• Published 16th May 2022
  • 920 Views, 95 Comments

Super Ponyronpa: Cacophonous Symphony - TrackdNTraild



What happens when 16 ponies are trapped in a magic school, and have to kill eachother to leave?

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PROLOGUE END: Learning the Truth

Author's Note:

This chapter has a lot of images, I apologize in advance :rainbowderp: This chapter is a bit shorter than the rest just because of the sheer amount of images in this chapter.

Excuse my horrible map-making skills :facehoof:, I did make it in MSPaint after all :derpytongue2: It just felt wrong to have a map be talked about in the text and not actually have an image that you can go off of. Also no, the dorms aren't that small, I just wanted to showcase that there were 16 of them.

I also made custom student profiles for every character! :raritystarry: It took some time to make them all, but eventually I got them out of the way. I made them as I wrote each scene, and used a random generator to decide who to showcase next. Hope you guys like the fun info on them! :rainbowkiss:

EDIT 9/28/23: Fixed some spelling errors, extended some sentences, separated unnecessary paragraphs.

"On your tablet you have a few special features," Philomena explained. "You should have 3 apps on your tablets. The first app is your map, it showcases the current floor of the school that you're on! If you tap on it now, it will open up the map of the first floor, complete with labels!"

Starlight took the bird's advice, and pressed on the app labelled as 'Ultimate Academy of Gifted Ponies Map.' After a few seconds of showing a white screen, the map loading in.


That confirmed all the things that they had discovered before. The pool, the plaza, the garden... the only place that was new to Starlight was the fruit tree orchard. She was surprised she hadn't noticed it when she was at the plaza, and clearly Twilight's group hadn't noticed it at the garden either. She would have to look at it herself when she got the chance. She backed out of the app, and looked up at Philomena again.

"Now, for the second app!" Philomena flapped her wings and called attention from all the ponies. "The second app is all of your student profiles! If you open it up you can explore through the profiles of every student that is currently here on the school grounds! When you open the app, by default it will come up with your profile."

To test the theory, Starlight tapped on the app to open it up. She wasn't all that surprised when her student profile appeared on the screen.

She was shocked with everything that was written there, and honestly she was a little embarrassed. They even got her GPA! Though, she shouldn't be that amazed; this is a school after all, why wouldn't they showcase GPA's? But her likes and dislikes... it definitely made her face bloom with blush. She decided to scroll through some of the other profiles to see what they contained. The first profile she swiped to was Twilight's.

She wasn't at all surprised with Twilight's GPA. She seemed like a very smart pony, it just sounded right. She swiped to the next profile. The next profile was Trixie.

She was right. Trixie most definitely had an ego, and it showed 100%. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to get along with her very well. She was lucky the other mare was so focused on her own tablet. She decided to keep going through the profiles, and swiped to the next. This time instead of a mare, a stallion showed up; it was Sunburst.

She was pleasantly surprised with Sunburst's dislikes. Of course no one would like to be bossed around, but him being so outright with it was admirable. Though he was nervous on the stage, he seemed strong-willed in his own right. She might find herself hanging around him more often. She moves on to the next profile, and the Doctor shows up on her screen.

Well, it seemed he and Sunburst had one thing in common; they hated crowds. The Doctor sure seemed like an interesting pony. Starlight silently hoped that she could make time to get to know him as well. She'd never been much of an inventor, much more focused on magic and her kite craftsmanship, so it would be a new experience for her. She swipes to the next profile, which ends up being the pony right next to her; Rarity.

That wasn't surprising, Starlight thought. Her GPA might've been a bit of a shock, but she did seem to base her whole personality off her Ultimate talent. She passes a glance to the mare beside her, but quickly trains her eyes back on her tablet before their eyes can meet. She feels a sense of nervousness wash over her before she quickly swipes to the next profile. Ironically enough, she was somewhat relieved to see Prince Blueblood on her screen instead of Rarity.

