I woke up actually excited for the day. Ignoring the stock message from the Monokubs playing, I threw on my clothes and headed for the Dining Hall. Most of us were already there eating a lighter breakfast than normal, their conversation sunny and pleasant. Even Sugarcoat seemed less irritable than usual.

And just like that, Monokuma suddenly appeared from a hatch beneath the main table, overturning a couple of plates and glasses. "Why hellooooo, my dear campers! What a beee-yutiful morning we're having today, hmm?" he beamed.

"Oh goddamnit!" Memento leapt from her chair in surprise, then scowled as she sat back down.

"Do you have to just pop up like that, man?!" Ocean coughed as he choked on a piece of bacon. "Can't you just come in through the front door like a normal person?!"

"...Person? I'm no person, I'm a bear!" Monokuma shouted angrily before quickly smooshing his cheeks together in a cutesy manner. "But I also identify as an attack helicopter, a plate of spaghetti bolognese, and a black and white evil hedgehog with psychic powers. Original character, noooo copying!"

"Ooh! Ooh! I'm a mermaid-kin!" Sonata nodded gleefully before holding up yet another baking potato. "And Mr. Potat here is a purple fox with three tails!" For a moment there, she and Monokuma were actually locked deep into a similar wavelength, their fists to their chins as they both wiggled excitedly and squeed.

"Well, did that conversation derail fast, or what...?" Juniper glared, unimpressed.

"Derail? More like exploded on impact..." added Mountain. Sugarcoat let out a loud groan and clanged her fork on a glass to get Monokuma's attention.

"Boy, you sure don't beat around the ol' bush, do ya?" Monosuke suddenly quipped. I whipped my head around and found all four Monokubs were scooching down the breakfast buffet line in an orderly fashion. Monosuke had a stack of pancakes almost as tall as himself on a plate, covered in honey and berries.

"Ready for me to get to the point, huh?" Monokuma grinned. "...But before that, you mind if I vent a little?"

"I'm low on energy these days... my stitching's even losing all its shine and luster," he continued without missing a beat, totally ignoring Sugarcoat as he plopped down an appropriately-sized couch from nowhere in particular and laid down on it. "I'm thinking... it's probably because of this ho-hum, boring everyday life."

Sugarcoat blinked rapidly, stunned that a notepad and pen had suddenly been dropped into her plate of food while she wasn't looking. Her face scrunched up into a deep scowl as she wordlessly growled, her left eye twitching periodically.

"I'm looking for something with a little more stimulation... something rife with danger and intrigue!" Monokuma grinned wickedly, his red eye aglow. "Listen, can I just be frank?"

"Huh? But Daddy, your name's not Frank..." Monophanie pursed her lips together, carefully lifting her bowl of fruit. She barely got it two inches into the air before Monokuma suddenly blitzed over to the line of Monokubs and punched her right in the gut, knocking all four of them down like dominoes.

"Father hasn't had his morning coffee yet!" Monotaro cried from underneath his overturned bowl of oatmeal. "He's a grumpy Gus."

"...But Papa Kuma's name ain't Gus, either..." Monokid's muffled voice bubbled through the omelette he was currently face-down in. Monokuma stifled a growl of his own as he hopped back onto his couch.

"AS I was saying... the next blackened hasn't shown up yet, and I'm boooooooored!" he whined, flailing his limbs until suddenly ceasing. "...So, I've decided to come up with a new way to motivate you!"

"We're not falling for that again," Sunset glared at Monokuma. "Say whatever you want, we're not gonna listen, and we're not gonna kill each other!"

"Hmm... that's very big talk. Do your very best to back it up, okay?" the bear simply sneered back at her. "Now then, with your permission, let me begin!"

"So, this time, it's... embarrassing moments and secrets!" he giggled through his teeth as he trembled with laughter.

"Ooh! An oldie but goodie!" Monosuke remarked behind his stack of pancakes, now reduced to half its original size. He was covered in honey from the prior assault, however, so a couple of those pancakes were stuck to his body rather than eaten.

"As long as you're alive, it's a given that there's things you don't want other people to know about you... so I did a little investigating of my own, and I dug up some of your darkest secrets!" Monokuma smirked.

