Super Danganronpa 2: On Harmony's Shores

by Dewdrops on the Grass

Rating: teen
Tags: Trixie, Mystery, Vignette Valencia, Profanity, Shining Armor, Violence, Crossover, Wallflower Blush, Sunset Shimmer, Danganronpa, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Death, Equestria Girls
Length: 160866

Wallflower Blush and fifteen others are isolated in a desert town to see if ponies and humans can get along. But when the place is suddenly overtaken by the malevolent Monohuman, Wallflower must survive the resulting killing game.

Wallflower Blush and fifteen others are isolated in a desert town to see if ponies and humans can get along. But when the place is suddenly overtaken by the malevolent Monohuman, Wallflower must survive the resulting killing game.

Thanks to the magnificent JCarp for hopping on board to make this sequel possible.

Note: this is a direct sequel to Danganronpa: In Harmony's Wake. While not strictly required reading, much of the context will be lost upon the reader should they fail to read it first. Therefore I highly encourage you to do so. However, I have also provided a set of cliff notes, located here.

Thanks yous for pre-reading go out to Sleepless Beholder, Da Otter Guy, and the spouses of both authors.

Cover Art uses artwork from The Sleepless Beholder. Thank you massively for your artistic contribution.

Published 2023-01-01 00:40:00 UTC
Last updated 2023-06-20 02:15:01 UTC

02. Prologue: "Welcome Back To Despair!" Part 2

Prologue:

“Welcome Back To Despair!”

Part II

As Sunset’s screams pierced the sky, everyone else’s voices rose in a complex aura of confusion and demands that pounded my ears like a repeated concussion wave, explosion after explosion of anger that made me want to clap my hands to my ears and join Sunset in screaming.

Fortunately she was swiftly silenced, though not by any of us, but by Monohuman, whose snapped fingers preceded a bubble surrounding Sunset in silence. She continued to scream, now pounding on the inside of the bubble, looking more terrified than I’d ever seen a human being look.

“Oh do be quiet, would you?” Monohuman said, giving Sunset a stern look. “You wouldn’t want to become the example for how the rules will be enforced, hmm?”

That shut Sunset up immediately as she fell to her butt, shaking her head furiously. The look of terror only increased as her face started turning blue.

“Let her go, Butler!” Pear Butter ordered. “Now!”

Monohuman shrugged, and another snap of his fingers released, causing Sunset to fall to her knees, gasping and gulping down air. “Now then, since we have some blessed silence, I’m certain you all have many, many questions. Let’s clear something up from the start, shall we? This program is no longer about some absurd goal of getting along between different species. It is now a killing game.”

“...killing game?” Fluttershy gulped.

“I-I don’t like the sound of that,” Rarity muttered, shivering as she reached for Fluttershy.

“Oooh, look at you, so fierce, so intense,” Sour Sweet said before her face dropped into a snarl. “What do you mean, killing game?!”

“Precisely that,” Monohuman said, twirling his walking stick. “A game where killing is the goal. In this case, of course, you’re not just killing anyone. This is not so barbaric as that. No, the goal is to hunt down and eliminate the enemy. To destroy the intruders, annihilate the invaders. In other words, you are to kill the ponies.”

“But why oh why would we ever ever want to do a thing like that?” Autumn blurted, shivering as she gripped her dress. “The ponies didn’t do anything to anyone!”

“Because if you wish to get out of here alive, you have no other choice,” Monohuman said simply. He snapped his fingers.

All around the complex I noticed things start to sprout up. New monitors upon which his face appeared, seemingly at random. And the cameras. Security cameras everywhere, popping out of the walls, the ceilings, the roofs, like someone wanted to capture every angle of every inch of this whole place.

“Here. Allow me to update you on the rules of our little game. Perhaps these will help enlighten you.”

He snapped his fingers once more and everyone’s pads beeped. I swiftly brought mine out to see the rules starting to change right before my eyes.

Rule #1: All residents must stay within city limits until the program is completed.

Rule #2: Don’t disclose to anyone which dimension you come from!! Remember, the point of this program is demonstrating if humans and equestrians can get along. If anyone knows your origins, then it’s possible unintentional bias could influence our results!

Rule #3: You must answer all surveys promptly and completely. Your data will really help us out!

Rule #4: It’s important we all–There are six invaders. All the invaders must be killed.

Rule #5: Any attempt to harm Monohuman or cause damage to the security cameras, monitors, or other town property that is not strictly for the purposes of committing murder will be harshly punished. This rule is up to Monohuman’s discretion.

Rule #6: Anyone who murders another resident will be considered a blackened. When a dead body is discovered, Monohuman will analyze the corpse to determine its origin. The status of the blackened is determined by the results of this analysis.

Rule #6a: If the victim is an Equestrian, the murderer is a Pure Blackened.

Rule #6b: If the victim is a human, the murderer is a Grey Blackened.

Rule #7: Pure Blackeneds are subject to dismissal from the program. They will be immediately sequestered in a safe area, and once the program is concluded, they will be allowed to go free.

Rule #8: Grey Blackeneds will be subject to a trial. When a dead body is discovered, an investigation period will occur with its length as defined by Monohuman. All participants may spend this time as they choose, but investigation is strongly encouraged. The trial will begin immediately after this period.

Rule #9: During a trial, participants (with the exception of Pure Blackeneds) must debate to determine who is the blackened. When the participants are certain, a vote will occur. All attendees must vote.

Rule #10: If the blackened is successfully identified, they alone will be executed. If, however, a majority of the participants vote incorrectly, the blackened will be allowed to go free, and the remaining participants (with the exception of Pure Blackeneds) will be executed.

Rule #11: Monohuman will never participate in a murder. Any attempt to use Monohuman to cause a murder will result in immediate execution.

Rule #12: A body discovery announcement occurs when three surviving participants discover a body. This signals the beginning of investigation.

Rule #13: The program will continue until one of three conditions is met:

All Equestrian participants are dead.

A Grey Blackened successfully escapes detection during a trial.

Only two active participants remain.

Note: Condition 1 will be impossible to meet if an Equestrian is a Pure Blackened. Therefore, it is in humans’ best interest to strike quickly if they suspect anyone of being an invader.

Rule #14: “Murder” is defined on a common-sense basis. In the case of any ambiguity, Monohuman will clarify the Blackened’s status to the Blackened privately.

Rule #15: If an Equestrian commits suicide, there is no blackened and no trial. If a human commits suicide, a trial will commence as usual, and the Grey Blackened is the victim themselves.

Rule #16: Any attempt to admit wrongdoing prior to the conclusion of the trial will be met with immediate execution.

Rule #17: Except for attempting to open locked doors, participants may freely explore to their desire. Attempting to leave town is prohibited; you would quickly die of exposure anyway.

It took me many attempts to read through all these rules… there were so many! And so complex. Grey blackeneds? Pure blackeneds? What?

And I wasn’t the only one confused. Questions began rising from the group, people asking what this rule or that rule meant. The only one not questioning was Sunset, whose shaky, sweaty grip on her pad left me uneasy. Sunset seemed to know what was going on. I’d have to talk to her later.

“I don’t get it, man,” Zephyr Breeze squealed. “I don’t understand what any of these rules mean!”

“What’s a blackened?” Derpy wondered, cocking her head.

“Means they murdered someone, Derpy, try actually reading the rules,” Juniper snapped.

Derpy withdrew in on herself. “But the ponies didn’t do anything bad!”

“Stuff it!” Monohuman barked, and silence befell the crowd. He tutted, rubbing his nose with his hand. “It seems you need a bit of explanation, a clarification of these rules. I would think them easy to understand, but then, I am capable of comprehending what I am reading, unlike some of you simpletons.”

He pointed to his side with his baton and an illusionary screen appeared to showcase a series of images as he spoke. “It’s really quite simple. As stated before, the object of this exercise is to eliminate the enemy, the dreaded Equestrians. They are foreign to this Earth and must perish for their crimes of existing. None of you will leave here alive if you do not successfully complete this task.”

“But… but there’s stuff in here about killing humans…” Zephyr hesitantly said before being loudly interrupted by Monohuman.

“Gah! It’s easy! If you kill an Equestrian, you’re safe! But if you kill a human, it’s just normal Danganronpa rules.”

“Whoa, hold on,” Cheese cut in. “Normal donglewhatnow?”

“It’s a video game! Don’t worry about it.”

“But…”

Cranky cleared his throat. “Shut up, everybody! Look. What all these complex rules boil down to is, kill an Equestrian and you walk away scot free. Kill a human, and you’re going to get executed if you’re caught.”

Monohuman nodded. “Precisely. The rest are to help clarify certain sorts of… situations. We want to avoid any ambiguity, after all, or any manipulation of the rules.”

For some reason he cast a glare directly at Sunset Shimmer as he said that, who shied away under his gaze.

“And speaking of the rules, for those of you who failed to comprehend my previous example, allow me to make it perfectly clear what happens should you disobey them.”

He pointed to his illusionary screen, where an image of some woman that looked vaguely familiar, with massive pigtails of pink hair standing on… something…only to start twitching as spears impaled her from every direction at once.

“Oh sweet summer squash!” Cheese gasped, clapping hands to his mouth. “That’s disgusting!”

“And painful!” Monohuman said with a decidedly menacing gleam to his eyes. “Rest assured, any who are caught and must be executed will suffer horrifically before they die, as is only fair and proper for someone who can’t be arsed to kill the right target. We’re not here to murder our fellow humans, after all: we’re here to eliminate the pretenders among us.” He tossed his baton in the air and caught it. “And be assured of one other thing: each and every one of you already has a planned, personalized punishment in mind. While I would rather not implement them if it can be avoided…I will enjoy myself thoroughly if I get to carry them out.”

“This is insane!” Shining Armor yelled. “This is just a sick game!”

“Yeah, because sick games are fun!” Monohuman enthused, then he paused. “...And, to tell you the honest truth, I don’t know who the ponies are, myself. I do have a way to find out, but it only works on dead bodies.” He shrugged. “Hey, think of this as an adventure. What an exciting story we can make! Who will be the heroes? Who will be the villains? Who can survive?!”

“But… but this doesn’t make sense!” Derpy yipped. “If the point is killing ponies, why are you rewarding someone who kills a human and gets away with it?”

Monohuman rolled his eyes, putting his whole body into it. “I swear, you have no sense of drama. I have to allow the hateful Equestrians some sliver of hope, don’t I? If they didn’t have some way of winning, then none of you humans would realize the truth. You’re at war.”

He sneered, ugly and exaggerated. “Look at you, complaining about complicated rules, when really it couldn’t be simpler. They want to kill you, and if you want to survive, you have to strike first. That’s it.”

“...no.”

Everyone parted, turning to see Sunset Shimmer, who surged forth, slamming her right fist into her left palm as she gave Monohuman the angriest glare possible. “I won’t let you do this. Not again! I’m not going to stand by and watch another game happen! Not this time!”

“Oh? You were entirely helpless then, Sunset Shimmer. What makes you think this is any different, hmm?” Monohuman asked, rubbing his chin.

“According to everyone, I helped put this program together,” Sunset fired back. “I made you. You have to listen to me.”

Monohuman rolled his eyes. “How droll. In any case–”

“I said stop!”

Monohuman let out a slight sigh. He set his walking baton down and scooted to the edge of the stage, sitting down on it like a kid dangling their legs off a swing set. Then he waved Sunset over and placed an arm on her, almost grandfatherly like. “Sunset, my dear, as much as you think you have any power here at all, let me be clear. You don’t. You are powerless to stop me.”

Sunset jerked backward, yelping in pain. It took a moment to even figure out what was happening. She was being pulled back and up by her hair, even though nothing visible was there. She struggled vainly, then froze as Monohuman held up his hand, which was bizarrely glowing red, and then thrust it forward towards her face. He stopped just inches away.

“You did help build me, indeed you did.” Monohuman’s hand suddenly burst into flames. Sunset tried to recoil away from the heat but some invisible force kept her in place. “So you should know better than anyone not to bet against me in a fight.”

He stepped away nonchalantly, Sunset dropping to the ground. “I detest this hostility,” he mused, stroking his chin with his now completely normal hand. “Sunset, I’m on your side, really. You’re special. You’re our star!”

Somehow, instantly, darkness fell over everything, but just as suddenly, spotlights turned on illuminating Sunset and Monohuman.

Sunset was on her hands and knees, panting or maybe sobbing. “I won’t do it!” she yelled.

“Oh, but you’re so good at it! This may be overstating things, but part of me wants to call you… the Ultimate Survivor.”

Her denials were just a weak moan, and he strutted over to her, grinning. “But it’s hard. You’re such a complicated, dynamic protagonist! Everyone trusts you. Everyone loves you. But does anyone know the dark secrets you have inside? Does anyone know what a black, toxic heart beats in your chest? I think you actually might be the Ultimate Phony.”

Sunset’s spotlight clicked off, and he swung his arms wide, beaming. “Oh, but we can’t forget your supporting cast! Let’s meet them.” He posed like a Broadway star. “I’ll get myself out of the way first. I am quite the marvel. The Ultimate Computer, the first to merge human technology with Equestrian magic! And.” He grinned, jumping up onto his toes. “I can dance like a fiend.” He tap-danced, feet moving so fast it was dazzling, and it was almost as dazzling when he suddenly stopped, pointing out with his baton.

A spotlight appeared where he was pointing, a trembling form with pink hair. “But I can’t hold a candle to this young lady! Just look at her, folks, cringing and whimpering like the champion she is!” He leaned forward as if telling us a secret. “Her name’s Fluttershy, if you don’t know her. She has the flimsiest backbone I’ve ever seen. In fact, I think I’d go so far as to declare her the Ultimate Doormat!”

“Hey!” an offended voice called out, and laughing, Monohuman spun as a new spotlight came on above the speaker, who paled and shrunk as she suddenly found herself in his sights.

“Oh, well now!” Monohuman places his hand above his eyes as if trying to look a long distance. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten you, off-brand Fluttershy!” He laughed. “I’m joking! It’s Sour Sweet, and uh oh, folks, she looks mad at me! But I’m not worried. In five seconds, she’ll be nice, then I’ll turn my back and she’ll be mean again. But of course, because she’s the Ultimate Two-Face!”

Sour Sweet’s light cut off and another came on, directly over Shining Armor, whose pale skin actually did shine in the glare. “Cheese, it’s the fuzz!” Monohuman yelped, before settling into a smooth grin. “Oh, never mind! It’s just Twilight Sparkle’s brother. Also known as Cadance’s husband. He might have a name, but who cares? To me, he’s just the Ultimate Second-Best.”

Pop pop and suddenly a new person was illuminated, the reflection from his glasses almost blinding me. “Fuzz, it’s the Cheese!” Monohuman cackled. “Cheese Sandwich, that is. You’ve got to excuse him, he’s working hard to try to find himself and so he’s between personalities right now. But maybe someday he’ll meet someone he can base his entire life around emulating, and people will like him! But until then, he’s just my buddy, the Ultimate Cipher.”

Cheese’s spotlight turned off, and next was Trixie. She stood confident and defiant, but she was also visibly shaking. Monohuman snaked over to her, looming, his shadow blocking out half her body. “Folks, here we have a bona fide, genuine savant! Just look at how she carries herself! I had thought she was a pathetic mediocrity, a loser who would never do anything worth paying attention to.” Trixie’s cheeks were reddening, but in rage, fear, or embarrassment, I couldn’t tell. “Apparently she’s actually special and great, though, she told me so herself. Folks, say hello to Trixie, the Ultimate Try-Hard!”

“Stop!” called out a voice, and Monohuman actually paused in surprise. When I saw who’d spoken, I was surprised, too. A spotlight now shone on Derpy as she pointed in anger. “Why are you saying these things? Why would you just want to hurt us? Why… uh.” She withered, apparently realizing she was now the center of everyone’s attention and Monohuman, for the first time, did not look amused.

She took a cautious step back, but in her fear she placed her right foot down on the back of her left shoe. When she tried to pick up her left foot, she flailed, spun, hopped backwards once, and plopped right down onto the ground, face-first.

Monohuman wasn’t unamused anymore. He roared with laughter, applauding. “What a delightful moment! I swear, you can’t plan things like that, they just have to happen.” He shook his head in mock appreciation. “Or rather, they certainly happen to this girl a lot! After all, it’s Derpy Doo, the Ultimate Klutz.”

When Derpy’s spotlight turned off, Monohuman seemed to suddenly disappear. I was confused until I saw him under the new spotlight that had turned on. He was standing behind Autumn Blaze with his hand covering her mouth. Her eyes were wide and frantic.

“So sorry for the invasion of personal space!” Monohuman announced. “But how else was I supposed to get through this next introduction without being interrupted? You know how these musical theater people are.” He glanced down, pantomiming concern. “Whoops, she’s got a bit of a temper on her, I better hurry this up. Folks, you know her, you love her, you’ve been trapped in a conversation with her that lasts for hours, it’s Autumn Blaze, the Ultimate Motormouth!”

Next was Zephyr, who looked confused more than anything else. “Oh!” Monohuman exclaimed, “I’m relieved this one isn’t the ultimate motormouth. Not sure I’d want to touch him.” But he slinked close, simpering. “Ohh, he’s a fascinating specimen, though. He can’t do anything. It’s really quite remarkable. A grown man, and the one thing he’s managed to accomplish in his life is learn how to feign confidence in a way that makes everyone hate his guts. Please meet Zephyr Breeze, the Ultimate Own Worst Enemy.”

The next spotlight popped on over Pear Butter, but almost instantly, Big Mac lunged into the light, between Monohuman and his mother, glaring. Pear Butter, for her part, barely seemed to notice. She was just peering blankly into the crowd; it felt terrifyingly like she was looking right at me.

“A twofer!” Monohuman yelped in delight. “Y’know, this is appropriate. See, the tall one is Big Mac, and to be perfectly honest, he doesn’t bring much to the table on his own. If he didn’t have his family, he wouldn’t have anything, and he certainly isn’t going to win any awards for his sparkling personality. But that’s why we love him: Big Mac, the Ultimate Homebody!”

Monohuman danced up to them, his leer especially malicious. “Ah, Pear Butter! The exact opposite of her son. Such a charmer! Warm and helpful and just a liiiiitttttttlllle bit dorky, to give her that real mom-next-door energy. But she doesn’t really care about family.” That finally caught Pear Butter, who looked at him with horrified fierceness. “No no, her family made the mistake of trusting her, and she made them pay for it. That’s why she’s the Ultimate Backstabber.”

Pear Butter’s rage fell into darkness, and the next light illuminated Cranky. Monohuman delightly inhaled to begin his spiel, but Cranky scowled and held up a hand. “I’ll do it,” he said.

“Eh?” Monohuman leaned back in exaggerated shock. “You’ll…”

“I’m Cranky Doodle!” Cranky rasped sourly. “I hate everybody and I’m not fun and I’m always annoyed by everything. And I’m probably something like the Ultimate Grouch, right? That pretty much what you were going to say?”

“Eh.” Monohuman crossed his arms, unimpressed. “It lacked pizzazz.”

“Hate pizzazz. Wastes time.”

“Hummph. I was also going to talk about how old you are.”

“And I’m old!” Cranky snapped, waving his arms around. “There. Let’s just move on.”

Monohuman shrugged, and Cranky disappeared, Rarity lighting up near me. “Ahhhh,” Monohuman sang. “After that display of inelegance, it’s so nice to move on to someone who appreciates style. It’s never a boring day with her around! She’ll pick fights about things you said months ago and have long forgotten! She’ll actively daydream about elaborate fantasies she’s created of her friends’ love lives! Yes, she’s great (but don’t use the wrong adjective when describing her hair or it’ll ruin her life forever), it's Rarity, the Ultimate Drama Queen!”

And Juniper was next, and even though I barely knew her, it was shocking to see how terrified she looked. Her arrogant certainty was completely gone. “Well well, what have we here?” Monohuman announced. “Why, it’s a future up-and-coming star in the making! She’s a real triple threat. She can plan to write screenplays, she can think about how maybe one day she’ll direct, and she can imagine herself acting! Folks, it’s our own film industry dynamo (in a hypothetical future), Juniper Montage, the Ultimate Wannabe!”

Juniper’s light turned off and the next came up over my own head. Or rather, that’s what I thought at first. It was actually lighting up Vignette Valencia, who was standing right next to me. And it was unsettling, because she looked… calm. She poked idly at her pad, looking more like someone waiting in line than someone being menaced by a magic death-machine.

“Well well!” Monohuman announced. “A celebrity! A real celebrity! How lucky are we, folks?” He paused briefly to cast a sardonic smile around the crowd, and in that moment, Vignette actually spoke up.

“You were wrong,” she said, still playing on her pad.

He froze, perplexed. “What?”

“You were wrong before. About yourself.” She looked up then, giving him an offended glare. “You totally are not the first computer to merge Equestrian magic with human technology. My phone was.”

Monohuman’s mouth actually dropped open in shock. Vignette rolled her eyes. “I mean, whatever, it’s not a big deal, this isn’t a callout or anything. Just getting the facts straight.” She held up her pad. ‘Hey, how do you send messages on these things?”

“You can’t,” he answered, still gobsmacked. “We disabled…” He realized what he was doing and stomped his foot. “Argh! You ruined my whole introduction!”

“Um. Wow.” Vignette placed her pad under her arm, sighing. “You’re a pro, right? Do pros complain, or do they win the crowd back?”

“Forget it!” he bellowed. “It was all planned out, and now it’s ruined and just forget it.”

“Ugh, pros sulk, apparently…”

“The Ultimate Narcissist,” Monohuman announced. He grimaced as Vignette disappeared into the darkness. “She’s the worst.” He paused thoughtfully. “No, Zephyr’s the worst. Okay, anyone left?”

I cringed, dreading the light coming on and exposing me to whatever horrible things he was going to say, but nothing happened. I looked around, confused.

“Nope, nope, looks like that’s it!” Monohuman said cheerfully. “I’m a computer, I have perfect memory. If I did forget anyone, they’d have to be reaaalllllyyyyy forgettable, huh?”

Oh.

“They’d have to pretty much be nobody.” He smiled directly at me as I stood unseen in the darkness. “The Ultimate Nobody.”

In an instant, everything lit back up, prompting many yelps and covered eyes. I barely noticed.

The Ultimate Nobody. My chest felt tight and my eyes burned. I was so relieved that spotlight hadn’t turned on, and that was the worst part. Being forgotten and ignored, being nobody… it was comfortable. Monohuman was so cruel, to teach me that lesson.

“You’re a real quirky mélange,” Monohuman was saying, striding calmly back to the stage. “How sad, how exciting, how thrilling that we’re going to have to say goodbye to some of you?”

He floated up, then spun around. “Six,” he declared, the number appearing on the screen behind him. “Six invaders. Find them, kill them, and we all get our happy ending. For now, tata!”

With a final snap of his fingers, he disappeared, leaving us all to recover from the horror of what he’d bestowed upon us.

“Well, it seems clear to Trixie that she cannot trust any of you!” Trixie shouted, cutting above the whispers that had filled the crowd. “Not even her so-called friends. She won’t have anything to do with any of you.”

She snatched up her pad and marched off towards the dorms. Derpy started following after her, but after Trixie tossed something at her that created a shower of sparks and smoke, Derpy backed off and returned to the crowd, which was full of people starting to clamor about how to escape.

“Look, there, there’s gotta be some way we can turn those fences off, right?” Zephyr Breeze said. “I-I mean it’s not like they’re just powered from nothin’. We’ve gotta have access somewhere.”

“Ah doubt it, Zephyr,” Pear Butter said with a scowl. “Ah’m bettin’ y’all dollars to doughnuts they’ve got the power source all locked away.”

“Besides,” Sunset added, her face still stained with tears as she sought out Rarity among the crowd, wrapping an arm around Rarity’s. “As soon as we even try, he’ll kill us. Trust me. I’ve… seen it happen before.” Her haunted eyes spoke volumes.

Rarity made a face, patting Sunset on the shoulder while trying to pull away from her and not having much luck. “I don’t suppose you could share some details of this former experience of yours, hmm?”

Sunset blinked, then gaped at Rarity. “Wait…don’t you remember? You–” She slapped a hand to her mouth, then shook her head. “...no, I can’t… I shouldn’t. He could be listening. It’s not safe.” She moved in to hold Rarity closer. “I can’t risk you getting hurt.”

Rarity’s mouth twisted up in a frown. “Sunset, I realize we are friends, but you are being a bit too–

“All right, y’all, listen up!”

Pear Butter, who’d hopped up onto the stage beside Shining Armor, clapped for our attention. “Ah think it’s safe to say we’re all in trouble right now.”

“No, really?” Sour Sweet squeaked, her hands clasped together. “I thought we were all perfectly safe!”

Pear Butter shot her a dirty look. “Stop it, Sour. This ain’t the time. Look, Shining Armor and Ah, we’re the closest to real authorities here. Well, us and Mr. Doodle, but somethin’ tells me he ain’t gonna join us up here.”

Cranky held a pair of fingers up to his lips like he was about to take a drag on a cigarette, then dropped his arms disdainfully when he realized he didn’t have one. “No way. I don’t want any part of any of this.”

“Figures,” Juniper sneered. “Like anyone ever respected you when you were our teacher.”

“Hmph.” Cranky’s grunt held more amusement than scorn, to my surprise.

“Cool it, people,” Shining ordered, his police authority serving to silence any further protests. “Look, like Pear Butter said, we’re in a bad situation here. And we’ve got to be smart about how we deal with this.” He looked to Sunset. “You keep acting like you’ve been in a situation like this before. Any advice?”

Sunset stared back silently before shaking her head and clinging even harder to Rarity. “...no.”

Arching a solitary eyebrow, Shining let out a quiet sigh. “Fine. Then we’ll set our own ground rules. Monohuman wants us to kill the Equestrians among us, so I say we avoid ever trying to figure out who might be an Equestrian and who’s human. So no asking about personal history or world history or anything like that; anything that could betray someone’s ignorance or otherwise trick them into revealing who they are has to be avoided. We can’t risk giving anyone even the slightest hint that they might have someone they can kill scot free in front of them.”

“And Ah agree with him,” Pear Butter said. “Ah was brought on board for this program to be the therapist monitoring the situation, make sure we’re all gettin’ along. And if there’s one thing Ah know about survival instincts and how stressed we’re all feelin’ right now… it’s how temptin’ it might be to give in to the out that Monohuman’s offerin’ us. And we cannot do that. None of us deserve to be hurt, let alone die, just so others might get out.”

“Not to mention the way the rules are written, if you kill the wrong person, you’d have to be okay with all of us dying just so you could escape,” Shining added. “I’d like to think that none of the people here are that selfish, but… like Pear said. Survival instincts. We’re all in serious danger. I’ve walked the beat. I’ve seen the stupid shit people pull when they’re trying to survive a dangerous situation.”

“So Ah’m gonna add to what Shinin’ was sayin’,” Pear Butter continued. “Ah hate to say it, but… we gotta keep away from people we know really well. Close friends… family…” She looked longingly at Big Macintosh as she said that last word. “Much as we want to be close to each other, if it turns out one of them’s a pony, it’s gonna be mighty hard to fool the other for too long. We can’t risk it.”

“So lemme get this straight,” Cheese said. “You’re suggesting no one pals around with their friends and no one asks any questions about other people’s history? Isn’t that a great way to leave us even more stressed out?”

“That’s why Ah’ll be makin’ mahself available to any and all who need to come talk to me,” Pear said. “We can get through this.”

“We should also establish a few more rules of our own while we’re at it,” Shining said. “We should be meeting up regularly for meals, three times a day. 8:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 6:00 PM.”

“Oooh, great idea,” Sour Sweet said as her face swiftly shifted from sappy to cold. “That way someone can poison everyone at once!”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Shining replied. “We’ll be assigning someone to cook for each meal. Then we’ll know who’s at fault if someone gets poisoned.”

“So long as they didn’t poison the entire food supply,” Vignette said casually, flipping her hair.

That sent the crowd silent for a moment. “What? You really think someone couldn’t do it if they wanted to?” Vignette asked. “Trixie has a point: we can’t trust each other. We shouldn’t be relying on other people to make food for us.”

“A-and there’s nothing in the rules that says someone can’t kill more than one person at once!” Derpy pointed out, her face full of fear. “W-what if someone… what if they think…”

“No way am I gonna die from someone tryin’ to poison me!” Zephyr blurted. “I’m too pretty to die!”

“Ugh, please, you’re at least two makeovers away from ‘pretty’,’” Rarity muttered.

“Hey!” Fluttershy protested, getting up in Rarity’s face. “That’s my brother you’re talking about. Yes, he makes me mad… a lot… but don’t insult him like that.”

“Yeah, Flutterbutter, you go! Defend me!” Zephyr cheered.

“Oh for pete’s sake,” Cranky moaned, slapping a hand to his face. “Stop being stupid. Look. How about we just all get our own food, but we still meet up so we all know we’re still alive. I think we can manage that.”

“Ah think so as well,” Pear Butter nodded. She crossed her arms and surveyed the crowd. “So what do y’all say? Think you can manage this?”

“...if it helps keep us alive, I’m all for it,” Cheese said after a moment. “I’ve got too many songs left to write, too many people to meet!”

“I’m still planning to be a number one movie star, and I can’t do that from in here,” Juniper said. “So how’re we going to get out of here?”

“We’ll start working on that,” Shining said, eying Pear Butter. “As soon as we figure out something, we’ll let everyone know.”

“Oh that’s a relief,” Autumn Blaze said, ruffling her hair. “I mean just imagine if we were all trapped in here for ages and we started killing each other and then seeing all the blood and guts and gore and all the bodies what would they even do with the bodies I mean other than burn them I guess because that’s the best way to dispose of bodies but anyway what I’m trying to say is I hope we all get out of here before anyone dies because it’d really suck if only some of us made it out alive.”

“...riiiight.” Pear Butter sighed. “All right, on that note, y’all, dismissed. We’ll see y’all tomorrow mornin’ for breakfast.”

As the crowd began to disperse, Rarity withdrew from Sunset’s embrace. “Wha–Rarity, what’re you doing?”

“You heard them,” Rarity said, shooting Sunset a nasty glare. “No one who is too familiar with others should be spending time together. That includes… whatever this is.”

As Rarity walked off, Sunset fell onto her butt, her face a mess of tears. “...oh. Okay. Excuse me if I thought…” Her face fell into her hands.

I wanted to go over and comfort her, but after everything that had happened, I was eager to get away. And Sunset was being weird anyway… she was acting like she’d been dating Rarity or something, which was beyond absurd. Last I remembered, Rarity was a married woman.

So I wandered away from the stage, not sure what to think. I was horrified, of course… scared for my life. The more I thought about it the more I realized nobody would likely miss me if I died. I could see it… someone killing me as the easy target…

Pain.

I cried out, clutching my throat and head as a flash of agony washed over me, similar to what I’d experienced before I awoke. Like a memory of pain, it was there and gone almost instantly, but it left me shaking nevertheless.

And with a killer headache. I needed something for it.

On a hunch, I headed back towards the dorms, to the one building I hadn’t checked out yet. Sure enough, it was a clinic built from brick and stone.

Inside I found a 50s style clinic, complete with a standard waiting room and receptionist desk that had a few ashtrays laying around for cigarette butts. Behind the desk was a door leading to three different examination rooms, an x-ray room complete with functional x-ray machine, and a room marked “surgery” that contained a full set of surgical equipment on a tray.

And medicines. Lots and lots of medicines; the storage for them alone took up half the building, all fronted by a small cordoned off pharmacy window.

As I surveyed the pharmacy and its assorted goods, my heart skipped several beats. Just about anything anyone could ever need for any medical condition was stored here, from beta blockers to antihistamines to anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers, even…

Without thinking about it I grabbed three bottles of medicine and shoved them into my pockets, one of them being my favorite pain reliever and the other two… I would need.

I kept looking after I’d grabbed my stash and noticed with interest that some of the medicines included were a bit… odd. Like psilocybin next to marijuana. Or a whole section dedicated to shrooms, peyote, and LSD. No cocaine or anything though, even though I was half expecting to see some old turn of the century cocaine based cough syrup.

Fortunately, despite my worries, I didn’t see any obvious poisons. No arsenic or cyanide. But there were plenty of sedatives and other things that could be used as poisons in the right dosages. Because of course, we needed plenty of tools for murder. Even as my eyes wandered over the labels I began to think about what else could be used for murder.

Anything from the kitchen would do it… heavy pots and pans, knives, skewers if they had them. Hell, hold someone’s head in a kitchen sink full of water long enough and they’d drown. I hadn’t been inside the kitchen yet so I didn’t know what equipment was there, but my imagination was already filled with awful thoughts of someone forcibly turning on a deep fryer and forcing someone inside it face first…

Shaking away the disgusting imagery I left the clinic, making my way to my dorm room in a hurry. I didn’t want anyone to notice my bulging pockets, lest they think I was planning to poison someone.

I made it back without difficulty, right as the sun set on the horizon. The day had passed by more quickly than I expected since I got up, almost like time itself had been on fast forward. But then, I’d experienced a lot in a short amount of time.

And I was scared. I didn’t belong here. I don’t know why I would’ve volunteered for a program like this to begin with. I shouldn’t be in this situation, I should be at home, in my bed, in my house. With my plants.

I couldn’t remember, but if I was still myself, I knew i must have a lot of plants. Plants that are probably going without water, without proper attention. I’d probably put a lot of effort into raising those plants, some for years. If I lost them because I was stuck here, well…

It would suck. But I’d get past it. Thinking about that though got me realizing that while I might not have people on the outside to worry about, everyone else probably did. And those people had no idea the danger we were in. They had no idea that we were likely to die. They probably thought we were all on some glorious vacation or something.

Why weren’t the people who put this program together stopping Monohuman, though? I didn’t understand. Unless they were in cahoots. But the program was set up by the ponies, right?

The whole thing made my brain hurt, and after the long day, all I wanted to do was sleep. So after a quick shower I changed into my pajamas and curled up in my bed.

Sleep rarely came to me immediately. It eludes me like I elude the company of others, forcing me to chase it down, to use sleep aids, to drink gallons of warm milk when I was a kid, and tonight was no different. Worse, perhaps, because unlike before, when I only thought I was in danger from all my anxiety. This time I really am.

Someone could try to break into my room. The rules made it clear Monohuman would make an exception for committing a murder. Maybe they couldn’t break down the door but nothing said they couldn’t shatter a window. And I might be on the second story but I wasn’t that high off the ground.

Wishing I had thought to bring some boards to reinforce my window with, I clutched my blankets and snuggled harder into my bed.

I don’t know how long I laid that way–hours, maybe?–before I heard a knock at the door that spooked me. “Hey! Wally!” came a whisper. “It’s me, Sunset. Can we talk?”

Sunset? Why would she be showing up at my door at–I glanced at my pad–2:00 AM? She was maybe the only one I could trust here.

Right? I could trust her?

Or I was about to die.

Swallowing nervously and hoping I wasn’t making a huge mistake, I got out of bed and opened up the door. “What?” I hissed.

Sunset pushed the door partially open. From what I could see she was wearing pajamas, same as me, nothing else. “Not out here. Lemme in.”

“...fine.” I moved aside to let her in.

She closed the door gently behind her, then sauntered over to my bed and sat down on it. “C’mere, Wally… we need to talk about something,” she said in a quiet voice, patting the side of the bed next to her.

My face flushed as I sat next to her. “D-do we really need to sit on the bed for this?”

“Aw, Wally, don’t be silly,” she said as she offered to wrap an arm around me, to which I assented after a moment. She set it down around my shoulder and pulled me in, making my blush intensify. “We’re just two girlfriends sitting here chatting, right?”

“G-g-g-girlfriends. R-right.” My throat dried out, making me desperately wish I had some water to drink. “What did you want to talk about?”

She drummed her fingers on my shoulder for a couple of moments. “I wanted to see what all you remembered. You know how we woke up today, our minds all messed up and shit?” I nodded. “Well, you apparently remembered who a few people were, and you remember stuff from before all this…right?”

“Yeah, like…” My face drooped. “The Memory Stone.”

“Hey. Hey.” She held me closer and set her cheek against mine. “That was years ago, Wally. That’s all in the past; it doesn’t matter now. What matters is our friendship, okay?”

“...right, sure.” I let out a quiet sigh. “What’re you getting at?”

Sunset shrugged. “I just wanted to see if you remembered anything more recent. Like your therapy with Pear Butter, or, well, anything really.”

I shook my head. “No. I don’t remember anything. I know I’m not in high school anymore.” I frowned. “Wait, how old am I?”

Sunset chuckled and gave me a quick squeeze. “Twenty-five, Wally, same as me.”

“Wow.” I looked down at myself, a little defensive that I was wearing the same sweater I wore in high school.

Then again, it was a good sweater. I liked this sweater. I kind of liked the idea of having a bunch of copies of it in the closet.

“So, I guess that means I’ve got a lot of memories missing, huh?”

Sunset nodded, and to my surprise she smiled a little. “Yeah. And, well, given the situation we’re in, it’s probably for the best that you don’t remember certain things. It should keep you safer, you know?” She snorted. “No, you wouldn’t, which is the whole point. Dumb question, sorry.”

“Uh…” I stared at her, confusion written all over my face. “I don’t get it.”

Sunset eyed me for a moment, then her eyes narrowed, a sensual smile gracing her face, sending my heart skipping a beat. “Just trust me, Wally, okay? I remember most of it, and it’s pretty hard for me to talk about. So if you remember just little bits and pieces? Don’t say anything to me, all right? It’ll just make things worse.”

I nodded, understanding right away. “Yeah. I wouldn’t want to trigger you.”

Her lips quivered in amusement. “No. You wouldn’t.”

I shuddered as her touch on me increased ever so slightly in pressure. Between that and the way she kept…looking at me… I was feeling weird. Strange.

Like I was into her or something.

Which was ridiculous.

“S-so, Sunset,” I ventured, “what if I remember everything all at once?”

“Oh, that?” She let out a low chuckle that caused my heart to race, my mouth parting open in surprise. She pulled back, regarding me seriously (but god I couldn’t keep myself from seeing a spark in her eyes that made me shiver). “If that ever happens, come see me privately, okay?”

She gave me one last squeeze, then suddenly was up and out the door, closing it behind her before I could even blink.

The sudden lack of warmth next to me left me shivering in the cold as I stared after where she’d gone, completely flabbergasted. I’d never been… she’d never… what was…

“What?!” I whispered. “What the hell was that?”

The confusion left me spinning, my mind shaky and ready to collapse. She hadn’t even done anything but look and sit and touch but here at night in this intimate, dark room, feeling safe in the middle of a nightmare…

What had I forgotten? What was Sunset to me?

I fell over in bed, half ready to fall asleep right then and there.

At least, I thought I could, til I realized I was still a little too warm for comfort under the blankets. I tossed them off, but it didn’t help.

Sighing, I headed for the bathroom to take a cold shower. Hopefully I’d be able to get some sleep after that.

Hopefully.

Author's Note

And so we see the finale to the prologue. Next time we'll be getting into Chapter One, and the mysteries will truly begin. As a heads up: all murders in this story are solvable before the trial, *if* you pay attention to clues throughout the narrative of the chapter as well as to the clues discovered during investigations.

Thank you all especially for your amazing and wonderful support thus far. The last story never even once cracked the featured box and this one ended up third overall for a while. As an obscure crossover that runs counter to many themes of the show, that's huge, and I appreciate it a lot.

Another thank you to DaOtterGuy for extra pre-reading help on this chapter.

03. Chapter One: “Lost Memories in the Desert Sands” Part 1

Chapter One:

“Lost Memories in the Desert Sands”

Part I

At some point, probably due to exhaustion, sleep did finally claim me, because I awoke the next morning in a cold sweat. Nightmarish images of Monohuman dragging me around the neck by a rope while everyone ignored my screams for help echoed in my head as I leapt out of bed and back into the shower, trying to scald it all away with hot water.

After burning parts of my skin off and accomplishing nothing for my lingering nightmares, I tossed on a fresh set of clothes–which for some reason were duplicates of the outfit I wore the day before, right down to the missing threads in the sweater, as if someone took our outfits and clicked copy and pasted them into our dressers–and proceeded to carefully leave my room.

Never know when one might be planning an ambush.

Sunset must’ve already left because I spotted her door slightly ajar, and poking inside revealed she wasn’t home. I made a note to chastise her for that later; leaving the door open like that is suicide.

It idly occurred to me that I was settling pretty smoothly into this kind of mindset. There was something familiar and comfortable about being in a place where I had to guard against constant danger lurking around every corner.

Maybe losing my memories was a blessing, if this was the way I was used to living.

As I left the dorm, I came across Pear Butter, who was just leaving the other dorm building. “Good morning, Pear Butter,” I said, happy to see at least one person whom I knew would be friendly.

Pear Butter jerked at the sound of my voice, then her eyes locked on me like the descent of a frigid winter blizzard sweeping in with no warning, instantly dumping a foot of snow on my proverbial doorstep. “Miss Blush,” she said, her voice just as cold.

I recoiled, my eyes filling with tears. “Wha–what did I do?”

She opens her mouth as if to answer, then her glare withers further, like smoting me with acid. “Just… stay away from me,” she snapped, before rushing off to the Mess Hall ahead of me.

I watched her go, feeling like my heart had just been stomped on.

“Wow. She’s such a good therapist!” Sour Sweet blurted behind me. “Not!”

Fluttershy stepped up and reached for my hand, which I allowed her to take. “Oh my, are you all right, Wallflower?”

“No. No, I’m not,” I said, squeezing Fluttershy’s hand hard enough I heard her mutter a brief sound of pain, but she didn’t pull away. I winced for her and let out a quiet sigh. “Sorry.”

She patted me gently on the shoulder. “We’re all under a lot of stress right now.”

Sour Sweet crossed her arms and cast Pear Butter’s departing form another glare. “What a bitch.” She turned to me and smiled warmly. “Sooo! You want to hang out with us?”

“We’re going to meet Derpy and eat together for breakfast,” Fluttershy added. “You look like you could use the company.”

“...uh, sure, all right,” I said, shrugging lightly. Normally I’d want to eat with Sunset, but after my brain did whatever it did the previous night, hanging out with others was probably a good idea. And I could trust these two, right?

I eyed Sour Sweet. “Since when do you two hang out together?”

“Oh, well, Pear Butter’s suggestion that we try to avoid people we know seemed like a good one,” Fluttershy said. “And I don’t know Sour Sweet very well.”

“And we have soooo much in common! We’re nice!” Sour Sweet’s face fell. “I’m so nice I forgave how much of a cheater you were at the Friendship Games…”

Fluttershy tittered. “Now now, Sour Sweet, that was ages ago. You’re not still mad about that, are you?”

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. “Nooo… guess not.”

The two of them kept up a stream of chatter as we walked over to the Mess Hall, passing by various other volunteers as we went.

Volunteers. That’s what we were called, anyway. That we volunteered for this program, which was co-opted by Monohuman. I still couldn’t understand how that was possible without alerting the ponies and whoever else was part of setting this up. Were they just not paying attention? Were we that isolated?

Maybe we were. Maybe that was the point. It’s not like I had any idea where in the world we were. A desert with a mine and all the signs were in English, that’s all I knew. And those could just as easily have been faked, falsified for the sake of the setting. We could be somewhere in the mountains in South Amareica, or the Goatbee Desert, and we’d never know.

As we stepped into the Mess Hall, I saw someone had laid out a buffet table of goodies, with a sign reading, “Courtesy of Monohuman!” But my eyes were especially drawn to one of the nearby tables, where Sunset sat, glowering down at a plate of food. Shining Armor, Juniper Montage, and Autumn Blaze glanced her way, looking concerned, irritated, and frightened in turn.

Upon seeing us, Juniper waved to get our attention. “Oh, thank god, maybe they can get through to her. C’mere!”

The three of us exchanged uncertain glances, and Shining Armor frowned. “Let’s not make a big scene. I’m sure Sunset has her reasons.”

“Reasons!” Juniper squawked. “Hah! It’s sketchy, is what it is. She tells us she survived some big other killing game just like this one, but then won’t tell us any details?!”

“Because you should already know,” Sunset growled.. “It was big news. Everyone knows about the killing game. Something’s made you all forget, but…” She glanced up. I thought for a terrified second she was looking at me, but I realized her gaze extended past us, to the door. I turned; Rarity had just walked in, awkward distress on her face.

Sunset grimaced. “I don’t know why I was left alone with these memories. But it’s better that way. Because the details are dangerous.”

“Sunset…” Shining attempted, but she raised a hand to cut him off.

“Look,” she said. “I know why you’re asking. I get it. If something comes up where a thing from the first game can help us stay safe, I’ll talk about that. Don’t ask about anything else. We cool?” No one looked satisfied, but no one protested, either. She picked up her fork, eyes sad. “Cool. Now just let me eat in peace, okay? Had a long night.”

Glancing around the room, no one seemed to know what to do; everyone just stood there. But with a grunt and an eye-roll, Sour Sweet moved first. She made her way to the buffet and grabbed a plate. That seemed to kick everyone into gear; Juniper and Autumn Blaze went back to their tables, Shining headed to the buffet himself. Fluttershy and I followed a few seconds later.

Shining Armor nodded to us, clearly hoping to totally move on from the half-argument with Sunset. “Good morning, Wallflower, Fluttershy, Sour Sweet,” he said, giving us a polite nod each. He then gestured to the buffet, which really did look sumptuous. “Guess Monohuman still has some of the butler programming in him and decided to serve us some food.”

“Just don’t expect me to make every meal!”

Everyone in the Mess Hall screamed as Monohuman flashed into existence among us, twirling his baton. “After all, it would be downright lazy of you to not do any cooking for yourselves. But I thought, I am still your Caretaker. I can still provide a little bit. So expect complimentary breakfast every morning. Perfect for filling up before whatever shenanigans the day is filled with. And don’t worry; I would never poison the food.”

He tapped the tip of his baton to his mouth. “Puhuhuhu, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t. Hahaha!”

Then he vanished in a swirl of light.

“Is he going to do that a lot?” Derpy wondered as she walked up to join us.

“Probably,” I said with another weary sigh. “He’s a hologram; he can show up wherever and whenever he wants.”

“He waited until his name was mentioned,” Shining grumbled. “Let’s… try to avoid mentioning him unless we have to.”

I braced myself, half-expecting him to pop out and offer a contradiction, but thankfully we failed to invoke a second appearance. So instead I went about grabbing something for breakfast. I’m not normally a big eater, and usually terror robs my appetite, but for once I was famished. Maybe because I hadn’t eaten anything yesterday. So I piled my plate with fruit, toast, hash browns, some eggs, and a cinnamon roll.

I saw Fluttershy nod with approval when she saw me avoid the bacon, ham, and sausage, and a slight frown as Sour Sweet went for a plate almost entirely full of bacon, with a few strawberries of all things to accompany it. “What? I like bacon. Shut up!”

“No one said anything, Sour,” Derpy said as she got her food, also avoiding the meat.

“Uh huh, yeah, but you’re judging me on the inside, aren’t you?” Sour Sweet insisted as we sat down at one of the tables. “You vegetarians always do.”

“I’m not a vegetarian,” Derpy insisted as she ate her eggs. “I just don’t eat pork.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“There’s nothing wrong with eating meat,” Fluttershy insisted, though her own chosen meal was clearly vegetarian. “We evolved to eat meat as part of our diet. We’re omnivores. I could just never do it, because I love animals so much, but I understand when other people do. It’s just natural.”

Fluttershy’s face flushed red. “I used to eat a lot of meat as a kid. So much my parents liked to call me their little carnivore. But I haven’t for a while.”

“Oh.” Sour Sweet snarfed another rasher of bacon, chewing thoughtfully and swallowing it with a glass of orange juice before shrugging and saying, “Okay then. Shows what I know.”

Fluttershy gave her a patient smile, and went back to eating her fruit.

A fork tapped against glass, ringing in the air. “Okay, everyone, may I have your attention, please?”

Groans filled the mess hall as we all turned to Shining Armor, who stood patiently at the head of the table closest to the buffet. “Thank you. So, after talking it over a bit more with Pear Butter, I’ve decided that we need to establish some official rules, outside of the ones that Monohuman is enforcing upon us.”

“Oh. Great. More crap to deal with,” Cranky sneered as he drank his coffee. “Because we don’t have enough of it already.”

Shining shot him a withering glare. “Monohuman’s rules are all about encouraging us to murder. I shouldn’t have to say this, but none of us want to die, right? And I think I can also safely say that none of us want to kill either.”

“Speak for yourself, ACAB,” Juniper muttered.

Shining’s lips thinned, but he continued his speech. “So we’re going to institute a few things. First of all, we need an evening curfew. There’s no lock on the mess hall but I’m going to insist that no one go inside after 10:00 PM: in fact, 10:00 PM should be when everyone’s in bed, period, apart from whomever is designated as guards for the evening.”

“Whoa, hold on,” Cheese Sandwich interrupted. “Guards? What guards?”

“I’m getting to that. There’s two places that are equally dangerous at night: the Mess Hall and the Clinic. Both have far too many things inside that could be used for murder, so my suggestion is that we post two guards for each one, for four hour shifts. This would be a rotating schedule so everyone would end up doing it eventually–”

“Absolutely not!” Rarity objected. “I need at least eight hours of sleep every night if I am to even begin to approach my day with something close to a reasonable energy level.”

“Same, dude,” Zephyr Breeze agreed. “Gotta get my beauty zees if I’m gonna be Zephyr Breeze, know what I mean?”

Shining scowled. “Look, I know it’s asking a lot, but–”

“It won’t work.”

Everyone turned to Sunset, who had a confident, if sad expression on her face. “What do you mean?” Derpy asked her.

Sunset shook her head. “Guards. They won’t work. It’s a waste of time, trust me.” She turned away, saying no more, but scooting her chair closer to Rarity.

But Shining was clearly not satisfied. “Posting guards is the simplest, most basic…”

“You wanted to hear what I learned from the first game, now you’re arguing with it?” Sunset interrupted angrily. “Guards. Won’t. Work. At best, they’re useless; at worst, they’ll just provide opportunities for murders.”

“I’m gonna have to agree with her,” Cranky piped up. “Look, I’m not one to shy from getting things done if it needs to get done, but what good is guarding stuff at night gonna be if everyone’s roaming around free in the daytime anyway? It’s not like someone’s keeping anyone from taking whatever they want from the clinic.”

“He’s right,” Vignette said with a shrug. “It’s pointless. The curfew’s a good idea though.”

“A curfew only works if people bother to obey it,” Shining pointed out. “And without guards how are we supposed to enforce it?”

“Better question: why the hell would we trust anyone to be a guard?” Sour Sweet asked, glaring. “It’s not like we’re gonna be all ‘oh golly gosh darn it, I guess I have a guard partner and that means I can’t go on my murder spree!’” She adopted a sickeningly sweet expression as she spoke before lapsing into her usual scowl. “If anything, giving people guard shifts is begging for them to abuse it.”

Pear Butter raised a hand and stood. “Ah’m sorry, Shinin’...but they’re right. Ah can’t see guards bein’ all that helpful. Ah’m all for the curfew and Ah plan to obey it, but tryin’ to guard things is a waste of time.”

“All right, all right,” Shining said, shaking his head. “Fine. No guards. But we should still have a curfew. I also think people should stay out of the clinic unless they need to be in there, and there should always be two people going with them.”

“Good luck enforcing that,” Cheese said with a sad sigh. “You’ve got the right idea, my friend, but I don’t think you’ll have much luck.”

“Maybe not on my own… I could use an assistant.”

Zephyr shot out of his chair. “Well, well, why didn’t you ask sooner? I’d love to be your assistant, Shining!”

Shining made a face of discomfort. “I… really, Zephyr, I don’t–”

“Need to thank me? I know. I know. I promise, you’ll have the best help you could ever have with me around!”

Shining let out a slight sigh. “Fine. I could use the help.”

“Great!” Zephyr flashed his fingers at Shining. “I won’t let you down, Shiny Hiney.”

“...don’t call me that. Ever.”

“Sure, sure.”

As we went back to eating, I saw Zephyr wander right over to Autumn Blaze and start chatting with her, wrapping his arm around her and gesturing grandly. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but what little of his lips I could read suggested he was already planning on foisting everything onto her.

I’m a slow eater, so it took me a long time to finish my breakfast–Fluttershy, Sour Sweet, even Derpy were all finished before me and wandered off, leaving just Rarity, me, and Sunset still in the mess hall. This meant that I once again bore witness to an argument between the two.

“Rarity, I don’t understand!” Sunset shouted as she tried to hold on to Rarity’s hand, only for Rarity to toss it away. “Why are you acting like this?”

“That’s what I should be asking you, Sunset Shimmer!” Rarity shot back, her eyes alight with outrage. “Ever since we got here you’ve been running your hands all over me, trying to, to, to kiss me, and you even had the audacity to suggest we share a room! I can recognize if you’ve started to develop some feelings for me–”

“Some feelings?!” Sunset shrieked. “Rarity, I love you!”

“That! That right there!” Rarity pointed a finger right at Sunset’s face. “What… where did this come from? When did this happen? I am a married woman, Sunset!” She held up her hand to show the ring she’d been bequeathed.

“Yeah! To me!” Sunset held up her own hand, only to then gape in horror at the bare fingers. “I know you don’t remember the first game but how could you forget…”

A mighty slapping noise cut her off. Rarity’s face was twisted up in so much rage, so much disbelief, so much anger and hurt I half expected her to lay Sunset out with her fist. But I was still somehow genuinely shocked that she actually struck Sunset at all, even if only with her open hand. “You might be my friend, but something is wrong with you, Sunset Shimmer. You are sick. You need help. And it won’t be from me.”

Rarity marched out of the room, shrieking still in wordless fury.

Sunset fell to her butt on one of the benches, one hand clutching her face, the other held up to her eyes. She looked so lost.

Despite myself I came over to sit next to her. “Hey… you okay?” I ventured.

“I don’t understand,” Sunset said, her eyes filling with tears. “I don’t understand! I…I swore I was…I know I’m married to her.”

“To Rarity? Really?” I raised an eyebrow. “Um, I know I don’t have a lot of memories after high school, but I don’t remember you two ever being all that into each other. I’m pretty sure she was into someone else… some… um…” I winced as the attempt to remember caused a sharp pain instead.

“Applejack,” Sunset said, spitting the name like a curse. “She must still think she’s married to Applejack.” She placed both hands on her face. “We fell in love after the first game. That must be why. No one remembers.”

I placed a hand on her shoulder. “What happened in–”

“I told you, I can’t say,” she insisted. “He’s always listening. Always. It doesn’t matter where we go. There’s no safe spots, no hidden places away from audio or visual recordings, nothing.” She gestured up to the cameras sticking out of the walls and ceiling. “Pear Butter says I’m the one who installed these, to ‘monitor the experiment.’ We’d have all these moments of friendship to show humans. I can’t believe I was so stupid.”

“I don’t think it was,” I mumbled. She looked at me sharply, surprised, and I clarified. “Um. Stupid. I don’t think you were being stupid.” She blinked at me dumbly and I felt my cheeks heating up, but suddenly she grabbed my hand and my cheeks caught fire.

“Thank you,” she said. She gave a quick, tense laugh and I saw her shoulders relax just a little. “I should focus on good things. Friendship. After everything I’ve been through, I’m still lame enough to believe it’ll save us.” I started to argue, but she shook her head. “Good lame. Lame where I’m not just scared.”

I nodded, grateful I was too shy to do what I wanted, which was arguing with her. Just being scared seemed like a pretty good strategy, to me. But she looked so much less miserable, which was scary but nice. “Um,” I said, trying to get off this subject, “I’ve been wondering. I don’t know why I would sign up for this program. Even before it turned into this… game. Do you. Um. Do you know?”

She sighed. “I remember the very start of this. Discussing it, brainstorming. But that was over a year ago. Everything about building it, much less recruiting everyone… it’s gone.” She laughed again, more genuine this time, and ran a shaky hand through her hair. “And Pear Butter says I was the only one who knew who the Equestrians are.”

“What?” I gaped at her. “Just you?”

“Yup. Telling her or the computer might bias things.”

“Well… this is really weird, right?” I ventured. She looked at me quizzically, so I explained: “Monohuman wants to kill the Equestrians. So… so the last thing he’d want is for the only person who knows to have their memory erased. Right?”

“Oh. Yeah.” She grimaced towards her feet. “That occurred to me, too. But I don’t know what to make of it. Or your amnesia. You remember the least, and you get the headaches.” She grunted in frustration, kicking a nearby pebble. “It doesn’t make sense! Everyone else seems to have forgotten the last game. I remember the last game, but forgot most of everything since then. Why are we all different?!”

I didn’t know what to say, but her slide back down into agitation was hard to watch. I decided to try the only potentially useful question I could think of. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

She closed her eyes, sighing. “It’s vague. I was…” She opened her eyes; they were damp. “I was having breakfast with Rarity. We weren’t talking about what happened on the cruise ship, but I was thinking about it. And…” Her forehead clenched with concentration, eyes staring at nothing. “...Something about magic? Equestria. I was going to go through the portal? And I was thinking about my arm…?”

“Your…”

“Oh!” she exclaimed. “That must be it! Healing magic!” She reached over and traced a finger down her own arm, stopping just before the hand that still held mine. “Of course. I was going to go to Equestria for healing magic. That’s how…”

She went silent. She didn’t look distracted or confused or anything, so it felt weird. “Um, that’s how what?”

“Nothing,” she answered quickly. “It’s one of those things I probably shouldn’t say out loud. But this is good; it explains something I’d been confused about since I got here. I was really…” Marveling at her arm, she seemed to suddenly notice for the first time that our hands were clasped. “Ack!” She pulled away, grimacing. “I was touching without asking! I’m sorry.”

My hands were cold without hers in them. Empty. I felt an instinct well up inside me, and I couldn’t help it. I grabbed her hands back. “...It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

She stared back at me, her cheeks aflame just like mine. We held our gazes for a while, before she finally pulled away again. “...sorry,” she repeated. “We um, we should… get out of here. Find something to do.”

I wanted to take her hands again, but the moment was gone, and so was my courage. “...okay. I haven’t seen the kitchen yet.”

She shrugged. “All right, let’s go check that out.”

We wandered over to the kitchen, which was through a set of double doors with inset circular windows, the kind you usually see in fancy restaurants. Stepping through, we were surprised to find Cheese Sandwich and Juniper Montage wiping up the place. There were plenty of dirty, used dishes scattered around the kitchen, which was laid out precisely as I expected it would be, with several prep tables, an industrial sized pair of ovens, a huge hot table line, several stoves, and a huge cleaning area with a built-in dishwasher.

“Oh, hey there, Sunset, Wallflower!” Cheese greeted. “How’s it going?”

“Uh, great… what’re you doing?” Sunset asked.

Juniper rolled her eyes and jabbed a thumb at a door on the far end I hadn’t noticed. “Looks like Monohuman posted a bunch of new rules this morning. Shining noticed it and made Zephyr tell us to clean up.”

“Clean up?” I muttered as I stepped closer to look at this new rule set.

Pantry Rules:

#1: The kitchen must be cleaned up every morning after breakfast.

#2: Any food taken from the pantry that was not part of Monohuman’s breakfast preparations must be consumed in full if opened. No snacking and putting things back!

#3: The pantry and kitchen lock at 10:00 PM and will not reopen until 8:00 AM. Anyone inside the kitchen at this time will be considered a trespasser.

#4: Any instance of trespassing will be met with summary execution.

“Huh, that’s interesting,” Sunset murmured. “It says anyone inside the kitchen will be considered a trespasser. Doesn’t say anything about the pantry.”

“The pantry’s in the kitchen,” I pointed out.

“So why list the pantry and kitchen separately in the first part of the rule if the second part assumes it means both?” Sunset shot back, crossing her arms. “Sorry if that’s pedantic, but shit like that saved my life more than once last time.”

I wasn’t convinced, but I also wasn’t about to argue. So instead I tried to open the pantry door. “Wha–it’s stuck!” I said, tugging on the door several times before I finally managed to push it open.

“Not stuck. Warped,” Sunset pointed out as she examined the door frame. “See, it doesn’t fit in the frame anymore. Good luck getting this door open from the inside if you’re ever… stuck… in…”

She turned deathly pale. “I… we need to get out of here. Please.”

“All right…” I followed her as she fled the kitchen, into the wider Mess Hall, and sat next to her when she collapsed at a table, her whole body sweaty, her face coated in it, heaving and panting like she thought air was going to vanish at any second.

I recognized that sort of reaction right away. Something triggered her, badly. “...I’m here if you need to talk about it.”

She shook her head. “Can’t. But… Thanks for getting me out of there. Let’s, let’s not go in there again unless we have to. Please.”

I nodded, and carefully helped direct her far away from the kitchen, but I wasn’t sure where to go. Faintly, I could hear music, and we found ourselves following it directly into the admin building open wing. Beautifully played intricate notes wafted down the corridor from the vicinity of Pear Butter’s office. I noted with interest the white noise machine wasn’t on; I don’t think I could’ve heard the guitar as clearly if it was.

As much as Pear Butter might be angry with me, I felt the need to listen to her music for a while. She possessed an amazing skill with that guitar, and it was soothing. I saw Sunset react similarly, calming down as she listened to the music.

“Maybe I should play with her sometime, if I can find my guitar,” Sunset said. “I used to be really good with one.”

“Used to be?”

She shrugged. “Well, still am, I think? I’ve not had many chances to practice, especially since I…” Like I noticed yesterday, she took a long moment to stare at her left arm. “...never mind.” She coughed into her hand. “I’m thirsty; want a soda from the machine?”

The thought of bubbly caffeinated sugar water dancing on my tongue sounded pretty good right now, so I agreed. We went into the break room, only to find Cranky sitting there on one of the couches, a half-drunk mug of coffee in his hands. More steaming coffee awaited in the coffee maker, the bitter liquid smelling awful to me.

“...great, it’s you two,” he sighed. “Look, I’m trying to be left alone in here, do you mind? I called this room. It’s my own little cave. Got everything I need. Coffee, music…” He picked up a home decorating magazine and vaguely waved it around. “...reading material.”

I raised an eyebrow. The magazine looked to be at least thirty years old. “Are you really going to read that?”

“Cover to cover! Nice and boring. Boring’s good. Keeps away young people.”

“Sorry, we just wanted a soda,” Sunset said as she strode over to the machine. For a moment I feared we’d need change, or worse, some kind of Monohuman token, but no, the machine simply dispensed without fanfare. She got a standard cola while I went for one with cherry flavor.

“Hmmph,” Cranky harrumphed, his voice sour. “You got your soda. Now get out.”

“Is there a reason you’re being so rude?” Sunset demanded, hands on her hips. “It’s not like you own this room.”

Cranky stared at her for a long moment, working his mouth like a cow chewing a cud, before he set his mug down. “Look. It’s nothing personal. But the whole thing this Monohuman has us doing, trying to get the ponies to show themselves so they can die, it requires us to talk to each other, right? We don’t talk, no one learns anything. And I dunno about you, but I’m not expecting people to start killing at random; people don’t kill unless they have a good reason. So.”

He picked his mug up and brought it up to his lips, taking a drink. “I’m staying in here where I don’t have to talk. That way, I don’t risk anyone trying to kill me… and I avoid any temptation for myself.”

I recoiled, feeling sick. “You didn’t seriously just say you might kill someone.”

He shrugged. “Look, I’m old, kid. I’ve lived a long time. I’ve seen a lot of things go down. I’ve seen people I thought were complete pacifists suddenly start beating the life out of someone. I’ve also seen people fly into a jealous rage over love, or lash out ‘cause they’re afraid. Right now? I’m terrified. Last thing I want is for my life to end in a shitty place like this. So why risk it? I don’t want to hurt anyone, but… if I knew… would I be able to resist?”

He sighed in irritation. “Damn it, this is exactly what I didn’t want to do. Get out before I throw you out…please.”

Sunset looked ready to commit some serious violence as we left the breakroom, her ears practically steaming. “What an ass,” she snarled. “Acting like he owns the place…”

“He’s right about one thing,” I said quietly, cutting off her angry rant before it could really begin. “Anyone is capable of anything… aren’t they?”

Sunset looked back at me, and for a moment I could tell she’d checked out. Like she was reviewing memories, looking things over before returning all of a sudden. “...yeah. You’re right. He’s right. But it’s still a public place… he should stay in his room if that’s what he really wants.”

“Maybe he’s smart enough to realize who the obvious pony is and he’s just biding his time till he can kill you.”

I leapt half a foot in the air as I turned to see Vignette Valencia, a satisfied smile on her face, standing there leaning against the door with her arms crossed. “If I wanted to kill someone to escape, I know it’s what I’d do.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Sunset snapped.

Vignette chuckled, uncrossed her arms, and took a few steps forward to poke Sunset in the chest. “I’m talking about you, Sunny. We all know you’re a pony. Everyone knows it. It’s like the most obvious secret. I’m shocked Monohuman hasn’t just gone ahead and executed you himself; you’re just a walking free chance for a Pure Blackened to escape.”

“E-excuse me?” Sunset replied, her voice quieter, her face pale and drawn.

Vignette shrugged. “Of course, I’m not going to do it, but maybe you should watch out for Wallflower here. You’re spending so much time around someone so quiet… you never know what she might be capable of.”

“Wha–hey!” I objected. “I’d never hurt Sunset! She’s my friend.”

Vignette nodded. “Right, of course. How could I forget? Silly me. It must be the desert heat; it really does a nasty thing to a girl’s brain. Not to mention her hair.” She ran a hand through her hair and sighed.

“I trust Wallflower,” Sunset insisted.

“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm,” Vignette replied, as if she wasn’t even listening. “Look, Sunset, it’s a compliment, really. You’re a special one. You have natural charisma.” She for some reason rolled the r and accented the final syllable. “People have hope when you’re around. You’re not expendable like… certain others.” She did not look in my direction, but somehow the words were clearly directed at me.

“...you’re weird,” Sunset grumbled. “Come on, Wallflower, let’s go.”

Vignette gave me a little wave with the tips of her fingers and blew me a kiss as Sunset took us through the Mess Hall and out into the desert sun.

“Grrph,” Sunset grunted. “What even was that? Was she threatening you, or was she threatening me?”

“She might have a point,” I said after a moment. “Because–”

Sunset hugged me. Hard. “It doesn’t matter,” she said. “I don't care what rules we’re subjected to…. You’re still my friend. We’d never hurt each other, right?”

I slowly brought my arms in to hold her. “No… no, we wouldn’t.”

But I couldn’t completely convince myself. I’d hurt Sunset before. And in the years I’d lost, who knows what else I’d done. Did Vignette somehow know more about me than I knew about myself? Did she know about the terrible things I’d done?

Even in the blaring sun, even in Sunset’s embrace, I shivered.

Author's Note

Aaah, getting into the story proper now. It's been wonderful seeing you all speculate on the story; I missed getting to see such speculations after the original story came to a close. Truly it's one of the most satisfying parts of writing a story like this, is seeing you all analyze and try to figure out the mysteries. You're all great readers, and I thank you.

04. Chapter One: "Lost Memories in the Desert Sands" Part 2

Chapter One:

“Lost Memories in the Desert Sands”

Part II

Sunset and I didn’t get to hold each other for very long before a familiar tone rang through the complex, making Sunset shudder.

DING-DONG BING-BONG

Monohuman’s grinning face popped up on every monitor in the area. “Attention! Attention! This is your Caretaker Monohuman. Please report to the stage in the central plaza immediately! I have a wonderful announcement for you all. Attendance is mandatory.”

“Oh god,” Sunset moaned as the screens winked off. “I think I know what this is. Here we go again…”

“What, what is it?” I asked as Cranky left the breakroom, pushing his way past us. Out the corner of my eye I saw Pear Butter exiting her office, giving me a nasty look as she walked past us, guitar in her hands still.

“...you’ll see soon enough,” Sunset said, her words dripping with bitterness. “Just don’t take anything he says seriously, okay? Just… don’t.”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” I snarked as we made our way towards the plaza.

As we approached and everyone crowded in, Sunset brought out her pad, tapping a couple of keys. “What’re you doing?” I asked her.

“Getting ready to record this,” Sunset said. She held up the pad. “Turns out these things can record and play audio, so I’ve been using it to make notes. Keeping track of things… trust me, it’s important. Every little thing matters.”

Curious now, I pulled out my own pad. I’d more or less ignored the thing after first reading the rules, since I wanted nothing to do with it, but a proper examination showed she was right. It also had a section for typing in notes, and even an app for drawing things with an accompanying stylus I hadn’t realized was built into it.

And now that I knew I could take notes, I decided to start doing just that. Record observations, keep track of things people said to me… maybe I could use those to help figure out some of my lost memories.

If I wanted to figure any of them out. Given how easily I took to paranoia and caution… just what in the hell was I forgetting?

Zephyr Breeze was the last to arrive, strutting up and tossing finger signs at various people. “Hey hey, everybody, the Breeze is here, so don’t you sweat.”

“Oooh, lovely, a waste of space has arrived,” Sour Sweet snapped.

“Aww, come on, no need to be so harsh on him,” Cheese said, clapping a hand to Zephyr’s shoulder. “He’s just being friendly.”

“Too friendly…”

Monohuman’s hologram swirling into existence silenced the crowd. “Now now, my dears, no need to bicker about minor inanities,” he said as he swirled his baton around, pointing briefly at Zephyr and Sour Sweet before setting it back down and leaning on it. “Not when we have something much more fun to discuss. Actually, two things. First is really quite simple.”

He snapped his fingers and everyone’s pads bleeped. Since mine already had the screen on, I saw a notification pop up about a new survey. Checking it showed it was a series of simple questions, basic ones about what people thought about their first couple of days, how they were getting along, enjoying accommodations, etc etc. Nothing important.

And apparently I wasn’t the only one who thought that, judging by all the groans from the crowd. “Seriously?” Juniper Montage said. “Is this what you brought us here to waste our time on?”

“Not at all,” Monohuman said with a dismissive wave. “But don’t forget to answer the survey by the end of the day--that’s 10:00 PM for those unaware. Speaking of unaware, does anyone here not know about the new pantry rules? Ignorance of the rules is no excuse…” He held up a hand to his mouth. “Puhuhu, I would so love an excuse to execute one of you for breaking the rules.”

Fortunately it seemed everyone was aware of the rules, as no one bothered to speak up.

“Ah, a shame,” Monohuman said, seeming to deflate. “And I was looking forward to it too… oh well. Time to move on to the real reason I brought us together… and this one, you should find very exciting, oh yes.”

I saw Sunset tense, and found myself tensing as well, so much so my lower back hurt.

“What, what is it?” Autumn Blaze asked.

“Why, nothing other than our very first motive, of course!”

Sunset cursed under her breath. “Yep, I called it,” she muttered.

“Motive?” Zephyr spoke up. “I don’t get it. What motive?”

Everyone else looked at him as if he was a complete moron. “He’s obviously talking about a motive for murder,” Shining said with a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I expected him to do something like this. It’s not enough to give us all these rules… he has to drive us towards it.”

“Of course he does,” Cranky grumbled. “This guy must love bloodshed.”

“That you are most certainly correct about, Mr. Doodle,” Monohuman said, nodding to Cranky. “What is life without death? And what fun is there in a lack of violence, in peace?” He spat the last word like it was a piece of filth. “So, before I can go into the details of how this first motive works, I must let you in on a little secret.”

He waved for us all to come closer, and without thinking about it, most of us leaned in a little to hear him better. “This is not the first killing game! This is, in fact, the second that has been held.”

Everyone stared at him, some in shock, others in mute bemusement, and a few, like Sunset and myself, in a manner asking ‘So what?’

“Then Sunset wasn’t just making up a bunch of crap to act out?” Juniper asked. “She was being serious?”

“Of course I was being serious, Juniper,” Sunset snapped. “I’ve been through this before. I’ve seen people kill. I’ve seen trials, executions, more dead bodies than you’ve ever seen in your life! And I’ll be damned if I’m going to let it happen again!”

Monohuman let out a massive sigh. “Oh please, Sunset, we just went through this yesterday during the rules announcements. Please don’t waste our time with a repeat performance. We all know you’re just as helpless now as you were then.” He looked right at her. “Puhuhu, there’s nothing you can do. People will kill… maybe they’ll kill you. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Then I’d no longer have to deal with your pointless heroics.”

“Please,” Sunset retorted. “If there’s one thing I am, it’s a survivor. You even said it yourself yesterday. Even if… god forbid, even if the killings start again, I’ll figure out who did it. I’ll stop them, just like I did before.”

“Oh yes, I’m sure you’d love to do that, wouldn’t you?” Monohuman grinned toothily. “You sure seemed to enjoy sending people off to their executions last time, wouldn’t you say?”

Sunset took a step back, her jaw falling open. “N-no! I didn’t mean it like that! I hated doing that… it was one of the worst feelings of my life.”

“Then why bother declaring you’ll investigate every crime, hmm?” he asked her, pointing his baton at her. “You know, I do believe you’re placing a target on your back. Everyone is hearing what she says, yes?” He set his baton down and scratched his chin. “Then again, if someone properly eliminates a pony, which is the whole point of this exercise, there won’t be a need to investigate. The only true need will be if someone kills a human.”

He slapped one end of the baton on his palm. “Very well then. In that case, investigate away, Sunset Shimmer, to your heart’s content. Make it clear to anyone who kills how much you’ll work to stop them from getting away with it. I’m sure that places you under no chance of threat whatsoever.”

Sunset crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll deal. I always do.”

Monohuman shrugged in an exaggerated fashion. “As you wish. Now, with that pointless digression out of the way, allow me to announce the motive! Specifically, the motive is this: an extra-special prize awaits you if you can recreate the first murder from the first killing game!”

“...oh god no…” Sunset whispered.

“Yes, that’s right. All the materials you need are located in accessible areas, and if you can manage it, an amazing, one-of-a-kind prize will be yours. What is that, you ask? Why of course I won’t tell you. You’ll have to find out. Careful though: if your victim turns out to be human, you’ll still need to beat the trial if you want to escape. Of course… don’t expect me to be on your side if you do that. You’re here to eliminate the enemy, not murder humans.”

He shrugged. “Though really, I do expect to lose a few of you in the process. You outnumber the enemy, after all, so someone’s bound to make a mistake.”

“Question, Mr. Monohuman, sir,” Derpy said, raising her hand.

“How polite! By all means, go ahead.”

Derpy withered under the glares of the others as she spoke up, “W-well, it’s just…how’re we supposed to recreate the first murder if we don’t know the details?”

“Ah, the details. Very important, yes. So much so, I have crafted a few sets of instructions and hidden them about the place. You’ll have to look very closely to find them! Of course, you don’t have to reenact the first game’s first murder in order to kill someone, but you’ll be missing out if you don’t.”

“Oh… that’s… good to know.” Derpy withdrew into herself as she paled considerably. She glanced around and then grabbed Big Macintosh’s arm as he was closest.

“Now, there’s no time limit for this murder–even though the real one occurred within the first couple of days–so feel free to relax, enjoy your scavenger hunt looking for the clues, and put together the crime. I’m eager to see if any of you can do it.” He tapped his baton once on his podium. “Ta ta now!”

As his hologram disappeared in a flash of colors and light, Sunset grabbed my arm while muttering apologies and dragged me as far away from the crowd as possible. “Sorry, sorry,” she said, brushing me off afterwards. “But I needed to speak to you privately.”

Grimacing and rubbing my arm where she’d yanked it a little too hard, I replied, “Why?”

Her pained face told me more than mere words could. “I… shouldn’t say. Look, just trust me, okay? We need to stick together right now. I want to keep you safe.”

“...alright.” It was true, I could use a bit of a safety net. And if Sunset Shimmer really had been through something like this before, and survived where presumably a lot of people died, then she knew her stuff.

She and I wandered, chatting for a bit about possible ways we could help keep people safe, with Sunset giving as much help as she could despite being unable to disclose information about the past game. “I really wish I could,” she said, “but revealing information to others has been used against us before. If I tell you about something in the past game–”

I raised two fingers to stop her. “I get it. So you said guards didn’t work, right?”

As we kept walking, our route took us past the dorms. Out of one of the upper story windows, we could hear Pear Butter’s guitar playing again, something somber this time, almost mournful. The strength of emotions conveyed by it almost had me crying, and from the looks of it, the same was true of Sunset. “She’s so good with her guitar,” Sunset murmured.

“...yeah…”

Shaking her head, Sunset looked back at me and replied, “Yeah, guards didn’t work.” Then she frowned. “Well, not exactly. It’s… complicated. It both did and didn’t…the way it did doesn’t make up for how it didn’t, I don’t think.”

I stared at her quizzically. “What?”

“Nevermind, it doesn’t matter. Point is, guards won’t work, but maybe…” She glanced at the two of us, then at a couple of other pairs of people walking around, like Cheese Sandwich and Zephyr, or Juniper and Vignette. “Maybe sticking to pairs?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea,” I said, nodding in understanding. “So then that way we’re safer, we… know who it likely was that killed someone, and if one of us is the mastermind of this whole thing then we might even learn some clues about that.”

Her head snapped to look at me, her eyes narrowed. One of her fists began to curl. “...what did you just say?”

That was a good question. Where had that idea come from? I scratched my head. “Uh, well, I uh… I figure someone’s gotta be behind all this, right? And since the only ones who’re supposed to be here are the sixteen of us, that means one of us is the one that’s done this, right?”

Her hand immediately uncurled, the look in her eyes fading as she nodded in understanding. “Oh, right… that didn’t occur to me. Good thinking, Wallflower.” She grinned and patted me on the shoulder. “We’ll have to bring it up with everyone at the next meeting.”

Which, I realized after glancing at my pad, wasn’t long from now. “It’s about lunch time anyway. We should get over there and make something.”

“Right…just have to remember the pantry rules,” Sunset muttered to herself. “I don’t get that rule… why does it matter if we use up an entire package? It’s like a restaurant kitchen–not everything gets used up right away.”

“Maybe it’s to force us to make larger meals, to make it more likely someone gets poisoned?” I suggested. “Or at least force us to spend more time around each other.”

“Probably the latter,” Sunset said, sighing. “Trying to stay away from everyone… doesn’t work.” She glanced at me and for the briefest of moments, I saw… tears? But then she looked away and they were gone, so maybe I was imagining it.

When we entered the kitchen, we found we weren’t the only ones working in there, so we ended up pooling together with Juniper, Vignette, Cheese, and Zephyr to make a whole bunch of sandwiches; Zephyr tossed anything not fully used up in a baggie to take to his room, muttering something about always having to midnight snack to maintain his beauty sleep. A pot of Prench onion soup was also slapped together to accompany the sandwiches.

We brought the platter and pot out to the group table, to the appreciation of many, especially Shining Armor, who after briefly checking over the sandwiches, nodded in approval. “Good variety, good choices.” He glanced around. “No one here’s allergic to onions, right?”

A chorus of noes answered him. “Good. Well, let’s sit down and eat, everyone.”

“Hah!” a voice protested from across the room. Trixie stood in the doorway, fuming. “Clearly none of you know how stupid you’re being! But Trixie is great and brilliant, so she doesn’t trust this meal!” She stomped to a table and sat down at it, alone, glaring at us with suspicion and contempt. “She brought her own food!”

Sure enough, she brought out a plastic bag with slices of bread and personal-size little cups of peanut butter and jelly and promptly made her own sandwich. It looked frankly pathetic next to what we made for everyone. She took a bite, smug and triumphant.

“Are you seriously trying to isolate yourself from everybody while also simultaneously trying to call as much attention to yourself as possible?” Juniper called over.

“Trixie contains multitudes!!”

“Oh, just ignore her,” Cranky grunted. “It’s her business if she wants to be paranoid.” That made decent enough sense to me.

“So, Pear Butter,” Sour Sweet said, a rare soft smile on her face. “You’ve been playing your guitar a lot lately. It’s really beautiful.”

Pear Butter chuckled bashfully. “Y’all can hear me when I’m playin’ in my office? Goodness, thought closing the door would block it out. Ah hope Ah’m not buggin’ anyone.”

Cranky opened his mouth to speak, but Derpy beat him to it. “Oh no, it’s so beautiful!” Cranky grumbled and rolled his eyes but thankfully decided not to comment after all. “The sound goes into the mess hall when the door’s open,” Derpy continued, oblivious. “I could even hear you out in the courtyard, when you were playing that song earlier. It was so sad, it made me want to cry.”

Zephyr burst into tears, slapping his hands to his face. “Oh it made me cry, alright. Cry for my mommy…Mommmyyyyyy! Come save me mommy… I don’t wanna die!”

Cranky sighed. “Lord, save me from these idiots…”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes and patted her brother’s shoulder. “...there there, Zephyr.”

Zephyr immediately perked up and gave her an overly enthusiastic hug. “Oh thank you thank you, Flutter Butter, you always know how to cheer me up.”

“Anyway,” Juniper continued after glaring at Zephyr, “I was wondering where you learned to play.”

“And for that matter, how’d you end up keeping your guitar?” Rarity asked politely. “I brought my keytar with me but it went missing yesterday.”

Pear shrugged. “Can’t rightly say, but Ah can tell you Ah’ve been playin’ mah whole life, off and on.” She smiled softly. “Ah even won over mah husband with this here guitar. Played him a catchy song and ended up tellin’ him Ah loved him for the first time.”

“Awww…” Rarity, Fluttershy, and Sour Sweet all said with matching expressions. “That’s so adorable!” Sour added, though her face fell as she muttered, “But I bet you miss him right now.”

“...Ah do. More than you know, Miss Sweet,” Pear Butter said, her expression dimming. “He passed away years ago, savin’ mah life. Sometimes Ah wonder what things might’ve been like for our kids if Ah’d died with him… Ah almost died as it was.”

“... I heard about that incident,” Cranky said, giving her a frown. “My condolences…I always thought it was a shame. Bright Mac was a good kid.”

I glanced at Big Macintosh, who’d drawn his left fist by his side, his right clenching his sandwich hard enough to spill contents out the sides of the bread. “...eyup,” he muttered, sniffling.

Pear Butter sighed a little and smiled at everyone. “‘S’alright. Was years ago now. Ah miss him, sure, but it ain’t like Ah can’t talk about him. ‘Sides, Ah’d rather remember the good things and be happy.” Somewhat suddenly, she cringed slightly. “Gosh, Ah’m still a little embarrassed y’all heard me playing so often. I’ll try to have my noise machine on when I want to play. Ah’d lose a big piece of mahself to not be able to make music.”

“I used to think that too,” Sunset sighed. “But…” She glanced at her arm again and fell silent, then lamely added, “I guess I got used to not playing.”

Pear Butter raised her eyebrow in skeptical suspicion. “Huh. Funny, ‘cause you’re the one who wanted everyone to try to play together.”

Sunset gaped at her, baffled. “I did?”

‘Ohhh,” Cheese spoke up. “That’s why you asked me what instruments I could play!”

“Had to know what to put into the music shed,” Pear Butter confirmed. “You thought it’d be symbolic if ponies and humans made music together. You still wanna do that?”

“No!” Sunset exclaimed. “No. No shows, no events. They’re dangerous.” She rubbed the back of her neck nervously and glanced at the floor. “But everyone should get their instrument if playing alone would make them happy. I remember how it felt to jam on my own.”

Pear Butter just nodded. “Ah think so too.”

Mutterings of interest rose from the crowd. “We’ll head down to the shed as a group after the meal,” Shining Armor said.

“We should speak up now, while everyone’s in a good mood,” Sunset said, elbowing me.

“...right.” Sighing, I raised my hand. “Everyone, we have a suggestion.”

The conversations fell away immediately, all eyes on me. I squeezed my eyes shut momentarily, taking several shuddering breaths and using every anti-anxiety method I could think of to keep from shutting down and fleeing, then opened my eyes again. “Sunset and I were thinking about how to stay safer, and we decided it might be best if everyone went around in pairs at all times, with no one alone.”

“That’s right,” Sunset picked up to my everlasting relief. “The idea behind it is it would make it less likely anyone would try to hurt anyone else, because we’d have a far better idea who would’ve done it, and, err…” She looked back at me.

“If it turns out that the person behind this whole game is one of us, we’ll have a much better chance of figuring out who they are,” I finished.

A number of faces tightened at that statement, especially Pear Butter, whose lips thinned so much they practically disappeared.

Vignette held up her fingers to make air quotes “You really think it’s that simple? Just pair us up and ‘whoever’ is behind this will be stupid enough to show themselves?”

“Even the smartest of criminals eventually make mistakes,” Shining retorted, crossing his arms. “I think it’s a great idea.”

Autumn Blaze opened her mouth and everyone, myself included, braced for the coming storm. “Oooh yeah, and then that way we can totally get to make new friends this way! Cause okay, I know, I know, we’re not supposed to really be asking much of each other so no one figures out who might be Equestrian because that’d be such a good way to get yourself killed and that’d be such a bummer I know I wouldn’t want to die just because someone thought I was Equestrian so really sticking together in pairs is great because then we’re never alone and no one wants to be alone being alone sucks it’s the worst.”

Cheese laughed and clapped Autumn on the shoulder. “Girl’s got a good head on her shoulders. I’m with her. Besides, I already know who I’d be sticking with.” He pointed a pair of finger guns at Zephyr.

“Haha, you better believe it, Cheesy!” Zephyr said, pointing right back. “Cheesy and Breezy ain’t never gonna be broken apart!”

“I think it’s a good idea too,” Derpy said as she scooted her chair closer to Big Macintosh, which did not go unnoticed by the huge man, judging by the flush that came to his cheeks. “I’d feel safer that way.”

“Oh my, yes,” Fluttershy agreed. “It’s a splendid idea. I can start helping draw up schedules if people want to rotate–”

“Hold it up there, little missy, not everyone agreed to this,” Cranky said with a disdainful snort. “Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not exactly the pairing-up type.”

“Yeah it sounds like such a great idea!” Sour Sweet chirped, her face plunging into anger. “Until your partner kills you! It’s stupid. We’re better off grouping up however we want.”

Trixie slammed a fist on the table. “Trixie does not trust a single soul among you and this will not compel her to stop being by herself!”

“Ah agree with them. Ah think it’s a stupid idea.”

Everyone stared in shock as Pear Butter made her declaration. “Wait, what?” Shining demanded. “What the hell, Pear? I thought we were on the same page on things.”

“Not on this one, Shining, Ah’m sorry.” She scowled at everyone till her eyes focused on me, her lip curling up in the most hateful sneer, completely ruining the beauty of her face. “Ah find this idea mighty suspicious, in fact. Feels like somethin’ that stinks. Like that guard duty Sunset warned us about. How do we know this won’t just result in someone gettin’ to know someone else so well they end up realizin’ who they are and murderin’ them and gettin’ away with it? Huh? Or how do we even know there is someone behind this that’s playin’ with us? Ah refuse to believe someone capable of runnin’ a show like this would be stupid enough to subject themselves to the same risk they’re puttin’ us through.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Shining said, glowering at Pear with a look so disdainful it gave the impression he was about to clap her in handcuffs and haul her away. “That is the biggest crock of shit, Pear Butter, and you know it. We already agreed not to get to know each other. Sticking to pairs won’t change that. But it could potentially save lives.”

“Only if everyone obeys the rule. And Trixie already said she would not!” Trixie intervened.

“It’ll still protect the ones who do obey it,” Derpy said, scooting even closer to Big Macintosh.

“Not against a murder trial, it wouldn’t,” Sour Sweet said. “Not if there’s too many refusing.”

Rarity crossed her arms. “Well how could you possibly know–”

“How many won’t follow it?” Cranky said, groaning. “Listen, kid, have you been paying attention? At least four of us have said we won’t. I’m sure not. I have my cave, I’m sticking to it.”

“And Ah sure as shootin’ won’t be followin’ it,” Pear concluded. “And that means even if everyone else did you’d still have a minimum of five murder suspects. Assumin’, of course, that it weren’t someone else that did somethin’ behind someone else’s back when they looked away for a few minutes. We ain’t always gonna have eyes on each other. Bathroom breaks, sleepin’, eatin’, any number of things’ll distract people.”

“Oh horseshit,” Shining snapped. “All of that is complete horseshit. I--”

“Funny, you sayin’ horseshit insteada bullshit like most folks,” Pear interrupted, a brief mirthless grin on her face. “Is it ‘cause they say it like horseshit in Equestria?”

Shining recoiled, visibly shaking with rage. “Excuse you?” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “What the fuck are you saying?”

“Well, ain’t the Equestrians horses?”

Shining’s face twisted up further, a vein visibly pulsing on his forehead. “No, they’re ponies. Huge difference.”

“Pretty sure a pony is a type of horse…” Cranky grumbled.

“Um, and Twilight said there’s other animals, too,” Fluttershy very hesitantly piped up. “Dragons and talking cat-people and yaks and lots more.” She shuffled her feet. “I asked her a lot of questions about the talking cat-people.”

“This is not the point and you all know it!” Shining snapped. He whirled back to Pear Butter. “What the hell are you doing? There’s nothing more dangerous than throwing around accusations and who’s from Equestria and who isn’t! Why are you acting like this?”

Pear Butter huffed and stood up from the table. “Ah’m makin’ a point, Shining Armor. And that point is, y’all can’t be trusted to do the job you’re pretendin’ you can be, if all I have to do to upset you is stick you a few times with a few well placed words. Imagine if we were somewhere way up high, like a catwalk or somethin’, and you tried attackin’ me ‘cause I provoked you. All I’d have to do is step out of the way then push you over.”

Everyone went quiet at that, a cold, dark feeling settling over the crowd. Shining stood up as well. He stopped shaking, and when he spoke, his words came out in a frozen monotone that made me cling to Sunset just for a modicum of warmth. “Are you threatening me, Pear Butter?”

Pear rolled her eyes so hard I almost thought they’d pop out of their sockets. “If that’s what you’re takin’ away from all this, Shinin’, you’re an even bigger fool than Ah thought you were.” She pivoted on her heel and left the room, heading for her office.

No one remained at the table for long after that, save for those responsible for clean-up for this meal. I sat there awkwardly for a moment, but then I heard a faint sound coming from the direction of the admin wing. Pear Butter was playing her guitar again. Gritting my teeth, I decided to just go to my room.

Halfway down the dormitory hallway, a voice called out from behind me.

“Wallf–OOF!!”

I spun around to see Derpy lying face-down on the floor. She groggily pushed herself up to her knees, then gave me a grinning thumbs up. “I’m okay!”

I approached her cautiously, but when she reached up it was pretty automatic to just take her hand and pull her up to her feet. She tittered, blushing slightly. “Thanks! Hey, so even though everyone’s mad and stuff, I still wanted to go to the music shed and get my instrument. And I wanted to see if you wanted to come with me! Do you play anything?”

“Um, yeah. The guitar, a little.” It was embarrassing even saying that. “I’m not very good.” There was a weird pause before I remembered she had asked me something else. “Oh. Yeah. I guess, let’s go.”

Beaming, she led me to the music shed, on the opposite side of the succulent garden from the dorms. It seems that at least one other person had the same idea we did, as we met Juniper exiting the shed, a synthesizer tucked under her arm. Derpy waved and Juniper, after an awkward glance around, waved back.

“Oh wow,” Derpy greeted, “nice synth! How long have you been playing?”

“I don’t really play,” Juniper answered, somehow both awkward and haughty. “I mostly just use it to compose. Film scores.”

“That’s pretty cool,” I said, surprising myself by meaning it.

She shrugged. “I try to practice every aspect of filmmaking. I used to only want to be an actor, but the craft and artistry are amazing, and I can’t bear to limit myself. Every job is important. No one wants to grip, but the difference between a grip who cares and one who’s slacking off is just…” She caught herself, then chuckled. “Uh, sorry. I’ve been trying not to annoy everyone talking about movies, but it’s hard.”

“No, it’s really interesting!” Derpy assured her. “Let’s talk later. I wanna hear about gripping!”

Juniper nodded. “Well, I bet you don’t, actually, but I appreciate it. I’ll think of something more interesting.” She waved and headed on her way.

Derpy smiled after her and went into the shed. I followed, marveling. She wasn’t charismatic like Sunset or Fluttershy, but it was still so easy to like her just from pure, cheerful friendliness.

I got a little nervous. That was a dangerous skill in a killing game, wasn’t it?

“Found it!” Derpy announced. She was off next to the wall, holding a music bow in one and and a… something in the other hand. It looked like a handsaw.

“Is that…”

“It’s a singing saw!” Derpy declared happily.

I noticed there was a cable attached to the saw. Unable to speak, I pointed.

“It’s electric,” she confirmed. Giggling, she pointed to another wall.

There was a sign there with a list of instruments and names.

Guitar: Sunset Shimmer, Pear Butter, Trixie, Bic Mac, Wallflower Blush

Synthesizer: Rarity, Juniper Montage, Cheese Sandwich

Accordion: Cheese Sandwich

Electric saw: Derpy

Violin: Shining Armor

Tambourine: Fluttershy

Turntables: Cranky Doodle

“Electric saw,” I read aloud. “...Sorry, I was just surprised.”

“Wait until you hear me play!” she boasted just a little facetiously, and again her natural likeability shone. “C’mon, let’s find you a guitar.”

We searched, but I kept one eye on her at all times. She was just being really nice, and it was kind of weird, and I didn’t want to be stupid.

The search was a loss anyway. There were no acoustic guitars; there wasn’t even a place for them to be stored. We did find three electric guitars, but I certainly had never played anything like that. “Shucks!” Derpy grunted. “I’ve seen Sunset playing an acoustic guitar, but I guess being in a band with Rainbow Dash’ means she mostly thinks about electric. Oh well, maybe you can borrow Pear Butter’s?”

I looked at her in sharp surprise, and she wilted slightly. “Or not.”

“It’s fine. Like I said, I’m not any good anyway.” I headed out the door and she followed; I made sure she never got too close. We turned off the lights, stepped outside, and closed the door. Then we stood there.

“Uh. I guess I’ll get some sawtime in,” she said. “Haven’t practiced in a while!”

I nodded, but she still didn’t move. Instead, she blushed. “Wallflower, do you, um, remember me?”

I gawked at her. “...no?”

“Oh. It’s just, we’re kinda friends. Or we used to be. I wasn’t really sure myself.”

I frowned. This could be the innocent explanation for her niceness, but I couldn’t get the doubts out of my head. This could also be a lie to make me let my guard down. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember. Everything’s gone after high school, so I just remember Sunset, Rarity, and Fluttershy. If we met in the past few years, it’s blank.”

“No, we…” She caught herself, then fell silent. Finally, she said, “It’s fine! I just wanted to ask. Thanks!” She turned and quickly began walking away. “Gonna practice, bye!”

I watched her go and felt weird. Had I hurt her feelings somehow? Was she faking it? I felt like a jerk for not trusting her and for forgetting her, even though none of that was my fault. It made me want to sulk.

I knew I wouldn’t feel like showing up for dinner that evening after the big blow-up fight earlier anyway, so I headed to the kitchen and snuck a couple of sandwiches and a container of soup back to my room, and ate there. Still, I could only spend so long stuck in a nice room without having access to some kind of actual television or the internet, so I found myself getting up around eight or so to go for a walk.

I kept to the well-lit paths, fully aware I was fighting a deep, ingrained instinct. I really didn’t like thinking of shadows as unsafe. When I saw Rarity and Vignette walking towards me on the same path, I forcefully tried to feel relieved they were out in the open instead of skulking around and being suspicious.

It didn’t work. I was mostly struck with a vague panic that I didn’t know how or when to acknowledge them. I shifted my path to keep from plowing into them and fretted whether it was worse to wave too soon or too late.

“...well, you know how she is,” Rarity was saying. “Everything has to be completely practical. Do you remember when you called her stetson an ‘accessory?’ She has to pretend she has no fashion sense just to keep up her image…”

I was glowering before I knew it. They were just openly talking about their shared past, even though that was against the rules. (And they were talking about stuff I didn’t know or care about, which made the imminent interaction even more nerve wracking.) Still, as we neared one another, I looked up and tried to make eye contact and do something approaching a smile.

“...but once she starts giving actual feedback, it’s invaluable. Why just this winter, I asked her…” And they just kept walking, right past me. As if I wasn’t even there.

I stopped in place, staring back at them. I was offended and relieved in completely equal measure. They didn’t even notice me. Rarity kept talking, cheerfully and nervously.

They didn’t. Even. Notice me.

Just as I was getting over my shock about that, and just before they turned a corner, something else happened. Rarity was looking up, admiring the sky. Vignette glanced back, directly into my eyes, and smirked. Then they were gone.

I stood there for a minute or so, just dealing with my bafflement. Being ignored was awful, so it was wonderful she noticed me. Being ignored was safe, so it was terrifying she noticed me.

While I was still addled, the universe decided it still wasn’t done with me. A voice called out from behind me, “Hey, pick a card.”

I stiffly turned around. Cheese Sandwich stood a meter or so away, holding out a deck of cards. I wanted to ask him how he snuck up on me so quietly, but I realized that would sound paranoid so instead I didn’t say anything.

Cheese grinned awkwardly. “Pick a card,” he repeated, even more awkwardly.

I reached out and took a card. It was the four of diamonds. I handed the card back and he shuffled it into the deck. “So!” he declared. “Hey, so Shining Armor asked me to talk to you. Or, well, actually he asked Zephyr, but Zephyr was going to be too busy planning things, so he asked me.”

“Talk to me?” I asked.

“Yeah! Because of your memory loss, see if there’s stuff you need help with. I was supposed to talk to you and Trixie, but whoa, talking with her did not go well. She…” He paused, glancing at the cards with obviously feigned confusion, then he nodded as if suddenly realizing something. “Ohhhhh. I can’t find your card, because….. It’s in your left sleeve!!”

I gazed at him, nonplussed, then rolled up my left sleeve. There was obviously no four of diamonds in there.

“Oh, well, shucks,” Cheese groused. “I thought for sure that would work.”

I rolled my sleeve back down, giving him a side-eye. “Trixie does magic, right?” I asked. “Did she teach you that trick?”

“No, no, mostly she just told me she didn’t trust me. Many times. Then she yelled. Um.” Cheese frowned, then grinned again. “But! I thought hey, maybe I can do magic too! But I guess I can’t.” He shrugged, tossing the cards onto the ground. “So how’s the memory loss?”

“Pretty annoying,” I replied truthfully. He leaned forward as if inviting me to speak more. Grudgingly, I kept going. “I’m mostly just confused about why I even came here. Wherever this is.”

“Oh, well, this is an old, abandoned town!” Cheese said. “In the desert! And… that’s all I know about it. I think they might have bought it to use for this test, but that’s just the rumor.”

“They bought an abandoned town?” I asked.

Cheese could only shrug. “Wanted it to be really remote, I guess. It took a couple of hours to get here in those pod things.” Before I could even think of asking about the pod things, he continued. “And I dunno why you agreed to come! I just know why I did. And it’s… to meet you!”

I took a step back involuntarily. “Me?!”

“Yeah! Well, not just you. Everyone!” He flung his arms out. “See, I’ve always felt like there’s someone out there who can show me… y’know, what I’m meant for! So this idea was great, I get to meet a whole bunch of ponies and people and whatevers! And maybe it’ll still work out. I guess my thing isn’t magic, but maybe it’s something else I’ll find here.”