What a prick, Starlight thought. He claims to dislike rude people, but he's most likely rude and uptight himself. Damn hypocrite. She quickly switches to the next profile before she can blow a fuse and set her horn on fire. The next profile is Shining Armor's.

Shining Armor was a very simple stallion, that much was obvious. He was like the protagonist of many stories Starlight used to read as a child. Her father would read them to her every night. At heart, she really loved the work those heroes did. Maybe she could be good friends with Shining if she really tried. She moved on to the next profile so she wouldn't get distracted. She groaned softly when Feather Bangs showed up on her screen.

Well, he could've been worse... She was glad nothing weird was written on his profile, though his GPA made her chuckle a little. He wasn't stupid, but he wasn't the highest of this class by any means. She almost felt bad for just thinking about it, but it did make her smile. She swiped to the next profile, and brought her attention to the fullest when Fluttershy's profile appeared on the screen.

Starlight expected no less from Fluttershy; she was too nervous to speak up most of the time she was with her. She hoped that she learned to get stronger as time went on. She couldn't imagine being eternally afraid like that. She passed a glance to the mare at the back of the group with sympathy in her eyes. She decided to keep looking through the profiles, and swiped to the next. The next profile was for Cheese Sandwich.

She would be more surprised if Pinkie's likes and dislikes were different from Cheese's. She could just imagine what her profile would be like. She knew those two would get along incredibly well. She swapped to the next profile, which just so happened to be Pinkie's.

Well, they weren't entirely the same, but Starlight expected they'd be similar. She was a bit worried about part of Pinkie's dislikes... for some reason, she felt like breaking a promise with Pinkie would be the worst possible idea. She was definitely a bit scared of the thought. She moved on before she could let it get to her. The next profile that showed up was Party Favor. Three party ponies in a row, what are the odds? Starlight hummed to herself.

So, he doesn't like loud noises... Starlight silently hoped when her group was trying to open the gate, they didn't startle him... She'd wonder the same with Fluttershy as well because she was close by. She felt bad for making so much noise now. She'd have to apologize to them both when she got the opportunity. She glanced back to Fluttershy again, and scanned the crowd for Party Favor, but couldn't see him from where she was standing. She looked back down at her tablet and kept on. She swapped to the next profile, which was of Rainbow Dash.

She didn't like the fact that Rainbow Dash had one of Trixie's dislikes too. They both had a pretty big ego, but it seemed like Rainbow Dash was more low-key about it. She seemed to be more focused on the ponies around her than Trixie was. She could admire that, and she honestly preferred it. She swiped to the next profile with a hum. The next profile was Applejack's.

Starlight wondered what it meant that Applejack liked traditions. Maybe she had some specific traditions on her farm that she wanted to keep around? She could understand that; traditions are important. She just hoped that Applejack wasn't too forceful with them. She took a breath as she got to the last profile, and she already knew who it was. The last profile to show up was Double Diamond's.

Ah, he likes muffins. A bit random, but fun, Starlight thought. She wondered if some of the party ponies would treat him once they got to the restaurant part of the school campus. It seemed that every pony was finally done looking through the profiles, because Philomena's squawks rang out around the lobby once again.

"I suppose everypony has had plenty of time to read while I've been bored?" She stretched her beak in a yawn and flapped her wings. After a few rounds of nodding from the group, her expression perked again. "Great! Now then, onto the very last app! If you'll all just head back to your homescreens, then you'll notice the last app next to all the rest. This one is the most important app of all. You'll need it if you're going to keep going to the school and if you want to leave too!"

Everypony backed out of the profile app. Starlight imagined some had already done so before Philomena spoke up. They each tapped on the last app. It was titled 'Gifted Academy Rules and Regulations.'

"I'll give you all some time to read through the rules, and I'll answer any questions that you have!" The phoenix situated herself on top of the podium, and closed her eyes. She appeared to be resting for now.

