Super Dangan RonPonya: Set Sail for Despair Isles

by Serenade-Stereo

Chapter 2: Class Trial - Part 1

Class Trial

All Rise!

The elevator grinded to a halt. The décor in the trial room had changed to a white room. Most likely to fit the area in which Swift had met his end in. The thirteen students took the same places they were in last time, now noticing the new additions to the collection of portraits. Swift had a regular cross that was drawn in blood but Boom's mark was a vinyl record drawn in blood. Monokuma laughed, leaping onto his small throne.

"Alright, let's begin with a simple explanation of the class trial! You're votes will determine the outcome of this, you will debate on a variety of topics regarding the murder and then try to identify 'whodunit'. If you can correctly guess the culprit then the culprit will be punished...but if you guess the wrong one. I'll punish everyone aside the culprit! Now...where to begin."

"Hang on." Paint stopped Monokuma. "Let me ask you something...since Swift clearly wasn't the Changeling...does that mean that the culprit leaves the island alone?"

"Well...I'll explain that part later but for now, why don't you guys try to figure out the murder weapon to start off with?" Monokuma suggested.

"The murder weapon..." Bright pondered on the topic. "I never figured out what it could have been during the investigation..."

"You couldn't figure it out?" Clip raised an eyebrow. "Honey, you gotta be kidding me."

"I hate to inform you of it...but I didn't. The murder weapon's identity is still a mystery..."

"Not for long!" Laser threw a punch in the air. "It can't be to hard to figure out! Let's find the murder weapon and find the killer!"

Non-Stop Debate

Evidence Bullets

-Pure's Account
-Store Inventory
-Monokuma File 2
-Loose Tile
-Quick's Account

Laser- Even if it wasn't found at the crime scene...we can find the weapon by ourselves!

Quick- But there's a problem with that right away...we have no way of knowing what it was...

Clip- You must be joking, hun!

Toxic- Without any actual evidence of the weapon.

Bright- Yes, we have no way of finding the weapon...

Rip- So we'll going around in circles this whole trial?!

The weapon...even if we can't find it...there may be a way to figure out what it was...

No, that's wrong!

"Quick. Even if we don't know what it is...doesn't mean we can't figure it out! Look at the Monokuma File, see the big splotch on Swift's chest area? That's because he had a broken rip-cage which was presumably the cause of death. All we need to do is find something that could have broken his ribs."

"That limits it quite a bit...but we also need something that exists on this island that someone would have access too." Clover frowns. "It looks hopeless at this point. Doesn't it?"

"We can't give up so easily!" Rip argues. "There has to be something! C'mon!"

"Well...even if there was. The question is; would the culprit have access to it..." Paint reminds her.

"I know that! There are plenty of things that could be the murder weapon!" Rip cracked her knuckles. "You guys should try listening to my arguments for once!" She smirked.

Non-Stop Debate

Evidence Bullets

-Suits of Armour
-Monokuma File 2
-Quick's Account
-Store Inventory
-Luminol Test Results

Rip- Just because there are a few circumstances that need to be meet...doesn't mean that the weapon doesn't exist!

Clover- But we have no clues to help us find the weapon...

Laser- Let's just guess the weapon until we figure it out then!

Clip- Yeah, easy to guess it...but we don't have any idea what it could be...it does look kinda hopeless, honey...

Laser- Well if it broke Swift's ribs...it must be a heavy weapon!

Toxic- Or the culprit had a good swing...?

Rip- T-this was supposed to be about my arguments!

Whilst there wasn't any clues at the crime scene...there was something outside the crime scene...

No, That's Wrong!

"Clover. There may have not been anything that could have been used at the crime scene...but at the library? That would be a different story. Those suits of armour in the back of the hall all carry a variety of weapons, one of those could have been used to kill Swift!"

"Heh..." Memory scoffed. "I'm not so sure about that one, Techno." He gazed at the inventor with a strange smile on his face. "You see, all those weapons had been left untouched until I got there to examine them. The first one here to make contact with those weapons...it was me."

