Author's Note
This one diverges all the way back in Chapter Two, where a different person dies to the trap set by the culprit. Contained within you will find an alternate investigation, which is heavily streamlined versus the original investigation, as the culprit hasn't actually changed. But what has changed? You'll see. 
There will be a second part to this that will cover the alternate trial, released... at some point. Though do be warned. If you haven't yet read Chapter Six of the main story... there are a few spoilers ahead.
The Right Target Part 1
Alternate Scenarios
Chapter Two: “What Lurks in the Depths”
The Right Target
Part 1
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 sching of 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, I had to close my eyes and hold up my hand to block the spotlight beaming straight down on us.
“Wow!” I heard Apple Bloom breathe from just off stage. “Ah knew she’d be fine, but still… wow.”
“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. Locating the sound with my ears, I pivoted on my heel and caught sight of what looked like a large bag crashing to the stage floor.
SCHLUNK!
At first, I didn’t know what happened. An overwhelming sense of fullness struck me, like I’d just consumed a massive meal. Except it wasn’t just in my stomach. It was in my chest, and my back, and… a..nd…
There was a spear in my chest. There was a spear in my chest. There was a spear. In. My. Chest!
PAIN
Overwhelming excruciating pain filled my every sense as I choked, my throat filling up with blood. I slipped backwards, more agony shooting through my body like bullwhips cracking against every nerve as I sank down until I could sink no more, propped up by the spear like a goddamned shish kabob. My vision swam and greyed at the edges.
“...Sunset! Sunset!”
I gasped. Tried to open my eyes. Movement around me. Little lashes of pain brushed against me, people’s hands, bandages, I couldn’t tell. “A….Adagio?”
Tangerine and lemon hair filled my vision, bushy and vibrant as ever despite the color fading from the world. “Sunset!” Adagio snapped, her eyes wider than dinner plates. Her whole body shook as she tried to hold my hand. “Don’t you dare die on me!”
“D...ie?” I coughed, spitting up blood all over Adagio’s clothes. Black bars filled both sides of my vision, as if life itself had suddenly turned into a widescreen movie. “I… I’m dying… huh…”
“No you’re fucking not!” Adagio roared, even as tears streamed forth from her eyes. Her sparkling, amethyst eyes. So beautiful. So gorgeous, even now. “We’re going to save you! I won’t let you die, damn it! I won’t!”
Somewhere in the background, behind Adagio, I heard other voices murmur, including Trixie’s. But I couldn’t make them out. My hearing dulled like my ears had been stuffed full of cotton. What little left I could see was hazy, dark, full of static like television snow. “I… it’s o..kay… A..dagio…” I murmured. “I… I…”
“No! God damn it, no!” Adagio screamed. She released my hand, and tried desperately to wrap roll after roll of bandages around my chest wound, pressing her hands into my dress, coating herself all over with blood. So much blood. Too much.
Too much.
“A...adagio… please…”
Adagio snarled wordlessly and glowered down at me, eyes blazing. “No! I won’t hear it! I… I won’t!”
I tried to raise my hand to hers, managing to get it up about half an inch before it fell. I could barely see her now. So dark. The pain faded away, replaced by cold. Ice cold. Freezing. As if the pure essence of winter itself swaddled me like a newborn babe.
So cold. So… cold… I… I had something to say… had to say it, before… before…
Blood oozed from my mouth as I tried to smile. “A...adag...io… I… I… love… yo...u....”
She reached out for me and
“Nooo!” I shrieked, unable to look away as the light faded from Sunset’s eyes. “No… no… please…”
I fell over backwards, landing in the massive pool of blood, splattering even more of the foul liquid everywhere. Nothing around me registered, my eyes locked solidly on Sunset’s corpse.
On. Sunset’s. Corpse.
“This can’t be happening,” spilled from my lips. “This… this can’t…”
Why is this affecting you so badly? A voice ran through my head. So she said she loved you. So what? It’s not like you were with her that long. She was just a bit of fun. You were going to kill her yourself, weren’t you? Remember?
“Shut up,” I whispered, barely even aware I was talking aloud to myself.
Surely you haven’t forgotten what you are, Adagio. You are a siren! So you’ve lost your lover. Who cares? Get up and stop sniveling like a stupid little pony. You can always find another fuckbuddy. Maybe that Rainbow chick. She’d probably be good for a few lays.
“Shut up!” I hissed, louder this time.
What, not her? Fine. Someone else then. Anyone else. Just so long as you get up from the floor. Do you know how weak you look right now? How vulnerable? You’re pathetic. Sunset didn’t mean anything to you. Don’t act like she did. She was just a piece of ass you had fun with. Nothing. More.
“Shut up!” I screamed, slamming both of my fists into the pool of blood, scattering fresh droplets everywhere.
“Adagio?” gasped a voice from behind me.
Startled, I leapt up from the floor and whipped out my knife, ready to gut whatever fool had the audacity to speak my name. But I froze when I saw who it was.
Trixie. Staring at me from beneath that top hat, her eyes full of tears, her face covered in snot, red and puffy from crying. She took a step back when she saw the knife, her expression filling with terror. Like me, the front of her outfit was covered in blood, since she’d been standing right next to Sunset when… when…
Pathetic.
“What. Do you. Want. Trixie?!” I growled, brandishing the knife forward.
“Trixie… I…” She blinked, closed her eyes, then from somewhere within herself she summoned up whatever puny bit of courage she had and opened her eyes again. “I heard what Sunset said to you. I was trying to make sure you were okay.”
My upper lip pulled back, showing my teeth. I bit down with my sharpened canines and drew two tiny spots of blood from my lower lip in a show of ferocity. The knife in my hand quivered forward, like it ached to plant itself within Trixie’s ribs. “Say that again,” I snarled. “Say it again and I will gut you and wear your intestines like a scarf!”
Despite my harsh words, Trixie didn’t budge an inch. Indeed if anything she seemed less frightened than before, sticking her nose up in that asinine snobbish way that made me want to vomit. “It’s fine if you don’t want to admit it,” she said. “I understand. But I’m not your enemy, Adagio. You know who is? The one who took Sunset from us.”
“Us?!” I hissed, my free hand snapping forward to grab Trixie by her suit coat, wrenching her off her feet. My knife swept up to press at her throat. “What do you mean, us?!”
“You know exactly what I mean,” Trixie said, refusing to back down. “We both cared about her. Admit it or don’t. But we did. And I’m not going to let whoever did this get away with it!”
For a moment, just a moment, I considered sinking my knife’s blade deep into her throat. Rip her useless life away. But I didn’t. The voice was right about one thing. I am a siren. Sirens don’t kill. But we do get revenge. We do seek justicewhen we’re wronged. Trixie said she’s not going to let anyone get away with this, hmm?
The voice spoke again. Neither should you. You want to live, don’t you? Forget about Sunset. Focus on you. You’re all the matters now. Survive. You’ve lived far too long. You’re not going to die here, not now, not ever. Find them. Find them, and keep yourself alive.
I released Trixie and stuffed my knife back in my pocket. “Fine. But let me make one thing very clear, Trixie,” I said, holding up a finger. “You say one word about my involvement with Sunset to anyone else? I will end you.”
One corner of Trixie’s mouth quirked up in a half smile. “Deal.” She stuck her hand out, prepared to shake.
My face twisted up in disgust as I glared down at her hand before slapping it away. “Don’t push it.”
DING-DONG-BING-BONG
I didn’t bother listening to Monoponi’s body discovery announcement. We were already in the theater. No one was going to come running. But I did take a moment to observe everyone else, now that I wasn’t lost in my own head.
Sorrow covered most of their faces, ranging from Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy’s pitiful crying into Flash and Rainbow’s embrace respectively, to Applejack holding her hat to her breast and bowing her head, her sister beside her doing the same, to Rarity with Sweetie Belle in a stranglehold, babbling inanities about how glad she was it hadn’t been her sister on stage, to Pinkie Pie on her knees, her hair flat against her skull, to Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo--
Wait a minute.
My eyes shifted back to Sweetie Belle, who stared at Sunset’s corpse. Her expression struck me as odd. I couldn’t be sure why. She had the same tears in her eyes as everyone else. The same shock. The same gaping mouth of disbelief. And yet… something was off. Like she was… confused. Confused about what?
Monoponi popped into existence before us on the stage. The alicorn scowled at us, his wings twitching, flapping aimlessly like he was trying to smack people with them. “So…” he said through gritted teeth. “Looks like Sunset bit the big one! What a shame. It sure is a pity, isn’t it?!”
Arching my eyebrows, I leaned forward, adopting a mocking smile full of false sincerity. “Oh, what’s the matter? You seem upset.”
