Prologue: Castle of Despair - part 1 [edited]

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I remember how all the ponies at school use to pick on me because my eyes weren’t normal. It hurt a lot since I knew that I was just like them, and yet because of that simple difference they acted like I was a hideous monster. The bullying wouldn’t stop for a long time, but my mom always told me that I was special. She said that even though I was different, I would grow up to be somepony that was respected whether it was in one way or another. I didn’t think that would lead me to be a mail mare, but that’s what happened in the end.

Yet, something was off as a found myself lying on the ground, my eyes from an uneventful sleep. Last thing I remembered was soaring to deliver a letter to someone in Cloudsdale, but now I could feel grass against my fur. There was a possibility that I had fallen unconscious during my mail run (it has happened before) but I don’t think that was it. My memory seemed to just skip from flying in the air to laying down here with my eyes closed, and after a few moments I was finally confused to the point where I needed to open my eyes. It was hard, as they felt incredibly heavy, but I was soon able to.

“Oh, you're okay!”

The first thing to enter my vision was the blurry figure of a yellow pegasus standing over me. Her pink mane covered one of her eyes, and she stay a fair distance away from where I layed. As my vision completely cleared I was able to make out who this pony was, only to realize I had no idea who they were at all. Her mane was long, almost touching the floor before it curled back up. Looking to her flank I could see that her cutie marks was that of three butterflies. She seemed nice, so I gave her a smile as I staggered back onto my hooves.

“Don’t worry, I’m completely fine!” I told her confidently. “This isn’t the first time I’ve fallen unconscious while flying after all.”

“Um… okay,” The pegasus said, trying to hide behind her mane. “Though… I-I don’t think you fell from, well, the sky. I woke up here too and I’m a… horrible flyer.”

I didn’t get what she was trying to say, but a quick glance at my surroundings told me that she might be right. I seemed to be in some sort of fancy garden with a stone statue of some weird mismatched creature standing tall in front of me. A large building seemed to surround the garden on all four sides made entirely of stone. If I remember from school correctly, the style that came to mind as I looked was gothic, though that might be wrong. Still I don’t remember being anywhere near a large building like this when I was flying earlier. It brought up a bunch of questions, but I figured I would hold off on them and find out who this pony in front of me was.

“I can see what you mean. This definitely doesn’t look like anything close to what I saw before waking up,” I explained to her, looking at the sky before looking back to her. “Oh! We haven’t introduced ourselves. You can go first if you want.”

“O-oh! Sorry,” She apologized to me, the look on her face made me feel like I said something wrong. “Well… I guess I should since we don’t know each other. I am Fluttershy, a resident of Ponyville and the Ultimate Animal Caretaker, I guess.”

“Wait, you're an Ultimate too?” I asked her, giving her a yelp in surprise.

“Yes I… kinda am. I mean I like animals and everything but I didn’t think taking care of my pets could make me an Ultimate,” She rubbed her front hooves against each other, looking away from me. Fluttershy definitely lived up to her name, though the fact she was an Ultimate did surprised me. “Sorry if this is personal but… you said something about also being an Ultimate? Or did you know someone who was?”

“Well I am an Ultimate, though it isn’t as special as yours seem to be,” I told her, rubbing the back of my head. “The names Ditzy Do, and as weird as it may sound, I am the Ultimate Mail Carrier.”

As I said that I could see the confusion on her face. It wasn’t that much of a surprise, considering that the words ‘Ultimate’ and ‘Mail Carrier’ aren’t something you would expect to hear next to each other. I was given the title because of how reliable I was, though truthfully I’m really unlucky. Falling unconscious during a delivery is not the worst that’s happened, though I do always manage to get the package to the right place in the end. Honestly, they should have given the title to someone else that didn’t seem to knock over every package. I’m still surprise none of them have broken on me... save for maybe that piano.

“Well it’s nice to meet another Ultimate, I guess,” Fluttershy told me. I know she was trying to be nice but the extra ‘I guess’ at the end did make it sound a little less kind. “Though as you said it is a little weird. Guess it doesn’t matter as long as you're okay with it right?”

“I never said I wanted to be an Ultimate, it was just a title I was given by the Princesses,” I told her. “Though, we can talk about that later. We should find out where we currently are, because I don’t know about you but I’m completely lost.”

“Yeah, I guess we could but,” She turned away as she continued to speak. “I know there are other Ultimates here as well. I… don’t really feeling comfortable talking to ponies I haven’t met before.”

“Then I’ll talk for you. I love making new friends anyway,” I told her.

She nodded her head and showed me to a door that was located on the right wall of the garden. I think I was right when I said the style was Gothic, because this place made me feel like I was in a funeral. Opening the door, we were greeted to the inside of what must have been a castle, two curved staircases leading to a second floor was to our left and right. The floor was definitely marble, and a very refined one based on how it looks. In front of us was another pony, and if Fluttershy was to be believed, she was also an Ultimate.

“Excuse me miss, could I ask-” She put a hoof on my mouth, silencing me.

“Sorry, I don’t want to talk right now, I’m so confused,” She said, before starting to pace around the room again.

The pony in question was a purple unicorn with a stars for her cutie mark. She had a straight purple mane with a sole pink stripe going down it. We watched as she continued to pace around the room for a while, giving theory after theory as to what this place could be. Everytime she came up with a new one she would shoot it down with something else that she seemed to discover whether it be the style or smoothness of the stone walls. While it was interesting at first, I eventually got tired of waiting and intervened.

“Look we have no idea where we are either okay,” I said putting my front hooves on her shoulder and making her looking into my eyes, or whichever one she decided to focus on. “I just woke up in the garden and I am just as confused as you are, okay.”

We stood there for a few second before she asked me “Aren’t you curious about the statue?”

“Huh?” I was caught off guard by the question, and before I could answer she continued to explain.

“You know, the weird statue in the middle of the garden,” No, I already knew what you were talking about but- “This isn’t the first time I’ve seen it, but I thought there was only suppose to be one of them. That is what Celestia said anyway, and obviously something isn’t right about this place because Celestia is always right. This shouldn’t be a problem, but it still makes me wonder when someone got the time to make it.”

“Um… yeah, sure,” I really had no idea how to respond to something like that, but I better get her name while she is still silent. “Well considering what Fluttershy told me I’m guessing that you are an Ultimate. Am I correct?”

“How could you not realize that I’m an Ultimate,” She freaked out as soon as I finished, in fact she seemed to freak out too easily. “I am not only the Ultimate Magic Researcher, but also the personal student of Princess Celestia. The name is Twilight Sparkle.”

Despite her earlier paranoia, the way she introduced herself made her seem filled with personal pride. That said, her reason for being an Ultimate made much more sense than mine did. No doubt being Princess Celestia’s personal student instantly made her special. I had heard about a unicorn that had become close to the princess, but for it to be this pony was rather unexpected. I was really interested in knowing how she had managed to become so close to the Princess, so I decided to ask her.

“Hey Twilight-”

“Could you leave me alone, I have more important things to do than make conversation,” She said pushing me to the side before starting to theorize everything from why we were here to why it reminded her so much of Canterlot Castle.

“She… didn’t seem very interested in talking,” Fluttershy said, stating what I had figured out pretty well at this point. “Perhaps we should look for someone else… or perhaps we could just head back to the garden.”

I was already making my way to a hallway on the left side of what I decided was the entrance hall. I would check outside later, I wanted to know who else was inside right now. As soon as I turned the corner I found a stallion looking at the walls in curiousity. His coat was brown, an hourglass for a cutie mark. His mane and tail were rather normal compared to the other two that I have met so far, being a darker brown than his coat.

“Don’t you think this is absolutely fascinating?!” He asked us as we made our way up to him. He certainly wasn’t shy about talking like Twilight seemed to be.

“Wh-what do you mean exactly?” I was surprised to hear Fluttershy actually talking to him. Perhaps she already knew him.

“Why the sophisticated design of the walls! It is definitely all earth pony made,” I guess I should have expected him to say that, given how much he seemed to like staring at them. “I’m not much into architecture, but most of the time things like this are made by unicorns due to how tall and detailed they tend to be. However you can tell from the uneven cutting of the stone that it was done by hooves, and earth ponies are the creators of the gothic style. That is what they say in the history books at least.”

“So you're a historian then?” Considering how he seemed to know the origin of the style it would make sense.

“Actually I’m a scientist, made a time machine which earned me my title as an Ultimate though no one really cares,” He seemed a little down as he said that, and I could understand when you have an invention that no one pays attention to. “Well, such is the fate of the Ultimate Scientist Doctor Hooves, but one does not let a simple defeat go unanswered.”

“Wouldn’t making a time machine… make you the Ultimate Inventor?” Fluttershy asked. I was surprised at how easy she seemed to be speaking to this Doctor Hooves… wait a second.

“Actually, I know who you are,” I shouted in realization. “I’ve made deliveries for some of the books that you have written. You’ve made a lot of discoveries in the area of non-magical teleportation and other things involving space-time, right?”

“Ah, so you are a mail carrier than?” I nodded my head. I wasn’t all that interested in science, but I’ll admit that I’ve taken a peek at some of those books during my deliveries. “In that case let me give you some advice. No matter what others tell you, no matter what they think of your work, don’t let them get in your way. Those books are the true reason for my title as Ultimate, but I will show the world that I can someday literally change history.”

I understood what he meant, but in a rather different way. I was always bullied by the other kids at school for how my eyes looked, saying that I looked dumb and stupid. When I told them I wanted to be a mail mare they would laugh, but I had reasons for saying such things. Making deliveries would make ponies happy, even if they didn’t know who I was. I never planned on becoming an Ultimate for such a thing, but my job has made me happy. Plus I can buy lots of muffins as well!

Doctor Hooves went back to examining the walls of the castle while we made our way to the end of the hall. At the end we were left confused as we were met with a stairway that was blocked off with lots and lots of barbed wire. I could just barely make out what was ahead, and I couldn’t understand why they would even put the wire there in the first place. Everything seemed at least slightly normal until this point, and I got an uneasy feeling looking at it.

“An absolutely bizarre sight isn’t it,” I looked to see yet another stallion in the hallway standing right next to me. “Well not as bizarre as the large dome over this castle that’s for sure but bizarre nonetheless. I’ll have to ask whoever made this place what the reasoning is for putting this here.”

“Um… who are you?” Judging by the attire of the pony he definitely was no scientist or researcher, making him a bit of an oddity compared to the other two I have met so far.

“Oh, pardon me for not introducing myself to you,” He zipped in front of us, standing on his hind hooves and holding his hat in his front right. “I am Flam, and though I have obtain the title of Ultimate Con artist I can assure you I am completely trustworthy.”

...

Yeeeeaaaaah, might not be the best idea to announce your ultimate talent when it is something like ‘Con Artist’. I've made plenty of mistakes and even I know better then to say things like that, especially when you seem to be proud of it. Counterfeiting is a crime after all, and for a very good reason.

“How can you be a Ultimate for something that is considered a crime?” It wasn’t something I would normally ask, but it was something that I need to know.

“No one ever said that a ponies had to be completely good to be an Ultimate,” The way Flam said that seemed way to cheerful for someone with a talent for that. “Besides, I’m only one half of that talent. I need my brother to pull off anything truly incredible, as he has the exact same Ultimate as I am.”

That didn’t really make things any better, knowing that he had a brother with the exact same talent as him. At least, from the way he phrased it, he couldn’t pull off anything crazy without him.

“Well, whether you're an Ultimate or not I’m turning you in when we get out of here.” I told him, though he didn’t seem all that worried about it.

“If you find a way out than go ahead, but if you think that door in the entrance hall is going to get you out of here then you then, well, better think again,” That statement left me confused. Wouldn’t the entrance lead us outside? “There’s a giant glass dome around this castle, and most likely no way out save for teleportation.”

A glass dome covering the castle? If that was the case then I wouldn’t have been able to get inside. The same would been said for Fluttershy, Flam, and Doctor Hooves. However, even if there was a dome, they couldn’t just make something that big by the time everypony started waking up. So much for being trustworthy, though I had my doubts on how much I could trust Flam from the very moment he told me his ultimate talent.

“Y-you can’t mean we’re… stuck here, right?” Fluttershy asked. Looking at her she was shaking uncomfortably.

“That would be correct, but if you can find a way out I’m sure everypony else here would be happy to get out,” He tipped his hat to us as he continued his lies. “Of course, I can understand if you don’t believe me; I am the Ultimate Con Artist after all. I’m the last pony you’d probably trust.”

With that he took off, leaving Fluttershy shaking violently in place. I didn’t like finding ponies untrustable, but Flam seemed way to okay with being a con artist for me to trust him at all. However, the look of worry and fear on Fluttershy’s face made me terrified as well. Flam was getting to her head badly, something that I refused to allow. I came up to her and started patting her on the back in hopes to calm her down, but that’s when I heard what she was whispering to herself.

“A-Angel, Mr Bear, are they all going to be okay without me?” That’s right, she was the Ultimate Animal Caretaker. Learning that she might not be able to leave must have made her really worried.

“Don’t worry Fluttershy I’m sure he was just trying to get in our heads,” I explained to her in an attempt to calm her down, though I had to admit even I was a little afraid of a dome covering this place. “No way that’s true if both you and me could get here. He said himself that the only way out would be to teleport, so obviously the only way in would be the same.”

“But what if he is telling the truth?” She asked me. “Wh-what if we are locked in for the rest of our lives and my animals think I’m... dead?! What if they thing I was eaten?”

“How about you... go relax in the garden. I’ll come back and find you once I meet everypony, okay?” She needed to relax. I didn’t want her to freak out about something that might not even be true.

Fluttershy didn’t even nod as she ran off back to the garden, tears covering her face, and leaving me all alone. I felt kinda bad, like I had accidentally told her to leave me alone and that I didn’t want her aroudn. However, that wasn’t what I had to be focusing on! There were other ponies here that I haven’t yet met that were waiting to become my friends. Looking around the hallway I found a single door to my immediate left... the only one in the gigantic hallway. For something as big as a castle it definitely felt empty. I wonder where the kitchen is, or if this place even has a kitchen...

... I could really go for a muffin right now. Stay focus Ditzy, that isn’t what you should be thinking about right now.

“I don’t understand how you could find this place at all ... dazzling,” As soon as I opened the door I immediately started to regret my decision. “No author, even if they write such silly adventure stories, should find such a gloomy place like this lovely.”

“Those stories aren’t silly, and who are you to decide what I like and don’t like!” Compared to the melodrama I heard in the first pony, a white unicorn with a twirly purple mane and tail, the second one seemed much more calm and relaxed. “Besides, once we get out of here this place it might make a good location for the next Daring Do book.”

Wait… did she just say what I think she did? I looked to the owner of the second voice, and my eyes lit up in glee and joy. The pony in front of me was wearing a dark purple cloak over their tan-ish fur, wearing an old fashioned hat with a white bow going across smack in the middle. I saw her turn to me, and her eyes widen greatly as I rushed to hug her. I didn’t need her to introduce herself to me. I mean, pretty much everypony knows about A.K. Yearling, the Ultimate Author.

“Excuse me, could you please let go,” Realizing I was invading her personal space I quickly backed off. “Thanks, I’m guessing you already know who I am.”

“Who wouldn’t know who you are?!” I couldn’t contain myself as I spoke, I was pretty much overflowing with questions to ask her. “I’ve read all your books and it’s crazy just how real and intense it makes me feel! What are you doing here? Are you here looking for the location of your next book?”

“Not really. Like most ponies here I woke up in the garden a few hours ago,” So everypony woke up in the same spot, that’s a little fishy. “There seems to be at least thirteen others here besides those of us in this room. Speaking of which, do you think you could explain to Rarity over here that Romantic Drama’s are not the only good genre of books. I can’t seem to get it through to her.”

“Well at least I can tell what good style is compared to you,” I looked back to the white unicorn from earlier. “You obviously have not been keeping up with the recent trends in Equestria, and I can tell you that this is as far from trendy as possible.”

“Fashion trends does not translate to architecture, so don’t act like you understand it.”

“Yeah, and who are you to say anything about that when all you are is an author. I personally believe, as the Ultimate Dressmaker, that you must stick with the times and know trends,” So Rarity is the Ultimate Dressmaker, that definitely explains a lot about her personality. “It might look old but a keen eye like mine can tell you that a lot of this rather new.”

“Still, not everyone has the same opinions Rarity. If you want A.K. to trust you maybe you should try to see it from their perspective.” The gasp that followed from Rarity as I said those words sounded rather forced, but was all too real considering what came next.

“Well I never!” She stomped the ground in anger. “I knew you weren’t a pony of high standing given the eyes, no offense of course, but I didn’t think you would actually side with her. In that case, I guess I’ll just have to find someone in this dull stone monument that actually knows real fashion from past… wonders.”

With that Rarity stormed off, leaving me and A.K. Yearling alone in what I believed was the living room (the fireplace, couches, and a pair of end tables is what lead me to believe that). Rarity was clearly a character, and something told me I would be dealing with her drama a lot. A big exhale from A.K. Yearling told me that she had been dealing with the dressmaker for a long time before I had come in. The smile on her face as we looked at each other made me want to squeal (which I thankfully didn’t).

“That’s not how I expected this to end but... thanks,” My mind was screaming at how much I wanted to fangirl right now. “I don’t think I ever got your name miss…”

“Ditzy Doo, Ultimate Mail Carrier,” I tried my hardest to not go beserk. Questions could wait till everyone left, though I had to wonder why everyone was actually staying. Had Flam really been that convincing. “I hope you don’t mind me asking but what does the A.K. in your name stand for, or is it a pseudonym?”

“It’s a pseudonym, but I never really thought about what the A.K. stood for. In all honesty it just sounded right in my head,” Well, I guess that makes a lot of sense; A.K. did seem like a rather strange first name. “Well it’s nice to met you Ditzy, and don’t listen to what Rarity said about your eyes. I’m sure that even a pony like you could become royalty.”

Oh. My. God. I had to quickly say thank you before leaving the room and exploding in fangirlism. A.K. Yearling had just said that I could be Royalty, and she wasn’t even bothered by how weird my eyes looked! Waking up in this castle may have been weird and concerning, but meeting her had just made this one of the best days of my life. I’ve read every book she’s released, gone to every convention concerning her, even cosplayed as some of her characters (a skill I still need to work on), nothing could make this day bad anymore.

“Excuse me miss, are you okay?” The accent of the pony who had just started to talk to me initially made me think it was Rarity, but looking at the pony I realized I was wrong. Her fur was grey instead of white, and her mane and tail was an even darker shade of gray.

“Yeah I’m fine, I just can’t believe that I just met A.K. Yearling and talked with her,” My voice had gone extremely high pitch from the excitement I was currently under. “This has to be the best day of my life.”

“Well it’s good to see your happy,” She put a little smile on her face. “Oh where are my manners! The names Octavia, the Ultimate Cellist,” I was slightly confused as I didn’t understand exactly what a cellist was. “It’s what someone who plays the Cello is called. I’m not that well known yet, but someday I will play on the greatest stages in all of Equestria.”

“Well I hope that you reach that goal,” I felt bad for thinking she was Rarity, as it was clear that Octavia was very different from the Dressmaker. “Sorry that I didn’t know what your ultimate talent stood for, but it sounds like somepony who studies cells or watches over a prison.”

“Trust me, you're not the first to make that assumption,” Hearing that made me feel even worse, but she didn’t seem that upset over. “However I won’t let something so simple as that keep me from my dream. I hope that wherever you go you reach your dream too!”

She was the second pony to say that to me, though to be honest I didn’t really have anything else planned for my life. Working at the Post Office was my dream job, and I didn’t really care about anything other than making sure those around me was happy and eating muffins. Speaking of muffins, I still haven’t found the kitchen or dining room and I was really hoping to find one before leaving this castle. I hadn’t had a muffin since dinner time last night and a castle like this must have muffins… right? No, you can leave that for later, focus on the task at hand Ditzy.

Knowing that it wasn’t on this end of the hallway I made my way back to the entrance hall where Twilight was still theorizing why we were here. Making my way past her and into the hallway on the far side of the room I found that it was nearly identical to the one I had just been in. The stairs at the end of the hall were blocked off with barbed wire just like before and only one door was present on the hallway’s left side. Seeing how it was the only place I had yet to check inside the castle, it became my next destination.

Going through the door I was met by what was clearly the dining hall. A large central table with a wooden perimeter and legs and a glass inside stood in the middle of the room. Plants of various kinds - all of which I didn’t recognize - lined the outside of the room giving the room a rather relaxed feel. Another door was on the far right corner of the room, which I predicted was the kitchen, and I was eager to immediately run over if a strange object on the far left corner hadn’t caught my attention.

That object was a small black metal ball that was attached to the top of the ceiling. It had a camera like lens on the front of it, which sent a shiver up my spine as that idea ran through my head. Does that mean we are being watched right now? That wouldn’t make any sense if this place was as old as it looked, but Flams words earlier started forming again in my head. If we really were being watched, than had they somehow managed to trap us? No, he’s a Con Artist and ponies like that weren’t to be trusted.

In the end I decided to just leave the strange object be and head to the kitchen where-

“I still think that whoever lived in this castle wouldn’t be so picky when it comes to food,” Guess I wasn’t the only pony who was looking for something to eat.

“Excuse me, does anyone knows if-” I was cut off yet again (though this time it was spoken and not in my head) by a loud exaggerated gasp.

“Oh my gosh, a new pony!” As soon as I heard the high pitched sqeaky voice a pink blur rushed into me and knocked me over. “Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie, the Ultimate Party Planner! You also woke up in the garden right? Are you also an Ultimate? What’s your name?! Birthday?! How about-”

“Pinkie, let her breathe for Celestia’s sake,” Another pony came into view as the pink blur hopped away with a large smile on her face. Her fur was a cream-like color and a pink and blue mane. “Well, since she introduced herself I might as well do the same. The name is Bon Bon, Ultimate Candymaker. Anyway, mind if I ask why you are here?”

“If you are talking being in the castle, I’m probably as confused as all of you,” Honestly, neither Bon Bon or Pinkie looked all that concerned but I know better to think otherwise. I did hide my despair under a smile a lot during my high school years, wouldn’t be surprise if Pinkie at least did the same. “If you mean why I’m here in the kitchen, I was hoping to find some muffins to eat?”

“Well, as strange as it is you’re not going to find any muffins here,” My mind broke as I heard those words from Bon Bon. How could there not be a single muffin. “I guess if you're looking for something they do seem to have a lot of bagels here.”

...bagels?!

“Plain, cinnamon raisin, vegetarian, gluten free, this place seems to have every bagel you could ever want!” Forget what I said about Pinkie hiding her feelings, that voice of hers could probably take down a Manehattan skyscraper. “Seriously though, as the Ultimate Party Planner I can’t let a single pony go without knowing their birthday. If I didn’t know, then how would I your birthday party!”

Already upset that there wasn’t a single muffin in the kitchen, I tried everything I could to get out without having to answer. That didn’t work out in the end, and after much help from Bon Bon I managed to escape with most of my insanity left. That Pinkie Pie, even if she didn’t mean any harm, was easily going to drive me and some other ponies up the wall. At least she seemed genuinely happy, though maybe a little to happy about the entire bagel thing.

Leaving the kitchen and dining hall I decided to do one last sweep of the entire inside of the castle. Coming to the conclusion that no one else was inside the castle and that there wasn’t anyplace I could check that I haven’t yet, I made my way to the front entrance. Flam’s words once again crossed my mind, and I knew that by opening these doors I would be ultimately proving him wrong. With that in mind I opened them without any hesitation, feeling hope as the sun greeted my eyes…

… and then immediately that feeling of hope was crushed as despair filled my body. Flam was right: we were all trapped in a giant glass cage surrounding a gigantic castle.

Prologue: Castle of Despair - part 2 [edited]

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He was right, and I could barely believe it. I was so certain that he was tricking me because of his talent that I hadn’t even thought about why nopony had left. Some I could understand wanting to stay, but surely someone like Rarity would have been gagging at how ‘unfashionable’ the castle was. I felt even worse when I remember what I said to Fluttershy, and that it had turned into a lie without me even wanting it to be. The feeling of despair that I felt when I thought about that hurt horribly, knowing that there was now no way out.

“This… this is insane!” I shouted to no one but myself, as if saying the words would make this all go away.

Those words did nothing but further instill how real this all was. I was stuck in this castle and I had no idea how or when I got here. My body seemed to grow heavy as I looked from the base of the glass dome up to its top before disappearing behind the castle. As I looked on I saw the body of a blue pegasus rushing around above me, zipping from one end of the dome to the other before landing only a few feet in front of me. Her body was tense and her rainbow mane was a complete mess from the velocity she must have been flying at. The growl of annoyance she voiced as her front hooves forcibly slammed into the concrete path in front of us told me everything I need to know about her current feelings.

“What is up with this place?!” She yelled to the courtyard that stood in front of us both. “If that dome was just a little higher I could probably get enough speed to drop into a sonic rainboom, but I can’t. This is so not cool. At least give me the space to fly if you're going to trap me in this place.”

“Are you okay?” I didn’t really know how she would react, but considering that she didn’t turn around and hit me I could see she wasn’t in absolute rage.

“I don’t get it, what reason does the pony who brought us here have for making this huge dome? I don’t even have the space to do a simple ariel roll without having to worry about ramming into that giant stone building with my head!” She took a few breaths, falling onto her back and looking up at me. Looking into her eyes I felt like I knew her from somewhere. “Oh, hey Ditzy. Haven’t seen you in a long time.”

Suddenly it hit me like that packaged piano. “Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow Dash was one of my classmates from back in flight school, and top of her class at that. She was one of the youngest ponies in history to obtain the title of Ultimate, and the youngest pegasus to obtain such a title. She was the Ultimate Stunt Flyer, and considering some of the stuff she pulled off back in class it was no wonder that she earned that title. Despite that, however, most ponies who try to hire her are denied because of her loyalty to friends and family. I was one of those friends, though our introductions to each other were rather rocky.

“Yep it’s me, I’m surprised to see somepony like you stuck in here as well. At least there is one friendly face that I recognize,” I don’t think she was the only one surprised about a familiar face being here. I knew from what A.K. had told me that everypony here was an Ultimate but I didn’t expect one of them to be a close friend. “Let me guess, you also thought we could leave whenever we want?”

“Yeah, but I guess that’s not an option now, isn’t it?” Of course with my bad luck it only made sense that I get caught in a situation like this. I take back what I said about this being the best day of my life. First the muffins and now this strange dome, that was more than enough of a reason to say this day went from best to worst. “So… I’m guessing you’ve already met everypony else.”

“Well yeah, got out of that claustrophobic garden in the castle as soon as I could,” Nothing new there. Rainbow always did hate closed spaces. “I might as well introduce you to those who are outside right now. They aren’t all cool but I’ll give some of them a few points for at least trying to be as cool as me.”

With no idea of what to really do at this point, I decided that introducing myself to those I have yet to meet might be a good idea. It did seem like we were going to be here for a while, and I would like to know who I’d be staying with during that time. As I didn’t feel comfortable flying, Rainbow trotted with me as we explored the large courtyard in front of us. It wasn’t really special, as it was basically grassy plain with two paths going to the left and right near the end. We didn’t even reach it by the time Rainbow called out to somepony up ahead.

“AJ! There’s someone I would like to introduce you to!”

Looking to where Rainbow Dash was directing her voice I made out the figure of an orange earth pony sitting on the side of the past. Without warning Rainbow grabbed one of my front hooves and rushed towards her. Knowing from past experiences just how futile it was to try and get Rainbow to slow down, I let her propelle the two of us forward. As we came within a few inches of the orange mare, who was now looking at us with intrigue, Rainbow suddenly came to a halt and I found my muzzle kissing the ground from force. It took me a few seconds to get my bearings together and wobbly get back on my hooves.

“Applejack, I would like you to meet my friend Ditzy,” I was still rubbing the end of my muzzle when Rainbow started introducing me. “Ditzy, this is the Ultimate Farmer: Applejack. You probably know her from the apples her family sells at Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Ah appreciate the introduction Rainbow but ya don’t need to go throwing around the title Ultimate Farmer like it’s special,” Well, if those words were anything to go by then Applejack’s ego was about the opposite of Rainbows. “It’s nice to meet you Ditzy. Though I can’t say that your name really does you any favors, you seem like a mighty fine gal.”

Looking at the mare Rainbow was talking about, I was glad to see a rather pleasant smile on her face. While I could see the orange coat from earlier, I couldn’t see just how much muscle was in her legs. It didn’t pop through the fur in the way some stallions did, but the strength she held was clear just by looking at her figure. It makes sense given her title, but she didn’t seem to really care at all about what that title meant. She didn’t seem to care about hiding her feelings toward the matter either, which was rather surprising to me.

“Applejack’s family run a farm together not far outside of Ponyville, that’s the main reason why she doesn’t see it as very special,” Rainbow’s explanation gave me a much better idea of why she didn’t seem to care about being called an Ultimate. “Apparently the reason she obtained the title of ultimate in the first place was because of the annual cider festival in Canterlot. She was there representing her family and won the ‘best apple cider’ prize for Sweet Apple Acres, which apparently gave her that title.”

“Um.. ah don’t remember telling you anything about the cider festival. How do you know?”

“I pay better attention when flying around than I do on the ground, that’s all there is to it. Heard you talking about it with that diva named Rarity some time ago.”

Rainbow wasn’t lying about that either. Compared to the troublemaker she was when she was in the classroom, Rainbow Dash still did incredibly well in normal school classes. I learned later that she actually does all her studying while flying, and that apparently it helps her out. It was pretty much the exact opposite to me, as my attention in flight was absolutely terrible. Again, it is a completely wonder how I haven’t managed to lose a delivery or arrive off time when my luck is so bad.

“Look, even if you didn’t mean to freak me out that way, could you please not do that?” Applejack asked, clearly feeling as if her personal space had been invaded. “With this giant dome around us and no clear way out I would rather not have somepony constantly listening into everything that I say.”

“Don’t worry, Rainbow may not understand personal space and info all the time but she’s a good friend of mine for a reason,” I told her as I hung a wing around Rainbow Dash. “If she does it again I’ll keep in an eye on her for you, but I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that.”

“Hope so, but it really is nice to meet you,” She said, tilting the western styled hat that was on her head. “Still, don’t go tossing around my ‘title’ like it’s special alright.”

I promised that I would and we bid Applejack farewell, Rainbow showing me the way to the courtyard’s southernmost point. As we made our way down, I could hear the sound of a pony who must have been intimidating some long deceased playwrite. A groan escaped Rainbow, and a look at her face told me she didn’t seem very happy to see the blue unicorn standing not far ahead. She wore a darker blue cape with stars on it and a magician hat, both looked like they have been covered in glitter. Something told me this was what Rainbow meant earlier by not everypony ‘being cool’. She does seem to be rather extreme, or maybe even more melodramatic than Rarity.

“Good afternoon ladies and gentlecolts,” The unicorn said as she turned to us, her voice sounding high and mighty. “Have you come today to watch the great and powerful Trrrrixie work wonders? Or have you also come to laugh at my ‘cosplay’ and manner of speech?”

“Nah, not right now Trixie,” Rainbow really didn’t seem to be in the mood for talking to this Trixie right now. “I just came to introduce my friend Ditzy over here. Why don’t you just say who you are so we can leave and never have to talk again.”

“I could smite you for saying that to someone like me, but I will excuse you this once,” Trixie looked to me, bowing and pulling the cape around her body. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Ditzy, and you should be please to meet somepony such as I. For I am none other than the great, the powerful, the magnificent Trrrixie Lulamoon,” With that she flung her cape open, allowing for what seemed like hundreds of fireworks to fly out. “Master of illusion magic and Ultimate Showpony, I am known across Equestria for my daring tricks and feats. So, now that you’ve wasted Trixie’s time I would like it if you would leave me.”

She pushed me to the side, mumbling to herself about something that I couldn’t make out. I could see why Rainbow hated her, though the pegasus always seemed to hate anyone with a bigger ego than her own. Trixie also seemed incredibly over the top, which is another thing that I knew Rainbow hated, because she was suppose to be ‘the coolest pony in Equestria’. They both seemed stuck in their own worlds, both of which seemed to revolve around them.

“I… would rather not talk about that pony,” She said, already walking off in the other direction. “Since she’s heading to the training yard I’ll show you the infirmary first. It’s rather likely Redheart is still there, and I had something I wanted to ask her anyway.”

The infirmary was on the left when coming out of the castle, and seemed more along the lines of those clinics you see in war stories. On the outside it was just a standard white building with a glowing green plus, and it seemed much more modern than anything else. The inside didn’t have a check-in desk, immediately opening up to two rows of hospital beds. On the far end was cabinets with many bottles of what I assumed was medicine showing through glass doors. As we walked in we were met with the eyes of a white mare with a pink mane and tail held up in a bun. She seemed to be rummaging through those cabinets at the time of our entrance.

“Ah, Rainbow Dash, it’s good to see again,” She greeted us, her voice calming. She looked to me, and I found that her smile was just as calming as her voice was. “And I see that you’ve brought a friend with you too.”

“Yep, this is my good friend and Ultimate Mail Carrier Ditzy Do,” Rainbow said, pulling her wing around me with a goofy smile on her face. “Ditzy, this is Redheart, the Ultimate Nurse. She lives in Ponyville and from what I’ve heard has never lost a patient in her career. She is also widely liked by those patients from what she has told me, and I owe her more bits than I honestly have.”

“I’m glad to see you remembered Rainbow,” Redheart’s smile quickly dropped after this, instead a more serious look appearing on her face. “Anyways, that feeling you had earlier about this place, I think I found out what it means. As much as I want to be the bearer of good news, you were more than correct about those medication.”

“Is there something wrong with the medicine?” If Redheart had found something disturbing about those medical bottles than I could only imagine what I was about to find out. The very first thing that came to mind was that they were untested treatments, but prescription medicine also came to mind.

“Yes Ditzy, something is very wrong and it worries me about why we might be here,” She took a deep breath, as if she herself was still coming to terms with her findings. “The first thing I noticed was that every medication was branding that I haven’t heard before, and being the Ultimate Nurse I’ve been called before to help with test runs of medical treatments and give feedback. None of them match any medicines, even those that I rejected from testing, and so the first thing I did was check the ingredients. That’s when I realized that these aren’t medicines we are looking at, but... poisons.”

“P-poisons?” My voice wanted to quit all together at the sound of that. Why was anyone housing poisons in an infirmary? What was the reason for this infirmary if none of the medications in it were even helpful? “That couldn’t be right. There is no way it could be right.”

“That’s what I want to think too, but it’s one thing to deny in something and another to be overly stubborn,” Redheart’s words might not have been complete facts, but they were nonetheless true. “It’s not even that they are anti-venoms or could be turned into anti-venoms. Without somepony knowledgeable in that field I couldn’t do that even if I wanted to, and imagine if a foal or somepony in distress grabbed one of these bottles. I became a nurse to help ponies in need, but whoever is running this castle seems to want-”

“Attention everyone!” The sound of a high-pitch, otherworldly voice sounded out from nowhere. Would you all please come to the dining room so we can began the festivities. I will repeat, would you all please come to the dining room so I can give you all a proper welcome. Anyone who doesn’t show up will be punished, and that wouldn’t be fun.”

That voice, to put it simply, creeped me out way more than I wanted it to. It wasn’t normal, sounding as if it was forcefully cheerful or psychotic. That did answer part of the mystery though, as we now knew somepony or something brought us here. Whatever these festivities were they sounded very ecstatic about them, and I only hoped that it would be a large banquet. I mean, why else would we be meeting up in the dining room of all places? If this isn’t something to do with a banguet then I’ll be extremely disappointed.

Rainbow, Redheart, and I silently decided to go see who that voice we heard was. I was shaking as this mystery pony’s words echoed in my head, or specifically the word punished was ringing over and over in my ears. It was like a bad song that you can’t get out of your head, or the lecturing of my boss whenever somepony showed up late to work. The way that this pony stressed the word punish was unnerving, and I could bet that somewhere inside Rainbow was shaking. She didn’t show it, but I’m sure it was only her ego keeping her from expressing that fear.

On our way back we ended up meeting back up with Trixie, much to Rainbow’s annoyance, and saw that there was two other ponies also with her. Both were stallions, but their appearances were so different it was funny, and I had to hold back a rather insult and rude laugh. On one hoof, one of the stallions was a pegasus with a goldish coat with a wild blue mane and hair, cutie mark a blue shield with a lightning strike down the center. On the other we had the most scary, jacked, and at the same time silliest pegasus stallion in existence. He easily toward me, which would have been threatening if it wasn’t the absurdly small wings, lower legs, and goofy smile.

We didn’t have time to say hello to them, but Rainbow filled me in on who they were with some help from Redheart, as the jacked stallion was unfamiliar to my friend. The stallion with the wild blue mane was Flash Sentry, the Ultimate Guard. As one would expect, Rainbow explained, he was part of the Royal Guard and was apparently so capable and proficient with any weapon that he was made one of Celestia’s personal body guards. The crazy part: he had only been a member of the guard for six months before he got that position, and had no training prior to joining. I have no idea how that is even possible, and I have my doubts that it is entirely true.

The other stallion, who was apparently a patient of Redhearts, is Bulk Biceps, the Ultimate Bodybuilder. The reasons his wings are so small is actually due to a defect from birth which stunted their growth, and due to that flying became very dangerous. While Redheart doesn’t know where he got the idea of becoming a bodybuilder from, that was the path he decided to go down after learning this. I felt horrible for wanting to laugh at his wings after hearing tat, especially since we pegasi can do… pretty much nothing weather or flight related without them. Bulk Biceps could still fly like a pegasus, but Redheart was highly against this because of the weight difference in his body compare to his wings.

I felt really, really horrible about how I reacted to Bulk’s appearance now, especially since I could kinda understand. While I had worked with the weather ponies in Cloudsdale before becoming a mailmare, my eyes were a big hinderance and I quit after almost destroying Ponyville’s town hall (why I wasn’t fired before that is still beyond my comprehension). In some ways, me and Bulk Biceps were kinda similar. We both have restrictions in the jobs we could take, as well as having something… different about our bodies. The fact that he was as strong as he was, considering that we pegasi are as light as the clouds we lay on, is something he should be proud of. Unicorn’s are still lighter, but clouds don’t really like magic.

By the time we had arrived at the dining room everyone else was already there, though instead of everyone talking with each other the room was silent. Twilight was looking at us curiously, and then turned to the others in the room.

“And with that sixteen,” She stated, turning back to us. “That should be everypony except for our mystery guest, who has yet to arrive it seems.”

“You seem mighty worried there sugarcube,” Applejack’s observation was spot on, as I could see Twilight was biting her lower lip. “We’re all here, and nopony is hurt it. Ah don’t think there is a reason to feel distressed.”

“I know that but… it just feels like something's wrong,” Twilight took another look around the room, and I decided to do the same. As far as I could tell, nothing was off and everything that had been here earlier was still present. Eventually the unicorn simply shook her hoof. “Never mind, it’s probably just me. I’ve been on edge ever since I woke up here, and I know I’m not the only one. So… let's share our discoveries. Anypony find anything useful?”

“I shall start then,” Flam piped up, sharing that same amount of enthusiasm as earlier. “I’m sure you already know but the other floors are blocked off by barbed wire, so we are stuck to the ground floor. That means something is past there that whoever put us here doesn’t want us to find out.”

“It makes sense, but there's one problem that Trixie has yet to truly understand,” The Ultimate Showpony did not look happy. In fact, she seemed to be fuming with anger at something or someone. “I, the great and powerful Trixie, takes a lot of pride in her magical abilities,” Rainbow groaned as she heard the pony boast. “But simple things like teleportation don’t work in here. Even stranger, Trixie tried to move those barbs and they seem to repel all of her attempts with magic. How is that every other spell is possible except for the ones that we absolutely need?”

“I also tried to break them!” The loud, booming voice of Bulk Biceps was foreign to me at first, having not actually heard him speak the entire way here. “Something like barbed wired should have been no match for me, but the things didn’t even budge! They didn’t hurt all that much, but it doesn’t seem right for it to be that strong!”

“Could you please quiet down you overwhelming sack of muscles,” Rarity’s insult not only shut him up, but also seemed to hurt him quite deeply. The mare could have at least try to act more kindly to him, because that really reminded me of the nobles up in Canterlot, and I would be surprised if she was one to begin with. “However I do agree that it seems impossible to get to the upper levels. Maybe one of you pegasi found a way.”

“If I could get enough speed I could crack the dome open, but with the way the dome is built that isn’t possible,” Rainbow explained with a shrug, and a look to the other side of her told me Redheart was not happy at that suggetion.

“Nor should you be doing something like that anyway!” She yelled in a scolding tone. “That would seriously, maybe fatally injure you, and the damage it would do to your wings would be awful.”

“Yeah besides,” The voice that spoke up next was not that of anypony currently in the room. It was the same one that the pony over the speaker had, if I remembered correctly. “It would be horrible if one of you pegasi died like that before the festivities even started.”

“Ooooo, festivities?” That word seemed to catch Pinkie’s interest, and I honestly shouldn’t have been surprised about that. “Like party festivities? Are we going to play party games or eat cake or open presents too? Are you going to get party ballons so we can blow them up? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Are we? Are we? Are we? Are we?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself Pinkie Pie,” A.K. did not look to thrilled, but whether it was the idea of a party or the mystery pony that caused her discomfort I couldn’t tell. “Alright who is this? What reason do you have for bringing us here? We have lives to live you know.”

“It sounds like it’s coming from the other side of the dinner table,” I told everyone. “But I don’t see anypony.”

“Puhuhuhu, of course you don’t. I’m not here right now, but let's change that!”

As the mystery pony spoke the bottom of the floor covered itself in a thick fog, and I found myself unable to see anything under my neck. I heard Fluttershy squeak in fright as she curled up in one corner of the room, and Pinkie giggling about how the fog tickled. After a few seconds everyone's eyes were on the table, and a figure suddenly jumped into the air. They did a double twist before landing perfectly in the center of the table, and what I saw was that of a creature I didn’t even know existed. The first look, made me feel more despair than I wanted to in a lifetime.

“Ladies and Gentlecolts, foals of all ages,” The absurdly high pitch voice came from the strange bear-like creature that stood in front of us now. It’s mouth wasn’t moving, one half showing a smile of jagged teeth. Their body was half white and half black, and a red metallic eye staring at us. “It is my pleasure to welcome all of you to my lovely castle: Castle Despair. I built it, decorated it, and prepared this events with my own two paws. The names Monokuma, nice to meet ya.”

… what the heck? What the actual hell is that? A mail carrier travels all over to deliver and in all that time I have never seen such a creature. That smile was like a death wish, wanting for me to just curl up and die where I stood. That red eye was like a laser beam in a science fiction novel that could melt your body in a matter of seconds. Yet, with all of that, it was how cheerful and relaxed this thing, Monokuma as it called itself, was that really made me scared.

“Wh-what are you?” I asked in confusion and fear.

“What do you mean by ‘what am I’?” He retorted in anger. “I just told you what I am. I’m Monokuma, the greatest mascot to ever exist in the history of… ever. Don’t tell me you haven’t heard of me?”

“I-I’ve seen t-tons of d-different animals b-but none like you,” Fluttershy managed to say, though it seemed like she had to force herself to even speak that. “Y-you remind me a b-bit of Mr. Bear, but he can’t talk ponish, and he is a lot more cuddly looking.”

“Of course he can’t, because Mr. Bear is a bear, not me. I’m just as sapient as the rest of you, and you will be punished if you ever relate me to a normal animal.” Claws poked out of one of Monokuma’s stubby paws, and a look to Doctor Hooves told me he was rather intrigued by what he saw.

“Fascinating, absolutely fascinating!” He shouted, rushing over to the dinner table to get a closer look at the strange bear-like creature. “It took me a second to realize it, but your body is entirely autonomous isn’t it? I could tell just by the way your eye is shaped, and the vicious half smile you have. I would be more than honored to take a look inside of you and see what you are made of.”

“I would suggest keeping your distance, Sir Hooves,” Flash did his best to pull the earth pony away with the help of Bulk Biceps. “If it really is a machine like you said, it could possible be deadly or have some bugs.”

“Oh don’t worry, no bugs in my systems. Also, allow me to quickly state that I have no intention of causing any of you physical harm,” The way Monokuma stressed the word physical sent a shiver up my spine. Whether it was a bug or not, something was clearly wrong with this… whatever he was. “Anyways, enough stalling. I’m sure you all have tons of questions like ‘why am I half black and half white?’ or ‘why did you bring us here?’ or ‘does this edited version of the chapter make the movie canon for this fic?’. Sadly while I can’t say the first or last thing, considering that last one would take another rewrite for the author, I can tell you the second,” He threw his paws up in the air, and he despite the inability to change facial expressions I could tell he was ecstatic right now. “We are going to have… Equestria’s first ever killing game! Right here, right now, and all of you are the participants!”

It took me a few seconds to completely register what Monokuma had said, and when it did I felt my stomach drop like an anvil. Killing game, I thought for a second I had somehow misheard what he had said, but I was completely wrong. I could tell everyone, even Pinkie Pie who had been smiling up to this point, had a look of either horror or disgust on their faces. Monokuma had to be kidding. I wanted to laugh like it was some cruel joke, but it wasn’t. The ear ringing laughter that the mechanical bear let loose as he saw our faces wanted to drown my ears, but I didn’t let it.

“Killing game? As in… you want us to... kill somepony?!” I asked him, only for Monokuma to look at me, turning his body so his strange red eye was the center of my focus, and I once again believed that I was about to be melted through some kinda plasma.

“Not just anypony, but rather everypony currently residing in this castle. I want all of you to kill each other… brutally,” I couldn’t look away from him, and every word he said was as clear as crystal.

“You can’t be serious. Why would we all kill each other?” Bon Bon asked, getting another fit of laughter in response.

“What’s so funny you strange piece of metal?!” Looking to Rainbow Dash, I quietly tried to mouth to her that it was not a good idea to mess with Monokuma. This creature was more than prepared for our reactions, and I’m sure that going against him wouldn’t spell well. “This better be some sick joke, because you’re going to be scrap metal if it isn’t.”

“And I would strongly advise against that if you currently still value your life,” The strange sharpness that came in those last few words made me realize exactly how serious Monokuma is. “I have all the right to laugh at such a silly question. Think about your families, careers, goals, and dreams. In here you are locked away from all of those things for the rest of your miserable lives, and the only way I’m letting you out is if you win.”

“Of course, I’m sure there's more to this than just killing each other, right?” One look to A.K. and you could tell she was fuming with anger, but at the same time her voice remained as calm as it was when I met her. “Sixteen Ultimates, all of different talents and origin, locked in a gothic palace with no way out. Judging by the way you're acting this must have been the festivities you mentioned, and it sounds too simple for you to get this excited.”

“I wouldn’t expect anypony but the Ultimate Author to be able to connect the dots that easily,” Monokuma said, though whether it was compliment or a mockery was wide up in the air. “This may be a killing game, but it isn’t some stupid slasher film, because those are so stupid and predictable I could just gag. Just like in normal society, when a murder occurs and a suspect is arrested, a trial is set up to try and find the murderer. So, for those of you thinking that murdering in front of your peers is acceptable, that just won’t cut it.

“As for how the trials themselves work,” Monokuma pulled down a projector screen from the top of the ceiling. On it was Monokuma sitting on a seat that looked like a throne, with three mares and stallions on each side of him. “You will all be given some time to investigate before the trial occurs, and the evidence collected during that time will be important for the trial. Once it starts, you will use what knowledge you have collected to try and figure out who the ‘blackened’ is. Guess right, and only they will receive punishment, but the wrong answer will send the rest of you to your doom, and you will walk out of here as free as a bird.”

In one way I was still scared. I was terrified and stiff as a board from the very idea of being stuck in a ‘game’ like this. On the other, the fact that it wouldn’t turn into a instant bloodfest made me feel relief. I didn’t want to think about it, but Monokuma, despite being the one who created this entire killing game in the first place, seemed to have at least some idea of how the world works. I didn’t want to kill, and I wanted to believe nopony else could either, but having a chance to bring them to justice made me less concerned.

“We are not going to take part in your sick game!” Twilight’s suddenly yell at the top of her lungs. “If you think that we are going to let you get away with trying to make us murder each other, than you might as well stop hoping right now!”

“Oh really? And why do you say that?” Monokuma asked, tilting his head as if he hadn’t expected this to happen. “Last I checked there was no third option, so what makes you think you can’t participate?”

“Because I have more than enough knowledge on magic to make you disappear,” Twilight answered back, magic starting to flow up through her horn. “I am the pupil of Princess Celestia, and if you think that a machine like yourself can keep me from-”

“No. Harming. Your. Host!”

Monokuma’s words were finished as a strange device protruded from out of the wall, Twilight the only one unaware of it’s existence. Everypony took a step back save for Twilight, who was to busy building up magic to see what we all saw fixed in the device. A buzzsaw, turned on before the wall had even opened, was aimed at Twilight's body. At least that’s what I thought before I heard Doctor Hooves murmuring next to me, making me aware of how the saw blade was slight slanted and the device was tilted up.

“Monokuma must be trying to kill Twilight, he wouldn’t have that device - the same kind used to fire arrows in ancient tombs - otherwise, but why is it in the position it’s lined up in?” The way he spoke seemed to be in an attempt to calm me of my fear, or perhaps it was the shivering Fluttershy that was huddled up in the corner not wanting to look that he was saying this to. “It’s tilted up, which means he’s aiming for the head, but then the saw blade is also slanted. Given the saw blades angle, and the angle of the dispenser’s trajectory than… great scoot the horn!”

That was all I need to know before trying to warn her.

“Twilight! Get out of the way, now!”

I didn’t get any response, not even a look, as the saw blade was shot forward. As it closed in on it’s target I looked away, unable to watch. I heard the blade make contact for a few seconds, followed by a scream of pain and the sound of something sharp hitting the stone walls. I looked back, the first thing I saw being that of Twilight’s detached horn on the floor, sparking. Only an inch or two was it’s former owner, on the floor holding her head as what was left of her horn sparked. Redheart rushed to her side as Monokuma laughed hysterically at the feeling of despair that now filled my heart.

“Let that be a reminder to all of you that I mean business, and that she got off easy,” His voice now sounded like that of monster, or somepony who had clawed their way up from Tartarus into the waking world. “When I say punishment, I mean execution, and from here on out defying any rules will result in your death. Choose to kill each other, or choose to live here till you can’t even walk without somepony carrying you around, those are your only options. Slice, dice, choke, incinerate, or cheaply drop them to your doom, the options for killing are unlimited. So have fun, and do try and stay on good behavior now you straight-A introvert.”

With that Monokuma disappeared, but I was too busy looking at Twilight to even bother watching him. This was no joke, and we couldn’t fight back even if we wanted to. What Monokuma has put us in was something unlike any despair or heartache in my life. Around me were good ponies, all of which forced to play this horrible game with no way out. As Bulk Biceps carried Twilight away to the infirmary, I was left with only one thought flowing through my mind…

… this might just be the worst, most despair inducing event that I have ever witnessed.

Author's Notes:

While most of this chapter was planned out beforehand, my decision to cut of Twilight's horn at the end was something I did on the spot.

In the end, though, the prologue has turned out to be a much bigger improvement from that of Equestrian Despair. Monokuma's introduction I think was not only more effective, but also I think gives you an idea of the tone of how the story is going to be. The characterization I also feel was much stronger, and I think I've so far avoid making Ditzy OOC or whatever it's called.

That said, with chapter one coming there are two things I want to talk about, and that is some reader effected parts of the story as well as something I just like to see. First off, you all get to decided who Ditzy is going to hang out with during the Free Time Events in the Daily life chapters. I'm going to start taking votes from this chapter forward, and the top two will be featured in the next chapter. So go ahead and comment who you want Ditzy to hang out with in the comment section, because I really do look at every comment I get.

Secondly, I just want to know who you think is going to be the first murdered. It's one of those things in Danganronpa I like to figure out, and I would like to see what you guys think. So if you'd like, also put down who you think is going to die first along with who you want Ditzy to Free Time with as well.

So who is Ditzy going to start a bond with? Who is going to be the first victim? Leave your answers below and I hope you all have a good day.

Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again - Daily Life part 1

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After Twilight and Redheart left the dining room, things quickly went quiet. The only sound that I could hear was that of Fluttershy, who I was currently comforting, crying in a corner of the room. Monokuma had shown no hesitation in revealing how much control he currently had over us, and I didn’t know if anypony was already thinking of the unthinkable. The only pony I could feel like I could trust is Rainbow Dash, and even that seemed a bit of a stretch. I hadn’t seen her in a few years, which left me unable to know what the pegasus was thinkable.

When the fog cleared from the floor of the room we had found a collection of books, all with our names on it. Inside was a list of everypony present in the castle, showing their talent, height, weight, and so on. It also included an evidence list which was blance, probably to be used for when a murder actually occurred. After that was probably the most interesting, and at the same time most important, part of this book. This was the ‘party rules’, though why it had the word party before it baffled me.

“Each guest will be staying at this castle for the rest of their foreseeable future,” A.K. had volunteered to read it outloud for those like Fluttershy who didn’t have it open. “In order to graduate you must commit a murder and become blackened. Once three ponies besides the murderer have found the body, you will have a set amount of time before the trial begins. If you manage to directly identify the blackened, they are the only ones to be executed. If you choose wrong, than the blackened goes free and the rest of you are executed. This will continue until only two remain, and they will graduate without need of murder.”

“We already know most of this from what he told us,” Octavia told A.K. “You don’t have to remind us of our horrible situation.”

“I was just making sure it got through the more thick skulled individuals here,” I saw the Ultimate Author glare at Rarity as she said that, though the Ultimate Dressmaker was too busy reading the rules herself to notice. “Anyways, the outside area and dining room is locked during nighttime, which begins at 10:00 pm. Guest are allowed to share rooms, though it does have a chance of putting you in more danger,” I found it weird that Monokuma, who seemed to revel in the idea of our deaths, give us advice on how to survive. “Morning starts at 8:00 am. Any physical threats to Monokuma or vandalization of the castle is strictly prohibited,” She closed the book as she finished speaking. “That’s all the rules, though it says he can add rules at any time he desires.”

“H-he’s crazy,” Flash was the first to speak up, and I’m sure he wasn’t the only one thinking that. “How could anything find pain or death humorous? That… doesn’t feel correct.”

“Flash, Monokuma is a machine,” Doctor Hooves told the Ultimate Guard, “It’s more than likely that his love of pain and death is a design choice by whoever designed him, which makes it even more despicable. To think that somepony has a mind like this and doesn’t need to worry about Celestia interfering.”

“Wait, why didn’t Celestia interfere in the first place?” Bon Bon’s question, while it did catch me off guard, made a lot of sense. “You would think that, with her own student being here, Celestia would have taken immediate action in hunting us down.”

“Trixie believes that answer is simple,” The Ultimate Showpony responded with confidence. “Clearly the wonderful Celestia doesn’t know this place exist, as whoever wants to keep us here doesn’t want outside interference. We are very likely miles upon miles away from civilization where no pony would easily be able to find us.”

No matter what I might think of Trixie as a pony, seeming so lost in her own world to think she’s the only thing that matters, I had to admit she seemed to understand what was going on. The idea of us being trapped so far from civilization to the point nopony would find us without being told seemed likely. Not to mention that Monokuma, seeming as prepared as he was, had probably already thought of that when foalnapping us. If that was the case, than we really had no idea what we would do once we got out there, or how far the nearest town or city even was.

“M-my animals… m-my home,” My attention was drawn back to Fluttershy who was still curled up like a ball on the floor. Seeing her in this state made me feel horrible, having told that we could have easily left whenever we wanted. “Wh-who will take care of them? Z-zephyr is of at college, and my parents probably don’t even know I’m m-m-missing.”

“Hey sugarcube,” Applejack whispered to me, and I turned to see she also had a look of great concern on her face. “Ah think it might be a good idea to get Fluttershy out of here and give her some rest. The gal looks mighty scared if you asked me, and from what Pinkie told me that upper level of the entrance has bedrooms for all of us.”

“Good idea,” With that I looked back to Fluttershy, and laid down next to her. “Fluttershy, you want to rest in your room for the time being? You seem like you need it.”

“Oh… um, y-yeah,” Fluttershy replied with a nod, finally standing back up.

As we walked out I realized she avoiding eye contact with everypony else, hiding behind her mane like it was a blanket. It was horrible that Monokuma had to put somepony like her in a mess like this, though I guess that must have been the entire idea in the first place. That bear, being as cruel as he seemed to be, must love the idea of somepony like Fluttershy getting murdered, or possibly committing one too. If I didn’t have a conscious, I would have tried to break that machine into pieces from doing this in the first place. Yet, every time I thought about it my mind went back to Twilight, the mare who had lost the one thing that a Unicorn cares about most: their horn.

It didn’t take us long to get back to the entrance hall and climb the stairs that sided the room. After that I took a look around, and saw sixteen doors lining both sides of the walls. Mine was right next to Flash and Redheart, and Fluttershy was two away from me next to Twilight. She opened the door to her room and then stopped, turning to me and asking if I could stay. As much as I wanted to, I was greatly concerned about Twilight’s wellbeing, and told her that I would come back after checking on the mare. We bid each other farewell and Fluttershy closed the door, and a click from the other side told me she had looked it as well.

After I made my way outside, looking up to see that the sun was starting to set already. To think about everything that had just happened in the span of a day was insane. One minute I was on a delivery run flying across the sky, the next minute I’m stuck in a castle with fifteen other Ultimates and a psychotic bear. That was the thought that occupied my mind as I made my way to the infirmary. Once I finally did I knocked on the door just in case Redheart was currently busy, and I was glad when she opened the door.

