My vision swirled. My body felt cold and leaden. I couldn't stop screaming, even as my breath finally gave out. The sight of my former mentor and the beloved Solar Princess of Equestria clawed its way through my eyes and buried itself in my brain. The world seemed to lose all color except for the vivid tones of gore, and time felt like it had slowed to a crawl.
"Twilight?! What's wrong?! Why-" Nurse Redheart was the first to enter the room, quickly stopping dead in her tracks. "Oh! Oh... oh no..." She covered her muzzle with a hoof, trembling in shock.
"What's all the screaming about? What's going on?!" Discord and Fluttershy were the next to enter a few moments later. As soon as their eyes laid upon Celestia's body, they froze as well.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Fluttershy screamed her lungs out before promptly fainting.
"GAAAAH! Oh gods, no, Celly!" Discord's body immediately lost all of its color. His chalk white form took a few steps closer, but just as he was about to touch Celestia's foreleg to confirm, a chime suddenly blared on the speakers as the monitor in the room flicked to life.
*ding dong bong bing!*
Monokuma appeared, still seated in his office chair, still holding a glass of wine. Though his expression never changed much, he was clearly excited. "A body has been discovered!" he gleefully proclaimed. "All students - the living ones, that is - please gather in the gym for further instructions! If you're marked absent, then there will be punishments across the board!" After that statement, the monitor shut off.
"What?! He wants us to go to the gym at a time like this?!" Redheart glared.
"I'm afraid we have no choice..." Discord sighed as he picked up an unconscious Fluttershy in his arms. "If he's capable of doing... that... to Celestia..."
I heard the doors from the rest of the dormitory open, and everypony talking in hushed whispers as they made their way to the gym. As Rainbow Dash and Coloratura passed by Celestia's room, they peeked inside.
"Oh, gods, oh no..." Coloratura trembled violently, tears threatening to stream down her face.
"Oh... shiiiiiit..." Rainbow gulped.
"GAH, FUCK!" Fleur slammed her room's door open, rubbing her eyes.
"What's wrong with you?" asked Redheart, trotting over to her.
"Aaaaagh fuck, shit, fuck, shit, fuck, shitfuck, fuckin' fuck..." Fleur cursed as she continued to rub her eyes.
"Did something get in your eyes?" Redheart asked again.
"Fffff... no, at least... I don't think so. There was this super fucking bright light suddenly... UGH. If I'm blind now, I'm gonna be soooo fucking pissed the FUCK off..."
Redheart guided Fleur down the stairs as they left for the gym. Rainbow had to pull me away from Celestia's side, and I reluctantly walked after her as Discord carried Fluttershy. She might've tried to say something sympathetic or encouraging, but all I could hear was the ringing of my own ears.
Monokuma... he really did take away our immortality... oh, Princess Celestia... who could have done this to you...?!
~
At last, we gathered in the gym. I tried my hardest to calm myself while Fluttershy woke up, sobbing into Discord's chest. The hushed whispers quickly grew in volume and terror as one by one, everypony realized who hadn't shown up.
"Um... where's Princess Celestia...?" Trixie gulped.
"SOMEPONY ACTUALLY KILLED SOMEPONY ELSE?!" Bulk shouted. "WHERE'S PRINCESS CELESTIA?!"
"Sister... where's my sister?!" Princess Luna paced frantically around the gym, trying her hardest to hold herself together.
"That bastard... I bet Monokuma killed her!" Lightning Dust snarled angrily. "Where are you, you murdering asshole?!"
*boing!*
"I would never do that! If you can believe anything, you can believe that!" We all turned around, surprised at the little bear's sudden appearance in the middle of the floor. "Unless someone violates a school regulation, I absolutely will not interfere! I can promise you, I won't do anything that goes against the purpose of your school life here... I'm famous at safari parks throughout the world for following the 'Bear-Times-One' rule!" he giggled.
