//------------------------------// // The Right Target Part 1 // Story: Danganronpa: In Harmony's Wake: Lost Moments // by Dewdrops on the Grass //------------------------------// Alternate Scenarios Chapter Two: “What Lurks in the Depths” The Right Target Part 1 I heard the sounds of the box closing, plunging me into darkness. I could still hear gasps of awe from the crowd as Trixie successfully shrank the box down to something far smaller than should’ve been possible with me in it. “And now! You will see!” I heard the sching of a sword being removed swiftly from its sheath. “As Trixie plunges the sword into the box!” “Holy crap!” I heard Rainbow Dash cry out as the first sword sank in. “But that, of course, is insufficient for the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Trixie cried as another sword was drawn out and promptly shoved into the box at a different angle. “Oh no!” someone moaned. I couldn’t tell who. “One more, for good measure!” Trixie said, withdrawing the final sword and shoving it into the box from the top on down. ““Now, Trixie knows what you're thinking. She's behind the table, right? Allow Trixie to show you how wrong you are!" The table spun just as she said, with more gasps of shock and surprise. “And now, Trixie will remove the swords.” Three quick sounds of swords being removed later, and I heard Trixie shout, “Trixie will now open the box!” True to her word, the box opened right back up, light filling my eyes once more. As she finished opening it, I slowly sat up, blinking spots away. Trixie held out a hand for me to take as she assisted me in getting out of the box, right back out onto the big X of tape. As I came out, I had to close my eyes and hold up my hand to block the spotlight beaming straight down on us. “Wow!” I heard Apple Bloom breathe from just off stage. “Ah knew she’d be fine, but still… wow.” “And as you see, Sunset is unharmed!” Trixie said, raising up both our arms as she took a deep bow to the sound of brilliant applause. The claps and cheers echoed throughout the theater, and from what I could see of the crowd, even Adagio looked impressed now, one lip curled up in appreciation as she nodded several times. We rose up, Trixie’s face split from ear to ear with her smile as she took a second to glance at me, letting out a quiet squealing noise, before we took another bow. But right as we did, I heard something… odd. Like something snapped. Then a whistle of something falling. Locating the sound with my ears, I pivoted on my heel and caught sight of what looked like a large bag crashing to the stage floor. SCHLUNK! At first, I didn’t know what happened. An overwhelming sense of fullness struck me, like I’d just consumed a massive meal. Except it wasn’t just in my stomach. It was in my chest, and my back, and… a..nd… There was a spear in my chest. There was a spear in my chest. There was a spear. In. My. Chest! PAIN Overwhelming excruciating pain filled my every sense as I choked, my throat filling up with blood. I slipped backwards, more agony shooting through my body like bullwhips cracking against every nerve as I sank down until I could sink no more, propped up by the spear like a goddamned shish kabob. My vision swam and greyed at the edges. “...Sunset! Sunset!” I gasped. Tried to open my eyes. Movement around me. Little lashes of pain brushed against me, people’s hands, bandages, I couldn’t tell. “A….Adagio?” Tangerine and lemon hair filled my vision, bushy and vibrant as ever despite the color fading from the world. “Sunset!” Adagio snapped, her eyes wider than dinner plates. Her whole body shook as she tried to hold my hand. “Don’t you dare die on me!” “D...ie?” I coughed, spitting up blood all over Adagio’s clothes. Black bars filled both sides of my vision, as if life itself had suddenly turned into a widescreen movie. “I… I’m dying… huh…” “No you’re fucking not!” Adagio roared, even as tears streamed forth from her eyes. Her sparkling, amethyst eyes. So beautiful. So gorgeous, even now. “We’re going to save you! I won’t let you die, damn it! I won’t!” Somewhere in the background, behind Adagio, I heard other voices murmur, including Trixie’s. But I couldn’t make them out. My hearing dulled like my ears had been stuffed full of cotton. What little left I could see was hazy, dark, full of static like television snow. “I… it’s o..kay… A..dagio…” I murmured. “I… I…” “No! God damn it, no!” Adagio screamed. She released my hand, and tried desperately to wrap roll after roll of bandages around my chest wound, pressing her hands into my dress, coating herself all over with blood. So much blood. Too much. Too much. “A...adagio… please…” Adagio snarled wordlessly and glowered down at me, eyes blazing. “No! I won’t hear it! I… I won’t!” I tried to raise my hand to hers, managing to get it up about half an inch before it fell. I could barely see her now. So dark. The pain faded away, replaced by cold. Ice cold. Freezing. As if the pure essence of winter itself swaddled me like a newborn babe. So cold. So… cold… I… I had something to say… had to say it, before… before… Blood oozed from my mouth as I tried to smile. “A...adag...io… I… I… love… yo...u....” She reached out for me and “Nooo!” I shrieked, unable to look away as the light faded from Sunset’s eyes. “No… no… please…” I fell over backwards, landing in the massive pool of blood, splattering even more of the foul liquid everywhere. Nothing around me registered, my eyes locked solidly on Sunset’s corpse. On. Sunset’s. Corpse. “This can’t be happening,” spilled from my lips. “This… this can’t…” Why is this affecting you so badly? A voice ran through my head. So she said she loved you. So what? It’s not like you were with her that long. She was just a bit of fun. You were going to kill her yourself, weren’t you? Remember? “Shut up,” I whispered, barely even aware I was talking aloud to myself.  