"W-what...? You didn't tell me that part when we met up!"

"Must have...slipped my mind...sorry about that." Memory shrugged. Clip's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah...'slipped' your mind..." He repeated sceptically. "I say we look at the possibility of those suits of armour being involved a little more..."

You'll need counselling after this!

Memory chuckled. "What are you saying, Clip? I already explained that those suits of armour have nothing to do with this case and thinking about it since then, I think I can see a little clearer why."

"Memory...just what are you thinking...?" Techno asked.

"Huh? You want to know, Techno? There might be a hole in my argument so please do pay attention." Memory half-smiled.

Rebuttal Showdown

Evidence Blades

-Missing Library Books
-Clover's Account
-Suits of Armour
-Dirt
-Manatite Test Results

Memory- Like I said before, those suits of armour are not connected to this case in any way. Think about it, you and I were in the library since before the murder, the culprit would have had to come in to the library to retrieve the weapon but the only other one that came in was Bud...but she left before us...

Techno- But your entire theory just now is based on the assumption that the culprit had to take the weapon after we arrived at the library...what if they took it before?

Memory- Well, there's another problem. Everyone arrived at the institute around the same time and there were those investigating the ruins at the time so they would have seen the culprit leave the library and another thing. Clover and Bud were in the lobby the whole time so they would have had to sneak past them as well since the front entrance is the only way out so what's the point of carrying on this discussion? The suits are not involved

H-his arguments are so in depth...could he really have just thought up these on the spot...? E-even so. The larger the argument the bigger chance of finding a weak point.

I'll have to cut through those words!

"Not so fast, Memory. There is a chance that there's another exit from the building. Pure told me that some books had gone missing from the library, among those books...were books that contained diagrams of the island layout which included the interior of the buildings. This might be a huge guess and an even bigger gamble...but the culprit could have used some sort of hidden passage to travel to the library from the institute!"

"Wow! Would you look at the height of that logic jump!" Laser giggled.

"A hidden passage?" Toxic laughed. "Oh please, do go on with this delusion of yours because I can tell you now that no such passage could possibly exist. You must be making this up!"

"I said it was just a theory. Don't laugh!" Techno's ear drooped.

"Hmph. I was actually dancing around suggesting it as well." Bright chimed in ceasing the laughter of Toxic.

"You...you're joking...right...? You don't actually think he could be right about this, do you?" Toxic queried with confusion. "Come on, a convenient underground secret passage that connect the library and institute?!" Bright's eyes flashed as he said that.

"Hmm...It might be more probable than I first thought...but let's discuss it thoroughly so we can decide and figure it out."

"Screw that!" Toxic objected. "You're the one that thinks that there's a passage so why don't you focus on me for a second."

"Why should I waste my breath on just you...?"

Geez...these two are seriously going at it, I'll need to shut them up by proving one of them is right...but who could be right...?

Contradiction Conversation

Evidence Bullets

-Monokuma File 2

Bright- There is no reason to think that there isn't a hidden passage

Toxic- Aside from the fact that it sounds completely insane!

Bright- I hope you mess up this argument. Who know, you might just say something you didn't mean to...

Toxic- That is a load of bullshit and you know it!

Bright- Watch your profanity...

Toxic- Nah, screw you! There is no underground passage that connects the two buildings!

Bright- But you can't deny the possibility

These two are trying to decide between themselves if the passage exists...but Bright's argument...

I see who's right now!

"Bright was right, there is a hidden passageway!" Techno smirked. "Toxic basically just told us that!"

"What the hell are you talking about...?" Toxic folded his arms.

"Toxic, you just labelled a passage as an 'underground passage' even though we haven't found any signs of it! Care to explain yourself?!"

Toxic's eyes widened for a second but quickly filled with anger. "What the hell are you trying to say? Because I say one little word, it suddenly means that it exists?! Don't try to pass that off so easily!"

"Do you honestly believe"- Memory folded his arms -"That we'll let it slide like it was just a coincidence? It looks like you'll need to prove that it isn't just a little assumption of yours..."