"You expect us to believe that?!" Rainbow roared. "If it wasn't you, then who?!"
"You already know the answer!" Monokuma grinned smugly. "The one who killed her is... one of you!" None of us had a reply for that. I almost broke down into tears just from the suggestion.
No... it can't... one of us... one of us... killed... Princess Celestia...?
"Hmm? What's the matter?" Monokuma tilted his head. "You guys all look like you're about to see a dove get shot up with a Gatling gun! ...Don't you remember what I told you when this all began? One of you decided to kill Princess Celestia so you could graduate!" he laughed menacingly. "Someone's just following the rules, there's nothing wrong with that!"
"You're... you're lying... this can't be true..." Luna dry-heaved once and stared at the ground.
"Of course he's lying!" I finally regained control of my sanity. "There's no way one of us would've killed her!"
"Nope. Sorry... one of you is now a bona fide killer," Monokuma smiled. "Perhaps the one who did it could testify to that little fact...?"
Without thinking, I glanced quickly around at everypony. Each wore the exact same look on their faces: fear, suspicion, panic, confusion.
"I... I... no... c-can't b-b-believe..." Fluttershy sobbed.
"Somepony... actually killed somepony..." Luna spoke with a growl.
"I had hoped it wouldn't come to this..." Redheart sighed heavily. "Some ponies sure are capable of terrifying things."
"Now wait just a fuckin' minute!" Lightning yelled. "How do we know he's telling the truth?!"
"Hold on," Rarity cleared her throat. "What did this hideous stuffed animal say earlier? If one of us really did kill Princess Celestia, that pony gets to graduate from the school and leave... right?"
"Huh?" Monokuma's ears perked up.
"Yea... he did say that..." Fleur leered. At this, Monokuma began to laugh even more maniacally than before.
"Puhuhuhu... puhuhuhuhu... poohohohoho... BWAAAhahahahahaha!"
"Uh... why are you laughing...?" Rainbow asked timidly. Monokuma struggled to get a hold of himself long enough to explain.
"Puhu... it's 'cuz... naive... You're just so naive! You think it's really that easy? You can just kill someone and waltz on outta here? You're super naive! Devilishly naive! HELLISHLY NAIVE!" he laughed again, his red eye glowing. "...No, no, no... the real thing has just begun."
The... real thing...?
"Now, are you ready?! Allow me to explain the second part of the rule regarding graduation! Just like I explained before, you must kill someone if you want to leave. However... even if you do that, there's still one more part to the agreement you have to uphold, remember?" My mind traveled back to the School Regulations section of the e-Handbook.
"...You're... referring to Rule #7 of the School Regulations... right?" I whimpered, remembering the words all too well.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
7. Anyone who kills a fellow student will become "blackened" and graduate, unless they are discovered.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"...If you are the blackened that committed the murder, you can't be found out by the others."
"Bingo! It's not enough to just kill someone. You have to actually get away with it!" Monokuma grinned. "Which naturally means you need a system in place to assess whether or not it's been gotten away with! So... a certain amount of time after a murder has taken place, a class trial will begin!"
Of course! Just like... normal society. A trial!
"Yep! It'll begin a few hours after the murder. Everyone will gather together, including the blackened who committed the murder. And they and the spotless students will all engage in one big debate showdown! During the trial, you'll have to present your arguments about who you think the blackened is, and once everything comes to an end, the outcome will be decided by popular vote! If the answer you've arrived at is correct? Only the one who disturbed your peace will be punished. The rest may continue their communal life. However... if you choose poorly? Then the one who got away with murder will survive, and the rest of you will receive your punishment! Which, of course, means your school life will come to an end!"
As Monokuma giggled, my blood turned to ice in my veins. I could only guess what "punishment" meant in this context, but I knew it wasn't good. And if we failed to condemn one pony to their fate, all of us would be punished instead?! My heart began to pound so hard it threatened to break my ribcage.
You... you... monster...