I squinted at him; he was just the oddest mix of gregarious and awkward. “Good luck, I guess,” I mumbled.

“Thanks!” he replied, all sincerity.

“Well, you can tell Zephyr to tell Shining Armor that I’m okay,” I said, hoping he would pick up the hint.

“Will do! But I’m glad you’re doing good, too!” He waved, then walked past me toward the dorms.

Feeling exhausted, I finally got started on my walk.

It took a while to feel better, but eventually I did. I found my way to the garden-like area of succulents, and as I wandered, the tumult in my mind slowly eased. Even if succulents weren’t my favorite kind of plants, they were still cute, adorable little things, with their spiny segments for defense and unusual shapes, all to hold onto their modicum of water. I admired them, in a way. They had no issue showing the world exactly who they were, challenging it, and telling the world to fuck off if they tried messing with them.

I could only wish I’d had even a sliver of that courage.

“Wally?”

Spooked for a moment I spun around, fists up, only to let out a sigh of relief when I saw Sunset standing not far away, shadowed in the corner of the fences. “Sunset, you startled me.”

Sunset gave me an odd look, then smiled softly, her eyes narrowed just a little. “Sorry, Wally… come over here, hmm? I want to go somewhere… private with you. Just you and me.”

I froze for a second, remembering the last time we’d been alone together at night. My brain had done all sorts of feelingsy things that were completely inappropriate and off.

But even though I didn’t trust myself, I did trust Sunset. I nodded and followed her as she led us to a secluded portion of the gardens, where there was no chance we’d be overheard, save for one of the ever-present Monohuman cameras that turned to point directly at us once it noticed we were present. “So what’s up, Sunset?”

She sauntered up to me, sashaying her hips (no no she’s just WALKING NORMAL stop it brain!) and giving me a coy (friendly! friendly!) smile. “Wally,” she said, her voice low as her hand intertwined fingers with mine. “Can we be honest with each other for a second?”

A strong warmth bathed my cheeks. “U-u-um, s-sure.”

“There’s something you need to know about the first game, related to the motive.” She took a deep breath, steeling herself, and even that looked sexy to my stupid self. “Monohuman wants us to reenact the first murder, right?” I nodded. “Well, how does he expect us to do that if the first victim weren’t with us? But they are.”

A deep cold attacked my bones, leading me to draw warmth off of Sunset as I shivered. “..w-what are you saying, Sunset?”

“I’m saying, Wally… that you were the first victim.”

While a portion of me panicked at the notion, the rest of me found it such a bizarre, ass-backwards statement that all I ended up doing was raising both my eyebrows. “What? That’s not possible. I’m standing right here.”

“In a way it was my fault,” Sunset muttered, looking away for a moment. “I inadvertently encouraged you to isolate yourself entirely, and that led to your death. I abandoned you..”

“You abandoned…” My head was swimming; her expression was serious and haunted. “Sunset. I’m alive. I–”

“I saw it!” she hissed, squeezing my hands tightly. “I’ll never, ever forget. Lying on a dining cart. Still and quiet. With a bloodied…” She shuddered, voice catching in her throat. “A. A bloodied cleaver sticking out of her stomach. The cold, dead body of…”

“Sunset…”

“The cold dead body of Wallflower Blush.” She stared right at me, through me, with hollow, helpless eyes. “Don’t tell me it wasn’t you. Not when I can’t ever forget it.”

I had no clue what to do, so I just blurted out the same thing I’d been saying. “But I’m right here, Sunset! This doesn’t make sense!”

She laughed, a barking, humorless, ugly sound. “Oh, it makes sense. It makes perfect sense. But you…” She looked down at our clasped hands for a moment, and when she looked back up, she seemed a little calmer. “Listen. Just… maybe you won’t be able to remember, and that’s okay. But for the next few days, try. Think about everything I’ve said, and try. If things do come back, talk to me alone, like I said before, and it’ll really help.”

Still baffled and lost, I nodded. “Sure.” The word felt solid. Nothing made sense, but I had a goal, and I could help, and that was something.

She smiled and tilted her head down, resting her forehead against mine. I froze, but she just sighed and said, “You know how important you are, right? I feel like I’d go crazy if you weren’t here.”

She sighed again, and I kept not moving a single muscle. Especially when she spoke again. “Wally.” She just breathed it, like saying it made her calm.

She pulled back but left our hands together. She was smiling, but it became a smirk when she realized my brain was exploding from shyness. “Sorry. I know you don’t like physical contact sometimes. I’ve always been touchy with my friends.”

Friend, right, I thought, Wallflower friend. Friend friend friend. “It’s never really a problem with you,” I mumbled.

“You really do trust me, huh?” she mused. Then she pulled back slightly, quickly. “Why?”

I gawked; she looked kind of stern, but she was still holding me all distractingly. “Why what?”

“Why do you trust me?” she asked. “You know I’m a bad person, right? You remember everything I did in high school and, well, let’s just say I’ve done other bad things since.”

She loves Rarity, I thought. Rarity wife, Wallflower friend. “Sunset, we’ve been friends for a long time. I might not remember everything, but… I know I can trust you. You’re like the only person here I trust at all!”

She frowned, almost angry, and I felt anxiety start to spark in my chest. “Um, you said you’ve done bad things, and… I guess you have. I know you’re not perfect. But you forgave me when I… you know.” I faltered, but she still didn’t respond. Maybe to fill the space and maybe because it was important, I kept going. “Trust is really hard for me. But you’re a good person. I just know it.”

“A good person,” she echoed, eyes oddly dark. “Everybody I meet. They all know deep down I’m such a good person.”

“Um…”

“I guess I’m pretty amazing, huh?” she asked, voice sad but eyes cold. “Would it even make a difference if you knew what I’m capable of?”

I blinked a few times. “What are you talking about?”

Sunset’s beautiful face screwed up in anger. “You have no idea what I’ve done.”

It suddenly hit me: she had lived through a killing game. “Oh… oh God, Sunset. Did you have to…”

She glared at me, then realized what I was saying and shook her head. “I’ve never killed anyone. I did something worse.”

“Worse?”

“Just one instant.” Her voice was shaky, not like before when she was upset. I recognized this. It was self-loathing. “No hesitation, I just acted, I did what my heart told me to do, and it was the cruelest… … it was the worst moment of my life and it was my own stupid fault!”

She squeezed one of my hands hard enough to hurt, prompting me to pull it away. “Hey, that hurts! Be careful!”

Sunset let out a quiet sigh. “Sorry, Wally.” She grabbed for that hand again, stroking it gently. “I just want you to… to be careful. So promise me something, okay? Let’s be safe about this.”

“Safe? What? Sunset, you’re not making any sense. What are you talking about?”

She squeezed my hands again, and stepped close enough to press her body against mine. For a moment, our body heat mingled in the cold air of the desert night. I’d never been this close to another human being and it felt… strange. But good. Very good.

She leaned her face in, close enough our lips could touch (bad thought bad thought). “Promise me you’ll never mention this conversation to anyone, ever. We can never know who might overhear, alright? They could misinterpret things.They might use the information against you. You have to be vigilant in a game like this, if you want to survive. So be careful who you trust, okay?”

“...uh, sure.” Wallflower friend Wallflower friend Wallflower friend. “Sure, okay. I’ll be careful. I promise.”

She smiled, then patted my face with her hand. For a moment, her lips pursed and I thought she was going to--but no, she was backing away. “That’s my good girl, Wally. Now run along. Get to bed.”

My whole face steamed hotter than a furnace as I nodded and blitzed my way back to my room. I found myself huffing and puffing as I closed the door behind me, feeling waves of cold and warmth running through me in equal measures. And there was an uncomfortable tightness in my--

…shower. I needed a cold shower. Stat.

I tossed off my clothes and hopped in, using the spray to drown out the evening, especially Sunset. She was married to Rarity and cared too much about her to give up on her. I was just being stupid, seeing things that weren’t there. I had probably gone and fallen in love with her like an idiot.

No, what mattered was what she told me about the first game. How I was the victim. How was that possible? How did I die--

“Aaah!”

I stumbled and hit my elbow on the side of the shower as a stab of pain surged through my head upon thinking about it.

Then I held my hand to my head and moved it down. No. The pain wasn’t in my head. It was in the back of my--

“AAAH!” This time I avoided banging my elbow, but I almost slipped despite the no-slip mat.

I ended up sitting down in the shower and switching it to warm water just so I could recover. The pain had been excruciating, like some of the worst pain I’d ever felt. Trying to remember this was clearly a bad idea. And who wants to remember how they died anyway?

Feeling more confused than ever, I got out of the shower, toweled off, and tossed on some fresh underwear and pajamas. I curled up in bed, covering myself up in every blanket and turning the heat on in the room for good measure.

It took me a long time to fall asleep, and when I did, all I dreamt of was the sound of ocean waves and the slow, steady thrumming of a ship’s engines.

Author's Note

One of the funnest parts about doing a sequel to a previous killing game is referencing things that happened and using them to promote characters acting differently, trying to make up for mistakes from before in the hopes of potentially saving lives. JCarp and I are both quite happy with how things turned out as a result with this part, especially with Wallflower herself; props to JCarp for helping to keep her characterization squarely on point, something I still struggle with when it comes to her.

05. Chapter One: "Lost Memories in the Desert Sands" Part 3

Chapter One:

“Lost Memories in the Desert Sands”

Part III

DING-DONG BING-BONG

“Good morning, volunteers! Rise and shine, greet the day, and let’s keep the feelings of friendship and harmony alive!”

I blinked as I sat up, glancing at the clock. I’d never heard that announcement before, but… I’d also never been up at 7:00 AM either. And it wasn’t a voice I recognized. Maybe it was a leftover from before the takeover. It sure felt like one.

I managed to get out of bed, toss on some fresh clothes--that is, yet another copy of my usual outfit--and headed out of my room, hoping that maybe I was up early enough I wouldn’t run into anyone. I kept shivering as I walked through the early morning desert sunlight towards the Mess Hall, hoping I wouldn’t run into anyone so I could grab breakfast and go. It was only as I approached the doors that I remembered the pantry rules said it would be locked till 8:00 AM, meaning unless Monohuman had already set up the breakfast meal, I was shit out of luck.

Even worse, as I opened the door, I found myself face to face with Derpy. She smiled warmly and waved, rushing over to me. “Oh there you are, Wallflower! I was worried when you disappeared yesterday.”

I dodged her attempt to take my hand, my face paling a little. After Sunset’s warning last night, I wasn’t about to let just anyone touch me, even someone as friendly looking as Derpy. “Uh, hi…yeah.”

She cocked her head to the side, her eyes briefly crossing, then shrugged. “Well anyway, you wanna join me for early breakfast? Looks like the food’s ready already.” She jabbed a finger towards the tables where the same sort of slick setup from earlier laid again, though a few things had been swapped around, as I hadn’t recalled seeing fried mackerel or natto yesterday.

“...sure, I guess,” I said after a moment, though I’d be watching her.

“Awesome!” Derpy tried to link arms with me, but after I dodged it again, she simply shrugged and kept smiling. “Sooo, Wallflower, what’s got you up so early?”

“Went to bed early,” I muttered as I approached the food bar.

“Oh. I always get up early. I like to go on early morning runs. It’s easier when there’s less chance of me running into people.” She giggled and pointed at her eyes.
I smiled a little. Even if I was scared of her right now, Derpy was too sweet. “I get it. It’s the same reason I only go to the gym when it’s night time. Fewer people, especially in the locker rooms.”

Right as I sat down, Fluttershy and Zephyr Breeze walked in, chatting amiably. “Oh, good morning, Wallflower, Derpy,” Fluttershy said, waving. “Mind if we join you?”

“Sure!” Derpy said before I could respond.

“Hey, hey, Wallflower!” Zephyr said as he scooted out a chair next to me before I could protest. “We haven’t had a chance to speak one on one yet.”

“...yeah. For good reason,” I said with a dark scowl.

His face crumpled like a two-year old who’d just had his candy stolen out of his hand. “H-hey, there’s no need to be hostile like that.”

I glared at him for a moment longer, but spotting Fluttershy giving me a slightly pleading look, I sighed and said, “Sorry. Just… tense.”

“I hear that. This whole place has me filled with the heebie jeebies!” Zephyr shuddered even as he took a bite of an egg sandwich. He continued to talk with half his mouth full. “I can’t imagine why anyone would do such a thing to us. You can’t deprive the world of Zephyr Breeze!”

I looked back at Fluttershy, raising my eyebrows as if to ask, Really?

Fluttershy patted her brother on the shoulder. “There there. No one’s going to kill you, Zephyr. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Oh, you will?” He dropped his sandwich onto his plate and grabbed both of Fluttershy’s hands. “Oh Flutter Butter, whatever did I do to deserve such a cool older sister like you?”

Thankfully, before I had to witness even more of his shenanigans, Shining Armor entered the Mess Hall and made a beeline for me. “There you are,” he said. “I went by your room and you weren’t there. I’ve been looking for you.”

I couldn’t react for a moment. He wasn’t being particularly stern or forceful, but he exuded this authority that left me feeling weak. Finally, I picked up my plate and followed him to a table in the corner, making sure Fluttershy, Zephyr, and Derpy could see and hear us clearly; just because Shining was a cop wasn’t a reason to trust him. “What do you want?”

Shining paused for a moment to chew some of his food before responding. “You noticed the, err, disagreement that Pear Butter and I had yesterday, I take it.”

I stared blankly at him. “I don’t think there’s a person within five miles that didn’t notice,” I quipped.

“...right. Anyway, I want to make amends with her. I still don’t understand what exactly her issue with the suggestion was, but I want to find some way of compromising with her.”

I took a few more bites of food. “Okay, so what’s that got to do with me?”

“Well.. she seemed to already have a good relationship with you when you first showed up after being missing,” Shining pointed out. “I thought if anyone–”

“Yeah, well, maybe then we had a ‘good relationship,’” I interrupted, venom coating my words, “but not anymore. The very next day she became a complete bitch towards me. I don’t know why.”

“Really?” Shining popped another piece of bacon in his mouth. “Maybe that’s part of why she disliked the plan, since you suggested it. It’d be damned petty on her part if it was, but… she seems like a petty person.”

“Sure seemed like it,” I agreed. I snarfed down some more food. “So I don’t know what you expect from me.”

“Well, even if she’s being petty like this, she might be willing to hear you out. Or at least give you a chance.” Shining finished off his plate and sipped his coffee. “I’ve already tried to speak to her once but she refused. I don’t think I’m going to get through to her without someone’s help.”

“Why not try Big Macintosh? Isn’t he her son?”

Shining shook his head. “If there was one thing Pear and I both agreed on, it was trying to keep our distance from people we already know well. Even if she’s spending any time with him, I don’t think he’d listen… he doesn’t say much.”

I let out a frustrated sigh as I finished off my own meal. “So I’m your only option, huh?”

“Looks that way.” He eyed me over his coffee cup. “So, you going to help me?”

I stared back for a good few moments before sighing again. “Fine. I’ll try to help mom and dad get back together.”

He stared at me blankly. “Mom and…” He realized what I meant and glowered; it was the most unplanned and genuine thing I’d ever seen him do and I instantly liked him a little bit more. “I’m much closer to your age than Pear Butter’s.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I stood up. “I really will help. But only because I want to try to see why she’s been so nasty to me.”

“Fair enough. Alright, let’s go find her.”

“Um, excuse me, Mr. Shining Armor, sir,” Derpy interrupted, “but if you’re looking for Pear Butter, I saw her and Big Mac go into the kitchen.”

“Thanks, Derpy,” Shining said as he beckoned for me to follow.

As we entered the kitchen, we found Pear Butter sitting on a stool, strumming away at her guitar while Big Macintosh messed around on the stove with some of the food from the buffet; evidently it wasn’t cooked to his liking. Both of them froze upon seeing us enter, Pear Butter in particular giving both of us a vicious look.

“So much for a bit of privacy,” she sneered as she tucked her guitar behind her back. “Can Ah help you?”

“Um, Pear Butter,” I said, raising a hand. “Shining and I wanted to try to make amends for yesterday.”

Her lips thinned. “Make amends? For what? Suggestin’ somethin’ that might get a whole heap of us killed? Ah doubt very much you care.”

I scowled. What the hell was that supposed to mean? “No, I just want to keep people safe, like Sunset was saying yesterday. That’s why we came up with that plan; we were trying to help. And so is Shining Armor.”

Her lips thinned some more as her glare turned frigid. “Really. Just tryin’ to keep people safe, huh? Ah might believe that out of Shining, but you--”

“Look, Pear, whatever your problem is with Wallflower,” Shining interrupted, “it’s not nearly as important as trying to keep things calm and collected. We made a pretty huge scene yesterday, and I know a lot of people are unsettled now. We keep doing things like that and soon we’ll be drawing lines in the sand.”

Pear opened her mouth to say something else, only to pause when her son set a hand on her shoulder, and calmly shook his head.

Shining took that as a sign to step forward. “I know we have our differences. I’m not asking you to agree with everything I have to say. But you and I are the closest we have to real authorities here, especially since you’re a therapist. You should be helping everyone cope, just like I should. Will you work with me?”

Pear stared at him for a moment, then rolled her eyes. “Fine. Ah guess you’ve got a fair point there, Shining Armor. Ah’ll help you. But lemme make somethin’ clear: Ah ain’t gonna do anythin’ that might endanger mah family, ya hear? Ah mean it. Ah don’t want to lose anyone, least of all mah son.”

Shining nodded in understanding. “Of course, of course, nor would I ask you to.” He glanced at me. “Thank you, Wallflower. Would you excuse us?”

I started to speak up, but Pear Butter’s withering glare prompted me to leave. I stepped out of the kitchen only to promptly bump into Autumn Blaze.

“Oh hi! I was just looking for you!” Autumn said, her eyes aglow with delight. “Guess who’s been assigned to clean-up duty todaaaaay! That’s right, it’s you, Sour Sweet, and me! Oooh this is gonna be good because it means we can chat and I haven’t had a chance to chat with you yet because you seem really good at hiding away from everyone which I mean I don’t blame you for it is kind of scary around here but–”

Out of desperation I slapped a hand to her mouth. “Would you slow down?! Please?” My nerves quivered; this woman’s antics sent me clinging to the proverbial edge.

Autumn’s eyes flashed briefly with irritation before they softened again. She pushed my hand away. “Sorry, I get…excited.”

“Obviously.” I sighed. “Okay, what do we need to do for this cleanup?”

“Oh, nothing yet. Get yourself some breakfast if you haven’t already; we’ll be working once everyone’s done. Just don’t leave the Mess Hall.”

I sat back down next to Sour Sweet, who’d grumpily gathered a plate and was munching on it with supreme irritation. “Ugh, I can’t believe I have to clean up after all these people,” Sour muttered. She suddenly smiled. “Oh, I’m sure I could make it totally spotless!” Her smile crumpled. “Not that I want to.”

“Sorry, Sour,” I said as I went for my second cup of coffee, letting the acrid smell and bitter heat flow through me. “I’m doing it too.”

“I know. Don’t expect me to talk to you; I hate talking while doing dishes.” Sour stared at my cup of coffee, then went and grabbed herself two, gulping one down in a single mouthful. “Aaah, that burns good.”

I stared wide-eyed at that until I heard the sound of a fork clinking against a glass. “Everyone, attention, please,” said Shining Armor. He stood with Pear Butter by his side.

“Oh this should be good,” Cranky quipped with a world-weary sigh.

“First off, y’all, sorry about any tension Ah caused yesterday,” Pear Butter said, giving everyone a soft smile, though it wavered significantly when she passed over me. “Ah know we were havin’ a discussion but Ah made a scene, and Ah apologize for that.”

“Aww, I don’t think anyone was holding it against you, Pear,” Cheese said with a thumbs up. “I know I wasn’t.”

Pear nodded to him. “Thank you kindly, Cheese. If Ah may, before Shining continues, Ah just want everyone to know Ah’m openin’ mah doors to y’all. If you need someone to talk to during this situation we’re all stuck in, just come by mah office. I’ll see you right away, s’long as Ah’m not already with someone. Ah am a therapist, and it’s high time Ah did mah job.”

A small round of applause went around the room before Pear took a seat. “Thank you, Pear. Now, she and I were discussing what was suggested yesterday, and we both ultimately agreed it could do more harm than good. But, we also agreed on a compromise.”

Shining nodded to Pear. “We’ve all been coming to meals pretty regularly. The compromise is, we take advantage of that to do a quick headcount and check in. That way, we can be sure to notice quickly if anyone’s missing. Now, we can’t enforce this, but… it would be best for everyone if we tried to stick to this. This is for everyone’s safety.”

“Trixie refuses!” screeched the expected-by-now complaining of Trixie as she exited the kitchen, carrying more goods from the pantry. “The rest of you sheeple can meet up and die for all Trixie cares, but she will be safer staying away from you.”

“You’re already showing up for meals, anyway,” Sour Sweet griped.

“Well, clearly that was a mistake! My great and powerful self is too great and powerful to be murdered like the rest of you! Trixie shows her vulnerabilities to no one!” She stomped out without another word.

“Okay, dumbass aside,” Sour Sweet said, “I like this plan better.”

“...me too,” Cranky said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but me too. Least it’s better than havin’ someone in my face the whole time.”

A number of nods met Cranky’s words. “Okay, is anyone other than Trixie opposed?” Shining asked. After a moment of no answer, he smiled. “Good. Then it’s settled. Enjoy the rest of your breakfast everyone.”

As I sat back to wait for breakfast to be over, my pad bleeped at me, alongside everyone else’s. I switched it on and saw we’d been sent a survey, the first one I’d seen. This one was asking questions about, appropriately enough, the breakfast bar. Looking over the list most of them were about how much someone liked this item or that item… probably meant Monohuman was looking to pare it down.

“Don’t forget to answer the surveys, everyone,” Sunset said as she went through hers. “It’s still one of the rules; you don’t want to see how Monohuman will enforce the rule if you don’t do it.”

I noticed Rarity gave Sunset a decidedly disgusted look even as she pulled out her pad. Seems she was still holding a grudge against her.

Once breakfast and surveys were finally over, Autumn dragged Sour Sweet and me into collecting the dishes and the leftover breakfast bar food. Some of it was placed into the refrigerators for later snacking but the rest was left in a single box in the pantry. “That’s what he tells us to do,” Autumn said, pointing out the instructions on her pad.

We set up an efficient line to clean the dishes, with Autumn scraping, me washing and Sour Sweet drying, while Autumn chatted about her life. “I know I talk way too much sometimes but I can’t help it. My family were huge about staying quiet; they’d practically gag me sometimes while I was home just so I wouldn’t speak! It wasn’t till after high school and I moved out that I finally got to speak freely at home and ever since I can’t stop. I love hearing my own voice.”

“Pfft, yeah, that’s obvious,” Sour Sweet snorted.

“...I think I get it,” I said, giving Autumn an understanding nod. “Sort of. You weren’t able to be yourself, and now you are, and you’re… overcompensating.”

“Yeah, exactly!” Autumn beamed at me as she handed me the next plate. “I know it can be really annoying sometimes but I just want to keep everyone here cheerful. Besides, this is all just some big prank thing they’re doing anyway; no one’s going to actually die. That’s ridiculous. They’d never let that happen. I’m sure the ponies and humans that put this together are all somewhere giggling at how scared we are… it’s all a big test to see if we can really get along even in a dangerous or threatening situation, I’m sure of it.”

Handing a plate over to Sour Sweet, I asked, “What if you’re wrong? Sunset sure seemed convinced that–”

“Sunset Shimmer helped put all this together, didn’t she?” Autumn countered as she handed me the final plate to clean. “So of course she’s gonna act like it’s serious. She’s gotta keep us on our toes. Trust me, it’ll all blow over, we’ll all be fine and it’ll just be one huge act.”

I washed that plate and handed it to Sour to dry, then turned to leave. Before I left though, I noticed the door to the pantry was ajar, so I shut it tight, then left. In my opinion Autumn was being a naive idiot. She hadn’t seen the fear in Sunset’s eyes like I had. Hadn’t spoken to her at night about things like I had. Either this was real or Sunset was the best actor I’ve ever met.

“Hey, Wallflower.”

I turned to see Sour Sweet behind me, her arms crossed as she leaned against the doors to the Mess Hall interior. “What?”

“...just thought I’d tell you I’m gonna go see Pear Butter for one of those sessions she offered,” Sour said, her expression a match for her name.

I shrugged. “Okay, why tell me?”

“Because you heard Autumn,” Sour Sweet replied, her expression fading into one of fear. “A-And I don’t know if I can believe what she’s saying. I want to, but what if it really is real? What if we might die here?” She sneered. “I’m only twenty-five, damn it. I’m too young to die.” Her sneer faded. “So yeah, I’m gonna see Pear Butter. You should too. Fix whatever shit’s going on between you two.”

She walked off before I could respond to that, but she had a fair point. It might well be worth going to speak with her.

Though the thought of that had me shaking more than a little. I hated confrontations. Confronting Pear Butter in her office, on her turf? Part of me wanted to run away and hide under the covers of my bed.

But the rest of me knew that wouldn’t accomplish anything, so I managed, barely, to pull myself in the direction of her office. Not knowing how long one of her sessions would be, I decided to stop in the break room first.

“Oh come on, you’ve traveled the world!”

“No.”

“But you’re so knowledgeable. I could really use a mentor.”

“Then go see Shining. Or Pear Butter. Or anyone else except me, kid.”

“I’m not a kid, I’m twenty-seven.”

As I opened the door I heard the voices of Cheese Sandwich and Cranky Doodle arguing away. Cheese had his hands up in the air, gesticulating wildly, while Cranky cradled his coffee cup, trying not to snarl.

“Oh, sorry to interrupt,” I muttered, turning to leave.

“No, wait, Wallflower, perfect timing!” Cheese Sandwich said, forcing me to turn back around. “Look, you remember what we talked about yesterday? How I said I was looking for someone to help show me the ropes?”

“...yeah?”

Cranky sighed and set his mug on the table, laying back in his chair. “Look, kid,” he said, addressing me, “before you start trying to help him, didn’t I make it clear to you the other day how much I just want to be left alone? I don’t. Want. To be. Around people. It’s not a hard concept.”

I shrugged. “I wasn’t planning on encouraging him, Cranky.”

He grunted. “Good.”

Cheese Sandwich’s face fell as he looked at me with forlorn eyes. “But, Wallflower… he’s like the best person here! He’s been all over the place: Qilin, Ewerope, Zebrica, even Hosstralia! He’s been to practically every continent and seen and met all kinds of cultures and people. Who else better to help show me the way than him?”

“I’m a high school math teacher, not a world-famous explorer,” Cranky objected. “Just because I traveled when I was younger doesn’t mean I’m any good at teaching you anything you want to know. Unless you want to brush up on the quadratic formula. Or breakdance. But I do not teach my b-boy secrets so don’t even ask.”

I shook my head. “Look, this isn’t my business. You want to convince Cranky to be your mentor, Cheese, that’s on you. Don’t involve….”

“It’s time to practice your accordion, champ!” Cheese interrupted.

My train of thought very effectively broken, I stared at him in bafflement.

“C’mon buddy, get moving, it’s accordion time!” he exclaimed, somehow not moving his lips at all.

Grumbling, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his tablet. “Let’s go!” it blared as he fumbled with it.

“Yer tablet thingie sounds like you,” Cranky observed.

Cheese shrugged, fiddling with the controls. “No no no, I just made a recording and set it as my alarm. It’s more motivating if you encourage yours–”

“HEY, CHEESE!!” the pad suddenly screeched, so startlingly loud I almost fell over. “ACCORDIAN TIME! GE–” Finally, Cheese managed to turn it off.

“Holy biscuits!” Cranky groused. “Helluva set of speakers on these things. What, did you scream into it as loud as you could?”

Cheese giggled, embarrassed. “No, I just accidentally turned the volume up. Hey! But maybe I should! What if I’m a world class screamer?! Hey Cranky, do you think I could be?”

Cranky had already picked up a nearby women’s lifestyle magazine from twenty years ago and stuck his head into it. Unperturbed, Cheese grinned in my direction. “Well, looks like I gotta…”

But I had already started walking away before he could say anything else. Glancing down the hallways I could see Pear’s door was still closed. There was some sort of a small machine just outside her door, and it was emitting a droning, whirring sound, so I couldn’t hear any talking, but I assumed Sour Sweet was still in there. As such I began exploring the rest of the place, as I hadn’t had a chance before.

There were several offices similar in size and scope to Pear Butter’s, albeit they were unoccupied. I wandered about the first one for a while, poking through dusty filing cabinets and checking drawers on the desk, but other than ancient, weathered documents about mining and a few old binders containing records of daily ore loads, processing speeds, fuel consumption I saw nothing of any real interest.

The plants out in the hallway were much more interesting to me… beautiful tall ferns, grown with exquisite care. Whomever planted these knew precisely how to care for plants; I couldn’t have done a better job with all my tools at home. They were perfectly sized for their pots too, except for one; this big one looked like it needed to be planted outside in some decent soil as it was so overgrown it almost covered its pot from view. Unfortunately since we were in the desert there wasn’t much I could do about that.

Maybe I could find some shears and cut this one back without hurting it too much… ferns were sensitive, but it was doable with the right touch.

The door to Pear Butter’s office opened, scattering my thoughts as Sour Sweet emerged. She spotted me and beelined right for me, a soft smile on her face. “Hey again,” she said.

“How’d it go?”

Her smile grew a tad. “I do not go easy on therapists. Lots of yelling and swearing, the usual. But Pear Butter listens. She knew exactly what to say to make me feel better too. I’m still scared but not as scared, get me?”

“I think so. I’m glad it worked out for you.”

“Yeah… good luck if you talk to her. Hope she listens to you too.”

As she walked away, I looked down the corridor to Pear Butter’s office, where I could hear the white noise machine running still. Now was my chance, if I was going to get one at all.
Gathering up what little excuse for courage I possessed, I trudged my way into that office, each step feeling like it took a monumental amount of effort. As I approached the door and looked inside, I saw Pear glancing over a notebook. She looked up at the sound of my footsteps and scowled. “...Ah suppose Ah did say mah office was open to everyone, didn’t Ah?” she said.

“Y-yeah,” I gulped. “...may I come in?”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Take a seat. Close the door behind you.”

I did as I was instructed and took a seat. The seat felt cold, despite Sour Sweet having occupied it just a few minutes before. The white noise machine got softer after she closed the door, and it helped soothe me a little from its constant hum, but everything else possessed an oppressive air, like a place I shouldn’t be in.

Where I wasn’t wanted.

Where I didn’t belong.

So my eyes looked everywhere except her, trying to take in any details I missed. Sure enough, there were a few personal possessions on the desk I hadn’t noticed before, including a set of makeup, primarily foundation and blush, perfectly toned to her skin… I guess even someone as energetic as her needed help looking youthful. The branding on the makeup set looked out of date, just like the sodas in the machine in the break room, which meant she must’ve gotten it from somewhere in the complex. Maybe the pharmacy, given she also had a couple of bottles of aspirin and a bottle of something I didn’t recognize called chlorpromazine.

“So you gonna say somethin’, or are you here just to gawp at mah office?”

Jumping in the chair, I looked right at her and swallowed back my initial rude reply. “I.. wanted to know what the deal you have with me is. You were so nice the other day.”

“That was before Ah realized what was goin’ on around here.” She looked right at me. “Are you scared, Wallflower? Are you terrified?”

“Yes!” I shouted back. “Of course I’m scared! This friggen Monohuman guy wants us to kill each other. Why wouldn’t I be scared?”

“That’s a great question, ain’t it.” Pear Butter shook her head. “You’re really committed to this, aren’t you? This whole facade of yours. If Ah didn’t know better Ah’d believe it too. Yah sure had me goin’ at first with the whole memory thing.”

“...what?” I stared blankly at her, utterly nonplussed. “What are you talking about? I lost my memory, really. I can’t remember anything past high school.”

“And we only have your word for that,” Pear said with a shrug. “And Ah don’t believe you. Not when… well, you know what Ah mean, no matter how much you pretend you don’t.”

“Pear, please, I don’t understand–”

“Do not call me that!” Pear Butter thundered. “You will address me as Miss Butter, since you ain’t got the privilege of callin’ me Pear anymore, you hear?”

I stiffened. “...yes, ma’am.”

“Now, we can sit here all day jawin’ on about this and that, but seein’ as Ah’ve got people Ah actually want to talk to Ah need to counsel, lemme just ask you this one question Ah’ve been burnin’ to ask.”

I gulped. “What is it?”

She sat forward, placing her hands on the desk, her eyes shifting from angry to scared, almost desperate. If I didn’t know better I’d almost even say pleading. “Please tell me you’re plannin’ on sparin’ Big Mac. For god’s sake, spare him his life.”

I stared back, my jaw falling open. It took me far too long before I managed to stammer back a reply. “...Pe–I mean, Miss Butter… I’m not going to kill anyone! I wouldn’t kill you, and I wouldn’t kill someone you love! Why would you even ask me that?”

She let out a choked little gasp. Her face experienced a flurry of emotions until it twisted up in pure rage as she slammed both hands on her desk. “You smarmy little… get out! GET OUT OF MY OFFICE!”

I jumped up out of the chair and fled, and didn’t stop running until I was back outside by the stage, where I collapsed, struggling to gulp down air. I shook all over, my nerves shot.

“Hey. You alright?”

I looked up in surprise at the deep voice booming at me to see Big Macintosh standing over me, concern etched on his face. He held out a hand. “Need any help?”

I backed away from him on the ground till I managed to climb to my feet using the stage. “Ah, ah, n-n-no, no, I…”

I turned tail and ran again, this time not stopping till I’d reached my dorm room, where I fell onto the bed. Heat filled my body, boiling hot, forcing me to strip off my clothes. I stumbled, still gasping for air, into the shower and switched on the cold water, adjusting it so it was lukewarm. Even that was almost too shocking for me, but I needed the shock.

“What the hell?” I asked myself after a short while in the shower, washing away all of my gathered sweat. I switched it over to hot and went ahead and washed my hair for good measure. I planned to leave it wet so it would keep me cool as it dried in the sun. “What is her problem? She’s acting like I’m the one behind all this.”

Which made zero sense. Setting aside how impossible it would be for me to do anything against ponies and magic, and Monohuman calling me the Ultimate Nobody…why? Why would I do this? I would never do this!

…Well, maybe if I was still mad at Sunset like I had been with the Memory Stone, but that was years ago. I got over it. And if I had been mad at her, half the people gathered here wouldn’t make sense; I’d be gathering all the people closest to her, like her other friends, not people she didn’t even know like Cheese Sandwich or Autumn Blaze.

“Maybe I should ask Sunset,” I decided.

Finishing up with my shower, I dried off, then took my morning medicine; I’d forgotten to take it before breakfast. Definitely didn’t want to forget that. I double checked my face to make sure I was still presentable. Yup. Same old Wallflower. Still forgettable, still boring.

Better than being noticeably ugly, I supposed.

As I left my room, I ran right into Sunset. “Oh, there you are,” I said. “I was just coming to look for you.”

Sunset looked at me wide-eyed for a moment, then whispered, “Get inside!” and dragged me into her room, tossing me onto the bed before closing the door.

Immediately my face burned like an inferno. “Sunset!” I gasped. “What’re you doing?!”

She blinked, then slapped her face. “No, no, Wallflower, it’s not–I just needed to talk where no one else could hear.” She rolled her eyes and pointed at the camera in the corner. “Well, no one save him.”

The burn in my face lowered to a simmer rather than a boil. “O-oh. Of course. Silly… silly me.” I chuckled at myself. “What is it?”

Sunset shook her head. “Gotta think, gimme a minute.”

Shrugging, I took that minute to look around, as this was the first chance I’d had to examine her room. It was identical to mine in layout, everything in the same place, just mirrored. She did, however, have a few personal touches; a brief glance inside the fridge showed a bunch of tea drinks and other things she must’ve swiped from the pantry. She’d hung a couple of decorations around the room, including a sun symbol that matched her hair in colors.

There were several notebooks scattered about her desk, and a heap of writing utensils piled around it. The notebooks were labeled things like “suspect lists” and “evidence” and “profiles.” There was a small satchel bag sitting nearby, empty and open, ready for everything to be put inside.

“Okay, listen, Wallflower,” Sunset said, her words jittery. Her motions were jittery too, all spastic, like she’d sucked down a ton of caffeine.

“You okay, Sunset?” I interrupted.

Sunset hissed, swiping her hand dismissively. “I’m fine. I just tried to talk to Trixie, and she wouldn’t… ugh.” She shook her head. “Never mind. Please, listen to me. I figured them out.”

I blinked. “Figured who out? The ones behind this?”

“No. The Equestrians. I know who five of them are, who they must be. I, I can’t tell you who, but…”

“But wha–Gaah!”

Sunset bum rushed me, inadvertently landing on me on the bed and pushing me over so she was practically laying on me. Yet there was nothing the least bit sexual about how she held me, despite being on top of me; quite the opposite. She held me like a mother would a lost child found, or how a little girl might cling to a plushie during a thunderstorm.

And then she began to pet my head, and moisture dripped onto my shoulder. “I won’t let them do it,” she declared.

“Huh?” I tentatively hugged her back. “Won’t let who do what?”

“Don’t say anything. I won’t let anyone find out, alright? I promise. I’ll keep you safe.”

Author's Note

Apologies for the late posting this evening; I'm afraid there's been some complications in my personal life. My husband was injured the other day in a debilitating manner and I've been having to take care of him, which has eaten up my time.

Regarding this particular part I want to thank JCarp for really making parts of this fantastic, way better than my original draft looked. The beauty of working together with someone like JCarp is that your styles end up complimenting each other quite well.

For those who are wondering if this story is following the same general layout as the previous one, well... you'll find out next week, won't you? :pinkiecrazy:

06. Chapter One: "Lost Memories in the Desert Sands" Part 4

Chapter One:

“Lost Memories in the Desert Sands”

Part IV

It took a little while for me to struggle out of Sunset’s grip; she was far stronger than me, but as nice as it was to be held, it became too much. “Okay, Sunset,” I said, patting her on the shoulder. “Thanks. I don’t really understand, but… thanks.”

“Sure thing.” Sunset pulled away from me and fixed her hair. “You’re my friend; that hasn’t changed.”

I nodded in understanding, then realized something as I looked in the mirror with Sunset. “Uh oh. I think some of your makeup rubbed off on me.” I pointed to an orange stain on my chin.

She looked herself over in the mirror and groaned, then pulled out a compact. She dabbed something on it, then groaned again when trying to apply it didn’t work. “Crap. I’m out.”

“I think the pharmacy has some,” I said.

“Cool, I’ll get some later.” She jabbed a finger at the door. “Let’s get out of here before I give anyone ideas.” I was smiling and standing up before I even knew it. Thirty seconds past a freak-out, and here she was, charming and confident. I couldn’t manage that at my best.

We stepped out into the oppressive heat and walked over toward the mess hall. Sunset led us into that building’s shade. She glanced around, then sighed. “Have you seen Trixie yet, today?”

“No, I don’t think so. She wasn’t at breakfast.”

“Ghhg.” Sunset shook her head, glowering. “I saw her first thing this morning, sneaking around near the music shed. I tried to convince her isolating herself was dangerous, but she just wouldn’t listen.” She glanced over at me with a tiny smile. “I owe her a lot. Um, indirectly. Can’t help worrying about her, I guess.”

I didn’t know what to say, but Sunset seemed fine. We stood in silence for a little while, and I found myself squinting up at the huge, blue sky. I remembered the broken, crumbling road, the one we’d woken up on.

“Where do you think we are in the world, Sunset?”

Sunset shook her head. “Who knows? The stars are the same as back home, so we must be in the northern hemisphere, but… there are so many deserts we could be anywhere. My money's on us still being in the Amareican Union though. Probably closer to Canterlot than any other big city, not that it helps us.”

“Probably,” I agreed, looking out at the desert, which lacked even any distinct flora visible outside the fences. If I’d spotted cacti I could be certain we were in North Amareica, but the succulents in the garden area were from all over the world.

Thinking about the succulents led me to thinking about the ferns in the office area, which led me back to Pear Butter. I let out a weary sigh. “Sunset, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

I looked at her and reached out for her hand, taking it for reassurance while I put my words together. “Do you… have any idea why Pear Butter is so mad at me? I tried to talk to her about it and she all but accused me of planning to murder Big Mac or something.”

Sunset scowled, though it wasn’t directed at me. “No, I don’t, and it pisses me off. More than that, it worries me. She’s acting a lot like… well, a lot like some of the blackeneds in the last game were acting before they hurt someone.”

I froze. “You don’t seriously think she’s planning to–”

“She might. And that’s why I told you before, I’ll keep you safe.” Sunset squeezed my hand. “Stay away from her, okay? She’s bad news.”

“Fine by me,” I replied, squeezing back in return. “I’ll be better off if I never see her–”

CRASH!

We both exchanged terrified looks. “What the hell was that?” Sunset blurted.

“W-we should go see!” I said.

The two of us ran into the Mess Hall at once, braced for a horrific sight.

And we saw one alright.

Zephyr Breeze, trapped under the massive table...

Moaning from his bruises like a little baby.

“Oh god! Oh lord in heaven! I’m dying… Zephyr Breeze, done in before his time… Flutter Butter… Come to me… I want to see you one last time…”

“Oh for–what happened?” Sunset asked as she started helping Zephyr up.

I looked around the room, spotting Derpy and Big Macintosh standing nearby. Derpy was rubbing her hip and had an embarrassed look on her face while Big Macintosh glared at both Derpy and Zephyr on the floor. At Sunset’s question, Big Mac turned and pointed at Derpy. “Her.”

A red bloom suffused Derpy’s cheeks. “Um, so, I was talking to Zephyr and Big Macintosh about dancing and I wanted to show off one of my dance moves, so I… did. And I bumped the table the wrong way with my hip and the leg just broke off.”

“And it landed on me!” Zephyr whined as he was dragged up by Sunset. “It crushed me like beauty school crushed my dreams.”

“Quiet,” Big Macintosh ordered. “You and Derpy are gonna help me fix this table.”

Zephyr’s mouth fell open in shock. “Wha–but, but Big Mac, you see these bruises, right? I can’t do hard labor like this! I need to rest and recuperate.”

Big Macintosh grabbed Zephyr by the front of his shirt and dragged him over to a closet on the far side of the room. “You’re helpin’. Get the tools.”

“...fine…”

While Sunset scowled at Zephyr, Derpy pulled me slightly aside, her face still redder than a tomato. “Wallflower! I really messed up.”

“What were you really trying to do?” I asked her. “You weren’t dancing for no reason.”

“...I… might’ve…been trying to…seduce Big Mac? Just a bit?” Derpy held her finger and thumb up an inch apart, then dropped her hand as she doubled over with a sigh. “Oooh, why am I even bothering? He won’t even look at me.”

I glanced over at Big Macintosh, who seemed more concerned with glaring at Zephyr and the broken table than Derpy. “I… I’m not into guys, Derpy, I can’t tell you what he’s thinking. Maybe ask Rarity? I think she likes guys as much as she likes girls.”

Derpy looked up at me, smiled, and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right, sorry, Wallflower. I uh, I’m just…” she trailed off, tapping her fingers together.

“Why are you trying to seduce him anyway?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Just that lonely?”

“Kind of,” Derpy admitted. “And… I feel safer around him. He’s really big, he’s got those muscles… he could keep me safe. I need that right now… it’s scary around here.”

That I understood perfectly, so I smiled back. “Well, good luck.”

“Thanks,” Derpy smiled back.

Sunset and I walked away from the table, Sunset shaking her head. “I never could stand Zephyr Breeze, but jeez… Even for him this is pretty bad.”

“I still don’t get how the table fell on him,” I replied. “What was he doing, laying under it?”

“He does that, actually,” Sunset said. “Something about it helping his feng shui.” She rolled her eyes. “Please don’t ask me to try to recreate how he mispronounces it.”

As we headed for the Mess Hall doors, they opened up, and I took a worried step back when I saw who had entered.

Vignette Valencia. Still with that same smirk as always, like she knew something we didn’t. She sauntered right up to me, swaying those hips, her lips slightly parted, her eyes drooping just a little, for what I presumed she thought was maximum seduction. “Hello there, Wallywall,” she said in a breathy voice. “Mind if we speak in private?” She leaned in closer, her voice becoming even huskier. “Alone?”

Sweat ran down my face and palms as my mouth dried out. “I, um, I um…well, I…”

Sunset shoved her way between us, pushing Vignette away with one hand to the chest. “No. Absolutely not!”

“Uh, Sunset…” I said.

“Oooh, I suppose you really are laying a claim to her, aren’t you, Sunny?” Vignette cooed with a wide smirk. “Can’t let any other girl get near your precious Wallywall, am I right?”

“Fuck you, Vignette, I’m a married woman,” Sunset sneered.

Vignette held a hand up to her mouth and laughed. “Oh, right, silly me. How could I forget? You and Rarity are so close…oh, wait, what’s that? She hates you and says you’re sick and need help?”

Sunset grit her teeth, her right hand balling up into a fist. “That’s none of your business. Now back off and leave Wallflower alone.”

Vignette rolled her eyes. “Maybe instead of playing the white knight you could let Wallywall decide? Hmm?”

“It’s okay, Sunset, I want to hear what she has to say,” I said, tugging on her arm.

She gave me an aghast look. “No! I told you, I’m going to keep you safe.”

“Look, we’ll be just outside, we’ll even be in sight of others.” I poked my head out. “See, there’s Fluttershy and Sour Sweet. We’ll stand where they can see us.”

Sunset frowned, working her jaw for a moment before finally sighing and nodding. “Alright, alright, just… be careful, okay?”

Vignette grabbed my hand before I could respond. “We’ll be done before you know it,” she said, then dragged me outside and along the wall of the building till we were as far away as possible from Fluttershy and Sour Sweet while still visible.

“H–hey, let go of me!” I said, tugging my hand out of her grip. “I don’t like being dragged like that.”

Vignette shrugged. “A lot worse could happen to you if you keep hanging around Sunset Shimmer.”

I eyed her warily. “What do you mean?”

Fluffing her hair, Vignette replied. “It’s really quite simple. I told you before, Sunset’s one of the six Equestrians. Everyone knows it. She’s a complete freebie; I’m honestly surprised she’s still alive. Like I said before, I wouldn’t kill her, but you think Trixie would hold back? Or what about Pear Butter? She sure seems aggressive lately; she was threatening Shining Armor to his face in front of all of us just yesterday.”

Arching both eyebrows, I replied, “So what? Didn’t you say she had natural charisma? That people liked her and respected her?” I thought back to that encounter and my words turned nastier. “And didn’t you imply I was expendable?”

“Oh, did I say that? My bad, Wallywall,” Vignette said with a distinct pout to her lips. “That was before I remembered how much I liked being your friend. Before you forgot me, I mean; that upset me just a skosh.”

“Uh-huh.” I rolled my eyes, forcing myself to distrust her. She was all over the place but it all just felt so genuine and natural and perfect. “Okay, so what does any of that have to do with Sunset? Like you said, she has natural charisma. She’s a leader. Why would anyone take her out?”

“Why indeed?” Vignette’s grin only widened, even as I noticed out of the corner of my eye Fluttershy heading right for us, a look of concern on her face. “Well, it’s really quite simple. You see–”

“Um, excuse me,” Fluttershy said, looking at the two of us. “Are you okay, Wallflower? You seem uncomfortable around… her.” Her expression darkened considerably as she glared at Vignette.

“Yeah, I’m good, Fluttershy… thanks,” I said.

“It’s just as well; you should really hear this too, Fluttershy.” Vignette’s eyes flashed with amusement. “Or should I say, Flutter Butter?”

“Don’t call me that,” Fluttershy snapped. “It’s bad enough Zephyr does it.”

Vignette held her hands up. “No need to be snippy. I get it.” Letting her hands fall, she continued, “So, as I was telling Wallywall, it’s dangerous to be around Sunset Shimmer. We all know she’s a pony, and being a natural leader–not to mention what was it Monohuman called her? The Ultimate Survivor? Well, all that says to me she’s a prime target to take out. Not only would someone get off scot free as a Pure Blackened, but they’d remove the single largest impediment to anyone else murdering and getting away with it.”

“What?” Fluttershy gasped. “What are you saying? That killing Sunset will make it easier to kill others?”

“Exactly what I just said,” Vignette nodded. “If she really did survive some previous killing game, then she must know how the trials work. She must’ve tracked down evidence, figured out culprits, and had them executed. So if anyone wants to get away with murder around here, taking her out would be a good first step.”

“But listen to what you said!” I argued. “She survived another game. That means she’s good at surviving, too.”

“Under the best of circumstances, maybe,” she replied breezily. “Too bad she’s clearly a huge nervous wreck.”

“But Shining Armor’s a cop,” I said. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to kill him first if that’s what people are worried about?”

Vignette snickered. “Oh, I agree. The smartest move would be for someone to kill Sunset, get away with it, then the next person could kill Shining Armor. Two largest threats removed, and whoever killed him would likely get away with it. Assuming he’s not a pony too.” She reached out to set a finger under my chin. “Very good, Wally… you’re even smarter than I thought.”

“Oh I don’t like this,” Fluttershy said, looking askance at us both. “We really shouldn’t be talking about who should kill who or how to get away with murder. What if one of us actually d–does something?”

“Oh, that’s interesting, how you included yourself in that statement,” Vignette said with a wide shit-eating grin. “Planning something, are we? Hoping to bank on your innocent and shy demeanor to keep people unsuspecting?”

Fluttershy squeaked and hid her face in her hands. “Oh my goodness, no! I couldn’t bear the thought of even hurting someone, let alone k-k-killing them!”

“Leave her alone, Vignette,” I groused. “And get to the point already.”

“I thought I’d made my point clear, but fine,” Vignette said. “If you keep hanging around Sunset, you’re likely to get killed as collateral damage. Or a witness. There’s nothing in the rules saying we can’t kill more than one person at once, and if you keep hanging around Sunset, why… some people might start suspecting you’re a pony too.”

I shivered at the thought. “But I’m not a pony,” I said. “I know I’m not.”

“Do you now?” Vignette eyed me with a sly smile. “Well, if that’s the case, you really should heed my advice. Stick with me, and I’ll protect you, Wallywall.” She leaned in closer and whispered her next words. “Maybe even do more, if you’re interested.”

I took a huge step back. “No thank you.”

She shrugged, crossing her arms. “Hmph. Suit yourself. But you’d still do better under my protection than you would staying around Sunset.”

“I really don’t think that’s a fair way of putting it, Vignette,” Fluttershy countered. “Sunset shouldn’t be left alone, but there’s safety in numbers. The more people around her, the less likely someone might… try to hurt her. Or anyone else with her.”

“True enough…but I still think you’d be better off sticking with me and not her, Wallywall.”

I had to admit, some of what Vignette was saying… were good points. Sunset attracted attention wherever she went; she stuck her nose in people’s business, she shouted, she tried to figure things out…and Vignette was right that she was a pony. If anyone would be a first target…

But she was also my friend! I didn’t want to just abandon her either!

“Err, well…”

“Excellent!” Vignette positioned herself directly between me and Fluttershy, arms around each of our shoulders, and led us to a nearby table.

“Hey! But Sunset’s…”

“Sunset’s got terrible taste in color coordination; she just happens to have very easy colors to work with,” Vignette interrupted, plopping me and Fluttershy down in chairs. She deftly sat across from us, grinning. “Whereas Fluttershy and myself are experts.”

“Oh!” Fluttershy blushed heavily. “I’m not. I mostly just. I mean I do like colors. But.”

“Mm-hmm,” Vignette agreed, sounding amused and like she wasn’t even listening, in equal measure. “But poor Wallflower here needs help. Which, naturally, two shades of green and a brown? It’s a challenge. She’s lucky we’re here.”

I tried to argue, but she was insistent, and Fluttershy seemed to have a genuine interest in it, too. “The most important rule is: you just can’t be sloppy,” Vignette lectured. “For instance, Fluttershy and I. Most people would think our skin tones are very similar. But those people would be dead in a dungeon, if I had my way.”

Fluttershy, who had started to nod, froze when Vignette reached the end of her sentence. “Um. I that might be a little much…”

“Life is a little much, but point taken,” Vignette mused with unearned sageness. “All I’m saying is, little differences can be enough. You and I certainly could never share our makeup, right?”

“Oh no,” Fluttershy agreed, seriously. I wondered if they forgot I was there.

“I’m a much citrussier yellow,” Vignette opined. “Fluttershy’s more of a milky daffodil. I’d look like a neon sign in her makeup, and she’d essentially turn green if she wore mine.”

“Oh, I still think you’d look lovely…” Fluttershy complimented.

“So would you, Miss Perfect Hair,” Vignette complimented back. “God, I hate your hair, it’s so perfect.”

They yammered back and forth and it was so embarrassing I couldn’t even listen, much less worry about Sunset.

But thankfully, it wasn’t too long before the doors to the Mess Hall slammed open, revealing Sunset heading for us, huffing a little from exertion. “There you are,” she said, holding my hand briefly, giving Fluttershy a polite nod and a glare to Vignette. “Have any of you seen my pad? I think I lost it somewhere.”

“No, I haven’t,” I said, reaching into my pocket to check if mine was still there, which it was.

“Nope,” Vignette and Fluttershy chorused.

“Damn. I know I had it with me when I left my room this morning,” Sunset sighed. “I feel like I just turned around and it was gone.” She glanced suspiciously at Vignette, who simply smiled back. “I’d have come sooner, Wallflower, but I was looking for it. I don’t like the idea someone might have stolen it.”

“It’ll turn up,” Fluttershy said, giving Sunset a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “I’m sure you just left it somewhere.”

“Hope so,” Sunset said. “At least there’s no rule about it this time…”

“Wait, what?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Nevermind. So did you ask Wallflower what you wanted to ask her, Vignette?”

Vignette smiled softly. “I did, in fact. Want to hear what it was?”

“Um, I don’t know if that’s a good idea…” Fluttershy said, reaching out a hand, only to have it pushed back down gently by Sunset.

Sunset eyed Vignette suspiciously. “Fine. What is it?”

“Oh, nothing much, just telling Wallywall how she’d be much safer if she stuck with me.” Vignette’s smile grew wide. “Because with me, at least, she won’t be mistaken for a pony and killed when you’re inevitably taken out by someone who wants to escape.”

Sunset stared at her for a moment before barking a laugh. “Okay, you know what? I’ll give you that one, Vignette. That’s actually kind of nice of you, in a backhanded way.”

Vignette’s eyes widened momentarily and she took a step back. “...oh. That’s not what–”

“Not what you expected I’d say?” Sunset suggested with a small grin of her own. “I had a hunch this is what you were after. And hey, points for at least pretending to give a crap about Wallflower. I doubt you really do, though.”

Despite her bravado, something seemed off to me about Sunset. I looked at her for a moment and realized she was pale, her skin almost clammy. “Sunset, are you alright?”

“Huh?” She looked at me in confusion. “Yeah. Overexerted myself a little looking for my pad, but I’m okay.”

“You look pale.”

“It’s true, you do,” Fluttershy added with a growing look of concern. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Oh, yeah,” Sunset said, waving it off. “I didn’t get a lot to eat for breakfast… I’ll make up for it at lunch.”

Fluttershy reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of water. “Here. Drink this at least.”

“Oooh, you sure you want to drink that?” Vignette said, her grin becoming malicious. “That could be poisoned.”

“No it isn’t!” Fluttershy snapped.

“I trust Fluttershy,” Sunset said in turn, taking the bottle and drinking a swig of water.

I cringed and watched her, but she didn’t double over or start moaning in pain or turning funny colors, so it was probably fine. “See?” she said. “Now shut up about people killing me, Vignette.”

“Of course, my bad,” Vignette said, though her grin showed she wasn’t the least bit apologetic.

The four of us headed past the stage in the general direction of the dorms, while we kept up an uneasy conversation. Vignette and Sunset wouldn’t stop eying each other, as if each was waiting for the other to pull something. I was ready to just take Sunset somewhere else altogether when Rarity happened to walk by.

“Rarity!” Sunset said, smiling at her. “Hey uh, how’s it going?”

Rarity grit her teeth and kept walking, refusing to look at Sunset.

Sunset spread her hands out. “Oh come on, you’re not even going to look at me now?”

I felt more than saw Rarity’s sudden twitch, and braced myself just in time as she whirled about. “Why should I speak with you, Sunset Shimmer? All you ever do is yammer on about this fantasy of yours where we’re romantically involved.”

“It’s not a fantasy!” Sunset screamed back, her mouth twisting in a nasty snarl. “For fuck’s sake, Rarity, what do you take me for?”

“What do I take you for?” Rarity squeezed her fists by her side, leaning forward as her voice raised. “What do I take you for?! A deranged lunatic, that’s what!”

“Deranged lunatic?” Sunset repeated. “Do you even know what that second word means? No, nevermind, of course you don’t, because you don’t remember anything. Listen to me, Rarity. Your memories were messed with. That’s why you don’t remember us being together.”

Rarity gasped, then gasped again, holding a hand up to her breast in shock. “Oh. Of course. What was I thinking? Obviously my mind must’ve been messed with, and I should be falling all over you and worshiping the ground you walk on!”

“Uh…” Sunset took a step back, her snarl turning into an uncertain frown. “I wouldn’t put it like that–”

Rarity took a step towards Sunset. “Have you ever considered for one moment, darling, you might be the one who’s in the wrong?”

“What?” Sunset breathed. For some reason she raised her left arm, once again staring at it. “I… but… Rarity… you don’t understand–”

“I understand perfectly that you. Are. Crazy! Now get out of my sight!”

Sunset reeled back, falling over as if she’d been slapped. Tears formed in her eyes, but she managed to hold them back. “...fine. If that’s how it is,” she whispered, and ran off towards her dorm room.

“What the hell, Rarity?!” I cried as I gave her a fierce glower before heading off after Sunset.

She was much faster than me and made it up and into her room well before I could even enter the building. I had to stop and catch my breath on the stairs for a couple of minutes before I climbed up the rest of them and knocked on her door.

“Go away!”

“Sunset, it’s me,” I said.

There was no response for a moment, then the door slid open. “Come in.”

I entered, Sunset swiftly shutting the door behind me, and sat on the edge of her bed. She sat down next to me in a huff. Somehow she’d kept back her tears and her face remained dry, though her eyes were a bit red. She looked at me for a moment, then edged over to me and opened up her arms.

I invited her in and hugged her, letting her rest against my shoulder silently for a little while, just listening to her heartbeat and breathing. When she let go, she looked at me with gratitude. “Thanks for coming after me… I needed that.”

“I could tell,” I replied, giving her a wan smile. “Rarity was over the line.”

“Maybe.” Sunset sighed and looked at her hand, right where a wedding band would be if she had one. “Maybe not. I swear, so many things feel so… confusing! Things don’t add up the way I expect, Rarity doesn’t remember we were together, I just… it’s like this was all designed to fuck with me, and I don’t appreciate it one bit. And the more I think I’ve figured it out, the less that adds up, until I feel like I’m going insane.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so instead I just said, “Maybe you should leave Rarity be, if she’s going to act like that. If she has lost her memory, there has to be a way to restore it. I should know.”

She looked me right in the eye for a moment. “There is. Or there was. I don’t… remember how it works.” She looked at her hand. “And it needs my magic… which hasn’t been working since we got here. At least, I think it needs my magic.”

Nodding, I replied, “Okay, so we get your magic working and then maybe we can–”

A knock at the door cut me off. “Excuse me… Sunset, it’s me, Rarity. May I come in?”

“What?” Sunset gasped. She backed up from her seat on the bed and looked at me. “Can you see what she wants?”

Shrugging, I got up and answered the door. “What is it?”

Rarity took a step back, briefly startled before she wiped it away with a smile. “Oh, yes, Wallflower. Is Sunset inside? I need to speak with her.”

Glaring, I replied, “If this is just so you can yell at her some more–”

“Not at all, darling,” she said, holding up a hand. “I’m… actually here to apologize, if I may.”

I held the door open and let her in, watching Sunset stiffen on the bed, while Rarity’s movements were jerky and hesitant. “Hello, Sunset. I… I want to apologize for how I reacted just now. It was uncalled for.”

Sunset looked around the room helplessly, eyes swirling with mixed emotions. When it became clear she was unable to respond, Rarity sighed and sat on the edge of the bed.

“If I may offer an explanation?” she ventured. I felt a rush of irritation, but she noticed and quickly clarified. “An explanation, not an excuse. No matter what, I was an absolute brute to someone I care about. Sunset deserves better, and I am truly sorry.”

Sunset still looked completely petrified, but she murmured, “I’ll hear you out.” This seemed like a bad idea, but I couldn’t bring myself to interject.

Rarity sighed in relief. “Thank you. Sunset, I know what you remember, and what you… believe… about us.” Sunset winced at that phrasing, but Rarity continued with only a slight pause. “But please, consider my perspective. What I remember and believe. In that context, your behavior felt very similar to… to experiences I’ve had in the past. Once in college and once last year, with men who have not taken no for an answer, and who have left me quite terrified.”

Sunset began to frantically argue, but Rarity pushed forward. “And I am ashamed of allowing myself to act on those feelings. Like I said, this is an explanation, not an excuse. I trust you, and I respect you, and you deserve far better than for me to treat you as if you were dangerous.” She raised her eyes to Sunset, fearful. “Do you think you could forgive me?”

Sunset’s tension slipped away, replaced by a happier semi-smile. “Yeah, of course, Rarity.”

Rarity smiled back and took a deep breath, face practically drowning in relief. “Oh, thank goodness. It was terribly insulting to be called The Ultimate Drama Queen. I would hate to prove that vile thing correct by immediately driving away a good friend.”

Honestly, I was shocked this had gone so well. But then Sunset leaned in, probably to go for a hug, and Rarity instantly scootched away. “Sunset…”

Sunset stared at her, dismayed. “But…”

“I need to say something, Sunset,” Rarity said. “Please, I need to say this.”

Sunset clenched her fists, and I was afraid she was about to get angry. But instead, she just said, “Okay.”

Rarity smiled in thanks. “Darling, I don’t know anything about what’s happening,” she admitted carefully. “But I need you to listen to me. I feel as if I’m on the razor’s edge of going mad. Do you understand that? I am centimeters away from falling completely apart.”

Sunset hugged herself, looking terrified, but she gave a tiny nod. “Yeah. I get that.”

Rarity nodded back. “So I cannot accept what you remember, and what you believe to be true. I’m not capable of it.”

“Rarity…”

“I know it hurts you, and I am sorry about that, too. But I need you to…” Rarity’s eyes were steel, but her voice was breaking. “Sunset, if you’re right, my wife has divorced me or… or worse. Everything I know has been ruined because of an insane nightmare I don’t even remember. I need it to be a delusion, or some horrible spell, or a lie, or… or anything. I’ll go mad, do you understand? I’ll be lost.”

Rarity always scared me. She was always just so together, so poised, so… above me. But at that moment, I felt such overwhelming pity for her, I almost started crying. Because the look on Sunset’s face was obvious. Even if I wasn’t inclined to trust Sunset, it was just plain that she loved this woman. This was no delusion, no lie. Poor, poor Rarity was pushing away the truth.

“What can I do?” Sunset asked.

“Just let the subject of your interest in me drop.” Rarity didn’t look like she was pleading, but I knew she was. “I know what I remember. We are dear friends, but that is all.”

Her lips thinned, but Sunset nodded all the same. “All right.”

“Thank you,” Rarity said. “Darling, whatever happens…” she interrupted herself by shaking her head and simply repeated “Thank you.” They both sat there for a moment, looking away from one another.

The door opened up again, this time revealing Vignette carrying a board game. “I assumed this brief silence meant your serious, personal conversation was over!” she announced. “I found this game in the admin building and I’m totally bored. Want to play it?”

Sunset scowled at her. “Seriously, Valencia?”

“Seriously,” Vignette said, grinning that incessant smirk of hers. “Come on, I thought you loved games.”

“...doesn’t mean I want to play something with you,” Sunset sneered.

I let out a slight sigh. “Sunset, Vignette is just trying to be friendly. She’s not your enemy.”

“Tell that to her,” Sunset grunted.

“I, ah, wouldn’t mind playing a game myself?” Rarity offered, but Sunset scowled.

“Hey,” I said gently, reaching out to set my hand on top of Sunset’s. “I know she’s not your favorite person around here, but she’s right.”

“...fine,” Sunset relented, standing up. “But only because you asked me to.”

After talking it over for a moment, we decided to take it back outside and play in the plaza, where there were a couple of picnic tables sitting outside with benches. Vignette insisted on a particular table close to the entrance of the admin building (something about the ‘dynamic energies’ appealed to her). It took us a bit to learn the rules, as none of us had played this particular game before, but soon we were moving steadily and having fun. It was nice to watch Rarity and Sunset chat amiably for once, instead of shouting at each other.

I spent more time watching people walk to and fro and listening to the breeze than I did paying attention to the game, so I was naturally losing. Not that it mattered much to me; it was nice to be outside, and playing this board game left me feeling a bit of normality in this otherwise abnormal situation we were stuck in.

I did keep an eye on my pad, noting an hour had nearly gone by, when all of a sudden I started hearing something else. “Hey, you guys hear that?” I asked as I turned my head, trying to determine where it was coming from.

“Why… yes, it sounds like… guitar music?” Rarity questioned. She glanced around; there was a small window near the place where the admin building connected to the mess hall, which seemed to be where the music was coming from. “But I thought Pear Butter was holding sessions.”

“Weird,” Sunset commented. “Maybe she’s just taking a break in the Mess Hall?” I looked in that direction; yes, maybe the music was coming from that direction? It was hard to tell.

Vignette smirked at that. “Maybe. Or maybe someone stole the keys to the music shed from Juniper and is messing with us.”

“I thought there weren’t any other acoustic guitars in the music shed,” I pointed out.

“Oh?” Vignette shrugged. “Guess that must’ve slipped my mind.”

Then just as abruptly as it began, the guitar music stopped. Shrugging, we returned our attention to our game, but less than five minutes later, Big Macintosh and Derpy walked up to us from the Mess Hall.

“Hey guys, it’s almost lunch time,” Derpy said. “Do we know who’s gonna make lunch today?”

“Oh damn, it is, isn’t it?” Sunset asked, her stomach loudly rumbling. “...maybe I should do it.”

“Hang on.” I looked Big Mac and Derpy in the eye. “You guys were fixing the table, right? Did you ever see Trixie?”

“Nope,” Big Macintosh shook his head. “Table’s fixed though.”

“Yeah, I haven’t seen her anywhere,” Derpy said.

A cold chill filled me. “No one has since breakfast,” I said. “Someone should’ve seen her come out of the Mess Hall at some point.”

Rarity gasped, holding her hands to her mouth. “You… you don’t think?”

Vignette rubbed her hands together. “Oh, did we lose one already? And here I was so convinced it’d be Sunset…”

Sunset jumped out of her chair, accidentally knocking the board game over in the process. “No way. I’m not losing Trixie! Not again! Come on, guys, we’ve got to find her. Now!”

The rest of us got up and joined her in heading for the Mess Hall. “Trixie?!” Sunset called out. “Trixie, where are you?!”

I poked my head into the kitchen briefly, but saw nothing. “She’s not in here,” I said as I came back out.

“This way!” Sunset pointed to the far hall.

We all ran as fast as we could to the break room first, tossing the door open, startling Cranky Doodle who dropped his mug of coffee on the floor where it shattered, spilling everywhere. Cheese Sandwich, who was still in there, also dropped his soda in shock.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Cranky bellowed.

“Cranky, Cheese, have either of you seen Trixie?” Sunset demanded. “Well, have you?!”

Cranky grunted. “No, I haven’t. I’ve been in here all day, listening to him talking no matter how many times I ask him to leave.”

Cheese nodded. “I’ve been here since breakfast. I haven’t seen her since then either.”

“Oh god,” Sunset gulped. “Alright, check the offices!”

We headed down the hallway, poking our heads into the empty offices one by one. The closer we got to the office at the end though, the more I began to dread, as we kept finding nothing, nothing, nothing.

When we reached Pear Butter’s office, I realized the white noise machine wasn’t on. The door was ajar.

“Oh shit, oh shit, not Trixie, please not Trixie, not again,” Sunset whispered. She’d frozen at the door, unable to push it open, and everyone else following us didn’t want to move either.

So I pushed open the door.

And what I saw…

… left me completely stone cold inside.

Because there, lying over the desk, her wrists tied together and her eyes frozen in pain, was the dead body of Pear Butter.

Author's Note

Ah, there it is. The moment we've all been waiting for.

IT BEGINS

Special thanks to DaOtterGuy not only for continuously being an awesome pre-reader but also being the artist for the dead body discovery photo. He'll be providing such work for future ones as well, so let's all give him a round of applause.

And as for our poor victim... there's a lot to say here, but I've been keeping my author's notes fairly slender this time around versus last time because I want to avoid accidentally giving away anything about the future. I'll have more to say about this when we reach the end of Chapter One, as I'm sure JCarp will.

See you next week for the investigation~

08. Chapter One: "Lost Memories in the Desert Sands" Part 6

Chapter One:

“Lost Memories in the Desert Sands”

Part VI

Fact #1: Monohuman File I: “The victim is Pear Butter, the Ultimate Backstabber. Her body was discovered in the Therapist’s Office at 12:45 PM. Cause of death is strangulation. She also has a non-lethal wound on the side of her head.”

Fact #2: Kuchen Wrapper: “An enormous empty wrapper of kuchen left on the pantry floor, still laden with crumbs and fingerprint marks.”

Fact #3: Pear Butter’s Body: “A guitar string is tied very tightly around her neck, underneath which is a ring of dark, red spots about a quarter-inch wide. She had a bleeding wound on her temple. Her wrists are bound with a party streamer.”

Fact #4: Objects On Desk: “A stress toy, a paperweight, some of Pear Butter’s foundation, a piece of blank paper, and Pear Butter’s pad were on the desk. The paperweight had a trace of blood on the underside.”

Fact #5: Pear Butter’s Guitar: “The guitar is badly damaged. It looks like it was smashed against a hard surface more than once. A string has been torn off. There is blood on some of the damaged wood. According to Juniper Montage, this is the only acoustic guitar in the entire complex.”

Fact #6: Gouge Marks: “There are marks gouged into the desk, as if it was violently struck.”

Fact #7: White Noise Machine: “Pear Butter’s white noise machine was discovered turned off when the body was discovered, despite her habit of keeping it on. It was off for an uncertain amount of time, and it was in power-saving mode, meaning it could turn itself off automatically. The timer displayed ‘2245.’”

Fact #8: Wallflower’s Account: “Sunset, Rarity, Vignette, and Wallflower were playing a board game for an hour prior to the discovery of the body. Prior to that, Sunset and Wallflower were in Sunset’s room, after an argument occurred outside in a discussion with Vignette, Rarity, and Fluttershy.”

Fact #9: Alibis: “Shining Armor and Autumn Blaze were discussing leadership outside the Mess Hall.
Zephyr Breeze was with Derpy Doo and Big Macintosh fixing the broken dining room table, but was out of sight for at least twenty minutes before the body was discovered.
Cheese Sandwich was with Cranky Doodle in the breakroom for several hours.
Sour Sweet and Fluttershy were having a discussion outside.
Trixie claims she was trapped in the pantry since after breakfast.
Juniper states she was in her room working on a screenplay.”

Fact #10: Pear Butter’s Guitar Music: “Pear Butter was playing her guitar approximately twenty minutes before her body was discovered. The music had an odd vibration quality to its sound, and stopped roughly seven to fifteen minutes before the body was found.”

Fact #11: Derpy’s Account: “According to Derpy, about ninety minutes prior she accidentally bounced into the dining table, damaging one of the legs to the point it fell off and the table collided with Zephyr Breeze knocking him to the floor. She, Big Macintosh, and Zephyr proceeded to fix the table together, which took about an hour. Afterwards she and Big Mac came outside and reminded Wallflower’s group about lunch.”

Fact #12: Pear Butter’s Behavior: “As far as we know, Wallflower was the last one to see Pear Butter, in her office, three hours before her body was discovered.”

Fact #13: Sunset’s Pad: “Sunset’s pad was stolen when she briefly separated from Wallflower. It was later found in a potted plant in the main hallway. Sunset noticed no signs of it being tampered with.”

When we stepped out of the elevator after what felt like an hour long descent, we filed out into a room taller and wider than I expected for a courtroom that lacked any audience seating. Carpet took the place of hard flooring or the stone I expected from being deep inside a mine, homey and comfortable, likely warm too, if I could press my bare feet against it. The walls bore a barn-red paint scheme with stylized images of pear trees and, for some reason, the occasional image of two trees twisted together, one pear, one apple. I noticed Big Macintosh start sobbing softly again when he spotted that.

Despite the otherwise homey environment, harsh fluorescent lighting beamed down on us from above, illuminating everything in an unsettling manner reminiscent of interrogation chambers in television police dramas. A throne of gargantuan proportions dominated one side of the room, painted in Monohuman’s colors, and Monohuman himself sat in it, patiently waiting for us to find our spots. Above his throne were six lights, all of which were unlit.

The rest of the space was taken up primarily by sixteen podiums, arranged in a circle all facing each other, each one bearing a nametag and, to my relief, a stool for sitting down on that would leave us as standing height. At least we wouldn’t be forced to stay on our feet the whole time.

I found my spot quickly enough, right between Fluttershy and Vignette, and discovered the podium contained a twist. While ostensibly wooden and otherwise unremarkable, there was a recessed slot for our pads to sit in. Placing my pad in it caused it to light up and an indicator on the podium I hadn’t noticed switched from red to green. The evidence appeared on screen, ready to be selected. Experimenting with it showed a hologram of said evidence appeared in the center of the podiums; a cool piece of technology. Or, more likely, magitek, given Monohuman himself was magitek, this could be more of the same stuff. Either way it looked like it would be useful.

If horrifying.

Looking up from my podium I noticed two things right away. First was a single video camera hanging right in the middle of the circle, pointing straight down at the floor. Past it, right across from me, Sunset Shimmer smiled and waved, looking like she wished I was standing next to her. But to her right…

…A portrait of Pear Butter, greyscale, marked by a pink X and with her personal symbol marked on it.

I knew instantly why it was there, but before I could say anything, Juniper took one look at it and raised a hand. “Excuse me, Monohuman sir, why is there a portrait of Pear Butter sitting there?”

Monohuman gave Juniper a disbelieving look. “It should be obvious, but then you are a bunch of simpletons. Her portrait is here so that she can still participate in the trial, in a sense, even if she’s dead.”

“...oh.” Juniper at least had the good grace to look embarrassed, because he was right: it was obvious.

And I wasn’t the only one to think so; half of the others shot Juniper similar looks, though Big Macintosh’s looked more murderous than surprised.

“Now that the usual stupid question is out of the way,” Monohuman said as he clapped for attention, “Are we all prepared? Everyone set their pad on their podium? No? Well hop to it, Sour Sweet, we don’t have all day. Better. Now, let’s briefly go over the rules. You are all here to determine the culprit behind Pear Butter’s death. As she was an innocent human, the culprit is considered a Grey Blackened, and must fight for their right to live by acting to fool you all in this trial. If you succeed, I will execute the blackened alone, and the rest of you will return to your lives in the complex, at least till another one of you eventually gets murdered. If, however, you fail, I will execute everyone besides the blackened, and they will get to leave the complex and return to their normal life.”

He sat back on his throne. “You may argue and debate to your heart’s content, or at least until I get bored and order you to vote. So try not to be boring. Now… begin!”

“Okay, Sunset,” Shining Armor said immediately. “You’re…” He trailed off, because the camera in the center of the room swiftly pivoted to point directly at him.

“Oh, that’s just to record things; don’t let it bother you!” Monohuman said.

“You record the trials, too?” Fluttershy whimpered, cringing as the camera pointed at her.

“And just in a bunch of frontal shots?” Juniper asked, the camera pointing right at her raised eyebrow. “Sounds kinda boring.”

“Just shut up about the camera!” Monohuman fumed. “Act natural, you won’t even notice it after a while. Do the trial! Shining Armor was saying something, go go go!”

Blanching, Shining Armor tried to ignore the camera spinning to face him as he spoke. “...Yes. I was just asking Sunset what she thinks we should do, because she’s the expert here. How’s this supposed to proceed?”

“Seriously, I’ve never been in anything like this before,” Cheese added with a shrug. “I never even took debate in high school. Or college.”

“I would presume it’s a bit more than just a debate, darling,” Rarity replied.

“Rarity’s right,” Sunset nodded. “We’ve got a lot we have to go over. We need to start with establishing the facts of the case, and go from there.”

“Well, we all know it was Pear Butter who was murdered,” Cranky said with a scowl as his hand gripped a non-existant coffee mug. He sighed then looked over at Monohuman. “Hey, is there any chance we can get something to drink while we’re here?”

Monohuman laughed in his face. “Something to drink? While on trial? Puhuhuhu! Ahahaha! Oh that’s a good one, Cranky. Tell me another.”

Cranky grunted. “Anyway, she was killed in her office.”

“Well, duh,” Sour Sweet blurted, spreading her hands out. “We were all there. We all saw the corpse.”

Sunset shook her head. “I know it feels redundant but trust me. We’ve got so many things we have to figure out, it’s important to keep in mind what we know for sure.”

“Oooh, ooh, if we’re going over what we know, we know she was strangled!” Zephyr contributed.

Fluttershy glared at her brother. “You don’t need to sound so enthusiastic.”

“Well, yes, she was strangled, that much the Monohuman file says,” Sunset Shimmer said, tapping her screen.

“Hang on a second,” Juniper protested. “How do we know we can trust this Monohuman file? What if he’s lying?”

Monohuman chuckled, flashing Juniper a look I could only describe as bitch, please. “You have every reason to feel doubtful, Miss Montage, but I assure you; the Monohuman file contains nothing but the truth. I want you to discover who the blackened is, but I must be fair, and give the blackened a chance. So the file doesn’t contain all the information you’d need to solve the case, but you can always trust the information in it. That’s my Monohuman guarantee!”

Juniper stared flatly at him, then glanced over at Sunset. “Is that true?”

Sunset nodded. “It is. The… person running the last game was a lot nastier than Monohuman has been so far, but even their files contained the truth. We can trust what we read in it; it’s never misled me before.” She coughed. “So, as I was saying, she was strangled. The question is how.”

Derpy squinted. “Isn’t it the guitar string?”

Shining Armor frowned, rubbing his chin, but said nothing.

“Seems cut and dried to me,” Cheese Sandwich said.

“Yes, clearly it is the guitar string tied around the victim’s neck!” Trixie declared, thrusting out a finger.

Having watched this byplay so far without getting involved, mostly due to anxiety and feeling like Sunset had a handle on things, I found myself wondering about that. The guitar string seemed like the obvious answer, but was it really? It didn’t seem to match up with the marks we saw.

“Um, Trixie,” I started to say.

Sunset abruptly thrust a finger at Trixie. “No, that’s wrong!” and tapped a button on her pad.

Fact #3: Pear Butter’s Body: “A guitar string is tied very tightly around her neck, underneath which is a ring of dark, red spots about a quarter-inch wide. She had a bleeding wound on her temple. Her wrists are bound with a party streamer.”

“See how there are dark red spots underneath the guitar string? Wallflower and I saw this during the investigation.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “And? How does that invalidate the obvious fact it is the guitar string that is tied around Pear Butter’s neck?”

“Actually, I think I see what Sunset’s getting at,” Shining said as he scratched his chin. “These red spots are visible even with the guitar string tied around the neck.”

“Not sure I’m seeing why that matters, Shiny Hiney!” Zephyr said.

Shining scowled. “For the last time I… ugh. My point is that if the guitar string caused the marks, the marks shouldn’t be visible.”

Derpy snapped her fingers. “Of course! So the fact they are visible means it couldn’t be the guitar string, otherwise it would cover them up.”

“Exactly,” Sunset said with a small smile. “Like I kept telling people during the investigation, we never, ever want to assume anything. Whoever the culprit is likely wanted to obscure the actual cause of death, so they tied the guitar string around her neck to make it look like she was strangled with that. But if she had been, we’d see other signs, like deeper cuts, maybe even streaks of blood; a guitar string is going to cut flesh when you use it to strangle.”

Big Macintosh slammed a hand on his podium. “Ah wanna know who did this! It don’t matter how she died; what matters is figurin’ out who!”

Derpy frowned in understanding. “I’m sorry, Big Mac, but we gotta figure all this stuff out if we want to know who it was… right, Sunset?”

“That’s right,” Sunset agreed. “Sorry, Big Mac. I know this is rough for you. It’s only going to get rougher the more we get into this.”

He turned his head, snorting. “...fine. Ah don’t like it, but fine.”

“Okay, so if it wasn’t a guitar string they used,” Juniper said, “What was it?”

“Oooh, I know!” Sour Sweet chirped with an obviously fake grin on her face. “She was totally strangled to death by the culprit with their bare hands!”

I raised a finger. “Um–”

“No, that can’t be it either,” Sunset said with a simple shake of her head. “Those marks don’t line up with fingers. See?” She held up her arm and dug into it with the fingers of her other hand for a moment, till we could see small indentations that almost immediately faded. “They’d look something more like that. These markings look a lot more like some kind of rope.”

“Well, was there any rope in the area?” Derpy asked with a curious expression.

Autumn Blaze, who’d been silent with a pensive expression, chose that moment to speak up. “No, I think it was something else. Something similar. Like… maybe the party streamer?”

I nodded, whispering under my breath, “That makes a lot of sense.”

Sunset considered that for a moment, then nodded. “I agree with that. I think it was the party streamer. That makes a lot more sense than the guitar string.

“Cut! Stop the tape!” Juniper objected, tossing out her hand. “There’s no way that can be right.”

Sunset sighed and let her face fall into one hand. “Hoo boy, here we go. Alright, Juniper, why do you disagree?”

Juniper smirked. “Firstly, even if the guitar string wasn’t the method they used to strangle her, it doesn’t mean it was the party streamer. It could have been something else, like one of the electrical cords in the room, or even something the culprit took with them to dispose of elsewhere.”

Sunset crossed her arms. “Maybe, but if my experience from the last game taught me anything, it’s that people rarely dispose of evidence like that. They’d rather hide it some other way, in plain sight usually.”

Juniper’s smirk slipped. “Oh, so just because the party streamer is present, that means it was used to strangle her? It still doesn’t make sense.”

“Why?” Sunset asked, holding out her hands. “What’s wrong with the idea?”

Rolling her eyes, Juniper pointed out the picture of the crime scene. “The answer should be obvious, but since you’re apparently too blind to see it, I’ll point it out for you. The party streamer is tied to her wrists! Since it was tied there, that means the culprit needed to tie her up before they could strangle her. So unless there’s a way she could’ve been strangled without being tied up, it’s impossible!”

“Err, well, you see,” I started to say.

“I’ll rip your argument to pieces!” Sunset vowed, pulling up evidence.

Fact #3: Pear Butter’s Body: “A guitar string is tied very tightly around her neck, underneath which is a ring of dark, red spots about a quarter-inch wide. She had a bleeding wound on her temple. Her wrists are bound with a party streamer.”

Juniper sighed and held her nose. “Oh my god, we just looked at this. How does this have anything to do with what I’m saying?”

“Look closer at the picture,” Sunset said, pointing to the wrists. “Notice something about them?”

Peering close, Juniper shook her head. “No… there’s nothing.”

“Exactly,” Sunset said, a smile appearing on her face. “If she’d been tied up and then strangled, we would see some sign of a struggle, marks on her wrists that showed her trying to pull away, something. But we don’t. Her wrists are unmarred. Which means the culprit likely tied the ribbon around her wrists after she died, and used the guitar string to hide the real murder weapon.”

“But… why?!” Cranky suddenly barked. “That’s just so… The point is guessing the person. The murder weapon doesn’t even matter!”

“The culprit wants to confuse us,” Sunset explained. “Sometimes there’s no point but that. Whatever the case, the streamer has to be what killed her.”

I let out an exasperated, almost sad sigh as nods and murmurs of understanding went around the room. I don’t know why I was bothering trying to say anything. Sunset clearly had this handled… even if I was figuring this stuff out at the same rate she was. Really, it was obvious to me the guitar string wasn’t the cause of death, and the only other thing similar to it was the party streamer; why did we have to go through this whole song and dance just to point this out?

“Sunset,” Rarity spoke up, “Are trials always like this?”

“Oh, they get much worse, trust me,” Sunset answered. “Though I’m really hoping he’s left out the thing I hate most.”

“What’s that?”

Sunset shivered. “Not saying. Not saying a word.”

Rarity stared at her quizzically for a moment before letting it go.

“Okay, fine. So the streamer was the murder weapon,” Juniper said with an irritated shrug. “What does that tell us?”

“It tells us that the culprit purposefully tried to obscure what happened at the scene,” Shining Armor said. “Which might be obvious, but it’s always best to have confirmation. This also brings a lot of other things into question.”

“Oh, um, like these you mean?” Fluttershy asked as she tapped her pad.

Fact #6: Gouge Marks: “There are marks gouged into the desk, as if it was violently struck.”

Shining nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been wondering about those. What caused them?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Sour Sweet said with a roll of her eyes. “It was when the culprit attacked Pear Butter. I mean, she’s got a big head wound and everything.”

I wanted to facepalm so badly at that assertion, but fortunately I was far from the only one to see the problem.

“Uh, no, I don’t think so,” Vignette objected with a laugh. “Look where they are. They’re not on Pear Butter’s side of the desk. They’re on the other side. Meaning that if they came from anyone, it was Pear Butter. Not the culprit.”

Cranky grunted. “That’s obvious. So does it mean Pear Butter defended herself?”

“She must have,” Fluttershy agreed. “She tried to attack the culprit.”

“Oh my stars,” Rarity gulped. “Does this mean we were wrong about what happened? Is it possible this was… self-defense on the part of the culprit?”

“No,” Shining said, shaking his head. “No way. It takes a lot of excess effort to strangle someone to death. If the culprit was attacked by Pear Butter and they were defending themselves, all they had to do was stop once she fell unconscious. Even if she revived almost immediately it would give them plenty of time to get out of there and call for help. So even if it was self-defense at first, they deliberately murdered her.”

Big Macintosh turned to face Rarity, his eyes brimming with black hatred. “Where the hell do you get off accusin’ my Momma of tryin’ to murder anyone?! You prissy little–”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Big Macintosh!” Rarity barked back. “I considered Pear Butter dear to me. She was always kind and welcoming; of course I cared about her! Why do you think I spent so much time looking after you during the investigation?”

Big Macintosh snorted. “Maybe you were coverin’ up your guilt.”

The room stood stock silent for a moment as Rarity quivered with outrage, baring her teeth only to swallow the expression as she struggled to maintain control over herself. “What. Did you. Just say?”

“Ah said, maybe you were coverin’ up your guilt!” he repeated, pointing at her.

Rarity slammed her palm down on her podium. “You… why would I ever… what possible reason could I have for killing Pear Butter, hmm?!”

“Maybe you thought she was a pony,” Vignette suggested, her smile growing. “I mean, she certainly was acting quite strange. And wasn’t she the one to call Shining out when he said horseshit?”

“What? Vignette?! How could you even suggest such a thing?” Rarity gasped. “You know perfectly well I couldn’t have murdered Pear Butter.”

“Oh? Do I?” Vignette chuckled.

I found myself shrinking away from Vignette as I was glared at by proxy, while Sunset sighed and shook her head. “Jeez, Vignette, you were with us even. Wallflower, remember what you told me during the investigation?”

Fact #8: Wallflower’s Account: “Sunset, Rarity, Vignette, and Wallflower were playing a board game for an hour prior to the discovery of the body. Prior to that, Sunset and Wallflower were in Sunset’s room, after an argument occurred outside in a discussion with Vignette, Rarity, and Fluttershy.”

“...yeah, I remember…” I whispered.

Sunset gave me a sympathetic half smile, then turned to Vignette. “In case I need to remind you, Rarity was with us playing a board game for an hour before Pear Butter’s death. There’s no way she’s responsible for killing Pear Butter.” She cast a brief glare at Big Macintosh as well. “Got it, Big Mac?”

Big Macintosh scowled and looked away. “Whatever. Don’t prove nothin’. We don’t know when mah Momma died.”

“Uh, yeah, we do,” Sour Sweet insisted. “She had to have died shortly before we found her. Nothing else makes sense.”

“Got any proof of that?” Big Macintosh fired back.

Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. “Yeah. I do. And you should know too, dumbass. You were there.”

Big Macintosh’s expression soured considerably, but he stubbornly refused to give in. “Ah don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

“Oh for fuck’s–tell him, Sunset.”

Sunset’s lips thinned. “Big Mac, I get it.I know you want us to figure out who killed your mom. But all you’re doing is wasting our time. You know exactly why we know when she died.”

Fact #10: Pear Butter’s Guitar Music: “Pear Butter was playing her guitar approximately twenty minutes before her body was discovered. The music had an odd vibration quality to its sound, and stopped roughly seven to fifteen minutes before the body was found.”

“You were in the Mess Hall; you heard this better than those of us outside!”

Trixie thrust out her hand, her cloak billowing behind her. “Then we can safely say that Pear Butter was killed barely minutes before her body was found.”

“Wait a minute,” Derpy said. “I dunno about that. Something doesn’t feel right.”

“I’m with Derpy on this one,” Autumn Blaze agreed. “Like it says right here… an odd vibration quality? What the heck does that mean?”

Sunset frowned. “That’s on me. It sounded odd, like it was vibrating a little strangely… she was playing weird.”

“That’s not what bugs me,” Derpy said. “How do we know it was Pear Butter playing the guitar?”

“Well, who else could it have been?” Cranky said. “We found the guitar all smashed up. Meanin’ it had to have been her guitar, and she never let that thing out of her sight. She was always wearing it.”

“Wait, how do we know for sure there weren’t any other guitars around?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, what if it was someone else’s?” Sour Sweet added.

“Not possible,” Juniper said. “You know why, right Sunset?”

“Yup.”

Fact #5: Pear Butter’s Guitar: “The guitar is badly damaged. It looks like it was smashed against a hard surface more than once. A string has been torn off. There is blood on some of the damaged wood. According to Juniper Montage, this is the only acoustic guitar in the entire complex.”

“Besides the fact the guitar was smashed up, it was also the only one in the complex according to Juniper. Remember, she had the keys to the music shed since we first got here, and while there were other guitars around, they were electric guitars, not acoustic. They’d sound completely different.”

Vignette flashed us a coy smile and raised her hand. “Oh, but Sunny, that doesn’t mean it was Pear Butter playing the guitar. She’s not the only one here who knows how, right?”

Sunset shrank back from her podium. “...err, no…”

Shining Armor frowned and shook his head. “I see what you’re trying to suggest, Vignette, but it doesn’t line up. Cranky was right; she never let that guitar out of her sight.”

“It doesn’t matter anyway!” I snapped. Everyone turned to look at me, which I was expecting, but it still took me aback for a moment. I gathered myself and explained. “The guitar was directly involved in her murder! Even if someone else was playing it, which yeah, doesn’t make sense anyway, she still had to still be alive!”

“Guh, right,” Cranky grumbled. “Because the killer had to make us think she was killed with the guitar string for no damn reason but to screw with us.”

“Okay, so if we assume Pear Butter was playing her guitar,” Shining said, frowning, “then that means when it suddenly stopped… was that when the culprit killed her?”

“It could be that’s when the culprit attacked,” Autumn Blaze suggested, “and then BOOM the culprit was cracked on the head with the guitar!”

“No, that’s wrong,” Sunset immediately declared. “There’s no way the culprit was hit by the guitar. Look at the condition of the guitar again.

Fact #5: Pear Butter’s Guitar: “The guitar is badly damaged. It looks like it was smashed against a hard surface more than once. A string has been torn off. There is blood on some of the damaged wood. According to Juniper Montage, this is the only acoustic guitar in the entire complex.”

“If the culprit were hit by a guitar that got this smashed up, they’d have a clear and obvious head wound.” She glanced around the room. “And I think it’s safe to say no one here has a head wound.”

“Then how’d the guitar get blood on it?” Derpy asked, scratching her chin.

“Wait, I’ve got it,” Sour Sweet said. “Here’s what happened: the culprit did something to really piss Pear Butter off, so she attacked them with her guitar! She missed, causing the gouge marks and damaging the guitar. Then the culprit ripped it out of her hands, smashed Pear Butter in the head with it, and then while she was dazed grabbed the party streamer and strangled her to death! It fits, see?”

Fact #3: Pear Butter’s Body: “A guitar string is tied very tightly around her neck, underneath which is a ring of dark, red spots about a quarter-inch wide. She had a bleeding wound on her temple. Her wrists are bound with a party streamer.”

Sour Sweet smirked in satisfaction, crossing her arms. “It all works out.”

“No it doesn’t,” I muttered.

She blinked and looked at me. “Did you say something, Wallflower?”

“...no…”

She raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. “Anyone have a problem with what I suggested?”

“I do,” Sunset said. “Look closer at Pear’s head wound.

“What about it?” Sour Sweet asked. “It’s bleeding. Fuck, it was still bleeding when we found her!”

Sunset sighed. “No.”

~*~
We moved on to check the rest of her head. “Here,” I said, pointing at her temple. “There’s the wound the Monohuman file mentioned. It’s still bleeding…”

“It’s oozing,” Sunset corrected. “People don’t bleed after they die, but sometimes the wounds will still ooze for the first couple hours after death. Trust me, I know from experience.” She frowned at it. “Actually, come to think of it, it looks like it hardly bled.”
~*~

“Like I pointed out to Wallflower, the wound was oozing, not bleeding. And if she’d been struck before she died, she’d have blood all over her clothes and it would be far more obvious; head wounds bleed a lot more than most other wounds, because of how much blood is going to the brain. The fact that she barely has any blood on her at all says to me this wound was inflicted after death.”

Shining Armor nodded. “I agree with Sunset. I got a pretty good look at the body myself while I was guarding it, and the head wound stuck out to me as unusual for how little it had bled. Like Sunset said, we should’ve seen blood all over the desk, all over her clothes, and so on if she’d been hit in the head before she died.”

“Not to mention a blow like that could’ve done serious damage,” Fluttershy added, standing up straighter. “I, um, I may just be a veterinarian, but I’ve seen what happens when animals take even small blows to the head. Concussions, brain hemorrhage, subdural hematoma… all could’ve easily contributed to killing Pear Butter on their own.”

Autumn Blaze raised her hand. “Oooh, ooh, aaaand, if they were hitting Pear Butter with the guitar while she was still alive, why not just keep hitting her till it killed her? Why bother strangling her at all?”

“Okay, okay, I get it, god!” Sour Sweet snapped, throwing rude hand gestures. “So she was hit on the head afterwards. Why?”

“Same reason the streamer was tied around her wrists,” Sunset said. “It’s all to cover up the cause of death.”

“Gaaauuuugh!” Cranky moaned.

“Not very effective since we tore it apart in under an hour,” Vignette mused.

“Well since there’s no point, they succeeded in making us waste an hour!” Cranky snapped.

Sunset shook her head. “No, we’re nowhere near solving this yet. This is just the basic stuff we’re picking apart. Now that we’re getting somewhere with the cause of death, we need to move on to figuring out the circumstances of why and how.”

Shining Armor spoke up. “There’s one other aspect of this we haven’t explained, and it’s bothering me.”

“Huh?”

He pointed to the clue.

Fact #10: Pear Butter’s Guitar Music: “Pear Butter was playing her guitar approximately twenty minutes before her body was discovered. The music had an odd vibration quality to its sound, and stopped roughly seven to fifteen minutes before the body was found.”

“We don’t know what caused that odd vibration quality to the sound. And I think it’s more important than we realized.”

Sunset frowned. “Yeah, I can’t get over that, too.”

“Maybe it’s because she was playing guitar through the door?” Derpy asked.

Sunset stared at her pad for several moments without responding, though from the look in her eyes I could see gears turning. Like she was mulling over something in her mind, putting it together piece by piece.

For some reason I briefly pictured her riding a snowboard being towed by a taxi while dodging falling letters, of all things. I shook my head to clear that image away; all this anxiety and everything was fogging my brain.

“No,” Sunset said finally. “That can’t be it. Because there’s something else we’ve missed.”

Fact #7: White Noise Machine: “Pear Butter’s white noise machine was discovered turned off when the body was discovered, despite her habit of keeping it on. It was off for an uncertain amount of time, and it was in power-saving mode, meaning it could turn itself off automatically. The timer displayed ‘2245.’”

“Wallflower, can you explain to everyone what this is about, please?”

“M-me?” I gulped as the entire courtroom full of people all looked at me at once. I had to grip my podium to keep from falling over, my heart stampeding in my chest as it threatened to hurtle its way out of my mouth and onto the carpet. “Uuuh, w-well… she has a machine in her office that makes a lot of white noise… During a session, she put it out in the hallway, just outside the door. It helps clear and relax the mind, and it keeps anyone outside from overhearing the session.”

“Oh yeah, I remember that now!” Sour Sweet said. “It was this big thing that sounded like a car engine, or a really loud air conditioner. I almost forgot about it after the first few minutes because it blended into the background.”

Zephyr stared around the room, his expression blank. “I don’t get it. What’s this got to do with the guitar?”

“Everything,” Sunset said. “If this white noise machine was going, then it should’ve obscured the sound of the guitar. Even if the door was open, it wouldn’t cause the sound of the guitar to vibrate; it would’ve wiped it out entirely. Whoever was in the office could hear the guitar, but no one else could.”

“...but the machine was off,” Shining said with sudden realization. “And we don’t know for how long.”

“Quick, everyone!” Derpy said. “Was there anyone close enough to hear the white noise machine?”

“Uh, well, Cranky and I were in the break room down the hall,” Cheese said.

Cranky nodded, drumming his fingers on the podiums until he suddenly snapped them. “That’s right, I remember now. We could hear the damned thing even in there; it was that loud.” He scratched his head. “At least it was…it turned off at some point.”

“When?” Vignette asked immediately, leaning forward. “It could be vital.”

Cranky shrugged. “I wasn’t really paying attention to the time; I was too busy fending off Cheese.”

Vignette arched both eyebrows, an amused smile dancing across her face. “Fending him off? Was he being overly friendly?”

Cranky’s face burned like fire. “No he was not!” he thundered, slamming a palm on his podium.

Cheese’s face likewise bloomed red as he waved his hands over his head. “No way, nuh uh! No offense, Cranky, but you’re too old for me. If I was gonna go for a guy here it’d be Zephyr.” He looked away, a silly smile gracing his face as he tapped his fingers together. “O-or maybe Shining Armor.”

“None taken, Cheese,” Cranky said, adjusting his tie and shirt back into place as he scowled at Vignette.

Zephyr Breeze beamed, running a hand through his hair. “Well, naturally you’d be into the Zephyr, but I’m afraid I’m into girls only.” He winked at Cheese.

Shining chuckled. “That’s flattering, but I'm married.” He held up hand and dangled his fingers to show a wedding ring I’d somehow never noticed on him before.

Cheese’s blush intensified to every exposed bit of his skin as he stared down at his podium. “Err, right, right… sorry, didn’t mean to bug anyone…”

Autumn Blaze leaned over and stage whispered, “Psst. Are you into girls too, or just guys?”