"Now that I think about it..." Rip chimed in "Didn't Toxic mention something about there being something weird about the crime scene?" Toxic's eye twitched as Rip mentioned it. "Yeah...when Memory and Techno came into the room, Toxic, you asked if they noticed anything weird about the room when they discovered Swift's body..."

"Really now...?" Laser grinned. "Wanna talk about it, Toxic or should I force it out of him?"

"Wait a little bit and give him time to confess before you do anything to him, Laser" Quick chuckled. "For now...why don't you tell us how this passage doesn't exist, Toxic?"

Toxic growled as his name was said. "Fine...fine, I'll explain everything. Then you'll all see!"

Non-Stop Debate

Evidence Bullets

-Dirt
-Store Inventory
-Loose Tile
-Quick's Account
-Pure's Account

Toxic- There's absolutely no evidence of this dumb passage existing. The only thing you have is a small assumption I made!

Clip- But we gotta feel more compelled to think that it exists, honey. Why would you be refuting the idea so much if it didn't?

Aqua- A small 'assumption'? It was way more than that. Clearly.

Bud- M-maybe...we should believe Toxic?

Aqua- Pfft! You would say that!

Bud- W-what is that supposed to mean?!

Clover- I don't understand why it had to be a passage...? Couldn't the culprit have just sneaked over to the library...?

Rip- There are to many possibilities! It's making my head hurt!

This entire incident could rest on the decision of the existence of this passage...I need to think of something and fast!

No, that's wrong!

"Toxic, you say there isn't any evidence of an underground passage existing but there is the dirt we found on Swift's shirt."

"The...dirt...?" Toxic raised an eyebrow. "What has that got to do with anything?"

"It's an underground passage, meaning that it would have an soil terrain. If the soil stuck to the culprit's shoe...then that would explain the dirt on Swift's shirt!"

"Not a chance. The passage is plated all the way a-grk!" Toxic cut himself off. "Celestia dammit! Every freaking time!"

"So there is a passage!" Quick glared at Toxic. "Care to explain why you hid that from us?! Are you the culprit, Toxic?! Did you kill Swift?!"

"Of course not!" Toxic shot back. "Who the hell would I think was worth saving here?! None of you mean anything to me after all."

"H-how can you just say that?! We're supposed to be friends!" Bud yelled out. "F-for you to just say we don't mean anything to you...that's just cruel..."

"Alright...so are you admitting that there's an underground passage?" Bright asked, ignoring Bud's whining.

"Yeah...yeah there is...the entrance is the in the crime scene...that's why I was wondering if Memory or Techno had noticed anything strange when they walked in...because I noticed that it has been moved ever so slightly."

"I see..." Bright fixed her glasses.

"So that's nice and all but there's one thing..." Aqua folded her arms. "Even with that information, we have no idea what the murder weapon is..."

"She's right. After all that time we still need to figure out what was used to kill Swift." Quick said with slight frustration.

"Well, the murder weapon came from the suits of armour in the library, right? That's what we decided on." Clover asked.

"No, we never actually agreed on that." Memory contradicted. "You see, there's a glaring contradiction in the theory that one of the weapons from the suits of armour was used to kill Swift..."

"What are you talking about?" Clip asked suspiciously.

"You see, there's a very big difference between what the suits have and what was used to kill him. Why don't we start with an easy question? What kind of weapon was used to kill Swift? Was it a poison? A blunt weapon? A sharp instrument? Techno, do you any ideas...?"

Techno went quiet for a few seconds. What...what's this feeling of anxiousness...? Why does there feel like there's a dark aura in the room...emanating from Memory?

"Techno...I asked a question..." Memory clicked his fingers a few times as he spoke to grab Techno's attention.

"O-oh, right." Techno focused. "The kind of weapon...? It had to be..."
This is my answer!

"Well...since Bright discovered that his rips had been broken...presumably it would have to be a blunt weapon. A thick and heavy one at that."