"So... um... what exactly is this 'punishment' you keep talking about...?" Pinkie Pie gulped. "I hope it's just a spanking..."
"Oh! Well, to put it simply..." Monokuma shrugged. "...It's execution!"
Yep... I knew it...
Everypony immediately shouted and screamed their protests.
"WHAT?!" Trixie shrieked.
"Ex... Execution?!" coughed Rarity.
"Um... by 'execution', you don't surely mean..." Flam trailed off weakly. Monokuma's red eye glowed again as a deranged smile spread across his face.
"Execution is... execution. Ex-e-cution! Electric chair, bzzt bzzt! Poison gas, cough cough! Torn apart like a paper plane in a hurricane!" Sweat began dripping down my mane as I imagined the gruesome fates that possibly awaited us.
"Alright... so..." Applejack stammered. "...If'n we get the culprit right, only they die... but if'n we get it wrong... all the rest of us get... e-executed?"
"What a smart little burro you are!" Monokuma mocked. "Look at you, implying you didn't do it without actually saying it! So, it's basically what the outside world calls a 'lay judge' system, or an inquisition-type thing! Which means you'll be deciding who you think the killer is. But judge carefully... because all your lives are on the line! Okay, let me just add the rule I just described to your handbook. Make sure to keep it in mind!" A moment later, I heard multiple soft pings in the air, notifying us all that the rule had been added.
"No... no!" Lightning reared up. "I won't do this! I refuse to fuckin' do this! It was clearly you, you fucking monster!" As she protested, the facsimile unicorn horns on the nearby cameras began to glow an ominous red. I easily sensed that the magic gathering on the horns was a deadly spell, meant to maim and cause as much suffering as possible until the victim eventually perished from blood loss.
"Lightning, settle down! The cameras!" I warned. Rainbow shot over to Lightning and restrained her. She struggled a little, but after looking Rainbow and myself in the eyes, sighed and stood still. To my relief, the horns ceased their glow.
"Smart. Now you see just how serious I am..." Monokuma sneered, his eye glowing the same crimson color as the horns had previously. "Defy me, and you get shot full of holes, exploded, buried alive, disintegrated... et cetera. So if you don't want that to happen to you, you'd best obey those school regulations!"
Everypony gulped. We had no response to this frightening display of power. As much as I hated to admit it, Monokuma had us all completely under his control, under penalty of death.
"Anyway... I have something to give you to help you in your search for the blackened!" From behind his back, Monokuma produced fifteen identical black folders, decorated with a little red and a number 1. "This little file has all the information I've gathered about the death in question. I like to call it... the Monokuma File! ...I mean, naturally you guys aren't experts at this kind of thing, so you can only do so much with a corpse. So instead, I've gathered up everything I know about the circumstances and cause of death."
"Cause of death...?" Redheart questioned. "How would you know without a proper autopsy?"
"What's that? How do I know the cause of death, you ask? Cuz the surveillance cameras picked up the whole thing! I got to see it all go down!" For some reason, this revelation sickened me even more.
"You... you saw my sister's killer...?" Luna cried, tears streaming down a furious face.
"Of course I did! If I didn't, I couldn't possibly pass a fair and accurate judgment during the trial, now could I?" Monokuma stifled his giggling.
"That's... not exactly reassuring..." Flam muttered.
"Now then, please put your full effort behind your investigation! After all, you don't have any choice but to give it your best shot! ...Seriously. You don't have a choice. ...Okay, so we'll meet up for the class trial... in a little while!" And with that, Monokuma set the files down in a neat pile and disappeared quickly through a trap door in the floor before we could say anything else.
And nopony said anything else for quite some time. I couldn't even will myself to form words. We were left stunned, confused, terrified... terrified at the fact that one of us... had actually killed... and that if we didn't find out who had killed Princess Celestia, we would all die. It was a situation that more-or-less forced us to look at each other with suspicion... for myself, the Princess of Friendship, it was the worst situation imaginable.
