”

“I figured,” I grumbled, taking a bite of my own food. “I’m not asking for you to be her friend, or to like her. If I want to talk to her though, that’s my business.”

“Well, I for one think it’s a good thing you’re trying to repair your friendship,” Rarity said, smiling at me. She let out a quiet sigh and leaned against Applejack, snuggling into the farmer’s shoulder. “I suppose if you’re able to find it in your heart to try, perhaps I should do the same. I did quite like the dear before… well.”

Applejack frowned at Rarity and pulled away from her, leaving Rarity letting out a quiet whine. “Ah’d prefer if you didn’t do that Rarity. Because the way Ah see it, Trixie don’t deserve much mercy. Ah ain’t sayin’ I’d string her up or nothin’, but Ah wouldn’t be too sad if she went to jail forever. And Ah’m not sure she deserves regular visits neither.”

Rarity shot Applejack a dark glare, but said nothing, and quietly scooted over further away from the farmer.

“Seriously,” Tiara seconded, and I almost choked on my own food hearing her second something Applejack said, even if they were getting along now. “She murdered Pinkie in cold blood. Why are you wasting your time on her?”

“Because she only did that because of this killing game!” I shouted, slamming my fist down on the table, knocking over several open drinks in the process. “She never would have done that otherwise. For pete’s sake, you guys, you’re making her sound like some kind of serial killer!”

Flash groaned, stumbled over to one of the restaurant stands and got a pile of napkins, bringing them over to help cleanup what I’d just spilled. “Sunset, you need to calm down,” he grunted. “Yelling at us won’t help.”

“Especially not over Trixie,” Scootaloo seconded, glaring at me as she assisted him. “Haven’t we done enough fighting, already?”

Adagio set a hand on my shoulder, gripping it firmly, but not uncomfortably. “She’s right,” she whispered into my ear. “You should listen.”

I twitched at her touch, breathing heavily, trying to calm my now racing heart. “R-right,” I muttered after a moment or two. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted.” I stood up and grabbed my own pile of napkins. “Here, let me help.”

We got the mess cleaned up in a hurry and everyone’s drinks replaced. Not for the first time I was grateful that we didn’t have to spend a dime on any of what we ate or drank. I’d be pissed at someone if I spent ten bucks on a drink only to have it be wasted. I shouldn’t say anything about it though. I don’t want to give Monoponi any awful ideas.

“So, we’re still up for hockey later, right?” Rainbow Dash asked once we’d all sat back down. “Flash, me, and the squirt versus you, Adagio, and Applejack.”

Applejack glanced at Rarity, eyes narrowed into slits when she saw the daggers fired her way. She sniffed and pointedly looked away. “Ah guess Ah can do that. I’m not sure Ah really know the rules though. Ah’ve never been a fan of hockey. Ah prefer football.”

“It’s not that hard,” Dash said, and proceeded to give a basic explanation. “There’s only going to be three of us, so one of us’ll have to be the goalkeeper, and the other two will be the defense and offense. We can ignore a few of the rules, like being offsides, because there’s so few of us. We might need a referee though. Hey, Rares, you--”

“Oh, no, darling, I don’t think so,” Rarity said, holding up a hand to stop her. “I think I’d rather spend the evening alone.” With one last glare at Applejack, Rarity rose out of her seat and strode off.

“Fine!” Applejack called after her. “Ah didn’t want your support anyway.”

A quiet sense of shame filled me. I picked at my food, not paying much attention as Rainbow Dash negotiated for Tiara to be the referee instead. Damn it. So much for them getting along.

We finished our lunches in a hurry and agreed to meet up at about 4:40 or so to get our equipment for the hockey game before starting it. Meanwhile, Adagio and I decided to wander down to the Pegasus experience wind tunnels to give them a try. “Am I the only one who’s worried?” Adagio asked me as we stopped by the shop to fetch the necessary equipment.

“No,” I answered glumly. “I’m worried too. It seemed like everyone was getting along. Was.”

“Exactly,” Adagio said, frowning so deeply her brow creased up like an old woman’s. “This is just like the pool party. Or the magic show. Something’s going to go wrong tonight. I can feel it.”

I looked up at her. “Are you afraid someone’s going to give in to Monoponi’s motive?”

“It’s a tempting one,” Adagio admitted, rubbing at her chin. “I can think of a lot someone could do with a political favor like he’s offering.”

“Me too, but I’m hoping no one will give in,” I argued as we carried our collected equipment into the changing room. “We’ve all got too much to lose. You and me are together, Rainbow and Flash are best buddies, Applejack and Rarity are…fighting, but I doubt it’d be enough for them to kill each other over… Scootaloo’s got a big crush on Rainbow Dash and she gets so mad when someone dies I can’t ever see her hurting someone else.”

“But Diamond Tiara. You didn’t mention Diamond Tiara,” Adagio pointed out as she donned her bodysuit. “Or Trixie.”

“Trixie’s locked up, Adagio. She can’t hurt anyone,” I growled, a bit of fiery anger coursing through my veins. I clenched my fists then let them relax, trying to work it out of my system. “And Diamond Tiara, she… I’m pretty sure she won’t kill anyone. Ever.”

Adagio’s eyebrows shot to the top of her head. “Why?”

I glanced around me, making sure no one was listening, before leaning in to whisper, “Because I’m pretty sure she’s the traitor.”

“What?” Adagio paused in the process donning the rest of her equipment to give me a look of disbelief. “What makes you think that? Her secret didn't say she was the traitor. If anyone's the traitor, it's Rainbow Dash. We didn't learn her secret, remember?"

"No, but..." I frowned, my brow creasing as I thought about this. "Something about the way Monoponi talked about the secrets makes me worried we misunderstood something about them. Like, there's a hidden meaning."

"Or," Adagio countered with a snort, "you're overthinking things. I don't like or trust Tiara, but she's not the one whose secret we didn't learn."

"I know that, Adagio. But I can't see Rainbow Dash being the traitor. She's too... loyal."

"Loyal." Adagio rolled her eyes. "Really? That's your excuse? She's too loyal?"

"Well she is!" I held up my Monopad and tabbed over to Fluttershy's profile, showed it to her, then pulled up Flash's and showed her that too. "Look, she was attached to the hip with Fluttershy, always supporting her, always had her back until Shy died. Now she's doing the same thing with Flash. And you saw how she reacted when she thought she killed Pinkie. I just can't see it."

Adagio shook her head and sighed. "That's the pony in you, Sunset. Always seeing the good parts of people, never wanting to see the bad."

"Is that so wrong?"

"No, it's not." Adagio finished putting on her equipment, then looked at me. "You know, if you are right about Tiara, it would explain a lot."

“It would,” I agreed. “It might also explain something she said once, a while back. I don’t think anyone else heard her at the time.”

“What’s that?”

I finished putting on my own equipment and we headed back out to request the time slot. “Remember how, during Apple Bloom’s trial, when I accused Sweetie Belle, everyone thought it would have been Diamond Tiara? And how she said she’d never kill anyone just because she didn’t like them?”

Adagio ran her Monopad on the scanner and dialed up a session in the right wind tunnel. “I remember. What about it?”

“Well, she said something right after that,” I said as I ran my own Monopad. “I was looking right at her, and I only noticed because I saw her lips move. She whispered, ‘I’d make someone else do it.’”

“And you think she was talking about being the traitor?”

“Well, yeah, I do,” I said, frowning as we approached our respective wind tunnels. “She wouldn’t shut up about me being the traitor, like she was trying to deflect blame. And then the very next day she completely flipped around and has since acted like she’s been my friend all along. She’s been provoking us, Adagio. She’s been keeping us tense, angry. Just watch. She’s going to do something as referee during the hockey game. I’m sure of it.”

Adagio said something in response, but I didn’t hear her, because the hooks came down to attach to us and the wind tunnels started up. I spread out my arms and legs as the sheer solid wave of gale force winds thrust me upwards, like I was floating in the sky. I surged up and up until I reached the top of the tunnel. I realized I could see out onto the deck of the ship from there. The tunnels poked up on the deck on the other side of the bridge tower. I could see the very bow of the ship, complete with an observation deck, and another outdoor lounge similar to the one we had access to.

I also became very aware I was floating dozens of feet in the air, with little holding me up save for fans and a safety hook. I squeezed my eyes shut and tensed my whole body, waiting for the panic to set in. The flashes of memory. The mistakes. The fear and pain, when I transformed into that demon.

But they didn’t come. I blinked, let my body relax, and floated. Nothing entered my mind, save an odd feeling of peace. Okay, yes, the fans were loud and blowing my hair constantly, leaving it fluttering like a tarp in a hurricane, and yet somehow it was just as relaxing as the spa, in its own way. Maybe I’ve got less on my mind weighing me down than I realized. Or maybe I’m just going insane, and the hot air of bullshit I’m spewing at myself is what’s keeping me from falling.

I’m barely hanging on, it feels like. The go-kart race, the hockey game, this wind tunnel, these are all just distractions. Pointless distractions. No one’s doing any better than I am. Just look at Rarity, for example. She’s clinging to Applejack because she’s chasing the shadow of a memory of a marriage she never knew she had. Applejack’s obviously not much better, judging by how easily she gets angry at her. If they don’t get their memories back, their relationship is going to crash and burn so bad it’ll make a train wreck look like two kids colliding in a shopping mall.

Flash and Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, are hanging onto each other for support so much I’m worried they’ll become codependent. And Flash must be sick with something. No idea what, but if he’s gotten sick, that’s deeply worrying. We might all get sick, Monoponi’s intended motive or not.

I can’t get a bead on Scootaloo. She follows after Rainbow Dash like a lovesick puppy, or a fangirl, but other than that, ever since Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle died she’s kept to herself. Like she can’t connect with the rest of us, since we’re all older than she is. She seems fine, but maybe I should spend some time with her, just to make sure she’ll be okay. We don’t need another drug addict.

God. If any of us get out of here alive we’ll be in therapy for the rest of our lives.

Before I knew it, the winds died down, letting us float safely to the ground. I unhooked myself from the safety and left the tube. “You know, I don’t think I need to do that again,” I said to Adagio. “Once was enough.”

“Agreed,” Adagio said, grimacing. “It wasn’t anything like what I remembered of flying.”

“I don’t remember much of flying in Equestria,” I admitted as we went back to the changing room. “Mostly riding around on pegasi-pulled chariots. ...aand the one time I turned into a demon.”

“A demon?” Adagio snorted, a smile spreading on her face. “What, more of a demon than usual?”

“Haha,” I said dryly. I held up a hand to stave off further questions. “Don’t ask the details. I don’t remember them and trying’ll knock me out again.”

Adagio and I continued to make small talk to pass the time while waiting for the hockey game. We met up with the others at the ice rink around 4:45, and we all lined up in turn to get our ice skates. Luckily finding a good pair that fit was easy for all of us, so it didn’t take long. Rainbow Dash made sure to get the hockey equipment for everyone, including masks, and I brought along my helmet and knee and shoulder pads from the go-kart track.Almost everyone was here, save for Rarity and Trixie.

Once we’d gathered our equipment together, and spent a couple minutes acclimating to our ice skates, Rainbow Dash dialed up a request for the hockey goals to drop. They descended from the ceiling and settled in place. Lights underneath the rink switched on, altering the lines on the rink to correspond with hockey’s marking requirements. “Okay, Flash, you should be goalie for our team. Scootaloo and I’ll handle offense and defense.”

“Ah guess Ah’ll be goalie for us, if you don’t mind, Sunset,” Applejack said.

“Okay, get in places, people,” Diamond Tiara ordered. “Don’t forget: we’re not counting the offsides rule.” She set down a hockey puck in the center, and pulled out a whistle she’d gotten from the sporting goods store. Skating out of our way, she placed the whistle in her mouth and blew it, hard. “Go!”

With a swift slap of my stick I reached out for the puck, trying to get it before Rainbow Dash had it. I just barely managed to pass it along to Adagio, who smoothly skated around Scootaloo and knocked the puck back my way. I skated forward to take the puck only to be body checked out of the way by Rainbow Dash, who cackled as she passed the puck over to Scootaloo. I fell to one knee, grateful for the protection of the pad as I used my hockey stick to stand back up.

Adagio chased after Scootaloo, who used her smaller stature to her advantage, speeding along like a drag racer as she made her way towards Applejack. Applejack, for her part, stood ready to intercept the puck. I sped after them as well only to be intercepted by Rainbow Dash, who kept blocking my way, keeping me from interfering.

Scootaloo slammed the puck with full force directly at Applejack, who intercepted it just in time with her hand, knocking it back down to the ice. Adagio gracefully took it right up and passed it my way, the distraction just enough for me to elbow Rainbow Dash so I could take the puck this time.

Together, Adagio and I made quick work getting to Flash, leaving Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash scurrying in our wake trying to catch up. I passed the puck over to Adagio with a quick slap of my stick, and she used it to set up a goal shot, firing it like a rocket. Flash, despite his name, had no chance of stopping it in time. With a loud fwheet! of her whistle, Diamond Tiara called out, “Goal! One zip!”

“Aww man!” Scootaloo and Flash groaned in unison.

“Nice one, Adagio!” I cheered as we went back to our starting positions.

“Don’t expect your lead to last long,” Rainbow Dash said with a confident smirk, though I caught her rubbing at her stomach where I’d hit her.

“We’ll see,” I replied, smirking in turn.

Tiara dropped off the puck, and away we went for the second round. Rainbow Dash quickly took hold of the puck this time, skating around me more aggressively and cutting me off with her hockey stick anytime I closed the distance before suddenly slapping the puck over to Scootaloo. Adagio attempted to intercept but it sailed right between her legs, and Scootaloo immediately took a shot at the goal. This time Applejack missed it, and Tiara blew on her whistle again. “One-one!” she declared.

“Haha, awesome!” Dash said, exchanging a quick high five with Scootaloo.

Scootaloo beamed under the praise as if she’d never been more proud of herself in her life. “All in the wrist,” she quipped.

We took our places again, and kept going back and forth like this. By the end of the first period, we were tied at four each. We settled down on the bleachers for a well-deserved break, setting our masks aside, though most of us kept the rest of our safety equipment on. I was panting and sweating buckets despite the cold air in the rink, and greedily slurped all the water I had as quickly as I could swallow it. We’d settled on only two periods for our game, so we’d have to play harder if we wanted to beat them. And I wanted to. The drive, the pride instilled in me by my pre-redemption self would settle for no less. I don’t lose.

To my surprise I saw Rarity enter the ice rink during our break. She stepped cautiously and carefully over to Diamond Tiara, deliberately ignoring Applejack who was sitting right next to her. “Pardon me, Diamond darling, but could I trouble you for the key to Trixie’s room? I wanted to speak with her.”

“What?” Applejack snorted. “Rarity, Ah told you that you shouldn’t be talkin’ to her. She’s a murderer.”

“Excuse you, Applejack,” Rarity snarled, her voice low and menacing in a way that sent shivers down my spine. “But I don’t recall needing to ask for your permission!”

Applejack stood up from her seat, towering over the seamstress. “Ah didn’t say you needed it,” she growled back, face red with outrage. “Ah’m just sayin’ Trixie ain’t worth your time.”

I sat forward, getting ready to intervene if I needed to, and kept my eyes squarely fixed on Tiara. If she starts something, it’d be now.

And sure enough, Tiara, with a small smile on her face, pulled out the key from her pocket and tossed it over to Rarity. “Here you go, Rarity. Knock yourself out.”

“Thank you,” Rarity said, bowing her head at Tiara as she slipped the key into her pocket. “I’m glad at least someone is willing to be a reasonable human being.”

Applejack stepped forward and latched onto Rarity’s arm before Rarity could step away. “Give me that key, Rarity,” she insisted. “Ah ain’t gonna let you go talk to Trixie.”

Rarity gasped in shock, and tried pulling away, unable to match the farmer’s strength despite her own considerable muscle power. “Unhand me this instant, you, you ruffian!” she cried out. “Or did your apology this morning mean nothing after all?”

Applejack released Rarity’s arm by hurling it away with her full strength, sending Rarity crashing into the bleachers. To her credit, Rarity managed to fall elegantly, preventing any real injury by catching herself with her hands, though she still let out a cry of shock. “Damn it, Rarity, Ah meant my apology then and Ah still do! But Trixie is--”

“Be quiet!” Rarity thundered as she stood up. A black look of pure rage crossed her features as she approached Applejack and belted her across the face with the palm of her hand, sending Applejack spinning to the ground from the sudden unexpected force. Applejack managed to catch herself on one knee at least. “You utter hypocrite! You claim to apologize to me and then you toss me around like a child throwing a tantrum. All I wanted to do was take some time to speak with someone who shows proper remorse for her misdeeds, unlike a certain farmer I could name!”

Applejack leapt up to her feet, a large pink handprint throbbing on her cheek. “Oh like you’re any better!” she roared, spittle flying out of her mouth. “You keep hittin’ me every time you’re even a little bit upset. Ah don’t know about you but last Ah checked, you weren’t supposed to hit your partner!”

“Unless they ask nicely,” Rainbow Dash quipped with a leer on her face.

“Sssh!” Adagio, I, and Scootaloo all hissed at her.

“Sorry, sorry.”

Rarity smoothed out wrinkles in her dress and stood her ground, adopting a defensive stance I recognized from her martial arts practice. “Oh I’m sooo sorry, Applejack,” she sneered, “if I might be a little bit upset or unhinged, what with the fact that I watched my sister be tortured to death in front of me less than a week ago!”

“And mine died in mah arms!” Applejack snarled in turn, bringing up her fists. “Because your sister killed her!”

“I haven’t forgotten that fact!” Rarity fired back, her immaculately coiffed hair coming undone as she ranted. “And I apologized for it! Many times! Some more vigorous than others!” Her upper lip curled up in disgust. “Which I thoroughly regret now.”

“Ah never asked you to apologize, especially not like that!” Applejack screamed, pure outrage pouring off of her in waves like fire. “Ah never once blamed you! For pete’s sake, Rarity, Ah’m not the bad guy here!”

“Oh, so I am, is that it?” Rarity retorted, arms poised to strike if Applejack came even an inch closer.

“No! The only bad guy here is Trixie!” Applejack insisted. She took a step towards Rarity. “And all Ah’m sayin’ is--”

Rarity cold-cocked Applejack across the jaw. No slap this time, but a solid punch. It was only Applejack’s iron constitution that prevented her jaw from breaking under the blow. She stumbled back, so startled by it she landed on the floor, thankfully with her helmet cracking against the pavement instead of her skull.

“No,” Rarity said, glaring down at the farmer she’d laid out on the floor. “I’m tired of listening to you. You’ve repeatedly insulted me, you throw me around like I’m a possession, and you won’t respect my personal space and allow me to choose my own friends. I told you I was giving you one last chance, and you have squandered it! I don’t know what my pre-killing-game self saw in you Applejack, but whatever it was, it’s obviously not there anymore. We’re through!”

She let out one last huff, spun on her heel, and stomped her way out of the rink.

Applejack stumbled to her feet after a moment, holding a hand to her split lip. Pink pooled in her palm. “Damn it, Rarity,” she moaned. “Why you always gotta be so difficult?”

Scootaloo shook her head and wrapped an arm around Applejack’s shoulder, escorting her to the bathrooms. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

Damn it, why didn’t I do anything? I rolled my eyes. Because you didn’t want to get hit by either of them, Sunset. I should go after her. Yeah. “I’m going after her,” I muttered to Adagio. “Sorry, Rainbow, but I won’t be playing the rest of the game.”

“That’s fine,” Rainbow shrugged. “Iiii kinda figured that’d be the case. Flash, you wanna go race some more on the go-kart track?”

“Sure, might as well,” he said with a shrug.

“You wanna join us, Tiara?” Dash asked.

“Nah,” Tiara said, shaking her head. She glanced in the direction of the bathrooms and I swear I saw another amused smirk briefly cross her face. “I’m going to the library, if no one else’s playing hockey.”

“Good luck,” Adagio said. “I’ll meet you at your cabin later tonight.”

I flashed her a thumbs up as I sped my way out through the access corridor door. I knew Rarity was heading for Trixie’s room, so I wanted to try and cut her off. I raced down the straightaway, taking the turn wide by swinging on a convenient pole, and then clambered up the stairs, huffing and puffing the whole way. A nasty stitch formed in my side as I managed to get up to the cabin level, but I’d made it. I fell to the floor, wheezing for breath right in front of Trixie’s cabin.

Soon after Rarity walked up, still seething. “Sunset Shimmer?” she gasped, kneeling down to look me over. “Are you alright, darling? How did you beat me here?”

“I’m fine,” I gasped, managing to catch my breath as I slowly climbed to my feet, using the door for stability. “Just ran. The whole way. From there.” I pointed towards the access corridor stairwell.

“Ah. Naturally. I should have figured.” Rarity said with a quiet little laugh and an amused roll of her eyes. “Can I help you?”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay, after… what just happened,” I said.

Rarity’s smile dimmed, one side of her mouth turning downward. “No. No, I’m not.” As tears brimmed in her eyes, I held out my arms, inviting her for a hug. She flung herself on me with her usual melodramatic flair. “Oh, Sunset, why do I do this to myself? Why do I make myself vulnerable time and again only for someone like Applejack to shatter my heart with their careless actions? Why can’t I just find a good, decent person?”

I rubbed my hands up and down her back in a soothing gesture, trying to calm her down. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s okay,” I whispered. “I know it’s rough, but I’m here for you. I’m your friend, Rarity, and I won’t give up on you. Ever.”

“Oh thank you, thank you,” Rarity said, nuzzling into my shoulder. She let out a small hiccup, her breath hitching as she laughed. “Goodness, look at me. This killing game has been nothing but awful. At least I’ve gotten to make friends like you.” She glanced at the door. “And… Trixie. I said some pretty awful things to her at the trial. If she’s as remorseful as you claim, I hope she’ll find it in her heart to forgive me for them.”

I withdrew from the hug, patting her on the shoulder. “I’m sure she will. Would you like me to be there with you while you talk?”

“Please,” Rarity requested, tugging on my shirt sleeve.

“Okay. Just give me a minute to drop off this extra stuff I’m wearing,” I said. I rushed back to my cabin, quickly slipped off my helmet and knee and shoulder pads, dumped them on the floor next to the dresser, and then scurried back. “Alright, I’m ready.”

Rarity pulled out the key from her dress pocket and inserted it into the padlock. “Trixie,” I called, “I’m coming in, with a guest.”

We opened the door, finding Trixie propped up in bed, reading one of the books I’d gotten her. “Oh, hi Suns--Rarity?!” she gasped, the book falling to her lap. She curled up protectively. “W-what can Trixie do for you?” she asked.

Rarity closed the door behind us. “May I sit on the bed with you, Trixie?” she asked quietly.

“Uuuh, okay, go ahead,” Trixie said, gesturing as she scooted over to give the seamstress more room, not that she needed it with how big these beds were. I meanwhile took a seat at the desk.

“Trixie,” Rarity began once she’d sat down, “Sunset was telling me that you… regret what you did. Is that true?”

“Very much so,” Trixie replied, glancing between Rarity and myself, uncertainty etched all across her face. “Trixie never, ever, ever in a million years should’ve done what she did. She is truly sorry, and wishes she could take it back. But she knows she can’t.”

Rarity nodded.. “Perhaps not. I considered you a friend, Trixie, and I was hurt. Betrayed. If you’d succeeded, you would’ve seen us all die, just to save Sunset.”

“Trixie realizes that,” Trixie said, tears coming to her eyes. “She wasn’t thinking about that when she acted.”

“I see you’re back to using third person,” Rarity noted, looking Trixie over.

Trixie gestured to me. “Sunset said Trixie should. She said Trixie shouldn’t forget who she is, just because of how ashamed she is of herself.”

Rarity nodded again. “Of course. Well, Trixie, I know you can’t take back what you’ve done. But I can take back what I’ve done, or more specifically, said. I said some truly harsh things to you in the trial, things I’ve regretted ever since. I said them in anger, out of hurt, and I apologize.” She held out a hand and gave Trixie a watery smile. “Like Sunset, it will take me a long time to forgive you for your actions, but… I still want to have you as a friend, if that is alright.”

Trixie’s jaw fell open, and she made quiet little squeaking noises as she looked over at me. I gave her a quick, quiet thumbs up, so Trixie looked back at Rarity, hesitantly reaching out to take the proffered hand, as if afraid it would bite her or swat at her. When it didn’t, she took it, and the instant her skin pressed against Rarity’s, Trixie burst into tears. “Y-yes, Rarity, Trixie would… Trixie would like that very much,” she murmured.

Rarity pulled Trixie forward into an outright hug, giving the illusionist a fond embrace. “Good. I’m sorry, again, for what I said. I hope you can forgive me.”

Trixie nodded even as her tears stained Rarity’s shoulder. “Yes, Trixie does. Trixie deserved it anyway, so Trixie understands why you said it when you did.”

“Mmm, that’s debatable, darling, but I won’t argue with you,” Rarity said. “I’ve had enough of arguing for today. Why don’t Sunset and I go fetch some dinner, and we can all eat in here together? We can spend some good quality girl time together.”

“Sure, I’d be up for that,” I said, pulling out my Monopad. “Lemme text Adagio, let her know where I’ll be. What’re you in the mood for, Trixie?”

Trixie gave me her food order, and Rarity and I left just long enough to visit the promenade restaurants. On our way back, Rarity stopped by her cabin, promising she had something special to bring. Once we returned to Trixie, she revealed it as a bottle of champagne. “I found it in the duty-free store a few nights ago. I purchased it, hoping for a special occasion. I’d say this is as good as any other, wouldn’t you?”

We all agreed it certainly was, though I suggested Trixie keep her consumption down due to her recent brush with starving herself. We spent a good while chatting about this and that, talking about a variety of subjects. At one point, Rarity suggested bedazzling Trixie’s crutches, stating they were such a “plain, drab affair,” but Trixie politely refused. Overall, it was quite the pleasant time, and by the end I not only had a pleasant buzz coursing through my veins, I'd completely forgotten about my worries over Tiara.

“Well, I think that’s probably enough for now,” Rarity said, capping the three quarters empty champagne bottle. “A lady knows when to call it quits, after all. And it is quite late.” She checked her Monopad. “9:55 PM. Not supremely late, but enough for me. I’m quite tired.”

“You’re not the only one,” I said, stretching out my arms and yawning. “This was fun.”

“Mmmhmm,” Trixie said, smiling at both of us. “Trixie is very happy she has good friends like Rarity and Sunset. She hopes you’ll be able to visit again.”

“Well, that’s dependent on Diamond Tiara, but she was kind enough to loan me the key to begin with,” Rarity said, rubbing her chin while staring at the ceiling. “I should really make sure this gets back to her. In any event, Trixie, I bid you--”

DING-DONG-DONG-DING

My blood froze in my veins at that sound. That sound only ever meant one thing. “No,” I breathed. “No, no god damn it not now!”

Rarity and Trixie gaped as Monoponi appeared on screen, lounging in his bridge chair with, oddly, a velvet black sleeping cap perched on his head and bags under his eyes. “A body has been discovered!” he trilled, the delight in his voice belying his otherwise tired appearance. “Please gather at the go-kart track, at once!”

As his image winked off the screen, Rarity collapsed onto the bed, murmuring, “Oh not again! Not again! Why does this keep happening?!”