“...both?” Cheese answered, looking back at her. “Why?”

She flashed him a thumbs up but said nothing else in response.

“Anyway,” Cranky called out. “If we can move on from this high school crap? What I meant was, Cheese was asking me for advice.”

~*~
“Oh come on, you’ve traveled the world!”

“No.”

“But you’re so knowledgeable. I could really use a mentor.”

“Then go see Shining. Or Pear Butter. Or anyone else except me, kid.”

“I’m not a kid, I’m twenty-five.”

As I opened the door I heard the voices of Cheese Sandwich and Cranky Doodle arguing away. Cheese had his hands up in the air, gesticulating wildly, while Cranky cradled his coffee cup, trying not to snarl.

“Oh, sorry to interrupt,” I muttered, turning to leave.

“No, wait, Wallflower, perfect timing!” Cheese Sandwich said, forcing me to turn back around. “Look, you remember what we talked about yesterday? How I said I was looking for someone to help show me the ropes?”

“...yeah?”

Cranky sighed and set his mug on the table, laying back in his chair. “Look, kid,” he said, addressing me, “before you start trying to help him, didn’t I make it clear to you the other day how much I just want to be left alone? I don’t. Want. To be. Around people. It’s not a hard concept.”

I shrugged. “I wasn’t planning on encouraging him, Cranky.”

He grunted. “Good.”
~*~

“But I thought he had to go practice his accordion,” I pointed out.

Cranky pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, so apparently ‘practice the accordion’ means ‘pantomime squeezing your hands together while you keep bothering Cranky.’ He kept asking for hours, even after Wallflower left,” Cranky finished. “So that’s why I don’t remember when the white noise machine turned off; I wasn’t even looking at a clock.”

Vignette resumed her normal position at her podium, her chin jutted up. “Fine. That was pointless.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Shining said, tapping his palm. “We’ve established the certainty that the white noise machine was turned off before we heard the guitar playing. Which means whatever caused the vibration must’ve been something else.”

“This… feels wrong anyway,” Sunset mused. “It didn’t just sound like there was something in the background; it sounded bad. Like she was playing wrong, or like…”

She stopped talking and just stood there, realization and concentration in her eyes.

“Um,” Sour Sweet offered, “it sounded liiikkkeeeee…?”

“I realized what would make that vibration sound,” Sunset explained. “It sounded like someone playing a guitar that was damaged.”

My mouth fell open. “But… how could anyone play that guitar we found? It was all smashed up!”

“I don’t think anyone could play that,” Sunset answered. “The guitar we heard definitely had all its strings, first of all, and it was more together than this. But it’s something you noticed yourself, Wallflower. That guitar has taken at least two heavy blows. What if one was during the murder…”

“...And the second was later, after Pear Butter was already dead,” I finished.

Sunset nodded. “We reasoned before that the killer hit Pear Butter with the guitar after she was already dead. If that’s what destroyed it, they definitely could have played it first.”

I frowned. That was true, but it still didn’t answer the question of the white noise machine or…

“Gaagh!” Cranky moaned, startling me. “What would even be the point of that?!”

“I don’t know,” Sunset admitted, “but it helps us more than the killer probably knew.”

“Hashtag agreed!” Vignette sang. “Thanks so much for finally getting back around to this. Because if the killer played the guitar, that narrows the list of suspects a little, right?”

“They didn’t just play it,” Rarity pointed out. “They played it well. Big Macintosh?” She gently turned to the grieving man.. “Was there a difference between your mom’s playing and what you heard today?”

Big Macintosh swallowed, then said, “...Ah couldn’t hear one.”

Derpy snapped her fingers. “Great, then we can narrow it down to whomever is good at playing guitar.”

“Juniper, there was a list of people who could play instruments on the music shed door, right?” Rarity said.

Juniper blinked, then scanned her pad and nodded. “Yeah. Here it is.”

Guitar: Sunset Shimmer, Pear Butter, Trixie, Big Mac, Wallflower Blush

Synthesizer: Rarity, Juniper Montage, Cheese Sandwich

Accordion: Cheese Sandwich

Electric saw: Derpy

Violin: Shining Armor

Tambourine: Fluttershy

Turntables: Cranky Doodle

“Violin? Truly, Shining?” Rarity said with an amused expression.

Shining crossed her arms. “Yeah. Every member of my family can play it. It’s refined.”

“Oh, of that I have no doubt,” Rarity replied. “I forget sometimes that you come from a family of wealth, given your chosen profession.”

“You forget that I’m the brother of one of your best friends?” He said, raising an eyebrow.

Rarity tittered, hiding her face as she blushed. “N-no, of course not. I-I just mean, I don’t usually think of Twilight as… rich.”

“Um, Rarity, I really don’t think this is important right now,” Fluttershy said, tugging at Rarity’s sleeve.

“No, no, I suppose not. Apologies.”

Big Macintosh cleared his throat and slapped his pad. “Ah think one name is speakin’ louder than the others, here.” He glared direct at me, and I could somehow feel his enormous stature. “‘Specially knowin’ something else.”

Sunset winced. “...Yeah. We do have to talk about this eventually.” I froze as she pulled up the evidence I knew would come to light sooner or later.

Fact #12: Pear Butter’s Behavior: “As far as we know, Wallflower was the last one to see Pear Butter, in her office, three hours before her body was discovered.”

Everyone turned to face me once again. “Oh, so you were the last one to see her, huh?” Big Macintosh sneered. “Mighty suspicious, that is.”

“She was very angry with you,” Shining added, suspicion entering his gaze. “That would give you motive.”

“M-m-m-motive?” I gulped. “No, no! I didn’t do it!”

“Sounds like what the blackened would say!” Juniper shouted. She pointed right at my face. “She’s guilty! Look at her! She’s been so quiet this whole time.”

“Sure has,” Zephyr Breeze said, glaring at me. “Trying to hide something, Wallflower? Huh?”

I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. I wanted to flee the room, to run somewhere, anywhere at all to get away from this.

And then Vignette spoke up. “Sorry, everyone, but Wallflower didn’t do it.” She smirked. “She was with Rarity, Sunset, and I, remember?”

Fact #8: Wallflower’s Account: “Sunset, Rarity, Vignette, and Wallflower were playing a board game for an hour prior to the discovery of the body. Prior to that, Sunset and Wallflower were in Sunset’s room, after an argument occurred outside in a discussion with Vignette, Rarity, and Fluttershy.”

“As far as I’m aware, prior to the times she listed here, she was with Sunset.”

“T-that’s right!” I said, finally managing to speak up for myself. “A-and Big Macintosh saw me right after I had my session with Pear Butter.”

“Oh, Ah saw you, alright. Ah saw you runnin’ like you were scared of somethin’, sweatin’ up a storm.” He punched his right hand into his left palm. “And now that Ah think about it… you were runnin’ away from the murder you committed, weren’t you?”

“No, I wasn’t!” I insisted.

“It’s still way too sketchy,” Juniper grunted. “She argued with the victim and could play the guitar. She’s suspect number one.”

“No, that’s wrong,” Sunset retaliated, her mouth twisting up. “Wallflower… I don’t mean to insult you by saying this, but… you’re not good enough at the guitar to play at this level.”

“T-that’s right,” I said. “I even told Derpy as much.”

~*~
“Wallf–OOF!!”

I spun around to see Derpy lying face-down on the floor. She groggily pushed herself up to her knees, then gave me a grinning thumbs up. “I’m okay!”

I approached her cautiously, but when she reached up it was pretty automatic to just take her hand and pull her up to her feet. She tittered, blushing slightly. “Thanks! Hey, so even though everyone’s mad and stuff, I still wanted to go to the music shed and get my instrument. And I wanted to see if you wanted to come with me! Do you play anything?”

“Um, yeah. The guitar, a little.” It was embarrassing even saying that. “I’m not very good.” There was a weird pause before I remembered she had asked me something else. “Oh. Yeah. I guess, let’s go.”
~*~

Derpy nodded. “That’s right. I remember that pretty clearly.” She gave me a smile. “Don’t worry, Wallflower. I’ve got your back. I know you didn’t do this.”

Big Macintosh glanced between Sunset and me, then let out a wordless growl and let his hands drop to the podium. “Fine. Let’s say Ah accept that for now. If Wallflower didn’t do it, who did?”

“It had to be someone good enough at guitar to imitate Pear Butter,” Derpy said as she looked at the ceiling. “Which means they must’ve been playing for years.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Then maybe the list will tell us? It… oh my…”

Sunset gaped at the list and let out a pained gasp. “No… damn it, no!”

“What, what is it?” Zephyr demanded.

Sunset closed her eyes, tears running down her face. “I think I know who killed Pear Butter,” she whispered. Then her eyes snapped open as she pointed right at Trixie. “Trixie Lulamoon, you’re the only one!”

Trixie took a step back from her podium. “What?! How dare you accuse Trixie? We’re friends, Sunset.”

“Uh, yeah, you’re jumping the gun, don’t you think?” Juniper argued. “Just because she can play…”

“It’s not just the guitar,” Sunset said, her voice tight. “It’s everything.You’ve been playing the guitar for years, more than well enough to copy Pear Butter. You were missing for hours before we found you conveniently locked up in the pantry. No one saw you during that whole time. And you could’ve easily done everything after Wallflower left the office but before Big Macintosh, Zephyr, and Derpy were dealing with the broken table. It all fits.”

“...and she has been staying away from the rest of us,” Fluttershy added. “Like, um, maybe she’s been planning a murder.”

“The evidence does seem to fit,” Shining said.

“It most certainly does not!” Trixie insisted. “Trixie has no reason to want to kill Pear Butter, or anyone else. Trixie has been keeping to herself because Trixie wants to live. Why would Trixie risk her life by killing someone?”

“Because you thought she was a pony?” Sunset pressed. “She sure acted like it at times.”

“Yes, you would know all about how a pony acts, wouldn’t you, Sunset Shimmer?” Vignette suddenly spoke up. “If anyone could tell–”

“Shut up, Valencia,” Sunset barked. “This isn’t about me! This is about Trixie. And I’m having a hard enough time confronting her on this as it is, so keep your fucking mouth shut.”

Vignette laughed and held up her hands in surrender, remaining silent.

Trixie let out an angry squeal. “But, Sunset, Trixie told you when she was locked up in the pantry. She’d been in there since just after breakfast. Remember? Wallflower shut her in there!”

~*~
“Trixie, you were in the pantry since breakfast, right?” I asked. At her glare I added, “I’m just double checking.”

“Yes. Trixie realized she ran out of bread so she went back in there to grab another two loaves. But the door was closed on her!”

I flashed back to that morning and cringed really hard. “Oh crap. That might’ve been my fault. Did you come in while we were washing dishes?”

“...yes, Trixie did. She snuck around you hoping she wouldn’t be seen.” Trixie’s eyes flashed. “Did you shut the door on Trixie?!”

“...yeaaaah…” I admitted, moving to hide behind Sunset.

It was a good move, because Trixie screeched wordlessly and reached both hands out towards me, fingers curling like she ached to get them around my neck. “How dare you trap Trixie in the pantry?”

“It was an accident, Trixie, calm down,” Sunset said. “It sounds like she didn’t know you were in there, so she closed the door.

“Yeah, I was just leaving and saw it was ajar when we’d left it closed so I closed it,” I babbled. “I had no idea you were inside.”

Trixie snarled again, then dropped her hands. “Fine. But Trixie will remember this!” She stomped off back towards the offices, perhaps to do some investigating of her own.
~*~

“You even told Trixie to calm down, that it was an accident. Are you taking your words back now?”

A few more tears ran down Sunset’s cheeks. “I don’t want to… but it felt a little suspicious even then, the way you insisted on it. I’m sorry, Trixie, but… please stop trying to defend yourself. Please don’t make this even harder on us than it already is. There’s other evidence, too.”

Fact #13: Sunset’s Pad: “Sunset’s pad was stolen when she briefly separated from Wallflower. It was later found in a potted plant in the main hallway. Sunset noticed no signs of it being tampered with.”

Trixie gasped. “What?! What are you even talking about? Your pad?!”

“I don’t know how it ties in yet, but I don’t need to. You’re the only one who could possibly have stolen it out of my pocket without me noticing!”

As Trixie and Sunset continued to shout back and forth at each other, I found myself wondering why Sunset was so convinced Trixie was responsible. It didn’t make any sense! Trixie was right… She had no motive. And I was certain she was innocent. I knew for a fact that the pantry door was closed until it was suddenly ajar again.

“Trixie isn’t the only one who was alone! Juniper said she was alone in her room. Why is Juniper not suspicious?”

“Because I don’t know how to play a guitar, Trixie,” Juniper fired back. “I can barely play my synthesizer.”

“Besides, the dorms are too far away from the Mess Hall for Juniper to kill Pear Butter and then get back over there without being seen,” Sunset pointed out. “Whereas if Trixie killed Pear Butter she never needed to leave the Mess Hall. All she needed was a chance to slip past and get into the kitchen. And she either did it before the table was broken, or she used the chaos of the broken table to cover up her movements by sneaking past while no one was watching.”

There were so many problems with that logic I didn’t even know where to begin with objecting. But even as I started to open my mouth, it dried out, my tongue feeling like a huge piece of meat hanging in the noon-day sun. My whole body was slick with sweat and shaking like a glass of water in an earthquake, threatening to spill over and be lost. Someone had to defend Trixie...

But no one else was doing it!

“You know, I think that does answer just about all of my questions regarding the crime,” Shining said with a nod. “There’s a few mysteries still, but I’m sure Trixie can let us in on them after we vote.”

“Vote?” I whispered, my whole body flashing from desert heat to frozen wasteland at the thought. No, we couldn’t vote! If we voted, we’d be voting for the wrong person!

“Stop saying Trixie is guilty! Trixie would never murder anyone!”

“Save it for the judge!” Zephyr said as he pointed at her. “I say we vote now!”

Cranky rubbed his chin. “I’m sure not seeing any issues left here. Trixie’s the only one who could’ve done it.”

“I don’t want to believe it, but…” Derpy slowly sighed and shook her head. “Who else could it have been?”

“Ah’m ready to vote, Monohuman,” Big Macintosh declared. “Ah think we all are.”

“No, we’re not,” I breathed. “Someone stop this… please, stop this!”

Trixie was in tears now, slamming her fists on her podium. “You stupid fools! If you vote for Trixie all you’ll be dooming us all!”

“No, I don’t think we will be,” Rarity said with a sad sigh. “I’m also ready to vote.”

“Me too,” Fluttershy added.

“No, no, no!” Trixie wailed, smashing her podium hard enough to send wood chips flying. “You mustn’t! You can’t!

“I think you’ll find we can, Trixie,” Cheese Sandwich said in an uncharacteristically serious voice. “I’m good to vote.”

Vignette glanced over at me as I continued to shake and stammer and act useless. “Hmm. If only someone could speak up on Trixie’s behalf,” she murmured in a low voice, quiet enough no one else could hear it. “If only. But it would take courage… and a spine.”

I gasped at her, utterly flabbergasted. “What?”

Vignette winked at me, then turned away. “If people are going to vote, I will vote,” she said.

Autumn Blaze looked back and forth between Trixie and Sunset. “I dunno about this… but if Sunset’s sure, then it has to be Trixie, right? Sunset’s the one who knows what she’s talking about.”

“Well, it’s sounding like everyone’s ready to vote,” Monohuman said, sitting up straighter on his throne. “Final check: are you sure?”

“Of course we’re sure,” Sunset declared. She pointed at Trixie. “Trixie Lulamoon is guilty and there is no evidence whatsoever to the contrary!”

“No evidence?” I breathed. I looked down at my pad.

My eyes grew large. My heart stampeded in my chest, threatening to burst altogether.

Courage, and a spine… courage and a spine.

…and the willingness to see things through…

I stood up straight. I wiped away my sweat and tears.

I raised my finger.

And I shouted.

“No Sunset, that’s where you’re wrong!”

Sunset reeled back in utter shock as everyone else in the room looked my way, bafflement crossing many faces. But this time I stood firm, refusing to back down, no matter how scared I felt.

Trixie shot me a look of pure gratitude. “Thank you!” she shouted. “At least someone has some sense!”

Sunset recovered quickly, looking at me like I was insane. “What are you talking about, Wallflower?”

My confidence only grew as I met her glare for glare. “I’m talking about this.”

Fact #2: Kuchen Wrapper: “An enormous empty wrapper of kuchen left on the pantry floor, still laden with crumbs and fingerprint marks.”

“When we first let Trixie out of the pantry, I saw this on the floor. I didn’t know if it was important, but you said to document everything and figure it out later. And I’ve figured it out, Sunset.” I turned to Trixie. “Trixie, did you eat this kuchen while you were stuck in the pantry?”

Trixie’s cheeks bloomed like roses, but she nodded nevertheless. “Yes. Trixie was starving, and panicked. She needed to eat something to calm herself down.”

Sunset sighed. “Come on, Wallflower, that’s ridiculous. No one would eat an entire cake like that.”

A half smile briefly graced my face as I tapped my pad again. “They would if the rules forced them to.”

#2: Any food taken from the pantry that was not part of Monohuman’s breakfast preparations must be consumed in full if opened. No snacking and putting things back!

Sunset’s teeth set on edge as I continued. “Trixie had no way of knowing what was part of Monohuman’s breakfast and what wasn’t; she’d been avoiding eating breakfast with us because she didn’t trust it. So as soon as she opened that kuchen, she knew she had to finish it. Right, Trixie?”

“Right!” Trixie nodded enthusiastically. “It took forever to eat the whole thing, but Trixie was up to the challenge!”

I saw a number of people’s expressions shift, growing less certain by the second. It was working!

“And there’s more evidence of it too,” I said. “Sour Sweet, do you remember what happened between you and Trixie during the investigation?”

Sour Sweet’s face turned green. “Bleugh! How could I forget?”

~*~
As we left the break room, we heard shouting coming from the Mess Hall. “...it’s disgusting!”

“Trixie needed the bathroom very badly,” insisted Trixie, who stood not far from the public restroom, her clothes even more disheveled. “She was trapped for several hours.”

“Yes,” Sour Sweet retorted daintily, “But, because some of us care about an eensy-weensy little thing like common courtesy, we at least try flushing the toilet instead of leaving it there when we take a massive shit!”

“How dare you? Of course Trixie flushed the toilet!” Trixie balled her fists up. “Don’t accuse Trixie of poor toilet etiquette.”

“Pfft. Then go back in there and get it flushed. Hurry it up. And find some air freshener… it smells nasty.”
~*~

“Sorry if this is embarrassing, Trixie,” I said as I saw Trixie’s face turn a peculiarly thick shade of red, while a number of others recoiled in disgust. “But I only bring it up because eating an entire cake like that is going to cause you some stomach issues. And that can include, err, well… massive… shits.”

“Ugh,” Rarity moaned. “Must we discuss bathroom matters?”

Shining eyed me warily. “Wallflower, none of what you’re saying proves Trixie was in there when you say. She still could’ve eaten that entire kuchen after murdering Pear Butter.”

A few people nodded along with Shining, including Sunset. “That’s right,” Sunset said. “This was pointless.”

“Well, I disagree,” Vignette spoke up, to everyone’s shock including my own. “I think it says pretty distinctly that Trixie was trapped when Wallflower says she was.”

“...I’m with Wallflower on this,” Derpy said, nodding to me. “I’m not convinced it was Trixie just yet.”

“Me neither,” Fluttershy said with a sigh of relief. “I was going to vote if everyone else was, but… it doesn’t feel right.”

Sour Sweet grimaced, then said, “Yeah, you know what? After Wallflower pointed that out, I don’t think it was Trixie either. She couldn’t have eaten the kuchen that fast anyway.”

“And just because Trixie could have done everything doesn’t mean she did,” said Autumn Blaze. “She doesn’t have a motive.”

Rarity bit her lip, then let out a quiet sigh. “I’m sorry, but Shining Armor makes a good point. Your evidence doesn’t prove anything, Wallflower.”

“Wait a minute,” Cheese Sandwich said. “Does this mean we can’t vote?”

“We oughta,” Cranky grunted. “‘Cause Trixie’s still the culprit no matter what Wallflower says. No offense.”

Derpy blinked. “But how can we vote when we’re split down the middle like this?”

“NO!” Sunset shouted, panic written all over her face. “DON’T SAY THAT–”

Monohuman’s laughter cut her off. “Too late, Sunset! It seems not everyone agrees with you. And when we’re split down the middle like this, why, there’s only one way to solve it!”

“Um. Did I do something wrong?” Derpy asked, shrinking back.

“Not at all!” Monohuman answered as he spun his baton. “Quite the opposite. I think you’ll enjoy what comes next. And that’s to have a rip-roaring, thrilling, exciting shift-the-courtroom style scrum debate!”

He raised his hand, and strangely familiar music abruptly filled the air as everyone’s podiums raised up and shifted around, lining us up in two rows.

“What’s with the music?” Juniper cried out.

“I don’t understand what’s happening!” Rarity added.

Sunset repeatedly beat her head on her podium before giving me a furious glare. “This is your fault, Wallflower. We could’ve avoided this stupid shit!”

“Now now, enough whining, everyone,” Monohuman said. “Let the debate…”

IS TRIXIE THE CULPRIT?

BEGIN!

Big Macintosh started off their side. “Trixie murdered my Momma! Ain’t no one else who coulda done it!”

“We can’t be sure that Trixie murdered Pear Butter just yet,” Derpy said with a sad shake of her head.

“But Trixie could’ve played the guitar well enough to imitate Pear Butter!” Zephyr shouted back.

“Trixie’s not the only one who can play the guitar well enough, you know!” Trixie defended herself.

“But Trixie had a huge window of opportunityto kill Pear Butter,” Cheese said.

Fluttershy shook her head. “No, she didn’t. She had no window of opportunity at all, because she was trapped in the pantry.”

Shining Armor crossed his arms. “You have no evidence that Trixie was trapped in the pantry before the murder took place.”

“Yes we do!” Sour Sweet objected. “The kuchen is all the evidence we need.”

“But there’s no reason to believe she couldn’t have eaten the kuchen after killing Pear Butter,” Rarity objected.

“Not possible,” Autumn Blaze said. “No one could eat an entire kuchen that fast. She’d need hours.”

“That’s pretty shoddy reasoning,” Juniper argued. “We don’t know when Trixie was trapped in the pantry.”

“Yes we do,” Vignette said with her trademark smirk. “Wallflower told us exactly when Trixie was trapped: right after she finished cleaning the dishes.”

“So then how do you explain how she snuckpast three different people in the kitchen just to get into the pantry?” Shining asked.

“Trixie is more than capable of stealth when she needs to be; getting into the pantry was child’s play,” Trixie struck back.

“Why didn’t any of you hear her walking through?” Cranky snorted with derision.

Autumn took this one. “We didn’t hear her because we were focused on doing the dishes.”

“So why didn’t she just wait to go into the pantry till after everyone was gone?” Rarity asked, eyebrows arched.

“She’d already had to wait as it was,” Sour Sweet retaliated. “She was hungry.”

Zephyr raised a hand. “What I don’t get is why she felt the need to sneak in the first place? Why bother hiding?”

Derpy, of all people, face palmed at this question. “Trixie didn’t trust anyone not to mess with her food; that’s why she had to sneak.”

Big Mac sneered. “So if Ah’m hearin’ you right, Trixie’s innocent because she was convinced the rest of us might kill her?”

“Yes, Big Mac, that’s what we’ve been saying all along,” Fluttershy said. “She’s innocent of the crime.”

Shadows fell over the rest of the group as my podium and Sunset’s rose even higher, putting us in a one on one face-off. I found myself squeezing my podium hard for support, but kept myself firm.

Sunset’s scowl screamed how stupid she thought I was. “Wallflower, why are you wasting our time defending Trixie when you know she has to be the culprit?”

I straightened myself up further. “I’m defending Trixie because the evidence doesn’t add up.”

“Then who else could have done it?” Sunset protested. “Can you answer that?”

I softly shook my head. “Not yet, I can’t. I don’t know who killed Pear Butter. And that’s my point. You don’t know either.”

Sunset briefly glanced at Monohuman with a questioning look on her face, as if wondering why this was still going. “But there’s decisive evidence showing it has to be Trixie.”

“No, there isn’t!” I retorted. “What decisive evidence do you have?”

“She was in the Mess Hall during the–”

“So were a lot of people!” I cut Sunset off, finding my confidence growing rapidly. “The Mess Hall was full of people at one point. Any number of people could’ve killed Pear Butter; in fact for all we know it took two people. Maybe Cheese and Cranky did it, for example.”

Sunset’s face screwed up as she barked a laugh. “But that’s ridiculous. There’s no reason they’d work together to do that.”

“Just as ridiculous as Trixie killing Pear Butter. She has no motive either, or did you forget?”

Sunset let out a wordless howl of rage. “Damn it, Wallflower, why won’t you just let us vote on this?”

I slammed my hand down on my podium and pointed right at her. “Because we can’t vote until we’re absolutely certain. And you should know that, Sunset. Maybe Trixie is the culprit, but you haven’t proven it beyond a shadow of a doubt yet. And until we have certainty, we can’t vote!”

With that last statement, the podiums returned to their former positions. I found myself feeling strangely elated. I… won. I won an argument. I won an argument!

Sunset’s scowl at me told me this was far from over. We had a long way yet to go before we’d figure out who killed Pear Butter.

But I knew one thing for certain. I was no longer standing on the sidelines. I was actively participating in this trial.

And I’d figure out who did this, no matter what it took.

Author's Note

That's the first half of the trial done and dusted, thanks you as usual to DaOtterGuy for pre-reading, and for the special artwork courtesy of TheSleeplessBeholder.

Will this change your thoughts? Will you look at things differently? Maybe you will. Let the speculation commence! We'll see you next time for part two of the trial~

09. Chapter One: "Lost Memories in the Desert Sands" Part 7

Chapter One:

“Lost Memories in the Desert Sands”

Part VII

As the music from the debate faded, and my elation from winning the argument went with it, Sunset cracked her knuckles and set her hands down on her podium, giving me a look I didn’t quite know how to interpret. It was simultaneously utterly furious… and yet resigned?

Once again I was struck by just how pale she looked. This was destroying her, and even though it was right, I felt awful prolonging it.

“You know what, Wallflower?” Sunset said after a few moments of dead silence. “You’re right.” She let out a loud sigh. “You’re right, and I of all people should know that you can’t vote without certainty. This is just like… well, nevermind what it’s just like. Point is, you’re right, and I’m sorry I doubted you.”

"Um, apology accepted," I said, after a moment of hesitation.

"Alright, so where do we go from here?" Cranky asked.

Shining Armor eyed me. "I'd like to ask Wallflower a couple of questions. If Trixie isn't the culprit, she's our next most likely suspect."

"Oh come on," Sour Sweet said, flashing Shining a rude gesture. "You seriously think she'd waste her time defending Trixie if she was the culprit?"

I raised my hand. "No, he's right," I said, despite my nerves trembling. "I'm sure stranger things have happened and it's better to clear up any confusion."

"You've got that right," Sunset muttered. For some reason she looked right at Trixie with a wistful expression.

Shining nodded. "Okay. First thing's first. According to everyone's testimony, including your own, you were the last one to see Pear Butter alive."

"That's right," I said.

Fact #12: Pear Butter’s Behavior: “As far as we know, Wallflower was the last one to see Pear Butter, in her office, three hours before her body was discovered.”

"At about 9:30 AM."

"Okay, so what happened when you went to see her?"

I froze and looked at Big Macintosh, not sure how much I wanted to say. But anything could be important, I realized. So after a deep breath I answered, "She and I had an argument. I wanted to know why she'd been so rude to me. She accused me of faking my memory loss and insinuated I was going to kill someone by asking if I…" I swallowed. "If I would spare Big Macintosh."

Big Macintosh's jaw fell open before he let out an angry grunt. "What in tarnation are you sayin'? My Momma was protectin' me?"

"I think she thought she was," I replied. "I was so confused. I told her I would never hurt anyone. And she screamed at me to leave her office. That's when I ran away; I was terrified."

Sunset rubbed her chin. "So that's why Big Mac saw you looking all panicked and sweaty."

"Err, yeah, you should know," I said.

Shining glanced at Sunset for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I ran to my room, took a shower, and ran into Sunset afterwards. We talked for a bit and I asked why she thought Pear Butter was so mad. She just told me to stay away, so I did. And then we heard the table break. After that I was never out of sight or alone."

Cheese shrugged. "Well, I'm convinced. Wallflower didn't do it."

Shining uncrossed his arms and set his hands on his podium. "I think we can safely rule Wallflower out. I'm still not convinced about Trixie, but we'll take her off the table too for now."

"Gee, thanks, Dad,” Trixie scoffed. “Trixie is so glad you're looking out for her.”

“Don’t call me D…”

Zephyr’s groan interrupted Shining’s complaint. "Oooh but that leaves us at square one! We don't know who could've done it."

"Maybe we should start looking into some other alibis," Autumn Blaze suggested. "If we can't figure it out from clues maybe there's something there."

"Good idea," Sunset said, bringing up the list.

Fact #9: Alibis: “Shining Armor and Autumn Blaze were discussing leadership outside the Mess Hall.
Zephyr Breeze was with Derpy Doo and Big Macintosh fixing the broken dining room table, but was out of sight for at least twenty minutes before the body was discovered.
Cheese Sandwich was with Cranky Doodle in the breakroom for several hours.
Sour Sweet and Fluttershy were having a discussion outside.
Trixie claims she was trapped in the pantry since after breakfast.
Juniper states she was in her room working on a screenplay.”

"Well don't look at me," Juniper said immediately. "Sunset said earlier that there's no way I could've killed Pear Butter and gotten back to my dorm room without being seen. And that's still true."

Sunset nodded. "I agree. I don't think Juniper is at fault. But… I do have a question for someone." She whirled and pointed. "Zephyr Breeze, care to explain where you were during that time?”

Zephyr swallowed, a goofy grin gracing his face as he began laughing. “Ah, uh, heh, hehehe, I uh, why, why does that matter, huh?”

“Because it’s exactly the time we think the murder took place,” Derpy said, frowning.

“That’s right,” Trixie added, giving Zephyr a disgusted look. “You suddenly vanished around the time of the crime. Quite suspicious if you ask Trixie.”

Sweat ran down Zephyr’s face in droves. “Ah-bah w-well, I, uh, I didn’t… I wouldn’t… I can’t play guitar!”

Everyone paused, save for Sunset. “Yeah, we know that. That’s not why I’m asking where you were.”

“...it’s not?” Zephyr blurted.

Sunset snorted. “No, it’s not. I doubt you could’ve done this; you’re not, err…” She glanced at Fluttershy, who’d begun to give her a very stern look, and switched tracks. “That is, it doesn’t make much sense for you to have done it. I don’t think you would’ve had enough time, especially not given when we heard the guitar playing. But we need to clear up where you went.”

“Oh, uh, alright,” he said, slicking his hair back and preening, as if suddenly brimming with confidence again. “I was in the bathroom; I had to take a huge dump.”

Rarity slapped a hand to her face. “Bathroom matters again?!”

“We really didn’t need to hear the details, dude,” Cheese said, holding his nose.

“Is that really where you were at?” Fluttershy asked, placing her hands on her hips.

“Well, yeah, Flutter Butter, why would I lie?”

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes. “Zephyr Breeze…” she growled.

He raised his hands in surrender. “I’m telling the truth, honest! I had to go, so I went. We had the table fixed; I figured it wasn’t a problem.”

“So why didn’t you say nothin’?” Big Macintosh asked. “Instead of wastin’ our time like this?”

Zephyr stuck his hands in his pockets. “...I was afraid someone might accuse me of killing Pear Butter. A-and at the time I just had to go really bad so I forgot to say something, okay?”

Shining eyed him warily, then slowly shook his head. “I believe him. And he couldn’t have played the guitar, so he wasn’t responsible either.”

“Alright, well, thanks anyway, Zephyr,” Sunset said with a slight sigh. “At least we solved that little mystery.”

“Hey, I just thought of something,” Autumn Blaze said, waving her hand. “Remember the gouges?”

Fact #6: Gouge Marks: “There are marks gouged into the desk, as if it was violently struck.”

“Right, yeah, I remember,” Sunset said.

“Did we ever figure out what caused those?”

Derpy shook her head. “Oh my gosh, no, we didn’t. We segued into the whole guitar thing and forgot about ‘em.”

“Ugh, maybe the killer just wanted to plant a bunch of pointless evidence,” Cranky mumbled. “Like that stupid guitar string thing.”

“You’re really mad about this guitar string thing,” Juniper said.

“Because it’s just so pointless!” he griped. “This killer probably just planted a bunch of random fake evidence all willy-nilly, and they’re sitting here laughing at us trying to make sense of it!”

“We had a theory about the gouges,” I said, trying to ignore him. “It looked like Pear Butter swung something, and it hit the desk. She attacked first.”

“My momma wouldn’t do that,” Big Mac argued.

“We have to consider the possibility,” Shining said. “And if she did swing something, it had to be the guitar, right? It fits the gouges, and we know it got damaged.”

Big Macintosh let out a wordless snarl. “So we’re back on this again, huh? Sayin’ my Momma was tryin’ to murder someone?”

Sunset let out a very loud sigh. “Big Macintosh, I know the idea hurts. I get it. I don’t like it either. But...your mother was acting very strange before things went down. Starting arguments, being mean to Wallflower after being nice to her the first day… I remember how every culprit in the last game was acting before they killed someone. And a lot of them acted like Pear Butter did. I think we have to face the reality that she was trying to murder the culprit. And they murdered her back.”

“...but…” Big Macintosh reeled back like he’d been slapped, placing both fists down on his podium. “But why? Why would my Momma… wanna kill anyone?”

I looked right at Sunset questioningly. “Sunset, do you think it might’ve been because of what we found in her room?”

She shook her head immediately. “No, that can’t be important.”

“...why not?” I pressed.

She hissed a sigh. “Because it can’t be, now shut up about it!”

“Whoa, hold on a second,” Shining Armor said, holding out his hands. “What are we talking about here? What was found in Pear Butter’s room?”

Sunset gave me a pleading look, begging me not to speak up, but I just couldn’t stay silent on this. “We found some kind of diary,” I said. “This is what it said.”

I swapped to the appropriate screen on my pad and began to read.

It’s been a couple of days since the program shifted and this killing game was announced. I’m not going to admit it to anyone else, but Bright Mac? I’m scared. I’m scared out of my wits. Our son is in this damned game with me! I don’t care so much about my own life, because the worst thing that could happen is I’m with you again. But we can’t lose our son…. He’s far too young to go. He deserves to live a long, full life, the one you were denied.

If I find out for sure who put us in here, I’ll tear them apart for putting my son’s life at risk.

And she keeps acting innocent. That foolish woman, every time I try to get her to admit something she dodges it by pretending she has no idea what I’m talking about. Her memory issues sure are convenient, given that–

“Given that what?” Cranky asked, holding out his hands.

I shook my head. “It cuts off there.”

Big Macintosh crumpled at his podium, sobbing softly. “Momma…” he whispered.

“It says ‘and she,’” Shining Armor said, rubbing his chin. “Implying that Pear Butter believes one of us was involved in setting this game up. Maybe even masterminded the whole thing.”

“Me,” I said, pointing to myself. “She thought it was me. That’s why she asked me to spare Big Macintosh… she thought I’m the one behind the killing game.”

“Are you?” Vignette asked, a giant smirk gracing her face.

“No, of course not!” I shouted, throwing out a hand. “I would never do a thing like that. I don’t know why Pear Butter thought I did, but…”

“This makes you look a lot more suspicious, you know,” Cheese said, giving me a wary look.

I sighed. “But at the time the guitar was being played, I was with Sunset, Vignette, and Rarity playing a board game outside. We’ve established this.”

“This is why I didn’t want to bring this up,” Sunset said, scowling at me. “Because it doesn’t tell us anything new and all it does is make you look bad, Wallflower.”

“I disagree,” Rarity said. “I think it tells us exactly one new fact: it suggests that Pear Butter might actually have been trying to kill someone.”

The room fell silent for a moment at that, save for Big Macintosh’s continued sobs and the occasional slamming of his fist against his podium.

“So, what you’re saying is,” Sour Sweet said, “that Pear Butter thought she knew who the mastermind was, so she tried to kill them for it?”

“It sure looks that way,” Zephyr said, giving Big Macintosh a sympathetic look. “Sorry big guy.”

“Shut up,” Big Macintosh grunted. At least he’d finally finished sobbing, though he was now looking at us with red-rimmed eyes, his face tear-stained. “All of you… just shut up. Ah don’t care what my Momma said in some diary of hers. She ain’t a killer!”

“Well that much certainly is true, since she’s the one who died,” Vignette said with a gormless shrug.

Big Macintosh’s hands came up, fingers curling in and out like he was desperate to get them around Vignette’s neck. But thankfully after a moment he calmed down. “...just… just stop insultin’ her, alright? Ah can’t stand it no more. Ah don’t want to hear it.”

“Well, regardless, even if she thought the culprit was the mastermind, it wouldn’t have made a difference,” Sunset said. “Because there’s no way the mastermind would let themselves get killed like that.”

“Trixie wonders, though, what if she had? Monohuman? Care to answer Trixie?”

Monohuman twirled his baton and held a hand to his ear. “Sorry, what was that? I couldn’t hear you over how annoying your method of speech is.”

Trixie’s lips rippled as she briefly bared her teeth. “You big jerk…”

“Sorry, Monohuman,” Derpy said, giving Trixie an apologetic look, “but um, what she was asking was, what if Pear Butter had killed the mastermind?”

Monohuman shrugged. “Assuming there is a ‘mastermind’ among you, which would be a pretty fun idea now that you bring it up, it makes no difference. Check the rules; nowhere in them does it say killing a mastermind stops the game.”

“...are you saying there is one or isn’t one?” Cranky pressed.

Monohuman simply grinned and sat back in his throne.

After a few moments, Cranky muttered, “Guuuh. Never mind…lousy piece of technology…”

“So, we know that Pear Butter was likely trying to hurt the mastermind, or who she thought was the mastermind,” Shining said as he rubbed his chin. “Which has me suspicious of Trixie all over again, because so far she’s the only one who fits the potential bill.”

“Oh, please don’t make Trixie have to defend herself again,” Trixie insisted. “Was it not clear to you that Trixie was trapped in the pantry? Or do you truly think Trixie could snarf down an entire kuchen in the, what, twenty or so minutes after Pear Butter died? Bearing in mind of course that Trixie would have to falsely play the guitar and then somehow sneak past everyone when they came inside to search.”

“No, I suppose not,” Shining said with a deep sigh. “Though that doesn’t leave us with a lot of options. The only one that still fits all the evidence we have is Big Macintosh himself.”

Big Macintosh glared at Shining, but for once, he kept his temper in check. “Ah didn’t kill my Momma, Shinin’.”

Shining shook his head. “No, you didn’t. I don’t believe that for a second. So that leaves us stuck.”

“Oooh… it doesn’t make any sense,” Fluttershy said with a sad sigh. “The only ones who could’ve done it either had alibis or were trapped.”

Vignette let out a slight sigh of her own. “Oh, if only there was something we hadn’t figured out yet… some clue we’re overlooking, or some contradiction we still haven’t resolved.” She then looked at me and winked.

I blinked, staring back at her in blank confusion. What was she talking about? There wasn’t anything left that…

Wait.

“There isn’t anything, is the problem,” Sunset replied. “I don’t get what we’re missing. We must be missing something.”

I looked back over the list of evidence. “Hey, everyone–”

“Oho, finding you’re running out of things to debate about, hmm?” Monohuman interrupted, sitting up straight in his throne. “Perhaps I should declare an end to the trial then, and make you vote!”

“Um, can he really do that?” Derpy murmured, her eyes wide.

“He’s the one running things… doesn’t he make the rules?” Zephyr asked.

“You can’t do that, Monohuman!” Sunset declared as she tapped at her pad. “Your own rules state that the trial doesn’t end until the participants are certain. You’re not going to violate your own rules, are you?”

Monohuman considered that, tapping the end of his baton to his chin. “I suppose not… and you’re right. I did say as much in the rules, didn’t I? Oh, and here I am without a caveat for changing the rules… oh. Wait a minute. I can.” A savage grin split his face as he snapped his fingers.

Everyone’s pads beeped and a single new rule popped up in the middle of the podiums as if it was a piece of evidence.

Rule #18: Should the trial drag on or otherwise become too boring or stuck, Monohuman reserves the right to call an ending to the trial and force a vote. This rule is at Monohuman’s discretion and interpretation only. Any attempt to argue with this rule will be met with execution.

Sunset’s pale face broke into pure rage. “What the fu–”

“Ah ah ah!” Monohuman waggled his finger. “Careful now, or I’ll take that as arguing with the rule. And you don’t want to argue with the rule, do you?”

Steaming, her face red, almost blisteringly hot, Sunset set her hands down. “No,” she growled, the words sounding ripped from her throat. “No, of course not.”

“Good! Now then.” Monohuman sat back down. “With this rule in place, I can call an end to the trial at any time. So I hope you’re prepared for when that happens, because you will vote, and I will still react accordingly to a correct or incorrect vote.”

“Oh no, we’re so dead!” Zephyr cried, clutching his head. “What’re we gonna do? We don’t know who did it!”

“We should vote Trixie!” Juniper barked. “At least then we’ll have someone.”

“Don’t you dare!” Trixie shouted back, raising a fist. “Trixie is not guilty! How many times must she say this?”

“So, you really are out of debating options then?” Monohuman asked, an amused grin gracing his face. “Very well then. Time to–”

“Hold on a second!” I called out.

Monohuman stood up immediately, his baton pointed at me, a terrifyingly calm expression on his face. “Are you arguing with the rule, Wallflower?” he asked, his voice just as scarily calm.

My body trembled and palms grew sweaty as I shook my head. “Err, no. I’ve got a subject to debate.”

“Oh!” Monohuman smiled and sat back down. “Very well then. Go right ahead.”

“For real, tell us,” Cheese said, looking at me pleadingly. “Give us something to work with.”

I nodded. “Look, we’re stuck, right? We don’t know who did it because all our clues point to people who couldn’t have done it, right? And anyone who might’ve had the chance don’t fit one or more of the clues.”

“Yeaaaah,” Sunset said, giving me a wary look. “That’s the issue. Are you going somewhere with this?”

“I am,” I said with another nod. “I figure that if every clue points to people who couldn’t have done something, and we’re out of suspects, then something we think we know is wrong. It’s the only explanation. And I realized it when you mentioned what you’d have to do to sneak past everyone, Trixie.”

Trixie blinked and held a hand to her chest. “Trixie? Moi? How exactly did Trixie help you?”

“Well, you pointed out something I’ve been struggling with this whole trial,” I said. “Namely, the timeline. Right now, we think that whoever the culprit was, they played the guitar to pretend to be Pear Butter about ten or so minutes before the body was found, right? And then they’d have to smash the guitar, and wrap the guitar string around her neck, and somehow get out without anyone noticing they were involved, and join the rest of us without anyone realizing anything.”

“Hmm…” Shining took off his hat for a moment to run a hand through his hair, then stuck it back on. “I think you might be onto something, Wallflower. What precisely are you suggesting?”

A tight smile graced my face as I answered. “The murder didn’t take place when we think it did.”

“Whoa, hold up there, Wally,” Zephyr said, holding up his hands. “What makes you say that?”

“It’s a hunch,” I answered. “A bit of a leap, I know, but… like I said, something we think we know is wrong. And if the murder took place at a different time, it could shake up everything.”

“It would also invalidate everything we’ve figured out thus far,” Sunset retorted with a soft shake of her head. “Wallflower, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree with this one.”

“No, I don’t think I am.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “If no one we think could’ve murdered Pear Butter just before the body was found, then they must’ve done it at another time.”

Sunset shook her head, and to my shock she gave me a cold smile, the kind that adults give to little children to humor them when the child thinks they’re saying something profound. "Wallflower, it's okay. You made a good point earlier with Trixie and certainty. But now the ball's back in my court. Let me handle this, okay?"

I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. Sunset Shimmer, of all people… treating me like a little child.

Maybe she was right. Maybe I was so excited by winning the earlier argument I was happy to pursue anything so long as it meant I'd win again.

Winning. A concept foreign to me, as foreign as the idea of speaking in public, or standing up for myself. All things I'd done today that I usually never bothered with or were so scared of doing the thought made me want to vomit.

So maybe Sunset was right.

"Sorry…" I whispered.

Sunset’s smile turned kinder. “Thank you.” She turned to the others. “Now, forget what Wallflower was saying; too many things point to the murder taking place not long before the body was found.”

“No, wait a minute,” Shining said. “I thought she was onto something. Why’re we just dismissing this?”

Sunset shrugged. “Even if she found something that could support her claim, it could easily be another fabrication by the culprit.” She flashed everyone a wry grin. “You haven’t seen some of the cases I have. Things get a lot more convoluted than this, trust me. At least we didn’t have any mysterious sudden deaths in the middle of the investigation.”

“That sounds ominous,” Autumn said, shivering.

“Hang on, Sunset,” Trixie said, eying me curiously. “Trixie also thinks Wallflower was onto something.”

“Me too,” Fluttershy said, rubbing her chin. “Though, um, I’m not sure how we’d… prove it.”

Hearing others speak up on my behalf was nice, but it really wasn’t necessary. And I started to say as much.

Derpy cut me off. “I think she was onto something. Why’re you so against it, Sunset?”

“Because there’s no evidence,” Sunset declared. “We have to stick with what we can prove.”

“Well, maybe she can prove it!” Trixie snapped. “You haven’t given her a chance!”

Sunset groaned and pulled at her hair for a moment, then gave me a fierce glare. “Okay, fine. Let’s hear it then, Wallflower. What possible evidence do we have that suggests it could’ve taken place sooner, huh?”

Abruptly put on the spot again, I found myself unable to speak, my words stuck in my throat. “Err… I uh… well… I…”

“Uh huh,” Sunset said, shaking her head with a sigh. “Right. So, moving on.”

A number of people gave me looks I wasn’t sure how to interpret, until I glanced Vignette’s way again. She winked at me, and mouthed a single word.

And I blinked in surprised understanding, and nodded. “There’s…” My voice failed, because I suddenly became aware of that stupid camera pivoting to me when I spoke.

“Give her time!” Vignette chided, sounding unconcerned and sweet, but glaring right at Sunset.

I tried to center myself and finally, finally got myself together. “There’s a piece of evidence which… which suggests it happened earlier.”

The room somehow got more silent than I was aware was possible. Absolutely every single person stared right at me. I squeezed my fists together and somehow kept going. “It’s this.”

Fact #7: White Noise Machine: “Pear Butter’s white noise machine was discovered turned off when the body was discovered, despite her habit of keeping it on. It was off for an uncertain amount of time, and it was in power-saving mode, meaning it could turn itself off automatically. The timer displayed ‘2245.’”

Sunset crossed her arms and raised both eyebrows. “What about it? It was on a power-saving mode; we figured out as much during the investigation.”

“Yes, but that 2245. It’s the timer, it relates to the timing, and we never figured it out.”

Trixie held out both hands. “And what is that supposed to mean to Trixie? It was set to turn off after two thousand, two hundred, and forty-five minutes? That’s a long therapy session, though I
can think of a few people who’d need it.”

“Obviously it doesn’t mean anything useful,” Sunset said, waving her hand dismissively. “Wallflower, seriously, you’re wasting our time, and it’s beginning to piss me off.”

Those words sent me reeling like I’d been slapped in the face. “But… Sunset…”

“It doesn’t mean anything!” Sunset railed back, throwing her hands up in the air. “Why are you so insistent on this, huh? Did you do it after all? Did you?”

“What?” I breathed. My blood froze as she spoke, till solid ice gripped every artery, every vein, every capillary in my body. “H-how could you even say that, Sunset?”

“Because let’s get real here for a second and face some facts: you do fit the profile,” Sunset snarled. “And you’ve got a pretty damned good motive.”

“Yeah, yeah she does,” Zephyr Breeze added. “Down with Wallflower!”

“I’m pretty sick of being here,” Juniper moaned. “Can we just vote already? Wallflower sounds as good as anyone.”

“I’m tired of this crap too,” Cranky said, “but I’m not about to risk my life voting for the wrong person. And something about this stinks. You were defending Wallflower all over the place before, Sunset. Why the change?”

Cheese folded his arms and looked at Sunset. “I’ve gotta agree with Cranky. What’s your deal, Sunset?”

“We’ve established several times that Wallflower not only couldn’t play the guitar well enough, but she was with us when the guitar was played,” Rarity added. “Honestly, Sunset, other than having the best motive, I can’t see Wallflower being the culprit.”

“Yeah!” I said, finding some extra confidence in hearing others back me up. “And that number 2245 does mean something. If you just….”

“One second,” Shining said, raising his hand. He pointed at me. “Wallflower, you weren’t the one who had experience with the machine. Vignette was the one who’d used one before.”

“Well, thank you, Shining Armor,” Vignette said breezily. “I’ve been waiting impatiently for someone to gather up the courage to ask for my input. I know I’m intimidating, but I put my pomade on one strand at a time, just like anyone else.”

“I didn’t…”

“But I’m sorry to say you were taken in by my confidence. I only made it look like I knew anything about that machine. It’s a little bit of a superpower of mine. I used to think it was great, but then I learned it was stifling my growth and keeping me from making new friends, thaaanks Rarityyyy luv ya!” Rarity blushed in embarrassment; I couldn’t tell if it was vicarious or not.

“Uh,” I spoke up gently, “I don’t think Shining thought you were an expert, or anything, just you might know something. You were pretty clearly just pressing randomly on the buttons.”

~*~

Vignette sauntered into the hallway and began poking at the control panel on the device, ignoring Sunset’s protests. “Aha,” she chirped, then smiled back at us. “It’s in power-saver mode. It turns off automatically unless you push the power button.” She pushed a button and nothing happened. “...Whichever of these is the power button. I’ve reviewed products with a feature like that; that’s definitely what it is.”

Glaring, Sunset crossed her arms. “Turns off after how long?”

“No idea, you can set it. People fall asleep with these things and they don’t want them going all night.” She poked vaguely at the buttons. “‘Display?’” The LED screen on the machine lit up with SYS5, which meant nothing to me. “No… ‘Region?’” R2 lit up; Vignette scowled. “No… Clock?” 0104 popped up on the display; checking my pad, 1:04 was the correct time. “No… wait.” She glanced up. “Don’t worry, we’ll edit all this out in post.” Ignoring our confusion, she went back to the controls. “It’s not ‘volume.’ Oh! ‘Timer!’ It’s probably the ‘timer’ button.” Looking absolutely delighted with herself, she pushed that button. The LED screen lit up: 2245.

Sunset glared at her. “2245? What does that mean?”

“Dunno! But Rainmaker White Noise Machines are just the best. I use mine, like, every day.” She smirked. “And that’s how a pro reviews a product.”

~*~

“Yeah, bee-tee-dub no one tell anyone I didn’t really use that machine when I reviewed it,” Vignette said. “White noise tiktok can be brutal.” She shrugged. “Well, it was in power-saving mode. I’m sure of that.”

“So it did turn itself off automatically,” Shining said. “Which means that ‘2245’ probably does have something to do with it.”

“Maybe?” Juniper said, scratching her head. “But I don’t understand what that means.”

“...mind if Ah take a look at the pictures for a second?” Big Macintosh said, startling us all.

“Uh, no, go ahead Big Mac,” Fluttershy said.

Big Macintosh pulled up the picture of the white noise machine, which was sadly not as clear a picture as most others, which irritated me. Sunset didn’t strike me as a bad photographer but this barely showed the thing in focus at all.

“Hmm… the picture ain’t good enough. Ah can’t make it out.”

Groans went around the room at this. “Oh for pete’s sake,” Cranky moaned. “Can we get some kind of break here?”

“Tick-tock tick-tock!” Monohuman chanted, twirling his baton. “You’re running out of time as I’m running out of patience with these shenanigans.”

“Thank you, Monohuman, that is very helpful,” Sour Sweet snorted.

“You’re welcome!”

“Wait a minute,” I muttered as my mind started to race. Something about what he said. Tick-tock…tick… tock…”

“That’s it!” I said, snapping my fingers.

“What, what is it?” Zephyr demanded, his hair going completely askew as he stared at me. “C’mon, tell us.”

“Time,” I replied. “The number deals with time. I mean think about it… we know it can tell time, right? We confirmed it when Vignette pushed the ‘clock’ button.”

“This is pointless,” Sunset muttered.

“So then it has to be displaying an actual time on a clock!” I near-yelled, trying to tune her out as much as I could.

Sour Sweet gave me a funny look. “Oh Wallflower, you need to chill out a sec. ‘2245 isn’t a time.”

“Actually, there is a 22 o’clock,” Cranky countered. “The army uses it. Other countries where things make sense use it. We’re idiots, though, and want to confuse everyone with our AM/PM crap.”

“So 22:45 would be…” Juniper counted silently for a second, “...10:45 PM?”

Everyone fell silent. “...the white noise machine was on a twenty-four hour clock?” Shining asked.

“But it wasn’t, Wallflower!” Sunset snapped. “When Vignette pushed the ‘clock’ button, remember what it said? ‘0104.’ If it was a twenty-four hour clock, it would have said ‘1304,’ wouldn’t it?”

“Not if AM and PM were reversed!” I protested.

“Wallflower…” Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose in performative exhaustion. “How. Exactly. Does Pear Butter mix up AM and PM if her machine’s in 24-hour mode?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think it was when she used it. Vignette’s the one who did that, remember? She pushed the ‘region’ button! And, and why would a white noise machine even need that if it didn’t have something to do with the time display?”

“Sunset, please,” Shining spoke up, cutting Sunset off before she could even object. “I know you think it’s useless, but let’s at least dig into the implications of this, all right? I think we’re suggesting that the white noise machine was set with AM and PM reversed, which only became apparent when Vignette changed its region.”

“Mama was always more of a people-person than a gadget-person,” Big Mac said. “Not noticing or caring that she’s set her thing to AM when she means PM… that is the kinda thing she’d do.”

“So… if this is true, the white noise machine turned off at 10:45,” I declared. “And Cheese and Cranky said they didn’t remember when it went off, but it didn’t turn off and then back on.”

Cheese frowned thoughtfully. “I guess it could’ve been that early. And yeah, it’s really loud, but you get used to it being on so easily, it kinda just becomes background.”

Sour Sweet waved her hands. “Wait, wait, wait, but… who even gives a shit about any of this?! What’s this have to do with poor, poor, Pear Butter?”

“Because Pear Butter usually had it on, when she was in her office,” I said. “Remember? So if it turned off at 10:45 and she never turned it on, that means one of two things. She might not have been in her office, but it’s really unlikely that would be true with no one seeing her even once. Or…”

“Or she couldn’t turn it on,” Big Mac cut in, voice dull. “‘Cause it was too late.”

I nodded. “That’s right. This suggests the murder happened sometime before 10:45, much earlier than we thought!”

“Whaaaaat?!” Zephyr shrieked, slapping both hands to his head. “But that’s ridiculous!”

“Is that so?” Trixie said, humming questioningly under her breath. “That changes everything.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Cranky added, giving me a glare. “We know it had to have taken place not long before the body was discovered.”

“Do we?” I retorted, feeling even more confident now. “Because I don’t think we do. All we know for sure is that the guitar was played around that time. That was the only hint we have to the timeline; we’ve based everything else on that. But what if that’s been misleading us too? Remember what Sunset pointed out about the guitar to begin with. This could be another level of deception.”

“Not that I don’t believe you, darling,” Rarity said, raising a dainty finger. “But I’m afraid I don’t understand how that’s possible. We all heard the guitar playing. Are you suggesting that the culprit killed Pear Butter, then left the scene alone and came back to play the guitar later? Why would they do that?”

“It would establish an alibi, for one,” I said. “They kill her, they set everything up apart from the guitar, then they come back later, play it, destroy the guitar and plant the string, then get out of there and join the rest of us, acting none the wiser.”

“And that’s where you’re wrong,” Sunset shouted, pointing right at me. “That’s absurd, for all sorts of reasons.”

For some reason, my spine stiffened as she spoke. I felt confronted, more than usual. Like this was a key moment that could decide the entire trial.

Or maybe I was getting hungry because we’d skipped lunch and I was really running low on blood sugar.

Either way I stared Sunset down. “I know it’s a bit far-fetched, but so far everything else in this case has been. What precisely is wrong with what I’m suggesting?”

“Plenty!” Sunset retorted. “Number one, you’re making a huge mistake when it comes to the white noise machine. You didn’t get a good look at the thing and we don’t have a good picture of it.”

“Well, that’s–”

“I’m not finished,” Sunset snapped, jabbing her finger into her podium. “Second, even if you’re right about the timer, it’s a pretty wild assumption this means that the white noise machine was off by twelve hours.”

“Well, Momma never was the best with technology,” Big Macintosh muttered, only to be cut off by a fierce glare from Sunset.

“Third, if we take everything you’re saying at face value, then that leaves a crime scene, with a dead body just laying around for someone to find.” Sunset’s face screwed up in sheer disbelief. “That’s a pretty huge risk the culprit would be taking just for the sake of throwing off the timeline of the murder.”

I raised a finger. “That doesn’t mean that the culprit–”

“I am still not finished!” Sunset screamed as she slapped her hand down on her podium. “Fourth, even if everything else you said happens to be true, you still have the problem of the guitar. We heard it played not long before the body was found. We also established that the culprit had to have destroyed the guitar and tied the string around Pear Butter’s neck after they played the music. And last I checked, all the people who could’ve done it were either among others with perfect alibis, or trapped in the pantry, so your explanation is impossible!”

I stared at her for several long moments of silence, paralyzed into inaction. She was right! Even if I’d been onto something with the white noise machine… even if… the guitar music was always there to bring the timeline of the murder back up to just before the body was found. It was the inescapable fact that made everything I said pointless.

“Why are you so upset over this, Sunset?” Shining finally asked, giving her a look I didn’t know how to interpret. “You’re acting angrier than usual.”

“I’m not upset about this idea,” Sunset said, taking several deep breaths and standing up straighter at her podium. “What’s upsetting me is my friend taking up so much of our time like this. Wallflower, I love you, but you’re really frustrating me today. You had one good point with Trixie but now you’re acting like it means you can say whatever you want just because you think it makes sense.”

“Sunset’s got you there, Wallflower,” Zephyr Breeze said with a laugh.

“Um, I’m sorry Wallflower,” Fluttershy said, bowing her head. “It was a good attempt.”

“Indeed, darling, I was almost convinced for a moment, but Sunset is right,” Rarity added. “The guitar makes it impossible.”

“Thank you, Rarity,” Sunset said, giving me a softer smile. “I’m sorry I keep shouting, Wallflower. I know it scares you. And I know you want to help, but… really, just let this go, okay?”

Once again I found myself wanting to cry, to scream, to rage at the heavens. I was positive I’d been on the right track… and a niggling part of my mind kept insisting I was, even as the rest of me wanted to surrender.

Something about the way Sunset was arguing… it was almost like I was onto something big. Huge.

I couldn’t let this go.

“No, Sunset,” I said, straightening my posture and wiping away my tears with my sweater sleeve. “I know I’m right.”

Sunset let out a loud sigh, doubling over at her podium. “Okay, fine, I’ll give you one shot. One! You’ve got one chance to prove the murder happened earlier than we thought. And when you can’t, we’ll move on and figure out who actually did this and stop wasting everyone’s time, okay?”

“Fine,” I replied with a confidence I didn't truly feel. “One shot’s all I need.”

“You can do this, Wallflower,” Derpy said, giving me a thumbs up.

“Trixie believes you must be correct, Wallflower,” Trixie added with a nod. “So you must be able to prove it.”

Shining eyed me without speaking, but I could tell his full attention was laid on me.

Even Monohuman leaned forward, on the edge of his seat on his throne.

“Well, Wallflower?” Sunset asked, looking right at me. “Let’s hear your proof."

Proof. I sighed. “It’s something I’ve been trying to point out for a while. It’s this:”

Fact #7: White Noise Machine: “Pear Butter’s white noise machine was discovered turned off when the body was discovered, despite her habit of keeping it on. It was off for an uncertain amount of time, and it was in power-saving mode, meaning it could turn itself off automatically. The timer displayed ‘2245.’”

Sunset scorn-laughed; it felt like a punch. “The white noise machine again?! You…”

“Let her talk, Sunset,” Trixie snapped, earning a glare but thankfully silence.

“Let’s… let’s think about what the white noise machine is even for,” I said.

“It’s to block out the noise in Pear Butter’s office, so her sessions couldn’t be overheard,” Rarity said. “And it was delightfully relaxing, once you got used to it.”

“Right. And… it worked really well, right?” I gestured to my right, trying to ignore everyone’s dubious expressions. “Sour Sweet, you said you yelled at Pear Butter during your therapy session, even right at the end, right?”

“Um.” Sour Sweet shrank a little, glancing nervously at Big Mac. “I wasn’t yelling at her. She was helping me! I just yell sometimes. So what?!”

“So, I was standing right outside the door, and I didn’t hear it,” I replied. “That machine completely blocked out the sound from the office, when it was on. But not when it was off, right?”

~*~

“So, Pear Butter,” Sour Sweet said, a rare soft smile on her face. “You’ve been playing your guitar a lot lately. It’s really beautiful.”

Pear Butter chuckled bashfully. “Y’all can hear me when I’m playin’ in my office? Goodness, thought closing the door would block it out. Ah hope Ah’m not buggin’ anyone.”

~*~

“So just before we found the body, when the guitar music played, the white noise machine had to be off, right? Or else we wouldn’t have been able to hear the song.”

“Riiiight?” Zephyr replied, raising an eyebrow. “And… so what?”

“So that means the murder couldn’t possibly have happened then.” I nearly smacked myself in the forehead at how obvious this was now that I was saying it out loud. “Because the murder had to happen while the white noise machine was on.”

“Um… why?” Trixie asked, squinting suspiciously.

“Because not a single person has reported hearing a guitar being smashed against something. Much less hearing it twice.”

No one said anything for a moment, and even Sunset faltered, but she stood her ground. “Then… then the killer just turned the machine off, played the guitar, and turned it back on…”

“No!” Cranky grunted. “Toldja before, I definitely woulda noticed the thing turning on and off again fifty times. Thing was on, then it was off, period.”

“So what,” Sunset sneered, “they played the guitar after smashing it up and tearing out one of its strings? Listen to…”

“Yes,” I said. Everyone looked at me, but I barely noticed. Everything was snapping into place, all in a row. “That’s exactly what they did.”

The look on Sunset’s face was appalled rage, but Autumn Blaze was faster in speaking. “What?! That’s impossible! You can’t destroy a guitar and then play it!”

Instead of addressing her, I looked at someone else. “Cranky?” I said, “you’ve been really annoyed about something this whole trial, right? The guitar string?”

“Gragh!” he yelled. “Stupid, pointless…”

“What if it wasn’t?” I interrupted. He fell silent, frowning. “What if the point wasn’t disguising how Pear Butter was killed? Instead, it was to confuse us about when everything happened. We were assuming the guitar got smashed up last, after the music, but that’s impossible, because Cranky and Cheese would have heard it.”

“Wallflower, stop.” Sunset looked furious by this point. “I asked you for proof, and all you did was say our timeline was impossible, and replace it with another, even more impossible timeline. You’re in over your head, and you need to. Just. Stop.”

“It’s not impossible,” I insisted. “I have proof.”

“Proof that the killer played a broken guitar,” she sneered.

But I was full of some kind of manic certainty. I had cracked the case, I knew it, and even though I wasn’t sure exactly where this was going, I could feel us moving to the correct ending.

"This is my answer!" I shouted as I brought up the evidence.

Fact #13: Sunset’s Pad: “Sunset’s pad was stolen when she briefly separated from Wallflower. It was later found in a potted plant in the main hallway. Sunset noticed no signs of it being tampered with.”

Sunset sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. "Wallflower…seriously? What the heck does my pad have to do with anything?"

"Your pad has everything to do with it!" I declared, even as my heart sank. The implications…if I was right…but I had to press on. "This is how we heard the guitar music when we did. It wasn't being played for us at the time; it was a recording!"

"What?" Sunset recoiled, her eyes dancing fearfully. "What the heck are you saying? That's not possible."

"Yes it is," I pressed. "You told me yourself the other day you were using your pad to record notes."

~*~
As we approached and everyone crowded in, Sunset brought out her pad, tapping a couple of keys. “What’re you doing?” I asked her.

“Getting ready to record this,” Sunset said. She held up the pad. “Turns out these things can record and play audio, so I’ve been using it to make notes. Keeping track of things… trust me, it’s important. Every little thing matters.”

Curious now, I pulled out my own pad. I’d more or less ignored the thing after first reading the rules, since I wanted nothing to do with it, but a proper examination showed she was right. It also had a section for typing in notes, and even an app for drawing things with an accompanying stylus I hadn’t realized was built into it.
~*~

"Wha–so what?" Sunset said as sweat ran down her face. "Yeah, the pads can play recordings but they can't do it on a timer."

"Actually," I countered. "They can. Right, Cheese? Remember?"

"Huh? Oh yeah!"

~*~
I shook my head. “Look, this isn’t my business. You want to convince Cranky to be your mentor, Cheese, that’s on you. Don’t involve….”

“It’s time to practice your accordion, champ!” Cheese interrupted.

My train of thought very effectively broken, I stared at him in bafflement.

“C’mon buddy, get moving, it’s accordion time!” he exclaimed, somehow not moving his lips at all.

Grumbling, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his tablet. “Let’s go!” it blared as he fumbled with it.

“Yer tablet thingie sounds like you,” Cranky observed.

Cheese shrugged, fiddling with the controls. “No no no, I just made a recording and set it as my alarm. It’s more motivating if you encourage yours–”

“HEY, CHEESE!!” the tablet suddenly screeched, so startlingly loud I almost fell over. “ACCORDIAN TIME! GE–” Finally, Cheese managed to turn it off.

“Holy biscuits!” Cranky groused. “Helluva set of speakers on these things. What, did you scream into it as loud as you could?”

Cheese giggled, embarrassed. “No, I just accidentally turned the volume up. Hey! But maybe I should! What if I’m a world class screamer?! Hey Cranky, do you think I could be?”
~*~

"You see, Sunset?" I said, trying not to let Sunset's growing sense of fear stop me in my tracks. "The guitar could've been played on a timer. The culprit didn't even need to be present! All they had to do was record the music earlier for the timer then hide your pad somewhere where we could all hear it. That's why Sour Sweet found it in the fern pot!"

Sunset gaped at me. “Wallflower… are you… are you accusing me of doing this?”

“No,” I said, despite the continued sinking feeling in my heart that my answer should be yes. “I’m just saying your pad was used to play the guitar music.”

“You did say someone stole the pad, right, Sunset?” Sour Sweet pressed. “So let’s see it. Let’s see the recordings.”

Sunset spluttered and shook her head. “Wha–no! It wasn’t my pad. It’s not my fault!”

“Come on, Sunset,” Shining insisted, holding out a hand. “Let’s see the pad. The more you protest right now the worse you look. And you’re looking really bad right now.”

“...fine. Fine!” Sunset threw her hands up before detaching her pad and passing it along over to Shining. “Take it. See what happens. I guarantee you there’s nothing on there. I would’ve noticed it.”

Shining carefully took Sunset’s pad, then after a moment passed it on down over to me. “You should do the honors.”

“The honors,” I muttered under my breath as I picked up the pad in my hands and switched it on. It didn’t take long to find the timer section.

And my heart sank even further when I pulled up the alarms. There was a timer there, set for 12:25 PM, with a custom recorded alarm sound. I swallowed, and pressed the play button.

Cheery guitar music filled the air, the song we had all heard played before, complete with the unusual sound of the damaged guitar. As the notes progressed, I saw Big Macintosh tear up, then outright sob into his hands, falling over on his podium. Autumn Blaze and Cheese Sandwich both reached over and started rubbing his shoulders in an attempt to comfort him.

Everyone gave Big Macintosh a respectful silence, though I noticed a few people seemed irritated by the wait. “...that was my Momma’s weddin’ song,” Big Macintosh said, his voice thick and heavy. “Said she first sang it to mah Papa when they were datin’. It meant everythin’ to her.”

“...then Wallflower was right,” Rarity concluded. “Whoever murdered Pear Butter recorded this music and played it for us on a timer to convince us the murder took place much later than it did.”

“Whoever?” Trixie sneered. “Trixie thinks you mean Sunset Shimmer!”

“No, no, no no no this is impossible,” Sunset breathed, shaking like a leaf. “I didn’t do this. I didn’t record this music on my pad.” She stood up straighter, her fear flash boiling into fury. “Damn whoever stole my pad; they did this to frame me!” She pointed right at Trixie. “And I’ll bet everything it was you!”

“Oh, please, not this again,” Trixie said with a deep sigh. “The kuchen–”

“Only proved you’d been in the pantry for hours,” Sunset declared, stopping Trixie dead in her tracks. “And if the murder took place earlier in the day, around the 10 o’clock hour? Then suddenly your whole kuchen proof is pretty meaningless, wouldn’t you say? If you killed her then you’d have a good two and a half or more hours in the pantry; more than enough time to eat that kuchen!”

Shining’s eyes fell upon Trixie, his face wrinkling as he frowned. “She has a point, Trixie. I was never very convinced by that kuchen to begin with… and you never did prove your claim that you stepped into the pantry right as Wallflower and her helpers finished with the dishes. All you ever proved was that you were in the pantry for a long period of time.”

“That’s right,” Juniper added, her arms crossed, her gaze fixated on Trixie. “Your entire alibi just went up in smoke.”

“So Trixie did it after all?” Zephyr whined. “Aww man, why didn’t we just vote for her earlier? We could’ve saved a ton of time.”

“Well now, hold on,” I said, holding out my hands. “Everyone’s alibi is suspect now. And I know for a fact Trixie was already in that pantry.”

“If she was, then that only leaves you as a culprit, you know,” Sour Sweet said, a cheery smile on her face for a split second before it flipped into a frown of annoyance. “It sure would be nice if you stopped wasting our time and owned up to the crime, whichever of you two did it.”

“Trixie didn’t murder anyone, and neither did Wallflower Blush!” Trixie insisted. “Trixie doesn’t think Wallflower has it in her to kill. She’s barely been able to speak in her own defense during half this trial.”

Shining nodded. “I’ll agree there. But that only leaves you as a primary suspect, Trixie.” He glanced at Sunset. “Well, you and Sunset.”

“Me?!” Sunset stammered. “Wha–I told you, I didn’t do this!”

“Are you sure?” Cheese asked, a wary expression on his face. “Because just about everything that fits Trixie fits you too. You’re really smart, you can play guitar… it was your pad. “

Sunset hissed a sigh. “Okay, I’ll give you that, but news flash, Cheese Sandwich: I’ve been through all of this before! I survived an entire killing game. I saw what happened to the culprits. Over and over again I sent them to their deaths because I had to figure out their murders in order to save the rest of us. I know what happens to those who murder in a game like this. And most important of all: I don’t have a reason to kill Pear Butter.”

She shook her head sadly, tears beginning to form in her eyes. “But… Wallflower does.”

I paled. “No, no, Sunset, come on. I’ve been trying to figure out this mystery, same as you. Why would I figure out the pad clue if I was the killer, huh?”

“Guilt,” she said simply. “You feel guilty over what you did. And I get it. She hated you. She gave you every reason to hate her back… it had to feel so enraging, the way she spoke to you, the way she treated you. So you snapped, didn’t you? When you went to see her this morning, you snapped. She tried to hit you with her guitar, you took it away from her, she hit you, then you strangled her with the party streamer.”

Her words came out more and more choked. “I must be wrong about your guitar skills… you must be better than I thought. Better than we all thought… good enough to copy Pear Butter’s playing. And you had so many chances to take my pad…”

“That sounds… remarkably plausible,” Shining said, eying me and fiddling with his hands like he wanted to wrap handcuffs around mine. “And unlike Trixie, you were roaming free. You even admitted to seeing Pear Butter still alive.”

“Oh my goodness… is it true, Wallflower?” Fluttershy whispered.

“...even Trixie is finding this makes a lot of sense,” Trixie murmured, giving me an apologetic look. “Trixie is sorry, Wallflower, but.. You do seem the most likely.”

Cheese looked back and forth between Sunset and me. “...Wallflower? Did you really do this?”

More and more people began to speak out as my whole world risked shattering. Everyone was turning against me, again, despite everything, despite how illogical it was. I didn’t do this, and I knew I didn’t.

“Ah’m not the least bit surprised,” Big Macintosh choked out, still wracked by sobs from the song. “Ah should’ve known.”

“To think we trusted you,” Rarity said, a dirty scowl on her face. “Guilty conscience or not… you’re a killer.”

“No,” I whispered. “No I’m not.”

Derpy looked at me like she wanted to cry. “Why did you do it, Wallflower? Why would you kill her?”

“I didn’t,” I whispered, though like before no one heard me. “I didn’t kill her.”

Cranky shook his head and grunted, not saying a word.

Autumn Blaze looked at me like I’d betrayed her.

Juniper Montage shrugged her shoulders. “Guess that’s a wrap, folks.”

“I think I’m ready to vote,” Sour Sweet said with a nod.

“No, no you can’t,” I tried to scream, only to shout it in a whisper once more. I felt so helpless! What was I supposed to do? I knew I didn’t do it.

…and the longer this went on, the more convinced I became that I knew the true culprit. It wasn’t a truth I liked…in fact, I hated it. It tasted like bile, dirty and foul. But I knew I was right.

But how was I going to prove it?

"Please just own up to it already, Wallflower," Sunset begged, looking at me with tears in her eyes. "Don't make me force this. Please. This is already hard enough as it is."

I looked right back at her, at her misty eyes, as her tears carved a path in her makeup, washing it away from her cheeks.

…her…makeup…

A soft gasp escaped my lips. “No way,” I whispered. “Could it be?”

I glanced back at my pad to check one last thing, then nodded. “Sunset,” I said, cutting through the chatter of people arguing for my guilt. “Just answer me one thing.”

She let out a choked sigh. “What is it, Wallflower?”

“Where did you get your makeup?”

Noises of confusion echoed from the crowd, save for Vignette, who, as I glanced at her, smiled widely with a nod, and a look in her eyes that I would swear seemed to say ‘finally.’ “You know, I’ve been wondering about that myself,” she said. “Did you know you’re wearing the wrong shade, Sunset?”

Sunset blinked. “What? What does that have to do with anything?”

“Yes, the wrong shade,” Vignette insisted. “Your foundation. It’s too light. It makes you look pale.”

She touched her face, then stared at me. “I don’t understand.”

It was my turn to smile sadly. “Sunset, don’t you remember this morning, when you ran into me after I saw Pear Butter?”

~*~
It took a little while for me to struggle out of Sunset’s grip; she was far stronger than me, but as nice as it was to be held, it became too much. “Okay, Sunset,” I said, patting her on the shoulder. “Thanks. I don’t really understand, but… thanks.”

“Sure thing.” Sunset pulled away from me and fixed her hair. “You’re my friend; that hasn’t changed.”

I nodded in understanding, then realized something as I looked in the mirror with Sunset. “Uh oh. I think some of your makeup rubbed off on me.” I pointed to an orange stain on my chin.

She looked herself over in the mirror and groaned, then pulled out a compact. She dabbed something on it, then groaned again when trying to apply it didn’t work. “Crap. I’m out.”

“I think the pharmacy has some,” I said.

“Cool, I’ll get some later.”
~*~

She held a hand to her chin as I continued, “I messed up your makeup, and you never had a chance to get more. So how are you wearing full makeup again?”

“It’s true,” Vignette confirmed with that smirk of hers. Her hand moved to briefly touch my arm, sending an electric spark through me. “I remember very well when I came to see you, Wallywall… Sunny was missing half the makeup on her cheek. But when she met us again later…”

~*~
Despite her bravado, something seemed off to me about Sunset. I looked at her for a moment and realized she was pale, her skin almost clammy. “Sunset, are you alright?”

“Huh?” She looked at me in confusion. “Yeah. Overexerted myself a little looking for my pad, but I’m okay.”

“You look pale.”

“It’s true, you do,” Fluttershy added with a growing look of concern. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Oh, yeah,” Sunset said, waving it off. “I didn’t get a lot to eat for breakfast… I’ll make up for it at lunch.”
~*~

“She had full makeup again. The wrong shade, no less.”

“Oh goodness!” Fluttershy said, covering her mouth with her hands. “No wonder you look pale.”

Sunset swallowed and flashed us a nervous grin, reaching for the back of her head to scratch it. “O-of course I’m wearing the wrong shade. The pharmacy didn’t have the right kind so I grabbed the closest one.”

I sighed. “No, Sunset. You didn’t. You’d have had to go to the pharmacy to get it, and the pharmacy is on the other side of the complex, past the dorms. You would’ve passed right by us, and you never did. After I left to speak with Vignette I didn’t see you again until you came out asking us about your missing pad.”

All eyes fell on Sunset now, who glared right back at me, more furious than she had been the whole trial. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Wallflower? It’s bad enough that you killed Pear Butter, but you have to blame me for it? Huh? Trying to cover up for your guilt at the last minute? It’s fucking bullshit!”

“I didn’t kill Pear Butter, Sunset!” I shouted back, slamming a palm on my podium before pointing at her. “You did!”

“No!” She balled up both fists and smashed them into her podium. “No I fucking didn’t! You’re not proving a damned thing with this makeup crap.”

This was it, I realized, as everything crystallized in my mind. The entirety of the crime, the murder, the way it progressed from start to finish, it was all clear now. I stood up straighter than ever, ramrod like a pole had been jammed up my ass, I was feeling that confident. All I had to do now was prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Sunset jabbed a finger in my direction. “Look, maybe you didn’t kill Pear Butter. Maybe it was Trixie after all. Or maybe you two worked together! You stole my pad while Trixie killed Pear Butter, she played the guitar, you planted it, then trapped her in the pantry to make her look innocent. That makes a hell of a lot more sense than me killing her.”

I softly shook my head. “No, Sunset, it doesn’t. The timeline doesn’t add up. I wasn’t alone for a moment after I met up with Pear Butter, and your pad didn’t go missing until after I met up with you. Trixie was stuck in the pantry since before I even met with Pear Butter. Neither of us could have done it.”

“RRRGH! That’s stupid bullshit and you know it, Wallflower!” Sunset railed, her mouth practically frothing from her rage. “I don’t have a reason to kill Pear Butter, but you do! She hated you. I even told you to stay away from her, that she was bad news! I was trying to protect you!”

“Maybe it’s just that,” I said. “You were trying to protect me, so you went to see Pear Butter to demand she leave me alone. Then you killed her.”

“No I didn’t!” Sunset shrieked, kicking her podium hard enough the wood cracked. “God, why won’t you listen to me? I never went to see Pear Butter. I was in the Mess Hall the whole time. R-right, Derpy? Zephyr? …Big Mac?”

Derpy and Zephyr exchanged looks. “Uh, I wasn’t really paying attention to you, Sunset,” Derpy admitted with a sheepish grin. “I was fixing the table.”

“Same, Sunny honey,” Zephyr said, running his hand through his hair.

Big Macintosh favored Sunset with an outraged glare. “Don’t you go tryin’ ta hide behind me. Ah was fixin’ the table. Ah don’t know if you were there or not.”

“Sounds like you don’t have an alibi anymore, Sunset,” I pressed.

“But, but this is so fucking stupid!” she bellowed, breathing heavily. “You didn’t even prove anything with the white noise machine; you don’t know the murder happened during the 10 o’clock hour!”

“Nice try,” I answered, “but we already proved it with the guitar recording. You still haven’t answered my question. Where did you get the makeup? Answer me!”

“No!” Tears of fury streamed down her face as she repeatedly punched and kicked her podium, then reached up to tear at her own hair. “For the last fucking time, I didn’t kill Pear Butter and there’s nothing you have that could ever prove otherwise!”

My eyes opened wide as I slammed a button on my pad. “THAT’S WHERE YOU’RE WRONG!”

Fact #4: Objects On Desk: “A stress toy, a paperweight, some of Pear Butter’s foundation, a piece of blank paper, and Pear Butter’s pad were on the desk. The paperweight had a trace of blood on the underside.”

She froze, her breathing coming in brief little spurts and gasps as I said, “It took me a lot longer to realize this than I should have, but there was one other person here with a skin tone almost identical to yours, except it was a couple of shades lighter. Pear Butter. Like most women she kept her makeup near where she frequented most, which here meant her office. And so you used her makeup to cover your face after you finished killing her, and hoped it was close enough no one would notice the difference.”

“...what?” she breathed. “But… but… no… why would I… there was no reason for me to…”

Seeing her defeated like this in front of me didn’t bring me any joy, or a sense of triumph. It left me cold inside, dirty, and gross. Like all I’d really done was beat up a friend.

But I was forced to shake my head in response to her. “Yes there was, Sunset. You accidentally told me yourself why, when you were accusing me earlier. You said Pear Butter ‘hit me.’ And if you look at that piece of evidence again, you’ll see that the paperweight on the desk had a trace of blood on it… blood most likely from when she hit you with it.”

She tried to swallow, but only coughed instead, a choked, harsh sound as half her face looked melted from running makeup. “N…no… please, Wallflower…”

“Please wipe off your makeup, Sunset,” I asked quietly. “Please.”

She stared at me, her expression showing utter heartbreak, and slowly nodded, sniffling as she rubbed her face with her tear-stained shirt arm until she’d gotten it all off.

And everyone let out a gasp or muttered an expression of shock, as without the makeup, there was a clear bruise on Sunset’s cheek.

One that matched the paperweight’s corner perfectly.

Sunset looked at her own reflection in her pad, very slowly holding a hand up to her cheek and touched the bruise with her fingertips. Then she burst into tears, collapsing over the podium, muttering to herself, “this isn’t possible… I didn’t do it… I didn’t…”

Big Macintosh spat on the floor. “Shut up. Ah ain’t got no sympathy for you, murderin’ ma Momma like that.”

“I would… say this is fairly clearly wrapped up,” Rarity said, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

“I dunno, I’m still a little confused on a couple of things,” Derpy said.

“Yeah, me too,” Juniper muttered.

“I’m lost,” Zephyr muttered, holding his head. “Can someone just like, run through everything one last time?”

“Yeah, I can do that,” I said. I felt numb inside. Cold.

Empty.

But nevertheless I closed my eyes and concentrated, letting it all flow through me one last time. Then my eyes snapped open. “This is the truth of the case!”

“This case has its origins in our very reason for being here. Our unfortunate victim, Dr. Pear Butter, was our licensed therapist, overseeing and helping guide us through the thirty days we were supposed to be living here together, humans and Equestrians alike. To help her in this, she regularly carried around her guitar, which she would frequently play at random times, at a volume loud enough where we could always hear her.

“A few hours ago, Pear Butter was seemingly playing her guitar in her office. In reality she was meeting with our culprit. We can only speculate on what they talked about, but whatever it was, it was enough to cause them to struggle. Pear Butter attempted to strike our culprit with her guitar, which we know from the gouge in the desk, the pattern which suggests it came from the direction of Pear Butter’s chair. Our culprit dodged this blow and ripped the guitar out of Pear Butter’s hands.

“Pear Butter then leapt across the desk and attempted to hit the culprit with her paperweight, leaving a bruise. In the ensuing struggle the chair our culprit sat in was knocked over. Our culprit, no doubt eager to defend themself, reached for the closest object they could, a leftover party streamer Pear Butter kept hanging in the office from the village debut party. Wrapping it around Pear Butter’s neck, the culprit squeezed violently, enough to strangle Pear Butter to death.

“Now left with a crime scene to hide, the culprit set about manufacturing false evidence. First, the culprit brought out their pad and set it to record, then played Pear Butter’s guitar, playing Pear Butter’s favorite song, the song composed by Pear Butter herself for her wedding. Once finished they took the guitar and bashed Pear Butter over the head with it, cutting her face up and destroying the guitar in the process. Then the culprit took one of the broken guitar strings and tied it around Pear Butter’s neck, almost but not quite matching up to the indentations from the party streamer. Finally, they took the streamer and tied it around Pear Butter’s wrists, to make it look like she’d been strangled while tied up.

“But there was one problem: the marks on their face from the paperweight attack. Knowing they needed to hide them, they used Pear Butter’s makeup on their own skin. They hoped their skin tones were similar enough that no one would notice, but luckily Vignette, our beauty expert, would later notice something was unusual.

“Afterwards the culprit fled the scene, and planted their pad in a potted plant in the hallway, set to play the recording on a delay, giving the impression Pear Butter was playing the guitar and thus was still alive. Once done they returned to myself and Vignette and chatted amiably, pretending to be none the wiser.

“A couple of hours later, Derpy and Big Macintosh came to find us, asking if we knew where Trixie went. We went around asking everyone else but no one had seen Trixie either. In the process of searching for her, we came across the murder scene. Big Macintosh fell apart at the sight and was inconsolable.

“After Monohuman revealed Pear Butter was human and forced us to start the investigation, we found Trixie trapped in the pantry in the cafeteria’s kitchen. It turned out she’d wandered in there searching for a snack and I accidentally closed the door on her. Since the door was damaged and didn’t fit the frame properly, it was stuck. There was no way for her to open it from inside. She’d been trapped for hours and ended up eating an entire kuchen just to keep herself calm, or so she claimed.

“She became the number one suspect, but too many things didn’t add up. I found evidence proving Trixie’s claim of eating the entire kuchen in the pantry. We also discovered that the white noise machine had turned itself off several hours ago, and because Cranky and Cheese Sandwich were in the break room all day, this proves the murder must’ve happened much earlier than we thought, and it shattered the alibis we thought were airtight.

“At the time the murder was actually committed, Big Mac was with Zephyr and Derpy, fixing the broken dining table. Trixie was trapped in the pantry. And so this only leaves… our culprit. Who led us during the investigation, who led us during most of this trial. Who claims to have been the one who led everything in the first killing game aboard the cruise ship.

There’s only one possible conclusion, as much as it hurts to say. I don’t understand why you didn’t just knock her unconscious. You, of all people… Sunset Shimmer, you’re the Ultimate Survivor! Why did you murder Pear Butter? Why?”

My only answer from Sunset was an increase in her sobbing.

“Huh, wow, I can’t believe she did it,” Zephyr said. “But uh, guess that was pretty solid and tight, Wally.”

“Are we done? Can we vote now?” Sour Sweet asked.

“Looks that way,” Shining nodded. He gave me a slightly wary look. “I’m still a bit suspicious of you, Wallflower… but that bruise on Sunset’s face is too damning. That and the guitar being recorded on her own pad… it’s a lot more plausible she used her own than someone stealing it.”

“Well now,” Monohuman said, standing up from his throne. “It sounds to me as if certainty has been reached. Is the majority ready to vote?”

None of us were enthusiastic, save for perhaps Big Macintosh, who thumped a fist into a palm while muttering, “Eeeyup.”

“Puhuhu, excellent. Then please, cast your votes using your pads.” He spun his baton in the air. “Who will be chosen as the blackened, hmm? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one?”

A distinctly cold shiver ran through me as he said those words… as if I’d heard them before somewhere. For a moment, just a moment, I tried to remember, only to receive a splitting headache for my trouble. I let it go.

“You have thirty seconds to vote, and just a reminder: a failure to vote will result in your death. You’ll share in the culprit’s execution. Assuming you get it right, of course. Good luck!”

Our pads lit up with a new screen, this one featuring sixteen faces on a four by four grid. Pear Butter’s face was greyed out with a red X over it, just like her portrait. A ticking timer appeared in one corner, counting down from thirty.

Feeling sick to my stomach and like I wanted to be anywhere else, I pressed my finger to Sunset Shimmer’s face, which lit up in a peculiar shade of pink.

Thirty seconds later to the dot, everyone’s pads switched off again. The central display lit up with a scoreboard of all of our faces and the number of votes.

Fourteen votes for Sunset. One vote for Trixie.

“Ohohoho,” Monohuman chuckled as he twirled his baton, replacing the tally screen with a spinning roulette featuring our faces. “Looks like someone didn’t agree with the crowd.”

The roulette spun down until it landed on Sunset Shimmer’s face, and bells rang while a burst of fireworks exploded over the display alongside a cheery victory jingle.

And a word spelled out in huge block letters.

GUILTY.

Author's Note

Congratulations to Angelic Titan, The Falling Cards, Thought Prism, SuperSonicHeroes, for correctly guessing the culprit before the trial! Extra congratulations to Thought Prism for the spot-on guess about the makeup colors, and to The Falling Cards especially for a brilliant analysis that had most of it right from the get go. And congrats to RTStephens, ArcticAce01, and CassandraOCIsBestPony for sussing out the culprit after just the first half the trial. Well done! :pinkiehappy:

Also I want to call out CassandraOC for having had a brilliant alternative theory regarding the water and the garden... we did not deliberately set up the red herrings that fed this theory but it was amazing fun to see you develop it. :twilightsmile:

As for why the culprit is who it is... all I ask is patience, everyone. And don't forget, it's Danganronpa. There's always more going on than first meets the eye. :raritywink:

Next time, we'll see our resolution for Chapter One.

10. Chapter One: "Lost Memories in the Desert Sands" Part 8

Chapter One:

“Lost Memories in the Desert Sands”

Part VIII

Monohuman gave us a round of applause as Sunset’s crying came to a sudden, gasping halt. “Congratulations, my volunteers. The killer of Pear Butter was indeed Sunset Shimmer, the Ultimate Phony.”

Sunset gaped up at Monohuman. “How can you say that?” she barked. “I’m innocent! I never hurt Pear Butter, god damn it!”

“You’re still insisting on this, even now?” Shining Armor said, shaking his head slowly. “I guess you really are a phony.”

“She sure won’t be a survivor for much longer,” Sour Sweet said with a snorted laugh.

Sunset flashed both middle fingers. “Fuck you Sour Sweet, you have no idea what he’s going to put me through. But you’ll see. You’ll see just how fucking messed up this is all is.”

She whirled back on Monohuman. “And you. Violating the rules! I’m not the blackened. I can’t be the blackened! I remember everything I did this morning, and I think I’d remember if I killed Pear Butter!"

“Oh really?” Monohuman said, the wide grin on his face and matter of fact tone in his voice shutting Sunset, and the rest of us, up in a hurry. She quivered on the spot as he leaned forward. “Are you certain about that, Sunset? Are you absolutely sure?”

Sunset swallowed, her voice thick and heavy as she replied, “O-of course I am. I’ve been through an entire killing game before. I was the victim once. I would never in a million years kill anyone.”

“Hmm, well… we’ll see what the security cameras have to say about that!” Monohuman said gleefully as a huge screen descended from the ceiling, showing a still image of Pear Butter in her office.

“Aaaaand, play!”

Pear Butter slouched in her chair, her hands curling up on her desk as she fumed. “That smarmy little… Ah swear… AAAUGH!” She slammed both her fists on the desk, then let out a quiet sigh. Grabbing her guitar from its hanging position behind her chair, she started to play a familiar tune.

She didn’t get far into it before there was a knock at the door. “May I come in?”

Pear Butter sighed. “Come on in.”

Sunset Shimmer pushed the door open, closing it behind her. “Hey, Pear Butter, how’re you doing?”

“What the fuck?” Sunset hissed.

“Sssh!” Vignette hissed. “We’re watching!”

Pear gave her a clearly fake and very strained smile. “Ah could always be doin’ better, but Ah’m fine. What can Ah do you for, Sunset?”

Sunset took a seat at the desk, stuffing her hands down her pockets. “Err, well, I wanted to talk to you for a bit, if that’s okay.”

Letting out a small sigh, Pear’s smile turned slightly more genuine. “Of course. That’s what Ah’m here for, since this whole program went to shit. Any chance you remember anything else about that?”

“Not a thing, sorry,” Sunset said, shaking her head. “Listen… what I want to talk about, it isn’t me. Not exactly. It’s about Wallflower.”

I stiffened on hearing my name.

Pear Butter’s smile faded. “What about Wallflower?”

“I want to know what the hell you’ve got against her,” Sunset asked, her tone becoming more irritated.

Arching an eyebrow, Pear Butter replied, “Ah don’t see how that’s any business of yours.”

“Not my business? Pear, I was just talking with Wallflower a few minutes ago. You scared her so badly she came running out of here like a bat out of hell, crying in her dorm room.” Sunset pulled one hand out of her pocket and pointed at Pear. “I don’t know what your deal is, but when you make my friend break down in tears running away, it becomes my business.”

Pear let out a truly derisive snort. “Oh please. Don’t fall for that act of hers, Sunset: it makes you look naive.”

“Excuse you?”

“Oh come on,” Pear Butter said as she turned away from the camera just enough her mouth was hidden. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m talking about her–”

The audio abruptly cut out, leaving just the running image on the screen. “Whoopsies, looks like we have some technical difficulties in the security system,” Monohuman chirped cheerfully, not showing a single sign of worry. “I’ll need to get that fixed. In the meantime… watch.”

As Pear Butter spoke, Sunset’s expression became confused, then almost pained. She leapt out of her chair, knocking it over in the process, and said something, but her head, like Pear’s, was positioned at just the wrong angle and we couldn’t tell what she was saying.

But we sure as hell saw what happened next.

Pear suddenly whirled about, a panicked look on her face as she lashed out at Sunset with the guitar. Missing by scant inches, she hit her desk instead, gouging it. And in that moment, as the shards of wood flew up, Sunset… changed. She wasn’t confused anymore, and she didn’t look frightened or angry, either. She was blank, cold. Almost inhumanly neutral and emotionless.

Pear Butter tried to swing the guitar again but Sunset deftly caught the it and tossed it aside. Pear immediately reached for the paperweight on her desk and swung it at Sunset’s face, clipping her cheek with the corner.

Sunset caught the paperweight too, and used the surprise to come around to Pear Butter’s side of the desk. Grabbing the party streamer, she wrapped it around Pear Butter’s neck and tightened it.

“Mama… no!” Big Macintosh choked out, reaching for the screen as if he could stop it from happening.

Pear struggled to get out of the stranglehold, her face turning purple, then blue, her eyes bugging out of her sockets, her tongue swelling up in her mouth as she pulled and pulled desperately at first, then slower and slower as her life ebbed away until she collapsed onto the desk.

And Sunset didn’t stop. She held the party streamer for another solid minute or two before finally releasing it and checking for a pulse.

She found none.

We then watched as she set about disguising the crime. She tied the party streamer around Pear’s wrists, picked up the guitar and her pad and played it into the pad’s microphone until she was seemingly satisfied, then stopped the recording and set it on a timer. She then promptly smashed Pear over the head with the guitar to ruin it, tore off a guitar string, and tied it around Pear’s neck, just like I said she had.

She then grabbed up the foundation and carefully applied it to her face before setting it back down and left the room. The footage switched to several other camera feeds as she walked down the hallway till she reached the fern, where she placed the pad. Then she stuck her hands in her pockets and walked off.

“Well,” Monohuman said as the footage ended. “That seemed pretty clear cut and dry to me, Sunset Shimmer. You’re guilty as charged!”

“You twisted up, lyin’, deceitful little… little varmint!” Big Macintosh thundered. “Ah oughta tear you to pieces!”

“Oh god she really did do it,” Rarity muttered, looking ready to faint. “Why, Sunset? Why would you ever do such a thing?”

“Please tell us, Sunset,” Fluttershy added, sniffling. “Why did Pear Butter have to die?”

Trixie took a step back from Sunset. “Trixie is thoroughly disgusted by you, Sunset. Do you truly believe Wallflower wanted you to kill for her?"

Sunset didn't respond, still gaping at the screen. "That's not possible. I didn't do any of that! I didn't! It's not possible!"

She grabbed her hair, her expression more manic by the second. "It's a fake. It's all faked. This is the mastermind's doing!" She whirled on Monohuman. "Is that it, Monohuman? Huh? You couldn't get anyone to kill me so you set up a fake murder instead just so you could kill me off in the trial?”

Monohuman laughed in her face. “You sure do love your ridiculous lies, don’t you, Sunset?”

“She is a total phony,” Juniper insisted. “Such a liar. I can’t believe I ever trusted you.”

Cheese gave Sunset a plaintive look. “Would you just explain why you killed her? Give yourself some peace of mind before you… err…” He gulped and turned to Monohuman. “Are you really gonna…”

“Execute her? Of course,” Monohuman said gleefully. “She’s the blackened, she was caught, she gets executed. Those are the rules.”

“No, nononono,” Sunset insisted. “That’s not happening. How many times do I need to say it? Look, you guys, if I really killed Pear Butter, I would own up to it right now, okay? I’ve seen five different people in my place before this… and they all admitted what they did and why at the end.” She slammed a fist on her podium. “But I’m not going to admit to something I didn’t fucking do!”

“Oh for pete’s sake,” Cranky moaned, slapping a hand to his face.

“Sunset,” I murmured, reaching out for her hand and holding it. “Please tell us the truth. Please.”

She looked right in my eyes, her own shaking with fright and tears. “I am telling the truth, Wallflower. This has to be one big scheme. This is fucking Cozy Glow’s work, I know it! The mastermind must be working with her, o-or working under orders she left behind before we nuked her ass.”

“...what are you talking about?” I said, completely nonplussed.

“Cozy Glow!” she repeated. “The mastermind from the first game! She was in control of several corporations… I knew she left buried instructions in some mind controlled slaves of hers!” She let go of me and whirled on Monohuman. “Listen here you computerized piece of shit. I’m not going to stand for this. None of us are. Right, guys? You’re not going to let him fool you into thinking I really did this. Right?”

Dead silence met her as several people covered their faces and looked away.

Cranky grunted. “Ugh, this is getting pathetic. You don’t want to admit responsibility, fine. That’s your problem. But we still figured you out.”

“Sunset… darling…” Rarity wrung her hands.

Sunset turned, her eyes half bugging out as she ran from her podium around to Rarity, taking her hands. “Rarity, you’ve got to believe me, right? I know you don’t remember. I know the mastermind messed with your head. But for god’s sake, we got married after the first game. We both survived that game, don’t you u-understand?”

Sunset began to weep. “I worked so hard to save so many lives on that fucking cruise ship. We beat Cozy Glow with our magic. We got out. We lived, we were living our lives together! We didn’t deserve to be put back into another one of these stupid games. A-and I’ve been doing everything I could to protect you all!”

Rarity scowled and ripped her hands away. “Stop touching me!” she shouted, pushing Sunset away. “Stop this! Stop all of this! I don’t know what you’re talking about. I told you not to bring this up again. And you dare do so now, after we caught you red handed murdering someone? You utter hypocrite!”

SLAP!

Sunset held a quivering hand to her cheek, her eyes brimming with tears as Rarity continued to rant in her face. “I have never, ever been romantically interested in you. We were friends, yes. Were. But I refuse to be friends with a liar and a murderer, especially when you murdered someone close to me. Whatever sick game you’ve been playing needs to stop! For goodness’s sake, at least have the decency to own up to your crimes before you die for them!”

Sunset’s hand fell away from her cheek as her face twisted into an ugly sneer. “Oh fuck you, Rarity. You still don’t get it. You never got it! Everything I did, I did for you, and for the others who survived, and for everyone still alive here! I’m not a murder, I’d never be a murderer and to think you’re all sitting here falling for the obvious bullshit Monohuman fed you is unbelievable!”