Finally, Redheart broke the silence. "Alright, now's not the time to panic. We must begin this... investigation."
"She's right," Flam sighed. "If we do nothing, then all of us will meet our beloved Princess's fate. Cooperation is paramount!"
"But... somepony... killed Princess Celestia! One of us!" Coloratura trembled. "If we all go, then who's to say the killer won't mess up the investigation behind our backs?" Immediately I thought of ways to counter her fears, as they were entirely valid. If the killer truly wished to leave and didn't care whether the rest of us lived or died, they would try everything in their power to misdirect us.
"I never took the actual licensing test, but I've seen enough corpses in my line of work to perform a proper autopsy," said Redheart.
"Wait a minute!" Fleur glared. "What if you're the killer? Then you could just make up any kind of supposed death for Celestia!"
"I may not be terribly fond of my fellow ponies, but when there's a job to do, I do it with the utmost respect and dignity, regardless of who they are," Redheart glared back. "...But I do see what you mean. We should have somepony guard the crime scene and the body to ensure against tampering... hm, make that two, actually."
"Ah'll do it," Applejack sighed. "Bulk, how 'bout you help me? Between the two of us, anypony wantin' to mess with the crime scene'll sure think twice."
"OKAY," Bulk shouted with concern. "I DON'T THINK I'D BE TOO GOOD AT INVESTIGATING, ANYWAY. I'M NOT THAT SMART..."
"Aww, now don't say such things about yourself like that," Fluttershy comforted.
"Let's each grab one of these Monokuma Files," said Rarity. Everypony took one from the pile with trepidation, and nopony dared to open it just yet. Meanwhile, Monokuma's Nighttime announcement played on the monitors, letting us know that the sun had so unnaturally set. I sighed, closed my eyes and steeled my nerves, stepping forward and garnering the attention of everypony present.
"Alright... let's go."
~
Minutes later, we all piled inside Celestia's room. Those who hadn't seen the charred corpse of their beloved ruler... quickly regretted it. Seeing it- her again... it took everything I had to not break down crying.
"GAAAAAAH! SHE REALLY IS DEAD!" Bulk screamed hysterically.
"Oh, fuck... fuckin' hell..." Lightning stammered, terror visible in her eyes.
"The Great and Powerful Trrrixie! ...Is going to be sick..." she moaned as she swayed on her hind legs while covering her mouth, her eyes watering.
"Ugh... so unsightly..." Fleur muttered with the utmost disgust, turning up her nose. Meanwhile, Luna shuffled slowly towards her beloved sister, tears in her eyes that were quickly evaporating from her fury.
"Sister... who could have done this to you..." she sniffled. "...Whomever has done this... once I find out, I WILL EXECUTE YOU MYSELF!" she finished with a Royal Canterlot Voice roar.
"Now, Princess, before we can get to that part," Redheart interjected, "we need to find clues for this trial... Ugh, I can't believe I'm saying this," she shivered uncomfortably.
"Right... she's right," Pinkie gulped. "Um... how're we gonna do that?"
"It does seem like a frightfully daunting task, I agree..." said Rarity. My mind was already scanning over the numerous books I'd read over my lifetime; at least a few of them had been crime novels.
"Well..." I started. "First we should search the crime scene, I think. Then we'll need to collect everypony's alibis for the time of the murder... and we'll need to search the school top to bottom for possible clues."
"Then let's all split up and go look!" yelled Rainbow.
"Wait!" Flam shot his hoof up. "In pairs, at least... that way we protect against any possible tampering."
"Yes, good thinking," I nodded.
"Everypony buddy up!" Pinkie chirped, electing to sidle up next to Rarity. Everypony began to wander into pairs, save for Fleur.
"Ugh, I can't be seen with any of you peasants..." she grumbled. "...I'll just stay here."