“Oh, Ditzy!” The smiling on her face gave me a bit of hope that things had gotten a lot better for Twilight. “I didn’t expect to see you here so soon. Figured you and Rainbow would have been catching up again after all these years.”

“I do plan on that, but I’m more concerned about Twilight right now,” I explained to her, and saw the slightest drop in her smile from that. “I may not know her personally, but I’m worry about who she is reacting to losing her horn. I’ve heard about the mental breakdowns that some unicorns have gone through because of that in the past.”

“Well… I’m sure you already know how her initial reaction was when she looked in the mirror,” Redheart’s smile had completely dropped by this point, and I could see her looking to the now sleeping unicorn that was behind her. “She cried herself to sleep, and though it was cut to the point of eliminating her magic altogether, it will hamper the amount of energy she can exert in a spell.”

“You seem to know a lot about this, did you have similar patients before?” Redheart was the Ultimate Nurse, it wouldn’t have really surprised me if she has seen some stuff that most others in her profession haven’t. Most unicorns don’t actually mention problems with there horns out of fear or pride.

“Yes, a few in fact,” She looked to the floor, and I could see a tear starting to form on her face. “It’s true that I’ve never lost a patient, and that I am the most request nurse in Equestria, but sometimes the sacrifices that have had to be made in order to keep some alive are… I feel worse than death.”

“I… I see,” I didn’t think about it like that. Redheart must have seen a lot worse than this, and I don’t think I wanted to know what the sacrifices she mentioned were. “Well, the important thing is that Twilight is alive right? Monokuma didn’t kill her, and as long as nopony does anything stupid we should be safe… right?”

“Yes, I guess there is that, but I wonder how her mentality is going to deal with this,” She turned back to me, having wiped the tears from her face and forcing a smile. “I guess we should get her back to her room though. We can’t keep Twilight in here over night and it’s starting to get light outside.”

“Oh you won’t have to worry about that,” Looking back down to the end of the infirmary, we saw the sight of Monokuma. I took a few steps back, with Redheart looking ready to defend Twilight’s life. “Puhuhu, I’m not here to kill the poor unicorn. I actually realized that I forgot to add a rule to the party handbook. I sure hope you’ve all looked in it, as it’s very important.”

I tilted my head in confusion before opening the handbook that was given to us earlier. It looked mostly the same as I continued to flip through the pages, until I got to the end of the rules as I saw the new ones that were mysteriously added. When and how Monokuma had managed to do this without me noticing, I had no idea. Nonetheless, I read the new rules that Monokuma had added to the killing game aloud.

“The garden is accessible during nighttime in case of trials, and those who are in the infirmary or barracks when nighttime hits must stay inside for the remainder of the night.”

Bing bong ding dong

The sound of a school bell caught our attention, and me and Redheart watched as a screen dropped down from the ceiling from out of nowhere. So Monokuma had more than just death traps hiding in the wall… I don’t know if that made me more or less concerned about our current situation. Seconds after it dropped we saw Monokuma appear on the screen holding what seemed to be a martini. He took a quick sip of the drink before speaking from us over the monitor.

“Attention everyone, it is now 9:50 pm. Anyone outside should return to the castle at this time if they don’t wish to be executed. Nighty night.”

With that the monitor turned off and retreated back into the ceiling. Redheart told me she was going to stay in the infirmary with Twilight over the night to make sure she’s okay and I left. By the time I had made it back to the main castle 10:00 had rolled around and besides from Flam and Applejack, nopony else seemed to still be up. With that I made my way back to Fluttershy’s room, knocking on the door only to get silence in return.

“Fluttershy, it’s Ditzy!” I said as I knocked again. “You still want to chat with me?”

I got no response in return, and summed it up to her already being asleep. With that I went to my room and opened up the door, being greeted by a rather elegant looking room. The red carpet, blankets on the bed, and curtains looking into the plains outside of the dome. If it wasn’t for the killing game, this would have felt relaxing, but something told me this was the only place I was truly safe. My thoughts went to Fluttershy, who seemed to be scared out of her wits, and Twilight who had probably just felt the worst pain and loss in her life. As I laid down on my bed, I started I realized all I could do was hope everypony was smart enough to not commit murder. Whether or not it actually happened, I was unsure.

------- Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again -------

Bing Bong Ding Dong

“Attention everypony, it is now 8:00 am. The courtyard and dining room are now open. Lets all look forward to another great day in this wonderful killing game!”

Monokuma’s announcement was the last thing I wanted to wake up to, but it was to obnoxiously loud for me to even ignore it. Begrudgingly I got out of my bed, the room already filled with light from the outside window. All I could really hope at the moment is that nopony had been stupid enough to get themselves killed in the time since I fell asleep. It felt like that was the only thing had been on my mind since I fell asleep, and I had even dreamed of those around me getting murdered. The difference, however, was that this is no dream or nightmare.

A sudden knock on my door caught my attention, and without think I made my way over. I almost opened the door before realizing that it would have been a horrible mistake. I didn’t want to think anypony would murder me, but the very thought of it made me cautious. When another knock came from the door I felt the urge to just turn away and act like I was still asleep. That was when I realized who it was that was actually calling through the door.

“Miss Ditzy, this is Flash,” The Ultimate Guard said from the other side of the door, and I felt a little more relax from his gentle tone. “Are you awake? I’ve been commanded by Applejack to get everypony up and send them to the dining room. Please respond if you are hearing this.”

“Oh sorry Flash,” I trusted a member of the royal guard for a few reasons, but the main one was the fact that I believed nopony close to Celestia would be willing to kill an innocent. I opened the door, seeing that he was already armored up, but lacked any sort of visible weapon I could see. “I’ll head down, and sorry for not answering straight away.”

“You have no reason to apologize for such things,” He told me, standing at attention. “I’m sure you are just as worried as most ponies are, and it was smart not to immediately open the door. Nonetheless, you should head immediately to the dining room if you don’t want ponies to start worrying about you.”

I nodded my head and went onto the next door to get the others up. With a destination I made my way to the dining room, not wishing to make anypony think I had been killed. As I arrived I was surprised to see the most ponies were already there with the exception of Redheart, Twilight, Flash, Fluttershy, and Rarity. Everypony seemed to be talking amongst themselves, and once Flash arrived with Rarity and Fluttershy I could see the concern shaping on Applejack’s face.

“Where is Twi and Redheart?” She asked, looking around to make sure she hadn’t missed anypony. “Didn’t you knock on their doors like ah said?”

“There was no response, and the rooms were empty when I arrived,” He said, and it was at this point I realized I was the only pony who actually knew where they were last night. “I decided to open the doors to their room, and it doesn’t look like they even slept inside.”

“Actually, Redheart stayed with Twilight in the infirmary last night,” I explained, gaining everyone's attention. “Redheart was concerned about Twilight, having lost her horn and all, and Monokuma changed the rules so that the infirmary was open during the nighttime. I think it’s safe to say-”

“Morning everyone!” I turned around as I heard the door close seeing a rather high spirited Redheart enter the room. Behind her was Twilight, who seemed to be doing her best to hide her horn from view of everypony. “Sorry if we made anypony worried. I don’t know how many ponies were aware of the rule update.”

“Well that explains what happened to the handbook last night,” A.K. said, a smile adorning her face as she looked to Ultimate Magic Researcher. “It’s good to see you up Twilight, especially after what happened yesterday.”

“Oh, um… yeah,” The fear in Twilight’s voice as she spoke wasn’t at all hidden, and worried glances at the ponies around the room seemed to only further emphasizes her fear. “It’s… still hitting me a bit hard, having my magic cut so significantly. At least nopony got killed though… right?”

“Come on Twilight, I don’t think anypony here would be willing to kill each other!” Pinkie said, her cheerful spirit not seeming to have been wreaked by yesterday’s events. “In fact, I say we should all through a huge party to show how much we care for you!”

“I hate to rain on your parade Pinkie, but I don’t think a party is going to help out Twilight,” Octavia spoke up, looking at the Ultimate Party Planner with a raised brow. “Wait, aren’t you making breakfast with Bon Bon right now?”

“But parties help any situation! Oh, and yes I am making breakfast. I just wanted to take part to make sure the audience knew I was here. Don’t want to be the one character who everypony forgets,” I was going to ask what she meant by audience, but my question left my head as I saw her do something… strange. Almost as if somepony had hit the rewind button on a VHS, she started talking backwards, followed by the door opening to the kitchen opening as she back into it.

The silent that struck the room was only broken by Doctor Hooves stuttering over the word ‘what’ like a scratched record. I’m sure that, as the Ultimate Scientist, he was going through all the different reasons why that was impossible for an earth pony. However, despite my brain itching to figure out why she could do something like that, I had the strange feeling this was normal. I didn’t really know if I should be acting with more or less surprise at what I just saw, but in the end hit the neutral ground which showed with a slightly opened jaw.

“Oookaaay then,” Rarity said after several seconds. “Lets just leave that be and… get back to whatever this meeting was meant for.”

“Oh, right,” Applejack said quickly, clearing her throat and fixing her hat slightly. “Honestly, ah wasn’t the pony who actually called this meaning. I woke up before the morning announcement and had a chat with Flam who apparently had something he wanted to bring up.”

“And I would like to thank Miss Applejack for trusting me,” The Ultimate Con Artist said as he and Applejack traded places. “Anyways, I feel that, as Monokuma mentioned it yesterday, we should talk about why we might all be here. I could understand somepony such as myself ending up somewhere like this, but what about the rest of you?”

Even though I really wanted to hate Flam for what he is, I was once again surprised at who correct he must have been. Monokuma had to have a motive himself, or if what Doctor Hooves said yesterday than the one controlling him must. I don’t think I’ve done anything to deserve this, but as far as I knew this could just be another result of my bad luck. The effect of my bad luck did very from day to day, and it was possible that yesterday was just the worst case of bad luck I’ve ever had.

“I don’t think a machine would have any personal vendetta against us,” A.K. argued, walking into the middle to speak face to face with Flam. “And, judging by the very nature of this machine, I can tell that whoever made it has a twisted, and sadistic idea of life. Something tells me the only reason we are here is to be comedy and entertainment to a mentally unstable individual. Of course, that’s just my point of view on the subject. Every mind has a different view of things, and it’s entirely possible that I could be wrong about that.”

“Than how do you explain it’s attitude towards Twilight when compared to its attitude towards you?” Flam suggested, though I had no idea exactly where he was going with this. “Monokuma seemed to praise you for being able to figure out that there was more to his game than simple murder, but he was much shorter temper when it came to Twilight.”

“Didn’t Twilight openly speak out against him?” Rainbow reminded the earth pony, cross her front hooves as she stood in the air. “I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he was just asserting his position and showing how much control he has.”

It was at this point I turned to Twilight, seeing her holding her eyes closed almost ready to cry. It took me a second to fully register what we were doing, and how insensitive we were being. We were all talking about her, and more importantly an event that was not only fresh in her memory, but a hard one as well. Compared to the pony I saw yesterday coming out of the garden, she seemed entirely different, and most likely incredibly insecure. I had to step in and stop this before things got worse, and I didn’t want to see her cry again.

“All of you, stop this subject now!” I shouted out, not even thinking of what I was even saying. I managed to get the attention of everypony in the dining room, and as I found out Bon Bon and Pinkie too. “Look I get it, we don’t know why we are here or what we did to deserve coming here, but that doesn’t matter at the moment. Twilight is already hurting enough as it is, and we should be trying to comfort her instead of using her as subject of discussion.”

“Ditzy’s right,” Redheart walked forward, taking my side. “Imagine of you pegasi lost your wings, or us earth ponies lost our strength. Loss of one of those is like a unicorn losing their horn, and talking about her like she did something wrong is not what her mind needs right now.”

I could see almost everypony instantly recognize this mistake, and looked down at the floor in shame. Rainbow Dash slowly lowered herself to the floor, seeming visibly embarrassed by what she had done. With that she walked up to Twilight, doing her best to keep eye contact, and sighed.

“I’m sorry Twi, that wasn’t right of me,” She said her head hanging low. “I don’t know what it’s like to lose something so important to me, but it was wrong to talk about you like… like you had done something wrong.”

“Honestly, Trixie applauds your efforts, even if they did prove futile,” Trixie praised, something I was generally surprised to see from somepony like her. “Most ponies wouldn’t have been so forward, and we shouldn’t be talking about you like a criminal.”

“Um… thanks,” Twilight said, seeming to loosen up and stepping slightly out of her shadow, or at least till someone else arrived in the dining room.

“To bad you had to waste such a valuable tool though, it would have been an easy murder if you had been a little less aggressive,” We all turned to see Monokuma on the table, or in Doctor Hooves case just stared in complete wonder on how our captor got their to begin with. I’ve decided that it was best to just not think about it, having already seen it happen twice now. “Of course, the pity train is running pretty high right now, so I don’t think you are in any danger.”

“What do you want with us Monokuma?” Flash Sentry asked, and though his words showed action, he was not in any position to even try. “Come to laugh at us I suppose.”

“Nah, I’m actually here for the pancakes,” Um… you do realize you're a machine Monokuma, right? “Surprised? I actually have a secret stash of honey in every part of the castle, and I decided this would be the perfect time to try it on something other than bagels. Oh, I’ll have the food situation fixed by tomorrow and add some despair donuts to go with those hope bagels in the kitchen. Doesn’t that sound like a much better selection”

“But I want muffins.” I mumbled, not wishing to be reminded of the absents of my precious pastries.

“I also realized something else last night, and that’s that I’m going to have to change my way of thinking when it comes to you ponies,” Monokuma continued, having not even heard a bit about what I had said. “You ponies all believe in harmony and friendship, so I realized if I’m going to see you all in despair I have to destroy that feeling between you all. In that case, I’ve prepared something to get you all to kill each other.”

“B-but I don’t want to kill a-anypony.” Whether Fluttershy had completely missed what Monokuma had just said was up in the air, though I was thinking the same thing she was.

“Really? Even after you see these?”

Out of nowhere, Monokuma let loose just over a dozen small pieces of paper, all wrapped in an envelope. They land on the ground, each one seeming to carry a name, or our name to be more exact. I picked it up, but before I could start opening it my eyes shot up to Applejack, who was shaking her head to me. It was at that moment I realized exactly what these envelopes had in them, and though my brain itched as to what it was, I would fall for them. Looking, I saw that nopony had opened theirs as well.

“Inside those envelopes is a little reminder of why you should all hate each other, and more importantly why you should kill each other!” Monokuma shouted cheerfully, before taking a seat at the end of the table. “Of course we should all eat first, and since I’m the host it would be rather rude to not eat at least one meal with you.”

“I wish you just didn’t talk all together,” Rainbow muttered, before turning to the kitchen as Pinkie carried the largest stack of pancakes I’ve ever seen. If it was just a few pancakes higher, it would’ve probably touched the ceiling. “How the hay did you manage to find enough sugar and flour for that many pancakes?”

“I keep extra bags of flower in my mane, along with scissors, butter knives, sugar, spoons, forks, plates, milk, egg cartons both hard boiled and normal, cacti, balloons, and other important supplies.”

Okay, yeah, I’m not going to even bother questioning Pinkie any longer because it’s going to end up being worse for my health if even try. It was all true, of course, as I watched her pull out butter knives (much to Monokuma’s disapproval), forks, and extra plates. Somehow, and I don’t even know how she did it, Pinkie managed to not only set the table with her hooves holding the large stack of pancakes, but also not drop a single one in the process. I was started to wonder what kinda Ultimate she actually was, because Ultimate Party Planner seemed to be just the tip of the iceberg.

As for breakfast, it was about as awkward as one would expect it to be with Monokuma around. He tried, and I mean really tried to actually talk with us, but most of us were either too busy eating or had too much hate towards him to even want to talk. The pancakes were good, and I finally got a chance to taste what Vermount maple syrup tasted like. Long story short, it was a huge improvement over the fake stuff I usually had (only made worse by my inability to cook anything without burning it, save for muffins). Also, turns out that honey to Monokuma is like alcohol, because halfway through his attempts at communication turned into gibberish nonsense about how wolves are the result of mad experiments and the ‘core value of friendship’.

Once I was done I left the dining hall and returned to my room, placing the envelope down on the table without having looked at it once. What to do from this point I didn’t really know, as there didn’t seem like Monokuma had planned much for entertainment. My thoughts quickly went back to the others we were with, and seeing how the day was still just starting, I knew I couldn’t just go back to sleep. I mean, seriously, who goes to sleep in the middle of the day? Sure, maybe there wasn’t much for entertainment, but I had fifteen other ponies here, and I might as well get to know some of them. Besides, if Monokuma really does get his way, I might not be able to talk to some of them without seeming like a murderer.

With that decision made, I opened the door leading from my bedroom, and looked for somepony to spend my free time with.

Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again - Free Time Event (Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy)

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------- Free Time Start! -------

I made my way outside to the castle’s front entrance, my eyes already scanning for a certain blue pegasus about. As soon as I had left my room my thoughts went to the only long time friend here, and as we haven’t seen each other for a long time I wanted to know what was new in her life. As expected, she was flying as high as she could, though it really wasn’t all that much due to the glass dome. Rainbow wasn’t the type to let up and back down, and I’m sure that if she was given the chance would spend the entire day trying to find some way out. It was one of the things that brought us close, even if it had taken a year for us to even see eye to eye.

“Hey Rainbow!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, hoping to catch the attention of my fellow pegasus.

I was successful as I saw Rainbow turn to look at me. I could see the annoyance on her face and how tense her muscles seemed to be. Even as she lowered herself to the ground I could tell that she wasn’t exactly in the best of moods, which meant it was up to me to put her back into a good mode. With that in mind I made my way up next to the pegasus, getting a pretty easy idea of the thoughts going through her head.

“Stupid dome. Stupid bear. Stupid killing game,” She said throwing her front hooves hard into the concrete. I’ve seen Rainbow mad, but this has to be one of the worst instances of that I have seen.

“Is everything-” I stopped myself as I realized I already knew from her attitude she was clearly not okay. Let’s try something else. “Hey Rainbow, how are you doing?”

I mentally slapped myself as I said that, know that all I had done was use different wording. Good job me, next time use a greeting that doesn’t included stating the obvious.

“Not well, Ditzy,” She said, taking a deep breath as she turned to face me. “Everything about this situation is just… it’s not cool. It’s the exact opposite of cool. It’s the twenty percent of uncoolness that I have been fearing in to see my entire life!”

“Yeah… that really does explain it well, huh?” I nodded my head as I responded. I needed to take Rainbow’s mind off things, and I knew exactly how to do it. “How about we take a walk? That seems far better than sitting here punching the ground.”

“Sure D… I can still call you Dee, right?” She asked me. Dee was the nickname she had given me in highschool, and I actually went by it for some time due to how much better it sounded.

“Did I ever say I didn’t want to be called Dee?” I asked her rhetorically, getting a light chuckle out of her.

The walk seemed to work well in calming Rainbow down. After sometime we managed to get on the topic of trophies and races, though it mostly turned into Rainbow bragging about her collection. She really hadn’t changed at all, still obsessive over the Wonderbolts and wishing to join them. It was great to hear that she still held that dream close to her, especially with everything that can happens in life. By the time we had finished our walk we had found ourselves back at the castle’s entrance.

“Hey… Dee,” Rainbow said as we arrived back where we started. “I know this is many years too late but… I’m sorry.”

“What are you saying sorry for? Last I checked we were having a good time?” I replied, tilting my head slightly in confusion.

“I… I mean that I’m sorry for how I treated you when we first met. I never apologized for how I acted when we first meet.” I quickly realized exactly what Rainbow meant, and I couldn’t help but wonder how long she had actually been thinking about it.

Rainbow was one of the bullies from back in highschool, or at least the first two years. It wasn’t emotional bullying either, as I remember the bruises that I had gotten from her and the others who were with her. I would actually rejoice whenever I heard she obtained an injury back then because I knew it meant I would have less problems for at least a day. It was one of the few times when I actually didn’t mind somepony getting hurt, as I’m typically the type who would rush to a pony's side when they obtained anything from a cut to a broken wing. Back then I wouldn’t have ever imagined I would be friends with that same pony… until I learned why she had done it.

Apparently one of the upper class ponies was furious with how good of a flyer she was and threaten to cut her wings off if she didn’t physically hurt me. That’s why she did it, so that she could keep her dreams of being a Wonderbolt alive, even if it made her feel horrible. The problem is that in the end, it apparently did absolutely nothing from stopping that upper classmate from actually trying to cut her wings off. I remember how I had come across them one day after school holding her up against a wall with said upper classmate telling boasting about what will happen after he cut them, and was laughing at how much of a fool she had been made into bullying me.

That was the moment something clicked inside me, and I realized that all that hatred I was directing at Rainbow was misplaced. I don’t even remember what I was think when I launched myself at the stallion, but that was probably the only time I ever actually beat someone. The teachers found out later, and soon our parents did, and that stallion was using crocodile tears and saying I had attacked for no reason. His plan failed when Rainbow Dash told the principal and board what happened and he was expelled for causing this. Rainbow and I still got detention, but that incident was what caused us to become friends, and why I was confused on why Rainbow was apologizing.

“Didn’t I tell you a long time ago that everything was that stallions fault and not yours?” I asked her, though she was already hanging her head in shame.

“I know... but it wasn’t cool of me, and it doesn’t change the fact I actually did it,” She explained as she sat on her haunches. “It’s hard to think that after everything I did you would actually be one of my closest friends.”

“Well I never thought I would be friends with somepony who had bullied me back in school, but here we are now,” I reminded her as I sat next to her. “That fact you stood up for me when he tried to expel me for saving you is the only apologie I ever needed.”

“Heh, and I guess the same goes for you saving me,” She says with a chuckle, one that we both knew was completely forced. “Though I still don’t think that I’ve done enough to earn your friendship, even if we are both friends.”

“Well… that’s why it’s your job to make sure that I survive all of this, and the same thing goes from you to me,” I responded jumping back onto my hooves. “If you really are my friend than that is what you have to do in order to show me you are really sorry.”

“I would have done that whether it was to show our trust or not!” She shouted as she suddenly shot off the ground. “I got your back Dee, and you got mine, alright?”

“Wouldn’t have said that if I wasn’t going to, right?” I asked her, seeing a smile on her face. With that she took off, and looking to the sky I saw that it was around midday.

After grabbing some lunch (and being reminded once again of the lack of muffins in this excuse of a castle) I decided that I still had more than enough time before night time rolled in. Well, not that I actually thought it was close to night time, just that it was the only excuse keeping me from being near whatever was inside that envelope. I remember how Fluttershy secluded herself to her room the night before after she earlier asked me to stay with her. Thinking about where the pegasus might be, my first thought went to the garden we had woken up the first day here.

Minutes later I found myself opening the door at the back of the entrance hall, and found myself looking at the strange statue that stood in it’s center. As I expected, Fluttershy was there, and I could see here talking to some butterflies. It was the first time I had seen anything other than a pony or that sadistic bear since I had arrived here. I had to wonder if that had somehow manage to get in here from an exit of some sort.

“Fluttershy?” The butterflies scattered slightly, but the Ultimate Animal Caretaker motioned for them it was fine. “Sorry if I’m interrupting something important.”

“Oh don’t worry, I was just chatting,” She told me as she got up. “I’m sorry about last night. I fell asleep and didn’t remember what I had asked you.”

“It’s fine Fluttershy,” I told her with a honest smile. “Actually, I was wondering if you would be willing to tell me about animal caretaking. I’ve always wanted a pet, but I don’t know how to take care of some of the more common ones.”

“I-I see, w-well I guess I could share a little… or perhaps more than a little if you need me to,” Fluttershy answered, though I could tell she wasn’t exactly thrilled by the idea of asking someone else. “S-so… um, how do I even start.”

The next hour or two went about as well as I expected it to, with Fluttershy stuttering to describe what she had learned and constantly getting stuck on a word. Not saying I didn’t learn anything, but I could tell that Fluttershy wasn’t exactly use to being asked so many questions. What I did learn was rather basic, but she did give me specifics on the diets of certain animals and which ones would be easier to train or groom. I did ask her to stay within the norm, as I thought that was her main area of expertise, but that was proven wrong rather quickly.

“Say Fluttershy,” I said, the thought having been scratching at the back of my head for quite some time now. “When Monokuma first showed up you mentioned a Mr. Bear? Who are they.”

“Oh, Mr. Bear is a good friend of mine,” She explained. “He tends to stay with me during the summer months, but moves to the woods in the winter time. He must have been one of my first friends after settling down in Ponyville.”

“I see, so you two have known each other for a long time then,” I couldn’t help but feel like, with that description she had given me, this Mr. Bear was much more to her than a close friend.

“W-well, I never really thought about how long we’ve known each other, but it’s true,” She said, though I could tell something was bugging her about the way I was talking. “I was only a filly when I came to Ponyville, and I don’t remember much before that. Even than Mr. Bear was… he was one of the few first friends I made that I still had. He can be a bit loud and does get angry, but in the end we always work things out… one way or another.”

“Well, that really does make him sound like a special somepony, doesn’t it,” I could see her shrinking into a ball at the mention of ‘special somepony’, a message that I took completely wrong. “Oh, sorry, that was a little insensitive of me wasn’t it.”

“N-no, it wasn’t… that,” She told me as she looked back up in my direction, though I could now see that it wasn’t a blush that she had on her face. In fact, she seemed less worried or scared and more apologetic when she finally stood back up. “I-it’s true that Bear is his last name, but he isn’t a… well, a pony. The truth is, and I’m sorry for not saying earlier, but Mr. Bear is an actual… bear.”

It took me milliseconds to realize that I had not only made that entire conversation awkward for Fluttershy, but awkward for me as well. This Mr. Bear she was telling me about wasn’t a special pony, or even a pony for that matter. He was an actual bear, one that Fluttershy had been taking care of for most of her life and the reason she had obtained the title of Ultimate Animal Caretaker. It felt rather stupid, and I couldn’t help but feel like the awkward silence that followed was because of my bad luck.

“I think it’s about time for me to go to bed,” I told Fluttershy, not even looking at the clock as I made my way to the garden door. In my opinion, it had been a long enough day.

Author's Notes:

This is a lot shorter then the other chapters, I know, but that's only because FTEs aren't all that long. Rainbow Dash easily got the most votes, but the second person I had to find an online roulette wheel for to choose. In the end that pony happened to be Fluttershy, and that's the reason she's in this chapter. However, there is going to be another FTE chapter before the first murder, so please put your votes down for who you want. We got the second part of chapter one's daily life beforehand, so you got lots of time between then and now.

Also, I would like to take the time to just say that I've started speedrunning V3, and the Danganronpa speedrunning community have made a twitch channel for those who want to see the game run. We would really appreciate it if you do, and while I won't post the link if you go to Twitch and search for the channel 'danganronpa speedrunning' you should find it easily. We hope you join and I'll be posting in my blogs upcoming events on the channel from here on out.

With that, please comment who you think is going to die and who you want to see Ditzy hang out with. Leave a like if you enjoy the story and give me a watch if you want updates on writing or Twitch events. With that, I will see you all later.

Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again - Daily Life part 2

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When I opened the door to my room my eyes immediately fell on the envelope that had been given to us by Monokuma. I had to wonder if anyone had already opened theirs up, and even more so if someone was planning murder. The idea of murder seemed repulsive, and the act of somepony else here doing it seemed even more so. I wanted to tell myself that it wasn’t going to happen, that no one was that crazy enough to commit murder just to leave this place. Yet, deep down I knew that it was entirely possible, and that it was more than likely going to happen. Monokuma is in complete control of everything that goes on here, and I know that he has our lives in even more command. All I could do was hope somepony wouldn’t be crazy enough to do that, no matter...

… no. I’m not going to think of that just yet, and I’m going to keep myself from commiting a murder. Even if I say I won’t, who knows if that is actually going to stay true. If I kept it to myself, I could be used by the murderer as a false culprit. If I told everypony what was inside, than when that really does happen I can use that to prove myself. Maybe I could than get other ponies here to do the same, and perhaps we really can stop a murder from happening… at least in the near future. If I’m going to go down and cause everypony to hate me because of what is in that envelope, than I’ll do it knowing it was for the greater good.

With that in mind I walked over to the end table that I had placed the letter on, thinking over real quickly exactly what it was I am doing. Part of me said this was a bad idea, but I didn’t listen to it and picked up the envelope. I hesitated, for a few moments reconsidering as I might worry about what I could do if I see this. With a shake of my head I reassured myself of my actions and ripped off the top of the envelope with my teeth. As I reached to pick up what seemed to be a photo inside, I closed my eyes and pulled it out. When I finally looked at the photo, I felt my jaw drop and eyes widened.

The picture was that of me in flight school, being shoved into a locker by Rainbow Dash. I felt all sorts of emotions, but knowing why it happened kept me from forcing any hate onto my friend. I put it down and started to wonder about several things, but the most worrying thing to me was how Monokuma even knew. Nopony should’ve had a picture of this, and I certainly don’t remember seeing a strange bear around that time either. The feeling of fear that washed over me during that point wasn’t because of the picture, but rather the feeling that no personal information was safe from being used.

“What twisted individual could know about this?” I asked myself, not expecting a response of any kind.

I put the photo back in the envelope and faced it so that I was looking at the back of the picture. I looked to my bed, and knew that tomorrow I had to tell Rainbow about the photo. She was the most important pony to tell, but in the end I would have to tell everybody. I went to sleep hoping that everypony would be okay, and that we would remain strong against Monokuma. As I drifted off I felt a slight spark within me, and I knew that no matter what tomorrow would be the most important day to come. Little did I know exactly how much that spark within me was already ignited.

------- Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again -------

Bing Bong Ding Dong

“Attention everypony, it is now 8:00 am. The courtyard and dining room are now open. Lets all look forward to another great day in this wonderful killing game! Oh, and can I please ask for those of you using the barracks to please put away the weapons after you use them!”

Monokuma’s voice was the most painful thing to wake up to, and that was in a very literal sense. At certain points sounded cold and sadistic, but at others he sounded like a whiny three year old. Nonetheless he had managed to wake me up, and turning to the left side of my bed I was met with the shape of the envelope from yesterday. Begrudgingly I got out of bed and picked it up, remembering what my plan was. I took a deep breath before trying to rub the sleep out of my eyes.

Ding Dong

The sound of the doorbell quickly reminded me that there were other ponies beside me and Rainbow Dash in this place. Placing the photo back into the envelope I walked up to the door, trying not to rush myself. Opening it up, I was met with the figure of A.K. Yearling in front of me, a look of concern on her face. Part of me was hoping it was Rainbow Dash, as it would’ve made hunting her down really easy, but I can see that wasn’t really going to happen. No doubt that she already had some idea of what was going through my head.

“You looked at the envelope, didn’t you?” Yep, I thought she would figure it out that quickly.

“Y-yeah, but I promise I’m not thinking about murdering anyone… or does that just make feel more suspicious?”

“Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure you don’t have the guts to kill anypony,” Whether A.K. meant to make that sting as much as it did was beyond me, but I swallowed the shot at my pride. “Anyways, I’m gathering as many ponies as are willing together and bringing them to the living room. I have something I need to discuss about the envelopes.”

“I… see,” I knew that if I didn’t go it would make me look suspicious, even after what A.K. said about not having the gut. “I’ll make my way there than and wait.”

“Thanks,” The Ultimate Author smiled at me as she said that, before walking off.

Deciding that Rainbow and breakfast, the second one I wasn’t really looking forward too for the rest of my time here, I made my way to the living room. As I opened, I once again found that I wasn’t the first pony here, although this time it was a far fewer number than it had been yesterday. Twilight and Doctor Whooves seemed to be have a casual conversation about the castle at the current moment and Trixie was… looking at herself in the mirror. I can’t believe it’s possible, but I think I have found somepony with an ego bigger to Rainbow.

I decided to wait for A.K. to get here, and kept quiet just in case I said something stupid. In that time many of the other ponies who had been trapped here started to file in as well. First came the ever cheerful Pinkie Pie, attempting to converse with us which, considering those already here, didn’t go so well. Then came Flam and Flash Sentry, the latter walking several feet away from the former, both avoiding eye contact. Finally came Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and A.K. Yearling, who looked at all of us before pulling out a book and writing something down in it.

“Thank you all for coming here,” She greeted as we all turned to listen. “If you are wondering where the others are, most of them have other business they send they needed to attend to. That said, I think we all need to talk about the photos that we all received yesterday.”

“I see somepony is one step ahead of me than,” Flam stated, “I was actually hoping to talk about them to, especially since they are the Monokuma’s motives.”

“Ya don’t have to state the obvious when ya already know what is going on,” Applejack rolled her eyes. “And honestly, is it really a good idea to know talk about those photos. Ah reckon if we do they would just give us reason to murder somepony.”

“I think the reason for us talking is actually to prevent anyone from murdering anypony,” Twilight announced, stepping forward. “If we share than we know what to expect from the one who planned the murder, and even than sharing can keep you from being a subject in case the pony depict on the photo is murdered.”

I blinked, then I blinked again as I tried to make sense of what she was saying. “I don’t really followed that,” I admitted after sometime, having gotten nowhere.

“Think about it this way,” A.K. Yearling said as she readjusted the glasses falling off her muzzle. “If everypony know who the pony who got the photo was, it would put the most obvious suspect in the spotlight. That would keep that pony from performing a murder, since everypony would know, or it would clear their name due to an inconsistency in their alibi.”

She than reached under her cape and pulled out a photo, showing Flam holding a strange statue in his hooves. My eyes widened in shock when I saw exactly what she was doing, without any hesitation or second thoughts. That was her motive, but it confused me in what it showed to us. She was a writer, and yet here her motive picture seemed to shine more to her famous Daring Do character than to her. Yet, I was the only pony who seemed to be questioning that, as everypony but Twilight and Trixie seemed to turn to Flam.

“W-why is everypony looking at me?” He asked, not liking some of the more glaring looks he was getting, especially from Flash.

“If it wasn’t without consequence, and the fact that everyone's life would be at risk, I would strike you down right now for whatever horrid act you caused, heartless criminal!” He berated, his words sending a shiver, reminding me to not get on his bad side.

“Flash, you have no means to put ill intent towards Flam,” A.K. said as she continued to write down what I could only guess to be notes. “Unless you want to be the prime suspect in case of his murder, I suggest holding your feelings back, or let them loose if you so wish.”

“I… don’t think I completely understand this,” Rainbow responded, feeling her mane as she hoovered in the air. “What is the connection between A.K. and Flam in the photo?”

“It’s not so much a connection to me, as it is to a close friend of mine,” A.K. admitted, having at that point regained the attention of most in the room. “Allow me to get this across, and for all purposes keep it secret. The reason the motive photo is that of which you see before me is because of a priceless artifact recovered by Daring Do not long ago. However, a few days she brought it to the museum it was stolen, replaced by a fake made of dark chocolate and covered with a golden wrapper. It seems that, if the photo is to be believed, that the one behind the theft was Flam.”

I expected Flam to be shaken from what A.K. had just revealed to all of us, but instead we was as calm as could be. He clapped his hooves, a smile upon his face as he sat down on one of the couches lining the room. He seemed to be excited that he was caught, or happy about it nonetheless. You would think that a pony who stole something would be angry or scared that they were caught, especially in a situation like ours. Yet here he was, relaxing on a couch without a care in the world for what he was doing.

“As much as I applaud you for realizing all of that, Monokuma got one thing wrong,” Flam said. “My twin brother Flim was actually the one who stole that, but I do get the blame for throwing around the very idea. A note for the future: sometimes the culprit is not the one directly involve in the crime,” He sprung off the couch, his hat flying off his head and onto his hoof. “And sense A.K. decided to share her motive photo with us, than I see it as important to do the same.”

“Ah don’t know about you, but this seems like a bad idea if anyponies ever seen one,” Applejack said with a shake of her head. “Won’t it just instill ponies to murder each because of past mistakes.”

“Applejack, I know you don’t want to do this right now,” I spoke up, knowing deep down that letting anything escalate would only lead to harm later, and death as well. “And I can understand where you are coming from. It’s a risk sharing these things with each other, but I realized last night that if we don’t take a risk than we are putting ourselves in another danger. If we tell everyone about our motive photos, we can stop a murder when one occurs.”

“And why are you thinking like that?” She asked me as before I could even finish talking. “Listen Ditzy, ah understand you heart is in the right place, more so than mister Flam over there, but you can’t go around thinking a murder is going to happen.”

“But it’s very likely that, no matter what we do, there is going to be a murder either way,” Doctor Hooves replied, standing by my side. “My area of focus my not have much to do with psychology in any way, but I should be rather clear that not accepting the inevitable will lead us to more despair than hope in the future. At least by sharing, we show that we have accepted anything that happens in the future.”

“Well I, the great and powerful Trrrrixie, finds your logic flawed,” The Ultimate Showpony, who I had almost forgotten was even in the room, shouted as she suddenly slid to Applejack’s side. “By accepting this game we are accepting death, and Trixie is not prepared for death, and neither should you be. Of course, I have yet to even touch my envelope, and some ponies here might be the same.”

“Trixie is correct, as I also haven’t seen what’s in my envelope,” Twilight spoke up, standing in between us. “But I don’t think either side is necessarily wrong. If you don’t want to share than you simply don’t share with any of us. If you want to share with anypony than go ahead, or if it is simply between two ponies that’s fine too. We can’t force each other to do these things.”

“Than, while I feel it was important to bring this up, I’m going to leave. Hope ya’ll have a good day.” Applejack said, and though her words seemed venomous I could feel no hard feelings from them.

As I turned to A.K. Yearling, I could see that she had been writing done everything that seemed to have happen. None of us noticed as Pinkie yelled something about Rarity and parties before bolt out as well. That left me, Flam, Rainbow, Twilight, Flash, and A.K. who continued to write until she seemed satisfied. She sighed as she closed the book, looking at the ground defeated, knowing that she had fail in her attempts to gather everything she wanted. I felt really bad for her, knowing that she had only meant the best deep down.

“Don’t frown miss Yearling,” Flash said as she stepped forward to comfort the Ultimate Author. “I’m sure that some of us here would still be willing to say what our envelopes held. I, of course, also seemed to have Flam as a target, but through more natural terms.”

“And I wouldn’t have have said anything about sharing if I wasn’t going to share myself,” Flam said, continuing off of Flash’s confession, if that is the right word for the situation. “You see, my photo showcased a bit of a battle I had over apple cider with Applejack’s family. I wouldn’t take my word for it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the mare had something similar.”

“I also wanted to share,” I told A.K., noticing the smiling that was starting to dawn her face. “While I don’t want to go into specifics because everything was settled all those years ago, mine was of Rainbow Dash.”

“While I want to tell you, I’ll have to get back to you about it as I actually haven’t opened mine yet,” Rainbow shrugged as she touched the ground, both her and Twilight proceeding to join us in comforting Yearling. “I promise, though, that those of us still here have your back.”

“Thanks everypony,” A.K. replied after a few seconds, wiping some tears away. “Look, I know I can’t control what you do but… promise me none of you will kill each other, please?”

“I don’t think you even need to ask.” I said with a smile.

With that we all pulled together for a hug, tears rolling down my face as I did my best not to squeeze her to death. It felt good having a group of ponies that I can trust, especially with the feeling of death looming overhead. Not for a second did I feel like my trust was misplaced, and I couldn’t tell if it would hurt me or not in the end. Yet, somehow, I found myself putting my life on the line by trusting them, especially Flam.

After the hug we all went our separate ways, and I found myself once again not knowing what to do or where to go. The sun was still high in the sky, or rather it was still only around nine o’clock. I quickly went to the kitchen and made a breakfast, trying not to look at the lack of a special something still bugging me. Knowing that Monokuma wasn’t going to fix it anytime soon I found myself wondering what everyone was up to. I need to spend some time with the ponies around me, especially since, as I would soon find out…

… something terrible was right around the corner.

Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again - Free Time Event (Twilight and Flam) + end of daily life

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------- Free Time Start -------

I opened the door to the castle’s courtyard, looking up to the bright morning sun… or at least as much to the point I wouldn’t blind myself. As I walked down to the southernmost point I looked to see Twilight inspecting the dome. As I watched, I could see sparks coming off of her horn, something that I quickly noticed hadn’t stopped since it was cut by Monokuma. Was it normal for cut horns to do that? Though maybe it isn’t exactly the best topic to ask.

Ever since she mentioned being the student of Princess Celestia I had been interested in talking about her. However, with everything that she had gone through it didn’t feel right to approach her with the topic of the princess. She lost her horn, and everything Redheart told me about their importance to unicorns was visible at breakfast yesterday. Taking a deep breath and reminding myself of what topics were off limits, I greeted Twilight with a smile.

“Hey Twilight, what are you doing?” I asked her as she turned to me, a smile on her face.

“Ah Ditzy, it’s nice to see you again,” She greeted me before turning back to the dome in front of her. “I was checking for anything resembling an exit or entrance point in the wall. If we can’t teleport inside of this place like Trixie said, than it should mean that Monokuma used another method to get us inside. A secret entrance is the one I felt makes the most sense.”

“I… think I understand that,” I told her. It must have made a lot of sense to her, but I didn’t really know much about the specifics of teleportation or magic. “Perhaps you could elaborate further on that?”

It was at the moment that I realized I had made probably the biggest mistake I could have possibly made. Twilight didn’t just go into the basics like I had expected, but had gone into what I could only describe as “egghead mode”. Most of the vocab and laws she stated about teleportation and magic passed over my head, and I soon learned that asking what those were about made her even more incomprehensible. I didn’t know how long I had sat there listening to her lecture, but seeing her so excited about something made me happy.

“Um, Twilight,” After a point I put my hoof on her muzzle, which caused her to stop talking for long enough for me to ask my question. “Off topic, but when we first met you seemed really interested in that statue in the garden.”

“Well of course I was! Anyone who knows about Discord would be intrigued by his statue being here,” Twilight explained, but one look at my face told her that I had no idea who that was. “You… don’t know who Discord is?”

“I’ve heard the name, but I don’t see why it’s such a big deal that his statue is here.” I looked off in the distance, rather embarrassed at the fact I hadn’t realized who that belonged to.

I don’t think there is a single pony, griffon, or zebra that doesn’t know about Discord or his short reign. The spirit of chaos had long ago ruled of Equestria and had left it in disarray and madness. It said he could bend the existence of the multiverse at his discretion without any consequence, and had taken control of the country without much effort. However, he was quickly defeated by Celestia and Luna with the elements of harmony, turning him to… stone. The moment that part of the legend came to my mind I realized exactly why Twilight had been so curious.

“Wait… isn’t Discord’s statue in-”

“Canterlot? Yes it is,” Twilight both finished my question and answered it at the same time. “I don’t think it’s the same statue - the pose is a bit different and a few small details like both of his horns being the same show that - but it’s still strange. Monokuma must have sort of respect for him.”

“So we don’t have to worry about waking a sleeping spirit, that’s good,” I took a deep breath. “Do think this castle might be related to Discord as well? What if he is the one who built it?”

“Maybe, but without historical record or Monokuma’s confirmation we can’t say for sure. I doubt he would have named it Castle Despair though, given that isn’t his area.” Twilight explained.

After a few minutes we said goodbye, Twilight wanting to get back to her search before night is called. The lecture had definitely been long, as I could see the sun was going to set in… probably an hour or two at most. After a small snack I decided to relax in the living room, only to see two familiar faces. Flam and Flash were also in the room, though by the way the Ultimate Guard was looking at him I was guess he was keeping an eye on him. I guess, no matter how much trust one obtains, it can be hard for some to believe you.

“Ah, Ditzy, it’s nice to see you again,” The Ultimate Con Artist greeted as sat on the couch comfortably. “I want to thank you for backing up A.K. this morning. I was worried I would be the only one who actually believed she was in the right.”

“Well, I was actually going to tell everypony anyway, so I could completely understand where she was coming from.” I responded, smiling awkwardly at his… praise? I think that was praise.

“Come on, we’re on the same side here,” Flam tapped a spot on the couch next to him. Knowing what he was hinting at, I decided to sit next to him. “I think it would be good to get to know each other. Allies should know more than just each others names, right?”

From there the conversation diverged into various different topics, some stranger and more unusual than expected. He obviously didn’t care how personal some of the topics got, although he expertly dodged many of the questions I tried to ask him. He seemed more focus on knowing about me than he did about telling me about himself. While some questions were more natural, such as asking about hobbies or my job, others like how I act in situations or how I would go about planning an event made me raise in eyebrow. After some time, I found myself needing to ask.

“Flam, why do you need to know all of this?” I asked him before he could ask me another question. That smile on his face grew as he heard me say that, making me feel a little worried. “Um… Flam?”

“I just said I wanted to know you, what’s the problem with that?” Flam said, or at least that’s what I believe as I heard him mimic my voice to a tee. I leaned back away from him blinking a few times as if a strand of hair in my mane was in my vision. “What, did am I getting something wrong?”

“No, that’s not it,” I told him, still trying to get over how accurate the imitation was. The tone, pitch, even the ‘Manehattan accent’ that Rainbow always said I had was there. “How… you copied it perfectly. That’s exactly how I sound! Did you want me to talk… so you could mimic me?!”

“Yes and no my good friend,” He said in his own voice, making me feel a little bit more relaxed. “Surely an ultimate like yourself would know that Celestia wouldn’t give that title to someone bad. Well, what you just saw is one of the many parts of my job. A con artist doesn’t merely copy art, he copies the very artist himself.”

“So the reason that you asked about all that stuff was so you could copy me?” I know I should have felt worried, even scared at the fact he was able to do that, but I couldn’t help but be intrigued. “That’s pretty cool, but how does that relate to becoming the Ultimate Con Artist?”

“Ever heard the expression ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’?” I nodded in reply, finally realizing I was going to learn about Flam. “Well, this one time a hotel in Vanhoover found itself in a hostage situation, a hotel my brother and I was staying at no less. If I remember correctly it was a gang who the owner’s son had managed to tick off, and as a price wanted all the bits they had. Situation was rather rough, though as it turns out the my brother had met the leader yesterday in the city before. The boss wasn’t there, in fact he wasn’t the one who had been ticked off. Apparently it was some new member who had too much of an ego for his own good.”

“So, you copy the leaders voice and managed to stop it somehow?” Flam chuckled slightly as he heard that.

“Right track, but it wasn’t just the voice,” He told me. “With my brothers help I disguised myself as the boss and, with only the info my brother gave me about the way he acts, walks, talks and so on, stopped it. The poor fella was so scared he apparently ran out of the city in fear that I or the boss would target him. That got me and my brother on Celestia’s list.”

“But there’s more to it I assume?”

“Of course, that wouldn’t have been enough to get us both the title of ultimate or recognized as con artists,” Flam answered with a nod before getting off the couch. “However, let's leave it till some other time. If I talk too much he might start getting suspicious.”

I saw him quickly glance at Flash Sentry before heading off, the Ultimate Guard follow him out the door a few minutes later. As I looked out the window behind me, I saw the sun’s last rays behind distant mountains. I yawn, not realizing I felt tired until than. After laying on the couch for a few more minutes (mostly because my body didn’t want to move) I decided to head back to my room. I didn’t know what time it was at that point, or if anyone else felt the same, but I collapsed onto the bed with one though in my mind. It was a thought that I tried to suppress out of fear, but it wouldn’t go away. It was the thought of one of these ponies that I knew, no matter how long it takes, could kill.

------- Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again -------

Bang bang bang

This time it wasn’t the sound of Monokuma’s childish voice that woke me, but rather the sound of someone knocking loudly on my door. Trying to ignore it, I turned my body away from the door, hoping whoever it was would get the idea.

Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang

They didn’t go away, and I realized just how rapid they seem to be. It worried me, hearing how uneven and fast pace the pony on the other side of the door was knocking. That uneasiness clicked as I remember exactly where I was, and everything that had happened the past two days came rushing back. It a matter of seconds I was fully awake, shoving the covers off of me and running to the door. They continued to knock even as I started to open the door. I had expected to see Fluttershy or Twilight at the door, but who I saw instead was Rainbow, who didn’t give me a moment to speak.

“Ditzy, get to the garden now! Fluttershy is going to need someone!” She said in a single, long breath before flying to the other door.

I was going to ask her what was wrong, but it was at that moment I saw what was between the stairs on the ground area of the castle entrance. A streak, or rather a long line of blood was between the curving stairs and the garden’s entrance. I wanted to run away, but I quickly realized what Rainbow had said. Praying to Celestia that Fluttershy was alright, I hopped over the railing and glided to the ground floor. As my hooves touched the ground I quickly made my way to the door, hesitated in fear, and then opened it.

I don’t think I will ever forget the scene that I saw, or the cries of the pegasus who had first discovered it. I saw Fluttershy, weeping on the ground next to the statue, a pool of blood in front of her. Rushing to her side, I tried to ask her what happened, but my question was answered before my eyes. Before me was a pony, body cold and covered in blood, eyes lifeless as they stared in horror at the door, sparks still flying from her horn. I didn’t want to believe it but it was true, and I screamed as I realized who it was.

Before me was Twilight Sparkle, the Ultimate Magic Researcher, personal student of Princess Celestia, dead on the ground right in front of me.

Author's Notes:

One of the things that I feel elevates Danganronpa over other murder mystery games, other then it's story, is that it actually makes you feel connected to the characters. You get to learn who the killers and victims are on a sense beyond that of a courtroom, and can at times connect with some of them. This is another area where I feel I did better ultimately, as this time around we have at least an idea of who some of these characters are.

However, this is probably the one part were I feel I actually did good in the last story... mostly. The first murder has occurred, and that leaves the question of who killed Twilight. The investigation is next, and I'm curious to see if any of you have an idea on who killed our first victim?

Anyways, please leave a like and comment who you think the killer is, if you can guess yet obviously.

Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again - Deadly Life

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I didn’t know how long I was screaming for, but in no time my throat had gotten too dry to continue. Fluttershy was holding her head to the ground next to me, muttering words that were too quiet for me to make out. I wanted to hug her, but my eyes were fixed on the body of the pony who laid dead in front of me. Her violet coat and mane was covered in blood, and the lifeless stare her eyes produced made me tremble. It didn’t get any better when what denial I wanted was squashed by Monokuma.

Ding dong bing bong

“A body has been discovered!” His voice echoes through the garden, filling my ears with his dreadful cheer. “Everyone up and at ‘em, and meet me in the garden for further instructions. It’s time to investigate!”

“Dee, snap out of it!” Rainbows face suddenly filled my vision, and I was awoken from my despair inducing trance. “We need to get Fluttershy away before ponies get here.”

“R-right,” I nodded, looking to see that A.K. had joined us, her eyes wide as she saw the body on the floor. “Can you give us a hoof or two over here?”

“Oh!” Looking away from Twilight’s body she helped us get Fluttershy to her hooves and helped her away from the body. Placing her shivering body next to the door leading to the entrance hallway, A.K. turned to us. “So, can one of you explained what happened?”

“Fluttershy and I woke up earlier this morning and… you kinda see what happened,” Rainbow explained looking back to Twilight, but quickly looked away as she focused her eyes on me. “Fluttershy wouldn’t move, and though I tried to help her up her body was stuck to the ground like a tree trunk. So, I grabbed Ditzy to help me, but looks like that didn’t really fix anything.”

“My word!” Rarity was the next to arrive, along with Bon Bon and Doctor Whooves. “What… what in Celestia’s name happened!?”

“So it really happened?” Bon Bon asked herself, her body rather calm compared to the rest of us. “Somepony really did murder another.”

As time passed more and more ponies funneled into the garden, all responding differently to the sight that appeared before us all. Flam and A.K. had both known for a long time that a murder was inevitable, and were the calmest ones next to Bon Bon to first seeing it. Others like Octavia, Pinkie, Rarity reacted in a similar fashion to me or Fluttershy, the Ultimate Party Planner especially taking it hard. Trixie’s and Bulk both tried to leave the garden, only to be blocked by Flash as he entered. His first reaction to the body was to look at Flam, one that I had more than expected.

“Murderer!” He cried out as he pounced at Flam, who managed to dodge him in anticipation. “What did you do to her? How long have you been planning this? Tell me now you monster!”

“Flash calm down,” Redheart said, her and Bulk holding the Ultimate Guard as he attempted to leap again. “This isn’t the time to think irrationally, we need to keep ourselves calm.”

“S-s-s-so it’s t-t-t-true?” A very shaken Fluttershy asked, doing her best to keep her words comprehensible. “T-t-t-twilight’s dead, and one of us murdered her?”

“Now hold on a minute there sugarcube, this is obviously not one of us,” Applejack said, her denial still holding strong after all this time. “Why would any of us want Twilight dead? After everything that happened to her you would think she had no enemies.”

“Oh reeeaaally now,” All of us looked back to the statue of Discord, Monokuma sitting on his head with that stupid, sadistic grin of his. “Now now, what would I have to gain from killing Twilight? I will admit that after what she pulled your first day here I’m not surprise she’s dead and I am very satisfied with her death, but that would be breaking my own rules. I only intervene if one of you were to break the rules.”

“I don’t care what your lying face says. If ah say nopony is the killer, than nopony is the killer!”

“Applejack, would you please stay quiet,” Flam told the Ultimate Farmer. “Your the only one here in denial, and if you want to keep yourself from being a prime suspect than I suggest you shut up. Of course, if you would rather be silenced in a more embarrassing way, I could always shove in apple in that hole of yours.”

“Oh, now that is something that I would be very interested in seeing, but let's save that for later,” Monokuma responded with a chuckle. “No matter what miss country stereotype says over there, one of you are responsible for this death. Now, because I’m not completely heartless I have a little something for you all.”

From behind his back he pulled out just over a dozen identical folders and waved them in the air. Jumping off of the statue and almost landing on Twilights body, he proceeded to hand them out one by one. The first thing that caught my eye was the only two words on the folder handed to me: ‘Monokuma file’. I raised an eyebrow, not exactly getting where he was going with this.

“I’m pretty sure you all, or most of you at least, aren’t experts at this kinda stuff,” Monokuma explained as he climbed his way back onto the statue. “That is what this wonderful thing I have just given you is to help. It contains all the basics on the murder without giving away who killed them. I like to call it: the Monokuma File!”

“It seems kinda like a less detailed autopsy report,” Redheart said, already looking at the paper that was placed within the folder. “Still… the least I can do is find the killer, after everything I tried to do for Twilight.”

“Yeah, that’s the spirit!” Monokuma cheered, clapping his paws. “Well, I’ll leave you to it then. Have fun investigating.”

With that he disappeared, and the only sound that ponies heard was that of paper rustling around me. I had hesitated to open it, scared to learn anything about what could have happened. Than I looked around me, seeing the fear on Fluttershy as she tried her best to keep her eyes on the Monokuma File, and the others who were still alive. I hadn’t really gotten to know Twilight in any sense, but I believe should want us all to live. I had to investigate, for her if not for anyone else.

Investigation start!

“Ditzy, I recommend you look at the paper,” A.K. said as she walked up to me. “Monokuma wasn’t wrong when he said it would be helpful.”

I nodded, reminding myself that I had to be strong. Heart full of hope I opened up the Monokuma file and looked at what was contained.

“The victim is Twilight Sparkle, the Ultimate Magic Researcher. She died at around 11:30 pm in the garden by a slashing weapon. Her body contains several lacerations on the upper half of her body, the largest being on her hooves and chest. A deep stab wound pierced the front and back of her body in the chest area, damaging the heart.”

“I see, so she was killed while everyone was still asleep,” Doctor Hooves stated, sighing afterwards. “I guess there really wasn’t anything we could’ve done for her, even if we wanted.”

“Are y’all sure this is completely accurate?” Applejack asked, the expression on her face making it clear to me that she didn’t completely trust the information. “I mean, how could anyone know all of this?”

“Whether or not you want to believe it, I don’t think we have a choice in the matter,” Flam said in response as he started pacing back and forth, a smug look on his face. “He can appear anywhere, make his voice heard from anywhere, and as far as we know can see everything we’re doing. If anyone knows about the time or place, it would be someone like that.”

I couldn’t doubt anything Flam had just said, and despite all the hell he was forcing us through we had to trust Monokuma on this one. No matter how much Applejack or anyone denies it, if we don’t find the killer… we all die. Everything we learned could be vital to our survival, no matter how unrelated it may seem.

Monokuma File #1 was add to the truth bullet section of your handbook.

“Hm,” Redheart hummed loudly to herself as she walked over to Twilight’s body, looking back and forth between her and the Monokuma file. “Before we do anything, let's set two ground rules. We all search in pairs, got it? Everyone keeps tabs on each other, that way the murderer can’t destroy any evidence,” Everyone nodded, the logic seeming sound. “Secondly, we need to ponies guarding Twilight’s body, that way if the killer, whether it is or isn’t one of the two guarding, can’t destroy anything here.”

“As the Ultimate Guard, I humbly volunteer for this duty,” Flash said with a smile, before looking to Flam. “And as for my partner-”

“I-I-I’ll do it,” Fluttershy called out, drawing attention from most ponies in the room. “A-a-after e-e-everything I’ve shied away from in the past few days, the least I owe Twilight is some protection.

“It’s decided than,” A.K. said, walking to the center of us all. “We should start investigating. Who knows how much time we have, and none of it should be wasted.”

With most of the ponies in the room dispersed, the investigation finally got underway. Out of those who were still in the garden, it was Redheart, A.K., Fluttershy, Flash, and me. Despite having told myself that I needed to be strong for Twilight, I didn’t know where to start. I was a Mail Carrier, not an detective or private eye! The last pony that should be investigating this should be myself.

“Ditzy,” A.K called out to me, walking up to me. “If Flash wasn’t on guard duty, I would have probably gone with him, but you are the only other pony who in here who knows about the meeting,” She took out the same book that she had during the meeting in the living room yesterday. “I know you didn’t do it, your motive proves that you had no ill against Twilight.”