“Upset?! No, no, no, your captain isn’t upset!” Monoponi railed, spouting obvious lies. “Of course I’m thrilled to see another body! After all, who doesn’t love a wonderful, blood-curdling, spine-tingling investigation, hmm? No one! Even if the one who should be leading it is lying dead on the stage…”
Momentarily I glanced over at Diamond Tiara, our self-professed leader. I expected her to speak up. But she didn’t. She withdrew into herself, giving me one glance, quickly nudging her head in Monoponi’s direction before leaving the stage to take a seat away from the others.
Scootaloo, meanwhile, broke into angry ranting, exchanging pointless barbs with Monoponi, accusing Flash Sentry of killing Sunset because he worked the lights. The usual tripe from that moron, in other words. Eventually she shut up, allowing me to step forward again.
“If you don’t mind,” I said, injecting as much fake sweetness into my voice as I could muster, “I think I’ll take over. It’s not like any of you fools are smart enough to solve this crime, hmm?”
“H-hey!” Flash objected, raising a half-hearted fist. “Twilight’s just--”
“Crying like a mewling infant, like everyone else?” I interrupted, a savage grin stretching across my face. “Please. Why don’t you sit down and let someone with a brain do the thinking for you?”
His lips thinned, his eyes flashing in a cute attempt to scare me off. “Whatever,” he grunted after a minute, returning to his coddling of Twilight.
“That’s what I thought,” I sneered as I turned to face the alicorn. “So, Monoponi. Hand over the file already. You want us to get to investigating, right?”
Monoponi’s eyes glowed a deep crimson, just for a moment, just long enough to spark a frisson of fear in my belly. But the glow faded. He lit up his horn, filling the air with the sound of bleeping Monopads. “Fine. But before I go, let me make something very clear to you, my little idiots! The secrets rule is still firmly in effect. You are not to share or discuss the secret I gave you with anyone! You can puzzle out anything to do with the secrets on your own!” Then he vanished with a crack and a flash of light.
So. The motive is critical, then, I mused. I glared at the crowd of my ‘fellow’ passengers. I wonder who had Sunset’s secret. Was her secret the reason she died?
“Trixie,” I barked, waving the illusionist over. “You’re with me, understand?”
Trixie stepped forward and gave me a grim nod. “You can count on Trixie.”
“Good.” Facing the audience, I considered for a moment and then pointed to Applejack and Scootaloo, who seemed the least useless at the moment. “You, you, you’re guarding the body, got it?”
“Ah beg your pardon?” Applejack snorted, eying me with a suspicious look. “Ah don’t know who died and made you lead--”
“Sunset. Sunset died,” I interrupted, calling upon my siren strength to fill my gaze with an unmoving, uncaring energy. The kind that told this farmer I’d swat her like a fly if she dared speak up again. “So now I’m leading things. And I’m ordering you to guard the body. Understand?”
Applejack took a few steps back, breaking into a cold sweat as she gulped. “Uh, yes ma’am,” she muttered.
Flashing my cold gaze over to Scootaloo, who hadn’t moved an inch from Diamond Tiara’s side, I said, “What’re you waiting for?”
Diamond Tiara chose that moment to come to life, stomping over to growl at me like a lion cub trying to scare off a group of hyenas. “Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing, Dazzle? I’m our leader! I’m the one who tells people to guard. I’m the one who… who…”
She trailed off as I took a single step forward. And then another. And another. Till I was bare inches away from her, smiling down in such a frigid, cold manner it was like I was channeling a Windigo. Calmly, I raised a single hand and placed it on her shoulder. “What’s that now, Tiara?” I said. “I don’t think I heard you.”
Her whole body wriggled and writhed like a squirming eel, whimpers escaping her lips. “N-nothing,” she stammered. “I-I didn’t say anything.”
I patted her shoulder, then pushed her aside. “Good girl.” Then I looked back over at Scootaloo. “Any objections?”
Scootaloo scowled at me, but said nothing as she approached Sunset’s body and took up a defensive posture, watching over it. After a moment, Applejack joined her.
“Well, now that that’s out of the way,” I said, facing the crowd. “Enough whining and crying. We have an investigation to perform.”
*INVESTIGATION START*
Ignoring the looks of disbelief a few of the other morons shot me, I pulled out my Monopad to consult the file.
Fact #1: Monoponi File II: “The victim is Sunset Shimmer, the Ultimate ???. Time of death is 7:45 PM. Cause of death was blood loss due to a massive stab wound through the torso.”
Hmph. Not even fifteen minutes dead, I thought as I checked my Monopad time. It read 7:58 PM. And of course, he doesn’t bother to tell us her so-called talent either. Not like it matters. Unless it has something to do with why she was killed, it’s meaningless.
“Uh, pardon, Adagio?” interjected Apple Bloom. “Mind if Ah tag along with you and Trixie?”
I considered her for a moment. I had little to no opinion of her, since she and I never bothered to interact. She kept to herself, and that was good enough for me. “Why?”
Apple Bloom frowned, her features contorting with shame and… was that guilt? “Ah… Ah kinda feel like maybe this is mah fault.”
Fire bubbled up inside me, boiling my insides like I’d swum into a hydrothermal vent. “Explain,” I seethed. “Now.”
Yelping just like her older sister would, Apple Bloom took a step back and raised her hands as if to ward me off. “Ah don’t mean like that! Ah ain’t sayin’ Ah killed Sunset! Ah just mean… ah, hell, look, lemme come with and Ah’ll explain on the way, okay?”
I glanced briefly at Trixie, gauging her reaction, but she just shrugged. So, turning back to Apple Bloom, I blew a sight out through my teeth then said, “Alright. Fine. Let’s go then. We check the body first.”
“...right,” Apple Bloom said, swallowing nervously as she followed us over.
The metallic scent of spilled blood filled my nostrils as I knelt down in the pool, caring not a whit for how warm it still was. Unlike the other fools I was saddled with, blood didn’t bother me. Sirens smelt blood in the water all the time. We didn’t just eat negative emotions, after all. Most of the time we fed on fish. And other sea creatures. Even in this accursed human form I was stuck with, I made sure to eat fish as often as possible.
Still, this wasn’t the blood of my prey I was smelling. This was the blood of my. Of… my.... Of Sunset Shimmer. A human. Yes. Just a human. Nothing more.
With a sigh, I dug my hands in my pockets and pulled out a pair of gloves, one for each of us. “Here,” I said, tossing them to Apple Bloom and Trixie. “Let’s try to make this quick.”
Not bothering to pay them any heed, I focused on Sunset’s body. She lay propped up by the spear, like some of my siren cousin’s more macabre warning trophy displays, splayed out almost spread eagle. Her eyes bugged out of her sockets, pupils shrunk to mere pinpricks, still showcasing the sudden shock. Despite that, her open mouth had twisted into a smile, making me recall her last words. Her admission of love.
No. Don’t think about that. Don’t even begin to think about that.
Focusing instead on her wound, I pulled back most of the bandages I’d slathered on in my vain haste to save her life. Doing so allowed me to see the full extent of the spear lodged inside. From the thin serrated spike all the way to the two-tined crossguard, she’d had her whole chest torn open. Though mostly obscured by the pink of her blood, I could spot a few of her internal organs poking out. Feeling along her back told me the same was occurring there, even if we couldn’t see it.
I recognized the spear instantly. It was just like the spears used by the Kirin, in Equestria. I couldn’t say that of course. “This came from underneath, didn’t it?” I said, running my hand on the blood-coated shaft. “It popped up like toast from a toaster.”
“Ah’d say so,” Apple Bloom nodded. “Looks just like yer swords, Trixie. Same kinda design. Qilin, Ah think.”
Fact #2: Qilin Spear: “A polearm with a thin serrated tip and twin-spiked crossguard, its origins unknown. The spear impaled Sunset Shimmer from underneath, popping up out of the stage.”
“Trixie doesn’t know why that might be,” Trixie said, shaking her head as she bit at her lip nervously. “She didn’t have anything to do with this.”
“Hmm… Ah’d say it’s too soon to conclude anythin’ like that,” Apple Bloom said after a moment. “But Ah’ll tell ya what. This weren’t no accident. This was a trap. See, look.” She pointed down at the floor, brushing aside the blood enough to expose some duct tape. “It came up right outta that guide you put down for Sunset. Ah’d say they were gunnin’ for her specifically.”
“When did you put those on the stage?” I asked.
Sorrow filled Trixie’s eyes as she pulled back from the scene. “Trixie… yesterday. Before dinner. This… this is Trixie’s fault. She told everyone she laid down the marks. She all but gift-wrapped Sunset to the culprit!”
Fact #3: Trixie’s Guidemarks: “The culprit laid a trap for Sunset Shimmer, using the guides of duct tape Trixie laid down the previous day.”