Surely you haven’t forgotten what you are, Adagio. You are a siren! So you’ve lost your lover. Who cares? Get up and stop sniveling like a stupid little pony. You can always find another fuckbuddy. Maybe that Rainbow chick. She’d probably be good for a few lays. “Shut up!” I hissed, louder this time. What, not her? Fine. Someone else then. Anyone else. Just so long as you get up from the floor. Do you know how weak you look right now? How vulnerable? You’re pathetic. Sunset didn’t mean anything to you. Don’t act like she did. She was just a piece of ass you had fun with. Nothing. More. “Shut up!” I screamed, slamming both of my fists into the pool of blood, scattering fresh droplets everywhere. “Adagio?” gasped a voice from behind me. Startled, I leapt up from the floor and whipped out my knife, ready to gut whatever fool had the audacity to speak my name. But I froze when I saw who it was. Trixie. Staring at me from beneath that top hat, her eyes full of tears, her face covered in snot, red and puffy from crying. She took a step back when she saw the knife, her expression filling with terror. Like me, the front of her outfit was covered in blood, since she’d been standing right next to Sunset when… when… Pathetic. “What. Do you. Want. Trixie?!” I growled, brandishing the knife forward. “Trixie… I…” She blinked, closed her eyes, then from somewhere within herself she summoned up whatever puny bit of courage she had and opened her eyes again. “I heard what Sunset said to you. I was trying to make sure you were okay.” My upper lip pulled back, showing my teeth. I bit down with my sharpened canines and drew two tiny spots of blood from my lower lip in a show of ferocity. The knife in my hand quivered forward, like it ached to plant itself within Trixie’s ribs. “Say that again,” I snarled. “Say it again and I will gut you and wear your intestines like a scarf!” Despite my harsh words, Trixie didn’t budge an inch. Indeed if anything she seemed less frightened than before, sticking her nose up in that asinine snobbish way that made me want to vomit. “It’s fine if you don’t want to admit it,” she said. “I understand. But I’m not your enemy, Adagio. You know who is? The one who took Sunset from us.” “Us?!” I hissed, my free hand snapping forward to grab Trixie by her suit coat, wrenching her off her feet. My knife swept up to press at her throat. “What do you mean, us?!” “You know exactly what I mean,” Trixie said, refusing to back down. “We both cared about her. Admit it or don’t. But we did. And I’m not going to let whoever did this get away with it!” For a moment, just a moment, I considered sinking my knife’s blade deep into her throat. Rip her useless life away. But I didn’t. The voice was right about one thing. I am a siren. Sirens don’t kill. But we do get revenge. We do seek justice when we’re wronged. Trixie said she’s not going to let anyone get away with this, hmm? The voice spoke again. Neither should you. You want to live, don’t you? Forget about Sunset. Focus on you. You’re all the matters now. Survive. You’ve lived far too long. You’re not going to die here, not now, not ever. Find them. Find them, and keep yourself alive.  I released Trixie and stuffed my knife back in my pocket. “Fine. But let me make one thing very clear, Trixie,” I said, holding up a finger. “You say one word about my involvement with Sunset to anyone else? I will end you.” One corner of Trixie’s mouth quirked up in a half smile. “Deal.” She stuck her hand out, prepared to shake. My face twisted up in disgust as I glared down at her hand before slapping it away. “Don’t push it.” DING-DONG-BING-BONG I didn’t bother listening to Monoponi’s body discovery announcement. We were already in the theater. No one was going to come running. But I did take a moment to observe everyone else, now that I wasn’t lost in my own head. Sorrow covered most of their faces, ranging from Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy’s pitiful crying into Flash and Rainbow’s embrace respectively, to Applejack holding her hat to her breast and bowing her head, her sister beside her doing the same, to Rarity with Sweetie Belle in a stranglehold, babbling inanities about how glad she was it hadn’t been her sister on stage, to Pinkie Pie on her knees, her hair flat against her skull, to Diamond Tiara and Scootaloo-- Wait a minute. My eyes shifted back to Sweetie Belle, who stared at Sunset’s corpse. Her expression struck me as odd. I couldn’t be sure why. She had the same tears in her eyes as everyone else. The same shock. The same gaping mouth of disbelief. And yet… something was off. Like she was… confused. Confused about what? Monoponi popped into existence before us on the stage. The alicorn scowled at us, his wings twitching, flapping aimlessly like he was trying to smack people with them. “So…” he said through gritted teeth. “Looks like Sunset bit the big one! What a shame. It sure is a pity, isn’t it?!” Arching my eyebrows, I leaned forward, adopting a mocking smile full of false sincerity. “Oh, what’s the matter? You seem upset.” “Upset?! No, no, no, your captain isn’t upset!” Monoponi railed, spouting obvious lies. “Of course I’m thrilled to see another body! After all, who doesn’t love a wonderful, blood-curdling, spine-tingling investigation, hmm? No one! Even if the one who should be leading it is lying dead on the stage…” Momentarily I glanced over at Diamond Tiara, our self-professed leader. I expected her to speak up. But she didn’t. She withdrew into herself, giving me one glance, quickly nudging her head in Monoponi’s direction before leaving the stage to take a seat away from the others. Scootaloo, meanwhile, broke into angry ranting, exchanging pointless barbs with Monoponi, accusing Flash Sentry of killing Sunset because he worked the lights. The usual tripe from that moron, in other words. Eventually she shut up, allowing me to step forward again. “If you don’t mind,” I said, injecting as much fake sweetness into my voice as I could muster, “I think I’ll take over. It’s not like any of you fools are smart enough to solve this crime, hmm?” “H-hey!” Flash objected, raising a half-hearted fist. “Twilight’s just--” “Crying like a mewling infant, like everyone else?” I interrupted, a savage grin stretching across my face. “Please. Why don’t you sit down and let someone with a brain do the thinking for you?” His lips thinned, his eyes flashing in a cute attempt to scare me off. “Whatever,” he grunted after a minute, returning to his coddling of Twilight. “That’s what I thought,” I sneered as I turned to face the alicorn. “So, Monoponi. Hand over the file already. You want us to get to investigating, right?” Monoponi’s eyes glowed a deep crimson, just for a moment, just long enough to spark a frisson of fear in my belly. But the glow faded. He lit up his horn, filling the air with the sound of bleeping Monopads. “Fine. But before I go, let me make something very clear to you, my little idiots! The secrets rule is still firmly in effect. You are not to share or discuss the secret I gave you with anyone! You can puzzle out anything to do with the secrets on your own!” Then he vanished with a crack and a flash of light. So. The motive is critical, then, I mused. I glared at the crowd of my ‘fellow’ passengers. I wonder who had Sunset’s secret. Was her secret the reason she died? “Trixie,” I barked, waving the illusionist over. “You’re with me, understand?” Trixie stepped forward and gave me a grim nod. “You can count