“I-it wasn’t Trixie’s fault!” Trixie said, panic rising in her eyes as her whole body quaked. “Trixie didn’t do it this time!”

“Hey, hey!” I called, snapping my fingers. “Snap out of it guys. We’ve got to hurry down there, come on!”

“But I don’t want to see who it is,” Rarity whined even as she stood up and slipped her shoes back on. “I never want to see another body for as long as I live.”

I patted her on the shoulder and gave her a quick half hug with one arm. “I know the feeling, trust me.”

Trixie managed to get her shoe on after a moment and we slowly made our way down. After a point I considered asking Trixie if I could just carry her, to make it faster, but I decided not to. A dull, detached part of my mind insisted she needed the exercise if she was going to survive this next trial.

Eventually, a couple of minutes after the nighttime announcement went off, we arrived at the go-kart track. Before we entered, we all took deep, shuddering breaths. “Here we go guys,” I said, placing my hand on the doorknob. “Brace yourselves.”

I opened up the door, entered, and my whole body froze once more with the icy grip of despair. “Fuck,” I whispered. “I wasn’t expecting this.”

Because there, suspended in an upside down go-kart near the finish line of the track, with a massive pool of blood laying under her, was the pale, dead body of Rainbow Dash.

Author's Note

Wait, that's not Adagio or Tiara or Applejack! :pinkiegasp: I'm sorry, Superfun. :ajsleepy:

Rarity's willingness to remain Trixie's friend comes from two things. First, she was the closest person on the ship to Trixie other than Sunset herself. The two get along swimmingly. Second, Rarity's generosity makes her more willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. She's also so mad with Applejack she's doing the opposite of what Applejack tells her to do just to stick it to her. So if AJ says stay away from Trixie, she'll befriend Trixie instead.

Applejack and Rarity butt heads frequently. That's part of their charm as characters. Their opposing traits make for fantastic interactions. Their chemistry helps bring them together. But put them in a situation like this, especially with both their sisters dead, and they were bound to fall apart sooner or later. Rarity means what she says, by the way. They really are through.

Next time: the investigation.

Chapter Five: Whistle for the Wind Part 6

Chapter Five
Whistle for the Wind
Trial Part 1

Fact #1: Monoponi File V: “The victim is Adagio Dazzle, the Ultimate Songstress. Time of death is approximately between 2:00 AM and 5:00 AM Wednesday morning. The victim possesses multiple injuries to the head and two laceration wounds to the neck. Toxicology shows no poisons or substances of any kind in her system.”

Fact #2: Body Condition: “The body is covered in blood, soaking the clothes. There is a large contusion on the forehead, suggesting a strike with a blunt object. There is a severe puncture wound to the back of the neck, at the base of the skull. A large piece of glass was found embedded in the wound. Both carotid arteries were slashed open. A few pieces of bloodied confetti were discovered sticking to the victim’s leg.”

Fact #3: Glass Shard: “A shard of glass found embedded in the head of the victim. There are a few numbers written on it: ‘11037.’ The numbers correspond to the sample number on the Ares rock sample case in the museum.”

Fact #4: Printed Note: “A typewritten note discovered in the pocket of the victim, printed off the museum printer. It reads ‘I know what you did. Meet me at the museum theater tonight, at 2:30 AM.”

Fact #5: Bloodied Confetti: “Strings of bloodied confetti found on the body of the victim. Similar pieces of confetti were discovered on the floor of the church foyer.”

Fact #6: Sunset’s Monopad: “Sunset’s Monopad was discovered in the library, on the first floor, taped to the underside of the archive door.”

Fact #7: Sunset Shimmer: “Sunset Shimmer has been missing since some time after 7:45 PM Monday evening. No sign of her has been found anywhere, save for her Monopad being discovered near the archive door. It is possible she is deceased.”

Fact #8: Monoponi’s Ruling: “According to Monoponi, if Sunset Shimmer is still alive, then she will not be punished unless she fails to make it to the trial before it ends.”

Fact #9: Blood Trails: “Trails of blood were discovered on the first floor of the library, leading out onto the promenade and to the museum.”

Fact #10: Museum Blood Stains: “Stains of blood were found across the museum, including streaks leading out the door to the promenade from the theater, and a massive pool in the theater itself. The pool is thin, the blood underneath smeared on the carpet.”

Fact #11: Handwritten Note: “A handwritten note found on the floor of the museum theater. It reads: ‘See the stars.’”

Fact #12: Broken Telescope: “One of the telescopes on the museum observatory balcony was discovered with its mirrors broken. There were a few torn bits of paper and duct tape inside.”

Fact #13: Rarity’s Account: “According to Rarity, she, along with Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo spent all of Tuesday morning searching the entire ship for Sunset Shimmer, after they discovered she was missing. She found no trace of Sunset anywhere. She spent most of the afternoon in her cabin, worrying anxiously, and attempted to search again that evening. She ran into Adagio and frantically begged her to tell Rarity where Sunset was. She said Adagio was also distraught, and apologized for throwing Sunset into the pool Monday afternoon. She and Adagio searched together to no avail, and Rarity retired at 11:00 PM.”

Fact #14: Ares Sample Case: “The rock sample case for the Ares missions was shattered. On the display for the case is the number 324110379899. The last four digits of this number are also present on the case, and the first three were discovered on a piece of glass on the floor.”

Fact #15: Ares Rock: “A rock taken from the Ares sample case, allegedly originating from the planet Ares. It is heavily stained pink with blood.”

Fact #16: “Scootaloo’s Account: “Scootaloo claims she spent Tuesday morning searching with Rarity, then went to find Adagio and asked her about Sunset. She spoke to Adagio that afternoon, and said Adagio claimed to be worried about Sunset too. She wasn’t sure she believed Adagio, so she spent the rest of Tuesday searching for Sunset. More than once she spotted Applejack ‘acting sneaky.’ Before she went to bed, she went to the church for a late night prayer session, to pray for Sunset’s safety.”

Fact #17: Prayer Mat: “A prayer mat found underneath the desk of the museum director’s office. It is heavily stained with blood. The securing strap had several other straps tied to it, knotted up to form one long rope. Two strands of purple thread were discovered on the rope. They match the shade of Rarity’s skirt.”

Fact #18: Rarity’s Clothes: “Rarity’s skirt was frayed. She claims it was due to catching it on a corner while searching for Sunset yesterday, and she hadn’t been able to repair it due to her thread going missing. She hadn’t changed due to her other skirts being dirty.”

Fact #19: Printer Log: “The log of the printer in the museum director’s office. It shows two documents were printed, on Monday at 11:55 PM and Wednesday at 4:30 AM.”

Fact #20: Sacred Athame: “A sacred knife from the black altar in the church hall. It has a small spot of blood on the underside of the handle. It was allegedly discovered in Sunset’s cabin by Applejack.”

Fact #21: “Applejack’s Account: “According to Applejack, she was the one who discovered Sunset was missing. She confronted Adagio about Sunset and there was a brief confrontation. She said Adagio denied all involvement, and claimed she was just as worried about the missing Sunset as the others were. Applejack refused to believe her, and chose to subtly track Adagio for the rest of the day.”

Fact #22: Incense and Wax: “A substantial smell of incense was present in the church, far stronger than usual. The smell is strongest around several puddles of melted wax found on the floor near the door to the foyer.”

Fact #23: Waterlogged Rug: “One of the rugs in the church foyer was soaked in water. The rug had also been moved from its standard location and was pressed up against the wall with the hallway leading to the church restrooms.”

Fact #24: Bucket: “A metal bucket, with the words ‘property of ship’s theater’ stamped on the bottom. It was discovered in the ladies restroom of the church, with a few droplets of water inside.”

Fact #25: Music Room: “The music room was disturbed. Many of the instruments had been moved around. Two shekeres had woven strings of linen and cotton tied to them. There was also a single long string of cotton approximately twelve feet long discovered curled in a pile in the corner of the room.”

Fact #26: Sunset Shimmer’s Cabin: “Sunset Shimmer’s cabin was discovered unlocked Tuesday morning. Inside there were several bloodstains on the floor and the bed. One of the bedsheets was missing. Sunset’s backpack was left behind. A bloodied pipe wrench was on the floor. On the pillow was scrawled two letters in blood: ‘AJ.’. ”

Fact #27: Diamond Tiara’s Account: “Diamond Tiara claims she led a search for Sunset Tuesday morning, then spent the rest of the day by herself. She says she went for a walk after midnight and saw both Scootaloo and Applejack wandering around.”

We emerged from the elevator into the courtroom. Monoponi liked changing up the place for every trial, and this one was no different. The room was lit up with spotlights like a stage performance for a music act. The walls were covered in pictures of red gemstones, ocean waves, and bizarre looking lizardy things that must’ve been Adagio’s siren form. They were ugly, vicious looking, with razor sharp teeth and beaks that looked like they could chomp me in half without even trying.

One part of the room was decorated differently, however. A section of wall directly behind Sunset’s podium was lit up with its own spotlight, and colored in yellows and reds to give it the impression of a setting sun. Even as I took it in, I noticed the light over it dimming ever so slightly, getting darker and darker as time went on. Like... like it was monitoring Sunset's life. Hang in there, Sunset!

I took my usual spot at my podium, grateful to have something to lean against. I wished I was brave enough to ask Monoponi for a chair, but he’s scary. He’s vicious. And he took my leg. I don’t dare. Besides. If I keep the trial going long enough, Sunset’ll come back. That’s what really matters. That’s what I have to focus on. I have to save Sunset. I can stand as long as I need to. Bring it on.

Glancing over where Adagio used to stand, I saw a portrait. She looked way nicer in the portrait than she had a right to. That innocent little smile was pure lies. I knew I was right to distrust her. And to think, for a short time I actually accepted her as a friend. You know I regretted throwing that away at first? I blamed her for my murder of Pinkie. I tried to use her as a scapegoat. Didn’t work, obviously. Messed up any chance at friendship too. Whatever. She’s dead. It doesn’t matter anymore.

Sunset’s portrait haunted me, though. It was scary. Maybe it didn’t have the same blood-pink X that all the other portraits did, but if anything, that made it even scarier. We didn’t know if she was alive. The big question mark on it felt like it was making fun of her, like Monoponi was having a giant laugh at our expense.

Well I’d show him. The Great and Powerful Trixie will succeed in this trial!

“Welcome back to the lovely courtroom, my dear passengers,” Monoponi said as he posed atop that gaudy throne of his. “Since your usual trial leader is missing, do you need a refresher on the trial rules? Hmm?”

“No, Monoponi,” Tiara groaned, holding up a fist like she was going to flip him off, though she thought better of it at the last minute. “We’re not stupid.”

“Upupu, you keep telling yourself that,” Monoponi replied, holding a hoof to his mouth. “Very well. I shall allow you to get started. Just remember: this is a trial for Adagio Dazzle’s killer. I will not put up with excessive delaying tactics just because you morons are worried about Sunset Shimmer! So if I feel like the trial is taking too long, I’ll call it and force you to a vote! Understand? Good. Get on with it, then.”

“I suppose we’d better start with figuring out a cause of death,” Rarity proposed after a brief moment of silence. “There were many wounds on the body.”

“Ah took a good long look at it mahself when we found it,” Applejack replied, rubbing at her chin. “Ah know she had her neck cut open.”

“And there was a piece of glass in the back of her skull, too,” Scootaloo said, cringing. “Like someone drove it in there.”

“Well it had to be the neck wound, right?” Tiara said, holding out her hands. “I mean, both her carotid arteries were cut open. That means she must’ve bled out, right?”

Rarity shook her head, and bit at her lip. “I’m not so sure. There was also a huge bruise on her forehead. What if that killed her?”

“Uuugh, how’re we going to know which one did it?” Scootaloo groaned, throwing up her hands in frustration.

I grinned cheekily, and fluffed my hair with a flourish of my hand. “Trixie believes for us to know what killed her, we need to determine the timeline of events. There was too much evidence spread across several areas. The Monoponi file doesn’t list a time of death either. Trixie suspects without that, we can’t figure out the cause.”

“You’d better take that shit-eatin’ grin off your face right now before Ah smack it off,” Applejack growled. “Ah ain’t gonna put up with you bein’ an ass.”

I arched an eyebrow, my grin spreading. “Oh? Trixie believes we just had a talk about this prior to the trial. Still threatening disabled people, she sees.”

“Seriously, Applejack, lay off of Trixie,” Scootaloo said, glaring up at the farmer. “She’s the one we’re all counting on to solve this.”

“Ah know that. And that’s why Ah don’t want to put up with her bein’ an ass.”

Rarity raised her fingers and snapped them for attention. “Ahem! The only one being an ‘ass,’ as you put it, is yourself! Please spare us all the trouble and only open your mouth when you have something to contribute.”

Applejack seethed, her face turning beet red, but she wisely shut her mouth.

“Now then,” Rarity continued, giving me a friendly smile. “You were saying, Trixie? We need to establish a timeline.”

“Indeed!” I said. “Trixie thinks we should start with this.”

Fact #4: Printed Note: “A typewritten note discovered in the pocket of the victim, printed off the museum printer. It reads ‘I know what you did. Meet me at the museum theater tonight, at 2:30 AM.”

“Trixie found this note in the victim’s pocket. It places her in the theater.”

Scootaloo frowned at the evidence hovering on the holographic display. “Huh. That’s weird. Why’d we find her body in the library then?”

“She was dragged there, darling,” Rarity answered.

Fact #9: Blood Trails: “Trails of blood were discovered on the first floor of the library, leading out onto the promenade and to the museum.”

“Trixie and I found these trails proving it.”

“Hmm,” Applejack frowned as she considered that. “Seems mighty strange for the culprit to drag her body like that and leave blood all over. Most of our other culprits have been smarter than that.”

“Forget about that for a minute,” Tiara interrupted with a snap of her fingers. “I want to know what the heck the note means. ‘I know what you did’? Did what?”

“Aint that obvious?” Applejack retorted as she dialed up something on her own Monopad.

Fact #7: Sunset Shimmer: “Sunset Shimmer has been missing since some time after 7:45 PM Monday evening. No sign of her has been found anywhere, save for her Monopad being discovered near the archive door. It is possible she is deceased.”

“Adagio’s the one who kidnapped Sunset. Ah think it’s pretty clear whoever killed Adagio did it ‘cause of that.”

“No, no, I won’t accept that,” Rarity replied immediately, slapping her palms onto her podium. “Adagio was just as worried about Sunset as the rest of us.”

“Uh huh. Sure. And Ah’m the Queen of Prance,” Applejack snorted. “Did y’all forget how she broke two of Sunset’s ribs in front of all of us? And Ah heard she even dumped Sunset in the pool after screamin’ at her about how she hated her!”

“Yes, I am aware of those events. I was there for both times,” Rarity replied with a shake of her head. “But I also spoke to Adagio yesterday. She apologized for the way she reacted. She was distraught. Heartbroken! She cried into my shoulder, for goodness’s sake!”

“Just means she was good at convincin’ you to buy her bull,” Applejack countered. “Ah watched her all day yesterday. Ah saw her cryin’ and lyin’ and pitchin’ a fit to y’all and Ah didn’t buy it for a second.”

“Trixie agrees with Applejack,” I said abruptly, interrupting further dispute. “She also believes Adagio was responsible for Sunset’s disappearance.”

Rarity sighed and reached out to me, squeezing my hand. “Darling, please, we’ve talked and talked about this. I know you didn’t get along with Adagio, but you didn’t speak to her yesterday. You didn’t see the tears on her face. You didn’t hear the fear in her voice. She was terrified for Sunset.”

“Was she?” Applejack said. She glanced over at me with a curious expression, then looked back at Rarity. “Or was she just scared someone would figure out her murder scheme before Sunset actually died?”

Diamond Tiara tapped a pen on her podium. “Hey, hey! Look, who cares whether Adagio’s the one who kidnapped Sunset? Sunset’s dead. Forget about her. We need to figure out who killed Adagio and why.”

The smirk I’d worn so far vanished off my face. “Tiara, Trixie refuses to believe Sunset is dead! And she will argue with you for as long as she needs to convince you of that! She’s also convinced the reason Adagio died was because of Sunset’s disappearance. That’s what the note must mean. There’s no other reason someone would kill Adagio.”

“What about being afraid of her cause she was a siren?” Scootaloo pointed out. “I mean, we were all walking around with weapons for self-defense. We were obviously scared.”

“Perhaps,” I allowed, “but Trixie thinks that is insufficient motive. Maybe if Adagio attacked them, Trixie could see a case of self-defense, but not outright murder. And this was murder. Someone clearly lured Adagio to the museum theater to kill her.”

“Okay, okay, fine, we’ll accept that for now,” Tiara grumbled in response. “So she was lured to the theater. What then?”

“Well, the note says to arrive at 2:30 AM,” Rarity replied, peering down at her Monopad. “And the Monoponi file, meanwhile, says she died between 2:00 AM to 5:00 AM. So she likely died after that.”

“Trixie agrees with that,” I said, thrusting out an arm to send my cloak flying. “It is a safe presumption.”

“So how’d things go down in the theater then?” Scootaloo asked. “I didn’t look in there.”

“Well,” Rarity said, “there was a large pool of blood on the floor. It stained the carpet, and there was a drag mark out from it, suggesting the body fell there and then was dragged out afterwards.”

“Huh. Makes sense to me,” Tiara admitted with a nod. “So then we’re sure she died there?”

I exchanged a look with Rarity, who frowned. “Trixie isn’t sure of that yet,” I said. “We know her body was there, but it’s unclear if that’s where she died.”

“Wha--then what was the point of establishing she was there then?!” Tiara retorted, her hands squarely on her hips.

“Because it’s a fact we can be certain of,” I responded simply. “In order to solve a case like this, we have to work from the facts. That’s how Sunset did it.”

“Grrrr…” Tiara mumbled something under her breath, then set her arms down. “Okay. So we know she was there. Now what?”

“Now I think it’s time we brought up something I found there, if that’s okay, Trixie,” Scootaloo said.

I smiled at her. “Go ahead, please.”

Scootaloo dialed up evidence on her Monopad. “When I checked the museum I found this.”

Fact #14: Ares Sample Case: “The rock sample case for the Ares missions was shattered. On the display for the case is the number 324110379899. The last four digits of this number are also present on the case, and the first three were discovered on a piece of glass on the floor.”

“There was glass scattered everywhere,” she added. “And not just that. Look at this.”

Fact #3: Glass Shard: “A shard of glass found embedded in the head of the victim. There are a few numbers written on it: ‘11037.’ The numbers correspond to the sample number on the Ares rock sample case in the museum.”

“This piece of glass had the same numbers on it. Meaning it came from the museum.”

“That’s right,” I said, still smiling. “Good job. Trixie is proud of you.”

A faint blush came to Scootaloo’s cheeks as she scratched the back of her head. “Hehe, thanks.”

“So what smashed the case then?” Tiara asked, holding up a hand questioningly. “Was it Adagio? Was she and the culprit fighting?”

“She did have that nasty wound on her head,” Applejack mused, rubbing at her chin. “Ah know. The culprit smashed Adagio’s head in the case, and that’s what broke it!”

“No, that’s wrong!” I retorted instantly, calling up the proof I needed.

Fact #2: Body Condition: “The body is covered in blood, soaking the clothes. There is a large contusion on the forehead, suggesting a strike with a blunt object. There is a severe puncture wound to the back of the neck, at the base of the skull. A large piece of glass was found embedded in the wound. Both carotid arteries were slashed open.

“If Adagio’s face was smashed into the glass, she would have cuts all over it. But she didn’t. The only lacerations were to her arteries. Meaning whatever struck her had to be a blunt object, not glass. And there’d be blood on the glass. But there wasn’t.”

“Whu--awww, shoot,” Applejack muttered, snapping her fingers in annoyance. “You’re right. Ah dunno how Ah missed that.”

“So then what broke the case?” Rarity wondered.

I hummed, going through the evidence. “Trixie isn’t sure what broke it, but she does think she knows why.”

Fact #15: Ares Rock: “A rock taken from the Ares sample case, allegedly originating from the planet Ares. It is heavily stained pink with blood.”

“She thinks this rock might be what struck Adagio in the head.”

Tiara scoffed. “You sure about that? Yeah, it’s covered in blood, but so what? It’s not like Adagio’s face was covered in it. Did that wound on her head even bleed?”

“Uhh…” I muttered dumbly, scrolling back through the evidence to check the condition of the body. “...nnnooo?”

“Wow. So you’re saying the culprit smashed her head in with a rock, and somehow the rock got blood all over it,” Tiara continued, “without making the wound bleed. Yeah. Sure.”

But I’m sure I’m right, I thought. So I refused to back down. “Trixie is certain that the culprit used the rock. What else could the culprit have used to strike her?”

“Gee, I dunno, maybe a baseball bat?!” Tiara cried, pointing with both fingers at Scootaloo and Applejack. “These two were carrying bats around.”

“No way!” Scootaloo retorted. “You saw the bats this morning. Monoponi took them away from us. They weren’t covered in blood.”

“Well, duh, of course not. Even if the wound bled, which we know it didn’t, you could’ve washed off the bat.” Tiara held a hand to her mouth and laughed in a way that set my teeth on edge. “Ohohoho! Easy, right?”

“But then why would the rock have blood on it?” Rarity countered, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Who cares?” Tiara said with a shrug. “Unless someone can prove the rock was involved, it doesn’t even matter!”

Grinning savagely, I shouted, “Trixie will tear your argument asunder!”

Fact #10: Museum Blood Stains: “Stains of blood were found across the museum, including streaks leading out the door to the promenade from the theater, and a massive pool in the theater itself. The pool is thin, the blood underneath smeared on the carpet.”

“We know the rock was involved because it came from the broken case, the same case from which a shard of glass was taken and embedded in the back of Adagio’s head. We also know the rock was bloody. Trixie posits that the rock was bloody because the culprit deliberately coated it in blood by rubbing it in this pool. The pool was thin, so if the culprit was going to do that, they’d smear the blood all over, just as much as dragging a body out would.”

Tiara’s jaw fell to the floor as she about doubled over from disbelief. “Wha--what?! But, but, you can’t know that!” she protested. “What would be the point?”

“What indeed?” I replied. “Trixie doesn’t know, but it’s the only logical conclusion. The rock was involved in the murder. Perhaps the culprit struck Adagio over the head, which Trixie thinks is likely, and wanted to confuse matters by covering it in blood.”

“Couldn’t it have fallen into the blood after the culprit used it?” Scootaloo suggested with a confused frown.

“No, darling, if it had, there’d be an obvious splatter,” Rarity replied. “And we didn’t see one. Other than the smears, the pool was uniform, and no blood was spilled anywhere except the floor.”

“Okay, okay, fine, so let’s say that’s what the culprit did,” Applejack said, holding out her hands. “But Ah’m not seein’ a reason why. Ah mean, we don’t even know what killed her. Are you sayin… oh!” She snapped her fingers. “That must be it. What if the culprit wanted to confuse the cause of death!”

“How would that confuse anything though?” Tiara said.

Applejack’s eyes flashed with irritation. She reached up to pinch her hat for a moment before responding, “Because, Tiara, there ain’t no cause listed on the Monoponi file. Meanin’, we don’t know if it was the blow to the head, the glass wound, or the neck wound that killed her.”

Rolling her eyes, Tiara replied, “But I thought it was obvious. It has to be the neck wound. Nothing else could’ve done it, right?”

“Well what if it was the glass though?” Scootaloo said. “I mean, that glass was shoved in pretty deep.”

Rarity shook her head, her brow creasing from her intense frown. “No, Scootaloo, I don’t think the glass could’ve done it. Trixie, the glass was embedded in a puncture wound, yes? But the wound wasn’t ragged.”

“No, it wasn’t,” I agreed. “Trixie clearly recalls the wound was smooth. So the glass must’ve been implanted after the wound was created.”

“But Ah don’t understand. If it was a smooth wound, what could’ve done it?” Applejack asked.

Rarity stared at her, stunned, before abruptly laughing. It started as a quiet little giggle, burbling up until it burst into full guffaws like a blown oil well. “Ohohohoho A-a-applejack, you gave yourself away, didn’t you?” Her laughs instantly halted as her face twisted into an ugly sneer. “You’re the one who kidnapped Sunset! Adagio figured out what you did, didn’t she? So you had her killed to cover up your crime!”

“Uh, what’s that now?” Applejack replied, her face rippling with confusion. “Ah don’t follow.”

“Yeah, Rarity, what’re you talking about?” Scootaloo added.

“Trixie believes she’s talking about this,” I answered.

Fact #26: Sunset Shimmer’s Cabin: “Sunset Shimmer’s cabin was discovered unlocked Tuesday morning. Inside there were several bloodstains on the floor and the bed. One of the bedsheets was missing. Sunset’s backpack was left behind. A bloodied pipe wrench was on the floor. On the pillow was scrawled two letters in blood: ‘AJ.’

“That’s right, Trixie,” Rarity said, her sneer growing as she heaved with fury, froth beginning to form at the edges of her mouth. “AJ. As in, Applejack. Drawn in blood. And only one person’s blood was at that scene. Sunset Shimmer’s! No wonder you didn’t bother to search for Sunset yesterday. You already knew where she was! What did you do with her?! If you killed her I’ll end you myself!”

“What?” Applejack breathed, recoiling back from the madwoman Rarity had transformed into. “What in tarnation are you on about? Ah have no idea where that message came from!”

Wait, really? "But it was plain as day on the pillow," I said. "You really didn't see it?"

Applejack's face bloomed a brilliant pink. "Well... Ah didn't look at the pillow. Ah saw the knife on the edge of the bed first, and when Ah saw that Ah figured there weren't nothin' else to find, so Ah left."

“Don’t lie to me! I am so sick of your lies!” Rarity ranted, her hair askew, her makeup running. Her sneer had become demented, infused with insanity. “We know where Sunset is. Trixie and I found her Monopad during the investigation.

Fact #6: Sunset’s Monopad: “Sunset’s Monopad was discovered in the library, on the first floor, taped to the underside of the archive door.”

She pointed at the display, her finger quivering like crazy. “I have been hoping, desperately, that this means Sunset is alive. That this means she’s okay, and she’s just trapped in that archive room. So you tell me, Applejack, and you tell me now. What did you do with Sunset?!”

“Ah didn’t do a damned thing!” Applejack railed back. She thrust her arms up in the air, knocking off her cowgirl hat in the process. “What possible reason would Ah ever have to hurt Sunset Shimmer? You’re nuttier than a fruitcake on Hearth’s Warmin’ Eve if you think Ah’d ever hurt her.”

“No, nononoononono, I refuse to accept that,” Rarity railed, her whole body shaking as she moved her accusatory finger towards the farmer. “Y-y-y-you had to have hurt her. Yy-y-you knew what I felt for her and you were j-jealous!”

“...what?!” Applejack’s eyebrows shot up to the top of her head as her face twisted up, utterly nonplussed. “What the hell are you talkin’ about?”

“Wait, you have a crush on Sunset?” Tiara interrupted, gaping at Rarity. “You?! What? When did this happen?”

“Uh, she’s had one for a while,” Scootaloo said, eying Tiara. “I don’t think she realized it, but she’s been into Sunset for a long time now. I’ve seen it in the way she looks at Sunset. She looked at her like… like how I looked at Rainbow Dash. Even when she was with Applejack, she still looked at Sunset like that.”