I’m sure Sunset would’ve wasted time comforting Trixie. Offering her some words of wisdom, some bullshit about how it wasn’t really her fault, how the culprit would’ve found another way. But I had no desire to coddle such weakness. We weren’t going to find this culprit by wailing about our feelings all day. Instead I focused on Apple Bloom. “You said you felt this was your fault. How?”
“Well, you see…” Apple Bloom sighed, frowning at Sunset’s corpse before shaking her head. “This mornin’, there was a drill missin’ from the prop shop. Ah’ve spent a lot of time workin’ in the theater lately. Ah should’ve realized somethin’ was up when Ah saw that. But Ah was too busy worryin’ about how Ah was gonna make the sword display for Trixie. Ah’ll bet the culprit used that drill for this here trap. Ah… Ah should’ve realized it! If I’d seen it Ah would’ve saved Sunset.”
Fact #4: Missing Drill: “According to Apple Bloom, a drill was missing the morning of the show. Its whereabouts are unknown.”
Snorting, I rejoined, “You didn’t have time for that, unless you wanted to die in Sunset’s place.”
“... Ah’d have been okay with that,” Apple Bloom muttered.
Rolling my eyes at such absurdity, I glared back down at Sunset’s body and gave it one last lookover, then stood up. “We’re done here. We should move on.”
“Uh, no offense, but maybe you two should get cleaned up first,” Apple Bloom said, wincing as she looked at my blood-sodden clothes. “Y’all’re gross.”
I glared down at the blood on my clothes, then shook my head. “We can do that when we’re near the end. Let’s keep moving, shall we?”
Apple Bloom, still uncertain, nevertheless led Trixie and me backstage, where we found the thing we’d all heard crashing to the stage: a bag of tools, with an attached chain painted black with a quick release. I glanced up above where the bag must’ve fallen from and spotted a hanging chain. I only saw it because it was swaying back and forth in the theater’s air currents; like all sirens, I’m very good at spotting movement.
Fact #5: 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 #6: 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.
“Hmm…” Apple Bloom stared up at the hanging chain, scratching her chin. “Ah’m startin’ to wonder somethin’... but we’ll need to get the ladder from the prop shop.”
“Did the tools come from there?” Trixie asked as we wandered inside.
“Ah’m sure they did,” Apple Bloom replied. She poked around briefly then opened up a cabinet on the far end of the room, revealing a bunch of tool kits that had been emptied. “Yup. Came from here all right.” Then she walked over to the ladder. “Right. Adagio, can you help me move this?”
“What exactly are you thinking?” I asked, my tone laced with irritation at how vague she was while we moved the ladder out to the theater stage.
“You’ll see,” she said. Then she strode over to the end of the stage. “Hey, uh, Flash, can you do us a quick favor? If ya don’t mind, Ah mean.”
Flash separated from his weeping girlfriend so he could step forward to hear better. “Um, I guess? What’s up?”
“Can you go back up and switch off the stage lights? Ah need to check somethin’ up there. Pretty sure it’s connected.”
Nodding, Flash turned back to Twilight, gave her one last reassuring hug, then headed up for the lights booth. Soon the lights switched off.
“Okay, care to explain now?” I growled, glaring daggers at Apple Bloom.
In response she pointed up the ladder, then scrambled up one side. Groaning in frustration, I followed her up the other side after giving Trixie a brief order to stay. Once up at the top however, I finally saw what Apple Bloom was talking about. The culprit rigged the missing drill up upside down, with its power supply hooked into the stage lights.
“Yup. Just like Ah thought. See the drill here?” Apple Bloom asked, pointing at it. “Ah’ll betcha mah whole college fund the culprit rigged this up as a timer. See, the power button’s taped down and it’s set to the lowest setting. The chain goes up onto the ceiling… looks like it goes all the way down the far wall. And there’s a rope here too.”
*Updated* Fact #4: 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 #7: Rope: “A rope tied to the stage light support beam. It had been chewed through by the bit of the drill, splitting it apart.”
“You knew this was here?”
Apple Bloom shook her head. “Ah suspected. The culprit had to lay some kinda trap, and they must’ve used that chain to pull a lever or somethin’. But they had to time it, so they needed somethin’ to use. Ah’m not sure usin’ a drill and rope is the first thing Ah’d think of, but it makes a lot of sense.”
“Then they used the stage lights to start the timer,” I said, nodding as I considered the drill.
“Ah think so. But let’s be sure. ‘Scuse me a sec.” Apple Bloom wriggled her way down the ladder in record time, then a few moments later the stage lights came back on. They were only on for about twenty seconds, but it was enough time to see the drill switch itself on. Satisfied, I returned to the stage floor and briefly told Trixie what we found.
Trixie pressed her lips together in an uncertain frown. “But who would be smart enough to do that? Trixie knows she couldn’t.”
“That much is obvious,” I snorted, ignoring the look of irritation she sent my way. “But you’re right. There aren’t many who could.”
Sunset Shimmer could’ve done it, said the voice. Maybe this was suicide. Maybe she was going to kill Trixie and took the blow at the last minute.
I bit my lower lip hard enough to draw blood, furious with myself for even considering that notion.
Apple Bloom walked back over to us and looked at me questioningly. “So the drill was movin’, Ah take it.”
“Yes, it was,” I answered with a sigh. “I don’t suppose you would know who could’ve rigged that up.”
Apple Bloom considered that a moment, then said, “Well, Ah know Ah could’ve. Ah didn’t, but Ah could’ve. Twilight too. Maybe Sunset herself.”
“No!” I shot back instantly. “It wasn’t Sunset. She wouldn’t do this.”
Trixie blinked owlishly, cocking her head to the side. “Of course it wasn’t. Why would Sunset kill herself?”
“Exactly. So it must’ve been someone else.”
Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes, staring at me for a moment with an unreadable expression, then shrugged. “Well, Ah don’t think we’re gonna find out by just lookin’ around here.”
“Agreed,” I said. I pointed backstage. “Let’s check under the stage. Then we can track down where that spear came from.”
Apple Bloom led us backstage, and pointed out the chain crawling along the wall. Now that I knew to look for it, it was obvious. How the hell was the culprit expecting to hide this? Or were they? Maybe they wanted us to find it. She then led us over to the hatchway leading down under the stage.
Once down there it didn’t take us long to follow the chain right over to the obvious trap. It was a mechanism created from a base platform of wood, spring loaded on a lever, with wooden guides all around the spear shaft to ensure it went right up the way it was supposed to. The lever was pulled back, with the chain hanging tightly on its end, obviously responsible for its current state. It was creative on the culprit’s part. Original. Innovative, even. If it hadn’t stolen Sunset away from me, I would’ve approved their ingenuity.
Fact #8: 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.”
Oh please. No one stole Sunset. All you lost was--
My hand balled up into a fist and planted itself into the closest available wall, smashing it apart and splattering the area with splinters and wood dust. My knuckles burned like fire, ripped open by the punch, bleeding freely. I allowed the pain to fill my senses, drowning out that incessant voice in my head. “I am Adagio Dazzle,” I whispered. “I am a siren. I am not going to torment myself with thoughts of doubt, or uncertainty, fear, or loss.”
“Woah!” Trixie cried out, leaping away from me, in the process banging her head against the low stage ceiling. “Ooww… What’d you do that for, Adagio?”
“You okay there?” Apple Bloom added, wincing as she stared at my bleeding knuckles.
“I’m fine,” I said, brushing her off with a dismissive wave. “This understage is stifling. Let’s get out of here.”
As soon as we reached the main stage again, we found Fluttershy waiting for us. The irritating little weakling had a bunch of little pieces of cut up rope in her hand. “Um, excuse me, Adagio,” she mumbled, hiding her face behind her hair like a coward. “But, um, I found these around Sunset’s body.”
*Updated* Fact #7: 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.”
Resisting the urge to swipe them out of her hand, I took them gently, muttered a brief “thank you” and then stuffed them in my pocket. Then without another word I turned and left, with Trixie and Apple Bloom in tow. Only once we were out of the theater did I bother to stop and examine them. “These match the other rope, right?” I said, shoving them into Apple Bloom’s hands.
Apple Bloom sighed and examined them, then pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket, wrapped them up in it, and stuffed it back in her jeans. “Uh, yeah, Ah’d say they do. Guess that confirms what we knew.” She eyed me, doubt etched across her face as if it had been cast in stone. “You sure you’re okay?”
Snarling, I whirled and grabbed the front of her shirt. “Stop. Asking!”
Apple Bloom arched her eyebrows, sniffed, then to my shock pulled her shirt out of my grip, showing not a single sign of fear. “Ah think you need to calm down, Adagio. Ah’m askin’ because Ah care. Ah ain’t tryin’ to pry into your affairs. You ain’t gotta spill your heart to me. But Ah can tell losin’ Sunset’s hurtin’ you somethin’ fierce. And Ah ain’t gonna lie, Ah’m feeling pretty bad about it too. So Ah get it, if that’s what’s wrong.”
