//------------------------------//
// Chapter Six: Dead in the Water Part 1 
// Story: Danganronpa: In Harmony's Wake 
// by Dewdrops on the Grass 
//------------------------------//


Chapter Six
Dead in the Water
Deadly Life





The next morning found me sitting on the side of my bed, holding my right hand to my ribs, trying to catch my breath. Rarity still slumbered peacefully without a care, with little cute quiet snores every so often. The earliest bit of sunlight streamed in through the porthole window, giving light to the otherwise dark room. According to my Monopad it was barely past 6:00 AM, earlier than I’d prefer to be up.

But then, after everything I’d been through in the past couple of days, I was glad just to have free hands. To have light. To not be trapped in the dark, trussed up like a Hearth’s Warming turkey, every passing moment my throat getting drier and drier…

My hand reached out and popped off the cap of a sports drink, and I slurped it down greedily. I still hadn’t had anything to eat since yesterday, and my rumbling stomach reminded me of that. So, as I tried to stay quiet, I sorted through the food I’d purchased a few days ago, and found an apple that was still in good shape. 

As I took a bite and savored the succulent sweet taste I checked my Monopad again, and spotted a pending text I hadn’t noticed. When I saw who it was from, my heart skipped a beat.

It was from Trixie. She must’ve sent it during the trial, before she… before she…

I had to set the pad aside for a moment as my face became wet with tears. 

Trixie… I miss you. You were such a good friend, a better friend than I deserved. You saved me. Without you, I’d be dead now. I hope you’re finding some peace, whatever afterlife is out there.

Rarity stirred, shifting in bed before outstretching her arms and unleashing a cat-like yawn, complete with outstretched tongue. “Oh goodness,” she murmured. Then she looked over and her eyes widened as she sat up immediately. “Sunset, are you alright?”

A watery smile came to my face as I looked back at her. “Y-yeah. I’m… I’m fine. Just… Trixie sent me a text. Before she died. A-and, I…” 

Rarity nodded, then gently wrapped her arms around my waist, and carefully pulled me in to lean against her. “I miss her too,” she said.

I allowed her to hold me for a good few minutes, savoring the warmth and reassurance of her touch. It was nice, being held. Much nicer than being stuck in a dark, empty room, completely alone. You’d think I’d feel trapped in her arms, trapped like I was by those zip ties, but I didn’t. It wasn’t the same. Like I’d realized the night before, I felt safe around Rarity. Something about her made me feel comfortable. Secure. Like I could trust her, always.

After a bit I pulled away, and brought up my Monopad, so I could try to read what Trixie sent me. I hoped it wasn’t a final goodbye… I’d had enough of those.

But it wasn’t. Her text read:

Sunset, Monoponi had no idea you were alive until you came down the elevator. That means when he’s in the courtroom, he can’t see the security footage. He didn’t know, just like he didn’t know when Pinkie planted the ring on Fluttershy till after the fact. Or when we all tried to escape the courtroom, during Flash's trial. When he’s in here with us, he’s actually here. He can be fooled. He’s not invincible.

It was a simple message, but a vital one. Trixie had caught on to something I had never noticed, because I’d assumed it was impossible. When Monoponi was there with us, he was there with us. He was physically present, always. 

Which meant whatever was controlling him wasn’t doing it from a distance. They were really there, in his body, wearing it like a mask. Like it was their real body, hidden by a transformation.

“What did she say?” Rarity asked, her face bright with curiosity.

I told her, and my conclusions as well. “This could be critical to figuring out who he really is,” I said. “Until now, I assumed he was like a puppet, or a robot.”

“Like the Monoponi in those Danganronpa games?”

“Yeah, just like that,” I answered, nodding. “Well, he was Monokuma but that’s beside the point.  The point is, this gives us an advantage. If we can physically overwhelm him somehow, cut off his magic--”

“Then we can beat him!” Rarity’s face lit up like a military spotlight, her eyes dancing with happiness. “And we can finally get off this wretched ship!”

Blanching, I reached out and put a finger to her mouth. “Sssh! Not so loud! He can hear us.”

“Mph,” Rarity mumbled, before gently pushing my hand away, a blush coming to her cheeks. “Sorry, I… was excited.”

“I know, me too, but we have to be careful,” I said, my tone serious. “Wherever he goes when he teleports away, that’s when he can see the cameras.”

“Well surely he has to sleep sometime,” Rarity pointed out. “Even a creature as foul as him needs rest.”

“That doesn’t stop him from being able to review what was recorded while he slept,” I countered with a frown. “And since we’re in a room together he’ll probably focus on us.”

“Oh. Oh!” Rarity paled more than I thought possible with her complexion. “But then he already--”

“He’s not going to do anything just because we figured this out,” I interrupted with a shake of my head. “He knows we want to escape. He’s already looking out for it. If we’re going to do anything, we’ll have to plan.” 

“And you need to rest,” Rarity said with a stern look. She pointed at the pillow. “You should lie back down.”

“That’s the last thing I want to do,” I replied, my face twisting up in pain as a particularly sharp breath rattled my ribs. I reached for the apple and took another bite, and then another, finishing it quickly. As I tossed the core aside in the trash I looked for something else to eat, something that wasn’t instant ramen.

I heard Rarity let out a world-weary sigh. “Oh, very well. At least allow me to take your clothes and wash them for you, so you can have clean ones to wear today.”

“Yeah, yeah, go ahead,” I muttered as I found a second apple. Out the corner of my eye I saw Rarity throw her own clothes back on, grab up mine, and leave the room without another word. She returned much sooner than I expected, carrying a fresh set of clothes and undergarments for me. “Wow, how’d you get that done so fast?”

“I didn’t,” Rarity said, nonplussed. “These were waiting for me, with a note on top. It’s addressed to you.” She set the basket down, then picked the note up out and handed it to me.

The note was in unfamiliar handwriting, with loops and swirls that looked… odd. Like it wasn’t done with human hands, but with a mouth, like Equestrian mouthwriting. On the page were two words: “Be prepared,” I read aloud.

“Prepared for what?” Rarity wondered.

My blood curdled in my veins as I dropped the note and rose up to my feet. I started pulling on clothes straight away. “It’s today. He’s going to do it to us today,” I said as I struggled desperately to put on a bra with one hand.

Rarity let out an impatient huff and then reached out to assist me, carefully guiding the strap around my injured arm and closing the clasps. “He’s going to do what?”

I muttered a quick thank you as I pulled on my jeans, managing to zip and button them with one hand. “We need to get everyone up and together, right away.”

“Sunset! Would you please just tell me--”

I held up a hand to stop her, then gave her an impatient smile. “I’ll tell everyone together. I don’t want to have to say it more than once.”

Rarity crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at me, her lips shaped into that duck-like pout she was so fond of. It was adorable, but I had no patience for it. My mind raced a million miles per hour, spinning in circles and dancing cartwheels, the adrenalin in my system pumping me full of more energy than any coffee could give me. 

I knew I needed rest. I suffered from severe dehydration and several injuries, which all combined would’ve landed me in the ICU for a week if we were anywhere within a thousand miles of a hospital. I shouldn’t have been standing up, let alone walking around all over the place.

But we had no time. I couldn’t afford it. He wouldn’t give me the chance. 

So I ignored her as I put on the rest of my clothes, managing just barely to get my injured arm through the sleeve. I had to tie it back up afterwards.

Fortunately, as I worked Rarity had taken the hint, and was just finishing up texting the others to meet us at the food court. “Shall we?” she said as she opened the door for me.

I moved at a slow pace, wishing more than once as I walked that I had something to lean on to catch my breath, like a cane. Maybe I could pick one up in one of the stores. Or maybe if I begged him hard enough he’d give me one.

Actually, no, fuck that. I wasn’t going to demean myself by submitting to him now. 

It didn’t take long for the other three to arrive. Scootaloo was the first, her rumpled clothing and bags under her eyes suggesting she’d not only slept in her clothes, but it was poor sleep at that. She smelled faintly of sweat and body odor, her mouth twisted into a strong frown as she trudged her way over, a water bottle in her hand. “Hey,” she murmured, giving us a half-hearted wave. 

Applejack was next. Her clothes bore no wrinkles, but her jeans were unzipped, her shirt buttoned up wrong.. Her boots echoed faintly on the carpet as she strode over. She hadn’t bothered to tie her hair up, letting it hang loose under her hat, messy and unkempt. As she looked at Rarity and me, and how close we were sitting together, her eyes misted up before she wiped them away with the back of her hand. “Howdy, y’all,” she said, her voice low and heavy.

Diamond Tiara was the last. She hadn’t even bothered to get dressed in proper clothes, instead wearing the silk pajamas that we’d all been given a pair of. Hers were a paisley pink, very similar to her skin color, with streaks of grey. She wore some kind of lacy cap over her head made of silver material. She bore none of her usual accoutrements such as her earrings or necklace. The lack of adornment made her look… younger, for some reason. I almost expected her to be carting a teddy bear by its arm. She wasn’t, but she did have a styrofoam coffee cup in her hand, steaming with fresh coffee. “Hi,” she blurted in a grumpy voice as she took a drink like she was knocking back a shot of booze, complete with slamming her cup down on the table. “What do you want, Shimmer? It’s not even 6:30.”