“Of course I didn’t murder her!” I yelled, realizing how suspicious it must have made me look. “I-I mean, even if I did try to kill her I probably would have ended up killing myself instead. That does seem to be how my luck works in situations like that.”

“Then let's hope that your luck doesn’t impact the trial in anyway,” A.K. replied with a smile on her face. “However, out of those of us who were there, I can guarantee that nopony who was with my decision, even those who haven't opened them yet like Rainbow, are innocent. None of you had connections to Twilight in your motives.”

“So we’re all safe then?” I asked out of curiosity.

“Unless somepony manages to convince me otherwise? Yes,” A.K. answered as she put the book back under her cloak, giving me a quick glimpse at her wings. So she wasn’t an earth pony like I had originally thought. “However, that means everypony else, even Fluttershy, is a potential suspect. Remember that for the trial, I expect us to be carrying the entire thing… no joke.”

Motive Photos have been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook.

Having mentioned the shy, shaking pegasus, my attention turned away from Yearling and to Fluttershy. The Ultimate Author had seemed to get what was going through my head, as next thing I knew we were walking up to her with a single question in our head. It was Fluttershy who had discovered the body first, which would instantly make her a prime suspect. That said, I couldn’t believe somepony like her was the murderer, especially when the body she was now guarding was as bloody as it was.

“Excuse me Fluttershy!” I called out to her, instantly getting the Ultimate Animal Caretaker. “I’m sorry to interrupt but… you were the first one to see the body, right?”

“Oh, well, that’s sorta true,” She replied, looking down and rubbing her right hoof. “I-I had trouble sleeping last night and decided to stay with Dash last night. The bed was, well, uncomfortably small for the two of us and neither of us got a good night sleep. We woke up rather early and decided to get some fresh in the garden.”

“And that is when you discovered the blood leading to the body.” A.K. predicted, as she wrote had taken her book back out and was writing things down.

“Y-yes,” Fluttershy looked down to the floor in humiliation. “I was so scared, I don’t remembering anything that happened after that until everypony was in the garden.”

“Of course, your account only checks out if Rainbow Dash agrees,” A.K. told the pegasus in front of her. “However, the rules of society are ‘innocent until proven guilty’ and at the moment all I can say is your innocent.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Fluttershy sighed as she returned to her guard duty, seeming more relaxed than she was when she started talking.

Fluttershy’s account has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook.

“Hey, you two!” I heard Flash call as he looked inside one of the hedges that lined the garden. “I think I found something.”

Rushing over to where he stood, we saw what he had been talking about. Inside the hedge was a sword, shining from water that had been used to washed the blade. I blinked, having not seen anywhere that a sword could have been taken from. Being careful enough to not cut himself, Flash took it out of the hedge hilt first and showed it to us. There was no dew on the hedge from what I could tell, which meant that it had to have been washed somehow.

“That’s strange,” I tried my best to examine the blade, though it didn’t seeming to have a hint of blood on it. “What’s a sword doing in the hedges? Did the murderer place it there?”

“I’m not sure, but I didn’t see it during my patrol last night,” Flash explained, the words immediately catch the attention of the author next to me.

“You were patrolling the garden last night?” A.K. asked, suspicion forming on her face.

“Well, in truth, I was asked to patrol the entire floor of the castle by miss Twilight,” He continued to explain. “She wanted to examine the statue in the garden for anything that might be a way out of here, and asked me to watch for anyone who could possibly be up. So I made a patrol route around the castle.”

“Then, did you see anyone that might have been the murderer?” I asked, hoping that something could help us. “Actually, did you say anypony in general?”

“The only pony I saw up was Octavia,” Flash replied, placing the sword next to the garden wall. “Other than that, I didn’t see anypony else, and the last time I saw Twilight must have been ten minutes before 11:30. I had headed back to bed after that, so I wouldn’t have had a chance to check on her. No one was up so I figured she would be safe.”

“I can see how tense you are right now Flash, but I don’t think you did it,” A.K. told the ultimate guard. “Hey, could you give me the route that you took during your patrol for any chance? Sketch it on the map I just drew of the castle’s inside.”

“Anything to help the investigation,” Flash nodded as he took A.K.’s book.

A minute or two later he handed back the book and we peaked at the route he had described. Flash didn’t let a single corner of the castle get away from him if the map was anything to say. Both hallways, the entrance hall, and the perimeter of the garden were all mentioned on his route. It would only make sense for someone like the Ultimate Guard to take such measures. It helped reassure me that he was on our side even if he was one of the only ponies up at around that time.

Sword in Hedge was added to the truth bullet section of your handbook
Flash’s Patrol Route was added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

“Hey Flash, could I see that sword for a second?” Redheart called out as she continued to examine the body. “There is something that I need to check.”

“Uh… sure,” Flash nodded as he grabbed the sword and walked it over to the Ultimate Nurse.

“Now, let’s see here,” A.K., Flash and I watched as Redheart did… whatever the heck it was she was doing over at Twilight’s body. None of us could actually see what she was doing, but after a good ten minute she turned around to us. “Yes, there is no doubt that this is the weapon that was used, but I needed to know whether the entry point was through the back or front,” She handed the sword back to Flash, who proceeded to place it a safe distance away from the point Twilight currently rested. “Long story short, whoever is responsible not only stabbed through the front, but managed to stab it deep enough to go through her back.”

“Than can we also assume that there was a struggle, given the cuts on her body?” A.K. asked.

“You seem to know a lot about this for being a simple author,” Redheart said, seeming to be rather curious about A.K.’s knowledge. “However, you are correct. Unless they are an absolute psychopath I don’t think there is any other way to think about it.”

“I see,” The ultimate author closed her eyes for a few seconds, before opening them again and looking at Redheart. “You know, even though Daring Do is my most famous… character, that doesn’t mean she’s my only one. I’ve written a lot more than adventure and action novels to gain the title of Ultimate Author.”

“I guess that makes enough sense.” Redheart said, shrugging.

Signs of a Struggle has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook
Stab Wound has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

“Ditzy, I think it’s time for us to check elsewhere,” Yearling told me as she made her way to the door. “I have a few things I need to check, such as the barracks, Fluttershy’s alibi, and the kitchen.”

“Um… why is that? Isn’t most of the evidence here?” I asked her as she opened the door.

“Not all the evidence, especially the most important evidence, is always at the crime scene,” She explained to me as we exited the garden.

Before we could take more than a few steps from the door A.K. had her attention taken over by the streak of blood that was on the floor in the entrance hall. I thought back to the thoughts I had this morning upon seeing it for the first time. When Rainbow Dash had told me that Fluttershy was in the garden, I had been scared this was her blood and she was left near death over night. All I could really think is how glad I was that Fluttershy was still with us, even if I felt horrible for Twilight and what happened to her.

“That’s strange,” A.K. said as she finally looked back to me. “The monokuma file states that she was killed in the garden, so why is there blood here?”

“Hey, A.K.?” I called to her, having noticed something strange myself. “Take a look at the floor here.”

Her gaze followed mine as I noticed several large puddle of water in the entrance hall. They all glitter as if the sun was shining upon them, but that was what made them seem weird to me. No windows were in the entrance hall, which meant the sun could shine upon them, and the large chandelier that was usually on was currently off.

“Good catch Ditzy,” A.K. stated as she turned me. “While I don’t exactly get what happened here, it’s obvious something happened to the killer that caused all this blood. I don’t think it could possibly be Twilight, as the monokuma file clearly states that the location of death was the garden.”

Blood Streak was added to the truth bullet section of your handbook
Glittering water was added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

Our first stop was the kitchen, as A.K. believed that was the only place the killer could have washed off the sword. Pinkie and Octavia were also both investigating the kitchen, or rather Octavia was. The only thing Pinkie was really contributing was energy and a cheer, having at some point gotten into a cheerleader outfit. That said, I felt like something was wrong with the killer using the kitchen area. Once I remembered the rules pertaining to what areas are closed off during the nighttime it made sense.

“Wait, isn’t it impossible to get into the kitchen during the nighttime?” I asked my partner as she searched around. “Don’t the rules state that the dining hall, the only way into the kitchen at all, is closed during nighttime?”

“Wrong!” Pinkie suddenly shouted as she dragged me over to the wall located closest to the hallway. “Watch this!”

As she said that she pushed a stone brick on the wall, and I watched as it seemed to slide in as her hoof touched it. Moments after the wall started to move away from us, and after a point moved to the side to what seemed like the hallway. I went wide eyed as the revelation happened in front of me, taking a peek to see if this really was the left hallway of the castle. As my eyes caught the barbed wire blocking the stairs at the far end of the hallway, it was made perfectly clear to me what I was looking at.

“The kitchen has a secret entrance!” I yelled in shock, looking back to Pinkie.

“Yeppsy depsy, it sure does,” Pinkie confirmed as she bounced around me. “I remember finding it on complete accident the first day we got here and being like ‘whaaaaat’ only to then be like ‘oooooo’ when I realized I could cook during nighttime. I mean, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed how me and Bon Bon had been able to make pancakes and breakfast before the morning announcement has occured, right?”

It was true, I hadn’t really noticed that at all during the morning hours, by I was usually one of the later ones up anyways. Still, if Pinkie and Bon Bon knew about the secret entrance than A.K. must have known about it too. That would explain why she would want to investigate this place, as now it was entirely possible to get in here during nighttime. If that’s the case, than the killer must have known about it as well.

Secret Kitchen Entrance was added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

As I looked back to Octavia, I realized the bags that were under her eyes. I remembered what Flash had told me back at the garden, how she was the only one, other than Twilight, who was up at the time. A.K. Yearling was searching around the kitchen still, so I decided that I had to take some initiative.

“You okay Octavia?” I asked as I approached her, though I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

“How could I feel okay at a time like this,” She said to me, doing her best to hold back a yawn. “Last night was the worst night of sleep I’ve had since I first met… I first met...” realizing she was falling asleep, I gave her a quick slap across to keeping her awake. “OW!”

“Sorry, but I just need to know something, then you can fall asleep as quickly as you want,” I told her. “Flash said you were up last night, and I just wanted to know why.”

“Oh yeah, that,” She seemed rather upset about the topic, but she decided to tell me anyway. “You think that when Monokuma says the walls are soundproof, he would be right. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I could hear Bulk Bicep snoring through the walls. I tried to get him to stop but he.... wouldn’t open… his door.”

With that she yawned again and fell back asleep, too tired to continue talking. However, I had manage to get just enough out of her to know what happened. Her state definitely backed up her statement, and I doubt that she would be very happy if I decided to slap her again. I decided to leave her be, having known myself exactly how a ponies like her or Rainbow react to a bad night’s sleep.

Octavia’s account has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

A.K.’s search didn’t come up with anything too helpful, but after filling her in on what I had learned we decided to next look at the barracks. Apparently she had no clue the hidden entrance to the kitchen existed, but she had figured something like that would exist in an old castle like this. As we walked out of the castle’s interior, we came face to face with Rainbow, who was watching from high above the two of us for anything. A.K. didn’t even notice her, being to focused on getting to the barracks, and as Rainbow swooped down ran right into her. The two tumbled to the ground, both getting up with a groan.

“Rainbow, A.K., are you alright?” I yelled to them as I ran over to where they had landed. “Anything broken?”

“Other than a slight headache and aggravation, yeah,” The Ultimate Author replied, looking to Rainbow. “Let me guess, you weren’t watching right in front of you.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Rainbow apologized as she started to take off once again, only to be stopped by A.K.

“Hold on, before you go,” She waved her hooves in front of her in order to keep Rainbow’s attention. “I just want to know real quickly if Fluttershy was with you last night. I doubt she could murder anypony, but you never really know.”

“Oh, well we did sleep together, and she wasn't the only pony to find the body,” Rainbow told us, seeming anxious to get back to flying as she hovered in the air. “I was right there with her when we saw the blood leading to the garden. After we found the body she was completely paralyzed, too scared to move even as I yelled to her. Should have known that made her suspicious. Can I go now?”

Rainbow’s Account was added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

A.K. motioned that Rainbow was free to go and the Ultimate Stunt Flyer took off into the air. With that I followed A.K. Yearling into the training field, this being the first time I had stepped hoof inside this part of the courtyard. It was rather similar to what you would see at a high school including a track field for all three races (earth ponies and unicorns sharing the same one obviously). At the far end was our destination: the barracks.

Upon walking inside I was greeted by the sight one would expect walking into a barracks. Racks of weapons and bunk beds lined the walls. It was enough room to fit those of us here plus a couple more, but the bunk beds had no mattresses on them, making them completely useless. Decided it was better not to ask why, we instead started searching, both our eyes landing on a weapon rack at the very back of the hall, weapons lying on the floor in front of it.

“I think it is safe to assume that this is where the sword we found earlier came from,” A.K. told me. “It seems that every rack here has at least one axe, lance, and sword, resting from top to bottom in that order,” I looked around to the other weapon racks, confirming that A.K. was correct. “Considering that the axe is on the floor, the lance is still on the rack, and the sword is nowhere to be seen, we can safely say this was where it was originally located.”

Weapon Rack has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

Ding dong bing bong

“Ahem, can I have everyone's attention,” Monokuma’s voice called out from wherever he currently was. “Investigation period is over, and it is time to commence the first cla- wait I can’t call it that, can I. W-well either way the first trial is going about to start. Please make your way back to the garden and you will be escorted to the trial grounds.”

“You ready?” A.K. asked me as Monokuma finished speaking. “From this point on, everything we say is important and can decide if we live or die.”

“I don’t think it matters how ready I am,” I explained to her. “Monokuma is in charge, and unless we want to die we need to follow what he says.”

With a smile and nod, the two of us made our way back to the garden. As we arrived everyone else had been waiting, some more patient than others. I could sense I feeling of terror in the air from some, and I could feel it trying to overtake me. I did my best to shake it off, looking to A.K. as she stood firm and straight. Deciding it was best to copy her, I tried my best to also look brave, though I knew how afraid I was on the inside.

“So… anypony have any idea how we are going to get to the trial ground?” Applejack asked, looking around. “Ah don’t see anything that could resemble a door around here.”

“Monokuma wouldn’t have asked us to gather here unless the entrance was inside the garden,” Doctor Hooves reminded the Ultimate Farmer. “It will probably make itself known in a matter of time, especially now that we are all gathered here.”

As he finished, the ground started to rumble beneath our hooves. Some like Fluttershy and Rarity took cover in fear that the walls might fall apart, but in the end everyone's eyes landed on the statue that stood behind Twilight’s body. As if it was magic, the statue moved without any trouble, revealing a large platform underneath it. It didn’t take much time for us to release that this must have been the entrance in some way, and everyone soon filed onto the it.

The platform underneath us suddenly started to descend, and we watched as the world around us was taken over by darkness. The light from above us faded away as the platform continued down, the statue having probably returned to its original placement. After a long descent something opened up in front of us, revealing a chess-like room with a throne in the back of it. In the middle was a circular stand with our names written on it, making me release this was the courtroom.

“Alright everyone, take your places and let's begin this first, heart-racing trial!” Monokuma commanded, and out of either fear or understand we followed it. However, only one thought was racing through my mind at that moment.

Twilight Sparkle, the Ultimate Magic Researcher, who Redheart and I had tried our best to help, was killed by somepony here. Who it was I didn’t know, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to find out, but it was all too clear…

… and with that, this trial of life and death, hope and despair, chaos and harmony, had begun.

Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again - Trial part 1

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Preparations

Truth Bullets
Monokuma File #1 (A folder giving the basics of Twilights murder. She was killed at 11:30 last night by a slashing object that cut her multiple times and stabbed her deep through the chest.)

Motive Photos (A.K. has written down the connections of everyone who had shared their motive photos yesterday during the morning meeting in the lounge. A.K had Flam, Flam had Flash, Flash and Flam, Pinkie had Rarity, and Ditzy had Rainbow.)

Fluttershy’s Account (Fluttershy had slept with Rainbow Dash the night prior and was the first one to discover the body. According to her, they woke up at the same time and upon discovering the body her memory went blank.)

Sword in Hedge (Flash discovered a sword hidden in one of the garden’s hedges while guarding the crime scene. It appears to have been washed, and as it was the only weapon in the area. It is most likely the murder weapon.)

Flash’s Patrol Route (Flash Sentry was patrolling until 11:20 last night and was the last pony to have seen Twilight alive. His route covered the entirety of the castle’s interior save for the living room and dining room area. The only pony who he came into contact with during the time was Octavia.)

Signs of a Struggle (Twilight had multiple large cuts on her front legs that both Redheart and A.K. Yearling believe show signs of a struggle between Twilight and the murderer.)

Stab Wound (Upon inspection of the blade and the stab wound on Twilight’s chest, Redheart summarized that the blow was done through the front of her body. It had pierced through Twilight’s heart and through her back, which is why their is a smaller wound in the front than the back.)

Blood Streak (A trail of Blood was found outside of the garden, the location of the murder. Not even A.K. seems to truly understand how the blood streak was created, but believes that it isn’t Twilight’s blood on the floor.)

Glittering Water (Water was found on the floor leading to the dining room and kitchen hallway, most likely washed up by the killer through some means. Despite the lack of light shining into the entrance hall during the investigation, the water seemed to sparkle through some means.)

Secret Kitchen Entrance (Pinkie and Bon Bon had discovered a secret entrance to the kitchen via a button disguised as a stone brick. This would have bypassed the nighttime rules as it only applies to the dining room, not the kitchen.)

Octavia’s Account (Octavia was up some time before the murder, unable to fall asleep due to Bulk Bicep snoring in the room next to hers. This left her extremely tired in the morning when the body was found.)

Rainbow’s Account (Rainbow Dash slept with Fluttershy and was with the pegasus when she found the body.)

Weapon Rack (A sword was missing from one of the weapon racks in the barracks, and must have been removed during the as stated by the rules.)

Trial Commence

“Allow me to start by giving a simple explanation on how this trial is going to work,” Monokuma said from his spot on his throne. “Throughout the course of the trial you will all give your arguments and present evidence to try a prove who the blacken is. If, at the end, you manage to find the blacken through popular vote, than only they will receive punishment. However, choose wrong and everyone besides the blacken will get executed, and they will earn the right to leave this castle. Now then, let's get this trial started!”

I looked around to everyone, all of us waiting for the other to start the conversation. With a sigh, I decided to take the initiative.

“So, I guess the only place to start is with the scene of the crime itself,” I suggested to everyone else. “That way we can clear up any needed confusion someone has about Twilight’s murder.”

“Well I ain’t really up for it, but we got no choice in the matter now do we?” Applejack replied. “So, I guess the first thing we should really clear up is exactly what injury caused Twilight to die.”

“Yeah, the Monokuma File only stated what injuries she had obtained not which one killed her!” Bulk Bicep yelled, which I quickly realized was his default tone of voice.

“In that case, let’s do an overview of the case before going any further,” A.K. told everyone. “If any inconsistencies are to pop up, then it will be there.”

I saw A.K. turn to me after she spoke, and I knew what she was expecting of me. If I really wanted to find who murdered Twilight, than I was going to have to be in control of this debate. Twilight is depending on us all to rest easily, and that all starts now.

Non-stop Debate

Loaded truth bullets: Signs of a Struggle, Monokuma File #1, Fluttershy’s Account.

Rainbow Dash: “Twilight was killed at 11:30 during nighttime, at which point everyone was already asleep.”

Rarity: “Except for the murderer of course. As soon as they could they headed to the garden and murdered Twilight.”

Octavia: “They must have known Twilight was going to be there and had planned a weapon in advance.”

Doctor: “And without realizing what was happening, Twilight died. I doubt she couldn’t even fight back.”

Wait! That’s wrong!

“Actually Doctor, Twilight was fully aware of the murderers intentions of killing her,” I explained to him. “Or that should be the case if what Redheart said was correct.”

“Your talking about the cuts on her front legs?” Redheart asked me, and I nodded in return. “Well, to be more specific, it’s on the outer parts of her front legs that the cuts are seen. If it was the inner area than I would be willing to say that somepony here went crazy, but that’s not the case. I would say that it is more than likely for those injuries to have been caused by blocking the object that had cut her down.”

“I see, that is… much more tragic than I had wanted to believe,” Doctor Whooves said with a sigh. “She tried to fight back against her killer, but in the end was unable to shake them off.”

“U-u-um, since that was cleared up, how about the blood l-l-leading to the g-garden’s door,” Fluttershy managed to say, despite her voice sounding like it wanted to fail on her. “D-d-didn’t the M-monokuma File state that the murder happened in the g-g-g-garden?”

“That’s why ah think Monokuma is trying to trick us in some way,” Applejack replied, reminding me of her accusation that the mechanical bear was the one who actually murdered her. “Ah didn’t see any red grass from the body being dragged through the garden, and just thinking somepony would purposefully do that to throw us off is just… wrong.”

“But you do have to admit that it is entirely possible,” Flam spoke up for the first time in the trial. “Nopony knew the Monokuma File was even a thing until after the body discovery announcement, so maybe they did drag the body to try and throw us off.”

“What exactly do you mean by throwing us off?” I decided to ask, though I did feel rather uncomfortable about his suggestion.

“So imagine that Twilight was killed in the garden, and then the murderer tried to make it seem like it happened someplace different,” He explained to us. “To do that, they dragged Twilight’s limp body out the doors of the garden and into the entrance hall just enough for us to be able to notice it. Then they dragged her back to where she was originally slain, finish there little trick.”

“Th-that’s absurd!” Rarity shouted. “I’ve read plenty of mystery novels in my life and even that seems absolutely crazy.”

“It’s just a suggestion, but it is quite possible since unicorns have the lowest body weight average of all ponies.” Flam replied with a shrug. Despite how horrible the image he created in my head was, I couldn’t help but agree that it was entirely possible.

“In that case, let’s turn our attention to the one who discovered the body,” Bon Bon suggested, looking furiously at Fluttershy. “The culprit will always return to the scene of the crime, and that is none other than Fluttershy.”

“Wh-wh-wh-what?” Fluttershy stammered in replied, looking as if she was going to faint from shock.

“Hey, why are you picking on Fluttershy now?!” Redheart yelled at the Ultimate Candy Maker.

“I’m not picking on her, I’m simply putting her into the spotlight until she presents an alibi,” Bon Bon said in defense. “It is completely reasonable to assume that the one who discovered the body might very well be the murder.”

I could understand where Bon Bon was coming from, but it just didn’t seem right. I knew Fluttershy was innocent, I just had to prove it to the rest of the ponies here.

Non-Stop Debate

Loaded Truth Bullets: Octavia’s Account, Flash’s Patrol Route, Rainbow’s Account

Bon Bon: “I’m not say that she is definitely the killer, but nonetheless Fluttershy discovered the body.”

A.K.: “As true as that might be, couldn’t you be jumping to conclusions right now?”

Rainbow Dash: “Yeah, Fluttershy’s innocent! She’s too timid to do anything of the sort!”

Fluttershy: “Y-y-yes that’s right. Besides, wh-why would ever ever murder anyone?”

Bon Bon: “But you weren’t there with her last night. So unless she was with somepony all last night than I won’t believe that.”

I agree with that!

“While we were investigating, Fluttershy told me about the events that persisted the night before,” I told Bon Bon. “She indeed was the one who discovered the body, but she was also staying with Rainbow at the time of the murder.”

“You may say that,” Bon Bon said, ready to try and contradict what I told her. “but unless Rainbow-”

“Yep, it’s true,” Rainbow told the earth pony, interrupting them. “She couldn’t fall asleep so we slept together last night. I was also there with her when she discovered the body so she wasn’t alone at any time. Well, not alone until I went to grab everypony that is.”

“Kinda ironic that your own words are the ones that set Fluttershy free, isn’t it Bon Bon?” Pinkie Pie joked, giggling at the thought. “Kinda like sending a party invitation the day after it was held, and everyone showing up on time anyway.”

“You should probably work on that comparison darling,” Rarity told the Ultimate Party Planner. “It’s pretty off.”

“Well, if that’s the case than… sorry Fluttershy,” Bon Bon apologized, looking to the ground in shame. “I guess I was jumping to conclusions a bit.”

“N-no, I could see why you thought that.” Fluttershy said, just audible for anypony to hear it.

“In that case let’s get back to overviewing the murder,” A.K. suggested. “We’ve cleared up the fact that she wasn’t caught by surprise, but their is a lot more that should still be discussed. Let's continue by talking about the weapon that was used.”

Non-stop Debate

Truth Bullets: Sword in Hedge, Weapon Rack, Monokuma File #1, Glittering Water

A.K.: “We cleared up what Twilight’s final moments were, but now we need to all agree on a weapon.”

Flam: “It had to be long enough to pierce the heart, if we believe that the stab wound was the cause of death of course.”

Trixie: “They must have hidden the weapon somewhere Trixie couldn’t find it, and Trixie is excellent at finding things.”

Applejack: “No doubt that whatever weapon was used had to have blood on it. Ah don’t think they would have been able to wash it afterwards.”

I agree with that!

“I’m sure you already know what the weapon was A.K., we did find it together after all,” The Ultimate Author smiled at me as she heard those words. “There was a sword hidden in a hedge at the far side of the garden. Flash was the one who showed it to us.”

“I remember having seen it shining in the hedge, which I will admit is strange considering that the hedge kept it shaded,” Flash Sentry explain. “It was the only ‘sharp object’ that was found near the crime scene, and I made sure to check the other hedges after finding it.”

“And that’s why it makes since that the sword we found is the murder-“

Use your brain idiot!

“Hold on Dee,” Rainbow shouted at me before I could finish speaking. “I find it hard to believe that a sword that clean and that wide could have killed Twilight!”

“Rainbow, please, let me explain!” I exclaimed, attempting to calm her down to no avail.

“You can explain yourself after I make it clear why it’s impossible, Dee!” She continued to yell at the top of her lungs. She’s not going to give up, that’s for sure; all I can do is wait for her to mess up in someway.

Rebuttal Showdown

Truth Blades: Stab wound, Blood Streak, Signs of Struggle, Sword in Hedge

Rainbow Dash: “Flash isn’t the only one who saw that sword you know. I saw it too, but one look at it and you can tell two things. One: it’s too clean for it to be used to stab Twilight. Two: It’s too wide to fit the entry wound! That means there's no way that sword is the murder weapon!”

Advance!

Ditzy: “I can get the clean part, but what does the sword’s width have to do with this?”

Rainbow Dash: “Take a look and it should become very clear. The wound on Twilight’s body is way too small for a sword like that! Since the entry wound is through Twilight’s back that means the weapon had to be small, and that sword isn’t small enough.”

I’ll rip your argument apart!

“Rainbow listen, the entry wound isn’t through Twilight’s back,” I explained to her, finally getting an opportunity to talk. “The entry wound is through the front of her chest, something that Redheart had pointed out during her examination.”

“Yes that is indeed correct,” Redheart replied in acknowledge, giving a nod as she started to explain. “There are two stab wounds, or rather one singular one that manage to pierce through both the front of her chest and the part of the back over her heart. There is no doubt that whoever is responsible, despite how clean it may look, used that sword.”

“We can also assume that the sword was taken during daytime, as the castle courtyard is completely off-limit during the night,” A.K. reminded everyone. “And through investigation it’s clear that the barracks was where the sword was originally located.”

“That’s crazy! I’ve spent my entire time in the training field yesterday and saw nopony!” Bulk Biceps exclaimed. “I’m pretty sure that I would have notice somepony carrying a sword out of the barracks if they really did take it from there.”

“What about the day before?” Rarity asked. “I think it’s more likely that the murderer had taken it than. Monokuma can prove that.”

“Oh really now?” The monochrome bear asked in disbelief. “I don’t remember talking to you, and my memory is as good as hawks eyesight, or a bloodhound's nose if you prefer.”

“Yer talkin about the morning announcement yesterday, ain’t ya sugarcube?” Applejack questioned the Ultimate Dress Maker. I took the moment to think back to the day before, and I realize exactly what Applejack and Rarity had meant.

“Attention everypony, it is now 8:00 am. The courtyard and dining room are now open. Let's all look forward to another great day in this wonderful killing game! Oh, and can I please ask for those of you using the barracks to please put away the weapons after you use them!”

“That’s right!” I shouted in realization, looking at the bear that was forcing us to participate in this twisted game. “You mentioned something about putting the weapons away in the barrack yesterday morning. If that’s the case than it’s pretty likely that the killer had taken it the day the motives were handed out.”

“Which means that they had opened their motives at that point as well, which should rule out Rainbow Dash as a possible culprit, given she hadn’t seen her motive as of yet.” A.K. mentioned, Monokuma sighing as he seemed to realize exactly what happened.

“I see, so that's why that sword disappeared on tuesday,” Monokuma said, seeming extremely upset. “It was taco tuesday you know, I spent the entire day looking for that damn thing. I had little toy men that needed to be glued and a theater performance missed because of this killer. Oh well, I guess it’s all good if it’s in the name of killing!”

“Yer sick,” Applejack told him, “Absolutely, totally sick and you couldn’t care less.”

“So we managed to piece together how the murderer prepared for the crime, but that doesn’t get us anywhere,” Trixie reminded the rest of us. “The great and powerful Triiiixie will not have her head brought to the axe. Can we please get back to the most pressing issue here?”

“Most pressing issue?” I asked her, “What would that be?”

“Trixie is talking about how the murderer knew where Twilight would be at the time of the murder!” She shouted at me. “How could that not be the most pressing thing.”

“Th-they p-p-probably heard that she would, you know, b-b-be investigating the garden,” Fluttershy suggested. “I-I-I don’t know w-who but… that’s probably the best thing right now.”

“Then I guess that’s our next topic of discussion,” A.K. stated. “Who could have know where Twilight was at the time of the murder?”

Non-Stop Debate

Loaded Truth Bullets: Flash’s Patrol Route, Octavia’s Account, Blood Streak

Bon Bon: “So who was up during that time? How would anyone but the killer and Twilight know that?”

Rainbow Dash: “It was rather late at night, I doubt anypony was still awake. Nopony would willingly be up at midnight after all.”

A.K.: “Maybe not willingly, but they could be up against their own will. It’s happened to me at conventions before.”

Pinkie: “The only times I stay up is when I have a sleepover, and I wasn’t in sleepover mode last night.”

Bulk Bicep: “If you talked to anyone who knows me, you know I sleep like a log! I doubt I would have woken somepony up sleeping!

Wait! That’s wrong!

“Bulk, you might be a heavy sleeper, but those sleeping next to you aren’t,” I explained to him. “I’m sure that somepony next to you might have been kept awake by your snoring.”

“M-m-my snoring!” Those words were so loud that it almost made me dizzy, but I could get his reaction.

“Yeah, Octavia is in the room right next to you, correct?” I asked him, getting a nod from the Ultimate Bodybuilder. “I’m sure that she could tell you all about it!”

“Hate to rain on your parade Ditzy, but I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Applejack told me, motioning over to Octavia… who was fast asleep at her podium.

“OCTAVIA!” I yelled at her, but she was not going to wake up no matter what I did. Did she get any sleep at all?

“I doubt Octavia is the murderer,” A.K. stated, adjusting her hat and glasses at the same time. “If the account isn’t enough, than I think the scene before us sums it up pretty well. The murder happened at 11:30 pm, and as late as that is it would have given her plenty of time to sleep. However, if she really did have that trouble last night than the scene before us makes sense.”

“What if she switched rooms with somepony else?” Flam asked. “I’m sure she wasn’t the only other pony at the time, especially considering the more personal connection she had to… somepony here.”

“Your referring to me, aren’t you?” Flash answered with a question of his own, the response being a wicked smile. The Ultimate Guard seemed rather peeved at being thrusted into the spotlight, but explained in the end. “Twilight had asked me to watch her during night time yesterday while she investigated the statue. She thought that it may lead to an exit but as we learned today that isn’t the case.”

“So let me get this straight,” Applejack started, look at Flash Sentry with a sour expression on her face. “You were up during night time, around Twilight who is the one who got murdered, and as a member of the royal guard you two would obviously be familiar with each other,” I felt something sink in my stomach as I heard Applejack say those words, realizing exactly where they were leading. “That means you would have the best chance of murdering her!”

“Preposterous!” He replied. “Why would I want to murder her majesty's own personal student?”

“Now now Flash, we should hear her out,” Flam suggested, tipping his hat with a devilish grin on his face. “You better have an alibi ready if you are to prove your innocence to the rest of us.”

Despite my mind wanting to believe that Flam was setting Flash up as the murderer, I felt as if he was trying to hint at something. Something that nopony, not even A.K., had thought of up to this point that he knew about. Despite his talent, Flam has shown to be trustworthy to this point, and I was going to keep trusting him. Please don’t make me regret this Flam, and that goes the same for you too Flash. You fall apart, and everything we’re going to do is pointless.

“You were the only pony other than Twilight that could possible be awake during that time,” Applejack continued to press. “Whether or not you are the murderer, you are the most suspicious pony in the room at the current moment.”

“I’m telling you, I would never murder somepony as important as Twilight,” Flash argued back.

“Are you ready Ditzy?” Flam said to me. “If you truly believe that Flash is innocent, now is the time to prove it. Spotlight the weaker argument, then find the part that doesn’t fit. That’s the only way your going to succeed.”

Applejack: “Do ya have evidence, Flash?” Flash: “I am in no way guilty of murder!”

Argument Tug-a-War

Truth ropes: Flash’s patrol route, Signs of a Struggle, Octavia’s Account, Secret Kitchen Entrance.

Applejack’s statement: “Stop spattin all that royal guard crap. You were up during the time of the murder and was in the garden with Twilight at around the same time. It would have been possible to murder her than, especially since you must’ve spent a lot of time investigating with her. Even if you left for a for a few seconds, that would still leave plenty of to kill her.”

Flash’s statement (sided): “As a member of the royal guard, doing anything such as murdering the princess’s student would be frowned upon. Besides, I had no quarrel with Twilight in the first place. Even if I was up during the time of the murder, I went back to my room ten minutes before the time stated in the Monokuma File. If you use reason instead of jumping to conclusions, you would have been able to realize that.”

Spotlight: Applejack

Applejack: “Twilight asked you to watch her, and that meant you spent the entire night in the garden!”

I’ve rounded up your argument!

“Applejack, Flash didn’t spend the entire night in the garden,” I told her. “In fact, I think that he might have spent less time there than he did any other place in the castle last night.”

“Really? Why’d ya think that?” Applejack asked, rubbing the back of her neck.

“She thinks that because of this drawing,” A.K. responded, grabbing the book she’s been taking notes in and showing it to Applejack, or the map showing the route Flash Sentry patrolled last night to be exact. “When Flash found the sword, he mentioned that he didn’t see last night while patrol. I asked him to draw the route he took, and the result shows that while he did visit the garden, much of his time would have been spent in the halls and entrance way.”

“As well thought out your stance is, there is a fatal flaw in your thinking,” Rarity started with a look of pride. “I doubt somepony of Flash’s stature or position would lie about patrolling, but think about it real quickly. No matter what the map says, it always shows that he went back to the garden, and that means he still had a chance to kill her. Also, one other thing,” Rarity pointed a hoof accusingly at Flash. “A stallion never leaves a lady unprotected, so don’t even bother saying some excuse like ‘I went to bed before she did’, got it?”

“Rarity please,” I begged the dressmaker. “Flash didn’t kill Twilight, no matter what you think. Just let it-”

P.O.V. change: A.K. Yearling is now in control of the trial!

“I’ll take over from here Ditzy.” I told the worrying mailmare, how looked at me wondering why I was keeping her from answering. “I know how you feel right now, but there’s a point where you have to let somepony else take the reigns.”

“Wh-what?” The wall-eyed mare shouted at me, a response that was more than natural.

“We both investigated together, but acting like you know everything can make it dangerous,” I told her. “You feel responsible for Twilight’s death, I understand that, but you can’t go on think you are the only pony here who is right. You make a mistake, and you may pay for it dearly, and that’s exactly what you were going to do,” I looked to Rarity, who was patiently waiting for one of us to response. “Yes, it’s true that Flash still had opportunities to murder, but I still have heavy suspicions that he is innocent.”

“So what you're saying is he might possibly be guilty, but it isn’t definite that he is?” Rainbow summed up, nodding as she continued to talk. “I will admit that I also have my doubts, but until somepony can convince me than I think he’s the culprit. It makes too much sense when he was up that late in the night.”

“A.K., please don’t screw this up.” Ditzy requested of me, her face still showing signs of concern. It was surprisingly difficult to read the mares emotion as anything other than innocent and happy considering the position of her eyes.

“Don’t worry Ditzy, you did your part, now I’ll do mine,” I reassured her, adjusting my glasses. One of the good things about living so isolated is that nopony knows how you truly act, which gives me some flexibility through my pen name. “Now then, let’s see which side is correct.”

Non-Stop Debate

Truth Bullets: Octavia’s Account, Motive Photos, Blood Streak, Sword in Hedge, Stab Wound

Rarity: “Flash Sentry might have been patrolling other areas at the time of murder, but we can’t say that for sure.”

Pinkie: “Who knows what he could have been doing at 11:30. I mean, nopony saw him around that time, so it’s logical to think he committed this act.”

Ditzy: “So whether or not he’s guilty isn’t based on evidence, but on who saw him at the time?”

Doctor: “That definitely seems unfair. However, he has no stable alibi, which means this is our only choice.”

Ditzy: “That seems… terribly unfair.”

I’m going to correct that statement!

“Actually, there was somepony else who was aware of Flash’s presence at around that time,” I told them all. “But to do that, I’m gonna have to ask you a favor Bulk.”

“If it helps than I’ll do anything you need me to!” I smiled invisibly as he said that.

“Everypony, please cover your ears,” I warned, before giving my command to Bulk. “I want you to scream at the top of your lungs and give our sleeping beauty a wake up call.”

He looked at me as if I was crazy, but everyone else had already braced themselves for what was to come. After a pleadful stare, I sighed in defeat, cleared his throat, and yelled at the very top of his lungs. Everypony knew better than to take the full front of his voice, even Monokuma who jumped behind his throne and was probably holding his paws over his ears. The only one wasn’t was Octavia, who woke up from the glass breaking voice of Bulk Bicep, letting out a scream of her own.

“Who, what, where, when,” She said in hysteria before looking to Bulk Bicep. “Why?”

“Oooow,” Rainbow groaned in annoyance as she leaned over the ground, her cyan coat looking slightly green around the cheeks. “Can you not… do that… again?”

“I’m going to agree with the ego,” Monokuma said, looking rather ticked off. “For a second I thought my monobomb was going to explode from faulty wiring it was so loud.”

“Wh-what’s going on here?” Octavia asked, and I realized that she probably had no idea about any of the discussion that had gone on for the majority of the trial. “Did I miss something? Is the trial still going? Did I make fun of Monokuma in my sleep?”

“Calm down Octavia, I’ll tell you everything during intermission,” Pinkie said with a warm smile on her face. “I mean, it’s going to happen after we found out what happened with you last night, so you should only have to wait a few more paragraphs.”

“Flash said during the investigation that you were up during the period of time the murder occured,” I explained to her. “I overheard you talking with Ditzy and she stated earlier that you were having trouble sleeping due to snoring. Is that right?”

“Oh, I see,” Octavia said, and despite the messy main and bags under her eyes I was pretty certain she wouldn’t be falling asleep again. “Yes, my room is right next to Bulk and the two of us are the last two bedrooms on the right side of the entrance balcony. Monokuma stated that those walls were soundproof, but I don’t think he accounted for anypony as naturally loud as Bulk.”

“My voice helps me express me energy, and I have tons of energy!” Bulk stated, probably feeling as if he needed to explain himself. “So when somepony goes up to me and says that I should quiet down, I tell them ‘than you should be more expressive of your energy’ in an even louder voice.”

“Bulk, I understand that you have to feel strong due to your condition, but that isn’t how you should deal with those situations,” Redheart told him. “Instead you should take their advice or maybe realize what you are doing is wrong. Not everypony wants to feel like their in a hoofball stadium twenty-four seven.”

“Oh! I mean, oh.” He said, the second time almost feeling unnatural as he talk in a more standard speaking volume.

“So to say that I’ve had trouble sleeping is a understatement,” Octavia continued, shaking her head as she started to close her eyes. Did Bulks scream just cause some form of trauma? “Same goes for last night, and even though Flash asked me if I wanted to share a room, I said no because of… well I think you can guess.”

“She was scared that staying with somepony would give them an opportunity for murder,” Flash replied. “I tried to tell her that I wouldn’t do such a thing, but she still declined and went back to her room.”

“If I had to deal with the loudest snoring, even if it left me in, well, the state you all saw me in earlier,” Octavia said. “I would rather deal with that than put myself in any position to be a victim. So can somepony please catch me up to speed?”

“Lets call a quick recess in that case,” Monokuma said. “I need to find a way to get the ringing outta my ear anyways so you all go ahead and fill her in.”

Looking to Applejack, I could see that she still wasn’t all that convinced. I had to find someway to get her to believe me, because I know that Flash isn’t responsible anymore. There had to be something that would change her opinion, and I have to find because if I don’t…

… than everypony is going to choose the wrong pony.

Trial intermission!

Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again - Trial part 2

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Trial in session!

“Let’s get right back to the discussion we were having before the intermission,” I suggested to everyone. “So now we know that Octavia and Flash Sentry did have some contact last night, and that means that they are our two primary suspects. However, I think it’s possible to rule both out without any need of evidence.”

“Ya sound rather confident there A.K.,” Applejack stated. “But doesn’t it seem rather stupid to have a side without evidence for it?”

“Yes, I know how stupid it sounds when you say it,” I nodded in agreement. “However, sometimes common sense is the only evidence you really need in a case like this,” I decided to rest my hooves on the pedestal in front of me as I explained my reasoning. “We now have confirmation that Octavia didn’t switch rooms last night and that her alibi is true. Yes, there is a chance she could kill Twilight, but she would have probably done it sooner considering this sleeping problem seems to be consistent.”

“Trixie agrees, Octavia is far less suspicious than that cur over there,” Trixie stated as she pointed at Flash. “Jealousy obviously played a part in his motive, seeing how both he and poor Twilight was familiar with the great Celestia.”

“I would never kill anypony over something so foalish as jealousy,” Flash barked back, feeling the pressure everypony was putting on him. “That’s morally wrong, lawfully wrong, and lacks anything that could point towards me being the murderer. I ask that you keep your thoughts in your own head.”

“Saying such things will only hurt you my dear friend,” Flam teased as he watched the scene before, a smile wide on his face. “And as much as seeing somepony like you get chosen would delight me, I doubt you are the murderer.”

It feels like everypony has different opinions on the murder, but the main pony I need to worry about is Applejack. As long as she continues to deny our evidence we won’t be getting anywhere, and I don’t think I have evidence here that can refute her. However, I’m sure that somepony here might have something I could use, I just have to wait for that to show itself. Hopefully that will change her stance on the issue.

Non-Stop Debate

Truth Bullets: Rainbow’s Account, Blood Streak, Sword in Hedge, Signs of a Struggle

Applejack: “After ruling out Octavia, the only other pony who could have done it is Flash!”

Redheart: “But I can’t help but think that somepony like him is innocent. Would a member of the royal guard be that untrained and sloppy? (Memory bullet formed: Untrained and sloppy)"

Trixie: “It doesn’t matter what the crime scene suggests. As long as you had weapon training it would make sense to be the culprit. That’s why he used a sword.”

Ditzy: “Sure, the sword is the murder weapon, but it just seems to obvious.”

I’m going to correct that statement!

“No Trixie, Redheart has a point,” I spoke up, not believe I hadn’t thought about this earlier. “I doubt that anypony in the royal guard, especially the Ultimate Guard, would have caused certain events in the crime to occur.”

“If that’s true, then please tell Trixie before she gets bored of waiting.” Well you aren’t a patient one that’s for sure.

“First off, the very first thing that we clarified when the trial started was that a struggle occurred,” I explained. “That would mean that Twilight saw Flash as he attempted to kill her, and as a member of the guard he has military training. So answer this: would Flash, with the immense training he had to receive, let Twilight see him when his experience would have told him otherwise?”

“I’ll also follow up on that with a little knowledge of my own, or rather an obvious fact nopony here seems to have caught up on” Flam said as I finished my explanation. “Twilight is ground bound, a unicorn, but Flash isn’t. He’s a pegasus, and I’m sure that he would have used that to his advantage in order take Twilight by surprise. I’ll also remind you all that the entry wound was from Twilight’s front, so he couldn’t have taken her by surprise when her body was near a statue.”

“That would have been way to steep of an angle to hit, and the statue itself also would prove to be an obstacle,” Doctor Whooves chimed in. “So I doubt Flash would have been able to attack from an angle like that.”

“Trained or not, I still don’t see any other choices as to who the culprit could be.” Applejack told us, telling me that my attempt to make her switch sides had failed.

“Yeah, I also have trouble seeing anypony else killing Twilight around that time,” Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement as she spoke. “I mean, nopony else was up around the time so what other choice is there?”

“Just because Octavia and Flash were the only ones we know about doesn’t mean they are the only ones who were up.” Ditzy argued.

“But most signs still point to the killer being Flash, so I think it’s far to say that he is in this situation,” Trixie replied as she looked with an almost triumphant gaze at Ditzy.

“Everypony please, just stop and listen!” Redheart pleaded. “It’s impossible to continue if we’re all split, so lets please keep an open mind and-”

Hoooold on a second!

“Split?” Monokuma asked, seeming to be trembling slightly in his seat from excitement. “If you’re all split, than I will give you the tools needed to win this argument. Therefore, I now present to you all new, super cool morphinominal trial ground!”

“Morphin-what now?” Pinkie asked, absolutely confused for the what seems like the first time. “I know plenty of words but even I have never heard of that one before.”

Her answer was received in the form of the ground below our pedestals violently shaking as the started to rise. As the shaking stop I saw each of our pedestals was now about the figure of a chess piece, or pawns to be more specific. The pieces than moved until two lines formed on each side of the room, one side the black pieces and the other side white. I figured out what Monokuma was doing at that point; Applejack, Trixie, and the others who believed Flash to be the culprit was on the side opposite of us while Flam, Ditzy, and the rest of us were on the other. This was the time to get everypony on the same side, and if we’re to survive this trial we need them to side with us.

Debate Scrum, Start!

Flash is the culprit: Applejack, Trixie, Pinkie, Rarity, Bon Bon, Rainbow, Bulk
Flash isn’t the culprit: A.K., Ditzy, Flam, Redheart, Octavia, Flash, Doctor, Fluttershy

Applejack: “Flash was in the garden, the scene of the crime.”
A.K.: “But he was only in the garden for a couple of minutes, and that’s not enough time to kill Twilight.”

Rarity: “Flash is trained in weaponry, so he would’ve known how to properly use a sword.”
Redheart: “But we just clarified that whoever did this wasn’t well trained in weaponry.”

Trixie: “Being a member of the royal guard, he would have had the most likely motive against a friend of the crown like Twilight.”
Flam: “No, I’m certain that Flash had no motive that could connect him to this case.”

Pinkie: “As long as nopony saw him he was okey dokey.”
Octavia: “But I saw him up a few minutes before the murder occurred, so I would have noticed him.”

Bon Bon: “You two were the only ones awake at the time, nopony else could have done it.”
Ditzy: “Just because those are the two we knew were awake doesn’t mean they were the only ones!”

Bulk: “I sleep on the very end of the entrance halls right balcony, nopony else could have been stirred by my snoring!”
Fluttershy: “Y-y-your snoring isn’t what would wake them up. They had the intention of m-m-murdering for more than two days.”

This is our answer!

“Applejack, I know you don’t want to admit it but your wrong!” I yelled at her. “Flash isn’t the one responsible, he’s being set up by whoever the true culprit of this case is. Why won’t you accept that?”

“Why?” She asked me in an extremely aggravated tone. “Why do ah need to explain who the most likely culprit is? What if your wrong about it being a setup? You’ll be responsible for all of us dying, and I’m not going to let some author who acts like she’s smarter than everypony else-”

“You’re one to talk.”

I looked to Flam, whose constant cheerful and carefree expression was replaced by something much more… frozen. His hat was no longer on his head, and laid on the floor in front of him letting his mane shadow his eyes. No doubt he was the one who had just interrupted Applejack, but this was completely different from the usual feeling his voice gave off. I felt like he was ready to slaughter any of us in here, or thinking about it more notably Applejack was the one he seemed to want dead. I just stood there frozen as he started to speak, worried that he might turn on me if I said anything wrong.

“Applejack, you wanna know what kinda ponies I hate in this world?” He asked rhetorically. “It’s ponies like you, who think they are some damn smart that they are the only ones who know the truth. At least most of those ponies know when to back down, but you? Why would the full-grown filly who was so scared that they wet themselves last night and ask me to keep them safe suddenly acting so tough? Despicable, that’s what you are. Your kind is so despicable that if you don’t shut that hole of yours for the rest of the trial, an apple isn’t the only thing I’m going to shove down it.”

Everything went quiet, nopony wanting to do anything that could even slightly upset him right now. I could see Applejack trembling as he finished speaking, which meant that his words probably had gotten to her in some way. With his left hoof he picked up his top hat and place it back on his head, pausing as he lowered his head to do so. Than, as if the hat was the only thing that actually kept him happy, he suddenly jerked his head upwards to meet my eyes, that smile having appeared once again on his face.

“Now then,” He started in that carefree voice we were all use to. “if we are all on the same page I say that we just get this over with, what do you say?”

“Trixie can’t help but wonder what you mean by ‘get this over with’,” The Ultimate Showpony replied.

“Well shouldn’t it be obvious?” Flam responded. “I think it’s pretty obvious who the murderer is when you start to think about a couple of things mentioned in this trial as well as just how the crime was laid out.”

“Y-you say they’re obvious, b-b-but I can’t think of anypony who c-c-could have done it.” Fluttershy told him, and I couldn’t help but agree with what she was saying. Off the top of my head I couldn’t think of anypony who would have been more likely.

“Let’s start off first by saying who definitely couldn’t have done this murder, and I would like to call on somepony who has been keeping a very important piece of evidence hidden,” His eyes landed on me as he spoke those words. “Granted Applejack probably wouldn’t have agreed with us even if she had seen them, but didn’t you write down who had motives and who didn’t?”

“Yes, I did, but most of the ponies on that list weren’t prime suspects,” I told him, to which his smile grew even more in response.

“Go figure, the author was so caught up in getting the small details write that she didn’t even realize the big one that was right in front of her,” He casually jokes. “Come on A.K., don’t tell me the little detail of Flash’s motive photo escaped your mind,” My eyes widened as he said that, and I realized just how much of an idiot I had been to not bring it up sooner. “Long story short for those who weren’t there yesterday, we had a little meeting in the morning and some of us decided to give out our motives. Here’s the thing though, out of Ditzy, A.K., Pinkie, Flash, and me, no one had Twilight as a culprit. They, as well as Rainbow and Twilight, the former I had to check to make sure and the latter being the victim, both didn’t open their motive photos. Therefore, all those who had given motives or didn’t have motives open are safe.”

“And exactly where does this get us?” Redheart asked.

“Well, that was merely mentioning ponies who aren’t possible suspects,” Flam explained. “I think that now is the time that we finally clear up what the mess was that caused Fluttershy to find the body this morning. At first we all thought that blood in the hallway was due to the culprit trying to fool us, and while that’s correct the method Applejack suggested was, of course, off.”

“So your saying that it was caused by something other than that gruesome suggestion you had earlier?” Rarity said with an incredibly dramatic gasp at the end. “I’ll admit that I’m shocked it’s coming down to that, but I can’t help but wonder what other method could be used.”

“Wait a second,” I told Flam, who was getting ready to answer. “The murder happened in the garden, the weapon was found in the garden, and one of those had been washed,” As I said that, it finally came to me. “Are you trying to say that the sword used to murder Twilight is the cause of the blood?”

“The sword?!” Ditzy gasped, probably having never thought of the idea until now.

“I don’t exactly get it myself, but I’m interested to know why you think that.” Octavia acknowledge, speaking for most of us here save from Flam and Trixie, who was smiling for some odd reason.

“So what do you all say?” Flam asked us. “Shall we find out why nopony would have noticed this?”

Non-Stop Debate

Truth Bullets: Glittering Water, Sword in Hedge, Blood Streak, Motive Photos, Secret Kitchen Entrance

Flam: “Up to this point everypony here has thought the blood streak was caused by the body being dragged. However the truth was the sword is what caused it.”

Ditzy: “That certainly changes things up a bit, but that doesn’t affect the crime at all.”

Redheart: “Maybe, but perhaps there's something that changes if we think outside of the box.”

Bulk: “Think outside of the box?! What kinda answer could we come up with if we thought outside of the box?”

Redheart: “Like the possibility some of the blood was hidden, or more blood was there and it’s gone now. That kinda thinking.”

Trixie: “Trixie believes that it wasn’t the sword exactly but some other object that the culprit used. An object that none of us found.”

No doubt about it!

“Wait a second,” I spoke up, having realized something about Redheart’s statement. “That’s right! Now that I think about it more blood was in the entrance way before the murder occurred, that’s what the water on the floor is!”

“Um… water on the floor?” Trixie tilted her head as she looked at me, seeming rather confused. “Hate to disappoint you but Trixie, as well as everypony else, can tell water isn’t the same as blood.”

“No, I’m not saying that,” I told her, clearing my throat as I began to explain. “I think that the murderer must have cleaned up the blood just as they had to the sword. If we assume that the murderer used the kitchen to clean off the sword and wipe up the trail they left behind up to the garden door, it would make it look like the body was dragged.”

“Nopony sliced as badly as Twilight had would make a nice, straight trail of blood when we know the culprit struggle to kill them.” Flam added, backing up my statement rather well.

“And since there is a mop in the kitchen they could have used that and the sink to get rid of the blood!” Pinkie announced.

Your strategy is flawed!

“Hold on, aren’t you all forgetting the nighttime rules?” Flash asked. “Doesn’t that make your argument completely useless?”

I should’ve expected something like this when I brought up the water, but no doubt the murderer went to the kitchen. I just got to prove that to him.

Rebuttal Showdown

Truth Blades: Secret Kitchen Entrance, Glittering water, Rainbow’s Account.

Flash: “There is a single, fatal flaw in your thinking: the rules state you can’t enter the dining room at nighttime. If you can’t get to the dining room, than you shouldn't be able to get to the kitchen. If your thinking is to be correct, than that would mean the murderer would have to break the rules, and I doubt that Monokuma would allow anyone to break the rules without punishment.”

Advance

A.K.: “Your logic relies on entering the dining room, but how are you certain that’s where they entered?”

Flash: “How could they have enter at any other place? The door to the dining room is the only way into the kitchen, and I will stand by that fact. That’s why I need you to understand it’s impossible to do such a thing, and Flam is completely wrong!”

Lets slice your words apart!

“Flash, there is actually another way to enter the dining room, though I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t know” I replied. “Ditzy, I’m guessing you know the specifics. I overheard you talking about it with Pinkie during the investigation.”

“Yeah, the kitchen has a secret entrance you can activate by pushing on of the stone blocks in,” Ditzy explained. “Pinkie and Bon Bon are the one that found it, and it’s what she’s been using to get into the kitchen before the morning announcement.”

“Me and Pinkie checked to make sure we weren’t breaking any rules after finding it,” Bon Bon told us. “and Monokuma explained that using the kitchen is completely fine since only the dining room is off-limits during nighttime.”

“By making this castle the location of the killing game, I decided to have some fun and make a few secret passageways and hidden rooms,” Monokuma said in his sadistically cheerful tone. “The last few times I’ve done a killing game I haven’t had the kind of opportunity, so I took every chance I had to make this as interesting as possible. Even for someone a strict with rules as me, I’ve always enjoyed finding how ponies can get pass them and find holes in my rulebooks. It reminds me of intuitive some species can be.”

“That’s good and all but we are getting horribly off track,” Flam told everyone, quickly getting us back to the matter at hoof. “With that water and the secret entrance to the kitchen it is all but expected that the killer had to have headed there. Another thing we can confirm through Flash’s account is that the sword wasn’t in the garden when the murder occured. It’s fair to say that, in fear of leading a trail of water to their door, the killer hid it in the hedge so that they wouldn’t be as obvious. However, while I was investigating I found something else of interest, something that helps point towards a very obvious killer.”

“And that would be?” Octavia asked with great curiosity.

Flam didn’t respond with words, instead pulling out a burnt up piece of paper from his hat and present it to everyone. It didn’t take me long to realize that this wasn’t just some old piece of paper, but a motive photo. Despite how burnt it was, there was still some part of the photo visible. To be more exact, you could see a starry sky along with some sort of triangular, purple object. You could so most of the object, as the rest of it is missing due to being burnt.

“Flam, is this the killer’s motive photo?” I asked him, his smile turning smug as ready himself to respond.

“I think we can say for certain that it is,” Flam answered, as he rested against his pedestal. “Most if it was burnt, but the killer had thrown it in the trash bin located in the kitchen. I grabbed it as soon as I saw it to see if anypony matched something in that photo. In fact, somepony rather obvious does.”

“Well than, can any of you guess at who our murder is?” The Ultimate Con Artist asked the rest of us.

Suddenly, things started to make sense in my head as I thought to the two pieces of evidence that Flam just brought to our attention. If it was just one of them I would have been a little concerned, and if it was heavily favoring one pony then I would probably call it a setup, but that’s not the case. The kitchen entrance, the burnt motive photo, and the water that somehow glistened without any natural light. It was enough to make somepony a culprit, and just enough to be believable. Having figured it out, I looked to the culprit, and asked them directly.

“The murderer, is none other than you, isn’t it?” I asked, pointing to the culprit. “Trixie Lulamoon.”

“Trixie?!” Ditzy yelled in shock, most of the others gasping in surprise at this revelation.