A trickle of cold ran down my spine, as if someone had dropped an ice cube down my shirt. “What?” I gasped, taking a step back. “What makes you think I give a single shit about Sunset Shimmer?”
Trixie butted in with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “The same thing that convinced Trixie. We all saw you screaming Sunset’s name. You tried to save her life. You held onto her as she died. To Trixie, that made it obvious you cared for her.”
“Ah wouldn’t’ve put it that bluntly, but yeah, that,” Apple Bloom added with a nod. “Look, it ain’t none of mah business what you were to each other. Like Ah said, Ah ain’t tryin’ to pry. Ah’m just tryin’ to help, ‘cause we ain’t gonna solve this if we’re too busy rippin’ each other apart like a couple of timberwolves fightin’ over a bone.”
You see? Everyone saw how weak you were. Everyone knows. You’ll be next. You’ll be the next target. Didn’t you warn Sunset? You told her she was number one on everyone’s hit lists. And what do you do? You put yourself forward as the next target. You solve this crime, and everyone will hunt you down.
“Then what do I do?” I whispered.
Oh, you should still solve the crime, Adagio. Just be prepared. Trust no one. Find someone to use, someone you can throw out as a shield. Then if someone does attack you, you can leave them to die instead.
“Who is she talking to?”
“Ah think she’s talkin’ to herself.”
“But who?” I whispered again.
You could use either of these two to do it. Especially Apple Bloom. She’s practically begging to be a martyr. Let her get closer to you. Let her think you’re opening up to her. You can use her that way. Maybe Trixie too. Just be careful. You don’t need to risk actually caring about them.
“Wow. Trixie thinks she must be really upset if she’s going crazy like that.”
“Trixie, Ah like you, but can ya lay off the judgement a little? Please?”
My decision made, I refocused my gaze on Apple Bloom, deliberately schooling my face into one of flustered outrage. “You know what? Fine. No. I’m not okay. I’m furious. I’m ready to rend the one who killed Sunset limb from fucking limb!” I allowed a few tears to drip down my face, and held my hands up as if I was hiding. It wasn’t hard to fake. “Sunset mattered so much to me…”
And just like I expected, Apple Bloom closed in and offered out a hand to take. I deliberately hesitated a moment or two before accepting it. “Ah can see that,” she said, giving me a smile she must’ve thought was reassuring, but struck me more as nauseating. “Ah’m sorry she’s gone. Ah’m… Ah’m especially sorry Ah didn’t see the trap before.” Her smile dropped as she released my hand, glaring angrily at the floor. “Ah should’ve. Ah should’ve seen somethin’. The culprit painted those chains but they didn’t paint the drill. Ah could’ve spotted it. Then Ah could’ve saved her.”
“Like Adagio said,” Trixie spoke up, “you would’ve died in her place. If anyone should be blaming themselves, it’s Trixie.” She sighed, her whole body hunching over. “Trixie made the guides. Trixie told everyone where she’d be…”
Okay. You’ve got them now. Reel it in. Slowly.
I sniffled, wiped at my nose, and then approached them both, setting my hands on their shoulders. “It’s not your fault,” I said, allowing my voice to tremble. “Neither one of you did this. Don’t be stupid.” Then I took my hands away and turned away from them, and spoke in a harsher tone, “Look, let’s just get moving, okay?”
I smiled on the inside as I saw both Trixie and Apple Bloom give me a grateful look. “Sure. Let’s go,” Trixie said.
Our next destination was the game corner. The spear came from there, I was sure of it. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were inside, but I ignored them, pushing past them to reach the prize counter. A quick scan of the area and I’d located a pair of spears identical to the one used to slay Sunset, with an obvious space for a third empty and bare.
*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 Sunset Shimmer from underneath, popping up out of the stage.”
“Well, Ah guess we can be sure it came from here,” Apple Bloom commented as she sighed at the sight of the empty cabinet. “Ah’ll check the register. See what pops up.”
Trixie and I watched as Apple Bloom went to work, swiftly producing a print out that I snatched up before the other two could look at it. I read through it carefully, more than a little confused… until I reached the last entry, at which point my blood boiled. I shoved the paper into Apple Bloom’s chest hard enough to knock her over as I screeched, “What the fuck is this?!”
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”
Apple Bloom glared at me, her left hand balling up into a fist at her side for a moment before she released it, then looked at the paper. And then her eyes bugged out of their sockets. “What in tarnation?!”
“Please give it to Trixie?” Trixie said, holding out her hand. Apple Bloom handed over the receipt, a dumbfounded expression taking hold of her face. As Trixie scanned the paper, her eyebrows rose and rose until they disappeared under the brim of her hat. “AB? Apple Bloom? You bought the spear?”
“No, no, Ah didn’t, Ah swear!” Apple Bloom cried, shaking her hands like crazy as she backed up away from me. “Ah had nothin’ to do with it!”
“But it’s your initials on the receipt!” I hissed, my hands curling up like claws as I took a step towards her, every bit of siren instinct screaming for me to slice her to ribbons. “How is that possible if you didn’t buy it?!”
“Woah, woah, woah, chill out, Adagio!” interrupted Rainbow Dash, breaking her way between us and holding us both off with an arm each. “Cool it. You can figure that shit out at the trial, okay?”
“Ah’m serious, Adagio,” Apple Bloom added, worry warring with sorrow on her face as she frowned. “Ah didn’t buy the spear. Honest.”
You’d better relax, you know. You’re not going to be able to use Apple Bloom as a shield if you turn her against you.
“Grrr… fine. I’m sorry,” I growled, drawing back and crossing my arms over my chest. “But we will figure this out. And if I discover you really were responsible for this--”
“Then Ah’ll accept whatever punishment Monoponi dishes out,” Apple Bloom interrupted with a grim nod. “But Ah’m tellin’ ya, that won’t happen.”
With a final snort, I snatched the receipt out of Trixie’s hands and shoved it in my pocket, then left the game corner.
“Wait, where are we going now?” Trixie wondered as we stepped into the promenade hallway.
“Library,” I said, pointing at it. “Might as well, while we’re here. Keep quiet while we’re inside; we don’t need to give Monoponi an excuse to kill us.”
I wasn’t sure what I was looking for when I stepped inside, but luckily it found me. Rarity, who’d been poking around the shelves on the third floor with Sweetie Belle, came over to me at once the instant she spotted us. “Ah, Adagio, would you care to come with me? There’s something I think you should see.”
“All right,” I said, shrugging.
I allowed her to lead us down to the second floor counter. Once there she picked up the logbook. “I… I thought maybe you’d want to take a look at this. It might be useful.” Then for some reason she walked away, fast, clutching her fists at her sides, her eyes full of tears.
“What’s her problem?” Apple Bloom muttered.
Shrugging once more, I looked over the logbook. I’d signed it myself, of course, when I checked a particular book out. I briefly considered crossing out the entry, but Trixie and Apple Bloom were watching. I’d have to accept whatever teasing they’d dole out.
And then I spotted the last two entries and rage bubbled up within me like a frothing mug of espresso. “Apple Bloom,” I hissed in the loudest whisper I could manage. “I hope, for your sake, you can ‘explain’ this too.”
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”
Apple Bloom took one look at the logbook and her face screwed up in pure confusion. “What… who… Ah didn’t check those books out!”
“Sssh!” Trixie said, her eyes widening in panic as she slapped a finger to Apple Bloom’s lips. And for good reason, because Apple Bloom had come dangerously close to shouting. “Be quiet.”
Apple Bloom nodded a few times, then said in a whisper, “Sorry. But Ah’m tellin’ the truth. This weren’t me. Ah mean, Ah was here last night, but Ah only checked out one book.” She frowned down at the logbook. “Though Ah’ve gotta say, whoever faked mah signature did it perfectly. If Ah didn’t know Ah hadn’t signed off on this, even Ah would’ve thought Ah had.”
I took the logbook back and shoved it into my bag, silently thanking my good luck neither of them noticed my own signature. “That’s two clues that point to you, though,” I said. “Not looking good for you.”
“No. Almost like someone’s tryin’ ta frame me,” Apple Bloom said, grimacing.
“Maybe someone is,” Trixie proposed, holding up a finger.
“But who?”
I shook my head. “Forget it. We’ve still got things to figure out before we’re done.”
Leaving the library, we almost ran face first into Flash and Twilight, who’d been about to step inside. “Oh, um, sorry,” Twilight mumbled as she stepped aside, allowing us to move past. “I didn’t… didn’t mean to--”
“S’okay,” Apple Bloom said, smiling at Twilight. “Hey, uh, listen, Ah got a question for ya while we’re here. Since you’re smart and all.”
“What about?”
Apple Bloom pulled out her Monopad and held it up. “There was some big glitch with these things last night, right? Ah heard everyone talkin’ about it this mornin’. Ah’ve been wonderin’ if it’s related.