"Oh..." Sugarcoat's lips thinned. Everyone's faces slid into silent terror, staring at their food or the ground... I was no different. My mind raced back to my past, of all the horrible things I once did... the knowledge that it could get out among my companions here made me nauseous, nearly made me faint. It was not just embarrassing, but downright shameful. It was so mortifying to me, I hadn't even given Sunset the whole story after all the years we've known each other.

"And those embarrassing memories and secrets are all contained in your Monopads," Monokuma darkly chuckled. Sure enough, I heard a couple of soft pings around the table, as well as in my own backpack. "Of course, if you all got your own secret, then all you'd have to do is keep your trap shut, right? So I've mixed them all up and you've all gotten somebody else's secret! ...And who knows how eager they'll be to blab to their buddies all about it."

"...Whyyyyy do you all sound like you've all done something super illegal?" Memento glanced around the room, raising an eyebrow.

"I-I haven't done anything illegal! It's just... well..." Flash looked away, his face bright red.

"I HAVE LIVED AN HONEST LIFE... I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT MINE MIGHT SAY," said Kotenage, although the sweat dripping down the sides of his head suggested differently.

"Puhuhuhu... but I do! Don't you guys wanna know what it says, too?" Monokuma laughed. I opened my mouth to argue, but my lips were trembling so hard that nothing came out. It was Sunset who managed to blink away her anxiety and stand up to him.

"No... all we have to do is not look at them," she asserted. "O-Or we all look, and then we have a nice, rational, civil discussion about it together, where we can each explain ourselves and agree not to judge each other. It's still not going to work, Monokuma."

"...'Kay." Monokuma shrugged. The sheer nonchalance of his reply stopped Sunset in her tracks.

"S-Shouldn't you be taunting us, or making us mad, or something?" Juniper frowned.

"'Kay." Monokuma smirked slightly; it was the kind of tone of voice that could have meant the best of intentions, but the delivery fell so flat it felt deeply insulting.

"Can you say anything other than 'kay?" Sonata grinned. Monokuma began to reply but froze as he opened his mouth. His red eye glowed.

"...Very funny," he finally replied. "Ugh... I need my morning quadruple-shot miracle berry espresso with heavy cream and brewed with mamaki tea..."

"...Yea, have fun with your little party, you magic morons!" Monokuma shouted, leaving the same way he came in. The Monokubs, who had been sitting quietly at another table, hastily downed the last of their food and ran out of the dining hall.

*So long, bear well!*

And so we sat in silence for a while, the motive fresh in our minds. We all had been given someone else's darkest secret... who's did I have? Who had mine...?

"I mean... Sunset's right," said Soarin'. "Either we look and talk about it, or we don't."

"Like that'll last long," Sugarcoat rolled her eyes. "I bet the lot of you will have looked by the time breakfast's over."

"I'm not... I can't," Ocean shrugged. "I don't even have my Monopad on me, it's in my cottage."

"Me either," Indigo nodded. In fact, other than myself, Sunset, Flash, Sugarcoat and Juniper, nobody had their Monopads with them. Inwardly I felt a little better... there was less of a chance my secrets would be read by somebody right this moment.

"Well, it's not like there's a rule we have to," said Memento. "And up until just now, they were kind of useless."

"I don't really wanna go get mine right now... I'm not sure where I threw it," Sonata chuckled, rubbing the back of her head.

"Alright..." Sunset paused for a moment to think. "Everyone, ignore your Monopads. Let's just have our party first, then how about we grab them afterwards and talk about this during dinner?"

"Uh-uh, no," Sugarcoat cut in. "This is way more important than some stupid party. We need to get our Monopads and discuss this now."

"Yea, I mean... I don't wanna be put on the spot like this," Ocean grumbled. "I wanna think about it first."

"What's there to think about? One of us reads your secret out loud, you explain yourself, we come to an understanding... crisis averted," Sugarcoat gestured with her hands.

"Sure, but don't you see how uncomfortable everyone is?" Sunset glared. "We all have to tell each other about the things we're most ashamed of... even if it means no one will want to murder each other, it doesn't mean it's any easier to do."

"Speaking for yourself, I see," Sugarcoat raised her nose haughtily. Sunset answered her only with a glare.