on Trixie.” “Good.” Facing the audience, I considered for a moment and then pointed to Applejack and Scootaloo, who seemed the least useless at the moment. “You, you, you’re guarding the body, got it?” “Ah beg your pardon?” Applejack snorted, eying me with a suspicious look. “Ah don’t know who died and made you lead--” “Sunset. Sunset died,” I interrupted, calling upon my siren strength to fill my gaze with an unmoving, uncaring energy. The kind that told this farmer I’d swat her like a fly if she dared speak up again. “So now I’m leading things. And I’m ordering you to guard the body. Understand?” Applejack took a few steps back, breaking into a cold sweat as she gulped. “Uh, yes ma’am,” she muttered. Flashing my cold gaze over to Scootaloo, who hadn’t moved an inch from Diamond Tiara’s side, I said, “What’re you waiting for?” Diamond Tiara chose that moment to come to life, stomping over to growl at me like a lion cub trying to scare off a group of hyenas. “Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing, Dazzle? I’m our leader! I’m the one who tells people to guard. I’m the one who… who…” She trailed off as I took a single step forward. And then another. And another. Till I was bare inches away from her, smiling down in such a frigid, cold manner it was like I was channeling a Windigo. Calmly, I raised a single hand and placed it on her shoulder. “What’s that now, Tiara?” I said. “I don’t think I heard you.” Her whole body wriggled and writhed like a squirming eel, whimpers escaping her lips. “N-nothing,” she stammered. “I-I didn’t say anything.” I patted her shoulder, then pushed her aside. “Good girl.” Then I looked back over at Scootaloo. “Any objections?” Scootaloo scowled at me, but said nothing as she approached Sunset’s body and took up a defensive posture, watching over it. After a moment, Applejack joined her. “Well, now that that’s out of the way,” I said, facing the crowd. “Enough whining and crying. We have an investigation to perform.” *INVESTIGATION START* Ignoring the looks of disbelief a few of the other morons shot me, I pulled out my Monopad to consult the file. Fact #1: Monoponi File II: “The victim is Sunset Shimmer, the Ultimate ???. Time of death is 7:45 PM. Cause of death was blood loss due to a massive stab wound through the torso.” Hmph. Not even fifteen minutes dead, I thought as I checked my Monopad time. It read 7:58 PM. And of course, he doesn’t bother to tell us her so-called talent either. Not like it matters. Unless it has something to do with why she was killed, it’s meaningless. “Uh, pardon, Adagio?” interjected Apple Bloom. “Mind if Ah tag along with you and Trixie?” I considered her for a moment. I had little to no opinion of her, since she and I never bothered to interact. She kept to herself, and that was good enough for me. “Why?” Apple Bloom frowned, her features contorting with shame and… was that guilt? “Ah… Ah kinda feel like maybe this is mah fault.” Fire bubbled up inside me, boiling my insides like I’d swum into a hydrothermal vent. “Explain,” I seethed. “Now.” Yelping just like her older sister would, Apple Bloom took a step back and raised her hands as if to ward me off. “Ah don’t mean like that! Ah ain’t sayin’ Ah killed Sunset! Ah just mean… ah, hell, look, lemme come with and Ah’ll explain on the way, okay?” I glanced briefly at Trixie, gauging her reaction, but she just shrugged. So, turning back to Apple Bloom, I blew a sight out through my teeth then said, “Alright. Fine. Let’s go then. We check the body first.” “...right,” Apple Bloom said, swallowing nervously as she followed us over. The metallic scent of spilled blood filled my nostrils as I knelt down in the pool, caring not a whit for how warm it still was. Unlike the other fools I was saddled with, blood didn’t bother me. Sirens smelt blood in the water all the time. We didn’t just eat negative emotions, after all. Most of the time we fed on fish. And other sea creatures. Even in this accursed human form I was stuck with, I made sure to eat fish as often as possible. Still, this wasn’t the blood of my prey I was smelling. This was the blood of my. Of… my.... Of Sunset Shimmer. A human. Yes. Just a human. Nothing more. With a sigh, I dug my hands in my pockets and pulled out a pair of gloves, one for each of us. “Here,” I said, tossing them to Apple Bloom and Trixie. “Let’s try to make this quick.” Not bothering to pay them any heed, I focused on Sunset’s body. She lay propped up by the spear, like some of my siren cousin’s more macabre warning trophy displays, splayed out almost spread eagle. Her eyes bugged out of her sockets, pupils shrunk to mere pinpricks, still showcasing the sudden shock. Despite that, her open mouth had twisted into a smile, making me recall her last words. Her admission of love. No. Don’t think about that. Don’t even begin to think about that. Focusing instead on her wound, I pulled back most of the bandages I’d slathered on in my vain haste to save her life. Doing so allowed me to see the full extent of the spear lodged inside. From the thin serrated spike all the way to the two-tined crossguard, she’d had her whole chest torn open. Though mostly obscured by the pink of her blood, I could spot a few of her internal organs poking out. Feeling along her back told me the same was occurring there, even if we couldn’t see it. I recognized the spear instantly. It was just like the spears used by the Kirin, in Equestria. I couldn’t say that of course. “This came from underneath, didn’t it?” I said, running my hand on the blood-coated shaft. “It popped up like toast from a toaster.” “Ah’d say so,” Apple Bloom nodded. “Looks just like yer swords, Trixie. Same kinda design. Qilin, Ah think.” Fact #2: Qilin Spear: “A polearm with a thin serrated tip and twin-spiked crossguard, its origins unknown. The spear impaled Sunset Shimmer from underneath, popping up out of the stage.” “Trixie doesn’t know why that might be,” Trixie said, shaking her head as she bit at her lip nervously. “She didn’t have anything to do with this.” “Hmm… Ah’d say it’s too soon to conclude anythin’ like that,” Apple Bloom said after a moment. “But Ah’ll tell ya what. This weren’t no accident. This was a trap. See, look.” She pointed down at the floor, brushing aside the blood enough to expose some duct tape. “It came up right outta that guide you put down for Sunset. Ah’d say they were gunnin’ for her specifically.” “When did you put those on the stage?” I asked. Sorrow filled Trixie’s eyes as she pulled back from the scene. “Trixie… yesterday. Before dinner. This… this is Trixie’s fault. She told everyone she laid down the marks. She all but gift-wrapped Sunset to the culprit!” Fact #3: Trixie’s Guidemarks: “The culprit laid a trap for Sunset Shimmer, using the guides of duct tape Trixie laid down the previous day.” I’m sure Sunset would’ve wasted time comforting Trixie. Offering her some words of wisdom, some bullshit about how it wasn’t really her fault, how the culprit would’ve found another way. But I had no desire to coddle such weakness. We weren’t going to find this culprit by wailing about our feelings all day. Instead I focused on Apple Bloom. “You said you felt this was your fault. How?” “Well, you see…” Apple Bloom sighed, frowning at Sunset’s corpse before shaking her head. “This mornin’, there was a drill missin’ from the prop shop. Ah’ve spent a lot of time workin’ in the theater lately. Ah should’ve realized somethin’ was up when Ah saw that. But Ah was too busy worryin’ about how Ah was gonna make the sword display for Trixie. Ah’ll bet the culprit used that drill for this here trap. Ah… Ah should’ve realized it! If I’d seen it Ah would’ve saved Sunset.” Fact #4: Missing Drill: “According to Apple Bloom, a drill was missing the morning of the show. Its whereabouts are unknown.” Snorting, I rejoined, “You didn’t have time for that, unless you wanted to die in Sunset’s place.” “... Ah’d have been okay with that,” Apple Bloom muttered. Rolling my eyes at such absurdity, I glared back down at Sunset’s body and gave it one last lookover, then stood up. “We’re done here. We should move on.” “Uh, no offense, but maybe you two should get cleaned up first,” Apple Bloom said, wincing as she looked at my blood-sodden clothes. “Y’all’re gross.” I glared down at the blood on my clothes, then shook my head. “We can do that when we’re near the end. Let’s keep moving, shall we?” Apple Bloom, still uncertain, nevertheless led Trixie and me backstage, where we found the thing we’d all heard crashing to the stage: a bag of tools, with an attached chain painted black with a quick release.  I glanced up above where the bag must’ve fallen from and spotted a hanging chain. I only saw it because it was swaying back and forth in the theater’s air currents; like all sirens, I’m very good at spotting movement.  Fact #5: Bag of Tools: “A heavy sackcloth bag, filled with a selection of random tools. The bag was tied around its top with a length of chain many feet long, ending in half of a quick release clamp. The chain was spray-painted black. The tools came from toolkits in the prop shop inventory.” Fact #6: Black metal Chain: “A chain hanging from high up on stage light rafters. It was spray painted black, and ended in half of a quick release clamp. “Hmm…” Apple Bloom stared up at the hanging chain, scratching her chin. “Ah’m startin’ to wonder somethin’... but we’ll need to get the ladder from the prop shop.” “Did the tools come from there?” Trixie asked as we wandered inside. “Ah’m sure they did,” Apple Bloom replied. She poked around briefly then opened up a cabinet on the far end of the room, revealing a bunch of tool kits that had been emptied. “Yup. Came from here all right.” Then she walked over to the ladder. “Right. Adagio, can you help me move this?” “What exactly are you thinking?” I asked, my tone laced with irritation at how vague she was while we moved the ladder out to the theater stage. “You’ll see,” she said. Then she strode over to the end of the stage. “Hey, uh, Flash, can you do us a quick favor? If ya don’t mind, Ah mean.” Flash separated from his weeping girlfriend so he could step forward to hear better. “Um, I guess? What’s up?” “Can you go back up and switch off the stage lights? Ah need to check somethin’ up there. Pretty sure it’s connected.” Nodding, Flash turned back to Twilight, gave her one last reassuring hug, then headed up for the lights booth. Soon the lights switched off. “Okay, care to explain now?” I growled, glaring daggers at Apple Bloom. In response she pointed up the ladder, then scrambled up one side. Groaning in frustration, I followed her up the other side after giving Trixie a brief order to stay. Once up at the top however, I finally saw what Apple Bloom was talking about. The culprit rigged the missing drill up upside down, with its power supply hooked into the stage lights.  “Yup. Just like Ah thought. See the drill here?” Apple Bloom asked, pointing at it. “Ah’ll betcha mah whole college fund the culprit rigged this up as a timer. See, the power button’s taped down and it’s set to the lowest setting. The chain goes up onto the ceiling… looks like it goes all the way down the far wall. And there’s a rope here too.” *Updated* Fact #4: Missing Drill: “According to Apple Bloom, a drill was missing the morning of the show. It was discovered taped upside down to the beam supporting the stage lights, set to its lowest setting and with its trigger taped down. The power supply was jury-rigged into the nearest light.” Fact #7: Rope: “A rope tied to the stage light support beam. It had been chewed through by the bit of the drill, splitting it apart.” “You knew this was here?” Apple Bloom shook her head. “Ah suspected. The culprit had to lay some kinda trap, and they must’ve used that chain to pull a lever or somethin’. But they had to time it, so they needed somethin’ to use. Ah’m not sure usin’ a drill and rope is the first thing Ah’d think of, but it makes a lot of sense.” “Then they used the stage lights to start the timer,” I said, nodding as I considered the drill. “Ah think so. But let’s be sure. ‘Scuse me a sec.” Apple Bloom wriggled her way down the ladder in record time, then a few moments later the stage lights came back on. They were only on for about twenty seconds, but it was enough time to see the drill switch itself on. Satisfied, I returned to the stage floor and briefly told Trixie what we found. Trixie pressed her lips together in an uncertain frown. “But who would be smart enough to do that? Trixie knows she couldn’t.” “That much is obvious,” I snorted, ignoring the look of irritation she sent my way. “But you’re right. There aren’t many who could.”  Sunset Shimmer could’ve done it, said the voice. Maybe this was suicide. Maybe she was going to kill Trixie and took the blow at the last minute. I bit my lower lip hard enough to draw blood, furious with myself for even considering that notion. Apple Bloom walked back over to us and looked at me questioningly. “So the drill was movin’, Ah take it.” “Yes, it was,” I answered with a sigh. “I don’t suppose you would know who could’ve rigged that up.” Apple Bloom considered that a moment, then said, “Well, Ah know Ah could’ve. Ah didn’t, but Ah could’ve. Twilight too. Maybe Sunset herself.” “No!” I shot back instantly. “It wasn’t Sunset. She wouldn’t do this.” Trixie blinked owlishly, cocking her head to the side. “Of course it wasn’t. Why would Sunset kill herself?” “Exactly. So it must’ve been someone else.” Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes, staring at me for a moment with an unreadable expression, then shrugged. “Well, Ah don’t think we’re gonna find out by just lookin’ around here.” “Agreed,” I said. I pointed backstage. “Let’s check under the stage. Then we can track down where that spear came from.” Apple Bloom led us backstage, and pointed out the chain crawling along the wall. Now that I knew to look for it, it was obvious. How the hell was the culprit expecting to hide this? Or were they? Maybe they wanted us to find it. She then led us over to the hatchway leading down under the stage.  Once down there it didn’t take us long to follow the chain right over to the obvious trap. It was a mechanism created from a base platform of wood, spring loaded on a lever, with wooden guides all around the spear shaft to ensure it went right up the way it was supposed to. The lever was pulled back, with the chain hanging tightly on its end, obviously responsible for its current state. It was creative on the culprit’s part. Original. Innovative, even. If it hadn’t stolen Sunset away from me, I would’ve approved their ingenuity.  Fact #8: Spring Loaded Trap: “A trap fashioned from a spring, lever, and wooden guides under the stage. The spring was discovered unwound, the lever pulled towards the backstage wall by the black metal chain.” Oh please. No one stole Sunset. All you lost was-- My hand balled up into a fist and planted itself into the closest available wall, smashing it apart and splattering the area with splinters and wood dust. My knuckles burned like fire, ripped open by the punch, bleeding freely. I allowed the pain to fill my senses, drowning out that incessant voice in my head. “I am Adagio Dazzle,” I whispered. “I am a siren. I am not going to torment myself with thoughts of doubt, or uncertainty, fear, or loss.” “Woah!” Trixie cried out, leaping away from me, in the process banging her head against the low stage ceiling. “Ooww… What’d you do that for, Adagio?” “You okay there?” Apple Bloom added, wincing as she stared at my bleeding knuckles. “I’m fine,” I said, brushing her off with a dismissive wave. “This understage is stifling. Let’s get out of here.” As soon as we reached the main stage again, we found Fluttershy waiting for us. The irritating little weakling had a bunch of little pieces of cut up rope in her hand. “Um, excuse me, Adagio,” she mumbled, hiding her face behind her hair like a coward. “But, um, I found these around Sunset’s body.” *Updated* Fact #7: Rope: “A rope tied to the stage light support beam. It had been chewed through by the bit of the drill, splitting it apart. Many pieces fell to the stage below and were discovered near the body.” Resisting the urge to swipe them out of her hand, I took them gently, muttered a brief “thank you” and then stuffed them in my pocket. Then without another word I turned and left, with Trixie and Apple Bloom in tow. Only once we were out of the theater did I bother to stop and examine them. “These match the other rope, right?” I said, shoving them into Apple Bloom’s hands. Apple Bloom sighed and examined them, then pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket, wrapped them up in it, and stuffed it back in her jeans. “Uh, yeah, Ah’d say they do. Guess that confirms what we knew.” She eyed me, doubt etched across her face as if it had been cast in stone. “You sure you’re okay?” Snarling, I whirled and grabbed the front of her shirt. “Stop. Asking!” Apple Bloom arched her eyebrows, sniffed, then to my shock pulled her shirt out of my grip, showing not a single sign of fear. “Ah think you need to calm down, Adagio. Ah’m askin’ because Ah care. Ah ain’t tryin’ to pry into your affairs. You ain’t gotta spill your heart to me. But Ah can tell losin’ Sunset’s hurtin’ you somethin’ fierce. And Ah ain’t gonna lie, Ah’m feeling pretty bad about it too. So Ah get it, if that’s what’s wrong.” A trickle of cold ran down my spine, as if someone had dropped an ice cube down my shirt. “What?” I gasped, taking a step back. “What makes you think I give a single shit about Sunset Shimmer?” Trixie butted in with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “The same thing that convinced Trixie. We all saw you screaming Sunset’s name. You tried to save her life. You held onto her as she died. To Trixie, that made it obvious you cared for her.” “Ah wouldn’t’ve put it that bluntly, but yeah, that,” Apple Bloom added with a nod. “Look, it ain’t none of mah business what you were to each other. Like Ah said, Ah ain’t tryin’ to pry. Ah’m just tryin’ to help, ‘cause we ain’t gonna solve this if we’re too busy rippin’ each other apart like a couple of timberwolves fightin’ over a bone.” You see? Everyone saw how weak you were. Everyone knows. You’ll be next. You’ll be the next target. Didn’t you warn Sunset? You told her she was number one on everyone’s hit lists. And what do you do? You put yourself forward as the next target. You solve this crime, and everyone will hunt you down.  “Then what do I do?” I whispered. Oh, you should still solve the crime, Adagio. Just be prepared. Trust no one. Find someone to use, someone you can throw out as a shield. Then if someone does attack you, you can leave them to die instead. “Who is she talking to?” “Ah think she’s talkin’ to herself.” “But who?” I whispered again. You could use either of these two to do it. Especially Apple Bloom. She’s practically begging to be a martyr. Let her get closer to you. Let her think you’re opening up to her. You can use her that way. Maybe Trixie too. Just be careful. You don’t need to risk actually caring about them. “Wow. Trixie thinks she must be really upset if she’s going crazy like that.” “Trixie, Ah like you, but can ya lay off the judgement a little? Please?” My decision made, I refocused my gaze on Apple Bloom, deliberately schooling my face into one of flustered outrage. “You know what? Fine. No. I’m not okay. I’m furious. I’m ready to rend the one who killed Sunset limb from fucking limb!” I allowed a few tears to drip down my face, and held my hands up as if I was hiding. It wasn’t hard to fake. “Sunset mattered so much to me…” And just like I expected, Apple Bloom closed in and offered out a hand to take. I deliberately hesitated a moment or two before accepting it. “Ah can see that,” she said, giving me a smile she must’ve thought was reassuring, but struck me more as nauseating. “Ah’m sorry she’s gone. Ah’m… Ah’m especially sorry Ah didn’t see the trap before.” Her smile dropped as she released my hand, glaring angrily at the floor. “Ah should’ve. Ah should’ve seen somethin’. The culprit painted those chains but they didn’t paint the drill. Ah could’ve spotted it. Then Ah could’ve saved her.” “Like Adagio said,” Trixie spoke up, “you would’ve died in her place. If anyone should be blaming themselves, it’s Trixie.” She sighed, her whole body hunching over. “Trixie made the guides. Trixie told everyone where she’d be…” Okay. You’ve got them now. Reel it in. Slowly. I sniffled, wiped at my nose, and then approached them both, setting my hands on their shoulders. “It’s not your fault,” I said, allowing my voice to tremble. “Neither one of you did this. Don’t be stupid.” Then I took my hands away and turned away from them, and spoke in a harsher tone, “Look, let’s just get moving, okay?” I smiled on the inside as I saw both Trixie and Apple Bloom give me a grateful look. “Sure. Let’s go,” Trixie said. Our next destination was the game corner. The spear came from there, I was sure of it. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were inside, but I ignored them, pushing past them to reach the prize counter. A quick scan of the area and I’d located a pair of spears identical to the one used to slay Sunset, with an obvious space for a third empty and bare. *Updated* Fact #2: Qilin Spear: “A polearm with a thin serrated tip and twin-spiked crossguard, obtained from the game corner prize counter. The spear impaled Sunset Shimmer from underneath, popping up out of the stage.” “Well, Ah guess we can be sure it came from here,” Apple Bloom commented as she sighed at the sight of the empty cabinet. “Ah’ll check the register. See what pops up.” Trixie and I watched as Apple Bloom went to work, swiftly producing a print out that I snatched up before the other two could look at it. I read through it carefully, more than a little confused… until I reached the last entry, at which point my blood boiled. I shoved the paper into Apple Bloom’s chest hard enough to knock her over as I screeched, “What the fuck is this?!” Fact #9: Prize Counter Receipts: “Tickets scanned:  Sun1621DT x 10: DS1a Purchased Sun1623DT x 10: DS1b Purchased Sun1625DT x 10: DS1c Purchased Sun2240AB x 10: QS1a Purchased” Apple Bloom glared at me, her left hand balling up into a fist at her side for a moment before she released it, then looked at the paper. And then her eyes bugged out of their sockets. “What in tarnation?!” “Please give it to Trixie?” Trixie said, holding out her hand. Apple Bloom handed over the receipt, a dumbfounded expression taking hold of her face. As Trixie scanned the paper, her eyebrows rose and rose until they disappeared under the brim of her hat. “AB? Apple Bloom? You bought the spear?” “No, no, Ah didn’t, Ah swear!” Apple Bloom cried, shaking her hands like crazy as she backed up away from me. “Ah had nothin’ to do with it!” “But it’s your initials on the receipt!” I hissed, my hands curling up like claws as I took a step towards her, every bit of siren instinct screaming for me to slice her to ribbons. “How is that possible if you didn’t buy it?!” “Woah, woah, woah, chill out, Adagio!” interrupted Rainbow Dash, breaking her way between us and holding us both off with an arm each. “Cool it. You can figure that shit out at the trial, okay?” “Ah’m serious, Adagio,” Apple Bloom added, worry warring with sorrow on her face as she frowned. “Ah didn’t buy the spear. Honest.” You’d better relax, you know. You’re not going to be able to use Apple Bloom as a shield if you turn her against you. “Grrr… fine. I’m sorry,” I growled, drawing back and crossing my arms over my chest. “But we will figure this out. And if I discover you really were responsible for this--” “Then Ah’ll accept whatever punishment Monoponi dishes out,” Apple Bloom interrupted with a grim nod. “But Ah’m tellin’ ya, that won’t happen.” With a final snort, I snatched the receipt out of Trixie’s hands and shoved it in my pocket, then left the game corner. “Wait, where are we going now?” Trixie wondered as we stepped into the promenade hallway. “Library,” I said, pointing at it. “Might as well, while we’re here. Keep quiet while we’re inside; we don’t need to give Monoponi an excuse to kill us.” I wasn’t sure what I was looking for when I stepped inside, but luckily it found me. Rarity, who’d been poking around the shelves on the third floor with Sweetie Belle, came over to me at once the instant she spotted us. “Ah, Adagio, would you care to come with me? There’s something I think you should see.” “All right,” I said, shrugging.  I allowed her to lead us down to the second floor counter. Once there she picked up the logbook. “I… I thought maybe you’d want to take a look at this. It might be useful.” Then for some reason she walked away, fast, clutching her fists at her sides, her eyes full of tears. “What’s her problem?” Apple Bloom muttered. Shrugging once more, I looked over the logbook. I’d signed it myself, of course, when I checked a particular book out. I briefly considered crossing out the entry, but Trixie and Apple Bloom were watching. I’d have to accept whatever teasing they’d dole out. And then I spotted the last two entries and rage bubbled up within me like a frothing mug of espresso. “Apple Bloom,” I hissed in the loudest whisper I could manage. “I hope, for your sake, you can ‘explain’ this too.” Fact #10: Library Logbook:  “19th Century Prench Chemists: Twilight Sparkle X/X Chemical Formulas 301: Twilight Sparkle X/O Expert Calculus and Derivatives: Twilight Sparkle X/O Shadow Spade: To Catch A Butterfly: Rarity Belle X/O Sakaguchi Chise: Crusader Queen #1: Sweetie Belle X/X Sakaguchi Chise: Crusader Queen #2: Sweetie Belle X/X Strategies for Anger Management: Adagio Dazzle X/O The Lesbian Kama Sutra: Adagio Dazzle X/O The Art of Magic: Trixie Lulamoon X/O Daring Do and the Cornerstone of Light: Rainbow Dash X/O Love Doth Ran Smooth: Fluttershy X/O Sakaguchi Chise: Crusader Queen #3: Sweetie Belle X/O The Burning of the Stars: Apple Bloom X/O Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering: Apple Bloom X/O Springs and Pulleys: Apple Bloom X/O” Apple Bloom took one look at the logbook and her face screwed up in pure confusion. “What… who… Ah didn’t check those books out!” “Sssh!” Trixie said, her eyes widening in panic as she slapped a finger to Apple Bloom’s lips. And for good reason, because Apple Bloom had come dangerously close to shouting. “Be quiet.” Apple Bloom nodded a few times, then said in a whisper, “Sorry. But Ah’m tellin’ the truth. This weren’t me. Ah mean, Ah was here last night, but Ah only checked out one book.” She frowned down at the logbook. “Though Ah’ve gotta say, whoever faked mah signature did it