Eying Apple Bloom suspiciously, I inquired, “What’re you getting at?”
“Oh!” Twilight said, blinking behind her glasses. She pulled out her own and nodded at it. “Right. Adagio, you might not’ve been aware of this, but the Monopad map glitched out entirely last night. Sunset…” her voice dropped, becoming low and heavy, full of regret as she sniffled, then shook her head to fight past it. “Sunset and I were watching the Monopad maps, keeping track of people’s movements. The map was off for two and a half hours. I’m sure it’s important.”
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.”
“Hmph. Good point,” I admitted grudgingly. Then I held out my hand and waved it in a circle. “So, go ahead, tell us where everyone was, since you were watching.”
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.”
“Oh yeah,” Apple Bloom said, snapping her fingers in realization. “Ah forgot you were in the library last night.”
“Um, Adagio,” Trixie interjected, eyebrows raised. “This says you were in the theater last night. Why?”
“Ghg!” I hissed, taking a step back. “That… that’s not important. That’s the last thing that matters right now.”
Apple Bloom’s lips thinned, her expression flat-lining. “Uh huh. So when Ah’m implicated, it’s suspicious, but when you’re implicated, it’s not? That’s kinda funny.”
The urge to take her guts for garters rose up like a sudden burst of wind, but I repressed it. Barely. “I will explain at the trial,” I said after a moment. “But it has no real relevance.”
“If you say so,” Apple Bloom replied. “Anyways, thanks for the info, Twilight. Ah can’t speak for these two, but Ah’m gonna get cleaned up now. Ah can’t stand this blood bein’ on me anymore.”
“A shower does sound good right now,” Trixie murmured in agreement.
Groaning, I threw my hands up to let them clap at my sides. “Alright. But we’re making this quick.”
We swiftly made our way to the cabins. Apple Bloom and Trixie peeled off on their own, but before I went to mine, I happened to glance at Sunset’s door. It was open, unlocked. Just a crack, but still. The sight worried me. “Damn it, Sunset, I told you to keep this locked,” I whispered. I reached out to shut it.
Wait. You should check it. Check what’s inside. Maybe there’s a clue.
My mind had a good point. With a sigh I pushed open the door and examined the place. Like she’d always left it, it was fairly pristine, albeit with a couple bits of trash on the floor, like an empty soda can. Sunset was sloppy sometimes when she ate.
Was.
Swallowing back the lump in my throat, I continued to scan the room, looking for anything out of place, anything that stood out. At first I didn’t see anything, until I realized there was an odd lump under the bedsheets. Peeling them back, I found something I didn’t expect. It was a book, an old one. Not written in any human language, but in High Ponish. I could read it fluently, of course, since I was probably one of the only ones alive apart from those stupid alicorn Princesses that could actually speak it. But as I skimmed it, I grew more and more confused. What did this have to do with anything?
Fact #13: 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. A brief skim of its details reveals the artifact leaves a strong, permanent imprint of its power on the minds of those it affects.”
“Where did you get this, Sunset?” I wondered aloud, before placing it in my bag. Something about it struck me as important, even if I didn’t understand how. Why else would it be here? It was almost as if it had been planted. But why?
My curiosity now raised, I moved on to search the room much more carefully, pulling out the drawers, tossing open the closet and searching the clothes. And good thing too, because at the back corner of the closet I found something else that left me flustered. A picture that, when combined with the book, made the gears in my head begin to turn.
Fact #14: Wallflower Picture: “A picture depicting Wallflower Blush using the Memory Stone on Sunset Shimmer, in front of Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack.”
I didn’t like what my mind concluded from this. I hated it, in fact. Loathed it to the core. It made no sense. But… was it possible?
I placed the picture carefully into my bag, and went for one final check around the room. I discovered nothing on the desk or elsewhere, but when I stepped into the bathroom, I spotted another picture on the sink, standing out like a sore thumb. Even a brief glance at it brought a chill to my heart.
Fact #15: 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.’”
A demon. I heard Sunset whisper something about that to herself once. I don’t think she realized I’d heard her. It was when we were in bed, after a session of passionate lovemaking. She was half-asleep, snuggled up to me, utterly spent and mumbling about inanities. At first it was cute, silly things, things she liked to whisper to me, things that I enjoyed more than I cared to admit to her. But then it shifted in tone. Became dark. Became whispers of apologies and regrets. And then over and over, she shook her head, and said, “I’m not that demon anymore,” repeating herself so many times it took me shaking her back to consciousness to get her to stop. I had no idea what she meant, but I was too tired at the time to ask, so I didn’t bother.
Now I wish I had. Maybe she could’ve explained what this meant. What this was about. Both of these pictures made no sense. What could they possibly mean?
Well, there was one possibility. An awful, horrible possibility. But I didn’t want to consider it. Not unless I had to. I wouldn’t bring these pictures up at the trial unless I had no other choice.
Though I was still burning with questions about it. Enough to wonder… and ask. I walked over to the door to the cabin and shut it, sealing the room, then looked straight at the security camera. “Monoponi!” I shouted. “Show yourself!”
Instantly, the alicorn flashed into existence before me, posing on the bed. “You raaaaang, Adagio? What can your Captain do for you, hmm? Got a question to ask me?”
“Several,” I said. I held up the two pictures in hand, and the tome. “What the hell is this?”
Monoponi held a hoof to his chin and cocked his head. “Hmm… hmmmmm… looks like pictures and a book to me!”
“You know what I mean,” I growled, losing patience rapidly. “Why are these here? What do they mean?”
His eyes narrowed as he dropped his hoof to the ground, then spread his lips in a toothy grin. “Upupu, you don’t expect me to answer you, do you? If you’re wondering whether they matter for the trial… I’ll say yes. But how? That’s up to you to solve. You’re the one who wanted to take over, after all.”
Biting back my initial urge to kick him in his stupid face, I said, “I suppose I did. Thanks for nothing.”
As I turned away, Monoponi called over my shoulder, “Wait a moment now, Adagio. Isn’t there anything else you’d like to ask me before you leave? Hmmmm? Maybe about a certain puzzle?”
Facing him again, my face twisted up in confusion, I whispered, “Puzzle?” Then I slapped a hand to my face. “Oh, right, the motive.”
“Ahem,” Monoponi said, clearing his throat. “I’ll take that as a sign you want to solve it. So, here it is for you: what is Sunset Shimmer’s true nature?”
The question made my heart skip a beat, then another, then three more for good measure. Gripping both fists by my side, I had to take several deep breaths for calm before I could respond. “She’s a pony, from Equestria.”
“Thaaaat’s right!” Monoponi said, summoning up a brief burst of fireworks. “But too bad for you, there’s no prize to be had! Someone already took it!”
My heart switched from skipping beats to drumming up a storm, pounding away at hundreds of miles per hour. “Who?”
“Oh no. I’m not going to say that. And I’m not telling you what the prize is either, so don’t waste your time asking!” Monoponi rose up from the bed and summoned up light on his horn. “Take what I gave you and leave it. You’d better wash up while you still have a chance, Adagio. You reek!” Then he vanished in a flash of light.
“Aaargh!” I screamed, punching my fist into the nearby dresser hard enough to break a hole in one of the drawers, causing my already damaged hand to bleed anew. I knew what this meant, of course. What it meant for Sunset’s secret.
This was why she died. Someone learned her secret, answered the question, and killed her for it.
Letting out growl after growl of rage, I left Sunset’s room in a hurry and entered my own cabins. Tossing off my ruined clothes into the trash, I hopped into the shower and washed as quickly as I could with scalding hot water, desperate to clean myself. Afterwards I threw on a few bandages on my busted knuckles for good measure, then put on a fresh pair of clothes.
And right as I stepped outside my cabin again…
DING-DONG-BING-BONG
Like before I didn’t waste time listening to Monoponi’s voice. I simply made my way to the food court, where I knew he’d summoned us to. Everyone else filed in soon after, whispering to each other, making stupid comments or saying other things I didn’t care about. I did, however, sidle up to Apple Bloom and Trixie, who stood together near one side of the room. “I found some things in Sunset’s room,” I told them. “I’ll show you at the trial.”
“You did, huh? It was open?” Apple Bloom said, raising up a hand.
“It was,” I nodded, gritting my teeth. “Monoponi planted clues there deliberately.”
“Sounds like something he would do,” Trixie said. She let out a sorrowful sigh, took off her hat, and clutched it to her chest. “Trixie wishes Sunset was here.”
“We all do, Trixie,” Apple Bloom said, giving the taller woman a hug, which Trixie gratefully accepted.
Monoponi appeared in another burst of light, drawing everyone’s attention, but I tuned him out. I didn’t need to waste time listening to him spout off more bullshit. Especially when he managed to goad a few people into arguing back with him. Though watching Pinkie Pie scream in rage amused me. I had no idea she could be so vitriolic.