"Nah, she's right... I don't really care, but I know others don't feel the same," quipped Sonata.

"Definitely... I think we should go ahead with that party, enjoy ourselves and calm down a bit first," nodded Memento.

"It's a 'trust-building exercise', after all," reminded Sunset. "But we definitely need to talk about this today. We'll mellow out first, then have some good food at dinner while talking it over."

"We'll all be relaxed and more able to think clearly," I agreed, chuckling nervously. "...I have a feeling we're going to need to be as relaxed as possible for this."

"SOUNDS GOOD TO ME... I CAN FOCUS ON FINISHING MY WAGASHI," Kotenage nodded, having finished his meal and already halfway to the Kitchen.

"I suppose you have a point," Sugarcoat looked away pensively before setting her gaze on me. "How surprisingly astute of you."

"Okay, so... see you guys there then, yea?" Juniper waved as she took her dishes into the kitchen. "I need go to pick out what to wear." There was a general consensus of agreement, and soon everyone had gone their separate ways.

"So, uh, there's a good bit of time before we're all meeting up... what do you want to do?"

Sunset frowned in thought for a few moments. "Well... ah, maybe Kotenage could use some help in the kitchen?"

"Okay," I nodded as we headed for the door. Inside the kitchen, the Ultimate Rikishi was busy mashing his beans and sugar concoction through a sieve, turning them into a light tan paste. "Hey, uh, need any help with your cooking, Kotenage?"

"HMM..." he hummed as he stirred. "...IF YOU COULD FIND ME SOME CLEAR GELATIN AND THE FOOD COLORING, THAT WOULD BE GREAT."

~~~

Sunset and I acted as Kotenage's sous chefs, gathering ingredients and preparing garnishes while he focused on his bean paste... just what in Equestria is wagashi, anyway?

~~~

"Hey, Sunset, can I ask you something?" After taking a mound of Monocoins from Kotenage and pooling them with our own, Sunset and I had gone to the gift shop to try and get as many drinks as possible from the MonoMono Machine.

"I can't help but wonder... do you ever get nervous for no reason at all, as a human?" I bit my inner cheek at Sunset's confused expression - that wasn't really what I'd meant to say. "Er, how do I put this? Like... humans don't really strike me as being so... cautious, like ponies usually are."

"I mean more... do your instincts just fire off all the time? Or since you've been a human for so long-"

"Ah, I see what you mean," Sunset snapped her fingers. "Pony instincts as opposed to human instincts."

"Yea, that!" I nodded. "I mean... the others here don't seem all that worried about our situation, but... oh, I'm surprised I can even sleep at night. Do you feel the same?"

Sunset shivered. "...Yea, I'm pretty worried. I may have been a human for half of my life, learned how to deal with things the way they do, but the pony side of me is terrified. Always has been... even when I first came to this universe and was intent on taking it over, I never really... liked conflict. I preferred the more subtle approach... turning friends against each other and whatnot."

"Now that I'm on the other end of an evil plot, being forced into this killing game? I feel even worse about what I did in the past. Now I know how scared they all felt, and... ugh," she briskly shook her head.

"Yea..." I paused to swallow. "I... I'm really scared, Sunset. Usually we've got our friends and our magic, but this? Here? Our friends have no idea where we are, your magic is gone and mine's so weak, I-"

"Hey, we're gonna be okay," Sunset grabbed my shoulders, alerting me to the fact that I had been shaking. "And you're doing great."

"Well, the way you took charge of that trial? You were so brave, given everything that's happened so far. You kept everyone in line and on topic, and thanks to you we figured out the truth," she smiled. "Thinking back, I've always felt like I had to step up and be the hero, but your leadership skills really do surpass my own."

"Oh..." I looked away, suddenly ashamed as memories came flooding back. Memories of what had most likely earned me that Ultimate title.

"...And that's a good thing," Sunset affirmed as she gently turned my head to face her. "I know the hangups you have about your stint as a villain. There's nothing wrong with using what you learned during that time for good. And if you need any help with anything, I'll be right here beside you... you're my friend, after all."