Staring wistfully at the cup and wishing I’d thought to get some from my own cabin’s k-cup machine--which was still in its plastic cover in the cupboard--I produced the note from my pocket. “I was given this, along with a fresh set of clothes. It says ‘Be Prepared.’”

“Ugh, what the heck kind of writing is this?” Scootaloo muttered as she picked it up and examined it from all angles. 

“It’s Equestrian mouthwriting,” I replied, my face grim. “Which means it came from Monoponi.”

“Well that mighty strange of him,” said Applejack as she looked at Diamond Tiara’s coffee cup, a greedy gleam in her eye. “Why’d he bother with that?”

“Better question: what the hell does it mean?” Diamond Tiara demanded. She glanced over at Applejack, made a face, and snatched her cup away before the farmer’s hand could inch any closer. “Mine. No touchie.”

“Ah wasn’t gonna take it,” Applejack said sullenly, though I saw for a brief moment her mouth curl up into that weird little pout she always adopted when she tried to lie. Like her own body wouldn’t let her do it.

Rarity loudly cleared her throat, casting Applejack a brief glare. “We can all get some coffee after Sunset’s finished explaining.”

“It’s a warning,” I said, taking the note back from Scootaloo and stuffing it roughly in my pocket. “It means he’s going to finish the game. Today.”

“F-f--finish it?!” Applejack yelped, her hands shooting up to hold her hat to her head as she reared back in fright. “D-d-do you mean he’s gonna kill us?!”

“No, dumbass,” Tiara grumbled, rolling her eyes in exasperation to glare at the ceiling. “She probably means something else.”

I nodded. “That’s right. I’m talking about the final investigation. In every Danganronpa game, after the fifth trial, there was one last investigation and trial, to solve all the remaining mysteries… including the identity of the traitor and/or mastermind.”

“Wait, you say that like they could be the same thing,” Scootaloo said, eying me suspiciously.

It took me a moment’s hesitation before I replied, “Because they could be.”

Rarity took in a sharp breath, her lips moving without sound for a moment before she found her voice. When she did it was squeaky and higher-pitched. “D-darling, you’re n-not suggesting that one of us is the m-m-mastermind?!” 

I glanced briefly at each one of them, my gaze lingering on Diamond Tiara for a moment longer than the others before I shook my head. “No, I doubt it. Not with what we already determined from… from Trixie’s text.”

“Pardon?” Applejack said, eyebrows raised. 

I briefly explained, trying not to let emotions choke out my voice as I spoke. “So unless the mastermind is magically capable enough to power a physical puppet in addition to acting completely normal,” I finished, “it’s extremely unlikely it’s one of us.”

“B-b-but the traitor’s still one of us. One of the five of us,” Scootaloo said, her face falling.

“Yeah,” I nodded, with a sad frown. For a moment, just a moment, I considered verbalizing my suspicions about Tiara. The only one I’d ever told was Adagio, because during the fourth trial I opted to keep my mouth shut, and afterwards was so distracted I never got around to looking into it before… Damn it. Damn that Monoponi. Adagio...  I don’t care if you tried to kill me. I don’t care if you’d never love me again even if you did live. You deserved to live.

You too, Trixie. I’ll be forever grateful for you saving my life but... I wish it hadn’t been necessary. 

“But wait a second,” Tiara said after slugging down another gulp of coffee. Her eyes pried open just a hint more. “What about that rule, about the game only going till there’s two participants left?”

I shrugged. “Dunno. But the third game had the same rule and it was just as pointless there.”

“Sunset, Ah don’t know if you fully realized, but durin’ the trial, when we thought you were a goner,” Applejack said, her eyes widening as she spoke, “Monoponi told us he was gonna accomplish his goals whether we were around or not. Told us we were ‘expendable.’” She held up her hands to perform half-hearted air quotes. “So maybe whatever he’s doin’, he’s done.”

“Maybe.” I pressed the knuckles of my right hand to my chin. “But I still don’t understand what it is. What was the point? Why rip-off a series of visual novels?”

“Why leave you with the memory of the games?” Rarity wondered, duplicating my expression. “That's what I don’t understand. All it did was add further confusion. And make us distrust you.”

“Listen, this is all soundin’ like questions he’s gonna make us answer in the trial, right?” Applejack asked, giving me a pointed look. I nodded. “Well then Ah’d say let’s not worry about it till he makes us go through it. We gotta get some grub in us. ‘Specially you, Sunset. You look half starved.”

DING-DONG-BING-BONG

“Of course. Because we can’t go one fucking day in this place without having to deal with this shit,” Scootaloo mumbled.

Sighing, we turned as one to face the closest screen. Monoponi’s face appeared on it, as usual, but he wasn’t on the bridge. He was in a different location, somewhere I didn’t recognize, full of large turbines and rows of computer consoles. That’s got to be the engine room, I mused. But why is he there? 

“Good morning, my lovely little passengers. I see you’re up and about! I’m sure your bellies are rumbling and your throats are parched. Well too bad! Report to the bridge deck. We need to hold a face to face conversation. And make it snappy! We’ve no time to lose.”

As his face disappeared, we all scrambled to our feet, matching expressions of worry on our faces. My breath rattled in my chest, every step caused my ribs to twinge. Individually it didn’t hurt that much, but wow it added up fast. I regretted leaving my pain meds in my cabin. 

But we made it to the bridge deck before long. I noticed, curiously, a massive amount of cloud cover. As if we were in the eye of a typhoon, all black thunderheads charged with electricity and full of rain. Except it only seemed to surround the ship out to a certain extent; beyond the curtains of rain I could see the sun shining off in the distance at all angles. Like the storm was following us.

Something about that felt eerily familiar.

That wasn’t the only thing out of place on the bridge deck. The place bristled with weapons, and not just the machine guns Monoponi was so fond of threatening us with. I saw the barrels of larger cannons poking up past the bridge tower and above the ceiling of the promenade and cabin corridor, and in a few places much larger versions of the machine guns hooked into odd looking cylindrical drums. Meanwhile the ship was zipping along at a much faster pace, the sound of the engines far louder than they usually were. The bow sliced through the ocean water so quickly it left much larger waves in its wake that washed up against the ship’s sides, licking at some of the lower protrusions like the museum telescope balcony.

“We must be in quite a hurry,” Rarity commented as she glanced over the railing with me. 

“And there’s a good reason for it!” said Monoponi as he flashed into existence on his favored balcony. He swiftly grabbed us up in his magic and dumped the two of us with the other three right below him. “As much as I’d love to indulge in our usual games, I’m going to get straight to the point.”

“So this is the final investigation, then?” I said, glaring up at him. He hadn’t been the least bit careful with his magic and his grip had sent flares of pain surging through my chest and arm.

“Of course it is!” Monoponi railed, his wings flapping all over the place from his anger. “What else would it be, Sunset?”

“But why now?” Tiara asked. “Can’t we at least have breakfast first?”

“No!” Monoponi slammed both forehooves on the deck, echoing even over the noise of the engines. He glowered down at us, his eyes bugging out until he took several deep breaths and relaxed his muscles. “No. I’m afraid your Captain needs you to investigate, while there’s still time.”

“So. What’s the goal?” I inquired. My arms moved to cross over my chest, but I only barely moved my left before realizing what a terrible idea that was. Damn it, last thing I need to do right now is poke and prod all over the ship. But I guess if Trixie did it while on crutches, I can do it too... I miss her.

Monoponi leered down at me, though despite the usual expression of detached amusement I caught sign of a touch of apprehension in his eyes. “The goal, mon cherie, is this: you are to determine, in order: who the traitor is, who the mastermind is, and why this game has been held. Do that, and… we’ll see what happens.”

“You’re not going to release us, are you?” Scootaloo said, her whole body taut with tension. “You’re gonna kill us.”

Monoponi ruffled his wings like he was shrugging with them. “Maybe I will, maybe you’ll find a way out of here. Who knows? But I’ll tell you this: if you don’t investigate, you will die. I’m not kidding, either.” His magic reached out and caressed each of our throats in turn. “You want to live? Do what I say. Maybe you’ll get a chance.” He fired off a burst of light from his horn that separated into numerous smaller lights heading out in all directions. One spun up in the air only to reverse and hit the gate blocking the stairs to the bridge. “I’ve unlocked the areas you’ve been unable to access that’ll be relevant. You’d better hurry, too. I’m only giving you an hour and a half, tops, for this investigation, then it’s straight to the courtroom. Understand?”

“Not really,” Tiara grumbled, draining the remnants of the coffee in her hand so she could crumple the cup. 

“Can you at least tell us why we’re in such a hurry?” I asked, after a brief glance at Tiara. 

“No more questions,” Monoponi declared with a harsh glare. “Get started. Now.”


*INVESTIGATION START*


The instant he vanished, our Monopads updated with a bleep. I pulled mine out to see a timer in the top right ticking down from ninety minutes. “Damn, we have to hurry. Tiara, how do you want to do this?”

Tiara looked at me, her eyes dull, her gaze distant. She frowned so hard she wrinkled her face. “I… I don’t…” she shook her head. “Please. Sunset. I’m not a good leader. You lead.”