“T-t-that’s besides the p-point!” Rarity cried. Her makeup was thoroughly ruined, her hair completely undone. Her clothes were a mess of sweat, running down her face in rivulets. “I-i-it doesn’t matter when it started. What matters is, A-Applejack was jealous!”

“Oh mah sweet lord,” Applejack snorted some laughter of her own, shaking her head in disbelief. “Are you for real, Rarity? Even if Ah knew you felt somethin’ for Sunset, and Ah didn’t, Ah wouldn’t be jealous unless you acted on it. Even then Ah wouldn’t’ve hurt Sunset. She was mah friend too, even if we butted heads from time to time.”

Rarity balled up her fists and slammed them down on her podium once, twice, thrice. “Just tell me, please!” She doubled over onto her podium, tears streaming down her face as she broke into sobs. “Just tell me… please… please tell me Sunset is okay… please…”

I reached over a hand to lay on her shoulder reassuringly. She briefly glanced up at me, sniffled, then went back to crying. “Applejack, if you know something, you should tell us,” I said, turning to the farmer.

“But Ah don’t! If Ah did, Ah would,” Applejack answered. “Ah swear Ah would. Besides, Ah thought you agreed with me that Adagio kidnapped Sunset.”

“Trixie does agree with you, yes,” I responded with a slow shake of my head, “but that doesn’t mean Trixie is right. Trixie could be wrong.”

“Well you ain’t! Ah didn’t kidnap Sunset!” Applejack sighed, slapping a hand to her forehead. “For pete’s sake, don’t y’all remember the last trial? Don’t you remember how guilty Ah felt when Ah even considered killin’ someone? You think Ah’ve got the fortitude to kidnap Sunset, lock her away, and kill someone else on top of that?”

I stared at her for a moment, considering her, before nodding. “No. Trixie does not.”

“Thank you!” Applejack said as she bent down to scoop up her hat, placing it firmly back on her head. “Ah’m glad one of y’all has some sense.”

“B-but,” Rarity quailed, her face a disaster from all the tear stains and ruined makeup. “B-but i-if you didn’t hurt Sunset, t-then, why…” She stood up straighter, still glaring dark daggers of hatred at the farmer. “Maybe you didn’t. But you still could have murdered Adagio.”

“And how is that?” Applejack replied, locking eyes with the seamstress. “You’d better have a good explanation how.”

“Simple,” Rarity said. “You used this.”

Fact #20: Sacred Athame: “A sacred knife from the black altar in the church hall. It has a small spot of blood on the underside of the handle. It was allegedly discovered in Sunset’s cabin by Applejack.”

“You claimed to have found it in Sunset’s cabin, but that could have been a bald-faced lie,” she added. “Maybe the message left on Sunset’s pillow wasn’t from Sunset after all. Maybe it was from Adagio!”

“Really?” Applejack said flatly with a roll of her eyes. “This is what you’re blamin’ me for. You’re thinkin’ Ah’m a big enough fool to point you in the direction of a clue that could implicate me, and give you the murder weapon at the same time? Ah thought you had a brain, Rarity!”

“W-wha-I, that is,” Rarity stammered, recoiling back as if she’d been slapped. “Y-y-you could be feeling guilty! Yes! That’s it! You’re feeling guilty and you wanted to make solving this mystery easy for us. That’s it, exactly.”

Applejack slapped both hands to her face this time. “Ah don’t believe this. Trixie, can you please tell Rarity how stupid what she just said is?”

“Trixie wouldn’t describe it as being stupid, but Applejack does have a point,” I reluctantly admitted, smiling apologetically at Rarity. “Monoponi’s rules forbid easy mysteries. If Applejack was the guilty party, then giving away clues to us would’ve caused him to execute her.”

“That’s right!” Monoponi chirped. He leaned forward on his throne, leering at us with those yucky, freaky sharp teeth of his. Seriously, what kind of horse has sharp teeth?! Not for the first time I wondered if Sunset’s were like that in her pony form. Do ponies eat meat? What kind of meat do they eat? Do they like chick--

“--aand oooooh would I enjoy executing little miss farmer girl over here. I missed my chance with her sister, but you’d better believe I have something extra special planned if I ever get the chance. We’re talking brutal pain here,” Monoponi said, holding his forehooves to his cheeks. “Ah, I can picture it now!”

“T-then, you… you didn’t hurt either of them?” Rarity spoke up, shame tainting her every word.

“No, Rarity, Ah didn’t. Ah promise,” Applejack said.

“Oh…” Rarity withdrew into herself, and let out a shuddering breath. “I was so certain…”

“Don’t worry, Rarity, Trixie still believes you were onto something with the knife,” I said, reaching out to pat her shoulder again. I called up the image of the knife again to demonstrate. “It has a keen, smooth edge, perfect for creating the sort of puncture wound inflicted on Adagio.”

“But what Ah don’t get is, why did I find it in Sunset’s cabin?” Applejack inquired, scratching at the back of her head. “It wasn't there the day before.”

“What ‘black altar’ did that knife come from again?” Tiara asked.

“There’s some kind of pagan altar in the church,” Scootaloo replied, holding a hand to her chin as she looked up at the ceiling. “For some sort of goddess of the night, I think. I’ve never seen one like it before. But a sacred athame is for use in rituals, to cut up herbs and plants.” She cringed. “Or, um, for some… a blood sacrifice. But that usually just means slitting open the tip of your finger or something. I don’t mess with stuff like that, and neither do my Aunts. This one, I don’t think it was made for that. I think it was made for the good kind of use.”

“Huh. Interesting how you know so much about it,” Tiara said, a smug expression slowly forming on her face. “Almost like you’ve used one before.”

“I have,” Scootaloo shrugged. “I told you, my Aunts are neopagans. I’ve helped them with a lot of rituals.”

“Reaaaally? Hmmm…” Tiara pointedly stroked her chin, exaggerating her expression. “Oh. You know what’s funny? I saw you wandering around last night, after midnight. Why was that?”

“You, uh, you did?” Scootaloo said, a bead of sweat forming on her brow.

Fact #27: Diamond Tiara’s Account: “Diamond Tiara claims she led a search for Sunset Tuesday morning, then spent the rest of the day by herself. She says she went for a walk after midnight and saw both Scootaloo and Applejack wandering around.”

“Yeah,” Tiara replied after calling up her own account for us to see. “I did. I saw Applejack too, but that doesn’t matter. Funny how I saw you out there, and then just a couple hours later, Adagio dies.”

More beads of sweat appeared on Scootaloo’s brow. She reached up to wipe off with her hand. “Are you accusing me? Seriously? Why would I kill Adagio?”

“Because you can,” Tiara said, bringing out her fingers to count off on. “Because you were scared of her. Because you could get away with it. Shall I go on?”

“What? I can’t get away with it!” Scootaloo said, leaning back, a nervous laughter bubbling up in her chest. A scared smile spread across her face. “I-I have that profile thing, remember?”

“Uh, no, dumbass,” Tiara snorted, “Monoponi told us last trial that doesn’t matter. Jeez, he yelled at us and everything.”

“Right! I-I-I knew that! Ahehehe!” Scootaloo took a step back, her whole body beginning to shake. Her eyes darted about between all of us. “But that doesn’t mean I’d do it!”

Tiara leaned forward, propping up her head on her hand. “Oh? Then what were you doing out last night, hmm?”

“What were you doing?” Scootaloo retorted, her smile dropping away, replaced by heated anger. “You said you were out too.”

“Like I told Trixie, I was out on a walk. I couldn’t sleep.”

Scootaloo glared back. “So what kept you from killing Adagio, huh? Anyone could’ve used that knife. It was sitting out on the altar.” Cocking her head to the side, she suddenly grinned. “Hey, you know, it could be a red herring. You could’ve used your sword to stab Adagio in the head.”

“Trixie is afraid that’s not possible,” I said straight away. “The size of the wound and the placement on Adagio’s head makes using a sword unwieldy. And ridiculous. If she was using a sword, Trixie would think it’d be easier to run her through.”

“I could barely swing that thing around anyway,” Tiara said, holding up one bicep to point at it. “You see this? I’m not that strong, Scootaloo.”

Applejack turned to face Scootaloo, frowning down at the shorter woman. “Scootaloo, Ah don’t know why, but something’s smellin’ fishy about what you’re sayin’. What exactly were you doin’ out last night again?”

“Huh?! I uh, I uh…” Scootaloo pulled at the collar of her shirt, using it to fan herself. “I was praying for Sunset. Remember Trixie? I told you I was.”

Fact #16: “Scootaloo’s Account: “Scootaloo claims she spent Tuesday morning searching with Rarity, then went to find Adagio and asked her about Sunset. She spoke to Adagio that afternoon, and said Adagio claimed to be worried about Sunset too. She wasn’t sure she believed Adagio, so she spent the rest of Tuesday searching for Sunset. More than once she spotted Applejack ‘acting sneaky.’ Before she went to bed, she went to the church for a late night prayer session, to pray for Sunset’s safety.”

“Okay. Ah believe you went to pray for Sunset,” Applejack said, still frowning. “That makes sense to me. But somethin’ still don’t seem right. Like you’re not tellin’ us everythin’.”

“S-sure I am!” Scootaloo insisted, a sheepish grin spreading across her face as she took another step back from the farmer. “I went to the church, I prayed, and I went back to bed. That’s it.”

Applejack’s lips thinned. “No. No Ah don’t think so. Now Ah’m sure you’re lyin’ about somethin’. Ah don’t know what, but you’re not tellin’ us the whole truth, Scootaloo.”

“She’s not?” Rarity looked up from her podium. She’d made a few attempts to clean off her face, but it was still a mess of tear stains, makeup, and snot. Gross, grody snot. Ugh. “Scootaloo, you, you didn’t actually kill Adagio, did you?”

“No! No way! I wouldn’t do that!” Scootaloo shouted, throwing up her hands in anger. “She was kind of creepy, and I wasn’t sure I liked her much anymore after she kicked Sunset’s ribs in, but that doesn’t mean I’d kill her! Jeez you guys.”

“Then what’re you hiding, huh?” Tiara demanded, reaching out with her hands like she was trying to grab for Scootaloo’s arm despite the distance separating them. “What aren’t you telling us?”

“Nothing. I’m not hiding anything,” Scootaloo replied.

The two of them continued to argue back and forth while I took a moment to check the time on my Monopad. Damn it. We’ve already been here over an hour. I glanced behind me, at the yellow and red wall. To my dismay the light had dimmed considerably, less than half as bright now. Sunset… Sunset hang in there. You can free yourself. You’ve got to! Stay alive! Please!

“Ahem!” I called out for attention, interrupting them. “Scootaloo, Trixie also wants to know what you’re hiding. If you didn’t kill Adagio, then Trixie sees no reason for you to stay silent. You’re only making yourself look bad.”

“S-so what?” Scootaloo said, crossing her arms and looking away from the rest of us. “I didn’t kill Adagio. So it doesn’t matter.”

“Oh for heaven’s sake, Scootaloo,” Rarity groaned, falling back against her podium. “Why won’t you tell us?”

“Because it doesn’t matter!” Scootaloo turned so her back faced us. “It doesn’t, okay? Move on. There’s better things to talk about.”

Diamond Tiara glanced at the rest of us, then flicked a middle finger Scootaloo’s way. “You know what? I don’t believe you. If you won’t tell us, I’m going to vote for you as Adagio’s killer.”

My eyes widened in fright. “N-now now,” I said, a nervous grin spreading on my face, “let’s not be hasty. T-Trixie isn’t convinced Scootaloo hurt anyone.”

Rarity pushed herself up enough to look Tiara’s way, then gave a lacklustre nod. “I suppose I’ll have to as well. Scootaloo knew what the athame was. She was wandering about last night close to the museum and the library. I’m sorry, Scootaloo, I truly am, but if you don’t tell us what you’re hiding, what else are we supposed to think?”

“Rarity!” I blurted, whirling on the seamstress. “You can’t vote for Scootaloo. Trixie doesn’t think she killed Adagio.”

“Ah’m becomin’ convinced she did, though,” Applejack said. She fixed a cold gaze on the younger woman, who had started to tremble. “She’s hidin’ somethin’ bad. And Ah can only think of one thing. Unless she had somethin’ to do with Sunset.”

Scootaloo spun on her heel at that remark, fury etched across her features as she held up a quivering fist at the farmer. “I didn’t have anything to do with Sunset! And I didn’t kill Adagio either, okay?”

“Welp, I’m satisfied, then,” Tiara said, sneering at Scootaloo. “Hey Monoponi! We’re ready to--”

“Wait! Wait, please!” I screamed. “Trixie refuses to vote. We can’t vote. We’re still waiting for Sunset to arrive. If we vote now we will be killing Sunset!”

“Sunset Shimmer is already dead!” Tiara railed back. “How many times do I have to say that?”

“No she is not!” Rarity retaliated, her face twisting up into a fresh course of rage. “I refuse to accept that. If there’s even a chance she’s still alive, we need to give her as much time as we can.” She turned to me and nodded. “My apologies, Trixie. I cannot believe I forgot about that.”

“Trixie understands,” I said with an attempt at a smile. “It is easy to forget things in the chaotic mess that is a trial.”

“Well, Ah’m willin’ to give her more time,” Applejack said with a firm nod, “but Ah want this matter settled. Scootaloo, tell us the truth. Now.”

“Uugh! Fine!” Scootaloo sighed, and fell against her podium. A look of profound shame took hold over her features. “I’ll tell you.” She let out a heavy sigh. “I get angry. A lot. You’ve all seen it. You’ve seen how angry I get whenever I see someone’s dead. And Sunset, she’s been looking out for all of us, even when most of us doubted her. She’s a good person. When she went missing, I was so furious. I-I tried to channel it into searching for her, but…”

She let out another sigh. “Last night, when I went to pray, I… I lost it. I completely lost my temper. I went into the music room and smashed instruments around, knocked everything over, and left it a mess. And when I left I was so ashamed, so mad at myself that I wandered into the museum and lost it again. I smashed open the case with my bat. That’s… that’s why I pointed it out to you this morning Trixie. Because that was me.”

“Ohohoho, so you’re the one who went around breaking things on my ship!” Monoponi interrupted, glaring at Scootaloo with his oversized eyes. He pointed a forehoof at her. “You’re lucky both things became involved with a murder, because otherwise I’d have to punish you for that!”

“Wait, both things?” Tiara inquired, arching both eyebrows. “I thought the murder happened in the museum. What’s the church got to do with it?”

Monoponi’s eyes widened till they took up his entire face before he jammed both forehooves into his mouth and rapidly shook his head like a broken bobblehead toy.

“So you didn’t have anythin’ to do with the murder,” Applejack said after pressing her knuckles to her chin, “you just lost your temper. Ah guess Ah can understand that. Ah have a fiery temper mahself. Ah didn’t know you had anger issues though.”

Her eyes misting up from shame, Scootaloo buried her face into her podium. “I don’t like talking about it. I haven’t lost my temper like that since I was a teenager.”

If Sunset were here, she’d hug Scootaloo about now. Or would if Monoponi would let us leave our podiums. Stupid fluffy-horse thing. I attempted a sympathetic smile. “Trixie thinks we can all understand losing your temper due to stress. This killing game is awful for everyone.”

“Indeed,” Rarity said, the energy she’d regained swiftly evaporating, leaving her a flustered mess laying on her podium. “I am so tired of dealing with this. I never asked to be taken aboard this ship.”

“None of us did,” Tiara snorted, shaking her head with a sigh. “Jeez though, Scootaloo. Tell us next time you do something stupid like that. Don’t make us threaten to vote for you.”

“There’d better not be a next time,” Scootaloo growled. “This better be the last trial.”

“I thought Flash’s trial would be the last one,” Rarity muttered, “and we all saw how that went.”

Applejack set her hands down on her podium and leaned forward. “Alright y’all. So we figured out what Scootaloo was hidin’. Ah’m not sure that clears her of suspicion just yet, but Ah’m ready to move forward. What do we know about the church?”

Okay, Trixie. Time to bring up that little bit of evidence you’ve been holding close to your chest. “We know that a prayer mat was taken from the church,” I said. “Trixie found it underneath the desk of the museum director’s office. It was covered in blood. It was likely used to drag the body.”

Applejack eyed me. “How d’you figure?”

“Because,” I answered, “the prayer mat’s strap had been altered.”

Fact #17: Prayer Mat: “A prayer mat found underneath the desk of the museum director’s office. It is heavily stained with blood. The securing strap had several other straps tied to it, knotted up to form one long rope. Two strands of purple thread were discovered on the rope. They match the shade of Rarity’s skirt.”

“Normally, these prayer mats come with a single securing strap, like a sleeping bag, to tie them up. But this one had several other straps tied to it to make a big rope. Trixie doesn’t see a reason to do that unless the culprit used it to drag the mat around, which would only be necessary if there was a body in it. By making a larger rope, the culprit would make the strap stronger, more durable, and the body easier to carry.”

The farmer pursed her lower lip, then nodded. “Alright. Ah can see that. But… wait a durn minute.” She narrowed her eyes as she glared at the evidence brought up on the display, then looked up at Rarity, who immediately flinched back. “Rarity. You want to explain this?”

“E-explain w-what?” Rarity stammered. She let out a high pitched giggle. “I-I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Tiara peered down at her Monopad, then an ugly smirk graced her face. “Ohoho, I think you do, Rarity! What’s up with the threads, hmm?”

Rarity blinked, a wide anxious toothy grin spreading across her face as she glanced between the rest of us repeatedly, like watching a tennis match. “I, uh, I don’t know how those got there,” she said. She swallowed with a noticeable gulping sound.

“Really?” Scootaloo grunted. She’d looked up from her podium with her features clouded by anger, and more than a little hurt. “Really. Then why’s your skirt messed up? I can see it from here.”

Rarity tucked the loose part of her skirt between her knees, hiding the frayed spots from view. “N-no no, you must be mistaken. I-I wouldn’t wear a damaged skirt.”

“Rarity,” I scoffed, “you already told Trixie you damaged your skirt yesterday. She recorded it for evidence.”

Fact #18: Rarity’s Clothes: “Rarity’s skirt was frayed. She claims it was due to catching it on a corner while searching for Sunset yesterday, and she hadn’t been able to repair it due to her thread going missing. She hadn’t changed due to her other skirts being dirty.”

“Trixie!” Rarity squealed, casting me a frustrated look. “Why are you telling them that?”

“Because Trixie wasn’t sure she believed you then,” I said, “and she’s not sure she believes you now.”

Rarity reeled back as if I’d slapped her. She gaped at me, her eyes widening in horror as she spluttered, “B-b-b-b-but we found the missing thread! It was used in the music room!”

“Oooh? And what did you use it on, hmm?” Tiara asked, her smirk widening. “Do tell.”

“Rarity, you were arguin’ pretty hard for mah guilty earlier,” Applejack said, her voice heavy and filled with a mixture of emotions. “Was it because you were coverin’ up your own? Is that why there was a note on Sunset’s pillow? Did you put it there?”

“What?” Rarity gasped, her voice going quiet. “No. No, nononono, you cannot be serious. You cannot be accusing me!” She held her hands up to her chest, her face twisting in offended outrage. “What possible reason could I have for killing Adagio?”

“Same one as the rest of us,” Applejack retorted. “Revenge for Sunset. You already admitted to havin’ feelins for her. And you were there both times Adagio did somethin’ bad to her.” She pointed an accusatory finger at Rarity. “Ah wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if you killed Adagio.”

“But, but, no!” Rarity screeched, tears streaming down her face once more, washing away what little was left of her makeup. “How many times must I say I don’t think Adagio had anything to do with Sunset? I believed her when she told me she was worried for Sunset. We even searched for Sunset last night! I-I told Trixie that!” She reached for her Monopad, her hands shaking and slick with sweat as she tapped enough to bring up the evidence.

Fact #13: Rarity’s Account: “According to Rarity, she, along with Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo spent all of Tuesday morning searching the entire ship for Sunset Shimmer, after they discovered she was missing. She found no trace of Sunset anywhere. She spent most of the afternoon in her cabin, worrying anxiously, and attempted to search again that evening. She ran into Adagio and frantically begged her to tell Rarity where Sunset was. She said Adagio was also distraught, and apologized for throwing Sunset into the pool Monday afternoon. She and Adagio searched together to no avail, and Rarity retired at 11:00 PM.”

“Really.” Applejack calmly took off her hat, set it down, then resumed glaring at Rarity. “Ah find that a bit funny, seein’ as Ah was keepin’ an eye on Adagio. Ah don’t recall ever seein’ you with her.”

Fact #21: “Applejack’s Account: “According to Applejack, she was the one who discovered Sunset was missing. She confronted Adagio about Sunset and there was a brief confrontation. She said Adagio denied all involvement, and claimed she was just as worried about the missing Sunset as the others were. Applejack refused to believe her, and chose to subtly track Adagio for the rest of the day.”

“Ah can bring things up too. Just because you told Trixie that don’t mean you weren’t lyin’.”

Scootaloo pushed herself off her podium to stand up straight, her arms crossed over her chest. “I saw Applejack sneaking around, but I never saw you after the morning, Rarity.”

“Neither did I,” Tiara said. She tapped a finger to her chin, her smirk full of malice. “So, that’s three different people who didn’t see you, and the only person who could support what you’re saying is dead. I think that makes things pretty clear, doesn’t it?”

“No it most certainly does not!” Rarity shrieked, slamming her palms down on her podium. She whirled on me, her lips pulled back showing her teeth, snarling like a wild animal. “How dare you of all people accuse me, Trixie?! I befriended you. I remained your friend when no one else save for Sunset would. I forgave you for murdering Pinkie Pie! And this is how you repay my friendship?”

“Trixie isn’t accusing you,” I replied simply, causing Rarity’s anger to evaporate on the spot, replaced by confused shock. “Trixie simply wishes to find the truth. And it is suspicious that threads from your skirt were found on the prayer mat. All she wants to determine is why.”

“B-b-but you said you didn’t believe me!” Rarity stammered, both hands raised to pull at her untidy hair.

I resisted the urge to laugh, because wow. I really wanted to laugh. But that would be bad. “What Trixie meant was that she wasn’t sure she believed you about the missing thread. She’s yet to be convinced that you killed Adagio. And Trixie will not vote unless she’s certain.”

“Okay.” Rarity breathed, lowering her hands. She took hold of her left arm and stroked it several times to try and calm herself. “Okay. I can deal with this. I can explain this.”

“No you can’t,” Tiara retorted, shaking her head. “Like I said, no one can corroborate your claim. No one saw you. Threads from your skirt were found on something used in the murder. And you had plenty of motive.”

Rarity scowled at Tiara. “Weren’t you just as convinced of Scootaloo’s guilt a few minutes ago?”

“No,” Tiara said with a bark of laughter. “I was just using that to get her to tell us what she was hiding. But you? You I could believe, especially after you wigged out on Applejack earlier. That was pretty suspicious.”

“And anyone could’ve used the athame,” Scootaloo added. “Anyone.”

“Ah’m sorry, Rarity, but… ah hell, no, Ah’m not sorry,” Applejack said with a loud snort. “You’re smellin’ of all kinds of lies right now. Ah don’t believe what you’re sayin’.”

“But what about Sunset?” Rarity retorted, desperately trying to keep her calm about her now that she’d recovered it. “All you have is a thread. That’s not proof! Just because we’re split down the middle on this doesn’t mean we have to vote now!”

Everyone else, myself included, groaned as one. “Oh now you’ve done it, Rarity,” Applejack moaned. “And here Ah thought we’d avoid it this time.”

“What?” Rarity blinked owlishly. “What did I--oh. Oh no.”

“Oh yes!” Monoponi said gleefully, springing up from his podium. “If you’re split down the middle, there’s only one way to solve it! And that’s with a lovely musical back and forth scrrrrruuuum debate!” His horn lit up, summoning up that awesome techno music, the only good thing about these debates. Monoponi held a hoof to his mouth. “Upupu! Now, let’s get this started with our very own morphenomenal trial grounds!”

“Sunset’s right about how stupid that sounds, you know!” Scootaloo cried as our podiums rose up in the air, splitting apart in a set of two and set of three respectively, leaving me as Rarity’s sole defender.

DID RARITY KILL ADAGIO DAZZLE?

BEGIN!

Scootaloo started the debate with a shouted, “Those threads on the prayer mat were from your skirt, Rarity!”

“Just because there were threads of the same color does not mean they’re from my skirt!” Rarity retorted.

Tiara thrust out an arm dismissively. “But your skirt was frayed!”

Rarity stood up straight and said, “It was frayed because I caught it on a corner while searching for Sunset!”

“None of us saw you talkin’ to or searchin’ with Adagio last night,” Applejack pointed out.

“So what if no one saw us together?” Rarity said, while glancing my way. “It’s a huge ship. Did you really keep eyes on Adagio the whole time?”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Well, no, but that don’t mean you searchedwith her!”

“Nor does it mean she didn’t search with her,” I interjected with a dazzling smile. “Which makes it irrelevant.”

“No it doesn’t!” Tiara objected, throwing both hands onto her hips. “No one can corroborateher claim! That means she’s suspicious!”

“But that only holds up if someone was watching her the entire time,” I retorted. “And Applejack just said she wasn’t. Therefore, Trixie says it’s suspicious, but not proof.”

“But what about the athame?” Scootaloo asked. “Anyone could’ve used it! That means Rarity could’ve taken it.”

“Exactly,” Rarity sniffed, “Anyone could have used the athame. That doesn’t implicate me at all.”

“Then what about the message blamin’ me in Sunset’s cabin?” Applejack asked, spreading out her hands.

Rarity shook her head. “I don’t know where that message came from, but I can assure you I didn’t fake it.”

“And how can we be sure you didn’t fake it, huh?” Tiara said, her glare at Rarity intensifying.

“Trixie was there,” I said. “She can assure you Rarity’s reaction was authentic. She did not fake the message.”

“So then if the threads weren’t from your skirt, Rarity, where did they come from?” Applejack said.

“I don’t know where they came from,” Rarity said. “That’s the point! It wasn’t from me.”

“But can you prove they’re not from your skirt?” Tiara said, snickering under her breath.

“No, she can’t prove that,” I answered with a roll of my eyes. “You can’t prove a negative. Sunset taught Trixie that.”

“Grrr,” Applejack growled, slamming a fist on her podium, “but you still have a motive, Rarity! Your feelings for Sunset!”

“My feelings for Sunset are not a sufficient motive for murdering someone I don’t consider responsible for Sunset’s disappearance!” Rarity countered, casting her gaze up to the ceiling. “Honestly, how many times must I say that?”

“So what was the reason Adagio died, then?” Scootaloo wondered.

“Trixie doesn’t know the reason yet,” I said. “Which means she refuses to vote. And if she refuses, we all refuse.”

Apparently saying that signified the end, because our podiums descended to the ground. “Thank goodness that’s over with,” Applejack muttered.

While the others made sounds of agreement, I glanced back at the Sunset wall, and my heart stopped. My breath stuck in my throat. The light ceased its languid pace and abruptly accelerated, like the engine of a sports car, fading faster and faster until I could barely see it at all.

[And then it faded entirely. The light was gone.