Her words brought a little warmth back to my heart. I sighed and nodded my appreciation. "Thanks... I'm glad you're here with me, Sunset."

"Me too... And hey," Sunset chuckled, "maybe if this killing game happened somewhere else, I'd be the one leading us in the trials."

At around 12:30pm, Kotenage asked us to get some folding tables from the Storage Shed and set them up beside the largest hot spring. We did as he asked, and when we returned he was finally finished with his two wagashi snacks. They actually looked quite delicate and delicious, considering the sugary bean paste I'd seen him make. One was a perfectly-formed maple leaf made out of the paste, convincingly dyed red, orange and yellow to the point it could've been picked right out of a tree in autumn. It laid diagonally on a log made of the same paste but dyed a rich brown, adorned with a single large, red sprinkle dotted with white and partially sunken into the log so it resembled a tiny mushroom. The whole dish was no larger than a cupcake, served on a small, white square plate with a matching tiny spoon. The other was a small block of clear gelatin tinted an ethereal shade of light blue on the top two-thirds, with the bottom third being an opaque golden sand color. It looked almost exactly as if I had levitated a perfect chunk of a forest riverbed into the air.

"Wow... I had no idea what you were going to do with the beans and sugar, but that's really impressive!" I breathed.

"AH, ARIGATO... BUT THEY ARE MEANT TO BE EATEN!" Kotenage beamed before carefully lifting the trays of snacks. "I'LL HANDLE THESE, THEY ARE MY BABIES, AFTER ALL... WILL YOU HAVE ANY TROUBLE WITH THE REST OF THE REFRESHMENTS?"

"No, we've got it," I waved. All of the drinks and other snacks we'd gathered were packed into a pair of rolling coolers and large cloth bags.

"THEN I SHALL SEE YOU THERE!" he replied, and he cautiously set off. Sunset grunted as she tugged on the coolers' handles, and I quickly found that the bags of other snacks were packed a little too heavy.

Opening my hands, I focused on the bags at my sides, willing them to lift themselves into the air... it took a good bit of exertion, but I managed to get the lighter of the two to levitate about a foot off the ground.

"I wish I still had my magic," Sunset groaned as she set off for the hot springs, myself close behind. I carried the heavier of the two bags in my arms, grunting softly as I kept my concentration up on the other bag.

"I'll tell you... it definitely makes me... feel like a little foal again... struggling with just... this..." I strained.

In the end, I had to drop the other bag on the path to the hot springs just to be able to carry the heavier bag all the way there. In the time it took me to go back for it and bring it there, Kotenage and Sunset had finished setting up most of the refreshments. His wagashi were the stars in the center of the two tables, with the other snacks surrounding them. The coolers had been set up beside the tables, the drinks chilling in the ice. Besides whatever we had managed to win from the MonoMono Machine, there were a few different types of soda, some bottled water and just a couple cans of beer... Kotenage had mentioned that the beer he found in the kitchen was of very poor quality, really only suitable for cooking.

"IF ONLY WE HAD SOME SAKE..." he lamented. "...A KUBOTA JUNMAI DAIGINJO, A KIZAKURA NIGORIZAKE... HELL, EVEN A MORIMOTO ONE CUP WOULD DO."

"...What about one cup?" I turned to see Ocean and Indigo walking down the path, both dressed in their bathrobes and carrying a bundle of towels in their arms.

"Ohhh no, you ain't gettin' me to watch that again! You can't fool me twice," Ocean shook his head. Not knowing what they were talking about, I glanced over to Sunset; as soon as she saw me, she frantically shook her head as well.

"...You're better off not knowing," she mouthed as we ran back to our cottages to change, grab some towels and our bathrobes. By the time we'd returned, everyone else had arrived for the party. Most had changed back in their cottages and had arrived wearing their bathrobes, or had their towels tightly wrapped around themselves to stave off the cold. But a couple of them had arrived carrying bundles of towels and their swimsuits, and they ducked inside the shower and locker room building to change. Kotenage must've been one of them, as he was currently nowhere to be seen.

"Hope nobody wanted me to provide the music," Flash shrugged as he took off his bathrobe to get into the water. "Steam's no good for my guitar, so I left it behind."

