//------------------------------// // Final Class Trial: Chapter 3 // Story: Dangan RomPonya // by Serenade-Stereo //------------------------------// "I'm...I'm sorry everyone...it's me...I'm the mastermind..." "What?!" Digital's eyes widened. "Serenade....Serenade's the mastermind...?" Olive put her hand over her mouth in shock. The only one that didn't have any reaction was Beau. "You...you aren't the mastermind, Serenade..." Beau told him forcefully. "Beau, please...I've known for a while now..." "A while?" Orion asks. "H-how long is a 'while'?" "Since before Hammer was murdered..." "And you didn't say anything?!" "What was I supposed to do?!" Serenade yelled in response to Beau's angered statement. "You're all my friends! I was scared, alright? I didn't know what to do, I didn't want to die, I just wanted to leave like everyone else but now I'm stuck in this position...w-what did you expect me to do...?" Serenade started getting misty eyed. "No...no! This can't be right!" Grimdark shook his head in frustration. "If you all want...I'll let you hear it from him personally..." Serenade said. "You mean...? You're gonna let him out?" B said in shock. "If it settles these killings forever...then I'll gladly do it..." Serenade shut his eyes and stepped back from the podium. He brought a hand up to his hair and took one turf of his fringe that sat to the side and placed it over his right eye. After a few seconds of silence. The familiar laugh that they had all come to despise emerged. "Upupupupu!" Serenade's eyes shot open but instead of their regular blue colour, they had turned into a menacing dark red. "Alright you bastards! Good to finally fuckin' meet'cha all! HAHAHAHA! Just kidding! You're all assholes!" "This...is Serenade's split personality...?" Grimdark paled at how different the two were. "Serenade? Feh, forget him, Shadow Rain is in the house and he's here too stay! Say hello to the Super High School Level Mastermind!" Shadow Rain Super High School Level Mastermind "You...you're the mastermind? The one behind the mutual killings?!" Digital questioned him immediately. "Hey, hey, don't get your panties in a wad, alright? S'all good, I mean, who didn't see this coming? The main character being the villain? PLOT TWIST CENTRAL!! Am I right?" "M...main character?" Orion repeated. "Oop! Said too much!" Shadow laughed a little. "Anyway, voting time, right? You found the mastermind so ya gotta execute him!" "Wait...you want us to execute you?" B asked. "Well, that's how this works! So sorry I can't stay for long but gotta get this show on the road!" "At least explain why you did all this!" Grimdark said. "...why?" Shadow gave a straight face. "Hmm...why I did it...? You wanna know why...? Because I wanted to make Serenade suffer...feel the despair I felt for so many years after he locked me up in his mind with no means of escaping ever again...but the more I tried to break out, the weaker he got...that's why he's so scrawny now, he doesn't have any strength after keeping me back...no wonder he always got bullied for being short...or weak...or stupid...he couldn't do anything about it, so he latched onto others, bringing them despair as well. A shame, but it was nothing compared to what I felt..." "So, what?" Beau asked. "What's happening to Serenade now?" "Hmm? Oh...he's juuuust fine..." --------------- Serenade awoke, standing upright in a trial room just like the one he had been in a few moments ago, there were the other seventeen empty slots of the courtroom in the circle formation...wait, seventeen? "W-where...am I...?" He said still slightly distraught. "Hahaha...it's just your mind, no big deal!" Shadow's voice came from the other side on the circle of podiums. "But of course...you don't really remember what that looks like, do you, ya little bastard?" "What do you want?" "Oh nothing." Another Shadow appeared at Beau's podium, the figure was Beau but the voice and eyes proved it was just Shadow trying to torment him, soon: Grimdark, Digital, Orion, Olive and B joined the Shadow clones. "Just for you to feel the pain that I did for all those years." "When I let you out...do you even realize what you did?!" "Yeah, I got those douchebag bullies off of your case, and what was my reward? Imprisonment!" The real Shadow threw his arms up in the air to emphasise what he was saying. "The entire flight camp was terrified of me! My best friend was terrified of me!" "Oh yeah, speaking of which, shame what happened to him whilst he was in here..." "What?" Serenade raised an eyebrow. "You mean you don't remember your orange little friend? Lock Heart? You two were inseparable!" "L-Lock Heart? As in...?" "Yep! Super High School Level Matchmaker and suicide guy, Locky!" "N-no, you're lying!" Serenade yelled in anger. "Not really, go check