And with it, my hope for Sunset’s survival.](https://youtu.be/mG64J10DK_A)

Author's Note

Prologue: Awaken Unto Despair

DANGANRONPA: IN HARMONY’S WAKE

My name is Sunset Shimmer. I’m twenty-four years old, getting ready to start up my fifth year of college at Canterlot University. Already have one bachelor degree, in mechanical engineering, but I’m going back for a second.

I’m also not human. Or, well, I wasn’t born one, anyway. I was born a pony, a unicorn specifically, in Equestria, a nation in a world separated from this one by a magical portal. Yes, I am literally from a world of sunshine and rainbows where friendship is magic. Go figure. But I came to this one, after I… had a bad experience as a personal student to the leader of Equestria. Looking back, it was all so stupid, not even really worth discussing.

The point is, I left, forever. I came to this world, to a world of humans and fancy technology beyond my wildest dreams. I was a complete jerk, working to build power until I could return to Equestria and enact my revenge. I stole a magical artifact, was turned into a demon of all things, and then I was… saved. Saved by…

By…

Wait. Why can’t I remember?

Oh well. It’s not that important. (Yes it is!) What really matters is, I changed, I made friends. (Who?) I became a much better person. (How?!) Went on to college, explored my interests in math and mechanics, and that’s where I am today.

Or I should be, anyway.

The last thing I remember, I was stepping out of my brownstone apartment in downtown Canterlot, ready to hop onto my motorcycle to get to the first day of classes for the year. And then everything went… fuzzy. Dark. Like the air itself twisted in my brain, and all of a sudden, I was laying on a fancy four poster bed, the smell of sea salt spray in the air from an open porthole window filling my nose.

And my head was killing me! Great sheets of pain swept over my head like waves in a stormy ocean, bludgeoning through me and battering me against the proverbial shore. Waves of nausea fluttered through me, my stomach twisting in knots. I stumbled off the bed, fell against the open door of a full bathroom and collapsed to my knees in front of the toilet. My hands gripped the sides of the porcelain. I held my head over the bowl, staring into the water, waiting for the contents of my stomach to rise up and out. I don’t know how long I knelt there before the nausea subsided, thankfully without having actually vomited. The pain in my head receded to a dull ache, less a pounding surf and more a gentle tide.

“Okay, what the hell,” I managed to speak as I slowly got to my feet. “Where am I?”

I looked up at myself in the mirror, taking in my appearance. I was dressed like I usually would these days, with my beaten old leather jacket, a bit patched in places but still lovingly preserved, a low cut sky blue shirt with a matching skirt atop a decent pair of jeans. Nothing fancy, really. Just a callback to how I dressed my senior year of high school. Figured it made sense to break it out, since I was like a “super senior” at the University this year.

Now that I wasn’t about to vomit all over the place, I was able to take in some of the details of my surroundings. Everything was intricately wrought and well crafted. A fine silver filigree surrounded the mirror over the sink, with faucets equally lined in silver. The shower and bath unit, while a fairly typical combination you’d see in any apartment, were much larger than I expected, with a shower curtain made of fine silk lined with cotton, rather than cheap plastic. Even the towels hanging by the shower tub were neatly pressed, hanging like they were placed there by a well trained hotel staff. A large, white robe hung next to the towels, made from the same material as the shower curtain.

And for some bizarre reason, there was a security camera in the corner. “Okay, that’s a little weird…”

I stepped out of the bathroom back into the main room. Like the bathroom, everything from the dresser to the writing desk with chair to the walk-in closet to the four poster bed screamed of opulence, like a five-star hotel. The only things out of place were the porthole window, and a security camera up in the middle of the ceiling, one of the half-dome kinds. Also there was a screen with speakers over the desk I presumed was a television of some kind. So I poked my head out the window, and was met with a vision of the open ocean. Nothing else as far as the eye could see in either direction, save for more of what was presumably a cruise ship.

I wasn’t too surprised by that. I had been able to feel the gentlest of swells under my feet since I woke up. But I was confused. “How the hell did I get here?” I asked myself as I poked around further in the room. I discovered a set of keys on the desk, most probably the room keys. I pocketed those. Apart from that there was nothing, save basic pen and paper on the desk and a small k-cup style coffee machine stuffed in one of the drawers, with two disposable cups wrapped up in plastic. Nothing you wouldn’t expect to see in a hotel.

The only thing that stood out was the closet. It was full of identical copies of my current outfit. Like whatever brought me here expected to wear the same thing every day. It was more than a little unsettling, especially with the security camera in the room. Something was vaguely familiar about this situation too, as if I’d seen a similar setup somewhere. Maybe a movie?

With a shrug I decided to try the door to the outside. I wasn’t going to get any answers in here. Maybe I could find a member of the ship’s crew.

Upon leaving my room and locking it, I found myself in a long corridor stretching out along this side of the ship. Doorways presumably leading to similar rooms lined the hall. The floor was carpeted over steel deck plates, the walls lined with floral wallpaper. Paintings hung here and there, of landscapes, beaches, and one of a massive ship that might’ve been the ship I was on. Security cameras lined the hall, ensuring no blind spots. A couple more screens were placed here and there as well. But no one else in sight. Curiously though, I noticed that, right on my door was a gold plated sign, etched with my name. Sunset Shimmer.

“Okay, what?” I asked as I ran my hand over it. “What the hell--”

“Oh my! Excuse me, darling, but do you happen to work here?”

I whirled about at the sound of another woman’s voice, finding myself face to face with a gorgeous woman a few inches shorter than me, with purple hair coiffed to perfection, wearing a periwinkle shirt, golden bangles about her wrists, and a plum skirt lined with an image of three sapphire blue diamonds that perfectly complimented her hair and ivory skin tone. She smiled at me, all white teeth shining like a dentist’s dream as she casually flicked a hand through her hair. The sight brought a blush to my cheeks. “I’m sorry if I startled you,” she continued in some kind of fancy accent I couldn’t place. “It’s just that I’m lost and I don’t know how I got here.”

I let out a laugh and scratched the back of my head. “Sorry, I don’t. Work here, I mean.” Ugh, smooth, Sunset, I chastised myself. I coughed to clear my throat and stood up straighter. “I don’t know how I got here either. My name’s Sunset, by the way. Sunset Shimmer.”

She held out a dainty hand and gave mine a quick shake. Even in that brief instant of touch I could feel just how smooth her skin was. “A pleasure. I am Rarity Belle.” She dropped her hand to her side to lay it along her hip, and looked around the corridor. “A pity we’re both lost. Do you go to Canterlot University, by chance? Something about you seems familiar.”

I think I would remember seeing a vision of loveliness like yourself, I almost said, managing to get control over my stupid brain at the last second. Damn it, I’m not a teenager anymore. Stop acting like it. “I do, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you there before.”

“Oh, naturally, you wouldn’t. I’m not a student. I simply visit there to occasionally request assistants and modelers for my shop. I run a boutique in downtown Canterlot, Rarity For You.” Her sapphire blue eyes fixed squarely on my jacket, the side of her lip curling as she let out a quiet scoff. “Perhaps you should… visit sometime.”

Okay, that was a splash of cold water. She was hot, fine, but no one disses the jacket. I stuffed my hands pointedly into my jacket pockets, pulling it tighter around me. “I dunno about that. I’m not big on spending lots of money on clothes.”

She gave an elegant shrug. “Ah well. Anyway, why don’t we try and see if we can find someone on the crew of this ship. Surely someone has to know how we got here.”

“Yeah, good idea,” I agreed. I glanced both ways down the hallway. One, I saw, dead ended in a large steel barricade, like some kind of fire door or watertight bulkhead. So I pointed down the other way and said, “Let’s go.”

We made our way swiftly down the hall, her heels and my boots clanking softly against the carpeted steel till we found ourselves emerging into open air on the main deck of the ship. The ocean breeze sent our hair flying up as it filled our noses with the smell of salt spray. We must’ve been right at the bow of the ship, because not too far away I could see the prow beating a path through the waves. The main deck had to have been a good couple hundred feet above the waterline, because I could barely make out the splashing of the waves against the hull. Nearby was a large outdoor lounge, laden with tables and chairs, all made from strong plastic but with comfortable looking cushions, and a full bar, with another screen hanging behind it, this one larger with equally larger speakers. And, of course, security cameras, all over the place. The designer of this ship sure cared about security.

There were a pair of people chatting by the bar. One was a short, slightly chubby pink skinned girl with a shock of curly pink hair wearing a white t-shirt stamped with a trio of balloons, two blue and one yellow, and a ruffled skirt in several shades of pink, yammering away a mile a minute. Jeez, someone likes pink. The other was a taller woman wearing a grey pantsuit and a mustard yellow business jacket over a black polo shirt, with a professionally cut short hairstyle of light grey violet streaked with white, doing her best not to look as snobbish and disgusted by the pink one as possible and failing miserably.

With a great big gasp of delight the pink one spotted the two of us and rushed over in a flash, grabbing and shaking our hands so fast I barely had a chance to react. “More new people! Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie! So nice to meet you! Ooh, do you work here? I don’t work here, I just woke up on one of these chairs and was like ‘wow why am I on a ship?’ but then I saw her over there and I just had to talk and now I’m talking to you!”

Of course her name is Pinkie Pie. What else would it be, I thought as I grimaced. “Um, hi. I’m Sunset Shimmer, this is Rarity Belle. We don’t work here either.”

“Oooh, shoot!” Pinkie pouted, snapping her fingers. “I was sure someone I’d spot would be working here. I mean why would a bunch of twenty somethings be waking up on a cruise ship out in the middle of nowhere, with no one else around? Oh no, do you think we were kidnapped?!”

“Maybe?” I shrugged. This girl was already giving me a headache. Or bringing back the one I had earlier. Same difference. “Probably not though. I don’t think kidnappers would let us just walk around the ship. Look, why don’t you talk to Rarity. Excuse me.”

“Hey!” Rarity whined as Pinkie immediately began gabbing away in her ear, leaving the poor woman overwhelmed. That’s for dissing the jacket.

I pointedly walked away over to the other woman standing at the bar. She favored me with a sneer and a raised eyebrow. “At least you’re not talking my ear off,” she said after a moment.

Oookay…. I stuck out a hand, giving her a friendly grin. “Hi, I’m Sunset Shimmer.”

She looked down at my hand and snorted, her lips twisting in a disgusted grimace. But she extended a hand and took mine, shaking just long enough then dropping it. “Charmed. Diamond Tiara. I’m guessing you’re not one of the help, either. So are you a deckhand? Perhaps you work in the engine room?”

My face scrunched in a mild sneer of my own. “Excuse me?” She was already reminding me of the nobility back in Equestria, all high and mighty rich folk with messed up ideals about their inherent superiority and no manners.

She let out a quiet little laugh. “Forgive me, I just assumed, what with your shabby appearance and that… jacket… that you couldn’t possibly be a passenger.” Her mouth twisted into a patently insincere simper. “My apologies.”

I shoved my hand back in my jacket, scowling and shaking my head. “Yeah. Fine. Whatever. Look, do you know anything about what’s going on here?”

“No, I don’t.” She crossed her arms and frowned. “This ship looks like one my father would rent for our family for a week, but he’d never do that without telling me. And he wouldn’t let people like you aboard.”

My hands clenched into fists in my pocket, gripping fistfuls of jacket. “No, of course not,” I growled. “There’d be too much room taken up by your ego.”

Her jaw just about unhinged as she glowered at me, absolutely furious in a heartbeat. “How dare you? Don’t you know who I am? Who my father is?”

One side of my mouth curled up in a satisfied smirk. “You can dish it out but you can’t take it, huh? Figures.” I decided to walk away. No need to waste time on her.

I found poor Rarity leaning on the railing, Pinkie nowhere to be found. “That was uncalled for, darling,” Rarity grumbled. “I don’t know where that girl gets her energy.”

“Sorry,” I said with a sheepish grin. I pointed down the deck, where there was a large opening leading into another corridor we hadn’t explored yet. “C’mon, let’s go this way. See who else is here.”

A brief walk had us come back out onto the deck of the ship, this time in a much wider area than the lounge. An open staircase barred off with a large steel bulkhead like the one in the cabin hallway led up to what was probably the bridge, a large tower overlooking the place decorated with large ocean blue banners and a few pieces of equipment such as radar dishes and radio beacons, and, naturally, more security cameras. I could see a window up there atop, but no people inside. Down closer to the main deck was a balcony that led to a single solitary door into the tower, probably for the ship’s captain to come out and give announcements. A large screen and speakers hung right above the door.

Apart from that, there was, far on the other side of the empty space, a massive Olympic sized pool, complete with several diving boards at various heights, and lounging benches. There was also the stereotypical oversized chair for a lifeguard, but a sign hung off of it pointedly reading “No lifeguard on duty.” A few sets of tables and chairs completed the arrangement. There was also another entryway leading into another area of the ship.

A trio of people were talking by the tables, and waving to us as we approached. There was a tall, well muscled light orange-skinned woman, wearing a comfortable pair of jeans and a white button shirt patterned with green on the shoulders and collar, plus a stetson hat atop her head. Golden hair streamed down into a practical ponytail bouncing behind her. “Well howdy there!” she greeted with a friendly wave and an accent thick with the tune of the countryside. “Nice ta see new folks. Why don’tcha c’mere, sit a spell with us?”

She patted a pair of chairs next to her, between her and a smaller woman, this one with pale yellow skin and rich red locks of hair falling around her face in gentle curls. A red bow was tied atop her head, lending her an almost childlike sense of charm. She was clad similarly to the country woman, with a green button up shirt and a pair of jeans. She waved happily, and grinned. “Yeah, c’mon!” she agreed in an identical accent. Are they sisters? I wondered.

The third person sitting nearby was a gangly looking guy with darkish skin, wearing a beanie atop a head full of green hair. Unlike them he was sporting a short sleeved red t-shirt lined with white trimming and a symbol of a sun between two green mountains, a dock, and a puddle of blue water, alongside a pair of khaki cargo shorts and practical brown steel-toed boots. He flashed us a cocky grin and flicked both hands at us like they were a pair of revolvers. “Hey there,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.

Ugh, what a creep! I sat down between the two women, as did Rarity, and pointedly did not look in his direction. “Hi. I’m Sunset Shimmer, and this is Rarity.”

The country woman stuck her hand out and gave me a firm, enthusiastic shake. “Glad to meetcha! Ah’m Applejack, and this here’s mah little sister, Apple Bloom! We sure are glad to see someone else around here. We were startin’ to wonder if we were the only ones aboard.” Her smile dampened a bit as she turned to the guy sitting nearby. “And uh, this one’s name is Timber, Ah think? Timber Spruce?”

His smirk widened. “Yup, you got it AJ. Timber Spruce, counselor from Camp Everfree, at your service.” He stuck out a hand to Rarity. “Let me know if I can do anything to help.”

Rarity’s lips puckered up like she’d just bit into a lemon. “Of course, of course,” she said with the quickest handshake I’ve ever seen.

“Hey Ah think Ah’ve seen you before,” Apple Bloom said as she shook my hand with similar enthusiasm as her sister, if not the same strength. “Ah’m in mah second year at Canterlot University. Do you go there too?”

“I do,” I replied. “Just finished one bachelor’s, going back for a second.”

Apple Bloom’s eyes bulged to the size of dinner plates. “Wow!” she gasped. “You must be rich or somethin’. Ah’m only the second member of my family ever to go to college!”

My cheeks lit up with pink. “Aheh, no, not rich,” I said, scratching the back of my head. “Just good investments.” If you count selling all the Equestrian gold and gems I brought with me and throwing the funds into savings bonds and so on as investments…

“But still! Ah had to get a scholarship and have a college fund set up just to afford university.” Apple Bloom threw her hands up in the air in a cheer. “Anywho, congrats on yer first bachelor’s! Ah hope mine goes as well.”

“Eeyup, we sure are proud of you, Apple Bloom,” Applejack said with a wide smile as she tousled Apple Bloom’s hair. “Ah went to college mahself, but it was just a community college for a two year degree in business. It’s sure helped with managin’ the farm, cause we’re doing way better than we used to in profits, but it was pretty expensive even doin’ that.”

“The farm, you say? Do you perhaps mean Sweet Apple Acres, just outside Canterlot?” Rarity broke in, stars in her eyes. At Applejack’s nod, she continued, “I always buy your produce when I go to the supermarket. It tastes absolutely divine, so much better than the other local providers!”

Applejack beamed at the praise, her smile wider than the sea. “Why shucks, thank ya kindly, miss Rarity. Ah always appreciate hearin’ that. Makes my days workin’ on the farm that much sweeter.”

“Hey, uh, not to barge in on your conversation,” Timber said, leaning forward and giving us a shrewd look. “But do either of you two know how we got here? We just woke up sitting in these chairs and as much fun as a cruise ride is, it’s kinda weird, you know?”

I shook my head. “Sorry, but we don’t. We’ve been running into other people on the ship, but so far, no one knows either.”

“Speaking of which, darling,” Rarity said as she stood, “we should perhaps get back to that. Now that I see Miss Applejack here has her sister on board, I’m starting to wonder if my dear Sweetie Belle is too!” She gave Applejack and Apple Bloom a smile. “We’ll talk more later, I’m sure.”

Applejack stood as well, stretching her arms out wide with a grunt. “Ya know that sounds like a mighty fine idea. C’mon Bloom, why don’t we go explorin’ ourselves?”

“Sure!” Apple Bloom hopped out of her seat. Then she cast Timber a hesitant look. “Uh, you uh, want to come with, Timber?”

“Might as well,” he agreed. I caught Applejack throwing her sister a withering glare as they all left to wander off back in the direction we came from.

Meanwhile, Rarity and I crossed the deck to the other entryway into the ship, emerging onto a massive indoor promenade easily twice the size of the outer deck we were just on. A series of shops lined both sides of the walls nearby us--I spotted a sporting goods store, a “duty-free” store, whatever that meant, a pharmacy, an office/arts and crafts store store, a jeweler, a fabric store, and a convenience store. There was also a set of bathrooms right next to the door to the bridge deck. About halfway down the promenade was a large food court setting, with various tables and chairs. The rest of the area was full of restaurants, of all kinds of food. One in particular down near the end caught my eye, a Sushi King. I worked at one of those in my last year of high school, and I knew they had good food. Maybe someone was working there. Oh, and of course, there were the ubiquitous security cameras and screens, though by this point I was ignoring them as background scenery.

Rarity, however, became immediately distracted by the fabric store and all but yanked me by the arm into it straight away. “Oh my stars, darling, look at all these choices!” she stammered as she carted me down the various aisles. Bolts of fabric of all shades and colors, of varying materials from cotton to linen to nylon to fleece to silk and lots of other things I didn’t know what they were lined the shelves, all labeled for easy identification, but, strangely, no price tags. “Look at this silk! This is some of the most expensive Qilin silk in existence! I’ve never seen so much in one place. Can you imagine the dresses I could make with this? Oh, ideaaaaa!”

“Hey, can you keep it down please?” came a quiet, grumpy sounding voice from nearby, starling us both.

I whirled and saw a shorter woman standing there in a tan and brown striped sweater and pair of jeans, long locks of forest green hair streaming down around her face. Where the hell was she when we came in?! I thought. “Uh, sorry?” I offered.

Rarity held a hand to her mouth and screwed her lips up into a duck-like pout. “Oh, terribly sorry, dear, I just became so excited when I saw what was on offer! Please, forgive me.”

She scowled, stuffed her hands in her pockets and shrugged. “Whatever. No problem. Not like I expect to be noticed anyway.”

Rarity and I exchanged a look. This is a little awkward. Better clear the air. “Sorry to hear that,” I said. “Anyway, I’m Sunset Shimmer and this is Rarity. What’s your name?”

The green haired woman looked away, focusing on a wall. After a moment or two, she huffed a sigh and said “Wallflower Blush. Excuse me.” She walked away, disappearing into the shelves.

“Well that was… odd,” Rarity commented. “I didn’t even get to ask if she knew anything. Oh well.”

“Yeah and we can probably look at the silk later, Rarity, c’mon,” I said, taking her hand and gently leading her out of the shop. Whatever your problem is, Wallflower, we’ll give you space.

As we emerged from the shop, we saw two others emerging from the sporting goods store. One was a tall, lithe figure, towering over the other with her yellow skin and soft pink hair cascading down her shoulders to partially hide her eyes. She wore a knee length dark teal dress decorated with butterflies and ribbons tied with bows on her legs. The other was a short, lean cyan-skinned girl with a messy tangle of short rainbow colored hair, wearing a blue sports jacket over a white shirt emblazoned with a rainbow lightning bolt and form-fitting black pants decorated with more bolts. Something about her was a bit familiar, too. Rainbow girl was laughing like crazy while the other was giggling softly in turn, but staying quiet.

“Oh hey look, more people!” the shorter one said, pointing at us. “Hey you over there, c’mere! We wanna ask you something!”

The taller one mumbled something into the shorter one’s ear as we approached. “Hi there,” I greeted with a small wave.

“Yeah, hi, listen, my name’s Rainbow Dash, this here is Fluttershy. Do either of you have a clue how we got here? I mean this place is awesome and all, but it’s kinda weird. I mean we woke up next to a shelf of basketballs and soccer balls. How weird is that?”

Rarity gave her a sympathetic smile. “Sorry darling, but we don’t know either. Oh, forgive my manners. I am Rarity, and this is Sunset Shimmer.” She cocked her head to the side. “Wait, haven’t I seen you before?”

“You’re the lead forward of the Canterlot Crusaders, aren’t you?” I said with a snap of my fingers, referring to CU’s soccer team. “That’s where I’ve seen you before.”

“Yup, that’s me!” Rainbow preened, standing proud. Fluttershy took the opportunity to carefully step behind her, almost ducking down as if to hide behind the shorter woman.

“Um, is she okay?” I asked.

Fluttershy, shaking like a leaf, stood back up. “S-ssorry,” she said, twiddling her fingers together. “I-I’m just really… s-shy. I-I’ve been working on it, b-but… strangers scare me.”

“Hey, don’t worry, Shy, they’re cool. They won’t hurt you,” Rainbow said soothingly, taking Fluttershy’s hand in hers and squeezing it gently.

“Right, thanks Dashie,” she said, squeezing back.

Poor Fluttershy. Anxiety’s a real bitch sometimes. “Sorry if we scared you,” I said, taking a couple steps back and keeping my hands down next to my waist so I was less intimidating. “We’re just exploring the ship, trying to figure out how we got here.”

“You d-don’t think we were kidnapped, do you?” Fluttershy asked.

“I wish we could tell you, darling, honestly, but we haven’t a clue,” Rarity said, matching my actions. “I’m hoping this is just some kind of surprise party or something of that nature. Though I can’t imagine who would be throwing it, since it seems almost none of us know each other.”

“Oh, okay…” Fluttershy whimpered, staring down at the floor with the saddest expression I’d ever seen on a woman before.

Ooof, that’s simultaneously adorable and hurts. “Sorry about that,” I said again.

“Hey don’t sweat it,” Rainbow said. She wrapped an arm around Fluttershy. “Hey Shy, why don’t we go check out that store over there, huh? Sunset, Rarity, we’ll uh, we’ll catch you later.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy said as the two walked off.

Rarity sighed gently as she watched them. “That poor dear… I hope for her sake this really is what I suggested, and not something more sinister.”

I’d been trying to fight off an increasing feeling of unease since waking up. No one we’d run into yet had a clue what was going on, and combined with that feeling I’d seen something like this before, somewhere, I was getting pretty nervous myself. “Yeah I know what you mean. C’mon.”

We walked down the promenade towards the food court area. Like the rest of the ship, the whole promenade had an aura of elegance and opulence far beyond anything I’d ever have been able to afford since I’d come to the human world. In some ways it was like being back at Canterlot Castle, with Princess Celestia, getting to eat the finest meals from the best chefs in the land, drink the finest wines… but that was all in the past, along with my old self. Nowadays I didn’t need any of that crap anymore.

As we approached the food court, we saw a quartet of people sitting at a table, three women, one man. One of the women, with purple and pink hair held up in a pony-tail with a bun wearing a blue polo shirt with a pink sweater vest over it, a pink bow tie, and a purple skirt emblazoned with a pink and white six-pointed star was thoroughly engaged in some kind of book, completely ignoring the others.

The other two women were arguing animatedly over something, gesturing wildly with their hands. One of them had the poofiest orange hair I’d ever seen in my life, tied back with a spiked hair tie, the rest streaming down over a purple camisole and matching skirt, plus long semi-transparent lavender hose patterned with triangles. A pair of leather boots with spiked heels completed her outfit. Obviously a pretty tough girl, but I rather liked her style. Maybe just because we were both wearing leather.

The other was dressed more plainly, just a dark blue hoodie over a lilac and cyan patterned skirt decorated with a symbol of a wand and crescent moon. Her hair was unusually white, with silver blue streaks.

The man meanwhile was trying to break up the argument. He had sapphire blue hair over burnt orange skin, and wore an outfit rather like mine, with blue jeans and a leather jacket over a white shirt emblazoned with a crest of a blue shield with a yellow lightning bolt. Something about the way he looked made me want to trust him. Unlike Timber, he struck me as a nice guy. Not, like, the creepy kind who are all nice to you then call you a bitch when you won’t have sex with them. A genuine nice guy, who looks out for friends. The kind you can rely on.

As we approached, the book reader slammed her book onto the table and cried out, “Ugh, would you two please be quiet? I am trying to read!”

“Well perhaps if she could stop insulting Trixie’s manner of speaking Trixie might be able to quiet down a notch!” cried out hoodie girl, or Trixie, apparently.

“Oh please, I’ll stop ‘insulting’ you as soon as you learn how to talk like a normal person!” shouted the orange-haired woman. Despite her harsh words, her voice instantly struck me as gorgeous beyond belief, oozing charm like a fine latte with just enough milk and cream to balance out the bitterness. Okay, I’m bi, I get it, down girl, I thought to myself as I pushed that thought away.

“There is nothing wrong with the way Trixie speaks! It is very common in Neighpon to speak in third person and Trixie will do so if Trixie wishes to!”

“Well we’re not in Neighpon, are we?”

“Listen, you two,” said the man, interjecting again, “Try to calm down, please? This isn’t helping anything.”

Oh for goodness’s sake. “Sorry Rarity,” I said as I put my fingers to my lips and let out a loud whistle. “Hey, you two, listen to him why don’t you?”

Trixie turned to face us, crossing her arms over her chest and huffing dramatically. “And why should Trixie listen? No one seems to be respecting Trixie’s feelings!”

“Please, darling, it’s alright,” Rarity said. “It’s perfectly fine to speak in third person if you want. It’s unusual, certainly, but I, for one think it sounds absolutely darling.”

Is everything darling to you? I thought as I added aloud, “Yeah, you do you, girl.”

Trixie gave the other woman a smirk of triumph. “Once again, the Great and Powerful Trixie prevails!” she cackled with glee.

“Whatever,” said the other woman, pointedly looking away. “Hey, you two. What’s going on around here anyway? Why are we here?”

Dang it. “Sorry, we don’t know a thing. We were hoping you did,” I answered. “Anyway, I didn’t catch your name. I’m Sunset Shimmer, this is Rarity.”

“Adagio Dazzle.” Adagio sauntered back to her table and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. “You already heard this idiot’s name. Loser guy over here is Flash Sentry, and I don’t know or care what her name is.”