“Hey, you’ve done an... okay job so far,” I replied, with a sympathetic smile. Actually a terrible job, but I probably shouldn't say that. “But okay. We should split up into two teams. Scootaloo, Applejack, you go with Tiara. Rarity, you’re with me. We’re going to check the bridge first, then the upper promenade, so you three start with the cabins and work your way through the access corridor.”

Applejack pressed her lips together, casting a sad look our way before nodding. “Yes ma’am. C’mon, Scootaloo, Tiara. We gotta get a move on.”

“Are you certain it was a good idea, sending Tiara with those two?” Rarity asked me as I pushed open the gate to the bridge. “What if Applejack does something to upset her?”

“That’s why Scootaloo’s with them,” I grunted, hissing in pain as I ascended the stairs. “Damn it… Rarity, can you do me a favor?”

Rarity stood up straighter. “Absolutely, darling, anything.”

“Can you run down to one of the stores and get me a cane, or a walking stick or something? I…  I need something to lean on while I’m walking.”

Rarity frowned down at her Monopad, then nodded. “Of course. I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks,” I muttered as I continued to ascend the stairs. Once at the top, I found the bridge was open to the air, with no door blocking the bridge proper at the top. I’d seen bits and pieces of the bridge from below whenever I looked up into the windows, but now that I could see it properly, it was astounding. It resembled something out of a science fiction show, with a set of computer consoles and screens up front in a wide half oval shape along the wall, with two seats presumably for the navigators. Each console looked expensive and modern, with some of the screens featuring holographic displays similar to the stuff used in the museum. Along the far wall the bank of consoles continued, with a couple more seats for other stations. Set further back, close to the back of the bridge was an elevated chair, obviously the captain’s seat. I recognized that one as the same one we always saw Monoponi sitting in, complete with the table he’d set up in front of it.

On the off-chance he’d left them unsecured I tried the navigator’s console, to see if I could control the ship somehow. But no, every computer was locked, no access available, and none of the physical buttons worked either. Of course he wouldn’t make it that easy. So instead I checked around the bridge for anything that seemed like a clue.

And after a few moments of seemingly pointless effort I found something. A piece of paper, laying on one of the far consoles, torn out of a notebook. The paper was full of scribblings, what looked like diary entries, all in the same mouth-writing as the note Monoponi sent me. Which means he did that deliberately so I’d recognize his mouth-writing when I saw it, I mused. I took a moment to read it carefully.

Fact #1: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment: “A torn piece of paper detailing thoughts of the mastermind, with the following entries:
‘These morons aren’t using their Monopads right! Why aren’t they texting?’
‘Flash and Twilight Sparkle are romantically involved. This could be a big problem.’
‘What the hell was wrong with Timber? Why couldn’t he have drugged Wallflower right? Why did he make such a stupid note?!’
‘Woah. Sunset and Adagio? That could be an even bigger problem! I’m going to need a new photo for after the third trial. I can’t risk the siren finding out who took her magic now. I need Sunset alive.’
‘Way to leave it to the last second, Apple Bloom! I thought I was going to lose Sunset there for a second.’”

I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and turned to see Rarity entering. She carried with her a tall medical cane, made of black plastic with four rubber stops at the bottom for good support. “I hope this is acceptable,” she murmured as she handed it to me. “It was the best I could find.”

“It’s perfect,” I said as I took it. It was a little shorter than I would’ve liked but it would do. “I’m surprised you found one like it.”

“It was in the pharmacy,” Rarity said. She glanced down at the piece of paper in my hand. “You found something, I take it.”

“Yeah, I think it’s the mastermind’s diary, or part of it anyway.”

She scanned it briefly, her eyes widening as she took it in. “This is... odd. It’s almost as if…”

“As if I was right when I guessed the mastermind planned everything out,” I finished for her. “It might be. We should move on though. We don’t have time to sit and speculate.”

Rarity let out a quiet snort. “I’m well aware of that,” she grumbled as she followed after me.

I descended the stairs as quickly as I dared, using my cane every few steps as needed. It… helped. A little. As we headed into the promenade I checked the timer on my Monopad. Eighty minutes left. 

Straight away I noticed something curious, however. On the promenade floor, outside the jewelry shop, where Fluttershy had been executed, there was a small table with something sitting atop it. I walked over quickly and picked it up. “What the heck?”

Fact #2: Video Game Case: “A case for a video game entitled ‘Tirek’s Revenge.’ It features a large red centaur on the box art.”

I held it up for Rarity to see, and she shrugged. “It’s probably important, but don’t ask me how.”

“Hmm…” I glared down at it for a moment, trying to remember if centaurs existed in Equestria. I’m pretty sure they do. The name Tirek sounds familiar. Actually, this guy looks familiar too. Like I’ve seen him before… somewhere. After a moment I stuffed it in my backpack and we moved on.

My next stop took us into the nearby jewelry store. Just being amidst the jewels stirred uncomfortable memories in me, old shame of feeling responsible for the deaths of two of our most innocent friends. But I pushed on, towards the door at the back. Every shop had one of these doors, locked and unable to be accessed, and we’d never bothered trying them since the first day. If they were ever going to unlock, now was the time.

And sure enough, as soon as I tried the doorknob, it opened easily. We emerged into an access corridor similar to the one near the cabins, though this one seemed to wrap around for the shops only. The corridor was wider, too, larger in scope, with a few unopened boxes of various things sitting around here and there. When I glanced down the left side I saw the corridor dead-ended in a flat wall, which was unsurprising, since that led into the cargo elevator for the courtroom. It continued around the other way, with what appeared to be a downward slant as it crossed underneath the promenade then back up to the other shops. Like the other access corridor, this one was dimly lit.

Rarity went first, withdrawing her pen light from her purse so she could light up the floor, to keep us from tripping. It was a good idea, since the boxes were spread around haphazardly. As her light passed over one I held out a hand. “Wait, I saw something.”

“What is it?” she asked as she moved her light back onto the box. 

“Not sure,” I said as I closed the distance. Using my cane for support I leaned down and scooped up what looked like a picture of some sort. It took me a moment of studying to realize what was going on. “Oh damn.”

Fact #3: Ship Picture: “A picture of a blurred out figure standing on the bridge deck of the ship, appearing to give out instructions to a group of workers, all of whom seem to be hypnotized in some way as they work on installing weapons. Several boxes carried in the photo are listed as ‘property of QGT corporation.’”

“Do you think that’s the mastermind?” Rarity inquired as she peered at the photo.

“Probably. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of QGT though,” I replied. “Have you?”

Rarity held up a hand, doubt crossing her face. “Mmm… it sounds familiar, but I’m not sure. But they must be involved with weapons.”

“It’s probably where the mastermind got those resources, anyway.” I shivered as I looked upon the hypnotized faces of those poor dock workers. “C’mon, let’s keep moving.”

We passed by the sporting goods store and the convenience store before we reached the little tunnel. It was neat how it sloped down, gently enough that rolling dollies laden with boxes up would be easy enough to do. In the tunnel we encountered a t-junction that spun off into… another dead end, a bolted fire door. Either that’s where they bring in the cargo for the stores or that’s something else. Either way we’re not getting in there. But right before the fire door was something sitting open atop a box.

As I picked it up I noticed it was an informational pamphlet, with a picture of a massive cruise ship on it, labeling it as the Harmony of the Horizons. “This must be about the ship we’re on!” I said as I greedily read through it.

Fact #4: Harmony of the Horizons Informational Pamphlet: “A short guide on the Harmony of the Horizons, the largest cruise ship ever built. Constructed in 2010 by RECL, it boasts a massive six thousand passenger capacity and a thrilling assortment of amenities, ranging from on-board sky-diving, go-kart racing, and ice skating, to a gorgeous promenade laden with massive shops and restaurants automated for passenger convenience. For the more selective, private passengers there are also a substantial number of private dining facilities located near the stern. Spa and fitness facilities aboard are top notch, unparalleled by any other modern cruise ship. For the intellectuals it also features a fully stocked three floor library with plenty of coverage on any subject one could desire, even for those who need to brush up during a break from their education. There is also a large museum which switches out its subject on a yearly basis, and is expected to feature AUSA as its focus in 2020. And for those who are spiritually inclined, the ship includes a large house of worship with facilities prepared for every major and most well-known minor faiths.”

“Well, I suppose that explains the astronomy museum,” Rarity said as she read through the pamphlet. “And I’ve heard of RECL. They’re a cruise line company, the cruise line company.” She blinked owlishly then looked up at the ceiling for a moment, placing a single finger on her chin. “You know, I feel like I’ve met some people associated with that company. I’m not sure how or where.”

“I’m wondering about these private dining facilities,” I said, looking at some of the pictures. “We never saw any of those. They’re probably on a part of the ship we never had access to.”

“Oh undoubtedly, Sunset. This ship is massive.” Rarity held out her hands and bounced them in the air to demonstrate.

“Large tracts of land, you might say,” I quipped, snorting in amusement at the dirty look she shot me. 