I had expect her to revolt back in surprise, or deny me instantly in fear of being found out. However, neither of those two things happened. Instead she looked at me with a genuine smile on her face, her stance tall and proud.

“Trixie is rather intrigued that this is your conclusion,” The Ultimate Showpony stated. “She would ask for you to explain your think, and than judge whether you are correct or not.”

“Well, the motive photo is the most striking piece of evidence, and the most obvious one,” I explained. “The only that it could possibly be is a magicians hat, or the one that you always were to be specific.”

“Your right!” Redheart shouted as she looked back and forth between the motive photo and Trixie. “They are both incredibly similar in design… no, exactly the same design.”

“Heh, so that is your reason,” She said, closing her eyes and lowering her head for a second, before shooting it back up and looking at me with confidence. “However, Twilight would be most disappointed if you made an assumption like that on such a small piece of evidence. A motive isn’t anything without other more… solid proof.”

“Why would Twilight be disappointed?” I asked, having found that statement rather weird. “Answer me Trixie, why would Twilight be disappointed in my assumption?”

“Oh, you’ll have to do a little bit more in order to get in exact answer,” Trixie responded. “If you are to be the hero of this story, you will have to prove there is more to your accusations.”

“Oh, I assure you that there is more Trixie,” Flam told the unicorn. “There is plenty more evidence that shows you have done it.”

“Well then, you better make it dreadfully clear that this is the case.” Trixie stated, her voice full of confidence, though I somehow found that the confidence wasn’t meant to impact her.

Something's going on here. I hadn’t expected for Trixie to act like this when she was suspected and it almost felt like she was waiting for this to happen. Nonetheless I can’t help but feel she is the culprit, but this isn’t how a culprit usually acts. Why would Twilight be disappointed in assuming she was the killer with such little evidence? Why was she acting like everything was going as planned? It didn’t make any sense, but if I’m going to find out I have to pin her, I half to trust Flam and find what’s wrong with her argument, and I’m going to need his argument to do that.

Trixie: “If you think I’m the killer, show me why!” Flam: “I have no doubt that you are the murderer.”

Argument Tug-of-War

Truth Ropes: Glittering Water, Secret Kitchen Entrance, Sword in Hedge.

Trixie: “Of course the motive photo provides you with evidence, but you need more evidence than that to prove Trixie did it. If I really killed her, something would have made that clear, or perhaps somepony saw me. Of course, if you don’t, than Twilight and Trixie can’t put their trust in you. So give me your reason as to why!”

Flam (sided): “It is clear that there is more here than simply the burnt motive photo. The water on the ground provides the evidence we need. You know why it was glittering, because your the reason that the water shines in the first place. If we assume that the glitter from your cape is the cause behind the reason it is sparkling, than we have clear evidence you were wielding that murder weapon.

Spotlight: Trixie

Trixie: “The motive photo is your only piece of evidence, so show me what else caused you to think this way!”

We’ve trapped you with our evidence!

“Trixie, those moons on your cape are made from glittering right?” I asked her, getting an unexpected nod in return. “Tell me just how easily does that stuff come off?”

“Well I do have to use glue to keep it on, but I’m sure it would come off at some ponies touch, but how does that help your case?” She questioned me, her head slightly tilted in confusion.

“If that’s the case, did some of glitter get knocked off by water drops on the blade?” I asked her, though I already knew that the answer would be yes. “When Ditzy noticed the water, we saw that it was somehow shining, despite a lack of light from a window or chandelier in the room. You put together the fact that the culprit washed the sword and blood, as well as what you just said about your cape, and it’s pretty safe to assume that your carelessness cause glitter to end up in the water on the floor.”

At this point Trixie’s responses have been so off from what I had imagined that, when she smiled happily at me, it came at no surprise.

“Good work Yearling, for figuring out the truth, and to you Ditzy for all your effort,” She congratulated the two of us. “I can see that you two can be trusted to fulfill my plan, and with that, I admit my faults,” She looked to everypony in the room as she spoke the next few words. “Yes, I am guilty of this crime.”

“R-r-r-really?” Fluttershy replied in shock, probably not expecting her to admit it so casually.

“Your just going to admit it, after everything you’ve done to say unsuspected?!” Bulk Bicep asked.

“Why bother hiding it when there is no point in denying it,” Those words came off more as a statement than a question. “Trixie is happy to see that the sacrifice Twilight made will not go in vain, and that our plan is moving along as planned. Now than A.K., for the sake of Operation Caged Birds, explain everything that went down.”

I didn’t bother asking questions by this point, knowing well enough that Trixie wanted everything currently happening to happen. If she wanted me to finish this, than I would do just that, and clear up any denial ponies mights still have. I don’t know why, but for Twilights sake, I’ll do it.

Here’s the rundown of everything that occurred!

“It’s fair to say that everything started two days ago, when Monokuma first gave us those motive photos,” I started, doing exactly what Trixie wanted for me to do. “The reactions between ponies differed, some opening there motives while others didn’t in fear being targeted. However, the culprit, straight for that first day, was already planning their murder. When nopony was looking, they went to the barracks and took a sword from one of the weapon racks, the murder weapon used for the crime they would commit in two days.

“Their plan started last night, when they had earlier overheard our victim, Twilight, asking Flash Sentry to guard her. She wanted to look at the statue located in the garden, hoping to find something, and wanted Flash to patrol the castle for anypony planning to murder. The culprit planned to use this as a way of framing the Ultimate Guard, but I think the reason for this was changed, though I don’t know why or how exactly. Nonetheless, when nighttime came around they struck.

“Waiting for the moment when Flash finish patrolling, ten minutes before the murder occurred, they struck. Enter the garden, having no regard for stealth, the attacked. Twilight fought back against the murderer, and that's when the line between the killer's motive and current reasoning seem to blur. I don’t know what happened, but before Twilight was killed, she struck a deal of sorts with the killer. With that, Twilight accepted the inevitable, and let the murderer kill her, striking her through the heart.

“With that, the culprit than started messing with the crime scene, or as I now think it was her way of fulfilling her part of the plan. From this point, Twilight had planned everything for the killer to do, even the mistakes. They used the secret kitchen entrance and washed of the blade, while burning just enough of her motive photo to the point where we could still be able to hint that it was her. Next, she wiped up the trail of blood the sword she had dragged on the floor made until they got to the door, leaving just enough for us to see. Despite everything seeming to be her way of altering the crime scene, it was all part of this plan that the killer and victim had formed in the ten minutes before Twilight was killed. Even the glitter, the thing that made our culprit give in, was a mistake purposefully made from whatever plan this was.

“That is the truth behind all of this, am I wrong Trixie Lulamoon?”

Trial Dismissed

End of chapter 1

View Online

P.O.V. Change: Ditzy Doo

“Well what would you all know,” Monokuma said after we had all casted our votes, the decision unanimously on Trixie, the Ultimate Showpony even voting for herself. “You are all correct! The blackened is none other than Trixie Lulamoon!”

We all looked at the convicted pony in front of all of us, and I couldn’t help but wonder how she was able to keep that smile this entire time. I didn’t understand anything about the last few minutes of the trial, even as A.K. Yearling did her best to explain it to me. She was guilty, yet one look at her would tell you that nothing was wrong. Trixie seemed happy to be guilty of her own crime, and I couldn’t help but ask myself why.

“Trixie is proud of… most of you for your efforts,” The magician said, taking a quick glance at Applejack. “Twilight will be happy to know that everything was not in vane, and that her death will set us all free in time.”

“I don’t understand any of this,” Flash said to himself, before looking to Trixie. “Why are you acting like nothing is wrong with this? You just killed a pony, and the student of the princess no less. Shouldn’t you feel any guilt for what you have done today?”

“Nothing is going to get answered if we treat her like a criminal,” Octavia told Flash sentry as she put a hoof on his shoulder. “If what A.K. said is correct, than this murder wasn’t in cold blood. I don’t want to think about it but… I think she wanted to die.”

Twilight wanted to… how could anypony feel the need to die? Even with the lose of her horn I couldn’t help but a strong will to live from the student. I didn’t want to know if I had been lied to or not, but at the same time I wanted a reason for why this happened. Killing somepony is wrong, and I felt absolutely furious at just how okay Trixie seemed to be feeling about it all. If it wasn’t for my own self-control I probably would have punched her as soon as she had been declared guilty by Monokuma.

“Trixie, please tell us the truth?” A.K. asked the Ultimate Showpony. “I want to know why you did this, both before you met with Twilight and what happened after you started to attack her.”

“I never planned to hide anything from you all,” Trixie responded with a nod. “It might be hard for you all to understand but, me and Twilight met a good amount of time ago. Must have been a year if I’m correct, and attended one of my shows. That pony then proceeded to reveal every single trick and illusion that I have ever come up with in my career, and ruined it,” She took a deep breath, my eyes noticing how tense she seemed to get talking about it. “I didn’t think it was the same pony, especially considering she was the student of Celestia, but Trixie should have known.”

“Preposterous!” Flash shouted at her. “Twilight Sparkle would never do something so foalish and stupid! She is the prize pupil of Celestia, our fair princess.”

“I understand your ideals Flash, but Trixie wouldn’t lie in a situation like this,” The Ultimate Showpony told him, giving him a guilty look. “Of course somepony like the Ultimate Guard would keep their trust in the princess, but wouldn’t you do the same thing to Flam if you had to.”

“Still, the way that you and A.K. mention it, you make me think that Twilight wanted to die,” I said. “Why? What reason did she have to just give up and die all of a sudden?”

“I would assume that answer is obvious to the rest of you,” Trixie stated, and for the first time since she became convicted I saw a look of shame on her face. “Trixie wasn’t able to believe it herself, but Trixie has also never lose her horn. Whether it had been inside of her since the moment Monokuma took away her horn or if it was something that had developed over time, she didn’t feel like she wanted to live without her own magic. She said that Celestia would disown her as a student now that she didn’t have it.”

“I see, that is a common thing among unicorns who have gone through similar situations,” Redheart replied. “Emotional instability is a rather common issue, and I’ve helped plenty of unicorns who have gone through therapy because of such things. Best case scenario is that they can manage through that depression, but I know plenty have also committed suicide due to losing their horn.”

“I had no idea that was common,” I told her, suddenly feeling as if I had done something terribly wrong talking with Twilight. “Do you think any of us made that worse for her?”

“Trixie believes that the talk of her the morning we got our motives caused some of those… feelings,” Trixie told us, seeming rather upset herself. “I was rather jealous about Twilight’s mentor and how powerful she might have been but than she told Trixie to kill her. I almost stopped if Twilight hadn’t thought up our plan.”

“You mean that ‘operation: caged birds’ thing you mentioned at the end of the trial?” A.K. asked her. “I was hoping to ask about that.”

“I can’t tell you everything, as Monokuma would hear it, but Twilight sent me as her messenger to the princess, and the pony to assure you can all survive before she arrives.” Trixie explained, and everyone heard the despicable laugh of Monokuma from his throne.

“Aw, how sweet, to bad it didn’t work out for you,” He said, and guessing from the smirk on Trixie’s face she knew something more than he did. “Now you’ve been caught, and your going to be executed. So much for that plan of yours.”

“Actually, Trixie is more then happy about this outcome,” The Ultimate Showpony revealed, before turning to me and A.K. “This execution will set me free, and in time my stunt will guide you all to freedom. Know that the dead body that might lay on the ground is nothing more than an illusion when the dust settles, and that you should all stay at peace till the time comes. However, if anypony is to kill again, I am putting my faith in you two-”

“Hey, what about me!” Flam shouted, seeming rather insulted as I looked over at him. “Don’t forget that I’m the one who set us back on track.”

“Okay, the three of you,” Trixie corrected, though she didn’t really seem like she wanted to. “I’m putting my faith in the three of you to keep everypony safe until than.”

“Are… are you sure this is going to work?” I asked her, feeling rather scared for what I felt coming in my chest. “You do know that you are going to die right?”

“All right, enough of your boring crap already!” Monokuma suddenly shouted. “I’m getting rather bored with all of this, so let's get right on to the main event. You see, I have prepared a very special punishment for the Trixie Lulamoon, the Ultimate Showpony.”

“You all know what to do, and do anypony worry about Trixie,” She told us as she walked up to Monokuma. “Show me what you got up your sleeve vermin!”

“Upupupu, eager to get this over with, now that is certainly interesting,” Monokuma said, most likely to himself. “Anyways, let's get this show on the road. It’s punishment time!”

Trixie Lulamoon has been found guilty, time for her punishment!

I don’t remember exactly how it happened, but in a split second Trixie was suddenly pulled away but some sort of metal object. She was than forcefully pulled back into a door, and the wall collapsed to show a giant metal fence standing between us and Trixie, who was now strapped to a wooden pole. The floor around her seemed to change, revealing the layout of a magnificent stage with a banner on the top reading ‘The Final Performance’. It was then that all of us saw Monokuma walk onto stage with a top hat, a match in his hand, and I suddenly found myself looking behind Trixie to see what was going.

As soon as I made out the shape of a large firework strapped to the other side of the pole my eyes went wide. Monokuma struck the match and lit the fuse before running offstage and leaving us to look at Trixie’s final moments. At least that’s what it would’ve felt like if she didn’t still have that smile on her face, which was more than a little smug. The Ultimate Showpony looked me in the eyes, and I finally realized what was going on. Before the fuse ran into firework, and the floor below opened up to show at least a hundred more fireworks underneath her, she said one last thing.

“Mares and Gentlecolts, the great and powerful Trrrixie will now perform her most daring act to date,” She told all of us. “The Castle Despair escape trick.”

With that the fireworks took off, including the one strapped to the pole and Trixie, and started to soar up into the sky. The ceiling opened up above her, and a small opening in the dome of our prison did as well. Everyone's eyes were on the pole Trixie was attached to as the firework lifted her up and into the sky, flying higher and higher until they were mere specks. However, as those fireworks started to go off I saw something else: a lone flicker of light from where Trixie was at that moment. It was than I noticed that her firework went higher, but as it was about to go off seemed to fault and start falling back to the ground.

It gained speed as it fell before crashing into the ground, multiple ponies looking away so they wouldn’t see the body when the dust settled. However, something felt off about the entire thing, and as Monokuma rushed onto the stage yet again I saw something I hadn’t seen since Twilight first defied him. Everyone had expected to see Trixie’s body, bloody and broken from the impact, but the look of rage on Monokuma’s face told me he wasn’t happy. As far as I knew there was only one thing that made the twisted piece of machinery angry, and that was pain and fear.

That’s why, when the floor was finally revealed to us, I wasn’t very surprised when everyone's eyes looked on in shock. The pole was there, resting on the ground, and the faulty firework was laying only a few inches away. However, there was no sign of Trixie’s body anywhere, or even her skeleton. It wasn’t even ash, she had just vanished at some point during the execution, and I hid a smile as I realized what that meant. I looked to A.K. and Flam, both of which knew the same exact thing.

“How… what… this can't be possible!” Monokuma yelled out in disbelief and dissatisfaction. “Everything was perfect! Did I not account for something? Well whatever, guess I’ll just have to find some other way of making this up to him,” He looked to the rest of us. “Well, shows over for now, it’s getting rather late so I suggest you go on and head back to your rooms.”

With that he ran offstage, leaving the rest of us standing there and many of us confused and baffled. I don’t think they understood what just happened, but I finally realized exactly what Trixie had meant by ‘messenger’ and prayed that she was okay. I looked back to A.K. and Flam, who were motioning me to follow them to the platform that had brought us here. I followed them, leaving the others to try and process what they thought had just happened. When the platform started to move A.K. and Flam turned to me.

“I guess it’s time for the three of us to carry our end of the bargain,” A.K. stated. “We can’t count on her getting there and back in a few days, so we have to do as much as possible to keep as many ponies alive as we can.”

“Glad to know we’re on the same page,” Flam said before looking at me, and I nodded in agreement. “I don’t like how Twilight came to the conclusion she did, and I thought that there might be a better way of going about this, but we have to take what we can.”

“Yeah, I feel the same,” I told him before turning to A.K., my eyes not willing to meet hers. “I don’t want to ask this but… how badly was I about to mess up there?”

“Not horribly, but even the smallest mistake can cause horrible consequences,” A.K. explained, walking up to me and lifting my head with her hoof. “It’s no reason to hang your head though, and this isn’t the time to either. You want Twilight’s sacrifice to mean something, than I suggest looking forward and not worrying about every action you take. I’m sure I would have done something similar if the trial was long enough.”

As the platform reach the garden, we looked down to see Twilight’s body still sitting on the ground. We both made our way around it, not wishing to disturb it, and wished each other good night. A.K. was right though, I needed to focus on what was to come, and what I need to hold onto. I’m putting my trust in Trixie, and I need to do everything I can to keep our silent promise. Even if I can’t save everypony, I will save as many as possible. I can’t have my luck turn against me now, cause I now need it the most.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

“So, it’s really true than? I can’t understand how two people, one of which killed the other, can still feel a friendship.”

“You heard what she said herself. It was an accident, and both of them were hoping to end the same exact game.”

“How can something like that even exist? What kind of sadistic individual would create a killing game?”

“Human are strange and can show their emotions in ways that are usually wrong, but I know many that are better. I have a feeling that these two are good at heart, even if what they did was wrong.”

“I… guess that’s true. Besides, I doubt anypony who could play the piano would kill somepony for sport…”

Remaining Ponies: 14?

To be Continued...

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Daily Life part 1

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------- Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen -------

Ding dong bing bong

“Attention everyone, it is now 8 am. Daytime is upon us, and I’ve torched the barbed wire blocking the stairs to the second floor. Consider it your reward for passing the trial last night. Please go take a look, I’m sure many of you will find that things upstairs to your liking. Anyways, hope you all have a beeeautiful day!”

The sound of Monokuma’s voice was no longer as irritating and worrying as it had been before. Everytime I heard it I was reminded that we had no escape, and it was possible that we would be here for the rest of our lives. However, it was no longer what I woke up to in the morning, and the aroma of tea was a welcome change to what my time here has been. Looking to Flam, Doctor Hooves and A.K., who had woken me up earlier for a chat in the living room, we all had the same look of confidence on our face. With everything bad that happened yesterday, we now had one great thing to consider.

Trixie, wherever she was right now, had somehow managed to escape her execution. The Ultimate Scientist had figured that out through more scientific means, and according to him nopony else actually believed she was still alive. We four were the only ones who had any idea about what was going on, and that the Ultimate Showpony was on her way to princess Celestia. None of us knew how long it would be till she was back, and that was exactly why A.K. had called us all together.

“So that’s how this thing is going to work?” I asked rhetorically, my mind stuck on the Monokuma’s morning announcement. “Sure it’s not enough that one of us was killed, gives us a floor for having everypony else think we killed two of them.”

“Somepony is in a mood this morning,” Flam teased, though for how long we had been talking I had learned that it was his way of lightening the mood. “As wrong as it is, Monokuma clearly doesn’t care about any of us, even if he says so. Unlocking another floor of the castle is just his way of keeping this thing interesting for himself.”

“It’ll probably be a good idea to check it once we are done here,” The doctor said, looking out the window. “So, other than the fact I’m now part of this group, what reason have you called us here for A.K.?”

“If you want to know, than I guess it is about time that I got down to business,” A.K. Yearling said in agreement as she sat down next to me on one of the two couches. “Long story short, we know Monokuma’s game and need to somehow figure out how Trixie was able to use her execution to escape. Something tells me she knew about that, and we know who it is that must have told her.”

We all nodded in agreement, not saying a word as we didn’t know if Monokuma was watching or not. I knew that Yearling was talking about Twilight, the pony who Trixie had formed this very plan with, and than sacrificed herself to put it into action. I remember how angry I was when I had originally heard that, but now that we had some way out I was excited. It felt wrong to feel empowered about someone's death, but she was the only thing we really had. No matter how redundant it is to say, I’m not going to let her death go to waste.

“So your say that-” I stopped myself, realizing that it would be a bad idea to speak about it directly. “So what's the plan than?”

“I’m not exactly sure, but we need a place where we can talk without fear of being watched,” A.K. said. “For now, I think it is best if we meet up with all the others. No doubt they are currently either in the dining room or exploring the second floor. We’ll call a hold on the meeting until we find anywhere we can discuss in private. Ditzy, you come with me for a second.”

As the others left, Doctor Hooves went to the dining room for some breakfast and Flam went to explore upstairs, A.K. took me to the garden. As we entered, we were once again greeted by the sight of Twilight’s body on the ground. The Ultimate Author had ask Monokuma for permission to bury the body when she first woke up, and I volunteered to help when I had found out. It was a foreign question to him, as it was the first time he had heard anypony actually say that before, but he didn’t deny us the right. In fact, he actually wanted to take part as well, thinking it would give him an idea of how we felt when someone died. We did our best to tell him no, but he wasn’t going to take that as an answer.

Monokuma held the shovels as the two of us carried her to the courtyard, finding a large patch of grass at the edge of the dome to bury her in. Laying her down, the three of us got to work and started to dig, Monokuma singing to himself casually. This was the first time I had seen him do something even close to sympathetic, even if it was only for ‘the experience’ as he said. I also finally got a good look at A.K.’s name, and something about it seemed to throw me off as I saw how it seemed to shift from black to white. It felt familiar, but I couldn’t quiet place where I recognized it from.

“Well, that surely was a workout,” Monokuma said as we finished up, having placed Twilight in the hole we had dug up and than buried. “Funny how doing something so simple as burying a body can make you feel terrible in ways you’ve never felt. I actually almost feel bad for the poor mare. Almost of course, but this was a bit unexpected.”

“You should’ve felt that way after you cut off her horn!” I told him, though I knew telling Monokuma as much was about as worthless as it gets. “Jeez, it’s like you don’t even know what it’s like having a friend.”

“So your saying that if I get a friend, I’ll understand what it’s like when they are killed?” The psycho bear obviously didn’t get what I was trying to tell him, but the fact that he manage to even get that close surprised me. “You know, mortality is the reason why I’ve never had any friends, being a robot and all. I won’t outlive Celestia or come close to being her age, but what’s the use of having somepony special when they’re going to just die in the end?” That question was less of a counter argument and seemed to be an epiphany to himself. “Well I guess that is a good reason to maybe make a friend. Perhaps you would-”

I give him a stern glare, or at least as serious of a look as I could. Still Monokuma seemed to get the message and disappeared like he always did. Yeah, like I would be your friend just so you know what one dying feels like. Somepony either has to be real kind, or very generous to even give you a chance. I didn’t dwell on it anymore than that as A.K. Yearling placed her hat back on her head, hiding her strangely familiar mane. She whispered a prayer of some kind to the grave Twilight was now in, and looked to me.

“Thanks Ditzy, it feels nice to have someone I can trust around here,” She told me, tipping her hat to me. “I’m going to check the second floor if your interested, but for the sake of keeping our little group under the radar don’t follow me. Last thing we want after the last trial is for ponies to be suspicious of anyone, it could raise aggression without Monokuma needing to interfere.”

“Yeah I understand,” I told her as we went our separate ways. As soon as she was inside the castle I took a sigh, having realized something a little too late as a bush rustled behind me. “Rainbow, how much of that did you hear?”

“All of it,” Rainbow poked out from a bush to the side of the courtyard, a mischievous smile on her face. I should have known that Rainbow of all ponies would have heard, considering I haven’t seen her inside at all save for breakfast and o meeting two days ago. “Don’t worry I won’t ask any questions… yet. So are you going to explore the second with me or not Dee?”

I nodded, thankful that I did not have to answer anything about what had occurred just now. Rainbow and I walked back into the castle and made our way to the second floor staircase on the left. I noticed now that an entirely different set of stairs leading down was still blocked by some of the wiring, but put it to the side as I focused on the stairs in front of me. Rainbow reached the top before me, her wings flying her up the flight and leaving me in the dust. Once again, nothing has changed about her since high school.

As I reached the top I saw a long hallway in front of me, one door at the very end where it turn right and another to my immediate right. The walls and floor seemed a lot more modern than the gothic look of the previous floor. The marble floors and wall reminded my a lot of Canterlot Castle, and it seemed to be lit a lot more than the previous floor did. It was a nice change of pace, but the sudden shift in architecture was a bit jarring and awkward.

“So… lets loop around and see what this place is last, what do you say?” Rainbow asked, putting her hoof on the door next to us.

“If that’s what you want to do I’m fine with it,” I told her with a shrug of my shoulders. “Though how do you know the two stairways connect?”

Rainbow didn’t respond, giving me a shrug of her own as she started down the hallways to the far door. I followed her to the end of the hallway, noticing the sign above the door that read ‘chemistry lab: please do not remove dangerous chemicals from this area’ on it. Looking inside, I was greeted with a large room which seemed to stretch to the very end of the back hall, half a dozen tables set up in front of me. The room was filled with dozens of different scientific tools that I did not remember the name of from school.

“Whelp, this is definitely a chemistry lab,” I started looking around. “I don’t think I’m really going to be in here at all.”

“Yeah ditto there,” Rainbow nodded in agreement. “I’m not into that egghead stuff, no matter how good I was at math and science in high school. Not surprised that you aren’t really interested as well.”

The Chemistry room was probably the one we spent the least to in, the only thing even worth our interested was the energy Doctor Hooves seemed to give off as he walked in. Obviously Monokuma made this room for ponies like him who loved these things. Both me and Rainbow left before he could see us, not wanting to take chances of being unloaded with information we couldn’t care less about. As we walked down the hallway at the far end of the castle we noticed that, indeed, another door with the same sign on it lead into the Chemistry Lab.

As we reached the midway point we found a set of stairs blocked off by yes another set of barbed wire. It quickly donned on me that he would do this after every trial that we completed, most likely so we didn’t use the same method of killing each time. The hall turned right, leading us to the other set of stairs lead up to the second floor. Halfway done this end of the hall was another door, and next to the stairs was a door probably leading to the same area the one next to the stairs on the left side of the castle did. I was rather surprised at how small the area seemed to be for being the second floor of a castle.

The first door we went through was the one halfway done the hallway, which lead to a rather dark room with a red carpet and velvet chair. A brick fireplace was lit with a couple of large logs that were located in a corner of the room, and some small tools that were too probably keep the fire maintained. Despite the lack of windows or light save for an end table and the fireplace, the room felt rather cozy and old fashioned. Kinda like a more comfortable version of the living room downstairs without the horrible stone walls. Obviously I wasn’t the only pony that seemed to think that.

“Sweet Celestia this is fantastic!” Rarity said, her eyes lit up light fireworks. “Now this is more like it. The comfort of the heat from the fireplace, the dim lighting, the victorian vibe, everything is just perfect!”

“I take it the room is to your liking?” Rainbow asked, Rarity’s response coming in the form of a cheerful whinny.

“How could I not find this to my liking?” Rarity replies, her eyes not able to get any larger than they already were. “This is what nobles live in, not some dull, boring, outdated stone relic of yesteryear. Everything looks so glamorous with the fireplace lighting it, and I absolutely adore the fabric of the chair and rug. Monokuma definitely got things right when it comes to the second floor. I could see me spend my entire time in both the library and here.”

“Library?” I tilted my head in confusion. “Is that what the room next to the stairs is?”

“You mean you haven’t checked it out yet?” Rarity asked, both Rainbow Dash and I shaking our heads. “Well, I think we should change that. Immediately. You haven’t lived until you see just how beautiful that library looks.”

Without even waiting for our argument Rarity took us in her magic and dragged us out the door with her. As she opened the door to the library she dropped us inside, our bodies free from her aura and Rainbow seeming… strangely disappointed. I decided to look away from the rather unsatisfied pegasus next to me and looked forward to the room ahead. It was definitely a library, the wall lined with bookshelves with a large chandelier akin to the one in the entrance hall above us.

“So… what’s so special about this libra-”

“Dee, please tell me you see it!” Rainbow shouted at me as she shoved a book on my face, myself completely unaware of when she even obtained it. “Don’t tell me that A.K. and Daring Do do not look exactly the same!”

Shoving the book away I decided to check and see what Rainbow Dash was talking about. The book she had picked up was a first edition of one of the very first Daring Do novel, Daring Do and the Lost City. It was the book that got me into the series, and one of my favorites as well, but that wasn’t what struck me as odd. What struck me as odd was just how right Rainbow Dash was about the authors resemblance to her character. You took away the glasses and cape, replace her hat with the one Daring Do always wore and you would get the exact same pony. That said, I had a very hard time thinking that somepony wearing glasses would do stuff like that, being what Rainbow described as an ‘egghead trait’.

“I’m sure it’s just a coincidence,” I told her, even though a large part of my brain knew that this was too much for a simple coincidence. “A.K. probably just used herself as a reference for the illustrator, besides I doubt someone like her would hide that secret from us.”

Everything I just said was to try and make myself deny it, but it was impossible. A.K. Yearling was a very secluded pony and not many ponies actually knew where she lived. For her to be as secluded as that and not have some connection to Daring Do herself was farfetched. It would explain what she said about her motive photo during the meeting two days ago, as I doubt it would be directed at her character and not herself. That must have been why her mane seemed so familiar because… A.K. must actually be-

“Hey, you there!” I heard Flash shout from the other end of the library, his focus past us and back to the door Rarity had lead us through. At first I didn’t see what he was talking about, but I suddenly made out the unfamiliar figure of a strange black pony with giant blue eyes looking through the door. “Hold it right there changeling!”

The pony, or changeling as Flash called it, suddenly bolted away as Flash started giving chase. Wondering what was going on, Rarity, Rainbow and I followed him out of the library just in time to see Flash tackle the changeling. Running up to him, we saw him holding down the poor thing with his hooves. Me and Rarity forced Flash off of their body, giving the changeling enough room to breath. None of us seemed to really understand what was going on, but it seemed like some form of bad blood was their between Flash and the changeling, or more likely the crown given his reaction.

“P-please, I’m not here to hurt you!” The changeling said as I scanned his body, my eyes resting on the strange holes that left his legs completely hollow. “I don’t even know where I am or what’s going on. Could somepony please just explain to me-”

“Don’t think you can fool me kretin!” Flash yelled in rage. “You changelings can turn into anything, which means that you must be that Monokuma thing. First you and your kind invade Canterlot and now you hold some of the most gifted ponies in Equestria into a killing game! No creature but the changelings would be so heinous but to do that. Am I right!”

“You know, most ponies greet each other with hello right?” Monokuma spoke from behind Flash, seeming to make the Ultimate Guard even angrier than he already was. “Yeah, crazy right? Fluttershy taught me that it isn’t right to act like you own the world when you greet someone, but I can’t blame some guard for getting that mixed up.”

“W-w-w-wait, what?” Flash stammered, his anger suddenly vanishing as he looks back and forth between Monokuma and the changeling. “So… this changeling isn’t the one keeping us here?”

“Well of course you idiot! He’s a substitution because I was left greatly unsatisfied by the execution! He’s a part of this just like the rest of you, and just because this is a killing game doesn’t mean you should treat him like a monster. Besides, I’m Monokuma, just Monokuma, and only Monokuma. Nothing could ever copy my oh-so lovable personality and style.”

The three next to me looked at Monokuma with a confused look on their faces, but I understood exactly what he meant. Trixie was still alive, having escaped when the execution occurred, and everypony else thought she was dead. The only ones who didn’t were me, Flam, A.K., Doctor Hooves, and Monokuma himself. My stomach dropped as I realized what that meant, knowing full well why this changeling was here. Monokuma was unsatisfied with someone escaping, so he put someone else in to replace them...

… wait a second. Did he just say Fluttershy taught him how to say hello?

“Well, now that this is done with, I need to go explain to the only nice pony here why I had to leave.” He said, leaving me the only one who truly understood everything that had just happened. Fluttershy, what in tartarus are you think!

“So, let’s make up for the rude greeting,” Rainbow said as she and Rarity turned back to the changeling. “Hey, I’m Rainbow Dash, the Ultimate Stunt Flyer and these here are Rarity, Ditzy, and Flash Sentry.”

“Oh, um, nice to meet you all,” He said. “I’m Thorax… and unlike the rest of you I’m not really all that special. I’m not an ultimate, just some infiltrator who was abducted from his hive for some reason or another.”

“Well if you are here than you must be an ultimate, everyone else is,” Rarity explained to him. “Perhaps changelings don’t have the ultimate thing like Equestria does, but you must have been special enough if Monokuma brought you here, despite how terrible that is.”

“Yeah I’ve… already been filled in by that weird bear thing,” Thorax explained as his gaze seemed fixed on Flash, who refused to look at him. “Of course none of you probably care about some weird bug thing like myself, considering how he reacted.”

“Flash is a member of the royal guard, what do you expect,” Rainbow said, shrugging as she turned to look at the Ultimate Guard. “Speaking of which, I think someone has to apologize for what they did.”

“If you think I’m going to say sorry to some creature that tried to harm the crown, your an idiot,” Flash replied, his tone seething with rage. “I won’t kill that changeling, not while I’m still a member of the royal guard. Celestia needs me alive, and so does the rest of Equestria.”

With that Flash walked off, leaving the rest of us to comfort Thorax who was feel more upset due to his words. I hadn’t expected somepony like the Ultimate Guard to act so… rude would be the nicest way to put it. Rainbow was furious at Flash for what he had said, but didn’t rush after him, instead turning to offer Thorax a tour of the castle. Rarity also left, saying that she hadn’t spent nearly enough time as she wanted to in the second floor living room. That left me alone, and with nothing else to do I turned back to the library.

As I entered the library for the second time I quickly picked up the copy of Daring Do and the Lost City that Rainbow had left on the ground. I looked to the pony on the cover, a light brown pegasus with a mane and tail that went through multiple shades of black and white. I wanted to ask A.K. Yearling about it, but it felt too personal. There was no doubt that the two were the same pony, but she didn’t want anypony to know that. Of course, the amount of enemies that Daring Do has made probably had something to do with it, as telling anypony about who she really was could make her an easy target.

“Ya noticed it too, huh?” Looking back to the door I saw Applejack looking at me. I didn’t expect her to speak to anyone after what happened during the trial, the look Flam had given her still clear in my head. “The fact that A.K. looks a lot like her own character, it’s not a hard puzzle to solve.”

“It seems everyone’s realized it, but that doesn’t make her suspicious.” I explained, remembering well how Applejack had acted during the trial. A.K., whether she was or wasn’t Daring Do, was not somepony we should be suspecting.

“Ah learned my lesson after the last trial, and that’s the real reason ah’m here,” She told me, taking off her stetson hat and bowing. “Ah wanna say sorry for how ah acted. Ah was so caught up in my own opinion that… nah. Saying that would be an excuse, and Flam was right about everything,” She hesitated, looking away as she finished her apology. “Even about why ah slept with him, though I would have rather he’d not brought it up.”

“Thanks for the apology, but I’m not the only one who's going to need apologizing to,” I reminded her as I put the book down on an end table. “Honestly, I probably would have acted the same if somepony told me I was wrong, which is probably why A.K. took control from me at the time… please don’t tell her we know about Daring Do!”

“Um, you're asking the wrong person to keep a secret, but ah’ll try if you really want me to,” Applejack said as she place her hat back on her head. “And ah’m well aware of how much I need to apologize. Flam’s the one who put me up to it, saying that it was the only way to make up for what happened. The stallion may be a Con Artist but he definitely knows what he’s doing.”

As she left I was once again left alone, and decided to spend the rest of my day exploring the library. The collection of books was pretty expensive, including everything from romance to nonfiction and plenty of other genres I’ve never really bothered to look into. It was clear that Monokuma liked his horror and mystery, those probably being the most extensive of the collections in the library. I’ve never been brave enough to touch a horror novel, and most of the time mystery novels go over my head. Still, it was clear just how much his love for those genres were, and it explained some things about how this killing game actually worked.

------- Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen -------

Ding dong bing bong

“Ahem, it is now nighttime, which means that those of you outside or in the dining room better get in before I catch you. Having a great night’s rest with lovely dreams so that we can get back to business tomorrow!”

I never met back up with Flam, A.K., and Doctor Hooves, but they were all preoccupied with other things and had rescheduled are meeting for tomorrow. My thoughts went back to everything that happened, and more often than not my mind went to Thorax. The poor changeling didn’t even know why he was here, and it was all because of Trixie and Twilight’s plan succeeding that he is here. I made a note to tell him everything tomorrow, he deserved to know it after being unwillingly put into this game. That also meant that keeping him alive was essential, because Trixie would want me to, even if she had no idea he was here.

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Daily Life part 2

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I had woken up before the morning announcement sounded throughout the castle, quickly throwing the covers off my body as I got up. I did a few quick stretches to loosen up my muscles, wanting to get out of my room as soon as possible. Last night was rough, not because of bad dreams or nightmares but rather because I had fallen asleep in the most awkward position you could imagine. The pain I felt from simply turning my head a centimeter or two was awful, and I had to leave it tilted to one side to not feel the strain on my neck muscles. Not the worst luck, but I’ve slept in much worse.

With my head awkwardly tilt to the side, I opened the door leading from my room to the entrance hall. Waiting down on the ground area was the rest of our group plus one rather timid changeling who A.K. no doubt invited after hearing about why he is here. I felt horrible for Thorax, even though he was the only pony… changeling? I’ll have to figure out which one is correct, but basically he is the only talentless one in this entire castle. That in and of itself explains why he was a substitute and not one of the original guests here. I swore under my breath at Monokuma for bringing him here, no matter what it means.

“Um… you seem rather stiff there Ditzy,” Flam observed, everyone giving a look that perfectly showed how off my neck muscles felt. “Woke up on the wrong side of the bed? Nightmares perhaps?”

“I guess it’s the first one,” I admitted, my neck starting to feel uncomfortable from just being tilted. “Last nightmare I had was about Monokuma destroying on the muffin factories in Equestria, and that was two days ago. Truth be told I feel like I was hanged and somehow lived despite the broken windpipe.” Everyone was silent as I said that last part, and it quickly came to my attention just how wrong that must’ve sounded.

“If it was all possible, I would probably bleach my memory,” Doctor Hooves told me. “That picture was much clearer than I wanted it to be, and I’ll admit you are probably right.”

“Horrible word choice aside, I think we need to get moving,” A.K. said as she stepped into the center so everyone saw her. “I’m sure we’re all aware of what happened to our companion Thorax here, but we need someplace where we can discuss without Monokuma hearing. Thankfully, our knew friend here found something on the second floor.”

She turned to Thorax, who seemed to step back in fear as our eyes landed on him. Nonetheless he motioned for us to follow him, leading us back to the stairs I had taken up to the second floor yesterday morning. I could see how nervous he was, his hooves shaking as they went up the stairs. He even missed a step and almost fell backwards, Flam saving him by pushing back up the next few steps. As we reach the top of the stairs Thorax ran up next to a wall and waited for us to catch up.

“So… what did you find up here?” I asked as I looked around the empty hallway. “Nothing seems out of place or wrong here. Heck, I don’t even see signs of a hidden door anywhere.”

“I believe… actually it’s more of a guess if anything, but something about this place feels familiar,” Thorax explained, though I could see just how unsure he was through those blue eyes, which I had noticed seemed to glow in the shadows of the hallway. “Actually, I don’t even know if it’s worth the time to check, but before I met Ditzy and Flash I found this.”

With that a very familiar scene played out before me as an entire section of the marble wall started to move as if it made of rotted wood. Thorax was applying no pressure to it as well, and in a state of shock I watched as a room nopony had known about appeared before me. The wall stopped just enough to let everyone inside, though it did look strangely out of place amongst the room. Actually, the very room itself felt rather out of place, seeming more attune for a school environment than a castle.

“I’m sure you’ve notice the different style of architecture by this point, not just in this room but the castle itself,” A.K. explained as we enter. “The gothic first floor, the mixture of modern and victorian styles on this one, you wouldn’t expect such a mash of different styles. Now, for a room like this to differ from the trend we had seen to this point, it’s both odd and unnatural.”

“Yet for some reason I feel a familiarity in the room, or in this castle in general,” Thorax tells us. “I’m sure this is a coincidence, but it still feels strange. For some reason I feel like a prisoner and yet not one at the same exact time. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“So what exactly is this room?” Flam asks, grabbing a scroll from one of the many shelves that lined the opposing wall. “I thought that it was a writer’s study at first considering the amount of paper but none of it is blank. Even I don’t really understand anything written on these and I’ve seen a lot!”

He unrolled the scroll that he held, revealing a strange circular pattern printed onto it. I’d never seen anything like it before, and from the looks on Flam and Doctor Hooves they didn’t either. The strange lines and shapes that were inside probably meant it had something to do with magic, but I didn’t know what it was for the life of me. Times like these made me wish that Twilight was still around. The Ultimate Magic Researcher would probably know a thing or two about this.

“I’ll admit, I’ve never seen something like this before,” A.K. said, something which I caught me by surprise. “It’s some sort of incantation from what I can tell, but what it does as beyond me. Never really been too sure how some magic really works. Anyways, we’re getting sidetracked, we have something important to discuss.”

“Oh, and what might that be?” Flam asked, as we all sat down. “I thought you just wanted to show us this.”

“Well that was part of it, but that isn’t all,” A.K. continued. “The reason is actually because of Thorax himself, and how he doesn’t have a talent. Now you’re welcome to object, but having no talent makes him a vulnerable target, and we know it’s only a matter of time until Monokuma gives another motive. So, I’ve decided that it would be a good idea to give him a… false talent.”

“I’m not the only one who doesn’t like where this is going,” Thorax mumbled, though he probably didn’t account for all of us hearing him. “Right? Isn’t it wrong to take something that doesn’t belong to you.”

“Hasn’t stopped your kind before, ow!” Doctor Hooves joked, getting a jab in the shoulder from A.K. “Oh, so Ditzy simply gets stared at from a bad joke but I don’t.”

“That hanging thing wasn’t meant to be a joke!”

“Can everyone just… stop for a few seconds?” A.K. said in aggravation, doing her best to not hold her head in her hooves. “Look, long story short Thorax is an easy target, so we give him a talent that both isn’t true but also not entirely false. In that case it would make sense for him to be the Ultimate Infiltrator. That is your place in your hive, right?”

“Well yes but… I was never really good at it,” Thorax looked at the ground. “I’m better at copying ponies than I am at infiltrating. Though I think a copycat and a con artist are relatively similar so… I guess I’ll take the title. Besides it would be wrong to intrude on Flam’s area of expertise.”

“A changeling with some sense of formality,” Flam stated out loud to himself. “I like that.”

Ding dong bing bong

“Ahem, may I all have your attention. Morning is upon and that’s all good, but there is something of even greater importance to discuss. I want everyone to meet in the dining room, but I’m sure you’ll probably be their anyway to get something to eat. I’ll see you all there!”

“Do you think...” I never finished that sentence, but I didn’t have to as everyone else seemed to get the same exact feeling. “Guess now was the perfect time to have this meeting.”

------- Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen -------

As we reached the dining room we realized that we were the only ponies that were still up. No one else had arrived yet, and even when they did everyone seemed exhausted for some reason or another. Octavia, Rarity, and Rainbow were the first ones to show up, the Ultimate Cellist being the only one who seemed to actually have a good night sleep. Then came most of the others, who were just as exhausted if not more so than Rarity or Rainbow. The only pony who actually seemed to be in high spirits besides from us and Octavia was Pinkie, who was bouncing around the room like normal.

“What happened to you all?” I asked, getting mumbles and groans in response.

“Pinkie decided to throw a ‘cheer up and smile party’ to keep everypony's minds off of what happened to days ago,” Bon Bon explained with a yawn. “Most of us didn’t get to sleep until one o’clock.”

“Honestly ah think this would have been a lot easier if that damn bear didn’t tell us to wake up right now,” Applejack complained as she sat down at the table. She crossed her hooves in front of her and put her head down. “Ah needed that sleep fer Celestia sake!”

“But you can’t deny that we had lots of fun!” Pinkie exclaimed with a giggle. “It was hard to put things together since I didn’t have any emergency supply stashes nearby but it all worked out in the end. Besides, I think that party made everyone happier!”

“I would probably be happy if Monokuma hadn’t ordered us to come here!” Flash told the Ultimate Party Planner. “Even though I had fun I still wanted to get some sleep.”

“Aw, is that the sound of violins in the background?” It was at this point that Monokuma finally showed up, appearing on the other side of the table. Most of the ponies who were at the party last night groaned, with the exception of Applejack who was fast asleep. “Now as much fun as I would have poking fun at all you sleepyheads, I kinda need you all to pay attention. So wake up!”

Monokuma reached behind his back and out of nowhere pulled out a newspaper. He got onto the table and stood over Applejack, reeling back the arm he held the newspaper in. With a loud smack he dropped it on Applejack, the sound echoing through the entire dining room and waking the Ultimate Farmer from her beauty sleep. Applejack snorted as she was brought back to reality, head zipping up and scanning the horizon.

“Now then, if nopony else is asleep I would like to proceed with my announcement,” Nopony answered, most of which probably more worried about getting slapped by a newspaper than they were of Monokuma himself. “Okay! Now, I heard from a little birdy amongst you all that revealing secrets and stuff isn’t so kind, so I decided that it would be better to make the next motive a little less… personal I guess.”

“Wait a second!” Bulk shouted. “What ‘little birdy’ are you talking about?! Who would ever willingly talk to you?!”

“You could be a little nicer you know, even if he is the one keeping us trapped here,” We all turned to Fluttershy, everyone shocked that somepony like her was defending Monokuma. I had figured it out yesterday when Monokuma had introduced Thorax, but it was still a shock for the rest of them. “Um… could you please not stare… it’s really rude, and stuff.”

“You can all question my dear friend later, I need to get the motive out before the end of the chapter, and that motive is none other theeeeeen,” Monokuma suddenly pulled out two golden tickets from thin air, quickly grabbing the attention of a few ponies in the room. “This: two tickets for the Grand Galloping Gala. Yes, you heard that right, two of them! One for the murderer, and one for the spotless of your choice! Both of you get a chance at freedom and all from the price of a single life. I guess you can call it a two for the price of one motive!”

“The Grand Galloping Gala!” Multiple ponies cried out, one of those being Doctor Hooves. A.K. quickly smacked him over the head to remind him of what it meant.

“Wait, so your saying that one pony here can essentially get another pony out without them having to kill anyone?!” Redheart asked, and while I could see her lack of interest in the ticket she was clearly wondering about the double survivor part of it.

“If I did that I could not only bring one pony with me, but I would also be able to find the stallion of my dreams!” Rarity explained, her eyes sparkling as she looked longingly into the two tickets. “I could expand my fashion line and show it off to all the nobles in Canterlot!”

“Nah that would be a waste,” I certain pain stuck me as I looked to the owner of the voice, seeing Rainbow Dash was just as interested, or even more so than Rarity currently was. “I would finally have a chance of joining the Wonderbolts, and I know full well who my number two would be as well.”

I saw her look to me, and my heart sank as I knew exactly what was going through her head. I wanted to trust that Rainbow wouldn’t do anything stupid, but was her being stupid right now. She was completely serious about everything she just said, and she would take me with her as well! I knew that she wouldn’t leave without me, but Monokuma’s motive bypassed any safelocks that I had on her never being a murderer. Her loyalty to me, I really didn’t want to think it was the case but, this was a situation where Rainbow would willing murder a pony.

“That’s right, let the idea of bringing a friend back to the outside world fill your minds with hope,” Monokuma preached as he held it up. “All you have to do is kill and get away with it, and I’m sure that this new motive will push you all to that decision!”

“Um, Monokuma.” Fluttershy said, stepping forward and whispering something into his ear. She backed up after she finished Monokuma looking rather puzzled.

“Well yes, I guess it would be a little more fair to do that as well, but even your world isn’t completely fair,” He told her, his whispering voice nowhere near as quiet as his companions. “Look, you keep my secret and I keep yours, that was the deal right? I want to keep being your friend but you know full well what he would do to you.”

“Oh, I see,” Fluttershy’s ears flattened a bit, but she quickly looked back with a face of courage and nodded to Monokuma. “I hope we can figure out something better for the future, but if this is the best he will allow right now then I can’t really complain.”

“There, now your think my game!” Monokuma said before turning to us. “Well, I’ll let you all think this over a little bit. I gotta something I need to do so do whatever you want for the moment. Remember: this ticket buys freedom not just for you, but for the dearest friend here.”

With that Monokuma vanished, and most of the ponies quickly evacuated the room. Compared to the react he got the first time around, everypony was a bit more eccentric this time around about actually taking the motive. I shared my concern with A.K. and Flam, the three of us immediately realizing the impossible. This is why Trixie said we had to do keep as many ponies alive as possible, but there will be more trials.

“What in tartarus are you doing Fluttershy?!” We all turned to see Applejack yelling at the Ultimate Animal Caretaker. “Are ya tryin’ to encourage that piece of scrap metal to continue his game?”

“I-I-I didn’t think he would t-t-t-take my suggestion as, y-y-you know, a murder motive,” Fluttershy told her. “I was hoping to maybe ch-ch-change his mind about everything… I guess.”

“Well look what good that has gotten ya, now we really have to worry about a murderer!” Applejack continued to shout, berating the actions of the pegasus in front of her till she was about to cry. Seeing this, Applejack suddenly stop and sighed. “Look, ah know you didn’t mean for this to happen. Heh, yer the last pony I expected to try an’ encourage this, but that bear is to dangerous for you to be around.”

“Well it isn’t like anyone else here has been very nice to me,” I heard a slight hint of anger of Fluttershy’s voice. “Ditzy, Rainbow Dash, and Monokuma are the only ones who have actually worried about me at all. I don’t remember you standing up for me when I was blamed during the trial, or anypony else for that matter.”

“But Fluttershy yer… actually, forget it!” Applejack threw her hooves up in defeat, before storming off in rage. “Ya wanna get us all killed, it’s fine by me! Just don’t expect any sympathy when ah blame you at the trial.”

She slammed the dining room door so hard that the ground shook, almost knocking over a plant in the middle of the dining table. Fluttershy curled up on the floor and started to cry, Applejack’s words clearly stinging. A part of me also wanted to tell her everything she had done wrong, but at the same time I could tell that wasn’t her reason for doing this. The small exchange Fluttershy and Monokuma had told me that she really meant to persuade him to use the tickets as some other form of a motive. She was also correct about the trial, considering that I cleared her name and it was Rainbow’s account that actually freed her.

“Don’t worry Fluttershy,” I said as I knelt down next to her. “Applejack doesn’t understand what you were trying to do, and you have no need to feel bad about what you did.”

“A-a-a-all I want was hick to stop somepony else from getting m-m-m-hick-murdered,” Fluttershy told me, hiding her face under her long pink mane. “W-w-w-why does hick e-e-everyone hate me?”

“Not everypony hates you, that’s just how Applejack is,” Flam told the pegasus. “All those things I said about her at the trial, I meant all of them. I hate ponies who can’t get rid of their suspicions even if the evidence is stacked heavily against them. Long story short, don’t listen to a pony like her.”

After getting breakfast and comforting Fluttershy we went our separate ways. A.K. wanted to keep tabs on some that she might thing held suspicions, and Flam wanted to give Applejack another piece of his mind. Fluttershy went to go talk with Monokuma, who she had vowed to ‘reform’ for what he did to Trixie (or what she thought he did). As for Thorax, he kinda disappeared into his room, which had formerly belonged to Trixie. That left me with nothing to do, and plenty of time to kill.

Sadly, since there was still no muffins, I would have to settle with chatting with someone.

Author's Notes:

If any of you bothered to read my crappy first Danganronpa fic then you probably have recognized the motive from this chapter. Yep, it is the same one I used for the unfinished second chapter of Equestrian Despair, but this time I have a better idea of what I'm doing. I added the second ticket so that it wasn't completely the same as the original, as well as being partially inspired by

The First Blood Perk in V3

. Make of it what you will, but I'll be interested to see what your thoughts are of this.

The first two FTEs of chapter 2 are going to be next, so tell me what characters you want to see. Also, depending on we actually get to that point or not, what are some of the skills that would be obtained through maxing all FTE events. I understand if you don’t want to put I it would be a cool idea.

So who do you want to see a FTE with? Who do you think is going to be the next victim? I look forward to seeing your answers.

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Free Time Event (Thorax and Doctor Hooves)

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------- Free Time Start! -------

I knocked on the door of the room that once belong to Trixie, not actually expecting to get any response. For a good amount of time there was no answer, and I honestly didn’t expect to get one at all. However, as soon as I turned around, knowing that Thorax wasn’t going to open up, I heard the creaking of a door. I turned around, seeing that the door I had knocked on was slightly open, and walked back. I could see Thorax through the crack he had left, his body shaking comfortably.

“Oh, it’s only you Ditzy,” He said to me, looking away in shame. “I was worried that, with the motive, somepony might have wanted to kill me.”

“Don’t worry, I understand,” I reassured him, sitting down. I used my hooves to motion for him to stay calm. “Truth be told, I’m rather scared too, but I can’t hide away with the duty that I’ve been given… you don’t have to worry about that, Thorax,” He sighed, finally completely opening the door so I could talk to him easier. “I don’t know how private it is to you, but I was wondering what the hive was like.”

“I don’t mind, but could we talk about it somewhere a bit less… awkward.” He requested, looking to his right and reminding me of the fact he was still standing in the doorway.

I nodded in response, and we decided to make our way to the garden to talk. The entire conversation was probably the most awkward moment of my entire life. Thorax was ubscenely hesitant with talking about the hive, and at times he would stop talking altogether. I felt horrible as he did his best to describe to me what life for him was like, not because of the way he lived but I know he didn’t want to talk about it. After some time I decided to change the subject, not wanting to put Thorax through any more pain than I was already putting him through.

“So Thorax,” I asked, finally working up the courage to ask a rather sensitive question. “You changeling can change into any pony you meet, including mimic there voice and attire?”

“Well… yes we can, but it’s a bit more complicated than that,” Thorax told me, sighing before looking me dead in the eyes. “It is a little weird talking about it, but can I change into you to explain? I understand if you don’t want to, but it would make this go a lot smoother than trying to just tell it… of course no pony would-”

“Go right ahead!” I told him standing tall and firm. “I don’t mind if you use me as an example, as long as it doesn’t involve me getting hurt of course.”

Thorax nodded and closed his eyes, his body suddenly engulfed in green flames as he did so. If this was the first time I had seen it I would have freaked out, but I knew this was how the transformation worked. When the flames died away I was looking at a double of myself, cutie mark and all. Without asking I decided to stroke the side of Thorax’s neck, and compared to the insectoid skin that had once been there I now felt fur (he also purred from the action but that’s not important). Heck, the guy even manage to get my goofy eye correct, something that I had expected him to leave out.

“Wow, it feels so real!” I said in disbelief. “I’m sure anypony would be fooled just from the appearance, as long as you acted like you were a walking weighted roulette of course. Oh, that roulette would be against you, not helping you.”

“I see,” If I hadn’t seen somepony mimic my voice already it would have come off as a bit of a surprise to me. Of course, that too was something I had seen before. “Well, unlike illusion magic which fades at the slightest touch, transformation completely changes our appearance. If I remember correctly it has to do with our weak immune systems, which allows DNA to change without white blood cells interfering. However, there is one exception to the rule.”

A quick green flame formed and vanished around his waist, leaving a saddlepack behind in its death. Thorax than attempted to grab the newly formed saddlebag with his hooves and bring them up to me. ‘Attempted’ is the key word there, as it burst into flames and faded away as soon as he even touched it. This time I was generally surprise, taking a few steps back as I found myself completely baffled by what happened.

“What just happened? Did something mess up?”

“No, that’s just how it works,” Thorax replied, turning back to me. “Truth be told, if we try to form anything related to attire and than proceed to physically touch it afterwards, it fades. Every part of the disguise is made from my body, so it’s impossible for me to remove anything. The only exception is when the piece of clothing or accessory forms, though I don’t know why.”

“You seem to like this sorta stuff,” I said, noticing a slight glimmer in his eyes as he spoke. “Up to this point you’ve been a lot more… hesitant with what you say.”

“I guess, but you didn’t react in the same way Flash did to me,” He replied, looking away from me in… embarrassment perhaps? I couldn’t exactly pin the emotion. “I like ponies more than most changelings do, and I’m more open minded than a lot of them too… I guess. I want peace between the changeling and ponies, but with so many nobles and soldiers spouting rumors and posting propaganda, I doubt that will ever happen.”

“Hey, don’t worry,” I reassured him. “For every bad guy there is a good guy, and for every stuck up noble is a truthful one as well. That is kinda the problem with today’s society: everypony is so stuck on the bad and horrible ‘what if…’ scenarios we forget to think about the good things.”

“I think that can be said for both our societies,” Thorax stated, both of us nodding from the idea. “I feel like I can trust you Ditzy, even if some many other changelings wouldn’t. I hope we can talk again sometime.”

The two of us went our separate ways after that, and I could see a slight skip in Thorax’s steps as he got rid of his disguise. Seeing the change in attitude told me two things, but the most important one was that he trusted me. If there was someone who really needed an ally, it was Thorax, as his lack of talent and species could make him an easy target for reasons other than Monokuma’s motives. I also understood where he was coming from, as I too hoped for a world where no pony was afraid. I know it won’t happen, but what’s the problem with having a dream like that?

After a quick lunch break I decided to go back to the chemistry lab, having a rather good feeling a certain Ultimate Scientist would be there. My intuition was correct, because even if he wasn’t doing anything with the chemicals in the lab he was most definitely gawking over them. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so engrossed by things such as chemicals before in my life, but I guess that’s what ponies like him are into.

“Excuse me Doctor,” I called to him, grabbing his attention. “Sorry to bother you if you’re busy, but I was wondering if you were interested in talking at all.”

“Well why wouldn’t I be!” He exclaimed, his full attention focused completely in my direction. “It’s one of the only activities we can really take part in other than killing and crime… or reading if you so prefer but I’m pretty sure that’s the last thing anypony is doing here.”