Book girl glared fierce daggers at Adagio as she looked up at us. “Twilight Sparkle, if you don’t mind,” she said as she adjusted her wire-rimmed glasses. “And it’s a shame you don’t know anything. I was hoping a member of the ship’s crew would come by.” She held up her book. “I woke up with this book on cruise ships and was reading through it. I thought I’d do some research, try to figure out why we might be here.”

“And Trixie apologizes if Trixie made a bad impression,” said Trixie, with a contrite expression on her face.

“Apology accepted,” Rarity said.

“Anyway,” Flash interjected, “it’s nice to meet you two. Guess we’re all gonna have fun on this cruise ship, huh?”

“If by fun,” Rarity replied, “you mean confusion in luxury? Well I do admit, our situation could be far worse. At least there’s food, water, places to sleep.”

“So that’s what, thirteen people on board now who’ve no idea what’s going on?” I said, throwing up my arms in frustration.

“Fourteen, darling, don’t forget yourself.”

“Right, yeah, okay. Listen, we’re gonna go see if there’s anyone else around, and if not we’ll come back. There’s others around the ship too. We should all meet up here.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Flash replied with a nod. He hopped out of his chair. “I could go gather people up if you want.”

“Please do,” I replied with a smile.

“Alright. Hey Trixie, wanna come with?”

Trixie unfolded her arms and nodded. “Trixie agrees.”

“And if you find anyone on the crew, let us know immediately,” Twilight added. “Information matters.”

Rarity and I departed for the other end of the promenade, past the Sushi King. It dead ended in a little alcove with a railing out to see, with a pair of chairs, labeled “Lover’s Corner” in gaudy lettering. There was also a doorway which, when we entered, ended up dumping us right back into the section with the cabins. This exit was against the far wall which, thanks to the slight curve in the corridor, I hadn’t noticed from my room.

There were two more people waiting in the cabin hallway though, both women a bit younger than us. One sported mauve colored hair, wearing a black hoodie over khaki cargo shorts and black boots. The other had long two-toned pink and purple hair all done in thick curls wearing a pink striped shirt with a dark pink suit jacket overtop and a poofy yellow skirt that reached her ankles.

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity squealed as soon as she saw the second woman, running forward in her heels flawlessly as she catapulted herself to give Sweetie Belle a massive hug.

“Rarity?!” Sweetie yelped in surprise.

“Woah, who’re you?” asked the other one.

I cleared my throat to get their attention. “Sorry about that. I’m Sunset Shimmer, that’s Rarity, Sweetie’s sister.”

“Okay, that’s enough sis, I’m twenty-one, not ten anymore,” Sweetie said, gently pushing her sister away.

Rarity withdrew, wiping a few tears from her eyes. “Sorry Sweetie, it’s just so good to see you. I feel like I haven’t seen you for an age. You never call! You never write!”

“I do text you! I’m just at the University, Rarity. Jeez. You’re worse than mom sometimes, you know?” Sweetie said with a laugh. “But yeah it’s good to see you too sis.”

“And I’m Scootaloo, by the way,” said the other woman. “I go to CU too. I think I’m in one of Sweetie’s classes with her.”

“And lemme guess, neither of you know why we’re here?” I asked.

“Nope,” Scootaloo said. “I just woke up in my room a couple minutes ago. Had a headache but it’s all gone now. So we’re on a ship?”

“Sorry,” Sweetie shrugged. “I’m in the same boat as Scootaloo.” She let out a snrk of laughter. “Heh, same boat.”

“Yeah, we’re on a cruise ship.” I answered. Groaning in frustration I put my hands on my hips. “This is so annoying. We’ve walked around in a big circle now. There’s sixteen people on this ship we’ve found, no one knows what’s going on, and I’m really getting annoyed with the lack of answers!”

DING-DONG BING-BONG

A loud artificial ringing, almost like a school bell, belted out from every speaker in the hallway at once. All of the screens lit up with static, where a dark silhouette of a figure was barely visible and almost indistinguishable. “Ahem! Attention! Attention, if you please!” came a voice, all high pitched and squeaky, but clearly masculine. “This is your ship’s captain speaking! Please assemble before the bridge tower at once! All passengers must comply!”

“Oh, finally, thank goodness,” I grumbled. “‘Bout time we got some answers as to what’s going on.”

We stomped on over as a group towards the bridge tower via the lounge route, gathering up Pinkie Pie (who’d reappeared from wherever she went) and Diamond Tiara along the way. “Oooh, I wonder what this is about?” Pinkie said as we walked. “Maybe the captain’s throwing us a big party?”

We arrived with the rest of the group, everyone together standing before the bridge tower. “Oh wow, wait, there’s sixteen of us huh?” Pinkie said.

“Yeah, what about it?” Adagio grumbled, glaring with her arms crossed.

“Do you know something?” Twilight asked, intrigued.

“If she knows something she should tell us. Now.” Diamond Tiara stated.

Pinkie Pie shrugged. “Nope, I dunno anything! But this does feel like something! I mean there’s sixteen of us, right? And there’s security cameras everywhere. And the ship’s captain is a squeaky guy. It feels like some kind of setup, but I dunno what!”

A deep freezing chill ran down my spine at Pinkie’s statement. All of a sudden every bit of unease I’d felt this whole time became crystal clear, a single name appearing in my mind. “Danganronpa,” I said, my voice shaking. “This feels like Danganronpa.”

“Got it in one!” cried a squeaky voice from above us.

Out from the door to the bridge tower emerged not the teddy bear robot I was expecting, but an Equestrian pony. Half white coated and maned on one side, the other all black, with a wide stretched sharp toothed grin on the black side of its mouth, it struck a pose, opening up one black bat wing and one white feathered wing, its mane bouncing in the sea breeze, revealing the long pointed horn atop its head. An alicorn. It’s a fucking alicorn? What the hell?

“Woah, what is that?!” Timber Spruce cried.

“It’s so weird looking!” Scootaloo said, cringing.

“Aww but it’s kind of cute!” Sweetie cooed.

Trixie cocked her head. “Trixie thinks it’s a pony of some kind.”

“That don’t look like no pony Ah’ve ever seen,” Applejack disagreed. “The proportions are all wrong.”

“No, it’s a pony,” I said loudly, hushing the group. “Not the kind you’re familiar with, AJ, but it’s a pony. I’d know.

“What do you mean, you’d know?” Twilight asked, glaring at me curiously.

“Oho, but she’s right!” the pony squealed, bouncing in place. “I, your ship’s captain, am a pony. An alicorn, to be precise. You may call me Monoponi.” He pronounced it Mono-pony.

Pinkie gasped in horror, recoiling backwards and wriggling her limbs about. “Oh noo! I was right! This is a setup! Everybody panic!”

Everyone just glared at her, some in derision, others in confusion. “Why?” Flash asked.

“Now now, Pinkie, let your captain speak,” Monoponi said with a creepy giggle, holding a hoof to his mouth. “You’ll spoil the surprise!”

“What surprise?” Rainbow Dash growled, glaring up at him. “What the hell is going on here? Why are we all on a cruise ship in the middle of nowhere?”

“And where’s the crew?” Diamond Tiara demanded. “Who’s piloting the ship? Who’s running the place?”

“Oh, they’re around,” Monoponi said with a wink.”They’re feeling a bit shy.”

“Look will you just give us a straight answer already?!” I shouted, slamming my foot onto the deck with a loud clang. “Stop beating around the bush and get to it.”

“Hmph! Such rudeness! Goodness me, what are they teaching you nowadays?” Monoponi tutted, shaking his head. “You could at least try saying please.”

My eyes narrowed into slits, my hands clenched into fists. “Please. Tell Us. Now.”

“Better! Very well. You’ve all been brought here for a very special trip on the ocean! A getaway from your usual boring, pathetic, waste of time lives! A fantastic journey with all the luxuries you could ask for!” Monoponi said, gesturing grandly with his wings and hooves as he spoke.

“Well that doesn’t sound so bad,” Apple Bloom commented, grinning. “Ah mean, Ah could always use a break from school.”

“Hold your horses there, honey, Ah don’t think it’s that simple,” Applejack said. She took a few steps forward and joined me in glaring at Monoponi. “Ah don’t know what kind of trick yer pullin’ but you’re soundin’ less trustworthy than a snake oil salesman right now. What’s the catch to this trip?”

“Oh, nothing too terrible, really…. Just that it will last till the end of your lives! Ahahahaha!” Monoponi cackled, his horn igniting just long enough to cast a loud crackoom of thunder.

I heard a lot of voices squealing variations on “What?!” or “Oh no!” or “No way!” all at once, everyone suddenly shouting together.

Shit. And he can cast magic too. How’s that even possible on this side of the portal? “Everyone cool it!” I shouted, smacking my foot against the deck twice to get their attention. The rest managed to quiet down to a low murmur, but I could see a lot of scared faces. Especially poor Fluttershy, doing her best to hide behind Rainbow Dash. “What do you mean by the end of our lives?”

Monoponi held up a hoof to his mouth. “Upupupupu, you know exactly what I mean, Sunset Shimmer. Didn’t you say Danganronpa before? You’ve played the games. You know exactly what this is! Don’t even try to lie!” He let out a loud cackle of glee. “But I’ll explain for the rest of these idiots. It’s just like I said. Till the end of your lives. You’re living on this boat forever!”

“That’s not happening!” Rainbow Dash screamed, throwing her hand out. “I’ve got school! I’m the star player on the Crusaders for goodness sake! I can’t be stuck here!”

“Mah family depends upon mah farm!” Applejack cried. “If ya think ya can hold me here against mah will for even just a minute ye’re gonna be in a whole heap of trouble, mister!”

Diamond Tiara snarled, “You have no idea who I am. You can’t keep me here! My father will see to that! If you think he’ll accept me being missing for more than twenty-four hours you’ve got a lot to learn!”

“Besides, you don’t look so tough,” Timber interjected. “And there’s sixteen of us and one of you! We can stop you right here!” He held out a hand and punched his other fist into it.

“Damn right!” Scootaloo agreed, balling her fists. “I might be small but I pack a mean punch! I went to karate school you know!”

Rarity, of all people, hopped into a martial arts stance. “I have a black belt in three different disciplines. Mister Monoponi, if you think you can stop me from breaking out of here, just come over here and try it!”

“Timber is correct,” Twilight added, adjusting her glasses. “While some of us may not be good at hand to hand combat, the odds are strictly against you. I believe we have a good chance of success.”

Wallflower Blush, who’d all but blended into the background at this point, spoke up just to say, “Whatever, like I care,” and left it at that.

Monoponi let out a loud growl. “Excuse me? Are you threatening mutiny?! Aboard my ship?! Never!”

Adagio let out a sadistic sounding laugh of her own. “And you think you can stop us?”

“Guys, this isn’t going to work,” I mumbled under my breath.

Pinkie Pie stopped wiggling in panic long enough to bounce into some vague movie-version of a kung fu stance. “Mutiny? Count on it! We’re not gonna let you get away with this!”

“Alright, enough talk!” Rainbow Dash shouted, dropping into a sprinter’s stance. “Let’s get him!”

Immediately Monoponi’s horn lit up, and several massive-barrelled machine guns burst out from the tower, pointing our way. More sprung up from the railing, from the deck, from all around us, all ready to spin up and spit fire. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he said in a quiet, sinister tone. “Mutiny aboard this ship is punishable by death!”

“Woah, crap!” Rainbow squealed, falling back onto her butt, eyes saucering with panic.

“D-d-d-death?! Did he say death?!” Fluttershy screamed.

“N-no, no way, you can’t be serious!” Timber cried out, grasping his head with hands, all bravado gone.

“Rarity? I… I want to go home now!” Sweetie blubbered, tears in her eyes, clinging to Rarity’s arm.

“Me too darling, me too…”

The games. This is just like the games. But I don’t understand. How is a Neighponese visual novel happening in real life? Who the hell is this guy? “Guys, calm down,” I said, trying to get a grip on everyone’s panic. “Listen to me. He won’t hurt us if we don’t break the rules.” I glared up at him. “Right? Is that how it works?”

Most of the guns withdrew into the deck, but the ones on the bridge tower stayed out, tracking everyone’s movements. “Exactamundo!” Monoponi answered. “So long as you follow the rules, you’ll be able to enjoy this trip to your heart’s content! So you can relax! Enjoy the pool! Have some food at the restaurants! Buy each other presents! Oh, right. You’ll need these.”

His horn lit again and a section of the deck before us opened up, revealing a small elevator rising up to deposit a large cardboard box, open at the top. Inside were a number of small computer tablets. “Now remember, you each get one and one only! Be sure to get the one with your name on it! I’ll give you a few minutes to get them, but after that, anyone without their Monopad on their person will be punished!”

Everyone scrambled to get a tablet. I was closest, and got mine first. It was small, about the size of three smartphones laid side by side. My name was engraved in golden letters on the back, the rest of the pad decorated in black and white. It was just the right size to fit in one of my larger jacket pockets, but I decided I’d have to get some kind of small backpack from one of the stores. The other side bore a stretch of solar paneling, and there was a simple USB charge port on one side, along with a power button and headphones jack. I turned it on.

It showed my name at first as it booted up, then a home screen, like any smartphone app page. Several apps were in place, including a map, a texting app, passenger profiles, evidence--I cringed at that--a camera, a voice recorder, and most importantly, rules. I decided to glance at the profiles first, just in case. And like I expected, it showed our names, our birth dates, blood type, height, weight, chest size (ugh) and, oddly, an Ultimate Talent. In my case, it simply showed “???”

“Wait, why does this list us as having a talent?” I asked.

Everyone else started looking at their profiles while Monoponi explained, “Oh, I thought that would add to the experience. You know, spice things up! Everyone knows you gotta have Ultimates for something like this, right? Even if you’re not really Ultimates.”

Adagio’s face curled into a quiet sneer as she whispered, “Songstress. Please.”

“Trixie appreciates that you chose Illusionist rather than simply Magician,” Trixie commented, grinning.

“Rich Kid? Rich Kid?!” Diamond Tiara shouted, stamping her foot. “What is that supposed to mean?! I’m not a kid. I’m twenty-one years old!”

Flash’s cheeks bloomed a brilliant pink. “Why is mine… Boytoy?” he groaned. “I mean, really? I play music, man. I drive a cool car. I do other things. Why?”

“Hey look, mine’s just spinning like a slot machine!” Apple Bloom said, holding up her pad.

“Mine too!” Sweetie Belle said.

“And mine! Wonder what it means,” Scootaloo added.

Monoponi held up a hoof to his mouth. “Upupu, you have to have a sense of humor about these things! Because really, it’s just flavor anyway. Who cares? No, what really matters, as far as you dumb idiots are concerned, is living by the rules! So read them.” He glared down at us, his eyes flashing briefly with a red flare. “Now!”

We all jumped to it, reading carefully:

Note: All rules must be followed. Violation of any rule will result in punishment by death.

Rule #1: All passengers must live the rest of their lives aboard this ship, unless they wish to attempt to Rescue themselves.

Rule #2: Mutiny against Captain Monoponi is strictly forbidden.

Rule #3: Any attempt to harm Monoponi or cause damage to the security cameras, monitors, or other ship property that is not strictly for the purposes of assisting a Rescue attempt will be considered mutiny. This rule is up to Monoponi’s discretion.

Rule #4: Your Monopad must be on your person or nearby you at all times. Failure to keep your Monopad near you for more than a few minutes will be punished. Your Monopads are waterproof, heatproof, and crushproof so you are unable to damage them.

Rule #5: Theft of another person’s Monopad is strictly prohibited.

Rule #6: A Rescue Attempt is defined as a murder of another passenger. Anyone who murders another passenger will be considered a blackened.

Rule #7: When a Rescue Attempt is discovered, an investigation period will occur with its length as defined by Monoponi. All passengers may spend this time as they choose, but investigation is strongly encouraged.

Rule #8: After the investigation, a Captain’s Mast, or ship’s trial, will occur. All surviving passengers must attend.

Rule #9: During a Captain’s Mast, the passengers must debate to determine who is the blackened. When the passengers are certain, a vote will occur. All attendees of the Captain’s Mast must vote.

Rule #10: If the blackened is successfully identified, they alone will be executed. If, however, a majority of the passengers vote incorrectly, the blackened will be Rescued, and the remaining passengers will be executed.

Rule #11: Monoponi will never directly participate in a Rescue Attempt.

Rule #12: A body discovery announcement occurs when three surviving passengers discover a body. This signals the beginning of investigation.

Rule #13: The journey will continue until there are only two remaining passengers.

Rule #14: A murder is defined as the causing of death of another passenger, regardless of intent. If you kill, it’s murder, no matter what.

Rule #15: Any attempt to admit wrongdoing prior to the conclusion of the Captain’s Mast will be met with immediate punishment. No tattletails aboard this ship!

Rule #16: The shops will only be available from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM. After that, they will be closed. The restaurants, however, are available at any time and are automated. No food or items may be removed from shops or restaurants without first being logged via Monopad. Stealing will not be tolerated!

Rule #17: Except for attempting to open locked doors, passengers may freely explore to their desire. However the bridge and engine room are strictly prohibited.

Further rules may be added at any time by Captain Monoponi. Please pay attention to any text messages Captain Monoponi may send.

“M-m-m-murder?” Fluttershy gasped, hiding her face in her hair.

“We… we can’t leave unless we kill someone?! What the hell?!” Timber cried out, gripping his head.

“This is some serious bullshit,” Flash growled, shaking his head. “Why would we ever kill someone else anyway? Are you for real? No one here would do that!”

Applejack snorted. “Ah might be willin’ to defend mahself and mah kin, but Ah ain’t gonna kill anyone! No way.”

Pinkie Pie whimpered softly, her hair seeming to deflate until the bouncy curls laid flat against her skull. “I won’t hurt anyone. I won’t. I won’t!”

“Are you sure about that?” Wallflower Blush spoke up, halting everyone in their tracks. We all turned to face her. “None of us really know each other. Most of us have never met before today. For all we know, one of us is already planning something.”

Adagio favored her with an approving glance. “I see at least one of you has a decent head on her shoulders. She’s right you know. Given the right motivation, the desire to leave? Any of us might give in. Even me.” She let out a deep laugh full of malice. “And if I were to do it, well, I’d target someone weak. Someone who won’t put up much of a fight.” She locked her eyes on Fluttershy, who yelped in fright. “Maybe you?”

Rainbow Dash whirled on her, pointedly stepping between her and Fluttershy and holding out a clenched fist in Adagio’s direction. “You lay a single finger on her and I’ll rip you to pieces!” she snarled.

“Oh my, a death threat already?” Adagio laughed again. “See what I mean? But don’t worry. If I choose to strike,” she let out a growl like a predator as she said that word, “I won’t be so obvious. Maybe keep that in mind?”

“She’s right you know,” Monoponi interjected gleefully. “If you’re going to attempt a Rescue, make it interesting! Give it some mystery, some jazz! Liven it up! Don’t just bash somepony in the head and leave the body where it fell! I won’t tolerate boring mysteries! In fact, here!”

Everyone’s Monopads let out a shrill beep. I looked down at mine to see a new rule already added:

Rule #18: All Rescue Attempts must be difficult to solve. Creativity is required. Failure to create an interesting mystery will result in immediate punishment.

“Did that really need to be a rule?” Trixie scoffed. “Trixie would think this would be obvious.”

“You’d think that, but I’ve seen stupider things before,” Monoponi said.

“But wait, wait, hold on,” Timber interjected in a panicky huff. “W-what’s this a-about an execution?”

Monoponi slapped a hoof to his face. “You see? Stupid questions! What do you think it means, you idiot?! It means execution! As in, you die! If you’re too stupid to fool the rest of the passengers, then you deserve to be punished for disrupting our wonderful ocean trip!”

Fluttershy burst into tears, falling onto her butt on the deck. Rainbow Dash knelt down to embrace her. “I… I want to go home,” she sobbed. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”

“Hold on, I have another question,” Diamond Tiara said, ignoring the crying woman nearby. “What makes you think you’ll be able to get away with this, huh? I told you, my father won’t stand for me being missing. He’ll have his people combing the place in no time! You think you can hide a cruise ship like this for long? Do you understand the paper trail involved here? The money you spent, the manufacturing, the construction? The launch? What about fuel? How stupid are you?”

Monoponi fixed his cold gaze upon her, eyes flashing. He bared his sharp, predatory teeth, until she faltered, her expression shifting from anger to fear as she took a few steps back. Then he held a hoof to his mouth. “Upupupu, you simpleton! No one will find you. Not the government. Not your daddy. No one! You are at my mercy! And if you keep persisting on this topic, maybe I’ll just decide that constitutes mutiny and kill you as an example!”

Diamond Tiara fell on her knees, tears gushing forth as she held up her hands in a prayer gesture. “No, please, please don’t! Please don’t kill me! I’ll stop, I promise!”

“Ahahahaha!” Monoponi cackled. “Fine. I won’t. For now.”

I didn’t bother sparing her any pity as I stepped forward to look Monoponi closer in the eye. “Who are you? I know you’re not the thing before us. Someone’s controlling you. But who? And why?”

“Oh Sunset, Sunset, Sunset,” Monoponi tut-tutted, shaking his head. “You don’t get the answers to that now. But maybe, if you can survive, I’ll let you discover the answers. Eventually.”

My fists balled up so hard I could just about feel my knuckles burst open. “Fine. I will. One way or another, I’ll find a way to stop you.”

“You can try!” Monoponi giggled. “But, well… you know.”

“This is so messed up,” Timber said, clutching his head once more. “This is so wrong.”

“But why us?” Rarity wondered as she held Sweetie close to her breast, tears dripping down her cheeks. “What did we ever do to deserve this?”

Twilight adjusted her glasses, frowning. “Whoever’s behind this is sick.”

“That I am, Sparkle. That I am. And I love it!” Monoponi cackled. “By the way, just one more little fact for you before I go: one among you is partially responsible for your current predicament! That’s right, one of you is a traitor!”

My blood ran colder than Mount Everhoof at the thought. One of us, responsible? I didn’t want to believe it, of course, but besides that… the way he said it. Partially responsible. What did that even mean?

“Anyway, tata for now, my passengers. If you need me, you can simply call out my name and I shall appear. Please, enjoy your wonderful ocean vacation! Bye bye!”

And with that, Monoponi disappeared into the bridge tower, leaving us, as a group to flounder in panic and misery. To suffer, for, supposedly, the rest of our lives on this miserable cruise ship. As my fellow passengers sobbed, cried, moaned, and withdrew into shells, all I could do was shake my head in disbelief. Whoever was behind this, whoever was doing this and why, I knew they had a purpose. They had a reason for choosing us, for picking this group of people.

And whoever they are, I strongly suspected they weren’t human. They were probably from Equestria.

Which meant whoever they were, I’d be the central focus. As far as I knew, I was the only former pony amongst this group. So whatever it is, it probably has something to do with me.

From here on out, my purpose was clear. I’d find out why. And I will stop them.

No matter what.

Author's Note

Welcome, to my Danganronpa/MLPEQG crossover story! I'm sure you have many questions, but as it is a mystery story, that's the idea. A few things I do want to mention, however: all character choices were 100% deliberate, for story specific reasons. The same with all decisions in the story, yes, including the fact that Danganronpa as a video game series is canon within the story's context. This ties into the plot, and isn't just for a joke. If it's in there, it's in there for a reason. :twilightsmile:

In any case, I hope you've enjoyed so far! As I stated in the story description, I intend to maintain a twice-a-week update schedule, on Saturdays and Wednesdays. There are nine more parts to the story already fully written and edited, so I have a substantial buffer. Unless something drastically changes, I don't expect to have any issues whatsoever with maintaining this update schedule. So please, look forward to it, and thank you. Even if just one person reads this story, I'll deeply appreciate it. :raritywink:

Chapter One: Forgotten Dreams on the Ocean Breeze Part 1

Chapter One:

Forgotten Dreams On The Ocean Breeze

Daily Life Part 1

DING-DONG BING-BONG

“Your attention please! This is an announcement from your ship’s captain! It is now 8:00 AM! The shops are open for business, and the weather is fine. Please enjoy another beautiful ocean day!”

I blearily opened my eyes, wrenching myself up into a sitting position. My vision swam, head aching like a bongo drum. I didn’t sleep well at all. Snatches of memories from last night came to my mind as I stood up to visit the bathroom.

Everyone had fallen into a deep seated feeling of fear and melancholy, given the situation. Held hostage, the only way out being given to us was to kill another person and try and get away with it… of course, I knew it wouldn’t be that simple. Whoever was behind this wasn’t likely to let us get away with it. And I tried to tell them last night. I remembered all too well.

~*~

“Listen to me, everyone,” I called out, silencing the cries of sadness and anger of the crowd. “I understand you’re afraid. I am too. I’m terrified. But we can’t give into this. It’s what Monoponi, or the person behind him, wants us to do.”

“And why should we listen to you, huh?” Rainbow growled as she kept Fluttershy firmly behind her for protection. “That Monoponi freak seemed to know you. And you knew what this was before he even announced it!”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “Yeah, that’s because I’ve played the games this jerk is basing this on. Danganronpa. It’s a series of visual novels, with the exact same premise: a group of sixteen people trapped somewhere, told their only escape is to kill each other. And every time someone murders someone, they’re caught. That’s the whole point. Monoponi doesn’t want you to escape! He wants us to kill each other and suffer for it!”

“Oh please,” Adagio sneered, pointing an accusing finger at me. “You’re the only one here who’s even heard of this Dangan whatever thing! And you heard what he said! One of us is a traitor! And it’s probably you!”

“What?!” I cried out as my body tensed, fists balling up ready to give this bitch a fight. “Did you not hear a word I just said? I was telling you all not to kill! If I was a traitor, why would I do that?”

“It is true that she strikes me as suspicious,” Twilight Sparkle added, glaring at me from behind her glasses. “After all, Sunset, you did say you ‘knew’ about Monoponi being, well, a pony. Care to explain?”

“Oh would you stop pestering the poor girl?” Rarity interjected before I could say another word. “She’s done nothing wrong! Why, as soon as she came out of her cabin she’s done nothing but be helpful, trying to discover what’s going on.”

Trixie threw her arms out in a dramatic pose. “And Trixie finds that all the more suspicious! No one else was searching the ship! Only Sunset was looking for us!”

“Actually, mah sister and Ah were searching too--” Applejack said.

“Quiet, apple farmer!” Diamond Tiara ordered, glowering fiercely at the older woman. Applejack returned her glare with equal malice. “No one cares what you think.”

Fluttershy timidly raised a hand. “But, she was… nice to me. She apologized for scaring me. Why would she do that if she were a… traitor?”

“Simple manipulative tactics, of course,” Wallflower Blush spoke up. “Get us to trust her by being all nice, then she stabs us in the back when it’s convenient.”

“Now hold on just one minute!” Apple Bloom interjected with a slam of her boot on the metal deck. “Don’t y'all realize what yer doin’? Yer takin’ that Monoponi guy at his word! Why should we believe a thing he said? How do we know he ain’t lyin’ about there being a traitor?”

“We don’t,” Flash Sentry answered. “I agree with Apple Bloom. Sunset’s done nothing to suggest she’s suspicious at all.”

“I disagree,” Twilight retorted. “She still hasn’t explained herself regarding the pony thing. None of us have ever seen a pony like that before today, but she knew what he was before he said a word. Why?”