"Nah... I prefer soaking in silence, anyway," Memento replied as she sank into the spring on the middle tier. Everyone elected to do the same; I took off my bathrobe and submerged myself as quickly as possible. The water was heavenly, hot without being uncomfortable, silky smooth with minerals, the sulfur not at all overpowering to my senses. Sighs of deep relief and relaxation lazily rose into the air with the steam.

"Ohhhh, that's nice..." Silver purred as she sank beneath the surface. Meanwhile, Sonata put another potato to her ear, mimed listening to it whisper to her, then gasped suddenly.

"...Add you and baby, we've got a stew going? You have the most shrewd ideas, Mr. Potat!"

"Huh? Well... I'm booored," Sonata whined. "Aren't you guys bored? ...Are you not entertained?"

"In Soviet Russia, potato entertain you," Indigo mumbled in a deep voice, her mouth at the same level as the water so her speech was marred with bubbles. "In Latvia, potato is dream. Once a man knock on my door, says he is give away potato. I open door, is secret police."

"This is tasty, whatever this is," Juniper spoke through a mouthful of a maple leaf wagashi dessert. "Who made this?"

"Really? I'm surprised, this is quite cultured," Sugarcoat's eyebrows raised as she sampled the jelly wagashi.

"Where is he? It's been a while since he left to go change," commented Mountain.

"Well, I believe those are Neighponese-style showers, perhaps he is enjoying the comforts of home- ...uhhhh," Sunburst trailed off, staring behind me.

"AHHHH, IT'S BEEN AGES SINCE THE LAST TIME!" Kotenage thundered as he stepped out of the shower building... completely naked save for the hand towel slung over his shoulder. Most of the girls shouted as he jogged towards the middle spring.

"Wh-What do you think you're doing?!" Sugarcoat screeched, covering her eyes. Kotenage came to a stop as he neared the edge of the pool.

"Put some pants on! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Juniper flailed as she threw an empty water bottle at him.

"Do you see anyone else here naked?! You're in the presence of women!" groused Sugarcoat.

"Most of them are segregated by gender, but co-ed hot springs aren't uncommon, either," Silver added.

"Well, this isn't Neighpon! Put your swimsuit on, you're offending my eyes!" cried Juniper.

"I dunno... I'm kinda diggin' it," Indigo smirked. "Besides, it's not like you can see anything, anyway." It was true... due to Kotenage's impressive girth, nothing particularly lewd was showing.

"Ooh, I like skinny-dipping!" Sonata giggled. And before anyone could stop her, she quickly yanked off her bikini and threw the pieces of soaked cloth onto a nearby bench.

"Ah... that feels amaaaaazing..." Sonata sighed blissfully, floating on her back in the water.

"Hell yea! Let's make this a real party!" Indigo pumped her fist before ripping off her own bikini. Standing up in the shallow spring, she then twirled the bikini top above her head like a propeller before letting it fly off into the distance.

"No! I will not have this 'trust-building exercise' turn into some freaky, weird orgy!" Sugarcoat shrieked, her face turning bright red as she pointed at the naked offenders. "If you're gonna be naked, go somewhere else!"

"Oh! Does anyone wanna play that game where you try to bump each other into the water with your butt?" Sonata asked as she innocently pointed to her own butt. Sugarcoat's face darkened to a hue resembling a strawberry.

"I'll bump you into the water but good!" grinned Indigo. I glanced over to Sugarcoat, who looked like she was going to erupt any second.

"I'M... GOING TO USE THE SPRING ON THE TOP LEVEL," Kotenage remarked, grabbing a couple of drinks for himself before walking off. "THE HEAT WILL SOOTHE MY BODY AFTER THE DAY'S EXERCISES."

"Fiiiiine, we'll take the real party up top," Indigo groaned as she got out of the water, asserting a dominating pose as she pointed at Sugarcoat. "You're such a stick-in-the-mud, you know that?"

"And you have no sense of common decency!" Sugarcoat argued back as Indigo stomped her way up the hill after Kotenage. Meanwhile, Sonata simply shrugged and lifted herself out of the water, giggling as she briskly jogged after them. Sugarcoat growled in frustration and sank into the water until she disappeared, resurfacing after blowing out a long stream of bubbles.