Her hand rose again, quivered, and then to my utter shock she slapped Rarity back, hard enough to send her to the floor. “I already had one lover betray me. I’m not putting up with it from a second one.”

“Whoa, holy shit!” Zephyr blurted.

“What the hell?!” Autumn Blaze added. “That was uncalled for!”

“Oh my gosh, Rarity!” Derpy and Fluttershy both blurted simultaneously.

As Rarity began to cry from the pain, Shining Armor left his and immediately grabbed Sunset by the back of her shirt and pulled her into a hold, slamming her against his podium. “That’s enough out of you,” he said with a scowl. “I never thought one of Twilight’s friends would sicken me like you just did, but slapping Rarity in the face like that is over the line.”

“God damn it, Shining Armor, you stupid asshole, let go of me!” Sunset shouted, struggling in his grip.

“No. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you, Sunset. You certainly don’t seem mentally stable to me… And if it were up to me I’d see you sent to a psych ward, where you could get some treatment and the help you clearly need.” He sighed. “But it’s not up to me. It’s up to Monohuman. He’s the law here… and his justice isn’t as kind as mine.”

“No, no it isn’t,” Monohuman said, rubbing his hands together.

“Shining Armor, listen to me, damn it,” Sunset hissed. “Monohuman’s a hologram, right? And that security footage, the audio cutting out right when it did, you think that’s a coincidence? It was faked. The entire thing from start to finish was faked using computers and magic tech, I guarantee you. I never had a reason to kill Pear Butter! God, I wish I’d never met the bitch.”

“Don’t you call mah Momma a bitch, you murderous little vixen,” Big Macintosh thundered.

“I’m sorry, Sunset,” Shining said with a shake of his head. “But I don’t believe you. The audio cutting out is a little convenient, but it’s far more likely that it was still recording real events. No one else had the opportunity or the means to kill Pear Butter. But the only one who knows why you did it is you. So either tell us, or shut up and face your death with some dignity for god’s sake.”

“I can’t believe how cavalier you’re all being about this,” Sunset screamed. “Don’t you understand? He’s going to kill me for something I didn’t do! He claims he’s following rules but he’s not! He’s breaking them just to get rid of me! I don’t know why he put me in this game or why he let me remember the first one when he wouldn’t let Rarity remember, but I’m telling you the truth. If I killed Pear Butter I’d tell you why I did it, I swear I would. I don’t want to die, okay? I… I don’t want to die… god…I don’t want to die…”

“Sunset Shimmer!” Fluttershy shouted, her hands on her hips, a most disappointed and dismayed expression on her face. “You need to stop this, and stop this now. Tell us the truth!”

Sunset shifted in Shining’s ever firm grip to look up at Fluttershy. “...you won’t listen, will you?” she said, fresh tears coming to her eyes. “None of you will. You’ve swallowed his poison, and you can only see me for what he says I am.” She chokes, her breath coming in more ragged gasps now. “Well fuck you, Fluttershy. Fuck you, fuck Rarity, fuck Pear Butter, fuck Big Macintosh, fuck every last one of you except for Wallflower. She’s the only one among you who’s been decent!”

Fluttershy slowly shook her head. “I don’t know who you are anymore, Sunset, but you’re not the friend I thought you were.”

“Shining Armor, as valiant as I’m sure you think you are,” Monohuman said, pointing at Shining with his baton, “Do let her go. I’ll give her one last chance to confess. Make it good, Sunset. You won’t get another.”

Shining, after a moment’s reluctance, let Sunset go. Sunset immediately came around the podiums back to me and embraced me. “Sorry, I know I’m getting in your space, Wallflower,” she said, crying freely now. “But I… I need you to listen to me, okay?”

“Sunset…” I trailed off. I didn’t know what to think. The part of me, the confident part that solved the case, was utterly convinced Sunset was guilty, that she killed Pear Butter, and this whole innocent act was a bunch of garbage. I definitely didn’t approve of her slapping Rarity like that; that was completely unnecessary.

But… she seemed so sincere. So honest, so convinced that what she was saying was right. And what she said to Shining, about the possibility of that footage being faked… could it be true? Was this all one big trap by the mastermind, one I’d hand delivered Sunset right into?

“Listen to me, Wallflower. Listen, okay?” Sunset squeezed me tighter. “I need you to promise me something. I’m not going to be here to take care of everyone anymore. I know they don’t understand what I was doing for them, but you do, right? You get that I was looking out for everyone, right? You know I wouldn’t kill… and I sure as hell wouldn’t solve half the clues that pointed right to me if I was trying to pull a fast one over everyone.”

“...I… I know, Sunset, but…” Moisture trickled down my face. “I don’t know who to believe.”

Sunset nodded. “That’s okay. You did the right thing leading the trial the way you did, alright? Trust me. It was the right thing to do… I don’t blame you. I don’t. This was the mastermind’s trap, not your fault. I only wish I’d seen it before… but nevermind that now. You need to promise me that you’ll protect everyone. You’re smart… smarter than I was giving you credit for during the trial. And I’m so sorry I accused you of killing Pear Butter… I was just… scared.”

I nodded in understanding. “I forgive you for that.”

Sunset smiled through her tears. “Thanks. But like I said, you gotta promise me you’ll take care of everyone. Protect them. This’ll… this’ll mean doing what you’ve done today again. Probably more than once. Monohuman, the mastermind… if they’re anything like Cozy Glow was, they’re going to be way too good at convincing people to kill. You probably won’t be able to stop murders from happening. But you can at least save everyone else in the trial. And remember what I said before? Don’t ever hate them, the killers. They’re victims like everyone else. They cover up their crimes because they’re scared, so scared of dying… kinda like I am right now.”

She hugged me tightly again. “So promise me, please. Promise me you’ll protect everyone. Keep as many people as you can alive. They can’t keep running this game forever.. Sooner or later Princess Twilight or someone else’ll figure out what’s going on and save you. Just hang in there till that happens, and keep as many alive as you can. Do you understand?”

“I…yes, Sunset. I’ll do whatever I can to help protect everyone, I promise.”

“How disappointing,” Monohuman said, shaking his head. “None of that sounded like a confession to me. Ah well.” But he shrugged, face becoming a vicious grin. “Even if she hadn’t killed Pear Butter, that was hardly the only thing Sunset Shimmer deserves to get punished for. Not by a longshot.”

Sunset’s grip became almost painfully strong; whole body tense as iron. “Don’t listen,” she mumbled. Then, looking directly at me: “The mastermind’s traps are everywhere. Don’t listen. Don’t fall for them.”

“Now then,” Monohuman said, “I’ve prepared a very special punishment for Sunset Shimmer, the Ultimate Phony!”

“Thank you, Wallflower,” Sunset said as even more tears ran down her face. “Good luck. Be careful.”

“I will.”

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! Iiiiiiiiit’s punishment time!”

A pedestal with a solitary red button arose in front of Monohuman. With a twirl and flourish of his baton he hovered it over the button and pressed it.

Right away, chains descended from the ceiling with nasty looking manacles that grabbed onto Sunset’s feet, a third one falling around and gripping her neck.

Time itself seemed to slow to a crawl as she extended her hand, reaching for me, every part of her body begging for this not to happen, for her to live.

“WALLFLOWER!” she screamed as she was yanked away at supersonic speeds into the ceiling and out of sight.

But not for long.

The huge jumbotron of a screen lit up once more, this time showcasing a disturbing display.

GAME OVER

Sunset has been found guilty.

Time for the punishment!

Despite the enthusiasm many of us had shown for the concept, we were all transfixed by the horror of watching Sunset be dragged through old mine shafts and tunnels full of stalactites until she was dropped onto a conveyor belt, the manacles on her feet latching onto it to keep her standing in place, while the collar around her neck released her, allowing her to catch her breath. She doubled over coughing and sputtering, her chest wracked with the powerful coughs until she heard a sound that made her look up.

The sound of a chainsaw.

As Sunset looked about her surroundings, several evergreen trees in plant pots landed on the conveyor belt both ahead and behind her while a backdrop of a forest popped up on the walls. A look up ahead showed a sextuplet of Monohumans with sadistic expressions swinging chainsaws about to carve limbs off the trees, slicing around the conveyor belt in crazy patterns. Sunset mouthed a curse and pivoted her body to dodge the chainsaws. Her inability to lift her legs made it impossible to move them, but she could still squat, crouch, and otherwise shrink down to avoid the swerving saws.

Tension ran thick between us all as we watched her duck and weave. The first chainsaw flew over her head while the second would’ve bisected her vertically had she not thrown herself bent over backwards at the last second. The third and fourth both swiped at her arms which she evaded with ease. The fifth tried to slice through her waist but she bent forward enough it went just over her back. The last one sliced vertically down just as she was rising up and caught her shirt, splitting it open at the back but doing no other damage.

The chainsaws disappeared, and the backdrop shifted to resemble a Qilinese temple ground. A pair of giant Monohumans wearing very little lashed out with massive whips, snapping at the air around Sunset as she spun around them. One hit her in the hamstring, making her cry out in pain even as she managed to dodge the rest.

Then spikes emerged from the walls at random, poking in and out over the conveyor belt, swiping in random patterns, forcing her to dodge every which way just to avoid them. Just as the final set swung down from the ceiling she dodged wrong and it carved a nasty cut along her back, leaving it dripping with blood and her screaming in pain.

The backdrop changed again, this time to a series of hexagonal wheels and pictures of symbols in various rainbow-like colors. Distinctly feminine shadowy figures with maniacal laughter bubbling forth from their throats raised hands and fired beams of light at her. Shards of ice, high-pressure water, gusts of air, pebbles and gravel, and even splashes of nasty glowing green acid pelted the conveyor belt. Sunset pirouetted, ducked, juked, and did everything she could to avoid them, but there was so much magic being fired her way that she couldn’t dodge it all. The ice cut her skin, the acid left nasty welts, and the gravel pummeled her with bruises.

Then the last figure filled the corridor with eerie purple lasers bouncing all over the place, and Sunset shrieked and tried to cover herself, only to pass through it unharmed. She let out a quiet sigh of relief.

The relief didn’t last long. The backdrop switched up again to what looked like a go-kart track with a go-kart laying upside down, a helmet with a frayed strap laying next to it along with, of all things, a pair of ice skates.

More shadowy figures appear, albeit only their faces were cast in shadow, save for their eyes, which glowed a disturbingly eerie emerald green with royal purple smoke billowing to either side. The rest of their bodies were fully visible, masculine and feminine features wearing torn up, dirty, utterly soiled outfits, with sickly green skin and the occasional bit of exposed muscle or sinew. They let out low moans and raised their fists, lining up in pairs on either side of the conveyor belt to rapidly punch and kick across it far faster than I would’ve expected from their apparent zombiefied nature.

Sunset, despite her injuries, did her best to block, parry, and in some cases even strike back at the zombies, but each blow took its toll. One missed block resulted in her nose being shattered, blood flying everywhere, another popping her in the left knee leaving her screaming. But still she refused to give up, fighting harder and harder, and managed to successfully block almost every remaining blow.

That is till the last pair of zombies, instead of going for a punch, latched onto her left arm instead and yanked.

Sunset reeled back and bellowed from pure agony as her arm dislocated from its shoulder, and for a terrifying moment I feared the zombies would try to rip the arm off entirely. But somehow she managed to get it out of their grip in time to avoid that, though it left her cradling it, tears running down her face.

The backdrop switched again, this time to the deck of the cruise ship itself, and even the conveyor belt changed to appear like she was standing on a wooden platform. Along the floor to either side of the conveyor belt hatches in the floor drew back and out popped trays of fireworks, some small and tiny, others much larger, the kind meant to be fired high up into the sky.

Monohuman appeared once more, laughing as he went around lighting every set of fireworks. As they exploded, Sunset closed her eyes and raised her good arm to protect her face from sparks and flying shrapnel. Each set of fireworks was louder and louder, and despite some clear sound muffling on our end we all had to clap our hands to our ears to block out the noise.

Sunset had no such protection, and kept her mouth opening and screaming, hunching over more with each set as the explosions reverberated through the endless conveyor belt corridor.

One final utterly gargantuan firework arose up far ahead of her, and she curled up into as much of a ball as she could to hide from the sound, only for it to explode with an anti-climatic pop! However, the smoke it left behind formed a grinning Monohuman head, his mouth wide open, revealing row after row of sharp teeth and a tongue sticking out onto the conveyor, as if waiting to gobble her up.

Sunset shrieked as she passed through it and the jaws slammed shut, only for nothing to happen. Still, the terror of it had her half collapsed and breathing heavily.

The backdrop shifted one last time, to reveal the entire cruise ship, as visible from the air. Unlike the other sets, no mysterious weapons appeared, no spikes, no zombies, no phantoms with magic. There was a single gaping hole far, far ahead, where the conveyor belt suddenly ended, dumping its contents inside. The wall behind the whole featured a very slow moving image of a nuclear explosion. There was also a signpost pointing down at the hole, upon which was scribbled the word “Chaosville.”

And the hole burned with fire. Flames belched out of it as if hell itself awaited Sunset below, and what air we could see in the hole visibly shivered, as if full of natural gas.

Sunset screamed anew and desperately flailed, looking up at the camera, right at us and her mouth kept moving, begging and pleading for her life, begging not to be burned in fire, for her to die any other way, through beheading, being run through, exploded, something faster and less painful than fire, her voice growing more and more desperate the closer she came, until all that emerged from mouth was an endless stream of, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

And then she reached the hole, and for a split second she reached out with her hand, and I reached out with mine to the screen, trying in vain to catch her.

She fell out of sight.

And screamed.

Horrible, gut-wrenching screams that would haunt my nightmares till the end of my days, screams of excruciating pain and suffering like I had never known, never wanted to know, never wanted to ever hear ever again, especially not from Sunset Shimmer she didn’t deserve this this was sick and twisted and wrong and what the fuck was wrong with Monohuman she was burning to death, someone help her!

But nobody came.

The hole belched fire one final time, and the camera focused on a fluttering piece of cloth, where her sun symbol was partially visible before it burnt to ash.

The screen switched off, and once again screams filled my ears, this time the screams of Juniper, Fluttershy, and especially Rarity, all of whom looked terrified out of their minds. Zephyr Breeze had ducked under his podium, vomiting out what was left of his breakfast. Cheese Sandwich wrung his hands, shaking in fear until Autumn Blaze embraced him and the two quaked together.

Cranky had a hand held to his mouth, pain and no small measure of regret visible in his expression. Even Shining Armor looked green around the gills.

But Big Macintosh…

He looked utterly furious. He whirled on Monohuman. “What in the hell is wrong with you?!” he thundered. “Ah expected you to do somethin’ quick like, like, Ah dunno, a firin’ squad or somethin’! Not this god damned torture congo line till she burned to death!”

“Seriously, that was fucked up,” Sour Sweet said, looking even greener than Shining Armor, though she managed to hold onto the contents of her stomach, just. “That was way, way worse than I thought it would be.”

“I don’t want to diiiiiiie!” Derpy wailed, hiding behind her podium as if that would save her.

“She tried to tell us, too,” Shining said, his face falling into both hands. “God damn it, she tried to warn us how bad this was…”

“Puhuhuhu, I warned you too!” Monohuman laughed as he twirled his baton, tossing it up in the air before spinning it around and pointing right at Big Macintosh. “I told you that if I got my hands on you, you’d regret your entire existence before you died. And that’s exactly what…!”

Out of nowhere, an ugly beeping sound cut through the air, interrupting him. Above Monohuman’s throne, the switched-off lights I had forgotten were even there flashed, alternating red and yellow.

“W-what does that mean?” Derpy whimpered.

Monohuman’s face fell. “It means there’s an error. I was trying to cast the spell on Sunset’s body to find out if she was human or Equestrian, but that fire there at the end didn’t leave enough of the body intact!” I felt sick, and when he chuckled, I nearly threw up on the floor. “Ah, the tragedy of being too good at my job! At least it was Sunset Shimmer! It’s not exactly a state secret where she was from.”

Everyone shot each other uncomfortable looks, save for Vignette Valencia, whose smirk had never left her face. “Well, duh,” she said. “Everyone knew that. Everyone’s known for years.”

Monohuman shrugged. “Yes, well, you did it in the dumbest way possible, but you’ve successfully offed one of the Equestrians. All you need to do is kill the other five and the rest of you will be free to go! Though if I were you, I’d try to avoid being murdered by one of them next time. As fun as it is for me to execute you cretins, I’m sure we’d all rather not lose good people just to kill one of those wretched ponies. Fire’s off the table from now on, but I have plenty of other tools at my disposal.”

“Lose good people,” Shining repeated, spitting the words out as if he’d ingested them only to deeply regret it. “Because that’s what matters here. Not this sick game you’re playing. No, it’s all about saving the good humans from the evil ponies.” He outright spat on the floor. “When I figure out how I’m going to get every one of these people out of here, and we’re going to figure out whoever is behind you and stop them.”

“Aaah, I’m so glad to hear you say that, Shining Armor,” Monohuman replied, winking at Shining as if he’d just made a clever joke. “It’s good to see that with Sunset dead someone’s picking up the slack on being the useless hero who spouts all the usual tripe but never accomplishes anything. Keep on living up to your title, Ultimate Second Best.”

Shining didn’t respond verbally, but I saw the way he clenched his fists, till his knuckles were even whiter than the rest of his skin.

“So, any other interesting tidbits anyone wants to share?” Monohuman asked, looking around the room. “Anything? No? Then the trial is officially over. Get back in that elevator and head on up. I’m sure you’ve all got bellies you’d prefer to fill. And good news for you! In recognition of your successful elimination of one of the Equestrians, I’ve prepared a meal for you. Consider it a gift from your Caretaker for accomplishing one sixth of your goal. Besides, you’ll need your energy if you’re going to kill the rest of them. Ta-ta now! Off you go.”

He shooed us towards the elevator, and though his demeanor was almost like that of a kindly grandfather, the horrors we’d all witnessed left me with no doubt in my mind that if any of us protested or hesitated, he’d kill us on the spot, brutally.

We clustered into the elevator, with no one daring to speak. Few people met each other’s gaze either, though a few clustered together… Rarity and Fluttershy, Cheese, Autumn, and Cranky…and of course Derpy clung to Big Macintosh like her life depended upon it.

The trip back to the surface felt as though it took even longer than the trip down, and the absence of one among us on the way back up filled the air with a miasmic tension that left us all sick...no.

That left us in despair.

When we reached the surface we hurried down the outdoor fence corridor and into the Mess Hall. There we found a banquet setup similar to that of the morning meals, though with a secondary sign that said not to worry about the cleanup this time. Most of it was typical lunch type fare, sandwiches, soups, salads, though for some reason there were two large platters, one laden entirely with bacon, the other covered in sushi and sashimi.

I took one look at the food and it was all I could do not to throw up. I wasn’t the only one. Zephyr disappeared into the men’s room in a hurry, where we could hear the sound of upchucking once again. Most of the others walked away, heading outside or towards the break room or somewhere, anywhere that wasn’t the Mess Hall. Only a couple of people managed to actually get food, one of them being Vignette Valencia, whose smirk still hadn’t left her face.

I left without saying a word to anyone, heading right for my dorm room. The numbness, the lack of feeling, it all went away as I walked, replaced by fear, loathing, and a deep, deep sorrow that caused me to speed up until I was running so fast I was gasping for air and clutching a stitch in my side by the time I reached my room and collapsed onto the bed.

“Oh god,” I breathed, curling up into a ball and shaking. “I don’t want to die. Not like that. Not like that!”

The fear gripped my body like a vise, like I’d been strapped down on a gurney unable to move, unable to think, barely able to breathe or talk. Tears streamed down my face in droves as I trembled and quaked, wishing with all my heart Sunset was there to hold me, to calm me down, to tell me everything would be alright.

But Sunset Shimmer was gone. She was gone, in fire, in horrific screaming pain, begging for mercy, for someone to save her, for someone to spare her from the terrifying fate she’d been bestowed with. She didn’t deserve to die like that. No one did.

I wished with all my heart she was still alive. My heart felt like it had been torn apart, like I’d lost someone far more important to me than I’d realized. Maybe somewhere, deep in the memories I’d lost… I’d come to love Sunset. It wouldn’t surprise me. She fit the bill on just about everything I was attracted to in women, and we’d been such close friends.

But I would never see her again. I’d never see that smiling face, never hold her hand, never be hugged by her, or dragged off to something or other, or watch her play the guitar in the rain. I’d even take dealing with the Memory Stone incident again over this. At least then she’d be there. Sunset would be there for me.

“God…” I whispered, the tears still flowing. “I’d do anything to bring her back… please bring her back…please…”

It was pointless, I knew. It didn’t matter how much I begged, pleaded, or prayed. She was gone, she was never coming back, and there was nothing I could do about it.

…maybe I wanted to die after all…the pharmacy held a lot of options for that. Maybe if I… I could see her again after all.

Assuming an afterlife actually existed, and it wasn’t all just made up beliefs to make a bunch of monkey-brained humans feel better about themselves before they kicked the bucket.

Fortunately, as despair filled as I felt, I managed to beat away the suicidal thoughts. If I hadn’t killed myself before I found the Memory Stone, I sure as hell wasn’t going to now. And I made Sunset a promise.

A promise I had no idea how to keep.

I sat up long enough to toss my shoes and socks off, and was halfway into taking off my shirt when there was a clear knock at the door.

Fear gripped me again, this time with icy claws that sank into my back. “...w-who’s t-there?”

“Oh, Wallywall, it’s me. Vignette Valencia. May I come in?”

“Vignette?” I whispered. If anyone terrified me more than Monohuman right now, it was her. I could still picture that smirk of hers, the one that never left her, not once, through Sunset’s entire execution.

“Wallywall, I’m sure you’re scared, but I just want to talk. I’m not here to kill you.”

“Yeah, that’s real reassuring,” I grunted. With a deep sigh, I put my shirt all the way back on and went over to the door, opening it just a crack. “What do you want?”

She held up a bag, from which I could smell various foodstuffs. She carried no obvious weapons that I could see. “I brought you something. Please let me come in.”

Food was the last thing I wanted right now, but unless she’d laced it with cyanide or arsenic or something, I’d probably want it sooner or later. Sighing again, I opened my door wider and moved aside. “Fine.”

She sauntered in and set the bag down on top of my fridge, then closed the door and sat down on the bed, smiling at me in a cheery way that made me wish someone would hit her in her stupid face. “Well, that was awful, wasn’t it? Dreadful, even. Such a shame that we lost Sunset Shimmer like that. I know you and her were close.”

I thought back to the trial, to the way Vignette had acted, and a sudden realization hit me. “You knew it was her, didn’t you? Before we even went to trial. You knew she was the culprit.”

Vignette shrugged, though her smile widened. “I suspected something was up when I saw her new makeup, but it wasn’t until I saw the foundation on Pear Butter’s desk that I realized she did it.”

I threw my hands up in frustration. “Wha–why didn’t you tell us? Why make us go through that whole trial when you could’ve just told us who did it?”

She chuckled and shook her head. “Oh Wallywall, you’re adorable and I love your cute little face, but as smart as you are you really can be dumber than a bag of hammers sometimes. Think about it for a minute. If I had said it was Sunset from the outset, how many people would’ve believed me, hmm? Would you have? Do you think Rarity would, or Shining Armor?”

“...no. No, they wouldn’t have. I definitely wouldn’t have.”

“Exactly.” Vignette held a finger up to the side of her mouth and gave me an amused look, like she was letting me in on a secret. “So we still needed the trial to guide everyone to the right conclusion. And we needed someone with the confidence and ability to stand up and do the same things Sunset was when it came to solving clues for future trials.”

My mouth formed an o of comprehension. “That’s why you kept giving me tips. You were trying to encourage me.”

“That’s right,” Vignette chuckled. “Because let’s be honest with ourselves. Next time, it might not be so easy for me to figure out who it was. Sunset’s makeup mistake was easy for me to spot, but I’m hardly a detective. I might not have any idea who kills the next person. So we need someone able to do what Sunset did. And that person is you.”

“But, why me?” I asked, holding a hand to my chest. “Why not Shining Armor? He’s the head detective of the Canterlot Police Department, last I checked.”

She tutted. “Wallywall, remember our conversation this morning. Shining Armor is too obvious. More than that, he’s a cop. He knows how to investigate things as a cop. But he’s used to working with a team, with forensics analysts and lawyers and so on. He’s not used to working on his own, and definitely doesn’t get people. But you do. You’re smart, Wallflower. Smarter than me, smarter than him, smarter than all of us, except maybe Sunset.”

“So that’s it then, huh?” I growled. “Manipulate me into sending my, my… my… Sunset to her death?”

Vignette shook her head. “No. Manipulate you into saving our lives. We came way too close to voting for the wrong person several times. Imagine how Sunset would feel if we’d voted for Trixie and she had to watch all of us die. Imagine how much worse she’d feel if we all voted for you and she watched us all die.”

“...she would’ve felt horrible,” I said, the very thought making fear assault me all over again. “...she might’ve even killed herself.”

“Oh, undoubtedly,” Vignette said with a nod. “I can’t see someone like Sunset wanting to live if she got us all killed like that.”

I didn’t respond to that, instead sitting there in silence for a good several minutes. Only when a different question occurred to me did I speak. “Vignette… do you think she was right? About being framed by the mastermind?”

Vignette’s smile finally, finally disappeared off her face, replaced by an uncertain, almost sad frown. “...I don’t know. She refused to admit her guilt...until she was screaming how sorry she was right before she…died.”

“I-I mean, think about it,” I said, pressing the matter. “You said it yourself, it was obvious she was a pony. Everybody knew. Even I knew. And the mastermind wants us to kill the ponies. What if they wanted her dead but couldn’t do it themselves?”

“So they tried to trick Pear Butter into doing it, and when she failed they killed her and created false footage?” Vignette shook her head, her smile returning. “I doubt it. Sunset denied she ever met with Pear Butter at all. If what you’re suggesting happened, she would’ve told us that Pear Butter tried to kill her.”

“Not if she thought it would mean everyone thought she was the culprit!” I shouted. “She said it herself: if she’d killed Pear Butter, or even went to see her, she would’ve said so!”

“Exactly, Wallywall,” Vignette retorted. “Which means she killed Pear Butter. It’s the only logical explanation. Why she didn’t admit to it… we’ll never know.”

“No, no, I don’t believe that!” I screamed, pounding my fists into the bed. “Sunset Shimmer wasn’t a murderer! Sunset didn’t deserve to die. SUNSET–”

Vignette shot off the bed and grabbed me, spinning me around so she could cover my mouth. A muffled shriek escaped me as she held me locked in place, completely unable to move. “Wallflower, listen to me,” she said, her tone deadly serious. “Listen to me. You need to let this go. Sunset Shimmer is dead because she killed Pear Butter. End of story. You can’t go around believing otherwise. That will only lead to you feeling obsessed, and we can’t afford that. We need you. I need you. If the rest of us are going to survive we need someone able to do what Sunset did for her game. And you’re the only one who can do it. Got it?”

I nodded, and she let me go. I sprang away from her, gulping down air, looking at her, feeling beyond terrified. “Don’t ever do that again!” I cried.

To my shock she actually looked apologetic as she nodded. “I won’t. I promise.”

I didn’t know whether or not to believe her, but I didn’t care right then. I pointed at the door. “Get out. Out! Now!”

She let out a demonstrative sigh, her trademark smirk coming back to her face again. “Alright, alright, I’m going. I hope we see you soon.”

As soon as she left I slammed the door closed and locked it, falling onto the bed, tears streaming down my face once again. My whole body shook so hard it was like my own personal earthquake. Sweat ran from every pore, coating my palms, my face, my whole body. I tore my clothes off in a hurry, feeling far too confined in them, barely able to breathe.

My eyes fell upon the bag of food Vignette brought me, and I almost tossed it right into the trash. Almost. I managed to stop myself in time, and set it down instead. I knew I’d need it sooner or later.

So instead I jumped into the shower and turned it to as hot as I could stand, trying to wash away the fear. And for that matter, the blood on my hands. Sunset’s blood.

I scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed with the soap, but it didn’t go away. The feeling didn’t go away.

It would never, ever go away.

Author's Note

So, going into this story, we knew we were going to be doing some things that were a little unusual. I had a completely different idea in mind once upon a time, if I were to do a sequel to IHW... I'll hold onto that idea just in case I decide to somehow use it for a third story later down the line, but one of the very first ideas we decided on was, if Sunset returns, she has to die. We would have a good justification for it, but Sunset dying was always in the cards. Now, why does she die in this story in particular? Well, that's something you'll have to wait and find out about as we continue on.

Wallflower as protagonist was not something I considered when I was coming up with sequel ideas, back around the time I finished IHW, because at the time, I still didn't care that much for the character. It wasn't that I disliked her, simply that I had little to no real opinion--she was useful, and that was it. However, since that time I've grown to appreciate her immensely, so when JCarp suggested the idea, I was all for it.

Writing for Wallflower is quite a bit different from writing for Sunset or Twilight, and it shows. She's shaky, she's nervous, she's quick to anger but just as quick to back down... in many ways it's like writing my real world self, or, well, my real world self when I was around her age. You'd think that would make it easier to write her, but it really doesn't.

As for the mystery for this chapter, we wanted something punchy, but fairly simple... the real complexity here, the clue that threw most of you off was the actual time of death versus when the investigation and everything tried to make it seem like it occurred. Using a 24 hour clock was my idea but we went through many iterations before deciding on the one we used in story. We also had a number of ideas we kept throwing around that even made it so far as a final draft before being cut, like regular meetings (which in the actual story get vetoed.)

Pear Butter, oh Pear Butter... in many ways she's this story's Wallflower, in terms of the treatment she got. Of course, there's more to it than that, and unlike poor Wally in IHW, at least this time around it's all planned out for very good reasons, and you'll understand why, in time, that Pear Butter had to bite it. She's my favorite Mane Six parent, and it was painful to have to off her so quickly.

There are a few more things I want to say, but they would massively spoil what is to come, so I shall refrain. Next week, we'll have our first interlude--these were written entirely by JCarp, I should point out, and will be short but sweet little glimpses... but I digress. See you then~

11. Interlude: Log I

INTERLUDE

Log I

A VHS tape labeled “Log I” is inserted into a player, and the play button is pressed.

“Uh, okay…” Sunset looks down at her tablet, poking and scrolling. “The magic A.I. development is going…” She glances up, then pauses, noticing she’s on camera. “Really, Twilight?”

“Historical importance!” Twilight Sparkle’s voice barks out.

Starlight Glimmer raises an eyebrow. “Yyyeah, Twilight, I’m with her. This is not going to be a very galvanizing meeting. I don’t think future generations will…”

“We have to document this process as much as possible!” Twilight insists. “Do you have any perspective on how huge this is??”

“Better than anyone else, I think?” Sunset replies. “Look, yeah, worlds coming together. It’s big. But…”

“Bigger than big!” Twilight insists. “This is the ultimate demonstration of my entire ruling philosophy! The biggest!! It's what Celestia was…” The camera pans to Celestia, looking serene as always. “Uh… the other Celestia, I mean. The alicorn.”

“I understand!” Celestia assures her.

“…it’s the culmination of why she even wanted me to be ruler!” Twilight’s voice continues. “This is friendship. Connecting ponies to other creatures, and eventually across whole dimensions. This is probably why she even wanted to retire and pass things on to me! This is her legacy!”

“I think,” Celestia offers gently, “your mentor would want you to give yourself the credit for your own accomplishments.”

“But…”

“Twilight…” Starlight pauses, frowning. “Look, this is a room full of friendship true believers, here, but there’s just a lot of boring elements to this. And.” She dips her head, blushing. “I never think I look good as a human. It’s embarrassing.”

“How about this,” Sunset offers quickly, before Twilight can argue back. “You can record some, but just… ehhhh. We know you. Trust us if we say enough’s enough, okay?”

The camera jostles up and down. “Definitely! I already scaled this down. I was going to make Spike a little camera harness, and…” She giggles nervously. “Right, right. Just a little recording. But I do want to give a sense of what kinds of things we’re doing!”

“Yeah, definitely.” Sunset smirks confidently. “And if Starlight’s embarrassed, keep the camera on me. I look great as a human.”

“Sunse…”

The recording skips; the same room flickers to view. Sunset is standing next to a whiteboard with incomprehensibly complex symbols strewn across it. “…we get two and a half times as far with each iteration. Once we used Nebula’s enchantment to both boost processing power and house the social mimicry module, it all really started coming together.”

“Whose idea was that?” Celestia’s voice asks.

“Well.” Sunset rubs the back of her neck, blushing. “Starlight and Sunburst had the basic gist of it, and…”

“It was Sunset,” Starlight interrupts. “She’s our magic tech guru.”

“No, hey,” Sunset argues, “it was all of us. We’re a team. I’ve always been good with magic, yeah, and I’m really used to tech stuff compared to you, but we did it together.”

“My goodness, I need to contact my counterpart,” Celestia remarks, softly amused. “It seems none of her former students will give themselves the credit for the amazing things they do.”

“Anyway!” Sunset snaps, face red. “It’ll be self-sufficient, more or less. It’ll run the whole program: transportation, food, surveys, electricity, everything. We can just have our skeleton staff; perfect for keeping the details secret.”

“Secret?” Starlight speaks up, worried. “Is it that big a deal?”

“It’s… potentially a big deal,” Celestia replies. “When news of Equestria first broke, there was a lot of fear.”

“Of what, magic?” Starlight asked. “That won’t be a problem. As long as we can keep a handle on enchanted items going to the human world, and weapons going into our world…”

“It’s not as rational as all that,” Sunset interrupts. “Ponies already went through this. Learning to accept other creatures. But over here, it’s always just been humans. This is a big change.”

“Protesting and riots, just because there’s magic, talking ponies out there,” Starlight mutters. “I don’t think I understand humans all that well, yet.”

“I am a human, and I don’t understand a lot of it, myself,” Celestia says darkly. “APL released another video yesterday. You…”

“Wait,” Starlight cut in. “What? Apple released a video?”

“Oh, no, sorry, that’s the biggest protest group, the Anti Pony League. A.P.L. People pronounce it ‘apple.’”

“Don’t get Applejack started on it,” Sunset advises. “She gets pretty up in arms.”

“Yeah, understandably.” Starlight grimaces, fidgeting. “Who are they?”

“Bigots,” Sunset snaps.

“Sunset…”

“Like, probably a couple dozen bigots who just happen to be good at hijacking social media algorithms and making videos and disinformation. They’re not a big deal, they’re just good at acting like they are.”

Both Celestia and Starlight glance uncomfortably in the direction of the camera, which dips. “Sunset, we don’t know that,” Twilight’s voice begins gently, but Sunset just shakes her head.

“No. I do. They are not what most humans believe, I know it. Magic and technology… that’ll be hard. But the people, the humans and the ponies. They’re ready. I know it.” Her voice is certain and smooth and firm as she fixes her eyes right on the camera. “You were right, this is the culmination of everything you’ve been doing. This is friendship. Once we finish this pilot program, and we prove to everyone once and for all that Equestrians and humans can live together, it won’t matter how many videos APL puts out. Everyone will see it.”

“That… actually was the issue I wanted to mention,” Celestia offers. “APL knows we’re doing something; they suggested as much in their newest statement.”

“No way they know anything important,” Sunset scoffs. “We have a tiny team working on this. No humans know the location or the timing. And only me and Twilight know the participants.”

“Yes…” Celestia agrees, cautious. “It’s kept me from vetting everyone as much as I’d like.” Crossing her arms, she eyes Sunset evenly, like a colleague. “Are you absolutely certain you trust everyone?”

“Completely.” Sunset answers immediately. “The only staff will be me and Pear Butter, and she is absolutely on our side.”

“Hrm,” Celestia mumbles thoughtfully, then nods. “Indeed, I don’t see any issues there.”

“Yeah. And the participants are a small group. Five Equestrians and eight humans, all chosen by me or Twilight. We’re absolutely sure we can trust everyone.” She smiles confidently, charismatically. “C’mon, it’s just fifteen creatures. We can manage.”

“Fifteen creatures and an AI,” Starlight reminds her.

“An unhackable AI, powered by Equestrian magic,” Sunset insists. “Fifteen creatures and a completely secure AI. We got this.” She’s confident and magnetic and certain. “We totally got this.”

The recording turns to static, and the tape ejects.

Author's Note

First, a word from my lovely co-author, JCarp, who wrote this interlude in its entirety.

Hi folks, J Carp here. First off, some business to take care of: Dewdrops and I have agreed it's best to take next week off before starting Chapter 2, to get our buffer in the shape we want it. I believe she's making a blog post for general discussion and predictions, and that should tide y'all over during our little vacation.

So, one of the hard things about a story like this is, you have to plan the whole damn thing out in advance. You need to be seeding clues for the mysteries right from the get-go, and the worst thing is to come up with some amazing twist which you can't do because it contradicts something you established offhandedly back in Chapter 1.

But the other thing about that is, you also get to fly by the seat of your pants, because there's no way you can catch everything, especially considering this is a sequel to a massive story with a million details it established. Lots of times, this is serendipity; the stuff you forgot ends up actually making the planned mystery better. Other times, you gotta scramble to somehow make things fit, once a sharp-eyed reader reminds you of it. And let's just say, we've already got some awesome serendipity going, and some awesomely sharp-eyed readers.

The other challenge for me is that I usually find Trixie to be the apex of fun to write, but her situation and relationship with Wallflower here keeps a lot of her personality from manifesting in its typical way. Oh well, thank god for Cranky and Vignette, huh.

I'm so excited for the rest of this, and I'm so impressed and humbled by the readers so far. Wait 'til you people see chapter 2.

Thanks, JCarp!

JCarp has said about all I wished to say, and he is correct: there will be no posting next week. We will post again on Monday, March 27th to begin Chapter Two. Depending upon buffer catchup we may have to do this again in the future for later Chapters; as always, health comes first, and both JCarp and I have health issues that can make it difficult to keep writing sufficiently far ahead. Almost everything we have up till Chapter Two's investigation was written back late last year, after which there was a significant interruption due to my personal health.

But we'll do the best we can.

In the meantime as he said, there is an accompanying blog where you can posit your speculations for future chapters, which is located at this link. https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/1009687/super-danganronpa-2-chapter-two-and-on-speculatory-blog

See you in two weeks!

12. Chapter Two: "The Secret Ingredient is Never What You Expect" Part 1

Chapter Two:

“The Secret Ingredient is Never What You Expect”

Part I

Three days.

Three days ago, I lost one of my best friends in the world.

Three days ago, I sent my friend to her death.

Three days ago, I sealed myself up in this dorm room, ignoring all the knocks, the calls, the requests to come out. I didn’t want to come out, not for a second longer than I had to. Hunger compelled me to sneak and grab food from the pantry, but only enough to stave it off, just enough to keep me alive.

Three days, and I still couldn’t wash the blood off my hands.

But three days was three days too many. Even I could only stand so much isolation… and my stomach hurt from how little food I’d fed it. I’d drank plenty of water so I wasn’t dehydrated, but… I was starving.

So despite everything, despite desperately wanting to remain in bed, to hide away forever like the scum I was… when I finished my shower that morning, I put on my clothes properly, and opened my door. I stepped outside and took a breath of fresh air. Well, fresher at least. Checking my pad showed the time was 6:57. The morning announcement would play soon, and the breakfast would be ready.

As I headed for the stairwell, I paused and looked at the door to Sunset’s room. The trembling began anew as I placed a hand on it and felt the wood grain underneath my palm, smelled the oil on the hinges. The cool touch of metal met my hand as I tried the doorknob.

Locked, of course. It would be locked forever now, its occupant never to return.

Funny how she only managed to remember to lock her damned door the day she died.

It took a substantial amount of my courage and energy to press forward and walk down the stairs, after seeing that. Every time I’d darted out for food before I’d avoided looking at anything, at anyone, popping out at odd hours and sneaking around watchful eyes. More than once I thought I was caught, but either they didn’t actually hear or see me, or they didn’t care.

So I stepped outside the dorm building and out into the desert morning, fully expecting that no one would even really notice that I’d been gone.

Only to jump a foot in the air as I heard a voice cry, “Oh thank heavens, Wallflower!”

I didn’t get a chance to look before a set of powerful arms embraced me, followed by a set of dantier ones. Thankfully they didn’t hold me for long before releasing me. “W-who… Rarity? Vignette?”

Rarity, a few tears running down her face and through her makeup, smiled and nodded. “Yes, darling, it’s us. We’ve been worried sick about you. People had begun to fear that you had locked yourself up only to… well, nevermind. You’re here and that’s what matters.”

“...really?” I whispered. “You’ve been worried about me?”

Vignette flashed me her trademark smirk, which was not reassuring in the slightest. “Of course we were. We know losing Sunset hurt a lot, and… well…”

She glanced at Rarity, who swallowed and said, “I… we all miss her.” Her expression tightened. “I regret many of the things I said to her. If I had been more open to her, maybe…”

I found myself hugging Rarity, and she hugged me back, the two of us both shaking in the other’s grasp. “Sunset was my best friend,” I said, my voice heavy and thick. “She… I miss her so much.”

“We know, darling, we know,” Rarity murmured, running a hand down the back of my head in a soothing gesture. “Like I said, we all do. Even Trixie, whether or not she says it.”

Vignette set a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Come on, Wallywall. Come to breakfast with us. Eat a real meal; you look like you could use it.”

As if in response my stomach rumbled, the gurgling clearly audible to them both. “...yeah, I’m starving,” I admitted.

“Well, there’s plenty of food waiting for you in the Mess Hall,” Rarity said. She linked arms with me, as if afraid I would run off if she didn’t hold on. “Shall we?”

Vignette, to my irritation, did the same with my other arm. I thought about shaking them off, but I was weak from hunger, and it showed in my single feeble attempt that I then gave up on. “Yes, let’s.”

Thankfully they kept a slow pace as they walked with me from the dorms to the Mess Hall; we soon spotted Derpy and Fluttershy, who like Rarity and Vignette came right over to me and shouted how good it was to see me. I gave them a weak smile, but my focus wasn’t on them.

It was the food. And the food smelled good today. Really good. Quiche lorraine, Prench omelets, potatoes au jus, tons of fruit–fruit, I hadn’t seen a single fruit outside of apples since we got here! And so many more good looking dishes. I piled my plate high with just about everything and sat down with the four of them to eat.

And eat and eat and eat. I barely got two words in during the conversation that followed because I was so busy stuffing my face. Only after I finished off my first plate and was well into my second did I even begin to slow down.

“Goodness, Wallflower, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you eat so much,” Rarity said as she sipped her coffee.

“...like I said, starving,” I murmured between bites of peaches and cream.

“I don’t blame her,” Derpy said, giving me a small smile. “Besides, it’s been better the past couple of days. Monohuman’s left us completely alone, unless you count the breakfast buffet.”

“He has?” I asked.

Fluttershy nodded. “Mmhmm. Him leaving us alone has been very nice considering, well…” She looked at me and cringed.

The peaches and cream in my mouth didn’t entirely turn to ash, but they stopped tasting sweet and more like cardboard. “I know Sunset’s dead,” I said, letting out a frustrated, sorrowful sigh. “You don’t have to tip-toe around it…’snot like I’m not reminding myself every chance I get about how I sent my friend to her death!”

My fist curled up and I almost brought it down hard on the table before managing to stop myself at the last second. “...sorry,” I murmured as I went back to eating.

“Don’t apologize,” Vignette said as she popped a strawberry in her mouth. “Just don’t forget what I told you, either.”

My hand tensed on my mug of tea, but I otherwise gave no reaction. I wasn’t going to let Vignette get to me.

She frowned at me after a moment. “Wallflower,” she said, her voice unusually serious. “I really am sorry about what I did after the trial the other day. I could tell I stepped on a trigger.”

“Yeah, you did,” I barked back, harsher than I meant to. Sighing, I continued in a softer voice, “Just, let it go.”

She frowned harder, then nodded. “...I understand.”

More people filed in to join us at breakfast, and every one of them smiled at me, or at least said hello in Cranky’s case. I even spotted Trixie, who gathered a number of foodstuffs into a bag. When she spotted me her face paled and she moved at double speed, leaving before I had a chance to say hello and ask her what might be wrong.

Shining Armor was the last to enter, and he placed a hand on my shoulder as he sat down next to me. “Hey, how’re you holding up?” he asked.

“Could be better,” I muttered, sticking to tea now that I finished stuffing my face. “But I’m here.”

He nodded in understanding. “That’s what matters. You keep going. We’re all here for you, by the way… we all know how important she was to you.”

“...thanks.”

“You bet,” he said as he got his breakfast.

The rest of the meal proceeded with plenty of happy conversation on the part of most of the group, and even though I didn’t participate much, it was nice to see how cheerful everyone was. It gave me hope that perhaps we’d already seen the worst that would happen.

A hope that died almost immediately, as the instant we finished breakfast, Monohuman appeared before us. “Puhuhu, surprised, are you?” he chortled as the room filled with thick tension that wouldn’t budge from a chainsaw, let alone a knife. “Well, I’d say you shouldn’t be, but that would require you simpletons have the ability to actually think about things.”

He pointed his baton at me. “As much we’d all like to forget this nobody exists, the only reason you haven’t heard from me in a few days is because this one kept herself locked up in her room. How boring! How droll! But understandable… after all, she did lose someone very precious to her. Well, I should say some thing… no Equestrian is a person, after all.”

I shot up out of my chair, feeling an uncharacteristic desire to punch this jerk in his big stupid face, only for Vignette and Rarity both to gently press down on my shoulders to get me to sit back down. “Easy, Wallywall, easy,” Vignette said. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Monohuman, do you have a point to why you’re bothering us, or are you just here to be an ass?” Shining asked as he gave Monohuman a firm glare.

Monohuman shrugged. “Well, as a matter of fact, I–hold on.” He vanished.

Everyone looked around at each other in confusion for a moment until we heard Trixie squawking outside. “Unhand Trixie! Do not be so rough with her!”

Monohuman emerged from the front doors, tossing Trixie in with us. “Owww…” she murmured, rubbing her bum. She shook her fist at him. “What is the meaning of this?”

He ignored her. Drawing himself up, Monohuman cleared his throat. “Ahem. Now, as I was saying, I do have a reason for being here. Now that Miss Nobody has shown herself, we can finally move on to the second reward I intended to grant you for making it through your first trial. I’m going to unlock a new district!”

Murmurs and whispers rose among the crowd. “Which one do you think it’ll be?” Cheese asked.

Trixie perked up significantly at this news. “Perhaps he will finally give us access to the houses we were supposed to have instead of these dorms,” Trixie suggested.

“Nah, it’ll probably be that stupid processing plant,” Juniper groused. “You know, the useless one that they told us to stay out of because it’s so dangerous?”

“Why would he send us there?” Autumn Blaze replied. “That wouldn’t be much of a reward.”

Monohuman pounded his baton on the ground once, silencing the crowd. “The area I’ll be unlocking for you today is the truck stop,” he said.

Sour Sweet pumped a fist in the air. “Yes! Hell yeah! I’m finally gonna get more!”

“More what?” Cranky groused. “Oh, don’t tell me you mean that awful–”

She flipped him the bird. “Shut up, old fart, I’ll drink what I want.”

Cranky grunted, not bothering to dignify that with a response.

“Now then,” Monohuman said, raising his baton. “If you will give me just a brief moment…” He twirled it in the air, summoning up a light show of sparkles, swirls, and stars in a chaotic array of colors, sending them spinning out through the front door. As a group we ran outside to follow them, watching them head for one of the huge gates out to the west of the central plaza. There they interacted with the gate and its comically massive lock, which disintegrated under the assault of magic, as did the gate itself, falling to pieces before the pieces exploded, leaving nothing behind.

Monohuman gave us a grin of satisfaction, as if pleased with his excessive display. He gave us a half bow and indicated with his hand. “There you are. You may explore to your heart’s content. There you’ll find plenty more ways to enjoy yourselves…and of course, many more murder tools you’ll need for eliminating those pesky Equestrians. Oh, and one other thing: I’m waving the need for you to clean up after the breakfast bar today; I’ll take care of it while you all enjoy exploring. Ta-ta!” He vanished.

“Aww yeah, to hell with this, I’m so heading over there right away,” Sour Sweet said, pumping her fist again.

“Me too, I want to see what all they’ve got over there,” Autumn Blaze said.

Cranky harrumphed. “Oh, why not. Might as well take a look.”

“Hmph. Trixie would prefer the houses, but this is also acceptable. If she remembers there’s another place to eat there,” Trixie said as she got to her feet.

Everyone sped for and through the gateway, leaving me behind so fast my head spun. Not even Rarity or Vignette waited for me.

Finding myself alone, I decided I needed a bit more bracing before I could go out there, and went back for my mug of tea and finished it. Then I made my way to the gate and walked down the path.

The path led downhill, giving me a good overview of the area. Past the fences, I could see a four lane road, badly maintained, with plenty of potholes, streaming past like an asphalt river, heading off in both directions to parts unknown. Several built in turning lanes led into the actual area surrounded by fences, which at first appeared to be one gigantic parking lot full of rusted out semi-trucks, broken down cars, and lots and lots of debris. Sprinkled here and there were buildings, with a giant sign stuck on the far end which, while utterly filthy and worn down with time, could still be read:

Touriste Trappe Truck Stop

“Come See Our Museum Of Mining Mysteries!”

“Tourist trap? It actually calls itself a tourist trap? Wow,” I muttered.

I continued to survey the area, focusing on the trucks first as I approached them. However, as it had appeared, none of them were drivable. A few of the cabs looked more intact, and as I neared one particularly dusty one that appeared almost in perfect shape, I found Cheese Sandwich and Zephyr Breeze poking around the engine.

“Hey guys,” I said as I took a look at the truck itself. Once upon a time it had been a cherry red, but time, wind, and sand had worn it down to a dull brow, most of it scraped away to reveal the bare metal. But despite that, the interior looked surprisingly intact and functional, if dust covered. The tires seemed intact too, which was nothing short of astonishing. “How’s it look?”

“Uh, well, I actually don’t really know anything about cars,” Zephyr admitted, giving me a sheepish look. “Cheese dragged me along for company.”

“And to show you a thing or two,” Cheese said. “I saw some street racers once and thought that might be my destiny, so I got into it.”

That was a mental image I was simply unable to call up. “You were a drag racer?”

“For a couple of months, but y’know, the whole scene is just sooooo cliquey.” He shrugged. “But I learned a lot! Never hurts to understand what you’re looking at when you look at a car engine. Never know when one’ll break down on you on the road… leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere, the only company your rubber chicken Boneless who hasn’t said a word since the incident…”

He shook his head as if trying to banish old memories. “Anyway, Wallflower, it doesn’t look good. The engine’s intact, but there’s no oil, no brake fluid… no diesel. We’re not going anywhere without gas.”

“Damn,” I said with a sigh. “So much for using it to ram open the fences and drive off, right?”

“Yeah. Whatever vehicles they brought us here in, this isn’t it,” Cheese said as she slammed the hood shut in disgust. “But hey, if we can ever find any engine oil or diesel gasoline, maybe we can get it working. Assuming Monohuman lets us.”

“I doubt it,” I said.

“Me too, but it’s worth a shot, right?” Cheese Sandwich grabbed Zephyr’s shirt sleeve. “C’mon Zephyr, let’s go search the other wrecks. Maybe we’ll find something.”

“Sure, I’d love to go sticking my hands into all that potential tetanus,” Zephyr muttered as the two walked off.

I wandered amid the hulks for a while, admiring the older design–so many clearly from the 60s or earlier, whatever this place was it had been abandoned for decades–until I reached one of the most crucial parts of any truck stop, the gas pumps. Or diesel, as Cheese put it. Whatever the difference was; I didn’t know cars.

Examining one of the pumps, clearly drier than the desert around it, I noted with interest the prices depicted. Definitely from 60s or earlier, with gas prices at a dollar or less per gallon. At least I assumed it was set per gallon… most of the displays were so dirty, fuzzed up, or in a few cases the glass shattered so I couldn’t tell. Regardless, if there had been any gasoline or diesel in these pumps, it was long gone.

The convenience store next to the pumps, however, seemed to be fully operational. As I pushed the doors open I was met with functional fluorescent lighting, the hum of working electrical appliances, especially refrigeration, and shelves upon shelves of all sorts of goods. It actually resembled something closer to a supermarket than a modern convenience store. There were shelves dedicated to canned food, to pantry staples like flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, etc, a big refrigerator full of dairy goods like milk, cheese, yogurt and sour cream, along with plenty of shelves of chips, pretzels, candy, and other snacks, all of it with old timey style packaging. There was even a shelf of fresh fruit, and it was in fact actually fresh, not rotted to nothing. While there was a register, there were no listed rules saying we had to actually pay for anything, thank goodness, though it did list the convenience store hours as 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM.

Mixed among the various foodstuffs were plenty of other things, like toiletries, household goods, a few automotive supplies–that had my eye until I realized it was lacking in motor oil or anything else we could use to get the engine of the truck going–and a shelf of kitschy souvenirs. There was even a section labeled family planning, though that seemed to only contain outdated baby food, formula, and diapers… no actual contraceptives like one would expect these days.

Not that I would ever need such things.

“Hahahaha, oh, come to mommy!” Sour Sweet cheered from somewhere near the back.

“Ugh, it’s not even that good,” Cranky complained. “Not like this coffee… they don’t make coffee like this anymore.”

I wandered to the back where, amidst the soda fountain, slurpee machine, and coffee and cappuccino dispensers I expected to see from any convenience store, there was also a few shelves of specialty goods. One of them was a huge refrigerated cabinet full of bottles of luminescent green soda, labeled “Sluggo Soda: the slimiest soda you’ll ever drink.”

Sour Sweet had one bottle in her hands and was gulping it as she bounced in place, giggling like a schoolgirl. “Wallflower!” she said, looking at me with a cheery expression. I braced for it to switch to grumpy, but for once the Sour part of Sour Sweet didn’t seem to be showing. “Here, try this. You gotta try it.” She handed me the bottle.

I eyed it warily and sniffed it, making a face. “This smells… weird.”

“That’s because it is,” Cranky said as he picked up a bag of coffee beans from the shelf and placed it into a paper shopping bag labeled with the convenience store’s logo. “That crap was discontinued about twenty years ago. Where the hell’d you even pick up a taste for it?”

“My mom had a big supply stashed away when I was little,” Sour Sweet admitted. “She gave it to me as a reward, and it was soooo good. And then when I was sixteen we finally ran out. She said she didn’t know where I could ever get more… and neither did I till I found out this place had a ton!” She looked at me expectantly, smiling widely. ‘Go on, try it.”

Very hesitantly, I sniffed it one more time, then took a sip. “Oh god!” I cried as I spat it out and kept spitting on the floor, trying to get the taste out of my mouth. “That’s so disgusting… it’s so… just…. Eeeeugh!” It was somehow both much too sweet and much too sour, but even in my state of frantic disgust, I knew not to make that particular complaint to this particular person.

Sour Sweet snatched the bottle from my hand before I could drop it, scowling at me. “Fine. Be an ass about it.”

“H-hey, if you like it, more power to you,” I said, raising my hands in surrender. “But good grief that’s gross.”

“Here,” Cranky said, grabbing a plastic cup and filling it with water from the soda fountain. He handed it to me. “This should help wash it out.”

“Thanks.” I swished the water around in my mouth then spat it out in a nearby sink, then did that two more times before finally gulping down the rest. “Much better, thank you.”

Sour Sweet snorted, and guzzled down some more of her soda. “Aaah, well, more for me then.” She reached into her pockets, pulled out a piece of paper, a marker, and some tape, wrote “Property of Sour Sweet” on it then slapped it on the fridge of Sluggo Soda. “There. No one’ll take it.”

“So that soda has some kind of poison in its ingredients, right? That’s why it was discontinued?” I asked Cranky.

He shrugged. “How should I know? I remember the stuff was only around for a few decades… used to be a decent competitor soda till they went the slimy route in the last five years of its lifespan. Pretty soon after that they crashed and burned.”

“Wha–you mean there’s non slimy Sluggo?” Sour Sweet asked, her expression laser focused on Cranky. “Do you think there’s any here? I gotta try it.”

“Uh, maybe? If there is you’d have to do some checking around.” He jabbed a finger behind the counter. “Maybe the back?”

Sour Sweet flew over to the door before I could react, and twisted the knob. “Damn. Locked.”

“Probably on purpose so whoever’s running the place can keep this stocked,” I said, pointing to things like the fresh fruit. “Because it’s obviously being restocked daily.”

“Oooh, are those blackberries?”

I turned to see Autumn Blaze peering down at the fruit. She had Shining Armor in tow, who had his own shopping bag with a few things in it, mostly little snack items like pork rinds.

“Yeah,” I said as I decided I’d go shopping myself later… I wanted to stash some of this fruit in my dorm fridge. “They’ve got raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries too.”

“Berry central, huh?” Shining quipped. “I remember the fruit being different the first couple of days.”

“Maybe it rotates,” Autumn suggested. “Oooh I hope so because the more fruit we can have the better.”

“Interesting what that suggests though,” Shining said, crossing his arms. “It suggests that whoever is running the show is getting regular supplies delivered.”

“Well they’d have to in order to run this program,” I said. “So maybe whoever is delivering supplies doesn’t know it’s been taken over?”

“Assuming this killing game wasn’t their goal all along,” Shining replied.

The words brought a chill to my spine. “You don’t seriously think that’s the case, do you?”

Shining shrugged, the bag in his hands crinkling. “I don’t know. It feels pretty suspicious that whoever’s in charge of the program hasn’t intervened by now. I get that part of the point was to be isolated, but you’d still expect regular status updates.”

“Maybe they’re being sent in a way that placates whoever’s receiving them so they have no idea something’s wrong,” suggested Vignette Valencia as she suddenly appeared behind Shining, carrying a case of vintage makeup she’d plucked off a nearby shelf.

Shining whirled, his eyes darting to the makeup for a moment as if assessing a potential threat before he relaxed. “Maybe,” he admitted. “...maybe Sunset was onto something when she suggested they could fake things with holograms.”

I looked at him, my throat suddenly dry as a bone, my heart skipping a few beats. “You… d-do you mean there’s a chance that she was right–”

Vignette shot me a disapproving glare as Shining shook his head. “No, no, absolutely not. She killed Pear Butter, Wallflower. I know what she meant to you but don’t let her lie get to your head. All I’m suggesting is that maybe she was right that it’s possible they could fake something that way, and that’s how they’re keeping us here without issue. Lying with video footage is easy; I should know.”

His words struck me like a punch to the gut, but I managed to avoid visibly keeling over, despite the blow to my spirit. “Right. Of course. Sorry.”

I fled the store, not wanting anyone to see the tears that threatened to spill forth. Damn it, I thought I’d managed to deal with this! I thought I was able to handle the idea, that I’d let go of the possibilities. Apparently not.

The sharp footfalls of Vignette’s heels followed me. “Wallywall,” she began.

I turned and pointed at her. “No. Don’t start. Please don’t start with that crap. I’m not… not sitting here obsessed with the idea that she was innocent, okay? I’m not. I listened to you. So don’t… don’t start. Please.”

She took a step back and held her hands “Alright. I believe you.”

“Good.”

I ran off, searching for something else new to see in the area. Not far from the convenience store, just on the other side of one of the many roads that cut through the parking area, was the typical truck stop diner, this one 50s themed with a green and purple color scheme, long bar counter laden with stools, vinyl booths set up along the far wall, checkerboard linoleum flooring dotted with the occasional drain that dipped down into the floor, no doubt for easy cleaning, and a huge menu board that proudly proclaimed the many dishes served, typical diner fare like pancakes, meatloaf, chicken fried steaks, burgers, shakes, etc, all listed at prices that boggled my mind.

I mean, all you can eat pancakes for less than two dollars? Sign me up! I’d get fat eating at a place like this.

My nose wrinkled as a scent hit it, an enticing scent… cooking. Someone was cooking in the kitchen. Was it some kind of automated staff? DId someone just have to order and they’d get food?

I wandered behind the counter, and only then noticed the “self-serve only” sign that had been slapped onto one of the old-timey registers, clearly printed off of a modern printer from the crisp white paper and block font underneath laminated plastic. Underneath, scribbled in what might’ve been marker or a thick fountain pen was added “open 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM only!”

Pushing through the green and purple doors–what was with that color scheme, it was less green and more aqua, and a bizarre shade of purple to match–I found myself in a restaurant kitchen not too dissimilar from the one in the Mess Hall back in the main district, though it was a bit smaller, with a few pieces of equipment missing.

And I witnessed Trixie standing there, an apron covering her clothes as she transferred a freshly cooked burger patty to a prepared toasted bun laden with accouterments like lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and pickles. Lots of pickles. Nearby, a deep fryer basket still dripping with oil contained a fresh batch of fries.

I waited for her to finish transferring it and for her to set the spatula down before I said, “Trixie?”

She still jumped in the air, but at least she didn’t spill any of her food. “Wallflower Blush?” she hissed, picking up the spatula to threaten me with. “How dare you sneak up on Trixie?! Don’t you dare touch her food.”

I took a few steps back. “I’m not touching your food, Trixie. I just wanted to say hello.”

“Well, you’ve said it. Now beat it! Trixie is starving and she wants to eat her burger before it gets cold.” Trixie set her spatula down and finished preparing her burger, then tossed the fries onto the plate, taking it out to the main diner area.

“Trixie, wait,” I said as she sat down in a booth where a chocolate milkshake had already been laid.

She peered at her milkshake warily and sniffed it a moment, as if worried I’d tampered with it before coming to see her. “No. Trixie has nothing to say to you.”

“Wha, but… Trixie, we’re friends!” Her attitude sliced into me like steely knives, each word a fresh blade that sank into my flesh like it was touching a raw nerve. “Aren’t we?”

“Friends? Pfft. Trixie has no friends here.” Trixie bit into her burger and chewed for a while before swallowing. “Especially you.”

“Especiall…” I recoiled, appalled anger starting to burn in my chest. “What are you talking about? I haven’t done anything to you!”

She hunched her shoulders and turned away, all tension and hostility. Her hand squeezed her burger, spurting ketchup onto her plate. “Trixie… Trixie simply can’t abide this talk of friendship. Trixie thought she had friends, like Sunset Shimmer, only for said friends to betray her and kill someone.”

I sat down at the booth with her, trying not to flee from the steaming, dagger-filled look she aimed my way. “I know how you feel, Trixie. Sunset, she–”

“Do you? Do you, Wallflower?” Trixie set her burger down. “Trixie is sorry, which one of us did Sunset come and weep all over before she was executed? Which one of us did she cling to and act like she was purely innocent towards? Which one of us swallowed her garbage hook, line, and sinker?!” She slammed a palm down on the table. “It wasn’t Trixie. It was you.”

“...Trixie, that’s not fair,” I retorted, tears now freely falling down my face. “I defended you. I was the only one willing to believe in you when everyone else gave up. It’s not my fault that Sunset–”

“Save it,” Trixie sneered. “Trixie doesn’t want to hear it. You’ve ceased to be her friend, Wallflower Blush. Accept that and leave Trixie alone. She’s amazing and brilliant enough to survive this on her own, thank you.”

Slowly, I got up from the booth, my eyes unable to stop watching her as she turned back to her food and ate it aggressively, each bite hitting hard like she was trying to punch or kick someone. But she refused to look at me in turn, so eventually I left without another word.

As I left the diner, I almost ran face-first into Rarity, who took one look at my crying face and held me tightly. Fluttershy was with her, and she too gave me a hug. “What’s wrong, Wallflower?”

I mumbled something about Trixie as I let them hold me… as much as touch could scare me, this was nice. “There there, Wallflower,” Fluttershy cooed as she rubbed my back. “Don’t worry about Trixie. She has her own problems.”

“Indeed, darling,” Rarity added. “Whatever her issue with you is, don’t let it get to you. The rest of us don’t share it, whatever it may be.”

“...so I’m still your friend?” I sniffled.

The two exchanged a knowing look. “Of course you are, dear,” Rarity said. “And don’t ever forget it.”

“Not for a moment,” Fluttershy added.

I nodded into their shoulders and pulled away, rubbing my eyes dry. “Thanks girls, I… needed that.”

“Of course. Why don’t you walk with us? We were just about to check out the showroom,” Rarity said.

“Showroom?” I asked as I let them lead me.

“Yes, the one on the sign,” Fluttershy answered as we meandered past a number of other wrecks, following along a partially clogged path till we reached another building, this one proclaiming loudly on its sign that it was the official Tourist Trappe Museum of Mining Mysteries and More.

Passing inside we were met with an instant blast of air conditioning, leaving me shivering a little in the suddenly cooler air. The interior was well decorated, better than I expected out of a place that literally called itself a tourist trap, with plush carpeting only slightly threadbarren due to age. Tastefully done wallpaper and expensive choices in wooden shelving only lent further credence to the authenticity of the museum.

Up at the front there was a small section set aside as a gift shop, which contained the usual types of things one would expect, little plushies and figurines, a few maps, and some toy versions of pickaxes and other mining equipment. The front desk, unoccupied of course, held an old style ledger that encouraged people to sign it upon entry. Curiously, unlike the diner or convenience store, the museum explicitly listed itself as open 24/7.

As we moved further inside, I noticed one area that was barren of any exhibits, and for that matter of carpet or anything else. A sign hanging on one wall proclaimed it to be a workshop area for employees only… poking inside revealed it held a number of worktables, shop equipment that wouldn’t be out of place in a theater or a high school woodworking class, and a large janitor’s sink with a mop and bucket for cleaning. The floor was concrete, with a few drains scattered here and there.

Big Macintosh was inside, fiddling with some of the equipment. Derpy was right next to him, and the two were chatting quietly. I chose not to disturb them.

The rest of the museum matched the exquisite decorations of the entrance, however, and led us on several sets of exhibits. One was dedicated to mining equipment and various little unusual things miners stumble across…nothing I hadn’t heard of before in geology classes though. There was also a section on local wildlife, showing off jackrabbits, lizards, and model rattlesnakes. Here we found Juniper Montage, who was taking numerous notes. “Look at these paintings and these models,” she said as we approached. “There’s so many ways one could use these in a production… like a documentary maybe.”

“Maybe,” I shrugged as I moved past her.

And froze.

There was a single pedestal in the center of the room I hadn’t quite noticed before with a sign that loudly proclaimed, “Our prize possession: a genuine one hundred percent authentic and potent vial of rattlesnake venom: guaranteed to put you six feet under!”

But there was no vial.

“Uuuh, Juniper?” I said, turning to her. “Have you seen the vial that’s supposed to be on this pedestal?”

She took one look at it and shook her head. “Nope. I don’t think there was one when I came in, come to think of it.”

“Oh my, that’s… concerning,” Fluttershy said, swallowing visibly. “Rattlesnake venom is very dangerous.”

“Clearly, if it can kill you,” Rarity said, making a face. “How dangerous, exactly?”

“Extremely. A single bite from a rattlesnake can kill you within two to three days if left untreated and you’ll experience massive pain and likely lose the limb they bit even if you get treated in time,” Fluttershy replied, her face grim. “And that’s assuming a bite. Depending upon how much venom gets injected… it could kill you a lot faster if they raise the dose. And it will hurt… a lot.”

“...how much pain are we talking here?” Juniper asked.

Fluttershy looked at her flatly. “Enough that you’d be screaming for someone to kill you just to put you out of your misery.”

“Yikes.” Juniper cringed. “Well at least there’s none of it here.”

Heavy footfalls preceded Cheese Sandwich running inside. “Hey, everyone in here,” he shouted. “Shining wants us all at the convenience store. Says he found something really bad.”

We hurried over to the convenience store, gathering with everyone, including Trixie. Shining awaited us. "We're all here? Good. Come on, back here."

He led us into the back where Cranky stepped forward. "I found it while I was searching the coolers," Cranky said, pointing to one next to Sour Sweet's Sluggo. "There's some strange cans in there."

“Strange cans?” I inquired as I looked into the case. I pulled one out and almost dropped it in shock when I saw the label:

“1200% Concentrated Rattlesnake Venom: Like a dozen snakes biting you at once, this’ll putcha under for sure!”

“What… why is this even here?!” I shouted, looking in horror at just how many cans were present. An entire shelf full, easily a good twenty or more. “Who would make these?”

“This must’ve been the work of the mastermind,” Shining concluded. “I can’t see whoever set this program up leaving cans of deadly venom everywhere. The question is, what do we do with them?”

Fluttershy raised her hand. “Um, excuse me, Shining? I think I know a good solution. Rattlesnake venom isn’t meant to be kept outside a venom sac, so it has to be kept cold. If it’s left out of the cooler, it should go bad. We can be even safer by dumping it, if necessary.”

“I’d say it’s necessary,” Juniper said, picking up one of the cans and grimacing at it. “I mean, just look at these. There’s so many it’d be easy for someone to take one and hide it somewhere if they really wanted to.”

“Then let’s take care of it right now,” Shining said. He gathered up a few in his hands. “We should get these poured out onto the asphalt.”

“Oh, good idea, but just one thing everyone,” Fluttershy said as she picked up a few of her own. “Once we pour it out you mustn't touch the puddle with your bare skin, or else you’ll absorb it.”

“Hmm, good point,” Shining said. He set the cans in his hands down and reached into his back pocket, pulling out a pair of leather gloves. “Picked these up at the convenience store… figured they’d come in handy,” he said as he donned them, then picked the cans back up. “Okay, let’s go… over here, near the gas pumps. Not like they're of any use to us anyway.”

As a group we carried the cans over and set them all down on top of one of the gas pumps. One by one, Shining Armor cracked them open and poured them out. The air soon filled with a foul, bitter smell, like a mixture of onions and cooking rubber sprinkled with plenty of sulfur, and a growing pool of amber yellow that spread rapidly, forcing a few people to step back.

We cracked open as many cans as we could find, until the puddle was more like a small pond covering half the gas pump area. “So how do we know when it’s safe?” Cranky asked.

“Oh, we’ll know once the smell goes away,” Fluttershy said with a patient nod. “Once the smell either disappears or minimizes, the venom has broken down and become harmless.”

“Alright, until then, no one goes near this puddle,” Shining said. “It’s too dangerous.” He turned to Zephyr. “Hey, Zephyr, you want to be useful, right?”

Zephyr saluted Shining at once. “Of course I do, Shiny Hiney sir!”

“Don’t…ugh, look, I need you to go and make absolutely sure we’ve gotten all the rattlesnake venom cans, okay? We don’t want any unaccounted for.”

Zephyr saluted again. “You got it, Shiny H–” Shining shot him a fierce glare that cut him off. “Err, Shining, sir. I’ll make sure they’re all gone.”

“Good. Here, take these gloves in case you need ‘em to dump anymore cans. I’ll pick up a fresh pair.” He took his off and tossed them into Zephyr’s chest, then headed for the convenience store.

“Well, that takes care of that problem,” Juniper said, letting out a small sigh. “Last thing we want is someone getting poisoned.”

“No, we don’t want that,” Fluttershy agreed, eying the pool warily. “It’s very important we’re careful around this… if you touch even a bit of that with your skin, there’s enough there to kill you really quick.”

“Ah so all someone has to do to murder is trip someone into the pool?” Vignette said with a wide grin.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Vignette,” Rarity chided. “No one’s going to fall for that.”

Nevertheless, everyone backed far away from the pool. I watched Vignette as people moved and saw the satisfaction in her eyes.

…maybe, despite her attitude, she really did mean well.

Whatever the case, I decided I’d go back into the convenience store myself to take another look for the cans, because I didn’t trust Zephyr to succeed in this task one bit. I passed by Big Macintosh who was examining an apple, and who gave me a look of uncertainty as I walked by. Reaching the cooler where the cans had been kept, and of course with Zephyr sticking his nose in some shelf on the opposite side of the story, I went and searched.

Nothing. No cans inside it, or behind it, or above or below, or anywhere else. Seemed like we really had gotten them all.

Which left me feeling relieved. I knew Sunset might be right, that perhaps I couldn’t prevent murders from happening, but I didn’t want to picture someone dying by rattlesnake venom. From what Fluttershy said, and from what I personally understood of such things… it would be horrific. Like rotting from inside out, in far too much pain to be able to do anything except cry or scream…

Horrible, gut-wrenching screams that would haunt my nightmares till the end of my days, screams of excruciating pain and suffering like I had never known, never wanted to know, never wanted to ever hear ever again–

“No!” I cried, grabbing my head and shaking it, trying to dislodge the memory, throw it back into the box I’d done my best to seal it in. “I don’t want to hear it… I don’t want to hear it…”

In the process of trying to get it out, I fled the convenience store and wandered across the parking lot, ending up back in the museum.

I fell against the front desk and sank til I was sitting on the floor, leaning with the desk at my back, panting and heaving. After a moment I let out a growl of rage and elbowed the desk behind me several times. God, why am I such a mess? Why can’t I keep it together for more than five fucking seconds?

I knew why… I was never the most stable of people to begin with, and this killing game had already extracted a heavy toll from me.

But I still needed to at least try to keep it together. I couldn’t risk becoming a victim, or worse… a blackened.

Horrible–

I cut it off with a swipe of my hand. No. I wouldn’t focus on it.

“Wallflower,” barked a deep, assertive voice, and I nearly screamed. Shining Armor stood in the doorway, frowning, looking bizarrely kind and gentle. “I’m sorry for startling you.”

I didn’t say anything. Frowning, he took a step inside the museum. “I wanted to speak with you for just a moment.” He was somehow both a terrifying authoritarian giant and Just A Nice Dude. “Is that okay?”

I decided I was annoyed, and it helped a little. “Really? It’s gotta be right now?”

“No, of course not.” He took another step closer, somehow not intimidating me. “It’ll only take a minute, though.”

“Is this leader stuff?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest defensively. “You’re gonna give me a pep talk so I won’t go hide in my room anymore?”

“No. I like to focus on the practical side of things.”

“Ugh,” I mumbled, rolling my eyes. “Such a dad.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

His tone surprised me out of my irritation. He had sounded something close to angry. Almost… hurt. “Um. I’m just…” Unable to think of what I was “just” doing, I fell silent.

He took off his cap and rubbed a hand through his hair. It made him look younger. “I am a dad, Wallflower. She’s three. And all I want is to not be here. All I want is to be home, and to hear her call me that.”

He scowled down at the floor and replaced his cap. “I apologize,” he said, stiffly. “I’m not trying to act like I’m special. None of us want to be here, and we all have people at home we want to see.”

I almost said, “I don’t.” I almost spat it out, bitter, angry. The impulse was just there, and I have no idea where it came from but I managed to resist it. Thankfully thinking deeper about it would make my head hurt, so I was able to resist that, too. I just stood there.

“I’m not trying to boss people around, Wallflower,” he continued, thankfully not noticing my ambivalence. “I hate that I have to be anything close to a cop. I came here because… some people I know well have these downright utopian ideas, all about friendship and magic. And these aren’t naive kids; they’re the smartest people I know. I want to believe in that.”

I grimaced. “...Sunset?” I asked.

He looked off to the side, sighing. “Sunset did talk to me about it some, yes. I can’t make sense of that with everything that’s happened.”

“Me neither.”

“But,” he said, standing tall and firm, “we have to fight Monohuman’s evil with something. And if it can’t be magic friendship, then it can at least be teamwork. That’s all I’m trying to do.”

Goddamn it, he had won me over, and I resented him for it. “Fine. What do you want?”

“I just want to know who you feel like you work best with. If we need to get into teams to do something efficiently, I want to maximize everyone’s trust.”

“Oh.” I considered that. “Um. I don’t know.”

He frowned. “Really? I… saw you talking to Vignette. What about her?”

“I guess, maybe.” I shrugged. “Trixie?”

His eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”

“She’s… obvious,” I explained. “Obvious feels safer. And Sunset really…” I realized I shouldn’t finish that sentence, but I felt stupid about leaving it, so I lamely concluded: “... really trusted her.”

“Hmm.” He raised an eyebrow. “Is that all? What about someone else? Say, Derpy?”

“Derpy?” Confused, I considered the suggestion. Why Derpy? Did she say she trusted me? “I dunno. I guess she said we were friends, but…”

“...But?”

I didn’t give him the real reason, because the real reason was stupid. ‘It’s just weird and sketchy how this nice, sweet person said she was my friend.’ Stupid and pathetic as I knew it was, thinking about Derpy made my chest clench up. There was just something about her that wasn’t safe.

“...But my memory stuff blocked all that out for me,” I said out loud. That was the truth, too, and I hoped he’d accept it.

“Fair enough,” Shining said. “I really appreciate this, Wallflower. I’m sorry again about startling you before.”

“It’s okay,” I said, and it was actually sort of the truth. He nodded tersely and walked out of the building.

I weirdly appreciated him for shocking me out of my freak-out, but it was still a pretty tiring interaction. To distract myself I went wandering back through the museum, looking at some of the exhibits I missed on my first pass through. It was slow, and I’ll admit that facts about mining equipment isn’t my first choice for entertaining information, but it helped for a time.

As I finished up and headed back towards the entrance, planning to see about a short shopping trip at the convenience store, I passed by the front desk and spotted something unusual laying underneath it, out of sight unless you were looking in exactly the right place at the right time.

Out of curiosity I headed for it and, after ensuring no one else was around, grabbed it.

It was a video cassette, of all things. A single label of white with red lettering declared the tape to be “Log One.”

“...this feels important,” I muttered as I stuffed the tape into my pockets. Change of plans; I was headed back to my dorm room first to drop off the tape. I might not have a VCR or VHS but I wasn’t going to let anyone else get their greasy hands on this.

Not till I watched it. Not till I saw what it had to say.

But how was I going to watch it without a VHS player? I knew there wasn’t one among the equipment anywhere that we had access to. But… the more I looked at the tape, it was definitely important somehow.

So I headed for my dorm room to leave it there, planning to come out and find Rarity once I was done.

Maybe Vignette too.

Maybe.

Author's Note

There's a Star Trek reference in this part. Let's see who spots it~

Hope you're enjoying the chapter so far. Wish I had more to say, but for this I'll just be quiet for now.

13. Chapter Two: "The Secret Ingredient is Never What You Expect" Part 2

Chapter Two:

“The Secret Ingredient is Never What You Expect”

Part II

Before I left my dorm room, I grabbed a backpack that I'd found in the closet; it resembled one I used to use in high school. Bare and empty, I’d left it in there not seeing much point to it, but since I was planning a shopping trip for the convenience store, I thought it would be worth bringing along, since it would be easier to carry than the paper shopping bags offered there. As I arrived, I swiftly found Rarity, who, surprise surprise, was practically arm in arm with Vignette, searching the shelves.

“Oh, there you are, Wallflower,” Rarity said. “Are you feeling better now?”

“...yeah, a little,” I admitted. “So, are we sure we got rid of all the rattlesnake venom? I didn’t see any more when I checked after we poured the stuff out, but…”

“Far as I’m aware,” Vignette said. She gave me a peculiar look. “So what do you think of this new place, hmm? Of all of us you’re the only one who had no idea what you were going to see.”

“I think it has one of the tackiest names I’ve ever heard,” I blurted. “Who in their right mind literally names a place Tourist Trap?”

“Tourist Trappe, darling, not trap,” Rarity corrected. “It makes a difference.”

“Not to people who don’t speak Prench, which is the majority of people that’d be visiting the place,” I countered. I picked up a bunch of bananas and stuffed them in my pack. “Anyway, stupid name aside… it’s pretty nice. Not counting the venom, this convenience store is really convenient…I’m going to grab some snacks and a few other things.”

“Not planning to isolate yourself again, are you?” Vignette inquired.

I rolled my eyes as I snagged a bag of spiced pretzels. “No. But it wouldn’t hurt to have a few things just in case I get hungry.” My stomach growled at me as it digested the huge breakfast I’d fed upon. “...I don’t want to get hungry like that again.”

Rarity gave me a sad smile of understanding and briefly squeezed my arm. “Of course.”

As I placed a couple cans of vegetable soup into my bag, Vignette asked, “Did you get a chance to check out the diner?”

I paused with my hand still halfway tucked into my backpack. “The diner…”

I trailed off and sniffed, hearing Trixie’s words again before I shut them down. “It’s a good spot for some quick food if you don’t mind greasy, and it could be fun for a small gathering. It’s different, anyway, and closes later than the Mess Hall too so it could be good for a late dinner.”

Vignette nodded. “Oh yes. But I don’t think I’ll eat anything there… far too greasy for my taste. Certainly not healthy.”

“Maybe not,” I allowed. “Then there’s the museum. That was actually almost fun in a sense. I was able to relax, at least.” I snagged a can opener and a small pot from the shelf of kitchen wares, since although our rooms offered hot plates they lacked both of those. “I’m a little worried about one thing… there was an exhibit about rattlesnake venom there too, only the vial was missing.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,” Vignette said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Given the age of the place it probably broke a long time ago and was never replaced.”

“Maybe.” Rarity frowned, her brow furling. “But then again, there were those cans…”

“Which needed refrigeration,” Vignette countered while I selected the last few essentials and placed them in my bag, then closed it up and hung it around my shoulders. “So even if it was laying around, it’s probably useless.”

I wasn’t sure I agreed, but it wasn’t worth the argument, not now.

As the three of us left the convenience store, I was about to suggest heading to my dorm room when…

DING-DONG BING-BONG

The closest monitor, this one just inside the convenience store behind the register, lit up with Monohuman’s grinning face. In his hands he held a stack of paper, which he thumbed through while speaking. “Ah, everyone, I hope you’ve had a chance to thoroughly renew yourselves with the truck stop district. If not, you can always go back after I’m done with you. Everyone please gather at the central plaza in the admin district, immediately. And yes that includes you, Trixie; I know you can hear me.”

“Great,” I sighed as his visage disappeared. “What does he want now?”

“Maybe he’s going to try to give us another one of those motive things,” Rarity suggested as we started walking up the hill towards the gate.

“Oh, pfft, like that even matters,” Vignette said. “Nothing ever came of the first motive. This’ll probably be just as pointless.”

“Maybe not,” I muttered, shaking my head. “...Sunset told me that it would be almost impossible to prevent people from killing. These motives must be very convincing.”

“Sunset…” Rarity sighed. “I still can’t believe what happened. It’s still so… ugh!” She gripped her fists till her knuckles turned whiter than the rest of her. “I cared quite a lot about Pear Butter, and to think that Sunset Shimmer would kill her… oh, it still makes me so mad.” A tear dripped down her face. “And I don’t know if I’m angrier because she killed Pear Butter… or angrier because she died too. I want them both back…”

Now it was my turn to comfort her. “...me too, Rarity, trust me,” I said, my voice running thick again.

We paused while Rarity and I hugged it out. “Oh, I’m sorry, darling,” Rarity murmured as we let go of each other. She wiped her eyes. “I shouldn’t be doing this when I know what you’ve gone through.”

“Hey,” I said, giving her a smile I didn’t really feel. “Everyone’s allowed to grieve. I don’t have a monopoly on it.”

“Well… in that case, thank you,” Rarity said, smiling back. Like mine, it didn’t remotely reach her eyes, but it was the thought that counted. “Come on now. We don’t want to risk Monohuman becoming impatient with us.”

We hurried to meet up with everyone else at the central plaza stage, where Monohuman was sitting on a chair, calmly tapping the tip of his baton onto the stack of paper in his other hand. “Ah, welcome, welcome, let’s see… need to do a headcount. One, two, three…” he mumbled under his breath as he pointed with his baton at everyone. “...and Trixie makes thirteen. We have everyone.”

“...uh, don’t you mean fourteen?” Sour Sweet said, jabbing a thumb at me. “You forgot Wallflower.”

Monohuman frowned. “Who?” Then his eyes lit up. “Oh! Of course. I always seem to overlook our least important member.” He gave me an amused sneer.

I wanted to punch him. He made such a deal out of me being present earlier, now he’s acting like this again? What was his deal?! But even as the anger began to well up inside me, I tried to tamp it down. Fighting directly against him was pointless. Nothing I could say would cut through his ego and he’d whittle me down without even trying.

He was just trying to get into my head. It was all part of the game.

“Well, regardless,” Monohuman continued after a moment of leering at me, “I’ve gathered you all here for something quite wonderful. Now that we’ve opened up a new area, we of course need the second part to the thrilling festivities, which means a new motive!”

I noticed Trixie tense up the instant he said the word motive, frowning hard enough to wrinkle her whole face. For just a split second she glanced in my direction, then laser locked her eyes back onto Monohuman. “Oh please. Trixie thinks there is no reason to present something new.”

“Oh, is that so?” Monohuman said with a concerned frown. “Well, gee, I guess that means everyone can go then. Trixie said we didn’t need this, so I guess we don’t need this.”

While everyone else was too smart to take the bait, Zephyr Breeze threw up his hands and said, “Welp, thanks Trixie. Zephyr out!”

He got about five steps before a hatch hidden underneath the sand opened and a gun on a turret sprouted up, aiming directly between his eyes with a sighted laser. “Now, where do you think you’re going, Zephyr?” Monohuman asked, his congenial tone completely at odds with the violent threat.

“I, uh… uh…” Zephyr visibly sweated. “...nowhere?” he squeaked.

“That’s right. Come join the rest of us now. That’s it. Good lad.” Monohuman chuckled as Zephyr rejoined the group in a hurry, the gun disappearing back into place. “Well, now that we’ve had our laugh for the day, let’s get down to business, shall we? I’ve been giving you plenty of time to ease your way back into things, but we need to start picking up the pace. After all, you don’t want to live here forever, do you? You want to go home, right? Well the only way you’ll do that is if you eliminate those pesky Equestrians!”

Shining Armor pushed his way forward. “Alright, we get it. You want us to kill each other. You don’t need to browbeat us with it every time.”

Monohuman raised an eyebrow, one corner of his mouth curling up. “Kill each other? Not quite, Shining. I’d much rather those of you who are human stay alive. It’s the Equestrians that deserve death. So, if I were you, I’d make sure you get it right this time.”

Clearing his throat, Monohuman brought the stack of papers forward. “Now then, I have one of these for each of you. Feel free to share them if you like, once you’ve read them; I’m not going to make some arbitrary rule that says you can’t share them. That would just be ridiculous.” He started laughing, like he’d made some kind of funny joke.

For a single instant something hit my brain, as if I understood what he was talking about, and then a splitting headache hit me instead, and I lost whatever thought had occurred to me.

“Why are they paper and not messages you’re sending to our pads?” Derpy asked, her expression quizzical.

“Because shut up,” he said with a shrug. “Now, one at a time please, and don’t start reading them until everyone has theirs.”

We each shuffled up one at a time to take the papers, which were actually two sheets stapled together for each of us, the first one simply bearing our names in a massive font taking up most of the paper. Like he requested, I dutifully waited until we all had ours, and then as one the group turned to look at their second page.

Horrified gasps and screams arose from the crowd, with many people muttering “What the hell?” or “How could this be?” or some variation thereof.

But I wasn’t paying attention. I was far too transfixed on what was written on mine. It was a pair of passages, plucked from the pages of what I could only assume was some kind of sick joke. As I read the first one, I had a strange pinprick feeling, not quite deja vu but close.

“ ...Oh please,” Wallflower retorted, “...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....”

I had no way of knowing if this was describing a real event, but it was so easy to believe. I knew this person: paranoid, angry, hostile, unable to escape her crime of stealing memories. It was more me than the person holding the paper and reading it. It felt like it must be true.

But then I read the second passage, shorter, and I didn’t feel pinpricks anymore.

“... 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…”

I wanted to shake, to scream, to cry. But I was frozen stock still, staring at the words. It was almost verbatim the words Sunset had spoken to me, that night we met in the succulent garden. When she told me I was the first victim of the first killing game.

It wasn’t just her. She and Monohuman hated one another, but they both said the same thing, they both knew I had been murdered and put on display. And the first passage felt so real, but if it was real then I was dead and lying on a dining cart with the blood oozing (not flowing! oozing!!) out of my stomach.

It made no sense! I was standing right here, alive. I was never aboard a cruise ship… I would remember if I’d taken a bloodied clever to my stomach! I would remember!

I would… remember…

“AAAAAH!” I screamed as I fell to my knees, gripping my head as a massive wave of pain pummeled it, like an angry Amazon eighty feet tall bearing a hammer the size of a house clubbed my skull.

Words of concern rose around me, and I felt what might’ve been Rarity or Vignette touching my shoulder, but the only one I made out clearly was Monohuman himself, laughing his ass off at our reactions. “Well, looks like someone’s being a bit melodramatic, wouldn’t you say? And here I thought that was Rarity’s forte. You may have some competition, Rarity.”

“Melodramatic?” I hissed through gritted teeth as I struggled to stand, trying to push through the overwhelming pain. “Melodramatic?! What the hell is the meaning of this?” I brandished the paper at him. “Where did you get this from?”

“I’d like to know that myself!” Rarity thundered next to me, her mouth twisted in an expression of sheer loathing and disgust. She stuffed her papers in her pocket then held a fist up at Monohuman. “You expect me to believe for even a single moment that… that…”

“Now now,” Monohuman said as he spread his hands out. “I assure you. These are not manufactured falsehoods. These are snippets from the past, little glimpses, if you will.”

Rarity let out a wordless squeal of rage. “But this never happened! I think I would remember something like this.”

“Oh? Ohohoho?” Monohuman covered his mouth with his hand. “Puhuhu, you’d think that, wouldn’t you? But you’d be surprised at the things you can forget.” He pointed his baton squarely at me. “Well, I’ve delivered the goods. That’s all I have for you. Off you pop now. Puhuhuh…”

With a final laugh he dissolved into light and vanished.

Everyone started talking at once until Shining Armor clapped his hands and leapt up onto the stage. “Hey, hey, everyone! Quiet!”

“Quiet? This is ridiculous!” Sour Sweet said.

“I don’t even understand who–”

Shining Armor shook his head. “No. Drop it. Look, guys, obviously we all know this is Monohuman’s motive, right? So the sensible thing to do is just ignore it. It sounds like a number of us received things that are impossible.” He sighed. “So’s mine. I don’t remember anything it says. So as far as I’m concerned, it’s meaningless. Just let it go, alright?”

As the crowd dispersed, I saw far too many worried looks for comfort. For my part though, I just wanted some air. I started making my way back towards the truck stop.

When I reached it, I noticed I wasn’t the only one; Trixie walked with purpose, headed straight for the diner. I followed her, determined to try to talk to her again… maybe after whatever she received I could get through to her.

Trixie sat back down in her booth to finish her meal. When she spotted me she let out a long groan. “Uuugh, Wallflower Blush, did Trixie not make herself clear earlier? We’re not friends.”

It hurt like a punch to the face, but by now I’d taken plenty of punches, and I was finally learning to roll with them. “Okay, fine. We don’t have to be friends. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still get along. I’m not your enemy, Trixie.”

“You’re not?” Trixie held her milkshake up and slurped from its straw, deliberately creating an obnoxious noise. “That’s news to Trixie.”

I sighed. “Trixie, I still defended you in the last trial, didn’t I? Why would I do that if I was your enemy?”

“Self-preservation, obviously,” Trixie countered. “As if that’s difficult to figure out. Try again.”

“No, it wasn’t self-preservation, Trixie, I was legitimately trying to help–”

“You know, Trixie thinks it’s quite funny, how you pretend as if you did everything yourself in that trial,” Trixie interrupted, her eyes flashing maliciously. “As Trixie recalls, you were stumbling over your words constantly, needing lifelines every few minutes. And whom did they keep coming from? Vignette Valencia. Interesting, isn’t it?”

“...what?” I breathed. “What does Vignette have to do with anything? Trixie I came back over here to try to reestablish some kind of a rapport–”

She ran over my words once again. “Trixie saw you speaking to her again, with Rarity. She’s watched you go everywhere with them. It’s a little sickening actually, they way they keep taking pity on you. Trixie hopes you aren’t under the illusion they’re your friends. You’re more like a project to them. Cultivating the poor shy girl so she’ll blossom into someone just like them.”

Immediately all of Vignette’s words from after the trial came flashing back to me, and I found myself gasping quietly.

But then I shut that train of thought down with a single thought, and stood from the table. I got halfway out the door before I turned around to speak again.

“Maybe,” I said, sharing the thought with Trixie, “but at least they’re trying to get along with others, instead of making enemies. You might want to consider how that could backfire on you, Trixie.”

A dangerous sensation filled the air as Trixie turned to face me, her hand gripping a fork like it was a deadly weapon. “Is that a threat, Wallflower?” she hissed, her voice thick with emotion.

I gave her a sad smile. “No. But isolating yourself is dangerous. Even if you don’t feel the same way, you’re my friend and I want you to be safe.”

I left the diner before she could say another word, and as I trudged back to my dorm room, I became more and more convinced I’d wasted my time. Why was it even worth bothering with Trixie anymore? I knew from my memories she was stubborn, and bullheaded, and once she had a thought in her head she ran with it until she slammed into a brick wall, and sometimes even afterwards. So whatever her reason was for disliking me… I don’t think there was anything I could do to convince her otherwise.

When I reached my dorm room, I unloaded all of my purchases from the store, which turned out to be quite the assortment of foodstuffs. Between all of it I could even be self-sufficient in my room for a couple of days if I wanted.

But I wouldn’t do that. I wasn’t going to lock myself in my room again, no matter what Trixie or anyone else thought. No matter what Monohuman thought. Like I’d said, it wasn’t safe to isolate myself, but…

But even more than that, I had too many mysteries to figure out.

I glanced over at my shelf, where I’d hidden the VHS tape I’d found. After a moment I took the paper Monohuman gave us and I placed it in there along with it, and decided to internally label it as my “Mystery” pile. The mystery of why we were really here, why were we doing all of this, what was the real point? Monohuman obviously didn’t give a damn about human life… if he really wanted to just eliminate the Equestrians, why not just kill all of us?

Something more was going on here, and I aimed to figure out what it was. Between that, and trying to keep everyone alive… I had my work cut out for me. But I would keep my promise I made to Sunset, somehow. And I wouldn’t lock myself away anymore.

I set my stuff aside, and left the room to go about the rest of my day.

~*~

It took me thirty seconds to regret my decision to leave my room. I was just stepping out of the dorms, when a frantic, copper-colored dervish flung itself directly in front of me. “Wallflower, you’re perfect!!” Autumn Blaze’s voice boomed.

I froze. Running up to me and yelling was shocking enough. Running up to me and yelling a compliment left me utterly stunned.

She sort of clarified. “I mean you’re not perfect, perfection as a holistic trait is self-contradicting, make a big mountain, move a big mountain, yada yada. But you are great! You know that. Right? If you don’t, I’m reminding you, but you do. Right?”

I was slightly able to start to open my mouth, but talking would still have to wait, because she was off again. “What I meant was, you’re perfect for the thing I’m trying to do. I mean, I trust Shining Armor, totally, but… wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. Never mind about Shining Armor. Shining Armor is a hula hoop. You know Fluttershy, right? What am I saying, of course you know Fluttershy, gosh, listen to me. See, this is why I need help. You’re coming, right?”

She turned and walked away, looking over her shoulder hopefully. I had no clue what was going on, but I figured this was just that terrifying outside world I resolved to be a part of. I followed her.

She led me into the mess hall, where Fluttershy and Sour Sweet were conversing. “...Because he really seems to think Rainbow Dash was into him,” Sour Sweet was saying.

Fluttershy pressed her hand against her temple, defeated. “No. No. Rainbow doesn’t even…” She paused, sighed, and stared down at her clenched fist, the only sign she was angry. “He didn’t really think she liked him. He just started saying that because he was too scared to say he liked her.”

“Aww, that’s so tragic-” Sour Sweet cooed, “-ally pathetic and horrible. Don’t!” This last word was directed to Autumn Blaze, who had reached the table and clearly had something to say. Sour Sweet saw me coming up behind her and raised an eyebrow. “Huh, didn’t expect you’d be into this.”

“Oh, me either,” Fluttershy added, concerned. “Wallflower, you were so upset. Are you sure you want to?”

“Autumn Blaze explained to me what this was about by talking about mountains and hula hoops,” I said. “I have no idea what’s going on.”

“It made sense!” Autumn Blaze protested. “And I don’t think I mentioned hula hoops. Did I? Why would…”

“Don’t,” Sour Sweet commanded, which oddly worked. She smiled at me. “Poor Fluttershy was feeling bad and scared about the motive thing she got, and I didn’t like it. Her complaining was so annoying, you can’t imagine.” She paused, scowling. “And it’s just awful a kind, good person like her would have to be upset.”

“Yes, but Wallflower’s reaction…” Fluttershy looked at me empathically. “I wanted to get some of the passages out there, to figure them out or just to keep mine from feeling like it’s… looming over me. But I completely understand if you don’t want to talk about it!”

“Oh.” I defensively folded my arms, hugging myself, but I also tried to look reassuring. “I wasn’t freaking out, really. It’s my memory thing. I get these headaches when I try to remember what I’m missing, and it looked like they might have been describing something from my past, so…” I shrugged.

“Ohhh,” Fluttershy cooed. “So yours weren’t too bad?”

I felt myself going pale just thinking about it. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“See, see, this is what I was saying,” Autumn Blaze piped up. “Shining knows what he’s doing, really, but I just can’t get behind staying quiet about something emotional when you can let it out in a safe space with appropriate boundaries so who’s ready to share?”

“Why don’t you go first?” I asked, glaring.

“Oh, no, I don’t want to talk about mine,” she replied. “That’s why I got you!”

“But…”

“I think it’s okay,” Fluttershy interrupted kindly. She smiled at us both and I instantly felt myself relaxing. “I think it’s good to talk about, but I don’t want to force anyone.”

Autumn Blaze grinned, and Fluttershy’s presence somehow kept me from grumbling about the hypocrisy. She was like a living cup of chamomile tea.

“Um, I guess I’ll start, anyway,” Fluttershy announced, expression firm. “I don’t have them with me, but…” She shuddered. “The first one described me saying something about Rainbow Dash. She was in danger somehow, but I don’t know any more. That was scary, but the second one…”

She fell silent, eyes watery. When she eventually spoke, it was trembly and weak. “It was a description of a machine grabbing on and holding me in place, and I was frightened and screaming and… awful things happened, awful and violent and…” She sniffled, but kept herself from bursting into tears. “I just can’t understand how anyone could write out something like that about m…me.”

“They’re nuts,” Sour Sweet grunted. “You know that’s all this is, right? Just stuff some maniac wrote down.”

“But… but Monohuman acted like it was more than that,” Fluttershy said. “And if it wasn’t, how could it be a motive?”

“Listen, I understand how you’re feeling,” Sour Sweet said. “Anyone would be upset reading something like that. I’m so sorry you had to feel scared and sad.” I waited for the other shoe to drop. I was shocked that it didn’t. “It’s really brave of you to ask us for help, to take away this motive’s power.”

Fluttershy smiled, weakly but warmly.

“At least yours aren’t totally stupid, like mine.” Sour Sweet reached into a pocket and pulled out her paper, tossing it on the table. “I didn’t even care enough to get rid of it.”

Fluttershy gaped up at her. “You’re really letting us read them?”

“Sure. Don’t blame me if they put you to sleep, though.”