Moving past over to the other side, we just had the pharmacy, the duty-free store, and the fabric store to check. I noticed hanging outside the pharmacy were a lot of unmarked boxes, most of them half open. Glancing inside, my face twisted up in disgust as I beheld a whole assortment of untouched drugs. “Where did he even get all these drugs from?”

“Illicit trading is easy if you have sufficient money and connections,” Rarity said, her face dark with irritation. “Many of my clients are involved in the drug trade, or other organized crime. They think I can’t hear them when they discuss their sordid dealings. But I do. I’ve passed along a few anonymous tips to the police from time to time.”

I froze, my eyes wide with shock. “Is that safe? Rarity, if they figured out who leaked those tips, you might--”

She held up a finger and placed it against my lips. “Now now. I assure you, I’m quite discreet. Besides, after dealing with this killing game… I feel like I could cope with anything those criminals could throw at me.”

“If you say so…” 

We saw nothing else of note until we reached the fabric store, where the wall abruptly dead-ended again. This time there was a single sheet of paper laying out prominently on a box of fabric. It was a printout of an internet article.

Fact #5: Internet News Article Printout: “A printout of a news article from a website that states in January of 2020 the Harmony of the Horizons was taken out of commission by the company due to ‘undisclosed issues’ and will return to service in late 2021 after major renovations are completed.”

“Major renovations,” Rarity groused, her fingers raised for air quotes. “I’m sure people the world over would be thrilled at how this lovely cruise ship was transformed into a ship of war.”

“I’ll bet the undisclosed issues are whatever the mastermind did behind the scenes to arrange for the ship,” I added. “And if that other picture is anything to go by… they’re pretty damned manipulative.”

Rarity’s face blackened with anger as she squeezed a fist tight enough to scratch her palms with her nails. “He certainly manipulated Sweetie Belle.” She dropped her fist, her anger washing away. “Sweetie… darling I miss you so much…”

I gave Rarity a quick comfort hug. “C’mon, we have to keep going.” With a quick glance at my Monopad I added, “Only sixty-five minutes left.”

I caught sight of a whole heap of unshed tears as Rarity visibly brought herself under control. “Where to next?”

I paused for a moment to consider, then glanced in my pack at the video game case. “I wonder… if this is anything to go by, he might’ve left vital clues in each of the areas the victims died. So we should check the Sushi King kitchen.”

“Where Wallflower died,” Rarity replied, her voice shaky and low.

“Yeah. Where she died,” I agreed. 

We’d avoided the Sushi King restaurant ever since the first trial, all except Adagio. She was the only one willing to eat the food from there after Wallflower’s death. Maybe that was yet another bad sign, in retrospect. Not only that, but we’d done our best to stay out of the kitchens altogether, only venturing inside again when Monoponi inflicted upon us the Monocoin restriction. Even then we’d avoided it. Like it was cursed.

Because in a way it was. It was in that kitchen that trust in each other died. It was that first death that caused every single one after it. We’d had a chance of sticking together, of trusting each other, of being a team, and Timber blew it.

If only Wallflower had lived… if she’d just kept her wits about her, avoided Timber long enough to get back to her room, maybe, just maybe, we could’ve all survived.

Not that there was any way to know.

So we cut through the fabric store over to the Sushi King. It was the closest restaurant to the so-called Lover’s Corner, the other place we’d all avoided like the plague since it was involved with the first murder. We stepped past the counter into the kitchen proper. Memories came back to me unbidden as I beheld the shelves, the freezer, and that janitor’s sink for the first time in at least two weeks. 

Was it really only two weeks ago? It feels like it’s been months. 

We checked around and before long I found the obvious clue hanging out on the floor right in front of the freezer. Right where Timber had taken that ice and... I pushed away that thought and picked up what looked like yet another photo, only to freeze in place, completely baffled. “What… what is this?”

Fact #6: Wallflower Picture: “A picture depicting Wallflower Blush using some sort of mysterious magical stone artifact on Sunset Shimmer, in front of Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack.”

“It’s like she’s sucking something out of your head with it!”

“Sure looks like it,” I muttered as I examined the picture further. “Like… as if… “ My eyes widened as a realization struck me. “Rarity, what if this is how our memories were erased?”

“What?” Rarity looked back down at the picture and frowned. “But, darling, we look younger in this picture. This must’ve taken place while we were still in high school. If this is how our memories were stolen, why would we have left such an artifact around?”

“I wouldn’t have,” I agreed with a quick nod. “I would’ve given it back to Princess Twilight. Or better yet, destroyed it. Something like that is too dangerous to keep around.”

Rarity looked at me, her expression taut with worry. “Then how did we lose our memories?”

That’s the question, isn’t it? A question better fit for the trial. 

We left the Sushi King kitchen in a hurry, happy to leave the sad memories behind. “I’m not sure if there’s much else we’ll find on the promenade. I want to check a few of the other places the victims died,” I said. So we went to the theater first. As we entered, I checked my pad again. Fifty-five minutes. Damn it this time is moving fast.

I hadn’t been inside the theater since I’d worked on fixing my guitar, but little about it had changed. Little, that is, save for the stage. Right in the center, where Apple Bloom had once been impaled, was a Monopad. A Monopad in the process of being scooped up by Applejack. Scootaloo and Tiara were nowhere to be seen. “Wha-oh, uh, howdy there,” she said as she stuffed the Monopad into her shirt.

Rarity stepped forward, her fist closed but held at her side. “Where’s Tiara and Scootaloo?”

“Ah, um, Ah’m just catchin’ up with them,” Applejack said, her mouth twisting up in that contorted pout that meant she was lying. She gulped, swallowed, and then tried giving us a toothy smile.

I glared at her, my expression making it clear I saw right through the deception, but we didn’t have time to argue. “They’d better be okay. What’s on that Monopad?”

“Uh, this one?” Applejack replied, her eyes darting to look down her shirt. She pulled it back up just long enough for us to see it, then shoved it back down. “It… it’s just Apple Bloom’s. Ain’t nothin’ to worry about. Nope. Nothin’ here.”

Fact #7: Apple Bloom’s Monopad: “Apple Bloom’s Monopad. Applejack refuses to divulge its contents.”

“Applejack…” Rarity growled in warning. “Don’t lie to us.”

Applejack looked briefly at me, her eyes wide with… concern? Fear? I couldn’t read it. Then she glanced back at Rarity and shook her head. “Sorry, Rarity. Ah’m savin’ this one for the trial. See y’all there.” She sped out the theater without another word, occasionally looking back over her shoulder to see if we were following her.

“Well!” Rarity placed both hands on her hips. “What do you suppose that was all about?”

“Who knows?” I groaned, shaking my head. “Forget about it. We don’t have time to worry. Let’s check for anything else around here before we move on.”

So we took a couple of moments to poke around the workshop. Good thing too, because I spotted something sitting atop one of the shelves, like it had been shoved there haphazardly. Pulling it down, I found it was a stack of papers. Invoices, to be precise. “Huh. Looks like this is for Sweet Apple Acres farm. Isn’t that Applejack’s farm?”

“Yes, it is,” Rarity replied. She looked over the invoices with me. “That’s curious. Why would they be shipping goods to RECL?”

Fact #8: Sweet Apple Acres Invoices. “A series of invoices from Sweet Apple Acres to RECL for bulk orders of various crops and artisan goods. Each one is signed by Applejack Apple.”

“Maybe they’re just a good source?” I said, shrugging.

“But that makes little sense,” Rarity countered, shaking her head. “Sweet Apple Acres isn’t a large industrial farm, Sunset. It’s a local farm, for local produce. Why would a large corporation bother sourcing from a local farm?”

I shrugged again. “More questions for the trial, I guess.”

We headed to the dressing rooms next. I wasn’t expecting to find much here, since I hadn’t set foot inside since finding Trixie’s cloak and hat back after the first trial. It was only in the third dressing room that Rarity held out a hand to halt me in my tracks before leaving. “Hang on, darling, I recognize this…” she muttered as she stepped over to one of the tables. Beneath a hanging mirror was a small black book I hadn’t noticed. “This is my contact book! Look, Sunset, look here. This must be how I knew those people. They were clients of mine.”

I took the book from her and scanned through it. Plenty of names were listed, amongst them every person who’d been on the ship. But the ones listed as associated with that corporation were blanked out entirely. 

Fact #9: Black Book: “A list of contacts, phone numbers, names, and associations for Rarity Belle’s boutique.  Listed amongst the contacts is information for all sixteen passengers that were involved in the Killing Game. Several other names are blanked out, but are listed as associated with the RECL corporation.”

“More proof that we all knew each other prior to the game too,” I said with a sigh. “Though that’s not in question anymore.” I handed the book back to her and checked my Monopad. “Forty-five minutes. We need to hurry.”

We left the theater and made our way to the fitness center next, cutting through the locker rooms so we could check the sauna. I was certain we’d find something there, and I was right. But what we found… was bizarre, to say the least.

It was a party invitation. That in and of itself wasn’t too surprising, since this was where Pinkie Pie died, and she was the Ultimate Party Planner. But it wasn’t an invitation from her. It was from me. With my handwriting. It was printed out on fancy paper, and invited people to celebrate someone’s birthday, but the name was censored with black marker. So was the date and time, and address for that matter. There was something on the invitation about a raffle, but even that was censored. What the hell is this?  