"Exactly...now this is where the problem originates from. You see, the only kind of weapons those suits of armours have are...are swords. Not a blunt weapon, not even heavy or thick." Memory explained.

"Why should we believe you?" Clip asked. "You could be the culprit after all!"

"I was in the library the whole time with Techno. You were in the restaurant when we left, remember?"

"And you didn't separate that entire time?" Clip pressed on.

"Nope...in fact, that brings me onto another point. Techno, we didn't hear anyone come into the library whilst we were there did we?"

"Um...not that I remember, no..."

"Well then I guess that only means one thing. The underground passage has been deemed completely irrelevant." Memory smirks.

"What?" Laser gawked. "Who said you could make that decision?! We can't go through all those debates to just say it doesn't matter!"

"Toxic said that the entrance has been moved slightly, right? Obviously someone moved it." Quick pointed out.

"Or...here's another theory: Swift turns up to the crime scene, the culprit is waiting there and tries to strike, Swift dodges and hit's the entrance to the passageway, altering it's position slightly."

"That...actually makes some amount of sense..." Aqua scowled.

"We can leave what happened in that room right now." Bright direct the attention over to her as she closes her book. "Right now, we still need to determine our murder weapon..."

"Right. Let's focus on that for now..." Rip nodded.

Non-Stop Debate

Evidence Bullets

-Changeling Data
-Manatite Test Results
-Luminol Test Results
-Store Inventory
-Quick's Account

Laser- Murder weapon...murder weapon...who has an idea?!

Bright- Well we need to think of blunt weapons...but that doesn't really narrow it down...

Clover- W-what if we figured what island it came from first...?

Paint- Island sources...good idea...

Laser- Ooo! So what island did it come from? The Second Island? Or could it have been Central Island? What if it was First Island!

Rip- Or...was there a hidden island?! Like there was a hidden passage!

Aqua- And I thought Bud came out with bad ideas

Bud- B-but I didn't say anything!

What island the weapon came from...? Good question. Thinking about everything, there's only one answer, right?

I'm in agreement with you!

"There's only one place that the murder weapon...it had to have been the First Island!"

"The First Island?" Clover tilted her head. "Where would a weapon even come from on the First Island?"

"From the island's supermarket. Toxic had mentioned some things that were stocked up inside the store and one of those could be used for a weapon."

"Toxic..." Bright's eyes widened for a moment. "Didn't you mention that the supermarket sold sledgehammers...?"

"S-sledgehammers...?" Bud repeated.

"Yeah, it does, keeps them in the back room...wait, are you saying that one of those sledgehammers could have been used to kill Swift?!"

"It's one of the most likely possibilities, after all, what else could be used to kill Swift and at the same time break his rips?"

"But carrying a sledgehammer from First Island to Second Island would be rather dangerous. If anyone saw you doing that then you'd be considered suspicious immediately." Paint crossed her arms.

"Right..." Laser paused. "So does that mean the culprit left the restaurant by themselves this morning?" She tilted her head.

"Huh?"

"Well, if the culprit didn't want to be seen with the sledgehammer then they would have to be alone and everyone was at the restaurant this morning. Leaving by themselves as soon as possible would be the best choice. They go to the supermarket, get the sledgehammer and get over to the Second Island as quickly as possible." Everyone stood in silence when Laser finished. "What? I can be helpful!"

"C-clearly..." Bright wobbled with her words.

"So who left the restaurant by themselves this morning?" Toxic asked.

"I...I don't think anyone did...seven people left and they all left in groups. Bud, Clover and Quick left together. Memory and Techno left together...and Swift and Pain left together..." Rip recalls. "Does that mean that nobody is a suspect?"

"I wouldn't say that..." Aqua shook her head. "After all, we still need full confirmation that the sledgehammer is the murder weapon."

"What do you mean? It's the only possible weapon, honey..." Clip frowns. "You shouldn't overcomplicate things like this..."

"Hey, this is a democracy! I have a right of speech! If I don't think the sledgehammer is the murder weapon then it's your duty to convince me otherwise!"