Oh for pony’s sake. I mean, pete’s sake. Ugh. “Look, that’s really hard to explain…” I said, my confidence waning.

Adagio took a few steps forward, her eyes full of malice. “Then get to it.”

I cringed back, taking a few steps back and almost immediately bumped into the wall of the bridge tower. Everyone crowded around me, waiting impatiently. “Well?!” Trixie barked. “Trixie does not have all evening! Explain!”

I held up my hands in surrender. “Fine! I’ll explain! But don’t blame me if you don’t believe it.” I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, gathering my thoughts. “There’s another world out there, parallel to ours. It’s called Equestria, and instead of humans it’s populated by magical ponies. Unicorns, pegasi, Earth ponies. And--”

“What a load of bullshit!” Rainbow intervened, shaking her fist at me. “You expect us to believe that? I’ve given better excuses to teachers for losing my homework! And my excuses suck!”

“But you just saw one using magic!” I protested, all but screaming in her face.

“No we didn’t,” Twilight Sparkle said, adjusting her glasses. “We saw a few special effects including both sound and visual, all easily explained by robotics and computer engineering. Nothing magical at all. Magic doesn’t exist.”

“Ah’m not too sure about that… Ah usually have a good sense for when someone’s tellin a fib or tellin the truth,” Applejack said, pushing her way through the crowd to stand beside me. “And while Ah dunno if Ah believe in magic, Sunset’s been doin’ nothin’ but tell the truth this whole time. Ah trust her.”

“Me too!” Apple Bloom chimed in, moving to stand on my other side.

Flash also joined them. “Yeah I dunno if I believe in magic either, but let’s give Sunset the benefit of the doubt, okay? Until we see her doing something wrong, all we’re doing is giving in to panic and fear.”

“Absolutely, you’re right darling!” Rarity agreed, both she and Sweetie moving to stand with us. “Sunset was nothing but kind to me when we awoke. I don’t see why we should persecute her now, even if her story is a bit difficult to believe.”

Fluttershy took a huge breath, then clumsily, trembling the whole way, walked up to stand beside us. “S-she was nice to me. I-I’m going to be n-nice to her and t-trust her, until she gives me a reason to feel otherwise.”

Rainbow Dash gasped, staring at her with a shocked look on her face. “What? Fluttershy, c’mon!”

“Sorry, Rainbow Dash, b-but I’m sure.”

Pinkie Pie hopped from one foot to the other in place, “Oooooh nooo, this is no good! We shouldn’t be fighting! I’m with Sunny too! She’s been nice so far!” She bounced over to us, her hair seeming to inflate again, just a tad.

“So. We’re split, then,” Wallflower said, arms crossed.

After a moment, Adagio--Adagio, of all people--heaved a sigh and stood with us as well. “Sorry, but no. It’s nine to seven.”

“Wait, what?” My eyebrows shot to the top of my head. “You were just leading the charge against me!”

“And now I’m not. Are you complaining?” Adagio favored me with a calculated look.

I held up my hands and shook them in surrender. “No, no, I’m cool with it. Thanks. All of you, thank you.”

“Fine, so it’s nine to seven then. What do we do?” Wallflower asked in a snarl.

Twilight raised a hand, while using her other to adjust her glasses again. “I would like to volunteer to watch Sunset. I’ll stay with her, keep an eye on her. If she shows any sign of deceit, I’ll let you know. I believe my room is right across from hers anyway, so it should be easy enough.”

“Okay, sure, that’s cool,” I agreed, just wanting all of this over with. “I don’t mind hanging out with you.”

“Alright,” Wallflower agreed. “But if she does anything, you tell us straight away.”

~*~

After that we all just broke away from each other, the nighttime announcement went off, and I decided to just head to bed. I couldn’t blame them one bit for being doubtful. I sure wouldn’t believe my story if I didn’t know it was true. What I didn’t understand was why Adagio suddenly changed sides. What was her deal, anyway? Acting all rude to everyone, then suddenly being nice to me?

Whatever, I thought as I hurtled myself into the shower. The hot spray of water helped me wake up somewhat. I finished quickly, used a hairdryer I found in the bathroom cabinet under the sink, and then dressed in a clean copy of my usual outfit. They’d even duplicated the jacket, of all things, right down to the patches.

As I finished dressing, shoving my Monopad roughly into my jacket pocket, I heard several loud raps on my door. “Coming!” I grumbled, throwing open the door.

Twilight was on the other side, favoring me with a cool look. “Good morning, Sunset. I’m here to accompany you. Everyone else is gathering in the food court for breakfast.”

Right on cue my stomach let out several loud gurgles. “Thank goodness. I’m starving,” I said, holding my hands to my stomach. “I could go for just about anything right now.”

I saw the corner of her mouth twitch briefly in amusement. Oh good, she’s not completely stone cold. “Me too,” she agreed. “Shall we?”

“Let’s.”

We made our way down the corridor to the promenade entryway. Now that I was looking specifically at the restaurants, I decided to check my choices. Just about every type of cuisine was on offer, from sushi to Amareican to Qilin and anything else you can imagine. All of it was automated, just like Monoponi said. I watched Rainbow Dash walk up to the counter of “Joe’s Coffee and Donuts” and pick something from a screen, held up her Monopad to the sensor, then a few machines whirred and out popped her order from a slot on the counter, a large coffee, eggs, and bacon, plus a donut, all on a tray.

I shrugged, and decided to make my way over to Sushi King, and ordered a plate. Once we had our food we went to sit at the tables with everyone else.

The atmosphere practically thrummed with tension, not so much thick as you could cut it with a knife so much as you’d need a chainsaw. Everyone was quiet, withdrawn, leaning away from others sitting at the same table, except the pair of sisters and Dash and Shy of course. Shy was practically sitting in Dash’s lap, she was so close.

As I sat down and started to eat in silence, Adagio scooted her chair over to mine. “Sunset,” she said in greeting.

“Hi,” I said, not really looking at her. I was too hungry to pay much attention.

With a raised eyebrow and a smirk she gave me a moment to swallow what was in my mouth before saying, “I’d like to speak with you after breakfast. Without your chaperone, if you don’t mind.”

“Ahem,” Twilight cleared her throat, glaring at Adagio over her glasses. “I believe I’m supposed to be watching Sunset because she’s under suspicion. Asking for a private meeting just raises even more suspicion.”

Adagio pointedly rolled her eyes with an exaggerated motion. “We’ll go into a quiet corner, you can watch us, we won’t exchange notes or do anything that’ll bother your pretty little head. I just need to ask her something privately.”

“Fine. But I will be watching.”

I raised a hand as if to protest, then dropped it. “Sure. Fine,” I grumbled.

DING-DONG BING-BONG

“Uuugh, what now?”

We all turned as a group to face the closest screens to us. I found myself gripping the table hard as I waited to hear what Monoponi had to say.

He appeared on the screen laying in an Equestrian designed chair, with the background of a cruise line bridge behind him. Before him was a table laden with goodies, including hay fries and carrot dogs, two things I’d not seen since coming to the human world. More obvious proof whoever was behind this was Equestrian, then. Floating in his magic, right up by his lips, was a snifter of brandy.

“Ahem! This is an official announcement from your ship’s captain. All passengers, please assemble before the bridge tower immediately! You have five minutes to comply!”

“Aww man, I didn’t even get to start my doughnut!” Rainbow Dash whined as she dropped her fork to her plate with a clatter.

“You can always finish your food later, c’mon!” Scootaloo cried out as we all got up to head out. I was just as unhappy as Dash as I trudged through the corridors to the bridge deck.

Monoponi was already waiting for us, posing like a complete jerk as if we were supposed to worship him or something. “Good!” he barked once we assembled. “You’re prompt.”

Trixie pointed a finger at him. “Well, obviously Trixie would be on time, because Trixie doesn’t want to die!”

“Details, details!” Monoponi shouted, throwing up his forehooves. “Nevermind that.” His tone turned saccharine and mocking. “Did you sleep well last night? Have a good breakfast?”

“Did you just ask us here to make fun of us?” Scootaloo groaned, slapping a hand to her face. “Because it’s not funny.”

“It is to me! Upupupu… but no! I did not just ask you here to make fun of you, as hilarious as that is!”

I stepped forward, thrust out my arm, and asked, “Then why? What is it this time?”

Monoponi pointed one forehoof straight at my head. “Oh, you mean you don’t already know? But Sunset, you of all people should!” He let out a dramatic gasp. “Oh no, am I making you seem even more suspicious to everyone now?!”

I do know what it’s about, jerk. I just want to hear you say it. I crossed my arms and fired off my hardest glare directly into his crimson pony eyes.

For a good two or three minutes we kept this standoff going, till finally Monoponi gagged in disgust. “Fine! Fine, if you won’t tell them, I will. It’s the captain’s duty, anyway. Ahem. So, you idiots remember what I said last night, about someone being responsible for you being here?”

“Uh, duh, of course we remember,” Sweetie groaned. “That’s why everyone was being a jerk to Sunset.”

“What about it?” Flash asked, holding a hand to his chin.

Monoponi fluttered up into the air off the balcony and down onto the deck with us, landing with a mighty slam! Everyone screamed, backing up away from him as he cackled at us. “Look at you, running because of a cute little pony like me, when you’re all so much bigger than I am! Ahahaha!” He let us quiver in fear for a moment before continuing. “So! As part of being your Captain for this wonderful ocean voyage, I get the lovely task of presenting you with activities! Events! Fun times! In this case, it takes the form of motives!”

“A motive? You mean for murder,” Twilight said as she shivered. She was the closest to Monoponi besides myself and she clearly didn’t like it.

“Yes, for murder, you nitwit! Aren’t you supposed to be the smart one?” Monoponi retorted, frantically stomping his hooves in her general direction.

Twilight yelped and fell back in shock. I caught her before she hit the ground and gently set her on the deck. “Careful there, Twi.”

Her cheeks flushed with pink. “Thanks.”

“Hey! I’m talking to you two!” Monoponi screamed, clopping at us all the harder. “Pay attention!” He ceased moving and took a moment to clear his throat. “Now then, the motive. As I stated last night, someone among you is partially responsible for your predicament. How, you might ask? It’s really quite simple.” He stood up on his hind legs, held his forehooves high and spread his wings out to the furthest extent possible. “You have all had your memories taken away!”

“What?!”

“No way!”

“Missing memories?! What do you mean?!”

“Huh?!”

“Trixie cannot believe this! Trixie is missing no memories at all!”

“You’d better own up to what you mean right this second, ya varmint!”

Everyone exploded into talking at all once to where I couldn’t hardly make out who was saying what. But my mind was racing. My memory is missing! That’s why I can’t remember who saved me from being that demon! Or who became my friends in high school! Or even how we got here! No wonder my head was reeling when I first woke up!

A sudden loud fwheet! quieted everyone down long enough for Flash Sentry to call out, “Cool it, everybody! Let Monoponi explain!” He turned to face the pony, who was still posing like some kind of weird statue. “What memories did you take away from us?”

“I? I did no such thing! It was one of you who did it! One of you had the power to remove your memories. As for what, well… upupupupupupu!” Monoponi quivered in glee as he laughed over and over in that stupid little laugh of his. “That’s what makes it a motive! You’ll have to find out! And how might you find out, you ask? Well. Well, well, well. You have to succeed in a Rescue Attempt of course!”

Of course. There it was. The carrot for everyone to chase after pointlessly, till they make a mistake and get beaten with the stick. Or execution, in this case. I didn’t believe him for a second that one of us was responsible. As far as I was aware, from what I could remember of my readings in Equestria, memory modification was extremely rare, powerful magic, far beyond anything anyone save an alicorn or Starswirl the Bearded might be able to pull off.

Then again maybe that’s the point. Maybe I was supposed to think that, because he took away my memory of the real way it could have been done! Ugh, this was so frustrating! My head started aching once more as I tried to force myself to think, to remember anything about the things I knew had been taken away, but all I accomplished was making myself dizzy and cross-eyed. It just wasn’t there. It was gone. And he probably left me with just enough memory of what I’d lost, so I’d have a reason to leave. A reason to kill.

Like I was going to fall for that. But one of the others might. My gaze panned over the crowd, as I saw everyone murmuring to themselves about this or that, things they might’ve forgotten. Probably most of them had no idea what was missing, which would scare them even more.

Maybe this is part of why we were chosen, this group. Maybe we had a connection once, all of us, and we just forgot? The memory of friendships taken away? I could see it, at least with a couple of them. Rarity sure seemed nice enough. Maybe we were friends once?

I probably wasn’t going to find out anytime soon. No point speculating. It’d just be wasted mental energy. I decided I needed to focus instead on keeping these people from succumbing to this motive. It was just more fuel to the fire. They were already desperate. These people weren’t like teenagers who just had school to worry about. A lot of them had jobs, incomes, responsibilities they needed to get back to. Families to feed. People to care for.

Was one of them already planning to kill, even now?

“So what’re you saying then?” Diamond Tiara spoke up, breaking me out of my reverie. “That if we kill someone, you’ll give us our memories back?”

“Absolutely!” Monoponi responded with glee, stomping his hooves on the metal deck in an Equestrian version of a clap. “If you kill someone and get away with it, I’ll give you back your memories! Every last one of them!”

“But how can we know it’s even worth it?” Applejack wondered, scratching her head. “Ah mean, if we don’t know what we forgot?”

“Applejack!” Rarity screeched, whirling on the farmer and getting up in her face. “Surely you’re not considering killing someone!”

“Of course Ah ain’t!” Applejack retorted, getting right up in her face too till they were mere inches apart. “What do you take me for, some kinda country bumpkin? Just cause Ah got an accent don’t mean Ah’m stupid!”

“I never said you were! I just don’t want you to hurt someone and get your sister killed in the process!”

“Ah already know Apple Bloom would die if Ah was lucky enough to kill someone and get away with it! Ah told you, Ah ain’t stupid!”

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom ran over and grabbed their respective sisters by the arm, pulling them apart. “Hey, Rarity, calm down! It’s okay, jeez!” Sweetie said.

“Applejack, it ain’t worth it, quit arguin’ with her,” Apple Bloom added.

Rarity huffed once, huffed again, then reeled back and relaxed, like a whole wave passing through her body. “Of course, darling. I apologize.”

Applejack hissed, ripping her arm back from her sister and working it in circles a few times before letting it settle to her side. “Sure, alright, sorry. Didn’t mean to pop off on you.”

“Oooh, too bad!” Monoponi cut in, his horn lit, magic enveloping a tub of popcorn he’d pulled from out of nowhere and started stuffing down his throat in messy bunches. “It was just getting good! Ah well!” He zapped the popcorn back to the aether or whatever and flew back up onto the balcony. “In any case, you all have your motive now! I look forward to seeing what you choose to do with it! Bye bye!”

With that, he vanished back into the bridge tower, leaving us standing there shell shocked, the air rife with fear. You could smell it, the stink was so pungent. Wafting up from each of us as we stood there, trying to process what he’d told us.

But no. I wasn’t going to let this stand. I had to give this whole speech thing at least one more try. “Listen up everyone!” I stamped my foot several times for attention, drawing everyone’s gazes to me. When they fell upon me, with those empty, terrified eyes, my confidence almost flickered out, like a candle in the wind. I took a moment to pause and gather my thoughts, then rustled up what was left to speak. “I know you’re scared now. I am too. Losing our memories? The very idea shakes me to the core.” I squeezed my right hand into a fist and held it up high. “But I’m not going to let that fear drive me into lashing out. I’m not going to give in. This is exactly what he wants. He wants us afraid. He wants us desperate. He wants us to commit murder just to know what he stole from us. We shouldn’t lash out on each other just because we’re too afraid to give up on what we’ve forgotten!”

I held my fist to my breast, tears welling up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “I know I’ve forgotten a lot already. There’s gaps in my memories, some of them years apart. Important people have been stolen out of my mind and all I can remember is that I can’t remember them! I know they exist, but I don’t know their faces, their names. The sound of their voice. I know that’s been stolen away, and that hurts.”

I twisted my face into an expression of rage. “And the only one I should be angry at for this? The only one who deserves to suffer for this? It isn’t one of you.” I thrust out my arm to point at the bridge tower behind me. “It’s him! He did this to us.”

“Oh would you just shut up?”

The harsh words sliced straight through what was left of my confidence, cleaving it in two and tossing it away like refuse. Everyone whirled to see Wallflower Blush pointing her own finger at me, her expression just as furious as mine had been moments before. “Did you forget already? Are you that stupid? He told us there was a traitor! He told us one of us did this! Not him! How can you stand there and try to give us some inspirational speech if you can’t even keep your ears cleaned out for long enough to pay attention to what someone actually says?!”

“B-b-but, what if he was lying?” Trixie spoke up, her words mushy and uncertain. “W-we don’t know if we can trust him! Trixie does not think we should!”

“Oh please,” Wallflower retorted, the force of her words alone sending Trixie reeling into dead silence once more. “There’s no reason for him to lie. And before you say it, Sunset, I know what you’re going to say. ‘Oh, he’s just saying this to make us kill each other! Oh, he’s just lying!’ Bullshit!” She clenched a fist hard and sent it slamming into a nearby wall with loud metal clang, startling several others into yelping in fright at the sudden sound. “I don’t believe he was lying for a second. Why should he, when the truth would work just as well? I don’t know which of you was responsible for stealing our memories, but if I ever figure out which one of you did it?”

She held up two fingers then ran them across her neck, before letting her hand drop. “I think you get the point. Excuse me.”

Wallflower trudged away, leaving us all to stew in our own hopelessness. Any chance I had to inspire this crowd was gone. I’d failed, badly. I slumped to the floor, the tears I’d been holding back dripping down my cheeks.

Author's Note

Characterization becomes very interesting when people no longer remember their friends, don't you think? Those who are naturally charismatic or extroverted might be able to recover easily, still be their normal selves, even rekindle friendships, but those who aren't, well... they might be feeling bitter. Especially if the memories of the only friends they'd ever had were stripped away, leaving them with nothing but years of loneliness.

Wallflower is not doing well, is what I'm saying. (And seriously girl, trying to start a scrum debate now? Wait for the trial, sheesh.)

Also, the parts do get longer after this. The first two parts you'll see today and on Saturday were once one, but I felt they were just too long when combined, so I split them up into two of about 4500 words. (And then of course a later part ends up being 9000 words anyway, and it can't be split up. Go figure.) Well, that, and another reason, but... spoilers.:trollestia:

Chapter One: Forgotten Dreams on the Ocean Breeze Part 3

Chapter One:

Forgotten Dreams On The Ocean Breeze

Daily Life Part 3

The sporting goods store had a larger supply of goods than I expected. All kinds of backpacks, from large hiking backpacks for mountain trips to little tote bags, to even duffel bags. Then there was all the sports equipment for various sports such as basketball, baseball, soccer, even volleyball and tennis. Exercise equipment abounded, such as dumbbells, free weights, and medicine balls and yoga mats.There were also shoes of all kinds and sizes displayed on the racks. It was more like a full sized department store than the small kind of store you’d typically expect to see on a cruise ship. All the shops were like this too, same size. Probably so Monoponi could give us more options for murder.

I decided to pick up a smaller leather backpack with a side zipper for easier access to my Monopad, along with a pair of running shoes in my size and a refillable water bottle. Registering my “purchases” was just like any kind of self-check-out lane at a store: you just run them on the register and then swipe your Monopad and it prints out a receipt. I noticed with interest there was a function on the checkout machine for printing out all the receipts ever registered. That might prove handy someday.

I stuffed my receipt into my pocket and was about to leave when I heard Rainbow Dash call out, “Hey, Sunset! Wait up!”

I looked back: she had a length of parachute cord, a pair of carabiner clips, and a bungee cord in her hands and was scanning them through the register. “What’ve you got those for?” I asked.

She snatched up her receipt, balled it up and tossed it in a nearby bin. “Oh these? Just gonna make some exercise equipment with it. They didn’t have any kind of hand grips or arm stretchers or anything, so I’m just gonna improvise.” She bundled up the goods together and slung it over her shoulder. “Anyway, I just wanted to say sorry for last night. I was thinking about it this morning, and while I still dunno if I believe you about that Eques-whatever place, I was being a bit too harsh. So uh, sorry about that.” Her face broke into a sheepish smile and she stuck her hand out for a shake.

With a half grin of my own, I shook her hand firmly. “Apology accepted. I don’t blame you. This is a pretty stressful place we’re in.”

“I know, right?” She shivered, her face twisting up into a grimace. “Poor Shy, she’s so scared, you know? She’s worried someone’s gonna try to hurt her. And, not gonna lie, I’m not feeling too great about things myself either. I dunno how many of these people we can really trust. I mean some of ‘em, sure, like that farmer chick, she seems pretty honest.” Her grimace became a leer. “And pretty hot. All the chicks here are.” Then she blanched, holding up her hands and shaking them. “Uh, sorry, sorry, no offense meant!”

I nearly doubled over in laughter. “Don’t worry about it, none taken. You’re not bad looking yourself. But uh, aren’t you with Shy? I kinda got the impression you two had a thing for each other.”

“Nah, no, I’m not dating her if that’s what you mean. She’s just my best friend. Been that way since we were kids.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes turned misty, brimming with nostalgia. “I’ve been looking out for her ever since some bullies tried to pick on her. She was having a hard time at the summer camp we went to when we were, like, seven. That’s when I first met her. She’s like a sister to me.”

I nodded in understanding. “Okay, that makes sense. Wow, that long, huh? No wonder you’re such good friends.” A thought occurred to me, causing me to frown. “Wait, where is she?”

“Right over there,” Rainbow said, pointing. I looked behind me to see Fluttershy emerging from the office store, with an all-in-one arts and crafts kit in her hand.

“Oh, um, hello Sunset,” Fluttershy said nervously as she approached, ducking part of her face behind her hair.

“Hey.” I greeted, waving.

“Anyway, nice talking with you, Sunset,” Rainbow said as she sidled up to Shy. “See you later.”

I said my goodbyes, then made my way over to the office store to meet up with Twilight. She had a number of things balanced in her hands, including notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, and a clipboard of all things. “Ah, there you are,” she said, giving me a small smile. “Can you help me carry these to my room, please?”

“Sure thing,” I said, taking most of them from her and placing them in my backpack. “What’s all this stuff for?”

“Oh I’m just going to be recording observations, things people say that stand out, and so on. Given the situation we’re in and the suspicion we’re all feeling for each other, I just thought it would make sense,” Twilight answered.

I chuckled wryly as we entered the cabin corridor. “Gotta record what I’ve been saying and doing, huh?”

She blushed profusely, shaking her head and hands. “Oh no no no, you’ve been fine! Better than fine actually! You haven’t done anything other than that, uh, talk you had with Adagio.” Her blush deepened when she said the word talk.

With a cheeky grin I teased, “It was just a talk, Twilight, nothing more. Jealous?”

“Noooo. No no no. Definitely not!” she gasped, her face turning pale as she furiously shook her head. “I’m, I’m uh, not into girls. Sorry.”

I burst into laughter. “No need to apologize. I’m just kidding with you.”

As we reached her door she brought out her keys to unlock it, letting us in. “Oh, okay. Phew. I didn’t… didn’t want to send the wrong message,” she murmured, looking away from me and holding one arm with the other in embarrassment.

Oh dang it. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad,” I said while taking out the stuff she gave me so I could set it on her desk.

“It’s fine, you didn’t,” she responded, giving me a little sheepish grin. “I just, kinda maybe sorta accidentally led a girl to think I was into her once, a long time ago, and it was just a big messy scene, and I didn’t want anything like that to happen here.” She looked back down, fiddling with her hands. “Especially since in a tense environment like this, with a killing game putting our lives in serious jeopardy, people are known to, to make bonds far faster than they usually would, and relationships get more intense and bloom wildly because we could die any moment so we get scared and--”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” I said, holding up my hands in surrender. “Don’t worry, it’s okay.”

She gulped, and let out a nervous laugh. “Ahehe, sorry, I get… nervous easily.”

That much is obvious, I thought, but I said nothing.

She took a couple minutes to get together a notebook and the clipboard, plus a pen or two, then started jotting down some notes. “Okay, we can get going now. I was just writing down my observations for today so far. You haven’t done anything suspicious that I’ve seen, like I said, so I’ll just stick with you for the rest of the day, then we’ll call it good.” She shrugged. “Seems like everyone’s letting what happened last night go anyway. No one’s said anything to me.”

“Yeah, Rainbow Dash apologized about it to me even,” I said. Then my stomach rumbled. I popped out my Monopad just long enough to check the time. “Whoa, it’s already 1 o’clock. Want to get some lunch?”

“Sure.”

After we got some lunch, I decided to try to track down Pinkie Pie, since she said she wanted us to find her if we wanted to contribute. “Oh hey, look at this,” I said to Twilight after pulling up my Monopad and checking the map. “Looks like we can see where everyone is on this map.”

She pulled out her own to see. “I see what you mean. It must be tracking us in real time, using some kind of ship-wide wifi.” She curled up one side of her mouth. “Too bad we can’t use that to call for some kind of rescue.”

I scanned the map, and found Pinkie’s icon by the pool. “This way.”

We found Pinkie zipping to and fro, staring at one corner of the pool, then another, then at the high dive, then the area around it, all while scratching her chin and muttering under her breath. Then she’d zoom back to a notebook sitting on a table, write something down, and get back to moving around the pool. “Hey Pinkie,” I said.

She scooted to a halt. “Oh, hiya Sunset, Twilight!” she greeted cheerfully with a big grin on her face. “What’s up?”

“Sunset and I were just wondering what we could do to help with the setup,” Twilight replied.

“Great!” Pinkie said, snapping her fingers. “Quick, c’mere, take a look at this.”

We approached the table with her notes, where she held them up to us so we could see them better. “See, look, I’m thinking we can put three big tables, here, here, and here,” she said pointing to different locations by the pool, “which we can get from the food court, so we can use them for setting up food and drinks. I’m thinking I want to do a couple of big punch bowls for beer and cider, then have some bottles for people who want something else like an ale or whiskey, or wine. Then maybe set aside an area for soda, juice, and water, for people who either aren’t gonna drink or want to do mixers. Then we can put salty snacks over here, and sweet stuff over here.”

Twilight nodded, and suggested a couple of minor modifications which Pinkie wrote down. “Great, that should work.”

“So did you want me and Twi to help bring out tables and snacks?” I asked.

Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah huh! That’d be perfect! I mean I’m still gonna pick out the stuff so everyone gets some tasty things. Maybe I’ll bake some things too. I bake a mean cupcake, and I dunno if I trust that weirdo automatic bakery to do a good job. And Sweetie Belle said she’d help bake too!” Pinkie cocked her head to the said. “Scootaloo then said she was already baked, but I’m not sure what she meant by that.”

I snorted. “Dunno how she accomplished that.”

“What do you mean?” Pinkie asked innocently.

I waved a hand dismissively. “Nevermind.”

“Okay, when do you want us to start, then?” Twilight asked, pen at the ready to notate on her clipboard.

Pinkie scratched her chin. “Hmmm… I’m thinking we’re gonna hold the party from 8:00 PM till about 3:00 AM. So maybe 7:00? We shouldn’t need more than an hour to set up.”

Twilight and I exchanged a look and nodded to each other. “Yeah, we can do that, no sweat,” I said, grinning.