perfectly. If Ah didn’t know Ah hadn’t signed off on this, even Ah would’ve thought Ah had.” I took the logbook back and shoved it into my bag, silently thanking my good luck neither of them noticed my own signature. “That’s two clues that point to you, though,” I said. “Not looking good for you.” “No. Almost like someone’s tryin’ ta frame me,” Apple Bloom said, grimacing. “Maybe someone is,” Trixie proposed, holding up a finger. “But who?” I shook my head. “Forget it. We’ve still got things to figure out before we’re done.” Leaving the library, we almost ran face first into Flash and Twilight, who’d been about to step inside. “Oh, um, sorry,” Twilight mumbled as she stepped aside, allowing us to move past. “I didn’t… didn’t mean to--” “S’okay,” Apple Bloom said, smiling at Twilight. “Hey, uh, listen, Ah got a question for ya while we’re here. Since you’re smart and all.” “What about?” Apple Bloom pulled out her Monopad and held it up. “There was some big glitch with these things last night, right? Ah heard everyone talkin’ about it this mornin’. Ah’ve been wonderin’ if it’s related. Eying Apple Bloom suspiciously, I inquired, “What’re you getting at?” “Oh!” Twilight said, blinking behind her glasses. She pulled out her own and nodded at it. “Right. Adagio, you might not’ve been aware of this, but the Monopad map glitched out entirely last night. Sunset…” her voice dropped, becoming low and heavy, full of regret as she sniffled, then shook her head to fight past it. “Sunset and I were watching the Monopad maps, keeping track of people’s movements. The map was off for two and a half hours. I’m sure it’s important.” Fact #11: Monopad Map Glitch: “At approximately 10:30 PM the Monopad map experienced a glitch, erasing all icons. This glitch lasted for two and a half hours, ending at 1:00 AM.” “Hmph. Good point,” I admitted grudgingly. Then I held out my hand and waved it in a circle. “So, go ahead, tell us where everyone was, since you were watching.” Fact #12: Movements Tracked: “At 10:30 PM, just before the map glitched, the following people were outside of their cabins: Twilight Sparkle, Apple Bloom -- Library Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo -- Bridge Deck Adagio Dazzle -- Theater Diamond Tiara -- Game Corner At 1:00 AM, all fourteen passengers were in their cabins.” “Oh yeah,” Apple Bloom said, snapping her fingers in realization. “Ah forgot you were in the library last night.” “Um, Adagio,” Trixie interjected, eyebrows raised. “This says you were in the theater last night. Why?” “Ghg!” I hissed, taking a step back. “That… that’s not important. That’s the last thing that matters right now.” Apple Bloom’s lips thinned, her expression flat-lining. “Uh huh. So when Ah’m implicated, it’s suspicious, but when you’re implicated, it’s not? That’s kinda funny.” The urge to take her guts for garters rose up like a sudden burst of wind, but I repressed it. Barely. “I will explain at the trial,” I said after a moment. “But it has no real relevance.” “If you say so,” Apple Bloom replied. “Anyways, thanks for the info, Twilight. Ah can’t speak for these two, but Ah’m gonna get cleaned up now. Ah can’t stand this blood bein’ on me anymore.” “A shower does sound good right now,” Trixie murmured in agreement. Groaning, I threw my hands up to let them clap at my sides. “Alright. But we’re making this quick.” We swiftly made our way to the cabins. Apple Bloom and Trixie peeled off on their own, but before I went to mine, I happened to glance at Sunset’s door. It was open, unlocked. Just a crack, but still. The sight worried me. “Damn it, Sunset, I told you to keep this locked,” I whispered. I reached out to shut it. Wait. You should check it. Check what’s inside. Maybe there’s a clue. My mind had a good point. With a sigh I pushed open the door and examined the place. Like she’d always left it, it was fairly pristine, albeit with a couple bits of trash on the floor, like an empty soda can. Sunset was sloppy sometimes when she ate. Was. Swallowing back the lump in my throat, I continued to scan the room, looking for anything out of place, anything that stood out. At first I didn’t see anything, until I realized there was an odd lump under the bedsheets. Peeling them back, I found something I didn’t expect. It was a book, an old one. Not written in any human language, but in High Ponish. I could read it fluently, of course, since I was probably one of the only ones alive apart from those stupid alicorn Princesses that could actually speak it. But as I skimmed it, I grew more and more confused. What did this have to do with anything?  Fact #13: Equestrian Tome: “A decrepit, ancient Equestrian tome written in High Ponish that speaks about an artifact known as the Memory Stone that can affect memories. A brief skim of its details reveals the artifact leaves a strong, permanent imprint of its power on the minds of those it affects.” “Where did you get this, Sunset?” I wondered aloud, before placing it in my bag. Something about it struck me as important, even if I didn’t understand how. Why else would it be here? It was almost as if it had been planted. But why? My curiosity now raised, I moved on to search the room much more carefully, pulling out the drawers, tossing open the closet and searching the clothes. And good thing too, because at the back corner of the closet I found something else that left me flustered. A picture that, when combined with the book, made the gears in my head begin to turn. Fact #14: Wallflower Picture: “A picture depicting Wallflower Blush using the Memory Stone on Sunset Shimmer, in front of Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack.” I didn’t like what my mind concluded from this. I hated it, in fact. Loathed it to the core. It made no sense. But… was it possible? I placed the picture carefully into my bag, and went for one final check around the room. I discovered nothing on the desk or elsewhere, but when I stepped into the bathroom, I spotted another picture on the sink, standing out like a sore thumb. Even a brief glance at it brought a chill to my heart. Fact #15: Demon Picture: “A picture of a demonic Sunset Shimmer, with a crowd of hypnotized students behind her, and a group of six ponied up students facing against her: Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Applejack.’”  