We gathered around, looking down at Sour Sweet’s paper. Her two blurbs were laid out just like mine.

“...gh 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. “M…”

“...leasant, 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 kee…”

“God,” Sour Sweet mumbled, “it’s so transparent, right? These are supposed to be me, some bitchy thing I said and what someone thinks of me behind my back. Like I’m supposed to care? Oh no, breaking news, I’m an asshole sometimes. My real friends know I’m the gentlest little fluffy cinnamon roll, deep down.”

“This… is much less descriptive than mine,” Fluttershy observed.

“Or mine,” I agreed.

“Or mine,” Autumn Blaze added.

Sour Sweet squinted at her. “This means you decided to share yours?”

“No! Well. Yes. Or no.” Autumn Blaze fell silent for a moment, fidgeting with her hands. “Do you… really think they aren’t real?” Autumn Blaze spoke up hesitantly.

“Yeah, ‘cause I’m not a fucking idiot!” Sour Sweet very suddenly raged. “Why should we trust anything we get from that stupid guy? And um, hey, don’t you think Fluttershy would actually remember getting attacked by some big machine?”

“Not necessarily,” Autumn Blaze replied. “Not if she isn’t…” She gasped and clamped both of her hands across her mouth to keep from finishing the sentence.

Sour Sweet jumped to her feet, ponytail whipping around furiously. “Not if she isn’t what? What were you going to say?”

Autumn Blaze just kept her hands on her mouth and shook her head madly back and forth. Sour Sweet took an ominous step closer, but a soft voice behind her spoke up. “...If I’m not the same Fluttershy.”

Sour Sweet stewed with rage, clenching both fists. She glared back at Fluttershy, then slowly turned to look at Autumn Blaze with a wide grin. “But we’re not supposed to be talking about that kind of thing, right, ol’ buddy ol’ pal?”

“Dts why mm hnds rr on my mowff!”

“It… might be worth thinking about,” Fluttershy said. “Something about these is meant to make the Equestrians reveal themselves?” Autumn Blaze made urgent noises behind her hands; she apparently very much wanted to speak but wouldn’t let herself.

Sour Sweet ignored her and instead responded to Fluttershy. “Well, I can’t see how you do that with a couple of nasty paragraphs,” she griped. “No one’s given themselves away yet, and I think I’ve heard almost everyone mention stuff about their human pasts. Sunset must’ve trained them to fit in and taught them about themselves, right? No one’s gonna mess up because of this.”

“There’s another thing, anyway,” I broke in. “Monohuman acted like these were memories we’d lost somehow. He wouldn’t do that if it was supposed to expose ponies if they aren’t familiar with it.” I felt hollow inside, as was normal when I talked about this. “I’ve had some… experience with magical memory loss, even before this. In fact, one of my passages in the motive was about it.”

Fluttershy frowned. “So… something happened to Rainbow Dash and I forgot it?”

“Or these are just lame little tricks that are supposed to get under our skin!” Sour Sweet griped. “And Fluttershy, you’re sooooo smart, you know which is more plausible, right, honey?”

“And we have one case of real amnesia right here,” I pointed out. “But your head doesn’t split in half when you try to remember anything you might have forgotten, right? Why would I be so different?”

“Right!” Sour Sweet yelled. She glared at Autumn Blaze. “And for the love of fuck, take your hands off your mouth, already, you look ridiculous.”

Autumn Blaze slowly lowered her hands. “Sorry! I didn’t even realize I was doing it! Anyway, mine were weird and meaningless too, but hey weird and meaningless things deserve love, like everything else. The first was about Applejack? You know, Big Mac’s sister? Rarity’s wife? Who seems really nice and I saw a picture of her and gosh she’s pretty, like wow, just a complete dreamboat, lucky Rarity, but I’ve never met her or anything. And she was fighting with someone and yelling and really furious, which is upsetting but doesn’t mean anything to me. And the other was just an awful description of someone burning up in a fire, but it didn’t say who it was, and okay I am scared of fire, but of course I am, fire burns you, come on, and this description was really detailed and described like the person’s skin coming off and sorry I know that’s really gross, but hearing it isn’t going to make you murder anyone, right? It was just scarier when I thought it might be a real thing I forgot, but I’m with you, that’s way implaus...”

South Sweet grabbed Autumn Blaze’s hands and placed them back over her mouth, and she went silent again, blushing slightly.

“I agree,” Fluttershy said, voice newly tinged with confidence she must have found somewhere. “Yes. These are supposed to upset us, and that’s all there is to it. Um, I’m really happy you all did this with me, but I think Shining Armor may have been right, after all. If it’s even a possibility these are supposed to expose the Equestrians somehow, then talking about them is a bad idea.”

The little group disbanded, and I immediately had to go back into the dorm room I had promised to not hide away in. But I wasn’t hiding, I was just freaking out.

It somehow had never occurred to me. I had never let it even cross my mind once. Sour Sweet could yell with all the fake confidence in the world that she was totally sure they hadn’t forgotten anything, but I knew better. It was absolutely possible. It was weird that I got some different spell or whatever, but it was still possible.

But that dead me. That was the part that didn’t add up. How could I be dead but also here? But then Fluttershy said, “Something about these is meant to make the Equestrians reveal themselves.”

It was ridiculous. I remembered growing up with hands instead of hooves. I remembered human preschool and human summer camp and human gardening. I couldn’t even picture what a magic, talking pony would look like! But it made sense…

I calmed myself down. “This is pointless,” I mumbled out loud. That felt pretty good, so I said again, firmly, “This is pointless.”

I could go crazy imagining all the ways memory magic could wreck my life. It came so easily, I suspected it was a common past-time for me. I refused to let it take me out half an hour after I got my life under control again.

I was human, and I had no real reason to think otherwise. Only an idiot would trust something Monohuman gave them. And Sunset… was someone I had to move on from.

I left my dorm room again.

~*~

The rest of the day thankfully passed without incident, so the following morning saw me attending breakfast on time with Rarity and Vignette. As we walked into the Mess Hall I decided I would pay closer attention to how they spoke to me. Trixie was a fool for many reasons, but she might be onto something when it came to that at least.

As we walked in, I saw Cheese Sandwich elbow Sour Sweet. “Went and got more of that gross soda this morning, huh, Sour Sweet? Can’t get enough of it?”

“Wha–noooooo,” Sour Sweet denied, her face giving away the lie. “I–I’m not addicted. Don’t say that.”

Cheese snickered. “No one said anything about addiction, Sour. Just a little teasing.”

“Yeah…well.. Shut up.” Sour Sweet sighed and then reached into her pocket and pulled out a bottle of Sluggo.

“Ah, aaaah, I knew it! There it is. You just can’t resist the stuff.”

"Uuugh, stupid Sandwich…"

Derpy waved to me when she spotted me. "Hey Wallflower, wanna sit with me today?"

I was about to say I'd love to when Vignette pulled me away and over to a far table. "Sorry, I need this one today," she said.

Derpy frowned, her lips trembling for just a moment. "...okay…"

"What'd you do that for?" I asked Vignette as we gathered our food from the breakfast bar.

"Keeping you safe, Wallywall. Simple as that."

"From Derpy?" I pressed. "She's harmless."

Rarity bit her lip uncertainty, then patted my arm. "Maybe. But perhaps it's best not to risk it."

"Uh… okay then," I murmured, thinking back to Trixie's words. A project.

Big Macintosh walked in just then, his face glum. He spoke not a word as he gathered a plate of food then left the Mess Hall entirely with it.

"Wow…he really is in a foul mood," Vignette said.

"Yeah…he's still hardly saying anything to anyone," Derpy said, her own expression sympathetic.

"Can ya blame him?" Cheese asked as he chewed on a piece of ham. "He's still sad about his mom."

"We all are," Autumn said. "Maybe I should go talk to him–"

"Oh for Pete's sake, let the man have some space if he wants it!" Cranky interrupted, his mouth twisted up in an unusual rage. "Everyone grieves in their own way. If he wants privacy he should get it."

Looks of contrition sprouted on everyone's face. "Sorry," Autumn muttered.

Cranky sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. "No, I'm sorry for snapping. I just…ugh. Nevermind."

"Something wrong, Cranky?" Cheese asked, his voice full of concern.

Cranky waved his hand. “No. Forget it. Not worth it.”

The rest of breakfast passed uneventfully until Shining Armor rose to address us. “Alright everyone, after the discovery of the rattlesnake venom yesterday, Autumn and I were talking and we agreed we should go through everything else over in the truck stop area and catalog it, see what is and isn’t dangerous, and try to dispose or lock up anything that is.”

“Dispose of?” Zephyr asked, looking at Shining with a cockeyed expression. “Whaddya mean? You really think Monohuman’ll let us toss stuff away?”

“It’s worth a try,” Shining said. “And if he won’t let us dispose of it, we can at least lock it up somewhere, like the music shed. Juniper, you still have the key for that, right?”

“Yeah,” she said, pulling it out of her pocket to show us.

“Good, then you’re on the team,” Shining replied.

She rolled her eyes and stuffed the key back into her pocket.

“We’re going to need two other people who aren’t on the breakfast cleanup team this morning,” Shining continued, looking over the crowd. He seemed to roam it with his eyes for a moment, then pointed at me and Cranky. “Cranky, Wallflower, you’re up.”

Cranky grunted. “Ugh. Fine. Wasn’t like keeping to myself was the perfect plan anyway. But don’t expect me to chit-chat.”

Shining nodded. “That’s fine. Soon as we’re ready we’re heading out.”

We finished up our respective breakfasts, with Cranky taking the longest. Eventually however we all gathered outside, where Autumn gleefully handed us all fresh notebooks, pens, and duffel bags.

“Where the heck did you get these?” Cranky asked as he slung the duffel bag around his shoulders.

“Oh, there were a whole bunch in a corner in the convenience store, mixed with other bags,” Autumn Blaze answered with a big grin. “I’m so glad you’re helping us out, Cranky. And you too Wallflower; I know you both really have a hard time getting along with others and really that’s understandable but we’re gonna have a great time working together just the five of us you’ll see it’ll be a blast–”

“Thank you, Autumn,” Shining said, cutting off the flow of babble.

"Ugh, does she ever shut up?" Juniper whispered to me as we walked together.

I shrugged, not bothering to respond.

"Alright everyone, we're starting in the convenience store," Autumn said, gesturing to it as we entered the truck stop. "Each of you take an aisle."

"Dunno why we're bothering with this place," Cranky grunted as he walked down the pantry aisle. "The whole thing is restocked every night."

Juniper arched an eyebrow. “How do you know that?”

“‘Cause I asked Monohuman the first day we got here, before he was Monohuman,” Cranky answered. “He said it’s to make it convenient for everyone; there’s heaps of stuff in the back room for restocking.”

"Still worth inventorying so we know what's here," Shining replied. "Too bad the register doesn't force us to run our pads for the items or something; then we'd know who took what from here."

For some reason hearing him say that sent stabbing pains through my head momentarily, just long enough for me to wince.

"That'd make solving mysteries too easy," Cranky retorted. "And it'd be a pain in the ass to read."

"Probably," Shining agreed. “I can’t see Monohuman making it that easy for us, not after what happened before.”

"Well we could always set up our own log for people to write down what they take," Autumn suggested. "Then we'd know."

"And have someone frame someone else by signing their name on a checkout list? No thanks," Juniper grunted.

“Too many people have had chances to take stuff before now anyway,” Cranky pointed out. “So it’d be pointless.”

"Nggh!" I groaned as another stab of pain lanced through my skull.

"You okay?" Juniper asked me, her voice more sincere than I would have expected.

"I'm fine," I answered, waving it off. "Just a headache.” I didn’t want to try to think about why those statements gave me head pains; even thinking about it indirectly caused a few more subtle flashes, enough to ward me off.

Juniper stared at me for a moment before continuing on.

Eventually we’d documented everything… the only things there I hadn’t already known about was the small shelf of household repair supplies… a couple tools, some boxes of nails, copper wire cabling, that sort of thing.

“Great work, everybody,” Autumn said. “Over to the diner now.”

“Is there even a point?” Cranky snorted. “I doubt there’s anything over there the Mess Hall kitchens don’t have.”

“Yes, Cranky,” Autumn said patiently, even as I caught Shining casting Cranky an annoyed look. “You never know what might be in there.”

“Yeah, maybe they’ll have some iron skewers or something,” Juniper said, chuckling.

One corner of my mouth quivered into a brief half smile. “We’ll be fine so long as no one orders shish-kabobs.”

As it turned out, there was one thing the diner had that the main kitchens didn’t: a large deep fryer. Large enough to dunk a person in, if one took the baskets away first. Just looking at it…

Horrible, gut-wrenching--

I slammed down on that train of thought and derailed it into an abyss.

“You don’t think anyone would actually…” Juniper gulped.

“...I saw something similar once, during my time as a beat cop, before I made detective,” Shining admitted. “Someone who got their sick thrills off killing homeless people. Liked to break into local restaurants and dunk their victim’s faces into the boiling oil.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Autumn said, her face briefly turning as green as her dress.

Shining’s mouth tightened. “Sorry. Let’s… let’s hope no one is that sadistic here.” He sighed as he wrote down in his notebook. “Though I’d prefer no one else die at all…”

We moved on to the museum next, and at first everything went alright, until Autumn started chattering about every piece of art on the wall. “Oooh my gooosh! Look at the exquisite brushwork on that piece. I’ll bet that took a few days. And oh wow the use of color, and--”

“Autumn, not to be rude, but do you think you could shut up so we can work?” Cranky growled.

Autumn’s nose wrinkled. “Excuse you. What’s wrong with me talking about art? Everyone likes art.”

“First off, no, not everyone likes art,” Cranky countered. “I, for one, hate art. Art’s just colors and shapes, and colors and shapes honk me off.”

“I don’t think you’re very typical, there.”

He shorted. “Probably. But even the people who do like art don’t usually keep a running commentary going like they’re watching football!”

Autumn’s hands dropped to her hips as she glowered at Cranky. “Oooh, you haven’t seen me watch sports before or you wouldn’t say that. This? This is nothing. When I watch sports I can sound like an auctioneer, I talk so fast.”

“Great. Good for you.” Cranky sneered right back. “I don’t care. What I care about is being done with this so I can go back to taking a load off.”

“Hey, hey, cool it you two,” Shining said, getting between them. “This argument isn’t worth it.”

Autumn and Cranky continued to glare at each other for several moments before they both picked up their notebooks and went back to work. Thankfully for my sanity both of them remained quiet for the rest of it.

As it so happened there were numerous weapons in the museum. Pickaxes, a few knives, some especially heavy tools, and of course there was the workshop I noticed the first time, with all of its various parts and pieces on its shelves. It really was stocked like a theater shop, with everything for assembling or creating art pieces to costumes and so on. Judging by a few of the ancient, dust-covered costumes tucked away in a crate, the museum workers must’ve dressed up for the exhibits once upon a time. Or they actually acted out small plays, who knew?

There was also this one weird storage room that only contained a bunch of mechanical stuff which I really could not describe any better than just saying “mechanical stuff.” Gears and springs and hinges and wire and metal frames. I had no clue what it was all supposed to be for, so my notes were pretty vague, but Shining seemed oddly concerned about it all. When we were done, he led us out of that room quickly and closed the door behind him, as if he was sealing in an evil spirit.

“Okay, well, now that we’ve got all that written down, let’s see about getting some of this stuff moved over to the music shed,” he announced. He went to a corner to grab a decrepit looking hand truck laying there.

Only for a cane to appear out of nowhere, barring his way. The rest of the hologram assembled to show Monohuman blocking Shining from reaching the hand truck, an unamused look on his face. “Just what do you think you’re doing?” he asked.

Shining crossed his arms, looking distinctly unimpressed. “We’re going to put everything dangerous here under lock and key so it can’t hurt anyone.”

“Ah.” Monohuman spun his cane once then pulled it back and held it in his usual manner as he stared down Shining. “I trust you understand I can’t let you do that. After all, if you lock up all the weapons, how’re you going to eliminate the Equestrians?”

“We’re not going to let anyone else die,” Shining retorted. “So unless you’re making a rule for this, back off.”

“Rules, rules, is that all you’ll ever obey, Shining?” Monohuman said, smiling in amusement. “Well, I suppose it only comes natural to a cop. An enforcer of the law. You’re all about rules, and damn anyone who breaks them no matter who they are or why they did it, hmm?”

Shining narrowed his eyes. “Do you have a point with this or are you going to move?”

Monohuman chuckled. It was not a nice chuckle. “Shiny, I appreciate the spine, my good man, believe me I do. But you’re messing with something you don’t quite comprehend. Now, if I must, I will create a rule barring everyone from locking up means of murder, but… well, that would have some consequences.”

“Consequences?”

Monohuman brought up a hand and began to count off fingers on it. “You’d never be able to lock your rooms again, or the bathroom, or anything. Anyone could walk in on you at any time and suffocate you in your sleep with your own pillow. Is that what you want? Because I’ll do it, if it is. And the instant someone locks the bathroom or closes a door wrong out of habit, they’ll be executed for breaking the rules.”

My blood ran cold as I considered the kind of consequences he was talking about. And the lack of privacy… “Shining, please don’t force him to make the rule,” I begged. “Please.”

Shining scowled at Monohuman for a good few moments before he sighed and uncrossed his arms. “Alright, fine. We’ll play it your way.”

“That’s a good lad,” Monohuman said with a grin. “Now if you’ll excuse me…” His hologram dissolved into sparkles.

“Great.” Cranky threw his arms up before tossing his notebook down hard enough the top piece of paper tore. “That was a pointless waste of two hours of what little is left of my life. Thanks a lot.” He stomped off, working his mouth the whole way like he was chewing a cud.

Juniper handed her notebook over to Autumn and Shining. “Sorry. It was worth a try at least.”

“Yeah,” Shining sighed as he took mine from me as well. “This list will still be useful so if anything from here is used we… we know where it came from.”

Autumn remained quiet as she stuffed the notebooks into her duffel bag, the only use it had now. Her movements slowed as she trudged out without saying a word. Seeing the usually talkative woman so silent left me feeling unnerved.

“Hey, Wallflower, come walk with me, huh?” Juniper said, tugging on my shirt sleeve.

“Sure,” I replied with a shrug. “Where’re we going?”

“Just out to the trucks,” Juniper answered as we stepped outside. “This whole place has such a mysterious aura to it, you know? Like a mystique.”

“What do you mean?”

She pointed to one of the rusted out hulks. “Look at this. Just imagine a movie shot on location here, with the camera slowly panning over the broken down trucks in a series of long shots, giving you a good look at the place for a while before moving over to the convenience store and diner, showing how empty they are except for their owners. It’s such a great way to set a scene, to show what living in a town like this in its last days would’ve been like.”

I looked over the various trucks, the myriad bits and pieces they were in, and nodded. “I can see it. I don’t know about movies, but I could see painting or writing about this.”

“Oh, paintings are good and books are fine, but movies… movies are where it’s at,” Juniper said. “I love movies. There’s just something unique about the art form, the way it’s like a play but better, how you can tell all sorts of stories with sound and music to go with it. How you can see the look on an actress’s face as she spouts her lines, hear the emotion in her voice as she conveys the scene in a way you just can’t get from words on a page.”

I nodded again, though I wasn’t sure how much I shared her enthusiasm. Movies tended to be loud, especially in movie theaters where they pumped the sound up so much it was like being front row at a concert. Or what I imagine the front row at a concert would be like; I’ve never been able to stand the noise of one long enough to attend.

“And like, they can tell stories that no play would ever be able to convey. Like space battles, or huge magical duels, or the battlefield of a war. Impossible things brought to life, all for you to sit there and watch and enjoy.” Juniper let out a happy sigh. “I want to make movies so bad, you have no idea.”

“I think I’m getting the picture,” I said.

“Oh!” She tapped her hands together. “That reminds me, I wanna show you something. Look at this.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a large sheet of paper. On it was a sketch of the truck stop late in the afternoon, the sun still peaking over the horizon, casting its rays among the broken down trucks and highlighting the display of a gas pump. “What do you think? Does it capture the aesthetics?”

“Wow, yeah, it does,” I replied as I looked it over. “This is really good. It almost looks like a painting.”

“It’s just colored marker, but thank you,” Juniper said with a smile. “It’s incredible what you can do with basic supplies if you just put some imagination into it. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with this but it inspires a lot of ideas in my head.”

Crackle.

I blinked. “Did you hear something?” I said, my voice dropping in volume.

“Yeah, what…” Juniper turned and so did I. For a moment, we locked eyes with someone among the trucks, someone with blue eyes and elegantly coiffed purple hair. Then she seemed to panic and stepped back out of sight.

“What… Rarity?” I whispered.

“What was she doing?” Juniper asked. “Was she stalking us or something?”

Trixie’s words came back to haunt me again as I stared at the spot where Rarity had stood. Was that it? Was she watching me, keeping an eye on her project? How long had she been watching us?

Just what was Rarity up to?

Author's Note

Sorry again for delayed posting. Schedule should hopefully resume as normal. Thank you.

15. Chapter Two: "The Secret Ingredient is Never What You Expect" Part 4

Chapter Two:

“The Secret Ingredient is Never What You Expect”

Part IV

The next morning saw me waking up a little later, but it turned out to be beneficial, because when I arrived at the Mess Hall, I found everyone there. Even Cranky and Trixie sitting next to each other. Cranky, I’d been a little afraid would ditch after the way he acted the day before, but seeing Trixie there brought that spot of hope I felt right back.

“Hey hey, little lady!” Cheese said, waving to me and prompting others to wave and greet me as well. “There’s room here between me and Sour Sweet if you need a spot.”

“Thanks,” I said as I gathered up a plate. Not quite as ravenous as yesterday, I kept my breakfast selection fairly limited, something closer to my usual portion size.

As I sat down, Sour Sweet popped the cap off a fresh bottle of Sluggo, prompting Cheese to snicker. “Still sneaking over to grab your soda?”

“Yes,” Sour Sweet snapped as she took a swig. “What’s it to you?”

“Nothing, nothing, it’s just funny,” he said, giving her a friendly wink. “I’m just wondering why you don’t take it all back to your room.”

Sour Sweet snorted. “Because there’s an entire huge cooler’s worth and that’d be a huge pain in the ass.” A smile briefly graced her face. “And as much as I love love love this soda…” she lost her smile. “I don’t love it that much. I’m fine with one a day.”

“Let it go, Cheese,” Cranky said as he picked up his mug of coffee and drank from it. “Trust me, she’s welcome to the stuff.”

“I wasn’t saying she wasn’t,” Cheese said, but he nodded all the same. “Sorry to bug you, Sour.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it,” she said as she gulped down more soda. “I know I’m a weirdo.”

Cranky said something else, but it was lost in the haze of noise all around me. Everyone chatting at once made it difficult to even hear myself think, so I stayed out of most of the conversations.

I did try to start a conversation with Trixie more than once. The first time, she gave me a look, huffed, then stuck her nose up. The second time, she just ignored me, pointedly leaning over to say something to Cranky, who merely glared back. But once again, there was something just weird about it. There was that… tension, like I scared her a little somehow, and it was so confusing I couldn’t let go of it. But the third time I tried to talk to her seemed to cross a line. She let out a noise of frustration and pointed at me angrily. “Trixie is here at the table, Wallflower. Do not keep pestering her to talk!”

This was the start of A Confrontation, so I was content to just nod. I wasn’t even upset; Just having her here, having everyone here together, talking and laughing, filled me with even more hope.

But unfortunately, not everyone at the table felt the same way I do about the dreaded prospect of A Confrontation. Juniper, from Cranky’s other side, leaned forward, glaring at Trixie. “Hey, she’s just being nice! Don’t be a jerk.”

“She’s…” Trixie cut her own angry response off quickly, snapping her mouth shut as if afraid to commit a social faux pas. After a moment, she spoke again, calmer and haughty. “Trixie is not a jerk for refusing to blindly place her trust in suspicious people!”

“Suspicious?” Juniper growled, rolling her eyes. “Come on, you’re just paranoid. What could possibly be suspicious about Wallflower?”

Cranky leaned forward, clearly annoyed to be in the middle of their quiet but contentious encounter. This had no noticeable effect on Trixie, who fluffed her hair smugly. “Well. If you’re not as observant as Trixie, that isn’t Trixie’s fault, now is it?”

“Hey, no,” Cranky interjected. “Nope. No to that. No talking about anything we’ve observed, or anything we think we know because of it. We aren’t here to figure things out about each other, we’re here to eat breakfast.” His tone was serious, clearly using all the authoritativeness he could muster from his years of teaching. His unspoken meaning was clear, and despite myself, it sent a cold shiver down my spine. He was saying Don’t you dare start talking about who you think might be a pony.

Trixie stiffened, eyes wide. Despite the irrational doubts percolating in the back of my brain, I was still certain enough of my humanness that I wasn’t really scared. Trixie was weird, but no way she could have gotten such a wrong misconception about me.

But I underestimated how weird Trixie was, because after sputtering for a few moments, she pointed at me and fixed Cranky with an ugly stare. “Well, if you want to trust someone who might be a member of APL, be my guest.”

“Gah!” Cranky grunted. “Shh! What is wrong with you?” He looked around frantically; Trixie’s accusation had been quiet enough that only the four of us had paid attention to it, but he still seemed completely flummoxed by it.

“What?” I asked. “A member of…”

“She’s not in APL,” Juniper hissed. “Come on! That’s crazy.”

“The rest of us have reasons to be here,” Trixie hissed back. “But Wallflower’s history with Equestrian stuff isn’t exactly a bunch of happy memories.”

“Uh,” I ventured, “I have no idea what you’re even…”

“Trixie, you’re being an idiot,” Juniper grunted. “Wallflower’s not like that.”

“You don’t know that,” Trixie insisted. “Thanks to her convenient amnesia, she doesn’t even know that! What better cover could a sleeper agent even…”

“For pete’s sake, will you shut the hell up?!” Cranky whisper-growled at her. “Even if you’re stupid enough to think about crap like this, I know you’re smart enough to keep from talking about it in public!”

Trixie frowned momentarily, but then picked up her sandwich, all vanity and self-satisfaction again. “Trixie isn’t accusing anyone of anything. Her humility is legendary; she knows she can’t know anything for sure. She’s simply saying that it’s foolish to close off the possibility that even quiet little harmless Wallflower is dangerous.” She took a bite, clearly sending the message she was getting the last word in whatever conversation we had all just been having.

My confusion had not abated. “What?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Cranky muttered.

“What do you mean, don’t worry about it?” I snapped. “I’m in APL? What does that even…”

“It’s fine,” Juniper interrupted quickly. Whatever this meant, it was clearly something they agreed was dangerous to talk about. But her face relaxed into a rare friendly smile. “They’re bad guys, is all. And you’re not a bad guy.”

It was still a little scary to be out of the loop about something so apparently important, but I found myself simply nodding. I suddenly realized how quickly and automatically Juniper had jumped to my defense. It was strange to think that she’d want to do that, even after the time we’d spent hanging out. It was flattering. And a little unnerving.

“Both of you shut up and eat your damn food,” Cranky said, somehow sounding a little kind. Juniper rolled her eyes good-naturedly and complied. I took another bite, myself. Surrounded by everyone’s conversations, somehow buoyed by the two spikiest people in the whole group, I suddenly felt like we were really all in this together.

Maybe we had a chance.

Aside from Trixie, the only fly in the ointment seemed to be Derpy. Despite the way she’d been getting along with Big Macintosh the night before, she wasn’t sitting next to him this morning. Instead she was sitting next to Sour Sweet, while Big Macintosh was near the other side of the long table. Unlike everyone else, she seemed… pensive. Maybe even worried. She kept fidgeting, and every so often she’d glance around the room. After a while I spotted dark circles under her eyes, and her lips seemed dry, despite her tea.

And she was shivering, like she was cold, despite the morning desert heat.

Given the brief discussion we had over drugs the night before, it left me feeling more than a little concerned. I decided to keep an eye on her, maybe talk to her again later today.

And then I overheard something odd. I barely even caught it in the cacophony of laughter, chatting, and clinking of forks and knives, and only heard it because I happened to be looking in just the right direction.

“...Rarity…”

My head swiveled right for the sound. Derpy was saying something to Sour Sweet about Rarity, and whatever it was made Sour Sweet gasp and stare at Derpy in horror. “Are you serious?” Sour Sweet said.

Derpy nodded, then abruptly got up and left the table, rushing for the exit to the Mess Hall.

I thought about going after her immediately, but Derpy had already promised she’d try to stick near me, so I’d hold her to that. Instead I turned to Sour Sweet. “What did she say?”

Sour Sweet shook her head. “Not here,” she whispered. “I’ll tell you later.”

Worry ate away at my gut for the rest of breakfast. And since it was my turn to do the dishes again, by the time I finally left the Mess Hall to go searching for her it had been nearly two hours of constant worry and consternation.

To my frustration, Derpy made herself scarce, forcing me to search all over the place. I was wandering into the diner and finally about to just give up when I heard a familiar whimper from the diner kitchen.

Poking my head through the double doors, I let out a sigh of relief upon spotting Derpy sitting against the wall. Tears stained her cheeks and filled her eyes with spiderwebs of red. She looked up when she heard me, and sniffled again."Oh…Hi Wallflower."

"Hey… you alright?” I asked gently, squatting down so I could look her in the face more directly. “You left pretty quickly.”

“...I don’t want to talk about it,” Derpy said, suppressing another sniffle. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a tissue, blowing her nose into it. “It’s not important.”

“Are you sure?” I pressed. “Big Macintosh didn’t do anything to you, did he?”

“N-no! No, of course not,” Derpy objected. “He’s been a perfect gentleman.” She frowned a little. “Almost too perfect…”

I sat down the rest of the way onto the floor and scooted over till I was side by side with her. After a bit of hesitation, she leaned against me. “T-thanks,” she murmured.

I smiled back, though it was a bit shaky. Admittedly it was kind of nice having Derpy lean against me, but at the same time I still felt my usual sense of discomfort I always felt whenever anyone touched me. The only exception had been… Sunset…

Horrible, gut-wrenching–

Clamping down on those thoughts required me to grit my teeth from the effort this time.

Derpy leaned more of her weight against me, till she was outright hugging me. “Thanks again for being here, Wallflower. I don’t know what I’d do without you being my friend.”

A tight smile briefly crossed my face as I awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. “That’s what I’m here for…mmhmm.”

We sat like that for a while, but my curiosity wouldn’t hold forever. “Derpy… can I ask you a question?”

She sat up immediately, her eyes scanning me, her motions twitchy like they’d been at the table. “W-what? What is it?”

“So… I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop or anything, I promise,” I prefaced, watching her grow more uncomfortable by the second. “But… I heard you say something to Sour Sweet about Rarity. What did you say, exactly?”

“Say? I, I, I didn’t say anything to Sour Sweet about Rarity,” Derpy said. She let out an uncomfortable, oddly pitched laugh.

I gave her a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. “Come on, I’m just asking as a friend. What is it you’re not sharing with me?”

She pulled away, her hands shaking. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“...Derpy,” I said, my voice dropping in pitch as I let a small amount of irritation show. “I know you said something. Sour Sweet wouldn’t tell me at the table. I just want to hear it from you, okay? So will you tell me? Please?”

Derpy’s face paled to a color like sour milk as she stammered wordlessly, shaking her head till she jumped up to her feet. “S-sorry, I…bye Wallflower!”

“Hey, what?” I called out, stretching out my hand as she fled. Before I could even stumble to my feet I heard the diner’s front door open and slam shut. “What the hell was that about?”

I used the nearby counter to brace myself in climbing to my feet, then left swiftly, but there was no chance of tracking her down. Wherever she sped off to, she was gone.

“Fine,” I said, turning for the dorms. “If she won’t tell me what's wrong with her, maybe Big Macintosh will.” He told us yesterday he spent most of his time in his room, so with any luck I’d find him there.

However, the closer I got, the more my confidence waned and my anxiety rose. By the time I was entering the dorm building, my certainty had been replaced by a nervous tension.

Big Mac’s room was on the second floor, so I ascended the stairs and rounded the railing. To my surprise the door was ajar, so I pressed it open, knocking as I did so. “Hello? Big Mac?”

SLAM!

I jumped half a foot in the air as I saw him slam his minifridge door shut, then whirl on me, his expression briefly full of rage. Seeing such a huge, powerful man glare at me like that sent my heart beating into overdrive, adrenaline flooding my system as my nerves abruptly shot themselves. His eyes locked onto me like a predator, and I froze solid from fear.

His gaze softened as he tried to give me a smile. “Err, sorry about that Miss Wallflower, ya done startled me. Ah weren’t expectin’ company. Somethin’ Ah can do you for?”

“Huh?!” I blurted, backing up and knocking my head into the doorframe.

He stretched out a hand, his smile vanishing. “Uh, you alright?”

Wincing, I grabbed the back of my head. “I… I… nevermind!”

I turned and fled before he could say anything else, rushing down the stairs and across the quad to the other dorm building, panting and heaving the whole way, until I was safely ensconced in my room. Only then did my heartbeat begin to slow as I collapsed onto my bed. A few tears ran down my face as I struggled to regain control over my anxiety.

Soon enough, shame overpowered it. I felt like a complete fool, running away from Big Macintosh just because he slammed a refrigerator door. He’d even apologized right afterwards, but nope, I was too much of a coward.

“Ugh.”

Now a sweaty, sodden mess, I decided to peel my clothes off and went for a shower to clear my head, taking extra time to wash my hair and double check my face was good. By the time I was out and wearing fresh clothing, my nerves shifted from frazzled to, if not calm, then at least rested and ready for more.

Deciding to let the desert sun dry my hair for me, I left and headed for the succulent garden, hoping a bit of a walk would help finish the job the shower started. However, as I stepped inside, I noticed Sour Sweet, Fluttershy, and Autumn Blaze all chatting together on one of the benches.

“Oh, Wallflower!” Sour Sweet called out, waving me over. “C’mere. We were just talking about you.”

“You were?” I asked as I walked over, keeping my hands firmly in my pockets.

“Yeah,” Sour Sweet said.

“Everyone’s been a bit more nervous since breakfast,” Fluttershy said. Today her hair covered one of her eyes, though every once in a while she’d run her fingers through it to push it aside. “We were talking about how you seemed all spooked near the end of it.”

I shrugged. “It’s been pretty tense…I’ve been worrying about Rarity.”

“Oooh, stay away from Rarity,” Sour Sweet snapped.

Autumn Blaze gave her a curious look. “Why? Rarity’s never done anything I’ve ever seen. Worst thing she ever did was her shoutouts with… err.. Anyway, what did she ever do to make you worried about her?”

Sour Sweet glanced about evasively before pointedly looking away from Autumn. “...I’ve just been hearing some bad shit about her lately, that’s all.”

Fluttershy sighed. “Sour Sweet, please… Rarity’s perfectly trustworthy.”

“How do you know that, huh?” Sour Sweet whirled on Fluttershy, pointing at her chest. “We don’t know a damned thing about everybody. I mean, fuck, we just had this conversation yesterday, didn’t we? When we were sharing our secrets?”

Fluttershy winced. “Still…”

“Look, I get you’re some kinda nice chick, Fluttershy, but sometimes you can’t trust what you see,” Sour Sweet said. “Like, here, I’ve got a perfect example, and you’re all looking at her.” She pointed at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy meeped and withdrew, further hiding in her hair. “I-I don’t understand.”

Sour Sweet slapped a hand to her face. “Ugh, no, I don’t mean you, idiot. I mean you remind me of the person I’m talking about. I used to be a ballerina when I was real little in school, you know? Dancing and all that shit. And back then I was all sweet, no sour. I hadn’t learned the life lesson I needed to yet.”

“...is this going somewhere?” Autumn Blaze interjected. “‘Cause I’m not usually one to interrupt stories because hey wow stories are great who doesn’t love stories they’re the best thing I swear, but this feels like a sad or mean one and I dunno if I–”

Sour Sweet covered Autumn’s mouth. “Jeez, will you shut up for two seconds?”

After Sour dropped her hand, Autumn mumbled, “Sorry.”

“Anyway, there was this really sweet girl. Pink hair, blue eyes, pale yellow skin, just like Fluttershy,” Sour Sweet continued. “Except she wasn’t Fluttershy, because I’d remember a name like that. She was the best in the class, and I was the second best. I was always trying to improve, but in a nice way, not in a mean way. One day I asked her for some tips. And you know what she did?”

Sour Sweet fell silent for a couple of moments, finally prompting me to ask, “What? What did she do?”

“She gave me tips, alright. The tips of her feet! She fucking tripped me off the stage, where I bashed my head open on a table corner.” Sour Sweet reached up into her hair and parted it, showing off a jagged scar going halfway along the top of her head. “I had to go to the hospital because I got a concussion, and that’s fucking serious when you’re six years old.”

“...might explain a bit of your disposition,” Fluttershy muttered.

Laughing, Sour Sweet clapped Fluttershy on the shoulder. “Harsh burn! But actually, yeah, maybe, brain damage would explain a lot. But what really changed in me that day was, I learned you just can’t trust people. It doesn’t matter if someone seems friendly or nice, they can turn out to be a complete douche. Or worse, they might try to kill you. I don’t think she was trying to kill me, but she sure was trying to take me out of the running. And she did. I never did ballet again.”

“You’re not… mad at me for that somehow, are you?” Fluttershy asked.

Sour Sweet’s expression took on a bizarre mixture of friendliness and anger I’d never seen on someone’s face before. “Why would I be angry at you? You’re not her, you were never her. You just remind me of her because you look similar. You and me, we’re cool, Fluttershy.” She paused. “...Even though you’re a frickin’ girl scout.”

Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief, the sour part of Sour Sweets comment totally rolling off her back. “Thank goodness. I wouldn’t want to be enemies with someone…not…not here.”

“So Sour Sweet, what exactly have you heard about Rarity?” I asked, bringing the subject back to where we started.

She shrugged. “Nothing I really want to repeat, except she’s been acting strange.”

“...she did follow Juniper and me at the truck stop yesterday,” I admitted. “Or at least it felt like that’s what she was doing. She was watching us from behind a truck…disappeared when I went after her.”

Fluttershy sighed again. “Oooh… even I don’t understand what Rarity’s been up to lately. She’s been spending so much time with Vignette Valencia, which is really strange.”

“...why?”

Fluttershy looked at me funny for a moment, then snapped her fingers. “Oh, right, your memory issue… you wouldn’t remember. A few years ago, there was a theme park being opened up and Vignette was in charge of it all. She hired Rarity on as a fashion designer for the parade floats… turns out that she had Equestrian magic in her phone and was using it to zap anyone or anything she didn’t like to a white room.”

“Oh yeah, I think I heard about this,” Sour Sweet said, snickering. “Wasn’t that white room just some random building in the park?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, it was, but we had good reason to think it was something else, because of…well… because of something with Juniper Montage.” She blinked and coughed. “Goodness. I just realized how many former, um, former people-we-had-to-stop are part of this project.”

“Nevermind that, you were saying about Vignette?” Autumn Blaze said.

“Oh, right. So, um, Rarity and Vignette became quite close. More than that, for a while she… she made Applejack really jealous. This was before they were married, but Applejack was always jealous when Rarity spent more time with other women than she did Applejack. But once Rarity realized what Vignette was doing, she turned on Vignette. We later had to use our magic to stop Vignette from zapping the entire crowd away because… well, nevermind. The point is that they never really spoke after that, despite saying they’d become friends.”

“And now she’s fucking joined at the hip with Vignette,” Sour Sweet concluded.

Fluttershy’s face turned a brilliant scarlet. “Oh no, I wouldn’t say she’s doing… that.”

Sour Sweet’s burst of laughter startled Fluttershy and me into twitching, it was so loud and sudden. “I wasn’t saying she was either, fuck, Fluttershy…”

“Um, anyway,” Fluttershy continued, her cheeks so hot I could practically see the heat waves coming off her, “it’s not just that she’s spending time with Vignette. She’s been writing letters to Applejack, even though she can’t send them.”

“Well there’s nothing wrong with wanting to write letters to your wife,” Autumn Blaze said. “Especially not when she’s a total dreamboat like Applejack is. Err, well, you know what I mean.”

“But…this isn’t, um, like writing letters in a diary,” Fluttershy said. “She’s been putting these letters into envelopes, even putting stamps on them and addressing them.”

Autumn’s smile slipped off her face. “That’s… okay, yeah, that’s a little bit weird.”

“Did you read any of the letters?” Sour Sweet asked.

“No, of course not!” Fluttershy gasped. “Why would I ever betray her trust like that?”

Sour Sweet held her hands up. “Hey, just asking, calm down.”

Fluttershy huffed, brushing her hair back. “Well, then don’t ask things like that.” She stood. “Excuse me, I think I need to… go.”

“...Fine, go,” Sour Sweet groused. She hopped up from the bench. “I’m out too…I need something to drink.” She made a beeline for the truck stop.

I turned to leave, but Autumn Blaze grabbed my wrist. “Wallflower, hey, before you go,” she said, letting go the instant I pulled my arm away. “Can I ask you something?”

I rubbed my wrist where she touched it. “What?”

She gave me a hesitant smile. “You know how we were talking about our motive things yesterday, like Sour said earlier? I know we all agreed maybe we shouldn’t be talking about them and you know they could be something really bad, but… you never told us yours. And yours made your head go all wacky and you were screaming about how impossible it was when you first read it, and I was really, really, really wondering what it was.”

I looked deep into her eyes, those shining rings of amber, searching for why she’d bring this up now. I saw nothing except the curiosity she claimed.

So, I refused to answer it. “No, I’m sorry… Sour was right. We shouldn’t be discussing these things; they’re the motives Monohuman gave us to murder.”

Her face crumpled like a kicked cardboard box. “Oh come on; it’s just me, Autumn Blaze. You can trust me; we got along so well the first day, remember? No, wait, you don’t remember, that’s the whole thing, but we really did get along well and connected on a spiritual level and…well…”

Unusually for her, she trailed off on her own without someone interrupting her.

“...Sorry,” I muttered. I turned to walk away, leaving Autumn to mope in the garden. After that whole encounter I needed some time to myself, so I headed back to my room.

I stayed there till dinner time. When I arrived in the Mess Hall, I was pleased to see that, like with breakfast, Trixie was there with us, along with everyone else, including Rarity, who sat on the opposite end. As with breakfast, conversation dominated the room, drowning out most things. It seemed someone had been kind enough to whip up a large meal for us too, as there was a huge pot of broccoli cheddar soup on the table everyone was drawing bowls from, as well as loaves of bread and fixings for sandwiches. Basic, but it was better than having to cook for myself.

I put together a tomato and cucumber sandwich, grabbed a bowl, and looked for a place to sit down. Derpy still looked just as off as she had this morning, and there were no open seats near Rarity, so I was left wondering.

Before I could pick a seat, however, Rarity let out a massive yawn, drawing everyone’s attention. “Oh, terribly sorry, darlings,” she murmured, before yawning yet again, her mouth stretched open so far I could see her uvula. “Goodness! I… I don’t know why I’m so...pardon me, everyone.” She stood and left the table.

I wanted to call out for Rarity to wait, but someone else called my name instead. Vignette Valencia waved as I glanced over to her, and patted an empty chair next to her. Sighing, I sat down with her.

“Wallywall!” she said, giving me her trademark smirk. “So good to see you today. I was hoping to get a chance to speak with you.”

“...I’m sure you were,” I mumbled as I took a bite of my sandwich. “What about?”

“Oh, nothing specific,” she said, her smile growing. “I just like to talk to you. I like you, you know that.”

“Do you?” I replied before I could stop myself.

She cocked her head, blinking at me. “Whatever do you mean?”

I pursed my lips, not sure I wanted to answer. Finally after several moments, I spoke, my words coming out slowly. “I…was wondering. After what you said to me, after the last trial… am I… am I just a project to you? You said you were my friend, but…”

I looked away for a moment, my eyes falling upon Derpy, who looked right back at me. I swiftly looked away from her as well.

Vignette let out a laugh like chiming bells. “Oh, Wallflower…you’re adorable, you know that? Where’d you get the idea you were some kind of project?”

“...Can you just answer the question please?” I replied, not wanting to risk anything that might send Trixie into hiding again.

“Alright.” Vignette straightened in her chair and fixed her gaze on me solidly. “No, you’re not a project. Not in the sense you’re thinking. Am I trying to help mold you? A little, but only in the way a friend would.”

I stared blankly at her. “I don’t understand.”

Vignette let out a frustrated sigh. “Come on, if it wasn’t a statistical impossibility, I would assume you were completely unaware of my online metier!”

I started to reply and she cut me off before I could even inhale. “Don’t argue with statistics, Wallflower; it’s objective facts. But my fans are my friends are my family, so don’t worry, I’ll explain. See, it’s very simple: B.B.Y.B.B.!”

“...Be why what?”

“Better Be Yourself But Better! B.B.Y.B.B., a.k.a. 2BY2B a.k.a. Buhbuhyuhbuhbuh. It’s the core of my message, the sine qua non of Vignette Valencia! The one secret everyone needs to know. I’ve written books about it, if you stretch the definition of both ‘written’ and ‘books.’”

She paused, smiling proudly, almost definitely waiting to be praised. I had never less wanted to praise anyone in my entire life. “Wait,” I grunted. “You’re trying to convince me you’re not treating me as a project… by saying you’re using your online self-help hustle thing on me?”

“Wallywall!” she gasped, appalled. “This isn’t a hustle! Be Yourself But Better was a hustle; this is Better Be Yourself But Better! I don’t even really make any money with B.B.Y.B.B. I said it was my metier and my sine qua non; my cynical cash cow is aesthetic design! Gah, you really need to read that unauthorized biography I had that ghostwriter do.”

Again, I started to reply, and again, she cut me off. “Oh, how to say this, how to say this…listen, you still see yourself the way you were in high school, yes? Mousy, quiet… invisible?”

That word in particular struck a chord in me. “...Yeah. I don’t feel any different.”

“Of course you don’t. Besides just the memory issues, you’re still Wallflower Blush,” Vignette continued. “1B.Y.B.B., the original, would have said, ‘Hey. You need to change how others see you. Make it look like you’re popular and cool and confident, and that’s all that matters. Whatever everyone thinks has to be true, right?”

…Oh. That hit uncomfortably close to home. I could remember the aching need to make it so absolutely no one at that school knew I existed, but even then, I was still there.

She noticed my change in expression and smiled sympathetically. “Doesn’t work, right? No matter how popular I made myself look, I was still lonely. Because I didn’t have the confidence to make friends. And that’s where I see you, now. You see invisible little you, but I see a star!”

I glanced down at my sandwich as I took a bite, and as I was looking up my eyes briefly caught Derpy’s again. Derpy was still looking squarely at me, her mouth tight, till she gestured with her head in a quick jerk to her left. Like she was asking me to leave the table with her.

I quickly looked back at Vignette. “A star?” I repeated.

“Yes, a star,” she said, her hands moving in grand gestures. “A shining example for us all, someone who stands above us, whose example we should all follow.”

I frowned, my face screwing up in utter confusion. “Um… how? That doesn’t… but I am invisible… half the time people don’t notice I’m standing there, or even ignore me when I try to talk to them.”

“But you see, that’s what I’m trying to tell you,” Vignette said. “You see yourself one way, I see you another way… and while you can’t really change who you are, you can change what you do about it, and start seeing yourself the way I do.”

Still beyond confused, I took another bite of sandwich. Once again I met Derpy’s eyes, who once again gestured with her head, much more insistently this time. But she could wait. I was too absorbed into what Vignette was saying. “I seriously don’t get it.”

Vignette patted me gently on the shoulder. “Alright, let’s find an example then.” She searched the room then pointed out Cheese Sandwich, who was animatedly speaking with Cranky over…something about accordions, judging by the way he kept moving his hands like he was playing one. “Cheese Sandwich, he’s a cute guy, right? Charisma for miles! But he has no idea, because he’s stuck thinking he needs to find someone out there to model himself on. He thinks he has to change!”

I did notice something as I watched Cheese talk. A hesitation, an uncertainty. Like he assumed whatever he was doing was wrong. Just a tiny little thing, but I could see it.

“He wants other people to tell him who he is,” Vignette explained. “But he already is who he is! No one can be anything but what they are. This was the great realization I made when I came up with Better B.Y.B.B. and I started making all sorts of real friends I could be emotionally intimate with and stuff. Cheese Sandwich doesn’t realize he can’t be anything that isn’t already inside him. He could be just as shining a star as you are if he just believed in himself. You, my dear, are the real example he should be following.”

As she spoke, I noticed Derpy get up out of the corner of my eye, sigh, and walk away from the table. Unfortunately for her I only really noticed this after the fact, as by the time I realized what I’d seen, she’d left the Mess Hall. I would have to track her down later if I wanted to speak to her.

My cheeks warmed up as I lived up to my namesake. “I… thanks?” I still didn’t understand what she was trying to say… but it raised my spirits. I sat up straighter, even putting a smile on my face.

She smiled right back. “You’re welcome. Don’t ever forget it either. I meant it when I told you that you’re smarter than the rest of us. And that’s because you can outshine us all, if you just try.”

My smile grew as she and I went back to eating our respective meals. Soon I became embroiled in chatting with others, occasionally interjecting here and there while mostly observing. Nothing of real consequence, but it was a welcome distraction.

At least, I’d thought it a welcome one, until I was heading back to my room late that evening. It was only then I realized I hadn’t tracked down Rarity or Derpy to speak to either one.

DING-DONG BING-BONG

As all the screens lit up with the pre-recorded face of Monohuman wishing us a goodnight–“except you pesky Equestrians!–” I decided it was too late to speak to either one. I left a note for myself to track them down in the morning, took my shower, and went to sleep.

That night, my dreams were, for the first time since the execution, undisturbed by images of fire and the sound of Sunset Shimmer screaming. Nor was I bothered by the sights of Monohuman, or anything else from this awful killing game. Instead I dreamed of a more peaceful time, of high school classes and summer vacations.

Of a rainstorm at a musical festival.

Of Sunset Shimmer, up on stage, playing her guitar, singing about the rain. I hadn’t remembered till this dream, but Derpy was there, hanging out with me.

And I was smiling, in public. I felt… happy.

I watched the memory play out in the dream, of me walking up on stage after Sunset was done, speaking to her. Hugging her. Thanking her for the beautiful song.

Holding her hand for just a moment, in the way I’d always wanted. Or at least, had wanted since she saved me from the Memory Stone.

But then it departed from the memory. In reality, I stepped off the stage and went home, but here I stayed. Here I asked her to take me with her.To have dinner together. Maybe even spend some time with her at her apartment.

And she said yes.

The dream passed in a flash. We had dinner at a sushi restaurant. She laughed at the way I cringed when I accidentally tasted a fleck of wasabi, then I laughed when she did the same with the ginger. We talked about music and movies and all kinds of silly things.

She took me home afterwards, and we lingered on the porch. We looked into each other’s eyes, her holding my hands in hers, saying how much she loved spending time with me. How she wanted to do it again… and her words trailed off as her eyes slowly fluttered shut, her head leaning forward, lips pursing to meet with mine.

But before they could meet, consciousness ripped me out of my slumber thanks to my slipping off the bed and onto the floor.

“Ow…” I moaned as I rubbed my hip. I checked the time. 6:30 AM. Not even 7:00 yet.

I got back in bed to try to get more sleep, but quickly gave up and tossed on clothes instead. I needed a walk.

In a way, that dream was more tortuous than any nightmare could have been. At least the nightmares didn’t taunt me with something I never had and never could’ve had.

As I left the dorm room, I headed for the central plaza, where Monohuman’s stage loomed. Just as I reached it, I spotted Shining Armor, Autumn Blaze, Zephyr Breeze, and to my surprise, Cranky Doodle, all dressed up in jogging outfits.

“Oh, morning, Wallflower,” Shining said as the four came to a brief halt, taking a moment to drink from water bottles or, in Zephyr’s case, catch their breath. “What’s got you up so early?”

“Woke up, and then couldn’t fall back asleep,” I said. “Do you do this every morning?”

“We sure do, Wally!” Autumn Blaze said. “It’s really good for getting your energy going, getting some good solid exercise early in the day.”

I eyed Cranky, who shrugged. “What? Just because I’m old doesn’t mean I don’t stay in shape.”

“You should…” Zephyr wheezed a moment, then stood up straight. “You should join us, Wallflower. We’re a woman down anyway.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, Rarity usually jogs with us,” Shining said. “But for some reason she wouldn’t answer her door.”

A cold chill ran down my spine. “You’re… sure she was in there right?”

“Oh yeah, I looked through the keyhole and I saw her snoozing away on the bed,” Autumn Blaze said. “She’s fine, don’t worry. No one’s gotten hurt.”

I let out a sigh of relief. “Well, I’m… not really dressed for it,” I said, looking at my usual outfit. “But I guess I’ll jog with you.”

“Great,” Shining said. He pointed to the dorms. “Usually what we do is, we circle around the plaza, all the way around the dorm buildings, through the garden, then back out and around to the edge of the admin building. We do that lap a few times… we were thinking about maybe adding in the truck stop as part of our loop, but it’s so full of wrecks and other things there’s just not enough room to add anything substantial.”

“Fine by me,” I said. I stretched out my legs a bit, then lined up with them. “Let’s go.”

Shining set an even pace, one I found myself able to match, if with a little effort. As we jogged, I had to focus more and more of my energy on maintaining pace, and not falling over in a panting heap.

It was good for driving that dream out of my head at least.

And it was nice to watch the sun rise on the horizon, feel the cold desert air start to give way to daylight heat. I appreciated having my sweater more than I expected, as the others kept shivering every so often while I was perfectly warm, if coated in sweat.

The overall loop took about twenty minutes or so, meaning it was some time after 7:00 when we came back around to the gate to the truck stop again. “Okay, that’s about it,” Shining said. “You kinda caught us on our last lap, sorry Wallflower. But if you like, you can always join us again tomorrow. We’re usually out here at 6:00.”

“I just might,” I admitted, having enjoyed myself more than I expected.

“HEEEEEELP!”

Any good feelings from the jog vanished instantly as I saw Sour Sweet crest the hill from the truck stop, cradling one arm with the other. Her right wrist dangled at an unnatural angle, and her face twisted with pain and fear. “Oh god, help! Someone just tried to kill me!” she shrieked.

Everyone clustered around her at once. “What happened?” Shining asked.

“I… I was going to get one of my sodas,” Sour Sweet admitted. “You know, the really good stuff.”

“You mean the nasty crap,” Cranky quipped.

“Not now, Cranky,” Shining said. “Okay, but what happened exactly?”

“Some asshole set a trap!” Sour Sweet cried. “It almost killed me! It broke my wrist…”

Autumn approached her and took her arm, gently examining it. “I’m guessing it hurts.”

“Fuck yes it hurts, you stupid bitch,” Sour Sweet snapped. She grunted, then looked away. “...Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that.”

Autumn waved it off. “We’ll have to get you first aid.” She looked over at Shining Armor. “I’m taking her to the clinic so we can get this wrapped up and on ice.”

“And some fucking aspirin while we’re at it,” Sour Sweet said.

“Alright, the rest of us are going to check out the trap,” Shining said. “Let’s go.”

We rushed down towards the convenience store in a hurry, but before we could walk inside, another loud bellow from the direction of the museum startled us all. “What the hell?” Shining muttered.

We had our answer when Big Macintosh staggered out of the museum, looking more terrified than even Sour Sweet had. “Y’all!” he shouted as we ran over to him. “Ah… Ah… Ah just ran into some kinda trap in the museum! It almost killed me!”

“What?” Shining gasped.

My blood froze. “Two traps at the same time?” I whispered.

“What were you even doing in there?” Cranky asked.

Big Macintosh gulped, and opened his mouth, but Shining cut him off. “Nevermind, we’ll find out later. Right now… right now I’m more concerned about there being other traps. Walk slow everyone… let’s see if there’s anything around.”

The first thing we walked past was the pond of rattlesnake venom, which thankfully had changed in both color and smell. “Looks like that’s clear at least,” Shining said. “And it’s no longer potent. Thank goodness.”

We headed for the diner next, but before we stepped inside, I raised a hand. “Wait a minute… was that tarp over there before?” I asked, pointing to the rusted red semi-truck, the one in the best condition that Cheese and Zephyr had hoped to fix.

“..Nno, it wasn’t,” Zephyr said, gulping audibly. “I think I’d remember if Cheese and I put it there.”

We all exchanged looks of trepidation. “Let’s check it out,” Shining said.

Slowly, as we approached, my heart began to beat faster and faster. Terror gripped me, adrenaline flooding my system. Something had gone horribly wrong, I knew it. Something had happened.

We came around the truck… and that’s when we saw it.

The sight that left me in more despair than I could have imagined.

Lying there, just outside the truck, with a long, jagged piece of metal sticking out of her chest, was the still, unmoving body of Ditzy Do.

Author's Note

Apologies again for the long delay here; our hope is to avoid such a delay in the middle of posting a Chapter in the future, but the art was worth waiting for, we feel.

See you next week for the investigation! :twilightsmile:

16. Chapter Two: "The Secret Ingredient is Never What You Expect" Part 5

Chapter Two:

“The Secret Ingredient is Never What You Expect”

Part V

Big Macintosh froze in place, staring down at the body in sheer disbelief and horror. “...Miss Derpy?” he whispered as he fell to his knees.

“Oh my god!” Zephyr screamed. “Oh god, not Derpy! Who did this? How did this happen?”

Cranky’s eyes narrowed, his mouth turning down before he looked away and shut his eyes. “...damn it.”

Shining let out a wordless snarl and slammed a fist into the truck cab.

For my part, all I could do was stare down at the body, a deep sense of loss welling up inside. We used to be best friends, she told me. We’d started rebuilding that friendship, just like I had been rebuilding my friendship with Sunset.

And now Derpy was dead, just like Sunset.

Was this my fault too? Was this because I didn’t speak to her last night when she was trying to talk to me while I was too busy listening to Vignette? Did I do this to her somehow?

Would Derpy be alive if I had just listened to her?

DING-DONG DONG-DING!

“Attention, this is your caretaker speaking! A body has been discovered! Please report to the truck stop, by the intact red semi-truck.”

Autumn Blaze and Sour Sweet were the first two to come running, with Sour Sweet’s wrist tied with an elastic bandage. “Who was it?!” Autumn Blaze screamed. “Who was–oh no…Derpy…”

“Shit,” Sour Sweet groaned. “She got hit with a trap too, huh?”

“...we don’t know yet,” Cranky said.

Everyone else filed in shortly thereafter, each echoing horror, with Fluttershy especially whimpering, “it happened again, it happened again… why…”

Rarity appeared dead last, her jaw stretched in a mighty yawn as she trudged in at a snail’s pace. She wore no makeup and heavy bags hung under her eyes. None of that stopped her from screaming and slapping her hands to her face when she saw Derpy’s body. “Good heavens!”

Right after that, Monohuman appeared in a swirl of sparkles, making a show of assembling himself. He carried his baton under his arm as he held his hands up to applaud. The clapping silenced everyone and drew hateful glares from several of us, especially Shining, who looked ready to throttle the hologram.

“Well, it seems congratulations are in order,” he said. “One of you simpletons managed to kill, again! And thank goodness you took out Derpy; that woman was far too cheerful and peppy for my taste. Kept the mood around here too light, if you ask me.”

“No one asked you, jackass,” Shining snapped.

Monohuman held a hand up to his mouth. “Puhuhu. Well, time to see if the victim here is human or if you’ve managed to eliminate an Equestrian.”

Silence reigned as Monohuman performed his test, though a few people quivered in terror, with Zephyr especially whimpering just below his breath. For my own part, I remained numb on the outside, with that well of sadness inside threatening to spill forth and inundate me, or worse.

Drown me.

Eventually, after what felt like hours, days… maybe even months… Monohuman stood back up and clicked his tongue, shaking his head with a clear expression of distaste. “What a shame. What a waste of a good life! Yet again, someone has murdered a human instead of offing a pony. Second chance, second failure on your part, people. That’s another life lost that you could’ve saved if you just eliminated the ponies already.”

“Oh shut the fuck up!” Sour Sweet roared. “Ooooh, look at me, I’m Monohuman, I’m sooo nice and sweet and want to save lives so I put everyone into a murder game! Fuck you, you hypocritical prick!”

Monohuman harrumphed, clicking his tongue once more. “Such rudeness. But really, I should expect no less from you by now. Say what you will. But you know what you must do.”

Everyone stilled at that. Investigation. We would have to investigate again. Determine who the culprit was again.

Send someone to their death.

Again.

“Oh no,” Fluttershy whispered as she broke into fresh tears, almost immediately held over the shoulder by, oddly enough, Sour Sweet, whose look of fury at Monohuman only intensified.

At first, no one seemed prepared to stand up. Everyone looked at everyone else expectantly while Monohuman waited, less patient by the minute, for someone to volunteer to take over.

Everyone, that is, except for Vignette, who stared at me, her arms crossed, her eyebrows raised, as if wondering why the delay.

Perhaps I’d been hoping someone else would find the courage. After all, last time I had Sunset Shimmer. She knew what she was doing, she knew where to look, what to find, even if it ultimately led to her own… death. She did the right thing the whole time.

Who did I have without her? I hadn’t let myself admit it, but deep down I assumed it would be Derpy who would help me investigate any other murders. It’d be a sign I trusted her. A sign we were friends. But now I had no one.

…or do I, I thought as my eyes once again fell upon Vignette, who adjusted her look just a little, as if in answer to my unspoken question.

So I stepped forward.

“Alright, Monohuman,” I said, my voice stronger, projected louder than even I expected, causing me to recoil slightly from myself along with the whole crowd, who stared at me in shock. Evidently my leading the last trial at the end wasn’t enough for them to expect this… and I couldn’t blame them. “Do you have the Monohuman file?”

His hand shot to cover his mouth. “Puhuhuhu… I never expected to hear that from you! How intriguing, how wonderful, how delightful! Yes, yes my dear, I have the Monohuman file all ready to go for you.” He tapped his fingers in the air, and my tablet, and soon everyone else’s as well, let out the beep of a message received. “There you are. Good luck now. I’ll see you all, you know where, you know when.”

He snapped his fingers and dissolved into sparkles, leaving only the rising sun and the lamps to lend their light to the grisly scene.

The instant he disappeared everyone broke into a flurry of whispers, most of them directed at me. Anxiety rippled through my body, cold fingers working my nerves like I was a harpsichord and they were playing the strings. “Are you sure you want to run this, Wallflower?” Shining Armor asked me. “You don’t have to. I’m still a police officer. I can take over–”

“No offense, Shining,” Vignette said, her words all but coated in clear, intentional offense as she traipsed over, deliberately giving him a once over with lips curled in a sneer, “but if you wanted to step up, why didn’t you do it before she had to volunteer, hmm?”

“Because I–”

“Because what?” Vignette pressed, getting up in his face, despite their difference in height. The fact he towered over her, police cap on his head, scowl deepening by the second as his fingers twitched seemed not to affect her in the slightest. She poked him in the chest. “Because you know you’d be terrible at it without your fancy tools and your forensics teams, hmm? You’re obviously not a detective. I’d trust you to break up a fight or to negotiate for hostages. But actually solve a crime? Hah!”

Shining’s teeth bared, his lips parting in such a way that, for just an instant, I had a picture in my head of him leaping upon Vignette and tearing her throat out. Then he turned away. “Fine. But I’ll still help guard the body. Cranky, care to assist?”

“Not really,” Cranky said with a world weary sigh as he gave Derpy another look of clear sadness. “But I’ll do it for her sake. Poor girl didn’t deserve this.”

“None of us deserve this, Cranky,” Autumn Blaze declared, her demeanor flashing fiercely, her eyes practically igniting with fury. She gave me a solid look. “You need me, you ask, you got it, Wally? I’ll be here, whatever you need, whatever she needs.”

“Right,” I said, turning back to the body. “Then it’s time to get to work.”

*INVESTIGATION START!*

My first act was…

“No, wait!” Sour Sweet’s furious voice cut through my focus. “No one start investigating! Not until I get some answers!”

Everyone looked at her, confused. “Answers about what?” I asked.

“About the traps, Sweaterface! All of a sudden there’s traps everywhere! What the hell?!”

“Eee-yup,” Big Mac concurred. “Like to know that myself.”

“Oh.” Grimacing, Shining Armor stepped forward. “That’s…” He glanced over at Autumn Blaze, who had an expression of awkward terror on her face, then at Zephyr, who just looked confused. Finally, he sighed. “There was a room in the truck stop full of trap-making materials.”

“What?!” Cheese Sandwich screeched. “Holy guacamole, you knew about this and didn’t tell anyone?!”

Shining somehow stood tall, even as he slightly cringed. “We couldn’t lock it up and we couldn’t get rid of it. I decided it was safer to avoid saying out loud what it was for. I didn’t think it was likely anyone who hadn’t received police training would recognize it.”

I suddenly realized what he meant: that storage room full of “mechanical stuff” we’d seen when we cataloged everything.

“You thought no one would figure out there would be trap stuff in the Tourist Trappe?!!” Sour Sweet fumed. “That’s exactly the kind of stupid joke Monohuma–Ack!” She cradled her hurt arm, which she’d foolishly just tried to point with. “Shit shit shit! Pain sucks! I hate pain! Shining Armor, this pain is your fault!”

“Come on,” Cranky chided. “What’s done is done. Shining made his choice, and I for one think he made the right one. If he’d told us, someone woulda set traps even sooner.”

I instinctively braced myself for Sour Sweet’s furious argument, but it never came. Fluttershy had swooped in. “Oh, please don’t get so upset,” she cooed. “I’m worried you’ll hurt yourself more. Let’s just go so I can finish looking at your arm?”

For a brief moment, Sour Sweet’s face lit up in sarcastic cheer, but then she sighed and scowled. “Fine.”

“Oh, thank you.” Fluttershy glanced over her shoulder. “Um. Big Mac? Could you come, too, maybe? I want to make sure you’re not hurt.”

The huge man simply nodded, and the three of them walked off. I felt a familiar respect-jealousy seeing Fluttershy managing to be assertive, but Cranky cut that off quickly.

“Hey!” he grunted, looking at me. “You’re wasting time, gawking on this when you should be working.”

I blinked in surprise, but he was right. I stepped up to gather clues and I needed to get going.

*INVESTIGATION START!*

My first act was to open up my tablet and bring up the Monohuman file, to see what information he had imparted upon us with it.

Fact #1: Monohuman File II: “The victim is Ditzy Muffins Do, also known as Derpy, the Ultimate Klutz. Her body was discovered in the parking lot of the Tourist Trappe Truck Stop at 7:24 AM.”

“Tch,” Vignette sniffed as she read over my shoulder. “That doesn’t tell us much at all.”

“No, it doesn’t,” I said. Now that the investigation had begun, the anxiety had fled, my mind cool and composed, working out the problem. As if, with something to focus on, I could dismiss my other concerns. That had never worked for me before, but it was working now, so who was I to question it?

“If it’s not telling us much then that means any information it could share is critical,” I continued as I put my tablet away. “We need to check the body next.”

Vignette made a face. “Ugh, but she bled all over the place.”

“That’s why we use gloves,” I said as I pulled out a pair and handed it to Vignette, then got a pair for myself. “Keep the blood off us.”

She eyed me. “You seem far less squeamish than I remember you being when it came to Pear Butter.” A sly smile spread on her face. “Good. Means you’re learning.”

“Not like I’ve got any other choice,” I sighed as I knelt down to examine Derpy’s body.

Seeing the shocked, scared look in her bloodshot, bugged out eyes tore at my heart more than anything else. She didn’t just die, she died afraid.

I wanted to close her eyes, but something told me that detail was important, the shape of them. Bugging out… that wasn’t a typical response to being stabbed in the chest. A bit of shock, maybe, but they wouldn’t freeze like that. Especially not bloodshot.

I glanced down the length of her face, searching for other details, when an odd scent hit my nose. A scent I was more familiar with than I wanted to be thanks to my anxiety. I pushed her lips open. There was nothing unusual in there I could see, but the pungency increased. “Hey, Vignette… what does this smell like?”

Vignette’s face turned a nasty shade of green. “It smells like… vomit! Eugh! Close her mouth, close her mouth! I can’t stand that smell.”

I resisted the urge to quip about how much she sounded like Rarity as I followed her instructions. “Weird,” I mused. “I could see someone vomiting from a whole lot of pain, but…”

“Stoooppppp,” she wailed. “Don’t talk about it, don’t even think about it! Ewwwww.” She pressed her hands against her face, shuddering in horror.

I decided to give her a minute to calm down, so I examined the wound itself. I confirmed what I had suspected upon first glance: it was caused by a long, if light, jagged piece of metal, presumably ripped from the wreckage of one of the nearby trucks. While not quite aimed at her heart, it was close enough it likely punctured a lung.

The wound itself was fairly clean, but the more I looked at it, the more I felt like something was wrong. The skin around it was swollen and red, as if something had given her a bad bruise. It was strange.

Fact #2: Condition of the Body: “Derpy’s chest was impaled by a long, jagged piece of metal which had been broken off one of the trucks. The weapon is large and sharp, but not particularly heavy. The area around the wound was swollen and splotchy. Her eyes are large and protruding, and her mouth smells like vomit.”

“Are we done here?” Vignette groaned as she only briefly touched the body with her gaze before backing off again.

“Not even close,” I said as I continued to examine the body. I checked her clothes next, wishing I had some kind of forensics flashlight, the type that with a single click could show all sorts of hidden clues. Granted that was more fake television drama than it was real science, but I ate that kind of show up. It served the morbid side of me well.

“Huh,” I muttered as I looked her over. “That’s odd. Where’s all the blood?”

“Blood?” Vignette repeated, her mouth creased into a grossed out frown. “Down there. On her. The pink stuff. The lots of blood right there.”

“This isn’t a lot of blood.” I pointed to the piece of metal sticking out of her chest. “People bleed a lot when they get stabbed. Especially if it was shot into you by a trap, like it looks like it was here. But she’s barely got any blood on her at all.”

Vignette raised her eyebrow, one corner of her mouth curling up. “Sure looks like a lot of blood to me. I couldn’t handle much more.”

“Blood doesn’t bug me like it does some people,” I admitted.

“...Huh. Where did you learn about this stuff, anyway?” Vignette asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Ah. Fair enough, fair enough.”

Fact #3: Blood: “There was less blood splattered on the body than expected for the type of injury.”

Looking back at the body, I continued to check up and down it for anything else, briefly sticking my hands into pockets and the like, finding nothing save for her room key, which I slipped into my own pocket for later checking.

I was about to stop looking altogether when I noticed her left hand curled inward a bit more than her right, and examining it showed a scrap of a clean, white note, clutched there.

Fact #4: Derpy’s Note: “There was a note clutched in Derpy’s left hand. It reads ‘Meet me at the red truck at 7:20. I know why he left.’”

“I know why he left?” Vignette read off the note, her nose wrinkling. “What could this note be talking about?”

I had a sick feeling I knew, and I hoped I wasn’t right. “More importantly,” I said, “look at the time on the note. 7:20. That’s barely 4 minutes before we found the body. Meaning she was barely dead at all when we found her.”

“Really?” Vignette laid her hand against Derpy’s face. “I suppose she is still quite warm, but…”

I carefully documented the note in my Monopad with the rest of the evidence. “Okay, let’s check the cab,” I said as we stood up, keeping my gloves on for now.

Gingerly, I stepped around the body and up to the cab itself, where the driver side door lay ajar. I grasped the door handle and carefully pulled it open, half expecting a bomb to go off, or something. But nothing happened; I just brushed the rusty residue off my hand and leaned into the cab and took a look.

The first thing I noticed was a spring attached to a simple piece of pipe, large enough for the piece that penetrated Derpy to fit inside of. The second was just how filthy the interior was. Every surface was covered with grime and junk, every piece of metal rusted into uselessness. I’d noticed it before when we were first exploring, but the sheer immensity of it astounded me.

“Well?” Vignette asked, her eyes squeezed shut. “Is it atrocious in there? Like a hashtag hurricane tore through?”

“It’s pretty gross, yeah,” I said. The floor and seat of the passenger side were especially bad, with some ancient clothes-food-mold blob filling most of the space. Other than the filth, there was just one other detail I noticed. Or rather, lack of detail. “But there’s hardly any blood. Just like the body. Huh.”

Updated: Fact #3: Blood: “There was less blood splattered on the body than expected for the type of injury. The same proved true for the inside of the truck, especially on the body of the trap.”

I pulled myself up onto the step outside the truck door and peered closer at the mechanism, tracing the spring. “Yup, this was hooked to the door alright,” I murmured as I experimentally pressed on it, I saw it hooked to the catch on the inside of the pipe, where it pressed backward with the spring. “So as soon as she opened the door: bam.”

Fact #5: Truck Trap: “A spring-based trap lay inside the driver-side of the truck cab, set to go off as soon as someone opened the door. It fired a piece of rebar that impaled the victim.”

I cast my eyes around the cab, frowning. “Hey, looks like the passenger side window back here is half-shattered.”

“Be careful of glass, Wallywall!” Vignette warned. “I’ve punched enough mirrors and phone screens to know that stuff’s dangerous.”

I surprised myself by not getting sidetracked by her nonsense. “There isn’t much glass. Looks like it was broken from the inside.” I tried to visualize the scene; again, it was oddly easy. “I think, when the trap shot the rebar, the launcher recoiled back and hit the window.

Fact #6: Truck Passenger Side Door: “The top half of the passenger side window was shattered from an impact from the inside. The door was also locked from the inside.”

I took a few pictures with my pad to ensure that we recorded this fact; something told me it’d be crucial for the trial.

“Okay, well, I think we’re about done in here,” I said as I shimmied my way out of the truck, brushing the rust off my jeans. Or trying to at least; there was so much of it.

Vignette shivered in disgust and pulled out something from her pocket before running it all over herself, apparently feeling dirty just from standing near me. “Always carry a lint roller,” she said before handing it to me, allowing me to use it on myself. “You never know when you’ll need it. Lifehack!”

I rolled my eyes as I handed it back to her. “Sure. Let’s move on..” I turned to Shining Armor, who’d been watching us this whole time with a nasty look in his eyes, aimed squarely at Vignette. “Shining Armor, mind if I ask you and Cranky a couple of questions real quick?”

Shining’s dagger-filled scowl continued to bear down on Vignette for a few moments before he finally deigned to face me. “Go ahead. I’m not sure what we can tell you that you don’t already know.”

I nodded. “I just want to establish an official list of alibis for everyone. Plus, with this crime involving traps, well…”

A half frown rippled across his face. “Right. No way of knowing when it was set up. Any of us could be suspect.” He dropped his arms and stuffed them into his pockets. “Alright. Well, this morning, as you’re aware, you, me, Cranky, Autumn, and Zephyr were all running together for exercise. Rarity usually joins us but she no-showed this time.”

Fact #7: Morning Alibis: “Runners: Cranky Doodle, Shining Armor, Autumn Blaze, Wallflower Blush, Zephyr Breeze.”

“Were you running for long before Wallywall met up with you?” Vignette pressed.

“Yes,” he said, the words ground out just a little harder than before. “We were on our last lap when Wallflower showed up to join us. But we don't run anywhere near the truck stop.”

“And last night?” I added with a slight frown. “After dinner. Anything suspicious then?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“I didn’t see anything either,” Cranky said with a disgusted sigh. “Feels like I should have though. Damn it. Pear was bad enough, but Derpy… she was practically still a kid.” He showed no tears, but from the way he gripped his fists and tensed his face, I knew he’d shed them if they were there.

“Alright, thank you,” I said gently, looking around at the scene one more time. The tarp… I’d noticed it stashed there when it wasn’t there before. “Does anyone know when that tarp was put there?”

Of the people present, Vignette, Shining, and Cranky all shook their heads. The others had dispersed to check other scenes, so I’d have to ask them there. Still, it felt important.

Fact #8: Tarp: “A waterproof tarp was present at the scene of the truck trap. It was next to the passenger side door, which was the side facing the truck stop.”

“Alright, let’s check the next closest scene… that should be the museum, where Big Mac ran into another trap.”

Vignette sidled up to me as we walked past the rusted hulks of trucks on the cracked, broken asphalt, her expression coy. “So, got any ideas who the killer is yet?”

The question soured my stomach. “No,” I grunted.

“Too bad. I was just thinking… ooh, but why spoil it?”

I stopped and looked her dead in the eye. “No. You’re not pulling this bullshit again. If you know something, say it.”

“Temper, temper, Wallywall,” she replied, her tone dropping an octave for just an instant, as if she was tossing in a dash of sultry to her potpourri of smugness. “Don’t you remember what I told you last night?”

Her reaction threw me off, and a flash of the old Wallflower Blush returned to me, the need to retreat, to get away, to avoid confrontation. “...Nevermind,” I whispered, turning away from her to head towards the museum at a doubled pace.

She rushed to catch up with me. “Wait up, Wally--Wallflower.” She huffed and brushed her hair aside. “Fine, fine, I’ll dispense the theatrics. No, I don’t know anything.”

“Then why act like you do?” I snarled, louder than I intended.

To my displeasure she didn’t recoil an inch. “Because it’s all about projection. Think about it this way. If we project ourselves as if we already know what we’re asking, we can intimidate people into letting go of tidbits of information they might not otherwise. It’s all about confidence.”

I snorted. “Where’d you read that? Some detective pulp magazine you found laying around the convenience store?”

“No, it’s something I’ve figured out by being a people person,” Vignette said. She wrapped an arm around my shoulder for just a second, just long enough for me to freeze up in surprise before she let go. “Now buck up, Wally. And don’t forget. B.B.Y.B.B.”

Right. Her advice. I took a deep breath to calm myself, and nodded. “I’ll… I’ll try.”

Soon enough we entered the museum, and made our way to the workshop area. Zephyr Breeze was there, looking around the place, and holding himself very carefully, as if afraid of running into any other traps.

It was a good idea.

“Okay, hang back, Vignette,” I said as I gingerly stepped into the room. “We’d better take this slow.”

I scanned the room, searching for the elements of the trap. The first one I spotted immediately: a tripwire running to the lightswitch, set up to turn the light off and blind whomever came inside. A simple mechanism, one that looked slapped together in a hurry. I left it alone for the moment.

As I stepped forward, a shock rolled through my body, my heart skipping a beat as Vignette shouted, “Look out!”

I ducked, covering my head, only to hear her snickering after a moment. “No, no, Wally… you were about to trip.”

“Huh?” I asked, my nerves trembling with a nasty tingling sensation.

She pointed, and I looked ahead to see what she meant: a second tripwire laid along the floor at ankle height, perfectly positioned to send the person tripped onto a section of floor rendered slippery by a huge puddle of soapy water spilled everywhere.

Fact #9: Museum Tripwires: “Two tripwires formed the key components to the museum trap. One tied to a simple mechanism to turn off the light switch, the other at ankle height to trip someone onto a slippery section of floor.”

I stood up straight, my whole face burning like fire. “R-right, yeah. Don’t slip on the floor. Got it.”

“Why is there soap all over the floor, though?” Vignette wondered.

Zephyr coughed and pointed to a nearby shelf. “Probably because of that.”

I stepped over the tripwire and through the slippery soap to examine the “that” in question, which turned out to be one of the shelves, the closest to the slippery part of the floor. A gleaming sharp knife was taped by its handle to the shelf, positioned perfectly to slice up the hand of anyone reaching for it.

And it stank. “Ew,” I muttered, waving my hand in front of my nose as I examined what appeared to be some kind of odd liquid shining on the blade. “What is that?”

I received the second shock to my senses in less than five minutes when Monohuman’s hologram coalesced out of nowhere, already sticking his baton out between us and the knife. “Oooh, I wouldn’t touch that if I were you,” he warned, a sick little smile on his face. “That knife is poisoned.”

“Poisoned?!” Zephyr screeched, throwing his hands on his head. Wailing in fright, he fled the room immediately.

“What do you mean, poisoned?” I managed to mutter after taking a moment to catch my breath. I looked at the knife again, thinking. As I considered it, I realized the stink was familiar; it smelled just like the rattlesnake venom we’d all dumped out on the sidewalk the other day. Looked like it too.

Fact #10: Poisoned Knife: “A knife was taped, blade exposed, on a shelf next to a puddle of soapy water in the museum workshop. The blade was poisoned according to Monohuman, and the sheen on it both looked like and smelled just like the rattlesnake venom.”

“Just that,” Monohuman said as he pulled his baton back, twirling it in his hands. “So don’t touch it, unless you want to be a corpse. Which in your case would probably be an improvement.” Snickering to himself, his hologram vanished into sparkles.

“Jerk,” I grunted as I looked away from the knife to examine the rest of the room. I noticed that many of the shelves of parts appeared to have been raided, but that was no surprise; these traps had to be manufactured somehow, and the museum workshop was the only real source of parts apart from the convenience store.

I next checked the janitor’s closet, and found a mobile mop bucket, the sort that janitors use to wash up large areas. The design was odd next to the ones I was used to seeing in restaurants or stores, older, but it still functioned just fine after I tested it. Curiously, it was wet, still dripping with soap, rather than dry. “That’s odd,” I murmured.

Fact #11: Mop Bucket: “An empty mobile mop bucket was tucked away inside the janitor’s closet, still dripping with soap.”

“Ugh, are you still in here?” Vignette groaned, abruptly grabbing my arm and dragging me out. “Come on! Let’s get out of here; I don’t want to be anywhere near that knife!”

“H-hey, Vignette, let go of me!” I shouted, struggling to free my arm. I shook her off after a moment, after she got us most of the way out of the museum.

But perhaps it was just as well she grabbed me, because I spotted something crumpled on the floor just as we were leaving, somewhere I never would’ve noticed it otherwise. “Hang on,” I said, holding up a hand.

“Oh, what now?” she moaned.

I squatted down to peer at the object. It was a sheet of paper, one that looked just like the motive paper I received the other day! I snatched it up and uncrumpled it. Unfortunately it wasn’t intact; parts of it had either been smudged or erased somehow, because only a small portion was intact. And it was… weird.

Fact #12: Motive Paper: “One of Monohuman’s motives, found in the museum. The beginning and end are illegible, but what is reads ‘...Belle had just long enough to scream one last time, desperately trying to stuff her intestines back into her abdominal cavity as she plumm…’”

“Belle?” My heart stopped momentarily as I contemplated that. The only Belle I knew was… Rarity Belle. But what could this mean? Was she like me?

Had she somehow died in the previous game, like I supposedly had? Was this some record of her death?

“Here, look at this.” I showed the paper to Vignette.

She read it, did a double take, then read it several times more. “What in the heck?” she murmured. “But… Rarity’s alive.”

“I know, right?” I shook my head as I took it and folded it neatly, placing it in my pocket. “I don’t know what it could mean, but…” I let out a small sigh. “We’ll find out at the trial. Maybe. Come on.”

As we exited the museum, I saw Fluttershy, Big Mac, and Sour Sweet huddled around a bench around the corner. The group had been joined by Autumn Blaze, who looked up and grinned as we approached.

“I’m a nurse!” she boasted.

“Um, Autumn Blaze has been helping me take care of Sour Sweet and Big Macintosh,” Fluttershy gently clarified.

“Mostly me!” Sour Sweet squawked. “I’m the one with the broken wrist!”

“It’s… not broken, it’s…”

“Ow,” Sour Sweet interrupted cradling her freshly bandaged wrist. “Ow ow ow.”

“Wow, Fluttershy being a secret superhero over here,” Vignette remarked. “Nice work! You did that this quickly?”

“Oh!” Immediately turning scarlet, Fluttershy cowered and smiled. “It’s not. I just know some first aid and, well, Big Mac’s been helping the whole time, and then Autumn Blaze too!”

“No one’s talking enough about my attempted murder!” Sour Sweet snapped. “What kind of jerk does that, huh? Who would ever want to kill me?”

“I dunno, anyone who’s ever had the displeasure of hearing you speak for more than five seconds?” Vignette suggested, smirking in a nasty fashion.

Sour Sweet’s eyes flashed, but it was Fluttershy who spoke up, immediately snapping out of her bashfulness and casting a serious glare at Vignette. “Come now, Vignette, that wasn’t very nice.”

“No, I suppose it wasn’t,” Vignette conceded, her nose up in the air and her face looking away. “Sorry about that, Sour Sweet. I’m just trying to help you Rise Above.”

“Aww, that’s okay, I forgive you,” Sour Sweet chirped, before rolling her eyes and growling, “Even though you’re just the worst. Don’t even look at me.”

I snapped my fingers and brought out my pad. “Sour Sweet, we know where you were during the murder. Do you recall when exactly you arrived?”

“Uh, I dunno, 7:10 maybe?” she muttered, glaring at me. “What about it?”

“Just trying to establish alibis,” I said as I noted that down. “Did you happen to see the tarp near the truck?”

She rolled her eyes. “The tarp? No, I didn’t see the tarp. I only glanced that way a bit.”

“Ah saw it,” Big Macintosh added, his words a little hoarse. “Right about 7:15.”

I wrote that down too. “Okay, okay, and we know you were in the museum. Fluttershy, what about you?”

“Oh, I was in my room till the body discovery announcement.,” she said. “I was about to take a shower.”

*Updated* Fact #7: Morning Alibis: “Runners: Cranky Doodle, Shining Armor, Autumn Blaze, Wallflower Blush, Zephyr Breeze.
Trap Victims: Big Macintosh, Sour Sweet, Derpy
Rooms: Fluttershy, Rarity.”

*Updated* Fact #8: Tarp: “A waterproof tarp was present at the scene of the truck trap. According to Sour Sweet, it was not there as of 7:10, but was there as of 7:15 according to Big Macintosh.”

Sour Sweet grunted, her eyes momentarily squeezing shut in pain as she cradled her hurt wrist. “Anyway, I still can’t believe someone set up a trap for me.”

“Well, if someone wanted to kill someone and be sure about it, you’d be a good target,” Vignette said, pursing her lips. She snorted when Fluttershy and Sour shot her another glare. “What? All I’m saying is, Sour Sweet kept her schedule obvious. Everyone knows she goes to the convenience store to get one of her gross sodas every morning. And whoever wanted to kill her obviously needed to keep their hands clean to avoid suspicion.”

“Oooh, I suppose you’re right,” Fluttershy said, bowing her head. She twiddled with her fingers. “It’s awful.”

“Yes, terrible, terrible,” Vignette agreed dismissively. “Sour Sweet, why don’t you tell us exactly what happened, hm? You went to get your soda, then…?”

“Ugh, if it’s so important for me to relive my trauma for the murder investigation, fine. I was just standing there, innocent and pure-hearted. I opened up the cooler, and I heard a thump, then a snapping noise. But before I could do anything, this big heavy brick fell out of nowhere and smashed into my hand!”

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. “It hit your arm, but you didn’t dodge it at all?”

“Did I fucking stutter?” Sour Sweet replied, gently cradling her wrist. “Damn this hurts. Ow. Ow ow ow.”

“Big Mac?” I prompted, setting a hand on his trembling arm. The poor man quaked at my touch, drawing away. “...Sorry.”

“Nope,” he replied, gathering himself and meeting my eyes. “Mah fault. What is it?”

“Um, could you do the same thing Sour Sweet did? Tell us exactly what happened to you in the museum?”

“Yup.” He paused for a moment, getting a new round of shivers under control. I couldn’t help feeling sorrow taking it in; he’d lost the two closest people to him already, and it was wrecking him.

“Ah came in and saw a piece of paper on a table. But when Ah started moving toward it, Ah tripped. Everything went dark, and Ah stumbled forward, where Ah tripped again. There was some sorta thunk, but the floor had soap all over it and Ah fell forward.” He indicated the bruise above his eyebrow. “Face first.”

Vignette nodded. “Maybe want to put some ice on that or something.”

“Ah’m fine,” he grunted. “Anyways, Ah got to my feet, even though it was still real slippery, and Ah groped my way to the door.”

“Groped?” I asked.

“Still dark. Ah could smell that rattlesnake smell, so’s Ah mostly was tryin’ to move away from that.”

“Hm,” Vignette mused. “I can’t tell if you’re lucky or unlucky. What were you doing there so early, anyway?”

“ Ah was given some kinda note, said to meet someone there.” As he spoke, his whole body trembled, his palms sweating up a storm, prompting him to repeatedly wipe them on his pants.

“A note?” Vignette asked. “What note? Where did you leave it?”

“It’s, it’s in mah room… Ah didn’t bother bringin’ it. Ah was probably gonna head there anyway to get somethin’ for a little memorial Ah’ve been puttin’ together for mah momma, and I… I…”

“Hey, hey,” I cooed, trying to comfort him by rubbing my hand on his arm. He froze for a moment, then allowed me to hold it. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”

“By the skin of his teeth,” Vignette remarked. “We saw the whole trap, the knife and everything.”

“Knife.” He glared down at the floor for a moment in silence. “Ah ain’t been in there, but Ah thought it was something like that.”

“Big poisoned knife,” Vignette clarified with far too much cheerfulness.

He nodded. He wasn’t calming down, exactly, but he was getting quieter, and I figured that was a good sign. “And,” he said brusquely, “y’all saw it. How close did I probably come to touchin’ it?”

“Probably very, very close,” Vignette answered.

He nodded again. “Yup,” he said. “Really almost died.” His eyes were dark.

“Um… Wallflower?” Fluttershy offered. “Vignette? I think if everyone’s gotten what they need, we should stop dwelling on this? It’s probably so upsetting to talk about…”

“Nope,” Big Mac interrupted. He looked straight at me, stony. “Ah am upset. But not more’n I’m determined to survive. Ah can talk about it.”

“Good to know, but I think that’s everything!” Vignette chirped, , dragging me away again. “Let’s go check out the convenience store while we still have time during this investigation, mmkay?”

“Wha, I…” I glanced back at Big Macintosh, who I saw breathing a sigh of relief, before I faced Vignette again. I ripped my arm out of her grasp and walked with her. “You could try asking, you know.”

“I could,” she admitted. “But I won’t. The poor guy was putting on a brave face, but he was miserable.”

Snorting, I followed her past the now dried up pool of venom and into the convenience store. I found Autumn poking around inside, along with Juniper, Cheese, and, oddly enough, Trixie, who seemed especially put out by having to be here. “Ugh, could these bloodthirsty brutes please try to contain themselves for more than a few days? Trixie is trying to survive this awful mess,” she snarled when she saw me.

“Oooh, I’m sorry, Trixie, did those mean murderers interrupt your precious schedule?” Vignette simpered, her face split in a wide grin.

“Vignette,” I groaned, trying not to facepalm. “Please stop that.”

Trixie, for her part, simply raised an eyebrow at Vignette before harrumphing and sticking her nose in the air. “Trixie does not need to justify herself to you.”

Vignette chuckled under her breath. “Good. Nor should you.”

Rolling my eyes, I decided to go ahead and collect some more alibis. “Trixie,” I said, bringing out my pad once more. “Where were you this morning?”

Trixie eyed me suspiciously for a moment, her eyes dropping to my pad, then back up to meet mine, as if sussing out my intentions. Evidently satisfied, she turned to me and answered, “Trixie was just finishing with her morning shower. She was going to work on a project for a short while before she attended breakfast with everyone.”

“A project, oh?” Vignette sauntered over to get up in Trixie’s space, fluttering her eyelashes. “What kind of… project?”

Trixie reeled back and for a moment I feared she’d punch Vignette before she opted to push her gently back instead. “Do not crowd Trixie! Trixie is working on something for herself, to pass the time; Trixie has hobbies.”

“So, nothing important to the murder then,” I concluded, interrupting Vignette from going on another teasing rant.

Trixie bit her lip and shook her head. “No. Not… not to this murder.”

“Got it.” I wrote that down. “Thanks, Trixie.”

She fussed with her hat and turned away, but I caught the briefest glimpse of her cheeks blooming with red. “Don’t mention it.”

I stepped through the shelves over to Juniper, who was examining the case of Sluggo Cola. “Hey, Juniper,” I said. “Mind if I ask about your whereabouts this morning?”

She looked up at me, her face a mask of shed tears and poor attempts to cover it up. “Huh? Uh… yeah, yeah. I uh… yeah.” She coughed into her hand. “So I was uh, I was in my room, right about to hop into the shower, when suddenly the alarm went off. I came running to see. And before you ask, I didn't see anything last night either; I went right back to my room after dinner to work on my movie scripts.”

“Alright, alright, I believe you,” I said, raising my hands up in surrender. “It’s okay, Juniper. I get it. Derpy…”

“She was a good person, Wallflower,” Juniper blubbered. “She didn’t deserve to die like that. No one deserves to die like that.”

I froze up, not knowing what to do, and remained even more still when Juniper abruptly burst into full tears and latched onto me. After a moment I found myself stiffly patting her on the shoulder and back. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s okay,” I said. I don’t know why comforting her felt so much harder to do than comforting Big Macintosh had been.

Fortunately for me, Juniper only held me for a while longer before she released me, albeit not before drenching my shoulder with her tears and a bit of grody snot. “S-sorry about that,” she murmured as she reached into her pockets for a tissue and blew her nose. “I… it’s not like I knew Derpy well, but she was so sweet, and kind, and innocent, and just… oooh…”

“We get it,” Vignette said, not unkindly. She placed her hands on Juniper’s shoulders. “But listen to me, Juniper. I’ll give you the same advice I gave Wallflower. Buck up. B.B.Y.B.B. Better be yourself but better. Got it?”

“...not really?” Juniper said, staring at Vignette blankly.

While she launched into an explanation, I dodged around the two of them to ask the last person wandering around the store. Unlike the others, Cheese was picking out a snack, grabbing for some chips and a drink and scarfing down on them. “Oh, sorry,” he murmured through a mouthful of food. “I just figured we’re gonna be down there for hours. Gotta keep the blood sugar from crashing!”

“Are you diabetic?” I said, raising an eyebrow.

“No, but I don’t wanna be stuck down there for hours feeling hungry, and I doubt that Monohuman would let us eat anything while we’re in the trial.”

It was a good point, a remarkably good point, and soon enough I followed his example. Despite my stomach twisting into knots, the brief bite of food helped. It would stave off any hunger till after the trial, at least.

“Thanks for the advice,” I said as I finished off the last bit. “So what were you up to before the body was discovered?”

He shrugged. “Just getting up. I didn’t get a chance to shower before the announcement.”

*Updated* Fact #7: Morning Alibis: “Runners: Cranky Doodle, Shining Armor, Autumn Blaze, Wallflower Blush, Zephyr Breeze.
Trap Victims: Big Macintosh, Sour Sweet, Derpy
Rooms: Fluttershy, Rarity, Trixie, Cheese, Juniper.”

“Alright, thank you, Cheese.”

He waved me off. “Yeah, you got it.”

I looked over my Monopad. Though I marked her as having been in her room, I still hadn’t had a chance to speak with Rarity directly. I needed to do that before the trial began.

And while I was at it, there was something else I needed to know. Derpy knew something, something she told to Sour Sweet yesterday, something I never pried out of her.

Soon as I was finished here I planned to track her down so I could get some answers.

In the meantime I returned to the cooler, where Vignette was waiting for me, Juniper nowhere to be seen. “About time you got back,” she said, giving me a curious look. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped off a few crumbs from my mouth. “There. Much better.”

“Thanks, I think,” I murmured as I examined the trap itself.

It was a much more complex mechanism than the one I found in the museum, much like how Derpy’s trap had been complex. A nasty looking cinderblock had been tied onto a length of metal pipe, which was rigged into a hinge, an elbow joint, and spinner, triggered by a spring-based tension mechanism.

And yet there was something wrong here as I examined it more closely. I wasn’t sure what it was at first, but something stood out to me.

“Vignette, stand back,” I said as I reached down to reset the device. “I’m going to deliberately trigger it.”

“You’re going to what?!” Vignette cried. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“No,” I answered, the trap snapping into place as I finished. “But if I’m right…”

I took a few deep breaths, then, using a nearby broom, I opened up the cooler door.

The mechanism triggered, and the cinderblock spun around and walloped the cooler door right in the same place as before, leaving a small dent.

A place nowhere near Sour Sweet’s head or chest. In fact, it landed right exactly where I’d seen Sour’s hand hold the cooler door open.

“Okay, that’s weird,” I said, pointing to the trap. “Look at this. It’s clearly non-lethal.”

“Looks pretty lethal to me!” Vignette objected as she stared mutely at the cinderblock.

I shook my head. “No, look where it landed. Go over and mime as if you were reaching into the cooler.”

“:...alright.” She did as I requested, then did a double take, staring at the impact location. “Wait a minute… you’re right. That never would’ve hit my head.”

“Or Sour Sweet’s,” I agreed. “It looks like it was deliberately designed to smash her wrist, not kill her.”

“But why would this trap be less lethal than the other two?” Vignette wondered, setting a hand on her chin. “That doesn’t make any sense. She’s the only one that we knew for sure would be here.”

“I don’t get it either,” I said as I examined the cinder block and mechanism again. “But whoever did this had to have done it on purpose. But why?”

Fact #13: Convenience Store Trap: “The trap at the convenience store was a complex mechanism designed to swing a cinder block on a pivot at Sour Sweet’s wrist when she opened the cooler; it was explicitly designed as a non-lethal trap.”

“Okay, well, that’s all the traps,” I said as I jotted down my notes. “We still need to get Rarity’s alibi, and I need to speak to Sour Sweet about something.”

As soon as we left the convenience store, we headed back to District One, where the dorms and mess hall were located. Something in me told me that was the way we needed to go, and sure enough as we came up over the hill, we spotted Sour Sweet, leaning against the fence pole, sighing to herself.

“Hey, Sour Sweet, you okay?” I asked her as we approached.

She waved me off with her good hand. “Yeah. Just wanted a few minutes to myself. Fuck, this hurts,” she groaned. She eyed the pharmacy. “Hey, walk with me to the pharmacy, yeah? I’m gonna need two hands to open up some of the meds.”

“Sure,” I said as Vignette and I walked with her. “I needed to ask you something anyway.”

“Oh yeah?” We entered the pharmacy. “What’s that?”

I bit my lip, then faced her. “Derpy kept trying to talk to me about something yesterday, something that I think she told you at breakfast yesterday morning. You said you’d tell me later, then you never did.”

“Oh! Right! That.” Sour Sweet let out a frustrated sigh. “Look, I… I dunno if I should say it now. It sounds pretty bad, and I don’t want to be pointing the blame at anyone before the trial.”

Vignette gently set a hand on Sour’s shoulder. “Sour Sweet, please, just tell us. You’ll have to say it sooner or later anyway; it sounds like it’s too important to keep quiet.”

Sour Sweet pulled away from Vignette and took a couple of moments to search the shelf of pain medicines, eventually selecting some extra strength ibuprofen and handing the bottle to me. I popped it open for her, and she muttered a quick thanks as she tossed a couple of pills back and dry swallowed them before making a face.

“Alright, alright,” she said. “But seriously, it sounds really bad, alright?” She placed the pill bottle in her pocket and rubbed at her wrist. “Derpy told me that she overheard Rarity saying something about Big Macintosh.”

“Saying what, exactly?” I pressed.

She looked away for a moment, worked her mouth, then grunted and looked back at me. “She said that Rarity said, and I quote, ‘Big Macintosh is so big the only surefire way to kill him would be poison.’”