"Fine, just don't touch anything," Redheart muttered, already inspecting the body. There was an uncomfortable silence as most of the pony pairs meandered out of the room to search for evidence. As I wondered who I would pair up with, I noticed Luna hadn't moved from where she stood. Her muscles shivered as she stared with forlorn rage at her sister's corpse, eyes crying and boiling at the same time. As much as it hurt me to know that my beloved mentor was no longer with us, I knew the pain that her sister felt was far worse.
"Hey, Luna..." I spoke quietly. But before I could say anything else, Luna erupted with a howl of pure, agonizing sorrow. Her ethereal mane spiked and swirled furiously, darkening until black as night itself.
"YOU... FIEND!" she snarled. "I WILL FIND WHOMEVER HAS DONE THIS!" And before anypony could even react, she threw herself out of the open window and flew away out of sight.
"Hey, wait! Luna!" I called out, but it was no use. She was already gone.
...Guess I'm on my own...
*Investigation Start*
...I didn't know how trustworthy it was, but it'd be a mistake to not look at the file Monokuma had given each of us. I flipped it open, discovering a picture of Princess Celestia's head shot inside, with a hot-pink X over her face and the word "deceased" beneath her... just reading the word made me feel like screaming all over again.
"Victim is Princess Celestia, Ultimate Diplomat," it read. "The victim has suffered 3rd and 4th degree burns over 70% of their body, mostly concentrated in the thoracic, abdominal and facial regions. There is no gradient of lesser burns, meaning that the victim was hit by one single, powerful blast. Time of death estimated to be 9:15pm."
"Even though she's right here... ah still can't believe it..." Applejack sighed, wiping a tear from her cheek.
"WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO..." Bulk shivered. Though it was his job alongside Applejack to guard the body, he was on the floor curled into a ball, slowly rocking back and forth while his teeth chattered.
"...Actually, that's just about exactly my own diagnosis," Redheart sighed. "Nasty way to go... if she had somehow survived this, she'd be begging for death, anyway."
"Oh? So you agree with the Monokuma File?" I asked.
"Yea... so far, it seems legit. Though it'd be nice if it said what exactly caused the wound."
I felt sick at the thought, but it needed to be done. My horn flared to life as my magic gently enveloped Celestia's body, searching for residual traces of whatever had killed her. What I sensed felt like magic, but far, far more powerful than any I had ever felt before. It even eclipsed the combined forces of Celestia's, Luna's, Discord's and my own magic when we tried to fight Monokuma for our freedom when this all started.
"It was magical in nature, that much I can tell you," I said. "But whatever it was, it was extremely strong, stronger than anypony else's magic here."
"Even your own?" Redheart asked emotionlessly.
"Especially my own," I frowned.
"I see..." she put a hoof to her chin. "I wonder... just how much we can trust that bear and his word..."
"I wouldn't put it past him to have lied," Fleur seethed. My horn glowed as I willed some parchment and a quill into existence, quickly scribbling down the evidence. Then I remembered something.
"Hey, Fleur... didn't you say you saw a bright light just after we... found Celestia?"
Fleur snorted, as if offended. "Ugh, yea... fuck, I still have spots in my eyes from that," she hissed. "Wait, why are you asking me things?! Are you accusing me of something I had no part in?!"
"No, not at all," I shook my head. "What were you doing just before that?"
"Oh... drying off in my room, smoking a cigarette, enjoying myself before going to bed for the night. A mare needs her beauty sleep, after all."
"Did you see where the light came from?"
"Not really... I was looking out the window, though not really at anything... and then FUCK I'M BLIND. I'm surprised I managed to stumble out the door after that charming little message from that stupid bear."
"So... you saw the light just before the announcement?" I racked my brain trying to remember exactly when it had played.
"Yea, I guess..."
"Do any of you remember exactly when the announcement was played?" Fleur, Bulk and Applejack shook their heads, but Redheart's eyes lit up in realization.