Ignoring the oddity of the comment he just made we started talking. I don’t really know why, but I felt this instant connection to the Doctor, even if I didn’t understand most of what he said to me. While Rainbow was, for some reason I can’t understand, good at scientist it was probably my worst subject all through high school and college. However, the strange connection I felt made me hang on each word that he said, even if I didn’t understand the specifics of it.

“This has been fun Ditzy, but I have a feeling you didn’t come to me just to talk about chemistry and machinery,” He said after some time, a giant smile on his face. “Let me guess, you want to know about the time machine I made, didn’t you? That’s the only reason somepony like you would really want to talk to a crazy stallion like myself.”

“Aw, don’t sell yourself short Doctor,” I told him, my smile probably even wider than his was. “Though you’re right, I’ve been wondering about the time machine since you first brought it up. Did you actually go back in time? Is it bigger on the inside than on the outside?”

“Why does everypony ask me that second question?” Doctor Hooves asked himself, seeming a little embarrassed by it. “Well, just so you know it does work, and really well at that. I had to make sure it worked before showing it off to the princesses, and thank Celestia it did! Unicorns think they’re so special with magic and whatnot, but while a time spell can only go backwards a few days, I can go back and forth centuries if I want!”

“Wow, that really is special,” I said in awe of the very idea of time travel. “Where did you go? Did you get to see what Equestria is like hundred of years in the future? What about the past?”

“Peaked your interest I see,” He observed, a slight giggle in his words. “Well the first and last questions are the two easiest to answer. In order to back up my entry paper I had to show that it could do both the past and present, so I visited both. As for where I visited in the future... that’s a much harder question to answer.”

“Really? Why is that?”

“Tell me Ditzy Do, do you understand the idea behind alternate or parallel universes?” I nodded my head in answer to his question. “Well the future is always changing no matter how big or small the option is. Traveling to the past is easy because it’s already set in stone when you enter it, but when going to the future every new journey could be significantly different. For example, say I place my hoof on this table here,” The Doctor did just as he said, placing his right hoof on an empty table next to him. “As small and insignificant as it might be, this one motion just opened up billions of different futures were different consequences occurred. Nothing happened in this one, but in another I might not have put my hoof on the table at all, or even more wild a meteor could have hit us both as I did. In fact, this very conversation might be entirely different in the future, or might not be happening at all.”

“So the future you traveled to when you showed the time machine to the princesses no longer exists, possibly because you showed it to them?” I asked, the entire idea having just started to make sense. “So if we were to travel to the future right now, the future would be different from one you visited about, let’s say, an hour ago?”

“Precisely!” He shouted, his eyes glowing like flashlights they were so bright. “The future I showed the princesses was so beautiful that they actually want to bring an artist along to paint it. However, when I told them the same thing I had told you they realized it would be impossible to do so. Other futures I’ve seen includes one where Equestria was a war devastated wasteland, one where the sun and moon had completely vanished from existence, and another where… actually that one came true now that I think about it.”

“Huh, what future came true?” I asked, almost touching the Doctors muzzle.

“Nevermind, it’s better if we not talk about it at the moment,” He said, the sudden rejection of an answer making me rather sad. “Besides, I could possibly be wrong. Even if that part of the future was true doesn’t mean that everything after it was the same.”

“Oh… I see.”

Despite how upset I was that I never learned what he was going to say, we continued to chat for a good amount of the day. The talk of time travel and different futures made me dizzy at times, but it was also very entertaining. As it neared nighttime we bid each other farewell, and made our way back to our rooms. That entire time however, I couldn’t help but feel a strange connection to Doctor Hooves, one that I couldn’t completely understand.

———- Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen ———-

Ding dong bing bong

“It’s nighttime everypony, and that means that the dining room and courtyard are all locked. I hope you're all thinking about those two tickets, and are even more so thinking of how you can obtain them. Anyways, nighty night, sleep tight, and don’t let the bedbugs bite… and if you for some reason do get bitten tell me because I still don’t believe they exist.”

As I climbed into bed my thoughts went back to Rainbow, or more specifically how she had acted in response to the motive. Two tickets, one for the murderer and the other for a pony in here. A part of me liked the idea of escaping, but as I thought about Trixie and Twilight yet again, I remembered I couldn't. No, not just that I couldn’t but that I wouldn’t. I won’t let Rainbow do anything like that, because even if she is my friend…

… no pony, no matter how they show their loyalty, should kill for any reason.

Author's Notes:

I’ve decided to impose a 24 hour rule when it comes to submitting votes for FTE’s, mainly because I’ve realized with the stories current popularity waiting a week isn’t going to change what happens in the first day. That and I can’t keep myself from wanting to write this story, I’m having just that much fricken fun with it. I don’t think I’ve ever actually enjoyed writing something more then I have now, and I really want to thank you all for supporting the story this far.

Throughout chapter 1 it was a bit of a mystery to me whether or not I could really keep this story going for all six chapters, and it really was my test to see if I wanted to do this. If what I’ve just said makes anything certain, this is probably the thing I’ve enjoyed writing the most. So, because of that, I am going to announce that after the main story is done, I’ll be doing a version of the Team Salmon Run and Island Life modes afterwards, and if I can reach even higher I’ll consider a Love Hotel thing as well.

Of course, this is all well into the future, but now that I’ve choosen to make this story my primary focus expect to hear a lot from me in the future. So... yeah, this was quite a long author’s note, but I felt like it was neccesary to talk about this.

Have a crazy, awesome, crazy-awesome-to-the-max day!

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Daily Life part 3

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Ding dong bing bong

“Good morning everyone, it is currently eight am. That’s right, morning is upon us and I’m sure many of you are thinking about those wonderful tickets. Again, you set another pony free with them as well, so make sure you know that if you are planning murder. With that out of the way, I hope you all have an absolutely fantastic day!”

It was the first time I had woken up to the sound of Monokuma’s voice since the day before Twilight was killed. The night was restless, my thoughts continuing to go to Rainbow Dash, who might have been planning murder as I laid in my bed. I remember dreaming about her doing just that, and despite all my attempts to protest my mouth wouldn’t work. It was like it had been glued shut, and as she was dragged into her execution I found myself woken up. I wanted to think it was just a nightmare, but I knew that wasn’t true.

Bang bang bang

That sound immediately caused myself to forget my worries, instead being replaced by the more direct feeling of fear. If this was anywhere else I would have thought it was merely some guest, but the last time I had heard someone knocking at my door Twilight was found dead. I hopped up and out of bed, making my way to the door in panic and fear. I stumbled a few steps backwards as my body hadn’t completely adjusted from lying down to standing up. I didn’t let that stop me, and as soon as that lightheaded feeling passed I opened the door.

The first thing I could be sure about was that no dead body was found just yet, as the pony before me was smiling happily. However, it was the actual pony who stood there that had made me want to rethink my actions of opening the door. It was Rainbow Dash, and that smile on her face wasn’t one that said ‘I’m happy to see you this morning’. The smile was one that told me she was thinking hard about something, or more specifically thinking of the tickets.

“Rainbow Dash are-” I started to speak, but before I could say anything she grabbed my shoulders.

“No time to explain, you gotta come with me now!” She spoke hastily before dragging me with her out the door and into the entrance hall.

Despite my best attempt to get away Rainbow Dash had a firm grip on me and my body. The next few seconds went by so fast my vision blurred before finding myself upstairs in the library. I didn’t really bother to ask what was going on, as I had pretty easily figured it out at that point. Rainbow quickly checked the two hallways before rushing back to me, grabbing my shoulders and keeping me focused on her eyes.

“Okay, I know what you might be thinking but please just hear me out on this,” She started, and I swallowed some of the spit in my mouth in worry. “Look, we’re both friends, and that gives us a much better reason than any other pony here to get out together. If it was just me, I wouldn’t dare kill somepony but… this could be our chance! Those tickets could be our one and only chance to get out of here alive!”

“Rainbow are you crazy?!” I asked, knowing that she was completely serious about all of this. “Why would you kill anypony? Is getting a chance to join or fly with the wonderbolts really worth putting so many ponies to the axe? I can’t do anything if somepony finds out you did it.”

“That’s why I’m talking to you about this,” She answered. “It would be obvious if I did it, and while ponies know about our friendship they don’t as much about you as I do,” Numerous different ideas ran through my head as she spoke, all of them being ways to try and stop her. “I know you might hate me, but if I getting out of here I’m doing it with you. So if you could please help me-”

“Shut up!” I went with the first option that came to mind, and promptly slapped my fellow pegasus as hard as I could across the muzzle. “Do you hear yourself right now Rainbow? Do you have any idea what the thoughts going through your head are doing to you? This isn’t the pony that I became friends with!”

“Dee, I know that I sound like a lunatic right now but I want you to be safe!” Rainbow replied, clearly not getting what I had just said. “That ticket can get us free, or more importantly it can get you free! You know that I wouldn’t be doing this if you-”

“I’m not going to help!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, something that Rainbow had clearly not anticipated in the slightest. “No, not just that, but I’m not going to accept your offer at all! Go ahead and murder somepony if you so want to, but know that when you ask to give the second ticket to me that I will say no. This isn’t the Rainbow Dash that I know, and if you do go along with this I will sell you out!” I knew how harsh those words were, but I didn’t care at the moment. Anypony else would have backpedalled as soon as they said them, but at this point it was something Rainbow needed to get through her mind. “I’m not coming with you no matter what, got it? I made a promise to protect everypony in this castle so that Twilight’s death would be meaningless, so forget it!”

My voice was hoarse from all that yelling, but if the look of shock and reevaluation on Rainbow said anything, it had worked. I didn’t want to admit it, but I had been preparing for this since the very moment I heard her excitement over the tickets. There were multiple times when the Ultimate Stunt Flyer opened her mouth, but nothing ever came out of them. This is what I was hoping for, no matter how harsh I had sounded. It felt awful, but I had accepted the fact that no matter what I did, no other option would have stopped what I had just to her.

“Oh… I see,” Rainbow Dash looked at the ground as she spoke. Her body language showing just how disappointed she was, though I didn’t know if it was directed at herself or at me. “You know that we are stuck here forever until somepony gets away with murder… right? Nopony else can get us out.”

“Actually, that isn’t true,” I knew that there was probably some risk involved tell anypony about what really happened during the execution, but if I was going to convince her than I needed to do it now. “Rainbow, there is something that A.K., Flam, and I have been keeping a secret, but I need you to promise that you won’t tell anyone about it,” Rainbow crossed her hooves over her heart in an X, and despite some resistance in the back of my mind I spilt the truth. “Trixie… actually escaped her execution. That’s why Monokuma was so upset afterward, and why Thorax was brought here as a ‘replacement’. That’s why Trixie acted the way she did at the end of the trial, and she is heading to get Celestia or somepony who can break us free.”

The library fell silent, neither of us willing to speak as I let the idea run through Rainbow’s head. She had turned her head away from me, not letting me see what she was thinking I right now. The first thing I imagined would have been shock, but Rainbow’s constant shuffling of her hooves told me that wasn’t correct. After a couple more attempts to read it I finally came to the conclusion she was deep in thought, and I didn’t know if that was good or bad. Knowing what could happen I braced myself for any anger or hate she might feel towards me.

“Are… are you sure that Trixie didn’t just say that to get out hopes up?” Rainbow asked.

“I know that it’s a long shot, but I put my faith in her for a reason,” I responded, doing my best to look serious. “It’s hard to say, but I’ve accepted the fact that not everypony is going to get outta here. As long as Monokuma is around we have to play his game, no matter how hard it will be in the end. Trixie understood that, and Twilight must have know as well, and that is why I’m going to trust her.”

“Well if that’s what you think… okay than Dee,” Rainbow finally gave in. “I’m sorry for trying to turn us into killers, and I promise not to do that again. If you are going to put your faith in that showpony, I will too.”

“Thanks Rainbow Dash.” I smiled as I heard her say that, knowing from past experience that it was absolutely sincere.

“However, about the entire Daring Do thing,” That worry which had faded from my mind suddenly rushed back into the front. “Dee, I know you were just trying to protect her, and since you two are friends I can understand it. However, after looking over every Daring Do book in the library, I’ve come to the conclusion that-“

“Daring Do and I are the exact same pony,” Our gazes switched to the door, watching the figure of A.K. Yearling as she walked her way over to us. “I’ve been pretty confident you two knew for some time now, so I figured there was no reason to keep it hidden from you. Honestly the entire thing feels less like a dramatic reveal and more like a cliche by this point.”

“Yeah, I’m with you there,” Rainbow agreed, shrugging as she lifted off into the air. “I swear I’ve heard this entire thing at least once or twice before, but whatever. That doesn’t change the fact that this is awesome! Are you wearing all of your stuff underneath that cloak?”

“Whoa, let’s not go that far yet,” A.K… Daring? A.K Yearling? Ah what the heck, the Ultimate Author stopped Rainbow as she attempted to remove the cape around her body. “Look, according to everypony else and Monokuma I’m A.K. Yearling, so even in private I would prefer if you called me that. That might just be a pen name but last thing I want is for everypony to know I’m Daring Do.”

Something switched in my head as I heard her say that. It made sense that her author name was the pen name, but there was a part of me who believed that Daring Do was a name she gave herself for writing the book. That wasn’t what was bothering me though, but instead it was the all to familiar last name. Having read many of the books I’ve never really considered how interesting her name was Daring Do and not something else, but a certain possibility quickly came to my brain.

“Hey, um, A.K.?” As it was her wish I called her by her pen name, though what I was going to ask had nothing to do with that name. “So your entire name, and I mean your real name, is Daring Do. Was any part of that changed when you wrote the book? Is your last name really Do?”

“Yeah,” She answered, her head tilted slightly in confusion. “What is so strange about that? Everypony has a last name, though most don’t us it for one reason or another.”

“Well that’s perfectly fine and all but, that isn’t the only pony here with the last name Do,” I told her, something which made her eyes go wide. “It could be a complete coincidence but… my name isn’t just Ditzy. My full name is Ditzy Do, and my last name is spelled exactly the same as yours.”

She didn’t answer, giving me the first look of shock on her face since I had first met her. Without a word she turned around and started making back to the door, only turning around to say one last thing.

“Perhaps it’s best that… you don’t tell anyone about that too,” She said before she started to closing the door. “Coincidence or not, I think that would also make us look rather suspicious.”

After A.K. left I chatted with Rainbow a little bit before we went our separate ways. There was a part of me which still worried for Rainbow, but I couldn’t act like her mother and watch everything she does. After a quick and uneventful breakfast I made my way back to my room. I didn’t have anything of severe importance at the current moment, so I had the rest of the day to relax. Guess it would be a good idea to go ahead and hang out with somepony, that way I won’t be bored for the rest of the day.

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Free Time Event (A.K. Yearling and Rainbow Dash 2) + end of daily life

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I made my way to the living room, walking past multiple other ponies as I did. Upon opening the door I was slightly thrown off, having forgotten how different the area was to that of the second floor lounge. The stone walls and gothic style furniture is a giant contrast to the more cozy and mysterious feel of the lounge which I had first visited with Rainbow. I had to agree with Rarity in terms of which one had the better style, as I felt like I was right on top of a dungeon. However, I could see that A.K., who sat on the couch writing in her book, seemed to prefer the gothic feel.

“Um… hey there A.K.!” I called to her from the otherside of the room. She waved back to me, and small smile on her face. “Sorry if I had made things awkward earlier, with the whole last name thing I mean.”

“Well you definitely have a talent of making conversations awkward,” She joked, though we both knew that she wasn’t wrong. “I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to forget the whole broken windpipe thing.”

“Could… could you please not bring that up?” I asked, not immediately realizing that A.K. was giggling slightly. “What are you laughing about, it isn’t funny!”

“Sorry, I really couldn’t hold it in. You have a knack for causing some silly reactions,” A.K. Yearling told me, though she didn’t stop giggling. In fact, it only seemed to get louder before she was finally able to get a hold of herself. “It feels good to laugh in a situation like this, you know? Kinda reminds me of this one scene I read, where two characters with a great amount of pain in their lives laughed their worries away. It’s sad that nopony takes things like that seriously.”

We continued to talk for some time, switching between various different topics of discussion. A.K. would tell me about different stories she’s read and about the importance of themes and characterization in story telling. I didn’t think that it would be too hard to grasp, but I was surprised at how complex those things could be. The conversation gave me a great understanding of authors such as herself, and a lot of respect too. Hearing an expert on the subject speak about it made me feel really incapable about such things.

“Hey Ditzy,” A.K. said after getting on the topics of character types. “Have you ever heard about the concept of a ‘mary sue’ character before?”

“I don’t think so,” I responded with a shake of my head. “Is the character’s name Mary Sue or is there something I’m not understanding.”

“Heh, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if a mary sue called themselves Mary Sue, but no,” She answered. “Thing of mary sues as the ideal pony, one who is so perfect and flawless that they could do absolutely no wrong. Everyone follows what they say and they can’t be killed because of one reason or another, which once again makes the absolutely perfect. They’re the kinda characters that many readers hate because there is no way to relate to them.”

“I see,” I responded, making sure that I had gotten all of it. “I guess I could understand why ponies would hate that kinda character, but does that mean anyone who tries to act overly kind is considered a mary sue?”

“No that’s not the case at all,” She shook her head as she spoke, before looking away in thought. “Some characters in stories are just kind in general, it doesn’t make anyone a mary sue. The rules aren’t very specific, but the nice thing about writing Daring Do is that I’ve experience it all before. I know the events that are depict in the book from memory and I know what kinda pony Daring Do is.”

“Sounds a lot simpler that’s for sure,” I replied. “I guess that’s one of the reasons you have so many best sellers. You’ve created a character that everyone is able to relate to, but knowing me I’d probably make the mistake of making a mary sue.”

“I never said that creating characters are easy, and since I’ve experienced everything I should honestly get a pass for that,” I was looking away at that point, but a scowl had taken shape on A.K. Yearling’s muzzle as she said that, her head lowered to be equal with her shoulders. “And yet I still have to deal with those stupid reviewers who think they are so much smarter and more important than anypony else.”

“Um, are you okay?” I asked, having not caught most of what she had said. As soon as she heard my voice she must have hidden the scowl, as it had disappeared as soon as I had turned to her.

“Nothing that you need to be concerned about,” A.K. replied, adjusting the glasses that were falling off her face. “It’s something that I need to deal with myself, and despite them I’m still more famous than they will ever want me to be.”

I never managed to find out what A.K. was so upset about, but the rest of our chat went rather smoothly. It wasn’t really my business anyway, as it seemed to be rather personal information, but if I am rather curious to know. Deciding to let it be for the moment, I grabbed a quick snack and went off in search of someone else to talk with. My first motion was to go outside, as the last few days have made me feel slightly claustrophobic due to having spent much of it inside. There was another reason of course, and she was flying above me as I opened the door.

“Ha, called it!” She shouted as she landed in front of me. “I knew you would head through that door at that exact moment. Please, hold your applause and autographs till later.”

“Do you really have to do that everytime this happens?” I rolled my eyes, reminding myself of how often Rainbow Dash did this back in our high school years. “Nice to know your keeping sharp though after all these years.”

“Hey, if I don’t stay sharp how do I expect to get into the Wonderbolts?!” She asked me, and even though I didn’t answer her she leaned back, her wings keeping her floating as she smiled and looked into the sky. “Yeah, what a day it’ll be when that happens. Me among the greatest fliers in all of Equestria, helping the next generation of amazing fliers and showing everypony just how awesome I really am.”

Rainbow didn’t stop there, continuing to monologue to herself about what the future would be like. I simply listened to her as she mentioned various different events that she would take part in, and the future of those she would train. I never really imagined Rainbow Dash as the teaching type, but I guess flying would be a special exception. Yet, even as she spoke so openly and optimistic about these things, I occasionally saw a frown on her face. She would quickly hide it with a fake smile, but after a time her facade finally fell apart.

“Hey Dee, about the entire bullying thing.”

“Rainbow, you really need to stop bringing it up,” I told her, unable to believe that even after all this time she was still stuck on that topic. “Look at me, I’m physically and mentally fine… okay that first part may not be entirely true but still.”

“I’m not talking about what I did to you Dee,” She told me, pawing the ground with her hoof, something that I realized she been doing a lot recently. “It’s about all the others who I picked on. You… weren’t the only one that colt had me hurt, though I was scared of telling you because of what you would think.”

The reality of it hit me harder than I expect, but I guess I should have known. That colt wanted her dreams destroyed, and if he wasn’t going to cut her wings off then he is going to shape her reputation. How did I never notice this? I should have known about considering I was just as much of a victim… though I guess I never really told anyone that. Nopony wants to admit that they’ve been bullied, even the bully themselves.

“I know you’ve forgiven me, but I’m sure most of the others haven’t,” Rainbow explained. “Most likely, none of them are ever going to. Even after apologies and everything they would all glare at me in the hallway and stay away from me. I… was an absolute jerk, and I’m never going to be able to rebuild what I had.”

“I can’t really say anything against that,” I said in realization, knowing that Rainbow was correct in many regards. “But the pony you were then and the pony you are now are completely different. No matter what you say I’m not going to change my stance on that.”

“I was never saying we shouldn’t be friends but… I’ve been thinking about alternate career choices,” This was a shock to me, and judging from the fact she was waving her hooves around like a madmare, she realized something she said was off. “I-I’m not giving up on the Wonderbolts of course, but even as part of the weather team I only have part-time pay. I hate to say it but... if things don’t work out I might go back to college.”

I could tell she had been thinking about this for a very long time, and the fact she was willing to open up to me was a bit of a surprise. Though I guess I could understand her, given that I originally didn’t want to be a mail carrier myself. It was degrading learning how many of the jobs in Equestria require good eyesight, and I can’t really get classes to fix any vision issue. The Ponyville Postal Office was the first place that actually hired me, and while it was originally going to be a short time thing, I found myself enjoying it.

“If you do end up somewhere else, don’t completely lose your dreams,” I told her, putting one of my hooves on her shoulder. “Even if they won’t take you now, things can happen that may open up a place for somepony like you. Besides, who was it that made the Sonic Rainboom again? You did! No matter your record, there are some things ponies are willing to overlook.”

“I never said I was giving up!” Rainbow exclaimed. “I’ll go practice right now just to show you that, got it?”

Rainbow forced me to watch her practice, but I really didn’t mind. Knowing that she was willing to stick to her dream even against the odds, that’s what makes her loyal. After practice I noticed that the sun was still high in the sky, though I had been burned out by talking to ponies today. Deciding that it was far too early to go back to sleep, I went up to the second floor library and find something to read. When I arrived, however, I found myself standing in front of a room that had been scattered by dozens of books.

“What happened in here?” I asked, though the lack of answer told me no one else was inside at the moment. “Whelp, since somepony else didn’t I might as well to the same.”

Not thinking about why the library was such a mess, I started to pick up the dozens of books that were lying on the floor. Figuring that they had simply been knocked over for some reason or another, I put them back on the nearest shelf. It should have crossed my mind when I had accidently placed a Daring Do novel in the sci-fi section that this was a terrible train of thought. As I neared the final few books, I found one that had caught my eye and picked it up. I placed it to the side and finished up my task before picking it back up and deciding to head to the lounge.

As I entered the hallway, it had still not crossed my mind exactly how the library had been turned into such a disaster. My eyes were focused on the lounge door only a few feet away, humming to myself happily. As I reached the door I attempted to open it, turning the knob with a wing and pushing in, but it didn’t budge. I stood there confused, continuing my endeavor to open try and open it. It still wouldn’t budge, and my frustration grew as it stayed unfaltered by what little strength I could put into my attempts to open it.

“Open dang it!” I commanded, half expecting it to actually follow what I had said. “Open! Open for Celestia sake before I ask Bulk to-”

“You called!” I turned to Bulk, who I hadn’t noticed was watching my endeavor. “Don’t worry, I’ll have this door down before you can say no!”

I decided to hide the fact that I could have easily said no in the amount of time it took for him to get to the door. As he positioned himself in front of the door I backed up, watching as he readied himself to ram head first into it. With a battlecry he charged forward, slamming the door hard with his absurdly strong body, but the door didn’t budge. Not defeated, he took a few steps back, aimed, and charged again. This time he managed to knock the door straight off, sending it flying to the back side of the lounge.

Than we both saw it, crackling there in the fireplace. Neither of us had heard screams, and no one else was inside. Her beautiful coat was long gone, the fire had burnt it away before we had arrived. Not even her mane, the most recognizable part of her, was anything but recognizable, having been disintegrated. Bulk and I pulled her out of the still lit fireplace, and saw the horrible truth. This elegant, beautiful pony right in front of us had been murdered. That eternal figure that seemed so beautiful…

...Rarity, the Ultimate Dressmaker, was burnt so horribly you wouldn’t even recognize her.

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Deadly Life part 1

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POV Change: A.K. Yearling

“A body has been discovered! Will everyone please meet in the upstairs lounge for further instructions!”

Everyone else was already upstairs when I had arrived, and the sight of the body almost made me hurl. Ditzy had informed me of who it was, and without her I probably wouldn’t have been able to tell who it was at all. That dead body was none other than Rarity, her fur, mane and tail burnt away from having spent an unknown amount of time in the fire. Her skin was even worse, being deformed by the now un-lit fireplace on the left side of the room. I had thought nothing could be worse than Twilight’s body, but looking at the unrecognizable figure of Rarity told me wrong.

“Wh-wh-what?” Pinkie was near the state of hyperventilating, Bon Bon doing what little she could to comfort the Ultimate Party Planner. “This… this is not okay. None of this is okay. How could anypony see this as okay?”

“When did any of us say this was fine?” Applejack asked, her hat covering her mouth, eyes wide in shock. “Ah never asked for this, and ah don’t think anyone else did as well sugarcube. This… is easily the most horrible thing I’ve seen in my life.”

“For once I’m in agreement with you Applejack,” Flam agreed, not even able to look at the body. “I’ve seen a fair number of ugly things in this is by far the ugliest and worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” He did his best to look at Ditzy without eyeing the body in front of her, the mail mare curled up in the corner of the room with tear filled eyes. “You were the first one to get here, did you see what happened?”

“No,” She managed to reply, though her voice was failing her. “T-The room was locked a-a-and the only reason… I only discovered this because Bulk busted down the door!”

“The door was locked?” I asked, looking to busted wooden door that was lying on the floor next to me. “I guess that would explain some things, but that only makes this entire thing more troublesome. I… I guess this is what you would call a ‘locked room mystery’, though how the hay did somepony pull that off?”

“That’s what you all have to find out!” I winced as Monokuma suddenly shot out from behind me. He had no regard for the pain and misery we were all feeling at that moment, his voice as cheerful and excited as ever. “Now now, just hear me out before you tell me to go away. I know my voice is the last thing you want to hear right now, and I’m honestly quite upset too, but the problem with being a machine is that your voice only has one setting. In truth I’m actually quite depressed.”

“If ya think that’s gonna make any of us feel bad for you, then go find somepony else!” Applejack shouted, her words matching how the rest of us felt at that moment. “We want a moment to grieve our friend right now, so just leave us the buck alo-”

Before she could finish her sentence something speeded past us and into the Ultimate Farmer’s mouth. An apple, along with part of her hat, were both stuffed deep into her muzzle, a look of shock and disbelief in Applejack’s eyes. Monokuma burst out laughing at the sight, and I swear I could even hear Flam chuckling slightly. It did definitely help to distract from the horrible things in front of us, but it didn’t change the fact Rarity was still dead. No amount of laughter could change that, and we just had to accept it.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do that,” Monokuma told us, having finally stopped his blood-curdling laugh. “It feels good to actually interact with you all, it makes this killing game so much more enjoyable for me. Well, even though I would love to mess with old McDonald we still got a murder ahead of us, and you all know what that means.”

“Actually, I really have no idea what the means,” Thorax replied, seeming slightly uncomfortable by all the glares that were now directed at him. “I know about the killing game, yes, but what else is there to it? Is there something I’m missing?”

Nopony answered his question, everyone looking for another to take the responsibility of telling him the truth.

“Okaaaay. Since most of you know what that means, I’ll skip the boring stuff and get straight to the point,” Monokuma said, taking out a very familiar looking group of folders out from behind his back. Though considering the look of absolute disgust on Redhearts face, I probably didn’t want to know where the folders actually came from. “I’ve got all you need to know right here in the Monokuma File, though even I’ll admit some details are a bit… uncertain. I know about the burns but the mess of her figure made it impossible for me to get much more about the cause. You might think of it as a lack of information, but I prefer to call it a plot-twist waiting to happen.”

“Oh and, um, I’ll be investigating with Thorax,” Fluttershy explained, and in all this time it hadn’t dawned on me that she wasn’t even shaking in fear from any of this. “Monokuma… well, put me in charge of helping him out before we, uh, got… together. I-it’s not like I’ll be much help anyway.”

“And that is why you and I are such good friends Fluttershy,” Monokuma reminded us, those words probably being the must unexaggerated thing I’ve ever heard him say. “Your the brains and I’m the brains, we need no brawn to get things done. Oh, and while we’re talking about pairs, allow me to quickly state that only the pony who does the killing is considered blackened, so don’t think an accomplice can take your blame and .”

“Yeah yeah, whatever,” Redheart said, rolling her eyes. “Just give us the Monokuma File so we can get to the important part. None of us want to die right now because you took away all of our investigation time.”

With a defeated sigh, Monokuma placed the Monokuma File on the ground and ran away. One at a time, we each went forward to pick up a Monokuma File, some doing try their best to not look at the body as they did. I didn’t hide like they did, looking the body straight head on as I took the second to last copy of the folder. I barely knew Rarity, and even though I had some resentment towards her for being a walking soap opera, I couldn’t but feel horrible for what happened to her. Nopony deserved to die and look this way, and it’s for that reason that I’m investigating. Trixie put her trust in me, and I have to now return the favor and find out who did this.

Investigation start!

“Before we get anywhere, I’m going to suggest that Ditzy stays with me here to guard the body,” Flash told us, stepping forward. I opened my muzzle to object, but he had already started to explain why. “As the one who discovered the body, she is a prime suspect and should not be placed out of the eyes of the royal guard. Bulk gets a pass because we were training in the courtyard earlier today.”

“What? Why am I a suspect?” Ditzy asked. “I swear I didn’t kill Rarity, and I would never kill anyone. Rainbow, back me up here please.”

“You were alone until Bulk showed up, and while I deeply apologize for suspecting a pony who risked everything to save our lives a few days ago, I can’t let that cloud my judgement,” Ditzy immediately opened her mouth to object to what Flash was saying, but we both knew he was right. There was a significant gap of time from when I had last seen her and when the murder occured. The Ultimate Guard, seeing the look of worry on Ditzy’s face, than bowed to her. “Ditzy Do, I won’t stop you from investigating the immediate crime site, but know that this is for the best.”

“Hey, don’t worry Dee,” Rainbow said as she bumped her friend with her front right hoof. “I’ll go with A.K. and investigate with her. It’s the least I can do after trying to drag you into something you didn’t want to do earlier.”

“I… I understand,” Ditzy said in submission, hanging her head before looking back up to Rainbow Dash. “It would only make me more suspicious if I went against this, so I’ll stay here. Rainbow, I’m relying on you and A.K. to clear everything up, got it?”

“Then let’s start now by checking the Monokuma File,” I chimed in, walking up to Ditzy and Rainbow’s side. “That always should be the first thing we do whenever a murder occurs, cause then will have a basic idea of what happened if nothing else useful pops up.”

“The victim is Rarity Belle, the Ultimate Dressmaker,” We looked to Redheart, who was already reading out everything that was recorded inside of the Monokuma File. “She was killed in the lounge located on the second floor at 11:45 am. Her body has burnt to the point of cutting of magic circulation, but it is undetectable if any other injuries have been inflicted. The severe burning has deformed her body to the point where it is impossible to tell if there is any other significant injuries.”

“That’s… a horrible way to go,” Bon Bon stated, something which I think all of us, even the murderer perhaps, agreed with. “Still, that means she been sitting there for at least a good twenty five minutes, which is more than enough time for evidence to be tampered with.”

Burnt to the point where no other injuries can even be detectable, hearing that only further set how difficult this would probably be. The door was locked, a pony burned to the point where we don’t even know if the method of murder was different, and Monokuma couldn’t even get a solid idea on what other injuries were dealt to begin with. I didn’t say anything, but this made me more than uncomfortable with how elaborate the murder was. No doubt this had all been planned out, but how the heck did they know Rarity would be here? How did they know there would be enough time to hide the actual cause of death.

Monokuma File #2 has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

“Hey Dee, quick question,” Rainbow said, immediately take her role as my partner in crime, or rather partner in solving crime. “Look, I don’t want to think your the murderer after what you said to me in the library early this morning, but how did you even find Rarity’s body? How did you even know it was Rarity?”

“I… I never meant to find the body, it’s probably best to say the murderer lead me to the body,” She explained, leaving me and Rainbow confused. “A-a-allow me to explain, okay? After talking with you two earlier today I made my way to the library to do some reading. When I arrived, it looked like it had been completely trashed, like the time a rain cloud had followed me into my house and destroyed everything. Anyways, I decided to clean… it… oh no.”

“You cleaned up the library not know that somepony had been murdered,” I finished, seeing the look of horror and realization in the Ultimate Mail Carrier’s eyes. “It’s okay, you didn’t know anything about what happened in here, and I guess it would work out for the actual murderer as well. Instead of getting rid of evidence themselves, they have someone else destroy it for them without even knowing it. Definitely helps in case they get caught.”

“Yeah, I guess so, but it doesn’t change the strange part about this all,” Ditzy continued, doing her best to keep strong. “You guys already know the door was locked, that shouldn’t even be possible! The door doesn’t even have a lock on the inside, Bulk told me that after we busted it down.”

“But… if that’s the case, how the heck did they lock the door?” Rainbow asked, clearly just as puzzled about this as I was. “You can’t lock something if it doesn’t even have a lock itself.”

“I don’t know, but it clearly isn’t something normal,” I answered. “Thanks Ditzy, hold strong for us, go it?”

Mess in the library has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook
Ditzy’s account has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

By the time we had finished talking with Ditzy, most of the others had already dispersed around the castle to search for clues. The only ones who remained besides for us was Redheart, Flash, Bon Bon, and a frozen Pinkie Pie. Redheart was doing everything she could to examine the body and search for anything else that could indicate another cause of death. Flash was keeping a watchful eye on Ditzy, which was expected giving what he had said at the investigation’s start. Bon Bon simply stood there, doing what little she could to try and wake up Pinkie from her current state.

“Um, isn’t there supposed to be one more thing over here?” I turned to Rainbow, who was looking at the fire tools located to the left of the fireplace. “Isn’t there supposed to be a thing that, if I remember correctly, pushes around logs that are going to fall out onto the floor?”

She was indeed correct, something was missing from the incredibly tiny tool rack next to the fireplace. I didn’t have a fireplace so I didn’t really know what any of them did, but one spot was clearly empty. Why it was empty, though, is the main thing I have to worry about. It was unknown whether the culprit had used it, but we couldn’t rule out the possibility. However, if they did use it, what was it used for?

Missing fire tool has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

The next thing I did was check the door, hoping to confirm what Ditzy said was correct. With Rainbow’s help I turned the door over and leaned it against the wall, and the answer was exactly what I was hoping for. From where the hinges on the door was the lock for the room was placed not on the inside of the lounge, but rather in the hallway. It was also unmistakable that the door wasn’t locked from the outside because the mechanism was horizontal, not vertical like most standard doors. The otherside had a simple push area, like the kind you were likely to see at a hospital or public venue.

“Wait, this makes no sense,” Rainbow said, shaking her head and examining it again. “This can’t be right. No way in Celestia’s name is it possible that this is the inside of the door. How in the hay could it have been locked?”

“That’s the question, but something tells me we won’t find any answers to it here,” I explained to her. “The culprit clearly intended to hide whatever means were used to lock the door. Hiding the means to getting in and out is how they attempt to get away, making it look like a suicide. Finding that will be the key to unraveling the murderer.”

“I might have an idea then,” Redheart told us as she walked up to my side. “Remember how the Monokuma File stated that the body was burnt to the point of stopping magic circulation? Well, that’s the thing about unicorn magic: it doesn’t stop once they are dead. That’s why curses and barriers protecting belongings of the deceased are still active even after the caster has died. Only way to stop it is to burn the horn, which takes a lot longer than you might think.”

“Sorry, I’m not following any of that,” Rainbow admitted, her head slightly tilted. “What would that have to do with this.”

“You know how the griffons came into existence, right?” Redheart asked, the Ultimate Stunt Flyer shaking her head in reply. “A long time ago, back before the three tribes were united together under the same flag, a spoiled pegasus noble ventured off into the far mountains of the continent in search of a great treasure. She met an old unicorn there, who claimed that the treasure was his most prized possession and he had put an eternal curse on it. The noble didn’t care and took a large sum of his treasure when he wasn’t looking. As soon as she left the mountains she was turned into what we know today as griffons, and the curse still lives even after the unicorn who cast it has past.”

“I’ve heard this story before,” I told her, “The noble took it back to her family and became griffons as soon as they touched the gold. In fear of being found that fled to the mountains, where the griffons reside today,” I didn’t tell her about my own personal experience with the story, having been tricked by a rival of mine into finding it and bringing it back to a museum. The only thing keeping me a pony anymore was my own outfit, which I never took off anyways, but Redheart didn’t need to know that. “I thought about doing a Daring Do novel for it, but never actually got to writing it.”

“Perhaps we could work on it together when it’s all over.” Rainbow suggested as she nudged me with her elbow. Of course, I knew full well what she actually meant, knowing how some fans always want to be in there favorite books or comics.

“Yes, I left that part about because I thought it wasn’t important to what I was trying to say,” Redheart explain to me. “However, it’s clear that Rarity was burnt in order to not only cause a locked room mystery, but also to hide the fact they were here. It should have taken around twenty-five minutes for the horn to burn to the point of stopping magic circulation.”

“Is that the same amount of time Bon Bon told us has past since the murder happened?” I questioned.

“Yes, and while I don’t want to think about it, part of me thinks this is a suicide,” Redheart admitted, something that took both me and Rainbow by surprised. “I now it’s horrible to say, but think about the motive we were presented with. Rarity was extremely excited about the idea, but she was so vocal about it that it would make her an obvious killer. Perhaps, knowing she couldn’t escape, Rarity commited suicide so that the gala tickets went to two others.”

“Yeah, Monokuma did mention that to me yesterday when I asked,” Rainbow explained. “I had planned to commit murder and bring Dee with me, but she said that she wouldn’t except the ticket and would rather die if I murdered somepony. If you planned to commit suicide, Monokuma would give it to those you were closest to.”

“Well, at least you remembered reason in the end, but I need to get back to examining the body now,” Redheart told us. “It might take the entire investigation period to do this one autopsy report due to how hard it is to tell a burn mark from an entry wound, especially since the fur is nothing but ash now. That would have at least been red blood on white fur.”

The amount of information that I had just received had actually made my head spun. We now know the door could only be physically locked from the outside, as that is where the actual lock is located. Magic was a possibility if it was indeed locked from the inside, but the amount of time meant that the spell had to have been activated after the murderer had already killed her. Suicide was an option, but that’s all it really was. Theories weren’t anything you would be able to use in a normal courtroom, but this isn’t a normal trial, which meant even those were useful.

Locking mechanisms has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook
Magic circulation has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook
Suicide theory has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

“Are we done yet?” Rainbow asked. “I don’t think that there was anything else that could possibly be evidence in here.”

“Done, yes, but only with the actual scene of the crime,” I told her. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we are going to need to check the entire second floor and collect as many alibi’s as possible from those who are currently elsewhere. The library, Chemistry lab, and that secret room on the other side of the hallway need to be checked,” I was able to tell that Rainbow was getting antsy, but I wasn’t done just yet. “However, I think we should check Rarity’s room as well, something might be hiding there. Also, depending on what ponies tell us, we might need to check some other places too.”

“So library first, right?” Rainbow said. “Surely something of importance must be there if they made the room seem like such a mess.”

“Yeah, and it’s the reason Ditzy is the primary victim to.” I gritted my teeth as I said that, my mind filling with ‘what if’ scenarios that could possibly play out.

“This isn’t just because of Trixie, is it?” I looked back to Rainbow, but wasn’t able to get a response out before she continued. “Yeah, I know about what really happened during the first trial. Dee told me, and something tells me that what she said to you earlier today is making you uncomfortable right now.”

Part of me wanted to tell her I was wrong, another wanted to just act like I didn’t hear any of it, and another wanted to just stop investigating. None of those were actually my response, however, and I suddenly found myself tearing up. I never told anyone about being an orphan, having believed that my parents had died, but Ditzy’s words earlier… it both stunned and shocked me. Was it possible that I actually had a sister, or that my family wasn’t actually dead?

“I’m scared Rainbow,” I told her as we walked into the hallway, too afraid of Ditzy seeing me cry right in front of her. “I’m scared of so many different things right now, and all of them have at least some relation to Ditzy. I’m worried that she is actually the culprit, or that everyone will wrongly accuse her and we’ll all die. I’m worried that, after all this time, I might not be able to actually have somepony I can call a family.”

“Then don’t worry about that kinda stuff,” I looked to Rainbow, her face full of sympathy. “I get what it’s like to almost lose somepony dear to you, or for your friend to be laughed at, but that’s what a sister or friend is there for. No matter what anypony says, you gotta believe in your friends, even in the worst situations. Sure, belief alone won’t change the truth, but if you know the truth will hurt, then you should be ready to accept that possible outcome.”

“... Right,” I replied, wiping the tears from my eyes. “I’m not gonna let my potential sibling die tonight, but if that is what truly happens, then I’ll be ready to accept what’s to come.”

“Then let's stop crying and start finding,” Rainbow told me, crossing her front hooves as she flew in the air. “We got a friend to save.”

I could see why Ditzy like Rainbow so much, but like she said I didn’t have time to stand around and talk. I followed the Ultimate Stunt Flyer into the library, which looked almost exactly the same from the last time I was here, key word there being almost. It looked perfectly normal at first glance, but a glance at the books on each self told me that somepony had definitely not payed attention to what genres go where. This must have been Ditzy’s attempt at cleaning everything up, and luck for us it made her story believable.

“Hmm,” Rainbow was in deep contemplation as I check around the room, noticing before I did that one of the bookshelves was teetering over. “Daring watch out!”

Before I could reply I suddenly felt the massive weight of a bookshelf collide with my body. I suddenly found myself kissing the library’s carpet floor, buried under a mountain of romantic novels. It was humiliating, and I was starting to wonder if the realization of me and Ditzy being related has given me her bad luck. Thankfully, Rainbow lifted it up before I started to feel to claustrophobic under the bookshelves, but set it back down after I was out. Looking back, I suddenly saw why. There was a window located behind the bookshelf, and an open window at that.

“I thought that window looked weird.” Rainbow said.

“You mean you knew that this window was here?” I asked. “Couldn’t you have brought that up earlier, before I was crushed by a gigantic bookcase?”

“Sorry, but I only knew about the window, not where it was actually located,” Rainbow explained to me. “The second floor only has one window, something that I noticed from flying, but it was invisible from the inside. I guess this must be that window, but why the hay is it open right now?”

“The culprit must have also know about its location and used it for something,” I theorized. “Probably tossed a piece of evidence outside that would give them away.”

“Well they made a huge mistake, because they didn’t put it back up correctly,” Rainbow replied. “Oooo, I’m gonna make this murderer pay for what she did. Not just for making Ditzy the prime suspect, but for acting like they are so clever.”

I could see part of where Rainbow was coming from, but we had to assume the murderer was smarter than we thought they were. Trixie and Twilight had created a murder case to see if we could be trusted to survive this, but that wasn’t the case here. The blackened this time around wasn’t testing us, otherwise they wouldn’t have gone to such lengths. It’s fair to say they’re trying to leave, and the only way they knew about was to commit a crime.

Mess in the library has been updated with recently found information
Second floor window has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

“I don’t think we are gonna find anything more in here,” I told Rainbow. “The next closest place is the hidden library room on the left side of the second floor. I want to check something there.”

“Well, you’re the expert here, even if it is only through literary means,” The Ultimate Stunt Flyer admitted. “Lead the way A.K.”

As we exited to the far side of the hallway, the first thing that caught my eye was something that was rather… off. The wall that opened up to the secret library I was talking about was being guarded by Fluttershy and Flash, but that was the problem. Flash shouldn’t have been there, especially since he was suppose to be watching both Ditzy and the crime scene. Even then Fluttershy wasn’t anywhere near Thorax, who she said she would investigate with.

“Flash! Fluttershy!” I called out to them, my brain trying to figure out exactly what was going on. “What are you two doing? Where’s Thorax right now? And Flash, aren’t you supposed to be watching the actual site of the murder?”

“Um, A.K.,” Fluttershy said, her voice barely audible. “That isn’t actually Flash. It’s , well, Thorax in disguise, but please don’t tell anypony else.”

“We’re guarding the the secret library entrance just in case the murderer tries to grab something from inside,” Hearing the voice of Thorax coming out of Flash’s mouth caught me by surprise, and apparently he noticed how wrong it felt as well. “Oh right, suppose to talk like Flash. Ahem,” He cleared his throat, that alone sounding much deeper than Thorax’s normal voice. “Am I doing it now?”

“Yep, but wouldn’t the Ultimate Guard be rather angry if he found out you were posing as him?” Rainbow asked, beating me to the question.

“Actually, this was all his idea to begin with,” Thorax explain. “He told me earlier today that I was going to be a double of him and watch the inside of the hidden library. I don’t know why, but I think he had a feeling something like this would happen. The murder I mean, not you confusing me for him.”

“Not that it really matters anymore, since the murder has already been committed,” Fluttershy said. “I mean, perhaps Monokuma is right and this really is all for the best. Maybe this killing game is actually a good thing and not bad like we all thought.”

“What do you mean it’s a good idea?!” Rainbow shouted at the mare. “Ponies shouldn’t die for any reason, and wouldn’t it be better to live a full life instead of killing each other just to leave?”

“But Monokuma told me that he was doing this so that we could all accept the inevitable,” Fluttershy explained, and I couldn’t help but feel like the bear had managed to brainwash her in someway. “Why go on living years from now when it’s only going to cause you more pain? That’s the reason he does these killing games: so that we would accept the death that awaits us if we manage to survive.”

“It’s best to give up on persuading her you two,” The disguised Thorax told the two of us. “I’ve already tried, but it seems that Monokuma has convinced her these killing games are a good thing. Though, if almost everypony here did actually gang up on her during the last trial, than I guess I could understand why she would befriend someone like that.”

Rainbow, despite wanting to argue, took Thorax’s advise and walked into the secret library. I couldn’t help but feel concerned for Fluttershy, knowing that Monokuma must have used her insecurity against her. Only yesterday was she telling us that she did this as a step to stop the killing, but now she has done a complete one-eighty. Still, we did get some important info out of here, and that came in the form of Thorax’s account. I could check with Flash if it’s true or not during the trial, but right now I had to cover as much ground as possible.

Thorax’s account has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

“Oh, before I forget,” I turned back to Fluttershy as I was about to enter the secret library. “Did you notice anything weird earlier today? Anything that could point to this being somepony other than Rarity. I’m having a hard time thinking such a death would be a suicide.”

“Well, there was something strange outside earlier today,” Fluttershy told me. “It was kinda like a tiny marshmallow stick, the one you would be from the market to roast marshmallows on during a campfire. The thing was the it was very small and looked like it had been made entirely out of metal.”

“Do you think that it’s possible this could have been a murder weapon?” I asked her. “While it is entirely possible she was killed from being burnt in the fireplace, we don’t know what other injuries would be dealt.”

“I don’t know, better to leave that to an expert like Redheart.” She replied. “I’m only the Ultimate Animal Caretaker, I wouldn’t know anything about that.”

Fluttershy, when this trial is over, I’ll try and fix whatever Monokuma has done to you. That’s a promise.

Fluttershy’s account has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

Author's Notes:

As I’m trying to keep each part under 6000 words, given a few exceptions, I actually had to split the investigation into two parts. Still, if you can get anything out of what you’ve just read then you probably understand that murder wasn’t as simply as Twilight’s. I wanted to try and bring some new kinds of murders and trials into the mix that the series hasn’t done before, and this trial is basically going to be the standered locked room murder that usually takes place chapter 3 or later. I won’t say what kinda murders we’ll see in the future, but long story short this is where thing are really going to get complicated.

Also, I didn’t say this in an earlier chapter but thanks for those of you who gave some ideas as to the skills that could be achieved through FTEs. Feel free to keep giving ideas for me as I really don’t any idea for most of the characters.

One last thing though, and you’ve probably already realized it. Yep, Ditzy is going to have absolutely no say in the trial that is coming up, and you’ll be noticing that during investigations and trials that more then one character will have a say. V3 kinda did it, but I felt like it could’ve done a lot more with the idea, and you will all have to wait and see exactly what that entails.

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Deadly Life part 2

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Resuming Investigation!

The first thing Rainbow Dash and I noticed upon entering the secret library was that the floor was littered with scrolls of various sorts. They were all spell focused scrolls, but they all had different things written or drawn on them. Some had small verses or hymns that must be said by the caster, while others had glyphs that simply needed to be struck with magic to activate. I hadn’t told anypony this because I didn’t really think it mattered, as there is only one unicorn who could have used it at that point, and they were now dead. It was at that moment I realized how similar this was to what Ditzy had described happening in the library.

“After talking with you two earlier today I made my way to the library to do some reading. When I arrived, it looked like it had been completely trashed, like the time a rain cloud had followed me into my house and destroyed everything. Anyways, I decided to clean… it… oh no.”

Whatever the murderer was searching for, they must have been looking for it in both places. Whether they found it here or in the library is one of the many questions that are going to need answering. In fact, there was far too many questions that I had absolutely no idea about at the moment, but that was mainly because I was more focus on gathering anything remotely suspicious or useful. If this was a suicide or a homicide, someone had assisted the murderer or not, how the door was locked when the lock was on the outside, and the location of Rarity’s body were all questions that bothered me. I had no clue if any of them could even be answered, this going far beyond the complexity of any murder mystery novel that I read, though I didn’t read that many to begin with.

“Why is this one blank?” Rainbow asked suddenly, shoving a scroll in my face and distracting me from my thoughts. “It’s one of the few in the entire library that was actually on a shelf, but it’s the only one with nothing written on it.”

Removing the scroll from my face I confirmed whether or not Rainbow was correct. Long story short, she was. Every scroll that I had seen up to that point had something written on them, many even being in different languages, but this was the first one with no writing or glyphs at all. It was like that one kid in a family that was the exact opposite of everyone else… something I just realized is uncomfortably familiar. However, even if it was strange that this was the only one with no writing on it, I had a theory.

“Rainbow,” I called to my fellow investigator. “Are you sure that none of the other scrolls were used? Is it only this one that’s blank?”

“Yeah, I’m absolutely positive!” She said in certainty, giving me a rather stiff nod. “None of the others seem to have… nothing on them. Actually, what are all of these to begin with? Does it have any connection to Rarity’s murder or is it just a coincidence?”

“I’m not certain that it’s connected, but one thing is clear,” I told her. “These aren’t just scrolls, or magic scrolls with instructions for different spells on them. They are talismans, which are activated by being exposed to the very magic it’s enchanted on. This is how complex spells and many curses are activated, and as long as there is a link - the effect caused by mana running from a unicorn’s horn to an artifact - it is active. However, deactivating turns the spell temporary, and that wouldn’t be long enough for the twenty five minute gap mentioned. However, I have heard of earth ponies and pegasi using less complex enchantments for things such as nurturing soil or changing mane style. Of course that is only if there is already magic being used in the area, which is why many farmers higher unicorns to check on soil and plant health”

“Wait, if that is the case then doesn’t that mean a unicorn had to be nearby?” Rainbow Dash asked me, getting a nod in response. “If that is the case, then the only pony who could have possibly touched used it is… Rarity herself?”

I didn’t let shock over take me at the revelation, though she was more than correct. Rarity was the only unicorn still here unless Thorax took the form of a unicorn. Considering that he was currently doubling as Flash and he didn’t seem very proud of his shapeshifting abilities when I brought them up yesterday, I wasn’t sure if he would do it. However, even if that is the case, Rarity is the only pony we can certain about using it, but the question now is whether it was used in the murder or not. It was entirely possible that it could have been used for something entirely unrelated.

Used talisman has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook
Secret library mess has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

“Rainbow, I know this is going to sound weird, but I feel we need to check back with those at the crime scene,” I explained to her. “Redheart should hopefully have some idea on if there is any other injuries, and Flash is the only way we are going to be able to backup Thorax’s alibi.”

“Well, it would certainly help, so lets get that over with so we can investigate anything else that might be important.” Rainbow responded with a nod of her head.

With that we made our way back to the library, or rather that was the plan until I saw Applejack walking down the hallway, mouth apple and hat free. It was important to have an idea on where everypony was at the time, whether it is a solid alibi or not. Knowing their version could help show cracks during the trial, as the murderer is the most likely to have a made up account. Asking Rainbow to go ahead of me, I made my way to Applejack.

“Ah, how’s the investigation going Yearlin’?” She asked me with what smile she could muster. That smile quickly fell away after her greeting, being replaced with look of anguish and hurt. “Hopefully a gal like you is having a better time understanding the difference between what is and is not important.”

“Yeah, I don’t think many of us here have ever been inside a courtroom,” I said in agreement. “These trials aren’t the ordinary kind that you see in the judicial system, but nothing about our situation is ordinary to begin with. Actually, shouldn’t you be with your partner Applejack?”

“Oh, Octavia ya mean, she ditched me some time ago,” Applejack answered, looking away in embarrassment. “Mare asked if she could go back to comfort Pinkie and ah said it was fine. Either way ah haven’t found anything useful, or can think of anything that would be other than those ponies ah heard talking earlier.”

“Who was talking? Did you get to see their faces at all or did you only hear them?”

“Ah only heard them talk, two to be exact, and not anything ah could even make out other then somepony here having a fiance,” She explained to me. “Ah heard them as ah headed to breakfast late this morning, Bon Bon and Pinkie are my witnesses. Sounded like something rather serious, but ah could pin one of those voices. That’s what makes me doubt it as evidence.”

“You never know Applejack, it could lead to the culprit,” I explained to her, hoping that she would be willing to tell me. “The room was locked, which means the only ponies who know what happened is the victim and murderer. Anything, even if it is as insignificant as an alibi, can change the course of the trial in the innocents favor. So please, tell me who it is you recognized from their voice?”

“... Rarity,” Applejack answered, and hearing that explained to me why she was so unsure about it. “The voice ah could pin was Rarity, asking about someone's fiance, but I never could learn who. Ya think it’s possible that was the murderer leading Rarity to her final moments or not?”

“Without further evidence it is uncertain, but thanks for telling me Applejack.”

Applejack and I bid farewell to each other, and I found myself deep in thought as I made my way back to the lounge. So Rarity had met with someone, if Applejack was to be believed of course, and it’s possible they could be the murderer. I doubt Bon Bon would want to answer given how focused she was on trying to get Pinkie Pie out of her shocked state, and Pinkie wouldn’t be giving an answer for reasons that were just stated. Still, if I can back that up with anything, it could potentially lead to the culprit’s identity.

Applejack’s account has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

As I finally arrived back to the library, I found that Octavia was indeed with Pinkie and Bon Bon, the former of the two having finally recovered from her shock. The fluffy mane that she always had was now as flat as a blanket recently dried and placed on a bed. I decided to leave the other two mares alone, not wanting to put Pinkie Pie through any more stress then she was probably already dealing with. Instead I walked up to Redheart, who was conversing with Rainbow Dash.

“Ah, perfect timing A.K.,” She said as I came within her range of sight. “It took some time, but I finally manage to get a good idea of Rarity’s state, and I found something that might intrigue you,” She walked us over to where Rarity lay on the ground, as motionless and deformed as the last time I had seen her body. She then proceeded to lift the pony up be the neck and directed our attention to a specific area of the body, though it all looked just as normal as a horribly burnt body could be. “It’s practically invisible, but I can’t help and think how smart the murderer’s plan actually was now that I’ve seen it. Two small, perfectly round wounds on the back of her neck, both the exact same size and width from the entry wound is to where it fractured her spine. It wouldn’t be enough to kill her, but definitely enough to permanently paralyze her from the neck down.”

“Maybe that’s why no one heard her scream during the murder,” Ditzy theorized, joining us. “Hope you don’t mind if I join in, I want to know just as much as I possibly can about this for the trial, even if I’m a prime suspect.”

“Completely understandable, but here is the clever part about the culprit’s plan,” Redheart said, part of me slightly worried as I saw the sparkle in her eyes. “Now, I may have never lost a patient in my life but I actually wanted to be a detective or forensic scientist when I grew up, so bare with me if I get a little hyper right now. Being a nurse is nothing compared to solve and revealing the plans of culprits whether it be thieves of serial killers. Eheheheh, thinking about it gets me excited every time, but when Twilight was murdered I was a lot angrier and upset at the time. She was, technically, the first patient I loss, even if not by my hooves, but that isn’t important now!”

I don’t know if she saw it herself, but the rest of us certainly did. Redheart had been caring and kind up to this point, willing to speak out against anything she saw as wrong or hurtful. That wasn’t the pony we saw before us now, or at least not the same side of her as we knew. I don’t know if she was just trying to point out the wound to us, but she was actually hugging the dead body, and not carefully either. She was looking down at it with glee and cheer, like a foal upon seeing a toy, and she was giggling absentmindedly as she talked.