“Poison?!” Vignette echoed, as did I, albeit at a whisper. “Are you sure?”

Fact #14: Derpy’s Statement: “According to Sour Sweet, Derpy overheard Rarity saying the best way to kill Big Macintosh would be via poison.”

“Positive,” Sour Sweet said.

I thought back to the trap that Big Macintosh ran into. “The knife, it was poisoned. Monohuman said as much. If Big Macintosh had slipped and grabbed onto that knife as he was falling…”

“We’d have two bodies on our hands, not just one,” Sour Sweet said with a sneer. “I don’t get it. Why set so many traps? Why not just one?”

“Maybe they wanted to be sure they’d kill someone,” I murmured, trying to process this new information.

“Or maybe we’ve got more than one potential killer on our hands,” Vignette suggested.

My blood chilled in my veins at the thought. “I don’t even want to think about that,” I whispered. “That… that’s too horrible to consider.”

“I dunno, she might be onto something,” Sour Sweet replied.

“Maybe, but…” I shook my head and threw my hands up. “Okay, we’ll discuss it during the trial. There’s still a few things I want to check out.”

“Yeah. Okay.” Sour Sweet gave me a sideways look, then snorted. “...thanks for the meds.”

I nodded to her, and together Vignette and I left the building. “So what now?” Vignette asked

“Big Mac’s room,” I said, pointing to the dorms. “He said he left his note in his room, and I want to see what it said.”

As we headed for the dorms and entered the building containing Big Macintosh’s room, I almost ran face first into Rarity.

“Wahahaaaa!” she wailed as she caught herself just before we smashed into each other. “Oh my word, darling, do watch where you’re going!”

A momentary panic gripped me before I got it under control, but not before I blubbered, “Err, sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to–”.

She glared at me, and as I did so I got a much better look at her than I had when she showed up to view Derpy’s body. Her eyes were bloodshot, like she’d been crying, while she wore no makeup to speak of, and her hair was far from immaculate. Even her clothes were askew, and there were bags under her eyes.

But while her gaze softened after a moment, her demeanor didn’t change. “Oh, don’t worry about it. Where are you going in such a hurry, anyhow?”

“We needed to check out Big Macintosh’s room,” I answered, still a little unsettled by her appearance. “...are you okay, Rarity?”

“Okay? No. No I am not okay,” she answered, a growl deep in her throat. “I am furious. We’ve another murderer on our hands, and to think, they killed perhaps the most innocent of us all! Derpy never hurt a soul, nor could she. She was far too nice. Perhaps a bit naive at times, but she was a good person.”

“Yeah, so we’ve heard,” Vignette said. She eyed Rarity. “You know, we wanted to ask you about last night anyway.”

“Oh? What about it?” Rarity flipped her hair back and ran a hand through it, as if trying to make it look halfway decent. All she was truly managing was tossing it into even more of a mess.

“We wanted to know what happened with you,” I clarified. “We’ve got everyone else’s alibis, we just need yours.”

Rarity huffed and blew a few stray strands of hair out of her eyes. “Well, if you really must know, I was terribly tired last night. I don’t know what came over me; I’m never that tired. But I needed to sleep badly, so I excused myself from dinner early and left. I was asleep until the body discovery alarm went off.”

“And no one ever saw you after dinner?” Vignette asked, a smirk gracing her face.

“Of course not, because I was asleep.” Rarity scowled at Vignette, and I could practically see the sparks beginning to fly. “I hope you’re not insinuating something.”

“No, no, she’s not, Rarity,” I said, putting myself between them. “She’s just clarifying, making sure we understand.”

Fact #15: Rarity’s Statement: “According to Rarity, she went directly to her room after dinner and slept the entire evening all the way through to the body discovery.”

“Yes, well, I don’t see how I can be any clearer,” Rarity said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Vignette continued to smirk, and tapped her lips with her finger. “Hmm, actually, I have an idea. Why don’t you let us search your room?”

Rarity’s eyes darted to Vignette, wide and scared. “What?” she gasped. “Whatever for?”

“To clear up any remaining suspicion,” Vignette continued, her smirk growing. “You know, just to be safe.”

Rarity’s mouth rippled into a savage snarl, her hands tensing at her sides. “How dare you–”

“Whoa, take it easy, Rarity!” I said, this time grabbing her wrists and holding them in place.

Had Rarity been the more violent type I’m sure I would have received a headbutt for my troubles. Instead she merely twirled about to break my hold. “Don’t hold me like that,” she snapped, pushing my hands away. Then, with a great big huff, she sighed and added, “But… very well. If you must.”

She reached into her pocket and offered her key, but Vignette shook her head. “All the rooms are unlocked during the investigation, remember?”

Rarity sighed and stuffed it back in her pocket. “Oh. Right. So they are.” She looked at us both, then rolled her eyes. “Oh, go on. I’m sure you don’t want me present. Just… if you move anything, please put it back where you found it. I’m going to go get some coffee before we’re inevitably dragged underground.”

She shoved her way past us and headed in a dead run for the mess hall.

Vignette sniggered under her breath as she watched Rarity go. “Oh, Rares, Rares, Rares. She’s so easy to manipulate sometimes.”

“You’ve really been kind of a jerk this morning, you know,” I said as we climbed the stairs, heading for Big Mac’s room first.

Vignette shrugged. “Maybe. To be honest with you, I didn’t sleep well myself.”

“Where were you this morning anyway?” I asked, feeling a sudden chill run through me at her words. After all… last time, my investigative partner turned out to be the killer. Could history be repeating itself already?

Goodness, I hoped not.

“Same as a lot of people. In my room, making myself beautiful for the day.” She looked back at me and flashed me a smile. “Oh, I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering if I had anything to do with dear Derpy’s death.”

“...the thought had crossed my mind,” I admitted.

She patted me on the head. “Oh Wally, don’t worry. I’m not like Sunset. I won’t kill someone and lie to your face about it. Really, I just want to survive this ordeal, just like you do. And I won’t be killing anyone, you can count on that.”

*Updated* Fact #7: Morning Alibis: “Runners: Cranky Doodle, Shining Armor, Autumn Blaze, Wallflower Blush, Zephyr Breeze.
Trap Victims: Big Macintosh, Sour Sweet, Derpy.
Rooms: Fluttershy, Rarity, Trixie, Cheese, Juniper, Vignette.”

“I hope so,” I said.

I don’t know what instinct ran through me just then, but whatever it was, it made me reach out and give Vignette a hug. Not a long one, or a tight one. Short, quick. In and out, then release.

It still caught her by surprise nevertheless, complete with an actual blush appearing on her cheeks. “Oh, well, I…” She coughed into her hand. “Anywho, how about Big Macintosh’s room, hmm?”

We entered it, and began poking around for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary. I made sure to look in the fridge, just in case, but was unsurprised to find the only thing inside were a few bottles of apple cider and an untouched sandwich.

After a bit more searching, Vignette raised her hand in victory, waving a slip of paper. “Got it! Here, read this.” She showed it to me, and I eagerly scanned it.

Fact #16: Big Macintosh’s Note: “A note given to Big Macintosh. It reads ‘I know what happened to your youngest sister. Meet me at the museum at 7:20 tomorrow morning.”

“Youngest sister?” I murmured. I had to think, but nothing came to my mind. I remembered Applejack existed, but who was their youngest sister?

“Maybe this is her?” Vignette said as she lifted up a picture in a frame near Big Mac’s bed. She handed it over, and as I examined it, I saw several people standing together. I recognized Big Macintosh and Applejack. But there was also an older woman, skin tone similar to mine but with white hair in a bun, and a shorter, younger woman, almost still a teenager. She possessed red hair with a big red bow tied into it, and a bright yellow skin tone.

I glanced at the back, and saw a date, plus four names: Applejack, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom.

“Huh,” I murmured as I looked it over one more time. “Must be. Apple Bloom… the name doesn’t ring a bell.”

“I might’ve heard it once or twice,” Vignette said with a shrug. “We should get to Rarity’s room, and quickly.”

She was right; we’d been at this investigation for so long Monohuman was likely to call us together any minute now.

Fortunately the room was just a few doors down, so after setting everything back and closing the door behind us, we ventured inside Rarity’s abode. The place was, unsurprisingly, full of every tool of fashion the woman had been able to get her hands on, as well as plenty of cloth and other things to work with. She’d even fashioned makeshift mannequins to hang clothing on.

“Well, at least she’s keeping busy,” Vignette murmured as she began to search through piles of sewing needles, pin cushions, thread, and other assorted stuff scattered all over Rarity’s dresser. “This’ll take a while.”

“Just move quickly,” I said as I went for the bathroom first. I found a few beauty products, mostly what was available in the pharmacy, though I also found a few that she must’ve brought with her here. Nothing useful though.

“Oh, Rarity, you hopeless romantic,” I heard Vignette musing. I looked over; she was standing next to a desk, looking over a piece of paper.

“What is it?” I asked, moving closer.

“A letter to her wife.” She indicated a small stack of envelopes on the desk, each bearing the address of Sweet Apple Acres in Canterlot. “Or ex-wife, if Sunset was right.” She shook her head and sighed. “I hope not, though. I’m pretty much the reason Applejack and Rarity even got together, did you know that? I was just trying to delete people out of existence, but I’m such a natural matchmaker, I…”

“Please stop,” I grunted, and thankfully she did. I pointed at the paper she was holding. “Is that another letter?”

“Yes, but it’s not finished yet. Also, Rarity might be going insane?” She handed the paper over. “Seems bad.”

I took the letter. It was short, but the more I read, the more confused I became, until I had to reread it a couple of times to make sure I understood.

Fact #17: Rarity’s Letter: “An unfinished letter to Applejack, supposedly written by Rarity and found in her room. She says she has discovered ‘something terrible’ and is tempted to ‘do something she’ll regret the rest of her life.’ She ends with, ‘Sweetie Belle is safe, right? She couldn’t have–’ and then it cuts off.”

“Who’s Sweetie Belle?” I murmured. I thought back to the other note we found that mentioned a Belle. Maybe it was this Sweetie Belle, and not Rarity?

DING-DONG BING-BONG

We both looked up as the monitor on the wall activated, revealing Monohuman’s smiling visage. “Well, well, well, it’s that time again, my lovely little volunteers. Time to make your way to the rear of the Mess Hall and to the mines! Your elevator to the trial awaits. Oooh, I’m looking forward to this one… it will be so full of intrigue! Puhuhuhu…”

The monitor switched off, leaving Vignette and I looking at each other.

“What do you think, we found something important?” she asked.

“I hope not,” I sighed, setting the letter in my pocket along with my pad. “We’d better hurry. Monohuman won’t wait long.”

She nodded, and the two of us left the room, making our way in a hurry towards the Mess Hall. We ended up filing into the group with the rest as we headed past the feast of food left mostly untouched, though a few people grabbed up handfuls of sausage patties or bacon or toast or something as they passed it by, stuffing their faces as we walked.

When we reached the fence just outside, we found Monohuman waiting for us. “Hello again, everyone,” he said jovially. “Isn’t it lovely to be here again, ready to head down into the depths, to once again match our wits in a trial?”

“No, it isn’t,” Shining Armor declared, stabbing a finger in Monohuman’s direction. “This is because someone gave into you, again. And whoever it is, we’re going to figure them out, just like we did last time.”

“If you say so, Mister Second Best!” Monohuman chortled. He waved his baton around, and the magical lock keeping the gate closed dissolved into a flurry of sparkles. “But I’d be careful about who you accuse. This trial might surprise you. See you in the courtroom!” He too then dissipated in a flash of light.

“Yeah!” Sour Sweet added. She raised her injured fist. “I dunno which one of you jerks is responsible for this, but this hurts like friggen crazy! I didn’t deserve to get my wrist crunched up just so you can try to get us all killed!”

“Derpy didn’t deserve to die, either,” Juniper added with another sad sigh. “But here we are. Sometimes life isn’t fair.”

“No… no it ain’t, at all,” Big Macintosh moaned. The huge man seemed like a shadow of himself as he took a few steps forward. “Last time, someone killed mah mom. This time, someone almost killed me. And they did kill Miss Derpy.” He sniffed. “Poor, sweet Derpy.”

Everyone bowed their heads. Not a single person had anything negative to say about Derpy; she was just that likable. “We all enjoyed her presence,” Vignette said. “She was a sweetheart, an innocent soul, lost before her time. Whoever was responsible will be found.”

“No one wants to play Monohuman’s game,” Shining Armor said as he looked over us all. “Least of all me. It’s going to be hell down there. But we don’t have a choice. Let’s get through this as quickly as we can. And whoever you are, the one who did this?” He let out a sad sigh. “I apologize, ahead of time, for what Monohuman’s going to do to you. But we can’t let you win. Not when it means the rest of us would die in your place, I’m sorry.”

He turned and gestured for us to follow before pushing the gate open, and taking the steps down the path. The morning sun beat down on us at an angle, thankfully not nearly as harsh as the sun later in the day had been on the long stretch of road.

Even so, by the time we reached the mine, I was forever grateful to Cheese Sandwich for his idea of grabbing something to eat and drink, as I still had water to finish off before we approached the elevator itself.

“This is it,” Vignette murmured as people began to file onto it. “Here we go again.”

And as I joined her, I considered the case one more time.

Ditzy Muffins Do, aka Derpy, dead before her time.

A trio of traps, all rigged up with three separate victims. One unharmed, one injured, one fatality.

And just about any one of us could’ve rigged these traps up. None of them were overly complicated, or required an undue level of strength. All it would take is a bit of time… and we’d all had plenty of it.

So who was it? Who tried to kill us all again? Was Vignette right? Were we dealing with multiple suspects, or just one?

Whatever the case, whomever we face off against, I know they’ll be counting on me.

Counting on me to win this trial of life and death!

Author's Note

Apologies for the delay in posting this part as I'm afraid I lost track of time thanks to a number of things, including judging the Spring Fling contest. Enjoy the investigation and see you next week.

17. Chapter Two: "The Secret Ingredient is Never What You Expect" Part 6

Chapter Two:

“The Secret Ingredient is Never What You Expect”

Part VI

Fact #1: Monohuman File II: “The victim is Ditzy Muffins Do, also known as Derpy, the Ultimate Klutz. Her body was discovered in the parking lot of the Tourist Trappe Truck Stop at 7:24 AM.”

Fact #2: Condition of the Body: “Derpy’s chest was impaled by a long, jagged piece of metal which had been broken off one of the trucks. The weapon is large and sharp, but not particularly heavy. The area around the wound was swollen and splotchy. Her eyes are large and protruding, and her mouth smells like vomit.”

Fact #3: Blood: “There was less blood splattered on the body than expected for the type of injury. The same proved true for the inside of the truck, especially on the body of the trap.”

Fact #4: Derpy’s Note: “There was a note clutched in Derpy’s left hand. It reads ‘Meet me at the red truck at 7:20. I know why he left.’”

Fact #5: Truck Trap: “A spring-based trap lay inside the driver-side of the truck cab, set to go off as soon as someone opened the door. It fired a piece of rebar that impaled the victim.”

Fact #6: Truck Passenger Side Door: “The top half of the passenger side window was shattered from an impact from the inside. The door was also locked from the inside.”

Fact #7: Morning Alibis: “Runners: Cranky Doodle, Shining Armor, Autumn Blaze, Wallflower Blush, Zephyr Breeze.
Trap Victims: Big Macintosh, Sour Sweet, Derpy.
Rooms: Fluttershy, Rarity, Trixie, Cheese, Juniper, Vignette.”

Fact #8: Tarp: “A waterproof tarp was present at the scene of the truck trap. It was next to the passenger side door, which was the side facing the truck stop. According to Sour Sweet, it was not there as of 7:10, but was there as of 7:20 according to Big Macintosh.”

Fact #9: Museum Tripwires: “Two tripwires formed the key components to the museum trap, one tied to a simple mechanism to turn off the light switch, the other at ankle height to trip someone onto a slippery section of floor.”

Fact #10: Poisoned Knife: “A knife was taped, blade exposed, on a shelf next to a puddle of soapy water in the museum workshop. The blade was poisoned according to Monohuman, and the sheen on it both looked like and smelled just like the rattlesnake venom.”

Fact #11: Mop Bucket: “An empty mobile mop bucket was tucked away inside the janitor’s closet, still dripping with soap.”

Fact #12: Motive Paper: “One of Monohuman’s motives, found in the museum. The beginning and end are illegible, but what is reads ‘...Belle had just long enough to scream one last time, desperately trying to stuff her intestines back into her abdominal cavity as she plumm…’”

Fact #13: Convenience Store Trap: “The trap at the convenience store was a complex mechanism designed to swing a cinder block on a pivot at Sour Sweet’s wrist when she opened the cooler; it was explicitly designed as a non-lethal trap.”

Fact #14: Derpy’s Statement: “According to Sour Sweet, Derpy overheard Rarity saying the best way to kill Big Macintosh would be via poison.”

Fact #15: Rarity’s Statement: “According to Rarity, she went directly to her room after dinner and slept the entire evening all the way through to the body discovery.”

Fact #16: Big Macintosh’s Note: “A note given to Big Macintosh. It reads ‘I know what happened to your youngest sister. Meet me at the museum at 7:20 tomorrow morning.”

Fact #17: Rarity’s Letter: “An unfinished letter to Applejack, supposedly written by Rarity and found in her room. She says she has discovered ‘something terrible’ and is tempted to ‘do something she’ll regret the rest of her life.’ She ends with, ‘Sweetie Belle is safe, right? She couldn’t have–’ and then it cuts off.”

As the elevator descended down into the depths of the mine, I gently tugged on Vignette’s shirt and jerked my head towards Sour Sweet, who thankfully was leaning against one corner, far enough away from the others we could whisper without being overheard.

“What? What is it?” Vignette asked, drawing the attention of a few others in the process.

I hissed a sigh through my teeth and simply whispered to both her and Sour, “Hang on before exiting, okay? Got something I need to say.”

They both gave me askance looks, but acquiesced to my request. Once the elevator had slowed to a stop and its chained up doors rumbled open to dump us out, the two of them hung back from the others.

As soon as I dared I said to them, “Hey, listen, about what Sour said regarding Rarity, let’s keep it quiet, okay? Don’t say a word to the others.”

“What? Why not?” Sour Sweet snapped. “It’s super incriminating.”

“Exactly. I want to keep it as a trump card. Just… trust me. You saw how the last trial went. And besides… I’d rather not accuse Rarity if it turns out she wasn’t responsible.”

“Looking pretty obvious to me that she did it,” Vignette muttered. “But alright. Rares is a good friend; I don’t want to think she’s capable of murder.”

“Oh, we’re all capable of it,” Sour Sweet declared, placing her good hand on her hip. “Give us the right reason and anyone can kill.”

Vignette smirked as she raised an eyebrow. “You say that as if you’ve killed before.”

Sour Sweet’s eyes widened in anger, but before she could retort, we heard a harrumph and a cough draw our attention. “Ahem. If the three tardy volunteers do not get out here to attend the trial within the next ten seconds, I will be forced to declare you as officially violating the rules.”

A twin pair of turrets with lethal looking weapons on the end popped out of the ceiling and aimed at us. “Must I take such a step?”

The other two meeped in unison and rushed for the courtroom, with me hot on their heels. We swiftly took up our positions.

“Better,” Monohuman said, chuckling under his breath. “Truly, I appreciate a good secret conversation as much as the next AI, but let’s try to keep it to a minimum to avoid delaying the rest of us, hmm?”

I refused to look at him, instead taking the time to examine the courtroom. Much as the first trial had featured decorations suited to Pear Butter, this time the decorations fit Derpy to a tee. Grey and yellow wallpaper littered the walls, splashed with hundreds of bubbles of all shapes and sizes, though they tended to pattern themselves after the same pattern that featured as Derpy’s personal symbol.

Speaking of which, the portrait of Derpy, where she’d stood during the last trial, looked out at us with a smiling, happy expression. Much happier than she’d appeared to be last night. But that wasn’t the only portrait that captured my attention.

“Sunset,” I whispered, my eyes transfixed on that face. On her expression, a subtle bit of neutrality for the usually expressive Sunset. On the pink cross across her face, the pink highlighted version of her personal symbol beneath. Or, I suppose in her case it was her cutie mark. That’s what ponies called them, right? Cutie marks?

I couldn’t recall for sure. More frustratingly still, that portrait was directly across from me, always staring at me. All three of them were directly in front of me.

I sent Sunset to an agonizing execution. I refused to trust Derpy and left her alone when she needed me. Pear Butter died believing I was behind this whole nightmare. All of them, right there in a row, as if set up explicitly to taunt me. To demoralize me. To leave me quaking in my shoes, withdrawing back into myself. Invisible.

A nobody.

But, as I looked into Sunset’s eyes… I remembered her words to me. Her declaration, to never give in, to never let the mastermind win. To do the right thing for everyone.

And although I was primed for it, I couldn’t really imagine any hatred or blame from Derpy. Sadness, desperate, overwhelming sadness she couldn’t stay with us. But no anger. Not from Derpy.

And even Pear Butter. She believed something insane, and I knew I might never understand why, but everything she’d done had come from protectiveness and integrity. She had been unfathomably strong, I suddenly realized.

I should’ve been destroyed, looking into those eyes. Lost. Despairing. And yet, instead, it was like a boon. Like they were watching over me from beyond, cheering my name, wishing me luck. And Sunset, Sunset there in the middle, loudest of all.

I smiled through the few tears that had moistened my cheeks. “Thank you, Sunset.”

“So!” Monohuman’s voice cut through the room, silencing any whispered conversation. “Now that we’re finished with the delays, does anyone need a refresher on the rules before we begin?”

“No thanks,” Shining Armor answered for us. “We’ve got the idea.”

“W-we’ve been through this before,” Fluttershy added, holding a fist to her chest, trying -- and failing -- to look confident. “We know what we’re doing.”

“Puhuhuhu, if you say so,” Monohuman giggled to himself. He adjusted his seat on his throne, relaxing back with his hands behind his head, baton across his lap. “Very well,” he said, gesturing with one hand briefly. “Begin, then.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words caught in my throat. Tension built within me, like rust on the metal joints that were my jaw and throat muscles. Blinking in sudden panic, I looked to Vignette for assistance.

She gave me a sideways glance, snickered under her breath, then nodded and coughed for everyone’s attention. “Now now, everyone. Before we get properly started, I’m sure we’re all wondering who’s going to be leading this little trial. Well, as lovely as it would be for it to be moi, as we all know I am truly one of the best of us--”

“If you say so,” Cranky snorted.

Vignette coughed politely and flashed him a savage glare. “Ahem. As I was saying, as lovely as it would be, I am not suited to this role. A-K-Y-P. Always know your place.” She glanced around furtively. “I just made that one up right now, I claim vocal copyright, and I will sue anyone who uses it.” Straightening back up, she resumed her intense speech: “and my place isn’t leading us, anymore than it is for Shining Armor, or Autumn Blaze, or anyone else here, save for one.”

She gestured grandly to me. “Wallflower led us brilliantly in the last trial, and she’s going to do the same today. Everybody knows she’s innocent of this crime.”

“What?” Zephyr moaned. “Why should she lead us? She’s just been hiding off in her room since the last trial! No one’s even seen her!”

“Only the first three days!” I snapped, defensiveness overwhelming my embarrassment.

“And that only shows how seriously she takes these trials,” Vignette said. “Derpy was a good friend of hers, and Wallywall would never dream of hurting her.”

“T-that’s right,” Fluttershy agreed, smiling at me. “Wallflower wouldn’t.”

“Well, glad we’ve got that possibility eliminated,” Juniper said with a roll of her eyes. “Except last time it was Sunset Shimmer who killed Pear Butter, when she was the one who survived the last killing game. So why should we take Wallflower off the list before we’ve even examined a single shred of evidence?”

Those words struck at me like the punches of a heavyweight boxer, physically shaking me. I thought Juniper and I were becoming friends. She was just being logical, but that didn’t stop it from hurting. Or from setting off the ridiculous but terrifying thought what if I actually did it somehow?

“Now now,” Vignette retorted, her voice whipcrack sharp. “That’s uncalled for. If it turns out I am wrong, then I am wrong, but I would be most surprised if Wallflower was anything but innocent. And even so, I trust her. I know she’ll lead us to victory today.”

Disbelieving stares met us from many people, but others started to nod or at least lose the will to argue. The tide had turned.

“Do you actually think vocal copyright is a thing?” Cranky asked.

“Rude. Remind me to sue you.” Vignette turned to me, smiling brightly. “So! With all that settled, let’s ask our lovely trial leader, where should we begin? What’s our first step, hmm?”

The confidence she held in me worked alongside her prior pep talks, and this time when I spoke, my voice rang strong and true. “We need to lay out the death scene first,” I said. “Examine the clues, the cause of death, and pick out what doesn’t seem right.”

“Reasonable,” Shining allowed. He gestured to the central display and brought up the Monohuman file. “So, let’s review. According to the Monohuman file, she was discovered at 7:24 AM.”

“And that’s all it says,” Zephyr interrupted, his face tense, worry lines wrinkling his eyes. “How’re we supposed to figure out anything with that?”

“It’s like Sunset said last time,” I said, trying to keep the confidence alive in my voice and not let it waver for a second. My hands twitched on my podium as I leaned over it. “The Monohuman file just gives us something to work with. The time the body was found matters… we just don’t know how yet.”

Zephyr looked at me, drawing his hands up to his face as his eyes widened to plead pitifully. “Oh, please tell me you’re going to figure this out. I don’t want to be executed!”

I tried not to roll my eyes, managing a slight sideways look before I returned to focusing on him. “We’ll figure it out, I promise.” I cleared my throat and looked at the rest of the group. “We need to figure out the cause of death first.”

Juniper, who’d had her arms crossed this whole time, threw them up before letting them clap to her podium. “What? What is there to figure out? She was shot in the chest with the trap!”

“Yeah, seems pretty conclusive to me,” Autumn Blaze said, drawing a finger on her chin and then down to her chest. “She opened the truck door and it went blammo and shot her with a piece of pipe.”

“Ooooh, it must’ve hurt so much,” Fluttershy whimpered, tears briefly coming to her eyes. “Just imagine it…”

“I’d rather not, thanks, brrrr!” Cheese’s whole body shivered as he spoke.

“It would’ve been excruciating,” Shining, eying Fluttershy. “But not for long. It pierced near her heart; she would’ve been conscious for only a few seconds before passing out and bleeding to death.” He then looked down at his podium, hand on his chin. “At least… she should have. But I’m not so sure.”

“Me either,” Cranky agreed, giving Shining a nod. “It feels too simple. Too easy. Something’s not adding up.”

“Ah don’t really get what’s not addin’ up here,” Big Macintosh said. He seemed noticeably calmer now that we were at the trial than he had been during the investigation, no doubt because we were far away from the trap and he’d had a chance to catch his breath. “It weren’t like it weren’t the only trap. Ah almost died to one, and so did Sour Sweet. This one killed Derpy.”

“Indeed, I…” Rarity trailed off, unleashing a massive yawn, wafting the air in front of her face with her hand. “Oh goodness, excuse me. I really don’t see how anything else could’ve killed her.”

“Shyeah, seems pretty cut and dried,” Sour Sweet said with a disgusted scoff.

Trixie eyed me for a moment, then said, “Trixie is not so sure. She agrees with Cranky Doodle; something is off.”

“Aww man, how can we tell what really happened?” Zephyr moaned, grabbing for his hair and tugging it like he was pulling on a piece of taffy. “There’s no way to know!”

Vignette flashed me some side eye, and spun her left wrist before holding her hand out, as if gesturing for me to get on with it. The courtroom camera, which up until now I’d almost forgotten was there, nodded right along with her, before focusing squarely at me.

Nodding, I took a breath and said, “I wouldn’t have brought this up if it was that easy. I don’t think it was the rebar pipe either. I think it’s possible that something else killed her.”

Cranky gave me a considered look. “I agree… but what proof do we have?”

“Well, first of all, there’s this,” I said as I brought up evidence.

Fact #3: Blood: “There was less blood splattered on the body than expected for the type of injury. The same proved true for the inside of the truck, especially on the body of the trap.”

“Vignette and I examined the scene thoroughly, and there was a lot less blood than I would’ve expected for the kind of wound Derpy suffered, both on the body and on the trap inside the truck. And in both places, there was a lot less blood than we would’ve expected to see from the wound.”

“Whoa, hold it right there, little lady,” Cheese Sandwich said with his hand held up. “I think you’re barking up the wrong tree with this one.”

I rocked back on my heels, but I braced myself, ready for the argument. “Oh? Why’s that?”

“Well,” he said, gesturing with his hands. “Just because there’s less blood than you’d expect doesn’t mean anything. Maybe most of the blood ended up on the inside of her clothes.”

Vignette rolled her eyes. “Uugh, puhlease, you could try a little harder than that, Mr. Great Pretender…”

“Sorry, but she’s right, Cheese,” I added with an apologetic shrug. “Besides, like I said, we both examined the body pretty thoroughly. We’d have noticed if all the blood was on the inside of her clothing; even if it had been, it would’ve leaked through. She wasn’t wearing dark colors or anything thick.”

“Okay, okay, so she couldn’t have bled in a hidden way,” he admitted, rubbing his chin. “But there’s nothing that indicates any other kind of method of death either.”

“Actually, there is,” I objected. “I don’t understand what it means yet, but it has to mean something.”

Fact #2: Condition of the Body: “Derpy’s chest was impaled by a long, jagged piece of metal which had been broken off one of the trucks. The weapon is large and sharp, but not particularly heavy. The area around the wound was swollen and splotchy. Her eyes are large and protruding, and her mouth smells like vomit.”

“Notice the vomit smell from her mouth,” I said. “We…”

A sudden screech cut me off. Vignette had her hands pressed over her face. “Aaauuugggh! Don’t just say that out of nowhere, stopppp!”

Startled, I pressed my hand on my chest. “But you’re the one who wanted me to do this!”

“I know!” she wailed. “I know I know I know! But it’s just so gross I can’t even think about it!”

“Oh, this is just the stupidest thing,” Cranky muttered. “People throw up. You must have thrown up at some point in your…”

“No I certainly have not don’t you even say such a thing!” Vignette screeched. “I would absolutely just die if I ever did that, and…” Shuddering, she turned to me. “This is appalling, and… and it’s not the point, anyway. I’m sorry, Wallywall, you keep going. I’m just going to cover my ears until it’s all over.”

“Fine,” I replied, glaring. “That’s what I was doing before you screamed.” But she was already cradling her entire head in her arms and did not respond.

Rolling my eyes, I looked up at Shining and Cranky. “You two were there when we checked the body. Did you see or smell any sign of vomit anywhere?”

“Nope,” Cranky said, shaking his head.

Shining eyed me for a moment, then matched gestures with Cranky. “I saw no sign.”

My gaze returned to Cheese. “You see? There was a smell of vomit, but no physical sign of vomit. Which means it must’ve been covered up somehow.”

He gave me a sympathetic, if pitying, look. “Aww come on, Wallflower, now you’re just assuming things. What if she just vomited in her mouth and swallowed it before she died?”

“Without it leaking? Not even a little bit?” I countered, my face creasing with disbelief. “Seriously? She gets shot in the chest and she somehow keeps her mouth shut while she’s dying?”

Cheese took a step back, grimacing, then stepped forward again. “Well, obviously it must’ve been swallowed by her, o-or even choked up a little before she - “

“I don’t think so,” I pressed, shaking my head. “That doesn’t make sense. If she vomited while she was dying, it would be all over her clothes or the ground. But it wasn’t, which means it was cleaned up.”

He suddenly snapped his fingers, grimace replaced by a grin. “Aha! See, now who’s making assumptions? Wallflower, how do you know she vomited while she was dying, hmm? What if she vomited beforehand somewhere else, and just died before she could wash her mouth out? The only water around the truck stop is either in the bathroom of the convenience store or the museum. So the vomit means nothing.”

His words sliced through me, almost physically like he’d swung a blade to cleave flesh from my shoulder. It was my turn to grimace as I tried to find a way to keep arguing. “That would still mean the trap wasn’t the only place something happened.”

“You haven’t given us anything else that could have happened,” he insisted, crossing his arms.

My hands curled on my podium, nails scratching at the wood. “Not yet, but that’s because we haven’t examined everything about the body. Concluding that the trap killed her is premature. We need to check everything before we state something definitive.”

“This is all seeming pretty far-fetched, to me,” Cranky griped. “But. Eh. The vomit getting cleaned up really is fishy.”

“Did that happen, though?” Fluttershy asked quietly. “I mean, we… We don't know that’s what happened. Yet.”

“No, but I -- “ Rarity spoke up only to be interrupted by yet another yawn. “Oh dear! Excuse me. As I was saying, we may not have evidence for it yet, but Wallflower may be onto something with her suggestion that it was cleaned up.”

“Okay, so, what else are we missing about the body?” Cranky inquired. He eyeballed me. “Wallflower, you’re the one who looked it over.”

“Right,” I said with a nod. I closed my eyes briefly while I thought aloud. “So there’s the vomit, the lack of blood…” I snapped my fingers, tapping at my Monopad to bring up the picture of the body again. “The protruding eyes.”

Zephyr let out a shriek and almost fell away from his podium. “Yeesh, those are protruding eyes. Like some kind of squeeze-toy!” He let out a second, louder shriek and grabbed his head. “Oooh she didn’t deserve to die like this. We should listen to Sunset!”

My face screwed up in mute uncomprehension, though thankfully Cranky muttered, “What?”

Zephyr stammered his next few words as a profound blush overtook his cheeks. “…I mean… we should HAVE listened to Sunset when she was alive. She warned us people would keep killing, and we didn’t believe her.” He scrunched his eyes closed and covered his face with his hands. “Don’t get on my case! We’re talking about dead bodies! It’s upsetting!”

Juniper glared at Zephyr for a moment. “Stop blabbing nonsense, unless you’re trying to get us all killed.” Snorting in disgust, she turned to me. “So, what would cause her eyes to protrude like that?”

“Um, everyone?” Fluttershy spoke up. “Before we move on, could someone…?” She pointed to my right; Vignette still had her hands clamped over her ears and her head cradled in her arms. Rolling his eyes, Shining leaned over and gently nudged her.

She hesitantly lifted one eyelid, looking around in suspicion. “...Are you done with the you-know-what?” she asked.

“Yes,” Shining answered, very clearly restraining himself from making any sort of facial expression. “We were trying to decide what was the real cause of death, if it wasn’t the trap.”

“Ah!” Delighted, Vignette straightened up. “I’m sure Wallflower has just been waiting to enlighten us about that!” She grinned widely at me, half supportive and half terrifying. “Riiiight?”

Oddly, I was able to ignore the terrifying half, and her support sent a boost of confidence through my body. I closed my eyes to think one more time. The lack of blood, the discolored and swollen skin, the vomit, the eyes… what did it all point to?

Of course!

“Poison,” I answered. “Derpy was poisoned to death. It’s the only logical explanation.”

I glanced around the room, and to my relief I saw everyone nodding or humming or otherwise acknowledging their agreement. “Great!” Vignette cheered. “Hashtag agreed~. But how?”

I raised a finger, opened my mouth, then sighed and dropped my hand. “I don’t know yet. But I’m sure it was poison.”

“See, I agree with you, Wallflower,” Shining said as he eyed the picture of the body still floating above the display in the center of the podiums. “But I’m still fixated on the trap. If the trap didn’t kill her, why go to all that effort to hide how she died?”

“I don’t know that yet either,” I said, shaking my head. “But it’s probably important.”

“Important?” Rarity repeated, giving me an odd look.

Frowning, I eyed her back. “Yeah. What about it?”

“...I’m not sure yet,” she admitted. “Carry on.”

“Uh, okay.” I returned my attention to Shining. “Shining, you’re the cop. You’re more familiar with what poisoning deaths look like than the rest of us. What ways could she have been poisoned?”

“Well,” he said as he laid his hand out to count one by one on his fingers, “there’s always her food. Something she ate, or drank, maybe. She could’ve taken a pill thinking it was one thing when it turned out to be another, or she had an allergic reaction to a medication.”

“Um, I’m sorry, but I don’t think she was allergic to anything,” Fluttershy interrupted. She withdrew partially into herself when Shining glared at her in response, but managed to continue, “If she’d had an allergic reaction there’d be other signs. Flushed skin, swelling of her face and lips as well as her eyes, and so on.”

Shining sighed and nodded. “Right, so forget that cause then. She could’ve been given a syringe full of a poison, introducing it to her bloodstream directly.”

“Unless that piece of metal was a big giant needle stuck in the middle of her chest, I doubt it was a syringe that did her in,” Cranky commented. “And the only kind of syringes I’ve seen are in the pharmacy, for some of the meds and for a couple of the drugs, like heroin.”

“And I think we would see her with other symptoms if she’d taken any of those,” Juniper said. “So we can probably rule out a drug overdose.”

“So what does that leave?” Sour Sweet asked. “If she didn’t eat it, drink it, get allergic to it, or shoot up with it, what and how was she poisoned with?”

“Um,” Fluttershy said very quietly, “her chest. I didn’t see it very well, but. Um. The swelling and the color. It looked like she got a snake bite. Or ten snake bites all in the same place.”

Rarity gasped, her hand on her own chest.. “A snake bite? What if… what if it was rattlesnake toxin, darlings?”

I blinked. “You mean… the poisoned knife? From the trap that almost killed Big Macintosh?”

Fact #10: Poisoned Knife: “A knife was taped, blade exposed, on a shelf next to a puddle of soapy water in the museum workshop. The blade was poisoned according to Monohuman, and the sheen on it both looked like and smelled just like the rattlesnake venom.”

Automatically my hands had moved to bring up the recorded bit of evidence. “Here’s the picture we took.”

Sour Sweet immediately shot Rarity a glare. “Wow,” she grumbled. “That’s interesting, since--”

“Ahem,” I coughed, giving Sour Sweet an equally stern glare. When she looked my way, I frantically pressed my finger to my lips. She snorted, looking away while cradling her hurt arm.

“Hmm,” Shining peered closer at it. “Monohuman.”

“Yesssssss?” Monohuman leered from his throne, leaning forward with his baton tapping against one palm.

“You’re certain that it’s poisoned?”

The hologram snorted in disgust. “Of course I’m certain. I know everything that happened in this case. I watched the culprit poison the blade!”

Shining shook his head. “How’d they do it? I thought we got rid of all of the rattlesnake venom.”

Monohuman twirled his baton and sat back in his chair. “Figure that out for yourself; I only warned Vignette and Miss Nobody to keep us from having victims during the investigation. Imagine, someone dying during an investigation. It’d be chaos! And we can’t have that, can we?”

Hearing him use the word nobody to refer to me struck through me like a bullet, but I bore the pain. I refused to let him destroy my confidence that easily.

Fluttershy raised a hand. “Um, Wallflower, it says here on the note you appended to the photo that it smelled like rattlesnake venom?”

“Yeah,” I answered, flashing her a slight frown. “And that’s what’s worrying me. Because the venom in the convenience store wasn’t the only venom. There was one other sample. Or at least, there was supposed to have been one.”

~*~

There was a single pedestal in the center of the room I hadn’t quite noticed before with a sign that loudly proclaimed, “Our prize possession: a genuine one hundred percent authentic and potent vial of rattlesnake venom: guaranteed to put you six feet under!”

But there was no vial.

“Uuuh, Juniper?” I said, turning to her. “Have you seen the vial that’s supposed to be on this pedestal?”

She took one look at it and shook her head. “Nope. I don’t think there was one when I came in, come to think of it.”

~*~

“But we never found it,” I concluded. “It was missing from the very first time I stepped inside the museum.”

Cranky threw his arms up. “Great!” he shouted, his words soaking in acerbic wit. “Because I’m sure we have a record of who went into where and when that first day we were all exploring, right?”

Shining slowly shook his head. “No. Assuming it was ever there in the first place, someone must’ve taken it the instant they spotted it.”

“So whoever made the traps has been planning to kill us from the start?” Sour Sweet snapped. “Fuck them, then. What an asshole.”

“No, I don’t think so,” Autumn Blaze said, decisively shaking her head. “I refuse to believe that. Whoever took it was probably just trying to protect everyone.”

“Oh really?” Juniper leered at Autumn. “And how would you know that? Did you take the poison?”

Autumn held a hand to her chest, scowling. “No! I would never! I just want to believe people are generally good. I don’t think anyone here is evil; they’ve just done something really bad.”

Trixie let out a guffaw, holding a hand to her mouth. “Hah! How naive. How could you possibly believe that after what we’ve already seen?”

Autumn shrank into herself, her mouth curling up in such a pitifully sad way it almost made me want to hug her. “Because… I want to be able to trust people. I-I don’t want someone like Monohuman to be right. We’re only in this mess because of whoever reprogrammed him putting us here, remember? We were supposed to be getting along.”

Cranky let out a suffering sigh. “Look, Autumn, I get it, and I’m there with you. I’m too old to believe in good people or evil people anymore; people are just people. Sometimes they’ll do good, other times bad. But we can’t assume anything.”

“Cranky’s right,” Cheese said, giving Autumn a sympathetic look. “I’m with you too, but we have no way of knowing what the person who took the poison was thinking. Maybe it was to protect us, maybe to have just in case, or maybe to kill. We won’t find out till we figure out who they are.”

“So let’s stop wasting time and figure it out, then,” Juniper groused. She faced me, her eyes shining sharp. “Wallflower. You’re sure it was poison, right?”

“Definitely,” I said with a nod. “It’s the only thing that fits the facts, and the only poison we know about is the rattlesnake venom.”

“Um,” Fluttershy spoke up, timidly raising her hand. “And, someone might know more than me. But her body really did show the signs of rattlesnake toxin.”

“Great,” Juniper muttered. “So both traps had poisoned weapons?”

“I don’t think so,” Shining replied. “We would have smelled it when we examined Derpy’s body.”

“But the kid didn’t have any other wounds!” Cranky groused. “If that piece of metal wasn’t poisoned, how’d it happen?”

“Wasn’t there a note in her hand?” Fluttershy murmured. “Maybe someone laced that with poison.”

“What, a contact poison?” Shining replied with a raised eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure anything like that would be a nerve agent; she’d have similar symptoms to what you described for an allergic reaction.”

Fluttershy bowed her head. “Oh… I, um, I guess that makes sense…”

“Besides, there wasn’t anything like that anywhere,” Cheese added with a small grin. “No contact poisons here!”

“Monohuman,” Shining spoke up. “Can you confirm that the note wasn’t poisoned? Given you reacted to stop Wallflower and Vignette from touching the knife, you would’ve warned us about the note too, right?”

Monohuman shrugged. “That is the truth, I suppose. Though really, you shouldn’t be using me to prove or disprove your evidence. I am the judge and executioner, not a member of the jury.”

“Okay, well, there you go; the note wasn’t poisoned,” Shining said.

“Which leaves us with exactly nothing,” Trixie added bitterly. “This was a big waste of time!”

“No, it wasn’t,” I argued, trying not to get irritated. “We know a lot about this killer. We know they had access to poison. We know… hm.” I cast my eyes around the room. “Actually, let me get confirmation on this one. Does anyone here build things? Like, as a hobby or anything?”

“Ooh!” Cheese Sandwich’s hand shot up in the air as he hopped up and down in excitement. “Me! Me! I got really inspired by an engineer I saw and built robots for a while! None of them ever worked, but I made a lot of them!”

I was doubly taken back, both because someone actually volunteered engineering knowledge and because of the whole robot thing, but I tried to roll with it. “I, think that qualifies. Okay. So, Cheese, do you know how long it would take for someone to build those traps?”

“Hm, let me look.” He called up the pictures of the three traps and studied them intensely. Finally, he looked up. “Probably a long time,” he announced, his voice utterly serious. “Especially this one,” He pointed at the truck stop, Sour Sweet’s trap.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“As sure as I’ve ever been! Big Mac’s is just trip wires, but rigging it up to the lights isn’t some tiny thing. Not even to mention all the time it’d take to plan them out.” He shrugged. “Actually, it blows my mind they were able to make all three in one night!”

“We don’t know they did,” Shining pointed out. “People go in and out of the buildings, but the trap in the truck could have been rigged up days ago.”

“Which means the killer made at least two of them last night,” I agreed. “So if Cheese is right, we know where they were a lot of last night: the locations of the other two traps. So we need to consider the other locations. It’s possible…”

“Now just hold it right there!” Trixie’s voice shrieked. “This is precisely the problem Trixie was concerned about with Wallflower in charge! We’d be drowned in overcomplication and irrelevant details! We’re building some story full of misdirection and chicanery, but the truth is usually the simplest possible thing.”

“Aren’t you a stage magician?” Cranky asked.

“Yes, and that applies there, too! The simplest possible explanation of my astounding feats is that Trixie is marvelous and amazing, and that’s the truth!” She pounded her hand into her podium. “If Wallflower wants to spin us off into storytelling, the least Trixie can do is remind everyone of the evidence!”

Fact #4: Derpy’s Note: “There was a note clutched in Derpy’s left hand. It reads ‘Meet me at the red truck at 7:20. I know why he left.’”

Fact #16: Big Macintosh’s Note: “A note given to Big Macintosh. It reads ‘I know what happened to your youngest sister. Meet me at the museum at 7:20 tomorrow morning.”

“Both notes clearly indicate that both Derpy and Big Macintosh were supposed to be meeting whoever sent the notes at the exact same time.” She pointed dramatically at Sour Sweet. “And you! You went to the truck stop at your usual time, yes? When was it that you ran into your trap?”

“A little after 7:15,” Sour Sweet answered, actually looking a little cowed by Trixie’s commanding demeanor.

“Aha!” Trixie spun in a circle and posed like an incredibly annoying person would do. “So you see? Clearly the point was for all three traps to go off at the same time. Derpy died at the truck; it’s the simplest explanation. Unless anyone can disprove this with evidence, Trixie will not abide veering away into elaborate storytelling!” Trixie concluded, taking a small bow.

Damn it, why was she doing this? And the worst part was, she was right. The evidence did point in that direction, which was obviously the whole point! What did Trixie even have against me, to be arguing like this?

But my burgeoning seethe was interrupted by a hand touching my arm. I looked over in shock and saw Vignette, unperturbed as always. “The Hater Wholly Hurts Herself,” she said. “Rise Above!”

This communicated nothing to me. Vignette frowned. “Trixie asked you to look at evidence. So let’s do that, hmm? Do we have anything proving the murder didn’t go the way it seems?” Then she actually winked at me.

“Wallflower?” Fluttershy’s voice asked, startling me despite its softness. “Um. Did you want to say something?”

I realized I had been completely entranced by Vignette; the combination of confusing, embarrassing, warm, and inane had broken my brain for a second. Blushing and nodding, I turned my attention to the evidence, and only then did I realize I had forgotten to be angry at Trixie anymore.

“So,” Vignette was saying. “If she got killed by the trap, the story is, she climbed up on the truck, pulled the door open, and set it off. She was knocked backwards and died right where she fell. Riiiight?”

“Yes,” Juniper answered.

“Well, Wallywall?” Vignette prompted. “Notice anything about her body proving that couldn’t have happened?”

I scanned the picture. I knew the answer was there, and, feeling calm and centered, I eliminated possibilities. It wasn’t her mouth, or her wound, or her position, or…

Aha!

“Look at the picture of her body again. Her hands, they’re clean.”

Cheese raised a solitary eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “And?”

“Aaaand,” I growled, “the truck was super rusty both inside and out. You remember. You were there the other day trying to find parts for fixing one of the trucks.”

~*~

“Can’t say I have.” His grin vanished, replaced with a frown of concern. “You sure you’re alright? You look pretty flustered.”

I nodded, my eyes fixing on that streamer… and memories of what happened with the last party streamer flooded my mind. “...y-yeah. Um, Cheese…” I swallowed, my throat drying out. I took a couple steps back. “Why do you have a party streamer?”

He blinked, then held it up and half smiled. “Oh, this? Found it in one of the trucks just now while I was looking for parts.” He pointed to the closest truck, one with a cab nearly as intact as the one with the functioning engine, though this one possessed punctured tires and a lot of holes in its trailer. “Figured I’d take it with me. Didn’t want anyone trying to… you know… hurt anyone with it.” His smile slipped away. “It probably looks bad to find me with it, huh?”

“A little,” I admitted, holding up my thumb and forefinger.

He let out a sad sort of chuckle, then unwrapped the streamer and handed it to me. I immediately stuffed it in my pocket, not wanting to see it for more than a moment. I’d dispose of it later. “Sorry about that.”

~*~

Cranky whistled. “And you found a party streamer, huh?” He flashed Cheese some side-eye. “That does sound a little bad.”

“Err, that’s not why I brought it up,” I said, before the glares everyone was shooting Cheese could go very far. “I’m not accusing Cheese of anything. Just pointing out he should know what I mean about the trucks being rusty.”

Cheese chuckled as he dropped his hands to his podium. “She’s not wrong,” he admitted. “The trucks are rusty. But Derpy didn’t get inside the truck.”

“She didn’t have to,” I pointed out. “I got rust all over my hand just touching the door handle. We even found a clean sheet of paper in her hands. How could it have stayed clean if she opened the truck?”

He took another step back, letting out a frustrated sigh. “Well, what if she used that tarp that was near the truck to open it, to cover her hand with so she didn’t have to touch the handle?”

“Not possible,” I said with a simple shake of my head. “The tarp was on the passenger side of the truck. Derpy was on the driver side."

Cheese grunted again, and I found myself feeling confident. One more blow ought to do it. "Fine, fine, fine. Okay," he said, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "But you still haven't proven the trap couldn't have killed her. So unless you've got evidence that makes it impossible, it's the only plausible explanation we have."

Ba-dum.

I could feel my heart pounding right out of my chest as a sudden panic gripped me. I didn't think I had the kind of evidence he was asking for. Was it possible I was wrong after all, that somehow Derpy was killed by the trap after all?

I glanced frantically at Vignette, but she was still hiding from the possibility anyone would say “vomit” out loud. So I checked my pad, looking over the evidence.

"Wait a minute," I murmured, before abruptly grinning in triumph. "That's it! I'll shear your argument to shreds!"

Fact #6: Truck Passenger Side Door: “The top half of the passenger side window was shattered from an impact from the inside. The door was also locked from the inside.”

Cheese frowned, cocking his head. "I don't get it. What's the passenger door got to do with anything?"

"Everything," I said. "Look closely. The trap was set to go off when the driver side door opened up, right? But the passenger door was locked from the inside."

"So?" he held up a hand as if dismissing my point. "That just means the culprit locked the door before closing it."

I shook my head. "On a modern truck they could do that, yes, but not on this one. This one uses a deadbolt. Which means you either need the key, or you need to lock it after you close it. Which means the culprit would've had to leave via the driver side door to get out."

"Well what's wrong with that?" Autumn Blaze asked.

A number of people snorted, scowled, or otherwise gave her scornful looks. "Um, Autumn, that also doesn’t make sense," Fluttershy said with a polite, if tight, smile. "In order for the trap to work, the driver side door needed to be closed so the spring could be set."

Cheese smacked his podium. "Now hold on. The passenger side window was half shattered, right? Doesn't that mean the trap went off?"

Big Macintosh nodded. "Ah agree with Cheese. We've got evidence sayin' the trap worked."

"Do we though?" Shining wondered as he rubbed his chin. "Because Wallflower's right and so is Fluttershy. In order to work the trap, it had to be rigged against the closed driver side door, so the culprit couldn't exit that way. But with the passenger door locked they couldn't get out that way either. They'd be stuck."

"Whoa there, Shiny Hiney," Zephyr blurted, only briefly wincing under the glare shot his way. "You’re saying they were sitting right there in the cab when Derpy got hit by the trap?!"

“That’s not possible, either,” I replied. “It was cramped in there.”

~*~

“Well?” Vignette asked, her eyes squeezed shut. “Is it atrocious in there? Like a hashtag hurricane tore through?”

“It’s pretty gross, yeah,” I said. The floor and seat of the passenger side were especially bad, with some ancient clothes-food-mold blob filling most of the space.

~*~

“They’d have to be sitting up in the passenger seat, which means the trap’s recoil wouldn’t have hit the window; it’d have hit them in the face.”

"And don’t anyone go suggesting someone went back and locked the passenger door after Derpy was dead, while somehow not getting rust and blood all over themselves or the ground," Cranky answered for Shining. "Derpy’d just died. I don’t see anyone having the time to do that. But I can see someone faking the damage to fool us."

Rarity let out a small yawn and adjusted her hair out of her eyes. "But, darlings, wouldn't it take a great deal of strength to break a truck window?"

"Naaah. Not with how old the glass is," Sour Sweet said with a grin before it switched to a grimace. "They could just go wham with the pipe."

"Which means that the trap didn't kill Derpy," I said to bring us all back to the original point. "We've just been led to think it did."

Trixie had been glaring silently for a while now, but she finally spoke up. “Very well,” she said, glaring. “Trixie concedes that Wallflower’s point has some merit. But the question remains: why go to all this trouble?”

"We don’t know yet, idiot," Juniper snapped. “We’d have it figured out already if you hadn’t wasted our time for the past half hour!”

Trixie whirled on Juniper and pointed a long, bony finger. "Do not call Trixie names, you little -- "

“Hey!” Autumn Blaze snapped, a rare but oddly intense expression of anger appearing on her face. “This isn’t helping anything. Stop it, both of you.”

“Hmph!” Trixie stuck her nose up in the air. “Trixie wouldn’t need to defend herself if she wasn’t needlessly attacked.”

“In any case, I think I know Wallflower’s theory about why the trap was fake,” Shining said. His gaze was serious but respectful, and I appreciated it. “She was talking about the other locations. She thinks the killer wasn’t just disguising how Derpy was killed, but also…” He trailed off, looking at me hopefully.

No one said anything.

His face fell. “Uh. Wallflower? I was trying to. Um. Set you up, and you’d jump in and…”

“Oh!” I threw my hands to my face, blushing. “Right! I didn’t get that! I mean, it makes sense, but…”

“No, it’s my fault!” he promised. “It’s something I do with my partner on the force, but I should…”

“But also,” Sour Sweet bellowed, cutting us both off, “where Derpy was killed!” She rolled her eyes and cradled her hurt arm. “Ow. That was it, right? You think she was killed somewhere else?”

I nodded, still feeling an inferno blazing away in my face.

“Derpy didn’t die at the truck!” I blurted, trying to force myself to move on. I called up the image of Derpy’s body again. “We know the trap didn’t kill her, but poison did.”

“Some of us are still not entirely sure of that,” Zephyr muttered.

“And,” I continued, ignoring Zephyr, “while we can’t be entirely certain what kind of poison killed her, there was only one source of poison we found during the investigation: the knife located in the museum trap.”

“Which nearly killed me,” Big Macintosh rumbled, prompting Fluttershy to pat his arm.

“So what if that was the murder weapon?” I suggested.

“What the hell are you on about?” Big Macintosh thundered, giving me a death glare. “Ah was in that museum! Ah think Ah would’ve noticed if Derpy were in there slicing her hand up or somethin.”

Cheese coughed. “Yeah, I don’t get it, Wallflower. The knife couldn’t have killed her, there were no knife wounds.”

I blinked, my momentum coming to a screeching halt. “Well, not that we could see on the body. The only wound was…”

And I realized it at the same time Shining snapped his fingers. “Of course!” he shouted. “The killer disguised the knife wound by stabbing her with the pipe in exactly the same place! I’ll bet you anything that the knife was used to stab her, then her body was carried over to the truck, where the culprit set up the fake trap.”

“And the only one who could’ve done that was Big Macintosh,” Zephyr declared, pointing a shaky finger at him. “I, I mean, girls sure seemed to like Big Mac. Maybe he just flexed those muscles of his, and she was putty in his hands!”

Big Macintosh brought his hands up and slammed them down on his podium in a sound so loud I automatically covered my ears, whimpering. “Ah beg your pardon?” he snarled, his voice dangerously low in tone. “Ah know ya ain’t got much between those ears other than whatever keeps you breathin’, but Ah think we all know Ah was almost killed by a trap laid by the real culprit. Why would Ah be stabbin’ Derpy?”

I shook my head. “Zephyr, I know you’re trying to help, but… unless you’ve got something to substantiate that, shut up. Please.”

Zephyr let out a low whine, almost like I’d just kicked a dog. “Fiiiine.”

“Anyhow,” I continued, “I don’t think it’s possible that Big Macintosh was there when Derpy was being killed anyway. Big Mac, you told us earlier during the investigation about what happened when you entered the museum, right?”

“Right,” he said. “Ah’ll repeat it for the sake of y’all, especially this dumbass.” He flipped Zephyr off.

“Jeez, no need to be so hostile, man,” Zephyr moaned.

Big Macintosh rolled his eyes. “So, like Ah said earlier, Ah came in and saw a piece of paper on a table. But when Ah started moving toward it, Ah tripped. Everything went dark, and Ah stumbled forward, where Ah tripped again. There was some sorta thunk, but the floor had soap all over it and Ah fell forward.”

“Exactly,” I said, smiling in triumph. “You slipped on the soapy floor.”

Shining eyed me. “I think I know where you’re going with this, Wallflower, but explain it anyway, just in case.”

“When Vignette and I went in there, we examined the trap carefully,” I said. “And what I couldn’t figure out at the time was why the floor was all soaped up; it wasn’t a necessary part of the trap. There were two tripwires. One turned off the lights, the other would trip you, and just about anyone would end up slicing their hand on the knife stumbling in the dark. Big Mac was lucky he didn’t.”

Big Macintosh shuddered. “Yup.”

“So,” I continued, “what if the reason the floor was all soapy was that Derpy was stabbed with the knife there, died there, and they had to clean up the vomit? It would explain why her mouth smelled of vomit but there was none on her body.”

“That’s some pretty hefty speculation,” Shining said as he brushed his chin with his fingers. “Got any evidence for that?”

I thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, in fact, I can prove it.”

Fact #11: Mop Bucket: “An empty mobile mop bucket was tucked away inside the janitor’s closet, still dripping with soap.”

“The mop bucket was still wet with soap. That means the soap had just been put down not long before we found the bucket.”

Shining flashed me a thumbs up. “Makes sense to me. I’m convinced. Derpy died in the museum, then.”

Rarity coughed daintily into her hand. “Respectfully, Wallflower, I cannot agree. Big Macintosh made an excellent point when he addressed Zephyr’s accusation; he would’ve seen the culprit moving the body.”

Big Macintosh let out a soft sigh and nodded. “Ah hate to disagree with you, Wallflower, but she’s right. Ah know Ah would’ve seen whoever it was doin’ it.”

“But it’s the only thing that makes sense,” Cranky argued, thumping his hand to his podium. “Derpy was poisoned to death, we all agree on that, right?” He gave everyone a moment, but when he received no response, he continued, “So the only poison was in the museum, which means the culprit killed her there.”

“No, no, no!” Trixie jabbed a finger at the central display, whereupon she brought up the notes evidence from before. “Did everyone already forget what Trixie showed you? Both Big Macintosh and Derpy were headed to their respective traps at the same. Time. Unless you are suggesting the culprit can become invisible, that makes it impossible for Derpy to have died anywhere except at the truck.”

“Then how was she poisoned, hmm?” Vignette pressed, flashing Trixie one of her trademark smirks. “We found no sign of poison at the scene of the truck; the only poison was in the museum.”

Fluttershy let out a soft sigh. “I’m sorry, I just don’t see how it’s possible for someone to have moved Derpy’s body, even if they killed her at the museum.”

“The how isn’t important right now,” Juniper said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “We can figure that one out later. What matters is deciding what the most likely sequence of events was. And I think Wallflower’s right. I think Derpy died in the museum and her body was moved.”

“Aww, look at that, you’re backing up your friend,” Sour Sweet simpered, then performed her usual mood whiplash by shouting, “Like a fucking idiot! You know what makes a lot more sense than moving a body? Poisoning another knife and then just hiding it in the parking lot.”

“But that venom reeks!” Autumn Blaze protested. “We’d have found it!” She shook her head. “No, it fits, it explains how they cleaned up Derpy’s vomit.”

“It’s easier to move a knife than it is to move a body,” Zephyr said, crossing his arms. “Maybe the killer is some kind of ninja?! They stab Derpy with the poison knife, then run over to the museum really super fast before Big Mac gets there?””

Cheese burst into laughter. “Okay, okay, that’s pretty ridiculous, Zephyr. Unless the knife was taped with ninja tape!”

“Ninja tape?!” Zephyr wailed.

“Everyone ignore Zephyr and Cheese Sandwich!” Sour Sweet bellowed. “Thank you,” she continued, daintily, “But… I still think Trixie must be right about the timing. It just doesn’t make sense for Derpy to have died in the museum if she was heading to the truck at the same time as Big Macintosh.”

Rarity let out a flustered sigh. “Wonderful. So where do we go from here, hmm? We seem so split on this subject.”

“Uh-oh,” I murmured.

“Oh, why did you have to say that, Rarity,” Fluttershy moaned.

“Spliiiiit?” Monohuman said, gleeful excitement lighting up his face. “Did you say you’re split down the middle?”

Rarity’s eyes went wide and she threw her hands up, shaking them in surrender. “No, no, of course not, don’t be silly!”

Monohuman tutted and slapped his baton to his palm. “Nonsense. I heard you clear as day. Need I remind you I am an AI? My memory recall is perfect! And if you’re split down the middle, there’s only one way to resolve things!”

A familiar techno beat filled the courtroom as everyone’s podiums raised up into the air and shifted about to form two opposing lines.

“Ugh, we’re seriously doing this fucking shit again?” Sour Sweet groaned.

“Enough whining,” Monohuman said. He gestured grandly with his baton. “Let the debate…”

WHERE DID DERPY DIE?

BEGIN!

Cheese Sandwich started off the opposing side. “Derpy and Big Macintosh both headed to their respective traps at the same time, making it impossible for Derpy to have died in the museum.”

Juniper countered, “We don’t actually know that they went at the same time.”

Trixie whirled, throwing out her cloak. “How can you say that? Trixie has repeatedly demonstrated they did with the notes.”

“No, all you’ve done,” Cranky shot back, “is show us a pair of notes with the same time on them. If the culprit killed Derpy at the museum it’s possible her note is a fake.”

“A fake?” Sour Sweet blurted. “Where the hell did you get the idea it was a fake?”

Shining rubbed his chin. “We don’t actually know if the note is a fake, but Cranky’s suggestion has merit.”

“Oh come now,” Rarity said with a shake of her head, “There’s no proof the notes are fake.”

I raised my hand. “Maybe there isn’t any proof, but it’s a reasonable assumption to make.”

Zephyr rolled his eyes. “Oh Wally dolly -- can I call you Wally dolly? -- why would you ever assumethe note is faked? It’s evidence.”

“And evidence can be misleading,” Autumn Blaze pointed out. “Remember the guitar string from the last case? We assumed it killed Pear Butter, when in fact it was hiding the real cause of death in the party streamer.”

Fluttershy softly coughed. “But, um, do we have any good reason to assume the note is a fake, then?”

“I’ll give you a reason,” Vignette offered. “How about the fact it was clean, pristine, barely even a crease, let alone anything dirtying it.”

“It’s a bit of a leap to go from the note being clean to assuming it’s a fake,” Cheese argued. “Besides, I thought all that showed was that she didn’t touch the rusty truck.”

“You’re right, it is a leap of logic,” Juniper admitted. “But that’s all we’ve got to work with.”

“Look, forget about the fucking notes, okay?” Sour Sweet growled. “Let’s get back to the point, which is that Derpy died at the truck.”

“No, she didn’t die at the truck,” Cranky snapped. “She died in the museum. It’s the only thing that makes logical sense.”

“But you still haven’t shown us how that’s possible,” Big Macintosh countered. “Ah want to believe you, Ah do, but… Ah know what Ah know. And Ah didn’t see no one killin’ Derpy in the museum.”

“It’s not only possible, it’s the only logical conclusion left,” Shining replied with a firm nod. “She died of poison and the only poison was in the museum.”

“But how did her body get moved, then?” Fluttershy asked plaintively. “If we can’t answer that then, um, I don’t see how she died there.”

“Right now, we still don’t have an answer for that, Fluttershy,” Autumn said gently.

“Then your whole argument is flawed and should be tossed out,” Zephyr concluded, sticking his nose up in the air.

“You’re one to talk when it comes to flawed arguments, Zephyr Breeze,” Vignette growled.

Shadows fell over the rest of the debaters on both sides, just like in the last trial, leaving Rarity’s podium and my own to rise higher. I braced myself for the one-on-one.

Rarity crossed her arms. “Wallflower, we’ve been going in circles. And nothing said has convinced me you’re right.”

“I’m well aware we’ve been going in circles,” I retorted. “But that’s because you won’t accept the fact that she died in the museum.”

Rarity’s left eye twitched. “I cannot acceptit because it’s not the truth! You have nothing to support your claim!”

“I’ve got everything I need to support my claim,” I growled, trying to keep my cool. “She died of poison, the only poison was in the museum.”

“That’s not enough to prove--”

“I’m not finished!” I interrupted, feeling a growing confidence despite my frustration. “The poison that killed her made her vomit, but there was no vomit on or near her body. Which means it was cleaned up, and the only place showing signs of being cleaned up was the museum!”

Rarity, for just a moment, bared her teeth, grinding them together before managing to swallow her rage and adopt a more peaceful expression. “Maybe we’re wrong after all and she didn’t die of poison.”

“Oh no, you don’t get to back away now,” I said, sensing the blood in the water that was her starting to give in. “Poison is the only possible manner in which she died; we’ve proven that to where even Zephyr Breeze accepts it. You know that.”

“Fine!” Rarity slapped one palm to her podium. “Fine, so she died of poison. So what? Every other bit of evidence points to the truck as the scene of her death.”

I chuckled. “Oh yes, everything, except for the soap. The knife. Even the clean note, which I think the others were onto something with when they suggested it was fake. It all points to her death happening in the museum, and then her body was moved to the truck. You have to accept that.”

“No I do not!” she screamed, her face twisting up in rage in a way that left me feeling chilled to the bone. “Because you still lack one thing, Wallflower Blush! You lack a method of moving the body. And unless you can prove how the body was moved, then you have no choice but to concede this debate!”

Damn it, she was right. We didn’t know how the body was moved. Was there even any evidence to show how? There must’ve been; I knew I was right about this.

I looked back over the list of evidence one more time, trying to find something, anything.

Wait.

Of course!

“You want proof, Rarity? You want to know how the body was moved?” I cried, bringing up the evidence in question. “Well this is my answer!”

Fact #8: Tarp: “A waterproof tarp was present at the scene of the truck trap. It was next to the passenger side door, which was the side facing the truck stop. According to Sour Sweet, it was not there as of 7:10, but was there as of 7:20 according to Big Macintosh.”

“This tarp was originally located in the museum workshop, the same place in the museum that was trapped,” I said, a confident smile on my face. “And as you can see, according to Sour Sweet, the tarp wasn’t present at 7:10 when she went to the convenience store, but it was there at 7:20 when Big Macintosh entered the museum. Meaning that within those ten minutes it was moved. And the only reason to do that, the only thing that helps bring it all together, is if Derpy died in the museum and her body was moved using the tarp!”

Rarity all but collapsed onto her podium, a few whimpers of frustration escaping her before she finally looked up at me with a sad smile. “Oooh, alright, Wallflower. I concede. You’ve convinced me.”

And with that statement, the podiums descended back down and distributed into their normal arrangement, leaving me with having won an argument. Again.

But while I was proud of myself, I saw no reason to be mean to my opponent. “It’s alright, Rarity,” I said, giving her a soft smile of my own. “I get where you were coming from. At least now we can move on.”

“Indeed,” Rarity replied, brushing herself off and standing back up straight. “We have quite a long ways to go in this trial yet before we’ve determined who’s responsible.”

That was for sure. And yet, even as the two of us smiled at each other, suspicion echoed at the back of my mind.

But I wasn’t about to accuse anyone. Not yet.

Author's Note

Thank you kindly once more to our artists for continuing to contribute beautifully to the story. I hope you enjoyed this first part to the trial.

18. Chapter Two: "The Secret Ingredient Is Never What You Expect" Part 7

Chapter Two:

“The Secret Ingredient is Never What You Expect”

Part VII

With the matter of Derpy’s scene of death decided, we’d solved some significant aspects to the mystery. We proved that the entire trap setup at the truck was a fake.

What I still didn’t understand was why the culprit did things this way. Why not simply leave her body as it was in the museum? A dead body could’ve confused Big Macintosh, especially as he was flailing in the dark, and could’ve easily led to his death as well.

My eyes fell upon Rarity, the suspicion still deep in my mind. Was she so bloodthirsty as to try to take out two people at once?

Then I saw Juniper Montage gesture for attention, and corrected myself: three people.

“Okay, so like, if Derpy died in the museum and her body was moved, what the hell was she doing there to begin with?”

Shining Armor reached up to adjust his police cap. “Good question, Juniper. That’s what we need to figure out next.”

Sour Sweet beamed at Juniper. “Oh, yeah, that’s a great question, Junie!” she said sweetly. Then she waved her wrist in everyone’s face. “But did we all forget I almost got killed by a trap too?! Huh? We haven’t done a thing to solve that yet!”

“Hold your horses, we haven’t forgotten you,” Cranky grumbled, running a hand down his face. “It just hasn’t been relevant.”

“Relevant?! I almost died!” Sour Sweet raised her wrist like she planned to club Cranky with it, and the only thing keeping her from doing so was the distance between them.

“And so did Big Macintosh, but you don’t hear him complaining, now do you?” Cranky snorted, not budging an inch.

Sour Sweet dropped her wrist to her podium and began muttering obscenities under her breath.

“So, as far as we’re aware, the note that Derpy was given is likely to be fake,” Shining said with a brief nod to me. “Wallflower already showed it was too pristine for her to be holding it if she had touched the truck, and given the timing on it matches Big Mac’s note, it must be a fake. It’s the only way it makes sense for Derpy to be in the museum getting killed before Big Macintosh arrived.”

“Was Derpy doing anything suspicious at all?” Cheese asked, raising a finger. “I’m just wondering… maybe she was, I dunno, working with the culprit to set up the traps, and then the culprit killed her so she wouldn’t sell them out during the trial?”

“That’s absurd,” Rarity snapped, scowling at Cheese. “How dare you suggest a darling dear like Derpy would ever commit something as atrocious as attempted murder?”

“Yipe!” Cheese ducked back from his podium as if Rarity’s words had been physical objects flung in his direction. “I’m sorry, Rarity, it’s just after what happened with Sunset, last time, we can’t be sure of anything.”

My breath hissed through my teeth as he mentioned Sunset’s name, and I saw the same happen with Big Macintosh. “Maybe,” I allowed, trying to keep from growling. “But that doesn’t mean we need to speculate wildly. For all we know, Derpy just happened to show up while the culprit was working and was a victim of circumstance. Or she was deliberately lured there by the culprit to die first.”

“Seems like a pretty foolhardy move to lure Derpy into the same place you’re already planning to try to kill someone else in,” Cranky said with a brief shake of his head. “I think it’s more likely Derpy just showed up out of the blue unexpectedly.”

“I agree with that,” Fluttershy said with a brief nod. “I think Derpy showed up at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“I still don’t understand why anyone would go to the museum that early in the morning,” Juniper interjected with a brief glare at Derpy’s podium portrait.

Autumn raised a hand. “Maybe she just likes early morning education?”

“Don’t be a fucking idiot,” Sour Sweet snarled. “Look, Derpy had to be running around for some reason. Cheese asked a good question earlier. Was she doing anything suspicious?”

Her eyes fixed on me, with a brief whisper of Now? on her lips. I softly shook my head, prompting her to throw her hands up and let out a high pitched growl of frustration.

Shining caught this exchange and narrowed his eyes substantially at both of us, before locking his cold gaze on me. “Yes, Wallflower. Was she?”

I thought back to the day before, where she seemed so desperate to speak with me, and nodded. “Y-yeah. She… she kept trying to speak to me about something. I don’t know what, exactly. Yesterday morning, she…”

~*~
Aside from Trixie, the only fly in the ointment seemed to be Derpy. Despite the way she’d been getting along with Big Macintosh the night before, she wasn’t sitting next to him this morning. Instead she was sitting next to Sour Sweet, while Big Macintosh was near the other side of the long table. Unlike everyone else, she seemed… pensive. Maybe even worried. She kept fidgeting, and every so often she’d glance around the room. After a while I spotted dark circles under her eyes, and her lips seemed dry, despite her tea.

And she was shivering, like she was cold, despite the morning desert heat.
~*~

“She was cold, shivering constantly. Her lips were dried out, and she had dark circles under her eyes, like she hadn’t slept. I tried to talk to her after breakfast, in case something was wrong. She played it off like it was nothing, and then ran off when I pressed the matter, especially after I…”

Sour Sweet’s glare intensified at me while Shining’s laser-focus homed in like a heat-seeking missile. “After you what?” he demanded.

~*~
“...Derpy,” I said, my voice dropping in pitch as I let a small amount of irritation show. “I know you said something. Sour Sweet wouldn’t tell me at the table. I just want to hear it from you, okay? So will you tell me? Please?”

Derpy’s face paled to a color like sour milk as she stammered wordlessly, shaking her head till she jumped up to her feet. “S-sorry, I…bye Wallflower!”
~*~

“...after… I…” I swallowed, and looked Shining right in the eye as I delivered a bald-faced lie. “After I asked her if Big Macintosh did anything to hurt her.”

As I expected, Big Macintosh stiffened, one mighty fist smacking his podium like a fallen tree trunk, while several others gasped in shock. “What? Why, he’s nothing but a perfect gentleman!” Fluttershy insisted, in a rare show of genuine anger. “How dare you suggest otherwise?”

“Really, Big Macintosh is a total sweetheart,” Autumn added, giving me a disgusted look. “Why would you think he’d hurt Derpy?”

“Seriously, Wallflower, that’s pretty low of you,” Cheese said with a disgruntled roll of his eyes. “You ought to be ashamed.”

“If you think Ah’d ever even so much as touch a hair on a woman’s head wrong, Miss Wallflower…” Big Macintosh rumbled like a growing thunderstorm, all fury.

In fact the only ones who weren’t angry with me were Sour Sweet, who simply rolled her eyes, and Vignette, who gave me the slightest smile of approval.

I wilted under the negative attention, my confidence waning even though I knew I’d incur this sort of reaction. “Listen,” I said, my voice shaking, “I-I wasn’t trying to accuse Big Macintosh of anything. I didn’t think it was likely! B-but I’ve seen abuse before, okay? She was acting like there was something she wanted to say but was scared. I was worried for Derpy. I was trying to watch out for my friend.”

That seemed to placate most of them at least, especially Big Macintosh, whose anger fled as if the thunderclouds had dissipated into thin air. “Ah suppose Ah can understand that. Is that why you came to me right afterwards?”

I blinked, surprised he brought that up on his own. “Err…”

“Wait, she what?” Zephyr murmured, glancing back and forth between us before gasping and throwing his hand up over his mouth. “Oh my god, were you two sleep--”

“If you finish that sentence, Zephyr Breeze, I will bury my boot so far up your ass you’ll need a goddamned telescope to find it,” Shining snarled.

Zephyr looked askance at him. “Aww, but come on, Shiny Hiney, can’t you see it?”

“Zephyr Breeze…” Fluttershy cut in, her tone full of warning.

A look of betrayal crossed his face. “Et tu, Flutter Butter?” he said, almost weeping.

She crossed her arms and flashed him a look of sisterly disapproval. “You heard me.”

“Fine… sorry, Wally, Big Mac…” he groaned.

“Err, apology accepted… I think,” I muttered, my body crawling all over with disgust at the thought of Big Macintosh touching me. Not that he was unappealing or anything--I’m sure he was a great guy, but… guy was the key word in that sentence.

“A-anyway, to answer your question, Big Mac, yes, that’s why I came by,” I continued. “I was a lot more worried for Derpy after she ran off, so I thought I’d check with you… just in case.”

He nodded glumly. “And then Ah gave you a look like Ah was gonna crush you like a bug, as Ah recall.”

“Not just that,” I said with an apologetic frown. “You also kind of slammed your fridge door shut before you glared at me.”

Shining turned to him, and for a moment the laser bore that had worked me over was focused on another target, making me feel like the temperature had just dropped by fifteen degrees. “Why would you slam your fridge door like that?”

Big Macintosh gave him an evenhanded look. “Ah was in the middle of thinkin’ about mah Momma. She left me somethin’, an apple pie… she was always so good at makin’ pies. Ah was gonna get some, and then when Ah saw it Ah just… lost mahself in thought, starin’ at the fridge, till she suddenly showed up. Ah was so startled I slammed the fridge door shut ‘cause Ah felt like Ah was gonna get judged or somethin’.”

Shining uncrossed his arms and nodded sympathetically. “Of course. That’s an understandable reaction, considering the circumstances.”

“And then what happened?” Trixie asked, her tone subdued.

“Like we even need to guess?” Sour Sweet grumbled. She threw a hand out dismissively in my direction. “Wallflower probably pissed her pants and fled like a little wimp.

Vignette coughed for attention. “Excuse you, Sour Sweet, but I think that’s a bit uncalled for. Anyone would be afraid when a big, strapping stud of a man like Big Macintosh gives them a look of anger.”

Monohuman abruptly sat up, looking around eagerly. “Stud?! Did someone say stud? Where? Where’s the pony?”

Rolling her eyes, Vignette stuck her nose up and said, “It was just an expression, you stupid hologram. Calm down. I wasn’t accusing anyone of anything.”

“Hmph! Don’t get my hopes up, then,” Monohuman grumbled back before adjusting his seat on his podium.

“Anyhow,” I continued, after giving Vignette a brief nod, “I… did, actually, run away.”

Sour Sweet cackled. “Aww, it’s okay Wallflower, we understand,” she said sweetly. “That you’re a complete coward.”

“Sour Sweet--” Vignette began, but I threw out my arm.

“No, no, she’s… she’s not wrong. I get scared a lot. I can admit that. And Big Macintosh scared me. So I ran. I didn’t have a chance to confront him again after that.”

“What about Derpy,” Shining asked, bringing us back to the original point of all of this. “Did you see her again after that?”

I thought back to that evening, a coldness coming to roost in my heart. Not a chill, not like I trembled or shook with fear or anxiety, but the deadly rime of regret, icing up everything so it felt as if my heart stopped altogether. “I… I did,” I said, my voice frosty. “But I didn’t get a chance to speak to her. Vignette was giving me a pep-talk.”

“A pep talk,” Vignette said with scorn. “As if the information I gave you were a mere self-help guide. It was more than than, Wallflower, it was a path to bettering yourself. To being a better you.”

“That’s… that’s not the point!” I struggled, finally blurting it out louder than I intended.

And to my dismay she recoiled as if burned, hurt mirrored in her eyes. “Sorry I tried,” she murmured.

“Vignette, I didn’t…” I sighed, feeling so torn in two directions I just wanted to scream at everyone to leave me alone. “I”m… ugh, look, the point is, by the time Vignette was done speaking to me, Derpy had left the room. So I resolved to speak to her in the morning, since it was really late, and, well…”

“You never got the chance,” Shining finished for me with an understanding nod.

“No, I didn’t.”

A quiet descended upon us for a few moments, until Cheese abruptly cleared his throat. “You know, I hate to say it, but the way you described Derpy sounds kinda… almost like she was on some kind of drug. Maybe we were wrong about what poisoned her after all.”

“But we found nothing at any of the scenes to suggest it could’ve been a drug overdose,” Fluttershy objected. “Besides, she could’ve just been tired and dehydrated; that would explain her symptoms just as much as being on drugs would.”

“And it’s far more plausible,” Autumn said, giving Cheese an apologetic squeeze of the shoulder. “Sorry, Cheesy, I really don’t think drugs are the answer here.”

Cheese frowned. “But, but if she died of some kind of drug overdose, then--”

“Then nothing,” Trixie interrupted. “Trixie will not allow you to muddle this issue further. There was no evidence of drugs but there was plenty for poison, and we have a means of dispensing poison in our evidence. Stop wasting time chasing geese!”

“Tch. Fine. Don’t have to be so mean about it,” Cheese grumbled.

Sour Sweet snapped her fingers for attention. “Hey, hey, dumbasses, let’s try to get back on track here, huh? We were trying to figure out how Derpy got into the museum. Can we solve that, or not?”

“I think at this point, we don’t have enough information to conclude for certain why Derpy was in the museum,” I said after a moment of contemplation, “but we know she was there and that she died there, so we can set that question aside for now.”

“Okay, what about the knife? How’d they get it back to the museum before Big Mac touched it?” Sour snapped.

I shook my head. “Wrong question. They didn’t need to. Once they used it on Derpy they put it into position, cleaned up her vomit using the soapy water, then left the puddle there as a part of the trap itself, to further trip up Big Macintosh into grabbing the knife.”

“Yup, almost worked too,” Big Macintosh said with a brief shudder.

“Then they dragged Derpy’s body over to the truck with the tarp, set up the fake trap, and bailed before anyone could see them. Then whoever it was showed up when the alarm rang.”

“Great, so we’re right where we were when the debate ended,” Sour sneered. “Can we finally move on and ask about my trap? Ya know, the one that nearly killed me?”

Shining let out a quiet humming sound. “Yeah, that trap has been concerning me for a while. It seems kind of strange… I can understand trying to kill Big Macintosh in the museum, and I get faking Derpy’s death with another trap once she died by the knife, but what was Sour Sweet’s trap all about?”

Cranky snorted. “Everyone knew she went to go get one of her disgusting sodas every morning at about the same time.”

“That’s right, you could practically set your watch by her,” Autumn agreed with a brief nod of her head.

Juniper eyed Sour Sweet, her mouth twitching in amusement. “So if someone wanted to kill, she’d be the perfect target. Set up a trap, and wham, she’s dead.”

“Fuck you, Juniper.” Sour Sweet flipped her off with her good hand. “I was lucky I didn’t get my head bashed in.”

Vignette chuckled. “Yes, quite lucky, weren’t you?”

“Lucky isn’t the word I would use,” Rarity abruptly spoke up, standing straighter at her podium. A look of rage filled her face. “Indeed, dare I say it, it’s too convenient, how her trap failed to kill her. It certainly looked deadly to me!”

Sour Sweet froze, staring at Rarity in shock. “What… what’re you saying, Rarity?”

Rarity turned to me. “Wallflower. You examined Sour Sweet’s trap, yes? Tell me… was there anything strange about it? Peculiar, even?”

I looked back at the evidence, already certain of what Rarity was suggesting… and my heart sank. “...yeah. In fact…”

Fact #13: Convenience Store Trap: “The trap at the convenience store was a complex mechanism designed to swing a cinder block on a pivot at Sour Sweet’s wrist when she opened the cooler; it was explicitly designed as a non-lethal trap.”

“The trap was set up in such a way that it swung at Sour’s arm, not her head. It was never meant to be a lethal trap.”

The shock and horror written all over Sour Sweet’s face at my words couldn’t be understated. She almost fell to her knees, stumbling over her podium as she stared at me. “What… what’re you saying, Wallflower?” she murmured, her usual dose of malice and sarcasm missing from her voice.

“Well, it is a bit strange that it was set up that way,” I said, despite the creeping feeling crawling all over my nerves, as if a cloud of insects had settled in to begin biting and stinging.

“Strange? Try intentional!” Rarity thundered. She pointed at Sour Sweet. “You’ve been constantly against the idea of Derpy having anything to do with the museum ever since it was first brought up.”

“Y-yeah, well so were you!” Sour countered, raising her good hand to point back at her, as if that would accomplish anything. “And we were wrong, so what?”

“So, Sour Sweet, I think it should be obvious,” Rarity shouted back. “You set up your own trap! You deliberately engineered it to be non-lethal, so you could get caught by it. Like they said, everyone knows you go after that soda. So you had the perfect cover to murder Derpy and then get away with it by deliberately injuring yourself.”

Sour Sweet paled till her complexion resembled spoiled milk. “I…. you…. You fucking bitch!” she finally roared. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why would I throw a goddamned cinder block at my wrist if I was trying to fake an injury? If I did even the slightest thing in the wrong order it could’ve killed me!”

“Ah dunno, Sour Sweet…” Big Macintosh said softly, cutting her tirade off as surely as if he’d screamed at her for silence. “Ah’m thinkin’ she’s onto somethin’. It’s too good of cover. Ah… Ah dunno why you’d want to hurt Miss Derpy, but…”

“But, but, I-I didn’t do it,” she murmured.

Shining scratched at the back of his head before placing his cap squarely back on. “I don’t think this answers everything, but you have to admit it’s pretty sound logic.”

“No, it isn’t,” Sour complained quietly.

Cheese wrapped his arms behind his back and gave her a calculating look. “So how do you explain your trap, then, hmm?”

“Wha-well, I, I uh… I don’t…”

“I gotta agree with them, Sour,” Autumn Blaze said, her eyes full of sadness. “It even gives you time to kill Derpy, then get back to the scene of your own trap and be injured just in time for us to show up and help you.”

“Oh come on,” Sour Sweet interrupted. “Listen to all of you. I didn’t kill Derpy, okay? I never had a reason to, and I didn’t buy into the secrets bullshit. Besides, I saw what Monohuman did to Sunset Shimmer, just like we all did. You seriously think I’m gonna risk whatever hell comes out of his imagination to kill some girl I didn’t give two shits about?”

“And yet, it all adds up,” Rarity said as she brought her hand up to count off one by one. “You knew the area better than any of us, since you always shopped there. You have your motive, which would’ve given you all the incentive you need. You had the opportunity. I think it’s an open and shut case.”

“Bullshit!” Sour snarled back, her eyes wild and unfocused, like a bear on a rampage. “It’s not open and shut at all. Wallflower, help me, please!”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Help? Help you how? I just said it's obvious.”

“Except you haven’t explained why I’d want to kill anyone, let alone Derpy,” Sour Sweet retorted. She slammed her good fist on her podium. “I never wanted to hurt anyone, okay?”

“Well to be fair, you do have a bit of a temper,” Zephyr said, immediately ducking behind his podium when Sour Sweet hurled an empty glass bottle at him, narrowly missing his forehead.

“Shut up!”

“Hey!” Monohuman leapt off his chair, shaking his head in annoyance. “Miss Sour Sweet, there is to be no littering in the courtroom! Please pick that up immediately, or else I’ll be forced to punish you.”

Meeping in sudden fright, Sour Sweet ran around the set of podiums and picked up the bottle before stuffing it back into her pocket and resuming her spot. “Sorry, Mr. Monohuman,” she murmured. “I won’t do it again.”

“See that you don’t,” he sniffed before sitting back down.

Fluttershy reached out to Sour Sweet. “Sour… I-I wouldn’t put it the way he did, but you do get riled up easily.”

Sour Sweet made a face, and turned to Fluttershy, said face rapidly crumpling into a look so distraught it made me wonder if maybe Rarity was right after all. “Fluttershy… you…”

Fluttershy squeezed Sour’s hand. “I’m… I’m so sorry, Sour,” she said, barely more than a whisper. Moisture dotted her cheeks. “But, well… it makes a lot of sense when you put it together.”

“Fuck…” Sour grimaced, looking away from Shy even as she clung to the hand in hers. “I know it looks bad, Shy, but come on… I don’t have a reason to kill anyone. I told you that the motive he gave us was full of shit, remember?”

“I know that, but…” Fluttershy gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I don’t believe you could kill anyone. I’m… I’m not ready to vote. But I don’t know how to defend you. You can understand where I’m coming from, right?”

A dull whimper crawled out of Sour’s throat. She sniffed, loud and hard, and managed a quick nod. “Yeah. Yeah, I get it.”

Rarity grinned triumphantly. “So shall we take this as an admission of guilt, hmm? Well, that was certainly quite easy. I see why Wallflower was able to handle this so well last time.”

“Ouch,” I muttered, rubbing my cheek where her words felt like they’d slapped me.

Sour Sweet’s temper flared as she let go of Fluttershy so she could flip Rarity off. “Fuck no, it isn’t. Just ‘cause I understand where my friend is coming from doesn’t mean I did it!” She glanced at me, jerking her head towards Rarity.

“As far as Trixie is concerned, Sour Sweet is far too suspicious. Why else would her trap fail to kill her?”

“Gee, I don’t fucking know, maybe because it was deliberately set up that way to make me look suspicious? Fuck, last time we had this whole bullshit about the guitar; I don’t get why you people aren’t thinking about this shit.”

I briefly looked over to Vignette, raising an eyebrow in silent question, to which I received a nod.

“She makes a good point,” Cranky admitted. “Still, though… anyone who likes that disgusting sweet Sluggo crap has got to have some kind of screw loose. I wouldn’t put it past her for this to be a double bluff.”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Sour Sweet screeched before erupting with a horribly loud noise at the squeakiest heights of her lungs. “I’m that fucking stupid. Jeez, might as well just wrap a noose around your necks already, ‘cause that’s what you’ll be doing if you keep this up!”

Before anyone else could speak, I cleared my throat. “Excuse me, everyone… but I agree with Sour Sweet. She didn’t do this.”

“Thank you!” she shouted, letting her hands fall to her podium flat on their palms with two meaty smacks.

Rarity flashed me a disgusted look. “Truly, Wallflower? Why do you believe Sour Sweet?”

“Besides the fact that she makes an excellent point that another person could’ve easily built a non-lethal trap to attack her to deliberately make it look like she did it to herself, there’s something that she related to me during the investigation that implicates someone else far more.”

“Oh?” She raised both eyebrows. “And what is that?”

I locked my gaze onto Rarity, ensuring my next words would burrow into her and refuse to let go. “Yesterday, at breakfast, Sour Sweet was told by Derpy that she overheard you saying something quite incriminating.” I brought up the statement for all to see.

Fact #14: Derpy’s Statement: “According to Sour Sweet, Derpy overheard Rarity saying the best way to kill Big Macintosh would be via poison.”

“She said what?” Big Macintosh grunted, gaping at the fashionista.

“Well, well, well,” Cranky Doodle said, a deep scowl sketching lines all over his face. “Looks like we’re finally starting to get somewhere.”

“Rarity said that?” Fluttershy gasped, holding a hand to her mouth.

“Trixie is entirely unsurprised,” said Trixie as she adjusted her cloak.

“Does anything faze you, Trixie?” Juniper said with a roll of her eyes.

Trixie huffed and refused to respond verbally.

Autumn Blaze reached a hand out to Rarity. “Did you really say that, Rarity?”

“What? No, of course I didn’t!” Rarity shrieked, her eyes blazing with fury, aimed at me like she could channel them into flamethrowers to engulf me in an inferno. “Sour Sweet is the killer! It’s just smart of her to lie about this, to put the suspicion on me!”

“I don’t think she’s lying,” I argued, somehow standing my ground. “I heard part of their conversation, and I know Derpy was talking about you. And when I asked her about it later, she ran off.”

Rarity gaped at me, clenching her podium in wordless rage. “You think it’s true?!” she bellowed finally. “How dare you accuse me of saying such a thing, Wallflower Blush? Have you no shame?”

“Big talk coming from the bitch who was just accusing the injured woman of setting up multiple traps to murder people!” Sour Sweet snarled. She pointed an accusatory finger. “Besides, I’m not the one who’s been constantly ducking out of things or vanishing.”

“Yeah,” Zephyr added. “She’s been acting sketchy. None of us even know what she’s been up to for days! She’s just been hiding alone in her room all the time!”

Shining leaned forward to look closer at Rarity. “It’s true. She left dinner early last night, she wasn’t with us this morning when we were going on our jogs.”

“Because I was asleep!” Rarity protested.

Juniper took her glasses off for a moment to wipe them clean, then slipped them back on. “Were you? Because it wouldn’t be that hard to fake a sleeping body, especially with what little people can see through the keyholes of these doors.”

Sweat ran down Rarity’s brow. “Wha-I, I, I don’t know what you mean. Why would I do that?”

“Because you knew we were going to be jogging together and you needed a reason to be absent from the jogging,” Cranky said. “So you’d have time to set everything up.”

“That’s absurd!” Rarity slapped a hand on her podium. “Why would I ever want to hurt Big Macintosh? Or Derpy for that matter, or Sour Sweet?”

“Well I think anyone might want to hurt Sour Sweet, on account of she’s a total bitch,” Juniper said with a wink to Sour.

“Fuck you too, Junie,” Sour replied, tossing up a middle finger, though the grin on her face belied her tone.

“As for Big Macintosh, I think we might have a pretty good reason, Rares,” Vignette answered with a flashy smile.

A choked gasp escaped Rarity’s lips as she faced Vignette. “Et tu, Vignette? I thought we were friends.”

“Oh we are, Rares, we are.” Vignette’s smile didn’t wave an inch. “But, well, just because we’re friends doesn’t mean I’ll let you get away with murder. Show her, Wallywall.”

“Hmm? Oh!” I brought up the requisite evidence.

Fact #12: Motive Paper: “One of Monohuman’s motives, found in the museum. The beginning and end are illegible, but what is reads ‘...Belle had just long enough to scream one last time, desperately trying to stuff her intestines back into her abdominal cavity as she plumm…’”

Rarity froze as those words appeared on the rotating central display. “That… where did you get that?” she gulped.

“Like it says, we found it in the museum,” I answered. “Rarity, your last name is Belle, right? But you’re not the only member of your family with that last name.”

Fluttershy let out a louder cry. “Oh no! You can’t… surely you can’t mean Sweetie Belle!”

Juniper stood up straighter. “Wait, Sweetie Belle? Rarity’s little sister? What’s she got to do with this?”

“If this motive is anything to go by,” Shining replied, “she’s got everything to do with this.” He examined it more closely. “This suggests that Sweetie Belle died somehow.”

“Most probably in the first killing game,” Vignette offered up. “Maybe that’s what these are from; some kind of written log.”

“It would explain why they’re composed like a narrative,” Cranky admitted.

“Wait, yours was too?” Sour Sweet blurted, staring at him. “I thought it was just mine and Shy’s.”

“So was Trixie’s,” Trixie offered with a snort. “But it was ludicrous. It described something that never happened.”

“Err… right, mine never happened either,” Fluttershy offered up.

“That’s right, you told us about yours the other day,” I said.

~*~
“Um, I guess I’ll start, anyway,” Fluttershy announced, expression firm. “I don’t have them with me, but…” She shuddered. “The first one described me saying something about Rainbow Dash. She was in danger somehow, but I don’t know any more. That was scary, but the second one…”

She fell silent, eyes watery. When she eventually spoke, it was trembly and weak. “It was a description of a machine grabbing on and holding me in place, and I was frightened and screaming and… awful things happened, awful and violent and…” She sniffled, but kept herself from bursting into tears. “I just can’t understand how anyone could write out something like that about m…me.”
~*~

Fluttershy withdrew into herself, her face lit up with red. “...it’s so awful,” she whispered.

Wincing, I said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad about it.”

“No, it’s… it’s fine,” she waved it off.

I gave her a solemn nod. “Right. Anyhow, getting back to the point…” I returned my gaze to Rarity. “You could’ve seen this as some sort of threat.”

“Oh really?” Rarity drew herself up and wiped the sweat before adopting a dismissive demeanor. “And how is that?”

“Well, Sweetie Belle hung out with Apple Bloom, didn’t she?” I ventured.

“Apple Bloom?” Big Macintosh broke in, looking askance at me. “What’s mah sister got to do with this?”

“Possibly everything," Shining suggested. "I mean, she and Sweetie Belle were best friends, along with Scootaloo. They did everything together.”

“Stop being ridiculous,” Rarity huffed, her demeanor not wavering an inch. “I think I would remember if my sister died in a horrid game like this one.”

“Would you really?” Vignette asked, her smirk growing. “Sunset claimed you were in the first game too, you know, and yet you don't seem to know a thing about it.”

Rarity's teeth ground together as she fought to maintain her temper once more. “Whatever Sunset Shimmer may have said is irrelevant. My memories are perfectly intact. And my first memories involving killing games was waking up to this one! So there was simply no reason for me to be afraid for Sweetie Belle when I knew she was safe.”

Vignette chuckled. It was not a nice laugh. “Rarity… if you really weren’t worried, then explain this.”

Fact #17: Rarity’s Letter: “An unfinished letter to Applejack, supposedly written by Rarity and found in her room. She says she has discovered ‘something terrible’ and is tempted to ‘do something she’ll regret the rest of her life.’ She ends with, ‘Sweetie Belle is safe, right? She couldn’t have–’ and then it cuts off.”

Rarity let out a frightened shriek. “That’s… where did you get that?!”

“From your room,” I admitted. “We told you we were going to search it, remember? And you let us.”

“Wha, I, I, I didn’t expect you to find something like this!”

Sour Sweet’s giggles filled the atmosphere of the courtroom. “Oh wow, Rarity, that is so sweet of you to be writing to Applejack… you freaking creep. How’d you ever expect to send that out, huh?”

Rarity huffed. “If you truly must invade my privacy this much… I admit that I wrote this letter, yes. But it was for my own sake… I, I’ve been so stressed, being in this killing game, I needed an outlet, alright? And I was hoping that maybe somehow I could get them sent out… one day.”

“Ah thought we were friends, you know,” Big Macintosh said, his tone heavy. “Ah thought Ah could trust you, Rarity.”

“Wha--of course you can! And you still can, because I didn’t do anything!”

Zephyr Breeze butted in. “Hey, Big Mac is an honest dude. Sometimes people like that don’t always know how evil people can be, even right in front of ‘em! Especially someone like Rarity.”

Rarity’s eyes flashed with renewed fury. “How dare you call me evil, Zephyr Breeze? Of all the things to say about me… how dare you?!”

Zephyr yelped and ducked under his podium. “Aaah! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, don’t kill me next!”

“Oh for heaven’s sake…”

Big Macintosh coughed for attention. “Listen, Rarity, Ah know it's hard to believe, but after everythin' we've seen here Ah can believe someone tampered with your memories. Maybe even everyone's. What Ah don't get is why you'd want to kill me. Or Miss Derpy for that matter. Neither of us ever did a thing to you.”

“Oh, isn’t it obvious?” Cheese said, startling us all. He withered under the sudden attention before seeming to gather his courage and stand up straighter. “I-I mean, the only real way to find out if her sister is dead or not is to escape, right? So she needed to kill someone to escape.”

“Maybe she figured if she killed three people she had a one-in-three chance of killing a pony,” Cranky offered. “Though would that work? Hey, Monohuman!”

Monohuman teleported from his throne to in front of Cranky in two flashes of light. “Yesssss, Cranky?” he said, a slight tension to his tone, one I hadn’t noticed him possessing with anyone else save Vignette. Odd.

Cranky showed not the slightest bit of fear as he stared down the hologram. “Question. According to the rules, if someone kills a pony, then they get to leave scott free… but what if they kill more than one person? And one of them is human?”

“Hmm…” Monohuman brushed his fingers along the point of his chin. “I’ve given this a lot of thought,” he answered after several moments. “But the way I see it is, if you have multiple victims, it doesn’t matter if one is a pony: if even one is human, you still face trial.”

“Okay, good to know,” Cranky muttered.

Monohuman stared at him for another moment, then grumbled, “Did you need anything else?”

Cranky considered that, then nodded. “Actually, yeah. Did anyone else ask you this question before I did?”