Soon most of the others lapsed into pleasant conversation with each other. Looking around, I saw Sunset and Silver chatting flirtatiously, which made me smile. Flash, Memento and Mountain were having a quiet discussion amongst themselves about favorite TV shows and stuff, and Sunburst and Juniper were both simply relaxing, off in their own little worlds. It left me with only one other person to talk to...

"Enjoying yourself?" I asked Sugarcoat. She was in the middle of her third maple leaf wagashi, taking a break from having eaten double that amount of the jelly ones.

"Surprisingly? Yea," she nodded. "It's nice and quiet after getting rid of the weirdos, and these sweets are addictive... I need to remember to ask Kotenage for his recipe."

"Aren't they, though?" I agreed. When Sugarcoat didn't elaborate any further I grimaced awkwardly. "Uh, so..."

Sugarcoat froze mid-bite. Her glare shifted over to me. "Oh... you want to keep talking." I simply stared at her, not knowing what to say back when she blinked slowly and sighed heavily. "Fiiiiine... I suppose this is supposed to be a 'trust-building exercise'..." she nodded begrudgingly.

~~~

Sugarcoat and I talked uneasily for a while.

~~~

"So, you're the Ultimate Arts and Crafts, huh?" I asked when Sugarcoat and I had come to an uncomfortable silence.

"Yea, I guess?" she replied snidely. "I told you people about my hobbies at the very beginning of this."

"Oh, that," her shoulders softened. "Well... I always liked the more crafty classes in school; shop, home ec... but my parents and the school counselor all said that crafts wouldn't pay the bills. So I decided to take psychology classes in university. Found them interesting... really helps you understand what makes someone tick."

"What about you? Aren't you the headmistress of a school or something?" Sugarcoat squinted.

"Uh..." Suddenly deeply aware of my own job, my mind went blank as I tried to figure out how I'd explain it. Some splashing noises caught my attention - I glanced over in that direction to see Ocean and Soarin' getting out of the hot spring. They grabbed a couple of drinks, then began making their way to the pool on the top tier where Indigo, Kotenage and Sonata were banished to. Whatever conversation they were sharing up there quickly grew more raucous and loud.

"Yea, I am," I answered, finally finding my train of thought again. "Though before that, I was just the school counselor, myself. But then the headmistress... er, got a new job, so she gave the position to me."

"Ah... nepotism, eh?" she grinned maliciously. I blinked, again feeling very self-conscious under her gaze.

"I'm not surprised. It's way more common than anyone thinks," she shrugged. "...Actually, that is kind of how I got my current job."

"Yea... see, I graduated and got my degree and everything, but the people in charge of my clinicals said I was too... 'honest'. Word gets around, so when I started looking for a job, I didn't get any responses at all."

"All those patients I saw... god, what losers," she scoffed. "They kept harping on about all their problems that they caused themselves, and instead of telling them it'd be okay and giving suggestions on what baby step they should do to remedy it, I told them exactly what I thought: that they were the cause of the majority of their own problems and to knock it off already if they wanted their life to improve."

"Most of them didn't like being told the truth, and they cancelled all their other appointments to go find a therapist that would coddle them. Only one kept his appointments and actually listened to me, at least up until he apparently wandered off into the woods one day. They still haven't found him... I told him forest-bathing was a load of horse shit."

My lips thinned as my eyes bulged. I couldn't think of anyone less qualified to be a therapist... even Chrysalis would have been a better choice.

"But luckily enough, my uncle had an opening at his company... he was required to hire someone real quick after some salaryman jumped off his roof. It pays well, and his workers don't really come in often, so it's a pretty nice gig," she finished with a smirk.

"I see..." Geez, and I thought I was unqualified to be a school counselor, at least I actually listen to my students' problems...

"NAAAAAAAAAAAAA SAWHENYAAAAAAA BABADI BEE BABA-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Sugarcoat and I jumped in shock and whipped our heads towards the sudden screaming. Up on the ledge of the topmost pool, Indigo was belting something incomprehensible at the top of her lungs, posing powerfully. In the middle of the last word, however, Ocean snapped her butt with a twisted up towel; Indigo leapt from the ledge in shock and bellyflopped into our pool. While Ocean and the others in the top pool laughed, the rest of us stood there in stunned silence as Indigo gradually rose to the surface and climbed out, giggling as she made her way back to the top.