"Yes, I was actually looking at a clock in the kitchen when I heard it play. It was 9:17pm."
"I see..." I then redirected my attention back towards Fleur. "So, how about this evening? You weren't at the dinner party, so what were you doing then?"
"Ugh, nothing! Lying in the pool in the spa! I made sure to grab enough food so I wouldn't have to leave my nice, quiet sanctuary for even a moment," Fleur grumbled.
"Don't ya do anything other than sit in that pool and eat?" Applejack muttered.
"Yes. I sit in the sauna, as well. Helps prevent wrinkles. Maybe you should try it sometime," she retorted. Applejack simply rolled her eyes.
"Alright... well, I don't think I have anything else to ask," I said.
"Good. Now excuse me while I take my eyes off that foul pile of... of..." Fleur eventually huffed as she made her way towards the open window. Her horn glowed a light pink as she promptly took a cigarette from her pack and prepared to light it.
"Pretty sure you can't do that in somepony else's room," Redheart spoke flatly. "It's not your room, you know? Rules are rules..."
"Ugh!" Fleur huffed again as she put the cigarette away and tensely glared out the window. A fresh breeze blew inside, rustling the curtains and the canopy over the bed.
"What about you guys?" I asked.
"Ah went straight to my room after the cleanin' was done," replied Applejack. "Was just about to hop in the shower when ah got the message to go to the gym."
"I WENT RIGHT TO MY ROOM, TOO. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF MY BEFORE-BED WORKOUT WHEN THE MONITOR CAME ON."
"And I was in the middle of making myself some tea before the cafeteria closed for the night," said Redheart. "Then I heard you screaming, so I came as quickly as I could."
"I see..." I carefully studied the room for a while longer, finding nothing more of note. "...Well, I think that's everything here," I mumbled. "But... I don't have a partner. Luna just... left... like that."
"Can't really blame her though, of course," Applejack sighed. I shook my head in agreement. "Hey Bulk, if ah leave you here with Redheart and Fleur, you can keep an eye on things fer me, right?"
"WHAT?!" Bulk sat up, eyes shifting around the room quickly. "I GUESS SO..."
"Well, it'll have to do," shrugged Applejack. "Ah've got faith in ya, you'll keep the scene safe, right?"
Bulk squirmed a little before swallowing his nervousness and nodding bravely. "...ALRIGHT. LEAVE IT TO ME."
"Atta boy!" Applejack winked before turning back towards me. "Alright, Twi, let's git this investigation goin'."
~
We wandered around the rest of the dormitory. On our way, I saw Trixie, Rainbow, Coloratura, Pinkie and Rarity. While I had seen Rainbow go inside her room just before the time of death, Trixie and Rarity had been chatting just outside the former's door, Coloratura was in her room's bathroom, in the middle of heating some mane and tail rollers to sleep in, and Pinkie was amassing a collection of leftover snacks, just about to walk inside her room as the body discovery message played. Indeed, just outside her door was a messy pile of desserts, right where she dropped them.
Nothing we came across seemed suspicious until we went inside the warehouse. There we found the shelves in total disarray, along with Lightning and Flam, who were staring in thought at a pile of random objects. Really, the pile was the only thing remotely organized within the entire warehouse at the moment... the room was a mess, with every possible thing scattered all over the floor and shelves... I could feel one of my eyes begin to twitch at the sight of such disorganized chaos.
"Hmm... I'd say this is definitely a clue," Flam stroked his mustache as he turned his head towards us. "What do you two ladies make of this?
"Whut in tarnation happened?!" Applejack gawked. "It looks like a whole herd of Whirlin' Mungtooths had their own Runnin' of the Leaves in here!"
"Well, it's fuckin' obvious they were lookin' for all this shit here," Lightning pointed to the pile. "But why?" My eyes traveled to the pile of objects gleaming under the warehouse's fluorescent lights. There were silver trays and teapots, stainless steel pots and pans, other metal containers, a large quartz crystal cluster, foreign coins, a disco ball, CDs, some hoof mirrors, a toaster...