Finally he finished his stupid speeches and unlocked the gates, disappearing as they squealed open. Only then did I step forward to grab everyone’s attention and speak.
“Listen up!” I said, demanding their attention with the full force of my siren charisma. “I’m only going to say this once to you idiots: I’m here to catch Sunset’s killer. You’re all going to help me. And whoever was responsible is going to die. It’s that simple. You’re a fool if you think you’re going to get away with this. Oh, and don’t worry. If we somehow vote wrong?” I reached into my pocket and pulled out my knife, catching the light with it to shine at them. “This’ll be in your throat before you can blink.”
Leaving the rest stunned in my wake, I sauntered into the elevator, and took up my usual position in the far corner. And as the rest filed in, I considered the case ahead.
Sunset Shimmer. A woman after my own heart. Taken from us long before her time.
Killed by a trap laid at Trixie’s magic show, right in front of us. No obvious suspect. No clear culprit. But someone was responsible nonetheless.
Sunset mattered to me. I didn’t want to admit it, but she did. I cared for her. As much as any siren can care for their lover, anyway. After all, if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have… well, nevermind that.
This trial would be vengeance. Vengeance for Sunset. Vengeance for me. I aimed to take down the one who did this, with my own hands if I had to. Maybe, if I was lucky enough, Monoponi would let me execute them. I could only hope.
Sunset, this is for you.
I will find that culprit, if it’s the last thing I do!
The Third Trial's Saddest End
Author's Note
This originally featured in a blog post back on February 17th. It has not changed from the original presentation, save for a couple of minor edits. If you have not already read it, be warned: this gets dark, even for a Danganronpa story. Viewer discretion is advised. 
The Third Trial's Saddest End
Alternate Scenarios
Chapter Three: “A Maelstrom of Murder”
The Third Trial’s Saddest End
Earlier this morning, before the investigation…
Trixie carefully opened the door to Sunset’s cabin as quietly as she could, doing her best not to wake her best friend. The last thing she needed to do now was be caught. She had everything else prepared and ready to go for her backup plan. All she needed to do now was plant the syringes in Adagio’s first aid kit.
She spotted the kit sitting atop the dresser, and inched forward on the tips of her toes, closer and closer. Just before she reached it however, an empty can--a leftover from a last minute soda Sunset had guzzled down just before bed--was sent flying by her foot, crashing into the wall with a clatter that sounded to Trixie like it was louder than a gun going off.
Sunset shot up in bed, arms raised in self defense despite her eyes still being shut. “Hgh, what, who’s there?” she muttered as she opened her eyes. She spotted Trixie standing there, though in her half-asleep state she didn’t notice anything amiss. “Trixie? What’re…” she trailed off into a massive yawn. “What’re you doing up so early?”
Inside her head, Trixie was screaming in panic. She still had the syringes in her hand, which she’d managed to tuck into her cloak the instant she heard Sunset awaken. “T-t-Trixie h-had a bad dream!” Trixie stuttered, giving Sunset a smile so strained it threatened to tear her cheeks apart. “She, uh, she’s going to take a shower now! Excuse Trixie!”
Sunset watched Trixie zip into the bathroom like an Olympic sprinter launching off at the sound of the starting gun. “Uh, okay then,” she muttered. She stared at the bathroom door mindlessly for a moment, trying to process the sudden interruption in her sleep before smacking her lips together. Her mouth was too dry. And she was waking up. “Screw it, I might as well get up now.”
Inside the bathroom, Trixie tossed off her clothes in a hurry and threw herself under the spray of water, turning it as hot as she could stand. Crap, crap crap crap! I can’t plant the syringes now! Sunset’ll see me! What do I do?! She let the water run through her hair and cascade down her body, washing away any scent of pool water. Okay, okay, this isn’t so bad. Everything else still points to Rainbow Dash, right? A-and the other clues point to Adagio. Maybe I just need to hold onto the syringes after all.
Fumbling for the soap, she drizzled a substantial amount onto her loofah and rubbed it across herself, building up a fine lather. Maybe this is for the best. If, if Sunset figures out Rainbow Dash didn’t do it, she… The loofah dropped from her hand as a sudden realization struck her mind. Oh my goodness. She could’ve caught me! What was I thinking, putting the syringes in Adagio’s kit? Adagio isn’t in here! Sunset knows that!
Laughter bubbled up inside her stomach until it erupted from her lips like a volcano spraying its magma down its sides. Trixie, you are a genius. This is for the best! Even if Sunset figures out I did it, she won’t be able to prove it! There won’t be anything pointing to me! Okay, so what do I do with the syringes then? ...of course, I should dump them in the bathroom. Hide them inside my dirty towel. Sunset’ll never notice.
A knock pounded on the bathroom door. “Hey, Trixie, you almost done in there?” called Sunset. “I really need to piss. Like, bad.”
“Almost finished, Sunset!” Trixie called back, even as her lips spread in a sinister smile.
~*~
Later, during the end of the trial…
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.
But there was nothing inside, save for the usual first aid supplies. My heart sank further and further until it practically smushed itself into a paste and dripped out the bottom of my shoes.
“No…” I whispered as I looked up at Adagio, horror warring with endless sorrow. “No!” I repeated louder, my sorrow flash boiling into rage. “No, no, no! God damn it Adagio!”
Adagio, utterly flabbergasted, recoiled back from my display of anger, her own hackles rising. Her amethyst-hued gaze hardened like diamonds. “What?” she growled.
“You really did do it, didn’t you?!” I railed, gritting my teeth so hard my whole face hurt. “God fucking damn it, Adagio, I thought you were better than this! I thought you had sense! Was this why you wanted to sleep elsewhere? Because you planned this? Were you lying in wait, in case an opportunity manifested itself?!”
Hurt warred with sheer fury in Adagio’s eyes as she brought her hands up, so curled into that claw-like motion I could see them shake from the strain. She bared her sharp teeth at me, all predatory furor as she snarled, “Sunset, don’t be a fool! You’re talking to me about sense?! Where’s the sense in accusing me when you know damn well who really did it?!” She whirled and pointed her hands at the woman standing next to me. “You!”
“Trixie?!” Trixie blurted, taking a step back behind me like she was using me as a shield. Despite her obvious trepidation, Trixie fired off a fierce glower at the siren. “Hah! Don’t be stupid! Trixie couldn’t have killed Pinkie Pie! She was sleeping in Sunset’s cabin!”
Adagio rolled her eyes in an exaggerated, furious motion, reaching out like she wanted to strangle the illusionist. “Oh please. I’ve slept with Sunset often enough to know how heavy a sleeper she is. You could’ve easily snuck out of the room.”
I laughed in Adagio’s face, the taste of it bitter and nasty, like coffee left out on the burner for over twelve hours till it had been reduced to a blackened sludge. Despite the laughter, inside all I wanted to do was cry. “Are you serious, Adagio? She woke me up this morning, fresh out of bed. She didn’t go anywhere.”
“That’s right!” Trixie said with a firm nod. “Trixie had a bad dream, so she woke up early to take a shower.”
“Or,” Adagio retorted, “you were showering to wash off the pool smell, because you’re the one who moved Pinkie’s body!”
“Uh, Ah hate to interrupt,” Applejack said, scowling at the siren, “but Ah can’t see Trixie doin’ that. She ain’t strong enough to move them weights!”
“Yeah, seriously!” Rainbow Dash agreed, hatred coating her words. “But you, Adagio? You’re plenty strong enough! And you’re a fantastic swimmer!”
“That’s right, she is!” Rarity agreed, stepping forward as far as she dared to protect Trixie. “I remember watching her race Sunset in the pool the other day. She swam like she was born in the water.”
Flash nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I remember seeing something like that too.”
Twilight, still shaky from her own admission earlier in the trial, fixed Adagio with a cool gaze. “I was right after all, wasn’t I, Adagio? You really are a killer.”
Scootaloo tossed off a dismissive hand at Adagio before grimacing. “I always thought you seemed shifty. You’ve been nothing but a jerk to Trixie from the start. Like anyone’s going to believe you blaming her for what you did, murderer!”
Diamond Tiara nodded in agreement. “I can’t see Trixie killing anyone. But Adagio? She’s a psycho!”
“Don’t call me that!” Adagio railed. She pointed a furious finger at Trixie. “I can prove it. I can prove she did it! Search her! If she didn’t plant the syringes in my first aid kit, they’re on her!”
Glancing at Trixie, I saw for the briefest of seconds a flash of fear pass across her face before she schooled it to a determined frown. “Fine. You wish to search Trixie? Trixie will consent to the search!”
I looked up at Monoponi, trying to keep my temper under control. “Monoponi? We might have to step away from our podiums so I can search her. Given it’s for the trial, is that alright?”