“Anyway, hehehe, the wound blends into the body, and I mean it really blends into the body, which means that it had to be done before she was burnt, whi-which, hehe, makes a lot of sense considering that she would have died by being thrown into the fireplace. Not only that, but all blood that would have been on her body because of that one injury, well, Evaporated! This is easily one of, if not the most clever murder I’ve seen in both real life and-” Suddenly, her eyes went wide as if she had no idea what was going on. That crazed look in her eyes suddenly disappeared, and she moved Rarity’s body away and cleared her throat. “Anyway’s, burning was the method of death, but they needed to paralyze her… great job Redheart, now they think your crazy!”

Ignoring… whatever that was that I had just experienced, I nodded in reply. That’s all I really could do, too terrified to ask if there was anything else that I should know. When I had first talked with the Ultimate Nurse a few days ago, she seemed like a normal pony but… how she just acted was far from normal. Redheart walked away, but not very far before she stopped to stare at the body again. Rainbow, Ditzy, and I all did our best to not hear what she said next, but it had managed to stay in my head.

“I wonder what kinda fun things I could do with her now. Heh… heh… hehehehahahaheheh.”

Redheart’s Report has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

“Hey Flash, quick question,” I said as the Ultimate Guard turned to me. “I spoke to Thorax not that long ago and he said that the two of you were guarding the entrance to the secret library earlier today. Can you verify if any of that is correct or not?”

“Well, the insect wasn’t my first choice in terms of being my fellow guards pony, but we did,” He really didn’t seem happy about bringing it up, though guessing from the way he worded that he wasn’t exactly happy about it. “It just so happens I was asked by someone - who wished to be kept anonymous - to guard the area in fear of somepony using it for murder. Changelings can mimic ponies well so, despite how much I really didn’t want to, asked him for help.”

“Um… kinda hate to tell you this Flash, being the Ultimate Guard, but you did a terrible job if that is the case.” Rainbow told him, his response coming in the form of a death glare aimed specifically at the pegasus. “We, uh, found a possible piece of evidence inside.”

“Well don’t blame me, it was most likely that somepony obtained whatever this evidence you found in there is yesterday,” Flash replied in an obvious attempt to protect his pride. “Besides, if Thorax did at any point slack off, I would have also been there to stop them from coming in.”

“Well that solves one mystery, but it adds another mystery on top of it all,” I stated before bidding Flash farewell. A quick goodbye to Ditzy later and me and Rainbow were making our way down the hall to where the stairs were located. “So the only two ponies who could have been in there today was Flash and Thorax, but both would have kept tabs on each other. I doubt Flash would have worked with Thorax, and it is more likely that the former would murder the later because, as he said, this wouldn’t have been his first choice.”

“So… did that actually solve anything?” Rainbow asked me, a question that I was already pondering in my head. “We still have no conclusive idea on who did this or how they did this. I’m really starting to hate just how smart this killer really is.”

“I guess the only way we’re going to find out anything is by pressuring him about the pony who assigned him there,” I explained. “They are the prime suspect up to this point, but until we get some answers to everything else going on we can’t focus on who commited the murder. The steps taken need to be figured out before any suspects are put center stage.”

Flash’s account has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

“So I’m guessing that we are heading to Rarity’s room next?” Rainbow asked as we made our way downstairs and into the right wing of the first floor. I answered her with a nod. “Um, I hope this isn’t anything too personal, but how are we planning on getting inside.”

“The bow on my hat is attached with a pin, take a guess,” Rainbow thought about what I had just said before it finally came to her. She looked ready to respond, but I was already ahead of her on that. “Underneath this cloak I keep a few small tools, and being disguised as A.K. Yearling definitely has some merits to it, such as hiding the fact I have some needles small enough to fit in a lock and that I can walk into places without being suspected by an enemy or rival. Use the two together and you got yourselves a pair of difficult yet possible to use lockpicks at your service.”

“So I’m guessing you keep some of that stuff out of the books,” Rainbow said, and I once again gave her a nod of confirmation. “Makes sense as disguising yourself as A.K. would be an instant reveal to the public in a way, and especially to those enemies you mentioned.”

As we reached the entrance hall we went up the flight to the balcony area and found Rarity’s bedroom. As I prepared to grab the needles located under my cloak I accidently bumped the door, which I immediately realized was quite a happy accident. The door wasn’t lock, or even completely closed for that matter, meaning either Rarity didn’t close it before she died or Monokuma left it open for us to investigate inside. I knew other ponies would have complained because of the breach of privacy this would entail, but this was a blessing because I hadn’t noticed Flam actually entering the entrance hall. He probably would have had a few questions about it at that point.

“Ah, I see I’m not the only pony here who had the same idea now,” He said as he joined us in front of Rarity’s room. “Without Ditzy we haven’t really been able to work as a team and everypony has been doing their own thing to investigate. I say that, with what little time we probably still have, I should…” It was at that moment that he realized that Rainbow Dash was here as well. “Wait why-“

“Ditzy told her about Trixie, so technically she is with us now,” I explained before turning to Rainbow. “Look, I’m sure you probably have some questions about why we are working together, but let's save that for a different time. Right now we got to continue investigating.”

Without another word we made our way in, and I realized just how untouched the entire room seemed to be. The bed was made, dresser closed with all of the contents neatly folded, and not a single scratch or apparent sign of struggle in sight. It felt kind of off, seeing just how nice it looked compared to, well, the state of the pony who had acquired it. I had fully expected the room to have been in a complete disaster, though I guess that was probably a bit much.

“Um… A.K.” Rainbow called to me. “I think I found something, but it’s kinda… unnerving.”

Flam and I made our way to Rainbow’s side, my fellow pegasus holding what looked to be a card of sorts in her hand. She had closed it before we had reached her, but she handed it over to me for examination. On the outside, the card was completely normal, almost bland in a way, having no decorative design or pictures on it. Upon opening it, my eyes were greeted to a message, one that sent a shiver up my spine as I read it.

“Remember what you said to me before Twilight was killed by Trixie? About knowing a way out of here? Well, I think I might take you up on that offer now that we have this new motive. It would be the chance of a lifetime not just for me, but for my fiance as well to finally get noticed. Let’s meet outside the dining room, you can tell me all about what this plan of yours is than. Oh, and remember, send the reply message without a name, so that nopony can tell what’s going on.”

“P.S. I’m writing this right outside your room before placing it under the door, but make sure to discard this letter. Somepony might find it.”

“I found it in the trash can located under her end table,” Rainbow explained to me as I passed the letter to Flam. “I’m pretty sure whoever wrote this should have said ‘throw it away where somepony won’t find it’. In other words, anywhere but their room.”

“It sounds like somepony has been planning this murder for some time,” Flam added as read through the contents of the message. “However, the way it is phrased can’t help but make me think that Rarity had a murder planned and they were going to get another involved, or perhaps she tricked somepony into thinking she had found an exit and tried to kill her. This is easily the most frustrated I’ve ever gotten over not having answers, and I live a life full of not having answers.”

Neither of them mentioned it, but one thing about this message in particular had caught my attention. Yes, Rarity obviously had something planned here, but that wasn’t what stood out to me. What had was this ‘fiance’ the writer of the message had mentioned. They were the entire reason this all seemed to have happened, and if that was the case it was most likely… no, I’m not certain yet. All I know right now is that this perfectly matches what Applejack said she heard earlier.

“Ah only heard them talk. Two to be exact, and not anything ah could even make out other then somepony here having a fiance. Ah heard them as ah headed to breakfast late this morning, Bon Bon and Pinkie are my witnesses. Sounded like something rather serious, but ah could pin one of those voices. That’s what makes me doubt it as evidence.”

“... Rarity. The voice ah could pin was Rarity, asking about someone's fiance, but I never could learn who. Ya think it’s possible that was the murderer leading Rarity to her final moments or not?”

Looks like that doubt of hers wasn’t necessary in the end, because this message makes it a lot more believable. They met outside of the dining hall, just like the message said, and from that point they must have discussed this plan. Rarity probably asked who this fiance was for some reason concerning this plan of hers, but I’m not sure what. The problem in this mystery wasn’t just in the physical evidence, but whoever here was engaged. Sweet Celestia what is going to happen if we find them? I don’t want to kill somepony with a wedding on the line.

Rarity’s message has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

Ding dong bing bong

“Alright, so I know some of you ponies are probably still investigating, but we gotta get this show on the road. It’s time for the heart-pumping trial… that really just doesn’t have the same ring to it as class trial, but whatever. Just, meet outside of the garden and we will get this entire thing underway.”

As Monokuma’s announcement came to an end I looked to the others at my right. Flam had dusted his hat off before giving a formal bow and walking off. Rainbow on the otherhoof, was on the edge a lot more than the Ultimate Con Artist. Her front hooves were shaking, though she was doing her best to hide that fact. She took a few deep breaths before turning to me, and despite looking ready I could see signs of fear under her eyes.

“Whelp, lets get this over with than.”

———- Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen ———-

As we arrived in the garden, I suddenly realized just how… creepily similar it was to the first time we were here for this reason. With Thorax here is felt like nopony had even left, making me wonder if ponies had completely forgotten about Twilight or Trixie at all. It wasn’t something I was really happy about knowing how both had, in some way, sacrificed themselves for the rest of us.

“To think that we would be back here so soon, I guess it shows how bad things are going to get,” Flam states. “How many ponies are going to die before rescue arrives? How many time are we going to have be here for the same reason?”

“Too many, that’s for sure,” I replied. “None of us want to be here obviously, but with Monokuma we have no choice but to obey and follow this.”

“So is anypony else here at all confused?” Applejack asked the crowd. “Ah for one have absolutely no idea what’s about to happen. This entire thing just doesn’t make any sense.”

“We’ll only find out as after the trial starts,” Redheart answered. “Speaking of which, we should get this started. Standing around here isn’t going to get us any answers.”

As she said that the statue in the middle of the garden once again slid away, revealing the platform that led down into the trial hall. Without a word we all got on, knowing that it was the only thing we could possibly do at the moment. The platform started down as the fourteen of us stood on it. Rainbow was scared, not caring to hide the fact that her legs were shaking anymore, but her eyes were focus forward to where the trial area would be. Then it stopped, and the doors opened to the trial room.

“Welcome everyone, let’s skip the conversation and get straight to the trial.” Monokuma said, throwing his arms up in the air.

We did just as asked, and my thoughts immediately went to why we are here at all. Somepony and murdered the Ultimate Dressmaker, Rarity Belle. I couldn’t help but feel like we could have been better friends, despite how rocky are start was. Even then, we barely knew each other at all, and I couldn’t help but feel like that was part of the reason why this happened. That doesn’t change what happened, though, as it was set in stone.

One of us here murdered her, some reason we don’t know. There are so many questions, and so little answers, that I don’t know what to truly expect. The only way to find out, is to put together everything we’ve learned…

… and with that, this trial full of denial and acceptance, has truly begun.

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Trial part 1

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Truth Bullets
Monokuma File #2 (The victim is Rarity Belle, the Ultimate Dressmaker. She was killed in the lounge located on the second floor at 11:45 am. Her body has burnt to the point of cutting of magic circulation, but it is undetectable if any other injuries have been inflicted. The severe burning has deformed her body to the point where it is impossible to tell if there are any other significant injuries.)

Mess in the library (While it has been cleaned up since, when Ditzy first went upstairs the library was in a state of utter disaster. It is best to believe that some form of evidence might of been tampered with due to Ditzy cleaning up the library without knowing of the murder beforehoof.)

Ditzy’s account (Ditzy had come upstairs and was the one who discovered the body, but claims that the door was locked at the time. After multiple attempts Bulk Biceps showed up and, after two attempts, managed to bust down the door without issue. That is when the body was discovered.)

Missing fire tool (one of the tools used at the fireplace was not present at the crime scene. Said tool is used to help move around logs in the fireplace. Whether this is a coincidence or has something to do with the crime scene is unknown.)

Locking Mechanism (The door leading to the lounge is strange in that the lock is located on the side facing the hallway. This means that it would have been impossible to lock the door from inside the lounge.)

Magic Circulation (Redheart has revealed that it would have been possible for Rarity to lock the door by use of magic,and the weakening of the spell as her horn burned would have caused it to weaken enough to be broken down. A unicorn’s magic isn’t ended when a pony dies, and unless the horn is burnt or removed won’t stop. This is what causes many curses and shield spells on treasures around the world.)

Suicide theory (Redheart believes, with the fact the lock was located on the hallway side of the door, and since Rarity could have locked the door with her own magic, it is likely that she could have commited suicide to give the tickets to two other ponies in the castle.)

Second floor window (A window was found located behind a bookcase in the second floor library. Rainbow has admitted to having discovered a single window on the second floor, but she had no idea where it was connected to. It was found open after the murder, meaning somepony knew about it.)

Thorax’s account (Thorax was on guard duty with Flash in front of the secret library, taking the shape of the Ultimate Guard himself both before and during the investigation.)

Fluttershy’s account (Fluttershy had been outside sometime either before or while the murder was taking place, and had spotted something relative to a marshmallow stick out in the grass. It’s unlikely it has anything to do with the murder due to its location.)

Used Talisman (One of the scrolls in the secret library was completely blank, meaning that somepony had to have used it. As a unicorn must be present even if used by a earth pony or pegasus, it is likely this was used by Rarity herself.)

Secret library mess (The scrolls typically found in the secret library were scatter on the floor, similar to the mess that Ditzy had cleaned up in the library before discovering the body. It is likely these two things were related.)

Applejack’s account (Applejack heard two ponies talking while she was at breakfast this morning. While she recognized one of the ponies as Rarity, the other pony was a complete mystery to her. They seemed to have been talking about a fiance.)

Redheart’s report (Redheart excitedly explained that there was indeed more damage to Rarity’s body outside of just the burn. Two small, almost invisible stab wounds were found on the back of her neck, which lead to a damaged spine that would paralyzer from the neck down. All blood was burned away with Rarity’s mane, tail, and fur when she was placed into the fireplace. In other words, burning was the cause of death, but she was paralyzed before doing it.)

Flash’s account (Flash was asked by somepony to guard the secret library before the murder, and only asked Thorax because of a changeling’s shapeshifting ability. It would have been impossible to get into the secret library today, meaning they would have had to get in the day before.)

Rarity’s message (A message was found in Rarity’s room during the investigation, asking for her to meet up in front of the dining room. The message mentions a fiance, similar to what Applejack has informed A.K. of when she mentioned the pony Rarity was talking to. While it was thrown away like asked, the anonymous message was found at the top of Rarity’s trash can.)

Trial in session!

“Before we begin, allow me to restate the rules of this trial, just in case some of you forgot,” Monokuma started from his throne above us all. “Throughout the course of the trial you will all give your arguments and present evidence to try a prove who the blacken is. If, at the end, you manage to find the blacken through popular vote, then only they will receive punishment. However, choose wrong and everyone besides the blacken will get executed, and the blackened will earn the right to leave this castle. Now then, let's get this super mega MLG overhyped trial started!”

“Monokuma, do ah need to walk over and remind you that this ain’t some game?” Applejack asked, but stepped down when she saw the bear’s red eye land on her. “Ya know what? Ah think I’ll just stay over here where ah’m safe.”

“I know we had somewhere to start last time, but this time I have no idea where to start,” I told everyone, my head still trying to piece everything we had talked about together. “There are so many things that we don’t know about the events that took place, and nopony except for the murderer and victim were around at the time.”

“Well, no matter what you think, the most obvious outcome is suicide,” Octavia suggested, instantly getting the attention of everypony in the room. “This is a locked room mystery, and everypony was on the outside of the room. In that case, it is clear that the only possible solution to this is a suicide.”

“What about Ditzy?” Flash asked as he turned to the Ultimate Mail Carrier. “She is the one who discovered the body, and it’s completely possible that she was lying to Bulk Bicep about the door being locked.”

“I keep on telling you all, I had no connection to this murder,” The accused defended. “It’s a coincidence that I was the one who discovered the body, I had absolutely nothing to do with this!”

It’s true, nopony besides from Ditzy was around except for Bulk when the body was discovered. I don’t want to believe that a recently discovered relative is the murderer, but if we are to look into this we must consider the possibility. As long as we are unable to establish that Ditzy is innocent, everypony will believe what Flash is saying. I’m going to have to accuse her, find out how she could have possibly done it before doing what I can to prove otherwise.

“Ditzy, I want you to tell us all your alibi,” I explained to her. “Trust me, the last thing I want to do is suspect you, but an inconsistencies in your alibi need to be cleared up now. Understand?”

Ditzy looked at the floor seeming scared and unsure before looking back at me. “Alright,” She said with a nod. “I’ll explain, but I hopes this makes everything clear to me.”

Non-stop Debate

Truth Bullets: Locking Mechanism, Mess in the library, Monokuma File #2

Ditzy: “Earlier today I met with Rainbow in the library, though it was more of a forced meeting. She planned to kill somepony here and wanted me to have the second ticket. I, of course, said no. A.K. Yearling walked in on us and we chatted for a little bit, and did the same thing later.”

Rainbow: “What happened in the morning doesn’t matter. What happened during the time of murder is what we need to focus on.”

Ditzy: “Well, I went to the library to find something to read, but it was a complete mess. So I picked everything up and decided to go to the lounge to read, but the door was locked from the inside. Bulk showed up, knocked the door down, and we discovered the body.”

I’m going to correct that statement!

“If the door was locked from the inside, then it would have made sense for you to lock the door on your way out,” I explained to everypony. “However, the lock wasn’t actually on the inside of the door like you would expect it to be, but rather the outside.”

“Wait, really?” Bon Bon asked. “If that’s the case, then Ditzy would have been able to just unlock the door and open it. If it was that easy why did Bulk need to bust it down?”

“Actually, I don’t think Bulk is the one who actually busted the door down,” Flam stated. “I’m sure A.K. was going to bring this up next, but not only was the door’s lock on the outside of the room, but it was also not even locked in the first place. Whatever was holding the door together. Was caused by something not related to the door, but rather something related to the room.”

“I’ve busted many door before and that is the first one to ever put up a fight!” Bulk announced. “I felt like there was something off about that, given that the first night here I almost broke the door to my own room!”

“How else could the door be busted down then?” Bon Bon continued to press. “Bulk Bicep was the one who broke it, and he just said that he’s strong enough to break the door to his own room.”

“It doesn’t matter, it seems almost indecisive that this is a suicide,” Octavia repeated. “The door was locked and nopony besides from Rarity was inside at the time of death. I can’t say why she would do it, but nonetheless she had to do this to herself.”

I understand what Octavia is thinking, but I don’t think it’s right. Rarity seemed thrilled to get a ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala, so it would make more sense for her to murder somepony. There was something more to that door then we are thinking about, that must is certain. However, that doesn’t matter if we keep thinking this is a suicide. We got to look at something else, something that we don’t truly understand at this current moment.

Non-stop Debate

Truth Bullet: Magic Circulation, Monokuma File #2, Redheart’s Report

Octavia: “The only pony who we know was in the lounge is Rarity, the victim in this case. As it was only possible to lock the door from the outside, then it is far to say this is a suicide.”

Rainbow: “But why the fireplace? Would she have been able to kill herself in there? That would require help if it was the case.”

Flash: “Nopony witnessed this murder in progress, so it’s completely possible for someone else to enter the lounge without notice.”

Octavia: “That still doesn’t matter unless some evidence states it. Even though it seems horrible to say so, the most believable explanation would be suicide.”

I’m going to correct that statement!

“Other then just how painful burning to death is, I’m positive that Rarity didn’t do this to herself,” I started, looking at a rather confused Octavia. “Redheart told us that there was, in fact, one other injury one the body. Two small, almost invisible holes on the back of Rarity’s neck.”

“Are you sure that it was an injury and not a deformation from the rather… excessive burn?” Flash asked me. “It’s possible that it was caused by the skin flaking and starting to disintegrate, which I’m surprised she hadn’t already done mind you.”

“Nope, I’m sure of what I saw,” Redheart replied in a rather proud, and slightly disturbing manner. “Two holes, small enough to easily be mistaken as deformation of the skin, were found on the back of her neck. Now now, please bare in mind that it wasn’t to kill her, which is a rather genius idea mind you, but to paralyze her. If I had enough to I would have gotten an even closer look at it, taken her apart for further analysis. Hehehehe, you wound me Monokuma, you really do for your horrible timing.”

That crazed look was in Redheart’s eyes again, or rather her more natural side was showing to us now. I saw most of the other ponies in the room looking at her in discomfort, knowing that this wasn’t how a nurse should be acting. A dead body should be buried but Redheart seemed more than content with dissecting someone. How many others knew of this behavior? Did her parents even know about this side of her?

“Heheheh, burning the body was soooo genius, but not because of what it did to the wound,” Redheart explained to us. “By doing it all blood would evaporate and no evidence of that single wound be visible. It is so so genius that it would have easily gotten rid of all evidence pointing to such a wound. If I wasn’t here, they would have definitely gotten away with that feat.”

“That’s a rather… unique way to put it, but it’s nonetheless true,” I explained. “Rarity would have needed somepony around if she was to truly go through with this plan. Couldn’t imagine someone so obsessed with elegance would destroy her own beauty, and when she seem to like the idea of having a ticket to the Gala.”

“I see, so somepony else was in the room at the time,” Octavia said, nodding her. “Guess that means it was possible to get in the room, but how did they do it if the room was indeed lock?”

“Simple, they used more unorthodox method of locking the door when things were said and done,” Flam explained. “The most important thing right now is establishing how the killer got in and out of the room. Unless we can in some way do that, all other evidence means nothing.”

“Hold on, before we get to that,” Bon Bon said. “We’re jumping ahead a bit. We’ve established a wound on Rarity’s back, but not the cause of such wound. That’s what we need to focus on at the moment, but I agree that the locked door is important as well.”

I already know what the weapon is that caused the injury, but not everypony in here knows like I do. Better clear that up quickly before somepony makes a false assumption or marks the injury as non-existent.

Non-stop Debate

Truth Bullets: Missing fire tool, Rarity’s message, Redheart’s report, Fluttershy’s account

Bon Bon: “The murder weapon is a vital clue, and ignoring such a clue would be a grave mistake. Let’s focus before going onto how the room was locked.”

Doctor Hooves: “The weapon had to be small, or at least the part that created the wound had to be. Perhaps a lance or spear from the training yard was used?”

Thorax: “Somepony probably would have noticed a spear, or at least that’s what I think. They most likely used something that was in the lounge, like a pen perhaps?”

Ditzy: “There had to be two holes, so unless there was two pens it wouldn’t be possible. Perhaps the part of the lamp that holds the light bulb? Or maybe one of the fire tools?”

Rainbow: “They wouldn’t leave it at the crime scene you idiots. They probably hid it somewhere we wouldn’t find it.”

No doubt about it!

“Considering what we know of the crime scene, it is probably one of the tools used to maintain the fire,” I announced to the rest of the room. “Besides, one of the fire tools was missing from the rack located in the lounge. Rainbow showed that to me during the start of our investigation.”

“Yeah, I remember that. They do have sharp, pointed ends to them, and they aren’t very big,” Rainbow said as I recalled what she said to me upon discovering the missing fire tool. “It might be possible for somepony to use that as a weapon, but that isn’t what a tool like that is meant to be used for. It’s suppose to be used to maintain the fire present inside of a wooden fireplace.”

“Ah would love to agree, but ya said it was missing,” Applejack pointed out with a look of curiosity on her face. “If it wasn’t in the lounge then where did the killer hide it? Not too many places to hide a fire tool when it has blood on it.”

“Actually, I’m pretty sure that whatever did this would have no blood on it,” Redheart stated. “You see, another genius part of this is the fact that, despite the entry wound being rather small, you can just barely make out that somepony had used the murder weapon to carry Rarity’s body slightly,” My eyes went wide as I heard this, and I was left wonder why she hadn’t brought it up sooner. “If that is true then, hehehe, Rarity was likely shoved into the fireplace when the murderer drove the tiny two pronged pike through her. By that point all the murderer had to do was wait for the blood stained onto it to dry and the lack of a blood trail would be possible.”

“The does slightly clear it up, but ya didn’t answer my question,” Applejack told Redheart, who seemed to feel like her explanation was underappreciated. “Does anypony here know where this missing fire tool could have been? That would make it slightly more believable.”

“Actually there is somepony here who knows, somepony that I’ve been concerned about ever since I spoke to her during the investigation,” I explained to the Ultimate Farmer as I pointed to a certain yellow pegasus. “Fluttershy, you said that you saw something poking out of the grass earlier right? Something that kinda resembled a marshmallow stick?”

“Yes, that’s true, but I didn’t really think that would be relevant,” Fluttershy answered with a nod of her head before telling everypony else what she had found. “A.K. is right, the object reminded me of a marshmallow stick though it didn’t peak my interest enough to check. Besides, the way this discovery is being told is really making this trial more interesting.”

“That… isn’t something I would expect a pony like you to say,” Flash Sentry responded, the rest of the group nodding in reply. His gaze suddenly shifted to Pinkie Pie, who I now noticed had lost her wild hair color. “Though I guess you aren’t the only pony here who has been absurdly quiet.”

“Pinkie doesn’t want anything to do with this trial, so I’m speaking for her,” Bon Bon stated. “She didn’t take this murder incident very well, and doesn’t want anything to do with the trial. She’s speaking, though only to me, and I relay the message to the rest of you.”

“Pinkie, surely you know that this is to be expected of life, right,” Fluttershy stated, and I recognized the tone in her voice from the one she used when telling me about Monokuma’s reason. “No matter how long we live, no matter how long you survive, we all die. If you don’t learn to accept death when you confronted head on, then you might just put yourself in more pain than necessary. Deny death, and you deny the one thing everypony is certain of, understand.”

“Monokuma, this isn’t funny,” Applejack shouted at the bear. “What in tarnations have you done to Fluttershy? This isn’t something a normal pony should be saying!”

“Oh really Applejack, are you denying what you know is true?” Monokuma said in a mocking tone as he looked to the earth pony. “I only told Fluttershy what I believe and nothing more, it was up to her to decide on whether she accepted it as reality or not. Kinda like how you all should accept your own reality, instead of trying to hold onto the lies that you have been so innocently accepted.”

“This isn’t the time for this, we need to move on,” I told everypony, even if I knew they would rather argue about Monokuma’s point of view. “Like or not Applejack, this is what Fluttershy has accepted and we should leave it at that. What is more important is that we now know the object used to paralyze Rarity is the missing fire to-“

Your ruining this symphony!

“As much as I want to agree A.K., there is one main problem with your evidence,” Octavia announced, her sudden resistance coming from out of nowhere. “You see how Fluttershy is. Is it really a good idea to trust that?”

“I understand what you're saying Octavia, but what you're saying is a fallacy. The lack of an item in the lounge has nothing to do Fluttershy’s current behavior,” I told her, even though a small part of me actually wanted to agree with her. I’ve seen enough critics and politics use this kind of fallacy before and I wasn’t falling for it. “Kinda sounds like your grasping at straws right now Octavia.”

“Well, even before that I had an issue with your theory,” Octavia explained, taking a deep breath before continuing. “Even on the account of Fluttershy’s alibi, it is just that and only that. Without actual evidence you can’t make certain that the murderer did, in fact, use the fire tool.”

I had a feeling in my gut, but this wasn’t the moment to rely on it. Octavia is right though, alibis don’t count in a standard trial, so I can’t rely solely on that evidence. Yet I know I have more then just that, and all I have to do is bring it to light. Can’t jump to conclusions right now, need to focus on the issue right in front of me. I need to get Octavia to believe me.

Rebuttal Showdown

Truth Blades: Rarity’s Message, Applejack’s account, Mess in the library, second floor window.

Octavia: “Going off what we already have decided, the murderer somehow got out of the lounge. However, there are no windows in the lounge, which would make it impossible to dispose of a fire maintenance tool there. Even if there was one in the lounge it doesn’t face the courtyard or any other accessible area. Add to the amount of ponies the would have to pass to take the improvised weapon out of the lounge, downstairs, out the door, and then place it in the grass around the courtyard, and it doesn’t seem possible.”

Advance!

A.K.: “Wait… of course. Octavia, they didn’t need to go outside in order to actually dispose of it outside. They threw it out of a window from the second floor, just not the lounge.”

Octavia: “I would expect an author like you to notice something so obvious Yearling. There are no windows on the second floor, even excluding the lounge. Not the chemistry lab, or the hallways, or the libraries. All lighting on the second floor is from lamps and hanging lights. Hate to say it A.K. Yearling, but I just can’t believe what you are telling me.”

Lets slice your words apart!

“Octavia, I would have never been able to believe it myself if it wasn’t for the answer falling right on top of me, but there is another window on the second floor,” I told her, seeing the shock that quickly filled her eyes. “Hiding behind a bookcase in the library facing in the direction of the courtyard is a window. Rainbow Dash knew of this window before, but had absolutely no idea where it was suppose to connect to, having had the fortune of the bookcase not landing on top of her like I did. However, the important thing to get out of this is the fact that not only does this window face the courtyard, but was open during the investigation.”

“I see, that implies somepony here knows of the hidden window and used it to get rid of the fire maintenance tool,” Flam replied as he nodded in understanding. “If nopony knows about the window’s existence save for Rainbow, who must have seen it outside, they could utilize it as a way of disposing the cause of paralysis. Leaving the window open could either be a mistake, or the murderer thinking nopony would actually find it.”

“If that is the case, it is indeed possible to get the weapon outside without being seen,” Octavia concluded as she smiled and looked to me. “Sorry A.K., it just didn’t feel right beforehand, that’s all.”

“Actually, there is one thing that I am a little confused about,” Ditzy said, quickly gaining the attention of the entire room. “All the books on the floor in the library, if they had such confidence that nopony else would find it, then why do such a thing? Seems like an easy way to screw yourself over, even if it was to land the blame on somepony.”

Ditzy was correct, something about that did seem a little strange, even if it was to try and blame another. Usually the murderer tries to throw detectives off by landing the blame on a particular pony, but not so in this case. You prove that pony innocent and even with the messy library you couldn’t convince everypony they are guilty. In that case, why did they leave all the books on the floor? It seems better to try and make suspects impossible to count out instead of trying to blame one.

“Let’s get back to that, we need to discuss how the killer managed to get in and out of the lounge first,” Bon Bon told us. “With the lock on the door designed on the outside, which is absurdly stupid mind you, that would make it impossible to get out from the inside. However, if the door was actually unlocked, how did they manage to lock it?”

“Yeah, no reason discussing the library if we can’t find out how they even created the crime scene,” I replied, looking at Ditzy. “Once we figure that out, we will take a look at the mess in the library.”

Non-stop Debate

Truth Bullets: Used Talisman, Magic Circulation, Locking Mechanism, Mess in the Library

Octavia: “If we are going to figure out the locked room mystery, we should first find out how the room was locked first.”

Bulk Bicep: “The door was unlocked but still couldn’t be open! Maybe somepony broke the door from the inside! Or they had managed to jam the door!”

Doctor Hooves: “Perhaps the door was actually locked, but they murderer changed it when nopony was looking.”

Fluttershy: “It would be hard to do that with all the others around. It is more likely that they sealed it from the inside in some manner.”

Flam: “Or maybe lockpicking, which would not require the use of the door’s lock at all.”

No doubt about it!

“Of course, they sealed the door from the inside!” I shouted as the answer finally came to me. “The reason we couldn’t enter until Bulk Bicep busted the door down had nothing to do with the lock, but everything to do with the seal disappearing at that specific moment.”

“I’m intrigued, but that wasn’t the manner of sealing I was talking about,” Fluttershy said in a dull, monotone voice. “Would you mind telling me what you mean by the seal ‘disappearing’?”

“Redheart brought it up when we found out the door’s lock was on the outside of the door,” I explained to everyone, the Ultimate Nurse nodding with a wide smile on her face. “She mentioned how unicorn magic doesn’t fade when the unicorn itself dies, but more importantly was that she mentioned how these curses can be destroyed.”

“Well, that’s the thing about unicorn magic: it doesn’t stop once they are dead. That’s why curses and barriers protecting belongings of the deceased are still active even after the caster has died. Only way to stop it is to burn the horn, which takes a lot longer than you might think.”

“Burning the horn! Of course that’s how it happened!” Doctor Hooves exclaimed as I recounted what was told to me. “It must have been just long enough for Rarity’s horn to burn to the point that magic circulation was cut off! I should have realized that from the start.”

“But was it long enough for the horn to burn to that point?” Thorax asked, quickly getting a response from Redheart.

“Twenty-five minutes is more than enough time for a horn to stop casting magic, and in case you are wondering, cutting it off doesn’t work either,” Redheard explained. “But that poses another problem. Rarity is the only pony here who can cast magic, and if she really did use her horn.”

I looked to Rainbow Dash, then to Ditzy, and finally to the rest of the ponies present. Nopony wanted to answer, and I felt scared to answer myself. I knew what Redheart was trying to tell us all, but after this entire time I didn’t want to think that it was true. I still believe that Rarity was murdered, but if what she had just said was true, than I could only think of one possibility. It was the last one that I wanted to think of, or even admit really.

Did Rarity… kill herself?

Trial Intermission

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Trail part 2

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Trial in Session!

“Octavia, are you saying that Rarity would have still committed suicide?” I asked the Ultimate Cellist, who gave me a quick nod. “You do realize we’ve already cleared up that she needed someone to assist her, right?”

“Yeah… nopony else,” Flam said, adjusting his closer to the front of his head. “If that is the case than how do you explain the wounds on the back of Rarity’s neck. I doubt she could have done that to herself and thrown herself into the fire.”

“Well, obviously, but it was absolutely impossible for anyone to get in or out of the room if it was indeed a spell,” Octavia explained, even though her reasoning wasn’t anywhere near enough to change my stance. “If no one can get out of the lounge until her horn is burnt off, then there is no way someone could have done it. They would have been caught by Ditzy, unless she is going to change her story now.”

“No, I stand by what I said earlier,” Ditzy said with a shake of her head. “Nopony was in the room when we entered, so if someone had killed her then they would have had to get out before hand.”

“I can back her up on that!” Bulk cried out. “I guarantee you that nopony was at all in the lounge, and if Octavia is correct then it does seem likely to have been a suicide.”

No, Octavia is wrong about how this case played out, I’m certain of it. That injury on her back wouldn’t have been there unless somepony used that missing fireplace tool. I thought Octavia had already agreed that it couldn’t have been a suicide, so why is she going back to this story? In fact, if she keeps playing it like this, then no doubt we will all die. I can’t let that happen, because I made a promise to Trixie, and a possible sister that I won’t let die, and-

“Hey, you okay Yearling,” Rainbow said to me, noticing how paranoid I currently was. “Look, you aren’t the only one here that investigated, and not the only pony who knows all the same clues,” She reached over and put a hoof on my shoulder, a smile on her face. “Let me take this, I’ll show that I can be just as awesome a detective as I am a stunt flyer.”

“But Rainbow, I-” No. She was right; it was useless arguing about this now. I’m getting rash, just like Ditzy did during the first trial, but this time out of fear instead of anger. I do that, I might make a mistake that costs us our lives. I had to put trust in the pony I investigated with. “You sure you can do this? Prosecuting, defending, and all of that other stuff is not like stunt flying.”

“Yeah yeah, I’m positive of this. I’ve been told I’m good at starting arguments,” She said with a nod. “I think everypony wishes to fight crime just once in their life, and I’m no different. Besides, I’ve been watching how you handle the room A.K., and if Ditzy can do this so can I.”

I smiled as I heard that, already feeling a weight being lifted off my chest. She isn’t wrong about everyone wanting to be the hero though, I’m sure even the worst villains thought they were heroes to someone. Guess that’s what led me to my life as an adventurer and author in the end, but not all ponies end up that way. Still, we all have that part of us inside that wants to do what’s right, and I won’t stop a pony from doing what they think is correct.

“Okay Rainbow, I’ll sit the rest of this out. Do what you have to.”

P.O.V. Change: Rainbow Dash is now in control of the trial

“Alright, allow me to start by making one thing very clear to you Octavia,” I told the music mare, ready to make my position perfectly clear. “If you aren’t going to believe us after the entire injury thing, you have another thing coming. That isn’t the only piece of evidence I have that points to suicide being impossible.”

“Well, if you have something to say then I’m more than willing to hear it,” She responded calmly, and I swear she smirked for a quick second. “Lets go over this murder again, and if you don’t have suitable evidence we should start considering this murder solved.”

Truth is, I didn’t have anything to prove she was wrong, but that wasn’t what I needed to do. I’ve done this plenty of times before for the good of others, and I won’t stop that now. I have to lie… no, I need to lie about something. If I can twist the truth just slightly, I might be able to reveal who the murderer is. Thing is, I might already have an idea on exactly who is responsible.

Non-stop debate

Truth Bullets: Flash’s account, Fluttershy’s account, Redheart’s report, Thorax’s account (Lie bullet formed: Identity of Requester)

Bon Bon: “So if I’m think about this correctly, Rarity killed herself by burning to death. However, Redheart found two wounds on the back of her neck.”

Redheart: “I’m not explaining everything again, but that injury shows this is not a suicide.”

Octavia: “But no one could have gotten in unless somepony had a spell. I doubt that is possible though, because Flash was guarding the entrance to the library the entire time. At least, that’s what I overheard the Ultimate Guard say to A.K.”

Flash: “Yes, but I only mentioned that Thorax and I were guarding it. No other information was revealed.”

Allow me to open your eyes!

“Oh come on Flash, don’t lie to us,” I said in an accusing voice, giving a subtle wink to A.K. “You told us more than just who was guarding with you. Didn’t you mention that somepony had asked you to guard the secret library.”

“Secret… library?” At least half the ponies in the room asked that question, and it quickly dawned on me that not half of the ponies knew of its existence.

“Jeez, I may not be an egghead but don’t act like your all dumber than me,” I told them, not liking the wide eyes and hanging jaws visible throughout the room. “Flash and Thorax were guarding the entrance to a library holding a lot of magical scrolls. That was the library Flash was guarding, and it was on some ponies request.”

“True, but I refuse to say who it was that-“

“Octavia is the one that asked him to guard the library,” There was a collective gasp throughout the courtroom, and I saw Ditzy face hoof. She’ll thank me in a second. “I’m absolutely positive, because Thorax had already told us who it was.”

“I-I did?” The changeling asked, looking at the ground in embarrassment. “I don’t remember this, but if you say I did, then I must have.”

“Of course you did, I have a pretty good memory after all,” I kept my gaze avert from Fluttershy, knowing the moment I did somepony would figure our the truth. “So, Flash, you going to admit that Octavia gave you that order or what?”

“Flash, she’s lying. We both know that she is lying,” The Ultimate Cellist stated, looking at me with a fire in her eyes. “What use would I have for the other library when I knew nothing about it in the first place. Please tell her that I’m not the pony responsible for stationing you there.”

I could see how torn Flash was at that moment, as if he was a noble trying to decide how to screw the middle class over today. You see that look a lot when ponies want to buy your trust with money, but there was something more than money at stake here. It was that look that told me my guess was right, and that his admittance or denial would mean life or death for all of us. My heartbeat was racing, and looking at A.K. she wasn’t dealing with this any better, trying her best to not constantly eye Ditzy.

“I could agree with you Octavia,” Flash told the earth pony, his eyes locked on the ground. “But if I did it would be false. I promised to keep the identity of the pony who requested my aid a secret, but no more is that the case,” He finally looked back up, his eyes meeting mine instantly. “Yes, you are correct. Octavia is the one who requested that I guarded the secret library.”

“Really?!” Bulk’s shock was echoed by many of the others in the courtroom.

“How unfortunate for you Octavia, being thrown into the fire in such a way, but you had to expect it,” Flam taunted, seeming to enjoy the look of fear that was painted on the Ultimate Cellist’s face. “In fact, it’s no use denying that you know of the secret library, or was your little slip up earlier a simple coincidence.”

“Flam, would ya mind explaining this ‘little slip up’ you’re talking about?” Applejack asked, most of the ponies in the court seeming to wonder the same thing.

“Okay, so maybe it wasn’t so little, but I’ll explain for all of you who want to know,” Flam cleared his throat as he began his explanation. “First of all, Octavia just explained that she knew Flash was guarding the library, which wouldn’t make sense considering many ponies had visited the main library earlier today. One of these was Ditzy, the one who discovered the body, and Bulk Bicep was the only one with her at the time,” He looked to Ditzy, who nodded in response to this. “The only way Octavia would have know about Flash guarding the entrance to the library was if she was directly involved. Also, when we were clearing up something earlier, she said ‘libraries’ instead of library before Flash’s guard duty was even brought up.”

“Therefore you knew about another library before one was even known about,” Doctor Hooves continued to explain. “Also, when Thorax first showed us to the library Octavia wasn’t present. It was Ditzy, Flam, A.K., Thorax of course, and me, so we should have been the only ones who knew it existed.”

“Even Pinkie didn’t know about the second library,” Bon Bon said, the Ultimate Party Planner still not willing to speak to us. “But, that doesn’t mean it is of any importance.”

“Actually, that is very important,” I told the candymaker, noticing how wide her eyes went as I said that. “A.K. can probably explain it better than I can, but there was one scroll in there that was completely blank. We even know somepony was inside because of the fact most of the scrolls were on the floor.”

“If a scroll was used, that means a unicorn had to activate it, but once it is even an earth pony or pegasi can use its effects,” A.K. explained to everyone, which I silently thanks as I didn’t remember what she had said about the scroll to began with. “If anypony could have used it, than I’m betting it was some sort of cancelling spell. A spell that makes an individual impervious to the effects of magic for a small amount of time.”

I didn’t need anypony to tell me we had the murderer cornered, as it was now as clear as day. Many ponies could have used that spell, but only one had the ability to cover it up. She was so insistent on the murder being a suicide that she didn’t think how it might backfire on her. One small hole was all we needed, and it was time to finally start pressuring them.

“If that’s the case, if we put together what we just learned,” I didn’t attempt to hide the grin on my face as I spoke, looking at the clear guilty party. “The blackened of this case is none other than Octavia!”

There was a few gasps, but at this point most ponies seemed to expect this result. “Yes, I agree,” Fluttershy said with an unnatural smile on her face. “She used Flash as a way of covering her up act, and used this spell to get past the barrier Rarity cast on the door with her magic.”

“No, I immediately object to this!” Octavia shouted, doing her best to stay calm and ultimately failing at it. “I had nothing to do with the murder, and I had no reason to even go through with this to began with! What reason would I have for a ticket to the Gala?”

“All of us have something the Gala could give us, and you ain’t any different,” Applejack countered, pointing a hoof at the Ultimate Cellist. “Ah guess it must have been stardom, right? You could play at the Gala and get noticed by all the ponies who are there. An easy way to fame if-“

“I wouldn’t do something like this for the ‘easy way’!” Octavia said again. “The best musicians have to work long and hard to become well known, and an easy victory would mean I didn’t deserve it. You have to have a better reason then that.”

No, neither of them are right. I know that the reasoning is different, A.K. told me about it before the trial, and I even found something linking to it. However, agreeing with Octavia would not be a good idea to her current status as the guilty party. So I have to defuse both of them; if one gains too much ground I won’t be able to reveal anything meaningful to the other party. This isn’t like when A.K. or Ditzy did this, I have to do something different.”

Applejack: “Admit it, the Gala is your motive.” Octavia: “The Gala is not my motive!”

Argument Tug-of-war

Truth ropes: Applejack’s account, Fluttershy’s account, Flash’s account

Applejack: “Ya told us you weren’t very well known, so this would be your ticket to fame. An ultimate playing at the Gala would easily attract the attention of ponies looking for yer kind of talent. It’s an easy way to achieve fame, and ah know how musicians are. Y'all would do anything to get your name up there with, and sacrificing us is no different.”

Octavia: “This is absurd. Absolutely madness I say! I have no use for the Gala tickets because I’ve already tried it already. All that talk about how the Gala will give you a name or the chance to meet your stars is rubbish. All the Grand Galloping Gala is is the nobles way of showing how much money they all have. None of them care for talent, especially a single cellist.”

Outside Interjection!

A.K.: “No, that’s wrong. This has nothing to do with fame!”

This argument ends here!

“Whoa now,” I said, finally able to get the two earth ponies to listen to me. “Applejack, Octavia, the motive has nothing to do with the Grand Galloping Gala! She might be the prime suspect, but Octavia does not look like somepony wishing for fame.”

“Why are you defending her? Your the one who said she was the culprit,” Flash asked me, and while I saw where he was coming from it wasn’t the correct line of thinking.

“Misinformation, even if the suspect is guilty, is not acceptable,” Doctor Hooves replied. “I believe that is Rainbow’s thinking right now. She isn’t siding with Octavia, but at the same time she isn’t siding with Applejack because the motive is wrong.”

“Honestly AJ, I’m surprised that you are the one who made the fame accusation considering what you said earlier,” A.K. told the Ultimate Farmer. “You told me about the two ponies talking outside of the dining area earlier today. If I’m correct, one of them was Rarity, and the other was saying something about a fiance?”

“Wait, if that’s the case, then does that mean-”

I cannot account for misconceptions!

“If that really is the motive then you are unquestionably wrong about the murderer Rainbow,” Doctor Hooves explained to me, not looking happy about what I had said. “If the motive was about a fiance, it wouldn’t make sense for said fiance to be the murderer.”

“Um, I don’t get,” I told him, head tilted slightly as I thought about what he had said. “Why does the fiance have anything to do with Octavia being the culprit?”

“You seriously don’t see it,” He asked me, getting a nod in response. “Fine then, I’ll reveal exactly why that is impossible.”

Rebuttal Showdown

Truth Blades: Rarity’s Message, Monokuma File #2, Locking Mechanism, Applejack’s Account

Doctor Hooves: “To say that her motive his based on a fiance is not only wrong but completely backwards. Octavia would have been the fiance, and it’s obvious that the true culprit would in this case be the groom. I agree that Applejack’s motive from earlier is wrong, but the one you are claiming to have now is also false.”

Advance!

Rainbow Dash: “No, that isn’t the case. Just because the groom had been talking to Rarity doesn’t mean the fiance wasn’t involved.”

Doctor Hooves: “Can you even back up that claim? It’s entirely possible that Applejack had misheard information and you have been convinced it is correct. We cannot base this solely on ones recounting of a conversation they weren’t a part of, and since you haven’t supported it with any actual evidence, it’s possible this whole fiance motive is a lie!”

Perhaps this will shut you up!

“The only reason I haven’t shown any evidence is because I’ve been dealing with you!” I berated Doctor Hooves as I slammed my hooves onto the pedestal in front of me, denting it. “You want evidence, how about the letter that Flam, A.K. and I found sitting in Rarity’s trash can.”

“P.S. I’m writing this right outside your room before placing it under the door, but make sure to discard this letter. Somepony might find it.”

“Yep, the letter clearly stated that the entire reason the pony was doing this was because of a fiance,” Flam said as A.K. presented the letter to the rest of the courtroom. “One of the sentences not only states that they met up with Rarity to talk about this new motive, but that they were to meet outside of the dining room.”

“Wait a second,” Redheart said as she took a look at the letter. “If we are assuming the murderer wrote this letter to Rarity, than does that mean-”

“Octavia met up with Rarity, and the victim had already planned this entire thing for them,” Thorax said, finishing off the thought that Redheart had started. Everypony was shocked at this save for those of us who had found the letter. “The latter had investigated the entire second floor earlier and must have found the secret library. She set up this entire murder, and had Octavia murder her so she could see somepony.”

“That’s why Rarity didn’t pin it on an exact target, or to be more specific she never planned to pin it on anyone to begin with,” A.K. told us as we finally returned to the question Ditzy had asked some time ago. “With the ability to lock the door from the inside, and the scroll that allowed Octavia to cancel the spell, she didn’t need to pin it on anyone. If it wasn’t for Rainbow’s incredible luck at guessing who had grabbed the scroll from the secret library and had requested Flash and Thorax to guard it, we never would have been able to figure it out.”

“The perfect murder, falling apart because of a wild guess,” Fluttershy looked into the distance, eyes closed as she thought of everything A.K. had just said. “The only reason for the mess in the library was because Octavia had thrown the fire tool out the window. Flash Sentry could have denied what Rainbow had said, but he didn’t and accepted the fate that awaited the one who had given him such an important-”

“Alright, fine!” Octavia shouted, catching everyone's attention. I could see her eyes starting to water up, but she wasn’t crying. She looked at everypony else, a grimace plastered on her muzzle. “You’re right about one thing, and that is the fact I was with Rarity when she died,” I was taken back by the sudden confession, and from a quick glance in Flam’s direction I could see the same. Trixie had put up at least a small fight, but she didn’t really try. “However, while I was their and did take part in the murder, I was ultimately telling the truth this entire time.”

“Oh really, and what truth is that?” Bon Bon questioned.

“I only helped Rarity in this plot. She is ultimately the one who killed herself by burning in the fire,” Octavia told us. “She was already over the fire when I stabbed her, which she told me to do so that she wouldn’t scream. She wanted to die so that I could see the pony I love most in the world, and while she let herself burn in the fire I only paralyzed her so she couldn’t get out,” She slammed down on the podium with her hooves, tears starting to fall from her face. “I… I didn’t kill her. Rarity killed herself, and all I was suppose to do is keep her in.”

“So you’re saying that your innocent?” I asked rhetorically, following up after by pointing at her. “No way in hell you are innocent! I’m positive you aren’t! Rarity couldn’t have gotten into that fire without your help, and as long as you were involved you are the murderer.”

“After trying to use me for her own selfish purposes, I can only agree with miss Dash,” Flash said with a stoic expression on his face. “I feel obscenely bitter about doing work for a murderer, even if I couldn’t have known at the time. You agree, don’t you Thorax?”

“You dragged me into this,” The changeling replied, not seeming to like how the Ultimate Guard called him out. “I’m was just your helper, or a watchling in other terms. I just watched things. Though, considering the circumstances Octavia does seem like the culprit.”

“Hate to play devil's advocate to the three of you, but what if your wrong?” Bon Bon asked. “Technically, it is the fire that killed Rarity, not a physical weapon like the one Octavia used. The method never changed, just how we perceive it was done.”

“Octavia still had to throw her in the fire, so we can see her as responsible for this incident,” A.K. counter back, the situation in front of us starting to feel incredibly familiar. “So… no, thinking about it that way still nets Octavia as our murderer.”

“Will you all just make up your minds already!” Bulk Bicep interjected. “We can’t move on if we’re all on different sides! How about everyone comes to an agreement and-“

I have a better idea!

“Jeez, for a second I thought I would never get to speak again,” Monokuma’s interruption quickly caught my attention, noticing how angry he seemed to be. “All you have been doing is talk, talk, and talk! Why can’t you all be more exciting.”

I saw Pinkie whisper something into Bon Bon’s ear, the Ultimate Candymaker nodding as she turned to us. “Um, I don’t get what she’s hinting at, but Pinkie said that it’s because of the writing?”

“Oh, okay then,” Monokuma looked at his feet, actually seeming depressed about that. “Guess this is what happens when the cast is too big, but whatever. Point is, instead of arguing for hours on end, let's decide this little debate with the morphenomenal trial ground! Courtesy of Fluttershy, who suggested it to me while you all were trying to figure out whose hooves were shoved up their-”

“Get it started already, we don’t need to hear your little speal,” Applejack requested, seeming ready to kick the bear to oblivion (and she probably would have done it if not for his earlier threats).

So this is what it’s come down to, the very thing that cleared Flash of suspicion in the last trial. Octavia’s little speech might have fooled some, but I know for a fact that she isn’t tell the truth. If we win, we expose Octavia as the true culprit, but if we don’t we’re letting a murderer go free. I’m not going to let that happen! To much is on the line for this to end in denial.

“Alright then,” I said with a confident smirk. “Bring it on Octavia, cause we’re going to make you all accept this whether you like it or not.”

Scrum Debate

Octavia isn’t the culprit: Octavia, Bon Bon, Doctor Hooves, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Bulk, Applejack
Octavia is the culprit: Rainbow, A.K., Redheart, Flam, Ditzy, Thorax, Flash

Doctor Hooves: “The fiance shouldn’t be the culprit in this case!”
A.K.: “No, Octavia isn’t the fiance. It’s more likely the pony she want to give the ticket is.”

Bon Bon: “But you already said that the tickets had nothing to do with it.”
Thorax: “Rainbow said it didn’t have to do with fame, so the tickets can still be part of the motive.”

Applejack: “Flash was guarding the entrance to the secret library, how could Octavia have gotten the spell?”
Flash: “That only means she got the spell before I was guarding the library.”

Bulk: “How could Octavia even activate the spell? She isn’t a unicorn!”
Redheart: “Rarity was using magic, and it’s likely she activated the spell for Octavia to use.”

Octavia: “But Rarity was already in the fire at the time.”
Rainbow: “She was still alive for some time, so the fire wouldn’t have immediately stopped her.”

Fluttershy: “Does this count as a murder or a suicide? Now’s the time to decide.”
Ditzy: “There is no doubt in my mind that this is a murder. All the evidence proves it.”

This is our answer!

“A locked door, an injury on the back of a victims neck, Octavia’s attempt to block off the secret library,” I said, summing up everything that we had learned about the murder. “Octavia, all of these things are your doing, and the fact you acknowledge that you were in the lounge at the time of the murder only means one thing.”

The Ultimate Cellist had a look of terror on her face, those watery eyes finally starting to take the form of tears. Her eyes were locked on the floor, not even willing to look at the rest of us as her argument fell apart. On the one hoof, I was glad we finally were able to expose the murderer to everypony, but on the other hoof I felt terrible. Seeing Octavia try desperately to hold onto what little hope she had, I wanted to cry almost as much as she did.

Then, Octavia finally fell to pieces. She collapsed onto the stand as she started crying, ripping me apart from the inside out. I don’t know why, but I wanted to join in her guilt, as if I was the one who committed it instead. Is this what could’ve happened had I actually gone through with my plan? I had told Ditzy I wouldn’t do it, but seeing a pony like Octavia in this state destroyed any remaining desire I had to kill. I felt worse than I ever had before, and I want it all to end right there.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” Octavia managed to say through her tears. “I’m sorry… for putting all of you through this. I’m sorry Rarity… for not being able to get out of here. I’m… I’m so sorry Vinyl. I’m so, so sorry. I-I failed… to help your career.”

“O-Octavia?” Ditzy called out, looking like she was ready to start crying too

“This… this isn’t how everything was suppose to happen,” Octavia said, more likely to herself rather than the rest of us. “All I wanted… was to help my fiance. All I wanted… was to get her known.”

“Rainbow,” I looked to A.K., who seemed to be forcing herself to look up at me and not at the ground below her. “Let’s end this now, before things get any worse. Trust me, it’s for the better.”

“A… alright,” I nodded, taking a deep breath as I readied myself for what was going to be a horrible truth. “Let's just… get this over with.”

Let’s take this from the top!

“Based on what the letter told us, we can assume that Rarity had been planning this since before Trixie killed Twilight. We can also assume that this wasn’t the first time Rarity had approached our culprit with this plan because of the way the letter was worded. While they had no intent on killing the first time around, it was the motive - two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala - that lead them to accept it. This is why we found a reply message, because that was the way both our culprit set up the meeting.

“It’s clear that Rarity knew about the secret library and the outside lock to the lounge, which is why they had detailed this in their plans. These two things were important to setting up the crime scene the victim had pictured, and is most likely why Rarity had grabbed the scroll before they met up. Getting Flash to guard the secret library probably wasn’t all that difficult, but that was the only big mistake Rarity and the culprit made. If it was Rarity who had talked to Flash, we would probably never have found the true culprit in this case.

“With everything outside of the lounge gathered Rarity brought the culprit to the lounge, where she explained and executed the plan. When everything was explained, the culprit used a fire tool set on the stand next to the fireplace, stabbing Rarity in the back of the neck. It didn’t kill her, but it paralyzed her so that she couldn’t escape what she was about to do. At this point she must have already activated the talisman and spell denying entry to the lounge, so no one would witness what was happening. With all that, Rarity was thrown into the fireplace, where she would burn to death by her own will.

“With that out of the way, the culprit used the talisman to bypass the spell on the lounge door, and began disposing of the evidence. She first went to the main library, where she searched for the hidden window Rarity had told her about. It’s likely that mess Ditzy found was due to the culprit not being told which bookcase the window was hiding behind, or something along those lines. I’m not exactly sure how the culprit got the used talisman back into the secret library, but perhaps it was when Ditzy had found the body. Flash and Thorax would have left it to join the rest of us in discovering the body, so it was to be expected.

“With all of that, the murderer had executed the plan Rarity had put together for them, but there was a few small mistakes. The mess in both of the libraries mean that they hadn’t bothered to clean up due to being in a rush or otherwise. This screwed up Rarity’s plan of having no possible suspects, and that was only further shown by Fluttershy finding the missing fire tool. Otherwise, this plan was near perfect, and if not for the culprit being the one who told Flash to guard the secret library, it would have gone unsolved.

“That is the order of events, or am I wrong Octavia the Ultimate Cellist.”

Trial dismissed

End of chapter 2

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P.O.V. Change: Ditzy Doo

“Well now, what do you know,” Monokuma said as the votes were shown, casting Octavia as the murderer. “Once again you ponies got it correct, the murderer is none other than little miss Octavia, the Ultimate Cellist. You should all pat yourself on the back, or I would say that if it didn’t come down to luck.”

“Monokuma, give them a minute,” Fluttershy told him looking at us with a blank, expressionless face. “You may not understand it now, but losing a friend is something that many ponies don’t take well. In time they will learn how normal it is, but for now it is important to let it happen.”

The only reason I could hear them was because nopony else was willing to talk. Octavia had a meltdown after Rainbow Dash recounted the events of the murder, unable to answer the Ultimate Stunt Flyer. Octavia was a pony I barely knew, and yet I was fighting back tears just like everypony else in the room. Pinkie Pie’s first sounds since the start of the trial had nothing but her crying with Octavia while the rest of us did our best not to show it. Everypony had seen Trixie as a pony who was in the wrong, but despite the murder I couldn’t bring myself to be angry at the cellist.