"Aqua, you're being disruptive to this trial!" Techno tells her.

"Shut up you! You were the one that implied it so why don't you start explaining?!"

Let me show the measurements of your theory!

Dammit, she never listens! The only real way we can get her to accept it is by shooting down whatever she says...

Rebuttal Showdown

Evidence Blades

-Clover's Account
-Drag Marks in the Blood
-Bud's Account
-Store Inventory
-Loose Tile

Aqua- You've still not show us the concrete evidence that a sledgehammer was used to kill Swift! Sure, the weapon had to be heavy and I'll concede it came from the store. Even so, it could have been anything! A safe, a metal bat, anything!

Techno- Yes those are options to consider. The problem with them though is that we don't know if any of those are available to obtain.

Aqua- Are you kidding me?! Just check the store! There must be something else there that could be used. Your whole theory has no evidence to strengthen it! Why don't you just let someone else shine?!

Aqua has a very offensive stance when she argues. Offensive stances are good for finding contradictions...

I'll have to cut through those words!

"No evidence to strengthen it? I wouldn't be too sure about that. See, there was drag mark in the pool of blood at the crime scene, now I've sledgehammers before and I know for a fact that the width of the drag marks is about the same width of a sledgehammer!"

"The...drag marks...?" Aqua raised an eyebrow.

"Actually, that brings me onto another topic." Bright interrupts. "It's about how the killer attacked Swift."

"What do you mean?" Quick asked. "They swung the sledgehammer and knocked him to the floor, what's so complicated about that?"

"That's just the problem though. You saw that Swift had vomited blood due to the blow to his chest but nobody was seen with blood on them the whole day...well, Swift was a exception, he had bloodstains on his shirt and face...so now I have to ask what position was the killer in and what position was Swift in when the murder occurred?"

"What position...?" Pure leaned forward, speaking for the first time in the trial. "Why? Do you think it's important?"

"It could mean something entirely different if the positions are what I think they were..."

What is Bright talking about...? The position of Swift and the killer before the murder happened...? Well I think one of them is pretty obvious. That would be the killer's...the killer must have...

Of course!

"Naturally the killer must have been standing up when the murder occurred, it seems like that would be the only position they could get a good swing."

"Alright but what about Swift?" Clover looked at Techno with concern. "Was he in front of the killer?"

"Before that." Bright interrupted once more. "We need to know what position the killer's arms were in as well."

"The killer's...arms...?" Memory folded his arms.

"Oh! I get it" Rip's eyes widened. "You mean what way the sledgehammer was swung!"

"Correct, that part of this is vital as well, I believe. Techno, do you have any idea about this? What position were the killer's arms in?"

"Um..." This is such a weird question...but I should think about those drag marks. It indicates that the killer found it difficult to lift...so the only way the killer could have held it was...

Of course!

"Well, the drag marks indicate that the killer couldn't lift it very easily so the only way they could have done it...was by using magic! The killer didn't need their arms at all!"

"You mean the killer is a unicorn?!" Bud's eyes widened, the four remaining unicorn's giving worried expressions.

"Not necessarily..." Techno shook his head. "No, the killer could still be any one of us...because of one piece of evidence..."

I can prove it with this!

"Enterna's student profile. It's clear that Enterna is magic-using Changeling and Changelings can look like any of the four species of ponies. If Enterna is the killer...then this doesn't narrow down anything due to her condition that allows her to look like both genders..."

"So...after all that..." Quick's mouth was left agape. "We're back to square one?"

"Not so fast." Bright fixed her glasses. "We still need to determine Swift's position when he was murdered."

"Does it matter at this point...?" Quick bit his lip. "Doesn't change a thing even is we do figure it out..."

"I wouldn't be to sure about that..." Quick looked at Bright with his curiosity growing.

So this is the last part...what position was Swift in. Changelings can't change how their outfit would look so blood would have gotten on them if Swift was facing them...and magic needed to be used which means...the most likely position is...

Of course!