Monoponi leered at me, a hoof held up to his chin as he cocked his head. “Very well! Your Captain will allow this.”
Trixie and I both moved a good ten feet or so away from the podiums, where we could be easily seen by everyone. “Sorry, Trixie,” I said. “I don’t really want to do this.”
“It’s fine, Sunset,” Trixie replied with a smile as she took off her cloak and held up her arms. “Go ahead. Search as hard as you need to. Leave nothing untouched.”
Trying not to feel like the grossest pervert in the world for this, I patted down Trixie’s body, checking every spot I could. I tried to minimize the amount of invasive touching, because I could see Trixie frowning in discomfort. Once done I made sure to search through her pockets and finally turned her cloak inside out and ran my hand along the entire lining. I found nothing. “Sorry, again,” I said.
Trixie shook her head and smiled back at me. “Like Trixie said, it’s fine. Trixie was happy to prove her innocence.
“Well Ah think that settles it, far as Ah’m concerned,” Applejack said as the two of us returned to our podiums.
“No it doesn’t!” Adagio screamed, slamming her fists down onto her podium so hard she sent massive amounts of wood chips flying through the air like grapeshot. “S-she must’ve h-hid them somewhere else! If she didn’t have them--”
“Stop lying, Adagio!” I howled, swinging my arm through the air like a scythe. “Do you know how sick I feel right now? I thought I could trust you, but I was wrong! I was so wrong! I never should’ve trusted you.”
Adagio let out a wordless screech, clawing a hand down her face in frustration. “You stupid pony! Why won’t you listen to me?!”
“You want to know why I won’t listen?” I said, my heart hammering in my chest as my pony instincts screamed in my brain. “Because what I should’ve listened to from the start was my instincts! I knew you were bad news and I didn’t listen because I was too horny to pay attention!”
Twilight glanced my way, curiosity brimming in her gaze. “What do you mean, Sunset?”
Adagio took in a sharp breath, her anger evaporating into stark horror. “No, don’t… don’t do it, Sunset. Don’t tell them.”
Too late, you murderer. I raised an accusatory finger and pointed it at my former lover.“Oh I’m going to tell them, because there’s no point hiding anymore. Of course Adagio’s a murderer, everyone, because she’s not even human!”
“What?!” Rarity gasped, clasping both hands to her face.
Scootaloo jumped back from her podium. “Holy shit… how do you know?”
Twilight adjusted her glasses and shook her head. “Why am I not surprised?”
“I know,” I said, ignoring the look of pure shock on Adagio’s face, “because she told me, back before the first trial. She’s from Equestria like me, but she’s not a pony. She’s a siren. They’re predators. They feed off of negative emotions. Ponies and sirens are natural enemies, but she claimed she trusted me over the rest of you because we're both non-humans. In retrospect, I should’ve known she was using me.”
“Using?” Adagio whispered. “No. No, I wasn’t… I wasn’t using you, Sunset… I…” Her sorrow twisted up into rage once more. “I loved you! There, I said it! I fell in love with you, you stupid pony bitch. Think about it! Why would I kill Pinkie Pie if it wasn’t to use the plus one to allow us both to escape?”
I shook my head, anger turning my heart to stone. I refused to let her words affect me anymore. “Bullshit. Maybe that’s how you justified it in your head, but you know me. You know how much I’d hate you for killing someone just to save my life. I never wanted that! I would never want that! And you know that damned well. Which means if you killed Pinkie Pie you didn’t do it for me! You did it for your own stupid selfish self!”
“Is it time to vote yet?” Diamond Tiara said, her voice growing bored. “I’m done with this shit.”
“Me too,” Scootaloo seconded as she scowled at the siren. “I’m ready for this to end.”
Applejack nodded, her nostrils flaring. “Ah’m in agreement. Let’s vote now!”
“W-wait just a moment,” Flash said, raising a hand. He looked over at me. “Aren’t you going to go over the case one more time before we do it? Just to be safe?”
I shrugged. “Why bother? We all know who did it. I’m as hungry as the rest of you. Let’s get this over with.”
Monoponi hopped up in his seat. “Well if even Sunset’s saying it’s time to vote, then it’s time to vote! Now then, since we’re voting for two blackeneds, not just one, you’ll have to be sure you vote in order! Fluttershy first, then Pinkie. Don’t forget, if you fail to vote, it will result in your death.”
“Rrrgh… rrrAAAGH!” Adagio roared, her voice shifting to resemble something torn from a lizard throat rather than anything mammalian. “You… you fools!” Her eyes flashed a solid crimson. “You stupid fools! You’re going to kill us all!”
Our alicorn captor lit up his horn and with one quick pull he sapped away the magic Adagio was pouring out. “That’s enough of that! Get to voting, you morons. Your time starts now!”
The displays lit up before us, the image of faces ready for the choice. Without hesitation I pressed on Twilight’s face first, then Adagio’s. Inside I was trembling with overwhelming fury and heartbreak. Why I thought I could ever trust a siren with my heart, I didn’t know. It was one of the worst decisions of my life. But at least I knew that now. At least I knew now what she was truly like. She really was the monster I thought she was all along.
I hoped Monoponi would let us vote for who gets executed, because I planned on voting for Adagio.
The thirty seconds of voting passed quickly, the central display lighting up with the vote tallies. The votes were nearly unanimous in both cases, with almost everyone voting for Twilight and Adagio respectively. Only one person chose differently, voting for Trixie as Pinkie’s blackened. A single glance at the siren bent over her podium, now weeping tears of frustration, told me who it was.
I waited for Monoponi’s usual display of fireworks showing we’d gotten it right. But for some reason they didn’t fire. As the seconds passed, a growing sense of unease filled my insides, a worry forming in my brain. “Uh… Monoponi?” I said after a solid minute had passed with no fireworks. “What’s the holdup?”
“Well now,” Monoponi said, his muzzle twisted with uncertainty. “This is quite the quandary. Quite the pickle. Quite the dilemma even!”
I exchanged a look with Rarity, then another with Flash and a third with Twilight, all of whom seemed just as worried as I was. “What do you mean?” I ventured. “What’s wrong?”
“Well you see,” Monoponi answered, waving a forehoof in circles, “you got Fluttershy’s absolutely right!” He pointed at Twilight’s face on the central display, and above her formed the usual fireworks exploding into the word GUILTY, albeit without the usual accompanying noise. “But when it comes to Pinkie Pie…”
To say those words caused my blood to freeze didn’t come close to representing the dawning terror filling me. My whole body burned as if soaked in liquid nitrogen, frozen stiff and solid thicker than any ice. “Y-y-y-you d-d-don’t m-m-m-mean…”
“Upupupu ahahahah ahahahaha eyaahaha hahahahahaha HAHAHAHAHA!” Monoponi’s rising laughter filled the entire courtroom as a new word exploded into being over Adagio’s face, a word that caused everyone to scream in sheer fright.
INNOCENT.
“That’s right, my stupid little passengers!” Monoponi cackled as the screams rose in volume. “It’s my turn to say you’ve got that wrong! Because you did! You chose the wrong person to vote for! Such a shame. Because you know who the real blackened was?”
Every light in the courtroom suddenly went out, plunging us into darkness and eliciting even more shrieks. Then a single spotlight blazed to life as a drumroll played through the courtroom speakers. It scanned the room, swishing about like it was searching for its target before it focused on someone I’d already begun to expect.
Trixie. Trixie was the blackened. Adagio was right! Trixie was the blackened!
“Congratulations, Trixie Lulamoon, on successfully beguiling your fellow passengers~!” Monoponi said as he brought the lights back up, allowing me to see the looks of anger, rage, betrayal, and shock decorating everyone’s faces save for Trixie’s own. “Because you did it! I’m so proud of you! I knew you could do it!”
Applejack, roaring in fury, shot forward from her podium, followed swiftly in turn by Rainbow Dash and Flash Sentry, all three of whom bum rushed Trixie, only to be swatted away by Monoponi’s magic, scattering them like bowling pins. He wrapped up Trixie in his field and lifted her up onto his throne, allowing her to stand on it while he took flight to hover in front of it, with a forcefield up to protect her. I saw her beat on it with her fist, trying to shout something only to be muffled into silence by it.
“You monster!” Rarity shrieked at the top of her lungs even as Monoponi’s magic held her back from moving. “You horrid little monster! How dare you murder Pinkie Pie?!”
“You lyin’ sack of trash!” Applejack added as she climbed to her feet, rubbing her sore behind. “Ah oughta tear you in half!”
“I told you all,” Adagio said, her voice low and heavy. “I tried to warn you… I tried.”