Starlight turned her head back down to the tablet as the page finally loaded, and she moved her mouth just faintly as she read every word on her screen.

'These are the rules that one must follow while attending the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Ponies. Failure to abide by school rules will result in rightful punishment as decided by Vice Headmare Philomena. The rules are as follows:

Rule #1: Students may reside only within the school. Leaving campus is an unacceptable use of time.

Rule #2: "Nighttime" is from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. The front entrance is closed at night. Restaurant Row is inaccessible during this time.

Rule #3: Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and punished accordingly.

Rule #4: With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore the campus at your discretion.

Rule #5: Violence toward Philomena, the headmare of the Ultimate Academy, is strictly prohibited.

Rule #6: Your Phoenix Pads are very important items. Please do not damage them.

Rule #7: Trading Phoenix Pads is strictly prohibited.

Rule #8: Students who violate the school rules will be forcibly removed from the academy.'

The rules seemed pretty straightforward and simple until... they got to rule #9. Starlight's ears drooped, her eyes widened, and a sick feeling filled the pit in her stomach as she continued reading the rules. She could only imagine the other ponies around her were feeling the same, and she could just imagine a smirk forming on Philomena's face.

'Rule #9: Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.

Rule #10: Once a murder takes place, all surviving students must participate in a class trial.

Rule #11: If the blackened is exposed during the class trial, they alone will be executed.

Rule #12: If the blackened is not exposed, all remaining students will be executed.

Rule #13: If the blackened survives the class trial, they will graduate and re-enter the outside world.

Rule #14: The killing game and class trials will continue until only two surviving students remain.

Rule #15: Unicorn magic is not allowed to be used to commit a murder. Pegasi are also forbidden from flying to commit a murder. Things must be fair for all ponies.

Rule #16: Philomena will never directly commit a murder.

Rule #17: The "Body Discovery Announcement" will play when three or more students discover a body.

Rule #18: The blackened may only kill a maximum of two ponies during any single "killing game".

Rule #19: If two different murders by different murderers occur at the same time, only the one whose victim was found first will be the blackened.

Rule #20: Destroying school property is not allowed, this includes surveillance cameras and monitors.

Rule #21: These rules may be updated as the Killing Game progresses.'

"W-wait, what does rule #9 mean?" Starlight heard herself speak, but she barely registered that she had spoken until Philomena awoke to respond to her.

"Well, can't you read?" The phoenix squawked. "Now that you've all read through the rules, you know how things are going to work in this school! And with that, I would like to welcome you all to the Canterlot Killing Game!"

"Excuse me?!" Rainbow Dash yelled out, flapping her wings and carrying herself into the air. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"In terms simple enough for even a filly to understand-" Philomena groaned with annoyance. "-you all are part of a fun little game that I myself have organized for you all! This is a Killing Game, and the only way to win the game is to kill. You can do it in any way you want! 🎵 Be subtle, be obvious, be specific or horrific! Tie up and beat or strangle while they plete! Any and every method works, whether it's horribly bloody or just slightly quirked. It doesn't matter as long as it's done, and for a bird that's the very definition of fun! 🎵"

Starlight couldn't help the sickness building up in her stomach as the phoenix sang her song. They had to kill eachother to escape this place?! What the hell..?

"Why would any of us kill eachother to leave this place?!" Trixie screamed out from the center of the crowd. "The Great and Powerful Trixie would never harm another pony for her own benefit!"

"Oh, but you will!" Philomena cackled behind her wings. "Trust me, you may think you're good willed now, but your puny pony minds at the moment can't comprehend the situation that you're in. I'll spell it out for you; there's a magical barrier that you pegasi can't fly through, and you unicorns can't shatter. Even an Alicorn can't break this barrier. All of the gates are locked with a specific spell that none of you remember to cast. Try as you might, you'll never undo that lock! And until some ponies start dropping dead, you're all going to be trapped here until you die!"