A demon. I heard Sunset whisper something about that to herself once. I don’t think she realized I’d heard her. It was when we were in bed, after a session of passionate lovemaking. She was half-asleep, snuggled up to me, utterly spent and mumbling about inanities. At first it was cute, silly things, things she liked to whisper to me, things that I enjoyed more than I cared to admit to her. But then it shifted in tone. Became dark. Became whispers of apologies and regrets. And then over and over, she shook her head, and said, “I’m not that demon anymore,” repeating herself so many times it took me shaking her back to consciousness to get her to stop. I had no idea what she meant, but I was too tired at the time to ask, so I didn’t bother. Now I wish I had. Maybe she could’ve explained what this meant. What this was about. Both of these pictures made no sense. What could they possibly mean? Well, there was one possibility. An awful, horrible possibility. But I didn’t want to consider it. Not unless I had to. I wouldn’t bring these pictures up at the trial unless I had no other choice. Though I was still burning with questions about it. Enough to wonder… and ask. I walked over to the door to the cabin and shut it, sealing the room, then looked straight at the security camera. “Monoponi!” I shouted. “Show yourself!” Instantly, the alicorn flashed into existence before me, posing on the bed. “You raaaaang, Adagio? What can your Captain do for you, hmm? Got a question to ask me?” “Several,” I said. I held up the two pictures in hand, and the tome. “What the hell is this?” Monoponi held a hoof to his chin and cocked his head. “Hmm… hmmmmm… looks like pictures and a book to me!” “You know what I mean,” I growled, losing patience rapidly. “Why are these here? What do they mean?” His eyes narrowed as he dropped his hoof to the ground, then spread his lips in a toothy grin. “Upupu, you don’t expect me to answer you, do you? If you’re wondering whether they matter for the trial… I’ll say yes. But how? That’s up to you to solve. You’re the one who wanted to take over, after all.” Biting back my initial urge to kick him in his stupid face, I said, “I suppose I did. Thanks for nothing.” As I turned away, Monoponi called over my shoulder, “Wait a moment now, Adagio. Isn’t there anything else you’d like to ask me before you leave? Hmmmm? Maybe about a certain puzzle?” Facing him again, my face twisted up in confusion, I whispered, “Puzzle?” Then I slapped a hand to my face. “Oh, right, the motive.” “Ahem,” Monoponi said, clearing his throat. “I’ll take that as a sign you want to solve it. So, here it is for you: what is Sunset Shimmer’s true nature?” The question made my heart skip a beat, then another, then three more for good measure. Gripping both fists by my side, I had to take several deep breaths for calm before I could respond. “She’s a pony, from Equestria.”  “Thaaaat’s right!” Monoponi said, summoning up a brief burst of fireworks. “But too bad for you, there’s no prize to be had! Someone already took it!” My heart switched from skipping beats to drumming up a storm, pounding away at hundreds of miles per hour. “Who?” “Oh no. I’m not going to say that. And I’m not telling you what the prize is either, so don’t waste your time asking!” Monoponi rose up from the bed and summoned up light on his horn. “Take what I gave you and leave it. You’d better wash up while you still have a chance, Adagio. You reek!” Then he vanished in a flash of light. “Aaargh!” I screamed, punching my fist into the nearby dresser hard enough to break a hole in one of the drawers, causing my already damaged hand to bleed anew. I knew what this meant, of course. What it meant for Sunset’s secret. This was why she died. Someone learned her secret, answered the question, and killed her for it. Letting out growl after growl of rage, I left Sunset’s room in a hurry and entered my own cabins. Tossing off my ruined clothes into the trash, I hopped into the shower and washed as quickly as I could with scalding hot water, desperate to clean myself. Afterwards I threw on a few bandages on my busted knuckles for good measure, then put on a fresh pair of clothes. And right as I stepped outside my cabin again… DING-DONG-BING-BONG Like before I didn’t waste time listening to Monoponi’s voice. I simply made my way to the food court, where I knew he’d summoned us to. Everyone else filed in soon after, whispering to each other, making stupid comments or saying other things I didn’t care about. I did, however, sidle up to Apple Bloom and Trixie, who stood together near one side of the room. “I found some things in Sunset’s room,” I told them. “I’ll show you at the trial.” “You did, huh? It was open?” Apple Bloom said, raising up a hand. “It was,” I nodded, gritting my teeth. “Monoponi planted clues there deliberately.” “Sounds like something he would do,” Trixie said. She let out a sorrowful sigh, took off her hat, and clutched it to her chest. “Trixie wishes Sunset was here.” “We all do, Trixie,” Apple Bloom said, giving the taller woman a hug, which Trixie gratefully accepted. Monoponi appeared in another burst of light, drawing everyone’s attention, but I tuned him out. I didn’t need to waste time listening to him spout off more bullshit. Especially when he managed to goad a few people into arguing back with him. Though watching Pinkie Pie scream in rage amused me. I had no idea she could be so vitriolic. Finally he finished his stupid speeches and unlocked the gates, disappearing as they squealed open. Only then did I step forward to grab everyone’s attention and speak.  “Listen up!” I said, demanding their attention with the full force of my siren charisma. “I’m only going to say this once to you idiots: I’m here to catch Sunset’s killer. You’re all going to help me. And whoever was responsible is going to die. It’s that simple. You’re a fool if you think you’re going to get away with this. Oh, and don’t worry. If we somehow vote wrong?” I reached into my pocket and pulled out my knife, catching the light with it to shine at them. “This’ll be in your throat before you can blink.” Leaving the rest stunned in my wake, I sauntered into the elevator, and took up my usual position in the far corner. And as the rest filed in, I considered the case ahead. Sunset Shimmer. A woman after my own heart. Taken from us long before her time. Killed by a trap laid at Trixie’s magic show, right in front of us. No obvious suspect. No clear culprit. But someone was responsible nonetheless. Sunset mattered to me. I didn’t want to admit it, but she did. I cared for her. As much as any siren can care for their lover, anyway. After all, if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have… well, nevermind that. This trial would be vengeance. Vengeance for Sunset. Vengeance for me. I aimed to take down the one who did this, with my own hands if I had to. Maybe, if I was lucky enough, Monoponi would let me execute them. I could only hope. Sunset, this is for you. I will find that culprit, if it’s the last thing I do!