“Trixie…” I breathed. “How… how could you… how did you…” My heart leapt into my throat as I realized what happened. “Oh my god. You were going to hide the syringes in the first aid kit this morning, weren’t you! You woke me up by accident! If I hadn’t left that soda can there, we wouldn’t… this wouldn’t… it’s my fault…”
“Okay, that’s enough out of all of you!” Monoponi shouted, his magic lashing forward, grabbing us all up with ropes of pure magic, with a gag for good measure. “You don’t get to talk anymore unless I say so. You know, it’s a shame that things turned out this way. I had hopes that you would never lose a case, Sunset. I expected you to solve everything. I gave you every opportunity, afforded you every chance, always provided enough time… you weren’t supposed to lose. This really messes up my plans, you realize. I needed you all to last longer than this. Oh well!”
He flew forward and got right up my face, his jagged teeth dripping with saliva. “I could always wipe your memories again. Start over with fewer people. But I’m not going to do that. Know why? Because I follow the rules. And you know what the rules say, when the blackened wins the trial.”
No, I wanted to say. Please, no! But I couldn’t speak. Nothing I could do let me get past the magic holding my mouth shut. All I could do was shake my head furiously like a rag doll.
“Sorry, Sunset, but you can’t beg out of this now,” Monoponi said. He patted my head gently with a forehoof, then faced Trixie. “So, because the motive did happen to include the ability to take a fellow passenger along with you on your Rescue, I’ll let you decide, Trixie!” He dropped the forcefield protecting her. “Go ahead. Who do you want to live alongside you? Who are you saving?”
Don’t pick me. I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve to live after fucking this up. Pick someone else. Rarity, Scootaloo, Flash, someone other than me.
But my prayers fell on deaf ears. Quietly, Trixie raised a finger and pointed directly at me. “Sunset Shimmer. She’s my plus one,” she said, her voice shaking. “S-she’s the one I want.”
Monoponi released me from his magic bonds and dissolved my gag, allowing me to move and speak again. “Congratulations, Sunset, it seems Trixie cared so much for you she was willing to kill for you! Isn’t that wonderful? Don’t you feel loved?”
I didn’t respond. I ignored him in favor of rushing over to Adagio, who was tied up at her podium, staring at me with unreadable eyes. “Adagio,” I said, my voice shaking like crazy, tears in my eyes, my heart hammering at a million miles per hour in my chest as my whole body became drenched in sweat. “I didn’t--I thought… oh my god I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to… to…”
I stopped talking. The look in Adagio’s face said all she had to say. You killed me. You killed me and everyone else, you idiotic, moronic, dense motherfucking pony. This is your fault. We’re going to die because of you.
Glancing around the room, meeting the eyes of every other person bonded, I saw a similar look of hatred, of blame, of accusation. Your fault, their eyes said. All your fault.
Bowing my head in shame, I found my feet guiding me towards Monoponi’s throne. I collapsed against it, crumpling up in a heap at Trixie’s feet. Trixie hopped off the throne to join me, wrapping me up in an embrace I didn’t want. “I’m so sorry, Sunset,” she said, words that I didn’t want or need to hear.
I wanted to shove her away. To hit her, to shout at her, to scream in rage. But all my emotions were spent. All that was left in me was the gnawing, gaping maw of emptiness that was despair. I thought I’d known despair before, when Fluttershy died. When Apple Bloom died. But it was nothing like now. The emptiness, the sheer scale of it was so overwhelming, it felt like I’d never feel anything again.
I broke. I broke, and I would never be restored.
“What, nothing else to say, Sunset? No objections, no pointless fighting back against the inevitable?” Monoponi said. He grinned that insipid toothy grin at me. “Well good! Because I didn’t want to hear it anyway!” He whirled to face the others. “As for the rest of you, it’s time!” He stripped off their gags, allowing them to scream once more. Their shouts of dismay and cries for help filled the room, begging for mercy, pleading to live, to escape, to do anything to stop their fate.
Monoponi picked up Trixie and I in his magic and separated us to stand on each side of his throne like we were his lackeys. He hopped back up on it, grinning at everyone. “Now then, I’ve prepared a very special punishment for failing to find the blackened!”
More shouts and cries of distress filled the air, everyone talking at once. I couldn’t make out any specific words, but I saw the anger, the fear. The overwhelming sense that they were all about to die.
“Let’s give it everything we’ve got. Iiiiiiiit’s punishment time!”
A big red button rose on a pedestal before him. I felt him wrap up my arm in his magic, and Trixie’s too, using the two of us to hit the button together, lighting up the displays on the wall. Chains, collars, and manacles descended from the ceiling, latching on to everyone else and hauling them all out of sight.
GAME OVER
You failed to find the blackened.
Time for the punishment!
The screens split into eight separate sections, showcasing everyone heading down a separate path. They were all subjected to the usual bumps and bruises, slamming against protrusions in the corridors. Then the screens switched to showcase one large room, split into eight sections like an octagon, marked in eight separate colors, with each person being executed dropped onto the color that most closely matched them:Twilight’s lavender, Scootaloo’s cerise, Rarity’s white, Applejack’s orange, Rainbow’s cyan, Flash’s deep blue, Diamond Tiara’s pale pink, and Adagio’s tangerine. Manacles popped up out of the floor to take hold of their wrists and ankles, tying them in place. Collars snapped around their necks, chains connecting them all together like a big circle.
HARMONY’S LAST GASP
The Group Punishment
Execution: Executed
One at a time, they were subjected to individualized torture. Twilight was up first as a large beaker of acid descended from the ceiling poured itself all over her, causing her to thrash and scream in sheer agony. Her jerky movements pulled on everyone else’s collars, choking them and bruising their necks. Then a sparking wire popped up to fill her body with electricity, causing her to howl from the excruciating pain until she fell silent and unmoving.
Applejack was next, pummeled by bushel after bushel of rocks painted to look like apples until nearly every bone in her body was broken, and then she was smashed to bits by a giant tree.
On and on it went. Giant sewing needles repeatedly pierced Rarity’s flesh until she was sewn into a large piece of fabric, leaving her bleeding to death from dozens of holes. An oversized muscle car bearing his symbol drove into the room and squashed Flash under its tires. Adagio was lifted up and turned upside down, dunking her head into a tank of water and keeping her there till she drowned. Rainbow Dash's restraints pulled on her limbs until she was torn in half, her screams filling the air. Scootaloo was slowly crushed under the weight of a gigantic red scooter.
Diamond Tiara was the last to go, forced to stand helpless as a large, ravenous, rabid dog barreled into the room and tore into her with great abandon, keeping her alive as long as possible while slowly consuming her.
Then when it seemed everything was over, the whole room filled up with gas and a spark ignited, setting everything ablaze and burning everyone and everything, bodies and all, to ash.
As the screens went dark, leaving Trixie and I stunned from the sheer cruelty the others were subjected to, Monoponi hopped off his podium and wrapped a foreleg around each of our shoulders. “You know something, Sunset, Trixie? I really have to hand it to you. That was fun. Even if my plans are ruined now, that was a whole lot of fun. I can always accomplish my goal some other way. But you two? You’re free to go.”
It’s all my fault. I did this. There’s no point anymore.
As he released us, the elevator doors opened. “Go ahead. Take it. Go to the top. It’ll take us a while to get back to shore, so you can still enjoy the luxuries the ship has to offer. Please, feel free to eat, drink, and be merry! You’ve earned your Rescue!”
Slowly, ever so slowly, I stepped forward, one foot at a time, until I was in the elevator. Trixie followed me without saying a word. Neither of us spoke as it took us back up to the promenade. As we rode, gears turned and shifted in my mind. A decision was reached.
The only thing I could do.
When it opened, Trixie sallied forth. She tried to smile at me, and said something I didn’t hear. I wasn’t listening. I didn’t want to hear it. I knew what I needed to do. I had to do it. I didn’t have a choice.
I went into the sporting goods store, and found the strongest, stiffest rope that I could. Placing it in my backpack, I also made sure to pick up the heaviest dumbbell I could find. When I left the store, Trixie was waiting for me, asking me something, wondering what I was doing. Without a word I raised the dumbbell up. Her eyes widened, pupils shrinking to dots as she backed away, shaking her head furiously, holding her hands up for protection. But she couldn’t get away.
I brought the dumbbell down upon her and didn’t stop until I’d smashed her head apart like a melon.
Leaving it and her body where they had fallen, I continued outside onto the bridge deck. The warm sea air filled my nostrils with the scent of salt, the sound of the waves crashing against the ship almost peaceful in a way. Reassuring me I’d made the right choice. That I was doing the right thing. The only thing I could do now.
I walked over to the edge of the railing, and tied one end of the rope to it, then fashioned the rest of the rope into a noose, which I lowered around my neck. I then climbed over the railing, hanging from it with my arms behind me, letting the wind pass over me, blow through my hair, across my face, like the caress of a lover’s touch.
I took one last breath of sea air, and dropped.