Fact #10: Party Invitation: “An invitation to a party being thrown by Sunset Shimmer. Several words are blacked out with marker. It reads: ‘You’re invited! Come down to Salami Slice’s Pizza on [censored] at [censored] to celebrate the birthday of Sunset Shimmer’s friend, [censored.] This is a surprise party so don’t spill the beans!’
In smaller text near the bottom it reads: ‘Be sure to keep this invitation: a raffle will be held. One lucky winner will [censored.]’ The raffle portion is missing from the invitation.”

Rarity, upon spotting the invitation, took a few steps back and wrapped both arms around her shoulders as several shivers ran through her body. “Sunset, I don’t know why, but something about that invitation…”

I looked down at the paper in my hand. She was right. It was creepy as hell, and the more I looked at it, the more my skin crawled. I shoved it in my bag so we didn’t have to look at it. 

As we left the sauna, I decided to swing through the rest of the fitness center, in case there was anything else hanging around. When we reached the indoor pool, I hesitated for a moment. This had been the last place Adagio and I had anything resembling a reasonable conversation. Hah. Reasonable. I was held at knifepoint and then hurled into the pool. Little wonder she tried to kill me afterward. Damn you, Adagio.

But once I went inside, I discovered that for some reason, the pool had been drained, covered over with some kind of deployable top that resembled tarmac. Sitting in the middle of said tarmac was another small table with a piece of paper on it. “It’s like he’s doling these out one by one, wherever he feels like it,” I grumbled.

“Well, he probably planned something more elaborate, but we are on a time crunch,” Rarity said with a quiet sigh. “Just as well. I’d prefer not to deal with his shenanigans.”

Atop the table were not one but two pieces of paper, it turned out. One was a sheet with seven sets of names and talents. Not the Ultimate talents that Monoponi had ascribed us, but magical talents. Four of the seven were blanked out with black marker like the invitation. Only three were left. 

And those three were… worrisome.

Fact #11: Fact Sheet: “A sheet listing the magical talents of seven people. Four of the entries are blacked out. The three that remain are:
Rarity Belle: Gemstone Manifestation
Applejack: Super Strength
Sunset Shimmer: Mind Reading.”

“Mind reading?!” Rarity blurted, holding out the sheet of paper in front of her like it was on fire, rearing back with her eyes screwed up wide. “What on earth?”

“Don’t look at me!” I protested, holding up my good hand in surrender. “I had no idea I could read minds.” If I’d known I could do that, I think a lot of these cases we solved would’ve been a whole lot easier. 

Rarity dropped the paper to her side, the rush of adrenaline in her system causing her to pant heavily,  sweat beading on her brow. She held up her empty hand to fan her face. “Goodness, I’m sorry, Sunset. It’s just the thought of someone… of someone violating my mind in such a manner… it’s terrifying.”

“You’re not the only one who’s scared by it,” I muttered. “Mind reading is very dangerous magic in Equestria. I never once studied it when I was Celestia’s student. I can’t imagine why it would be a magical talent of mine.”

“Well, it must be, or else this list wouldn’t be here,” Rarity said after a moment of calmer, cooler breathing. “Hmm… it says mine is ‘gemstone manifestation.’ I wonder--”

“Hey, you guys!”

We turned to see Scootaloo and Tiara racing for us, both out of breath. Tiara doubled over, her whole body soaked with sweat as she took in great gulping lungfuls of air. She tried to raise her finger, mutter a few words, then gave up and went back to breathing. Scootaloo fared a little better, managing to say, “H-hey, Rarity, Sunset, have you seen Applejack?”

“Uh, yeah, we just saw her in the theater, but she left before we did,” I answered. “Why?”

“Because she--ran--away--from us--after--a few--minutes!” Diamond stuttered between gasps. 

Rarity gazed at Scootaloo quizzically. “Why would she do that?”

“I dunno,” Scootaloo answered with a confused shrug. “She found something she didn’t want to share with us, and when we asked her about it, she fled.”

“Same thing she did with us,” I said, frowning. “What is your deal, Applejack?”

Diamond Tiara managed to stand up straight. “S-so, like, do you two mind if we stick with you? We’re running out of time and we wasted a lot of it trying to find that far--I mean, Applejack.”

“Sure,” I replied as I leaned on my cane. “What’ve you found so far?”

Scootaloo dug into her backpack and pulled out a couple of sheets of paper and some sort of book. “Here’s what we’ve got.”

I took a moment to pursue them.

Fact #12: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment #2: “A torn piece of paper detailing thoughts of the mastermind, with the following entries:
‘That damned map tracking was the biggest mistake I ever made. They’re not supposed to use it that way! I’m taking it away after this trial.’
‘Why do they keep bending the rules?! That’s it. If anyone breaks a rule I’m going to execute them. I’m sick of this. They need to learn proper respect for me!’
‘Fluttershy! Fucking Fluttershy! Why the hell was it Fluttershy? I need to review the security footage. Something doesn’t feel right.’
‘I knew it! I knew it I knew it I knew it! They used me! I’m going to have to change the motive. I can’t risk messing up the count. I need five survivors, damn it.’”

“I need five survivors,” I murmured under my breath. “No wonder he wouldn’t shut up about a count. But why five specifically? Why not four, or six?”

The next set of papers they’d given me looked a little different, like it was made with different materials, something familiar but alien at the same time. And when I read it, I realized why.

Fact #13: Princess Twilight Piece: “An Equestrian magazine article, dated for two years ago, about Princess Twilight’s life, complete with pictures, detailing her birth in Canterlot as a unicorn, her transformation as an alicorn, and her original coronation as a lesser Princess. It goes on to detail her coronation as Princess of Equestria, describing it as a tumultuous event that brought together races from all over to defeat three villains and imprison them in stone. It also describes rapid physical changes she’s undergone since that cause her to resemble Princesses Luna and Celestia.”

I knew it. I knew I was seeing Twilight’s alternate in my dreams. The pictures match up perfectly. She was Princess of Friendship… that’s pretty damned ironic, given what happened with our Twilight.  “Scootaloo, where did you find this article?”

“It was in the museum director’s office,” she answered. “We found that other thing there too. Looks weird though, like some foreign language. I can’t read it.”

I set the magazine down and picked up the final object, what I realized after a moment was a faded, ancient tome, falling apart at the seams. It was Equestrian, written in High Ponish. I was pretty rusty, but the picture on the very first page made it clear what it was about.

Fact #14: Equestrian Tome: “A decrepit, ancient Equestrian tome written in High Ponish that speaks about an artifact known as the Memory Stone that can affect memories. Few details are discernable, however it does mention the artifact leaves a strong, permanent imprint of its power on the minds of those it affects.” 

We were right. That artifact Wallflower had. It must be this Memory Stone. But now I’m even more confused. Why wouldn’t we have given this to Princess Twilight? Or destroyed it?

Damn it I have no time to think about this. We have to move. 

“I’ll tell you guys what this says later,” I said as I stuffed the tome into my backpack. “Tiara, Scootaloo, what places did you check out?”

“Uh, not much,” Scootaloo said, her cheeks flushing faintly with pink. “Just the director’s office and the corridor to the main museum hall. That’s when Applejack ran for it.”

“Okay, we’ll swing back through there if we get the chance. Come on.”

The four of us departed the indoor pool and wandered back through the fitness center on the off chance there was something waiting for us there, but we didn’t see anything. As we passed by the glass windows, however, I took a brief moment to look outside, and see the storm still following us. Bolts of lightning struck the ocean waves in massive crackling arcs, like claws rending the sky apart. Rain poured in sheets, a bizarre sight when just beyond it was sunshine. 

Then I saw something else. In the distance, bobbing up and down on the water. Something shiny, and metal. I couldn’t tell what it was. Another ship, maybe? 

“C’mon, Sunset, what’re you waiting for? We only have thirty minutes left!”

“Sorry,” I said as I rejoined the others.

Our next destination was the spa. I doubted we’d find anything there, but it was worth checking. To my surprise, there was something sitting on the front desk, right in the exact same spot where once upon a time Pinkie, Adagio, and I discovered the picture proving Rarity and Applejack were married. It was another picture, but not of Rarity or Applejack. It featured ponies. Two were instantly recognizable, though the third took me a moment.

Fact #15: Friendship Picture: “A picture of a younger alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle, standing next to a unicorn copy of herself that wears glasses and a pegasus Rainbow Dash with her wings draped down. They are smiling and waving at the camera.”

“Woah,” Scootaloo said as she took in the picture. “That must be Princess Twilight and our Twilight. And is that Rainbow Dash?”

“Not just any Rainbow Dash,” I said. “I think it’s the Rainbow Dash we all got to know, in this game. See how her wings are draped down? That tells me she doesn’t know how to use them, which means she’s probably our Dash, because the Dash I saw in my dreams was a world-class flier.”

“But how did they become ponies?” Tiara said, giving me a questioning look.

“Same way I became human: they must’ve gone through the portal,” I said. “From what little I remember, it turns you into whatever your alternate would be on the other side. We already know that from seeing Princess Twilight as a human.”

