The next morning was cooler than the previous, something that everyone was thankful for. Now that the game had begun, everyone was on edge, trying to figure out who could be the murderer.
"Okay!" said Pinkie Pie the next morning during the group's pancake breakfast, "Here are some additional rules for the game. Numero Uno, until the game is over you can't leave the castle!"
"Pinkie, that's absolutely ridiculous." said Rarity as she wiped her mouth with a napkin, "I have to go back to the boutique today, I have an order to finish by next Wednesday."
"You could finish it here!" replied Pinkie before leaning close into Rarity's face, "Unless that is just an excuse and your really the murderer! I mean its a awfully convenient that you have an 'order' to complete by next wednesday."
Rarity leaned away from the pinkette, "I told you about it last week, darling."
Pinkie leaned back in her seat with a look of recollection, "Oh yeah! Tehe! I forgot. Either way, you can't leave! I'll just ask someone to bring the stuff here for you!"
"Pinkie," started Twilight, setting down her fork, "It's not possible for everyone to stay here all the time. AJ has to go back to the farm, Shy has her animals, and Rainbow has weather patrol."
"Actually I don't." corrected Rainbow, as she soaked her pancakes in syrup, "Clear Skies and Open Skies are taking doing my part for the next week. Said they needed the over time."
"Still, AJ and Fluttershy have things to do."
"Um, actually Twilight." said Fluttershy, as she shifted the pancake around with her fork, "Pipsqueak asked me if he could take care of the animals for a few days. He's a real natural with them so I'm free to stay."
Twilight sighed before casting a glance at AppleJack, "Let me guess you don't have to go back to the farm soon either."
"Eenope." replied AppleJack, imitating her older brother, "Not until it cools down a whole lot more."
"Yippee!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, jumping up, "Then we can all stay!"
"Great." muttered Twilight, "Just great.."
Twilight had recruited everyone to help with the cleaning of the castle. Due to all the pollen and dust in the air the castle had become quite dusty. The CMC and Spike had been charged with cleaning the dining room. Well, more like Spike was cleaning the dining room while the girls tried to figure out who the killer could be.
"Did ya hear what Twilight said at breakfast?" asked Apple Bloom, leaning on the broom she had been pushing.
"No, what did she say?" replied Scootaloo, pausing mid dust.
"Well, she didn't seem too happy tha' everyone could stay." Apple Bloom propped the broom against awall.
Spike sighed and looked at Sweetie Belle, who just blushed deeply in reply. Spike looked back to the glass shelf he was dusting. He did wonder who the killer was, but he doubted it was Twilight. He got the role of a police officer, his badge was safely hidden in his back pocket. As badly as he wanted to tell his friends he was a good guy he couldn't afford to. What if they where the killers, what if-
"Spike?" asked Sweetie Belle, tapping the boy's shoulder, "You okay?"
Spike snapped out of his trance, "Oh yeah, I'm fine."
"O-okay. I was just worried, you've been dusting the same area for ten minutes." Sweetie Belle turned back to the pictures she was straightening.
Spike looked at her a little longer, could she be the killer?
Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie where cleaning the main corridor. The former was quietly sweeping and the later rapidly talking and dusting.
"Who could it be Flutters?" asked Pinkie, jumping to reach a particularly dusty spot.
"I don't know." replied Fluttershy, grabbing the dustpan before looking at her hyperactive friend, "If you don't mind me asking, is it you Pinkie?"
Pinkie's expression turned dark and eerie, "Maybe it is. Wahaha!" Pinkie giggled, her light manner coming back, "Nah, it's not me Flutters! Is it you?"
Fluttershy shook her head causing some strands of hair to fall from her messy bun and into her eyes, "It isn't me."
"Gee, I hope it isn't one of the kids! How weird would that be?" Pinkie tossed her rag into their bucket of cleaning supplies.
Fluttershy nervously smiled, "Very weird."
Rainbow tossed her rag into a bucket by the door of the kitchen. For the past hour, she had been cleaning the kitchen. Pinkie had made a giant mess making the pancake breakfast. Rainbow pulled a strip of paper out of her pocket and with a sigh she read it again.
'Doctor'
What type of job was that! She'd much rather be a policeman or the killer than the doctor. Ugh! That meant she had to sleep in the same room with whoever she thought was going to die! Naturally tonight she'd stay with Fluttershy, the shy girl needed as much protection as she could get.
With a huff, Rainbow picked up her bucket, she needed to start planning if she was going to protect Shy. Tonight was going to be a long night.
Deep in the shadows a person spoke, "One by one the peices will fall. Scattered throughout the castle will their cold bodies lie. The doctor can't save them, the policemen won't protect them. No one can help them."
Grabbing a black mask, they finished, " Starting tonight these players, these pawns, will die."