A smile slowly spread across Monohuman’s face. “Clever thinking, Cranky, my man. But no, no one thought to ask for clarification on this subject. So if that was the plan of our culprit, it would’ve backfired.”

A frown tugged at Cranky’s jowls, the grumpy old man look once more prevalent. “Thanks for answering.”

Grinning wider, Monohuman tapped his cane and was back on his throne in an instant. “Very well, continue,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Oh, and do be advised, in the future: if you wish to consult with me before performing your murder, I’ll be all too happy to clarify any rules for you.”

“Gee, thanks,” Autumn muttered in an uncharacteristic show of sarcasm. ‘What a complete jerk, trying to enable more murders like that.”

“So it looks like if that was your plan, Rarity, you completely screwed it up!” Sour Sweet blithered. “Though it’s really quite a shame… who’ll fix our clothes after she’s gone? Hahaha!”

“Rrrrgh!” Rarity lost her composure, her delicate fingers curling into fists to smash into her podium. “Stop being complete fools! I’m not the culprit, I never was the culprit and I never will be the culprit, because I am not such an idiot as to believe murder is a solution to anything!”

“Well, this sounds familiar,” Juniper said as she fixed her glasses in place. “She’s sounding just like Sunset Shimmer did.”

A cold shock washed through my body as if I’d been doused with ice water. “Can… can we please not make that comparison?” I begged.

“...sorry.” Juniper flashed me a sympathetic look, and I gave her an appreciative smile in return.

“That said,” Cheese Sandwich declared, his voice going all dramatic as he adopted a look like he was making a huge declaration, “I think we’ve found our culprit. She had plenty of opportunity, means, and motive. She was overheard saying the only real way to kill Big Macintosh is via poison, and that’s how the trap tried to kill him. I say we vote.”

“V-vote?!” Rarity squirmed against her podium, her eyes protruding from their sockets. “You can’t. You mustn’t! If you vote for me you’ll be killing us all.”

“Uh huh. Heard that before too,” Sour Sweet said, raising a fist to flip Rarity off. “Sorry, don’t care.”

Tears of frustration ran down her cheeks as Rarity bellowed another wordless screech. “For goodness’s sake, I wouldn’t have done this! I couldn’t have done this even if I wanted to! Please, listen to me.” She turned to me, her voice quavering. “Please, Wallflower, I know everything is pointing to me right now. I understand. But I respect your intelligence. Use it! You know it can’t be me!”

I stared back at her, not sure what to say in response. “Rarity…”

She interlaced her fingers at me, the pleading gesture only adding to her desperation. “Wallflower, I trust you to do the right thing.”

I gave her a brief nod. “Okay… let me think about this.” I closed my eyes and began to run through the facts of the case one more time, thinking about everything that had happened, about where everyone had been and why.

“What’s there to think about?” Big Macintosh growled, his deep voice echoing through the courtroom. “It’s obvious now. Didja really think ya get away with it, Rarity? Didja set Sour Sweet up to be your fall girl?”

“What?” Rarity breathed. “Big Macintosh, please!”

He thumped his podium once with the palm of his hand. “Stop tryin’ to pretend you’re innocent, Rarity. We all know you did it. Hell, you left dinner early last night, remember? Ah’ll bet you did that just so you could get everythin’ set up.”

As a number of voices in the courtroom began to chant variations on “Yeah,” and “we should vote already,” Big Macintosh’s words rang through my head.

Rarity left dinner early. He wasn’t wrong about that. But…

~*~
I put together a tomato and cucumber sandwich, grabbed a bowl, and looked for a place to sit down. Derpy still looked just as off as she had this morning, and there were no open seats near Rarity, so I was left wondering.

Before I could pick a seat, however, Rarity let out a massive yawn, drawing everyone’s attention. “Oh, terribly sorry, darlings,” she murmured, before yawning yet again, her mouth stretched open so far I could see her uvula. “Goodness! I… I don’t know why I’m so...pardon me, everyone.” She stood and left the table.
~*~

“Wait a minute,” I said. “Rarity left early, yeah, but… she was exhausted. And it happened suddenly, almost as if… she had been drugged. Who made dinner last night?”

Autumn Blaze emitted a high-pitched sound. “I did!” she yipped. “Me and Cheese Sandwich! And Big Mac and Cranky helped! But! But but but but…”

“But it was made up all together,” Cranky interrupted. “We all served ourselves. What, we somehow just spiked the part of the soup Rarity ended up eating?”

“Could someone have slipped sleeping drugs into her bowl after she got it?” Shining Armor asked. “Or switched bowls altogether?”

“She does tend to spend most of the meals chatting…” Fluttershy answered thoughtfully.

“That’s right!” Rarity chimed in, pointing a shaky finger at her. “Yes, that’s it exactly. I wasn’t paying attention to my food for most of the meal! And I was so tired… you all saw how tired I was this morning too.”

“So tired you didn’t even bother with makeup,” I continued.

“Oh please, she’s just fakin’ it,” Big Macintosh insisted. “Ah’ll betcha anythin’ it was part of her scheme to make it look like she was innocent in case we caught onto her.”

My mind raced with possibilities. “Rarity’s not a mechanic or an engineer; a couple of these traps were pretty complicated. And that cinderblock was heavy. Could she even lift it to the height needed for the trap?”

I hadn’t quite fully processed that I was speaking aloud until I heard the murmur of others begin to shift. “Yeah, it’s not like Rarity is jacked,” Sour Sweet murmured.

“She’s stronger than she looks, but that cinderblock would’ve been really hard to keep lifted,” Fluttershy added. “It… it’s not impossible, but…”

And as I listened, other things began to click in my mind as lacking in sense. “Hang on a second,” I said as I raised a hand. “Derpy said she overheard Rarity talking about poison, but… how did she overhear it? Does anyone here remember talking to Rarity about poison? Anyone?”

My only answer was silence, though I noticed a few people open their mouths briefly as if to respond before closing them again. Only then did Rarity smile at me and say, “That’s right. I never said it to anyone.”

“Why would you say it to anyone anyway?” I wondered. “It wouldn’t make sense. It’d be like you were trying to incriminate yourself.”

“Exactly, exactly!”

Fluttershy coughed into her fist and fixed her gaze on me. “Wallflower, um, where are you going with this?”

“Sssh, I’m thinking,” I muttered as I held up a finger for patience.

Rarity probably wasn’t strong enough to hold the cinderblock in place, and she probably didn’t have the technical ability to build the trap. If we apply those standards to the other suspects, who did that leave?

I mentally eliminated suspects one by one, barely paying attention to the debate that was continuing around the circle. I tried to picture all the evidence in my head at once, just letting something coherent come into focus.

“And Ah’m tellin’ you, she’s a darn fine athlete,” Big Mac was insisting.

“It’s true, she frankly surprised me with her stamina when jogging,” Shining replied, skeptical. “But we’re talking about upper body strength…”

And then I realized it. It all came together. Someone standing beside me noticed.

“Oh Wallywall, don’t keep your audience waiting,” Vignette cooed, her hand slipping over to touch mine.

A shiver ran through me, an electric tingle passing through us both as her skin touched mine. I swallowed nervously as she wrapped her hand around mine to give it a squeeze. “Really, go ahead. I’ve got your back,” she said.

I squeezed her hand back, then pulled away, trying to ignore how much my face was burning. I stood up straighter and cleared my throat. “Everyone, we can’t vote yet. Rarity’s not the culprit.”

Rarity cried out in joy, fresh tears running down her face. “Oh thank you, thank you! I knew I could count on you, Wallflower dear.”

“Beg pardon?” Big Macintosh grunted. As his eyes locked onto me, I avoided my usual reflex of looking away to focus on him instead.

And I saw it. Hidden behind the bravado, the confidence.

Fear.

Firm now in my belief, I raised my hand and pointed. “Big Macintosh, it has to be you!”

“What?”

“Is she serious?”

“Big Mac? Really?”

Big Macintosh’s scowl darkened considerably, and his muscles tensed under his plaid shirt. He put his hands together and cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing through the courtroom. “Ah hope you’ve got a good reason for accusin’ me, ‘cause Ah don’t believe what Ah’m hearin’.”

“Frankly, neither do I,” Shining Armor added, crossing his arms over his chest.

“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” I argued. “Let’s think about things for a second here. Rarity left dinner early, yes, but she was exhausted. We all saw it, right? No one can deny that.”

“Ah’m tellin’ y’all, she was fakin’ it--”

I held up a hand to interrupt him. “No. It wasn’t faked. It couldn’t have been faked, because Rarity is too fastidious to leave her room without making herself look perfect. Every time I’ve ever seen her here, her appearance has been immaculate. Perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect makeup…”

Rarity tittered, holding a hand to her mouth. “Goodness, Wallflower, you’re going to make me blush with these compliments.”

My face burned more fiercely, but I did my best to ignore it. “Derpy said that she overheard Rarity talking about poison, but that doesn’t make sense. Rarity never would’ve said that to anyone; the only thing that makes sense is that someone asked Derpy to say it, to get us thinking that Rarity was trying to hurt someone. And the only one she’d trust enough to do that for is Big Macintosh.” I snapped my fingers. “And that explains her behavior last night! If she was worried about doing something she thought was sketchy, she’d be torn about confessing it.”

“That’s a bunch of phony speculation,” Big Macintosh grunted.

“And then there’s the traps themselves. These were intricate, two of them carefully crafted complex mechanisms. Rarity’s not an engineer; I don’t think she could make something like these.”

“Not without proper study,” Rarity agreed.

A quiet groan of thought emerged from Shining as he continued to watch me. “Big Mac isn’t an engineer, either,” he pointed out.

“But he’s certainly more familiar with building things than Rarity would be.”

Frowning, Shining rubbed his chin. “...alright, I’ll grant you that. But that still doesn’t mean Big Macintosh is responsible.”

“No, it doesn’t,” I replied. “Not by itself. But things start to add up when you consider other factors. Like the cinderblock. That cinderblock was heavy. And while Rarity might’ve been able to pick it up, she’d need to hold it in place for quite a while to fasten the mechanism together before she could let it go safely, and she doesn’t have the strength for that. In fact, no one here does, except you, and Big Macintosh.”

“That’s not proof either,” Shining argued. “That’s faulty reasoning at best. There are any number of ways someone could’ve rigged something to hold up the cinderblock while they installed it.”

“And there’s that letter of hers,” Sour Sweet added. “She literally wrote that she might do something she’d regret for the rest of her life.”

“Yes. Might. She was tempted. She didn’t say she was actually going to do anything,” I shot back. “All the letter shows is that she was scared. It doesn’t do anything to prove her guilt.”

“No, but it’s suspicious!” Sour Sweet insisted. “Come on, Wallflower.”

I shook my head. “Sorry, but just because it’s suspicious doesn’t mean she did it. After all, we already went through this with you, didn’t we? Your trap being non-lethal was suspicious, yet we decided you weren’t guilty.”

She reeled back, her injured hand raised like she planned to slap me with it before she exhaled a sigh and lowered it. “Yeah, okay, good point.”

Big Macintosh slammed a fist onto his podium, the sound of mulching wood echoing through the courtroom. “Ah still don’t see how any of this points to me bein’ the culprit. All ya got are a bunch of coincidences and things easily explained away. Ain’t nothin’ tyin’ me to this crime.”

“Oh?” I could feel it. This was it. Like with Sunset in the previous trial, there was a sense of confrontation here… like I just needed to break down his final defenses to finally get him to admit the truth.

The horrible, awful truth that he wouldn’t want to admit to, because it would mean his death by execution.

Big Macintosh glared back at. “Is that it? ‘Oh?’ Oh what, Wallflower? Ya ain’t got nothin’!”

“I beg to differ,” I responded. “Everyone, we speculated that the killer used the rattlesnake venom that was missing from the display, right?” There were various nods and murmured agreements, and I shook my head. “Well, we’re idiots. It couldn’t possibly have been that. It had to have been one of the cans in the coolers. Right, Fluttershy?”

“Oh, of course!” Fluttershy gasped. “That display was at room temperature. The venom would have gone bad years ago!”

“The killer used one of the cans we were all supposed to dump out?” Shining grunted. He glared daggers right at Zephyr Breeze. “Wasn’t someone supposed to have made sure no one did that?”

Zephyr just gaped back at him. “I did!” he squeaked. “I did!”

“Zephyr,” Shining said, clearly forcing himself to relax and soften. “It was a frantic scene, and the cans were there for a while before we decided to get rid of them. It’s not your fault. We just need to know if it’s possible someone might have sneaked one of the cans away.”

“No! I mean, I don’t think so?” Zephyr shrugged. “I counted them! But, you know, I count by threes, because that’s how my brain works, but there was an even number of cans, and…” He trailed off as he noticed the extremely imposing look on Fluttershy’s face. “I mean. It’s possible, yeah.”

“It’s more than possible, it has to be what happened,” I insisted. “And, it means something else. Between then and now, the killer had to be keeping the venom without it going bad.”

“So?” Trixie asked, raising an eyebrow.

“So, remember how I brought up the fact I went to see Big Macintosh, and he slammed a refrigerator door before glaring at me?”

“Big Macintosh does spend a lot of time in and around the museum,” Fluttershy said, as she gave Big Macintosh a look that stank of fear. “And I know he knows how to build things.”

“That’s right, he does,” Cranky admitted, his withering glare landing on the back of Big Macintosh’s head. “He’s pretty good with his hands. Always has been. I remember as much when he was in school. He was top of the class in math.”

“Wait, what’s that got to do with anything?” Zephyr asked.

“Engineering, obviously,” Trixie spat, her eyes blazing with scorn for Zephyr. I didn’t blame her; I was pretty annoyed with him too, with all his pointless interjections. “Any kind of engineering or construction work uses math; everyone knows that.”

“Everyone except this dumb fuck, apparently,” Sour Sweet added.

Big Macintosh’s face rippled with a sneer unlike anything I’d ever seen on the man before. He was losing it, and it showed. “Mah engineerin’ knowhow and math knowhow ain’t got nothin’ ta do with anythin’,” he snarled. “And you ain’t got no proof Ah had that vial of rattlesnake venom in mah fridge.”

“Oh really?” A smirk tugged at my cheeks. “Monohuman, could you--”

Monohuman coughed loud enough to interrupt me. “Sorry, but no. I won’t be doing that.”

My face and Big Macintosh’s practically flipped between us as I scowled at Monohuman. “W-why not?”

“Because that would be introducing new evidence!” Monohuman declared, thumping his baton onto the floor. “And no new evidence can be submitted after the trial has begun. If you want to prove this, you will have to do it without searching Big Mac’s fridge. You had all the time in the world to do that in the investigation anyway; not my fault you didn’t do it.”

“Hmmph.” Big Macintosh dared to crack a smile. “Sorry, Wallflower. But then, Ah weren’t worried anyhow, because even if y’all searched it y’all wouldn’t have found nothin’, cause Ah didn’t do this.”

I took a step back from my podium, feeling the momentum I’d had falling apart. I needed to get this back on track or else we’d lose. “What about the paper you said you saw? We never found it.”

“Ah’m pretty sure you did,” he said. “Where’d ya think that motive paper you found came from?”

“Ugh… damn it,” I moaned. “Stop denying this already, Big Macintosh! I know you did it!”

He shook his head. “Ya don’t know nothin’, Wallflower. Maybe you should shut up and let someone else run things. Cause no matter what you say, Ah ain’t got a reason to kill Derpy.”

Autumn Blaze coughed for attention. “Wallflower, he’s right… Derpy and Big Macintosh were totally in love with each other, like, super falling for each other. You knew Derpy, you know she falls for the big musclemen, and Big Mac, he’s such a total sweetheart, like a real softie, totally not a killer.”

“Yeah, I mean, you’ve had a few fair points,” Shining added, “But those two were definitely romantically inclined.”

“That’s right,” Big Macintosh said, any amusement fading from his tone, replaced with thick sorrow. He stared down at his hands, open and fingers splayed apart. “Ah won’t say love just yet… we didn’t know each other that well yet, but… Ah cared for her. Derpy meant a lot to me. Ah’d never hurt her on purpose.”

“No, I guess you wouldn’t,” I admitted, sighing. Maybe he was right, and I’d been wrong after all. I was about to let it go.

And then I heard Vignette snort a brief burst of laughter, quietly, barely above her breath. I glanced over at her, and she winked, mouthing silently the words, “on purpose.”

On purpose? What did she… she… of course!

I snapped my fingers and pointed at Big Macintosh again. “That’s right,” I said. “You never would’ve hurt her on purpose. But what if it was an accident?”

The whole room went quiet when I said that, all save Big Macintosh. Even the lighting seemed to dim, as if only he and I were in focus now, and everyone else fell away. “What’re ya sayin’, Wallflower?” he growled. “You sayin’ Ah killed Derpy on accident? Huh? How could that happen?”

“Simple, really,” I answered. “Derpy was worried sick about something. We know that much from how desperately she wanted to talk to me. But she never did. So if you went missing during the night, I’ll bet she would panic even more. She’d knock on your door, get no answer, then go looking for you. And in the process she stumbled upon you in the museum, setting up traps, and you stabbed her out of sheer surprise.”

He was quiet for a long while, long enough I almost spoke up again.

And then, to my surprise, he smiled at me. It was a soft smile, an understanding one, one that said everything would be okay. “Wallflower,” he said, his tone matching the smile. “Ah get it. Ah do. Ah know you’ve been tryin’ ta figure this all out, and Ah know you want to feel like you’re good at solvin’ mysteries, since ya figured out Sunset. But you’re just plain barkin’ up the wrong tree this time. There ain’t nothing you got that could ever prove Ah killed Derpy. It’s as simple as that.”

I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Big Macintosh. I really, really am, but… that’s where you’re wrong.”

Fact #9: Museum Tripwires: “Two tripwires formed the key components to the museum trap, one tied to a simple mechanism to turn off the light switch, the other at ankle height to trip someone onto a slippery section of floor.”

“Something’s been bothering me ever since we first studied the traps. Something that never added up. The traps in the truck, and the convenience store, those were complex traps, with complicated mechanisms. But not the trap at the museum. It was just a pair of tripwires. One which turned off the light and the other which would trip someone. Why was this trap so minimalist next to the other two traps?”

Big Macintosh regarded me coolly. “Ah ain’t hearing no evidence,” he declared.

“It’s because,” I pressed, “you were in a hurry. You needed to come up with a trap to fake us all out, to make it look like you were targeted too. You probably had something more complicated planned at first, but Derpy showing up ruined everything. After having to clean up and take her body to the truck to disguise her method of death, you didn’t have time for anything more complicated.”

“Nope,” he said, and that was it.

“Uh. I don’t really get it either?” Juniper offered. “So the museum trap was simpler than the other two. So what?”

“It’s because of something Big Mac said during the investigation,” I clarified, and I noticed he got a little paler. “Here’s how he described running into his trap.”

~*~

“Ah came in and saw a piece of paper on a table. But when Ah started moving toward it, Ah tripped. Everything went dark, and Ah stumbled forward, where Ah tripped again. There was some sorta thunk, but the floor had soap all over it and Ah fell forward.”

~*~

“It’s mostly just him stumbling around in the dark. He didn’t actually see most of the trap.”

“Oh,” Vignette exclaimed, and it sounded like a baby chicken peeping. She had realized it, too. Glancing around, Fluttershy was halfway there, too.

I continued. “We had all just seen Derpy, who for all the world looked like she had a big piece of metal catapulted into her chest. And we’d just heard Sour Sweet describe her trap, which was this complex lever system. Why should Big Mac assume his own trap was any different?”

“He…” Fluttershy murmured, looking almost as pale as Rarity. “He said…”

~*~

“We saw the whole trap, the knife and everything.”

“Knife.” He glared down at the floor for a moment in silence. “Ah ain’t been in there, but Ah thought it was something like that.”

“Big poisoned knife,” Vignette clarified with far too much cheerfulness.

He nodded. He wasn’t calming down, exactly, but he was getting quieter, and I figured that was a good sign. “And,” he said brusquely, “y’all saw it. How close did Ah probably come to touchin’ it?”

“Probably very, very close,” Vignette answered.

He nodded again. “Yup,” he said. “Really almost died.” His eyes were dark.

~*~

“How close did I come to touching it,” I emphasized. “Not how close did it come to hitting me. That is how his trap worked; it was set up to have him fall onto the knife. But he shouldn’t know that, and he has reason to assume it worked differently. But he knew. And the only explanation is, he made the trap himself.”

Silence reigned for long, tense moments as Big Macintosh stared back at me, his jaw flopping like a fish, opening and closing to say things only to fail to make any sound.

And then, finally, he made a sound alright.

Sobbing.

He broke into tears, his face falling into his hands. “Derpy… Miss Derpy… Ah… Ah didn’t mean to do it, Ah swear… Ah…”

“Oh my god,” Sour Sweet uttered, staring back and forth between us in shock. “Did… did he seriously do it? He’s guilty?”

“It certainly seems that way,” Shining replied, his mouth twisting into a frown.

“Wait, you lost me there, Wallflower,” Juniper admitted as she took her glasses off to rub her forehead. “If he wasn’t trying to kill Derpy, who was he actually trying to kill?”

“No one!” he bellowed, almost choking on his words. “Ah was just makin’ one fake trap for mahself! The poison was for that, it wasn’t for killin’ anyone!”

“Not for killing anyone?!” Juniper yelled. “That makes no sense! What…”

“Oh.” Rarity’s voice wasn’t particularly loud, but some ripple in it shocked Juniper into silence. “He was trying to frame me.” Rarity sounded miserable, heartbroken even. “Oh, Big Mac. You didn’t need to.”

“What?!” Cheese Sandwich shrieked. “Why?!”

Rarity did not look like she wanted to answer, but Trixie spoke up. “No. Forget about the whys for now. We can talk about the whys later. Trixie is still confused about the whats. Could someone lay everything out so we can vote?”

“Of course,” I said, closing my eyes for a moment. Then I opened them again. “That last piece of information really does tie everything together. This is the truth of the case!”

“Derpy… I can’t imagine anyone would set out to murder someone as sweet and wonderful as Derpy. Instead, our culprit had a vendetta against Rarity. They originally intended to frame her for attempted murder by creating a trap and setting it off themselves, only surviving by sheer luck.

“Their plan began just before dinner: they had to make sure Rarity had no alibi during the night, and they had to connect her to the trap they planned. First, they recruited Derpy and told her to spread around that she overheard Rarity saying she would use poison in a murder attempt. They had already secretly kept some of the rattlesnake toxin, which they had hidden in their dorm room refrigerator. Second, they drugged Rarity’s dinner with sleeping medicine obtained from the pharmacy, enough to send her to bed early and keep her there all night.

“Once nighttime began, they planted a note in their own room asking them to come to the Touriste Trappe early the next morning. Then, they snuck over and got to work. As part of their trap, they coated the blade of a knife with poisonous materials they found in the garage. Tragically, this was when Derpy sought out the culprit to ask about the lie they had her tell. Caught and probably panicking, they stabbed her with the knife, and she died from the poison right there, bleeding and vomiting on the floor.

“The culprit was now in a terrible bind, because not only were they now a murderer, Derpy had died in the Tourist Trappe and by poison, which contradicted clues they had already planted that Rarity intended to kill them that way.

“That was when they had their brilliant, terrible idea: they would add on to their original plan by making it look as if Rarity had set multiple traps, intending to kill multiple people. This not only hid their role by making them appear as just one of several potential victims, it hampered our investigation by making us all afraid of finding new traps.

“They placed Derpy’s body in a tarp and dragged her out to the red semi. There, they stabbed a piece of metalinto her chest, right where her stab wound had been, disguising her method of death. Then they quickly made a fake trap in the cab, so it seemed as if Derpy was killed by a catapult there. They placed a note in her hand that looked as if it tricked her into going there.

“Next, because they knew Sour Sweet always came to the convenience store early in the morning, they decided to reuse their original trap on her… but either out of carelessness or tender-heartedness, it was rigged to miss inflicting a fatal injury.

“The only thing left to do was to make a new trap for themselves in the Touriste Trappe. But because they didn’t have time to build something new, they just used a tripwire, a slippery floor, and the knife, which they glued down to a shelf. It was clever of them to find another use for the soapy water, to disguise how they had to clean up Derpy’s blood and vomit. But the conspicuously unusual nature of their own trap was what helped us determine their identity.

“Derpy’s killer is someone we all respected, someone who’s already suffered terrible things here, in this town. But it’s also someone she cared about and trusted… right up to the point he pushed that knife into her body. It could only have been you… Big Macintosh, the Ultimate Homebody!”

The only answer from Big Macintosh was more tears.

“Well now!” Monohuman cried as he hopped off his throne. “Unless I miss my guess, we’ve reached certainty once again.”

“That’s right, we have,” I replied. “I think we’re ready to vote now, right everyone?”

Nods and affirmations met me all around, though many of them came reluctantly, especially Fluttershy and Autumn Blaze, who favored Big Macintosh with sympathetic looks.

“Puhuhu, wonderful. Then please, cast your votes using your pads. Don’t forget, you’ll have only thirty seconds to vote, and a failure to vote means you’ll be executed along with the culprit!” He spun his baton in the air. “Who will be chosen as the blackened, hmm? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one?”

Once more our screens lit up with the four by four grid of faces. Like Pear Butter’s had been, Sunset and Derpy’s faces were greyed out, crossed over with red Xs. The timer in the corner counted down from thirty.

I looked up at Big Macintosh, my heart sinking for him. I could hear it in his sobs… he truly never meant to hurt Derpy. It tore at me, knowing what pressing this button would do to him… knowing we were condemning him to the same kind of horrible, awful death that…

…that Sunset…

I closed my eyes and pressed the button with his face on it, whispering a quiet, “I’m sorry.”

Thirty seconds after they’d lit up, our pads switched off again, and the central display popped up with a feature of all our faces and a tally of votes.

Thirteen votes, all for Big Macintosh. Not a single bit of dissent.

“Well! Someone had the courage to vote for themselves for once. Admirable! Stupid, but admirable. I applaud you, man. Now… “ he spun his baton and the tally was replaced by the spinning roulette.

Around and around it spun until it slowed and landed on Big Macintosh’s face. Bells rang, fireworks shot off and that annoyingly cheery victory jingle rang once more.

And as before, a word spelled out in huge block letters.

GUILTY.

Author's Note

Apologies for late evening posting, as something drew my attention for most of the day.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have yet to read this blog entry, please do so immediately as it concerns the future of this story:

https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/1015225/crucial-announcement-for-star-trek-phoenix-and-sdr2-ohs

To summarize, however: OHS will be going on a brief hiatus once Chapter 2 finishes posting, and will return to post Chapter 3 once Star Trek: Phoenix finishes posting season three. Once Chapter 3 of OHS is finished, the story will go on hiatus again till Phoenix finishes its fourth and final season. Reasons for why explained on the blog, thank you for your understanding.

19. Chapter Two: "The Secret Ingredient is Not What You Expect" Part 8

Chapter Two

“The Secret Ingredient is Not What You Expect”

Part VIII

With the trial over, I waited to feel some sense of relief, or satisfaction. Some sense that I had successfully, once again, protected everyone else, by stopping the killer from beating us, from escaping this place.

Instead all I felt was a deep sense of dread and foreboding. A sense of regret, and loss… and fear for what was to come.

For Big Macintosh would not pass easily. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

“Congratulations, my volunteers, you successfully beat the odds and sussed out the killer, once again,” Monohuman announced with a flourish of his baton. “Indeed the killer of Derpy, the Ultimate Klutz, was none other than Big Macintosh, the Ultimate Homebody!”

Big Macintosh’s sobbing grew louder at that pronouncement. “It’s true,” he groaned through his tears. “Ah did it. Ah killed her… Ah killed Miss Derpy. And Ah didn’t mean to… Ah so didn’t mean to…”

“Oh whatever, psychopath, you were still trying to murder Rarity for no fucking reason,” Sour Sweet said, sticking her tongue out at him. “And you hurt my wrist! What’d I ever do to you, asshole?”

“Hey, let’s take it easy on him, yeah?” Cheese Sandwich said, his eyes awash with tears of his own as he beheld Big Macintosh. “The guy’s clearly distraught… and he’s not trying to hide his guilt either.”

“No, he just made us figure out that he did it,” Juniper retorted with a roll of her eyes. “If he really felt guilty he’d have fessed up and saved us this waste of time.”

“Juniper, have you ever done anything illegal?” Cranky questioned, the look in his eyes very much like a stern grandfather. “Because I have. And I paid for it with two months in prison and six months community service. And that was for something small-time. Even then I was terrified out of my mind about what they’d do to me.”

Juniper scowled back over her glasses. “So what? He still murdered someone. Even if it wasn’t his original intention.”

“I dunno, I’m with Cheese and Cranky on this one,” Autumn said with a shrug. “I mean if you really think he’s such a bad guy that’s your thing but he’s been a sweet gentle giant this whole time so if he killed anyone he has to have a really really really good reason, he’d never just do it for the sake of doing it.”

“Ooooh…” Fluttershy moaned, working her fingers together. “I want to believe him, feel sorry for him, but… why was he trying to frame Rarity?”

“He was desperate.”

We all looked up at Rarity, whose face bore a complete lack of triumph, instead still showing the same fear and sorrow she’d displayed while being accused. “What do you mean, desperate?” I asked her.

“He needed to protect himself.” She kept her lips closed for another moment before a thick sigh escaped them, and she wiped at her eyes. “Because two days ago I figured out he’s one of the ponies.”

“What?!”

“He is?”

“What the hell?”

“How could you possibly know?”

The cacophony filling the courtroom at that proclamation triggered me into clapping my hands to my ears. Panic roiled through my body like a knocked over brazier fire consuming a thatched roof, hot and hurting and terrifying.

“Too loud,” I moaned. “Too loud…”

I don’t know how long it went on. It wasn’t until Monohuman pounded his baton demanding silence that I was able to calm myself long enough to become aware again, and by then, Rarity had launched into her explanation.

“It was two days ago, and Big Macintosh and I were having an argument…”

Rarity caught up with Big Macintosh just outside the pharmacy, “Excuse me, darling, Big Macintosh… may we talk?” she called out.

Big Macintosh, his hands firmly in his pockets, looked over his shoulder. “...alright, Ah guess. What can Ah do for you?”

Her smile turned sympathetic. “Oh, it’s not anything you can do for me… rather, I wanted to express how sorry I am for your loss with Pear Butter.”

He froze, and turned to face her, staring silently, but intently, his eyes boring into her skull.

Having not expected this reaction, Rarity swallowed nervously before continuing. “She was always so nice to me, whenever we spoke. She really was almost like a mother to me as well, in a way, and it hurts terribly to think she’s gone, and in such an awful, wasteful way. She was always so kind, and — ”

“Shut up!” Big Macintosh roared, his face turning purple with rage. He held up his fists, white-knuckled tight. “Shut yer damned mouth! Where do you get off talkin’ about my Momma like that? Ah can’t stand this phony sympathy!”

Each word punched through Rarity like a series of boxer blows, leaving her stunned. “I, I… I don’t understand. Big Macintosh, she — ”

“She ain’t never even met you!” Big Macintosh thundered, practically frothing at the mouth. “How dare you act like my Momma was a momma to you when you know damned well you ain’t never knew her before you came to this here place?”

Rarity, utterly flabbergasted, gawked open-mouthed at Big Macintosh for several moments before she said, “What is the matter with you? She was my mother-in-law! She welcomed me into her home like I’d been living there my whole life! How could you not remember? You were there when…”

She stopped talking very abruptly, frozen with her hands over her mouth, horror splashed across her face. “You weren’t there,” she finally muttered. “It wasn’t you.”

Big Macintosh’s muscles rippled with tension as he took a step closer to close the distance. “...yeah. Yeah it weren’t me. So what about it, huh? You gonna kill me for it?”

“What? Of course not!” Rarity protested immediately. ”I couldn’t! Even if that’s not how it is for you, to me you’re still family. I’ve become enough of an Apple to understand what that means.”

He did not relax, but he did not advance, either. He just regarded her, towering and strong. “Ah think we should stay away from each other from now on,” he said.

“Of course! Yes.” He turned to go, but her voice continued. “Ah, but wait a moment!”

He did turn back, darkly and slowly. She reached a hand into her purse, briefly clutching at a piece of paper before withdrawing her hand. “Tell me something. If you’re a pony, maybe you know something about the first killing game, the one Sunset Shimmer kept going on about.”

“And why would Ah tell you anythin’ about that?” he countered, his meaty fists raising up slowly, inch by inch. “What else you gonna try to get outta me?”

An unsettling growl wormed its way from Rarity’s mouth, “Listen to me, Big Macintosh. I am not your enemy. I’m not trying to hurt you. There’s just things I don’t know.”

“Yeah? Questions like how best to kill ponies?”

A screech clawed out of Rarity’s throat, and she raised a fist to brandish at him like a weapon. “No, you brute, about my sister!”

“And that’s when you and Derpy appeared, Wallflower,” Rarity concluded, her voice hushed and gloomy. “I never got a chance to apologize to Big Macintosh for figuring out his secret, and so he must have been desperate to keep me quiet.”

“Ah had no choice,” Big Macintosh said. The haunted gaze never left his eyes once. As he spoke, his voice lost much of its usual richness and timbre. “Ah couldn’t leave my life in your hands. See, Ah was scared ya’d try to hurt me, a-and Ah didn’t want you tellin’ anyone else about who Ah was. All that talk of family don’t mean nothin’ if you get desperate enough to get out of here.”

“It’s true!” Monohuman chimed in. “Puhuhuhu, if only you all knew! You could have killed him first and be safe and snug in your climate-controlled isolation room by now! You’d have saved the life of an innocent human, and he’s only going to be executed anyway! Oh well!”

“So then you really did tell Derpy to pretend like she overheard Rarity saying poison would kill you,” Juniper said, ignoring Monohuman.

“Eeyup,” he confirmed. Even his catchphrase lacked its typical zip. “Ah planted the seed of it, then Ah was settin’ up the trap in the museum. Ah wasn’t plannin’ on settin’ up a trap in the convenience store or the truck, cause Ah didn’t need to. All Ah’d need to do was pretend to almost get murdered, and that’d ruin any chance anyone would ever believe a word Rarity said about me bein’ a pony; at that point she’d be protestin’ too much. Mebbe if Ah was extra lucky someone might think she was a pony and kill her instead. Not that Ah was wishin’ death on her, but, well…”

“You were just trying to survive,” I finished for him.

He nodded appreciatively to me. “That’s right. Ah was. So Ah was all prepared. Ah had part of mah trap ready to go. Ah was all set up with the venom — “

“Question!” Autumn Blaze burst in, flashing Big Macintosh an apologetic grin. “Sorry, but, uh, I was just wondering, since we were never really sure during the trial, but did you get that venom from the museum or did you pick up a can from the store before we dumped it all or what exactly did you do?”

Big Macintosh glowered at her a moment before his expression softened again. “After we dumped out the venom, Ah went back and saw one can still in the cooler with the beers. Ah couldn’t stand leavin’ it there to tempt nobody. So Ah grabbed it and stored it in mah fridge in mah room soon as Ah had the chance.”

“Wait, why didn’t you just throw it away, if you were trying to keep it out of everyone else’s hands?” Shining inquired.

Big Macintosh took several moments to answer. “...cause Ah didn’t know if Ah wanted to use it somehow. Ah weren’t really plannin’ on it, just… seemed like a waste if Ah threw it away altogether. Ah was… afraid.”

Trixie’s snort ripped through the air. “Oh puhlease. Trixie doesn’t buy that for a second. You were always planning to kill sooner or later.”

“Shut your fool mouth, Trixie, ya ain’t got no idea what you’re talkin’ about,” Big Macintosh hissed.

“Seriously, Trixie, lay off the guy,” Cheese said, holding a hand behind his head as he glanced between them. “He obviously didn’t mean to kill Derpy, and he’s gonna be…” He gulped and shivered.

“Oh no, he is, isn’t it?” Zephyr murmured, clutching his head. “I don’t want to see something like that again!”

Fluttershy coughed for attention. “Zephyr Breeze, this is not about you,” she snapped, her eyes full of cold fury, which vanished in favor of sympathy as soon as she moved her gaze to Big Macintosh. “I believe you, Big Macintosh. I know you were trying to keep people safe at first. I… I don’t know how I feel about what you actually did, but… I think I can understand.”

“Understand?” Rarity blurted in disbelief. “Fluttershy, he killed Derpy! He could’ve killed Sour Sweet too, or even me! How can you possibly understand that?”

When Fluttershy looked at Rarity, I gasped for breath as my heart and lungs seemed to seize up, so frightening her expression was. “We all die someday, Rarity. Death is inevitable. I would think you would understand that by now.”

Rarity took a step back from her podium, her jaw fallen open and lip trembling. “Fluttershy… darling… what are you saying?”

Fluttershy shook her head, her pink locks scattering before she tucked them back into place. “It’s life, Rarity. Life and death are intertwined. I see it all the time in my veterinary work. And sometimes, lives are lost when no one means for it to happen.”

“She’s not wrong,” Shining added, making a fist and setting his chin atop it. “One of the most common causes of murder is a crime of passion. It happens in the moment. Tempers flare, blood rages, and people… lash out.”

“Okay, okay, forget all that shit for a second,” Sour Sweet said, throwing her good hand out for silence. “I still don’t get why Rarity not knowing Pear Butter meant you were a pony. Care to explain that?”

With a thick, heavy swallow, Big Macintosh replied, “Cause my momma… my momma in Equestria… she died along with my papa. Only the same accident that claimed them both in Equestria only killed my papa on this side of the mirror, so my momma survived this whole time.” He coughed into his fist. “Sides, the Rarity Ah know never married Applejack. Mah sister got married to Rainbow Dash.”

Rarity raised both eyebrows. “Rainbow Dash? Rainbow. Dash. She married Rainbow Dash.”

“Eeyup.”

“Why?!”

He opened his mouth to answer, only for Sour Sweet to break in again. “No one gives a flying fuck about Rainbow Dash. Back to the whole murder thing. How’d Derpy end up dead? If it was anyone else, I’d be skeptical about this ‘accident’ thing, but…”

“Nope,” Big Mac interrupted. He said nothing else.

“‘Nope?’” Sour Sweet echoed, raising an eyebrow.

“It.” Big Mac looked down at the floor, face wet. “It weren’t an accident. Ah didn’t plan it, Ah swear. But. It weren’t an accident.”

My mouth fell open as I tried to wrap my head around his confession. Judging by the heavy silence, no one else was having an easier time than me. ”Ah had the knife. She was right there. Right at the time it’d be easiest.” His voice was even, slow. It sounded like he was dead already. “Why’d she have to come in right at that moment?”

“I think I understand this, too,” Fluttershy said, sounding heartbroken. “You were so afraid.”

“It weren’t that,” he replied, staring down at the floor. “It was that motive. Ah left it in the museum. You saw.”

Fact #12: Motive Paper: “One of Monohuman’s motives, found in the museum. The beginning and end are illegible, but what is reads ‘...Belle had just long enough to scream one last time, desperately trying to stuff her intestines back into her abdominal cavity as she plumm…’”

“Wait wait wait,” Vignette said, waving her hand. “That was your motive? Why would you care so much about Sweetie Belle?”

“It ain’t Sweetie Belle. Sugar Belle’s mah mare back in Equestria. And if Monohuman harmed a single hair in her mane — “

“But that was one of my motives!” Rarity interrupted. “I had the same one! And… was it not about Sweetie Belle? I’ve never even heard of anyone named Sugar Belle!”

Monohuman laughed, ugly and vicious. “Sugar, Sweetie. Who can say? Lots of Belles! Maybe it was Blue or Jingle or Southern or Tinker!”

“But…” For the first time I had ever seen, Big Mac looked as if he was stuck for words. “But if it weren’t Sugar Belle, why did you give me…?”

“Oh, fuck,” Sour Sweet wailed. “Oh fuck everything.” I knew what she had realized. This was the trap. “Oh, Macintosh, you stupid, stupid, sad, pure-hearted idiot! How could you fall for that?!”

It was the cruelest thing. Human Big Mac didn’t know anyone named Sugar Belle. Only the pony would be affected by the motive. It just existed to draw him out. Fluttershy had been right. Looking around, Autumn had realized it, too.

“What?” Juniper barked, glaring at Sour Sweet. “Fall for?”

The voice that answered her was soft, gentle, and steely. “It’s nothing.” Fluttershy gripped her podium, looking at Big Mac as if her heart was breaking. “Big Macintosh is just in love, and someone very cruel took advantage of him for it. It’s not stupid, it’s tragic.”

“Hey!” Monohuman screeched, poking wildly with his cane at nothing. “I think you’re all ignoring the real tragedy here: the dead human?! Have you forgotten already who the real monster is that cruelly took advantage of a person in love?!”

Big Mac let out a gasping, pained grunt, which Monohuman regarded with satisfaction. “Let me just remind you, then!” The hologram shimmered smugly. “I, your good host, can show you all what happened directly!” Monohuman interrupted, knocking his baton on the ground. “Any protests? No? Good. Rolling security footage!”

Everyone’s attention was drawn to the screen that once again descended from the ceiling.

Big Macintosh puttered about the museum workspace, gathering together components. A large knife lay on one table next to the vial of rattlesnake venom. He set down the components he’d gathered and picked up the knife, then the vial, and dipped the knife firmly in, swishing it about and coating it thickly.

“Gotta keep it lookin’ real,” he muttered to himself.

The camera switched feeds to Derpy, looking just as haggard as she’d been that night at dinner, rushing through the darkened parking lot and into the museum, worry lines all over her face. Her fingers and hands kept clenching and unclenching as she ran, till she entered the back room.

“Big Macintosh! There you are. I’ve been looking for you!”

Big Macintosh whirled on his heels, the knife still in hand, venom gleaming on the blade. “M-Miss Derpy? W-what’re you doin’ here?”

Derpy’s eyes took in the blade and widened till they took up half her face, and she took a step back. “I… I was worried for you, after what you had me say this morning. Big Macintosh… are you… are you planning to… to kill?”

He trembled in place, his head beginning to shake, his eyes glancing back and forth between Derpy and the knife. Then his head stilled, and he shed a few tears. “Derpy, Ah…”

“Big Mac?” she murmured, shaking just as much as he was, did perhaps the stupidest thing she could have, and stepped forward, until she was close enough to embrace him. “Put the knife down, Big Mac. We can talk about this. I-I don’t know what you were going to do, but you don’t have to do it, okay?”

She wrapped her arms around him, and reached one hand for the wrist holding the knife. “Put it down,” she urged. “Put it down, and let’s talk.”

He shook like a leaf in her embrace, tears staining his cheeks as he stared down at her face looking up at his. For several long moments, he didn’t move, nor did she. Both simply kept looking into each other’s eyes.

And then his hardened, narrowing ever so slightly. “Ah wish you hadn’t come here, Derpy,” he said. “Ah’m sorry.”

She blinked. “What do you mean — hnng!”

She fell back from him, her eyes bugging out of their sockets, the knife sticking out of her chest. The handle vibrated as her breathing became labored, speeding up considerably. Her hands moved up to grab at it, to pull at it, but she couldn’t. She tripped on her heels and fell onto her butt. Moans of pain escaped her, but they were muffled, gurgling, as foam formed on her lips, followed by vomit. A huge amount escaped her onto the floor, splattering all over her clothes. After spilling the contents of her stomach she resorted to dry heaves.

Her whole body shaking all over the place, she managed to look up at Big Macintosh, and between the tears running down her reddened face, she managed just barely to whisper one word.

“Why?”

Then a final convulsion ran through her body, and she fell back, still and silent.

And Big Macintosh cried over her body. “Ah’m so sorry, Miss Derpy,” he wailed. “Ah… Ah need to make sure Sugar Belle’s okay. Ah can’t risk her bein’ hurt or worse by that Monohuman. Ah’m sorry.”

He rose, and, still staining himself with tears, went about cleaning up the place with soapy water, then enacted the rest of his plan. He used the mechanisms he was originally setting up for the museum in the convenience store, muttering to himself as he set up the cinder block, “Gotta make sure she don’t get more than hurt, can’t risk killin’ her.”

After that he rushed to set up the fake trap at the truck, positioning Derpy’s body just outside the door of the truck and shattering the window with the rebar before setting it in place. Then, having no time to grab the tarp, he rushed back to the museum and swiftly strung together the tripwires for his new, simple trap, and waited.

“Poor Muffins Ditzy ‘Derpy’ Do!” Monohuman cackled. “Dying so painfully for a simple misunderstanding!”

“You’re the one who gave him the motive!” Cranky snapped.

“Yes, but it’s not my fault he got the wrong Belle in mind, is it? These ponies, always jumping to conclusions.”

“...oh my goodness, then… then, that paper really was talking about Sweetie Belle!?” Rarity shouted. “What happened to her? Is she alright? Is she dead?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Monohuman said, chortling under his breath. “But you’ll have to find out on your own. If you can.”

“Why you little… you monster!” Rarity raged, pounding her fists on her podium.

He bowed to her, doffing his top hat. “Guilty as charged, madam.” He rose again and tapped his baton on the ground. “But I think we’ve had enough stalling, enough post trial banter. It’s time to get on to the main event, what we’ve all been waiting for!”

Big Macintosh stiffened at his podium, and focused his gaze on me. “Miss Wallflower,” he said.

I met his gaze. “Yes, Big Mac?” I asked.

Monohuman sat up straight on his throne. “Now then, I’ve prepared a very special punishment for Big Macintosh, the Ultimate Homebody!”

“Can ya promise me somethin’?” His words emerged with a solemn tone. “Can Ah ask you to make sure mah Sugar Belle is safe, if ya get out of here? And tell her… tell her Ah’m sorry.”

Pain filled my soul as I squeezed my eyes shut and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll do that for you, Big Mac. It’s the least I can do.”

He nodded in turn. “Thank you kindly, Miss Wallflower.”

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! Iiiiiiiiit’s punishment time!”

A pedestal with a solitary red button arose in front of Monohuman. With a twirl and flourish of his baton he hovered it over the button and pressed it.

Manacles descended on chains from the ceiling, clasping around his wrists, legs, and neck. Before any of us could say or do anything, the chains yanked him away at supersonic speeds. He vanished into the walls.

And we all turned as one to the huge screen that lit up once more, knowing we were about to witness true horror once again.

GAME OVER

Big Mac has been found guilty.

Time for the punishment!

We watched, entirely transfixed as like Sunset before him, Big Mac’s chains dragged him through old abandoned mineshafts, slamming him against stalagmites and stalactites with equal abandon. Rips and tears appeared in his clothes and more than one bruise swelled up on his body, and still the chains carried him along.

Finally after what felt like hours the chains released him, and he fell a good ten feet onto what appeared to be a stage in the round, decorated with curtains and a single platform in the center with an empty sepulcher. A loud crack resounded through the speakers and he bellowed as he grabbed for his right ankle, broken when he landed.

“Big Macintoooooooooooosh~!”

He looked up at the sound of a sweet voice echoing all around him.

“Sugar Belle?” he called out, trying to stand up straight despite his broken ankle. He stumbled around, dragging his right foot while clutching the leg with one hand. “Sugar Belle, that you?”

“Big Macintoooooooosh… you abandoned me…”

Shadows danced around the outside of the stage, womanly figures I couldn’t make out.

“Nope,” he declared firmly, shaking his head. “Ah didn’t abandon you. Ah told you what Ah was doin’!”

“You abandoned me!” the voice shrieked at the top of its lungs.

From all directions, apples flew at Big Macintosh, of all shapes and varieties, pelting him like stones. The first one landed on his jaw, hard enough his head jerked, and he raised his arms to shield his face as the others rocketed through the air to hit him on his knees, his elbows, his hips and shoulders, as if deliberately focusing on his joints. One particularly large green variety hit his left wrist, and the gut-wrenching sound of shattering bone filled the air along with his screams.

“You betrayed me for a harlot!”

“No… no, Ah didn’t — aaaah!”

The shadows came closer, resolving more clearly into the same identical female shape repeated over and over again, hurling the apples at him at speeds comparable to that of a major league baseball pitcher. The bruises and contusions piled up, along with charred apples that split apart and spread bits and pieces of themselves over him, making him scream anew as they sizzled on his flesh. The boiling innards burned his skin, leaving welts and patches of red, in some cases wearing down almost to the muscle.

“You’re an adulterer and a murderer!”

“Please… stop… Ah didn’t… Ah love you, Sugar Belle…”

Finally becoming clear, the figures floated into view. Light purple skin, darker purple hair hanging down behind her back, wearing a baker’s outfit complete with white apron over her front.

And every single one with shining eyes that looked just like Monohuman’s.

“Well I don’t love you!” they all shrieked in unison as they pulled out fresh apples. But these were smaller, stuck with razor blades.

Big Macintosh’s screams rose in pitch and intensity as these more horrific projectiles tore through his body, ripping dozens of lacerations both minor and major all over him. Blood ran freely in rivulets, soaking his clothes. One razor caught him in the left eye and for a moment I thought he’d died then and there as he fell over.

The fake Sugar Belles vanished, and the lights faded till a single spotlight shone on the sepulcher in the middle. With a mighty creak the stone covering it fell over and crumbled onto the stage. A single body lay inside it.

Derpy. Still with eyes bugging out, the wound opened on her chest. Yet unlike before, her expression had been altered into a smile.

Despite his wounds, Big Macintosh managed to crawl to his feet and stumble over to her anyway. “Miss Derpy…”

He reached for her, embracing her body.

And behind him, a Sugar Belle suddenly reappeared, and both she and the fake Derpy raised signs that read, “NOPE!” in one hand while the other hand bore knives coated in venom, which they stabbed deep into his back, ripped out, and then stabbed again, over and over and over till he had a good dozen holes in his back.

Big Macintosh jerked, convulsed, then finally went quiet and still. The spotlight fell away, shrinking till it focused on a single Macintosh apple, coated in his blood.

As the screen switched off, the air rang silent. No screams, no sounds of vomiting or crying or any of the other reactions everyone had to Sunset’s death.

Instead, we found ourselves full of that unique, sickening, paralyzing emotion that threatened to rob us of any joy left in our lives.

Despair.

“God damn,” Sour Sweet murmured after a while. “He didn’t deserve that shit.”

“No, he didn’t,” Cranky agreed as he exhaled a disgusted sigh. “But he was a pony so Monohuman had to torture him.”

Fluttershy broke into soft tears. “It’s not right… it’s not right to kill someone like that.”

Cheese flopped onto his podium. “I feel like such a heel for voting for him.”

“But, we had to,” Juniper insisted as she tried to wipe her glasses clean, rendered almost impossible by how much she was shaking. “Monohuman would’ve killed us all if we hadn’t.”

“And it was his own fault anyhow,” Trixie insisted, albeit without her usual bombastic tone. “If he truly didn’t wish to murder Derpy he wouldn’t have.”

Shining shook his head and took his hat off, holding it to his chest. “You can’t think that way, Trixie. You’ve never been in a situation like he was. It was Derpy who — “

Autumn Blaze, in a rare show of anger, smashed her fists against her podium. “Shining Armor, don’t you dare blame Derpy for dying! It’s not her fault that Big Macintosh killed her anymore than it’s really his fault he fell prey to Monohuman’s motive. They were both innocent people who should be alive right now, not… not…” Her anger burnt out as she fell onto her podium, eyes full of tears. “No one should be dying… this was supposed to be about peace and cooperation…”

“Well it isn’t,” Sour Sweet said, her usual acerbity missing from her tone. Without it, she almost sounded pleasant, were it not for the subject matter. “We’re all pit against each other. We can’t trust each other anymore, not when Big Macintosh of all people turns out to be a killer.”

“But… Sunset told us not to hate the killers,” said Fluttershy, who’d begun to dry her tears, though her shirt was still covered in snot. “They’re just as much victims as everyone else.”

“Yes, keep telling yourself that, Fluttershy,” Vignette chimed in, every word coated in disdain for Fluttershy’s position. “I’m sure you’ll still be weeping when your hands are covered in blood here in a few days.” She leaned forward and leered at the shorter woman. “Tell me, have you already picked out your victim? Or are you waiting for the right motive? Because if I were you, I’d – “

“Shut my mouth before you say something you’ll truly regret!” Rarity shrieked, her hands lashing out with her fingers outstretched like claws, and only the distance between their podiums prevented her from physically attacking Vignette. “What is wrong with you?”

“Wrong? Rares, nothing’s wrong with me,” Vignette answered as she brushed a lock of hair back, her smile firmly in place. “I’m just admitting to the reality that some of us still haven’t quite understood yet. There’s no such thing as an innocent here. We’re all guilty. We were guilty from the moment we saw Pear Butter’s blood spilled across her desk. And if not then we certainly were guilty when we condemned Sunset to the flames. Blood is on your hands, on mine, on everyone’s here. And if you think for one second that you can trust anyone here… well, think again. I’m sure even Wally’s thought about murdering someone. Right, Wallywall?”

I hadn’t expected her to drag me into this, so instead of being ready with a witty retort, I gaped like a buffoon, unable to find any words.

“Hmph. Thought so. You see, Rares, it’s not a matter of innocence. It’s a matter of opportunity. If the right one comes up, we’ll all be killers. It’s as simple as that.”

“Speak for yourself, Vignette,” Rarity hissed as she jammed her hands back into her pockets. “Not all of us are as evil as you.”

“Oooh, you wound me, Rares,” Vignette said with a loud guffaw-like laugh.

“Ahem!”

Monohuman coughed for attention. “If you’re all done talking to each other, I have an announcement!”

Right on cue, the lights above his throne that I’d forgotten about once again shifted in color until one lit up in crimson red, with an absurdly happy tune playing. Little fireworks exploded in the hologram of the central display, and even Monohuman himself seemed to briefly shine with extra light.

“As you all discussed and that atrocious equine admitted, Big Macintosh was indeed from Equestria. Counting Sunset Shimmer, that’s two you’ve eliminated! Four to go, everyone. Now, really, I said this last time, but do try to start killing them off without offing humans in the process, hmm? As amusing as it is to watch you sacrifice yourselves and lure these ponies into the profession of murder, we are trying to eliminate the enemy, not ourselves.”

He looked around at us once finished, but no one spoke up. “What? No one’s going to give a heroic speech? No “We’re still going to fight you!” malarky? No attempts to defend Equestrians or anything else? I’m shocked. And a little appalled. You surely can’t be broken this soon. No, no, I’m sure you all just need some rest and relaxation. Well, you’ll be pleased to know I’ve prepared a fresh banquet for you, a celebration. Eat and enjoy. Now, off you go. Pip pip.”

In silence, we carried ourselves to the elevator, boarding it and riding it back all the way up to the surface. As we rode, all I could think about was what Vignette had said, about none of us being innocent anymore.

Maybe she was right. Especially when it came to me. I’d already condemned two people to execution. How many more would I condemn before this was all over? How many more people would die here?

What new horrors would await us? What new crimes would be perpetuated?

Just thinking about it all left my skin crawling, and a deep desire to isolate myself as I had before emerged.

But I also knew that would accomplish nothing. There’d be no point in it, not when all I’d do is harm myself. I’d done that song and dance before, and I wasn’t itching for an encore.

My eyes fell on Vignette again, so I studied her. And to my surprise, I noticed a tension to the way she carried herself. Her fingers fidgeted every so often, her eyes occasionally darting about, even as she maintained her smile.

Scared. She was scared, no, terrified underneath all her bravado. No wonder she spoke a big game. It was the only way she had to cope. How strange. Why had she let the mask slip in here? How could she keep it up all the time, but this elevator was somehow the exception?

Whatever the reason, my heart nearly broke for her. So before the elevator reached the surface, I closed the distance between her and me, and I took her hand in mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. Her head snapped up immediately to stare at me, her smile visibly shaking, but I smiled back. No words needed. Vignette was an asshole, but she was a scared asshole, and I understood that kind of fear.

As the elevator dumped us back out onto the surface and we wandered along the trail, I kept holding Vignette’s hand, at least till she finally pulled it away. I caught a few others glancing at us, mostly in disgust, though for some reason it made Zephyr of all people seem pensive.

Well they could think whatever they thought. There’d been nothing the slightest bit romantic about my holding Vignette’s hand. It was purely platonic.

We eventually reached the Mess Hall, and I feared what I’d see on the table. To my dismay, the entire table was loaded down with various dishes on one half, full of fritters and pies and jars of applesauce and plenty of other baked goods, all related to apples in one way or another.

The other half of the table was remarkably empty, save for several bottles of champagne, bread, and tray after tray of muffins.

I wanted to deny my appetite. I truly did. But unlike last time… my stomach growled with a ferocity that could not be ignored. None of us had had breakfast, after all. And so, like the rest, I found myself queuing up and ladling a plate full of food.

I sat down at a table with Vignette and Sour Sweet, and ate in silence. Every so often we looked up at each other, but with little to say, we turned back to our food every time.

“Excuse me, darling?”

I almost shot out of my chair before I recognized Rarity speaking. “Terribly sorry to bother you,” she continued, her words alarmingly reminiscent of the way she spoke to Big Macintosh. “But I needed to speak to you and Sour Sweet specifically.” Her eyes briefly met Vignette’s, and a sneer passed between them before she gazed at me again.

“Uh, alright,” I replied, setting my fork down. “Sour Sweet, care to join us?”

“Pfft, fine,” Sour Sweet muttered as she got out of her chair. The three of us moved over to a corner of the room. “Whaddya want?”

“Oh, I just wanted to apologize for how suspicious I made myself to you two,” she replied, her voice trembling. “I… I still cannot believe what all happened just because I figured out Big Macintosh was a pony. It’s my fault everything went the way it did…”

“What? No fuckin’ way it was,” Sour Sweet said with a shake of her head. She set her good hand on Rarity’s shoulder. “Look, I was pissed at you for most of the trial. I was convinced you’d killed Derpy and tried to kill me and we were all wasting time by not having Wallflower bring it up from the start.”

Rarity’s head drooped. “I… I understand, Sour Sweet. That would give almost anyone reason to hate.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Sour Sweet admitted. She then smiled, a genuine smile for once. “So listen, I apologize too, alright? I’m sorry I suspected you and shit. I know we’ve had our differences, but maybe… maybe we can be friends again?”

She stuck her good hand out, and after a moment of surprised blinking, Rarity took it and shook it firmly. “Apology accepted. I would love to be friends with you again, Sour Sweet.” She looked at me. “And you too, Wallflower… if you’ll have me.”

“I never stopped thinking of you as a friend, Rarity,” I said as I reached out with my arms for a hug.

She fell into them right away, and a small laugh escaped her as we held each other for a moment or two before she let go of me. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said, her voice shaking. “The last thing I’d want is to…to lose what friendship we have.” She briefly looked over her shoulder. “About you and Vignette, however…”

“She’s just a friend,” I said immediately. “She needed some extra reassurance. That’s all.”

“Of course, of course, I shouldn’t have asked,” Rarity said, shaking her head. “It wasn’t my business anyway.”

“Seriously though, don’t go blaming yourself for what Big Mac did, okay, Rarity?” Sour Sweet said. “It’s not your fault he freaked out and tried to frame you. It’s not your fault he killed Derpy. Someone was gonna snap sooner or later… and that guy always kept way too much buried.” At my incredulous look, she added, “What? Why the fuck do you think I’m always letting my temper out? It keeps me from really losing it.”

Rarity nodded. “That makes sense to me. Perhaps I need to sew more… it might be a healthier means of coping than, well… you know.” She tittered. “I dearly love Applejack, but writing letters to her is perhaps a bit much.”

“Oh!” I reached into my pocket and pulled the letter out, handing it over. “Sorry I took this from your room when I did.”

A wan smile crossed her face as she tucked it into her own bag. “No need to worry, Wallflower dear. I only ask you do not mess with my things again.”

“I promise.” I stuck my hands into my pockets. “Well… unless I’m…” I trailed off, feeling foolish for even voicing it.

Rarity caught on immediately. “In case you’re investigating my demise?” She let out another titter, but this one was much more strained. “Well, as much as I don’t wish to die… after what we’ve all seen today, I think we have to accept it as a strong possibility. So I suppose in that case, of course, investigate everything. I wouldn’t want my killer to get away, after all.”

“Right,” I said with a nod. I bit at my lip, trying to think of something else to say, when a thought suddenly struck me. “Rarity… I hope this isn’t prying, but… about Sweetie Belle.”

She stood up straight, all signs of levity vanishing, replaced by naked fear.”What about Sweetie Belle?” she all but snapped.

“W-well, it’s just,” I continued, despite feeling very much like a weak swimmer trapped in shark-infested waters, “We never got a real idea of what actually happened to her. Did… did your motive papers have more information about her? It might be important.”

Rarity opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. “... I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Before I could say anything else, she ran off, disappearing out the exit towards the dormitories.

“Well so much for that,” Sour Sweet said with a shrug. She eyed me. “C’mon, let’s go finish our food. I’m still starving.”

With a morose nod I followed her and sat down. I could feel Vignette’s eyes boring into me once I sat, but other than a brief glance and nod I tried to ignore it.

I tried to ignore everything as I sat there, eating apple fritters and muffins, like it was a day at the faire.

I had to be numb.

Because the only other option was too painful to bear.

Author's Note

Thanks a huge ton to my husband for advice regarding the execution title card, which I'd almost forgotten to make!

Apologies to anyone disappointed that they lost Big Mac so suddenly and so soon, but alas, the needs of the Danganronpa are the needs of the Danganronpa.

We've got one more part to post before this story slumbers for a bit.

20. Interlude Log II

INTERLUDE

Log II

The video switches on with a swirl of television static. Unlike the last one this video is shot from multiple angles, high up, almost like security footage, complete with washed out, faded colors. A blinking timestamp appears in the bottom left corner, along with the phrase “auto-recorded due to absence of Sparkle.”

“Thank you both for coming,” Celestia says as she tucks papers into a folder. Looking up from her desk she frowns. “Where’s Starlight?”

“I’m here, I’m here!” blurts out Starlight as she rushes into the room, doubling over panting from the effort. “I’m so, so sorry, but Trixie insisted on following me and–”

A loud banging followed by a cry of pain precedes a stumbling Trixie walking in, dressed in different clothing than usual, something more akin to professional business wear. “S-Starlight! Don’t run so fast. I’m still not used to this, this two legged thing!”

“Whoa, wait, Trixie?” Sunset cries, staring wide eyed at her. “As in, pony Trixie?”

“In the flesh!” Trixie beams, throwing a hand up next to her face. The attempt to show off falters due to her hand still curling up like it was a hoof. “Forgive Trixie, but I was just so curious I had to come along.”

Pear Butter smiles and holds out a hand. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you then, Trixie.”

“Right. Yeah. Great.” Sunset runs a hand through her hair and sighs. “Because we really ought to be pulling this crap with A.P.L. on the loose.”

“Sorry,” Starlight says with a pained grimace as Trixie and Pear Butter shake hands.

“Anyway,” Sunset turns back to Celestia, “you asked us here because of A.P.L. right?”

Celestia nods. She reaches into a desk drawer and pulls out a remote, then switches on a nearby television screen. “They’ve made a video drop. Two new videos.”.”

The security footage winks out, replaced by a full-color spotlight ad, set in a darkened alleyway during a thunderstorm, where two people are traipsing their way past garbage cans, looking horrified. As they tip toe through, three figures arise from behind the garbage cans, silhouetted by a sudden flash of lightning, revealing three pairs of glowing crimson eyes. The lightning fades, and the ad watches the faces of the two until they start arguing with each other, then together hear a sound, pivot on their heels, and scream as something dives upon them.

The footage pauses and a voice begins to speak. “Sirens. Three evil emotion-eating monsters from Equestria, hell-bent on sucking you dry. They’ve wandered the world for centuries, always looking for their next victim. Once you’re in their clutches, there is no escape. They’ll make you feel negative emotion after emotion until you’re nothing left but a ball of hate while they feed on it all the while. Who knows how many conflicts in history can be traced to them?”

“And how, might you ask, did they get here in the first place? Simple: they’re another reason you can’t trust the ponies, or magic. Equestria needed a dumping ground for their worst criminals so they used us. Who knows what else may have wandered our planet causing havoc? Perhaps all of our conflict can be traced back to the siren’s origins on Earth. And even worse, they’re still around right now, fighting with our children, trying to attack our high schools!”

The video shows a shot of the Dazzlings, clad in their Battle of the Bands outfits. Their crystals are prominent on their necks as each one is seen cradling the red gems.

“Sirens… yet another reason you can’t trust the ponies or magic. If they’ll use us as their dumping ground, who knows what else might be lurking about, ready to wreak havoc?”

The ad ends with one final close up of the Dazzlings’ faces, then the shoddy security camera footage returns.

“Oh damn,” Sunset whispers, staring in mute horror at the television which still shows the bare shot of the Dazzlings. “Where are…”

“In hiding,” Celestia answers. “They didn’t appreciate our offer for help, but they didn’t turn it down, either.”

“Ooo,” Trixie marvels, gawking at the screen. “Wow, that one in the middle is… wow.” She notices Starlight’s increasingly angry expression and rolls her eyes. “Oh, come on, you know I like bad girls. And she is just pure sex. Right?”

“Stop,” Sunset growls.

“Sunsetttt, come on!” Trixie protests. “You of all people…”

“Trixie!” Celestia interrupts, her ‘principal-voice’ in full effect, successfully cowing the erstwhile unicorn. Celestia softens quickly. “That is Adagio, and… there are some raw feelings there. We don’t talk about Adagio. All right?”

Trixie looks at Celestia, then at Sunset. “Sure,” she says, stepping to hide slightly behind Starlight. “Sorry. Didn’t know.”

Sunset nods. “Thanks. Yeah, it’s okay.” She glances up at Celestia. “You said two videos?”

“Yes. But the second video is… stranger. And a bit more alarming. Perhaps we should take a short break before discussing it.”

Sunset glares, but Pear Butter stands up. “Maybe that’s a good idea,” she agrees. Sunset catches her eye, and she reluctantly nods.

A glitch of static, and suddenly Starlight and Trixie are gone. Pear Butter, Sunset, and Celestia stand near the television screen. Celestia presses a button on the remote.

Again, a new image fills the screen, replacing the security footage. Shadowy figures loom in the background, and a voice speaks:

“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

The APL logo forms in the bottom of the screen, and the image of the Sirens coalesce out of the shadows, then fade back out.

“Were you forgiven by the ones you hurt? Or did they never know what you did? Have you forgiven yourself? Or do you continue to make excuses?”

“These are questions humans must ask themselves. But it’s a different story for a pony, an alien, a magic-user. The worst thing they can do is so much worse than you can imagine.”

It’s subtle and slow, but noticeable: the APL logo is gradually turning orange.

“They can send someone into hell just for being an inconvenience, or because they don’t like their looks. They can lie to everyone, to themselves.” Text appears on the screen, mirroring the voice-over’s quotations. “‘I was in a desperate situation. It was them or me. It’s not my fault, it’s her fault, anyone else’s fault.’”

Briefly, Adagio flashes faintly on the screen, before the image shifts… first to darkness…

“They can convince everyone they’re a hero. If all else fails, they can make themselves forget.”

…and then to a picture of a setting sun.

“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

The security footage pops back, Celestia and Pear Butter sharing a confused look. “Ehh,” Pear Butter ventures. “Ah don’t really get it.”

“Indeed,” Celestia muses. “It’s terrible propaganda. Introspection and moral ambiguity don’t serve as effective recruitment tools. This video went up at the same time as the other, and it’s had far less of a reaction, and many fewer views. Why…”

Abruptly, Sunset Shimmer stands up and leaves the room without a word.

“Sunset?” Pear Butter calls. “Sunset?!”

Alarmed, the two women dash after her. The image holds for several seconds, then fades to static.

Author's Note

So concludes Chapter 2! OHS will return later this year. As a reminder if you have yet to see it, check my blog for the full details.

In the meantime, thank you, my lovely readers, for reading and enjoying.

01. Prologue: "Welcome Back To Despair!" Part 1

SUPER DANGANRONPA 2:

ON HARMONY’S SHORES

BY

DEWDROPS ON THE GRASS

&

JCARP

Prologue:

“Welcome Back To Despair!”

Part I

Darkness. Cold. Pain.

So much pain. Agonizing, excruciating. It won’t stop why won’t it stop please make it stop!

Then nothing.

Nothing for a very long time.

Until I breathed once again, tasting the air. It tasted metallic, foul, like mine tailings infused with the air. Light beat down on my face, pounding and harsh. My whole body ached like I’d been dipped in water and had it wrung out of me like a dishrag.

I managed to climb to my feet, brushing dust off my jeans and tan striped sweater. I coughed a few times as I tried to peer at my surroundings through the intense sunlight, my eyes watering while they adjusted. Eventually I made out my surroundings.

A desert landscape, the brightest sunlight gleaming on the drabbest browns and ochers. Dry barrenness surrounded me on all sides, closed off by chain-link fences three times as tall as me. They were lined with razor wire and crackling with electricity and… something else, judging by the unusual colors that shifted in a chaotic mess.

I tried to think, “How did I get here?” and “Where is this?” and “What happened to me?” I knew those made sense to be wondering. But the answers were all the same, just “I don’t know.” Whenever I tried to think of anything outside the present moment, it felt like my mind was slipping and falling and tumbling down a hill of I Don’t Know and I Don’t Know and I Don’t Know forever, and I almost screamed from the terror it caused. I had to stop and focus on this place. I had to just figure out what to do.

I gathered myself and took a more careful look around. I was standing on a worn-down, beaten up road that might’ve once been asphalt but was now bits and pieces of torn up stone and concrete. In one direction it led towards a nearby set of hills, where I could see in the distance what looked like the entrance to a mineshaft, though the way to it was blocked off by a gate.

The other way led towards a structure of some kind made from brick and stone, with a rough-shorn roof full of old shingles. The overall shape and design implied it had been built in the 40s or 50s, which meant it was probably full of asbestos and other lovely things buried in its insulation. The sheer size of it, stretching at least the length of a football field if not larger, suggested it was an old schoolhouse maybe, or perhaps some administrative building for the mineshaft behind me. There was a single set of double doors facing my side, and access to the rest was blocked off by more of the fences, so I really only had one option for where to go, unless I wanted to bake in the sun.

Brushing my hair out of my face, I made my way towards the building. At first my footsteps ached my leg muscles and back, like I hadn’t walked in a long stretch of time, but soon enough those kinks worked themselves out. I decided I was annoyed. It felt right. I was probably getting knocked down a peg. I probably got my stupid hopes up, “Oh, I bet I won’t wake up tomorrow in a desert hellscape,” and this happened just to teach me a lesson. This all felt right.

As I neared the building, I realized I wasn’t the only one here: there was another woman leaning against the doors, sitting up holding her head, groaning.

One I recognized immediately.

“Sunset Shimmer?” I said, my voice shaking.

She looked up instantly at the sound of my voice, her expression haunted. “...Wallflower?!” she gasped. “Wallflower Blush?”

“Uh. Yeah.” I looked away a little, crossing my arms defensively. “It’s me.”

She continued to gape, her face paling with every second, like she was seeing a ghost. "You’re alive,” she breathed.

Then she rushed me, her hands starting to run all over my shoulders and arms, completely invading my personal space! I thrust her away, shouting, “Stop that, don’t touch me without asking like that, Sunset, god!”

Sunset looked appropriately abashed as she stepped back, even as she started to chuckle a little. “Sorry, it’s just… you’re, I thought you were…” She shook her head. “Never mind. That’s not the only mystery we need to solve right now. We’ve got bigger things to worry about.”

For some reason, as she said that, she stared at her left arm. I couldn’t imagine why; it didn’t look any different than her other arm. It was a normal human arm, like any other.

Whatever.

“Like figuring out where we are and why we’re here?” I asked.

“Yeah, that,” Sunset agreed. She eyed me again, and smiled softly. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

I blinked. “Um…” I started to wrack my brain for the answer, only for a sharp pain to pierce through my head like a knife. “Ahh! I… I don’t…”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, Wallflower, it’s okay,” Sunset said, reaching out as if to pat me on the shoulder, then thinking better of it. “My mind’s a bit of a mess too… last thing I remember, I was… never mind. Not important.”

“If you say so,” I muttered. I stared up at the building before us. “So we should go inside, right?”

“Probably.”

I held out a hand. “After you, then. You’re the brave one.”

She winced at that, as if I’d struck a nerve. “Right.” Letting out a huge breath, she pushed the doors open.

Inside we found a short corridor that led to another set of double doors, this one labeled, “Mess Hall.” There was one other door in this corridor, but opening it up revealed a broom closet, full of outdated cleaning supplies that, like the building, looked right out of the 40s or 50s in design. Probably not even usable anymore.

So with another brief pause we pressed on into the Mess Hall.

And suddenly, PEOPLE. Not a big group, maybe three or four, all talking and chatting until we came through the doors, at which point they went completely silent and looked. Somehow by coming into this room I had horrified or offended or disgusted these strangers, the shock on their faces making it feel like a million eyes were on me.

My body started shaking as I began searching for somewhere to hide, taking a few steps back, even as the others all started shouting at once, questions like, “Where were you?” and “Where have you been?” and so on, louder and louder it made me want to cover my ears and scream!

And then a voice cut through everything, a feminine one laced with a thick country accent. “Quiet, y’all! Can’t ya see you’re overwhelmin’ the poor girl?”

The owner of said voice pushed through the crowd, a tall woman with long tresses of tangerine colored curly hair, wearing a flannel button up shirt and a pair of ripped up jeans, the kind that were ripped up by actual use and not because it was some stupid style. She carried a guitar with her, slung on her back via a strap.

“Hey, Wallflower, it’s alright. Ah’m here now, okay?” she said, approaching me gently, her voice much softer. She held out a hand, palm upward, for me to take if I wanted.

I stared at the hand like it was the jaws of a viper. “...who’re you?”

She took a brief step back, her mouth twisting up in a confused frown. “...It’s me, Wallflower. Pear Butter. Don’t you remember?”

“I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

Her frown deepened, and for a moment her eyes flashed with what might’ve been suspicion. Then she relaxed. “Alright, listen…Ah’m not gonna hurt you, Ah promise.” She turned to Sunset, her tone shifting to something more professional. “Glad you finally got here. Where’d you find her?”

Sunset looked at her blankly for a moment; she clearly had no more of an idea what was going on than I did. “Out on the road.”

“Outside in the heat? Lord. Listen, Ah’ll help her out, you need to check the butler. It’s been actin’ weird.”

Without waiting for a response, Pear Butter turned back to me, all warmth again. “C’mon, let’s take you somewhere quiet where you can have a glass of water.”

I hadn’t realized how completely parched my throat was until she mentioned it. Sunset gave me a quick nod; even if she was confused herself, she seemed to know and trust this lady. “Sure,” I said as I took Pear Butter’s hand. It was warm and soft, and felt nice to hold.

She gently led me out to the corridor, letting the doors close behind us. Immediately I felt better, not having to see all those faces… looking at me.

“There ya go, that’s better, ain’t it?” Pear said with a happy laugh. “Sorry if everyone was starin’. We were real worried about where you were. Everyone was about to peel off and start searchin’ when you and Sunset walked through those doors. What were you doin’ out there, anyway?”

“I don’t know, I…I just woke up outside.” I kept eyeing her even if she was seeming less threatening by the minute. I wanted to distrust her or resent her or something, but she was just too genuine and kind. “You really know me?”

“Eeyup.” She gave me a smile, but the longer she held it, the more strained it started to seem. “This ain’t the first time we’ve met.”

“...it isn’t?”

Pear Butter’s smile nearly shattered. “Err, no. It ain’t. Ah’m a therapist, Wallflower. Ah’m your therapist, actually. You… really don’t remember?”

I shook my head. “No… no I–aaah!” I grabbed my head as another sharp pain sliced right through it. “I don’t…have… a therapist.”

“...right.” Pear Butter’s smile vanished. “Well, tell you what. Ah’ll see if Ah can’t help jog your memory a bit while we go around meetin’ everyone. Ah’m pretty sure you oughta know everyone else here in some capacity or another, but… Ah’m gonna guess you don’t remember any of them either?”

I shook my head again. “I didn’t really get a good look, everyone was yelling. The only one I know I recognized is Sunset.”

She clearly didn’t believe me, but she adopted a smile anyway. “Well, let’s see if we can’t change that… mebbe you just need somethin’ to jog it.” She walked over to the mess hall doors and pushed them open, then nodded. “Looks like the coast is clear. Only one person still in there. Everyone else’s wandered off.”

“Okay.” I took a deep breath and clenched my fists. I could handle one stranger. “Let’s go.”

She entered the Mess Hall with me in tow. Sure enough, one person was left around, this one a man nearly as tall as Pear Butter, pale of skin but with dirty blond locks spread all over his head in a shorn short fashion. Muscles bulged underneath his clothing. Like Pear Butter, he was wearing flannel and jeans, though his flannel was a different pattern altogether. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets and was smiling, albeit bashfully.

“Oh Ah should’ve known if anyone’d wait for us, it’d be you,” said Pear Butter with a laugh. “Go fetch Wallflower a glass of water, could ya? Poor thing’s been outside in the sun.”

The huge man nodded and went to some drink station, filling a glass at a water dispenser. He returned and handed it to me, a friendly smile on his face.

Seeing water in front of me rendered me so ravenously thirsty I started chugging without even thinking to say thank you. Luckily, neither of them seemed to care. Pear Butter patted the man on his shoulder affectionately. “Wallflower, this here’s mah son, Big Macintosh, though he usually just goes by Big Mac. Ain’t that right, Mac?”

Big Macintosh blushed profusely, looking at his mother with stars in his eyes. “Eeyup,” he muttered. When I gulped down the whole glass, he roughly stuck a hand out my way, which I shook… even if he wasn’t paying me much attention, his grip felt like it almost broke my hand.

Pear Butter laughed again as she pulled him into a hug. “Oh you silly boy… he never says much. Kind of like his papa was, except at least his papa knew how to talk to women,” she teased.

Big Macintosh rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

“It’s… nice to meet you, Big Mac,” I said hesitantly. I hoped she didn’t think I’d be interested in him…

“Yup,” Mac replied, nodding sagely as if he’d said something profound. Saying nothing else, he reached his other hand out towards me; I eventually realized he wanted me to hand him the empty glass, which I did.

“Anywho, Wallflower and Ah are gonna keep headin’ around. You gonna stay here?” Big Mac shook his head, and pointed in the direction of the kitchens. “Right, Ah get it. Come on now, Wallflower.”

As we walked away, she said, “He’s a nice enough boy but don’t worry, Ah know he’s not your type. Bit too masculine for you.”

I blinked, startled. “How did you–”

“Ah told you before, Ah’m your therapist,” Pear Butter cut me off. “We’ll get you rememberin’, don’t you worry.” Under her breath, she muttered something I couldn’t catch.

Pear Butter led us out through one of the other exits to the mess hall and into a side corridor which extended for some distance. The first room just off the corridor was a sizable break room, with old-timey couches arranged to face coffee tables. A sink and a single hotplate were set up on a counter on the far side, next to a set of snack and beverage machines that, despite being of older style, were lit up and apparently in perfect working order.

There was another man standing here, this one with slicked back dark hair and a receding hairline, wearing a sweater vest and tie along with slacks. His almost greyish skin stood out, as did his grumpy expression. “Oh, wonderful, you’re back to pester me some more,” he grunted as he drank from a can of soda.

“Now now, Mr. Doodle, you know that’s not why Ah’m here. Ah’m just takin’ Wallflower back to mah office.”

“Not sure why you’re bothering. I remember you though, Wallflower, from my math classes. You were a quiet kid.” He glared at Pear Butter. “I like quiet.”

“I’m… sorry?” I said, not understanding.

He grunted, but with a little warmth, then held out a hand. “Cranky Doodle, math teacher, Canterlot High. Guess you’re having some memory issues, huh kid?”

I stared at his hand for a moment, then hesitantly shook it. “Yeah. You could say that.”

“Well, I hope that works itself out.” He sighed and looked at the can of soda in his hands. “I remember this design on cans when I was your age. When I agreed to this program I didn’t think they’d stick to authenticity like this.”

“Program?” I asked. “What program?”

He eyed me for a moment, then shook his head. “Ask Pear Butter. I don’t feel like explaining it to you, sorry.”

“Mr. Doodle!” Pear Butter chastised. “Ain’t you supposed to be a teacher?”

“Yes, ma’am, but I didn’t come here to teach. I came here to do a different job.” He glared at Pear Butter. “And cut it back on the ain’ts. I can’t stand that fake country folksy thing. You weren’t talking like that when you first showed up; it’s making you sound less intelligent than you are.”

She fired off a truly withering glare then, which I didn’t understand. “Ah’ll thank you not to correct the way Ah speak.”

“Hmph.” There was no warmth to that grunt.

Pear Butter bristled, her hold on my hand strengthening. “Well, never you mind then. Come on.” She all but dragged me down the hallway, past a number of vacant, closed offices, to a cheerier one at the end of the hallway. This one was set up with decorations that befit the therapist, including a paperweight of a red barnhouse in the snow with little figurines of herself, her son, and three others… one masculine that must’ve been her husband, and two other women, presumably her daughters, who looked vaguely familiar in a way that hurt to think about.

For some reason she had a party streamer hanging up on the wall behind her chair… the streamer said “Village Debut!” and nothing else, which didn’t tell me anything. Must’ve had some sentimentality to her.

There was also a white noise machine by the door which she moved out to the hallway and turned on as soon as she walked in, which started up a pleasant buzzing sound I could hear even after she shut the door. It put me at ease. It felt familiar.

“Are you really my therapist?” I asked.

“Eeyup.”

“Are you good at it?”

She froze in place, giving me a look that wavered between offended and confused.

“Gh!” I felt my cheeks heating up and pressed my palms against them in chagrin. “No, I mean… do I… trust you? Have you helped me?”

She smiled again, all genuine warmth. “That’s for you to tell me when you get your memories back. Ah always had a talent at helpin’ folks figure out what’s best for them. Ah don’t like to go around imposin mahself.”

I slightly relaxed.

“Alright, take a seat now, Wallflower,” she said, indicating the comfortable armchair in front of her desk. “When you woke up, did you have a tablet on you?”

“Uh, no, nothing,” I said as I got into the chair. “Am I supposed to?”

Pear Butter frowned. “Yes, but Ah’ll let you take a look at mine for the moment. They took our phones when we joined the program and gave us these for messagin’ each other during the program… Ah find ‘em a little clunky, but Ah guess that’s on purpose. Here. You’ll understand.”

I took the proffered tablet… it was roughly twice the size of a typical smartphone, just barely possible to fit into my jeans pocket. I switched it on. At first there was a brief screen pop-up that stated “Welcome, Pear Butter!” and then it switched over to a new screen, an intro:

Greetings! Thanks so much for volunteering! Both Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle are excited and grateful to have you here. Our goal, as you know, is to show that equestrians and humans can live together in friendship. Some of you have made the journey through the portal, and some of you already lived here. In either case, we know you all appreciate and value the magic of friendship.

Because you have each been hand (or hoof) selected to take part in our small-scale pilot program, you will likely encounter some individuals here you already know. Still, please do your best to socialize with everyone here! You each have something unique and important to offer our temporary community.

I stopped reading at once, almost dropping the tablet in my confusion. “...Equestrians?” I whispered. “This is…about ponies and humans living together?”

“Oh! So you do recollect what ponies are. Ah’m glad to hear that,” Pear Butter said, taking her tablet back.

“Uh, yeah.” I tried not to swallow too hard as I did my best to avoid thinking about why I knew about ponies and Equestria, as doing so made my brain ache. “So is that why there’s all these fences?”

“Mmhmm. Far as this program is concerned, we’re here to stay for the duration. Those are there to protect us from protestors or… others… that might find us and try to hurt us because of what we’re doing.” She looked at me hopefully. “So your semantic memory might be fine. Do you remember comin’ up here, meetin’ Big Mac and Mr. Doodle?”

“Yeah. Everything since waking up.”

She smiled. I reminded myself it was her job to be nice, but I was already feeling only semi-bristly. ‘Look, Ah know it’s scary right now,” she said, “but trust me, this is all hopeful news. Do ya know when your memory loss starts? What’s the last thing you remember before wakin’ up?”

I stupidly thought about the answer to that question and was rewarded with an electric shock to my eyeballs. “Ugg.” I put my hand to my head, wincing. “It hurts to even think about it. I have some memories of high school, because that’s how I recognized Sunset, and nothing after that. But I also know I’m not in high school anymore.” I scowled, frustrated. “It’s all vague, I don’t know.”

“That’s fine! You’re doin’ great.” She glanced at a clock on the wall. “Listen, Ah’m gonna have to talk to Sunset. Me and her are the only ones workin’ here, but it ain’t exactly equal. Ah’m just here to help folks get along and deal with any conflicts. She’s the one who actually runs the thing.”

She leaned forward, as if letting me in on a secret. It was endearing. “Lord knows Ah’m glad she’s here. The rest of us came up a couple of days ago to get settled in, but she had to stay in Canterlot an’ talk to some pony princess. She probably found you ‘cause she saw you from the air when she was landing.”

My mind reeled. Landing! Like an airplane?! “This… seems pretty huge to just have one person running it,” I remarked.

She just shrugged. “Well, truth is, the whole thing’s really bein’ run by some kind of magic computer.” She rolled her eyes. “Ah mean, it’s actually magic. Ah’m thinkin’ you mighta accidentally got zapped by some of the stuff we’re using to power the thing, and that’s why this is happening.”

I winced, and not because of my memory-pain. I had not been blessed by forgetting the worst thing I ever did, why I of all people should know a lot about Equestrian magic causing amnesia. “Magic computer?”

“Yup,” she said, breezy and charming. “Also a holographic butler.”

“...Holographic…”

“Butler, yeah. Darn computer does everything, and that includes contactin’ the outside. But lord knows I ain’t got a clue how to use it. That’s why I gotta talk to Sunset.”

I felt myself tense up a little. I suddenly remembered what that Cranky guy had said, about Pear Butter putting on an ignorant, down-home persona to make me think she was harmless. Was she still doing that? If she was my therapist, she must know a lot about me. She must know about the memory stone. Was I being totally dumb to trust her? Was I being paranoid to think I was being dumb?

Apparently completely unaware of my swirling thoughts, she continued. “So, we’ll ask Sunset and she’ll rope in some other magic-knowing folks to help. But until then, let’s just get ya settled back in, okay? Ah’m hopin’ this’ll get cleared up and you’ll still be able to participate.” She snapped her fingers. “Oh, right, you probably need a refresher on the rules. Here.” She swiped her tablet to another screen and showed it to me again.

Rule #1: All residents must stay within city limits until the program is completed.

Rule #2: Don’t disclose to anyone which dimension you come from!! Remember, the point of this program is demonstrating if humans and equestrians can get along. If anyone knows your origins, then it’s possible unintentional bias could influence our results!

I felt my stress levels rising, and I turned the tablet off and handed it back without bothering to finish reading it. This was just more stressful stuff. “You said something about protestors. People don’t like what we’re doing?”

Pear Butter sighed. “No, no they don’t. And Ah for one don’t get why. It ain’t like ponies are harmful; shoot, they’ve had a lot less wars than we humans have had. They’re all cuddly and cute and friendly. Really, the only weird part in mah mind is how every one of us has a pony duplicate and vice versa.”

Before I could even begin to question that, there was a knock at the door, which then opened. “Ah, there you are,” said the man standing there, tall, pale skinned, wearing a cyan blue button up shirt and a pair of black slacks as well as a police cap. There was another person standing behind him, a woman dressed in a flowing forest green silk dress with identically colored sandals and a huge bush of fiery orange hair surrounding her head. I vaguely realized these were two of the people I’d seen when I first got here. The starers.

The woman didn’t stare now. Instead, she nearly trembled, her face an expression that looked like she’d eaten ten tons of sugar and was about to explode from the high. “How’s she doing?”

“Ask her,” Pear Butter said, gesturing to me.

“Uuuuh…” I shrank into my chair, not sure what to say.

He gave me a smile he probably thought was disarming, but struck me as more patronizing. “Hey, you’re alright. Everyone’s heard you’re having some memory issues; I’m Shining Armor. This here is Autumn Blaze.”

“Oooh it’s so good to see you up and about Wallflower because I mean we spent soooo much time chatting the first night you got here and I think we really got each other like spiritually and then you kinda just disappeared into your room the second night and no one had seen you and then all of a sudden you were outside on the trail to the mineshaft like what were you even doing out there–”

“Ooookay, Autumn, that’s enough,” Shining said, cutting off the babbling nonsense that was so rapid and fluid I hadn’t been able to understand more than every other word. “We get the idea. Point is, we were all a little worried about you. I’m glad to see you’re okay. Hopefully whatever’s going on with your head will fix itself soon.”

“...thanks, I think.”

“Hey, I have an idea!” Autumn Blaze said. “Let’s take Wallflower around to the others and see if we can’t jog her memory!”

Pear Butter frowned. “Ah’m not so sure that’s a good idea… y’all know she’s got some serious anxiety, right?”

“Oh, pfft, she’ll be okay once she gets up and around, you’ll see. It wasn’t like she was all that anxious when we first got here,” Autumn said.

“Excuse me,” I said, trying not to let my irritation show at being discussed like I wasn’t even in the room. “I think I can make my own decisions. And I think I’m going to go. Without any of you.”

I got up and fled before any of them could object, blitzing back down the hallway and into the mess hall. Big Macintosh was sitting at one of the tables chowing down on some eggs, but I ignored him, heading for the set of doors on the other side. Maybe I could hide in some other set of offices down there, since it looked like it mirrored the corridor I’d been in.

Only the door didn’t open.

I tried it a few times until I heard someone politely cough behind me.

“Um, excuse me, Wallflower? That door is, um, locked. For a reason.”

I turned around to see the second familiar face I’d spotted since waking up here, belonging to a woman wearing a pair of turquoise shorts bedecked with silhouetted butterflies and a green t-shirt. Flowing pink hair covered one eye, which she brushed out of the way as she spoke. “The butler told us all not to go in there.”

“...Fluttershy?” I ventured.

Fluttershy beamed. “Oh, wonderful! You remember my name! That’s such good news. You remember talking yesterday?”

I shook my head. “No, I think I just remember you from high school.”

Fluttershy just frowned sympathetically. Luckily, the awkward pause was quickly interrupted. “Oh, Fluttershy, darliiiiiing? Where are you?”

Another familiar voice preceded an equally familiar face entering the room. Like Fluttershy, she wore a pair of jean shorts, decorated with diamonds, and a t-shirt in cyan blue with ruffles on the sleeves and around the bottom. Elegantly coiffed purple hair danced about her face, still perfect despite the desert environment. “Oh, there you are. And Wallflower too!”

“...Rarity, right?” I said.

Fluttershy’s smile widened. “Look at that, Rarity, she recognizes us both!”

“Oh thank heavens,” Rarity said. She held out an arm as if to give me a half hug, but didn’t actually touch me. For a second I hesitated, then nodded, and she came the rest of the way. “And here I was beginning to think I lost my friend.”

“Rarity? Are you in here?”

Rarity’s eyes widened considerably at the sound of Sunset’s voice. “Hide me!” she said to Fluttershy.

Before I could ask what they were doing, the two disappeared into the kitchen.

Sunset Shimmer entered the mess hall shortly there afterwards, halfway out of breath. “Hey, Wallflower. Did you see Rarity head this way?”

“Who?” I said, grinning inwardly.

She stared at me, then sighed. “Right. Never mind. It’s… it doesn’t matter. She’s avoiding me anyway. Not that I get why. We’re supposed to be…” She trailed off, her face more than a little haunted. “You know what, Wallflower, something’s wrong around here. And I don’t like it.”

“Pear Butter…” My voice inadvertently faded out, but I was able to bring it back with only a slight delay. “Uh. She said you’re supposed to be running this place.”

“...What?” Sunset froze, startled. “That’s ridiculous, I’ve never even been here before.” She looked around foggily.

“She said you talked to a princess and then flew here right before you found me.”

“Flew…?” After her initial bewilderment, Sunset grimaced. “I have a really bad feeling. I’m pretty sure you and I are not the only ones whose memories have been messed with.”

My mouth fell open. “What? What do you mean?”

“I’ll explain later,” she answered. “Look, let’s just see who else is here first, okay?”

Before I could respond to that she all but dragged me with her outside the mess hall and back into the desert sun.

Outside I could see we were in a much larger complex than I had initially expected. There was a cobblestone road in front of us that split off into several directions, with the one pointed forward leading towards a central plaza with a wooden prefab stage set up facing the opposite direction from the mess hall. Beyond that the road stretched out to a pair of two story brick and wooden buildings that looked like dormitories or group housing. The road continued to lead off from there.

To either side of the plaza the road split off leading to two equally sealed and imposing looking gates, with metal plaques reading “2” and “3” respectively.

In front of the stage was someone that caused Sunset to freeze in place, her jaw dropping in shock. “...her too?” She whispered.

The her in question sported a flowing midnight blue skirt and matching long sleeved blouse. She wore a pair of boots of the same shade as her clothes with purple straps bedecked with cyan stars. A fluffy witch’s purple witches hat also covered in cyan stars sat atop her head, framed by her flowing silvery locks which cascaded down onto a purple cloak she wore tied by a gemstone clasp. The whole outfit looked far too hot for this weather, but she didn’t seem the least bit bothered.

“Well, well, there you are, Wallflower, Sunset,” she said, crossing her arms, glaring especially at Sunset. “You were supposed to get in this morning. Is there a reason you’ve made Trixie wait so long before you came to see her? Hmmmm?”

Sunset abruptly leapt onto Trixie, joyful laughter burbling forth from her like a fountain as she squeezed Trixie in an embrace tight enough to take her breath away. “Oh, Trixie, it’s so good to see you again! How did you–”

Trixie’s hand came up to push Sunset away, inadvertently smacking her in the jaw. “Sunset Shimmer, you are being too rough with Trixie!” she squawked. She managed to get herself untangled and brushed off the dust, giving Sunset a fierce glare. “Honestly, Sunset, compose yourself.”

I tried not to laugh at Sunset’s confused look of half shame, half shock as I approached Trixie. “Hey Trixie, how’ve you been?”

Trixie huffed. “Trixie would be far better if that butler would open up access to the rest of the village already. She’s slept two nights in those silly dorms and she would rather not keep repeating the experience. This isn’t college anymore. Not even to mention the annoying clothes situation, or…”

“So we’ve been here a while already,” I interrupted, hoping to head off a rant.

Trixie arched her eyebrows suspiciously. “Yesss… Wallflower, you really don’t remember much, do you? I’d heard that was the case.” She narrowed her eyes. “Or are you pretending for sympathy? Trixie won’t give it to you if that’s the case.”

I snorted. “Why the hell would I do that?”

Trixie shrugged. “Trixie doesn’t know. But then, Trixie doesn’t understand how you would suddenly lose your memories. Or why you would disappear early last night only to show up on the far side of the mess hall. You do remember that we were told there’s nothing out that way other than the mines, right?”

“No, Trixie, I don’t,” I shot back. “The only things I seem to remember so far are your face, Sunset’s, and Fluttershy and Rarity’s. Everyone else is a stranger to me.”

“Uh huh. Sure.” Trixie snorted, then waved us off. “Then go introduce yourself again. And take Sunset with you. Trixie doesn’t want to get tackle-hugged again. Seriously, Sunset, Trixie knows she’s fantastic and fabulous but really.”

“No, wait, I still have questions!” Sunset said as I took her by the hand and pulled her away. “Darn it, Wallflower, I need to know how she did it.”

“Did what?” I asked.

She looked right back at me sharply. “...never mind. Like I said, I’ll explain later.”

“...okay…”

We wandered past the stage, which held a single lectern and not much else other than spotlights, and headed down the path towards the dorms, which I noticed with interest happened to sit in a small clearing full of desert brushes and a garden full of succulents. “You know what,” Sunset said as we decided to enter the one on the right, labeled, “Dorms One,” atop its door. “This is really starting to creep me out. I don’t remember why we’re here… someone was asking me about surveys before I found you again and I had no idea what they were talking about.”

I shrugged. "Don't look at me."

As we entered the building we found it split up into two floors of four rooms each, giving eight total. Each one bore a nameplate and a picture of a face–I recognized several of the ones I’d already seen, including Pear Butter, Shining Armor, and Autumn Blaze.

Standing in front of one, obscuring the nameplate, were two men chatting away. One wore a sunshine yellow polo shirt and dirty ripped up blue jeans, with an explosion of curly brown hair all around his head. The other was taller, wearing some kind of bell bottom jeans in a shade of aqua, and a sleeveless vest in some kind of off-pink shade decorated with what might’ve been amoeba or geodes, and a man bun of blonde hair atop his head.

The blonde one spotted us immediately and fired off finger guns in our direction. “Hey hey, check it out, Cheese! It’s Sunset and Wallflower!”

“Oh, hey there, little ladies!” said Cheese as he turned to wave. “Good to see you again. And glad you’re back, Wallflower! I was half ready to start tracking you down if you didn’t turn up. What happened?”

“Uuuuuuhm…” Sunset and I exchanged a look and shrugged. She then flashed Cheese an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I uh… we both woke up with some kind of memory issue. Can you just… remind us who you are real quick?”

Blondie made a pathetic looking face and held his hands up to his cheeks. “Oh nooo, don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten moi? How could you? I’m only the bestest little brother that ever was and I know you know Fluttershy!”

“...just humor us, please,” Sunset said.

Cheese let out a belly laugh and clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Sorry about that. This here’s Zephyr Breeze, Fluttershy’s brother, and I’m Cheese Sandwich, accordion player, song writer, and man of the world! I don’t blame you if you don’t remember me; we only met for the first time a couple of days ago.”

“But I’ve known you two for years!” Zephyr objected, his face even more pathetically screwed up in sorrow now. “You’re like, well… not my best friends, but you’re friends! Kind of. You know, we hang out. Sometimes. When you’re with Fluttershy. On occasion.”

Cheese let out a quiet laugh. “Oh, give it up, Zephyr, I’m sure they’ll get their memories back. Probably just hit their heads on a walk last night or something and that’s why they were missing.” He eyed us, his smile dimming a tad. “Though I’d be careful if I were you. The desert isn’t the safest place at night. Don’t go wandering off. There’s a reason they put those fences up.”

“Right. Thanks.” Sunset grabbed my hand. “We uh… we’re gonna… go now.”

Before the other two could say anything, Sunset took us back outside and to the other dorm building before she stopped to momentarily catch her breath. “Yikes. Didn’t expect Zephyr Breeze.”

“That’s Futtershy’s brother?” I asked. “Did you see the look in his eyes when he spotted us? Like he was sizing us up or undressing us with his eyes or something.”

Sunset winced. “He’s not… so… bad?” she ventured. She kept up the optimism for a moment, then drooped and sighed. “From what I remember, Fluttershy keeps him in line.”

“I hope so,” I said as we stepped inside the other dorm. This one felt a little more familiar to me, and I could see why because right up the stairs on the landing, the first two rooms were Sunset’s… and mine.

There was also another person just leaving her room, who was somewhat grey in skin tone like Mr. Doodle, but with a far cheerier expression, dirty blonde hair cascading around her shoulders. She wore a thigh length cotton tan dress with an orange belt tied around her waist, black capri shorts underneath and a pair of brown boots covered in a series of bubbles . When she spotted us she let out a brief, “Oh!” and smiled warmly. “Hi Sunset, hi Wallflower! How’re you feeling? Pear Butter said you weren’t feeling too good.”