“Y-you… you killed her!” Pinkie said, no longer using Bon Bon as her second voice and fur stained with the trail of her tears. “Wh-why did you kill her? Rarity did n-n-nothing wrong to you. Sh-she didn’t deserve it.”

“I… I know she didn’t,” Octavia replied, the words feeling almost too predictable for any reasoning to be gain from them. “Sh-she didn’t have to, but she said… she said I could get out. All I wanted was to get out, and see my fiance.”

“Yeah, we understand that by this point,” A.K. reminded her, looking at the floor with her hat covering her eyes. “You wanted to get out to see her, but I know it had to be more than that. You held off killing when you were given the chance to during the first motive period, so why now?”

“Wh-what good would answering be?” She cried out, hooves covering her tear-stained face. “I-I’m a killer, and nothing is going to change that. Stop acting like I’m the innocent one here.”

I couldn’t help but wonder how Octavia had managed to stay calm during the entire trial, considering how she was now acting. She looked like somepony had broken her into nothing but a shell of who she once was. I wanted to hug her, but my own mind was busy trying to dictate just how bad of a pony she really was. If this was regular Equestria then I would say she is as guilty as possible, but now I wasn’t so sure. Is stuff like this common for detectives and the police? How the hell do they do this on a regular basis?

“Octavia, I know how you feel, but it would make us feel better if you just came clean,” I told her, even though my heart told me to leave her be. “Everypony want to know exactly what happened, so it would be best if you did, okay?”

“No, I won’t,” The guilty said with a shake of her head. “It… it would be better to just forget about me, okay? That way all of you would-”

Her protest was met with a slap in the face by a rather annoyed Flam, one which had caused her to fall flat on the ground. The look he had, it wasn’t quite like the one he had when Applejack refused to take our evidence defending Flash, but it was close. His eyes would’ve easily cut me open if they could, and there was some sort of dark, imposing aura that was surrounding him. I knew there would be ponies who wanted to give him a piece of their minds, but no one was willing to make a move.

“Mare up, Octavia,” He said in that same voice he had used the first time we saw him like this. For a pony who seemed so carefree and polite, he was definitely not someone a pony with emotional issues should ever meet. “Look, your about to die, and probably in a horrible and humiliating way for all we know, so you’re just going to make it worse for yourself. Tell us why you did this, but not because we want you to, but because we I deserve to know.”

“H-how can you say something like that?” Octavia replied, looking up at the Ultimate Con Artists. “You have no idea how this feels. The guilt, the realization, you don’t understand any-”

“Don’t you dare say I don’t understand how you feel!” Flam shouted at the mare, and I could see Flash next to me cursing under his breath at the way Octavia was being treated. “You think this feels terrible? Try experiencing it every damn day! Making ponies angry, scared, or causing them to cry is part of my job! The only reason I’m not crying right now is because I’ve seen everything as a member of Equestria’s criminal system, and I’ve learned how not to,” He turned away from her. “Call it unfair to consider a pony like you able to do the same, but I’m not here to enjoy these games. If you are going to die, at least die with some dignity!”

“Flam, what in Celestia’s name is wrong with you?” Bon Bon asked. “You don’t just hit a mare and then scold her for acting in a completely reasonable manner! You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“For what, speaking the truth?” The Con Artist asked the Candymaker. “If you’re going to die, do you want to die as a miserable mess of a pony? I don’t think the answer is that hard to figure out.”

“But-“

“No… he’s right,” Many eyes turned to Octavia as she spoke, slowly getting back up to her hooves. “If it doesn’t make it better for myself, at least it will for the rest of you. Besides, last thing Vinyl would want is to see me cry.”

I looked around, trying to figure out who she was talking about. “Vinyl?”

“My… fiance,” Octavia replied, eyes focus on her own front hooves. “She’s a musician, but not one like me. I like classical, but she likes electric; I play the cello, and she uses a mix board; I’m calm and reserved, but she isn’t afraid to get ponies dancing or get me drinking,” For the first time in a long while, I saw the Ultimate Cellist smile. “Heh, two very different musicians falling in love with each other, sounds like something out of a romance novel if you ask me. Yet, despite the differences we were genuinely in love, and I had made a promise to her the night I proposed.”

“That promise,” Thorax said, having noticed something I had as well. “That promise is what led you to help Rarity with this murder, isn’t it?”

I looked back to Octavia, who continued to smile as tears once again started to fall from her eyes. It was at that moment she did something I thought she wouldn’t have done again. Something that I had long thought was impossible for someone who seemed so filled with guilt was able to do. She looked at us, closed her eyes, and continued to smile as those tears fell from her face.

“All I wanted-” Octavia said, voicing wavering as she held back the urge to break down in tears. “- was to see the love of my life finally get noticed. I wanted the world, to finally see how talented she was.”

------- Hours earlier -------

“Are you really sure about this Rarity?” Octavia asked to the mare who stood in front of her. “I appreciate this, but is your life really not all that important to you? I want you to be happy as well.”

“Nonsense darling. Do I look upset about this?” The Ultimate Dressmaker asked as she gave a smile, more than answering Octavia’s question. “You got somepony to love, and that is the most admirable thing to keep safe. You shouldn’t be kept in here while she worries her little head about you coming home the next day. She needs you, and I know you do too.”

“But this is murder!” The musician shouted. “Look, I know I accepted this, but of all the ways you want to go this seems like the worst one. Burning to death is painful, and you don’t have to experience it to know that.”

“That’s why we are going to do it,” Rarity said with a nod. “I never imagined I’d make such a big sacrifice, especially when I have family out in the world, but with the way I acted when the motive was revealed, everypony would know if I commited a murder. If I can’t achieve that, the least I can do is help someone who has just as good a reason as I do.”

“If no time has past between me blacking out in the musical hall and ending up here, then I’d say we had a month till our wedding,” Octavia looked at the floor as she spoke, trying to think of anything to keep her from wanting do this. Yet, her thoughts always went back to the idea of her beloved playing in front of a crowd. “She should be an ultimate like me with that kind of talent, and all she needs is one big show. The Gala might be full of nobles, but surely Celestia would recognize her talent.”

“We can wait to do this if you want to-”

“No, let’s do it. If I think about it any longer I might start having second thoughts.”

------- Present time -------

“One ticket for Vinyl, one ticket for me,” Octavia told us all. “She would play for all the noble mares and stallions in Canterlot, and most importantly she would play for Celestia,” It was at this point I noticed Flash Sentry making his way towards Monokuma and Fluttershy. “I didn’t want anything out of this, I swear. All I wanted… was to see my dear Vinyl finally be recognized for the talent she has.”

The words of comfort given from those near me were drowned out as I tracked Flash, who I started to feel worried about. All the voices around me were drained away, and the Ultimate Guard was the only thing I could see. My thoughts went back to the first day we were here, when Twilight tried to stand up to Monokuma the best she could. It was that movement that lead to her and Trixie meeting up that night, and the latters freedom as well. A voice told me to do something but I couldn’t move or speak, my body as lifeless as a statue at the current moment.

“Monokuma!” Flash’s voice carried throughout the courtroom, waking me from what I could only describe as a trance. “There are things I can’t do to you, as much as I want to, but I will ask you only once: if you kill Octavia, give the second ticket to Vinyl.”

“Oh, you think you have some sort of authority here, mister Ultimate Guard?” Monokuma said in a mocking tone. “Hate to tell you, but I ain’t going to roll over and submit like a normal citizen. You can’t order this bear around!”

“If not him, then how about somepony who has a bit more understanding of you lowlifes,” Flash turned back to Flam, who was still in a horrible mood. “Surely the Ultimate Con Artist can reason something out of you.”

“And what have you done for me, Flash?” Flam shot back, glaring daggers at the Ultimate Guard. “Last I checked, you were more content with sticking me in a jail cell where I could “rot for the rest of my life.” Isn’t that what you said? Or are you now gonna suddenly going to act like we’ve been best friends for our entire lives?”

“You can fight all you want, but last I checked Octavia is the blackened,” Monokuma reminded the two, Flash trying to reach for a weapon he didn’t actually have with him. “You know what that means. She dies, and a ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala is no fun if use if you are dead.”

“Oh, but Monokuma, you forgot something,” Fluttershy’s voice lead me to look at the pegasus, who gave me a wink before turning to our captor. “Last I checked, we only stated that the blackened would be executed, and if what you said is correct that means the other pony could still get the ticket.”

After having gotten so use to Fluttershy acting like a brainwashed follower, seeing her stand up to Monokuma was shocking. I wasn’t sure if it was just great acting or a rare moment of kindness out of the new Fluttershy, but I didn’t care. Somehow, and I don’t actually know how she managed to make the words stick, but I thought I saw Monokuma hesitate for a second. Did the pegasus who said that no one here liked her… just make Monokuma second guess himself?

“Jeez, your putting me in a really tough position here Fluttershy,” The bear said, seeming to literally sink into the cushion of his throne. “I’m trying to be all threatening and cool, but you just sap all that terror right out of me. Though, you’re right, I never did say anything about the pony who gets the second ticket. Kinda hurts to admit it, but even if this Vinyl was here, rules state she would be safe.”

“Then why not do what’s easy and just give the tickets to her fiance,” Fluttershy proposed, and I barely saw the millisecond-long smug that appeared on her face. “Not really anything else you can do, and I should tell you, promises are very important to us ponies. Breaking one is like being a traitor in certain cases.”

“Al… Alright I’ll do it, but only because your giving me those damn eyes again,” Monokuma hopped off his throne and ran over to the group of ponies surrounding Octavia. “Okay, look here miss weeping willow, I’ll give you better half a break. You want that second ticket to go to your little marefriend, then I’ll give it to her.”

“R-really?” Octavia asked, wiping the tears out of her eyes, “I… I guess that will do.”

“Are you sure Octavia?” Bon Bon asked the doomed mare, as she stepped out of the crowd of ponies. “How can you be sure that Monokuma will keep his word? He looks like the kind to make up such a jest as this, especially considering how he’s treated everypony here.”

“You might be right Bon Bon, but jest or not I can’t complain,” Octavia said as Monokuma rushed past her and back to the throne. “Ever since I got here I’ve been worried about my dear Vinyl, and if we can never see each other again, I want this to be my will to her. A ticket to stardom, and a life hopefully free of grief.”

“Well, now that we’re done with that, let’s get this over with shall we?” Monokuma asked rhetorically as Octavia kept talking.

“Look, you all have family or friends waiting for you right?” Octavia asked us. “If you do, don’t be a foal like I have been today. Stay alive, and perhaps in time you will find your way out of here.”

“I got a very special punishment for the Ultimate Cellist, Octavia Philharmonica.”

“And please, when you do…”

“Without further complications, it’s time for an execution!”

“... tell Vinyl, and the families of everypony else who died, that we will always love them!”

Octavia has been found guilty, time for her punishment!

The entire room went dark as Octavia finished speaking, and despite not moving my hooves at all I felt like we were somewhere completely different. That feeling became realized when I suddenly saw a large concert hall in front of myself, going several floors below the ground of the trial room. The audience was filled with hundreds of Monokumas, and even more with instruments lining the stage. Yet, one spot on the stage was still dark, and as it finally let up it reveal Octavia, front and center without an instrument in her hooves. A banner dropped that said “Final Movement” as the crowd cheered her on, and with it a cello that landed inches from Octavia’s lap.

The Ultimate Cellist picked up the cello, and as she did all the Monokumas behind her took out bows for their instruments. It was at that moment I realized that the ends of everyone but Octavia’s bow had been tipped with an arrow head. Part of me felt disgusted at how mocking this was, but despite that the sole pony on stage smiled. As she did she looked up to us, and though she didn’t say any words, I assumed she was saying that this was her farewell gift to us all.

“Before we begin this heart wrenching, tear jerking, and truly horrid execution,” The true Monokuma said as he took his place as the conductor. “This special execution was brought to me by none other than the culprit herself as she committed her heinous crime. Normally, I don’t take requests, but who said I couldn’t mix things up a little?”

“She… asked for this to be her execution?” I heard Thorax repeat the question in shock. “Why did she even-”

“Thorax, some things are better left unknown.”

As the cheers and side chatter died down, Octavia took to the cello, and everypony was shown how talent she was. The Ultimate Cellist started out alone, but she was quickly joined by the orchestra of Monokumas behind her. The usual cheerful tone I was so use to hearing at classical concerts was absent, instead replaced with a slow, mournful tone that foreshadowed what was bound to come. Yet, despite that tone, Octavia was smiling. It made me forget what was going to happen for a second, only for a glance at the Monokumas behind her to remind me where we were.

When the song was getting close to its end, the floor beneath Octavia suddenly start to rise up. A few of the Monokumas stopped playing, and used a string that I hadn’t even seen to ready their arrows, turning the instruments into makeshift bows. The music kept on building, getting louder and louder as more Monokumas got ready to fire. The more that dropped out, the more I focused on Octavia until only she was only one Monokuma was playing. When that last one dropped out, Octavia let out one last, elongated note as the dozen’s of arrows fired into the air, and it end as they found a place in her body.

“Octavia!” I shouted out, seeing the look of shock on the Ultimate Cellist before life faded from her form. She leaned forward as life left her body, falling from the raised platform and landing a hoof’s length away from the conducting Monokuma.

“Sweet… Celestia,” Rainbow murmured, jaw dropping and eyes watering.

“No… no no no no no,” Pinkie was fairing even worse, backing away from the metal fence separating us from the execution grounds. Her irises had dilated to the point where she looked like a maniac. “This is wrong. This is so very, very wrong. I wanna go home! I don’t want to see anymore ponies die!”

“Ahahahahahaha!” Monokuma was doing the exact opposite of the rest of us, letting out a laugh that could have slice my heart in half. “Oh how I miss this feeling. This despair, this horror, it all feels so wonderful!”

“I… I don’t wanna watch anymore,” I said as I turned away, having noticed the blood the was beginning to pool under Octavia’s body. “I’m gonna head back up.”

A.K. nodded her head. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

Monokuma’s laugh rang through my ears in a different way then it had up to this point. If I didn’t want to leave before, I most certainly wanted to now, imagining how everyone would react to seeing my dead body. I wanted to rush towards the elevator door, but as we approached we were greeted by a certain yellow pegasus blocking the way.

“Fluttershy,” I pleaded. “I don’t know why you’re helping Monokuma, but please just let us-”

“More ponies are gonna die,” She said in the most straightforward way possible. “I know Trixie isn’t dead. I knew it from how Monokuma reacted after her execution, and if you have any sense you’ll know to watch your back.”

“Why is that?” A.K. asked as Fluttershy walked our way.

“Because,” She stopped and turned to me, looking me dead in the eyes. “The more you participate, the likelier you are to be targeted.”

With that, Fluttershy walked off, leaving the two of us wondering exactly what was currently going on insider her brain.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

“It’s okay, you can talk to me if you really want to. Isn’t her disappearance the reason you brought me here in the first place?”

“Yes, I remember why I called you here, but I don’t really know where to start. Thinking about losing her, even for the slightest moments, it makes me feel… it makes me feel-”

“Like you have nothing worth living for. Like the world took everything away from you and didn’t give so much as a reason as to why. It’s hurting you, and in the end you're coping with it through the act of denying you ever knew her.”

“... yes, exactly. Not having her in my life is like losing half of my lungs: I am living, but I don’t have a reason to live.”

“No reason to live, huh? Heh, yeah, I know that feeling. It’s nice to meet someone who actually understands what I went through.”

“What you went through? You lost a special somepony too?”

“Yeah, and just like you, she was the most important girl in my life.”

Survivors: 13

To be continued...

Author's Notes:

If I didn't convey Octavia's motive well enough during the end of the trial, than I most certainly did now. From here on out, things are only going to get more and more interesting, both in terms of writing it and you all reading it. Some of you might already be figuring a few things out, and if you are then congratulations. If not, then I'm sure you'll realize it in time.

Oh boy, already to chapter three and I'm not even halfway through the year yet. At this rate I might have the story finished before the end of the year, but I'm not gonna place my bets just yet. As if the length of time it took me between writing the trial and this shows, consistency isn't one of my strong suits. Anyways, I want to ask you all a small question, just out of curiosity: out of all three games, which one had the best investigation theme?

Personally, Ikoroshia/Homicide from Danganronpa 2 is mine, but I'm curious to here what the rest of you say.

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Daily Life part 1

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Here lies Octavia

Let her soul rest, in hopes of her love ones success.

The sight of a tombstone marked the recently departed, and I was once again subjected to the weight of digging somepony’s grave. Rainbow had joined me and A.K. in our attempt to give the Ultimate Cellist a proper burial, but we all were having our troubles doing it. My night was filled with nightmares, and I had woken up a few times during the course of the night thinking Octavia’s limp body was in front of me. Actually, that wasn’t the worst thing that happened, as I had another hallucination during the entire thing.

A.K. had come to my room late last night, knocking on my door and waking me from yet another terrible dream. I was awake, or at least one half of my brain was considering I remember the events that took place. I had heard her voice through the door, but when I went to open it I had seen the very last thing I want to see. As far as I knew, it was Monokuma who was right in front of me, and not thinking I almost club the Ultimate Author. After some misconceptions we were able to get everything sorted out spent the night together, feeling a little more comfortable that way.

However, while Octavia might have been the pony who caused such an incident to occur, she wasn’t the only dead body. That was evident with one glance at the grave between Octavia and Twilight. Just like she had the Ultimate Cellist, A.K. had given the Ultimate Dressmaker’s gravestone a heading with some tools Monokuma enthusiastically provided to us.

Here lies Rarity Belle

Let her family know she died with a smile, and with hope of another's happiness.

“I never thought I’d be doing this again,” A.K. said as she finished the message. “This isn’t something I wanted to experience again, but the they need to be remembered.”

The only gravestone without words on it was that of the Ultimate Magic Researcher, Twilight Sparkle. It wasn’t because she didn’t need to be remembered — Celestia knows that would make us look bad — it was more because nopony knew what to put on it. In three days a pony who had managed to become the pupil of the princess had lost all will to live, and nopony even noticed it. What exactly was one suppose to write? It’s possible that everything she said was simply to keep that fact hidden. No matter what the answer was, I decided it was best to not find out.

“Let’s head back,” I recommended to my fellow pegasi as we finished with the graves. “The others are probably waiting for us anyways.”

With Rainbow now knowing about Trixie’s escape, it was only fitting that we let her into our group. We had promised Flam and Doctor Hooves to meet them in the first floor living room after taking care of this, knowing it was important the dead are put to rest. I wasn’t around for it, but apparently things had turned ugly between Flash and Flam after Octavia’s execution. No doubt it was over the latter’s treatment of the guilty culprit, Flash seeing it as another excuse to tie the Ultimate Con Artist up when this is done.

“Hello?” A.K. called as she opened the door to the living room, finding Flam and Doctor Hooves in the middle of a discussion. “We aren’t interrupting something personal, are we?”

“Nope,” Flam said with a smile on his face, seeming to pretend nopony had seen the one-eighty his personality did yesterday. “Just getting the confirmation from the doc that chivalry is indeed dead. Has been for a good century or two now.”

“You know that doesn’t make up for what you did, right?” Rainbow reminded him, getting a role of the eyes in response.

“I’d rather not get on that topic again if you wouldn’t mind. Back still hurt from being piledrived into a pillar,” Flam told us all as he pointed to his back, though I couldn’t see any damage through his fur and shirt. “Anyways, me and the doc are thinking it’s best for us five to take a little more action than we did before.”

A.K. seemed puzzled by this decision. “Please tell me you have a reason for this, Flam.”

“We most certainly do have a reason for this,” Doctor Hooves replied, stepping forward and onto the living rooms rug. “The four, now five, of us got together because we had to take some initiative, right? We’re trying to keep everypony alive so that Trixie doesn’t come back to a field of corpses, and so far we aren’t doing all that well,” He did have a point. We didn’t really do anything to try and stop what happened to Octavia and Rarity, but at the same time we had no control over it due to the letter. “Therefore, Flam and I think that it would be to our advantage if we took a little more initiative whenever a motive is introduced.”

They did have a point, but I wasn’t sure what we could do in order to take initiative. In the end, even if we tried to do something to stop a murder a part of me saw it as inevitable for one to happen. We couldn’t just go around saying how wrong it was, because as long as Monokuma has one good reason for us to try and kill each other he would get his way. Who knew how long it was till one of us five were murdered, or ever what it took for us to do the same. I hated to think it, but the only pony I actually trust out of everypony in here is A.K.

“So you’ve proven your reason, but what exactly would you have us do?” The Ultimate Author asked. Her response came in the form of two pairs of wide eyes from the stallions in front of us. “Look, I understand what you’re saying, but please make sure you have a plan before hoof next time.”

“Don’t mean to interrupt, but anypony else wondering about what Monokuma opened up downstairs?” Rainbow asked us as she flew in front of everyone.

Monokuma had already opened the next floor of the castle to everypony when calling the morning announcement, but it wasn’t the third floor like I had expected. Instead, the stairway leading down in the left wing of the castle opened. Part of me already knew what was waiting down there, but Rainbow wasn’t the kinda pony who thought about castles and ruling a kingdom. I really wish that dream was true.

“Well we might as well,” I replied to Rainbow. “Don’t think much is really gonna get done if we stand around here anyway.”

“That it won’t,” Flam confirmed as he walked past us. “Besides, even if we don’t know how exactly to do it, we can at least do what we can to interfere with Monokuma. You know, interfere in a way that won’t get us killed.”

He and Doctor Hooves left ahead of us, and after a few more seconds the rest of us left for the new floor. The walked to the stairs was rather uneventful, as most ponies seemed to be ahead of us. The moment we reached the stairway, we realized that had an entirely different look to it than that of the current floor. Where as everything on the main floor seemed to be made out of one single slab of stone, one look down the steps showed walls and floors cut into rectangular bricks. Barely any light seemed to reach the bottom, or at least I assumed that was the body.

“Yep, already getting a dungeon feel from this,” I murmured to myself.

Heading downstairs, I couldn’t have been more correct about what I had felt. The dim lighting gave the entire area a rather somber feeling to it, and that only grew as I noticed the brick seemingly tinted red. The hallway was split at a right angle with two old, wooden doors straight down one way and a single door with multiple cells against the wall to my right. It was as cliche of a dungeon as one could expect, but after the stark contrast between the first and second floors of the castle I had expect this.

“Well, this isn’t as awesome as I expect,” Rainbow Dash stated, staying behind A.K. and I. “I was hoping for something a little more… cheerful looking, to be honest.”

“It seems like he’s pulling from countless different eras of equestrian history,” A.K. explained as she made her way in front of us. “If I’m correct, than one of those two has to be...”

She trailed off as she walked up to the door at the far end of the hallway straight in front of us. She tried to open it, but found that it was currently locked. She swore under her breath before turning to the other door in this part of the hall, which I now noticed had a small part of it jutting inwards, and turned it. This time it did open, and before I had even laid eyes on the room we were entering I saw her smile.

“Bingo.”

Looking up, I found myself terrified at what was in front of me. Countless strange, wooden devices were scattered around the room, all of which I knew had only one purpose: torture. Some had spikes, others had various gadgets that looked just as painful as somepony would expect. I could hear the sound of water dripping, though I had no idea where it was coming from. This entire room screamed death and pain, making want to leave almost instantly. A.K., however was slightly intrigued at it all.

“I can’t remember the name for half of this stuff, but this is definitely a medieval torture chamber,” She confirmed, as if one glance at the room didn’t do just that. “All hoof made no doubt, but it just makes me further question how old this castle really is.”

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I turned around to see the wide eyed Nurse Redheart gallop past us and into the room. She proceeded to hug a large rotating piece of wood in the middle of the room, petting it as if it was a puppy. “Ponies of old really were creative in their way of torture, and I’ve always wanted to see one. A torturer is like a pain doctor, trained to make you feel pain instead of relive it. It’s really a shame that Celestia doesn’t use these things anymore, considering just how effective they can be.”

“Why would you… actually, nevermind,” I quickly bit back the question in my mind as I realized the answer I would probably received. Redheart seemed like one of the nicest, most trustworthy ponies here, but that was all gone now. I turned to my compatriots, a look of horror on my face. “How the hey is that mare a nurse?”

“Don’t ask me,” A.K. whispered to me. “I’d rather not ask, especially when she is in this state.”

Leaving the Ultimate Nurse to her own business, we made our way out of the dungeons torture room and back into the hall. I think most of us swore to never enter the room again after that, seeing it as the perfect place to get killed. We made our way back to the dungeon’s entrance and turned to the left (or right if you were looking out from the stairway) hallway. Just as I had seen earlier, empty cells lined the sides of the hallway, each with an open door and key hanging next to it. I didn’t want to check, but I was positive a pony wouldn’t be able to reach the key from inside.

“This,” I said, looking around me. “Is what I a pony would expect in a killing game. I’m surprised Monokuma didn’t just stick us all down here and waited for who cracked first.”

“I don’t know, Dee,” Rainbow replied as she entered one of the cells. She left just as quickly as we entered. “I hate to say it, but Monokuma doesn’t seem like that much of a psychopath. This is more like one of those old social experiment you see in horror novels.”

“He’s the scientist and we’re his lab rats,” A.K. said as we reached the door located at the end of the hallway. “Yeah. Sounds exactly like one now that I think about it.”

The door suddenly flew open in front of us, closing just as quickly as Bulk Bicep blocked it off. Unlike the last time he opened something in front of me, the door stays where it was supposed to. Before I could say anything he’s stubby hooves grabbed me, and I was instantly brought to the ground under his tremendous weight. His eyes were so wide they might have popped out if not for the muscle keeping them in. He was breathing heavily, like he had just did a marathon.

“Um… Bulk?”

“Don’t go in there!” He screeched into my ear, and I was lucky I didn’t loss my hearing all together. “It’s weird! One step inside and I just wanted to… wanted to… it’s too terrible for words! If I didn’t have some urge of self control I might have actually done what she wanted!”

Rainbow and A.K. looked at each other confused before looking back. “Done what who wanted?” The former asked.

Our answer came in the form of Fluttershy, looking as if she was only half awake. She was giggling like a filly, tongue hanging from her mouth and panting. I was obscenely worried, as well as confused, curious, and hopelessly intrigued by what the Ultimate Animal Caretaker had been doing in their. Then, as if an invisible switch had been turned off, Fluttershy turned from looking as drunk as a sailor to absolutely clueless as to what was going on around her. I could hear Bulk whimpering as he looked to the mare, who was utterly confused as to why he had that look on his face.

“Bulk, is everything oka-”

“Get away from me!” The Ultimate Bodybuilder vanished from my view, his cries of terror resounding against the walls as he fled from the dungeons. I was lucky he hadn’t crushed my shoulders.

“So… what happened to him?” I asked as Rainbow helped me back to my hooves. “Seems like you gave him quite the fright in there.”

“Oh, that’s why he acted that way,” Fluttershy said as she turned around and looked to the door she had come out of. “Funny. I remember entering the door, but I don’t remember anything after that. Guess I must have been in some sort of trance,” I then saw her turn to an engraving I hadn’t noticed next to the door. My eyes widened as I read the words ‘Pit of Desire, dili dili’ on it. “Actually, that might explain why Monokuma was encouraging me to go inside.”

“Your still hanging out with him?” Rainbow asked, looking rather disappointedly at the Ultimate Animal Caretaker. “Haven’t you realized that he is a bad influence? You’re only hurting yourself being around him.”

“Says the pony who waited to save my flank during the first trial,” The venom in Fluttershy’s words as she spoke took me by surprised. “If it wasn’t for Ditzy, you probably wouldn’t have said a thing, would you?”

She trotted past us, giving a deadly glare to the Ultimate Stunt Flyer as she did. I didn’t expect the mare to hold a grudge like that for so long, but it was probably Monokuma who kept reminding her.

——-Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death——-

Everypony decided to meet at the dining hall after exploring the dungeon beneath us, including Flam and Flash who more than prefered to not see each other again. Most of the ponies still alive had already gathered inside by the time we got there. Those who didn’t arrive before us did a few minutes after, with these mainly being Thorax, Bulk Bicep, and Redheart. However, there was still two ponies missing from the group.

“Where’s Pinkie and Bon Bon?” Applejack asked. “Ya don’t think that party mare is hiding in her room after what happened, right?”

“You already know the answer Applejack,” Flam told the Ultimate Farmer as he proceeded to take a seat at the table. “I think everypony had a poor reaction to Octavia’s execution, and considering Pinkie didn’t speak a word during the trial-”

“Like you’re one to speak, filth,” Flam stopped talking as he heard Flash say those words. It was clear as day what the Ultimate Guard was trying to bait. “Harming a mare, even if she is accused, is absolutely disgusting. You may claim to be good, but we all saw how you acted yesterday you low class swindler.”

I, like most ponies in the room, had expect Flam to loss his mind in the same way he did with Applejack during the first trial. What happened instead was no reaction whatsoever, not even a scowl. In fact, the Ultimate Con Artist smiled as he looked to the Ultimate Guard. I suddenly remember what he had said earlier, and now knew exactly why he had said it.

“Chivalry is dead.”

I saw Flash bit his lip as he heard that. “Why you-”

“Has anypony seen Pinkie today?” Everyone’s attention turned to Bon Bon, who had just entered the room out of breath and with a messy, uncombed mane. “I haven’t seen her since I woke up this morning.”

“I’m pretty sure the poor mare is in her room Bon Bon,” Doctor Hooves suggested. “I doubt she is going to leave it anytime soon, given what happened yesterday.”

The Ultimate Candymaker sighed as she heard that. “Yeah, I guess you're right,” She said as she sat at the table. “I worried about her. When we first woke up here Pinkie was as chipper as foal on caffeine, but after Twilight, Trixie, Rarity, and Octavia, she seems to be getting more and more scared.”

“We just have to give her a little space,” A.K. told Bon Bon, taking a seat next to her. “I hate to say it, but it would probably be best for everypony to give her some space, for her comfort and our safety. Last thing we want is somepony dying because we got a little too close for comfort.”

Everypony agreed with this, though Bon Bon seemed more reluctant than the rest. She did seem rather close to Pinkie, considering what she had done for the mare during the last trial. I could only imagine how badly this must be scaring her, not having seen the Ultimate Party Planner. However, considering we haven’t heard anything from Monokuma, it’s safe to say she’s still alive.

Things grew a little more cheerful as we all got ourselves breakfast, though Octavia and Rarity’s fates were still hanging over our heads. There were many attempts to lighten the mode, some of which did better than others. When we finished eating we all went our separate ways, leaving me in the dining hall to finish eating. I hated the lack of muffins, but I could see why Monokuma had called these hope bagels. It made me feel a more cheerful, and I was more than determined to share that cheer with somepony else.

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Free Time Event (Redheart and Bon Bon)

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I immediately regretted ever trusted the instincts brought on by the bagels I had eaten. Before me was Redheart, gushing over the many different torture devices located in the castle dungeons. She hadn’t seen me yet, and I knew that meant I had a chance to turn around, but my body still believed that the bagels were correct. Sucking it up, I stepped forward and prepared for the worst.

“H-h-hey Redheart,” I greeted, unable to hold back the worry and fear I felt as I approached her. “Um, how’s it going?”

“Oh, it’s going wonderfully miss Ditzy,” The Ultimate Nurse responded, quickly turning to me. “I’ve never felt so alive in my life! Actually, that isn’t true, but who cares?” Her muzzle was inches from mine. I could feel the hasty breaths from her nostrils. “Anyways, I assume you came to chat, and I think you have a question you’ve been wanting to ask.”

“Yeah, I do,” I said nervously, nodding my. “Redheart, I don’t mean to be rude but… compared to when we first met, you don’t seem like the type to become a nurse. Why did you become one?”

“Well there are many reason that ponies become doctors of nurses Ditzy,” Redheart replied, the way she had worded it telling me this isn’t the first time she had been asked this question. “Some like to help ponies and see it as there way of helping, others do it because they need the money, and some have the talent and are drawn to it. I was the latter, though it was not my first choice for a career.”

“Yeah, I can kinda relate there,” I told her, looking at the ground. “Everypony would look at my left eye and say I was unqualified. I was lucky anyone was willing to take me in.”

“Then I’m sure you remember what I said during the investigation,” Redheart said with a smile. “Before I gained my talent, I wanted to become a detective, or an investigator if you prefer. I wanted to solve crimes much like we are now, though with the stakes not so high I’d say,” She started to do that giggling thing she did when she got excited. “Ehehe. Oh the plans I had back than. To become the best detective in Equestria and solve the most horrific murders. Heh, that is still something I wish for, and I’m more than enjoy my time right now doing it. Of course, I don’t think that’s happening anytime soon.”

I saw her glare angrily at her flank, or more specifically her cutie mark. It wasn’t often I saw somepony look like they’ve been wrong by their own talent, but I could understand why Redheart hated it. Nursing wasn’t the farthest thing criminal investigation, but it was certainly not what she seemed to dream of. How she is reacting now is perhaps that more childish wish coming back to her. That could explain the shift in personality.

“You know, you could quit if you didn’t enjoy nursing,” I reminded her, hoping that it would make her feel a little happier. “Even if you are good at it, what’s the point of being good at something you don’t like.”

“It’s not as simple as that Ditzy,” Redheart told me, a sigh escaping her. “You don’t just quit nursing, especially when you are the Ultimate Nurse. The way you’ve seen me act here, it’s not something anypony else sees. Imagine how ponies would react to an Ultimate acting like a foal on a high.”

“I… I guess that’s true,” I stammered, not having prepared a response in case she rejected my idea. “Still, if you aren’t happy, you should consider telling somepony about it. You don’t need to tell them everything, but if you’re unhappy that makes me unhappy.”

Redheart didn’t respond to that, instead turning her back to me and looking at the many torture devices that made up the room. Knowing I had probably crossed the line, I decided to leave her be. When I had heard of the Ultimate Nurse, I had expected someone who was both mentally and physically stable, able to understand everything told to them. That physical part was correct, but with everything I had just learned, I wasn’t so sure about the mental side. I just hope she doesn’t do anything she’ll regret.

After my talk with Redheart, I made my way out of the dungeon in a hurry. I still didn’t like the feel of that place, and considering that Redheart was the only pony I saw down there, I wasn’t alone. I couldn’t help but wonder where everypony was now, seeing as the ground level of the castle was rather empty. That really put into perspective how empty this whole place seemed. It was unsettling, unnerving, and…

“Emotional,” I looked behind myself to see Bon Bon had snuck up behind me, looking grateful that I was here. “That’s what the emptiness reminds you of, doesn’t it? It’s like you could let out all your emotions in hear and not be judged one bit for what you might say. I’ve considered doing it, but I always get nervous somepony might be in the hallways.”

“Honestly, I think I’m more worried about mares coming up behind me without notice,” I told her, giving her a look of disapproval.

“Tuché,” She responded with a smile. “Actually, I wasn’t looking for you Ditzy. I was wondering if we could talk a bit, mare to mare. I need someone a little less on the ego side.”

I accepted her invitation without a second though, and we ended up talking for quite a while. We had lunch together, neither of us having eaten since the meeting earlier today, and continued to talk even after that. It was during that time that I started to realize how different Bon Bon and I were from the rest of the Ultimates here. To be more exact, I was surprised at the fact Bon Bon never mentioned her career or title during the entire time. It was like they didn’t even exist in her world, or that she lacked the care for it that the other ponies here seemed to.

“Is something wrong Bon Bon?” I asked out of nowhere. “You’ve been a bit reluctant to talk about your career.”

“I don’t see why that would make you think I’m sick or anything,” Bon Bon addressed. “Besides, I’m fine. Do you think I should be talking about it more or something?”

“It’s not that… at least not completely that,” I told her, feeling like I was trying to force her to talk about something she hated. “You just don’t strike me as an Ultimate whenever we talk, that’s all. When I talk with Rainbow, Flam, or any of the others the conversation always seems to drift to their talents and career. You, on the other hand, don’t really mention any of that.”

“I guess that is because my life has been more normal than the rest of the ponies here,” Bon Bon guessed, thinking it over in her head. “I liked baking when I was younger, especially treats, but that’s all there really is to tell of my story. I’m a candy maker, not the prize pupil of Celestia like Twilight was or a member of her personal guard like Flash,” I nodded my head as she said those things, noticing just how different they were. “I’m just a small town mare from the equestrian countryside, and that’s all there really is to it. Becoming an Ultimate changed next to nothing.”

“Guess that makes you and me the two most insignificant ponies here,” I pointed out, screwing a dagger into my heart as I thought about that. “You know, we need some sort of special thing about ourselves. Not that anypony will remember Ditzy Do, Ultimate Mail Carrier anyway, but we should at least try and stick out.”

I didn’t like thinking of myself that way, but it was ultimate the truth. The Ultimate Candymaker and the Ultimate Mail Carrier, that was much less exuberant than the Ultimate Nurse or Ultimate Cellist. Bon Bon and I were, in every possible way, the definition of normal here in the castle. Heck, we were probably the definition of normal outside of the castle as well! Nopony would remember someone whose talent was getting a box from point A to point B.

“You sure it’s really that bad?” Bon Bon asked. “Not everypony wishes to be remembered or known as some great hero. Some of us prefer to just go about life and taking part of its many wonders. Finding love, getting a job, have a meal at a restaurant every once in a while, even something so simple as sitting on a bench can be better than becoming popular.”

“That’s true, but I still feel like we’re out of place,” I told her, not completely understanding what she had been getting at. “They’re all so… unique compared to us. I feel like we need to do something in order to stand out.”

“Were you listening to what I was saying?” Bon Bon asked again. I nodded my head, still not realizing that I missed the point. “Well, if you really want to try and be ‘unique’, than I guess I will do the same. Just tell me when an idea comes to your head, okay?”

I nodded my head, an innocent smile taking shape on my muzzle before I bid farewell to the Ultimate Candymaker. I could tell she wasn’t interested in what I was trying to get her to do, but by the end of this I hope we would find something to make us stand out more.

——- Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death ——-

The rest of the day past by before I knew it and I soon heard the familiar chime of Monokuma calling us all to bed. Today was probably the most normal day since I’ve arrived here, though that isn’t saying much. I don’t know why but something about this entire place and the situation we were started to feel odd. I felt like there was something right in front of me that I couldn’t recall or notice. Something that was haunting me, making me second guess the actions I took. It scared me, and as I went to bed, I thought of the same thing I have been since I got here.

I wished to go home.

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Daily Life part 2

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What started out as a restful night turned restless quickly. As soon as my thought went to home I was restless, wondering if anyone thought I was dead. My friends, parents, and the post office all had to think that by now giving the length of time I’ve been here. The only reason I even did get sleep at that point was due to the comfort of my bed, and those were only for minutes at least.

Ding dong bing bong

“Hello everyone, it is now eight am and that means another beautiful morning is upon us,” I groaned at the sound of Monokuma’s voice. It was the last thing I wanted to here this morning, and I tried using my hooves to cover my ears and block his voice. “Now then, I’m sure you can all probably guess by this point, but I have something to show you all. Same place as always, and if you really need to be reminded, screw you! This ain’t a 4kids dub!”

It was no use, his voice was so loud that it was near impossible for me to not here it. On one hoof, I could stay in bed and relax, which is what I would have chosen if it wasn’t for the ever looming possibility of death. The other option was the one I had decided on, which was to head for the dining room. Everypony probably already knew what Monokuma had waiting for us.

By the time I arrived at the dining room everypony else was already there. Some looked a lot like I had, a bad night’s sleep plaguing nearly half the room. Nopony spoke, though I couldn’t tell if it was due to a lack in topics or just the state of everyone in here.

“Are you okay Ditzy?” Thorax asked, noticing how unhappy I currently was. “I know most of us here are tired, but you seem like you want to kill someone.”

“Thorax,” I called to him. “I think I speak for most ponies here when I say how badly that was phrased.”

“Eh, sleep is no reason to kill somepony anyway,” Redheart chimed in, her words seeming to gain a venomous glare from a fair amount of us. “You all really need to lighten up. What’s so bad about trying to crack a joke in a moment like this? Honestly, all those frowns are going to do for you is heighten the chance of another murder.”

“Don’t lie to us Redheart, we know that’s not how you feel,” Flash said. The response made me groan, having gotten far to familiar with this rhythm. “Four ponies are dead! Even if two of them were murders they were not treated fairly by any means. If you are going to make light of this I might just have to-”

“Arrest me? Oh you’ve sent a chill down my spine you walking contradiction,” Redheart interrupted, her voice filled to the brim with sarcasm. “You know, for the Ultimate Guard you have done nothing to prove yourself as one. The true Ultimate Guard, while wary, wouldn’t go about pointing hooves at everyone who looks bad. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but so far we bad ponies have done more good than the rest of you.”

“You aren’t wrong,” A.K. replied, walking to Redheart’s side. “Last I check Flash, you’ve assaulted two innocent ponies here since all of this has started, Flam and Thorax,” Flash opened his mouth to retort, but was quickly cut off. “I am going to ask you to shut your mouth before you even try to call Thorax ‘an unintelligent beast’. The treatment you have shown to ponies here is far below that of what the Ultimate Guard should be.”

“Well why shouldn’t I? The best way to survive this is suspicion, right?” He asked, his reasoning both correct and incorrect at the same time. “I am part of Princess Celestia’s personal guard, and as such it is my duty to protect her. If we go around trusting each other, it will only lessen our chances of making it out of here alive.”

“Wow, didn’t expect that to be happening this late into the game,” Monokuma’s voice rang out, our eyes immediately turning to the table in the center of the room. “Usually by the second murder everyone is talking about how you can’t trust each other. It was making me nervous as to how much you all still trusted each other, but it looks like I don’t have to worry.”

“You do realize that you don’t need to make a rambling argument everytime you appear, right?” Applejack asked. “Anyways, we all know why you’re here so just give it up already and leave us alone.”

“I know this is a killing game but the least you could do is show me a little respect damn it!” Monokuma shouted lunging at the Ultimate Farmer with claws ready. “I swear to whatever being you praise that your lucky I didn’t decide to just kill you all from the start. I’m your host, kidnapper, and judge and as such I should be receiving all that respect I have lost over the years.”

I tilted my head in confusion, one word in particular not ringing with me. “Kidnapper? Do you mean foalnapper?”

After I said that, he just stood there, staring at me. I could only imagine how stupid I must of sounded to him, but I wasn’t wrong. Any Equestrian dictionary a pony read would see ‘foalnap’ or ‘ponynap’, not ‘kidnap’. I could see that I wasn’t the only who had caught that strange word in his rant, but no one was willing to say anything. Part of me expect Monokuma to tear me apart for correcting him, but instead he held up a group of envelopes in one paw, the other with claws at the ready.

“You know,” Monokuma finally said, those words followed by a quick sigh of relief. “Now I feel even less sorry for what I’m about to do. Should have considered your place before speaking up, dimwit.”

With that, he threw the envelopes into the air and jumped up after them. He seemed to suspend himself in the air for a small amount of time, putting his paws across his chest in a X shape. With, he swiped at the envelopes, cutting both them and the paper inside of them in half. He swiped again, than again, and in time his singular strikes at the paper turned into an invisible flurry that cut them until they were shreds. He landed as he finished his furious battle with the paper, a part of me being torn apart to see such treatment of mail and letters.

“In case any of you were wondering, those were all letters that I had ‘borrowed’ from all your homes and families in the past few hours,” Monokuma explained, his voice filled with hatred and rage. “Now, if you had all shown me a little damn respect in the past few days, I would have proudly given them to you. However, unless you want to take the time to put them all back together, none of you will ever get to hear what they say.”

“Wait, are you saying you don’t have a motive for us?” I asked, trying to understand what little of these circumstances I actually can.

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t, but now you will never know,” Monokuma said with a giggle. “Sucks to be you. Now then, I’ll take my leave and let you do whatever the heck you are going to.”

Monokuma jumped backwards, landing behind the table and vanishing like always. Flash rushed forward as if it would stop the mechanical bear, but his efforts were fruitless. Nopony really knew what to think about the events following, but many eyes were on me at that moment. I had made a mistake, one that I hadn’t expected but a mistake nonetheless.

“Nice going Ditzy, you pissed off the bear,” Applejack said, no attempts being made to hide her aggression.

“Don’t act like that, how was I supposed to know?” I said with reason that was sound in my head. “He didn’t seem that easy to tick, and I didn’t think it would happen after how happy he was about… about Octavia’s death.”

“Like you care after that stunt you pulled,” Flash said, sounding just as forceful as usual.

“I seriously didn’t mean to-”

“Now’s not the time for that,” Somepony called from beside me. Looking in the voices direction I found Redheart, looking at me that reminded me of how she acted before we learned her secret. “Right now it’s probably just best to leave.”

Still not completely trusting Redheart I turned to A.K. and Rainbow for their judgement. Both of them nodded their head yes solemnly, neither of them having the venomous look that most of the room held. I sighed as I realized that nopony wanted me around at the current moment save for my best friend, possible sister, and the Ultimate Nurse. Those three, however, understood more than I did how risky it would be to stay in the room. Looking back to Redheart I nodded and followed her out.

“As stupid as that was, you aren’t to blame,” Redheart said as the two of us entered the hallway. She quickly closed the door behind me, as if she was worried somepony was willing to stab me in the back. “Monokuma said it himself. He was going to destroy those cards anyways, so what point is there to blame this on you?”

I looked back to the door and then back to Redheart. I was overwhelmingly confused. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I’m an orphan, have no parents to go back to, and no friends from then because my...” Redheart didn’t finish what she was about to say. “Anyways, all I’m gonna ask of you is to be careful. That said I have something more concerning to ask of you, where was Pinkie Pie during that entire thing.”

I was taken off guard by that question, but Redheart wasn’t wrong to ask about that. Monokuma didn’t seem to take notice of Pinkie Pie at all, or rather the lack of Pinkie Pie for that matter. Perhaps he saw how badly the Ultimate Party Planner was taken all of this. Actually, Monokuma doesn’t seem like the type to care about that.

“I don’t know, but I hope she’s fine,” I replied, looking away ashamed of not knowing. “Guess all we can do is wait until she comes out of her room.”

“Then I guess I will have to keep an eye on her, though not for her safety,” Redheart started walking towards the dungeon. “Just stay safe Ditzy, going up against Monokuma is dangerous, no matter how directly it is.”

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Free Time Event (Thorax 2 and Redheart 2)

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I spent a large of the day by myself, but that quickly grew boring as I found myself running out of things to do. The only thing that really interested me throughout the castle was the books, but reading could only keep me occupied for so long. At that point, with nothing left to do, I decided to simply wait in my room for something fun to cross my mind. I had almost drifted to sleep before something brought me back from my half sleeping state.

“Hello? Ditzy?” The voice of Thorax called out through the door. “Are you in there?”

Part of me wanted to not answer, seeing as Redheart had told me how some might not be happy with my actions at breakfast. However, just thinking about not answering Thorax bothered me due to how the guy had been treated upon arrival. The moment I thought of how Flash ‘greeted’ the changeling I jumped out of bed. I didn’t care what Redheart wanted me to do; Thorax needed somepony he can trust here and if others weren’t going to help, then I would.

“One sec!” I called out to him as I quickly made my way to the door.

I was in such a rush to the door I didn’t even notice that the blankets had followed me along. I fumbled to open the door, feeling a strange rush of energy that I didn’t know I was keeping pent up. Once I did get it open, I could see Thorax stare at me, his eyes widening as he looked past me. I looked in his direction to see what it was, finally noticing the I was carrying every single blanket that had been on my bed on my tail.

“Oh, oops,” I said with a giggle shaking them off. “Guess I brought a little more than myself along didn’t I? So, what did you want to see me for?”

“A-actually, I just wanted to talk,” Thorax told me, seeming rather embarrassed. “I’m just a little concerned talking to other ponies and thought that you might be a little lonely after what happened this morning.”

“I’ll admit, most ponies here seem to be keeping their distance from me, but whatever,” I replied with a shrug. “Besides, I think it would be pretty obvious if one of them tried to kill me.”

I invited him inside so that we could chat privately, and he nervously accepted it. After that, our chat quickly turned into a discussion of pony culture. Thorax seemed very interested in the topic, and took me by surprise just how little he, and probably most other changelings, knew about it. Everything from jobs to money, the latter of which not even existing in changeling hives, as well as things such as education and weddings seemed either extremely different or nonexistent.

“Thorax I hate to bring this up, but about the Canterlot invasion Flash mention,” I started, already noticing the pain on Thorax at the mention of the event. “If you don’t know anything about us ponies or our culture, why did you attack instead approaching peacefully?”

Thorax went silent as I finished my question, and I could tell that I had touched something rather delicate. His eyes didn’t meet mine, but it felt like he was almost forcing himself to. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, as if he wanted to answer but had no voice to do so with. I had hit a spot that I maybe shouldn’t have, and I instantly tried to take it back.

“Actually, n-nevermind,” I stammered, waving my hooves frantically in front of me. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“That’s not the problem Ditzy, it’s the hive that I’m not so comfortable about,” Thorax responded. He pawed the ground as he explained. “You probably already know, but we changelings have what you call a hivemind. Every changeling is connected to it and it’s what holds us under the queens command. Free will is a thing, but when queen gives you an order you can’t deny it.”

I worry turned to confusion, and that confusion turned to astonishment when I realized what that meant. I’ve heard how the changelings had acted like feral beasts during the attack, the only one having spoken was their queen. They had attacked everything in sight, and had followed orders as if they didn’t have minds. If what Thorax said was true, than that meant the hives actions made more sense.

“You were ordered to imprison everypony in sight, and the urge to follow your queen overwrote your free will for a time,” I said, piecing together what Thorax had explained. A nod of approval told me I was right, but it wasn’t something I was proud to be correct about. “I’m sorry Thorax, I didn’t know. I should have realized you didn’t have control.”

“That’s not even the worst part,” Thorax replied, his voice growing mellow as he eyes looked further away from me. “I’m sure if I asked, my queen would tell me the answers to your question, but I don’t feel the hivemind anymore. I haven’t heard it since I arrived.”

“Perhaps that’s for the best,” I told him, doing my best to force a smile. “While it must be weird to be disconnect from something like that, it is possible your queen might try and tell you to kill us with it. Besides, who wants to lose control of their body?”

“Ditzy…” Thorax didn’t that thought. Instead walking away from me in what looked like fear. Guess I didn’t do so well trying to comfort him.

That mood didn’t leave me for sometime, as I was too stuck on how I messed up to really think about where I was going. When I finally did, I found I had wandered into the dungeons of the castle, a place that still creeped me out just as much as before. The eerie silence was only broken by the familiar humming of the Ultimate Nurse, who was once again in the torture room. Despite having given words of advice to me, I still didn’t completely trust her.

“I know you’re there Ditzy,” She called out, much to my shock and bewilderment. “Come in, I want to talk to you for a second.”

Part of me wanted to decline the invitation, run back upstairs, and hide in my room where she couldn’t find me. I immediately realized that was a horrible idea not only because I had no idea what Redheart would do to me than, but because I had put trust in her. It wouldn’t be right to turn away from her without an answer. She trusted me, so for the moment, I’ll trust her.

“O-okay,” I stammered. A part of my brain still wanted to get out of this while I could, but that was no longer once I set hoof inside the torture room. The Ultimate Nurse was laying down on one of the machines, though it was mere one of those restraining tables you would see in medieval times. “Hey Redheart, sorry if I did interrupt you from something.”

“Other than laying around with nothing to do? No,” Redheart said dismissively with a wave of her hoof. “I was thinking things would get more interesting with this new floor open, but just like the last it feels utterly empty of purpose. It has no other purpose than to kill us. Not even this room could satisfy me more than a day.”

“I’m… sorry to hear that,” I told her, though I actually felt kind of grateful at the current moment. “So, you wanted to talk to me?”

“Less of a talk and more of an apology now that I think about it,” The Ultimate Nurse sat up and jumped off the restaining table. “Last time we talked like this you said I should talk about how I feel with somepony. Truth is… I don’t really have anyone I could talk with,” Redheart explained. “I was sheltered at a young age, didn’t really have many ponies you could consider friends with.”

So that’s why she went silent at the end of our last talk. Redheart didn’t say it, but I could tell from her voice that those weren’t the happiest days. Being sheltered from the rest of the world could also explain why she isn’t as stable as I had once thought. I could relate in a way, having been bullied and made fun of during those years, and sometimes I still do.

“Mom died giving birth to me, and I’m sure that made my dad stressed,” Redheart continued, her expression getting more gloomy as time went on. “Every cut and bruise made him worried about my life, and every time my mood was sour he acted like it was the end of the world. He thought that a blade of grass would kill me Celestia sake,” She grit her teeth as she recounted that last part. “I was the mystery child in town that everyone knew existed but never saw. They thought I was a psycho.”

“I’m could see why,” I mumbled, realizing too slowly that Redheart had heard me. “S-sorry.”

She sighed. “I don’t blame you for thinking that way. I did kinda lead myself that path, but what ponies are social creatures,” She explained. “They say that many killers are born out of a lack of social interaction, and I guess you could say the same for me. That said I don’t know how accurate the research is.”

“I guess that makes you a lucky exception,” I joked, though Redheart didn’t seem to get it. “Also, you may not have had anyone than, but I’m sure you must have had co-workers or friends after to help you.”

“You aren’t wrong Ditzy, but how do you explain to someone in a civilized manner that you love murder and killers?” Redheart asked, and whatever answer I had got caught in my throat. “You see? Add that and my title as Ultimate Nurse in, and who would expect for me of all ponies to stop what I’m doing in pursuit of something totally unlike a nurse? It would show ponies who crazy I can be.”

“I don’t know, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying, right?” I shot back, catching Redheart off guard. “Even if it is at the expense of my own happiness, I would be willing to make as many ponies as I can happy. If somepony like you don’t feel like you are where you belong, than I simply have to help you find happiness.”

I think my speech may have broken Redheart slightly, because her shocked gaze didn’t drop for a good ten minutes. It was actually kinda funny, seeing somepony who was both calm and slightly deranged act in such a manner. Once that shock wore off, I found a heartwarming smile gracing her face. It was one I would have expect from the Redheart I had first met here.

“Thanks Ditzy, but please don’t make yourself miserable just for my sake,” She told me.

With that we parted ways, I found myself with an objective of sorts: help rid Redheart of her own troubles.

——— Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death ———

As I layed in bed, the nighttime announcement having played just moments ago, I thought back to everything that had happened this morning. Some many ponies seemed angry at me, and the thought only made me more worried about what might be coming. Thoughts spun through my head with no end, all of which ended with the same question. A question that I didn’t want to know the answer to...

...Was I next?

Author's Notes:

Long time no see. After a summer of little to no updates on this story I am back and ready for more Danganronpa! Actually, I finished V3 litterally a week before this post, and without giving much a way HOLY SHIT that ending screwed with me. It did have to make me rethink how I wanted to approach the ending to this story, but I should generally be the same.

One of the things that kept this from getting upload was the spacebar on my keyboard braking, though the biggest one was trying to figure out what to do with Thorax because I did not think his FTE through at all. I think I have a better idea now, but will see exactly where it goes from here. I also had to go back and read Redheart’s again because I had completely forgotten what her first FTE ended with, but it gave me plenty to work with.

Anyways, as I mentioned we have a special third FTE session coming after the next daily life, so voting starts now. The top two get the place, and Applejack, Flash, and Pinkie are unavailable, so work with what you have.

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Daily life part 3

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Ding dong bing bong

“Good morning ‘guests’, it is now 8:00am. I hope you are all feeling well rested and respectful, you know, like you should be. Look, all I ask is that one of you die real soon so I can vent my stress out on something more than a bunch of idiotic horses. So do that, and make it snappy!”

Part of me was surprised that Monokuma was still angry, but I should have expected it. I’m sure most ponies are probably still angry at me about what happened at breakfast yesterday. It made me not want to get up and hide away like Pinkie has been doing. The fact that I haven’t seen her after all this time astounded me, remember how happy-go-lucky the Ultimate Party Planner was. Hopefully she is still eating.

“Guess it would be more worrying if I didn’t show up after yesterday’s affair,” I convinced myself. I had to force my body off the bed, not feeling the want to move or do anything at the current moment. “Why do I feel so heavy right now?”

Do what I could to wake myself up, I walked to the door of my room and opened it. Part of me had expected somepony to be there, mainly Applejack or Flash ready to question me about Celestia knows what. That didn’t happen, and I was instead greeted with the view of the opposite balcony, bedroom doors closed. I let the door slowly close behind me as I stepped out, only to find something run right into me.

“There you are?!” A voice said as I hit the floor.

“Wh-what-“

My words fell silent as I saw who it was, and it brought me a mixture of relief of fear. The one who had run me down was Pinkie Pie, who was now standing over me with an oddly intense look on her face. My question about whether she had been eating or not was answered, noticing that she had gotten far skinnier since I last saw her. Unhealthily skinny to be exact, as I could see her ribs expanding and could see her breathing harshly. The Ultimate Party Planner almost looked starved from what I could tell.

“You did it, didn’t you?” She yelled at me, the words spitting out with ferocity. “You were the one who gave me that letter, admit it! Admit it!”

“Pinkie, what are you talking about?” I asked her, but the words only seemed to make her angrier.

“Don’t act dumb with me however you are!” Pinkie suddenly blinked, seeming lost and confused before advancing once again. “Why did you give me that letter? Tell me. Now!”

“Pinkie, is something wrong?” I asked.

“That’s Ditzy you’re tackling Pinkie, not Hooves” I heard Bon Bon call as she dragged Pinkie Pie off of me. The Ultimate Party Planner met the Ultimate Candymaker’s eyes, or just to the right of their eyes I realized. “One is grey, one is brown. It’s not that hard to tell them apart. I mean, how could someone mix up those two accents.”