"...All of these objects are shiny," I finally stated after mulling it over.
"Shiny, eh?" Flam mumbled. "I suppose I can see the appeal, but... surely this isn't because of some pony's unchecked kleptomania. What does it all mean?"
I had no answer for that, not yet. While we searched the warehouse together, I asked Flam what he had been doing just before the murder, since I had seen Lightning go inside her room only seconds before. He, too, had retired to his room and was preparing for bed as the announcement played. After a while, we determined that there was nothing else overly suspicious, and left.
~
Surprisingly, we found no other clues until Applejack thought to check outside the school near the barrier, where Princess Luna had been working on a way to escape. As we wandered around the perimeter, we bumped into Fluttershy and Discord, and I asked them what they had been doing just before the murder. Turns out, they were talking to each other just outside their rooms, resulting in their prompt appearances at the newly-discovered scene. We then parted ways, and we continued our search.
At last, towards the top-right quadrant of the sphere if one considered the school's entrance to be the center facing north, we found more evidence. A silver platter lay on the ground beside some grooves in the dirt, very faintly glowing in the night sky. I picked it up in my magic aura, not expecting to feel an uncomfortable warmth.
"Huh?"
"Whut is it, Twi?" asked Applejack.
"This platter is... warm. Really warm," I pondered. "I know the sun just set a bit ago, but even if it was left out here all day, it shouldn't be this warm." I levitated it over to Applejack, who tentatively touched it with an outstretched hoof.
"Ah... yea, that sure is odd," she agreed. "Now whaddya think 'bout these grooves over here?" she motioned. I looked over and studied them intently.
"Well... they look like... drag marks? They dig deeper into the earth the further back they go, so somepony must've been dragged backwards a bit," I reasoned.
"That doesn't make any sense, though," Applejack sighed. "If'n it was Celestia gettin' dragged... well, we found her in her room, not out here."
True... but I'm sure it's gotta be relevant somehow. This silver platter sure is shiny... and bigger than any of the objects in that pile...
But we found no other clues in the area, nor anything else outside. We had just finished searching the rest of the barrier's perimeter when we heard from a monitor close by...
*ding dong, bing bong*
"Now whut does that maniac want...?!" Applejack muttered under her breath as Monokuma appeared on the screen, his wine sloshing as he laid back in his seat.
"Erm... so, ah... I'm getting tired of waiting. What say we just get started, hm?" he smirked. Even though I knew it was coming, I could feel my heart breaking.
It was time.
Time to find out who really killed Princess Celestia.
Time to either correctly condemn somepony to death, or die in the attempt.
Yet even if it was for the greater good, killing one to save the rest... it still felt despicable. Even if it was theoretically justice for our beloved Princess... it still wasn't ours to give. It felt like nothing would ever be right in the world ever again. It felt like a childhood innocence being so cruelly ripped away by cold reality. It felt like losing everything you'd ever known and loved, slowly and methodically as you were forced to watch with unblinking eyes.
It felt like... despair.
"It's time for the long-awaited... Class Trial!" Monokuma cheered. "Now, then... allow me to appoint a proper location for the proceedings. Please go through the red door on the 1st floor of the school! ...See you soon!" A childlike giggle was the last thing that echoed from the speakers as the monitor shut off.
"Ugh, no... ah ain't ready fer this," Applejack shivered.
"Me either," I nodded in sympathy. "But we have to... or else." Applejack and I shared a resigned sigh, and we began to make our way towards those creepy crimson doors...
...Those doors... deep down, I had hoped I'd never have to find out what was behind them. Just remembering them filled me with dread.
~
Just as we reached the entrance to the school, I heard somepony flying above, coming in for a landing. I looked up just in time to see Princess Luna swooping down, and Applejack and I moved out of the way as she touched down gracefully.