"Uh... you okay?" I called out after her. The part of the spring in which she fell was deep enough not to risk injury, but a bellyflop had to have hurt regardless. Indigo simply flashed a peace sign back at me while Sugarcoat sighed and shut her eyes tightly.

"Aren't you the least bit concerned about her? You two went to high school together, if I remember right," I frowned. But Sugarcoat simply waved a hand.

"Nah... she's always doing stupid shit like that. For some reason she's practically indestructible... if anything, only her head ever seems to get damaged."

"O-Oh..." Sugarcoat got out of the pool to grab another wagashi snack and something to drink, leaving me to my thoughts. How on Equus did someone like her find it okay to treat people so callously, let alone the patients that depended on her to help them with life? It was like all she could see in others was their worst traits.

I mean... I guess I used to be that way, a long time ago... I still had to stop myself from being annoyed with a student sometimes. But at least I was trying my best, whereas it seemed that Sugarcoat was simply coasting along... if the amount of money she made from her hobbies was true, then that would make it even harder for her to give a damn.

Maybe... maybe I can encourage her to listen to others more? That the first impression of someone isn't always the right one?

A light snow began to fall, melting in the steam before reaching the pools, but dusting the surrounding grounds beautifully. 4pm approached before we knew it. An alarm on Sugarcoat's nearby Monopad went off, cutting through the tranquil air.

"Alright, it's 3:55pm... time to get out," Sugarcoat spoke loudly as if ordering everyone out, standing up and exiting the hot spring.

"Aww... but it's so nice here," Memento whined, sinking beneath the water until just her face was visible.

"It's time to shower up and get dinner started. Everyone bring your Monopads and we'll discuss this new motive of Monokuma's," she continued, ignoring the uninterested groans of everyone present. "We've put it off long enough."

"Ugh, fine," Sunset sighed as she got out of the water, wrapping herself in a towel. "I guess I am getting kinda hungry, anyway."

"Hey, nudists! It's time to get out and start getting ready for dinner!" Sugarcoat shouted at the topmost pool. I slid out of the water and got my towel, which seemed to be the push everyone else needed to do the same. After drying off a little, half of us simply grabbed their things and started down the gravel path back to their cottages. Juniper, Kotenage, Mountain, Sugarcoat, Sunburst, Sunset and myself remained.

"HAI... I SHALL BRING THE TABLES BACK, AND WHATEVER YOU TWO CANNOT MANAGE," Kotenage nodded. "BUT FIRST I THINK I WILL RINSE OFF IN THE SHOWER HERE. IT WON'T TAKE ME LONG." Seemingly to prove his point, Kotenage jogged rather speedily into the shower and locker room building, disappearing inside.

"I'll use the shower as well," said Sunburst. "Silly to just walk all that way getting cold when you can just do so here and stay warm."

"Ugh, well, hurry up with it," Juniper grumbled, "the showers are all just one room, I don't wanna see any more naked people today."

"It's nothing none of us haven't seen before," Mountain sighed while stretching, then began to walk not towards the shower building, but up the hill.

"As much as I enjoyed the party... I just need a little time to myself," said Mountain. "I'm going to rake the sand in the Zen garden for a bit, wait for you guys to finish showering first."

"Alright then... don't be too long, you'll get cold!" Juniper yelled after her before disappearing into the shower building, Sunburst following her inside. Sugarcoat opened her mouth to argue, but exhaled a grumpy sigh and trudged off towards the campgrounds, not even bothering to ask if we needed any help.

"Well... the sooner we do this, the faster we can shower," Sunset shrugged. Together we scooped up all of the garbage into some trash bags, carefully stacked all of the empty wagashi plates into one of the coolers, gathered together the uneaten snacks and dragged it all back to the main campgrounds. The warmth of the hot springs had long since worn off after disposing of the trash and setting everything else in the kitchen, so we quickly hurried back to our cottages. I peeled off my bathrobe and boots and leapt into the tub, frantic for hot water.