“Hurraay!” Pinkie cheered, bouncing a good foot in the air before landing back on the ground with a slam of her shoes against the deck. “Oooh, this party is gonna be so good! I just wish I had my party cannon. Then I wouldn’t need any help! Just one touch of a button and wha-bam! Instant party!”

My face screwed up in confusion. “Party cannon? What? How does that work?”

Pinkie launched into a complicated explanation of physics, chemistry, and metallurgy that had my eyes glazing over after about fifteen seconds from the sheer speed at which she was talking. Even Twilight seemed just as baffled as I was. “...and there you go! That’s how you build a party cannon! I just don’t have any of the equipment and you can’t build a proper party cannon without equipment because I mean you can’t just shove party supplies down a regular cannon it’ll just blow them up and scorch them and then you just have a big mess to clean up and no one wants that!” Pinkie finished in a huff, panting heavily to catch her breath. “Understand?”

“Uh, not really, but nevermind, that’s okay,” I mumbled. “Anyway, we’ll uh, we’ll leave you to it.”

“Okie dokie Loki!” Pinkie chirped.

As we walked away, Twilight held a hand to her head and grunted. “Ugh, talking to that girl gives me a headache,” she complained. “I mean she’s nice, but sheesh.”

“Yeah she’s a bundle of energy, that’s for sure.”

“So, what do you want to do now?”

I pulled out my Monopad again and checked the map. The map available to us only showed the areas we’d already explored--the cabin corridor, the promenade, the outdoor lounge, and the bridge deck/pool area. “I think I want to spend some time poking around places, just to see if there’s some kind of access hatch or something to the rest of the ship.” I flashed Twilight a confident grin. “I fully intend to escape this place and get everyone out of here with me if I can manage it.”

“But the rules do say that the engine room and bridge are off limits, and we can’t open locked doors,” Twilight replied with a concerned frown.

“Exactly. Locked doors. Doesn’t say anything about unlocked doors, or vent shafts or something else like that.”

Twilight slowly smiled, chuckling in a low voice. “Oh, I get it. A loophole, huh? Sure, let’s explore then!”

We decided to start with the promenade, since it was the widest area. We started by searching the shops, and while we found doors in the very back of each one, they were all firmly locked. Then we moved on to the restaurants.

Like Monoponi told us, the restaurants, despite being automated for our convenience, were fully explorable. Each kitchen had its own unique setup too, ready to go with various typical implements, as well as a number of dangerous objects. When I saw a set of iron skewers in one kitchen, a cold shiver ran down my spine. But like the shops, there were plenty of locked doors.

It was in the Sushi King kitchen where we finally hit on something. Like the other restaurants it was set up perfectly for use if someone wanted to cook inside, including a large knife set with, oddly, four different sizes of meat cleaver. There was also the standard janitor’s corner with sink, pantry, and walk-in freezer. This one had bags with large amounts of ice for some reason, in varying blocks from cup-sized cubes to slabs similar to cinder blocks. I was in the middle of pushing one aside when I discovered a vent behind it. The vent was rather small, too small for either of us to fit, but it was unlocked.

“Where do you think it goes?” Twilight asked.

“Dunno. We’re not going to be able to go down there ourselves. Hrmmm…” I brought out my Monopad and briefly browsed the profiles. “Looks like the shortest of us is… oh crap. It’s Diamond Tiara.”

“Uuugh,” Twilight said with a shudder. “She’s been nothing but a jerk since we woke up here. Is there anyone else we can ask?”

I took another look. “Scootaloo, I think. She’d probably be up for it. Looks like she’s hanging out with Timber Spruce by the shops.”

“I’ll go get her then,” Twilight said, standing back up from the vent.

“Alrighty.”

I decided to sit on the kitchen floor outside the freezer, rather than stay in the cold for a second longer than I had to, because it was making me shiver something fierce. I gripped my jacket closer and hunched over to try to warm back up. It wasn’t that cold, but it would help me warm up faster.

And lucky thing I was doing it too, because when a squeaky voice about whispered in my ear, “What’re you doing?” I only jumped slightly and didn’t crack my head against the freezer door.

I looked to my left to see Monoponi’s grinning face almost nose to nose with mine. “Waaugh!” I yelped, and scooted away as quick as I could, right up against the nearby shelf full of bags of uncooked rice. “Why the hell do you keep doing that?!”

“Because it’s hilarious!” Monoponi replied with a cackle. “Upupupupu…”

“Whatever,” I groaned. “What do you want now?”

“Your Captain,” he growled in a low, sinister tone, “wants to know what you’re doing poking around that vent in the freezer!”

My blood chilled in my veins. “U--um, we were exploring. That’s not a-against the rules, is it?”

“Exploring? No, not exploring. Exploring’s fine. So long as you don’t try to open a locked door, you’re good!” Monoponi answered cheerfully. Then he crouched down and bared his teeth. “But what matters is the reason! Why are you exploring? Hmmm? Hmmmmmmm? Don’t think I can’t hear what you say on my ship! Everything can be seen and heard by your Captain! Everything!”

I reached up for the shelf and shakily pulled myself to my feet, just so I could back away further. I was shaking like crazy, fear crawling all over my body. Oh god, oh no, I screwed up, I thought as my heart raced at near light speed, thundering in my chest. “W-what d-do you mean?” I stammered as my eyes started searching my surroundings for something, anything to defend myself with. Not that it probably mattered. A human with no magic and no weapons wouldn’t stand a chance against an alicorn, even one as tiny as Monoponi.

“You know exactly what I mean!” he shrieked. His horn lit up with violently crimson energy as he rose to float in the air. “You think you can find loopholes in my rules?! Trying to escape without a Rescue Attempt is treason! It’s mutiny! It’s a violation of the rules, it is! And do you know what happens to rule violators on my ship?!” Eerie crimson light began to wrap itself around my body, holding me in place.

“No, no, please!” I babbled, tears running down my face as I vainly struggled against his magic hold. An intense pressure gripped my throat, turning my voice harsh and forced. “I wasn’t trying to escape! I wasn’t! Please, please don’t kill me!”

Monoponi froze in place and stared at me for a good long moment. Then his horn dimmed and he settled on the floor, dropping me in the process. “Upupupupu eyahahahahahhahahahahahahaha!” he cackled, quivering with mirth. “Oh Sunset you should see your face right now!”

“W-what?” I gasped, blinking past my tears as I struggled to get my breath back, taking great heaving lungfuls of air. Sweet, delicious, precious air!

Monoponi started rolling on the floor, laughing his ass off. “You were so scared! Sunset Shimmer, such a brave soul, crying and pleading for her life! Ahahahahaha! It’s so pathetic I can’t stop laughing! Eyahahahaha!”

My heart settled down as the icy tendrils of fear were replaced with the white hot river of rage. I balled up my fists so hard I was almost bleeding from my knuckles, shaking with anger. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Oh, Sunset my dear girl, you haven’t even begun to see the depths of what’s wrong with me!” Monoponi replied as he hoisted himself back onto all four hooves.

“So you were just messing with me?!”

“Of course! Upupupu…” Monoponi gave me a grin that stretched from ear to ear, which is damned wide on a pony face. “You weren’t breaking any rules. I just wanted to see how you’d react. I’m actually disappointed. I thought it’d take more than that to make you crack. Guess I was wrong!”

“You… you little piece of trash!” My hands opened and closed as I pictured grabbing him by the throat and throttling him for all he was worth. Every last bit of pride from the old Sunset I used to be flared up to fuel my fury. We’ll see how you like it, asshole!

“Ah ah ah! Better calm down now, Sunset,” Monoponi said, waggling a hoof like it was a finger. “Don’t do anything hasty. Unless you really do want to see what I do to rule breakers first hoof.”

“You… you… Uuugh!” I slammed a fist into one of the nearby bags of rice. It hurt like hell, but it served well enough to vent enough frustration for me to take some deep breaths and calm down.

“Better. Much better. Oh, and before you ask: exploring the vent? You can do that all you want. I don’t care if you manage to explore the entire ship, no matter why you’re doing it! Just remember one thing.” He raised a hoof and pointed it at me. “As soon as you actually try something that would result in your escape, without killing someone? That’s mutiny. Just remember that. If you can.”

“Fine. I will,” I grunted. “Now get out of my sight!”

Monoponi took a bow, extending his wings. “Your Captain is happy to oblige. Ta-ta!” He vanished in a flash of crimson light.

“God damn it!” I shouted as I slammed my fists into the bag of rice again. The pain helped me focus, helped me try to calm my shaking body. The combination of fear and rage had flooded my body with adrenaline and it was all I could to keep from unleashing a full flurry of attacks on the unfortunate bag of rice. I knew the person behind this was messed up. I knew it, and I still let them get to me! It was so unbelievably frustrating. I’m not someone prone to acting like this, not under normal circumstances. Yeah, I get scared sometimes. Angry sometimes. But I’d never felt such terror, such unrelenting fear as I did for that brief moment when I thought he was going to kill me. It was gut wrenching horror, unlike anything I’d ever faced.

He was a monster. They. Whoever it was. A complete monster. What kind of messed up person did this to people?

I heard the sound of approaching footsteps and turned to see Twilight and Scootaloo walking in. Scootaloo had her own backpack by now, carting something rather bulky from the way it bulged. “Sorry that took so long,” Twilight said, wincing. “Timber asked me to help him with something.” Then her eyes widened as she took a step towards me, extending out a hand. “Are you okay Sunset?”

“Yeah, what happened? You look like a mess,” Scootaloo added.

“Nothing. It’s… nothing. Don’t worry about it,” I answered. I wasn’t about to give Monoponi the satisfaction of watching me complain about him. So I put on a fake smile. “So Scootaloo, did Twilight tell you what this was about?”

Scootaloo raised her eyebrows and her mouth twisted in concern, but then she shrugged and said “Yeah, she did. Gotta crawl through some kinda vent, right?”

“Yeah, in here,” I replied, opening up the door to the freezer.

“Wow that’s cold!” Scootaloo shivered in her boots as she stepped in, kneeling down to look at the vent. “Seems like a tight fit, but I think I can do it. I’ll get through it lickity split!”

“Okay, just be careful,” Twilight said. “Don’t get yourself stuck. And if you can, take pictures with your Monopad.”

“Got it!” Scootaloo flashed us a thumbs up. She doffed her backpack, then got on her hands and knees. Thankfully she’d brought a pair of gloves to protect her hands from the cold metal. She scooted inside the vent and soon all we could hear was grunting and banging of metal.

Twilight took this moment to set a hand on my shoulder. “Hey, are you sure you’re okay? You seemed pretty upset.”

I blew out a breath through my teeth. “Yes! Just… drop it, okay? It’s not worth talking about.”

She pulled her hand back, an expression of hurt on her face. “Okay. Sorry I asked.”

For a couple moments, we stood there in silence. Then I said, “Just try to watch out for Monoponi. He likes to mess with your head. Don’t let him.”

She raised her eyebrows, looking at me over her glasses. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Hey!” Scootaloo called, her voice tainted with an odd metallic echo. “Can you guys hear me? I reached some kinda big fan blowing air! But there’s nothing else here! It’s just a dead end!”

“Seriously? Ugh!” I almost snarled my response as I called out, “Just get back up here then!”

“Got it!”

I stood back away from the vent to give Scootaloo enough room to get out. Soon enough she returned, falling flat on her belly as soon as she reached the relatively wide open space of the freezer. “Woof. That was rough! I think I bruised myself a few times.”

“Here, let me help you,” I said, hefting her to her feet.

“Okay, so that was a bust,” Scootaloo groaned as she knelt down, snatched up her backpack, and slipped the straps over her shoulders. “What was even the point to that vent?”

“That’s what I’m curious about too,” Twilight agreed, staring at the vent while scratching her head. “The other freezers had vents, but they were all in the ceiling. Why was this one in the wall by the floor?”

I rolled my eyes hard enough to make my head hurt. “Probably because Monoponi’d get a laugh out of us wasting our goddamned time,” I growled, roughly shoving the vent cover back in place in disgust and throwing the bag of ice back so it landed in a messy fashion instead of being evenly lined up with the rest of them. I didn’t care though. I was just too mad.

Scootaloo threw her hands up in the air, then let them fall to her sides as she bent over in frustration. “Uugh, he’s totally the kind of guy who’d do that too. What a pain.”

“Thank you anyway for your time, Scootaloo,” Twilight said, patting the shorter woman on the shoulder. “We’ll call you if we need anymore help.”

~*~

Twilight and I spent the rest of the day searching everywhere else that was open floor to ceiling, but other than the locked bulkhead at the end of the cabin corridor and the one leading up to the bridge there was nothing to be found. Feeling thoroughly exhausted, I decided to head to bed before the nighttime announcement, after taking a hot shower to try to wash away some of the tension in my muscles. It didn’t really help.

Of course, not long after I managed to fall asleep, the night time announcement woke me right back up again. Like I cared about the shops closing or that it was 10 PM. Monoponi probably played it louder in my room just to mess with me.

I threw myself back into the covers and put one of the fancy pillows over my face trying desperately to get back to sleep. It finally came, but it was ridden with nightmares, of me as a pony racing through a dark forest or endless prairie from hordes of Monoponis cackling that stupid laugh. I woke up more than once during the night too, including right before the morning announcement.

DING-DONG BING-BONG

“Uugh!” I slapped the pillow around my ears so I didn’t have to listen to his grating, irritating voice. Once it played out and the screen switched off, I flopped over and tried to fall back asleep. I don’t know how long I laid there, drifting in and out of a vague half-conscious state but just as I was finally starting to properly slip into a deep slumber, there was a massive loud banging at my door.

With a grunt of frustration I tried wrapping the pillow around my head again, but the banging wouldn’t stop. So I threw it aside, stomped my way over to the door, and threw it open. “What?!”

Flash, fist raised to knock again, flinched back and fell over in shock. “Oh thank god you’re here!” he said as he pulled himself back up.

I frowned, my whole face creasing up in confusion. “Huh? Yeah I’m here. I was just trying to sleep. What’s wrong with that?”

“But it’s almost noon!”

“Wait, seriously?” I whirled and grabbed my Monopad off the bedside table, checking the clock. “Holy crap, it is!”

“Diamond Tiara had us whipped up in a frenzy searching all over the place for you,” Flash said, staring at me with sad eyes. “We were worried sick! We thought… I thought…”

“Oh damn. You thought someone killed me, didn’t you?” I finished for him. The shock of the situation was helping to wake my brain up from its fogged up lack of sleep state.

He didn’t answer for a moment, looking down at the floor. “...yeah. We did.”

“Flash! Did you finally get inside?! Was she in there?!” came a cry from the hallway. The stomp stompof several sets of shoes against the floor preceded Apple Bloom, Rarity, Adagio, and Twilight running into the room.

“Oh my stars, Sunset! You’re alive! Thank goodness!” Rarity shouted as she hurled herself on me, squeezing me tight enough to cut off my circulation before releasing me and flopping onto the bed in dramatic fashion. “Heavens, we were so worried!”

“Why didn’t you answer the door when I knocked earlier? We could’ve avoided all of this!” Twilight said, glaring at me with a mixture of anger and relief.

I held up my hands in a defensive posture. “Hold up, I didn’t do this on purpose, okay? I just couldn’t sleep. And I didn’t even hear anyone knocking. I was using my pillows as earplugs.”

“Hmmph.” Adagio stepped right up to me and shoved a finger in my chest. “You should tell someone before you do something so foolish. What happened to watching each other’s backs, hmm? It was complete chaos this morning. Someone even stole my first aid kit!”

Apple Bloom’s eyebrows shot to the top of her head. “Wait, why would someone do that? It ain’t like they couldn’t just buy one fer themselves! There’s tons of ‘em in the pharmacy!”

“I don’t know,” Adagio retorted in a mocking tone. “If I knew that I’d have gotten it back already!”

“Nevermind your first aid kit, you can just go get another,” I said before this could turn into a serious argument. “I don’t even know why you were lugging that around in the first place anyway.”

Adagio’s eyes flashed as she snarled, “Why do you think, idiot?”

At that moment I realized, as I looked into her predatory eyes, that she was just as afraid as the rest of us, in her own way. She feared for her life, just like I did, have been doing, ever since we woke up here. She wasn’t breaking down into tears like Fluttershy, or trying her best to be cheerful like Pinkie. She was lashing out in anger, a typical predator trying to look bigger than everything else so everyone else would be scared away. And she was trying to be smart about it too, having medical supplies ready in case she ever did get injured. Maybe I should get my own first aid kit. Yeah. Probably a good idea.

“Right, sorry,” I said, laughing sheepishly.

“Listen, Ah’m gonna go tell the others we found you,” Apple Bloom said, giving me a contrite look with her hands at her hips.

“Yes, please,” Flash added with a relieved laugh as Apple Bloom sped away. “I’m just glad you’re okay, Sunset.”

“Me too,” Twilight added as she walked over to the bed to offer Rarity a hand back up.

“Yes, darling, I do understand the need for beauty sleep, of course, but given the situation, perhaps you should tell one of us next time, hmm?” Rarity said gently as she hopped off the bed with Twilight’s help.

I nodded gently. “Yeah. Okay. Sorry I scared you all. I just wasn’t sleeping well.”

“None of us were,” Flash said sympathetically.

My sleepy brain finally woke up enough to notice something missing from Twilight’s head. “Hey, Twi, where's your bandage?” I asked.

“Oh, that?” Twilight asked, reaching up unconsciously to touch the wound. “I was going to change it this morning, and then we had to track you down.” Her hand came away clean. “It’s not bleeding anymore anyway, so I’m not worried.”

I nodded slowly. “Oh, okay. I guess that’s good then.” I was a little surprised, but if she didn’t want to rebandage it, that was her decision.

More boot stomps on metal preceded everyone else showing up too, almost all of them repeating the same general thing, that they were glad I was okay, and mad that I made them worry. Even Wallflower Blush was mad at me over it, and not just because she had to spend time searching, which was surprising. She’d been keeping to herself so much I thought she didn’t care about anyone at all.

Diamond Tiara though… “Sunset Shimmer!” she roared like thunder, pointing directly at me with a furious glare. “How dare you waste my time and energy whipping these people into a search party!” She stomped up with a slam of her boots on the floor as she got up in my face to shout, spittle flying to cover my face in a gross mess. “It’s bad enough you’re under suspicion for being a traitor, but now you do this too?! Are you trying to infuriate us?! Because it’s working!”

I wiped the slobber off my face and glared back with just as much anger. “How many times do I need to say I’m sorry I needed extra sleep?!” I roared. “Excuse me if I wasted your oh so valuable time miss Rich Bitch, but I--”

SLAP!

I staggered back, reeling from the blow. It stung like crazy, the sensation tingling across my left cheek. I’m sure my face must’ve borne a mark from the blow, because I could see it on Tiara’s hand as she balled it up into a fist to shake furiously at me. “Never! Ever!Use that word to refer to me again! Do you hear me?! Never!!”

She spun on her heel, forced her way past the crowd to slam her fist into the door, then trudged away, making massive amounts of noise with every step.

I stood there in shock, holding a hand to my face to try to stop the stinging. Emotions roiled within me. Anger, of course, but also sorrow, frustration, and… shame. I was ashamed of myself. For wigging out on her, for making everyone worry. I’d been acting like a complete idiot.

Everyone just stood there silently as well, sharing looks with each other but no one spoke up until Rarity dared to reach out a hand to set on my shoulder. “Are you all right, darling?”

I gave her a quick half smile that didn’t even come close to reaching my eyes, and reached up to squeeze her hand. “Yeah, don’t worry. Excuse me everyone. I, uh, I’m going to go take a shower.”

She gave me a slow, hesitant nod, then helped rush everyone out the door. I made sure to lock it before I went to go strip in the bathroom. It was going to take a lot of hot water to wash all of this away.

Author's Note

Twilight's not wrong about human behavior. We do tend to bond much faster in tense situations. Just ask any soldier who's fought in war.

Monoponi, meanwhile, is a complete dick. Even more so than Monokuma, Monoponi is just cruel, and loves to torment them. Poor Sunset. And poor everyone else, having to look for her.

Tiara... I have things I want to say, but they need to be saved for another, more appropriate time.

On Saturday, the party! I'm sure nothing will go wrong. Nope. :scootangel:

Chapter One: Forgotten Dreams on the Ocean Breeze Part 4

Chapter One:

Forgotten Dreams On The Ocean Breeze

Daily Life Part 4

I kept mostly to myself for the rest of the day, sitting quietly in the promenade doodling on a notepad or jotting down my thoughts to vent, only to ball up the paper and toss it in a waste basket. I just watched everyone bustle their way around me, going to do this and that. Some people kept going in and out of the various shops. Rarity in particular kept switching up her fabric choices for the streamers. I even saw three of the younger women, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo hanging out together, having a blast laughing at some joke or other.

I waved away anyone who tried to check on me with just a quick nod and a “Yeah I’m fine” or something along those lines. I felt it was necessary to be alone right now. Probably dangerous, given we were in a killing game. Someone could sneak up on me at any minute and shove a knife through my neck or something. But that’s why I was sitting in the middle of a public space, and I did keep a close eye out on my surroundings.

Adagio dropped by every hour or so just to make sure I was still there. She must’ve been feeling extra worried after this morning, not that she’d ever admit to it. She just didn’t have the kind of personality that would let her. I did see her buying a new first aid kit, this time shoving it into a backpack. Smart. I had my own, a smaller one without all the unnecessary drugs and surgery kit and so on. It was right at the top in my backpack, next to my Monopad.

Pinkie Pie did drop by once around 2:30 to give me her hand-crafted invitation to the pool party. It was charming, in a childlike way, full of loopy handwriting and pasted together pieces of various colored paper. It was a touching gesture, the craftsmanship she put into it, so I made sure to tuck that safely into my pack for safe keeping.

Wallflower Blush also stopped by, just long enough to tell me she’d be staying in her room all night during the party with the door locked, so “no one tries to do anything stupid.” I told her that was pretty silly when she could’ve been having fun, but she just snorted at me in disgust and walked off to go announce her news to everyone else nearby.

On occasion I did see Diamond Tiara walking around, talking to other people, generally seeming happy until her eyes happened to pass over me. Then she’d grip her jacket, let out a harrumph, and spin on her heels to stride away somewhere else.

On the whole though, the mood was tense, to say the least. Everyone carried themselves as though the weight of the world was on their shoulders, their movements just a bit more hesitant, a bit more frantic than they would’ve been otherwise. My being missing this morning definitely put some fear into their hearts, which left me feeling ashamed all over again every time I saw a reminder.

But I’m not that much of one for sitting there pouting over my issues. So when the time on my Monopad ticked over to 7:00 PM, I was ready to go for setting up the party. “Hi Sunset,” Twilight greeted as she walked up, favoring me with a cool, if sympathetic look.

“Hey.” I stood, scooted my chair in, and then held out a hand to her. “Listen, I’m sorry again about this morning. I really wasn’t trying to scare anyone.”

She shook my hand quickly then dropped it. “Don’t worry. I’m not mad. I think Diamond Tiara still is though. Better watch out.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice. Okay, so,” I pointed at one of the larger tables nearby, a rectangular one with seating for a good eight to twelve people. “This is one of the tables Pinkie wanted, right?”

“I think so,” Twilight said with a nod. She stepped over to one side of the table, set her hands under it, and gave it a hesitant lift, and winced, her face screwing up. “Yow, that’s heavy!”

I snorted, grinning at her reaction. “It can’t be that heavy. Let me give it a try.” I stepped over to the other side from Twilight, pushed up my sleeves with a dramatic flourish, then set my hands under and lifted. And lifted. And strained like crazy, barely getting it up any further than Twilight did before dropping it. “Dang, you weren’t kidding!” I groused, feeling a little embarrassed by my cocky attitude.

Twilight giggled that little laugh that rang like bells, shaking her head. “Maybe we need to get some extra help.”

“Did y'all say ya needed extra help liftin’ somethin’?” Applejack spoke up as she walked over, her sister right behind. “Sorry, Ah just couldn’t help but see you two strugglin’ with that. That for the party?”

“Yeah, Pinkie asked us to get these tables moved over so we could put snacks and drinks on them,” I answered, feeling a little relieved someone else showed up to help. “We weren’t expecting them to be so heavy though.”

“Well of course they’re heavy, silly,” Apple Bloom said as she poked and prodded at the table. “This here’s made of good solid kingwood, or maybe desert ironwood. Not sure which. But it ain’t no normal table. This here must’ve been expensive.”

Applejack rolled her eyes and shook her head dismissively. “Sure was. Just like everythin’ else on this cruise ship, all fancy and high and mighty bourgeois--” she pronounced the word as bor-gee-oi--”nonsense, all to pretend they’re better than everyone else.”

“Bourgeois,” I said, correcting her pronunciation. “It’s Prench.”

She just shrugged. “Eh, whatever. Fancy’s fancy. Same difference as far as Ah’m concerned.” With a roll of her eyes, she continued, “Anyhow, let’s get this movin’.” She moved to the middle of the table, placed her arms underneath it, and with one solid swing she had the thing lifted over her head in one arm. “Where’re we putting this again?”

“Jeez!” I gasped, eyes bugging out my sockets. “How strong are you?”

Twilight’s jaw fell open, her head cocking to the side and a few hairs springing up into messy lines out of her otherwise perfect bun. “What… how… but it was so… “

“What, you ain’t ever seen a farm girl lift somethin’ before?” Applejack said with a grunt as she shifted the table from her right arm to her left. Somehow, that was even more impressive, since I knew she was right handed. “It ain’t that heavy.”

Note to self: never make Applejack mad, or she might just rip your head clean off your shoulders! “Ah, heh, right, uh, this way please!” I stammered as I began striding my way towards the pool. We left poor Twilight standing there, twitching as she continued to whisper under her breath about impossibilities.

With Applejack’s help it didn’t take long to get all three tables in place, and by the time we did Twilight had snapped out of whatever stupor she was stuck in. “Alright, that’s done,” Applejack pronounced happily, wiping her hands together as if to get rid of dust or dirt. “What’s next?”

“We need drinks and snacks,” I answered. “I think Pinkie said something about two big bowls for beer and cider?”

Applejack’s grin split her face ear to ear. “Cider? We can do cider! Ah think I saw a buncha big bottles of it in the duty-free store. They’re even Sweet Apple Acres brand, if ya can believe it. Apple Bloom, come help me bring ‘em.”

“Hold on, let me go get a trolly,” Twilight said.

“And I’ll start getting some snacks together,” I said, heading for the convenience store.

“Can you get some ice for the drinks, too?” Pinkie called after me as I left.

“Yeah, sure!” I called back.

Once inside the store I found a convenient rolling cart useful to carry everything, and started heaping large bags of chips, pretzels, and other salty goodness onto the cart. While I was working I heard a couple others poke their heads inside. “Hey, need some help?” called Flash. Timber Spruce was with him, wearing a brown leather backpack.

“Yeah, sure, please,” I agreed. Flash and Timber came over and started piling stuff on top. It took a while to run everything through the register, because of course thanks to Monoponi’s stupid regulations we had to run each item through one at a time, but we turned it into a proper assembly line of passing things around almost like a circle till we got it all, then Flash ran his Monopad to “pay” for it. Together we took it all and set it out nicely on the table. Flash even took the extra time to pop open the various tubs of dip we brought and set them up neatly for everyone, while Timber set a bag of ice on the table, inside a small cooler we’d also bought.