We left the spa, this time heading for the library. I wanted to give it a quick search on each floor. We started with the second, with Tiara and Scootaloo heading up to the third and Rarity going down to check the first. My first stop was the library desk, where we’d left our logbook for book checkouts. I glanced at it briefly, but there was nothing of note there. Good. I’m tired of handwriting being important to cases. Jeez. 

There was, however, something sitting right next to it. It was another set of printed out pages, stapled together. They were scans from a book, terrible quality scans at that, like someone running some cheap five dollar copy of a two hundred dollar text book. But I was able to make out some useful information. It was about the RECL corporation, and made mention of QGT as well.

Fact #16: RECL Factbook Pages: “A few pages scanned from a factbook on the RECL corporation. RECL, or Regal Equine Cruise Lines, was founded in 1952 as a subsidiary of QGT, Quality Guns and Technologies, a major military-industrial contractor focused on naval arms and armaments and other naval technologies during the First and Second Great Wars. RECL was founded by the company as a spin-off for civilian applications of naval technologies and tourism, and today is the largest and most profitable cruise line company in the world. Though no longer a subsidiary of its parent corporation, RECL maintains close ties to QGT, and frequently do business together. The pride and joy of the RECL corporation is the Harmony of the Horizons, the single largest cruise ship ever constructed, debuted in 2010 with state of the art robotics and automation involved in every aspect of its amenities, allegedly sourced from QGTs advancements in robotic engineering.”

“Regal Equine?” I repeated, my features contorted with confusion. Jeez. Even for this world’s tendency to make pony puns, that’s a bit on the nose. Damn it, I wish I had time to think about this stuff and absorb it before rushing on to the next clue. I’m being led around by the nose and I hate it.

Rarity returned shortly, carrying another torn piece of paper I recognized instantly as resembling the other two diary fragments we found. “I’ve got something,” she said as she handed it over. I exchanged it for what I found and took a moment to read these entries.

Fact #17: Mastermind’s Diary Fragment #3: “A torn piece of paper detailing thoughts of the mastermind with the following entries:
‘Nonononono! How did I miss some of her magic? How?! This is a disaster.’
‘Everything is going wrong. I need to make sure Twilight dies. If I kill Twilight I can fix it.’
‘Time for the backup motive. Maybe I can get the farmer to kill the marshmallow and get it back on track.’
‘I do not believe this. Flash! Flash, you idiot! Oooooh I’m not letting you get away with this you stupid little shit!’
‘That’s it. Sunset stood up to me one too many times. She’s too inspirational. She could ruin everything. I’m throwing out the plan. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m tired of dealing with her. She dies. And I know I can get the siren to do it.’
‘That useless excuse for a magician saw everything! I’ll need to make an appearance. Maybe I can salvage this.’”

My blood froze in my veins so hard it threatened to shatter me into pieces. “He really was trying to kill me,” I whispered, feeling panic and anger mixing up into a churned mess, grabbing me with its icy claws and threatening to drag me into a pit of uselessness. “He used Adagio to try to kill me!”

“Me too, darling,” Rarity said with a shudder. She threw an arm around me and held me tight. I could feel her heartbeat thudding like a jackhammer, the shaking of her body from the same levels of panic rolling through me. “To think he tried to use Applejack to do it… I could almost believe she would too.”

“Woah, you two okay?” Scootaloo asked as she and Tiara descended the stairs.

I gave Rarity one last squeeze and tried to summon up enough courage to put a strained smile on my face. “Yeah, we’re fine. Did you find anything?”

Scootaloo frowned and handed me a sheet of paper. “I did, but I don’t get what it means. It’s got my name on it. Looks like it’s for the youth center in Canterlot.”

Fact #18: Youth Center Logbook Page: “A torn, weathered page from the Canterlot Youth Center logbook, detailing a list of sign-in names, and times. Scootaloo’s name is signed on multiple entries for various dates.”

I shrugged and put it in my pack. “I don’t get it either, Scoots. How much time do we have left?”

“Only twenty minutes!” Tiara shouted. She dropped her Monopad and had to dive to catch it, her arms trembling. 

“C’mon then.”

Our next stop was the go-kart track, where Rainbow Dash perished. Stepping onto the track brought more unbidden memories to my mind, of the fun I had speeding around on the go-kart, smoking everyone else. It brought a brief rush of excitement to my vein...and broke my heart at the same time, because that was also the last time I did anything with Adagio before... before it all went to hell.

Fuck you, Monoponi. Fuck you for using Adagio like that. Fuck you even more for forcing Trixie to sacrifice herself to keep me alive. Their blood is on your hooves, you monster.

Though the track had been cleaned of Rainbow’s blood and the damaged go-kart, I noticed that a pristine one had been deliberately set upside down, awaiting us. Like he was taunting us with it. There was even a pair of ice skates sitting atop it, spread out as if someone was standing there wearing them, with another folded pamphlet lying between. I saw Scootaloo’s face tighten as she reached out for the pamphlet, read it briefly, then shoved it towards me and stormed off.

Fact #19: Youth Center Pamphlet: “A pamphlet for the Canterlot Youth Center, explaining it is a place for youngsters of all ages up to eighteen to hang out, make friends, and participate in healthy activities, and asking those interested to become a sponsor for said youth, taking on the role of an older sibling figure.”

Okay, I can see why this might upset her. More of Monoponi insulting her, treating her like a kid instead of an adult. But… What does this have to do with anything? What is the point of giving us this information?

“Jeez, what’s her problem?” Tiara muttered as she traipsed after Scootaloo, who was beeling for the exit in a hurry. 

I didn’t bother to answer as I followed after them, Rarity hot on my heels. There were one or two last places to check when it came to victims, depending upon if Monoponi considered Flash a victim or not. Of course, he was one, like everyone else who died in this game. 

But when we got to the ice rink, I didn’t see anything waiting in the bleachers where Flash had fallen, at least not at first. Then Rarity stuck her head under the bleachers and pulled out a set of photographs. “More pictures. He loves pictures, doesn’t he?” she groaned as she looked through them. The more she looked the more her brow creased. “Sunset, these are about you.”

“Lemme see those,” Tiara snapped as she snatched the pictures out of Rarity’s hand. She briefly scanned them, then snorted. “Ugh. Why is this other person blurred out?” 

I shot her a dirty look as I took them from her so I could look them over. The hairs on my neck stood up as I realized what they contained.

Fact #20: Danganronpa Pictures: “A series of three pictures depicting Sunset Shimmer with another individual. The pictures are censored, making determining the identity of the other person impossible. In each one, Sunset and the person are playing a Danganronpa game, a different game in each picture.  The pictures are timestamped, dated to March, April, and May of 2020.”

“Danganronpa,” I whispered. “It always comes back to Danganronpa, doesn’t it?”

“Oh, is that what you’re playing?” Scootaloo said as she leaned in to get a look from beneath my arm. “Why would he give you pictures of playing Danganronpa with someone?”

“Because I think that’s the mastermind,” I answered, my voice sticking as my throat dried up. I swallowed, trying to wash some moisture back down. “That’s me playing with the mastermind. That’s why it’s censored.”

“What?” Rarity breathed. “But, but… why would you--”

“I don’t know!” I shouted, throwing up my good arm and scattering the pictures everywhere in the process. “I don’t know, okay? I don’t know anything about any of this shit we’re finding! God! We’re on a fucking time limit and I don’t have time to process any of it!”

Rarity reared back as if I’d slapped her, and held a hand to her cheek, her eyes welling up with tears. “Sunset, darling, please don’t shout at me,” she said, her voice trembling. “I don’t deserve that.”

I sighed, took a few deep breaths, then nodded. “Sorry, I’m sorry, I’m just, I didn’t… I’m sorry. I’ll, I’ll shut up.” I knelt down to scoop up the pictures I’d dropped only to find that Tiara already had them in her hands.

“I’ll hold onto them,” Tiara said, eying me suspiciously. Her lip turned up just enough to expose a few of her teeth. “Jerk.”

The irony of Tiara of all people calling me out nearly caused me to explode yet again, but I managed, somehow, to restrain my temper. Gritting my teeth, I hissed a quick thank you, and moved slowly for the rental shop.

“Fifteen minutes,” Scootaloo reminded us.

“I know, I know,” I grumbled as I scanned the shelves and tables of equipment. Nothing seemed out of place, nothing stuck out, until my eyes passed over the far shelf, between the racks of arctic coats and beanies. There was a book there, a large hardcover book, but with an outdated sense of style. Like it had been made around the turn of the twentieth century. I picked it up to glance through it. It felt hauntingly familiar, like I'd poured over a book just like this in the past.

Fact #21: Elements of Harmony, A Reference Guide, Updated Edition: “A guide to the Elements of Harmony, describing them as the six virtues of Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Friendship, also known as Magic.”

The Elements of Harmony… those artifacts that the friends of Princess Twilight Sparkle used. And that Monoponi mocked when he executed our Twilight. Odd that he’d give us a guide. Is he trying to give us ideas? Whatever.

I shoved the book into my backpack without a word to the others. We were so short on time I didn’t have any to waste explaining what I found. Instead I gestured wordlessly to the exit, and rushed everyone to check out the museum next. We’d hit the church last.