Although I didn’t recognize who this was, Sunset seemed to, smiling back just as warmly. “We’re fine, Derpy, thanks.”

“Derpy?” I whispered.

“Her name’s actually Ditzy Muffins Doo,” Sunset whispered back. “But she prefers Derpy. Says it’s more honest to her personality.”

“Yup, that’s right!” Derpy said, grinning. As she smiled her eyes started to go cross eyed before she shook her head briefly to clear it up. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to overhear, but… good ears.”

Good ears, she said. Or she could read lips. Despite her friendliness, something about her seemed a little off. But I wasn’t about to betray my suspicion to her. “Don’t worry about it,” I said.

“Hey, Derpy, why’re you wearing your old Battle of the Bands outfit today?” Sunset asked as Derpy walked past us to the stairs.

Derpy shrugged. “Just felt like it. I like this outfit. The colors are nice. And it blends in with the desert.” She coughed into her hand. “A-anyway, I’m really hungry, so I’ll see you at the morning meeting later.”

“Wait, morning meeting?” Sunset questioned as Derpy walked off.

“Forget it, I’m sure we’ll find out,” I said. I pointed to our rooms. “We should check these out while we’re here. Maybe our pads are in there.”

Sunset’s face paled. “Pads? What… what pads?”

“I dunno, some tablet thing Pear Butter said we all had. She called it a pad.”

Sunset let out a high-pitched laugh that sounded decidedly unnatural. “Oh! Of course, that’s… that’s what you meant. You wouldn’t have… no, you wouldn’t joke about that.”

“Wouldn’t joke about what?” I questioned.

“never mind. Let’s just check our rooms.”

Rolling my eyes, I went over to the one marked as mine and tried the doorknob. Naturally it was locked, but on a hunch I searched my pockets, and sure enough I pulled out an old fashioned key, unlocking it. The instant I entered, I had to revise my opinion of these rooms significantly.

They were set up more like an opulent hotel room than the cheap college dorm I’d been expecting. A single king sized bed sat along one wall, facing an old-fashioned CRT television sitting atop a chest of drawers made from cherry wood. A mahogany desk with a blotter and accompanying lamp sat against another wall, with a wooden backed rolling chair to sit down in. To one side of the desk was a small minifridge, labeled with a sign that said, “Drinkable fluids only!”

Poking about the rest of the place I saw a tiny kitchenette with a single stove top burner next to a small sink, opposite which was a walk-in closet. Briefly poking inside revealed a number of outfits of mine. There was a door next to the kitchenette which, when opened, revealed a larger than I would have expected bathroom with separate standing shower and claw-footed tub, as well as another sink for handwashing. I noticed the shower even had my favorite brand of shampoo placed on the caddy shelf bolted inside, and my medicines were on the sink.

After taking a moment to use the facilities and grab a bottle of water from the mini fridge, I poked around some more and finally found what I was looking for: a tablet identical to Pear Butter's save for having my name on the label, and my name popping up when it was switched on. I swiftly stuck it in my pocket then left the room, making sure to lock up.

I found Sunset waiting for me, looking more worried than ever. "Hey. Did you find that pad you were talking about?"

"Yeah, didn't you?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Maybe I dropped it somewhere."

"Well we won't find out here," I said.

"Right."

As we left I spotted two other buildings I hadn't noticed. One was a small shed with a locked door that read "musical instrument storage." And from what I could see through the small window on the door, it wasn't kidding. All kinds of instruments were piled inside, decorating shelves and a few scattered about on the floor with their cases half open.

"Hey! Don't touch that!"

I turned to see a grumpy looking woman with dark turquoise hair tied with a pair of old fashioned movie reels for a hairclip, sporting a black skirt and a purple coat over top of a cyan blouse. She held up a large keyring from which a single key dangled. "I already claimed music shed duty. You can get one when I say you can."

"Uh, sorry, I was just checking the place out," I said with a sigh.

She continued to frown, then it turned into a scowl. "You really don't know who I am, do you? It's me, Juniper Montage. You know, future movie star? Hello?” She framed her face with her hands and posed in a completely unhelpful way. “I told you all about my ten-year plan to make it big?”

"...what are you talking about?"

She snorted with disgust and walked off without another word.

"Oh, look at that, you upset little miss movie magic over there."

I turned at the sound of the new voice to see a human, maybe a year or two older than me, giving me a look like she was my mom. The look didn't fit her outfit at all: skinny denim shorts and equally skinny shoulderless shirt, over which she wore some kind of full length brown leather open vest that had numerous tassels dangling at the bottom. Shining blue eyes stared out from beneath a dirty mixture of pink and white hair in a fashionably messy tossle, and atop that she sported a tiara with sprigs of holly resting above either ear.

She held a pinkie to her mouth. “Not that that’s really all that difficult, since she’s so whiny.” The judgemental expression faded, replaced by a wiley smirk. “In case you need the reminder, Wallywall, it’s Vignette Valencia.”

“Wallywall?” I repeated in a quiet murmur. Shaking my head, I put out a hand and said louder, “Nice to meet you, I guess.”

Her smirk widened as she briefly took the tips of my fingers and shook them, then brought them up to her lips and gave them a kiss. “Oh my dear, you really don’t remember. What a shame. I guess I’ll have to impress you all over again.”

Sunset’s eyes flashed with irritation. “Wallflower doesn’t appreciate flirting, Valencia.”

“Ooh, laying a claim on her now, are you, Sunny? I thought you had eyes for–”

“Shut up!” Sunset barked.

Vignette let out a charming laugh. “Oh don’t be so silly, Sunset, of course I’m not actually that interested in Wallflower. I’m used to stunning and charming the world, of course, but normally it happens through a screen! When you do it irl, you get to see things like the cute little faces Wallywall makes!.. It’s all in good fun, relax.”

I would’ve objected but I was too busy caught up in a furious blush, staring at my fingers where she’d kissed them.

“Aww, look at you all having so much fuuun!” another woman said in a syrupy sweet voice as she walked over. She wore a plaid skirt in stripes of dark cranberry red, black, and grey, and a royal purple vest overtop a white button up blouse, along with a fabulous bow tie. Her hair contained an unusual mixture of colors, primarily in mulberry purple but with aqua green streaks. Interestingly she also had a number of prominent freckles dotting her face, which stretched as she smiled.

And then she abruptly switched to a nasty growl, her face contorting as she snapped, “When you should be getting ready for the meeting!”

I took a step back. “Whoa, okay, uh…”

“Sour Sweet,” she said, rolling her eyes. “And yes, I’m that Sour Sweet. I’m the nice one.” She glowered. “I’m. So. Nice.” She glowered for another moment, then her eyes shined as she suddenly grinned, holding her hands together. “Oh everyone here gets along so well!” And she dropped them, frowning again. “Until they see me walk into the room.”

“Oh, be quiet, Sour Sweet, no one cares,” Vignette said. “Do you have a real reason for bothering us?”

“...actually, yeah.” Sour Sweet reached into the purse she’d held at her side and pulled out a pad, roughly shoving it into Sunset’s hands. “This is yours. Found it in the mess hall. Gahhh you just get here and immediately lose things. Great job establishing your authority.”

Sunset took it and stared at it, her face turning the shade of curdled milk. “...why do we have these?” she said, gulping.

Sour Sweet’s face screwed up in disbelief. “What kind of stupid question is that? You’re the one who brought us here as part of this stupid ponies and humans living together program. You should know it all top to bottom.”

“...right.” Sunset tapped it against her palm. “Just having a bad morning. Thanks for bringing it back.”

“Sure. Whatever.”

Sour Sweet seemed satisfied, but Sunset turned to the side, hugging her pad to her chest. “Of course,” she muttered, so softly only I could even tell she was talking. “Ponies, of course. None of you are really back, you’re just ponies, you’re…”

DING-DONG BING-BONG

A sound like schoolhouse bells rose up from speakers around the complex. “Speaking of the meeting, there’s the signal,” Sour Sweet said.

“Might as well get this over with,” Vignette grunted. “I’m sure we’ll have another pointless survey to answer.”

“You think he’ll care about Sunset and Wallflower’s memory issue?”

“Probably not.”

I turned to Sunset, hoping this new activity could keep her mind off whatever was eating at her. “Well, guess we’d better get… going… Sunset? What’s wrong?”

Sunset stood stock still, her hands gripped hard enough one of her knuckles split open and bled. The trickle of blood along her hand was a stark contrast to just how pale she’d turned. “Not again,” she whispered. “Not again… please, not again.”

“Not again?” I said. “Not again what, Sunset?”

She looked up at me, and I recoiled at the haunted, terrified look I saw there, like staring into an abyss of fear. “If you don’t remember, you’re lucky,” she said.

“...okay…”

“May I have your attention, please?”

I started as a voice came over the speakers next… an odd voice. Not in that it was high pitched, or distorted, or anything of that nature. It sounded like a perfectly normal human male voice, touched with a slight bit of age, and full of humor. Perhaps too much humor, like a very bad joke that nevertheless sends everyone in a room guffawing till they fall out of their chairs.

I decided immediately I hated this voice.

“This is your host speaking! Please make your way to the central plaza. I have an extra-special announcement for you today!”

As the speakers cut out, I glanced over at Sunset, who’d relaxed her grip till her knuckles were merely white rather than hard enough to induce bleeding. “Who was that?” she wondered.

I shrugged. “Dunno. Let’s go find out.”

After a moment, Sunset blew out a sigh and nodded, heading right for the central plaza. I followed, and soon we were lost among the crowd, all sixteen of us, staring expectantly up at the stage.

A figure soon appeared, shimmering into life like a projection of light, a man, dressed up in a slender tuxedo. At first he appeared to have color to him--dark brown skin tone, light brown hair, shining purple eyes--only to change right before our eyes, like some kind of transformation, until he was perfectly split between black and white, right down the middle.

Confused whispers filled the crowd, and I caught a few snatches, including Sour Sweet asking, “What happened to the butler?”

He pulled out a walking cane and spun it in his hands, smiling at the crowd. “Ah, welcome, everyone. I am your host, but as you can see, I’ve gone through a little bit of a… redecoration. I am no longer your mere butler, helping to run this little program. I’ve had a bit of a change of heart, and this little game of ours, this cooperation, this trial run? I feel like it could use a bit of spicing up. A change of direction, as it were.”

His smile vanished as his tone dropped to a dangerous octave. “A deadly direction.”

He held up his empty hand and snapped his fingers. Everyone’s pads began lighting up at once, and we all pulled them out to look. The same message that we all saw the first time appeared again, but this time…

Because you have each been hand (or hoof) selected to take part in our small-scale pilot program, you will likely encounter some individuals here you already know. Still, please do your best to socialize with everyone here! You each have something unique and important to offer our temporary community.

By the end of this program, we know you–

All invaders must die.

AlL iNvAdErS mUsT dIe.

ALL INVADERS MUST DIE!

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Cranky demanded as he hit his pad with his hand.

“All… invaders?” Fluttershy gulped. “What invaders?”

“Why, the ponies, of course!” said the former butler. He held a hand up to his mouth, and a chilling laugh emerged.

“Puhuhuhu… you foolish children. Thinking you can get along with monsters from another universe bent on annihilating our way of life. Well, no more, says I. I shall not participate in such folly, not when I can do something far more entertaining and delightful.”

I glanced over at Sunset, who was gasping, shaking, her whole body trembling. She looked like she wanted to scream but couldn’t. I wanted to pat her hand, but I was too focused on what this new guy was saying.

“Oh, and just so you all know, I’ve had a change in name. I am no mere butler anymore. I am now the Caretaker of this camp. But, for expediency, you may call me by another name. Let’s go with…

Monohuman.”

And Sunset finally screamed.

Author's Note

Welcome, welcome one and all to the sequel to In Harmony's Wake: Super Danganronpa 2: On Harmony's Shores! Oh this has been a long, long time coming. This sequel took well over a year to plan out, and longer to begin writing, but once it began, it went in earnest.

Important to note: there are cliff notes for the first story, should you need them to remind yourself of key events. You may find them linked in the story description.

As of the time of this publishing we have everything up to the investigation of Chapter Two already written.

I'm sure you have plenty of questions; lots, in fact. Why is Wallflower the protagonist? What's up with Sunset? Why are Fluttershy and Trixie here? Of course, the key aspects to all those questions is... you'll get your answer in time.

For this is first and foremost a mystery story, and it would behoove me to keep mum on the details.

I want to extend a massive, massive thank you to JCarp. You should all be giving this man a round of applause, because without him approaching me to cowrite a DR story together, this never would've been written at all. Furthermore he has done a magnificent job taking my rough drafts and tweaking them. In addition both his and my spouses also deserve thank yous for their pre-reading contributions.

I would also like to give a huge shoutout to Sleepless Beholder, who has done all of the custom art for this story. You've seen some of it in the cover art, but you'll see the rest in time, especially as we come to the pre-trial splashes. This story will have just as much art as the previous story did, and will also contain music links where appropriate, to help lend to the Danganronpa ambiance. Again, thank you Sleepless, for not only your art, but your pre-reading contributions, the many times you've heard me out, and everything else you've done for me.

Smaller but no less important shoutouts go to Da Otter Guy and EileenSaysHi for also giving pre-reading assistance.

I hope you all enjoy the story to come. We're going to get pretty dark here, everyone; those red tags are not for show.

07. Chapter One: "Lost Memories in the Desert Sands" Part 5

Chapter One:

“Lost Memories in the Desert Sands”

Part V

Screams filled the air. Sunset took a step back, a hand covering her mouth. “Shit.”

“Oh my heavens, Pear Butter!” Rarity shrieked.

“Damn,” Cranky grunted, shaking his head softly. “She didn’t deserve this.”

Vignette softly chuckled and said nothing, merely staring with amusement.

Big Macintosh took several steps forward, then fell to his knees. “...Mama?” he said quietly, his voice heavy and thick. “...no, no, no, NO!” He slammed two fists into the floor, shaking the room. “Damn it, no!”

DING-DONG DONG-DING

The monitors in both the office and the hallway lit up, with a grinning Monohuman face. “Attention everyone! A body has been discovered! Please report to the therapist’s office, immediately!”

I wanted to be sick, as I stared at the body. I could smell it, the scent of death powerful and strong. The frozen expression of pain, the way she’d been tied up and then murdered… it should’ve scared me out of my wits.

But I felt nothing. I was cold to it. Unfeeling. I was more moved by Big Macintosh’s tears than I was by the sight of Pear Butter’s corpse.

Had I seen death in the past? Is that why I was able to look at this body with no ill effects? Or was I just that angry and bitter at Pear Butter that I didn’t mind in the least that she’d be taken from us?

The sounds of shoes clacking against the floor preceded the rest of the group showing up.

“Holy guacamole,” Cheese breathed.

“A body?!” Autumn Blaze squawked, her voice unusually high pitched. “B-b-b-but that’s impossible! This was just a silly test… they wouldn’t really kill us… oh god we’re all going to die here…”

Zephyr took one look and fainted into Fluttershy’s arms. To her credit, she simply held him rather than roll her eyes in scorn, instead looking at Pear Butter with her mouth tight.

Juniper gaped openly, unable to speak other than a slight noise hissing from her throat like a kettle about to boil.

Sour Sweet balled up her fists. “Who did this?” she snarled.

Shining pushed his way past most of us to take in the sight, doffing his cap and holding it to his breast. “...I’m sorry, Pear…I tried my best.”

Derpy’s breath hitched in her throat, but she managed to summon up the strength to kneel down next to Big Macintosh and hug him, whispering, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” to him over and over.

Everyone else kept screaming or sobbing until finally Sunset stomped her foot. “Would everyone calm down and shut up?! Crying’s not going to help anything now. We’ve got a mystery to solve.”

Monohuman chose that moment to manifest his form in the office, shooing most of us back. “Now, now, let’s all not be hasty. I still need to check to see if she was a pony. I do hope so; it would be a shame if I had to prepare an execution so soon!”

He fussed over the body, tapping it with his baton, using twinkling bits of magic on it. He stood there for what felt like years, but no one spoke; I don’t think anyone had the energy to do anything with Bic Mac’s sobs filling the room. Finally Monohuman stood up and a dark grin passed over his face. “Well, well, well. I think I’ll have my work cut out for me after all. Congratulations to whomever killed Pear Butter: you slaughtered an innocent human! Better get your game face on; you’ll have your work cut out for you at the trial if you want to live. And you want to live, believe me, because if I get my hands on you…”

He twiddled his hands together, his grin growing till it stretched ear to ear. “You’ll regret your entire existence before you die.”

Everyone drew back, a few of us whimpering, especially Zephyr and Fluttershy, who clung to each other like lifelines.

Monohuman spun his baton once then set it down and leaned on it. “So, our first murder. This really is a special occasion, a time to celebrate. Would everyone like drinks? I can serve champagne, just this once, on me, as a treat for starting the festivities. Of course it would be just the one drink; you’ll need to keep your heads clear.”

He cleared his throat and stood up straight, pointing his baton at Pear Butter’s body. “Now that we have a corpse, you’ll need to investigate, gather clues, talk to each other about alibis. You’ll only have so long to do this, of course; we can’t waste all day just investigating.”

“Hold on,” Juniper argued, “if we’re going to find the answer, that means you know who did it!”

“Of course I do!” he chuckled, pointing genially at the ceiling with his cane, two black cameras glistening there. “I’ve even got the whole thing on tape in case I want to watch it later. I can’t dispense justice at the trial if I don’t know the truth, and, and oh my I’m so excited for the trial to begin. It will be so exhilarating, so pulse-poundingly exciting why I expect you might murder someone tomorrow just to go through it again!”

“Stop wasting time,” Sunset insisted, stepping forward with her hand out. “Just give us the Monoponi file already so we can get this investigation moving.”

He raised a hand to his mouth. “Puhuhu, a Monoponi file, you say? Whatever could you mean by that? Surely what you meant to say was the Monohuman file. That is my name, after all.”

She rolled her eyes and thrust her hand out more insistently. “Fine, the Monohuman file. Whatever.”

He gestured with his hand. “As you wish.” A snap of his fingers and everyone’s pads bleeped. “You will all find you have a new app on your pads for evidence; it’s conveniently collated together, pictures and all. Now, Miss Shimmer, since you were so intent on me giving up the file so quickly, I’ll let you handle the rest of the investigation. You’re an old hat at this, after all… puhuhuhuhu!”

His hologram dissolved into sparkles of light.

“Sunset, darling?” Rarity said quietly. “What exactly must we do now?”

“Just what he said,” Sunset answered. She reached into her pocket, then groaned. “Right, mine’s missing. Wallflower, would you be willing to work with me please? I need a working pad to get this done, and I trust you.”

“M-me?” I gulped, pointing at myself. “I-I don’t know the first thing about murders or investigations.”

She smiled at me. “Don’t worry. That’s what I’m here for. Just follow my lead, okay? I’ve got this. I’ve done this six times before; I can do it again.”

“Six times?” Cheese gasped. “You’ve seen six murders?”

Juniper snorted. “More likely they were her fault.”

“Where do you get that stupid idea from?” Sour Sweet snapped. “Look, if she knows what she’s doing, I say listen to her.”

“Kid’s right,” Cranky chimed in. “The rest of us have no experience doing any of this. We ought to follow her lead.”

Vignette raised an eyebrow. “Assuming she doesn’t have an agenda… but I suppose she’ll do for now.”

Sunset shook her head. “Guys, enough. He wasn’t kidding when he said we don’t have much time. We’re going to have to get this done in a hurry. I’m going to need a couple of volunteers to watch the body, just to make sure no one messes with evidence at the last minute.” She frowned to herself and muttered in a quieter voice, “Not that that’s ever actually happened, but you never know.”

Big Macintosh reached up from his position on the floor. “Mama…” he whispered, tears still streaming down his face.

Derpy and to my surprise Rarity helped tug him up. “No way, you’re not doing it,” Derpy insisted. “You need a place to calm down. Let’s take you to the break room, okay?”

He swallowed noisily and nodded. “Okay.” With Rarity’s help Derpy guided him away.

Shining Armor immediately stepped forward, crossing his arms. “I’ll help guard the body. I can investigate it at the same time.”

Zephyr’s hand shot up. “Hey, if Shiney Hiney’s watching the body, I will do. I’m a great bodyguard; you’ll never see a better bodyguard.”

Shining’s lips pursed like he’d tasted something foul. “I told you not to call me that.”

Zephyr recoiled, covering his head. “Sorry, sorry, I get a little forgetful when I’m scared, you know?”

Rolling his eyes, Shining turned back to Sunset while pulling out his pad. Tapping it on the palm of his hand he said, “I take it this Monohuman file is some kind of autopsy report, since we lack proper forensic tools?”

“That’s right,” Sunset answered. “And it’s only a start; he gives us just enough information to figure it out with other clues in context, and he’ll put stuff in one file he’ll leave out of another file, because it’d be too telling.”

Shining nodded. “Right. Because he wants to make a huge game out of it.”

“Yep.” Sunset looked at me. “Wallflower, can I see your pad? Let’s read the file before we get started.”

*INVESTIGATION START*

Still uncertain, I pulled out my pad and turned it on, activating the new app. A list of possible evidence appeared, most of it blank, but the first option was selectable. I clicked it.

Fact #1: Monohuman File I: “The victim is Pear Butter, the Ultimate Backstabber. Her body was discovered in the Therapist’s Office at 12:45 PM. Cause of death is strangulation. She also has a non-lethal wound on the side of her head.”

“Strangulation…” I whispered, shivering. “What an awful way to go.”

Sunset bit her lip. “I’ve seen worse. Much worse.” She looked down at the pad again. “Non-lethal wound on the side of her head… hmm.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out two pairs of disposable gloves. “Here, put these on, Wallflower. We’ll need these while touching the body.”

“So we don’t contaminate it?” I said, shaking again at the thought of actually willingly touching a dead body.

She snorted. “So we don’t get blood on our clothes; it’s a pain in the ass to wash off. Especially when you’re covered in it.”

“Oh, how interesting that you know that,” Vignette commented with her trademark smirk.

Sunset scowled at her. “Are you here to help or just make pithy comments?”

Vignette chuckled and stepped back to give us more room.

However, before we could even slip the gloves on, Monohuman abruptly reformed. “Stop right there!” he shouted.

Everyone froze, staring at him in shock. What now?

“Ahem.” He adjusted his bow tie, then gave us a stern look. “I was so busy dealing with Sunset I failed to notice one of you had the audacity not to show up! I’m suspending the investigation till you find that annoying magician girl. Go do it, and do it now!”

Sunset nodded, her mouth tight. “Fine. We were doing that before we found the body anyway. Come on, Wallflower. Shining, Zephyr, don’t let anyone else touch the body till we get back.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Zephyr said, saluting in a completely incorrect manner.

Shining simply nodded, crossing his arms and giving a disturbingly stern look at anyone who dared near the body.

Sunset and I jogged back down the hallway. “So she wasn’t down here,” Sunset said, “And you said she wasn’t in the kitchen, right?”

“Yeah, she wasn’t.”

“Did you check the pantry?”

“Did I check the…” I came to a halt, slapping both hands to my face. “Oh my god. No, I didn’t check the pantry.”

Sunset stiffened a little, her mouth even tighter as she patted me on the shoulder. “We’ll do it together. If we’re lucky, she’s… trapped in there.” She shook all over as she said those words.

We rushed over to the kitchen, and went to the pantry door. Before I could touch the doorknob, a loud banging startled me into jumping back. “Hello?! Is anyone out there?” called a familiar voice, muffled by the door.

Sunset about doubled over in relief, a single tear running down her cheek. “Oh thank god. Trixie! Move away from the door; we’re going to push it open.”

“It’s about time!”

We gave her a moment to shuffle out of the way, then together we shoved the door open past the warped frame.

“Finally!” bellowed Trixie, whose hair was askew, her clothes dirtied and her face covered in sweat and something else at the corners of her mouth. “Trixie has been trapped in this pantry for hours! Hours! Can you believe how absurd that is? If she figures out who trapped her in here, she will have their head!”

“No one trapped you, Trixie,” Sunset said softly. “It was just the door frame. God though, I’m glad you’re okay… I was worried you were the one who… who died.”

Trixie narrowed her eyes, then recoiled. “Died?! Is that what that stupid butler was blabbering on about? Trixie couldn’t make out his words from in here. Someone died? How? Who?”

Trixie’s voice aggravated my senses. I found myself looking down and away, glancing over the rest of the pantry while Trixie started screaming all over again when told it was Pear Butter who died.

Then I spotted something odd laying on the ground near the back of the pantry. It was a wrapper of some kind, huge, with a bunch of crumbs and fingerprint marks. I very carefully picked up one corner of it to see the label… a kuchen: thick, dense, big coffee cake. Just in case it was important somehow, I took a picture with my pad.

Fact #2: Kuchen Wrapper: “An enormous empty wrapper of kuchen left on the pantry floor, still laden with crumbs and fingerprint marks.”

“Trixie knew this would happen,” Trixie bellowed, grabbing my attention once more. “She knew someone would be murdered; it seems she was right to keep to herself, if Pear Butter of all people was a victim!”

Sunset let out an exasperated sigh. “Okay, we get it, Trixie. Come on, we need to get back to her office. We’re on a time limit with the investigation.”

“Fine. Trixie is happy to get out of this prison.”

We returned to Pear Butter’s office, where her corpse lay undisturbed. Somehow the sight was even less disturbing this time, as I looked it over. Like before, I felt nothing about Pear Butter’s death; what had been bothering me was the idea of touching a corpse. But I found as I slipped on the gloves that I wasn’t the least bit bothered.

Maybe I’d been studying to be a doctor and got over this in autopsy class?

We moved over to the body, Shining and Zephyr stepping back to give us room. I wanted to check her neck first, and winced a little. A guitar string had been wrapped very tight around her neck. “Ouch.”

“Seriously,” Sunset murmured. “Look at this… there’s dark red marks underneath the string. That’s odd.”

“Odd?” I asked. “Shouldn’t we expect to see signs of strangulation like that?”

“Yeah, but…” Sunset frowned. “Something doesn’t seem right.”

Fact #3: Pear Butter’s Body: “A guitar string is tied very tightly around her neck, underneath which is a ring of dark, red spots about a quarter-inch wide.”

We moved on to check the rest of her head. “Here,” I said, pointing at her temple. “There’s the wound the Monohuman file mentioned. It’s still bleeding…”

“It’s oozing,” Sunset corrected. “People don’t bleed after they die, but sometimes the wounds will still ooze for the first couple hours after death. Trust me, I know from experience.” She frowned at it. “Actually, come to think of it, it looks like hardly bled.”

“Right.” I laid Pear’s head back down and looked over the rest of her body. Nothing jumped out at me till I got to her wrists. “Hey, I recognize this,” I said as I held up her bound wrists. “This is the party streamer she had on the wall; it’s something about celebrating the start of the program.”

*UPDATED* Fact #3: Pear Butter’s Body: “A guitar string is tied very tightly around her neck, underneath which is a ring of dark, red spots about a quarter-inch wide. She had a bleeding wound on her temple. Her wrists are bound with a party streamer.”

“Good work,” Sunset said, looking closer. The streamer was stretched and distorted, tied very tightly around both wrists with an ugly knot. “Hmm,” she muttered, pulling back the streamer just a little; unlike Pear Butter’s neck, her wrists showed no markings.

Sunset stood. “Okay, let’s check the scene next. Take pictures and note everything, no matter how small; a single thread could be the difference between finding who did this and all of us being executed.”

That provided plenty of motivation to keep me going, despite my stomach starting to rumble. I suspected we’d all regret missing lunch before the day was out.

My eyes scanned the desk, taking note of everything nearby. I saw some paper, a stress toy shaped like a puffy ball with dull spikes, a small paperweight that looked like a red apple, some of Pear Butter’s foundation, and Pear Butter’s pad. None of it seemed important, but I took a picture all the same.

Fact #4: Objects On Desk: “A stress toy, a paperweight, some of Pear Butter’s foundation, a piece of blank paper, and Pear Butter’s pad were on the desk.”

As I finished, I happened to notice the chair on the client side of the desk was knocked over. “Probably from the struggle,” I muttered.

Glancing over the rest of the room, I gasped when I saw what was on the floor just behind the desk. “Look, it’s her guitar… or what’s left of it.”

Sunset glanced over and recoiled. “Jeez, looks like it’s been smashed to pieces.”

I picked it up and examined it. “Not quite, but it definitely hit a hard surface more than once… there’s a string missing too.” I looked it over, then gulped. “...and there’s blood on it…”

Fact #5: Pear Butter’s Guitar: “The guitar is badly damaged. It looks like it was smashed against a hard surface more than once. A string has been torn off. There is blood on some of the damaged wood.”

“So this probably caused the head wound,” I concluded.

Sunset held her hand up at me, palm outward. “Whoa, slow down, Wallflower. Let’s not jump to any conclusions just yet. Trust me, these crimes get very tricky, and we can’t afford any assumptions or mistakes.”

“She’s right,” Shining added, looking at me stoically. “Criminals will frequently find ways to leave evidence to force certain conclusions, lead investigators down a wrong path. It’s part of how the good ones get away with their crimes. Anyone who wants to survive a trial in an environment like this would have to do some misleading things just to have a chance.”

“And I’ve seen it happen too,” Sunset said. “I can’t be specific, but in the last game, there was a case where someone was convinced they’d murdered someone, and went so far as to leave fake evidence, only for it to turn out someone else did it and manipulated the whole thing into making the other person think they did it.” She shook her head. “We almost didn’t figure that one out in time.”

“Meaning?” I prodded.

“Meaning we almost voted for the wrong person, and it took a lot of fast talking on my part to prevent it,” Sunset replied. “The point is, make the wrong assumption, and you get yourself killed. Save it for the trial, okay?” She looked around the room at the others who were standing around watching. “That goes for all of you. No assumptions, no nothing.”

“Got it,” I murmured as I went back to checking around, setting the guitar down after I took a couple of pictures.

“Hey, check this out,” Sunset said after a couple of minutes. She pointed to the top of the desk, the edge across from Pear Butter’s chair. “There’s a bunch of marks on the desk, right here.”

“Huh,” I said, peering closer. “Looks like gouges in the wood. Important?”

“You never know,” Sunset shrugged.

Fact #6: Gouge Marks: “There are marks gouged into the desk, as if it was violently struck.”

After looking over the office some more, Sunset said, “Okay, I don’t think there’s anything else important here, not that I can see. Shining, if anyone else wants to look around, let them go ahead; all our evidence gets compiled together before the trial so if someone spots something, even if they don’t tell us about it so long as they note it, we’ll have it.”

“Hang on,” I said, holding up a finger as I took off my gloves, tossing them in the wastebasket. “There is one other thing. The white noise machine.”

“The what?” Sunset asked, looking where I was pointing, out into the hallway. “What’s that?”

“It's a machine that makes white noise,” I said patiently. “Pear Butter had it running all the time. It’s just outside the door, so I think it’s to keep anyone outside from overhearing a session. But now it’s off.”

“Strange,” Shining mused. “I know she liked to keep it running when she was in here.”

Vignette sauntered into the hallway and began poking at the control panel on the device, ignoring Sunset’s protests. “Aha,” she chirped, then smiled back at us. “It’s in power-saver mode. It turns off automatically unless you push the power button.” She pushed a button and nothing happened. “...Whichever of these is the power button. I’ve reviewed products with a feature like that; that’s definitely what it is.”

Glaring, Sunset crossed her arms. “Turns off after how long?”

“No idea, you can set it. People fall asleep with these things and they don’t want them going all night.” She poked vaguely at the buttons. “‘Display?’” The LED screen on the machine lit up with SYS5, which meant nothing to me. “No… ‘Region?’” R2 lit up; Vignette scowled. “No… Clock?” 0104 popped up on the display; checking my pad, 1:04 was the correct time. “No… wait.” She glanced up. “Don’t worry, we’ll edit all this out in post.” Ignoring our confusion, she went back to the controls. “It’s not ‘volume.’ Oh! ‘Timer!’ It’s probably the ‘timer’ button.” Looking absolutely delighted with herself, she pushed that button. The LED screen lit up: 2245.

Sunset glared at her. “2245? What does that mean?”

“Dunno! But Rainmaker White Noise Machines are just the best. I use mine, like, every day.” She smirked. “And that’s how a pro reviews a product.”

I could practically hear Sunset’s teeth grinding, but even though Vignette had apparently forgotten what we were even doing, she had gathered some information. “Um, yeah, thanks,” I ventured. “I don’t know what it means either, but let’s write down what we know?”

Sunset was obviously skeptical, but she nodded to me and I noted it down.

Fact #7: White Noise Machine: “Pear Butter’s white noise machine was discovered turned off when the body was discovered, despite her habit of keeping it on. It was off for an uncertain amount of time, and it was in power-saving mode, meaning it could turn itself off automatically. The timer displayed ‘2245.’”

“Okay, we’ll see if we can figure out how long it was off by asking others,” Sunset said. “Now that we’re done with the body, we need to establish alibis, see who was where, when, for how long.”

“Well we have one for you, me, Vignette, and Rarity,” I said immediately. “We were playing that board game outside for at least an hour before we found the body. And prior to that you were in your room and I chased after you, and before that I was speaking with you, Vignette, Rarity, and Fluttershy.”

“Right,” Sunset nodded. “Go ahead and write that in, Wallflower. We both know neither of us did it but it’ll still be good to have the proof.”

Fact #8: Wallflower’s Account: “Sunset, Rarity, Vignette, and Wallflower were playing a board game for an hour prior to the discovery of the body. Prior to that, Sunset and Wallflower were in Sunset’s room, after an argument occurred outside in a discussion with Vignette, Rarity, and Fluttershy.”

“Done,” I said. I swallowed, my nerves starting to get to me, and looked over at Shining and Zephyr. “Guess we ask them next, right?”

“Right.”

I walked over to them. “Shining, Zephyr, mind if we ask where you were prior to the discovery of the body?”

Shining raised his eyebrows for a moment as he looked at the ceiling, then refocused on me. “I was with Autumn Blaze, just outside the Mess Hall. We were discussing how we would move forward with leadership. Autumn wanted to work on our morale, while I was more concerned with safety. You can ask her; she’ll back me up.”

Sunset nodded. “What about Pear Butter? When was the last time you saw her?”

Shining frowned. “Breakfast, I think. After she said she’d keep her office open I didn’t see her again.”

“Zephyr?” I said, turning to him.

Zephyr looked at me funny. “I was with Big Mac and Derpy, remember? They threw the table on me and then made me fix it with them?”

Fact #9: Alibis: “Shining Armor and Autumn Blaze were discussing leadership outside the Mess Hall.
Zephyr Breeze was with Derpy Doo and Big Macintosh fixing the broken dining room table.”

“Just double checking,” I said. “And Pear Butter?”

He jerked a thumb towards Shining Armor. “Not since breakfast.”

Sunset nodded approvingly at my writing those down. “Okay, anything else you want to mention?”

“Uuuuh… there was some guitar music?” Zephyr said, scratching his head. “Sounded kinda weird.”

“Oh, yes,” Shining said. “Maybe twenty minutes before we found the body, I could hear Pear Butter playing her guitar. It was faint, and it sounded a little… off. But both Autumn Blaze and I heard it.”

Sunset and I exchanged a look. “We heard it too,” Sunset said. “Wallflower, Vignette, Rarity and I. It stopped just as soon as it started. It sounded like there was some kind of weird vibration and fuzziness to it.”

Fact #10: Pear Butter’s Guitar Music: “Pear Butter was heard playing her guitar approximately twenty minutes before her body was discovered. The music had an odd vibration quality to its sound, and stopped roughly seven to fifteen minutes before the body was found.”

“Could she just have been playing badly?” Shining suggested.

“Pear Butter was pretty skilled, though,” Sunset said. “Unless something was wrong… I dunno. It doesn’t seem like it fits.” She shook her head and threw her hands up. “That a question for the trial anyway. Moving on. Where’s Trixie?”

“I thought she followed us back here…” I murmured, looking just outside, not seeing her.

“She did follow you back here,” Vignette spoke up, startling us. I’d forgotten she’d been lurking there, in the shadows, like some kind of creep. “But then she left again. Said something about needing the bathroom?”

“Well she was stuck for several hours,” I mused. “There’s a lady’s room in the Mess Hall; we’ll probably find her there.”

“Okay, but let’s do this efficiently,” Sunset said. We started down the hallway, heading for the break room. No one else was in the hallway; the others must’ve gone to investigate elsewhere.

We did find Cranky and Cheese in the break room, along with Rarity, Derpy, and Big Macintosh. Derpy was sitting next to Big Macintosh on the couch, and to my surprise he was holding onto her, though more in the manner one would hold a teddy bear or other stuffed animal, and not so much a human being. Derpy didn’t seem to mind one bit, however.

“Hey,” Sunset said in a low, calming voice, looking right at Big Macintosh. “How’re you holding up, Big Mac?”

He looked at her and his lips wobbled, his eyes bloodshot red and puffy from crying. His cheeks were red too, so red he looked sunburnt. “...not great,” he answered, sniffling. “Ah… Ah didn’t even get to tell her Ah loved her before she…” He clung tighter to Derpy, who struggled slightly to get more air into her lungs. “And now she’s gone… Ah had so many things Ah wanted to say…”

HIs expression darkened considerably, his face briefly twisting into a mask of rage. “If Ah find out who killed her…”

“Easy, big guy,” Sunset said, patting him on the shoulder. “We’ll find the culprit, trust me. And they won’t be getting away with it. They’re going to be executed.” She turned away, her hand balling into a fist. “...and it’s going to hurt a lot. They’re going to suffer needlessly.”

“Needlessly?” Big Macintosh barked. “That was mah mother they murdered!”

Sunset whirled and for a moment she looked ready to scream at him before she caught herself. “And they only did it because of the situation we’re forced into. Never forget that, Big Mac. People do horrible things when they think they have no other choice. It’s Monohuman’s fault that Pear Butter is dead. The person who killed her was manipulated into it. Don’t ever forget that, even for a moment, okay? Trust me on this.”

Big Macintosh scowled at her so hard I began to fear daggers would fly out his eyes and penetrate her skull. Then his expression softened back into sorrow. “...Ah hope you’re right,” he whispered.

I meanwhile turned to Derpy. “Hey, you okay there?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Derpy said as she readjusted her position. “He needed someone to hold onto, so I volunteered. I don’t mind.”

I nodded and brought my pad up. “Okay, I just need you to verify for me real quick about the table incident again. It might be important.”

Derpy took a moment to answer. “Err, well, about maybe ninety minutes before the body was found, I broke the table by dancing into it, ‘cause I’m clumsy. It fell on Zephyr, bruising him. Then we got some tools and fixed the table. That took us another hour or so, then Big Mac and I came outside to remind you about lunch time.”

“Wait a minute,” I said. “Did you see Zephyr after that?”

“No,” Derpy said with a shake of her head. “I didn’t see him again until we found the body.”

Fact #11: Derpy’s Account: “According to Derpy, about ninety minutes prior she accidentally bounced into the dining table, damaging one of the legs to the point it fell off and the table collided with Zephyr Breeze knocking him to the floor. She, Big Macintosh, and Zephyr proceeded to fix the table together, which took about an hour. Afterwards she and Big Mac came outside and reminded Wallflower’s group about lunch.”

*UPDATED* Fact #9: Alibis: “Shining Armor and Autumn Blaze were discussing leadership outside the Mess Hall.
Zephyr Breeze was with Derpy Doo and Big Macintosh fixing the broken dining room table, but was out of sight for at least twenty minutes before the body was discovered.”

“That’s right… he and Fluttershy just sort of showed up together,” I said. “Weird. Okay, thanks. One other quick thing. Do you remember the last time you saw Pear Butter?”

Derpy shook her head. ‘Breakfast, I think?”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh said, his voice tight. “Ah was gonna talk to her right after lunch.”

I sighed in understanding. “I’m sorry.”

I moved on to Cranky and Cheese, who were talking to each other a bit more amiably than they had been prior to the body discovery. “Oh, hey Wallflower,” Cheese said, his expression glum. “How’s it going?”

“We’re investigating a murder,” I replied back. “I needed to ask you two about where you were.”

Cranky exchanged a look with Cheese, then nodded. “Yup, I get it. I’m pretty suspicious because of how much time I spend around the break room, huh?” he asked.

I blinked. “Not… not really. I just want to verify where you were at the time.”

“Well, before you came barging in here,” Cranky said, “I was enjoying my coffee.”

“I was here too!” Cheese added. “But I wasn’t drinking coffee.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Wait, Cheese, I thought you had to go practice your accordion.”

“I did!” he promised. “I was practicing it here!”

I glanced around, no accordion was in sight.

“Expertise is ninety percent mental,” Cheese explained.

That just raised more questions, but before I could say anything, Cranky broke in. “He’s telling the truth; he was here with me all morning. I should know, I was sitting here trying to tune him out. Which, sorry about that, Cheese.”

“Hey, I get it… I was getting on your nerves,” Cheese said apologetically. “Doesn’t seem so important now that someone’s… dead…”

*UPDATED* Fact #9: Alibis: “Shining Armor and Autumn Blaze were discussing leadership outside the Mess Hall.
Zephyr Breeze was with Derpy Doo and Big Macintosh fixing the broken dining room table, but was out of sight for at least twenty minutes before the body was discovered.
Cheese Sandwich was with Cranky Doodle in the breakroom for several hours.”

“Cheese, lemme tell you something I’ve learned in life,” Cranky said, sitting back on the couch. “Life goes on. People die, and other people have to keep living their lives without ‘em. This situation we’re stuck in, this killing game… it’s terrible. I can’t stand it. But I’m also not going to let it get to me. I’ll mourn for Pear Butter, but… don’t let grief force you to forget who you are.”

“...thanks. I’ll try to remember that, Mister Doodle.”

“Please. Call me Cranky.”

Cheese nodded, a small smile coming back to his face. “Cranky.”

“One other thing, guys,” I said. “When was the last time you saw Pear Butter?”

“Breakfast, I think,” Cheese said.

“Yup, that’s what I remember,” Cranky agreed. “Heard her playing that guitar of hers much later, though, not exactly sure what time.”

“Was there anything weird about it?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I hear her strumming away in that office of hers every once in a while.”

“I thought it sounded really bad,” Cheese piped up. “Like she was playing right, but… it was all fuzzy and weird.”

“Oh, whatever, I can’t tell any of this twangy twangy music apart,” Cranky muttered. “It always bugged me. Bugged me this time, too. Lately she’d been turning on that noise machine of hers more, which blocks out everything from her office. Thought it was considerate of her.” He frowned, tired sadness replacing his usual irritated expression. “Machine was on, then it turned off. Dunno when that happened, either; I really was trying to tune everything out but my magazine.”

“You really didn’t hear or see anything else?” Sunset asked. “You were closest to the murder. The killer would’ve had to walk right down the hallway outside.”

Cheese Sandwich blanched. “Yeek, I hadn’t thought of that. I didn’t notice anyone, did you, Cranky?”

“Nah. Mighta heard some doors opening and closing, but couldn’t tell you when.”

Sunset looked up from her pad. “Okay, I’ve gotten everything from here written down. We’ve still got some people to track down.”

As we left the break room, we heard shouting coming from the Mess Hall. “...it’s disgusting!”

“Trixie needed the bathroom very badly,” insisted Trixie, who stood not far from the public restroom, her clothes even more disheveled. “She was trapped for several hours.”

“Yes,” Sour Sweet retorted daintily,”But, because some of us care about an eensy-weensy little thing like common courtesy, we at least try flushing the toilet instead of leaving it there when we take a massive shit!”

“How dare you? Of course Trixie flushed the toilet!” Trixie balled her fists up. “Don’t accuse Trixie of poor toilet etiquette.”

“Pfft. Then go back in there and get it flushed. Hurry it up. And find some air freshener… it smells nasty.”

“...so it does,” Trixie moaned as she went in, thankfully closing the door behind her.

Sunset tried not to laugh as she spoke up, “Hey, Sour, mind if we ask a couple of questions real quick?”

Sour crossed her arms and glared. “...yeah, go ahead. Make it quick.”

“We just wanted to know where you were before the body was found,” I said.

Sour Sweet scratched her head. “I was talking with Fluttershy… she felt a bit bad about you running off like you did, Sunset, when Rarity bitched at you, so she came to talk to me.” She smiled briefly. “I’m such a good listener!” Her smile faded, but she didn’t follow it up with anything except an expression that turned sad. “...so was Pear Butter…that was the last time I saw her. Right before you went in, Wallflower.”

*UPDATED* Fact #9: Alibis: “Shining Armor and Autumn Blaze were discussing leadership outside the Mess Hall.
Zephyr Breeze was with Derpy Doo and Big Macintosh fixing the broken dining room table, but was out of sight for at least twenty minutes before the body was discovered.
Cheese Sandwich was with Cranky Doodle in the breakroom for several hours.
Sour Sweet and Fluttershy were having a discussion outside.”

Sunset reached out and hugged Sour Sweet, who sneered before allowing it, hugging her back a little. “It’s not fair she’s gone,” Sour Sweet said. “She was too nice. I was screaming and swearing at her through that whole session, even right up to the end! But every time I got upset, she knew just what to say.” Sour Sweet’s eyes were watering, even as she grimaced. “She didn’t deserve what happened to her.”

“None of us do, Sour Sweet,” Sunset said. “One thing though. Did you see Zephyr?”

She shook her head. “Not until we were summoned by Monohuman. He joined up with Fluttershy.”

“...joined from where?” I asked.

Sour Sweet just shrugged her shoulders. “Dunno. Wasn’t paying attention.”

The door to the bathroom opened. “There! Trixie has taken care of her mess. You may now–oof!”

Sour Sweet shoved Trixie aside and disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. After a minute she cried out, “It still fucking stinks!”

Trixie snorted. “That’s for being so rude to Trixie,” she said, tossing a rude gesture towards the bathroom.

“Trixie, you were in the pantry since breakfast, right?” I asked. At her glare I added, “I’m just double checking.”

“Yes. Trixie realized she ran out of bread so she went back in there to grab another two loaves. But the door was closed on her!”

I flashed back to that morning and cringed really hard. “Oh crap. That might’ve been my fault. Did you come in while we were washing dishes?”

“...yes, Trixie did. She snuck around you hoping she wouldn’t be seen.” Trixie’s eyes flashed. “Did you shut the door on Trixie?!”

“...yeaaaah…” I admitted, moving to hide behind Sunset.

It was a good move, because Trixie screeched wordlessly and reached both hands out towards me, fingers curling like she ached to get them around my neck. “How dare you trap Trixie in the pantry!”

“It was an accident, Trixie, calm down,” Sunset said. “It sounds like she didn’t know you were in there, so she closed the door.”

“Yeah, I was just leaving and saw it was ajar when we’d left it closed, so I closed it,” I babbled. “I had no idea you were inside.”

Trixie snarled again, then dropped her hands. “Fine. But Trixie will remember this!” She stomped off back towards the offices, perhaps to do some investigating of her own.

*UPDATED* Fact #9: Alibis: “Shining Armor and Autumn Blaze were discussing leadership outside the Mess Hall.
Zephyr Breeze was with Derpy Doo and Big Macintosh fixing the broken dining room table, but was out of sight for at least twenty minutes before the body was discovered.
Cheese Sandwich was with Cranky Doodle in the breakroom for several hours.
Sour Sweet and Fluttershy were having a discussion outside.
Trixie claims she was trapped in the pantry since after breakfast.”

I frowned at the evidence list once Sunset finished updating it. “Why did you write that she claimed she was trapped since breakfast?”

“Because we only have her word that she went in there when she says she did,” Sunset replied. “And I’ve been burned by that before. Like I told you: we make one false assumption, we lose and the blackened wins. Be suspicious of everything people tell you.”

“Even when it comes to you and me?”

She looked back at me and grinned. “No, like I said, we both know I didn’t do this. I wasn’t anywhere near the offices all day.”

She had a point. I went over the list of alibis. “We still need to speak to Juniper Montage.”

Juniper was nowhere to be seen, however. It took us a good ten minutes to track her down, where we found her exiting and locking the music shed. “There you are,” Sunset groaned. “We need to ask you about your whereabouts during the murder.”

Juniper glowered at her. “I was in my room. I stayed there till Monohuman called us out to Pear Butter’s office.”

“Can anyone confirm that?” Sunset pressed.

Crossing her arms, Juniper looked away. “...no.”

“What were you doing in your room?” I asked.

She sighed, then reached into her backpack and pulled out a notebook. “I was working on this.”

I thumbed my way through the notebook, spotting page after page of script writing, complete with stage instructions, voice direction, and so on. “A screenplay?”

“Uh huh. If I want to be big in the movie scene, I need to either be an actor, a writer, a producer, or a director. So this is… practice.”

I glanced back at the screenplay, noting it appeared to be a period piece set during the Second Great War, then handed it back to her. “Okay, thanks. Do you remember when you last saw Pear Butter?”

She shrugged. “Breakfast, I think. Not a lot of people seemed interested in her counseling offer…now I kind of wish I’d gone while I had the chance.

*UPDATED* Fact #9: Alibis: “Shining Armor and Autumn Blaze were discussing leadership outside the Mess Hall.
Zephyr Breeze was with Derpy Doo and Big Macintosh fixing the broken dining room table, but was out of sight for at least twenty minutes before the body was discovered.
Cheese Sandwich was with Cranky Doodle in the breakroom for several hours.
Sour Sweet and Fluttershy were having a discussion outside.
Trixie claims she was trapped in the pantry since after breakfast.
Juniper states she was in her room working on a screenplay.”

“So what were you doing in the music shed just now?” Sunset asked.

“I was double checking to make sure there weren’t any other acoustic guitars,” she answered plainly. “You guys kept mentioning the guitar music, so I came straight here just to double check.”

“Were there any?” I asked.

“No.”

*UPDATED* Fact #5: Pear Butter’s Guitar: “The guitar is badly damaged. It looks like it was smashed against a hard surface more than once. A string has been torn off. There is blood on some of the damaged wood. According to Juniper Montage, this is the only acoustic guitar in the entire complex.”

“Then we can safely assume that if we heard guitar music, it was Pear Butter,” I said, frowning as I considered that.

“Seems that way,” Sunset agreed. “Not that it was really in doubt, but it was good to double check. Thank you, Juniper.”

Juniper walked off without acknowledging Sunset’s gratitude. “So now what?” I wondered.

Sunset pointed to the dorm building opposite our own. “Let’s check Pear Butter’s room. If this is like the first game, then her room is open to investigation even if Monohuman doesn’t say it is.”

“What’re we hoping to find in there?” I asked as we headed for the building.

Sunset shrugged. “No idea. Maybe confirmation she never left the office?” She snapped her fingers. “Oh, right, we asked just about everyone else, but I never asked you. When was the last time you saw Pear Butter?”

“Uh… around 9:30?” I said, trying to think back. “I went right after Sour Sweet left, and I wasn’t in there very long before she tossed me out.”

Sunset nodded and rubbed her chin. “So as far as we know you were the last one to see her prior to her death.”

Fact #12: Pear Butter’s Behavior: “As far as we know, Wallflower was the last one to see Pear Butter, in her office, three hours before her body was discovered.”

I gulped, sweat running down my neck. “Y-you don’t think people will accuse me of killing her because of that, do you?”

“I expect a few will,” Sunset answered, making my heart stop. “She hated you, giving you proper motive, and you had opportunity. I’m sure someone will argue that you killed her, left the body there, and then went out and established an alibi for yourself.”

“What?” I gasped. “But, but, I didn’t do it! I didn’t kill her! I would never–”

“Calm down. I’m not accusing you of anything,” Sunset, placing both hands on my shoulders. “But we need to be ready in case someone does accuse you. Knowing how to diffuse it will save time.”

She clapped me once on the right shoulder and started walking again. “Besides, Pear Butter was playing her guitar shortly before she died. So we know that she died after you met with her, and we’ve got an alibi for you for that whole time “

“Right! Exactly!” I said, still shaking from the near accusation.

Inside the dorm we swiftly made our way to Pear Butter’s room. Like Sunset she’d found a way to personalize her room, in this case with a few more photographs like the one on her office wall. She had a couple of sets of clothing laid out in different ways, shirts tied in different manners. On her desk she had a notebook, which I took a look at. It turned out to be some kind of diary. But for some reason several pages were torn out. I swiftly read what was left.

It’s been a couple of days since the program shifted and this killing game was announced. I’m not going to admit it to anyone else, but Bright Mac? I’m scared. I’m scared out of my wits. Our son is in this damned game with me! I don’t care so much about my own life, because the worst thing that could happen is I’m with you again. But we can’t lose our son…. He’s far too young to go. He deserves to live a long, full life, the one you were denied.

If I find out for sure who put us in here, I’ll tear them apart for putting my son’s life at risk.

And she keeps acting innocent. That foolish woman, every time I try to get her to admit something she dodges it by pretending she has no idea what I’m talking about. Her memory issues sure are convenient, given that–

The rest was missing, part of the torn out pages. I read this over a couple of times, trying to see if there was any new information here, but there wasn’t that I could discern. It felt like Pear Butter was mocking me from beyond the grave, leaving all this stuff about hating me, but removing everything that could explain why!

But, I tried to be productive for Sunset. “Hey, take a look at this,” I said, showing it to her.

She barely looked at it for more than a moment before discarding it onto the desk. “Doesn’t matter. I’m not seeing anything in here that indicates she was in here at all after this morning; the shower’s dry, and she even made the bed. We’re wasting time here; let’s go back.”

That caught me completely off guard. “Are… are you sure it’s not relevant?” I asked. “You’re the one always saying that anything could be important–”

“Not this,” Sunset insisted. “It tells us nothing new. Maybe if there weren’t pages missing, but…oh.” She turned back to me and opened her arms, and after a moment I accepted her hug offer. “I get it. You want to know why.”

I shivered in her grasp as I leaned against her, feeling cold and upset despite how warm and inviting she was. “Yeah,” I muttered. “I wanna know what her problem with me was.”

“I’m sorry,” Sunset said as she squeezed me, then let me go, drawing back to look me in the eye. “If we had time I’d search this place more thoroughly to try to find the missing pages, but we’re probably going to run out of time any minute now. So we should hurry back, in case there’s anything else we missed.”

I sighed and gave her a slow nod. “You’re right; let’s go back.”

As I reluctantly left Pear Butter’s room, I couldn’t shake the feeling I’d missed something, something vital. But what? The only thing that occurred to me was that diary. Why were the pages missing? Did Pear Butter tear them out because she was worried I’d find them? Was there something else in that diary, something self-incriminating?

Maybe even murder plans?

The sudden thought that this could’ve been self-defense haunted me, and I didn’t stop worrying that one bit as we stepped back into the Mess Hall. “Sunset, can we check the body again?” I asked. “I need to see something about it.”

“Yeah, no problem,” she said as she led us down to the offices and into Pear Butter’s, where Shining and Zephyr maintained their vigil.

“What’re you looking for?” Shining asked as he watched me look at the body without touching it.

“Trying to confirm a hypothesis,” I murmured. I kept what that was to myself for now. There wasn’t much point in bringing it up just yet.

“I’ll check the rest of the room in case we missed something,” Sunset said.

I focused on things like the position of the gouge marks and the head wound. There weren’t any marks on Pear Butter’s side of the desk, just on the visiting side, as if Pear had struck back with excessive force after being initially attacked.

…or was the attacker to begin with.

Now even more curious, I decided to check a couple of things, like under her fingernails. I didn’t spot any blood there, so she hadn’t struck the culprit with her fist. I then looked over the items on the desk. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary about any of them till I picked up the paperweight.

Blood. There was a trace of blood on the underside. Not much, but enough that suggested it had struck… someone. Did Pear Butter hit the culprit with it, maybe?

*UPDATED*Fact #4: Objects On Desk: “A stress toy, a paperweight, some of Pear Butter’s foundation, a piece of blank paper, and Pear Butter’s pad were on the desk. The paperweight had a trace of blood on the underside.”

Still, even if it was self-defense, why make it look like a murder? Why tie her up to the point it looked like she’d been tortured and executed? Was it to save face for Pear Butter, sparing her from being shamed after death? Who would care enough to do that?

Maybe Big Mac?

“No, that’s stupid,” I muttered as I left Pear Butter’s body, feeling like I was still missing something.

“Hey, Sunset! Look what I found!”

We both looked up to see Sour Sweet running at us, a pad in her hands. She doubled over, gasping for air as she reached the office. “Ugh. I need to run more,” she murmured. “Anyway, here. It’s your pad.”

“Thanks!” Sunset said as she took it, looking it over and brushing off what looked like particles of black soil. “Where was it?”

“It was in the pot with the huge fern in it, just laying there. I almost didn’t see it,” she answered. She led us back out into the hallway, pointing at the fern in the direct center, midway between Pear Butter’s office and the break room.

“Is it okay?” I asked Sunset. “Was it damaged somehow?”

“Doesn’t look like it was from the outside,” she said as she examined it. She switched it on, then after a moment added, “looks like I have all my notes and everything in here.”

Fact #13: Sunset’s Pad: “Sunset’s pad was stolen when she briefly separated from Wallflower. It was later found in a potted plant in the main hallway. Sunset noticed no signs of it being tampered with.”

“Thanks, Sour,” she said as she stuck it in her pocket. “Wonder what the heck it was doing there.”

“Who knows,” Sour Sweet shrugged.

DING-DONG BING-BONG

Everyone froze as the monitors switched on to reveal Monohuman’s smiling visage. He looked quite pleased indeed. “Ahem. Attention, all volunteers. The allotted time for the investigation is now over. Please assemble in the Mess Hall. Attendance is mandatory.”

The screens switched off. I glanced at Sunset. “So is this it?”

“Pretty much,” she said as she slowly began walking towards the Mess Hall. “He’s going to give some blustering speech that’ll probably piss me off, then take us wherever he’s hidden the courtroom this time, we get into a huge elevator and it takes us forever to get down there. And then there’s the trial itself… it’s going to be rough, Wallflower. These aren’t fun. There’ll be a lot of shouting, a lot of anger… and you won’t be able to hide.”

She abruptly stopped and hugged me, holding me close. “I wish I could spare you having to go through it. It’s going to trigger everything about your anxiety and then some, but…”

I embraced her right back, finding myself shaking from a sudden bout of nerves. “I know, Sunset… I’ll…. I’ll deal. I don’t have a choice, right?”

“...no. You don’t.”

We picked up the pace to join everyone else milling about the Mess Hall, where a quiet buzz of conversation filled the atmosphere, joining the tension that ran thicker than a river of molasses and about as overwhelming. The urge to flee and hide in my room, hide under the blankets rose substantially within me, threatening to take control over my actions.

But before I could take more than a single step, a pair of massive, gleaming metal gatling guns popped up on rails in front of the exit to the rest of the complex, pointing right at us. A number of us screamed and I hid behind Sunset, crouching down to keep my head below their level.

Monohuman manifested himself right in front of those guns, preening like a peacock as Derpy, Fluttershy, Sour Sweet, and Zephyr all screamed again. “Aaah, thank you; I do appreciate a respectful reception,” he said, his voice dripping with smarm. He gestured with his baton to the guns. “As for these, consider them insurance against anyone thinking they can get out of attending the trial. They’ll rapidly end that thought in a hurry, along with every other thought in your head… Puhuhuh!”

Sunset stepped forward, meeting him halfway. “Okay, we get it. You’re big, you’re bad, can we move on to the point and get to the actual trial?”

He rolled his eyes dramatically. “Oh, Sunset, Sunset, Sunset, must we do this? It matters little to me that you try and rush things, but have a care for your fellow volunteers. This is their first time, after all. They ought to be able to savor it, truly rake in the moment and enjoy it!”

Sunset crossed her arms over her chest and continued to give him that glare, not moving an inch.

“In any event,” Monohuman said as he ignored her, “Congratulations on finishing your first investigation. That was but a taste of what awaits you. Now, unfortunately it is a bit of walk yet. Follow me, everyone!”

He proceeded past us directly towards the door that Sunset and I walked through just a couple of days ago, when I first woke up in this hellhole.

“Wait, we’re going to the mines?” Juniper asked as we pushed through those doors and out into the desert heat.

“Looks that way,” Cranky said as his shoes crunched the sand. “Dunno why.”

“Probably secrecy,” Shining suggested. “If whoever’s behind this was trying to hide their activities until they were ready to take over, it would make sense to do it all in the mines. We never wanted them, just the town.”

“Why couldn’t we just hold the trial in the Mess Hall?” Zephyr whined as he gingerly stepped past a few large rocks.

“Oh don’t be stupid, Mister Breeze,” Monohuman said, glaring right at Zephyr for a moment. “You can’t hold something as magnificent as one of these trials in such drab conditions. You need the proper atmosphere, the right tone, the perfect set up. All of that and more awaits you. You just have to walk there first.”

“Could’ve at least put in some kind of moving walkway,” groused Sour Sweet.

“And deny you the exercise? Never. It’s good for you.”

“It’s not so bad,” Autumn said, a false cheer in her voice as she stepped over and through the beaten up asphalt stones. “At least we’re outside.”

“Speak for yourself,” said Trixie, whose cheeks bore a tinge of green. “This heat makes Trixie feel sick to her stomach.”

More words of complaint rose, but I wasn’t really listening to them. I was remembering something, and from the look on Sunset’s face, she hadn’t forgotten either.

One of us wasn’t coming back from this walk. Someone among the fifteen of us was going to die, had to die, if the rest of us were going to live.

But who? After looking over all the evidence… I didn’t have the foggiest idea. Maybe the heat was scrambling my brain or maybe nothing was clicking yet without hearing people at the trial itself.

As I thought and walked, Sunset moved closer to me, keeping an arm intertwined with mine, for reassurance. Every so often she’d look at me and smile, and give my arm a squeeze, confirming she’d be there for me, that she was my friend, I could rely on her. It helped, a lot, in making me feel confident.

So long as we had Sunset, I was certain we’d make it out of any situation Monohuman threw at us.

Eventually, after another grueling ten minutes of walking between the narrow electric fences, we reached the gate that cut off access to the mines. It was locked by a large padlock on some chains, but Monohuman took a quick moment to cast some sort of spell, and the padlock vanished, along with the gate. This revealed the mine entrance itself, a spooky, dark hole in the cliffside lit up by two electric lanterns on either side of it.

“From here, you will follow the path to an elevator,” Monohuman said. “Once you are all aboard, it shall descend to the courtroom, where I will meet you to properly begin the trial. I hope you’re all as excited as I am!”

“Oh yes, we’re thrilled,” Sour Sweet said sarcastically.

Smirking, Monohuman dissolved into sparkles.

“Alright everyone, you heard him,” Sunset spoke up, clapping for attention. “Listen. I know we’re all scared right now. I know I’m terrified. I never wanted to go through this again after the last game, and being here again… it makes me want to scream, to cry, to run away. But I can’t do any of that, anymore than the rest of us can. All we can do is press on.”

She bowed her head once, then raised it again. “I said this to Big Macintosh earlier, and I want to say it again to everyone: whatever happens in there, whoever is the one who killed Pear Butter…Monohuman is the one ultimately responsible. He forced us into this. He’s forcing us against each other, to participate in these trials, to make us send one of our own to die. Never forget that: it’s his fault. Not yours, not hers, but his.”

She closed her mouth, and her whole body started shaking until she grabbed onto me again, this time for her own support. “And whoever it is that killed Pear Butter, I’m so sorry for what we have to do. I’m sorry we’ll have to send you to your death just for the rest of us to stay alive. I’m sorry you fell for Monohuman’s manipulations. But you’re far from the first. I won’t hate you. No one should.”

Silence was her only response, but I could tell from the looks on some people’s faces that she’d been convincing, that they accepted what she had to say. I certainly did. It would be all too easy to fall into the pit of hating and fearing each other, blaming each other for everything and making Monohuman’s job that much easier.

So as we all filed into the elevator, I thought about Sunset’s words, and the case.

One of us killed Pear Butter.

One of us would die today, or we’d all die.

But I believed in Sunset. I knew she’d see us through.

Sunset was our only chance. I was counting on her with every fiber of my being. Because without her, we’d lose.

And in this trial of life and death, we can’t afford to lose.

Author's Note

And so concludes the investigation! Between this and clues in the narration leading up to this point, you should have all the information you need to solve this mystery. Can you do it? We'll see... I'm really hoping that some of you can. You've all been doing wonderfully so far in picking up on things and thinking about things, and it's been a brilliant blast watching your hypothesizing.

Thank you once again to The Sleepless Beholder for his amazing art that I used in putting together these pre-trial splashes. They're utterly beautiful, and do wonders.

Next week we'll get the first part of the trial, which will be utterly thrilling. See you then~

14. Chapter Two: "The Secret Ingredient is Never What You Expect" Part 3

Chapter Two:

“The Secret Ingredient is Never What You Expect”

Part III

Well, I wasn’t going to get an answer for Rarity’s behavior if I didn’t go and ask her. “I’m going after her,” I said.

Before I could get two steps, Juniper tugged on my shirt. “No, don’t,” she said. “What if that’s what she wants? To get one of us alone so she can kill us?”

“In broad daylight? With a witness?” I snorted. “Come on, Juniper, let go. I need to…” I looked back at where Rarity had been standing, but she was long gone. I couldn’t even hear her footfalls anymore. “...damn it.”

“It’s for the best,” Juniper said. “Now she won’t shank you like some horror movie villain.” She grinned. “Oh, of course, this would be a great setting for a horror movie, wouldn’t it? Imagine some masked guy stalking people amidst the trucks…”

I tuned her out as my mind wouldn’t let go of Rarity. What, exactly, had she been doing watching us? Was it like Trixie said, the whole project thing? Keeping an eye on me, making sure I wasn’t messing up their hard work?

Was it just friendly concern? Maybe she’d wondered how I was doing, making sure I was staying safe. That would dovetail with the project concept but it could also just be that she cared.

Or…maybe she hadn’t been stalking us and just happened to be out there, and came across us by accident. And maybe when she saw us she ran because she thought we were stalking her.

Damn it. Guilt burned through my veins. I didn’t want to upset Rarity…even if Trixie was right. I still considered Rarity a friend. Upsetting her was the last thing I wanted to do.

So while Juniper was still going on about movies and not looking my way, I took several steps, just long enough to be out of reach, then ran for it, trying to catch up to Rarity.

“Wallflower! Wait!” But Juniper's plea fell on deaf ears, and she failed to pursue since I didn't hear her footfalls.

As I rounded the corner of the truck, I scanned the area, looking for any sign of Rarity. I spotted a splotch of purple trailing behind another truck, and rushed to circle around it.

Nothing. No one there.

I kept searching around, trying to figure out where she went when I rounded a corner and almost walked face first into Cheese Sandwich.

"Whoa, careful now," he said, reaching out to steady me. He touched me just long enough to get me stable then let go, drawing his hands behind his back. “You alright?”

“Yeah… sorry,” I murmured, flushing from embarrassment. “...thanks for not… touching me much.”

He grinned. “You’re sensitive to it, I can tell. I’m not here to pop bubbles or breach boundaries.” His grin slipped a little. “What’s got you in such a hurry though?”

“Oh, I was looking for Rarity, have you seen her?” I asked, glancing about for that splotch of purple I’d spotted before. Only then did I realize there was something wrapped around Cheese’s wrist: a dusty purple party streamer.

“Can’t say I have.” His grin vanished, replaced with a frown of concern. “You sure you’re alright? You look pretty flustered.”

I nodded, my eyes fixing on that streamer… and memories of what happened with the last party streamer flooded my mind. “...y-yeah. Um, Cheese…” I swallowed, my throat drying out. I took a couple steps back. “Why do you have a party streamer?”

He blinked, then held it up and half smiled. “Oh, this? Found it in one of the trucks just now while I was looking for parts.” He pointed to the closest truck, one with a cab nearly as intact as the one with the functioning engine, though this one possessed punctured tires and a lot of holes in its trailer. “Figured I’d take it with me. Didn’t want anyone trying to… you know… hurt anyone with it.” His smile slipped away. “It probably looks bad to find me with it, huh?”

“A little,” I admitted, holding up my thumb and forefinger.

He let out a sad sort of chuckle, then unwrapped the streamer and handed it to me. I immediately stuffed it in my pocket, not wanting to see it for more than a moment. I’d dispose of it later. “Sorry about that.”

I shrugged. “Anyway, I need to find Rarity, excuse–”

“Um, Wallflower?” he interrupted, looking at me plaintively. “Mind if I ask you something?”

I grimaced, fidgeting as I tried to decide, before letting out a quiet sigh. Wherever Rarity went, she was long gone by now, so I might as well hear him out. “Go ahead.”

His lips pressed together, his hands running over each other before he said, “You ever hear of someone named Pinkie Pie?”

My head ached as I struggled to remember, but I nodded. “The name sounds familiar. I think she’s… one of Rarity’s friends?” I winced, the headache becoming worse before I gave up. “I don’t remember much. Why?”

His expression turned grim.. “Just curious. I’m… kinda worried about her. She’s…well, nevermind.” He shook his head slowly and sighed. “Better question: you were awfully defensive about Trixie during the trial. Are you sure we can trust her?”

That made my blood run cold despite the late morning sun. “...I’m pretty sure she’s trustworthy. She just wants to live through this, like the rest of us.” I eyed him, trying to figure out why he would ask. “Is there something that makes you think she isn’t?”

He crossed his arms and stared right back at me, his eyes scanning over me, like they were searching for something… or he was making up his mind. Then he softly shook his head. “Sorry I asked.. It’s probably nothing. Just… maybe let’s keep an eye on her, huh?”

“If by keeping an eye on her you mean keep her with the rest of the group, I’m all for that,” I said, though I kept staring right back at him despite how difficult that was for me, just in case he buckled and told me what he was holding back.

And it actually seemed like he was about to break, but fate wasn’t on my side. I heard a loud whooping noise, and suddenly there was a third person there with us. In my shock, it took me quite a long time for the whooping to cohere into comprehensible words.

“...And Wallflower, too! I just love this old stuff, don’t you? It’s like, what was any of this even for? Why’d it get abandoned? I don’t believe in ghosts even though I saw a ghost once but–Oh! Cheese, did I tell you about the time I saw a ghost?! It wasn’t scary, because like what’s a ghost even going to do to you? Ghosts are only scary because of the existential fear of the unknown, and…”

“Hi, Autumn,” I finally managed. She was latched onto Cheese’s arm, practically talking directly into his ear. He didn’t seem to mind, smiling widely, somehow taking her completely in stride.

“Hiiiii!” Autumn greeted back. “We were meeting up here to go check through the trucks for more parts and stuff! Wanna come?”

“Um,” I said, still feeling more than a little uncomfortable, “no thanks. See you later.” They waved cheerfully, and I grumbled to myself as I turned and walked away. Just what had he been hinting at?

I headed back to meet up with Juniper, who breathed a massive sigh of relief when she saw me. “Oh thank goodness… I thought… I thought Rarity was gonna–”

“Didn’t see Rarity,” I interrupted. “Just Cheese Sandwich and Autumn Blaze. They were going through the trucks.”

“Oh.” Juniper let out a quiet sigh. “Oh well. Let’s get out of here. I feel like heading back to my room. Wanna come? We can play cards. I’ve got a set.”

“Sure,” I said. It would be something to do, at least. And on the way, I made sure to dispose of that purple party streamer by tossing it into the still stinking puddle of rattlesnake venom.

~*~

Sometime in the afternoon, after I’d grown sick of cards, I was wandering the succulent garden when my tablet beeped. I pulled it out and looked; as I expected, I’d been sent another one of those weird surveys. Sighing, I found a shaded bench and hunkered down, hoping to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, this one was stupid-long. It seemed to be some kind of personality test, or something, just row after row of weird statements I was supposed to agree or disagree with. The instructions said not to think too much about any of the items, but they were so ambiguous and odd, I couldn’t help it.

And once I started thinking, I felt a comfortable darkness.

I insist on getting the respect that I deserve. I had no idea how to answer that. I thought I knew what they were getting at, but should I count it if “the respect I deserve” is low?

I like to use clever manipulation to get my way. Ha, I try to manipulate people, all the time, probably. But it’s not clever. It’s stupid, everyone probably just sees through me and I have no idea.

People who mess with me always regret it. Sunset might have messed with me. She might have been lying about killing Pear Butter. But then I exposed her and… well, she sure regretted it. For a short time, anyway. Before she…

I shook my head and set my tablet down. My thoughts were racing; I felt gross, angry, bitter. All these opportunities to think about myself had sent me spiraling… somewhere. Like how I felt the worst moments back in high school, but numbed and rote and easy. Familiar.

“Gah,” I said out loud, rubbing my temples. “I’m thinking about this too much.” Talking to myself was weird, but it felt like a little rebellion. “Stupid survey.”

I picked my tablet back up and continued, vowing to just answer each item quickly. Luckily, before long, the statements got less relentlessly negative, focusing on more neutral topics like how much I like to think about things and how imaginative I was. I got into a rhythm of it; if I felt that weird abyss-pull start up, I forced myself to move on to the next thing.

After a few minutes, I heard a thump; someone had sat down next to me on the bench. I looked over and saw Zephyr Breeze, holding his tablet in front of his face, but clearly craning his neck to look at mine.

“Hey, Wallflower! Doing surveys, huh? Look at us, a couple of survey buddies.”

“I guess so.” I felt a strong urge to scootch farther away from him, but couldn’t think of how to do it that would be subtle.

“Well, you know,” he sang, “I am a little bit of a survey-taking expert, so I can help you out if you get stuck.”

“...Good to know.” I tried to focus on my tablet, tilting it so he couldn’t see what I was answering. He was silent for a few moments and I actually thought that would be it, but eventually he spoke again.

“Heyyyyy. So. When you’re as good at surveys as I am, you get your own techniques, but. Sometimes I lose track of the basics. You know.” He leaned over, whispering. “So, uh, what’s the answer to number thirty-four?”

I slowly raised my eyes to look at him. He was smiling widely, harmlessly. “It doesn’t have an answer. The answer is whatever you think the answer is for you.”

“Yeah! Sure sure sure sure sure sure sure. Totally.” He leaned in again. “...but what did you put for it?”

I stared. His smile got wider.

Sighing, I scrolled up a few items to find what he was asking about. I like tasks that require little thought once I’ve learned them. “Strongly disagree.”

“Right!” he exclaimed, poking at his tablet. “Me too, me too. Yeah.”

“Zephyr.” I set my tablet on my lap and glared. “What are you doing?”

“I’m just…” He glanced around nervously, still with that shit-eating smile. “See. I’m the Breeze! The Breeze can’t be labeled and limited. All these questions… it’s like trying to put the entire sky in a little bottle, like ‘hey there, bottle of sky, you comfortable?’ No, I’m not comfortable, I’m the sky, I need to be free! Get it?”

“You can’t possibly think I get it.”

“I’m… see. The Breeze can’t…” His smile finally slipped as his babbles faded. He just waved his hands around vaguely. “...How do you know what to put?”

“I’m just going with what feels closest,” I replied. “Like they said in the instructions.”

“But how do you know you’re not wrong?” he asked, eyes hollow. “This is committing myself, saying deep down in my heart what kind of tasks I like, or how much I like to manipulate people, or whatever! What if I do it wrong? Monohuman will probably kill me!”

He glowered down at his tablet. “I hate this thing. I want to stop taking it. I wanted to stop taking it after the second question. But he definitely will kill me for that. Poor dead Zephyr.”

I felt a headache coming on. This was just the stupidest, most ridiculous thing I could remember ever hearing.

…But on the other hand, I knew what it felt like to freak out from having to think about yourself too much all at once. I could sympathize with that, at least.

“Poooor, poor dead Zephyr,” he repeated.

“Look,” I said, desperately willing my irritation away. “It really isn’t that big a deal. They don’t expect you to put down anything but what you’re feeling in the moment. They even say in the instructions not to think too hard about it, right?”

“Yeah, but… other people are good at this stuff!” he pouted. “I’m The Breeze! I’m complicated!”

“Everyone’s complicated! You’re just having a hard time because you’re putting way too much importance on something that doesn’t matter!”

“Hmf.” He set his tablet down on the bench between us. “Well. Maybe you’re right; you’re just good at that.” He gently and not-at-all subtly pushed his tablet a centimeter closer to me. “And. Since you’re so good and everything…”

“No!” I snapped, my irritation in full force. “I am not going to take your survey for you! Are you serious right now?”

He recoiled, then glared with what was probably supposed to be haughty disdain but instead looked like nausea. “Well. I guess I should thank you for letting me die. So thanks. For me dying, and everything.”

“Oh, for…” I grabbed my tablet and stood up, fully intending to storm away. But when I took what was supposed to be one last glaring look at him, I hesitated. He was cringingly ashamed, drawn in on himself, sad. This guy was actually completely frozen about committing himself to tiny little statements. He really couldn’t do it.

“I’m going to go finish this on my own,” I declared. “But. I’ll tell you my secret technique first, all right?”

“Oh? Um.” He picked up his tablet and held onto it, looking up at me hopefully. “New techniques are always good.”

“I turn it into a game. I pretend I have a five-second time limit for each one.” I hadn’t been so rigid about it, but this was close enough. Just keep going, keep from thinking too much. It worked. “No matter what. If I hit the five second limit and still don’t know, I just pick the middle option and move on.”

“...But what if the middle answer is wrong?”

“You’ll be too busy answering the next question to think about it.”

He vaguely whimpered, and I rolled my eyes. “Look, do it or don’t. I tried.” I turned away, as coldly as I could. “I’m going to go finish mine on my own.” I started to walk, and for some reason I felt compelled to add, “Let me know if you do it and it helps,” before I made my escape.

~*~

I headed over to the picnic tables in the main area, finishing up my survey as quickly as I could. Afterwards, I lay my head down on the table, exhausted. This had been a very social day, and I sent out a heartfelt wish to get a break from it all.

The universe refused my prayer. I heard footsteps and someone calling my name. “Wallflower?”

I looked up to see Derpy, giving me a smile that twitched at the corners, like she was about to lose it at any second. Her posture showed tension in the way she held her back and arms, her knees bent as if ready to bolt. “Derpy?”

She took a few steps towards me, and I felt myself wanting to back away. “I’ve been trying to find you… where’ve you been?”

“Oh, um,” I blushed. “I was playing cards with Juniper in her room.”

“...oh.” Derpy let out a brief giggle as her smile slipped some more. “Of course. Um. Yeah.” Noticing my apparently obvious anxiety, she coughed uncomfortably. “I guess you really don’t know.”

My lips twisted into a frown. “What do you mean?”

It was her turn to blush, and the red added much needed color to her cheeks. “I, uh, I mean, I just meant… oooh, I’m making this all sound way worse than I’m meaning to.” Her face fell into her hands and she sighed.

I raised an eyebrow and pressed the issue. “Is this about Juniper? Is there something about her I should know?”

“No, no, it’s not about Juniper,” Derpy said, waving her hands. “It’s about you and me. And what we had.”

“What we… had?” My face heated up again, this time hotter, like I’d opened up a slow cooker and got a faceful of steam.

She slapped a hand to her face once more. "Ugh, no, not like that. Ooh why am I so bad at this…" She sighed and dropped her hand, giving me a tight smile. "I know you don't remember anymore, but we were really close friends, you and me. Have been for years."

My heartbeat slowed to normal. "Oh. For a moment there I thought you meant we were, err…"

"No no no. Nope. That was never possible," Derpy said with a light laugh. "You're great but I'm more interested in, err…masculine people."

I nodded in understanding. "Like Big Macintosh."

"Like Big Macintosh, yeah," Derpy said. She gestured to the table and laughed. “Mind if I sit down with you? It’s a little awkward to keep standing here."

"Sure." I moved over to give her some additional room, so we weren’t right on top of each other. I tried to relax. "You told me we were friends earlier, but I kind of assumed it was just acquaintances. I don’t feel like someone who’d, y’know, be close to anyone. Sorry."

Derpy shrugged. "It happened right at the end of high school, so I assumed you just forgot. But I want to reconnect with my friend. I know what some people have said about the whole Equestrian thing, buuuut I doubt either of us are ponies, right?"

Yes, I was not a pony. I had human memories, I wasn’t going to be paranoid about this. "Of course I'm not a pony," I said. "I'm just as human as you are."

"Right. So there's nothing wrong with us talking about the past and getting to know each other again." Derpy gave me a smile. "'cause lemme tell you, it's pretty scary in here."

A sly smile crossed my face. "Is that why you've been all over Big Macintosh?"

"Ergh…guilty as charged," Derpy said with a slightly uncomfortable laugh. "Truth is I've been kinda lonely ever since I broke up with Bulk."

I blinked. "Who?"

She rolled her eyes at herself. "Right, you don't remember. Bulk Biceps. He's this really huge guy, pale like Rarity, has a bit of an enthusiasm problem. Likes to shout yeah a lot."

I tried to focus, and for a split second I had a vision of someone like that before pain sliced through my attempt once again. "Sounds kinda familiar."

Derpy nodded. "Well, he's also really sweet, and we were together for several years. But last year he got a scholarship to a school across the country, one that guaranteed him a high paying job right after. He… he tried to ask me to come with him. I told him I didn't want to give up on what I was studying. We had an…argument, words were exchanged. And by the end of it, he dumped me."

"...Ouch. I'm sorry," I replied. “That sounds rough.”

She shrugged again, her shoulders slumping. Her smile strained to keep from collapsing. “It’s not like there weren’t issues with our relationship. He was great, but… our interests didn’t always align, and sometimes he could be a little too rough.” She coughed and patted her side. “So really, we weren’t gonna last.”

“Oh. Ah…”

“Not like that!” she squeaked, shaking her head furiously. “Just, he got all excited, and he didn’t know his own strength. And combined with my clumsiness… I mean, lots of times we’d leave a room looking like a hurricane went through it.”

I eyed her skeptically but couldn’t really find anything to argue with. “Sounds exciting, at least.”

She chuckled. “Yeah. Sometimes it feels like I don’t fit well with anybody, but at least the way me and Bulk didn’t fit made some good stories.” She sighed, glum.

I patted her on the shoulder, feeling like I should be doing something to comfort her. “And so you’ve been lonely ever since.”

“Well, yeah,” she said with a light sigh. “Especially since…” she trailed off and looked away.

I leaned forward. “Especially since what?”

Derpy let out a slight sigh. “Around that same time, something changed about you. Before then you were doing great, way better than high school. You were making friends, getting along with people… you were coping really well with your anxiety and everything. But then right about the same time I broke up with Bulk, you changed all of a sudden and got… sad. Really sad.”

“...Sad?” I pressed. “What do you mean?”

Derpy shook her head. “I can’t really be more specific, because you stopped talking to me for weeks at a time. And every time you did you seemed just as sad. When I signed up for this program I was super surprised to see you here too; I tried to ask you what happened but you wouldn’t tell me. And now you don’t even remember.” Her expression turned glum. “I was one of your best friends and you never told me what was wrong…”

The urge to hug her rose rapidly until I gave in, giving her a quick embrace. She held onto me a little tighter than I would have liked, sniffling into my shoulder, but she released me after only a couple of moments. “Sorry about that,” she said.

“Don’t apologize,” I replied, shaking my head. “It sounds like I wasn’t there for you when you needed me. If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me.” If only I could remember why.

Derpy chuckled. “Nah, that wouldn’t be very fair of me to ask that of you. Besides, we’re here now. We’re talking now, and that’s what matters, right?”

“Right.”

She leaned back against the bench, her expression turning pensive. “So, what do you think our chances are of getting out of this place?”

I winced at the question, since I hadn’t the foggiest clue. Maybe if we still had Sunset around, we could figure out how to stop the magical computer, and find a way to call for help. Without it… “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I’d like to think that we’ll all make it out of here alive somehow, but…”

“But those secrets,” Derpy said, shuddering. “If they’re anything like mine… someone might kill because of them.”

Sunset’s words of warning resurfaced in my mind. “What do you mean? What’s yours about?”

She recoiled, a grimace briefly flashing over her face. “Sorry… I’m… I don’t know if I want to share it.”

I paused for a moment, then made a decision. Derpy had been nothing but kind to me, and I had done nothing but feel suspicious of her. That needed to change. “I can share mine,” I said, reaching into my pack to pull out the sheet of paper. “It’s confusing bullshit anyway.”

She shook her head and pushed my hand back down into my bag. “...sorry. It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just don’t want to think about it right now.”

Suspicion rose inside me, but I dropped the paper back in the bag and zipped it shut. “Alright. Sorry I suggested it.”

She waved that off. “A-anyway, I think it’s important we try to stick together whenever we’re out of our rooms. And I kinda want to spend more time with you, so we can catch up. Or rebuild our friendship. Whichever.”

Everything in me wanted to believe Derpy was being nothing but sincere, but recent experience had taught me not to trust that. “Yeah, maybe,” I said, refusing to give a more specific answer.

She gave me a tight smile, then abruptly snapped her fingers and gasped. “Oh my gosh. Of course. I can’t believe I forgot to ask you about this.” Her cheeks bloomed with red as she searched for her words, then leaned in so she could speak furtively. “Listen. I dunno how much you remember, but….you know you have some pretty important medical needs, right?”

I mouthed the words medical needs a couple of times before realizing what she meant, feeling my own cheeks heat up anew. “...You know about that?”

“Yeah, you trusted me with it,” she said, nodding. “That’s why I’m asking. I wanna make sure you’re getting the meds you need.”

“No need,” I said. “I’ve got all the medicines I need in my room. I picked them out the first day from the clinic’s pharmacy.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh thank goodness. I was a little afraid you’d been missing doses… I know that contributes to–”

I held up a hand to stop her. “No, I’ve been very diligent about that. Even when I… stayed in my room… I was taking my meds.” I found myself fidgeting more and more as we talked about this. I don’t talk about my medical needs to anyone. In fact the only person I could remember ever saying anything to was Sunset Shimmer.

So I must’ve trusted Derpy quite a bit to let her know.

Or she had been spying on me and was using this as a pretext to try to poison me, a more suspicious part of my mind pointed out.

“Um, Wallflower?”

I blinked and looked back at Derpy, realizing I’d missed something she said. “Sorry, what?”

She giggled. “Zoning out, huh? I was asking if there was anything you did need.”

“I don’t…” I trailed off as I thought about it, scratching my chin. “Actually yeah, there is one thing I could use,” I said, explaining what it was.

“Great, let’s go, then,” Derpy said, standing up from the bench. “I might as well help you look… maybe we can find some better version of your meds too.”

“You really think we could?” I asked as I stood and walked with her towards the clinic.

“Dunno. But I’m running out of my anti-anxiety meds so I’m gonna be looking at them anyway,” she said.

I smiled at that. “I didn’t think you would have anxiety.”

“Oh, I do. Big time,” Derpy admitted, smiling back. “Like… you know how Fluttershy has all her panic attacks and stuff? Mine’s not like that. Mine’s just a constant low-level thing that leaves me forever on edge…hey… is that Trixie?”

As we reached the clinic we saw Trixie rushing out, carrying a large pill bottle of something she stuffed away into her cloak right as she spotted us. “So, are you following Trixie around now, Wallflower?” she snapped, pointing at me. “Trixie knew that really was a threat you gave her earlier.”

“Uh, no, Trixie, we didn’t even know you were here,” Derpy answered for me with a roll of her eyes. “We’re just here to pick some stuff up.”

Trixie huffed. “Whatever.” She looked me up and down. “At least you seem to be listening to a bit of Trixie’s advice. You’re better off with Derpy than you are with Vignette or Rarity, Wallflower.”

“...Uh, thanks?” Derpy said, nonplussed.

“Now if you will excuse Trixie, she has better things to do than risk her life by speaking with you two,” Trixie said as she pivoted on her heel, heading for her dorm room.

“Trixie, wait,” I said, reaching a hand out automatically.

She curled both her hands into tight fits, trembling for a moment before whirling back around. “What?”

I wasn’t sure why I was bothering to tell her, given the experience we had just this morning. But even if she was the most stubborn woman alive… this was just so weird. Why was she so tense and upset around me? “Cheese Sandwich was asking about you earlier.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Cheese Sandwich? What about him?”

“I ran into him at the truck stop,” I continued. “He was questioning how trustworthy you were… and mentioned someone named Pinkie Pie.”

Derpy and Trixie exchanged a confused look. “Pinkie Pie? But she’s not even a part of this program,” Derpy said.

“Strange… why would Cheese Sandwich be asking about Pinkie Pie?” Trixie murmured. She looked at me, her mouth twisted in uncertainty. “Why are you telling Trixie this?”

“Because I meant what I said earlier, Trixie, about isolating yourself,” I answered, finding that same smile from before coming to my face. “I still see you as my friend, and I’m worried if you keep to yourself all the time, you’re going to be hurt… or worse.”

She bristled, baring her teeth. “You keep saying that as if you're threatening Trixie.”

“No, Trixie,” I sighed. “It’s not a threat. It’s a warning. Look...I…” I swallowed nervously, trying to find the words to say what I needed to say without giving away my secret. “A couple days before she… died…Sunset told me something about the first game. She said that she was responsible for the first victim self-isolating, by pushing them away or something. Said that if the victim had just stayed with the group, they wouldn’t have died.”

Trixie stared at me wordlessly for several long moments. “...did she tell you who this victim was?”

I looked away, not able to meet her eyes. “...no,” I lied. “But that’s not important right now. What matters is that self-isolation led to that person’s death. And that’s exactly what’ll happen to you if you keep acting like this. Someone might think you’re planning to hurt them and decide to strike first.”

“Tch.” The dismissive sound made me look back at Trixie, whose look bore a remarkable resemblance to the way Pear Butter used to look at me, not long before she died. But unlike Pear Butter, Trixie’s anger or fury or whatever it was seemed to melt away before my eyes. “...fine. You’ve made your point. Trixie will consider listening to it.”

“Thank you,” I said as a sigh of relief crossed my lips. “Like I said before, you’re my friend, Trixie, even if you don’t see it that way. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Don’t push your luck, Wallflower,” Trixie said as she brushed past us, heading for her dorm room.

Derpy watched Trixie go until Trixie disappeared inside, then looked at me, confusion written all over her face. “What the heck was that about?”

“Just me trying to look out for a friend,” I said as we continued into the clinic, beelining for the pharmacy. “Were you and Trixie friends too?”

“Kind of?” Derpy said as she meandered into the prescription drug aisle. “We didn’t hang out too often. Usually you were either with me or with her and Sunset, rarely at the same time. But we got along.”

Rather than head directly for what I needed, I decided to browse a few other things. Like pain relievers. I was sick of the headaches my memory issues were causing me. I could use a few good aspirin or something. “So she was never jealous of you or anything?”

“No, Trixie matured a lot after high school,” Derpy said as she plucked a bottle from a shelf, examined it, then smiled and pocketed it. “Even if she might not be showing it much lately.”

“Do you know why she’s always speaking in third person?” I asked as I looked for the largest bottle of the most powerful over the counter pain reliever available. I wasn’t about to touch anything stronger. Last thing I needed was an opioid addiction. “If she told me, I don’t remember anymore.”

“Oh, that’s just something she does,” Derpy said, waving it off. “She never told me. I asked her once and she almost punched me in the face, she was so mad. Found my meds by the way. Gonna search for yours now.”

“She was that mad, seriously?” I plucked a bottle of five hundred naproxen sodium pills off the shelf and shoved it into my pack next to one of five hundred ibuprofen. While I was at it I decided to pick up some other things, like cold medicine, antacids, and the like.

“Yeah. Then again it might’ve been the timing.” She paused and looked over some meds more carefully. “She was really tipsy.”

“Tipsy? Was this a party of some kind?” I grabbed some extra strength antacids and some other similar medicines in both liquid and chewable forms. A little bit excessive, but at this point, I wanted to be prepared.

“After-party,” Derpy corrected. “For one of her shows. She made way more money that night than she expected so she was celebrating. I…might’ve been a bit tipsy too, actually.” She paused. “Hey, come look at this.”

“Hmm?” I walked over to her aisle. “What is it?”

She pointed out a small shelf near the end of the prescription strength meds. “ What are… androgens?”

“Androgens?” I raised an eyebrow and peered closer to confirm. “They’re sex hormones. Like testosterone.”

“Oh, like steroids?”

“Kind of?” I said, frowning at them. “Though I don’t think these are potent enough for that. The real question is why are they here? This someone’s prescription?”

Derpy shrugged. “I dunno. Why are there a whole ton of illegal drugs over there?” She pointed out a shelf separate from all the others, one that looked more ramshackle and makeshift, stacked high with everything from heroin to cocaine to methamphetamines and more.

I let out a frustrated sigh. “Because Monohuman wants to give us lots of means to kill each other. Or for escapism. Or both.”

“You don’t think someone’s gonna start using drugs just to cope with being here, do you?” Derpy asked as she headed for a different aisle.

“Well, so long as they stick to the legal stuff like marijuana, it’s fine,” I said, and to prove my point I grabbed a single bag of edibles. “I just hope no one touches anything else.”

“Too bad we can’t lock it all up somewhere,” Derpy said with a sigh.

Briefly I explained what Monohuman had said about that earlier. “So we’ll just have to watch out for any signs.”

“I’ll try,” Derpy said. She then picked something up and chuckled. “Hey, Wallflower, you ever use a straight razor?”

I burst into laughter at that. “Uh, no… that’s not exactly what I’m looking for.”

“Aww, too bad,” she said, though the grin on her face betrayed the humor.

Eventually I found the last thing I wanted, and with a fairly full pack we left the pharmacy for the clinic exit. But just as we reached the doors, we heard the sounds of shouting. “Uh oh,” Derpy murmured. We glanced at each other, then rushed outside to see what was happening.

We witnessed Rarity raising a fist in Big Macintosh’s face, waving it around like she was prepared to deck him. He stood tense, all his muscles coiled, an angry snarl twisting his mouth.

“...about my sister!” Rarity was screaming.

“Hey, hey, hey, what’s going on here?” Derpy asked as the two of us ran over. “What the heck’s wrong with you two?”

For just an instant, a look of horrified embarrassment crossed both their faces. “Nothing is wrong, darling, whyever would you think that?” Rarity said as she managed to force a smile onto her face.

“Eeyup. Just havin’ a talk,” Big Macintosh added, though he still looked troubled.

“...Are you sure?” Derpy pressed. I nodded in time with her question, backing her up silently.

“Of course we are,” Rarity said, her smile widening and her posture relaxing till it was like she’d never been angry in the first place. She brushed her hair back and nodded to us both. “If you’ll pardon me, I am needed elsewhere.”

I blinked and dumbly watched her go, so shocked by her sudden change in behavior I almost forgot to call out, “Wait, Rarity, I still need to talk to you!” But she sped up till she’d entered her dorm.

“Hmph,” Big Mac harrumphed, his posture still tense.

“Big Mac, are you sure you’re okay?” Derpy asked, reaching out with her hand.

He stared at it for a moment before meeting her eyes. After another long minute of silence he reached out to hold her hand, which caused her to turn red as a lobster.

“Nope,” he admitted, slumping a bit. “Ah… Ah ain’t doin’ so great.”

She patted his arm and moved in closer. “There, there. Hey, it’s almost dinner time. You want to go get some food together?”

“Eeyup,” He nodded, giving us both a soft, quick smile before it vanished again. “Thanks.”

I walked with them to the Mess Hall, where we went into the kitchen to help Derpy make up a stir fry over rice for the three of us. I chopped vegetables while Big Mac took care of the rice and Derpy did the actual stir frying. As we worked, Derpy kept chatting a little to Big Mac, asking him this or that, which he mostly smiled and nodded or shook his head to rather than speaking aloud.

Only when we sat down at a table together with our meal did he finally speak up again. “Sorry Ah’m not sayin’ much. Been havin’ a real rough time. Ah hardly even leave mah room except to eat.” He took a couple moments to find more words before speaking again. “Ah’m not a good talker. Not even sure of a lot of what Ah’m feelin’, save for fear and grief. Don’t have a lotta words for it, so…” He trailed off and shrugged.

“So you’re staying quiet because you don’t know what else to do,” Derpy finished for him.

“Yup.”

She ran a hand along his arm. “That’s understandable, Big Mac…you lost your mom. I can’t even imagine what that must be like. But I’ll do my best to be here for you, okay?”

“Me too,” I added, giving him a friendly smile, though it was a little strained. “As much as I can anyway…”

He nodded his understanding of that. “Ah hear you, Miss Wallflower. If y’all would please… bear with me a minute.”

He went silent and I think it might have actually been more than one minute before he spoke again. “Mah mama… I thought I lost her once before. In the accident that claimed mah pa. Granny told us both of them had passed. She misheard herself ‘cause she had to see pa’s body and was fallin’ apart.”

He fell silent again, but not for nearly as long. “So then she was alive again after being dead. But pa’s still gone, and she’s different, ‘cause she’s got a sadness.” He frowned and shook his head. “Naw, we all got sadness, Ah dunno the word. After a while, she mostly got to the way she was before, but with somethin’ else. Like sadness, but not the same. And Ah never got to see her again without it. And Ah feel like I’ve lost her twice, and Ah’ll go crazy if Ah lose anyone else.”

This was all excruciatingly uncomfortable. I had nothing close to an idea of what I should be doing or saying or expressing on my face; he was facing the most serious, awful thing in the world and there was no way I wouldn’t mess everything up the second I did anything.

But then I looked at Derpy. She was leaning in, her hand gently resting on top of his. Her eyes were watery, threatening to spill tears as she nodded encouragingly to him at the start of every pause. She was amazing.

And apparently she was my best friend.

“So that’s somethin’ Ah been thinking about,” he said, simply.

“Oh, Big Mac,” Derpy sniffled. “Um, I don’t really have any good words here, either. But, I don’t think that’s because either of us are bad at talking. These kinds of situations are just stuff there aren’t any words for. Like… like I think this is the whole reason poetry was ever even invented. To find a way to talk about losing someone.”

She squeezed his hand, looking so purely sad herself. “So all we can do is listen and tell you that what you’re feeling is right and fine and important, even if you can’t express it.”

“Yeah,” I added, feeling very lame.

He nodded, with a sad half-smile. “Ah’ll try. And Ah appreciated your friendship, both of y’all… especially yours, Miss Derpy.” He looked into her eyes and gave a fuller, more genuine smile.

She blushed redder than a fire engine and let out several little cute giggles, which only served to make Big Macintosh chuckle.

“Ah, you know what, I think I’ll… finish my food in my room,” I said, feeling the need to excuse myself.

“Later, Wally,” Derpy said, waving.

As I took my food back, I kept my eye out, but Rarity was nowhere to be seen. I’d lost another opportunity to ask her what she was doing.

But if I was honest with myself, I found I didn’t care nearly as much as I had that morning. Seeing Big Macintosh and Derpy get along left me feeling, dare I say it, hopeful. Derpy and Big Mac seemed to be forming a connection… maybe even falling in love.

Seeing that made me hope that maybe the rest of us could start getting along after all, especially since I’d been able to talk Trixie into hanging with the rest of the group.

“I’m working on keeping that promise to you, Sunset,” I muttered to myself as I strode up the stairs and into my room, locking the door. “I’m doing the best I can.”