Philomena flew off her podium as Rainbow Dash darted forward, waving her hooves and trying to attack the bird.

"Hey hey hey!" Philomena cawed loudly. "Remember your rulebook, pony! You can't harm me unless you want to be the first punished victim!"

"D-does punishment mean..?" Fluttershy weakly whimpered, tears beginning to stream down her face and drip off her shaky body.

"Ding ding!" Philomena hummed happily. "If you're caught breaking the school rules, then I'll have no choice but to execute you!"

"Execute?" Rainbow Dash flinched. She still had that flame of anger in her eyes, but fear made her body quiver even if it wasn't obvious to every pony.

"You heard me correctly!" Philomena flew down and landed back on the podium, watching as Rainbow Dash descended back to the ground and stared at her in disbelief. "Regardless of what you all do, you're going to die someday anyways! I'm just speeding up the process!"

"If we have to kill to leave this place, then we won't leave!" Twilight yelled at the phoenix confidently. "I have faith that we all are going to become good friends in here, and no matter what, we will never kill another pony for any selfish reason!"

"You'll regret those words," Philomena said coldly. She blinked at Twilight, unamused with her words. "I figured you ponies would be so caught up behind the guise of 'friendship' that you wouldn't take your situation seriously, so I've prepared something very special for you all that might speed up the process."

The phoenix raised one of her wings, revealing she was holding a remote control. She pressed the red button in the center with one of her feathers, and the screen for a slideshow appeared behind her. A projector descended from the ceiling and lit up the room as it cast an image on the screen.

"As you all know, there is a restaurant street outside of the school. This area is blocked off by a magical barrier for the time being," The bird explained as she clicked through the slides, which contained pictures matching the words she was saying. "I will tell you all this; your first motivation to kill while inside this school is this exact location."

"How so?" Rainbow Dash squinted her eyes up at the screen.

"This area won't open until somepony dies!" Philomena cackled.

Her laughter bounced off all of the walls in the room as she tossed the remote to the side and crushed it under her talon. The projector and the screen began to ascend back into the ceiling. The pictures the projector was casting glitched out as the machinery disappeared into the ceiling.

"You ponies are going to starve in one week unless some pony dies," Philomena hissed angrily. "If you can survive until that point and simply die of starvation in the end, then you'll be the most stubborn bunch of ponies I've ever come across. But, I've heard it's not that easy! So, if some pony dies before the week is over, then I will take down the magical barrier, and you will be allowed to enter the Restaurant Row. You will be treated to a buffet and you'll be able to engorge yourselves before the investigation begins."

"So it's either we kill somepony, or we starve to death?" Applejack scrunched up her nose. "That's outright ridiculous! You'd be nuttier than a bull in a pig show to pull some trick like that!"

"Then I suppose I'm a squirrel!" Philomena waved her wings as her chest rapidly rose and fell as she laughed. "I'll give you ponies some time to think about what to do. Have fun!"

The ponies called out for the bird as she flapped her wings and disappeared into the upstairs. She seemed to find a small opening in the bars that made up the balcony so she could slip in. No pony could fit through to get into the upstairs; they had to figure out a way to unlock it. At the moment though, their minds were elsewhere. Starlight looked around the room, and didn't recognize the expressions of any pony she saw. Few were tearing up, Fluttershy was crying, many ponies had their faces scrunched up with anger and disgust. All of the warmth from before had disappeared into the air.

Starlight stared at the ground, seeing that she had dropped her Phoenix Pad. Thankfully, it didn't break, but she still didn't remember when she dropped it. Her widened eyes stared blankly at the item, and even her horn was unresponsive to what her body wanted to do; pick it up.

Her heart began to thump. It thumped so hard she could feel it in her stomach and her head. It made her sick to her stomach, and she didn't like it one bit. But either way, she had to accept what the reality was here. Were these ponies going to accept their fates and starve to death in this academy? Or... was some pony really going to kill another to escape from this wretched school?