Stepping inside the museum, nothing seemed out of place at first, apart from the Ares sample case. Despite Monoponi cleaning up after every other crime, this one thing had been left alone, glass still scattered across the floor. I wasn’t sure why until I realized he’d used that deliberately to catch our attention to the next clue he’d given us. This was a binder, like the sort you’d use in high school, all plastic with snapping holes to keep sheets of paper neatly tucked inside. The color, an eerie blood-pink, left me with the feeling of worms wriggling all over my skin as I opened it up. And then my jaw dropped. “What… what the hell…”

It was a set of plans. Plans for a killing game.

For this killing game.

Fact #22: Typewritten Plans: “A set of typewritten plans for a Killing Game involving Sunset Shimmer and her friends. According to the plan, the cases were to occur as follows:
Trial 1: Victim: Wallflower Blush; Blackened: Timber Spruce
Trial 2: Victim: Apple Bloom; Blackened: Sweetie Belle
Trial 3: Victims: Applejack, Rarity; Blackened: Twilight Sparkle
Trial 4: Victim: Scootaloo; Blackened: Fluttershy
Trial 5: Victim: Adagio Dazzle; Blackened: Pinkie Pie
Survivors: Sunset Shimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, Diamond Tiara, Rainbow Dash, Flash Sentry.”

“Holy shit!” Scootaloo blurted as she read the plans. She took several steps back, her whole body shaking.

“T-t-this is horrible!” Rarity squeaked as she slapped both hands to her face. “W-why… he… he was…”

“He had this shit planned from the start!” Tiara shouted, slamming a fist down on the closet object at hand, which turned out to be one of the metal display placards. “You were right, Sunset!”

For my part, I wasn’t too terribly surprised, after the initial shock. Of course he had it planned out. Of course he cared about a count. He wanted five survivors. Well he had five survivors, but three of them weren’t what he planned on. He expected Flash, Dash, and Trixie. But… wait a minute. One of the names stuck out to me. One of the names I wouldn’t have expected to see.

The only other one from his list to survive other than me. Diamond Tiara.

Before I could think any harder on that Scootaloo, in a burst of speed, grabbed the set of plans and shoved them roughly into her own pack. “L-look, guys, w-we don’t have t-time for this,” she said, every word shaking out of her mouth like they’d been caught in an earthquake. She held up her Monopad. “We’ve got less than ten minutes left!”

I cursed under my breath several times as I raced for the museum theater, hoping to find something of note. Every step I took my ribs tore into me, every breath like laying on a bed of knives. I was so tired of dealing with this pain. I wanted to lay the hell down, not run around like a maniac. My elbow wasn’t helping either. I was moving so fast I kept jostling it, and that sent fresh surges of white-hot pain burning up and down my nerves.

Fuck, I wanted to swallow some pain pills.

Inside the theater the floor was clean of blood, the display dark, the room lit up more like a classroom than a theater. This allowed me to easily spot a magazine article sitting on the display, made of the same materials as the previous Equestrian piece, suggesting it too was from Equestria.

And it was, though it contained information I hadn’t expected. It was an article detailing the various villains Princess Twilight had dealt with, part of an exposé on her, going along with the previous one we’d found. I didn’t have time to read it properly, so I stuffed it in my pack with the rest to be studied later.

Fact #23: Equestrian Villain Piece: “An editorial piece dated for six months ago that focused on the villains that Princess Twilight had to deal with prior to her ascension to the Equestrian throne.  It lists the following villains and their presumed status, with accompanying pictures:
Nightmare Moon: A corrupted alicorn who wanted to bring eternal night. Status: Reformed.
Discord: Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony who once ruled the world. Status: Reformed.
Queen Chrysalis: Former leader of the changelings, responsible for two different invasions of Equestria and an attempted coup alongside Cozy Glow and Lord Tirek. Status: Deceased.
King Sombra: Former leader of the Crystal Empire, a unicorn who uses dark magics. Status: Deceased
Lord Tirek: Centaur from a distant land capable of absorbing magic, responsible for several rampages and an attempted coup alongside Queen Chrysalis and Cozy Glow. Status: Deceased.
Starlight Glimmer: A unicorn of impressive power who once held an entire village hostage to an anti-cutie mark philosophy. Status: Reformed.
Storm King: A yeti warlord who was responsible for the conquest of numerous nations, including Assyria, Mount Aeris, and, briefly, the Equestrian capital of Canterlot. He used the Staff of Sarcanus to perform weather-based magic. Status: Deceased.
Cozy Glow: A pegasus foal who infiltrated the School of Friendship and drained the whole of Equestria’s magic, then subsequently attempted a coup with Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek. Status: Deceased.” 

“What was th--” Scootaloo asked.

I held out a hand to stop her. “No time. We’ve got to move. To the church.”

As we sped along I saw Tiara take a look at her Monopad, and winced when I saw the time. Five minutes. Shit! 

We made quick work getting to the church foyer, which bore no sign of the damage Trixie had dealt it in the process of setting her trap for Adagio. But there was something laying on the floor, right in the same place where, presumably, Adagio’s body had fallen. It was a journal. And not just any journal, but the very same one we saw in the picture of the two Twilights, with my cutie mark atop it, plus some extra flourishes. I took a moment to glance at it, and my heart sank when I saw how much of the internals had been ruined, either by fire, tearing it apart, or blanking it out with marker. All that was left was a few letters to Princess Twilight about a young friend, whoever that was.

Fact #24: Sunset’s Journal: “A journal detailing communiques between Sunset Shimmer and Princess Twilight Sparkle. Most of the information has been blanked out or destroyed, leaving only a series of letters to Twilight about Sunset’s “young friend” that she made.”

As I picked it up, a loose piece of paper fell out, which I grabbed before it hit the floor. I was afraid it was more damage to the journal, but it wasn’t. It was some sort of fancy paper, like the invoices we’d found for Sweet Apple Acres, but even higher quality. I realized after a moment it was a record of stock ownership, for Diamond Tiara of all people.

Fact #25: Stock Certificate: “A certificate showing that Diamond Tiara owns a substantial amount of stock in both RECL and QGT corporations.”

“You know anything about this, Tiara?” I asked as I held it out to her.

“Uuuuh…” Tiara took it from me, both eyebrows raised to the top of her head. “I uh… no? I mean, sure, I own a lot of stock. Daddy makes sure I do. For a proper investment profile. QGT and RECL are both wealthy, successful companies. Investing in them is good business. But I dunno what it’s got to do with the killing game.”

“Who the fuck even knows?” Scootaloo proclaimed as she threw her hands up in the air. She let them fall, then reached into her bag and grabbed her Monopad. “Oh… oh shit.”

“What? What is it, Scootaloo?” Rarity said.

Scootaloo swallowed noisily and showed us her pad. “Time’s up.”

DING-DONG BING-BONG

The screens around us lit up with Monoponi’s irritating face, once again from the bowels of engineering. “Well, well, my lovely passengers, how does the time fly? Too fast. Always too fast. You’re out of time. Get to the elevator. I’m ready to be finished with this for good.”

“You and me both,” I grumbled as the screens switched off. 

“Do you think Applejack’ll meet us there?” Scootaloo wondered as we left the church.

“She’d better!” Tiara declared. “Or else Monoponi’s gonna squish her!” She clapped her hands and rubbed the palms together. “Like that!”

“Hey, listen, Rarity,” I said quietly into the seamstress’s ear as we walked. “I’m sorry I shouted at you. I didn’t mean to.”

Rarity eyed me for a moment with a stern glare, then sighed and reached out to squeeze my shoulder. “I realize that. But please try to contain your temper. I don’t enjoy being snapped at, no matter who does it.”

Shame worked its way through me, burning down my gullet like a shot of rotgut whiskey. “R-right. I’ll try.”

“That’s all I ask.”

We stayed quiet the rest of the way to the food court. I couldn’t speak for the others, but I felt like I was marching to my death, every step closer a foot deeper in the grave. We had no reassurance whatsoever that Monoponi wouldn’t slaughter us all at the end of all of this. We couldn’t even be sure why he was bothering to hold this trial. Or what his goals were. All we could do was ride along, hoping desperately to survive.

Applejack met us there, all right. In fact she seemed like she was waiting for us, impatiently at that, while holding a picture of something in her hand. Though as she glanced at myself and Tiara I saw her eyes widen once again, her teeth chattering in her jaw as she quickly shoved it in her pocket, preventing me from seeing the details.

Fact #26: Unknown Picture: "A picture found by Applejack. She refused to show it to anyone."

“What the hell, Applejack?!” Scootaloo shouted as soon as she got within range. “Why’d you run off like that?”

“Seriously, AJ, you made us chase you half-way around the ship! For nothing!” Tiara added, throwing up a middle finger. 

Applejack closed her eyes and shook her head vigorously, then opened them just so she could look away from us. “Ah got nothin’ to say.”

“Of course you don’t,” Rarity snorted, crossing her arms. “You never cease to be a disappointment.”

Oh for fuck’s sake. “Guys, c’mon, let’s stop shouting at each other. We’re all in this together, okay?” I automatically moved my left arm to try to gesture before hissing in pain and letting it fall back into its sling. “We’re not enemies. We’re allies. More than that, we’re friends. We have to work together. We can’t give up on that now, not after everything we’ve been through.”