Luna was seething with sorrow. She fiercely held back tears as she glanced back towards us. "Ah, Twilight... I trust you have investigated the grounds most thoroughly? I must find my sister's killer, no matter the cost," she glowered.
"Y-Yea, I think I've found everything there was to find," I gulped. Then I realized... I had never gotten the chance to ask Luna what she had been doing just before the murder. I paused for a moment, hoping she wouldn't get the wrong idea when I finally asked. "Um... Princess Luna, may I ask what you were doing just before the announcement of... Celestia's death... was played?"
Luna bristled at the question, but sadly sighed. "I was at the barrier's edge, working on my theory," she answered. "I knew of the party, of course, and I desperately wished to attend, but... as long as we're all trapped here, we aren't safe... nopony is safe."
"So, you just worked on through it, eh?" Applejack chuckled softly. "Been guilty o' that a couple times myself."
"Indeed... but the longer we remain here... who knows what Monokuma could be planning next? He may grow bored and decide to murder us all anyway... he may even force other ponies to join us, or take our places as we're killed off, one by one, or..." she gasped, "...he could even increase his influence across Equestria and beyond!"
I gulped. The thought of that monstrous little bear taking over the world was unsettling, to say the least.
"So, really, I had no choice but to continue until I found a way through. I only stopped when that message played... with him threatening more murders if everypony did not attend. Truly, he is an abhorrent little creature..." Luna sighed as her head bowed.
"Don't you worry, Princess. We'll find out who killed Celestia, ah Pinkie promise!" Applejack put a hoof on Luna's shoulder as we walked inside the school.
"Yes... and when that abhorrent bear is found out beyond a shadow of a doubt, I will take great pleasure in carrying out his execution," Luna smiled darkly. "...I will make it most excruciating."
I don't know... Monokuma said that he would never kill anypony that didn't break a rule... but I just can't imagine one of us being the killer! Who are we supposed to believe...?!
~
Finally, we met up with the others just in front of those crimson double doors. Half were silent, half were whispering under their breath, too quietly for me to hear. My closest friends gathered beside me, giving me the courage to open the doors.
Inside was a rather small, rather plain room, save for what appeared to be an elevator at the other end. Once we had all piled inside, a monitor on the wall buzzed to life.
"Puhuhuhu... is everyone here?" Monokuma asked, a frightening smile on his face. "Okay, then... Please board the elevator in front of you, which will transport you to the courtroom... where all your fates will be decided. I'll meet you all down there... I'll be waitiiiiing..." he giggled as the monitor cut to black. Immediately afterwards there was a creaking, grinding noise as the metal grating barring entrance to the elevator slid away, inviting us all inside.
"I don't like this... I really don't like this..." Coloratura whimpered, trying her best not to hyperventilate.
"The Great and Powerful Trrrixie! ...Really doesn't wish to die like this..."
"P-Please, w-whoever did it... p-please just say so now!" Fluttershy cried. "I p-promise we won't tell!"
"We have no choice," Redheart sighed. "I just hope we can all come to the right conclusion... I'd rather not die due to utter stupidity."
"Aye, we'll have to work together like never before," Flam agreed. "To whomever of us that committed the murder... know that I have no hard feelings, but... better you than me, ol' chap."
We have no choice... but to get on this elevator...
"Well, c'mon, let's get this shit over with," Lightning grumbled as she shoved a sobbing Bulk inside the elevator. One by one, the rest of us followed suit, until I was the only one left to board.
I have to discover the truth behind Princess Celestia's death... I have to... condemn one of us to death...
I took a few deep breaths to calm my furious heart.
...But it must be done... if it'll save the rest of us. In Celestia's honor... I swear I'll find out who the real killer is!
I walked inside the elevator, my heart threatening to race ever faster, reaching a previously-thought impossible climax as I took my place in the middle of the group. The grating slid back into place in front of the doors, which finally closed.
The elevator began its descent.