Pinkie Pie pranced up to us as we were finishing with the table layout. “Wow, that’s looking amazing! Great selection! You picked everything I would! Now we just need some sweets. Quick, come with me, come with me!”

She all but dragged the three of us away, almost running us into Twilight, Applejack, and Apple Bloom coming the other way with a heavy trolly laden down with bottles of alcohol. “Whoa, careful there sugarcube,” Applejack said.

“Sorry, sorry!”

Pinkie dragged us all the way to the bakery down near the end of the restaurant half of the promenade, and brought us into the kitchen. The whole place was a right mess, ingredients spilled everywhere, open bags of flour laying open next to bags of sugar, bottles of vanilla and chocolate liquor and other things all stacked all over the counters, with the ovens humming away as they baked, the air filled with the scent of deliciousness. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were also there, mixing up fresh batches of something or other in mixing bowls while humming to themselves.

“Ooh, Pinkie, you’re back!” Sweetie squealed, dropping her bowl on the counter and rushing over to a pan of muffins sitting out to cool on the stove. She pulled one out and handed it over. “Here, try it!”

“Hmmm…” Pinkie held it up to her nose, sniffed at it like a dog, then opened up her jaws and took a huge bite, chewing messily for about five seconds then swallowing it with a loud gulping noise. “Yummy! That’s really tasty! Good job, Sweetie Belle!”

Sweetie smiled at the praise. “Thanks! I took a baking class as an elective in my first year of college, so I’m way better than I used to be.”

“Yeah, weren’t you telling me you once served Rarity a bowl of liquid ‘toast’ for breakfast?” Scootaloo teased as she continued to stir her mixture.

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie blushed furiously, whirling on the other woman and holding her fists at her side. “I told you not to say anything about that!”

Timber burst out laughing. “A bowl of toast, hah! That’s classic.”

Pinkie patted Sweetie on the shoulder. “Aww, it’s okay, Sweetie. Everyone makes mistakes when they first learn to cook! The important thing is to never give up trying. And look! You’re doing well now!”

“Yeah, I know, it’s just embarrassing,” Sweetie groused. “Anyway, I better get back to work! We’ll have everything ready by 8:00, don’t worry!”

“Great! I’m counting on you!” Pinkie cheered. Then she turned back to us. “Okay, you three, start loading the finished ones onto the cart. We gotta bring it all over and make it look nice.”

Following her instructions we carefully loaded pan after pan of muffins, cupcakes, crepes, turnovers, and fritters onto the cart. It took us a good five or six trips, especially because Sweetie and Scootaloo kept bringing out more batches of fresh goodies. The smell was driving me bananas, it was so good.

But finally we had it all laid out on the tables, ready for everyone to consume. Right as we finished up, the farmer duo and Twi finished setting up the drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. “Whew,” I said, wiping sweat off my brow as I looked at our work. “We did a pretty good job.”

“Yeah, and it’s not even eight yet,” Timber added with a chuckle. “It’s only 7:45. Wild.”

Rarity emerged from the promenade passageway, a load of fabric streamers in her hand.“Well, if you’re finished with that, darlings, would you be willing to help a lady with something else?”

“For a lady? Anything,” Timber said with a waggle of his eyebrows and a wink.

“Dude, seriously?” Flash groaned, facepalming. “Anyway, yeah, we’ll help you, Rarity.”

It took us awhile, mostly standing on chairs for support, but we managed to get the streamers hung up all around the pool area, mostly hanging by the railings or around the security cameras, but we did place some on the bridge tower as well. Monoponi briefly showed up when we got near it, just to glare at us from the balcony, but we carefully avoided blocking the views of any cameras or weapons and he swiftly disappeared without saying a word.

By the time 8:00 hit everything was ready. Flash even had a DJ station set up near the poolside. It was a bit clumsy, just a few large speakers hooked into a stereo, but it would suffice for our purposes. Pinkie had also taken the time to locate a few strobe lights from who knows where, set to flash between colors, but slowly, so they didn’t overwhelm people’s senses. We also had plenty of disposable cups for the drinks and we’d brought over a few bins and waste baskets from the promenade to help keep things clean.

It was right as I was happily announcing to everyone that we were finished that I realized one crucial fact, a fact that seemed to have escaped all of us: none of us had any swimsuits or swim trunks. Why this hadn’t occurred to any of us before now, I don’t know, but once I pointed it out all of us present had to go scrambling for the sporting goods store to buy one up, while Rarity grabbed up a divider and a few curtains to set up two small changing areas.

Fortunately the store had swimsuits in our size so we didn’t have any real problems. I’d picked out something pretty basic, nothing like the nice one I had back at home. This was just a simple two piece black bikini.

“Oh darn it, I’m so sorry everyone,” Rarity apologized as we all lined up to change into the basic swimwear we’d obtained. “If I had realized sooner I would have tailored you all a custom swimsuit!”

“Pssh, nah, don’t sweat it!” Flash said with a grin. He had already changed, and was standing there shirtless, wearing a pair of blue baggy swim trunks, the kind with the extra layer underneath so he had pockets. He was surprisingly toned, with well defined ab muscles… strong pecs shining under the lights… Did he oil them? When would he have time to do that?

Oh dear. I’m going to be turned on by like, everyone here, aren’t I? I thought to myself as a flush of warmth ran through my body. I pointedly looked away from Flash and fanned myself with my hand while I waited for my turn in the changing room. I did spot Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy all staring at Flash with obvious interest and almost burst out laughing, managing to suppress it into a light giggle. Guess I’m not the only one.

Of course I had to keep myself from staring at the ladies, too. Rainbow Dash in particular chose a barely there g-string thong that might as well have been the same thing as wearing no clothes at all. If this had been Equestria wearing no clothes wouldn’t have mattered to me, but I’d been a human being for waaaaay too long. At least now I know the carpet matches the drapes? I thought with a giggle.

Oh but the one who caught my eyes the most was, naturally, Adagio. Somehow she’d found this brilliantly shining crimson top with bikini bottom, both covered in rhinestones to sparkle in every bit of light, and she was still wearing her spiked belt with it to boot. I still don’t know what you are, Adagio, but damn if you don’t look good.

She caught me staring and sauntered over, putting just a bit more sashay into her hips. “Like what you see?” she said in a low, seductive tone, adding just enough of a chuckle to send my heart racing.

“Ah, I uh, um…” I stammered, searching for words and finding none that didn’t sound ridiculous. So instead as soon as Sweetie Belle emerged from the changing station I zoomed in, trying not to hear Adagio’s laugh as I fled. By the time I finished changing she’d moved on to the snacks table and was chatting up Diamond Tiara.

So I just went and grabbed a drink, choosing to start with plain water. “Oooh, water, huh?” Rainbow Dash teased when she saw me grab it. “Feeling a bit too scared to try something harder?”

“I’m just trying to make sure I don’t have a massive hangover in the morning,” I replied, taking a swig from my bottle and doing my best to look anywhere but directly at her. I ended up focusing on Fluttershy instead, who was standing quietly nearby, not saying a word. Seriously, why the g-string?

Rainbow grabbed a bottle of soda, handed it to Fluttershy, then took a long drink from her cup of beer. Somehow the girl already had a bit of a pink flush to her cheeks. “Oh come on, that’s gonna be future Sunset’s problem. Tonight’s a time to party!” she cried. Then she set her cup down on the table, let out a whoop, and raced down the length of the pool to do a cannonball into the deep end, splashing the whole of that poolside, including Trixie and Sweetie Belle, soaking them from top to bottom.

“Hey! Watch what you’re doing! You’re getting Trixie all wet!” Trixie whined, shaking a fist in the pool’s general direction.

Rainbow Dash surfaced and spat out a bit of pool water, then broke into laughter. “Yeah I’ll bet I’m getting you wet!” she cried.

Trixie’s mouth twisted into the tightest, most puckered frown I’d ever seen as her whole body turned a brilliant shade of pink. “Don’t you even begin to imply something so dirty about Trixie!”

“Bwahahaha!” Rainbow Dash cackled, diving down into the pool to avoid Trixie’s continuing tirade.

Chuckling and shaking my head at their silly behavior, I navigated through the crowd to Flash Sentry, who was setting up for the first bit of DJing. “Hey, looking to make a request?” he asked, looking up at me from his kneeling position near the poolside.

“Maybe,” I shrugged.

He stood up, his face twisting up in concern. “Are you okay, Sunset? I know it couldn’t have been fun dealing with this morning.”

I shrugged again, harder this time. “No, I’m fine. I probably deserved that slap in the face. Just trying to get over it, is all.”

Flash set a comforting hand on my shoulder, carefully so I could easily remove it if it was uncomfortable. “For what it’s worth, I’m not mad at all. I was just worried.”

The warmth of his hand was rather nice on my shoulder, so I let him keep it there. I gave him a genuine smile. “Thank you. It’s good to hear that from someone, at least.”

Sadly he decided to take it away. The lack of his hand left my shoulder feeling chilly, and I shivered without meaning to. “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, Sunset,” Flash said with a concerned frown. “You’re smart. I could tell that about you from the moment we first spoke.”

“What--”

He held up a hand. “Let me finish, please. I’m saying this now because I just wanted you to know that, if we ever have to go to one of those ship’s trial things mentioned in the rules? I think we’re all going to be counting on you to figure things out. I’m not that smart. I try to be a cool guy, you know, and try to be nice, but trying to solve a murder? I’d be hopeless. We need you.” He blew out a sigh, and knelt back down to fuss over the stereo some more. “That’s why this morning was so scary. I’m afraid if someone takes you out, we’ll be screwed.”

“Wow, I uh, I don’t know what to say,” I responded, my words almost choking in my throat. “I’m touched, really. You hardly even know me, and you already have so much faith in me?”

“Well, yeah, I do,” he answered, looking back up at me with a small smile. “I dunno why, but I do. You just seem… good. Sorry, I dunno how else to say it, hehe.”

“Still, I appreciate it,” I said, deciding to sit next to him. The concrete around the pool was a little bit rough on my partially bare bottom, but I was able to dangle my feet into the water, which was nice and warmer than I expected. “But how do you know someone’s going to do something?”

He sighed again, this time setting down the stereo system and falling back onto his butt. His expression became grim. “Because we want to get home. I mean, I sure do. I already miss my family, my band mates, my friends. I was going somewhere with my life, and this whole killing game thing isn’t just putting it on hold, it’s like I was yanked off the stage altogether, you know?” At my nod, he continued, “And if I’m feeling that desperate, everyone else is. I’ve been seeing it, in the way everyone walks, talks. Everyone’s trying to pretend nothing’s wrong, but everything is wrong. I mean look at what I’m doing. I’m getting ready to DJ for a pool party like this was just another Friday night at CU.”

I took a moment to survey the crowd before responding, looking at the way they were acting, what they were doing. Rainbow Dash was already downing her third cup of beer, Trixie was pacing to and fro in a huff, Adagio was dancing to a silent tune, Diamond Tiara was frowning into a bowl of chips in front of her at her table. Pinkie was stuffing several sweets down her throat, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom looked like they were each trying to see who could down their drink the fastest, and so on. Everyone was trying to act like they were having fun, but they were all uncomfortable, in one way or another.

Except Wallflower Blush. She hadn’t bothered to show up to the party, just like she said she wouldn’t. I hoped she was okay wherever she was staying.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I said to Flash. “No one’s happy.”

“How can we be, when we’re trapped on this ship?” Flash scowled, holding up a CD and looking like he wanted to chuck it across the pool. “I want to be wrong, Sunset. I do. I want us all to come out of this just fine, get back to our lives like nothing happened. But I don’t think it’s going to work out that way.”

“Maybe not.” I set my water bottle down and sighed. “Maybe we should just try to make the best of it while we’re here.” I caught sight of Twilight walking nearby, carrying a big cupcake in her hands while her clipboard was held against her chest awkwardly. “Speaking of which,” I continued, a sly grin crossing my face, “I think you might have a chance with Twilight over there if you asked her out.”

His head shot up and he stared at me, eyes wide, mouth spread in a big smile. “Wait, really? You think so?”

“Yeah!” I nudged him in the shoulder. “Go for it, big guy. I’ll watch over the stereo.”

“Yes!” He hopped up to his feet in one swift motion. “Thanks, Sunset! You’re the best!” Then he slipped away, just in time to help save Twilight from dropping her cupcake.

“I hope that works out for you, bud,” I said quietly.

“Hey, hey, hey!”

Pinkie Pie pirouetted past the party tables, perilously close to the pool before popping up next to me, prancing in place. “Hey! Where’s the music? Where’s the DJ? We gotta get this party rockin’!”

I held up a CD at random from the pile, which she snatched away from me, examined from several different angles in a split second, then grinned and handed it back. “That’s perfect! Play it, Sunny Girl!”

“Sunny Girl…?” I muttered as I popped open the CD player on the stereo and stuck it in, then pressed play. The fierce beat and heavy tempo of electrohouse filled the air, thrumming even through the meek, basic bass of the speakers.

“Haha, yeah, now we’re talking!” Rainbow Dash cheered from the pool as she leapt up from the water and attempted some form of aerial acrobatic maneuver. Attempted, that is, because all she did was flip halfway in place then slam back into the water flat on her belly. “Ow.”

Ignoring her antics, I started bobbing my head to the beat. While not my favorite genre of music, this was pretty nice, especially right now. The tension of the evening, my worries and fears that I’d vented to Flash, all started fading away with the rhythms of the music. Pretty soon I was dancing by the poolside, Pinkie cutting a pretty fine rug herself as we went.

That lasted at least a good hour and a half before the music on the CD ran out. Right as it did, we heard the DING-DONG BING-BONG of the speakers going off. Everyone paused long enough to let Monoponi’s typical night time announcement play:

“Attention! This is your Captain speaking! It is now 10:00 PM! The shopping center is now closed for business. Let the calm, soothing night air of the ocean whisk you away to a beautiful slumber! Stay safe my dear passengers!”

Even though it was the standard recording we’d all heard several times already, it was enough to put a damper on the party, at least for a bit. We let the stereo rest a while so we could all get some snacks and drinks. After hearing his voice I finally needed to get some alcohol in me, so I walked up to the table. “Hey Sunset, want some cider?” Timber offered. He had a small tray with several cups already. “I’m getting some for AJ, Tiara, Rarity, and Fluttershy. And myself. We’re all sitting over there if you want to join us.”

“Nah, no thanks,” I said as I reached for one of the bottles of cinnamon whiskey. Last thing I wanted to do was cause a scene with Tiara, because I could already feel her eyes burrowing into my back. “I’m more of a hard liquor kind of girl.”

“Right on,” he said with a laugh as he poured the last cup, placing a few cubes of ice into it. “Alright. Excuse me then,” he said as he carefully cradled the tray in his hands, heading over to the table with the others of his group.

I poured myself a good sized shot, snatched up a plate with a couple muffins for good measure, and joined Adagio and Sweetie, who were whispering to each other while watching Twilight and Flash on the other side of the pool. “Hey there.”

“Oh, Sunset! Good timing! Check out Twilight and Flash!” Sweetie said, giggling into her rum and cola. “Looks like they’re really hitting it off!”

I took a closer look, and sure enough, the two were chatting animatedly, while Twilight was sneakily extending a foot out under the table to rest on Flash’s. “Yeah, I think you’re right. Good for them.” I smiled warmly. “I’m glad they’re finding some kind of comfort in each other, given how stressful this whole thing is.”

“Perhaps they’re not the only ones who should find… comfort in each other,” Adagio said, giving me a half-lidded expression as she slowly extended a hand in my direction. Sweetie, watching all of this, just giggled all the harder.

The blush warming my cheeks wasn’t just the whiskey I was drinking. “Ah, huh? Are you serious?”

Adagio let out that delightfully deep, sensual laugh of hers, and drew her hand back at once. Her eyes sparkled like amethysts in amusement, though I did notice, just for a split second, a bit of...longing. “Hmph. Fool. You’re so easy to tease.”

Before I could even begin to formulate a response to that, a commotion at Timber’s table distracted us all. Several of them were leaping to their feet, clutching their stomachs as their faces turned green. “Oh, Ah don’t feel so good!” Applejack moaned.

Fluttershy’s cheeks bulged out and she slapped a hand to her mouth. She mumbled something like “me neither” past her hands before she sped away heading for the promenade.

“Oh god I think I’m gonna puke!” Timber cried as he followed after her running as fast as he could while holding his belly. Applejack, Rarity, and Diamond Tiara all followed without saying a word, running just as fast. Poor Rarity tripped on her heels and had to toss them off on the way.

Pinkie Pie poked her head out from the far side of the dessert table. “Whoa, what happened to them?”

“Huh, they were all drinking the cider,” I said. I stood up and walked over to the drink table, and knelt down to take a whiff. Immediately my nose burned and I recoiled, my face puckering. “Ugh! I think this is a bad batch, Pinkie. This reeks!”

“Oh no!” Pinkie grabbed both sides of her head. “Oh no no no no no! That won’t do at all! Gimme that!” With one quick movement of her arms she reached out for the bowl of cider, spun in a circle and then hurled it off the side of the ship. “That’s for making my friends feel sick!” she shouted over the railing, shaking her fist like a madwoman before wiping her hands and coming back, all smiles once more. “There, that’s better. No one gets sick at a Pinkie party if I have anything to say about it. And I do! Because I’m Pinkie!”

“You think they’ll be okay?” I asked her, looking towards the promenade in concern. The bathrooms there were the closest, sure, but from the way they looked… oh I hope there wouldn’t be a mess. Please don’t let there be a mess!

Pinkie waved a hand dismissively. “Pshaw, they’ll be fine. They just gotta get it worked out of their systems. I’m sure they’ll be back soon.”

“Yo, hey, what happened?” Flash asked as he sped over, Twilight hot on his heels.

“Just a bad batch of cider,” I said, shrugging. “They’ll be okay.”

“Hmm…” Flash rubbed his chin, staring at the empty spot on the table where the bowl had been sitting. “Should we check on them?”

Twilight shook her head, and, cheeks aflame, she grabbed for his arm and held it against her. “No, they’ll be fine. If they don’t come back soon, we can check on them then.”

With a blush of his own, Flash relented. “Okay, sure. Sunset, will you check if they don’t come back?”

“Yeah.”

I figured I’d give them a good hour before looking in, because sometimes stuff like that takes a while. And sure enough, most of them came back right about 11:00, except for Rarity. “Ugh, that was just awful,” Applejack moaned as she flumped into a chair, still holding her stomach. “Had it comin’ outta both ends.”

“Ew, gross! Trixie doesn’t want to hear that!” Trixie whined, throwing an empty cup in Applejack’s direction and clapping her hands to her ears. “Do not give Trixie such disgusting details!”

The cup went flying well past Applejack’s head, nowhere near hitting her. “Oh, sorry, Trixie,” she said. She laid back in her chair and let her arms hang out over the armrests. “Ah just never had that happen from cider before. And it was Sweet Apple Acres brand too. Like mah own kin betrayin’ me!”

“Wait, where’s Rarity?” Adagio inquired, her body winding up to spring into action. “Wasn’t she with you?”

“I think she’s still cleaning herself up,” Timber groaned as he rested his head on a table.

“Mmhm,” Fluttershy agreed. Of all of them she looked the least worst off, to my surprise. “She was very upset.”

Adagio shared a look with me, but I shook my head. Not yet. My instincts said she was probably fine.

And sure enough she returned about twenty minutes later, stomping in with both arms gripped by her sides in a huff, her mouth working like she was chewing a bit and her clothes thoroughly soaked. “I cannot believe that happened! So intolerable!” she complained. She snatched up her heels, then threw herself into a chair next to Applejack, firing off a furious glare at the farmer. “This is your fault! It was your family’s cider!”

“Hey now, Ah suffered too ya know!” Applejack shot back, holding up one hand to point in Rarity’s general direction. “Don’t go blamin’ this on me. Ah blame the distributor! Or maybe the packagin’. But the cider itself? Nah. Somethin’ made it go bad, mark mah words.”

“Oh would you both shut up?” Diamond whined in a pathetic voice, clutching her head. “I don’t want to hear this right now!”

Pinkie Pie sidled up to their table, a tray of fresh cups balanced on her arm. “Here you go, guys. Drink this. It’ll help you feel better.”

Applejack peered at the cup with a healthy dose of suspicion. “What is it?”

Timber, with a lethargic shrug, took a taste. “Oh, it’s ginger ale. My sister always gave that to me when I was sick. Thanks, Pinkie!”

“Yup yup!” Pinkie flashed them two big thumbs up. “Now drink it up so you can feel all nice and happy again! This party ain’t even close to being over!”

“Your Captain might have something to say about that!”

Everyone froze, all eyes turning to the flash of crimson light that heralded the arrival of Monoponi in our midst. He was pissed, stomping furiously, working his jaw, holding up a back leg like he was ready to kick someone, even snapping his tail. I immediately hopped over the drinks table and ducked down so it was between him and me. I had no desire to feel that magic grip round my neck again!

“Outrageous!” he roared. “Unacceptable! Disgusting! This will not stand!” He pointed one hoof squarely at the table of sick people. “You five! What do you have to say for yourselves?!”

“Wh-wwhat d-d-d-did we d-d-d-do?!” Fluttershy stammered in a panic, shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.

“Yeah, she didn’t do anything!” Rainbow Dash cried as she hefted herself out of the pool and sped over to place herself firmly between Monoponi and Shy, holding out both arms protectively to cover her. The effect was lessened somewhat by her unsteady posture and the splashing pool water dripping everywhere. “Leave her alone!”

“Absolutely not! I will not tolerate such disgusting activity aboard this ship! You’ve abused my goodwill by making a massive mess of my bathrooms! Inexcusable!” His ears went flat against his skull as he whirled to point a hoof at Trixie, who’d been tip toeing trying to sneak away. “And where do you think you’re going?!”

Trixie shrieked and fell over, holding her hands up and looking away, squeezing her eyes shut. “No! Trixie wasn’t going anywhere! Please don’t hurt Trixie!”

Monoponi glared viciously, eyes flashing crimson, before he let out a huff. “That’s it! You! Magic girl! You and Rainbow chick are on cleaning duty! Mops and buckets are in the closet between the bathrooms! Get to it!”

Trixie blanched, her face twisting up in dismay. “But, but… it’s so gross!”

“NOW!” Monoponi thundered, horn lighting to summon a crackathoom! of thunder. “If you won’t, it’s mutiny! And you know what happens to mutineers aboard my ship!”

Trixie hopped to her feet and ran pell mell for the bathrooms before he could say anymore, squealing in fright the whole way. Rainbow, with a frustrated groan of “Aw, man, this sucks,” trudged after her.

With a grunt, Monoponi relaxed, and cast his gaze over us, looking at each one of us in turn. “Let that be a lesson to you. I don’t care if you have a party. But you do not make a mess of my ship!” With that, he disappeared in a flash of crimson light.

“Oooh, poor Dashie,” Fluttershy moaned, her face falling into her hands. She began to softly weep as Applejack rubbed a comforting hand along her back.

“Hey now, sugarcube, she’ll be okay. Ah know it’s gross, but we did make an awful mess in there. Cleanin’ duty ain’t the worst thing in the world.”

“I know,” Fluttershy sighed sadly. “But she shouldn’t have to clean up after me.”

The mood of the party was left pretty grim after that, at least until Trixie and Rainbow Dash returned most of an hour or so later, both thoroughly worn out and disgusted. Trixie for her part immediately stomped over to the drinks table, popped the cap off a large bottle of vodka, and started guzzling it. “Trixie may not drink often!” she burbled after swallowing her first huge drink, coughing and spluttering from the alcohol burn. “But she wants to forget this whole thing even happened!”

“Yeah for real,” Rainbow said, doing the same thing with a bottle of wine. “That was nasty. I never want to do that again.”

“Okay, that’s enough frowns,” Pinkie declared as she bounced over to the stereo. She put on a new CD and filled the air with music. “Let’s get this party back on track!”

Although the music helped, the party just wasn’t as good after that whole experience. I was able to last another good hour before I finally had to depart for bed early, already feeling the headache of the hangover I was sure to suffer in the morning. Thanks to the lack of sleep I was bushed. Flash and Twilight escorted me to my room, and I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

DING-DONG BING-BONG

The morning announcement hit my ears like a jet engine taking off right in my face, the light of the screen far too bright to stand. “God damn,” I groaned as I sat up, clutching my pounding head. My stomach wasn’t reeling, thankfully, but I definitely had too much to drink the night before. I must not have had enough water after all.

I stumbled into the bathroom and did my best to brush the sour taste out of my mouth with my toothbrush, swallowed a few aspirin, then tossed on a fresh pair of clothes. I’d take a shower later. Right now I wanted coffee.

Knock knock knock!

“Coming,” I called, heading for the door. I popped it open a crack, to see Adagio. “Oh. Hey.”

“Good morning,” she grunted, holding a hand to her head, and squinting away from the lights in the hall and in my room.

Guess I’m not the only one with a hangover. “What’s up?”

“Just checking on you,” she replied, groaning. “Wanted to be sure you didn’t pull the same thing you did yesterday.”

My lips squeezed into a pout. “Hey, I wouldn’t do that again. I learned my lesson.”

Adagio glared at me through narrowed eyes, before softly nodding. “Sure, sure. C’mon, let’s go get--”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

We both jumped, staring in the direction of the promenade. “What was that?!” I yelped, the adrenaline flooding me banishing any lingering feeling of lethargy.

Twilight’s door flew open, her glasses askew, her clothes all wrinkled and messy as she stepped into the hallway. “Did someone scream?!” she asked in a panic.

“Sure sounded like it!” added Flash, who popped his head out from Twilight’s room, thankfully wearing pants and in the process of tossing his shirt back on.

“Flash?!” I blurted. “What were you--”

“Nevermind that, Sunset, let’s go!” Adagio cried.

Together, the four of us raced for the promenade, emerging into the restaurant side. At first, we didn’t see any cause for concern, until we saw Pinkie Pie, eyes glazed over in shock, muttering to herself and pointing at something nearby. “Pinkie?! Are you okay?” I shouted as I went to check her. “What happened?”

“I-I-I-I-I… no no no no!” she whispered, still pointing, her arm shaking like crazy.

I looked up at what she was pointing at, and froze. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t blink. I couldn’t breathe. All the blood in my body turned to ice, a deep, dark pit opening up in my heart, yawning opening and dragging me down into the depths of despair.

Because there. Laying on a dining cart, still and quiet, with a bloodied cleaver buried in her stomach, was the cold, dead body of Wallflower Blush.

Author's Note

Oh. Uh. Well. So much for Wallflower. Major props to JCarp for calling it with his initial guess back on Part I. Note of honesty: Wallflower was not intended to be a surprise first victim, so hopefully this didn't catch anyone too off guard. But just because someone dies early doesn't mean they're not important.

Regarding AJ's strength: you've probably noticed by now that none of the Humane Seven have displayed their magical abilities. This is on purpose, obviously, but Applejack was super strong even before she got her geode. We see her casually carrying a table in the first movie that two guys were struggling with pretty hard, so I feel justified in her being able to carry around these tables no problem.

Wednesday: the investigation. It'll be all one part, don't worry.