Monoponi flashed into existence, aloft on outstretched wings as he circled over us like a vulture. “Upupu, listen to you! I wonder if you’ll be singing that tune an hour from now, when you’re all at each other’s throats in the trial to come! But I’m getting ahead of myself.” He landed on all four hooves before us, leering up at us like always. Whatever hints of worry or anxiety he’d shown before had faded, replaced by a cocky confidence above and beyond what he usually demonstrated. He strutted as he walked a full circle around us, head held high and proud. “It’s been a long time coming, this final trial. I’ve been looking forward to it for the whole game! Can you imagine it? The five of you, facing off against me, your wonderful Captain, for the sake of your survival! Can you solve the mysteries? Will you figure out the traitor? The mastermind? Who I really am? Ahaha, you already know I’m not what I appear. Never have been. That’s never been a secret.”

He stopped, and held out a hoof to touch Scootaloo on the leg. The young woman’s whole body curled up protectively, her breathing accelerating to hundreds of miles per hour even as she froze in place. “Will you figure it out?”

Letting her go, he spun around us till he reached Applejack, and like Scootaloo, reached out to stroke a hoof down her leg. To the farmer’s credit, she didn’t shriek or yelp, but managed to stand there stoically, despite shaking like a leaf. “Or will you fail?”

Dropping his hoof, he circled us again till he reached Tiara, this time reaching out to tap her on the belly. Tiara screamed and tried to back away, only for his magic to hold her in place. “Will you win?” he said.

Releasing her, he moved on to Rarity. Her lips thinned into an invisible line as he reached out a wing to curl around her legs. “Or will you lose?”

Finally, he moved on to me. Unlike the others he didn’t try to touch me. Instead he reared up on his back legs, using his wings to hold himself up till he looked me dead in the eye. “Which will it be, Sunset?”

“We’re going to win, of course,” I answered, just barely resisting the urge to punch him in his stupid face. 

“So you say. But do you even know what you have to do to win? Do you even know why you’re here? Why I did all of this? Of course you don’t.” He laughed in my face, his jaws splitting open wide to spray spit all over me. “But you’ll find out, before the end.”

“Just tell us one thing,” I said as I wiped myself clean, my mouth curled in disgust. “Is there a chance, any chance, that we’ll survive?”

He ceased laughing at once, his face going blank. He dropped back to all four hooves, his ears shifting on his head to point towards the bridge deck exit of the promenade. “Uh oh,” I heard him whisper.

BOOM!

The entire ship shuddered like a heavyweight boxer punched in the gut. Everyone, myself included, screamed as we tried to stay on our feet. The lights dimmed for a moment, a few of them going out before they all turned back on. Somewhere outside I heard the machine guns spinning up before unleashing a cavalcade of fire like a giant tearing apart a piece of leather. Smaller booms echoed as the larger guns aboard the ship spoke, each one shaking the ship for a split second. 

“Well, it seems the festivities have begun earlier than I intended!” Monoponi said cheerfully, as if nothing was wrong. His horn lit up to unlock the gates to the elevator, causing them to swing open far faster than he usually bothered. “Better get on the elevator while it still works!”

None of us moved. We were all too busy staring at him in shock. “What in tarnation is goin’ on out there?!” Applejack roared.

“Are we under attack?” Rarity cried. “B-by who?!”

“Oh, just some little piece of trash who thinks she can interfere with my plans!” Monoponi growled, his face momentarily twisted up in rage before he shifted back to a pleasant smile. “Don’t you worry about her. She’ll join us in the trial eventually. But not without making her work for it.”

“It’s Princess Twilight, isn’t it?” I breathed, a spark of hope lighting up inside me. “She’s trying to rescue us.”

BOOOOOOM!

The ship shook so hard Tiara was knocked off her feet, the rest of us barely faring much better. That one had been much closer. In fact as I glanced down the promenade towards the restaurants, I thought I saw some flames licking the sides of the ship just outside the Lover’s Corner balcony before they were snuffed out. I definitely saw the answering boom of the closest large gun firing a shell somewhere past the sheets of rain. 

“Well if she is she needs to stop shooting before she kills us!” Tiara screeched, managing to climb to her feet only thanks to Scootaloo’s outstretched supporting arm.

“Nonsense!” Monoponi said with a casual wave of his wing. “She’d never kill you. But I will if you don’t get on that elevator right now!” 

Tiara screamed as she ran, arms flailing, for the elevator. Scootaloo groaned before running after her, Applejack joining them after a moment. Rarity hesitated, raising a hand to me, asking a silent question. “Go,” I said.

She nodded, then hurried off after them. But I stayed behind, just for a moment.

“What’re you waiting for, Shimmer?” Monoponi growled, fixing me with his crimson gaze. “Get. Going.”

“I don’t know why,” I replied, meeting him glare for glare, “but for some reason, all of this feels like you meant for it to happen. Like you want Princess Twilight here, firing at the ship. Why? What’s the point? What are you really after?”

Muted explosions rang through the air as Monoponi sighed, his head drooping, ears going flat against his skull. “Oh Sunset. You’re still wasting time asking questions you know I won’t answer?”

“You’re going to have to, once we’re down there.” My glare shifted into a scowl. “I’m tired of playing this bullshit game.”

“Oh, but it’s been so much fun playing together, hasn’t it?” Monoponi looked back up at me, with an expression of… gratitude? Warmth? Happiness? Something alien, something I hadn’t seen him express, and the sight of it filled me with an existential dread like nothing else. “After all, we’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Excuse me?” I whispered, my confidence fading rapidly. “What’re you saying?”

Monoponi gently shook his head and grinned at me. “You’ll find out.” His grin dropped, replaced by the cold-hearted stare of a crazed killer. “Get. Going.” His horn lit up to wrap his own throat in magic, distorting his voice into something resembling a deep-throated monster. “NOW!”

Unnerved, I took a few steps back, spun on my heels, then made my way into the elevator as fast as I dared with my injuries. It’s not worth it, Sunset. You’ve still got time to solve this. To figure out what he’s doing, and stop it. 

You’ve still got time. 

As I boarded the elevator, I took a moment to look at my fellow passengers, take in their expressions, but as I expected, they were all afraid. Terrified panic, in Tiara and Rarity’s case. Applejack and Scootaloo held themselves tense, anxious, waiting for something, anything to happen to throw it all into chaos. “It’s okay guys,” I said, softer than I would’ve liked. “We’re going to be okay.”

No one responded as the doors to the elevator closed and we began our descent. And as we fell deeper and deeper into the ship, the sounds of combat fading away, replaced by only the most occasional muted thump or rattle of the elevator on its cables, I considered the trial ahead.

While we had the mastermind to find, we still had to solve the mystery of the traitor.



Was it Diamond Tiara, like I suspected? The elitist Rich Kid, with the influence, resources, and connections to give Monoponi an edge? With the skills to manipulate us all, to keep the tension flowing, to throw a fresh monkey wrench in the works every now and then?



Was it Scootaloo? The isolated one, who’d kept to herself. Always on the periphery. Always there to help, with a kind word or gesture, a thoughtful gift, but rarely making close ties. Like she just wanted to keep us going. Keep us from giving up, from giving in to the despair. Persistence in the face of death, enough to keep the game alive.



Was it Rarity? She had connections, like Tiara, though she didn’t have the same level of resources. But she’d been there to meet me, when I first stepped outside my cabin. The very first one I spoke to. The one who somehow managed to escape death time and again, despite motives and opportunities all aimed squarely at her. Sure, she’d lost her sister, but so what? It wouldn’t be the first time a traitor had given up what was most precious to them, just for the sake of the game. Monoponi was surprised the traitor was still alive, after all.



Speaking of survivors, was it Applejack? With her odd behavior and bold-faced lies in the investigation, running away from everyone, refusing to speak a word no matter what we asked. Like Rarity, she’d lost someone precious to her, but what applied to Rarity applied to her too. Both of them were supposed to die in the third case, according to Monoponi, which would’ve been an easy way of tying up loose ends. After all, her farm, a local, tiny farm on the Amareican coast had sold goods, regularly, to one of the top cruise lines in the world. Why? What gave her that connection? Was her honesty just a facade?



Or… was it me? Was Sweetie Belle right? Was Twilight right? Could I be the traitor after all? I was the only one who knew Danganronpa. We saw what I presumed was the mastermind playing the games with me. We found that invitation, something I still didn’t comprehend. Monoponi had said the traitor was keeping things interesting, involved. And he sure seemed invested in keeping me alive. Like he’d chosen me to fulfill a role. The role of protagonist. And what he’d just said before I boarded the elevator… the “fun” we’d had together. Like this was all one big giant game between him and me, with everyone else merely pawns. 

Whatever the case, I knew one thing. By the end of this trial, we were either going to have our answers, or we’d be dead. And if I was going to die today, I wouldn’t go down without a fight. I’d take him with me. I was going to keep my promise to Trixie.

I wasn’t going to let him win. Because I am Sunset Shimmer, damn it. I don’t lose! I’ve saved our lives four times now in these trials. I can do it once more.

I will do it. 

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