“Oh, oopsies,” Pinkie giggled cheerfully. She turned back to me, “Sorry, I’m actually not very good when it comes to voices. I’ve met so many ponies that their voices kinda blend together.”

“It’s fine Pinkie, but you should still be able to see a difference,” I pointed out, still confused about on how such a mistake could be made.

“That should be obvious,” Pinkie answered. “I lost my contacts! Truth is I actually have very bad eyesight, and without them I can’t make out pony’s faces.”

That caught me off guard in more ways than I could count. Pinkie, the Ultimate Party Planner, capable of remembering names, birthdays, likes, dislikes, and pretty much everything, was slightly blind. It would have been obvious if she was wearing glasses, but contacts could explain why I wasn’t able to see a difference. If voices did mix together as badly as she said they did, it did make sense how she could mistaken me for someone else.

“It doesn’t help that the two of you have thick accents,” Pinkie continued as I registered everything going on. “Yes, they're kinda different but when one sounds so foriegn and the other sounds straight outta Manehattan they really do just blend together.”

“I have an accent?”

“Don’t worry, it’s normal to not realize it,” Bon Bon explained. “Anyways, we can continue this at the dining hall. Something… dire has just come up.”

“You mean the letter Pinkie mentioned,” I asked her, getting a nod. “You know where it’s from?”

“Ditzy,” The Ultimate Candymaker sighed, a look of disappointment on her face. “When someone says ‘we can continue this at the dining hall’, they mean ‘we can continue this at the dining hall’!”

I was shocked by the sudden aggression in Bon Bon’s voice. She seemed so laid back that I didn’t even realize she could get angry that quickly. Guess I learned two new things today, or three counting the accent.

“I-I’ll meet you there then,” I said, waving goodbye to them. Deciding to see if anyone else was still in their rooms, I turned around, and was met with a wide-eyed Rainbow Dash hovering in the air. “Oh, um, hey Rainbow… how long have you been standing there?”

Rainbow look down to me, clearly processing however much she had heard.

“You have an accent?”

——— Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death ———

Not too much later I met everyone else down at the dining hall, who were busy greeting Pinkie again for the first time since Rarity’s trial. The look on her face was similar to the one that I had seen on her for a split second: complete confusion. She greeted everyone back as they said hello to her, but she hesitated to say any ponies name. The only two who weren’t greeting Pinkie was Applejack and Flash, the former staring at me with cold eyes.

“Seems like someone here doesn’t know what subtlety is,” Rainbow mumbled under her breath, blocking the Ultimate Farmer from my view. “Just ignore her Dee. That mare doesn’t understand the term ‘accidental’.”

“Say’s the same pony who has to be told what an accent is,” I joked, Rainbow giving me a look that spoke ‘touche’.

“Ah, nice to see you’re alive Ditzy,” A shiver went down my spine as I turned to see Redheart behind me. A cocky, sinister smile donned her face as she put her muzzle to mine. “I do hope nopony cause you any trouble last night.”

“N-no, not at all,” I replied taking a step back, only for her to close the space yet again. “Look, Redheart, I’m glad you’re concerned about me but can you please be a little more… considerate.”

“Ahem,” I turned once again to see Bon Bon standing on the dining table, clearing her throat a little. “As much as I want Pinkie’s reunion with us to be a joyful one, we have a matter to discuss, one that is deeply troubling at that.”

“Ya mean other than the fact one of us here ruined our only chance of speaking to our families ever again?” Applejack quipped, glancing at me real quickly as she said that.

“And if certain ponies would please shut up and actually listen, perhaps I’ll make it clear that Ditzy was actually doing us a favor,” As she finished, she glared at Applejack in frustration. When no response came, she dropped the glare and continued. “Last night, somepony here delivered a message to Pinkie’s door, one that I found when I decided to check in on her today. At first, I thought it was a threat on her life by somepony here, but it turned to be worse than that.”

“Worse?!” Doctor Hooves asked, the rest of us echoing his thoughts in one way or another.

“Yes, and we should’ve known something was off,” Bon Bon answered, her words carried a weight with her that backed up exactly what she was saying. “When Monokuma said those messages were from our families, we should have known something was off. He got to us, and more importantly, we did exactly what he wanted us to.”

“Are you saying that these messages are not from our families?” A.K. asked, not seeming convinced at what was being told to her. “And how would you know that when he cut them to shreds?”

“Because that message Pinkie received wasn’t written by anypony here. Someone put her letter back together,” Bon Bon explained, and a gasp resounded from the rest of the room. “And while it wasn’t written by one of us, the pony who gave it to her last night is in this very room, hiding, knowing exactly what they have done.”

I could see everypony looking around, with the only exceptions being Pinkie, Redheart and I. It’s not that the shock didn’t hit me, but rather I was stunned somepony here was able to do that. If it was only a few tears I could except it, but the fact someone would even consider trying to put together all those tiny pieces was insane. I doubt A.K. would even be able to do that, and she was the ultimate author.

“What’s so bad about that?” Fluttershy asked, seeming confused. She was speaking in that creepy monotone voice that she used during the trial. Monokuma had affected her more than I thought. “Monokuma went through a lot in order to make sure you all got some word about your families. He even had me pick which ones to give you guys, so it should be anything to worry about.”

Bon Bon looked to Pinkie, whispering something to her. She nodded in response and pulled a piece of paper out of her mane. It was her reforged letter, something made clear from the tape holding it together. The Ultimate Party Planner then attempted to hand it to Bon Bon, who again whispered to her friend. The only word I could tell was exchanged between the two was a ‘sure’ at the end, to which Pinkie replied to with a nod. With that she reached for the letter and turned back to us.

“Fluttershy,” Bon Bon addressed the Ultimate Animal Caretaker. “If you really did pick these out, then tell me if this is correct.”

Fluttershy nodded and smiled in response. With that, Bon Bon took a deep breath, and begin reading the letter to us.

“Dear miss Pinkamania Diane Pie,”

“Aw, they spelled it wrong again,” Pinkie said, and the only thought that went through my head was how a relative could screw up the name of a family member.

“We regret to inform you that your sister, Maud Pie, recently committed suicide.”

My heartbeat skipped, and I looked to Pinkie who was looking forward. Her eyes were wide, pupils dilated, and mouth hanging as she heard the words. Everyone had a similar response, even Applejack, who seemed to forget about her vendetta towards me as she heard these words. Bon Bon had also stopped, struggling to continue reading the letter.

“We are sorry to have to inform you about this loss, and ask that you visit your parents at home to help them, as well as help you in this time of need. Friends are also invited to attend Maud’s funeral, which is to be held on-“

“Stop,” Pinkie told Bon Bon. The Ultimate Candymaker did just that, turning to the pony next to her as they tried their best to hold the tears in. “I don’t wanna hear anymore. It’s fake, I know it is. Maud wouldn’t do something like that, she wouldn’t. She… she-”

“No, that’s how I remember the letter going,” Fluttershy interrupted, unfazed by the entire ordeal. “It’s a shame something like that had to happen, but isn’t it better knowing instead of not?”

“Shut up! You don’t understand!” Pinkie yelled at Fluttershy, no longer able to hold back my tears. “Don’t act like you know what’s good for me you… you…”

Pinkie didn’t finish that sentence, instead bolting out of the room, nearly missing the door in the process. The way Bon Bon had said it earlier, and the way Pinkie had attacked me made me thought she already knew. It's clear she hadn’t, and that thought stung me as I realized I was doing nothing to help her.

“The hell were you thinking Fluttershy?” Flash asked, clearly frustrated by the lack of care being shown from the Ultimate Animal Caretaker. “Pinkie already had enough to do with after Rarity was killed, why fan the flame even more?”

“I never said this is what you wanted to see, I just said it was something about your families,” Fluttershy answered in response. “Monokuma taught me how do show death to ponies, and even more so how to accept it. One day, I will die, and you all will too, but you’re too busy denying everything to accept that. That’s all he wants you know, and all his creator wants as well. Accept death, and nothing can ever hurt you.”

Despite multiple ponies attempting to stop her, Fluttershy managed to sneak out of the crowd and through the door. Arguments broke out afterwards, and just like Pinkie I was done seeing death I was done with these. I know some others left as well, but who I didn’t know. I just wanted to get out.

I just want to deny the fissure separating us all.

Author's Notes:

In case any of you doubted that I was actually returning to it (and if you aren’t I’m sorry if that made you feel included) but fear not. This was a part I have been preparing for since I started chapter 3, and I’m impressed with how solid I hit the mark. The next murder is only two FTE’s away now, and you all know what that means. This might be the last chance for Ditzy to hang out with certain ponies, so choose wisely.

Also, I should state that if you already put down your vote during the prior FTE session (in this case the second FTE with Thorax and Redheart) from here on that will be casted as a permanent vote and can’t be change in the next part. I know it might seem strange to do this, but that way we don’t have any double voters.

So, who do you want Ditzy to hang out with? Who is going to be murdered?

In the next chapter, all will be revealed.

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Free Time Event (Redheart 3 and Bon Bon 2) + end of daily life

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A feeling of relief washed over me as soon as I was out of the dining hall, but I still didn’t feel completely comfortable. I could still hear arguing from the other side of the door, and I didn’t want to be anywhere near the room in case something went down. With that thought I made my way out to the entrance hall of the castle, which seemed to be the quietest place at the current moment. That silence was the most comforting thing I had at the moment, coming close to pure bliss.

“Some ponies really don’t seem to know how to keep their mouth shut,” And with Redheart’s voice suddenly catching attention, that bliss was gone. “I have to say, the last pony I would expect to do something so cruel would be Fluttershy. The pegasus has guts I didn’t know she had.”

“I bet it’s just Monokuma talking and not her,” I theorized, knowing that I probably wouldn’t be able to get the Ultimate Nurse off me. “Ever since she started talking with the bear she’s been acting more and more cold. It’s weird, especially considering the pony she was before.”

“Well, nothing we can really do about that now,” Redheart told me, and I sadly couldn’t help but agree with her. Nopony had the courage to go up against Monokuma, and if this new personality was anything to go by Fluttershy might just be as bad. “So, Ditzy, you have something to follow up on I believe, or have you already forgotten about our last conversation?”

I facehooved as Redheart said those words, having indeed already forgotten what I had said. I had told her I would help her talk about her ‘other side’, the one that was more murder obsessed. She didn’t have anyone when she was young, so I guess that best thing to do would maybe be to try and have a normal conversation. That would at least be a good start, though I really have no idea how this entire psychology thing works.

“So, how about we start by talking about things you did during your foalhood,” I suggested, really reaching for anything anything that might not be related to murder or her father. Those seemed to be a bit more sensitive to her, or the later at least. “Talking about yourself or asking others about their life might help a little. So, lets start their.”

“Well, I already kinda told you but… my young years were rather boring,” She started, seeming surprisingly unsure about this. I quickly realized this was not going where I wanted it to go. “I wasn’t allowed outside much, and my father was scared of every little thing hurting me. I spent most of my time reading, which is where I found my favorite genre.”

“I-I see,” I said, knowing that it was already too late to pull out of this. “Um, what kinda genre would that be?”

“Mystery,” My heart sank as she gave me that answer, and I saw that familiar look in her eyes. “Murder mystery to be exact, and I feel in love instantly. The murderers especially caught my eye, and it was so much fun picking about their motives and ambitions. Some were breed killers while others were normal ponies like you put in bad situations. For example, one of the novels talked about a prior murdered in a-“

“Okay, let's change the subject,” I interrupted. “How about we skip foalhood and go more recent, what do you say?” Redheart didn’t give me in answer, look at the floor in embarrassment. “Sorry Redheart, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s fine, Ditzy,” The Ultimate Nurse replied. “I know you’re trying, but I don’t really think I need the help.”

“But you said that it was hard to talk about-” I stopped, immediately realizing that I was actually avoiding the exact thing I had told Redheart I would help her with. “Oh, right. You wanted help actually talking about your obsession with murder.”

“I know you said you wanted to help me, but I don’t think you are the right pony to handle this kind of stuff,” She explained. “Besides, everypony already sees me as the Ultimate Nurse. Kind of hard to change something like that,” She put a hoof on my shoulder, smiling. “It’ll be fine. I made it this long after all, no reason to try and change it now.”

With that, Redheart walked off, leaving me standing alone in the entrance hall. She tried to hide it, but under that smile I could see desperation. Something was bothering her, something far more than the inability to talk about herself. I couldn’t think what it could be, but I’m not gonna let it go. I promised to help her, and I intend to do that.

With nopony around I made my way to the upstairs library, figuring that I had enough time before lunch to read. It was hard to think that, last time I was here, the library had almost made me a false culprit. The thought lowered my spirits overall, remembering the burned corpse in the fireplace that was once Rarity, and everything after. I think I had swore as her corpse came to mind, but I wasn’t entirely sure.

“Ah, there you are,” Bon Bon said from the other side of the library. “I’m guessing you also got out of the dining hall once hell broke loose.”

“Yep,” I replied with a nod. “Have you checked in on Pinkie? Is she dealing with this okay?”

“I don’t know, she isn’t answering me when I knocked on her door,” She said, her relief turning to sorrow as she answered. “I’ll check in on her again later. Anyways, I think I’ve found a hobby worthy of trying out.”

A slight shiver went up my spine as she said that, and I suddenly felt rather worried about what she was going to say. I still wasn’t entirely sure that Bon Bon needed another hobby to begin with, but I wasn’t willing to tell her. She seemed settled on this, and with everything going on the last thing I should do is make her feel bad about herself.

“Okay. So, what is it?” I asked.

“Follow me,” She said taking my hoof and dragging me out of the library. Next thing I knew, we were in the chemistry lab, and my eyes laid upon the absurd amount of equipment set up not far away. “So what do you think?”

“Bon Bon, how much do you even know about chemistry?” I asked, getting even more worried about what was coming.

“Probably as much as you, which is why it is perfect!” She exclaimed. “What better way is there to seperate yourself from the normal than to do science! Dangerous science, obviously, but still science.”

I took one look at the amount of things she had gathered, and a sudden urge to run filled my spirit. “Bon Bon, I don’t think I’m the only one here who would say that this is the worst possible option.”

“Oh, stop being so cautious,” She said cheerfully. “How are you to find something fun in life if you are scared of every little thing around you?”

We went back and forth for a while, but Bon Bon finally won in the end. It turned out that Bon Bon actually knew less than I did about chemistry, and I instantly regretted not leaving the room. The amount of things that went wrong during that next hour could not be described as I tried my best to save Bon Bon from a horrible fate. Strangely, the one thing that didn’t happen was an explosion.

“Bon Bon, I think that’s enough,” I said, pulling her away from the large rows of chemicals out on the table. “How about we just… put everything away and leave them their. You think that’s a fantastic idea right?”

“But we’ve barely even started,” Bon Bon pleaded, acting like a spoiled brat if anything. “I mean, as long as we end up with a stable substance at the end everything’s fine. I want to at least get one compound.”

“You do realize that we have been doing this for two hours and have almost lit the room on fire five times now, right?” The look on her face as soon as I asked the question was one of embarrassment. Not the normal looking-down-at-the-ground-in-shame embarrassment, but the kind you see on a foal being teased by her parents.

“R-really, I was only trying to make it combust once,” She replied. “Guess I’ve gotten a little rusty from being inactive all this time.”

That caught me off guard. “Inactive?”

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Bon Bon said. “Of course, if I really am this rusty it might be a good idea to try something else.”

“I still don’t think you need to do this,” I told her, “I mean, what’s the problem with being the normal one? Doesn’t that just mean you-”

“No, I already started this, and I’m not going down without a fight,” Bon Bon explained. “Just you wait Ditzy, I’ll find us a way to stand out, no matter how long it takes. I won’t settle for the norm, not when I have the title of Ultimate!”

On the one hoof, I couldn’t help but feel inspired by her words. She did seem to care deeply about this, and she definitely had a drive to continue onwards. That said, I didn’t think she needed to worry about being normal. It seemed more like an excuse to do dangerous things than an actual reason. She would probably deny that if I told her, though, so I decided to instead do what I can to make sure she doesn’t get herself hurt.

With our little escapade in the lab done, we packed up everything and went our separate ways.

——- Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death ——-

I rested in my bed, the nighttime curfew having just hit. So many things happened today, but my immediate thought went to the message Pinkie had been given. Fluttershy had confirmed it was real, but I didn’t want to believe that. Had Monokuma done something to her? Something that made her act like a completely different pony? And who had put the message together? Those questions swirled through my head as I tried to fall asleep.

“…”

Ding dong bing bong

“A body has been discovered! Will everyone please report to the castle dungeons so we can began the investigation.”

“Wh-what?” I had barely closed my eyes when those words came over the speaker. It took me a second to registered what had been said. “Wait, what?!”

Knock knock

Hearing the doorbell, I sprung out of bed to see who it was. I noticed that it was darker out than when I had closed my eyes, which told me that I had been asleep for at least a few minutes. I shook my head, dismissing that thought and rushing to the door. Opening it, I saw A.K. standing in front of me with a look of fear and dread in her eyes.

“A.K., please tell me-”

“I’ll explain later, just hurry to the torture room!” She commanded before running off.

Knowing better than to disobey those words, I made my way down to the entrance hall and into the left hallway. I descend the stairs as quickly as I could, passing Bulk and Doctor Hooves as I did. The first thing I saw upon entering the dungeon was an open door, or the locked door at the end of the hallway to be more specific. Keeping that in mind, I made my way down, stopping at the door separating me from the torture room, the murder room. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door, preparing myself for who might be lying dead on the ground.

I should have been preparing myself for more.

Blood stained most of the floor, as well as the lower part of the wall. One body was tied to the wooden table, staring blankly at the ceiling in shock and terror. Another was lying on the ground, muzzle to the floor and body mangled horribly. I expect that to be the last of them, but one more body was in the room, one that I hadn’t expected. The bodies from earlier belonged to Flam, the Ultimate Con Artist, and Flash, the Ultimate Guard. The last one, however, was being cuddled by Bon Bon, who was crying in agony as a flash of pink came into view.

“No, no no no no,” She cried, unable to hold back the despair and anguish filling her soul. “Who did this? Who… who did this?!”

Those words told me all I needed to know. That final body, belong to the Ultimate Party Planner, Pinkie Pie.

Author's Notes:

In the games, there is a rule excluding the murder of more than two people. Here, however, no such rule was ever implimented, and I saw that as an opportunity. I’ll be honest, I was really hesitant to do something like this, especially since I’m killing off a character who has been pretty relevant to the story up to this point. In fact, I had at first planned in entirely different case with Pinkie and Bon Bon as the victims, but I saw this as the more interesting murder and mystery case.

So, yeah, this is probably going to be the longest trial so far in the series, as well as a fairly long investigation. A murderer is amount our cast, but who could it be?

I should also, each Danganronpa has had a slightly different theme from each other. Trigger Happy Havoc dealt with Hope vs Despair, while Goodbye Despair was more Despair vs Hope. V3 did something completely different, dealing with the theme of Truth and Lies. So what is V.E.’s theme, it’s something that you all might have been seeing more as of recently in the story: Acceptance vs Denial. The ability to accept what is right in front of you or your place in life, or to deny that and believe something else. That’s what I wanted to do with this, and I hope I have been doing a good job at showing it.

Anyways, I’ll see you all in the chapter 3 investigation!

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Deadly life part 1

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The silence in the air seemed to carry the same thought from pony to pony. We’ve already seen so much death hear in such a small amount of time, and I thought I had seen everything. Twilight, Trixie, Rarity, and Octavia had all left an impression on us. I thought that, after all of that, nothing could phase me. I thought that everyone else would be the same, but here we all are. Ten ponies standing in a blood covered room, one of those clutching one of the recent victim’s close to her body. None of us wanted to believe it, and yet it was undeniably true.

Not one, not two, but three bodies had been found, each belong to a fellow captive of this game. Flam, the Ultimate Con Artist, a pony who was far more trustworthy than any of us had expected. Flash, the Ultimate Guard, who seemed to trust only himself when everything came down to it. Both were shocking to see lying on the ground, but neither of them had gone through as much as the third. Pinkie Pie, the Ultimate Party Planner, who had just learned of her sister’s passing and had taken these murders worse than most of us.

“This… this has to be a joke,” Applejack spoke up, her voice barely even a whisper. “I’m dreaming right? This has to be a dream.”

“As much as I want to agree with you, this is very much real,” Doctor Hooves replied, looking down at his hoofs. It, like the rest of ours, were stained in blood. “What in Celestia’s name happened here?”

“I hate to be that pony but it should be obvious,” Redheart said, her and Fluttershy being the only ones in the group not traumatized by this. “Three ponies murdered in a single room, a few possibilities are open as to how it happened. Perhaps they all killed each other, or one of us killed them all, or something far more interesting happened we don’t currently know of yet,” She licked her lips, tasting the blood in her hoof. That smile turned to disgust, though I had no idea why. “Or this could be some horrible joke.”

“I don’t think this is a joke,” Thorax stated, the same thought going through my head as well. “Is Bon Bon gonna be okay?”

My attentioned turned to the Ultimate Candymaker, who was still clutching Pinkie in her hooves. Blood had stained her coat, but she didn’t care at all. All Bon Bon wanted to do was cry into the body of the friend she had lost, one who she has been closed to ever since we arrived in this castle. I couldn’t imagine what she was going through. I felt terrible that Pinkie was dead, and yet for some reason I was just glad it wasn’t me.

“Yeesh, enough with the frowny faces,” Monokuma said as he dropped from the ceiling, landing in front of us. “I mean, all of you should have seen this coming. It would be boring if the same amount of ponies are murdered every time, right? And rule of thumb is that the third murder will always have two ponies. Though, I guess it’s three in this case, puhuhuhu.”

“Just get to the point Monokuma,” Redheart said, her voice oddly serious. I had expect her to giddy about the situation. “I want to start investigating, and the longer you’re here the more time we waste.”

“Is something wrong Redheart?” A.K. asked, having also noticed the lack of crazy in Redheart’s voice.

“Something is indeed wrong, but I can’t put my hoof on it just yet,” Redheart responded. “Which is why I ask for you to leave your stupid report and get out of here.”

“Still no respect?” Monokuma threatened, claws out and held in front of him. “Even after I destroyed those lovely letters from home?”

“Screw those stupid letters!” Bulk yelled. “I don’t care if they were for good reason, I don’t want to know what’s waiting for me.”

“Okay, fine,” Monokuma said, taking out the next collection of monokuma files and throwing them in front of him. “Here you go, start investigating for all I care. Maybe after you’ll learn to respect your superiors.”

With that, monokuma stamped off, leaving our first clues to the murderer behind him. Redheart was the first to grab one, followed by Bulk, Applejack, and the rest of us, until only one was left. Looking to see who hadn’t grabbed one, I saw that Bon Bon hadn’t moved the entire time, and quickly pieced together it was hers. Grabbing the monokuma file, I walked over to her, trying to find the words to get her moving.

“Bon Bon, it’s time to get to work,” I told her, though I didn’t get any response. “Look, I can’t understand how you’re feeling right now, but we need to investigate. If we all work together-”

“I’m not working with you murderers,” She finally responded, the words heartless and her voice cold. “I don’t know who it was, but I know why it happened,” She tightened her grip around Pinkie’s body, soaking her own in her dead friend’s blood. “Whoever did this is responsible for putting the letter back together, and that pony is one of you. I’m gonna find which one of you did it, and I’m gonna kill you…” She looked to me, a fire in her eyes. “... even if I end up dying in turn. Just leave the file on the floor.”

A few more ponies in the room tried to talk to her, but Bon Bon didn’t respond. She just sat their, whispering numerous apologies and promises to the dead pony in front of her. It took time, but everyone finally gave up on getting her to talk or work with us. They didn’t see what I did: a pony desperate for revenge against a foe they didn’t know. I could already imagine the suspicion that might fall on her, lashing out at everypony that might be involved. If I’m going to find the murderer and save everypony, then I have to keep her from painting a target on her back

Investigation Start!

“If any of you want to check the bodies, do it now before checking the monokuma file,” Redheart told us. “I don’t want to leave her without a gathering a full report, and that’s going to take time with three bodies. As such, I’ll also guard them.”

“I’m surprised to see such a serious look on your face Redheart,” Doctor Hooves observed. “I expected you to be acting… a little crazier.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I want to be excited about this just as much as last time,” Redheart explained, looking to the Ultimate Scientist. “But something about this rubs me the wrong way. This murder feels… unjust.”

“I’ll guard the bodies too,” Bulk volunteered, stepping next to Redheart. “If Flash was still alive, he would obviously guard them. Though, with him gone-”

“Ya don’t need to explain yourself. We know why he can’t do this,” Applejack explained. “Anyways, yer with me Ditzy.”

“Wait, what?” I was shocked to hear those words from the Ultimate Farmer, considering the vendetta she seemed to have against me right now. “I-I thought you would want to go with somepony else.”

“Well ma’ first choice is dead, and as much as ah hate to admit it yer one of the more coordinated ones here,” Applejack explain. Her compliments only led to even more shock. “So… ya gonna check the bodies or stand here with your mouth agape like a no-eyed bat?”

“Oh, r-right,” I responded, nodding hurriedly before walking over to the first body.

The body closest to us was Flam, who was strapped down to a table with a wire of some kind know that I was close. The wire was wrapped across his torso, legs, neck, and mouth. There was no blood from what I could see, and besides from a couple bruises I couldn’t see any damage. However, I hadn’t checked the monokuma file yet, so it was possible some damage might have been done on the inside.

“That’s barbed wire,” Applejack stated, pointing to the wires on his torso and legs. She then turned to ones around Flam’s neck and muzzle. “That however, seems closer a standard cable.”

“Really?” Looking closer, I could see that there was indeed a difference from the lower wires to the upper ones. They were small, but the former wires were indeed barbed. “That’s strange, I don’t remember seeing either of these at all throughout the castle. Where did they get these from?”

“They’re stored behind some of the machines in here,” Redheart explain, having overheard our conversation. “Some of these machines are electronic, but most are rather old fashioned. The barbed wire was probably meant as a way to dissuade the victim from struggling, though to avoid damaging the neck they probably used the cables. Clearly they weren’t trying to kill him, or at least kill him by neck damage.”

“Ya sound pretty sure of that,” Applejack pointed out, seeming rather suspicious.

Redheart nodded in response. “I should be, I’m the only one who is ever down here,” She looked away, eyes closed as she thought about what she just said. “Guess that makes me the number one suspect.”

I could understand why she was thinking that, but I had a feeling Redheart was innocent. The look of disgust from earlier, and the more serious nature she currently had. Either way, at least we knew where the wires came from, as well as a theory to their use. If the wire wasn’t meant to kill him, there was no reason for barbed wire to be around his body. It could have been for restaining, but something tells me there was a bigger reason

Flam’s body was added to the truth bullet section of your handbook.
Restraining wires was added to the truth bullet section of your handbook.

With nothing else noteworthy about Flam’s body, I moved to Flash, who was probably the worst of three in terms of conditions. His body was heavily beaten, limbs twisting in ways that they really shouldn’t have been. Unlike Flam, there was no look of pain, shock, or terror visible on his face. At first I thought Flash had been killed before he even knew of his attacker, but that wouldn’t make sense with the beating he seemed to receive.

“Doesn’t seem like a single piece of his body isn’t bruised,” Applejack said, looking at the body. The what her body language wanted to imply, but she was actually looking to the wall instead. “Flash, ah’m sorry. This should have never happened to you.”

“Is everything okay Applejack?” I asked. The moment I said her name she looked to the body, though it seemed to have been forced.

“Yeah, just unable to believe somepony like Flash is dead,” She said, something that came off as a half lie, one she struggled to say. “How the hay did somepony manage to kill a trained soldier like him?”

Despite being an attempt to turn my attention away from her, that was definitely a good question to ask. Flash was the Ultimate Guard, most likely trained in self defense and was not someone you would attack under normal circumstances. Not many ponies seemed capable of taking of stallion like him down, with the exception of Bulk perhaps. He was strong, which made sense as the Ultimate Body Builder, but Flash would know how to deal with him.

“The only pony we can rule out is Flam,” I stated. “I could be wrong, but with the relationship between these two Flash was probably the one who tied him up.”

“Ah guess that makes sense,” Applejack nodded, once again looking away from the Flash’s body. “He might have been the Ultimate Guard, but sometimes ah swear he acted like a grade school bully.”

Flash’s body was added to the truth bullet section of your notebook

“Okay, time is up,” Redheart announced, pushing me aside and kneeling next to Flash. “You had your chance to examine the bodies, but if I’m gonna finish before the trial I need to get to work now.”

“Hang on, we haven’t even gotten the chance to examine Pinkie yet,” Applejack shouted at the Ultimate Nurse. Looking behind me, I saw multiple ponies starting to make their way out of the room. “Give us at least another minute or-”

“Bon Bon isn’t letting anyone near Pinkie except for me,” Redheart explained, looking to Applejack in patiently. “She doesn’t trust anyone right now, and I only get a pass because I can give a more idea on the cause of death. Besides, there some more important things to focus on.”

I had to force Applejack away from her, the Ultimate Farmer having some choice words for the nurse. We didn’t have time to argue, something that Applejack didn’t understand, and there was other stuff we could focus on. Neither of us had looked at the Monokuma file yet, and with three bodies it would probably hold a lot of useful information. While Applejack grumbled about getting cut off from investigating (despite not having the guts to look at Flash’s body) I opened up the third Monokuma File. Seeing photographs of all three victims, smiling as I read the contents, gave me an eerie feeling.

“All victims were killed within a single half hour, with each on being minutes off from the other,” The file started, already sounding incredibly different compared to the last two. “The time of death ranges between 10 to 11 PM.”

Those first two sentences quickly made something clear, one that I was both thankful and nervous about. The way Monokuma had worded this clearly meant that all the murders were related to each other. It had seemed likely before, but now it seemed certain that this was the case. All three were killed within minutes of each other in the same location, with another mystery pony making it out alive. That’s what seemed like the most obvious sequence of events anyway. Getting off track, I returned my focus to the file in front of me.

“Flash, the Ultimate Guard, received major external and internal injuries,” The Monokuma file continued. “Multiple bones were broken, with major internal bleeding being a possible cause of death. However, the body also shows signs of severe trauma, beating, and punctured organs. All of this was done by hoof.”

“By hoof?” I asked myself, looking to Flash’s body as I thought about that. “Guess that makes sense.”

“Flam, the Ultimate Con Artist, was found tied to an interrogation table in the torture room. No harm has been done to the body; the cause of death is unknown.”

“Pinkie Pie, the Ultimate Party Planner, was found in the corner of the crime scene. She was impaled through the chest with a large item, causing major bleeding.”

“Hey Redheart,” I asked, getting a groan in response from the nurse. She didn’t want to be interrupted, but I had no choice but to ask at this point. “Is it possible for all this blood to be from a single pony?”

“That is a good question,” Redheart responded. “No, the amount of blood in the room would not have been solely caused by one pony, but it’s possible someone among us might be hiding injuries. Now if you don’t mind, I’m trying to do something important here.”

Monokuma file #3 has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

“Hey, everyone!” Bulk called out from one area of the room. “I think I found the murder weapon!”

“Really? Step aside!” Applejack commanded, dashing over to Bulks location. I followed after her, hoping this could give some insight as to why so much blood was on the ground.

What Bulk had found definitely seemed like the murder weapon; a spear covered in blood at the very back of the room. The metal tip was covered in scratches, though it was impossible to tell if they were recent or not. Otherwise nothing but the recently dried blood at the end of the blade stood out all that well, but Applejack couldn’t stop staring at it. Something was going through her mind, something that may be detrimental to figuring this murder out.

“Applejack, did this spear belong to Flash?” I asked, hoping she wouldn’t pretend to ignore me. “Did you… see something that you aren’t telling us about?”

“Ah guess,” Applejack responded, finally looking away from the spear and to me. “Ever since the first murder Flash has been keeping a spear in his room for self defense. Ah know this because he spoke to me about it yesterday. Frankly,” Applejack pulled her hat over her eyes. “Ah don’t understand why he was so surprised about Pinkie’s letter.”

“You mean he might have known about it?” I question, seeming to have landed upon an interesting piece of information.

“Ah don’t think he might have known about this,” Applejack said a stern look on her face. “Ah know he was aware of the letter’s message. He was one of the ponies who put it together after all,” Bulk gasp loudly, quickly reminding me that he was also here. “I found them talking about it down here two nights ago. A heard a few voices, but no idea on who they belonged to. Only one I could pick out was Flash and… no, that can’t be right.”

That revelation definitely took me by surprised, considering exactly who it was that we were talking. Applejack was right, Flash was oddly angry about the contents of the letter, but thinking it over it wasn’t specifically the letter he was angry at. He was angry at Fluttershy for being so insensitive about the information it contained. Either way, he should have known well what the letter contain if Applejack was correct.

“Weren’t you also the first pony to find the bodies?” Bulk Bicep asked.

“Yep, though ah wasn’t alone,” The Ultimate Farmer confirmed, before looking over at Pinkie’s body. “Huh, guess Bon Bon left. A-anyways, I had heard somepony shouting from downstairs and had found Bon Bon tied up in one of the cells.”

“That’s odd,” I closed my eyes, playing the scene that Applejack had described in my mind. “Who tied her up? My first thought was the murderer but leaving somepony alive would but them in danger,” Done thinking it over, I opened my eyes and focused solely on Applejack. “Is that why you were so eager for my help, Applejack? You’re afraid that what Flash was caught up in got him murdered?”

“I’m not asking to be friends, and I still don’t like you after the whole ‘destroying the messages’ thing,” Applejack explained. “But Flash and I actually got along rather well. I didn’t bring him up earlier because I don’t want to think he got killed for killing somepony else. The Ultimate Guard doesn’t kill good ponies, and that’s the only truth I am accepting,” For the first time since we had met, I saw a look of fear and weakness in her face. “So, even though I seem like a complete ass to you, please help me find the truth?”

“Applejack,” I hugged my fellow Ultimate, an action that seemed to shock her. “As much as Flam was right about you, always wanting to be right and all, I was in the wrong that time. Don’t feel like you need to like me, because that would be wrong, but know I will do everything in my power to help you.”

After a few moments, we got back to investigating. So many possibilities and pieces were now available to us that it was hard not to ignore it all. That spear was definitely a murder weapon, and one carried by Flash no less. He obviously had some intention of using it, but for what reason I was unsure. Applejack and Bon Bon had discovered the bodies, with the later having been tied up by an unknown suspect. Everything pointed to one truth we could be absolutely sure about: the destroyed messages were at the center of all of this.

“The hell were you thinking Fluttershy?” Flash asked, clearly frustrated by the lack of care being shown from the Ultimate Animal Caretaker. “Pinkie already had enough to deal with after Rarity was killed. Why fan the flame even more?”

Now that I thought about it, Flash was actually trying to defend Pinkie back then. For him to kill Pinkie seemed backwards after that. In made more sense for him to be defend her from somepony, but whoever that pony was we didn’t yet know. This group of ponies, putting the messages back together, wasn’t trying to tear us apart. They simply wanted to give ponies closure, one that had sadly led to this outcome. A bad outcome, all of which paved with good intention.

Group reforming messages has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook
Applejack’s account has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook
Bloody spear has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

“Well, since Bon Bon is no longer at the body, should we check it real quickly?” I recommended, knowing that we wouldn’t have much time with Redheart present.

“Why wouldn’t we?” Applejack asked, her head tilted slightly in confusion. “I mean, she is a victim in this case?”

Walking over to Pinkie’s body, my heart sank a little at the very idea of checking her. I knew I had to, but of all the ponies that could have died, she was not the one who should have. Her entire world seemed to have crumbled in a matter of days, going from a chipper, hyperactive ball of energy, to someone barely able to stand in front of us with a smile. She didn’t need to know the truth, and Fluttershy no longer understood that. Just how far had Monokuma twisted her?

“The cause of death is most likely impalement,” Applejack recited, looking at the Monokuma file. “No doubt the spear we found was the cause of this, but I doubt Flash killed her.”

“If he was any other Ultimate, I would disagree, but the Ultimate Guard?” I questioned, pondering on what Applejack had said. “At the very least, the murderer must have taken it from him. Still, why was Pinkie down here when she could barely see?”

“What do ya mean ‘barely see’?” Applejack asked. I facehooved, realizing nopony but Bon Bon and I knew about Pinkie’s eyesight. “Last I checked, starvation doesn’t do anything to a ponies ability to see.”

“Actually, Pinkie didn’t have good eyesight to begin with,” I explained. “When I met Pinkie this morning, she actually attacked me because she thought I was someone else. Apparently she wears contact lens, and couldn’t find them when she woke up this morning.”

“Hopefully no pony took them in an attempt to cause an accident,” Applejack replied. “It definitely is strange though. I’m not to sure what kind of vision she had or what lead her down here, but do you think she might have walked in on the murderer?”

“If this wasn’t related to the letters, I would believe that. Since it is related to the letters, clearly Pinkie had some involvement in the scene before us,” I told Applejack, coming up with a possible theory. “With a group working on the letters, three victims, and a murderer, anyone could have taken part in what happened. Who is or isn’t involved is something we’ll need to figure out during the trial.”

Pinkie was definitely the most clear victim of the three, and the most cleanly killed despite the blood splattered in the room. Her death wasn’t an accident, even though a part of me wanted to say it was, and something drew her down here. She was probably the first pony killed, but until we have Redheart’s autopsy we won’t know. Yet, for some odd reason, her murder seemed off to me. I don’t know why, but there was a mystery to her body that wasn’t being told to us.”

Pinkie’s body has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook
Morning events has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

“So, what should we do from here?” Applejack asked. “Until Redheart is done, nothing else in here seems useful.”

“We should check the rest of the dungeon,” I explained. “You mentioned Bon Bon being tied up in a cell, and I saw the locked door at the end of the hall open for some reason. We could probably find something in-”

I suddenly heard the door slam shut, distracting everyone inside of the murder room as an unknown figure suddenly darted off on the other side. Following my gut, I rushed to the door to open it, wondering what the figure was up to. As I reached the door, I tried to open it, only to find it wouldn’t budge. Applejack and Bulk joined at my side moments later, each of us attempting to open the door to no avail. We had been locked in the murder room with no ability to leave.

“Ditzy? Somepony?” I heard the familiar voice of A.K. come from the otherside of the door. “Are you okay?”

“We’re okay!” I called to the otherside, glad to hear the voice of my possible sister. “We can’t open the door from our end, can you?”

“I just tried,” I then heard Thorax, his voice sounding panicked and alarm. “Somepony busted the lock from the inside. If you are wondering how I know, drones have training in infiltration, sabotage, and other things. I’m not proud of it, but give me some time and I should be able to get you out.”

“We don’t have that time,” Applejack whispered to me. “How can we check the rest of the building if the door is locked.”

“I got this,” I reassured her. “A.K., could you check the opened door at the end of this hall and the dungeon cells? They might be important to the murder.”

P.O.V. Change: A.K. Yearling is now investigating

“Alright, leave it to me,” I reassured Ditzy from the other side, Thorax already at work on fixing the look. “Thanks Thorax, I don’t want to know what Monokuma would do if they didn’t arrive for the tiral.”

“No thanks need,” He said, looking to me with a smile before returning to his work.

Doctor Hooves, my partner for this investigation, was currently pondering what had just occurred. “Should we tell them that Bon Bon did-”

“Later,” I interrupted. “We have thing to do.”

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Deadly life part 2

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Three murders, all with some clear connection between them, and now somepony has tried to disrupt the very investigation by sealing off the murder scene. We were lucky some had stayed behind to investigate it, but it brought up a lot of questions. Doctor Hooves, Thorax, and I hadn’t seen who had done it, and it is completely possible someone inside was responsible. It didn’t help that Bon Bon had run off on her own, not willing to talk with anyone around her.

That said, I had a promise to fulfill to my sister. The door in the dungeon, the one near the torture room that had been shut previous to this, was now open. It hadn’t been opened at any point, at least as far as I can tell, until these three murders. There was something inside of it that was possibly detrimental to this investigation. Yet looking at the door already gave me really uncomfortable question. Turning back to the changeling working on the broken door, I hoped he wasn’t too deeply concentrated yet on fixing it.

“Thorax, can I ask you one last thing real quickly?” I asked. I didn’t get anything in response, Thorax seeming to be fixated on the task at hoof. “Guess I won’t be getting any theories from him.”

I turned away from the changeling and back to the door. For all I had known, Monokuma had locked it up, meaning that whoever opened it got his permission. Either that, or they broke in, but one check at the lock told me that was not very likely. The door knob had no dent, wasn’t broken off, and as far as I know hadn’t been tampered with. Who knew if Monokuma would even allow that if he wasn’t letting ponies in in the first place. I hadn’t entered the room, and already something about it felt off to me.

“Is it possible that someone messed with the inside of the lock?” I asked to no one in particular.

“Considering the shape it is in, not likely,” Doctor Hooves replied to my left, inspecting the knob from every side. “You already noticed the lack of denting I’m sure, and I can’t see any damage or scratch marks. From what I can tell, it was either opened naturally,” he turned to me as he finished his own inspection of the door. “Or the room was broken into without using the lock.”

“Perhaps we’ll find something on the inside,” I suggested, the sound of a tic-tok clock ringing in my head. It was something that happened when these investigations slowed to a crawl, and it made me uncomfortably anxious. “Besides, we can discuss the door at the trial if we have to.”

Doctor Hooves nodded in response. “Right.”

Door to Mystery Room has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook.

With that mystery pocketed for later, Doctor Hooves and I moved into the room. Considering what the rest of the floor had been like I had expected it was for freezer room up to this point. A place to store dead bodies, mostly likely ones from other killing games if Monokuma had done this before. I had suspected that of him, considering how experienced he sounded with this stuff, but it was possible he wasn’t. It made sense either way, but that was all just a theory up to this point, and none of it was true.

My eyes went wide as I looked at what was in front of me, that feeling of discomfortable from earlier multiplying tenfold. It was a freezer room, so my theory wasn’t completely false, but it was also a very undefined truth. The room was covered in bright pink blood, save for the ceiling, and it was not dry. It made the entire room feel cold, something not aided by the lack of heating in the bottom floor of the castle. Despite my wish to just throw up at the sight of this, three words somehow managing to leave my lips.

“What the hell?”

“Ms. Yearling, please don’t tell me you actually fell for this?” Doctor Hooves replied, giving me a look that made him look extremely disappointed in me. “You… actually don’t realize what’s going on, do you?”

“I don’t know? How the heck would I not know?!” I ask in surprise, noticing how calm he was in all of this. “The entire room is covered in blood, Hooves! It’s like something out of a horror novel! Why the heck are you so okay with all of this?”

“Ms. Yearling, I’m a scientist,” He responded in a matter of fact war. “More specifically, I’m the Ultimate Scientist, and have study many different fields. This includes physics, chemistry, biology, and other fields of interest,” He gave me a smile, seeming to enjoy the gloating that I had allowed him to give. “You don’t become the Ultimate Scientist just for building a time machine, especially when doing so requires knowledge of all of those fields.”

I expected more after that, but he didn’t continue. “The point is?”

Doctor Hooves facepalmed, sighed, and then gave me a more straightforward answer. “This is paint, Ms. Yearling,” He explained. “The density isn’t the same, none of the victims had this much blood, and the pony body doesn’t have anywhere near enough blood for… this,” He pointed at the giant puddle of ‘blood’ we were currently standing in. “Also, even if it could be from a pony, the time of death for our three victims meant that the blood on them was already dry. If this was their blood, it would have dried by now.”

“Oh… right,” I reluctantly admitted, feeling embarrassed about how I had acted. ”In that case, where did this blo... I mean paint, come from.”

“I don’t know,” Doctor Hooves admitted with a shrug. “If this was meant to be a prank of some kind, than it was in poor taste.”

Considering just how much paint their was, I doubted it was meant for a prank. This had some connection to the murder, at least that’s what I thought, but it made no sense. How the heck did murderer get this much paint, and what even was its purpose? It seemed completely unrelated, but the fact this room was only opened after the murder left me to think otherwise.

Paint flooded room was added to the truth bullet section of your handbook.

Now only feeling embarrassed instead of disgusted, I trudged forward into the room, deciding to get a better idea at what we were looking at. On the far side of the room was various small hatches, which were likely used for preserving dead bodies. To the left was a metal table, which was also covered in pink paint, which was probably use for autopsy. I had a feeling the walls were meant to be metal, but like everything else it was hidden behind a disgustingly bright pink.

The only thing of real interest was the the hatches at the far end of the room. As I opened the first one, I quickly found that my hunch was right. Inside was the dead body of a pony, though it’s condition showed that preservation wasn’t really a goal. I stuck my hoof into the area behind the hatch, noticing a distinct lack of cold hair. Putting a hoof on the dead body, I noticed how fleshy and warm it was, for a decaying body at least. The mane, tail, and pony’s coat were gone, and the body itself was well rotted.

Closing the first hatch, I moved onto the next, and got the same exact result. Another dead body, not well preserved, and well rotted. I continued to move down the row, noticing that Doctor Hoove’s had started doing the same exact thing. Each one we opened contained another body, and everytime it was the same exact condition as well. Then, suddenly, as we opened the last one, which was the hatch in the center of them all, we found the outlier. It was the only one with no body.

“Doctor Hooves, how many hatches are there?” I asked my companion, wanting to check something real quick. I saw him quickly add up each column of hatches, mumbling the amount to himself as he did.

“I’m counting ten,” He replied as he finished. “Not enough for him to use a killing game.”

“Which would mean that these bodies are from something else,” I summarized. “I might be overthinking this, but I’m positive that another body should be here. Monokuma clearly had a reason for filling these, and a reason for keeping it sealed off from us.”

“So you think the murderer used the missing body for something?” Doctor Hooves asked.

“Yes, but what it is they used it for I’m unsure about,” I told him. “Either way, it’s something we can ask around about.”

While the room hadn’t been as significant as we hoped it would be, it did leave us a few new mysteries. I couldn’t put my hoof on it, but the fact only one hatch that lacked a body behind it felt off to me. It couldn’t be a coincidence, I just knew it wasn’t, that wouldn’t feel right in this case. Somepony broke into his room for a reason, and whatever it was had to be connected to the missing body.

Missing body has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

With that we left the room, deciding to check back with some of the other ponies who were still down in the dungeon level of the castle. Thorax still wasn’t finished yet, saying that whoever messed with the door had done it carefully. That meant we couldn’t ask anyone who was inside about what we had found. That said, we still had another part of the dungeon that Ditzy wanted us to check. Other ponies were checking the dungeon cells, but if she thought something about it was important I wasn’t going to complain.

The first pony we came into contact with was Rainbow Dash, who was watching Bon Bon until she had taken off upstairs. No one had exactly known why, but she seemed insistent on working alone, even after we explained again why we investigate together. Pinkie Pie seemed like the most reasonable option as to her condition, but it seemed like whatever was going on was worse than that. No one knew what was going on inside of her head, save herself. Either way, Rainbow had believed it would not do anything to go after her.

“Hey A.K- what the buck!” Her voice exploded as she looked at me, or more specifically, my paint covered legs. “Yearling, why are you and Doctor Hooves…”

“Would you believe me if I said that locked door at the end of the hallway was flooded with paint?” I asked, getting a look from my fellow pegasus that could only be described as skeptical. “Seriously, go check it if you want, but we were wondering if you’ve found anything interesting.”

“Other than what I found in this open cell, not really,” Rainbow said, pointing at the cell. No doubt this was the cell that Bon Bon had been kept in, if Ditzy was correct about that fact. “There was a thing of rope in their as well as these keys, which seem to open every cell down here. I wonder why they were locked in the first place?”

“Ditzy told me that Bon Bon was locked down here, though she didn’t exactly mention why,” I explained, stepping inside the cell just to make sure. “Usually all the cells are closed, so someone had to have opened this for a reason. With this evidence the idea of Bon Bon being held down here is far easier.”

“Rainbow Dash, has Bon Bon stepped back down here at all since we’ve been gone?” Doctor Hooves asked behind me. I didn’t hear a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but the words I heard out of his mouth, as well as how they were said, told me everything. “I see. Any idea on what she could be checking on?”

“Part of me thinks she just wanted to get away from all of us,” Rainbow theorized as I finished my investigation inside of the cell, not finding anything particularly useful. “If I had to guess anything, it would be the small shards of glass or plastic that was under Pinkie’s door.”

That quickly got my attention, mainly because it was related to Pinkie, who had the most mysterious death. All we knew about her was about as much as we know about each of the other victims. We knew she had been impaled, though I didn’t know by what, and no injury she recieved was marked as fatal in the Monokuma file. For a second I thought she might have somehow escaped, but the quick flash of her dead body through my head told me otherwise. All of that made this detail, no matter how little it might help, all the more important.

“How small exactly would you say?” I asked.

“Small enough were you wouldn’t notice unless you just stood there and looked at the floor,” Rainbow explained. “After the entire debacle in the dining room this morning ended, I tried to go speak with Pinkie, but she… wasn’t in her room.”

“That’s weird,” I tilted my head in confusion at that bit of information. “I figured that was were she would have headed off to.”

“Pinkie was already in a rather bad mood, I doubt she wanted ponies talking to her, even if it was to cheer her up,” Doctor Hooves theorized. “Her room is likely the first place anypony would go to.”

“Either way, I’m near positive on what I’m saying right now. That glass likely came from in her room,” Rainbow stated. “That was where most of it seemed to be located at least. When I saw it, I thought something bad had happened, especially when I found that her door was unlocked. Thankfully, there was no body, but I guess that didn’t last to long.”

I still wasn’t completely sold on this. “And you say this earlier because?”

“Like Hooves said, she probably needed some space,” Rainbow Dash said with what seemed like complete honesty. “Last thing she wants is everyone in the castle running around calling her name, especially with how she must have felt about all of us.”

I wanted to call her out on that, say that Pinkie didn’t hate everyone, but thought didn’t even reach my lips before I realized how right she was. With everypony that died she seemed to get more and more quiet, and when Octavia died she didn’t want to be with us. I gritted my teeth as I thought about what might have been going through Pinkie’s mind. After we were so willing to kill Trixie and Octavia, even if that second one was more reluctant, she probably couldn’t help but think we had no problem killing those we come across. For somepony to then give that letter to her, saying her own sister had died, that last ounce of trust was destroyed. It was almost a miracle she was willing to talk to Bon Bon, if that was even possible after what happened.

Opened Cell has been added to the truth bullet section of your notebook
Rainbow’s Account has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

“One more thing before we conclude here, Rainbow,” I asked. “Did you see whoever broke the torture room’s door?”

“Is that what the loud sound at the other end of the hallway was?” Rainbow asked. I nodded my head in response, just realizing nopony had told her about it, since she was the only one who didn’t inspect it when it occurred. “Not really, Bon Bon was upstairs, and all of us were here together. The only thing I could think is that Fluttershy is responsible, since she is the only who I haven’t seen during this entire thing.”

“Actually, where has that pegasus been during this entire thing?” Doctor Hooves asked. “She was with us when we start the investigation, but after that she just disappeared.”

“Considering how Monokuma seems to be using her, I’m sure it has something related to getting around his own rules,” Rainbow suggested, a long pause between some of her words, almost as if she was reaching for something not really there. “Just because someone is a stickler for it doesn’t mean they won’t try and break it indirectly.”

“That could be true, but I think that goes against Monokuma’s programming,” I reminded her. “Robots are built to follow instructions, and even a machine like him, as sentient as it is, has to follows those boundaries.”

“Well I got nothing then, other then the fact it can’t be good,” Rainbow said, throwing her hooves into the air, shaking her head. “I hate to say it, but Fluttershy kinda did this to herself, trying to befriend that piece of trash.”

Fluttershy’s whereabouts has been added to the truth bullet section of your handbook

“Sis!” I turned around, recognizing the voice of a certain wall-eyed pegasus behind me. What I saw was Ditzy, Applejack, and Thorax walking towards us, the first of the three rushing forward to give me a hug. “Oh it’s so good to see you again.”

“I can second that,” I replied with a smile. I could see Doctor Whooves looking back and forth between my sister and I in shock. This is probably the first time he has heard Ditzy call me that, now that I think about it. “How did things go for you guys? Hopefully you ended up getting more in there than we ended up with out here.”

“If you think we really cracked one of these murders, than I’m gonna have to disappoint you,” Applejack answered. “We think we know what killed Pinkie, but it all is just guessing right now.”

The next few minutes involved the sharing of information from one group to the other. Applejack wasn’t joking about not finding much, as apparently the only real confirmation we had was that Pinkie had been killed with a sword. Even than, Flam and Flash were still up in the air, and our finding didn’t help to fix that. The fact that Flash was also supposedly part of this group responsible for putting the messages back together was also something of interest. It was clearly something important, but seeing as the only we were certain of being a part of this was Flash, we couldn’t go on it without further investigation. Sadly, that wasn’t going to happen.

Ding dong bing bong

“Damn it,” I whispered, hearing that dreaded bell. Every investigation I felt like we got less and less time, and that feeling just kept on growing.

“Attention everyone: the investigation period is now over!” Monokuma addressed from wherever he was observing us. “You know what that means? It’s trial time! Everyone make your way to the usual place, and get ready for another incredible battle of wits and words!”

“How long do you think it took him to come up with that?” Rainbow asked from behind me.

“Longer than most of us could probably guess,” I responded, sighing as our investigation came to an end. “Guess we’ll talk everything over during the trial. Hope you are all ready.”

With that, we all made our way to the garden, though it seemed that none of us were truly ready for what was to come. As we entered I couldn’t help but notice how much emptier the garden now felt, so many of us now put in graves for some psycho’s entertainment. Even as we were joined by Redheart things felt empty, a notion that not even Bon Bon or Fluttershy could solve. With all of us hear, I decided to try and get on last detail before stepping on the platform.

“Excuse me, Fluttershy?” I called, tapping the pegasus with my wing. She looked at me with almost robotic eyes, like she was no longer a pony but a tool. “Where were you this whole time? You know you are suppose to have a partner, right?”

“Who said I didn’t,” She replied, her gaze turning to Bon Bon. “She didn’t want me to follow, but I did anyway. I’m sure my findings will be rather helpful during the coming trial,” She smiled as she passed by me, whispering in my ear as she did. “There is a lie in the murder room. Several, in fact. That’s all your getting for a hint.”

With that she trotted past me and onto the platform, leaving me as the one everypony was waiting on. After thinking over what she had said, I stepped on as well, but what she had said seemed odd. A lie? What kinda of lie could Fluttershy be talking about? And why was she telling someone who hadn’t well investigating the murder location? I tried to get the thought out of my head, but it didn’t leave, as well as one other thing…

...Someone, dead or alive, is responsible for all of this.

Pinkie Pie, the Ultimate Party Planner, a pony who had seemed to loss all will to live as the days went on, finally put to rest by somepony next to us. She was the last pony who deserved to die, as she was the one who needed a happy ending the most out of all of us here, including myself.

Flash Sentry, the Ultimate Guard, killed and possibly associated with a group possible for reforming Pinkie Pie’s message. He wasn’t the kindest of ponies, but he certainly didn’t deserve this end, especially with how much Ditzy had told me about his relationship with Applejack.

Lastly, Flam, the Ultimate Con Artists, who had been the most ironically honest one out of all of us here. Smart, cunning, and clearly as good with words as someone who spends their life lying should be. Perhaps he was also involved with Flash’s group, but either way he had been murdered while strapped down to a table.

Three murders, each more mysterious than the last, and one of us had killed them, or maybe they had killed themselves. The dead wasn’t giving us any answers, and we had so little to go on already. A room filled with blood colored paint, Bon Bon for some reason chained up for unknown reasons, and if Fluttershy is to believed, a lie that we all seem to be falling for. As we reached the bottom of the pit and stepped into the trial room, I knew exactly what to do.

I had to win this battle, if not for my life, but for the ones who died because of it.

Author's Notes:

Hey guys, it's been a while. If you've been following up with my blog posts then you probably know why this has taken so long, but either way I'll just sum it up. While I still love the show, I'm no longer as big into fanfic writing as I was when I started this last year. I still plan to finish this, and do everything I mentioned with it after the main story is complete, but it's likely this might be the last story I write on here.

However, that is not the most important thing right now. We have the evidence, no matter how bizarre or brutal it might be, and three bodies surrounding them. Now, we have reached the trial, and this will probably be the most difficult one to uncover yet. So, who do you think did it, and what exactly might be the lie Fluttershy is talking about? Tell me in the comments, and I promise that the next chapter will not take this long next time.

Danganronpa V.E: Creating Chaos

by Lusaminia

Prologue: Castle of Despair - part 1 [edited]

Prologue: Castle of Despair - part 2 [edited]

Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again - Daily Life part 1

Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again - Free Time Event (Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy)

Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again - Daily Life part 2

Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again - Free Time Event (Twilight and Flam) + end of daily life

Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again - Deadly Life

Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again - Trial part 1

Chapter 1: Despair Begins Again - Trial part 2

End of chapter 1

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Daily Life part 1

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Daily Life part 2

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Free Time Event (Thorax and Doctor Hooves)

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Daily Life part 3

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Free Time Event (A.K. Yearling and Rainbow Dash 2) + end of daily life

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Deadly Life part 1

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Deadly Life part 2

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Trial part 1

Chapter 2: Unfortunate Seventeen - Trail part 2

End of chapter 2

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Daily Life part 1

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Free Time Event (Redheart and Bon Bon)

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Daily Life part 2

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Free Time Event (Thorax 2 and Redheart 2)

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Daily life part 3

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Free Time Event (Redheart 3 and Bon Bon 2) + end of daily life

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Deadly life part 1

Chapter 3: Dungeons and Death - Deadly life part 2