your memory banks afterwards. Best part is, he remembered exactly who you were the entire time but you had no idea who he was since I repressed the memories of him!" "Wha-?" "Anyway, it's a shame that this is the end of the line for you, right? Not for me but, y'know! Details, details!" E-end...of the line...? Non-Stop Debate Evidence Bullets -Nothingness Shadow- Aw...end of the road... Shadow Beau- You were useless anyway... Shadow Digital- They all must hate, hate, HATE you right now! Shadow Grimdark- You were just being used, let's face reality Shadow B- Say hello to your despair! Shadow Orion- You should have been dead a long time ago, but you're alive cause your the mastermind! Shadow Olive- Goodbye to the rest of your life...goodbye Serenade Stereo... Is this...is this really the end...? Shadow- Aw...end of the road... Shadow Beau- You were useless anyway... Shadow Digital- They all must hate, hate, HATE you right now! Shadow Grimdark- You were just being used, let's face reality Shadow B- Say hello to your despair! Shadow Orion- You should have been dead a long time ago, but you're alive cause your the mastermind! Shadow Olive- Goodbye to the rest of your life...goodbye Serenade Stereo... This must be it...I'm gone...forever... "HAHAHAHA! So you've accepted it! Good, give into despair, your hope is finished!" Never lose at the last hurdle! There was a shimmer and a yellow translucent unicorn appeared next to Shadow Beau. "G...Gold?" Serenade's eyes widened. "Come on, I know you can do better than this! Now if this were a video game...this boss right here would have a second phase...which I guess I just activated..." "What the hell?" Shadow was taken aback. "Where the fuck did that come from? Ahem! No matter...despair always wins!" My information reads differently! There was another light as the black Pegasus appeared at her podium. "This reporter refuses to believe that Mr Stereo will give up hope so easily!" Moon...light...? Let's tame this beast for good! "C'mon, Serenade, after everything?" Wild said appearing at his position. What's...going on...? I won't let you give up! "Serenade...what he said was true, we were friends in flight camp...so don't let my death go to waste, I'm begging you!" Lock pleaded. "L...Lock..." It flooded back quickly. The memories of flight camp alongside Lock Heart. "I...remember now..." "Doesn't matter!" Shadow interrupted. "No matter how many images you create, you won't win!" That reasoning is out of focus! "No matter what he says...don't listen to his lies!" The pink earth pony smiled. I don't wanna wait for any responses! "Give me an 'S'! Give me an 'E'! Give me a 'RENADE'! What does that spell? Tickery says 'SERENADE'!" "Tickery, you have to make everything awkward..." Lock sighed. Don't let'em win! "C'mon you son of a bitch! As if my first kiss is gonna be with someone who'll give into this guy!" Punch motivated him in her own way. Don't let him get'cha down, man! "Dude, you're still a virgin, that should be your hope: hope you get laid soon!" Hammer chuckled. From the depths beyond, I have returned! "Serenade...please...don't lose now, I ask you this as a friend...and tell Orion...tell her that I love her..." Nimbus said, facing away from Serenade. "Thank you guys but...even with your support...what am I supposed to do...? I'm just a musician..." "Y-yeah! Just a musician, nothing special at all!" Shadow agreed. I'll cut that claim into pieces! Samurai appeared next to Serenade. "Serenade...as your friend...I wanted to be helpful to you...so let me just say this: you aren't just some musician that got into Hope's Peak by chance, you're a great person that has hope radiating off of you at all times...so please...please don't let that go to waste...I believe in you..." "S-Samurai..." Serenade looked down. "What...the...fuck...?" Shadow said. "M-my introduction just happened and already they wanna push me away?! Fuck that!" Shadow yelled out! I've still got some energy left in me! I can draw out a few debates!" "Serenade, our friendship will always go beyond the graves...so take our strength, use it to defeat him! Win for us!" Samurai yelled at him. New Ammo: Class Friendship was loaded into Serenade's ElectroID "You're done, Stereo! You're legacy is finished!" Shadow cackled. No...the battle is just beginning! Non-Stop Debate Evidence Bullets -Class Friendship Shadow- Aw...end of the road... Shadow Beau- You were useless anyway... Shadow Digital- They all must hate, hate, HATE you right now! Shadow Grimdark- You were just being used, let's face reality Shadow B- Say hello to your despair! Shadow Orion- You should have been dead a long time ago, but you're alive cause your the mastermind! I.... Shadow Olive- Goodbye to the rest of your life...goodbye Serenade Stereo... I won't lose to you!