"Swift...Swift was laid down on the ground when he was hit..."

"Laid down?" Toxic repeated.

"He couldn't have been facing the culprit because blood would have gotten on their clothes, the culprit couldn't have been behind him because blood would have gotten on the wall and since there were stains on his face and shirt...when he vomited blood and got struck. He was on the ground! The blood flew out of his mouth and just hit right back."

"Urg..." Rip wobbled slightly. "I think I'll be sick so can we change the topic quickly."

"Right. Toxic had said that the secret passageway entrance was moved slightly. I think this could have happened if Swift and the culprit got into a fight which is how Swift fell to the ground."

"Then the culprit used the opportunity and killed him then and there." Memory nodded.

"Yeah, that's right." Techno affirmed.

"That's great and all...but what does that change...?" Quick reminded them of his previous statement. "We still don't know what happened."

"Well...how did they get into a fight?" Clip asked. "There must have been a cause, right? Another thing, how did the culprit get the sledgehammer from First Island to Second Island without being seen? They found it heavy right? Unicorn's can't carry something that distance with magic alone, it's to far...and a Pegasus couldn't carry it either plus an earth pony would be stuck on the ground the entire time..."

"So, there was nobody with that ability?" Rip frowned. "Then we really are back to square one."

"Nope." Techno shook his head. "There is one way."

"Oh really...?" Clip grinned slyly. "What'cha got up your sleeve, Techy~?"

"Please don't call me that...the point I'm trying to make is that without necessarily being a Changeling...there is one student that could get it all the way to First Island from Second Island without being caught..."

"What?!" Laser gasped. "If you're telling the truth then I'll return all of the items I took from your room yesterday!"

"Wait, what?"

"Nothing!" Laser grinned.

"A-anyway...there is one student here...and only one. The student that could transport it sledgehammer from First Island to Second Island is..."

You're the only one!

"The only one...is our own victim. Swift Justice!"

"Wait..." Bud paused. "Swift...? Swift was the one that took the murder weapon to the institute?!"

"That's impossible, he's an earth pony! He would have been stuck on the ground the entire time!" Toxic argued.

"Are you sure about that? 'Cause I think it would be very easy for Swift to stay off the ground..."

I can prove it with this!

"Swift had a very big secret he was keeping from us all. The only one that knew this information was the one closest to him on the island, Pure!"

"Wait...you think that because...?" Pure's eyes widened.

"Yes. The truth is, Swift isn't an earth pony. He's a Pegasus!"

"What?!" Toxic yelped. "You're lying about that!"

"Not a chance. It's not hard for a Pegasus to pretend that they're an earth pony, all they need are clothes without wing holes in them."

"So you're saying that Swift flew all the way to the Second Island with the sledgehammer in hand? If he was a Pegasus-"

"He wasn't just a Pegasus though." Techno cut Memory off. "He was pretending to be an earth pony, meaning he would want the figure of one."

"He had to be really strong..." Paint tapped her chin. "Meaning he would have the strength to carry the sledgehammer that distance."

"He must have worked out a lot to get...that...figure..." Clip smiled.

"The guy is dead, Clip. That's really creepy." Quick says.

"But wait." Rip frowns. "If Swift brought the murder weapon...? How did he die...?"

"He must have been disarmed by the real culprit when they both arrived. That would be my guess..." Bright bit the inside of her cheek. "Which would mean...this crime was a case of self-defence..."

W-what...? Swift was killed...in self-defence...?

Trial Suspended!

Author's Note:

Alright people, you know the drill! This is the first part of the class trial and is your chance to change your choice of culprit for the murder.

Comments

[MarkTheWolfpony]

Well swift you really hid them good.

[ClickClackTheBrony]

Hm, I forgot that changelings could be any race... but I think I'm still sticking with Clover.
That said, I do have to complain about the secret passage. Since we can still change our guesses now it's more justifiable, but a detective should never figure something out by guessing, especially if his train of thought was irrelevant to the immediate situation, like this one was. It's just bad form.