I spent a good bit of time in the shower, but finally got out, dried myself off and made my way to the dining hall. Most everyone was already there, the mood dimmed considerably by the conversation soon to come. A couple Monopads were already laid out on the main table, being ignored as much as possible. I sighed as I pulled my own Monopad out and let it clatter on the table.

Welp, here we go... I hope we're all relaxed enough that there won't be any big blowouts or drama...

Kotenage bashed open the kitchen door a few minutes later, holding a pot of his usual chankonabe. Peering inside as he plopped it on the table, the surface was covered in dumplings that obscured all the other ingredients. "MY SPECIAL DUMPLING RECIPE," he smiled slightly. "HOPEFULLY THEY WILL MAKE THIS EVENING A LITTLE LESS TENSE."

"Ah, nice," I commented. Everyone sat down at the main table, passing bowls around for Kotenage to ladle soup into.

"Okay, now that we're all here, I see no reason to put this off any longer," Sugarcoat spoke loudly. "I hope you're all in the mood to talk about your secrets in a civil manner." There were sighs and groans all around... nobody was really ready for this, least of all myself.

"Oh for fuck's sake..." Sugarcoat groaned loudly. "Someone go out and find them!"

"They were both still at the hot springs when we left," Sunset pointed to me and herself. "Maybe they're still there?"

"I don't believe I saw either of them around when I left the shower building," mused Sunburst. "As far as I know, I was the last one to leave the area."

"Then it's settled. Starlight, Sunset, you go get them," Sugarcoat snapped her fingers. "I'm not putting this discussion off any longer!"

"I'll come with you guys," Flash mumbled as Sunset and I gave Sugarcoat a pair of unimpressed looks. Sunset thanked him as we stood up from the table, and after a parting sip of warm soup we left for the hot spring area.

A thin blanket of snow covered the ground, brightening the light emitted from the now-flickering stone lanterns. Usually the silence brought about by snowfall was comforting to me, but all I felt now was unease. The two girls couldn't still be hanging around here, could they?

It's absolutely freezing now, and besides the coming discussion, it's time for dinner. They're... they're both okay... right?

"Flash, can you search the top level? I'll take the rest of the grounds, and Starlight, can you search that shower building?" asked Sunset.

"Sure thing," Flash answered as I nodded. We each went our separate ways, and I dashed inside the women's part of the shower building. Other than the floor being a little muddy, nothing seemed out of the ordinary - neither girl was hiding in the lockers. I checked inside the co-ed shower room and saw nobody, either. Peeking into the men's locker room uncovered much the same as the women's: some mud on the floor and nothing in the lockers.

Flash cursed loudly in the distance, and my heart dropped into my stomach. I left the shower building immediately and began running up the hill. What did he see that would warrant such a reaction...?

"Flash?!" Sunset was already near the top of the hill, disappearing from sight within seconds. I ran even harder when I heard her scream. My legs suddenly felt weak and limp, and I found myself having to force them to keep going, one after the other. My chest began to heave, my lungs began to burn.

I really didn't want to know what they had reacted to. But as I reached the summit and skidded to a stop beside them... I had no choice.

Juniper's legs were pressed firmly into the mud around the hot spring, her skirt torn off of her body and tossed aside while the tails of her trench coat had been pushed to the left. The top part of the coat rippled and sputtered in the discolored water as streams of thick yellow goo trailed out of the sleeves, streaked with little lumpy bits of red and black. Chunks of something bobbed in the pool... including a soaked, tangled swath of teal hair, separated from its rightful place. And that rightful place was separated from its body, lost to the cloudy waters.

The torso shifted subtly, and something long and purplish-brown spilled into the water among a cloud of sickening color. It slowly rose to the surface, resembling an unknotted length of sausage before rupturing into slightly smaller pieces that gently floated towards the spring's center.

I stood there, transfixed by the horrific scene. All of a sudden the stench hit me, the stench of boiled flesh, fat and blood mixed with sulfur. I barely had the time to open my mouth before my stomach violently emptied itself on the ground. Tears stung my eyes, both from the grisly sight and from the sudden dread of realization.

Danganronpa vG: Goodbye Magic

by witegrlninja

Hell Springs Forth - Daily Life 3